Breakout

Jane "J.D." Doe, 22. Don't Call her Jane Tomorrow Person;Homosuperior Telekenesis, Teleportation, Telepathy, Time. She's still working on the last two. "Just because you can lift a few cars with your mind now doesn't mean there still isn't a chance you'll screw up and crush yourself. Don't get cocky." Mitchell "Mitch" Peters, 24. Does not make house calls Homosapien. Doctor (in training) M.D. Almost. Sometimes Knows what he's doing. "You're all crazy. All of you. You really expect me to believe superheroes exist?"

[sapsuperior]

prydewrites:

I have my talents.

I’d like to think that it’s a bit of both actually. Why not give it all you’ve got when you’ve finally got your chance? It’s either that or keep practicing them in the mirror.

Lucas watched her carefully, the amused smirk on his lips when he knew that he was pushing where he didn’t belong in a place that he should have been more grateful had taken them in at all. But every time she made a job at his leadership skills, questioned the type of man that he was, he couldn’t deny that it got him a little hot under the collar and sharp on the tongue.

Is that what you think happened, is it? I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that us coming to bail you out from being dead in the water here. That’s cool. You got a little insecurity going on and here I was going to suggest that we worry about our own and try to work together for a bit, but I have a feeling you’re ready to kick my ass out of here along with everyone else. Am I close?

No. 

She stared hard at him, unwavering. Is that who he thought she truly was? No wonder they were at ends with everything. If he pushed her limits, he’d find himself on the street, but his people would be under her protection so long as they didn’t cross the lines he had. 

She knew what it was like to be on the run with nowhere to go or turn to, feeling unsafe at every corner and turn. She knew the loneliness, the fear, the exhaustion that came with it all. When she took on the title of leader, it’s what led her judgement, her action. It’s what made her good at her job. It’s what had been keeping her own people out of harm’s way for so long.

You couldn’t be farther off from the truth of things. As ingratiating as you seem to be, your people shouldn’t suffer for the actions of their boneheaded leader. They’ll be safe here as long as they’d all like to stay. As for you though, I wouldn’t test my compassion again. You’re sitting on two strikes right now, and the third is when I get real fun.

[sapsuperior]

prydewrites:

I’ll take it. Sheer dumb luck is better than no luck at all or worse, bad attitude, I mean luck. Bad luck.

He grinned when he caught the one her face, liking the way it looked and sounded more than when she was infuriated and yelling at him in front of everyone else. His group needed the rest and supplies, seeing others like them after so long but he also didn’t want them to think this was how it was going to be for them – staying put wasn’t an option. 

I’d like to see what you come up with, whether it’s pushing me aside or taking a sing at this good looking mug of mine. It’s okay, I can read between the lines – I know exactly what you’re thinking about right now.

Nice save. 

Are you always this clever on your feet or have you just saved everything you’ve got up just to impress me?

She was not impressed. All this was child’s play to her, and if she was going to verbally squabble with someone, she wanted someone who could at least jab with wit and not have to rely on cheap power gimmicks just to get under her skin. God only knew how easily it was to get under her skin when power violations were involved, and even more when someone went fishing around her head. But for now all she could do was stay civil. It was taking everything in her power to do that. 

Is it that you have an oddly large ego for someone who came crawling for help not a day ago, because if it was anything else I’d be worried about how practiced their leader is.

[prydewrites]

I’m still kicking, that’s got to count for something.

Maybe that’s why he was the leader of his own group, or rather why he was one of the few left standing while the rest of them were hunted down and brought back in. He’d sworn to keep his people safe, even if that meant working with someone who could have cared less for any of them, or so it seemed. 

Look, I’m out of your hair as soon as we can get enough supplies together an’ find a better place for the rest of us that don’t end up with you trying your hardest to kill me.

Well you are a bit shorter than what I’m used to fighting, not that it’s what I want when I came in here. I was looking for the so called leader to have a talk to but it seems like she’s out for a fight as well. 

[sapsuperior]

Perhaps. Even if it’s only counting sheer dumb luck. 

It was the first smile she’d cracked since this whole ordeal started, but he really did astound her despite how infuriating and grating he was at the moment. Maybe she would have been more like him a year or two back in time, but things had changed and so had she. Maybe she wasn’t better that way, but her people were because of it. Maybe he’d learn that too one day. He seemed on the perfect track for it.

I like to stay ready for a fight. At any time. But don’t think that petty insults are going to push me to one end one way or the other. I could easily put aside this conversation so far just as easily as I could say ‘fuck it’ and go swinging at that smug face of yours. It’s really up to you. So what’ll it be?

[prydewrites]

Patience has never been a strong suit of mine, anyone will tell you that, because I can’t see the use in waiting around for something that you could just get off your ass an’ do now. That’s how people get killed. Sadly enough for you, not chatting is exactly how not to treat people that are supposed to be here to help you. Sure, I got enough. Nothing helpful, but enough to know that you’re more talk than bite.

Lucas grinned, despite knowing that he wasn’t in a good spot to push for anything or anyone.

And what’s that? Ignore me, because you’ve so well at that so far.

[sapsuperior]

And more people than I’ve known have gotten killed your way. But it’s house rules, isn’t it? That’s what you agreed to when you came here. I suggest you follow it. Our hospitality here only stretches so far. 

After all, the more people there were, the more dangerous things became, and if they were rowdy she wasn’t going to let her people or herself take the fall for it. It had been done before and she wasn’t willing to go down that path a second time. She folds her arms over her chest, her usual frown smeared over her face.

Unlike you, I’m finding it a far better to hold off on starting a fight, especially with a leader. But it seems to me right now we’re going to have to take a long time seeing eye to eye. If that’s possible.

[prydewrites]

Sure, you gave us a pit stop but cage us up into one small square of peace an’ quiet an’ call it even for what we bring to the table. How else am I supposed to get an audience with the fearless leader if she won’t grace us with her presence? Make me.

[sapsuperior]

You would have gotten your audience a lot sooner with patience. Oddly enough, I don’t feel like chatting much right now- did your read get you that much?

She swings her legs over the edge of the thin bed before she crosses the floor to the doorway. 

Don’t test me. You should know just what I’m capable of. 

[prydewrites]

And here I thought I was just takin’ a walk through the park. Try not to get your panties in a twist there, sweetheart.

[sapsuperior]

A walk right past the private quarters park, is it? Look, I allowed you and the rest of your people to make a pit stop here, but that doesn’t give you free range on everything. Or anything. So knock it off.

[sapsuperior]

Oi, asshole, my mind isn't some library you can peruse when you get bored. Knock it off.

[sapsuperior]

yo so, i'm opening this blog to indie rp, and if you wanna rp, you should drop me a message. i haven't had a chance to write out full bios for my two characters, but here's a quick overview of what they're both like. i mostly play with marvel/tomorrow people muses, but i'm sure we can work something out if you have any ideas.

Mitchell Peters 24 Human Played by: Zach Roerig

Quick Description: A doctor in training, and about to figure out what he really wants to do with it all before he's kidnapped by the Tomorrow People in a desperate attempt to save one of their injured own. It was a stupid move on their part in retrospect, they just can't send a normal human back out into the world with ULTRA watching them and now most likely him, so he's stuck with them indefinitely, helping with the injured and generally being annoyed by the weirdos with superpowers. Often serious, he'd rather study than let loose, and 5 for whoever can get him to relax a little.

Jane "J.D." Doe 22 Homosuperior Played by: Jessica Stroup Powers/Specialties (from strongest to weakest): Telekenesis, teleportation, telepathy, time (which she remains unaware of)

Quick Description: She got her powers at a young age, and grew up with her parents neither encouraging or stifling her gifts as they wanted to keep everything hush hush. Being Tomorrow People themselves, she and her parents were always on the move to keep from being caught by ULTRA, going from hotel room to hotel room to motel room. Home schooled, she never had many friends and her loneliness in the world was only intensified when one day her parents, after telling her they were leaving for dinner, never returned. She waited a day, and then another, but they never came back. And so she left her world of hotel rooms, out into the real world none the wiser about ULTRA or that there were more like her until bumping into another blooming group of Tomorrow People in the outskirts of New York. They took her in, and she finally had a family for the one she'd lost, despite never resenting her parents for it. She realized soon that ULTRA had been close on their tail, and to distract them, her parents made a run for it so they could give her her best chance at survival. Though perhaps she won't be so forgiving when she finds out she has a long lost brother. Who just happens to be part of ULTRA himself. For now though, she spends her days in the depths of New York's underground, charged with training new breakouts to be the best they can be, and generally playing mom for the rest of the people there. She can be hard on people a lot of the time, sometimes too hard, especially when it comes to their survival, but she's a born leader in her own right, and can always joke about and let loose...mostly when no one's looking. And if they do catch her, they know better than to say anything about it.

[sapsuperior]

Not Quite A Midnight Snack // J.D.+Jeff

[tomorrowpowers-blog]

Jeff licked his lips as if on command.  “Calm down?” he asked, pretending he didn’t have a clue in the world what she meant.  She knew.  Of course she knew.  He walked around the Batcave looking at everyone like they were a piece of meat.  Someone had to know.  It only made sense J.D. would’ve picked up on his inappropriate thoughts. 

One of the striped balls stopped short of falling into a side pocket, and out of kindness, Jeff telekentetically pushed it in.  He smiled, knowing he’d broken their rule but for her benefit.  Would she even notice?  “Go again.”  Jeff wasn’t over-competitive when it came to trivial games such as pool or Battleship.  They didn’t matter so he didn’t get worked up about them.  While he loved bragging rights as much as the next person – and could do without the teasing when he lost – he didn’t care what position he came in as long as he enjoyed the game.  “You sure you don’t want to reconsider strip pool?  You’re winning.  I’d be naked in no time.”  Jeff leaned closer to J.D. as if to kiss her but pulled away before their lips touched.  “And we both know you want to see me naked.” 

He chuckled and stroked his stick, winking her direction as he circled the table, waiting for the talented girl to make her next move.  He wouldn’t help her out this time.  If she missed it would be his turn.  Jeff made sure to watch her eyes as she played, looking for any signs of cheating on her part.  

[sapsuperior]

Oh, she definitely noticed.

After another eye roll at his seemingly innocent and stupid question of ‘calm down’ she straightened out from her lean over the green felt of the pool table. The free hand that wasn’t holding the pool stick came to rest on her hip as she stared at him. An amused smile colored her lips regardless, but she didn’t attempt to hide the fact it was there like usual. “You know, it’s still called cheating even if you are cheating on my behalf.” Walking around the table, she stopped in front of the shiny white cue ball in the middle of the dotted field of colourful ones. “But, if you really want to lose that badly, I’m not complaining.”

Maybe she could get a little more competitive than him, but it was all in good fun. There was time for business, when it was all seriousness and no games, and then there were the rare times to let her hair down and herself loose, and she knew the distinction between them well. It was a line drawn in stone rather than sand. And maybe she leaned to the business side more than the other, but somewhere in there, beneath the gruelling hard-ass of a teacher who spent day in and day out training naïve new ‘superheroes’, there was still the girl who didn’t like to be beat. At anything. Even if it was all for fun and meant nothing in the end, not really.

Leaning down over the table once more, she readied her pool stick before rolling her eyes again with half a laugh, feeling his breath on her cheek as he drew near. Moving one hand off the grip of her stick, she gave him a small telekinetic jab to his shoulder before he stood up and away from her. Another eye roll. “You wish, Cooke. Now shut up and let me concentrate.”

Looking back down at the table in front of her, she narrowed her eyes to focus better before sharply poking the cue ball with her stick. The purple 4 ball rolled forward half way across the table before knocking against a yellow one, sending it gently into the pocket next to it.

“Feel free to lend a helping hand again,” she teased as she stood up, grinning lightly with a slight hint of pride.

[brokenandbrave]

They all needed to work hard, be careful, stay off Ultra’s radar as best as humanly possible, even when it seemed nearly impossible. This wasn’t anything new, but somethings needed to be cracked down. The organization had been doing more cracking down than usual, popping in and out and keeping an eye on anything and everything in sight. More and more breakouts were lost to them as time went on. Their own group could only do so much before Ultra showed up and took things into their own hands. It’s as if Ultra was a step ahead of them – and they were. That made it all that much more difficult. Ultra seemed to know all with their extra agents, more technology, and a leader ready to do whatever they pleased. They would probably wipe out the world if need be.

But even with all the work, there had to be a little fun. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. As cryptic as it sounded, it was the truth. Some people around the Batcave slouched around, feeling anything but good at times because they couldn’t very well just skip out of their hideout, not unless they wanted to put everyone at risk. It was tiring, being stuck down there most of the time, but they had to make do with what they had.

This was a somewhat rare moment of making do with what they had – time off, time for absolutely nothing. It was so rare they hardly knew what to do with it. The basic walking around their big city was one thing, while he was always up for food along with it. The possibilities were endless, so long as they stayed off Ultra’s radar.

"I can’t make any promises," He wouldn’t, not when it came to pizza, and really not when it came to getting out to order up any kind of food they wanted. "Our great leader, blowing his top? That doesn’t sound like him at all."

Unless it came to people getting hurt, people running off without question, people getting caught by Ultra, something going wrong. Maybe there were the few occasions when he did blow his top, but most were reasonable enough. If they left without a heads up, that would be reason enough for him to make it happen. It wouldn’t be the first time he witnessed it, or was the cause of it.

"My decisions usually are."

He didn’t bother hiding the slight smirk as he pushed himself to stand up and rub his hands together. A trip out would do them good, until they got back and had to hear about it from the captain, but that was for later. “Good to know I astound you, J.D.”

A cheeky grin crossed his features as he took a few steps towards her, making his way to the center of the room. Turning his head to look down the hall that could lead to any of them rooms – the office Jeff was held up in included – he lifted his shoulders into a shrug before dropping them and turning back to look at her again. “I’d put money down on it that he’s in there having a nice chat with TIM, doing more leader work,” They were probably both right, a mixture of both usually taking place in that little office space. Giving her a single nod, he held his hand out as a motion for her to walk and he’d follow, even though they knew walking wouldn’t be the case. “Lead the way, and don’t drop me in a ditch.”

[sapsuperior]

She merely sent a 'debatable' into his mind at his decision making comment, and scoffed under her breath at the dig at their infamously mopey leader. One sad mopey zoo lion. But honestly, for as much as they poked fun at him for his usual demeanor, there was a reason for him to be that way. There was a reason for them all to be that way with how many losses there were compared to the wins on the tally of their scoreboard against ULTRA. Not that it was easy to come out victorious against a group with far more man power than they could ever possibly have living the way they did. And yet, moping about it all would give them about as much strength as being disorganized and ill prepared for whatever ULTRA threw at them next. Morale was everything to them. It was one of the few things they really did have. That and their humour, which could get odd at times, but it was one of those things she wasn’t going to pick at.

How worn out and wound up she was about everything recently was becoming clearer the longer she was away from her so called pupils, the quiet din of the Batcave (or as quiet as it would ever get as the Tomorrow People hung around all nooks and crannies on their own) humming around her and giving her time to actually think. Despite how many times the man behind her had come to her about one, a break was a good call for now. She’d take whatever reprimanding Mr. Mopes-A-Lot would give them both for running out on him, especially now and without further warning. Even though a good talking to was well known around the place for being her thing. She could handle it and him.

It wasn’t that they weren’t careful about trips after all. She’d been around long enough to pick up a few tricks and tips here and there, and although she wasn’t the best or most talented telepath by any means, she more than made up for it with the other two T’s. She knew what she was doing, and after a while of living the life of one of the Tomorrow People, her companion knew almost as much as she did. She’d taught him everything she knew after all.

Frowning playfully, she reached behind her and took a hold of his hand. “Not even a little one?” she asked, but before he could answer, she’d already taken five steps forward and they were gone in a quickly fading burst of black and yellow. The ground shifted and dropped from their feet, only to return with force a few seconds later, a force that without previous knowledge of it being there and where they were going, and really without being equipped with the skills that they were, would have sent them into a toppling heap on the ground. But they were better than that.

Quickly gaining back her bearings, she dropped his hand and squinted up at the overcast sky above them, or at least the small sliver of what she could see through the tall buildings flanking their sides, slowly adjusting to the sudden light it provided. It was definitely a huge difference from the dark walls and rafters of their ever dear Batcave.

She’d come across the small, quiet alleyway on one of the food grabs she had run, and it was a pretty good meet up or drop in spot as far as she was concerned. No daunting white and pristine ULTRA building in sight, and far away enough that the two of them wouldn’t show up on their radars until they were long gone from this place. Turning back to him, she folded her hands behind her back, taking a few steps backward before she motioned for him to lead the way. This had been his idea in the first place after all. She’d let him take the lead. “Onwards.”

[brokenandbrave]

If anyone needed to survive, it was them. The amount of times their kind got snatched up by Ultra was a number they had lost count of long ago, long before they even found and brought him back to the Batcave. Most newer breakouts were lost, unsure of what was going on with them. Some just thought they were going crazy with no way of coming back from it. Wake up in someone else’s bed, hear things that couldn’t be explained, accidentally move things without lifting a finger. They would be lost without the training. He might mess with her about it, tell her she pushed them too hard, but she really pushed just hard enough. It was only torture when she had fun with it. “They also need food in order to survive, which makes me think bringing back a pizza or two wouldn’t actually be a bad idea.”

Did he want to get out, get a break and fresh air, maybe a little fun? Sure. They could all use it, but they couldn’t all go out at once, not with a certain organization looking to find them in a large group and do whatever they wanted with them. It was a risk to even leave their comfort zone of a home, and even more risky when they used their abilities. Sometimes they couldn’t help it, sometimes they need to use one or another, and other times they just wanted to. Teleporting was the easiest way of getting around, but it was also the most dangerous. You do it and you risk getting caught on the radar you definitely did not want to get caught on. That was why the newer breakouts stayed back at the Batcave while the others – the ones who had been around longer – went out to do and get what they needed. Don’t risk someone who still teleports in their sleep when it’ll only end up getting them all caught. So they needed to train, needed to learn, needed to survive, and still needed a break when they could get it.

Maybe one day soon they would all get it, even the younger and newer ones would get the chance to take a breath of fresh air and feel the sun. They weren’t locked up down there, but they had to make do with what they got. “You can also be terrifying when you want, but I like to avoid that side of you.” The corner of his lips lifted into a grin as he pushed himself to stand up and stretch a little before turning to look at the same door she had looked at. Their great leader, locking himself away again. That guy needed a break more than the rest of them. “I know you probably didn’t mean that in a good way,” Turning to look back at her, he continued on with another grin. “But I’ll accept that as a compliment. If I can pun someone out of the room, it’s been a good day.” And if they could just get their captain out for a minute or two – an hour or two would be nice, but there was no need to push it – it would be an even better day. “We don’t even know if he’s alive in there, or even in there. You know, he probably makes us believe he’s sulking in there, when in fact he’s actually out having a blast.”

[sapsuperior]

One would think that having an arsenal of superpowers at your disposal would make it easier to get around town, but really it just made them all hermits. Maybe if things were different, it wouldn’t be that way, but it wasn’t, and she wasn’t going to spend precious time thinking or wishing for a change.

Not that she wouldn’t fight for one. Maybe she wasn’t the type to stride right into ULTRA headquarters with her head held high and her metaphorical guns ablazing, but she was fighting their hunters every day by keeping the ones like her safe, just as Rhea and their ever so dear captain had done for her when she had been just like the ones she was so infamously known for driving into the ground. Each breakout they retrieved was another one out of the hands of ULTRA, and she had to be okay with the fact that sometimes that was as much of a battle as they all could muster with their given hand, and still win. Really, some people around the Batcave had to start realizing that too, and learn it. Perhaps along with the taking a break thing. Guilty as charged.

“You do raise a good point. Unless you end up eating it all first.” Around him, she honestly sometimes couldn’t help with the teasing, and she grinned once again as she continued on. “Maybe if we bring back Jeff’s favourite we have a better chance of him not blowing his top,” she shrugged.

At this point, she was merely talking herself into going topside with him. Not that he would have taken a no for an answer, she was sure, unless she was really determined at dissuading him, and sometimes she did. But nothing any of them ever did was without their risks. And that was just life for them. And sometimes things just had to get done no matter what the risks were. She’d seemed to have forgotten that in the past couple of weeks, with the coming and going and the new breakouts and ULTRA hot on their tail. Just like they often noted their usually stoic leader to be guilty of. Plus, it had been a while since she was topside without food or a breakout to bring in anyway, nothing that wasn’t a there and back as soon as possible ordeal.  

Humming a laugh, her grin stayed in place. “Smart decision, really.”

She rolled her eyes then, but her smile never left her lips as she stepped into a clear space on the floor beyond the random assortment of mismatched couches, shaking her head. “You know, you and your lone love for puns never ceases to astound me.”

Turning around once more to face him, she seemed to ponder over his hypothetical accusation with an amused expression coloring her features. “Well, if that’s the case, forget the pizza. But I bet you the next food hop chaperone that he’s in there listening to The Sound of Silence on repeat.” With a wave of her hand, she summoned the jacket she’d tossed over the side of a chair at the far wall to her, weaving her arms through the sleeves before tugging on the front to straighten it out. “Now or never. Ready to go?”

[sapsuperior]

Not Quite A Midnight Snack // J.D.+Jeff

[skylerparty-deactivated20160401]

“Why exactly do I need black coffee?”  Jeff wasn’t a huge coffee fan – he preferred energy drinks – but if someone made it in the morning he didn’t mind helping himself to a cup.  One sugar and two creams.  That’s how he liked it. 

“Saw what?” he asked, groaning as the pillow hit his face.  It was hard not to look at her, or Rhea, or Nate or really anyone in the Batcave.  He had hot friends, friends who he’d definitely thought about naked on several occasions.  He tried his best not to act on his secret desires, though assumed most of them knew about his small, dumb crushes in their inner circle.  He couldn’t hide his smirk as she grabbed a stick and coated it with chalk.  Pool was just a game of foreplay in his head. 

He frowned as she set the stick down, flashing her apologetic eyes though his grin remained.  “Fine, fine.  Loaf of bread,” he said, disappointed at her rejection.  He was used to rejection from the girls by now.  Jeff lifted the triangle and used telekinesis to put it back, staring at J.D. as he waited for her response.  Surely she’d play if he didn’t demand she strip for him.  “Ladies first?” 

[sapsuperior]

She just shook her head. "Nevermind." Now wasn't really the time to be blunt about her leader's poor self-care habits, always running around making sure another catastrophe wasn't on the brink of happening without ever looking at himself. The guy needed some down time, and she could save whatever lecture she could muster up for him for some other time. She'd still have it in her come tomorrow.

Snorting with laughter under her breath, she didn't reply to the groan as she focused again on her pool stick. Was she aware of Jeff's occasional...feelings? Of course she was, otherwise she'd be a terrible Tomorrow Person. But would she ever act on them, or even say something about them? That was a different story entirely. One that had a very quick ending.

No, she wouldn't. She didn't have the time for that, not down here and not with the life they all led. She didn't need things getting more complicated than they already were with feelings thrown into the mix. And people like them...well, they felt a lot, so it was just better all around that they didn't go to that place. Looking back up at him as she placed the little cube of chalk on the rim of the pool table, she studied his expression for a moment before, of course, rolling her eyes. It seemed an automatic response around him. But a small amused smile lightened the look. "Calm down there, tiger."

She let the chalk cube slide across the width of the table telekenetically before walking around its side to where the cue ball sat ready and waiting. "Sure, don't mind if I do," she replied, and with that and a jab of the pool stick, she sent all the multicolored balls scattering across the green felt of the table.

[brokenandbrave]

A slightly uncommon eye roll came from him as he turned his head to look forward instead of looking at her. Every single one of them needed that break at one point or another. Even if it was nothing, barely lasted a minute or two before they went back to what they always did, it was still better than nothing. She knew it, he knew it, they all knew it.

"Yes, this is so much fun. Sitting here, watching you torture the new breakouts. I don’t know why I would want anything like fresh air or a pizza or bowling."

Bowling was a little random, but people had fun with that, didn’t they? Either way, it was something to get them out and feel normal, feel less pressured. Normal was something they weren’t, never really had been. They didn’t get the easy things in life, any real sense of normalcy when there was basically nothing too normal about any of them. No, that wasn’t entirely true. They were Tomorrow People, but they were still just people. Sometimes he rode the thin line on that one.

"If you think you can ever get the great one out of there and out of here— be my guest," It would only be slightly impossible and pointless to try when he locked himself away like he did. "I don’t think it’s very likely, but we could spend forever trying if that’s how you want to spend your time."

How did he want to spend his time? He thought as he leaned his head back against the couch again. A little fresh air could do any of them good, that was a proven fact. Get held up down there too long and anyone would start to lose it. That and a little change of scenery for a few minutes never hurt.

[sapsuperior]

She sat up a little straighter as her eyes glanced over at him again, the eye roll she caught making her fold her arms over her chest with a look as if she were about to chastise him like a mother with her rambunctious whining teenager. But 'don't you roll your eyes at me young man' came out as: "it's not torture, it's teaching them how to survive. They sort of need that. But fine, we'll go out for fresh air and pizza and bowling, or whatever."

She might not have been the one most known for her humor, except around a select few, and she might not have been the one most known for her relaxed and laid back attitude (she shared that trait with their dear captain, in some ways), but egg her on enough, and she was incredibly well known around the Batcave for her insatiable need to meet a challenge and prove competition wrong. The new breakouts knew that all too well, if they didn't end up learning it soon enough. They stopped questioning her skills or her guidance after that. But he wasn't a breakout, not anymore, and they'd known each other long enough for him to know just how to push her buttons. Maybe a little too well. He always managed to get into her head that way. And she was not about to be compared to her uptight leader the next time she said no to the man beside her. She had a feeling it was coming.

Standing up, she dusted off the invisible dirt from her jeans before glancing one more time at Jeff's closed 'office' door. "I can be very persuasive when I want to, Nate," she said before returning her gaze down to him still on the couch. "Plus, who knows, if we put our talents together, we might be able to come up with something. If anything, you'll just pun hard enough at him to get him to teleport out of here," she added with a slow spreading grin.

[sapsuperior]

Not Quite A Midnight Snack // J.D.+Jeff

[skylerparty-deactivated20160401]

“It’s a little late for air don’t you think?”  Jeff didn’t need to glance at the clock to know it reached near one AM.  The only places still open were bars and casinos, and the kiddies didn’t need any liquid courage running through their sensitive systems.  He stared at her, hoping she wasn’t serious or that he’d misunderstood. 

“Then what the fuck did I go out for?” he sighed, unloading the rest of the groceries.  She was right and he knew it.  If they’d waited for him they would’ve flocked to the kitchen the second he teleported home.  “Thank you,” he said, eyes sincere as his voice.  It was in these rare moment he was truly thankful J.D. had come into his life.  He was proud Rhea had brought her in, and that he’d been there to help her learn how to use her powers.  Jeff knew that Batcave would be a completely different place without her, without Nate or Rhea or… well he didn’t like to think about Liz.  His smile faded briefly when he remembered how much fun they all used to have together, before they began bringing in butt loads of breakouts.  Things were simpler then.  

He couldn’t help but watch her ass as she walked to the pool table, opting to teleport there instead.  He started sorting the balls and grinned, telekinetically moving his pool stick to his side.  “No powers?” he asked, knowing how easy it was to cheat and inch the ball into a pocket.  He took off the triangle and smoothed his hand over the expensive stick he’d borrowed from some rich guy. 

“For every ball I sink you have to take off a piece of clothing.”  His cheeks turned red before he added, “I don’t make the rules.”  He covered his face with his hands, expecting some sort of slap or item to be thrown in his direction.

[sapsuperior]

Eye roll, eye roll, eye roll. There it was again, and she didn't doubt that one more of them in her captain's direction would make him glare at her, so it was a good thing she had her back turned to him as he finished up in the kitchen. She couldn't help it. "I meant tomorrow, el capitan. Looks like you could use some coffee. Black." 

And maybe that rang true a lot of times, not just for 1 AM dinners when the rest of the Batcave was asleep. It wasn't hard to tell how much their so called fearless leader worked himself to the bone, with worry, with keeping an eye on them all. Even if he had a few extra sets of helping hands. It was never enough for how much the place kept growing. All someone had to do was look at him to know that he sorely needed a vacation. Or a few dozen cups of coffee.

"You went out so we wouldn't have to do it tomorrow. You know how busy the weekends get," she replied, turning to look over her shoulder with a 'duh' sort of look. It was a good thing they left her to keep all the scheduling under her belt. At this point, she was professionally versed in the matter, and if there was a way to make money off of organization, she'd be making thousands. But the look soon melted into something else, and a rare smile lacking the sarcasm colored her lips. She didn't say anything back, no 'you're welcome', merely smiled for a few more seconds before turning around again, her boots echoing off the cool cement of the floor. Even without the telepathy, he probably got the point. There wasn't a single place she'd rather be. It was home, and she was happy to lend a helping hand no matter how much she seemed to dislike her unpaid babysitting job. She could hide behind her scowl all she wanted, but deep down she cared. She just knew tough love better than any.

"I saw that, by the way," she added then, and with a wave of her hand, sent a pillow from the beaten couch flying into his oogling eyes as she pulled off her jacket, throwing it over the back of a chair. Grabbing a pool stick off the wall, she took to rubbing the tip down with chalk, shrugging some. "No powers." Being honest with herself, she doubted he wouldn't resort to cheating on something as small as this, but he needed a bit of fun so she wouldn't fight him on it. Being a stick in the mud was reserved for the new breakouts. And Nate.

Finally, she turned around to look at him with a brow raised at his next request, setting the stick down on the floor as she shook her head at the boy covering his blushing face. "And here I thought we we're playing for a loaf of bread. I think you just did make the rules. Nice try."

[brokenandbrave]

Acting as if he was hurt, he forced his face to twist in pain as his hand reached up to rest atop his heart. Not many could throw a joke back in his face or tease him quite a quickly, but she could.

Any one of them could be serious when the time called for it, make a joke and laugh when the time was right, though the last part was rare. They could relax and crack jokes when they weren’t be hunted by people who were out to take their powers or worse, end them completely if given the chance. Some of the newer breakouts didn’t know any better, not until they got to see what happened when they joked at the wrong time. Over time they saw, some witnessing first hand what it was like and seeing how little fun it could be.

It was a shame. They had to grow up fast, run and hide to keep themselves safe when they weren’t the bad guys, definitely not the worst people out in the world, but that didn’t matter to Ultra. They were the group that hunted, took what they wanted, ran tests and did research on a person – most of the time without consent – and even left them for dead. Ultra did what they wanted, keeping most of the Tomorrow People from having and enjoying down time.

"And we wouldn’t want that," Everyone was stressed out, but no one more than their great leader. "But someone needs to stop and enjoy the moment." Someone meaning all of them.

[sapsuperior]

In return for his efforts, all he got was a look and a shake of her head, a partial smile gracing her lips before she straightened out on the couch. She knew it though. How important humor was to people like them. Down here, sometimes it was the only thing they had when things turned for the worst, and though she might not ever say it, he was good for that. For them. Though he'd probably hear her think it if he was to go searching about her mind. Which he knew she hated, so he barely every did.

"I thought you were already doing that. Every day. All the time. 24/7. Don't tell me you need someone to hold your hand through that now too."

"And honestly, I'm not the worst of us, or the one who needs it the most," she added, nodding over to their fearless leader's closed office door, probably brooding about yet another mistake or other. There was always something to mull over for him. Both of them knew that well. "Misdirected charity, hon." 

Everyone knew who really needed the break yet still would never take one around here, even the new breakouts who were only a few days in to their new life underground. And she was okay. She didn't have the ever growing itch to run and go give the sunlight a much needed visit, and she didn't let the mountain worth of stress filing their home get to her. Not like other people. She didn't show it at least, as best she could. God only knew how much they needed the least stress possible around here, and adding to the bubble wouldn't do anyone any good.

[sapsuperior]

Not Quite A Midnight Snack // J.D.+Jeff

[skylerparty-deactivated20160401]

Jefferson’s head snapped to the chair as she moved it.  “You’re not the boss of me,” he teased, contemplating sitting.  Sitting meant admitting defeat.  He might as well plaster a neon sign on his forehead that flashed: failure.  He yawned, grumbling as he did as JD instructed.  Anyone who tried to read his mind would have to pass the constant mental block he kept up for various reasons.  He thought about Liz too much, let every bad mission consume what could be time spent happy.  The only time he truly smiled was when the Batcave turned into a party place, like when someone set up karaoke or they all teleported off for a pool party.  Of course he spent the entire event jumpy and panicking about Ultra finding them, but he certainly smiled more. 

“Someone like you?” he questioned, digging into a bag and pulling out Twizzlers.  “Want one?”  He tore the bag open and mentally caught all the strawberry twists before they ended up on the floor.  Having superpowers definitely came in handy.  He stuffed his mouth in a heartbeat, hungrier than he thought.  “I bet everyone’s starving,” he muttered, glancing around.  The pool table caught his attention.  “Loser gets the bread?” 

[sapsuperior]

Another eye roll. She did that a lot around him, and in a lot of ways, he could be childish and it was bad but sometimes she saw the stoic captain as another one of the many young breakouts, the ones she spent taking care of day in and day out because if not them, the ones who took them in off the streets before things got ugly, then who would they turn to? If she didn't keep an eye out for their fearless leader, then who would? Certainly not himself. She knew that well, even if he didn't broadcast it to the world. He didn't have to.

But bread was certainly not the end of the world. At least not in their world. They had bigger things to be worrying about.

She hummed once. "I was thinking of letting the kiddies out for some air. Nice try. You know I still have to go over some telekinesis techniques with Tori tomorrow," she said lightly, gladly grabbing onto a Twizzler still floating in the air and happily ripping off a piece with her teeth. "Don't mind if I do."

She followed his gaze around the nearly empty Batcave, just a few late night stragglers hanging about a circle of couches on the floor with one of the few books they managed to grab at a pharmacy trip. It wasn't exactly mind blowing literature, but it was enough to keep the boredom at bay. She shook her head, turning back to him. "They all caught dinner a while ago, before you got back. You really think I'd let them go hungry?" she asked with a teasing tilt of her head before hopping off the countertop. "You're on," she said, not even bothering to watch him follow her to the pool table, her stomach letting out an agreeing growl. 

[brokenandbrave]

Everyone needed some sort of way to relax and have a good time. A good time didn’t mean fun, it could mean anything at all. Literally doing nothing could be a good time to someone. Sitting down, lying back, floating in mid air, anything at all. Too many people got themselves stuffed by not relaxing, not enjoying the little things. Those were hardly things any of them could have, unless it was on a rarest of occasions and then most of them still didn’t get the chance to grasp it, only catching those little things at the very last moment before they slipped away.

Hearing the young breakouts walk off, only seeing some of them out of the corner of his eyes, he thought even they could use a break. He was one of the very few that thought it, hardly ever thought by the woman to his side, keeping an eye on them as they finished up their lesson. She just kept on pushing them. They needed a good pushing, needed to push themselves, needed to be ready, also needed a moment to live.

"Which is why we think of the same place," He pushed himself to sit up, looked around the space before looking back at her. "Unless you’re thinking about going to different places. You trying to get away from me, J.D?"

[sapsuperior]

"Always," she said with a grinning reply, fully intent on teasing the other man as per usual.

She wasn't about to be one upped by the joker after all. Maybe she wasn't known to be fun, and most people doubted she was, but she could joke with the best of them when the opportunity came along. With a lucky few. It wasn't a side that most people got to see, unless they got close to her, and most people weren't given the chance to get close to her at all. 

Most people didn't get to see her relax. Even if she could. As much as she chided Jeff on worrying too much, she was almost just as bad. Maybe just not on the little things. She could let the small things slide with ease, but the big things, being refugees in their own country, hunted down by people that wanted to experiment on them or worse, ULTRA, staying alive, it never quite went away enough to call whatever she did in her downtime a break.

"Plus, I doubt that Jeff would really appreciate the opportunity to pop another brain aneurysm if he found out where we were off to." God only knew just how stressed out the dear captain was already.