A nice warm spring breeze gently played with the untucked green and gold striped polo shirt and the blue jeans as Erick walked slowly through Central Park. The sun was just beginning its descent past the horizon and the weather was quite nice. His black boots made barely any noise as they contacted the fresh spring grass. Erick rubbed his right thumb around the small obsidian mirror that hung around his neck, as he often did when deep in thought, barely missing rather obvious tree.

He had just come from a gathering of a local Pagan group. A bunch of flower child freaks in Erick's opinion, and not a group that Erick wanted to be apart of. But it was their words that had him soul searching, not their lack of actual faith, or knowledge on real Wicca. It had been when the so called High Priestess asked all the new comers what their magickal speciality was. Of course everyone claimed to have the Second Sight to some degree and then some other gift, passed down from generation to generation back to the Gods knew when. "A bunch of fluff and foolishness to be honest." Erick thought as he listened to each person prattle off their magickal lineage leading back to Merlin or some other mythical figure.

When it came to Erick, he showed the group his gift; afterall, they would understand and appreciate true magick. So he showed them what he could do, creating a shield around him self, pouring his strength into it to make sure they could see the silver blue haze that always appeared when he used his gift. "I can use etherics to help protect people, and things. I make one etheric repel another so the two people cant touch." Erick declared proudly, releasing his concentration and letting the haze dissipate as his energy pattern returned to normal. The reaction he received however took him by total surprise.

The High Priestess could only stare at him, cupping her hand in the air as if trying to ascertain where the shifting haze had come from, and where it went. A few of the members looked at him in terror, one in awe but most looked highly disgusted. The Hgh Priestess of the group quietly informed Erick that her coven did not accept Mutant members, and blessed him in the name of the Gods before turning her back to him and moving her group elsewhere.

Erick stood there confused for quite sometime before turning away, eyesbrows furrowed deep in thought. He was not a mutant, he couldn't be. His was a gift from Gods and those people were just jealous.

"I can't be a mutant. Mutants look different and they do different stuff. I just protect things using their etherics. I don't shoot fire or climb walls, or make mountains or anything like that." Erick thought, trying desperately to convince himself. "Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders, they did stuff like me, healing people calling on spirits, even protecting people, and they weren't mutants. They were Witches and so am I..."

So deep in thought, frustration, and fear was Erick that he didnt even notice the silvery blue haze was forming around him once again as he walked through the park. The haze was slightly visible, not fully formed as the energy was just sporatic because of Erick's mental state, and not actively creating dissonance of any other energy source.

Central park was such a nice place to visit this time a year, with all of the green treese and grass and all of the lovely people wandering the paths. Well, actually central park was a nice place to visit any time of year but at this time in particular Juka was fond of it because he didn't need his bubble to keep warm. Often he made nocturnal trips to Central park, bubbel and all, late enough so that people wouldn't see him or comment on his mutation, but this was a rare daytime trip and he even made it bubble-free. Or at least, once he got to central park he unbubbled but it wasn't really cheating if he happened to float here instead of taking a taxi like a normal person, was it? He certainly thought not.

Juka hadn't come to central park for any particular reason beyond wanting to enjoy that warm, sunny spring day and, perhaps, meet someone interesting. There was, however, a thought that had been nagging him for days and that was regarding how exactly he might go about testing his new bubbly powers. He knew they had something to do with time but beyond that, nothing. What could they be that allowed him to stave off the need for sleep and sustinence, made wiggly hair (though that might have had more to do with the fact that it was an experiment on a mutant than his own powers acting up) and solidifying metal far faster than metal was supposed to solidify? Thus his current thought that maybe a flower or a plant might be the perfect test subject to test the bounds of his bubbles. It was alive but not sentient and, to the best of his knowledge, wouldn't complain if it suddenly became wiggly. Now that was an experience that he most definately wanted to avoid repeating.

Juka might have missed the man who he vaguely recognized from his recent show except for one fact and that fact had to do with the fact that he appeared to be glowing a faint blue colour. Indeed, he may have missed that anyway and almost did. Walking past the man he didn't recognize the signs of mutation immediately but, after a belated recognition, turned around to stare at the man with the blue haze around him. "Are you aware that you're glowing?" Juka asked, raising his voice just enough for the man to hear.

Erick continued walking, his mind racing in the downward spiral of self questioning. His mind constantly flipped from absolute faith in his religion, to questioning that faith, doubting himself, and wondering about his power. The more he thought about it, the more his once unshakable faith began to crack, the more he became angry and afraid.

>>>"Are you aware that you're glowing?"

Someone said. Erick continued walking for two seconds before his mind registered that this comment must be directed at him. His eyes then began to focus on the blue haze that was surround him and he gasped, his mind snapping back to reality and the haze dissipating with the breeze.

Erick dropped his hand from the obsidian charm at his neck as he turned to look at who called out to him. He saw a young man with far eastern traits looking at him with an expression of inquisition. Erick paused, starring back at the young man, searching his face for any other emotion wondering if he would hate him for being a mutant too. He looks vaguely familiar to me. Erick thought. My mind must have really been gone for me not to have sensed this guy or to notice my gift activating. What do I say, what do I do now?

"Um...I'm quite sure...that you are mistaken." Erick said, trying to laugh the situation off, but not successfully hiding his fear.

"Um...I'm quite sure...that you are mistaken."

Juka blinked at the man? Was he serious? Did he really think that Juka would just walk away with the words that he must be mistaken? He wasn't about to question his own view of the world just because of the hesitant words of one strange man. Strange not only because he was glowing but also because he appeared not to even realize that he was speaking to the same man that he had seen at the show not so long ago. True Juka wasn't nearly as dressed up as he was that night, but how many Asian men in dresses were really seen around the city?

"Its ok," Juka assured him. "I don't mind that you're a mutant." That must be the problem, right? That he was concerned about how someone might react that he was a mutant? So many mutants were worried about that, it was a sad state really. "You don't need to be afraid of me or anything. I'm not going to, I don't know, give you up to the authorities or anything." Not that the authorities would really do anything just because he was a mutant. Would they? So many of Juka perceptions of the world had been turned upside down recently that he really didn't want to test it.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm a mutant too," Juka stated, always proud of that fact and why shouldn't he be? If it turned out the stranger was hostile and worst came to worst he could always just bubble and float away, no harm done.

>>> "I don't mind that you're a mutant. You don't need to be afraid of me or anything. I'm not going to, I don't know, give you up to the authorities or anything." The guy said with the same quizzical expression.

"I'm not a ..." Erick began and then stopped. Could he finish that sentence with any truth or even belief in those words. He couldn't say that he wasn't afraid because he was. And he couldn't say he wasn't a mutant because he did not know the truth of that statement.

Erick just continued to look at the guy, his hand going to the obsidian mirror dangling at his neck in a motion of comfort.

>>>"If it makes you feel any better, I'm a mutant too,"

Erick swallowed hard at this revelation. "You...you have a..a gift too?" he asked slowly.

In all of Erick's twenty three years on this earth he had never met someone with a special ability like him all his information on this mutant phenom came from other Noble families, and blue bloods did not take well to abnormalities of any kind. That's where Erick's belief that all mutants looked different came from. And while the young man in front of him may be dressed...exotically to say the least, he didn't look different.

What made Erick wonder even more was the fact that the man seemed to be proud of his mutant status. "You're a mutant?" Erick asked again.

"I'm not a ..."

Juka shook his head sadly at the almost denial of reality. It was so very sad that someone could deny something not only obvious but also wonderful. Why were people so ashamed to be who and what they were? It wasn't a bad thing at all to be a mutant, it was a gift and should be treated as such. Sure it sometimes made life a little on the difficult side, but no gift came completely free. If that was the price that needed to be paid than so be it.

"You...you have a..a gift too?"

Juka nodded, glad to say that, perhaps, the man might be coming around. "I create floating bubbles. I'd show you but you don't seem like you really want the attention." See, Juka was learning that some people didn't like it when other people stared. Sure it might be something that he reveled in, more often than not, but not everyone did. Plus, not everyone could float away if bad things started to happen. When it came to fight or flight, Juka knew when flight was the best answer.

"You're a mutant?"

Another nod. "And proud of it. We've been given these gifts for a reason, they're nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide from." It didn't matter that the stranger hadn't yet technically admitted that he was a mutant, in Juka's mind he was and that was all that mattered. He extended a hand for shaking. "Juka Miami."

Erick listened to the young man talk about his ability and being a mutant as if it were an every day occurance, and could only stare in disbelief and wonder. He acts as if this is nothing. Erick thought. No, not nothing, he acts like this is something to be celebrated, shouted from the roof tops and put in the national papers.

Erick was glad however that the guy did not display his ability. He didnt want to bring anymore attention to himself. Only the gods knew how many other people had seen his own display of power and thought gods know what.

>>>He extended a hand for shaking. "Juka Miami."

Erick looked at the extended hand for a moment. Decorum dictated that he shake the mans hand, to ignore would be a great disrespect. However Erick was still a little frightened, as much as he hated to admit it. What if the guy was lying and he could kill with a touch or something. Or what if he really wasnt a mutant, and simply want to hurt Erick. Trusting himself once more to gods he was no longer sure existed or cared about him Erick took Juka's hand in his own with a firm grip and shook, inclining his head slightly.

"I am Erick Jamall DeKatherine, Heir Apparent of the Noble House of DeKatherine." Erick said, giving his formal title, as he often did when first meeting someone. Though with this new revelation that he may be a mutant, he wasnt too sure if he was going to be heir of anything anymore.

Juka noted the hesitance in shaking his hand and tried his best not to be hurt by it. He was pretty sure it was nothing personal anyway, so there wasn't any reason to be hurt, right? Still, he couldn't help but feel a little pang even if his handshake was eventually accepted. Were things in the world really so bad that even mutants distrusted one another? It appeared so and he supposed it was because of mutants like Abyss who went around killing in order to enforce their own versions of justice. The world was a dark place and all he wanted was to make it just a little bit brighter.

"I am Erick Jamall DeKatherine, Heir Apparent of the Noble House of DeKatherine."

Juka blinked at the long title. "You sound like someone important." It was probably a stupid thing to say but it was better than the first inclination he had which was to make up a title of his own on the spot which would probably have something to do with being a bubble master extraordinaire and a super hero of epic proportions. He didn't know much about noble houses or nobility in general, but he didn't want to take the risk that his words would be taken as some sort of mockery.

"So what brings an important person like yourself to New York?" Juka began walking, gesturing that Erick should follow him. It was always exciting meeting a new person, but he did still want to experience the park from a rare position on the ground. Who knew when the next time would be that he'd be able to do so?

>>>"You sound like someone important."

At this Erick smiled a bit. "I guess that you could say that I am a person of interest" he said. He didn't really know how to explain to Juka what it was to be noble. Most Americans did not understand the concept of Noble lineage. In Erick's opinion the only two people to ever come from the America's and understand and examplify true Nobility were Jackie Onassis and Michelle Obama.

>>>"So what brings an important person like yourself to New York?" Juka began walking

Erick hesitated a moment before beginning to follow Juka, a few paces behind him. "I have been here for a little over three years now. I needed to leave home, to get away from some things." Erick said, trying not to let the emotions tied with home and the reason he had to leave take him over. "New York City seemed like as a good a place as any for me to come to, to make new memories, to over shadow those of home. The Gods know I wish I was there, and no here but...I just cant go back right now"

Not that I think I will ever be able to go back now with these new revelations. A witch in the family is one thing. But a mutant is something totally different. The one proud lineage of the House of DeKatherine now stained with mutation. No one would every want to marry into the family again, for fear of birthing another mutant. Erick thought to himself as tears began to fill his eyes as fear and anger swept through him again, along with a desperate need to see his mother.

Erick sighed pushing those depressing feelings to the back of his mind to release at a later time, when he was alone. "What about you?" he asked Juka

"I guess that you could say that I am a person of interest"

Juka was curious, no doubt about it. He seemed to recall some vague information that he had read during high school about nobility but honestly didn't even realize that nobles still existed. He had a sudden and almost uncontrollable desire to ask if Erick had a crown and a scepter but managed to quell the impulse. Barely.

"I have been here for a little over three years now. I needed to leave home, to get away from some things. New York City seemed like as a good a place as any for me to come to, to make new memories, to over shadow those of home. The Gods know I wish I was there, and no here but...I just cant go back right now"

Juka sighed sadly. Why was it that so many mutants that he had met had pasts that prevented them from going home again? Himself included, unfortunately, though as far as he was aware his family didn't even know that he was a mutant. His own excommunication had more to do with the fact that he dressed in woman's clothing than the fact that he had super powers. "I'm sorry to hear that. But you know, New York really isn't all that bad. There are many interesting people here and lots of interesting things to do. You just have to take what life gives you and roll with it. If you spend all your time moping you'll never be happy, right?" Even though he was a total stranger, Juka still felt the impulse to try and make him feel better. That was just what he did.

"What about you?"

"I come from your typical rich Japanese family," Juka stated, dismissively. "My father was was a successful and very wealthy businessman and my mother was a housewife. They didn't appreciate my, shall we say, uniqueness and so gave me a bunch of money and told me to leave." He shrugged as if it didn't bother him and usually it didn't. Usually. "So I came here to live out my dreams and live my life." There wasn't any bitterness there at all. OK, so maybe there was a little bitterness there but he was trying his best not to feel it. Not much he could do about his situation after all, right?

>>>"I'm sorry to hear that. But you know, New York really isn't all that bad. There are many interesting people here and lots of interesting things to do. You just have to take what life gives you and roll with it. If you spend all your time moping you'll never be happy, right?"

Erick thought about this a little, also wondering why Juka was so interested in his mental state. From his own epxperiences people in New York were only interested in themselves, but Juka. seemed different.

>>>"My father was was a successful and very wealthy businessman and my mother was a housewife. They didn't appreciate my, shall we say, uniqueness and so gave me a bunch of money and told me to leave." He shrugged as if it didn't bother him and usually it didn't. Usually. "So I came here to live out my dreams and live my life."

Erick smiled a bit. The Gods knew he knew all about being accepted by ones family. Plenty of eccentric noble children had been shipped here or there so as not to embarass the family. Fortunately in this day and age Erick's sexuality was not such a big deal, especially in London, and his family had been very accepting. Dont know how they are going to take their beloved son being a mutant though he thought to himself.

>>>"So I came here to live out my dreams and live my life."

"And what dreams might those be, if I might ask?" Erick questioned, wondering what it could be that Juka most wanted in life. And also a little interested to see how different a mutant might be from a normal human. Maybe he wanted world domination or some such thing. Which might not be such a bad idea if I am a mutant Erick thought.

He continued following Juka around the park, his mind only partially on his surroundings and the conversation. Another part of him, not matter how hard he tried to quiet it, was raging at the injustice of being a mutant, afraid of how his family and the world would react, and highly upset at the gods for allowing this to happen, if they even existed.

"And what dreams might those be, if I might ask?"

"Oh, that's easy," Juka answered, grinning. Speaking about his dreams was so much more pleasant than speaking about his family. His dreams he was pursuing, having a blast at and even a moderate amount of success. In the eyes of his family, on the other hand, he was a failure as a son and an embarrasment. It didn't matter to thim one bit that he was actually happy with the life he was living. "My dreams involve performing. I don't really care about fame and fortune" (ok so he might care just a little about fame and fortune) "but just about performing, being on stage and making people happy."

Then there was his more recent dream of becoming super hero but he wasn't quite certain that he wanted to mention that part of it. Normally he didn't care about getting strange looks (how could he and still dress as he did?) but super hero was just a little bit stranger than usual. Still, it was something he was proud of so he opted for a more moderate approach. "I also want to be able to use my abilites to do good things, help people, that kind of thing. Why have them if we can't put them to good use, right?"

Juka wondered if Erick was the heroic type, the kill random people type or the hide your powers type and try to pretend they didn't exist and was so far leaning towards the latter. Maybe he just needed to meet other mutants, though, and become more comfortable with his status. "What does your blue glowey thing do anyway?" Subtlety was not something he usually employed.

>>>"My dreams involve performing. I don't really care about fame and fortune"

Erick stopped and looked at Juka. "That is where I know you from! You were performing in the band at the club the other night. That was an all mutant band wasn't it..." Erick trailed off and began to follow Juka once again.

Erick began to think deeply again. Had he ever had any type of dream, other than being with Mitchell, and that would never happen now. What was he doing with his life, other than enjoying his vaulted status in New York City. At least Juka had something that he was working towards, all Erick had was Wicca, and now he wasn't even sure that he had that.

>>>"What does your blue glowey thing do anyway?" Juka asked.

Erick looked at Juka quizzically. "Well it protects things. It is like it repels two things from each other so they cannot touch....its kind of hard to explain. " he said.

It was rather difficult to explain, especially when he wasnt quite sure what it was he did. Up until this point, he thought it was simply magick, not the result of some genetic mutation. So, frustrated with his lack of knowledge, Erick concentrated on his own energy once again bringing the blue haze into existance. Then he changed that way his energy felt, so that is vibrating different, in direct dissonance to the energy Juka was giving off. When he did this the haze became more definite, and pushed hard at Juka trying to repel him away from Erick.

"That is where I know you from! You were performing in the band at the club the other night. That was an all mutant band wasn't it..."

Juka bowed to Erick deeply, pleased that he had been recognized at last, even if the recognition was a little belated. It was better than nothing at least. "Light in Darkness," Juka agreed. "I thought I'd combine my love of performing with my desire to help people when I formed them. Mutants are so feared and hated I thought an all mutant band would give us some good press." And hopefully sell a bunch of albums and create an all new following for himself, but it really was about doing a good deed. Well, ok so maybe the good deed was secondary but that didn't invalidate the deed itself.

"Well it protects things. It is like it repels two things from each other so they cannot touch....its kind of hard to explain. "

Juka was fascinated as he watched the blue aura become more solid in Erick and felt the changes in sensation. Some sort of protector could be very useful, he could imagine how such an ability might be used to ensure that innocent civilians weren't damaged by any of the more violent mutants in the city. The question was, would he even want to be any sort of hero? Juka was well aware that such sentiments were far from universally shared and so far it seemed overwhelming enough for Erick the mere fact that he was a mutant. He decided not to bring up the idea of using his powers for the good of others just yet, but it was definitely something he made note of.

When the blue silver aura solidified fully Juka felt the most unique sensation or being repelled from it. He tried to take a step towards Erick and found that he simply couldn't. After one more unsuccessful try he simply gave up and grinned from his position a few feet away. "That, my dearest man, is amazing. You have beauty and an amazing gift you should be proud of. Plus, blue is a lovely colour."

">>>That, my dearest man, is amazing. You have beauty and an amazing gift you should be proud of. Plus, blue is a lovely colour."

Erick shifted his energy signal back to its normal state, and let the haze fall away. He looked at Juka, a slight smile on his face, that did not touch the profound sadness in his eyes. He inclined his head slightly to Juka and said "Thank You" in a soft voice.

He knew that Juka was trying to cheer him up, but his efforts wear breaking like waves on the sand. In a single moment Erick's life had completely changed, and so had his unfaltering belief in his faith. Nothing was certain for Erick anymore, and for the second time in his rather short life, he was left with many questions and a lingering feeling of anger. He didn't understand why these things were happening to him. What had he done in a past life to have such misery in this one.

First Mitchell and now this mutant thing. Next thing you know I'll find out I'm not a DeKatherine, but rather some butlers child. Erick thought. He looked at Juka once again. This may be one of the few people I have ever met who has not been after my money, or the status they get from associating themselves with me...and he is a mutant. I doubt even the Sybil could have predicated this turn of events.

"You said earlier your powers have something to do with bubbles, correct?" Erick asked, trying to deflect the attention away from himself, or his gift that was beginning to seem like more of a curse, or some sick gods idea of a joke.