The Sun Shines Night And Day (IC)

[Gizmo]

Trevor considered, rubbing his jawline. On one hand, it probably made sense to walk the distance of the underground cable to check for any problems there. He'd brought a voltaic sensor along sensitive enough to do the job, and it would be a fair excuse to avoid any more teleporting than necessary. On the other... "Not sure how to ask this delicately," the young man began with a awkward shrug. "Should you be walking that far in, ah, your condition?"

[Electra]

Stesha laughed, her entire face crinkling up with amusement. "I guess you haven't spent much time around pregnant women," she observed good-naturedly. "With as much as I've been eating, if I didn't get out and walk around, I wouldn't even fit into Derrick's coat anymore. Just don't make me jog, and I'll be fine. Short legs," she reminded him, sliding on her mittens. He was a sweet young man, Stesha decided, though he didn't have much to say for himself. His grandpa had obviously taught him good manners. "It's right along this way, the cable is just a few feet down." She led the way out of the clearing and into the woods, the trees themselves leaning out of the way to make a path as they walked.

[Gizmo]

"Fair enough," Trevor smiled slightly with a deep nod that might as well have been a courtly bow from the reserved youth. Retrieving the voltaic sensor, a hand held device with a pair of prongs on the top, from his open tool box, he donned his coat again and followed Stesha down the path. Making sure to modulate his normally brisk pace, he let the silence hold for a few minutes as he took in the impressive scenery. Eventually, not wanting to seem rude, he searched for topics for smalltalk. "So, erm. How did you and Mr. Lumins meet?" he tried.

[Electra]

"It was a blind date, actually," Stesha told Trevor, smiling at the memory. "A mutual friend set us up, and even though neither of us were totally comfortable with the idea, she was very persuasive. We went out for dinner and dancing, and discovered we had a great deal in common. It didn't hurt that he was really cute," she added with a laugh. "Everything just went along from there."

She paused long enough to disintegrate some dead foliage on the ground, reducing it to powder to reveal the path of the wire under the ground. "You're a senior this year, aren't you?" she asked Trevor. "Any big plans for after graduation?"

[Gizmo]

"Mmn. Dancing is always a good choice," Trevor agreed absently, twisting a dial on the boxy device in his hands as it crackled happily. "Was planning on university," he replied to Stesha's question, looking over at the pregnant woman to make sure he wasn't walking too quickly. "Engineering. Still am, I suppose. Has been an... interesting year." After everything he'd been through since he began attending Claremont, all of the changes to his life, it seemed strange that his plans hadn't radically changed as well. He supposed he'd been a little too busy to really reexamine them.

[Electra]

"It's been a busy year," Stesha agreed with a somewhat rueful laugh. "Every hero in Freedom City has had an eventful year, and from what I've heard, you students have been busier than anyone. It can really make you re-examine your priorities." She didn't seem to be having any trouble keeping up with him, nor talking at the same time. "You're already such a good engineer, I can't imagine you're not already beyond most of the basic courses they offer at university anyway. Still, an advanced education is a valuable thing."

[Gizmo]

"True. Grue invasions are one thing," he noted dryly, his expression impassive, "interpersonal high school drama is another." Remaining silent for a few more paces, he spoke up again abruptly. "Ah, thank you again for the invitation to the wedding." He wasn't sure if inviting some of the Claremont students had been her idea of Mr. Lumins', but the young man supposed they would have both had to have agreed on it regardless.

[Electra]

"Oh, you're more than welcome, I was glad you could make it," Stesha replied, stopping for a moment to take a closer look at a small and innocuous-looking evergreen bush. "Mm, furze, that's invasive," she noted disapprovingly, pointing finger at the bush as though to scold it. The plant withered instantly, becoming brittle, dry, and dead in a matter of seconds. The branches cracked and fell apart, adding to the cover of humus on the forest floor. Straightening up, she turned her attention back to Trevor. "We were both happy to have so many of our friends from the hero community there. It meant a lot to us. Derrick and I both have had opportunities to work with you and Mark, so it was especially nice. You're teammates on Young Freedom, aren't you?"

[Gizmo]

Since secrecy served little useful purpose at this point, the lean youth shrugged in vague affirmation. "I'm not technically... well. Yes, he is." Although he'd never officially accepted full membership with the team, the pretense wore thin even for him. "It's an interesting change, having people to... people I can... Hrn. Having people," he finished finally, leaving it at that. The trust he was able to put in his teammates, his friends, continued to surprise him on occasion.

[Electra]

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Stesha said, not really a question, with a smile that told him she understood. "Even with powers, and in places that are familiar to you, it's good to have people you know you can count on. That's why I came to Freedom City in the first place, really. I did a lot of practicing in Chicago, but there weren't enough heroes there for it to really be a community. In Freedom City, I was able to make friends and contacts, join a super-team. And I met Derrick." Her smile softened. "Which is the best kind of teamwork."

With the offending plant dispatched, Stesha resumed progress towards the enclosure, following the line of the electric cable. "I actually haven't met most of Young Freedom, but I've heard all sorts of impressive things. I know Derrick thinks highly of all of you."

[Gizmo]

"Heh. Definitely best kind," Trevor agreed, the corner of his mouth turning slightly upward before he coughed awkwardly and placed a hand on the back of his neck as he looked studiously upward. His cheeks didn't colour much, but the black, sooty colour of his midnight mist infused blood showed up prominently on his pale skin. "Ah, well, roster's rotated around a bit lately anyway," he attempted as a recovery.

[Electra]

"I see," Stesha said, trying to conceal her amusement at Trevor's sudden blush, since that was obviously what it was. Apparently he knew exactly what she was talking about when she spoke about the best kind of teamwork. Well, it wouldn't be high school without romances and puppy love. She couldn't help but be a little curious. "Even within a team, some bonds are going to be tighter than others, I imagine. Are you all going to stay in touch after graduating?"

[Gizmo]

"Mmn. Some already graduated, some have another year," Trevor clarified, this usual terseness somewhat exaggerated as he attempted to play off his brief lapse. "Psyche, Phalanx... have plans." The young man didn't want to reveal more than he should, and Alex and Mike's engagement still struck him as a little extreme. "Edge - Mark - mentioned humanitarian work overseas. Seemed serious. Especially for him." Clearing his throat conspicuously, the mechanic continued, "Wander's applying to the Freedom League. Be idiots not to accept her."

[Electra]

"Wander, she's the tall girl, right?" Stesha asked, giving her companion an appraising look. Unless she very much missed her guess, here was the source of Trevor's blushing. "I haven't seen much of her in the news write-ups, but she seems nice. I suppose if you go to school here in the city, you two will still see a lot of each other, then," she commented casually. She didn't make any comment on the foolishness of the Freedom League, since she was, after all, a bit biased.

[Gizmo]

Trevor didn't usually think of Erin as 'the tall girl', but coming from Stesha it was sufficiently apropos. It was also clear that the ship had sailed on subtlety. "That would be the plan, yes," he admitted significantly, putting one hand in his coat pocket as he continued to keep an eye of the voltaic sensor in the other. Glancing down at it silently, he looked back over to the botanist after a moment, clarifying, "Been... dating for a while now." His manner was more than a little uncomfortable, but he seemed determined to meet the topic with a modicum of composure.

[Electra]

"Oh, that's nice," Stesha told him with a sweet smile. "It seems like you would have a lot in common, and it's always a plus to have that special teamwork. Heroing can be such lonely work, especially if your team is breaking up. I remember when the Knights of Freedom broke up, Derrick was really at loose ends for awhile, but he still had me, and he had friends in the business, and it helped. Of course, the circumstances were totally different," she added with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure you'll all still be friends even after you graduate. So are you and Wander making any plans together for after graduation?"

[Gizmo]

"Ehm... we're still taking things slowly," Trevor allowed, shuffling his feet slightly. "Both have baggage. Still. Seems to be matching luggage set, so," he added with a slight smile. After this long walking through the crisp, winter air, the parts of the young man's face not covered by hat or scarf were starting to darken with his unusual flush. "Not being lonely... definitely nice." After a pause he added a little more quietly, "Don't want to mess it up."

[Electra]

"Then slow sounds like a good idea," Stesha agreed thoughtfully. "You both have plenty of time to decide where you want to go and what you're going to do with your lives. And it isn't like you don't have plenty keeping both of you busy at this point! If you give it enough time, you'll both be able to decide if a relationship is what you want in the long run... wait a moment." She stopped as they reached the top of the hill and cleared the treeline. "Something is different. Do you smell that smoke?"

Ahead of them was a large cleared area, one that Stesha had apparently designed herself, given the relative neatness of the treeline and grooming of the winter-dead grass. In the center of the clearing was a very large, low-slung building, perhaps a story and a half high but as long and wide as a football field, with walls made of plants in the same way she'd built her house. The most striking part, by far, was the roof, which was made of some clear substance and faceted like a crystal, makng the whole building look a little bit like a massive square-cut emerald that gleamed in the sunlight. And indeed the air did smell of smoke, but not of burnt circuits or an electrical fire. It smelled like wood smoke.

[Gizmo]

"Heh. 'Wait and see' certain has the benefit of simplicity, as plans go," Trevor admitted, casually falling a step or two behind Stesha as they climbed the hill in case she slipped. Reaching the top, he sniffed the air and frowned. The young man seemed to tense his entire body as a dusky onyx colour spread outward from his eyes to cover his skin. He'd left his armoured uniform at the manor, but supersaturating his muscle tissue with midnight mist offered a good deal of protection now that he was getting the hang of triggering it on his own. "Mrs. Lumins, not to doubt your capabilities, but would you mind waiting here while I scout ahead?" Any remaining youthful awkwardness disappeared as Midnight's training took the fore.

[Electra]

"You can scout ahead, but I'll be right behind you," Stesha told the young man firmly. "I am still a superhero myself, after all." She tugged off her fuzzy mittens and dropped them into a nearby bush, which obligingly swallowed them up with a rustle of leaves. "I hope the bees haven't been setting any fires. They don't usually venture out into this area unless they're visiting me." Upon closer inspection, it was possible to discern thin plumes of smoke rising up from beyond the building, on the far side where it was impossible to see anything on the ground from here.

[Gizmo]

Conceding the point, Trevor jogged down the other side of the hill toward the massive enclosure. The combination of plant matter walls and the faceted roof was strikingly alien, but he admired the scale and example of a constructive use for metahuman powers. The scope of what Stesha was working toward was certainly impressive, and the young man resolved to resolve whatever problem had brought him there that day. Long strides took him around the building quickly, and he slowed to a more stealthy pace as he rounded the other side.

[Electra]

As Midnight moved around the building, he became aware of the sound of voices and the smell of cooking food, all of which was quite odd on a planet that was supposed to be uninhabited. When he looked around the last corner, he saw the cause of the smoke, a campfire with a pot on a tripod over it. The source of the wood was obvious as well; there were several felled trees on the edge of the clearing, the branches stripped and the trunk split for firewood. As he continued to watch, a man came up to the fire and stirred the pot with a stick, then warmed his bare hands near the fire. He didn't look like a dimensional traveler or a misplaced Freedom City refugee. He had long hair and a full mustache and beard, and wore clothes that were a strange mix of extremely worn manufactured boots and jacket, and a shirt and trousers that looked to be homespun and handmade.

[Gizmo]

Staying out of sight, Trevor continued to observe the campsite for a while before quietly backing away and jogging back to Stesha's position. "Looking like this world's not as uninhabited as thought," he informed the botanist, relaying what he'd observed. "How do you want to play this?" He had a pretty good idea what the expecting woman's response to hungry, haggard survivors was going to be, but the young man wasn't inclined to place too much trust in the good intentions of so desperate a group.

[Electra]

Stesha looked absolutely baffled by the news that her world wasn't empty. "But... I've been here for months!" she objected. "I've looked at every inch of the surface for hundreds and hundreds of miles! If there were survivors, I would've seen them. There must be some other explanation," she decided firmly. "Maybe he comes from some other world himself." Intent to get to the root of the mystery, she strode forwards, obviously intent upon marching in and getting some straightforward answers.

[Gizmo]

"Mrs. Lumins, I don't- hrn." Trevor hurried after Stesha as she walked briskly back the way he'd come, falling in beside her. "Wherever he came from, could be dangerous. Heard voices; not alone. Should exercise some caution." The young man gestured concisely with his hands, trying to impress his concerns upon the determined botanist. It looked like the best he was going to be able to do would be standing guard and remaining wary.