Cyrus mewled a quiet objection, but pulled himself out from under Eliza's bed. He didn't look directly at either girl, but just sort of hunched in a ball next to the bed, trying not to jostle the medical equipment.
He just sort of felt exhausted. He could shield, of course, but he never completely closed himself off - too much risk that someone would take advantage of such a thing and attack him. And feeding into his own constant loop of anxiety was the anxiety of the other teenagers in the area. He had a large receiving range as it was, and everyone in the Tower was under a lot of stress. It made him feel tired and kind of homesick for the farm. At least there weren't as many people around at the farm. And he knew the hiding places there.
Cassie needed someone to talk to, and she if she were more certain that Kate wouldn't tease her as payback for all the times she poked fun of Kate and Eli, she would go to Kate. But Eliza was all right and she said she would talk to her more anyway.
When she saw the door open her first thought was that Eliza had run off, but when she came closer she saw that she wasn't the only one visiting the empath.
"Oh, hi."
Eliza was rather popular for being unable to touch anyone.
Cyrus had been confused when Cassie had asked if he wanted clothes. Was there something wrong with his toga? He thought that it covered all of the appropriate bits. And he was probably going to revert to wolf form at some point or other, so clothing would have been silly.
Then there had been giggling and Cassie had brought up the Super Bowl incident, which he had always felt had been blown way out of proportion and then Eliza had fallen on him.
"Youokay?" he asked, helping her back up onto the bed.
Stupid toga slipped a bit. He hiked it back up over his hips.
Eliza wrapped her arms around Cyrus for a moment, tugging on the end of his hair. "No," she said, answering both her cousin and Cassie as she pulled back. "I'm not alright. But that's normal." She waved her hand dismissivly. "Cyrus, do you remember where you put your glasses?"
"I think I saw them where they were keeping me and the others," Nico volunteered, resolutely trying to not look at Cyrus while wondering about the scars.
"Oh good. It would be bad if he lost another pair. Go get your glasses, cuz."
Nico watched the werewolf go, not speaking until he was out the door and well gone. "And that's your cousin?"
"Yup," Eliza said with something approaching cheerfulness.
"Wow. Do they all look like that?"
"Don't I wish," she said with a shake of her head. "Cyrus got the good genes. Too bad he's a wuss. And my cousin." She made a face, inviting them to share in the unfairness of this.
"Can't hear him." Cyrus said from the doorway, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Molly's friend, right? Can't hear him. Looks human, smells mostly human. More metallic."
His toga slipped again. Cyrus readjusted it. "Not a Void, just...can't hear him. Like a person on the TV."
Cassie wasn't that interested in ogling Cyrus. Just what she needed was to start thinking about Iron Lad again. It looked like Victor had had better luck and didn't have to surrender himself to his future.
Eliza smothered a giggle with her hand. "Cuz, please... if you're going to be human form, you need pants. Yes, I know I said it's rude to run around all wolf-y when others were about... but for the sake of Cassie's virtue... find pants of change form."
Nico shot Eliza a glare for just a moment. Sure, Naked Guy was hard to explain... but it was a naked guy. How often did she get to see a naked guy?
Cassie winced and cast a sympathetic look at Jarvis. "We'll be all right on our own." I promise to make sure everyone behaves...
She needed to give Eliza a talk about manners. Especially regarding friends of hers- even more especially regarding Jarvis who always had to be polite to guests.
Jarvis simply smiled the smile of a man who had a pot of tea and a charming coverversation companion waiting in the kitchen and nodded to the young women present. "Would any of you like refreshments?" he asked.
Cyrus slunk back into the room, dressed and carrying the folded sheet. He looked like he was considering hiding under the bed again.
Nico scratched the back of her head. "I don't suppose I could get a sandwich and a diet soda?" she asked hopefully.
Eliza, meanwhile, watched her cousin until he was actually within arms reach, then grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the bed. "I'm good," she announced. "But do you think you could rustle up some raw steak for my cousin, please?"
"I like Cleo." Cyrus objected mildly, entering the room with another chair. "She's going to let me play with the babies when they're born."
He glanced up and scuttled away from the door, just before Jarvis pushed it open. He carried a tray with the foods requested as well as some other snacks. Cyrus' nose twitched a little. Mm. Raw.
"I wouldn't want to inflict your other sisters on anyone," Eliza said, making room on the bed for her cousin. "Except maybe the Beast. If there was ever anyone who deserved those harpies..." She scowled at her feet, wondering when it was someone had taken her shoes. And where they were.
"We have other cousins." Cyrus replied. He crawled up onto the bed next to Eliza with the bowl of raw steak. Jarvis had cut it into strips, possibly to avoid allowing Cyrus to make a complete mess of the place as he ate. "Laura and Trina aren't that bad."
The scar on his neck prickled at him and he focused on the food, hunching his shoulders. He wasn't going to think about that right now.
He hoped that the twins wouldn't come to Grandmother's wake.
Cassie didn't know what to say about all the talk of family. Superheroes naturally had lots of crazy family members, but they didn't make a habit of talking about them. This was a first for Cass.
Plus she was still trying to get her head around 43 cousins.
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He just sort of felt exhausted. He could shield, of course, but he never completely closed himself off - too much risk that someone would take advantage of such a thing and attack him. And feeding into his own constant loop of anxiety was the anxiety of the other teenagers in the area. He had a large receiving range as it was, and everyone in the Tower was under a lot of stress. It made him feel tired and kind of homesick for the farm. At least there weren't as many people around at the farm. And he knew the hiding places there.
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"I'm sorry," Nico said, though she wasn't sure what she was appologizing for. "I'm-"
"Nico. Molly mentioned you. She's a good girl."
"Yeah," Nico agreed. "What are you doing here? I didn't see you at the fight."
"I'm not well. That is why they have me all fucked up on drugs."
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When she saw the door open her first thought was that Eliza had run off, but when she came closer she saw that she wasn't the only one visiting the empath.
"Oh, hi."
Eliza was rather popular for being unable to touch anyone.
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Nico raised her fingers in a little wave. "Hi."
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Then there had been giggling and Cassie had brought up the Super Bowl incident, which he had always felt had been blown way out of proportion and then Eliza had fallen on him.
"Youokay?" he asked, helping her back up onto the bed.
Stupid toga slipped a bit. He hiked it back up over his hips.
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"I think I saw them where they were keeping me and the others," Nico volunteered, resolutely trying to not look at Cyrus while wondering about the scars.
"Oh good. It would be bad if he lost another pair. Go get your glasses, cuz."
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"I'll be right back." he mumbled, padding out of the room.
His toga slipped again and he paused in the doorway to readjust it before going to retrieve his glasses.
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"Yup," Eliza said with something approaching cheerfulness.
"Wow. Do they all look like that?"
"Don't I wish," she said with a shake of her head. "Cyrus got the good genes. Too bad he's a wuss. And my cousin." She made a face, inviting them to share in the unfairness of this.
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His toga slipped again. Cyrus readjusted it. "Not a Void, just...can't hear him. Like a person on the TV."
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"So he's Victorious of the Borg? When do I get to meet him?" Eliza asked, making Nico wince. "What?" the empath asked. "What'd I say?"
"...Nothing."
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...She needed a lot of chocolate.
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Nico shot Eliza a glare for just a moment. Sure, Naked Guy was hard to explain... but it was a naked guy. How often did she get to see a naked guy?
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She needed to give Eliza a talk about manners. Especially regarding friends of hers- even more especially regarding Jarvis who always had to be polite to guests.
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Cyrus slunk back into the room, dressed and carrying the folded sheet. He looked like he was considering hiding under the bed again.
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Eliza, meanwhile, watched her cousin until he was actually within arms reach, then grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the bed. "I'm good," she announced. "But do you think you could rustle up some raw steak for my cousin, please?"
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He glanced up and scuttled away from the door, just before Jarvis pushed it open. He carried a tray with the foods requested as well as some other snacks. Cyrus' nose twitched a little. Mm. Raw.
"Thank you." he said meekly.
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She liked those shoes.
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The scar on his neck prickled at him and he focused on the food, hunching his shoulders. He wasn't going to think about that right now.
He hoped that the twins wouldn't come to Grandmother's wake.
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Plus she was still trying to get her head around 43 cousins.
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