* Carole wanders out, meandering as she goes.
* Graham slips in from Escher, trying to brush off a good deal of dirt that's come to cover him, muttering.
* Carole blurs behind Graham...
* Graham pauses a few moments.. "Have a wet towel?"
* Blur--blur...
* A wet towel is draped over his shoulders.
* Graham starts wiping the dust from him, sighing. "Thanks.. better."
{Carole} Been through the desert on a pony with no name?
{Graham} Rain then dust storm. Problems of shifting weather and moving fast... heya.
{Carole} Hi! Got to watch out for those... can't vibrate fast enough to throw it off?
{Graham} Sure I can.. but I'm trying not to do too much of that, still.
{Carole} Oh, poo, you'll never learn better until you try more. *grins and hugs him from behind* WHere've you been?
{Graham} Catching up on classes, a lot.. small random jobs. {pauses, then leans back a little and puts hand on her arm} You?
* Carole unhugs, zipping around to in front of him. "Oh you know... same as I always have..."
{Graham} Destroying works of art and national monuments in your depraved quest to ensure misery? Oh.. wait, wrong girl..
* Carole adopts an innocent saint-girl look.
{Graham} Maybe...
* Carole grabs his hand and starts to tug to the chairs..
* Graham tugs away, for replicator...
* Carole tugs back... for chairs...
{Graham} You don't want a drink?
{Carole} Wanna drink... getta drink... wanna chair...
{Graham} You go find chair.. I'll find drinks?
* Carole tugs twice... "Wanna... win... the point... too..."
{Graham} More than you want a rich.. cool drink?
* Carole blinks at him with a cute, innocent, 'torn' look on her face...
{Graham} Banana.. cold ice cream.. swirled?
* Carole's mouth falls open...
* Graham tugs fast...
* Carole 'falls' into the chair!
* Graham hurriedly gets a banana smoothie and a strawberry smoothie, offering her the first. 'Hope this is enough fro you..."
* Carole holds out her hands. "Gimme!"
* Graham places the drink there. "That's not the most *nice* asking..."
* Carole snatches it to herself. "I know." She grins at him as she sips.
{Graham} Someone's gotten pushy... {slight smile}
{Carole} *Gotten*? *she grins as she sips more* What do you mean gotten? I"ve always been this rude and pushy.
{Marigold} But we love her anyway.
* Marigold lowers the ladder and climbs down, wearing a skintight yellow bodysuit with a red miniskirt that passes as a costume.
* Carole pouts over her drink. "Will you love me *lots*, though?"
{Graham} Yes, but I've forgotten.. sorry! Hey Mari.. longer time. {slight smile}
{Carole} So. *grin*
{Marigold} Far too, Graham. *grin* How do? {she ruffles Carole's hair on the way to the replicator}
* Carole sticks out her tongue at Marigold as she passes.
{Graham} Pretty well, though glad I'm about at point to take summer off.. worked and studied last.
* Carole grins. "How close're you to being a lettered man?"
{Marigold} Oh, good. *grin* Breaks are wonderful things. I should take two or three.
{Graham} About another semester, maybe two.. {small smile} I took more electives than you're *supposed* to.
* Marigold gets herself a half dozen burgers, fries to match, and a diet dew.
{Carole} You're just too interested in things...
{Graham} Or too unmotivated...
{Marigold} Putting off real life as long as possible?
{Carole} Or too unmotivated... lazy...
* Marigold takes a seat.
{Graham} How many breaks have you been on, Mari? And yeah.. that's what it feels like. I make enough to keep me in food, home, and clothes as-is, so just.. don't have the impetus...
* Carole gives a little, possibly sad, smile there.
{Marigold} Breaks? Who gets breaks?
{Graham} Oh, is that why you should take them? {smirk}
{Marigold} Well, you know, we're shorthanded since our most powerful member ran off... Not that I'm trying to lay any guilt trips, of course. *winks to Carole*
* Carole gives a slightly wry smile. "What? Yeoman left? When?"
{Marigold} He ran out of arrows.
{Graham} That's what happens when you run out of things at a signing...
{Carole} I told him to stop picking off the autograph hounds...
{Marigold} But if he signed, he would have lost that air of mystique...
{Graham} And grumpiness?
{Carole} *That's* one reason to drop out. Don't have to deal with him.
{Marigold} Oh, he's a pussycat.
{Graham} I've only talked a little to him.. how bad *is* he?
* Carole draws her finger across her throat in a 'zzst'.
{Marigold} He's not *bad*, just... dedicated.
* Carole pretends to be strangling herself.
{Graham} More'n Carole...
{Marigold} And feels everyone else should be just as dedicated.
* Carole glares at Graham over her self-strangulation.
{Graham} Oh, *there's* a problem..
* Carole *nods*.
{Marigold} It works for him. Care, stop killing yourself.
{Graham} Or anybody else...
{Carole} Can't... not till someoen apologizes...
{Graham} Apologize then.. Carole?
{Carole} Me? Why me?
{Graham} You said someone..
{Carole} But I'm not someone!
{Graham} A right someone...
* Carole blurs, beating on him weakly with her fists...
* Graham concentrates, and Carole's feet start to shake...
* Carole grins and beats in time with her 'happy feet'.
* Marigold watches the speedsters squabble.
* Graham starts to guide the vibrations to tend apart.. moving Carole into a split...
* Carole blinks as she does the splits...
{Graham} Oops.. how'd that happen? Marigold? Did you?
{Marigold} Yes, I've developed telekinesis since we last saw each other.
{Carole} Meanies.
{Graham} Wow. It's amazing what metal can do...
* Carole beats on Graham's knees.
{Graham} Apologize and you get up...
{Carole} I'm sorry you're mean!
{Graham} Good enough. {half-smile, offering hand}
* Carole takes it...
* Graham boosts her up!
* Carole leaps up and hugs him!
* Graham seems.. just a little uncomfortable there... "Now go thank Marigold too for stopping the, um, telekinesis..."
* Carole turns to Marigold. "Meanie!"
* Graham smiles a touch, sipping his drink in faint relief!
* Carole then turns her back, miming a snit.
{Marigold} I know, I'm horrible... Wait, I forgot. The telekinesis thing was a dream.
{Graham} It was?
{Marigold} Yeah, never actually developed it. Must've been someone else.
{Graham} Well, maybe Carole faked...
{Carole} I *never* fake.
* Marigold coughs.
{Graham} Ah.. right...
{Carole} I mean...
{Marigold} Graham! New topic, quick!
{Graham} More smoothies?
{Carole} I could use one!
{Marigold} Please!
{Graham} Flavor, gold?
{Marigold} Strawberry?
* Graham grabs one and one, not bothering with his own again. "There. Fill your mouth, no more bad words, Carole.."
{Carole} N'more, promised, promise, promise.
{Graham} Thaaanks..
* Carole grins a touch. "Besides, wouldn't want to drive you off so soon. Missed you."
{Graham} {q} You too.. Ah, both of you. {tiny grin}
* Marigold grins a bit and just salutes with her drink.
{Graham} Even if one of you needs vacation madly...
{Carole} Want me to force her?
{Graham} Can you?
{Carole} Bet I *can*.
{Graham} She's heavy...
{Carole} I have ways to move her.
{Marigold} Nope, can't. Not unless you or Graham want to fill in for me. *grin*
{Graham} How do they work?
{Carole} I show her the glimpse of something she can't possibly refuse.
{Marigold} What's that?
{Graham} Dessert?
{Carole} Cooould be...
{Marigold} I can get my own....
{Graham} Unless it were something very rare...
{Carole} Like... a desser that can't be found here?
* Marigold looks at Carole, then the replicator, then back at Carole.
{Carole} Because you don't know what to ask fooor!
{Graham} Something you know better than her?
* Carole smiles innocently.
{Marigold} Temptress.
{Carole} Who found you that club? *Grin* Of course I'm a temptress.
{Graham} Which cluuub? {slight smile}
* Carole bats her eyelashes innocently, looking at Marigold.
{Marigold} Mmmm... A dance club that caters to supers. Great place. *slight grin*
{Graham} Aha! Elitist. Siiigh. {grin}
{Carole} Um, you *are* a super.
{Graham} For the common man.
* Carole facepalms.
{Graham} M'here to serve you for discrimination.
* Marigold grins to Graham. "Maybe it is, but I like it, and not *just* because I met my boyfriend there."
{Carole} And I can't even plead that I taste terrible...
{Graham} Ohhh... then nevermind, I won't sue, for your behalf. {grin}
* Tina wanders inside, wearing a utilitarian coverall that she still manages to look cute in.
{Tina} Food. Food happy. Food good. Food...hi, people not food!
{Marigold} I'm decidedly not edible, this is true. *grin* Hi there.
{Tina} Heya. {small grin, wanders for the replicator} And no, I don't make a practice of cannibalism, so you're safe. Tina, you?
{Carole} Hey there, and thanks!
{Marigold} Marigold, and even if you did, I'm not edible! *grin*
{Graham} I am, but you'd be grossed... {slight smile}
{Tina} Howso and howso? {grins, dials up chocolates and a cup of hot tea, which she sniffs suspiciously}
* Graham moves to Marigold and taps her head with knuckles...
{Carole} I am, sigh... sadly, I'm such a treat...
{Tina} You are? Man, I *so* am not gonna touch that. {sniffs tea again} This smells kind of um, off.
* Marigold sounds solid! "Because I've got an atomic weight just shy of 197. Your hand okay, Graham?"
{Graham} See? And sure, I hit harder stuff...
{Graham} My forehead, for instance.
{Tina} Atomic weight of... {pauses, does a quick calculation} Um, well!
{brightly} That's very interesting!
* Carole blurs, rapping on his forehead, then returns to seat.
{Marigold} Oh, cool. Usually when I say that, I get blank looks. *grin*
* Graham winces. "See? She broke a knuckle..."
{Carole} OW! OW! OH MY HAND! OH THE HUMANITY!
{Tina} She.... {brightly and blatantly states the ridiculously obvious} And *she* moved very fast! {pause} And is now yelling dramatically.\
{Marigold} Let me see it, Care...
* Tina sighs and dumps the tea.
* Carole grins at Tina. "That's right. Both of them are my stock in trades." She brings the hand over to Marigold.
{Tina} Okay, so obviously this is more of the happy fun complete denial of physics you guys so go into. Women made of gold and women on speed. Whotta combnation.
* Marigold kisses a knuckel. "There, all better. Now stop hitting your friends."
{Carole} Thank you. Promise. *grins at Tina* Well, it helps to be a 'speed' - 'ster'. Hence the speed. Kind of baked right in.
{Tina} Mmmm, and great with chees!
{Marigold} Hey, I *totally* follow the laws of physics. I can't help it if the scientists can't figure out why I'm alive!
{Graham} Teach you to be careful... {slight smile} And poor me not anything special.
* Carole growls at Graham.
{Graham} Except for dinner...
{Tina} Oh, hey, they need a few headaches.
{Tina} Hey, you said you'd be gross to eat!
{Graham} But she's threatening...
{Tina} Hey, stop that, he's likely fattening and bad for your arteries.
{Graham} Yeah, I.. well, no...
{Marigold} I don't know... He looks pretty lean....
{Tina} It's deceptive.
{Carole} Mmmm...
{Graham} No.. I think I'm lean...
{Tina} You do?
{Graham} Even if it kills me, yeah.
{Tina} It's a terrible thing to be munched.
{Marigold} This is a morbid subject. Let's move on to dessert.
{Tina} Dessert. A great and mighty thing. Anybody wanna truffle?
{Graham} We're not sure.. we're trying to predict Marigold.
{Carole} We are?
{Marigold} No, we've moved on from that.
{Carole} We have?
* Marigold nodnods.
{Tina} Darn.
{Graham} She just wants to escape...
{Tina} From what, I ask? {ponders the replicator again, deeply}
{Graham} Her friend!
{Tina} That's a strange thing to wish to escape, but hey.
{Carole} I'm a strange thing!
{Graham} Friends always get that way...
{Tina} So am I! We're all strange here. Well, I'm less strange.
{Graham} I'm normal, remember?
{Marigold} Well, it's not like I can outrun her, so I have to outthink her.
{Carole} Yes. Which one day she might. *grin*
{Graham} Again...
{Marigold} For the ninety-second time!
{Tina} You kept count?
{Carole} In her *mind*, which doesn't work that *well* for this!
{Graham} How can we know which one?
{Tina} I'm so confused now. Say, anybody got any idea where decent tea is to be had? Something's a bit whiff with this stuff.
{Marigold} There's usually some iced tea through that door in the fridge...
{Carole} 'fraid not, sorry. *grin*
* Tina blinks. "You mean, well....oh hell, how did I miss that? Thanks, Marigold."
{Graham} You just didn't know where.
{Tina} No, indeed I did not, but I am enlightened now. I usually do hot, but iced is just fine.
* Tina grins and slides on through the kitchen door.
{Carole} She's silly. I like that.
{Marigold} She fits in with this crowd...
{Graham} She likes truffles...
{Carole} What more do you need?
{Marigold} Dessert!
* Tina comes back through with a tall glass of tea, maker not quite known to her. "Lots of tea. Does somebody make a living at making the stuff?" {grin}
{Carole} Mr Lipton, I think...
{Tina} UGGH.
* Tina sips.
* Tina pauses.
* Tina sips again.
{Graham} Not lipton?
{Tina} ...Whoever made this, definitely wasn't Lipton. And I am very happy about this.
{Carole} What? What's wrong with Sir Lipton?
{Tina} It's....powdered.
{Tina} Tea bags are managable, but there's other brands that taste better. I've found this out by trial and error and many late nights studying.
{Carole} I guess I just don't have the same sense of discrimination...
{Graham} Oh, a lot of people do this, here...
{Tina} You kind of develop it after a bit when you drink as much as I do. {wry grin} It was either that or get such a caffeine buzz that I'd end up taking a letter opener to people before finals.
{Carole} I guess I'm just unsophisticated there. *grin*
{Graham} I figure.. when it's hot, it doesn't mater *what*. {slight smile}
{Carole} Unless you're drinking hot motoroil. I draw the line there.
{Tina} ....Um. No. That gives me an upset tummy.
{Marigold} It's all right, but it has to be *just* the right temperature.
* Tina sips more tea happily.
{Tina} I personally go for smoothies when hot. And gyros for comfort food.
{Carole} Hey, are you two part of a smoothy club?
{Marigold} Mmm, gyros...
{Graham} Try it.. you'll *love* it. And want more..
* Marigold gets up and heads over to the replicator.
{Tina} Yes, we likely are! It'll be better than Cats.
* Marigold dials up three gyros, four tacos, and a chocolate shake, retaking her seat.
{Carole} And thank you Miss Consumption! *pause* None for me?
* Tina looks at Marigold. "I like your concept of food. You get a lot of it."
{Graham} You didn't ask, now did'ja...
* Marigold hands her one of the gyros and two of the tacos without comment.
* Tina blinks. "Thank you!"
* Marigold handed to Carole, sorry!
{Carole} Please please pelase thanks!!!
* Carole hugs Marigold.
* Tina then giggles instead.
* Marigold grins and returns the hug. "Thanks, Tina! It takes a lot to fuel me."
{Graham} You're giving?
{Carole} She gives... waiters biiiig tips.
{Graham} Her smiles, you mean?
{Tina} Wacky metabolism?
{Carole} That and money.
{Tina} Money, I said ignorantly? Unless you mean that pretty hair is.... whoa.
{Marigold} Natural. *grin* I make more with endorsements than haircuts, though, really.
{Carole} Since she's a star. *grin, fades a bit*
{Tina} Still, being able to pawn your hair for moola'd be useful....
{pause, looks over at Carole} Hmm?
{Carole} Hm? *grin*
{Graham} Wanting more endorsements, Carole-Anne?
* Carole grins a bit, waving her hand "Had to give *that* up."
* Tina looks sympathetic. "Whyso?"
{Carole} Oh you know. It was old news.
{Graham} {q} Laying lower?
* Carole glances to Graham and nods.
{Tina} You still seem to miss it, however.
{Carole} Hey... part of growing up is learning what you can and can't change, right?
{Graham} Shouldn't have to there..
{Carole} *q* Yeah, I know...
{Tina} Heh. Yeah...don't I know that bit.
* Tina smiles a little bit at Carole.
{Marigold} hops up--which causes a few tables to shake a bit--and heads back over to the replicator, dials up a hot fudge sundae, and delivers it to Carole, giving her a small smile.
* Carole takes it. "Mmmmm. This is the kind of conditioning I like."
{Graham} But it melts...
{Tina} Sundae. Sundae happy. I still have truffles!
{Marigold} Mmm, truffles...
* Marigold retakes her seat with a grin.
{Carole} Yeah. but there will be *other* sundaes.
{Tina} I enjoy the ones I have.
* Carole grins a bit and eats hers, slowly for her.
{Tina} This is seriously good tea, thank you velly much.
{Graham} For the future, then? {slight smile}
{Carole} Hmm? Future sundaes?
{Graham} Mm-hm...
{Carole} Guess that makes up for it, don't it?
{Graham} For now... {grin}
* Carole gives him a tiny smile.
* Graham's grin fades to about the same. "Maybe more sometime."
{Carole} Hope so... and... kind of sleepy now... can I see you all later? Soon? Really soon?
* Tina smiles a bit. "I sure hope so. I don't get over here much but I do try some nights."
{Graham} Sure.. take care?
{Carole} You bet... and you bet... you going to come visit sometime, Graham?
{Marigold} You've got it, Care. And... think I'll go with you far as the base. Night all!
{Carole} Night, Mari *slight grin*
{Graham} Probably.. seeya, ladies..
{Tina} Night, you too, was good to meet you.
* Carole blurs.
{Graham} Y..yeah.. Good to meet you. I think I need to run too.. seeya, Tina.
{Tina} Seeya all.
* Tina smiles a very little bit.
{Graham} Sorry to, ah, run out.. realized the hour. {faint smile}
{Tina} Is okay. {small grin} Happens.
* Graham half-smiles and hurries out on something!
* Tina watches them all go, waiting a couple minutes.
{Tina} {m} I hate it when I miss all the subtexts going on.
{Tina} {soft, squeaked voice from her pocket} You're telling me?
{Tina} {m} Aw, shaddap.
* Tina looks wry, pats her pocket, and heads on out.