Juka's life was over. In every way that mattered it was over. He was still in pain from Aura's vicious attack nearly a week ago but that wasn't even the worst part. The pain had almost become part of his person by this point, he had learned to function with it. Yes, it would have been so much easier had he been able to take something to help ease it or even to be able to rest in order to block it out of his mind if only for a few hourse, but even being denied those things he was managing to deal, even though he didn't think that it would have been possible at first.

No, the worst thing by far was the fact that he was trapped within his blasted bubble. Now, Juka had never thought that there would ever come a time when he would disparage his precious gift. It had done very well by him, allowing him to float pretty much wherever he wanted to, the ultimate freedom from the stresses of society, and ensuring that he never got cold or wet while within in. Not only that, but he never had to worry about heavy lifting because his bubbles would just lift things for him. But now that he was trapped in his bubble, that freedom had become a prison.

The problem was that Juka couldn't leave the Mansion. Not that he was really in any condition to do so at the moment anyway, being that he still had a gaping wound in his chest that was only just beginning to heal, but that wasn't the point. The point was that if he did leave peope would stare at him and although he was used to people staring at him, it was normally because he was a beautiful man in a dress. There was a difference between stares of adoration and bemused admiration and the stares that said 'you are a freak.' Those he wasn't used to and those he wasn't sure that he could deal with.

This was, in fact, the first time he had even been outside the Mansion doors during daylight since his injury, even if they only brought him out to the Mansion grounds and no further. At least the Mansion residence didn't judge him or at least not in any hurtful way, he supposed because they understood. That, and there were even more weird things to be seen than a mere man in a bubble.

It was good to be outside once again, Juka decided, even as he felt more than a little anxiety at the prospect. The world, so Aura and her actions had shown him, was not the happy friendly place he had always imagined it to be. No, it was filled with horror and hatred and discrimanation and violence and he still hadn't come to terms with that. So he took this tiny baby step outsdie of the haven of the Mansion and went out to the Mansion grounds, in view of the city street and floated up to the Mansion roof. There he remained, hovering above the rooftop and looking at the world far below him. With a dramatic sigh, he wondered if he would ever see the good side of life again or if there even truly was a good side of life to see. Perhaps it had all been an illusion.

Time had not been friends with him, not at all. Everything seemed to go rather slowly no matter what he was doing. For weeks this had been going on. Being one of the most closed in, and quiet guys at the mansion probably didn't help much. he regretted going. The people there frightened him, and he never talked to anyone much since he met a cold emotionless girl, cuddling with a rug. Therefore his time was spent normally in his room, avoiding people, and going outside. After coming to the school, he would spend much more time outside. He felt at home outside. It happened gradually, more and more since his mutation first appeared.

He had been sitting on his bed, he had been reading. Since he got there, he had so much time on his hand. When he lived at home, he would be too busy having a real life, with friends, busy with studying to do anything relaxing. It was like a horribly boring vacation, but still being good for him. Closing the book, he looked out the window. it was not such a bad day. Even though he though he had seen better days recently.

Slowly he began putting on his shoes. He glanced at himself in the reflection in the window, thinking that he needed to do something about his hair. Sighing he headed out the door, with a jacked held firmly in his arms. While walking through the hallway, down the stairs, and toward the garden, he managed to put on his jacket, and avoiding eye contact with anyone he walked past. If he could only have a friend. His stay could be so more pleasant. But a first attempt was so bad he lost the will to try again. He was after all, his worst critic.

The garden, a paradise if only one could see the beauty of reading between the lines. Sure, it was cold, a bit moist, and the leaves not pretty and green. He didn't care much for summer anyway. The chilly breeze that hit his neck, and blew in his hair, felt so great, and liberating. It was almost the best feeling in the world.

Looking up, and back at the school, he couldn't avoid seeing a guy, inside what appeared to be a bubble. He had this sad looking melancholic look to him. The guy wasn't a unknown subject around the place. Alexander had in fact overheard several conversations about a guy in a bubble. Looking up, he saw a little of himself. Perhaps he too felt the need to feel freer

With a strong gust of wind, Alexander swept up in the air, letting the air currents guide him to the roof, of course when he got to the roof, he wouldn't know what to do, once there though. Stumbling through the air, he got there, landing on the roof, trying to hold himself in place. Flying was not his strong side.

"Not planning on jumping are you" He jokingly asked the bubble guy, while trying to find a reasonable good position to place himself in, trying not to fall over. To then realize he just said the lamest thing ever. "Sorry, I'm not a good conversation starter" He added quickly.

Juka hadn't been expecting anyone to show up on the roof with him. Even in a place like the Mansion in which mutants were common, those who could fly were rather rare. He knew of his sweet Ghosty of course and perhaps his Master Kitty could be said to be able to fly as well, but aside from that he had yet to meet anyone. That's why he was so started when another man showed up on the roof with him and began speaking.

Juka jumped in startlement within he bubble as the stranger spoke. He turned aound and blinked, trying for a moment to make sense of the wordse being spoken at him. His mind had been 100 miles away and as such it took a moment for the words to register and reorganize themselves in coherent manner. The old Juka would have grinningly bowed and introduced himself eagerly, making a spectacle of it all. The new Juka didn't know how to react. The man looked harmless enough and around the same age as he himself was, but then so had Aura, hadn't she? How did one tell if someone was willing to try and kill you?

"I'm not going to jump," Juka replied with a hesatent smile, a smile that didn't quite feel natural upon his face. He wondered if he woudl ever be able to smile easily again. His innocence had been stolen and he didn't think something like that could ever be returned. Still, the stranger lived at the Mansion and he had yet to meet anyone at the Mansion who meant him harm so it couldn't hurt to be nice to him, could it?

"Its all right. I can accept that your not a good conversation starter if you can accept that I haven't really been myself lately." Juka tried another smile, this one feeling almost like it belonged there. It was a start. "I'm Juka Miami," he introduced himself, "I'd shake your hand but I haven't quite figured out how to escape my bubble." There was a note of irony in his voice. "What brings you up here?"

Alexander could see that he hadn't exactly expected anyone to join Juka on the school roof. But on the other hand, perhaps he needed someone to talk to; it was always like that in movies. Leaving the people it all focused on completely better after a good old chat. The fact that Alexander had made such a ridiculous statement made his face feel warm, and he probably blushed a bit as well. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t, I wouldn’t want to be the one to clean up after you.”

He had done it again, this time he just shook his head. “Sorry, I did it again didn’t I? I’m such a dork.” It didn’t take a psychic to understand that there was something truly deep that was going on with this guy. Alexander scratched himself over the ear, while he looked out over the garden and everything else basically. The guy had introduced himself as Yuka Miami, though the name did not seem like a name that would suit an Asian, then who was he to comment on that.

Juka had also mentioned that he could not escape his bubble, which was probably a huge disappointment. Feeling of being trapped, not doing the things one normally could do. To be nice, Alexander decided it would be best not to comment anymore on the bubble, and let things just flow.

“Well, don’t sweat about it; I’ve seen people in worse weather than you.” Again, he felt a bit stupid, but hurried to try to cover it up a bit. “I’m Alexander García” He said trying to act natural about the whole bubble thing. “I’m just roaming around like I usually do. I recently discovered that I like being outside. I guess it makes sense considering what I have become.” He paused a bit, thinking about his wording, perhaps they were a bit strange, but he decided not to worry too much about it. “I saw you here on the roof, and I though, hey, there’s a loner, and I’m a loner, why not like just do something like talk or something.” He tried saying, while smiling, though it only felt awkward, and a bit crazy.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a crazy, crazy or anything. I just have difficulties getting to know people, but I’m guessing I’m not all that bad. I used to have a lot of friends before I got here, so it’s not like I’m super weird or anything.” He didn’t smile, thinking it was best to calm down a few hundred percent. “Anyways, what brings you here on the roof? You don’t have to answer it though; I have a pretty good sense on why.” Alexander smiled, but again it felt awkward and he felt his face turn warm again.

There was something sweet and endeering about Alexander's social awkwardness. Even with Juka's new, darker view of the world and his newfound distrust of people, he found it difficult not to want to trust the boy. He offered him a tentative smile. "Don't worry, even if I did jump I'd just sort of float gently to the ground. I'm not sure I'd be able to kill myself that way even if I wanted to." And despeite everything that had happened to him recently, he wasn't sure that he wanted to die just then. He wanted to punish Aura for what she had done, both for his own sake and for the sake of the countless people she had killed. That and, despite the current difficulties that his power was giving him, he did want to learn more about what it could not do.

"You're not a dork," Juka said with a soft laugh. He felt the urge to comfort him and it was an unfamiliar sensation. He knew that in his entire life he had been a selfish creature and, if he was rarely mean to others, he also didn't much care to help them either. But his encounter with Aura had, it seemed, changed him even more than he thought.

"Oh, I know there are those around here in worse shape than me," Juka agreed. "And its not really that bad, I guess. I mean, I can still function pretty much normally." He demonstrated by sending out a tendril and bubbling a rock. He then retracted the tendril, bringing the rock inside the confines of his main bubble. "And I can float wherever I want to. I'm just not used to the way that everyone stares at me like I'm some kind of freak." Much to his horror he felt tears brimming up to the surface as a pround sense of self-pitty washed over him, but managed to suppress them.

"What you've become?" Juka asked, changing the subject to one that was much safer. "What have you become? You look normal to me. And I'm not usually a loner," Juka said with a dramatic sigh. "Its just the last week..."

For a second time Juka laughed softly, a laugh of genuine amusement and bereft of anything resembling cruelty. "Oh I don't think you're crazy at all, or super weird for that matter. I mean come on, you are talking to a guy floating in a bubble wearing a dress right?" He tried to cheer of Alexander. It didn't seem right that such a sweet person should feel so bad about himself. "And I just came out here to think. When I'm feeling particularly meloncholy and don't want to deal with the world I go floating. You'd be surprised at the peace of mind you can find way up here."

“See, I didn’t even think about that bubble. Sure it wouldn’t burst when you hit the ground? What if you like dropped yourself from like an airplane?” Was it just him, or did he start sounding like he wanted Juka to jump? Hopefully Juka wouldn’t catch on, that would be awkward. His eyes shifted from Juka to the garden, where he often just kept his eyes focused, while he occasionally glanced over at Juka. “But I am a real dork sometimes though; I can’t handle a conversation, even when it’s so easy. I guess it’s always like that when you meet new people, don’t you think?”

It was nice to hear Juka laugh a little; it all felt a bit better that he could take everything so easily, even though he probably felt otherwise. Life inside a bubble all seemed safe as well, where people couldn’t get to you. Watching Juka used his powers to pick up a rock. Alexander looked at Juka, reassuring that he found it way awesome. “You’ll get over the fact that people stare here, I’ve seen people with worse problems than you. I don’t think you’re a freak.” He smiled; because he knew himself that they were all freaks to some people, no matter what they looked like.

“A mutant, I’ve become a mutant.” He paused, seeing Juka made it all seem so little, though it felt so big to him. “It’s not like being a mutant haven’t left a mark, I used to have brown eyes, and now look.” He pointed to his eyes, now a clear sky blue color. “They’re totally different, I’m not going to complain too much, it could be worse, but I do miss my old eye color sometimes.” He felt like such an idiot, here he sat next to a guy floating in a bubble, and all he could complain about was having blue eyes. It was clear he needed classes on how to properly talk to strangers.

“I didn’t really mean loner as in loner I think, more like you were alone at this moment.” Though, he did decorate it a bit, he did hope he was some kind of loner. But you can’t always have what you wish for. Alexander took a small pause, last week, what had happened last week? Should he pry and ask? Or should he kindly just ignore the matter? “Last week? I guess something not good happen? Oh and thanks for not thinking I’m crazy, I think I’m a bit crazy, just not in the same way I guess.”
Alexander smiled, he did want to laugh, but it didn’t seem appropriate. “I noticed the dress, but I thought I’d be nice and not comment on it.” He stopped smiling, and looked out on the garden again. “I love coming out in the garden, but I never really go on the roof, I don’t think it is exactly allowed, but who cares anyway?” He smiled again. He felt that he was finally able to relax more, even though he was up on a roof.

"I guess if I was unconcious or something I'd probably just splatter all along the ground," Juka answered. It struck him as an odd direction for the conversation to go, but at least he was conversing and not just remaining alone with his brooding thoughts. That was most certainly a step in the right direction. "But otherwise I can just make sure I don't hit the ground. Its like levitation or something." Strange how he had never had to explain how his power worked before.

"You seem to be doing just fine conversing with me." Juka tried to be as supportive as possible. It seemed that, perhaps, helping others, even in such a small way, might be part of the healing process. He knew it wouldn't help his body but his mind had been shattered just as much as his body and it was more inclined to be unlikely to heal on its own. If he could only do something to prove his worth, if he could find someone that was worth proving it too, then perhaps he could start the emotional healing process.

"Don't feel bad about being a mutant." Juka wished he could give Alexander a supportive hug; something he would have done at any other time. Unfortunately his bubble made that rather impossible. "What we do makes us special, its nothing to be ashamed of. And you have to think about your eyes as the price for your powers, whatever they might be. Nothing comes for free and I'm sure if you consider all that they've given you, its worth that price right?" His words were for Alexander, to help him come to terms with what he was and he was taking the chance in assuming they were true. But, Juka realized, they were also words for himself. Given all that his powers had gifted him with, was it so bad to be trapped in his bubble for a while? Even with the pain of his injury? Eventually he must surely find a way out, maybe once he was healed and then it would all be worth it. It was a relief to come to that realization and he smiled encouragingly at Alexander.

"I was attacked by someone," Juka answered sadly. "It was someone I thought was a friend. She was...trying to kill a human and I tried to stop her. It didn't work out so well for me." It was a difficult subject to speak about so he changed it after giving the most brief explanation he could. "And you most assuredly need not feel shy about commenting on my dress. After all, I do my best to look fabulous so what's the use of no one notices?" He grinned and curtsied, although the curtsy was somewhat stiff given the pain of his wound. For that moment, at least, he felt almost like his old self again.

"I'm sorry, it was a lame thing to say, dropping out of an aircraft, it's not like you'd ever do that." His eyes refocused around the garden view multiple times. He could never really focus on one thing when something felt a bit uncomfortable. "Thanks for saying that, but my conversational skills are still on the chopping block I'm afraid. I never know what to say to someone, so I can randomly blurp out something random because I really have issues with uncomfortable silences."

Alexander pulled his jacked down his back as it had annoyingly slid up his back as he kept adjusting his sitting position. He didn't show much emotion in his face normally, and this was no exception. Though he smiled, he rarely meant it. Something in him just couldn't be happy for the little things, instead he would be happy when there was a real reason to be happy. Being sad however seemed to be an emotion that just grew stronger and stronger as he aged and his mind matured. He looked at Juka, he couldn't help but to feel that the whole setting seemed so off. He rarely ever spoke to other Asians, and this one was most likely well known to his own home country and its cultures. But himself, knew nearly nothing about his origin.

"Everything changes when you become a mutant, you live ordinary lives, you know there are mutants, but normally one wouldn't go around thinking that you are one too." He paused for a second, a short enough pause not to let Juka be able to butt in. "When I first knew for sure, I felt sad, but also a bit glad. I mean, sad that there would be a lot more problems in my life, like there wasn't enough going on when you're a teenager, and I was glad that I too had special powers like who didn't dream about being a superhero when they were young?" He wanted to smile a little, but he couldn't, instead he just sighed a little as he looked up at the sky. "But I guess we all get by in the end somehow, most at least."


"Attacked? That's awful" Alexander quickly managed to add, being attacked by unknown people was bad, but it always hurt more when it was done by someone you think is your friend. "I'm sorry about it." Alexander did not say anything more about it. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, he barely even knew who Juka was, yet alone know how he was feeling. Perhaps talking about it would just make it feel like it was all happening again, and Alexander didn't want to be responsible for that.

Before Alexander was even finished thinking, Juka had already changed the subject. It probably meant that they should not continue to discuss the attack, but instead focus on weird fashion choices. "Fine, then might I say that I wouldn't go with a dress like that with your figure, it makes you look more drag than fab to be honest. Designer clothes doesn't always mean that it'll look good either." This was the sort of thing that would make him feel more pleased, looking down on people's clothes.