Xaviers!

Basil sat alone, his body invisible and his clothes perfectly visible and against some peoples sensibilities. He'd spent several days at this and it wasn't getting him anywhere. Focusing on the issue seemed to just make it 'worse'. Basil sighed and stretched out his arms above his head, falling back.

It was hopeless. He'd tried this before and it didn't help then either. Whatever triggered it to stop seemed to be deep seeded and buried down in there in some fashion that wasn't connected to muscle memory. Nothing had put it back the way it was before, so why did he think it would work now?

For the moment, an empty slightly offensive tank top, exercise shorts, and a pair of trainers laid motionless there on the floor.

((Open))

"So that's why you're out of shape," Chase said with a smirk, reading the shirt as he walked up.

Basil's snark was always present, no matter how deep the depression. But much as his shirt suggested, his give a damn's busted. As such he didn't get up off the floor.

"It was between this one and the other one that said 'Does crying burn calories because I am an expert at that' but I was trying to be positive today.

Fat lot of good it did me."

"Still in dumps about power control huh?" he asked.

"This is a load of bollocks." He confirmed. "Trying doesn't solve anything, it just seems to make it worse. It does it when I'm not trying, not when I try.

And have you ever tried to not try on purpose? Not as easy as it sounds mate."

"It sounds to me like you're thinking about it too much. Relax and stop trying to force it to happen. You don't think about breathing do you?"

".... I'm not going into downward dog mate. This is kind of serious."

"I'm being perfectly serious. Your abilities aren't some wild beast you need to tame. They're as much a part of you as your lungs or your heart. Even under the Lotus's thumb, I had to learn that. My powers may be simple but I didn't just wake up one day knowing how to use them properly."

Basil sighed and sat upright, the shape of him suggesting he was leaning forward.

"Fffffiinnnne." Basil wasn't used to watching his breathing unless he was actually exerting himself in some fashion. As such, the sound of him breathing sounding like a doctor was at him with a stethoscope.

"No no no, don't focus on breathing. It may sound like New Age bullshit but just be."

"I am being." Basil replied, starting to sound frustrated.

"At least I am pretty certain the fact that I am making noises suggests I am still alive.

Unless this is the after life." After an awkward pause he adds-" Bubbe was right about cavorting with gentile women and now I'm stuck here in Gehenna with my best mate trying to motivate me. For the next three hundred years."

Considering the lack of paranoia to his tone it was probably a bad joke. Probably.

Chase smirked. "Well I'm pretty sure I'm not dead, so you can relax."

He sat down beside Basil and took up a lotus position, "Try sitting like this. It doesn't work for me anymore, too many bad associations muddying the waters, but it's surprisingly comfortable and good for clearing your mind."

Basil's trainers shifted slightly, flipping themselves upsidedown, his posture got better, and he sighed.

Chase was just lucky Basil's hamstrings were pliant enough for his legs to obey or there probably would have been even more whinging.

"Now what?"

"Become one with the universe," he deadpanned.

"I love how you say that as if Tibetan Monks just wake up one day and remark to themselves 'You know what? I think i'll achieve transcendence today. Aaaaaaaaaaand done. Third Eye open, one-ness achieved. So woke, time for tea.' "

He smirked again. "But seriously, just shut off your brain-mouth and chill. It's not that hard."

Basil sighed and sat quietly.


For a grand total of ninenty-seven seconds.

"How long does enlightenment take? I'm bored."

"To a true student, a year is as a day," he again deadpanned.

"Dude. You're not going for enlightenment. Just getting you out of your own way."

"A year?!" Basil replied sounding frustrated. "But I wanna start beating people up right now!"

Basil was apparently in on the joke, but he still wasn't focusing.

"Make like a librarian and shhh."

Basil finally quieted down and settled in.

But after fifteen minutes of total silence, nothing changed.

Now it was Chase's turn to get restless.

"Okay. Try it now."

Basil did.

Nothing happened.

"Well, either there isn't one quick trick to it or this just isn't the answer."

"Or I'm just a bad teacher."

Basil curled his legs against his chest, his voice getting small.

"Well you're still in uni too, and I doubt it's you."

After a moment, Basil turned completely invisible, but he hadn't noticed yet.

"Umm... Basil? Don't freak out but your clothes just disappeared."

"That's the opposite of what I want." Basil observed.

"But it does teach us something, right? Self-pity... or maybe just subconsciously wanting to hide has an effect."

"Maybe.

The first time it happened, I was frightened. "

"So maybe what you need is to feel brave, or maybe just confident."

"Sounds 'easier said than done'. I was never brave, and I haven't had much confidence in anything in a long time."

"So find something you're good at. Like a game or a sport," he suggested.

Chase's comment put some thought into Basil's mind and he started giggling, his clothes became visible again.

"What's so funny all of a sudden?" he asked, clearly puzzled.

I can think of a game, but I haven't exactly found a partner yet." Basil felt like his tone was obvious enough.

Chase was still innocent in some regards and just gave Basil a questioning look.

Basil started giggling again when Chase made that face. He'd prefer his friend got his jokes, but taking the piss out of Chase was also fun.

"Anyways, I've never been very competitive or athletic. I only took up boxing because school required a P.E. class.

The only thing I was good at was performing and that's not really an option anymore, not to mention I have to be seen to do it. Makes a bit of a catch 22."

"What about dancing? Nobody needs a visible face for that."

"What, like stripping?

I feel like I've had this discussion recently but it wasn't in a serious context."

"What? N-no! I mean like some kind of dancing invisible man act... wait, an invisible stripper? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"