Catalysts: IC 2.0 Announcement in OP!

"I'm not telling you. Asshole." Hah. Did they think he'd crack that easily? Back under the water. 30 seconds. Back up.
"Where is your base of operations?"
"Up your ass."
The man delivered a strong kick to his back. He was fragge back to his padded cell.

Her eyes slowly fluttered until they closed. The trip over had been more tiring than she liked to admit. She opened them again as her breathing slowed. "I can feel the scales beginning to peel, but I'm rather tired. I'm fine with it if you'd like to lift the old skin off. I've never been able to get it to stay in once piece anyway." She stood up slowly anyway, keeping his hand where it was. It was a real comfort to have him around.

He began to peel her skin up and off, putting it in a small pile for later admiration. Slowly, he hugged her, keeping one hand on her stomach. "Soon huh.. I can tell.. Your stomach's moving about weirdly like the eggs are shifting around in you.. It's very cute.." His fingertips traced their way down past her waistline, exploring her inner and outer body slowly. He smiled gently.

She smiled again, sitting down on the bed. "Muscle contractions, to make sure they have room to grow." She slowly undid her jeans and took them off, running a hand along her leg. The pale white of flaking skin was beginning to form in spots.

He smiled at her and ran his hand up her leg before sliding off his shirt. He made sure they were alone before moving on top of her. "You remind me of a very familiar book character.. So sexually active for a young teenager.."

She looked at him, peeling off a bit of skin. "It was actually so we could get at all the skin, but if you like..." She kissed him softly, placing her hand on his chest. "It'll be better without the flakes, I assure you." She looked down at her legs once more and continued to pull bits off. There was a small regret looming if he was put off because of her delay.

"Good to have you around, Dali." Winter looked back at the line of police cars, the occupants of which had not seemed to have taken any steps towards entering the building. "I'll say they do. I was planning to head in after the police, see if I could try and talk him down, but that's looking less and less viable an option by the minute. You got any ideas, mate?"

She looked back at the man. "Say- what is your ability, anyway? You are a Catalyst, aren't you?"

He helped her in peeling off the flakes and smiled. He liked preening and cleaning her; it made him feel like he could help her with some issues she had, no matter how mundane or trivial they were. "Don't worry m'love, let's just get your legs cleaned off.. Might be best for you to actually get a bath to scrub them off with a loofa or something along the lines of that."

She tipped her head to the side. "Well, in that case it can wait..." She pulled off her shirt and lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Would you like the gorgon this time? Muscle work is a lot easier, and I have a different moulting phase for it, so no flakes."

"It's complete up to you because.." He choked on the words; he could say it a thousand times in his mind. But now, of all times it was an issue. He spoke up after a slight pause. "Because I love you.." He lay down on her, placing a hand against her stomach. Slowly he turned her head to catch her gaze.

She patted his neck again. "I do too." She let her legs thicken into the one long body of her snake form. Curling her tail around him, she rolled to the side with him so she was a bit more comfortable. "After this, we really should check up on the others, I worry occasionally."

"The others would be Bloom, a kid, the guy we just met, Nox whom is currently arrested.. And that's all we can trust. There's also the bomber named Pandora, but she's deceitful. I can't even fully read her emotions.." He held her close and kissed her neck gently. "Now just relax with me, okay my love? Moving too much'll fuck with the scales.."

Waiting. Unbearable waiting in the grey grey cell. The only fun he could have was imaginary. So he turned to the fancies of adventure, freedom, and fun he had had as a younger man. Discovering new lands, fighting in massive war machines. Being a hero. No. He mustn't think like that. He had to consign all emotion to oblivion. Emotion meant they won.

She relaxed her body like he had asked, slitted eyes glancing over the room dazedly. Of all the times, memories of the fights she had gone through ran through her mind. None had turned out well for her. At least now she was carrying in her the best payback. Pure proof that she was no different than any of the other kids.

He smiled and began the old routine. Half an hour later (Nox'd still be in his cell no doubt and the others would attempt to figure out the maze) he lay next to his gorgon.. wife? No.. Not the proper terminology. Partner would have to settle for now, he decided. He decided he needed a cigarette but wondered if it could affect their children.

She lay there in blissful sleep for a few minutes, making the most of the peace Ragnarok gave her. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. "Thank you." She turned her head back and froze, eyes widening. As she sat up, she placed her hand against the now noticeable bulge. "I guess they... used that life energy ability while we..." She tightened her lips. Quite a growth spurt. Her 'monthly' schedule sounded more and more appealing.

"It might be best to lay them so we can't over-grow them during.. such activities. They'll be incubated right..? And.. I don't want my filthy habit of smoking to kill them before they're even born." He looked at her and smiled, hoping he would seem genuinely kind and loving. But even then he felt a twinge of selfishness in his voice.

She tightened her lip again. "I'm not sure laying them for real is a good idea anymore..." She sat up further. "I'd need to give up a good portion of my strength in order to do so, it'd take days to recover. And given there's the chance of a battle looming not very far from here I'd rather not take the chance." She patted her body for a moment in rhythm as she thought. "Is it alright if we keep our encounters to a minimum for starters? As for the smoking..." She bit her lip hard, it wasn't fair for her to expect him to just give it up, or even ask. "Try not to do it before our encounters, that's all I ask."

Nox was in suspense. It was timeless. Waiting and waiting and waiting. Were those footsteps? Yes! They were! Someone! A man came and remoed the straitjacket, and gave Nox his old clothes, telling him his weapons would be waiting for him. He then escorted Nox down a hall and outside to a transport after he had finished dressing.

MataRahi wrote:

"Good to have you around, Dali." Winter looked back at the line of police cars, the occupants of which had not seemed to have taken any steps towards entering the building. "I'll say they do. I was planning to head in after the police, see if I could try and talk him down, but that's looking less and less viable an option by the minute. You got any ideas, mate?"

She looked back at the man. "Say- what is your ability, anyway? You are a Catalyst, aren't you?"

((Didn't see this go by for some reason))

"Eh, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm just a mad scientist. Not really sure what to do at the moment anyhow," Rodney replied, hesitant to give anything away. Then it occurred to him, if he was going to go up against a guy trying to blow everyone up with bees, he was going to have to do something sooner or later.
"I draw things. What do you do? I think I heard you were a healer or something?"

Winter laughed. "Yeah, you could say that. I make things come to life. Sometimes that's... useful for healing, apparently." She raised an eyebrow at Dali. "You draw things, eh? What kinds of things?"

"Ummm... one second."

Rodney produced a black marker from his pocket and started speed-drawing on the dumpster. About a minute later, he had drawn up a beekeeper's suit. He summoned it and presented it to Bloom.

"I think we're going to want these."

"...Astounding!" Winter laughed again, holding the newly-formed beekeeper-suit at arms length, examining it. "Heheheh! This is incredible! So you can bring anything into being, so long as you've the skill and time to draw it?"

The suit itself still looked like a sketch, but it was unquestionably solid to the touch. Winter hoped it would be as effective as the real thing when the time came.

He stood slowly and nodded, getting dressed. "I'll promise to try just don't get near. I don't want the second-hand smoke getting into your, and consequentially their, systems. So just be calm okay? Take a bath in these fancy ass tubs, watch some relaxing TV.. And don't worry about what I do okay my dear?" He smiled, trying to genuinely convey happiness.

She got up as her human form returned, making her way straight to the ensuite. The pastel tone helped relieve her constant apprehension as the bath filled. Getting into it brought a calm that she hadn't felt her entire life. Her parents had restricted her to showering, having an actual bath was completely new to her.