Heaven Descending and Hell Rising

Jasmine stiffened instantly, and she looked very much like a porcupine flaring out its quills. "You know Joseph?"

"That she does, dearest." A groan broke from the girl when she caught the voice. He smirked, standing over by the back door that lead to the supply room. Per usual, he was clad in a suit, tie purposely loose on him. His hair was surprisingly more cared for than normal, slicked and well kept as opposed to the borderline shaggy style he seemed to favor. "Madam Aelia has been my... employer of sorts for a while, now. Surprised?"

"Regrettably so," she muttered, but her eyes went back to the boys, and she nodded after the woman. "Go ahead and follow, Riel."

Riel stepped ever closer, latching onto Oren's small hand and squeezing it gently in his palm, eyes not leaving the strange, enchanting woman. At the thought of being able to get decent clothes, his mind teetered between joy, relief, and apprehension. What had she to gain from all of this? The boy had no intentions of moving until Oren directed him to do so, and the turmoil of his mind made such abundantly clear.

"Hey, it's okay. We're okay. Do you want to pick out some clothes?" Oren said, leaning on Riel just slightly to remind him that Oren was still here for him. Aelia saw him draw closer to Riel and put on a slight smile. She watch the two go off to pick out clothes, making sure they made it to the back supply room before returning her attention to the twins.

"Those two are adorable, don't you both think?" She asked, trying to ignore the tension between the two. She was sure that Jazz didn't know the extent of Joseph's job description, and it was probably for the best that it remain so.

In the back room, Oren was going through so much of the clothes that were back here. He couldn't believe that people hadn't bought them last year, but their loss was his and Riel's gain. He also was having a lot of fun showing different things to Riel. He could tell that he was excited to get new clothes, even if he didn't show it. Oren was a lot less reserved, as he was already down to his underwear so he could try stuff on.

Jazz's eyes drew back over to the woman, and she let herself slowly relax from the slight of pride her brother always incited. "They are."

Joseph rolled his eyes, shifting on his feet. "They're grimy. You would keep that sort of company."

Riel mostly worried about trying on clothes that Oren handed him, merely separating others out by size, stacking them as orderly as he could seem to manage without knowing how to fold.

"Oh you hush, Joseph, before I start thinking your sister has better style than you." Aelia said lightly, giving Jazz a slight glance over with her critical eye. Her clothing choice definitely didn't line up with Aelia's, but they worked with Jazz's figure. However, Aelia pictured a gorgeous dress, blue to match her hair. It would be backless and reveal her arms to accentuate all of her art. It would definitely be an interesting project.

"So tell me what brings those two delights to my store, Jazz?" Aelia inquired. She knew Joseph would not appreciate being ignored, which made Aelia take even more joy in asking.
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"No, not like that. You could wrinkle them, and that's a nightmare to fix without an iron." Oren said teasingly, coming over to Riel and his pile of clothes. He quickly folded all of the clothes that Riel had picked out and gave him a short tutorial on how he did it. Riel probably never owned clothes like this in his life, and Oren figured he would want to know how to best take care of them.

Joseph seemed to be bristling like a triggered porcupine, but Jazz's hand was over her mouth, face thoroughly flushed. "they... Ah," She let a giggle escape, masking it with a cough while Joseph shifted on his feet, not daring to infuriate his... Employer. "They wanted to see if they could get clothes somewhere. I don't they have terribly much more than the clothes on their backs. Admins say the little one has an instrument, but Riel has mostly coin and a notebook of some kind. I don't much take the kid for a writer." Her eyes drifted idly to the backroom, and she shifted a bit. They had no reason to cause problems, and between herself and Joseph, they would surely stop them, but responsibility was still responsibility.
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Riel offered him a slight smile from beneath the hood, nodding along and folding as instructed. It wasn't perfect by any means, but he still did what he could. The connection between the two subdued him --- though he had no reason to argue, instruction was uncommon for him and just, generally, made him uncomfortable. The weapon looked from his pile to Oren's, stepping a way after a time and rummaging through vests. Do you trust her, Oren?

Oren didn't say anything at first. He wasn't exactly sure if trust was the right word for her. After a few moments of thinking, he replied, She knows about me just by how I look and act, Riel. I don't think she is human either. I don't necessarily trust her, but I do understand her. I also think it is better to have her like us than dislike us He hoped his explanation made since. It barely made since to himself, but it was the best he could offer.

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"Oh, the poor dears. This world just isn't fair sometimes, and Joseph, my darling, no bristling. You are much too pretty for face pinching. Now, if you'll both excuse me, allow me to make sure they get the proper amount of clothes." Aelia said, walking off to the supply room. Inside, she found both the boys in varying states of undress. She liked slim, but they clearly had not been eating enough. "You all have picked out quite a treasure trove. I do hope you will enjoy them." Aelia said smoothly, not allowing them to hear too much concern. She couldn't allow her entire image to unravel.

You're positive that she knows? Riel answered back, pulling his pants back on as he thought. That's not something you just.. See. He turned when she entered, naturally placing himself between her and Oren once more. "Oren loves beauty and I have my... Interests." His eyes flashed to the pile he had accumulated. "Where is Jasmine?"

Out front, Jazz had diverted her attention away from her sibling completely, looking around the store idly. Joseph had moved around to the counter, watching the cameras as people came and went, muttering under his breath all the while and being careful not to touch the tech or metal.

My intstincts tell me that she is much more dangerous and intelligent than she lets on. I have a lurking suspicion of what she may be. Oren thought back, the image of teeth and blood flickering briefly through his mind. She wouldn't be the first Nightwalker he had met. In fact, he had met several of them. Vampires and Muses have a strange relationship, but it is relatively peaceful.

"Oh I left her with her brother outside. Are you both ready? I have have there bagged up in no time." Aelia informed them. With a snap of her fingers, two girls came in and proceeded to take the clothes in the piles and move them to the front of the store. Aelia motion for the boys to follow her before heading back to Jazz and Joseph. The longer they were out of Jazz's sight, the more nervous the girl would become, and Aelia did not need a scene today.

Riel's body stiffened but he did his best to retain his cool, following along carefully. The moment jasmine caught sight of them, she was right back beside them, watching and waiting. Joseph seemed to tense even more, and a curse followed after a sudden shock ricocheted off the metal frame of the glass display case. Jasmine rolled her eyes, focusing again on the boys.

"How do we... make up for this?" Riel asked. Money jingles at his hip, but he'd be more likely to afford things if he sold both his weakened kidneys.

"Don't you dare, young man, These are my gifts to you. If it makes you feel better, consider them an investment. Your success in my clothes is great advertising. Besides, you both are young. Someone has to look out for you. Here, for a rainy day." Aelia stated, leaving no room for argument. She handed Oren a card with her name and number, which he took and put in his pocket.

Oren thought is was really strange that she would be so willing to help, but she had he own reasons for doing so, and they both weren't in a position to refuse any help. Goodbyes were exchanged and they all left the store. Jazz seemed to give the guy a nice glare. Clearly they didn't get along, but that wasn't Oren's place. With clothes in tow, they made their way back to the academy.

Jasmine didn't leave their side until they were back at the dorm room, stepping aside and allowing them both to go back in. "The cameras are set up in each of the hallways, but it's against regulation to put them in your rooms. Behave, don't destroy anything, and do not make a mess." Jazz shook her head, letting it fall into her hand, mumbling about sounding like a mother.

Riel didn't say a word to her, looking about the room and avoiding the center washbasin vanity entirely. His hands were in his pockets, arms through the bags that held their things. He let his mind wander about the mental landscape of his wonderland aimlessly.

Riel? Are you ok? You seem distracted, Oren thought. He noticed that Riel never looked at the mirror in the middle of the room. Oren figured it had to do with the scars on his face. He had heard about that type of scarring, but he couldn't remember what it was called. While Oren asked, he went to his room and started to put his clothes away. There wasn't much else left to do today, but tomorrow held a lot of promise.

Riel followed along after him upon Jazz's smiling dismissal, nodding more curtly than he'd intended. Stepping away and to his own closet, he hung the clothes as best he could, moving others to the drawer. I'm fine. He answered back, a lie, mentally or otherwise, Stripping down, he began piling clothes in the plastic basket left in his closet, pulling towels off the top shelf and analyzing the map on their main door. "I think we... share showers? Is that what "communal" means? I recognize common..." His diverting was more than a little obvious, but he didn't seem to care.

You know you can't lie to me, and yes, we do share showers. Oren told him, answering the diversion as well as addressing the issue. He could feel Riel's anxiety through the Bond, and it worried him. It actually worried him more than he thought it would. He didn't know what that could mean, but he chose not to think about it right this second because he didn't want to put his own wants above Riel's. Oren knew that it had started with the mirror, and he had a lurking suspicion as to why Riel avoided it.

Riel held the towel around his middle, looking back towards Oren's door and raising a brow. We can talk later. Are you coming? It hadn't occurred to him to wear sandals, or to grab shampoo or soap, though all of these things were in shower caddies beneath the wash basin, including acne cream --- clearly, the staff was aware that their students were teenagers. His focus was elsewhere, realizing that he was making Oren worry in turn, but he didn't exactly know how to address the issue.

Later. Oren said, allowing the subject to drop for now. He needed to focus on the current issues. You're going to need shower stuff like shampoo and such. Also, you should wear some sandals so you don't get an infection. Oren told him. He hunted around while shucking his own clothes in the process. You managed to find some shower caddies with a whole assortment of goodies as well as shower sandals. This school really did think of everything. He came back with a towel over his shoulder and nothing else on. He carried both shower caddies and handed one to Riel.

The taller boy took it easily, raising a brow at him. Towel, Oren. Most people don't walk around naked. He nodded to the towel around his own hips, dropping the flip flops to the floor and sliding them on. "Infection? Have you seen what I lived in?" A shrug followed and he shook his head.

Oops! Sorry. I forget humans have issues with nudity. Oren said, blushing harshly before securing the towel around his thin waist. And yes, I have seen, and that's why I am insisting on the sandals Oren replied to Riel's second question, even though a part of him felt that it was rhetorical. With his modesty preserved, he made his way out of their dorm room and towards the showers.

Riel sighed, following after him and closing the door behind them both. His eyes traced after him idly, his mind elsewhere as he tried to keep track of everything going on around them. After a bit, he stepped closer, walking at the shorter boy's side and studying his face idly as they moved. What else do you want to get done today?

I don't really know. I kind of like having the downtime. I was always doing something in Las Vegas. It's nice to just be able to breathe and talk to someone friendly Oren admitted. He hadn't realize how much he had missed a little bit of peace and quiet. He had loved the city as a whole. It was exciting and there was always plenty of things to do. However, all of those things had been distractions, ultimately. He had done barely any writing in the city. He was hoping to get back in touch with himself during his stay here. Turning his shower on, Oren entered the spray once it had warmed and began to wash himself. Once Riel had started to do the same in another shower, they both discovered the......unique feelings of two Bonded people showering at the same time.

It was an interesting sensation, feeling as though parts of him were being cleaned without even being touched, the shared psyche of the Bond working like a caress against his skin. It was strange, though not unpleasant, and not so terribly uncomfortable that he bothered to make mention of it. Instead, he merely continued about his own actions, cleaning as thoroughly as he could without taking the shoes off or burning through the hot water that seemed to be slowly cooling. Downtime is already making me uncomfortable. He noted the words finally, shutting off the shower head and working to dry out his hair. It's too quiet.

Too quiet? Well, I think I can fix that. Oren said, putting on a smile as he dried his own hair. He didn't like that Riel was feeling uncomfortable. Oren began to hum sounds, the light vibrations enough to trigger his ability. It had used to frustrate him that he had the vocal ability to produce words, but something in his brain wouldn't translate those sounds. Now, he was thankful because it gave him a bit of magic when his violin wasn't with him. Too bad it wasn't enough to help on that night. However, Riel was the focus right now, so he sent to comforting music through the Bond. It wrapped around Riel like a warm hug, as if Oren himself was there to give it to him. Feeling better? Oren said in a sing-song voice.

He paused as though Oren was actually there, closing his eyes softly and nodding, forgetting that he couldn't see. The fearful madness at the back of his mind stilled, though it still remained, and he sighed as the calm washed over him in gentle waves. Yeah, he thought back, reaching as if for his hand before remembering and switching back drying himself off. What do... you wanna do back at the room?

I don't know. I kinda just want to relax and lay down Oren replied, wrapping the towel around him. His skin held a slight reddish tint to it, and he knew it wasn't from the hot water. The feelings the Bond had shared had been enjoyable, but hard to not notice considering how intimate they got. He blushed a but harder because his own thoughts revealed that he wanted to lay down with Riel and talk to him, but he was too embarrassed to ask. However, Riel would see what he wanted pretty clearly through the Bond.

The barest hint of a smirk revealed itself on his face, should anyone have been able to see it --- he was succeeding quite a bit at hiding himself behind what remained of his fringe. A slight chuckle echoed across their psyches, but there was a degree of approval to the sound. Outwards, he made no mention one way or the other on anything, drying himself fully and wrapping his hips once more. Not once did he turn towards the sinks, despite the irritation of soap on the gnarled skin, instead merely rubbing until he thought that it had all been cleared.