ArchivedLogs:Good People

Good People
Dramatis Personae Aloke, Jackson
In Absentia	2013-10-17 (Part of Prometheus TP.)
Location <NYC> Candyland - Village Lofts - East Village
This bedroom is bright, bright, bright, a cheerful riot of colour in contrast to the more minimalist scheme outside. It, too, has a plethora of lamps to lend it even more light than what comes in from the large windows opposite the entry; many of them bear stained-glass coverings in cheerful mosaic patterns to add still more colour to the room. The walls have been painted in pale blue with darker blue trim, though one is instead a mural of surreal fantastical artwork, odd unearthly plant and animal life spread across it in vivid colours. There is scattering of furniture here -- a bed on the wall adjacent to the window (usually dressed in vividly patterned mismatched sheets), a dresser opposite the bed, standing beside the large closet, both in wood that has been painted black and then covered in a swarm of brightly coloured images, too. The wall near the door bears an enormous handmade shelving unit, similarly painted; it is filled largely with meticulously organized art supplies. By the window, a desk stands in as-yet-unpainted wood; besides laptops and drawing tablet it often bears an eclectic mix of items, too. Comic books, knitting supplies, a hiking pack of climbing gear. The Lofts are crowded, now. People shift between any one of /several/ apartments amenable to the host of visitors -- /sleeping/ space is all over but in terms of needs they've been kind of divided /up/ in terms of purposes; meat-and-dairy-ful foods in Greyhaus, vegan foods, baked goods, desserts down in Jax's, a host of clothing and toiletries and other material needs available across the hall in Ryan's. Geekhaus as the informal /common/ space, with its store of games and large entertainment system, an area where people can get much needed /relaxation/. Doug's apartment on five for quieter downtime. The roof for fresh air and its small garden of plantlife. Lighthaus is a constant bustle. People in and out and food in constant preparation. Jackson is taking a moment to actually get clean and dressed; he's recently showered, judging by his damp colourful hair and fresh sandalwood scent. Despite rumours of his near-death he looks hale and hearty, not a fresh scratch visible on him. He's in boxer-briefs at the moment, towel draped around his shoulders, staring with a quiet /exhaustion/ into his closet without actually picking out clothes. Aloke has been fretting ever since the twins came and checked out because 'Jax needs help'. When Jax finally texted him, it sounded like things were generally under control, but Aloke wanted to get there right away. He packed a small knapsack, texted Mallory about being off campus for a bit, and dashed off to meet a cab. This experience in itself is annoyingly time-consuming for the man, but things being the way they are, this is what he does now. In less than an hour, Aloke has been let in downstairs by someone on their way out, and he's running up the stairs to Jax and Micah's place. There are people everywhere as he looks around, but no one he recognizes, and no one who stops him, so he just charges into Jax's room, clearly out of breath, a sheen of sweat on the older man's brow, and at his graying temples. "Oh shit, sorry!" he says, when he realizes he's barged in on Jax changing. He half turns to provide a degree of apologetic modesty, but adds, "Christ, I thought you were hurt or something, the way the twins tore out of school, man. You really freaked me out." "It's okay," Jackson answers quietly, with no apparent consideration for modesty himself -- perhaps a side-effect of having so many Prometheans crowding his space, there's a tendency to just /relapse/ into the unthinking nonchalance of Communal Living. Not a lot of privacy /in/ labs. When he looks up towards Aloke there's no trace of his previous exhaustion, more colour in his cheeks, a soft smile on his face. "Hi. I'm sorry. That I scared you. I was --" His hand lifts to touch to his jaw for a moment, his head shaking afterwards as his gaze shifts back towards the closet. "Hurt. But not anymore. Thank you for coming. It's always -- hectic." Aloke smiles and runs a hand through his hair. When Jax doesn't seem to care about his own state of undress, Aloke doesn't bother worrying about it anymore either. In fact, he stalks across the room and wraps the younger man in a fierce hug which lingers a long moment. "You had me worried there, Jax," he whispers, before kissing Jax on the cheek. Aloke releases some of the hug pressure to be able to look at Jax. "Is everyone else ok? Micah? The twins? I know you have a lot of friends in this building. More like family, right? I hope everyone's ok." Jackson's breath catches for a moment, and he leans into the hug gratefully, lifting an arm to curl it back tight around Aloke. In contrast to his usual fierce heat, today he feels downright /cool/, hovering at or slightly below normal human average. "I almost didn't --" he starts, but then just quiets, resting his forehead against Aloke's chest. "We know a good healer," is his quiet explanation. "An' yeah. My family's here. They -- made it back." He actually sounds surprised at this. "First time ever, we didn't lose noone yet." When Aloke pulls away to lean against the wall, his eyes are glowing bright enough to cast little pools of light where he looks. For someone who can actually /look/ into his eyes, there is even some moisture there. "Look, I know it's weird, and probably not the same for you, but you were /so/ kind to me when I came to Xavier's. And then, getting to know you and Micah, and your kids... I just..." Aloke looks down, catching himself looking Jax over in a more appraising way, before looking up to focus himself. Twin pools of light shine on the ceiling. "You're like family to me. And I want you to know I can be there for you and yours. The family I was born into are great people, and as understanding as they are, they don't really understand mutants." Aloke looks back down, holding Jax's gaze again. His words are firm, but his tone is soft, almost pleading to be let in. "And what the hell are you guys /doing/ every few months, that usually gets someone seriously hurt?" He takes a breath, and says even quieter. "The cages... were a long time ago. I think I could help you, is all. That's what I'm trying to say." Jackson dips his head, quiet, his expression settling into something serious while Aloke speaks. He takes a step closer when Aloke leans against the wall, reaching up to cup a hand gently against the side of Aloke's face when he catches that hint of moisture. "M'glad you're in my life, honey-honey," he says, soft and genuine. He draws in a slow breath, steadying, and focuses on Aloke's eyes, the light there seeming to reassure him. "There's." He swallows. "There's a lot of cages, Aloke. All over the country. S'a lot of mutants still in them. We -- try to find them. Get them out. Gets rough, sometimes." His tone is steady, his expression calm, but there's a telling tremble of the illusionist's hand against Aloke's cheek. "Tend to need all the help we can get, when --" His voice is softer. "When we find people we can trust." "Yeah, I kinda thought it might be something like that," Aloke says, reaching up to press Jax's hand to his cheek, steadying it. "You can trust me. I mean, I don't have a lot of experience with this stuff, but I know I can help. If you let me." Aloke turns his head gently to plant a quick kiss on the inside of Jax's wrist, and then take the man's hand in both of his in front of him. "These labs -- they capture so many people. Hold 'em. The things they do --" Jax's eye slides closed, and he represses a shudder that just fades into stillness at the small kiss. His fingers curl down against Aloke's hand, his head tipping forward, first to press a soft kiss to Aloke's knuckles and then to just rest his forehead against the older man's hands where they hold his. "The folks out there -- the folks you'll meet, you'll see things, hear things, you wish you never did know." His hand tightens in Aloke's. "But if you want to help, y'can train with my team. They're good people. You're -- good people." Aloke smiles gently, and pulls one hand free so he can wrap Jax up in another hug. "Well, I think I kinda figured these places had to exist. I hoped they didn't, but... yeah. Now that I know for sure, I'm /in/ for sure. I can't just walk away, knowing it's all real." He gives a little extra squeeze when Jax mentions training with everyone and says, "I love you, brother. Thanks for letting me in." "-- Love you." For a moment Jackson allows himself a touch of relaxation, tension easing in a tired lean against Aloke. Just for a moment, and then he straightens, squeezing Aloke's hand once more and releasing it to turn back to his closet. Grab a pair of sky-blue pants, a black t-shirt. "Good," he says, smile returning as a dusting of glitter-bright makeup appears to lend more cheer to his face. "Then let's get to work."