Owner	Pose
Brainiac 5	It is not, in fact, the Legion Cruiser, but rather a world out in deep space. The Legion has been working to get civillians out of the projected path of Brainiac 8. And Brainy has been working, tirelessly. He's running on stimulants and no sleep, because there is no time for sleep. Time, in fact, is of the essence. Time means lives. And he is working tirelessly on a masterwork--rebuilding an android body from the ground up, in a lab on a planet that was comandeered by the Guardians of the Galaxy, 3D-printing parts and assembling the components... it is the body of a beautiful android woman, now almost complete. Brainy's eyes are bloodshot, and he murmurs to himself quietly, as he tests the connections in an arm. As he touches a console, it lifts, clenches into a fist, and then its arm transforms into a blaster. "Excellent. Excellent!"
Jan Arrah	Jan has been working as well; he's been helping with the evacuation missions, fostering the growth of a small garden on the cruiser...and now, it seems, being a steward of the rest of the team. Most especially the leader. "Brainy, you have to rest." Jan's voice is quiet, but even. There's no hesitation, as he closes the distance between the two of them. "You're going to have another break if you don't."
Brainiac 5	"There's no time to rest, Jan. Even an hour of sleep could cost the lives of millions." He says. "I'm almost finished. ...Almost." He studies technical readouts of the original android body. "Once this is done, the Guardians of the Galaxy will be able to destroy Brainiac 8... while still saving their friend." He mutters, "It's the most complex android body I've ever seen. But the funny thing is, Element Lad -- much of her body is based on my own work." He turns a part over in his fingers. "And based on my extrapolations, there are innovations here that I developed... that I haven't developed yet!"
Jan Arrah	Jan gives his teammate an even look. After a few seconds, he breathes in deeply and shakes his head, sighing out again. "Brainy. You are going to have a break and it may cost lives. Or you're going to collapse despite your best intentions, and that may cost lives too. You can't balance hypothetical lives with your biological needs. That isn't equitable."
Brainiac 5	Brainy looks up at Jan and rests his hands on the table. "Family business, Jan. This is a Brainiac from the future -- from our future, or one like it. I have a measure of responsibility here." He looks down, and closes his eyes. "I know what I'm doing. The stimulants will keep me going, and keep me focused. And when it's all done, then I'll sleep."
Jan Arrah	"You have *a measure* of responsibility." Jan doesn't seem to be moved particularly by the argument. "This isn't all your burden. If you won't be concerned about yourself, then consider the rest of us. Your friends, for whom you are a far greater priority than this. You're running yourself into the ground."
Brainiac 5	Brainy looks up at Jan, and he meets his eyes. A slow smirk crosses his face. "Just like the old days. I live for my work, Jan. I am in my element. And since I'm no longer leader..." He gestures, "I am able to turn the sum totality of my thinking toward genius. The innovations I've discovered while building the Indigo frame... they could even advance the timetable for our return home. I can't stop. I won't stop."
Jan Arrah	Jan raises a single eyebrow, and he tilts his head slightly, looking into his teammate's eyes and then shaking his head again. "It's not going to matter, if you aren't around to implement these advances. Seriously, you're not thinking before you speak. It's absolutely not logical or reasonable. Living on stimulants isn't good for your brain or your body."
Brainiac 5	Brainy looks down, slowly, and then says, "You're right, of course." He says. "I'm burning my candle at both ends. But it's my decision to give of myself, isn't it?" He says. "I'm not going to break, Jan. Not with the Legion behind me. If I sleep now..." He says, "I won't sleep WELL. My mind... it'll be whirling, thinking about all the things yet to be done."
Jan Arrah	"Then I'll help you. Just tell me what to do." Jan takes a step closer and holds out his hand. "I can do the things that are just a bother for you. That'll at least save you some energy. Let me do that." It's not like he's particularly essential to any of the Legion squads at the moment. He can surely be spared for something like this.
Brainiac 5	Brainy furrows his brow, and then he nods, once. "All right." He says, before he looks up at Jan. "Please hand me the electrodyne coupler off that tray. And could you please reshape and refine the facets on that quartz crystal, and correct any flaws in it for maximum conductivity?" He adds, "I'd need to use equipment to do it, but you can do a much better job by hand."
Jan Arrah	Jan smiles again, nodding softly and seeming at least a little satisfied -- he made some progress, affected some positive change, even if it wasn't to the extent he really wanted. He picks up the tool and hands it to Brainy, then he takes up the crystal...and, with an almost casual air, it begins to shift subtly, changing in parts, transforming quickly into something more flawless than nature tends to allow. At least there's something, even if it wasn't what Jan had hoped. But he hopes this whole Brainiac 8 business will be over soon too. It hasn't sat well with him from the very beginning.
Brainiac 5	After a moment, Brainy pauses. "Jan... you may be best equipped to advise me. What do you do... when you find yourself truly in love with two different people?" He works, quietly, but his cheeks darken. "They both know how you feel. But YOU... which is to say I... am not sure of how I should proceed. I have an infatuation with a third, but that I think I can manage." As long as the third doesn't fly into his life... which sooner or later, she always does.
Jan Arrah	Jan's eyebrows raise slowly, gradually, but it's not enough to pull him from his focus. A few more seconds pass, and he presents the quartz to Brainy in both of his hands. By then, his expression has changed to a soft, gentle smile. "So bountiful with love. It's said it always adds color and beauty to life. I think it's best to give love and receive love as much as possible. It enriches existence."
Brainiac 5	"One is kind and brave and beautiful -- and he looks dashing in a Science Police uniform." Brainy murmurs. That would be Magno. "The other is clever and brilliant and--brave in a different way. He pushes me, he challenges me *intellectually* and not just anyone can do that." Invisible Kid. "Magno and I... we had an intense moment. Which led to other... intense moments. Which were highly..." He adjusts something in the cybernetic body's arm. "Gratifying. It was a part of myself I'd never really known was there. And now I feel like that part of me has gotten out of hand."
Jan Arrah	Jan chuckles, and it's a characteristically warm, soft sound that is pleasing to hear. "Out of hand? You're just discovering it. You should enjoy it. It's always worth enjoying. It's beautiful and worth having." A gentle darkness settles into his gaze, offering the crystal more obviously in his hands for Brainy to take. "You never know how long it will last. You have to enjoy it while it is there for you to enjoy."
Brainiac 5	Brainiac 5 takes the crystal, and reaches inside of Indigo to install it in her chest. A heart of flawless crystal. "...I don't want to hurt anyone." He says. "These emotional minefields. I'm not... I can't navigate them as readily as some. Both of them know. I haven't lied." He mutters, "I want them both." He scolds himself. "It's greedy."
Jan Arrah	"It's not greedy." Jan's quick to look up and over at Brainy, when he says that. "It's not greedy at all. It's not like these are one-way relationships...they understand what you are and what you aren't, and that's important. As long as you understand each other and your limitations...you're all getting something from it. Isn't that most important? It's not greedy. Everyone's getting something they want."
Brainiac 5	Brainy looks up, and then says, "If only it always worked that way." He closes his eyes, softly. Then he looks down, and says... "I didn't even realize. Aside from some minor assembly work, she's complete. I need to..." He gets a scanner, "Check my work."
Jan Arrah	Jan smirks and walks behind Brainy, reaching down to place both hands on the Coluan's shoulders. "It does," he answers. "People have problems in love because they let it go wild and don't think about it. But you think about it. I can't see you failing to analyze the situation." He starts to massage the surely tense shoulders, with his firm grip and attention to detail of touch. "This is something new to you, so they should understaod that too. If you care about someone...you try to understand them."
Brainiac 5	Brainy's shoulders are tense. Too little sleep, too many stimulants. The massage is... welcomed. Brainy is normally so shy about being touched. But now, he allows it. He closes his eyes, and says, "...I have been thinking, about Sean Erin. It must be bothering you, being apart from him. ...Or her." He closes his eyes. "Was Sean presenting as male or female when we left?" Then he sighs, softly. "I want... to solve this. Too many of you are separated from the people you love."
Jan Arrah	"I don't remember," Jan replies. "It wasn't really important to me." Which makes sense, given who's saying it. "It's fine, Brainy. We'll deal with these things when we can...none of them are going to begrudge us that. The way time travel works, we might just come back right when we left, anyway. Right?" His hands practically dance over Brainy's shoulders. "It does us no good to worry about things we can't control. Enjoy the moment...enjoy what we can, now."
Brainiac 5	Brainy nods, dipping his head. "Maybe... I should sleep." He says. "The stimulants... when they wear off... I'll crash. Sleep for a day." He closes his eyes. "But the work needs to be finished. She's almost ready. Then they just need to recover a backup of the Indigo personality. And she'll exist, independent of Brainiac 8. My descendant..." He looks down at the body of the woman on the slab. "My great-great granddaughter, of a sort."
Jan Arrah	"It's probably best not to try and figure it out." Jan pats Brainy's back and then moves to his side. "I'll help you with whatever you need me to do. Then I'll make sure you get in bed and get some rest, and I'll make sure you aren't disturbed. You need this," he continues, lowering his tone to a more personal, intimate one between only two people. "I have to make sure you get it."
Brainiac 5	Brainy smirks at Jan. "Be careful, Element Lad," He says, "Or I'll find myself with two romances and two infatuations. Not that you and Supergirl aren't both absolutely charming." He turns back to the Indigo Frame. "Now... just follow my instructions, and we can have this done in a few hours."