ic Visiting Hours (IC)

[Fox]

"People are stupid," Dragonfly agreed. "Don't really regret 'missing out' on formal school most of the time. But certain people, you say?" Reaching out to her side, she pushed a couple books off a chair, spun it backward, and sat down. Folding her arms on the chair's back and leaning forward, she raised an eyebrow. "More interesting. Gossip! Share."

[Gizmo]

"Gossip? I- what?" If there was any demand Jill had been expecting to hear from the petite inventor, that certainly hadn't been it. "When did I become the reticent one, and you trying to engage me in frivolous socialization?" she wondered ruefully aloud, letting her hands fold over each other selfconsciously. "It's not like there's a big thing, just, since I started really making an effort to meet people and make friends and stuff, um..." The medic seemed reluctant to finish articulating the thought.

[Fox]

Dragonfly tilted her head. "Didn't mean to push too hard. Curious, though. Don't get much insight into others' personal lives." She shrugged, settling down on the chair a little. "Bad habit, maybe. Always want to know things. Still, can share - or not share - if you'd like. No monitoring devices in here or the attached rooms that I don't have direct control over. Soundproof walls, even, and empty adjacent rooms...probably to blame, for that last one. Bending space makes some people nervous. Not a very good liar, but good at keeping secrets."

[Gizmo]

Jill let out a long, beleaguered breath. "No, it's fine, I just haven't really gotten into talking about this yet. With anyone. So." Rubbing her face with one hand over her bandanna mask, the acrobatic youth seemed to come to a decision. "Look, it's just, and this shouldn't even be a big deal, but, I spent a lot of time kinda keeping to myself and now that I'm actually putting myself out there a bit... there's some stuff that's been 'hard to miss', like you said." After a brief pause she gestured emphatically with both hands to emphasize the point, evidently wanting to get the awkward confession over with. "As in I think I maybe like girls. In a gay way."

[Fox]

Both eyebrows cleared the top of Dragonfly's visor, and she made a little humming sound as she reviewed the last hour-and-a-half-ish in her head. "Makes sense. As big a deal as you feel it is, honestly. Wasn't to me, but my reactions to things are often...atypical. And I lacked good reference when I was realizing. Probably harder for you. Perfectly reasonable to have...things to work through. Difficult subject, I think."

She shifted, pointing toward a closed side door with one hand. "Small bedroom with computer access over there," she offered, trying awfully hard to keep a straight face, "if you're still not sure. The Lab is a building of learning. Would be happy to remain here while you perform research."

[Gizmo]

A poorly stifled snort of laughter escaped from between the fingers on the hands Jill pressed to her face. "Knh, stop that!" she demanded through a chuckle, coughing as she tried to hold the sound in. "Admittedly, discussing this with the smart, cute and apparently surprisingly bawdy girl might not have been my best plan, speaking objectively. Whoo." Clearing her throat and catching her breath, the slim young woman brushed at the bangs that had once again fallen over her mask's eyeholes. "Besides, you know I'm more into biology than electronics," she added with a broad smirk, evidently unwilling to be outdone completely.

[Fox]

"Cute-" Dragonfly coughed a little, just barely tinting red. "Am not bawdy," she defended with mock admonishment. "Am honest. Perfectly reasonable course of action if you need to decide things for yourself."

She raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth and clearly not willing to be outdone so easily herself. "And you clearly simply need to use better electronics."

[Gizmo]

"Mmn, nope, little bit bawdy," Jill countered, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "One might even say risqué. See, I'm picking up some French already." Sniffing, the taller girl turned her nose upward slightly. "And I'm dealing with some serious self-image reevaluation, here. I'll call you cute if I want to." Daunting though she was finding some of the larger implications, that part at least Jill found oddly liberating. "As for biology versus electronics, all I'm saying is there's no point in reinventing the wheel then the existing equipment is more than satisfactory." She gave the syllables of the final word drawn out emphasis, her nose crinkling in amused challenge despite her attempts at maintaining her haughty demeanor.

[Fox]

Dragonfly shrugged, waving a dismissive hand. "Clearly just an excellent teacher. With a mouthy student." She shook her head, doing her best (which wasn't great) to feign regret. "And spoken like someone who relies on magic. Good technology supplements, but does not replace. Mother nature's skill is...impressive. True. Does not mean clever engineering cannot help. Best results are had when the two meet."

[Gizmo]

"Oh, you have not begun to see 'mouthy', Powergloves," Jill promised, sashaying a step closer with a broad wink. Letting the suggestive body language drop, the medic placed one hand on the back of her neck just above the collar of her crimson jacket with a lopsided smirk. "Thanks for helping make this not weird," she added unexpectedly, her voice a touch quieter. "Still being able to joke around means a lot. Well," she continued, one eyebrow raising behind her mask, "mostly joking. Have to admit you're making some compelling arguments."

[Fox]

"Mmh," Dragonfly nodded. "Seemed like the...appropriate response. Thought it was worth the risk of being inappropriate." She shrugged, and leaned back on the chair for a moment, stretching. "Of course it's a compelling argument. I'm right. Also: science. Scientists have long traditions of bringing enlightenment to the...heathen masses. Some students are just more stubborn than others."

[Gizmo]

"Oh brother," Jill scoffed, rolling her eyes as she place one gloved hand on her hip. "Well, I was going to say I was interested in subscribing to your newsletter, but now I'm just not sure if I can handle having my worldview shattered like that." Tilting her head slightly to one side, she gave the inventor a wry look. "Taking the 'teaching' thing pretty serious, huh? Gonna be handing out grades, making sure I take notes, asking me to stay after class?"

[Fox]

She shrugged, and shook her head. "Mostly amused by the idea. Would be an awful teacher in a...formal setting. Not sure I have the patience...very sure I don't have the social skills. Probably younger than anyone I'd teach, anyway. Absurdity of the idea is entertaining." She shifted forward on the chair again, folding her arms over the back as she dryly added, "That said, if you own a short pleated skirt, am sure we could work something out."

[Gizmo]

The flush of heat Jill felt seep into her face didn't leave her with much doubt about whether or not her reaction was noticeable. "Ah, profesora nena...!" she managed a little breathlessly, placing one hand lightly on her chest with a shallow nod that graciously conceded defeat in their impromptu contest, grinning in spite of a furious blush. "You gotta at least buy me dinner first, muñequita, then maybe we'll talk."

[Fox]

Dragonfly gave a half-grin of victory, but whatever victory remark she was about to let loose got choked on when Jill mentioned dinner. It was her turn to go a little red again, and she coughed to clear her throat of forgotten wit and try to get her voice back. "Was that an...actual offer? Dinner, I mean. Hard to tell. Suppose it would be a little odd in-costume...."

[Gizmo]

Jill hesitated for a brief moment, second guessing herself. It would be easy to smoothly play the suggestion off as a joke, or give any one of a half dozen perfectly legitimate reasons to discard it. Ultimately, whatever insecurities the young woman may have had, unwillingness to commit to a course of action had rarely numbered among them. "So we order in," she replied, speaking a little more quickly than usual as she toyed absently with her bangs with one hand while wrapping her other arm around her waist. "Or just show up in full gear and let people stare or in civvies with huge, novelty sunglasses. I mean, no pressure, obviously, but yeah. I guess I'd be up for that."

[Fox]

Shifting in her seat a bit, and still a little flushed, Dragonfly had one rapidly finger tapping on the chair's wooden back like she was trying to send secret messages on an old morse telegraph. Mostly she was trying to think through the places she usually went to eat - from the hole-in-the-wall gyro shop to the relatively upscale restaurants - and trying to imagine the kind of looks and attention going there in costume or obvious disguises would bring. The mental image - when she could keep her mental images on-subject - weren't promising.

"....order in?" she finally suggested. "Limits the food choices a little, but wouldn't want awkwardness of being stared at to...impede enjoyment. Could do worse, if we can get good food delivered. Clear off the desk, enjoy the view. Might have emergency candles around- mmh. Candles are probably too much." She clamped her mouth shut, trying to get it back under control and looking a bit apologetic. "S...sorry. Usually...eat alone. Don't get out much."

[Gizmo]

"That's cool," Jill assured Dragonfly, taking a seat on the edge of the desk closest to the inventor's chair and folding her hands into her lap, her posture contained despite her long limbs. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spring that on you, it's just..." Trailing off for a moment, the taller girl took a deep breath before explaining in one long rush, "It's like, here I am hanging out with this awesome person, but I still feel kinda awkward and I don't know why, and I'm thinking is this just how I am with people? And then I actually deal with why a bit, and that's pretty much terrifying but also awesome, too, and I guess I don't feel like wasting time being scared when I could be focusing on the awesome."

[Fox]

Lights danced behind her eyes as Dragonfly hijacked the intercom to send a message to one of the few staff she was on reasonably good terms with and who she knew would be in the building still; she never, ever touched the Lab's money but it was easy enough to offer up one of her account numbers. From her posture and expression, though, her attention was clearly almost completely on Jill as she vented. "Good plan," she replied, and she meant it. "Will have to take that advice, myself. Kind of...improvising. No experience with- mmh. Time later to worry myself in circles." She shook her head. "Much better to stick with the attractive, intelligent person in the room. And the awesome."

[Gizmo]

"Well hey, I was just letting the pieces of my fiendishly brilliant Machiavellian plan fall into place, but improvising works, too," Jill chuckled with a little more nonchalance than she actually felt. "And we've already agreed that I'm attractive and intelligent, which I gotta say is a solid first step for the 'plan as you go' strategy." The young woman was still speaking in a noticeably hurried fashion, but was gradually finding her footing again as a small smile played about the corners of her mouth.

[Fox]

Dragonfly hmmed, raising an eyebrow. "Machiavellian plot...should have guessed. Sneak into a high-security building, get free dinner, steal secrets on your way out?" she wryly accused, pointing an accusatory finger. "Am onto you. Attractive and intelligent or not, won't get away with it. Can't be seduced into betraying the Lab so quickly and easily."

[Gizmo]

"Who said anything about 'quickly'?" Jill asked slyly, holding onto the edge of the desk with both hands as she leaned forward slightly in the direction of Dragonfly's backward chair. "Or 'easily', for that matter?" she added with a flatter look. It hadn't escaped her the haste with which the visit's tone had changed, but the medic was so far content to let the momentum carry her along. "I don't conduct industrial espionage against just anybody, you know."

[Fox]

Dragonfly winced and held up her hands. "Not...what I meant to imply. Don't think that - wouldn't," she defended, shifting back on her seat a little. "Clearly conducted espionage against me because of the soundproof office. Only meant that it will backfire on you. Spies are hired," she noted, gesturing and sounding a bit like a professor explaining a theory. "Will have to interrogate you to learn your patron."

[Gizmo]

"So... you don't think I'm easy," Jill summed up slowly, her expression clearly indicating amusement winning out over hesitation, "you just think I'd accept money to seduce you. Smooth, Powergloves." The medic grinned broadly despite a slight flush, leaning backward a little and letting her feet swing back and forth in front of the desk. "I dunno, kinda think maybe you're gonna have to make it up to me, now." She titled her head to one side slightly with an innocent look. "Soundproof, huh?"

[Fox]

Dragonfly turned a little red, losing focus for a moment before coughing lightly. "Ah - mmh. Did mention I didn't always phrase things quite as...yes. Soundproof, I mean. Lab values privacy...window's one-way, as well. Until you run a current through it. Neighboring offices are unoccupied," she added as a rueful afterthought, wincing in the direction of the nearest vacant office. "Think my work has a reputation."

For once, the rambling actually seemed to work in Dragonfly's favor - reflecting on peer opinion apparently gave the young woman a chance to compose herself, and she arched an eyebrow, turning back to lean on the chair. "Make it up to you how?"