No Longer Invisible [open!]

[Shadow Angel]

Seth wandered absentmindedly along the shore, staring at the ground. The slight sea breeze ruffled his feathers and his hair, and caressed the sunkissed skin of his bare chest. Occasionally he would pick up a shell or a pebble, stare at it for a moment, and put it back down, gently, on the sand, as if afraid to break it.

After a time, he stopped, and stared out at the ocean. The sun was beginning to set. His favorite time of day. The golden light bathed him in a warm glow... he felt at peace.

He knew, listening to the few, wispy thoughts of the other people on the beach, that they were paying no more attention to him than a passing glance. As it should be. He was in no mood to talk. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the old couple, Kedija and Falam, standing hand in hand, staring out at the sunset. He never had to use his talent on them. They respected his privacy always, and never asked uncomfortable questions. As if they somehow knew that he was... breakable...

He closed his eyes...

[Zero]

What a long day it had been! Rajko had been up well before sunrise as they made port in Ainu, just in time for a small festival. There had been so much to do on the ship, but then he'd slipped away as soon as chores were done to enjoy everything the islands had to offer.

His first stop had of course been to an old woman's yurt that had a special fondness for him. She'd stuffed him full of local delicacies before insisting on putting him in proper attire. He actually liked the sarong. Outsider clothes were stifling in this climate, and were annoying to accommodate his wings around.

After that his day had been full of surfing, fishing, and wrestling with some of the local men that he had come to know through the years. They were his friends - Rajko had a lot of friends here. Certainly more than in the ports in Serendipity where the people were much less colorful and vibrant.

Now with the fading day he found himself enjoying a relaxing walk along a slightly more remote beach than the ones he usually spent his days ashore on. His black and violet wings stretched lazily once before folding behind him again. There were some people here, but not as many as he was used to. There was a couple holding hands as they watched the sunset, which was very sweet.

There were a few other walkers, but he noticed one young man sitting alone. Nobody else seemed to even notice him, and Rajko had never in his twenty years of visiting seen him. He'd have remembered a boy with the same coloring as him! How strange to find a stranger in this place where everyone knew everyone else!

Without a second though, he strolled right up and dropped down in front of Seth with a grin. "You're the same colors!"

[Shadow Angel]

Seth jumped, startled, his eyes flying wide open, his heart pumping twice as fast as just a moment before. He stared into the friendly eyes of the young man before him, momentarily speechless as adrenaline rushed through his body.

He sees me. He's aware of me. And I didn't sense his presence! What on Earth is going on?

"Uh, hello," he stuttered. "I... I didn't... hear you, walking up... you startled me." He took a deep breath, steadying himself, in response to his new companion's look of concern.

Control yourself. Just because you can't manipulate his awareness doesn't mean you're powerless. If he's a threat you can just make the others on the beach think you're a child being attacked and they'll come running. You're perfectly safe. Calm down...

Seth remembers what this boy just said, and prepares himself to reply. He turns up the sides of his mouth, and wrinkles his eyes slightly, but looks slightly downward, mimicking a smile of embarrassment to put his companion at ease and cover up his previous loss of control.

"Umm, yes, we are the same colors I guess, but I'm paler than you... which is weird because I'm out in the sun most of the time."

[Zero]

Wow, poor guy was jumpier than a jackrabbit! Rajko hadn't meant to startle him so badly, and he tried to give a reassuring grin. He was friendly, no need for him to be all worried!

"Didn't mean to scare you, promise I don't bite. I just don't see many people I don't know and wanted to say hello because you looked kinda lonely sitting here by yourself." Without asking for permission at all, Rajko sat himself down in the sand right in front of Seth.

He cocked his head to the side with a grin. "Yeah, I spend most of my time in the sun too. Usually working on the deck, but sometimes I like to just sunbathe, or go for a nice swim if the water's good."

[Shadow Angel]

Seth's pretend smile started to become a real smile. Despite himself, he was already liking this boy. He seemed trustworthy enough - though Seth reminded himself that all the least trustworthy people are also the most adept and pretending to be the most trustworthy.

As Rajko mentioned sunbathing, Seth found himself imagining what it would look like, and realized that his gaze had migrated downward - he was staring at Rajko's abs. He blushed, and snapped his eyes back up to meet his newfound companion's, hoping that he hadn't noticed - and wishing once more that he could hear what Rajko was thinking about him.

"Um... yeah... I like swimming too... I like the feeling of... the water, rushing over my... bare skin. It feels... nice." As Seth mentioned bare skin, he blushed even further.

Get ahold of yourself Seth! What's wrong with you? Stop lusting after this boy, perhaps he is trustworthy but he is not like you - he will never be like you - nobody will EVER be like you - nobody will EVER UNDERSTAND YOU - NOBODY WILL EVER LOVE YOU - YOU ARE WORTHL-

Seth shook his head, trying to dispel the Hateful Voice. A bit loudly, he asked, "You seem to grin a lot... are you... a happy person?" He involuntarily flinched a little as he said the word "happy."

...happy boy... sweet innocent friendly happy boy... so beautiful... so DELICIOUSSS...

Seth's eyes glazed over as he listened to the Lustful Voice, her words like a numbing liquor in his brain... she was right...

SHUT UP YOU BITCH YOU WHORE YOU LIAR YOU SERPENTINE DEVIL - he's a HUMAN, we can't trust HUMANS, even - no, ESPECIALLY the INNOCENT ones -

Seth clenched his eyes shut for a moment, his breathing growing a bit erratic as he listened with growing discomfort to the screeching tirade of the Hateful Voice as she continued her neverending battle with the Lustful Voice... as always he was caught in the middle... but then the Soothing Voice cut in.

Don't worry Seth... ignore them... they mean nothing. Open your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly, and look at him... pretend nothing is wrong... pretend everything is all right... don't let him see your pain... he doesn't need to know.

As the Soothing Voice's mellifluous tones, consonant with the sounds of the rolling waves and the sea breeze, drifted into his mind, Seth breathed in, smelling the cool salt flavor of the air, and opened his eyes, hoping that his face hadn't betrayed too much of the battle going on inside... and that no one else had heard his voices.

This boy, apparently immune to psychic manipulation, had not heard, though from the look on his face he evidently had noticed Seth's varying reactions... but reaching out his mind to the people and creatures around him, Seth noticed with dismay that his power, acting without his consent, had allowed a few people and many animals to sense his roiling mood... most, thickskulled as they were, seemed only mildly perturbed... but Kedija, the old healer, was looking at him from across the beach with slightly narrowed eyes. He knew that she could hear him - how could anyone sensitive not hear, the Voices were practically shouting! - and was worried...

And he felt ashamed.

The other boy, whom by now he had completely forgotten, opened his mouth to speak, and Seth snapped his attention back to his companion.