Electra

Stesha was far from home tonight, working in a new neighborhood, but it didn't bother her much. She was enjoying cleaning the weeds out of overgrown parks, adding flowers and generally nicening the place up. The parks here weren't generally dirty, they just hadn't gotten much attention beyond trash pickup in awhile. That just made it more fun to go through and really change it all up a little bit. She made a note to herself to put more grass seed in her bag for the next night, because it was almost all gone. She'd probably have been better off not doing the street edgings as well as she went by, but they looked so much nicer when they were all green. She'd finished two parks and was just about to pack it in for the evening when she heard a weird noise coming from just around the fence she'd covered with ivy. It didn't really sound like a person, almost like an animal. But a big animal! Concerned, Stesha reached out and looked through the plants, and saw a strange black form! It took her a moment to place it. It was an imp, as Taylor had called it, one of those weird little creatures that had appeared in the shop the other day. They were bad news. Right now it seemed to be investigating the ivy, almost as though it could smell something weird about it. Well, she couldn't just leave it out here, who knew what it would get up to? Stesha withdrew from the plants and extended a flower right over the imp's head. It grew for a moment, then exploded in a shower of pollen!

With some effort, Stesha pulled herself out of the communion with the plant, blinking into the artificially directed sunlight and getting her bearings. She smiled over at Ace. "Just some water, please, would be great. The plant is very old, and has a lot to say." She sat back on her heels, rocking slightly and trying to decipher what the plant had been telling her. "How long has it been since it's sent out runners?" she asked.

Erin snorted, looking over to the boys with raised eyebrows. "They're obviously jealous of my extraordinary ability to put a projectile in the basket. I'm kind of amazed we haven't gotten beaned yet." Alex obviously didn't seem to want to talk about her folks and the team, so Erin didn't pursue it. "We could always leave them to it and get the board games out, now that we've gotten to see everyone in their swim trunks."

Plants were never easy to communicate with, one reason Stesha didn't try it too often. They communicated so much in images and feelings, rather than words, that it was hard to get specific with them. But this plant was quite unlike anything she'd tried to interact with before. She tried to project an attitude of friendliness and a desire to help, coupled with images of wilted plants receiving new energy and vitality. She'd done a lot of that lately, so there was plenty of imagery to choose from. Zeroing in on the tiredness it was projecting, she returned inquisitiveness and concern. Normally with a plant that needed an energy boost, she could simply give it one, but this plant had power on its own.

Stesha is spending a point to stunt a Comprehension effect for plants, so the poor sick magic plant can tell her where it hurts.

Stesha spent a little more time than she probably needed to with the notes, fascinated by the methods of processing and harvesting, as well as the promised results. She'd heard stories of the Mankana before, but it all seemed so fantastical... Not that she had much room to talk, given how she'd come by her own powers! The Mankana was supposed to have all sorts of supernatural powers, even immortality. Could that be how her host still looked 25, even though he'd been a hero when her grandfather was a boy? If so, it was no wonder he was concerned for the well-being of the rare plant. Eventually she realized how much time she was taking with the notes. "Sorry," she apologized, "it's all just fascinating. You're certainly right about the impulse to research a one of a kind plant like this." She rose and walked back over to the plant again. "It certainly seems like you're doing everything right in here. Good temperature, good humidity, the soil tests and light levels look just fine." She herself could almost settle down right next to the plant for a little nap, thanks to the elaborate system of lamps and mirrors providing the sunlight, but that would hardly be professional. "I can't tell what's wrong just by looking, but hopefully a quick examination will let it tell me what's wrong." Resting her fingers on the droopy leaves like she was about to perform a Vulcan Mind Meld, Stesha closed her eyes and tried to think like a plant, like this plant, particularly.

Erin shrugged. "Worth a try," she said unapologetically. "You never know who might fall for that one. I went and looked at the car they use for driving lessons here. It looks like someone's already run it into a tree... or maybe run into it with a tree. But hey, if it drives, it drives. I could beat it in a foot race on level ground, but then I could beat your fancy car, too." She was still trying to needle him into it, but he'd been needled by the best, and her skills were no more than amateur.

Stesha popped a couple of grapes into her mouth to stop herself from giggling at Derrick's semi-tormented expression. For a superhero, he really was very shy... but she was pretty sure he wasn't actually averse to any of her flirting. When his arm came around her, she snuggled comfortably into the embrace, picking up another strawberry and this time eating it herself. "Maybe not as good as cupcakes," she decided, "but they certainly do have their charms. What do you pack for a trip to space, anyway?"

Stesha leaned up and took the berry from him with her teeth, delicately nipping it out of his hand, then using her fingers to remove the stem part. "Mmm, very nice," she told him with an impish grin. Sometimes it was just fun to watch him blush, and she couldn't help herself. Sitting up again, she reached for the bowl and held one up for him in return. "I'd like to see those places you've talked about. It sounds like the trip of a lifetime."

"It sounds like our best chance to get out of here," Erin pointed out, "and something we should do anyway. They need our help," she told Mike, hoping he was listening through his mental communications. "And it's robots. No one needs to get hurt. I think we should help them shut down the factory."

Erin gave him a skeptical look at that. "I'm a good driver," she pointed out. "I've got hundreds of hours of drive time. Not my fault this place won't take my word for it. I wouldn't wreck your nice car. Maybe you're just chicken." A grin tipped the edges of her mouth as she made the absolutely juvenile insult.

"I was just wondering," she told him. "I'm curious about everything, you know that." Grinning, she watched a pair of rollerbladers speed by, then turned back to him. "It just reminds me a little bit of taking a long car ride, you know, when you get beyond the thrill of the whole "traveling in space" thing. If you can't have music and books crash into things, I figured maybe going with someone else made it less boring. I don't actually know if I'd like to fly in space or not. I'm not normally afraid of heights, but I've never tried to go nearly so high."

Generally Stesha preferred her mother's approach to gardening, getting her hands down into the dirt and seeing what was going on, but her scientific training had her rising to at least take a look at the notes. "Most ornamental bushes can live quite a long time," she told him as she went over to the stack. "It can be hard to tell if no one's keeping track, but there are certainly rose bushes documented to be over 200 years old. And this one certainly looks like it's being kept in optimal conditions." She picked up the pile of papers and gave him a polite smile. Ace Danger, as befit his reputation, was almost intimidatingly handsome, but she was sort of starting to get used to that. By and large, superheroes were a very good-looking bunch of people. Despite the fact that he certainly looked like a playboy (or maybe a model) his old reputation and his old-fashioned nice manners made her feel more at ease than she might have with a man who was actually her own age. Surely international playboys didn't need to hit on women they called in for household consultations. The idea itself was enough to make her grin. "If I can just have a minute to get a feel for all this, I might be able to get a better idea of what needs to be done."

"I guess not. It sounds like a good way to crash through a planet. I guess you'd be okay, but the poor book would never be the same." Stesha bit into the apple, then scooted around on the blanket so she could recline on one arm and look up at him. "I guess music is tough for the same reason, once you get out of the range of radio waves. Hard to fit an iPod on intangible ears, and even if you did, they'd probably sheer or burn off at some point. Gives you plenty of time to think, I guess. Do the other Knights go with you?"

She would've liked a chance to get a better look at the aggressive vine guarding the door, but first things had to come first. "It does look like you're having some trouble," she said as she walked into the room, giving the plant a sympathetic look. "How long has it been like this? Was there any change that seemed to bring it on?" She glanced to him for permission, then went and knelt down beside the plant to give it a closer look. "Poor thing. Do you know how old it is?"

Both Stesha's eyebrows went up at that. "A mankana? Really?" She took a glance at the panel on the door, just to see what conditions it was being kept in, but most of her attention was on her host and his unusual claim. "Most of the people I've worked with are skeptical that it even exists, but you know what they say, more things in heaven and earth. Have you seen any of its powers in action?" She eagerly opened the door, looking back at him and waiting for him to follow.

Stesha laughed and winced at his story, putting her fingers over her mouth. "Oh no, poor books didn't stand a chance. You're lucky she didn't take your library card away. You need a bulletproof book jacket or something like that. Maybe I'll keep an eye out while I'm shopping." She finished her cupcake and wiped her fingers on a napkin, then virtuously pulled an apple from the picnic basket. "I like mysteries too," she told him. "Not like the true crime ones, because they're kind of depressing, but the whodunnit sort. My super guilty pleasure is the paperback romance mysteries you can pick up at the grocery store, but I imagine that's not your speed." She grinned at him. "Besides, those things would never withstand even a little meteorite."

Erin's cart spun out, but she was getting a lot better at maneuvering her cart without breaking the remote, and soon she was nipping at his heels again, second place to his first. "I'll get you one of these times," she promised, even as she dogged his cart all the way to the finish line. "I'm getting close now, and I haven't broken one of these stupid things in ages." She gave the controller a slightly disgusted look. "At least I'm finally getting my permit soon, as soon as the school gets some kind of identity up and running for me. Driving a real car is way easier." She slanted him an amused look. "Maybe you'll let me drive your car sometime."

Stesha's interest was piqued by the mention of a rare plant. That was even more interesting than the wealth of souvenirs. "What sort of plant?" she asked, quickening her pace a little. "Do you know what it's called, or where it comes from?" It might just be an endangered ornamental species, which would certainly be interesting enough, but she was starting to expect something just a little bit more exotic from the man with the invisible mansion.

She wrinkled her nose at his teasing, but didn't seem offended. "That's not a fair way to put it," she told him. "I like anything sweet, not just chocolate. And someone I met... oh, I didn't tell you! I met someone you probably know, her name is Phantom. She said she works with the Knights. Anyway, she said that her weight hasn't changed basically at all since she started doing hero stuff, even though she doesn't eat at all. So I figure why not test out the theory? If there's no way to lose weight, there's no point in dieting. If there ever is." She laughed and took another healthy bite of cupcake. "It sounds weird when you describe reading that way, but I guess it doesn't matter so much how you hold the book." Stesha chuckled. "I've got this great mental image of you in my head now, flying through space, with a book flying just ahead of you. Good thing space is big and you're not too likely to run into anything. What do you read out in space?"

"I'll do whatever I can for you," Stesha told him. "Are you a friend of Taylor's?" She paused for a moment just inside the door, looking around at the decor. It was like stepping into a really interesting museum, and she'd have loved nothing more than a chance to look around at all the strange and fascinating memorabilia on display. But that wasn't why she was here, she reminded herself, and quickly got moving again.

"If it's all right, I'll leave it here," she told him, parking the car and climbing out. She forbore to mention that the odd-colored roses were his fault, thanks to her preoccupation with his call. At least her next-door neighbor got a kick out of her occasional dyeing mistakes. Joining him in front of the house, she guessed, "So I imagine you have some kind of issue with a plant I might be able to help with?"

"Perfect," she agreed with a smile, taking a sip, then leaning her head against his shoulder for a moment. That felt nice, and very comfortable. But there were other matters to attend to as well, like lunch! Straightening up just enough that her body still touched his lightly, she unwrapped her cupcake and took a bite. "Mmm. Make sure you don't fill up on sandwiches, it would be a sin to miss this," she told him, licking a bit of frosting off her finger. "Devil's food cake with whipped chocolate frosting. So I was thinking," she added without a break, "how do you read when you're not in a human body? Do you use a Kindle or something like that?"

Stesha laughed as she watched Derrick take a look at her cupcake and wine, and pretended to hug them to her chest. "I'm photosynthesizing out here," she defended herself playfully. "That's healthy enough that I can afford to be a little bad. And I've wanted one of these all day long." She scooted in towards him so they were both on the same side of the blanket, then raised her glass in his direction. "To sunny days and good company?" she suggested.

Stesha blinked a few times, startled, but she was starting to get used to seeing weirder and weirder things in her everyday life. It was what she'd come to Freedom City for, after all. "Oh, sure, no problem," she said, wondering instantly how long it had been since she last shoveled all the wrappers and pop cans and gardening magazines out of the car. Surely it wasn't too bad, she hardly drove anymore... "It's a little messy," she said preemptively, leading the way over to the car. She tossed the books she had on the front seat into the back and took a bit more care with the package of electric blue roses, and decided the handful of wrappers would just have to wait. As soon as he joined her in the car, she drove down the newly-visible lane and stopped in front of the house. "Is there somewhere special I should park?"