[Noah St Cloud]

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[attr="class","Noahpostname"]noah st. cloud

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[attr="class","Noahpostlyric"]But those unsolved answers and secrets[break]
Can only be seen when they spark[break]

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Apparently Felix hadn’t read Green since he was a kid, but Noah wasn’t sure if he believed him. Sure, the book in his room showed signs of age with its cracked spine and its pages dulled to a muted cream, far from the crisp white of a brand-new paperback. But it didn't look forgotten, like a once-loved relic laid to rest. It wasn't coated in a fine layer of dust or stuffed in the bottom of a bookshelf or stacked in the hallways of Felix’s home like countless other books had been. It had been by his bedside. Within reach when Noah had flopped back on dark sheets, curiously drinking in each and every belonging he could find.[break][break]

Then again, maybe that had been from back when he was a kid. The poster, too. Had Felix grown up under the care of his great-aunt, then? Was that his childhood bedroom? It seemed odd to not take the poster down at some point if that were the case, yet maybe Felix simply couldn’t be bothered. Didn’t care enough to redecorate but cared just enough to not let dust gather on the things he’d once left behind.[break][break]

Felix had asked him what else he had read, yet Noah gave no immediate reply, spoon held out expectantly as he waited for him to taste the cream first. Felix glared at it. Noah held firm. And as he’d hoped, Felix was unable to resist and gave in– though not in the obvious way.[break][break]

Noah couldn’t help but chuckle at the little act of defiance. “C'mon, it’s just a spoon,” he cooed, watching intently as Felix swiped up the cream and licked it from his finger instead. “It's not gonna bite you.” It was looking more and more likely that Felix was somewhat of a germaphobe; he hadn't wanted to share a cigarette, either.[break][break]

With that in mind, if Noah were feeling a tad more reckless (read: drunk), he might have snatched Felix’s wrist and lunged over to stick his finger in his mouth. He imagined Felix wouldn't have taken it well. It would’ve been hilarious and so, so worth it if only to see surprise firework in those baby blues before anger or disgust took over. Maybe it was something to try later, when more alcohol could help exaggerate the reaction further…[break][break]

Felix agreed that it was good at least, and Noah made a mental note to ask the bar for a whole canister of the stuff when they decided to leave. He finished off the small remainder of cream on the spoon before abandoning the utensil completely in favour of directly slurping the rest off from the top of his drink.[break][break]

“‘Green’s a bit racy for a kid,” he mused, wiping his thumb over his upper lip to ensure the erasure of any potential foam moustache. He snorted. “Maybe that’s why you liked it. I get it.” Kids were always drawn to the things they knew they weren’t supposed to have. He’d been a prime example of that. And if Felix truly didn't have a deeper reason for liking the book, that practically gave Noah permission to tease him about something that he otherwise would have kept quiet about. A conspiratorial grin played on his lips as he added, “So I will say one word to you: pardine. I hope you’ll consider it for Halloween. We already know the look suits you.”[break][break]

He hummed happily, looking around at the various other patrons on the VIP floor. He hadn’t been planning on telling Felix about all the books of his that he’d read. Some of them, like The Lord of the Rings, he'd owned long before he spied them by Felix’s bed. He’d read them again as a refresher, trying to identify recurring themes across the various series that would clue him into Felix’s reading preferences, but the non-fiction books were a bit different.[break][break]

He’d wanted to keep his reading of them to himself because… he didn’t want Felix to know that he knew. Of the warning signs and red flags that the readers were taught to identify. He didn’t want Felix to know that Noah now knew what to avoid doing, because that could cast doubt upon his sincerity, sowing seeds of suspicion and distrust where there should be none.[break][break]

(Well, maybe there should be a little suspicion, but its existence wouldn't serve Noah's current goals).[break][break]

“Among others, I also read ‘The Gift of Fear’,” he admitted, turning his gaze back to Felix. “Some good advice in there, though my favourite was at the very end: ‘I hope you’ll see hazard only in those storm clouds where it exists and live more fully in the clear skies between them.’” He smiled, lifting his glass slightly and tipping it towards Felix's. “To clear skies, hm? Though I hope you’ll make exceptions for this particular ‘cloud’.”[break][break]

He lifted his glass to his lips and took a long, slow drink, savouring the rich blend of tequila and velvety liqueurs and the familiar warmth that spread through his body with it. The plan had been to ask Felix what he liked about the books, but since he hadn't been too forthcoming about his feelings on Green, Noah supposed starting an impromptu book club wasn't enticing him at that moment. He'd take a step back from the topic. Allow the information to marinate and give Felix the space to mull it over. Perhaps, in time, he might feel inclined to share his thoughts at a later date. Or not.[break][break]

“I have a question about one of your gifts,” Noah declared, putting the drink back down. He leaned in closer, eyes bright. “When you touch something, do you see the events unfold in real time? Or is it a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ sort of deal? Like, could you brush past someone’s shirt for less than a second and view the entire past hour of its existence? Or do you need to hold on for a bit?”[break][break]

[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Felix tsked when Noah reassured him mockingly that the spoon wouldn’t bite. “No, but you might, and I’m not willing to take that chance.” Noah was correct that the book in question was a bit racy, but Felix just shrugged. “Is it? I don’t remember. Could be why I liked it, sure.” Another lie. “Racy” things had never interested him when he was a kid. Quite the opposite, actually. Though he had first read the book when he was a kid, it wasn’t the raciness that had captivated him and kept the book as a favorite all the way until now. It wasn’t even the fascinating exploration of cultures and religions. It was the kinship he’d felt with the main character in many ways. He’d read the book at the library—one of his safe havens away from his father’s house—and he had purchased a copy of his own in his teens once he was living with his uncle and making his own money. Noah continued talking, because of course he did, and Felix wasn’t even surprised when he brought up the catlike people featured in the book; he’d been expecting it. "One word," Felix repeated under his breath with a scoff. "As if you're capable of saying that little." Noah proved him right by alluding to his cat fixation yet again, and Felix fixed him with an unamused look. “And I hope you will consider leaving me out of your kinks. I’m not dressing up like a cat for you, so just forget it. You passed up on your chance to get pictures of me in cat ears; don’t hold your breath that you will get another one.” Noah slurped the rest of the cream from his drink, and Felix watched his tongue dart out to lick it off his top lip afterward, a little jealous. He was tempted to get one of the chocolate drinks for his next round, but he didn’t want to give Noah the satisfaction of acknowledging his good taste. When Noah mentioned the other book he’d read, Felix just nodded in acknowledgement. He didn’t have much to say about that one, either. It was a little too telling that he had those kinds of books beside his bed, but he didn’t have to confirm anything by talking about it. Then Noah quoted a line from the book, and Felix raised a brow at him when he referred to himself as a cloud. Felix thought for a moment that he was implying something about himself in regards to the metaphor, admitting something, really, but then he realized that he was just referring to his surname. He rolled his eyes and took another drink from his glass as Noah did the same. He almost choked on his, though, when Noah put his drink down and suddenly, completely unprompted, brought up his gifts. Swallowing hard to make sure everything went down the right pipe, he placed his own drink deliberately on the table and cast a brief and furtive glance around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. His abilities were right below his sweet tooth on the list of things he couldn't hide from Noah. There was no point in hiding them, anyway, since Noah already knew about them. It was also one of the aspects of who he was that he had shared with others the most, and therefore had the most experience talking about. One of the few aspects of himself he didn’t mind being candid about. Lucky for Noah. He just had to hope that list was as short as he believed it to be. "It depends on the strength of the memories; how much emotion is behind them." He paused and finished off his drink. "Sometimes it's dull, a boring memory, and those can be a bit more stubborn, making me coax them out. Other times it's bright, emotional, and those come to me in a flash. Sometimes even when I'm not looking for them, if they're strong enough." It had only happened a few times in his life, but it was always a shock when it did. He usually hated it, because it was almost always the strong negative emotions that caused that strong of a memory, meaning it was tied to some horrific event that he was forced to see. Not to mention, he hated the reminder of not being in control. "It's sped up, like a movie in fast forward, unless I consciously slow it down and focus on one moment in particular." There was that one notable time that the memory that was forced on him against his will was tied to something much less violent and much more carnal, but he didn't enjoy that any more than he’d enjoyed the horrific memories. If anything he liked it even less; other people’s sex lives had never been of interest to him. Having given Noah more details than he needed to, to sate the other man’s curiosity, he decided to break his own rule and ask Noah questions of his own. "What about you? When you take an ability, how long do you have it for? Is it proximity based or can you keep it even if you end up across town from them? Do you choose to take it, or does it happen automatically when they use it on you? Could you take mine if you wanted to?" He fired the questions off rapid-fire as his curiosity got the better of him for once. He was thinking specifically about his precognition. He would love to give that one away for good. Maybe if he tried to force a vison about Noah? He’d never actually tried to make them happen before, so he didn’t know if he could. They had always been a source of fear and anxiety, so he had avoided them. But if inducing them meant getting rid of them for good, he was willing to try anything. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud

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[Noah St Cloud]

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[attr="class","Noahpostname"]noah st. cloud

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[attr="class","Noahpostlyric"]But those unsolved answers and secrets[break]
Can only be seen when they spark[break]

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[attr="class","Noahpostingbox"]

Felix seemed briefly taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation, his previous attitude faltering as he swallowed hard. His gaze darted around the room, scanning for any potential eavesdroppers while Noah observed the scene with quiet amusement, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he leaned ever closer and tipped his head expectantly, waiting for a response.[break][break]

After what seemed to be a careful assessment of their surroundings, Felix was apparently satisfied that no one was paying undue attention and turned his focus back on Noah. Midway through answering the questions he paused just long enough to finish off his drink, the empty glass hitting the table with a quiet thud before he resumed, and Noah drained his own glass to keep pace.[break][break]

Part of his brain started drawing connections and differences to another, similar gift he was familiar with, but he shut it down quickly; it served no purpose now. Instead he concentrated on the main point of Felix’s explanation: emotion made a memory easier to access.[break][break]

It wasn’t an unusual concept. Emotion typically had an influence on most of the powers Noah came into contact with, yet it was usually the person’s own feelings that brought them into play — not the emotions of others. In which case, Noah wondered if it was more difficult to control or less. He would assume the former; controlling others was no easy feat. So did that mean Felix had to consciously hold the power back every time he touched something? Or was consciously slowing down a vision all Felix could do?[break][break]

He was preparing to ask these questions aloud, but Felix beat him to the punch.[break][break]

Noah's lips curled into an lazy grin as he propped his head up on his elbow, his cheek pressing against his palm. As much as he’d like to, he didn’t tease Felix about the rapid-fire questions, not wanting to discourage him from doing it again. It was fun to see him curious about something. And the fact that it was in relation to Noah was an extra special bonus.[break][break]

“How long I keep a gift depends on how familiar I am with it. It’s like… taming stray cats.” He huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head. “I know, I’m sorry, it’s cats again but trust me, this metaphor just happens to work best. Anyway, they’re a little timid about being in a new house at first and they don’t want to stay for long. But the more they visit, the more comfortable and trusting of me they become, and I get to know how they like to be treated, too. They become much less flighty each time I have them. Stay longer without a fight…”[break][break]

He sighed wistfully. If only they didn’t just visit. He’d like something to stay, eventually. But alas, such fortune only blessed people who didn’t understand its value.[break][break]

“As for proximity, it doesn’t seem to matter. It’s really only time and my control that determines how long I keep them, since I know a couple of people with gifts that they can use on me from states away, and I still pick them up.” There was that person with the weird tracking gift, whom he still didn’t know the identity of but gave him the ability to find Seth that one time, and then there was Rufus, whose gift was about as fun as empathy and only useful to Noah as a form of management (and, if he were being honest, gossip).[break][break]

“It’s automatic for me to do it. I can consciously choose to put myself in the ‘firing line’ of whatever gift I want, but yeah, automatic. If I don’t want it I can usually bat it away, like instinctively catching a hot object and dropping it when it burns. I can’t just take a gift that someone isn’t using on me though, which leads me to yours…”[break][break]

Noah dropped his hand from his cheek to fiddle with his empty glass instead, tapping his fingers against it as he idly studied the man sat across from him.[break][break]

“I’m not sure if I could borrow them.” He recalled how Felix had complained about Noah touching a few of the items in Laurel’s apartment, which apparently made it more tedious to view the last time she’d touched them. “We’ve established that if you see me via an object’s past, that doesn’t hand the gift over to me.” He cast his gaze out the window, withdrawing his elbows from the table as he sat back. “I guess I’d be able to borrow it if you can touch people and view their whole past directly.” Though he wasn’t exactly eager to do that to himself again. He’d learned from his mistakes.[break][break]

He continued to stare out at the city for a moment, running over what he knew of Felix’s other gift. He'd heard rumours of Felix’s precognition and Felix himself had confirmed via text that he had prophetic dreams. He’d also said he had one involving Noah. And that maybe he’d tell Noah about it more if he asked at a later date… This was a later date, and he was undoubtedly interested. The whole thing was tantalizingly vague and its weight pressed against Noah's curiosity like an itch begging to be scratched.[break][break]

“Your precognition,” he began, looking to Felix again. “Is it only when you’re asleep? And can you… control what you see at all?”
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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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