savetheearth | [Closed] I never said that I want this. This burden came to me and it's made its home inside.

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[Closed] I never said that I want this. This burden came to me and it's made its home inside.

Who: John Mitchell & Xander Jarle
Where: Xander's apartment
When: September 21st, evening - night
What: Xander gained a new ability, but is having difficulty controlling it and calls John for help.

What had started off as an ordinary day switched to one of the most terrifying moments in his life. It all started after he saw some pink lights in the night sky, accompanied by some strange buzzing noise and suddenly, he had the ability to meld with the shadows around his apartment. The experience of watching his leg sink to the floor was quite startling and being unable to do anything to stop it only made it worse. For several minutes, he believed that this would be the end for him, but after calming down -- or as well as someone could do for being stuck in a shadow -- he would try to figure out how to get out of his predicament.

It was quite a struggle, trying to get his physical form back from the darkness. The floor was probably the worst place to start with and eventually he decided on trying from a different spot, which happened to be the ceiling. The landing wasn't a soft one by any means and his cat, Connor, came running over to him. With a grunt and shooing the black Siamese cat away, he got back up on to his feet.

Now that he was free and a little sore from his landing, he carefully made his way to his phone. He needed assistance, just in case it happened again. He quickly scrolled to John's number and let his phone auto-dial it. So far, he wasn't having any issue staying three dimensional. When John's voice mail kicks in, the phone falls through his hand and clatters to the ground. A curse escapes him as he's suddenly pulled down with it.

"John, it's Xander! I... I need your help right now." He stated, his voice sounding a lot more panicked than he'd like, but he continues to speak. After listing his address and apartment number, he adds, "Make sure you bring a large light source with you. Please come soon."

He quickly hits the end call button and tries to pull his arm back, but he's not very successful. Once again, he was in the shadows. All he could do was wait for John to show up or consider falling from the ceiling again and get more bruises.

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It isn't exactly the... fastest rescue mission, and there's a very real worry on John's part that he might be too late to help out Xander. He's pushing the speed limit (by a rather worrisome degree) and chewing his lip out of agitation the entire drive over; by the time he hits the apartment complex, John's broken into a run.

Out of breath and with a giant flashlight in tow, he pounds his fist against the door. "Xander! Xander!" he calls out, already wondering if he should just kick down the door. "It's John!"

Okay, so kicking down the door would probably not be the best idea, and well, there's also that slight problem that he has--you know, the one where he can't really enter someone's home without an invite. While he doesn't exactly catch fire or anything if he does (not... yet at least), it's uncomfortable enough that John's desperately hoping that Xander is in good enough shape to let him in.

Hearing John's arrival brought some relief to Xander. The only issue now was how was he going to get the door open in his current state. The simplest way would be for him to drop from the ceiling again, but that would make some noise and probably worry John even more. It didn't help that Connor started meowing either.

"Just give me a moment!" He called out, a bit surprised that he was able to talk in this form.

It took a few minutes, but he was able to get the door unlocked. He probably didn't need to inform John of his success, since the other man probably heard the locks shift, but he did so anyway. "Okay, it's open! You can come in."

As much as he would like to stay by the door way, he figured his new appearance may startle John. So, he moved in to a darker area in his apartment and waited.

He does hear the locks being unlocked, but John is also expecting the door to be swinging open. When that doesn't happen, he just stares at the door for a moment before turning the door knob, gently pushing it open. John takes a hesitant step inside before shutting the door behind him, attention shifting around the unfamiliar space, trying to find Xander.

It hadn't sounded like he had been that far away when the door had opened, so what had happened to cause him to disappear now?

"Xander?" he calls out, rather unsure about this all.

Edited (Formatting failure. orz) 2013-09-24 08:25 (UTC)

Xander's apartment wasn't very different than most in terms of design, but there was a minimalistic theme regarding his furniture. Connor meowed from his perch on top of a brown therapist sofa, perhaps greeting this new stranger or inquiring who he was.

As for John's question, it would receive an answer. "I'm still here. I didn't want to startle you when you entered."

With that, he emerged from his hiding spot. He was still in his shadow form, but resembled a silhouette due to being on the wall. An exhale escaped him as he faced John, not sure how the other man would react.

His attention is instantly grabbed by the cat when he meows, and his lips are on the verge of cracking into a gentle smile when Xander's voice forces him to redirect his focus. John's brow furrows as he stares at the source of the sound.

He's not afraid, really, but it probably was for the best that Xander had given him some time to adjust first. An expression of puzzlement crosses his features, and after a moment, he steps closer to the other.

"So... You can turn into a shadow being now?" he asked, trying to inject some sense of optimism into the situation.

He remains where he is on the wall, watching John move closer. He appreciated that the other man reacted better than he did at this new form. As for Connor, he jumped down and came to investigate as well.

"Yeah. Now you know why I requested a light source." He stated with a small nod before chuckling. "...If you thought I sounded bad on the message I left, I was a lot worse off the first time this happened."

He moved an arm towards the spot where it happened, but being on a two-dimensional plane kind of made that gesture pointless. So, he turned his attention to John and the giant flashlight he brought.

"I guess I should repay you for that once I manage to pull myself out from here again." He paused briefly before looking up at the ceiling and then his furniture with a small exhale. "So far, the only way I've been able to get out is by falling from the ceiling. ...But, before I do that, can I ask you to push some of the furniture against the walls so they don't cast more shadows?"

He would have done it himself, but being pulled back in to the shadows while moving something would prolong the process. He also intended on paying back John for his help later as well.

"No, no, don't worry about it," he says, distracted; John's attention is already shifting to the furniture that needs to be moved. He sets the flashlight down and rolls up his sleeves, sizing up the layout of the room.

"Just give me a moment, yeah?" John gives Xander a small smile and gets to work. "Stay put and try to avoid falling out of the ceiling." His grin turns a tad impish then. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt any more than you already have."

Moving furniture is something he can do. Bone mending isn't.

"I insist though. How much was it?" He inquired, still watching the other man.

But, that train of thought was put on hold the moment John flashed a smile at him before proceeding to move his furniture around. Connor took the cue to flee to another room to avoid being in the way. As for the 'order', that was something obvious and he rolled his eyes, but it went unseen. At least that was a plus, right?

"That's easy, it's not like I'm being dragged to another spot against my will." He stated with a little bit of sarcasm as he moved among the walls to follow John. "...I'm bound to get more bruises from learning how to control this a bit better."

Or he could always learn how to land on his feet while exiting from the ceiling. But, for the moment, he decided to try something new -- sure, he could have tried this with Connor instead of John, but John was currently moving about and not lounging about at random hours of the day. He became the other man's shadow, which surprised him at how easy it was.

"...Just when I thought this new ability couldn't get any weirder." He stated aloud from the floor as he rose his hands up and looked up at the real thing.

Edited 2013-09-27 07:21 (UTC)

John pointedly ignores Xander's query, focusing on moving the furniture around the room. (If he's turning into a vampire, wouldn't it have been nice to get super strength or something back by this point?) It's only when the other comments on practicing that John pauses in his work and chuckles a little.

"You could try covering the floor with pillows," he says, casting Xander a quick look over his shoulder before shoving at the couch. "It might make your landings a little bit softer."

He continues to work in silence for a while longer before he gets that weird sensation that he is being... followed? John turns expecting to find Connor there, but his eyes widen when he hears and sees Xander taking the place of his own shadow. He blinks before shaking his head, trying not to sound too stunned.

"Trying to be my stalker now, hm?" His tone is light and teasing, and he quirks a brow, grinning once again.

"I don't think I have enough to cover the space." He replied before sighing. "...I wouldn't be surprised if someone filled a complaint regarding the sudden increase in noise from this too."

But, he wouldn't dwell on that thought for too long. After all, there were more pressing matters to attend to than eviction notices -- like staying three dimensional in public and not getting in to trouble!

John's reaction to his change in appearance was quite amusing, but a part of him felt bad for taking over the other man's shadow. But he didn't appreciate that comment about being a stalker either, despite the teasing tone attached to it.

"No, not at all." He sounded quite offended and was acting quite defensive with his posture, but his tone returns to normal when he speaks again. "I was curious... if I could become other things. I didn't try it until now. I'll promise to leave very soon and resume being myself on the wall again."

Then again, he could just exit the shadows entirely and be himself. Since he did have a debt to repay, despite what John says otherwise.

Edited (wow wrong icon again!) 2013-09-27 08:23 (UTC)

He opens his mouth and then shuts it, silently noting to himself to lay off on the teasing for now. Really, John should be encouraging him to try out new things and learn to control his powers; he hadn't meant to offend anyone.

"Look, it's fine, yeah?" he finally says, going for a more neutral smile and tone. "I'd rather that you get this sorted now than to run into trouble later down the line."

John remembers all too clearly how he ended up using a week's worth of vacation time to get his own first ability under control.

Well, Xander does have the weekend to spend his time learning how to control this new ability all by his lonesome. Even if that meant he would have to drag himself out of bed and that was a bit of a struggle as of late.

As John spoke, he was moving away from the floor, up the wall and to the ceiling. It probably looked weird from the other man's perspective and it didn't help that he switched back to normal. At least he appeared to be relaxed instead of tense.

"I'm just being considerate, John. Besides, I have plenty of time later to mess around with this." He stated before gesturing to himself. "Since I doubt this will be the last time I wind up like this by accident."

With that said, he was making sure he wasn't above anyone or anything before deciding on materializing from the shadows. The drop was a quick one and he tried his best to land on his feet, but he was no cat. A slight grunt of pain escaped him as he slowly eased himself up in to a seated position.

"...So, how much do I owe you for the flash light?"

John casts the occasional glance over at Xander as he shifts position, and he can't help the slight quirk of his lips; there's something decidedly cool but eerie about him being able to do that. Admittedly, it's a little less awesome when he drops out of the ceiling--there really isn't any way to make the plummet seem cool right now.

He doesn't quite get around to offering the guy a hand when he's already shifted into a seated position, and then Xander is back on the flashlight business. John rolls his eyes, but with the grin firmly in place, he's obviously more amused than annoyed by that.

"Consider it an early... Christmas present," he finally says, sinking down on the last piece of furniture he's moved: the couch. John props his elbows on his knees and shrugs. "Don't worry about it, yeah?"

While waiting for an answer from the other man, Connor comes bounding in to Xander's lap and flops down on it, purring loudly. He gives a small sigh before shifting slightly so Connor's shadow is making him disappear in to the floor again and proceeds to scratch the black Siamese cat around his collar. But, when John speaks, he glances up and catches that grin on his face.

"If that's the case, I'll have to add you to the list of people who I bake fruit cakes for." He responded in a teasing tone and a smirk of his own. "Or you could have said it was a belated birthday gift."

Not like John would have known that unless he had brought it up, but that was out in the open now.

"...But all joking aside, I feel like I should repay you for it and your help today."

"If these fruit cakes are homemade, then I'll happily accept that as payment," he replies easily, grinning.

It's not that he especially likes fruit cakes, but the fact that Xander actually bakes is... not exactly what he was expecting? (Though, John isn't entirely sure he knows the guy well enough to be entitled to be making such judgement anyway.) And if he allows himself to be subjected to fruit cakes, who knows what other goodies may come his way?

John is not the type of guy to turn down free food, and there's always the tiny chance that he'll get a recipe or cooking lesson out of the deal if he's charming enough.

"They are. Granted, I should probably get started on them when things calm down a bit more." He stated with a chuckle before asking a slightly important question. "Are you a fan of the traditional kind or something a little more different?"

Baking was a bit of a stress reliever for him. It was a bit more healthier and less damaging on his wallet opposed to smoking. After all, he could eat his work or give it to others.

The look he shoots Xander gives away his lack of knowledge about fruit cakes. There are different types? John just blinks for a second before smiling a touch sheepishly, touching a hand to the back of his neck.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know the difference. I think I've only ever had the traditional kind," he finally answers with a lazy shrug of the shoulders. "Whatever is easier for you is more than enough for me. I'm not a picky eater, I promise."

He didn't blame John for not knowing. Now-a-days a lot of things were made with different flavors or ingredients to cater to a larger crowd.

"Well, I'd have to know if you're allergic to anything and if you're partial to a certain alcohol or flavor, like chocolate." He informed, like this was usual thing he dealt with.

Before the other man could list off his preferences, Xander glanced around for a note pad and a pen. Connor noticed his owner's lack of attention and meowed at him, before batting at his hand. When that didn't work, he trotted over to John for some attention while Xander rose to his feet and carefully made his way over to the item he wanted.

"No food allergies that I know of," he answers, bending a bit to scoop Connor off the floor and into his lap; he gives the cat a few scritches behind the ears before glancing over at Xander again. "And chocolate sounds great."

John then paused for a moment, adding two more things: "Or coffee flavored. Is coffee-flavored fruit cake a possibility? And... Spare me the alcohol if you can."

He gave Xander a brief smile that seemed to say, "It's a long story," before turning his attention back to the cat.

Xander grabbed his notepad and quickly jotted down John's preferences, making a quick note about not including alcohol. Connor was just soaking up all the affection from John.

"I can try and make it work. I take it you'll want samples?" He asked with a small grin.

He wasn't judging John's choice for wanting any alcohol, since he barely drank much himself. It was a bit of a trade off for taking medication.

"I will never say no to free food. Let's put it that way," John replies. Because really? He won't, and if it were possible, he'd volunteer to be a food tasting guinea pig for others. If getting samples means getting extra food, then he is definitely up for that.

In the meantime, he turns his attention back to the cat in his lap.

"Did he travel here with you, or is he a more recent addition?"

"I doubt many people would say no to free food." Xander commented with a chuckle, before asking another important question. "So, would you prefer if I called to let you know when to pick them up or if I drop them off somewhere?"

Just as he was about to write down more details on to the note pad, he paused at the question about Connor. His attention turns to the black Siamese cat and a small smile appeared on his lips.

"I brought him with me and I've had him since he was a kitten. Although, someone suggested on the network I should get a second cat to keep him company while I'm out."

Edited 2013-10-06 03:31 (UTC)

John actually stops to consider Xander's question. Originally, he would have been fine with having a guest over, but now that he's living with Anthony, that's changed things a bit. After all, he's not sure if they've met on the network yet and if they have... Would they want to meet up in person?

"I've got a flatmate, so I'd say that either me coming here or you coming to my work would be for the best," he finally says, a touch apologetically. John does make a mental note to ask Anthony about Xander when he gets home though. It typically doesn't hurt to meet other members of the network, right?

"And I suppose another cat wouldn't hurt. He seems like a friendly fellow who could use another friend."

"Are they part of the network?" He asked as he jotted down John's preference on location. "Or do I have to worry about having a cover story if you ever invite me over?"

He moved to toss the note pad and pen on to the counter. He did not want to risk disappearing in to the shadows again and was forced to remain standing. While Connor continued to nuzzle in to John's hands and purred.

"I don't know if I'll have the same luck finding another and if they'll get along with him. Do you happen to know of any shelters in the city?"

"No. No, he's part of the network, but he's..." He gestures with his hands for a moment before rubbing at his jaw. Anthony's condition is his and his alone to disclose, so how is he going to tell this to Xander... ? "The changes have hit him a bit hard, yeah?"

--or rather, the changes are much easier to tell visually. John goes quiet for a moment before shrugging wordlessly; that's about all that he's willing to disclose on the matter before consulting with his flatmate a bit more. Needless to say, he's more than happy to go back to talking about cats.

"I think there was a shelter about a ten minute drive from where I work," he answers after a moment, eyes narrowing in thought. "I know some of our clients take strays they find on the street there..."

Xander keeps quiet as John explains the situation with his flat mate before nodding, able to relate. "I understand and I'm sorry for asking."

His mind drifted to his previous echoes for a moment. A strange parallel to a conversation he had with his father, a traumatic memory of torture with someone who sounded like this brother, and now the ability to meld with shadows. Right now, John was the only one who knew about his latest 'pulse', but he wasn't willing to share the other ones. Those were too personal, too close to home. While he was distracted, he didn't realize he was sinking in to his shadow below him. The conversation of where to find a cat shelter was a welcomed one, despite his current position.

"I'll keep that in mind and try to head out there in the future." He stated before pausing briefly, chuckling weakly. "...Once I get a better at controlling this."

John waves off the apology; there's no problem with asking--he just... can't really provide an answer. It's a little strange for him, actually. After all, he's never been the type to be very secretive, but as more time passes, John finds himself keeping more and more things close to the chest--things about others and himself.

He just hopes he doesn't slip up at some point.

Still, now that they're back on safer ground, his posture relaxes complete, the set of his shoulders easy once more. "You'll master it," John says, nodding in reassurance, and then, after a moment, a sheepish smile pulls at his lips. "If you've gotten a new job, though, that might be a little difficult to explain if you suddenly need time off..."

At least John wasn't lying to his parents and his therapist like Xander was on a daily basis. It really sucked not having someone to talk to about all this network stuff -- oh wait, he does, but he's too stubborn to share it.

He stares up at John from the floor. He would have nodded, but it would be kind of weird to do so when his current form is an oval of shadow.

"Thanks." He replies with a grateful tone. "...I can spend the weekend figuring out how I end up like this and a way to stop it from happening in public."

He moves towards the wall and becomes a silhouette of himself. This was a bit more easier to communicate without having to strain each others necks. He glances up at the ceiling and then the floor, his body language giving off the impression he wasn't exactly keen on dropping from above to get out again.

"I could always say I was playing in a contact sport and got hurt." It would cover his story behind the bruises and any serious injuries.

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[Closed] I never said that I want this. This burden came to me and it's made its home inside.

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