I Moderate (i_moderate) wrote in we_archive, @ 2006-04-19 18:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | jesse custer, maxine gibbons, proginoskes |
i_assist Insert Surprised Yelps and Screams Here [Progo, Jesse]
During Easter Break Max finally got an answer to one of her emails to Jesse that she liked. One that said it was alright to come over. She was in the drug store when she got it buying hair stuff, as it was time for the bi-monthly dying. Her roots had been bothering her again and so instead of sitting in the manor and staring into a mirror Max deiced it would probably be better to actually do something about it.
She put her computer back into her bag, smiling, and with two boxes of dye and peroxide in her hands, she went over to pay for things and then left the store.
Because the necessity of it had been drilled into her mind and because it was faster, Max hailed a cab and took it over to Jesse's apartment. She grinned at the doorman when she walked inside, headed straight over to the elevator and went up. She fumbled around in her bag for the keys during the ride.
It didn't phase her much when she found that Jesse wasn't home. Not after she thought about it at least. He must've thought that she was still in school this week. It was 2:15 now and Max didn't usually get out of school until 3:15. He'd be home by then, she figured. She dropped her purse on the couch, that way he'd know she was there when he got back.
Didn't take her long to decide what to do. Max took her plastic shopping bag and made her way into the bathroom. She'd been dying her hair for a few years now and knew how to do it without making a mess, even in a bathroom like this. She found some older towels and laid them out on the ground before she started mixing up the dye, pulled of her shirt and wet her hair with the shower hose. Pulling on the plastic gloves that came with the kit, Max took the tub of dye and put it up on one of the elevated counters where she could reach it and then after picking up the brush and dipping it in, she started dying.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 17:12:27
Progo hovered, invisibly. He'd avoided going out much - the incident at the bar had severely curtailed his curiosity about this world. It wasn't that he'd been punished for it, or even lost any dignity or feathers. He'd just hoped to avoid causing that much trouble, especially without a Teacher around.
But there was someone different in the apartment. Granted, he'd seen Max before, but she'd never seen him, and he'd tended to drift away whenever she'd appeared. Now, though, Jesse wasn't here (or at least, wasn't with her), and she was doing something strange in the bathroom.
Curious.
She wasn't facing him, so he materialized behind her. It wasn't until he could see a brilliant flare of white feathers and bright eyes that he remembered the purpose of the mirror. Oops. Again.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 17:26:50
Max was humming to herself as the parted her hair and brushed in the dye. She'd started just doing a touchup on the roots, but a bunch of squinting and frowning that followed had lead to a full on dye job. She had an hour anyway.
She looked up again, biting her lip as she parted another piece and then reached up to grab some more dye. Her eyes didn't turn back to the mirror until she was dabbing the brush on the edge of the tub to get rid of the excess.
She'd never been much of a screamer, but when the giant --oh god, it was like a giant ball of feathers. And eyes-- thing behind her caught her eye Max couldn't help but letting out a loud yelp.
With a gulp she turned around quickly, accidentally knocking the dye off the ledge. It seemed that the towels had been a good idea. What didn't land on the thing watching her landed all over the floor.
Max stood, eyes rather wide. She wrapped her arms around herself quickly, because that thing had a lot of eyes and even pink it was still a rather startling sight. "What... who..."
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 19:27:22
Progo opened his eyes cautiously, and started unfolding wings, one by one, even more cautiously. He uncovered three eyes, and stopped, staring wide-eyed at the mirror. If he'd had a mouth, it would've been gaping open in horror.
He was funny-colored. Pink. Like those idiotic human cherubs were pink. How atrocious. The cherubim's sheepish apology disappeared, lost in favor of shock.
Oh, he said to himself, not bothering to direct the thoughts inwards in his distracted state. Oh, no. This is not supposed to happen. That was not supposed to happen.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 19:33:38
And... now it was speaking in her head. Or at least she thought it was because there was sure no mouth that she could pick out. Unless it was covered by more feathers and eyes, which looked like it could be a possibility but she had no clue what so ever.
Max dropped the brush, still shocked, and stared at it some more. "No... I don't think this was supposed to happen. Who are you?" And why had it been staring at her. Too weird.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 19:44:53From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 19:52:05
"Whoa!" Max jerked back immediately when the flame sprouted. It wasn't a large flame, but with her experiences from the past few months still fresh in her mind, it was still a threat.
She didn't untense until she was holding the detachable showerhead and aiming it at the featherball calling himself Proginoskes. What kind of name was that anyway?
"Jesse's not here. How do you know Jesse?"
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 20:17:11
Oh, yes. Proginoskes wasn't stupid. Wet and pink feathers were clear in his idea of the future, and he really didn't want that, so the smoke went away. No more fire. Fine, he could keep his temper in check.
I... what was he? A roommate? A friend? I live here, too. He lets me stay here.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 20:27:33
Max scowled, shaking her head. "I've never seen you before." Not that that meant anything, she didn't know all of Jesse's friends but... well, this was a ball of feathers and eyes. Wouldn't Jesse have mentioned the ball of feathers and eyes he was keeping as a roommate?
She looked at all those eyes again and cringed. She really wished she was wearing a shirt. Oh well, she could always spray him in the eyes. That might work. Max kept the hose in front of her, lowered only slightly when the flame went out.
"Where'd you come from?" The bathroom door hadn't budged.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 21:34:00
It was remarkable how easily some people understood him, but it was quickly becoming apparent that many of the individuals here were already used to stranger things than normal people. If it made it easier for Proginoskes to communicate, he wasn't going to question it. Too much.
He blinked two big green eyes at her. I'm usually invisible. There was a rustle of feathers that might've been a sigh. I was created from space, and the stars. I come from them.
So much for avoiding explaining things.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 21:41:04
Oh. Great. An invisible celestial being had been apparently living in the apartment since Jesse had moved in.
This wouldn't have bothered her except for the fact that she'd been naked in this apartment. And if this thing liked to hang out in the bathroom...
Max made a face.
"You... come from the stars, alright." Really all she'd been looking for was 'I'm invisible'. That freaked her out enough by itself. "Why were you watching me? 'cause that's... really wrong."
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 22:00:03
He really didn't understand what was so weird about this. The concept of nudity - or even shirtlessness - as being something not everyone was supposed to see was foreign to him. After all, Proginoskes did not wear clothes. And it wasn't as though he found the human form particularly attractive; it was just another shape. Like shrimp.
I'm sorry? he tried, confusedly. She was the one who'd thrown dye on him. He hadn't even been doing anything. He blinked a golden eye at her, and faded out of physical form. The dye that had been on him splattered to the ground.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 22:08:10
"Yeah, sorry. Right. That doesn't-- Hey!" Had it just seriously blinked out of existance while she was talking to it?
Judging from the dye now all over the towels and part of the floor, it definitely had. Max sort of wished she'd had the chance to poke it in one of it's many eyes.
She dropped the showerhead back into the tub and looked around the room. The thing couldn't have just vanished.
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/19/2006 22:12:18
Jesse wandered in, still feeling a little haggard from all the booze he'd consumed in the past ... however many days. He'd really lost track of how much time had gone by between meeting Gregory House and when Didi had visited.
But, in general he felt better.
Considering the whole situation while sober had, indeed, turned out to be much easier to do. He'd understood more. And while it still bothered him a bit, there were a lot of new things going on, so Jesse decided to not let this one thing occupy his entire world.
Passing the couch, he spied Max's purse and smiled. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry about not being able to come over. The light was on in the bathroom, so Jesse sat on the couch to wait.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 22:18:49
It was time to make a quick exit. Even if he didn't know exactly what he'd done wrong, Proginoskes knew that he shouldn't stick around.
He bumbled his way out of the bathroom and around the apartment, finally materializing again, feathers slightly ruffled, in front of the couch.
Owl eyes blinked reproachfully at Jesse, only to be covered up by wings. Other wings shifted aside to let a pair of reptilian eyes do the staring.
Where have you been?
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 22:31:57
Max grabbed two of the towels quickly, folding them over until she could pick them up without too much of the dye getting all over the place. She set them in the corner and then moved back over to the shower.
The thing was gone now, and she realised that her head was sort of starting to sting. She rinsed quickly and didn't bother to do more than towel dry her hair afterwards.
She looked around the bathroom once more, making sure it wasn't watching her again and then slipped out, towel around her neck. She was going to have to grab her shirt before--
"Jesus Christ." Max gave her second scream of the day when she saw the thing floating out in the living room. She noticed it before she noticed Jesse.
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/19/2006 22:36:04
"Been walking. Clear my he..." Jesse stopped talking when Max screamed.
He looked curiously at Progo and then stood up.
At Max's side he caught her elbow lightly.
"What's wrong, darlin?" A glance back at Progo. Maybe he was slow, but he certainly didn't see anything to scream about.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 22:44:44
Proginoskes was perfectly fine with hovering on the other side of Jesse. One blue baby eye studied Max, while three eyes of varying animal sources watched Jesse. He didn't understand the girl at all. It wasn't like he'd been leering at her, or anything else some of the men in the bar had been doing to the women.
Blink, blink. He twirled back and forth gently, wings restless.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 22:50:37
Max pointed at Proginoskes. "That," she said as she watched its feathers and eyes move around. "The invisible ball of eyes living in the house and watching me in the bathroom."
It wasn't really the watching her in the bathroom part that was bothering Max, moreso the fact that it had scared her half to death.
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/19/2006 22:54:11
"Proginoskes. Don't call him an it." It was said a bit sternly, he knew, but he was strangely protective over the ball of wings and eyes.
"And I'm sure he wasn't watching you in the bathroom. He has no interest in things like that. Just, calm down."
Progo was clearly agitated as well. Considering Max's screaming and word choice, Jesse couldn't entirely blame him.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 23:08:34
Proginoskes twirled resentfully. It was hard to convey much emotion just through a movement like that, but it was his primary method of expressing things. Besides, there were also the lowered eyes and faintly puffed-out wings to contribute to the sense that he was not in a good mood.
Cherubim, he muttered, and two yellow eyes stared at Max. It wasn't my choice to be stuck with humans. Not my choice at all.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 23:15:27
"Okay, well maybe he wasn't watching me but he definitely snuck up behind me and I definitely don't have any dye left now." She said huffily, eyeing Proginoskes as he stared at her. He wasn't helping his case any by insulting the human race.
"I didn't actually know he was supposed to be here. ...Is he always here?"
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/19/2006 23:19:52
Jesse shrugged a little. "Pretty much. He comes and goes as he pleases. But I always assume that he's around. Sometimes he even goes where I go, if he feels like it. I'm sure that he didn't sneak up on you. Progo doesn't do that sort of thing."
Jesse didn't really count being invisible most of the time as sneaking. It was the cherubim's natural state, why shouldn't he be able to use it?
"Please, calm down, Max. He's not going to hurt you. And hairdye is easily replaced."
From: i_amangels Date: 04/19/2006 23:33:39
I don't sneak, Proginoskes practically hissed, eyes - all half a dozen of them, now - narrowing. If she wanted to stare at him, he'd stare back. With a vengeance.
One eye blinked open to glance at Jesse. Jesse seemed to be defending him, which was nice, but didn't seem to be helping with the hysteria. I said I was sorry.
From: i_assist Date: 04/19/2006 23:41:19
Yeah, he'd said he was sorry and then he'd magically disappeared. Max wanted to grumble some more. He could make fire with his... his... something. Now that she thought about it, where the heck had that fire come from.
She pulled the towel around herself a bit more before softening her face so it didn't look so much like she was glaring at Proginoskes... or, Progo, as Jesse seemed to call him. "Okay... okay. He's not gonna hurt me." She was a tiny bit paranoid, maybe. Just a little.
"Sorry," muttered towards the winged creature, just a little grudgingly.
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/19/2006 23:45:36
Jesse relaxed some and returned to the couch. Sitting was a good idea.
"Look. I didn't tell you that he was here, because I didn't particularly think it was my right. I figured that if he wanted you to know, he'd let you know. I guess ... that happened today. But he really aint goin to hurt you, okay? And he's not at all concerned with what we do, or what we look like naked. So don't worry none about that either."
He almost felt like getting a drink. But he was still trying to get the last of it out of his system.
Jesse gestured between them. "Progo, this is Max. Max, Progo. He's a cherubim, singular and no, not one of them stupid pink babies."
That about covered it, right?
He was sure that Progo had encountered Max before, just never... while visible.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/20/2006 00:03:15
Proginoskes let some of his eyes close, his own sign that he wasn't going to be picking a fight with the girl. He'd gotten panicked reactions before, but never this close, and never in a place that he'd come to think of as safe.
All because of a mirror.
Max, he repeated, nicely, and drifted a little closer, hesitantly. 'It's nice to meet you' didn't seem to work.
From: i_assist Date: 04/20/2006 00:12:43
"Progo," Max said with a nod. There wasn't really a way to shake hands with him so she settled on nodding when he came closer to her. She didn't jump back like she had before in the bathroom. The bathroom whose floor was now partially pink. "Sorry about the dye... I seriously didn't mean that." And she was sorry, both because now only one side of her head was going to look touched up, and because she figured Progo hadn't particually liked looking pink.
Max turned to Jesse then, who she was determined not to get angry with over something like this after not seeing him for a week and change. "You... er, might not want to go into the bathroom for awhile." She'd get it when they were done here. "Where've you been?"
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/20/2006 00:18:20
"Had to clear my head." Finally finishing what he'd started to say when Progo asked.
"I went out for a walk. I've been in the apartment for too long recently." He grinned at her. "What'd you do to the bathroom?"
There was the idea planeted in his mind that somehow Progo had ended up temporarily pink, and since he wasn't going to be able to get to see it, he wanted to hear about it. A little gentle prodding never hurt anybody.
From: i_amangels Date: 04/20/2006 00:34:47
It seemed like a good time for Proginoskes to make his exit. Tempers were soothed, introductions were made, and he certainly didn't wan tto stick around to hear the story.
I didn't think you did. Pause, and then, he added, almost reluctantly, I'm sorry I scared you. I just wanted to see who it was.
Eyes glanced from Max to Jesse, and then all of his wings folded in, and he disappeared again. He'd be lurking, though, just to make sure she didn't tell the story wrong...
From: i_assist Date: 04/20/2006 00:41:29
She wasn't going to lie and say she was sad to see him go, but at least now she didn't thing he was some weird ghostly spirit stalking the apartment. Or something like that.
Max stared at the spot he'd disappeared from for a moment. "I was dying my hair in the bathroom and he startled me and I knocked the dye over. There was dye all over his feathers. Some of said dye is all over the floor 'cause when he disappeared it just fell off of him. And I gotta rinse the tub." She ended with a sheepish shrug and smile. It hadn't been completely her fault.
"S'not a warzone or anything, but it's not pretty." She tugged at her damp hair hoping the lack of proper drying wasn't going to completely destroy it.
From: i_seekgod Date: 04/20/2006 00:44:54
"Glad to know nobody was hurt at all." He was still grinning.
"I'm gonna go lay down for a bit, okay? Still got some clearing to do."
Another nap would probably be good for his lag.
"When you're done cleaning and dying, you should come nap with me."
He stood up off the couch and stooped as he got to her and kissed her softly.
From: i_assist Date: 04/20/2006 00:57:12
Max grinned. "Alright." Her room at the manor would probably be cleaner if she had this sort of incentive. 'Least she wouldn't have to find her shirt now. It was probably covered in dye anyway.
"I'll be back soon." She kissed him on the cheek before turning and dashing back to the bathroom to finish up.
It made her sort of happy to find that her shirt was indeed completely covered in dye and so when she climbed into bed next to Jesse about forty minutes later it was just skin to skin, which she'd come to prefer. She settled in next to him and pulled the covers up.