william richards
jr. fantasticx|xoutfitx|x#0b4a8b
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
xAt some point while Will sat at the dock, he let himself lay back with his arms crossed behind his head. He liked the smell of the ocean and the cool mist that tickled his feet with the tide. He couldn't help but think about his time in Greenland. Things were easier then. He wasn't some symbol to the world, just a man... a Scientist, with a job. He missed the simplicity of that life.
But Will was never the type of man to turn his back when he was called upon... When he was needed. He was needed... Right?
He sat up with a groan, rubbing his temples. He couldn't expect perfection when a majority of them hadn't worked together before. They were all so different, an alchemical mixture of contradicting elements, with one bump of the beaker the whole thing would erupt in a catastrophic explosion. Will felt like Phil and Alfred looked to him to help make a team out of those who answered the call, but he hadn't the faintest idea how to do that. He was just one man. He had no experience leading... Just running away and hiding amongst the polar ice caps.
Will sat at that dock for what felt like an eternity, mulling over every misstep and insecurity. But even he could only handle so much self-deprecation in one sitting. He stood up and made his way back inside, contemplating if he should trudge his way over to the bar and join Zehara for that drink. But barely two steps inside, whatever plans he had were interrupted by an announcement from J.A.R.V.I.S. Looked as though the drinks would have to wait. Instead, he made his way back to his penthouse, deciding a quick shower was in order. Plus he wanted nothing more than to get out of that ridiculous suit.
It was a brisk shower. There wasn't time for anything longer. But it sufficed. After putting on his clothes, Will slipped on some shoes and headed for the elevator. Surprisingly, his ride down was just him. Perhaps he was a bit earlier than everyone else. Wouldn't be the first time. He was often known for being the annoyingly punctual one. As he stepped out into the lobby, he did a double-take, nearly running into another man he hadn't seen yet, that exited the lift to his right. "Pardon me," he said politely, holding out his hand to make sure they didn't collide. Will contemplated introducing himself for a brief moment, but perhaps this newcomer was part of their debriefing. So, instead, he motioned for the longhaired gentleman to go ahead, before he stepped forward and made his way to the lobby.
As it seemed, he was early. No one was there aside from Phil and Alfred. Will gave them both a polite nod before he made his way over to one of the larger sofas, taking a seat by one of the armrests.
zehara el sayid
cheetahx|xoutfitx|x#c8a964
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
xDrinking was nice. The part where Zehara was lucky if she got more than a buzz was not nice. One of the many wonderful side effects of the monster that possesses her. But even knowing this doesn't stop her from finding comfort in it. She wasn't a team player, so this whole 'trust-building exercise' was far from her cup of tea. For most of her life, it had been just her and she didn't have any plans to change that. She wasn't here at this academy because some higher purpose needed her help. She was hired for a job, a job that happened to lead her here. That, unfortunately, looks like the only way she'll get more information or even complete her jobs was to stay there and be part of the team.
Zehara had lost count of how many drinks in she was when she heard the announcement, not that it mattered. She would have to consume the entire bar to be even remotely drunk. And while drinking helped her forget... or loosen up, it wasn't worth the effort to actually get drunk.
She decided to emerge from the bar, with a fresh bourbon in hand, as she heard some footsteps out in the hall. Zehara didn't have a watch, but she wasn't an idiot either. She had a basic concept of time, plus ears. Once she started hearing others, she knew it was about time for her to wander out too. She hadn't taken more than two steps out into the hall before she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of a new face. Will seemed to walk past the man like it was nothing, but she stood there with furrowed brows while taking a sip of her drink.
After a moment or two, she strutted in the direction of the lobby, which lead her right towards the man. As she came up to his side, Zehara sipped her drink and pivoted on her heels, so that she could make eye contact with him while her feet carried her backward in her desired direction. He was an attractive man, she'd give him that. She always found herself attracted to more ethnic men and she can't say she's ever had a Native American... Yet. "Nice hair," she commented before spinning back around to face forward. "Women like having something to grab onto." She smirked as she kept heading toward the lobby, not giving him the satisfaction of looking back.
Zehara gave Will a small nod when she saw him already seated. She decided to make her way to a smaller sofa, something that could manage two people, but nothing more. She tucked her right leg beneath her before taking a seat. "So... Fabio," she began with a playful smile while swirling her drink around in her glass. "Have a name?"
Before the mystery man got a chance to reply, Phil chimed in without looking up as he still mulled over various papers in his hands. "We will address that once the others join us, Ms. El Sayid."
Zehara sighed, rolling her eyes. "Party pooper."
jameson blaze
ghost riderx|xoutfitx|x#cb7a06
the vengeance demonx|x#dd2f00
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
xJames didn't have much to his name, what clothes he carried in his bag and his bike. So, he always made sure to take extra special care of it. He did all the maintenance his Harley needed, but also liked to keep it clean whenever he had down time. While he was at the academy for the time being, this bike had always been his home and the only thing he could rely on. It was sad really, but in a strange way it also comforted him.
He had lost track of time down in the garage. Jameson made sure to turn the radio onto the best rock station he could find and got lost in the work. He was just finishing up with a final rinse when another bike entered the garage. The motorcycle came rolling in and drove right through the stream of water from the hose. He had managed to get through the entire wash without getting wet, but it seemed his luck had run out. The water ricocheted off their bike and flew back right at him. All he could do was close his eyes before he was quickly soaked.
James sighed and tossed the hose down on the ground before he moved to his feet. He made his way over to the spigot and turned it off. He looked down at his wet shirt and cursed under his breath. "Damn it." He reached behind his head to grab a fistful of fabric and pull the shirt off. Using the shirt as a makeshift towel, he tried his best to dry his hair as he made his way over to the radio and turned off the music. The abrupt absence of rock-n-roll was met with the hum of a motorcycle engine just before being shut off. He grabbed his jacket off the workbench, glancing over at the new arrivals briefly. James didn't know who they were - if they were lovers or who knows what, but it wasn't his business. They weren't attacking him, so he could only assume they were here to help. And if they had bad intentions the demon would have taken over before he knew what was going on.
As he gathered the rest of his things, the new guy walked past him with a nod. James didn't say anything but returned the gesture in kind. When he turned around to make his way toward the elevator, Aria stepped out in a bit of a daze, while the stranger wasted no time slipping in and disappearing up into the academy. James smiled at her while giving a slight wave with his hand that held his shirt.
"I was just making sure you, uhâŚ" Her words drifted away as she looked flustered and in thought. James draped his wet shirt over his left shoulder as he waited patiently for her to figure out what she wanted to say. "Debrief. Lobby," she finally said while pressing the button repeatedly.
James let out a weak laugh and nodded his head. "Right. After you." He motioned his hand toward the elevator. He made sure as he stood and waited not to be too close to Aria. His presence seemed to make her uncomfortable... He had no idea why, but he didn't want to make it worse. After a moment or two of awkward button clicking, he cleared his throat and attempted some small talk. "I hope I didn't scare you during training when I went all..." he waved his hand in the air as if in a way to mention the demon. James didn't know if she was acting a little off because he frightened her. He honestly didn't know what people thought about it... about him.
Aria raised her hands and wagged them in front of her, palms out, defensively, "Oh, no, no. You're not scary. Or, I hadn't noticed. I don't know." Nervous laughter followed, "I just didn't expect allâŚ.this." A single hand swept over him to imply all ofâŚthat. Then she blinked and corrected herself, "ThisâŚuh, is not bad. Good. Nice." She stopped herself there. What was going on with her brain? Aria is supposed to be super intellectual, yet her vocabulary seemed limited to four-letter words at this very moment.
James laughed a bit awkwardly as he raised his hand to scratch his head, accidentally messing up his hair a bit. "Thanks?" His gaze slowly drifted over to the girl that waited with them. She hadn't said a word and kept her hair in her face like the emo girls he remembers from High School. James's brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything and turned his attention back to Aria with a friendly smile. "I can take the stairs." He pointed towards the door that led toward the stairs, before slipping past the waiting girls.
Aria stepped forward and grabbed him by the wrist with both hands. The hold was rather soft and could easily be brushed away, "No, no. I'm sorry. I'm sure we were just⌠taken aback. Please, take the lift with us."
Catori cleared her throat and fixed her hair pronto. She sighed, "Could you at least put your shirt back on? You know, so we can breathe?"
His brows raised, curiously, as if he finally realized, at least in part, what all the awkwardness was about. James looked down at his bare chest a bit confused. He wasnât around anyone very often, let alone women. So this sort of reaction was lost on him. "I had a shirt on⌠until someoneâs motorcycle splashed a bunch of water on me," he replied with a playful tone.
"I did the world a favor," she quipped low. When the lift doors finally opened, Catori slipped past Aria and wandered into one of the corners. She fanned herself with a hand, "You didnât have to come at us like that. Going to make a girl faint," It was a jest, and probably a bad one because James didnât look like a guy who thought much was funny. Or maybe she really wasnât that funny. Regardless, she waited for the two to climb onto the lift so it could go to the lobby.
James stepped aside and held the elevator doors open for Aria to step inside before he followed after. He cupped his hands together and looked down at his chest briefly. He wasnât a workout nut or anything. Mostly the odds and ends jobs he took or working on his bike kept him in better shape. It definitely wasnât his diet. He cleared his throat to break the awkward silence. "You might want to get water before you go to the lobby, because if I make you uncomfortable, then good luck with all of them," he pointed upwards, gesturing casually towards the remainder of the academy. In his own opinion, he is low on the totem pole of eye candy in the building. Heâd bet money that every girl in a mile radius would swoon if Jr. Fantastic graced the public with his pecks.
"Hell, youâre lucky Aria decided not to wear her suit. Now sheâs only twice as beautiful as everyone else." Jameson gave a cheeky grin before sparing a glance over at Aria. While his comment was to help take some of the attention off himself, he wasnât used to being the topic of discussion, he meant every word he said. Ok, so he wasnât good at flirting⌠Mostly being quiet and grumpy looking, but she was very attractive. Was he flirting? He didnât know. If he was, it wasnât intentional. But she was. And the fact that Aria had no idea she was beautiful, unlike Zehara or Lexa, made her only more appealing.
Aria was⌠as red as one could possibly be. She tried her very best not to turn away from James, as he seemed to be bothered by her awkward motions, so she stood there⌠stiffly. Wasn't the lift normally quicker?
Then Catori said, "She is pretty. You're cute. You both think so of each other. Hmm, maybe there's something there." And that made Aria try to back into the sidewall of the lift like she was going to pull off a Shadowcat phasing maneuver.
Jason glanced over at Aria for a moment, noticing her deep blush and attempting to be invisible. He looked down for a moment then back towards the elevator doors. He tried to search for a clever remark, but anything that came to mind either came out snarky to the woman he didnât know, or would sound like Aria was the last woman on earth heâd date⌠Which she wasnât. So instead, he opted to remain silent.
"I wonder if my brother found the lobby okay," she muttered mostly to herself, but anyone could hear it.
James shrugged. "Heâs in a building with about a dozen heroes⌠If he gets lost someone will find him."
Catori also shrugged. He'd be fine!
The rest of the ride to the ground floor seemed to take ages. But eventually, sometime within that decade, the elevator came to a halt. James reached his arm past Aria with an innocent smile and held the doors back for the ladies to exit. "Ladies first." Once they had passed through, he exited and made his way to the lobby. He usually found that he was somewhat decent at keeping his emotions in check, so while Aria was pinker than a flamingo, he was able to hide his embarrassment a bit more. He made his way over to an empty sofa opposite the one Will sat on and took a seat with a soft sigh. With any luck this meeting would be over quickly.
myla murdock
hell's angelx|xoutfitx|x#6e0000
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
xMyla had zoned out on the quiet elevator ride. That was until it began to slow down and the doors opened. On the other side was Lexa smelling like fresh perfume and cosmetics. There was a shift in the air that told Myla that her new company was smiling at her. "You look super cute. Real comfortable."
"Thank you," she smiled while running her hands over her shirt, trying to remind herself what clothes she had put on. "The intricacies of fashion are kind of lost on me. My Uncle's girlfriend sees me as her living doll." She laughed softly. "But when I have a choice, it's definitely comfort."
Once Lexa had joined her in the elevator and they had started their descent, Myla turned her head toward her slightly while pointing toward her boots. "Those don't sound comfortable," she said with a smile. It wasn't meant as an insult either, but since Myla can't comment on the appearance of clothing, she only has what her senses give her. The shoes made the sharp clicking noise accustomed to heels, which automatically made them sound severely uncomfortable in her opinion.
When the conversation seemed to die, Myla could hear the chiming sounds of notifications on Lexa's mobile phone. She wasn't the type of person who felt like she needed to fill the silence. And while she didn't understand the novelty of always being on one's cell phone, because she still had an old school flip phone so she could feel the buttons, she wasn't offended when people scrolled rather than conversed. It wasn't always the easiest for her to relate with others.
Myla went ahead and let Lexa exit first when the elevator reached the ground floor. She slowly followed after, her bare feet quietly tapping against the tile as she made her way to the lobby. She hesitated for a moment when she sensed the presence of another person in the room. He was large and unfamiliar. He made no noise and didn't have the same scent as the others she had already met. But hearing the tail end of Phil telling Zehara they'd address it later, she decided not to mention anything. Rather than sitting on the furniture, she opts to sit on the ground with her legs crossed beneath her. Myla was a stark contrast to when she first arrived at the academy dressed like a proper business woman with perfect manners. But now that she was known, there was no need to impress. She had always preferred sitting on the floor. It let more of her body be in contact with the ground and helped her be more aware of what was happening around her.
It wasn't long after she had taken a seat, that Myla felt the elevator stop at their floor and she was met by a familiar scent. She didn't know what it was about him, but knowing that he was still there made her calm. Yet his arrival in the lobby made her heart flutter, just briefly. But it was enough she noticed and was thankful she had the special hearing and not him. Kane walked past her without a word and took a seat in the chair directly behind her. As he got comfortable and stretched his legs out, either of his feet nearly reached her hips. The one nice thing about being blind was the ability to stare at someone without them ever knowing. Her sense could be hyper-focused on a singular person all the while she looked as though she was waiting, patiently.
Then there was a whisper that broke her stoic poise. "Who knew you were a lacy panty type of girl?"
Myla's eyes widened and her hand immediately shot to her lower back to feel if her underwear was exposed. But she felt nothing but her own skin and the hem of her shorts. Her brows furrowed and cheeks flushed as she tried to figure out how he knew something like that. Was it a guess just to get a rise out of her? Or... did he go into her room? She moved her hand back into her lap and continued to sit there frozen like a statue. She had already given Kane a reaction that he enjoyed because she could sense the smirk on his face. She dared not please him more by making a comment that everyone else could hear.
x
x
