InsaneJournal

Log: Felix Astrovik & Christian Summers
Who? Felix Astovik and Christian Summers
What? Stuck in an elevator, of all places!
Where? the building that houses WKDI 106.8 The Glit(ter)
When? April 9th, evening
Rating? PG-13 for frantic cursing
Status? Complete

At last the workday was over, about two hours later than it was supposed to be. What was intended to be a quick end of the day meeting had turned into a marathon session between the young Frost exec and one of his companies suppliers. He had no idea that the routine resigning of a business contract was going to become a contract renegotiation. In the end, Christian had been successful, threatening to pull all support and business from the small company and managing to renegotiate a better deal for Frost Enterprises than what they'd had previously. Feeling both fatigued from the unexpectedly long workday and energetic from the adrenaline rush of the encounter, Christian stepped into the elevator, ready to get out of this place and head home for some rest and relaxation.

The hour being late, he had the elevator to himself as he pressed the button for the lobby. Being on one of the top floors, Christian hoped the elevator wouldn't be making too many stops on it's way down to the bottom. He stood near the back of the enclosed space as the elevator began to descend, tapping his foot nervously as he began to sing along in his mind to the tune playing in the elevator. The tune was familiar but he had trouble remembering the name as it was 'elevatorized', sounding far from the original recording.

"And that's all folks. Hope you got home safely and now can relax with your honey and something cold to drink but hot down your throat. Felix out!" The ON AIR light was flicked off and Felix relaxed back into his chair. It had been a good show, but Felix needed to take his own advice, sans that special someone. His life was too chaotic for any kind of actual relationship. Or, that was what he told himself. He had his pick, late at night as his set at one club or another wound down, but there wasn't any fun in that. No chase, no nothing worth even a bit of interest. He pulled off his headphones and stood up, getting a good stretch in.

"Charlie," he said to his sound engineer, his finger pressed to the call button a second before he spoke. "Mind if we run promos tomorrow? I'm beat, but I'll be in early tomorrow. We can cut 'em then and I've worked a few weeks ahead. We should be able to get them all knocked out in thirty minutes, top." The man behind the soundproof glass nodded and gave Felix a thumbs up. Pressing the button again, Felix chuckled as he spoke. "Now get on outta here and quit tryin' to figure out how to make me sound like a Smurf." Charlie raised his hands into the air, turning at the wrists. "Yeah sure you're innocent," Felix said, a smile on his face as he grabbed his light jacket and messenger bag. There wasn't much in there, but he always felt naked without it.

He walked into the hallway and pressed the button on the elevator. Sure, he could take the stairs, it wasn't that far down, but there was something to be said for laziness. He waited, hands in his back pockets, coat draped over the bag, strap diagonal on his chest. He was dressed like a guy who was on radio. Baggy, ratty (but comfortable) pants, a sweater shirt from a college he'd never attended and barely knew of. He got a lot of stuff from fans. It was easier than doing laundry. The elevator dinged and he was already walking toward the elevator as the doors parted.

Chris's foot was still tapping lightly along to the music, his mind contentedly occupied with trying to identify the odd tune. The elevator seemed slow moving and Chris was feeling antsy. No one else had come on so far, and it was slowly getting closer to the bottom of the building. He moved his briefcase from one gloved hand to the other. His suit jacket was draped over an arm and his tie loosened just a little, small signs that he was ready to be done with it for the day.

When the elevator stopped with a sudden jerk and groan, Chris groaned along with it, making a face. The doors opened, and it wasn't the Lobby. Only one person got in. He looked about Chris's age, but dressed more like a college kid than someone who would work in a building like this. Chris noted his face for a moment, thinking it familiar. It took only a moment for his mind to connect the dots. He remembered the radio station broadcast from this building, and he'd seen billboards around the city with Felix's face on them, advertising his radio show. Chris had heard the program before, but was hardly a religious follower of it. He gave the man a small smile and nod before trying to listen for the music again as the elevator doors slowly began to slide shut.

Felix almost felt like a student on the way in to see the principal. His step faltered for just a tenth of a second as the doors opened wide enough to show Mr. GQ of the Year chilling in the elevator. It was too late to go back and take the stairs. Felix slid in and offered a nod, but it wasn't in recognition, just respect. The guy was obviously someone important. For all Felix knew, the blond was the youngest member of the Board of Regents and could very well be there to inspect him. Which would be odd, since his show was over, but Felix didn't want to chance it. He moved to the opposite side of the elevator and leaned back against the wall.

As he waited for the elevator doors to close, he pulled out his phone and sent off a text message. Maybe he was in the mood for a booty call after all. But that just depended on how fast his NSA friend Sara got back to him. Tucking the phone away, the elevator slid down a few feet, then stopped. The phone was tucked in and Felix grumbled in hi corner. He raised his foot and brought it down. He didn't expect anything to happen, but the elevator car fell a good dozen feet and then lurched. Felix was thrown to the side, gripping on the handle that ran around of the interior. "Goddammit!" He shouted, mostly to himself. He was already opening up the small box under the buttons and pressing the big one. He had to remind himself to stay calm, to not get over excited. Everything was fine, everything was good. He was not stuck in the fucking elevator again! "Hello? Hello? Anyone there? Pee Oh Es stuck. Hello?"

No one was answering.

Chris couldn't help the smile remaining on his face as the guy pulled out his cellphone and began texting away. It was an amusing contrast to Chris that the dressed down dude was intent on busying himself while the dressed up one was intent on chilling for the rest of the ride down. His foot had settled down, not tapping as before as he'd lost the tune he'd been listening for. He'd thought for a moment that he could ask the music man beside him, but he looked preoccupied.

Just as Chris's gaze moved back to the numbers lighting up in turn showing how close he was getting to the Lobby, the elevator seemed to give. "What the..", he muttered to himself, then the BIG drop came. "FUCK!", he cursed out. His jacket fell to the dirty elevator floor, his briefcase dropping and sliding across the small, square space. He grabbed onto the metal elevator rail like it was a lifeline. Thankfully, the drop stopped after a dozen or so feet. Chris's heart was thumping in his chest and as he was considering letting go of the rail to call someone, the disc jockey had beat him to it.

"Motherfucker", Chris muttered under his breath. As soon as it became obvious that the line was dead, Chris was grabbing for his jacket off of the floor. He fished his phone out of his pocket, flipping it open and dialing the 'In Case Of Emergency' number printed on a paper on the elevator wall.

"Hello? Yes, I - What? But-" Chris glared for a moment, his face returning to normal as he looked over at Felix. "Put on hold", he explained. "This is bullshit", he sighed, leaning against one of the elevator walls. "Not that I had anywhere to be", he said more to himself than anything, trying to look on the bright side of things. A moment of not speaking and he had to laugh as he realized something. He glanced upward at the speakers and said, "The music's still working."

The phone was jabbed back against the hook...thing - Felix didn't know why they didn't upgrade to an intercom system. The phone dropped down, mocking him. He picked it back up and wrapped his fingers around it. His jaw was clenched and his fingers turned white. He wanted to yank the chord out of the wall and try to beat the doors open with it. But he relaxes, the guy's voice making him come out of his panicked bubble. He wasn't alone. He couldn't act up. Maybe this was a test? Would they do something as sadistic as lock him in an elevator? Maybe, maybe not. He set the phone gingerly back on the receiver and let his fingers open. He winced a bit, he'd been holding the phone too tightly.

Blinking back into the present, fully, Felix looked over at the guy. He retrieved the briefcase and reached out, body low to the floor as he slid it back over to him. "Bullshit," Felix agreed whole-heartedly, finding a spot on the floor to put his coat and use it as a makeshift seat. He didn't think people peed in this particular elevator, but he couldn't be all that sure. He chewed his lip, cocking his head to the side and picking up on the music. He sighed, rolled his shoulders. The tension was slowly seeping out of him. He had to remember that it wasn't so bad. It could be worse. He could be dead. Rummaging in his bag for a second, Felix pulled out a flashlight. One of those small, powerful pen lights.

He clicked it on and held it so the beam faced out of the crack, as small as it was. little lights flashed around his hand before they disappeared through the crack too. Hopefully it would help the people find them, like a stuck elevator wasn't obvious enough. "Too bad it's sucky music," Felix offered quietly once he was settled again, continuing to feed little dazzles of lights through the crack thanks to the flashlight. "If you're with the Board, think you could find some budget to put in an intercom?"

Chris held back a wince as his briefcase was pushed back across the less than pristine looking floor. But he had to put it into perspective, a dirty, possibly scraped briefcase was the least of his worries at present.

Chris kept the phone to his ear in vain hope that the operator would get back to him soon. as he waited, he watched as Felix seemed to be getting an idea. Chris wasn't sure what he was doing until he realized that there was light that was not coming from the penlight the guy was holding. His mind began to think on this, wondering if they could work a way out of here on their own.

His thoughts were interrupted by the question from Felix. Chris looked confused for a moment. Who was this guy mistaking him for? "No, no, not with the Board. Here on business." He smiled as he thought to himself that if he got out of here alive, maybe he'd buy up the building and have the elevators fixed himself. Thinking this reminded him of his earlier thoughts.

"What exactly is it you do? Your mutation", he asked. It wasn't an uncommon question, though it might have been something that he should have known considering Felix was a well-known mutant, but Chris couldn't remember if it was more than making those lights. If it was, maybe he could amp the guy's power into something that could help them.

In his own little world, Felix was feeling trapped. He didn't dare look at the walls around him, fearing that if he actually tried to figure out the dimensions, they would half themselves and press in even closer to him. He hated this. He hated the fucking elevator and he swore to himself that it would be stairs for him. Stairs and stairs, he didn't care how many flights. He didn't care if he ended up in the studio out of breath and trailing a puddle of sweat behind him. His bowels could let loose mid-hike and it would be ten times better than whatever this little bit of Hell was.

Felix looked over at the other, a sideways glance that was probably a little meaner than he meant for it to be. It was all unintentional, but he couldn't really control how he was feeling presently. "Ah. Business." The word had a lot of meaning around the station. Hiring, firing, it didn't matter. Felix really didn't know who the blond business suit guy was. He wasn't part of the X-family, not by a long shot. If anything, he knew the Avengers better and then the New Warriors and then the Fantastic Four. He wasn't an X-baby and was glad for that.

"Light. I take light away from things and make it either turn into....sparkles," he couldn't think of a better word in his current condition, "or I can turn invisible, bend the light around me." As far as he knew, Felix couldn't turn the displays into hard light, making lasers and such. He was doing all he could now to not wrench the doors open with his bare hands. "Just lights," he said dismissively, waving his hand, a few errant lights following the gesture. "Lemme guess? Omnilinguist?" Felix squinted some, his brow furrowing in thought. "Spin air into gold?"

Chris caught the glance and reaction from the other guy about Chris's job, feeling a little taken aback. He didn't know if the guy was like this all the time or if it was the situation affecting him, but it made Chris feel all the more eager to get out of the elevator.

When Felix began to poke at Chris's potential powers, he felt his annoyance grow. "I amplify powers. Which is why I was wondering if you could do anything useful." And by his tone of voice, it could be argued that Chris was still trying to determine of making sparkles could in any way be useful or not.

He walked over toward the door, taking a look at it. "I don't know if we should try and get out ourselves or not." He was certainly tempted. "We don't know what's wrong with this thing, or how bad the problem is with it. We could end up making it worse." By worse he clearly meant them dropping several stories to their messy deaths. Chris glared at the phone, saying, "Bitch better get me off hold." His foot was tapping again, his nervous energy returning.

The questions weren't meant to be angry. Felix...just didn't like what was happening. He took a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly, softly. He was trying to get his nerves back under control. Felix was just trying to not think about the impending fall.

The blond got a raised eyebrow of curiosity and a more head-on look. "Sorry," he muttered, offering another dismissive gesture. "But that's cool. Useful. Too bad I can't be any more useful than I am." His words weren't biting. Felix knew his powers weren't all that impressive, or useful, but he liked them and wouldn't trade them for power surges or giant fists full of fire.

"Please," Felix asked, eyes lowering again, the feel of the elevator car shifting slightly under Chris's weight as he moved. "Could you...not move? I mean, it's fine if you move. Breathe, blink, heart beat, all that. But this thing's so old that you could probably set us off if you keep movin' and jostling things around. And, you're handsome, no doubt there, but I don't really want my last seconds of life to be in an elevator shaft with a guy who has a suit worth more than my computer and doesn't think I'm good for anything." Again, there wasn't any heat in his words, just stating a fact. Maybe a little pleading, but Felix was doing his best to hide that. "Usually, when people start bitchin' about the elevator not comin' down, then people'll look into it." He glanced at his own phone, slid halfway up through its pocket in his bag. "Night staff gets here in 40 min..." He thunked himself on the head and pulled the phone out.

A quick search and a phone could be heard, muffled by the doors and a little up and to the left. "Answer, c'mon you fat fuck. Answer the goddamn phone." A couple more seconds and Felix exhaled, giving his voice an nice, nervous sound to it. "Charlie. I'm trapped in the ele....just let me fucking tell you why my voice is echoing. I'm trapped in an elevator." He paused to listen. "I'm not alone. VIP in here with me. Yeah, I know, totally out of fucking sorts. Go get maintenance, would you? You'd be doin' me a solid." Another pause.

"K, thanks. No idea where we are. Yeah, thanks." He hung up the phone and rested his head against the back of the wall.

"Looks like my power isn't going to be a help to us either", Chris said quietly. He got that the other guy didn't mean any harm. As he stood at the door, looking it over, he nodded at the request that he not move around any more. He'd felt the slight shift as well, and couldn't be sure if it was typical of this elevator or not. He looked at Felix as he went on, wondering if he was a nervous talker or something. He smirked a little when Felix mentioned him being handsome, but the expression faded away quickly enough. Why did people have to make assumptions about him like that? Was he being judged from the way he was dressed, or what he'd just said, or both? "I'm sure you're power's useful for lots of things. Must save you tons on your electric bill. I didn't say, or think, that you're useless, so don't put words in my mouth."

Chris put his attention back to the phone for a moment, not that there was much to keep his attention there. "Hopefully this woman will pick back up in a moment so I can bitch about the elevator being stuck." He was glad to see Felix pull out his phone and try as well. He listened as it seemed the other man actually got a human to answer him and respond. He sighed in relief as Felix ended his call. "Thank god someone answers the phone around here." He closed his as well, as it seemed they'd get help faster from the one Felix had just talked to anyway. He managed a small smile, remembering something Felix had just said. "I'm no VIP. I have nothing to do with the radio station. Just here for a business meeting with another company upstairs. If anything, you're the VIP, right? Radio station would be at a loss if they didn't have their afternoon guy."

As Felix slid his phone back down and then into his bag, he glanced at the other. "It doesn't save on electric bills, since I draw the power from the light itself. Not from sound or noise or the earth's gravitational field. It has to exist for me to be able to have my power exist." He waited a beat and added, thick with sarcasm, "Implied intent is pretty much the same thing, no words being put anywhere on you." He cleared his throat and looked at the crack in the door, pushing his light display out a little further on the outside, he hoped.

"You think if I said I was stuck in here with a janitor they'd be quick to do anything?" Felix snorted some, realizing this guy really did have a complex. "You could be the gum peeler from the reception area and I still would have said VIP. It's not like they'll close us back in here if they find out differently. At least this way, they may have a little kick in their step to get in the good graces of a higher up. If not that, than just the hope that they aren't fired." Felix was babbling again, but the man's words sunk in once he'd taken a breath. He flushed a tiny bit, thankful for the stuffiness of the elevator car to keep it from being too obvious an act of embarrassment. "Drive Home Guy," Felix offered quietly, but he nodded. "Thanks. Now next time this happens, if we can schedule it before my show, they'd be even more inclined to get me out opposed to dead air."

One hand looked up around the back of the handrail above Felix's head. The other extended. The blond could move forward if he wanted to shake it, but the DJ was staying right where he was. "Felix Astrovik - ay kay ay DeeJay Ixnay. Nice to meet you, all claustrophobia aside."

"Oh", Chris said about the power, having assumed wrongly that he'd been creating the light rather than manipulating it in some way. He was about to say more when Felix said more. Chris kept his face stoic, controlling his reaction, as he felt like the guy was making more out of the comment than what it had been, and felt like he was trying to pick a fight with him. Though he was feeling frustrated, fighting wasn't going to make him feel better. Especially as they seemed to be precariously perched at the moment.

Chris kept silent as the man started to talk again, not reacting except for the tensing of his muscles and slight reddening of his face, though that could've been due to the lack of oxygen. "Hope they do hurry up", Chris agreed quietly.

The guy's tune seemed to change once he'd realized that Chris recognized him. Amazing, all the things Chris had heard about the egos and attitudes of disc jockeys, seemed it was all true. But no matter, all Chris cared was that there was as little drama as possible as they waited for their rescue. He was man enough to make nice with the guy. Chris wasn't going to move to shake his hand, but was close enough that he could lean closer and reach all the way out with his arm to shake. "Chris Summers", he said quietly with a small, polite smile, hoping the guy didn't recognize the name as he seemed to think badly enough of Chris already.

It seemed to be a comedy of errors. Felix wondered, if under circumstances, exactly how they would get along. Maybe amiably, maybe the two would just meet, and then turn tail and walk in opposite directions. Something, both fortunately and not, they couldn't do currently. Felix did have an ego, because unlike some people, he'd worked hard to get the job he had, and put in several hours outside of work to get ideas and promos ready. His DJing helped bring in the more sly of the listening base, hoping he may drop hints as to where he was playing in the future, which he sometimes did. He was the show, and without him, there wouldn't be much more than music. People seemed to like him, like what he had to say, and that affected him in a way that was deeper than just egotism. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were calling the fire department," Felix joked, a smirk on his lips as he shook the guy's hand.

An eyebrow cocked at the name. He'd heard it before, and knew where it laid in history. He just didn't know which brother Chris could be the child of. Not that it really mattered to him. "Look," Felix said, trying to fix his mistakes. Once his hand was given back, he brushed it through his hair, leaning against the wall. "I'm a little claustrophobic. The last time this happened, I was stuck here for two hours with the VP in charge of programming. That's how I got the show, I guess." Because under pressure, Felix liked to talk, and jabbermouths were exactly what the radio needed. "But I get chatty, and maybe a little incoherent. I hope you don't take any of it as a personal attack, since I don't know you."

"I don't care who they call, as long as they get us out of here", Chris said. He sighed again, leaning back against the metal wall of the elevator, feeling the handrail at the small of his back. Chris realized he could give the guy the benefit of the doubt regarding his attitude when Felix explained the claustrophobia. His face betrayed shock when Felix mentioned having gone through this before.

"No shit?", he said about being stuck before. "And how long was it last time? Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a show to give you", he joked, referring to the DJ's meeting with the VP. "But if we get out of here, I'd gladly buy you a beer. I could use a drink myself after this mess. And no offense taken. I know I don't feel myself right now, locked in this... thing. Usually not so touchy." True, under other circumstances he might not have been so easily offended. Or he might have but would have had the chance to walk away. No such luck here, but he was trying now to make the best of it, mend fences, build bridges. Business was all about networking, and maybe it could pay eventually to have a connection in radio.

"Two hours, maybe a little over," Felix repeated, figuring the shock of his stupidity for not deciding after that time to take the stairs from there on out. he snickered at the comment, nodding his head, the back hitting gently against the wall for just a second. It took a second for Felix to remember where he was, what he might be sitting in, and that any movement might not be a super great thing at the moment.

"Beer could be good. Or liquor. Hits all the good spots quicker." Beer with shots in it? Yeah, Felix could do that. Beer took longer to drink too, which would mean more shared company. Maybe Chris wasn't so bad after all. "But a beer would be good." He pulled out his water bottle, unscrewing the top and tipping his head back. His lips didn't touch the bottle, since he didn't know just how much of a clean freak Chris was, in or out of the suit. Once he was done, Felix extended the bottle toward the middle of the carrier. "Thirsty? I'm clean - haven't had a cold in years, none of that stuff." He got checked quarterly for R-46 like any responsible, sexually-active, responsible person should. "So, tell me about yourself? Y'seem to know about me, but I don't know anything about you. Hobbies? Ever wrestled a grizzly to the ground with your bare hands?" He smirked, jovial enough with out at ounce of sarcasm. Sometimes humor was the best method to get people talking.

Chris cringed at the reply of two hours, definitely NOT what he'd been hoping to hear. "Two hours? And that was with the VP in the elevator with you? We're screwed, aren't we?", He smiled wryly, saying the comment with good humor in his voice. Realizing they would likely be there a while, Chris pulled his tie off and undid the top couple buttons on his shirt. He always hated how tight it felt around his neck, but was a necessary evil. He tossed the tie across the car, getting it to land on his jacket.

"Liquor is quicker", Chris agreed. He glanced at his watch. "I'll buy a round for every ten minutes we have to wait in here." If they really did have to wait two hours, he just might need whatever obscene amount of booze that would add up to.

"Thanks", Chris said, leaning over again to take the offered water. He wasn't particularly chapped, but it'd been offered and he figured it was good manners to accept. He kept the rim from his lips as well, taking a small amount of it into his mouth. As he passed the water back, he smirked, genuinely amused by his humor. Chris said, "Well, I work for Frost Enterprises. Tend to be a bit of a workaholic, sadly. I do travel a lot, like to get out of town whenever I can. And I have my pilot's license." He did smile at those things. Though travelling and flying weren't typical hobbies for most, it was what kept Chris sane, being able to physically distance himself from any and all worries. "And you? I only know you from your show. You live the life of a rock star like they say?", he teased. He'd heard many such assumptions about himself, which he knew couldn't be further from the truth.

"And it was during business hours, back when I was just some mail room lackey," Felix admitted, nodding his head along with his words. "But, maybe since there aren't a whole lot of other things going on, they'll be quicker." The opposite was true too, of course. Everyone might have already gone home. The music continued to drone on a little bit, but it was a mindless din now that the office - the main part with the 9-5ers had gone on home. No more actual would business would commence until tomorrow, and that worried Felix at the back edge of his mind.

"You make it sound like staying here is a good idea," Felix joked, managing to refrain from looking at his watch and calculating just how hammered he'd be getting with the sui - with Chris. His question on parental lineage was answered quick enough. Frost Enterprises, the Google and Microsoft and other-big-companies-all-roll-into-one of the mid 21st century. Felix couldn't fault him for being born into the line. Hell, if his dad hadn't gone to prison, Felix himself might not even be there. "Oh, so you fly a plane," Felix said, working the knowledge around in his brain. "I'm a big fan of AmTrak, I guess. I don't really need to travel much. Any place my show needs to be, well." He waved his hand over his head. "That's what satellites are for these days."

Legs stretched out in front of Felix, feeling a little more comfortable, but still giving Chris his personal space. The tabloids were going to have a field day anyway, him getting caught in a 'stuck' (no matter the truth of it!) with one of the wealthiest heirs in the nation, if not the world. "To tell the truth, when I'm not here or DJing at some club, I like it nice and quiet. Home, bottle'a something, maybe some television. People who get caught up in the rockstar life barely make it passed thirty. I'm shooting for 47, minimum." He smirked and took a sip of his water. "I spend a lot of time looking for music, researching historical events for my show." He tapped the side of his head. "Noggin's got more useless information up here than I'll ever need, but some of the stuff's amusing, and keeps the listeners coming back. Which is good for the advertisers."

It seemed that the both of them were now trying to use positive thinking to make the time pass quicker or make the help come faster. As to the comment about his making their situation sound good, Chris simply replied, "The more we have to endure, the better the reward will be." Not that he was planning to be stingy if help showed up in the next few minutes. Conversely, that would give them even more reason to celebrate. No matter how soon help came, going and getting tanked somewhere was sounding a better and better idea.

Chris nodded at the comment about AmTrak, not bothering to correct. He'd never flown commercial. His mother always took company jets or flew in one of the X-Jets with his dad. Chris had only known one or the other until recently when he'd begun flying small personal jets himself.

Chris's mind hadn't even gone to what the tabloids might think if they learned of this situation. And it was a good thing, the mutant 'media' was one subject that could easily get the eldest Summers heir riled up.

Chris felt he understood what Felix was saying about downtime. Chris didn't party hardcore like many of his friends and most of his younger relatives. He laid low during the week, using his free time to relax. Even his weekend getaways tended more toward the relaxing rather than the exciting of late. It was something he'd become content with, but now was recently finding himself reconnecting with some of his more adventurous friends and relations. He was starting to take chances again. He supposed that going out and getting hammered with a near stranger like they were now discussing could count as adventurous.

"Yeah, I tend to be a homebody during the week too. Work out to keep myself busy, but other than that, I relax while I can." He was about to say something else when he heard a faint noise that was not the elevator music. "Did you hear that?", he said, looking over at Felix.

"You're makin' it sound like a game." Felix's eyebrows lifted playfully. "Maybe it's not so bad bein' stuck in here with you, booze aside." He wondered, idly, if Chris was into the Glim Scene. The more relaxed the other got, the more curious Felix got about what lay under that shirt and behind those carefully placed businessman ethics. Probably like girls in Catholic school - just a bottle of pent of recklessness. And recklessness could be fun, from time to time. "You would have been a great teacher - probably still could be. Rewarding kids for hard work instead of punishing them for doing poorly. As long as you don't decide to try and spank me when I drink you under the table."

Felix winked, but then grew serious, straining to hear whatever it was that Chris might have. He became nervous, the shadows that had been slowly receding were making one hell of a surge back to the forefront of his mind. Was the elevator creaking again? Was it going to fall? Felix shifted slightly, getting onto one knee and placing his ear gently - and cautiously - as close to the crack in the door as he could. He had to hold his breath, straining his hearing to ignore the beat of his temple. "Voices?" He asked, hopefully. Even though, he didn't really hear anything. Suddenly, he was afraid to move even an inch, just in case Chris had heard a creak or a groan, something Felix had been too busy talking over to notice.

Chris smiled and shrugged at what actually sounded like a compliment. He was glad that the guy was calming down, for both their sakes. It seemed that Felix's attitude was matching his style of dress, that is to say relaxed and inviting. Chris was pretty sure he even caught on to a playful / flirtatious undertone to his words, especially as he joked about what Chris would be like as a teacher.

"Never had a teacher that spanked", Chris said with a laugh, though he'd heard from his parents about how in 'olden days' things like that had been permitted. "Though I'd had one or two who I wish would've been into that", he added slyly, admitting to a schoolteacher crush once or twice upon a time.

He was about to say something else about that when he'd stopped, thinking he'd heard a voice. He noted Felix's reaction, then realize how he'd said it. "Thought I heard a voice", he said to him. He was silent again, listening for it, but he didn't hear anything. "Maybe you should try the lightshow again", he said, giving him a look. He'd been thinking of the other's power some and how his could potentially affect it. He wondered if his ability could help the display, or if it would make it dangerous. He never took these kinds of decisions lightly, usually taking the cautious road.

When the elevator car seemed stable, as much as it could be, Felix moved slowly back to his side. He sat down and crossed his legs. Having Chris there to help talk him through helped - a great deal, actually. He smirked, catching the little flirtatious nature. "Same here," Felix said quietly, eyes flicking from the door to meet Chris's face. "But only if they let me repay the favor." He took another gulp of water and looked at it. It wasn't going to be so bad that they died of dehydration, but Felix wanted to be fair. Screwing the lid back on, Felix waggled the bottle so Chris could see it and then tossed it back over.

"Maybe you're right. Leave it to me to get stuck in an elevator when the dumbest person available is our only way out." He was joking, finding it easier to come back from the edge of panic now that they were on friendly terms - flirty terms, even. Felix was pretty good about feeling people out, and up if the case and circumstances called for it. He wasn't getting rebuffed, which was a step in the right direction. "Yeah, good idea." Fishing out his flashlight again, Felix shifted so he could cross his legs and be almost directly in front of the doors. He turned it on and set it between his legs. It didn't take any real thought to initiate, and with a wave of his hand for gusto, Felix was surrounded by sparkling light of bright colors. They were all pastel in color, but that didn't matter.

He pushed the lights outward, watching them slip through the crack. he leaned forward, feeling his shirt pull up on his back. Peeking through the tight hole, Felix could just see them on the other side. Sighing, he leaned back, palms outspread on the floor behind him, the light still shining from the flashlight, dimmer than it was before. "Aside from authority figures taking physical action," Felix muttered, keeping his voice low, just between them, "what else do you like? I see you on a sailboat." And he did! Chris had that look to him. Not a bad look, but a salty, no nonsense, strong look.

It was amusing to Chris how his own flirtatious confessions were met by more of Felix's own. He caught the bottle, but held onto it as he listened for what he was sure he'd heard. He was glad Felix was open to trying again with his power, hoping maybe they'd be out sooner rather than later.

Chris watched the power display as Felix again attempted to attract attention if anyone happened to be looking in the elevator shaft. A small smirk appeared in the corner of his mouth as he saw the color. "Wow", he said quietly. "That's pretty cool." It might not be skin turning to steel or claws popping out of hands, but it was fun and entertaining, and there was something to be said for that.

Chris sighed as there seemed to be no reaction from outside the elevator, only silence. Had he been hearing things. The silence remained a moment longer, then Felix spoke up again. He sounded like he was back on the spanking subject again, then transitioned to sailing of all things. It seemed a random guess, and Chris had to smirk, if only because he was right, or at least close. "Not sailing in particular, but boating, yeah. I'd love to get a boat someday." He'd toyed with the idea before, but he knew he wouldn't use it enough for the purchase to be worthwhile. Maybe once he was older and content to let business run itself, he could settle down somewhere in the Caribbean or Mediterranean and have himself a boat. "Not here", he said, meaning in New York, "but somewhere. Somewhere warmer."

Chris's foot started tapping again softly. "So how about you? What're your dreams and aspirations? Could see you having a show on MTV someday", he mused, quite serious. The guy seemed to know his stuff, had a natural charisma (one he's forgotten about his claustrophobia anyway), and has that appealing physical appearance that anyone who has a show on there has to have.

"Comes in handy," Felix admitted. Though, never had he thought it would be used like a help beacon, being stuck in an elevator shaft. Oh well, it showed his versatility, he suspected. "especially when I'm DJing and the dance floor is starting to slow down. A little shimmer gets people excited, for some reason. Maybe they think they're on some Hollywood dreamscape or something. I mean, they're just lights." He shrugged his shoulders gently, the smirk remaining on his face. Powers were all what you made them, and how you used them. That had been what his parents had taught him, at least.

Even though Felix had just been joking, it was a bit surprising. Felix didn't think he'd ever get to be on anything than a tug boat. He'd taken one to Alcatraz when he'd been on the West Coast several years ago. What a creepy place that had turned out to be. "Well, yeah. I doubt a day of boating would really be that great up here. You'd need some place that didn't require a windbreaker. Talk about tan lines," he joked, glancing back to the door.

"Eh?" He asked, looking back at Chris. "Oh, I'm not really sure. He leaned back on his hands, turning his hips so the light was more focused on the crack, adding a few more floating sparks into the air. "That's nice of you to say," he said, turning his eyes up to look at the other. "But I think I don't want to be a personality forever. I'd like to really break out in being the disc jockey at clubs - release CDs, have my mixed MP3s running rampant in movies and on shows, recognition for my other talents that don't include making pretty lights." But it was obvious that Felix wasn't in any rush for that to happen. He was content with what he was doing, and even though he probably wasn't the superhero type, something ingrained in him told him to not head anywhere for a while.

"So," he added, looking a little sheepishly at Chris. "You think your power would be able to do anything to get some attention?" The idea of his powers being enhanced was scary, thrilling. Obvious temptation to see what he'd be able to do at his maximum potential.

Chris listened to Felix talk about DJing, brow creasing for only a moment as Felix said something about his power's shimmer, for a moment almost thinking he said 'Glimmer'. He was sure both were common in the clubs where Felix kept the music going. He'd never been much of a club kid in his youth, being dragged there the times he'd gone. He'd never used Glimmer either, but he'd always been more of a one-man kind of man, and they'd never even tried the stimulant with the one man he'd been with long-term.

When the topic came back to trying to get out, Chris pondered the suggestion. It was something he'd been mulling over in his mind already. When it came to mutation, he tended to think about the worst possible scenario of his power interacting with others, just to be cautious. But he seemed to be learning about taking risks lately, and he was getting impatient.

"What the hell, why not?", Chris said. He removed his gloves, tossing them over toward the small pile of his things. "I'm not sure how w'll interact", he told the DJ. "My ability might just make your lights brighter, or they might become like what the Dazzler can do." He very cautiously did take a step closer to Felix to make this easier. "As I touch you, try to keep you power focused through your hand just like you're doing. Try to focus it right out the door to where people could maybe see." And Chris wasn't sure what else to add, so he reached out and wrapped his hand around Felix's bare wrist. Chris could immediately feel the spark of their powers mixing and the adrenaline rush that usually accompanied doing this.

Felix was suddenly nervous, apprehensive. He didn't know exactly how he would feel with his powers amped. It was going to be a rush, but as Chris mentioned doing what Dazzler could do, Felix was worried that he'd end up sending them both into the afterlife, leaving only charred remains from lasers behind to be found. Before he could even offer and kind of questions, Felix felt the cool grasp along his skin and he sucked in a surprised gasp.

Suddenly, the elevator filled with dazzling, blinding light. He didn't know where the sources were, but it didn't matter. God, it was exhilarating! His body became rigid, hunching forward now, bringing Chris with him, hands trembling as he tried to gain some measure of control. The lights began to push through the crack in the doors, but still lighting them both up like a Christmas ornaments. Through the crack, Felix could see the beam of light against the far wall, shimmers of light surrounding it on either side. "The Red Sea," he muttered, the image reminding him of the biblical story he remembered from Sunday School so many years ago.

His body hummed with the energy - he could feel the lights in his bloodstream. Another swallow and his muscles tensed under Chris's grasp. It was so intimate that Felix didn't know how to react. But his power? Oh, he knew his power. "M-move your hand...back'a muh neck," he managed through gritted teeth. He needed his hands free for what he was going to do. His fingers were rigid, he felt the other hand moving to the back of his neck before Chris released the other. Slowly, Felix's hands met directly in front of the crack, knuckles to knuckles, palms out. The light filled the area between, collapsing and seeming to solidify, wedging the doors open. He was worried that the block had gotten a brown out because of him, but by God, they were getting out of this elevator!

As soon as Chris touched him, he could tell that it was going to be okay. His eyes did squint shut, not wanting them to be damaged from the sudden illumination coming from the guy beside him. "It's okay", Chris told him. "I'll be able to tell if it gets to be too much, I'll let go if I need to." But it seemed to be working so far. He only hoped that someway somehow this would help them be found.

Chris didn't know the reason for Felix wanting his hand higher, but he obliged. Chris's other hand wrapped around Felix's wrist while he moved his hand up to the back of his neck. He let his arm rest across his shoulder, feeling his hair against his fingers as his hand held on at it's new position, the other hand letting go of Felix's wrist.

The mutant amplifier watched, impressed, as Felix tried a new trick with his powers, which seemed to be working. Sometimes when he used his abilities on others, they would overload or have difficulty coping. Other times, they would catch on well and start doing things they never could before. It seemed that Felix was one of these latter ones. They would both be pretty exhausted by the end of it, but it would be worth it if Felix could actually get them out of here himself.

"Doing good, Felix, keep it up", Chris encouraged, watching through slitted eyes as the doors began to give. His hand stayed at his neck, idly massaging, willing Felix to have the strength, energy, whatever to do what he needed to do.

Felix didn't want Chris's hand in the way as he tried to get the doors to open, simply by having molecules rapidly spinning around one another creating friction and light. Plus, if Chris sneezed or something, and threw his hand off, Felix didn't know what would happen. As the crack began to widen, Felix could see that the entire hallways was covered in light - the soft glow of yellows, the pleasant, softness of pink, a chilly but warm blue with dots of orange leaking through the others. He saw long shadows off to one side, but realized it could just as easily be the water fountain.

The brush against his hair sent a shiver through Felix's body, imagining a white-hot sun at the base of his neck where Chris's palm was. Jesus, the way he was massaging! Blinking his eyes, Felix pushed, veins standing out on his arms as he tried to keep things directed. He knew, deep in the back of his mind, that if he lost it, it was possible he'd simply evaporate into light. Would it be considered evolution? Would he still exist? Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Felix felt sweat on his upper lip, the prickling across his shoulders. Still the doors opened another crack and he could see that they were trapped between floors.

That would explain the lack of give on the doors - they were actually rubbing against the lower parts of walls as he tried to wrench them open.

"CHRIST!" A man said, his belly hanging over his belt and sunglasses over his eyes. "Felix?" The man stood on his tiptoes to see inside the car. "We didn't know where you were!" Charlie shouted, as if he heard the hum of the light around him. He looked like he was made of gold. "Switchboard's been lightin' up. Seems the whole fucking building's glowing! People think it's aliens. But I knew you were trapped but we couldn't --"

Felix cut him off with a bark. "GET. US. THE FUCK. OUT. OF. HERE!" His heart was racing now, he could feel his arms trembling weak in the legs even though he was sitting. Charlie turned tail and ran, hopefully to get help. "Chris. Chris please," Felix managed with a shaky breath. He felt like he was burning up inside, but that was too many words.

As Felix continued to use his newfound power, Chris kept a gauge on it. The power seemed to be increasing the longer Chris held on, which sometimes would happen, sometimes not, depending on the mutation. What Felix was doing was working, the doors were giving. Chris could see a bit of one of the floors, right at his feet. Light and color was everywhere, his eyes and head were starting to feel a slight ache. He felt relief when he heard a voice and saw a form of someone there, shouting up to Felix. A moment later, the man was running for help and Felix was pleading. Chris well understood. He let go.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay", he said, wrapping an arm around Felix. Chris shut his eyes for a moment, trying to get them to adjust back to normal. He opened them and was still seeing spots. "You did good, helluva good job from the sound of it." The whole building lit up? Chris was very impressed. He stayed crouched beside Felix, feeling the man still shaking a little from the effects of the tremendous power he'd just wielded. "That was amazing. and it worked. We'll be out of here in no time."

When Chris dropped the skin to skin contact, Felix felt his body decompress - but the only part that really felt it was his power. The hallway dimmed considerably, but there seems to still be a pulse to the air, extra light in the elevator shaft that hadn't been there before. Things seemed to ebb away, and Felix felt exhausted but thrilled at what had happened. Never before had he been able to make 'hard light' like that, no matter how many times he'd tried to on his own.

Felix felt his head nuzzle against Chris's dress shirt. He caught himself and pulled his head away, turning it so he could look at the other in the face. "So if that's what happens when you just touch me, I can imagine what would really bring the fireworks." His smile was lazy, coy. Reaching down, Felix picked up the flashlight and clicked it off, the batteries drained and an empty bulb staring up at him before he pushed the button in. "And I need new batteries," he added. It was random, but a fact nonetheless. "I think...I'm good, I think," Felix said softly, slipping toward the doors, testing if they were going to close up on them again.

"Nix that shit!" Charlie bellowed down the hallway, seeing Felix get close to the doors. "You get your fingers caught in that and I'll never hear the end of it, never. You just relax, be just a second more. Sorry we couldn't find you..." Charlie's voice trailed off as he peeked into the elevator, nodding at Chris. "That ain't no exec from the station." Felix chuckled, despite himself and pulled his thumb across his throat, telling Charlie to cut it short. "Maybe not, but he's a friend of mine." His voice carried what little authority he had left. "And when he gets a boat, we're going...boating." Giggling from exhaustion, Felix cocked his head to the side and looked back at Chris.

"Right?"

Chris rolled his eyes up at the ceiling, a small smile appearing on his face at the flirtatious comment about his powers. It was a thought he entertained for a moment. How was it that some mutants, like this one, he could touch, and perhaps even intimately, without horrific power repercussions, but others he couldn't. Such was life, totally unfair. But he was content to roll with that punch and make the best of his situation, that is the guy he did like but couldn't touch so much.

Chris was about to reassure Felix that if he was feeling weak the feeling should pass in a moment when he heard the distinct voice of Felix's co-worker. Chris didn't really care who Charlie thought he was, but was amused by the banter between the two of them. "That's right", Chris piped up on cue. "We were just about to go discuss my new boat over drinks, so please hurry up getting us out of here. Do a good job, I might just name the boat after you."

The chubby laborer got a look on his face as if he'd just won the lottery and sped off again even quicker than before, talking excitedly to himself. "The 'Charlie'?", Chris asked, laughing after the man was out of sight. "Funny name for a boat, but I could get used to it. And you're definitely invited for it's maiden voyage." Chris managed to stand, hoisting Felix up onto his feet with him. "But first thing's first. I owe you some drinks."