Twin Stars

UMBRA:
*A heavy sigh leaves her body as she glances from the torn newspaper ad to the address on the building* Somehow I get a bad feeling about this *Her gaze wanders to the boarded up window at the side, an old torn circus poster blowing in the wind* Some how Idon't think I want this job *She drops the wanted ad, letting it blow away as she turns and heads back up the street*

STARDANCER:
*She pulls the leather jacket about her a little tighter. Everything had changed since that time in NY... That girl, that street ruffian, had said that there were more. More like her. But she'd not seen or heard anything about them on the news. And she'd not had any re-occurences of the powers she so blatantly exhibited in her apartment those months ago. So here she was, walking in one of the worse parts of central Seattle. Why was she here? She'd dropped everything that night at her apartment. Loaded everything up into her car and drove all the way across the country to land here. Doing the same job, which she loves. And she'd transfered her credits to the new college. But why had she moved. Simple, there was a hitsquad out for her because of that little brat kid. She hears a slight movment in the shadowsof the alley next to her.* Wh....who's there?*She manages through stammering lips. Eyes suddenly full of fear. Had they caught up to her? Followed her all the way form NY. Did they consider what one little stripper saw to be so important that they'd follow her here? She takes of in a flight, coming around the corner of the street and putting her back against the wall. Breathing hard and fast from the running she'd done, not noting the kid that's walking towards her.*

damn! and it sounded like a good job...I gotta find something, I need money...*shes muttering to herself as she walks lost in her own thoughts....she notices you almost immediately as you turn the corner, years of being hunted making her instantly recognize the look you wear...that winded panicked look...she brielfy glances around to see if she can spot the reason then walks up to you* Are you okay?

*Startled, she turns her head towards the young girl. Ready to strike out until she notices that this isn't the hitmen she so desperately fears. Was she a fool to believe that they would come for her this far? She swallows down a lump in her throat, then slowly begins to shake her head.* N..no. Nothings wrong. I thought ou were somone else. Ya know how th' streets are. Thinkin' somones followin' ya when they ain't.*It's obvious she's not from around here. And her voice holds a heavy accent of New Yorker to it. In the glance she gets from the kid, she notices that this is one of those types who usually hires a dancer to get in the cage while the rest of the club raves on. Club Kids they were called. She knew a few in NY. But she never fit that billit.*

*she nods, she knows what its like to think or to know someone's following you* your not from here are you? *she looks around* Its not really smart to hang out here, pretty much means trouble if you stand around to long....*as if on a cue a car drives by slowing down as the driver looks over the two women standing ont he street corner* we should get outta here *..besides, if you are being chased she doesn't want to leave you to whoever it is, she would never forgive herself*

*Well, she'd figured that much out for herself. She watches as the slowing car passes a little. Probably to stop around the corner so that who'sever inside can get out to come and harrass and bother them.* I think yer right.... Less Amscray while the Amscrayin' is good. Maybe we should head to my place?*Starting to head down the street, and away from the car. If the girl follows her, it's all well and good. But her cozy apartment is waiting for her. Why she got a job at the -SEEDIEST- joint in toiwn she'll never know.* Nah, m'not from here. Brooklyn NY is m'home. Though I ain't seen the streets in some time.*She'd be the first to admit she never fit in there in the first place when she was a kid.* How 'bout you?*Her homes a few blocks from here. Just on what's considered the right side of the tracks.*

*she shrugs* sure, your place is as good as any *it might not be the wisest to go home with a complete stranger, but shes not entirely helpless, shes got a few tricks that would shock the hell out of anyone*Where ya live *She glances int he direction of the disapearing car* New York eh? cool, never been there...what its like?..Been in this state all my life never left it

*She's no idea what she's taking home, and while it strikes her as odd that -she's- taking home a complete stranger, whos a woman that being the only strange part, she's sure she can more than handle a kid if it came to roughing it up.* S'alot like 'ere actually. Got it's good and bad. I live on Grand ave.. Just the o'her side.*Though tha'ts not really saying much, it took the cops the usual time to get there.... about 4 hours. She turns a few more street bends, waiting for the kid if necessary. It's usually hard for others to keep up with her and them long legs. Making her way to a door, she plunges the key in and turns it mercilessly, then rips the door open and heads for the elevator that leads to the top floor. She always found ways to pay for the best. She holds the door open to the elevator waiting until the kid is in then closing the door herself, it's one of those places. Then waits for the top floor to come.* You live on the street, er you got a home?

*she easily keeps up with you, after all get her to a mall with a big sale and she can put any speedwalker to shame* hmm, not too bad digs, how long ya been here? *she chcukles * I don't live on the streets, I got more taste than that

*She pulls open the door to her room, sweeping her hands about the place.* This is da' pad. *Tossing her keys on the counter, she makes her way into the sunken livingroom. It's not a bad apartment, accept for where it is naturally.* Oh.... I been here about three or four months now. I work down by the way ya saw me. So, where do you live?*She makes her way to the kitchen and turns on the light. Walking to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of tequilla out of it. She's one of the few that likes it cold.* Care for a snort, or you want a cola or something.*She says as she sticks her head up over the frigerator door.*

*she shrugs* could be in worse locations *she looks around a tthe the pad nodding appreciatively at your taste of decor* You wrok down there? oh man, thats a shithole....I was gonna apply for a job down there tillI saw what the area was like... so what ya do? *she lounges into a chair totally ignoring/avoiding your wuestion about where she lived* A coke if ya gat one?

*She pulls a coke out of the fridge, grabs a shotglass for herself, and then heads over to the livingroom where the girl is at. Turning over the cola, and noting that her question had been ignored.* I dance...*Shaking her body a little while holding the bottle of tequilla over her head.* Take off my clothes. That kinda thing.*Saying it casually, after all, it was an everyday thing for her. Guys usually found that to be a rather DESIREABLE trait. Thoguh women usually say,''Oh''. Not that she expects that from anyone. It's just no longer an embarrasing issue with her like it used to be.* Good money, pays for this place. And besides, i'm just letting them peek... S'not like I bring them home or nothing. they get too frisky, that's what bouncers are for.*She turns the cap and throws the bottle back once for a gulp. Completly ignoreing that she brought a shotglass.*

Oh....thats sorta cool *though she wasn't too sure about it* takes alotta guts ta get up there *She posp the tab on the can* Gues it would make a fair bit of cash *a long swig pours down heer throat, living at the lair she learnt to take what she can, when she can and finish as fst as she can..its survival of the fastest when it comes to food in there, especially with some of hte guys* don't thik I could do somethign like that

*She smiles slightly... Sounding as though she's only partially thinking about what she's saying.* S'not for everyone... Some o' th' things you see and experience aren't exactlly what you'd like.*Coming back to her senses with a sobering shake of her head.* But, it pays th' bills 'round this place. *She'd not had a little chat like this with anyone in a long while... And she'd almost forgot her manners.* M'Illyana... Peeps call me 'yana, or Stardancer. *She holds out her hand offering a polite shake.*

*she shuffles the almost empty coke can to the other hand and shakes yours* I'm Star *she shrugs* my parents were hippies *She finishes off the coke then leans forward* so who was after ya back there?

*As soon as she takes the girls hand in hers. It starts to happen. The reactions she's not yet learned to control. And the powers she's told herself in her mind that don't exist, take hold. The simple contact of what she's become, her skin reacting with the young girls.. Attempting to re-write it's matrix under its own code... And then they rush, thoughts. Before she can see anything tangible from the girls mind, she rips her hand free, throwing herself back in the couch. A long line of what would appear to be a brownish ooze extends from her hand to STARs. And upon closer inspection, would reveal the girl to have NO fingerprints or distincting marks on the palm of her hand at all.. She stares at her hand for a moment shaking her head as tears well.* N...can't be true... A nightmare. I'm having that nightmare again... *And then, her hand sucks in the brown string attatched to it. Reforming as perfectly as though it had never been anything else.*

What the..? *She tries to pull her hand back as an almost electric charge runs up her arm...she watches in amazement as you break off contact ye the brown string remains*Wierd *the words comes out in soft wonder* that is like so wierd....I have never seen anythign quite like that *She's been aroudn the lair a while, seen alot of powers, but this is different defininatley different....amazement slowly fades form her face as she notes your reaction* Oh man, you like don't know do you? This is like fate or somethign that I ran into you...(she shakes he rhead a bemused smile on her face* you realy have no idea whats goign on do you?

*Almost not even hearing what STAR says until the final parts of her sentence. More concerned with WHERE that brown stuff seemed to go... She turns a wild, and utterly -terrified- look to her.* No...n... What's... Going on? I've no idea what's going on. Everyone I touch starts to turn into some form of ooze... This gil, some girl who jumped into my car one night tried to say that there were others. Others who had powers. But she was crazy, like WHACKED out in the head. I mean -POWERS- like in the comic books. X-men... Spider-Man. That shits not real, it -CAN'T- /BE/ real.*Her words slwoly grow silent as her gaze wanders to her hand... Powers, but there it was. Then he confuzed vision makes it's way back to STARS hand. Begining to reach out for her.* Oh my god, will you be okay. I mean, I didn't mean to...*She recoils her hand. Realizing that if she touches her, it'll happen again.*

*she throws her head back laughing* oh man it is real, believe it ...it is totally whacked but its like totally real.*She shakes her head* ...whoever the chick was she knew what she was talking about, but x-men we aint...*she flxes her hand, looking at it as it stil tingles* Yeah I think it'll be fine, doesn't seem to be any damage *she smiles and leans forward* you know your folks? were they military or government?

*Still shaking her head a little bit. What'd her parents have to do with any of this?* FBI, CIA, NSC somthing like that m'fatha was. He was never allowed to talk about what he did... But him an' momma were like rabbits. All the time jus' at it.*She stands up and walks over to the couch, then takes a seat by the girl... Somone who knew about this stuff..... And something else. Something she absorbed in the touch...* Are you... *No.. That was craaaaaaaaazy.. But..*...like me? *An almost needing quality to her voice. An urgency that speaks of a sudden sense of aloneness. Even if STAR wasn't like her. She obviously knew things.*

Figures, most of us seem to have military parents *she shrugs* Sorta *The lights seem to go out as she puts on a minor laser show* Its osme sorta drug given to us int he womb, some governemnt experiment are parents underwent....they volunteered to put us through this shit......Theres a whole buncha us, actually there is us, and then there is them....GUARD, do yourself a favour and avoid them, they are bad news

*A little more confusing information... She gets up from the couch. Digesting some of the news STAR gleans to her... She makes her way to the frige grabbing the girl another coke. Figuring she'd get kinda drymouthed befroe too long with all the questions she has for her. Setting the cola on the counter, she grabs a les intoxifying drink than the Tequilla... though, if she thought about it. She'd notice that a fourth of the bottle was now gone, and she wasn't feeling a damned thing. Walking halfway back to the living room she forgets the coke. Turns around and walks back. Sticking her and out half way, annoyed that she'd forgotten it. She /never/ makes it all the way. With what could only be seen as a blur of motion. Her entire arm turns to an almost transparent brownish substance... Reaches out for the drink, then snaps back to her hand. And she heads back to the couch as though it were nothing more than an everyday occurence, until she gets there...* Didju....see....tha... *The words evaporating from her mouth as she utters them. Almost an incomprehendable plea it's so quiet.* Can you teach... Or know somone who can teach.....mm me? *Sounding more like a comic book every minute.* GUARD? What's the GUARD? That like StormWatch or some shit?

*she watches you carefully guaging how your taking it all..hell she knows she aint doing a good job of explaining it, but shes never had to before....shes not the one that picks up the kids...she shakes her head in amazement as she sees your hand reach out* yeah I saw, that is like so cool, its like the elastic guy sowrta anyhow....*she shake sher head* naww, I can't teach...I knwo some who can though maybe, or at least help ya sorta...I'm doing ashit job explainign this aint I? GUARD? GUARD is the bad dudes, they want to like capture us and turn us to work for them..and if that don't work then we rot in prison, or get chopped or god knows, there are all sort of funky rumors running about what GUARD does to ya. But I do know they try to turn ya, they got folks I knew , luckily we got them back

*She rests her drink on the table slowly. This was a hell of a lot to take in. Especially for a girl who's always had her feet on the ground and knew exactlly what she wanted.* So.... yer tellin' me that there's people that'll be scoping for me now? There ain't no way te be gettin' offa this train i'm on , is there? *Slowly she closes her eyes, sitting back deeper into the couch. What the hell was she to do. Powers, she could do alot with them if she learned how to use them before these "GUARD" showed up to take her away. Maybe even defend herself.* So like, how do they know who's got powers and who aint? I mean hells... /I/ didn't even know I REALLY had them till jest a few minutes ago. It's all too much.... just....just so much.*Reaching fingers to her temples, she massages her head a bit. Finding it a bit funny that as soon as she wills the headache that's forming to be gone, it disappears without a trace.* I guess yer doin' an alright job of 'splainin' things. I mean, s'not like you prolly went out tonight sayin to yerself,""M'gonna find me a lost sheep tonight. Then teach 'er the entire story of what's goin' on, and 'ow things are supposed to be." 'n shit....

*she chuckles* yeah, thats about it...*She cocks her head watching you* how old are ya anyhow? seems to me most of us get our power a lot earlier than you are. *she shrugs* never been much into the technical aspect of it...... they can like read are cellular structure or something like that *She cracks open the new coke and swigs half of it back* So ya know if they mighta found ya yet? Who were ya running form earlier?

*Slowly she takes her hands away from her face. Simply echoing the words... It's no chore to see, she's not taking this rather well.* M'twenty.... No. S'not this GUARD. I'm guessin' if they found me. They'd 'ave caught me since I know nothin' 'bout my power. They were just a couple of hit squad goons, although I don't even think it was them. They prolly wouldn't have followed me across the entire country... They tried to whack some young girl, 'bout as young as y'self. An' I saw 'em try. So, I ran.*She shrugs... It was the only thing she could think of doing. After all, what was SHE going to do? Knock off a couple of proffessional hitmen?*

Hit goons? *she shakes her head in amusement* well now they are the least of your worries, though if they really want something I wouldn't disregard them...*she finishes off the coke and leans forward* I have no idea why your powers are so late, most of them got them like around 13-15, never met anyone as late coming out as you *she shrugs* I don't really know what to tell you.. It is wierd, totally freaky...but there aint nothing we can do, except live

*Well... If she'd have known the girl had some powers BEFORE she met her. Then her first assessment of he would have been totally wrong instead of right. Instead of a clubkid, she'd have thought of her as a spandex wearing superhero or some shit.* How did you find out about your powers? *She picks her drink back up.... It's too early in the evening for any real thought of bedtime...* You wanna get outta here? Go someplace? I don't know too many of the action spots. And who better to show me than somone who prolly knows 'em all.

shit just stopped working around me sorta...they woudl seem to work, but they wouldn't...like TVs woudl have and shit, but they got picture..*She sighs deeply as she remebers the day her folsk finally og the guts to tell her about the drugs* man I was fucked up, totaly freaking..then my folks told me about the drug and I freaked even more...took off on em *she look up vaguely startled* you wanna go out? when ya can't control your powers? think thats smart?

*She shrugs....* Can't cut myself off from the world entirely. Only way to get any kind of handle on them is to go out. Hope they get away a /little/ on me, then figure out how to rien them in. Sittin' here after you leave ain't gonna do me no good. An' i'm pretty sure we don't know each other well enough to come up with things to talk about all night long. How do you control your powers? Maybe I can get a few hints from you on how mine shoul' be werkin' ya know.

I just sorta keep a part of my mind concentrating on them, otherwise *she releases control and the room goes almost balck, all light instantly gone from the lamps, event he VCR no longer glares back the time..the only visible light is that which comes form the windows then she once mroe concentrates, and all light returns as if it was never gone* took a lot of effort to figure out though....*she waves at you vaguely* your powers however, I have no idea its like maybe your coming apart or somthing...never seen its like

*She watches the display of the girls power, mouth dropping open for a moment. Then thinks back to the times her powers had worked.* I've never had to concentrate on them not working... Almost the opposite really. They've only every showed when I actually thought about them. Accept for when I touched your hand. That was simply something that happend. I'd not thought about it even. *She tries to remember some of the conversation with her proffessor back in NY before she left.* A proffessor that I talked to said something about Mitochondria, or some shit like that when I asked him what a person exhibiting, theoretically of course, these powers might be doing. Psychometasomthing or other. Hell if I could figure out what he was talking about. He went into a huge spiel about it. I'd not the fientest clue about any of it. I do know that I blasted a charge of somthing or other one time though. When I was on stage. Like I created energy or some shit... Why's this soundin' more like a bad soapopera with each moment?

There are some that only concentrate ot make them work *she shrugs* no idea what your talking about, thats part of a cell or something aint it? never really was big on biology *she blinks* a charge? weird......*she chuckles* probably becasue it does sound like one, a bad sci-fione

*A slight chuckle escapes from her, and a rare smile makes its way to her lips for the first time in months.* Maybe your right... Lemme give this a shot..*She concentrates... Concentrates on what she's seen her body do. Closing her eyes as she does... After a few minutes, she's about ready to give up. though what she doesn't see is her arm reacting exactlly the way she'd pictured it. Happening a few seconds after she closed her eyes. A slightly strange liquid excretes from her arm. Seeming to harden. Forming over her fingers to make wickedly pointed claws. And patters of cruelly edged armour up the length of her forearm.* I guess it's not working...

*She watches you concentrate, then she does glance at your arm* HOLY SHIT! *she jumps* I aint never seen nothing like that...what the fuck?..*she looks for a few brief seconds * you don't feel it? *she shakes her head* oh man that looks like it hurts

*Her eyes pop open.* Seen nothin' like wha...HOLY SHIT!*She tries to jump back from her own arm, feet ending up on the table. As she loses her concentration. The armour doesn't disappear. Only when she actually wills it gone, it seems to seem back into her skin. As though it were never even there at all.* Holy shit... Looked like somethin' straight out of H.R. Gieger! Alien even!!! I didn't even know it was happening let alone not feel it! The hell does that shit come from anyway?!

*she shakes her head in wonderment* dunno. guess its you *she chuckles* seems you can control it..to a point anyhow *she reaches forward almost tentatively to toubch your arm once its gone...* feels like a normal arm *she shrugs* guess it is somethig with you cell structure....know a girl that can turn to stone *she shrugs* so why not

*The moment STAR touches her arm, the reaction begins again. And when the she pulls away, more of that brown gooey substance is left behind. Then it's gone, sucked into 'yanas pores as all the other had been.* Too weird....*She caught a faint glimmer of something through the touch though.. A memory.* It hurt you when you first discovered your powers...*Though she doesn't know how.* I felt that... I felt your memory.*And she notices something else... Power. She feels invigorated by the cells she's taken from STAR and added to her own. Moreso because they are the cells of another Unnatural.* I bet.... I bet if I touched another person for long enough... They'd.... They'd die... Be absorbed.*This bringing a rather horrified look to her face.*

*a startled look crosses her face* well yeah, think we all are *she gives you a strange look* you got that through the goo? weird ...*She blinks* ya mean your like taking a part of me? wow! maybe you should like buy a gerbil or something and play with it?

*The thought of absorbing another creature into herself is utterly mortifying. As a matter of fact, she almost discards the idea immediately. Almost.* Yeah... I learned a memory of yours. Wait... Not hurt. You were sad. Sad because of how they treated you.*Seeing as her powers have manifested when she's older, she won't have that big of a problem. Her friends a thousand miles away, and she doesn't live with her folks anymore.* S'all so wrong... So, how many of us are there?

*she shrugs* same thing aint it? *she crushes the empty can that is in her hand and leans back with a sigh* no, it aint right, but theres nothing we can do with it....dunno exactaly, lots? ..more keep popping up, but they seem to vanish just as quick.

*The last part seems to strike her as a bit odd.* Vanish? Where they goin'? Maybe they all found a place that's safe from this GAURD? An island or somthing?*For the first time, she takes a really GOOD look at her guest. Not a bad looking girl... She shakes that thought away. Things were to convoluted right now to be going into that frame of mind.*

*she shrugs* dunno, aint heard of anyone getting caught lately..those we normally hear of...maybe they are just running and hiding on their own..or maybe your right...would be nice to think someplace is safe.....*she doesn't even notice the look you give her, her thoughts are more on where everyone might be vanishing too*