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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on May 5, 2012 9:09:10 GMT -5
Finals.
Every student at the Academy seemed to cringe at the word, no one wanting the month to end. The end of the month meant the end of the year, the school year at least, and end of the year exams were always hellish. They were even worse than the end of term exams that were held before the summer break. Ashton was pretty carefree about his life and could easily convince himself that "tomorrow" was a much better day to do his homework than right this second but finals weren't something that could be ignored, not if you wanted a passing grade. His heart felt like it might have skipped a beat when his Math professor warned him about the fact it was imperative he pass the exam. "I don't want to fail you, Mr. Raleigh, but with your sub par performance throughout the year, you're lucky that you've even got a chance at passing." He'd frowned at the Earth leader, that stern look from teacher to student. The man was nice enough but Ash could tell he'd meant business. "Don't screw it up." He'd taken those words to heart and was now, quite frankly, in a panic about how he was going to manage passing the finals.
Staring at his Math notes, Ashton's mood went from bad to worse when he realised that he was drawing a blank. He could tell he was not going to be able to focus, for every sentence he read needed to be glanced over four or five times before he really took in what he was reading. This isn't going to work. He licked his lips anxiously, glanced around the quiet dormitories. A few other people were hitting the books, too, but they all seemed to be doing better than he was. There wasn't anyone to be a like-minded soul for now, a kindred spirit that would lament the existence of Math with him for fifteen minutes and help him to stave off the guilt of procrastinating. I need to do something... Then it occurred to him. His powers! He could practice those for a while! Ashton genuinely liked using his element and it had always, without fail, been his best class. He was quick to shove aside the Math, standing up so fast that he banged his knee on the table and caused several people to look up at the noise. "I'm fine," he said, laughing it off and limping his way out the door with eyes watering. He wasn't as fine as he'd said, of course, but no one liked to admit that. He made his way to the forest with an uneven gait, trying to ignore the persistent throbbing. That was gonna bruise, he knew it.
Jack Frost's nimble fingers had closed around the blades of grass outside, coating them in an evil layer of deadly frost. It had not yet snowed that year but there was more than enough of a hint of what was to come. He folded his arms across his chest and hunched his shoulders to try and retain heat as he walked. He liked snow, he didn't like this. When it was cold and frosty without any snow to have fun with, it was just sad. He found himself partway into the forest and surrounded by thick-trunked trees. Perfect. These would do nicely. Already having formulated a plan when he was walking, Ashton placed his palm against the cool bark of one tree and allowed his energy to flow into it, though it. Like some dormant beast waking from slumber, he felt the tree respond. Life flooded through its hibernating trunk and buds started to push their way out, turning into leaves like some spectacular time-lapse photography. He exhaled heavily with the drain when he released his hand, tree looking as if it was mid-summer, and moved onto the next. Five trees he revived, then sat down against one of them and closed his eyes for a moment, ears ringing. "Maybe... a break..." He mumbled this to himself, though anyone nearby could certainly hear.
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Post by TAKERU KENTO MATSUZAKA on May 20, 2012 15:13:31 GMT -5
Takeru sighed as he walked into the deep and lush forest of tress. As he would pass the trees he would slightly knock on them. As if waking them from their cold slumber. He smiled as he felt what he believed their figurative eyes fighting to open. In his head it was like when a person was being woken up. They would fight until they would have no choice or they were given a reason to wake up. That's how he felt with the trees he was surrounded by. They were fighting the urge to wake so Takeru would have to help them along.
Takeru had long been done with class. He had the rest of the day to himself and so he thought why not have some fun. It was rather cold, it would have been better if there had been snow. At least that way he would have something to blame it on but in this case he was not that lucky. It was just plain cold without reason which would explain the sleeping trees. "Come on now. Time to dance." he said as he pulled out his ear buds connected to his ipod. He put them all and chose some music that he could dance to. He stretched out a bit, loosening up his limbs as the beat began to grow. He had the music loud enough that he wouldn't be able to hear much.
When he found the beat he began to move. Hitting the beat hard but it wasn't his dance that he was focusing on, it was his elemental powers. He hit the beat hard which would sent a small surge of power into the ground, traveling along the roots into the nearby trees. As he danced he saw the grass begin to sway to the unheard music. The grass stood on end. He could see some stones begin to roll back and forth. And finally the trees. With each step he took he focused on specific parts of the trees. First the vines, watching them snake their ways around the branches. Then the trunks. Seeing small blossoms springing out, stretching their petals. Takeru felt his sweat trickle down his brow and cheek. This wasn't easy stuff. He could feel the energy being drain but he pushed his limits. That was the only way he would be able to build up his stamina.
The song was coming to an end. Just a bit longer. The earth beat under himself as he moved. With the final note approaching he sped up his moves. His connection to the small grove of trees around him beginning to crumble at his exhaustion but he would hold onto it for as long as he could until he could hold on no more. Bam. He breathed hard as he hit the last note with all the force he could. There was a small shake. Nothing noticeable, if there had been snow on the trees then perhaps someone could have seen it but it could have been felt if you were nearby. Takeru just stayed there on his knees trying to control his breathing which was coming out in heavy breaths. "Okay. Take five."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on May 21, 2012 19:13:59 GMT -5
Ashton could feel the waves of exhaustion washing over him, the ringing that resounded in his ears throwing off his equilibrium. It was for this reason that he chose to collapse and sit down against the tree, using its sturdy trunk as an anchor and a support as he waited for the drain to pass. He loved practising with his element but sometimes he wished it wasn't so taxing. He knew that he would recover in a few minutes or so but he would feel weak for the rest of the day unless he ate something or grabbed a couple of hours sleep. Sleep was said to be the best cure for elemental exhaustion. Highly inconvenient when one had classes later in the day and couldn't risk making themselves groggy and inattentive. He probably would have taken the risk if not for the inconvenient time of year. Falling asleep in class when most of said classes were doing review in preparation for the end-of-year exams would be an incredibly bad idea. Ashton needed the review and he knew that he did. He didn't care about getting the best marks in his classes but passing them was a necessity. I can do this, he thought, but married it with an, I hope. He was an optimist but when it came to himself, Ash could often take note of all his own shortcomings. No one elses, never anyone elses, but certainly his own. He wasn't too hard of himself but even still.
Ashton's eyes were closed when the tremor rumbled through the ground beneath him but they snapped open, Ash feeling a slight vibration through the trunk that supported his back. A generally skittish person, it caused his heart to start hammering and green eyes to glance around wildly before he relaxed a bit. Inhale, exhale, calm down. It took him a moment to compose himself before the Earth elemental got to his feet, wiping his hand on the trunk of the tree to rid it of any dirt that might have clung to his palm as he pushed himself up. It didn't work as well as he'd hoped and the heel of his hand was still scuffed with dirt but he ignored this easily as he went in search of the cause for the movement of the earth. It had not been anything tremendous but he assumed that it had to be a graduate at play. He envied those who could shift and crack the ground with their powers, not yet having reached that level himself. Not that he'd ever want the ground to swallow someone whole but it was a cool trick to show off to friends. Soon. He would be a graduate himself in about two months and then he could try his own luck. Unless it was a natural quake, he mused, for those were always possible.
His original thought turned out of be right, however, when he stumbled upon Takeru only a short ways away from where Ashton himself had been sitting. The older boy seemed to have been brought to his knees by the strength of the drain. Ashton cracked a friendly smile, taking note of how tired the graduate looked with a, "You okay? That must've taken a lot out of you!" There was a slight hint of admiration in Ashton's tone. He always respected what other people could do, their own talents and skills rather than his. He didn't have many and to Ashton, that was okay. He dealt with it by praising others instead. He was a cheery guy. "I was practising too so I know what it's like. I'm guessing you're a graduate, huh? What year?" It didn't bother him that this was his first time actually meeting the older elemental, he was as friendly as ever. That was just his personality. "I'm Ashton, by the way," he added. "I was studying for the exams, felt the earth shake. That was you, right?" Alrighty, and now he'd stop talking for a moment to breathe and give Takeru a moment to answer him.
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Post by TAKERU KENTO MATSUZAKA on May 22, 2012 17:13:27 GMT -5
Takeru just sat there on his knees as he was trying to bring his breathing down from heavy pants to slow regulated breaths. This wasn't new to him though. The feeling of being out of breath and exhaustion that crept up on him was something that he had grown accustomed to whenever he was out trying to build up his stamina. Takeru had made a habit of coming out to the forest to do so. Surrounded by the trees and wildlife felt natural to Takeru. He'd find a place he could move around and dance. In the process building up both his elemental stamina and dancing stamina. Of course using his elemental powers while dancing did take his toll but it was worth it. As a freshman he had still some to learn but priority was building up his stamina. He saw it as killing two birds with one stone.
Eventually his breathing began to calm and he could feel himself getting hungry. His exhaustion would pass eventually bed he would definitely be tired and hungry soon. Thankfully he had the day off from work today so he could go home and just sleep. He continued to sit on his knees as he recomposed himself some. The music had been paused so there was only silence. When he was tired like this his sense would drop. He wouldn't be able to catch someone trying to sneak up on him. So he was a bit surprised by the sudden voice of Ashton. He didn't jump or anything. Too tired. When he caught sight of Ashton he just smiled his usual friendly smile "Oh that? That.....was exhausting." he said with a slight chuckle. Takeru was not one to play off something as easy or simple. He had been drained by the last big bang. "But I'm fine. No worries." he said as he began to push himself off the floor. He's leg felt a little wobbly but not like they would give way under him at any moment. He wiped the sweat from his brow.
His focus returned to Ashton as the young man. Takeru walked closer to him as he spoked and smile. "Freshman soon to be Sophomore. I had some time to kill so I thought why not get some practice in." he said with an amused voice. Takeru couldn't help but chuckle at Ashton's enthusiasm and curiosity. He remembered he used to be that way. Then again every now and then he still was. "Ahhh, so you're Ashton. The earth leader right? I've heard about you. I'm Takeru, but some call me T.K., short for Takeru Kento. Pleasure to meet you." Since Takeru still attended the Academy at the college level he would here of who was currently leading his element. Although he had never met Ashton officially he had heard his name before. "So you felt that too? I didn't think I had enough left in me to make it that noticeable. Unless you were nearby which would make more sense." he said slightly amused. By the end of the dance he didn't think he had a lot of energy and so whatever energy he did he put it all out, even though that was taking a risk of knocking himself out. "You're graduating the academy this year right? Are going to be sticking around for college?"
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on May 22, 2012 18:32:19 GMT -5
Ashton probably wouldn't have believed Takeru if he'd said that the whole thing hadn't drained him that much at all. The Earth elemental was a very trusting guy and tended to take people's words for things rather than doubting them but seeing as Takeru had been brought to his knees and looked tired, lying would have been fairly pointless. That was okay, though, because Ashton also wasn't the type to judge people. "Looks like it!" He was still a bit tired himself from his work with the trees. "I was just back there studying—" Ashton gestured from the relative direction he'd come from where the leaved trees were still quite visible amongst their sleeping cousins, "—so I'm kinda drained myself. Guess that just comes with the territory!"
[/b] He was sure everyone would agree with him on the fact that powers would be so much more awesome if there was no drain. Then again, that would give a person too much power. You could take over the world with ease if you could control its very soil without consequence. The thought freaked him out, actually, and so he tried not to delve any deeper into it. "It's good you're okay, though!" He didn't like it when people were... well, not doing alright. Ashton was empathetic, he tended to try and absorb the pain of others as his own. Didn't always work but it wasn't for lack of effort. Ashton's element was probably the only thing he would practice willingly, when it wasn't necessary for homework or studying. He liked to play around with his powers and it brought a smile to his face when a plant brightened under his touch. "I'm guessing you're just starting on earthquakes then, yeah? At least you didn't knock yourself out. I have a feeling I will when I try it for the first time." The Earth grinned sheepishly but didn't seem too bothered. It took a lot to bug him. Eternal optimist, sunshine and butterflies. He'd find the silver lining on a storm-cloud if you asked him to. "The very same," he laughed, taking a mocking bow. He was a jokester. Really, it was probably his grandmother passing her Water genetics down the line to him. He might have been a Water if not for the fact that he was much more gentle and pacifistic than a lot of them tended to be. He'd never pull an insensitive prank for the fun of it. "T.K., huh? Awesome nickname! Mind if I call ya that?" Ashton loved nicknaming people and/or calling them by their nicknames if they had one. It was a mark of friendship and this guy really loved making friends. He'd consider a person a friend within the first five minutes, really. He thought about that for a moment, shrugged easily. "Maybe it was the fact that I was close, maybe you're just more awesome than you think!" He was being entirely genuine as he grinned from ear to ear. It was a good think that Takeru hadn't knocked himself out, though of course Ashton would have helped him out if he'd came across his unconscious form. He was not the type of guy that would leave someone lying there like that. "Oh, yeah, definitely," he said when asked about college. "I mean, if I pass my exams and all. I will, hopefully!" It was Math he was most worried about because he was shit at Math. He probably would've done alright if he didn't find numbers so boring. They were just... well, numbers. There wasn't anything interesting about them. At least in Science and English you learned things that actually might be of some use. Beyond the basics (addition, division, ect) he didn't think that Math was all that great or useful. "I think I'll take Elemental Studies. I mean I know I don't have to decide my major right away but it sounds fun!" Anything to do with his power had to be decent, right?[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/size] |
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Post by TAKERU KENTO MATSUZAKA on May 29, 2012 22:05:41 GMT -5
"Very exhausting actually but you'll never push your stamina if you don't push your limits." he said thoughtfully as he brushed the dirt off his cargo pants. "Or at least that's what they tell me." he said in a playful voice. He could definitely remember the first time he had actually made the earth moved. Thankfully he had been with his brother because the next thing he knew was that he was waking up against a tree trunk while his brother was chowing down on an apple. He didn't remember what had happened after he had unleashed his power but according to his brother he had been able to send a slight vibration but it lasted for a mere second before Takeru had passed out. After that incident his brother made him work on his stamina before he could try producing an earthquake again. And it was beginning to pay off. Takeru's eyes did follow to where Ashton had been and then returned to the younger Earth.
"One thing I've come to learn is to always come prepare." he said before walking over to his black one strap sling backpack. He grabbed it from its place on the tree trunk and made his way back to Ashton. He reached into his bag until he found what he was looking for. "Here." he said tossing him a small package. "Not exactly a grand meal but at least something to hold you over until you can really eat." he said holding up a peanut butter nutrition bar. On days where he would be practicing his element he would have a couple of those bars in his bag to keep him somewhat fed until he had a good meal again. "I'm sure you must be a bit hungry. I have more so please help yourself." he said with a friendly smile. You could always count on Takeru to share his wealth. "Sort of. A few months into the year my older brother made me try just to know how much energy it took. Of course before I had a chance to feel the earthquake I was knocked out. After that he made me focus on building up my stamina before trying again. That's why you didn't thankfully find me face down on the dirt this time." he said, slightly make fun of himself which was something he did often. "I've done earthquakes very few times and they've been kind of small but I'm getting the hang of it....I think. Practice makes perfect." he said in an optimistic tone. 9o;
He chuckled a bit at Ashton's bow. He was glad he had been right. Kind of sad that he had never met his elemental leader but now he had the chance. He had heard of him and stuff but never actually met Ashton until now "Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Takeru just chuckled at Ashton's enthusiasm. "Of course." T.K. had been a nickname that his best friend Matt had sort of gave him when they first met and from then on it stuck. After a while more and more people began to call him by T.K. so eventually after a while when he would introduce himself he'd just bring up the nickname and let people decide what they wanted to call him. One of the reasons he liked it was because it actually reminded him of a character from one of his favorite animes. And it was kind of funny that the character in question shared his name in the Japanese dub and nickname in the English dub. That was part of the reason why he had the symbol of hope tattooed on his wrist.
At Ashton's suggestion he just waved him off. "Far from it but thanks. It was probably just dumb luck that I it might have reached farther than usual." he said as he bit into his nutrition bar again. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You look like a smart kid. I remember I had my own troubles, especially math. Me and math definitely did not add up but it worked out in the end. Just gotta have hope." he said as he took a glance at the tattoo that he had on his right wrist. It was the kanji for hope. "Elemental Studies? Sweet. Sounds interesting. It doesn't hurt to try different things. I majored in dance since it was the only real thing I loved, aside from my elemental powers of course."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on May 31, 2012 1:07:58 GMT -5
He nodded, not denying that in the least. Stamina was a real pain sometimes but if they didn't work on their stamina then they would never be able to accomplish some of the more interesting areas of their powers. Like earthquakes and stone manipulation. Ashton was pumped for college for the sole fact that he'd be able to really delve further into his powers and learn the real ropes of elemental manipulation, the things they didn't teach you in high school. "Oh, yeah, definitely," he said in his usual bright tone. "It's a pain that it knocks us out and all but it's definitely a necessary thing." He didn't like falling unconscious but it was better that than to not realise the limits of your own power until they killed you. It was possible to die via elemental manipulation and that was scary but it was very rare, so that reassured Ashton slightly. He didn't know if he'd be able to go on using his powers if there was a constant and common risk of death every time he tried something new. "Preparation is definitely good," he laughed, not realising what T.K. was planning to do. Ashton tended not to notice things until they were right under his nose. It wasn't until the older Earth actually pulled something out of his bag and offered it to him that he realised what the comment about preparation had meant.
Having no problems with accepting things from other people so long as it was clear they actually wanted to give them, Ashton accepted the offered nutrition bar with a wide and genuine smile of gratitude. "Hey, thanks! I probably should have thought that far ahead myself but I'm pretty scatterbrained so I just kind of came out here. My parents always joke that I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to me." A common saying and one that his parents had pulled on him a lot as a kid and even now as a teenager going into college. He chuckled at the old memories as he opened the peanut butter snack and took a bite out of it. It tasted pretty good and he wasn't sure whether that was just because it was good or because he was so hungry that his tastebuds didn't care. Most food tasted good when your body really wanted it, like some mechanism to convince you that eating was a fine idea. Worked for him. He listened to Takeru's story about the quake with obvious interest, chewing as he did so. He was a talkative guy and might have accidentally interrupted in his excitement but thankfully the food convinced him against it. He wasn't so uncivilized that he'd ramble on with a mouthful of peanut butter nutrition bar. That was just gross. "Sounds like something my Dad would do," he laughed. "Well, he's not an elemental or anything but he'd think something like that was really hilarious." Ashton rolled his eyes but didn't seem truly bothered. He loved his Dad,
He nodded, green eyes bright with a friendly sort of spark. "Nice to meet you too!" He loved meeting people. He was completely at home when it came to parties and large gatherings where he knew almost no one because he'd talk to anyone that looked even half approachable. Hell, even if they didn't he'd give them a chance. You really had to drive Ashton away in order to get him to see the point. He was too friendly for his own good. "I'm sure it wasn't," he encouraged, shaking his head. He believed a lot in other people. "I mean you didn't pass out so that means you've definitely got it in you!" In Ashton's mind, passing out was the only sign you weren't doing good enough and even that was a sign that you'd improve in the future. Every time you pushed your limits, you increased your stamina. That was how it worked. "Oh geez, screw Math," he said, shaking his head. "It is my worst subject. I hate it so much. So not looking forward to the exams." He groaned in earnest but let it drop quickly. Out of mind. "Yeah! My Mom thinks it's a waste that I don't study something 'useful' but I think my powers are awesome, so." He made air quotes on the word useful and shrugged at the end. If it made him happy he was doing it.
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Post by TAKERU KENTO MATSUZAKA on Jun 21, 2012 0:58:05 GMT -5
"It's definitely a pain but then again it's also a good thing I gues. I mean if we all got it down without fail then what would we learn. After all life isn't that easy. So why should our powers be?" he said cheerfully. He may sound a bit wise, but that wasn't the truth. In reality Takeru was quite aloof most of the time. Very oblivious to just about everything but everyone is entitled to a moment where they may seem to be smarter than they really are. He was definitely grateful that he had taken his brother's advice to always pack when he was planning to work on his stamina and since he always packed to feed a ton of people because of how hungry he normally gets he had more than enough to share. "Especially when you can have the appetite of an elephant like me." he said playfully making fun of himself. It wasn't uncommon for Takeru to make jabs at himself. You could say that it helped with his self-esteem. Since he could easily makes jabs at himself he wasn't really bothered when others tried to insult him. Of course most of the time he was very aloof to certain things so most of the time an insult could just pass over his head.
"You too huh?" he said with a bright smile. It was true. Takeru was far from being the sharpest tool in the shed but he didn't mind. "It's no problem, if it weren't for my brother advice I probably wouldn't even think abou I always pack more than I actually will eat so I have plenty. Feel free to grab another if you like." he said encouragingly as he put the bag down by a trunk not to far out of reach. He bit down into the bar. It was either really good or he was just really hungry from but either way it helped his hunger some. "My brother thought it was priceless. Still hasn't let it go." he said cheerfully. Every now and then his brother Taisuke would bring up the incident just for laughs but he didn't mind. Being able to laugh about past mistakes was better than dwelling on them in his opinion. He was definitely the optimistic type. That's why he was easy to get along with and made friends easy. So he always enjoyed making new friends. He may not get along with everyone but he was friends with a lot of earths and water just because of his bright personality. "Definitely took a lot of practice but the best results come from the most effort." he said encouragingly. "Oh I know. Math was definitely my hardest subject but I'm sure you'll be alright." he said encouragingly. "Dance has been my life. Soccer was definitely a close second but my mom always said to choose a path you're going to put your all in. Anything else would probably just be a waste of time." Takeru had dance in his blood what with his mom being a choreographer and the flow of music came from his dad being a producer. "But I'm sure you're mom means well and is just looking out for you."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Jun 21, 2012 5:28:27 GMT -5
Ashton chuckled. "I wish life was easy," he said, and there was genuine longing in his voice. He didn't like for things to be difficult because that ensured there was a lot less time for fun in his life. A lot less freedom. "I mean I guess you're right in a way. Plus it'd be scary to give a fourteen year old kid the power to split the Earth in two, y'know?" He thought of the Fires as well and their terrible tempers. If they gained their powers with the immediate ability to cause volcanic eruptions and massive forest fires, the world would not be a very safe place. Earths had dangerous capabilities as well but most of them were really pacifistic and sweet of personality so they usually weren't the ones to be worried about. "An elephant, huh?" He laughed at the mental image. Takeru-phant. So many noms. "I didn't know they were known for their appetites." He was mostly teasing but he really didn't know if they were known for them or not. He didn't know many animals that were specifically known for eating a lot. He knew raccoons ate garbage, though, and that was something? "Then again, anything that big must eat a ton." There was always that logic to fall back on. Elephants were scary. He wondered if they were very violent creatures or whether they were not meant to be beasts that one should feel afraid of. Big cats were pretty damned adorable but it wasn't like he was going to try and pet one, not even a cub. Were elephants like that, too? Maybe he'd look it up.
Though he'd never been known for exceptional intelligence or talent in anything beyond making friends, his powers, and snowboarding, Ashton did not mind his lot in life. Snowboarding was really fun, he loved being an Earth, and his friends were only the most amazing people on the planet. He was a positive guy. "I think I will, if you're sure you don't mind," he said before taking a second snack bar. They really were helpful and if it upped his energy he was all for it. "Your brother sounds like such a great guy," he jested, though he was both joking and serious. Takeru's brother did seem pretty cool even though Ashton had never met him but he'd mostly been cracking a joke about the whole never letting T.K. live it down thing. "Soccer is fun," he said brightly. "We should play some time, I'm not half bad but if you're really good at it you could probably kick my ass. That's okay, though!" He'd still play because Ashton honestly did not mind losing to people no matter what he lost in. There was hardly a competitive bone in his body. He could be jokingly competitive like when he'd played Mario Kart with Nell in her apartment but he never took it to that next level. It caused too much uncomfortable tension for his liking. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said when his mother was mentioned. Analynn was actually pretty hypocritical since she'd followed her own dream of being a writer but it wasn't Ashton's mindset to look at it that way. Instead he saw a mother who was worried about her son and his future. That was fine with him. "My Dad is super supportive, though, and I don't think my kid brother gets it, yet. Still, it's always nice to have people that're around for you, yeah?" He was open about his life and had no qualms discussing his relatives with someone he'd only just met.
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Post by TAKERU KENTO MATSUZAKA on Jul 4, 2012 21:44:38 GMT -5
"Can you imagine?" he said, picturing a kid being able to have full control of their powers at such a young age. As amusing as the thought was it was kind of worrying at the same time. You'd have to worry about the kids who didn't have control and that could be clumsy then you would have to worry about the people who did have control but didn't use their powers properly. That would be a scary thing to deal with. This went with all elements. "Elephants eat mostly veggies but they can eat up to like 500 pounds." Takeru wasn't an expert on elephants or anything but he knew that they ate a ton. He remembered hearing someone say something about it one time when he went to the zoo. Just a random piece of information that he happened to remember.
Takeru shook his head as in to say 'no worries' when Ashton got another bar. Takeru followed suit and grabbed another for himself. That tremor definitely took a bit out of him because he could feel his stomach craving food. The bars definitely did help though. It at least helping satisfy his hunger for now. He would completely munch later on when he got home. "My brother's great. Of course he can be a pain sometimes but then again it comes with the territory of being siblings." he said with a smile. Takeru definitely looked up to his brother but like with a lot of siblings there was sometimes when they could tease each other endlessly. He was a big brother. The fact that they got along so well definitely made Takeru moving in a lot easier. "The only two things I live for. Dance and soccer. We can definitely get some playing time in." the thought of playing soccer was exciting for Takeru. He played a lot with his brother and friends. Sometimes he would just kick the ball to practice. He wasn't a competitive person. He enjoyed it for just the fun of playing. Doesn't mean that he's not happy if he wins, just means that he's not going to be throwing tantrums if he doesn't, especially if it's a friendly game. "Don't worry. I promise to go easy." he said playfully. "And I totally get what you mean. If I didn't have my brother growing I wouldn't know my right from my left. I'm rather slow when it comes to certain things." he said honestly.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Jul 5, 2012 19:48:20 GMT -5
He thought of how he'd been as a kid, how he'd gotten into a lot of random trouble in the spirit of youth. He could only imagine how disastrous his tantrums would have been if he had been able to create earthquakes from the get-go. He didn't get to stay up past his bedtime and so suddenly the entire neighbourhood was falling to pieces from the aftershocks. It's definitely better this way, he decided. The government would definitely be able to locate and terminate young elementals if that were possible. He was scared by the very idea. "It must suck to grow up knowing that elementals exist and constantly have to worry about whether or not you'll get powers, though," he mused, not liking the thought. "Gran's the only other one in the family and I didn't know anything about them 'till I got mine." It had been a time of fear and uncertainty at first since he'd had no idea what was wrong with him but once the shock had worn off and the reality had settled in, a few conversations with his grandmother later, he'd realised that he was not a freak. He was special. He wouldn't change the discovery of his powers for the world. "Is that how it happened for you?" He was curious and didn't realise that it might be considered prying.
He definitely understood the whole difficult sibling thing. He and Cameron had their good days and bad days. There had been a time when it had only been bad days back when Ashton hadn't gotten over the jealousy of his parents' divided attention but that had long since faded and turned into the more stereotypical back and forth. Sometimes they got along great and others turned into a competition. "Cameron and I are like that a lot. I guess that's the same with all siblings, like you said." They would fight with one another and exchange cruel words but at the end of the day they still loved one another. Ashton was not confrontational by nature but if someone messed with his baby brother he was going to have something to say about it.
He grinned, his enthusiasm obvious. "Awesome! I look forward to it!" He really did. He might have only met Takeru today but Ashton was the type of guy who considered a person 'friend' within five minutes seconds of meeting them. If you were nice to him and alliances did not forbid it, chances were Ashton probably loved you. It was a very easy way to live. He didn't have to spend a whole lot of time on hate. "No, no, no, don't do that!" he insisted when Takeru said that he would go easy on him. "Give it all you've got, I won't mind!" Since he didn't have much of a competitive bone in his body, Ashton had no problems with it came to losing. He would much rather have someone use their full skill against him so that he could marvel after and learn from their techniques than have them go easy on him so that he might have some chance at winning. The victory wouldn't really be satisfying if he knew that it was only because the other person was 'letting' him win. "I play 'cause it's fun, not because I want to win." Might have sounded cheesy but it was entirely true in his eyes.
Always the complimentary one (though he didn't lie about his opinions), Ashton chirped, "You don't seem all that slow to me!" He didn't know Takeru too well so maybe he shouldn't have been talking but the Earth elemental called it like he saw it. Everyone moved at their own pace in the world and that was fine by him.
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Post by TAKERU KENTO MATSUZAKA on Jul 18, 2012 22:41:12 GMT -5
" It sort of was." he said answering Ashton's question. " Both my parents are earths. Most of my family are elementals but my parents did tell my brother and I anything until we were old enough to understand that we needed to keep it a secret. Even when we were living in the Hollow." he said when he remembered when he would watch his parents taking care of the garden that they used to have in their home in the Hollow with just their will and ability to control the earth. Takeru had always been in awe at the sight of watching the flowers blossom and plants growing with life. " I know I was definitely nervous about the possibility of not getting powers. When my brother got them I was a bit jealous but my parents would always remind me that even if I didn't get powers it wouldn't change who I am." he said with a smile. " And well, I'm sure you can guess the rest. I wouldn't be here other wise." he said with a bit of a chuckle. He remembered the day he first got his powers. He had been really happy. Even though he didn't have any control over it it was just the fact that he was really an elemental that excited him. " I think it would be just as bad though not knowing. I mean not growing up with no knowledge to one day be able to produce a flame or a gust or even the slight tremor. I have this friend that grew up in orphanage with no knowledge of his heritage. He was pretty freaked out the day he came into his powers." It had been this young wind that he met during the year. The kid was ninth grader, just a freshie and completely new to the world of elementals. It had definitely been a huge thing to get used to. Knowing that there was this huge world of people that could control certain elements. That wasn't something you learned about in elementary school. " Are you an older brother?" he asked with a genuine curiosity. Takeru had this think where he would tend to tease his friends who were the eldest siblings just because he was the second born himself. " Well, as much of a pain we younger siblings can be, the best thing is that no matter what he can count on the first born to always be there for us." he knew this from experience. He could get on his brother's nerves sometimes but when it came down to it he could always count on Taisuke to be there for him when he really needed him. The thought of having some soccer fun was exciting. The only two things that Takeru generally got excited about was dancing and soccer. " It sounds like we'll have a fun game." Takeru wasn't one to play to win, that is unless it was an actual competitive game. If it was just a game for fun then that was what it would be. Fun. It was always best that way. He chuckled at Ashton's compliment. " Thanks, but you haven't known me long enough." he said.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Jul 19, 2012 1:51:38 GMT -5
There had been times when Ashton almost wished that his parents were elementals like he was. It would have made it a lot easier to gain acceptance from his mother if she was like him and he could sit in the yard with his father and they'd both mess around with their powers. At the same time it sort of felt nice to be the special one. He was different and he was treated like he was different by his grandmother, who called him her 'favourite'. Part of him did hope that Cameron got powers, too, because it would be nice to have something to share with his brother.
He'd never had anything to keep a secret. There had never been a need to hide something that he didn't know about. He wondered what he'd have thought if his parents had sat him down and told him about the powers they didn't have. "I'd have probably thought my Dad was kidding if he'd told me," Ashton admitted with a chuckle. "It's a bit hard to doubt the scouts, though. They looked all official and freaky. I thought they were coming to arrest someone!" Men in black business suits that looked, quite frankly, as if they hailed from the FBI or something along those lines.
He blinked slowly as he thought about it. "It's a good thing you got them, though." He smiled. It might not change a person's personality if they did not get their powers but he figured it could certainly create feelings of isolation. No one liked to feel like they were the odd one out in their family. Not in that sense, at least. He liked being the odd one out because it meant having cool powers he could play around with and a fascination he could study. It was why he was considering the study of botany when he went to college in the new year. At least he was no longer twelve years old and convinced that botany was a study of boats. What a misleading title. "Yep yep! Did it happen all flashy and stuff? I stopped a tree from falling on me." Ashton grinned, having no problem with sharing. "I didn't know and I don't mind. I think I'd have been sad if I knew and didn't end up getting my powers." It would create a lot of anxiety. He didn't like anxiety. (Who did, really?)
The Earth elemental nodded, smiling contentedly. "That's right." Cameron was always going to be his 'little bro'. They'd fought often when Ashton was going through the jealousy of being an older sibling but now they were close most of the time. They still had their down days on occasion. "Aw, that's nice~" He really would be there for his brother no matter what happened. Then again, he was sure that Cameron would stick up for him, too, once he got old enough.
Ashton was not deterred by the comment. "We'll just need to change that, then!" He was the type of person that tended to make friends and keep them. He didn't ditch people within the first five minutes of meeting them. Once a friend you were a friend for life so long as you actually wanted to be and you stuck around. He liked having people around him at all times. It was refreshing. Noticing the time, his green eyes went wide. "Oh, shoot, I should probably get going!" He had to be back home soon and he didn't want his parents to get worried or anything like that. "See you around, T.K.! Thanks for the help!" He meant it, too, and he offered a broad grin before he took his leave.
[Figured it was good place to end since it's gone on so long <3]
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