DownTown Circus [Open]

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

"Hmmm..."

Justin just watched the guy making sure he wouldn't do anything stupid. It seemed more or less he was just having some personal problems that he needed to deal with. It pissed him off the way he talked but he knew that if he wanted to avoid a fight he should just stay quiet. Another person that thought his problems were bigger than others. He wasn't the only one with problems it was just obvious he dealt with it in a different way. Looking back to the girl she told him what she was out for and seemed a bit embarrassed about it. He didn't understand why cause he took vitamins every morning to. Not like he needed them but if she had to bleed to use her power it kind of made sense.

"We can go get you some then. It's not far."

Hearing something hit the ground he turned around to see that the other guy dropped something. Walking over to it he picked it up off the ground to see it was special vitamins from the school. He didn't know if this was accident or on purpose but it seemed like this guy was just another version of him who wasn't brought up by a demonic woman like his mother that kept him in line around certain people. Either way the guy wasn't all bad but his attitude was certainly annoying. Turning around to the girl he held them out knowing it was all up to her cause these were meant for her.

"That guy dropped these. I think he was giving them to you. I guess you can use them or return them it's up to you. They were meant for you after all. I could still take you to get some of your own."

Justin looked at his jacket and was so annoyed that it was torn open and now he would have to get a new one. It wasn't easy getting these jackets. Letting out a sigh he just loosened his collar of his jacket a bit and looked around. The dog took off far from here so it looked like it was happy enough for now. This night really wasn't that bad but he really didn't want to deal with some things right now.

"Why is nothing simple....."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

She blinked in surprise, she hadn't expected him to react that way. All she wanted was for everyone to be okay, not just on the outside, but inside too. Yet Rayne couldn't help but feel bad for him. Something wasn't right about his anger. It was as if he was trying to hide it all. In her opinion, the way he carried himself was not at all flattering. She didn't want to be praised, she just wanted the two to be friendly, especially around her. Fights always brought back bad memories she preferred to bury in the back of her mind.

She didn't utter a word, it was as if all the air was knocked out of her and she couldn't find the right words, or any words at all. She felt the familiar lump in her throat as Alex turned. In truth, she didn't want him to leave. She just wanted to run, run in any direction. Vitamins were the least of her worries now. She pulled her cardigan tight as possible around her as she cast her head down, staring at the ground trying not to cry.

Rayne was scared, upset, angry, confused, hurting. There were so many different emotions inside her, she couldn't even think straight. She didn't want his vitamins, he needed them. She chewed on her lip, unable to understand what Justin said. Her ears were buzzing with the turmoil onside her.

She shook her head and turned, holding onto the playfully colored pole. This place was made for childhood innocence, and she felt that the three were disrupting the childlike aura of it. Her knees gave way, and her grip on it tightened, her arms holding her up, and her silence holding her together.

Releasing the pole, she nearly hit the ground, but she pushed the feeling away and grabbed the pole once more. She wasn't going to run, but she couldn't think of anything she could say.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

"...We can return these to him later."

Justin kept watching Rayne and slipped the bottle of vitamins in his pocket. It was clear this girl had some issues as well and tried not to bother other people with it. He really didn't know if he could help her at all any more but he wasn't just going to leave her. That other guy was probably gone now and he would do right and return these to him through the office in the morning. Letting out a sigh he just ran his hand through his hair and let it all fall back into place. The moon shined off the shiny white hair he had and the wind felt nice against his face. Grabbing hold of the pole gently that she held Justin looked at it remembering all his times here and looked around it. Speaking in a soft voice he hoped that maybe he could turn things back to a little more normal.

"Even though it's a bit old this park is really nice isn't it? I use to take my little sister here when she was sad. It would always make her smile....."

Justin remembered his life with his sister and it caused him to smirk slightly. He didn't really think about it much but it was one thing that always made him happy. Why he was telling this to Rayne he really didn't know. He just figured that maybe it would calm her down or something like it did him. Hearing something a bit more light than what just happened. Letting go of the pole he knelt down on the soft sand and let his hand shift through it gently.

"I'm sorry....things got out of control cause of me."

Standing up he held his normal frowning face and looked at the girl. It was rare for him to talk to other people and even more rare for him to find someone he felt okay around. She seemed to have a few issues with conflict and like most probably couldn't stomach the sight of him. He was the exact opposite of her in that thought. He likes fighting at times when it means protecting something or himself. He would of surely fought that guy Alex for doing what he did if she wasn't here. Justin was messed up and he knew it. It was best for someone like her to just stay away from him. He'll be sure to leave her alone after he got her home safe. Looking in the direction of the pharmacy he spoke once more in a soft voice and unzipped his black jacket.

"We can't just stand around here. You'll catch a cold. Lets go get you your vitamins and then we can head back to the academy. Then you won't have to deal with me any more I promise."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

She didn't want to tell him that she was scared. Just like she didn't want to tell him that she didn't want her vitamins any more. Of course, Rayne knew she needed them, but in her head she thought that she had caused enough trouble for one night. Hell, for all she knew, those men might have followed her here to try and get her blood. It wasn't too far of a stretch, at least.

She shook her head. She wanted to say something about playing here as a young girl, but she couldn't. She was always afraid that she would get bullied just like she did at public school. That thought scared Rayne, more than anything else in the world. It had left a chip on her shoulder as big as a boulder. If she was only to fear one thing in her life, that would be it, and it held her back from letting all of herself go and be who she was.

She had a light inside her, and all she needed to do was let it glow. She knew that if she wasn't so introverted, she would glow constantly, and not just a metaphorical glow. She remembered her mom say that she used to glow as a baby. At least she was like that at one point in her life.

She quickly wiped her eyes with a sleeve and turned to Justin. He wasn't anything like her, not at all. However she still felt like he wasn't a bad guy, and that he hadn't been treated exactly right as a kid either. She sniffled once and nearly jumped into him, hugging him tightly around the waist, as she couldn't really reach his neck.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

Justin was about to wonder if she was so scared she couldn't move but that went out the door with what happened next. Instead of his eyes holding that very little bit of emotion they were filled with a lot. He still held his frown but his eyes lit up with surprise and a bit scared that it happened so fast. Rayne's arms were around his waist and he looked down all to surprised at what happened. His black coat shifted out of the way and he watched her hold close to his white shirt. Outside of his younger sister he never was hugged like this before. It was a little embarrassing in a way but for some reason he couldn't get mad. He put on a light grin and spoke in a soft voice.

"You really are something else...."

Reaching out with one of his hands he gently placed it on top of her head. Looking down at her he just wondered why she was the way she was. She seemed to be a nice girl and most likely just had a bit of a rough past. He knew what that was like but it's not like he could help it. His scars though are a bit more easy to see is all. Thanks to the bandages around his neck though they stay hidden.

"You sing a beautiful song and you gain a light like a beautiful star and then you heal people. You're like an angel....."

Justin didn't really think about what he said till he said it and now he surely was embarrassed if he wasn't before. Either way he felt like he should speak his mind about it. Some people with powers did probably feel like an outcast so it was probably for the best. He meant every word of it any way. He had no reason to lie. Scratching his head wondering just what he should do he was stumped. Realizing something though he spoke once more looking back to the truck that the guys left behind.

"You don't have to worry about what happened earlier. Those guys were just looking for a fight and wanted to fight me. I'm 100% sure those idiots weren't after you. They wouldn't be able to plan something like that out. It probably takes all three of them to get one dressed in the morning....So don't worry."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

Rayne wasn't expecting him to touch her, yet the gentle motion was welcome, and quite comforting. She held onto him, as if she was trying to keep them both from falling to pieces. She didn't exactly know if Justin was at a point of falling to pieces, but at some points tonight she felt like falling to pieces. She still couldn't find any words to say, so she just stayed like this and listened to him speak. Her lips remained in a tight line as he began talking about her abilities. It seemed like it had been a long time that somebody had spoke so kindly to her.

The tight line gave way into a shy, small smile. She was no angel, just another superhuman. Had he not seen many superhumans? No, of course he had, he went to Alexander Academy. Maybe he was just trying to make her feel better. She pulled away and looked up at him, pushing a strand of her long hair behind her ear. Soon it would be time to chop it all off again.

"I'm not a fighter, I can't fight. So everything dangerous is intimidating to me, and I'm afraid of ." She paused and looked him over for a minute, chewing on the inside of her lip. "As a matter of fact, you're intimidating too." She said with a sigh. It was true, he could kill her if he wanted to, with those odd weapons of his, nothing was truly impossible.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

"I'm intimidating?....If anything I should say the same to you....I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to. I met lots of people and many with powers. I hate them all equally most of the time. You....you're different."

Justin spoke while looking across the park and thinking how he must of seemed so dangerous. It was true that he could kill her but it was impossible for him to want to. The one thing that drove Justin was his resolve and right now after seeing her like this she was the one who was intimidating. If she wanted she could probably reach up his sleeve again grab a nail and drive it through his heart. That was his main weakness and the reason why he avoided people. She already proved once that his guard was down around her. When she cut herself he responded instantly when the guy touched him but not her. He feels to safe around her and that's cause of the sort of aura she gives off. It was a bit scary to think of and he just chuckled lightly instead.

"No...I couldn't ever hurt you....But I know what you mean. I'm just a wild dog. I have red eyes like a wild animal and fangs. I have hurt people before but I could never hurt someone like you...."

Justin looked down at Rayne and was a bit surprised how much she reminded him of those pure faces of a child he held so dear. It was a bit frustrating that he ran into someone close to his age that could work around his guard like that. If anything it just kind of made him a bit more nervous but he just hid behind his fortified stern face. Which he changed up and smiled showing off a bit of his white teeth and the slightly larger sharp teeth in the front.

"Something you should keep in mind Rayne....is that you will always be much stronger than me. I would give every last ounce of my strength to be able to save people like you can. Instead all I can do is hurt people. I wish I could be an angel....instead of a beast."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

She sighed, listening to him tell her about his dislike toward superhumans. Of course he did, it seemed like so many people did these days. What Rayne couldn't understand was why, as she didn't hate people like Justin. Sometimes she questioned it, thinking for hours on the simple subject. Was it because they were jealous? Afraid? Or perhaps they simply didn't understand people like her, as it seemed like they were afraid of what they didn't know. She could understand that, at least. Even she was afraid of the unknown.

Rayne didn't believe him when he said she was different. She looked down and pulled at the loose strings of her cardigan. The bandadge around her palm seemed so white in the darkness. She just shrugged to the comment, her mouth a thin line once more. That was the stance she took so many times, her poker face, so to speak.

When he started referring to himself as a wild dog, she really didn't know what to think. It wasn't something people compared themselves to very often. Granted, he seemed to compare unlikely pairings alot, or so it seemed. Yet when he started mentioning that he had hurt people before, somehow she believed him. No one came off with a clean slate in the end anyway. Besides, the way he carried himself suggested that he had a chip on his shoulder too.

She shifted in her stance as he looked down at her. She always felt uncomfortable when someone looked at her, sure, glances were okay, but actually looking her like he was doing made her uneasy. Rayne felt like they see past her skin and inside her, oddities and all. That was something that really made her stomach churn. He smiled, and she raised a brow, giving off an awkward, half-smile thing. She gave that look when something didn't seem exactly right, and his teeth seemed somewhat sharper than usual.

Rayne looked down at the ground and rubbed her arms. "I'm not strong, I'm just unnatural. I can die if I really had to save somebody. Be proud that you can defend yourself." She muttered, keeping her eyes focused on her shoes.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying....."

Justin spoke in a soft voice as he pulled a small leaf from her hair and let it blow away in the cold breeze. He looked back up to the moon and wondered just why it came to all of this. This girl just seemed to be so lost and it reminded him of himself. He didn't hate super power people cause of the powers they had. It was cause it was just one more thing he would have to be afraid of. The main reason why he is considered like a wild dog is not only cause of his appearance but his attitude. His fear of people and what they may do if he lets them get close.

"You have a gift...but in a way I hate to see you use it. The whole reason I started fighting was so I could protect people. Now I created something that only causes pain. The only thing running through my mind when those guys showed up....was Can I protect her and I can't let her get hurt no matter what. When I thought of you in danger something just clicked in my head."

Reaching out to the pole in front he just leaned his head against it and sighed lightly. This girl probably thought he was just a crazy freak like the rest of them. He couldn't blame her after all it's how he figured himself to be as well. His mother is the only one who sees him as something different and of course his sister. Yet he doesn't believe he is all that great any way. Now he was trying to explain himself for once and it just seemed like he was making things worse. Speaking in a soft voice he just trailed his eyes towards the grass and hoped Rayne wasn't going to be another person who feared or hated him.

"You are the first person I ever talked to outside of my mother and my younger sister. I'm not....good at this sort of thing. I guess you're the first person I'm not afraid of....I should just shut up now...."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

Rayne smiled as he pulled the leaf from her hair, even though she didn't even know one was tangled up in that long brunette mass. But she wouldn't be surprised if things got tangled up in it all the time. His expression had softened since she first stumbled upon him here at night. It was like he changes according to actions. She thought about what he might do if she cried, or tried to fight him, or other similar situations. She often thought too much, and it was evident every day in class. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember if she had any classes with him. She didn't notice much other than her schoolwork though.

Something seemed to warm inside her as he began to talk about her and his mindset earlier. It was strange, feeling like that. No one had ever stood up for her before, or admitted that they wanted to protect her and didn't like that she got hurt. She never really thought very much at what she had to do in order to help others. Although she did sometimes think about if she had the courage to sacrifice herself in order to keep someone else from dying. She pushed the thought away, it was too depressing to think about in her light mood.

Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a light squeeze. She didn't think saying thank you would be enough for what he said. In a way it made her feel safer, protected. She used her grasp on his hand to pull herself a step closer to him, smiling up at him. She thought hard for something, anything to say that could tell him how happy and warm that made her feel. Yet she couldn't, so she just held his hand, giving it another squeeze.

"No you don't. You're happy when you talk." She said in a small voice. It was true though, she could feel happiness when he spoke, moreso than when he just looked around or didn't talk at all.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

"Maybe....If I'm talking to the right person...."

Justin looked at her hands being wrapped around his and just thought it was so weird that just a moment ago he was in a fight. Normally this was around the time he would be pissed off and make his way back home. Gently grasping her hand in his he just looked down at her understanding this feeling. It's been so long since he was able to do something like this. In a way he really was glad that everything happened tonight. If it didn't maybe things between him and her would be different.

"Would you like to walk with me a bit?"

He knew that she still would probably want to get her vitamins and he actually needed to go somewhere very close to there any way. So it would probably be best if she was willing to walk with him for a bit so they could kill two birds with one stone. Looking around he saw that all the park lights were on now and it really did make the place look nice. It has been a long time since he brought his sister here. Now he was standing here with Rayne. It was almost like this place held happiness for him.

"That is if you're not to busy."

Reaching into his pocket with his free hand he pulled out a cell phone and looked it over. Checking the time he knew he didn't have to be home for some time now. Thankfully enough that gave him enough time to make sure she got home safe and nothing else bad happened. Placing the phone back in his pocket he just brushed a little bit of hair out of his face and looked back to Rayne. Examining her face more now he realized she had a very interesting appearance. She was almost like one of those delicate dolls.

"If you want we could always start heading back to the school. I don't live there but I would like to walk you home...."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

She smiled and pulled him closer. She felt the warmth inside him, and the light feeling inside her growing. He was making her feel better, happy, like she was never afraid of anything to begin with. It was a great feeling, something she could easily Learn to have around constantly. It may have sounded selfish, but it was the truth. She hardly ever got to feel so happy around all those people at Alexander High, she knew hardly any of them and she was afraid of them all. Maybe though, maybe Justin was different. Maybe she wouldn't have to be afraid of him anymore.

Feeling slightly bolder than usual, she pulled him as close to her as possible and got on her tip-toes to wrap her arms around his neck, even then she was struggling to reach, but she felt the urge to do so. "I would very much like to walk with you Justin." She replied with a smile. She wasn't really worrying about the vitamins anymore anyway. Maybe it was because of them she got to work up her courage to gain a friend. "And no, I'm not busy... I'm never busy." She added, squeezing his neck gently.

She had never had someone to ask her to walk her home. Rayne only read about it in books. Men wouldask women to walk them home so they could rest assured they made it home safe. Yet she thought that faded as time went back. Possibly some of the remnants remained around Earth, and Justin was a piece of it. "That would be nice if you." She smiled.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

Justin felt her pull him closer and what she did next was even more surprising then the first hug. Her arms became wrapped around his neck and he couldn't help but move a bit closer when she did. Lifting his arms slowly, he was hesitant at first but let them wrap around her waist gently. Justin never had an embrace like this never mind with a girl like Rayne. He just watched her and his eyes were filled with curiosity as he wondered what all this was. He never had a friend before and he never interacted with people like this. How is it that a girl he thought would be afraid of him cause of how scared she is of things be doing this. When she agreed to walk with him he just looked up across the field and back to her giving her a light nod.

"I'm glad..."

He spoke in a soft voice and took hold of one of her hands that was wrapped around his neck and freed it holding it in his. Leaning in closer to her while he did this he paused for a second looking over her. Reaching it out with his free hand he gently fixed the bandage around her hand that was hurt and stood back up without a word. He started walking and gesture for her to follow by gently pulling on her hand that he held. If she wanted him to let go all she had to do was pull back ever so gently. He was mainly holding her hand so he always knew where she was and heading towards some streets it may or may not be busy. Looking up towards the stars he started to wonder why this girl made him so nervous. It was like she fell from the sky or something.

"Did you know that every star in the sky is a wish...someones dream?"

Justin spoke in a soft voice as he looked down for the sky briefly towards Rayne and then back to the sky. He gave himself a nod and remembered everything his mother use to tell him. The more he realized it Rayne was kind of like that wish he made. If not the wish she was more than that. Someone he wasn't afraid of and someone that seemed so pure. He kept holding his serious face but his eyes were much softer as he spoke now looking up towards the sky.

"Everyone is allowed one wish or dream to come true. Then it goes up into the sky....when the star falls the wish comes true."

Looking up towards the sky a single shooting star shot across the sky and Justin stopped walking. He felt the air around him change and pick up slightly as he looked over towards Rayne. He gave off a light smirk as he looked back up towards the sky. Speaking once again he figured he should just keep telling her everything.

"I made a wish long ago....Now I know my star finally fell to me....You're that star. You even still hold a bit of a stars glow....To be able to stand here like this....with you was my dream."

It was then another star shot across the sky and he just wondered if a shower would come tonight. He never knew why he was so drawn to Rayne and it was strange that she so easily got under his defenses. She had this personality that shined through the surface that she showed. It was like the light that glowed inside of her. She had this warmth and feeling of happiness and it's hidden under fear of people thanks to cruel acts. He didn't know if he had a glow but he certainly knew that he understood her in that sense.

"I promise.....if you ever need me....all you have to do is call my name and no matter what I'll come save you. I'll protect you like tonight. You told me you didn't have the strength to protect yourself so I will give you mine."

[Rayne Ilia Golding]

All his words seemed like it wasn't even happening. The way he spoke, his smile, those unusual eyes looking up to the stars. She followed his gaze and stared up at all the little twinkling dots above her. Those made her feel so small, but they also made her heart leap with excitement. She thought that maybe there was something out there that explained everything. Sometimes Rayne looked up to the stars and questioned the universe. Naturally she didn't expect any answers, she just thought of it as a stress reliever. In a way, it was a great method of clearing her head.

She squeezed his hand and jogged up beside him, trailing behind no more. She felt the warm, light feeling inside her grow. There was just something about the odd boy that made her feel more secure than she did around others. Maybe a little more quiet too. "I'd love to be that star." She sighed dreamily. She wondered if any of her dreams were up there, but she thought it was silly. True, she was flattered by Justin's words. However she was no star.

She absentmindedly leaned against his arm as the walked, looking up at the sky at all the tiny twinkling lights, then over to Justin with his white, shiny hair. She laughed softly and stood back on her own without leaning on him and continued to walk, unaware of the gentle, dim, dull glow slowly coating her.

[Justin "LIBER" Gray]

Justin continued to walk with her at his side and he wondered just what type of world this really was. Everything was filled with so many different emotions. So many different feelings this world had to offer. Hearing her words ring through his ears he let out a light chuckle and stopped standing in the center square of the park with Rayne at his side. His earrings made a light chime in the air as he stopped and the bandages around his throat shifted slightly as rubbed the back of his neck gently. Looking towards her briefly he noticed the glow but didn't say anything. Instead he rather just kept it to himself and enjoyed it. Looking back up towards the sky yet another star shot by and Justin reached his free hand up towards the sky. Speaking in a soft voice he swiped his hand slowly across the sky.

"And through the heavens are wishes will fall back to us bringing along with them the light of our hopes and dreams..."

As the final word left his lips a cool breath of smoke followed and within the sky it looked like the whole sky was moving. A stream of stars showered across the sky and Justin put his hand back in his pocket. This was the second time he has seen a shower like this and the first time was with his mother on his tenth birthday. She said those exact words and like magic it happened. Even though all the signs were clear that it would happen again this night. Even so the words still meant just as much.

"My mother spoke those words to me....when I was younger.....she told me I was her star....I never knew what she meant till now...."

Reaching back up with his free hand he pressed it gently against the bandages around his neck and thought quietly to himself. Letting out a light sigh he just shook his head slightly and watched as the final star passed over head. Starting to walk again in a slow casual pace with Rayne he spoke again this time he looked at her as he walked. All the while he held a slight grin on his face.

"No matter what happens. To me... You're my star. Cause for once in my life I no longer feel lost in the dark. Plus I really like how nice you look when you shine."