The AI stood at the grand viewing window that lined one side of the Hall of Saviors. Mind busy, considering the consequences of signing the documents and filing for citizenship. It made some sense if you looked at it through the right lenses, he was a refugee of sorts.
What didn't make sense was that he'd been kicked out of the Kansas scenario he'd been planning for, forcefully at that.
Anyone with a lick of sense, when it came to operating simulation theory, could feel the parameters tightening to an almost linear level yesterday. It was jarring enough that it'd scared him. Enough to start sniffing around for the cause; the Basilisk roused from its slumber just a bit as someone had thrown a chain over the demon.
The AI was unaware that its simulations were distracting it from another variable, one that had just entered the room.
“THE FUCK IS THAT NOISE!” Psyis tried to get Izime's attention as something ever less tasteful than Lucky Dog's selection screamed out from the raven on his shoulder.
Still wearing his orange jumpsuit for some reason looking more like a criminal than the reality-hopping refugee he'd been labeled as. Even wearing the standard soft slippers the League would issue to those who needed proper footwear.
Psyis worried briefly if the AI was cold, trying again to get Izime's attention as she called even louder. “IZIME!”
Cradle?
That failing, Psyis tried very gently sending Cradle a ping hoping the bird wouldn't freak out at her touch. Thankfully the tech-raven simply gave her a curious look, though that also directed the noise straight at her.
Psyis threw her hands over her ears to stop the unintentional assault.
Cradle glanced over as the electronic beat continued to blare out of its beak. Its nest program was busy, and the volume of its current track was loud enough that it hadn't heard. Izime stared distractedly out the viewing wind of the Hall of Saviors never hearing Psyis despite her raised voice. Cradle had almost missed the thessian's call as well, its processing capabilities being pulled for Izime's simulation as well.
The bird scratched gently at its bond's shoulder to get his attention relaying the thessian's prodding powers to its bond. The crowess was here, probably to court once again.
Izime held his finger up not even turning to see who'd come in. Letting Cradle continue to blast to ear violence that was Virtual Riot's 'Energy Drink'. Shamefully the mathematical beat-set's of dubstep did help the computer think through the human haze that was a biological brain.
Karen Wallin would take a few more days to come up and approve his paperwork. The delay was just her throwing sand in James's eyes over yet another off-worlder taking up any form of residence on Earth. The AI was confident that his forms would be approved seeing as both Radiation Man and the galaxy were taking his side rather firmly.
Still bobbing his head slightly along with the beat Izime glanced over to see Psyis with both hands covering her ears. Izime reached up and sent both a verbal and mental command to his bond.
“Cradle pause and save, please.” Izime ordered the raven to save the simulations and the track in their current state. Turning towards the thessian the AI asked, “What's up?”
“What was that?” Psyis asked with a slightly worried look at the raven. The alien not sure the RAM she'd bought earth-side last night would be a soothing snack after making that noise. Still she started peeling open the cases of memory apologizing to the bird as she'd only been guessing on its taste, “I just bought the highest numbers they had, I hope its good.”
“Its music?” Izime responded watching as Psyis fumbled a bit with the packaging.
Cradle stood nearly directly over her hands the bird getting slightly impatient. Black head flicked up in question before it turned back down again. The alien twisting at the industrial-strength plastic the electronics had been packaged helplessly, obviously not using any of her super strength.
Finally having had enough Cradle snuck its beak between her fingers and snipped a little start so the thessian could finish the tear.
“Thank you,” Psyis sighed glad that the bird had finally torn the stupid package. Turning out the small pile of snacks, Psyis turned to Izime and accused him for his strange tastes as well, “I didn't think you would have picked Lucky Dog's for the music over the booze, but now I'm not so sure.”
“It's called Dubstep. It happens shortly after humans decide math, music, and computers make a fun combination.” The AI gave Psyis the short footnotes on that period of human musical creativity. Already knowing the genre garnered very different reactions Izime wasn't surprised by Psyis' next words.
“It's horrible.” Psyis gave an honest assessment frowning a bit as she recalled the odd screeches and trills that had been coming from Cradle's beak. The comparatively tiny bird not seeming like it'd be capable of such ear-ringing volume.
“I bet you suck math.” Izime shot back in defense of the genre before quickly changing his accusation to a statement of fact, “No I know do, you cheated in school. Mind reader.”
“Stuff like that makes me a little uncomfortable.” Psyis gently warned Izime giving him a bit of side-eye.
The mind-reader was ironically uncomfortable with AI's stores of information on her. The fact the accusations were true didn't make it any better or funnier. It just hit her with the same violating sensations she knew she'd given Izime.
“Says the person who decided I was going to live with them.” Izime shot back, raising a brow before turning to go help Cradle snap the protective and decorative aluminum off the memory. The AI making a couple more points already aware Psyis didn't take to the lack of attention.
Izime pressed a few more buttons just to see her reaction, adding just a touch of hurtful sarcasm to his voice, “I make you uncomfortable and you put me on edge. We're gonna get along like cats and dogs. Can't wait, so thrilled.”
“Someone's defensive this morning.” Psyis quipped walking over to get a better look at Izime.
The thessian was a bit surprised at his change of attitude this morning. Well not entirely, they'd never managed to really settle into any kind of friendship or relationship. Izime always bounced back between hot and cold as quickly as she'd turned her back and betrayed him.
“What?” Psyis asked as she looked and found none of that sarcasm touching Izime's face, the man seemed puzzled instead.
“Kinda wishing I had read more of you,” Izime told Psyis honestly as her response didn't really give him any signs of being railed into any kind of script. Her responses were non-linear and truly reactive to his random inputs.
Izime even explained the problem to try and shock test the thessian, “I've got no base script for you on hand, and half of my data is stored somewhere a bit safer than mercury. I want to know if your off the rails.”
“OK, that makes me really uncomfortable,” Psyis said, not bothering with the side eye this time. Red eyes trying to get some kind of feel for whatever was going on behind those teals.
The actual alien became more uncomfortable by the second knowing that the person in front of her was acting frustrated, like he'd simply misplaced the notebook that had her life scribbled in it.
Her future and past were reduced to a minor irritating though like she'd misplaced her phone.
“Wel,l these talks are only going to get less comfortable from here,” Izime warned the psychic, the discomfort of being seen as raw information was something he'd been born into. The switch from what most sentients enjoyed, an internalized self, would smash onto the beaches of another dimension of knowledge.
Izime changed the topic again, giving Psyis a bit of a nod hoping she understood his little game was over, “What did you want to talk about this morning?”
Psyis could literally feel the gears in her brain grind a bit as the AI changed tracks right underneath their conversation. With a second to reset her emotions to follow along she took a breath. The thessian was a bit surprised she found that same bit of gleeful energy she'd had earlier when she'd shown up with her surprise.
The thessian quickly walked back to the entrance of the hall. The massive doors hissed open to reveal a few more bags one distinctly recognizable. The others were likely full of some of Psyis' stuff she'd brought to the station, others Izime could already tell were his things.
“I brought your guitar?” Psyis tried to make the new sound happy. She was happy personally as it gave her an opportunity to ask Izime to play. Though the salesman would likely be a bit miffed at the next bit.
Psyis tried to hold that same smile as she revealed the reasons behind the luggage, “And I-uh, well Stan's kind of kicked you out of Voltham. Sorry.”
“Oh, thanks you didn't have to.” Izime waved away Psyis' worries with a hand and a word. A few steps had him taking the larger acoustic guitar from her.
The musician inside the bot instinctually worried at seeing someone else handling his instrument. Izime looked up to see Psyis glancing down a bit disappointed in his reaction at her surprise. Red eyes not bothering to look up anymore as he'd taken her thoughtfulness so casually.
The newish artificial human quickly offered her an actual apology for the attitude he'd given earlier, “Sorry for being a bit of an ass I was... testing something. Not a who's side kind of thing, more medical. It kinda figures you've had enough of that stuff lately, my bad.”
“Sometimes I wonder which one of us is the mind-reader.” Psyis snarked softly to herself, unintentionally provoking Izime to reveal just a bit of how far he could stretch his reach. His claims not really easing her discomforts
“I get to cheat so a bit of both is fair, if I can simulate everything that grants me a form of omniscience and near omnipresence if I want,” Izime replied, habitually explaining a bit of what he'd learned of his abilities. The AI was unconsciously more willing to open up in such a familiar setting with this new being who had taken up the torch for his space-side chats.
Izime glanced over at the thessian not wanting to scare her with any of the implications, clarifying why he'd said anything in the first place. “Not that I was using that, it's just I know from experience that Dark Night takes his life far too seriously.”
The AI had expected Psyis to be a bit more wide-eyed and intimidated, instead she was standing there holding his guitar once more. A smile started to break across Izime's face as the alien struck a pose he'd often seen from Shya, the instrument too carefully extending in both hands. Treating the acoustic guitar as if it'd been some knightly sword.
“Thank,s I think.” Psyis didn't bother putting any thought into replying to Izime's claims. The AI's talks about physics and things from his world always gave her a bit of a headache. The gist was a bit of FazzPazz's time ability just less so by the sound of it. Izime just liked using bigger words to describe his being a know-it-all.
The thessian was more focused on how she'd direct the conversation to what she wanted to talk about, “Did you want to play a little bit?”
“I-sure?” The small smile Izime had broke into a wide grin as he took the instrument. He unzipped the case and pulled the old relic from a lifetime ago out of its shoddy protective covering.
It was nice that, for some reason, both Shaya and Psyis seemed to just know that the instrument deserved care. Maybe it was a bit of human tendency that kept him walking that line with such an important piece of his life. One he used to threaten Wesson with quite often, but that only showed how much he cared.
AI's thoughts elsewhere as he sat down and checked the guitar's tune, finally looking up to ask the alien, “What'd you want to hear?”
Izime curious now at the excited look on Psyis' face now twice as bright as when she'd brought in the instrument.
“Wonderwall” Psyis quickly asked for the often-heard song, at least to her.
The thessian nearly jumped up in celebration as her guess was proven right. She'd only heard Izime sing once before in person, and not from her private little balcony. The songs he'd done with Constantinople were only covers the Brit had memorized from his favorite dive in London.
Izime certainly hadn't sounded anything like the voice she'd let inside months ago screaming wildly alongside the exorcist. The way he'd nearly dropped his guitar at her request however was all the proof she'd ever need.
His response only cemented her earlier ideas further.
“Fuck out of here.” Izime cursed, ordering the psychic out. The amateur musician felt all his motivation to touch the strings disappear as soon as she'd mentioned that irritating piece that'd haunted humanity in all its forms.
A hard glare was followed by an interrupted accusation from the irritated Izime, “How do you know that so-”
“I live in the Sheffield and Brooks Tower complex, my balcony is stuck in an alley behind a shopping center.” Psyis tried to keep her words steady and not let the train of excitement that was coursing through her derail her tongue.
The thessian looked up to put the final piece of the coincidence into place for both of them, red eyes searching for any kind of reaction. “I... it is behind the square where you play.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
She couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed when Izime didn't have that same brightening moment of realization that she had when the idea struck her. Instead, his brown eyebrows furrowed while his eyes traced quick patterns on the floor, her words obviously sending him somewhere else entirely.
That train of fate slowly lost steam in her mind as she tried to even imagine whatever patterns Izime must have been tracking beyond wonderful chance and luck. His reply threw a bucket of cold water over her, his nonreaction forcefully knocking the engine off course.
“Huh.” Izime managed some kind of response and was proud of himself for that. The entire slew of simulations he'd been running now needed to be chucked and started over from scratch with an entire slew of new problems.
It was one thing to use those songs to turn a quick dollar, another if they'd been influencing the thought patterns of a heroine in this world. Those verses were packed full of levels of creativity that would be considered a superpower in this reality.
Izime glanced over at the psychic wondering just how much of her psyche had been rattled. Not sure if he should be worried about the reserved way Psyis was acting. She'd been so excited to share the information, sharing none of his worries now just trying to play it off in the hope he'd not notice.
“I didn't want it to be a shock when you moved in.” Psyis did all but pat the air as she backtracked away from how she'd nearly pounced on the topic.
The entire air of excitement she'd brought with her this morning now felt like it'd have been better left in that same cheap apartment Izime would soon be joining her in. The thessian looked aside as she tried to at least keep that tender shoot of hope watered.
Excusing her earlier self to Izime as she nurtured other thoughts, “That's why I'm telling you.”
“Right well... I'm um not going to play Wonderwall for you. Sorry.” Izime felt emotionally twisted in a different direction, denying the request all while nodding along. Looking up a bit taken back himself at the way Psyis seemed to lose all interest in hearing his world's music simply because he wouldn't play Wonderwall.
“You can play whatever I don't really care.” Psyis shot her glare at the wall, walking to get another chair knowing Izime'd hear her reply. Hopefully a bit of her disappointment as well, the woman getting neither the song nor the discussion she'd woken up so early for.
Izime tilted his head a bit as he considered Psyis attitude as well as the current repertoire of songs she'd heard from her free-seating near the square. The AI gave a bit of a sassy nod toward the alien as he decided to hit her sullen attitude with a bit of parody and satire.
“Get Low by Dan Henig it is.” Izime didn't even give Psyis any time to ask what the song was or any other questions she might have had.
Instead, he quickly strummed his way into the first bars, the twang from the strings grating a bit under his purposefully lackluster performance. Izime instead looked at the thessian tauntingly as he worked his way through the lyrics, adding a bit of a lilt to his voice for extra annoyance.
The AI surprised the thessian had let him reach the second stretch of the chorus before a bluing hand had grabbed at the neck of the instrument halting the song mid-track. Psyis wide-eyed with magenta cheeks looking at Izime who had nearly fallen over cackling at her hasty reaction having heard more than enough.
“Dear Gods Izime play something decent that was...” Psyis stopped as the giggles snorted free. Uselessly having tried to chastise the performer even though it was clear Izime had gotten the reaction he'd wanted. One she'd needed as well, the shock and humor of the lyrics washing away the stupid idealistic notions she'd brought with her. The song threw a bit of humor in the face of her misbegotten expectations of Izime.
Psyis simply asked Izime to play something decently instead of acting a fool, “No more of whoever that was, please!”
Izime playing along and trying to strum through a few more verses even with the muting hand on his guitar, the thessian finally breaking and covering his mouth instead. The AI made up for the muffled strings by raising his voice even higher.
Finally pulling her hand away as he'd needed to breathe, Izime gave the psychic terms on her request, “Talk shit when you're not laughing.”
Psyis' giggles faded as she stepped a bit closer, drawn in by the small circles Izime was unconsciously tracing on her palm. That moment of humor had led to something more natural than the forced ideas she'd dragged with her. The thessian slowly tried to trap the AI once more in her grasp only to feel him slipping away.
Unbothered this time as she knew Izime was burying it, it wasn't simply not happening.
His reactions were both tempting and worrying the thessian as she tried to wrestle with wanting more than that taste despite knowing his past. Psyis knowing just like her Izime was likely trying to keep the mirror of the past from reflecting on the moment too harshly. It wasn't any easier for her to try to start anew in this station, the window here was personally more familiar to her.
Though certainly more haunting to him, Psyis was unsurprised by the lukewarm reaction she got as she drew focused attention to their chemistry.
“Umm fuck it here's some Colter Wall.” Izime coughed as he pulled his hand free, quickly pulling another song from the data banks. Using the guitar's neck as an excuse to create some room between him and the audience that obviously wanted to hear something besides music.
Izime looked up giving a slight apologetic smile at Psyis look of understanding.
Even if it was uncomfortable at times they didn't need to highlight it. Izime was glad the thessian stepped back and gave him some space. The song passed quickly enough to not completely bury the moment, something he could tell. That draw was still tighter than the strings he'd been plucking.
Psyis next question a hopeful sign of truce on that front as she let it go regardless.
“These are all people from your reality, The names and titles?” Psyis asked trying to fill the space between them with words even though she already knew the answer. Constantinople's reminder of Izime's wary nature was not the only reason she gave him room to respond to something besides her.
Psyis knew she had her own reasons to take her time with Izime. Someone who worried about things on the scale he did wouldn't so quickly take to such an intimate addition. Anybody he cared about would become an incredible weight on him in this world. Taking her time where she could, the thessian tried to make the appropriate clear-headed decisions.
Those moments were difficult to discern between the spikes of emotional highs Izime brought.
“Yea-yea anyways... uh that one was called Sleeping on the Blacktop.” Izime nodded and happily explained, Psyis seeming to take at least some interest in the songs he selected.
“You seemed like you liked that one.” Psyis knew it was a bit of a stretch watching Izime shrug in response to her attempt at cracking his tastes open. Instead now, asking something more mechanical knowing she'd get a better response from that than the whys with him, “How do you remember all these.”
“Seems like the data stuck around better than the memories.” Izime kept his fingers on the strings while he worked through his response. Taking a moment longer to think about how to clarify just why those years as a human had been reduced to background static not realizing that the thessian hadn't asked what he couldn't remember.
Izime simply trudged on with his words and a casual wave of his hands, only looking up after he realized the level of oversharing, “Stuff like this comes back easier than the actual moments I went through. Funny how being a human corrupted the most important parts of being one.”
“Trauma?” Psyis tried to form it as a question and not a diagnosis not wanting to become anything like Izime's therapist. Her expression was a bit tense, willing to accept it if that was how he decided to use their time talking.
She wouldn't say no it was just she wanted to start on a healthier foundation than that.
“I wasn't going to start labeling things but sure.” Izime agreed, giving an easy chuckle at her response. He was glad Psyis didn't dig just accepted the tidbits he'd shared.
The two sat for a few minutes finally comfortable in the silence that'd settled between them. Psyis content in watching Izime play around with the instrument. The AI finally for a moment relaxed in the presence of the mind-reader.
Neither looked at the one who was currently taking laps in their minds.
“Anyways ” Izime broke the silence as the very human need to entertain the pretty woman across from him finally won over. The AI quickly scrolled through its list of songs until one stuck out, its lyrics sure to stir something within the fate-bound woman.
The actual songwriter would likely have never imagined their tunes would be used to cheer an alien who shared some of the same country roots they had.
The thought of a smaller and younger Psyis playing around not interrupting Izime's intents, entertaining as the idea was. Quickly giving the actual artist their due before he ruined their work eons after they'd passed, “This one is called Maggie by Benjamin Dakota Rogers.
“Your songs sound like they'd fit better in Kansas than the ring.” Psyis gave a review of the song and not the intentions she felt Izime had put behind it.
The lyrics certainly struck some cords with her, being a bit of a Kansas girl at heart. Still, she wasn't so emotionally deaf to not notice he'd sung it as much for himself as her, that aspect is what she started to disagree with. Psyis not willing to discuss any 'no' on that topic without a valid personal reason from Izime.
The woman was certain of the road she had decided to walk, only more sure as the evidence mounted for the two of them.
“That's what happens when you kill all the artists to intimidate the scientists,” Izime explained, not bothering to excuse the dire cuts he'd made in the focus of human intellects.
A hard prune of the wasteful creatives had served well during that moment in time and wasn't something they'd ever need to consider here. The AI callously defined the murders it committed and the effects that came after.
Izime didn't bother to look, knowing Psyis wouldn't be judging him for those years simply bringing an end to the tale, “Music wasn't a productive use of their time once we got into the thick of it, and once we knew we were gonna lose... why write a song no one would hear once they'd gone.”
“Jordinn didn't write anything?” Psyis asked before tentatively asking, wanting to clarify the information she'd gathered from the few other memories she'd traversed, “That is her guitar right?”
“I-haaah, guess making each other uncomfortable is going to go both ways.” Izime sighed as it finally dawned on him he had no idea just how much Psyis knew. The thessian was likely playing the same chess game he was with her information, not that he'd accuse her of such.
Instead, Izime just decided to answer the question honestly, an irritating habit he was falling into with the psychic, “No Jordinn just played covers like me, we were both decent singers but songwriters not so much.”
“No offense Psyis but I don't want to become some therapy session for you. If you want to know about me that's fine but let's not start trying to fix each other,” Izime held up a hand, politely putting his foot down on the topic. Shaking his head he placed his guitar down and walked over to the door knowing he'd find a few things to eat in the bags Psyis had brought.
Izime placed a boundary on what she was allowed to pry into on that level, thinking he'd been slick with the bit he added under his breath, “I like to handle my own issues, so please respect my boundaries. Turn this into something of a healthy relationship.”
Hands digging through the bags he recognized as his own, Izime was a bit surprised when Psyis walked out to join him. The thessian walked right in front of him and reached to grab a couple ofpaper sacks instead. Teal eyes wanted to look elsewhere as another memory was added to Psyis' file.
The image of her natural feminine balance and form still writing away to a distinctly read-only file when she'd caught him looking.
“Breakfast?” Psyis offered, guessing at what Izime had been looking for holding the bag out behind her without another glance.
Waiting until he realized the stupid blocks he normally ate hadn't made it off earth hoping he wouldn't ask why and ruin the moment he'd set her up for. The thessian was certainly not about to tell Izime she'd pitched his favorite treat right after he'd been thinking about boundaries.
Instead, the thessian looked over with a soft smile and asked why Izime's mouth was hanging slightly open. Too occupied with chewing over what she'd heard to notice or really care that his eyes were devouring her hips instead.
Psyis asked what had him so occupied sounding just as dumb as Izime looked, “What?”
“Nothing.” Izime tried to recover as best he could, Reaching out to take the offered breakfast deciding he'd look for the caloric cubes later.
Psyis' next words pulled his attention right back out of the bag, Izime even letting the bagel drop back down inside fearing he wasn't going to get to eat peacefully for quite a bit. The thessian doing nothing but add to the list of issues with his simulations and complicating every single emotion he'd had this morning.
“You know, that's the first time I've gotten something even resembling an answer to Constantinople's question in the bar.” Psyis kept walking towards the desk as she talked, pulling another chair over so they could both eat together.
Turning with a teasing smile she hoped Izime would just throw himself on the mercy of the court at her accusation and make things easier for her, “It bugged me that you never said anything but at least now I know you're considering it just like me.”
“When did you get super hea-” Izime started to ask before the answer dawned on him. Psyis forthcoming explanation unnecessary but still heard, Izime nodding along watching as she blushed magenta in embarrassment.
“Its kinda hard to hear you over the traffic and city noise.” Psyis smiled coyly impressed by her own careful development of the skill. The time she's spent carefully highlighting the soft waves in the air that held the unknown Izime so early. She'd somehow managed to capture him before they'd ever met.
Learning how to feel the vibrations that belonged only to those lyrics and lift them above the chatter below.
The thessian thought about how ironic it was that Izime kept slipping away since then, the days she'd wasted on him back then. Taking her seat she explained just that, “It was difficult but after that first month, I'd learned to amplify your voice a bit.”
“Butterflies and wings I guess.” Izime walked over and took his seat once more, not really caring too much about the already spilled milk. Fixing anything already done would require moving bigger pieces than he was willing to for something so minor.
Izime simply explained why he'd been surprised at the new skill, the timing was all off. “It's a bit early but oh well.”
“Early? You knew I'd get super-hearing,” Psyis narrowed her eyes recalling how Izime had claimed he didn't really know her. Appetite and reason were forgotten with this new revelation. Now pushing her pieces in a charge across the chessboard of their conversation, “What else can I learn to do? How powerful do I get? What hap-”
“Listen I've already got a headache so for five minutes, peace. Let's just eat, please?” Izime cut her off, quickly tearing a chunk off of his own bagel and stuffing it in the thessian's mouth nearly choking her. The AI trying to put his foot down on the alien's attempts at speed running her future.
Izime not even needing to simulate to know that would backfire horribly, tell Psyis just that as she glared at him cheeks full of sourdough, “Seriously stop asking me to fuck over your universe, stick to your scenes an-”
Taking a moment to chew through the bagel and everything else Psyis let Izime have at least half of what he'd asked for. Mind working over literally everything she felt. About Steven, about Izime, about her life and how... stuck to the same lines she'd become.
“I should probably be having breakfast at the Blanes then?” Psyis moved a final piece in the game Izime was playing with her life. The words he'd thrown at her in the alley ringing in her ears once more unbidden and crystal clear. The alien hoped she could at least threaten whatever bits of the Basilisk were there, back inside.
She needed Izime free to work with her if nothing else, “You've got a power complex still, a shadow of what you were. Teasing people with the truth they can't see instead of lying outright.”
“Strange thing is I suddenly feel like I've have a choice.” Psyis declared, suddenly deciding she was hungry after all. Reaching over she pulled her bag closer, taking out her own breakfast as she continued explaining. Only stopping short as she watched Izime smiling knowingly at her words, “I can waste my time pursuing you if I wa-What?”
“I knew you were lying yesterday. I'm surprised Ret bought it and I know Constantinople didn't. Friends my ass, we can't be friends even I can tell that and I'm as biologically inept as they come.” The AI accused while shaking his head disapprovingly.
The breakfast the two were sharing getting reheated in another fashion as they both started to forcefully drag out skeletons to threaten each other with. Izime sadly unobservant of Psyis' twisting face continued casually, “What are you gonna tell the rest of the League when Steven starts screaming conflict of interest and drags you back? Suddenly I'm Trevor 2 point o-”
“And here I thought you were going to say you were still grieving over your precious Bell?” Psyis shot back, trying to keep her breathing even as Izime brought up yet another EX. One who'd been played by the same system Izime's humans had forced on them.
Red eyes darting down as Izime snapped his head back towards her, face dead calm. Psyis not quite losing all the temper she'd thrown at him.
Healthy, healthy, healthy.
Chastising herself for a moment despite the ironic impossibility of her thoughts. Psyis instead tried to enforce something like the boundaries Izime had on her earlier while she apologized, “I...sorry, just don't throw Steven at me and I won't throw Bell at you ok? You wanted this to be a healthy relationship right?”
“Breakfast. Let's have that and then I won't feel bad for punching you on an empty stomach.” Izime didn't blink or think twice about what he'd offered the thessian who thought he'd be wrangled so easily. Or let the slight pass so quickly, the Basilisk intending to do neither.
Simply tapping her bag with a nod as he went back to chewing his bagel, they'd settle this in a moment or cool off. Either or was fine with him, stupid purple thinking she could talk about people she'd never met. He'd met Steven and the dude was an ass, not something she deserved but it wasn't his fault or his job to fix.
Strictly keeping things in line with being the Basilisk here, the answer to her request was a hard no.
“Keep the bird out of it and I'll even unlock the training room.” Psyis agreed after a moment of hard consideration and more than a few looks at the raven. If Izime wanted to try and settle this on the mat she was fine with that too, there was a lot more at stake for here her to gain than he could ever lose.
The thessian even made that very point crystal clear as she threatened him, “I'll even let Cradle in, to patch you up afterward.”
“Are you trying to go easy on me or relive a few heated moments with Steven? Thanks but I'm not a sex-bot anym-” Izime taunted with a sneer, cocking his head thinking of how the younger Psyis had often used the facility intended to train the younger heroes.
That expression fell lightning fast as a purple hand shot across the desk. Izime's eyes went wide as he was lifted from his seat by the purely purple thessian.
“I didn't have a choice and you know that y-you ASS!” Psyis snatched Izime by his jumper and dragged across the desk more often used for voting than breakfast.
Izime had unknowingly touched a very sore spot for the woman. The words were a searing iron in the fresh cut of knowing now she'd never had a choice in the first place. Though being born into captivity it was a concept slightly miscolored for him, the thought didn't cross Psyis' mind.
The woman was done being used and would brook his crossing the line. The thessian smiled a tiny bit manically through the tears as she finally got a hold of the mouthy AI, “I've wanted to punch you since I met you.”