Rikky meets Jesse

~Everyone feels stress. Some are just better at hiding it than most. Sitting curled up beneath a moon shaded willow tree. The limbs reaching but barely touching the ground. Hiding and revealing the thin girl. Her face was illuminated with the glow of a compact computer screen. Her fingers moved at a Unnatural speed over a keyless, key-pad. Thin smooth, as the whole machine was. The screen displayed a hundred figures the newest of her inventions the first step. And the stress at the Farmhouse didn’t allow her to think straight. She doubted all in all it would work, but the most recent encounter with MEDUSA had gotten her mind wondering about genetics again. Using her own blood as a sample, stretching examining the DNA. This was not her field of expertise.. in fact a failed attempt at altering her own DNA back to ''Normal'' Had resulted in her lavender hair, and anemic appearance. But still determined to try to figure out what GEMlabs had been for years, what made their DNA 'special' Music poured out of her paper-thin speakers, a classical piece she knew by heart. Actually having a fondness to music, it was simply audible math. Simple equations put to sound... the more complex the piece.. the more complex the problem. Understanding it as easily as she did the quantum problems swirling in her mind. Finally shutting the computer on itself, it compacted to a small purse like object with a few presses on a few buttons. Slowly standing then, looking towards the tavern. Almost tempted to find Aerik there. They had not really talked since their encounter, that still left her a tad flustered, and riddled with guilt. Then deciding it too was indeed stress, she placed back her usual facade. Her face like ice, one that deemed her such titles as 'Ice bitch' and 'Ice queen'. Though the mocking did not phase her, it was.. something more. Glancing up at the tavern her hand pressing though the chilled night air, and pulling aside a few long hangings from the willow tree. Finally standing there in the open. Not worried about a tracker locating her thanks to her newest device.. but instead worried about someone recognizing her from her file. Shaking away the thought, reaching in her pocket to remove the teleporting device.. hesitating.. as the keyring was cupped in the palm of her slim hand. Hesitating for what? She put it back in her pocket, approaching the tavern, still debating.. if she should go in . ~

*Aerik frowns as he gazes at himself in the long mirror… a literal Birthday gift from Warpole, and Rik understood it was his normal present to offer others, at least from the scuttlebutt around the complex. With a small sigh, the tall, willowy young man rakes thin fingers through his glorious raven’s-wing mane, feeling the weight of it sway across his back as it fell straight again. He blinks slowly, watching his reflection, wondering… his eyes were unusual. He hasn’t seen any others like them, large almonds of amberblack, his features sharp, delicate… perfect. He was possessed of an uncommon beauty, his very frame spoke of… Otherworldly… things, the doctors who birthed him said. Oh, he knows he’s someone else. Or at least, the image of another… the image of the one he sees in the mirror. It’s disconcerting to know you’re not alone, that you are simply the -twin- of another you have never seen, and maybe never would, that you’re a …/clone/. They didn’t spare his feelings about this, made sure he knew right away. Lovely thing to open your eyes to, lovely words to first hit your ears, he thinks dryly. But he was as curious as they were… and his directives were simply echoes of his own personal desires; find out /who/ he’s the duplicate of… what manner of creature he truly is. He had the doctors and geneticists stumped, they were running test after test on his tissues, blood, hair, etc… and still not come up with anything. The most they’d gotten of him was what they’d gleaned from their Mole, Myriad. His name… /his/ name, which became Rikky’s as he’s been affectionately called over the weeks… Aerik Winters. An un-liked telepath. Cousin to a known RUNner, Lyeth Winters. She, they had on file, but no amount of research, even with their resources, had produced a /thing/ on an Aerik Winters… some relative Winters of Lyeth’s, but no Aerik. Rik narrows his eyes, finishes dressing, tugging the black, tight top over his head. It looked good on him, of course, but then, a burlap sack probably would. His web-fine hair floats back down to lay thick and shining down his back. A new body, Myriad had learned. This leads Rik to believe his twin wasn’t always in the one he sports now. He wants to learn the truth, the how’s and why’s… the /what’s/… as much as his makers do. With a final check over himself in the mirror, Rik activates his teleporter and blinks out… he reappears outside the Tavern that has seen so much Unnatural action, one he’s learned much about. Music. Classical. He smiles and follows the sound with his head before it’s turned off. A willow tree, he thinks… his head tips and he sends a small tendril of mental energy over in its direction, searching. He recognized the piece.. it was a good choice*

~ Of course she did not feel his mental tendril, right away. She Stood then in plain view of the tavern and everyone around it. Lifting the computer she held and allowed it to vanish. Safely her research was teleported home. She paid no heed to the people around her, or anything for that matter. Her mind focusing on the tavern, the people that it held within. Her shielding was at a 'Neutral' Position. Though she supplied even though these realms Abyss' mind with full mental shielding. She would rather her own life be taken from a mental attack than his. . . again. She moved her hands in her pockets, not even feeling the night chill. Using her mind to control the temperature of her body. The tendril when it reached it's destination would run into shields unlike any it probably had. Something Aerik, the /real/ Aerik had taught her, and a mixture of her own small traps. Layer of solid layer, like a jaw breaker. The most sacred things near the middle. Between these endless 'layers' Were complex mazes, riddles problems she had fathomed herself, and deemed impossible to solve. Beyond that the layers were more compact, and having several things lurking between them.. and sadly yes this was neutral. The tendril, if it pressed looking for power, would find a source of mental genius nearly un-matched, and sheer telepathic power roughly half of it's own. She Blinked as she felt a wave, a near familiar feeling in her mind. She cranked up her shields to full, radiating mental stability and power. This did cause a mild strain as she forced Abyss' shielding up as well. ~Extra perceptive, alert. Before this she had been.. not quite whole. Now she was quick, and precise. Her eyes and head quickly flashed looking to where the tendril was coming from.. blinking though the faded darkness. Her eyes focusing then her shielding dropping back to a neutral state if not /lower/. She trusted Aerik, she always had. She generally kept her mind an open book to him. Her memories, her thoughts, her feelings. Everything was now at the access of his finger-tips if he wished to explore. And trusting his discretion, as much as she trusted him. A small smile and a bit of washed un-easiness passed over her.. as she sent back a similar tendril, this containing a message.. ~~ Soulmate, why ever did you not simply call to me.. ~~ Her voice had seemed to have a bit of relief riddled in it, though faded as the sun streaked sky. Still this little /touch/ was a vast improvement over what it had been. ~~ I was thinking of seeing you, but I did not wish to be a bother.. ~~ She said with complete honesty in the matter. A faint smile sweeping across her lips as she slowly stepped towards him. His ruse had worked, like Alan, this mind was too much like the one she /knew/.. to be looking for differences.. She paused a few feet away, her arms folding over themselves, her head at a small tilt, watching him, and as for his appearance, a face and body her mind had memorized the first time they had met. This too was the Aerik she assumed she always knew.. her soulmate.~

*Rik’s mental tentacle laps alongside a shield… a massive, layered, and /impressive/ shield. For a moment, he studies it, gleaning, learning… seeking to see what manner of thing this is. He can feel power radiate from it, from the source, the mind, and simply lets his tether slither over the shield, studying, tasting, admiring the strength and pearl-like construct. He doesn’t seek to penetrate it, just learn for now, figuring it out, making it his. An honor, perhaps… he was that taken with her talents. Several other things weave out… he can sense her link, as it were, with another mind, but doesn’t get the name Alan, just feels the power ebb off her, like smoke in the night pulled by soft winds. Then the shields strengthen… and then.. they lower. /Lower/. This fascinates Rik, and his head tips again, eyes bright and wide in the dark, sparks of gold there, flickering. She lets him in. And he can see from here /who/ it is once she steps forward a bit… her scent drifts to him, and he matches this with the girl he knows to be Jesse Raymond, filename: Ei-Que. Immediately, he adjusts, nothing threatening, he hasn’t been directed to secure RUNners, just learn of himself for now… and the way she responds is oh, so telling. Her shields lowered for him, he reaches in, just skims the surface of memories, gleans many things. She obviously knows his twin, that much is obvious, and they /obviously/ have a past. Soulmate. So he takes from her gently, unobtrusively… how this Aerik would respond, what he sounds like mentally, how he stands, walks… and finds a bit more. He’ll search this out as well. She is simply so /open/… and she knows… knows /him/. Jackpot. He continues his reaching, brushing over her memories, hungry for what she has stored away on this Aerik Winters. He smiles as she approaches, mannerisms now exactly as she remembers them to be. He straightens, stepping forward himself, mindspeech perfectly -his-* MS*() You are never a bother, Jesse. You know better than that() *She was lovely, he decides… a very pretty girl. He liked her hair… short. Probably much lighter than his own…*

~ She hesitates for a moment, allowing him, simply letting him gaze to her mind, and thinking nothing more of it. Perhaps encouraging it, bringing her shields down a tad lower. She offered a thin and wavering smile, and shook her head for a moment. Letting a moment pass between them. She was unsure what to say, for the first time to someone she was so open with. Finally.. ~~ I was concerned about you, after the battle with him.. ~~ Mentally saying this of course Leaving Shred's name out of the statement, then pushing the thoughts aside filed back into her mind where they belonged. Her mind on the other hand was complex in itself, but when one learned the system, they could access anything. her thoughts filed actually /filed/ as if one would do with important documents in some areas. She stood there letting the wave of un-easiness pass over her, watching him open to her in kind. Like a small flower or so she perceived. Raising her eyes to the canopy of dimly lit and brilliant stars, just contented in sharing the moment with him. For how long had she been without her star-crossed lover? And as sure her mind classified categorized and retained every thing they had done, it still lacked holes Rikky would be looking for.. simple information that was a waste of space, such as Aerik's lack of voice. Things she knew, but simply did not need to keep within her mind. So they might not have been as easily found. Perhaps most would say she was born in the wrong era. A prodigy of prodigies.. Einstein might have even been a tint envious that she could grasp his complex teachings at the tender age of seventeen.. but too those pieces of information were lost, or gone form her mind. As so the existence of Nicky, which she erased as a favor for him. ~ It is a beautiful night.. ~ She noted aloud, contented in his company. Realizing that the stress she had had, nearly vanished, in the simple acknowledgment he was there. Her mind drifted from Alan, and tending to his needs, from Venin, and Zak.. even Gild and his friends pestering her for assistance about daft problems and quarrels. It all drained from her like stale bathwater. All replaced, emersing itself in a warm and soothing aura that was him. Honestly sharing these thoughts with him, though not through a send per-say.. but in the simple way that they always had communicated. Almost knowing eachother.. without ever having to ask a question or scan for an answer.. ~

*Rikky learns a few more things… brows almost raising at the marvelous mind he finds before him. Oh, he’d read the files on her but to actually -see- how she worked.. files and all… amazing. There was much here to process, take in, make his own, if he could. She was well-trained, he can tell. But the GUARD telepaths weren’t /quite/ this ingenuitive. Perhaps things she’d worked out for herself. He strolls closer, gait all elegance, grace, as she remembers -him- to be, kingly, noble. He likes it, and his smile widens fractionally, a sweet slide of lips. He doesn’t respond with speech, words, in his opinion, have always been a barrier, nothing compared to the swift, arrow-like certainty of a Sending. And since she was so receptive to his mental chatter, he continues in it, doesn’t catch the fact that he who he is masquerading as wouldn’t speak anyway. He continues his probes… wants to learn /exactly/ what this girl is to his brother, wants what she knows, and so the probing goes on, gentle, a caress of minds, like a soft, velvet touch… comforting* MS() No need for concern, soulmate…()*a quick scan, trying to figure out who she means.. battle with whom? He moves even closer until he’s within arm’s reach, head cocked to the side in the manner so very like -him-, and pauses, eyes kindly, shining* () As you can see, I am quite alright. You however… you were… tense…() *he notes the tension draining away even as he steps nearer, takes that as a sign of her and -his- relationship. A few faces and names flitter by his mind’s eyes… RUNners, all of them. Alan, Venin, Gild… Zak, whom he takes as Sai, a rogue Hunter… quarrels, demands. He reaches up slowly to touch her lovely lavender hair with long fingers, this more of an urge to just -touch- that color more than anything, as he takes in what she shares with him. A small frown mars his smooth brow as the last of it simply floats thru the space between them. How she -trusted- this Aerik… Rik searches her face with dark eyes* ()Beautiful… yes. Lovely as yourself…() *he blinks a moment, then smiles again, dropping his hand just as slowly as he raised it. Idiot. He should watch what he says better.. did -he- pay compliments? Or… if so.. how did he do it? He was getting ahead of himself already. But she was so -open-… and he’s never…*

~ She listened to him, a question on the tip of her mind as he approached.. /how/ did he defeat Shred.. but the question was soon lost as he neared his words splashing in her mind. Soothing and drizzling over her thoughts. If that and nothing more, relaxing. An even tenor to his moves, and noting nothing was amiss. She blinked as he reached for her, his words still moving, tense, of course who wouldn't be. Catching herself about to shy away from even his touch, but then smoothing back, and pressing those most natural of instincts away. Letting his hand travel to her hair. She blinked up, then a thought slid between them, as his reached her, hers would reach his mind.. ~~ You know I have always detested this color.. ~~ The sending stopping short.. as his words filtered to her. Blinking at what he said, taken nearly a back. He had complimented her before, mentioning her hair was lovely, that she was lovely. A frowning brow and a slight tint of a blush. Perhaps something.. happened in the fight.. or perhaps it was the simple distance that was recently forced between them. Her mind whipping about those factors, and suspecting nothing more than those factors before replying a timid, ~~.. Thank you.. ~~ Watching his hand fall slowly, rolling her head to the side as if to watch those thin and graceful extensions on that near haunting wrist that were so beautiful.. yes even those things that could put the word fingers to shame were beautiful. Looking then quickly back to the sky, the realm that of course was not her native one. Tilting her chin up, saying quietly ~~ Perhaps I can one day memorize these constellations as well.. I would love to bring a radio, or gamma telescope to this place.. possibly ~~ Her eyes moving down towards the lake, and a tad beyond that... towards the mountains ~~ There among those hills.. ~~ Smiling then fully and honestly. ~~ I more than likely am boring you with this dribble, stars and such. But indeed, they are breathtaking. ~~ Her eyes flitted upwards, away from his thick lashed onyx reflections. Anywhere it seemed but to linger on his face too long. For of course feelings were still there.. as they always would be. ~

*MS*() The color is lovely… and very becoming. How could you detest it?() *He asks it gently, a slightly teasing smile on his lips, head twisting to follow her gaze upward and beyond the lake, nodding in agreement with her* ()You are welcome, Jesse.() *still, he’s searching… but her mind is well-organized, like a true filing cabinet, and he’s not sure what’s filed under /what/… he tries again, searching under "Aerik Winters, habits"… see if he can find anything there. But /who/ was he? Why, when he obviously existed, did he NOT exist? Where was he? What did he sound like, vocally? Rikky wouldn’t speak until he was sure their voices matched. He doesn’t comment on the blush, even though it looks very pretty on her, a little color to her pale cheeks, so he pretends he missed it entirely, watching the sky instead* () The atmosphere is clean here… you could see quite a bit farther even without a higher powered telescope here, as opposed to the Earth’s stratosphere, which is so polluted it blurs the true scenery. The stars are brighter here… and the constellations are... yes, unknown. Perhaps a primitive starchart could be procured. I would be most interesting in learning this area’s version of astronomy.. and astrology. The mythology, as well, would be fascinating in itself. () *then he starts a bit, blinking down at her* () Bore me? My dear girl, I have always had a fondness for such things. It interests me to decipher the radius of a star.. or determine it’s core temperature based on what little I have to go on. Do these things not pique your curiosity as well?() *he smiles, gold eyes narrowing, standing now next to her, to the side, hands clasped behind his back* ()A radio… you had music earlier. One of my preferred pieces. () *Inwardly, his eyes narrow… he was sensing things from her, she still open to him… emotions. He wants to know exactly /what/ they are…*

~ Her eyes fumble though the plethora of lights hundreds and millions of light years and beyond. Saying quietly in her mind ~~ I detest the color so, because it was an accident... ~~ A mild mental laugh, she had never shared with him the ordeal of her purple hair, and nor was she about to. Too fascinated in the sky above them. A few sounds filtering towards them from the tavern made her glance back, though not missing a bit of his send. And of course there would be nothing under Aerik Winter's Habits, in fact nothing was categorized under Aerik Winters period. Gild Follows yes, Lyeth Winters, yes people she had a far far less personal back ground for. This was less sacred information, he would have to search, but if he simply figured out the system... he would find it. Her eyes rending from the tavern with a tad of disgust riddled between her lashes. ~~ How could you stand to live in there Aerik? I would simply have to turn off my hearing sensors, or their nerves in my brain. ~~ Moving then away from the tavern and the sounds. Looking back at the stars, a new found interest they shared. ~~ Most of the earth observing is done from space now, which does cut back on the wretched ailments that are deteriorating the very air we continue to breathe.. ~~ Almost a regretful mental sigh. Searching the heavens in all it's splendor, for one familiar formation, just one. But finding each bit of the raven indigo sky a new peak of interest into the unknown. ~(ms)~~ A gamma scope would measure the heat in a way.. for the more gamma rays a star or cluster of stars, or even a passing cloud of gas gives off the hotter it appears to me. For the heat peaks at a different scale of the spectrum than most. For instance our sun peaks at the visible scale of yellow light, therefore why most creatures are responsive most to the color yellow.. ~~ Droning on a bit more.. explaining things she had read, had tested, and deemed true. ~~ And then determining where the star lies on the scale you can estimate the heat, and sometimes the size.. ~~ Smiling, thankful she had a mind, any mind she could communicate. As much as she did love Alan, there were times that love was not enough. She needed simple conversations such as this to keep her mind alive. As he pressed deeper into her thoughts, emotions were a very tender area. Nearly her mind recoiling, even to him. Almost slapping his explorations away. She had problems grasping them herself, she did not want another meddling in them.. But soon her tense shoulders and thoughts passed as she let him explore those too. He would find the feelings for Aerik were deeply rooted, a love that she had pushed aside. Though still there, and very much sorrow accompanied it. The feelings she fells for Aerik, 'him' were as real and as strong, if not stronger than those she fells for Alan. And seeming to be longer lasting. ~

*MS*()….Accident. Some accidents are meant to be. And be that as it may, I enjoy your hair-color. It is as unique as you are, Jesse() *a soft sending, almost her words hit a nerve deep within him, but he pushes that aside, his recon mission of greater importance right now. *Again, his head tilts to the side, eyes sliding to the tavern, latching there a moment… learning. Lived there. /He/ lived there. How verrry interesting. He looks back down at Jesse, shrugs elegantly, and smiles* () I do what I must do. Yes, quite a bit I have to shut off, but that is what shields are for, no?() *And he would have to shut a lot down… his senses as powerful and keen as they are, they would have to be muted. Even on Earth, he had to. Snatches of conversation filter through the tavern walls, his eyes narrowing slightly… then he turns it off, not wanting to be distracted. Instead, he nods, listening to the girl beside him even as he huffs inwardly in frustration. Not a system as he’d first expected… filed away were lesser names. Lyeth again. He would have to do some personal research there, beyond the files. Gild again too. But nothing on Aerik. Perhaps she was cautious, keeping the important things hidden much better. He thinks he sees a pattern, tho, and tries to explore it, tries to find the system she uses… searches for that rather than for exact information. () Yes, but… do you not find it more satisfying to first try and determine on your own, then turn to technology to affirm your own conclusions? Hypothesis which become not just educated guesses, but fact?() *he smiles again, eyes lifting to the black heavens and the tiny motes of light hanging in it* () Spectrums are all very fascinating, I would not disclaim their value, but to be correct without such things… if Copernicus and the others could judge such things, do the mathematics by hand, and be /right/… how much better would our equations be with /our/ minds?() *he almost recoils as she does, mind moving away from mind. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable of feel any misgivings… so he pulls away from her emotions as soon as he has what he wants. Love. She -loved- him? /Him/? The one no one even liked? And deeply rooted, too…. Soulmate. He frowns where she can’t see it, tugs a bit on the damned heavy jewelry, gaudy junk it was, that adorns his fair head. Really, it looks /good/ on him, but he wasn’t a big jewelry kind of guy. He dulls the nerves there, alleviating the weight and discomfort, drawing fingers through his luxurious mane again. She loved him.. she thought he was… -him-… that could work to his advantage well enough. Best to play on it, play it up… he takes a huge chance and steps behind her, still looking upward into the night, but raising his hands to place on her shoulders, massage the tension from them, if she allows the contact*

~ She over towards him finally, her hands wandering to her hair as he spoke of it. She still detested it. Longing for it to be a soft brown again as it had been long ago. She listened a bit more, and blinking as he suddenly slid out of her mind. Blinking and casting her gaze towards the ground. Nearly saying she should be leaving.. that perhaps Alan would need her.. anything to hide from the twist of guilt. She actually enjoyed him being slightly curious about her. And indeed she /loved/ the one no one liked. Perhaps associating it because she was an outcast herself. And among RUNners, and outcast of outcasts. Saying then as these thoughts floated somewhere, deep in her mind.. ~~ It is rewarding to evolve such things from your own judgment and your own observations true, but when the yearning to know grows too strong, the quickest way more times than not, is just as satisfying. And as for our equations... mine are all done by my mind.. though that attribute is usually over looked, and highly under-appreciated. Mathematics is much the same way.. in a dimmer sort of light.. ~~ She cut that off too. Most the send was not words, but rather the basic way they seemed to communicate. Then blinking as his hands encircled her shoulders, as his palms kneaded her muscles and skin. Shuddering, and tugging just a tad, then finally relaxing back into the massages, her brow furrowed in thought. She slowly places her shields on a neutral, simply assuming he was done exploring. Her hasty actions had pressed him not to peer further. Stretching her neck to the side, thinking, slowly. Not letting the thoughts buzz though her head in a complex matter, or a nimble way. Slowly taking each thought she had as it came.. Why was he doing this to her. Perhaps he was just lonely, or in a way missed her as she missed him. Slowly, she placed her hands on his and pulled away, turning to face him.. that same near sorrow in her emotionless gaze. ~~ Please.. stop Aerik. ~~ Though letting his hand if he in turn did not pull away, dangle with in her grasp. Looking to his hand with in hers. Two sets of thin fingers, she finally allowed to intertwine. Closing her eyes in a small amount of conflict. It would be so terribly easy just to fall in his arms, and explain to him these types of things. But again, the same reason she decided to fight, or most of it. She somehow wanted him to view her as .. strong. ~