Under the Darkness (continuation by Avery and SPH)

((Nah, it's fine. I did, too. ^_^ But it's all good. Now, I'm on spring break.))

Ira's eyes widened, his lips parting very slightly. Was he human? Well, technically, yes. Was he normal? No. Not at all. Partly in the way that every time he saw a boy he remembered how his heart fluttered and then bile rose in his throat. Then, in the way that he had been living for... Decades. "Sort of," Ira said after a long moment of being silent and thoroughly shocked.

James noticed Ira's reaction to the question, feeling bad at what he said. He was concerned now if he had offended or hurt the boy's feelings. But he remembered that he still didn't answer the boy question and seemed to be stalling. So he decided to try and attempt to change the subject. "I work for the Resistance," he mumbled softly and rather quickly, "do you know what that is?"

Ira slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He felt... felt. He felt stupid for not knowing what that was, but he tightened his mouth so it didn't show on his face. Still too dangerous. His eyes fell to his hands, as he was sure the sheer idiocy was lighting his eyes. He didn't want that. He didn't want people knowing he was stupid and disgusting.

James couldn't quite pin on what was bothering Ira, he seemed like he was holding back something; a feeling. What could it be? Then again, he didn't want to keep pushing Ira into telling him everything. Ira was still a stranger to James and James was to Ira. They couldn't assume to know everything about one another in the next hour, despite the feeling that James wanted to. Ira was...interesting, he seemed...lost. Or at least that was the first thing he could describe Ira. After a long moment, James went on to telling Ira his description of his occupation. "It's an underground organization, run by a man called Peter Cain. He's...a vampire. And I work for him as his right-hand man. And...I guess you can say I'm like you; not really human."

Never heard of Peter Cain, either. Guess I'm just too anti-social. Ira's eyes were up the moment that James said they were like each other. Wasn't that impossible? His parents... His parents had always told him he was different. He was the only one like himself in the world. And he just thought that meant everything about him. "A-are you?" He asked, after managing to find his voice again.

James had no clue what was going through Ira's mind. He didn't even know what to say when Ira asked him that. But though a sudden urge, he just kept going. "I'm a hybrid-human, I can alter time such as slow the flow or quicken it, I was used in the military as basically a mercenary. I helped won many missions, but..." James tried to stop himself from going, but couldn't. "...I couldn't take it much more. I quit and moved here to work for the Resistance."

Ira's eyes slowly got wider as he spoke. They both had the ability to defy time. One manipulated it and one ignored it all together. Ira was special in that he could grant immortality, but he knew it was a wicked fate to give. Instead of dwelling, though, he looked back to James and nodded, chewing his bottom lip slightly. "Oh." He didn't have much more to say. It wasn't polite to ask why he was babbling like he did, so Ira didn't ask.

James tried to lighten the mood by giving a smirk, but it was a nervous smirk though. "I'm sorry," he replied, shaking his head as it lowered, "I shouldn't be pouring out my life's story to a stranger." He then looked up at Ira, quickly adverting his eyes so that he could avoid of Ira staring back at his. "I guess...the reason why I stopped you was because you--" He tried to stop, why was he just going on and on to this boy? Can't he just stop here and walk away? No, he couldn't. He was drawn to Ira, something about him just made James feel puzzled and curious. "--you made me lose control of my powers for a moment; when we bumped into each other on the street."

Ira's expression turned from something slightly surprised to a bit curious, his eyes almost lighting up, but not quite. "Did I? I apologize." His voice held little conviction, but there was something that made his words sincere. He knew people with powers could struggle with them at times and being the cause of a struggle was not something good. He looked back down at the table, still chewing his lip nervously. Nervous. That was another emotion.

"Don't apologize," James said jokingly, "it's not like you meant to do that." He then looked back up to look into Ira's eyes. So beautiful... "I guess I thought you were someone working undercover to find me," he then realized how awfully confusing and odd that sounded that sentence was. "the police and the feds here usually try to find me and kill me. You wouldn't believe how many attempted attacks that have been put on me."

Ira's lips twitched in a slight frown. Hmm... He hadn't frowned in a while. Not over someones safety at least. It was normally over his own social behavior. "Because of what you do? That's why?" It seemed odd to Ira, to do something that made you a target. If he were to ever get another job, he'd want the exact opposite of that. Anything to keep him low would be ideal. But he knew he wouldn't have to get another job. He was set.

"I help the 'freaks' of the town and try to help them get on their feet again. A lot of people take people like them and us and sell them as slaves and other things. They treat us like we're third class citizens," James was getting to riled up in his speech, his fists began to clench. The memories of his past began to come up. The past of having to detain and eliminate the monsters that we basically his kind when he was in the military. He stared at Ira quizzically. "Have you not notice any of this?"

Ira's eyes turned cold again, hollow. Feeling any sort of threat and this would happen. It wasn't even toward him, but James' tone set him on edge and he shook his head. "No, I haven't. I try to avoid people when I go out." And he really did. Normally, he'd go completely out of his was to avoid even a single person when he was out. Even if it meant going a half mile extra. He wasn't particularly good at socializing.

"I see," James sighed, noticing the lack of emotion of Ira's demeanor. He didn't want that to happen, but James was so frustrated when he talked about things like this. But he never had anyone to talk about this rarely, still he shouldn't of put this on Ira. He was still foreign land to him, and Ira must of thought so too. "I'm sorry for being rude. I guess I'm the exact opposite of you."

Ira let out a soft, surprised laugh and quickly covered his mouth. Soon, though, the emotion was gone. "You were not being rude. I was inviting you to speak and you spoke. If I thought you were being rude or overbearing, I would have stopped you," Ira assured him. Something about hearing James talk, though nonsensical to him, made him breath easier. He was actually having a normal conversation with someone.

James' body almost jolted when Ira let out that little laugh. It was like lighting through his veins; he was walking on a tight rope. But of course he felt at ease of what Ira said. At least he seemed okay with all this. At least James was okay with all this. Talking to a stranger, having conversation, just getting to know one another. It seemed like it was all okay. James let a smile form across his lips. Ira was cute to James, and that was something he seemed okay with as well. Ira was attractive; James didn't mind that either. James was bisexual anyway. "Would you like some coffee? We are at a coffee shop anyway."

Ira pursed his lips for a moment and then nodded. "That sounds nice," Ira said, already playing with a packet of sugar that had been on the table when they sat down. It seemed like a typical coffee shop, not that Ira had ever been to one, but he had seen them on his computer. What he didn't realize was that is actually smelled like coffee. No, he wasn't stupid, but things sometimes didn't click in his head. He pulled out his wallet and got up, looking up to the counter.

((Be right back, Going to the park!))

((Back~))

James stood up and went to stop Ira. "No it's okay! This is on me." He then got out his own wallet and pulled out his debit card, he did have his parent's inheritance to live on so it wouldn't matter if he spent a couple dollars on some coffee. "What do you want? You can have anything."

Ira kept standing for a moment, unsure of how to handle that and then sat back down, crossing his legs and looking up at James. "A small black coffee would be nice," he said softly. Damn lack of social skills. He paused, barely noting the new emotion. Frustration, he thought to himself briefly. He didn't like these emotions he was feeling. It was... Odd. And all thanks to James.

James nodded and went to grab two small black coffees, he paid the cashier and collected the drinks and came back with the steaming hot beverages. He offered one of the drinks to Ira as he sat back down. "I guess this will be my payback for bothering you today." he said jokingly, despite the fact that it was a bad joke.

Ira smiled stiffly, but it was bordering on an actual smile. It was something he hadn't felt in years. "Thanks," he said, "and really, you weren't a bother." He grabbed a few of the sugar packets and poured them in so it was sweet enough to bear and than slowly took a sip, his eyes blank as he stared at the table.

James smiled back at Ira, taking a sip of his coffee as well. "That's good to know." he replied as he let the warm coffee soothe his throat. "So, are you from Nirvana? You don't seem like you've lived here all your life," he asked, feeling rather curious about Ira now that he had spilled most of his life story to Ira, "at least not to me."

Ira shook his head. "No, I came to Nirvana around three years ago. Before that, I live in the city, New York. I left home and wound up here by chance," he said softly. Left home. He honestly wished that the truth was that simple, but nothing was simple for him. No one was willing to let him have a break unless he was completely alone.

"New York, that seems nice." James replied, wrapping his hands around the cup to warm them, "I'm from North Carolina, originally. Of course then my dad and mom passed away and other things happen so I moved here about five years ago." James then chuckled nervously and looked up at Ira. "Can I ask you another question?"