Sticks and Stones

[Dominic Rowe]

Dominic was holding a rock which was little bit smaller than a baseball in one hand and a stick in the other, he was very bored. He put the rock down on the ground, phased with the stick in his hand and then put the stick inside the rock, he let it go and unhpased. He picked up the rock with a stick stuck in it and looked at it, shaking his head a little, he wondered how effective he could be when it came to fixing or building things, maybe he could make a living that way if he needed money in the future.

He phased the stick out again and both stick and rock was fine, he didn’t fully understand how it worked but it must have been DNA related or something sciency he didn’t care about at all, he knew better than to test this with his own body though, he didn’t want to get stuck in anything, the teachers here seemed to think it could really hurt him or even kill him if he wasn’t careful so no testing that.

He put the stick back in “rockstick..” He muttered, then he shrugged and dropped it, as he turned around he realize that somebody had been watching, he blushed slightly, he didn’t know how much people played around with their powers and this probably made him look pretty lame “Oh hey, uh, I’m just practicing.”

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

That watcher happened to be Poppy Belmont. Another newer student, though she's already made an acquaintance or two already. She smiled at him with a shrug. "Oh, it's cool. It's just interesting watching people with their powers." She beamed walking up to him. "People play around with their powers all the time here. It's... sort of how they learn to control it, I guess. Some teachers even encourage using powers out of class, granted it's done in a safe manner." Poppy shrugged again, stopping a short distance from him. It wasn't as close as people would normally stand in conversation, but it wasn't so far back that it'd be considered rude. "Hi, I'm Poppy. Poppy Belmont." She gave a curtsy rather than extending her hand.

[Dominic Rowe]

He looked at the girl who had been watching and gave her a friendly smile, she just seemed curious it seemed, also he guessed she was a little younger, her attitude and friendly interest did make him feel a bit calmer and more confident “Yeah, I just want to get better at this and figure out exactly how it works, it’s still pretty new for me.”

“I don’t really know how it works when things get stuck in other things, I just know I shouldn’t let myself or other people get stuck in things or get things stuck in them, the teacher I spoke to seem to think it would most likely hurt and in worst case even kill, so not testing it” He shuddered at the thoughts of the harmful potentials his powers really had.

“I’m Dominic Rowe, nice to meet you” Poppy was a pretty interesting name, not one he had heard before. He stepped closer and reached out his hand for her to shake. “Belmont? Bellefonte? Related or coincidence?” He asked curiously.

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

Poppy bobbed her head as she listened to the other reply to her. "It's fine, I wouldn't test that either." She shrugged. "Uh.. I... touching... not good with..." She muttered when he had extended his hand. "Sorry... touching and I don't mix..." She took a small step back and looked away awkwardly. "Please don't think I'm being rude! Because I'm not!" She looked back at Dominic intensely. "And coincidence. I haven't met them yet." She responded.

She stood in silence just staring at the rockstick. Usually she'd be all hyper and energetic, but lately with every new person she met, her attitude would change to match the other person. She thought that was odd, considering her sister was the emotion-sensing one, maybe it was just a twin thing? Like some of her sisters senses came through her? Then again, some people tend to mood-match in general without any weird magic-y weird stuff.

"I'm sorry." She said after a minute or two. "I'm not usually this... awkwardly intense? I mean... I'm intense, but not.. awkward about it?" She shrugged. "Physical contact and I don't mix well. But I'm not usually so... eh about it?" She didn't know how to explain it in words, she was usually jovial and intense without a hint of awkwardness, but today just seemed to be... well, an off day.

[Dominic Rowe]

Dominic pulled his hand back and nodded “It’s okay, don’t worry about it” He gave her a strange look, she seemed almost a little freaked out and quite intense, she was acting a little strange in his opinion. “Them? Oh I guess the school is named after the founder and the family is still around?” He asked, he didn’t know much about the school’s history, but he felt like this sounded logical and made sense.

He looked at the rockstick again as she was staring at it “Do you.. want it?” He asked, it was just a regular stick stuck in a regular rock, so if she wanted it she was free to it, she seemed very intense and Dominic was feeling very awkward. He wondered what would happen if he phased through the ground and if he’d be able to get up again or if he’d just die down there... Dark thoughts, maybe something to find out during training and not test out by phasing through the ground.

He looked at her again as she apologized for the awkwardness, not sure if he believed what she was saying “Uh huh, no it’s okay, don’t worry about it” He shrugged, at least she was the awkward one right now, he felt like he had been the one to seem awkward lately so it was nice to feel like the normal one for once. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you” He said, feeling like it was a weird thing to say, how deep were her issues? He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

She seemed to relax at all the reassurance. She didn't exactly want to read his mind, and I don't think he'd appreciate if she did since it's surface thoughts and she can't control it so it sort of... just happens. She also didn't feel like giving an explanation. She looked back down at the rockstick and shook her head. "Nah. It's just a regular stick and rock fused together right? I bet you could do better things with your powers. Be creative even! Make sculptures, new different kinds of food. There's so much your power could do." She beamed, returning to her usual upbeat self.

"I may seem a little bit odd, huh?" She pt her hands behind her back and leant forward very much in a way like an anime girl. "Don't worry about it. I get that lots, and I do get that my mannerisms are very odd to most people." She wasn't sure if she was making this worse or better. 

[Dominic Rowe]

The idea of making sculptures and things by using his powers hadn’t really hit him “Oh wow, I’m going to have such a easy time when I need to hang up pictures or shelves, I never thought about how I could build things and huh food? Actually I should test that, maybe I’ll get a better idea of how it works” He was pretty pleased, how hadn’t he realized this sooner? His powers may be good for more than just walking through walls, which wasn’t really something he needed to do.

“Odd? Nah, don’t worry” Sure he did think she was a little odd, but he wasn’t going to tell her that, it felt a bit mean “You get that a lot?” He wasn’t really suprised “Oh, well just be yourself” he shrugged, giving her the advice he’d never give himself, why would anyone want to be themselves? It did however feel like the right thing to say in this situation.

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

Poppy smiled at the encouragement, she was who she was so it didn't matter to her. But she commended his efforts. "It's okay. I used to it. I know I'm odd, and frankly, I'm proud to be odd. It just makes me different and stand out a little more." She beamed. "We should so test your powers! In fact I have a ton of art stuff in my bag!" She giggled placing her bag on the ground and opening it. Sifting through it's contents she hunted for art stuff, finding what she wanted she pulled out a small package of multi-coloured popsicle sticks she bought from the two-dollar shop. "We could always try and make something out of these? Maybe a small house or whatever?" She suggested. Anything more complex would have to be done in the art room, training rooms or kitchen.

[Dominic Rowe]

The talk about being odd and standing out didn’t really appeal to Dominic, but each to their own, as long as she was happy that was her business, he just wanted to fit in and not be seen as some weird person.

He was suprised as she suddenly seemed to decide it was time for an arts and crafts session, he frowned a bit at the popsicle sticks “Why do you have those?” He did think it was an okay idea to try this out, the problem was that it was kind of limited how much he could do “The problem is that it’s a bit limited how long I can stay phased, I have to hold my breath and it takes energy to keep it up, I also have to phase and unphase for each thing I touch, which also takes energy so I’d need a moment to gather myself between each phasing” The idea was good, but he felt like maybe he should start on a bit of a smaller scale.

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

Poppy thought for a moment or two. So maybe a small house would be a bit much to do in one day, but then again, some of the biggest structures took years to build, and even any non-powered artists took months to finish some of their masterpieces, so it wasn't like he had to do it all in one day. But he did have a point. She was the same when she was paired with Friday, the only person thus far she has had any contact with, and that was awkward enough, considering she nearly got hit in the face with a baton at the time. "Wee~eell you don't have to do it all in one day. But I do see your point. We can still do something with these. What about making a small bench using three or four of them? You don't need to stay phased the entire time, and you can take breaks if you have to." Poppy tilted her head. Was she being too forceful and forward? She hoped not. Dominic was interesting, and she genuinely wanted to be his friend.

[Dominic Rowe]

Dominic studied the popsicle sticks, how could he properly make a bench, that was much easier than a house. “If you hold one up, I could add one to make it look like a seat, then add two more under so it can stand by itself?” He suggested “Just gotta make sure you don’t get anything stuck in your fingers, I just have a feeling that it won’t be very comfortable if that happens.”

“Let’s go sit down on the bench over there while we make the.. uh bench” he suggested nodding towards one of the benches people could sit on outside. “I should also try phasing something into something not solid just to see what it does, if the it mixes and becomes something new that would be amazing, though I sorta suspect that whatever is phased in probably just kinda replaces what was there... But then again how does that explain it going back to normal when it comes back out..? Ugh I should be taking physics shouldn’t I?” He had went on a little rant there, he had never really thought about what he could do as much as he was thinking about it right now.

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

"What if I held the popsicle stick with scissors or something? Or would they phase with the stick?" Poppy questioned, taking into consideration her safety. She didn't mind trying this out, it was her idea in the first place, but she figured neither of them would want to explain to the nurse why a popsicle stick is stuck in her fingers. They could probably get into serious trouble for that.

She looked to where Dominic had pointed at the actual bench and nodded. "Good idea! Sitting down somewhere and getting comfortable would make it easier!" She nodded. "Oh and that could work!" She beamed at his idea. "As long as we're being careful right?" She shrugged making her way over to the bench with her schoolbag.

[Dominic Rowe]

He shook his head “Oh no don’t worry, only what I’m touching is going to phase, I don’t have to phase both to put it in, it’s just quicker and easier if you hold it, it wouldn’t affect you at all unless it touches you, I just meant you should just hold it like.. as far as possible away from the part I’m phasing it into?” He scratched his head as he tried to explain, he felt like he was probably complicating this whole thing in his head.

He walked over to the bench and sat down with her “Yeah, it’s weird, my power isn’t exactly the most dangerous one I guess, but I still wouldn’t want to accidentally hurt anyone you know? So yeah, I just want to be careful” he looked at the popsicle sticks, then picked up two of them “Okay, just like.. hold it up, I can’t really talk while phasing, but you’ll see where I put them so just move your fingers if I seem to want to put it where you’re holding.”

[Poppy and Piper Belmont]

"Oh! Okay, I can do that!" Poppy nodded with a smile. And then she nodded again as he warned her that he cannot speak while phasing. "Okay. I understand." Poppy nodded once more. She took hold of ong popsicle stick and held it at the edge away from where Dominic would phase the other one. "Here's good, yeah?" She asked. All she hoped was that they didn't brush hands because even the slightest touch activates her powers and she ws sure others could feel it when she read their minds, though this part she wasn't entirely sure about.