Life. Death. @goldenelixxir - Tumblr Blog

New Mutants Squad!

@goldenelixxir

alphonsetalbot:

Alph sighed, “Several of the people who came to see me didn’t do so because of the ban, Josh. They come because they’re poor humans whose society, unlike mutant society it seems, chose to turn its back on them everyday.” People who worked themselves to death for a minimum wage they couldn’t possibly live off. People who’d have to go without food for a week just to get their child medicine for a bad fever. Or risk losing their house if they got treated for an infection.

It wasn’t fair. But he worried that, given how humanity had treated mutants in the past, the feeling would be returned and they’d get no help if he left. “A few days may not be enough… And I couldn’t get someone else to help me here. I can’t afford that with what I’m essentially fleecing from my family.” If they could get someone else then it would work but… “Sounds like a great world though.” he added after a few moments, giving Josh a small smile. “With NOVA pretty much gone the big fear I had for revealing what I am is gone. It’s my family who stand to lose more given their ridiculous prejudice…” he trailed off again, the cogs turning in his mind almost visible, “I think I have an idea.” he said, giving Josh a sly smirk. “I need more money, my family have more money. My family also want me to stay out of high society lest I embarrass them. Perhaps its time I arrange a little visit home.” He hadn’t been lying telling Josh it sounded like a great world; if he could help build it he’d be more than happy to play dirty.

To his knowledge, he hadn’t made the assumption that everyone Alphonse saw was solely there because of the ban. That wasn’t even true for Josh’s patients, though largely they were comprised of mutants. He’d treated several humans - less, of course, after NOVA, but his clinic had predated them. He understood that there were struggles beyond just the ban, and that they’d continue even after it was lifted.

Josh spread his hands, ready to accept the refusal. It had been worth a shot, anyway. Alphonse would have been a good addition, and one that he didn’t have to go far to search out, but there were others he could contact. He had a few in mind, and was waiting to hear back from Cecilia Reyes. But Alphonse offered up a suggestion, instead, and he raised a brow. “I don’t want to like, inconvenience you somehow, but I’d love to have you on board.”

#ch: alphonse

poetryofmuses

'shut up' but like flirtatiously.

allo-frouto

Make me but like sexually.

goldenelixxir

@tlkntc

tlkntc:

There was a rush for the rest of the day once the aftermath of the explosion died down and was settled. It lasted into the night until Julian found himself asleep in the shower - standing up. He’d used up a lot of his energy and with Josh busy or out of commission, he figured to just take the next few days easy. That involved a lot of cat naps with the curtains open to let the sun in.

When the text came in, Julian had made the trek to the garden to get some actual fresh air. He felt tense, tight, but he felt rested.

[ TEXT: Midas Jr. ]: Yea, I’m free. Don’t worry about it, I get it. Get good sleep at least?

[ - 10 sec later - ]

[ TEXT: Midas Jr. ]: How r u feeling?

[ Txt - Jules ]: less like the living dead. at least i cut it off before it was a full on coma

[ Txt - Jules ]: maybe you could’ve played Prince Charming instead of yelling me awake tho. too bad.

When Josh had used his abilities to cause harm for the first time, it had left him in a state he’d been unable to fully recover from on his own. Well, maybe he’d just been unwilling. Either way, he and Julian had been in the throes of their childish rivalry at the time, yet he’d still managed to snap him out of it. Everyone else had tried, and nobody got through until Julian and Laura had needed him. He’d tried to avoid slipping into that state again, but sometimes he pushed himself too far.

[ Txt - Jules ]: where are you

#ch: julian

electrically:

Jebediah always liked the tables that were by the window. He didn’t get to go out often when it comes to eating out but his family was really poor. They grew most of their own food and couldn’t rationalize taking a family of twelve out. It wasn’t ideal but Jeb understood the reasons. The cost was too great but sometimes they ordered pizza to be delivered to their farm. They could at least afford that treat every few weeks if they were all good. Which makes this whole outing with Josh feel nostalgic in a way. The more his mind dwelled on food the more hungry he gets.

“It would be mah luck that ah’d blow up a buildn’ or somethin’ without meaning ta do so.” Jeb would have to be really stressed for his eyes to start sparking but until having more training it was safer for him not to run around playing hero. He doesn’t think that Cyclops would have approved of him doing that anyway. “Mah family is good. Ah try talking ta them everyday. They actually all came ta visit Star City back in December which was really nice. Mama said one of our cows had a calf recently. Wanna see a picture?” He pulls out his phone to show the baby cow standing with her mother.

“Well, I can guarantee, one hundred percent, that you would not be the first one to do that.” Josh was lucky in that his abilities weren’t outwardly destructive unless he chose for them to be. They could be deadly, but not in the way that forgetting to consciously control an energy blast might manage. He still remembered how difficult it had been for Noriko, even with the gloves they’d designed for her, to handle the surges of electricity.

Josh had always been a city boy. Westchester was the closest to ‘countryside’ he’d ever been, and he knew that had nothing on Kentucky. “Like a real cow?” He nodded, leaning toward the phone. “I’ve never even seen a cow in actual, real life.” He didn’t realize it until he’d said it, but it was the truth. He’d gone to zoos and whatever other kinds of things kids did on field trips, sometimes, but zoos didn’t keep...cows. That was a whole other world.

#ch: jeb

mostpopularmagi:

“Well, I guess there could be. I am celebrating a little something at present.” But given the, understandable, dour atmosphere in the city right now he was trying to keep the shenanigans to a minimum. But a spa day in another continent was another matter entirely. The smile on his face as he talked about was a little different too, for one not a smug or nasty expression but just a happy one. “That vintage is probably worth more than some people make in a year, so enjoy it.” he added lightly.

He chuckled, “It wasn’t always, but now it is.” he’d barely stepped inside when two attendants rushed from out of nowhere to assist them, “Thank you Gretchen, could you prepare this bottle for serving?” he asked, handing her the one he’d been carrying, “Johnathan I take it everything’s ready?”

One attendant took his bottle, offering to take Josh’s too, while the other nodded and began leading them both down a grand hallway to a changing room, explaining they had the overnight stay prepped with treatments and dinner. Once inside the changing room, Zach didn’t hesitate to start stripping off and grabbed a fluffy robe and pair of tight shorts, to wear, “Ever been to a spa before?” he asked Josh, “All you gotta do is sit back, relax, eat and drink. Though I’d recommend a massage.”

“Celebrating what?” He assumed it was something involving his show, though couldn’t guess at what it could be. Maybe a(nother?) international tour. A movie deal. Who knew? Whatever it was, he fully expected to hear bragging...or celebrating...about it in short order.

“Do I look like the guy who goes to spas?” Josh just followed his lead. The last thing that concerned him was another person’s body or vice versa. He took good care of himself, and as far as anyone else was concerned...there was virtually nothing that he’d not seen at least once. “Never been in one in my life. Saunas, yeah. I did that whole retreat thing.” He couldn’t even remember if he’d mentioned it to Zach. They didn’t exactly talk much about Josh. Besides, ‘retreat’ was sort of a deceptive way to refer to it, anyway. He’d lost his mind and needed to disappear for a year. But what was the term for that? Retreat was fine.

#ch: zach

electrically:

“You don’t need to apologize, I get it.” Jebediah might be young but if there’s anything that he understood and respects … it’s hard work. He has been helping out on the family farm for long as he can possibly remember and now there’s an internship taking up much of his time. While it’s different from working in a clinic and helping out those that are sick … he still knows what it means to have responsibilities to put before socializing. “I understand having work to do that takes up all your time.” Once it was feeding farm animals but now it’s building robots and whatever else Ted wanted him to do. “Especially with recent events I can imagine you’ve been sought out” He smiles though with his words while looking at Josh as they walked together.

He could eat some pizza … he never got sick of it, honestly. “I didn’t really. I focused on trying to get out of the city. I’m still training on how to control my optic blasts so I didn’t want to hurt anyone, you know?” He wouldn’t have forgiven himself if something happened out there.

Josh headed inside and slipped into one side of a booth by the window. It was nice just to be out doing something for the sake of it, even if the whole inspiration for it had been a memorial, of sorts. He’d long since had to accept death just being a regular, too-frequent part of his life, though, even with the abilities he had. It gave him a constant drive to get better. Not that he voiced the reasoning, ever. No one needed to know how preoccupied he was with the idea.

“That’s probably a good thing. Speaking from experience, sometimes it’s better to just uh, know your limitations, I guess.” Hypocritical of him to say, probably, considering he still refused to acknowledge it most of the time. He looked over the menu for just a second and ran his hand along the back of his neck. “How’s your family?”

#ch: jeb

alphonsetalbot:

“My Nanny was extremely southern. Blonde hair as big as my toddler self and a colourful metaphor for every occasion.” They still kept in touch, she was one of the few people he could still talk to without his family getting their knickers in a twist; to them she was only ‘the help’ after all. Never mind that she’s raised most of them more than their parents ever did. But this wasn’t the time to get on that trail of thought.

“The Wayne family?” he asked, brows rising. Even he’d heard about the death of Bruce Wayne, Batman, and while he’d never met the man he felt for his family. It seemed most of the city were in mourning for the man. His eyes went wide as Josh continued and finished his offer though. “A fully funded hospital?” he asked, “Sounds like a great opportunity to the district, help improve healthcare and overall quality of life.” he paused and licked his lips, “I just, I’m not sure. What about my patients here? Many of them might not be able to make it over to the District for treatment, and several are humans. I’m all they have.” Since regular hospitals weren’t an option for them. “And I’m all I have.” He didn’t have anyone else he could think to delegate work to.

Josh knew that conundrum. If he’d been given the offer he was extending to Alphonse even a few weeks earlier, his hesitation would have been identical. Even with staff, after years of having only himself, he still hesitated to put much distance between him and the clinic...just in case. Still, if he’d learned anything after three or so years of operating that way, it was that it wasn’t sustainable. It was a band-aid across a huge issue that someone had to start tackling in a bigger way. That’s what he was hoping to do.

“Don’t close your clinic,” he said immediately. “Please. Run it...a few days a week, or however often you think you need to, and spend the rest at the hospital. With the ban lifted, it’ll be easier for people to travel. Some of them might even be able to get treatment somewhere else completely.” Not that he expected them to want to. There was a very valid distrust among the powered community toward all things in mainstream healthcare and authority. “If the hospital in District X works, maybe we can expand. I want people like us to see that they aren’t always going to have to count on miracle healing or a handful of people spending every waking hour in two room buildings to take care of them.” That was the vision, anyway. Josh wasn’t one for big, long term ideas like that, usually, but this time it felt like they all needed it.

#ch: alphonse

mostpopularmagi:

“Does there have to be a why?” Zach huffed, managing to put his hands on his hips even while holding both bottles. “Can’t I just wanna take a friend out for an day’s pampering following a very difficult time in the city for us all?” he asked. Course, he’d not been around for said chaotic event, neither had Eddie but that was a story for a later time. He smirked when the other agreed, honestly a little relieved, “Good man. rooD ot apS, raeppa.” he cast, summoning a wooden door in the middle of the street.

“Now if you’ll just follow me everything will be provided.” he smirked, handing Josh one of the bottles and yanking the door open, stepping through to stand in front of what looked a with grand country estate. “Welcome to the Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa.” he said theatrically.

“Usually there is whether there has to be or not.” But Zach never really used that word, friend, and Josh was surprised to hear it come out of his mouth. Maybe that was answer enough to the question. It wasn’t like he was going to press too much about it. He wasn’t one for long heart-to-hearts either, both because he rarely had the time or desire for them. He liked to focus on the present as much as he could. That tended to be where he was needed, where he could actually do something.

Josh took the bottle for him and looked at the label, which was perfectly meaningless. He didn’t know a damn thing about wine or champagne or any of the rest, except that with enough of any of it he could be drunk until he decided to purge it from his system. Once they were standing in front of the bougie looking building, he turned his head toward Zach. “I’m guessing this is the norm for you.” He had definitely never set foot in a place like that.

#ch: zach

alphonsetalbot:

Alph felt worn ragged. In the days following Joker’s attack, NOVA’s destruction and bombing at the bridge he’d been inundated with patients who, for whatever reason, had been unable to attend hospital. He’d dealt with wounds left to fester into infections, broken bones and even a shrapnel wound. And the later people left it to come and see him the worse their injuries usually were. He was only one man after all. But, he also had one hell of a stubborn streak and had ensured everyone got the best he could give. Now things seemed to finally slow down, enough that he could get a little rest.

Or that would’ve been the plan, until Josh phoned asking if they could meet. He didn’t dare turn the other man down and instead chugged some very bitter coffee and changed out of his rumbled and (slightly) bloodstained clothes to meet the golden man. He smiled when Josh arrived, “I do, all the time in the world for you chicken honey.” Alph chuckled at his own words, “Sorry, my old nanny used to say it. I get a little loopy after two days on an hour’s sleep.”

“So, how can I help?”

“Chicken honey. That’s a new one.” He gave a tired sounded chuckle. Both he and and Alphonse seemed to be in roughly the same state of existence right then, but that was par for the course. No doubt they both knew what they’d signed up for. When catastrophe struck, as it seemed to do far too often, someone had to contend with the fallout and literally and figuratively stitch people back together.

He pressed his lips together. The offer he was there to make was a good one, or at least he thought that it was. “Not many people know this, but my clinic in District X has been funded by the Wayne family for a couple of years now.” It wasn’t something that was publicized. Dick had been the first to invest, but Bruce had followed and kept it up, and it all stayed private. It wasn’t like they asked for recognition. That was about to change, in light of Bruce’s death. “Before...” he spread his hands, “before everything that just happened, Bruce Wayne gave the go-ahead for the Wayne Foundation to fund construction on a fully equipped hospital in District X. It’ll replace my clinic, and I’ll be working there instead. When I thought about who else I wanted involved, I thought...it deserves to be staffed by people who’ve already been doing that kind of work. I hoped you might be one of them.”

#ch: alphonse

electrically:

Death isn’t something you ever get used to. Jebediah knows that very well after his life experiences. He doesn’t think you ever completely move on and just find a new way of coping with those feelings. You might not be sad everyday but you can still feel the loss. He can’t speak for everyone but at least that’s how Jeb deals with the weight of those who are gone. It’s important to keep their memory alive. The blond doesn’t know much about the man who died but his heart goes out to everyone who cared about Bruce Wayne. Life keeps going even in death and maybe that’s the hardest part to accept.

When Josh reached out to him with an inquiry about grabbing lunch … he didn’t hesitate to accept the offer. It was nice to have something to look forward to after recent events in the city that caused a bridge explosion. He left the school and headed toward where they planned on meeting up. Jeb felt his safest in the District but wasn’t afraid of leaving it to explore other areas of the city due to his job with Kord Industries being out there. Once seeing Josh, the blond starts walking faster to reach him. “Josh! Hello! It’s nice to see you again!”

Josh held up one hand in greeting, not that he really needed to give away that he was there. The gold skin tended to do that. He wasn’t exactly easy to lose in a crowd. “Yeah, thanks for making time. Sorry it took me so long. The clinic is always...well, you know, there’s always hurt people and sick people. They’re never in short supply.”

He gestured for Jeb to walk with him and headed off toward one of the restaurants nearby. It was just a pizza place, but they were out for lunch, not some kind of five course thing. He figured pizza would work just fine. “I hope you got through all that mess that just happened okay. Were you helping with the evac?” Not that he’d have blamed him if he didn’t and had just got out of the city instead. Everyone staying behind to try to help kind of defeated the purpose.

#ch: jeb

amazingflyingdick:

[Txt - Josh]: give me twenty mins

It was eighteen minutes later that Dick let himself into the clinic. It was a place he frequented during his patrol, even just to check in and say hi, and he was comfortable being there.

That didn’t mean he also wasn’t thinking about Bruce as he stood there in the foyer. Dick had taken the idea of the clinic to him and requested additional assistance, assistance that Bruce had been happy to provide, and he wasn’t even sure if he’d ever been inside. Maybe that was something to ask Josh, but part of him didn’t want to answer. It was better to think that Bruce hadn’t died ignorant of its impact.

As someone else scurried off to get Josh, Dick made himself sit in the small waiting room. No one else was there. He thought about stopping by the night before, but then changed his mind when he thought about how full Josh’s hands must have been. There also hadn’t been a lot of time for him to do anything. Regardless, the last thing he’d wanted to do was interfere. The bomb had the bridge had some fatalities and countless injuries; he hoped Josh reached them in time, but he was wary of asking too many questions. The amount of guilt Josh shouldered for the people he didn’t help was too great for that.

It wasn’t too long before he emerged, still a little tired but at functional and upright. It would be a little longer before he’d be acting in the capacity of a healer again, unless something was urgent enough to warrant him slipping into a coma to fix it. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen. It wasn’t exactly an experience that he relished having, even if he’d done it before. With any luck, he’d have another day or two to rest and maybe be there for people in a less hands-on way.

He ran a hand back through his hair and offered Dick a little smile as he approached. Once he was close enough, he moved to hug him instead. “I would have called or something sooner, but I figured you could use the space.” Even though Dick had showed up, he still partly wondered whether or not he should’ve taken more time. Josh was keenly aware of what it was like to overextend for the benefit of other people - something both he and Dick were prone to doing.

“How uh...” he shook his head, not finishing the question, and nodded toward the door. It was probably better if they could walk rather than stand there in the clinic. Once they were out, he tucked his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. “How are you holding up?” he finally asked.

#ch: dick

@tlkntc

The couple of days following the explosion at the bridge and everything that had followed had left him exhausted. He’d worked through most of it, set aside a little while to see Dick once the news about Bruce reached him, then worked some more. The crash that came afterward was inevitable and Josh had slept an absurd amount of time until his body was able to reboot and be of any use whatsoever again. Once that finally happened, he’d crawled out of bed and reached for his phone.

[txt - Jules:] you free today? sorry i’ve been MIA

#ch: julian

kaihartx:

@goldenelixxir

Kai was in a period of transition, now a member of District X he knew he would have to pull his weight and add to the cause. Not just be another variable that hinders whatever it was that Scott was trying to accomplish here. In the aftermath of all that happened, he knew a certain golden mutant had been healing as many injured as he could. Kai could only chuckle as he remembered that was how he met, the so called Elixir. Now he was walking down to the clinic to see if the man needed assistance, having been training with his powers ever since their first encounter, finding the healing properties he could use out of different elements.

“Hey dude, I was just stopping by to see if you needed any help cleaning up or y’know helping some of the mutants recovery go smoother,” Kai said as he stood at the doorway, back pressed against the frame, arms crossed and nestled against his chest.

Josh had a project in the works even before the vote to abolish the ban and NOVA’s dissolution. It was funded by the Wayne foundation, but as it had been given the green light before Bruce’s death, he knew that it would still be seen through. That small comfort was still small, though, and he was left feeling bitter that another good person was gone from the world. Still, at least there was something to focus on.

He was in the clinic, but not technically on a shift that day. Instead, he’d holed up in the little room he’d been using as an office since he’d opened the place. As the door opened, he glanced up at Kai. “If you really want to help, you can help me pack this room up. Everybody else is all set for now.” He had staff, real staff, and anyone there for continued treatment was being seen to. He’d healed the worst of the injuries entirely and sent them on their way.

#ch: kai

@amazingflyingdick

Josh mourned Bruce Wayne in his own right. He’d done a lot for him, even if they’d had little in the way of personal interaction. There had been more than enough to know that he was a very good man, and willing to help in ways that most people didn’t have the means or desire to do. It was unlikely that most people even realized that the only clinic in District X had stayed stocked and functional purely based on his generosity and contribution. It wasn’t as though it was advertised, and Josh didn’t talk about it.

It wasn’t only about Bruce, though. Josh had known Dick for years at that point, longer than anyone he’d met in Star City. Whatever loss Josh felt wasn’t going to come close to what it had to be like for him. Bruce was his father, regardless of the complication specifics. He gave him a day, both for Dick’s sake and for his own. He was still recovering, physically, from the energy he’d had to expend helping out at the bridge and afterward, and had no doubt that Dick was fielding conversations from plenty of other people. It was better to just hold off.

He sent a message late in the evening the day after everything had happened.

[Txt - Dick]: Do you have a few minutes? Want to get out?

#ch: dick

mostpopularmagi:

Zach could do normal people things, like hang out with friends and have fun. So Eddie had decided he was going to spend the night away and the devil had been so worried about leaving him on his own Zach had bluffed about making plans with a ‘friend’ and even promised photo evidence. Crap. Luckily, he’d pulled some strings and booked a room for two at the most exclusive spa in the city. No he just needed someone to go with. Josh came to mind since he didn’t tend to be too annoying and, well… maybe they were kinda friends.

Putting those thoughts aside he swaggered up to Josh’s clinic, a bottle of wine in each hand and smirked when the other saw him. “Yes. We’re spending the rest of the day at a spa getting wasted and letting people pamper us. My treat. C’mon,” he gestured, leaving no room for argument, “The treatments kick off in half an hour.”

“Uh...what?” It was the only thing that came to mind to say. Josh glanced at the wine in his hand, still utterly baffled about whatever was happening. “Why?” He had no real reason to refuse. Normally the clinic as a convenient excuse if he needed one, but his shift was done and he wasn’t quite sure that he wanted to turn down the offer. Curiosity, if nothing else, begged him to accept. It wasn’t as if this was normal Zachary Zatara behavior.

He glanced back at the clinic door and raked his teeth across his bottom lip. “I...yeah, you know what? Fine. I’ll do whatever this is.”

#ch: zach

@electrically

As District X had begun evacuating first, most of their residents had already left the city some way or another by the time the explosion went off at the bridge. If there was a silver lining, it was probably that. They’d seen enough death amongst their own and for this one, tiny window, they got a break. Josh still felt the weight of what had happened, and certainly of Bruce Wayne’s death, but they had to keep going. Mutants knew that perhaps better than anyone. You could not stop for death.

A few weeks earlier, he’d told Jeb Guthrie that they could sit down and talk. It seemed as good a time as any. Josh had taken the day away from the clinic and sent Jeb a message to ask if he was free for lunch. District X had been around for two years by then and they’d had a few restaurants pop up close to the school. Even though they were free to go into the city itself without much worry, the District was still more convenient. He met him there and lingered outside with his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie.

#ch: jeb

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