Aoiroo Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 Friday May 13th 1:47pm It had rained all week, so the weekly run for her gym class was held inside instead of on the muddy field. Honestly, Etain didn't mind the rain so much, it was a bit less intimidating than the heavily reinforced gymnasium with it's steel upper plating, and tons of metal equipment used for the other classes. As the teacher checked roll she glanced down the stretch of indoor track they'd be running, it was pretty plain, and she was happy to see that the teacher wasn't expecting them to be jumping the hurtles again. Really even if she knew they were made out of alluminum, the fact that she wasn't in her usual attire made her feel very exposed. But it couldn't be helped, the gym dress code didn't permit her usual long layered outfits, so she made due in a t-shirt and shorts both in the school colors, and a pair of the highest knee socks she could find that went down into some plain white tennis shoes. The teacher had allowed her a pair of cotten gloves as per her condition, but that still exposed the skin of her pale forearm. As they lined up, Etain waited quietly to be partnered up for the sprinters in which they would take turns timing each other's fastest running speed. They were assigned by alphabetical order, though this time was different as her usual partner Gwenn Malry was absent for the first time that year. This was no surprise to her, as the graduating class had much of the next week off, and Gwenn had only taken this class to fill a slot for a credit she had neglected. This did however leave her with the interesting position of having a new gym partner for the day. Though it was not like it would be too long, she waited quietly as the teacher called for a girl who's last name was Martel.
April Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 Dressed as the other students in the school issues gym clothes, royal blue with bands of goldenrod yellow, Eve Martel looks every bit the athlete that she was. Though on the short side, barely cresting five feet, the white haired teen was muscled and well toned, moving with a sense of grace and self assurance. Eve trotted over to her partner for the day , her schedule had shifted around slightly with her revolving commitment to Young Freedom and her class work and this was the first time she was scheduled for gym this period. As she trotted up to Etain she slowed to a walk and eventually stopped, the girl was gorgeous. Shaking her head slightly, the telepath smiled at Etain and waved to her, --Mm, hello.--
Aoiroo Posted May 23, 2011 Author Posted May 23, 2011 Etain glanced over at the girl to be her sprinting partner and gave her a quick once over. She was only a little shorter than herself, but with white hair like Victoria. Unlike Victoria she was far more obviously athletic(though she knew Victoria was pretty strong herself), and she had a much more confident stride. Her eyes were a very pretty shade of green, and she smiled when she waved at her and she heard a hello. However, it took her a second to realize the girl had not moved her lips to do so. "Oh," She let the word slip with her realization but than pushed it aside. This was Claremont afterall, a telepath wouldn't be that unusual. It was in that second of thought that she realized she hadn't waved back and quickly compensated with her own short wave and a bright smile, "Ohh yes, hello," Reaching up she absently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "I am Etain."
April Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 --Eve,-- the snowy-haired gymnast replied, barely managing to suppress a chuckle at Etain's reaction. Despite the having attended Claremont for over a year and the open secret that she was a telepath, that she communicated solely mind to mind still managed to surprise her fellow students. As Eve worked through her stretches she gave the hazel-eyed girl and appraising glance. The telepath recognized Etain from the brief glimpses she saw of her on campus, but never had the chance to take the measure of the teen. Ugh, not good at small talk, Eve thought with a sigh. --I've seen you about. How are you finding school?--
Aoiroo Posted May 24, 2011 Author Posted May 24, 2011 "The school is good, very good. There are a lot of interesting people, and the staff are very nice." Well she wanted to say accomedaiting, but she didn't know which word that was in english. She glanced over to the gym teacher who was trying to deal with some arguing with some girls who disagreed with the slight shift in partners. "I do not think I have seen you, you are very striking I think I might of remembered." Well striking for this realm, she had seen much stranger people, but she was slowly but surely getting used to what was considered this realm's norm and white hair on a young woman seemed an obvious deviation.
April Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 The telepath chuckled and rolled a shoulder in a shrug, --I tend to keep to myself, and out of sight. The Zen garden is perhaps my favorite haunt.-- For a moment Eve wasn't sure if the beautiful girl was being patronizing, the telepath knew how simple it was for her to blend into the background so she was a little leery of being called striking. Still from the set of Etain's posture and the timbre of her voice, Eve felt she was being honest, which caused her smile to brighten a bit.
Aoiroo Posted May 24, 2011 Author Posted May 24, 2011 "Garden? I did not think there were any on campus." Well at least not any real gardens, she saw some standard plants, occasional flowers set around campus and trees but nothing that struck her as a real garden. Though she hadn't seen all the campus as of yet, so it wasn't unlikely that it was simply a place she had not visited yet. Still she might of wanted to see it, if only because it might be a nice place to spend lunch some days. "Might not be a good day to go look at it with the rain though."
April Posted May 26, 2011 Posted May 26, 2011 --It's a bit on the small side,-- Eve acknowledged, bringing to mind the expansive gardens on the expansive Martel holdings in France. --And they are easy to miss if you are just traveling from the dormitories to the classrooms. But nestled among the main garden is a nice quiet Zen garden. It helps me center myself.-- Eve noted that the instructor finally settled the objections of some of the girls, and gave the teacher a smile and nod which was politely returned. --I could take you sometime,-- the telepath offered, glancing at Etain. --When it's not raining, of course.--
Aoiroo Posted May 26, 2011 Author Posted May 26, 2011 "Yeah, there is a lot to do when it is not raining. Now that school will be done soon, there will be more." She glanced over at the instructor who had started to go grab a bunch of stop watches for each of the partners to time each other than back down at her shoe where she saw a loose lace. She knelt down and started to tie a nice tight knot. "Do you need to center often? I have heard it is difficult for some with gifts, but each difficulty seems to be different." Well maybe it was just those she knew, but than everyone had difficulties regardless of what gifts they had, the gifts just added because of their price. No gift recieved without one given after all.
April Posted May 27, 2011 Posted May 27, 2011 --It's more for peace of mind than any real need,-- Eve admitted, watching some of the other girls in class. --I can't tune everyone out, not completely. So many billions of minds and a tenuous thread linking me to every one.-- The telepath brushed a hand through her white hair and shot her partner a grin. --So you can understand if I try to find a place to "be alone" even though I will never truly be.-- The instructor came by and handed a stopwatch to Eve which the mindwalker accepted with a smile and slight nod. --If I might ask, what "gifts" have landed you in Claremont??--
Aoiroo Posted May 27, 2011 Author Posted May 27, 2011 Etain started to stretch her legs a bit, "Well, no one is ever truly alone, you are just not as good as others at ignoring that." Though she smiled at the Eve when the question about her power came up, instead though she got in position to start her run, "I make shadows of sense. No, that does not sound right. Umm, illusions, I think that is what the word is. Though the school has binded me, so I can only make them when people are close. I was not entirely trusted because of where I am from, which is pretty fair." She watched as the instructor started to cue everyone up, "Before you ask, I cannot say where I am from, at least not in exact terms. I hope that does not bother you much." Waiting as the instructor set up the cones, she started her run on the instructor's mark to the fifty meters to the cone and back.
April Posted May 29, 2011 Posted May 29, 2011 --Doesn't bother me at all,-- Eve said with a smile. --I'm not certain if you intend to return home when you are finished here but you will find that most students have a secret or two. So be at ease, I will not pry.-- The telepath cocked her head slightly to the side as she watched Etain. Athlete or not the illusionist more seemed to float than run, and to Eve it was nothing short of breathtaking.
Aoiroo Posted May 29, 2011 Author Posted May 29, 2011 No matter how graceful it seemed, Etain wasn't very fast, she took just a little under fifteen seconds for the hundred meter sprint. She wasn't really huffing after the sprint, in fact she kept was breathing even and holding her smile, which confounded her other partner until she did in fact show some huffing whenever prompted for anything a longer distance. "How did I do?" She waited quietly for the other girl to the answer, though her thoughts did wander a bit in the short time.
April Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 --You did well,-- Eve told Etain with a smile. --Fifteen seconds. Remember, in the gym it's not about being the best and beating the others, it's about racing yourself. Beating your old time, your old record. It's about pushing yourself harder and harder, each time.-- Eve's group was up next. Handing the stopwatch to Etain she lined up and at the instructors signal too off, flying down the track
Aoiroo Posted May 30, 2011 Author Posted May 30, 2011 "Well I do not think I have gotten much faster." Grabbing the stop watch, she set it up to her liking and timed Eve as soon as she went. She certianly was fast, far faster than Etain, and she had a nice flow in her stride like she could take off the ground whenever she fancied, and only choose to stay down because of the constraints of the exercise. This thought lasted just a bit longer than the actual time set for Eve's sprint, it was only through reflex that Etain managed to click the timer off when she returned, "You are much faster than me, and my last partner was well, though she did not seem to care much for this."
April Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Eve took a look at the time and made a sour face, nose crinkling slightly. --This wasn't my best time,-- the telepath said a small hint of irritation accompanying her words. "Makes sense though; different class, pleasant distraction" she thought to herself before shaking her head slightly. "No excuses, Eve. You can do better." --Even a little improvement is good, Etain-- Eve said, favoring her gym partner with a warm smile. --As for your last partner, that's understandable. Not many like running and in truth I'm not particularly fond of it either, track isn't my sport, but it's great cardio.--
Aoiroo Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 "I am not so fond of it either." Running wasn't something she practiced much outside of gym, for one it was hard to do in the long skirts that usually accompanied her clothing, another thing was in battle she rarely if ever ran away from a person. It was counterproductive to the limitations set on her powers. "I prefer fencing, but we only spent one week on it in class last term. The team on campus did have tryouts, but my grades were not so good when they were being held."
April Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 --Are you any good at it?-- Eve asked, raising an eyebrow at Etain. Fencing was always one of those things that Eve wanted to take a stab at but it was one of those things she could never work into her schedule. She was a natural athlete and while her family would have supported her interest and made sure she received only the best instruction Eve loved gymnastics more. Retrieving her water bottle the telepath took a quick sip before offering it to Etain. --Claremont has a gymnastics team and I train with them on occasion, but mostly I just help with the coaching.-- She shrugged. --I'm not allowed to compete.--
Aoiroo Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 "I am fairly good yes, though I have not had practice in a while, I think I may be getting dull." The last phrase sounded a bit weird, even to her, but she got the point across she got, "Well I would think that is the same for most of the school's sports. It is why they play together when they are skilled in a way differently than appart. I have heard many stories about how different teams work, like there was a girl who could jump really high on the track team, or that there was a girl strong enough to carry the bottom so that they could do an upside pyramid for cheerleading. Though I rarely have the time to see these events myself, it seems that the elements of all the interesting people on campus makes them very entertaining."
April Posted June 3, 2011 Posted June 3, 2011 --So, illusions,-- Eve said, abruptly steering the subject away from the athletics program. Though she was getting better at it, the fact that Eve could no longer compete really bothered her. Granted she also felt that, even prior to her outing as a metahuman, competing at the high school level would have been remarkably unfair. --Making people see what you want them to see, yes?-- --How do I know the you I see is the real you?-- the telepath said with s faint smile.
Aoiroo Posted June 3, 2011 Author Posted June 3, 2011 The change did not go unnoticed, but Etain deemed it unimportant, after all, sports weren't nearly as interesting as this subject. She gave Eve another smile, "That is very simple, I cannot make things that have weight, or real touch." Very slowly, she grabbed Eve's hand with her own gloved one and pull it up to her face so it was touching her check, "So tell me, is there anything you feel that does not match what you see?"
April Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 Eve blinked when Etain took her hand, and then blushed when it was placed on her gym partners cheek, her alabaster countenance becoming suffused with apricot. The telepath probably let her hand linger a heartbeat longer than necessary, a fact which caused Eve's blush to deepen even further. As she withdrew her hand the Martel heiress finally managed to tear her eyes from where her fingers made contact which caused Eve to laugh lightly at her own bashfulness. --What I felt... matches what I see.--
Aoiroo Posted June 5, 2011 Author Posted June 5, 2011 She smiled at the girl, she was very pale, she looked nice when she had a little color. Though, Etain really couldn't say much about being pale. "Than it is not an illusion." Turning to look past her she raised a hand right over her head to hand the stop watch to the teacher who had walked over. The teacher took it and walked away which she watched before taking a glance around. "The rest of the class is free, what game would you like to play?"
April Posted June 5, 2011 Posted June 5, 2011 The telepath shrugged. --I haven't had time for games in ages. It's always training and school work and more training, frankly I rarely have the time to simply relax. So, umm, you decide Etain.-- --Or if you want to just sit off somewhere and talk that's fine too, I rather like listening to you you're interesting and I'm babbling aren't I?-- The tiny gymnast ducked her head slightly, ears going red. Everything she said was true, of course. She was just usually a bit more careful with her words, making sure that she didn't blurt out everything she was thinking except now that discipline didn't seem to be holding.
Aoiroo Posted June 5, 2011 Author Posted June 5, 2011 Etain's smile brightened considerably, "Talking and sitting is fine, the others do not like playing games with me much anyway. Especially the ball dodging, though I think they just get mad because I dislike getting hit, so I do not." She started started to walk to the benches as she looked around the gym, "Though I guess not many like me, they say I have an odd manner. Which I guess is true, where I am from is very different."
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