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Post by skybright on Mar 2, 2009 23:42:05 GMT -5
Daws smiled crookedly. "And we get by, one way or another." She told Steph kindly. "We don't have it as easy as some people do -- but it's not all bad."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 2, 2009 23:45:35 GMT -5
"If nothing else, at least we're better equipped than most people to protect ourselves." As if to illustrate the point, Vance popped a spark to light a cigar.
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Post by skybright on Mar 2, 2009 23:56:25 GMT -5
Steph's eyes widened in surprised fascination -- she had taken gracefully to the idea of her rescuers having mutant abilities, but the display of those abilities was obviously still new to her. "I . . . can see that." She said, smiling thinly.
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 3, 2009 0:02:46 GMT -5
Nate grinned at Steph. "Don't mind my dad. He won't admit it, but I think he likes showing off a little sometimes."
"Watch it, kid." Vance smiled crookedly at his son. "I wasn't the one who got caught having his specter do his chores for him."
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Post by skybright on Mar 3, 2009 0:10:26 GMT -5
Daws laughed. "Oh, man, I'm almost sorry I missed seeing that." She said, grinning teasingly at Nate. "Not something you're likely to live down soon, I take it?"
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 3, 2009 23:21:19 GMT -5
"Just until they need the specter to bust some heads," Nate replied blandly. "I keep telling Dad I'm just trying to get in more practice. It's like a muscle--it gets stronger the more I use it."
"Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your control," Vance retorted.
"That's exactly why I need the practice."
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Post by skybright on Mar 3, 2009 23:29:35 GMT -5
Beaudry leaned forward, raising his eyebrows in fascination. "I guess I never really thought of a mutant power as something you could practice." He said.
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 3, 2009 23:40:35 GMT -5
"In my experience, there's very few powers that don't need practice," Vance murmured, sprawling back in his chair. "It's just another physical ability. Not much different from ordinary people learning to whistle or do cartwheels... well, except that ordinary people don't run the risk of blowing holes in walls when they miss."
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Post by skybright on Mar 3, 2009 23:43:22 GMT -5
Daws smiled crookedly. "Spoken from experience, Jerod?"
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 4, 2009 0:04:29 GMT -5
Vance grimaced, and the lightness went out of his expression.
"The first things I blew away weren't walls, Regina," he reminded her somberly.
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Post by skybright on Mar 4, 2009 0:14:14 GMT -5
Daws winced and shook her head. "Sorry, Jerod." She murmured.
She glanced at Beaudry and Steph. "The truth is, a lot of people have a hard time when they first manifest. It's that that counts for a lot of those 'mutant damage reports' you see on the news -- just scared people who haven't got a very good grip on what they can do yet. A lot of 'em are just kids -- teenagers."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 4, 2009 0:22:50 GMT -5
Nate nodded. "Takes a little while to housebreak ourselves sometimes. When we do learn, though... we could do an awful lot to help people, if we didn't have to be afraid to."
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Post by skybright on Mar 4, 2009 0:30:07 GMT -5
"I wish you didn't have to be afraid to." Steph murmured.
Langston smiled quietly. "Someday we won't be." He replied. "That's what we're all working for."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 4, 2009 0:37:15 GMT -5
There was a tap at the door then. Nate moved quickly and quietly to the window, glanced out, then nodded to the others and unlocked the door.
With a murmured greeting to Nate, Proteus stepped in. He glanced around, and smiled as his gaze went immediately to the two humans.
"Hello, Mr. Beaudry. Steph..." His smile became slightly crooked. "You know, I never did hear your real last name."
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Post by skybright on Mar 4, 2009 0:44:39 GMT -5
"Oh." Steph grinned, coloring slightly. "It's Connors." She examined Proteus' face carefully. "How are you feeling?"
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 4, 2009 0:52:55 GMT -5
"Oh, a lot better. Thanks." Proteus smiled wanly and put a hand to the back of his head. "Still a little sore, but I'm not gonna fold up anytime soon."
He tilted his head, glancing back and forth between Steph and Beaudry. "How are you two getting along here?"
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Post by skybright on Mar 4, 2009 1:03:52 GMT -5
Beaudry grinned and shrugged one shoulder. "Not too bad, all things considered."
Steph smiled thinly. "I'm . . . still a little bit shaken up, I guess." She admitted, "But I'm alright."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 4, 2009 23:46:35 GMT -5
"I can certainly understand that. But I told you these people'd look out for you." Proteus half-smiled, then sobered and glanced at Major Vance. "What did you find in that stuff I picked up?"
"A lot of ugly-looking science, and a few leads we can only wait for Caddy and Cole to follow up on--including a rat in an office." Vance briefly filled Proteus in on the few preliminary things they had gleaned from the clinic documents.
At the end, the shapeshifter frowned thoughtfully. "Well, if you get something that'd benefit from my talents, let me know. I'm willing to keep at this--within my usual limits." He smiled wanly. "Just give me another day or so if you can. I'm not a hundred percent yet, but I will be with one solid night's sleep."
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Post by skybright on Mar 4, 2009 23:54:48 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "From the sound of things, we might have another day or two before we get anything we can really act on, anyway. At least the explosion seems to have bought us some time -- if we're lucky."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 5, 2009 23:48:12 GMT -5
"Caddy's trying to find out about any of the clinic's creeps that may be in the hospital. If he gets a lead on one, we might want to take him for a little walk." Vance grinned crookedly. "You may be able to help us there, old man."
Proteus nodded. "I guess that's as good a chance as any others we've got."
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