Change in the Weather

[Stasis Kiss]

This is old, dating back to the summer of 2006 and was an impromptu RP storyline between Kris O'Sullivan, Lucia "Lucky" Adriaens and Stasis Kiss.

It appears to have somehow gone missing on the boards, possibly during a thread switch. I am reposting it because I'd like this available when I go looking for it again, as it has some RP events I like to refer to even in current writing.

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris O'Sullivan

Kris plopped into the chair next to her desk, which also happened to be next to the bathroom door (she often needed to use the bathroom while typing long [for the school] papers, but it may have been the caffiene, too). It had been a draining day, and though it had the air of finality to it, things weren't quite done. There still remained the question of Lucky's fate. And then of course there was the lost cause of Stasis.

With a wry smile, Kris shook her head, and leaned across to smell the new flowers from Franky. They smelled actually quite wonderful! Inhaling deeply, Kris sat back in the chair and tried to relax. She had good memories in this quad, and they flooded into her mind, bringing a smile to the girl's face. Soon she was straightening up, and making the room look as nice as it could possibly be, given the duo who now lived there. Even though Stasis had strayed from the path, Kris was going to put things straight, and bring her back into the fold of Q5!

Looking into the mirror, Kris saw the mousey school girl, and decided to really spice it up. Off came the uniform of the beloved school, and on came a pair of jeans she had been meaning to throw away, because they looked "painted on," whenever she wore them. Looking through her things she found her oversized George Washington High School, LA sweatshirt, but also found a silk one her mother had packed for her. She opted for the sweatshirt, decideding the silk would be for dinner. Sliding her feet into some toesocks, she then put on a pair of outdoor sandals. She looked again, then took off her glasses, and replaced them with her contacts, that she swore made her look older, when she got them.

There! She had transformed herself, and the room. Now all she needed was Stasi, and some music. Going through her cd collection, Kris finally opted for Aphex Twin, and popped the cd in, and turned the music low enough to be there, but not in the way. Picking up a volume of Emmerson, she lay on her bed, kicking her feet into the air. Now I'm ready to do this, she thought to herself and smiled impishly, as she awaited her room mate's return.

[Stasis Kiss]

Stasis stood in front of the door and just looked at it.

It hadn’t changed, looked just like it always had. She reached out without thinking, touched the smoothly notched wood, a remnant of old architectural detailing. On the other side of this door she’d been happy once. On the other side of this door she’d been accepted. The grain of it impressed onto her fingertips, caught at her skin like a living thing.

She shook her head. She’d made her decision, broken a promise to herself because she’d had to. She’d come back and that was that. Standing here wasn’t going to help anything.

Opening the door and walking through was hard. Seeing Kris lying on her bed, looking just like always was harder.

“Heyla, Kris.” There was music playing, something she didn’t recognize. “You’re out of class early.” She avoided her quadmate’s answering smile, walking instead to her bed to sit down and pull off her boots. Her corner was spare now, just the bed, a table. Everything that had been personal was gone and she wasn’t going to replace any of it. Just a place to sleep now and clothes to wear when she couldn’t hide in her armor.

Jade’s pallet on the floor was mute testament to the things that still kept her here.

An indrawn breath on the other side of the room was her warning. She spoke before Kris could, wanting to head whatever was coming her way off at the pass.

“What are you doing here anyways, heyla? I thought you and Tony were going out tonight. Did you change your mind?”

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris O'Sullivan

"Yep," she said with a little pep in her voice as she popped off of her bed and came ofer to Stasis. "I asked if it could wait until Saturday or Sunday... You look like you've had a day."

Looking at Stasis she could see the girl was a bit stuck on a mood. Smiling larder, she knew she could make it better. Biting at her lower lip, she sat by her friend's feet, and took one into her lap.

"I wanna talk with you about something," she said as she felt her cheeks flush. "About us. Just let me know when."

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris looked weird, sitting there with Stasi's foot in her lap. At least Stasi thought so and she should know, since she was the one with the trapped foot. She frowned, perplexed. What was Kris doing? She could take off her own boots all by herself; she'd been doing it for years.

"Kris? You uh... feeling okay?"

Her friend's face was a little flushed, like she'd been drinking or something. Stasis widened her eyes and then frowned a little harder.

"Heyla! You been at Jai's rum again?"

[Stasis Kiss]

Lucia Adriens

Lucia slipped into the quad, too tired to take notice of more than the sole fact that both of her roommates were currently occupying it. She managed a half-hearted wave in their direction as she flopped down on her bed, kicking her shoes off as she did. It had been another long day, like every day since shortly after she returned to Paragon City. Another day of appointments and classes, with no results in sight.

She lay on her back, eyes closed, breathing in the unfamiliar but sweet scent in the air. She felt herself relax, despite herself, and she turned on her side to face her roommates, just in time to hear Stasis' last question.

"Kris has been drinking? Better hope the Sisters don't find out...that'd be bad," she commented, still not taking in all of her surroundings...

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris O'Sullivan

"No," Kris giggled. "I don't drink. Not unless it's Communion Sunday, and even then it's just the sip in the glass. I'm all aflush because it was a secular confession I was about to make, but it can wait til later."

Hopping up, Kris crossed the quad to Lucia's bed, and looked down with a giggle. Her friend looked tired, and maybe a little worried or something. Well, that would change , now.

"Heya, Lucky! I've missed you," she said with a grin.

[Stasis Kiss]

Lucia Adriaens

That's because you are never here, Kris. Out trying to save the world single-handedly, right?" Lucia grinned up at Kris, her troubles of the day fading to the back of her thoughts as she realized she hadn't seen Kris smile this much since before...well before everything that had happened lately.

"And then with how busy I've been these days...well, we could practically get rid of one of the beds in the quad and have more room!"

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris O'Sullivan

"Yeah, well... Time to move on, right? There will always be pillows to be slaughtered and ribs to be counted, and other stuff," Kris giggled. "Heck! We even have Stasi still in her Miss Grumpypants chair. But, who knows with the recent stuff goin' on, right, Stasi?"

[Stasis Kiss]

Stasis drops her other boot to the floor with an ominous thud.

In an angry motion she stands again. The light streaking through the window brightens her hair into a halo, highlights the deadly curve of metal clasped around her arms.

"I am not," she says, stripping the release catches at her elbows, shoulders in jerky motions, "Miss Grumpypants." The armor falls away in two perfect pieces, exposing the thin suit beneath it and pale shoulders. "I resent," she says as she peels the skintight suit down her torso, exposing the crossed strips that weave over and under to protect her ribcage, stomach, "being called Miss Grumpypants." Her fingers flick over her slim hips, unsealing the leggings with the soft sound of velcro. "If I have my way," she growls as she continues to slide the white kevlar down her legs, "the next person to call me Grumpypants is going to end up frozen to the floor. Do we understand each other?"

She sits down to finish stripping the uniform off, tossing the discarded unitard into a corner. She'll have it cleaned later. The armor pieces go easily onto a braced hook so that they dangle oddly, like half a person.

She stretches briefly then to ease cramped muscles, clad only in white cotton panties and the bandages. She sometimes forgets how confining the armor can be, strange to be without its accustomed weight. Shaking her head she bounces to her feet again, starting to unwind the complex padding with flashing fingers. It falls away in ribbon streamers even as she turns to find both her quadmates staring.

"What?"

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris O'Sullivan

"Okay... I can go," Kris said, shaking her head, not sure what to make of the out burst, but not really upset. Besides, I got some books to return to the library! Maybe when I get back, we can watch a movie or something? Make some popcorn, yell at the people about to make bad mistakes, and stuff?"

Kris cheerfully gathered her books, and walked out of the room for the first time wearing something other than her school uniform. Down to the library she went, and checked her books in. On her return Kris stopped dead in her tracks. There was a sleeping spot in the quad floor... Who's was it, and why did Q5 have to supply floor space? Quickly she made her way back to the quad, and stopped at the door. What was she going to say? Deciding not to let another moment slip away, she walked back in.

"Uhmm, guys? Whose is that," she asked as she ponted to the sleeping spot. "And, why do we have to have them on our floor?"

[Stasis Kiss]

Stasis slings the towel around her neck, straightening to her full height. A pair of worn jeans and a grey tank top complete the rest of her outfit, loose enough to be comfortable, tight enough not to catch on anything if she has to move. She's already got her swimsuit on underneath. It's not that far to the pool so she decides on the spur of the moment to go barefoot.

"It's Jade's."

Kris' expression is somewhat uncertain. "Kali Jade?" her red headed roommate says tentatively. Stasis shakes her head.

"Jade Rooster."

"StaSIS! Rooster?! HERE?!" That's Lucky from her corner, her eyes wide.

She frowns.

"Ayuh, Rooster. I can't watch him if he's dorming in the boy's wing. I'm sure as anything not sleeping with him in the same room as Detective!"

"Sleeping...? Stasis! He's ... he's..."

"He's what?"

"He's a guy! In our QUAD!" Lucky seemed to be having serious issues with this, something that Stasis was totally not prepared for. What was the problem here? Kris didn't look too happy either for that matter.

"Look. He's sleeping on the floor for now. Think of him more like a large dog, if that helps." She felt a little guilty with that comparison, but Rooster wasn't there to argue about it. "What, so it's against the rules. It's not like we haven't broken a few before this. Besides, it's necessary."

His eyes, so fierce, half crazy with exhaustion. She could all but see the shadows forming behind him, threatening to take him away. No. That was not permitted. She'd kill before she'd let that happen again.

"No. No way, nuh uh, not having a guy in our dorm!" Lucky was up on her knees on her bed now.

Blind anger is suddenly a wash of copper under her tongue. "Look, Lucky. Kris too. I'm only gonna say this once. I am not leaving Rooster to wander around on his own when he's got assassins poised at his back! Just. Not. Happening!"

Protect. Guard. Whatever it took. Her shoulders tightened as her breath started to steam gently. "You can like it, or lump it, but Q5 is the only place I can think of that's remotely safe because we're in it. We are in it!"

She glares at both of them, feeling suddenly betrayed.

"I'm going to have my swim now. We can argue about this when I get back. Rooster stays."

She can feel the ice cracking in her hair as she stalks out the door.

[Stasis Kiss]

Kris O'Sullivan

Stasis, if he stays, I leave," Kris suddenly blurted, following Stasis, who for the first time she was aware of was retreating. "I will not be made to look like some sort of whore on this campus by the rumor mill. I'm a good girl. I wouldn't let Arrow come, so he could make sure that were weren't having orgies, so either Rooster is out, or I am. I love you, but I won't be made to trust Rooster."

Kris was outraged. First it was Jai, then there was the ruckus, and Stasis being not forthcoming about who she wanted. And now it was this! How could she do this to her and Lucky both, without asking?

"I can't believe we didn't rank high enough to ask..." Kris suddenly was aware she had blurted this whole thing out in the middle of the girl's wing, and became as red as a candied apple, and hung her head in defeat.

[Stasis Kiss]

The words hit her like individual blows. She feels them like daggers in her back, the ones that she imagined for Jade, feels them sink in and twist.

A friend's voice to drive them.

She takes one more step, two, then stops in the center of the hallway even as Kris' voice trails away. Her fingers flex without thought.

Whore.

Stasis turns then, pivots on one slow heel. She doesn't even see the shocked looks around her, the faces just blurs in the corners of her eyes.

"What?"

Kris' face is pale but determined. "You didn't even ask, Stasis!"

She cocks her head slowly as if she's thinking about it, although she isn't. "I didn't think I had to. We are Q5."

"Q5 is not one person! I'm part of this quad and I'm not having Rooster dorm with us, I'm just not!"

She can hear the explosion of whispering, shaking through the assembling girls like a windstorm. Over Kris' shoulder she can see the pale face of Lucky peeking out from behind the door.

"What did you mean... made to trust Rooster?" That phrase catches on something unyielding and she takes one step back towards her quadmate, a sliding unreal motion. "I trust Rooster. I trust him with everything."

Kris' chin jerks up at that but she holds her ground, color flooding her face. "Well, I don't! You can't just keep doing this, Stasi!" Kris' hands are balled into fists. This is the first time she's ever stood up to her friend, ever questioned the unthinking idol worship. It feels strange to both of them. "You can't keep making these decisions without us!"

Stasis breathes out, feels the wire tension run across her shoulders, down her spine. She shakes her head as arctic fog swirls, then dissipates. She is in control of this. She doesn't need armor.

"At least I make them. I'm not the one waiting around to be rescued, after all."

The look of shock on Kris' face is curiously satisfying. She flexes her fingers again, straightens from the instinctive drop into a fighter's crouch. She's not going to fight. She doesn't have to.

"We can argue later if you want, Kris. I told you; Rooster stays. Right now I'm having my swim."

The last thing she sees is the tears in Kris' eyes.

[Stasis Kiss]

Mimi VanBuren

Mimi stared at the two girls arguing.

She found herself feeling glad of it, and she hated herself for feeling that way.

Times change. And the illustrious Stasis Kiss was going to learn that lesson soon enough. Too many ears. Their voices too loud. So now half the school knew where Jade Rooster was sleeping. It wouldn't take long before the sisters brought an end to that.

And what would all of Stasis' would-be suitors think?

Something felt tight in Mimi's chest. A pang of sympathy, perhaps, for what she knew was coming. But she ignored it. She had to. She'd tried to help, had it thrown in her face. So Stasis Kiss and her fan club could swing in the wind.

With a smile that didn't suit her face, Mimi slung her bookbag over her shoulder and just walked away.