The Fates Crossed, and Everything Changed... (Aileanna x Pauper45)

[Pauper45]

Mark Hallow closed the locker and pulled his book bag over his shoulder before heading down the hallway.  As he walked, a few people waved and told him to have a good day, and even some teachers gave him friendly looks and waves.  Mark wasn't popular or a hero or anything, but he was well-circulated and knew many people, belonging to the track team, the Science Olympiads, and the school newspaper.  He got along with every clique and social circle, and was even friendly with most of the teachers.  Though Mark had a friendly relationship with everyone and made sure to be polite with anyone, today was different.  He was indifferent to the waves and hellos and continued down the hallway like a man possessed.

It was Friday, and finally Mark had a day off from all of his responsibilities to have some free time.  Still, he had told his Aunt that he was going to be working on an article for the paper instead, a little white lie so he could go out and try something.  Mark was never, ever, EVER one to lie to any authority figure in his life, let alone his Aunt, but he needed this time alone without anyone asking about him.  He needed to try and test it out again, to see if he could do it again.

Mark took a bus for forty-five minutes out of the clean and well-bred suburbs of Wilshire into the actual Titon City, making sure that there was no way he would run into anyone he knew, finally stopping when he was near a slightly seedier area of town.  Getting off, Mark walked south for a few miles until he came to the old abandoned train yard.  Mark had come here once before as a part of a recycling initiative he'd done with some friends, and remembered that this old abandoned place was generally barren and unattended, especially in the evenings and nights.  Though there would be the occasional homeless person coming there, it was generally not a favorite spot, not having any sources of heat or blankets.

It would be perfect.  Taking a bunch of rags and dumping them into a metal barrel, Mark then poured some ethanol into the barrel he had bought from a science lab supply store and lit it on fire.  Creating an effective heat source, Mark began.

"Alright, let's see if I can do this," Mark said to himself, holding out his hands to try and freeze the garbage can or even put out the fire.

[Aileanna]

(Do we want them to attend the same school?)

Friday, the day that signified the coming of the weekend, also known as freedom for most teenagers. It was what every one looked forward to, and Aeryn Wright was no exception. In fact, she didn't want to wait through the ridiculous droning of Mr. Sheff's history lectures or Mrs. Adams' continuous glare of hatred that was always seemingly directed towards Aeryn for the weekend. No, in fact she meant not to. Instead of walking to school like every other mindless-pride-of-their-parents-puppet, Aeryn pulled the black hood of her jacket over her bright, crimson hair and took a wrong turn. And then another, and another, until she was altogether lost. She liked it that way.

Being lost in the city, while unappealing to most everyday citizens, was enthralling to her. It didn't mean she couldn't find her way home when she wanted to, but merely that she had made the conscious choice not to try. Her parents wouldn't worry too much; they were much to wrapped up in their work, slaves to their companies and their constant need to "provide." She wasn't too bitter about it, though she once had been, she now was numb to the divide between her and her parents.

Slipping her fingers into her jacket pocket she produced a cigarette. She didn't have a habit for the things, but she did find pleasure in the overall appearance it gave to a person, besides, she had other reasons for smoking. Rolling the thin cylinder between her fingers, a small grin made a faint impression upon her lips. She stopped near an alley, resting her back against the cold bricks for a moment as she diverted all of her attention to the cigarette.

Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, she focused on the tip. Within moments, it ignited. It didn't completely combust, as it had in her other attempts; instead, it seemed she had finally mastered it, almost as if she had lifted a lighter to the end. She smiled slightly as she lifted the cigarette to her lips, apathetically aware of the sounds coming from the alley behind her.

[Pauper45]

(OOC: I figured yes.  That way they can interact and see more of each other, and realize that if it wasn't for all of that's about to happen, they would have never noticed each other.  Create a better dichotomy between them.  :))

Mark tried to focus on the fire, imagining it going out or getting wet or becoming cold, but nothing seemed to work.  He had noticed twice before this attempt.  Once when it froze a hot coffee he'd been drinking during a study session with some friends which caused him to promptly panic and run out, giving some lame excuse about feeling tired.  The time before that was when Mark caught a shirt on fire ironing it, and in his fear of burning the house down, the room went cold and the fire was out, as well as the temperature dropping 40 degrees.  Strangely, when he lowered the temperature in the room, he had noticed the physical evidence but couldn't actually feel the cold itself and that's when Mark began to toy with the idea that he might have some sort of super powers...

Somehow though, Mark couldn't get them to work again as he stared at the flaming barrel, realizing that if anyone were to come and visit him right now, they would most likely think he was some kind of hooligan using fireworks for fun, or worse, just a pyromaniac nut-job.  Still, as Mark stood there with his hands out, focused on the fire, nothing was going to stop him from trying to activate these powers or whatever they were.  When he realized that he was the cause of these strange happenings around him, besides feeling terrified and curious, Mark felt... special.

All his life Mark had tried to stand out, and his entire life he had faced nothing but failure.  Having this gift was the first time he thought it might be possible to be more than just some preppy kid with a fashion problem.  He needed this to work.

And somehow at that moment the entire plummeted in temperature, and ice covered the barrel that was previously on fire.  The ice didn't stop growing however and began to cover the entire area, condensation from the air seeming to gather together and become colder all in the same moment to create sheets of ice covering the ground, the barrel and even a few impounded cars.  It wasn't until Mark lowered his hands to look at them did he see that he was now standing in a practical ice rink with crazy metal sculptures, cracking from the brittle cold.  Mark could feel that the humidity had lowered and the air was drier, proving his theory that the ice he created came from the moisture in the air itself.  He wanted to think about it more, come up with some more theories, but at the moment-

"Yahoo!  Yes, yes, yes!!!!  GOD YES!!!" Mark shouted to the sky, slipping a little on the ice as he ran and jumped around, forgetting for a moment that he was in public.

[Aileanna]

((Okeedokee! (: ))

Aeryn continued to toy with the cigarette, her smile ever-growing as she would focus more on the end of it, making the paper burn faster. Of course, her pleasure came from this new found power-- the cigarette's nicotine held no allure for her. Now reduced to a stub, she pulled it away from her mouth, quenching the flames and then igniting it further until she could no longer hold it without burning herself.

Flicking the bud away, a small bit of regret fell over her, wishing she had taken her time at toying with the device. Now she was left with nothing to practice on. With a small sigh her head slumped down, eyes blankly glaring at the sidewalk--and trash-- below her.

She had stumbled upon this "power" a few weeks before. Stuck, as always, in Mrs. Adams' English class, Aeryn had been writing a meaningless paper over Shakespeare, something she could do in her sleep. Of course, for the fun of torturing her teacher, she had been taking her sweet time at writing the in-class paper, finding it absurd that even as a senior she was stuck learning about Shakespeare. Mrs. Adams continued to hover around her, convinced that she was completely unable to write the paper without cheating off of the dumb jock to her left or stereotypical club-captain-queen to her right, making Aeryn's temper skyrocket. Glaring far too hard at her paper, it burst into flames, taking the desk and Aeryn's sleeves along with it (her skin was, miraculously, unharmed).

Mrs. Adams had her suspended for a week and a half the next day, claiming she had attempted arson.

Ever since then she had been trying to hone it. Figure it out. It wasn't until today that she had actually been successful.

She wouldn't admit it, but she had quite a lot of anger to feed off of. It was the spark that lighted each flame she made, and even though, to most people, the source of her anger wasn't any huge tragedy, it was still enough for her, though no one would ever know it; her wall of apathy hid her anger from the world, and sometimes even herself.

Focusing on her anger more than she was aware, Aeryn's eyes were now glaring at a small pile of trash just in front of her. Idiotic city, she thought, keeping trash just lying in the streets. They don't even care about it's impact to the environment... Or even to the overall appeal of their city. Within moments, the trash combusted. Caught off guard, she was unable to work at calming herself down. Mind racing, she tried focusing on quenching the fire, but it only grew stronger, consuming the trash around it as well until it was nearly as tall as her waist. Oddly enough, she did not feel the heat of it. Not even when the flames gingerly licked her sleeves did they leave a mark on her skin.

In a panic, she turned around the corner into the alley, hoping to find some source of water to extinguish the flames. She was unaware of the ice until her foot made contact, sending her sliding  further into the alley as she slipped, colliding into an unknown figure. "What. The. HELL?"

[Pauper45]

Now that Mark had fully mastered the ability to create ice, he began to focus his mind and hands on the ice, hopefully dissolving it into water or making it disappear all together.  Instead though, nothing seemed to be happening, and as Mark looked closer, it was in fact simply making the ice grow and extend over a larger surface.  Mark was taken aback for a second, looking at his hands like they had done something strange before pointing them again.  The more he focused on trying to make the ice go away, the more it just continued to grow, thus proving that either Mark still had poor control over this power, or more likely, his powers couldn't work in reverse.  The latter seemed more true because as the ice around Mark grew, it seemed to go at a slower pace than it had before, creeping along in a slow and lazy flow.

Mark had figured out that focus could now incite his powers, but really the trigger here was anger.  Uncontrolled anger is what released the power more than anything, or maybe more accurately, intense emotions.  When Mark had first used his powers, he was scared of getting burned and afraid of his Aunt getting mad at him, and his powers violently activated, covering his bedroom in ice.  It took hours to thaw and dry, and some of his stuff, especially metal belongings, were ruined permanently.  The second time, he had been focusing hard on a Calculus problem, freezing his soda in it's glass solid.  At the time though, Mark hadn't been feeling particularly strong about anything.  This proved that emotion and control were both ways of using the power, though with different results.

Mark's thoughts were interrupted however as he was hit in the legs by a moving object that he soon realized was a person.  Falling down on top of her, Mark pushed himself up only to slip on the ice and slam his body into hers again.  He groaned in pain as the girl swore, pushing himself off of her with better, more careful torque this time, his upper body now hovering over hers as he got a better look at his assailant.

A dark colored hoodie over bright, obviously dyed hair, and a pair of baggy cargo pants confused Mark for a moment as he thought that it might be a guy, but seeing a better profile of her face and the stud in her lip along with her long, shoulder-length hair, assured Mark that it was a girl.  A very goth girl, the type that Mark usually avoided and poked fun at with his friends, but as he was on top of her, he had to admit that her body was very attractive along with her face.  He quickly ignored those thoughts though and pushed away from her, sitting down a few feet on the ice, while scooting in the opposite direction of her.

"Hey, look, I don't know who you are but I don't have any money or anything, so you attacked me for nothing, okay?  So just leave me alone," Mark said with an attitude but at the same time with a little fear.

[Aileanna]

She didn't have time to be crushed by whatever idiot she had slid into! Somehow she could feel the fire in the street was growing in mass, and she had to put it out before someone got injured. Her hands fumbled slightly as she helped him off of her with a shove. It wasn't until then that she actually caught sight of her victim, acknowledging such with a scoff, and quickly began to scramble to her feet. He was a "role model student" at the city school, no doubt. It was obvious he had wealth, seeming as he looked completely out of place; his polo clashed with the interior decor' of the alley, that was for sure.  Remembering she had no time to waste on this pathetic puppet she continued to try to stand.

It was tough; it seemed as if every time she touched the ice it began to melt at her touch. Growing even angrier at this and the whole situation she became acutely aware that the fire in the street had now found the entrance to the alley. "I don't have time for this!" She exclaimed, scooting over to the wall and gingerly standing up just before the boy spoke.

His words were no different than what she expected on a day to day basis. Aeryn was all too accustomed to the dirty looks, sneers, and even fear that accompanied her choice of attire; little known indie band tees, black cargos, and multiple piercings usually didn't give off a look of sophistication. Still, her temper grew at the words, ever so slightly, and her eyes narrowed as she focused on the boy. "Listen, Cupcake, I'd love to stay and chat, have a cup of tea, discuss this strange weather we're having, but I've really gotta dash. You see, there's a blazing fire out in the street, and it's my duty as an upstanding citizen of this country to put it out. Patriotism and all that jazz." Her tone was incredibly sarcastic as she looked down upon him, both literally and figuratively. "So if you'll just run along home to Mummy and Daddy and get outta my hair, I'll spare your Gucci wallet." She had no intentions of stealing from him, but her sarcasm didn't allow her to just walk away from him without playing with his head.

Her eyes now darted around the frozen alley, searching for anything that might stop what she unfortunately started. Anything that seemed to be of use, however, like a water spicket just to her right, was frozen. What in the world was up with this strange anomaly anyways!?

[Pauper45]

Mark couldn't help but feel insulted as the girl got up slowly and listed a series of stereotypes about him being some sort of rich preppy boy.  As he looked at her, her clothing, and even her hair, Mark thought for a moment that he might have recognized her, might have had a chemistry class with her or something, but he couldn't be sure.  The way she acted, Mark figured there was little chance though that they had ever interacted before and most likely she was a delinquent who Mark didn't care to know, or his Aunt might tear him a new one.

As she slowly stood up though, Mark noticed a small amount of steam around her and when he looked at the ice, it seemed to be melting at her touch.  The slightest touch.  It was true that people had a natural body heat that could melt ice, but the way she was surrounding herself practically with pools of water... Mark suddenly theorized...

"Wai-wait a minute!  Arsonist!  Arsonist running away!" he shouted, realizing that this girl was the cause of this fire that had apparently gotten out of control and was following the girl somehow.  Though Mark didn't have any real upper body strength, he was an athlete, and he was fast from track, so he rushed the girl and put her in a body lock, grabbing her from behind by the armpits.

As Mark grabbed onto the girl though, he didn't realize that the fire was quickly growing, turning the ice into puddles, which is why he was able to grab her without slipping, and it was fast approaching.  Still, somehow without his willing it to, the power inside of him activated to protect him and he began to freeze, putting out the fire at a rapid rate, but simultaneously freezing the girl as well, her hoodie being covered with ice chunks from the sleeves down.

[Aileanna]

Arsonist?! Aeryn's temper skyrocketed as she wheeled around to glare at the boy. However, within seconds her arms were locked behind her head as the idiot attempted to hold her still at "the scene of her crime." The fire began to feed off of the intensity of her anger, growing larger just before it began to slow because of his presence. At the same time Aeryn's skin heated, combatting the icy chill that this idiot was producing.

"If you don't get your hands off of me, you ass, I will SHOW you intentional arson!" She yelled, her passive nature gone as she kicked back at him, attempting to throw off his grasp just enough to slip out of it. It didn't help that he was so much taller than she, let alone stronger. Resilient, she continued to thrash, and within minutes she had done so just enough to slip away and whirl around to face him.

Aeryn's face nearly matched the color of her unnaturally bright locks-- now exposed as the idiot had knocked off her hood. The ice that had previously formed on her hoodie was now gone, already melted by her intense body heat. She glared angrily, hands clenched in ready fists. Had he not finished killing her fire, it surely would've devoured the whole city had it been able to feed off the intensity of her current hatred. "I'm not about to get into it with you, Ice Boy, so just back the hell up and run on home." Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, her heartbeat rapid as she continued to look at the guy.

He was lucky that she hadn't set him on fire just yet. 

[Pauper45]

Mark smiled to himself foolishly as he "restrained the criminal" for her arsonist and possibly battery crimes.  This feeling of accomplishment soon went away though as he now noticed that his arms were starting to feel wet, his sleeves being covered with ice that was slowly encroaching over the girl's neck and head.  The girl's hoodie was covered at the moment and seemingly nothing else, but if it continued it wouldn't be long before it might do some real damage, maybe cover her mouth and suffocate her.

She pulled out of his grasp though and when she whipped around to stare daggers at Mark, he noticed that in no time at all, the ice had melted and soaked her hoodie.  Her face and hair now more clearly visible, Mark could see that this girl was actually more attractive than he might have remembered, and blushed to himself for a moment as he forgot the scientific reasons for why her hair was not wet.

"Wha- what are... Ice Boy? I-I'm not," Mark scrambled as he tried to think of some sort of lie or explanation as to why there was so much ice around, when he turned around and saw that the alleys were covered in ice and yet covered in ash, soot and burns at the same time.

Then it clicked.

"Wait a minute... how are you... you caused that fire... and you all wet..." Mark said slowly, knowingly beginning to smile as he realized what was happening here.

[Aileanna]

((Hey look! We're both accepted! *confetti*  I have to apologize; I just now realized I completely changed the setting you had initially written about. That darn alley must have really been stuck in my head!))

A small shiver shook Aeryn only for a brief moment before her body heat intensified, her hoodie slowly being forced to dry in accordance. It really was rather handy, this inner heating unit she possessed. Winter never was a problem for her, in fact, she only wore pants and a hoodie because they were comfortable clothes, and to keep her from looking like a fool. Summer, however, was slightly unbearable. While Wilshire's summers were never the warmest in the country, temperatures above eighty made Aeryn absolutely melt, even in the tiniest of shorts and tanks she could find.

Heck! Had it been socially acceptable, she might have just ran around naked. After all, she was surprisingly comfortable in her own body.

Her glare softened ever so slightly as she caught his minute reaction to her unveiling. Boys were so predictable sometimes, always driven by their hormones. As he began stumbling over his words, she became distracted with the thought of him. It would be a blatant lie to call him anything less than attractive. He held himself with a certain confidence, and if there was anything that attracted Aeryn most, it was someone who possessed self-confidence.

"All wet?" She asked, arching one eyebrow curiously as she was dragged back to the conversation at hand. Reaching up, she unzipped her hoodie, slipping out of it and revealing a form-fitting black camisole, a small ribbon of her stomach now visible. She tossed the hoodie to him, her lips now curling in a smirk, "I haven't a clue what you mean. I'm perfectly dry and so is it." She obviously was eluding the more important implication, but that was a part of her game. It was obvious that these two shared more in common than one could surmise at first glance.

Without another word she turned and began to walk out of the alleyway and into the street. She didn't much care if he followed or not, though she had a sneaky suspicion that he would.