video;

[shifting]

[there's a frazzled shapeshifter on your screens today, imPorts. He rubs a hand against his mouth and the scruff of his chin awkwardly, like he's going to make an effort to collect his thoughts - then promptly throws that plan out the window.]

Hey, uh. Sorta a specific question, but has anyone ever... lost track of a day and shown up at the Porter? With somethin' changed? Is that just - somethin' that happens on top of all the other weird shit this place does to a person?

Comments

[hostage]

[Sam isn't wrong about him, though Jesse hates that kind of speculation. It gives people the strange idea that he's looking for redemption, which is a stupid concept if there ever was one.]

I was murdered last December. In my dorm room, over at the Xavier School. The guy who did it knew everything about me. Knew where my room was, knew when I'd come back there, waited for me and hit when nobody could save me. I don't wanna make it that easy for anybody ever again.

[shifting]

Holy shit.

[that takes a moment to sink in. 'Murdered last December.' Says the guy standing here, talking to him. In one piece. (And without fangs.)

This place is still so fucking weird.]

Yeah... shit, yeah, I can see wantin' to be wary after that. [hell, he's surprised Jesse came all the way out here to meet with Sam now, considering they'd only met in person once before.] They get who did it locked up?

[hostage]

Nah. He killed himself.

[Jesse speaks so candidly about these things. They're old news. Whatever he feels about what happened, he's worked hard to bury it deep.]

[shifting]

[he's not sure which is more disturbing - the story or Jesse's reaction to it.

But Sam supposes people deal with their shit in all different ways. God knows he does.]

Fuck. Hell of a way to end a story. [good thing he started this by getting them both some whiskey to sip on - this isn't a conversation for the sober.]

I'd heard about it - people dyin' and comin' back because of the nanites or the Porter. Still hard to wrap my head around. And that's comin' from a world with vampires.

[hostage]

[Jesse sips at his whiskey, but he remains unfortunately sober.]

It only works like fifty percent of the time. The odds are pretty bad when it comes to the nanites. Don't count on coming back. And even when you do, you come back fucked-up. I was dead for a long time, and when I got back, my powers wouldn't work for almost a week.

[shifting]

Not that I was real eager to go testin' the immortality theory anyway, but... that's good to know. Everyone else has made it sound like it's damn near guaranteed. It's good to have a different perspective on it.

[even if it seems a damaged, oddly nonchalant one.

Sam licks his lips, tries to think of a better segue, and fails. So he simply asks:]

Speakin' of powers, you ready to try this thing out?