1593/Just Playing in the Rain o/~

Just Playing in the Rain o/~
Date of Scene:	23 July 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Nixe, Rainmaker

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Nixe has posed:
    Summer rains, you can never predict them...
    
    A few minutes ago the afternoon was hot and muggy with the same threatening grey clouds overhead that had rested heavily upon the city skyline all morning. Then at some unseen signal it began to rain... and rain, and rain.
    
    Scattered around the streets and sidewalks are pedestrians in a mix of surprise, preparedness, and grim acceptance of their watery fates. Some are ducking under awnings or in shops for cover, others thought to bring umbrellas, and still more are just enjoying the damp respite from the season's heat.
    
    Waltzing with carefree ease in an open patch of grass within a local park, one youth is doing exactly that. A little small and scrawny at first glance - and second - she's somewhere in the rosy end of youth and dawn of womanhood, though the petals are wilted from cheekbones too pronounced, eyes too sunken, and blonde hair that's a frayed, undernourished mess. As the downpour of rain mats the loose strands flat against her scalp and follow them in a river down the inside of her soaking windbreaker, a lyrical little tune adds its notes to the white noise of the weather.
    
    Spinning a little on her sandal, the sun-baked Italian is playing a plastic flute while ambling aimlessly back and forth. A wide-brimmed and now very wet stray hat is upturned nearby with a few coins inside of it, not far from a stuffed day-bag. It might not be a wholely altruistic performance.

Rainmaker has posed:
    One girl walking along knew that the rain was coming, but didn't mind it particularly, having somehow produced an umbrella as the first drops started falling in time to avoid the drenching less prepared passersby got as they scramble for theirs. Sarah could, of course, just bend the water around her body, but she find it's smart to give people around her a reason why she'd be mostly try when they aren't. Thus, the umbrella, which IS stopping some of the water, but she's also idly concentrating on pushing the water away from her to avoid her legs and lower body being drenched by the driving rain.

    She ducks to the side around a crowd of businesspeople hurrying back to their office, finding herself in the same little corner as Nerina, as she frowns a bit at the girl, still trying to play away even in the downpoor. Kindness moves her to step up a bit close to her, which might startle her a bit as she extends the umbrella a bit to shield the younger girl a bit, smiling at her. "Hey."

Nixe has posed:
    The wandering flautist looks up with eyes the color of light autumn rain and her next musical exhale ends with a questioning, trilling sort of lilt as she stops. A passage of little bird-like tweets follow as she looks up at the umbrella then back to the black-haired young woman.
    Her unpainted lips curl up in a little smile as droplets of water run off their edges then the instrument leaves her mouth. "Keep it, I like the rain," she replies with an Italian air that's not much less lyrical than her instrument, despite that by now her jacket and road-worn pants are both soaked and clingy. "It's been too hot out anyway," Nerina adds.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The copper-skinned girl smiles a bit. "Well, I do too, but I didn't want you to drown with this much water flowing down your flute or something." she says goodnaturedly, her dark brown eyes meeting yours with a faint twinkle. "It IS a nice cooling rain, though...probably will go for hours though." she says, squinting a bit as she reaches out with her powers to gently touch the weather patterns over head. "Too much of a good thing and you'll get wrinkly, right?"

Nixe has posed:
    Now that the instrument's out of her mouth Nerina doesn't quite match the smile back but there's still a little shine in her blue eyes. The young vagabond might not be the expressive sort, or she doesn't have enough to smile about. Up close in the shadow of the umbrella her age is only a little easier to guess; a too-thin but naturally soft face gives a vision of youth that's not kin to the subtle tiredness tugging at her eyes. Seventeen? Twenty-two? It's difficult to say.
    "I would rather be wrinkled and cool than smooth and hot, e la verita," she answers while taking the half-step back to place herself back in the water's path. A tiny bit more of a smile grows on Nerina's face from the refreshing soak.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl is older, certainly, but not too much..perhaps a few years, just blossoming into a young woman completely. Her hair is worn long and loose, a bit windtossed and mussed, but falling down to the small of her back. Not as damp as you'd expect however, given the weather. She shrugs and obediently leans the umbrella back over her more directly, letting the rain wash over you. "Well, if you're going to keep playing, then..." she says, rummaging in a pocket, then taking out a handful of change and some bills, dropping the change in the hat, then offering the bills to you direction. "Here, better put these where they won't get soaked."

Nixe has posed:
    The busker nods dutifully as she pulls out a zip-lock bag and tucks the money inside. If her own locks weren't falling into the back of her blue jacket they might be doing much the same. It's anyone's guess whether she actually roots for the NY Giants despite the logo.
    "Do you have a richiesta? A request?" she offers with a little twirl of the flute between her fingers, sending a thin stream of water in an arc.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other woman considers that with a faint smile. "What type of songs do you know?" she wonders. "So I know what to choose from." She seems content to be standing with you for the moment, idly twirling the umbrella between her fingers as she people watches. She's not in a rush today...and it is nice to just enjoy the rain, the scent of it and brush of it against her face the feel of the winds swirling above her.

Nixe has posed:
    "Classic Italiano, Latino, some Europeo, pop music," the flautist lists while tucking a matted bang behind her ear, "Freebird..."

Rainmaker has posed:
    That last gets a flash of white teeth from the Amerindian girl. "Hmm, how about something classical about rain then?" she says thoughfully. "Something to get soaked by." Her eyes twinkle a bit as she leans back against the wall behind her a bit, adjusting her umbrella to the new position.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina thinks for a moment, then nods and sets the flute to her lips again. A tiny mischievous glint in her eyes is the only warning as she plugs the instrument's holes and raises the flute's end to point at Sarah before a deep, waterlogged croak heralds a spray of moisture firing out the end like a jet of water from a squirt gun. It splashes with surprising authority on the nearby brick, just a little wide of mark.
    After an impish giggle at her own joke, the flautist takes a deep breath and sets to playing, drizzling a foundation of descending scales like the pitter-patter of rain that's just beginning.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl lets out a suprised sound as she's sprayed, then pouts a bit at you. Oddly, the water pattern on the brick is strange, it's more of an arc than a splatter, bending away from the other woman where you would have expected it to hit her. "That is definitely not a rain song, even if it involves rain water!" she notes, smiling, but settles into enjoy the music, her eyes closing a bit as she takes in the music, shutting out the other sounds of the city around her for a bit as she just breathes in and out, letting herself fall into the patterns of the storm above and the music coming from next to her.

Nixe has posed:
    A blonde eyebrow quirks just faintly though Nerina continues her music - the vagabond might have noticed. As she settles into her latest piece, her own eyes drift shut too as little pulls of humid air return to the rain carrying musical strands. The pitter-patter of droplets builds coyly, almost resembling the spills of a sloshing bucket more than a storm before the Italian spreads her stanza into a long, full pouring of water. It's difficult to place the piece's origin as small influences blend together in the drip, drop, splatter, and metallic little *tings* her plastic flute emulates.
    Letting the rain around them guide her fingers, the coy and infant phantom rain swells and broadens into a pour, then a soothing torrent. It's wet, it's very wet, but it's a cooling gift of nature rather than a combative flood. One of the flautist's eyes peeks halfway open to look back at her audience as she continues.

Rainmaker has posed:
    From the faint smile on her lips, Sarah is enjoying the music, looking positively peaceful as she lets the music flow over, her. In fact, the rain seems to start brushing against her more obviously, dampening her skin as she lets the umbrella tilt back a bit more, the wind whipping and playing with her long hair where it rests against her back. It's soaked soon enough, as is the woman herself, droplets running down her skin to meet over her stomach as she breathes in and out, almost looking like she's meditating. Lost in the enjoyment of the rain and the music.

    It's in that meditative moment where she's letting herself feel the storm, before letting her attention drift out. Which is where her abilities touch the girl next to her. She can feel the water in her bag, and she expects to feel at least some water from the woman herself. AFter all, everyone is made of mostly water, if they're human anyway. It takes a bit for her to register, especially with the rain, that there's much more water than would be expected.

    She inhales a little sharply, her dark eyes opening as they focus on you, watching you curiously now as you play.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina allows herself a little smile as well as she watches the young woman expose herself to the weather. It's an expression that hangs more in her half-lidded eye while her mouth keeps up its little siren's song of water music. There's something pleasant about watching the Amerindian get wet and her peaceful union with the storm around them inspires a subtle shift in the flow of notes, lifting up from mimicry and metaphors of rain to the more far-off and exotic realm of water itself. Dripping, rolling, flooding, soaking, with just enough of a return back to the human world to blend in little measures of grateful rain songs and cheerful reflections.
    When her audience opens her eyes again and starts looking back, the flautist's sea-blue gaze meets it with a familiar sense peace and belonging at first, then drifts aside as it finds itself scrutinized before shutting completely. There's just a little hitch in the flighty, rainy melody before the flautist steers it back on its proper path.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other woman's dark eyes stay on yours, curiosity in them still, before her hand reaches up, brushing through the rain. You feel a little tickling tremor run through the water around you, through you, like a very, very light touch, tentative as she tilts her head. "Is...that you?" she murmurs softly. Not sounding upset, more interested now. "You're playing the rain..." she murmurs softly. "That's pretty....I've never felt that before..."

Nixe has posed:
    Both of the flautist's eyelids rise again at the phantom's caress and her music's bending, river-like path turns briefly straight as she looks in confusion at herself then back to her audience. No, that outstretched hand isn't close enough at all...
    The color of water meets the color of earth as Nerina poses Sarah with a silent question.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah smiles a little lazily at that, nodding slightly. "I can stop?" she murmurs, lowering her hand a bit. "If it bothers you. You feel...different, is all. In a nice way. Part of the rain..." she admits, keeping her voice quiet so those passing by can't overhear over the pitter patter of the falling rain."

Nixe has posed:
    Curiosity wins out as the flautist watches the hand drop, *feels* its aim running down her body then off the bottom of her feet, and the rain music stops. Nerina lowers the instrument from her mouth as she stares at the dripping bronze digits, bare and harmless looking, then comes back to Sarah's eyes with curiosity, surprise, and a quiet specter of trepidation.
    "What are you doing?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah watches you with slightly languid eyes, still comfortably relaxed. "I'm just...brushing the water." she says, searching for the words. "I don't know how to describe it exactly. I can feel it. It moves with me, sometimes...." Her fingers curl back as she lowers her hand. "It's just, you feel like it. But you're...solid too. It feels strange, but nice, to me." she clarifies. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that without asking, but I wasn't sure what I was sensing for a moment."

Nixe has posed:
    The small blonde nods slowly back, still mentally filling in the pieces. "It's okay, that just felt..." the flautist starts to say only to trail off emptily. There was no describing *that*.
    Biting the inside of her cheek, the naiad glances self-consciously at the open street nearby. "We should go somewhere more private, si?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah watches you thoughfully, then looks around. "Sure....ah, maybe that cafe? I can buy you something to eat." she offers. "It'll probably be pretty empty with this rain right now. Unless you have someplace else that would be better?" She seems fairly easy going about the idea.

Nixe has posed:
    "The cafe still has staff," Nerina considers hesitantly. "Can you climb a roof? The hotel to the north has an outdoor fire escape," she tries.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah wrinkles her nose, looking at the alley, then shrugs and just lowers her umbrella, closing it as she lets herself be soaked, before she steps over that way, waving you after her. "This will be easier...' she promises, stepping out of sight. "If you don't mind me touching you?" She waves you closer to her.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina walks over to her hat and crouches to retrieve her things, tucking the change loose into her pocket and dropping the straw brim on her head. The daybag is hefted with a little wobble and slung across her shoulder, its weight pinning the strap tightly across her chest. The waif might have her whole world on her back right now.
    Catching up behind the raven-haired young woman, the blonde's flute is last to disappear halfway into a pocket - its end still poking out, and she absent-mindedly bites on the end of her thumb - perhaps a nervous habit.
    "How will that help?" the naiad asks as she shuffles close, not quite consenting as she almost brushes jacket to shirt.

Rainmaker has posed:
The other woman, water now dripping down over her hair and spilling off her bangs, as she smiles. "I can get us to the top without climbing, but I'll have to hold onto you to do it?" she clarifies, not seeming offended by the hesistation. "No one should be able to see it back here, with all the rain."

Nixe has posed:
    "Ah, acquamante," Nerina finally realizes as she lowers her thumb and wraps her arm around Sarah's waist - on the waifish naiad it's almost at shoulder height. "Like this?" she offers.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl slides her arm around you to support you against her body. Up close, especially soaked to the skin like this, you can feel and see that she's a girl who 's defintely fit, in the exercises for more than just keeping weight off sort of way. Her arms are strong as they slide around you. "Yes, just like that...here we go.." There's a rush of wind down the alley that seems to swirl around your legs, before you feel yourself being picked up as the winds propel both of you upwards in a smoooth bounce, that ends when they nudge you forward onto the roof, Sarah stepping lightly onto it as she keeps holding you off your feet until she balances, then gently sets you back down on the roof. "See?"

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina by contrast doesn't have much to hide under her clothes. The young flautist is thin and bony, perhaps a little too much, but there's a reassuring firmness in the grip she holds on Sarah's waist; she's not so far gone to be frail, at least not yet. The synthetic fabric of her jacket clings equally to the arm and her own skin as it's squished in between and along her back is a thin layer of extra padding - the rest of her hair continues at least as far as her shoulder-blades.
    Sucking in a little breath and squeezing down on both the Amerindian's arm and her waist, the naiad tenses and goes more than a little wide-eyed as she's lifted by the rising current of air. Surprisingly, it passes before they reach the roof and Nerina's grip softens from its clench as she looks down and around curiously.
    Upon touchdown, the short blonde's sandals are left to dangle until her flight attendant unbuckles her and they clack against the pavement. As she pulls her clothes back straight again - at least as straight as their Saran-wrap grip allows - Sarah is given a dry but mirthful headshake. "Che fortuna, acqua e aria? What can you not control?" she asks, only bothering to translate half.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah flashes a brief grin, clasping her hands behind her back. "Water and air, mostly...so weather, more specifically, when you combine the two. I don't like to think of it as controlling so much as guiding though. I try to have respect for nature when I can." she says easily, then her eyes turn curious again. "But what are? You feel....like you're much more water than you look. Are you a shapechanger? No...you don't feel the same as that..." she says thoughfully. She is thinking a bit too...like how you felt really a bit fragile, and now that you're off the street, she's taking a bit closer look at just how thin you are. She doesn't say anything about it yet, turning it over in her mind. It wouldn't be the first time she's run into someone who's been forced to get by how best they can, maybe where they don't get that meal every day.

Nixe has posed:
    Before she answers, Nerina takes a fresh look around, even spinning a full circle as she discretely shifts further from the roof edge to make sure no prying buildings nearby have them in their view. "Beh, there's no reason to hide it now," she considers before the youthful softness in her eyes evaporates away from a cold, icy interior. "But you will tell no one, or you will never hear my rain music again, capire?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other woman raises a brow, idly reaching up as the wind catches her hair to gather it in, then arranges it in front of her right shoulder so it's not blown around so much. "Believe me, I know how to keep a secret." she says, wryly but seriously. "I won't tell anyone you aren't comfortable with knowing.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina holds the hard stare for a few seconds longer to underscore her point before she blinks and lazily lifts a hand palm-up. The youthful warmth doesn't quite return but neither does the cold intensity; away from the street and her begging, the naiad's letting her real mood show more. Around the dull, cool edges of her blue eyes, the world-weary beggar looks a little older again, but there's still just a little warmth reserved for the Amerindian next to her as her hand dissolves and stretches in a colorless, watery tendril out past Sarah's head and mingles with the rainwater while curling in a thin, playful coil to peek around the other side.
    "My name is Nerina, Nerina Rosso," the nymph introduces as the water brushes lightly against Sarah's cheek before drawing back. "It's from nereid, a nymph."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah stills, watching with fascination at the change. "...you mean...from Greek mythology?" she says slowly after a moment, turning her head to follow the swirl with a little smile. She's got a look of pure fascination now and enchantment. "Oh wow...you're real...no wonder you feel so much like water..."

    She returns her gaze to you, stepping a little closer. "My name is Sarah....Sarah Rainmaker. I'm not a magical person myself...but I am a Western Apache, if that helps." she says cheerfully.

Nixe has posed:
    The self-confessed nymph can't help giggling at Sarah's fascination as her hand reforms into its thin little digits and comes to rest on the zipper of her jacket. Nerina pauses, then thinks better and tucks it and its twin into her pockets. Perhaps because they're both soaked to the bone, Sarah's approach doesn't move the naiad's eyes as they follow her in calmly.
    "Not magic, just water," she corrects simply before cocking her head. "What is Apache?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah raises a brow. It looks pretty magical to her, but maybe it's different? "It means I'm a native of America. Before Europeans came to settle. My people lived out on the Great Plains near what's now Texas and New Mexico, before the Spanish settled there, then the Americans took it over. There are several tribes of my people, I'm from the Western Apache tribe. It means little differences in language and some in culture, mostly." she clarifies. "If you're not magic, were you always able to do that?"

Nixe has posed:
    "Not always, but long enough," Nerina answers, perhaps explaining more about herself than she means. "So that is why your skin is brown," she notes before turning the woman's question back to her. "Could you always control weather?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    This girl is tall for a woman, standing close to six feet in height, most of which is natural legginess that gives her the looks of a model. She has the slender but athletic figure of a climber or martial artist, her copper skin showing toned but not overly defined muscles. Warm brown eyes, a straight nose,sensual lips and high, defined cheekbones mixed with a strong chin highlight the natural beauty of her Native American features. Her silky raven hair is bound in a loose braided plait, held in place by a copper clip just above the tip where it hangs at the small of her back.

    She wears a burnt orange daisy duke top, tied between her breasts, which leaves her coppery and toned midriff bare, showing off the definition of her abs. A tan fringed leather jacket is worn over it, the fringes running along the underside of the arms in a native style. Black lycra shorts are snug over her hips and rear, running down to mid thigh, her athletic legs bare down to the calve-high leather boots she wears.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah's eyes twinkle. "More coppery, actualy, if you look closer when I'm NOT soaking wet. We actually have more reddish skin tones than brown." She clasps her hands behind her back again. "And...I couldn't do it until I was....oh, around...11? When puberty started for me. Then I started to be able to hear the wind and rain...and I learned over time how to talk back, I guess you could say?"

Nixe has posed:
    Despite the water Nerina does lean in a little to look at the skin of Sarah's arm. "Hmm... that must be a fun power," she considers.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah doesn't pull away as you do, and up close, you can see the reddish hints to her tanned skin, not seeming to mind. She reaches out to curiously poke your arm in return. "I enjoy it, most times..." she admits, then says. "Are you...water with just an outer shell or....is it just you're very compressed like that?"

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's jacket yields as might be expected of flesh and bone before suddenly and without warning collapsing and letting Sarah's finger press several inches in. The sidewalls of the fabric ripple for a moment before squeezing in, lightly grabbing the curious digit.
    "I'm water all the time, and when I want to be," the naiad explains perhaps unhelpfully. "It at least makes me a little harder to kill in an alley."

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other woman raises a brow. "...does that happen a lot to you?" she says, a slight note of concern in her voice. "Someone trying to hurt you in an alley?" She lets out a little suprised sound as the finger pokes through, then flushes a bit at the pull on her finger. "I see...so you can just...look as you want, or...is this how you always look?" she says thoughfully.

Nixe has posed:
    The naiad smiles impishly and lets Sarah take her finger back before reforming her arm inside the jacket. It might be payback for the 'touch' earlier. "This is me," she replies openly, parting her arms to show all that 'me' encompasses of the diminutive naiad. A blonde eyebrow quirks as Nerina cocks her head to one side. "Of course it does, e la verita. Well, sometimes not 'hurt', small details," the Italian dismisses with a flick of her hand.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah folds her arms under her soaked top, frowning a bit. "...well..are you always near here?" she says. "I live here, on the third floor, with my roommates. So...if anyone hastles you like that, you run straight inside and up there and find me and we'll chase them off."

Nixe has posed:
    "You think I outrun anyone on these little legs," the naiad asks with a downward gesture and a mirthful grin.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Being small just means you can fit in places others can't." Sarah says with amusement. "And it's not THAT far to this building from where you were." She folds her arms under her soaked top. "It's an offer if you need it, anyway."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina nods without showing much concern for the offer. This long on the streets she's apparently learned to look after herself - or else simply stopped caring. The drenched weather-woman before her is still rousing at least some warmth from the otherwise dull blue eyes. "Which door is yours on the third floor?" she asks while slipping off her bag and sitting down on it, letting her legs fall lazily open, almost crossed at the ankles.

Rainmaker has posed:
    As you sit, Sarah joins you, lowering down to sit cross-legged across from you. "317." she offers "The one at the end of the hall on the north side. There's three of us so we needed a bigger set of rooms. than the one room stuff."

Nixe has posed:
    "Who are the other two?" Nerina asks curiously as her feet turn briefly aqueous just long enough for her sandals to fall through them and leave her barefoot. The naiad wiggles her toes and leans back on her hands as she gets comfortable.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl idly wrings out her damp hair a little bit..by this point the rain has become lighter, still coming down but not the downpour it was. "Caitlin, she's the next oldest. You might have seen her walking by, she's...very tall and striking? Red hair. Then there's Roxy, she's younger than either of us. Black hair with a pink streak, a little taller than you I think? She comes out to grab smokes up here and in the alley a lot."
    She watches the sandals come off with a thoughful look.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina glances briefly at the sky as she listens, noting the softening rain. The soles of her feet are as calloused as one might expect from spending all day on them. Despite her ability, and that the naiad still feels as human as a swimming pool, outwardly she looks remarkably... normal.
    "Hmm?" the blonde vocalizes, quirking an eyebrow at the Amerindian's expression.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah grins and leans back on her hands "I thought all your clothes were water or something..." she admits. "Sorry, wasn't expecting the sandals to fall off like that, it's neat."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's eyebrow goes a little higher as she looks back skeptically. "If my clothes were water I would freeze by Christmas." Apparently not comfortable enough, the naiad pulls her bag out from under her and lays flat against the concrete, now using all her worldly belongings as a head-rest to hold her eyes more or less at Sarah's.
    "With a little more rain yours will be," she notes with an amused glance down.

Rainmaker has posed:
    That just brings up entirely different images to Sarah, mostly of a little snow woman wearing Nerina's clothes in December. She mmphs, looking down at her soaked clothes, then shrugs. "It's not really cold rain, at least..." she says with a smile. "So..you still get cold?" she says curiously. "You still...can feel the same, though you're water?"

Nixe has posed:
    "I feel everything anyone else feels," the naiad affirms. "Cold, tired, hungry, hot..." Nerina trails off and lets her eyes drift shut for a moment. Laying down might have been a mistake.
    "I'm just a little better at fishing than most people, but fish are too cheap here."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah says amusedly. "I would guess you'd be good at it, yes...you can go into water without problems?" she says curiously. "You don't...I don't know, mix or something?"

Nixe has posed:
    Once more Nerina's blonde eyebrow voices her thought for her as the naiad stares for a moment then points to the sky. "I'm not melting, verita?"
    "What are your roommates like? Can they do anything special?" she asks in a change of subject.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah ohs, looking sheepish. "Right. Ah, well..." She pauses, considering the question. "...yes, but I'm not sure if they would want me to tell someone they haven't met what they can do." she says after a moment. "No offense intended to you, but it would be...rude?...if I told you without asking them if it was alright first. You're welcome to ask them though if you meet them? We just don't...well, advertise what we can do. There are people who look for us...for people like us, I mean.." she corrects herself.

Nixe has posed:
    A shadow falls over Nerina's expression and her lips drag themselves down into a quiet frown as she sits up slightly. The water in her body can be felt churning. "Who?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    There's a bit of hesistation in Sarah's expression now, a frown coming to her lips as well. Well, dammit, she didn't mean to let that slip, and now she's upset you. "I don't mean everyone, I'm sure you'd be fine..." she hastens to add, trying to cover it a bit. "It's just..." She lets out a huff of breath, rubbing her face. "There were people looking for us, that's why we came here, because we can blend in better." she says after a moment.

Nixe has posed:
    The nymph mutters a string of vulgar Italian and sits herself back up with a grunt, pulling the bag in against her lower back. "How long have they been looking for you? Where did you escape?" Nerina asks pointedly, a focus and seriousness in her tone and eyes that's been absent until now.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other woman watches you with those dark eyes, as she starts to idly finger a few strands of her long hair between her thumb and forefinger, brushing it a little. "Why do you want to know this?" she says softly. "I don't want to pull you into our troubles, you must have trouble of your own to deal with." There's a questioning tone to her voice, but she doesn't seem unfriendly or refusing the question.

Nixe has posed:
    "Perche if your answer is 'last week' and 'two blocks away' then this was a very stupid place to stop," Nerina explains tersely as a private ocean churns within her breast.

Rainmaker has posed:
    That brings a faint snort from Sarah. "No. Far away, and...months now. We've kept moving. We wouldn't have stopped if we weren't reasonably sure we'd lost them." She frowns. "And we were running out of money and resources, so...this seemed like a good plan. There are so many different people in this district, lots of immigrants, people coming in and out...three more girls don't stand out at all. As long as we're careful and only take jobs that don't need ID or put ourselves more on the grid."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina thinks as she listens, drawn inward. The rising edge of her vigor crests and ebbs like an ocean tide, and the small naiad layers more questions on the pile. "Where?" she repeats. "From who?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah gets a more solemn expression at the questions. "Out west, far from here. And I don't know their name, for sure. They called themselves Project Genesis.' She breathes out a bit, then says. "...they won't come for you." she says quietly. "They'll come for us. We're their experiment, not you."

Nixe has posed:
    "So still in this country. You did not run very far," Nerina disagrees as she sighs and tucks her feet under her, setting a hand on her knee before beckoning inward.
    "Continua," she bids, "you've told me this much. You can tell me more without making it worse."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah rolls her eyes and gestures at you a little impatiently. "You try to get someone who looks like Caitlin through customs - never mind, you'll know what I mean if you see her." she grumbles, leaning foward as she rests her hands in her lap. "Alright, fine..." She frowns a bit to herself, then starts slowly. "There was...a project. One of those secret government ones, a black project. You know what I mean?"

Nixe has posed:
    The skinny blonde in the rain settles in to listen as Sarah begins, shifting to rest her elbows against her thighs and hunch slightly. It takes what's already a small figure and makes it that much tinier while her blue eyes watch quiet but attentive.
    Nerina nods.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "This one started...oh, a long time ago. Maybe after World War II? We're not sure, it might be more recent. What I know is, there were 12 generations of the project." she says, holding a hand out palm up to let the rain patter along it. "It was an attempt to trigger activated of the X-gene....the thing that gives mutants their abilities naturally when it mutates."

Nixe has posed:
    "And it worked?" Nerina guesses with a raised eyebrow. The young woman before her seems proof enough.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The girl across from you twists her lips a bit. "...not...exactly. It pretty much killed everyone they put in the project." she responds. "Then they got to Gen12, and they sort of suceeded. It was a military unit, trained and disciplined soldiers. I don't know precisely what happened, but whatever it was caused some of them to develop metahuman abilities." She waggles her hand. "...and drove most of the others mad, killed them outright, or caused their new powers to go out of control when their bodies couldn't handle it, which also killed them. But there was a handful of survivors."

Nixe has posed:
    This time the naiad is silent, her eyes watching silently. Inside her body, the formerly churning currents are deathly still except for the slight ebb and flow of what might be pumping blood.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah sighs. "But, at that time...we're not sure. We think that group actually volunteered and it was secret but...not illegal. At that time. And eventually those soldiers mustered out and had families." She taps her chest. "My father was one of them." She leans back on her hands again. "But the project restarted...or was taken over or...something. We don't know. As a special school called Project Genesis. The woman in charge decided it was easier to just collect all the children of Gen12...Gen13...and either get them to come to the school, or bring them by force, since we had a much higher chance of becoming a Gen-active, as they called it."

Nixe has posed:
    "And then they came for you," Nerina continues, still holding her muted expression. If Sarah was expecting surprise, shock, or fear, she's not getting it from this one.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The native girl nods slightly. "I went Gen-active when I was ten, when I started to feel the wind and rain like it was talking to me. I tried to use what I could do to help my people, so crops got rain and the worst storms avoided the reservation. But Project Genesis heard about it, and when my father was away, they came for me and my mother and kidnapped us. They faked our death, making it look like we'd drown in a flash flood, our bodies lost in the water. And then they tried to take us back." She smiles faintly. "But they underestimated my mother...she punched out one of the guards and escaped with me, and we went into the deep scrublands, away from everyone to hide. So...I didn't really get to talk to anyone but my mother and some of my uncles who would sneak over to drop off supplies, not for years."

    She sighs. "But last year, there was another Apache Gen-Active, who came to try and find us so he could help us. But they'd bugged him, and followed him. I tried to fight them off with him, but there were too many, and we were separated, and then I was overwhelmed. They knew what I could do." She leans forward again, looking down at her hands as she idly plucks at the wet clothe of her shorts. "They took me back to PRoject Genesis as a prisoner, and put me in their lab. Roxy and Caitlin, they tricked them into coming to the school. The kids on that side of things, they didn't know anything was wrong. That they were putting drugs in their food to try and force them to go active, and if they didn't do it after a certain amount of time, well...then those kids 'went home'." She glances up at you. "...and went to the labs. They didn't come back out. The ones that did, they 'graduated' them. Froze them in special tubs, shipped them to a secret training facility...we never knew where. But the woman in charge was angry at me, so she left me in the labs to be 'tested.'

Nixe has posed:
    Throughout the explanation the only expression Sarah's managed to rouse on Nerina's features since the naiad settled in to listen? A smile. It's slight, just a small and slightly lopsided curl at the edge of her lips, but it's definitely a smile.
    "And in less than a year you escaped? What kind of fun did they have with you?" she prods curiously.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl gets quiet, unconsciously fiddling with her hair more as she curls the wet strands around her fingers. "...none." she says in an even tone. "She told the guards..." She quiets, then shakes her head. "...never mind. It doesn't matter for this." She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting it out. "Anyway...on the other side, Caitlin and Roxy met, and they stumbled over the truth of what was happening, then a guard attacked them. Caitlin went Gen-active. She's REALLY strong and tough now. So she took the kids she was with and staged a breakout. AT the same time, another more legal part of the goverment, and the soldiers from Gen12 who were still alive, they'd found the base and attacked it, trying to break out the other kids. There was chaos. Caitlin...she founds me chained to a wall in the prison and broke me out, then we all escaped with the help of one of her father's friends. He showed us how to stay off the grid...how to blend, how to not throw up flags that Genesis might use to find us again."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina quietly lifts a hand to her mouth and bites on her thumb again as Sarah fiddles with her hair. "So you moved halfway across the same country, kept the same names, and didn't even cut your hair?" She infers. There's still the ghost of a smile on her lips. Maybe it's meant to be consoling, maybe supportive, but on the naiad's weathered face and in context, it offers the warmth of neither.
    "What did they chain you to a wall for? Iniezioni? Discomfort?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah mmms? "Oh. Well, it's...my people don't cut our hair.' she says after a moment, frowning. "And...we don't have any way to make up new identities or such. That's part of the problem. We're just...what we are. Caitlin's very smart with computers so she's been able to do a lot to cover our trail though." She huffs a bit of air. "...yes. And the woman in charge...enjoyed it." she says after a moment, her tone even again.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's bitten hand turns to partially cover a lyrical giggle that sneaks out despite herself. Her eyes almost seem to twinkle at the repressed discomfort the conversation has roused in Sarah. Not the soft-smiling, rain-loving nymph she'd met just a few minutes ago...
    "If 'your people' like to leave their DNA everywhere for people with vials of your blood to find then they're doing a good job," she notes, continuing to pick apart the mutant's replies. The nymph pauses and a neutral cool returns to her face as her eyes stare back into Sarah's again and she asks, "Do you want to kill her?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah has a slightly annoyed look at the giggle. "We are not LEAVING our DNA everywhere." she says with a huff. "Besides if they wanted blood they...took plenty. So..." She shrugs, then frowns a bit. "...if I have to to protect my friends, yes." she says after a moment.

Nixe has posed:
    "Hair falls out," Nerina notes calmly, unperturbed by the rise she's gotten. "A braid helps but when you take it out, brush it, shower... it gets left behind. And they can match it against all the DNA they already have."
    "Even your clothes have a little DNA on them but they would need a dog - or their own mutant - to track you by that." The blonde lets that thought hang in the rain for a few seconds before concluding, "So how much further are you going to run from here?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah raises a finger. "Not a mutant. Gen-active. Mutant trackers don't work on us. And the only Gen-active tracker I know of was the other Apache man, who definitely is uninterested in doing more than gutting them if he meets them at the moment." she explains "Secondly, they don't have anything of ours in terms of clothing anyway, and if they just needed DNA, they would have found us months ago...experiments, remember? Unless somehow every sample they had was destroyed, they had more than enough to track us. The fact they haven't suggests strongly that they can't." She sighs. "...and we can't run forever. What kind of life is that, constantly fleeing, paranoid about anything and everyone around you? No." she says firmly. "I'm tired of running from them. If they want to fight, I will fight them, and this time, I'm not some girl by myself in the middle of the desert."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina puts a hand under her chin and leans on it thoughtfully. "The first time they didn't know what you could do and you escaped. The second time they did and they caught you. The third time, they didn't know what your friend could do and you all escaped. This would be the fourth time... capische?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah nods quietly. "That's why we haven't stopped training since we left. So we're ready. And not just a bunch of kids separated and alone when they come for us, like last time. This time...if they try it, they won't be able to gang up on us. And they've no idea what we've learned how to do since we escaped."

Nixe has posed:
    A fresh smile splits Nerina's face as the naiad bows her head and chuckles softly, mumbling to herself in Italian. "Sei ancora cosi giovane..."
    "Stupido, all three of you molto stupido," she renders as a verdict while her free hand quietly dissolves and begins to stretch its watery tentacle into the rain, splitting and expanding into wriggling tendrils. "Are you together now?" the naiad asks freshly as her eyes snap back up. "If they do find you, do you think they will wait until you're all together and prepared, not separated at your jobs or buying food? Are you so confident they haven't found and captured Roxy while we've been talking? They know what all of you can do now; they're going to cheat."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah frowns. "There's nothing stupid about stopping in a major population center to make absolutely sure we've lost them and to hide out in, especially when we'd need more resources before we could keep running anyway. We only had so much cash, and we can likely get some IDs that will stand up to customs if we need to leave the country."

Nixe has posed:
    "That would be a good plan," Nerina affirms as her tentacles arch overhead and flatten into a subtly squirming umbrella that casts her in a rain shadow. "Better is to jump the border so there are no records. That should be easy with your powers."
    "If you do get smart enough to leave, maybe there should be four of you, si? Someone they don't recognize to go out in public for you?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah blinks at you. "...I suppose that'd be helpful. Though the whole point is to go somewhere where no one knows who we are, if we can." she says slowly. "Why?" She leans forward a bit, watching the umbrella curiously as you forms it above you.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina grins. "Were you not just telling me about safety in numbers?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah raises a brow. "Sure...are you offering?" she says curiously. "You...seemed pretty nervous at first when I brought up being pursued. Is someone after you too?"

Nixe has posed:
    Thin rivlets of water trickle down onto Nerina's head as her umbrella collapses and flows back into her hand. Soon she's out in the rain again just like Sarah and the naiad blinks around water that's dropping into her eyes. "Indovina - guess."

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl quirks her lips a bit. "So that's a yes, and a yes?" she asks. She tilts her head. "...I have no problem with there being more of us, or protecting you too."

Nixe has posed:
    "I'll have to teach you three how to really hide, but it's for the best. You already know enough to be dangerous to me so we cooperate... or I kill you."
    The naiad smiles easily despite the subject. "Killing someone who can bend me like a puppet would be... difficult." Tucking her thumb into her mouth again for a little nip, Nerina's eyes make their way thoughtfully down then back up the soaked Amerindian before her.
    "You at least... maybe I can live with," she considers with an approving little curl to her lips.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl looks slightly wary at the talk of killing. "...thanks? I think." she says. "I honestly don't know what using my abilites on you would do, exactly. I've never tried to manipulate someone who'se animated water, in a way. Her eyes twinkle. "But bending a pretty girl like a puppet might be fun, maybe I should sometime." she says, a teasing note entering her voice, before she turns more serious. "I meant it before, if you're in trouble you let me know and I'll do what I can to help. It's not safe out on a street sometimes for a girl on her own. Even for someone like you." She looks you over a little disapprovingly. "And you do look like you could use some regular meals. We always get a lot, Caitlin has a big appetite now. We can spare some for you if you need it."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina laughs softly and shakes her head. "If you find a pretty girl you can have her. You don't know what the streets are like yet, but for me this is almost dangerous enough..."
    "Do I have to eat with your friends or will you leave some out like a cat dish?" she asks, straight-faced enough that it's hard to tell if the cool-eyed naiad is joking.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah makes a face at you. "Of course you're eating with us." she says, then grins. "Though if you want to come in the window from the fire escape like a cat, I won't stop you." She hmms. "For now though...would you like some dinner? My treat, I have some extra cash at the moment."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina pauses for a moment to pull back the clinging fabric of her sleeve and inspect a thin forearm. She turns it over, the solid anatomy underneath clearly visible over a meager wrapping of skin and muscle, then pulls it back down and grins again, having shown her answer.
    "Si grazie," she adds just in case.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah pushes herself up then and offers you a hand up. "Sounds good...got a favorite food around here? There's a good gyros place down the street I've tried, it's not bad."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina reaches up and takes the offered hand while also reaching back to grab her bag. It doesn't take much of a pull to put the naiad back on her feet again and after slinging her pack back across her shoulders, she drops her soaking wet hat back on her head.
    "Anything we can have to go," she suggests. "You're going to have questions - si?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah looks thoughful as she slides her soaked hair back behind her shoulder. "Sure, if you've got a place you'd rather talk?" she says thoughfully. "Or we can just order a pizza directly to our door? I don't think Caitlin or Roxy are home, so it'll be quiet?"

Nixe has posed:
    "If they're not, order in," the naiad agrees as she looks up at the sky - and the tall gen-active. "Less people will see... and the pizza won't get wet."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah nods, then steps forward to you. "Ready for a ride again?" she says, offering her hands to you. "We can just float down quick to the fire escape from here.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina raises both arms to let the weather-woman hoist her from under her shoulders. "Si," she offers easily. It's not so scary now.

Rainmaker has posed:
    This time, however, Sarah leans down a bit, then simply scoops you up in her arms, cradling you. 'Easier this way, I think....you're small." she says impishly, before stepping off the rooft, another swirl of wind blow up to support you as you slowly fall down several stories to land on the fire escape there. The window is open a crack, and Sarah sets you down to open it all the way, before sliding inside. "Come on in.."

Nixe has posed:
    "Ack!" the naiad blurts in protest as she's hefted. True to appearances she's not very heavy though Nerina does still tuck an arm behind Sarah's neck to steady herself. The skin of her back doesn't prove quite solid and the nymph slumps just a little around the hand supporting her there, feeling more like heavy Jello or a water balloon. As they move towards the roof line, the waif's feet turn to water again and quickly stretch out to hook and retrieve her sandals from where they were still laying.
    No sooner does touchdown happen than the blonde slips her way out of the hold and drops with a muted clatter. She ducks her head in after the soaked Amerindian and looks around the dark hotel room before swinging a leg inside to follow.

Rainmaker has posed:
    It's really not much to look at....looks like a mainliving room/kitchen area that's the largest room of the suite, with two bedrooms and a short hallway leading to a bathroom. Definitely worn looking, but clean enough, though there's the faint smell of cigarette smoke, probably from the ashtrays scattered around the room. Also the faint smell of burnt fabric from the couch, which looks like it may have suffers a brief mishap and been set on fire, though it doesn't look like too serious damage. The furniture is a mix and match of different types, though there is a nice flatscreen TV opposite the battered couch.

    Sarah walks over to get her phone. "What toppings do you like?" she asks curiously.

Nixe has posed:
    Before anything else, Nerina lowers the window again behind her, shutting and locking it before fishing for the blind. "Black olives, peppers, and any kind of meat - but I eat anything. It's soup or jump out a window," she replies over her shoulder as her hat drips a little ring of water onto the carpet. Oddly the rest of the naiad's soaking wet clothes are more behaved and keep their water to themselves.
    With the stormlight now blocked, the water sprite steps through her sandals again and walks over to a lamp, bathing the room in its yellow-tinted glow. This close to the light source, the stream of bright blonde hair falling into her jacket nearly shines from its glossy coat of rain.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl nods, then starts to order, quickly sending a large pizza headed your way, half and half apparently from the sound of it. She hangs up, then pads towards the bathroom. "Let me get you a towel, hold on..." She vanishes inside, then comes out with a pair of fluffy brown towels, looking unsure. "...I can try to pull the water out of your clothes too, but I would feel better if they were off you when I tried it. Um. Whatever are actually clothes, anyway?" She's still a bit unsure on that, though she runs the towel over her hair, her power focusing as she transfers most of the wet from her hair to the towel, then dries off. "I think I'm just going to change myself...."

Nixe has posed:
    The nymph allows herself a little smirk when Sarah departs the room and in the few seconds it takes for her to return, Nerina's clothes, hair, face, and every inch of skin are suddenly dry. She eyes the towel and accepts it nonetheless, slinging it over her shoulder.
    "L'acqua è il mio elemento, sciocca donna," she lectures teasingly in her native tongue.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah pouts. "Well, I don't know what you can do yet!" she says, then disappears into one of the side room, pushing the door mostly closed behind her. "Be right out, make yourself at home?" You can hear the wet 'splat' of clothes hitting the floor inside and rummaging sounds.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina laughs and folds her arms. "If you ask nicely, I can dry you too," she offers coyly. No, she's definitely not jealous of the air tricks. Not in the slightest.
    "Just remember, il nostro segreto - our secret."

Rainmaker has posed:
    The other girl comes padding out in a loose fitting t-shirt and athletic shorts, her feet bare now. "No, I can do it too.." she says (dryly, hah!) "Just it's less distracting if it's not on me when I do it." She flops down on the couch, motioning you to it. "So...what do you want to tell me about yourself, then?" she says, curiously.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina lays out her towel on the floor and sets her bag and sandals on them to soak up their remaining moisture, then gets up to join Sarah on the couch. The naiad plops down on the cushion opposite and stretches herself out with one leg dangling off the side and the other sprawled most of the way to the gene-active's lap. A hand goes back just before she lands to lift her hair and give it slack - yes, it apparently goes that far down her back.
    "Nothing, but I expected you to ask," she answers casually.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah raises a brow. "Okay. Answer if you want then." she says amusedly. "What are you? Where are you from originally?"

Nixe has posed:
    "South Italia, off the coast of Sicily," Nerina answers, perhaps stating the obvious. As to what she shows a hand and turns it back and forth. No water morphing this time. "Am I not enough of a person just because I can turn into water?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Of course not, and I didn't say you were. I just wondered if you were....well, like me originally, that you developed the power when you were a certain age, or if it was given to you, or if it's...genetic, I guess?" she says curiously. "I mean...there are a lot of magical and alien people running around these days too.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina closes her eyes and smiles slightly again, another faintly off-kilter expression as silence lapses instead of an answer. When her eyes reopen, they're clouded by a memory.
    "I am human... I was," she corrects. "Forget the rest."