At the Park

[cameronyardling]

"Betcha cant' beat this height!" Melrose called out to Holden, as she swung herself high above the ground.

Holden, with his own feet safely on the ground, watched his big sis fling back and forth on the swing set. He had to admit... she was pretty good at the art of swinging. Holden grinned and seated himself in the neighboring swing as he backed his way up to a standing position. The swing and he prepared for lift off. "Yeah, yeah. Watch out sister from another mister. I'll have you know, I swing with the qualities of a total BOSS." He jumped and threw the swing and himself forward. Holden vigorously began kicking his legs back and forth, creating momentum. In no time he reached the same height as Melrose. Their speeds matched hand in hand.

"Ah, no fair. No professionals allowed."

"Too late." Holden gave it all he had, throwing himself even further into the air. He was practically out of the seat. Flying.

Melrose tried to keep up with her soaring brother, but he was far from catchable now.

"Pilot Marshal, this is Pilot Marshal requesting landing. Do you read?"

"Pilot Marshal, this is also Pilot Marshal. I hear you loud and clear. You may begin countdown. Roger."

"Roger that. 3... 2... 1!" Melrose called as she and Holden jumped while midair out of their seats. Their empty swings flew the other direction. Holden could of sworn he was literally flying in the split second of weightlessness. He truly hadn't realized how far the drop really was.

Melrose hit the sand first, followed by her brother, who partially landed on her. The two burst into laughs, rolling in the sand, still warm from the hot sun beating on it all day.

"I've never realized how much I missed you, Baby Brother. It's good to have you home."

"Why do you keep calling it home? This is school. Not home." Holden rolled onto his stomach next to Melrose, their eyes drifted up to the night sky.

"But it is home. You'll see. You just need to see."

"What is there to see? Our family is back in New York. That makes New York home."

"But these people? These student? Holden, they will become family. You'll see them more than you'll see mom. Heck, you've already seen them longer than you've seen dad. And that's a total of your whole lifetime."

"Please. I don't even know what a "Dad" is, Melrose. I mean, do you? I could go the rest of my life without seeing that man and I'd be fine. Geez, I'd probably be better."

Melrose pushed her eyebrows together in concern. She shouldn't have brought the Old Man up in conversation. Holden plus dad equals problems, even when they meet in speech.

"And any these people as family? I have yet to understand that concept. If you ask me, I'd say the real reason you like it here has to do with a special someone. Or someones. It depends."

"What are you talking about, Baby Marshal? A Special Someone?"

"Well I've heard it starts with an "A" goes to a "aron" and possibly runs into a "T" which finally, and hopefully ends with an "obias."

Melrose opened her mouth and gave her brother a dumbfounded look. "I have no idea what you just said."

"Please, Posh Spice. Don't act like I don't know about the Tobias and Aaron saga. I've got your number."

"AARON AND TOBIAS?" Melrose suddenly stood up from her lounging in the sand, "How on earth do you know about them? Who told you? And I swear, if you tell a soul or play me for this... I'll...-" Her wide eyes stared viciously down at Holden. Who on earth could have spilled the beans?! Or better yet, you knew enough to spill the beans in the first place?!

"Oh right, like I'm just going to give away my source." Holden bushed the sand off his pants as he stood to meet Melrose's level.

"Holden Dan Marshal, if you don't tell me right now, I'll wreck you up so hard, you're going to have to use those pills from mom. And you won't recover for the rest of your high school career. I guarantee it." Melrose super zoomed her face straight into Holden's, as she grabbed him by the collar.

"I could zap yoooo face off right nao, gurl!" Holden snapped his fingers in a "Z" formation.

"Yeah and blow holes through your precious glasses." Melrose quickly snapped back, letting ago of her brother and backing away, "Look. Just don't tell anyone, okay? Your my brother so I should trust you with that, right? Marshal Sibling Code?"

Holden grinned. "Yeah. Marshal Sibling Code. I won't tell anyone, Melrose. I promise you this: my lips are sealed."

[†Øߡ§™ Knight]

Tobias sat alone on a bench in Rotary Park. He stared off into the distance, not really aware of his surroundings. Jeans, a t-shirt, and a navy blue hoodie kept the cold at bay. Why had he come out to the park? TK didn't really know. Without thinking, he had let his feet lead him to his current position. He breathed in and looked up towards the sky.

[Joni Barker]

After tending to her wound from practicing, Joni decided that some fresh air seemed like a pretty bangin' idea. So, throwing a sweater over her t-shirt and jean shorts, she saddled up on her bike, and went for a ride. Where she was going, she had no real idea. Some kids had been talking about some park in the city called 'Rotary Park', and being the person she was, she asked them where it was. They had given her the location, but had declined her offer to join her. Some people just can't be persuaded, it seemed. With a shrug, she peddled a bit faster, slipping through people like it was a maze of some sorts. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Joni reached 'Rotary Park'.

Locking up her bike with some others on a nearby bike rack, she looked around. It was all but abandoned, except for the presence of a few other people and a boy that looked about her age, sitting on a bench nearby. He looked like he was in some seriously deep thought, like those philosophizers you saw on t.v. and heard on radio shows. Curious, she fluffed up her already curly hair and made her way over to the back of the bench silently. Leaning down, she rested on her elbows, her cheeks resting in her hands gently. "...Nice night, huh?" she asked, trying to get his attention. When she got it, she stuck her hand out for him to shake. "Name's Joni, brah," she said introducing herself. "And you are...?"

[†Øߡ§™ Knight]

Tobias was brought back to reality from his pondering by the arrival of a new girl. She struck up a conversation with him. Intrigued at this development, Tobias decided to go along with it for now.

"It's not a bad night," TK responded with the hint of a smile. "Joni. Nice to meet you. I'm Tobias," he introduced himself as he took her hand in a light handshake. He wondered about her motives for talking to him. It didn't seem like a normal occurrence for someone to randomly start talking to a lone individual on a park bench.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

[Joni Barker]

SUCCESS! Joni thought happily, a wide grin crossing her face as the boy - Tobias his name was - shook her hand. She took that as the 'green-light-go', and walked around to sit herself down next to him, her legs crossed under her butt as she leaned her cheeks into her palms once more. He seemed like an okay kinda guy, seeing as that he didn't ignore her, or say some rude remarks about her walking up to him randomly and talking to him. It was the type of person she was, starting a conversation with a random person and such. It was a very... very Joni thing to do. "What are you doing out here?" Tobias asked, bringing her back from her dream world and into the real one.

"Eh, I just thought I'd get some fresh air and all, check out my surroundings." She didn't mention the school because, quite frankly, she didn't know if he went or not. She hadn't seen him before - Hell, she didn't see many people seeing as that she was new - and for all she knew, he could be some sort of secret spy sent out to destroy all super heroes and villains alike! ...But then again, that could just be her imagination. "So, what about you?" she questioned, tilting her head curious. "What are you doing out here?"

[†Øߡ§™ Knight]

"I'm out here looking for a sign," Tobias said with sigh. It was the truth, although he couldn't outright say what he really meant by it. He didn't know this Joni girl and he had never seen her at school before, so it was safer to assume that she wasn't one of the students.

Secretly, Tobias hoped something would tell him whether or not he should be the super hero he had dreamed of becoming, or whether he should quit now before he got seriously injured or killed. It would have been an odd thing to wish for if TK weren't TK, but he had the power and he was in the uncommon position of being able to choose which destiny he would follow.

[Joni Barker]

A sign. Tobias was out here looking for some sort of sign... yup. He was totally the philosopher type. Joni likey. "A sign, huh?" she questioned, rubbing at her chin as she pondered. Maybe she could help him... but then again, she had no idea what kind of sign he was looking for. The only way to tell was to chance it and say something about the school. Then, she could find out if it was some sort of sign for life, or maybe... "Is it maybe a sign about which path to take?" she asked suddenly. "You know-" She looked around for suspecting characters that might be out to get them before leaning in to whisper. "-Super hero, or super villain path?" She leaned back then, hoping he would get the hint that she went to the school. "If that's what it is, then your no good looking for it out here," she said, smiling lightly. "That's something you feel inside. It's what drives you, ya know? Your... your reason for living, I suppose." Joni gave a solid nod before looking up at the stars above them.

[†Øߡ§™ Knight]

Tobias stayed quiet as the girl talked. He didn't mind her presence, but at the same time he didn't feel obligated to keep a running conversation with her. She questioned him about his vague answer and then she said something he did not expect.

"I would never be a super villain," Tobias replied hastily, before catching himself. Did this girl go to the school? Why had he never seen her before? She was still talking, but TK simply stared at her in wonderment.

He followed her gaze up to the stars. He smiled to himself. She went to the school. She must. It was the only good explanation for her insight into his mind's eye. "The stars are so far away that I find it hard to comprehend the distance. It's crazy. They are these huge spheres of fire and light, but they only appear as specks to us. The stars don't care what we do here on Earth. The universe at large doesn't seem to care what we do. Does any of it really matter?" Tobias found himself talking openly and little strangely. Staring at the night sky did that to him. He felt small and his previous focus on discovering his path seemed petty and unimportant. Maybe it didn't matter. Maybe...

[Joni Barker]

Joni was slightly taken aback by Tobias's hasty words, but she soon recovered, a small smile working its way onto her face. She had her answer about whether he went to the school or not. It was all too obvious in his answer. Along with which path he should choose, whether it was obvious to him or not. If he had that much disdain towards villainous people, then he should obviously be the super hero he so much desired to be. All of this she could tell in the first five minutes of meeting him. How extraordinary. Tobias's next words were the ones that brought her attention from the skies to the profile of his face. "The stars are so far away that I find it hard to comprehend the distance. It's crazy," he said. "They are these huge spheres of fire and light, but they only appear as specks to us. The stars don't care what we do here on Earth. The universe at large doesn't seem to care what we do. Does any of it really matter?"

She found herself ogling - yes, ogling - in amazement at his words. So much so, that she almost didn't notice her mouth was partially open until she brought her hand up to her face to push up on her jaw, closing it quickly. Smooth move, Barker, she thought. Really smooth. Clearing her throat, she thought a little before speaking. "Well," she said, clasping her hands together in her lap. "I think... everything matters. Those stars that shine so bright, that seem so far. The things you do now, the people you meet along the way, all matter. They help you make the bigger choices, and pull you along in that big book of life. Take now, for instance." She turned to Tobias before she continued. "If I hadn't met you, and you hadn't met me, their might be another chapter in your life missing," she said, turning around so she was facing him. "You'd still be stuck wondering about your place in life, right? And I'd be... well... hm." She let out a light laugh. "I honestly don't know about me."

[†Øߡ§™ Knight]

Tobias let a few quiet seconds pass. He considered Joni's words carefully and turned them over in his mind before answering. "That's a good answer. Suitable, but life isn't a book. You can't just follow along and know that things will turn out alright in the end. Books imitate life with their stories and words, but at some point, they fail to capture the true essence of it all. Classic books survive ages, but life is fleeting. Death. That's what's important. Death gives life meaning. Without it, none of our choices would matter because there would always be more time. Well, until the Sun becomes a red giant and destroys Earth at least," Tobias said, tumbling over the words as he spoke. He chuckled to himself. He hadn't expected the conversation to turn out this way. It was good.

TK nodded to himself. Yes. Death was important. Risk was important. Life wasn't worth living unless there was always the chance that it would be gone in the next instant. He would restart his super hero activities. He wanted to live life, not idly sit by and watch it float past him.

"As for you, you'd be sitting alone on this bench or talking to someone else if I wasn't here," Tobias said in a matter-of-fact tone. He shrugged. "I'm glad that I met you."

[Joni Barker]

Again, Tobias's words were enough to make Joni do some serious ogling. They were so real, so serious that it was hard not to want to take them in and use them in some sort of... epic monologue of life and solitude. Resisting the urge to at the time and moment, she continued to focus on his words. When he finally came to his end, she could had swore her face was blushing slightly. He was glad he met me? she pondered. Well, garsh. She smiled slightly, pulling her sweater closed as it got a little chiller. "Well, I'm glad I met you too, Tobias," she said, her head held high in the normal Joni way. "Definitely gave me something to think about, that's for sure." She gave a bit of a chuckle before looking back into the sky. It was truly beautiful, something she herself would die for. Anything she cared about, she'd die for. Does that make me a hero? Or maybe even a villain too? She still wasn't sure what she was. She was sure about that one thing: she would never be sure for as long as she was always thinking. Shaking these disturbing thoughts away, Joni stretched her arms over her head before looking at Tobias. "I was getting ready to head back to the school," she said. "Wanna join me? Or are you still in your philosopher phase?" She was joking, of course, that silly grin plastered across her face as she waited for a response from him.

[†Øߡ§™ Knight]

Tobias let a true smile spread on his face. He looked down at the ground for a few moments. No, he wasn't ready. Joni was kind. She hadn't laughed at TK's strange abstract thoughts. She had helped him come to a decision, but he wanted to spend more time in the park.

"I think I'll stay out here a while longer, but thank you for your offer. I'll probably see you around school," he said happily. "Just remember, if you spend your life thinking about things, life will move on without you."

[Joni Barker]

Joni pouted a little when Tobias decided to stay out for a little while longer. She was hoping she'd have someone to ride back to the school with, but of course, things just didn't happen the way you wanted them to all the time. She was sort of taken back by his last sentence, and how... helpful it sounded to her. "...I'll keep that in mind," she said slowly, taking in what he said before shaking it off and giving him one last smile. "See you around, Tobias." She gave a small wave before turning to the bike rack, getting her bike, and peddling back to the school. She could use a goodnight's sleep. Maybe think over some things about not thinking... or something like that.

[Rhys Gerard]

Taken by surprise with the sudden turn of events, Rhys followed Toshie from the tea shop to the park, hand in hand and walking a little briskly to match her pace. He figured he'd be filling in a lot of the blanks in his memory by talking to her. And by 'a lot', it did feel like a significant amount of what he couldn't remember was related to her. Though it was obvious from the air around her that she was upset at the situation, holding her hand and being around her was... comforting. He could tell even without the memories that the peace and warmth he felt deep inside belonged to her.

Not all too focused on sentimentality, though, and more on the seemingly pressing situation of what the hell was and is going on with his life, they stopped and sat on a bench. He looked at their hands briefly, his right still in her left, then at her face.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know why, but... my memory's a bit wonky, for some reason," he started, crooking his jaw slightly, working out what to say. "I wish I didn't have to ask this, but ... what can you tell me about what happened last with us?"

[❥Toshie Makinami]

The park. Oh the park. It was always such a nice scenery here. So much green was enjoyable to her. Normally she would love to just laze about here, but not with Rhys here. When she came to her sudden halt, his words slithered into her ear:

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know why, but... my memory's a bit wonky, for some reason," he started, crooking his jaw slightly, working out what to say. "I wish I didn't have to ask this, but ... what can you tell me about what happened last with us?"

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? The kid really WAS brainwashed. Or something. How could he not remember anything?! Toshie bit her lower lip in anguish at the fact that she was so easily forgettable. No way… I thought he wasn't like this… I thought I'd be different for him. Her eyes were teary as she felt all these emotions swirling about. The girl's aura was less than pleasing. It was apparent to anyone around her, powers or not.

"What do you mean what happened last with us? You don't remember Richard?! The fight?!" She was furious. The small girl flailed her arms out, "How in the world could you NOT remember what we had?! If anything?!" The energy around her began to tingle, swirls of it coming off her body and becoming noticeable. Her hair was beginning to hover around her, if just a little bit.