Club Artist

The first week of school went by so fast he was sure someone sped up time. By the three on Friday Xino had finished all his homework and filled up two empty canvases with drawings of their school. Boredom had officially taken over, which was concerning. For once, Xino had nothing more to think about. No school, people, or even his powers. He was still thinking, of course, he couldn't seem to stop. Every now and again he would have a new idea, but it was usually one he couldn't set in motion.

"Art boy!" Alon called from outside Xino's door. He was laying in bed and drawing constellations on his ceiling. He had developed a new liking for astronomy.

"Come in."

Alon entered the room and Xino felt a dip in his bed. It was the first time Alon had actually seen his room, he didn't mind though. He was proud of his work and all the colors. Alon seemed impressed, his eyes took in everything little by little.

"You did all this in one week?"

"Actually, three days. Two if we don't count the accessories. Anything I did after that is on the canvases or my clothes." Xino smiled at that, he did so much in such a short amount of time that he felt at peace. He had nothing more he really needed to do so he could do whatever he wanted.

"Wow, that's incredible." Alon laughed and looked at Xino who was still focused on the ceiling. He was waiting for Alon to explain why he was in here.

"So, would you like to join a club with me?"

"What kind of club?"

"It's a cooking club, apparently the city not too far from here hosts a bunch of cooking competitions throughout the year and I happen to be a lovely cook. Jig already signed up and she is going to ask a few of her friends."

"I've never cooked before, but it sounds fun."

"I actually wanted to know if you could help us spice things up. And be our club artist, you are the best."

"How sweet of you. I'll join, but only because I have nothing better to do." Xino turned his head to see Alon smile, he gave a thumbs up and exited the room.

Xino sat up and walked over to his desk. It was nothing special, paint splatters everywhere along with papers and pencils. It looked like he had been living here for years. Most artists took hours and hours, days and months to finish drawings. Xino could draw anything within thirty minutes to an hour and it would look like it belonged to the richest family out there. Sometimes he would purposely slow down though, take his time and watch himself draw each line.

He was a perfectionist, to say the least. He liked knowing he did everything with such grace and ease, nothing out of line. Going slow gave him a calm and peaceful feeling that you could only get from the comfort of your own skill. He knew he was good, he took pride in his art, but he hated to brag. He hated that so many people knew he could draw anything and everything, he wasn't the only artist in the school. Just walking through the halls he could see so many projects and art pieces done by other students, those took them months to complete.

In the end, Xino wished he was less known. He wished he didn't make such a big appearance to others who see him. Paint on his skin, messy hair and bright orange eyes that seemed to let everyone know he was there. He couldn't figure it out, he wanted to hide. He wished he could turn invisible like Misty, or into an object like Fonzo. He wished he wasn't known as "The artist" in his homeroom class. But at the same time, he liked the attention it got him. A few other students had asked him to draw things and they always praised his work. Alon and Leaf loved letting him decorate the dorm and Leaf spent so much time in Xino's room it started growing flowers on its own.

So much went into art, but sometimes it felt as though he wasn't as good as others said. He could notice every little detail that made it imperfect. It messed with his brain and could keep him sitting at a drawing for hours, it helped him feel more normal in the end.

Finally, Xino left his desk and went downstairs to check on his roommates. Leaf was on the balcony growing some plants and Alon was on his phone, cooking something in the kitchen. He wondered how they could be so calm and quiet when all week they were loud and all over the place. Xino laughed lightly at the thought, it was fun being their roomie.

"Hey, finally come out of that wonderland of yours?'

"Wonderland, it must be beautiful. Giant talking flowers, beautiful waters, tea parties and smiling cats."

"Alright, Alice, well maybe we can visit someday. Call Leaf in to eat something, he's been out there all day." Xino nodded and headed onto the balcony.

He watched closely as a small sprite climbed out of the soil where Leaf was growing flowers. It said something inaudible, to which Leaf laughed, before waddling off. He looked like he was at home, standing in the sun while growing plants. It must be nice to have such lovely power. Nature had intrigued Xino the second he stepped out of his home for the first time.

"Need something, Xino?" Leaf spun around and gave Xino his charming smile.

"Oh, Alon wants you to come eat."

"Alrighty!" The green-haired male stood straighter and bounced into the house, humming a happy sounding tune along the way.

Xino could tell since the first day they met, Leaf was the most secretive person he would meet. His happy and upbeat personality and the way he complimented everyone while talking as though his powers were worth very little showed that off pretty well. Leaf barely talked about his personal life, all Xino knew was that he had grown up with his single mother in a big big city, there was barely any foliage and Leaf had made it his goal to change that before coming here. Now he wanted to spread plants and wildlife all over the world.

The two took their seats at the table as Alon placed some food in front of them. Fried chicken with rice and vegetables. Leaf's looked a little different though, but Xino couldn't figure out why. Kind of like the meatloaf they had, Leaf's looked less like meat.

"I'm a vegetarian, Alon found out how to make plant based versions of these foods. For a water guy, he is really good at this stuff." Leaf smiled at the artist as he nodded, it made sense.

"Are you feeling okay?" Xino asked after a moment of eating, Leaf's energy felt lower than usual. He shrugged, a distant look in his deep blue eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Well, my definition of 'okay' is a bit different from yours, Leaf. When I draw you in my notebooks you are smiling and those eyes are a lot lighter than they are now. What happened?" Xino had developed this new sense over the week, his roommates had certain habits and signals.

Leaf was always upbeat, talking loud and making plants grow all over the dorm. In the first four days they had to clean the house of sunflower seeds multiple times. Alon was usually quiet, distant but there. He never needed to speak though, he was stoic and altruistic. Leaf was always checking in and he managed to make the two loners laugh, within such little time he had made both Alon and Xino extroverted and social.

"Someone told me I wouldn't make it in this school. They called me weak." He looked away, Xino turning to Alon. He saw what looked like a storm in those hazel eyes, he was angry.

"Who?" Alon's voice was even, it reminded Xino of his mother's voice when his father would yell at him. She was always against yelling.

"No one, it's fine. I don't care."

"Leaf, tell us, please?" Xino stepped in again, he was starting to feel upset too. Lead was so sweet and kind, he could control his power easily and he was by far the best at it in their class.

Leaf looked at his plate as though he was being interrogated by his parents. Xino once again glanced at Alon who was sitting very still, his glass of water sloshing around like an angry sea. Xino figured if Leaf didn't speak up he would find out himself. Then, Xino pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and placed it in front of Leaf, giving him a pencil next.

"No names, okay? Draw me a picture and I can find them."

"I'm not as good at drawing as you are…"

"No worries, Jig drew me a bunch of stick figures and I could make them out to be each person with no trouble. Go ahead, a sea storm over there might just tip his glass if you don't." Xino winked, a smile on his face. Leaf grinned slightly too, he knew just what to say to get him happy again.

Leaf picked up the pencil and paper, drawing slowly and adding in the details to ensure they could figure out who it was. Xino was curious, a school for heroes and someone was discouraging Leaf? Wasn't that against code or something? Alon still hadn't said anything, he took a deep breath and stopped his water from sloshing around.

Soon enough Leaf had finished the drawing, handing the materials back to Xino. He scanned the drawing, making out each shape and accessory. With little thinking he knew who it was, flipping the paper over and drawing it out again. He then handed the paper to Alon who only seemed to get angrier. His eyes flashed red for a second and he gritted his teeth, Xino slightly regretting his decisions. Alon already didn't seem to like this person from what Xino knew.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He muttered, looking up at the two. Xino stood from his chair and collected their empty plates. He wanted to leave the dorm and never come back, afraid Alon might cause an actual storm.

"I didn't want you guys worrying about me. I mean, Xino already has a lot on his plate and you seemed peaceful."

"I'll be back." Alon stood up and started towards the door, Xino frowning. He pulled out another piece of paper and quickly drew a lock onto the door, stopping Alon just an inch from the knob.

He turned and glared at the artist who was now innocently washing the dishes, Leaf joining him. If Alon was going to fight someone, it wasn't going to be her. He had found this specific person to be a teacher's daughter, she was smart and witty. He found himself wondering how she even managed to get into a hero school, she reminded him more of a villain. Alon hated her, no doubt about it.

After a few minutes of trying to break open the lock he huffed and walked back to the kitchen, officially calmed down. Xino didn't pay him much attention as he focused on Leaf, he showed him the drawing of his garden party which Leaf really wanted to see in person. Xino had learned this trick from his mother. Whenever Xino was upset and his father was angry she would ignore him and hold Xino closely until both of them were calm. His father only calmed down when he realized she didn't care, Xino only calmed down when he knew his mother wouldn't let go.

"Okay, I get it, stop ignoring me." Alon mumbled and leaned against the counter, Xino feeling accomplished.

"Would you like to join our garden party, Alon?" Xino turned to him and showed off his drawing. Alon just laughed and nodded.

Xino made his way outside, unlocking the door with ease and looking to see if anyone else was outside. Then he turned to the flower bed in front of their dorm, which Leaf had made bloom with so many flowers Xino wasn't sure they all fit. He drew up each flower with a different smile and party hat until they were all dancing and singing a language only Leaf could understand. Finally, Xino drew up a little cake and gave each of them a slice.

"You've got some major power there, y'know?" Alon said as they watched Leaf talk to the flowers.

"It's scary."

"I bet, but you aren't scary. Just be careful of what you draw, okay? I feel like you don't always know the difference between your imagination and reality." Xino nodded to that, he would refrain from drawing anything strong or in the slightest dangerous.

"Yeah, but I have you guys to reel me back in." He smiled and walked over to Leaf, drawing a party hat for himself. He was officially obsessed with them.

Xino had officially made it to his first Saturday in the real world. He didn't think this achievement would be so rewarding, he learned so much in just a week. Leaf spent all week teaching him things and watching movies with Xino so he could learn quicker, teachers offered to give him more classes whenever he liked, and now he was in an official club. Jig came over Friday night to talk about how many people joined, she got three from class 1-A, and one from class 1-C. Xino recognized a few of the names, but he wasn't quite sure. He already offered to do some posters for the club and make designs for different foods.

He was now currently sitting at his desk and drawing up some halloween themed foods. He watched a bunch of arts and crafts videos in Leaf's room, since he didn't have his own computer or phone, and now his mind was filled with ideas. They were going to have their first club meeting in the dorm today so he also wanted to finish the club posters and flyers. His idea for it was a purple and pink chef's hat sinking in the ocean, all types of food surrounding it. Jig decided to call it the underwater cooking club, since Alon was directing it, and everyone agreed.

It was maybe an hour later when he heard knocking from downstairs. He got up and checked his outfit, paint splatters all over each article of clothing he owned. This outfit he decided to paint colored hearts on the cuffs and he ended up ripping his white jeans and outlining the holes with rainbow stripes. He couldn't quite decide on a favorite color, so he chose all of them. After deeming himself pretty enough he opened the door and headed down the stairs.

Once he entered the living room he noticed four people seated, talking and laughing lightly. Alon was stood to the side, smiling as he listened to a story Jig was telling to everyone. Xino would've listened in but he was too busy with his other thoughts. He ended up zoning out before he could greet anyone.

"Art boy, come back to us." Alon called after a few minutes, Xino blinked a few times and noticed everyone staring at him. He laughed and apologized before waving to everyone.

"Guys, this is Xino! Xino is super good at art and he is making the posters-" Jig started to say, Xino interrupting.

"Actually I-I finished. Well, u-unless you guys don't like it." Xino scratched the back of his head as Jig laughed excitedly.

"Great! So, Xino, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Jekin, Narrisa, Rune, and Leon." Jig pointed to each person as she said their names.

Jekin had pretty pink hair that seemed too big for her head, her skin was light and she looked kind of like a mouse. Xino remembered Narrisa from the support class, who wouldn't remember the brightest girl in the room? Rune had light brown hair and eyes that seemed to be flickering from all the colors, his skin dark. Xino could feel safety radiating off of him. Leon looked caucasian, short hair that was swept around his face and eyes that were thin and gray. His skin was darker than Xino's, as most, but still very light.

"Nice to meet you all…" He whispered, finding it hard to speak. He'd found himself to struggle with new people more than he thought he would.

"Xi, why don't you show us all your creations?" Alon offered, Xino assumed he was trying to make him more comfortable.

Xino smiled and gave a thumbs up, running back to his room. He heard Jig explaining in a very cheery manner that Xino was very talented, an embarrassing comment to him. If anything, he thought of himself as an average painter and there were many people who could draw like he did. He grabbed the posters, wondering if his attention to detail was too much or too little. He had never felt self-conscious of his own art before, or of anything really. But these people were waiting for him to blow their minds, was this simple poster mind blowing at all?

Xino took a deep breath and brought the poster down stairs, along with a few flyers he made. It wasn't anything special but he hoped they liked it. They were all still seated, talking about club plans and where they would host it. Apparently Jig had talked Dormir into letting them use the big kitchen where their food was made, it had ten kitchens and an herb garden. Leaf grew interested in the word "Herb" and left his room to listen to their conversation.

"Whoa, when did you draw those?" Rune held out his arms and passed out some of the flyers while Xino held the poster.

"Xino, these are so good! I love it." Narissa seemed to get brighter as she complimented his work. Xino smiled and whispered a thank you, Alon giving him a thumbs up.

"You sure you're a Freshman? Not even the artists in my grade can make chef hat look that good." Leon nodded as he looked at all the work, Xino feeling prouder than before. After everyone finished admiring the work, they all got back together and looked at Alon.

The plan was to schedule meetings around everyone else's time slots, since Leon was older his classes were later in the day and so it meant meeting up had to be around noon. Once that was settled they talked about the first competition, they had a month to prepare and figure out what everyone would do before traveling to the city's activity house where competitions would be held. And finally, they needed a teacher to fund their club. Jig said she could handle that, all it took was begging Dormir to sit in the room and "supervise" which they all knew meant sleep.

"Great, now we have plans!" Jekin threw her hands in the air as if they had just defeated the greatest villain.

"Hey, do you guys have your costumes yet? I know you guys are supposed to get them around next week at least." Leon asked, Xino had learned that Leon was already a minor hero in the city. He had his identity and name in check, which he refused to share.

"No, actually, we still have to design them." Jig answered, Rune and Narissa seemed worried at the thought.

"Oh yeah, we talked about it with Mr. Flamboyant and I have been freaking out about it." Narissa leaned back on the couch dramatically.

Xino was half planning to just paint himself a mask and call it quits. He was the most creative person in this entire school and he couldn't think of anything to wear for the life of him. When it came to making things for himself it didn't end out too well. Xino looked at each person in the room for thirty seconds, picturing them in different costumes. His vision flashes green when he finds the perfect match in his mind. He didn't realize how quiet it got, too busy pairing everyone with a new costume. Maybe if he starred in the mirror long enough he could do the same for himself.

"Uh, Xi?" Leaf hopped over the couches and coffee table, landing right in front of Xino. A trail of leaves was left on Narissa and Jig.

Xino, still not paying attention, hummed in response. He was already lost in his thoughts, adding accessories and switching up colors. He gave Alon a cool armor look, to match the sea. And a trident on his helmet to make the look come to life. It was generic at first, but then he added sea lanterns and prismarine designs that really made it come to life. He gave Jig a cool jester look, a skirt of turquoise and aquamarine. Her hat was flimsy but stayed on her head, a mask to cover just enough.

"Xino!" Narissa finally yelled, bringing him out of his trance. His vision went white for a few seconds before he was staring at everyone once more.

"D-did I z-z-zone out..again?" He stuttered, feeling embarrassed. Leaf rolled his eyes and patted him on the head, the others just kind of staring. He then proceeded to look down at his hands, a jester's hat sitting comfortably in his grasp.

"I think you did more than just zone out." Rune chuckled nervously as he looked at the hat;

"Where-"

"It just appeared. Leaf kinda shook you around and then all of a sudden you had that hat." Leon explained carefully, as though he was talking to a child. Xino wasn't sure why but he hated all the attention.

"Oh…I think I will be going to my room for now. Here, Jig, I made this for you." Xino quickly threw her the hat, turning and running to his room.

He didn't bother stopping when Alon called after him, he just wanted to get out of there. He felt dizzy, nauseous, and more tired than ever. Whatever happened downstairs did something to him. He stumbled around his room, confusion taking over. The person in his mind seemed to be giving him a break, for once in his life, he couldn't think of anything. No crazy ideas on what was happening, no new drawings, nothing.

Xino finally flopped down onto his bed, his fatigue fading in slowly. His vision was still distorted from Narissa's bright glow, but other than that, everything seemed normal. The only thing he couldn't grasp was why he had that hat. He didn't draw it, he had nothing to draw with, so how? Rain floated over from her spot by the desk, she had claimed it the other night. The little cloud seemed to know when something was wrong, her rainbow colors turning darker and her eyes filling with raindrops.

"Rain, I don't understand what happened." He whispered, he wasn't even sure words had come out until Rain nudged his arm. He wished she could speak, it was hard to tell what a cloud was feeling.

"Well, maybe you should ask your parents." Xino shot up, jumping out of his bed and running to the corner of his room. He went so fast he didn't notice Rain had turned into mist.

"Rain?" His voice was louder now, still shaky. His pet cloud had just talked.

"What?"

"You-You have a v-voice." Xino and the cloud stared at each other silently. Her voice was soft, but it came out staticy like the rain.

Rain smiled, well, Xino assumed she was smiling. He couldn't ask though, as Rain retreated back to her corner. He wasn't supposed to bother her in that corner, for some reason he had drawn her teeth and they very much hurt. Why were his thoughts coming true all of a sudden? First the hat, now Rain. What happens if he thinks about other things? Like, something more dangerous? No, that would be bad, he shook his head and sat down at his desk.

Maybe it wasn't so bad. He wasted less paper? But he didn't want all his thoughts coming true, he could barely control them. If someone witnessed a dinosaur crossing the street wearing a party hat there was sure to be some commotion. The consequences would all lead right back to him, who else could create something that died billions of years ago? It was too much power, maybe he was hallucinating. This was all just one big dream and he would soon wake up. Rain would go back to her thundering rather than speaking, the jester's hat would no longer exist.

Xino then thought back to what Rain had said. "Maybe you should ask your parents.". It might've worked, they had to know something. If he really was as dangerous as they said he was, he had to have done something before he was locked away. Before the world became a blank slate. He would have gone crazy if it wasn't for the first six years of his life, he never told his parents, but he did have little memories. Of course, not about his powers. He was still unsure what he did that was so bad.

Maybe a trip to his parents wouldn't be so bad. He missed his mother's gentle hands and even though he tended to despise it, he wanted to hear his father's voice. It had officially been a week after all. Xino was more than ready to see them again and to tell them all about school. Of course, he wasn't allowed to go home without supervision. He'd have to ask a teacher for permission.

Looking at Rain, he realized there was more to him than he thought. He could think and it appeared, he could draw and it came to life, his imagination was beyond human comprehension. He was scared, to say the least. Scared of himself, of his power, of his own thoughts and opinions. The safest option would be to revert back home, to his old room. His old life. Xino's blank slate where nothing could get to him, where his thoughts barely existed.

"Xino? Everything okay?" It was Jig. Xino didn't respond, he was scared of his own words. "I promise we still like you! That was pretty cool out there, the hat just materialized in your hands like a 3D printer! It looks so fun too, I might use it in my costume."

The artist stared at his door for a moment. She liked the hat? What if he made something worse, what if he created something big and scary. Like a giant reptilian lizard with alien eyes and-. No. The more he thought about it the worse it got. He took a deep breath and walked over to his door, slowly turning the knob.

"I don't know how I did it…" He whispered, inspecting the green strands of hair floating around Jig's face.

"We know, you looked pretty scared. Narissa has something she wants to teach you before she leaves."

"Narissa? Okay, can you tell her to come up here? I don't know if I can look at my roommates yet."

"Of course, and don't worry, they want to give you some space until you can talk about it!" Jig did a small bow and turned away as Xino stepped further into his room.

Now he would have to speak more, despite his growing fear. What if he blurted something out that was dangerous and it came to life? He hoped that wouldn't happen. So far he hadn't done anything too bad, not that he knew of anyway. It was just rain and the hat that he brought to life. There were worse things, he figured. Thinking about it, his dreams have become more vivid lately. The rose pendant, a theater mask, and a guitar. He had each of them drawn in a notebook that he now referred to as his dream book.

"Xino, wow your room! It suits you." A bright light shone from the doorway, Narissa's voice being noted in his brain.

"I'd hope so, I decorated everything."

"The floor?"

"That was the first thing I did. Hence my shoes."

"That makes so much sense!" Narissa entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She was pretty calm earlier when they were in a group, but now she seemed more energetic.

She walked around the room in a slow manner, lighting up the dark walls. His stars would be very bright tonight. She picked up little origami swans from his desk, admiring his canvases as well. She also looked at the other designs for their club, humming at each piece of art. Xino waited patiently for her to explain what she wanted. He didn't want to interrupt her as she seemed deep in thought.

"So, Mr. Ryu, as our support teacher calls you." Narissa turned around and gave him a small wink. He was still trying to forget his embarrassment.

"Yep…support class…"

"It wasn't as bad as it seemed!"

"I called him a puddle."

"Well maybe he should stop looking like a puddle." She laughed and took a seat in his desk chair.

It was nice being able to talk, he barely even noticed his stutter. It wasn't until the first day he realized it even existed. Talking with others he knew it was there, like a thought in the back of his head. Nobody ever mentioned it though, it was probably difficult to judge others for such little things in this kind of school. He often wondered what others thought of him, he was still learning so much and he knew it must be odd the way he acted.

"So…"

"Right! I think you need some breathing exercise, things to calm your mind. I remembered Inia mentioning how you are constantly in a state of thought." Narissa spun around in the chair while speaking.

"Yes…"

"When your mind starts to drift, you must bring it back. In class and out." She stopped spinning, eyes taking Xino in. He shifted in place as she hummed.

"And breathing helps?"

"Yes, it helps me anyway. I collect my energy from the sun, as you can see I am a literal ball of light. When it's sunny all day it can fry my brain and breathing helps keep me in check." She stood up and circled the artist, inspecting him carefully.

He was nervous. As much as Narissa seemed to know what she was doing, he couldn't exactly see how it worked. She made him sit down in the center of bed and close his eyes, which was still very bright due to her presence. She then instructed Xino to inhale and exhale while she counted, letting his brain focus on the way his lungs expanded. It didn't take long for him to imagine his lungs expanding too much and then-

"Stop, Xino!" Narissa yelled, her hands were on his shoulders and she looked panicked.

"W-what?" He felt fine, nothing happened.

"You were hyperventilating, you couldn't tell?" Narissa hugged him tightly, her skin practically burning him. He had to look away from her, but Xino knew she was crying.

"I was thinking. My lungs, they almost…oh…" He felt faint, the realization hitting him. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you would stray that far….why such dark thoughts in a room full of light.." She sat up, turning him to face her. Despite the brightness, she seemed dim.

"I don't understand." He scanned her face for a moment, nothing about her was human.

Even her touch felt terrestrial. Foreign. Her hands burned, her skin wasn't skin at all. Her eyes were bright and they had no real color, the same as her hair which he originally thought to be blonde. She really was just a ball of light. A human star if he had to guess. But as he looked at her, he could see her human attributes more and more. Despite the voids of light that were her eyes, there were still tears and emotion inside. Her hands were real, her voice was full of feeling.

"No more doing that, okay? Let's stay here, in reality. Keep those darker thoughts away." Narissa probably didn't mean to phrase it that way, but it still stung.

Stay here in reality. His life felt less and less real each and every day. Things became distorted, his mind drifted, he could barely keep up. It was more than a mental thing now, it was physical. He felt less human, less alive. Reality was leaving his mind whenever he zoned out, sometimes it was hard to understand the difference between real and fake.

He looked at her before looking away, mumbling out a small yes. She hugged him once more before standing and walking out. This gave Xino some more thinking time, which was bad. He could barely control his thoughts in general, and now he was supposed to keep them light? This was one thing Xino had trouble doing, especially when he was told not too.

Ever since he was younger, the only things he really did know were the bad things. His dad shouting foreign words on the phone out of anger, fighting, crying, sadness. All these things played a role in his life before school more than they should have. He was born to think these things were natural, from the beginning. The moment he got locked up was the moment things got worse. He was alone with his thoughts, and those thoughts barely existed. He had no emotion, no creativity, no artistic mindset. Seeing the world changed things.

It was as if the world made him worse.

Xino was walking to class on Monday, he decided to draw his hero costume designs on paper in fear of them coming to life again. It wasn't like they were bad, but he would rather keep that aspect down in the dirt while he could. Leaf and Xino loved them and asked if they could tweak them for their own, which he was more than happy with. His roommates had made everything better within a couple hours.

He was still scared, of course. Who wouldn't be at least a little bit scared after finding out they had more power than most could even fathom. He had the ability of creation. The second top hero, Havoc, had the power of destruction. He had spent most of the night trying to figure out who the top hero was, but nothing came up. Alon and Leaf weren't entirely sure either, if anything, they didn't exist. To everyone, Havoc was on top. Her superior had no trace.

"Xino?" The artist lifted his head so quickly he felt like it might snap. A gust of wind passed by him and the next thing he knew there was a person standing in front of him.

His eyes were dark blue like his teacher's, platinum blonde hair and tan skin. He was wearing a black hoodie and sweats, as well as running shoes. Xino couldn't decipher people very well, but he looked calm and curious. As well as being anxious, Xino knew that feeling very well.

"Yes?"

"I need you to meet me later.." His words were careful, like he was scared of slipping up.

"Oh uh..I actually-"

"Please. It's urgent." The guy gave him such a pleading look that Xino couldn't say no. Hopefully his roommates could handle him missing out on a little bit of family time.

"Okay, sure. Who are you, why do you need me, and when?"

"I'm Rior. You were chosen for a…quest? Seven after school, Lorianne Krios' dorm. Her name is on the sign so you'll know." Rior gave a small smile before disappearing, a gust of wind all that was left.

Xino shook his head and continued walking. Lorianne, the girl he had met not too long ago. She seemed nice, but a quest? Maybe this was a prank, Leaf loved those. Xino had nothing to do with quests, he felt like a bomb sometimes. Especially now that his thoughts could come to life. No matter how far back he shoved the thought into his head, it always whispered in an alluring voice.

Rain appeared in front of him, she loved going on walks. Xino was sure she was lonely up in his bedroom all day. The little cloud never strayed far from him and he never had to worry about it. He wondered if she could go on the quest, Alon had made it obvious he didn't like babysitting clouds. He could make her evaporate in the blink of an eye. Leaf also wasn't a fan of Rain, when she cried his plants got soggy. Rain had to stick with Xino.

The two eventually made it to class, Xino ignoring the few eyes on him. He left after Leaf and Alon this time, to which they protested a bit. He enjoyed going on walks alone sometimes when the day was nice and the air was calm. It never hurt to get some time to himself, and Rain was a good cloud to take his mind off of other events.

"Xino, welcome to class. Lucifer, welcome to class. Good morning, Fonzo." Nymphalid greeted each student as they entered the classroom, a smile on her face.

The class was quieter today. Little murmurs are the only sound in the room. Nymphalid instructed that the costume designs had to be done by the end of the week, next week was training. Xino had a small idea in his head for a costume, nothing too extravagant but still noticeable. It had to be him. He also designed some more of Jig's outfit and she was more than happy to take inspiration. It made him feel good that his art actually meant something to his peers.

"Students! I know some rumors have been spread, but I can settle some things to start off class. I have decided to partner with Mr. Flamboyant on training weeks due to my pregnancy."

A few gasps were spread throughout the crowd, Xino surely didn't know his teacher was due to have a baby. He had heard rumors about her though, and the top five hero. He also heard that someone from class 1-A was her oldest son. She seemed proud though, not at all worried about people knowing. Being a mother wasn't something to degrade or disrespect, it was a sign of strength and care. A good hero attribute.

"Congratulations miss!" Inia spoke from her seat, a few others repeating it.

"Thank you, and yes, I do have another child in the other Freshman class. Please do not make it a big deal though, he does not plan to be a hero like me. He just wants to help, we don't pressure our peers because of their parents." Everyone could agree to that. Xino wasn't sure who her son was, but she didn't define who they were.

She went on to explain a few more things, telling the students that rumors were rarely true and that whoever was spreading them had to stop. Her voice switched, a more strict and cold tone than Xino was used to. Her eyes scanned the room to make sure everyone understood. Xino was half-distracted by her wings that seemed to be watching him.

"Now! Let's do hero names? Does anyone have a hero name they would like to test out? We won't judge in this room." Nymphalid smiled and looked around the classroom, her movements like a mechanical doll. Hands clasped in front of her, torso turning while her feet stayed in place as she tilted her head.

"Me! I have an idea!" The girl who was nearly transparent, Misty, stood. She walked to the front of the classroom and waved. "As you know my name is Misty and my power is invisibility, I wanted to try the hero name 'Vanisty'."

A few people clapped their hands, Jig whistling next to Xino. He held back a smile when he realized it was a mix of the words "vanish" and "Misty". It was clever. Nymphalid complimented her and beckoned Loid to the front.

"Hey, I have the power of venom so I was thinking something like that. Veneno." Xino scanned him, he looked caucasian and the language he spoke was Portuguese, or at least he thought it was. How did he know? He wasn't entirely sure. Veneno meant poison.

"A wonderful name choice, Loid! Jig?"

"Xino actually gave me a very cool idea for a jester look, and I wanted to do something like that." Jig winked at Xino who gave her a thumbs up in response. "I think 'Trickster' is a good name."

Everyone clapped once more, Xino was fond of that name. He could see it in her that the name would fit. Her mischievous eyes and playful smile. The jester look fit her, like someone who just wanted to have fun. He recalled her saying she could speak to spirits, that probably added on to her more than most would think. Nymphalid decided to use the rest of class as thinking time, for names and costumes. Everyone dispersed to join their friends and talk.

Alon and Leaf walked over to Xino's desk, Jig explaining her thoughts on their support teacher. He told her about his first day in that class, he still felt embarrassed by it. Then the conversation moved into costumes. Alon still had his drawing on him and he explained his support item too. Leaf was more interested in the name part, he had come up with at least thirty names he couldn't choose from. For the first time since Xino got to this school, he felt like the least most creative person.

And that thought proved correct when all his friends turned to him next. He had been quiet for most of the time they were talking. His thoughts were all jumbled now, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his own costume or name. Making things for himself didn't seem to go so well. Painting someone else's portrait is easy, you can accept people for their flaws because your brain tells you that they are perfect. When it comes to yourself, your brain isn't so nice. Especially when you are a top notch perfectionist like Xino.

"I honestly don't know."

"You never know!" Jig whined, they were all leaning towards him.

"Really, I never have this much trouble with artistic things. See, look at Reed. Microphone on his chest, white and red. Candy red to be specific. Boombox belt, he controls sound waves. Headphones…" Xino trailed off, looking at all his friends. He didn't even notice his hand had drawn it all out on his desk.

"Wow." Leaf exhaled. Xino laughed nervously as he frantically scribbled the drawing off his desk.

It came easy when he was looking at other people. He could give everyone in the room an outfit and design it himself. "You guys can design my outfit." He sighed, it was much easier to give up at this point.

"Well, what about the clothes you already have?" Alon commented. "You have all white clothes that you poured paint onto and turned into art. I'd say that is the best kind of costume for an artist. Just do that until you are confident."

"I already painted all my clothes…"

"Then it's about time we go shopping! You need to see other clothes anyways, not just the painted ones."

Xino's eyes lit up at the thought of being able to buy more clothes. He saw what everyone wore outside of school hours and he had been thinking about getting his own clothing soon. He'd never been shopping before, wondering what it would be like and how things worked. Just the thought could bring him into his mind palace. So many possibilities.

"I think that's a yes." Leaf laughed, Xino coming back.

"Yes. I'd love to do that." He gave a small smile towards his friends. This was more exciting than he thought it would be.

The mall was huge. The three had taken a bus into the main city, the school leaving view. Leaf wore his gardening gloves and black pants, a white shirt with sunflowers bringing it together. Alon had on his "King of The Sea" shirt and leather jacket, his hair falling out from underneath a beanie. Xino was wearing his usual white attire, paint splatter covering. He had been painting in this one, the colors of a purple and pink sunset. It brought out his orange eyes wonderfully.

Alon said he could pick out three outfits, since they usually had to wear uniforms anyway. He was much more interested in looking at things though. As they traversed the mall, Xino spotted shops of all kinds. Toy stores, shoe stores, food stores, all the stores. And then he saw the one store he wished they were here for. Its shelves were filled with paint, more colors than Xino knew existed. Art on the walls, paper, crayons, pencils. It was heaven, he decided.

"Alon, Leaf, look!" Xino ran up to the glass, a beautiful woman in a white trench coat stood so still she wasn't even breathing.

Her trench coat had an ombre rainbow design on the bottom, paintbrushes on the pockets. In her hand she held a brush and palette. Her hair was brown and short, skin the color of her coat. She wore a beret and her makeup was colorful. He couldn't help wanting the outfit, it would go so well with him. Maybe if he paired it with a black shirt, black pants. Some dress shoes as well, he could paint them to match the ombre on the coat.

"Isn't she beautiful? Hello, miss!" Xino waved at the woman, maybe she would at least blink at him.

"Uh, Xi? That is a mannequin." Leaf put his hand on Xino's shoulder as Alon held back a laugh.

"Mannequin? Do you think Miss Mannequin will give me her coat?"

"No- I mean, maybe, but she isn't-"

"I'll go ask for the coat, don't worry about it, Leafy." Alon laughed and jogged into the store, leaving Xino with Leaf.

He sighed, shoving his green hair out of his face. Flowers had started to sprout out again, something that happened when he was having fun. The two looked out around the store while they waited for Alon, the shops were so much more interesting than anything he'd seen before. They sold all kinds of things. Candy, plushies, shirts. Xino thought he had seen it all.

Soon enough, Alon came back with a bag in hand and led them all towards the next store. It was the biggest store in the mall, if Xino had to guess. Clothes and jewelry were everywhere along with makeup and perfume. They headed to the men's section, which confused Xino. Clothes for just men? He had seen some other students wear clothes like these, so why weren't they in the everybody section? He expressed this to Leaf, who tried very hard to explain something that made no sense at all.

Eventually Alon told him that men and women grew differently and the clothes were really just paired to sizes. Xino knew that wasn't it, saying as though most girls at the academy were taller and bigger than he was. But he left alone and started browsing. Leaf found himself a matcha green top and shorts that complimented him well, Alon found some gray pants and a new leather jacket. Xino had trouble deciding what he wanted to wear, everything was amazing. Some designs did not go well together, others were amazing. He had learned how sensitive his skin was, the fabric had to be perfect.

Soon enough, he settled with a soft black shirt and matching pants. His ideas floated around now, the hero costume coming together. Whenever he thought about it before, it turned out to be a messy mush of color, but now it was something. Something beautiful. He felt so giddy now, the world fading in and out as his excitement came into view.

"Thank you!" Xino said those words a million times as they made their way back home. He had almost forgotten his little meeting which was in an hour.

After putting away his things and readying himself up, he grabbed the little note he wrote to himself earlier today. Lorianne's dorm. She was a sweet girl with the power to control people's moods, why should he be scared? He bid his roommates goodbye and made his way. The sun was already going down, the days being shorter now that it was autumn. His skin couldn't take too much sun any longer, he already had enough sunburns.

Lorianne lived in the A dorms, on the freshman floor. He noticed that as he was walking the freshmen in the school were the biggest class group. As though the heroes didn't come back the older they got. Xino shook that out of his head. Rain followed close behind him, she had to stay home so the people at the mall didn't notice her. The little cloud had not been happy when he was leaving again.

Soon enough he made it to the dormitory, going through and looking for a name. Each student had a different looking dorm, he saw pink slime leaking through one door. Another door had angel wings painted on the front, he even saw arrows pinned for target practice. Soon enough he made it to Lorianne's dorm, theater masks painted next to her name. There were also two other names, Cassidy and Misty.

He stood outside for a moment, ten minutes early. The air was fresh, the world was calm. His brain was whirring silently, all his thoughts far away now. He felt tired, dizzy. With a small whisper to himself, he walked up to the door.

"You can do this, Ryu.."