"I don't know what's sadder: the fact that I'm actually in here or the fact that I pretty much asked for it," Toby muttered as he stared at the closed locker door. He really should have known better than to get anywhere close to the jocks and whatnot. Yes, this school might be considerably more enlightened than most, but that didn't stop jocks from attacking Toby's kind on sight. Probably didn't help that Toby pretty well looked like he should be picked upon and, well, he was fairly certain he'd done something to one of the jocks. Not that he could remember right now.
"Heck, I can't even remember which locker room I'm in," he muttered. Things had been a bit of a blur when the superpowered, fairly large guys showed up. In some ways, Toby's power would be super awesome. Like how it would be incredibly unlikely that he died in here. in other ways, like when a group of superpowered bullies took it upon themselves to test the capacity of a locker, he might as well be a goldfish.
Slightly bored, Toby started drumming on the locker. He didn't even know if there was anyone out there; it was more that he'd been staring and struggling for a while now. Patience was something Toby had learned a while ago, and he put it into practice now. Somebody would show up. Hopefully before he needed to use the restroom...
Dom was pretty bored, he didn’t have anything to do so he figured he’d go for a run or maybe play around a bit with a soccer ball, so he headed to the locker rooms, wanting to get out of his clothes and into his athletic clothes instead, you don’t go for a run in jeans.
Entering the locker room, he could hear a drumming sound, he frowned but headed towards his own locker, which was close to the one the drumming sound came from. He looked at the locker where the sound came from, what was that sound? Was there somebody inside?
He walked over to the locker and gave it a knock “Hello?” Nobody else was there, so at least nobody would see him talking to an empty locker if it really was empty, but it did seem to him like somebody was inside “What are you doing in there?”
At first, Toby didn't quite hear the voice, what with the drumming on the locker door and hearing the metal and what have you and all. It wasn't until the next bit that he realized that someone was standing in front of it talking to him. That caused Toby to stop for a moment, stop and shift to see if he could get a good look at someone through the slats. Yes, there was definitely someone there. Bonus; it looked like a male someone, which greatly increased the chances that Toby was in the boys' lockerroom.
"Composing my last symphony," Toby replied. "I'm thinking of calling it 'A Desperate Call for Help in A Locker'." Toby wrapped his hands against the locker a few more times, at least mimicking something of a beat. "It was that or work on my memoirs, and the chapter where I reflect on how many times I've wet myself while in a locker is just too depressing to think about right now."
Another few raps on the metal before a pause. "Seriously though, if you could help me get out, it would be greatly appreciated. Not quite at the level where I'd swear to be your slave, but a few notches lower. Gratitude is definitely involved."
Dom had to chuckle a little, this guy was kind of funny, but how did he end up in there? “So uhhh, why exactly are you in the locker?” He shook his head and looked through the slats “Okay, so this is locked but I think this might be your lucky day, do you know what phasing means? Because I can do that, so...” He thought about how to deal with this for a moment.
“I can get you out, but the problem is that I have to touch you for it to work, I can’t just stick my hand in and pull you out, I have to touch you before I phase or else I’ll just go through you too, so uhh... Try and make yourself as small as possible? Push yourself against the side or something, make room because I can come in and then take you with me out” He had never actually done anything like this before, but he knew he could phase things and take them with him, so why not another person?
He held his breath and went inside the locker, he had held his breath real quick, making sure he wasn’t inside something or well, somebody when he unphased “Uh, okay, I need a short moment, it takes a bit to phase myself through things” he said awkwardly, he wasn’t used to somebody being in his personal space like this, though he couldn’t be mad about it since it was his own idea. He felt himself blush a little, he was glad it was dark in there.
After around two minutes of uncomfortable physical contact, he felt ready to do this, so he grabbed Toby’s arms and pulled him with him out through the locker door, he felt a little dizzy after that so he rubbed his head and sat down on the bench “phew.”
"The view," Toby replied. Before he could continue with what surely would have been more quipping, the other guy continued, talking about phasing and asking if Toby knew what that meant. "Yeah, it means--" and yet again, Toby found himself pausing. And people say that he talked too much. The lanky nerd told himself to be quiet while his rescuer worked himself through all this. The bit about small did have Toby furrowing his brow, and attempting to push up against the back of the locker.
"You know, it might just be easier if you sort of reach in and--" Toby began, only to find that he now had someone else in the incredibly close space with him. Hey, at least Toby hadn't wet himself yet or done anything unseemly in here (tempting though it had been). "So you didn't think that maybe going for the lock would've been a good idea?" Toby asked. "Or maybe phasing out the hooks? I mean, if you wanted a hug, you could've just asked after we got out of here."
Still, Toby tried to shift to give room. Being in the locker had been bad enough alone; being there with someone? Nearly unbearable. Not helped by the fact that Toby was pressed against the walls and smelling the locker quite strongly. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but it felt like forever.
And then tingling and out.
Toby gasped and flopped back on a bench. "So, that was simultaneously one of the coolest and most awful moments of my young, adventurous life," Toby said, before patting himself down. "I shouldn't be on the lookout for locker bits in my good and plenties or anything, should I?"
The thought of just phasing off the lock hadn’t hit Dom, he felt pretty silly for not thinking further before unnecessarily getting into the locker like that “A thank you would have been nice” he said dryly, he felt a bit annoyed about the other guy pointing out the obvious mistake he had made.
Sitting on the bench, he looked at the guy next to him, he hadn’t really had a good look at him despite being pushed up against him inside the locker, he didn’t seem like the type of person who would normally hang out in the locker rooms, so he asked “What were you really doing here?” He had so far not really given him much of a serious answer to his questions, just jokes and while Dom had thought it was funny at first, sometimes he just wanted an answer.
“I take it you didn’t put yourself in the locker, considering how it was locked, did somebody put you in there as a joke or were somebody being a jerk?” He looked at him curiously, being on a sports team and spending time with athletes and jocks, Dom knew that sometimes smaller guys or nerdy guys would get picked on, that was just how it worked sometimes.
"I did just call it really cool," Toby pointed out, though he had to smirk a little at the near quip the other guy had pulled off. "Probably the first time someone's wanted thanks for molesting me. Then again," Toby tilted his head slightly. "That doesn't happen that often. But thanks for getting me out of the locker," Toby gave a sort of salute after it, realizing that his cavalier attitude and response probably wasn't buying him much credit here (again, there was a reason he'd been shoved into the locker).
The phaser seemed about as strung out as Toby. Toby was mostly working his muscles and trying to get the kinks out and whatnot; he supposed the other kid was feeling his power about now. "Got shoved in there for my marvelous wit," Toby offered, which was essentially the truth. He bent over backward, hearing some popping and wincing at it. "So no, not really something I did on purpose. Sort of a joke? Mostly the resort of joking that got a little too far."
Toby stretched again, wincing. "If it's any consolation, they knew I'd get out before anything too major happens to me. Power prevents me from needing much in the way of sleep or food. So it would've just been the slow descent into madness hitting me."
Dominic’s face turned a little red “I did not molest you” He said, feeling a little defensive “And sorry to disappoint, but that’s not happening again, so try to not get yourself locked in a locker again” he shook his head, wanting the focus to shift away from being in the locker, the irony of coming out of a locker or a closet was not completely lost on him and he didn’t like that thought was even there.
“I get the feeling the descent into madness already begun long before this” he said, raising an eyebrow as he listened to him speak, this guy was strange, no wonder they felt the need to shove him into a locker, no that Dominic really felt the need to pick on people by doing that, but he could understand why he got himself into trouble if this was the way he spoke to everyone.
“Oh, so I could have left you there without having to feel bad” He muttered “I’m sure somebody would have gotten you out tomorrow or something, you don’t starve to death from spending a night in a locker” He felt a little conflicted about this guy, was he funny or was he annoying? Both maybe?
Toby just smirked a bit about the guy's near overreaction to his molestation comment. He was tempted to throw out a "methinks the lad doth protest too much," but he figured he was already pushing it as it was. Instead: "Well, yeah, we've already established that you'd go after the lock instead." Toby said this with something of a straight face, though the edge of his lips were already twitching.
Yeah, the descent into madness had probably started a while ago. Lack of sleep would do that to a person. "You so would've felt bad. Because you would have had a helpless human being who you left at the mercy of... well, not quite the elements. A locker? If it makes you feel better, I probably would've ended up crapping my pants or whizzing all over the place. Still haven't quite mastered bladder control," Toby paused for a moment, "or shame, apparently."
He worked another leg, starting to stretch it out, once more feeling everything snap and crackle and pop. "I'm Toby, by the way, since I'm sure you were dying with curiosity."
Dom had to roll his eyes, he couldn’t decide whether he should laugh at this guy or get mad “Or maybe I’ll just leave you there, maybe I’d do us all a favor, except maybe the owner of the locker, I take it it’s not yours?”
“Feel bad? Me? I don’t know you, why would I feel bad?” It wasn’t entirely true, he wouldn’t have helped him out in the first place if he didn’t feel a little bad for him, but right now he didn’t feel bad at all, this guy most likely had it coming. He frowned a bit in disgust at the idea of Toby crapping and peeing his pants, but then he shrugged and said “You sure you didn’t already? It was already starting to smell in there, or was that just your natural odor?”
“I’m Dominic, I’m pretty new here, if you were wondering anyway” He politely reached out a hand, but then awkwardly changed his mind and pulled it back, they had already been pressed up against each other, was a handshake necessary at this point after pretty much touching each other everywhere already?
Post by Toby Chastain on Nov 21, 2016 16:10:36 GMT
Toby chuckled at the other guy's response. "Nope, not mine. And you probably would be doing quite a few people a favor. Still bother your conscience."
Toby was beginning to wonder some about that. This guy was acting awfully surly for someone who'd volunteered to help drag someone else out of a locker. Maybe it had been all the proximity or whatnot? Toby didn't mind that all that much; his life was one long stretch of awkward moments vaguely strung together by brief flashes of clarity and coherence. This would hardly have been a footnote.
Toby did laugh at the smell comment. "Was," he said, reaching for the hand only to pull back as Dom did. Toby at least had the good grace to wiggle his fingers a little. "Because clearly we're too cool for a shake," he said, before flopping back. "I'd get up or something, but right now, I'm enjoying being able to stretch my limbs out," he flopped a few of them on the ground, wincing only a little this time. "Gotta admit, that wasn't a bad showing of phasing. Usually people are age are all," Toby wiggled a hand, "not that I blame you guys. Not everyone can have a cool, gnarly automatic power like mine, after all," he had to chuckle as he lay there, staring at the ceiling. Nothing like a two-edged power that never, ever stopped.
“My conscience is always clean” He crossed his arms “maybe I should just put you back in to prove it?” He smirked, he was still trying to decide if this guy was more funny or more annoying, he was for sure both, but there was something amusing about him, but he was still a bit too weird for Dominic to really want to be seen with him in public.
He scratched the back of his head and shrugged off the comment about shaking hands, was it this situation or was it just Toby’s weirdness rubbing off on him that made him act so awkward and stupid? He wasn’t used to situations like this at all, he felt like with any normal person he’d come across as a bit cooler than this.
“Oh, thanks, it’s simple enough to get through something thin like that locker door” he shrugged “I just can’t really do it for too long and as you saw, I needed a moment before doing it again, it’s pretty new to me, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it quick enough. Exactly what does your power do?” He asked curiously, this was one of the things he had been curious about when he got here, what kinds of things could these people do?
Post by Toby Chastain on Nov 21, 2016 16:25:48 GMT
Toby had to chuckle again as Dominic insisted that his conscience was always clean. It took all he had not to make some snarky comment, generally in the lines of "sure it is." it probably helped that Toby did feel genuinely grateful, even if he was showing it in the most awkward manner he possibly could.
"Clearly easier for some than others," Toby offered, waving at the locker and wincing. He moved to set up then, stretching out his long, awkward body some more and just sort of leaning into it. He liked to think there was a Micheal Cera quality about him, but Toby may be overestimating himself (and by may, he was thinking more "probably").
"I don't need to eat or drink to survive," Toby offered. "And yes, that is exactly it and nothing else. Also my brain does get weird after a few days of sleep, which might explain why I'm always loopy but to be honest, I was like this before. I also get tired. And no, I can't explain it," Toby stretched, groaning a little as he felt things pop. "So clearly I'd be one of those X-Men who gets left behind in the mansion while you're putting on the blue and yellow spandex to help save the world."
“I hope I’ll be able to stay phased for longer with some practice, for now it doesn’t take much to tire me out, also I have to hold my breath while doing so” he said with a frown, he didn’t feel like he was as good at it as he should be. When Dominic set his mind to something he usually managed to get what he wanted out of it, but realizing that it might take a lot of time and practice for him to perfect his powers was a big annoyance to him.
“No need to eat or drink?” He liked that idea, he started getting ideas as to how he would deal with that, he could only eat what he needed to stay fit and not need to worry about cravings or getting hungry or thirsty during or after training. “Wait, you don’t sleep but you get tired? Okay that sucks” that part made him change his mind, he didn’t want to go crazy from lack of sleep on a regular basis.
“I’d never be caught dead wearing any kind of spandex and I think the world is a lost case, I won’t be rushing to save anyone or anything, I’d be more likely to be the guy they went out to get, do you realize how easily I could rob a bank?” This was a joke, but it would be a lie if he said it wasn’t tempting.
Post by Toby Chastain on Nov 21, 2016 17:12:36 GMT
Toby nodded: it did sound like the guy needed some more practice. But given how young Dom was, he was still pretty good at it. Toby was tempted to point that out, but it struck him as being potentially more awkward and they were already far into that territory as it was. So for now, he just stuck with nodding and going along with it.
"Well, not, like, naturally tired," Toby said. "If I run a lot, I'm going to get exhausted and need to lay down. But i don't need regular sleep, and I'd recover a little faster than most people. Or I would if I wasn't," he gestured at himself. "So more than someone else who's in my build."
The bank thing did have Toby chuckling, and he moved to pull himself up onto a bench. Gotta make some progress on getting up and moving again. "Yeah, it's almost surprising that we don't have more villains. I'd be forced to look the other way if I caught you doing it, which might be awkward as I'm leaning toward journalism myself. I hope you realize the sacrifice I'm willing to make to demonstrate my gratitude here," Toby offered a smile at that, hoping that he was at least starting to grow on the guy (or else at this point, he was pretty much screwed).