We Learn By The Risks We Live By

The Brooklyn bridge, 5,989 feet long, 85 feet wide, 135 feet above see level and currently holding Zane Bliss by the very edges of it's mass. Quite the strange site indeed, he would be sitting on the lip of bridge, legs dangling of the edge. Only a foot or so of room would be spared for him to sit on, what with the fence and all there to stop would be jumpers from making a leap to their death. While Zane was no such man, he would most likely appear that way to any passerby's. He only hoped that a traveling police officer didn't see him dangling on the bridge, lest he be arrested and taken to a mental ward.

In fact his visit was quite the contrary, he wasn't hanging out on the bridge seeking death but life. You see, this was how he lived, the fuel that kept him going, without these risks he would be nothing but the shell of a man. Everywhere he went, he made sure it had the necessary thrills to meet his adrenaline fix. Luckily this city had more then enough to keep him busy. Things like Buildings, subways, busy streets, playgrounds, light poles and most importantly bridges.

What a lovely thing bridges were, not just big and dangerous but some of the most deadly things around. If he fell of a building, assuming he couldn't simply roll out of the fall, then he would nearly be guaranteed something to grab on to or rebound off to slow his fall. Not with bridges though, no matter what he did, if he fell off one of those he'd be dead for sure. The height was immense and there was nothing around for him grab on to out of reflex. Even the ground was roll proof, the second he would strike the water his bones would shatter and leave him to slowly drown.

Not that he wanted to die, but the imminent risk of certain death was somewhat alluring to him. The fact that even the slightest misstep would guarantee him the ultimate consequence was almost intoxicating. He wished that everyone could see the way that he saw things. Then maybe the world would be a more exciting place to live in. It wasn't though and that was something he could deal with. As long as he had something big to climb on or something dangerous to fall on he'd be just fine.

One thing he did want right now was some companionship. While dangling on the cusp of a nearly four hundred foot fall was fun, he would love to have someone to talk to. Not only would it distract him enough to make hanging above the water a bigger thrill but it's always fun to see someones face when your putting your life on the line. The dropped jaw, bulgy eyes and failed attempts at tricking you back to where it's boring. Nothing seemed more fun to him that that right now.

That was what he forgot to calculate in, however, the fact that everyone passing him was in a car. That pretty much guaranteed that he wouldn't have the chance to talk to anyone. I mean, who would even notice him sitting there behind the fence with a windshield and other cars in front of them. He feared if someone didn't walk by soon he would be stuck hanging around all day waiting for a nice conversation. This in and off itself would kill the buzz he was getting.

Until then though he would sit where he was, hanging on the edge staring downward into the deep blue sea. Shoeless feet swaying in the open space while the soft cold wind licked at his fresh skin. Hair pushed ever so gently, the short length of it would prevent it from getting in his eyes. His shirtless chest was braced ever so much, long used to cold weather. Blue Jeans, tight enough to hold his waist but still loose enough for his legs to breath, adorned him. Everything was set up perfectly for this evening to go well, as long as the fates permitted it.

Playing innocent was entertaining, and boring at the same time. Pix was starting to do things, that she would sooner eat another person for and it made her sick. so that's why she was doing what she was doing today.

Petunia had discized herself in one of her common bug forms, a house fly, and with a herd of other house flies, to nestle together in hopes of keeping herself warm, she'd hitched a ride on the right rear view mirror, of a duel cab pick up truck. The shell like holder of the mirror protected pix, and her companions from the harsh winds the truck picked up, and gave her shelter from the cold it caused as well. Mean while the elevated view gave her a good idea of where the truck had recently been and how fast they were traveling. The views so happened to include the man on the bridge that the truck war rumbling over, about to end his own life.

Oh hot Jimmity Coool! and perfect timing too. In this little tiny body, Petunia was starting to feel hungry. Fast metabulism equals a tiny creature that must snack often.

So petunia and her flying followers zipped out from the cover of the mirror. It took a moment for her wings to catch up with the inertia of the truck, combined with the wind, witch made her fly backwards for a few feet before she had full air born control. Then she made a B-line for the shoulder of the said individual who seemed about ready to end his life. The flies followed her, skimming their wing tips around him to make them selves annoying, and they waited...

and waited...

and waited some more....

Oh come on and go splat already!

Well then. Petunia would just have to try and help this one along. Petunia's tiny little fly body contorted for a second or two before she zipped behind this person and the bug form began to grow. only the hint of Petunia's shadow, cast over this individual, showed him the change, just like, thanks to the fence, She was hidden from the people driving accross the bridge, except for those in very high trucks. Within a few seconds there was a girl with long dragon fly wings, hovering behind him. her black hair floating on the breeze that the wings picked up, and her slanted green eyes blinking, to get the moisture going, that a fly's eye just doesn't need.

in mid shift, The fading fly shell bubbled, then moth wings broke through Pix's flesh, just by pushing through it, and the pores of skin stretched, to let them through, then shrank back so no one would ever know something came through. The moths formed a design over her, with their different colors so it looked like Pix was wearing a long sleeved leatard, or a fancy ice skating outfit. her toe nudged the man in the shoulder. "Aren't you done yet?"

Dreary, dreary, dreary, that was what this day was truly becoming. Something of a monotonous bore, which is saying quite a bit when one's dangling on the cusp of death itself. It was true though, there really was no thrill with simply putting oneself close to the abyss any longer. Even in circumstances such as these when a single error would result in certain demise. It was because he knew, deep within himself, that a single error would not occur without intervention of outside forces. Considering that he had no reason to think that any certain deity was "beefing" with him, this seemed rather unlikely. Oh how he wished and wished for another to join him this afternoon, but as they say, a Wish is simply a Wish, or was it.

Just as all hope seemed lost for him to encounter another, a body shocking nudge would be felt. The type of stir that would send most flying off the edge of the bridge into the watery depths. This wouldn't be the case for Zane, however, the push would not go unnoticed in the least. His heart would leap in fear as he subconsciously caught his balance before it was lost. Unrecognizable to the naked eye, his feet had moved milla-inches following the startling surprise. Not alot by regular standards, when one's footing can be compromised by merely three or four though this because a mind boggling amount.

Subsequently after regaining his footing on the steel girder that held him, he would turn his head thusly. What would catch his eyes next was somewhat of a nearly unexplainable oddity. Something so strange and paranormal that it would take him a few moments alone to simply process it. A violation of all established laws of what classified someone as a Homosapian and a clear indication that either he was in the presence of another mutant or he had gone bat shit insane from staring into the ocean for so long.

Standing, well, fluttering before him was some odd amalgamation of insect and human. A girl looking to be around ten years old from from her frame alone. This couldn't have been the case though with the five piercings lodged in each ear, even more so when one notices the sole piercing on her nose. Judging by her overall appearance he would make her out to be around fifteen or sixteen years old and incredibly under developed at that. The oddest thing of all though was the dragon fly like wings that protruded from her back, pulsingly keeping her airborne.

It was this characteristic that would leave Zane wondering what the hell she was. Although he would quickly conclude that she was either a science project gone awry, an awful hallucination caused by some deep down bug fetish he never knew he had or she was a mutant. Considering he hadn't heard anything in the news about escaping bug girls and he wasn't really into teenage girls, he figured she had to be a Homo Superior. An odd one to boot, he had never seen anything quite like this before. What with the wings and the swarm of flies around her.

He to was a mutant though, on top of that he was adverse to any type of judgementalism. He would greet her the same way he would greet any person who had come to answer his plea to the gods. All in all, even if he had been a close minded mutant hater, she was still someone he could talk to, which is all he really wanted right now. As they say, beggars can't be choosers and in this circumstance he most certainly was the beggar.

"Aren't you done yet?"

What was she implying with that comment, was she suggesting that he could possibly be ready to leap to his death. What a hilarious idea indeed that was, that Zane "Wish" Bliss had come out upon this day to cast aside his life in the murky depts of the dirty East River. Even if he was going to kill himself, why would he choose this polluted waste of water to be his final resting place. No, despite what it seemed like, he wouldn't be out here to cut the string of life on good old Wish.

""You implyin dat I'm out 'ere to en' my life deary. Why it couldn' be further from da trufe. I'm out 'ere to live life, feel a nice breeze from da blue sea's yah know. Really push it to da limit, see how far I can go. Real ques'in is what's a small lass like you doin out 'ere."

While it was obvious that she tempted no fates with a falling death, it was still odd that she was floating around the bridge at all. Even more so that she was waiting, ney hoping, for him to cast himself off into the see, from the sound of her tone and word usage at least. Hopefully he'd be able to get a good conversation out of the gal before she took her flying elsewhere. At the very least find out why she wanted to see him sink so badly.

"Ah Life and living." What a boring response. Stupid too if you asked Pix. "How philosophical of you." pix Said as she passed his shoulder giving him a nice hardy thwap between the shoulder blades that was normally a symbol of good job.. .. .. Well it was hardy for her. she had almost no upper body strength.

Petunia landed on the bar, light on her feet. Her wings only buzzing or clacking now and then to catch her balance because for some reason moving them took less energy than moving her feet. And having wings were pretty damn cool. you have to admit that. Go on. Admit it's awesomeness!

"What I'm doing here." Petunia said with a flourish of her right hand indicating the bridge then herself. "I was just joyriding on the inside of a, errr.... Truck." Petunia's hand poved up above her head and she darted up off, to hover four of five feet above the metal, in the air to indicate the size of the truck. Of course Pix neglected to mention that she was actually riding in the rear view mirror of the truck. that would just be absurd. And involve a little more explaining of her powers. Trust me. things were just easier this way.

"hey. If you really want to live, I know this farm a few miles away. They let the bull sleep outside with the cows. Cow tipping is like Russian roulette. That could be living."

"Ah, life and living, how philosophical of you"

The young girl would retort back at him. That put a smile on his face, he liked knowing that she was actually listening to what he said. Then something rather unexpected would occur, a mild collision between her hand and his shoulder blade. Quite weak indeed, most likely due to her under developed body. It looked as though she had gone weeks without eating. This was aside the point, however, she had nearly knocked him clean off the edge of the bridge. Despite how weak she was, there was only about a foot of clean space to stand on and if he lost even half of it, he'd be taking a rather gruesome plunge.

His body would lean forward with the smack, but, thanks to his years of training he would reflexively bend his knee's and lean back slightly to quickly regain it. The gesture itself was quite confounding, was she merely congratulating him for his insightful ideology or was there a more sinister means behind this. Only time and observation would tell if she was trying to befriend or kill him, for now he would give her the benefit of the doubt and remain her with her.

"What I'm doing here, I was just joyriding on the inside of a, errr.... Truck."

She would say with a slight pause before truck. Then using a combination of hand and body movements, the gal would show how big the truck was after making a hand motion to signify the bridge. This girl was quite odd indeed, yet still playful, a good combination to say the least. There was still a question unanswered though, why was she waiting for him to jump. It didn't seem from her current diction that it was out of concern. In his mind, it was more likely then not that she was hoping to see him go splat this evening.

"Hey. If you really want to live, I know this farm a few miles away. They let the bull sleep outside with the cows. Cow tipping is like Russian roulette. That could be living."

Now there was an idea, something he had actually never done before. Not in any country he had resided in had cow tipping been popular. Now that he was in America, perhaps he should give it a try. It seemed fun and exciting enough, in fact just a few weeks prior he had seen a movie that included a scene where two boys were "tipping cows". They would then proceed to escape and continue there hijinks elsewhere, but the overall idea on how it's done got through to him.

""Oi, I've neva been cow tippin before. Jumped off rock faces, flipped t'rough busy traffic, even body surfed down a pyr'mid once. Now that was a bloody fun time. Neva in my life doh 'az I been cow tippin. De're's bulls to yah say. Like wit tah 'orns and such? I can't belive I neva tought of it before. 'Ey I got an even betta idea, why do'n chu join me. Could be a nice spotta action in it for yah"

It really did sound exciting to him and perhaps he would get the chance to learn a little bit more about this girl. Nothing would help him find out whether she was lingering around for his death better then something that put it right into both there faces. Then again most girls around the age of fifteen as she appeared to be would be far to squeamish to attempt such an ordeal. Who knows though, if she did come it could really end out being an adventure.

oh Petunia liked this man. she liked him a lot. If she couldn't get him to kill himself for her enjoyment on the bridge, then maybe she could just keep talking him into doing dangerous things till he did go splat, just like one of her bugs that she loved so much and at the same time, were so replaceable.

Petunia nodded, Smiling brightly now that her idea sounded so good to this young man. "Some of them have had the horns removed, but they still charge and generally look bulkier. horns or no horns, 2000 lbs of bull powering down on you still hurts. I mean, there's a chance that you could get crushed alive!" Wasn't that wonderful? Petunia with held a giggle from escaping through her lips.

Petunia's heart started racing at the thought of coming along for the excitement. She liked the idea a lot and now that he was so open to trying things that would make him live more, she wondered if she could talk him into going out on other adventures or dares, should he servive the current one.

"Of course I'd like to come with you." Petunia's happy face twisted into a lop sided smile and her eyes widened on her next thought. "Oh" She practically jumped as her shoulders stiffened with the excitement of the next thought. "Would you like to make this little evening a little more interesting?"