Friends? Why not? (Angel)

Jogging through the hot summer sun made Tobin feel like he was at home. It was a normal summer activity for him to slip into his swimsuit, pack a backpack full of drinks and a towel, and head to the beach for some sun and some fun. He would see some people he knew from school and talk to them, but most of the time he just read or wrote. Most people wouldn’t have guessed it, but Tobin was a very artistic young mutant. He appreciated the finer workings of prose and poetry, and he strove to imitate them in his own writing. Then, he also painted and sculpted, but his sculptures weren’t that much to talk about. A lot of people marveled at his use of light in his paintings, which only made Tobin laugh. If they would only marvel at his use of light in everyday life, then maybe life at home could’ve been normal. Instead, he had had to run away. No one besides the others at the Institute really knew what that was like, and he was finally glad to find a place where he didn’t have to hide his gifts. He hid plenty of his personality and what not from the other students, but his gifts were finally his to show off. He always had been a secret exhibitionist, always seeking attention but scorning it when he received it.

Arriving at the lake, Tobin took in the beautiful sight of the blue water as it expanded into the horizon. It was a decent sized lake, definitely not the pacific, but it would provide the waterfront he needed to have a good time. Slinging off his pack, Tobin pulled out his towel and laid it on the ground. Then, he took out some sunscreen, pulled off his shirt, and kicked off his shoes and socks. Ironically, he could control UV rays, but he hadn’t quite found a way to keep them from burning him when he lay out for too long. His skin had already taken on a leathery tan feeling from the few times he had been out at the beach before he left. His hair had a lighter hue than it normally did. Tobin did have a sun-kissed look to him, but it was fading due to hours spent in the car and not at the beach. “All of that is going to change,” he told himself as he pulled out a copy of Les Miserables and sat down. He was a sucker for the classics, especially when they were originally written in different languages, but he would never, ever let anyone see that side of him. Lastly, Tobin pulled out a pack of cigarettes he had brought with him on the run. Sitting on the lakeshore, smoking a cig and reading a good book, all of this appealed to Tobin just about right now. He lit his first cig with some infrared radiation from his left index finger and settled down to continue the story of Jean Valjean. The story was riveting and quickly grabbed his attention.

It was a beautiful day outside as Angel went up to his window and looked out. He'd spent most of the day in the gym, which had been quiet due to everyone going to the swimming pool. Angel was glad of that - he still wasn't the best around people, though he was starting to lighten up a bit. As he realised this, he thought of Lex and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He doubted his friend would ever 'lighten up'. In a way, he understood. Lex controlled darkness, and he took after it as well - cold and dark. But Angel would break the ice with him and get to know the real Lex, he knew that.

He scanned the grounds from his window, wondering what to do with the rest of his day. He'd showered after been in the gym, so training or doing some more working out was out of the question for now. He'd have liked to have gone to the pool, but there were too many people there. It was a shame really... Angel really fancied going for a swim. That's when the lake caught his eye. Of course! The lake would be fine for him to swim in. If it was cold, he wouldn't feel it, thanks to the fact that he was always warm, and didn't really feel the heat of anything else. Slipping into his swimming shorts (which the Institute had provided, thank god. If they didn't, Angel wouldn't have any clothes.), Angel opened his window and took a deep breath of the lovely fresh air.

Climbing up onto the windowsill, much like he had with Capture The Flag, Angel leaned forwards and let himself fall, spreading his wings to catch the air and glided before flappingto gain height. He flew towards the lake, though he did so in a roundabout way. After all, Angel loved to fly. It was the best feeling in the world, and nothing could beat it. As he got closer to the lake, he glided so he dropped in height then tucked his wings in once he was close enough, diving towards the lake. That was when he realised someone was sat by the side of the lake, enjoying a book and a cigarette. Angel didn't want to annoy the guy by getting water all over him, so he pulled his wings out just in time, leveling off over the lake. He put his arm down in front of him, his hand running through the water as he glided along to the edge. He landed gracefully, flapped his wings a couple of tiems to cool them off, then tucked them in and looked at the guy.

He looked pretty relaxed, and Angel saw the book he was reading was Les Miserables. Angel hadn't read that before, and he wasn't sure it would interest him. But while he was here, and in a good mood, he decided he might as well join the guy. Walking near to him, but not so near as to be in the way or bust the guy's personal space bubble, Angel planted himself on the ground and laid down, arms behind his head. He looked over at the guy again.

"Nice today today, isn't it?" He said, his English accent standing out as always. Luckily, it didn't stand out here as much as it could do. There were people from all over the world here at this school. Angel found it fascinating how all the different people of different cultures could come together and understand each other due to a commanality - the fact that they were different. That they were mutants.

Tobin was not too deeply engrossed in Les Miserables to miss the massive shape that dove down from the sky towards the lake. Apparently, that figure noticed him too and leveled out right before hitting the water. Tobin was amazed by the sight before him. Never once had he thought that mutants might have different physical adaptations that played into their abilities, like the angelic wings that this newcomer so effectively sported. Tobin looked the newcomer up and down. He had blonde hair and was rather pale. There weren’t many muscles on his frame, but the bro had freaking wings; that’s all he needed. Tobin cleared his mind and imagined some wings behind him, manipulating the light around him so that it looked like he had wings too. They were just not as awesome as the other guy’s. Tobin fought off the urge to become defensive and self-conscious. Each and every student at Xavier Institute had their own unique abilities, and that was what made them who they were. It was useless to wish that your powers matched someone else’s. Instead, you learned to accept your difference and embrace it as a part of you. Through acceptance, students could learn mastery.

The angelic mutant made his way towards Tobin, and Tobin hoped that new guy hadn’t seen the brief flash of wings that had appeared behind him. It was embarrassing to wish you had someone else’s abilities, but you could always admire them. Tobin stowed his book away in his backpack and shook the ashes from his cigarette. It was almost done, so he took one last drag and through the butt on the ground. Then, he shot a small dose of gamma radiation at the butt, causing it to disintegrate immediately. He was a guest on these grounds, and he had always thought cigarette butts were tacky and classless. His stash of cigs was running low, so he decided to hold off on indulging himself in another. Instead, he propped himself up on his shoulders and watched the young man land and lay down next to Tobin.

“Nice day today, isn’t it?” asked the guy in an accent that Tobin could only place as British. He had heard enough of those accents in movies and on television to be able to place it. That was another great thing about the institute. There were people here from all over the world. This was the only place for mutants to be safe from the scrutiny of the normal public. Tobin had to admit that it was a nice day, but somehow the way the guy pointed it out irritated him. He would have a British accent, the lucky dog.

“Yeah I guess you could say that, brah,” Tobin replied. He put on his best surfer accent, trying to sound as Cali as he could. Of course, he didn’t always talk that way, but it would help the other guy place where he was from. For some reason, Tobin liked this guy, but he couldn’t help but compete with him at every chance he got. “I’m Tobin,” he said, reaching over and offering his hand. “Mutant from California, able to radiate or to project any wave off the electromagnetic spectrum.” To prove his point, Tobin caused his eyes and hair to change colors, making them a sea green and a dark brown. “You’re from England, no?”

The guy finished his cig off, flicking the butt onto the ground, and the nest thing Angel knew, it was gone, disintigrated. Angel took another look at him, and saw he was also weraring swim shorts, and man, he was ripped! It made Angel feel a little self conscious himself, though he hadn't really been able to go to a gym in his three years on the streets to get in shape. That was something he'd be working on here. He'd also thought he noticed the guy had wings, but it must have been a trick of the light or something, cos he didn't have any any more, and Angel didn't think anyone would be able to make their wings sink into their back. He had blonde hair as well, and his eyes were a blue-ish colour, that Angel would label as sea blue. Just looing at him, Angel could tell the guy was a couple of inches taller than he was, maybe bordering on six feet, compared to Angel's 5'10.

As he spoke, Angel could only place the accent as a surfer one, though he wasn't too sure. The guy introduced himself as Tobin and said he was from California. Well, that made the surf thing make sense. He told Angel his ability, and to show it off, he changed the colour of his hair and eyes. Ange lwonderd how he did that for a second, then it made it's way to his mind. Of course... if he could control the electromagnetic spectrum, that would include visible light. So he could make illusions... Angel wondered if he could bend light around himself to make him invisible. That would be quite cool to do sometime, and definitely come in useful.

"Aye, that I am." Angel said in reply to Tobin's question, shaking his hand warmly. "The name's Angel... obviously, after the wings. As well as flight, I can control the elements - earth, air, fire, water and electricity."

There were a few ways in which Angel could show his ability off - he could make some water rise from the lake, could create a gust of air, make some earth rise maybe, or if he was in a mischeivous mood, he could give Tobin a static shock. But Angel wasn't the type that was inclined to mischief, so he just used the age old fireball trick. He let a flaame grow in the palm of his hand, dancing slightly in the small breeze.

"So... how long have you been here then? And hoow long have you been able to do what you do?" He asked, been the curious person he was. He might as well try to make conversation and hopefully make a friend. He didn't really want to be too much of a social outcast here at the school - he'd been that way for all his life before, just because he was different, and wanted to change things. Of course, with his been a little socially awkward, it was going to be difficult, but he'd come out of his shell after a while.

Tobin nodded understandingly as the British young man introduced himself as Angel. The name fit him for sure, and Tobin wondered if he had been given the name by his parents or if he had changed his name after his wings had grown out. Could he have been born with the wings? Tobin shuddered at the idea of having his powers from birth. It just seemed like a bad idea waiting to happen. He pictured a house in flames, and a baby boy crying in the center of the wreckage. He had barely any control now when he was angry or frustrated, and he was 16, almost 17. A baby would have only wreaked havoc.

As Angel described his powers, Tobin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The skills that Angel claimed were rather impressive. Tobin hadn’t considered the fact that people could have multiple powers that didn’t really seem related. Flight and elemental control were barely connected, but they must have their uses together. Still, Tobin couldn’t help but feel relieved that he didn’t have such an obvious mutation. Wings stuck out like sore thumbs. On the other hand, Tobin could walk around like every other person, but if he got angry, he could destroy a city. Well, he could at least destroy a small neighborhood. He wasn’t strong enough to destroy a whole city, at least not yet.

The fireball in Angel’s hand made Tobin think of an idea. Fire was just the visible spectrum mixing with the infrared radiation of the electromagnetic spectrum. So if Tobin really wanted to, he should be able to make fire in his hands too. Concentrating, he focused on producing heat and visible light, basically picking a range of the spectrum that was rather large and he wasn’t quite well practiced in. Nothing happened, but Tobin was determined to figure out how to make fire work.

Sighing, Tobin began his usual answer for Angel’s question. It was one that he had been asked multiple times since arriving at the Institute because it helped others establish seniority and precedence, or so Tobin thought. He really didn’t care for all the social politics that occurred whenever a group of teenagers got together. “Well, I haven’t been at the Institute that long. In fact, I’d say not more than a week, and that’s pushing it,” Tobin explained to Angel. “As for how long have I had my powers… Well, the first time I remember creating an illusion was freshman year of high school, so about 2 to 3 years ago. I was sitting in class, daydreaming, and the next thing I knew, my daydream was on display for the entire class, which was slightly embarrassing. But I got over it. As for before then, I’m not sure if I really displayed my powers before I was 14, but my mom said that when I was younger, she used to find me surrounded by ashes, as if everything around me had burned. I’m not sure that I believe her or believe that to be because of my abilities. I’ve never been very good at radiating infrared or radio waves, which are on the same side of the spectrum. I do better with the violet side – UV rays, x-rays and gamma rays.”

Angel watched as Tobin saw his fire, then looked at his hands, a look of concentration on his face. It seemed like maybe he was trying to create some fire as well, though he didn't seem to be getting anywhere at the minute. It was most likely only a matter of practice, though. Angel was sure that Tobin would eventually figure it out, if he kept trying. It could take weeks, months, maybe even years, but he could get there. Angel didn't know how long a mutant's abilities developed for, so for all he knew, your powers developed all your life.

Listening to what Tobin said about been here for a week at the most, and the range of his abilities, Angel nodded.

"You must have arrived at about the same time as me then." he said, knowing he hadn't been here very long either. He would guess at a week at the most, but he hadn't really been counting the days as they passed. There wasn't really any need to at the moment, though once school started, it would probably be a good idea to work out what day it was. He didn't want to end up going to the wrong classes, after all. He'd get a calender, but as he didn't even know what day of the week it was at the moment, there probably wouldn't be any point. That, and Angel wasn't the most organised person in the world, so a calender would just really go to waste. "I was born with my wings, but they weren't big enough to use to fly until I was thirteen. And my elemental abilities didn't kick in until I turned sixteen, so I've only had them a few months. Which I think is a good thing, seeing as I could probably have caused a hell of a lot of damage when I was younger. And... if I remember rightly there's seven different types of EM radiation, aren't there? Radio... microwave... infrared... visible... ultrviolet... then x-rays and gamma? That's right, isn't it?"

Angel mused over that for a moment. There were many different uses for the different wavelengths on the EM spectrum, the most obvious one been microwaves for cooking. And he'd heard that gamma rays were something to do with cancer, and infrared was used in things like remote controls. And the UV rays were linked to skin cancer from if you stayed out in the sun too long. T say that he'd had three years of not learning, Angel was quite happy that he'd managed to remember that. It felt like someone had put it into his head as he thought about, but why would a telepath be listening in to the conversation and letting Angel know the different wavelengths?

"The first time I used my elemental powers, I wasn't in the best of moods. I was feeling kind of ill, living on the streets, and just wanted to be left alone. In the end, one person too many looked at me funny,and I blew up. Luckily, it was a blast of air, and not fire... But I got out of there straight after. That's one of the good things aboout wings... Oh! If you don't mind me asking... as you seem to have a decent control over the visible light part of the spectrum, can you make the light bend around you to go invisible? Because I can see that been useful."

((sorry if the quality isn't the best... my muse just fell unconscious from over use DX))

Tobin couldn’t believe that he and Angel had arrived at the same time. The other guy seemed so much more assured of himself and of his abilities. Tobin didn’t feel that way at all, which made him very frustrated. How could this guy be okay with the fact that he had wings, and Tobin was not okay with his completely hidden ability of projecting electromagnetic radiation and manipulating it? Angel had had to deal with his wings his whole life, so he had a lot of practice with coming to terms with who he was. In any case, Tobin just found himself wanting that self-assured countenance that Angel seemed to have. Sure, Tobin played a good game, kept his chin up and what not, but he truly desired to be okay with who he was. That would come in time, or so he hoped.

“Yeah those are the basic seven,” Tobin replied as Angel began talking about the electromagnetic spectrum. “TV waves can be lumped in with radio waves because they are pretty similar. In either case, I am not very good with those. It has something to do with the wavelength, I think. It’s just harder to produce a wave that has a mile long wavelength than it is to produce a wavelength of about a nanometer, which is why the shorter side of the spectrum, meaning the higher energy side of the spectrum, is where I have the most ability. One day I hope to be able to produce radio waves, as if I was my own walkie-talkie.” It was a thought that Tobin had been having for a long time. He also wondered if one day he would be able to pick up radio waves, so he could have a radio in his head. Some days, he could hear the hint of a DJ’s voice in the back of his head, but it wasn’t enough to add that to his list of abilities, not yet.

Listening to Angel explain how his elemental powers appeared, Tobin couldn’t help but identify with the guy. That seemed similar to his first explosion, literally. He had been angry on the football and too close to a gas pipeline. Gamma rays heated up the gas until it burst. “I know how that feels, man,” Tobin replied. “People can just be so inconsiderate sometimes.” Tobin sighed, thinking of his mother. She could be the most inconsiderate of them all, and she was supposed to love him. The Fates were playing with him, trying to make his life the most ironic one ever lived.

A smile crept onto Tobin’s face when Angel asked him about invisibility. “Well, considering I made an entire truck disappear when Vader came to find him in Texas,” he started, “I think I can make myself disappear. I might even be able to make it look like half the lake is missing.” Clearing his mind, Tobin focused on what he and the lake would look like without either being there. The area of the lake he could focus on wasn’t as big as he would have liked, but it was harder to imagine himself away because he couldn’t see himself. Still, slowly, he felt the light waves bending and moving, as he wanted them. Where the lake had been now was a continuation of the field. Of course, the water was still there, but it just wasn’t visible, just as he was invisible.

"Yeah, the shorter wavelengths are no doubt easier to work with. Still, at least they're the stronger ones. You just have to be careful with them... they could cause unwanted damage if you lost control. It's one of the reasons I came here - to get better control over my emotions, so I can have a larger control over my elemental abilities." Angel said, listening to what Tobin was saying. "And the radio wave thing sounds cool. If you met someone else with the same ability, I guess it would be a bit like been telepathic. Very useful, I bet. Then again... telepaths...." Angel pulled a face as he said the word. "I'd hate to have someone poking around in my head. One of the only places that I have that's private, and it gets violated. Thoughts are meant to be private. That's why we don't always say what we think."

Angel nodded as Tobin said about how people could be inconsiderate sometimes. He seemed to understand where Angel was coming from, though he had the feeling a lot of mutants did. It's not like regular humans were very nice with mutants, after all...

"Aye, that's true enough. And it's the kids that can be the worst. Because they do't know when to keep their mouth shut and can just come out with stuff..." Angel remembered the days when he'd lived in the orphanages. The adults weren't that kind to him, and the kids had been downright cruel. Calling him freak, something he'd grown used to. And pulling on his wings, hurting them.. that had been totally uncalled for. Though he had to say, the worst person for that had been his father... giving him up when he was still a baby, right after his mum had died, just because Angel had wings, and he didn't want a freak for a son. Angel just thought of his father as a prick, though he didn't often think of his father. He wasn't worth the time. Angel had noticed that he'd started to think more about him since he'd come to the Institute, hearing other people's stories about their families. It made Angel wish he'd had one, wished he'd known what it was like to have parents, grow up with people that were meant to care for you. Though some of the stories he'd heard showed that not all the parents cared...

His eyes widened when Tobin seemed to disappear, and looking over at the lake, he saw that a portion of that had disappeared as well. Angel was amazed... it must take a lot of power to make something so large seem as i it had disappeared, even if it was such a small area of a larger one. He walked over to where the edge of the lake had been, and poked it with his foot. He felt the water, but the illusion was still there, making it look as if it was actually solid. Anyonme who hadn't seen what Tobin had done would have probably ended up walkign right into the water. Angel smiled at the thought. That would have been quite amusing to see.

"Wow..." He said, looking over at where Tobin had been before he made the illusion. "You seem to have a lot of power there. And a lot of control over the visible light part of the spectrum. I bet you have fun with that sometimes."

Tobin listened to Angel, but he tuned him out after a bit. Like Tobin didn’t know the facts about his power. He had been living with the radiation for years, and he had been learning about his abilities since he figured out. He didn’t need another person telling him about how many people he could kill if he lost control. With enough strength, he could kill the entire world. He picked up in the conversation at the word radio. “Well, I could communicate with anyone with a radio receiver, right?” Tobin replied. “I mean I would just be emitting the right waves that would be received and then translated to sounds. I wouldn’t need a communicator.” Angel had gotten on Tobin’s nerves by bringing up the downside of his power, so he couldn’t help but be a little snippy with the guy. Then again, it wasn’t his fault. Well, it was his fault, but he couldn’t be blamed for his ignorance.

"Aye, that's true enough. And it's the kids that can be the worst. Because they do't know when to keep their mouth shut and can just come out with stuff..."

As Angel spoke, Tobin couldn’t help but wonder if he was the pot calling the kettle black. Still, he did his best not to hold it against the young man. Tobin just decided to go with the flow, showing Angel the full extent of his power. Tobin appreciated the look on Angel’s face when the illusion was in place, and he watched as Angel walked to the edge of the water. The fly boy’s leg slipped into the water and disappeared. Tobin just smiled as he let go of the illusion. To say that Angel looked impressed would be an understatement.

“I have my fun,” Tobin admitted, “but I only recently gained that much control. Being at the Institute has already taught me a lot. But I did have some decent control before I got here. When I was found by Vader, I hid an entire 18-wheeler from the trucker that drove the monstrosity. The guy was a jerk, and I did it just to scare him. That was fun.”

"Oh, yeah.." Angel said when Tobin pointed out the radio reciever. He hadn't thought of that, obviously. It was definitely fascinating, and Angel had no doubt what so ever that it would definitely come in useful for Tobin sometime in the future, if someone had a radio reciever on the right frequency. "That would be awesome if it happened. And just think... if we ever got sent on missions, you could keep in contact with your team without needing a walky talkie or a telepath. And if you were unlucky enough to get captured, you could still be in contact, let them know what happened, and if you find out more info on what the bad guys, or who ever it is, is doing, then you could let the team know. It's amazing the range of things you could do with your ability... and I guess all it is is a matter of practice. I don't doubt at all that you'll get there, Tobin."

And Angel didn't. Not for one second. He was optimistic about all the mutant's chances with learning to get the full control of their abilities, knowing it would make life a lot easier for them all. And if he was been honest, full control of his abilities was one of his dreams. That way, he wouldn't hurt anyone accidentaly again. Still... there was a massive range of wavelengths on the EM spectrum, so Angel didn't know the etent of what Tobin would be able to do when he had full control of his powers. Maybe even Tobin himself wasn't fully sure yet. Angel knew that science class would be a big helper for Tobin when they started studying the spectrum, because it directly affected him.

The surprise stayed on Angel's face when Tobin said he'd only just achieved that level of control. "Really?" He asked. "You seem like you've been doing that forever. If you're that strong already.... bloody hell, Tobin, you're going to be amazing when you come into te fulll range of your abilities! And truckers... eh, I've heard they can be pricks at times. I wish I'd been there to see his reaction. The biggest thing I;ve ever done is heal a tree... you have no idea how much that wears someone out, and it was only a small gash. Earth seems to be the hardest element to get a decent control over..."

As Angel rambled on the many uses of Tobin’s ability, Tobin just kind of toned him out. Everyone always thought they could tell him how to use his powers. They didn’t understand just how difficult it was to control the electromagnetic spectrum. Sure, the ability was natural to him, a result of the mutation he and every other student at the Institute shared. The expression of that mutation was what made them all unique, much like hair color and eye color. It was another genetic trait that he had to deal with. “Yeah, thanks, Angel,” Tobin said when he realized that Angel had finished talking. He searched through his brain to remember what Angel had said.

When Angel started laying on the praise, Tobin felt his ego expanding. Yeah, his powers were pretty sweet, and he had some awesome control in the visible spectrum. He had always wanted to make himself disappear, which was why he must have used that part of his abilities all the time. Now, he truly had disappeared from his family and found a place that accepted him for who he was. He could appreciate that, to some extent. All of the rules that the Institute had their students follow were frustrating and confining. Tobin was not the kind of guy to be confined into a cage.

“Well, that makes sense,” Tobin said. “You fly, so Air would be your best element. Earth is the opposite of Air, so it would mean that you aren’t very attuned to the Earth.” Tobin was assuming a lot about Angel’s abilities, and he was basing his knowledge of the elements on television. “Of course, I am assuming a lot about you, Angel,” Tobin admitted. “But you can see my logic on that one, right?”

Angel mentally rolled his eyes at Tobin's reply. He'd obviously zoned out on what Angel was saying, though in hindsight, Angel realised it probably sounded like he was lecturing him. That wasn't what it had been at all, though. Angel had a tendency to ramble and think aloud, which is exactly what he'd done there. He'd just been peicing together his thoughts, putting what Tobin had said to him into a possible future scenario, and so, one thought had led to another. But then again... lectures could tend to ramble as well. Oops.

Of course, as soon as Angel started praising Tobin's control over his abilities, Tobin seemed to perk up. But heck, what person didn't liek to be praised? It was one of those things that usually helped make people feel good about themselves. Angel could appreciate that Tobin's powers were kinda hard to control. He didn't think any ability that any mutant had was easy to control. It was one of the reasons they were here. Though, after his freedom of flying around the country from the age of thirteen, Angel wasn't so keen on been told he could only go so far. He accepted that, however, because while he might have given up some of that freedom, he'd gained a home, food and a bed, not to mention an education. If there was one thing Angel was, it was an optimist.

Angel listened to what Tobin said, and thought about it for a second. He had to admit, he found it easier to use air than he did earth, but then again, that could all have been a matter of practice.

"Yeah, I can see the logic." He replied. "And no worries on the assumptions... I think every mutant kinda does that when they're trying to figure out how another mutant's abilities work. But I think practise with the abilities also has to be factored in. I've used air more than earth, because it helps me fly sometimes, whereas earth... well, I'm not really the gardening type, so I don't really use it. My strongest element is fire, because I've used that the most. Air was the first element I used... but since then, it's usually been fire." Angel shrugged as he said, "Eh, who knows? There's a lot we don't know about ourselves yet. Only time will tell what we can and can't do, or how far our abilities will develop."

((Sorry about the majorly late reply and the horrid quality of the post... my muse isn't at it's best :/ ))