Leo’s eyes flicker constantly between me and the clock on the wall of the room. He nods occasionally as I’m telling him the story but he doesn’t really seem all that surprised which is surprising. I got my back broken! That’s pretty big, isn’t it? When I talk about the chain reaction of people calling ‘foul’ and Leo still only gives an indifferent nod I call him out. “You’ve heard this before, haven’t you?” I ask, crossing my arms and pouting a little.
His eyebrows ascend and the corners of his mouth follow suit to make a small smirk. He raises his hands in surrender and leans backwards in the chair he’s sitting in. “You got me.” He says casually, “What gave it away? I was listening to your version of the story.”
“You didn’t laugh when I called Nia a witch with oil for hair and hellfire for eyes.”
Leo snickers lightly, “Wait, did you actually say that?”
“Nope! But if you acted like I did then I would’ve really known you weren’t listening.” I explain with a grin. “What’s actually up? Why did you come see me? I know you can’t bear to go without seeing me every day-”
He stands up, which actually concerns me. “Alright, if you’re lively enough to joke around like that we can go see the Principal.” Leo says, his eyes cold as though he’s remembering something unpleasant. “Let’s go TJ. Try not to be so...You. It might get you killed.” He says flatly, holding a hand out to me.
“My back still hurts?” I respond nervously. This Principal guy doesn’t sound like the most fun person to hang out with, and given how I was greeted this morning I don’t think me and the staff here get along that great. My protest doesn’t amount to much though, as Leo snags my wrist and pulls me out of the bed regardless.
“That’s fair.” He says indifferently, throwing me over his shoulder and starting to walk out of the room. “But, we’re on a touch of a time crunch. So, bear with it.”
“I’m going to be honest with you Leo…” I murmur as he carries me through the halls. Surprisingly, I’m not that embarrassed. Granted, nobody else is around so that may have something to do with it. “I don’t think the teachers here like me all that much. Nia definitely doesn’t, and I don’t think Thomas does either.” We arrive at the elevator and wait for it to come pick us up.
“Your point? I doubt you care what people think of you.” There's a ding as the elevator doors open and we walk in, a small smile showing up on my face again.
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” I admit with a chuckle, pushing myself off Leo’s shoulder and standing on my own two feet. “Wow!” I exclaim with a grin, stretching my back slightly and feeling it crack at least a thousand times. “I would rather be dead than walk another foot right now!” I add on, with tears of pain from the effort it takes to stand. The doors open as Leo erupts with laughter, and then he picks me up much more sincerely. This time I feel much more like a princess, and much less like a sack of potatoes. “Truly, you spoil me Leo.” I mention with my grin now directed at him.
“Don’t I?” He says quietly, a small smile on his own face when he looks down at me. His crystalline blue eyes flickering warmly for a moment before he continues on his way. This floor was weird, I’ve never been here before. He didn’t cover it in the tour of the academy. We’re walking along a pretty narrow hallway with sparse decorations of doors once ever maybe 50 feet, and just enough light sources to keep any place from being covered completely in shadow. The light almost has a green tint, and if it weren’t for the fact walking wasn’t on the table for me right now I probably wouldn’t be spending much time here.
“The uh, the Principal. What’s his Emblem?” I ask quietly, Leo’s footsteps reverberating down the hall and serving to be the only answer to my question for many more feet.
“Hate to say it, but it’s classified. Now remember what I said.” Leo responds casually, glancing around as though to make sure nobody else was here. His eyes focus on me and he says firmly, “Don’t be yourself. Please.” He was serious, and I took him seriously. Couldn’t put my finger on why, but something about the situation told me I shouldn’t be messing around. I nod firmly at him, and then he kicks open the door at the end of the long hallway, his hands full of me. He walks into the room, which is really dark. It’s incredibly hard to see, and I don’t know if we’re alone or not. Leo walks without fear though and eventually places me down on what I can only assume to be a sofa in the room. “This is TJ. Shall I take my leave?” He asks nobody I can see.
“No, Mr. White. You can stay for now. Perhaps stand by the door, so as not to distract Mr. Jones from our conversation. Turn on the lights if you wouldn’t mind as well, our young friend does not have the same night vision as those of us who have fully evolved.” Goosebumps emerge from my skin and I can instantly feel myself tense up. My hairs stand on end and my eyes grow wide, just from the voice alone. It’s not coming from a single person, or maybe it is, I can’t tell. The voice reverberated through the room and I can swear it surrounded me. There was no threat in the words but I instantly understood what Leo meant, this was not the time to screw around.
“Yes sir.” Leo responds coldly, turning the lights on in the room. The couch I’m sitting on is made of pale leather, and the walls are decorated with paintings. I see a man eating a feast by himself, the man the size of a blimp. One mural depicts a marriage, with the suitor’s eyes focused on a girl in the audience. Another has a woman screaming at nothing while pulling a knife out of a man’s chest, blood splattered all over in the painting. But what catches my eye most of all is a black chair directly in front of me. The back is facing me, and I can see the legs of the Principal hitting the ground. He appears to be wearing a black suit, his left hand hangs to the side of the chair holding a glass of crimson liquid I assume is wine. His hand is a sickly white, with fingers much longer than his palm, and nails that for some reason or another have turned black as coal.
“Jay Jeremy Jones. Your Emblem is magnesis. You were born in Aurora, Colorado circa 2005. You lived with your parents in a magic shop which burned down when you were 8 years old, during which your mother died. This woke your Emblem. Your father turned to alcohol to cope and died when you were 14, leaving you alone in his apartment. You told nobody about his death, and buried him yourself to ensure you could continue the small little life you had. Estranged from your mothers side due to her passing and your strange ability, furthermore abandoned by your father’s due to their distancing from him after his drinking, you lived making as much money as you could however you could. Tell me Mr. Jones, how much money did you make illegally gambling, and winning with your Emblem? Poker was your favorite, was it not? With those cards of yours.”
….
….
….
This wasn’t supposed to happen. “Enough to pay the apartment rent, and bury my father, sir.” I responded quietly, realizing that my voice cracked when I spoke. That hasn’t happened for a while.
The hand swirls the glass of liquid, and then brings it out of sight. I can only assume they’ve taken a drink, the silence in the room mounting. I can feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead and falling down my neck. Just when I think I’m going to go insane from the quiet the hand reappears and the Principal speaks again. “Magnificent, the mind of a child, isn’t it? You dealt with all that by yourself, you poor thing. You had so many hardships, and you worked so hard to ensure that nobody would worry about you. How long did it take you before you mastered your ability to smile instead of cry?” I open my mouth once and then close it, looking down at my lap with my heart about to explode out of my chest. “Stand up Mr. Jones.” I stood up before he finished talking, and maybe it’s because of the adrenaline, but I can’t feel the pain in my back anymore. “Look down at your feet, and walk over to me.” Again I do so without complaint, and almost without giving my body permission to do so. I see his shoes and his pants in complete clarity, if I look up just a touch I could see his face and torso, but there’s not a chance I would. “Mr. White, please wait outside.” He calls out, the sound of the door closing following his words.
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I think I’m going to throw up. I have nothing to say, I just stare at my shoes and tremble slightly as I wait for the next words of the Principal. I can hear him rise and see his legs extend upwards. “You won’t have to worry any more Jay.” He whispers gently, putting his arms around me and pulling my head into his chest, hugging me tightly and placing his head on top of my own. “You’ve done so much. You’ve worked so hard. I understand Jay, I do. We will take care of you, Jay. You don’t have to worry about your old family anymore, you’re evolved. You are special, you are unique, you have an Emblem, you’re a part of our family now. All you have to do is listen to your new father. Do you understand what I’m saying, Jay?” His voice wraps round me and tightens around my throat.
I can feel tears appear in my eyes, as I continue to stare at our shoes. “...Yes sir.” I mumble quietly, feeling myself start to shake violently.
“Good, good. I’m glad Jay, truly I am.” He continues holding me, and tightens his one handed hug, taking a sip from his drink with the other hand. “You poor thing, I’m so sorry for you. This school was not kind to you today, was it? I warned the teachers not to mess with my family anymore, yet look at what they did to your shoulder.” He frets lightly, separating from the hug and placing a hand on my shoulder. The burning sensation of this morning is repeated and my mind goes completely blank with pain as I fall to my knees. “Nia, that lovely new sister of yours...She’s such a mischievous daughter of mine. Truly, breaking your back during a sparring match?” He reaches down and his fingers wrap around my shoulder, before he brings me back to my feet. “Unbelievable. Tell me Jay, do you have anything you wish to ask of me? I feel just awful, being the only one speaking.”
……
I can’t remember what I just said. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I can guesstimate pretty well given his spindly fingers are holding out the king of spades to me. “...Thank you sir.” I murmur quietly in response, taking the card and putting it back into my deck.
“Of course Jay, anything for you. Now, unfortunately your father is very busy. I can’t continue our conversation much longer. Please pay attention to my last parting words.” He explains quietly, taking a seat once more in his chair. “I hope you will behave yourself Jay. I expect great things from you, you are my child after all. You're an evolved Jay. Remember to listen to your dad. You’re special...My final question for you today Jay. If you had to say, which of the seven deadly sins are you?”
“...Envy, sir.”
“Really? What an interesting choice…” He murmurs quietly, crossing his legs and raising his glass to his lips. His lips!? My eyes unconsciously followed the glass of wine as he raised it, and I’m able to se-“Ah Ah Ah.” He says lightly, his other hand pushing my head back down to the floor. My heart collapsing and my lungs burning, my brain going into overdrive to think of anything to do in the situation. “I didn’t say look up, Jay. Mr. White will be waiting for you outside my office. You may go.”
“Yes sir.” I turn and begin heading towards the door, each step taking me a century to traverse.
“Jay, please, the formalities are unnecessary. You’re my child.” His thick voice seeps towards me from behind, thickening around my body and making progression towards the door nearly impossible.
“....Understood.”
“Understood who?”
“Understood, Dad.” I murmur quietly, the words coming out of my mouth without weight to them. I barely register the rest of the walk to the door, and when I open it Leo’s standing next to the door. He reaches over and shuts it behind me gently, and as if that’s a signal I turn to him. My face feels hot and I’m sweating through my eyes, my fists clenched, each breath is really hard and I can hear the blood rushing around my head.
“Hey..” Leo murmurs lightly, his blue eyes gentle as he puts a hand on my good shoulder and raises his other to his lips. “Cry, collapse, complain, shout, but not now. In a second, ok?”
His words barely register, and I give a shaky nod while each breath I take becomes louder than the last. He takes me by the hand and basically drags me to the elevator we came in.
The door opens, and Leo takes me inside, his finger still over his lips. My eyes are focused entirely on that hand, my body on the verge of collapse with just my focus on his hand keeping me upright. The doors finally shut, and Leo drops his hand.
With that hand drop my entire guard drops as well, my body falling towards the ground. Leo reaches down and grabs me lightly, pulling me into a hug, resting his chin on my head.
“Hey, TJ, you’re ok. It’s ok, I’m right here, you’re fine, nobody’s gonna hurt you. You’re strong, you’re going to get through this alright? Just let it all out right now, let it out, it's ok.” Why’s he consoling me like that? What is he talking about?
Ohh..Yeah...I’m sobbing into his shoulder. I’m totally incoherent aren’t I? I can’t really...stop it though. It’s just spilling out, like I’m a cup filled with too much for me to handle. He heard everything didn’t he? That I gambled with my Emblem. That I buried my Dad alone so nobody would worry about me. That I’m a psychopath.
“No you’re not. You’re great TJ. Honestly, you’re way more admirable than me at least.” He separates from me slightly, giving me a smile while his hands rest on his shoulders. “You’re so strong, you have so much going for you. You’re going to do great things TJ. Take things one day at a time man, alright? Your past doesn’t define you, your actions do. Your intentions do. The future isn’t worth the trouble to speculate on.”
The doors ding open, and Leo gently pushes me forwards. His hands are still resting on my shoulders, and I can’t focus on anything except my feet as I move forwards. Before I know it I’m at my room, and then in my bed, Leo sitting at the foot of it. He looks at the wall casually, looking cool. He’s not annoyed, he doesn’t seem stressed out, he seems...Content.
“...What should I do Leo?” I murmur quietly, my voice hoarse.
He makes a face, raising his eyebrows and shrugging. “I couldn’t say. You’re unique, how could I tell you what to do?”
“What would you do then, Leo?”
“I don’t think that’s the question you should be asking.” He murmurs lightly, leaning back until he rests against the wall. He looks up lazily at the ceiling and waits for me to talk again. Not the right question..? I’m unique, so he can’t say? Me...Me, and my unique Emblem.
“Did you know the person who had my Emblem before me?”
Leo smirks and turns to me, a glitter in his eyes, “Now you’re on the right track.” He starts quietly, coughing slightly and getting louder. “Yeah. Yeah I did. Mavis.” He looks wistfully at my eyes for a moment, which is weird but I’m too enamored to pay that any attention. “She was my uh..She was my teacher actually. Well, she was in charge of me and a few others when we were really young.”
“What was she like?” I’m fascinated actually. I’m so fascinated I don’t even care that my last life was a girl.
“She was like you in some ways, vastly different in others. She was nice, and didn’t really fit in as an Evolved. At the same time though she was...Human. She had a certain charisma about herself that just drew people in and made them like her. Smiled all the time. Never let people know when she was sad or going through anything. She could understand where most people were coming from, but I remember she got along exceptionally poorly with the Principal. Kinda threw the place in upheaval when she ran away, but because she did we got you TJ.”
“Why did she run away?”
“Why indeed.” Leo mutters quietly, closing his eyes. “You got your Emblem book, you can probably figure out more than I can.”
“Was she strong?”
“Ha!” Leo laughs and pushes himself off the wall, standing up and smiling at me. “There are usually 20 people in a year, 12 of which would become a support and 8 of which are Evolved. Your year, the year she ran away, has 74 students, a record. Currently 27 evolved.”
“Woah...So she killed like, 50 people when she ran away?”
Leo shakes his head, “Nah, she killed way more than that. 50 of them had Emblems though, the other 80,000 were members of the USEF military.”
“WHAT!?” I jump up out of my bed with my jaw hitting the floor, my eyes wide. “T-T-THAT’S LIKE A NATIONAL TRAGEDY! I would’ve learned about that in school!”
“There are a lot of things you’ll learn here you wouldn't learn in public school TJ. Now go to sleep. You're going to be going through hell for a while."
“Wait wait wait! One last question.” Leo stops and raises an eyebrow, heading to the door and leaning against it while crossing his arms. “What would she do in my situation?”
“Run. But that didn’t go so well for her given you’re here, did it? Night TJ.” He says with a smirk, before heading out of the room.
“Oh...Yeah.” The door is shut but I can’t quite take my eyes off of it. I reach out and turn the lights off, leaning back in my bed while staring at the ceiling. “She didn’t have you though...Or Mercury. Or my deck of cards…” I pull my cards out and twirl the queen of hearts in the air. “Right Mom?” I murmur quietly, closing my eyes and holding the cards against my chest. “Right Dad?”