{SCE} If You Want Meat

[Demi Smith]

The mention of "taking martial arts lessons" had Demi letting out a laugh. She turned so she could properly swallow some of the food she had in her mouth before responding, not wanting to end up choking on it or anything. Then she turned back to Quinn, that confident smirk right back on her face. "My people totally believe in the sacred mutant art known as the Flow. I've been practicing it, like, since i could walk," which was actually not that much of an exaggeration. Again: there weren't many things that Demi could do well, but that was definitely right there among them.

She didn't really care about Quinn not helping. She just shrugged at that. So what if he didn't? Plenty of people didn't. Didn't make him any less or anything. Just meant he hadn't been there or had a helpful power or something. Not like breathing fire at a fire could really put it out. This wasn't some weird television show or a video game or something along those lines. Demi took another bite of her squirrel, glancing over at Quinn again.

"Whatever, just eat your stupid squirrel," she said, taking another bite. She really liked it, but she just barely refrained from saying so. Given how she attacked the meat, which now produced grease that ran down her chin, it was pretty obvious.

[Quinn Wiley]

“The Flow?” Quinn questioned. What could be this ‘flow’ she was talking about? Probably some technique to make you better with your mutation, since she mentioned mutants. At the same time, she kept acting like she didn’t know much about their world so maybe it was absolutely normal but it was how they called it anyway. No. Something about it made him think like it was related to their mutations.

He tried to think about it though. It would have been nice to know what life was to bring to him, to know he was going to be a mutant. Might have prevented him from nearly burning his cousin. Then again, with everything that happened in his life, he was pretty sure turning into a mutant was not on top of the list of things he wished had not happened. It sucked, sure, but he actually preferred to be here at Bellefonte than with what family he had left. Still, it would have been nice to be told in advance, to make him train, prepare for when it’ll happen. He still wasn’t sure what the flow meant. He didn't think mutations had anything to do with something as metaphysical as a flow but every cult needed a religion and rites. That flow she mentioned might just be part of it.

When she told him to eat, he understood he better just shut up and, as she told him, eat. He hesitated at first but he still took a bite at the meal. That was not so bad, even if he was not going to ask a butcher if he could not find him squirrel meat in the future. She seemed to like it a lot. Again, he realised how she was in her element and he was not. And tonight he’ll have another bad night in that ugly shelter he was forced to build. What kind of stupid idea they had here!

[Demi Smith]

"yeah, the Flow," Demi repeated. She rolled a hand in a smooth motion. "It's the martial art that, okay, well, not just a martial art; that's the cool part. It's sort of this, like, philosophy with a martial art attached or something. It's all about getting in touch with the Flow of the Divine Will and adapting your powers to your own potential and junk. I'm really good at it."

Which was definitely an understatement. Demi would have gladly talked more about the Flow, and her people, and definitely on how much better she was than everyone else. However, if they didn't get to the meat soon, it wouldn't be hot, and cold meat wasn't nearly as good to eat, particularly if it was squirrel that had been grilled over a fire. She chewed on it a bit more, thoroughly enjoying herself.

"It would be weird to combine your power with the Flow," Demi said aloud, considering. She shrugged and just took another bite of the roasted animal.

[Quinn Wiley]

Ok, that flow thing was definitely a cult thing. This was the religious part that probably made all non-members cringe and consider it wrong. Quinn, so long as she was not trying to fit him in her little cult, didn’t care. Well, also if she and her cult did not try anything on him, then he didn’t care. That was how he treated pretty much everyone, as long as they did not involve him into anything he didn’t want to be involved into, he was fine with just ignoring you and being ignored by you.

He didn't really mind that she was not adding anything to her explanation of the flow. He was not really sure how you could channel that into your power but religion always had a way of explaining the impossible and make you believe it. It was why he was an atheist. It was better that way. He could not believe there was some big plan for them, that someone was watching over them. With all the shit going on, how can you believe such a thing? No, they were alone and then they died and there was really nothing else to it.

He was ready to forget about her flow and the martial art attached to it but she said something that made him look her way, ignoring his squirrel for a moment. “How so?” He didn’t want to be a part of it but he didn’t particularly enjoyed being told he wouldn’t have fit in anyway. He preferred to be the one doing the rejection rather than being the one rejected.

[Demi Smith]

Demi kept ravaging the squirrel while Quinn thought, chewing more of it, getting juices most places and clearly enjoying herself quite thoroughly. At his words, however, she looked up, blinked, seemed almost confused. "Well, it's..." she began, before adjusting the squirrel. "It's just the way you---lemme show you."

Demi then stood, still holding the skewered squirrel in one hand. She took a deep breath, arms extended to their fullest (which wasn't that impressive for the short girl). She began moving them in slow patterns, as if drawing sigils in the air, breathing deep as she did, finally centering in on herself. She then brought the squirrel up, clenched it between her teeth carefully.

Then Demi rolled her arm forward, the undulating bits of rock and dust and various debris on her moving along with it, forming a near perfect wave. Demi took another breath, opening her eyes. "See? It's, like, about aligning your body and your power and stuff," she explained, her voice muffled around the squirrel. She altered again, shifting, dragging dirt with her. Soon she was weaving her hands in complex patterns in the air, forming dust spirals for several seconds before stepping back. She released the dirt and then gestured. "I don't know how that would work with your whole fire breathing thing," Demi paused, watching the dust settle. "Maybe, like, you could match your breathing and get better control with that though. Like," she gestured with the squirrel, "align your inner being and chakras and stuff so the fire flows naturally through you. You become a sort of wire for your power," she gestured, again with the squirrel, as she finished, and once again the dirt rolled around it. Demi turned to Quinn. "But I dunno :I'm not, like, a trainer or anything."

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn didn’t think about the squirrel after he asked for about the flow. It was probably going cold right now but the fire was still on so surely he could place it above the flames to warm it up again should it not be good anymore. It was not like he knew what cold squirrel tasted like. He just learned what cooked squirrel tasted like.

Demi stood up and Quinn watched in silence as she seemed to be drawing symbols in the air, only watching for her skewer to make sure he was away enough he would not be hit by it. He didn’t risk anything though, with Demi’s arm length. Nothing happened at first but he could then see the earth moving along with her movements. It was actually impressive. That girl was younger than he was but had a far better control over her power than he did.

He was still following her with his gaze as she kept making it move, squirrel in her mouth. She tried to teach him the way of her people, how they thought the kids to go with ‘the flow’ and be in perfect balance. Something to do with his breathing. She was not the first to say it. He was lost in contemplation, thinking about it. Maybe if he could do that he’d be able to expulse both the gas and acid at the same time. Generate even bigger or smaller flames. He proved he could do it now, but it was mostly a question of guessing how much gas was required.

His gaze remained fixed on a spot on the horizon as he thought of all this but he looked back at her when she said she was not sure since she was no trainer. “They should teach that here,” he just said. Maybe they were, only in a different way. To be honest, Quinn only paid attention until he learned to gain some control on his power and lost all interest afterwards, despite having much more to do.

[Demi Smith]

Demi's little demonstration and talk ended. There was a beat of silence, with Demi pulling the squirrel out of her mouth to take another bite, the skewer getting pretty close to finished at this point. She looked over at Quinn, noting his look away and stuff.

"Yeah," she said when he finally talked, nodding. She moved to sit back down. "That's what I keep telling them, but nobody listens to me."

She sat, staring into the fire, feeling that deep felt wish for someone to actually at least try to understand her again. The girl just couldn't help but feel like they weren't even trying to really give her a place. Then again, she kept insisting that she didn't want one, that she wasn't part of them. So maybe she was just doing this to herself? Ugh, it was definitely too much thought for this.

"Ugh, whatever, I don't care," she said, scuffing her foot before savaging her squirrel yet again.

[Quinn Wiley]

Watching her eat had Quinn remember his own skewer and he ate some more of it but he was nibbling at it right now, his brain occupying all of his time and attention right now. Quinn acted as though he agreed with her on the fact the staff rarely listened to what the students had to say. Yet he knew that he was given exercises that could resemble what she was doing. The whole breathing thing. Still, complaining always proved to be easier than admitting people were doing something for you.

He startled a bit when she talked again. It didn’t seem like it was meant for him or if it was, he failed to get it. He returned to his squirrel, taking more time than she was at eating it. She was an odd character. One he would be wise not to anger in the future. He didn’t think he’d follow her even if the thought of capturing that flow thing on camera was more than tempting. But he was not really good at asking people and he didn't want to take the risk she may be kicking his ass for sneaking in on her. So it would probably be something he would witness only once.

He was soon done with the squirrel, or at least everything he believed he could eat. He didn’t know what she wanted to do with the carcass but he got it out of the skewer. He then heard people and turned his head. “I think they want us to gather around or something,” he let out. To tell them to go to sleep or plan something even stupider to go along this already stupid idea of sending them into the woods. Either way, he dropped the skewer and checked around, hoping he had a bucket of water to take care of the falmes.

[Demi Smith]

Demi finished her food, and soon realized that the conversation had more or less run its course as well. She looked over to Quinn, then shifted to look as he offered his comment. Demi let out another snort, but rose to her feet all the same. She spent a few seconds stretching before watching Quinn move. It didn't take her long to figure out what he was doing.

"Yeah, I can take care of it," she said. Demi rolled her shoulders for a moment, did a little hop, then lunged forward. The dirt and rocks around the fire shifted, moving in a wave that doused the fire completely, leaving only a few last bits of smoke. Demi let out a little "tsch" before reaching down for her skewers. These she broke and tossed into the ring before looking up at Quinn.

"You're not so bad," she said, giving him a nod. Demi then raised a hand in salute before walking off, heading to get herself ready for this dumb gathering, whatever that was.