Date: November 6
Time: 10 am
Location: Paradox Lakes
Status: closed
Tag: Darren

August put his fingers to the blinds, spreading them just a little so that he could peer out. How many days was it now since he'd last been out among people in the day light? It had to have at least been two or three months. He missed the sun, missed feeling it on his skin, but he couldn't go out there, not like this. Not when people would turn and stare at him, and point. They even did that at night, but it wasn't as bad. Most people were dimly lit, and it was hard for people to see and most would think it was just their eyes playing tricks on them in the dark if they got a good look at August. With a sigh he moved from the window over to his couch and sat down. Picking up the guitar that was leaned against the cushion, he placed his fingers on the fret, forming a C, before his other hand moved over the strings, letting them vibrate and hum. With another hour to go, before it would be dark enough for him to go outside, he felt a little music would help calm his nerves about going out. It always seemed to do the trick. With the hour having soon passed, he went to his bedroom, changing from the normal sweats he wore around his house and into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. He added on a hat and a jacket, with a hood, to put over his head in case he ran into an area where others were as well.

There was one place that August felt he could go to that would keep him away from civilization. Paradox Lakes was a place that most didn't go to at night and if they did, the lack of light from buildings and street lamps would keep them from getting a good look at him. The shadowed effect caused by the hat and hood would add to the lack of sight by the other party. Getting in his car he drove out to the lake, parking a little ways from it on the side of the road he got out and started to walk. When he came to the lake he was glad to find that no one else was around and he sat down, dangling his feet over the little dock, letting the shoes barely touch the water.

A few hours passed and August could see the light from the sun passing over his eyes. He sat up looking around, had he spent the night out here? That wasn't good. He had to get home quick before anyone decided to come out to the lake for a swim, a picnic with a girlfriend, or anything else that would bring people out here. As he scrambled to get up off the dock, he fell in with a splash. August had never learned to swim and the water wasn't at it's shallowest at this point, so as he fell in he started flailing, screaming for help, hoping that for once since his mutation that someone would hear him and come.

Darren had been caught outside again as the sun set and had run to the woods to change. He wandered the woods in his animal form, keeping in mind where he'd left his clothes, near the lake. He looked around as the sky started to lighten, light starting to peek through the trees. He turned and started following his scent back to the lake and to his clothes. The sun started to rise and he groaned, the sound coming out as a squeak in his small form. Slowly, he started to grow and change back to his normal form.

Finally he was human again. He shivered and looked around, then pulled his clothes on. Standing, he sighed and rubbed his arms to try and warm up a little as he walked slowly towards the water. Then he heard a splash and a scream. He ran over to the dock and saw a man in the water trying to stay afloat. He leaped into the water and wrapped an arm around August's waist, then kicked to stay afloat.

Reaching out, he grabbed the edge of the dock, holding August above the water. He pulled him up a little and put the man's hands on the dock to give him something solid to hold on to.

"Hey dude you ok?"

He reached up and grunted as he pulled himself out of the water, then reached down and helped August out. Yeah he noticed the guy's mutation, but he didn't care. He just wanted to make sure he was alright.

August was too busy trying to keep himself afloat that he didn't hear the second splash of someone entering the water. In fact he didn't notice anything until he felt an arm around his waist. They moved to the dock and his hands were put on them and he gripped it as best as he could to keep himself from going back into the water. He coughed as he was pulled out of the water soon after.

"I - I - thank you"
he said between coughs. He looked up at Darren for a moment, that's when he realized he had seen him. Had seen what he looked like. Grabbing the soaked hood, he quickly pulled it over his head as he started trying to get up
"I should - I should go"
he said as he started trying to walk, but couldn't get too far as his recent 'adventure' in the water had taken a lot of energy out of him, and he stumbled a little

He watched as the guy caught his breath and looked up. He smiled a bit, glad he was ok, then the guy realized he'd been seen and tried to leave.

"Woah, hey, you should sit and rest."

He stood and reached out, taking August's arm to steady him. His grip wasn't tight or aggressive, just supportive and concerned. He helped August stand steady and watched him, hoping he'd be ok.

"I don't care what you look like, ok? I just want to make sure you're alright. Here."

He led August over to a bench and sat him down. Taking his own shirt off, Darren started to wring the water from it as he looked over at August.

"How did you fall in, anyway?"

With his few feet between himself and the other man, he soon felt a hand on his arm, steadying him. The other man was telling him that he should sit and rest, which he was probably right about that.

"You - you don't?"
he asked as Darren mentioned that he didn't care what he looked like. Why wouldn't he care? Everyone always cared, always stared when they actually saw him. What was making him different?

Being led over to the bench he sat down, and put his hands on the bench, wrapping his fingers around them to keep himself from falling over.
"I fell asleep out here and when I got up, I guess I scrambled too much"

He sat and watched August, making sure he was ok. He was confused as to why Darren didn't care what he looked like, and - he could guess - for good reason. He looked rather strange after all.

"No I don't care. You're a person, just like everyone else."

He shook his shirt out, then pulled it back on, shivering a little, but otherwise ignoring it. Looking over, he listened as August speculated how he fell in. Nodding a little, Darren sat back. He could understand that. He was a little unstable getting up and that wasn't a very good thing when one was on a platform in the middle of a lake. Looking over, he held his hand out to August.

"I'm Darren."

May as well be polite, he'd just rescued the guy after all. Deep down, Darren was hoping they could be friends. He could really use a friend who understood what he was going through, and who better than a fellow mutant who felt he had to hide from humanity?

A person? August hadn't felt like a person in such a long time. He felt he connected more to snakes and other reptiles now more than he did to humans. They didn't judge him like humans did, but this man didn't judge either. It was an odd feeling for August.

"August"
he said as he took Darren's hand
"Sorry about the scales"
he said as he pulled his hand away, letting it rest back in his lap

He smiled as August introduced himself. It was an interesting name, something he usually heard for a girl, but he wasn't going to mention that. Then August apologized and he shrugged a little, looking over at him.

"It's ok. Nice to feel something other than fur for once..."

The last comment was mostly to himself as he looked down at his hands and rubbed them together a bit. He could still feel the ferret fur on his hands and he hated that feeling. It made everything itch. Looking over, he smiled a bit.

"So how long have you had scales?"

He cocked his head to the side, hoping this wouldn't be a bad subject to talk about. He didn't want to make August uncomfortable and was hoping that talking about his mutation casually would make things a little better.

"You can call me Augie"
he looked over at Darren as he brought his hand to the hood, pushing it down, before taking the soaking jacket off
"I was never too fond of August. That's what my parents and all the other upstanding citizens of Michigan liked to call me"
he said with a soft laugh

Fur? Why had the guy been feeling fur? August wasn't going to pry if he wanted to tell him, he'd tell him.

"A few months"
he answered the question about his scales.
"Yeah, it happened shortly after I moved out here. At least that's how long I've looked like this, they've been coming for almost a year"

He nodded as August gave him a nickname to call him. He could understand wanting a different name, but he thought it best not to comment on it. Sitting back, he watched as August wrung out his sweater. Of course he couldn't stop himself from staring at the scales on August's body for at least a couple moments, then he sat back and looked out at the water, watching the waves as they lapped the shore. As August explained how long he'd had the scales, he looked over and nodded a little.

"So they just stayed one day?"

He had to admit, August was interesting. Darren had never taken the time to learn about other mutants or try to even get to know them. Rather odd considering how much he liked being around people, but he'd just never met an obvious mutant before.

"Sorry if I pry a little too much. I don't really get the chance to just sit and talk to people often."

He gave a humorless laugh and sighed as he stared at the water. He hated how isolated he'd become and wished that for once he could really control when he changed. Then he might actually be able to make some real friends.

"I guess you could say that"
he shrugged a little as Darren asked if they just stayed there one day. He'd noticed the momentary stare at his scales and he moved to put his jacket back on, but stopped when the staring stopped. How glad was August that it had stopped.
"Why did you stop staring?"
he asked taking in a breath
"I know that's a weird question, but I - I want to know. No one ever stops staring"
he added the last part quietly and more to himself.

Swallowing a little he didn't give Darren much of a chance to answer before continuing
"I'm sorry. You know I wasn't always like this. Actually I was probably the complete opposite of this. I had lots of friends, a bit obnoxious really, but now - now I don't want people to see what I am. I stay locked away, until the night comes"

He looked over as August asked why he'd stopped staring and was about to answer, but he continued. Darren just remained quiet and listened, letting him get out his feelings. Then August mentioned that he only came out at night and Darren's heart dropped like a rock thrown in the lake. If August only came out at night, then he and Darren couldn't be friends. His disappointment was obvious on his face and he looked away.

"I stopped staring because it's rude to stare. You didn't choose to be like this and you don't deserve to be stared at."

He sighed and closed his eyes, calming himself down. It wasn't the end of the world that August only came out at night, maybe they could meet up in the mornings like they had now. Darren was just so lonely. He wanted someone, anyone who understood what it was like to be so... weird.

"Yeah... I can understand that."

He put his hands in his pockets as he remembered his college days when he'd been surrounded by people he called friends. Then one by one, they all left as he started to distance himself. He didn't want to, he hadn't even realized it. Not till Trapper had said something. Trapper was the only real friend he'd had there. He wondered silently what had happened to his friend after he'd disappeared. He wondered if Trapper was worried or if he'd just gone on with life.

"Are you alright?"
August asked as he saw the obvious disappointment in Darren's eyes as he looked away momentarily
"Did I say something wrong?"
he added on, thinking that it had to have been something he'd said, as he hadn't been like this before.

"So what about you?"
he asked as he put the sweater back on, pulling it over his head and keeping the hood down
"I mean, what's your story? Are you - you know like me?"
he was a little curious about this, thinking this might be the reason that he hadn't been freaked out about him

He closed his eyes as August asked if he was alright. He'd seen the disappointment and now Darren had to explain. August would be the first he's actually ever explained his power to and he knew it wouldn't be easy. More than anything, he expected August to laugh when Darren admitted he turned into a useless rodent.

"You didn't say anything wrong."

He closed his eyes and sighed as August asked if he was a mutant. Slowly, he nodded and opened his eyes, staring out at the water. Yeah he was a mutant. That was why he was like this, why he had to hide at night.

"You'll laugh if I tell you."

He looked away, ashamed of what he was. He knew August was just going to burst out laughing when he heard. He didn't want that humiliation. Being stared at was one thing, being laughed at was another.

The nod confirmed that he was in fact like him, a fellow mutant.
"You know you're the first mutant I've met"
he told him giving a smile
"I promise I won't laugh. I mean who am I to laugh at whatever your mutation is? I mean look at me"
he added the last part with a light laugh, hoping it would lighten the mood and Darren would be more at ease to tell him
"If I laugh, you can throw me in the lake"

He looked down as August promised he wouldn't laugh. Everyone said that, then they either laughed or hid it behind their hands. No matter what the subject was, that was how it worked. He looked over as August made a deal. He laughs, he gets tossed in. That coaxed a small chuckle from Darren, but his smile disappeared and he sighed as he sat back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I... Every night... I turn into a Ferret."

He looked away as he finished, expecting an outburst of laughter or something from August. That was all he could ever expect if he told someone his mutation, even if it was a fellow mutant. His was the most ridiculous 'power' he'd ever heard of and it deserved laughter.

What use was a ferret? Sure he could sneak into places, but even then he could barely see past his own nose. And on top of that, he couldn't decide when to change no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't control it. He was doomed.

"Well i can honestly say I've never heard of a power like that before"
he said with a smile, it wasn't one trying to stifle a laugh, but just a normal smile. More or less one that said 'I understand what it's like to hate your mutation.'
"I'm sure it has to come in handy sometime. I'm pretty sure you can find something useful to do with yours before I find something useful to do with mine"

Once again his hands moved to his sweater, removing it, before he moved his hands to his pants, sliding them down, leaving him in his boxer briefs and his hat. Moving down the bench some, he laid out, letting the rays from the sun hit his scales
"I miss the sun. It feels good"

He closed his eyes as August just commented on it, no hint of a laugh in his voice. He looked up at the sky, just staring at the clouds as hey floated by. He hated being what he was. Hated having to hide every night.

"There isn't any use to it. If I was ever accepted on a team, I'd be useless. Sure I could sneak in somewhere, but a Ferret's sight sucks so I couldn't get any intel. I can't change at will, so I couldn't sneak in and get them in. what use is a rodent that doesn't have any strengths? You at least could scare people off so they don't get hurt."

He shook his head and stood, sighing as he walked around the bench, just pacing a little. He had to be the most useless mutant in the history of mutants and he knew it. He looked over at August as he stripped to his underwear and basked in the sun.

"I miss the night. That was when my friends and I would really have some fun. We'd go out, pick up some women, have a few drinks, then stumble on home."

He smiled a bit as he remembered his party days. He'd always been dragged into it, but he had to admit that he had fun when he went.

"Well who said you needed to be accepted on a team. I'm sure there's plenty of mutants out there not on teams. And just think, maybe one day you'll have some one that really likes ferrets, then they can have both a boyfriend and a pet"
he lifted up a little to rest on his elbows, turning his head and giving him a smile. He hadn't meant for it to come out rude and he was hoping that Darren wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"I miss my friends. I miss messing with my teachers back in Michigan. I actually even sort of miss that boarding school my parents put me in. God I used to have fun there. Of course it was all fun I wasn't supposed to be having, but that was always the best kind."

He closed his eyes and turned away as he said he'd be a boyfriend and a pet someday. Yeah he hadn't meant to be rude, but that thought hurt. What kind of a husband or a father could he be if he couldn't be one 24 hours a day? That was what really hurt. He could only be half committed to anyone that might love him. A tear escaped his eyelids and rolled down his cheek.

Standing, he wrapped his arms around himself and sighed as he continued to pace. He needed something else, something to take his mind off his doomed existence. Nothing good would come of his mutation. Nothing at all would come of his mutation, he just knew it. He'd be alone til the bitter end. He looked over at August, speaking quietly.

"At leas you could be a boyfriend to someone. A father to children, a friend to them as they grow up. What use is a father who can't be there for his children? Who can't reassure them when they have a nightmare, who can't hold them when they're afraid of a lightning storm? I've wanted to be a father since I was a kid... Now I doubt I can even have that."