[b]Portland, OR 9:01 pm[/b] For the first time all day the apartment was notably quiet, something Joseph Stein hadn't had the pleasure of having yet. After a long day making sure his siblings went to school with packed lunches, doing laundry at a nearby laundromat, taking his two classes of the day at Portland State University, coming back just in time for his siblings to be home, make dinner for everyone, and finally get them all whisked to bed Joseph was exhausted. Another busy but in the end satisfying day. Still not everything was cheery in his world. A lot of the problems were stemming from his back, attached to both of his shoulder blades as a matter of fact. The large, fathered wings Joseph has only had for around a month now have been both the biggest blessing and biggest curse in his life. It didn't help at all when he watches TV, the city's normally very tolerant citizens have been very vocal about the mutant troubles as of late. Thankfully nothing too violent has happened... yet at least. Still Joseph was worried about his brothers, his sisters, especially his mom. Now that people have seen him flying around in public and think the city has an actual angel in its midst. It has caused another big uproar in the city, people thinking he was the signal of the end of the world (he's not... least Joseph doesn't think he is) to people just saying its all fake to trick gullible Christians (preening these wings nightly, they sure as heck doesn't feel fake). Joseph though hasn't felt something he could have such a personal love towards, something so amazing and unbelievable that was just 'his'. The feeling of the cool air rushing against him as he could swoop up and down, all around, through the tightest corners and up high into the sky. He still could never figure out how to describe the feeling. Probably never could since its not something he could just summarize or compare with something else. Flying is something that all at once is scary, thrilling, elating, and all around incredible. Joseph loved every part of it. As the young winged man was about to turn on the TV though the door to the apartment opened up, his mom coming in slowly as he sighed. Letting her purse plop to the ground with a thud. Joseph got up and quickly gave her a hug, one she clearly needed as she looked defeated, a sight Joseph was all too familiar with seeing from her. “Hey mom.” Joseph quietly said to her, trying not to wake his siblings. “I got your clothes washed and on your nightstand, plus the bills should be okay for the next few weeks.” “Hmm thank you.” She quietly said to him as Joseph seamlessly got one of her arms onto his shoulder to help her down the hall to her bedroom. “Joseph please I can walk I'm fine.” She tried to assure her son, who quickly gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “Please mom its okay, you look like you're going to fall over any minute. Here lets just get you to bed.” He did so as he gently let her take a sit down onto her mattress. Though before Joseph could leave he heard his mom pat the side of the bed next to her. “Joseph please... take a seat.” She asked in a low tone that worried Joseph, but he complied as he took a seat next to her. “Sweetie... at the store today...” She started into with, mentioning the general store nearby she worked half her day at. “Someone came in and said I had a mutant son and should be ashamed of myself. I tried to ignore the man but...” She teared up, choking down whatever sorrow she could just to speak.“I'm just worried about how people are taking to you and I...” Joseph shushed her politely, “Mom its okay, I'll be fine. If someone wants to feel that way let them, but if you let it get to you. All you're doing is making them feel better. I love you mom, always have and always will. Always and forever, no matter what like we always say.” He reminded her, letting her nod. “Come on get some sleep, tomorrow I can take you out to lunch after you get off at the store okay?” After he left his mom so she could sleep Joseph briefly considered bed himself. However that tingle in the back of his neck, the craving, he couldn't fight it if he wanted too. Getting a sleeveless shirt he made holes in the back of, and a pair of cargo pants. Joseph quietly smiled as he got dressed and could see out into the crystal dark blue night sky outside, simply perfect flying weather. Taking his time Joseph went up the stairs of the apartment, going up around seven stories before reaching the roof. There he could take in a deep breath of the fresh air, hearing the sounds of the city streets below him. Sure they'd probably see him, let them. Joseph strolled up to the ledge of the roof. Seeing everything below moving like a science experiment. Finally putting both of his feet up to the ledge, holding his arms out wide, holding his chin up with a barely contained grin of excitement, and let gravity take him over the edge as he only fell for a moment. It was time for Joseph to take flight. [b] London, England 7:01 am[/b] Nicholas Brooks couldn't help but stare at the body that was in front of the mirror, which reflected back at him this... thing. He still had moments of not really being able to grasp that this mass of flesh and fat was him now. Only a month ago he felt like he was 90 pounds soaking wet, now he seemed to be around 321 at the time he had weighed himself. The time he weighed himself and now though had a lot of ups and downs to it. Whatever the x-gene did to him it had a strange sense of humor. Biggest of all, ironically, was how Nicholas could in fact make himself bigger at will. He tried it out again, almost as some physical reminder. His already bulky form began to expand out and up. His pajamas which already were brand new for his enlarged body creaking with the growing boy they held. Nicholas didn't want to admit at all how this was actually kind of exciting for him. As it was a very bizarre power to have, but after a lifetime of being tiny, weak, suddenly becoming a mass of powerful mass did have its strangely intoxicating power trip to it. A creek in the floorboard told Nicholas to stop, a good thing too as the pajama pants he had on, normally fairly loose, felt quite tight on him. Having grown around half a foot Nicholas looked like he had gained almost 200 pounds in an instant. A weird moment of admiring himself later Nicholas started downstairs. Each footstep causing a small shiver on the floor. As he was considering what to eat that morning Nicholas stopped about midway through the stairs when he heard his mom and dad talking. The tone wasn't good at all, and it only got worse when Nicholas realized what it was about. The amount of money they spend on food, the passenger side door of the car he had ripped clean off, all of the new clothes he needed. The bills were frightening even just hearing them. He knew all this mass was a big issue, but he had no idea what it was doing to them. They had the same kind of tone he had only heard when his grandma had passed away. Talking about everything and in a way that made Nicholas feel very guilty like he purposely let his x-gene activate like this. Nicholas stopped himself from doing any closer as his parents were in the dining room. They never saw him, and he was glad they didn't because right now he wasn't sure either of them wanted to see one another. Nicholas slowly climbed back up the stairs as he sighed quietly, having to fight back the tear welling up in his eye. Getting back to his room Nicholas just quietly got onto his bed. Hearing it give a very ominous creak from the weight he put on it. The young man himself groaning as he got the audible reminder of his troubles.