But What You Make It (IC)

[Electra]

"Could work," she decided with a nod. "ArcheTech has a slush fund designed for victims of extranormal disasters, this is the sort of thing for which I could definitely tap it. The Freedom League does good work with refugees, but I have a feeling these folks will need more than the basics." She tapped a finger against her lips absently, a gesture he'd seen Miss Americana make dozens of times. "Do you know if there were any scientists or engineers in the group? I could hire some on, assuming that Dragonfly doesn't call first dibs on them. Only fair, since she was in on rescuing them from damnation, I suppose."

[Avenger Assembled]

"The leader, Samson Powers, and his associate Kurt Stahl, were a geologist and metallurgist respectively on their own worlds. While the local technology seemed a few decades behind Earth-Prime, it was comparable enough that they and some others could work alongside Dragonfly to build the dimensional teleporter that helped rescue the others." He thought back to that meeting. "I believe Dragonfly has already hired the only agent she intends to secure." It was a little strange to think of himself as a man between two so very different geniuses, but after all he had his own sort of relationship with both Dragonfly and Gina Evans.

"They are aware of my nature, but none have seen me in armor." For obvious reasons. "It would be best if Caradoc and Miss Americana pay that visit together. But you should eat first," he encouraged her, having cleaned his own plate. "A healthy breakfast is a good start to the day," he said, obviously quoting his life skills classes.

[Electra]

"I'm not hungry," Gina lied, taking one more bite and then nudging her plate away. "It was good, though. You're getting to be a good cook." She shifted in her seat, looked over at the clock. Letting him stay last night had been the right thing to do, but having him here this morning was strange and discomfiting. He didn't usually show up in the daytime, and even with the shades on the window, there was no comfortable darkness here to hide behind. Anyway, Sharl might drop by any time when he wasn't in class, and wouldn't that be a little slice of hell? "You should probably start getting ready if you're working today," she told Steve. "The guest shower has clean towels and soap in it."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I have the day off," replied Steve. "Mara felt it was appropriate to give myself and Erin White time to ourselves after yesterday." Of course, that left open the question of what exactly they'd do for the rest of the day. He doubted Gina, who no doubt had to work, would be interested in spending the day watching movies on the couch with him. "...But I am sure you have things you need to do." He rose and carried their dishes to the sink with a busboy's instincts, but let Emerson load them as he headed for the shower himself: that was one room he knew well enough. "Shall we meet tomorrow and visit the FLSCH?" he called to her as he went, knowing sensors in the house would catch every word.

[Electra]

"That sound good," she told him, her voice coming through a hidden speaker in the bathroom now rather than traveling through the air. "If you get a chance to talk to them today, make a list of things they might need and I'll see what I can do to put something together. I have to get to work now, but I'll talk to you later. Feel free to have Emerson pack a lunch for you if you want, there's stuff in the fridge."

As soon as Steve was out of the room, Gina gulped down the rest of her breakfast and escaped for her basement lair. She didn't lock it, it seemed too rude, but Steve knew not to come down here unless it was an emergency. The moment she was alone with her machines, she breathed a sigh of relief as her lungs seemed to open fully for the first time all day. This relationship thing was not at all easy.

[Avenger Assembled]

Showered and dressed, Steve left Gina's house with a dry farewell at the speakers in the walls before heading out onto the street for a walk back to his own apartment. There was something very nice about leaving Gina's house in the morning instead of the wee small hours of the night, and not just from all the additional sleep he'd gotten in Gina's very comfortable bed. She does care. She really does care about me. He actually smiled as he walked, albeit briefly, daring to feel good about himself as the shadows of the hell-world he'd left the day before lightened ever-so-slightly. There was meaningful joy in the multiverse after all, even for someone like him. It was a good day.