Jump to content

Roses Are Red, Gadgets Are Blue (IC)


Recommended Posts

When a person worries, their mind tends to wander. It tends to run a mile-a-minute, thinking about all the things that could go wrong. When a person's brain works thousands of times faster than normal, there's a lot of worrying that can get done. On the night of a date, a girl tends to worry. Blueshift's brain was just that fast, tonight she was going out with Push, and she was a wreck (More so than usual).

She was supposed to be waiting outside the front door of her building. But there was no way that was happening. Not outside, with the people and the cars and the wide open spaces. No way. Instead, she cooked up something to make her life a little easier just like she was always doing. Plus, it served as a worthwhile distraction to keep her mind off her worrying. She hacked into the network of security cameras in the building, and found one that watched the street. When Push showed up, she could quickly zip down to the street to meet him.

Link to comment

Sometimes Push really gave thanks he wore a costume that looked a bit more civilian than most. Granted, when summer rolled around he'd be effing sweltering, but it honestly wasn't that bad.

A flying bike, on the other hand, had a tendency to stand out.

Lazarus roared across the city skyline, Push's mind half-distracted by his own audacity as he drove. What was it with him and women who could defy the laws of nature on a daily basis? First Anastasia, and now...he shook his head, clearing out every thought of Ana the second they appeared. Not the time, REALLY not the time to think about Her. The fact that Blueshift seemed a hell of a lot less unbalanced than Associate Professor Wyrd was reassuring, nevertheless. And she was cute, too. Especially in that suit. Push coughed and shook that mental image out of his head as well. It had been a while since he'd even considered dating, chasing a power-mad evil sorcerer across the US of A had a tendency to dampen one's enthusiasm for finding a better half, but...

Ok, relax, dude. You're going to be a perfect gentleman. It's all good, you're just going on patrol with her, bust a few heads, maybe go to dinner. Nothing's going to go wrong. Everything's going to go wrong. Frak.

He'd toyed with the idea of roaring the bike up to her apartment window (if she had one), but he logged the idea away as a bad one when he realized a) he didn't know which one was hers beyond the building address, and B) from what he could tell back in Haiti, she really didn't like heights. Still, he did like showing off Lazarus when he had a chance. A self-depreciating smile, and he went into a steep dive, roaring up in front of the building she'd told him about. Ignoring the stares of the nearby civilians, who shortly thereafter shrugged and walked off (this was Freedom City), he leaned on the seat and looked hither and yon, wondering why she wasn't outside.

Link to comment

Then there he was, right outside her building. She did her dollar best to put her worries aside and stared fooling with the settings on her boots. A second later, she was gone. Digitized by her boots and sent scrambled through the building's network. She emerged from the wires attached to the security camera on the front door with a 'zap'.

"Push!" she waved and stood on her toes briefly to get his attention. Now maybe I can finally stop going nuts about tonight. She was thankful she was wearing her boots. She was even shorter without them. "You're here. I'm glad." She began walking towards him, "I..." And then she noticed the motorcycle. The flying motrocycle. "Oohh what is thaat?" She hurried forward, and practically ran into the bike with her face she was so eager to examine it, and all but forgetting push was even there in the process. "Shiny! Hmm. Strange model. Heavy mods, of course. Looks like...ZX-RR." She pulled a small device from her belt. It produced two small laser beams that seemed to be measuring the dimensions of the vehicle. A small screen also produced some readouts. "Ripped the 798cc Four Stroke I4 I assume. Something more powerful. Handles flight. Likely jet model. Wheel mods. Retracting. Usually not feasable. Pulled it off. I'm impr..." She suddenly realized she was still in Push's presence, and halted mid sentence. "Damnit, Blue." She sighed, straightened her back, and holstered the device she'd been holding. "Sorry. Got carried away." She seemed sullen, "I like your bike." but finished on a lighter note. I think that's the type of thing you're supposed to say. Oh man, I'm so not good at this.

"Please tell me we're going somewhere where we don't need roads?" She grinned, Pretty sure you're supposed to open with a joke, Blue. Way to be on the ball.

Link to comment

Push's sole response to her brief nerdgasm was an incredibly wide smile, and he patted the bike fondly. His apprehensions had completely vanished (along with most of his cognitive functions) when she came rushing up in the cloaking gear, but her prompt verbal dissassembly of his favorite method of conveyance had brought him crashing back down to Earth in short order.

"Hah, and that's just the body work. Lazarus here's had quite a few tricks installed over the years. Even on-board cup holder!" He held a hand beside his mouth, being faux-sneaky. "Confidentially, that one was the hardest to fit in."

The smile didn't abate after she cracked the old joke, although it did turn rather quizzical for a moment before he got it. Tapping the side of his chin, he pondered briefly before shrugging.

"He'll go from zero to two-fifty in fourteen seconds flat, faster if I tap the N0S. You'd be surprised what you can find on a junk heap these days, really. People just throwing away good parts. So, you still cool with a lazy patrol and dinner somewhere nice?" Of which I still have no idea where? Damnit, Push!

Link to comment

He smiled when I talked about his bike. I guess I should keep doing that?

"Lazarus, huh? Cute." Push might have expected sarcasm to be served with a comment like that, but there wasn't even a hint of it in her voice. "Wait. You're not Italian, right? Team Lazarus Racing? They're formula. Not bikes. But still. Anyway, she? He? Beautiful." She walked along the length of the bike caressing the chasis with her hand. 20277.7344 m/s^2, huh? Nice."

"He'll go from zero to two-fifty in fourteen seconds flat, faster if I tap the N0S. You'd be surprised what you can find on a junk heap these days, really. People just throwing away good parts. So, you still cool with a lazy patrol and dinner somewhere nice?" Of which I still have no idea where? Damnit, Push!

She looked up at him briefly as she walked around him to the back of the bike.

"Yea. I'm cool with that. The dinner thing. Not the Acceleration thing. Though that's cool too. Long as we ride there. Again, about the dinner thing. God!" She pouted, frustrated. "Sorry. Brain works faster than the mouth. Things get lost in translation. Anyway. I've never ridden." She paused, then hurriedly finished, "A bike! Motorcycle. Whatever." She blushed, "So how do I...?" She began to ask, "Could just look it up. Learn all cycling. Only take a second." The color in her face deepened, accentuated by her normally pale complexion. "But I'd rather you show me." She gave her best attempt at a playful smile.

Link to comment

Push shook his head at the question about Team Lazarus, talking swiftly to ensure he could finish before she started up again. Actually, he found her clipped terms a bit endearing, in a way; she clearly knew a hell of a lot more than him, and it was interesting to hear the information she could dredge up.

"Not exactly. Found him in a vacant lot, mostly scrapped. Was my personal baby for a couple of years as I rebuilt him from mostly-scratch, but I did it. Heh, first vehicle I ever fixed. And I've had to resurrect him a few times after the odd supervillain fight, so...Lazarus."

He shrugged, and a mischevious look creased his features as she mentioned showing her, and he patted the seat behind him. The bike lowered slightly for easier access, and he leaned forward to let her on.

"Heh, no problem. Always enjoy giving a lovely lady a lift." The mischevious look changed to a slightly concerned one as a problem they'd encountered back in Haiti occurred to him, and he inwardly kicked himself for forgetting. "Oh, uh...would you prefer we stuck to the streets? Skies are a bit...uh...ehe."

Smooth move, genius.

Link to comment

"Not exactly. Found him in a vacant lot, mostly scrapped. Was my personal baby for a couple of years as I rebuilt him from mostly-scratch, but I did it. Heh, first vehicle I ever fixed. And I've had to resurrect him a few times after the odd supervillain fight, so...Lazarus."

"Ah! That explains it."

"Heh, no problem. Always enjoy giving a lovely lady a lift." The mischevious look changed to a slightly concerned one as a problem they'd encountered back in Haiti occurred to him, and he inwardly kicked himself for forgetting. "Oh, uh...would you prefer we stuck to the streets? Skies are a bit...uh...ehe."

God when did it get so warm out here? she wondered to herself, noting that her visor showed no change in temperature, Oh shut it, you. she whined inwardly as she realized she'd turned bright red at his comment. "Oh, I'm not...That is that... Oh forget it." She gave up arguing and climbed on the seat behind him. "Streets. Better for now. Reason my boots don't fly. Just in case..." She pulled a capsule from her belt, popped it into her mouth and dry swallowed the pill. No way I'm risking a panic attack now.

Hunched up on the seat behind Push, she held her arms slightly out to the sides of the bike. They stuck out awkwardly for a moment as she looked around both sides of him quizzically before asking, "Um... Where do I..." She waved both of her hands to pantomime the rest of her question.

Link to comment

He flipped a switch, and the repulsor jets lowered them to the ground, folding in to be replaced by wheels. Panels on the sides folded in and out, the turbine on the front being covered by a rounded nose and headlights. Within a few seconds, the hoverbike had transformed into a black-and-gold ZX-RR right beneath their seats. Push blushed slightly below the scarf and looked up at the skyline, coughing as she waved her hands.

"Uh...bike you usually...umm...either grip behind the seat orthedriverswaist." The last bit of the statement came out in a bit of a rush as he looked everywhere but in Blueshift's direction, and he repeatedly inwardly facepalmed. Way to go, Romeo. You couldn't have borrowed a car or taken a taxi, nooooo, you had to go with the flying motorcycle.

Link to comment

Blueshift's medication was a customized mix of drugs made specifically for her system. It was similar to existing prescription medications like Prozac, Paxil, and Aropax. It combined the elements of some, and cut down on others. It was an attempt to treat all of her symptoms with a single medication while cutting down on side effects, which her condition provided her with plenty of already. One of the stronger elements in the drug was a fast acting antidepressant to counteract some of the more drastic feelings during her seizures and other episodes. Currently, she wasn't having an episode, and that antidepressant felt quite good.

Blueshift gave a fascinated whistle as the bike transformed. "You really did all this? Even the cup holder?"

"Uh...bike you usually...umm...either grip behind the seat orthedriverswaist."

She almost didn't hear him. Placing her hands on his waist, she spoke without thinking, "You must be really good with your hands." Normally, she would have likely floundered over the sentence, excusing herself and trying to forget she'd said it. Thus it surprised Push when she cracked a smile in spite of herself, giggled and said, "Heh, that sounds funny." One hand went to her belt, brought out a small disk-like device which she placed on top of her head, it immediately expanded, encompassing her head in a thin looking motorcycle helmet. "Okay," She said, as she locked her hands together in front of his waist, and laid the side of her head on his back just between his shoulder blades, "I'm ready. Let's go!"

Link to comment

Push looked over his shoulder at the helmet, an eyebrow raised.

"Damn. I gotta get me one of those. Oh, before we go, you might want to switch whatever comm unit you've got going in that...uh...suit...or helmet, I guess, to channel 1337. Yeah, old gag. That's the one my commlink uses. Hang on!"

He talked fast, and the second Blueshift leaned on his back, he froze momentarily, stiffening. It took a few seconds for him to relax, and he kicked the motor in gear. Soon enough the two were tearing through the city streets, hero-style. Another flick of the switch, and a police band radio activated on the bike, followed by a crackling sound as the kineticist talked over the channel.

"Yeah, besides the flight mode. Took a lot of years to do it, too. Had to call in some favors with a couple of friends to get Lazarus in the air, though, but it's a handy mode to have. You build your own gear, then?"

Link to comment

A small "Eep." Escaped Blueshift as they started accelerating and she held on to him tightly. It seemed the faster they went, the harder she squeezed his midsection. Push was lucky that she wasn't any stronger, or he might not have been able to breathe.

The bike was traveling quite a bit faster than she was used to when employing her own jet boots. Though that was to be expected, it didn't stop her anxiety from setting in. As her fears battled with the medication she preemptively had taken, she did her best to focus on other things, Don't look down. You're on patrol. Concentrate. C'mon, Blue. You got this. Wish I could use my hands. But they're busy. Busy being wrapped around... Ohmygodohmygodohmy...

Other things like Push, and the fact that he was saying something...

"... Lazarus in the air, though, but it's a handy mode to have. You build your own gear, then?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yes. All of it. Even the power system. Real breakthrough. Liquid electricity. Cool, huh? Design's not hard. Building takes a while. Wire things wrong. Circuits explode. Had to invent eyebrow regrowing machine a few years back. Hair color changer's a favorite too. Staying on the ground. Good idea. So. Um... Patrol." She weakly tried to change the subject, her curiosity getting the better of her, "Where do you...I mean do you have a routine of some sort?"

Link to comment

She felt his head bob, vibrating his shoulders under her own. She had a few inches on him in height, surprisingly...

"Eyebrow regrower? Christ, where were you a few months ago when I was working on a new flashbang?" His mirthful tone belied the spoken words, and he inwardly smiled. Things seemed to be going better than he expected, even if the inventor had a death grip on his ribs. The kineticist mulled on that, and slowed the bike a little bit, taking the next corner easier than he had previous ones. As she finished the statement, a question struck him;

"Wait, hair color changer? Blonde's not your natural color, then? Huh, go figure. And...well, it's not so much a routine as just meandering around Downtown for most of the afternoon with the police band on my commlink. Kinda funny, I started just doing the odd building-hop around Midtown, keep my hand in, y'know? But then I hear some guy calling for help a bit out of my route, and I start swinging by there again and again during the afternoon outings, and it all sorta...snowballs. How about you? Work from a route or keep an ear to the police bands?"

Why am I talking so much? Gah!

Link to comment

"Same place. Always was." The motorcycle ride had begun to counteract the effects of the medication enough that she was beginning to level out. Returning to her normal self meant that the worries would soon be setting in again. "Home. Tiny workshop, tinkering. More so back then. Only recently started this gig. Before that I... Didn't get out much." The speed of the bike was starting to bother her less. What was bothering her more was that her arms were still around him. Touching people was not something she commonly did. She theorized that her underlying fears of falling off outweighed her apprehension for proximity.

"Don't even. Go out, that is." She addressed his other question, "Set up scanners. Police bands. Security cameras. Monitor other communications. All over the city. Something nearby? I take it. Not that good yet. Still learning. The ropes. You know." Returning with her anxiety was her broken pattern of speech, "No. Brunette." The jump back to an earlier question threw Push for a loop, but after running the question through his head again, he caught on to what she was talking about. "Part of the disguise. And I don't know..." She skipped topics again, "Your eyebrows look fine to me. Must have grown back pretty well from what I can tell."

God, Blue! Why are you talking so much?!

Link to comment

Push laughed, wiggling his eyebrows underneath the hat. "Ok, I'll give you that one. You ever thought of patenting said eyebrow regrower and putting it out for sale? The folks at that...what was it, The Lab? They'd probably think you're the best thing since sliced bread! Scientists, oy. Erp, uh, no offense."

The bike rolled to a stop outside a small shop, and the engine slowed to a purr. From the open door of the shop came the aroma of baked goods and roasted beans, a sign above the door proclaiming it to be "Kat's". The fluffy white cat napping in the window was good evidence as to the source of the name.

"Right, here's the first stop. Busted up a robbery here a few weeks back, so I worked it in to my patrol."

Link to comment

Push laughed, wiggling his eyebrows underneath the hat. "Ok, I'll give you that one. You ever thought of patenting said eyebrow regrower and putting it out for sale? The folks at that...what was it, The Lab? They'd probably think you're the best thing since sliced bread! Scientists, oy. Erp, uh, no offense."

"Not thought about. Did. Disposable units. Production costs $10 each. Charge $15. Government grant available if you need it. Helps people afford it. Not looking to make money. Just like helping people. Still own the patent. Sold production rights." Blueshift shrugged. To her, the strange business mode she'd set up multiple times over the years was natural. But in a world full of corporation try to strike it rich, she was certainly an oddity.

The bike rolled to a stop outside a small shop, and the engine slowed to a purr. From the open door of the shop came the aroma of baked goods and roasted beans, a sign above the door proclaiming it to be "Kat's". The fluffy white cat napping in the window was good evidence as to the source of the name.

"Right, here's the first stop. Busted up a robbery here a few weeks back, so I worked it in to my patrol."

"So you constantly expan--" Blueshift halted mid sentence as the bike stopped, her head turned to face the coffee shop like a weather vane in a strong wind. One hand removed the retractable helmet and stowed it on her belt. Her head turned back toward push with a fascinated look on her face. "I smell coffee!" The kickstand for Push's bike had barely been lowered when she grabbed his wrist and started pulling him toward the front door of the store, "C'mon!"

When they reached the store front, she released him to peer in through the glass, "Barely anyone...Push! This is..." She turned to look at him, "This place is perfect!" she cracked a large smile before hurrying in through the door.

Link to comment

The owners, a rather elderly couple, were pleased as punch to see Push and his lady friend come in. One promptly began mixing the kineticist's usual hot cocoa while the other inquired after Blueshift's caffeinated drink of choice, the white furball in the window only stirring to lift his head and look in the direction of the two before returning to his nap. The mutant himself idly looked at the cabinet of baked goods, his eyes stopping briefly on a group of freshly made cinnamon buns with a look akin to lust. Catching himself, he facepalmed and turned back to his...date...(he still had a hard time getting his mind over the word) shrugging.

"Heh, note to self, stop by with coffee once in a while."

Link to comment

"Ooh, large mocha frap. Small bit of vanilla. Extra shot of espresso? I call it my Elixir." She gave the man behind the counter a big pleading smile, hoping the drink would be possible.

"Believe it or not," She said to Push, "Cats. One thing I'm actually not afraid of. This place is perfect." She moved closer to push, like she was about lean up against him, but stopped short.

Being close to People, on the other hand, terrifies me sometimes. Gah! So Frustrating.

"Heh, note to self, stop by with coffee once in a while."

Blueshift pushed the visor that normally laid over her face up above her head, revealing green eyes that practically glowed at the suggestion. "And muffins!" She saw what he was looking at, and she saw the muffins displayed beside the cinnamon buns, "Ooo Muffins." She said, with her face practically glued to the glass.

Link to comment

The little old lady at the register smiled warmly and assured her it was possible, right before the inventor beetled off towards the baked goods. As for the kineticist, Push's nervousness had practically disappeared now, and he almost felt...at ease. It was an oddly similar situation, although not enough to give him deja vu. At least this time he hadn't met the girl by spilling freshly-made coffee all down her front (he mentally winced at that memory). Rubbing the back of his head, he walked up beside Blueshift and looked over the baked goods with a similar eye to her's.

"I reccomend either the...carrot or caramel coffee cake muffins. And I dare you to say those six words five times fast."

The joke was weak, but he said it without trailing off, and he actually managed a wink afterwards.

Link to comment

The little old lady at the register smiled warmly and assured her it was possible

"Yey!"

She smiled down at him. She wasn't used to being taller than people. Maybe without her boots they'd be the same height. She wondered if she'd ever know...

"Carrot or caramel. Carrot or caramel. Carrot or carrmel. Carret'r curr... Bleh." She grinned. "Told you my brain works faster than my mouth." Looking up at the older couple running the store, she said, "I'll take both, please."

This is nice. I'm actually enjoying myself. And I don't mind his company, either. Her hand moved a little closer to him, You sure, Blue? He's nice. He's smart. That's important. And he likes to build things. She brushed against his hand with hers, hoping he'd get the idea. Here's to not sending mixed signals. Just like the books said, right?

Link to comment

Unfortunatley, in this case it was Push who sent the mixed messages. For a moment, his hand motioned to take hers, but it froze right before he finished. Then he pulled it away, picking up the small plate of muffins (and one cinnamon bun) and moving to the cash register, keeping his face out of her vision. If Blueshift could've seen the kineticist's face, however, she would've seen an expression of extreme consternation, followed by one of keen embarassment. Why did I do that? Why on earth did I do that...ah, gods-damnit.

When he turned his face back to her, he'd changed his expression to an amiable smile, plate in one hand and a pair of cups in a cardboard holder in the other.

"Seat by the cat, then? I'm curious to hear about how you got into the biz."

Link to comment

Blueshift's heart seemed to be riding a roller coaster. One moment, she was touching someone. Actually touching someone in an intimate fashion (at least by her standards). At that moment, her heart was in her throat. She was nervous, excited, happy, afraid, and expectant all at once.

The next moment, Push pulled his hand away, and her heart rode the roller coaster to the bottom of the next valley. It sat there like a cold dead weight in the pit of her stomach. She felt the cold fingers of fear, and anxiety begin to take root at the back of her head and neck, and at the base of her spine. Ohnoohnoohnoohno. What did I do? Was that bad? Was that wrong? C'mon, Blue! You must have read something about this?! She wracked her brain, but the information just wasn't coming to her.

"Seat by the cat, then? I'm curious to hear about how you got into the biz."

She managed to stop grinding her teeth and pry her jaws apart long enough to eek out a response, "Heh, sure." She flashed him a weak smile. It was noticeably different than the eager ones she'd been giving him. Though she tried to hide her fear and nervousness behind her smile, her eyes gave her away. She'd done something wrong, but she didn't know what.

She patted the cat softly as she sat, across from the quiet animal from Push. She accepted her coffee from Push, and the muffins as well. She took a sip and looked out the window. The bay window served as a sort of gateway to the world. She gazed through it, and could see buildings, cars, and people. Even Push's bike was there, like it was a member of some other world. The glass came between her and the outside, protecting her. That was relaxing.

She sat with her legs crossed in the Lotus Position, and took a sip. She made herself look at him, almost embarrassed at her supposed faux pas. She set the cup down nearby and reached for one of the muffins. As she began unwrapping it, she began speaking, "Haven't always thought so fast. Speed's been increasing since birth. Older I got, faster I thought. By High School, I'd outpaced the other students. College was almost an afterthought." She paused to take a nibble. "I'm a problem solver. Mind's not occupied, I get bored. I get bored, I get even more crazy. That's another story." She dismissed the topic with a wave of her hand, "There's only so many Sudoku books in print. Even the websites ran out. I got bored. Decided to try solving other people's problems. Here I am." She spread her arms, implying that was all there was to it. For her, her reasons were simple, cut, and dry. That's the way she liked her life.

Link to comment

Push was about to sip from his mug of cocoa when he realized a rather awkward fact. Namely, his scarf, and the covering of his mouth by said object. For a moment he looked at the cup, an embarassed look on his eyes turning to amusement, and he chuckled. Finally, he put it down and listened intently to her, noting the look in her eyes and feeling like a decided heel. What got him was that in his gut, he knew Blueshift was intrinsically different to...Her, but he couldn't quite make the separation that he should have. Which was decidedly irritating, because he actually liked the eccentric inventor in front of him; she had a very functional view of the world, similar to him. She wanted to solve problems, so she went in for heroics. Idly, he reached a hand over and stroked the cat, who purred and accepted it as his due. For a moment, he pondered what to tell her of his own story.

"Huh...that's actually a lot more noble than why I took it up. And a lot less...confusing."

Coming to a decision, he pulled his scarf down and picked up his mug, giving Blueshift a full view of his face. Surprisingly, it was rather young, she'd have wagered low twenties. It wasn't the most handsome she'd ever seen, in fact it was fairly ordinary, but it did have character. He was mostly clean-shaven, although he did have some stubble, interrupted by a small scar on the left side of his chin. His face was a bit sharp-edged, although it seemed to be one accustomed to smiling, which he was doing. What did stand out on his face were his eyes; the color of slate, grey. And they looked old, and tired, like they had seen a lot of unpleasant things. It stood out, especially once she saw the age of the face in relation to the eyes.

"How to start...well, I kind of got my powers by accident, see. A factory this mad scientist was using for a lab exploded while I was nearby, thanks to one of his crazy experiments, and I took the brunt of the blast. Woke up being able to...well...y'know how kinetic energy works, right? Energy created through movement?"

Link to comment

After her nibbling, she'd moved one of her hands to the cat and began petting it. Hmm. Didn't expect him to be younger than me. Oh well. It'll be strange. Him not being older for once. Wait. What will be strange? He won't even hold your hand. As Push reached down and began petting the cat as well, she froze. She scratched the cat under the chin quickly, and returned both hands to her coffee cup.

"Mmm." Blueshift was in the middle of taking a sip when he asked the question. She quickly swallowed and responded, "Common misconception, actually. Energy's never created. Nor is it destroyed. Just transferred. This case, energy comes from potential. Also, 'movement'," finger quotes, "is too general. Acceleration. That's what causes a body to gain it's kine..." She paused, and looked absolutely horrified for a moment. "Shutting up now..." She took a large bite of muffin to keep herself from doing anymore explaining.

Know it all!

Link to comment

Quinn nodded, sipping from his mug and listening to her expound with great interest. When she stopped abruptly, apologizing, he shook his head.

"No need to shut up, Blue. Actually, it's refreshing to talk to someone who probably knows more about what I can do than I do. Educational, y'know?"

He chuckled, then took a moment to ponder, looking into his cup and collecting his thoughts.

"Anyway, you're right, I misspoke there when I said created. The explosion changed something, let me tap into that potential somehow. I'm not sure if it's biological, a mutation, or magic (long story on that one), but I can literally see the swirls of energy from every move an object makes, if I want to. I can reach out, manipulate it, add more to make something move faster, hurl blasts of it, leech it from a person and slow them to a crawl, and so on. Normally I can also contain a large amount of the energy in my own body, sort of an ersatz battery, if you get my meaning."

Push was right, it was rather refreshing to talk with someone who really knew their stuff. And the chance to shed a little light on how the energy worked was definitley a nice change. And she did look cute when she was flustered.

"Anyway. I kinda went into the hero buisness because...well...let's just say I couldn't really see anywhere else to go. I mean, when you can throw kinetic energy around like people throw softballs, it's either that or deliver pizzas."

Link to comment

She smiled when she found that he wasn't upset with her ramblings. It was reassuring. "Okay. Sure."

"Anyway, you're right, I misspoke there when I said created. The explosion changed something, let me tap into that potential somehow. I'm not sure if it's biological, a mutation, or magic (long story on that one), but I can literally see the swirls of energy from every move an object makes, if I want to. I can reach out, manipulate it, add more to make something move faster, hurl blasts of it, leech it from a person and slow them to a crawl, and so on. Normally I can also contain a large amount of the energy in my own body, sort of an ersatz battery, if you get my meaning."

She gazed at him intently. He was saying all of the things she already knew. The implications of an ability like kinetic control were abundantly clear to her. She was, after all, just about to explain his own powers to him. Yet somehow, what he was saying still interested her. Almost as if it was his point of view, or the way he thought about his own powers that mattered, not what they actually are. For a scientifically inclined person such as herself, caring about the subjective more than the objective was new to her.

By this time, she'd finished her muffin, and utterly poured the rest of her coffee down her throat. The way she ate made her seem like she was in an incredible hurry. But the curiosity in her eyes, and her body language said she was in no hurry to leave.

"Anyway. I kinda went into the hero buisness because...well...let's just say I couldn't really see anywhere else to go. I mean, when you can throw kinetic energy around like people throw softballs, it's either that or deliver pizzas."

"History has given us great men. Time and again we see them do great things. Many of them for less than noble reasons. But it is not the reasons that matter in the end. It may be Machiavellian, but it's true enough in this case." She propped her left arm up on her knee and tilted her head so that it rested on her left hand.

Why do those eyes look so tired? Tired of looking? Tired of knowing something? Of not knowing something? Tired of being unsure? Well, I do love puzzles. I'm going to find out. But first... the books said that praise is a form of flattery, and flattery can be flirting, so here goes nothing...

Outwardly, she looked happy. On the inside, she was fighting just about every knee jerk reaction her body had that normally made her such a recluse. Secretly she was terrified of even sitting this close to Push, let alone what she was about to do. Blueshift reached out with her right hand, and placed it lightly on his knee, "No matter what your reasons, you're a hero. You're saving lives, and people will love you for it." She smiled at him from across the cat, hoping he wouldn't pull away this time.

God I am going to be such a WRECK later on!

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...