Lorraine
What a wonderful day. 

The sky was blue, the grass was green... It would be scenic, wonderfully so, if Gabe wasn't *Stuck in a magic prison in middle of goddamn Sweden in the midst of his acting career.* No, instead of being back home, reading Blanche a story or auditioning for a role, he was *Here*. Wonderful. Absolutely-fucking-wonderful. 

Truly, a tragic occurrence. But the government did as it pleased, and Gabe didn't exactly have any choice in the matter. Then again, it's not everyday one got locked in a jail full of magical people— and Gabe is not nearly enough of a fool to let that opportunity go to waste. 

And so, he found himself... Well, on the prowl was a bit of a pessimistic term, but it wasn't exactly an inaccurate one. Gabe had already made a friend with Ares and Stretch (a stupid nickname, way too on the nose, but he wasn't going to say anything), but he craved *More*. First impressions were everything, as he was so helpfully told by the weirdo in chat, and Gabe was determined to cement a positive one at Newton's Cradle. 

Although, the weirdo wasn't exactly *Wrong*... 

A couple of people were scattered around in the courtyard, to Gabe's delight. All of them had separated into their own groups, and Gabe wasn't too keen on third-wheeling and seeming like a weirdo. No, he had more tact than that— and luckily for him, there was one person who was alone. Perfect. 

"Hey," Gabe said, plopping down on the opposite side of the picnic table where the person— girl, maybe— was currently resting.

 "I don't suppose you'd happen to know where a mister Graham Cantor's office is? He told me to meet with him tomorrow, but I'm having trouble figuring this place out. Sweden, am I right?" 

Gabe puts on a sheepish— if not false— smile, really selling the whole "Nervous boy who'd just moved in and really, really, *Really* Needed your help" Schtick with a small scratch of his curly dark locks.

.
The "Sweet, nervous boy" Facade was only helped by the way the environment seemed to mold *Around* Gabe. Something about him commanded an audience— whether it was his power or his natural actor disposition, his powerful body language or his boyishly handsome face, was unclear. One thing was certain: when Gabe Trahan [Link to Patreon] walked, things naturally watched. 

Of course, Gabe already *Knew* Where Graham's office was... But it was as good as a starter as any. Besides, he'd rather not approach a girl without coming up with a good reason.
Jack
The sky was nearly blinding as, for the first time in a couple days, Mattias felt solid enough to spend time outside of their dorm. Ever since that *Stupid* Conversation on the intranet, and spending a good hour or so hyperventilating in some dusty corner of a forgotten building, it felt like their Sight had been trigger happy. Even stepping out now was slightly a risk, as they opened an blank page of their sketchbook while sliding onto an open bench. Their earbuds tended to block most noises out, though, and after a few minutes, Matti began to relax as the fear of a sudden spike in their senses receded.

They were halfway through a drawing— some obscure mesh of eyes (it was always eyes, these days) and a blood red sunset— when they noticed someone suddenly sitting across from them and... Asking something? The rims of their glasses made it difficult to make out the face, but the other person would probably move after a few moments of silence, so Mattias busied themself reaching for another red marker while trying to make out what the figure was asking. Something about— Cantor? Office? It sounded vaguely familiar, and was likely the name of one of the teachers in the crumpled pamphlet sitting on their desk upstairs, the one Matti hadn't really bothered to memorize. 

*Ah*, they realized. Probably asking for directions. 

Unwilling to break the tentative peace they felt, Matti grabbed a green pen and scribbled upside-down on the top of the page. "*I'm new here. I probably can't help you find anywhere. I barely know this place.*" 

Satisfied, they adjusted their glasses slightly and turned their focus back to drawing, lowering their music to the point they'd be able to hear if the stranger responded.
Lorraine
Ah, working with a wallflower?

Sure, *Fine*, he could do that. Shy, quirky, dorky in all the right ways. Gabe would've rolled his eyes if he was a weaker man, but he was the epitome of masculinity and strength, thank you very much. 

Gabe took out his phone— a new model, with one of those wallet-phone combo cases. He whipped out his Notes app, typing for a bit before sliding his phone over next to the girl's sketchbook. 

*To be honest, I'm new here, too. Everything here is intimidating, haha— never thought I'd be in a magic prison, of all places. It's a bit daunting, you know?* 

Gabe takes the phone back, before adding one more thing. 

*:)*
Jack
Matti could just make out some kind of movement before a phone slid into their viewpoint. Their own devices typically had brighter screens to compensate for their shades, and they had to squint to read. 

*Oh.* Maybe this was their opportunity to try to talk to someone else— someone other than Margo, or texting what they were fairly sure was Dr. Jakal's discontinued cell line. Something felt a little off, sure, but they'd been rubbed emotionally raw from the week or so of new experiences and social interaction, and for once they were willing to put aside the discomfort and try to engage. The person wasn't put off by their silence, which was already a point in their favor. Matti put down the marker they were working with, and slid the phone back to its owner as they looked up and tried to think of something to say.

As their eyes adjusted to the flare of sunlight, it took a moment to place why the person sitting in front of them was familiar. They hadn't met anyone other than Margo, so far, and they were unlikely to remember someone they'd seen "Just around", so this had to be someone from—

*Mother**Fucker.***

Matti's jaw snapped shut with a click as they froze, biting their cheek until they tasted blood in an effort to stay silent. They let one harsh breath escape, then inhaled air with a hiss through their teeth. It was the *Actor*. That **Fucking liar**. They almost shook with the weight of a sudden, intense rage clouding their mind. *Just don't say anything*, the rational part of their brain coaxed. *Just shut up and walk away.*

*Or,* Something deep, deep inside them, the only part that had ever tried to conceal anything, whispered. *You could Look. Just for a second. Get back at him and **Then** Leave.*

They didn't like the feeling of satisfaction that arose from the idea of it, of using the Sight on *Purpose*, to hurt.

Their arm swung out silently, without their permission, offering a handshake.
Lorraine
If Gabe had noticed anything going on in the girl's inner world, he didn't make a show of it. Sure, she seemed a bit... Odd, but reaching out for his hand most likely meant she was warming up to him. 

Good. 

Besides, a little weirdness was to be expected at this place, wasn't it? It was probably to be expected, with how shy she seemed— social skills didn't appear to be her strong suit. Maybe it was because he was handsome. 

"Uh, hi, nice to meet you. What's your name?" 

The handshake was unexpected, but Gabe had practiced the motion though thousands of times— a perfectly firm grip, just the right grasp to seem steady without being intimidating. A great handshake, if he did say so himself.
Jack
Gabe took their hand, of course he did, the self-assured, smug, two-faced—

Matti bit down a smile, took in a breath, and ***Looked.*** 

For a moment, it was like everything was bright. There were sounds flooding their ears and colors swirling in their vision, their pupils dilating rapidly as they *Looked*, and as they *Saw*.

*Oh, isn''t that interesting, for someone so confident in their name-* They pushed out the sudden cacophonous roar of sense and *Focused*. Their shades slid down slightly, and they looked the **Liar** Dead in the eyes. 

"*Gabriel Darius Trahan*," They bit out, withholding only the worst of their malice from their voice. "*You fucking liar.* It's painfully clear you've sold whatever little soul you once had to feed your selfish, egocentric mind. Have you ever even once considered anyone other than yourself? Even then, I doubt you remember what "Yourself" Means when stripped of all your pretentious lies. Really, it's a wonder no-one else has seen through them already— they're abysmal. Stop trying. *You're wasting everyone's time.*"

They dropped Gabe's hand as if burned, a hand flying to their phone to turn their music back to full volume as they pushed their glasses back up and started collecting their drawing supplies.
Lorraine
Oh, great. *This guy.* 

Gabe's sweet, boyish smile fell, shattering like a broken mirror and revealing the mildly annoyed expression lurking within. 

"Nope. You're not going. You're looking at me, dammit." 

There was a little smirk, there— satisfaction at not having to pretend to play nice anymore, or maybe the satisfaction was finally seeing this weirdo face to face. 


Gabe *Focused*, and the air seemed to shift around him. *Don't hold anything back,* The pride in him spoke, and he delivered on that desire. The air seemed to still, holding its breath as the metaphorical feathers of a peacock unfurled and flared. The spotlight was on Gabe now, and he *Loved it.* 

"Look. You don't shut the fuck up about me 'lying' or whatever. I'm not stupid enough to think you don't have some weird magic about the truth, so... Damn straight I lie. You'd have to be crazy to not lie a *Little* Upon being sent halfway across the world to fucking magic parahuman jail, and locked in with violent magic teenagers." 

There were people around, so as much as Gabe wanted to, he couldn't grab this guy by the back of his shit and *Drag him back.* Unfortunate, really. 

"And if someone happens to believe me, it's their fault for being a fucking idiot. Bless your poor, *Dear* Heart for thinking otherwise." 

Gabe looked down at Mattias, eye twitching ever so slightly. *Who did this guy think he is, being on his high horse and all...*
Jack
Something in Mattias was dark and viciously proud as it watched Gabe's mask crack and fall. *Finally,* It whispered. *He stopped lying*.

Everything else immediately began to scream. 

It was like the *Sun* Was a flashlight, swung directly into Mattias' eyes, blinding and excruciating like being punched in the gut or branded with a hot iron. Their focus, the focus they'd been maintaining to See his name, was suddenly wrenched out of their mental grasp with the equivalent of an unbreakable flourish, sound flooding to rebound in their skull despite the music blasting at full volume. Matti stopped moving, chipped fingernails digging into the skin of their arm at the sudden rush- *Whispersinthecornerandalaughandvisioneyeseyeseyesonyouwatchingtheyheardjudgingwatchingseeinghidinglyinglyinglaughinghidingabirdabovemethegrassistallhidinghidingsurvivingbreathingstillstillcoughingfromthewindowcryingsomeonecryingupsetdevestatedwailingfrustratedsnappingpenfuckfuckpoolinginkcoveritupstaysilentstayquietwalkpastdontletanyonenoticejusthideconceallie**Lie**Somethingisburningsomething-*

Matti's vision swam, still locked on Gabe. For some reason, their glasses were fogged up with something like smoke. It was unbearably hot. Was it always? Their skin felt like it was crawling away from them, like their bones were trying to fade into nothingness. Vaguely, they registered something wet dripping from their ears.

They tried to blink. They couldn't- they couldn't tear their eyes away. From inside their chest, Matti heard the muffled beating of their own heart, the sound they desperately tried to dampen as it echoed louder and louder within their mind. 

"Fuck off. Stop that." They croaked out, still locked in place.
Lorraine
Gabe blinked. *Huh?* 

A small, tiny, tiny part of him wanted to push it even further, to make the kid standing in front of him *Beg.*The thought disappeared, just as quickly as it came. After all, Gabe wasn't a wrathful person— simply a prideful one. So long as Mattias knew he wasn't fucking around, that was good enough for him. 

"Fine, but—hey, you, are you alright?" Gabe's voice had changed since he dropped his mask. Instead of an inoffensive, trans-Atlantic newscaster cadence, he spoke with his native heavy southern accent, the low twang making sweet syllables roll off of each other. 

Did he develop new powers...? It didn't *Feel* Like Gabe did anything differently, but Mattias was bleeding from his goddamn ears, and surely that had to count for something. 

"Look, look, just... Chill out and stop being so aggro. You're fucking *Smoking.*" A quick dig in his deep brown dress pant pockets, and Gabe's dark, muscular hands offer a travel-sized pack of Hello Kitty themes tissues towards Mattias.
Jack
As Gabe spoke again, it was like everything came crashing down. The sun flew back up in the sky where it was fucking supposed to be, their hearing retreated, their vision was back in their own eyes. 

*Fuck. **Fuck.***

Matti slammed their eyes shut as soon as they had control over themself again, almost collapsing into the wood table. "Fuck. Shit." Hesitantly, they pulled their earbuds from their ears, half-expecting the overwhelming flood of noise to return, and heaving a sigh of relief when it didn't. For a minute, they just breathed. Then, they sighed. 

"That wasn't- that wasn't your fault," They explained in halting words, pulling their sunglasses from still-closed eyes and blindly trying to wipe them on their shirt. "It's- your abilities, they make people *See* You, right? Mine- I- *See*. All the time. Mostly. Things that are hidden. Or like. Lies. That's why I hate it. Lying. It's-" They exhaled again, replacing their glasses and opening their eyes long enough to snatch the tissues from Gabe's outstretched hand and begin to clean the already-drying blood from their ears and hair. "It's *Wrong*. It's *Wrong*. And I can *Feel* It. So." 

Frustration tried to build in their mind again, but collapsed like a poorly made Jenga tower. All they were capable of feeling was washed out, and vaguely remorseful. Much to their annoyance, Gabe didn't *Seem* Like a bad person. But he was a liar. And he had hurt them (as they thought of it— what the fuck had happened, what the fuck was that— no). No. They pushed all of it down, deep under the surface of their memory to agonize over later. 

"You're a liar. And I hate you, I think. But you're not a bad person. And I'm-" They crumpled the bloody tissue in a fist, and slowly pulled their markers into an orderly line. The drawing- the one with the eyes and the sunset- was long since ruined. "I'm sorry. I don't- talk to people. Ever. My reaction, both on the intranet and here, was uncalled for."
Lorraine
"Lying is... Well, it's not a good thing. 'Thou shall not lie' is a commandment for a reason. Unfortunately, things worst than lying exist in this world, and sometimes you have to settle for the objectively better sin. Good on you for disliking it, though. Better than the alternative." Gabe says. His voice gets low, and uncharacteristically a bit... Soft? Wistful? There's something there, even if *What* It is is hard to make out.

Gabe stuffed the rest of the tissues into Mattias' palm. 

"Ah, er, don't worry about it. Just... Don't do it again, and, you know, maybe clear the air about me. I'd rather not be greeted to open hostility in my first week here. At least save it for the second week." A chuckle at his own joke— it was a joke, because Gabe had no intentions of being disliked here. 

He was about to turn away. He *Should* Have turned away, but... Mattias said he was a walking lie detector, able to see things no one else could. It was valuable— far more valuable in this environment than his own ability, if he was going to be completely honest.

...Besides, they seemed young. A little like Blanche, with the whole socially awkward nerd, rough around the edges vibe. Plus, they apologized for essentially sabotaging his social life on day one, and that was far more than Gabe was actually expecting. 

"Hey, you know what? You're a truth detector with poor social skills, and I'm a so-called liar with great social skills. We're both new here, and, let's be honest, we're both probably going to be eaten alive by whatever magic bullshit is going on here, if the complicated social dynamics of this place don't get to us first. We're essentially dead on arrival." 

It was the truth. Gabe had met exactly one person, who already seemed to possess terrifyingly powerful abilities— and he was under no illusion that there were other, more dangerous people populating the Cradle.

Redirect all attention you'd like, but it wouldn't save you from getting socked in the face. Or lit on fire. Or whatever dramatic abilities the group of troubled juveniles possessed here.

"Why don't we team up, you know? Or at least call for a truce. You can learn about the people we should be wary of and I'll make sure we get on their good side. Make this whole 'magic prison' thing as smooth and conflict-free as possible."

Gabe leaned against the park bench, looking over at Mattias with intrigued, dark eyes. The other didn't seem too well liked, if at all liked by anyone here, and so perhaps an 'alliance' would be in both of their interests. Even if Gabe's interest happened to align closer to the information the other could provide, playing nice and acting like a friend was second nature to him.

"You don't have to like me for this to work out. Feel free to hate me, actually. I don't particularly care."
Jack
Matti paused for a moment. The request wasn't *Unreasonable*, though it was a little unexpected. Something in their mind, probably the fucked up part that was alone for years on end, jumped at the chance to make another non-hostile acquaintance. And... For a moment their mind flashed back to what Margo had mentioned, and the night they had spent alone, awake, sitting on the floor of their dorm. *Bad people are always liars,* They decided hesitantly. *But liars are not always bad people.* 

And who knew. Maybe it would be good to have someone proficient in social interactions. 

It didn't mean they were immediately friends— honestly, they doubted Gabe genuinely *Wanted* To be friends with anyone here, and a fifty-fifty fake friend ratio was admittedly pretty sad. Still, a truce was better than nothing, and they were a little desperate to avoid whatever the fuck had happened to them when the two powers had clashed.

"I won't bother you so long as you don't outright lie to me," They began. "Information lies, I mean. You probably won't stop lying about your feelings— 'pleasure to meet you' and all. And in the interest of full disclosure, I probably haven't damaged your reputation as much as you'd think. I got here less than a week ago and, you're the second person I've talked to, other than on the intranet. Two point five, maybe, but the point-five is still back in the states so I don't really think they count." They paused, shoving their pens into their side bag and considering what else to say. 

"If you still want a... 'team up'. There are things I might need in the future. And I can probably help you with Looking at things, so long as I don't need to lie." 

Gabe still made them uneasy, but they pushed the feeling aside guiltily. Hopefully this would soothe some of their moral obligation, in addition to providing them with... Whatever they would get out of their newfound partnership.
Lorraine
Gabe... Didn't really have much in the way of secrets. Sure, socialization was all saccharine compliments and sugar-coated pleasantries, but those lies weren't secrets; they were a reflection of a rose tinted world, where the actor was exactly the type of person needed to please whichever hapless fool possessed something he desired. 

Not being able to lie to Matti *Did* Make Gabe nervous— his conniving words were a helpful tool, one he didn't enjoy having to retire for the conversation. Still, it was better than the alternative; there was something to be said about keeping the dangerous people closest, after all. 

"Yeah, sure. I'll do what I can to not lie around you. Doesn't seem like there's much point in it, if you can tell when I'm doing so, and I'd rather not make you go all... You know." *Go all fucking crazy.* "And of course, it'd be a bit of an empty partnership if I didn't chip in when I could. I'm not dying for you, though, so don't ask me for anything like that."

Now that the air in the courtyard seemed less tense, Gabe unbuttoned the collar of his white button-up, sighing in relief at having the pressure off of his throat. Yes, he was from Louisiana, but goddamn, the summer heat was surprisingly intense for Sweden of all places. Perhaps next time, he'd go without the sweater vest, or something. 

He sighed. If only there was a Starbucks at this place. 

"You've said you've met some people already? Tell me about them. Which ones are nice, reasonable people? Which ones should we be on the lookout for?" 

A slightly huffed expression, and Gabe ran a couple of fingers in his hair, trying to get the mess of curls back in place.
Jack
Maybe *Acting* Was different from lying. Matti'd considered them to be the same thing— after all, actors were just liars who got paid. But... If Gabe was acting, *Not* Lying, the grey zone made a little more sense. After all, he had agreed to (try) to tell the truth around them, even when dishonesty seemed to be essentially his second nature. No-one Mattias had seen had acquiesced that quickly *Ever*, much less a bad person. "I appreciate it," They murmured, voice already hoarse again. 

They bit the inside of their mouth as Gabe skirted around their outburst, something ordinarily they wouldn't approve of but in the moment appreciated. The memory of furious typing, and later their poor attempt at intimidation, left their thoughts tinged with embarrassment. Shame dusted their cheeks as Gabe unbuttoned his collar, their eyes pointedly flickering away from the movement.

Shame. Embarrassment. *Definitely. *

They coughed. "Met 'people' is slightly misleading. I've met one in person, Margo. She's..." Matti stopped for a moment, trying to figure out how to describe her. "...Trustworthy. Honest. A little aggressive, maybe. Don't talk about her dad. As for the rest—" They finished stowing their drawing materials and instead pulled out their small, canary-yellow hand journal (the only one that had been left at the depot when they'd gone to replace their old one, they still winced at the noticeable color). "I have some notes." 

Mattias felt a brief moment of anxiety-tinged panic. Gabe had, *Technically* Requested information. He would *Probably* Find their notes helpful. Still, the fear was there. They'd only just reconciled, and Matti didn't know if they could handle being called "Creepy" Or "Freakish" In the middle of plain conversation. 

"I've written down who I'm personally most worried about, I've got— I've got a system."

"Ares seems, fine. Amicable at least, if a little bit similar to you. Not the lying. The weird way of interacting. He explodes stuff, I think, but he broke his phone doing it and seems a little careless so I'd stay out of metaphorical 'blast radius'." They flipped to another page. "Finley hates me, I think, but they should be fine with you. Vance seems like the least directly threatening, purely based off of conversation. The least likely to hurt someone as a power play, or on accident, I think. Stretch, Valio Adjuk, and Jack I don't have enough information on. None of them have behaved too off-standard for 'normal' people, yet. I've also heard of an 'Amelie', and a 'rainbow clown girl', but I haven't even seen them speak yet." 

They took in a deep breath. "There's only one person so far I'd actually recommend avoiding. They go by Uriel, I think. Or 'the Red King', on the intranet. They purposefully try to pretend to be friendly, but I'm almost certain they're dangerous. At the very least, they've been in dangerous situations before, enough of them to be calm about it." 

Matti tactfully didn't mention the page(s) about Gabe; they had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate what they had written before. In fact— the pulled out a pen and scratched out their previous assessment, replacing it.

*Gabriel Darius Trahan*, they wrote. *A liar and a half-decent person. Investigate more. Do not try to Look. Has the power to make people See him.* They scoured their mind for anything else to write, and eventually just closed the notebook and stowed it back in the inner pocket of their bag. 

"Oh, and also." Their thoughts bounced back to the first day, meeting Margo. "Be wary of 'angels'. And *Don't* Go in the Janitor's Closet."
Lorraine
Mattias' book was meticulously crafted, Gabe had to give them that. As they flipped through page after page, narrating the in-depth analysis of intra messages and postulating on the reason for other people's behavior quirks, he's struck with a deep sense of... Pity. 

Damn. The notes were well made, but good *God* Was this pathetic. 

"*The* Red King? Red like blood, you think? A blood monarch, ruling over the school... " Gabe mused to himself. 

It made sense. Prisons usually had social totem poles and de-facto "Kings". Gabe had binge enough *Criminal Minds* In preparation to coming here to know *That* Much. He was essentially an expert in the nitty-gritty of prison life, if you counted consuming copious amounts of ABC-crime dramas as research. 

"Actually, now that you mention it— Uriel is the name of an archangel. I doubt Margo is particularly religious and warning of a Rapture, so do you think she was trying to warn you of them by talking about 'angels'?" 

Hmm... It was an interesting theory, one that could potentially lead to conflict. 

"I'll stay away from them and the janitor's closet. A lot of this is... Valuable and insightful analysis, though. For someone who doesn't socialize, you have a pretty keen eye." 

Gabe didn't have to worry about Matti thinking he was lying with that statement— some of the observations were things he didn't even pick up on. 

Was Gabe a bit threatened at the socially-inept Matti being able to read people in a way he couldn't? It was easy enough to force down, only needed to suppress a stilted cough and a small eye-twitch. 

Still, the fact he had to suppress it meant it was *There.* How embarrassing, for his ego to falter like that. 

"But you don't think I'm *Stupid,* Do you? You expect me to believe you wrote meticulous notes about everyone else *Except* Me?"

.

A sly, shit-eating smirk grew on Gabe's face, as he leered down at Matti. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Gabe had to crane his neck down to look at Matti, but there was an... Odd gleam to his eyes. 

"Come on. If you're withholding my special entry, that's called a *Lie-by-omission.* And you wouldn't want to be a liar, would you?"

Of course, he was under no illusions about the type of content most likely scrawled under his name in Mattias' book— but it was about *Him*, and the burning interest of all things related to Gabe's favorite subject far outweighed any other emotion rattling around in his head.
Jack
"Ah, no, not 'angel'. 'Angels', I think. My current hypothesis is that it's the name of a being or a group, but there's a curfew instated because of it so I highly doubt it's a student. That's not to say Uriel isn't related, though." 

And hm, that was an interesting thought. A seemingly dangerous person, trying to appear friendly, whose name happened to connect to the reason a campus-wide curfew was instated? It was certainly worth investigating more— *Fuck, no wait*. *Dangerous* Person. *Dangerous* Mysterious cause of curfew. It wasn't like Matti was too keen to lose their life. Maybe it was better to just focus on adjusting for now. 

They weren't able to keep themself from smiling slightly at Gabe's praise— if there was one thing they took pride in, it was their ability. It was a little depressing, and kind of uncomfortable if they thought about it for too long, but they had been forced to spend their entire life perfecting their observation skills. It would be worse if they were still oblivious, after all this time. 

*Well, less oblivious*. With their guard down from the compliment, Matti had no response prepared for Gabe's question. *Fuck.* Lie-by-omission? Maybe technically, still, lies were concealing and this was. Definitely that. *Fuck.* They *Weren't* A liar, and even if their entire worldview had been shattered they weren't so quick to let go of that fact. Part of them knew they were probably being manipulated, especially considering who they were talking to. Still. *Still.* Matti sighed. 

***Fuck.***

Removing their journal once again, Matti pulled on the sheet that had once held Gabe's analysis, suddenly grateful they had replaced it only moments before. With a quiet rip, they pulled it from the spiraled edges and smoothed out the places it had been crumpled previously in their rage.

"You're a little late. I crossed out what you're probably interested in, and your current analysis is a lot less interesting than you'd think." They waved the scrap of paper, only just noticing what was scribbled on the back— the remnants of *Another* Emotional moment of weakness. Their grip on it tightened, and they pulled it towards themself, much more careful not to let it flip over. 

"I'm planning on throwing it away. You can't read it anyway, and I've already got more up-to-date information." They carefully extracted themself from the bench and glanced around, looking for the nearest trashcan (or preferably, recycling).
Lorraine
Gabe squints at the entry, attempting to make out whatever words were hastily scratched out before looking back up at Mattias. *Damn*, he thought, well-sculpted eyebrow knitting in annoyance at the deep, black marks covering the page from head-to-toe. *The fucker really did blot everything out.*

"You're not going to tell me even if I *Do* Press you for more, I assume?" Gabe sighed wistfully, head shaking at the unfortunate reality he wasn't going to get any more juicy Mattias comments about yours truly. 

"Hm. You wrote a *Lot*, though. Did I pique your interest that much, or am I just that intriguing of a subject? I'm truly flattered, even if half of it was probably cusses." A self-satisfied smile at Gabe's presence warranting by far the largest entry in the book grew on his face, and his voice took on a low, teasing tone. 

Gabe didn't particularly enjoy being hated— it wasn't an outcome he intentionally aimed for, and planning around other people's ire and distrust certainly wasn't a fun endeavor. However, looking at the crossed-out diary entry all about *Him* Made something warm and fuzzy bloom in his chest. 

*Look at me*, the growing thing lodged in his chest rumbled. *Aren't I so fascinating?*

And then it died, caught on hold as Gabe remembered where he was. 

"If you find out anything else, feel free to hit me up. Maybe when I find an actual, decent coffee place in this godforsaken prison— Stretch told me there was a Starbucks downtown, but it's still fucking *Weird* We're just allowed to do whatever and leave during the day. I thought this was a prison, or at least that was what *I* Was told." 

Oh, right. The word prison rattled around in Gabe's head, as he realized that it meant the socially-awkward wallflower standing in front of him *Also* Deserved to be here, in their own special way. 

"You. How did *You* Get here? You don't seem like the prison type."

It was blunt, almost uncharacteristically so, but Gabe wasn't about to waste social graces on someone who wasn't going to appreciate them.
Jack
Matti crumpled the sheet in their hand once more, for good measure. "No. If I told you about your assessment, I would have to change it based on how you reacted. That's a lot of effort." 

They tried to keep their now cooled anger— honestly more reminiscent of annoyance— at bay as Gabe continued to peacock. Really. Even if the lying wasn't as morally irredeemable as they'd thought, Mattias still found the constant reassurance of his actor's ego frustrating. Briefly, they imagined slamming their head into a wall, but that would likely only reaffirm them as "Crazy". With their earlier outburst, and the Power Clash To Not Be Named (but thought about for hours afterwards), they weren't keen on adding poor impulse control to their newly forming public image. 

Wasn't that a weird concept— public image. They had talked to people directly now, and, more importantly, people had talked back. For all that coming to Newton's Cradle was a "Punishment" (maybe? Who knew what the Gates' were thinking), their life seemed to have improved.

Matti was vaguely startled as Gabe asked them about why they were here, the question strangely in line with their own thinking. The use of the word "Prison" Brought them back to how Margo had gotten here, attempted murder and all. Surely... 

Well, Gabe didn't *Seem* The type to try and kill people, if only because it would sabotage his career.

It was only then they remembered that this place was technically a delinquency center. For people with abilities, but it was probable that most of them had *Some* Interaction with the law that put them on the governments radar. They admonished themself internally for not considering it sooner. The Cradle might be more dangerous than they'd previously thought. They broke away from their musings, suddenly aware of the long silence that had stretched between the original question and their reply.

"Officially? I skipped too many classes," They answered honestly. "But I think it's because I have abilities that my parents didn't want to deal with." 

That it was *Them* Their parents didn't want to deal with, Matti didn't add. Powers were more likely an easy excuse. The thought was becoming more disturbing the more they didn't think about it. They knew somewhere in the back of their mind that their parents didn't care for them as much as they should have, to the point it probably qualified as neglect. But they couldn't exactly blame them at the same time— they *Knew* How their powers worked, partially, anyway. They tended to fade into the background, to be forgotten about. There wasn't much normal people could do in the face of paranormal abilities forcing them to forget their child. *It was because of the powers,* They told themself silently. *Really, it was my fault*. 

"Why are you here?" They asked, somewhat hesitantly. Again, they *Thought* (re: *Hoped*) Gabe wasn't the type to commit a violent crime. Still, it wasn't exactly something you could tell by looking at someone.
Lorraine
"They sent you here? Your parents *Narc'd you out?*"

An incredulous, dumfounded look. Gabe remembered the night he had told his father and his sister the news so vividly— it was a moment that had been replaying itself in his mind since he'd left the airport. Blanche had been watching something on YouTube, and his father was on the phone with another insurance dispute when the sharply-dressed man had knocked on the door, with Gabe in tow.

He didn't remember the conversation they had. He did, however, remember the look on their face when they were told he would be gone, potentially for years. How tightly they embraced him, clinging onto him out of desperation, as if their grip around his waist could somehow prevent another family member being taken from their clutches. The tears streaming down both of their faces, wetting Gabe's shoulder with salt.

Before he was taken, Gabe had told the two he'd be back soon, and not to worry. It was the one time he had lied to them, but such a sin was alright, in his book. Anything to prevent their sad, broken expression from making another appearance.

*And those fuckers did it willingly.* A cloud of anger shadowed his face, and it took multiple, deep breaths in order to quell whatever indigenous fury had temporarily taken hold. 

In contrast, Gabe's story seemed... Almost juvenile. 

"Eh, I used my powers to help me with some audition. Got caught pretty easily, and while I didn't *Technically* Get charged with anything, the government said they wouldn't put it on my record if I went willingly, so I did."

In truth, he didn't enjoy thinking about what he had done. It was an act he deeply regretted, one where his pathetic justifications couldn't clear away the deep shame that permeated into his bones. *How could he do such a thing,* It whispered. *You sabotaged people— how could you? What would God think of what you'd done?*

.

The cross necklace that laid under Gabe's shirt seemed to burn against his skin. He coughed loudly, steering his thoughts away from the doubt that lingered in his mind. God, he missed being able to lie. Being around Matti was... Uncomfortable, vulnerable in all the worst ways.

"I'm getting out of here as soon as I can. I have *Things* Waiting for me home. It's bullshit that I have to be here, and I'm either going to convince the staff to send me back early by being a model inmate, or I'm going to get something *Actually useful* While I'm stuck in Sweden."

It was spoken with a snarl, the frustration at this whole *Mess* Of a situation shining through by crossing of Gabe's muscular arms over his chest and the irritated, impatient drumming of his fingers against his forearm. 

*Lighten up,* The voice in his head told him. *You're letting Matti get to you.* 

A moment's pause, and Gabe let his arms fall to his side, bottling the momentary flair-up of emotion down inside of him and corking it with a smile directed at the kid in front of him.
Jack
Matti hadn't ever considered it that way- *Narc'd you out*, Gabe had said and something about that sentence felt hysterically funny. *Narc'd them out*? As far as their parents were concerned, they were probably just taking the first easy, legal way to get Matti out of their lives forever. Taking out the trash. Inside them, something roiled. But the wound named Charlie and Alana Gates had been inflicted many, many years ago, and they had long since come to terms with its existence. Outwardly, Matti shrugged. 

"It's not a huge deal. They've done worse then foist me onto the government— honestly, I'm mostly surprise they trusted me enough to not get them arrested the second they... I don't know. Disowned me? I might be emancipated, technically."

No, the Gates' were not a loss they would ever mourn. They had powers, proof something out in the incomprehensible expanse of the universe had cared enough to give them a mission and tools to survive. As far as Mattias was concerned (as far as what they told themself in repeated whispers, when things had gotten to be nearly too much back in Washington), their parents affection was a necessary sacrifice in the pursuit of better things. Power always came at a cost. And sometimes, that cost could be difficult to bear. But it was always equivalent— they just had to remember that.

It was difficult, though, watching Gabe get angry, watching him clearly mourn over the life he had back at home. As he snapped about what he'd left behind, the clearly *Very important* Things waiting for him, a small part of Matti went very still, and very cold.

They had Newton's Cradle. An escape from accusing, horrified stares, and quiet, empty houses, and screaming, hellish sounds drilling into their brain. They had, maybe, friends now. Allies, at the very least. What would happen when it was all over? When Margo went back to her siblings and Gabe fucked off to wherever he'd come from? 

They knew, because it was everything that had ever happened to them before. They'd stay. They'd be forgotten. And then, they'd be alone. 

They returned Gabe's smile with a small one of their own, and for a moment, it felt like lying.
Lorraine
*Don't feel bad for them, don't feel bad for them, don't feel bad for them...*

Christ. Gabe could feel the anger in his chest flaring up once again as Matti begin to elaborate on their parent's unwillingness to take care of them. It was an emotion that surprised Gabe, considering how Matti only recently graduated from 'weird kid needed to be avoided' to 'ally, I guess'. Really, being affected by Matti's words would be uncharacteristic, and most likely deemed foolish by some, including Gabe himself.

God. *I can't believe someone whines about their shitty family for a couple of sentences and it works on me.*

Gabe felt himself wilt as his resolved crumbled. His driving force, at the end of the day, was his family. When Gabe thought about giving up, or faltered in what had to be done, his thoughts always ended up drifting off to how they would react. How the money would help Blanche's education. How it could help his father afford to take days off, and not overwork himself to an early grave. *How his mother...*

He winced. To not even have that, nor any friends from what he had gathered about Matti's social skills... It was a saddening thought, one that struck a chord within him. 

"Look," Gabe reached into his pocket, procuring a sleek iPhone. "Just... Put your contact in here, yeah? So I can talk to you. Besides the intranet, of course. You know, just in case." 

*I'm suuuuch a bitch. My lord.*
Jack
It felt childish—being excited to exchange phone numbers— but nonetheless Matti smiled slightly then bit down on the corner of their lip to suppress it. They grabbed Gabe's phone and pulled up their own banged up secondhand beside it so they could see what their phone number was. They thought about giving him their phone, so that Gabe could put *His* Number in, but the idea of Gabe seeing the completely barren contact list (aside from, saved, animal control, poison control, and another half dozen hotlines) made them fidget and tuck the device back into their bag. And-

"You can text me. So that I know I put it in right, and so I'll know your phone number," *And so someone will have texted me*. Their words were clumsy, and they realized with the awkward, almost instinctual pull they felt back to their dorm that their mental and physical exhaustion was finally catching up. 

What did you say when over the course of a conversation, you had Looked into their vary nature, argued with them about lying, gone into— some kind of paranomal fit— agreed to be allies, and then *Exchanged phone numbers*? Matti nodded quickly in acknowledgement. "Thank you. I might see you soon." 

With parting words they knew probably weren't quite right, they sped back up to their dorm, stopping to fill their water bottle. Theirs eyes stung, and they had too many things to think about.

*God. I'm never talking to anyone ever again.*
Lorraine
Moments after Matti gets to their dorm, their phone buzzes. There's no introduction, or name spoken in the message, but it's obvious who it's from. 

A little blip. The message is an asinine meme, one that Matti probably didn't understand, but it was the thought that counted.