It's A Bird, It's A Plane...

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn was with his camera. You’d think the two merged at some point to create one entity. If he was a cartoon, his head would be a camera with his eyes turned into only one, being the lens. But he was no cartoon and his camera had not started to melt into his hands so they would become one. He was holding it.

To be fair, he did not come outside to take pictures this time. It was just that he left the photography club earlier and so had his camera with him, in its case, as he went out. He had been looking for a spot to blow some fire as he felt the heartburns starting to get him. He was not a lot better and the warm breeze helped him not freeze as his body temperature dropped slightly. It always happened afterwards, as if creating the chemicals was a process that heated him from the inside. Maybe it did. He was not good enough in science to tell. Nor did he care enough to know.

He remained outside a moment, resting his back against the school’s wall. He felt the need for a cigarette but he had yet bought any. He was trying to quit smoking. The fact he only had a small amount of money to spend helped at that but right about now, he could really use one. Or something else to get this urge away. Like a custard pie. Oh yeah, that would be awesome. With the fruits on top and everything. They wouldn’t have any at the cafeteria. They barely ever had anything with custard. That was lame.

He was there in his reflections when he saw something in the sky. Too big for a bird. Just some sort of dark spot in the otherwise clear blue sky. It was why he took out his camera. He thought that perhaps, with the zoom, he would see better. Except this was no spyglass so his vision of it was not that much better. He could swear it had legs though. He looked up from the camera. What the hell was that?

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

There were days where Jun Aaron just needed a good fly, today was one of those days. He had been busy with a few classes, bothering his siblings, and just in general figuring out if he was going to go overseas for some work or still have some time off with his family for the summer. It was all still up in the air, much like he currently was. His wings fully stretched out, easily allowing him to go high into the air and glide along the nice warm breeze.

However; from up where he was it was a little bit colder, but his choice of clothing always helped him not have too much of a problem with it. At any rate, he was enjoying himself, making sure to fly high enough that if he went too far away from the school grounds, that people would just think he was some large bird. Well, his legs didn't fully help with that bit, but still high enough and he would look much like the people below him did; tiny. He did feel like he was being watched, which was always weird when he was so high up.

It didn't take him long to look down at the ground, his eyes changing color as they adjusted to look down at the ground with clear detail. Below him was what seemed to be a young man; maybe, gender was hard to tell at this height even with being able to spot a person out without any real problem. Whoever it was seemed to have a camera on them, which of course just made Jun pose in the sky for a moment before he would dive straight down.

He was quickly to lets his wings out after having tucked them in for the dive to keep himself from crashing into the ground. All of it of course caused a large gust of wind around the area where he swooped down and now as he flapped his wings a few times to get himself facing up and down, there was so more wind action going on. "Are you a bird watcher?" Jun Aaron asked, unable to help himself from that joke as he smiled at the boy; he was sure it was a boy now.

[Quinn Wiley]

Suddenly, memories of a certain Hitchcock’s movie came to mind as the creature in the sky flew straight in his direction. He did think about moving away but somehow his legs refused to move, as if his mind was unable to process the fact that a moving object coming his way would hit him if he did not move out of the way. It didn't however. And it was not an it so much as an he. The bird-like creature with the seemingly long legs for a bird happened to be a young man.

As he was hit by the gust of wing caused from his landing, Quinn regained control of his body and shook himself up. He suddenly realised his heart had been beating a little faster the whole time. This guy... damn he bet lots of religious folks would start calling him an angel. An Asian looking angel but the wings could have one think that nonetheless. Too bad he didn’t think about taking pictures of him while flying. Even now, he didn’t seem able to pull his camera to his face and click. Maybe he didn't have as much control over himself as he first thought.

He talked and this helped too. “No, I...” Why was he feeling so nervous? He was not the first to catch him staring, his camera in hands. He didn’t even come here for pictures so he had nothing to reproach himself. “How did you spot me from up there?” Was he really that obvious, resting near the school’s wall? Couldn’t he just be there to smoke or relax before going back to whatever he would have to go back to? How did he notice he had been looking at him? Yeah, maybe that was the reason why he found this so weird.

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

It was true that some people that were also mutants and had seen Jun Aaron's wings thought of him much like an angle. He hands wings like many people had depicted they would look like in stories. On top of that he had that whole male and female look that angels were supposed to have about them in most stories. Perhaps when mutants were all found out, he would go with the whole being an angel thing to avoid being killed or something like that. Yet, that was all thoughts just in the back of his head due to how the younger male was looking at him.

He was always amused on some level to see how others would react to seeing him with his power out for them to see. Just one wing alone was taller than most people so the two of them together had to be pretty impressive. By the way the young man was speaking, Jun Aaron could tell that he was nervous and it was adorable on some levels. The boy didn't fully answer his question but he supposed a no would work for the moment. There was a question asked of him that it would have been rude to not answer after it had been asked.

"My ability also extends to my eyes and likely other features. I'm able to adjust them to allow me to see different distances, level of light, to even in the dark." Jun Aaron informed him as he pointed to his eyes. He even focused just enough to allow his eyes to change color for a moment to further show the boy. Some understood things better when they could see it with their own two eyes instead of it being explained to them. "What are you doing out here by yourself if you don't mind me asking?" Jun asked, unable to help being curious as to a kid with a camera was by himself. It was almost a little bit creepy but then again he could have simply wanted space.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn was pretty sure this was a guy he had in front of him. An androgynous guy but he didn’t doubt it was one. He knew it was sort of a fashion in Japan, or at least used to, for people to be very androgynous to the point you just really couldn’t tell. It was not to that point here. Or it really was and then he’d be quite impressed. But it was a guy.

Quinn too had an ability that could be interesting to watch but he didn’t think it was to his level. After all, he was sort of throwing up fire. Plus it was extremely dangerous to anyone around. It was not like he could prevent it from burning anything it touched. And it proved to burn things to a crisp if he was not careful. Still, it was not like he was envious of him or anything. He had a fascinating power, is all. And Quinn’s photographer’s eye might have caught an interest in it also.

He wondered what ‘other features’ he was talking about but Quinn dared not ask. So his eyes allowed him to see in long distances? That made total sense to Quinn, even if that might be a joke. It did make sense. He supposed it was like eagles and all those birds. They were able to locate their prey despite them being far away on the ground and sometimes even partially covered. Why couldn’t he have eyes like that?

He blinked as he noticed the change of color from his eyes. He could shift them too? Then again, it must be a pain when walking on the ground to see a mile away from you. It resulted in a nod from Quinn, to show him he got it. When he asked him what he was doing, Quinn looked down at his camera. How many times that happened before? But this time, he was innocent of any creepy behaviour. “I just came back from the photography club. Didn’t put my camera in my room,” he defended himself. He shouldn’t care, he liked to pretend he didn’t, but Quinn didn’t want people to think he was a creep either. “It was quiet here. I was just chilling.” Alright, that sounded wrong even to him so he could only guess how it sounded to the guy.

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

Jun Aaron also wondered what those other features were as well. He was already twenty-one years old but when he went in for his checkups he was always informed that his power could extend to other parts of his body due to him having avian shifting. So far it just manifested with the wings and his eyes but who knew what else or would change over his body over the years. So long as he body didn't get completely covered in feathers or anything happened to his face he was not worried. Oh, and his man hood; nothing could happen there or he would not be pleased.

What Quinn was thinking was pretty much spot on with why Jun Aaron's eyes worked the way they did, even if Jun was no mind reader. He could just guess that the boy likely understood him by the look on his face. His rather cute face, with adorable curly hair that Jun wanted to ruffle and play with; possibly try and see what the younger boy would look with a different hair style. "Ah, you are a camera boy with good intentions. I should have guessed." Jun Aaron said as he gave a few small nods as he looked over the boy once more.

He was not sure if he bought the excuse about leaving the camera in the room but he would take it. Jun Aaron closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the quiet and the boy was right that it was relatively silent over here. "I see, well I'm not here to judge. Mind if I chill with you a little? I got a bit to show off with that landing and i need to check my wings a little before I try and take off again." Jun explained as he pointed to his wings, at least a few feathers that had been a little loose were out of place.

"I'm Jun Aaron by the way, but feel free to call my just one part of my first name or any variation. Who might you be?" Jun asked as he extended out his hand to do a proper greeting.

[Quinn Wiley]

Obviously, if that guy had more bird-like features, they were not on his face, or he could switch it the same way he could his eyes. He was seeing no beak in the middle of his face. Talons? Hell, Quinn wouldn’t want to have that. The feeling of throwing up fire and the ‘burning’ feeling it caused him sometimes were bad enough. He didn't need to grow scales all over his body.

A camera boy with good intentions? his comment had Quinn frowning as he was puzzled by this. People generally assumed he didn’t have good intentions. Or that people with cameras on them could have good intentions. Not when you wandered around without someone modelling in front of you to justify the camera in your hands. He had been studying Quinn perhaps even more than Quinn had been studying him so it was only natural the boy was not sure how he should take it.

Chilling still sounded so weird in his mouth. Why didn't he say relaxing? He had no idea but he said it and now that guy wanted to ‘chill’ with him. Right. He tried not to find that weird but it was actually hard for Quinn as he was not used to anyone wanting to spend time with him voluntarily. Even strangers who didn't know better. “Uh, yeah, sure,” Quinn let out though. He was taken by surprise, he didn't have the time to come up with something better to say. He was also wondering a little what he meant by ‘checking his wings’. They seemed fine, he didn’t see why he could not take off already.

Either this boy could not see how he was taken aback or he chose not to care. Either way, he introduced himself and even extended his hand to Quinn. He stared at it for a moment, as if the hand could be a trick or something. He ended up shaking it but something seemed forced in this. “Quinn,” he replied. No way was he going to give this guy his real name and tell him he could just call him Quinn. Jun Aaron was sort of unusual, or not so much if he was only partly Asian or adopted by Americans, but Tarquin was totally something worth being ashamed of.

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

Jun Aaron had been around a lot of different people with cameras, so it was safe to say that he had a wide opinion on them. Yes, there were those that were creeps, those that only cared about the perfect shot, those that did it as a pass time, and those who had a real passion behind it other than just getting great shots. It was easy to tell what kind of camera person a person was for Jun and he could tell this boy was not all that bad. Then again, he had been wrong before so it would not have come as too much of a shock if the boy had been doing something creepy with his camera.

"Not much of a people person I take it?" Jun asked as he stretched out his wings before he would grab a seat. One of his wings bending and turning in slightly so he was able to start checking his feathers and removing any loose ones. The process caused half of his front of his body to be covered but he could still talk to the boy; who said his name was Quinn, without seeming all of him. He could tell by the way the kid forced the handshake that he wither was not used to talking to people or dealing with them that much or it was just one of those days.

Aaron was assuming the former at the moment just by the kids overall body language. "Nice to meet you Quinn, you have an interesting name there. Not sure I met any other Quinn besides Harley Quinn." Jun Aaron said, making a joke there but really he had met a lot of people that dressed like the comic book character or had their name legally changed. "Have you been taking photos long?" Jun then asked, wanting to know of the boys experience and if this was less of a hobby and more of a passion.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn knew his passion could sometimes make him come off as a creep. He didn't really mean to sneak up on people and take their pictures without them knowing. It was just that sometimes, it was perfect the way they looked right now and just telling them not to move would destroy the whole picture altogether. It was also true he didn’t always asked permission, even after. But no one knew him really and he was certain that would be enough for no one to let him take their pictures if he asked.

“Not really,” he admitted. Was it really that bad though? What was so amazing about being a people person? He could see some positives in it but not really to the point of making him actually go to people and try to talk with them. Why would he do that? It was not like he had nothing to say or didn’t like to talk. People had no idea just how many things he would like to say sometimes, because he just never spoke up.

He watched ass Jun-Aaron came near him. His wings folded so that he could... oh. “That’s what you meant,” he let out, not really meaning to but it came out nonetheless. He had been wondering what he needed to check his wings for. Now he had the answer.

Quinn actually never had anyone compare him to that character before. Apparently, no one thought about it. He didn’t think Quinn was that weird or rare of a name. Of course, when you had a name like is, it sure was not. “Actually, it’s a nickname, but it’s better than the real thing,” he admitted, looking away as he said that. He was no sure what to think of being compared to Harley Quinn. “A little,” he answered when Jun asked about the photography. It was best they talked of something else. “I’ve been in the club for the past... two years. Or something.” He dared look at him again. He could barely see him with his large wing over and the fact he was sort of turning his back at him. Quinn was seeing this as the potential image it could create. He was not thinking it could be rude to stare or convince the other guy that he was indeed a little creepy.

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

"Your body language practicality screamed it. However; nothing is wrong with it. You will be at a slight disadvantage when it comes to working but I'm sure by this point in your life you know how to at least pretend." Jun Aaron said. At least, he assumed the boy would at least know how to pretend like he liked people. He still looked young, at least near the end of his high school years but he still had time before he had to worry about a job. If he was a camera kid, then it was likely he didn't have to worry about his people skills.

Other than being able to talk to them in order to tell them how he wanted them to stand and what to do. With how he was at least talking so far, that did not seem like it was going to be a problem. Granted if he was not nice about it, he would have a hard time making friends but it was not like every photographer was nice. Jun could recall a time he had to deal with a real jerk that people only tolerated because he took some amazing photos and cost an arm and a leg to get to even do a photo shoot. Yet, times were changing and people could find those with skills at a cheaper price, they would go for it.

"Yes, sorry for any confusion. I was a bit rough on them and it causes a few of them to get out of place so I have to remove them or just straighten them out so they don't fall." Jun explained as he continued to do just that with his left wing. It was going to take some time to go through the whole wing because how large it was, but he was in no rush to leave yet. He was having a sort of nice conversation with the younger male. "Mind if I know your real name? Generally people who think their real name is bad have really nice names." Jun Aaron pointed out. He never filly got why anyone would have shame over their name unless they were named after a country, content, food, and well just names that were for things and not really people.

Then again, some names ended up just working so it really all just depended and that meant that everyone was entitled to their own opinion on their name. Jun kept working on his wing as Quinn talked of his interest and how he had been in the club for the past two years. So he did have to have some level of passion in it if he stuck to it this long. "So do you plan to make a career out of it then or just enjoy it as a pass time?" Jun Aaron went ahead and asked.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn was not surprised that people could tell through his body language that he was no people person. It was not like he was nervous in front of people. He could talk to them without his voice shaking or his hands getting all sweaty. He just didn’t like to do that. It was hard to want and make friends when you’ve felt abandoned every time you got close to someone. It seemed like a pointless thing to do. He knew it could disadvantage him eventually. But he could be a hard worker, when left on his own. Surely someone can see that. “I guess...” Quinn said but something in his voice clearly showed he didn’t see the point in even pretending to like people.

After all, his dream career was to be a photographer. Even if he would have to take pictures of people, he didn’t really have to like them, just tell them how to position themselves. He could do that without being their friends. It was not like he meant to insult them or anything. He was keeping the conversation to a minimum and let his camera do the talking. His camera was far better at it than he was.

“Sounds like burden,” Quinn couldn’t help but to let out as Jun explained what he had to do. He figured it was something he had more or less to do every time he chose to fly. Though Quinn would not pity the older guy. He had annoying downfalls to his power too. It was a real pain to have heartburns on a regular basis or tell doctors that his body temperature was naturally higher than that of everyone else, making normal body temperature cold to him. But he would not bother the boy with that.

Quinn shifted, slightly uncomfortable as he asked for his name. He knew what would happen. He’ll tell it, the guy will blink and then think he was being nice by telling him his name was not so bad. It was. Who on earth called his child that? At least he was not telling him his second name was Alfried, that sort of just made it worse, despite it being his father’s name. “It’s Tarquin,” he mumbled. Come on, he cannot say it was nice! The best he could go for was special, or unique, which were really just nicer ways of saying weird. And he’d be right.

He looked down at his camera. Asking about it would soften things, really. Jun might not know that but it really did. “I hope so,” he told him. He knew it might not be easy. This was not exactly the most in demand career. But he would keep trying. “You’ll say I’m being utopian or something?”

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

"Honest, too." Jun Aaron said, but it was mostly to himself. The other boy might not have been very social but he didn't seem like he was that bad of a guy. Honest and was at least willing to talk a little bit without a problem. So while it was not a super social interaction like Jun Aaron was used to having around those who took photos, it was still better than nothing. He did not plan on bothering the boy too long at any rate, not wanting to make someone uncomfortable but he didn't want to just sit in awkward silence while he worked on his wings. They were large so it would take some time and he would have been terribly bored if he had no one to talk to while he was working on them.

Jun Aaron shook his head no when Quinn pointed out that is sounded like a burden. "This is nothing compared to when I actually molt. Now that is a burden, this is just simple maintenance. Like with a car you have to make sure you give it the proper gas and oil changes from time to time." Jun Aaron said, thinking a car was the best comparison but perhaps a plane would have been better. Yet, more people knew more about car maintenance then plane maintenance for obvious reasons. "What is your power?" Jun went ahead and asked. Since they were talking about his power, he figured it didn't hurt to turn the question around and see what the boy had to deal with.

it was easy enough to spot Quinn moving in a uncomfortable manner when his real name was brought up, and he half expected to get a response along the lines of 'I don't feel comfortable giving out such information'. Yet, instead he actually got the boy’s name, which Jun Aaron personally thought was a nice name. "Well, I like it. It's unique, but I will call you Quinn since that is what you are comfortable with." Jun Aaron assured him. There was no point in calling someone by a name that they didn't like if they had a nickname that worked just as well.

So he wanted to make a career out of it, but the way he said it made it sound like he had some doubt with it. "No, I think it is a good dream and goal to have. It's hard but not impossible if you have the talent for it." Jun Aaron said, just being honest. He was not going to say someone who do anything they put their mind to because some people just could not do anything that they really wanted no matter how hard they tried because they lacked the talent. That was not to say they could not achieve great things, it was just a lot of work. "Mind showing me some of your photos?" Jun soon asked, figuring he could judge right now if the kid had the talent to make it.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn heard Jun but didn't get what he was talking about and since he was not the kind to ask questions, he just kept quiet and pretend he didn’t hear. Quinn had a hard time explaining why he was like that. It was not like he hated people but in a way he did. He was able to do small talk but never took the chance to when given it. The truth was he just didn't see the point. Maybe if he did would he talk more, share more. In the meantime, people got that. If they were not happy they just had to find someone more talkative to be with.

Quinn thought it was a lot of work for one little flight but it apparently was no big deal at all for the other guy. This was like an oil change. Quinn never did an oil change or asked a garage to change his oil but he could understand that it was a simple task. Boring, something you probably wished you didn’t have to bother with, but simple. He was not going to say anything. He was the expert, it was his wings after all. Now that Quinn witnessed Jun’s power the question about his came up. “I blow fire,” he said. It sounded better than say he blew inflammable gas that he could then ignite. It also sounded cooler and less disgusting. Somehow, the image of a dragon and a phoenix (because it’s always a phoenix in Chinese stories, not a simple bird) came to his mind to describe the two of them here. The thought actually amused him. If a tiny smile appeared on his lips he still gave no explanation as to why it came here. He was not going to admit thinking that, it was silly.

He didn’t like his name. Tarquin sounded old and weird. Tar... who named their kids with tar in mind? As expected though, Jun said he liked it and called it unique. Quinn still thought he said that just to be polite. “Thanks, I prefer,” he said when he agreed to just call him Quinn.

Did he have the talent for it? It was Quinn’s problems. He could be the new Andy Warhol that he would not believe in himself and be certain he’ll fail. He naturally looked on the darker side of things. He knew however that picking any other job would only make him bitter. “I’ll still get a college degree. It seems to be the minimum required by everyone,” he let out. By his aunt at the very least. That would likely mean putting his dream on ice for a while. If a truly good occasion arise however, Quinn meant to take it.

He knew people should look at his pictures. It was the only way for him to be known. But he hesitated a moment before he finally touched the power button and moved through the menu to show the photo gallery. He then moved the camera towards Jun so he could have a look. He didn’t know if the guy would like to hold it and move through the pictures at his own pace but since he was working on his wings Quinn held it for now.

[Jun-Aaron Starr]

The boy; Quinn, did not say anything when Jun Aaron called him honest or told him about how what he was doing now was no big deal. It really was not. Plus, it was not like the young man even needed to say anything on those matters. Those were just answers that didn't really need to be dived into unless the boy was really interested in it. He didn't seem to be, which was also no big deal for Jun because it meant he was less likely to start bragging about himself as he spoke of his power.

However; he did expect to hear a bit more than just 'I blow fire', when he asked his question. One could not simply say such a thing and not give details. Well, one clearly could but it left Jun Aaron hanging without any details and wanting to know a bit more. "You make it sound so simple and not a thrilling experience or ability. Can I not get a little more info then that, with perhaps a little bit of passion?" Jun Aaron asked as he chuckled a little. As for the boy’s name, he would stick to calling him Quinn because that was what the young man wanted.

While his actual name sounded powerful, it was the boy’s name so he was allowed to have his opinion on it and Jun would respect it. Jun just gave a nod as his response to Quinn stating that he preferred that, basically. He kept tending to his wings, listening as the boy spoke to him about photography and what he planned to do with it. "True, but is it what you really want to do or are you doing it because you feel that it’s expected of you?" Jun Aaron asked, moving his wing a little to give the boy a look before moving it back to tend to. He was pleased that Quinn ended up holding the camera because he wanted to be able to still take care of his wings and view the photos at the same time. Which would prove difficult with his wing size and only having two hands.

Yet, he had a plan. "Thank you. Nothing on here that you don't want me to see right? That way I can go through it myself why you help me with my wings." Jun Aaron suggested, but basically that was the plan. He was already reaching out to take the camera from Quinn as he extended his wing towards the boy. "Just straighten out any feather that looks crooked and if you see on that looks really lose, pull it out." Jun Aaron informed him; hopefully this was not a bad idea.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn was curious of Jun’s powers but not in asking how it worked or anything like that. No, he’d be far more interested in seeing him fly around again, maybe even try some acrobatics in the sky. The kind of stuff he could see with his own eyes, perhaps even take pictures of. He was less interested in knowing if that hurt his back or if he had to check each feather afterwards. He could understand however why this might make him not want to soar back into the sky right now. Quinn was likely not to see that ever again and he was a little sad because he didn’t think of taking any pictures but he was not going to force the guy. He hated being forced to do things and was not really the kind to push people into doing things either.

Little bit of passion? If he wanted passion, he was up to a big disappointment. He wanted details however and Quinn felt like he couldn’t get away with just the ‘I blow fire’ thing. “Technically, I don’t really blow fire. I’m able to create something inside me that I just cough out and it ignites into fire. Kind of like dragons. Except I don’t do that all the time.” He didn't get how dragons could do it almost all of the time. Didn't they need to recharge their fire and wouldn’t they freeze at some point from losing this fire inside of them? They were reptiles so they must be cold-blooded, making fire even more important to them no? Oh, he knew that dragons were not real but it still made little sense to him now that he had a similar ability.

Did this guy doubt his love for photography? Quinn could swear he was doubting his love for photography. “I love it. I joined the club because my... because they wanted me to join an activity. But I love photography,” he argued on a slightly defensive tone. He shook his head at his question. There really was nothing compromising in there. Well, maybe he still kept pictures of a girl he found cute or some annoying jerk doing something embarrassing but nothing that should really remain hidden. He was not crazy to the point of taking pictures of girls naked or anything like that.

He startled though when he was told to help with the wings. He didn't sign up for that. But already, Jun was taking his camera and pulling out his wings towards him. Taking the camera was not hard, Quinn was so shocked by this sudden deal that he offered no resistance. It took a little moment where all Quinn did was stare at the wings before he did anything. He was not sure of what he was doing. Every time he straightened a feather, like he asked, he wondered if it did not bother him and he was even more hesitant at pulling out feathers, certain that would hurt him or something. Some fell almost on their own though and they really were the only ones he dared take off.