The current occupant of the small apartment is Tracy Trudeau, daughter of VP of Security Holly Trudeau. She's lying on the couch, staring up at a holographic sky a bit blankly. Her jumpsuit and Crystal Bracer computer are on a nearby chair, but for now she's still wearing the security jumpsuit she changed into before leaving normal reality to face the challenges of the VR realms. Water runs in the bathroom, as the tub automatically fills itself in preparation for her.
There's a knock at the door. "Hello in there? Are you decent? Hm. That's a difficult request for you. Are you dressed?" Jason calls through the door.
"Come in, Jason," Tracy says, with a bit less energy than she normally might. She pulls herself up to a sitting position, but ends up pulling her knees up as well so she can rest her chin on them.
Jason opens the door and peers around it. "Ah, good, you aren't lying in wait to assault me with a water balloon or something," he comments. As he comes the rest of the way in, it seems he's changed into just a tee shirt and sweat pants. His hair is also damp, so he must have just gotten a shower himself.
"Why would I do something like that?" Tracy asks, looking slightly confused. "You seem to be in good spirits though."
"I don't know? Anger? Revenge? Just because?" Jason suggests as he meanders over to one of the chairs and flops down into it. "So, how are you doing?" he asks, possibly deflecting the comment about his own mood.
Tracy stops hugging her legs with her right arm, and tries to hold it out straight. It's still pretty shaky, before she pulls it back. "I don't know how I'm doing. I'm waiting for the adrenaline to wear off still," she says. "But.. I killed a guy. A real, flesh-and-blood human being. I got shot. Had Fuseli shot out from under me. Saw him fade away.." Her voice just drifts off as she talks, especially as she dips her head lower so that her mouth is behind her knees more.
Jason draws up his own leg this time and uses it to rest his own chin on. "This is why I didn't want you to get involved. I know you survived the mess from years ago but you were still pretty innocent. You hadn't had to make harder choices, or do things that couldn't be undone. It sounds so cliche, but there really is meaning to 'the loss of innocence'. I was hoping you would be spared that," he says. "And games always make it seem so much easier, don't they? But ... those actions can always be undone. Restart a character, summon a healer, or just, well ... 'divine intervention'. But ... things just don't work that way. I wish they did. I wish I knew how to give you back what you lost today. But, I don't. I'm sorry, Tracy."
"Are you disappointed in me?" the girls asks, seemingly out of the blue.
"No at all. why would I be? You've held up better than most would have," Jason answers.
"I got your home shot up," Tracy notes. "I don't know what else I screwed up today. Everything was happening so fast," she says, then stretches out her legs across the couch. "And now I'm just.. what? Am I taking things too hard? Am I being weak thinking about stuff that bothered me?"
"You're being human," Jason corrects, "Do you think none of us think over everything that happened? And as for my home? I won't lie and say it doesn't annoy me, but all the same ... I'd rather have my stuff blown up or broken than have my friend shot. I can replace stuff. I can rebuild a home. I can't replace a person."
"I guess it's ironic," Tracy notes. "I mean, you avoided having friends so they wouldn't be exposed to the danger around you.. but I brought it all down on you instead. I guess it's okay to be human though." She pauses and then raises an eyebrow at Jason and teases, "Even if humans aren't your type."
Jason smirks. "She's more human than you realize," he counters, "And I've had not so dissimilar talks with her before, you know." He looks for, and fails to find, a pillow to throw at Tracy. "We became friends when she still walked on four legs and I was stuck in the bowels of a rusting ship. You find there is a lot more common than not, really."
"Think she was joking about that honeymoon though?" Tracy asks, and then the bathroom chimes to let her know her bath is ready. She gets up and heads for the bathroom, saying, "Don't leave or anything, I need the company," as she vanishes inside.
"I have no idea. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility she is just trying to scare me. It does amuse her," Jason calls after Tracy. "As for company, I'm surprised your mother isn't in here looking after you."
"She's got other priorities, but once she's free of dealing with the security mess she'll probably sit on me to keep me safe," Tracy comments from the bathroom. She left the door open to make it easier to talk, especially once she turns on the massage jets (even though they aren't that loud). "By the way, did I meet your 'Trust Me' challenge okay so far?" she asks.
"If she sits on you, does that mean you'll hatch soon?" Jason calls out from where he firmly remains seated. The questions eems to give him pause and his brow dances around a bit. "Ah ... well ... " he waffles, "I sort of forgot what they even were."
"I claim victory then!" Tracy declares. "I didn't piss you off or argue or go against your directions, right?"
"Aha! Now I remember what they were," Jason claims. "You did ... okay," he grudgingly admits.
"What's that mean?" Tracy asks. "Okay? What, did I need to read your mind and anticipate everything to do better?"
"What, you expect a straight answer from me?" Jason quips. "I haven't had enough to drink yet!"
"So I just need to get you drunk to get straight answers?" Tracy asks teasingly. "What else will you do when drunk?"
"I refuse to answer on the grounds it will incriminate me," Jason non-answers. "And when did all this become about me? I came to check on you."
"That sounds suspiciously like you were worried about me," Tracy claims. "I get to give you a Challenge next, too."
"Of course I was worried about you. Why wouldn't I be?" Jason answers as if it was the most odd thing he's head in a long time. "As you said earlier, you lost a friend and saw death. That rattles anyone."
"Doesn't seem to bother Inari," Tracy notes, before the sound of the water jets increases as she fiddles with the force settings.
"You don't know her that well, then," Jason remarks, "More bothers her than she lets on. It's easy when it's a foe to manage it, but when it's friends or, well, a lover, it gets a lot harder. And why are you insisting on this silly challenge thing?"
"Because it's my turn, that's why," Tracy says. "I still haven't come up with one that'd actually.. you know.. challenge you." The jets shut off, and a moment later water can be heard draining. "And this bath was not as relaxing as I hoped. I think I might be a bit too beat up or something."
"Those kinds of baths are better when you share them with someone. Back at my place when Inari ... er, nevermind. And no, I'm not coming in there," Jason say as he shakes his head in the chair he hasn't moved from.
"Well, I can't challenge you to that," Tracy notes. "I've never had a bath with someone though, but I imagine there'd be lots of splashing." Toweling sounds ensue. "Although along that line.. what do you think of Mike? Is he worth working on, or do you think I'd just be setting myself up for another Mark situation?"
"Mike? Hard to say. Seems a nice guy, if a bit silly. I think he prefers being a werewolf over being human, though. He's in the medical bay now under a bit of sedation so he doesn't feel the changes his body is going through," Jason answers. "I don't think he's a nutjob like Mark was, at least. As for how he would turn out .... couldn't tell you. My crystal ball was broken when my home was shot up."
Trace emerges from the bathroom, wearing one towel around her hips and another draped around her neck and shoulders, so that the two ends fall over her chest. She immediately turns her back to Jason and pulls her hair aside, asking, "How bad does it look?" Just below her right shoulderblade, and nearly wrapping around along the ribs is a big blue bruise.
"Oh My God. It's hideous. All that bare skin and toned muscle. I'm going to be sick," Jason gasps and clutches at his stomach. "And there's a really big bruise too. It'll turn green in a few days, but there is no skin tearing."
"Green?" Tracy asks, sounding alarmed. She turns to reveal another one on the same side again, but closer to the center of her ribcage. It isn't as broad, but looks a lot more painful, like she'd been punched hard in the chest.
"Yeah. Heavy bruises often take on a sickly green tone as they heal. Haven't you ever bruised yourself badly before?" Jason explains, "It's normal and goes away. You're rather lucky that didn't fracture the bones under it. Breaking your ribs or sternum is no joke. It hurts a lot and makes sleeping almost impossible without painkillers."
"It doesn't hurt when I take a deep breath, so that means it's not serious, right?" Tracy asks, just to be sure. "And of course I had bruises before, just.. not from being shot by a robot! I don't want my mom to know, so going to the infirmary is out of the question."
"If it doesn't hurt when you breathe, nothing should be broken. And no, I won't examine you to be sure, either," Jason confirms. "And just so you're aware for the next time ... being shot in the chest, even if it doesn't penetrate or creak anything can still kill you. It can make your heart stop."
Tracy's left hand goes to the bruise, and she looks worried again. But her heartbeat calms her down soon enough. "What, you thought I was going to ask you to examine my bruises?" she asks, looking surprised. "You aren't a doctor, so what would be the point? At best, I'd only ask you to kiss them to make them better."
"You would ask just to watch me squirm," Jason points out. "You're anything but shy."
"You'd actually squirm then?" Tracy asks, her eyes narrowing with a slightly mischievous look.
"Would you if I asked you to go feel up Mike for injuries?" Jason counters.
"Probably not, but I bet he'd squirm," Tracy laughs, then steps towards Jason, leans over, and... picks up her jumpsuit from the chair next to him. "But making you squirm would probably mean you wouldn't give me a shoulder rub if I asked," she reasons.
And Jason is looking the other way when Tracy leans over next to him. "No, I probably wouldn't," he agrees. "Partially because of that, and partially because Inari has sharp claws and teeth and I don't want to end up on the ends of them."
"She'd actually get jealous?" Tracy asks, heading back into the bathroom. "Or just angry? And with you, or with me? She doesn't really see me as competition, right? At least, not while Akiko is around.."
"I have no idea and I really don't want to find out," Jason answers, grateful the 'foul temptress' has returned to the bathroom. "She already wants me to become like her, you know. So ... she could react in any of those ways."
"She wants you to become a kitsune?" Tracy asks, poking her head back out for a moment.
"Yep. Fur, tail, long nose, and ears included," Jason answers.
Tracy vanishes again. "You'd have to make more," she claims. "I mean, otherwise your 'kits' wouldn't have any other kitsunes to grow up with." She emerges again wearing her own jumpsuit, and carrying her spandex sports bra in her hand. She keeps rolling her shoulders and 'adusting' herself though, looking uncomfortable.
"Volunteering?" Jason teases once Tracy appears again. "And you might want to not wear a boob squeezer bra until that bruise heals."
"Yeah, I'll have to use my SecondSkin half-shell supports," Tracy notes, then looks at Jason again. "Me as a kitsune? Then wouldn't Inari really be jealous?" she asks, hands on hips. "I'd be cuter, after all!"
"Second Skin Half Shell supports?" Jason has to ask. "And I seriously doubt you would be cuter, sorry."
"Oh, is that a challenge?" Tracy asks, as she retrieves her Crystal Bracer and clamps it back onto her left wrist. She sits down in the next chair and seems to deflate a little. "Meh, you're probably right. I'm best at attracting desperate types. Do you think Cadena will stick with me after all this, or take another assignment?"
"No, you're bad about accepting desperate types! They hit on people until someone bites after all," Jason points out and laughs. "As for Cadena? No idea. He seems to be a few screws short, or put another way a boat that's missing an oar. He's a bit mental."
"He thinks he can bring his original owner back to life or something," Tracy admits, pushing her lips to one side. "I guess if he does, he'll go back to her. And you probably don't want me coming around anymore if Inari is going to settle in."
"Ah, you feel like you're being abandoned," Jason reasons out and looks over to the young woman. "Did I say you wouldn't be welcome? You're assuming the worst of any situation, you know."
"It's a habit," Tracy notes, leaning back.. then wincing and sitting forward again. "Depending on the fallout from all this, I may have to hide my identity more than I was already doing."
"Oh, I doubt that; I haven't had to hide my identity after all. And yes, you would be welcome to visit. I'm sure Inari would want a good maid," Jason quips, reaches over, and pokes Tracy lightly in the ... ear.
Tracy acks! "Hey! Still, if we manage to get Sasha and the General and Sexy Jason rounded up, I've got a bottle of Virtuhol in my private beach-house sim, if you wanted to join me for a toast," she says, rubbing her ear and half-grinning.
"I've got a bottle of real bourbon somewhere," Jason counters. "Sure, it tastes like drinking a sweat sock, but all the real detectives drink it!" He pauses there, then has to add, "Of course that also explains why they rarely solve cases and are always broke..."
Standing up, Tracy stretches and goes to pick up her sports bra. "Gotta smuggle this out somehow," she mutters, then gets an evil look in her eye as she turns to look at Jason. "How good is Inari's sense of smell?" she asks innocently.
"Very good. Why?" Jason asks suspiciously.
"Hmmm, so if I turned this inside out, then rubbed it in your face, you'd have to explain to her why you smelled like me," Tracy notes, smiling innocently.
"And on that note, I think I'll leave," Jason says as he gets out of his seat and heads straight for the door. "Besides, you seem to be in a much better mood now. You don't need me around."
"Who will I vent my frustrations on then?" Tracy asks, then drops the garment and says, "I'd better go find my mom and Cadena anyway."
"And I should check on Inari and see if she's done with her shower. Her scent takes some getting used to, you know, but it's not unpleasant," Jason quips as he opens the door to the guest room. "And I can also say, mission accomplished. You smiled."
"I'll hold you to getting drunk after this is over," Tracy claims. "Real or virtual.. although virtual is safer," she points out. "No hangovers!"
"No fun of waking up the next morning upside down in a tutu and wondering what the hell happened the night before, either," Jason quips as he disappears out the door. "Or a french maid's outfit," he calls from somewhere in the hallway. "You would look so adorable! Go find your dog!"