(no subject)
OOC: Bold? German.
This filly-fallying is absurd.
I will speak to Toxin about acquiring some primates for brain-experimentation at the earliest opportunity.
No reason to set limits where none need be.
I have many brothers now.
Wet and dark, the gullet of the cave; though lantern-lit at its edges for the sake of eyes whose capabilities are less than superhuman. Powerful arm-strokes carry the lean Valkyrie at a smooth, measured pace through the dark waters of the underground late.
Pyro makes his way through the tunnel down to the water, dressed in boardshorts with a sweatshirt throwned over head for the duration of the walk. And for the time being, he's regressed to a lighter back in hand, old habit quickly renewed as the clack-clack echoes off the rock walls. He stops short as he enters the cave, though, the sound of breaking water reaching his ears, and he scans the water for its occupant.
Ellen is not immediately aware of Pyro's entrance; water muffles sound and lids shuttered to protect her eyes from whatever uncouthness might lurk in lakewater also prevent being particularly observant. It's when she comes up for air and a pause to tread water and take stock of her cellular condition that she realizes he's there. "Hello," she offers. Soaked and fine, her hair is plastered to her head and neck.
Pyro doesn't move from the entry, glancing over toward the sound of the voice. "Sorry, din't mean to interupt. Didn't expect anyone else to be here, really. Pretty good swimmer, eh? Not that I've been watchin'. I can come back later, if you'druther swim alone."
Ellen favors him with a slow blink, lantern's touch flickering over her damp face. Quiet amusement undertones blue-grey gaze as fine brows lift, ever-so-slightly. "You can stay," she answers. "I don't mind." She moves forward through the water, towards the shallower edge of the lake, to gain actual footing, halfway out of the water: decency served by the charcoal one-piece suit, slick against her lean form. "Plenty of room."
"M'kay," Pyro mumbles, crossing the room toward the lakeside. "I'll try not to make too much noise. Might be some steam, though," he says, gesturing with the lighter-hand in explanation. "Never liked to swim much, myself," he comments. "Never understood why until got my powers."
Ellen cants her head slightly to one side, expression a blend of quiet interest. "Have you an experiment planned?" Slim-fingered hands -- scientist's hands -- slide out of the water, delicately pruned as she clasps them for habit's sake behind her back.
"Experiment?" Pyro hmmms, working his way to a place with a small ledge, enough to let his feet hang in the water as he settles down. "Guess so, though nothing so formal as that. Mostly just want to see how long I can hold up a fire when there's water around. The night we broke you guys out--well, there was a sprinkler system that did me in. Figured it's time to start practicing that."
Old ghosts flicker in grey-blue eyes, ever-so-brief, as Ellen nods. "Shoring up one's weaknesses," she answers briskly. "Never a bad course."
"Something like that," Pyro nods, flicking open the lighter and letting the flame dance in his palm. He sets the lighter down on the rock, and lets the flames expand to englove his hand. "You swim a lot?"
Ellen shakes her head. "Not often. Generally my physical health is, ah, self-maintaining." The flicker of a smile: self-deprecatory indulgence. "Clears my head, once in awhile," she allows, absently watching the fire.
"Ah, well, that'd be nice to have," Pyro comments. "Okay, now, don't laugh if this goes wrong." With a determined look on his face, he plunges the hand into the water. And other than a sudden jet of steam rising, he has nothing to show, and his hand slips back from the water, flame vanished. "Bloody..." he mutters.
Ellen regards his progress impassively, gaze following the steam back to his face. "Only your first trial," she points out blandly. She paces out of the water proper to perch at the lake's edge, legs long and bare and crossed at the ankles, as she watches him curiously.
Pyro reaches behind him, fumbling for the lighter until he has another flame in hand. This time, he extends a few tendrils of fire down to the water's surface, letting replenishing each bit that the water extinquishes. "You seem to have a pretty good handle on your abilities," he comments.
Ellen's mouth quirks, ever-so-slightly. The rueful half-smile lingers as she speaks. "For the most part," she acknowledges with a small inclination of her head towards him. "But I have been practicing for quite some time," she adds mildly.
"Seems as'n I get one thing pretty much controled and I find out something else," Pyro comments, frowning as he attempts to push the flames into the water--unsuccessfully, though he does manage to keep them burning above water. "Good thing, I guess. Nice to know I've not really reached my limits yet."
"You are quite young to have found all of your limits already," Ellen points out gravely, hands in a loose clasp over one bare knee. "And I'd advise never to stop testing them. As obvious as it sounds, there is always more to learn."
"Life'd be pretty boring otherwise, hmm?" Pyro asks, flattening out the fire to a disk hovering over the surface of the water. A quick downward motion and it sizzles a moment before going out. "Water's just not my friend," he shrugs, quickly replenishing the fire.
"I wouldn't imagine so," Ellen concurs with mild humor glinting in blue-grey eyes. She tilts her head slightly. "Perhaps if you carried a canister of oil around wherever you went."
Pyro lifts an eyebrow at that. "Not a bad idea. Or oil my suit up. Keep it from getting soaked. Should talk to Toad about that. Problem's not just about starting the fire. The suit's fire would probably start in 300% humidity," he pauses, shoving the sweatshirt to his elbow and letting the flames lick his forearm. "It's keeping it going. That's part me, part the original fire. Kinda hard to explain."
"Hmm." Ellen regards him thoughtfully. "You provide for fuel where the fire would otherwise die? But you cannot compensate for the water's natural extinguishing characteristics?"
"Guess something like that," Pyro nods. "It's easier if I don't /have/ to keep it going, but I can when there's nothing to burn. And I just don't know about water. If I can, I haven't figured out how to yet."
"Perhaps immersion is not the correct starting point," Ellen remarks. She uncrosses her ankles and straightens a little on her perch, arching her eyebrows at him. "Are you familiar with Chinese water torture?"
Pyro lets the flame vanish, pulling his feet from the water to turn and face her. "No, not really. Sounds... fun."
"Droplets from above," Ellen clarifies. "I imagine we could forego the part where you're driven insane."
"That'd be preferred," Pyro says dryly. He stops to think through that. "Well, it'd be a good way to at least get used to some water around. What kind of 'droplets?'"
"Well, it's not exactly my area of expertise," Ellen demurs, only to continue briskly, "but possibly some sort of funneling apparatus? I imagine Toad," and if there's a bare flicker of distaste with the syllable, it dissipates quickly enough, "could modify something for you -- perhaps a showerhead."
Pyro isn't all that quick to pick anything up. Or at least react if he does. "Yeah, he probably could. I'll have to mention it to him, see what he can rig up. Can't be any worse than this," he says, with a frown toward the lake.
Ellen's glance slides to the intransigent lake and she nods. "It's only a thought."
"Well, give it a fair go. I'll let you know how it turns out," Pyro says, pushing off to his feet and bending over to pick up the lighter. "Think that's all for me tonight. Harder when there's something fighting against you."
Ellen inclines her head to him. "Best not to strain yourself," she agrees, alto's bland tones as mild and pleasant as ever. "It was pleasant speaking with you."
Pyro nods as he heads back toward the dorms. "Same here. Thanks for the suggestions. G'night."
This filly-fallying is absurd.
I will speak to Toxin about acquiring some primates for brain-experimentation at the earliest opportunity.
No reason to set limits where none need be.
I have many brothers now.
Wet and dark, the gullet of the cave; though lantern-lit at its edges for the sake of eyes whose capabilities are less than superhuman. Powerful arm-strokes carry the lean Valkyrie at a smooth, measured pace through the dark waters of the underground late.
Pyro makes his way through the tunnel down to the water, dressed in boardshorts with a sweatshirt throwned over head for the duration of the walk. And for the time being, he's regressed to a lighter back in hand, old habit quickly renewed as the clack-clack echoes off the rock walls. He stops short as he enters the cave, though, the sound of breaking water reaching his ears, and he scans the water for its occupant.
Ellen is not immediately aware of Pyro's entrance; water muffles sound and lids shuttered to protect her eyes from whatever uncouthness might lurk in lakewater also prevent being particularly observant. It's when she comes up for air and a pause to tread water and take stock of her cellular condition that she realizes he's there. "Hello," she offers. Soaked and fine, her hair is plastered to her head and neck.
Pyro doesn't move from the entry, glancing over toward the sound of the voice. "Sorry, din't mean to interupt. Didn't expect anyone else to be here, really. Pretty good swimmer, eh? Not that I've been watchin'. I can come back later, if you'druther swim alone."
Ellen favors him with a slow blink, lantern's touch flickering over her damp face. Quiet amusement undertones blue-grey gaze as fine brows lift, ever-so-slightly. "You can stay," she answers. "I don't mind." She moves forward through the water, towards the shallower edge of the lake, to gain actual footing, halfway out of the water: decency served by the charcoal one-piece suit, slick against her lean form. "Plenty of room."
"M'kay," Pyro mumbles, crossing the room toward the lakeside. "I'll try not to make too much noise. Might be some steam, though," he says, gesturing with the lighter-hand in explanation. "Never liked to swim much, myself," he comments. "Never understood why until got my powers."
Ellen cants her head slightly to one side, expression a blend of quiet interest. "Have you an experiment planned?" Slim-fingered hands -- scientist's hands -- slide out of the water, delicately pruned as she clasps them for habit's sake behind her back.
"Experiment?" Pyro hmmms, working his way to a place with a small ledge, enough to let his feet hang in the water as he settles down. "Guess so, though nothing so formal as that. Mostly just want to see how long I can hold up a fire when there's water around. The night we broke you guys out--well, there was a sprinkler system that did me in. Figured it's time to start practicing that."
Old ghosts flicker in grey-blue eyes, ever-so-brief, as Ellen nods. "Shoring up one's weaknesses," she answers briskly. "Never a bad course."
"Something like that," Pyro nods, flicking open the lighter and letting the flame dance in his palm. He sets the lighter down on the rock, and lets the flames expand to englove his hand. "You swim a lot?"
Ellen shakes her head. "Not often. Generally my physical health is, ah, self-maintaining." The flicker of a smile: self-deprecatory indulgence. "Clears my head, once in awhile," she allows, absently watching the fire.
"Ah, well, that'd be nice to have," Pyro comments. "Okay, now, don't laugh if this goes wrong." With a determined look on his face, he plunges the hand into the water. And other than a sudden jet of steam rising, he has nothing to show, and his hand slips back from the water, flame vanished. "Bloody..." he mutters.
Ellen regards his progress impassively, gaze following the steam back to his face. "Only your first trial," she points out blandly. She paces out of the water proper to perch at the lake's edge, legs long and bare and crossed at the ankles, as she watches him curiously.
Pyro reaches behind him, fumbling for the lighter until he has another flame in hand. This time, he extends a few tendrils of fire down to the water's surface, letting replenishing each bit that the water extinquishes. "You seem to have a pretty good handle on your abilities," he comments.
Ellen's mouth quirks, ever-so-slightly. The rueful half-smile lingers as she speaks. "For the most part," she acknowledges with a small inclination of her head towards him. "But I have been practicing for quite some time," she adds mildly.
"Seems as'n I get one thing pretty much controled and I find out something else," Pyro comments, frowning as he attempts to push the flames into the water--unsuccessfully, though he does manage to keep them burning above water. "Good thing, I guess. Nice to know I've not really reached my limits yet."
"You are quite young to have found all of your limits already," Ellen points out gravely, hands in a loose clasp over one bare knee. "And I'd advise never to stop testing them. As obvious as it sounds, there is always more to learn."
"Life'd be pretty boring otherwise, hmm?" Pyro asks, flattening out the fire to a disk hovering over the surface of the water. A quick downward motion and it sizzles a moment before going out. "Water's just not my friend," he shrugs, quickly replenishing the fire.
"I wouldn't imagine so," Ellen concurs with mild humor glinting in blue-grey eyes. She tilts her head slightly. "Perhaps if you carried a canister of oil around wherever you went."
Pyro lifts an eyebrow at that. "Not a bad idea. Or oil my suit up. Keep it from getting soaked. Should talk to Toad about that. Problem's not just about starting the fire. The suit's fire would probably start in 300% humidity," he pauses, shoving the sweatshirt to his elbow and letting the flames lick his forearm. "It's keeping it going. That's part me, part the original fire. Kinda hard to explain."
"Hmm." Ellen regards him thoughtfully. "You provide for fuel where the fire would otherwise die? But you cannot compensate for the water's natural extinguishing characteristics?"
"Guess something like that," Pyro nods. "It's easier if I don't /have/ to keep it going, but I can when there's nothing to burn. And I just don't know about water. If I can, I haven't figured out how to yet."
"Perhaps immersion is not the correct starting point," Ellen remarks. She uncrosses her ankles and straightens a little on her perch, arching her eyebrows at him. "Are you familiar with Chinese water torture?"
Pyro lets the flame vanish, pulling his feet from the water to turn and face her. "No, not really. Sounds... fun."
"Droplets from above," Ellen clarifies. "I imagine we could forego the part where you're driven insane."
"That'd be preferred," Pyro says dryly. He stops to think through that. "Well, it'd be a good way to at least get used to some water around. What kind of 'droplets?'"
"Well, it's not exactly my area of expertise," Ellen demurs, only to continue briskly, "but possibly some sort of funneling apparatus? I imagine Toad," and if there's a bare flicker of distaste with the syllable, it dissipates quickly enough, "could modify something for you -- perhaps a showerhead."
Pyro isn't all that quick to pick anything up. Or at least react if he does. "Yeah, he probably could. I'll have to mention it to him, see what he can rig up. Can't be any worse than this," he says, with a frown toward the lake.
Ellen's glance slides to the intransigent lake and she nods. "It's only a thought."
"Well, give it a fair go. I'll let you know how it turns out," Pyro says, pushing off to his feet and bending over to pick up the lighter. "Think that's all for me tonight. Harder when there's something fighting against you."
Ellen inclines her head to him. "Best not to strain yourself," she agrees, alto's bland tones as mild and pleasant as ever. "It was pleasant speaking with you."
Pyro nods as he heads back toward the dorms. "Same here. Thanks for the suggestions. G'night."