- - - TIME ON MY FEET

[xelios]

FACE FRONT YOU GOT THE FUTURE
shining like a piece of gold

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • OLIVER WINCHESTER ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

Xelios looked down at himself, at all of the little scars that covered his arms and hands. His knuckles had long ago been decorated in scars, mostly from getting into fights though there were some lost battles of Bloody Knuckles imprinted onto his hands as well. He liked to think of all of the little scars he had as a map of his life, from the tips of his fingers all the way up to his shoulder. His arms didn’t have nearly as many as his torso did, which he was kind of thankful for. While Xelios didn’t mind the marks he was covered with, he liked that he could cover most of them with such great ease. The only ones that Xelios wasn’t fond of people seeing was the knife mark on his back and one on the back of his head, both of which were almost always hidden. There wasn’t anything about his body that Xelios particularly disliked, especially when he thought back to the one he had in a previous life. Old and unhealthy, he enjoyed that he was now younger and fit. Well, considerably fit; he was still trying to get over being so malnourished. It had been a little over a year since he had been pulled off of the streets and Xelios’s body was still struggling with the change in his diet. He didn’t eat much even when at an all you can eat buffet because he was so used to having nothing. He had a small appetite, which he saw as good in some ways; he could survive off of very little.

His thoughts were distant as he stepped out of the shower, turning off the water and wrapping a towel tightly around his waist. It was definitely safe to say that his favourite part of finally having somewhere to live was constant access to a shower. For a long time Xelios had had to sneak a shower in a public pool or use the incredibly dirty and freezing cold showers halfway houses had. Not only did Xelios have working hot water, he also had access to it whenever he wanted, so he took a lot of long showers. He was almost always in there for a good twenty minutes to half an hour, simply letting the hot water wash over him. They were as mentally cleansing as they were physically. He felt like he was slowly washing away all of the bad things he had seen and done and experienced, which was making way for all of the new and better experiences he was going to have. Wet hair sticking to his face, Xelios shuffled his way from the bathroom to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He was confident with his body, but he wasn’t about to let his room mates see him naked.

He threw on a pair of boxers and clean pants, which were jeans that were torn at the bottoms and had large holes in the knees. They were old and faded and probably the most together pair he currently owned. Despite all of Robin’s insisting, he still refused to let her buy him nicer things. He didn’t want a cell phone like she had offered and he didn’t have his own computer. He was fine with the few clothes that he had, even the ones that didn’t fit him properly. Perhaps after a little more adjusting he would be willing to let her buy him things, but for now he would continue to be stubborn. A plain grey muscle shirt went on next, a little long on him since it had belonged to a friend of his. He opened his door once again and laid down on the floor of his room using his towel as a pillow, a book on Charles Lyell in his hand. No matter how many times he had tried to lay down on that bed he could never bring himself to stay there for too long. At night time he always ended up curling up on the floor beside it, where he was now actually. He liked being low to the ground, so perhaps he should just move the mattress there. He thought more than he read, pondering over whether or not he should attend an RSOR meeting. What would he get out of going?

words: 724
outfit: jeans, grey wifebeater
lyrics: the clash, all the young punks
notes: - - -

[Oliver Lee Winchester]

Even as a child, Oliver was never really into Barney or Sesame Street or anything of the like. TV always struck him as weird, and he'd always been more interested in what made a TV run than what was actually on the TV.

The exceptions came in the form of the Discovery Channel. The news was okay too. He'd never really been one to get into all of the intricate dramas and sitcoms that showed on prime time TV. He could get enough of that from movies and books. However, the Discovery Channel suited his interests just fine.

At this particular moment in time, the high school freshman was perched atop his bunk watching a special aptly named 'World's Most Extreme Airports'. It was, surprise surprise, about the world's most extreme airports. Oliver had a blast watching this, not just for the airports, but for the planes themselves. It was amazing to see just how much planes had improved over the past century...and how stupid people could still be. At one of the airports, tourists would stand near a fence and hang on for dear life as the jet blast hit them. Evidently they did this for fun. Well, he knew pilots who liked to pull tricks in planes that weren't capable of such tricks for fun too, and where were they now? Dead.

...of course, they'd have been long dead by now anyway, even if they hadn't died in crashes a century before. However, they certainly would have lived quite a while longer if they had just listened to his advice, or his brother's advice. Surely they had to have some idea of what they were talking about, considering they were not only the bosses of these men, but also the creators and inventors of the machines that they were flying around in. Evidently that wasn't enough, though.

However, only half of Oliver's attention was on the TV screen. The other half was on a small little toy in his hand, in the shape of a helicopter. It was rather simplistic in nature, with a couple of fans, a piece of wood, and a rubber band. Nevertheless, it was something very near and dear to Oliver's heart, a leftover from not his childhood in this lifetime, but his first childhood. It was a memory of his real father, his real family. And it really wasn't that hard to make either, as evidenced by the fact that two young boys had managed to build and rebuild it several times in the late 1800s. Of course, things considered, that didn't necessarily mean that it would be easy for a normal child to build.

Oliver gave the little helicopter a spin, and watched as it floated up toward the ceiling. He tilted his head upward to watch it seemingly float atop the air. He knew it had to do with the force generated by the rubber band and propellers. That didn't stop him from being captivated by it. One hundred and thirty years, and he was still captivated by it. The little toy helicopter lingered in the air for about twenty seconds, before dropping to the ground at another boy's feet. Said boy was laying on the ground, something that Oliver had come to expect from his new roommate. He supposed these odd behaviors should have suggested to him that his roommate was indeed a reincarnate, but evidently Isabella had beaten him to the punch. That was fine by him, of course. He didn't want to be stuck with all of the recruiting in the school, after all.

Oliver jumped down from his spot on the bunk and walked over to where the other boy was. He knew that this particular roommate was a reincarnate, but he did not know who the boy was a reincarnate of just yet. He intended to find that out soon enough.

"I don't think we've talked much, which is kind of sad considering we'll be sharing this room for the rest of the year."[/color] Oliver bent down and took a seat, cross-legged, by the other male. "So let's start, shall we? I'm Oliver, though I'd prefer that for now at least, and as long as we're not in the company of any 'normals', you call me Orville."[/color] He extended a hand for the other boy to shake. Politeness was key.

Word count: 746
To: Dee/Xelios
Notes: This is going to be an interesting room. =)

[xelios]

FACE FRONT YOU GOT THE FUTURE
shining like a piece of gold

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • OLIVER WINCHESTER ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

The past year had been full of a lot of big changes for Xelios. He hadn’t fully understood that he was Charles Darwin until he had met Robin, and until that point had been one very confused fellow. He remembered being a kid and saying that Darwin’s theories were his, but he never understood why he said those things. He had been slow to grasp the idea of being Darwin in the body of a child. Really, Xelios was still struggling with the idea of being a reincarnation. It made a lot of sense, because he had never really known who he was as a child. He had never really had an identity to himself nor did he have one on paper until Robin came around. He knew his names, but he didn’t understand what it meant to feel that he had two of them. For someone who had been so intelligent in his first life he had been really slow with being a reincarnation. There had been no moment of realization where he went “Hey, I get it now!” He still hadn’t had that moment either. Perhaps when he was officially recruited to RSOR and attended a meeting or two he would be able to figure things out and understand himself some more. Until then he was fine with waiting and questioning, since he had been doing it for so long.

Of course, none of that uncertainty showed. Xelios had developed a talent for appearing perfectly fine on the outside. He was one of those people who had a hint of something deep in his eyes, but otherwise appeared perfectly content or neutral. Xelios didn’t show a lot of emotion, and he never really had. He certainly couldn’t show that he was questioning himself, because that would not have ended well. He had been a street kid; he still felt like a street kid. He couldn’t show any sort of weakness when he spent each day literally fighting to survive. That wasn’t how it worked. Ironic that he had had to spend half of his life in the streets struggling to survive when he had written Survival of the Fittest. It was a poetic irony, and he rather liked it. As confused about himself as he was, there was one thing he did know for sure, and that was that he was a very strong person. A little lost, mind you, but strong none the less. He could make it seem like he was oh so confident and collected when he wasn’t so sure, and he could put a lot of what had happened to him behind him. It no longer bothered Xelios that he had been thrown out at such a young age. He was actually thankful for what his parents had done.

Lost in thought and in the book he was reading, Xelios only just barely noticed something fall at his feet. His reaction wad delayed, finishing his paragraph first before sitting up. Carefully, he placed the book upside down on the floor so his place in it was still kept, inspecting the little helicopter with curious eyes. He didn’t pick it up, he just looked at it, bringing his legs in so they were crossed and his forearms rested on his knees. Xelios’s dark grey eyes moved over to the boy who jumped off of the bunk, assuming the helicopter was his since their other room mate was off doing Lord knows what. When the guy, whose name escaped him at this time, implied that they should talk more he couldn’t help but groan on the inside. Xelios didn’t really like talking, not at first. He preferred solitude, though once he got used to a person he was usually alright. He simply nodded as he watched the boy sit down, taking his hand and shaking but doing so cautiously. “I’m Xelios, Charles, but I prefer Xelios,”

[/color] he replied with slight hesitation between each thought. [/justify] [/blockquote]words: 658
outfit: jeans, grey wifebeater
lyrics: the clash, all the young punks
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Oliver Lee Winchester]

One thing that Oliver was quickly learning was that reincarnation seemed to impact everyone differently. There were some that seemed to reject the idea entirely at first, like Kimaya, though usually that was influenced by outside sources. Then there were some that seemed to realize that something was up, but had yet to put a name to what they were experiencing. The final camp seemed to embrace it with open arms. Oliver felt into the last camp.

Oliver had known something was 'off' from a young age. Experience had a bit to do with it, of course, but Oliver received more hints from the people around him than from within himself at this age. Sure, sometimes he looked in the mirror and expected to see his old reflection, but that wasn't quite as poignant as what he saw from others.

Everyone had reacted so strangely at the airport when he started talking to a pilot on break between flights. It wasn't the normal conversation that a child would have with a pilot. He was not asking the pilot how his plane worked, but rather seemed to be explaining to pilot how it worked! Both pilot and parents struggled to find an explanation for Oliver's knowledge. First, the pilot assumed that someone in the family had to be a pilot and was teaching Oliver how everything worked. Once the Winchesters smashed down that theory, they suggested that perhaps Oliver had gotten his knowledge from watching TV.

Asking the boy himself resulted in an answer of I just know and a small smile, at which the discussion was dropped but facial expressions showed that everyone was still contemplating. While Oliver didn't consider it at all odd that he knew about the mechanics of an airplane - he'd built one, after all - this was the first time he'd noticed that grown-ups and even other kids didn't quite understand.

As he grew older, he began to realize that he needed to keep his musings to himself. His parents insisted that he didn't have the siblings that he insisted that he had, and his mother's reaction to his questions of adoption resulted in tears, yet no admittance. It was confusing! All the evidence seemed to point to having another family, yet his parents would not come out and admit that he was adopted. As he grew even older he began to recognize for himself that these experiences had to have some other explanation besides adoption. He had memories of an adult. He tried to explain these off as 'daydreams', but that wasn't what they were and by that stage he was at the point where he knew it.

This was why he'd recruited Cindy for help. He did not want to share his thoughts with his parents, who he still caught conversing in the kitchen about Oliver's oddities as a child. At least by this point they'd passed off his questions about brothers and a sister, and adoption, as a phase, though this was only because Oliver had become rather skilled at hiding it. Cindy, on the other hand, seemed intrigued by all of Oliver's thoughts and stories. Again, now that he looked back, he realized that she'd likely shown such an interest because she'd gone through similar experiences herself, but at age eleven that wasn't his primary thought. No, his primary thought was that he had someone to talk to!

Then the day came where Oliver finally had his 'aha' moment. Sixth grade science, school project. He was thrilled to finally have an explanation for what was going on, even if his one attempt to share it with someone backfired in his face. Or so he thought. He felt a pang of anger that he was quick to push aside. He did not want to hold this against Cindy, but it was hard at times. Three years of feeling as though he was completely alone in his endeavors, when he had someone who could relate to him the next room over.

Then, he mused, she likely felt the same way...

The other teen was gazing at his helicopter at this point. Oliver was seized with the urge to yank it out of the other boy's grasp, but was able to resist this urge. "You can pick it up if you want."[/color] Oliver indicated, still not entirely sure if he wanted the other boy playing with his handiwork, lest he break it, but reminding himself that it was only a little toy helicopter. A little toy helicopter that took him back to the days of his first childhood, but a little toy helicopter nonetheless.

He noted that the other boy seemed cautious as he introduced himself. Oliver knew that feeling all too well. It struck him as a bit odd that the boy indicated that he preferred to be known by his current name, but to each his own. "Nice to meet you, Xelios. Heard you're a new recruit to RSOR as well."[/color] Straight to business. Well, Oliver had to dilly dally around with so many others, it felt nice to be able to discuss RSOR with someone straight off the bat. It was a bit blunt, but Oliver grew tired of playing around at times. Isa had indicated that she'd already recruited him. "Joan's awesome, but you have to watch your back around her. Certainly don't call her shortstop, I learned that the hard way."[/color] He grinned at this point. He might have gotten hit over the head, but at least he'd gotten to her. "She deserved it though, all of those Wright puns..."[/color] He added with a mutter.

Word count: 944
To: Dee/Xelios
Notes: This came out kinda long, probably because I did a lot of rambling about his history. XD Sorry about that.

[xelios]

FACE FRONT YOU GOT THE FUTURE
shining like a piece of gold

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • OLIVER WINCHESTER ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

The more Xelios thought back to his previous life, the more he remembered. For the most part, Xelios had been too busy thinking of ways to survive to bother looking back on his life. Or in this case his lives. He hadn’t had a lot of time to sit and think to himself, which had played a big part in why it was taking him so long to accept being a reincarnate. It made a lot of sense now that he did think about it. It wasn’t that Xelios was in denial, because he most certainly wasn’t, it was that he didn’t really have an opinion on what that meant. The only opinion he really had as of yet was amusement about the irony of him being a street kid and having developed the theory of survival of the fittest. How right was he as far as that theory went? Though, Xelios could now easily recall dying the first time around from a disease people still couldn’t identify. The more Xelios thought, the more he understood and the more he made sense to himself. There were no more identity issues and no more “Who am I?” sort of questions. It was nice, and he had to admit that he felt a little superior for being Charles Darwin.

He had changed a lot since that life time though. He remembered the man he was back then and then looked at who he was now and was always surprised by what he saw. He was so different now. His personality had changed so much since his first lifetime. Xelios couldn’t help but wonder if any of the other reincarnates here at Riverdale experienced the same thing. He wondered if their upbringing had changed them as anyone else as drastically as his had done to him. It would be nice to have someone to relate to, though he had to get recruited to find that out first. He was, yes, eager for that to happen. He wanted it to be official, but he was also happy waiting for that to happen. He was patient, probably as patient as a person could be. It gave him time to ponder over who he was, after all, and that sort of pondering was always the most challenging and worthwhile. He actually liked how much he had changed, and what about him was different. He liked being more reserved and “wise beyond his years”, as he had heard from so many of the people he had met for just a fleeting moment. Really, the only thing that had stayed with him was how blunt he could be, which was perfectly fine with him.

Xelios stared at the tiny toy helicopter in silence, admiring it with a neutral expression on his face. Well, as neutral as his face could be, since the things he went through were always expressed in his eyes. Xelios had that “tortured soul” thing going on that the girls in Hollywood movies always chased after. That was such bullshit. He had been one of those “tortured soul” guys his entire life and it never once got him a girlfriend. That wasn’t important though. What was was the little helicopter, an invention that he had only seen in this life. Planes hadn’t been invented yet when he was alive the first time, so it intrigued him quite intently. He simply stared at it for a while, pondering over how such a thing could work. The tutor Robin had got for him so he could catch up on the school he missed had only taught him the basics; just enough to get him to legally pass the grades. He had been taught the basics of aerodynamics and he new more than enough about physics, but technology was completely lost on him. Tucking hair behind his ears first, he picked it up as carefully as he could. He held it between his thumb and his index finger quite daintily, simply handing it over to his room mate with that same neutral expression.

The next thing Xelios did was lean back against the bed so he was now facing Oliver completely, his legs stretching out in front of him and one arm grabbing the book back up. He marked his place with a scrap of paper and closed it, setting it down beside him. He could easily read and converse, but he felt that that would come across as rude. His hands then moved to his sides, palms flat on the ground as he shrugged. “Sort of,”

[/color] he replied. “It’s been mentioned to me, but I’m not officially a member yet,”[/color] he admitted. “I knew about it coming to this school, so it’s a matter of waiting for the technicalities to be done and over with,”[/color] he added indifferently. His reserved nature was getting the best of him, though it did help to hide how confused he was by the next thing Oliver, Orville, said. He had to remind himself that Isabella was Joan, and he understood the short joke, since he was an even six feet. It was the Wright puns comment that he was clueless about. He simply nodded and pretended like he understood. “Who else is in the RSOR?”[/color] he asked to change the subject, really hoping that Charles Lyell was there. That would make his life. Well, this lifetime’s life. [/justify] [/blockquote]words: 900
outfit: jeans, grey wifebeater
lyrics: the clash, all the young punks
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Oliver Lee Winchester]

Oliver was quite similar to the way that he was before, though he once again attributed this to his upbringing. Though his mother and father often grew exasperated at the things that their son did, they were still accepting of him and did not try to squash his creativity and curiosity too much. Of course, they set limits. No touching Daddy's computer, no adjusting water fountains in school to spray teachers, but overall they were pretty accepting of their son for who he was, at least personality-wise.

There were other quirks that they tried to rid Oliver of, however. And, as far as they knew, they'd succeeded. No more mentions of older brothers and a younger sister. No more "pretending" that his name was Orville, or asking if he was adopted. While the Winchesters were more than likely convinced that their son simply grew out of a strange phase, Oliver had just learned to hide it from them.

Though he could hide the more obvious aspects, he could not hide who he was entirely. He was still a kid who had an uncanny aptitude for mechanical things, a kid who seemed way too smart for his age about some things...and a kid who sat in a secluded corner of the library jotting down corrections for the tail rudder on early Wright aircraft. This action caught the attention of one of the RSOR leaders, now one of Oliver's good friends (as well as his sister's), and the same teenage girl that, from the sound of it, recruited the boy sitting before him. Funny how things worked out like that. That same girl was recruited by Oliver's older sister, who in turn recruited him.

The other boy continued to study the helicopter, causing Oliver to study him in turn. While the boy maintained a completely neutral expression on his face, and remained silent (frustrating Oliver, who was trying to figure out what was going on in his head), he could tell by the eyes that the boy was still studying the little helicopter. Still, even as he picked it up, Xelios did not say anything to Oliver, though he did notice that Xelios was being extremely careful with the little toy. Oliver took the toy, smiling a little at his roommate. "Oh, don't worry about breaking it. I can always make another."[/color] Oliver set the helicopter to the side. He certainly wasn't at all careful with it. He had no need to be. He and Wilbur had learned long before that the toy could be easily rebuilt after it was broken. At least by the two youngest Wright boys, but that was a bit relative.

Oliver was surprised to learn that Xelios knew of the RSOR before even coming to Riverdale. "Never heard of that before, though I suppose it happens. How did you find out about it before coming here?"[/color] The only answer that even made sense in this regard was that he heard it from another reincarnate. The topic of conversation made Oliver feel a bit bitter however, as he was reminded that he could have very well been prepared for RSOR recruitment as well if his sister had simply warned him of it.

Then again, it was such a relief to finally have her around again.

Oliver had no problem with the change of subject and simply went along with it, as his comments had only served to make conversation anyway. As conversation was being made in other fashions, there was no need for small talk in that regard. At least, not for the time being. "Well, Joan of Arc...that's Isabella, you've already met her."[/color] Might as well start with the basics. Realizing that he had never fully introduced himself, he figured he'd better go with that next. "Orville Wright...that's me."[/color]

The next parts would be a bit harder, as he wasn't sure who all Xelios had come across yet or not. As a matter of fact, he came to the realization that he did not even know who Xelios himself was a reincarnation of. His name was Charles, yes, but Charles was a common name. The names of Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, and Charles Lindbergh were the first three that popped into mind...logically because they were all around his time. Charles Lindbergh would certainly be a rather interesting one, although he highly doubted that was the case. Oliver had met Charles Lindbergh before - they'd been on friendly terms - and Xelios wasn't giving off that familiar vibe that he would expect. So that left Dickens or Darwin.

"I'll just start naming names, I guess. We have Saladin, now known as Iskander Rafel. Wang Cong'er is Jennah Advani. Susan B. Anthony is Chelsea Simmons, Bonnie Parker is Natalia Kruske, Clyde Barrow is Carter Randolph, Thomas Edison is Daniel Ingot, fairly certain my science partner Kimaya is Anne Frank..."[/color] Oliver gave a light shrug. "My sister in this life, Cindy, is in it too...she's Harriet Quimby."[/color] He decided to leave it there, to give Xelios time to process everything. He was bombarding the other guy with a lot of names, after all, which would no doubt require a bit of processing. "I'm new myself, so I haven't met everyone yet. Isabella's probably your best bet if you're looking for someone in particular, seeing as she's on the leader's panel and all."[/color]

Word count: 954
To: Dee/Xelios
Notes: Wow, this started off slow but grew in size really quickly. XD

[xelios]

FACE FRONT YOU GOT THE FUTURE
shining like a piece of gold

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • OLIVER WINCHESTER ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

One of the things Xelios wondered most about the RSOR and the people he would eventually meet within it was if anyone else had had to face something similar to him. He highly doubted any of the kids he was going to meet had ever flat out stated that they were a reincarnation of someone famous like he had ended up doing with Robin, but he still couldn’t help but wonder if anyone had been exiled, for lack of a better word, for not being what their parents had expected. Xelios could remember as clear as day the first year he spent on his own. For a long time thinking about what his family had done had infuriated him. It seemed extreme, even for them, to throw out a child at such a young age. They didn’t even have the courtesy to have him move in with a relative. While he was over all of that now, Xelios had harboured some very spiteful feelings about his parents for a long time. It had pretty much taken being stabbed and saved by Robin for Xelios to realize that it had only made him a stronger person. If he had lived with them in their carefully controlled environment obeying their wishes and allowing them to shelter him, he would be a pretty weak person mentally and physically. At least now he had proof that his theory of survival of the fittest was true.

How many fist fights had he gotten into in his life time? Far too many to count. He had had permanently scarred knuckles from throwing punches incorrectly and he was pretty sure he had dislocated his wrist several times from a bad hit. Street kids were brutal and cruel because they had to be, himself included. He might not look like much, but hidden in those scrawny looking arms was muscle that he knew how to use. He knew the body’s weak points, so fighting had always been easy. In most cases he would throw a punch to the throat and call it a night, but that hadn’t always been available to do. He didn’t like fighting though. He had never liked it, but you did what you had to under his circumstances. Quite frankly, Xelios was still quite nervous about running into some of his old “buddies”. He doubted any of them would ever stay in Riverdale long enough to find him, assuming they even passed through here, but it was still a liable fear. Then again, he had decided to stay here. Mind you, he decided to stay because he had no money for a bus ticket but that was beside the point.

Being smiled at always felt weird to him, but he could never be sure why. In some sense he almost felt bad for not smiling in return. The only time he really smiled was with Robin, because she selflessly took care of him even though he didn’t always need it. Xelios literally owed that woman his life, so of course he allowed her to see a grin on his face whenever she asked for one. The only reason he was in the dorms rather than her house was because he felt so bad for invading her space and eating all of her food. “My…”

[/color] he started to answer before a perplexed expression formed on his face. He chewed his lip and looked to the floor as he thought of how he should word this. “My guardian’s brother went here,”[/color] he finally answered. He had never seen the point in Robin officially adopting him if he was going to be considered an “adult” by government standards in a year. He wasn’t in the foster system yet, and she wasn’t approved as a foster parent, and by the time the papers were all processed he would be out of the system because he was too old. He supposed he could stick with calling her his guardian. “He didn’t really tell me much, just what it stood for,”[/color] he shrugged indifferently. “I don’t really know what…it does…what it’s for,”[/color] he stammered before trailing off quietly. Oh Xelios, your social skills are amazing.

He gave a little nod when Oliver explained things a little better. “Uh, yeah, sort of. We didn’t talk much, I think I offended her. Now I know why,”[/color] he stated, still a little awkward. There was a light flush to his cheeks from realizing why their conversation had ended as it had. She was Joan of Arc, he didn’t believe in religion. “Orville Wright, like the Wright Brothers?”[/color] he clarified. “Sorry. I don’t know very many…um…people from after I…died,”[/color] he admitted. “I missed a lot of school when I was younger, and catching up I was only taught the basics. I’m supposed to be a senior, to be honest,”[/color] he added. He hated having to admit all of this to someone, but it was needed in this case. Thankfully Oliver started listing off names of people, which gave Xelios time to try and feel less awkward. He desperately needed to work on his social skills. He knew almost all of the names that were listed off, the ones he didn’t recognized being stored in the back of his mind for when he had a chance to pass by the library. And then Xelios realized something. He had only given his first name. “Charles Darwin,”[/color] he finally clarified.[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 903
outfit: jeans, grey wifebeater
lyrics: the clash, all the young punks
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Oliver Lee Winchester]

Oliver, to be quite honest, could not fathom parents who would even do such a thing. Granted, the Winchesters weren't quite as encouraging of the tinkering as the Wrights were (then again, he did not have a mother who tinkered and made some of her own devices around the house this time around either), but they did not make too much of an effort to stop him either. He'd had a good childhood both times, with easygoing parents, despite all the awkward scenarios of this childhood.

Therefore, his first assumption when Xelios referred to the woman taking care of him as his "guardian" was not that she was indeed only his guardian in this lifetime, but that he was simply referring to her that way because she was not his original mother. The pause only seemed to further back-up his theory, when in reality it had to do with something else entirely. He might have asked more had he not been distracted by the forefront of what Xelios was saying. If his guardian's brother went there, and referred him to the RSOR... "So he's a reincarnate, I'd guess?"[/color]

Just a few weeks prior, Oliver would have been jealous to hear of two cases of reincarnation within the same family (though, of course, it wasn't quite like that at all in Xelios' case, but how was he to know at this point?). Now, it just made him smile a little.

Oliver could tell that Xelios was uncomfortable. It perplexed him slightly, though he could not help but let loose a small snicker as Xelios explained his meeting with Isabella. "You think you offended her? Oh yes, never mention fire around her either. She's a bit touchy about that subject as well."[/color] Unfortunately, Oliver had a habit of pushing all of Isabella's buttons. Sometimes he did it on purpose, though sometimes it came completely unintentionally. It was almost always entertaining, however, as long as no one ended up hurt.

He simply nodded when Xelios asked for confirmation as to his identity. "Yep, that's me."[/color] He shook his head with a small smile as Xelios proceeded to start to apologize. "Don't need to apologize."[/color] He paused. The other boy had missed a lot of school. What did that mean? People usually didn't miss school unless there was a reason. Oliver, of course, could not even dare to guess at this point that the boy before him had not attended school since elementary school age.

Lucky for past life knowledge, eh?

"That's unfortunate. Who..."[/color]

Oliver paused as he received the answer to the very question he was about to ask - The original identity of his roommate. So, Xelios was Charles Darwin reincarnated. It took all of about two seconds for Oliver to realize what this meant for his relationship with Isabella - and what exactly he was making a reference to earlier with offending her. He started to laugh at once.

"You...you argued with her about religion, didn't you?"[/color] He continued to chuckle, though more subdued this time. He could only hope that Isabella had taken Xelios' words with a grain of salt, and was not too angry with him for any mentions of the possibility of God not existing. Shaking his head, Oliver let out a small sigh. He figured Xelios did not want to discuss the subject too much, so he would switch. "How long have you been here in Riverdale?"[/color] Oliver figured it couldn't have been long - either that or Xelios was good at disguising that he was a reincarnate. However, his words seemed to suggest that he was new in town. He seemed to have come to Riverdale High for the purpose of exploring the RSOR, after all.

Word count: 629
To: Dee/Xelios
Notes: Shorter. >.<

[xelios]

FACE FRONT YOU GOT THE FUTURE
shining like a piece of gold

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • OLIVER WINCHESTER ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

When it came to Xelios’s views on religion, he wasn’t entirely against the idea that there was a God. He wasn’t an atheist by any means and never fully denied the existence of a higher power. Agnostic was a far better term for what Xelios believed. What Xelios didn’t understand was why all religions were not equally as valid as one another, a belief he remembered talking about with his wife in his first life. While he saw it as a farfetched idea, yes, he couldn’t deny the possibility that deities may exist. To him, religion seemed more like a survival strategy in which God was the definitive lawgiver. Of course, as a child he had had a very poor way of stating these opinions. He was conflicted between the old and wise mind he had died with in his previous life and the child’s mind he had had while still living with his parents. He had been young and foolish with the way he worded himself. Stating that religion was all false had not been his most shining moment in this second lifetime, but he felt that he had made up for it. Xelios couldn’t help but wonder, just for a moment, what they would say to him if they saw him now. It would most likely be the same considering how bigoted they were. If they were going to stick so closely to the Bible they could at least modernize themselves a bit, considering the Old Testament banned blended fabrics and football.

He gave a small nod, feeling a little awkward and wishing he could be left alone for the time being. He was much more recluse in this lifetime, there was no denying that. “Yeah,”

[/color] he replied, not enjoying how personal this conversation was getting. He didn’t want to talk about himself and this seemed to be where the conversation was going. He wasn’t going to complain though; he needed to get to know his room mates eventually. He couldn’t go about being a loner forever, after all. “I never asked who of,”[/color] he shrugged indifferently. He hadn’t seemed important at the time and he had been too concerned about other things. He gave another little nod at the tip about fire. “Understandably so,”[/color] he remarked pensively, processing all of this new information and making mental notes for future reference. He really hadn’t intended to antagonize Isabella, he just enjoyed hearing her opinion. He had enjoyed debating with her and he definitely wanted to hear more of what she had to say in the future.

A perplexed look crossed his face when his room mate started to laugh, confused as to why the other was so amused. He wanted to ask but was a little too confused to do so, so instead he listened. “I wasn’t arguing, I was…”[/color] he paused in mid sentence, trying to find the best way to put it. “Having a slightly heated debate. I don’t disagree with her, I just enjoyed the conversation,”[/color] he admitted, almost smiling but not quite. As said, he had never truly denied the existence of God. “How long?”[/color] he repeated quietly, tapping his chin with his index finger as he did the math in his head. “A little over a year. I spent a few months on my own and then I moved in with my guardian, Robin, and caught up on the school that I missed,”[/color] he explained vaguely. He didn’t exactly want to admit to being a street kid, nor did he want to admit to having been stabbed and left there. They weren’t pleasant thoughts to think. “I just sort of…wound up here, actually. I was on a bus and ran out of fair,”[/color] he shrugged, though the idea amused him slightly. The only reason he was here was because he had run out of money. Funny how life turned out like that.[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 650
outfit: jeans, grey wifebeater
lyrics: the clash, all the young punks
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Oliver Lee Winchester]

Oliver would have to be lacking in an incredible amount of observation not to realize that Xelios was feeling uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed. Honestly, Oliver couldn't say that he entire blamed the guy. He'd never felt all that nervous talking to someone one on one. It was when crowds came that he became nervous. Public speaking might have been one of the most common fears, but an almost paralyzing fear of public speaking when one is famous can be that much worse.

That was one relief that came with a new life - The most he'd had to do along the lines of public speaking was standing in front of a classroom and giving a report.

Knowing Xelios' feelings all too well, he decided to lay off of the his roommate a bit. He nodded in response to Xelios' comment about Joan. "Very much. I, unfortunately, have a nasty habit of making allusions to fire when she's around, usually not intentionally."[/color] Once again, Oliver looked a bit sheepish. In all honesty, it probably wasn't so much that Oliver made more allusions to fire than the average person (except when he made them on purpose, of course), but more the fact that Isabella was hypersensitive to any mention of fire. Still, it made him feel a bit guilty every time he did it.

Oliver regained most of his composure when he saw the perplexed look on Xelios' face at his laughter. He still grinned as Xelios attempted to defend himself, and to set the record straight. "The question is, did she enjoy the conversation as well? If so, I'd say you're probably in her good books."[/color] Isabella could be hotheaded at times, but she was fairly open-minded, he had to give her that much. The only type of people she seemed unwilling to accept were reincarnated serial killers, and really, who could blame her for that one?

"On your own? What..."[/color] Oliver stopped himself. Though he was immensely curious as to what that meant, he did not want to sound rude, and he did not want to make Xelios any more uncomfortable. Last but not least, he certainly didn't want this to come off like some press interview. He already had to do enough 'interviews' when recruiting. He loved to do it, and sometimes had fun playing word games and dropping hints, but most of the time he was antsy and ready to get down to business. It felt nice to just have a simple conversation with another reincarnate, and though obviously they would get to know each other better as time went on (being roomies and all), he did not want to pressure Xelios into sharing more than he wanted to. He picked up the little flying toy once more and began to play with it as he pondered where to go next with this conversation.

It did strike him that perhaps Robin wasn't Xelios' mother after all, however, a hint of Xelios' true origins. Oliver and Cindy both referred to their parents by first name when conversing with each other now, but the way Xelios described it was different. He highly doubted that Xelios would be living on his own in Riverdale for a few months before his own mother took him in. Therefore, all signs pointed to Robin being an actual guardian.

"I've been here a couple of years. We moved the summer before I entered 7th grade."[/color] At least Ed and Judy Winchester had the sense to make the move during the summer rather than in the middle of the school year. "I think my sister joined RSOR that year, but she didn't tell me."[/color] There was a hint of bitterness in Oliver's voice as he said this. He was trying his darndest not to hold this against Cindy, but there were still resonating negative feelings there. After all, imagine how much less awkward things would have been for those few years between his discovery at age eleven and his admittance in the RSOR if he'd just known.

Letting out a sigh, Oliver twisted the rubber band on the toy and let it loose into the air once more. "What were you reading, by the way?"[/color] Might as well throw some small talk in. There was never any harm in that, was there?

Word count: 766
To: Dee/Xelios
Notes: Tried to have him go a bit easier on Xelios. XD

[xelios]

FACE FRONT YOU GOT THE FUTURE
shining like a piece of gold

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • OLIVER WINCHESTER ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

It wasn’t that Xelios was afraid to talk to people, it was that he simply wasn’t used to people wanting to hear about him. When he had lived on the streets no one cared about his story, they just cared that he showed his worth among the gang he had been in. Where he had come from didn’t matter, so long as he pulled his weight. He had never done a lot of talking with the people he had grown close to and next to none of them had really known anything other than his name. They never really got personal with one another, because there was no telling who would last. Getting close to people was not a very smart idea, since so many of the people he had known died of malnutrition, being beaten, or were put into juvenile hall and never seen again. Xelios wasn’t used to people actually wanting to get to know who he was, and the change made him uncomfortable. He was never sure what to say and how much he should give them. Public speaking for a presentation was easy, but if it became about himself he would crawl into his shell.

Reading a person definitely wasn’t something Xelios was good at doing. He could read into them enough, but only if it was something he was experienced in. He could usually tell if someone had had a rough or abusive life, since he knew the signs of that, but he couldn’t see the more simple things. He had to actually think about whether or not Isabella had enjoyed the conversation or not. “I…uh….I’m not sure,”

[/color] he admitted as he brushed stray strands of hair out of his face and eyes. Now that he knew who Isa was he could see what parts of the conversation he could have done better, and he was planning on not making those mistakes again. He could understand her sensitivity to fire and made a mental note not to mention it, just in case he upset her. Somehow upsetting a saint didn’t sound too appealing, even if he didn’t necessarily believe in that stuff.

Again, his thoughts came back to how much he should tell Oliver about his life. Should be continue being vague and simply move on to another topic, or should he be a little more personal? He sat in silence for a while, staring down at the floor and pondering over what he was expected to say to this. After a long and slightly awkward moment of silence he gave a small nod. “On my own,”[/color] he repeated. “I haven’t had family since I was eight,”[/color] he started to explain a little bit. “So I’ve been on my own for a long time,”[/color] he shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. It really wasn’t, because a lot of kids were on the streets. Most people never took the time to actually look, and a lot of the time they didn’t look homeless, but they were there. They were invisible to society, and he wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the students in his class were in a similar position to him. His gaze moved back to meet Oliver’s, his nervousness dying down a little bit now that he had finally figured out something to say.

Xelios pretty much ignored Oliver’s talk of his move, especially the bitterness that even he could hear when he mentioned his sister. Having been apart from his family so long, he didn’t have anything to really say on the matter. Instead he focused on the small talk. “A biography on Charles Lyell,”[/color] he answered easily. “He was a very close and influential friend of mine,”[/color] he explained in a fond tone. Xelios would be lying to say that he didn’t want to run into his old friend somewhere in Riverdale. He liked to think that it would make things so much easier on him if he had someone familiar to talk to. The Wright brothers had been after his time, and Joan had been well before. He wanted someone who had known him and someone who could see how much he had changed.[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 696
outfit: jeans, grey wifebeater
lyrics: the clash, all the young punks
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Oliver Lee Winchester]

Oliver pondered on the matter of Isabella. He hadn't heard her ranting about Xelios yet, which was a plus...but then, it wasn't as though he'd seen her all that recently either. She was only a friend of his through the RSOR, and though they kept up conversation through voicemail and in the RSOR room, they really did not see each other much outside of that. In all honesty, Oliver would hazard a guess that Isabella was closer to his older sister.

"Well, I haven't heard anything from her about it, which is a good sign."[/color] Oliver indicated with a mild shrug and chuckle. He did not know what else to say on the matter, and thus he was perfectly fine with a change in subject. Though the conversation certainly took a turn that he was not expecting, never having been through such a situation in either of his lives.

"I see."[/color] Oliver responded to Xelios explanation. He looked contemplative at this point. He was curious, and wanted to know more, but at the same time did not want to put Xelios on the spot. Not to mention it was a tad rude in the first place. It wasn't as though Oliver was recruiting, so he didn't really need to continue prodding for information. He opted to let the subject drop. Xelios could continue on if he wanted to, but Oliver didn't want the onus to be on him.

To Oliver, it did not particularly matter that Xelios declined to comment on his own experiences coming to Riverdale. Oliver had only thrown in that bit to make conversation anyway. The conversation was naturally flowing in another direction with Oliver's next question, so he was happy to let this fall by the wayside.

There was a marked difference in the way Xelios responded to this question as opposed to other questions Oliver had sent his way, if you asked Oliver anyway. He seemed hesitant with the questions about his own life, but he answered easily when Oliver inquired as to his reading material. Oliver decided to stick with the small talk from then on, unless Xelios took control of the conversation and pushed it back toward his personal life. That seemed unlikely to happen, though, and Oliver was perfectly content with small talk.

"Charles Lyell?"[/color] Oliver repeated after Darwin...Xelios. He noted the fond tone, and surmised that Charles Lyell was likely a man that Xelios had known in his previous life. His further statements only proved this theory, as Oliver highly doubted there would be biographies published about a close and influential friend in this lifetime. They were teenagers, after all.

Oliver pondered, an idea slowly coming to formation within his mind. Isabella looked up Wilbur for him in the RSOR records. Likely, she could do the same with any other historical figure. Perhaps he could even do so himself, or Xelios could, but Oliver did not know anything of the security surrounding the records of RSOR. Perhaps everything was open domain in the RSOR room, or perhaps it was only leaders that could access it. At the very least, he could ask. "You know, there are records for current and previous members of RSOR in the RSOR room. I could ask Joan if she'd look him up for you."[/color] It was worth a shot at least, wasn't it?

Word count: 587
To: Dee/Xelios
Notes: I dunno.