I Could Wash Your Berries

[Jett Tsar]

[Closed to Youknowwho]

Jett allowed the tune he whistled to die with the sweeping wind which made clear its disapproval by blowing his music away almost the second it graced his lips.

Yes, the wind was quite the persistent buggar today. It snuck up on the two without warning, like a small child, and exactly in the way that kids love to annoy the living hell out of you, it wouldn't go away. But of course Jett didn't feel that way about it. He quite enjoyed its persistence and determination to...do whatever it was trying to do. Strangely enough, he found it inspiring.

"Lovely day." The man cooed at he glanced beside himself at his current partner who strode in step with him--well, two steps for every one of his, but with him none the less. He smiled, something he loved to do, and raked the hair out of his face with his fingers. Indeed, those voluptuous brown locks had maintained their perfection despite the turmoil of the surrounding camp. The wind was the music to which they danced, and danced they did in that its-so-perfect-its-almost-disgusting way.

The river rushed alongside them, encouraged to speed by the winds. Jett had said earlier that they would follow it until they chanced upon an area where its temper grew soft. Unfortunately this part of nature was just as stubborn as the wind. It didn't seem to have a gentle area. So the two tred on, hoping and basking in each other's company. Well, he in her's, that is.

[Vanquish Lee]

Yes, the wind was being quite the annoyance today. Rebecca's already messy hair blew into her face and most of the walk, she spent trying to keep it out. Added on to that, Rebecca only had a tank top naively thinking it was going to be warm. Well, it had been before the wind started. When she wasn't pushing hair out of her face, she was wrapping her arms around herself, trying to keep her skin and bones warm.

"Was," she added, smiling softly despite the fact she was kind of miserable. She wouldn't let her physical problems disrupt her mood though. She was with good company and good food. A little cold she could handle and she was close too deciding to give up on her hair. It never behaved anyway. She looked over at Jett who seemed to be doing just fine. She narrowed her eyes playfully. "What are you? A model?" She asked.

Rebecca's eyes followed the twisting and turning river, wondering when they would find Jett's calm waters. She was tempted to reach over and take his hand again but her old shoulders had other plans and she didn't want to seem forward...or desperate.

[Manisha]

There was a time each day that Manisha set out for exercise. It was of high priority to keep herself fit. If she was not fit then she could not defend herself and others adequately when the time came. Today the exercise she was taking part in was swimming. To her it was a good day for it. The river was swifter than usual so she got more of a work out. As the woman came to the bank to rest she noticed a pair of the camp's ahead of her. As soaking wet as she was Manisha decided the better course would be to get back in the water if she wished to follow them. If she stayed close to the bank she could hopefully avoid detection.

There really was no need for this sneaking but Manisha wished to observe them with her presence being known. If she watched others interacting with each other perhaps she could garner some insights as to how such things were supposed to be done. To put it simply she was studying them. So she slipped silently back into the water and into the frame of mind she used during stealth missions. To move quietly and quickly was her goal. In water this was difficult and doubly so on a swift running day like today. It was doable however. All of her training had not been in vain. Manisha was good at what she did.

Neither of the two inmates were ones that she recognized but from this angle she could see nothing of their faces. That would be a hindrance in her study but she could still hear their voices. Between body language and voice tone she hoped to discover something. It would be seen as a failure on her part if she had to ask for information on the subject. Perhaps she could fine a few willing people and use her ability. She hadn't really used it since she'd gotten here. That she would save for if she could not understand things herself. Meanwhile she had a couple, she thought that was the term, to stalk

[Jett Tsar]

Jett lifted an eyebrows as he looked down at Bex quizzically, totally oblivious to what she was referring to. Maybe she was just idly commenting on his good looks? Jett was well aware that the gods had richly blessed him. A woman's bold statement never did unnerve him. It was just unexpected, that's all.

"Actually, I had just signed the day before I was brought here." He confided, sighing dreamily. "I'd been trying on clothes at...I'm not sure what American clothes store is called. Something that had to do with Jacey and money. I remember that much. But anyway, a woman stopped me and gave me her card. The next week when I called they brought me in for an interview." He lost himself in his tale. "They were extremely pleased with me until it came time to open my mouth. A South African accent would never do for commercials, they said, so they decided I would stick strictly to pictures. One woman said that I would be wonderful for the runway. She said I had 'all the moves'." Jett shrugged.

"I guess I would have done all that. A man said I have much promise. They were really looking forward to getting my face out there." It was obvious by the way he spoke that he was almost exactly reciting just what he'd heard. His words didn't have the 'Jett Spin' on them that was natural for the man.

Manisha's hidden attempt to learn wouldn't get a crap's length further listening to Jett.

[Vanquish Lee]

Bex mainly asked because even though she was an utter wreck in the wind, he was walking by her calmly. What mainly pushed her to ask was how is hair somehow stayed manageable, only looking as if it was being tousled by a fan.

Bex turned to look up at him as he began to speak. Surprise lit her eyes as he spoke of how he was just signed before being forced here. She listened to his story closely, but overall, she felt disappointed for him. He would never be able to live that life even if she did feel excitement for him over being a signed model. She ran a hand through her hair, another surprise lighting her face as she learned where he was from. She had never heard a South African accent and assumed he was from Australia. "Hm. Weird. You have a lyrical voice almost, don't see why you couldn't do commercials. Not like I can't understand you," she told him. And it was more so that what he said was lyrical, not his accent.

"Sounds like it could've been an interesting life. Sorry that things haven't quite worked out to plan so far," she said genuinely. She finally did take his hand but only to squeeze gently before she wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't know if he was sad about his lost deal but she felt sad for him if anything.

As for Manisha, she was quite good at her job because Bex had yet to notice her or feel the prickly feeling of being watched.

[Manisha]

Manisha listened to the male go on about a possible modeling career in what she would categorize as a wistful tone of voice. That seemed like the proper way to categorize it. She didn't learn much from that particular set of statements and body movements. Still, it was information she could possibly use so she stored it away in her memory as she listened to the female attempt to console him. Manisha thought that was what she was doing. Or was she mocking him? No she gave his hand a squeeze in a way that didn't seem particularly offensive so it must be a consoling gesture. She'd have to wait for his reaction before getting confirmation on that.

At the moment Manisha had run into a problem. She come to a rather rocky area of the bank that ensure that she would not be able to keep up with them and remain quiet too. In order to successfully cross the rocks she'd have slow down to a pace that would guarantee she'd lose the two. Or she could quickly disembark from the river and be able to stay close to them but risk detection without any decent cover. With a frown she hoisted herself from the water, unwilling to lose her subjects due to some rocks.

Her clothing, a white t-shirt and her camo pants, were soaking wet and slapped loudly if she moved too quickly. Once again the name of the game was stealth but she'd have to be extra careful now. One wrong step could alert them and then her cover would be blown. It would be rather awkward explaining to the two exactly what she'd been doing if that became the case. Once the rocks finally passed she made to slip back into the river to continue her surveillance only to step on a sharp rock, cut her foot, and fall with a splash in the river. There was no way they couldn't have heard that. Manisha prepared herself as well as she could for the awkward questions that were about to be directed at her as she pulled herself from the water once again.

[Jett Tsar]

Jett appreciated the sympathy. He was actually unperturbed as he spoke on the subject of a promising future flushed down the toilet. To a man who was never really sure of anything because he was always dispositioned, coming upon a wondrous place like Freakopolis was worth losing everything. Everything.

"You speak truth, I could have been interesting. But I think I've found something better to get excited about." And then he chuckled a smile as Bex squeezed his hand. He was just reaching out to clasp her's in his when a loud splash erupted behind them. Jett instantly dropped to the ground in a crouch, shielding his head with his hands, shutting his eyes with such an intensity that his head began to hurt. He remained in that submissive and defensive position, willing whatever had come upon them to finish him quickly or pass over without harm.

When nothing happened, he slowly opened his eyes and glanced around them. Bex was still there, and now a new woman approached, climbing from the water like some kind of goddess. All sense of uncertainty vanished. There could be no way this woman was hostile. All goddesses were nice and could whistle.

Jett quickly regained his composure, snatching the sack of strawberries that he had dropped in his haste off the ground. He turned his body to confront...Manisha? There was no stopping the smile, not that he would have. The pleasure at her arrival radiated through Jett.

"Lina! I didn't expect you to be here." He told her with a broad smile, complimenting her face and hair with an appreciated eying which drifted down her body and to--

Jett stared, lips slightly parted, body unmoving. A heat spread from the bottom of his stomach.

[Vanquish Lee]

Bex was pleased with Freakopolis but she hadn't always been. Her first two years were rough. She felt captured and isolated. Only upon finding the Dreamers did she find solace. In many ways, she felt safer in Freakopolis then she did when she was outside of it.

"And that would be....?" Bex prodded further but then the sound of splashing reached her ears and she spun around, falling down into a defense pose, her hands flying in front of her body. All her walls around her mutation broke and nearby a tree splintered dangerously now, a chunk of its base missing. Wooden chips laid around it. She then noticed the cause of her fear was a woman. A heavily drenched woman at that.

She stood up from her position. She took in the woman that had magically appeared out of the river. She crossed her arms over her chest, more so to keep her hands from flying out and causing another explosion. Now that her bracelet, which controlled the effect her emotions had on her mutation, was gone she didn't know what the adrenalin pumping through her veins might enable her hands to do.

Bex glanced to Jett nervously. He seemed alright though. In fact, it would appear that he knew the woman. She watched as his eyes took her in and she turned her face away, an angry blush coming across her cheeks. Well, that was just ridiculous. It's not like Jet and her were anything, right?

She clinched her fists under her arms and she flinched as she heard a rock to her left go. It had been forever since her emotions had gotten the best of her. She thought she had it under control but it would appear not. Ignoring Jett, she turned her face to the woman.

"Lina?" She asked, making sure this was the woman's name. "Um....are you okay?" She asked, trying to appear calm to this woman that caused such strong reactions from Jett.

[Manisha]

She was too busy checking her foot to really hear the minor bit of conversation that occurred before the pair spied her. There was a definite cut there. Her boots were left by the river a fair distance ago. She would have to bind it once she retrieved them. Thankfully it wasn't deep enough to be a problem. She would simply have to wash it out thoroughly before she bandaged it. Before she took any note of Jett, as she recognized him now, Manisha looked closely at the woman and then at the tree.

It would appear that something Manisha had done had upset the woman. That was her conclusion anyway. Manisha, being rather innocent in anything that didn't involved the military, had no idea what she'd done but the custom she recalled was to apologize regardless. So Manisha stood up, slightly favoring her right foot that bore the cut, and bowed at the waist to the woman.

"I apologize for whatever I may have done. Thank you for your concern but I will be quite fine. My right foot only bore a small cut."

Manisha turned to Jett. She owed him, and the lady as well, an explanation for her presence. With a sigh, an uncommon gesture for Manisha, she began to explain.

"I was taking my exercise in the river when I noticed the two of you walking together. For certain reasons I decided to follow the two of you covertly for which I now also apologize."

Manisha bent at the waist again, first to Jett and then to the lady. With her explanation and apologies over the woman felt much better. Now she was free to contemplate Jett's reaction to her. To say that she was fully unaware of the meaning behind his stare would be a lie. However the extent was unknown to her. She wanted to raise an eyebrow at him and remind him that he was already in the company of one lady. To react so at another was most unbecoming. Knowing nothing of tact she decided to do so.

"It is unbecoming to stare so at a woman when she is not the one you escorted here."

[Jett Tsar]

Jett took his fair share of the meal and seconds as Manisha prolonged her end of the conversation, keeping attention on her. Thankfully he was a man in control of his body and forced his thoughts to drift to the water, which was oh so pretty and wonderful and flowy and all that good stuff. Water quenched your thirst, cleaned you, AND still had room to be fun! Now what was there in this world that was better than water, hmm? Nothing. It was the ultimate...magical...ness...

Jett's eyes betrayed his thoughts as he continued to stare. Only when the dark woman spoke was he able to snap out of the trance-light state he had more or less thought himself into.

"It is unbecoming to stare so at a woman when she is not the one you escorted here."

"I might point out that it is equally, if not more, unbecoming to present yourself to a male in such a state." He countered, lifting his open hand to gesture towards her bosom. "Your ignorance alone to your exposure is your salvation. I will think nothing on it further than...well, what has already been thought." The corner of his lip twitched, flashing a smirk, before he pulled off the dark zippered pullover he wore.

"Allow me to assist you?" He offered her the article of clothing. Beneath it he'd been wearing a fitting grey t-shirt made of rich wool. It would serve it's purpose--to cover up--but it wouldn't be the best thing to wear with the wind behaving the way it was. Jett looked beside himself at Bex, noticing but not registering her crossed arms.

"Bex, this is Lina. Lina, this is Bex. Bex and I were headed to a gentle part of the river to clean strawberries we gained in order to share with our friends. Will you join us?" Considerate Jett inconsiderately forgot to first ask Bex if she didn't mind. The man, as of this point, was oblivious to the exploding tree and shooting rock. He'd been a bit distracted at the time. . .

[Vanquish Lee]

Bex slowly rebuilt the walls in her mind, closing her eyes as she mentally blocked her mutation. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Bex let out one last gust of air and opened her eyes, placing her hands in her pockets where they could be confined to a restricted area. Her eyes flashed to the woman as she apologized. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I was just frightened is all. No worries," She answered, her voice a little restrained. No need to bring back those strong emotions before anything else blew up.

Bex cocked her head lightly to the side as the woman explained her actions. So far Bex just thought she had popped out of nowhere, ended up falling into the river and then came up and getting Jett's undivided, close attention. She wondered why this women who want to follow them. Maybe she likes Jett just as much as he likes her, she thought, down-casting her eyes to look at her feet with rapt attention.

Bex flinched as the woman called Jett out on his staring. She curled her fingers up in the inside of her pockets but nothing exploded, meaning she still had control. Good. She sighed, continuing to look down. She tuned out Jett's words, not wanting to read into them and his actions. She blinked rapidly a few times, focusing on the sound of the rushing river. It quickly drained out the noise around her, if she made sure to only focus on that.

Bex only looked up when her named was call. "Nice to be properly introduced," she said, a forced smile on her lips but practice from her earlier days in the Dreamers made it look easy and welcoming. She didn't really want to harbor any negative feelings toward this woman. She didn't know her. She wanted to be angry at Jett but there too laid a unrequited anger. She had no reason to be angry, and yet she was.

"Or maybe you'd like to get some dry clothes," she offered, the same forced smile resting on her lips. She kept up her ignoring of Jett, not wanting to think to much about the strange occurrence of emotions settling in her stomach. Anger was definitely the strongest but a weird sort of jealously lingered and a feeling of losing something. She didn't understand but she had this need to cry that she would not give in to.

[Manisha]

Manisha was blissfully unaware of how uncomfortable this was for the other woman. Social manners not being her forte she was completely fooled by the woman's smile. However she glanced back at Jett to retort his comment.

"That may be true, you are correct in my ignorance on the subject, but as I was unaware that I would come across you I cannot be wholly at fault."

Manisha stared at the offered garment for a moment before taking it. She glanced at the other two and moved a small distance off. She reasoned that it would be entirely uncomfortable to walk about with a pullover on over top of a wet shirt. The simplest solution was therefore to remove the shirt. Manisha was not shy and had no problem stripping off her shirt there in plain sight. She thought however that it might make the two uncomfortable which was why she moved away to do so.

The shirt was removed and the pullover put on with her back turned to the pair. If they looked at her back they would most likely notice various faded scars obtained from wounds during missions. The change was completed swiftly and Manisha made her way back over to the two. Manisha nodded to Bex as she did so. It was good to have her name.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

Manisha considered Jett's offer. Her exercise was concluded and once her shirt was dry she would have to give Jett back his pullover. Manisha was well accustomed to extremes of temperature, cool windy days like this didn't bother her. It was likely they would bother him though. There was no need to patrol just yet. If she was welcome then perhaps it would not hurt to accompany them.

"If my presence would be welcome then I will join you. If not it is no inconvenience to me to go. I could begin my patrol early."

[Jett Tsar]

Jett was quick to respond to her first statement, speaking before Manisha had a chance to change her attentions.

"I agree. The blame is not only yours, but coincidence as well, I daresay. A child with natural beauty cannot help being pleasing. What she can help is being in a situation in which her pleasantries are appreciated. Just as in your case, though you cannot help the fact that you are indecently exposed, you are in a situation in which appreciation is inevitable, leaving the only sensible conclusion: you remove yourself from the situation. Now, it becomes the problem of coincidence that I," and she took his offered garment, "happen to be in the situation that you stepped into that put you into your predicament."

Jett finished, nodding in approval of his assessment, unaware that he was partly talking and reasoning to himself just as much as to the woman. Or, Manisha. The boy was intelligent, but at times he could not reign in the thoughts that plagued his mind and either had to sit in silent meditation or reveal his epiphanies and musings to whoever would listen.

It was only when his little thoughts vanished and his senses recovered and snapped back into reality that he sensed the tension in the air. Indeed, Jett was able to read body language and social interactions as well as a book...just so long as no one put on any music.

"Of course your presence is welcome." He turned to Bex, tilting his head and smiling at her playfully. "Right? We don't want to see her back on her patrol duty. Not if it includes slithering through the water behind us." Humored by his own words, Jett laughed and began his walk again, continuing on downstream.

"You know Manisha," he said thoughtfully, "you would do well with the Protectors. Have you heard of them? They seem intent on keeping the peace, like you. Bex here is a Dreamer." He said it with pride, glancing over his shoulder at the brown-haired girl. "And Dreamers and Protectors get along, eh?"

[Vanquish Lee]

Bex raised her head and took one hand out of her pocket. She rubbed her shoulder and the base of her neck, her arm crossing in front of her chest. She closed her eyes as Jett and Manisha continued their conversation about Manisha's exposure and who was to blame. Bex wanted to just walk away. The more they talked about it, the more Bex felt sick to her stomach. Couldn't they all just let it go? The woman had a jacket on now, didn't she? No need to keep talking about it.

Bex opened her eyes as Jett finished talking. She almost wanted to openly praise God for it. She frowned. This wasn't like her. Not like the new Bex. Not like the one that had joined the Dreamers. She dropped her hand from her shoulder and placed it back in her pocket, wrapped up in her disappointing thoughts and emotions. Maybe bumping into Jett had been bad luck, not good. It was starting to put her in a horrible mood. Of course, now she couldn't go away.

Bex looked to Jett as he spoke to her. She gave him a smile back, though it didn't hold the same charm it once had. The sickening feeling in her stomach was putting a big rain cloud over her head. "Of course, doesn't seem like much fun." She looked over at Manisha. "You are welcomed to join us." She tried to ease some of the anger she felt at this woman. It was unfair and Bex didn't want to hate her. Bex just didn't want Jett to like her so much. Or her see-through shirts.

Bex turned to follow Jett. She didn't know Manisha well enough to know what faction she would belong to but Jett seemed to know her pretty well. "Yeah, the Protectors and the Dreamers get along," she said, her voice falling flat at the end. She winced.

"But let's not try and get Lina talking about work. Because it seems that's all the Protectors do. We want her to have a good time, right?" She asked Jett, eyes holding an Innocent look as she tried to change the subject.

[Manisha]

Manisha simply blinked blankly at Jett's assemble of rhetoric. He certainly had used a lot of words to say so little. The point was now quite moot as Manisha demonstrated by taking the soggy shirt in her hand, holding it to one side, and wringing it out so that it would dry a bit faster. Jett it seemed was amicable to the idea of her accompanying them. Of course it would have been foolish of him to offer if he hadn't been comfortable with it. Bex also seemed agreeable to it, though even to Manisha she seemed a little off.

Perhaps it was an instinct clamoring to life after so long being ignored. In either case the feeling in the air was similar to the feeling Manisha got when she encountered danger on a mission. Somehow she doubted someone would jump out and attempt to kill them. That was perhaps what confused her. Manisha kept the confusion to herself. Instead she followed after Jett as he began to move off downstream again.

At this point Manisha stayed mostly silent. She had little to say while she contemplated their remarks about the protectors. Provided that the terms were acceptable it might be a good idea to make an alliance with them. That would depend on them and their leadership of course. Considering the way most people in this camp viewed the government she doubted that she would be very much welcome anywhere she went. It was only her own strength keeping her safe. To break her own silence Manisha uttered a single sentence.

"I shall think about it."