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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2016 2:46:26 GMT
Parks.
What's the first thought that comes into mind when you think of a park? Laughter? Family? Joy?
In this case, all three come into mind for the middle-born Hale, Aleksander. Parks were where family could congregate and enjoy the company of one another free of the restrictions of a suburb or an apartment complex, or really any manner or restrictions. There was really only one rule, that was common for most parks, no trash. That was one rule that Aleksander was perfectly happy to abide by, especially because often times the trash of humans ended up in the plants, and that was disgraceful - and disgusting. Those thoughts did not matter, however, for this park was special. It held much of the appeal that an amusement park held, in that there was so much to see and so much to do. It was one of the biggest parks that he had ever been to, and one that held so much more activity than your average run-of-the-mill park. His favored spot, naturally, was the botanical garden. It was such a beautiful place. There was no such place that was not around plants, where one could find a smile as genuine as his was at the moment. They were as children to him, his charges in nature. He was to take care of them and provide sustenance for them - he gave them strength and life. He gave them a new life.
He inhaled deeply as he walked through the gardens, allowing the scents that permeated the air to flood his nasal passages. It was a beautiful smell and as he inhaled, he closed his eyes. He imagined that many who saw him would think that he was a freak, or an odd ball for his obsession with his plants, but that was all he knew. It was all that he had. Sure, he had his family, but even they had been changed by his youngest siblings choices. They weren't the happy beings they used to be, they were more solemn and neutral. They didn't bow to emotion as they once did, they closed themselves off, and the business suffered from it. Hale Florist, the same name retained from the shop on Oak Hill, North Carolina. It was left to him to ensure that the plants survived and thrived in their business, that they were so healthy and vibrant they drew customers to the shop. He didn't mind it much, he just wished that his family would return to the way that it had once been. With a steady sigh, the man left the botanical garden and returned to the park proper.
He briefly gazed around before zeroing in on an isolated area around a pond, on which several people were floating in boats, huddled together and talking. As he drew closer to the ponds edge, he took a seat and gazed out at the people in their various boats. His gaze caught into a small cluster of river plants, and he gently rubbed his fingers across their petals while whispering "Have life, little one."
It was as simple as that. A soft encouragement, or well wishing, and the flower began to grow and bloom vibrantly. That was how his ability worked, how he made his difference in the world. Satisfied, he turned his gaze back towards the people in the boats and just stared in silence as a gentle breeze caressed his skin and hair. It was truly a beautiful afternoon.
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Thirty.
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Shapeshifter (Red Fox).
Asexual.
Single.
Adult
Authored by The X-Ray Dog.
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Post by Elliot Eastman on Jun 17, 2016 4:06:07 GMT
He wasn’t sure if he preferred Louisiana over Illinois, he lived in the Chicago area for quite some time and though it carried with it some negative memories, there was something about it that he was always fond of. But as he sat in the grass in the middle of what could be the most perfect day in history, Elliot found himself suddenly doubting his Chicago preference. The sun was almost brighter in the south, closer and more determined, more persistent, it seemed that even the occasional wandering cloud could not interrupt its shine. The sky was bluer, the grass was greener, and the summer breeze that tickled the hairs at the nape of his neck was so gentle, a whisper compared to Chicago’s loud and boisterous wind.
Leaning forward a bit in his seat, Elliot snapped his book closed, setting it down on the lawn beside his backpack, which was leaning lazily against his side. He should put the book inside the backpack lest the cover be stained by the grass, but the day was too perfect for him to really stress over the decision. The sun was too bright, the water of the pond in front of him was too crystal clear, and the sound of laughter and chatter from the people floating about in their little paddle boats was just too crisp and clear to ignore. His book would be fine.
Letting his bi-color gaze flutter about the area, at first he was looking at nothing and no one in particular. But as he turned his head to the side, looking up toward the stone path than ran through the grass behind him somewhere, he noticed a young man crouched near the edge of the pond. Elliot’s brow furrowed as he watched, trying to figure out what the young man was doing, searching for a rock to skip across the gentle waters perhaps. He craned his neck curiously, peering over the man’s shoulders to what had captured his attention- a small plant. It seemed to come to life in his fingers, almost danced and cheered at the gentle touch, and immediately Elliot raised a curious eyebrow. He wasn’t far from where the young man had stooped, six or seven steps at the most, though he had his back to him so Elliot might not have been noticed. So he purposefully shifted in his place on the grass, leaning back to support his weight on his hands, legs crossed beneath him. He still had one eyebrow raised.
“You’re brave to do that in public.” He started, sounding more mystified than critical. He really hadn’t met but a handful of other supernaturally inclined people, it was weird to simply notice one on accident, most of them kept to themselves, Elliot included. He gestured with his head, nodding toward the now flowering plant. “You’re not afraid of someone noticing? Someone… unsavory?”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2016 5:14:05 GMT
"Life cannot be contained, it is freely given. There is no need to live in fear of people seeing the life that I can reinforce or encourage " he replied softly, his voice almost as soft as the breeeze that was blowing. He turned his gaze to the one who had spoke and eyed him over briefly before offering a kind smile. "And, it is not bravery to use ones gift where it is needed, but duty. If I can bring life to the withered flora of the world, then I see no reason why I should not do so. " he finished with an even brighter smile than before as well as another look over the man. In specific, his multi-colored eyes. It did not detract from his appearance whatsoever, if anything it seemed to add to it. A thoughtful look crossed his face as he withdrew into his mind for the moment while he looked over the man. There was no disgrace in exhibiting the gifts that you were given, the only disgrace was in how you used it - if negatively.
He settled back and turned his gaze back to the people on the pond and a softness fell over him that seemingly settled his mind and cleared his thoughts. The warmth of the day only served to strengthen the soft mentality that had passed over Aleksander, and the gentle breeze blew as if in approval of his actions and words thus far. Today was one of those magical days that can be read about in fairy tales, unreal sunshine -- magical peace bad seemed to settle, both of which would belong in a storybook; at least in his opinion anyway. Nevertheless, someone had come up to him and had chosen to associate with him, and even still Aleksander had not given him his name. "I apologize for my lack of manners, my name is Aleksander Hale. My family and I have recently relocated to the area from North Carolina."
In his mind, there were not many unsavory characters, though they certainly existed out there. Fortunately, he had only run across one truly unsavory being, unfortunately that was his brother. His brother had caused his family quite a deal of pain both emotionally and mentally. Even still, he could not bear just dropping his brother from his life, there was some though buried somewhere within that believed the youngest Hale could be redeemed. His gift was death, Aleksander's was life, and the eldest brother had no gift. There was no telling why the three boys did not share the same gift, let alone why one boy had no gifts at all. It was initially believed that the eldest brother was a late Bloomer and that his gift would manifest itself at a later point in life. Unfortunately, that manifestation never came about, he remained a normal. But, the family loved him still. In any event, his family was not the topic of conversation, this newcomer was and Xander was quite interested in the multi-colored eyes. It was a uniqueness of life, it made the man unique among the masses. "Hetero-chromia is a unique condition; making you an oddity of nature, a unique aspect of life."
He wasn't sure if he would come across as crazy to the older man or not, it certainly wouldn't be the first time. But, he hoped to be able to understand the man - why he asked the questions that he did, made the statements that he had initially made.
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Thirty.
Animator
Shapeshifter (Red Fox).
Asexual.
Single.
Adult
Authored by The X-Ray Dog.
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Jun 17, 2016 23:15:54 GMT
Post by Elliot Eastman on Jun 17, 2016 23:15:54 GMT
The way that the young man spoke caught Elliot off guard, it was strangely formal, almost medieval, it was odd to hear so suddenly without any kind of warning or preface. Or at least it seemed that way to him. Perhaps his incredibly casual nature made the difference in their speech overly apparent to Elliot, but he definitely felt some confidence it was more strange to hear a young twenty-something talk about life like a verse from the Bible than it was for him to use profanity and slang. Blinking back his surprise, Elliot uncrossed and re-crossed his legs idly, thinking about the young man’s words. Despite his weird tone, he was making a bit of an admirable point- if your powers could do good in the world, could heal and could help and could bring life into something in pain and dying, why not use it? It’d be almost selfish to keep it to yourself at that point. Still, Elliot could not imagine what a situation like that must be like. He could only turn into a fox, and that brought no good or joy to anyone, except maybe his cats. They liked to play with him in fox form, it seemed to make them happy at least, if no one else. But his cats would never betray the secret, he could tell them or show them anything and no one else would be the wiser. He was safe with them, undiscovered. God forbid if he were discovered by someone with less morality than this man- Aleksander, he introduced himself as. There were people out there not worthy of trust, interested only in their own gain than in the comfort and safety of others, of “mutants”, people with supernatural powers. It was definitely still dangerous to reveal yourself in public, Elliot was sure but he wasn’t interested in arguing with a stranger so he just kept the thought to himself, nodding in thoughtful agreement.
“I guess that’s one way to look at it. The world is a broken place, if you can fix it, you should, right?” He wanted to make a reference to the video game Halo but stopped himself just shy of it. Halo was a bit of an old game, depending on Aleksander’s age he might not even recognize the reference, Halo might’ve been just shy of his time. Not to mention it’d age Elliot somewhat, and he felt old enough already. He didn’t like to give away such clues about his age. His name on the other hand…
“Elliot. Elliot Eastman. It’s a pleasure.” He paused thoughtfully, a noise from the pond grabbing his attention for a moment. One of the couples in their little paddle boat was laughing boisterously. They seemed happy and it made the fox shifter smile fondly, their good mood contagious, before he turned back to his conversation, his tone light-hearted and jovial. “North Carolina? Got tired of the Tarheels’ terrible record huh?”
“I’m from Chicago. Sometimes I miss it, but New Orleans is pretty sweet. The weather’s a lot nicer, no tornados down here. Our basketball teams are about as terrible but I bet you’ll like it here. Lots to see, lots to do.” He trailed off thoughtfully, eyes drifting skyward as a flock of birds flew overheard, obscuring the sunlight just for an instant. He watched them fly to a nearby stand of trees where they split into pieces, resting on various branches, calling loudly to each other. Sometimes he wished to know what they were saying, but he’d have to shift to be able to understand the language of animals, and even then birds were so far away from mammals evolutionarily that he’d still only get bits and pieces. It wasn’t worth it. He turned back to look at Aleksander when the young man brought up his odd eye color. It was unique, Elliot could agree to that but the fond way that the young man spoke about it made the fox shifter uncomfortable. It was odd, it made him stand out, drew uncomfortable attention to him when all he wanted was to blend into the crowd. He wasn’t terribly fond of it but tried not to let it show.
“Yeah, definitely an oddity…” He looked away again, almost as though trying to hide his eyes from scrutiny, but he managed a small smile despite it. “Not as weird as being able to make flowers bloom but arguably it’s a lot less useful. Just looks weird.”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2016 0:07:38 GMT
Aleksander was not good with his words, sure he could speak English as good as any native speaker, but sometimes his words were formal - alien to what was more often spoken by those of his generation. He had always took pride in the fact that he spoke much better than his generation, less disrespect and with a sort of deference to his elders. His soft gaze shifted from the man to the couples on the water and a smile began to form once again on his lips. It was the little things in life that made the biggest difference, and the same thing applied when speaking in terms of his own ability. His gift allowed him to encourage and strengthen life, to even minorly influence the way that a plant grew; he could not have the plants attack or defend him. His ability was solely limited to passivity and positive emotions. He was not a creator of life, but merely an encourager where it could be encouraged. Even more rarely, he could influence the natural abilities of another's gifts - make them more potent, or easier to utilize. He was effectively a conduit for passive power, and he was perfectly fine with his lot. He wasn't much for confrontation anyway.
"I admittedly do not keep up with sports." he replied with a tentative softness to his voice. He didn't want to offend the man if that was his thing, but he just had never been able to get into sports. His sole focus for the longest time had been the tender care of various plant species, some exotic. With that and schooling before he graduated, there hadn't been much time for anything else. He'd get out of school and go to the shop to work until closing, and even then he chose to tend to the plants further before going home with his family. At his house, they had even more of a variety of plants, including some that were exclusively grown and influenced at his home. They were his special plants, ones that he took a great pride in whenever he was around them. Reflecting back on it now, he supposed that it could have proven factual that he had a bit of an obsession with them. That was his niche, always had been for as long as he could remember.
He nodded in acknowledgment of the mans name. Elliot Eastman . His soft gaze fell on the man with bi-colored eyes once more and he nodded inwardly. Yeah, he looked like an Elliot, though of coufse, he would never have been able to guess as much. He was only making the observation that the name seemed to fit. He offered a slight smile before pulling up a small flower from the plant that had started blooming and he cupped it gingerly in his hands, as though it were a little child. He whispered yet another word of encouragement and offered it to Elliot, with a simple.statement. "The smallest of things can make the biggest difference. It should live for a long while yet, just keep it in water." he ended with a playful wink at the man. He listened further as the man spoke of where he came from and the merits of New Orleans - something to which Aleksander found himself agreeing wholeheartedly. He had only been here for a little while, but still had enjoyed so much.
"I have never been to Chicago, or further north than Virginia. I take it you found it enjoyable to live there, at least?" he questioned. He wasn't trying to be nosy by any means, if the man did not wish to speak of his past there, hopefully he had left it open enough to let the man know he did not have to answer. His smile fell at the last bit of the man's words. He had managed to unintentionally make the man uncomfortable, and that saddened the younger of the two. He was careful in choosing his next words, hoping that he could allay the uncomfortableness "Unique does not necessarily mean weird. In my case, I was meaning that it was appealing, so to speak. I can only influence and encourage things to grow a certain way, not something as grand as wielding them as a means of force. Though I am as equally satisfied with the passivity of my gifts. I'm not much for a fight." he finished with a gentle smirk, eyes watching for any negative reaction to anything he had said.
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Thirty.
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Shapeshifter (Red Fox).
Asexual.
Single.
Adult
Authored by The X-Ray Dog.
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Post by Elliot Eastman on Jun 18, 2016 5:09:29 GMT
Elliot huffed in a knowing sort of manner when the young man admitted that he did not follow sports. Most people didn’t, Elliot somewhat included. He’d let a game play the background while he drew or buzzed around the house- feeding the cats, attempting to alleviate some of the clutter, and so on. So he knew who won and who lost and to whom they lost, but that was about the extent of it. He didn’t know many names in the field and certainly did not consider sports one of his interests by any means. He simply knew some things about it that could fit into conversation or occupy a small party for some time at home, chatting about the plays and arguing over who was going to win. Simple things about sports, that’s all that he knew, the basics. So he let Aleksander off with no judgment, no criticism, just a dismissive wave of one hand. It had been a statement made more in the interest of jest than true bonding over sports. Neither of them seemed the type to be too terribly obsessed.
Turning to remark on the sports conversation, Elliot was struck still when he found a flower, clean and crisp, dancing in the gentle breeze in the space in front of him. A gift. He was dumbfounded for a moment, unsure of what to say or do out of sheer surprise. He ended up smiling warmly up at the young man, finding this sort of surprise to be pleasant enough, and the flower was truly beautiful. Round in shape, it had bloomed from a bud into a circular flower with narrow petals that shimmered in the sunlight, a brilliant pastel lavender coloration. Mystified, Elliot gently took the offered flowers in one of his impishly oversized hands, careful not to bend or break any of its parts. He paused to smell it, a long thoughtful inhale that closed his eyes and warmed his heart.
“A Stoke’s Aster.” He started, immediately recognizing the smell of the flower more so than its appearance. “I once kept these in a small window garden, they’re easy to care for and look at the color on this one, so bright. I’ll have to keep it out of the cat’s reach for sure. They like to chew on wayward plants that end up in our midst. Perhaps I will plant it in the yard, they’re good for gardens.”
Turning the flower over and over in his hands, Elliot remained gentle, almost respectful, of the plant, not wanting to bend its leaves or crack its stem in anyway. It was a cool looking flower with a brilliant color, he couldn’t let a specimen of this quality simply slip away. He was determined to take care of it. And he would, he decided. Perhaps it can be the first plant along a nice garden in front of his house. His front yard was so barren, so lifeless. Well not for long. Elliot looked up appreciatively.
“Thank you.” He paused to turn away, to find a comfortable way to carry his new floral friend back to his home, and ended up settling to strap it across the top of the backpack horizontally where it still got plenty of sun but hopefully wouldn’t dry up during the short walk back to his abode. He looked up again, eye alight with an almost childishness to them and he smiled, nodded his head, and made sure that the young man knew he had given a lovely gift to someone who seriously appreciated it. “I’ll do my best to keep the cats away from it.”
He laughed fondly at that one, because of the absurdity of the task- Mystique did whatever she pleased, there’d be no keeping her from the flower if she decided it had to go. But putting it outside would help. It’d just be part of the scenery then. He paused, mulling it over in his head, where he was going to put it, how he was going to protect it, and so on. But that thought train was interrupted by their chatter about Chicago. Elliot leaned back onto his hands again, casual again.
“Yeah Chicago was a great town- is a great town. And everyone needs to visit the Field Museum. They have all kinds of extinct and ancient plants and info on what people used to do with them. It’s awesome. If you’re ever looking for a road trip partner, I can lead you to all of the sights, all of the cool landmarks, the best buildings to explore, the aquarium, the planetarium, the works. There's this great diner in Southcity that makes the best macaroni and cheese, they let you put whatever you want on it and it is divine.”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2016 0:01:30 GMT
A soft smile was the response to the older man's thanks. Aleksander enjoyed seeing the same love that he felt for plants on someone else's face. It brought an oddly satisfying feeling in his stomach. It was not so much that the older man enjoyed the flower, but more of the fact that he recognized the sincerity and genuine nature of the gift that he was given. A broad smile grew when he made mention of his cats and a set of pearly white teeth flash in the afternoon light. Aleksander had always taken great pleasure in his personal upkeep, both body and soul. He supposed that was why he worked with flowers as much as he did; it gave him a sense of self betterment - it was a soul searching way. It was something he took great pleasure in and grew satisfied with. He was content and that was really all that mattered in the grand scheme of things.
"I am sure that you will do just fine with that flower there. Planting it in your garden sounds like a really good idea to me, but it is your garden, so that is left up go you." he smiled as he spoke, his interest in the subject painted vividly by the animation in his voice about the garden. He had his own personal garden in an isolated area at his parents home, even had a little area carved out for himself to sleep on the occasional night where he was just too invested in his garden to go sleep in his room. It was his place, away from the sullenness of his family after their migration from North Carolina. That was a state with a natural beauty to it, vivid colors in the fall and beautiful blooms on the spring. It was an all-natural state and one that he missed dearly. His gaze flicked over to his companion again and then back to the couples on the boats. Elliot would enjoy the beauty of the state, he thought musingly.
He smiled brightly at the enthusiasm that played into Elliot's words as he spoke of his home in Chicago. It was nice to see such animation in something other than the flowers and plants that he tended to for a living, hobby, and free time. Plants had become a central part of his life and honestly hadn't left much room for anything else. Today had just been an odd day, one of the very few that he managed to carve out to solely devote to leisurely activities, which of course, still involved plants in some way or another. "I may just take you up on that offer some time, when I can get a bit more free time. Likewise, if ever you feel the inclination to visit North Carolina, I'd be happy to show you some of my favorite places. There are quite the number of natural activities to do, not the least of which is a nice little park that has several waterfalls and swimming holes. The wildlife has occasionally even come up to your car if you stop on the side of the road and are quiet enough."
"Tell ya what... " he turned towards Elliot animatedly "We'll make a trip out of it sometime. You show me your city and I'll show you my home?" he smiled as he ended in a question his soft blue eyes alight with a certain excited fire. Of course, there was the possibility that they would run into his brother, Dixon. He wasn't necessarily worried for it though, the youngest of the Hale boys wouldn't be able to do harm to him or Elliot, his gifts were limited to plants and even animals. Aleksander wasn't sure how he had managed to gain the ability to use against the fauna of the world, but either way, his brother was the direct opposite of him. Where Aleksander brought life, Dixon brought death.
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Thirty.
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Shapeshifter (Red Fox).
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Adult
Authored by The X-Ray Dog.
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Post by Elliot Eastman on Jun 21, 2016 2:18:21 GMT
There was a little bit of a pause on Elliot’s side of the conversation, his mind running away with the idea of a road trip. He’d always wanted to have one, ever since he was a small boy and had made his first friends, he’d always dreamed of getting in a car or van or something or other, to wheel his way across the country, over several state lines, maybe even into another country. Other than his move from Chicago to a suburb in Louisiana, he hadn’t done really any travelling in his youth. Even during his brief stay in the wilderness he’d still stayed mostly within the state. It would be imaginable amounts of fun to explore what the world had to offer, their planet was huge and beautiful, he wanted to see some more of it.
But what would he do with his cats? Board them? That seemed like a bit of an expensive endeavor for eight of his little furry friends. Perhaps if the road trip was short, only maybe three or four days of traveling, he could just leave some extra food and water out for them, fill the tub perhaps and leave the toilet lids up, then maybe they could survive without him. Jonesy and Widget would have a time of it, neither cat liked it when he left them for really any amount of time, even just to go to the bathroom, they were always yowling and pawing at the door. Perhaps he should not subject his neighbors to such a nuisance. He could leave the cats in the care of his roommate Casey, but Casey was Elliot’s best friend and closest confidant. He wouldn’t want to go on a road trip without them by his side. Still distracted by his thoughts, Elliot ran his fingers over the lower part of his face, tracing his smooth jawline in a thought-filled gesture while keeping his eyes out over the water. The couple from before were laughing loudly again and he found himself searching for the idly. They had moved to the far side of the pond but were still loud enough to be heard.
“I’d like that, it’d be fun.” He started resolutely, still tracing his jawline with an index finger. “Not sure what I’d do with my cats but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
He paused, turning to look at Aleksander again, taking a moment to simply observe the youngster casually before tilting his head slightly, curiously.
“Did you do a lot of…” He trailed off, searching for the word. In the end, he simply waved his free hand at the flowers at the boy’s feet. “… plant things back in North Carolina, or is New Orleans particularly inspiring?”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2016 0:46:03 GMT
his soft gaze settled on the other man as he dwelled within bid own thoughts. He was older than Aleksander, though by how much, he couldn't be sure; though it didn't really matter. The soul of another was what Xander liked to look at, if they had a good soul and a kindness about them, then it was genuinely easy for him to like them. It also helped that Aleksander thought the man was rather attractive, though of course, he wouldn't bring something like that up so soon into meeting him. He didn't even know if Elliot Eastman even considered anyone in that particular way; not that he was in a rush to find out. Truthfully, the man's company had so far been enjoyable, and the exhibition of recognition at the gift that he had given the older man had done little to deter from that. He was glad to find someone that enjoyed plants and beauty as much as he did. Yet another smile settled on his face at his inner thoughts. He hadn't considered what it might look like to Elliot, him smiling while staring at him blatantly.
It was the truth, that he missed North Carolina. He missed the natural beauty of the place, from the vivid green mountains to the soft flowing water that seemed to claim it's spot in nearly every backyard. Creeks dotted the various homes of the state denizens, more commonly seen in the mountainous regions than any other place. It was in those mountain regions that one would see the true natural beauty that still drew many to the southern state. There wasn't much in the way of things to do where he was raised, but it did have its own naturally beautiful landscape. That much he could be proud of. It was a small town, no more than four-thousand people and most of them were as nice as can be; as if you were a member of their own family. He missed that feeling, not that he wasn't sure if he'd get that in New Orleans, but he was always willing to give everything at least one try. That applied to New Orleans as well.
"It may not be an option that you would consider without apprehension, but my parents are avid lovers of animals of all sorts, so they would very likely drop in to take care of them should you decide that you wish to go on a road trip. My brother, Jaxton, would likely also be very willing, he's not a gifted though. For some reason, our gifts skipped him." he interjected before he continued listening to Elliot's words. He liked the idea of a roadtrip as much as the older man, it seemed. He was never one to turn down exploring new things. Granted, he wasn't the adventurous sort, but neither was he afraid to try new things should he be asked to do so -- he just needed a little friendly persuasion. In this case, it happened to be a mutual recognition and love for the small beauties of life.
"Of course!" he answered enthusiastically. "I helped run the family business, Hale Florists. I kept the plants healthy and offered a rather exotic collection for those who could afford it. My gifts are passive, but they have been good for business, even in the tougher months when most plants die, I can keep them alive. It's a rather dull gift, but it has its perks." he indicated the flower he had given to Elliot. The soft smile was still displayed on his face as he turned out towards the pond and the couples floating together on the water in the boats. It was a nice sight and only furthered his love of the park in New Orleans.
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Thirty.
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Shapeshifter (Red Fox).
Asexual.
Single.
Adult
Authored by The X-Ray Dog.
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Post by Elliot Eastman on Jun 24, 2016 2:02:32 GMT
Elliot was a little disappointed. He’d honestly been hoping that something about New Orleans had inspired the lad to do his… thing with the flowers. Though he missed Chicago dearly, Louisiana carried with it a ton of fond memories (as well as a ton of not so fun ones but he just ignored those, buried them somewhere dark and deep). He hoped that everyone who moved here had just as good a time here as they did back home, wherever ‘home’ happened to be. He tried to avoid sweating over the situation, Aleksander seemed happy enough. It seemed like that was just part of the young man’s personality, he smiled a lot, was good-natured and polite. But Elliot supposed that was an indicator that he was pleased with his new living arrangements, even if it wasn’t inspiring any floral miracles.
“It skips generations?” The question was out of his mouth before he’d really had time to think it through. The way he’d worded it was suspicious, general in a way that only other gifted humans would think of. It was probably too revealing, made it easy for Aleksander to figure out that he was a gifted being as well, which was a secret he usually coveted. But, sighing slightly, quietly, Elliot just went with it. Can’t go back in time to change it, might as well move forward. If he was honest, part of him wanted the young man with the penchant for flowers to figure out his new fox shifter friend, it was such a hard secret to keep, the idea of it being off of his shoulders this one time was incredibly appealing. “I didn’t even know that.”
Elliot turned his bi-colored gaze to the lake again, watching a young boy, maybe ten years old, approach the shore to the left of him, pick up a rock and skip it across the water’s surface. He must’ve been new to the technique, the rock only skipped once before the angle tilted and it sunk beneath the surface with a hefty ‘sploosh’. But to his credit, the boy simply picked up another one and tried again, this time not even succeeding in the first skip, the rock splashed heavily into the water immediately. It made the fox shifter laugh quietly. He remembered those days as a child, when he didn’t want to go home but had nowhere else to go, skipping rocks in the park is just what happened those days.
“How fortunate for a plant meister, to be the son of a family of florists.” Elliot laughed again, louder and more boldly this time. He turned to look at the young man again, politely meeting his gaze. The boy was wearing that smile of his, all friendly and inviting in terms of vibe, and almost automatically Elliot smiled back. But he didn’t think anything else of it, it was a nice conversation on a beautiful summer’s day in a great city. There was plenty to smile about. Elliot shifted his weight so that he could lean forward and rest his elbows on his knees. “Or did your ability inspire them to work with flowers? Seems like an odd coincidence.”
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2016 19:29:18 GMT
Aleksander had always been a decent read on people, so when he could practically feel the disappointment from the other man. He didn't, however, know why the man was disappointed so he did not bring it up at the present time. It would certainly plague his thoughts however, as he wracked his brain in search of where he may have caused the disappointment. After sone time of further silence, he had deduced that the disappointment was not in him, literally, but rather something that he had failed to state or had otherwise stated incorrectly. A slight frown creeped into position on his face as he directed his attentions towards the couples rowing on the pond. There was a beauty in seeing the joy and love that was shared in the people on the water and that beauty quickly erased any thought or evidence of the frown that had taken a place on his features. His usual passive smile resting on face once again.
He sighed heavily and turned his gaze again towards Elliot before commenting "We didn't know that it could do so either. It skipped the eldest and twisted the youngest.". He looked into the distance beyond Elliot as he thought of his youngest brother, Dixon, and the terror that he had wrought upon the Hale family. Neither Aleksander, Jaxton, or their parents could ever figure out how the youngest had inherited a darker form of their middle sons gifts. Where Aleksander encouraged and sustained life, Dixon wrought and sowed death. The gifts that Dixon had inherited were a sinister and malevolent at best, and they had a corrupting influence on the user; though it should be stated that he never used his dark gifts on his family. Not intentionally. Aleksander was careful to take note of the surprise in his companions voice at the idea that the gifts could skip generations, leading him to believe that Elliot had gifts of his own.
Normally, Aleksander would question him outright about his gifts and what he could do, but there was something that told him this wasn't the place for it. Many were not so open as he was with his gifts and many more preferred to live in secret, away from the prying eyes of the ungifted or normals. He understood their views, even if he had a very different belief than what they had. He believed that gifts were meant to be used without fear, with kindness and helpful intentions; though he was not so innocent as to believe that all gifts could be used as such. One person in particular coming to mind; Dixon. He was not an inherently evil person, but his gifts had done a great deal to corrupt him and twist him to its needs.
The moment Elliot brought forward his parents and their business, a bright smile shined on his lips. It was his trademark smile, genuine and kind. "My family were Florists long before I came into the world. However, when I discovered the gifts that I had, it was apparent that I would be well suited to working in the florist shop. They did well enough on their own, but I was able to give extra strength and life to the dying flowers. I was able to strengthen the life in those that were already healthy, giving them an almost unnatural resilience to various obstacles... " he caressed the petals of the flowers that he has recently given strength to "...to give them a vibrancy not often seen anymore. I am able to sustain them when they cannot grow otherwise, such as in the winter months. I am also able to grow a rather exotic collection of plants; admittedly most are in my greenhouse, for my private collection." he smiled sheepishly at the older man.
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Thirty.
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Shapeshifter (Red Fox).
Asexual.
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Post by Elliot Eastman on Jul 5, 2016 3:44:17 GMT
Noticing the sudden wistfulness of his voice, Elliot could tell that his new friend was remembering something important. He stared at a point somewhere way beyond the fox shifter and it immediately made Elliot curious. He wasn’t going to ask, he didn’t want to intrude upon the youth’s more private thoughts, particularly one so obviously heavy, so important that the boy before him let his mind drift out to sea with it. So Elliot kept quiet, nodded solemnly as a way to sort of silently acknowledge that this was a topic for another time and another place. Perhaps over some drinks in a nice bar downtown, that would be fun. There are no flowers in bars though; perhaps Aleksander would be more enraptured by a visit to the gardens if they needed a change in scenery. Elliot let that thought roll around in his mind, pondering places that they could go when the sun started falling out of the sky and the park wound down into its usual evening silence. There was a really good restaurant a few blocks from where they were, a little coffee shop café type situation that was small, quaint and not terribly crowded. They’d be out of bagels by the time they got there, but maybe a muffin and some coffee would do the both of them some good once the hours started to tick by.
Because of his distraction, Elliot unintentionally fell silent for a moment, his eyes wandering. The couple in the paddle boat had returned to the docks and the young man was helping his female companion out of the wobbly water craft and onto the sturdy wooden outcrop from where they had rented the thing. They walked hand in hand to a small shack at the water’s edge, disappearing behind the tiny building, presumably going inside to pay the man that they had rented the boat from. Elliot wasn’t paying enough attention to think anything more of it. It was about this time that he noticed that it was his turn to say something in the conversation he was having and he fumbled a bit, shaking his head slightly as though to sweep the dust out of the gears of his mind.
“An odd coincidence it is then.” He said with a smiling laugh. He had no reason to doubt that this youth was telling him the truth about his past, that bright smile and those sparkling eyes of his, he seemed genuine and honest. And really, what reason would he have to lie to someone who was a complete stranger to him? But it still seemed to be too good to be just dumb luck, that the boy happened to be born into a florist’s family with the ability to tend and nurture plant life. It seemed like someone had to have planned that at least slightly. But Elliot didn’t dwell on it. Coincidences happened, and he’d seen his fair share of dumb luck during late night bouts of Call Of Duty, maybe the boy just happened to be born in the midst of his perfect profession, why not? Elliot smiled thoughtfully.
“So you grow your own plants as well? It’s not all for the sake of the family business.” He started after a short moment, turning to look at Aleksander curiously. He could tell that the boy had a passion for flowers, that much was painfully clear, and Elliot was sure that his own meager knowledge of plants paled in comparison. But he did know some things about plants, it was sort of required that artists know which flowers grew where when building backgrounds and doing matte paintings. He knew enough to be curious. “What kinds of flowers do you keep recreationally? Only the legal kind I hope.”
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