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| Dizzy Spells; [Manslaughter] | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 3 2010, 07:32 PM (675 Views) | |
| Toxin | Nov 3 2010, 07:32 PM Post #1 |
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Time of day: Midday Place in the time-line: October 27th, 2010 Dustin had been feeling off since the night before. Waves of nausea, bouts of dizziness. It had gotten worse by morning, probably because he hadn't gotten much sleep to speak of. He figured he just had a bad cold. He'd been very tempted to spend the rest of the day in bed, and he did do that for a few hours longer than he'd intended. However he'd had some plans for the day. Just some silly Halloween stuff. Even if it wasn't a big deal, and he doubted there would be a problem if he did want to put it off for a few days, he'd been looking forward to it. Though he was feeling less than awesome, the day wouldn't suck entirely. So he hauled his miserable self out from between the sheets and took a quick, hot shower before getting dressed and forcing some toast down. It helped some, though he was wary at this point of risking anything more than that. He didn't want to take the chance it wouldn't stay down. Tugging on a pair of worn black pleather gloves, he set to work cleaning up the surfaces that they'd be using. He'd never noticed Roger getting ill around him, but he wasn't one to take chances about those things. The toxic mutant set out the knives and paint and pumpkins on some papers he set on the table, before taking out the snacks he'd made the night before... luckily before he'd started feeling like crap. He just didn't have the energy to get that stuff done at this point. Once everything was organized Dustin went back to the futon. He shook out the tangled blankets and draped it over the back of the couch. The rest of the small, functional apartment was pretty much clean. Most of his belongings were still unpacked, except what he used on a day to day basis. There wasn't anything else to deal with. Might as well relax for a while. Or try to. Even his teeth hurt. The fuck... today was not his day. |
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| Manslaughter | Nov 10 2010, 05:04 AM Post #2 |
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Mother had never allowed the garish decorations of Hallow's Eve as far as Roger could remember, and in the white building, the twisted gruesome stories associated with it had been reduced to but construction paper jack-o-lanterns and stale candy corn. And since Roger's reintroduction to what constituted as a normal society for him, Halloween was one of the few holidays the redhead could admit to enjoying. His delight perhaps was due to the liberal amounts of candy rather than smudging make-up onto his face and scaring his comrades witless. Frightening people was a skill Roger had already acquired without really meaning to. Bundled into an oversized, hooded jacket that threatened to swallow him whole, Roger crept into the main area of the apartment that he shared with Dustin as well as a few other of his brothers that tended to keep their distance. At least a few more weeks were needed to allow the young man to properly adjust to his new surroundings, but for now he appeared steadfast enough. He stopped short of the area his toxic brother had arranged for them to decorate pumpkins, blinking at the blanket and the disheveled lump of Dustin on the futon. He shuffled towards the table and handled some of the paints and knives curiously, perhaps armed with his own ideas about decorating a pumpkin already. Twitching his head to the left, he looked up at the ceiling and back to Dustin. Noiselessly, he lifted a hand to his mouth, his fingers hidden in the folds of his sleeve, his teeth finding purchase on the hem and drawing it thoughtfully into his mouth. One fiery eyebrow quirked before he released his sleeve and let his arm flop back to his side. The crackle of Dustin's nerves greeted him with a muted sluggishness, minimized to a cold trickling that divulged an ill-being. "You feel different," Roger observed candidly, using 'feeling' in the sensory details his own mind was perceiving. His dialogue was wandering, but Dustin was one of the very few he consistently referred to directly. |
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| Toxin | Nov 15 2010, 05:57 AM Post #3 |
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A sleep-deprived daze had become a fitful upright doze, as Dustin drifted off where he sat despite the aches that made themselves known from time to time. Roger's quiet movements through the living area of the apartment didn't immediately catch wake him from his stupor. However, Dustin did take notice of his presence as he rested, and within moments his pale eyes flickered open. The redhead was already over by the pumpkins, looking them and the rest of the mess over. How long had he been there? Dustin sat up a little, absently trying to straighten clothes rumpled by the short 'nap' without much effect. Rog looked good in blue... though that hoodie could probably fit the both of them in it. And. That was very easy to visualize. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Idiot. He was an idiot. Moments later Roger was looking over at him, doing something to his sleeve with his mouth that Dustin tried not to watch too closely. His friend's statement caught him off guard. His eyes snapped to Roger's, wondering just what he meant. Couldn't possibly have anything to do with his own wandering attention. Right? Right. "Different?" Dustin repeated, for a moment still with his wits scattered. No. Wait. He really was an idiot. Of course. "I've been feeling a bit off. Its probably nothing," he said, smiling and showing a hint of fang. Another wave of dizziness chose to strike at that moment. Luckily he was still sitting down. Yeah, right, nothing... |
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| Manslaughter | Nov 27 2010, 05:01 AM Post #4 |
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It would do Dustin no good to lie to Roger, as he was capable of discerning overall wellness just by the speed at which his synapses charged. Strange it was that Roger felt what could have been called concern, as he hardly took stock in the lives of the owners of most of nervous systems that he mentally strangled. Quietly, he sat on the unoccupied end of the couch, the points of his body softening as his clothes draped across his body. He kept looking at Toxin strangely, a gesture he did not often do. At a loss, Roger sat quietly, his gaze shying to a thick, crocheted blanket draped across the back of the futon. Almost impulsively, he picked it up, tossing it in a noncommittal fashion across his brother at arm's shoulders. He looked away, not acknowledging that this had happened. "Pumpkins make it all better," Roger murmured in a sing-song tone, lurching to his feet and tottering towards the pumpkins. He picked up a small one, clutching it to his chest as though it were a small animal and shuffling back towards the futon where he took residence in his same spot. Slipping a knife from his sleeve, he began to carve into the surface, making the jagged beginnings of what appeared to be a mouthful of teeth. Dustin would he hard-pressed to get Roger to admit what he had just done, as dealing with emotions tended to send the assassin skittering back into isolation. |
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| Toxin | Dec 7 2010, 05:18 PM Post #5 |
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It was habit to downplay the negatives, entirely unintentional. If he thought about it, he probably wouldn't have. Not to Roger at least. However he was not at his best, and the confusion before he realized what the redhead meant didn't help. Generally if his friend chose to ask him something about himself, not that common of an occurrence, he'd put some thought into it. Now, usually if someone stood there looking at him, he'd start getting edgy and just ask them what was up. But honestly he rarely knew just what to expect from Roger, and it seemed best just to let him sort through whatever he was thinking about on his own. If he actually wanted to discuss something he would. If he was the sort that need constant small talk, Dustin wouldn't have been a very good choice for company today. His mind was wandering, and who knew what he'd say if he started babbling about something. Dustin shifted slightly, glancing away, when Rog sat down on the sofa, before glancing back at him when something dropped over his shoulders. Only to see Roger looking away. He adjusted the blanket around his shoulders and held the fabric tightly waiting for the dizziness to subside. By the time Roger had returned with a knife and a pumpkin, and started carving, he was feeling somewhat better. Keeping the blanket hanging around his shoulder, he got up and moved over to the table. He cut open the top as a lid, to haphazardly remove the gunk from the center, and carried the emptied shell over to the the couch along with a blade of his own. The young man stared at the blank space as if trying to figure it out. Decisions, decisions.. finally he began to slice away at it. Now, if any of their fellow apartment dwellers decided to join them, they would probably be pelted with bits of pumpkin carvings. It was nice that Roger was here, but if someone who felt compelled to chatter at him came in his nerves would shortly be worn thin today. Yeah it was a good thing no one else seemed to be home. |
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| Manslaughter | Dec 14 2010, 12:53 AM Post #6 |
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A silence pressed in the atmosphere heavy and thick, punctuated by the quiet kchuck kchuck of Roger's knife carving out the wicked smile of a jack-o'lantern. His face was slack in its usual quiet expression, similar to that of an eternally questioning child. Yet, there was a restless quality about him, the knife in his hand less precise than usual, nicking the fine, sharp edges of the full set of the teeth he was carving. He was distracted to say the least, and although lack of conversation did not normally unsettle him, Dustin's absence of response made him fidget. Confused by his own feelings--if that's what they were--Roger reached out to snatch up a pillow with his free hand, balancing the scratched pumpkin on his knees. He stared at it for a moment, confused as to why he had picked it up, reaching across his legs and tucking it behind the bow of his protege's back, wedging it between his spine and the couch. It appeared the redhead was empathetic, or at least cared about Toxin's condition, something that no one would really expect. But truthfully, the assassin was no more aware of a protocol for sickness than he was conversational cues. His impulsive reaction was to pack Dustin in a cocoon of blankets and pillows, as if that would protect him from microscopic organisms or whatever it was that was occurring. Roger glanced at the pumpkin in Dustin's hands. He reached out and tapped the orange skin with a finger. "Needs more teeth," he said, his hand close to Dustin's with the knife in his hand. |
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| Toxin | Jan 7 2011, 05:10 AM Post #7 |
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Dustin made a few cuts in his pumpkin, but mostly he was just looking at it, huddling under the blanket Roger gave him. It wasn't that he was cold. It was just that he wanted this misery to end already. It wasn't like anything he'd ever come down with before. Except that day his powers first emerged. He hadn't really been around anyone who was sick for some time now. It probably did have something to do with his mutation. He didn't quite realize that he didn't say anything, hadn't reacted at all to Roger's words. He was in a tired, vague state, and while his eyes took in their surroundings, his mind didn't do much in the way of processing what he saw. Not so much that he felt disconnected, just enough that his mind was not fully connecting one thing to another. Like the way Roger's hands were less precise than usual with the knife he held... Focusing on not cutting his hand open while handling the slippery piece of orange vegetation was important of course, but it was not enough to keep his mind off feeling absolutely pathetic. The face of the jack-o-lantern grinned blankly at him. It probably would have been better if they put this off to another day. But with the day that was coming closer and closer, he didn't want to put anything off, let alone a day he'd planned to spend with Roger. There was a vague sense of dread about his first assignment, though it was not mandatory he knew that if he was able to stand he would do his part. Though as he was, he was not entirely sure if he would be able to stand... if it was very soon. Frowning at the pumpkin he held, Dustin dropped the hand holding the knife to his side. The jack-o-lantern looked unfinished. He would finish it, if only so he could make himself stay here for a while longer instead of crawling back into bed. But there was no rush, and his mentor distracted him from his moping. The redhead had set aside the jack-o-lantern he'd been carving, and grabbed a pillow only to stare at it a moment. Dustin shifted out of the way while Roger wedged the fluffy object behind his back. Once maybe he could dismiss, but Roger's continued... concern, it had to be, it got through even Dustin's sleep-deprived and pain fogged mind. Perhaps the first time since Roger joined him, Dustin really looked at him as he mentioned that his jack-o-lantern needed more teeth. "Yeah... I'm doing a pretty half-ass job, aren't I," he half-mumbled, giving the orange face another look before glancing down at the hand by his. Not entirely sure if he wanted to fix it for him, or if he was just... being attentive? Yeah that was the word he was looking for. "Do you want to, or.." he fumbled for words. Admitting that perhaps he wasn't up to this right now shouldn't have been difficult, but he didn't really want to. |
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| Manslaughter | Jan 29 2011, 04:19 AM Post #8 |
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Roger fidgeted, keeping his gaze fixed on the pumpkin, suggesting he was attempting to come to a conclusion on how to make Toxin's pumpkin look more gruesome. In comparison to Dustin's hand, the assassin's was smaller, his nails bitten down to the beds, but the planes of his knuckles sharpened with shadows from years of handling blades. Experimentally, it seemed, Roger stretched out his fingers, the tips of a few of them grazing Dustin's hand, and there, he stopped--hesitating. To not speak was hardly unusual for the redhead, as he was known for having few words to say, but this charged moment passing between them was one that almost needed captions. Given Roger's minute range of facial expressions, it was near impossible to tell what he was thinking at that moment. A moment more ticked past, and Roger's hand moved as he shifted on the couch, hovering over Dustin's hand before curling around it in a loose grip. Without so much as a word, he guided his student's hand across the slope of the mouth of his pumpkin, pushing the knife up into a zig-zag motion, roughly scratching out a guideline for Dustin to follow. All the toxic mutant had to do was go over the line with some force, prodding out the lower jagged section to turn the pumpkin's face into a snarl. Looking both confused and satisfied with himself, Roger released Dustin's hand quite suddenly, as if just realizing what he had done. Curling around his pumpkin, Roger blinked, snatching back up his own knife and going back to work on the gourd in his lap. " 's more scary now," he murmured quietly, as if he had to explain himself. "Pumpkins are supposed to be scary... all teeth.. faces." He was babbling at that point, his brows drawing together to focused indention above his nose. |
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| Toxin | Feb 5 2011, 07:52 AM Post #9 |
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Something kept Dustin quite while Roger fidgeted beside him. Without moving, save his eyes beneath his lashes, he glanced between the redhead and the pumpkin that seemed to be the object of attention. His gaze on Roger's face, he didn't see the slender fingers that lightly rested on his hand. He didn't tense, but he didn't breathe either. There was an odd mix of relief and annoyance with his gloves, ignored, as he tried to think of something to say. Nothing came, and Roger was difficult to read in the silence. Was he waiting for something? His gaze lowered to their hands. What would he think if I took his hand and- Dustin stopped that thought before it went anywhere. Or tried to. He still couldn't help but wonder how Roger would react if he took that hand and pressed it to his lips. If he would react, if he knew how to deal with something like that. Not a gesture he'd tried before. More a thing of romantic movies than something people actually did anymore. Anyway it probably would be a pretty bad idea. Which why he didn't have it. Right. Even if he had taken it into his head to act, Roger was already moving. Which ended up with him grasping Dustin's hand. A brief moment of confusion ended when his hand - and the knife - was guided to the pumpkin, scratching a design. He was about to compliment the snarl when his hand was suddenly released. A glance at his friend, and he stopped. Roger looked confused. He also looked pleased with himself, but definitely confused. Rather like the toxic mutant was right now, in fact. His mouth opened and closed. Roger tried to explain his actions. "Hey, its okay," he said, trying a smile. Thinking, he flashed his fangs while continuing to smile. With the less than fierce look on his face, he managed to look nearly as ferocious as the pumpkin. "I know about snarls, right? Roger..." he began again, trailing off before continuing. "Thanks. Uhm. I feel awful today but- it doesn't bother me so much hanging out with you-" ohgodIsoundlame. It was his turn to focus on his pumpkin, face changing shades after he fell silent. His knife followed the pattern. |
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2:11 PM Jul 11