ABERRANT: WEIRDER STUFF - CHAPTER II "Sometimes Eating the Cake Just Isn't Enough"

[Kia Mizuki]

Something occurred to Kia as she listened to the others talking, and Sean had his moment play-acting. And because she was Kia, she spoke right up, via the group link.

<You know, Sean...you look like a girl now, but you don't really act like one.>

[Abel Cross]

Abel chuckled.   "It isn't half as nerdy as it was in my dad's day.   It still is, but you'd be surprised who plays D&D in this day and age.   <Well I have several ideas, If you're all willing to give it a go. >

He looked around beyond the group with his eyes, and looked at Sean and Sara.  <You two can only imagine how many boys in this room envy Sara, and how many of the girls are questioning their sexual preferences right now...  Thanks for that.   I swear, I wish brain bleach was a thing....>

Kia's comment drew his interest, and reviewing some of what he remembered, he came to similar conclusions relatively quickly.

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly coughed, a piece of a french toast stick catching in her throat.

"You okay?" Sandy asked, patting her on the back and offering Lilly her carton of opened milk.

"Yeah. I'm good." she coughed out and took a drink of the milk.

< Well, there's that I guess. I figured we would wait till we could all have some girl time to give Sean some pointers, because dude, you might be smarts and have seen plenty of women, but acting like one is a whole different ballgame. And I am not even a girly girl. Well, I guess I am, I just rarely get to be. >

Then Lilly heard Abels thought about GMing.

"Hmm.. Maybe. I mean, somebody will have to."

< Hell no! Telepathic GM? We wouldn't get away with anything! > Lilly joked.

[WS ST]

Sandy smiled as Lilly took the milk then a thought occured to him based on the table talk.

"So, Sean," he looks at the shapely young woman sitting across from Lilly and him, "I mean guy Sean, he was you guys dungeon keeper or what ever? So now that he's gone...."

Just then the first bell rang announcing the beginning of the school day and just possibly saving Sandy's life.

 

Spoiler

I will be writing an Interlude you all may spend XP as per the rules. Probably won't post it until tomorrow. if y'all want to post anything for during the school day go right ahead just keep in mind that school has started and all of you won't be together until lunch or after school.

 

[WS ST]

INTERLUDE

BULWARK AFB THAT MORNING

Anhita Rashoud was tired, she had been up since 5:30 the previous day following two weeks of long hours and little sleep but She finally had some thing good to report.

She stepped into the Office of Col. Pryor and found the commanding officer and Dr. Mizuki already there. This meeting would be for just the three of thm. The Col looked terrible, if she had not been getting much sleep he looked as if he hadn't been getting any. Hitoshi Mizuki, on the other hand, looked fresh and rested in a freshly starched shirt and lab coat, like he did every day. He she hand't of tested him herself she would have though he was one of Them.

“Good morning Doctor, hope you got some rest and hope you have some news.” William Pryor's weary voice.

“A couple of hours, more than you by the looks of it Colonel.” Rashoud answered as she took a seat.

Dr.Mizuki, who had been standing by the office coffee machine carried a cup of tea to his colleague.

“Thank you,” she smiled at his overt politeness, a rarity in this place.

“Alright I have a conference call in thirty so lets get going. Hitoshi you first,” stated Pryor.

Hitoshi Mizuki, settled into his chair and crossed his legs in a casual manner not usual to him. Mizuki was a genius by any standard, but what he had seen during the past 24 hours left him amazed.

“I have two lines of observation to convey, that of the Alien creatures and their technology, and that of our enhanced children.

First, the kids are so far beyond what any of the other enhanced we have found, that it is frightening on so many levels. Sean, Abel, and Alec managed to design a cooling system that would work on the alien reactor without actually seeing the device. Sara with not effort at all moved the ice away from the body, not melted, not break the ice, seemingly just willed the ice to move away from the body. Alec then proceeded to surgically cut the body away from the device with lasers he generated out of nowhere, with Abel using his telekinesis to extract the device. They worked tirelessly and to be honest it seemed effortless on their part.

We have video of everything including commentary from Sean and the boys.

As for the creature itself biologically it is identical to the other life forms collected from the previous incursion. We feel this confirms the dogs information that these things are artificial lifeforms made to order so to speak.

The weaponry used is a very advanced but also simple laser focusing device. All of it run by a computer which uses some sort of liquid memory for storage and computation.

The reactor itself is also rather simple it appears to be an energy containment field housing a type of plasma kept at the fusing stage but not allowed to finish the process. The energy output isn't from the fusion process but rather from the waste heat. The whole creature was designed to take in the heat and convert it to electrical energy to power itself and it's weapons. When it died, the conversion process stopped and eventually the heat would have destroyed the containment device and the plasma would have completed it's fusion process.

“How big of a detonation are we talking about?” Pryor interrupted the Doctor.

“Considering the size of the plasma globe it would be a fairly large explosion but not in the magnitude we had feared, roughly 400 megajoule's or the equivalent of 100 kg of TNT.”

“Wait, I thought these things were going to go off like a nuke?”

“They would have Colonel, but a very smal1 one. The Plasma globe in the containment field weighs about 1/100^th of a gram, more precise measurements are not possible due to the fusion process and that we can't actually weigh the plasma. But that is Sean's estimate and she is pretty accurate in all her other assessments.

That is pretty much all I have I will make a full written report and get it to you later today and we have the videos.” Concluded Dr Mizuki.

“Ok Dr. Rashoud?” Pryor turned his attention the Medical Doctor.

“We have reviewed all of our testing material and have identified three personnel we wish to retest along with the survivors of the island. But we have gotten all data back on those we know are enhanced and have confirmed that all of them do have the gland, albeit the ones in the older enhanced is much smaller than the ones present in the kids.

This gland or node is what allows them to channel the energies that make up their powers. We do not yet know what those energies are nor where they come from.

The node is part of the pituitary gland and seems to have fissioned off from it due to bombardment of a particle that is created by the portals.” She hands this part off to Mizuk who takes up like they had rehearsed it.

“The particle is elusive, it is created when matter is transmitted through the portal interface only on the receiving side. It is an active quantum particle and so far we have not been able to capture one. We believe that the particle is capable of traveling at superluminal speed.”

“Somehow the Particle interacts with the gland and causes a mutation, the mutation is virtually instantaneous but it take a few minutes for the new gland to grow.” Dr Rashould speaks again, “this interaction seems to only occur in those with a hyper active pituitary gland which explains why this has happened to the kids and younger members of the project teams.

Of course we don't understand the mechanism yet but we have data it just fitting it all together.

As for the matter of Airman Bigby, while all record of her has been erase from our and presumably everyone's data bases we do still have the hard copy prints of her tests after the first incursion. And we can safly say that she was enhanced and we missed it. Her node is there and while not as developed as the kids, well we should have caught it and didn't” Anhita shakes her head sadly.

“Son of a bitch. Any idea what she is capable of,” asked Pryor?

“I would assume something to do with electronics and teleportation since she disappeared from  a sealed room. Alec displayed that ability on the island so we know it is possible. I think we should consider that the Enhanced person Abel detected in New York is Allison Bigby and that she has removed all record of herself from the world.”

 

Spoiler

this is the first interlude another will follow.

 

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean sat through Calculus, giving the barest fraction of her attention to lessons she couldn't even consider rudimentary when she was theorizing on a new way of designing computer memory. Originally, she had been working on developing a crystalline structure, but study of the alien tech had her reconsidering the viability of 'soft matter' for memory storage. It didn't have to be a liquid - foams, polymers, and even some biomaterials would also work. If she could get them to function with the resistive random access memory structure...

It took Sean more effort - if not that much - to tailor her responses to those belonging to the cousin she was pretending to be, intelligent, but not the math whiz the undersized boy had been. None of her friends had the class with her and she found herself mirroring the mannerisms of the other girls while keeping her interrelationship pheromones flowing so her classmates wouldn't be too distracted sharing a room with a woman with her looks and presence.

But most of her thoughts were on what Kia and Lilly had said about her looking like a girl but not acting like one. Was it true? She feigned female gestures easy enough - or at least believed she did - but otherwise, she didn't think she acted particularly masculine or feminine. It was easier to be herself around her friends instead of pretending to be her own cousin.

Others didn't notice, or at least suspect anything about her demeanor, too distracted by her superlative attractiveness and charisma. Was it because they had known her before her transformation that her friends could see the incongruities in the way she acted or was it distinctly noticeable to anyone perceptive enough? Or were her mannerisms and demeanor that different between when she was with her friends and when she wasn't?

I may have to take Kia and Lilly up on their offer for girl lessons...

Her next period was phys. ed. Sean was mildly surprised by the lack of titillation she felt changing in the locker room with the other girls, feeling just as casual as any of them. She could appreciate their figures, but she didn't feel the raging arousal she would have as a boy, even if she was still attracted to women, despite being in a scenario that featured in the fantasies of far too many teenaged boys

She was also beginning to doubt Kia's assertion that she looked like a girl, when she instinctively compared and analyzed herself with her female classmates. While they were all phenotypically female, it was like saying both Lamborghinis and Corollas were both cars. She was starting to believe she was closer to a new species or gender than just a girl. That wasn't to say her classmates were unattractive, some where quite so, but she was on another magnitude, even if the naked eye in many cases couldn't be able resolve the particulars.

There was a mathematical formula for determining attractiveness, passed on symmetry and proportion, mostly related to the golden ratio. Her proportions had a mathematical precision and symmetry that would take high-end scanning equipment to detect any deviation. In comparison, she could tell exact difference in volume her classmates had between their breasts, in the ratios of the proportions of their faces, in the lengths of their limbs, and more.

Her skin and complexion was flawless, an undifferentiated shade of fair golden-tan, her pores practically non-existent. Her classmates had natural changes in skin tone, blemishes or discolorations or birthmarks. The extremely perceptive and knowledgeable about biomechanics might even have been able to tell that her musculature flexed and contracted very subtly differently. Sean believed she didn't possess slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers, but rather fibers that functioned as both.

 Breasts, hair, voice, even her voice all had subtle but profound differences from her unenhanced counterparts. By the time she was finished cataloguing at the gross and minuscule physical changes between herself and her classmates, Sean felt a faint sense of disquiet and alienation. Under the exhilaration of developing super-powers, improving beyond human limits in nearly every capacity, Sean was beginning to understand just how different she and the Irregulars were from the rest of the world.

In the well-written comics, this is what Superman must feel, to some degree or another...

Hell, with just half a day of study, she, Abel, and Alec were on their way reverse-engineering tech that could fundamentally change society, such as clean, limitless energy. Or potentially destroy it. Oh, how her mind could wander just pondering on her friends pointing out she didn't act as feminine as she appeared, while giving in-depth thought about several other things at the same time.

During gym, Sean limited her physically capabilities, though with her height and sleek fitness, she kept herself near the top of the pack without standing out too much. She didn't want any of the coaches trying too hard pressuring her to join a school sports team. While it might be fun to be a sports star like Lilly, honestly she was far more intrigued and excited by the alien tech she got to study.

Sean changed out of her gym clothes, cleaned up, then began heading towards the cafeteria to meet up with her friends, pinging them over Guildchat to see if any of them wanted to head off school grounds for lunch while she mused on just what she was now, and what she was becoming.

[WS ST]

INTERLUDE

WASHINGTON DC

THE WHITE HOUSE

The president was watching high definition video of the pretty girl beating the fuck out of a monster. Lights flash and green laser beams strike a barrier in front of a man dressed like he stepped out of a video game, then back to the girl as she demolished a second laser shooting monster, then the view switched again like a multi million dollar Marvel movie except it was real and had happened last night in Montana.

Again.

On the screen the small incredible beautiful Asian girl his own daughters age by the look of her suddenly twisted and contorted. Covered by some sort of fog you could see her as shadows and movement as she grew, then the fog was too thick it obscured everything.

The President leaned forward trying to see  then suddenly flinched back as giant crocodile with the huge claws and stinger emerged roaring like Godzilla rising from the ocean floor.

The scene froze.

“That's just a snippet,” the country's chief policeman began, “the video shows the whole incident including the downing of the two helicopters.”

“What does he want?”

“She, Mr. President,” says the current FBI director, “we concur with Col Pryor's assessment that this Death Otter person is in fact Allison Bigby, we are currently doing everything to locate her but well everything about her is gone she has been erased from every digital resource we have.”

“Then what does she want?” the President corrected himself.

“Nothing. At least not money or any other ransom, She wants us not to come after her or try to locate her or in anyway interfere with her. Or she will release the full video as well as backing evidence about the whole damn mess.”

“Does she have that?

“Yes Mr President we have to assume that she does.”

“Well shit. How long can we keep this covered up?”

“Not long sir, especially if the alein's launch a full invasion.”

“Alright, give me some options,” said the President, firmly, “and prepare a briefing fo the candidates much as I hate to, we better bring them in on this.”

 

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY

Captain Lance McKeller a sixteen year veteran of the Navy and an active duty SEAL commander had never been to the Naval Observatory before, not as a tourist and defiantly not on duty. The flight had taken most of the night but here he was sitting in a secured room in the Vice President's residence (the VP was not there today) watching a video he could scarcely believe was real.

“Come on sir what kind of joke is this, a flying girl and a guy shooting lasers out of his hands. Alien monsters. My kids watch this crap on Saturdays..”

The 2 star general who had had this dumped on him late last night just gave the SEAL a look that conveyed the seriousness of the situation without saying a single word.

Lance read the look and with a glance back at the screen and shook his head, “Why me General?

Gen. Sam Porter USAF, Handed the reluctant SEAL a thick file. “Because Captain, you have been involved in every major SEAL Operation since 2001, and for the last 2 years you have been in charge at Coronado. They need training. We need the best to train them.

Your flight leaves for Montana at 1400, you let us know what and who your going to need and we will make sure you get.

Good Luck and God Speed, Captain.”

 

Spoiler

INTERLUDES ARE DONE!   normal posting may commence I will make a scene for Lunchtime later

 

 

[Kia Mizuki]

<Sure Sean, that'd be fun!> is Kia's response to Sean's 'ping.' She's already been thinking about lunch...it was easier to eat off campus, since she tended to visit two or even three fast food places. Eating as much as she did in one place was too embarrassing. She wasn't sure everyone else had the same appetite, though vaguely remembered them eating a lot too after getting their powers.

It was harder to really focus in class today. She kept thinking about herself, her friends, and the changes they were going through. Abel's powers set him apart, but he'd had more practice fitting in. Sara and Alec and herself had new abilities, but hadn't really changed a lot aside from that. They were still basically the same people, with a little extra. Lilly was like that too. Of all of them, the one who'd changed the most was Sean. She'd been trying to keep her nose out, but she could tell Sara was worried. Worried, but having a really tough time dealing with it because she melted into a puddle of estrogen whenever Sean smiled at her. The only time Sara could ever even try to speak her mind with Sean was when she was too mad to get tongue-tied...but that also made her too mad to really talk.

Kia could understand. Sean was gorgeous now...but Kia found herself thinking of her almost more as a really amazing robot or statue of a woman than an actual person, when she wasn't careful. Beautiful, but...not real somehow? There was something perfunctory about her, and it had taken her an entire class period thinking about it to nail it down.

She looks like she was designed by a guy to be the perfect woman.

And that kind of summed Sean up in a nutshell, didn't it?

<Where do you want to meet?>

[WS ST]

SHELLY MONTANA

LUNCHTIME

The lunch bell rang and as had been planned on guildchat the gang, including Talena and Sandy, all met up at the west exit of the school, also known as Sara's smoking stoop. They had decided to make the quick walk cross country to the Pizza Hut (chosen for the all you could eat lunch buffet)across the railroad tracks far to the south and west of the stadium. They made small talk as they walked discussing the day so far when a flight of six helicopters flew over them heading toward the base.

The choppers were two Black Hawks, the same kind that had been destroyed the previous day and ahead of them three Apache Attack Helicopters with Army markings. Trailing behind by about a mile was a large helicopter with twin rotors that Sandy said was called a Chinook.

“I wonder what the army helicopters are doing up here,” wondered Sandy.

No body gave any sort of definitive answer and they kids walked the last fifty yard hurriedly as soon as the familiar sign became visible over the tracks.

Once they had paid and pushed together a couple of tables the gang hit the buffet line loading up on pizza and pasta for the most part although both Talena and Sara stuck with Salad and bread-sticks.

They pretty much had the place to themselves, aside from the employees there was only one other set of customers an elderly couple none of them recognized whose car had Wyoming plates..

They were all just being kids for a bit enjoying the pizza, a lot of pizza, and forgetting about any of the drama.

That's when the phones each of the Irregulars had been given before they left the base that morning started vibrating with a Text message.

 

**Important meeting this evening 6:30 Bldg 890**

 

Everyone looked a Sandy who was staring at all of them and their phones. Talena just stared at her plate of salad.

Spoiler

 

[Sean Cassidy]

"It's just a group text message from my cousin, Sandy," Sean said airily after glancing at her phone. "Said he is starting to settle in at Cambridge and made a few friends, mates as they say."

The tall young woman said it so casually and easily while munching on a slice of Meat Lovers pizza that the other Irregulars would have believed her too if they hadn't just read the text message as well. Sean held her phone down by her side, hiding it surreptitiously from Sandy's view with her body and covertly typed out another text, using an app she written last week, just for a situation like this.

"Looks like it was sent to Gamers and Cousin," Sean continued and she gave Talena an apologetic shrug. "Guess he forgot to add you to his Gamers tag." Their phones all buzzed again and Sean glanced at hers in expertly feigned surprise. It showed a text coming from Sean's old number. "Huh, he says he's going out to try sushi for supper. Never pictured him ever trying it. I've had it a few times. Have any of you ever tried sushi?"

Distracting Sandy with a question and a smile so he wouldn't dwell more on the text message, Sean was glad they had decided on Pizza Hut instead of Bunnies. It was far less busy, so less concern about playing her role and less eyes on her. Though their server still had given her a rather jealous glance than someone with a figure like hers was eating pizza so blithely and Sean had purposely chosen a seat at their booth where the man of the elderly Wyoming couple couldn't get a good look at her. She didn't want to give him a heart attack.

<Looks like something is up, this evening, guys.>

[Abel Cross]

Abel jhad frowned at the helicopters, if only because it meant more people on base, more people who would know eventually about what was really going on.  <Something big is always up at the base now Sean.>  there was some levity in his mental voice.  <are we all making our way there together, those of us who don't live on base, or find your way as you like?   I can drive us there, better to keep up appearances here.>

"No, we don't have anything like that here, Great Falls might, but can't imagine it doing so well around here.   Mostly it's Steak, ribs, and burgers."

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara hadn't really gave the helicopters much thought it was hard for her to pay attention to anything when she was so close to Sean, it was like the rest of the world simply fell away and it was just the two of them. She joined in the small talk as she picked at her salad, but she was almost constantly and surreptitiously sneaking glances at the woman who was filling her with such desire.

Then the phones buzzed.

As Sean was passing it off as her other self calling everyone, a lie that came so naturally and quickly out of Sean's mouth that it jarred Sara's reverie.

She stifled the thought and the feelings it brought to the surface and instead allowed her anger at the government and their predicament takeover.

Into guild chat full of indignant anger her thought flashed.

<This is exactly what I was afraid of, not even a day and we are being 'summoned' like pets. Not a hey something is up can you come no care for what we have going on and before any of you say anything about an emergency just don't because if it were they would have said now not tonight. But no what we get is a perfunctory show up or else. This is bullshit>

She pushes her plate away in disgust. But in her head what she was thinking was *She just lied to Sandy no hesitation, no pause just out and out bald face lie to the guy, right to the face of a friend”

Sara's world seemed to be spinning like a tilt-a-wheel with no end in sight.

[Kia Mizuki]

<I was thinking it's kind of cool,> Kia replied mentally. <Like secret agents getting the call to action. You wouldn't think James Bond is getting 'summoned like a pet' right?>

She'd lived long enough on bases to have some idea of how things worked too.

<Those helicopters probably mean some important people just got to the base. Armed escort and everything. Abel I could use a ride.>

[Abel Cross]

Abel's eyes narrowed, his own immediate thought was proof that he was still a teenage male after all, but luckily he covered his reaction well enough.  He wanted to laugh, but that would give away something, and make sandy even more suspicious.  Normally she rode home with Lily so this did surprise him, but he certainly wasn't opposed to it..   <Sure.  I do agree, those helicopters mean more personnel, maybe equipment too, and they're important with that sort of escort.>

[Sara Hutchins]

Standing up Sara said out loud, "We better get back to school, we're gonna be late."

She continued in guild chat as she headed for the door not waiting for any of the rest.

< And Lilly, if Sandy is gonna keep hanging around with you and us, you need to tell him so we can all stop lying.>

Her implicit *or I will* was left unsaid.

[Kia Mizuki]

<Maybe Sandy needs a ride today?> Kia suggests over the link, smiling a little.

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean stood up more slowly, feeling a stabbed of pained melancholy as she watched Sara leave, though her striking face remained smooth, revealing nothing. Ah, so that's it, the lie, she mused as she pulled out her wallet and dropped a few bills on the table to pay for her and Sara. She gave Kia a slightly suspicious glance - she couldn't possibly so innocent about the connotations of her ride comments - as slipped out of the booth and but her thermal vest back on.

<Sara has a point, Lilly. And while I'm not too fond of Sandy knowing about me and my predicament, let alone about everything else, if it will clear the air when we are all out together, go for it,> Sean added as she walked for the door, no seeming to rush, but her long strides ate up the distance swiftly. <Just be sure he won't blab about it to anybody. No so much for our sakes, but his. He could get in trouble and doesn't have our unique status to keep him safe.>

While it was true Sean didn't particularly want Sandy to know about her situation - they had barely talked to each other before and she didn't consider him among her tight knot of friends - she was getting more and more inclined towards telling everybody. Let them deal with it, in some cases she wanted to shove the new her in their faces and make them choke on it. The revelations - about everything, on a global scale - would cause chaos, but they would adjust and find a new balance. The main issue would be if they would before the aliens reached them first.

She had always considered herself a truthful person, many times to her own big mouthed regret. But with her transformation, along with everything else, came a frightful facility with deception and misdirection. It didn't mean she liked doing it, but she could consider the ramifications and permutations of her actions with a formidable swiftness and depth, so at times it seemed she reacted without hesitation or thought, when she was simply taking the most efficient course she could see.

Her mouth tightened faintly as she hurried a bit to catch up with Sara and fall into step with her. It would be so easy to crank up her arousal pheromones and turn on the sex appeal and melt Sara's irritation away under a floor of desire and need. But she wouldn't let herself descend that far, not with someone she considered a friend, someone she considered as more than a friend. She was changing - how could she not? - but she refused to change that much, not with those who knew her, that she cared about.

Sean didn't make any overly familiar gestures and just walked at Sara's side in companionable silence. Sara would explain her frustration or she wouldn't - Sean hoped she would - but Sean would let her stew and make her own decision instead of prying and persuading her to make the one she wanted, even if it killed her. Where was the line between advice and honest suggestion and manipulation? It wasn't something she ever had to really consider before, when she hadn't had the skill and talent to turn people to her side so deftly.

She let out a long sigh, her breath pluming in the air.

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara didn't slow or turn or in anyway acknowledge Sean's coming up behind her and she certainly didn't wait for the rest of the gang, she barely paused for the traffic before darting across the highway. Sean kept up easily but was startled when the started over the railway tracks and Sara cut to the left and headed for some parked rail cars.

Sean followed a question stalled on her lips.

Once between the cars Sara grabbed Sean's Hands in hers, but didn't pull the taller woman close.

"Let's skip the rest of the day." she said. It wasn't a question, really more a plea.

Sean could tell that Sara had cut her self ou t of the mental channels they were all becoming reliant on, something she had been doing more and more as the rest of them grew comfortable using the wondrous power only they seemed to share.

[Lilly Pryor]

On 3/10/2017 at 7:44 AM, Sara Hutchins said:

Standing up Sara said out loud, "We better get back to school, we're gonna be late."

She continued in guild chat as she headed for the door not waiting for any of the rest.

< And Lilly, if Sandy is gonna keep hanging around with you and us, you need to tell him so we can all stop lying.>

Her implicit *or I will* was left unsaid.

 

< Excuse me? > Lilly though back through the guildchat at Sara's remark with a flash of anger as the threat or ultimatum.

< Just because you are frustrated or pissed off does not mean you can take it out on everybody else. Hell, weren't you the one that didn't like ultimatums or being back in a corner? Gee.. hypocrite much? You have your own relationship to deal with. You have no right to go messing with mine, or threatening to. Hell, I am not even sure how Sandy would handle it. I tell you what though, while we are all unconscious, HE was trying to protect us and fight off those bugs and he got stung for his troubles. so frankly, if I can keep the stress of knowing an alien invasion is coming off of his shoulders, then I am going to and it is NOT your place to go messing with that. >

Lilly stood and went to put on her satchel, which Sandy promptly took and slung over his shoulder with a smile, prompting one from Lilly. Shortly thereafter, they made their exit along with the others. 

< You know, ever since you got enhanced you have been so pissed off. I don't know what it's from exactly. An issue with the change in Sean or your relationship dynamic or stress or whatever, I dunno, I'll help you deal with it if I can, but that DOES NOT give you a right to go messing with my relationship with Sandy. SO DON'T. > she added in no uncertain terms.

< And Dude. Chill out. We are not being 'summoned' and there is no 'or else'. We were informed that there was a meeting tonight and where it was and and that it was important. We we still have the rest of the day and most of the night to do whatever. And even then, there is no threat. You gotta get a grip on this anger, man, because it is not doing you or any of us any favors. >

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean suppressed a wince as Lilly made her irate, not totally unjustified tirade, though she could tell Sara had muted on her end of guildchat pretty much as soon as it started. She looked down at Sara, meeting her eyes as they held hands, sliding her thumbs across the back of her palms. Her hair of browns, purples, reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows fluttered in the wind like autumn leaves as she took a deep breath, catching the scent of Sara and everything around them, and let the silence stretch.

"Okay," Sean said simply after a moment with a nod.

Her rich, melodious voice made it sound more... portentous? Definitive? Just... more? Sean had known her answer as soon as Sara had asked, but hadn't rushed so she wouldn't come across as just humoring her or agreeing with whatever she asked out of hand. School had become one of her lowest priorities since her transformation but her answer had had nothing to do with her wants, but purely with Sara's.

Sean wanted nothing more than to pick Sara up in her arms, crush her to her chest and kiss her, deep and hard and long. She wanted to do so much more! It was the first time she actually had to struggle with refraining from relaxing and emitting her natural, potent pheromones. But all that would derail Sara, would derail her too. She contented herself with giving Sara's hands a gentle, encouraging squeeze.

"Wherever you want to go. Whatever you want to do."

She would text Laurelei to find another way home after school later.

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara looked searchingly into Sean's eyes part of her had wanted her to say no. When she didn't Sara wrapped an arm around Sean's waist and pulled her in tight to her side.

"Hold on tight," She pushed her power, so hard to contain, wrapping the gorgeous woman in her own field of quantum energy attuning them as one being.

Then she launched herself and her lover into the immense and limitless sky.

[WS ST]

THE IRREGULARS

BACK AT THE PIZZA HUT

The gang finished up and headed out after Sara and Sean just in time to see them crossing over the tracks then losing sight of them amid the parked rail cars.

“So am I missing something,” asked Sandy?

Lilly shot him a cautious look as did the rest of the Irregulars. “What do you mean,” she asked back?

“Well first Sara was dating Little Sean and I'm no dummy but it sure looks like she's all hot for the new Sean now. Just seems , I don't know kinda weird and awfully fast. And man I am never going to get used to those two having the same name. What were their mom's thinking”

Just then a loud boom sounded off to their left rattling the empty rail cars and shaking the kids. Everyone looked to see what it had been but only Lilly and Abel saw the figures streaking away into the sky already a half mile up and heading west.

“Wow that sounded like a bomb going off, Coyote must be playing tricks with the cars.” remarked a grinning Talena as she clasped Alec's hand in hers. “We better get going or we shall be late.”

 

SARA AND SEAN

They flew faster than Sean had ever moved in her life. The suddenness of Sara's launch startled Sean and caused her to grasp the smaller girl tighter and hold on for dear life. Almost immediately she realized that while the speed and air friction seemed to flow around her there was very little air getting to her lungs, she couldn't breath at these speeds, so she held her breath hoping this would be a short flight.

They broke through the clouds and must have been at 15-20 thousand feet and they were flying toward the distant Rockies. It was an incredible sight. The flew straight for about almost 2 minutes then as Sean was starting to notice the lack of air Sara descended at without slowing.

Below them was the western plains footing the vast peaks of the Rockies Mountains. Sean knew immediately that they were flying over the Blackfeet Reservation.

Sara had dropped to about 200 feet above the ground and slowed to subsonic speeds so Sean could gasp air the were heading toward a high ridge running east to west there was a narrow dirt road that they were following which stopped at the foot of the ridge but Sara didn't stop she continued along the ridge flying above a foot path not seeming at all concerned with the prospect of being seen less than a minute later the slowed and dropped to the ground softly.

They were at the apex of the ridge in what looked like an old camp site. There was an old sturdy shed off the the left of where they landed and in the center what looked like and old fire pit around the pit were several long logs set up as benches and worn by generations of campers sitting around the roaring campfire. It look like no one had been here in a long time. The camp had an incredible view of the Rockies rising up toward the heavens almost close enough to reach out and touch.

While Sean took in the surroundings and caught her breath Sara had let go of her and moved away to the other side of the fire pit where she opened up the shed and grabbed several pieces of split firewood. She carried an armload back to the pit and began arranging the wood for a fire.

“Should have stopped for some marshmallows.” she said half laughing.

 

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly didn't like lying to Sandy, and so she tried not to, even though she knew that she might not be technically lying, she still was, but that would have to do for now.

"Well, I am pretty sure Sara is more into girls than guys and Sean.. I know this might sound bad, and do not mean it in a bad way, but I think that visually, he skirted that line enough for her to be attracted to him. Or maybe it wasn't even physical attraction at all. Sean is smart too. I dunno." Lilly said with a shrug as they walked.

"But the Sean we knew is gone and now this Sean is here, and for a girl who is into other girls, she's pretty hot, and around us a lot. So maybe Sara, possibly confused or lonely or whatever, with her brief boyfriend gone, just swung for the fences and got a hit." she said as she interlaced her finger's with Sandy's as they walked.

"And as far as names.. Here is a fun one for you. I was supposed to be a boy, Liam. Seems I had different plans though, so instead of Liam, my parents got me, Lilly Ann."

"Oh, call me 'Liam' and I'll cup-check you." she added with a grin, partially in jest, but mostly in warning.

< Really guys? Sonic booms or whatever in the middle of town? > she thought to Sara and Sean.

[Abel Cross]

Abel smiled as he walked with the others. "I don't think anyone would be foolish enough to tease you on that, or really anything."    He left off that many thought darker thoughts regarding her for playing football, but then Lily already knew that.   Even with the team doing so well, many lamented quietly the part she played in their success, both in town, and on her team.

"As to Sean and Sara? Well they'll do what they want to do, and will have to face the public view of it as always.  If they're fine with that, then whatever floats their boat.   Even though Sean's new, she's part of our group, and Sara too, even though Sean's gone.   We hang together, no matter what."   He knew Sandy could grasp this idea easily enough.  Sean and he had been nerds their whole lives, and everyone who still lived in town knew that.   

"Being Irregular isn't a bad thing.   It's just different in the broadest sense.    Did you know that irregular soldiers are often some of the more effective troops in combat?   Seldom are enemies prepared to cope with them, giving them tactical and if they play their cards right, even strategic advantage over those they fight."

"I mean, when you get to it, we've got 3 athletes, an artist, a couple musicians, a couple nerds, a cheerleader, a stoner, if you believe everything about Sara you hear,  just off the top of my head, in our little group.  We're pretty eclectic, especially for Shelly.  But think of it another way, combining our experiences gives us a more general outlook on things, lets us be tolerant of most anything.  There's always different viewpoints on things, and with all of us being different, well we get to see more, so in a way perhaps we see better than someone who only sees things from one way."

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean took several deep inhalations of fresh mountain air to catch her breath then surreptitiously adjusted herself in her bra so it was fitting properly again as she took in the few of the Rockies and Sara firewood. It was a gorgeous view, if not nearly so exhilarating and terrifying as from twenty thousand feet with nothing between you and the sky. Sean wondered how often Sara flying, no destination in mind, just for the sensation of unbound freedom and the view.

Sara had clearly been here before Sean could tell, not just from her flying unerringly here, but from the familiarity with which she moved about the camp site. Sean could suspect with who and appreciated Sara taking her here with what it must've meant to her, despite the troubles brewing since their transformations.

"I have a pair of chocolate bars in my satchel," Sean offered with a warm smile, patting her definitely-not-a-purse. Though Sean couldn't say why that distinction mattered to her when she had no issues with wearing a bra or heels, or even a dress, though she hadn't worn one yet. "No marshmallows. Next time."

Sara could hear the unreserved promise in Sean's voice as she crouched down next to her as she arranged the wood for a fire. Sean bumped Sara's shoulder comradely then reached an arm across her back to give her a hug. "I... may - no, I have, changed in some ways, I can't deny that," Sean admitted softly. "I can't help but see things in a different light, but I hope you know my feelings for you haven't changed, unless if anything, they have grown stronger."

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara stares at the wood she is arranging as Sean speaks, so many things going on in her head, so much she wants to say but every time she looks at Sean she just melts into a stupid puddle of hormones. She holds her hand up over the wood about a foot as Sean finishes and with a thought the wood bursts into flame.

Sean Flinches at the sudden appearance of the fire, she looks up to find Sara now staring at her.

"None of us are the same people anymore Sean, I'm not even sure we are people anymore. This explains a lot about Abel's sudden changes a few years ago, and I will give him credit for handling it as well as he did. But that's not why I brought you here."

The blond girl stands up and crosses her arms under her breast as if she were cold even though the cold air didn't faze her at all neither did the heat from the fire for that matter. She walks past Sean to the edge of the ridge.

"We're almost thirty miles from Shelly. I flew us here in about ten seconds give or take," She turns back to face Sean, who was still at the fire, "I don't know how we can make this work, Sean, I want you so bad. Everytime I see you I... melt, I just want to take you in my arms and fly away and never look back. And i don't know fucking why.

I watched you all last night while you guys worked on that thing. I didn't have any idea what you guys were talking about. And that made me realize what the fuck do we have to talk about.

Nothing.

That's all I could come up with just nothing.

I have been here before with Samantha. And I was so so angry when she got tired of me and left.

I can't afford to get that angry again not now."

She grows silent.

 

[Sean Cassidy]

"No."

Sean stared at Sara, a look of surprise and pain on her exquisite face, almost as if she had been slapped. Her haunting turquoise eyes were bright and intent as she gave her head a small shake.

"No," Sean repeated, a bite in her captivating voice. Sara might claim she couldn't afford to get angry but Sean didn't seem to have the same compunction. She planted on hand on a cocked hip, her other hand balling into a fist in frustration. "No, I don't accept that. You don't get to decide this is over just because it's hard or you're afraid to be hurt again."

The tall, implausibly gorgeous woman stalked over to Sara, who couldn't help but notice the swing of her round hips or the sway of her full breasts. A part of Sean was afraid the way she had changed was partially due to what she had believed what Sara wanted, maybe even blamed her in a way, and was angry that it seemed she giving up just things were difficult. But even if all that was true, Sean would never but that onus on her, it wouldn't have been fair, to either of them.

"I used to get beat up every other day at school, but I didn't let that stop. Know what was a hell of a lot harder to do? Asking you to Homecoming. I might have the confidence to ask anyone anything now, but I didn't then and I still feel the pride of actually asking you and the glow when you said yes." She ran a hand through her eye-catching multi-hued hair in frustration so she wouldn't be tempted to shake some sense into Sara. "And now, you're still the one I would want to ask out." Her full lips quirked in a crooked grin. "Well, except for maybe Courtney or Chet as part of a elaborate revenge plan."

Sean took a deep breath, held it, then let out a long sigh before placing her hands on Sara's shoulders and leaned down slightly so their eyes were more level. "So you couldn't follow what we were saying when studying the alien tech, so what? There's like, all of two people in the entire world who could keep up with me and I had to dumb it down so experts could understand. It's my way of flying thirty miles in seconds." Actually, it was 33 miles, 1025 feet, 4 inches in -- not important now! "But really, did you understand what I saying when I was talking about PC hardware, technical software programming, or HERO system mechanics?"

Sean began kneading Sara's shoulders with her fingers, and leaned down even lower and closer so they were eye to eye, nose to nose, their lips barely an inch apart. Her voice was low but intent. "Yes, I'm crazy smart, but that doesn't mean I don't like music or movies or like to talk about them. I always wanted to travel and now, we have the means and the opportunity." Sean gestured at the camp site Sara had flown them to. "In your arms or by conventional means. Maybe even possibly, literally able go to places not on this earth. Hell, we can even bitch about how hard it is to find a good bra or how annoying guys ogling us can be at times. Or, how about, you know, the fact we are a pair of super-powered women in a world that doesn't even know metahumans exist or the fact that we are in danger of an alien invasion? There's endless things for us to talk about or things to do together, if you just give us the opportunity. "

Sean stood up straight and took a calming breath. Since her transformation, she had been able to look at most situations clinically and with forethought, but her own frustrations were coming through now. It actually felt... good, made her feel more... human. She crossed her arms beneath her full breasts and looked down at Sara.

"Look, if you don't want a girlfriend who is taller, bustier, and prettier than you, I'll understand - well." Sean smirked slightly. "Not really, but I would accept it, even if it would hurt. But I won't accept you breaking this off because you are afraid of being hurt. We are only sixteen and seventeen and from I've seen, likely have another century and a half to live, at the very least, so I can't promise we'll be together forever.

We are going to argue and disagree at times, I'm sure, and yes, maybe even get hurt. But I would rather try and fail than never try at all, and that is more true now than it was before. That is living. And keep that thought about taking me in your arms and flying away and never looking back - when are families are safe and the alien threat is done, I'll take you up on that.

Now, if you think we are such different people now that you want to start the relationship over, I'll reluctantly accede to that. But I warn you Ms. Hutchins, when I woo you this time around, I won't play fair," Sean claimed adding a smokey sultriness to her voice. Her whole body language changed to that of a seductive predator, her eyes heavy-lidded and enticing. She tilted Sara's chin up with a caressing finger then brushed the hair from her face, and for once, Sean released her hold on her sex pheromones and forced them out, let their subtle enchantment fill the air. "If you thought you had a problem melting at the sight of me before..."

And then Sean was just Sean again, instead of an insanely sexy femme fatale from a Bond movie. "But I rather just be Sean and Sara still, trying to figure out how this whole relationship thing works, bumps and all."

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara swooned.

The effects of Sean's enhancements hit her like a freight train it took every once of will she had left to not just collapse inot those oh so inviting arms to kiss those perfectly shaped lps to bury...NO!

 

Sara stepped back, her mind in confused turmoil, her new senses reaching out into the ground the air around them the camp fire behind them.

Sean felt the energy, standing this close to Sara, and for the first time in human history saw, with her own enhanced senses what they could do.

“You don't under stand! I am not worried about us!” Sara said through gritted teeth.

Sean watched the energy pour out of her girlfriend saw the quantum flows riple through the ground and the air.

The ground began to vibrate the air around them swirls, the small campfire suddenly erupts shooting a column of flame 20 feet into the air where is is captured by the wind and swirls around like a tornado of fire. All around them the ground erupts as spikes of rock shoot up from the ground like nails driven through a two by four except these rocky spikes are six and seven feet long with jagged razor sharp edges.

In seconds the camp is demolished, then Sara lets it go and the fire drops back to a smoldering campfire, the earth quiets and the flaming winds are extinguished.

Sean stares at the destruction around them and at Sara.

“You heard what Lilly said about me being angry, I am angry. Ever since this happened I feel the earth Sean I feel what we do to it.I feel the planets pain and it makes me angry and I am not good at being angry.” Sara was shaking. “That's nothing to what I am going to be capable of. What if I lose control? What if it happens on base or at school.

What have we become?” Sara gasped with a raspy voice barely contains the sobs that threatened to breakout.

Sean stepped back up to her and took her in her arms, holding her, comforting her. Sara was crying the tears rolling down her face onto Sean's shoulder where she had her face buried. Sean brush her girlfriends hair soothing ly with her hand.

“Shh. We'll work it out babe. You and me I promise.”

Spoiler

Another AWS post will follow this character post

do not post yet

thank you

 

[WS ST]

While Sean and Sara were having their moment far away, the rest of the Irregulars were back at school.

The vice principle had given them a cross look as the whole gang (minus the tw girls) trudged in from across the field. Although it was not allowed for students who weren't seniors to take lunch off campus, She didn't say anything. This time.

The rest of the school day went by quickly with nothing more unusual happening to the gang but one of the main topics of discussion between classes was all the air traffic fly over the city. James Birch even claims that he saw a Specter gunship flyover head during PE.

While waiting to walk Lilly to practice after last bell Sandy mentioned the abundance of flights to her and an observation that he had made as well.

“You know I was thinking about all these aircraft and those helicopters we saw today. Those were Apache attack helicopters and the Air Force doesn't use those.”

“Probably just training, they do intra-service stuff all the time. I'll ask my Dad about it.” Replied The gorgeous football star smiling at her boyfriend and thus deflecting further conversation on the matter.

Practice went well with no discussion of the previous days weird events. Courtney was nice to everyone and Chet kept his assholiness in check and avoided Lilly and Alec as much as possible.

Driving by the airfield on her way home Lilly saw that activity on the tarmac was in full swing. Parked along the taxiway were six AC130 aircraft and she counted a full squadron of Apaches, four Chinook, and a full squadron of Black Hawks. Many of the Helicopters were conducting flights. The Security was heightened as well with at least twice the number of fully armed and armored troops in plain sight.

When she got home her dad was not there and her mom was unusually quiet and worried but also not talking much beyond pleasantries.

Kia found much the same when she got home. With her mother being even more quiet.

All in all there was a sense of darkness about the whole base.

By the time the other kids arrived for the meeting even they could sense a change in the atmosphere of the base.

At the appointed time they all arrived at the building that had been specified. Sara and Sean came around the corner from the back of the building both wearing the same cloths they had worn at school.

A armed guard inside checked their Ids and let them into a large briefing auditorium. Where they found seats and a table loaded down with a full coffee service.

“Help yourselves to the coffee, there's a soda machine thru those doors and to the right some snack machines too. Restrooms are thru the same doors but left. The General will be here shortly their running a little bit behind at command.” explained the soldier.

Spoiler

you may post now

 

[Lilly Pryor]

"General?" Lilly asked as she took a seat.

< Guys, if this is a general coming to talk with us, please really try to be cool and not piss him off. As long as he feels we are with the program, he's much less likely to make changes. > Lilly encouraged through the Guildchat as she looked around and settled on some water.

She looked down at herself... her arms and hands, opening them wide and them closing them into a fist a few times. She could feel a difference from when they fought the centaurs. Thought that was the first time she had ever focused her strength into such a pinpoint attack, she could feel herself even stronger now. Much stronger. Strangely though, she could also feel a greater control over her muscular strength. She had always been afraid of striking somebody, even accidentally, and seriously hurting, or even killing them. But now that worry was gone. She somehow just knew that she had even the minute control over her strength, the thing that worried her the most about her 'enhancement'.

At lest that was one less worry, and, in a small way, made her feel... while not more human, at least less inhuman. 

[Lilly Pryor]

As Lilly looked at her hands, contemplating her 'enhancement', her mind then drifted to other things in her life that would be impacted by it, and things that already have been. 

She did not like lying to Sandy, and so she avoided it as much as possible, but she still knew she was all but technically lying to him. The thought made her sigh as she thought about him. He really was a nice guy, even if his game was rusty. She wasn't sure about telling him though. About how to do it, how he would react, if he would even believe her, if she should tell him considering it is not a huge state secret and if she even should. Something was there though. He had, without a thought, tried to protect them all in the cabin that night, and got stung for his troubles.

And then there was the kiss.

Lilly sighed again.

< So guys... > she thought into Guildchat once again, <.. I sort of kissed Sandy this morning and when I did I had THIS vision and could taste ash on my lips. > she added, sharing over the link he recollection of the strange vision.

< Any idea what caused it? What it means? Think he is enhanced too, just less so or something? Like Talena talking about 'Raven told me' or whatever? >

As she let the others process what she just shared with them, she continued to look at her hands. They looked the same as before, but now she knew that her grip could crush steel pipes. She could lift up an M1 Abrams Tank and punch right through it with more force than it's main gun. It was kind of frightening to think of having that kind of power in your hands, and something she had only briefly considered. At the same time though, she also knew she had such control at to be able to strike a non-enhanced person and not particularly hurt them, or even safely knock them out.

She had used her hands to kill. It was not something she had even considered before. She had gone hunting with her father, especially bow hunting. She had taken the life of animals, but they always ate what they killed. She killed those 'wolves' and 'centaurs'. Crushed them in her arms and punched right through them. But they they were aliens, and not even really living or sentient. They were more like manufactured, organic robots, right? Even if those aliens were sentient, they did not give a choice. They did not come in peace, to talk and cooperate. No. They came to conquer her home and hurt her friends and family. So if they could not be reasoned with, then they would get what they deserved, she told herself. It was not something she savored, but it was something she would do again, if needed, without hesitation.

They had fought the aliens twice now, and she had barely been scratched once, hardly even hurt. Could she be hurt anymore? That was silly. Of course she could. It just took much more to do so. She had always been a tough girl, but pain, at least physical pain, was now becoming a fleeting memory. She knew that her skin, though it looked no different than before, was now bulletproof. Any form of small arm, or even man-portable weapon for that matter, was not even of concern to her anymore. Anything larger, supposing it could even hit her, was more likely just annoy her, because she somehow knew that not only knew her very skin was hard to pierce, but her very body.. her muscles, bones and tissues, were now strong.. tougher. Her body could take many times the trauma that a normal person could.

Normal... 

That was a word that had a much different meaning then before. It was something that Lilly almost felt when she would focus and shutting down the part of her brain that channeled this energy. Even in such a state, she knew she had changed. She was tougher, stronger and faster than before. She would never be 'normal' again. She could shut down and then watch herself enough when playing football to minimize her advantages. She felt on some level it was cheating, even with her holding back, but all season when she was in the game, leading the team, they were so dominant that the outcome was all but predetermined, so she did not feel particularly bad about competing now.

It did mean, though, that her Olympic hopes, the goal she had been working toward most of her life, was now nothing but a pipe dream. She couldn't, in sound mind, compete at such a level fairly. She would either hold back too much or not enough, and could never be sure if she had a clean win. THAT was depressing.

Lilly sighed and closed her eyes.

< You know.. I just realized that any hopes I had of making the Olympic Team are gone now. I mean, I could make it, but I would never know if I was not holding back enough, and therefore cheating, or holding back too much and therefore screwing myself. I've been working toward that most of my life... Made all kinds of sacrifices... and now it's all gone. All of it. And I REALLY believe I had a legitimate chance of doing it too. > Lilly thought to Kia, her BFF.

< That fucking sucks. > she added, the normally optimistic and encouraging Lilly allowing herself some self-pity.

 

[Abel Cross]

Following the rest of the day's classes, Abel went to wait by his jeep, the only one in the lot like it in point of fact.   It was unusual for Kia to not ride home with Lily, but he certainly wasn't adverse to getting to spend more time with her.   He wanted to be honest with her on that score too, but something held him back.  Despite knowing Kia to be exceptionally friendly with everyone, he didn't want to risk negatively changing the relationship they had.   At the very least not any more than his mind reading revelation probably had.  "Such a coward."  he muttered to himself as he waited.

Kia wasn't far behind Abel, jogging out into the parking lot after dropping the books she didn't need into her locker to await the next dawn. She gave him a sunny smile and a wave as she came over and said, "Hi hi!" in a singsongy voice.

She'd mostly been thinking of giving Sandy and Lilly some time, but having some time with Abel would be good too!

It wasn't lost on her that she maybe wasn't being entirely fair to Abel. There was no rule that she really respected saying she couldn't take the initiative. Under other circumstances she probably would have. In this case though, he was hesitating a lot...and it made her think he needed some space and time to get comfortable with the idea of going out with her. Or maybe he wouldn't, and that was okay too.

Abel smiled, and it wasn't the fake one he used with most of the world, it was his real smile.  "Hey."  Verbose and articulate whenever he wanted, he could bandy words with most anyone, and here with the girl he liked, a friend and comrade, he reverted to being the awkward nerd he'd been before gaining his powers.

He unlocked the doors and got in, waiting for her to do the same.   "So am I taking you straight home, or is there somewhere you'd like to go before that?   I don't have to pick up my sisters today, so we don't have to worry about them.   Looks like it's gonna be just us."

The passenger door popped open and Kia climbed in, giving Abel a shrug.

"I don't have a lot of homework today, so we can hang out some. What's a fun place to go around here?"

Abel shrugged.  "to be honest, there's nothing around here that most would consider "fun"   we don't have alot of choice here in Shelly, unless you enjoy being outdoors.   I mean when I'm not with the group or with my family, mostly I'm fishing or hunting, or simply reading a book outdoors."  He smiled.  "There's gaming and such at home, but alot of that was done with Sean, and now he's elsewise occupied."   

"What about the park, unless you'd like to be indoors somewhere."

"I love being outdoors!" Kia exclaimed, and favored Abel with a big grin. "A park would be nice. Something relaxing before we go to the base and get all stressed out about aliens and nuclear bombs or all that."

She pulled the seatbelt over herself and clicked it in.

"Lets do that."

He nodded, and made the quick drive through town to the park, parking where he normally did, and leading Kia to one of his favorite spots there, under a large oak tree.  He brought his backpack, and kia's, so they'd fit in more, as two students enjoying a nice afternoon.  "How are you dealing with all of that Kia.  This whole situation we find ourselves in, how we've all changed, and what we face?"

His look was one of real concern, not so much intellectually, but because he did actually care.

"Mmm...I don't really know if I am dealing with it yet?" Kia replies after a second of thinking. "It still kind of feels like it's happening to someone else. Like...here's me, being normal and going to school and thinking about college and doing cheers and...then, sometimes, someone turns into a big monster and fights aliens. And I can see that when it happens, but it still doesn't feel like me."

A leaf fell onto her nose, then onto her lap, and she reached up to brush the spot it had touched.

"I guess it helps that I can turn back into me. I'm different than I used to be, but not as much as some of you guys? So I can sort of just...stuff all the weird into a box and only look at it when I have to."

Kia sighs. "I dunno if that's a good thing or not though. Mostly I'm worried about Sean and Sara...and Lilly's really bummed out because she wanted to go into competitive sports and that's pretty much wrecked now."
 
"It's only wrecked if she wants it to be.   If she can reign in her abilities, there's no real reason she or Alec cannot compete still.   I do admit, you have  changed the least, which is somewhat ironic given what your abilities are."

His smile was genuine.  "You are you, and that is always going to be true."

"Speaking of Sean and Sara, I worry for them too, Sean for sure has changed greatly, and Sara's temper is something that concerns me."
 
Kia shakes her head at that. "You don't really do sports, I guess...but it's not about her being able to fake it. The whole idea of competing is that you put your best out, and everyone else puts their best out...and you see who wins."

"Anyway, Sara's temper isn't any worse, I don't think...it's just that now she has to be more careful with it? It used to be she'd just storm out of a room, or chew someone out, but now she might accidentally set the room on fire. But I think she'll get a handle on that. She just needs time."

She chewed her lower lip for a second. "I feel like Sean needs to be able to turn his powers off. He's not like the rest of us. His powers change how he thinks...he's kind of a different person." Abruptly Kia covered her mouth and laughed shamefacedly. "I still keep thinking of her as 'he' too. Oh my god, that's so bad."

"It's how we know Sean.   I've know Sean longer than anyone, so its quite difficult to reconcile his past with the present, but in time, we'll all manage.    As to him being different, now it's like his GM persona, the confidence he has in gaming, is his real persona.   Because he's no longer the shrimpy little guy everyone picked on, he is being more assertive and taking the control he felt he never really had before."

He sighed.  "I don't think Sean wants to turn off the powers he has now Kia, and that's fine, I certainly know what it's like being unable to do so.  What I'd really like to be able to do is test our abilities, Fully, to see just how far we can all go, what capabilities we all actually have, but I do not want to share that information with anyone beyond the group, I just can't think of where we could accomplish that.  This whole area's under alot of scrutiny right now, and the normal people, they've got utterly no idea about it."

They were well out of earshot of anyone else, which is why he chose to speak not using guild chat.   At least that was part of it, he liked to hear her voice was the other.   

Kia shrugs. "I'm sure they'll want us to show them what we can do at the base, so that's fine."

"I don't know if I agree with you about Sean though. Like...you may be right that it's his dungeon master thing? But I don't think that's good?"

"Because, okay, first of all...that's a game. It isn't real. Sean IS real, but now he sometimes seems like he's not really...ugh, I don't know exactly. It's like he's trying to live this fantasy in real life, and even though the powers ARE real.." She paused, trying to find good words, and finally gave up. "I don't know how to say it. It's like...a game master doesn't have to deal with real people, or real situations, right? He's in control of everything, and everything is just a little plastic guy on a map, and he knows all the rules."

"That works in a game, but it doesn't work in real life. And I feel like he thinks maybe it does?"

She leaned over and mashed her face against Abel's shoulder.

"Stop me from talking now, please."

A dozen different scenarios went through his mind and he chose the one that felt natural.  "Okay."   He reached to gently turn her face from his shoulder and kissed her.  He'd wanted to do it for some time, and he'd never gotten the courage.   

he half expected to get slapped for this, and he'd accept it, but after his talk of having no secrets, well, his feeling for Kia would be one less he kept now.

Kia was taken completely by surprise, and for a second all she could do was sort of grab onto Abel's shoulder and arm to keep from falling over. It wasn't a BAD surprise, just...she hadn't really thought of the moment as being one that would go that way.

When the kiss ended, she laughed gently and said. "I guess that's one way."

"So...?"

He smiled "So yeah, that's how I've really felt."   Inwardly he was starting to overreact and try to come up with something more, and he just sort of stopped.  Her laughter had that effect, and his smiled widened.  "I did say no more secrets... and that was the most pleasant way I could think of."

"You worked pretty hard to make me think it was no big deal when you asked me out to the prom," Kia teased. "This is a good first date though."

She scooted over a bit to sit shoulder-touching-shoulder with Abel.

"I'm glad you decided to say something."

"I didn't want to rush.   Now though, well we're fighting intergalactic aliens, and I've come to realize how important it is to be honest with you.   I still can't tell my family yet, though I suspect Dad knows more than others not involved with the project."
 

"I'm glad you didn't pull back and slap the hell out of me."

Kia laughs again.

"Well, I guess now I know you weren't reading my mind then. My dad already thinks we're dating, I think...so no big deal for me."

Then she paused and added, "Oh, you mean you can't tell your family about the project and everything. That...actually makes a lot more sense than what I thought. Nevermind!"

He laughed.  "If you thought I meant about us dating, I'll shout that out right now.  That will absolutely delight everyone in my family.  As for reading minds, I have a rule when it comes to all of us.   I don't probe our minds anymore than what I can't stop.  I do my best to let everyone have their privacy.  What I cannot keep from knowing, I never tell."  

"I think your dad's mad at me after I refused to tell them about the island right away, when I thought we were gonna head right there..."

"Well...you probably should have," Kia admits, "But it's okay. We're all sort of trying to work this stuff out as we go. We'll make mistakes. As long as we can learn from them...then that's the best we can do."

"I agree."   He looked out at the park and chuckled.  "We are still kids after all, for at least another year or so in most cases."  

He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and smiled.  "Today certainly wasn't one though."

She leaned her head against his hand on her shoulder, then asked in tones of slight puzzlement, "Wasn't one...what?"

"Today was not a mistake, Kia."  he said with a smile.    He continued to rub her shoulder gently.  

 
Kia pursed her lips in a little 'o' face and even said, "Ohhhh..."

Then she turned around and gave Abel another kiss, to express how not a mistake it was. She was better with actions than words

The second kiss was longer, as he held into it, making sure to support her.  When they finally parted he smiled.   The spent the rest of the afternoon getting something to eat, and then he brought her back home.     There was still time before the meeting, so he drove home to shower, and refresh himself and change.   Then he head back to the base for the meeting.

He found his way to the meeting room, having noted the increased personnel on base.  

<lily, perhaps there is some residual connection to the aliens, or a mental  residue  I don't expect there to be since it truly stands out, but I can do a more in depth study.   I will look into it, but only with your permission.>  The implication  was clear, that he would use his powers to do so.  

 

post was created via pm between Kia and Abel's players

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean smiled her thanks to the guard - who couldn't help but imagine things one shouldn't - and glided over to the coffee service, humming. She suspected her addiction to caffeine was more psychological than physiological now, but it was an addiction she rather retain as a way to hold onto the person she was before. She prepared herself an appropriately over-sugared cup of coffee - with her enhanced perceptions, she was much more aware of the differences in every pot of coffee she tasted and this coffee was at best only adequate - and with a questioning brow, made a cup for Sara too, if she wanted one.

Hmm, I expect I'm going to be expending way too much effort sciencing up the perfect coffee bean. Effort well spent!

She was in a good mood. Her and Sara's talk had been something they both needed, up in that mountain camp site. Sara revealed her fears and in turn Sean had told her of her own fears and concerns, things she hadn't verbalized to anyone else. Like just how much she was aware of now and how it affected how she saw the world - and the people - around her, the flood of information constantly flowing in and threatening to overwhelm, that remained forever with crystal clarity. How easily it was to figure out how things worked, including people, and resisting the urge to manipulate things to her advantage just because she could.

The Law of Unintended Consequences was always in Sean's mind. She might not have to worry about inadvertently causing damage like a natural disaster when angry, but a woman with her looks and presence could damage relationships and social dynamics with an unthinking smile or gesture. A woman with her mind had to concern herself with how any incredible technological advance she made would alter society or could be abused. Studying the Alien tech, she knew they had the capacity to destroy the Earth itself, without much effort. She could figure out a way to do it too, if she put her mind to it.

Anger in itself wasn't bad. Another name for anger was passion. It gave you the drive to do something about the situation you were in. The issue lay in directing it constructively and divorcing the anger from the instinctive use of Sara's powers. Sean would help her in that, and in learning to swim - because, seriously - just as she needed to learn how to filter her perceptions, so she could still absorb all she witnessed without being overloaded.

She wouldn't except failure.

Sean sat down beside Sara, handed her her coffee and crossed her legs, then took a sip of her own coffee. She had a self-possession as entrancing as her superlative attractiveness that suggested the General was waiting for them, rather than the other way around.

<I will be a cool and professional military woman with the General, Lilly,> Sean assured the Colonel's daughter. <But I won't be an obsequious sycophant.>

She pursed her lips as she ruminated on the vision Lilly showed them when she had kissed Sandy and asked what it meant. She could only develop theories and hypotheses based on the information she had. She couldn't be definite in this case. <If I had to guess, it's not so much a residual connection to the aliens - you seemed pretty confident about purging it from him, Lilly - but perhaps some alteration on a genetic or sub-molecular level interacting with the quantum field we each naturally emit now. That, or he's a proto-enhanced that hasn't quite activated yet. But as I said, this is only an educated guess at best.>

She took another sip of coffee, analyzing the interactions of flavours in it as she considered what she had seen at the camp site, the actual flows of energy from Sara, and from specifically where inside her, as her power reached out and then actualized, to effect the rock and fire and air. <I can give him a look over too, if you like. I might be able to see something too, once I figure something else out and what it means.>

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara sat with her arms folded beneath her breasts a bit of a scowl on her face. He afternoon with Sean had calmed her somewhat and telling her about her feelings and the other stuff,had certainly lifted a weight she hadn't realized she had been caring but as soon as they flew, undetected onto the base her dark mood had returned.

She listened with her mind having reentered guild chat upon coming back into contact with the rest of the gang. When Sean came back with the coffee she took it and mouthed thanks even though she didn't want it. What she really wanted was a smoke, or a toke, but neither of those were 'allowed' and in any case neither gave that buzz that her body and mind craved and needed. Only flying did that now. Fling as fast and high as she could. Defying gravity, physics, that was the thing that thrilled her now.

She noticed Abel grinning at Kia then he looked at her and his grinned straightened, the fucker was reading her mind. She blew him a mental raspberry then focused in on the conversation.

<Lilly, did you have the vision? Or did Sandy? Cause if it was you maybe your the one that needs to be examined.> she tried to keep her irritation with the girl-jock out of her thought as much as possible. deep down she knew it wasn't Lilly she should be irritated with but for whatever reason It was Lilly Sara's subconcious had decided to lay blame on. Maybe it was becasue Lilly was the strongest, the most solid, the one who could take the pressure.

Sara could feel the earth in Lilly.

[Lilly Pryor]

< Well, I am not the telepath here, so I could not read his mind. I am not sure what he 'saw', if anything, from his reaction though, I must be one hell of a kisser, because he was in bliss. He said he couldn't get me out of his head either for days now. Like he was having dreams about me, like beyond the normal teenage guy stuff. Before I kissed him though, he was acting kinda odd. All sweaty, kind of afraid or panicked, almost afraid of me for a moment. Almost like knew what I could do, on some level, and it frightened him. >

< That stuff though, that I shared, is what I not only what I saw, but what I experienced. Felt, smelled, tasted.  I tasted fire and ash on my lips. I saw his charred body, just carbon and ash, crumble and blow away. I could smell the dirt and ash. I could hear the war machines... feel the ground tremble. All of it. It is like I was standing there in the future or alternate future or alternate reality or something. >

< It was my experience. my vision, not his, judging by his reaction though. Wait. Me?? What the hell could be wrong with me? He was the one acting all weird before I kissed him. >

[Sara Hutchins]

<I don't know. But you just said yourself he was acting all weird like he was scared of you, and then you kissed him,> Sara had a hard time with that vision, < and after the kiss he was all blissed out like on a drug or something. I don't know about any of you but that sounds more like something happened to Sandy because of Lilly than the other way around. But then what the fuck do I know.>

She took a sip of the coffee and grimaced. <My god did you pour a cup of sugar in this!>

[Abel Cross]

<well we do all harness fairly impossible energies to fuel our abilities.  Perhaps because there are more of us now, the effect we have on those around us is noticeable.   It's something I doubt has been researched extensively.  Also just because I am Telepathic doesn't mean I see EVERYTHING everyone thinks, it's mostly surface thoughts, and it's basically everyone in town.   Its a crapton of mental noise, though particularly strong thoughts cut through it, and I can parse it down to narrow my field when I need to, but the rest is still waiting.  Now, i can actually look into Sandy's mind, and  see if there's something still there, some program that's mental, not biological.   I won't do so without Lily's consent.>

His own coffee was straight black, and he took a sip.  <we should really start a verbal conversation before they realize we have other methods to communicate.>

He grinned at Sean and Sara, "You know they weren't thrilled when you didn't come back with us."

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean waved a dismissive hand, smiling back at Abel. "I'm sure they weren't surprised by Sara. As for me, I'll convince them there was a valid reason." Her enchanting eyes were bright and intense, her gaze sliding towards Sara for a moment, her voice firm as she reiterated. "There was a valid reason."

She finished her coffee and arched a perfect brow at Sara's grimace. "Too sweet?"

"Just a little," Sara snarked in understatement.

"I'll finish it and make you a new one, then," Sean offered, rising smoothly to her feet and walking back over to the table. "Black?"

"Black."

<Sorry, hon. The coffee is mediocre at best, and I'm much better able to discern the tastes mingled in it,> Sean explained ruefully. <The sugar makes it palatable. I so need to build a better coffee bean and definitely a better coffee machine for home and for the base.>

Sean traded cups of coffee with Sara then sat back down, recrossing her longs legs. <And Sara has a good point, it's possible it's something on your end, Lilly - either entirely or in conjunction with something else - that caused the... hmm, unusual interaction between you and Sandy. Something else that should be considered, not ignored. We're all changing, and we aren't necessarily aware of in all the ways we may be changing.>

Sean caught the Airman's attention, calling him by name. "Excuse me, Airman Howell, but would you have an idea of how long this meeting might last? Just curious if I can hold out for dinner plans later or if I should choke down some vending machine food now."

[Lilly Pryor]

 

< Yea, but I don't have super pheromones or world-shattering charisma or mind powers or anything. I'm not some time or dimensional manipulator either. I'm strong, fast and tough. That's about it. Most, if not all, of you guys got the mega brains and metal stuff. Kia and I got uber-physically enhanced bodies and/or control over, them or whatever and Sara is an Avatar, Like Aang and Korra, or something. So I don't know how I could be affecting him like this. I mean, I sometimes have a strong gut feeling about danger, but I am not some precog or something. >

< And dude, relax. All I was saying is that I couldn't say if it is what Sandy saw/experienced too since I can't read his mind. It wasn't a jab at you or anything. It's cool. >

< Sandy was already acting weird before we kissed. He said he could not get me out of his head and stuff and was having dreams about me, well beyond the norm. He was able to even reconize that himself. He was acting odd before I even spoke to him and up until I kissed him. And then after, I guess, he was even acting a little odd. >

< Even if it is me, somehow, then how are we going to be able find or detect anything? >

"It takes as long as it takes." Lilly chuckled as she got up, being no stranger to military timelines and estimations.

"I'm hitting the machines. I doubt I can screw up my diet now anyways." she added.

[Kia Mizuki]

<I don't know about avatars or anything, but I think it seems like something Lilly did too...only it may not be that simple. Maybe it's different things. Like, Lilly didn't you do a mind-link thing with him for a little while? That might have affected him. And your vision might be some power you have that you haven't really connected with yet?>

Kia popped up onto her feet and echoed, "I'm going too. I always get hungry before these long meetings are done."