Set Out to Dry

[Timothy Carter]

The question about just what he wanted to do after the end of school - which assuming that he graduated was approaching at an alarming rate - was one that he'd asked himself many a time. Teachers and counsellors alike had begun pressing the students and reminding them how important it was to have a plan when heading forwards in your life. Unfortunately for him, he was still pretty much stumped. He'd had a few ideas before he'd come here but circumstances had caused him to reconsider.


"Me?" He shrugged his shoulders, still confused and unsure as far as his future was concerned. "I honestly don't know. I guess maybe a mechanic or something? I might hang around here for a bit, see if I can get my powers a little more under control." He suspected that he would never be able to do a job which required close-quarters with a lot of people, that limited his choices a fair bit. If you excluded those jobs then it became a matter of what he enjoyed doing and the idea of being trapped for the next X- number of years in a job that he didn't enjoy hardly sounded like fun. "I suppose I'd like to do something that I enjoy, like you and cooking."


When it came to socializing, his telepathy made it nearly unbearable to be in a larger group. He'd tried, several times but the voices of their thoughts which never stopped and soon became unbearable. It was hard to describe to others and try as they might, they weren't able to 'stop thinking'. That meant going to see a film at the cinema was off of the agenda unless the theatre was largely empty. "No. I'm not." He agreed, looking for the right words to sum things up. "People are a headache sometimes, in every sense."

[Tiana Jackson]

”Me? I honestly don't know. I guess maybe a mechanic or something? I might hang around here for a bit, see if I can get my powers a little more under control. I suppose I'd like to do something that I enjoy, like you and cooking.”

Tiana slowly nodded her head and offered Timothy a smile. With the nature of Tiana’s “power,” she didn’t need to worry about staying simply to increase her control.

”Well, my mom always said that you should do something you’re passionate about. That’s why I chose cooking. If I’m going to be stuck doing something for the rest of my life,” She chuckled, ”I’m going to pick something I wouldn’t mind doing so much. Maybe I won’t be super rich or anything, but that’s fine. There anything you love doing?”

Tiana didn’t expect Timothy to know exactly what he wanted to do with his life just yet. She’d been lucky about finding her talent for cooking when she was much younger. She’d fallen in love with the idea of being a chef, and the rest was history.

"No. I'm not. People are a headache sometimes, in every sense.”

Tiana snickered yet again and nodded in easy agreement.

”Hey I don’t even have telepathy but people still manage to give me a headache. Believe me, you’ve got my sympathy.”

[Timothy Carter]

Timothy was very much a 'life in the slowlane' sort of guy. He didn't particularly care for all things material. He wasn't from a very moneyed background and although he could easily have been mistaken, he didn't believe that Tiana was either. Sometimes he'd read stories or watch a film with a billionaire and it was true that he'd idolized the likes of Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne when he was young but that was mainly for their superhero alter-egos. "Yeah being rich but unhappy seems kinda pointless." Maybe not as bad as poor and unhappy though, he couldn't help but think to himself.

"Well..." He scratched his chin in thought for a moment. "I like flying my falcon, Argent and tinkering." He paused for a moment before adding. "I used to enjoy football too." He'd been good at it. In fact, he'd planned on using his skills to get a scholarship to college. Since developing his telepath however he'd found that playing the game became rather stressful with all of the other players on the pitch and prevented him from concentrating on what he was doing.


He returned her smile as she expressed her sympathy. Yeah, it was odd to say the least. "Sometimes I think I might write some of it down, in a journal or something." He mused thinking about some of the strangest thoughts he'd picked up. "-But I guess it would be rude and there are some things best forgotten for the sake of the human race."

[Tiana Jackson]

”That and it sounds like a movie cliché.”

Tiana snickered a little bit from the comment, but it was true in a way. She could think of a few movies she’d seen or been forced to watch by her younger sibling that had to do with that lesson of “money doesn’t equal happiness.”

"Well… I like flying my falcon, Argent and tinkering. I used to enjoy football too.”

Tiana’s ears perked up in interest when he mentioned having a falcon. She had no idea pets like that were even allowed.

”Really? A falcon?” She chuckled and shook her head before pointing a finger at Timothy. ”Now that I’d have to see to believe. I didn’t know they even let you have pets like that. Also, 'used to enjoy football?’ You get injured, or is this related to your power?”

Tiana could see either being the case. She certainly wouldn’t want to here the thoughts of a bunch of other boys during an intense sport.

"Sometimes I think I might write some of it down, in a journal or something. -But I guess it would be rude and there are some things best forgotten for the sake of the human race.”

Tiana couldn’t help but laugh again. She could imagine Timothy had come across more than his fair share of scarring thoughts if he couldn’t turn off his power. It only made Tiana a bit more sympathetic towards him.

”That would be something, but I understand. Hopefully you’ll be able to forget some of them.”

[Timothy Carter]

Timothy nodded in response to question. It was one of things he'd been most concerned about when he'd left his home in Los Angeles, what about his pet? He had known that pets were allowed at the academy, within reason but that larger and potentially troublesome ones such as dogs were forbidden. Fortunately, the school authorities had been rather lenient and so long as she stayed in her cage, she was okay. Of course, when he was alone in his room, he'd often let her fly around freely (after all, what the staff didn't know couldn't hurt them, right?). "Yeah. I'm not allowed to let her out of her cage, so I can only really let her fly around the grounds."

He made the effort to let his bird stretch her wings about twice a day, even if that meant standing outside in the rain. "If you'd ever like to try out some falconry, just say. I'd like to show her to you." He was aware that the sport didn't necessarily appeal to everyone. As an animal lover, he didn't always find it easy to associate with those who disliked them but accepted that it might not be everyone's cup of tea. "Do you like animals?"


The teen didn't particularly want to come across as whiney or as if he had nothing better to do than complain about the cards which life had dealt him. It would be impolite not to answer Tiana's question however. "No, not hurt, just too many people and generally too much ego." He replied, thinking back to the games he used to play. It might have been a little hypocritical of him, up until recently and his 'hermit phase' he'd been rather more loudmouthed and the sort to try and stand out from the crowd. "Not really my scene anymore. Can't beat a bit of peace and quiet, you know what I'm saying?"

[Tiana Jackson]

"Yeah. I'm not allowed to let her out of her cage, so I can only really let her fly around the grounds. If you'd ever like to try out some falconry, just say. I'd like to show her to you.”

Tiana was genuinely surprised by Timothy’s offer, but nonetheless pleased as well. A smile lit up her face and she nodded gratefully.

”Thanks! I’ve never seen falconry in person before.”

Honestly she’d never seen it period, but she’d heard of it. Tiana was surprised and a little fascinated to come across someone who did it.

"Do you like animals?”

Tiana laughed at the question and nodded her head in answer.

”I do! We used to have a cat called ‘Sir Cuddlesworth.’ He was a cute bombay, and was very good at sneaking up on me. He loved my mother the most, which was hilarious to watch whenever we had dinner. He’d casually sit on her lap the entire time.”

Tiana giggled simply thinking about it. Although once again that was making her think of home and Tiana tried pushing it from her mind before it made her turn a little bitter or anything.

"No, not hurt, just too many people and generally too much ego. Not really my scene anymore. Can't beat a bit of peace and quiet, you know what I'm saying?”

Tiana nodded her head slowly, but then looked up when the timer went off. She was genuinely surprised they’d been talking for that long. Still, she got up and started unloading her clothes.

”I do. Usually I’m trying to find that myself. The kitchen is the only place that’s worked so far, although it’s not really ‘quiet’ per say.”

[Timothy Carter]

Timothy nodded in response. He'd have to think of a time when it would be practical for the both of them. He certainly didn't want to make her stand out in the wind and rain as he did sometimes. Perhaps it would be best left as one of those 'standing offer' things. The thought caused him to wonder if they'd see each other in class now that they knew each other. Try as he might, he still couldn't place where he'd seen her face before and what class they shared.

"Whenever you've got some time and feel like it, just say." It struck him as a good place to leave the offer. The name of the cat almost caused Timothy to chuckle but he managed to hold it back upon noticing that she was referring to the animal in the third person. "Animals can be the strangest things." Was all that he could think to say, thinking back to some of his own pet's antics.


Timothy turned when the alarm went off. During their discussion, he'd almost forgotten that they were standing in the basement of the academy, more specifically the laundry room - if it still warranted the name given the shear number of broken machines - with her laundry in the machine. "Do you want any help?" He offered trying to sound polite rather than condescending.

He didn't hang around the kitchens to know enough for sure. He imagined that they'd likely almost always be somebody there preparing food however. "Especially when idiots are blowing the place up, right? The park's usually quiet enough." It was where he went to find some refuge from the noisy outside world.

[Tiana Jackson]

"Whenever you've got some time and feel like it, just say."

Tiana was still a little surprised he was even offering. They'd met in a laundry room while Tiana was dumping his things out of a dryer, yet here they were talking about falconry. It was odd enough to make her smile. She nodded in answer to his offer, deciding it would likely be best for her to decide on that later when she had time to look at her schedule.

"Animals can be the strangest things."

She laughed again and nodded in agreement. Her old cat could do the absolute strangest things to try and get attention. She also remembered the number of times things conveniently ended up on the floor. It made her chuckle again as she grabbed her things and started organizing them.

"Do you want any help?"

Tiana glanced over at Timothy. Normally that sort of offer would be met with scorn, but she felt he honestly meant to help. Still, she shook her head and offered him a small smile.

"Thanks, but I've got it."

She appreciated the offer, but Tiana didn't really like people touching her things. Especially if it came to her laundry, as kind as Timothy was. Besides, she was pretty fast with her folding.

"Especially when idiots are blowing the place up, right? The park's usually quiet enough."

Tiana nodded with a smirk. She didn't frequent the park much, but it seemed like a nice enough spot. Tiana preferred the lake more than anything, even if odd things would usually happen like finding an old woman skinny-dipping.

"Go there often? Seems like a nice enough spot, although it's probably crowded on nicer days."

[Timothy Carter]

With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps offering to help a girl with their laundry might have come across as a little odd, especially given that they were still relative strangers. Hopefully, she didn't misunderstand his offer or think that he had other motivations. He made a mental note to at least try and spend some time with others, he found himself terribly rusty as far as social interaction went; especially with girls.

He watched rather impressed as she folded her clothes. "You bother with all that?" He asked thinking back to his own rather lazy and slovenly work. "I just tend to scrunch my stuff up in a ball." He had been taught how to iron and such but with his mother no longer around to nag him, well he'd gotten a little bit lax when it came to his personal appearance.  

Timothy nodded in reply to her question about the park. "Whenever I can. I'm more of an outside type of guy... If it's busy then there's always the forest." It did tend to get a little crowded when the sun was out and there were no classes. Hence why he would often retreat even further into the surrounding forest and hills upon occasion. When put like that it sounded a little odd... Then there was the matter of stretching Argent's wings, he couldn't do that somewhere crowded. He spent much of his time seeking seclusion for one reason or another, hence why this discussion was such a pleasant change for him, even if it was in the laundry room.

He wondered if he'd notice her now in some of his classes rather than pay no real attention to his classmates. If only he could place which subject they had in common.

[Tiana Jackson]

”Yep.” She stated with a smirk. "I learned it from my mom, and it's stuck with me since. Besides, I makes packing them away easier since that's already done."

There was also a relaxing element to it that Tiana couldn't explain. Maybe it was because the task reminded her of home that she did it so subconsciously now. Half of the time she didn't even realize she was doing it until she finished and left the laundry room. it didn't help that she could finish the job in a few minutes. This time was no exception either as she was already finished by the time Timothy spoke again.

"Whenever I can. I'm more of an outside type of guy... If it's busy then there's always the forest."

Tiana nodded as she put her things back into the little basket she'd taken down. She organized the clothes while she put them back, to further make it easy to sort things out later.

"Both sound like good ideas. I actually do like the outside, but the kitchen will always be my first favorite."

She truthfully enjoyed the outdoors greatly. If there was an option to cook outside, Tiana would leap at it. Unfortunately there weren't too many in Kalispell, so Tiana did the best with what she had. Soon enough she finished up her sorting and hefted up the basket. She was more than glad to have met Timothy, even if it was in the little laundry room.

"Alright, I think I'm going to head out so I can put these away while they're still hot. It was really nice meeting you." She said with a genuine smile. "Heck, we'll probably meet together in class or something to be honest. Maybe even in the dreaded math class."

[Timothy Carter]

The mention of Tiana learning something from her mother caused Timothy a twinge of pain. His mother had always nagged him when it came to keeping his clothes tidy and taking care of things such as laundry. With only the two of them and a relatively low income which caused his mother to have to work late, he'd naturally had to do a fair amount of housework. He scarcely did any at the moment, short of doing his bed and laundry from time to time. "I suppose." He replied with a shrug.


"What you need is a barbecue." He responded to her statement about enjoying both cooking and the outdoors. "The best of both worlds." Well, more or less, she might struggle to bake a cake on a grill. Perhaps the academy should look into having a barbecue event or something similar during the summer break. He imagined that quite a few of the students - regardless whether they could cook or not - would enjoy it.


He nodded in reply. "It was nice meeting you." He declared quite sincere. It had been a welcome change from his daily routine and the opportunity to actually talk to another had been strangely... Uplifting. Unfortunately, the mention of 'math' reminded him of his homework... Now there was a free machine, maybe he could use it to get rid of his homework once and for all. "Don't remind me about that..." He muttered pinching the bridge of his nose. "Until next time."