Pyrria

((Fantastic job, LJ! I'll be pointing folks to your gallery for certain.))

((Lovely!))

((I'm still interested in writing for Sis here. I've got an inquiry into another author to see if we can't tie up some loose ends from the shift to the next day.))

[ QUOTE ]
A nervous smirk flashed across Sandra’s face and she tried to lock eyes with Sis. <snip> “It can alter your brain functions to stop telekinetic powers from working. It won’t put him in a coma but it’ll be less detrimental than using a power dampening device.”

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis’s eyes narrowed. “So…something that wouldn’t make it past the Geneva conventions is not only allowed, but installed without the patient’s knowledge? Sounds like thin ice to me.” She paused for a moment before asking her next question. “Who’s got the master button?”

[ QUOTE ]
Sandra started explaining, her expression calm and intellectual but cringed her face just before finishing her sentence. “Perhaps I’ve said too much?”

“You’re damn right you said too much!” Ed flared up again, “I’m not a damned guinea pig!”

“Um, it was the nature of your condition, your powers of resilience and the clinic expending their resources that got them to agree to my company lending some help,” Sandra went on, getting slightly defensive that it might be possible that her magitech may somehow be inadequate to help those in need.

[/ QUOTE ]
“Oi…this is like a scene out of a bad movie…” Sis muttered, glancing between the two of them.

[ QUOTE ]
Edward backed down and turned a cold shoulder to both the women. “I wouldn’t bet on it,” he growled toward Sis as he was now getting more miffed with the both of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

“Yeah, yeah…I’m getting that. And don’t get snippy, brother. You started most of this, you know. Not that I’m letting anyone off the hook at this point.” Sis tightened her ponytail again and rolled her shoulders. A long soak in the hot tub was starting to look good, even if she had to wear the bathing suit of string that Saffyre had packed.

[ QUOTE ]
Sandra, on the other hand, smirked nervously. “Oh, well I’m not really psychic. My suit can pick up the minute waves given off by the minds of living things, amplify, interpret then transpose the information into thought. So without my suit, I’m incapable of doing that.” She blushed a bit and straightened the jeans she was now wearing with her hands, “….and I cannot reactivate a suit so soon after I switch it off.”

After a short awkward moment for Sandra, she managed to summon at least an inkling of defiance in the situation despite the possibly dangerous pair. “Hey, what are you planning to do either way, ground or air? Run? Because I am against that. I’d like to help Ed’s condition, not help him escape.”

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis almost laughed. “Ain’t technology wonderful? Limitations make my job a breeze. As for which way the security team is coming…I just like to know my situation. No one ever said anything about escaping. I was just trying to get Grumpy away from them until he could calm down enough to walk back in on his own. I dunno about you, but being assaulted with a syringe would put me in a bad mood too.”

Turning her attention to Edward, she said, “If you DO want help, you’ve got it. If you don’t, I’m happy to stand here and watch you get pummeled into submission. No skin off my back either way.” Sis shrugged. “Seems to me like you need to talk to the head doctor or whatever. Awful funny way of doing business, implanting devices without telling your patients. Are you absolutely certain you didn’t sign a waiver or something?”

[ QUOTE ]
“I apologize if I surprised you or anything. I’m Sandra Kelly of Ktech industries although you may have not heard of such a company….” The woman’s smile remained as she bowed her head and introduced herself. “…but anyway, I just think you’re misunderstanding the situation," she said toward Sis, "The clinic staff is just trying to do their job to help suffering metahumans. It’s the security’s job to keep the peace and safety of everyone but I guess in this situation, the two priorities clash a bit. I doubt anything this place could stir up could put Ed in a coma.”

[/ QUOTE ]

"What about you?" It was hard to tell if Sis was asking if Sandra could put Ed in a coma, or if she was volunteering to put Sandra in one. Sis tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and scanned the area again. Her shoulders were tense and she seemed to be rhythmically clenching and unclenching her fists. She had a familiar tingling at the back of her neck, like when she went up against Sky Raiders with their 'porters. The security team was somewhere close by, and somehow Sis knew that they knew that she knew they were there.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Are you up here?" Sis tapped a finger against her temple. "'Cause you're an unwelcome guest if you are."

[/ QUOTE ]

“Oh right.” Sandra’s smile faded and she adjusted the settings on the antennae protruding where her ears would be under her luxurious sandy hair. “I’m very sorry. Sometimes I don’t even realize what setting this thing is on.” Feeling she was losing the trust of the both of them, especially Sis by how defensive she may or may not be, Sandra did one better than adjusting her magitech mindwave amplifier/receiver and deactivated the whole suit.


[/ QUOTE ]

Sis nodded, though her stance did not change. Since Edward was standing on his own, she readjusted her armor. The lava flowed down from her shoulders, wrapping around the stones that had appeared earlier. Neither layer seemed affected by the other. She decided to forgo adding rocks to her boots, keeping herself at a distance from Sandre but ensuring that she could put herself between the woman and Edward if necessary. She had the distinct impression that speed was going to be required soon.

[ QUOTE ]
Edward’s temper was obviously getting worked up again as he listened. “You put something in my eye?....Without asking me!?”

Sandra was getting a bit nervous.<snip> “Well, like I said, I’m not really involved with the clinic. My company just created the monitoring device. We had nothing to do with how it was implanted,” she explained and took a cautious step back.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis moved to insert herself between Edward and Sandra. She made sure she was facing Edward, trying to break his eye contact with Sandra. "Easy. She probably had no idea, man. And if I have learned anything about security personnel, we're going to have a bigger problem on our hands in a minute." Without turning around, she asked Sandra, "You're psychic. Where are they? Air or ground?" Her words were clipped. It was clear from her tone she expected an answer.

[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys, this was my home for a long while. But the game lost my attention a little bit after I8. Wandered back when I found out about the invasion. So I'm back and thought I'd just let anyone who remembers me and still around know that I'm back.

[/ QUOTE ]

((O.O

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?

*ahem*

I mean, welcome back.

))

[ QUOTE ]
“I’m not a controller type….I’m not a defender type or blaster type either, now put me down!” Edward demanded although he didn’t struggle. It’s not like this is the most humiliating position he’d been in at the clinic.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Buddy...if you're a tank, I'm a princess. And I'm sure as hell not a princess." Sis adjusted her grip on him to ensure that she wasn't hurting him. It was hard to judge - sometimes she just didn't know her own strength.

[ QUOTE ]
On Sis’ third leap, she might have noticed her decent slowing down but not dramatically. On the height of her fourth leap, both her and Ed would feel their weight being held in place by some invisible force. Ed looked over his shoulder to Sis, wondering if she could also fly but seemed to be getting the same look from her as his. “Don’t look at me,” Ed grumbled.

[/ QUOTE ]

"...I don't like this." Sis's armor began to reform. Rocks and lava appeared on her body, warm and sharp to the touch. She was careful to adjust the armor so that Edward wouldn't be punctured by a shard of rock.

[ QUOTE ]
It was only a minute before some slender figure came into view in a silvery metallic suit that hugged the contours of her whole body, only halting at the neck, where her long brown feathered hair fell to her shoulders and around the sonic receptors/antennae that covered her ears. The bright yellow circuitry patterns that stretched from feet to torso glowed faintly as her hovering began to gain velocity to meet them. She floated up to the two as if she was being held up by the same force as them. “Hello Edward, Sis. Nice weather today, huh?”

[/ QUOTE ]

"Peachy keen," Sis growled. "I take it you're responsible for this midair maneuvering?"

[ QUOTE ]
Sandra adjusted a dial on her head antenna and they all began to descend toward the ground slowly. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to ‘turn you in’ or anything. I’m just trying to help you out.” Ed just grumbled to himself as they crept closer to the ground.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis muttered something about philantrophy and kept a wary eye on the shiny lady. As soon as they touched ground, she put Edward on his feet, leaving an arm around him for support, if he needed it.

[ QUOTE ]
“Oh, and if you wanted to know what’s in the needle, it’s a drug specifically designed to attack the hypothalamus which is the part of the brain that regulates autonomous functions like your heart beat and digestion. It may seem harsh but I’m here so hopefully drugs like that won’t have to be used. You’re lucky there was a bit of a crowd on my way out. Someone who’s responsible for the entire clinic’s security asked if I could assist. So how is your eye after the operation?” Sandra asked Ed <snip>.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Lucky?!" Sis ground her teeth, the syringe shattering in her hand as she clenched her fist. "...damn. Look, lady, I don't know what's going on here, but what sort of medical clinic tries to control their patients by putting them in a coma - without having the necessary machines nearby to keep them alive?!?"

The rocks formed around Sis's feet again, giving her a closer connection to earth and clearing her head a bit. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Sandra, brushing her hand against her pants to get rid of the glass. "Are you up here?" Sis tapped a finger against her temple. "'Cause you're an unwelcome guest if you are."

[ QUOTE ]
“Operation?” [Edward] rubbed the bandage that still wrapped around his head and over his eye. He didn’t seem knowledgeable about what had recently happened.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis kept an arm where Edward could grab it if he needed. She kept one eye on Sandra while she looked around the area. If the clinic was that intent on subduing their patients, she had to assume there were reinforcements coming. The trick was to spot them first. Her eyes went to the tree line. Would they be flyers? Or teleporters? Maybe both...Sis could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise. Maybe she'd get her fight after all.


((Massive apologies, yet again. I'm not doing well at keeping up. I'm working on it, I promise. Many many thanks for your patience.))

[ QUOTE ]
As Sis grasped his shoulders and shook him, Ed’s mind was flooded with confusion partially because the entire building didn’t rip apart like a blown up paper back as well as Sis being largely unaffected. Ed was also perplexed that he was no longer being attacked by the guards or Sis and so his fury began to subside but not before smacking Sis’ hand away from him. It might have been the sedatives in the darts or the dip of mental focus from his confused state but after releasing Sis’ grip on him, Ed lost his balance and toppled backwards and smashed into a wall.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Hey hey...easy now..." Sis started to drop the rocks from her feet and torso, glancing over at the security team as they struggled to their feet. "I'm not the enemy here...I don't think," she added under her breath. Taking a cautious step towards Edward, she hesitated. Would she make the situation worse if she moved him? Or would he lash out at her? Or was he too drained to do any more damage?

[ QUOTE ]
“Don’t….don’t touch me,” he groaned to Sis while rubbing the back of his head. After looking around at the mess he caused and the guards he managed to assault, Ed glided to his feet and started to shuffle away, bracing himself by placing a hand along the wall. He looked tired out but that could easily change if given an incentive.

[/ QUOTE ]

"...oh fer crissakes." Sis let the last of the lava and rocks melt away and stepped forward quickly. Before the security team had time to react, she linked an arm around Edward's waist and picked him up in a fireman's carry. "Men! I mean honestly...don't want any help, don't want to clean up their messes...I don't know how you all survive, I really don't." Sis took a quick step and then leapt into the air, putting as much distance between them and the security team as she could.

"You are in NO shape to be walking on your own, you know. Crazy 'troller-types...seriously, you totally need rest and relaxation. Drugs too maybe. What's in this syringe anyway?" Sis touched down lightly on a shed roof before leaping up again and heading for a far grove of trees. She kept up the banter as she went, hoping to distract him. Good thing I'm tough, she thought. Otherwise, I'd probably have major bruises right about now...

[ QUOTE ]
“Don’t listen to him,” groaned the RED team leader as he pushed himself to his feet.

“He’s just manipulating you!” said another before a loud rumble shook the floor. Ed’s head was drooping down and his limbs looked heavy but he was far from subdued by their weapons. He lifted his foot and stomped the ground, sending a visible ripple through the tiles, some tiles ricocheting off the walls, accompanied by a pshock wave that went through Sis who was now between him and those threatening him(but causing little movement to her rock covered body) and knocked the guard group off balance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis braced herself and grimaced. This had turned ugly a little faster than she had expected. She could feel the pshock wave pass through her, and was grateful to be so firmly rooted to the ground. Unfortunately, it made her very slow.

“Manipulating? What do you mean? And don’t think you’re off the hook! You haven’t explained this all too well yet!” There was tinge of doubt in Sis’ voice. Turning to Edward, she said, “Go easy man. That armor they’ve got won’t stand up to a whole lot of punishment, ‘kay?”

[ QUOTE ]
Ed’s eyes were glossed over and his body seemed to act independently from his mind. He whipped his arm out toward the offending guards, the pshock from the movement picking up the tranqs that were randomly scattered around him and hurtling them back to those that fired them. Even with their body armor, there was a good chance a dart would catch one or two of the RED team in a weak point which would certainly put men such as them in a comma.

[/ QUOTE ]

“Oh for crissakes…” Sis moved slowly over to Edward, waving a hand in front of his face. “Hullo? Edward! Edward, hold up man! They’re down and not getting up!” It was obvious to her that he was in a zone of some sort, and was going to continue to “defend” himself, even if there was no threat.

“Dammit, what did Doc say about sleepwalkers? Wake them up? No, wait that’s not right…” Sis brushed a few tranq darts off her body and sighed. “Edward! Wake up man! C’mon, knock it off, will ya?”

[ QUOTE ]
Continuing his aggressive assault, Ed clapped his hands together, creating a strong wind and horribly loud bang that would definitely knock the guards around and put them in a stupefied state. But this was no ordinary super strong hand clap. No, this was Ed’s signature Seismic Pshock Wave move which would turn the quickly stirred up air movement of his clasped hands into searing telekinetically charged whirlwinds that would rip the tiles from the floor and rend the walls apart. But of course, Edward wasn’t at 100% due to the previous examination and various other circumstanses so the attack wasn’t at its full potential to the fortune of those in that hallway. It was obvious he wasn’t using digression on Sis’ account and simply wanted to remove all threats.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis blinked as her hair blew back from the force of the Seismic Pshock Wave. “Good gawd! EDWARD! STOP!” Reaching out, she tried to grab him by the shoulders and shake him awake. “Doc’s gonna kill me…[censored], Cat’s gonna kill me…” she muttered, putting herself firmly between Edward and the guards. Maybe if she broke his line of sight, he would snap back to himself. Sis had forgotten the syringe in her hand, which was now shoulder-level, needle pointed away from Edward.

“It’s not worth it man! C’mon, they’re just doing their job, I think. You’re gonna kill someone if you don’t stop!” She tried to shake him again, a worried look on her face. “Look, if you stop, I promise I’ll get you out of here quick. Well, to somewhere else on the grounds, buy some time at least. Okay?”

((Again, apologies. This week and next are very busy at work. =\ ))

[ QUOTE ]
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Ed growled in response. “What kind of mood would you be in if someone purposely tried taking away your powers? Performing tests and experiments on your body? Suddenly waking up and not being able to move your muscles?” His temper was in check and his voice was cool but the aura he gave off was quite hot in the rhetorical sense.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis blinked in surprise. “Here? They’re experimenting on you here? That doesn’t make sense…this is supposed to be a clinic, not a mad scientist’s lair…” She ran a hand through her bangs and looked down at the ground, clearly unsettled by the news.

[ QUOTE ]
Suddenly, a few shots were heard from behind him. They sounded almost like gunshots but much less harsh and more quiet but easily perceivable from several hallways away. RED team had arrived and fired, their rounds consisting of tranquilizers with special sedatives. Despite their bullet speed, Ed turned and backhanded the nearest dart out of the air. A wave swirled and coiled through the air behind the path of his hand, similar to the heat-waves that pulsed from his eyes which deflected a few other darts but one managed to get by the wave of force and pierce his abdomen.

[/ QUOTE ]

“[censored]!” Sis exclaimed, rocks again appearing on her feet. She moved towards Edward, attempting to shield him, but wasn’t fast enough. “Holy cow…you weren’t kidding were you? What kind of place is this?”

[ QUOTE ]
Edward lost balance and began to topple backward toward Sis where she braced him from hitting flat on the ground. His hands shook as he grasp the tranq and pulled it from his skin, crushing it in his grip. Ed wasn’t passing out or falling asleep even though the sedatives injected in him were easily coma-inducing for most. “Now see why I’m in such a bad mood?” he grumbled to Sis as the 4 members of RED team approached.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis propped him up easily. Angling herself so that she could move in front of him as needed, she eyed the four security guards angrily. “What the heck is going on?” she shouted as they approached. “What kind of establishment are you all running here?”

[ QUOTE ]
The leader of RED team slowly approached, hoping the sedatives were quickly taking effect. Edward was lying back, holding his side. The rest of his movements seemed non-threatening though. “Are you alright?” the RED security team lead asked Sis, putting away his gun and pulling out a syringe while the other three members covered him, their guns still at the ready. “I…I apologize…I didn’t see you behind him,” he continued. It would most certainly seem odd that such an elite well trained group of men would make such a mistake but mistakes like that happened a lot when Edward was involved.

[/ QUOTE ]

“…are you out of your mind?!? Hey, what are you doing?” Sis absently brushed a broken tranq dart needle off her arm. It must have hit her and snapped the tip off against her tougher-than-normal skin. Glancing around at the heavily armored guards, she stayed put, though she really wanted to just get Edward out of there and figure out what was going on.

[ QUOTE ]
If one of those darts had missed and hit Sis, she might have been out for a week or two, maybe a day if she had powers similar to Edward’s. Anyways, the RED leader seemed slightly unnerved as he readied the syringe. His hand was shaking slightly and he seemed to hesitate a bit although that might be difficult to see in the flickering dim light of the emergency generators. “The situation is under control now,” he assured Sis in a shaky voice while the others reported to central security. As the leader neared the needle to Ed’s skin, his movements stopped and started and his whole body shook and after another moment he was holding his throat and gasping for air. The syringe dropped and rolled along the tile floor, stopping when it reached Sis’ feet.

Having disarmed his assailant, Ed thrust his palm into the abdomen of the team lead accompanied by a pshock that sent the guard hurtling into one of his other men. At first, Edward struggled to push himself to his feet but when he heard their tranquilizer guns prepping to fire, he seemed to be pulled up by an unseen force but it was too late. He was being peppered by darts from the neck down but he did not fall. His eyes just burned in anger as RED team fired with trembling guns at the unstable patient.

[/ QUOTE ]

“NOW HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”

Sis ground her teeth, scooped up the syringe, and stepped in front of Edward. A red glow seemed to flow across her body, almost like lava over rocks. The next wave of tranq darts seemed to melt as they hit her, falling harmlessly to the ground. If Edward needed support, he would be able to grasp Sis’ shoulder without being burned, despite the lava.

“I don't know what scheme you’ve got going here, but it ends now. No one takes another step until I find out what the hell is going on.” Sis’s gaze met each of the guards’ in turn. “I’m betting you don’t have anything in that clip that can take me down. So start talkin’.” She glared at the squad leader, who was pulling himself to his feet. “I’m happy to break this, unless I get a decent explanation. Then I’ll break you. You got ten seconds. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.”


((Apologies for the delayed post. Work decided to swallow all my free time this last week.))

[ QUOTE ]
"Seeing as how this is the first time we have meet, it somehow seems less then friendly to throw doors at people." His voice seemed calm, and steady neither sarcastic, nor angry. "However, I have not been on this world for very long."

To Sis "I'm going to have to fallow your lead with this being."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis gave Kruth’T a sidelong glance. “I was being sarcastic…and basically, if he wants a fight, we give him one.” She grinned, cracking her knuckles. “I mean, what good is training with a pole that can’t hit back, right?” Tilting her head to the side, she regarded Edward calmly. There were more sounds coming from the other side of the gym, but she ignored them for now.

[ QUOTE ]
Sis and Kruth’T would hear a muffled crash from the eastside of the gym. Doors to the north crashed open and two squads of the security tactical team raced into the room. They were (mostly*) content with ignoring the three heroes and immediately proceeded to the locker room door of the men’s locker room. “Please stay back we are responding to a situation” Brice instructed the heroes in his clipped military fashion without breaking stride with his squad.

[/ QUOTE ]

“...since when does a clinic have a SWAT team?” Sis looked at the squad incredulously. They seemed to be ignoring the current standoff, which was a relief. She wouldn’t mind a solid one-on-one fight, but plowing through a mob of security personnel, some of whom looked like they were carrying Malta-like weapons, did not sound appealing.

“Okay, you do what you gotta do, man,” Sis responded to Brice, turning back to Edward. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

[ QUOTE ]
Edward’s brow just narrowed at Kruth’T’s and Sis’ words. When the security started to swarm in, but apparently preoccupied with someone else, Ed started making his way toward the door. “Well, it seems my workout is over,” he growled and walked past the two. When another member of the security team rushed in but accidentally bumping into Ed as he was walking out, Ed pushed the guard out of the way. Although the shove looked closer to a gentle nudge with the forearm, the squad member was violently thrown against the wall which cracked under the force. Now the disgruntled patient made his way outside. It was unsure if he just wanted some air or if he was going to devise some strike to attempt an escape but he looked pretty treacherous.

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“Geeze man! Take it easy, will ya?” Sis started to jog after Edward, the heavy rocks on her shoes slowing her down some. “Gah…off!” The rocks seemed to melt back into the earth and Sis put on a burst of speed. She angled to get in front of him and halt his progress. “Dude, you are in a seriously bad mood. What gives?” Sis backpedaled a little as he walked, making sure to keep in front of him, whichever way he turned. “Ian isn’t that irritating, is he?” She flashed another grin, this one a little friendlier than before. “He’s who you’re trying to dodge, right? I wouldn’t stress, he took off after some other patient chick.” Sis chuckled a little. “Rescue instinct, I guess.”

((Thank you Halo! Glad everyone likes it. ))

[ QUOTE ]
Kruth'T waived hi to Sis.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis nodded back, looking around at the assembled patients. She recognized a few from the meet and greet, but none of them matched the description of Edward. She was about to ask if Kruth’T had seen someone who looked like Ian’s missing patient when she felt a ringing in her ears.

[ QUOTE ]
From the gym, a wave of ‘pshock’ erupted in all directions into the room and continuing through to the hot tub and sauna rooms. Pshock would be similar to seismic disturbance until it met with a solid object, such as the walls of the gym which did shake profusely, then continued on as a telepathic wave. To a psychic, telepath or telekinetic, it would cause a painful migraine that may last a few seconds but to anyone else it would be weaker effect, like someone shouting a word in your ear.

[/ QUOTE ]

“Gah!” Sis grimaced. She was used to loud noises, but this was above and beyond what she usually dealt with. Spinning around, she stared at the door that led to the gym. “How much you want to bet…?” she muttered to herself.

[ QUOTE ]
Then, with everything he had, Ed unleashed a pshock that easily shook the building, not because of the punch on the seismic column but the faint wave of telekinetic force that was unleashed from his fist.

[/ QUOTE ]

“Oh, yeah…that’s gotta be it.” Glancing towards the rest of pool patrons, she started towards the gym door.

[ QUOTE ]
"I'm checking this out. You can follow if you wish." [Kruth’T] said as he jogged to the doors, and quickly darted outside.

Once out in the hallway Kruth'T moved to the gym, where the sound had been coming form. On the way the light seemed to distort, and darkness began to seep out from around him. He took a moment to mentally prepare him-self for anything and walked into the gym....

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
When someone opened the door, Ed reacted without thought. His fist flew toward the door and he punched the air and although he was over 15 feet from the door, some force smashed the door off its hinges. “I would turn around if I were you,” he called out to whomever was just about to enter.

[/ QUOTE ]

“Nice to meet you too,” Sis called out. Like Kruth’T, she had taken a moment to focus herself, increasing her connection to the earth. If anything had been blown towards her, she would have caught it. Moving slowly, she stepped forward and shoved the door away. Her boots appeared to have turned into heavy rocks.

“You must be Edward.” Sis looked around the room, taking in the titanium pillar and the rest of the equipment in the room. Her gaze moved towards Edward, noting his lack of a glowie and the folded up wheelchair. Raising an eyebrow, she continued walking forward at a glacial pace. “Are you always so welcoming? Or do we get special treatment?” Sis felt her shoulders tighten in preparation. She grinned lazily. If he was looking for a fight, she would be happy to oblige. Given the state of the door, he was capable of taking care of himself. “Oh, I know…you’re just thrilled to make new friends, right?”


((Thanks Leo! It was gifted to me, and was quite a surprise. I’m quite excited to finally have an avatar. ))

[ QUOTE ]
Ian let out another relieved sigh when her ignorance was obvious. “Um, well. His name is Edward Timbres. He’s kind of tall, around 6'5, and muscular, short dark brown, almost black, hair and he’d be wearing a bandage over his eye. I’m supposed to be watching him but he managed to get away from me.”

[/ QUOTE ]

“Sooo…you want me to find you an invalid pirate and…do what, sit on him until you come back? How the heck am I supposed to find you again? And what are you doing to be doing in the meantime?” Sis’s tone was slightly irritated, but Ian just continued breezily.

[ QUOTE ]
“If you’re looking for the hot tub, it’s straight through that door,” Ian directed with a finger down the hall. “If you go an extra door down, you’ll be in the sauna. In that room, if you go toward the back, there’s a side door leading to the hot tub if you want to peek and see if anyone’s there.”

[/ QUOTE ]

“Oo-kay. I can try that…” Sis trailed off as Ian continued speaking.

[ QUOTE ]
“If you’re looking for the gym, it’s to your right and down about four doors. It’s the 1st double door you see but that’s the open gym which is mostly weights and equipment so the long term patients can keep in shape. There’s a door in there that I’ve never been through but I hear it’s another gym. I bet that’s where they keep the good equipment…the stuff you’re probably looking for,” he added the last phrase in a whisper, accompanied by a firm jab in Sis’s arm that he doubt she even felt.

[/ QUOTE ]

“Huh. Sounds interesting. I’ll check it out in a bit, I guess. Got some time until dinner.” She chuckled as Ian punched her arm. “Gee, that tickles. Ease up, will ya?”

Sis was about to make another remark when Ella bounded over the two of them and raced off across the grounds. Ella looked healthier than when she’d been carried out of the meet and greet, but less happy-go-lucky than when Sis had first met her. “Hey…what’s up with her?”

[ QUOTE ]
“Well, duty calls.” [Ian] began racing after Ella and when he reached the edge of the pool, simply began to run over its surface. “I’ll catch up to you later,” he yelled over his shoulder <snip>

[/ QUOTE ]

“….well, hell.” Sis stared at the two retreating figures for a bit and crossed her arms over her chest. “And I don’t even work here. Go figure.” Turning on her heel, arms still crossed, she made her way towards the sauna door. Pulling it open, she peered down the hall. “Any pirates out and about?” she called. There was no answer. Sis tromped along the floor, the clomping of her boots softened by the carpeting. She stopped when she reached the sauna door. There was small window in the door, but it was completely fogged up. With a sigh, Sis opened the door and blinked into the steam.

“’ello? Everyone decent?” Sis asked, waiting for the steam to clear enough for her to see. If there was no one in the room, she decided, she would head for the door to the hot tub. If she was really lucky, her hair wouldn’t go all frizzy in the meantime. “I’m looking for a man with one eye named Edward. Not sure what the other eye is called.”

[ QUOTE ]
“Oh, Sis…” Ian said in a relieved sigh. “…at first I thought you were Mrs. Ci….um, nevermind…..What about you? Were you looking for the gym or the hot tub?” He would have eyed her attire to assess, among other things, her desired activity so he could try to direct her to the right place but he was a bit anxious about his situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis raised an eyebrow. She was still in her clothes from earlier, though she’d washed off the red eye makeup and left her gloves in her room. Fingering the not-quite-swimsuit in her pocket, she shrugged. “Looking for both I guess. Though, I’m less eager to find the hot tub if it’s already occupied.”

[ QUOTE ]
He looked to his left, his right and behind then moved in closer to Sis. He peeked around her to make sure no one was around then began to talk, still looking around for any staff that might be walking about. “Um, I’m kind of looking for someone. If you find him, do you think you can maybe talk to him? You know, keep him busy?”

[/ QUOTE ]

“You lost him, I take it?” Sis smirked. “Shame.” Her tone was teasing. “Who is this guy? What’d he do? What makes you think he’d be here?” She jerked her thumb towards the hot tub, where the lower murmur of voices could still be heard. She was curious to see the pool area, but not excited to wear a swimsuit in front of a bunch of strangers. Refolding the map, she stuck it into a back pocket and crossed her arms. Eying Ian with a bemused expression, she waited to hear his explanation.

“Treatment room…treatment room…treatment room…bathroom…treat-oh good lord.” Sis covered her eyes and quickly backed down the hallway. She wasn’t having much luck finding the hot tub, but she had gotten an eyeful of the treatment rooms. Peering at her map again, she guessed she had taken a right instead of a left, and began to retrace her steps.

As she walked, trying to nod pleasantly to the staff she passed, she kept one hand in her pocket. She’d stuffed the sorry excuse for a bathing suit in there, just in case the pool or hot tub was unoccupied. As she turned yet another corner, she heard the vague murmur of people. Heading towards the sound, she caught sight of Ian standing just outside the entrance.

“Forgot your swimsuit?” Sis looked him over, then glanced towards where the rest of the noise was coming from. She heard what sounded like an excited child exclaiming “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” and watched in confusion as a man brushed past them, clutching his head.

“On second thought…if that’s what the water does to you…” Sis trailed off, looking down at the map in her hand.

((Apologies for the short post. And thank you Halo. I missed you guys.))

“….SAFFYRE!”

The voice on the other end of the phone was far too cheerful. It was describing an ideal suitcase, apparently.

“What-“

The ideal suitcase, it turned out, was small, with lots of empty space for new purchases.

“But I’m not buy-“

It also contained at least one set of high heels. These were necessary, it seemed, to complete the suit.

“I don’t wear-“

Essentials should be able to fit in one pocket. Essentials included a nightgown (flimsy), a bathing suit (triangles with string), and a spare t-shirt (baby tank).

“…Saffyre….Saff…”

The voice continued, explaining that the spa would provide a fluffy robe and slippers and that would be about all that was needed for complete and total relaxation. The voice was very confident in its assessment.

“It’s not a bathing suit! It’s…it’s…leftovers from a Victoria’s Secret catalog!”

The voice on the other end of the phone laughed and reassured her that there would be much more material if it had been a Victoria’s Secret bathing suit.

Sis sat on the edge of the bed in her room and dropped her head into her free hand. This was going almost as well as she had expected. The room at the Spa was nice, with a balcony that was currently in the shade and overlooking an Olympic-sized pool. The staff had provided her with a map of the Spa, but Sis was still at a loss for finding the gym. She’d spent a few minutes trying to find it on her way back to the room, but had had to abandon the idea after winding up at the power plant twice. Her sense of direction was never great, and the Clinic was just throwing her off even more. She’d probably get the hang of it – just in time to check out.

“Saff…is B there? Can I talk to her? No, no…I just need to check something…”

The voice cheerfully wished Sis a relaxing stay and handed the phone off. The new voice was quietly amused.

“B? B…you gotta get me out of here. Please…”

Sis sighed as the new voice answered in the negative. It had been worth a try.

“Yeah…yeah, fine. Look…can you at least send me some clothes? Saff….she…I…I think she raided her own closet…”

The voice chuckled and repeated back the list of items Sis requested, including an extra red shirt for Ella. The package would be delivered in a day or so, but Sis would have to make do until then. With a sigh, she agreed.

“Thanks B…you’re a lifesaver. Tell everyone I said I’m miserable.”

There was a laugh at the other end and Sis hung up with a grin. There was nothing for it now but to wait and try to get her bearings. Sis headed to the bathroom to wash her face and get the last of the war paint off. Redoing her ponytail, she stuffed the map in her pocket and headed downstairs to find the treatment rooms and maybe the hot tub.

When the fight started, Sis had moved to stand between Experiment and the two combatants. There wasn't any real danger of them getting hurt, but it was instinct. And she had promised.

The fight was over before it began, really. Sis didn't even have time to armor up and already the wolf-ish girl was back in a chair and the other girl, the one who had wanted a spoon, was thawing out.

"Well. That was boring." Sis shrugged, looking back at Experiment. "And a buzzkill. I'm going to head out, see if I can't find that gym. Nice meeting you, John." She nodded a farewell and headed for the door. Tossing a grin at the security team, she quipped as she went by, "Didn't even have time to lay a bet! You gotta let it go on longer next time, guys."


((And I'm off on vacation. I'll be back in two weeks, so please assume that Sis manages to wander around the grounds and find her way back to her room. See you all later!))

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment's grin turned into a chuckle. "Yeah, but see, I never get any time off... The time I do get off is usually interrupted by my friends, my enemies, my family, or citizens... For a secret identity, it really doesn't do much to hide the accent. Not many people in the Paragon City Times sound like me."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis nodded. “Point. Makes me kinda glad I’m not even attempting a secret identity. I’d fail miserably.”

[ QUOTE ]
"Eh," Experiment replied as he shrugged, "I guess for some people, sitting in an overheated bath with other people around is relaxing. To me, it is just an awkward situation waiting to happen. When was the last time anything good happened at a spa in movies?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis grinned. “Depends on the movies you’re watching. And how late you’re up to watch them, I’d guess…” She trailed off, but her grin lingered.

[ QUOTE ]
"Oh yeah, I'm sure they can, but y'know, just in case they CAN'T, you're gonna be the first line of defense... Oddly enough, I haven't really relaxed since I got here anyway... Been to worried about trying to figure out how to get this off, what's going on at home, what's going on in the PCT building..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Gaze drifting over to Alissa, Sis shrugged. “I can do that. ‘bout all I do anyway. Besides, what does it matter what’s going on at the Times? You’re here, and who knows? You might even get a scoop or something. That’s what reporters call it, right?”

[ QUOTE ]
When Sis began acting strange, his smile faded. "You okay? Whoever this 'Fyre' is, she's your friend, right? Why would she not do as you asked? Wouldn't that be, like, the OPPOSITE of friend? Like... Anti-Friend?"

[/ QUOTE ]

“Ah…well…Saffyre – Fyre for short – is…is fashion conscious. Very fashion conscious. Model material herself, you know. But she thinks everyone should be as fashion-aware as she is…which means clothes that cover a lot less than these.” Sis indicated her t-shirt and pants. “And when it comes to bathing suits…I’m petrified. She seems to prefer strategically placed triangles. Never tacky, just...well, you know.” Sis bit her bottom lip, glancing down. “That backpack was awful light, now that I think about it…and she knew I was coming for three weeks…” She brushed her ponytail back over her shoulder as she looked up again. “You wouldn’t happen to have the time would you? I should probably check and see just what exactly she packed.”

Straightening a bit, Sis sighed. “Or I can just postpone the inevitable and take a loooong walk.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the staff clearing away the snack table. “I think they want us to get lost anyway. All I’ve seen of this lovely retreat so far has been the inside.” She didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm out of her tone. “Might even try to find the gym…what about you?”

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment frowned. "I'll tell ya why relaxation is required... I work in my normal job during the day, plus halting any crimes in Steel Canyon, or any huge doomsday-like plans in the city, then at night, I have to patrol, since the crimes won't just come up to me... I hardly ever get sleep..."

[/ QUOTE ]

“Okay, fine, that makes sense. But it’s like those companies that let you accumulate massive amounts of vacation time, but only let you carry a week over. ‘We’re promoting a work-life balance.’ No, you’re trying to cut costs so no one can ever take a month off at a time.” Sis shrugged. “Forcing someone to take a vacation they don’t want usually makes everyone upset, which just leads to more stress.” She paused. “There’s probably a logical fallacy in that argument.”

[ QUOTE ]
"You know, I thought they would think I was a hero too, but I usually get mistaken for a VILLAIN. I swear, it is so hard to tell us apart these days, it would seem..."

At Sis' next question, he grinned. "Yeah, it comes off... But that doesn't always end my duties as a hero... And I usually don't relax, no matter how much I wish to... I'm too into the scene, I suppose."

[/ QUOTE ]

“Hah. See? What’d I say?” Sis winked. “Not to worry, I’m sure the doctors here will have plenty of things to occupy you. At least you’ll be safe from your…numerous enemies.” She considered for a moment, before adding, “And there’s always the Spa, I guess. I don’t consider it relaxing, but I got out-voted.”

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment glanced over, shrugging. "Maybe... But if there is, you're gonna be my shield; I can't exactly pull off all my lovely acrobatic maneuvers, or stab people lots and lots of times with this stupid thing over my best arm."

He raised the casted arm slightly to justify his words.

[/ QUOTE ]

“One meat-shield, at your service,” Sis said with a mock bow. She crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled. “I’ll bet the orderlies can handle it. After all, we’re supposed to relax and stay out of trouble, right? And since my guide to the gym’s been whisked off, I guess I’ll have to find it on my own. I wonder if there’s a pool? Or if Fyre even bothered to pack my swimsuit? Now that I think about it…what the hell did she pack?” Sis frowned, trying to guess what might be in small backpack Saffyre had handed to her this morning. A look of panic crossed her features. “Oh no…she has to know better…” she muttered, glancing around the room and wondering if she could make a hasty exit and see if her room was ready.

[ QUOTE ]
Agreed! Very nice job, Sartori! You should definitely be proud of your accomplishments, and I'm sure Pyrria loves the piece.

[/ QUOTE ]

((Took the words right out of my mouth, Arch. ))

[ QUOTE ]
"Heh, well, it's not exactly my NATURE, but it is... Different, I suppose. Well, as different as being experimented on and barely surviving due to a mutation, and creating an evil form that had been asleep inside of one's soul. Is that okay, or was that a bit too specific?"

[/ QUOTE ]
Sis raised an eyebrow. “No…actually, that sounds about right for this city. This whole place is a friggin’ comic book. Right down to the weather. Not that I’m complaining. It just seems that everyone I meet has some outrageous story. Even the guys in The New Breed have crazy backgrounds. I mean, I cannot tell you how many of them have brothers, sister,s ex-girlfriends or whatever who suffered a terrible fate, died, ran off to become villains, ended up as lawyers for Crey, or whatever. This whole geographic region is just a…giant funnel for weirdness.” Sis managed a lopsided grin. “No offense.”

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment chuckled again, crossing his arms. "Nah, not into the rave scene, just need to unwind sometimes. Not only do I fight the CITY'S archvillains, but I'm like Spider-Man in that I have TONS of enemies, mostly super-powered, and those that aren't are amazingly smart... It's kind of annoying, and therefore, relaxation is required."

[/ QUOTE ]

“Yeah, I don’t get that. I mean, sure, you break up a smuggling ring, the guys are bound to want to take a piece outta your hide the next time they see you. But why is relaxation required?” Sis made a face. “I get eight hours a night, mostly. That’s all I need. Why take any extended time off? Especially when the Zig is just a revolving door. I swear, that’s how half the bad junk makes it onto the streets. Somebody’s supplying the inside.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Like…what if the Skulls, or the Hellions, or whoever, knew they could get their next batch of ‘Dyne from one of the lifers in the Zig? All they gotta do is run up to a Cape and hit them. Bang, off to the Zig. Go through processing, pick up the package, wait for the PD to show up, out on bail, drop off the package. Rinse and repeat.” Sis sighed. “And we keep putting them right back inside. Talk about your vicious cycles.” She shifted a little, aware that she was coming off a little more passionate than she had intended. “Keeps us employed though,” she added in a half-hearted manner.

[ QUOTE ]
He stood up straight, and grinned. "Then again, I might also stop a few of those parties if any 'Dyne is around. Usually, I halt some Skull or Hellion raves around Atlas by dressing in all black, trench coat, sunglasses, the whole gig, and find the head of the club. Fun is usually had when they find out I'm a hero moments before they fall down and teleport to the Zig."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis laughed. “Dude, you’ve been watching old movies too much. Show up in that outfit at one of the parties I’m at and I’ll know you’re up to no good. Besides, if you’re there to relax, shouldn’t you show up in civvies? That armor comes off, right?” Her grin was just shy of a leer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ian get pulled out of the room by a nurse. As he walked past the orderlies gathering in the doorway, she shifted her weight from foot to foot. It didn’t take much detective work to see that the focus of the orderlies’ attention was the wild-haired girl in the black jumpsuit. She seemed to be holding court with the lizard and the utensil requestor. Glancing back at Experiment, she nodded towards the door. “Think there might be trouble?”

[ QUOTE ]
”Also... Bull guy equals name of district."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis grinned. “Yeah, I know. But it’s easier than saying minotaur.”

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
”Huh? Oh…yeah, here.”

[/ QUOTE ] “Super thanks” Kia murmured with only a tiny hint of sarcasm. She rolled her eyes as she stepped past Sis and Experiment to take a seat

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis snorted in a very unladylike fashion. “I made another friend. Go me.” She watched Kia select a seat with unenviable grace. “I’m off to a terribly good start.”

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment raised an eyebrow, before grinning yet again. "I'm going to assume you mean to this city, state, and country, instead of planet, galaxy, universe, or dimension. And no, I'm English, lived to my teens there. My sister is ALSO English, but by the time we moved, she was only a few years old. She grew up in Cali, and therefore, the accent."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis nodded. “Did she get the Valley accent? Those are the worst. I’m really glad I didn’t grow up there…I’d have to hurt myself.” She grinned. “Yours isn’t too easy to hear though. Or I’m going deaf.”

[ QUOTE ]
[Experiment] shuffled slightly against the wall, thinking. "We moved to Paragon about... What, five years ago now? I think that's about it. We moved here, and I signed up to be a hero right away... Under a different name from all the other cities, of course. I used to be Prodiguy, but, after a while, I switched it to Experiment for... Uh..."

He glanced down at his good arm, his eyes slits, "Certain reasons."

[/ QUOTE ]

“Hey, better to embrace your nature than fight against it, right?” Sis shrugged. “That’s about as philosophical as I get, but I’ve found it to ring true. Like, you’re not going to catch me using weapons, unless I absolutely have to. My aim sucks. I’m much better at just smacking people around.” She paused for a moment, realizing how that sounded. “Er…not that I’m going to. Here, I mean. Unless I’m in the gym. Right.” She felt her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Lovely.

[ QUOTE ]
His good nature returning, he looked up. "You know somewhere worse than Pocket D? I should hang out there... See how many times I get threatened to have things shoved... Uh... In not-so-good places will do. Besides, that continuous music gets to me at some points... War Witch is hot though, so that's a Pocket-Plus."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis laughed. “Sure, anytime you want. There’s a couple of warehouses in Independence Port that have some wild parties. And if you’re into jet-setting, I’ve got a few clubs in Switzerland that would open your eyes. Dubai’s a wash, but Thailand and Singapore have some interesting…um…tastes. And then there’s Hong Kong.” She eyed him up and down for a moment. “What are you into? Sex? Drugs? Rock and roll? No offense, but you don’t seem the raver type.”

[ QUOTE ]
[Experiment 2.0] grinned again as she mentioned the clone. "Maybe I should correct that to today's standards... The clone is a robot, but acts VERY human... Um... When it isn't singing 'Happy Birthday' at full volume, and riding around on my office chair..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis grinned. “That sounds entertaining. I won’t claim to know much about robots and stuff. I tend to break them.” She smirked. “I’m not even allowed in the lab anymore. Something about lava and power cables not mixing. I said they needed more insulation, but what do I know, right? ‘Leave it to the experts,’ they said. Yeah. That went well.” She chuckled a little. “At least they haven’t asked me to help clean up since.”

[ QUOTE ]
"Hm? I don't really know much about the water. When I was sent to patrol there, my armour was still... Uh... Shall we say, sensitive?" he grinned, and as he began stretching, he halted, put his free hand on his cast, along with the water, and winced. "And I'm actually based in Steel Canyon. You can see my workplace VERY easily. When you come off the Yellow Line, and turn left as you come out, along the War Wall, there is a big building, pretty sleek, lot'sa windows, usually an explosion or two going off, that kinda thing."

He leaned against the wall slightly, and raised an eyebrow. "So, you said 'since you got here,' where were you before? Somewhere cool and rainy? Hot? Cold? Wet? Dry?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis looked almost sympathetic as Experiment winced. “Yeah, I think I’ve seen that building. I don’t stop to look at scenery that much though, to be honest. I’m usually running to help bail someone out. The only other time I’m in Steel is to visit Icon. Serge never looks happy to see me though…” she trailed off, remembering the last time she’d had to go in for a business suit. Shuddering, she quickly switched topics.

“Previously? Well, most recently I was in California. Sun, sand, surfing, that sort of thing. So…Hot and Dry with bouts of Wet and Wild?” Her smile softened a bit. “Talos reminds me most of SoCal. When the weather gets warmer, I’m planning to spend as much time as possible there. You know that huge statue of the bull-guy? There are some killer waves from there to the shore. You can pretty much catch it at the crest and just ride it in. Swim back out, repeat.”

Sis finished off her bottle of water. “Before that? All over the place. My family did a lot of traveling, so I tagged along. I…well, let’s just say that I know where all the good clubs are, and who the best suppliers are.” Her grin was lopsided. “I’d never say it to his face, but DJ Zero’s place is pretty tame compared to some I’ve seen. Even with catgirls and lizard-people and succubi running around. Funny though, you don’t see many incubi. Wonder why?” Sis mused for a moment before shrugging. “Anway.” She turned to find a trashcan for her empty bottle of water.

[ QUOTE ]
“Eh, can you grab me one of them spoons?”

[/ QUOTE ]

“Huh? Oh…yeah, here.” Sis grabbed on and handed it to the new woman before dropping her bottle in the small wastebasket under the table. Turning back to Experiment, she asked, “So are you a native? Or another transplant?”

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment's gaze lay on the guy for a second, his head tilting in confusion. He turned to Sis, his eyes narrow. "I find it offensive that these guys don't get punished, and perfectly good, healthy women do. I mean, for women, okay, fine, they aren't exactly insulting anybody... Guys though... I just... I just think we should be allowed to perform some justice on them sometimes..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis was torn between laughing and being surprised that he seemed to be taking her seriously. "I...think it has something to do old patriarchical ideas of fertility...but I could be wrong..." Her voice trailed off as a nurse and guard entered the room and rushed to Ella's side. A flurry of activity later, and she refocused on Experiment. "Er...does that happen a lot here?" She forced her shoulders to stay down.

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment rolled his eyes, however good-naturadely, and chuckled yet again, for like, the eighteenth time in that ten minutes. "She's my... Well, Ian pretty much ruined any chance of keeping my identity secret... She's my sister, Jenny Ballard. She's the one that forced me into this cast, and the one that forced me into this place, and ALSO forced me, a week or so ago, to actually do my editing job instead of the clone..."

His gaze went side-to-side, and he spoke again, slightly secretively. "I made a clone, which malfunctions often. Last time I let him out, he managed to open a portal, allowing a ton of CoT into the Paragon City Times... We blamed it on the Orenbagens, but I swear, I don't think anyone gives me NORMAL looks anymore in my building..."

[/ QUOTE ]

"Your editing job? A clone? ...you're a mad scientist aren't you. With a real job." Sis grinned. "Figures. At least your sister looks out for you. But...how exactly does a clone malfunction? Isn't it just supposed to be an exact biological copy of you?" She ran a hand through her bangs again. "You can't order it around can you? Not that it wouldn't come in handy..." Shrugging, she stuck her free hand in her pocket. "Do most folks have a job? I've just been kinda winging it since I got here. Hooked up with the New Breed and been working City stuff since then. Hanging out in Talos when I can." Her smile reached her eyes. "Great water there. You're based in Atlas then?"

[ QUOTE ]
Experiment grinned down at his cast. "Well, I wanted to make sure it didn't break should I start fighting crime while injured. Of course, after clasping it, Jenny told me she had checked me a room in the clinic, so I sighed and tried to take it off... About three seconds before I realized that I forgot to install a Delatch button."

[/ QUOTE ]

“You…forgot to include a release…?” Sis looked stunned. “How…? Why…?” She shook her head. “Isn’t that the first rule of engineering or something? First install an emergency exit? Or a fire extinguisher at least?” She looked at the cast again. “I guess you could just break it open…but you probably made it all secure or something.” She narrowed her eyes a little, trying to see if there were any seams or obvious weaknesses, but she couldn’t tell from this angle. She could probably break it if needed, but that would sort of defeat the purpose of the cast.

[ QUOTE ]
2.0 frowned slightly, his head shifting. "Are you okay? You look a little stressed out... And plus, you're gonna start stressing me out, because you'll lower my rather good mood down to simply 'a durably good day.'"

[/ QUOTE ]

“Nah…it’s the makeup,” Sis said quickly, indicating the red circles around her eyes. “Makes me look all scary and old or something. Frankly, I think Serge was pulling my leg, but it does help when it’s really sunny out. Like those things football players wear.” She rolled her shoulders. “I’d prefer sunglasses, but I went through something like fifteen pairs my first week here. I’ve given up. Unless I weld them to my face, there’s no point in trying to keep ‘em.” Sis took a drink from her bottle of water, running the cap through her fingers. “’Sides how can I be stressed? I’m here, right?” she said, gesturing to the room in general. “Meeting new people, seeing new things, relaxing. Peaches and cream.” She tried hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but realized she was probably failing miserably.

Glancing towards the door, Sis noticed a man standing there with an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and some emblem on his undershirt. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced back to Experiment. “I thought only girls got in trouble for flashing,” she commented, jerking her head towards the door. “He’s leaving nothing to the imagination,” Sis added with a sly grin. She didn’t recognize the man or his insignia. As long as he wasn’t the massage therapist she’d been threatened with, she figured she could get by without ever knowing who he was. Returning her gaze to Experiment 2.0, she asked, “So who’s Jenny?”