If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It - Chapter One
Part One - Chapter One
"Craft," said the tall man at the head of the lecture hall, "is what makes this world tick. You're here because you have decided to cast aside the regular world and learn about something most people believe to be falsehoods, trickery, and lies. The reason most people believe it to be trickery is because they don't have the potential to see the truth." He glanced around the hall. "Most of them don't have a relative, who, at some point or another, clued them in to the separate world. They didn't have experiences as children that made them wonder if there was more to life than sports, television, or shopping. Nobody they loved ever came back from the dead, they never woke up floating a foot above their bed, or spoke to an animal like it knew the words of humans.
"You are here to learn about this world. And I'll see you every day for two hours.
"If you didn't receive a copy of the syllabus going around, my name is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and for two hours, five days a week, you're going to forget that there aren't any other people you can tell about this world, that the next class you go to will be about the American Revolution, and that they're never going to tell you that at least one battle was won with the aid of a telepath. The rest of the world outside this class is almost real. I'm never going to tell you that you can pay your bills with Craft. You can't. You can't work a job that pays you to be fantastic. This isn't The Dresden Files or Harry Potter or even Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. This is real magic and the only thing it's going to give most of you is a pile of trouble.
"So why are you here? You want to know more. Maybe you had a class growing up, one your parents or your sponsor found. You were able to practice your abilities a few times a week. Maybe you could practice them at home. Most of you have been waiting for this, though. You were able to see the class title in the syllabus not because we're some awesome force of wonder, or because we're magic all the way to the top of this school. You saw it because you had potential.
“A lot of this stuff can get passed down through families and from grandparents to grandchildren. Consider this course your way to get a more social view of Craft. So many times we Warlocks and Witches live out our lives meeting only a few other practitioners, and I’m someone who wants to help change that.
"Everyone outside of this room thinks that you're in here to learn about magical realism in literature. Roll with that. It's as close to the truth as you can get. I’m paid most of the time to actually teach about the stuff and it’s what I studied for my own graduate degree.
"Ok, I'm getting tired of hearing my own voice. Introduce yourself to the people next to you and let's meet the future of Warlocks and Witches."
Professor Morgan fell silent, and Jared sat back in his chair, not having realized that he'd leaned so far forward in his seat. This was it. He hadn't expected the University of Colorado at Boulder to teach Craft, but here he was. Finally.
"I think he was lying when he said he was tired of his own voice." The blonde guy next to Jared leaned over, whispering. "I have never heard someone wax that long before about anything at the start of a class."
Jared grinned. He was so ready for this. "Jared Padalecki," he said, and shook the guy's hand. Jared had a good sense about people - maybe Craft driven, maybe not - and he could tell that this guy was a bit crazy, but solid.
"Chad Murray. Also known as Captain Awesome, but Chad’s fine too" They shared a smile.
"Is this your first year?" Jared asked. Chad seemed to fit the Boulder dynamic that Jared had observed during his time here. Well-to-do, preppy while trying to look shabby, but also interested in the coursework. He wore jeans and a beat-up shirt, but they were expensive clothes, that much Jared could tell. Chad's shoes probably cost more than Jared's bicycle.
Jared felt a little scruffy next to Chad. His family had never struggled, but as Texas ranchers their focus had never been on what kind of jeans a man wore, just that the jeans fit the purpose. Jared wore a sold blue tee shirt that was probably a bit thin, jeans, and a pair of brown cowboy boots that he couldn't bear to give up, even if he'd had them since he was a sophomore in high school - and they looked just as old. For as much of a "cowboy" reputation as Colorado had, Jared had seen startlingly few of them.
"Pretty much. I transferred in about halfway through last semester, so I knew this class was here, but couldn't even enter the stupid room once class was in session. It was like one continual cock block for ten weeks." Chad snorted. "I feel dumb cuz I'm behind, but my grandma - that's who tipped me off to the fact that it wasn't completely normal for me to read other people's thoughts - told me that once I was able to pinpoint exactly what my strengths were, I'd catch up in no time."
"Nice," Jared said. He'd never met a telepath before. He hadn't met a lot of people before.
Chad jerked his head at Jared. "What's your story? New here?"
"Just been here a couple of days getting my dorm room all set up. I haven't even met my roommate yet. I think he was supposed to be moving in today.."
"That sucks. I’d find a way to get my stuff in before the start of school, but that's just me. Is he a Craft user?”
"I dunno.” Jared shrugged. “I'm a bit frightened considering I think he's completely normal. How do you hide this stuff from someone not in the know?"
Chad's eyebrow quirked up. "You don't have any latent talent issues?"
"I don't know what you mean,” Jared said.
“You know, like your Craft springing out at exactly the wrong moment and suddenly you know exactly what your uncle did to your aunt in bed the night before-.” Chad broke off, face reddening. “That kind of stuff.”
“Not really. I was looking through the course catalog online and this stuck out at me in neon lettering. Literally. It made so much sense, I signed up right away. I thought it was going to be a hoax, but a couple of weeks before I left, my mom pulled me aside and told me that I have these things I can do. I just don't specifically know what they are. Apparently she’s got some kind of latent green thumb kind of talent, and I’d spent my entire childhood thinking it was normal to have the kind of garden she did."
"You seem to be taking it pretty well for a guy who's been a regular human all his life."
Jared sighed. "Don't you ever have that feeling that you know you're meant for something more? I mean, I know everyone on earth has that at one point or another. But, I just - things didn't always seem to go from A to B to C. I'm not sure how to explain it."
"Hey!" The girl on Jared's right, a shorter blonde with bright blue eyes and a quick smile, leaned over and jumped into the conversation. "I think most of us know exactly what you mean. For years my mom couldn't figure out how I always could find anything she hid, even if it was in someone else's house. Or her car. Whatever. I finally got to the point where I stopped looking for things and telling her about it, but it never stopped me from knowing. Seeing the ad for this class was like a godsend."
"Didn't that make it boring for Christmas, --" Jared hesitated, waiting for her name.
"Kristen Bell. And no. The fun part for me was always figuring out where everything was stashed. I mean, if I didn't know to look for it I wouldn't find it, but for upcoming holidays? Totally easy."
"Professor Morgan says we can't make money from our Craft, but it totally seems like you could be bankable. Find lost kids, wallets, missing whatever." Chad's eyes were already filling with dollar bills, but Kristin shook her head.
"I dunno, I'm not interested in living my life like a Mrs. Cleo, trying to convince everyone that I'm the real deal. I'd rather help out friends and family and do an actual job, y'know? Right now I’m thinking of doing criminal psychology."
"What are you studying?" Jared asked Chad.
"I’m not sure yet." Chad grinned. "I'm taking a bunch of science classes. I'll probably end up doing some kind of engineering." At seeing Jared’s expression, he laughed. "It's not that hard."
Jared chuckled. “You have no idea.”
“What about you?” Chad asked.
"Psych," Jared said. “I’ve always had this affinity for understanding people, or at least knowing where they’re coming from, so it seemed pretty natural.
They chatted a while longer and met several others around them, but Jared didn't get quite the same kind of belonging from those people as he did from Chad and Kristen. After hearing about their unique abilities, he was getting more prepared to accept the fact that he'd chosen to sit by them not out of random chance, but because his possible Craft was doing what was completely natural for Jared - seeking out the people that made him happiest.
"Back to me!" Professor Morgan called. The class took a minute to quiet, but returned front and center when he called out again.
"Great," he said, and leaned back against the wooden desk. "While you were talking I was doing a bit of learning of my own. My Craft, as you'd call it - you'll discover we Warlocks and Witches confuse ourselves constantly by referring to both our own talents and the ability to perform magic as 'Craft,' which leads to quite a few misunderstandings - is to discover the abilities of others. It's why I teach. I get as much face to face time with people as possible and help set you on your way.
"There are other teachers here who will take over more and more often as the semester goes on. We bill them as guest speakers. You'll also have to do some reading from actual magical realism books so I have work to show for this time, and I know that's extra work for a lot of you, but it's completely worth it considering there are Warlocks and Witches out there that never receive formal training.
"You may feel a bit like lab rats at the end of today, but I encourage you to come spend some time talking to me. It's not going to give me all the answers, but the more time I spend in your presence, the more attuned I get. We have another hour and half left in class, and there are sixty of you. That's definitely not enough time to talk to every single person and give you a direction, so I'd like to start with the people who have a class coming up after this. The rest of you, if you don't mind, hang around and we'll go over as late as we can. I'm free until four pm, two hours after this class ends.
"Can anyone wait?" Several people, including Jared, raised their hands. Jared, being a morning person, had already been to his two other classes today, a history class about World War II and Psych 101. Professor Morgan wrote them down and turned to the rest of the class. "Let's begin, shall we?"
Time passed. Sixty students whittled down to thirty fairly quickly as the students who already had an idea about their Craft checked in with Professor Morgan and went on their way. Jared had moved to an aisle seat once Chad and Kristen were gone, giving his long legs a place to go other than to knee the chair in front of him. He hadn't thought to bring anything to entertain himself with, so he settled into reading Like Water For Chocolate, the first book on the magical realism list.
He'd been surprised at first that more students weren't chatting, but had quickly realized that everyone left in the room was anxious about what they'd learn today. He felt pretty keyed up about it too, but after seeing the way Chad and Kristen seemed so happy to know who they were, he'd been able to put a bit of perspective on the situation.
"Pada..." Professor Morgan hesitated over his name.
"Lecki," Jared said, rising to his feet. His stomach flip-flopped and he automatically removed the cap he wore and stuffed it into his backpack. He'd learned early on that important things required no hats. He jogged down the steps to the bottom of the lecture hall and sat down in a plastic chair that was almost too short for his legs. Professor Morgan looked younger up close, he decided, despite the fact that the man's slight stubble was peppered with a bit of gray.
"Hi," he said, and smiled.
Professor Morgan regarded him just a moment, then scribbled something down on a piece of paper with Jared's name at the top. "Good to meet you too, Mister Padalecki. Sorry about the name confusion. I do better with Smiths and Joneses." He examined Jared again, and wrote a bit more.
"Ever had anyone tell you about your Craft, Jared?" Professor Morgan's voice was deep and commanding, but there was a warmth Jared really appreciated. He hated it when teachers were intimidating from the start.
"No, sir. I always kinda knew I was a bit different, but my mother just confirmed it a few weeks ago and I've been hoping to talk to someone about it ever since. I've been terribly nervous, so getting here was just a great chance--" He stopped as Professor Morgan held up his hand, palm toward Jared. Jared would have been worried, but Professor Morgan was grinning.
"It's ok, Jared. I know you're nervous. You're an interesting fellow, did you know?"
"I, uh. No?" Another thought occurred to him. "Are you having trouble reading me? Should I sit differently? Open myself up? Is this some type of aura thing? Do I need to feel my chakra? Should I try and project?"
Professor Morgan chuckled. "No, you're good. I've known what you were since you walked into the room." He set down his pen and leaned back into his chair.
"What? You did? I mean - what am I?"
"You're a full Empath." At Jared's questioning expression, he continued. "It means that instead of having one half of the Empath gift - either Receptive or Expressive, i.e., with one you receive emotions and intentions and the other you can give them - you've got both parts. I've only met one other person that had the full Empath Craft, and it's something that I'm never going to forget. You probably make friends easily, fall in with the 'right' crowd at school, and find that you can clear up a tense situation with little difficulty. It's a pretty powerful Craft."
Jared thought back to situations where he found talking to people to be easy, to making friends, but he couldn't really pinpoint a special trick he had. "How do you know I have this? Aren't some people just good with other people?"
"In some cases, yes. I'm sure you have a fair amount of learned instinct. It comes naturally from your unique Craft. Jared, don't look at this like you're cheating or somehow 'less' of a person for having this assist you. Some people have great eyesight. Some are physically amazing. You happen to have a sixth sense that gives you a leg up on people and situations. It's a blessing. Now, I'm running a bit short on time and I hate to cut off our conversation, but I promise that I'll give you some guidance in our next class about how your Craft works. I know of at least a partial Empath who lives in Denver who maybe of some help.
"You're probably used to using the ability in a latent manner, so the best I can say is this. Examine the people you meet. Are you feeling an emotion you're projecting on them, or when you see them do you get a sense of who they are by instinct? It's not going to be easy, but it really may stretch you."
Professor Morgan turned his attention back to the paper with Jared's name on it, so Jared took that as a dismissal, packed up his stuff, and headed to his dorm room. He had some actual homework on his first day of college, given in his two previous classes, but he was glad for it. The way his head spun with information distracted him from trying to use his Craft to get a sense of people.
Jared couldn’t help but wonder how being an Empath had affected him all these years. It was kind of freaky to consider that he had pushed people into liking him without knowing what he had done, and his stomach roiled at the thought. Was a gift like his something akin to rape? Could he force others to feel things they didn’t want to feel and not even know their emotions were false?
He thought back to his childhood friendships, how he’d bonded with friends over silly games of Slip n’ Slide in his back yard, and mutual interest in the frogs that lived in the pond down by his elementary school. Nobody had ever resisted friendship, and Jared had never felt like he’d won a friendship with persistence.
From what he understood, violating someone mentally required him to not take their needs into account, just as with a physical violation, and his friendships had always seemed mutually enjoyed. No, he wasn’t that type of person. He couldn’t be.
With that thought in mind, Jared forced himself to sit down in the courtyard outside of the building and watch the students pass by.
Everything seemed so...regular. It was a typical sunny day in Colorado. Co-eds, geeks, jocks, and students of all sorts came by in groups, solo, and on bicycles. Jared couldn't pinpoint a specific emotion from any one of them, and started to think his time in the courtyard was an exercise in wishful thinking. It was kind of a letdown, that he'd just know how to use his Craft now that it had been diagnosed wasn’t true.
He headed back to tackle his homework, give his mind something else to do. He was in Baker Hall on the second floor. Chad was apparently two floors below him in the basement, which Jared would have abhorred, but Chad said he really liked. Jared was simply pleased that he lived so close to his new friend.
On his way into the dorm, he stopped at the mail area, got a letter from his mom filled with gift cards to local restaurants, and thundered his way up to the second floor.
It was the new white board on the door that stopped him. It hadn't been there when he'd left this morning - only his, which was stuck to the right hand side of the door with a marker hanging on to it by a length of green yarn. This new one was identically placed next to his on the left hand side, and written across it in small capital letters was a name.
Jensen.
Jared's whiteboard already had some crazy messages on it, including a phone number for a girl Jared couldn't remember. She was barking up the wrong tree, but he appreciated her attempt. He'd simply scrawled -Jay- across the top, and where his name was hastily written, Jensen's was nearly font-perfect. He sucked in a breath. Okay.
Figuring that the door was unlocked if Jensen was inside, Jared twisted the knob and stepped into the biggest surprise of his life.
Chapter Two | Master Post