Hate the Road

[Oliver King]

Whistling through his teeth as he walked into the newly rebuilt arena, Oliver's head shook faintly. There was a few students milling about. It seemed as if this place had become a popular hang out spot for those who wanted to be alone and away from the crowds, and with the large space, Oliver agreed that it was just the perfect place for something like that. 

Today, there was surprisingly few people milling about. A couple sat in the upper stairs at the end of the arena, chatting cheerfully among themselves. A small group of friends sat in a circle, studying, and then there was a few people running about solo. And then, then there was the Bellefonte princesses favorite pet; Oliver didn't think he'd actually talked to the guy before, but he did know who he was. Between the time the boy spent with the princesses and a certain Cox girl, he'd managed to make quite the name of himself.

Well, that and winning prom court two years in a row, anyways. It was an easy guess to make, claiming that the guy was rather popular among the students, and of course, that was reason enough for Oliver to approach him. If memory served him well, the guy had empathy for a power. That was somewhat questionable, but at the very least it wasn't mind reading, and although Oliver had lots to hide, his emotions was the last thing that worried him.

Moving closer to the boy, Oliver positioned himself right next to him, making sure not to touch the other boy. Whistling through his teeth, he nodded his head. "Impressive, isn't it?" he asked, looking around. "It's amazing how much we can all do once we stick our heads together and decide to build something." It was no secret that Oliver strongly believed that mutants were the people that would eventually take over the world. They were stronger, faster and much, much better. He loathed normal humans for their weakness and inability to grow further. Evolution had done good, creating this DNA that embodied them all.

Tag: François Laffont

[François Laffont]

If someone had told Franck he was making quite a name for himself, he wouldn’t believe it. There was no reason at all for him to be more popular than anyone else. Of course, it was just modesty, because Franck did a lot that would make him known around the school. He simply wished it had been because he was the helpful, kind one welcoming new students and putting people at ease, not because he was friends with all the right people.

Franck might know some people could find an appeal in him because of his connections but he sadly was oblivious to it until they brought it up. He was always ready to give people the benefit of the doubt. He trusted in them until proven wrong. Many times. A person alone could only go so far. Community was key. And he was a community guy no doubt.

He managed to squeeze into his busy schedule some time for him to train today. So he went to the arena and ran, music pumping through his ears as he, for once, didn’t want to be disturbed by those around. He wished music was all he needed to prevent himself from feeling everything but sadly his power had him sense emotions, not hear them. Getting into the activity however helped as did the fact it was not very crowded right now and that no really strong emotions were seeping through those around. He was not even close enough to the couple to get anything out of them and he figured they would be the ones with the strongest feelings here.

He was done running and he went to the benches where he left his stuff. He grabbed his water bottle and drank from it as he pulled the earplugs off with his free hand. It didn’t take very long until he sensed something. He didn’t need to turn his head as he heard a whistling but he still had a look as the person talked. It was another guy and Franck really wondered for a second if he was actually talking to Franck or to himself. “It is. But I hear it’s not uncommon for a community to unite after a tragedy, to pick up the pieces and rebuild,” he answered. It was a way to introduce yourself like any other, he supposed, but Franck still wondered if there was a point in that. “You wanted anything?” he asked, his French accent tinting each and every word he gave the boy.

[Oliver King]

He nodded slowly at the words the boy spoke; so, the rumors were true. This guy was beam of light and truly had a good heart. Oliver wondered how long it would take for that light to get smothered. Oliver wasn't necessarily very cynical, but he was aware over how cruel the world really was, and how easily that cruelty could ruin people, and those around them. Quirking his brow in amusement, Oliver chuckled as his head shook. "I wasn't aware I had to want something to approach people." Though, he supposed it was a fair question. He could hardly blame the boy.

Even though it was amusing that it come from someone who was rumored to be so forthcoming.

Reaching his hand out for the other to shake, Oliver offered the guy a smirk. "Oliver King," he announced. It was in instances like this that Oliver enjoyed the simple fact that everything he was and did was so undercover he didn't pop up on anyone's radar. Unless said person knew what they were doing, of course, but not a whole lot of people seemed to be into that kind of thing, save for a few students.

Which was probably for the best. Some things were better left in the shadows, and it made moving about much, much easier.

[François Laffont]

Franck got all sorts of emotions from people he talked to, especially the first time. Some were nervous, scared, shy. Others were really happy and almost difficult to keep up with. Others were angry. This one... he wasn’t too sure. He did get a tiny amount of amusement at some point and his words got the French boy to give him a wide stare, blinking once or twice to get over it. Not that it was particularly shocking. Actually, it was rather innocent but totally unexpected. “I guess not but I figured you don’t go talking to someone you don’t really know unless you want to know them. Or they’re in the way of something you want to get your hands on. Something like that,” he managed to reply, shrugging to make it like it really was not that big of a deal if the boy was here for either of these reasons or, as he said, for none at all.

It became a habit for Franck to look at a hand as someone extended it for him to shake. He knew the contact would not last for very long but he never liked to do that and risk sensing something he should not, especially when the other person was not aware. Of course, the name Oliver King meant next to nothing to him, except perhaps hearing it from a teacher before. He had no reason to think anything of the boy.

“François Laffont. Franck. Sorry if I don’t shake, I sort of have a thing about it, with my power and all. I’d rather avoid but it’s really not against you,” he told him. He shook hands before and knew he should probably get used to the fact he was going to pry into people’s life every time he wanted to be social with someone but for now, he’d rather avoid it.

[Oliver King]

"Well, there's also the odd chance someone simply talks to you just because they can," he winked at the boy. Yes, Oliver did have a reason to talk to the boy, and no, it wasn't because he wanted something from him. He was curious, was all. He wanted to know what all the fuzz was about, but the simple fact that the boy appeared surprised at his response... It made him wonder if the boy wasn't at all that used to being approached by people who didn't necessarily want anything from him.

Did that mean this guy was used to people only looking him up if there was something they needed? And did that mean this boy was nothing more than people's doormat? That in itself seemed awfully sad, in a very hilarious kind of way.

Shrugging, Oliver lowered his hand again, letting them slink into the pockets of his jeans; he was hardly one to force polite gestures. It wasn't as if it mattered at the end of the day. "No worries, mate," he smiled. "I take no offense to it. After all, we are at a school filled with mutants. We all have our stuff." Besides, he was hardly one to take anything to heart. Least of all something as silly as someone not wanting to shake his hand. Thank heavens, Oliver wasn't that insecure.

[François Laffont]

Franck chuckled, unsure if i twas because of the words or the wink but one thing for sure, it made him slightly embarrassed and this was where the chuckle came from. When he looked at the boy again, he flashed him one of his oh-so-famous smiles. The ones that some people probably thought was his way of flirting but really was not. “Yes, I suppose so but usually you want someone to listen to you and if you do then that’s a want no?” Franck was not sure his words made sense here. He was fluent in English but there were still times when he was not certain of the proper words to use and this was one of those times where he was sure he should have phrased it differently.

Again, the boy intrigued him with the many emotions piercing at the surface. He seemed curious than moved to pity and amusement at the same time. He was used to feelings bouncing quickly. One topic bored you and Franck would know. A cute girl passed by and even though he could tell you still loved your girlfriend, he also knew you found that girl hot. That didn’t make it any easier to follow though and since he had no proper grasp on who this Oliver person was, it was kind of hard to get why he was feeling all of this. One thing for sure, Franck assumed he was curious because of him. He only needed to know why. He couldn’t really see a reason.

He was glad the boy took no offense he would not shake his hand and even laughed at the way he justified Franck’s actions. “It’s just that my power has a way of getting into the private details of someone’s life and I prefer to have people warned about it before I have physical contacts with them,” he tried to explain but as he realised it might mean more he quickly lifted his hands, showing his palms at the boy. “Not that I read thoughts or anything. I, um... Well I can sense their emotions. And it can be just as personal.”

[Oliver King]

Tapping his temple with his index finger, Oliver grinned. "Well played monsieur," he said, nodding. "You make a very valid point." He didn't add anything further. The boy was right. It all came down to how you chose to definite the way you picked up certain words. Technically, yes, talking for the sake of someone listening was a want, but it wasn't exactly the same kind of want, as seeking someone out because there was something more specific you wanted. It didn't really matter though. They'd both made their points and seemed to understand one another. That was all that really mattered.

The boy then continued explaining his power - or rather, how it worked. Thoughtfully, Oliver nodded slowly. He was glad his own power didn't work like that. Having a power that intensified when you touched others seemed rather tedious. In fact, Oliver didn't at all envy people with powers such as empathy and telepathy. It had to be such a dreadful experience feeling and hearing everything people thought. "Ahh," he nodded. So, he'd been right, the boy was an empath. Good to know he still knew the drill of this all.

"Well, we don't choose our own powers, and we all have different ways to deal with them. It's nice to know some people actually respect their fellow students enough to warn them, as opposed to using their powers against people's wills." He offered the boy a comforting smile.

[François Laffont]

Franck was not sure if he should take what Oliver said as a compliment. He did say well played but something in it made him feel like he really should not be proud about this. He did say monsieur right which he supposed should not be entirely surprising but Franck always was when English people tried to throw in a little French for him. “Thanks... I guess?” he replied, not really certain if he should be thankful thus why it sounded like a question. It wasn’t like all those who came talking to him wanted something out of him. Well, nothing more than some company or being reassured by his calming presence. He did seem to have a calming presence. He would not deny that. What this Oliver wanted however, he was not sure. He was not going straight to the point so maybe he only wanted to chat with someone and his choice landed on him. Maybe?

Ahh? That was the only thing he got from him? He barely seemed surprised or affected by it. He did get something he would label as pity though to a much lower degree. He often got that, when people started to realise it was a power that might look insignificant but had more downsides than previously assumed. Sure he would not have a heart attack or terrible migraines but there was nothing great in having to feel absolutely everything.

He showed surprised at his response but in the end he also smiled. “You’re right. I mean, I cannot help it but I don’t want to have anyone feel like I’m intrusive. And everyone here has a power they are dealing with, it shouldn’t be difficult talking of it. We’re all on the same boat, right?”

[Oliver King]

"Exactly," Oliver replied with a nod. Though, not all powers were nearly as intrusive as those with the power to read minds or sense emotions, but he supposed at the end of the day, it all came down to how you used your ability, as opposed to what kind of ability you had. He was hardly one to speak, though. He more often than not used his own ability to further himself in one way or another, whether that meant sneaking in somewhere he wasn't supposed to - or simply hiding away.

Thankfully, Oliver had little to hide - at least from this boy. He didn't fear him, nor was he afraid of finding out about his true, asshole and arrogant self. Most people found that out simply from talking to him, so at the end of the day, he wouldn't have minded either way. It was different when he had a reason to conceal himself. Right now, he'd only approached the boy because he'd been curious. There was no ulterior motive.

"Sadly, not everyone think the same way you do, but I suppose that's to be expected, seein' as how we all have these powers, and all have different opinions on usin' 'em." He supposed that was part of what made everyone so different too, personality wise.

[François Laffont]

Franck hated to be considered intrusive although he might hate even more when he felt like people pitied him. He understood this was to be his life from now on and grew to accept it. When they pitied him, it was a painful reminder of all that made him different and what he had to struggle with. It was even harder with his friends, although he never admitted it to them. He wanted to be normal, not have them feel bad every time he was sensing their emotions. Still, it came out of a good intention so he was not telling them. Might them feel even worse.

Feelings might help you know a person but it did not tell you who that person really was in the end. Even cruel people could be in love or afraid of something. Franck might be able to pierce through their weaknesses but arrogance was not an emotion. So far, he did not see it. Confidence, yeah, sure, but to call him arrogant, no.

“Well, if they talk about ‘using’ then they are already different from me, since I cannot control it, it just happens,” he pointed out. It was strange for Franck to talk of powers like that. It was not unpleasant, but unexpected. “I don’t know what you hear some people say about power usage. Personally, I just try to make the most of it and not let it define who I am,” he told the other guy. He didn’t appear to be questioning himself about his power so why was he talking of this? He didn’t want to ask him however, in case it had him walk the other way. Instead, he just looked at the boy and waited for his point of view on the matter.

[Oliver King]

"Aye," he said, nodding a little as he fell quiet. Listening to the rest the boy had to say, Oliver scanned the boy's face for a moment. Drawing his breath, his hands slid into his pockets. "Well, usin' a power is subjective, I'd say, as even though you're not in control, the power is still bein' used, you know?" He did of course, get exactly what the boy mean, but still. It was a curious case, indeed, and it all came down to how differently people viewed powers and viewed their usage. Not everyone was cool about having someone read their emotions, even if the boy couldn't help it.

"I hear a lot of things," he said, his lips pursing. "There are people who use their abilities to control others, and there's those who use them to help others. There are those who use 'em to hurt and heal, and then there's those who simply go through life one step at a time." Himself? He used his ability to further himself. Get into places he shouldn't be, and get his hands on information he shouldn't be having.

Of course, it was rarely done in order to spite or hurt other people, oh no. It was all business at the end of the day. He was the middleman, not the villain, and surely not the hero of this tale. He was just a guy with the ability to get things done. He didn't care what people used the information he got for. That was none of his business.

[François Laffont]

What was the boy’s view of power and mutation? Franck was not sure, just like he was not sure why he chose to have this discussion with him. But he knew he tended to get confessions out of people. It was not only because of his power, although it helped a lot, but also of his nature. He listened to people, he tried never to judge them as they talked to him and even wished to help out. He figured he was a good choice if someone wanted to talk. It didn’t make it any less odd though when he realised someone picked him out of anyone else they could have talked to. It was very humbling.

“I guess. But at the same time, it’s like saying you’re using your eyes to see. What else can you use and can you really stop from seeing with them?” He better not bring out blind people. This was only the first example he could think of. He didn’t know if there was another one that made more sense he could have used. Most of the time, he made them up. It was easier for him because he didn’t always have the words to properly express himself.

Franck nodded when Oliver said there was almost as many opinions on power as there were people to think them. He knew some used those to control others or further enrich themselves at other people’s expense. He was against that, but he was against that in general and not just when it came to powers. “I suppose it all depends on how you were raised to think. I was told doing bad would come back to you. I find it hard not to help others when I know I can.” Maybe this made him weak or a doormat or anything else of the like. He didn’t care. In the end, he was happy like this and he knew he made other people happy around him. It was all that mattered.

Oliver clearly didn’t ask him about that if he didn’t want to talk further of it. Maybe he wanted to make himself another opinion? “What’s your view on this?” Franck asked him.

[Oliver King]

"Tell that to them, not me," Oliver shrugged. "I ain't the one who has somethin' against people who uses their abilities, after all." Though, again, it came down to different opinions and how people viewed things differently. It was easy to remain objective when you didn't really care to or from. Yes, Oliver believed that people had every right to use the ability they'd been given, and no, he didn't think people could be blamed for not being able to turn it off, but as long as said problems weren't directed towards him, he didn't give a shit. Simply put.

Grinning at the boy's words, Oliver nodded slightly. Oh if only he knew... Ah well, he supposed it didn't really matter at the end of the day. "If you say so." He'd done plenty of bad things in his lifetime and it had yet to actually catch up to him. He supposed it was partly because he was excellent at staying off people's radar. Heck, he'd been around for years now and had yet to get involved into anything. He hadn't even been mentioned by that damned blog.

Curiously, Oliver tilted his head as he looked at the boy. He pursed his lips as he chewed over his question. "I believe mutants are superior and should use the gifts handed to them, for better or worse," he replied. Really, that was all there was to it. He saw no point in lying.

[François Laffont]

“I don’t think it’s something against people using their power it’s more... it is something very personal,” Franck replied to Oliver. He personally did not like people constantly using their power. Sure, it was kind of pointless to have all these great abilities and not use them but Franck didn't think it was a reason to use them all the time. There were situations where it was best not to, even if it would be easier with your power. It was all a matter of morality, he supposed.

Obviously Oliver was thinking differently. You don’t say ‘if you say so’ if your opinion was the same. It was a tactful way or saying he would not argue over this either and Franck could like that. “Maybe it’s an empath thing. You know, since I can feel everything, I’d prefer the world around me to be happy than sad.” That made a lot of sense and was also a way of showing Oliver was entitled to think otherwise. On this, Franck knew there was not only one or two point of views. He still believed the way a child was raised played a lot in this. If you were not punished when you did something wrong, it was hard to see what made it condemnable later on.

Franck was always a little uncomfortable when people considered mutants as either inferior or superior to humans. To him, they were all the same. “I can agree with the use of our gifts but I can’t really say I do about us being superior. Different, maybe, a little.” Why was he nervous all of a sudden? He knew it did not come from the boy so it had to be from him. He just really didn't like that.

[Oliver King]

"Each to their own," he shrugged. After all, Oliver used his power for his own gain, and he wasn't going to stop. He cared little how others used their, but then again, he also had very little to hide. He was generally speaking a very blunt person, and a lot of people sought him out because he could get stuff for them, be it information or something else, and as long as he had something to gain from it, he didn't see a problem. Everyone had to get forward in life somehow, and his methods weren't the most moralistic, but eh.

He nodded slightly, lips pursing. "I can see that." He was glad he wasn't one of those people who constantly had to feel or read other people's emotions or thoughts. One, because he just didn't care how others felt and two, it would have driven him insane. Kudos to this boy who seemed to function like a normal human being. Oliver wouldn't have been able to do it. Of course, it was easy to say that when he didn't have to. He figured it was different when you had no choice. It was one of those things you just had to get used to no matter what.

Oliver's head tilted slightly as he studied the other boy. His lips tugged upwards into a smirk and his shoulders shrugged lightly. "Well, we are evolved from humans." He wasn't going to argue this with someone who clearly disagreed, but he didn't mind sharing his opinion. "We are more than what they are. We have powers, and thus, that makes us better. Now, whether or not that is a good thing is entirely up for discussion, but it's still true, whether or not you'd like to see it that way." His hands went into his pockets and his shoulders slumped as he rocked back and forth on his heels.