Aberrant: 200X - One Minute Closer To Midnight

[Bombshell]

Once those at the Crush got over their annoyance and irritation of feeling like another Nova was just swooping in telling them how to do their jobs - as if they hadn't been mired in death and destruction for over a week - Minerva was able to coordinate the rescues teams to great effect. Though there were a few grumbles about her brusque manner, no one could deny her efficiency.

On the other hand, splitting her focus scanning for survivors was deeply depressing. After a week, there were very few lingering beneath the surface of the Crush, and even fewer whose thoughts she could reach, they were so far gone. And something else struck a disturbing chord - sometimes, Minerva couldn't tell the difference between buried survivors and the those trying to rescue them.

Jason worked tirelessly, moving and digging smoothly and continuously. Behind a professional smile that very few could beyond, that few would even bother trying, Jason hid her mild distaste for the new super-brainiac forewoman. It wasn't that Jason knew her, Minerva was probably a nice person and all. It was just, after appearing on a talk show, a pair of hyper-intelligent Novas appearing via video-conferencing had made her feel like a complete bimbo, and at least one she could tell, relished doing so. Since then, with few exceptions, she wasn't all that keen on the super-cerebral crowd, especially those who beat everyone over the head with it. They were so smart, they never considered that they could be wrong.

With the sun beginning to set, murky orange behind the dust ever-hanging in the air, Jason noticed Ghostwriter solidifying with physical and quantum exhaustion. And Ryusei too looked like a wrung out dishrag, as if he was suffering from heatstroke. Despite a hardy constitution, he had never channeled so much quantum energy in a single day before. Hands shaking slightly, he had never felt this strained before. The thought of using the merest spark of quantum-juice made him groan.

"Right, time for some food and to call it night," Jason said to herself, looking down at her hands. Despite all the bodies and debris she had dug up, they were still clean and perfect, flawless nails unmarked, almost mocking. She thought about everything she had seen, and how she felt after enduring the Crush for a full week straight without relief and knew she couldn't make that mistake again. "I'm gonna call it for me too. My body can handle it, but I'm not sure I can."

"C'mon, dude. Kat would never forgive me if I let you work yourself down to nothing." Supporting Katya's almost too good-looking boyfriend under the should with an arm and ridiculous ease, Jason approached Ghostwriter, where she was huddling under one of the open-sided tents, trying to keep her distance... from everybody. She looked up with narrowed eyes as the woman called Bombshell stopped several feet away.

If it wasn't for such an easygoing and amiable demeanor, lips curved slightly with gratitude and concern, it would have been very easy to hate Jason 'Bombshell' Bellefleur. She was simply to beautiful, looking like she had just stepped out of an adolescent boy's prurient fantasy, almost too far beyond human to be real, except she was. Even after a day of constant exertion, she still radiated with endless energy, dust and dirt not deigning to mar her ravishing looks. She would be easy to hate, except she wasn't.

"Hey, GW, me and Ryu here - and Paul, if I can find him - are going to be callin' it a day," Jason informed the woman who had very likely saved her life - or at least who knows how long being buried and unable to move. "No point in over-exertin' ourselves, right? I almost burnt out once, I don't that happenin' to any of us. You want to come with us for dinner, then you can grab a few hours of sleep at my place? I'm pretty sure I can manage us a flight over to Vancouver, I have my truck parked there, so I can drive us up."

[Ryusei Hideyoshi]

He was bone tired. He'd burned through his reserves at least four times, greatfuly taking the recharges. "Not really used to having to be helped." He was a proud young man, but at the moment, exediency won out.

He was tired, mentally and physically. "Sounds like a winning plan to me. Just give me a couch and I'll be fine." He knew full well if Katya was there they'd be in a bed, but he smiled thinking od her always had that effect on him.

[Eingar]

"I'll try to steer you clear of anything guy-repellent in the decor. Other than that, my sense of taste is pretty much limited to my mouth." Einherjar said with a slight grin as he sauntered after Katya.

"Oh, don't even try that." Katya shot back over her shoulder, pleased to note the pale blue gaze was still on her. Her lips curved mischievously. "Anyone as well-dressed as you usually are has to have -some- taste."

"All down to the eufiber and advice I get from people who know what they're doing, I'm afraid." Ein smiled and shrugged. "That said, I know what I like. So let's try to make the place liveable."

They worked for half an hour or so on the replacement decor, or rather Katya worked, and Ein did his best to distract her in between giving his opinion on her selections. A classic division of labor, as he put it when she called him on not being terribly helpful. She wasn't protesting too heavily, given that one strong hand was stroking up and down from hairline to the top of her ass at the time.

They broke for dinner, which they ate on the couch sitting next to one another. Einherjar looked sideways at the lovely brunette, his manner serious despite the faint smile on his lips under the short beard. "You mind if I ask a question?"

"You just did." Kat teased. Ein's smile widened, but those glacial eyes were still mostly serious.

"Aren't you and Ryusei together?" he asked with a gently inquisitorial air, taking another mouthful of food.

[Ghostwriter]

Ghostwriter looked up at Bombshell warily. "Aren't you worried you'll have to deal with a freaked-out Aspie?" she asked curtly, too tired to even maintain the modicum of courtesy that had been verbally (and occasionally physically) drummed into her by her mother.

[Bombshell]

"If you freak-out, then we'll deal with it." Jason shrugged negligently. "I'm not worried about it. You acted decisively when the ground almost collapsed on us, you very possibly saved my life, it's very least I can do. If you need extra space or whatever, just tell me, and I'll do all I can." Jason's perfect lips curved in wry grin, hands turning to briefly showcase her fantastic figure.

"Besides, I have to deal with freaked-out men and jealous women all the time. You wouldn't believe how many times people have tried to sue me to breaking up their marriage, people I have never met. At least, you have a valid concern beyond hormones. C'mon, I won't hold anything you say against you, you've earned yourself a tonne of good-will. Please?"

Ghostwriter stared at the living wet-dream then finally shrugged back and gave her a sharp nod. "Fine."

Ghostwriter followed along behind as close as she dare as the Jason went looking for Paul and a trip over the water back to Vancouver. They couldn't find Paul - though they left messages for him at the various checkpoints to catch up with them if he could - but Jason managed to finagle a helicopter flight back to Vancouver just for them. It was maybe a luxury, but hell, Jason didn't often take advantage of all that was showered on her, just for being a celebrity and impossibly gorgeous, so she didn't feel guilty.

Leading the trio to the nearby parking lot, Ryusei and Ghostwriter might have been surprised to find out Jason's vehicle wasn't some sort of ridiculously extravagant sportscar. Instead, it was a big Dodge Ram with a hypercombustion HEMI engine and an extended cab that had seen some obvious use, though was still in excellent condition. Jason boosted Ryusei into the passenger seat while leaving the entire back of the cab for Ghostwriter before she climbed in behind the wheel and drove them up Highway 99 winding up the coastline and mountains to Whistler.

The drive took over an hour, giving them a great, panoramic view and some time to recover from their exertions, though Ryusei nearly fell asleep. Finally, they made it to the picturesque ski-resort town of Whistler and Jason drove them to Player's Chophouse.

"This place is great guys, and it has a hell of a lot more than just some of the best steak I've ever eaten." Bombshell looked down at where Ghostwriter was glaring at the restaurant and smiled at her reassuringly. "And no worries GW, I'm here a lot, so I have a reserved booth that's out of the way."

Bombshell led them in, exchanging friendly greetings with the staff by name, who did indeed seem to know her, and led her guests up the stairs to the second level and her plush, leather-covered booth. "Order whatever you like, I got this."

[Firanis 'Fi' Flux]

Katys set her plate aside on the coffee-table and did the same with Einherjar's, then lithely straddled his lap, arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders, her lips spreading in an enticing grin. Her twinkling emerald eyes were deep and fathomless, giving away nothing.

"We are, and if I don't love him, I'm certainly more than fond of him," Kat admitted smoothly, no hint of guilt or shame in her husky tones. Anyone with a lesser tactile sense wouldn't have felt Einherjar stiffen, but she did, her thumbs kneading the hard muscles in his shoulders and neck. "He also knows exactly what I plan on doing. I told him. And if he's a little... reticent about the idea, he's still willing to trust me. Besides, he's starting to consider the possibilities..."

Einherjar didn't fully relax. The modern Viking was definitely still intrigued with her, but there was a lingering sense of disapproval there too, though he didn't remove the slinky woman from atop him. Katya sighed and leaned against his powerful chest, a slender finger tracing the deep delineations of his musculature.

"Let me try to explain before you judge me," she murmured reflectively. Einherjar could feel every breath she took, the very beating of her heat transmitted through her flesh and his. "The paraphysicians at the Rashoud facility, they hypothesized, if not conclusively proven, they people can experience pre-eruptive events, brief flashes of quantum expression before they erupt. That's what happening when Jason erupted."

Katya smirked, self-deprecatingly and perhaps with a trifle of melancholy. "For a brief time, I fantasized about being a woman, a Nova, built like Knockout. It was a little foolish, a little petty, and not a little impulsive, but well... there it is. And then there was one magical night, where hormones and desire commingled in a flawless ballet and suddenly, the fantasy came true, there was a new woman like that. Only, it wasn't me."

She chuckled ruefully, her voice purring velvet. "I was jealous for a time, maybe even spitefully amused, but there was always a sympathy for what Jason had suffered. As near as I, and her, and the docs, can figure out, I transposed my desires and wants on him, the ones at that exact moment. I think that's partially why Jason took the change so well... there's a trace of what I am in her."

Katya sat up again, her thighs tight against the sides of Einherjar's torso, her vivid green eyes intent and direct. "Then Ryusei came along and... things developed between us. I had a Nova for a boyfriend, rich, smart, droolingly handsome, and considerate. It was like another dream come true. I visited his family for Christmas you know. Rather more Novas ended up there than anyone was expecting, his younger brother didn't like me, and I wanted more than anything to be Ryusei's equal, to be worthy of a man like him..."

Katya grin radiantly in fond reminiscence. "And then I was. It was my turn to erupt, to become more, and being a Nova turned out to be everything I wished it was. No regrets, no unexpected, or at least unwelcome, surprises," <Seductive, soul-scratching, heart-pinning green eyes...>, "Just pure ecstasy and a sense of overjoyed wonder. Like a blind man who can suddenly see, only a thousand times more potent."

With a deft, elegant touch, Katya began undoing the buttons of Einherjar's shirt, and simply rested a hand on his naked chest. Her hypersensitive tactile sense felt every minute flex and contraction of his steely strength, his resolve and his desire, nearly on the cusp of reading the very memories imprinted on flesh and bone. Her enticing grin widened, green, green eyes slitted and hungry.

"And then there's you, Einherjar, another fantasy to face me in the flesh." Though she didn't actually need to breath, and was able hide or reveal her tells at will, Katya's body undulated slowly, back arched with desire, her eufiber thinning to near translucency and Einherjar knew it wasn't any artifice on her part, nor lack of control. It was simply desire and want and honest.

"Jason and I made our Lists when we were fifteen or sixteen - those celebrities or whoever, that if we ever got the chance to be with them, it didn't count as cheating. She amended her List many times, but I never did. Funny enough, Knockout actually wasn't on her List. Lots of couples have their List - no one ever believes they'll get the chance to place a checkmark next to one of the names." Katya's eyes opened, riveting his icy blue one with fierce directness. "And yet, here you are."

Katya giggled with abandon, but there was nothing girlish about it. "The only name I had on my List was you. Three times. So you see, even before I've had you beneath me, I had decided if the opportunities came along, I would chase down my dreams and fantasies and make them true."

Katya's head tilted to the side, her expression growing somber, her midnight hair tickling his chest. "Had Ryusei strenuously objected, I wouldn't have pressed the issue, and simply resorted to more casual flirting. What that would have done to our relationship later, I don't know, nor care to conjecture. Instead, I have every intention of helping him fulfill his List."

An impish dimple flared back into existence and she giggled again, and this time, it was a tad girlish, her grin wide and teasing. "Besides, there's another fantasy of mine that I've dreamed about, but I thought I'd give Ryusei a chance to get comfortable with the idea of me and another man in my bed."

Katya gave a sharp sniff, but she was obviously amused and in high spirits. "This was a rather long-winded reply when I'd have much rather had my mouth occupied doing something else, but does it satisfy?"

[Minerva 'Mainframe']

Minerva took the irritation of others in stride, it was, after all, all in her calculations, in fact, everything was in her calculations. Of course, in a way, she was lonely, other then the other brainiac's out there, few could match her, and she sighed inwardly as folks working around the crush tried to avoid her when possible. Maybe if she could come down to their level, but she never could, it felt wrong limiting herself that much.

Even worse, it was known to some that she was a telepath, and when she figured out what they were thinking simply by body language, they took offense, assuming she was reading their minds. Perhaps she thought she was always right, but to be fair, she nearly always was, and she could tell others, even other nova's resented it at times.

While she was working, directing crews, she also began to backtrack and work her way though several word puzzles, and go over the files of the employee's she had asked for. Making a decision, she called up Julia. "Send each of the office employee's to my location, I can interview them and do some relief effort at the same time... and put them to work while they are here." It would also let her know a bit of their character, how they reacted to that, after all, the person was not the file.

[Ghostwriter]

Ghostwriter curled up in the furthest corner of the cab, hugging herself at the unwilling state of solidity she was currently in. The autistic wasn't even sure what had possessed her to come to the Victoria Crush and help rescue people; perhaps it was because she was perfect for search and rescue...

...Perhaps not. She knew within days, if not hours, she would be flooded with recruitment offers - just like she had after eruption. She also knew that she would likely refuse all of them because she didn't like the ethics of the organisation or because they were dickheads.

When they got to the restaurant, Ghostwriter, still filthy and unwashed from her days of work, made a beeline for the darkest, furthest corner of the booth.

[Ryusei Hideyoshi]

Ryusei sat in their boothe and came to life enough to order a dozen steaks medium well, Two bowls of beef stew, and two plates of ribs.

When the other looked at the relatively thin nova, he sighed.

"I can handle my own part, as it relates to my own needs."

He nodded. "Every time I burn myself that far down, I have to eat alot to replenish my body. Even with the "recharge" from our friend, I still keep the hunger. Multiply that by the number of charges, and yeah, alone I could probably eat every scrap of food in this restaraunt."

[Bombshell]

Jason chuckled, her rich, silvery soprano chiming like glorious bells. "And Kat was sayin' you and her eat just for the joy of it. Hey, I ain't judgin'. I got a twenty-three inch waist and I eat more than I ever did as a teenaged guy. I'm still not sure if this Nova appetite is a pain or a bonus." Bombshell ordered a pair of big rib-eyes and changed her side to a poutine, and Pepsi to drink. "At least I don't have to hear anyone say anythin' 'bout watchin' my weight. Hell, I had to watch it more when I was playin' hockey."

Jason more than made up for her exhausted companions, still full of nearly exhaustible energy, hiding her close call with mortality behind her naturally engaging, amiable nature. Despite her goddess-like beauty, a wry, self-deprecating humour made her seem more approachable, more... human, and if one could manage to look beyond her awesome appearance and impossibly fluid movements, one would notice traces of her former gender, which didn't detract from her appeal in the slightest.

Jason proved to be an amazing, easygoing companion, sharing funny anecdotes from her life, from her time playing hockey to her new careers in acting, modeling, and the XWF. Without prying or pushing, making sure she gave GW her space, she asked after Ryusei's and Ghostwriter's interests, and if they didn't want to share, or weren't in the mood, she happy enough to keep talking or let the conversation subside comfortably as she ate her meal with great gusto and kept an indigo eye on the sports playing on the flat-screens hanging about the restaurant.

Even if they didn't pay attention to what Jason was saying, her smooth, heavenly voice was a soothing balm, easing some of their tenseness. And as long as she was talking, Jason was able to refrain from dwelling on almost being buried alive, her new life almost being cut short.

I need to call Danielle when I get home...

When dinner was done, the cook blushing as Jason offered her compliments, even though she came to the Player's Chophouse often enough that they were on a first name basis, Jason took care of the bill, face hardening until Ryusei relented on insisting to pay his share, then looked at her companions.

"So, you guys look like you can barely stand. Ready to crash at my place? Let's go." Jason stood up and stretched, causing the restaurant to watch in panting silence, ready to lead them back to her truck, or even carry them, if need be.

[Ghostwriter]

Ghostwriter turned out to possess a ravenous appetite equal, if not exceeding, that of Jason's as she consumed a massive amount of carbohydrates, proteins and sucrose washed down by a lake of caffeinated, carbonated beverages. Many of her food choices reflected her need for energy, both short-term and long-term, and she was more interested in filling her stomach at somebody else's expense to do anything like actually socialise.

When the last bit of food and drink was consumed, she looked at Jason and said, "Thanks for that. My tale's simple enough..." Then she began, using stark, simple and frequently coarse language, to describe her background and Asperger's Syndrome, eruption and education. That she was more than humanly intelligent was obvious, that she possessed a snarky, even bitter sense of humour apparent, and that she was being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the nova world easy to see.

[Bombshell]

Far from being shocked or offended by Ghostwriter's blunt words and biting humour, Jason rather enjoyed and appreciated it. Sure, there were some, who just because she looked like a sexual fantasy, they thought they could say anything they fantasized about, but most tried to watch what they said around her, saying the things they thought she wanted to hear. It was mostly only her friends and a rare few who could look beyond, or at least ignore, the impossible woman the media followed around.

"That's rough, GW. But I understand - a little bit, in a certain way," Jason commiserated, smiling wryly and cupping abundant assets in a way no 'real' woman would have. "I spent so much of the first few months being dragged, kickin' and screamin', into the land of tits and pussy, that I didn't even worry about the Nova stuff until it was too late. Only advice I can give ya, is stop fightin' it so hard. If you relax a bit, you'll have a better chance of directin' how you want your life to go, and it'll feel less like ramming you head against a wall." Jason snorted, tossing her head to clear her face of some silvery hair. "Heh, that's all my vaunted wisdom from a year and half of Nova- and Woman-hood."

The waitress came around with the small leather folder with the check inside and Jason flipped with the flick of a graceful finger, making a note to add it to her tab and adding a generous tip. "Thanks, Michelle, we kept you running today. I'll be back this week to clear my tab," Jason said with negligent smile that made Michelle feel week in the knees and for a moment, made her entirely forget her boyfriend.

"And I thought I ate a lot for a girl," Jason teased. "No problem, GW. I'm making more than I ever expected, I don't mind sharing with friends." Jason looked at her two guests, raising an inquiring brow. "You to want to head to bed or linger around town some more?"

[Ryusei Hideyoshi]

"Now that's an invitation from Bombshell I never though I'd hear made." His blue eyes almost twinkled.

He smiled to Jason and nodded. "Sorry, Katya would have said it if she were here, I thought best to act in her stead."

He looked at the others. "Jokes aside, bed does sound good,simply because I haven't seen one in three days."

[Eingar]

Well, evidently the explanation -did- satisfy Katya mused idly in one corner of her otherwise pre-occupied mind. She lay stretched out on the couch alongside Einherjar, one leg hooked over his waist as he ran those hands she'd dreamed about over her body in slow exploration. Her mouth, she was happy to note, was also more pleasantly engaged, playful and heated kisses passing back and forth between their lips. As for her own hands, having peeled off the large Elite's shirt so she could caress his torso more thoroughly they were starting to wander further down his frame.

Ein was having similar ideas, his slowly-stroking fingers making their way up the outside of Katya's thigh and slipping under the trailing edge of her dress. The Russian girl moaned, her sensitive skin feeling every calloused whorl of his fingertips brushing over the top of her thigh towards her sex. She arched and pressed her body against him even more, her own hands causing Einherjar's own breath to shorten unbearably as they nimbly unfastened his belt and slid below his waistline.

[Bombshell]

"Har-Har-Har! I've never heard that one before," Jason mock-laughed, curling a lip in a faux-sneer and still looked and sounded damnably enticing. She cupped her impressive, jutting breasts, her hands overflowing, giving Ryusei a smirk, twilight eyes bright. "Grow a pair of these, then convince my girlfriend, then you might have a deal. But seriously, let's get you two a place to rest."

Jason led her two guests to her pick-up and drove them to her apartment, parking in the underground garage. Her key for the Penthouse let them ride up the elevator without having to make any stops and Jason lent Ryusei an arm as they stepped out into the vestibule before her front door.

The tall, silver-haired woman dug out her keys and unlocked the door.... to find two half-naked novas making out on her couch.

"Kat, what the Hell?" Jason glanced over at Ryusei and took a second glance around her apartment, noticing the unpainted patch in the hallway, a missing lounger and the gouge cut-out of her kitchen counter-top.

"What the Hell?" she repeated, her gorgeous, mellifluous soprano rising to something that was almost a strident tone.

[Firanis 'Fi' Flux]

Really? Still with the interruptions? Katya sighed silently, somehow not surprised, only her hand tightening inside Einherjar's pant betraying a hint of her irritation. She withdrew her hand and slipped from Einherjar's lap, a brow arched... archely, all self-possession and sultry coolness once more.

"Ah, Jace, back already, and with Ryusei and Ghostwriter too." Katya pursed her lips, glancing around the snazzy penthouse - slightly worse for wear. "Poor Sunshine had a bit of an incident, but I've gotten some contractors in to fix up the damage, and Einherjar was nice enough to help me in picking out some replacement furniture. The contractors will be back tomorrow - be nice, smile and inhale and all that, they were most disappointed you weren't here, and the furniture and new counter-top should be delivered in a few days. Property manager will send you the bill."

Katya glided forward, taking Ryusei off of Jason's arm and supporting him herself, a slight frown marring her captivating, impish features. "Jael, Sunshine, and Dr. Jia have all gone back to the Rashoud Clinic, so Ein and I have been each other occupied."

"Occupied?" Jason demanded accusingly. "That's my couch! You could have at least gotten a room - and not my room. And what about-"

Katya continued right over him. "-And it seems like someone has occupied himself too much, hmm? Ryusei, don't push yourself so hard, why, look at you?" She scolded. "I'm taking you home, and you rest for a full day. No buts!" Katya gestured, opening a Warp back to Ryusei's home in Tokyo and holding up a finger when Jason opened her lovely mouth. "Don't worry about you've seen, Jase. It doesn't concern you. Einherjar, I'll be right back, if you don't mind?"

"Of course not, though waiting won't be easy. Ryusei, you're a lucky man," Einherjar rumbled, looking bemused, which only deepened upon seeing the bewildered expression on Jason's too beautiful face.

As Katya stepped through the Warp, Jason just shook her head, muttering under her breath as she led Ghostwriter to one of the guestrooms, so she could get some much needed rest. While they were gone, Katya stepped back through her Warp, collapsing it and opening another to a locating she had teased out of the memories locked in Einherjar's meat and bones.

"Shall we continue this in a more... secure environment?" she asked, holding out her hand. Einherjar was instantly at her side, slinging her over his shoulder in perfect viking pillaging manner and strode through the Warp into his private suite in Praetoria.

"Now, where were we?"

[Ryusei Hideyoshi]

Ryusei was left in his home in midday, and stared numbly at where the portal had been. He was tired and exhausted. He understood her whole list notion, and not particularly inclined to go with it, he didn't see the choice here. It wasn't like he had power enough to go get her and endure a verbal war with her at the moment.

"Fine, have your fun, we'll see how this plays out."

On his way to his room, he actually smiled when he saw Sakurako not in her room for once. His other siblings were at school, and he nodded to his grandfather, before passing to his own room, then climbing into his bed, and promptly going to sleep.

[Minerva 'Mainframe']

While the other nova's were getting rest, Minerva was still working, though she was growing tired. Calculations filled her mind of just how much work she could continue and the potential loss of lives if she couldn't keep going.. and sudden fustration filled her mind.. she could keep going for some time, days perhaps, but effeciency would drop by 7.843% every 3 hours..

Fierce determination filled her as she considered another possibility, calculating, and pushing herself covering as many different projections as possible in her head.. and a blinding headache began to develop.. and she stopped for a moment, to hold her head..

"Damn..." Even as the headache began to throb, her growing exhaustion faded away.. the efficiency downgrade was now only going to be about 5.37% for the next 12 hours, after which she would be able to continue working unabated, indefinitely as top efficiency. Mind over matter, in an interesting way, even as she thought that, she realized that there were other repercussions to her pushing herself this way, she felt as though she had changed physically as well. A moments internal consideration suggested to her what had happened, data returned her entire internal structure had changed, physically, she was now only peripherally human in appearance.. a thought which shook her for a moment, but her hyper-fast wits allowed her to come to terms with it without more then a stumble.

"Is there a problem, Ma'am?" One of the worker's asked her.

"No, nothing, continue.." She got back to directing rescue and recovery efforts, even as others began to retire. Meanwhile, even as she dealt with the headache produced by new quantum development, she returned to looking over the various files of the Canada employee's, the first of whom would soon enough be working beside her for a bit, as she interviewed them.

[Bombshell]

After getting Ghostwriter settled in the guestroom, wrapping a blanket around her - GW fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillows - Jason headed back into the living room, hands above her head as she gave a big stretch. It was a sight, simple and innocuous as it was, that many would have paid to see.

Except it seemed everyone was gone, Jason had her penthouse purely to herself, save for another woman who was dead to world for at least several hours. The impossibly gorgeous woman walked around, looking over the damage Sunshine had caused and the recent repairs, while deftly undoing her braid so her ass-length, gleaming silver hair could hang loose.

Jason finished her observations in her room, and since she had the place to herself, decided on a relaxing dip in the hot-tub, that was under the gazebo on the extensive, surrounding terrace. She stripped herself naked, glided into the bathroom to do her business, then studied herself in the mirror.

The sight that greeted her was absolute, feminine glory, one she saw everyday and had accepted as being her. She smirked, striking a pose, hands overflowing as she cupped her magnificent, proudly jutting breasts, the inevitable stirring of arousal rising inside her. She maybe have accepted her new appearance and gender, could even admit enjoying it to varying degrees, but she still considered herself a dude, albeit one with an awesome rack and a pussy, and disregarding the obvious contradiction. It probably wasn't healthy to be turned on by yourself, but it worked for her. So did having a girlfriend who was nearly her twin. Danielle...

Focusing on a face that had graced many a magazine cover and a poster, Jason was surprised to find her softly luminescent, indigo eyes were brimming with tears that finally overflowed, to trail twin, silvery tracks down her sculpted cheeks. Her perfectly manicured hands trembled slightly on the vanity, hands that could exert more precision than any industrial machining. She exhaled sharply, scrubbing angrily at her eyes, damning her female hormones. She might have been a woman now, but she still possessed a guy's reluctance to shed tears, even if they did come somewhat more easily now.

It's no big deal - being buried under the Crush might not have even killed you, just might have been an inconvenience. Except it was big deal. She had almost died, had the sense of mortality forced upon her for the first time since she erupted. It could have been game over, thanks for playing, keep the tits as a consolation prize. She had helped a lot of people, she knew that, but all Jason could think about was herself and all her friends she would have left behind, especially Danielle.

"Oh, Dani..." Jason took several deep breaths, composed herself, than padded out onto the terrace, plucking up her personally customized OpPhone and slipped into the roiling hot-tub with a sigh as the hot water caressed her long legs, her tiny waist, her more than full breasts. A long, elegant finger tapped the touchscreen, calling her girlfriend, needing to hear her voice. The phone was answered on the second ring.

"Oh, Gods! Dani, I missed you, I... love you. I love you." Jason realized she really did, simple fondness having grown into something much, much more over a year and a half. Luscious lips parted at she shivered, exhaling a sigh full of utter relief. "Today was rough, Dani-babe..."

The world may have ticked one minute closer to an endless midnight, but Jason was still fortunate to have some bright points in her life.