Post by The Captain on May 5, 2010 21:12:31 GMT -5
Their home was not a particularly large one .. maybe the size of London .. and yet, it took how many years for the two of them to cross paths? Destiny can be a funny thing like that .. keeping two people at arms length, letting both of them experience the horrible ache within that comes from not having the one you're destined to find. And then .. of course .. Destiny finally does step in, not caring one iota -how- it brings you together, only that it does .. never once stopping to think about the pain caused on the path to happiness.
Samson felt awkward at the age of 11 .. he had grown up three districts over from his Destiny and never even realized it .. until today. Aunt Auriela had tried to hide the reason for their move, but Samson was unusually bright for a child his age, which was both a blessing and a curse. He knew that the Companion House had petitioned his Aunt for the right to claim him and train him as a Companion. His Aunt had not been thrilled at the idea of him growing up to dress in diamonds and pearls with a Calisarius covering his hips, selling himself to the highest bidder. When the bitch that owned the Companion house threatened the woman, Aunt Auriela had decided that it was time to move.
The first day of school is always hard, a sea of new faces that teeter on the line between possible friend and possible enemy .. add to that the fact that he was a bit of a fish out of water so to speak, and it did nothing to improve his chances at this strange little Academy. Already he had been heckled and harassed for the hat that rests atop his head, his unruly, feathery brown hair jutting from beneath it in adorable disarray. He was dressed better than those that attended this school, having only been told that he had to wear the traditional slacks and blazer of the school. Well .. they weren't expecting him to wear the salmon colored button down shirt under the unbuttoned blazer, or the light salmon colored fedora pushed low on his forehead and tilted at a rakish angle. Even at the age of 10 he had the makings of a roguish young man, though he also had the makings of one hell of a temper.
He trudges along the path that leads to the break yard where the students were allowed to gather for play time .. those that actually took the time to play. Most students gathered to read and talk or they walked in their little groups, hand in hand, arm in arm .. it was hard to penetrate any group, and kids like him were left on the outside, always looking in. And yet .. he really didn't give a damn about joining any one group. He had always been on his own, even in the midst of a gathering.
He hauls his gathering of book in his arms, hands resting tucked against each elbow as he quietly seeks some point of solitude in the break yard. He has just settled on a carved stone bench, the sides covered in trailing honeysuckle when he looks up and finds himself holding his breath. The very first thing he noticed about Valentine Siret was the shocking cascade of pink hair that feathered across his forehead. Samson's eyes narrowed, and for the next few seconds he forgets to breath, watching the other boy run his fingers carefully through his bangs, twisting and tugging the strands as if he wished he could hide them or something .. but who in their right mind would want to hide something like that!?
Sammy wanted to run over and run his fingers through the shocking pink strands, but he finds himself sitting on his hands to keep from doing so. Aunt Auriela said that he could no longer simply touch something because he was curious .. he had passed the age of 'innocence' and some things could no longer be overlooked. He sighs and forces himself to look down at the book that had fallen from his lap.
He forces his hands out from underneath himself and reaches down to pick the book back up with a sigh .. how cruel would it be to be stuck in this strange place, with -that- temptation hovering so close?
After all, if the youth was here with him, then it seemed likely they would be attending classes together and how the hell was he supposed to keep his hands to himself with that beautiful, shocking pink hair -so close-!? His features harden for a moment and for the first, and -definitely- not the last time in his life, he quietly curses whatever Powers That Be.
"Oh look .. it's the Pink Pansy .."
The words are high, the young voice that speaks them has yet to enter puberty. And yet .. they -still- grate against his nerves and rub him the wrong way. For now, he continues to look down at his book, telling himself that it's none of his business. He had -promise- Auntie that he wouldn't get in to any trouble or draw unwanted attention in his direction. The last thing they needed was for another Companion House, Back House, or anything else of that nature to take an interest in him .. because he knew just as well as Auntie did that if they wanted him bad enough .. she would disappear and he would be taken away.
" -I- heard that you only have two months left, little Pink Pansy .. and then the Companion House is going to take you away and teach you how to lay on your back just like your Mother."
Ok .. that does it! He tenses where he sits, twisting to slam his book down on the stone bench at which he sits. He pushes himself to his feet stiffly and walks breezily toward the group of five students surrounding the one. They couldn't even fight -fair- .. and -that- REALLY pisses him off! How dare they pick on someone smaller than them? Someone with such a cool, -unique- feature!!
"Honestly, prat .. you need to choose your wording better. Pink Pansies are the prettiest flower on this world, you viper tongued ignoramus!"
He speaks the words in a tone that could've been friendly and conversational had the words not been so obviously insulting. He casts a side long look at the youth with the pink hair before turning toward the five that converge on him.
"And who the hell are you, buddy? Better yet .. what bum -dressed- you?"
Those unbelievably dark brown eyes narrow and what little bit of a smile that had remained falls away, leaving his young features without emotion. He pulls the salmon colored fedora off, and rolls it down the crook of his arm, popping it at the last moment so that it flies in to the air and he catches it with ease.
"I'm Samson Hatter .. and you five are in for a big surprise."
He winks at the group before his hat is suddenly tossed at the ring leader, who catches it in his short hands, frowning. Samson catches him in the jaw with a right hook, two of the others moving around him to shove Valentine into the mud. Samson scowls and turns, one booted foot catching one of those that pushes Val in the stomach, sending the youth flying, crying out in pain. He twists and dodges a punch, his foot then connecting with the other kid, sending him flying backward as well. He spins, taking Valentine by the hands and helping him to his feet.
"Just one moment .."
He grins faintly at the kid, before turning once more to face the last two.
"All of this over .. what .. the fact that he's different? Well, I've got news for you!"
He dodges a punch from one of the boys, grabbing him by the front of his blazer. His fists connects with the other boy's face in such a way that it emphasizes each word ...
"PINK ... IS ... A ... VIRTUE!"
He shoves the boy away after the word virtue, watching him fall to the ground. He begins to turn toward the final boy, but he had looked away too long .. the boy jumps on his back, his fists coming at Hatter's face from the side, clocking him square in the jaw. He is about to turn and try and rip the guy off when he feels added weight, and a rather angry yell. Val jumps on the second boy's back adn wrenches him free of Sammy, falling backward. The boy takes the advantage and elbows Valentine in the ribs, Valley squeaking in pain. In that moment, Hatter sees red! He grabs the boy by the front of the shirt, hauls him to his feet and punches him in a rapid three hit succession, sending him falling to the ground. The fallen boys pick themselves up, groaning, and Hatter turns to address them.
"Get out of here .. unless you want it known that a single kid kicked your ass!"
He watches them turn, scuttling away and he turns to face Valentine, seeing the boy sway lightly on his feet, the action obviously a bit much for him.
"Whoa!"
Sammy chuckles faintly, grabbing Valentine by the shoulder with one hand. Unfortunately .. that no touching policy goes right out the window when he's standing that close to Val. He reaches up, fingers gently sweeping the younger boy's hair off his forehead as he smiles.
"Is .. is that true?"
Valentine asks softly, a little shy in that moment. When Hatter realizes that he's making him nervous, he pulls away from him, turning to grab his hat and settle it on his head, shoving his unruly hair back under it.
"It most certainly is, lad. Pink is a blend of the two purest things in the world .. rose and white .. therefore, Pink is a true Virtue."
He watches the younger boy's eyes widen, watches the awed smile across his innocent features as he pushes awkwardly at his hair. Hatter grins and moves to grab his books, hearing Val suddenly sniffle. He stiffens, the books fall to the bench and he turns, prepared to fight whoever was stupid enough to mess with the boy. However, when he sees Val looking down at his torn white button up shirt, he relaxes somewhat.
"I've already been called out twice this month for my Uniform. Another time means that I will be disciplined, but it's not my fault!"
Hatter frowns, seeing the tears outlined in the boy's eyes, and he really didn't want to see the little pink boy cry. He walks up to him, gently touches the material for a moment, then grins.
"Come on .. we can fix this."
Twenty minutes later, the two boys emerge from the boy's restroom, Valentine dressed immaculately in Hatter's salmon pink button up and his own blazer, Hatter wearing the torn shirt and his blazer.
"A-are you sure about this, Samson?"
Hatter turns to the youth, smiling, and he nods lightly. He even reaches up after a moment, pulling the hat from his head, setting it on top of Valentine's. The two off pink colors went well with his hair, and Samson grins even sweeter.
"See? Looks perfect, Valley! Come on, we don't want to be late."
He misses the look of instant hero worship and awe on the younger boy's face as he takes Val's hand and turns to walk to class with him. It was the birth of a friendship that would always be met exactly as it should be: Hand in hand.
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Samson felt awkward at the age of 11 .. he had grown up three districts over from his Destiny and never even realized it .. until today. Aunt Auriela had tried to hide the reason for their move, but Samson was unusually bright for a child his age, which was both a blessing and a curse. He knew that the Companion House had petitioned his Aunt for the right to claim him and train him as a Companion. His Aunt had not been thrilled at the idea of him growing up to dress in diamonds and pearls with a Calisarius covering his hips, selling himself to the highest bidder. When the bitch that owned the Companion house threatened the woman, Aunt Auriela had decided that it was time to move.
The first day of school is always hard, a sea of new faces that teeter on the line between possible friend and possible enemy .. add to that the fact that he was a bit of a fish out of water so to speak, and it did nothing to improve his chances at this strange little Academy. Already he had been heckled and harassed for the hat that rests atop his head, his unruly, feathery brown hair jutting from beneath it in adorable disarray. He was dressed better than those that attended this school, having only been told that he had to wear the traditional slacks and blazer of the school. Well .. they weren't expecting him to wear the salmon colored button down shirt under the unbuttoned blazer, or the light salmon colored fedora pushed low on his forehead and tilted at a rakish angle. Even at the age of 10 he had the makings of a roguish young man, though he also had the makings of one hell of a temper.
He trudges along the path that leads to the break yard where the students were allowed to gather for play time .. those that actually took the time to play. Most students gathered to read and talk or they walked in their little groups, hand in hand, arm in arm .. it was hard to penetrate any group, and kids like him were left on the outside, always looking in. And yet .. he really didn't give a damn about joining any one group. He had always been on his own, even in the midst of a gathering.
He hauls his gathering of book in his arms, hands resting tucked against each elbow as he quietly seeks some point of solitude in the break yard. He has just settled on a carved stone bench, the sides covered in trailing honeysuckle when he looks up and finds himself holding his breath. The very first thing he noticed about Valentine Siret was the shocking cascade of pink hair that feathered across his forehead. Samson's eyes narrowed, and for the next few seconds he forgets to breath, watching the other boy run his fingers carefully through his bangs, twisting and tugging the strands as if he wished he could hide them or something .. but who in their right mind would want to hide something like that!?
Sammy wanted to run over and run his fingers through the shocking pink strands, but he finds himself sitting on his hands to keep from doing so. Aunt Auriela said that he could no longer simply touch something because he was curious .. he had passed the age of 'innocence' and some things could no longer be overlooked. He sighs and forces himself to look down at the book that had fallen from his lap.
He forces his hands out from underneath himself and reaches down to pick the book back up with a sigh .. how cruel would it be to be stuck in this strange place, with -that- temptation hovering so close?
After all, if the youth was here with him, then it seemed likely they would be attending classes together and how the hell was he supposed to keep his hands to himself with that beautiful, shocking pink hair -so close-!? His features harden for a moment and for the first, and -definitely- not the last time in his life, he quietly curses whatever Powers That Be.
"Oh look .. it's the Pink Pansy .."
The words are high, the young voice that speaks them has yet to enter puberty. And yet .. they -still- grate against his nerves and rub him the wrong way. For now, he continues to look down at his book, telling himself that it's none of his business. He had -promise- Auntie that he wouldn't get in to any trouble or draw unwanted attention in his direction. The last thing they needed was for another Companion House, Back House, or anything else of that nature to take an interest in him .. because he knew just as well as Auntie did that if they wanted him bad enough .. she would disappear and he would be taken away.
" -I- heard that you only have two months left, little Pink Pansy .. and then the Companion House is going to take you away and teach you how to lay on your back just like your Mother."
Ok .. that does it! He tenses where he sits, twisting to slam his book down on the stone bench at which he sits. He pushes himself to his feet stiffly and walks breezily toward the group of five students surrounding the one. They couldn't even fight -fair- .. and -that- REALLY pisses him off! How dare they pick on someone smaller than them? Someone with such a cool, -unique- feature!!
"Honestly, prat .. you need to choose your wording better. Pink Pansies are the prettiest flower on this world, you viper tongued ignoramus!"
He speaks the words in a tone that could've been friendly and conversational had the words not been so obviously insulting. He casts a side long look at the youth with the pink hair before turning toward the five that converge on him.
"And who the hell are you, buddy? Better yet .. what bum -dressed- you?"
Those unbelievably dark brown eyes narrow and what little bit of a smile that had remained falls away, leaving his young features without emotion. He pulls the salmon colored fedora off, and rolls it down the crook of his arm, popping it at the last moment so that it flies in to the air and he catches it with ease.
"I'm Samson Hatter .. and you five are in for a big surprise."
He winks at the group before his hat is suddenly tossed at the ring leader, who catches it in his short hands, frowning. Samson catches him in the jaw with a right hook, two of the others moving around him to shove Valentine into the mud. Samson scowls and turns, one booted foot catching one of those that pushes Val in the stomach, sending the youth flying, crying out in pain. He twists and dodges a punch, his foot then connecting with the other kid, sending him flying backward as well. He spins, taking Valentine by the hands and helping him to his feet.
"Just one moment .."
He grins faintly at the kid, before turning once more to face the last two.
"All of this over .. what .. the fact that he's different? Well, I've got news for you!"
He dodges a punch from one of the boys, grabbing him by the front of his blazer. His fists connects with the other boy's face in such a way that it emphasizes each word ...
"PINK ... IS ... A ... VIRTUE!"
He shoves the boy away after the word virtue, watching him fall to the ground. He begins to turn toward the final boy, but he had looked away too long .. the boy jumps on his back, his fists coming at Hatter's face from the side, clocking him square in the jaw. He is about to turn and try and rip the guy off when he feels added weight, and a rather angry yell. Val jumps on the second boy's back adn wrenches him free of Sammy, falling backward. The boy takes the advantage and elbows Valentine in the ribs, Valley squeaking in pain. In that moment, Hatter sees red! He grabs the boy by the front of the shirt, hauls him to his feet and punches him in a rapid three hit succession, sending him falling to the ground. The fallen boys pick themselves up, groaning, and Hatter turns to address them.
"Get out of here .. unless you want it known that a single kid kicked your ass!"
He watches them turn, scuttling away and he turns to face Valentine, seeing the boy sway lightly on his feet, the action obviously a bit much for him.
"Whoa!"
Sammy chuckles faintly, grabbing Valentine by the shoulder with one hand. Unfortunately .. that no touching policy goes right out the window when he's standing that close to Val. He reaches up, fingers gently sweeping the younger boy's hair off his forehead as he smiles.
"Is .. is that true?"
Valentine asks softly, a little shy in that moment. When Hatter realizes that he's making him nervous, he pulls away from him, turning to grab his hat and settle it on his head, shoving his unruly hair back under it.
"It most certainly is, lad. Pink is a blend of the two purest things in the world .. rose and white .. therefore, Pink is a true Virtue."
He watches the younger boy's eyes widen, watches the awed smile across his innocent features as he pushes awkwardly at his hair. Hatter grins and moves to grab his books, hearing Val suddenly sniffle. He stiffens, the books fall to the bench and he turns, prepared to fight whoever was stupid enough to mess with the boy. However, when he sees Val looking down at his torn white button up shirt, he relaxes somewhat.
"I've already been called out twice this month for my Uniform. Another time means that I will be disciplined, but it's not my fault!"
Hatter frowns, seeing the tears outlined in the boy's eyes, and he really didn't want to see the little pink boy cry. He walks up to him, gently touches the material for a moment, then grins.
"Come on .. we can fix this."
Twenty minutes later, the two boys emerge from the boy's restroom, Valentine dressed immaculately in Hatter's salmon pink button up and his own blazer, Hatter wearing the torn shirt and his blazer.
"A-are you sure about this, Samson?"
Hatter turns to the youth, smiling, and he nods lightly. He even reaches up after a moment, pulling the hat from his head, setting it on top of Valentine's. The two off pink colors went well with his hair, and Samson grins even sweeter.
"See? Looks perfect, Valley! Come on, we don't want to be late."
He misses the look of instant hero worship and awe on the younger boy's face as he takes Val's hand and turns to walk to class with him. It was the birth of a friendship that would always be met exactly as it should be: Hand in hand.