(no subject)
Met a guy named Apu ...something or other. Something Indian (dots, not feathers). Seemed okay. Turns into a glowing, superstrong fish demon out of the pits of hell when the lights are off. Some days I'm really glad my mutation is what it is. I think I got the better deal here.
Weight room
Apu is running the treadmill at a steady pace, just over the line of strenuous, but not so far over the line that he couldn't keep this up for a long time indeed. The lights are on, which means that Apu looks like your utterly average well-built tall Indian dude, although it's growing late enough and quiet enough that he's considering dimming those lights down to nothing and get training in earnest.
Derek comes into the weight room, wearing long shorts and a muscle shirt...and mirrored sunglasses. Despite the low light levels, he seems to appreciate them. He pauses just inside the room. "Hello," he says, tilting his head thoughtfully to the side. "I don't know you." But, given that he is calmly working out, he probably belongs here. "Derek Johnson."
"Ah?" Apu only continues three paces until gearing down the treadmill and hopping off, facing Derek directly, but coming no closer. "Apu Kapasi. I'm new here. And somewhat solitary. But pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. It is always a pleasure to meet someone on the island." Really, all Apu is lacking here is a formal bow.
"Oh." Derek pauses for a moment. "Sorry if I intruded, but I need a couple sets for my legs." He moves back towards the lower body machine and starts it setting up. "You picked out any kind of a pseudonym yet? I haven't managed to find one I like yet."
"You're not intruding. I was thinking of exercising in the dark, but I can wait to do that if it'll be an encumbrance to you." Apu steps back until his elbow rests on the "railing" of the treadmill. "Myself? I have almost decided on Alter Ego. It just seems like a bit much. It's difficult, isn't it?"
Derek chuckles as he sets himself into place. "The dark? Well, if it makes a difference to you...I can handle it for a while. If you wanna get on the machine, I can teke the lights out for ya." He starts a set, pushing an impressive quantity of metal. "It's damn tough. Alter Ego doesn't sound bad; why'd ya choose it?"
"Teke, sir? And, no, that's fine. I'm close." Apu strides efficiently to the lights and turns them off. "You are very strong, sir," he says, both admiring and quietly weighing the man against himself. He remains near the door, waiting. "Alter Ego is . . . well, you will see momentarily. I'm very strong myself, in the dark."
Derek continues to pump iron despite the lights going out. And he still doesn't take off his shades; not that it'd really help him much in the dark that results. "Ah, sorry, I'm telekinetic; first time I try to use slang for it, I go and use it with someone who doesn't know what the hell I'm talking about." He gives his head a little shake. "Errra...thanks." The end of his set makes him grunt a little bit before he gets a pause. "In the dark? Powers linked to darkness?"
"You may use it in the future. I'll remember the term." Apu flexes his hand in front of his eyes (growing steadily lidless and luminescent), noting a good solid progression from human hand to webbed and pointed fingers. Excellent. "My powers depend on darkness. Without it, I am ... normal as you please." His articulation grows rather indistinct as fangs push themselves out of his lower jaw.
Derek gives a little wry smile as Apu assures him he can use it in the future. His eyes start to adjust, and as the articulation from his workout buddy starts to get indistinct, he reaches up to remove his sunglasses, squinting into the dark. Something is obviously changing, though Derek would be hard-pressed to describe it in detail. "Huh. Well, it's just telekinesis for me. That and my freakish good looks, devilish charm and professional athletic physique." He delivers this in an even monotone. By touch, he finds a flat surface for his sunglasses and carefully positions himself for another set.
"You could be Football Player. Rugby. Why not?" Apu says, only it comes out horribly garbled, like a dedicated television announcer being devoured alive by Godzilla -- one not prone to screaming, of course. He lowers his hand. And he's lightly glowing, around the chest and eyes, at least. This is the pleasant part of Apu's transformation. The rest calls up images of the Black Lagoon, if the monster in that case had spines poking out of his shoulders, a mess of angler-fish fangs mucking up his vocabulary power, and all in all a better build. Apu does give Derek the formal bow this time, then heads toward an upper body weight machine in Derek's vicinity.
"Hm?" Derek asks reflexively, but he actually did hear it, it just takes him an additional minute to process the words. "Oh, I was gonna play pro ball," he says, "but I got tossed in jail, found out I was a mutant, and decided I wanted to do something with my life." He squints at Apu's glowing form and spends a minute staring, not attempting to continue his workout as he processes the drastically changed appearance of his comrade. "Dayum," he says. "Okay, I get the name a little better now. You look...like you could rip my arms off like that. Could you?" Assuming Derek didn't use telekinesis to throw him across the room first, of course.
"Nnn, perhaps," (or something to that effect). Apu gives Derek an eloquent shrug, at least, before placing himself on the weight machine and fiddling with with the weight settings with a finickiness that's almost hilarious. Considering what he is at the moment.
Well, at least with Apu's biolumiscence, Derek can see a little bit. "Huh. Well, please don't, because unlike Creed, I can't grow my arms back without Sabella's help." He finishes his set and goes to adjust the machine for a different set of exercises, operating half by touch and half by the hint of light from Apu. "You met Creed yet?" He seems to have decided that the burden of conversation has fallen largely to him as Apu's ability to speak wanes, and so he becomes considerably more talkative than usual.
Apu shakes his head, and finishes adjusting the weight to somewhat obscene levels before he leans back against the weight machine and /pulls/. The weights follow. If his face was more expressive, he might be wearing, indeed, a very smug expression indeed. But one can come to get over the loss of conversational ability when it comes with such body language. Look. I'm powerful. Dude.
Indeed, Derek is watching Apu to see how much iron he will move and he is suitably impressed by the result. "Damn. Nice pull." He goes back to working his own weight without giving in to any temptation to up the weight to impress Apu. "Well, dunno what you've been told, but if you see a seven foot tall blond Viking with excessive hair, stay out of his way and do what he wants. He's probably even stronger than you, and I saw him with his arm blown off after a rough raid and it just...grew back. I almost ripped his ear off and it just sealed back up to his head. And he's /always/ in a bad mood."
"Nrrg," Apu says. This means "duly noted." It may also mean "man, I wish I could lose limbs and regrow them." On second thought, Apu decides to just follow that up with an understanding nod. Those Vikings. A Viking is a Viking.
Derek continues to work and chat amicably at Apu's non-responsive self. "I had to train with him when I first got here. Kicked my ass but good." There's a brief pause. "Oh. By the by. I'm dating Toxin. So, if you're harboring romantic visions of her, I suggest you repress them. Too many people starting lean in that direction and it's starting to get under my skin. Not that I'd blame you for thinking she's hot, just...don't try to, y'know, woo her away. Or words might have to be exchanged."
"Nnn," Apu follows this up with another understanding nod. And lift of weights. Nod, lift. He has, fortunately, very little to no experience with Toxin, and can only be too amenable not to harbor romantic visions of her.
Well, it appears Apu is an agreeable conversational companion, even if not a particularly articulate one. "Huh. I shoulda asked earlier how long you'd be around here," he says, partially to himself. "Well...In any case, Apu -- Alter Ego -- I should be getting back." His weights clank back into place. "Need to snag a shower before I get to sleep. But it was a pleasure to meet you."
A final nod and Apu drops the weights with more of a CLANG before raising a clawed hand to Derek in a friendly wave. Then he's back to lifting.
Derek lifts his hand briefly to Apu in return. At the door, he pauses and looks back to his machine. His sunglasses fly across the room to his hand and he puts them back on as he goes into the better lit hallway. "Night." And with that, he is gone.
Weight room
Apu is running the treadmill at a steady pace, just over the line of strenuous, but not so far over the line that he couldn't keep this up for a long time indeed. The lights are on, which means that Apu looks like your utterly average well-built tall Indian dude, although it's growing late enough and quiet enough that he's considering dimming those lights down to nothing and get training in earnest.
Derek comes into the weight room, wearing long shorts and a muscle shirt...and mirrored sunglasses. Despite the low light levels, he seems to appreciate them. He pauses just inside the room. "Hello," he says, tilting his head thoughtfully to the side. "I don't know you." But, given that he is calmly working out, he probably belongs here. "Derek Johnson."
"Ah?" Apu only continues three paces until gearing down the treadmill and hopping off, facing Derek directly, but coming no closer. "Apu Kapasi. I'm new here. And somewhat solitary. But pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. It is always a pleasure to meet someone on the island." Really, all Apu is lacking here is a formal bow.
"Oh." Derek pauses for a moment. "Sorry if I intruded, but I need a couple sets for my legs." He moves back towards the lower body machine and starts it setting up. "You picked out any kind of a pseudonym yet? I haven't managed to find one I like yet."
"You're not intruding. I was thinking of exercising in the dark, but I can wait to do that if it'll be an encumbrance to you." Apu steps back until his elbow rests on the "railing" of the treadmill. "Myself? I have almost decided on Alter Ego. It just seems like a bit much. It's difficult, isn't it?"
Derek chuckles as he sets himself into place. "The dark? Well, if it makes a difference to you...I can handle it for a while. If you wanna get on the machine, I can teke the lights out for ya." He starts a set, pushing an impressive quantity of metal. "It's damn tough. Alter Ego doesn't sound bad; why'd ya choose it?"
"Teke, sir? And, no, that's fine. I'm close." Apu strides efficiently to the lights and turns them off. "You are very strong, sir," he says, both admiring and quietly weighing the man against himself. He remains near the door, waiting. "Alter Ego is . . . well, you will see momentarily. I'm very strong myself, in the dark."
Derek continues to pump iron despite the lights going out. And he still doesn't take off his shades; not that it'd really help him much in the dark that results. "Ah, sorry, I'm telekinetic; first time I try to use slang for it, I go and use it with someone who doesn't know what the hell I'm talking about." He gives his head a little shake. "Errra...thanks." The end of his set makes him grunt a little bit before he gets a pause. "In the dark? Powers linked to darkness?"
"You may use it in the future. I'll remember the term." Apu flexes his hand in front of his eyes (growing steadily lidless and luminescent), noting a good solid progression from human hand to webbed and pointed fingers. Excellent. "My powers depend on darkness. Without it, I am ... normal as you please." His articulation grows rather indistinct as fangs push themselves out of his lower jaw.
Derek gives a little wry smile as Apu assures him he can use it in the future. His eyes start to adjust, and as the articulation from his workout buddy starts to get indistinct, he reaches up to remove his sunglasses, squinting into the dark. Something is obviously changing, though Derek would be hard-pressed to describe it in detail. "Huh. Well, it's just telekinesis for me. That and my freakish good looks, devilish charm and professional athletic physique." He delivers this in an even monotone. By touch, he finds a flat surface for his sunglasses and carefully positions himself for another set.
"You could be Football Player. Rugby. Why not?" Apu says, only it comes out horribly garbled, like a dedicated television announcer being devoured alive by Godzilla -- one not prone to screaming, of course. He lowers his hand. And he's lightly glowing, around the chest and eyes, at least. This is the pleasant part of Apu's transformation. The rest calls up images of the Black Lagoon, if the monster in that case had spines poking out of his shoulders, a mess of angler-fish fangs mucking up his vocabulary power, and all in all a better build. Apu does give Derek the formal bow this time, then heads toward an upper body weight machine in Derek's vicinity.
"Hm?" Derek asks reflexively, but he actually did hear it, it just takes him an additional minute to process the words. "Oh, I was gonna play pro ball," he says, "but I got tossed in jail, found out I was a mutant, and decided I wanted to do something with my life." He squints at Apu's glowing form and spends a minute staring, not attempting to continue his workout as he processes the drastically changed appearance of his comrade. "Dayum," he says. "Okay, I get the name a little better now. You look...like you could rip my arms off like that. Could you?" Assuming Derek didn't use telekinesis to throw him across the room first, of course.
"Nnn, perhaps," (or something to that effect). Apu gives Derek an eloquent shrug, at least, before placing himself on the weight machine and fiddling with with the weight settings with a finickiness that's almost hilarious. Considering what he is at the moment.
Well, at least with Apu's biolumiscence, Derek can see a little bit. "Huh. Well, please don't, because unlike Creed, I can't grow my arms back without Sabella's help." He finishes his set and goes to adjust the machine for a different set of exercises, operating half by touch and half by the hint of light from Apu. "You met Creed yet?" He seems to have decided that the burden of conversation has fallen largely to him as Apu's ability to speak wanes, and so he becomes considerably more talkative than usual.
Apu shakes his head, and finishes adjusting the weight to somewhat obscene levels before he leans back against the weight machine and /pulls/. The weights follow. If his face was more expressive, he might be wearing, indeed, a very smug expression indeed. But one can come to get over the loss of conversational ability when it comes with such body language. Look. I'm powerful. Dude.
Indeed, Derek is watching Apu to see how much iron he will move and he is suitably impressed by the result. "Damn. Nice pull." He goes back to working his own weight without giving in to any temptation to up the weight to impress Apu. "Well, dunno what you've been told, but if you see a seven foot tall blond Viking with excessive hair, stay out of his way and do what he wants. He's probably even stronger than you, and I saw him with his arm blown off after a rough raid and it just...grew back. I almost ripped his ear off and it just sealed back up to his head. And he's /always/ in a bad mood."
"Nrrg," Apu says. This means "duly noted." It may also mean "man, I wish I could lose limbs and regrow them." On second thought, Apu decides to just follow that up with an understanding nod. Those Vikings. A Viking is a Viking.
Derek continues to work and chat amicably at Apu's non-responsive self. "I had to train with him when I first got here. Kicked my ass but good." There's a brief pause. "Oh. By the by. I'm dating Toxin. So, if you're harboring romantic visions of her, I suggest you repress them. Too many people starting lean in that direction and it's starting to get under my skin. Not that I'd blame you for thinking she's hot, just...don't try to, y'know, woo her away. Or words might have to be exchanged."
"Nnn," Apu follows this up with another understanding nod. And lift of weights. Nod, lift. He has, fortunately, very little to no experience with Toxin, and can only be too amenable not to harbor romantic visions of her.
Well, it appears Apu is an agreeable conversational companion, even if not a particularly articulate one. "Huh. I shoulda asked earlier how long you'd be around here," he says, partially to himself. "Well...In any case, Apu -- Alter Ego -- I should be getting back." His weights clank back into place. "Need to snag a shower before I get to sleep. But it was a pleasure to meet you."
A final nod and Apu drops the weights with more of a CLANG before raising a clawed hand to Derek in a friendly wave. Then he's back to lifting.
Derek lifts his hand briefly to Apu in return. At the door, he pauses and looks back to his machine. His sunglasses fly across the room to his hand and he puts them back on as he goes into the better lit hallway. "Night." And with that, he is gone.