Nemesis Facility: Cafeteria

[Stargaizer]

((This will be a mostly open thread. There is always food avaliable, just post what you eat or cook. I'll handle the NPC interactions. During the normal meal hours, it will be pretty full, otherwise it is relatively empty.

Layout: buffet lines to two sides, the door on the third and the 'free kitchens' on the fourth (door wall, 'free

kitchens' to the right, buffet lined walls in

front and to the left).

[Stargaizer]

It was getting towards the end of breakfast as Draygo and Alexandra entered the cafeteria. As such, it was only about half full, and most of the people looked normal. There were a few exceptions to that though. There was one man who had wings (think Archangel from X-3), one who was covered in green, snakelike scales, and yet another that looked like a humanoid bear. There was a woman who had purple skin and four tentacles coming out of her back, and yet another woman who looked like a red cat-person. But, all-n'-all, the fifty or so people finishing their breakfast looked pretty normal.

[Ally Kat]

Alexandra nodded at his response as it was refreshingly along the lines of what she wanted to hear. She looks to the buffet and inhales. The aroma of different breakfast foods makes her smile as she qickly moves to get a tray and then plate.

She piles up a plate with a trio of pancakes, some scrambled eggs a biscuit and some of the fresh still sizzling bacon. After picking up some butter and pouring syrup over the pancakes she made her way to one of the unoccupied tables. The various other people in the room freaked her out just a bit, but she went back to the breakfast before her and zeroed in on how good it smelled. She used that to sorta block out the rest of the wierdness surrounding her.

[Courier]

In the middle of a conversation, Will and Violet walked in, waved to Draygo, got their food and sat down within ear shot of Alex and Draygo.

Quote:

Will said,

"I know what you're feeling, so empathy I guess. There's something funky about my reflexes, I'm *much* better with a staff now..." Will apparently meant this in both senses "...and probably fighting in general." *Careful Will, her face is up there*

Will added as an after thought, "I'm a lot tougher than before too. Obviously I don't know what the deal is with any of this. That broom, is that like a flash light or more like a light saber? What does 'tougher' mean? Needles and matches don't work, but what about bullets? Nukes? I'm not getting shot just to prove I can be shot."

Will asked, "How about you Violet? Telepathy, *best body on the planet*, anything else?"

[Venus]

Violet had to giggle as she 'overheard' Will's thoughts. "Careful there, Will. I can still 'hear' you, though I like what you're thinking.", she flashed him another smile before she took a bite from her pancake.

"I can do this.", she looked at Will's glass of orange juice and made it float towards her. Then she picked it out of the air and took a sip. After that she let it float back to it's place smiling triumphantly at Will. "Very handy thing, if you asked me."

[Stargaizer]

As William and Violet entered entered the cafeteria, Draygo, who himself wasn't eating, motioned them over to the table Alexandra had sat down at. He seemed genuinely pleased to see them.

Once they came over, he introduced them, "Alexandra, this is William and Violet; William and Violet this is Alexandra." He focused on Violet. "I'm glad that whatever happened seems to have worked itself out." He then shifted his attention to the entire group. "You three are going to be working, training and learning together. William and Violet, you two have had a chance to get to know each other, I suggest that you two and Alexandra make the most of the opportunity that you now have. If you want, I'll give you your space while you eat and get aquanted, if not, I'll stay and answer whatever questions you may have... or just talk..."

He waited for their responses before making his next move.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Violet

Violet had to giggle as she 'overheard' Will's thoughts. "Careful there, Will. I can still 'hear' you, though I like what you're thinking.", she flashed him another smile before she took a bite from her pancake.

*Well now. Definitely something to follow up on later.*

Quote:

"I can do this.", she looked at Will's glass of orange juice and made it float towards her. Then she picked it out of the air and took a sip. After that she let it float back to it's place smiling triumphantly at Will. "Very handy thing, if you asked me."

Will responds with an impressed, "Yes."

Originally Posted By: Stargaizer

Once they came over, he introduced them, "Alexandra, this is William and Violet; William and Violet this is Alexandra." He focused on Violet. "I'm glad that whatever happened seems to have worked itself out." He then shifted his attention to the entire group. "You three are going to be working, training and learning together. William and Violet, you two have had a chance to get to know each other, I suggest that you two and Alexandra make the most of the opportunity that you now have. If you want, I'll give you your space while you eat and get aquanted, if not, I'll stay and answer whatever questions you may have... or just talk..."

Will said,

"Alexandra, pleased to meet you. So are you an experienced hand at all this or a fresh off the boat trainee like Violet and me?"

[Venus]

Violet flashed Alexandra a beautiful smile and stiffled a laugh. "Oh dear, Will. Looks like you're going to be in trouble with us girls."

She gave Draygo a short side glance, ""Are you sure with the team set up here? We don't want Will to get too distracted when we're on the job. What is it that we have to do anyway? Fight the bad guys? Do I look like someone who wants to get into a fight?", Violet shoved her chest a little forward to emphasis her last statement.

[Ally Kat]

Alexandra looks up from her meal and is releived to see that Will and Violet are normal, well Will is, Violet is arugeably the most beautiful woman she's seen.

"Good morning to you both." She chuckles. "No I'm not old hand at all of this, I'm very much a "fresh off the boat" trainee."

She looks over to Draygo and smiles. "No need to leave, you're part of the team too aren't you?"

She stops eating and motions for the others to join her at the table. "Sit down, or if you're hungry, go get some food, I'll say this much, they really know how to cook here."

[Stargaizer]

Draygo gave a nod to Alexandra and sat down. "Thank you. And you're right, they do know how to cook. I once put in a request for a whole cow, and they cooked it to perfection. I don't know how they do it, but I'm sure glad that they can." He starts to 'smile', but catches himself before he shows off too much tooth.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Violet

Violet flashed Alexandra a beautiful smile and stiffled a laugh. "Oh dear, Will. Looks like you're going to be in trouble with us girls."

Quoting "Fiddler the roof", Will responded with, "May the Lord Smite me with it."

Quote:

She gave Draygo a short side glance, ""Are you sure with the team set up here? We don't want Will to get too distracted when we're on the job. What is it that we have to do anyway? Fight the bad guys? Do I look like someone who wants to get into a fight?", Violet shoved her chest a little forward to emphasis her last statement.

Will found Violet's chest very distracting.


After greeting Alexandra, Will left for a moment then came back with a plate full of food. He started to eat and said,

"I gather Violet and I both went... Meta? Super? What do we call ourselves?... day before yesterday. How about you Alexandra, did you meet the angel and demon at the same time?"

[Stargaizer]

Draygo looked to Violet, ignoring what distracted William so. "Hopefully the training and team building that we'll go through will help William see the two of you as fellow teammates and not pieces of meat for his physical pleasure." He shot William a sideways glance, trying to soften the blow of the statement, but probably failing miserably due to the nature of his face. His emotions were still light though.

"Trust me Violet, we won't be sent into situations where you'll be a liability. Our missions, once we get to them, will be suited for our specific make-up. But those are a long way off, first we'll learn to control our powers, and then to work as a team under a variety of circumstances. Of course, very first thing is breakfast. Eat up, it'll be a long day today." Draygo couldn't help but smile this time... now that they were getting more used to him, it actually started to look less threatening.

[Venus]

Violet gave Will a short glance stiffling a laugh about his witty remark.

"I see. So we are actually the 'good guys'? I'm still having trouble to get to terms with this. It's like out of a movie and sounds impossible. But it is not."

She gave Alexandra an appraising look and smiled again. "You're a looker, Alexandra. Maybe we can win the prize for most beautiful team-up? Even with Draygo on our team.", she gave Draygo another look and sighed.

"How did you end up looking like that anyway? Are you even human?"

[Courier]

Will treats Draygo's comment

Originally Posted By: Stargaizer

Draygo looked to Violet, ignoring what distracted William so. "Hopefully the training and team building that we'll go through will help William see the two of you as fellow teammates and not pieces of meat for his physical pleasure."

Will gave a half amused laugh and said, "He's kidding."

Originally Posted By: Violet

She gave Alexandra an appraising look and smiled again. "You're a looker, Alexandra. Maybe we can win the prize for most beautiful team-up? Even with Draygo on our team.", she gave Draygo another look and sighed.

"How did you end up looking like that anyway? Are you even human?"

Will assumed Violet was still listening in and thought,

*I don't think so. He doesn't respond to you like you're attractive. No attraction. No envy.*

[Venus]

And I'm glad as hell he is not. I don't even want to picture him drooling over me. He looks disgusting.

Violet wasn't really expecting an answer to her question and turned her attention back to Alexandra.

[Ally Kat]

Alexandra nodded "I did at a party, so did another friend of mine who hasn't been seen since." She nods to Violet. "You're the looker Violet, a guy only looks at me if he likes girls with an athletic build. You're very beautiful."

It took some control to not say anything more, Alexandra had always been a tomboy, and there was a part of her that envied the other more attractive girls.

"What about the both of you? How did you come to be chosen"

[Stargaizer]

Draygo actually did respond to Violet's questions. His tone was still light (as light as it could be for someone whose voice was felt as much as heard), but his mood darkend slightly. "You're right Violet. But this is real. It'll take it awhile to sink in; I know it did for me."

He simply ignored the comment about winning the 'team prize' and finally answered about his origin. His tone was the same, but his mood was thoroughly deflated. And for the first time, William could tell, empathically, that Draygo was holding something back. "Well, I was chosen too, and this is what I got. As far as am I human, well, yes and no. A part of me is still human, just as human as the three of you, which is arguably more or less human than the unchosen, depending upon who you ask. As for the rest of me... well, that part, that new part is what gives my my good looks." With that he immediatly switched gears, sounding more upbeat, and trying to prop up his mood but only half succeeding.

"Now, hurry up and finish your breakfast so that we can all get into the training room. We have to see how much of a grasp you all have on your powers before we can help you improve."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Ally Kat

Alexandra nodded "I did at a party, so did another friend of mine who hasn't been seen since." She nods to Violet. "You're the looker Violet, a guy only looks at me if he likes girls with an athletic build. You're very beautiful."

Will says, "Oh, I like a girl with an athletic build." Although he's apparently serious it's also obvious Violet is an eye magnet to Will.

Quote:

"What about the both of you? How did you come to be chosen"

Will answered,

"Car accident, but I think I was on the short list before that. A girl maybe as attractive as Violet tried to pick me up, then she went off with two guys and a half hour later they t-boned my cab. Got me square, broke half the bones in my body."

"Violet's beauty is one of her powers, thus Heather was a power. I think someone saw this 'chosen' thing coming and tried to take me out."

Originally Posted By: Stargaizer

"Now, hurry up and finish your breakfast so that we can all get into the training room. We have to see how much of a grasp you all have on your powers before we can help you improve."

Will said, "Yeah, on that subject, do you guys already know what my powers are? I'm still working on figuring out some of them."

[Venus]

Originally Posted By: Ally Kat

"What about the both of you? How did you come to be chosen"

Violet waited for Will to answer and carefully finished her plate while she was trying to find a way to somehow change the subject. Then Will brought up the question about his powers again and she immediately jumped on it.

"Imagine that - he can make brooms glow.", she giggled and rolled her eyes. Then she looked at Alexandra smiling seductively at her.
"Judging from your athletic built I guess that you're powers are more physical in nature?

As long as she didn't have to talk about how or why she was chosen everything was fine for her.

[Ally Kat]

"Yes, increased strength, speed, and balance. Perfect for someone who runs track, but not all that spectacular."

[Stargaizer]

Draygo half shrugged, half nodded in response to William's question. "We know some of them, and we have ways of testing to discover any that we don't know about."

He seems to be watching everyone's plate, and his mood was one of increasing readiness to go.

[Ally Kat]

"I imagine some of these tests must be fun to watch. I can just imagine how certain things are tested."

She pushed away her finished plate. "I'm ready to go when the rest of you are."

[Venus]

Violet nodded in agreement, "Quoting Will's words - I was born ready., another giggle escaped Violet and she literally jumped up from the table displaying both a lively nature and bouncing abundancy.

"Lets get started, the sooner we're done with this, the earlier I can get on a shopping spree. I can't wait to get out of this place."

[Courier]

Will finished his last glass of OJ and took the plates back up. He said,

"Let's go see what this glowing broom can do."

[Stargaizer]

Draygo nodded as everybody showed that they were finished. He showed them where to drop their plates and trays when they were finished (which is the same place that they'd drop off their pots, pans and other utensils when they used the kitchens).

Then, he told them to follow him as he led them to a place they'd never been on the second floor... the training room.

[Courier]

***********************************************************

After his very long training session... which mostly consisted of him losing to and being beaten up by Draygo... Will walked slowly into the Cafeteria, got a tray of food, and found a table. Will looked tired, apparently even his new endurance had limits. If he'd had a tail it would have been dragging behind him.

[Venus]

After a warm shower and an argument about who would go to the Cafeteria Violet finally relented and gave Samantha some freetime.

Samantha put on the facilities standard jogging suit her stomach grumbling with hunger. The training session was a facinating experience and Violet's good mood was the only reason she now had the chance to get some time with William alone.

She took one of the trays and randomly took something from everything deciding later on what to eat and what not. Samantha found William quickly and simply took a seat across of him. "Hey, how are you doing? You look... tired."

[Courier]

Will perked up a little when Sam sat down but still looked beat. He moaned theatrically in a play for sympathy from the pretty girl... but with more than a little reality. Will replied,

"Hey Sam. Tired? You mean dead don't you? . Going Pro was harder than I figured. Draygo and I went one on one... I lost... then we did it again."

"I'm sure I learned a lot from the process. If I live I'll thank him for it. How'd you do?"

[Venus]

Samantha laughed briefly at Williams short report of getting his ass whooped.

"I - ahm, we did fine. I think. Practiced shapeshifting. Dresses and stuff. I gave Violet some ideas and she shifted accordingly. It was rather fun.", she took a fork full of pasta obviously hungry.

In between bites she asked, "And you're really ok? I... I", she blushed unsure what she wanted to say in the first place. "I hope you're alright and not trying to mark the tough guy."

[Courier]

"Am I Ok?" Will chewed on that for a moment. "If you mean, right this minute? Then the answer is no. I pushed myself a lot further than I'd think sane only a few days ago. Before I'd be a week recovering from this stunt."

"As it is I should fully recover in a few hours. That was part of the drill this time, I'm going to see how long it takes. Seriously Sam, I'll be fine... but thank you for asking."

"How about you? How are you and Violet getting along?"

[Venus]

Samantha gave William a shy smile. "I'm just glad you're ok. I was worried about you when we sparred the first time.", she stopped wolving the food down and took more time to actually enjoy her meal.

"Violet and I are doing ok, I think. She agreed to give me some more spare time. Oh my god... this must sound crazy to you, I'm sorry.", she blushed and looked self-consciously at her plate.

[Courier]

Will's huge plate of food was rapidly disappearing, it was far more 'work' than enjoyment... but enjoyment from food had come second to maintaining weight during the season for years.

When Sam blushed he chuckled and said, "Crazy? You mean as opposed to using a glowing broomstick to fight a dragon for the express purpose of getting beaten up? 'Practicing' invulnerability and rapid healing is pretty much what you'd expect."

Will said more convincingly, "Sam, I know you're two people. I don't mean you've convinced me, or I've seen you change, or even that I believe it. I mean I can feel it. You're like... I don't know. If you mix cherry coke and orange pop together you can still taste both of them."

Will pointed a fork at her and stated, "Right now you're Samantha, not Violet trying to play a trick on me. Violet's there but she's in the background."

[Ally Kat]

Alexandra came in and sat at the table at that point. She'd taken a longer shower, having sweat alot pushing herself.

She sat down witha huge plate of food and smiled to her teammates. "That was humbling. How'd y'all make out?"

[Venus]

Samantha tried to smile at Alexandra still thinking about Williams words.

"I - ", she paused and took a double take "We did really good. Much progress and lots of fun. I'm still having trouble how to put this in proper context. I'm just a passenger, Violet gets all the action.", there was something close to resentment in her voice.

She sighed and suddenly didn't feel so hungry anymore.

"How did you make out?"

[Ally Kat]

"Accellerate can run faster backwards than I can forwards and dodge obstacles better like that too. Nothing I even tried could match anything she did."

She nods. "It was very humbling. I thought I did well enough, but my legs ached so much I could hardly walk. I've never run that long or that hard in my life."

[Courier]

Will nodded and added, "Join the club. This is intense stuff. I've learned a lot... and not just that Draygo was holding back when he kicked our buts earlier. They... he..."

Will struggled for a moment then said, "He was a good choice for me. You practice invulnerability and rapid healing by getting hurt a lot. No way I'd passively accept someone shooting me every 5 minutes just to hurt me, but sparing is different."

Will added with a smile, "And I'm getting better and learning his limits too. One of these times the room's reset function is going to be saving his ass and not mine."

[Venus]

"Looks like I got a lucky break this time. Our training went rather smoothly. But it involved no fighting, just shapeshifting and that was really fun. Morph didn't try to humiliate me, ahm, Violet. He was actually very kind and understanding."

Samantha pushed her plate away unfinished and looked at her new companions. "I still would like to know what this is all about. Most of this just doesn't make sense. I feel like having slept and just woken up to "the real world" - you know like in those Matrix-movies?"

Maybe she would cope easier if she was the one with the powers? Samantha sighed a moment and couldn't hide her disappointment her smile was just a fake "put on" for politeness sake.

[Courier]

Will said, "Sam?" Talk if you want to...

[Venus]

"What?", Samantha answered a bit harsher then intended.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for.", she shook her head and tried to relax.

"Yes, Will?", she managed to smile again - this time more sincere but still weak.

Spill your heart honey but it won't get you anywhere, Sam. Things are as they are.

[Courier]

Will said gently, "I liked the Matrix too. But Neo woke up and found the real world to be a disappointment. If you want to talk about it..."