#v; second era.

[likcthestar]

@emoticlysm

“Okay, so, what about The War of the Worlds?” Cress pulled another book off the old shelves, studying it intently; a blue butterfly graced the cover. She put it her basket with with a hum; old bookstores were often where she found new material, and it seemed she found a new someone this time, as well. “You could listen to the Orson Wells radio show for it, too. The book is kinda drab now, but the radio show did a really good job.”

She leaned over to peek into the gloomily-clad woman’s basket. “What else do you have?”

[likcthestar]

@rockangcl

“A little,” Cress admitted, her face a bright pink. “But, um. I can. Just. Gimme a second.”

Better to start right away, so she couldn’t talk herself out of it, but she had NO IDEA what she should sing. The only song she could think of was her lullaby, and she really didn’t think it was a good idea to just singing her own name. She started out with a very quiet, “You shoot me down, but I won’t fall…” and off she went.

“Stone-heart, machine gun, firing at the ones who run, Stone heart loves bulletproof faith– You shoot me down, but I won’t fall, I am titanium….”

[likcthestar]

Okay. There were a number of places she could go with this, but first of all--

“Girly? Seriously?” Cress called, annoyed. “First of all, there is NO need to be so cryptic and threatening when I’m just coming down to say hello.” Her voice was obviously shaking, and her movements were slowed by her fear, but she felt she had made her point. She could see why Thorne made a habit of greeting anything scary with humor.

[likcthestar]

She wasn’t lying about being impressed, though most of her admiration fell on the personalities and AI of the machinery. The answers she was given didn’t seem like automatic responses. Every head tilt, every blink, every glow was strikingly... human. Her interest was piqued.

Cress gave the animatronic a nervous smile (whoever said that you shouldn’t be polite to your technology?), trying to remember all of her questions.

“Um--” Talking was really not her strong suit. “Let’s see. Never had cotton candy, never been in an arcade-- I never really left my, uh-- place of residence until recently. Is this... a normal setup for a daycare?”

[likcthestar]

` PUPPY BOWL, PUPPY BOWL! LOOK AT ACHILLES GO! ` he's a one dog puppy bowl. look at him, he's so happy. ` GO, PUPPY, GO! `

”C’mere, C’mere!” Cress grins as Achilles’ ears twitch toward her. He stares. She holds out her arms and the dog bounds right into her, dragging along the overly large stuffed animal that she brought as a gift.

”Touchdoooown!” Falling backward immediately, she catches herself on her elbows. Cress turns her smile toward Jason as she settles Achilles with some ear scratches. “I have no idea how football works. Do we still have nachos?”

[likcthestar]

“Everybody in DC, dead.” This is what you get for asking about comic books, Cress, an hour-long rant on the many failings of DC.

“Not everybody,” Cress said, but she had to take a minute and review her many, many mental notes from the past hour. “You didn’t say Barbara Gordon died, did you?” But of course, that set Autumn off on another rant on the mistreatment of heroines. Cress settled in.

[likcthestar]

“I’ve been really busy being dead.” Scott snickered, but in that way where he knows he's exhausted on the inside but using humor to cope. His schedule may have been brutal this week.

“You’ve been making an awful lot of public appearances for a dead guy.” Cress tiptoed around the chaotic mess of the office with ease, plucking photos and magazines from her many, many desks. Her computers and screens all whirred as she passed them. “What was it you needed me to do for you, exactly? I usually commission for political figures, hospitals, companies, big shot scientists… You’re my first celebrity.“

[likcthestar]

The cardboard container is as delightful as the contents: midnight blue with painted with metallic silver and gold, creamy tissue paper cradling an assortment of fudge. With and without nuts, dark and milk and white chocolate, plain and flavored. It comes with a glossy paper with full color photos describing each variety, and a hand-penned note in easy to read (yet decorative) script. 'To share with friends! thinking of you, Lucy'

Thorne couldn’t tell her how the box got on the ship, either. Neither Scarlet nor Wolf let anyone in. So they were left with a package from a girl Cress only barely knew, with mysterious contents. 

Cress was delighted.

Her first fudge! Thorne had, of course, insisted on showing her an assortment of candies as soon as possible (sugar took high priority, apparently) but she had yet to have any fudge. She read the note aloud, grinning.

“I like her,” said Thorne, matching her enthusiasm.

“She doesn’t mean just you.” Cress replied, but she handed him the box anyway.