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>> "Oh, uh, nice to meet you Akshay. Oh but I said that already! Skits? Like acting? That's cool!"

He had to chuckle. That color of red that she had shifted into seemed to just be turning redder and redder. He didn’t know why and was oblivious that it had anything to do with what he was saying. Maybe he should pick up a book of emotional colors? Maybe that will offer him a clue the meaning behind those different hues. But, until then, Akshay would just satisfy himself with marveling at the brilliant shades that the chameleon was able to possess.

It was a gift that actually made him a little jealous. To always have such a palate of color at one’s disposal seemed like something that would come in rather handy for an artist. Sadly, he was such with his own lame mutation that he always hated to show. Sometimes he really did wish he had a cool power like Dahlia’s, here.

But when the conversation shifted to business, Akshay tilted his head a little at the chameleon’s further apology…

>> "Oh gosh! I'm sorry. I, uh, didn't exactly mean to come in here. It's the rain you see. I'm, well, cold-blooded and it was getting a little cold out there with the sun gone in and the rain too. So I sorta decided to duck in here. I'm really hope I'm not in your way! I'll leave if you want me to! You know about all these comics? Really?"

Those…were a lot of words strung together. Apologies, mixed with explanations, mixed with wonder. The young wordsmith had to actually smirk a little as he regarded the young lizard mutant that looked about at the interior of the store.

“Yup, I know allllllll about them. I have to. Otherwise, what is the point of my job?” he chuckled. “But seriously, I do have to know everything about comics. We get a lot of customers, some new who want to learn, some old who just want to have someone to discuss with,” Akshay said with a shrug. “it’s a living.”

A glance to the storefront windows and indeed Akshay could see that it was pouring outside. No wonder she ran in! If she was cold-blooded, she would probably either be fast asleep right now or moving slower than molasses! He smiled warmly at the chameleon as he shook his head.

“Nah, you’re fine here. We usually don’t get many customers on rainy days like this,” Akshay said with a nod. “I could use the company. Especially such pretty company as yours.”

Ooooo, sounds interesting!

Well Akshay needs to get into more trouble. He is going to be taking his hand at vigilantism pretty soon so either he can be the brunt of Shane's tantrum or he can try to protect and NPC, whichever you like!! This would be a good way for him to make that final push to start wearing pajamas and leaping off rooftops.

>> "I think the kids would love that…We can never have enough stuff happening to keep everyone occupied. You can talk to the boss about that, or the guidance counselor... we just need to make sure kids don't get the wrong idea from comics and run off in ridiculous costumes to fight crime... it's a pain to catch 'em all again."

“Oh, yeah, of course!” Akshay grinned. “I mean, I could start with some of the more humorous titles, maybe a few of my pirate or mythology themed comics and only a small splattering of the superhero ones. All would be up for approval, of course.”

Akshay knew that the young mirror walker had a point. Kids were awfully influential and he would have hated to have made a bunch of kids run away or hurt themselves because they were trying to enact their favorite comics by being heroes. That simply would not make Akshay feel good about himself at all. Comics were a pastime! Not some window in how real life should be, no matter HOW much you long for it.

…

Whatever. Akshay was a grown man! If he wanted to try a be a superhero, that was totally HIS decision! Ahem. Besides…just…research!

He signed his name, tapped all the papers and handed it over cheerfully to the young woman with the bow and quiver strapped to her back.

>> "Words?... Could you maye elaborate on that? It's kinda important. I can't allow someone to run around with an unknown mutation. You can tell me, or show me if you want."

Akshay sighed. He should have known that he was not going to get away with a simple, vague idea as to what he could do. It was unfortunate but apparently he was just not going to get away without some sort of display or telling. He really hated this part though. So far the only mutant that had not laughed about his powers was Emerald and it took him MONTHS before he actually showed it. And it was only because it was a matter of life or death. This though…he was being asked to display his ability.

“Yeah,” Akshay said a little nervously as he scratched the back of his head. “I…can’t really describe all of it. Not in a way that you’d understand. NOT that I’m knocking your intelligence or anything, just…it’s really hard to explain.” He gulped as he very slowly let his concentration drop. Almost immediately one would be able to see his body relaxing, de-tensing, looking more natural. Then he thought about any noun that first came to his head… “Arrow…”

Suddenly in the air between the two of, a black bordered, iridescent word “ARROW” appeared. It took only seconds for it to solidify and before it dropped to the ground, Akshay picked it out of the air. It was about the size of a book but not so thick. He sighed as he held it up and looked it over in his hands. Slowly he raised his concentration again.

“Here,” he said as he handed the young woman the word. “Consider it a souvenir,” he said with a little shrug. “Pretty much any noun I say, when I’m not concentrating on keeping my powers down, appears. I can also see the nouns that people say but they cannot see them. It’s hell when walking through a crowded Comic Convention, let me tell you.” he smirked.

Immediately then he looked shy. Probably the first time since he showed up at the building. This was obviously a man not impressed with his own ability...

Welcome aboard! Cannot wait to run into you around the boards! Super original power!

As they strolled through the inside of the mansion, Akshay felt like his heart was going to thump directly out of his chest. The mansion was absolutely BEA[/b]utiful! The sizable interior, the lavish decorations, and the style! All of it just gave off this air of wealth but at the same home had an aura of comfort and home. If just any mutant kids came up off the streets and went to this place, one look at the inside and they would surely fill at home. It almost made the young wordsmith he didn’t have a job or a home to go back to.

But the most impressive feature the people! My god, the PEOPLE that wandered too and fro inside of the mansion seemed to be absolutely awesome! Many were human looking but there were a lot of mutant with obvious physical mutations, but Akshay was still stunned by the impressiveness of all of them! He had to make mental notes of everyone he saw! There was some gray girl with bat wings that giggled and ran around with another girl that had insect wings, he spied a large, authoritative looking man near the offices drinking from a bottle of water that he could swirling inside the bottle, and there was even a one man that strolled that looked like he was made of silver!

The whole experience, well, it just would have made Akshay faint if it were not for his rampant fear of embarrassing himself further. So, he managed to hold onto himself until they made it into the office for the security check.

>> "Something like that…Knock yourself out."

Papers? Akshay arched a brow but shrugged as he flashed a big smile. Maybe these papers were imbued by the mental energies of some paper manipulator that can read the biosignatures of whoever writes on them track them wherever they go? Well, even if not, Akshay could pretend that that was what was going on.

Nodded as he sat down at the desk and began to fill out the paperwork that he had been handed. It almost felt like he had trudged into an office to have his taxes done. But Akshay didn’t say anything about that, instead he just continued on, and tried to make small talk with the impressive young woman.

“I gotta admit, this place is impressive,” Akshay grinned. “How long have you been here? If you don’t mind me asking? Did they really help you get your powers under control?”

Akshay looked expectingly at the young mirror walker as his mind raced with thoughts about her abilities. The applications, everything that she could do, it made him want to jump up for joy that he had actually met someone that nearly matched the characters he read about in so many comic books, in so many stories and graphic novels! Here was a person that could have herself have been an inspiration to this writer and artiest who created Lord Reflection! It was like staring into the very face of creation itself…and he marveled.

>> "I have no idea what ya're talking about. I just practice archery for sport."

Rrrrrrraaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwww…KA-BOOM!

That conversation went for a TOTAL nosedive. Apparently the young mutant had no idea what he was talking out. That…was greatly disappointing. But, then again, how could be really blame her? With a uniform and awesome powers like her, maybe she was just spending all of her free time saving the world and such, right? That would be a totally valid excuse as to why she knew nothing about the world from whence he came.

He was going to have to educate her.

>> "So, I take it you have not been here before. I will need to check you in, even if you are just visiting. Security measures."

“Oh, yeah! Of course,” Akshay beamed. “I perfectly understand. There are quite a lot of unsavory types out there in the city.” he chuckled. “How do we do that? You scan my brain with a telepath? Some high tech robot combs through my entire history just my looking into my eyes? You have a spiritual medium that can tell if my aura is releasing good or negative energies?”

Waving green grass...lazily floating clouds…white, fluffy bunnies hopping around and twitching their absolutely adorable noses…these were the things that Akshay Malik saw as he entered his happy place, in order to get away from the madness that was going on in his life. He had first invited this mental paradise when he was a boy, maybe a month after his powers developed and he needed to escape to some place that would make him feel whole and happy again. It was his refuge, his cocoon, his haven whenever he felt nervous, terrified, or like he was going to pass out.

Unfortunately even this place was burning to the ground around him. Standing in the middle of the set, a camera pointed directly at him, Akshay Malik felt the nervous jitters struggling to full wrack throughout his body. Sadly, this also meant that nearly everyone in the studio was waiting for him to make his move.

A glance at Riley Sommers, the pin-up girl of fantasies, and he spied that she was laid back over the pillar, costume lining up with every curve of her body so that it was hard to tell where costume ended and where woman began. The sultry pout on her face was demanding, destructive, and yet all the while, and most importantly, seductive.

And she was waiting for him.

Akshay Malik…was dead. He had to be. And this, of course, had to be either Heaven or Hell. Because only in Heaven would he be granted the wildest wish of meeting Riley Sommers, but only in Hell would he be able to be here and make a complete fool of himself! It was like when he went to see that AW[/b]ful movie, Super Mario Bros! Akshay was in such Hell as he sat through it, but he didn’t have the will to leave! Even though he was wearing the damn costume for the premiere! He sighed

Okay, no, no! He needed to focus. He needed…to seduce…

Ahem.

Akshay did his best. He really did. At first he just stood there, off to the side, then he knelt away from her like a football player that had just scored a winning touchdown, he even tried to stand all sultry and casual off to the side (that only earned snickers from the fellow women who were working the set). But still the photography, though not finding exactly what he was looking for, snapped photo after photo. Finally, he just sighed.

“No, no,” he said when he said Akshay take on the Crane Kick position from the Ninja Kid movies. How Akshay thought that was seductive, the world would never know. “Guy, umm…Akbar?”

“Akshay.”

“Yeah,” the photographer mumbled. “No, you need to seduce her. Not…try to impress her.” He nodded to Riley again. “Lean over her, hand on her cheek and just look at her like she is the only woman you have ever wanted and you are not leaving unless you have her.”

Akshay blinked. Then he sighed as he squared his shoulders. Though he was certain his hands would melt if he actually touched the fiery brunette, the wordsmith knew that he could not fail at this. He cannot. With a breath, he leaned over Riley, whispered an apology to the model, and trident in his free hand, he suddenly looked every bit the lord of the oceans he was supposed to embody. It was then that his eyes locked on…to her eyebrows. Into her eyes and he was going to die, he knew that much. At least eyebrows would just give him a near death experience.

He held the pose.

And the camera shutter flew…