ic Visiting Hours (IC)

[Fox]

Dragonfly blinked for a moment. worried about - ? "I...thank you. Really don't take...too many chances. But I--"

She could tell she wasn't really getting anywhere and sighed, slumping a little and admitting defeat. Lights danced behind her eyes and the screen of the cell phone flickered for a moment. "...thank you. It's....good to know a...friend...is available to help when it's needed. Not that I expect to need a limb regrown. But...comforting to know the offer's there."

[Gizmo]

"Yeah, well, let's just say I've got some experience with poor self-preservation instincts," Jill grumbled as she returned the phone to her jacket pocket, though her words carried no real heat to them. Though evidently pleased to have made some progress, her expression turned slightly pensive. "Like I said, the regrowth thing is iffy. Can't heal old wounds, disabilities most of the time."

The slim girl blinked once slowly as her eyes refocused, placing one hand on the back of her neck and changing the subject. "So, you mentioned speaking French, right? Is that your first language?"

[Fox]

"Mmh, yes," she agreed, dryly. "Will try harder not to lose limbs in the generator."

Dragonfly blinked at the other girl's moment lost in thought, tilting her head. what was - suppose it's not my business - still - curious "French, yes. No. Ah - mother was French, but thought it was important to know English. She spoke both, I learned both from birth." She shrugged. "Biling...well. Quadrilingual, now. Bilingual back then. Gifted tongue? Haven't tried to learn a new language in a while...probably should. Not sure what to pick."

[Gizmo]

"Hurr hurr, I'll be- ahem," Jill began reflexively before remembering her audience and clearing her throat conspicuously. She really needed to spend time with people away from home and the brownstone if everything was coming across as suggestive wordplay to her. "Well, ah, hey! We could swap! That way you could add Español to your tongues and I could explore that side of myself. I already know a little French, but it'd be a good excuse to get a better grasp."

[Fox]

Dragonfly tilted her head a little, briefly pondering that. Spanish would be useful "Could," she agreed. "Don't know any Spanish, so...not very experienced, but learn quickly. Would be glad to lend a hand and help you explore yourself - think we could learn a lot from each other. Can be found here or....mmh." She patted her pouches for a moment before spying her little pad of paper on the desk; grabbing a pen she quickly jotted down an address in Greenbank and tore the page away. "Or here," she offered, holding the paper out. "Not a great neighborhood, sort of a maze, but should be fine. Can always drop by if you want to talk or brush up on French."

[Gizmo]

Accepting the slip of paper, Jill noted the address, committing it to memory before secreting it away in her jacket along with the cellphone. "Thanks, I'll take you up on that," she told Dragonfly with a smile that was several shades too pleased to pull of the nonchalant expression the rest of her face was attempting. Running her fingertips through her dyed black bangs absently, the taller girl frowned slightly, before beginning in a rush, "So, uh, listen. Totally just let me know if this is a personal thing you don't want to talk about, but it's been bugging me, so I gotta ask. When you mentioned not really having a Christmas growing up, was that just like your family didn't celebrate, or...?" Jill's body language suggested she was more concerned that the question crossed a line than she was about the actual response.

[Fox]

The relative good cheer practically drained out of Dragonfly's face and posture like someone had opened a valve; everything about her closed up as she slouched a bit and wrapped both arms around her torso, tapping a finger on her ribs. don't want her to think that I - probably wouldn't think highly of - don't want to lose a new friend - phrase very carefully? - half truth better than a lie - not technically lying.... She bit her lip, searching for words that were...if not misleading, at least not as awful as she knew the full truth would sound.

"I...my mother........mmh. Died." Even the word 'died' was said quickly, like she wanted to gloss over the circumstances. "I was very, very young. Was brought to the United States by my father; he had me build....things....until I e-...until I left. Recently. Maybe a year ago, a little more. I didn't really...have holidays. When I was building things. It just...wasn't important?"

[Gizmo]

Jill's mouth hung open a little as her tanned face blanched slightly under her mask. "Ah... aw, Dios, 'Fly, I'm sorry. That was a really stupid thing to ask." She raised one hand as though to reach out but instead pounded both fists into her forehead audibly. "Idiota. Argh!" Letting out a long breath, she finally met Dragonfly's eyes, biting her bottom lip. "I... thanks for telling me. Can't be something you like talking about."

[Fox]

Dragonfly managed something vaguely approaching a wry grin, but she at least looked less like she was trying to retreat into her own jacket. "I don't....it's okay. Was a fair question. Not...really the whole story. Will fill in the blanks eventually, maybe."

She settled back against her desk, relaxing little by little, like someone who was expecting to get bitten and hadn't. "Curious, though? While comparing backstories. Why medicine? Seems...almost redundant."

[Gizmo]

"Aheh, 'cause of the glowy, lay on hands bit, right?" Jill smirked weakly, obviously just as relieved to change the topic. "That's kinda the big punchline. Powers only got jumpstarted a few months back, but I've been studying and practicing for years." She managed a chagrined chuckle. "It's like training for a marathon then winning a moped in a raffle. Honestly, I figure it's probably good to know how to do things the hard way regardless."

Grimacing slightly, she placed one gloved hand on the back of her neck. "...which sorta skirts the actual question, in the spirit of 'show me yours, show you mine'. When I was thirteen... mi mamá... she got shot." Jill shrugged slightly, sliding the shoulders of her jacket forward. "She's in a wheelchair now, but she could have died if the EMTs hadn't gotten there in time and... and..." Clearing her throat loudly, she composed her expression into one of sardonic self-reflection. "So. That's what I decided I wanted to do with myself, basically."

[Fox]

"Ah." Dragonfly knit her eyebrows together in sympathy. "'Can't heal old wounds'....sorry. Makes sense now. Wish I could help...don't do much with biology. Could probably fix her if she was a machine, but humans are...." She trailed off, a little helplessly, but paused and tilted her head. Her mind was suddenly filled with the math of an injury like that - probable wound areas, gun designs, the energy a bullet carries.... "....are tough enough to survive near-fatal gun wounds, really. Must be a very tough woman."

[Gizmo]

"Oh yeah," Jill chuckled shortly, shaking her head slightly. "Not a lady you mess with. You'd get along, I think, once she finished telling you to eat more. Heh." The lopsided smile flickered for a moment as the medic looked out the broad window. "That was just about the first thing I tried with my powers, obviously. I think... I can make bodies heal way more than they normally would, but I think they have to still remember what they're supposed to be like. It's hard to know; I'm a kinda hodgepodge of bioelectric fields and mystic juju, so nobody seems to be able to tell me much."

[Fox]

Dragonfly frowned, looking down at herself. "Always being told I need to eat more. By Santa, even....eat when I'm hungry. And not distracted." She pulled her top - which, surprisingly, moved just like a thick cloth - up to her ribs, poking herself in the stomach. "Really that thin....?"

The young woman shook her head, letting her clothing fall back into place. "Understand, though. Run into similar problems. Living things leave a...an imprint in reality. Like the world knows how they're supposed to be. Don't know why, though...same issue. Just not enough available information. Hazards of working at the unknown fringes of science and magic?"

[Gizmo]

Tilting her head slightly to the side, Jill covered a small grin with the back of one hand. "Hee. Well, you'd fit in my pocket, but you make it work. Mi mamá gives me such a time, though, so you're not off the hook!" Changing her inflection slightly, she placed one hand on her hip while gesturing with the other in what was clearly an imitation. "Chica, you better eat a sandwich! Put some meat on those bones!" Returning to her normal manner, the slim girl shrugged dismissively. "Plus Santa's an old, fat guy, seriously."

[Fox]

The corner of Dragonfly's mouth tugged up into half a grin as she tried to keep a straight face. "Shouldn't take diet tips from a man who consumes nothing but cookies and milk? Good plan. Though I suppose I should at least exercise sometimes. Heroing is an...okay workout, but there are probably more productive methods." She frowned, glancing at Jill's midriff again. "You're in good shape. Any tips?"

[Gizmo]

"Y'damn right," Jill agreed with a broad smirk, striking a wry pose with her arms above her head for a moment, evidently pleased that her fashion sense hadn't reflected poorly with the professionally successful scientist. "Tips? Huh, have a brother who's idea of being supportive is making sure you can hold your own in a fist fight?" She placed a finger across her chin, considering. "Dunno, I do a good amount of gymnastics at the community center, plus some self-defense classes. Guess I sorta took up watdyoucallit, parkour without really meaning to."

[Fox]

Dragonfly leaned back against her desk again, tapping a finger on the wood. "Mmh. Time-intensive. And don't have the sibling. Could build one...probably not the same when they have an off switch. Large project, anyway. Would need to do research first...maybe try to get my hands on Otaku's work. Creep, from what I hear, but his android work is top-notch...."

She shrugged. "Will keep it in mind, though. The exercise, not the android. Not an athlete, but couldn't hurt to shape up a little. Not likely to win a fistfight, presently, without my gear. Even then, punching isn't as effective as other options." 'Other options' was apparently a long blade of twisted space, tinted a bright blue, that formed about an inch from her fist on one hand as she talked. She turned it in the air, giving it a critical eye. "Suppose I could reshape it. Seems pointless, though."

[Gizmo]

Jill shook her head slowly as a sardonic look played across her masked features. "Playing to the wrong sibling there, Powergloves," she noted dryly, stepping across the office over to Dragonfly's desk. Careful to avoid glowing spike, she threw one arm over the other girl's jacketed shoulders and gestured dramatically with the other into the distance. "'Fly, I'ma let you in on a family recipe for a little something called the stabpunch."

[Fox]

The young woman froze up a little at the physical contact, but the curious terminology shook her out of it almost immediately. "....'stab punch'?" She blinked, glancing sidelong at Jill. "Don't even know what...what? Stab punch?" how would that even - could stab - no that wouldn't - thrust and then - what?

[Gizmo]

Jill noticed Dragonfly stiffen momentarily and almost pulled back reflexively herself. Improbably, she found herself wondering what Lynn would do in the same situation and resolved to continue with full enthusiasm. "All one word: stabpunch!" she corrected to begin, pointing upward for emphasis. "First, you find a chump, or a fool if that's what's on hand. Then you stab said chump. Ideally in the face, see? Then you continue forward with the stabbing motion until you've gone so far that Fist A connected to Blade B is inserted into Chump Face C."

[Fox]

"Continue forward until...." Dragonfly blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Sincerely hope your brother's swords are as insubstantial as mine. Sounds...violent. And very strange." She jabbed the sword forward at head height, adding, "Not even sure what my sword would do to a brain. Suspect it wouldn't be....."

She tilted her head, jabbing again, though this time at an invisible enemy's stomach. ".....think I actually did this once. Zombie. Was...surprisingly effective. .....mmh."

[Gizmo]

"Aw, they're only as solid as he wants 'em to be," Jill assured Dragonfly, leaning away as the shorter girl attacked the empty air experimentally but leaving her arm where it was. "Actually a lot bigger on control than he lets on." At the inventor's musings, the medic grimaced. "Ugh, zombies. My powers do basically zip against them. Force walls work fine, but you can't mess with the immune system on something that's already dead. Least robots aren't so messy."

[Fox]

Dragonfly let her gauntlets power back down, the blade unfurling back into normal reality. "Do...okay against zombies. Gross, but okay." She flexed her hand, still pondering the 'stabpunch'. "Almost enjoy robots. Often very interesting designs...would just prefer they weren't trying to crush me. Not even the designs, really. The...smell, the feel of it. Reminds you - me, I guess - of building them."

She was gesturing now, like she was trying to grab something in front of her. "Metal shavings and gear grease up to your elbows, sweat and the thrum when it first turns on...."

[Gizmo]

Looking thoughtful, Jill hopped up to sit on the very edge of Dragonfly's desk, careful not to get too close to any of the half finished projects laid out across it as she balanced herself by holding onto the corner. "Y'know, that's about the closest thing to a complete sentence I've gotten out of you yet," she remarked, letting her head tilt to the left so that her bangs fell across her right eye. "You're kinda more hands-on than a lot of super-smart types, huh?"

[Fox]

Dragonfly screwed up her face, focusing a little more on what was coming out of her mouth. "I...can talk like a normal person, if I have to. But I have to think about it. And as soon as my concentration slips I...lapse." She shrugged, helplessly. "My brain is too fast for my mouth, I think. And didn't - I didn't have anyone to talk to but myself for a long time. I learned bad habits." She shrugged again. "Usually save the 'normal person' talk for strangers, the very rare times I have to talk to crowds. Annoying to have to review every word I say before I say it, but don't want people thinking I'm...don't know. Autistic? Or...challenged, somehow."

She tilted her head, remembering that there was a question in there somewhere. "Hands-on?"