[Fiction] Lilacs (Mature)

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Rio De Janeiro

Lynette 'Indigo' Ross lounged on the beach, watching a couple of youngsters play beach volleyball in skimpy swimwear. She herself wore an old-fashioned one-piece swimsuit, gauzy silk shirt, wide choker of velvet and a wide-brimmed hat, all in shades of pale purple to match her hair. Being a nova, she attracted photographs and reporters, but when her telepathic voice reminded them that she could not talk (nor did she wish to), they subsided. Thank God that Tommy Orgy was in town anyways.

Her mind was elsewhere than the beach, searching for a girl she knew lived in this city. Others might question the morals of a sixty-plus woman seeking out the company of a girl decades younger than herself, especially a woman in a committed relationship with someone else, but Lynette had disconnected the moral side of her from the rest a long time ago. Espionage did that to you, and she was not surprised to discover so many of her colleagues were in organised crime, or like Nick, working in shady areas like prostitution.

She supposed that joining DeVries was an option for her - sneaky bitch with legitimate backing was a job she was used to, and one that paid well. But she wanted a little more enjoyment in her second youth. Nick understood, in his way, which was why they had made their compromise.

Finally, she found what she sought.

*Mithril? Hello, this is Indigo. I finally made it into town. You free?*

[Mithril]

Meghan "Mithril" Cutter loafed, as was her custom, on the living room sofa in the home she shared with Nova "Flicker" Madigan and Neil Preston. From the adjacent kitchen came the sound of an occasional rustling page or a bored sigh as Nova bent to her studies, working diligently to absorb four years' worth of medical school in one years' time.

Meghan held a game controller in her hand, and her attention was focused on the immense video display which filled one wall. On it, realistic animations of XWF warriors did incomprehensibly rude things to each other to the accompaniment of a throbbing techno beat. An optical media case with a plain label and the handwritten title "XWF Brawl Zone 2017 BETA" lay on the floor near Meghan's toeless feet.

"Man, this feels totally different now," Meghan mused, as she tapped out a punch-punch-kick combo to drive Ultimax backwards across the arena floor. Meghan had just finished her first full week of combat training with Erin "Stellar" Donovan, and already her perceptions of life in the ring had been changed. Fighting in the XWF was hard work, and not at all like mashing buttons on a game controller.

On the screen, Meghan's "Rage Bar" became filled, and began to flash brightly. She swept her thumb through a semicircle on the analog stick and triggered a four-button combo, unleashing an animated rendition of her own video character wrapping around Ultimax' head like a silvery turban and monkey-punching him in the kidneys repeatedly. Ultimax, played by the CPU, recovered and flung Meghan away, but its health bar had been seriously depleted.

Mithril? Hello, this is Indigo. I finally made it into town. You free? came the sudden voice inside her head.

Meghan sat up straight in surprise, her featureless silver eyes opened wide. Then she laughed and slumped back into the sofa cushion. On the screen, Ultimax had recovered his balance and was thrashing Meghan's uncontrolled character all over the screen.

Oh, hey, cool! Welcome to Rio. Yep, I'm free, Meghan thought, assuming that Indigo would "hear" her. Where in town are you at?

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Oh, hey, cool! Welcome to Rio. Yep, I'm free. Where in town are you at?

Lynette allowed herself a short laugh. Mithril sounded pretty eager. She supposed the girl was bored, or hadn't gotten laid in a few days. The feeling was certainly understandable.

She tilted her eyes - so pale a colour as to be unidentifiable as grey, or purple, or blue, or even green - to the white-gold orb of the sun in the piercingly blue sky.

*I'm at the beach. Isn't that what you do when you go to Rio when it's Carnivale time? Listen, do you want me to come to you, or do you wish to come to me? I'm not sure what your friends would think of this, me being sixty-something and all.*

[Mithril]

Oh the age thing is no big deal. Meghan replied. I guess I can come to you. Tell me which beach you're at and I'll fly right down.

Meghan stabbed the OFF button on the video screen's remote and shoved the game console under the coffee table before strolling into the kitchen. Through the slitted blinds that covered the sliding glass door to the patio, yet another beautiful late Spring* day in Rio awaited.

Nova looked up from her textbook, titled Problems in Ethics in the Modern Clinical Setting, and smiled at Meghan.

"What's up, kiddo?" Nova asked.

"I'm headed out for a bit," Meghan replied simply as she unlocked the sliding patio door.

(* Southern Hemisphere, ya know.)

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

*I can't speak Portuguese, so I can't tell you which beach I'm at,* Lynette answered apologetically as she stretched out on the reclining chair on the beach, basking in the sun. *I can tell you I'm wearing a purple silk shirt, one-piece, hat and a velvet choker. I'm near a couple playing volleyball.*

A clear picture formed in Lynette's mind, which she sent to Mithril hoping it would help.

*I do have a hotel room booked, if you wish to be discreet.* Underlying the telepathic speech was concern for Mithril, even if Lynette was almost amoral herself.

[Mithril]

Meghan scanned the background of the mental image for landmarks, and noted the position of the sun, that the shadows pointed toward the beach, and the wall of hotels in the background which lined the beach.

Okay, I think know where you're at, Meghan replied, Mostly, anyway. I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep an eye out for me please?

"Oh, okay," Nova replied to Meghan. "Where are you off to?"

"Going to the beach," Meghan said casually, "meeting a friend."

"Lucky you," Nova sighed, glancing at her stack of textbooks and papers. This was your choice, she reminded herself. "Okay, have a good time!" she said to Meghan, glad to see that at least one member of their family had the day off.

Meghan smiled coyly as she slid the door open. A gentle breeze flowed through the doorway, scented with the smells of Summer and seawater.

"I will," Meghan replied without irony.

On the wooden patio, Meghan looked down the long wooded hillside to the city below. She considered her possibilities for a moment, then leapt over the railing. Before she could fall to the ground, she altered her shape to that of an unusually large two-headed eagle made of silvery metal. Stretching her wings, she glided down the slope, picking up speed as she skimmed across the treetops.

Five minutes later, she'd found the right beach -- Rio had dozens -- and glided smoothly down its length, scanning the crowd below for two volleyball players and a nova in a hat.

Okay, I think I'm on the right beach, Meghan thought, Can you see me?

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette peered upwards, narrowing her eyes until she saw the silvery eagle.

*Good God, girl, you're pretty damn noticeable!* Lynette's mental 'voice' was both wry and admiring.

[Mithril]

That's the plan, Meghan thought, still scanning the beach for Indigo and coming up blank, Could you jump up and down or shoot fire into the sky or something like that? I don't see you yet.

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette chuckled and got to her feet, projecting an image of herself as she did so. Gracefully supple as she stretched beyond the limits of the baseline frame, her hair of lilac and sky-blue mingled together into a pale indigo hung down her back under the wide-brimmed hat. She waved to the sky, fingers elongating to cast shadows across the nearest stretch of unoccupied beach.

*Down here!*

[Mithril]

As quickly as Indigo had indicated her presence, Meghan spotted her. Flying nearly overhead, she pulled into a sudden climb, allowing all of her momentum to bleed away. At the apex she reverted to her usual teenaged girl shape, and lost the ability to fly. From nearly 75 feet up, she dropped to the beach like a lawn dart, her toes pointed downward and her arms arched over her head.

"BOOM! Ha ha ha!" Meghan laughed as she slammed into the beach, burying herself knee-deep in the fine white sand. She quickly extricated herself and bowed politely to Indigo, a mere fifteen feet away.

My God, she's even more astonishing in person, Meghan thought, forgetting that her thoughts were no longer private.

"Welcome again to Rio!" Meghan said as she walked toward Indigo to greet her, her feet leaving featureless ovals in the sand.

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette nodded with a broad grin, appreciative of the girl's dramatic entrance even as her sneaky side cringed inwardly at the lack of discretion.

*Hello, Mithril,* she said telepathically, choosing to ignore the thought that rippled through Meghan's mind. *I'm Indigo, and I'm flattered that you'd like to meet with me.*

So she'd never slept with a girl made completely of silvery metal before. It should prove an interesting experience.

[Mithril]

Meghan appraised Indigo's appearance as she approached, and was more than a little intimidated by her mysterious beauty. No matter how many times Meghan had been around women of extra-human attractiveness -- and it was not a small number -- she never had gotten over the sense of near-total inadequacy that such meetings inspired.

"I've got to say," Meghan said, "That despite the photos I've seen, I somehow expected some kind of outward sign or giveaway that you're really much older than you look, but I see nothing of the kind." Meghan shrugged and smiled sheepishly as she hunted for the right words. "I can't get over how mysterious and sophisticated you look. I think it's the choker and the hat."

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette smiled, her entire face expressing pleasure at the compliment. She touched the greyish-violet velvet of the choker apologetically.

*I need to wear the choker because I have a very nasty scar from the knife which destroyed my vocal cords,* she explained telepathically. Her eyes studied Meghan steadily as she reformed her usual lithe, supple shape.

*I must confess, I've never met a girl - ahem, young woman - made of silvery metal before. It makes you quite striking. And if you think I'm attractive, you should see my partner Nick. He has quantum-enhanced looks - mind you, I think the view would be lost on you.* She silently laughed, her mental 'voice' wry with humour.

The woman adjusted her hat as beachgoers looked curiously at the nova pair. *I assume you will be transporting us - wherever?* she asked.

[Mithril]

For the first time, Meghan noticed the small crowd of curious onlookers which had began to form.

"Shoo, shoo," Meghan said good-humoredly, gesturing to the sun-bronzed beautiful people in beach attire, "Parta, parta por favor, will you? Nothing to see here. Honesta, just a couple of novas. Obrigado!"

With murmurs of assent, most of the crowd dissipated with varying degrees of reluctance. Meghan had learned from experience that they would keep stealing glances at her and Indigo, and that if she returned the looks they'd all be back quickly and she'd just have to start over. Meghan turned back to Indigo, and kept her attention on her eyes* to prevent such a recurrence.

I'm nothing too special, Meghan thought modestly, And, um, to be honest, I'm not sure what to do next. We could hang out on the beach some, or I could show you around Rio a little, or-- Meghan hesitated. Well, you know, she thought, radiating an unexpected amount of shy embarassment.

(* Mostly.)

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette's smile turned gentle and understanding.

*I do believe that you might have more experience in 'that' than I do,* she admitted with candour. Her every movement was graceful as she gestured to Mithril to take precedence before her. *I must admit that old instincts are telling me to get out of sight as soon as possible. Do you know any sight-seeing places that are private?*

[Mithril]

That's hard to say, Meghan thought as she led the way up the beach toward the towering row of hotels which pressed against the seaside, Usually when I'm out and around the town, I'm showing off like crazy, being seen, getting on the news channels, making sure everyone remembers that a nova lives in Rio-- that sort of thing.

At the top of the beach a roadway ran parallel to it, and the hotels lined the other side. Meghan stopped at the curb and shrugged.

It's a big city, and there's lots of people, she thought at Indigo, The only private places are in homes and hotel rooms, really. If we go sight-seeing, we'll be in public. I can't turn invisible or anything like that. Flicker does, but she's got homework.

Meghan spread her hands and smiled awkwardly.

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette sighed and nodded. It was regrettable, but not entirely unexpected. The young had a tendency to show off and put themselves out in front. Her training had broken her of that in many ways.

*Then let me make a few adjustments...* She tilted her head over her eyes and reached into the pocket of her shirt, drawing out sunglasses and putting them on. She then twisted her hair into a knot.*...and I will not be so identifiable. How does this look?*

[Mithril]

Oh, definitely, Meghan thought, The sunglasses definitely do the trick. You're totally inconspicuous except for your purple hair and the girl made of living metal who is walking around with you. Meghan smiled and nodded in amusement.

You didn't rent a car or anything, did you? Meghan asked. I get where I'm going by walking or flying, and because of the way I look, both modes of movement attract a lot of attention.

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette shook her head with a silent laugh.

*No, I didn't. I walked straight here from the hotel I'm staying at.* Her mind-voice was amused. *Sometimes, being inconspicuous isn't the key to remaining unidentified. There are other purple-haired novas out there; I could even be assumed to be a previously unknown one.*

[Mithril]

Meghan sighed, mostly because it felt good to do so.

Let's just head back to your room and sort things out from there, Meghan thought. No matter how well-disguised you are, there's still the fact that you'll be in the company of me, and I stick out obviously, like a-- like a really obvious person!

As if to punctuate a point, a passing car honked its horn abruptly and a duo of foreign tourists hung their heads out the windows, hooting and wolf-whistling.

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

*Good idea,* Lynette agreed as she bent down and picked up her beach bag, hanging it over the shoulder. *Shall we?*

[Mithril]

"Yes, let's," Meghan said out loud, as she spared an evil glare for the receding auto full of cretins. On a whim, she reduced her weight to no more than a textbook, and allowed her body to pour into Indigo's beachbag, filling it with pure Meghan goodness.

There we go, she thought happily, Now we can go into the hotel and nobody'll know that you're not alone.

[Lyn 'Indigo' Ross]

Lynette chuckled and walked off the beach, onto the street, and to her hotel.

It was one of those cheapish places that were a step up above a motel, but several steps below the Hilton. She went up to her room, closed the door - and locked it.

*Well, welcome to my home away from home.*

[Mithril]

Meghan jumped out of Lynette's bag and resumed her usual shape as she alighted on the carpet. As she looked around at the faded wallpaper and the abused furnishings, she had to restrain herself from blurting out "what a dump."

"Well, home sweet home-away-from-home, I guess," Meghan said with forced cheerfulness.

For as much as Meghan got around-- and it was nowhere near as much as people suspected-- she'd never just gone straight to someone's hotel room like this before.

"So, uh," Meghan began awkwardly, "Lot of weather we've been having lately."