taking one step towards you -- [aren]

[EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA]

Sleep. Some people could last days without having it, others were normal and could function with 8 hours of sleep, and then there were people like Emmett who regularly take naps in order to sustain a… pleasant personality. Although he was anything but pleasant normally, he was more pleasant than he was without his regular naps. Or just sleep in general. It’s like how grumpy people usually are in the mornings. Times that by 10. And that’s Emmett without naps all day! That’s why he takes naps. It saves people from the growing annoyance and easily provoked Thunder he’d be.

Besides, he just really liked his naps.

Especially since it was the start of a new school year, which will be his last as a high school. He’s gained more responsibilities—thinking about his future, where he’s going, and… being Thunder leader. It wasn’t exactly on the top of his priority list; however, he decided not to question it. There wasn’t much he was able to do about it anyways (which he hated), so from various experiences, Emmett decided not to fight it. It kept other students from the alliance messing with him, so he guessed that was a perk, but having the title in general was tiring and burdensome. People looked up to him, and that was a rather scary thought. Emmett wasn’t exactly the best role model in the world (he was probably one of the worst), but he figured as long as he didn’t do stupid shit (which he rarely ever did) then he’d be fine. His element would be fine. They wouldn’t be targets to the other alliance, though he doubted they ever would. It had been a while since the last war between students broke out and Emmett would like to keep it that way.

Anyways, sleep. He was able to survive the past few days without taking any naps and was surprised by his own tolerance level, despite the sleep deprivation. Emmett didn’t want to take his chances though. His tolerance level was slipping, he could feel it. Who knew how badly he’d snap without a nap? He didn’t want to find out, and since he had a free afternoon, he figured it’d be a good time to catch up on sleep. Emmett normally took his naps outside, no matter the weather, though he hesitated for a second as he looked up at the sky. It was spring and fairly warm, but there were frequent showers that left everything soaking wet. Would that be a good wakeup call? … no. However, it hadn’t rained for the past couple of days, so he figured he could take a short hour… two hour nap without having to wake up with water in his nose. And so he stepped outside, book in hand to help him get to sleep (or rather, cover his face just in case any bugs decided to munch on him) and seated himself at a nearby bench. They were strangely comfortable, though too short for his whole body to fit, so as he laid on his back, he propped one leg onto the bench, making himself comfortable.

Spring was a soothing season to him. He didn’t get allergies (thank goodness) so he was able to fully appreciate his now colorful surroundings without cursing them for making his nose itch. Even so, as Emmett began to feel his lids getting heavy, he carefully placed the book, half-open, onto his face. The smell of freshly printed pages overwhelmed the sickeningly sweet smell of flowers, and he dozed off into sleep.

[AREN NOVA KAEL]

This had been a terrible idea. He shouldn’t have said anything. Nothing. He should have kept his mouth shut, and he should have kept walking. But no, he had to say something. He just had to comment on how the girl looked like a tramp. He just had to say her boyfriend had bad taste. Now they were both after him. Jesus Christ, he should have picked a better day to do this—when he was wearing sneakers rather than ballet flats, for example. Sneakers were so much better for running. Of course, he probably deserved a percentage of the pummeling he’d already received and from which he was now running, but they really didn’t need to chase after him. He hadn’t said anything that bad. And of course, they’d gotten two more of their friends to tag along. Four against one was just seriously unfair. He was tiny on top of that. He didn’t know any good fighting moves. He was just sort of… there.

With a really bad habit of speaking his mind when he shouldn’t.

He panted as he rounded a corner, almost losing his footing, and nearly face-planted into a wall. He apologized quickly to a teacher whom he nearly ran into in his attempt to avoid said well, waving as he made his way along the grounds and searched desperately for an easy, fast way to hide. He could hear the shouting behind him, a mixture of curses and encouragement that running was exactly what he should be doing.

A bench.

There was a bench.

Thank god, there was a bench.

Benches made pretty good hiding places. He couldn’t jump over it. Firstly, he was too short. Secondly, he couldn’t use the seat of a bench as a stepping stone because there was someone lying on it. That someone was probably going to yell at him, unless it so happened to be a friend. Even as he neared, he couldn’t tell if he knew the person on the bench, mostly because a book was open and obscuring that person’s face. Not that it mattered. He’d still hide in the brush behind the bench, and the best way to get there…

Would be under. He dropped to his hands and knees right in front of the bench and crawled underneath, bumping the bottom of the bench painfully with his back as he did so, but more worried about the four teenagers coming up behind him.

A hand curled around his ankle, and tried to pull him out again. He kicked, holding onto the back leg of the bench so they couldn’t pull him out. Ice cold water showered over his legs. He squeaked, kicked again—there was a verbal curse—the hand released him—and he successfully pulled himself into the brush behind the bench, where he coiled up and tried to be inconspicuous among the green. Thank god he’d worn his jean skirt and green sweater today. Not only did it help camouflage him even a little bit, it was warm enough to make up for the fact that the ground under his butt and the leaves licking his face were all wet with the last cold rain. He shivered a little, but curled tightly into a ball as the teenagers looked for him and groped for him underneath the bench.

He felt terrible, of course, for whoever happened ot be lying on it, as they’d probably been disturbed from their nap, but for now, he was more worried about not getting even more beat up. His face already hurt, as did his ribs. Warm blood oozed along a cut on his forearm, where someone’s nail had scratched him as they’d originally tried to stop him from getting away. So far, they were only little bits and pieces. If they didn’t find him, it would stay that way. If they did, he’d probably be too out of beneath to run much more. God, I’m in terrible shape.

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[EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA]

Emmett’s temper varied. A lot. He used to be honestly tolerate of most things thrown at him, but recently, especially after becoming Thunder leader and having more responsibilities, he just snapped. Got irritated more often, was tired beyond belief… that’s why he took naps. To sleep away all those unpleasant emotions that would probably end up beating someone to a pulp.

And that’s also why he didn’t like to be interrupted during his naps.

You see, Emmett never had a pleasant personality to begin with. He was sarcastic, cynical, though quiet for the most part. Even with those traits he was tolerable of most things, a feat for someone like him, but his tolerance level had a direct relationship toward his sleeping pattern. If he got plenty of sleep, he’d be quiet and patient with little irritation. If got the exact opposite amount of sleep… let’s just say it was best to steer clear from him. It’d be easy, too. If you were ever to feel a sudden change in the atmosphere and the hairs on your skin stand, it’s best to get out of the immediate area quickly. Don’t get in his way, either. Emmett was like a ticking time bomb; it was hard to tell what set him off and how.

His eyes flashed open dangerously as a sudden bump underneath tore him from his sleep, the sudden irritation hitting him like a ton of bricks. Emmett’s fingers twitched in annoyance, slowly pulling the book from his face to see who’d woke him up from probably the only nap he’s had at all this week. That’s not what made him angry through, as a sudden splash of water poured onto the side of his body, soaking the left side of his body. What in the actual fuck. He sat up lazily, both feet on the ground, and stood up, his eyes scanning the immediate area. There were, what? Three, four people surrounding the bench as if there were some kind of hidden treasure underneath him? His eyes narrowed, fingers twitching again and he grabbed the nearest person by the collar, letting loose a small current of electricity as his eyes narrowed. “I hope you know what you’re dealing with,” Emmett murmured softly, his voice emotionless and dangerous, tightening his grip before letting him go roughly, letting the boy stumble back a few steps. God, he really didn’t want to deal with this. But he looked around at the other kids (whom he’s never actually met, or rather, abused before) and couldn’t help but feel like they weren’t there for him.

Good. Because Emmett would shock them into oblivion.

He watched them with cautious eyes, almost daring for them to try anything, and was about to turn away when he caught a glimpse of something in the bushes. Emmett froze, peering closer. He didn’t want to be right, but the bright blonde hair that contrasted against the green bushel of leaves was way too familiar to him. He slowly kneeled in front of the bench, pushing away the branches to get a better look. Emmett’s eyes were met with a bruised up face. Cuts. Blood. That couldn’t be. It was… this is… “Ar… en? ” he whispered cautiously, as if the sound of his very voice would startle her. He reached out slowly, though he quickly dropped his hand, sudden anger, irritation, and every other unpleasant feeling seeping in between begin to flash through and he stood up, facing the four that he assumed got Aren into such a state in the first place.

“Of all benches,” he began lazily, talking over his shoulder to her, his eyes dangerous, “you had to pick mine?”

[AREN NOVA KAEL]

He had heard once that the loss one sense, sight, for example, could strengthen or reinforce the others over time. He figured that lack of taste would have any change whatsoever, but sight was so important to the human race, and the experience they had throughout it. Ask anyone to describe a person, and they’ll mention their height or their hair or some physical feature about them that would be most obvious through sight. About his father he would mention the brunette hair longer than some would accept, the average height, the loose build. To describe himself, he might mention that he dyed his hair because he thought the blonde suited him better than the mahogany. So when you couldn’t see, you had to think about what you could smell, what you could hear, what you could feel—like the wind against your hair, the rain soaking through your jacket, the sun on your face.

So, as he huddled among the green and tried to remember how to breathe past the burning in his chest thanks to the running, he closed his eyes and listened instead. He could feel the leaves and branches poking against his various limbs, along his bottom, and a couple of sharp rocks where making his crouch uncomfortable. But at least for now, the person on the other side of the bench could handle the little group of irritated waters and he could catch his breath before he needed to run off again. It was incredibly helpful to think such a thing. It let his heart slow down, let the oxygen actually inflate his lungs so he could think more clearly. He could still think, he could still breathe, he could still try to figure a way out of here. He could try slipping through the bushes, but that would probably be too loud. They would hear him and give chase. But maybe the bench person would make them go away and he could crawl out, give his deepest apology and run for his life, hoping they weren’t lying in wait for him somewhere.

Hearing the voice made him freeze. He sounded so familiar. Was this another of the bullies he’d missed? Probably not. He didn’t think bullies were big fans of books, at least not in his experience. He took a deep breath. Calm yourself, he ordered himself. Even as he was trying to keep himself calmer than he was while he’d actually been running, he heard one of the others grumble (rather antagonistically, it sounded, too), “We just want the girl.” It was probably the leader of the little posse. At least his cover wasn’t blown.

And then he heard a bit of rustling as the branches moved, a couple grazing his forehead. He shut his eyes tightly, expecting a punch or a shove or something along those lines. Nothing came. He opened his eyes just as the person whispered his name. Those eyes widened considerably. He blushed when he saw the face in front of his, recognizing it immediately. His jaw dropped. He hadn’t thought he would know the person on the other side of the wood he’d been crawling under. He swallowed as the hand came closer, prepared for the sting if his fingertips brushed over a cut or a forming tender spot. The touch didn’t come either, and he blinked as Emmett suddenly retreated and faced the irritated waters again.

The blush returned when Emmett started talking. “I didn’t realize it was your bench,” he mumbled, talking more to himself than Emmett or the others, half-wishing only Emmett would hear and not the others because he liked the imagined privacy even if it was unreasonable. “But I guess I got lucky.” He couldn’t picture Emmett turning him over to the bullies. Not the guy who’d wiped the stain from his dress or the tears from his cheeks when they’d been complete strangers.

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[EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA]

Getting into a confrontation was not one of Emmett’s plans. Hell, that was never the plan. He preferred going through life the easy route to leave out any potential violence that may erupt—especially in his irritated state; though, quite frankly, very rarely was Emmett ever violent. He’d shove and grasp collars every now and then, but he never threw the first punch. Despite his rash decisions, he always had the mindset that the situation would solve itself, and eventually, he’d walk away with little to no injuries. Because if he got into a fight, it’d draw a crowd. If a crowd is drawn, who knows what might happen? His… condition was unpredictable to the point where Emmett didn’t want to take any chances. He couldn’t count the amount of times where he felt as if the universe stole the gravity from under him.

It was rare for the Thunder to feel protective of things; personal possessions, opinions, people. They were all things he felt he could do without really, with a few exceptions in the form Kai and Isabella, of course. But that was it. Emmett really had no one to live for other than himself after both his father and mother abandoned him and left him to live in incomparable emptiness. He felt no need to feel protective of things because, well, they’d eventually leave. Feeling nothing made it easier for him when it came down to it. But slowly, a smaller, younger Thunder was beginning to change all that.

Emmett felt strangely relieved he found Aren when he did. Her bleach blonde hair was a beacon to him and it was hard to miss under the green bushel of leaves—and he was not about to leave her defenseless, not when she was surrounded by this. Besides, Emmett didn’t appreciate the early shower he received. “Like hell you do,” he replied coldly at the Water, hovering over the bushel of leaves Aren was hiding in. Behind his back, he gestured slightly with his hand as a signal for her to crawl out. She looked so fragile, cowering into herself like that, and it only made him angrier when he glanced at the surrounding Waters. Fucking hell, all of this could’ve been avoided.

“How the fuck did you manage to get yourself into this?” he growled at her, lowering his voice as he did so, reaching out his hand to take hold of hers and protectively standing in front of her. The annoyance that shrouded his behavior barely lifted when he took a closer look at the bruises and cuts on her face; instead, he felt himself grow angrier, tightening his grasp on Aren’s wrist. “You should’ve ran somewhere else,” Emmett added coldly, shooting her a harsh look. Because I can’t protect you, he wanted to tack on, but his voice was stuck in his throat. God, she looked so scared, so vulnerable. He wanted to help, he really did. But… “On my count, run,” he whispered to her, letting go of her wrist. “I’ll cover you.”

Well, so much for keeping a peaceful high school career.

Fucking hell.

[JACOB RYO NAGANO]

Sighs. It had a long day for Jacob. Homework and some of his leader duties to take care of. He just needed to walk it off. Maybe go for a walk or a swim. That's it, a swim would be good. The weather would be getting better and it would definitely help clear his mind. So he walked straight back to his room and changed to some swim trunks. After putting some clothes on over he grabbed a bag to put a towel in and was out of his dorm in no time.

His roommate Aichi hadn't been in the room. He was probably somewhere roaming the campus which wasn't bad. It gave him the chance to just slip in and out. After a couple of minutes he was on the grounds and was going to be walking towards the lake when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and saw what looked like someone being chance. Oh great. Just what he needed. He didn't recognize the girl but it wasn't so much that that got his attention. It was the fact of who was chancing her. A small group of waters. He only knew that because he recognize most of them. Another sigh. Great, looks like he was going to have to go place peacekeeper again before getting his swim. Fantastic. After scratching his head he took off in the direction of the chase.

Eventually after rounding the corner he came upon the group and yet another surprise. The scene he came upon was of the the group of waters surrounding not only the girl they had been chancing but also a young man who was in basically a battle ready stance. He recognized this person too. It wasn't because they were friends or of the same element. It was because he was a fellow leader. The thunder leader to be exact. Great, just adding to the fun. Sighs. "Enough!" He yelled, grabbing the attention of the waters. "I think it's time to move on." The waters protested. They told him why they were chasing the girl down. That she had insulted them. He took a glance at the girl and just rolled his at her. Jacob knew that fighting between the elements was inevitable and he couldn't stop every fight but he could at least try and keep the peace a bit. Thunders and their damn bluntness. "Well, let's hope this entire ordeal has taught her the importance of keeping our thoughts to ourselves sometimes." he said looking between his fellow waters and Emmett and the girl. "Now come on. The last thing I want is to see you guys use up energy because of someone's...mistake" he said sternly. Did he want to stay stupidity? Yeah, a part of him did but he held his tongue. The group was hesitant for a bit, not having gotten the satisfaction that they were looking for but after another moment of looking between each other they gave Jacob a light nod and began to disperse.

He watched them walk away before looking at Emmett. They weren't friends. They weren't extreme enemies. They were on tolerable terms since they were both leaders. "I think you can handle it from here." he said to Emmett and began to turn to leave.