Urban Makes Probably His Only Friend Ever [Urban, Flora]

[Urban]

Nathan sighed, running a hand through his hair wearily. What was so hard about putting together an entrance? All he wanted was to be able to walk into a room, switch the lights on and blast a cool song to signal the arrival of Probably the Best Member of the DQP. But apparently his powers just didn't want to co-operate because every time he tried to sync up hitting the lights with playing a track something went wrong - the music was too loud, the lights flickered instead of staying on,  bulbs ended up actually exploding. Things just weren't going his way.

"Slugger," he muttered grumpily to himself, raising his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. Time to try again, I guess, he continued internally, stepping back through the entrance of the room and taking a breath. Ok, first the lights. That was fine - turning the lights off was never a problem. If anything it was too easy, because it'd gotten to the point where he'd do it accidentally when too flustered. Now if I can get the lights and the speakers to work together just this once it will all have been worth it. Nathan took another, deeper breath, bracing himself as he accessed his powers.

Every device in the room capable of emitting sound suddenly began to screech hideously. Fuck. Fuck, goddamnit, piss. As if the situation wasn't bad enough the screeching was immediately followed by about half the lights he'd managed to turn on beginning to spark violently. The other half just turned themselves back off again.

"Why does everything bad in this place have to happen to me?" he said, slumping to the floor, leaning back and melodramatically waving his fist towards the ceiling. If nothing else he was a sucker for a good performance.

[Flora]

The apartment building was cold, lacking in life, needless to say it was hell for Libra. All the cold concrete and tile, it was unnatural. He longed to be barefoot in a mossy forest, or asleep in a field of wildflowers. Libra could almost feel it, he longed for it even more. Libra had managed to bring some of the world he loved so much into his room though. If he had his way though his room would be unrecognizable, covered in thick layers of vines and moss and flowers of all colors, and shapes. Libra wouldn’t risk doing that just yet.

Libra smiled softly down at a small vine working it’s way up his arm. His hair was tied back into a bun at the base of his neck, several strands of his white blond hair still hung in his eyes though. Gently he urged the little vine to let go of his arm and wind it’s way up the the floor lamp near by. Libra beamed, happy to see a little more green in his room. So far, it had been filled with flowers in pots and small succulents. Even the small little plants brought him immense joy. All around him was the gentle happy buzzing that he knew so well.

Suddenly that buzzing was replaced with loud metallic unnatural screeching. Libra flinched, every muscle in his body trying to get away from that sound. He clenched his eyes shut, waiting for it to end...and then it did. He gingerly peeked out at his room. Everything was okay, maybe the plants a little more reclusive but they were feeding off of him and would perk up soon. Libra sighed softly.

Libra left his room, still barefooted. He peeked around the hall, glad to see no one else had come to investigate. Gingerly he tried the knob on  the door beside him, knowing this was the room Nathan inhabited. He entered slowly, almost scared of what he’d find in there. Libra crouched down in front of Nathan, watching him curiously. “That screeching thing...it could work really well on the bad guys. I was pretty impressed.” Libra tried to smile reassuringly at him.

[Urban]

Nathan flinched slightly at the sound of the door opening. He should have known better, really - it seemed all his most embarrassing moments were cursed to have witnesses. Lowering his fist he turned his attention towards the newcomer, raising an eyebrow in their direction. Libra.

...It could have been worse. At least it wasn't Kade, he supposed. "A- ah, yes that's, um. Exactly what I'd been practicing it for, in fact, so uh. Thank you." Score one for Urban, Nathan remarked in his head, fantastic save there, really. Admittedly it wasn't his best recovery, but he was still somewhat dazed - as he had a right to be, given the sheer volume of the noise he'd caused. Frankly he just couldn't be held accountable for the quality of his response given the circumstances. That's what he told himself, at least.

"...You aren't wearing any shoes," he pointed out. What is wrong with you? "Um, that is to say- uh. I'm sorry for the racket? You can go back to your room now. I'm not going to be practicing anymore today, so you don't have to worry about the noise."

[Flora]

Libra smiled softly at him, he sat down on the floor in front of Nathan. He dragged his knees up to his chin, and wrapped his arms around his legs protectively. Libra noted for the first time how different the two of them were. One, tanned skin and dark hair with the ability to control the city while the other was void of color and controlled the exact opposite. It made libra smile softly, laughing at his luck to be put in a team with someone like Nathan.

“It worked really well...I think my ears are still ringing. I’m sure it will be just as obnoxious to them...or maybe you could use it on Joule. He keeps winking at me. I-I’m not sure what it means.” Libra flushed, his cheeks going bright red. The dazed look on his partner’s face reveled the true reason for the screeching, Libra didn’t have the heart to argue with him.

Libra blinked in response, as if just noticing that he hadn’t put his boots back on. “And you are wearing shoes, crazy how the world works, right?” He grinned, and wiggled his toes a little. “Do my toes distract you? It’s okay, it gets too quiet around here sometimes.”

[Urban]

"Uh, yeah. That's what I'd hoped would happen. Obviously," Nathan said, flushing slightly and glancing off to the side. You're ridiculous. "And Joule does that. You're probably best off just ignoring him, honestly." He paused. "Not that I've anything against irritating him, of course. I mean, he could do with being knocked down a few pegs," he continued, as though Joule was the only irritatingly condescending one in the DQP.

Nathan did feel sorry about the ear-ringing thing though - it honestly hadn't been his intention. Trust him to mess up something as petty as the rehearsal of his entrance. He huffed under his breath a little as he rested his gaze back on Libra's face. Huh. Blushing. Was Joule really that bad?

"I suppose you're right," Urban said, trying to act as though the way Libra was behaving wasn't one of the strangest things he'd had to deal with thus far. "They probably wouldn't normally but I'm not used to sitting on the floor. Different viewpoint and all that." God his explanations were feeble today. He couldn't even pretend it was because he was still feeling dazed - a little off-kilter, maybe, but not enough for it to really affect him anymore.

"...If you're sure. It's been suggested I don't make the best of company though."

[Flora]

“Ignoring people is rude though....atleast that’s what I’ve heard. People are so strange, plants are far better. And much harder to offend I must say.” Libra’s smile turned sad for a moment, remembering his days of solitude. He missed them greatly. If he was ever lonely before it would never compare to the feeling he had living in this building. He tightened his arms around his legs, receding farther in on himself.

Libra stretched his foot foreword and poked Nathan’s leg with one of his toes before pulling his leg back. “I feel like shoes restrict my powers sometimes, you know? You should try it sometime, new perspectives and all. Though...concrete might not feel quite good under your feet as plants but....still. It’s freeing~.” Libra smiled softly, almost as if in a dream. His mind was somewhere else. His thoughts often preoccupied his actual being, it was a very bad habit he had. Daydreams were often a better place for him to be though.

If anyone else had come into that room they would have seen quite a scene. Both of them on the floor, looking as if they were in a daze. Who knows what someone would think they had been up to. “Oh...by who? You don’t seem any worse than the rest of them...or are you hiding something from me?” Libra raised his eyebrows, clearly joking at him.

[Urban]

"Being polite is overrated anyway," Nathan said, sneering slightly. "I've never been one for plants, honestly. Not too many in the big cities and I get -" seriously life-threateningly ill - "homesick. It comes with the powers I guess. Kind of sucks though - means I'm not really one for holidays." He glanced over at Libra as he finished speaking, furrowing his brow slightly at the other hero's expression. Shit. How do you deal with upset people?

Fortunately the sadness appeared to be short lived, because as soon as Nathan's brain cataloged the expression it was gone. Urban wrinkled his nose slightly as Libra prodded at him. Unsanitary. "Maybe. Probably too much gross stuff stuck to the floor round here for that to be too much fun though. We'll see." They wouldn't, of course, because as far as Nathan was concerned walking around barefoot was the sort of thing best left to the less refined, but Libra didn't have to know that.

Urban flinched a little at the remark. It's a joke, calm down. He's not being vindictive. Just let it slide. "Haha. Um. Everyone, really. I - I don't do friends. I come off a little, shall we say, 'over-confident'. I put people off," he said, shifting his gaze to the wall as his explanation dwindled off, uncomfortable with the idea of having to meet Libra's eyes. There's a reason no-one likes you, and you probably aren't helping things with that sorry reply.

[Flora]

“Oh...is it? I hadn’t heard that before. People don’t talk to me though. I think they think I’m strange….I guess.” Libra blinked at Nathan, even more aware of the differences now. “Really? I think I know that feeling...me and you aren’t very different at all, you know?” Libra wanted to reach out to him to tell him that we wasn't alone, that he could trust him. Sadly he was aware how odd this would seem to the other man. Libra sighed softly, he wished he could listen in on Nathan’s thoughts and feel what he felt, maybe it would make it a little easier.

Libra watched the expressions on Nathan’s face, noting the slight look of disgust he gave him. It didn’t bother Libra at all, it almost encouraged him. “Well, it’s not “fun”. I wouldn’t walk around barefoot for fun atleast. People must have a different idea of fun here.” Libra considered that for a moment. It was very obvious by just looking at the group that people had a different “idea” of fun. Libra was so far on the outside. Far more isolated than he had ever been and this time it wasn’t by his own accord. It hurt.

Libra cocked his head to the side, listening to his tale with great interest. “Well...I wouldn’t listen to them then. You seem pretty okay to me. Even if you don’t do friends!” Libra beamed at him, trying his hardest make Nathan know he was being sincere.

[Urban]

"It is in my books at least. Besides, it's better to be ignored for being strange than for being an asshole," Nathan remarked, tone ever so slightly bitter, as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "'S my own fault though." He grinned at Libra even as the other let out a sigh, trying to shake the feeling of melancholy he could feel settling over the conversation. "At least I'm not the only one then, huh? We can match."

Nathan tilted his head back slightly to glance upwards, a slight smile playing on his lips. What an odd guy. At least he was amusing. "Fair enough. I meant enjoyable more than I meant fun literally, but I can see your point. Don't let it bother you. The DQP aren't exactly the best example of normal, well-adjusted people. I'd be more concerned if you did share their sense of things, honestly."

"Thanks," Nathan murmured, grin falling to a more half-hearted smile. "I appreciate it, man." Even though it doesn't mean anything and that opinion is sure to change rapidly anyhow. At least Libra looked sincere - Nathan liked to think of himself as pretty good at reading people, even if he often misinterpreted things. And was bad at recognising sincerity. And had a poor understanding of facial expressions. Essentially even though he was slugging awful at it.

[Flora]

“I wouldn’t be too sure...it’s not all that great really. Atleast people don’t mess with you.” The tone Nathan used was queer to Libra, he cocked his head slightly to the side. The sighing and the tone didn’t make sense in his head. Everything he observed so far had told him that this wasn’t natural. Maybe Libra needed to reconsider what he knew about people. “If they don’t want to be our friends then I guess we just have to be friends. Okay?” Libra beamed happily, laughing softly at this situation.

“You’re joking~? You people are so....weird.” Libra laughed, it wasn’t far from the truth. He tended to stay away from the common rooms, but he had been in there enough to know that no one was normal here. “Maybe that’s why they put us all together though, maybe they don’t want us to get along. For us all to self destruct. It’s almost scary to think about.” Libra stopped suddenly, realizing he probably sounded crazy.

Libra knotted his hands in the hem of his sweaters, then dropped it. He repeated his process a few times, sighing softly. “I’m glad you do. I don’t know what I’d do around here without someone else. Things are lonely enough as it is.”

[Urban]

"I suppose so. I mean, they still do but I get what you're saying." He shrugged. Now wasn't the time to start getting self-pitying. He was the one who'd forced Libra out of his room with his terrible display of his powers - the least he could do was stop talking about himself for all of two seconds. "Yeah, sure, if you think you can put up with me."

"Not so much joking as-" Urban paused, shrugging his shoulders loosely, "ah forget it. It's not important. And maybe? Seems a little far-fetched to me but you never know. People will do anything as long as it makes for good 3v." He glanced over at one of the cameras hovering nearby at this, briefly contemplating getting rid of it. ...Nah. It wasn't like they were discussing anything that important, he supposed, or at least nothing important enough it would be worth risking GG's wrath. "I'm sure it's fine, though."

He followed Libra's hands with interest as he curled them into his sweater - a nervous habit, maybe? "Yeah. It sucks not getting along with the others, but hey, what can you do about it, right? You're pretty cool, at least."

[Flora]

Libra thought for a moment, almost comically. His finger rested on his chin in the cliche pose. “Good! I’m glad we agree!” Libra grinned brightly, moving closer to the other hero. “Oh course I can put up with you! What is that supposed to mean! We’re friends now and friends always put up with friends! Agreed?” He put on a fake stern look, prepared to rebuttal any argument Nathan made.

“Far fetched to you, a distinct possibility to me. Which one of us will turn out to be the fool...only time will tell, I guess.” Libra giggled softly. Libra followed his gaze, watching the camera with a bemused grin. “Well, I hope we put on a good show for him at least. “Sometimes I wished I had never come back.” His eyes left the camera, “It was simpler to be alone. Quieter.” Libra laughed bitterly. “I’m sorry...I ‘ll stop with that now.”

Libra twisted his hands nervously, sighing softly. “You think I’m cool?” He blincked up at Nathan. “But I’m just Flora....I’m not very cool at all.” His fingers twisted a strand of white hair around and around. “I think you’re pretty cool too.”

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