[He scoffs. He's about ready to head off for the training rooms without her. Making his way there already, it seemed. His heavy stride echoes through the small hallway.]
...
[He scoffs. He's about ready to head off for the training rooms without her. Making his way there already, it seemed. His heavy stride echoes through the small hallway.]
...
... I'll just get the combat training out of the way. I can eat at home. No need to rest when I'm fresh off a bath, +
... I'll just get the combat training out of the way. I can eat at home. No need to rest when I'm fresh off a bath, +
. . . .
The door slides open again, with Jax standing at its front in the underarmor of the main set. A sleeveless black bodysuit and combat boots.]
. . . .
The door slides open again, with Jax standing at its front in the underarmor of the main set. A sleeveless black bodysuit and combat boots.]
From the outside of the room, there was finally escape from the rippling blacks and reds that came from his fear and anger of possibly setting the alarms off for Boke to come and intervene.
And eventually, they'd subside within himself, as well. Well enough for him to +
From the outside of the room, there was finally escape from the rippling blacks and reds that came from his fear and anger of possibly setting the alarms off for Boke to come and intervene.
And eventually, they'd subside within himself, as well. Well enough for him to +
He makes an effort to relax, but he couldn't get the stupid shake of her voice out of his head,+
He makes an effort to relax, but he couldn't get the stupid shake of her voice out of his head,+
Sometimes it was agonizing.]
... You write down what I told you. Not a damn thing else.
Sometimes it was agonizing.]
... You write down what I told you. Not a damn thing else.
Whether she was reading it outright or not, it was easy enough to hear in her shaky little voice that she knew all his answers were lies. And if not lies, stretches of the truth.
+
Whether she was reading it outright or not, it was easy enough to hear in her shaky little voice that she knew all his answers were lies. And if not lies, stretches of the truth.
+
Hmmh...
Hmmh...
... Nope.
[This time, the truth. Despite the immense power it held, the Fusion Core was an outstanding piece of technology. A marvel in cybernetics.
It was his body that +
... Nope.
[This time, the truth. Despite the immense power it held, the Fusion Core was an outstanding piece of technology. A marvel in cybernetics.
It was his body that +
Stick to the script, lady. I'm not your new pet project, you hear me?
[His brow is twitching again.]
Stick to the script, lady. I'm not your new pet project, you hear me?
[His brow is twitching again.]
... No. I'm fine.
[Now, an utter lie. These were all quite common to him at the end of any straining+
... No. I'm fine.
[Now, an utter lie. These were all quite common to him at the end of any straining+
So, half-truths.]
...
So, half-truths.]
...
No, and no.
[Truth be told, he could very well experience those in the heat of battle if it were a particularly hard fight, but those were rare at best these days. It was the still-human bones and muscles that fought to keep up with +
No, and no.
[Truth be told, he could very well experience those in the heat of battle if it were a particularly hard fight, but those were rare at best these days. It was the still-human bones and muscles that fought to keep up with +
Fine.
[He practically growls. He could fall asleep right where he stood, if he let himself... But diagnostics would have to be his substitute for rest, at the moment.]
Fire away.
Fine.
[He practically growls. He could fall asleep right where he stood, if he let himself... But diagnostics would have to be his substitute for rest, at the moment.]
Fire away.
... Hff.
[It still felt as though his bones were setting back into place. His muscle fibers were reforming, all in real time. A +
... Hff.
[It still felt as though his bones were setting back into place. His muscle fibers were reforming, all in real time. A +
... Hm..hh...
[He contained further vocalizations, but this thing always felt like heaven.]
... Hm..hh...
[He contained further vocalizations, but this thing always felt like heaven.]
He's waist deep, and already his spine felt as though it'd popped all the way along each joint. The surge of relief to his bones and muscles was a release unlike any other.]
HHuhhf...
[He groans out as he shuts his eyes. +
He's waist deep, and already his spine felt as though it'd popped all the way along each joint. The surge of relief to his bones and muscles was a release unlike any other.]
HHuhhf...
[He groans out as he shuts his eyes. +
... Hmph.
[He shakes his head, lifting a leg to the edge of the pool, its chrome steps forming at the edge now that he stepped on. Slowly, he descends. +
... Hmph.
[He shakes his head, lifting a leg to the edge of the pool, its chrome steps forming at the edge now that he stepped on. Slowly, he descends. +
Her reaction, in his eyes, was just as squirrely and clumsy as any other time. Surely she could handle +
Her reaction, in his eyes, was just as squirrely and clumsy as any other time. Surely she could handle +
Piece by piece, he'd continue. As if she weren't even there. He'd done it in front of Boke several times, this was no different.
He awaits the energy-laden liquid filling up the pool, stark as day.]
...
Piece by piece, he'd continue. As if she weren't even there. He'd done it in front of Boke several times, this was no different.
He awaits the energy-laden liquid filling up the pool, stark as day.]
...
Kh.
[He walks in and passes her by as she takes a seat at the diagnostic table. The both of them aught to know how the mana soak goes by now. He was already disengaging his armor from his +
Kh.
[He walks in and passes her by as she takes a seat at the diagnostic table. The both of them aught to know how the mana soak goes by now. He was already disengaging his armor from his +