ArchivedLogs:Philanthropy

Philanthropy
Dramatis Personae Hive, Rasa, Telford, Flicker	2014-03-18 whoops.
Location <NYC> Pandemonium Games - Lower East Side
Two floors of geekery, Pandemonium Games in the Lower East Side is, at first blush, a bookstore rather than a gaming store, small and cozy with aisles dedicated to sci-fi and fantasy books. The glass counter opposite the bookshelves, admittedly, does hold a wealth of cards from various collectible card games, though binders of Magic cards predominate. Bins of dice in a wide variety of colours stand at one end of the counter. It is the lower level of the store that is usually the busy one, though. The stairs leading down to the basement head first into shelves and shelves of games; board games, RPG sourcebooks, Warhammer figurines, battle mats. Beyond the shelves of goods, a much larger room is mostly bare save its many wide tables, filled at all hours with people playing tabletop games of all kinds. Telford is the kind of person who has to not stay in one place too long, even his favorite RPG stores need to be changed every so often so he doesn't get in the habit of frequenting one to the point that he can be captured so this month he is frequenting this store in the middle of mutant town. Sure, it's slumming it, but some of the better role players are people who have had harsh lives and if you are going to be a mutant criminal, what better place to do it than The Lowers? Deep in the dungeon of the book store a lone man sits with a six pack of cola, a bag of Doritos, a stack of novels and the most unusual head of tattoos most people will ever see. He's taken off his coat and hat since he is in the bowels of the store and it's unlikely some random cop is going to just wander in and recognize him. The hat and coat hang from his chair which he has balanced on two legs while he reclines backwards with his feet up on the table normally used for playing RPGs. All alone in the basement he relaxes, enjoying the solitude and listening to the radio play from his phone on the table. Soothing electronica and trance to help him relax while he enjoys his book on high fantasy. What more could a geek want out of life? Not all alone in the basement for /long/, though; there's feet coming down the steps (rather slowly, admittedly) -- what sounds like two pairs. "-- gonna get the fucking rainbows out of our embleer bathroom," a voice is grumbling, oddly-accented in tones distinctly Not New York but past that too muddled-mangled to really place a clear region. Hive, when he appears, is still dressed for outside in tatty canvas jacket over a blue hoodie (it has an image of a stormcloud on its stomach, raining down fat blue raindrops alongside red hearts), scarf wrapped around his neck, fleecy red hat with the Greek letters Theta and Tau embroidered in gold on the front edge, fraying faded jeans, thick heavy workboots. His clothes hang on him badly, loose on his rather emaciated-skinny form, and as he comes down the stairs he's leaning heavily on another man (in khakis, v-neck sweater over a turtleneck, warm peacoat; a little shorter than Hive, much more /upright/, athletic-strong with a crop of dark hair and vivid green eyes set into a /heavily/ scarred face.) The other man /deposits/ Hive at the table down at the other side from Telford, giving the man already there a quick smile and nod of greeting. "It kind of looks better in rainbow anyway." /He/ has no accent to speak of, bland Hollywood-American, and he squeezes Hive's shoulder absently as he wanders farther over to crouch down and look through the shelves of secondhand RPG books. Hive, for his part, just slouches back in his chair with a tired wilt, eyes drifting over to examine what book Telford is reading. His expression is kind of /sleepy/, eyes half-lidded in a drowsy kind of state, but despite the exhaustion apparently written there the telepath's /mind/ is bright-wide-awake, tuned in to its own mental radio of the scattered surface-thoughts of others in the room. "-- Sup." On hir last day (or second to last, perhaps) of freedom, Rasa has made her way to the city for last minute shopping before returning to the hallowed and restrictive halls of school. Ze pads down the stairs to the lower level, covered from head to toe. Around hir torso is a midnight blue wool coat so dark it is nearly black. Hir legs boast more color, but are layered for warmth, fleece-lined leggings under neath loose trousers of swirling golds, reds and blacks, with what could be a wrap or a split skirt over the top in russet brown. Black gloves keep hir fingers from cold, despite the warming weather outside. Hir head is swathed in color as well, a nearly transparent set of scarves cover hir hair and face, leaving only a small window for hir eyes to peek out of, the rest of hir skin tinted by the layers of fabric, making it appear more reddish that it really is. Which is interesting, because what can be seen of hir skin around hir eyes is nearly bronze in color with a hint of metallic sheen. "Hey, Flicker. Hi, Hive," the X-Teen offers to the other two new arrivals, hir voice carrying a soft accent as well, giving validity to hir Middle Eastern style of dress. Rasa heads immediately for the pricey board games, looking over the thick boxes and expansion packs, hir expression neutral. Ze moves quickly from new releases over to the R section, trying to find one in particular it seems. Ze raises a hand to keep hir place as ze reads the titles one at a time. Wearing a pair of jeans and a brown T-shirt that has a logo on it styled after the UPS logo but instead of saying UPS: We deliver, it says DPS with the subtext of We deliver. Telford, with his tattoos that decorate his bald head down to his neck before breaking into a solid black body tat including sleeves of blackness that are visible once the short sleeves of the T-shirt ends. The only thing not covered by the black seems to be the areas on his head and on his hands. Which means if that is a tattoo he's had a lot of painful work done. This man, this gaunt, marked man looks up from his book after all the strangers are done chattering looking at Hive then looking over at the walking color explosion before looking back down at his book... Well, so much for peace and quiet. Picking up a bookmark (With a scantily clad lady warrior in a chain-bikini on it.) he slides the book mark into place and closes the book setting it down on his pile of purchases, "Ford." he says as he pulls his feet off the table and turns to sit properly, "Give me a moment and I'll get out of your way. I didn't know there was a game scheduled." his own accent American but subdued like he's practiced at not having a specific accent. The book he was reading was the second in a series called Dragon Delasangre by Allen F. Troop. Like a romance novel, if you are a dragon. "Hm?" Flicker looks up from the books with a wide-eyed puzzled glance at the sound of his name, his, "-- Hi," uncertain intially until a longer look relaxes his expression into a warm smile. "Oh, Rasa. Hi. How's your break going?" "Down all the way at the end of the shelf," is the greeting Hive gives to Rasa, chin jerking of in indication of the game ze is searching for. To Telford his brows raise, eyes lingering a long moment over the man's face before he manages a puzzled, "-- the fuck?" "Oh, you don't have to leave," Flicker says more politely, "we're just browsing." "Oh. Yeah. Right." Hive slouches down further, folding his arms on the table and pillowing his head against them. "S'just a better place to spend lunch break than out in the fucking cold. You're good, man." His eyes close, though his mental senses stay just as alert, still quietly tuned-in to the thoughts of those around him. "Nice ink." This comes from Flicker, again, a small smile lingering on his lips though his (briefly staring) eyes have pulled back away from Telford to look at the books again. "There's a game scheduled? Should I clear out too?" Rasa looks up and blinks over at the others, a little confused. It's then that Telford is subject to any scrutiny at all, hir gaze running over his face and tattoos briefly before turning back to hir search, concerned that ze needs to hurry. But then Hive speaks and ze grins, the shade of hir skin brightening to gold. "Ah. Yes. There it is." Ze scoots down and moves over, grabbing the box and turning it carefully, the parts inside too secure to really rattle yet. Ze moves away from the shelves and over to a chair at Hive's table to sit and read the bits on the back. Then ze is pulling out hir phone for reviews. The price tag is making hir doubt hir initial desire to buy it. "Break's okay. Kind of excited to start classes again, kind of not. How about you? When's your spring break?" The man with the ink says, "It was the only good thing my old man ever gave me." in reply to the compliment about his skin. He says it like he's said it a million times, it's his standard response. He looks around for something to put his books in realizing he never actually got a bag from the counter upstairs when he bought the books. At the mutant's skin tone change a smile creeps onto Tedford's face. It's nice to be in a mutant-area, Though he thinks he shouldn't be. If you are the biggest, bad-ass in Minimum Security the wisdom of strolling into Super-max could be questionable. "Break?" he asks, "Oh, no, I don't work around here. I'm new in the area." he lies which Hive can clearly tell. He's just been avoiding the store purposefully so he could enjoy it now without worry. The inked man starts to think about teleporting down the street to get a taco.. or one of those giant beef burritos that are so good before his thoughts flit back to the situation at hand. He wonders why they have such strange names? Hive? Flicker? Really? Must be a mutant-town thing. Maybe they are members of that Omega gang... really nerdy members. "/I'm/ on /my/ fucking lunch break," Hive clarifies with a snort that is muffled where his head leans against his arm. "How the fuck would I know when /yours/ is. -- His spring break is right the hell now," he answers /for/ Flicker, scrunching his eyes shit tighter. "He didn't get the concept of vacation, though. Celebrated by starting a new job." "Vacation's a lot less fun when you're stone-broke," Flicker answers with quiet amusement. "I like vacations where I can afford food. -- Are you taking any fun classes this next term?" "Choosy motherfucker. /I/ do just fine without food on all my vacations." Hive's eyes flit upwards to Telford, a crooked smile pulling upward at half his mouth. "Yeah? Where from? You liking it here?" And to Rasa: "You seen the twins much this break? They'll probably be glad you're in town." "Kansas" Tedford lies again as ht pictures the twins he met yesterday, Toma and Nicoleta and what is he thinking about them? He's thinking he would totally hit half that, maybe both halves. He's not sure how that works for Toma but he's willing to find out. "I can see things working out here." he says but the talk of not being able to afford food gets his attention. He says, "I'll be back in a second." then a white light erupts from the center of his chest and he blinks out of existence with a VT sound. Normally he wouldn't do that in front of a bunch of strangers but it is mutant-town and there isn't much reason to hide what he is here. "You seem to have forgotten how to be a carefree teenager," Rasa replies to Flicker, a small smile tugging at hir lips and a twinkle of amusement in hir eyes. "You want me to teach again? Don't worry, this class is free." Ze sets the game down and considers. "Eh, I think I had the best class of the year last term. Circus arts. I don't know how you can beat that. I am starting in the Tabletop Society after classes, hence this trip." An arm sweeps over the top of hir box, demonstratively. Ze is not happy with hir selection and will need to poke around some more. It's hard finding a game that's good and that other people don't collectively have two or three copies of. Ze turns hir attention to Hive once more. "I was planning on taking my spoils with me over to the sharktank after. Haven't seen them much. B works too much and Shane grumps very well. I've been doing a fair bit of middle of the night skyping, so my hours have been weird." "I'm twenty now," Flicker laments with an exaggerated sigh. He pulls himself away from the bookshelves with a copy of /The Burning Wheel/, dropping down into a seat at the end of the table by Hive. "The second you hit twenty," despite his longsuffering tone there's a bright twinkle to his green eyes, "you forget how to have fun. You could teach me. I listen well." "He's full of crap, I /distinctly/ saw him having at least one unit of fun just last night." Hive's eyes rake over the box in front of Rasa and then turn downwards, closing again. "Kansas." He echoes this with a note of wry amusement. "Is that right. Traded up then, I guess. What did you come here to --" His words cut off as, even with his eyes closed, he suddenly /feels/ one less mind there than there was before. When he looks up Flicker is staring at the place Telford just was. And then grinning, with a small shake of his head and eyes turning back to his book. "Tch, yeah." Hive sounds like he's /answering/ something, though nothing Flicker said out loud. "Quick route /out/ of trouble, though." His eyes stay closed, face still buried in his arms. "Circus arts sounds rad as fuck. And B's --" He grimaces. "... home from work today anyway. Been having some. Problems. Why middle of the night?" "Right, right, well, I'm trying to retrain the twins in the art of having fun, but it's hard. Normally, I think of them as good listeners, but lately, the concept of being teenagers seems to fly over their heads." Rasa leans down on the table, elbows resting against the hard surface as ze feels the absence of the pair, a strong family feeling, but also realizes the weight of what they are stuck going through. Hir thoughts are distracted when Telford suddenly disappears, hir brow furrowing, but then ze shrugs it off. Not unusual to hir. "Russia has the unfortunate problem of being on the other side of the world. Ivan has a job, so while I'm free, I tend to adhere to his schedule more. B is having problems? That's no good." VT the man with the tattoos appears again as if he was mid-stride when he teleported into the room. He's carrying two important new things. One of them, a package of chewy chocolate chip cookies and in the other hand a stack of money in a plastic bag from his emergency to-go fund. "Flicker, catch!" he says tossing the ziplock with 400 dollars in it. That should hold the guy over for a month, hopefully. Telford remembers many nights where he lived on the streets and had to go hungry. He wouldn't wish that level of desperation on anyone. He's SO glad he learned to be a thief. He will never feel like that ever again. "I still got cokes if you guys want some. It's warm by now but have at'em." he says as he sits back down in his chair. "I don't know if they've had a lot of opportunity to just /be/ teenagers," Flicker says regretfully. "Maybe you should tie them down, make them sit through your lessons." "They'll be glad to see you, anyway. And Shane's got this fucking -- crazy new idea about going into business with --" Hive breaks off when Telford reappears, head lifting to squint up at the man. Flicker is reaching out for the bag nearly the moment it's left Telford's hands, lightning-fast reflexes nabbing it before he's even sure /what/ he's nabbing. He stares down at the bag in his hand with a /puzzled/ expression, looking up with wide-eyed bemusement at Telford. "Oh -- I -- I --" His brows are drawing together slowly; he extends the bag uncertainly back towards Telford with an awkward-stammering, "-- that's -- nice of you but I really don't -- need --" "What the fuck." Hive's tone is caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation. "Dude do we look like fucking panhandlers?" Okay, maybe /he/ does, with his shabby coat and fraying jeans and near-emaciated state but who's counting. "/Presumptuous/ motherf --" "I think, sir," cuts in Flicker swiftly, more apologetic, less gruff than Hive, "Hive just means that -- I was being a little bit hyperbolic when I talked about vacation money, I -- have a -- job. /He/ has a job -- it's kind of you but there's probably a lot of people around here who -- who could use the help more." Rasa stiffens a little when Telford reappears, but is more shocked by the bag of money flying through the air. Hir eyes wide and hir skin turns silver. The metallic sheen fades and tattoos of hir own appear as hir brows draw together. There's a slight pang of jealousy, because who doesn't want free money, which is followed by suspicion, concern, and acceptance that Flicker likely needs it more. Ze just doesn't need money at this point. It's a joy of being a dependent on an institution that takes good care of hir. Rasa chokes on hir laughter when Hive speaks up, hir skin brightening to yellow mirth as the tattoos start to fade. "You really got bricks of money sitting around? That you just... give away? Must be interesting." Ze gets up to return hir game and start seeking out another one. "Well, you know how it is when he gets an idea in his head." Rasa is thinking about Shane and probably doesn't need to say it. The teleporter shrugs and sets the cookies down opening the package and taking one out to much on while he gathers his stuff, "Then give it to them. I spent a lot of time being hungry. Being hungry sucks. If you're not hungry then find someone who is and give it to them. It's just money." he says. He doesn't care about money, as long as he has enough, whatever is left over, he could care less about. No reason to let it tie you down. Like Jobs, only sucks have jobs. Work hard your whole life to make someone else wealthy? What a freaking joke. Grabbing his coat and hat as well as his novels the inked up man says. Looking over at the shifting girl, "Actually, that's the least interesting thing about me. Keep coming back." he says before once more vanishing. He was totally flirting a little as if the strange color changing mutant meets him again shi might unravel more of the enigma that is Telford. The mysterious man with money to toss around. Yeah, he totally plays that up. "What a fucking tool." Hive grimaces, brows raising at the thoughts in Rasa's head; he glances over towards Flicker and the bag of money. Flicker is just blushing, deep crimson, his brows pulled together as he looks down at his book. "Oh -- sure." He slides the bag towards Rasa. "That was -- incredibly awkward." "Some people are incredibly fucking awkward," is Hive's answer to this, palms pressing in at his temples. "Huh." His chin lifts to Rasa. "Those tattoos were rad." "Hmmm. Was I projecting again?" Rasa exhales and concentrates for a moment, getting a nice metallic sheen going. Ze glances around the room and to what ze can see of the stairs before pulling down the veil that covers hir face. "Kind of got caught of guard by some of that. It's not every day you meet a philanthropist of that caliber. Not so many are willing to just toss money at people in a novelty store." As ze speaks, thin lines of blue start gliding across the golden surface of hir cheek, spiraling inward and curling over each other like ribbon drifting through water. "Whatcha going to do with it, Flicker? Find someone homeless outside? Donate it to a charity?" "Take it." Hive jerks his chin towards the bag of money that Flicker has slid towards Rasa. "The fuck do we want some goddamn /asshole's/ charity for? He's not a /philanthropist/, he's a smarmy arrogant douchebag who likes to show off." Flicker's blush deepens, but he does nudge the bag closer to Rasa. "I mean, he may have been well-intentioned," he allows more charitably than Hive. "It's just. Strange." "And awkward as fuck. You can have it if you want it. We've all got fucking jobs. Take it," Hive suggests, "and use it to be a carefree gorram teenager." "The fuck? Really?" Rasa certainly didn't think that Telford was a shining example of charity and certainly was only using the term 'philanthropist' as someone who gives away money. Hir hands reach out and tug the bag a little closer, marveling. It's more money than ze's ever had in hir hands. Ze scowls at it, tempting to just blow some of it on board games. But then there's thoughts of helping Shane with whatever ridiculous idea he has just to get on board help him with it -- but then if ze gives it to Ivan, maybe he can come back. Ze sighs. "Well, he was ..." 'smarmy' and 'arrogant' scrawl down hir opposite cheek as ze considers, "special. Dunno what he's trying to say, inviting me back round again. Maybe I should sit on this and make sure it doesn't mean anything." "I think," Hive says seriously, "that was an attempt to flirt. Flash some cash around, you know it makes clothes fall /right/ the fuck off." Flicker's blush is not fading; he rubs scarred-hand against the scarred side of his face. "Well, he did give it to me. If you do see him again you don't have to mention you got it in the end." "And yeah, really-really. I mean, we're actually doing pretty fucking okay for once. Uh." Hive /grimaces/. "Medical bills aside. But a couple hundred's not going to dent /those/. Building shit's paying pretty steady and Dusk /always/ makes good cash nerding and Flicker's --" "-- just started in on security at Mendel." Flicker sounds a little bit pleased about this. And a little bit nervous. "Besides, I think we've already established /we/ don't even know how to properly have fun with it." "You could use it --!" Hive is just as solemn here really, "-- to start a /fun school/." "For those who have completely forgotten how to relax?" Rasa raises a skeptical brow and chuckles lightly at the pair. "I should start with seminars to build capital. The problem is that my demographic isn't exactly the group that will make this venture a success." Ze carefully peels open the bag and peeks inside, looking for ink cartridges or marking explosives, tell tail signs that the cash is stolen from someone who wants the theft solved. "Wait. Flicker, does this make me your pimp? You get solicited and I get your money? Here. Have your cut." Ze peels a section off the top and offers it back to Flicker. Flicker raises his eyebrows; his smile is quick and amused and still a little sheepish as he takes the cash. "Woah. I've never had a pimp before. Um -- you're not going to hit me if I don't bring in enough cash, are you? Because my track record with getting total strangers to hand me money is /not/ great." "Seemed like you did fine just now. Maybe you should try looking pitiful more often," Hive suggests. "I do not look /pitiful/, I think of the two of us you're /totally/ carrying all the pitiful, dude." Flicker reaches over to /thwap/ Hive over his head -- with his small stack of bills. "Be careful with this one," Hive tells Rasa, jerking his thumb towards Flicker. "He's an /uppity/ ho." "So I see." Rasa considers as ze starts slipping the money into the pockets of hir coat, then moving it to hir trousers, feeling a self conscious about having more than $50 on hir. "Flicker, you're going to have to behave yourself if you want to work my game store in the future. Stop abusing your clients until they ask for it." Ze gives Hive a big grin then gets down to business. "Okay. Recommend me a game - one that most people don't have but you think would be fun to own." "Don't worry, all he does is freaking behave himself. Though I /did/ see him flirting the other day." Hive's eyes open wider like this is a bizarre freak occurrence. "Right in this shop, actually. Maybe there's something in the air here that just makes nerds hit on each other." Flicker lifts the book he is perusing, holding it up towards his face to hide his blush. "OK I'll be good. But can't I just hit Hive a /little/ bit? He usually deserves it." "Rasa's game store, hir rules." Hive sits up, now, lifting his head to slouch back in the chair. His hands, still on the table, are growing rather shaky-unsteady where they sit. "Nuns on the Run," he suggests. "It's silly. But fun. And you get to skulk around being nuns -- uh, it's," he admits, "a little harder to play with telepaths. But it's not so bad s'long as --" "Hive never gets to be Mother Superior," Flicker explains. "Biggest tragedy of his life. He really wants to discipline nuns." "We're going to be living /right by/ a convent after the move." Hive sounds inordinately pleased with this fact. And then there is mutant again, Telford reappears having deposited his stuff at home and jumped back to this location. He did stop to change his shirt to a black, long sleeve shirt with a red Horde logo on it and to pick up a pair of sunglasses. He carries a laptop with him as he appears nodding to the gathered people/mutants. "Don't mind me." thinking to himself, 'Just going next door to steal the wifi.' fortunately having missed the nun comment all together. "Hmmm. Maybe. But he's a bit of a grump. Not sure smacking him around will make him softer. More like overkneading dough. Just makes him tougher and harder to chew." Rasa's mind delightfully supplies scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the thought of disciplining nuns. "Okay. Nuns on the Run." Ze bounces over to the N section to examine the box, almost bumping into Telford when he reappears. "Oh. Hey." "No, it's like tenderizing /meat/." Flicker reaches out a hand to /smack/ at Hive's shoulder in demonstration. Hive just grunts at this, lifting his hand to smack /back/ -- though in his case he /misses/ Flicker entirely and then gives up, dropping his shaking hand back to the table. "Ffft I'm not worth tenderizing I wouldn't be good for much but soup bones." The mental imagery puts a quick smile on his face, though it's one that fades sharply as Telford reappears into an irritable scowl. "Oh, /Frith/." Flicker's blush just turns deeper red, and he fixes his eyes on his book. "Hi, sir." His tone is polite, if more subdued than his previous warmth. "S'aright my lunch break's up soon enough anyway. -- You down for Game Night tonight, Ras? Drag Shane's sorry ass up. He can drink booze even if he doesn't play." Leaving, leaving, planning crime of the century, leaving, leaving, wait.. game tonight? Screeeeeeeeeeech the breaks go on and Telford comes to a stop turning back to ask, "Game? Which game?" hoping for some dungeon crawling. His target isn't arriving for two more days.. he could spare the time.. it won't take him more than 8 hours to scope out the security, maybe even pay off one of the guards.. Going through the general options in his head Telford is pretty sure he could spare the time.. Walking back over towards the table he takes a cookie out of the package he left there from before and asks. Rasa opens hir mouth to reply, hir hands moving up to fix hir veil back over hir face. "Yeah, I'll drag them out. Being social is part of learning to have fun again and games go a long way toward recuperation of the idleness muscles." Ze smiles as ze grabs the box off the shelf, leaving Hive and Flicker to speak for their home party themselves. "Um -- well, a lot of games," Flicker starts to explain, "it's kind of just a weekly get-together, a lot of people who come stick with board games though I've been running a --" "The kind of game we play with /friends/," Hive cuts in with sharp-edged irritability. He lifts his hand, palm still trembling-unsteady when he presses it against his eye. << And not arrogant patronizing bastards, >> is added -- to /everyone/ else in the room -- in mental addendum. Probably /unfortunately/ for everyone else in the room; there's nothing gentle about Hive's mental voice, it /slams/ in painful-hard like a whipcrack sting of psionic energy. To Telford alone is the afterthought-addition: << Arrogant patronizing /criminal/ bastards, apparently. Crime of the century? Seriously? People actually say shit like that? >> Or -- /think/ things like that, as the case may be. Flicker winces, at the sudden thud of mental hammering, grimacing and setting down his book. "... should probably get you back to work." He sounds apologetic, though whether to Hive or to Telford isn't really clear. See, funny thing about living with your body sheathed in a physical manifestation of an entire universe of energy that's only purpose is to devour all life, rendering it to it's purest form so that the well of souls, which is the source of all life, can be replenished, is that when you suddenly have your mind ripped into and your concentration shattered, the dark force doesn't hesitate to take advantage. Telford spent a long time getting the dark force under control and as he is kicked in the head with mental force that tenuous control shatters. He stumbles backwards confused and dazed never having felt someone invade his mind then in that moment of confusion the dark force tries to take him. The ink like blackness of his skin spreads up his neck becoming something living, something like liquid darkness, something that erupts from under his clothing and spreads over his hands and face as he reels from the mental invasion. There is a moment, just a moment, where his look and thoughts of << What the hell man?! >> are replaced by panic and thoughts of << No! No! I'm not ready! >> before the cold blackness of the dark force devours him like some horror movie monster from within his skin and he vanishes... Vvvt! Just gone... "The fuck..." When the person wearing Rasa's clothing turns around to eye Telford once more, it most certainly isn't the student that was standing there before. Now, Hive is in two places, wearing clothes that are far too short for him, but otherwise fit okay. A moment of coincidentally similar thoughts and telepathic influence transformed hir to him, leaving only a vague awareness that he is not actually Hive. He has the same headache and the same annoyance with a stranger kind of inviting himself along for the ride. Seeing the original Hive with Flicker gives the second Hive pause and he lifts a hand up to press up against his temple. << Fuck. Is it like this every day? >> he questions, sympathy melting him slowly back into Rasa. Of course, it's not as bad as what he has to deal with, as Rasa is not malnurished. "Huh. Strange," Ze replies when ze realizes Telford is gone. Flicker startles when Telford begins to change and then vanishes, blinking briefly out of existence to reappear (protectively?) behind Hive's chair; his eyes open wide as he looks down at his roommate. "-- What did you /do/." "Just talked to him," Hive grumbles, also a little startled-scooting his chair back towards Flicker. "Fuck. Didn't expect. Uh. That -- shit." He sounds a little apologetic, now, though there is nobody left to apologize /to/. Except maybe Rasa; when he looks up at Hive!Rasa his grimace deepens. "-- Shit," is apologetic again. "Well, fuck. /That's/ -- crap. I -- /crap/." Slowly, he pushes himself out of his chair; it requires Flicker's assistance to get him back onto his feet, and he leans heavily against Flicker once he's standing. "No," he answers Rasa with a small twitch of smile. "Today's one of the /good/ days. I'll see you tonight, yeah?" "You're a power ...orator." Rasa!Hive replies, the smile on hir lips still reminiscent of his, on better days. "Don't worry about. And yeah. I'll see you tonight."