Baby Steps (Daniel/Open)

[Jayr Byrne]

Fresh Meat

First day back of course, since the accident that was. And what a painful memory that had left behind. Jess sat in the metal contraption vehemently showing her disgust for the situation as she let herself be pushed about by Jayr, the pain in the butt friend that'd saved her and given her attention the past few days. Granted it was appreciated but in all aspects Jess wanted a breather, and she certainly didn't want to be stuck around at school.

*Squeak*

The hand lever of the wheelchair was pulled on suddenly and a pair of breasts attacked the back of Jess' head suddenly knocking her forward. "Ack!"

"Oof."

The two girls glared at each other for a moment before breaking into spontaneous laughter, it was an odd sight to behold considering what'd just taken place but a few days ago. The school in chaos over the giant knight that destroyed part of the school. A soft sigh would follow the laughter and Jess would take a glimpse at the scar that was left as Jayr pushed her along past it taking the time to head over the the front school ramp.

"Gawd this is embarrassing." Flushed cheeks fluttered at the assault of eyes that peered at her as she crossed the courtyard's band of merry men that guarded this place from nerds.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oof"

The metal handles digging into her sides left rough bruises on her skin. Jayr looked down abruptly at the impact, small pinched parts of skin flinting between brown and blue if she were to poke it but chose rather to glare downward at her "handicapable" friend. A harsh and yet bustling laughter erupted from her drawing a sort of insecure attention to the pair as they continued on. It came to a point where Jayr needed the use of a hand to cover her mouth or further damage her blank reputation here.

"Gawd this is embarrassing."

Jayr would smile with a bright resonance, she had gotten to know Jess well enough that she could read her outlook and the embarrassment at this point seemed more that she was incapable of a few things. Well most things. If she'd been granted the better use of her legs that perhaps this wouldn't have been quite as bad.

"You'll survive, I mean its High School." Jayr would feign ignorance with the bubbly attitude that a cheer leader possessed. the statement incurring a sudden face palm from Jess as she settled into the chair.

Up Past the front yard they'd meander settling in the front entryway which now resembled a fallout shelter, split between the torn wreckage of the blast impact and the pure unsmoldered wall, in its center the repairs were starting in the form of paper mementos from students who were injured in the fight. A bright smile coming to Jayr's face as she pulled one free.

"We will never forget."
-Matt Ainsly Junior Class.

"Hey, you want to make one of these?"

[Patrick O'Connor]

Daniel Heart drove his crotch rocket to school again. The black bike purred as Daniel slowed down to view the gathering out in front of the school. There were pieces of the wall missing and a lot of post it notes along the walls. It was certainly a very curious sight. The place looked like a bomb had went off. It reminded him of a warzone. His warzone. Daniel Heart was going back to a time he didn't want to remember. Once upon a time at his old school there had been a war between to sides that had grown far bigger then the scope of a gang. It was a war between the Reformists and the Defenders. It had been a very bloody and painful war for both sides, and the ending had been no less satisfying. Daniel's original side had lost but even though he had technically ended out the war on the winning side it still had left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. A lot of people died in that war, a lot of Daniel's friends and it had been a war that scarred him irrepairably.

Daniel parked his bike and got off walking towards the wreckage. His hands were in his worn blue jeans that had natural holes on the knees. His shirt was a grey t shirt that read "Whiskey Militia" with the logo plastered at his chest level. His hair was a short black that was just barely long enough in front to wave with the slight breeze that came out of the school. His eyes were a deep blue that seemed to flow with the natural climate of this place, the natural hope even in sadness. The only other marks of significance were the few scars on his left forearm and the one scar that ran down from his right eyebrow down past his nose.

Daniel made his way to the actual area noticing the actual amount of damage. The sheer amount of posts made it seem like a lot of people died. It being Daniel's second day He was not sure what was going on here. He sincerely hoped that there was no war here and at the very least that he would be able to avoid it if there was because he didn't need anymore death, he had seen enough. Daniel walked up beside two girls, one in a wheelchair, the other not. Reading the notes was not very encouraging so out of curiousity Daniel asked in a Bostonian accent, "What happened here?"

[Jayr Byrne]

Guilt by Association

"What happened here?" The voice played right beside Jessica's neck causing her to spasm slightly at the uncomfortable amount of space which the boy had just breached, didn't he have some common sense in the fact that there was a personal space barrier. Not to mention of course his statement. While it was most likely directed at the condition the building was in Jess took it quite personally as though he was contradicting her capabilities, or condescending to a newly crippled person.

The small shift in her features directed it, her face tilting to the side to look at him as though he were stupid no words needed immediately merely let him think about what he'd done just there. Slowly now her lips would purse before her own sort of impatience got to her.

"Did they teach you manners where you came from?" Bluntly stated in the harsh tone as Jess gave him the stare, all the while her hand drifted to the brake lever letting it release and casually rolling her wheelchair over his foot. Granted she wasn't any more than one hundred and ten pounds if that, but the metal contraption weighed some extra few that might just leave a little scowl on his face, all the while she'd carry a sinister grin.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Did they teach you manners where you came from?"

Jayr turned slowly expecting the statement to have been derived towards her however she didn't think her former suggestion had been out of line considering what'd just happened. The sickening memory of that person getting chewed up by the chainsaw still resonating in her mind. Thats right, Jess never saw that but rather experienced her own little torture first hand.

"Whats going on?" Jayr would say in a sweet tone hoping to butter the girl up and get out easy only to find that Jess was about to roll over a boy's toe. Jayr would act fast, though not in the heroic sense. Her hands would come quickly to her eyes and cover them, a laughable warning sign as she spoke out. "Watch out."

Her own foot sliding to the flank of the wheelchair and hit the break bar back into place assuming he'd either moved or taken the blow but she wasn't quite as fast as she was back in San Diego. Fretting to herself in her head over the possibility of having put on weight but quickly resisting from presenting it on her features.

"Jess." A mean glare down at her friend before she gave up and looked back up towards the boy innocently enough having not entirely been at fault for the recent hit and run assault. "Sorry about that, so is she." "No I'm not." "I'm Jayr."

She'd step forward politely to hold out a hand, her heels clicking into place beneath her with a strong upright base. Formal dress stopped there at the heels, going up she found the choice of leisure in torn up tan jeans and a black Sabbath shirt that clung to her skin in a rather modest way. And of course like always JAayr showed through an honest smile.

[Patrick O'Connor]

"Did they teach you manners where you came from?"

Daniel thought he had been in the right, as in he didn't think he was super close. Apparently he was not far away enough for her. Perhaps her safety zone was more like ten feet because he certainly wasn't close enough to breath on her. Taking everything in stride though he didn't bother trying to get out of the way of her wheel chair. He grinned even as she ran over his foot, showing no sign of pain or even recognition of the fact that she was on his foot. Yay super high pain tolerance, because you see, the thing was that after you were carved up by a knife there were very few things that registered on your pain scale. He just smiled at her and replied with a chuckle, "I should be asking you the same thing."

Because the last time he checked, the proper way to let some one know they were too close was to ask politely for them to move. And not get super sensitive about how close some one was, unless they actually were too close. Regardless it really didn't bother Daniel and well he figured it would be fun to annoy her further by not reacting negatively to her response.

"Sorry about that, so is she."

"No I'm not."

"I'm Jayr."

"Oh no problem, apology accepted," Daniel replied grinning. This really was rather amusing to the teen. In all honesty though it seemed like the temper of, Jess, was off a little. In Daniel's opinion he would of guessed that she was in that wheel chair quite recently. He really couldn't blame her, He's be pretty pissed if he was in a wheel chair. Though just thinking of that made him feel guilty, it reminded him of the past...

Anyway after the apology he turned to Jayr facing her directly for the first time showing her his scarred face, he smiled taking her hand in a firm shake introducing himself, "Nice to meet you, My name's Daniel Heart."

After his introduction he would look back at the school's wreckage and ask again, "So what the hell happened here?"

[Jayr Byrne]

Look what I can do

"Oh no problem, apology accepted,"

Jess would manage the daring glance up towards him in a threatening manner before simply letting it pass by as the jerk of the brake came into effect and she had to hold on tight for the repercussions. A slight yank and she felt her breakfast come up in her gut. "Ugh."

Jayr seemed herself though, of course this was the same thing simulated in Jess' head ever since she'd met the girl. Exactly as she'd figured her to be, the prom queen who stole everyone's attention. However of a vexed position that left Jess in she couldn't bring that hatred to Jayr.

"Nice to meet you, My name's Daniel Heart."

Jess made a gawking face, projecting it into a state of vomiting before noting that Jayr wasn't paying attention to her. Drat, plan was a failure. Instead her face turned into that best described with the image above. Her voice turned into a teasing gesture.

"Flirting already aye?"

Jayr's head quickly spiraling downward out of the boy's view. Perfect. A wide Grin crossing her face in victory, she couldn't believe she was competing for attention with a boy named after an organ.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Nice to meet you, My name's Daniel Heart."

Cute name. Jayr smiled taking his hand gently as to not apply the force as most would, rather something along the lines of a politicians grasp. Firm yet with a sense of control to it, never giving away the fullness of herself in but a touch.

Her eyes would trail down along his face at the scar, it wasn't exactly the type of scar she'd normally ogle from the movies, she remembered now. This wasn't a movie, it was real life. A small breath and a sigh and she straightened herself up not letting the dark image be a blemish to her. Remaining faithfully true to her bright outlook.

"So what the hell happened here?"

Jayr would follow his glance along the causeway of the blast sight, something you'd see out of a times weekly magazine or even some gun junkies porno assessment but it was monstrous.

"Well you see there was...."

"Flirting already aye?"

Swish, the drop of her gaze from Daniel's face down towards the ridiculous disguise that Jess now wore. Piercing cerulean hues burning through it like daggers. Something in them saying, 'as soon as you're out of that wheelchair I'll be sure to put you right back.' But apparently it didn't all get through.

Another arch of her neck to look back up towards Daniel calmly, a bit of pink alight in her cheeks with a calm expression despite an embarrassing friend. "A bit of a riot I guess is the right word for it. Some medieval knight with explosives or something."

Jayr couldn't explain it, her head would duck down out of shy disposition trying to figure it for something realistic but never being able to explain why in broad daylight some madness like that'd happen.

"Sorry, it was a rough day. Can't exactly sum it up unless you were there." The stern pout on her face and distanced eyes showed her distress while the jovial young girl at her side played in the wheelchair trying to assert herself by grabbing Jayr's hand softly at the side.

[Patrick O'Connor]

"Flirting already aye?"

Daniel chuckled as Jayr's head turned in a manner that placed it out of sight for him. He could only imagine what was going on but he figured that he had a good guess. He couldn't say he had been around that sort of thing with women to often or perhaps ever but he wasn't dumb, not completely ignorant. It was funny to him though and the amusement made for an interesting distraction for the moment because he wasn't completely sure he wanted to know what had happened here.

"A bit of a riot I guess is the right word for it. Some medieval knight with explosives or something."

"There's nothing stranger then reality," Daniel admitted. He didn't distrust her. All he had to do was look back to his own past experience to realize the absurdity of it. In a school in San Fran Mr Orange practically taking over the school and making people eat "healthy" fried chicken, In New York armed gunman storming the school and shooting students, a headmaster gassing an auditorium. There really was nothing that was outside the scope of the absurdity that happened in these schools.

"Sorry, it was a rough day. Can't exactly sum it up unless you were there."

"I know what you mean," Daniel said looking down in reflection, "People's lives must have been irreversibly altered, or erased entirely right? It's a horrible place, this world."

Daniel knew how hard that was. He had his share of moments like that. The violence that seemed to dictate where exactly your life was heading without any control of your own being exerted. The feeling of helplessness due to your circumstances. It was part of the reason why he was out west now. To get away from that. To make a new start. A completely new beginning. Somewhere deep down he knew that it was impossible but hope bade him to go on. Despair was not to dictate his life, or at least that's what he wanted.

Which was why after a few moments he brightened up and said with a grin, "But hey, we're alive! And that's all that matters, we has stories left to tell."

And with a sudden realization Daniel looked down at the girl in the wheelchair. Asking indirectly he stuck out his hand, "I never got your name. Sorry slip of the mind and manners."

He chuckled a little sheepishly before smiling earnestly, "The name as you might of guessed is Daniel, Dan, whatever I don't really care."

He wasn't the biggest people person in the world so yes, his social graces were lacking fairly severely but he did at least make an effort to be polite and civil...

[Jayr Byrne]

Striking a Chord...

"I know what you mean,"

In an irritated glance Jess would shoot him a look,how could he even imagine what she meant by that. Biting at the corner of her lip Jess fumed in her own prison of sorts, confound to the chair in more ways than one. She had been the one sent into a chair, she'd been the one left immobile and her life drastically changed what'd he know about pain like that? Nothing.

"People's lives must have been irreversibly altered, or erased entirely right? It's a horrible place, this world."

It struck a chord, his words, she was bitter about them and yet still could relate to his persuasive dialog like hell however if she was going to brighten up. This day ha started as a downer and it'd continue as such. Jess would sit back in her chair and pout, crossing her arms while dismissing the two conversing as she picked at the skin on her elbows that were left to heal. Stubborn Stubborn stubborn.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well yeah, there's that." Jayr would say simply not feeling the intention to incline her head however slightly adjusting to give a small sign to lighten up on Jess.

Despite their complete contrasts of personality they were friends after all. And Jayr had no idea of the pain she was going through, but she tried. It was in her nature to continue trying despite the hopelessness of it all.

"But hey, we're alive! And that's all that matters, we has stories left to tell."

Her grim mile slowly turned upwards into a bright one revealing a pearly white smile, of course she'd stay quite just observing him for now. The guy kind of reminded her of Mekiel, though not quite as charming of course but she'd deal with that just the same. A firm smirk and she'd reply simply, "You bounce back fast..."

"I never got your name. Sorry slip of the mind and manners."

"Meh." The flaunting gesture basically telling the boy off from her chair Jess wouldn't move but her hand to wave him onward.

"Sorry again," Jayr would smile innocently playing decoy to defend Jess all the same, "Thats Jess, she got injured during the riot but thats no excuse not to be sociable." Jayr would project the last part to catch the smaller girl's ear despite aggravating attempts.

A shy shrug from Jayr as she didn't expect a reply. "Can you find your way to class?" she'd say not intending for it to be demeaning however came up short slightly smacking herself for being inconsiderate. Like a perfectly timed comedian she'd get her reply, "I suffered burns not brain damage." With a huff Jess would settle her hand towards the wheels and peel off from the pair with a raincloud over her head, pity the person she ran into next.

Jayr would take a long breath, her chest rising and falling generously enough before turning towards Daniel with a relieved smile. "Yeah, she's had a rough time adapting, but thanks for not you know." Jayr would wince at the though but settled a hand on his forearm respectively to form some bond of trust. However if she was rejected from such she'd react much differently.

[Patrick O'Connor]

Once again the girl in the wheel chair shot Daniel down on all accounts. He was just trying to be sociable, ya know? But Daniel had a slight idea what she was going through, not that he had ever been in a wheelcha-er been put in one permanently but he knew what it was like to have loss. He had had enough of loss and personal pain, he wanted to give getting over it a shot, having some what of a normal life. Live the way that normal people were supposed to not constantly dwelling on the past. But it seemed like she wanted space and Daniel would give that to her. He had wanted his space and hell he still wanted his space so he would give her the space and hope that she would come out of relatively sooner then he did.

"Thats Jess, she got injured during the riot but thats no excuse not to be sociable."

"No, she has every right," Daniel said in a somber tone that betrayed the impression that he wanted to give off slightly. Let them get a glimpse of something he didn't want to see, a shadow of the past he was trying to escape. But it was that thought of not wanted to let anyone know, particularly here, who he was that brought him out of things. Back to a somewhat rubbery part of his personality that was a part of him and wasn't. A happier more optimistic self. A less depressing self.

"Yeah, she's had a rough time adapting, but thanks for not you know."

Daniel nodded, not shrinking away at her touch. He accepted it but he was not sure how he felt about it. He was trying to be a different person, a normal person but he didn't know about this. He was hesitant towards the idea of human contact. It had screwed him in the past and he wasn't sure if he wanted it. But this was what normal people did right? Made friends and relationships? They had benefits right?

It had been so long...

[Jayr Byrne]

Hope is a Silly thing.

She was glad he didn't reject her though the thought didn't exactly settle itself into her head, she was more aggressive towards the simple fact that he had understood what Jess was feeling. That was difficult for even Jayr to figure, though blunt and stubbornness aided in her days of trying to convince the girl that Jayr was no Prom Queen tinseled out.

Jayr would sternly bite her lip to the point they pressed out further than they normally did, which was saying something. "You don't talk much do you?"

She made the blunt observation giggling a little after the fact slightly, her body taking to lean back and cover her mouth with an apologetic glance plastered on her features. She loved to laugh, to smile and play, to build always. And this was building something at least she thought as much, there was always an opportunity to do that.

Bam, like a spark going off in her head she had an idea. "I Got it!" She'd state quite out of the blue snapping with a glazed expression as though her mind was elsewhere. A wide smile and the jerking hand motion to grab around the wrist however getting only higher about the lower forearm region Jayr would attempt snatching the boy and dragging him along with her.

A hurried pace would follow as she persisted in taking him along for the ride to a lone billboard at the center of the Student's quarter. The billboard was supposed to be filled with all sorts of miscellaneous plans, groups, club activities, even sports and teams however to her distaste she found it empty.

With a triumphant stomp Jayr would freeze there releasing him (of course assuming he gave into her demands). "What do you see here?" She'd look up towards him smiling with an expecting remark with a deep significance, or even a flat out honest statement.

"I have an Idea, and you are just the man for the job!" She'd say swimmingly with a slight poke to his chest in the gentlest of ways.

[Patrick O'Connor]

"You don't talk much do you?"

"I don't like to talk about the past," Daniel said just as bluntly with the after thought, 'or think about it fer that matter.'

But even in that sort of a reply he was admitting something very basic. The simple fact that he either had a bad past or was unsatisfied with it. He knew he had had one but honestly that was for him to decide and for others to either agree or disagree with him on that fact. Daniel knew it was a slip up, at least some what. But he also knew that he would have to give little tidbits here at there. There were pieces of himself that he just could not hide, having human contact. That however was all part of the lie. The truth could just as easily be a lie as it was in fact the truth. Half truths were how the world worked and that was now how Daniel intended to keep it. He had been all over that that was about the extent of it along with his origins in Boston. That's all the truth that was necessary.

She then had some sort of idea and proceeded to drag him across the school to carry it out. He chuckled as he ran along behind her. Eventually she dragged him in front of the empty school activity board. He wondered what her intention was. It appeared as if she were one of those student activity types. Daniel to be honest wasn't he had tried a few and honestly found them to be a waste of time. In his experience they spent far more of their time talking about the activities of their club then actually doing them. So needless to say he was not disappointed by the empty board and he was answer her question as such, "Nothing."

"I have an Idea, and you are just the man for the job!"

"Oh?" Daniel asked, his interest piqued.

[Jayr Byrne]

The Past is where it belongs

"Nothing."

Exactly, thats just what she was getting at. A small smirk peered onto her face as the gears turned slowly in her head coming to realize her own long term plan being much sooner than expected.

"Oh?"

Jayr would turn to him inclining slowly with a sweet disposition, her hands nestled neatly in her lap and allowing for her heel to kick up slightly behind her, the whole motion subtly swaying her.

"Yes." She'd state matter of factly with a nod, "How would you feel about working with me to change all this?"

Jayr's hands would move to the board giving the general Jeopardy lady's motions. Her hands wavering over the board to grab his attention further. She knew quite well what made people tick, and she knew that a school in chaos was a horrid thing. From her experiences she knew just well enough how to kill two birds with one stone. To make personal growth within each person and put an end to the corporal punishment.

"K'mon It'll be fun." She'd smile brightly with a slight wink and a tilt to her body closely resembling a curtsy.

[Patrick O'Connor]

"How would you feel about working with me to change all this?"

"I don't know," Daniel said hesitantly, "I've never been the club leader type. Or even the club type for that matter. I'm a kind of sit back and watch type guy. Take it easy on the background."

There was some truth and some falsehoods in that. He really had never been the club type. He had been to a few clubs in previous schools but had never stayed in them for long. Daniel was a person that would sit and watch if given the opportunity so that was truth. On the other hand he was someone that would move out of the background when necessary. He had fought to protect others before. Daniel was sure that that much would still happen from time to time but he didn't plan on getting involved into any big school movements.

"K'mon It'll be fun."

"I dunno," Daniel said, "What did you have in mind?"

Daniel was clearly, not excited...

OOC: short post =/

[Jayr Byrne]

Motives.

Jayr observed primarily based off of body language and she was so hopeful early on but now it seemed as though the closer they got to the goal the farther away his interests deemed. And while she didn't want to force him to do something he detested she really did need the help. Not to mention a friend she could count on. She had a few; Jess and Donnie, but nowhere near enough which suited her ambitious goals.

"What about sports? Creative thoughts? Anything?" Jayr would sound a little desperate at the end shortly summing up her last few words before taking a long sought out deep breath, a hand moving up to flip a strand of hair over her shoulder to compose herself.

"What is it that you like the most about school? Or even life in general? Honestly Daniel what I want has nothing to do with showing off a powerful hand or gloating about titles or superiority all I want is to make this place a place where people can be accepted and if not that then where people can seek out their heats content."

Now she was sounding a bit naive, even she knew that in the end but it was all for the sake of trying. Hope was her motive, if you gave up on the naivety of your dreams you became nothing, just someone wondering through life.

"I know the plans not perfect, but thats why I need you to help, it doesn't matter if things go wrong the point is that we can learn and better the plan. Therefore I'd truly appreciate your help even if it was just helping me advertise, or just hanging out with me from time to time." She'd smile sweetly, even though she didn't suspect much she had hopes. High Aspirations wrote the worlds history.

[Patrick O'Connor]

"Anything? What is it that you like the most about school? Or even life in general?"

She sounded more and more desperate as she went down the list. Daniel felt a pang of guilt but he really wasn't an activities kind of guy. He had never really had time. He was either trying to put food on the proverbial table or he was fighting for some misguided cause. Daniel had never had time to really stop and contemplate the wonder of school activities and sports and if he had he was sure that they really would not have appealed to him. He wasn't a super huge fan of crowds of people. But in an attempt to not look like he was completely blowing her off he shrugged, "I dunno, I've been told I have a hard punch. I like to fight. That's what I like to do."

"Therefore I'd truly appreciate your help even if it was just helping me advertise, or just hanging out with me from time to time."

"I might be able to give helping you out a shot," Daniel admitted, "I can definitely hang out with ya from time to time but I don't know how long I'll be around. I have a tendency of disappearing fairly regularly. "

It was something he had been known for for the past three, nearly four years. He had to stop at that. Had it really been that long? Had he honestly gone on that long? Wasted that much time to disappear into sprees of rampant binge drinking. It had really been a long time. He sighed. He really wasn't sure if this whole thing was going to work. Especially here...

[Jayr Byrne]

Unintentional Challenge.

Not exactly what she'd been hoping for out of the interaction but still it wasn't like her to give up on someone knowing that this relationship would be slightly one sided, at least from her perspective. Though from what she'd learned over the years is that reserved friends blossomed over time, her fingers lacing behind her back crossing quietly for some wishful thinking.

"I dunno, I've been told I have a hard punch. I like to fight. That's what I like to do."

A cracked smile at his proposition, while she knew there were quite a few at this school who knew how to fight she wanted to better understand why they'd been reserved for only one such talent disregarding themselves from exploration. She didn't fret however. Salvaging was another skill set well valued.

"I might be able to give helping you out a shot, I can definitely hang out with ya from time to time but I don't know how long I'll be around. I have a tendency of disappearing fairly regularly. "

"Thats all well and fine." Jayr would straighten up her neck fully exposed as she'd tilt her chin up and eyes down giving him a teasing once over, "Though about that punch fairly sure you can live up to that?" She'd snicker lightly replacing one of those hands to cover her lips with a seal.