our inner glow /kinsey + shi/

[Kinkade Cymir Malixi]

A LITTLE HOPE
_{if you knew how lonely my life has been
and how long I've felt so low
if you knew how i wanted someone to come along
and change my life the way you've done ...}

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Warum...?"Kins mumbled, stirring. He figured it must be his friend, Kohler, messing with him. But that was okay- Kohler was a very funny kid.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Vroom?"the older man echoed, giving the teenage boy on the bed a quizzical look. Yeah, it'd been a while since he'd seen his son, but it wasn't exactly normal for the teenager to talk in his sleep- much less nonsense words. Not that he minded. Just having Kinkade around was enough for Shiloh.
"Huh?"Kinkade rubbed his eyes, surprised to hear Shiloh rather than Kohler or his mother. Oh. Yeah. Shiloh was custodial parent. For a moment, he'd genuinely forgot. Remembering wasn't a great way to start the day.
"You said vroom."His father stated from the doorway, close to laughing. It sounded a bit ridiculous aloud.
"I did not."Kins yawned, sitting up to meet the man's gaze."Why would I say that? Is it really a word?" Yes. Yes it was. It was German for 'why', and it was a word Kins picked up from an old mate. And yes, it did sound like the American word, 'v-room'. But no need to tell Shiloh all that.
"I don't know, you just woke up saying it."Shiloh shrugged passively.
"Well, aren't you perceptive."Kins murmured.
"What'd you say then?"Shiloh questioned.
"I didn't. That noise is? Tick, tick, tick, tick, ti-"Kins had begun drumming on his bedside table with the constant ticking, but realizing it, he promptly dropped his hand, asking again,"It is?"
"Your new clock."
"You put a clock in my room. How?"
"While you were sleeping."
"Apparently."Kins didn't bother to point out he hadn't asked when. Instead, he ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes tightly, trying to wake himself up.
"Thought it'd make you more comfortable."His father's pride was evident in his tone. Kins' own tone softened to account for it when he responded.
"It didn't. Put it back in your closet, okay?"Kins suggested as he got out of bed and headed for the dresser across the room.
"How'd you know it came from my closet?"Now there was suspicion. Kinkade smiled.
"The foundation to a healthy relationship is trust, Father. I didn't raid your closet upon arrival."Without meaning to, he'd begun to tap his fingers to the ticking again- this time on the dresser as he sifted through the folded clothes. His eyes closed, his hand stopped on a green t-shirt, his mind centering on the sound. Rhythmic. Predictable. Peaceful.
"Kade?"His father's voice shattered the daze. Kins shook his head, turning his attention back to the man at the doorway.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Certainly. Leave the clock, alright? Thank you for getting it for me, Shiloh."Kinkade smiled. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. At least Shiloh was trying. And the academy was a nice place to be, anyway.

[Professor Shiloh Malixi]

SHARE
_{telling stories and
laughing with friends
precious moments ...
you'll never forget}

"Mr. Malixi? Mr. Malixi, are you okay?"one of his students was asking. He looked up to the young blond girl, then smiled at the concern in her pretty blue eyes. No, he wasn't okay. He wanted his son back. But like every year before, the summer came to an end and he sent the little boy- eleven now- off on an airplane back to Scotland to his mother.

"Yes, perfectly fine, Elizabeth. Thank you."Shiloh answered with ease as he rose from the chair behind his desk. The rest of his students were filing in, taking their seats. "What do you say we get this lesson started?" His tone was soft and warm- he was still addressing Elizabeth, despite all the other children now expecting his attention. Elizabeth smiled back at him, giving him a nod.

"Let's."she agreed before turning and taking her seat, her eyes fixed on him once she had. In fact, they were all watching him, waiting patiently for something exciting. He should have called in sick. But he never did.

"It's good to see familiar faces again,"Shiloh stated, making his way to the whiteboard. "Did you have a pleasant break?" The question wasn't one he expected real answers to. A few scattered 'yeah's, some scoffs of annoyance, and even a few curious giggles that, had he been more attentive, may have caught his attention were his reply. That was good enough.

"A bright new year to learn about all the things that happened before."Shiloh introduced, picking up a marker and drawing a straight line across his whiteboard in a bright green marker. Once that was made, he picked up the dark blue one and drew one line at the beginning of the green line before writing, 'the lie that is the beginning' above the blue line. Laughter followed as students began to realize he was making a time line. He made a second blue line very near the first, writing, 'dinosaurs, rawr'. And the third read, 'ice age, burr.'.

"I'm surprised they haven't fired you yet, Malixi."Came the snickering of a student he was actually quite fond of. Russel. Shiloh grinned, but he didn't stop, and he didn't face the class.

"As am I, Mr. Cooper. As am I."He agreed. Fourth line, above which read 'the meltdown' came next.

"Is there a point to this?" Odd. A voice he didn't recognize in a class of kids who should all be returning juniors. Shiloh stopped writing so he could examine his class. All fairly familiar...

"Uh, yes, there certainly is."Shiloh stated. "Do you contest what's written on the board?"

"Yeah- of course. Seems like you're getting your information from Disney." That same voice. Unfamiliar, and at the left side of the class. The voice belonged to a tall, lanky blond kid who's summer tan looked painfully recent. Shiloh smiled at the boy's response.

"Precisely."Shiloh affirmed."Disney says it happened kind of like this. My job is to teach you the facts. So by the end of the year, I want you to be able to write an essay telling me all the ways in which the Disney company is filling the children's heads with misconceptions. You have seven months to prepare it. If you finish it early, I will grade it early and you won't have to worry about a large project at the end of the year." Seven months in advance to do an assignment. That was generous, right? And that gave him about two months to read all of them, unless by some miracle the students got it done before it's due date. He doubted it. Very few ever did.

[Professor Shiloh Malixi]

SILLY BEE
_{ah, please talk to me
won't you please talk to me
we can unlock this misery
come on, come talk to me.}

Buzz. Buzz.
Shiloh raised an eyebrow at the computer. No visible electricity was escaping it's casing, but he half expected it to suddenly start on fire, anyway.
Buzz. Buzz.
Tentatively, he poked at the laptop. It chimed several seconds later, as if in reply to his touch, much to his surprise. He leaned forward, noticing text on the screen.

[10:13:15] kinseykade: hey dad!
[10:13:46] kinseykade: daad!
[10:14:03] kinseykade: don't ignore me!
[10:20:52] You have been buzzed!
[10:22:24] You have been buzzed!
[10:22:59] kinseykade: that bridge of communication is burning, dad. watch the smoke rise.

How odd... Well, when in Rome. He placed his fingers on the keys to compose a message, silently hoping it really was Kins (though, if it was he should be in class and not sending these messages). Four letters, then the return key. He looked up immediately at the screen, making sure it went through alright.

[10:23:38] s.malixi: Kade?

Seemed so. The next chime brought a reply. In fact, there were several in rather rapid succession.

[10:23:51] kinseykade: dad! there you are.
[10:24:29] kinseykade: do you have any chocolate in your classroom?
[10:24:58] kinseykade: there's this pretty girl and i kinda wanna give her something sweet, y'know.
[10:24:02] kinseykade: still there, shiloh?

Shiloh blinked. That's what it felt like, at least. One blink and the kid had typed that much. To the request, he could only smile and bite his lip to keep from laughing aloud.

[10:26:49] s.malixi: Slow down. Yeah, I have candy bars in my room if you want a few. I also have chocolate frosting and graham crackers, kiddo.

Shiloh smiled to himself, proud to remember what a five-year-old version of Kins liked as a treat.

[10:27:08] kinseykade: 'kay, i'll be there at lunch, shi.

Shiloh nodded to the screen, though Kinkade clearly couldn't see it, then leaned back in his chair. This was a start. A very good one at that.

[Professor Shiloh Malixi]

LOVE YOU
_{this has to be
the most beautiful
the most peaceful place
i've ever been to
it's nothing like
i've ever seen before}

There was still a smoky smell to the house and it'd been at least thirty minutes now. All Kins seemed capable of was laughing at him as he desperately swung a pillow in the air, trying to clear the smoke. But that was okay; the little boy's laughter was a welcomed sound, even if it did bring a blush to his cheeks to have the seven year old thinking he was ridiculous.

"Dad! Dad, quit it!"the little boy pleaded, falling to the floor in an over dramatized reaction to his fit of laughter. Shiloh began to laugh then, dropping his arms but clutching the pillow in case he decided he needed it again. Laughter filled the normally quiet room as the two, at least for a moment, enjoyed the shared experience.

"Let's try something easier next time, okay?" The younger one's laughter subsided before his father's did, making him the first to speak. Tears had risen to Kins' eyes from laughing so hard, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Okay. Easier. Right."Shiloh nodded. "I just thought you'd enjoy meeting the fire marshal, that's all. Once in a lifetime experience.

[/color]" He kidded. The little boy laughed again. When his laughter stopped for the second time, he got up from the floor and neared Shiloh. Shiloh kept perfectly still as though any slight movement might scare his son away. Kins didn't stop- instead, he sat down right beside him and wrapped his arms around his waist in a hug. He fit there, held in place by Shiloh's arm. Shiloh smiled, kissing the top of the little boy's head. Silence fell between the two, but it didn't matter. With an empath for a son, things were fine in silence with his projected emotion to convey anything they could have possibly needed to.

"Dad,"Came the sleepy voice of Kins as he shifted. Shiloh grinned, knowing fully well that the little boy feared he was falling to sleep."Do you think we could make s'mores tomorrow? S'mores are easy, right?"

"Yeah, kiddo. Whatever you want.[/color]"Shiloh agreed. He could handle s'mores, especially if it made Kinkade smile. Silence fell again as Kins cuddled into his side. This was what he lived for. Little moments like this. Shiloh held tighter to Kinkade, wanting to keep him close for as long as possible before he, too, drifted off to sleep.[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]