Tree of Life [Tag: Zoe ]

[Gregory Tackette]

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Like a moth to the flame, Gregory often found himself exploring the vast wilderness that surrounded the Academy. The fresh air was intoxicating. Truth be told, at times he felt claustrophobic inside of those walls – or just buildings in general. There was something about that just made him feel as though he was trapped inside a cage. Even minor comforts like sitting close to the window often did little to help the overwhelming feelings of dread that typically washed over him in such situations. Cinema was often his escape from these shackles, as he could escape into the world they created. However, there was only so much he could take before he just needed to escape. That morning, he decided that today would be a great day to do so.

He didn’t even change out of his pajamas (which were simple, nothing more than a pair of plain flannel bottoms.) Them moment sun kissed his flesh as it peaked above the horizon; he slipped out through his window. Not that he had to. It would have been just as easy to walk out the front door, but where was the excitement in that? The air was crisp, but quite refreshing. The soft breeze lulling him into a mild state of euphoria has he continued to put distance between himself and the dormitory. Then suddenly he stopped. Looking over his shoulder, he could see the academy in the far distance. It was still close enough to remain accessible if needed, but far enough away to grant him the necessary solitude he was seeking. Gregory smiled softly, turning his attention to the massive mighty oak in front him.

Its roots were massive. Sprawling out in a radial manner from the grand base of the trunk. He could have sworn they went on for at least twenty yards. Breaking through the ground, the roots peaked upwards through the melting snow. Gregory wasted little time. He pressed his hands to his chest, his fingers working nimbly up his chest as he removed the clasps that held his harness in place. With a shake, it dropped to the ground. His body shivered, but not because of the cold. He ran his fingertips through his hair, messing it up as his wings spread outwards, a wild smile gracing his boyishly handsome face in reaction to the stimuli. He leaned forward, pressing his hand to the moss covered bark, taking in the beauty of the creation.

Gregory stepped back, wasting very little time as he bent down to a single knee. His wings fluttered, before retracting briefly. Pressing off of the ground, they began to flap, creating a slight gust as he pushed off of the ground and into the air. Today was going to be a brilliant day.[/ul][/div]

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Today looked to be a brilliant day. The sun had risen, and Zoe's spirits had risen somewhat with it, which was rather unusual for the wilting flower of a girl. She couldn't help it though: not when the first sound that greeted her was a cheerily chirping bird outside of the window, with the slanting sunlight cutting through her room. Zoe knew the moment her eyes opened that she wanted to make sure to capture this moment. Times like this were simply too fleeting, here one moment, gone the next. So Zoe hurriedly moved to dress herself, not even feeling overly distraught about having to tug her light gloves over her fingers. She still had to wear long sleeves, though she'd at least opted for a deep purple as opposed to her usual black. Her skirt was still black though, if with a bit of a flare, and dark leggings beneath. Zoe paused only for a moment to grab a pageboy cap and make certain that most of her body was as covered as ever, then she was out, heading toward the wilderness.

Zoe hadn't quite been able to explore the forested area as much as she would like. She'd only been here so long, and there were only so many moments in the day to take advantage of. She'd heard good things though, and she'd already grabbed her camera, the heavy device thudding against her narrow chest with each footfall. She'd gone fairly far into the woods when the sight of a truly impressive tree caught her attention. Wide-eyed, Zoe had simply stared for some while, before yanking her camera up, moving so quickly that she nearly strangled herself on the strap. The camera soon whirred as Zoe captured the tree's magnificence as best she could. the only way it could have been better, in Zoe's opinion, as if some section of the tree had been rotting away, or perhaps some other sign of death's grip upon the situation.

However, no sooner had that maudlin thought entered her mind then a new sight pushed it away. It looked like an angel descended upon the tree, landing lightly for a few moments. Zoe's heart skipped as she watched, amazed as the creature pushed off.

"have I died?" she wondered, looking around. That would explain why everything looked better, though Zoe had sort of hoped that Heaven, if it existed, would be somewhat better than this. "no, that can't be right," she said, frowning. "If I were dead, this would be Hell, not Heaven. So... what is that?" she turned her gaze in the direction of the creature's flight. Her hands fumbled for her camera, bringing it up. This time, though, she flicked the zoom on, careful to follow the creature's flight as closely as possible.

[Gregory Tackette]

[/font][/font][/b]p. With his eyes closed tightly, he could feel the breeze dragging against his body as he cut through the air. With his arms out wide, he embraced the world around him without any hesitation. As his wings pulled in close, his back arched, and head over feet he rotated. He opened his eyes briefly, but only to spot the grand oak below. He looked down upon it, sprawling outwards as though it wished to great all within its presence. His wings remained pressed to his back, his arms now close to his chest, his body falling towards the ground in a precise descent. The rush of the air against his face was exhilarating, but soon enough, as if by instinct, he could feel the ground approaching. Without opening his eyes, he spread his wings wide, pressing his legs together as pulled upwards slightly.

He reached downwards, his outstretched hands pressed against the branches. With a slight lean, he began to circle around the canopy. In the midst of his escape, he hadn’t noticed his company. However, as he opened his eyes to gaze upon the tree, he spotted her tiny figure down below – and soon after the camera in which was being aimed in his direction. Rather than making a noticeable movement towards her, he continued about his aerial acrobatics. With a quick flap, he once again pressed upwards and onwards towards the sky above. The chilled air mingled with the warm sun’s caress, creating an exciting rush to his system. He couldn’t help but let out an excited howl as he flew towards the heavens. Pulling in his wings, once more he would find himself in a free fall towards the ground.

This time, with his eyes open, he gazed down upon the great oak. A slight grin shaped his soft, plump lips. As Gregory extended his arms, he began spiral. Rather than correcting this, he simply let the motion take him. His trajectory beginning to spiral out, as the great oak remained the epicenter of his descent. As it approached, rather than pulling up visible, he used the tree’s upper canopy, covered in dead leaves and hanging moss, to disguise his motions. He slowed himself down abruptly. He landed hard enough to create a commotion, but not so much so that he hurt himself in the process. The tree shuttered. Snow dropped, and a few of the trees remaining leaves spiraled down to the ground. Rather than alert her to his well-being, or presence for that matter, he simply began to peak through the thickets, watching her intently. [/ul][/ul][/div]

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The creature clearly knew she was there. Zoe couldn't say with certainty when the creature finally became aware of her being there, but there was no way he'd suddenly moved from the sort of effortless, graceful flight to what looked like some kind of aerial trick. That didn't stop her from taking snapshots of the whole process. Zoe usually focused on stiller subjects though, and part of her was almost wishing that the being would just land somewhere so she could really zoom in. Maybe then she'd be able to determine just what it was that she took pictures of.

Well, what are the options? It's either an angel, some freak medical experiment, or, much more likely, a mutant of some kind who happens to have a truly marvelous gift. Why couldn't I have been granted wings instead of the ability to shut down anyone I touch? Zoe frowned as the gloomy thoughts paraded through her mind. They didn't hold long though: there was something about the way the soaring being, well, soared.

Zoe snapped the landing exactly, nailing it into a photograph for memory, which she really hoped would develop well. There was the soft sliding of snow, the fluttering of leaves, and then a near silence, one where Zoe was fairly certain that the creature was looking at her through the leaves. She lowered her camera, wetting her lips with her tongue. Well, she might as well at least greet the creature; she owed it something, what with taking its picture.

"Hullo!" she called, waving a hand. "I, uh, saw you flying. I was taking pictures, and well, you were quite..." beautiful, breathtaking, majestic, "striking," that should work and not sound creepy. Zoe still flushed a little though, fidgeting with the camera, wishing she could think of something better to say.

[Gregory Tackette]

[/font][/font][/font][/b]e was found out.

“…”

Nothing came out. As he watched her, he couldn’t help but be fascinated. He had never been the subject of somebody’s photography. That being said, he really didn’t actively fly in front of other people. He wasn’t ashamed of his wings – far from it. Gregory was just used to concealing them, as the hallways in the academy weren’t exactly built for them. Not to mention, while he wasn’t ashamed of them, he wasn’t too fond of people touching them at random, or without his permission. He wasted very little in making his presence known, peeking out through the moss with a rather inquisitive smile plastered across his face. He began to skitter across the branch, inwards towards the trunk. The moss was soft, moist, and somewhat cool to the touch. If he never had to leave this tree, he’d be quite content.

Making his way downward, instead of greeting her on the ground he found a perch slightly above her. Feet planted firmly, he knelt downwards. His arms rested calmly at his sides, his wings fluttered before extending outwards, casting a shadow beneath their massive span.

“Of all the oak trees, in all the forests, in all the world, you walked up to mine.. ”

Casablanca, a classic. He paraphrased of course. He wasn’t quite sure how to handle being called striking, not that he a poor self-image. He simply often didn’t truly realize how unique he looked to most. While many had evolutions that were internal, his was quite visible. He leaned down, extending his arm without even thinking.

“Want to climb it with me?”

He asked with a grin that grew wider with each passing moment. He motioned towards her camera quickly.

“I bet you could get great shots up here.”
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[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Definitely human, well, mortal, likely a mutant of some kind. His accent sounded American to Zoe, and she was kicking herself for not getting better than that. She'd been out of London for years now; she should have a better handle on language than that. In her defense, she was staring at a pair of wings extending from someone who was speaking lines from...

"That's Casablanca, isn't it?" she asked, her lips twitching a little in the ghost of amusement. "But I believe that was more about gin joints, was it not? Sorry, I'm not that big of a film buff," well, not that kind of film, at any rate. Her fingers tapping against the camera hinted toward what film Zoe preferred. Still, who hadn't heard of Casablanca? Ava had forced Zoe to watch that one...

She swallowed, her mirth sliding a little.

Then the angel-boy extended his arm, asking if she wanted to climb. Zoe's hand started to remove before she remembered, jerking it back. "I believe the line is 'do you trust me,'" she said, attempting a horrible American accent for the line. She looked at the tree, then at the boy again. "But I'm not sure that I'd be able to climb it, and, well, uh," she looked away for a moment. Well, there was no belaboring the point, not really. "I can't be touched. It's part of my ability. I, well, I cause paralysis upon contact, and it can result in seizures..." she bit her lip, looking askance at the angel. Well, if he was some kind of angel, then maybe he could resist her ability? She supposed it should be possible...

[Gregory Tackette]

[/font][/font][/b][/font] wild smile took hold of his face, his cheeks reddened and he couldn’t help but let out a bit of chuckle. Why hadn’t he thought of that? This would have been the perfect situation for that quote. He couldn’t have imagined anytime he was going to have a magic carpet at his disposal. However, if he really tried he could probably find somebody at the academy who could make a situation possible. But that was entirely beside the current point. He couldn’t help but be enamored by her accent – even the American accent that she had attempted. But he wasn’t sure how to deal with what she said next – and for a moment, it hit him like a kick in the chest.

“You can’t touch people?”

He cocked his head, not entirely sure how that would work. He couldn’t imagine a life void of human contact. Not that he really enjoyed all that much human contact to begin with, unless you counted lacrosse and the occasional fist bump. He, more often than not, was physically avoiding contact.

“Um…”

Could he? He knew that much like the rest of his body, his immune and nervous system were supercharged. But he had never really tested the limitations of them like he had the more obvious aspects of his ability. He didn’t tend to get colds very often, but it wasn’t like he was immune to getting sick, his body was just quite adept at battling off illness. He was also quite a healthy individual, he had to be with his evolutionary trait. His body was far leaner than your average teenager’s. He wasn’t going to let this stifle his fun for the day, nor was he going to let this get in the way of her experiencing this glorious tree. Maybe he wasn’t immune to her abilities, but possibly he could withstand them long enough to pull her up and on to the tree, something that would take no more than a second.

The look of hesitance washed away, once again being replaced by his vibrant smile as he extended out his right arm. He wasn’t sure what would happen, but he wasn’t going to let the fear of the unknown ruin such a beautiful moment. On with the cheese.

“Do you trust me?”

Come what may, he was at least going to give it a try. [/ul][/ul][/div]

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe nodded. She then fidgeted, rubbing at her arm and averting her eyes for a moment. She bit her lip, then figured she might as well offer up something akin to an explanation: "I actually can't touch skin to skin. I just wouldn't want my gloves to slide off and accidentally paralyze you when we're high up," because that would be like something out of one of Zoe's nightmares. In fact, she was pretty sure she had exactly that nightmare, involving paralyzing an angel in flight and falling down into the dark abyss where she accepted the overwhelming black and nothingness that lay in wait for her.

The hesitation faded, replaced with a smile, at least by the strange bird man. Zoe blinked at him, wondering what he had in mind. His hand was outstretched, and he seemed to have found the line that Zoe had supplied mere moments before. she felt the corners of her lips threatening to turn upward in spite of herself. She pointed at the hand, "I'm not sure I should; you don't exactly have a carpet nearby," she said.

Then she thought for a moment. If he knew and was still offering then... then maybe his ability could counteract Zoe. Maybe his ability was that he actually was an angel; that could be used to explain where the whole idea of winged humans with accelerated healing powers had come from in the first place. There was a lot of logic there, nearly enough to give Zoe the urge to reach out and actually take the hand. She tremulously did so now, her hand literally shaking with her own unease.

You won't know what you can do till you try.