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Vic is in the kitchen, consulting a recipe as he stirs a bowl of some kind of batter. There's a greased and floured baking pan standing ready, and the embodied mote has a dusting of flour on his shorts and a smudge of it on his nose. "Beat for three minutes," he murmurs under his breath, and so he does that, whisking with a rather astonishing speed. The whisk is a blur. There are measuring cups around, some used. Someone is learning to cook.
Kaleb just watched glancing up from his book occasioanlly. "Man, cooking is violent. What are you- ya know what, I'm glad you are having fun." Nope, he didn't really want to know why or how it was done. It's supposed to be a courtesy to ask. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. "So. Vic. Youknow if we go to teh school we're not moving right and if we have to move the school can shove their classes where hte sun don't shine, yeah?" Which was his way of saying 'hey I know you're stressed out but we're not leaving you behind'. Oh if only he had diplomacy. Or tact. Empathy? a soul? Soemthing.
Vic grins over at Kaleb. "It's for delicious cake. Worth it." He checks the consistency of his batter Turns out being strong and fast makes it mix a lot sooner than three minutes. He carefully pour the batter into the pan, cautious like he were handling radioactive material. This is important. This is another life skill he's trying to learn. Once he's done and the pan is in the oven, he says, "You shouldn't give up your education. It's a long drive, though." He smiles though, and there's a little relief in his features. If they moved, when would he ever see Kellan?
Kaleb apparently also had that cocern though you'd need a Ouija board to get him to admit it. It was a comfortable arrangement he kept being courtes in the tiny subtle things he'd never get blame or credit for. "I'm not. It's just… different. Relaly different. They got expectationsand things, other people do too well… not-Kellan people. I dunno if I'm entirely comfortable if I don't get to do all teh deciding. It's…weird. What kinda cake?"
"Yellow cake with chocolate frosting," Vic says. "You're one of the canniest people I know, Kaleb. There's no one there you can't handle." With the cake in the oven, he goes about the kitchen gathering up dishes. THe cleaners tend to have very little to do with him around. "I don't want to lose you guys, but I also don't want to see you pass up an opportunity. You could learn more about your powers, probably become more powerful."
Kaleb looked up to Vic and shrugged, "I'd rather see Kellan happy than learn about buildings and breaking them. It's… it's more important to me. He needs this. You guys… need this so there's no reason to not have it so. Yeah." He considered that second point and siad "Yeah I had a weeeeird dream about that. Every little sound vibrated and I started oto come apart at the molecules. It was super weird."
"It sounds scary," Vic says. He fills the sink with soapy water and gets to work on those dishes. "Maybe I could move upstate if there's work to be found. I can put off school til you guys are done. I don't know what rent is like there up in wherever-it-is." He pours his stress into washing. Things have been sparkling around here. Kellan's not the only one who gets insomnia. "Do you think the thing in your dream could actually happen?"
Echo sat quietly and nodded agreeing to Vic, "Yeah it's…pretty scary. and you don't… have to work for rent, Vic. We talked about this. It's like teh thing we can DO. Maybe sometimes the only fucking useful thing we can do but we can do it. Why struggle if you don't have to?" As for the dream? Kaleb has been sleeping like shit since he got to New York but was content to jsut sit up at night and draw and stay quiet. "I dunno. Sometimes I think maybe. When I overextend myself already it …gives me this feedback if I try to do too much. I can feel muself get crushed from teh inside out."
"I just like to keep my hands busy," Vic says. He the admits, "I've been anxious. There's no one else like me. I don't know why that bothers me. I should be happy that I'm unique, but I guess the desire to belong to a social… commonality? It's strong. And I start asking myself questions like what if there's something wrong with me, like I'm going to burn out? How would I know?" He runs out of dishes to do, and he takes a deep breath. "You should go to the school and find out how to work with your powers so that doesn't happen."
Kaleb arched an eyebrow and tilted his head thinking on that offering objectivly, "We're all kinda like that really. I ain't like Kellan and we're neither like Jay nor Lorna,. We're off on this genetic evoltionary mission becoming more than others have been before. I dunno. We don't know we're not going to burn out, or explode, or…hey we almost disintegraetd bout a week ago. That turned out alright. That was scary as hell. It's sort of the scary that lets us go 'hey, we're still here. We are alive. It's feeling… soething. Anything. Live like it's the last day. Someday we'll be right. Best to be prepared."
"But you have a community," Vic says. "You've been welcomed into it by people who can help you. Who want to. They're not exactly like you, but you have a people and a history." Quickly, he adds, "Which is good. You should have that. OldVic never really had that." He leans against the counter. "I'm glad I have a family, but I can't get it out of my head how I'm an accident. I didn't think that professor coming here would open all that up." He shakes his head. "I don't want to be anxious."
Kaleb shrugged and offered, "Eh our parents didn't plan on having kids and then got two. A lot of life is a huge accident. Some have argued that life wasa cosmic accident and some of it turned out pretty far out. But you got a fmaily and if they didn't want you I'm pret-ty sure they'd have unmade you by now. So clearly that's not the case and trust me, Just because there's people that share a gene with me doesn't make me likeable or them to necessarily want me there. But I mean we…want you here. We're our own small community. And Kellan's tons better now that you're here. He's actually happy now. He was alright before I suppose, but he's actually happy now. That's ahell of a thing to be able to do."
That's what Vic needs, the insecurity of knowing his parents could undo him on a whim. Still, he smiles despite himself, ducking his head as he says, "I want Kellan to be happy. He's so kind and sweet, and even though he's quiet, he's got depth. It's easy to love him. And life is still good. I'm glad I have it." He folds his arms over his chest. "And we are a community. I'm just trying to figure out who I am and my road map is the life of someone who never had anyone. I feel sorry for him."
Kaleb went to the fridge to pour his own juice. He gave it a swirl before drinking it musing to Vic, "Ya know growing up? I always kinda seen people doing the same crap trying to impress the same people as if any of ANY of it god damn matters." He sighed biting the inside of his cheek for a moment. nope not a time for a rant on the lack of honesty in the upper crust. This was about Vic. "Growing up I heard and saw terrrible things from people looking 'polite' and smiling while saying and doing them. I came back from my worst summer ever? And here's you. Here's… Jay of all peole. You guys are /actually/ good people. You didn't ask for coming into this world like ya did. I didn't think I'd ever have a friend that wasn't for gain or some… agreement of convenience and I get to watch him struggle every. damn. day. Jay doesn't deserve teh shit that happens to him and you don't deserve to carry someone else's burden on your back, and you guys don't complain and I respect the hell out of it but I'm not blind to it." He paused and took a deep breath offering solace to Vic, "And I'll be damned because I let anyone take any of this from either of you, ok? You have a community. This one. As far as I'm concerned it's the firs tone that matters."
Vic grins and ducks his head again, bashful mote that he is. "I feel the same about you guys," he admits. You didn't deserve any of what happened to you. I want to find those guys and just…" He shakes his head. Best not to mention what he'd want to do. Pulling from OldVic's temper isn't a great thing. "Jay doesn't deserve any of the stuff coming down on him, and Kellan… well, he deserves all the good things in life. And you took me in. You let me live here, you don't charge me rent. I never would've met anyone so generous if Kellan hadn't come up to me that first night." He looks up at Kaleb and says, "What I'm trying to say is you're a good friend, and I'd rather have friends like you guys than some other mote who might be a jerk."
He shrugged and offered, "Eh I try to be up front about the kind of jerk I am at least. It's a lot of new territory for a lot of us. Oh, hey, Lorna had an Idea, and it was kinda rattling around my head too. They set fire to Mutant Town cause some bitch, proper bitch, like lady werewolf…werebitch? I don't know what the term is here and I'm trying to be technical…I'm at a loss." He blinked and boggled, "Where was I going with this? Oh. Right. We were thinking we go down as a group and try to help them rebuild some of that. Get them some support. We don't really have people well they sorta don't either outside their town that they were ghettoed into. Be neighbourly."
Vic's eyes widen. "Oh no, that's terrible." Just so painfully sincere. Sometimes one can catch a glimpse of his extreme youth. The timer goes off for the cake, and he goes to take it out of the oven, setting it on a rack to cool. "I'll help," he says, "If I explain to my boss I'm sure he'll understand. Count me in." He comes back over to lean against the counter next to Kaleb. "A werewolf lady, huh? I guess crazier things than that exist."
Kaleb nodded appreciating the extention of sentiment. "The world seems competative about bucking the stuats quo lately. Soooo what's it like? Can you tell your like's from Vic's old likes? Is it all one now? Hasve you figured out Kellan-Prime yet?" An actual grin cracked his features that hit the corner of his eyes.
Vic rubs his chin as he thinks about the questions. Finally he says, "I think my own thoughts most of the time, but sometimes when I don't know what to do or think, I read through his mind for ideas. Most of the time, I do the opposite. "He smiles a little. Poor OldVic. "But sometimes I relate to him. Like being kind of an odd one out. Wanting to belong is something that resonated with him, and I feel it too. We're kind of melding." He laughs then and says, "Kellan said I'm dating all of him so it doesn't matter."
Kaleb went over to the drawer in the kitchen that just had not-kitchen-stuff in it. Everyone had one and he did not know why. He dossed a red plastic egg to Vic that said 'Silly Putty' on it. "Humor me." He waited for Vic to open it up and explore the strange greatness that was silly putty. "I know I heard ya go over it and I think I can help you how I figured it out. Take that ball. Now pull that into two lumps. One for each hand. Now we pull those into two lumps each. SO I ask you, which was the original?" He arched an eyebrow and let Vic play with this as a concept. "They're all part of him and he is parts. It's all the same putty you got, but it can shape separate or go back together. Just…don't press Kellan's face into the comics. He hates that. I might have tried that too but I admit nothing."
Vic takes the red egg and pulls out the putty. He does what Kaleb says — he often does what Kaleb says — and as he pulls the main lump into balls he says, "They're all from the same source." He rolls the balls all into on again, then stretches and plays with the putty. Laughing, he says, "I can just see it now. Oh, he'd be so annoyed." Even the idea of an annoyed Kellan charms him. "All right, I think I get it. So I have as may boyfriends as Kellan wants."
Kaleb glibly added, "Yeah and you can't cheat on him with him. And if you ever think he's not listening because he's doing two things at once don't worry he is. It's… I'v ebeen in his head or him… mine? when he's done it and sometimes it was really super overwhelming but it's all him just… in stereo. Kinda amuses me. I split things into multiple things, he is the thing that prisms out and comes back. I dunno. Weird but… it's us. you'll get used to it."
"You split things into multiple things?" Vic asks. "Aside from the sound thing, I don't know much about what you can do. The sound thing's a neat trick, but I don't like that it hurts you." Vic frowns. Nope, he can't approve of things that hurt Kaleb. He steps away from the counter and takes down the ingredients for frosting so he can start whipping it up. "I just really care about you guys. Every time I come home, the moment I see you guys, I just feel happy."
Kaleb shrugged. "Just sound but sound is… it's weird. Like it haswaves so you can feel it. Like sitting on a speaker. It's sort of why it hurts if pitches right. Jsut… crushes and moves through the space between molecules and forces its way past. The harder more resiliant something is? Weirdly the easier it is to work with. THinks like foama nd rubber? Offy too much give. it just playspingpong with me. Kinda like yellin into putty. But lately everyone's all 'hey Kaleb, push it!and I'm just not used to setting a buffer to push the sound away from me so it kinda…turns my head into a bell." He paused and admitted to Vic, "I really can't hear much out of my left ear unless i'm using my powers. Sorta a drag on things but there's other stuff you can do jsut by pulling a sounwave up or down or apart…Sound is good company. It's like being never alone.
"I'm saying Kaleb, don't push it unless you have no choice," Vic says, giving Kaleb his best stern look. "I don't like you getting hurt." He puts some cocoa powder into the frosting, turning it from white to chocolatey brown. "It's nice that you don't have to be deaf. Look, if you wear yourself out, come to me, okay? I can give you a boost. You'll feel better. It's like getting a nap without having to even close your eyes. You'll heal faster, too."
Kaleba blinked and said "Wait you can help me heal fastter? When why am I running around with bruises?" He squint at Vic and murmured, "I'm so leveraging you for this. You don't fly too do you? Everyone fucking flies no days." This matter of factly but really it did make him feel a little sluggish.
Vic shakes his head and says, "Oh no, I don't fly. I'm just strong, fast, telekinetic, and can do the thing with energy. It messes up electronics, so it can be fun." He grins. Yes, shorting out people's expensive toys is a laugh riot. "But it's life energy, too. Here, hold out your hand." Vic stops stirring the frosting and holds out his hand to Kaleb. "I can take it away too, but I wouldn't do that to you."
Kaleb blinked and furrowed his brow, "Well don't.. do it to my stereo." Vic got a side eye. "Okay but don't frosting me." He held a hand out and watched carefully. Sometimes he wasn't so unbearable and the apartment seemed a safer place to jsut be and not worry so much. it was in the roommate agreement right? No judging unless it was him doing it because he was better at being judgy and bitchiness shouldn't ever be half-assed. It was in there somewhere.
"I won't touch your stereo," Vic says. "Even if I don't mean to short it, I won't take the chance." Not that Vic doesn't have complete control over it. Just. What if that would be the first time he lost it and zap! Not worth the risk. There's no frosting on his hand, yet, so at least that's safe. He takes Kaleb's hand, and there's warmth in his skin, a warmth that spreads into the judgy, bitchy one (uncontested). Fatigue fades, and whatever bruises he has, they'll heal twice as fast now. Whatever weariness has been nagging at Kaleb, it has taken a back seat. Like caffeine without the jitters. "Do you feel better?"
Kaleb blinked and his eyes got wider looking slightly to the left and right. "Woah that… kinda dulled the ringing. That's faaaar out, woah." He looked back to Vic and offered offhandedly, "I'd call youa godsend but I don't think your dad needs the ego boost. Umm… you… know how to rollerskate at all?" Which was a weird segue but one asked.
Vic grins and says, "Yeah, he's got enough laurels to rest on." That grin comes with ridiculous dimples. He goes back to making frosting while the cake continues to cool on the rack. "I haven't ever been rollerskating, but Vic could do it, so I don't think it'll be too hard to pick up. It's all just balance, isn't it?"
Kaleb mused looking around the apartment, "Was thinking of sending Lorna rollerskates. Steel axle. See what she can make em do. I think she'll have fun with em but I also… think it could be fun if we went." So he's getting her things now? Maybe the dinner didn't go horrible?
Vic turns the cooled cake onto a baking sheet, then starts to frost it. Mmm, chocolatey frosting. "When you say we, I hope you mean her and you, because taking her nephew out would probably kill the mood." He makes a swirly pattern with the frosting in carefully measured strokes of the knife.
Kaleb said drily, "You're not twelve, you're still a grown man. She can cope. She doesn't get to have a double standard just because she's an old maid by her account." He blinked and shook his head, "I don't honestly get why it's such a big deal. Now if you're carrying on at top volume while she's over thaaaat might be a lil different. Elsewise? She'll live and get used to teh idea."
"She's hardly an old maid," Vic says. "I think it's a big deal because I've only been around a month and I'm already in a stable relationship with someone I'm crazy about, and she's still struggling with the balance between family and love life. But I think that it's not going to be such a big deal now." He flashes Kaleb a smile. "We could all have a good time, I think, and I'll make sure you two get some privacy. I know it doesn't really matter one way or another, but I approve of you two."
Kaleb arched his eyebrows and shook hsi head, "I warned her it's going to end badly. I'm not good with people. She's genuinly nice, I mean she should be with someone like Jay or…something.." he boggled and refilled his juice, "God damn she's got shit taste in men." He sighed and shrugged, "But hey if she can handle that? More power to her. Go me. It's just gona suck when she stop s talkin to me ya know? I like hangin out with her, she's fun. And then it'll get weird around here… this was a terrible idea." He drank his juice, oh he was still dating her, he just recognized that he was an absolute pistol to be around.
"You don't have to be good with people," Vic says. "You only have to be good with her. Treat her like she's better than people, because she is." He takes down two small plates, then he cuts two slices off his newly frosted cake. "Here, let's celebrate another day we're alive and kicking. The way things have been going lately, we should make this a regular thing."
Kaleb agreed, "Yeah I know she is. That's why we were hanging out and I asked her to lunch. And… I…actually like her. I mean other than being squeaky sometimes but ya know I can tune that out." He snisckered and then glanced over his shoulder to the patio and back to Vic in sponspiracy with a wide grin, "She was going off on a tear the other day and I was so tired and I forget what she was taking so seriously. So I upped the pitch of her voice to sound like one of those singing chipmunks? Oooooh man it was hysterical. She was so so mad at me. TOtally worth it."
Vic shakes his head and says, "You're incorrigible, not to be mistaken for encouragable." He hands sone of the plates to Kaleb. "Here. Cake. It might be your last meal if you keep that up." Still, his eyes are bright with laughter, and there's a tremor in his voice as he speaks. He would vehemently deny it, though, if anyone accused him of finding this funny.