Losing Yourself

Sasha's approach hadn't been expected. In fact, when she did speak, he had nearly jumped out of his skin because he'd been deep in thought on other matters. Yet as she spoke to him, he could feel that her facade was down- she wasn't just being the usual angry sort that lashed out at anything and everything around her- she was looking for some sort of companionship. Or maybe advice. Or maybe just to punch him in the shoulder when he dropped his guard- it was always difficult to tell with her.

"What's up?" Wes asked simply, not wanting to let on the fact that he was a bit taken aback by what she was doing here. "You trying to get my tent scraps again for more blankets?" The girl paused, giving a half smile at the attempt at humor before she knelt down next to him, the girl's golden gaze resting on his features for a long moment. He could feel his cheeks starting to heat up, and his heartbeat starting to pound a little more in his ears. "What?"

"Are you feeling all right?" she asked, the words a bit more genuine than he was used to from her. He didn't know what had changed... but by the same token, he knew that the front she put up was mostly around people she didn't know or wasn't close with. He and Jay had been friends with her for several years. When her dad had gotten killed out at the Wall, the boys and their parents had been there for her and her mother. Seeing her showing this much concern though was a little weird for him. "Don't lie to me- just answer honestly."

The cutting tone at the final sentence brought a small smile to his face. "There's the Sasha I know," he commented, earning a soft punch to his shoulder for his efforts. "And I think i'm feeling all right. I don't feel tired or anything after everything we've done today. My mind is still reeling from everything, though. I still don't really understand why my Framework is so different from everyone else's," he murmured, his tone quiet as he looked down at his hand, where the grey aura appeared for a brief moment before it faded.

He didn't want to let it be known to anyone else what he could do, of course, so he had to keep quiet about it. But all the same, the fact that it existed at all was sending nonstop concern through his mind. He needed to know why, and there were no answers to that question. "That isn't what I meant. Not exactly anyway," the girl spoke, before she stared ahead for a few moments. Wes was about to ask her what she was talking about when she finally turned back to look at him. "I'm talking about your Framework."

He felt his heart skip a half beat as he frowned, looking down at the ground for a moment. "What about it?" he asked, his tone quiet.

"You know what about it. Jay already came over to talk to me about it, you know. That you've been acting a little different." Wes' body stiffened at that. Betrayal of the highest order... only not, he supposed, given the fact that his brother had always noticed those sorts of things. "Can you at least give me some common courtesy and tell me what's going on?"

Wes bit his tongue- actually bit it, grinding it between his back molars for a moment to keep from speaking the witty retort that had come to his lips. He was mostly just confused as far as why she had come over to talk to him instead of Jay. Maybe his brother didn't think that Wes would open up to him all of the way? He didn't know, but that caused a small frown to crease his features.

"I don't know. I just feel like... ever since I took on parts of the Death Framework from Ted and Evie... I've felt more... impulsive?" he spoke, his tone indicating that he wasn't really sure if that was even the right word for what he wanted.

She gave a small nod at him. "I know what you mean. Ever since you used your Skill to borrow my Life Framework, there's something missing. I can still be capable of being kind and nice- obviously, I'm taking time out of my busy life to talk to you," she spoke, earning a snort of amusement from Wes, "but I have to actually try to do it, now. It doesn't come naturally."

"Life Frameworks does tend to relate to kindness and building things," Wesley spoke, nodding slowly in response. "So it's still there, but it's something you have to try and bring up? That's kind of the opposite of the impulsiveness I've felt. I don't normally have to deal with that. Normally my mind stays pretty clear, but I kept just having these... I don't know. Thoughts that kept popping up to take action, or to do something."

Sasha exhaled slowly. "I just want to make sure that you're still you. Because if you use that Skill and you draw more Framework out of the Beasts, there's no telling what changes you'll have in your head. You're used to not having any of the Framework... but if you are going for a twenty-fiver, you're going to have all sorts of things pushing into your thoughts."

Wesley frowned, blinking. "Yeah. That's true," he admitted. He hadn't considered the future in his thoughts at all regarding his Skill. He'd mostly just been considering what sort of Skills he would be able to emulate if he took more Framework, but at the same time... maybe she was right. Maybe it would lead to him starting to lose himself a little. "I guess I'll just need to practice being like the rest of you and actually having some emotional responses to things," he spoke, giving a small smile.

"Don't be stupid," she returned, smacking him again on the shoulder. "You've got plenty of emotion. I've seen it," she murmured quietly, before she stood up slowly, looking at the ground.

He didn't respond for a moment, before eventually turning to glance up at her, noting that she wasn't moving. "What?"

"I was just thinking..." she began, and Wes wondered what other deep thought she was about to hit him with. "Can you use your Emulation to copy Andrew's Fire Skill? Fire is Death Framework, right?"

Earth fell under the Life Framework, with Fire under Death. Space Framework held water, and Time regulated Wind. So with the Life and Death Frameworks that he had currently, he could theoretically do both Earthshaping and Fireshaping.

"I...yeah, probably, why?"

"I'm cold. Make us a fire," she spoke, setting her hands on her hips as she looked down at him, a small smirk on her features.

He knew that she was mostly just trying to cheer him up after wondering how he was going to keep his personality intact with the Skill he had. He appreciated it, but at the same time, he couldn't help but to wonder if maybe there were any ulterior motives for what she had asked.

That intrusive thought left as soon as it had come in, and guilt washed up afterward in thinking that such might be the case. "Sure. I'll see what I can do. I don't think we have anything to burn, though," he spoke as he stood up, rolling out his shoulder.

According to Gustave, they'd get uniforms tomorrow for their training, which was good, considering none of them had brought a change of clothing at all. "Maybe it'll just keep burning," he murmured aloud, not really sure how the Fireshaping would work, considering aside from the stove back in the apartment back home, he'd never actually used anything with it.

Extending his hands down and out, he focused on those sudden urges, the inability to sit still and just let things happen as he could feel heat beginning to build around his fingers. Pressing his hands down toward the ground, flames began to emit outward, scorching the ground for a few moments, before he pulled his hands back, frowning. "I think it's a no-go."

Sasha gave a small snort of annoyance. "Great. So now I get to go to bed cold and hungry instead of just hungry."

At that, Wesley frowned, for the first time realizing that he too was... quite hungry. He set a hand to his stomach as it began to rumble. "I hope we'll get something to eat tomorrow." Sasha didn't respond, the girl just going into her 'house' and laying down.

Wes frowned, before he moved to his own little dwelling. He could hear the din of conversation from other camps, but it was starting to dwindle. If this was their home for the foreseeable future, he'd need to find out everything that he could about their living conditions. But for now, he simply lay back on the upraised platform that was used as their bed and closed his eyes. He had a bad night of sleep last night... maybe he should try to get some more.

-

Up at the top of the little ridge, John frowned, looking down to where he had been watching the group, curiosity on his features.