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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 14, 2013 19:44:08 GMT -5
Javier held the blue morphing cube in the palm of his hand, bringing it up to eye level. The last time he had the chance to get such a good look at it, he was just getting his morphing powers. And he had been a little distracted by what was going on at that time to really look at the alien device. There were some subtle andalite symbols on it that you might not notice at first glance. He had no idea what they meant, but they were very interesting. Maybe he would try looking them up on the ship's computer later.
But what surprised him more than the symbols was the weight. It was heavier than it looked. But when he thought about it, he realized it probably shouldn't have surprised him at all. There was a lot of science packed into this little device.
Reluctantly, Javier set the cube down on the table in the room offset from the War Room. On the wall was an opened safe with a palm print lock that would open only for Jack, Kyle, or Ashley. Jack had opened it for him earlier. When he was done with the cube, he was supposed to put it back and close the door. The weight of the responsibility allotted to him was not lost on Javier. This little box that he had been entrusted with was the source of the Animorphs' power. If anything should happen to it, there would be no way for them to recruit more morph-capable members.
Javier shuddered and tried not to think about it. Instead he busied himself organizing the various morphing suits he had collected for Xerxes to pick from. There were biking shorts, wet suits (with and without sleeves), spandex Halloween costumes, wrestling suits, Speedos, and gymnastic outfits. There was even something that Javier assumed was a speed skating uniform. It would be interesting to see what Xerxes picked.
But what would be even more interesting would be to see which morphs Xerxes would choose. Along one of the walls was a collection of small animals that Javier had transported up to the ship just for this event. There were dozens, each in their own containers. Mostly bugs and critters smaller than your hand, but some were a little bigger. Javier probably went overboard with his selection, and probably should have just brought the guy down to the sanctuary, but this was his first time giving someone the morphing power and he would be the first to admit that he was a little overexcited.
Now if only Xerxes would arrive.
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 15, 2013 15:38:06 GMT -5
Xerxes played back the last couple of days in his mind. Falling amongst the Animorphs had been relatively simple once Javier had invited him. Of course Xerxes had gone with him. Once there, the Yeerk test had been delivered. Their methods hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. Equally effective, just different. And they’d accepted him into their ranks without too much difficulty. Even though he informed them of his lies, not all them were false anymore. He knew what the Animorph’s base looked like.
Hopefully he’d hidden his surprise.
But now it was time for a meeting with Javier. Reportedly, it was to bestow the Escafil technology upon him, officially making him an Animorph. Xerxes would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited.
He strolled down the clearly marked halls and turned at all the necessary junction before arriving at the arranged destination. He shifted his shirt’s hem a smidgen, straightening it. He worked a wrinkle out of one of his pant legs. The teen took only one more moment to steel his face, schooling it to reveal no expression whatsoever. Even now, he refused to appear like a brainless tourist hoping to get a first glimpse at the fabled blue box.
The door opened right before Xerxes would’ve impacted it, but it only caused a slight hesitation in his stride. He’d been through many such automatic doors before in his time as a Controller. The tiny vestige of fear of walking into a wall was quickly flattened.
And thus did Xerxes enter the designated room, looking carefully as bland as ever and locking eyes with Javier, waiting for him to speak. There was no point, yet, for Xerxes to utter a sound, not even a greeting. This was strictly business, no?
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 16, 2013 23:17:39 GMT -5
Javier smiled at Xerxes as the boy walked into the room and gave him a small little wave as a greeting. When it was clear that Xerxes wasn't too enthusiastic about pleasantries, Javier clapped his hands together and said, "Well, where should we start?" Javier was anxious to attempt activating the cube, but he was trying his best to play down his excitement. No need to give off the impression that he was feeling like a kid in a candy store, no matter how true it may be.
"Have you put any thought into what you might like to try morphing first? I brought all kinds of critters to choose from. There are turtles, mice, spiders, crabs, canaries, moths, pigeons, weiner dogs, ducklings, lizards, cats, guine pigs, bats, lemmings, sidewinders, millipedes, grasshoppers, squirrels, and frogs, among other things. Of course if none of those sound good for starters, we can always make a trip to the nature reserve and try something else. We have access to more animals than most people realize even exist. It is pretty spectacular, actually." Javier spent a large portion of his time with the animorphs helping to tend the animal reserve.
"First things first though." Javier picked the cube up off the table and stretched out his arm so Xerxes would be able to touch it. Javier couldn't help but let an eager smile cross his face. "Before you pick a morph, you need the ability."
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 17, 2013 19:22:47 GMT -5
Instead of paying any heed whatsoever to Javier’s inquiry of where to begin the event, Xerxes allowed his gaze to slide past the man focus on the fauna behind him. Although noisy and occasionally irksome, at least their screeches, chitters, and hisses actually served some purpose and expressed something. Rhetorical questions did not.
The teen did have to admit that the variety of creatures was quite impressive, indeed. He could pick out many of the particular ones that Javier mentioned, although the more esoteric ones escaped his recognition. As a person who’d never engaged in an express study of the animal kingdom, Xerxes’ ability to spontaneously recognize any less-than-common animal was rather stunted. Javier’s question in regards to morphing something did seem to possess merit. Xerxes deigned to answer.
“Actually, I haven’t the faintest idea as to what to morph,” he spoke truthfully. Most likely something with wings, something small, and maybe something that could swim. And something that could slaughter. He’d just assumed morphs were chosen for him, similar to a military giving new recruits a basic set of clothing and weapons.
With the clothing and animals arrayed as they were, it seemed that the Animorphs were more like a free-form artist’s than a military resistance.
But he set that thought aside as Javier said something else that proved pertinence. Indeed, the morphing ability was undoubtedly a prerequisite to morphing. The glowing blue box Xerxes had only ever heard about before was suddenly manifested before him. He could not withhold the slight intake of breath. The cube was almost mythical to him, really. With the powers it invested in a small group of teenagers, they managed to bring down the previous Yeerk empire on Earth. And Esplin 9466 had used similar powers in crushing all who stood in his way.
And Xerxes had the chance to acquire the same power. But first: “What do I do?” he asked, partially failing in his attempt to weed the excitement and awe out of his voice.
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 18, 2013 0:22:24 GMT -5
When Xerxes asked, "What do i do?" Javier knew he was specifically asking what to do with the morphing cube in order to gain the ability to morph. However, Javier decided to take the opportunity to extrapolate on his response in order to give Xerxes a step by step rundown of what they were going to do.
"The cube is operated through physical contact. Just like you need to touch an animal in order to acquire its DNA, you need to touch the cube in order to acquire the ability to acquire. You should feel a slight shock, almost like static electricity, then you will know it worked."
"Once that is taken care of, you can choose one of the morphing outfits that I brought in. The clothing needs to be skin tight in order to morph it, especially when you are first starting out, so pick something that is nice and snug. Then when you are in your morphing suit, you can go ahead and pick out your first morph."
"The standard beginning morph set are a set of five creatures, each with a specific purpose in mind. A battle morph is one necessity, in case things get rough. You already saw mine, the Komodo dragon. An animal that is good at swimming is also encouraged to help out in situations where drowning would be likely without one. I acquired a nautilus for that purpose when I first joined. Next you have a morph that is good at flying, in case you need to cover ground quickly. I started with a puffin morph, but have since acquired a condor as well. Another type of morph is a bug morph of some sort. Most people don't like them one bit, but it is hard to deny their usefulness. I acquired a walking leaf and am all but invisible when hiding in a shrub. Then lastly there is the land morph. I have a pangolin morph for that. Usually people acquire something small and fuzzy for getting around on land without having the obviously suspicious and out of place form of a human."
"Which brings up another point. It is possible to acquire and morph other people, but don't. At least not unless there are extenuating circumstances. That is identity theft to an extreme. I don't know about you, but I would be pretty ticked off if I found out you were walking around with my face."
Javier put a finger from his empty hand to his chin in thought. "I think that is it for explanations. I will explain how to actually acquire and morph something when you have an animal picked out. It isn't too difficult, but it will probably be easier if it is fresher in your mind." With that, Javier held the cube out in front of him again. "Any more questions, or are you ready to get started?"
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 18, 2013 16:21:22 GMT -5
Xerxes’ question was soon answered, and then some. But although the larger percentage of it was not asked for, much of it was not a waste of breath. They were guidelines to morphing. Some of them were, anyways. Javier managed to talk about himself quite a bit, almost to the point of Xerxes tuning him out. As for the last part, Xerxes allowed the vestiges of a bitter smile to form. There would be no danger of him ever attempting to touch a human’s skin.
Javier’s choice of morphs seemed bizarre to him, though. Obviously morphs were personally picked and a repertoire of them seemed unique to each individual. Not entirely certain what a few of the mentioned animals were, Xerxes had unconsciously quirked an eyebrow at the rest of what Javier had mentioned. A walking leaf? Xerxes could not imagine the tactical advantage of looking like a leaf unless you were lucky enough to spend your entire life living in a tropical environment in which leaves never died. But neither could Xerxes really understand the advantages to anything else he could recognize from Javier’s arsenal. Except the dragon and the condor. Those made sense.
Xerxes filed those thoughts away and returned his focus to the Animorph. Did Xerxes have any questions? No, Xerxes did not. He moved his head an inch or so to either side as he closed his eyes, signifying his response. Then the ball seemed to be in his court.
Lifting his left hand, Xerxes focused his hazel gaze upon the shining object extended towards him. He settled the tips of his first three fingers on the top of it, applying just enough pressure to flatten the flesh on the tips. For a moment, he felt anxiety as he toiled with the concept of the technology not working. But then the mentioned shock danced through his fingers and a simple joy echoed it in a small, genuine smile on his face.
Xerxes pulled his hand back and lifted it closer to his face. He studied it. It did not seem physically different. In fact, he didn’t feel any different. Almost as if he’d merely been shocked by a box with a light inside.
He finished his analysis and returned his hand to his side. “I assume this is the point in which I acquire a specimen,” Xerxes said, making it more of a confirmation statement than a question. His eyes flickered to the minor menagerie. Something had caught his eye. “What do you have in the way of geckos?” Xerxes asked almost non-interestedly, as if he were inquiring about the status of one’s stock.
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 18, 2013 17:18:48 GMT -5
A grin crossed Javier's face when he saw the smile on Xerxes'. So this guy isn't an uncrackable automaton after all, Javier though to himself. He was beginning to worry about the guy and the way he rarely showed emotion. That tiny display went a long way to alleviate Javier's concerns. It proved he did feel emotion even if he didn't always let it show.
Javier put the valuable cube back into the opened wall safe and closed the door, making sure it was safe. Then it was back to business.
"Geckos, huh? Great choice. Small, fast, and great climbers. Their toes even let them climb right up a glass window." After a quick scan of the animals he brought, Javier spotted the one and only gecko. He picked up the cage and showed Xerxes the little lizard clinging to the plastic wall. "See? This particular species of gecko also has foliage-resembling crypsis, much like my walking leaf morph."
Javier set the container down on the table so that Xerxes could acquire it if he felt so inclined, then grabbed two other containers. "But if it is just a lizard morph in general you are looking for, I also brought a frilled dragon and a glass lizard." He set those two down on the table as well.
"You can acquire any one when ready. You just have to touch it and concentrate on acquiring its DNA. None of these are too dangerous since they have been handled by people pretty regularly, so you mostly just have to be careful not to hurt them or let them get loose."
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 18, 2013 21:16:40 GMT -5
Xerxes’ attention became captivated as Javier turned to put away the morphing cube. He now knew where it was kept: in a safe in a wall. Most likely it could only be opened by a genetic touch or other form of unique method of unlocking. The place was of Yeerkish design, and Xerxes had some familiarity with their systems and ideas, even though he’d never been on a Blade Ship before. He averted his gaze before he could be seen. He did not want to seem too interested in the box’ hiding location, even if he had no intentions of doing anything with it.
Javier immediately jumped right into a spiel about geckos. Xerxes immediately ignored everything the guy said. He was by no means an expert on the lizards, but Xerxes knew enough about them to comprehend the tactical advantage of something small that could cling to a ceiling. It was rare for people to look up.
And then three choices were presented to him, but only one was a gecko. Although rather hideous in appearance, it still possessed the attributes he presumed would be useful. Unlike the frilled lizard, with seemed to be only useful for jumping out of unexpected locations and possibly giving an elderly person a heart attack. And of what use could a legless lizard ever have?
As he selected the container with the gecko in it, Javier gave a mostly-useful lecture on what to do. But as he opened the vessel and calmly and decisively snagged the lizard in question, Xerxes couldn’t help but to make a remark in his mind. I’m glad this lizard has been handled and isn’t dangerous anymore. I’d hate for it to suddenly bite my arm off or infect me with some lethal disease. I tremble before the thought of its power. Sarcasm was a native language for Xerxes.
Now that he had the gecko in his hand, his fingers forming a cage around it, he did the next step on the mental checklist. He thought about it. Pictured it. Felt it. And hopefully acquired it. It seemed to go still in his grasp after a moment. He used its sudden lethargy to replace it in its prison.
Placing the gecko’s container back on the table in front of him, Xerxes looked up at Javier with a empty expression and an eyebrow raised. He waited patiently for Javier to inform him of the next step.
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 19, 2013 8:25:08 GMT -5
"It looks like that went pretty well," Javier commented. Xerxes seemed to be a natural at catching and handling small lizards. He wondered if Xerxes used to have a pet gecko at some point. It would certainly explain why he asked specifically for that type of lizard as a morph. Javier decided he may ask in the future, but now was not the time.
"Now that you have the lizard's DNA contained within you, you can morph it at any time. All you need to do is focus your mind and concentrate on becoming the creature you acquired. I could demonstrate if you would like. Although I know you have already seen me morph before, and watching is a poor substitute for experiencing the changed yourself, but I will let you decide."
"At any rate, you will need to pick out one of these morphing suits before you begin." Javier ran a finger along the pattern of one of the wrestling uniforms. "Without one, you will morph right out of your clothes and you'll be stark naked when you change back to human. Which isn't always so terrible. But more often than not, having some clothing in your demorphing is probably a good skill to learn."
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 21, 2013 20:52:13 GMT -5
Paying close attention to Javier’s lecture, Xerxes was surprised that the process seemed to simple. But had he really been expecting some sort of sorcerous mojo or mathematical equation to do the trick? Although concentrating seemed a bit too...easy. Then again, Shiro hadn’t seemed to do anything before he’d shown Xerxes his morphing. Xerxes gave the barest of nods and slightly closed his eyes, a sort of bow in acknowledgement of the intel. “No need,” Xerxes stated, foregoing the choice of watching Javier morph. “I’ve seen the process enough that another demonstration is redundant.” That said, the next step seemed to be the acquisition of a so-called “morphing suit.” Which explained the various articles of color littering the table. The sight bugged him. Seemingly hapless piles of cloth and chaos forming a covering layer to the table. As Xerxes started towards the table, he resisted the urge to curl his lip in disgust. Reluctantly, Xerxes began to sift through the various stacks of clothing. He ignored the wrestling attire and all of the swimwear. Based on Javier’s commentary and his own foresight, Xerxes figured that he may eventually have to walk around in broad daylight in his morphing outfit. Which meant he wanted nothing that would attract too much attention. A guy dressed like he liked amongst the waves or on top of a mat was certain to stand out. Against his better judgement, Xerxes, at this point entirely disregarding Javier, glanced through the assorted costumes. One-piece outfits were immediately set aside in a neat stack, as carefully as he could manage without spending all day folding them just so. Brightly-colored shirts and pants followed and formed their own stacks. Frills, sheer materials, and iconic outfits were cast aside until a very small stack of not-too-unusual clothing remained. Instead of picking from that, Xerxes quickly shifted his attention to the other piles of clothing. The shorts were given only a cursory glance, as Xerxes did not think showing that much leg would be comfortable for him. In his mind, it attracted all the wrong attention, especially if he was nowhere near a bike. The gaudy one-piece thing was deftly tossed on top of the discarded Halloween stack. After rifling through everything for several minutes, Xerxes finally had a final selection. A Punisher shirt exactly one size too small and black lycra stirrups, the sort gymnasts frequently wear. although the Punisher shirt was fairly well-known, it seemed like it could be bought at any clothing store, and not just as a Halloween paraphernalia. Besides, skulls seemed to be very popular amongst some young adults, All the other articles of clothing were neatly arranged in stacks ranging from tallest to shortest, each stack comprised of similar types of clothes. Xerxes was nothing if not orderly. With the two items of clothing folded and laying on his left arm, Xerxes faced Javier with a blank expression. “Am I to change here, or is there a designated location for such a purpose?” The lack of emotion in his voice reflected Xerxes’ apathy. He had no qualms about changing clothes in front of other people. None at all. If it was necessary, at least. Just as long as nobody touched him.
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 23, 2013 20:24:19 GMT -5
Javier waited patiently as Xerxes chose a morphing outfit. Or at least, he waited as patiently as he could manage. It wasn't long before Javier was tapping his toe out of boredom as Xerxes seemed to be taking his time organizing the mess. Why he was bothering to do so, he had no idea. Maybe he was just a tidy person, or maybe it was helping in his decision making process. Javier's younger brother Alejandro was like that some times, where everything had to be just so otherwise a decision would be difficult to make.
Javier's mind must have drifted off a little bit because suddenly Xerxes had made a decision and was asking where he should change. "Punisher. Nice. No, you can change in here. I'll go out into the other room and give you some privacy. You can come out there when you are ready and try turning into a gecko. That's where all the morph practicing usually happens and it probably isn't wise to morph in front of all the caged animals anyway. They could get agitated."
Javier slipped out of the room where they kept the morphing cube and into the War Room. He leaned against a wall in the big empty space and thought about his family again as he waited for Xerxes to change. Alejandro would have been about Xerxes age by now. Maybe a little older. Then there was his oldest brother Fernando and his wife Monica. He wondered how many nieces and nephews he had that he didn't know about.
Javier's second oldest brother, Ronald, owned a gentleman's club in Las Vegas. He was completely into businesses and making money and Javier doubted the guy would ever settle down and get married. Unlike Javier's third oldest brother, Mickey, who was engaged to Penelope. Presumably married by now. Javier was supposed to be the best man in their wedding, but other events had kept that from happening. Couldn't really be helped though. They probably wouldn't have this secret base right now if Javier had skipped out on that mission.
"And no base means no War Room. No War Room means I wouldn't be right here right now, using the morphing cube, teaching Xerxes to morph. Where is that kid anyway?" Javier resumed his waiting.
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 23, 2013 23:26:19 GMT -5
It was settled. The room of the mini-menagerie and clothing store was to serve a third function as a dressing room. So be it. Javier was also not going to be in there. That worked as well. As soon as the Hispanic left, Xerxes set his choice apparel back on the table. This was it. He’d already been sworn in, but he’d yet to put the uniform on. Once he did, there would be no backing out. Although it was most likely too late for that already. But that was no problem--after all the work he’d gone through to be there, at that moment, he was not going to turn around and vanish into obscurity, once again the target of the Yeerks and again without a way to fight back. Xerxes knelt on one leg and began pulling a boot off. Considering the lack of footwear available in the assortment of outfits, Xerxes assumed that shoes were included in the non-skintight clause. Ah well. It would be only a minor discomfort. As he removed the boot, the teen couldn’t help but wonder if Skele-Toes could potentially be morphed. He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He was soon barefoot. Which seemed symbolic, oddly. Except he didn’t care. Xerxes then went about disarming himself. He left the bowie knife in his boot, but he pulled the throwing knives out from his sleeves, where he had returned them after ceremonially discarding them during his invitation to see the Animorphs. Both pocket knives, each a gift from a different grandfather, were set beside his boots, carefully arrayed beside the throwing knives in order of height. The switchblade from the waistband of his jeans soon joined the line-up. Finally he was able to change. Once all was said and done, Xerxes engaged in a few experimental stretches. He never wore tight clothing. Perhaps it was an insecurity of a sort, but he preferred loose clothing that assisted in hiding his figure and body. And loose clothing made it easier to hide knives. But as it was, he figured the only times he be wearing such a harlequin suit would be few and far between, and only for limited periods of time. In theory. He truly had no idea what Animorphs did to fight their war. He only vaguely knew about turning into deadly creatures and unleashing chaos upon their adversaries. Once he’d worked out a nearly-perfect freedom of movement in his newly acquired black-and-white skin, Xerxes proceeded through the door to the room in which Javier awaited. Immediately, he was relieved. It was much quieter in that room. The walls of the ship provided strong sound-proofing, or at least strong enough to dull the din of a plethora of caged beasts. If one were peering very closely, they might have detected a slight amount of tension to leave Xerxes and one might have seen his shoulders loosen up a fraction of a millimeter.
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 24, 2013 7:50:19 GMT -5
Javier was busy examining the toes of his dirty sneakers when he heard the door to the other room open. He looked up to see Xerxes in his tight-fitting clothing. Javier had to hold back a smirk. everyone looked a bit goofy the first time you see them in something so revealing.
"Ahem." Javier cleared his throat to make sure he wouldn't start laughing. He needed to remain professional if he ever hoped to be given this responsibility again. "You look ready," he said truthfully. "I suppose we should dive right into the morphing then, eh?"
Javier rubbed his hands together as he thought about if there was anything else he needed to tell Xerxes. "Lets see, any last words of wisdom I need to throw at you? You already know you need to concentrate to make it work. I suppose I should prepare you for how it feels too though. Sometimes morphing seems like it should be incredibly painful, but their is no pain. However, it can still feel... odd. Bones grating, muscles sliding around, new senses emerging and old ones retreating, that sort of thing. And it doesn't always sound too pleasant either. You may have noticed that already, but if you haven't, you surely will when the sounds are resonating throughout your own body."
"There is one last thing as well. It is important that you keep control of who you are. Along with the animal's body, you also gain its instincts. They can be overpowering to someone unprepared. And let me tell you, it is incredibly easy to be unprepared for something you have never experienced. Even the best of us get lost to the instincts of a new form for a bit." Javier was starting to worry that he may be unnerving the boy, although he doubted Xerxes would be the type to ever let it show.
"At any rate, I am sure you will be just fine. I have never heard of a case where a morpher didn't regain their composure eventually. Definitely within the two hour time limit they had before getting trapped in their morph. So unless you have more questions, go ahead and to pick a spot in the room, take your time, and begin morphing when you feel ready. I'll be here to help if needed."
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Post by Xerxes on Mar 29, 2013 22:27:53 GMT -5
Xerxes focused all of his attention on the man before him. His unwavering gaze never shirked from Javier’s eyes. A slight frown tinted Xerxes’ expression, the only sign that he was intently concentrating on the verbal manual being espoused to him. Perhaps the frown was also a result of his slowly-growing comprehension of just how dangerous morphing could be. To be trapped as a single animal, if becoming it for more than two hours? But even worse, the thought of losing all control...
Xerxes closed his eyes at that. A small shudder traversed his body. The changing form, he felt confident he could handle. But being incapable of controlling his actions once again was entirely different.
I...I can’t do...I...I... He stepped back slightly and opened his eyes, the focused glint in his eyes fading until he seemed to be peering at another dimension beyond Javier’s head. He implies that everyone loses control, and that it’s a frequent thing. Though he just claim that no one has ever not regained control. But still, the prospects frightened him.
Even after Javier turned Xerxes lose, the teen remained in a rigid stance, fixed on his imaginary focal point. Seconds creeped and crawled by.
But, if it’s just an animal, it won’t hurt me. Because it will be the animal’s body. I’ll be the one controlling it. It will fight me, yet I’m reasonably certain I can win. Outside invaders tend to overwhelm their bodies rather quickly. Even though he was only on a shaky truce for his internal strife, Xerxes exhaled and began to imagine the gecko in his mind’s eye, though never shifting his gaze.
In seconds, Xerxes could detect the first changes. His vision began shifting and expanding as a fluidic sound began sloshing around his temples. His eyes began to grow and becoming majorly disproportionate to his body. Then cracking, snapping, and grinding sounds began emanating from his body. His spine seemed to bend and flex and his collapsed forward, his vertebrae no longer supporting a bipedal stance.
Grotesquely fascinated by the experience, Xerxes shifting his ever-changing eyes to his hands, which were conveniently splayed before his on the floor. The skin between his fingers seemed to stretch out as the phalanges shrank. His hands began withering away to form tiny facsimiles of themselves. His skin began to itch and seemed to dance. Resisting the urge to scratch, Xerxes kept thinking about the gecko, comparing it to the hard, brown skin that was swiftly sprouting in patches all over his arms and hands.
A sickening crunch erupted from his lower back as he felt his spine began to extend. Despite Javier’s warning, Xerxes braced himself for the wave of pain that did not happen. But as the sound of breaking and rebinding bones echoed in Xerxes’ ears, the teen could not help but flinch as the viscerally disturbing nature of the transformation. He sucked in a gasp of air but powered through the morph.
The spinal extension began forming a broad, flat tail, but before it could grow to full size, Xerxes felt the world skyrocket upwards. Tables and chairs became buildings and castles. Javier’s shoes became the feet of giants. His face began contorting, stretching, and jutting as he seemed to fall in size. With his extended field of vision, Xerxes could turn his head and watched as his torso skeletal system began to change. His sides flattened but his back began to jut upwards until it formed a leaf-like hump. Horns began sprouting from where his eyebrows used to be. He felt his highlighted hair dissolve into his scaly skin. Fleshly, adhesive pads formed on his fingers.
Several minutes after the morph began, a gecko crouched where Xerxes once had.
And strangely enough, it wasn’t too bad.
As used to other consciousnesses inside his own as he was, Xerxes quickly felt another mind come into existence around his own. But it didn’t feel invasive, or probing. It just felt....calm. Collected. Calculating. It wanted to find shelter, to get out of the direct light. Predators lurked in the open light and daytime was no place for a lizard like he. And his camouflage wouldn’t work without a tree.
The gecko broke into a sudden run and raced for the nearest chair. It wasn’t panicking, but merely planning ahead. It preferred the possible protection the shade might give. And then it would try to find something to climb, to give it a much better vantage point. Because trees were where he belonged.
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Post by Javier Delgado on Mar 30, 2013 8:17:25 GMT -5
To Javier's surprised, Xerxes did seem to be affected by information he had just been given. He wasn't sure if the boy was just letting it soak in, or if he was actually affected emotionally by it, but either way Javier was considering trying to talk to Xerxes about it. But then Xerxes began his morph and Javier figured he had worked through any issues on his own. I sure hope so, Javier thought to himself.
Xerxes completed the transformation without pausing the changes along the way, which was a good sign. Some people freak out half way through their first time and have to be convinced to keep going. Now Xerxes was a small scaled critter sitting on the War Room floor.
Or running, rather. Straight under a chair. Javier couldn't help but smile. "Those would be the instincs," he commented, not entirely certain if Xerxes would be able to understand human speech better in his lizard form than Javier could in his own reptile morph. He figured the chances were pretty good though.
"Feel free to indulge in the gecko mind for a while. Get a feel for the way it thinks. An animal's instincts can be an asset on a mission if properly channeled. They know how to do what they do better than a human does. Take our time getting aclimated, then let me know when you have reasserted your own mind completely." Javier smirked, noting that he thought he sounded like some sort of expert giving a lecture. Maybe it wasn't completely false, but the notion amused him just the same.
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