2156/I Just Got Out of the Tube, Man

I Just Got Out of the Tube, Man
Date of Scene:	25 August 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Invisible Kid, Brainiac 5

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Invisible Kid has posed:
    The door to Lyle's room is open. Should someone wander by, they might notice that his terminal has been reconfigured so he can type from his bed. Much as he's loath to admit it, he's still terrifically weak from his... incident. But that's not going to stop him from getting some work done, if at all possible.
    Passers-by might also notice a black kitten hovering over his head, watching him type -- more accurately, watching characters appear on the screen, looking like she's going to pounce upon them.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy has decided, perhaps he's due to get some sleep -- which is to say, he fell asleep at his workstation for an hour, and got woken up by a noseful of thankfully non-toxic purple smoke.

But when he passes by Lyle's room, he peers into the open door, and then says, archly, "Res-ting. Resting, Invisible Kid. Not straining your eyes typing... whatever it is you're typing. Probably twisting more of the facts in my autobiography."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Correcting, you mean," Lyle says without missing a beat. "And I am resting. I'm lying down. I tried lying down and doing nothing and I got so restless I would've set off your health monitors if I hadn't hacked my way in and reset the ridiculously low warning levels they were set for."
    Shadow floats over to the door at roughly nose level with the green genius. She seems pretty well adjusted to having a flight collar, and delicately paws at Brainy's nose.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy reaches up to bat at the cat's paws, and he says, "Fascinating how such a primitive creature adapts so well." Then he... walks inside, and sits on the edge of Lyle's bed. "Yes. I compensated for that, too. You just haven't met a boundary you won't push, have you?"

He is still dressed in his uniform, and his labcoat, and he seems... distant, in a misty sort of way. "You should try harder. To rest, I mean."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle slides the keyboard aside, and grins at Querl; he's not yet got back in his uniform -- and the simple truth is, he's enjoying not feeling cold anymore. "Boundaries are challenges. And I can't resist a challenge. How restful do *you* find lying around doing nothing?" he asks with a grin.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy frowns. "I can't stand it. I'm a slave to my work, you know that. Every moment spent in idleness is a wasted opportunity, a chance to make some new discovery callously thrown aside. But it doesn't appeal like it once did. What good are triumphs if they don't benefit anyone? What good is a new discovery if it's not shared with others? And then I realize that what I've come to loathe is being alone. Not solitude, so much--but the absence of others."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Well, then you shouldn't be surprised that I find my researches relaxing too," Lyle says, sitting up a little, just in time to catch Shadow right in the chest. He cuddles her close, making a ridiculous soft cooing noise that she seems to like, judging by the purring. "And so you've finally gotten used to the interruptions and intrusions of us ridiculous humanoids?" he asks, failing to stifle a snicker.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy looks up, and he tries to sneer, and smirk, at the same time. "Would you get bored and stop if I said yes? If so, yes." Then he says, "You need to sleep. I had thought of just drugging your drink, but you'd be able to tell the instant you smelled it, no matter what I put in it, sprocking biochemist. Your nose never lies to you." Then he strokes the cat behind the ear. "But you still should be resting. How I make you, that's the puzzle--"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "How do you make yourself rest?" Lyle asks. "And if that's not relevant or appropriate, you could just sit here and talk a while. I can do that without needing a keyboard. Unless one of us comes up with an unusually genius idea. Can't rule out that possibility. I *am* brilliant, after all. And you have your moments too," he adds with a smirk.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy looks down, and then away, as if he's had something on his mind. "I usually work until I can't functionally stay awake any longer, or at least until taking stimulants no longer has its appeal. I lucid dream, so I can literally run calculations and work out theories when I sleep." Of course he lucid dreams. Then he grips the bedspread with one hand. "I had *an* idea, but I think I won't give you the satisfaction."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle reaches over and puts his hand on Brainy's. "C'mon, even I let myself just dream naturally. I tried lucid dreaming. It wasn't restful because I spent even my physical down time working."
    Shadow drops to the bed and wanders over to rub against Brainy's forearm. Prrrr.
    "Now what idea is it you don't want to tell me?" he asks. "Even your weird ideas are usually worth pursuing."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
"I can't NOT." Brainy says, raising an eyebrow at Lyle. "My brain is always active, at least in part. I sleep fine, but I'm always at least partially alert." He looks down at Lyle's hand on his, and then back up, and then he smirks. "No. I'm not going to tell you. Partially because I want to drive you crazy trying to figure it out," He reaches up to poke Lyle on the forehead, "And partially because if *I* brought it up, you'd never let me live it down. I want it to be YOUR idea. That will, ironically enough, be a victory for me."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "I guess I understand that. A surprising number of my dreams involve lab work," Lyle admits. "We won't discuss how many of those involve tentacles coming out of test tubes. And maniacal laughter. Maybe it's better I do that in dreams so I don't do it in the lab," he muses.
    Then he eyes Brainy. "Hm. What would you consider an idea that I could hold over you even if it works? I presume an idea to both get you some proper rest, *and* to get me to quit working during my convalescence... yes?" He chuckles softly. "I can think of a couple ideas that you particularly would find difficult to voice."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Perhaps Brainy's cheeks green ever SO slightly. It's difficult to tell; the light in here is dim, after all. "Keep going." He says, "I know your thought processes are SLOW, but you'll get there eventually." Then he opines, "Did you know that Coluans are partially photosynthetic? It's the green skin. We think it was deliberately engineered during a more primitive dark age of Science; we don't NEED direct sunlight but we do enjoy it." Is he... funning Lyle? He has to be.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    As usual, Lyle lets the barb pass without comment. "I think you're trying to suggest we share quarters -- ostensibly so we can keep an eye on each other," he says, quite seriously. "And you're also letting me know you need to be periodically watered and pruned." So much for 'seriously'.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy raises an eyebrow. "That's a very circumspect way of putting it. But then again, it always was your way to never be direct." Then he tilts his head. "If that's your notion..." He gestures, "I would be willing to go along with it." Then he rolls his eyes. "Yes, yes, and if I don't keep my hair cut I grow the most BEAUTIFUL crimson flowers--"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Lyle Norg, super spy. I sneak up on everything, ideas and people both," Lyle says with a smirk. "I wouldn't mind sharing... space either. *Was* that your idea, or are you latching on to this one in hopes I don't pursue the other one any further?"
    He must be in a generous mood, he lets the flowers comment pass without any remark of his own.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy doesn't say anything--just meets Lyle's eyes with his own, green and hard-cut as emeralds. This is... difficult, for him -- the emotional opening. It wars with his pride, which is towering. His hand gives Lyle's a small squeeze--

Then he takes off his labcoat. This uniform's the one he wears for warmer environments; the one with no sleeves. He DOES have nice shoulders; wiry. Still, the affirmative is in the quiet.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Well, those mind-reading lessons from Imra paid off," Lyle comments, half under his breath -- and sounding a little surprised himself. With a bit of an effort, he sits up; Shadow promptly flits upward to perch on his shoulder. Cat and all, he leans close and hugs Querl weakly -- he *is* still in recovery, after all. "Is it any consolation that I'm as unsure of my footing here as you are?" he asks quietly. "And please quit estimating how much longer my convalescence will be from the relative weakness of my arms..." Snicker.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy raises his eyebrows, and then he says, "Forgive me for being blunt, Invisible Kid -- but--" Brainy says, "For once in your sneaky, trickster life -- why don't you try being direct. I'm sitting right here." He strokes Shadow under the chin, with one finger, "And you want me to sleep, and I want you to sleep -- so soomething has to be done. Use the Scientific Method."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Because I'm no good at blunt. I sneak up on things. You know that." Lyle rests his head on Brainy's shoulder, while Shadow hops to the other one. "We have you surrounded. Resistance is futile," he says with a giggle.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy closes his eyes, and then he sighs, softly. "You're afraid--?" He asks, before they open again. Then, with a slight grimace, he admits, "...Me too. Let's... just say... that in this time, and in this place, we're finding companionship. Life is change, the mystics keep rambling on about it. Transitional states, one to another. So--" He says, "Why don't *you* try kissing *me*, Norg--"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle reaches up to stroke Querl's cheek gently, eyes a little wider than usual. Slowly -- not hesistantly, just slowly -- he leans forward until his lips meet Brainy's, and there he stays for a while, tightening his arms around him, as Shadow floats off to become terribly interested in her food dish.
    His eyes are still wide when he finally breaks the kiss. "See, I *can* follow instructions without questioning them or doing my own thing instead."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
It is soft--it lingers. When they part again, Brainy cants his eyes downward, and then he moves to push himself into Lyle's arms-- "Well use some of that initiative now, Invisible Kid--" Brainy says, with a roll of his eyes, and a smirk, before he leans up to steal a kiss himself, again, slow and lingering. "And do me a favor, and exhaust yourself, if only so you'll stop *talking* for awhile--"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle slowly sinks back down onto his bed, tugging Brainy down with him. "Unfortunately, exhaustion is easy right now," he says, nestling in closer. "I'm still in recovery, even if I don't like to think about it. Just... hold me. I haven't been held in so long. I've missed it."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy pauses, and then he puts an arm around Lyle, and rests his head in the crook of his shoulder. "Meddling, smirking *imp*," He breathes, his voice a quiet whisper in the dimly-lit room. "Endless pain in my... side--"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "And you wouldn't have it any other way, and you know it." Lyle touches a contact near the head of the bed and dims the light further. "And if I'm a pain, does that make you a masochist?"

Brainiac 5 has posed:
Brainy makes a slow, even inhalation of breath. "Shut up." He says, but it's in an amiable way. "And go to sleep--"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Mm-hm." Lyle does drift off in fairly short order, into a good recuperative sleep, using Brainy's shoulder as a pillow. He's not up to full strength, and while he hates to admit it, he knows it's true
    Shadow, for her part, eventually floats back over and sprawls out across both young heroes.
    She quite approves of this arrangement.