For the entirety of her life, Spirit had dealt with both guys and girls chasing after her. She was, naturally, an attractive person, and not only did she know that, but she often used it to her advantage in situations. Although one might think her missing eye would make her worse-off in those scenarios, she found that some people were actually even more attracted to the mystery of her partial disability. Some, on the other hand, weren't. She had taken to trying to cover the missing eye upon first impressions until she got a clearer reading on a person and what they'd be interested by, and then she could decide whether to show it off or not. First impressions were always important, and she felt the need to always be in control of what others thought of her.
Cyber, for example... Was almost definitely attracted. There was a tell in how much she was looking at Spirit - not so much eye contact as eyes drifting just a slight bit to examine her skin, her injury, her good eye. Studying her.
Spirit didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed being looked at, as long as she could control what was being seen.
She understood Cyber's hesitancy, but she had no doubts about her persuasion abilities. Some people she had known had Abilities to help persuade people, but Spirit's was merely an ability, a skill she had acquired.
"How we found you is through research and tracking. DNA evaluation. You'd be surprised, all the places that keep DNA on file. More than even government has access to. We try to rescue-slash-recruit people before Mantis gets to them, depending on their situation. From what we've gathered on your Ability, you could be a great asset in hacking and deleting files containing DNA of the special people, because that's how Mantis knows about them, too. Us. Potentially, you could save lives. You could save a sub-species," she laughed and shook her head a little. "The things that Mantis does are awful. I've experienced one of their facilities, if only for a couple months before I was rescued. We're not human to them. We're assets. Experiments. Toys. Your Ability could save lives."
Britters
Level 72
The Eggstraordinaire
Joined: 8/25/2014
Threads: 167
Posts: 2,041
Posted: 11/11/2018 at 11:48 PM
Post #242
As a person, Symphony was not a shy person. She was a flirty, outgoing kind of girl, and she had known she was more attracted to women when she was a teenager. It was one of many reasons she had been relieved to finally be able to distance herself from her mother's side of the family. They simply didn't understand her on so many levels it was unreal. With her father's side of the family she felt accepted for who she was, and she loved each and every one of them with her whole heart. They were her world, but she had always felt like she was destined for more...
There was no doubt that Spirit was an attractive woman, and Symphony could appreciate both her physical beauty as well as the beauty of her soul right off the bat. Her grandmother had always said their family were all born with the ability to see a person's soul, their energy. It appeared like music floating around them, evoking feelings and colors. She had never really believed in it wholeheartedly, especially when she knew her own actual ability was quite different. Even so, she could see Spirit's inner beauty, and that was another reason she wanted so badly to just reach out and take the offer.
"I get what you're sayin'," she said to Spirit, her brain spinning like a mile a minute, "And I 'preciate the information you've given me, but I can't give you a answer right now." She sighed again as she shut her laptop and stuffed it into her messenger bag. She stood up and looked down at Spirit. "I want to help, I can't even begin explain' to you how much I want to be able to use my ability for good, but I already got people who depend on me and I can't just abandon them without thinkin' on it. I'm sure you'll be able to find me again...in fact I'll count it." She gave the other woman a sly smile as she pulled her headphones back over her ears and made her way to the exit.
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
The lyrics of one of her all time favorite songs moved Symphony in a way that they never had before. They felt so poignant to her situation right now, and as she walked out of the internet cafe she spared a single, brief glance back at Spirit still sitting at the corner booth. She walked out the door, feeling like she was somehow making a huge mistake, but also knowing that what she had done felt right. It felt confusing, and she just sort of let her music take over her mind as she started walking down the street, trying not to think about her conversation with Spirit for a few minutes. However, because she was so engrossed in her tunes...she also didn't notice the guy who was following her a little too closely, and if she had she would have noticed he looked familiar...
Creativity
Level 72
Cutely Creative
Joined: 3/4/2013
Threads: 255
Posts: 5,902
Posted: 11/12/2018 at 12:15 AM
Post #243
Throughout her life, Spirit had experienced quite a few romantic involvements. She had experimented for a while, and then discovered her full attraction towards the female gender; males were too... everything. She had never truly been attracted to a man. She used to sleep around a lot, until a few years ago, when she had quite the responsibility placed onto her.
She saw the hesitance in Cyber's face before the girl even said anything in response. It was understandable. But Spirit meant it when she said that the resistance recruited and rescued. Most of the time, she found, people didn't even know when they needed to be rescued.
Three years ago, though, when she had been brought to the organization, Spirit knew then that, with the situation she was in, she needed rescuing more than ever. And there was the resistance, a steady hand to guide her through the path of life she had never ventured down before - the path she had never even considered venturing down.
"Take your time," she told Cyber with a bittersweet smile. "I'm sure there are those suffering out there who would like to be released. But take your time. Your Ability is more valuable than time right now."
She meant it. Though she hadn't meant to guilt-trip the girl; that had come out naturally. After all, guilt-tripping was how she often got Teddy to comply. When the girl left, Spirit watched her, remaining at the booth.
With a small whine, Kraftaverk placed his head up on her lap, obviously upset over the end of the conversation.
"Oh, she'll come around, Kraftaverk," Spirit smiled and placed a kiss on her familiar's snout. "They always do," she chuckled as she rubbed the thylacine behind the ears.
Britters
Level 72
The Eggstraordinaire
Joined: 8/25/2014
Threads: 167
Posts: 2,041
Posted: 11/12/2018 at 1:36 PM
Post #244
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Singing softly along to her music as she walked confidently down the street, Symphony was starting to feel herself becoming conflicted again. Spirit's final words to her were running in a loop in her mind. She couldn't shake the guilty feeling they had left her with, no matter how much she tried to put it out of her mind. She thought of her responsibilities to her family, but she knew that in reality it was a weak excuse. There were plenty of aunts and uncles and cousins to pick up the slack if she were to leave, but that didn't make it easy for her to decide to take what Spirit was offering.
Her ability could save lives, thats what Spirit had told Symphony, and wasn't that what she had always dreamed she could use her gift for? Yes, it was, and the temptation was great. The things the other woman had spoken about sounded dangerous and like stuff out of movies, but the thought that there were people out there like her being tortured and treated like animals was enough to start to make the blood in her veins boil. How could she just walk away from the opportunity? How could she live with herself after today?
Sure, Symphony had told Spirit she'd think about it but how could she be sure the other woman would actually seek her out again? What if she had just ruined her one chance at having a greater purpose? No, it simply wouldn't suffice. She had to go back and tell Spirit she was in, and she turned around on the sidewalk to do just that.
Upon turning to go back to the internet cafe, however, Symphony was surprised to find a tall, dark haired man extremely close behind her. His body language made it very clear he had been about to grab her and probably haul her down the alleyway beside them, but he had certainly not been expecting her to suddenly turn around. For a split second they both looked at each other with surprise, and then the guy decided to make a grab for her anyway. She was still stunned enough that he had her several feet into the alley before she took action, scolding herself internally for being so slow.
Using skills she had learned from her older cousins, Symphony slammed the back of her head as hard as she could backwards into the man's head, hearing a satisfying crunch as she connected with his nose. He shouted in pain and loosened his grip on her enough that she managed to twisted away from her. She gave him a hard knee to the groin before whipping out her pepper spray from the special pockets in her vest and giving him a nasty dose to his eyes. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain and cursing at her. With a final kick for good measure she hurried out of the alley and ran back towards the internet cafe. Not wanting to lead the guy straight back to Spirit, she ducked down another side street and his behind a dumpster for a few moments.
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
Creativity
Level 72
Cutely Creative
Joined: 3/4/2013
Threads: 255
Posts: 5,902
Posted: 11/12/2018 at 6:33 PM
Post #245
Something that Cyber had said had sort of resonated within Spirit, though it was only in afterthought that she realized it. '...I already got people who depend on me and I can't just abandon them without thinkin' on it.' It was almost comical to Spirit, how close-minded that other girl was. A part of life was being interwoven with other people, with having others depend on you and depending on others at the same time. Even now, as Spirit sat here, trying to persuade this girl, she was depending on Rashid to care, briefly, for her own dependents. She trusted him. It was just...comical.
Sometimes, Spirit realized, you had to depend on others to take care of what depends on you so you can take care of the other things that depend on you.
Through her narrow half-vision, Spirit watched as Cyber left, travelling down the sidewalk, and then she watched as the guy who had stalked her before continued his stalking, much less discreet than before.
Slipping out of the booth, she jogged with Kraftaverk out of the cafe and hid behind a trash can angled towards the alleyway, making sure she could watch what was happening. When Cyber smacked her head into the guy's nose, there was a sudden, loud, sickening crack. It wasn't super loud, but it was enough to make Spirit jumpy, and cause her to phase for a second's time in fear.
Spirit rushed forward to intercept the other girl as she hurried back towards the cafe. "Hey, hey, calm down," she insisted, stepping in front of her with her hands out in defense. "Listen, we all have people who depend on us. It's for the sake of those people that we fight. I can guarantee you he was an undercover Mantis guard. If we don't erase you from their systems at least a little, Mantis can track you. They can track your family. Your friends. Not just you. You need to understand that Mantis doesn't follow any rules. They have no morals."
Britters
Level 72
The Eggstraordinaire
Joined: 8/25/2014
Threads: 167
Posts: 2,041
Posted: 11/12/2018 at 7:58 PM
Post #246
Everything felt like it was in a tailspin as Symphony struggled to wrap her mind around everything that had just happened. The only clear thought she seemed to be having was that she needed to get back to Spirit and warn her in case this had anything to do with her resistance. It almost certainly did, she wasn't naive enough to not realize that, especially considering the fact that she'd recognized the man who had attacked her. He was the same guy who had been stalking her before and tried mugging her a few weeks back.
They had been tracking her...the realization jolted Symphony in a way that nothing else could have. All of what Spirit had been telling her was true and then some. These people were dangerous and they had been tracking her, which meant they could know about her family and those she cared about. She could feel panic starting to bloom in her chest and when Spirit suddenly appeared in front of her she reached into her vest pocket and had her switchblade out and open before she even realized it was the other woman.
"Woman, you are half daft!" she exclaimed, glancing behind fearfully, wondering how long they had before her assailant recovered enough for pursuit, "This ain't the time for an 'I told you so'!" She ran her hand over her dreads, trying to get her thoughts together, and her heart rate back to normal.
Thinking about wanting her life to be more of an adventure had never been this intense before, and Symphony wasn't sure if she still wanted to take the offer that Spirit had given her. At this point she wasn't sure she still had a choice in the matter. They had found her, and now she was going to have to accept Spirit's proposition just to keep herself and her family safe. Her life had changed, but not in the way she had envisioned, and she would have to adapt and figure out how to continue on from this point. What a day...
"I'll go with ya," she told Spirit, her voice weary and resigned, "I'm gonna hafta make a stop at home first though." There were things she was going to have to do before she disappeared, and she did not look forward to any of it.
Creativity
Level 72
Cutely Creative
Joined: 3/4/2013
Threads: 255
Posts: 5,902
Posted: 11/12/2018 at 8:19 PM
Post #247
Trapped in a small medical room with one other person and nothing but a twin bed, a mini-bathroom, a small sofa, and a table with chairs. Trace had certainly never been in a situation anything like this, sarcasm cued of course. She was sitting on one of the chairs at the table, elbows on the table and face in her hands. Her chest was still in pain as an aftereffect of her heart's rapidity earlier, but she had confirmed that it was not a heart attack, thank gosh.
After they had been scrubbed down, her and Howl had spent another solid 15 minutes in the showers before they were taken out, tossed into some plain white nightclothes, and brought to this quarantine room. No one touched them without gloves and a facemask on.
Their familiars had been taken from them when they were brought to quarantine, something which Trace was grateful for - she didn't need to deal with the bloodhound right now - but she suspected Howl wasn't quite as happy about.
She didn't say anything as she sat in that chair, trying to calm herself down. No, she certainly wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. Perhaps she had just gotten excited. Excited, maybe, to feel that glimmer of hope again, to be reminded that she should be at least halfway to her financial goal by now, money sitting in bank accounts and collecting interest. Excited to see her husband again, to be free of Mantis once and for all, to be free in general, to be healthy.
That would be nice. To simply be able to forget that the past nine years, everything that involved Mantis, hadn't existed at all. To live in a nice house with Erik, maybe save up money and adopt a child or two. Who knows?
-
In spite of the cool, confident exterior that Spirit liked to keep for the sake of first impressions and impressions in general, she couldn't help but hesitate just the slightest bit at Cyber insisting she needed to make a stop. She thought back to the weight of the upset little boy around her neck earlier.
'Hush, now, vinur. I'll be back again before the night is out. You can hold me to it.'
He had pulled back and looked at her skeptically. 'I don' wanna let you go... Before bed? You promise?'
'You have my word.'
She swallowed hard as she was brought back to the present, glancing down at Kraftaverk. He whined a little and she scratched behind his ears thoughtfully. "If it will be quick," she sighed and relented. "There's a few people back at the resistance waiting for me. I told them I'd be back by nighttime."
Glancing up at the sky, Spirit gave her head a little shake. "My car is this way," she told Cyber and then headed in the direction of the silver pickup truck in the parking lot of the internet cafe. Without waiting for an answer from Cyber, she unlocked the car and held the back door open for Kraftaverk to jump in. He looked at her pathetically for a moment. "Nr," she told him firmly. "We will let the guest sit in the front."
Obligingly, though not happily, he jumped up into the back seat of the truck, and Spirit took the driver's seat. "Don't mind him; he won't bite," she called out.
The resistance was stationed in southwest Maine, and since they were in New York... Well, they had a bit of a drive ahead of them. Spirit just hoped that Cyber's stop would be quick; she had vowed not to let her little Jojo down today.
Edited By Creativity on 11/12/2018 at 8:46 PM.
Britters
Level 72
The Eggstraordinaire
Joined: 8/25/2014
Threads: 167
Posts: 2,041
Posted: 11/12/2018 at 10:13 PM
Post #248
Things had calmed down significantly for Howl as opposed to an hour ago. He had food in his belly, which made him feel a lot better, but he was still definitely antsy and bothered. Everything had happen rapidly and there had been so little time to think about anything, he wasn't even sure about exactly what was even happening. He still felt a little dizzy from the sedative/treatment they had been injected with, and he just wished he felt a little sharper so he could consider the situation in greater detail.
Clearly, whatever they had opened was dangerous, and had contained some type of contagion. Howl had never really watched movies, but he'd read several comic books he'd managed to get his hands on in his youth that dealt with deadly viruses. Everything the scientists and doctors had done to him and Trace seemed to confirm the suspicion that they had been infected with whatever had been in that case he'd unlocked. They had been scrubbed to within an inch of their lives, left to rinse off and then shoved into some plain clothes and tossed into this quarantine room.
When it came right down to it, there wasn't anything to really hate about being in quarantine. They were being fed, they had comfort though Howl would definitely be sleeping on the couch during their stay. Probably the worst thing was not having Chap around him, and not knowing exactly what was going on with their health or how long they'd be in quarantine. He didn't think for a second that Trace felt the same way about her familiar, but he tried not to hold that against her. She had been more traumatized by what had happened than he had, and he was concerned about her.
"Hey," he said, taking a seat in the other chair next to her at the table, "How are you feeling?" It was a lame question, and he knew it full well. He also knew he was likely to get snapped at for saying something so ridiculous, but that was almost what he was hoping for. He needed to see her spark come back to life. He hated seeing her like this.
-----
There were so many questions that Symphony wanted to ask Spirit, but she still felt shaky and alarmed. So much was happening, and even though she was very definitely scared about what it all meant, she felt exhilarated, too. She was going to have a higher purpose, her life was going to be exciting and she was going to be able to make a difference in other people's lives. Part of her couldn't wait for this new chapter of her life to start, but she knew there was just one thing she had to do before it could.
"Promise it'll be quick," she said to Spirit, following the other woman to the truck she had indicated, "If ya want me to come with, this is somethin' I gotta do." She stared off into the distance, her eyes going misty for a moment as she thought about exactly what it was she was doing.
Symphony was barely listening as Spirit talked to her...funny looking dog, and she slipped into the front seat after the seating arrangements had been sorted out. She clicked her seatbelt on and stowed her laptop bag by her feet. Her heart had calmed down and her hands had stopped shaking. She had her headphones around her neck but could still hear the music and she was letting it soothe her in the way that only music could. Motown, which was her favorite genre, never failed to calm her nerves.
You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
"Hey," she said suddenly, turning her head towards Spirit who was climbing into the driver's seat, "Can ya even drive a car?" Her accent, which Symphony found more attractive than she could have imagined, suggested the woman was not American. Hopefully, she hadn't just signed her death warrant by getting into this truck...
Edited By Britters on 11/13/2018 at 5:53 PM.
Creativity
Level 72
Cutely Creative
Joined: 3/4/2013
Threads: 255
Posts: 5,902
Posted: 11/13/2018 at 8:36 PM
Post #249
How was she feeling?
It was a rather stupid question, Trace thought, but some part of her did feel at least a little grateful for his thoughtfulness. Howl had been more calm than she today, or at least, he seemed more calm than she. She admired his ability to work with the situation, to appreciate what they had rather than what they didn't have. That was something that Trace had always struggled with; it wasn't a new chance that caught her eye after India, it was her mother's death. The burning of everything she had known.
A couple hours ago, some masked guards had slipped in plates of bland food through a secured slot in the door, but Trace hadn't touched her portion. She was too freaked out by the whole scenario now.
This place was too much like all of the others. While being on the island itself, she was more free than she was at Capsule, or Manibus for that matter, this place... It was far too similar to both of those places for her to be at ease. She also happened to know that there was no way she'd be sleeping tonight.
"Certainly been better," she muttered halfheartedly, feeling as if Howl's thoughtfulness at least deserved some sort of response. If she had more energy, she probably would have snapped at him.
But there were still some trace remnants of the sedative in her system, she thought, and she just didn't have that fight in her right now. Though, she had devised more than one way to get her hands around a guard's throat, some of which she promised herself she'd try if they were still in here tomorrow.
She didn't lift her head from her hands, still trying to calm down the anger in her heart and focus on something more than just her absolute loathing, for herself, the guards, the scientists, and even Mantis in general.
-
Having grown up in Iceland, Spirit had never been super impressed by America. America was the more industrial of the two, though Reykjavik was plenty industrial, as being the capital. Iceland was far more gorgeous, though. Its oceans were amazing, and there were natural hot springs just about everywhere you looked outside of the city, and the glaciers were pure and beautiful. Iceland was the only place that Spirit had been where you could go to a random stream and drink from it and get pure, good, delicious water. Iceland was her home, and Spirit wished, perhaps once all of this was over, she'd be able to return there.
She'd bring the kids, teach them all about the spunky culture she grew up on. She'd show them about Icelandic Easter, Icelandic Christmas. Iceland's equivalent of the 4th of July. All of the music festivals, the Reykjavik pride week... There was so much they were missing out about their culture. Spirit doubted that anyone but Teddy even had a clue they were half-Icelandic, and it saddened her.
The holiday that was always her favorite as a child was Bolludagur, or cream puff day. Maybe she'd show that to the kids.
On second thought...maybe not.
She couldn't help a small half-grin at that thought. That was when Cyber entered and spoke, and Spirit was brought back to reality. She often had slight anxiety about people sitting in the passenger seat while she drove, and that still applied. With her being completely blind on her right side, the passenger could be holding a gun to her head, and Spirit wouldn't even know.
Her grin grew a little at Cyber's question, and she tilted her head a little to see the girl out of the inner corner of her left eye, and then pushed the hair out of the way of her right eye briefly. "Not legally," she responded jovially. "I'm not even a registered citizen here," she laughed, then, putting the car into reverse and carefully backing out of the parking spot. Oh, yeah, this would be fun.
Edited By Creativity on 11/13/2018 at 9:01 PM.
Britters
Level 72
The Eggstraordinaire
Joined: 8/25/2014
Threads: 167
Posts: 2,041
Posted: 11/13/2018 at 10:47 PM
Post #250
In his wild and complex life, Howl had never seen any point behind being anxious over things he had no control over. Whether the scientists intended up curing them or simply observing them while they fell ill and died...well, there was nothing he was going to be able to do about that. He certainly didn't want to die, but if thats what was going to happen then he would enjoy what time he had left. At least, in his mind, it was nice he could at least spend it with Trace.
Once again...Howl suspected that Trace did not share his views about the situation.
Speaking of Trace, it was hard to enjoy the woman's company when she seemed to have lost some of her fire. It made Howl feel rather upset, simply thinking about how low this whole experience had brought her. She was clearly on edge, even with her lack of energy that was obvious. He worried about her well being while they were in quarantine, but he felt there was almost nothing he could really do for her. It was as though he figured her as someone who would appreciate a hug...
"You need to eat," he finally said to her, knowing he might once again be pushing his limits as far as how much of his nattering she was going to tolerate, "I don't know what they have in store for us, but whatever it is you'll need your strength." He looked at her with his uniquely colored eyes, a shadow of a smile on his face as he tried to coax a little life out of her.
Despite what he knew of his reactions to Trace had been so far, Howl was surprised at just how worried about her he was. Part of it had to do with what he knew about her health, and that everything that had happened to them today could not have done her heart any favors. She seemed to be more or less okay physically, which was a relief, but he still worried about her mental state. He wished he could communicate with her as easily as he did with Chap, or even Kutta. Unfortunately, he was going to have to try to do this the old-fashioned way.
"So where are you from?" he asked her, the question seeming to come out of nowhere but he knew he had to start somewhere. He could almost hear Kutta calling him an idiot...
-----
The answer that Spirit gave to Symphony's question did absolute nothing to comfort her in this scenario. Her spring green eyes widened as she stared at the other woman. She put one hand on her seatbelt, and braced one hand on the door. She had been a city girl all her life, but in reality she had never been in an actual personal vehicle very often. The best and only way to get around New York were the public transportation systems. That is what she was used to, and being in this truck with Spirit made her extremely anxious.
Giving instructions in a clipped, squeaky voice, Symphony led Spirit through the busy streets back to the place she called home. It was less eventful than she had feared, but Spirit was definitely a very...spirited driver. The one interesting thing she had noticed was the other woman's lack of road rage. Even the bus drivers here in the city would lay on their horns and scream at people on the road. It was just a natural way of life that she had grown up with. Being in a vehicle with someone who wasn't shouting profanities at other drivers honestly made her feel even more nervous.
"Here," she said, pointing at a normal looked brick-faced house in some far corner of the neighborhood, "Stop here." She was briefly relieved as Spirit navigated the truck and parked alongside the curb, but then another wave of nerves settled over her. She reached out and fidgeted anxiously with on of her dreads. "You can, uh...come on in if ya like. I won't be long, but I might need ya help with some of my equipment." Not entirely untrue, but part of her just really did not want to go through this next part alone...
Stepping out of the truck was more difficult than Symphony had realized it would be, and she was dreading entering the house. She knew there was no choice, but that didn't make it any less difficult. Several deep breaths later she still hadn't gone through the front door. The only thing that finally got her moving was the memory of what Spirit had said about the Mantis people being able to track her now, so every second she spent hesitating put her family in danger. With that thought motivating her, she walked into the house with as much confidence as she could muster, not stopping until she entered the bedroom located in the back near the bathroom.
"Knock, knock," she said, poking her head through the door with as much of a smile on her face as she could manage, "Hey, nana. How are you today?" There wasn't really much of an answer. The woman laying in the bed looked very weak and tired. She had an IV coming out of one arm, and oxygen tubes in her nose. This was why the thought of leaving was so heartbreaking, but also why she knew she had to go.
Edited By Britters on 11/14/2018 at 12:15 AM.
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