Enkauston Challenge ( Chiasa vs Felix )

Sure! ^_^ Will 24 hours be sufficient?

Felix woke up, groaning; his view partially obstructed by a thin white haze. He had no idea what had happened or where he was. Through the semi translucent stuff covering his face and head, it appeared he was in a hospital of sorts. 'But how did I get here?', the thought made him breathe heavier. A deep seated phobia finally rising to the surface, "I h-hate hospitals.", he felt the fear in his gut slowly mounting until it was completely unbearable, he needed to get out of here.

He jumped up from his bed, or at least what he assumed to be one; as some invisible force held him down. The words "Stop! You're still recovering!", indicated that it wasn't some magic keeping him there against his will, but a person holding him down. His heart pumped even harder, his fight or flight response fueling him with an electric surge of energy, blood roaring in his ears only matched by his own shout of exertion as he fought against the person holding him down. Felix didn't care where he went, as long as it was away from here. "Someone, help me restrain him!", the person holding him down said. Swift and heavy footfalls were evidence his plea for help had been heard. Though he strained with all his might, his back was forced back into the bed.

Still he struggled giving a final push, that seemed to prove fruitful as whoever had been holding him down wasn't holding him any longer. He made as if to break for it, his leg swinging over the bed, but the world began to tilt, quickly fading into darkness. The words, "Looks like the anesthetic is working . . . I need one of y-", his words grew longer and longer until whatever he said was unrecognizable as language to Felix. When this happened, he simply let go. Drifting away into dark silent bliss. Felix blinked himself awake, his view still partially obstructed by whatever was covering his face. The memories of before came back to him, but he didn't freak out, instead working himself into a sitting position. Apparently they had put someone on watch duty for when he woke up, because the sound of rustling clothes could be heard from his left side as someone seemed to stand up, coming closer to the bed. "Ahem, hello Mister . . . -", the sound of plastic tapping on wood drew up the mental image of a pen and clipboard, "Felix.", Felix answered, guessing the person was looking for his name.

"Ah yes.", the person politely cleared their throat before continuing, the sound reminiscent of a clucking chicken. "You have been in our custody for two days now." Felix, wanted badly to interrupt, he needed answers. How the hell did he end up here? But interrupting seemed detrimental, so he kept his mouth shut. "Someone dropped you off at the E.R., they didn't leave a name. It seems your face has been . . . under some extreme trauma.", his hand instinctively grasped at his face, feeling what he now knew to be gauze. Even after mentally confirming what it was, his hand never left his face, trying to get a feel for if anything was out of place. "According to your friend, your face -- well, we've done everything we could but . . . I don't think it was enough.", Felix whimpered slightly, a heavy dread taking residence in the pit of his stomach. He felt fifty pounds heavier and wanted to puke, but he managed to keep his voice even. "Is it okay if I see it?", through the gauze he could see a faint nodding silhouette indicating it was indeed 'okay'.

The doctor reached over, carefully removing the bandages from his head and face; each second was slow torture. He didn't want to see himself, but at the same time he did. Each moment was filled with grotesque mental images of his supposed new visage. After what seemed like a long while, but was actually fifteen seconds, the gauze fell around his waist. His vision revealed a gruff and bearded, but not unkindly face of the person who had been treating him. "Let me grab you a mirror.", he turned, reaching into one of his cabinets, pulling out a hand mirror. Though before handing it to Felix, he looked at the boy with sympathy. "I- I'm so sorry, I wish I could have done more." Taking the mirror with shaking hands, he took a breath, before flipping it around to show his reflection. He gasped, tears flooding his eyes.

"N-N-No . . . It can't be. I- I'm-- GORGEOUS!", he exclaimed happily. His previous worries ill founded. Felix gazed at his perfectly sculpted cheeks, they had the perfect balance between angular and rounded. He admired himself, from his manly chiseled jaw, to his perfect nose that rivaled even the statue of David in its beauty. The only notable flaw was a small scab in the center of his forehead, but it was so tiny no one would notice it unless they were specifically looking for it. But despite how good he looked, it wasn't anything new. That was just his normal face, so why had the doctor mentioned extensive damage on his face?

Turning towards him, the doctors face looked on in what appeared to be abject pity. Felix shook the mans hand before signing a few papers, grabbing his clothes and heading back out onto the New York streets. They were in the middle of summer, Felix donned a floral print button up with black board shorts, as he took a stroll. He decided against telling his mom he had been at a hospital, instead messaging her that he was at a friends place. The sun beat down on everyone on the sidewalk, the foreheads of New Yorker's were beaded in sweat, and Felix's was no different, the humidity of the season affecting them all the same. At least that's what Felix told himself. As he walked by people seemed to give him measured looks.

Just as he started to become aware of this fact, a cute girl walked by, giving him a hard long stare. Awkwardly he smiled, giving a small polite wave. She blushed fiercely before storming off. "The hell's everyone's problem.", he would say sighing in exasperation. The weird looks beginning to take their toll. But he took respite in the fact that the bus stop was close by, and soon he would be home and wouldn't have to worry anymore. After more weird looks, he sat impatiently at the bus stop's bench. A girl sat opposite to him, pushing herself as far from his as possible as she kept casting nervous glances his way before giggling. 'Seriously, what the hell is going on?', Felix would wonder in growing in frustration.

Just as he considered giving up on the bus idea entirely the girl scooted up to him, her phone held out to him as if some kind of ward against his presence. In a soft voice she said, "W-Would you p-p-put your number in here please?", she stammered clearly embarrassed. Felix couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Huh? What was all that avoiding act about before if you're just gonna ask for my number." She paused, her head cocking to the side like a puppy dog, the effect working all the same. "Well because y'know . . ." She looked around as if they were sharing a huge secret. "You're hot, everyone else thinks so!", she finished with wide eyed earnest. On reflex Felix looked around him, noticing how many other people had gathered around him, they all looked at him with the same expression as the girl of what Felix now understood to be silent longing.

Suddenly it all clicked; he had forgotten about his beautiful face the moment he had left the hospital, but-- it was just his normal face wasn't it? He managed a small friendly wave before the flood gates were unleashed. They all clamored around him in a massive wave, all of them screaming for his phone number, he was lifted up from the bench, the sea of bodies crushing him. In a panic he dropped to the floor, crawling between peoples legs in the confusion as they lost sight of him in their fervor. He managed to dexterously weave between their legs, earning only a few of his fingers to be trampled on.

Once he had broken out of the sea of people he booked it down the sidewalk, people giving the same looks as before, but now he understood what they meant. He didn't feel safe out in the open. Ducking into an alleyway he took off his shirt, putting it over his face, covering everything save his eyes. While it looked a little strange, in the humidity of summer, along with the general uncaring attitude New Yorkers exhibited, no one gave him any strange looks. He made his way in the direction of his home before he got a text from an unregistered number. He paused, opening the message. 'Make your way to the park by 115th. Get there ASAP, and you'll learn about what happened two days ago.'.

He gave one last look at his phone before swiftly tucking it into his pocket. The message was definitely on the nose, and a little creepy, but it was the only lead Felix had. Plus it was summer, what else was he going to do if not uncover a giant conspiracy on why someone had made him beautiful. He left at a jog, heading towards the location instructed, anticipation mounting. The park was pretty far so it took him forty minutes or so, the golden amber sunset cresting over the buildings ringing the park; which looked like the last bastion of nature in New York. Making his way into the more or less deserted park, he received another text, instructing him to, 'Sit by the tree.'. He obliged, his legs gratefully accepting the much needed break. He waited for what seemed to be ten minutes, the sun quickly sinking behind the buildings leaving the park in an eerie dusk.

Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching from his left, just behind his field of vision. Suddenly a shadow blocked what remaining light was left, Felix looked up at the unidentified figure. Feeling a strange sort of familiarity, until the person knelt down, the dusk light just bright enough to reveal their face. Felix gasped, "D-Doc?". The doctor from earlier that day, chuckled, a deep rumble that resounded in the pit of Felix's own stomach. "Felix made to get up but with a hand the doctor gestured him back to a sitting position, seemingly reading his mind. "I'm sure you want explanations . . . just give me a moment, and I will explain everything."

The man took a deep breath, giving an apologetic look before continuing. "As you know I said you had been put into our custody for two days. This is true. You had a minor concussion along with a cut across your forehead. It looked much worse than it actually was, you healed from it just fine." The doctor gestured at the small cut on Felix's head. "What I didn't tell you is you had been randomly selected for a Yuy Corp experiment. I'm not going to bore you with the details of it's composition, but this-" The doctor reached into his jean pockets producing a small pink vial with a triumphant grin, "-is 'Glamour.' Basically it allows what you think of yourself to be true for others. We managed to snag a psyche profile from that school of yours. Apparently you suffer from delusions of grandeur and over confidence."

The grin was still plastered on his face, meanwhile Felix was confused out his mind. What was the man saying? He had been put up for experimentation against his will? "You don't seem to quite grasp what I'm telling you. Your confidence in your looks, made others around you think you were as pretty as you think you are." Felix reeled back in shock. He didn't want to believe the man, but from what he'd seen today, the truth was obvious. Shaking his head in disgust he looked to the man, a single question on his mind, "So when do the effects wear off? I literally almost got trampled by a mob on my way here." The doctor had enough courtesy to give a genuine look of pity, before answering the question. "We happened to give you a very concentrated dosage . . . so anywhere from the end of the month at the earliest. To the end of summer at the latest." Felix couldn't help but stare in horrified dread as he heard the words, realizing what this all meant. "So you mean . . . if I want to risk getting mobbed for being too beautiful, I gotta stay inside for the rest of the summer!" The doctor nodded slowly, in response. Felix suddenly snapped from his reverie of remembering and retelling his story, as he was brought back to reality.

"And that's why I didn't do anything over summer break.", he said matter-of-factly to his teacher. At the present time he was actually in the middle of class, as he had just gotten done explaining to the teacher why he couldn't write an essay on what he did over summer break. Everything before leaving the hospital had seemed to work wonders, his teacher seemed to believe him. But it was always the part after that they couldn't seem to believe; the hoards of girls (and even guys) after him, and the Yuy corp involvement.

Felix could only sigh as his his teacher gave him a long stern look. The class rolling in laughter at his 'amazing story'. "I'll expect a full essay by tomorrow, Mister Booker." Felix made his way to his seat, as he clenched his fists in frustration. Sitting at his desk he absentmindedly pulled a small empty glass vial, labelled 'Glamour.' He sighed deeply again, looking out the window wistfully, a small sad smile appearing on his face as class continued as always. Felix continued to stare out the window as he whispered softly to no one. "And that's, the summer I turned pretty."