alderwitch
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"Nothing world-changing," Alex said with a small smile and a shrug of her slim shoulders, "We stumbled upon a potential beauty product during some work with a metahuman with chameleon type abilities. It'll allow for light reactive pigments in some products to license out. It should result in a more effective and controlled color change effect in some types of make up." Alex said with the same sort of enthusiasm she had for more important work. Of course, the potential for more color in the world was always of interest to Alex. Her breadth of interest was one of the factors that had made AEON financially successful. "But marketing has a few deals already online that should prove lucrative once we clear the last hoop."
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Robin offered Riley a small, sidelong smile as she shifted towards the back of the group and shoved her hands deep in the pockets of her leather jacket. She leaned her shoulder against the elevator, quiet but not uncomfortable among the small knot of students. "I don't think these scenarios are true/false sorts of things, Huang," Robin offered laconically from her spot in the back. Her lingering annoyance with the coach leached into her tone as she added, perhaps a little bitingly, "More like watching rats run a maze, I think. But, s'probably more about learning why we made the choices we did and what the Leaguers would'a done. History doesn't always mean its the best and all." She nudged the tall magic user heel with one foot as she added, "Though isn't going counter the Freedom League's plans like a family tradition?" she teased before turning towards Sarah with a nod, "Raina and Huang are both spell-slingers. There are a couple of other magic-sorts in our year too."
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"The school is very careful about chaperones and curfew," Talya interjected smoothly, as if she wasn't aware of either Raina's discomfit - or the fact that those were exactly the sorts of things that much of her teaching was about circumventing. The lie was smooth and flawless, as she added, "Were I the sort to have children, I'd be happy to have them attend Claremont's facilities. Alas, my life took a more circuitous path but I do so enjoy teaching. No where near the same, I'm sure." The Espadas children were not often in the dojo but Talya had mentioned trick or treating with their toddler the same day that she'd given Raina those heels. Neither inflection nor expression, however, gave away their existence - or their importance to the blonde spy. Even if she'd decided Rochelle was trustworthy, which Talya was still far from that opinion, Talya had a very particular persona that she projected inside these walls. "No one's rushing into anything at all," Talya added, her voice as smooth as silk, "I'm sure - temporary as it all might be - that you'd still like Raina to make friends. One never knows how useful some contacts might be as adults. Personally, I try to cultivate relationships along all walks of life. So useful."
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Talya had turned her shoulder slightly at Min's approach and leaned into the offered embrace, shifting to let her hip bump the dryad's. Her fingertips came up to rest lightly on Min's waist and the smile she turned towards the woman at her support was mutely appreciative, even if Talya's well honed social senses were quite aware of the rapidly unravelling situation. She might - might - have been able to salvage it but the Espadas were nothing if not stubborn, she'd well learned, even those not fully potty-trained. Sometimes, especially the little ones. Talya had grown used to the timbre of infant disagreement by now and she glanced down at Eden. The rare sight of consternation flickered across her features as she peered down at the toddler's insistent expression and then glanced to the mulish infant holding onto her dress. Talya's soft sigh was almost inaudible under the flat not-quite-a-question from Erik's mother. Social triage, then, starting with the most pressing and moving down the list. "Eden, dearest, it takes a little while to master proper diction. Mia shall grasp it in due time, never fret," Talya said as she unwound her arm from Min's waist to offer elegant hands to Eden and coax her towards the bottle neck. "Miss A, though, is a treasure. Dessert before dinner is a rare treat. Perhaps she'll let you have one of her truffles if you ask very nicely." Talya's voice remained smooth as she glanced up over Eden's head at the paragon and gave a small, subtle nod to her question. Her poised smile never slipped but the relief flashed briefly in her bright blue eyes. She tipped her blond head towards Min then, deferring the question of Mia to her mother even as she reached up to pat the baby's hand clinging to her clothes, "Yes, my little love, very good. Look at you getting all those sounds down." Only after she'd busied herself with dealing with that did Talya lift her gaze towards Erik and his mother. Then, Talya's smile finally slipped, as her expression turned mutely apologetic. Clearly, she should have spent the day hiding in the living room. Her muscles were tense under Min's fingertips but she remained both there and visible; a true testament to Talya's internal fortitude. She could probably have slipped by Steve. Probably. "Well. Perhaps I can take over on washing those vegetables?"
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Robin knew they weren't yet running late so she didn't hurry her step when it appeared the others were already gathering. "Hey, is that the new girl?" Robin asked towards the blonde she was walking next to - Raina was always more likely to know school gossip than the Fens native would ever manage. She wore the same well worn jeans and shirt that Robin was always in, if uniforms were not required. The smile she turned to Sarah was small but genuine as she added a laconic, "Hey." The nod she gave Huang was companionable although she warmed markedly as she came to a stop on the grass next to the archer. Robin bumped her shoulder into his companionably. "Trying to earn brownie points for beating everyone else here?" She teased.
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From the album: Alder's Artistry
Finally complete! -
That his fleshy mortal prison needed sleep was just one of the many drawbacks of this form. Still, despite the fact that he needed sleep, Ray generally slept lightly, so when the whisper came in his ear, he rose swiftly from his bed. As he tossed the covers aside, it took the angel a few moments to reorient into the waking world but even as he was rose from the almost too small bed, the mystical tattoos on his body swirled and filled the room with ambient light. He blinked once, squinting at the demon invading his bed chambers. "You." The words were flat but Ray watched her like a snake and made no move for the jeans draped over the back of a chair. The angel's room, in contrast with the modern tattoo parlor downstairs, was downright spartan with only the basic needs - bed, chair, dresser - although messy with books that had overflown from the living room. Ray's tone was the utter opposite of welcoming.
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Talya groaned but at least she remained there, caught between the two of them and her arms still loosely entangled with them both, "I am not ready to talk about potential clothing choices or anything of the sort. I still don't think I can manage this," she declared, at least tipping her head back to frown up at Erik rather than down at the ground. "If I was prone to the vapors, I'd be having them at the moment. Would that I had less stalwart sensibilities or a more delicate constitution." Her shoulders heaved with a small, beleaguered sigh and she let her head fall against Min's shoulder as she said, despite her earlier comments about the futility of apologies, "I am sorry."
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Robin obeyed the direction from Riley, flattening her palm on the brick dutifully and holding still as Riley lowered the knife to her skin. She didn't flinch away from Kingsnake's inspection and once he'd looked at it, gave Riley a small nod to continue. When the knife bit against her skin, Robin winced but didn't jerk away. Kingsnake might not have been able to perceive the old scars on the arm she bared to Riley's blade but her heartbeat remained even and steady as Riley worked, her muscles taunt against the pain but she neither flinched nor complained as he worked. Clearly, whatever strength she possessed, she was no Centurion as the knife parted her skin with only a modicum of effort. "Doesn't matter. Got a lead," she said, the words more terse than usual. "No one gives out a hundred bucks for testing. Too good to be true and it can't be legit. Usually avoid free clinics and stuff. Can't give blood and donations if you're under age. Usually. Just asking for social workers to hustle you off."
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As Erik well knew, Talya's tricks didn't turn her ephemeral and she'd not taken more than a step or two away so she was quickly caught and encircled in strong arms. After a brief hesitation in which Talya might have still considered other avenues of escape, she reappeared with her cheek against his chest and her arms loose at her sides before she found his hips with her hands. "Despite rumors to the contrary, I am unfamiliar with this entirely. Television seems to purport that this is where I ought suggest that we're jumping to conclusions and it could be nothing but I do so loathe playing to type," Although it was at least banter, Talya's clipped tones were too brittle, too sharp as she turned her head to the side to finally relax into the comfort that was offered with a very, very quiet, "I can't do this." As if that very quiet admission released some internal pressure, her posture deflated as she added a moment later, "If you apologize, then I'll need to apologize and then we'll just start all over when Min comes back into the room so she can say we're being absurd."
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Robin didn't exactly help the uneasy silence as she wasn't prone to conversational chatter at the best of time. She did, however, remember her manners and murmur her please and thank you's as food was passed around the table. She was careful not to take too much of anything, erring on the side of too little and when she ate, it was with slow measured bites as she mentally reminded herself to not bolt her food. At the question, Robin paused and put down the fork. "I, uh, maybe?" Robin said, cutting her grey eyes towards Riley then, her discomfit clear on her features before she turned her expression politely to Peyton. "I mean, thank you for the invitation but we hadn't discussed it though I, uh, don't have plans." Robin winced slightly as her words fell flat even in her own ears. She glanced back down at her plate and reached for her fork once more, her movements carefully measured as she tried to find a way to deflect the conversation from herself, "What sort of things do you like to do for Christmas?"
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Robin took the offer from the man in stride, giving him a flat look at the flirtatious offer and not flinching as whatever-it-was was injected into her arm. "Thanks," she said shortly, taking the information that was offered and stuffing it away into her jacket, along with the offered food and cash. She banged the door open, harder than was necessary but not hard enough to do it any damage as she left the van and headed down the alleyway. As soon as she rounded the corner, Robin began to shrug out of her jacket and reached down to rip the hem of her tank top off, tying it tight above the injection site. She climbed back up towards where the two men were waiting, trusting that they'd deal with whatever was necessary to mark the van, careful not to use her arm overly much in the process. As she reached the perch where Woodsman and Kingsnake waited she pulled herself up and offered shortly, "Injected something in my arm. Into the muscle, not the vein. Should probably cut it out before we track down this flier's information. Offered a hundred bucks to go do 'more tests'." She explained swiftly, unaware that Kingsnake had heard the conversation in the van as she rolled up her sleeve to present the already scarred arm to Woodsman and her makeshift tourniquet.
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"Nicholson - it's a sort of Junior version of Claremont. Elementary for kids that might not mainstream so well," Taylor said with a small, bemused smile as she was well aware at this point that her family was abnormal even for abnormal. As if to add to that, she gave a small, apologetic shrug, "I'd have to conjure up an illusion for you instead. Like Jack, the kids don't show up in mirrors - or cameras. Occasionally, I shell out to get portraits done because otherwise, I don't have any of those sorts of things to put up around the house. Fortunately, the house lends itself well to having old fashioned oil paintings. I keep meaning to see if one of my super science friends can figure out some sort of work around." She shrugged and tucked her hands in her jean pockets, "Thankfully, they take that and the fangs in stride at Nicholson. I am hoping that Stesha ends up sending Ammy there next year. JJ adores her and I think she's generally a good influence."
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As the silence stretched, Talya finally lifted her blonde head from her hands. Cowering, after all, had never been in her nature and all the difficulties in her long life, Talya had long ago learned to face chin up and head on. She took in Erik's posture and the really rather reasonable shock on his handsome features. With her usual easy grace, Talya rolled from her seated position up to her feet silently. Reaching out, Talya touched her elegant fingers to the center of the palm that he was staring at, the gesture somehow mutely apologetic and affectionate the same time. The touch of fingertips still lingered even as she vanished to Erik's other senses, clearly a preamble to an inevitable flight response - most likely to the tallest building in the city to have a moderate panic attack forty stories up.
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Talya's release of Raina's shoulder was natural, relaxed and the smile she aimed at Rochelle had just the sort of easy 'nothing to prove' charm that made it equally clear that the blonde Brit didn't feel threatened. "It's a school designed to help special children realize their potential," Talya said smoothly as she joined them at the table in a graceful movement, taking a place at Raina's side. Personally, the ex-spy took some concern with Rochelle's perhaps unintentional efforts to continue to paint Raina as alone until her parents could be freed. Talya's smile was all charm as she folded her hands neatly on the table, "Indeed, the food isn't terrible although certainly no Michelin dining but the children get off of campus for all sorts of recreation. There was even an off campus Halloween party, I believe."
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Robin glanced down at where her arm was still strapped in place, idly wondering if she could snap the bindings if she put the effort into it. The idea of being stronger than a human wasn't something she was entirely used to and while using her physical abilities came naturally, she wasn't entirely certain what sort of upperlimits she might have. Still, her grey gaze remained level and steady, turning automatically to follow the technician around the van. "Sandwich and juice. And twenty bucks," Robin reminded him, her expression unsmiling. It wasn't feigned - she wanted the food and the twenty bucks which made the entire thing easier to summon. And although she was aware that she'd set off something in his system, Robin had no fear of it turning into a conflict. No, really she was mostly grimly eager for a chance to show whoever was nabbing the homeless that these people were still protected.
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Robin was quiet, her position slightly behind Riley and to his non dominant side. She remained there, her head slightly cocked to the side and her hands in the worn pockets of her jeans as she waited for Riley to make his choice. She didn't flinch at the mention of family although a muscle flexed along her jaw before she forced it to relax. "Whatever you wanna do," she told Riley, her gaze remaining level and her posture relaxed, "Shame to let good food go to waste, regardless. I mean, best thing to do is not let things ruin your plans, you know?" She finally unbent her posture, pulling her hand from her pocket to give the hand on her shoulder a gentle, reassuring pat. "Or your meal, really. Everything's better on a full stomach, anyways."
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Talya buried her face in her hands, that blonde curl that usually obscured one eye falling down to shield her features even more than usual. The muffled noise from her covered features wasn't quite a laugh or a sob, but some strangled sound in between the two as she did the math quickly in her head. "I got the vaccine when it came out - although whether or not it took... neither here nor there," Talya's usually clipped tones were a little garbled by the fact that she'd not remerged from the hands braced on either side of her temples, "Death generally resets everything, for me. Including my birth control." Of course, for the last several decades, that had been more the matter of not having to deal with the monthly inconvenience of biology as Erik was the first partner in that long for that to be a concern. Reasonable, or not, Talya was a little too busy wrestling with the entire concept to begin down the path of self recrimination. She'd get there eventually, though, no doubt.
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Talya felt at a distinct disadvantage once the only one left on the ground with two somewhat concerned faces peering down at her. She rolled up to a seated position swiftly, with a limber grace and folded her long legs up tailor style. Having people concerned over her well being was still a new phenomena and while Talya was generally prone to brushing off such concerns, she'd not yet abandoned the residual guilt of having put Min through watching her most recent death. Dutifully, she turned her thoughts over to the few mild complaints she had. "It's not as if I've been running a fever or suffering chills." "I suppose that I may have been more tired, though its not as if we keep the most regular of hours," Talya allowed as she ticked off things, more to put any concerns at ease than giving the conversation true weight. "And, certainly, I've been favoring bland foods. It could be some sort of sinus pressure - my balance has been just a smidgen off but nothing I'd worry over. Honestly, I doubt I'd even notice it if I wasn't prone to balancing on precarious ledges or hanging off the roof by my fingernails. I suppose that it started a bit after the whole dumpster episode but not until a few weeks after at the very least and its a fresh, new body. Death tends to wipe the slate clean, clearing out even things like a lingering cold - or recent hair styles, or--" Both Espadas were treated to the rare sight of the usually glib blonde spy breaking off her words mid sentence, her hands freezing mid gesture as all the blood drained from her features.
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"Well, sure," Alex agreed with a brief smile and a lift of her slender shoulders, "I'm psychic. I can see stuff other folks can't - genius thing, aside. But my intuitive understanding isn't the same as scientific discovery and its a discovery that I just happen to know about in advance. It'll be neat to see how its ratified and proven. I like watching puzzles come together. 'Sides, the better that people understand the way the mind works, the better they can help. You know full well all our power, we're still just a single person. But when it's known, then there are many, many hands to fix problems." Alex beamed at him and added, "That's always better." She agreed before taking a final sip of her wine and sliding it away for her water. Alex watched her alcohol intake very, very carefully as a tipsy psychic of her power was generally not a good thing for anyone. "Work's always exciting. There's a patent that they're working on which is getting close to approval and that'll be nice. The accountants get a little tetchy when I start pushing the pro-bono too hard and an influx of revenue will make people happier. It's silly. We're very much in the green but I did hire them because sometimes I need to hear a conservative voice."
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Robin didn't glance over her shoulder, despite the instinct to do so. She didn't know Kingsnake well - or trust the man yet - but she knew Woodsman would track her with the same intensity he gave everything. Stepping up onto the door, Robin swung into follow the orderly without saying a word and her sneakered feet were quiet. She put the effort into slowing her motions as she'd grown aware that regular meals and rest at Claremont had only heightened her abilities and she had no desire to set off any alarm bells. Robin vanished into the interior of the van, her gaze intent on the nurse as she stepped in. "So, uh, you need me to take my jacket off, I guess?" Robin wanted to know as she went to slip her jacket off and take her seat to have the requisite blood drawn. She'd have been more nervous over this part but if Claremont's tests had failed to turn up anything unusual, she doubted that this place would have the capabilities to discern the origin of her super powers. "I get the food and money after, right?"
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"I am never short on ideas to get you out of your shirts in the dojo. Perhaps other articles of clothing too if I can manage it," Talya said as she twined her arms around his shoulders, her red lips curving in smile that was full of wicked thoughts. "I was promised a Zorro demonstration at some point and I have been so-" Talya paused to nip his lip very gently. "-very-" Her lips lingered a little longer that time. "-good." Her brows arched up then, in both invitation and challenge.
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"Eleven thirty?" Talya parroted in return, frowning up at Erik as if he were speaking nonsense although she couldn't deny the evidence of promised food. She twisted her head to glance at the clock to confirm that she'd officially gone down around the same time that their three year old had given up the ghost. "Mia being an energy vampire, while not the oddest occurrence ever, does seem unlikely. I don't often get sick but it's been known to happen. Especially if magic's involved but I haven't exactly tussled with a magic user since, well..." Guilt flickered briefly across her aristocratic features as her gaze flicked from Erik to Min's face directly above her. "But that didn't linger," she promised both of them swiftly. "When the damage is that severe, I just reset back it seems and clearly that curse remains in effect. I might be a little more tired of late -- perhaps a tetch more sensitive to spicy foods but I generally blame a British pallet. Don't fret. I really am obnoxiously resilient."
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"Uh, sure," Robin said, her arms still folded over her chest and her drink untouched. She'd been watching over the small group of girls from Claremont from her position on the end, one hip leaning against the bar. Robin felt a certain amount of responsibility as it was her rough neighborhood they'd come to. Of course, the run down buildings and empty warehouses made for a good staging ground for parties. Still, she didn't want to be rude even as she gave the men all dressed similarly a slightly dubious look. "How 'bout Derulo's Don't Wanna Go Home?" It was catchy although Robin liked some of the other songs better. Still, she might not be the MOST savvy, but was aware enough that suggesting something like 'Talk Dirty to Me' could be taken as encouragement that she wasn't trying to give.
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Talya's sigh was equally soft as Min's fingers threaded through her blond curls and she drowsed long enough for Erik to return with the camera. Mia's shriek of glee at having undivided parental attention, however, finally roused the thief from her cat-nap. "Midnight already?" Talya wanted to know, as she turned on her side to smile up at Min - the words still drowsy as she shifted into wakefulness with only minor disorientation. This time, though, she was awake enough to catch Mia before the baby could continue to scale her shoulders in attempt to reach her mother. Shifting her arm, she lifted Mia over her head towards the dryad. "Your daughters might be night owls," Talya commented before twisting her head to squint up at Erik and his camera with some suspicion. "I thought you had promised food."
