Spare Keys (Savvy)

[Mason McQueen]

“Not again.”

Mason sat on the lone desk in his classroom, dejected and wasted. One wouldn’t need to be a telepath (or an empath) to know that he’s quite disappointed on how his day’s turning out to be. His Biology class is due for an experiment tomorrow and he hasn’t even set up the materials they need to use yet (or at least gathered the reagents and glass wares they’re going to need – after all, he’s teaching a higher Biology course and he’s oriented the students early on that they’ll be doing all the dilution to have the highest reliability and precision of data as possible). He just dismissed his last class for the day half an hour ago and was about to place said bottles when he went to his bag and found not his DNA keychain which contained the key to the storeroom.

“Whoever thought I was fit to be a teacher anyway,” he shrugged, trying to use self-depreciating humor just to get his mind off things. He stood in front of the door knob, staring at it rather intently. Should he have optic blasts coming out of his eyes, he would’ve blown the door to smithereens already. He was thinking of using his hair, may it be for the finesse-requiring lock-picking or the brute force approach of wrecking the door, but decided it would be a bit too much for such a simple dilemma. He was about to give up really when it hit him. Of course, the maintenance people would have a copy of all the keys!

He rushed to the end of the hall, hoping he’d remember the room correctly and the maintenance personnel still in school. A wave of relief rushed over him as he saw the light in the room still on and a girl, probably a lot younger than he was, still inside. “Hey, I kind of n-need your h-help,” he said between pants, still trying to catch his breath from all that running, “D-do you h-have k-keys for R-room102’s s-storeroom?” Oh please have it.

[Mary Savage]

Savvy stretched and sighed contentedly in front of her locker in the maintenance room. She'd fixed yet another part of the ancient heating system that kept threatening to explode, changed some light bulbs, painted over some graffiti and a scorch mark, and now she could relax and go home. Except she hadn't made a ton of friends who were actually free in the middle of the day, there were no good parties tonight, and she would be lonely bored. She stared absently at her locker for a few minutes as she decided what she was going to do with herself. She could go to the bar, try to pick somebody up...

She'd been so absorbed in thought she hadn't noticed the man who was running up. She jumped slightly, and turned around. The man standing behind her looked familiar, one of the teachers, maybe? She'd probably passed him in the halls or something. Well, now she didn't have to go home and be bored! At least, not yet. "I've got keys to every room in this place! Play your cards right, I might show you some of the more interesting places they open." She smiled at him cheekily, maybe just a little flirtatiously. She was, undeniably, a flirt, she couldn't help herself. It was just so fun!

[Mason McQueen]

Could he really be this tired already? Sure he hasn’t done anything physically demanding in quite a while, but he couldn’t be this much out of shape, can he? It’s just a brief sprint and already he could feel quite the build-up of lactic acid in his legs and knees. He could barely stand straight, needing to lean back and cling tightly to the doorframe just to keep his pose. And as much as he’d like to smile nicely and possibly answer the maintenance lady’s question-slash-statement already, he can’t. He can’t even understand what she’s saying with all the oxygen deprivation his brain’s experiencing. His breathing’s so laborious he knows he can be heard three rooms down. Guess Andrei was right, he thought, Better take advantage of that premium gym membership of his really. He chuckled inwardly, absentmindedly rubbing his not-so-flabby stomach.

It took quite a while (ten or so seconds maybe, he is getting quite old, he thinks) before he could finally get himself back and respond. “Ah yes, that’s great, thanks…” his eyes roamed for a bit, trying to look for a nametag or something that could possibly tell him her name, “Err-“ Nothing. Not even a tiny clue on what her name could possibly be. If his mind was any dirtier more observant, he would’ve thought he’s checking the girl out. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been introduced yet. I’m Mason. Mason McQueen,” he said, extending his arm out for the routine handshake, “Biology/Chemistry teacher. Just got here last November.”

And as for the not-so-implicit flirting, he got none of it. The meaning got buried behind his fatigue and his oh-so-amazing dense-ness for all things flirty. Sorry Savvy.


ooc:
So late, sorry. >.<
And and and...HAPPY NEW YEAR ROSIE! ^^.

- Jam
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[Mary Savage]

Savvy raised a questioning eyebrow at Mason, "Hey, you okay, dude? You're not, like, asthmatic or anything? You kinda look like you're dying. I'm sure Linda has an inhaler in her locker, not sure how appreciative she'd be of me breaking in and grabbing it, though." Of all the strange things, his wheezing was making her want a cigarette. Maybe it was because he looked exactly like she did after a sprint. She reached into her locker and pulled out a fresh pack, lightly thumping it on the heel of her hand to pack the tobacco tighter while she waited for her new buddy to catch his breath.

...is he checking me out? She thought to herself as his eyes roved over her. Then he introduced himself, and she realized he'd been looking for a name tag. She'd tried wearing one for a week or so, but having "Savage" written on your shirt looks like a joke, not a name tag. She wouldn't have been caught dead in one that said "Mary" on it. She shoved the pack into one of the pockets of her slightly frayed cargo pants and then extended a hand to meet his. She had strong, calloused hands from years of manual labor and no hand lotion, which people often found odd when shaking them. "Name's Savage, but you can call me Savvy." She gave him a playful wink. She loved doing that to people, got them all flustered. She leaned against the lockers as she spoke. "Huh. You've been here just about as long as I have. Nice to meet someone who's as new to the place as I am. Well, I came to school here, but it's not exactly the same." She shrugged as if to say it didn't really matter anyway. She studied his face as they spoke. He seemed to be around her age, and he was kind of pretty, both pluses in Savage's book. She especially appreciated the fact that he was clean shaven, men never seemed to do that anymore, and she found facial hair to be rather disgusting. She noted that as something to complement him on later, if she decided to flirt with him a little more seriously.

[Mason McQueen]

Mason could only laugh in sheer embarrassment. He knew his wheezing was all but obvious, and was actually expecting someone to kid him for it, but it seems no amount of anticipation could prepare you for the whole thing. “Who’s Linda?” he asked, tilting his head to the side, name somehow slipping him. Was this an inside joke within the staff? He should definitely spend more time in the lounge than in the library or the research labs then (apparently the researchers weren’t as sociable as he thought, not being able to pick out such a reference). “Nah, perfectly healthy, or so I think,” he chuckled, his breath finally returning to normal, “I’m just getting old.” Apparently at thirty-one Mason thinks he’s seen and experienced it all. “I just need to lay off the carbs and maybe hit the gym starting tomorrow.”

True, if Savage were to introduce herself as ‘Mary’, Mason would probably blink. Twice, thrice, four times. Not that he’s judging her or anything, but it seems too tame for someone like Savvy. Nope, the piercings and tattoos are much too fierce for such a timid name as ‘Mary’. “Savage? Odd name, no offense. But nice, nice indeed,” he said with a smile, hoping he didn’t offend her with that self-musing-turned-loud-comment he just added. Not that it’s unnatural, as the English dictionary actually contains the word ‘Savage’, much more than it would contain ‘Mason’, but still, it’s not something you name your kids, right? Or was Mason just too darn conservative despite his strive to break away from such an upbringing?

Indeed he blushed a bit upon the wink. Actually it was quite a lot, considering he still has wonky control over his body due to his sprint. “Woah. That’s awesome. The whole starting here within the last few months and the studying here too, I mean.” Shyly he nodded, hoping his words aren’t too mumbly to hear. “I went here in my youth too. But it was quite the time ago, so I highly doubt you’ve met me back then.” Mason just hopes they weren’t classmates or something really, ‘cause that would make things awkward. He doesn’t think he can face Savvy properly again should that happen.

[Mary Savage]

"Linda? She's one of the other maintenance ladies. Really, the only other maintenance lady. Obviously, she's asthmatic." Savvy explained at Mason's question. I mean, they were in the maintenance room. All the lockers were here, and just about everyone kept stuff in them full time. If any person decided to mess with them, they'd find out, and that person would suddenly find their classroom or dorm without heat. She looked him up and down, trying to figure if he was older than she originally thought. "You're what, maybe four or five years older than me?" Okay, so maybe she wasn't so good at guessing ages, but she'd gotten pretty close. "I'd hardly call that old. But then again, maybe you're just old at heart." She covered her own dramatically, feigning heart attack. "No! The carbs! The carbs are coming! Run while you're still fit enough to do so!" Okay, so maybe she was a little over-dramatic. That's Savvy for you.

She smiled at Mason. "It's my last name. Not telling you my first, at least, not yet. When your daddy gives you a name as awesome as Savage, you just gotta run with it. I'm glad you like it as much as I do." She didn't talk about her parents much, but she could appreciate that one thing her dad has given her that she actually liked. Also, it suited her.

"You did high school here too? Nice! What's your power?" Hey, it was one of those things you have to know. Well, at least if you're Savvy. She didn't really care that some people were sensitive about talking about their meta-abilities, what was the point of being awesome if you didn't at least tell someone about it? "I can talk to and control arachnids. You know, like spiders and scorpions and stuff. All my little eight-legged friends. Not like they really say much, though. They're usually not too bright." She shrugged. "I graduated about five years ago, not sure when you did, but maybe we ran into each other. Wasn't too memorable a person until I was 15 or 16, though, so if you were here before then I doubt you'd remember." Alright, he'd wanted to get into one of the storerooms. She reached into the pockets of her pants and pulled out a wallet, a clean shirt, a wrench, some screws, a screwdriver, a cordless power drill, a stuffed bunny (hey, she'd found it! Don't judge!), and finally a huge key ring. She flipped through the twenty or so keys, before separating one that was marked with yellow tape and had 102 written on it in magic marker. "Aha! Found it!" She exclaimed, and then stuffed the rest of her stuff back into her pockets. Really, she loved cargo pants. She held up the key and wiggled an eyebrow at him before picking herself up off the lockers and heading out toward the door.

[Mason McQueen]

“Oh. I see,” smiled Mason, as he was really quite speechless about the topic. At least it wasn’t an inside joke he was supposed to get should he had socialized more. And Linda was a maintenance lady, not some student who’s known around the school for asthma attacks. He simply laughed at Savvy’s guess, quite off as it is. It’s not the first time Mason’s been told that he looks younger than his age (though the last year has made him age a whole lot faster than usual, or so he thinks), and it’s probably due to his lack of facial hair. Fortunately he’s quite used to hearing it from people, so he easily shrugged it off as a compliment. “Nah. I’m about seven or eight years older,” he nodded, “I’m thirty-one already. Old right?” He inwardly hoped that she’s in her early twenties. It’ll be really embarrassing if she proves him wrong.

Old at heart? For a second there, he actually thought he’s talking about the ‘figurative heart’, about emotions and all that stuff. ‘Cause if that was the case, indeed, with all he’s been through, he is quite old at heart. Lucky for him such a trance was just brief and he quickly snapped back to reality. “How I wish I had super speed,” he laughed, finding Savvy’s exaggerated gestures rather entertaining. He just hopes his reply was witty enough and would not kill the conversation right there and then. He does have a habit of doing that these days.

Oh. So that explains it. Guess she really didn’t have a choice on that matter. If he could’ve smacked himself now, he would’ve. But doing so would attract unwanted attention, namely her asking him why he did such a thing. And as Mason is such a terrible liar, he’d inevitably tell her about his musings, and he knows it would not end well. “Not a problem. I shall call you Miss Savage for the time being then. Miss Savvy Savage. Lovely, no?”

“Didn’t we all?” Hammel does have a knack for drawing its alumni back in. After all, with such a homey and accepting society, how could you not come back? Then he remembered Gwen. But then again, she’s a special case, so maybe it’ll pass. Then came the usual what’s-your-power question. Not that Mason doesn’t like being asked what his power is, it’s just he feels a bit odd explaining his. Especially when most people deem it ‘too feminine’. “Arachnids? That’s awesome.” Fortunately Mason didn’t develop an irrational fear of such wonderful creatures, unlike his older sister. “Do you know that back in the Philippines, kids catch spiders and pit them against each other like cockfights? It wasn’t the greatest past time, but it is quite the sight to see.” Not that he himself participated in such activities anyway. That was Andrei’s forte. Mason’s just happy watching on the sidelines.

“People call me Mr. Rapunzel back then,” he nodded, hoping it’ll be enough to tell her what his powers are. Should she ask for more, he’d be happy to expound. “Hah. I don’t think so. I graduated more than ten years ago.” Thirteen to be exact. Now he does feel old. He simply nodded, smiled and quietly followed Savvy out the lockers. “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”

[Mary Savage]

Mason was dead on about Savvy's age, and about how his totally clean face made him look younger. It helped that he didn't ever get a five-o-clock shadow, not that Savvy actually knew this. Savvy snorted when he called himself old, not a very ladylike noise, but then again, this is Savvy we're talking about. "That would make you seven years older than me. Real old." She said sarcastically. He was about her sister's age, and her sister certainly looked a lot older than he did. Then again, she had led a pretty rough life.

She still hadn't quite finished being incredulous about him being old, and then he decides to treat her like a lady? Ah, he was killing her! She burst into laugher. "Oh, Mr. McQueen!" She said, pretending to swoon, "You know exactly how to make a lady tingly all over!" She put the back of hand to her forehead dramatically and leaned back, forcing him to catch her. If he didn't she wouldn't have fallen, but she hoped he would. So much more fun to play with people when you were close together. "Please, you must call me Miss again!" She didn't know why she was making such a big deal of this, it probably just because he was being a little awkward, and it added fuel to her fire. She straightened herself up again, giggling lightly. Of course, Savvy giggling sounded a little weird, but that's okay.

She wondered if he had lived in the Philippines, she assumed he had, but she figured she should ask. "That sucks, I bet those spiders were terrified." She said, a slight worry line creasing her forehead momentarily. Spiders didn't think much, but they felt fear just fine. "If I had been there, I probably would have let them know how to get out and had them chase the people around, but then again, that's just me." She shrugged, her vindictive side showing through a little bit. "Did you live there or something?" She asked.

"Mr. Rapunzel?" Savvy asked, confused. He didn't have long hair. Oh! He must be able to grow it out at will! "So what is that, like, super hair growth? If it is, I would totally take that. My hair is fried." She emphasized this by running her fingers through the hair on the side of her head. Once her hand had left, it stuck straight out like a funky black flag. That required a lot of bleach to accomplish. She flattened it back out with the palm of her hand. "If you can grow your hair as often as you'd like, you should totally dye it. I could help you out with that, I do all of my own hair coloring and cutting." Not exactly a glowing recommendation, seeing as how her hair looked awful most of the time. Somehow it looked good on her, but taken by itself? Not so much.

She walked slowly down the hall, trying to get to know her new companion a little better. "Nah, I'm not quite sweet enough to be a Lifesaver. More like a Sour Patch Kid. Sour sugar on the outside; sweet, gooey, chewy goodness on the inside." She held out her arm and pushed up her sleeve, "Here, wanna taste?" She asked, a cheeky smirk on her face.

[Mason McQueen]

Not being able to grow facial hair is one side effect of Mason’s power that he used to hate, but is now slowly warming up to as time progresses. Being a teenage kid, he used to think him not being able to grow a beard rather ‘un-manly’. He desperately wanted to grow body hair and was really bummed when their resident side-effects expert at that time told him he could never grow some. But as he grew older, he did see how useful it is, especially since he has a habit of forgetting his grooming (at least about making his bed hair disappear). Thank goodness his hair grows only when he wants to. “Hey, don’t judge,” he laughed, trying to look like he was hurt by the comment, “Now that you’re saying it, it’s like a bad thing. Where did the whole ‘respect for elders’ idea go?”

“Oh good Lord,” he suddenly said when Savvy threw herself to the ground, hand on her forehead in a dramatic manner. He almost didn’t catch her, and even felt the hair on his head grow an inch or two as a pre-emptive measure should he miss. Thank goodness he didn’t, else he has quite the scissor-work in his hands. “Don’t throw yourself like that Miss Savage,” he chuckled, trying to push the lady back up from his kneeling position, “I may look like a knight-in-shining-armor, but I’m not trained, not one bit.” Being all romantic was Michael’s forte, not him.

He simply laughed when Savvy mused about the spiders. “How was I to know?” he suddenly said out loud. Hopefully that didn’t come off as a bit gruff, seeing that he said it with a joking heart. “Though I do feel bad for them. I have a feeling they were acting as aggressive as they were because the kids didn’t feed them while in their matchbox cages.” Looking back, he didn’t actually see Andrei feeding the said animal, seeing that his younger brother didn’t even know what spiders ate until he was fifteen (so shameful really). “Yup. Dad was a missionary. Brought us there when I was 10.”

“Nah. I turn into a frog and make people kiss me,” he chuckled. Amazingly, this whole small talk with the school maintenance lady was actually making Mason joke again. Should his younger brother hear of this, he’d be ecstatic. “Yeah. I can extend this fluffy hair of mine and use them as arms,” he laughed as he playfully twirled a few strands in his hand, “I can’t make them shorter though. Hence me having scissors wherever I may go.” The long hair look doesn’t really work for him. For some reason, it makes him feel dirty and itchy always. “Dyeing my hair huh?” he nodded, apparently considering the idea. He’s never dyed his hair before, most likely due to his father’s rather conservative views. Despite being an overall accepting pastor when it comes to new trends and such, he remained strict with his children, telling them not to have tattoos, piercings and different hair color. Which explains his disappointment when he discovered one of his sons is gay. “I can just regrow and cut if it doesn’t work. Hrm. Nice idea. Sad I haven’t thought of that.”

While Miss Savvy might look rough on the outside, talking to her like this, Mason actually felt that she’s a lot softer than most people he’s met (particularly the students). Now he feels bad for all that bad first impression he felt towards her. “I prefer a bite in the neck, if it isn’t too much of a bother,” he grinned, trying to think of possibly witty reply just to keep up with the exciting Miss Savage. He wasn’t usually like this, but then again he doesn’t want her to feel all bored walking along with him.

[Mary Savage]

Savvy made a disparaging "Pssh!" and waved her hand in front of herself, as if blowing Mason's idea away. "I don't have respect for anyone, including myself. Don't feel bad." She nudged him lightly with her elbow, to let him know it was all a joke. Because of the fact that she always sounded like she was joking, people sometimes got confused as to whether she was or not. It would be safe to assume that she is, though, because it's what she's doing about 90% of the time her mouth is open. The other 10% is spent eating, drinking, smoking, or snoring. "Of course it's not a bad thing, though. You've been alive for 31 years! If I make it there, I'll be sure to throw one hell of a party." With a life like the one Savvy had, she was more likely to die younger than older, but she'd lived more in her 24 years on this earth than most people did in 80, so she was okay with that.

Well, at least he was strong enough to hold her up even though she'd thrown herself pretty forcefully. "I dunno, I'd say you're doing pretty well. You caught me, didn't you? If you hadn't I'd just have landed on my head, though, no harm done. I've got a skull like concrete!" She knocked on the side of her head for emphasis. "But you're right on one thing, you're no knight in shining armor. More like a night in clean jeans, which is close enough nowadays."She realized that, somehow, he looked different than he had a moment before. It took her a second of studying his face, and then she realized his hair had actually grown when she'd done that! Some of it was also curling up at the end, as if it had intended to catch her if necessary. Without really thinking about it, she plunged her hand directly into Mason's personal space and ran her fingers through his hair. Ooh, soft! "You have really pretty hair." She commented absentmindedly. She hadn't thought that maybe he wouldn't appreciate being called pretty, seeing as how he's a guy. But Savvy was into pretty people, so in her eyes, it was a compliment. She forced herself to remove her hand from his head, even though she wanted to keep petting him. His hair was so nice!

Savvy felt a little bad for the spiders he had been talking about, but it wasn't like there was anything she could do about it, and if he had been involved he was sorry now. She hadn't exactly been a saint to critters when she was young either, so it would be rather hypocritical of her to judge him for acting like a kid. Not that she really had any problem with being a hypocrite, as long as it was amusing. "Honestly, some spiders just eat anything that moves, no matter the size or species. A lot of times male spiders have to go through a fairly complex mating ritual so as not to be eaten, or at least not until after the deed is done. Also, if they were both male or both female, or a male and female that were not in mating season, it could have been territorial aggression. Spiders generally aren't too social." Okay, she'd probably gone a little too in depth there, but it was really the one subject besides hardware she had any real knowledge of, and she liked to show off a little. "Ooh! Are you one of those super-fanatical crazy Christian guys?" She asked, sounding far more excited than she should. Those were some of her favorite people, because arguing with them was so easy. She just said whatever came to mind, and they would get angry and (usually) irrational, and then she could play them like a well-tuned violin. If she had a few, she could make an orchestra of red-faced angry guys. So fun!

Savvy laughed at his joke, she thought it was cute. She thought he was cute too, for that matter. "Oh, I just love amphibians!" She commented, putting on an exaggerated fake sexy voice, but she couldn't keep it up. She burst into laughter. She really just couldn't think of herself as sexy, at least not right at that moment. She had a pretty sexy shirt on under her sweater - well, sexy for a work shirt - but she also had her big hoodie covering it up. "Really? You keep scissors on you? Do you cut your own hair?" If he did, she was impressed. It looked way better than hers did, but then again, he probably actually cared. "Let me know if you want to dye it, I'd be happy to help." She couldn't help herself, she ran her fingers through his hair one more time. "You just have such nice hair! Seriously. I know it's kind of a weird thing to say, and I guess you would probably have to seeing as how it's your power and all, but still. It's nice, and I'm sure it would take to dye well." Hers didn't, she always had to leave it in there twice as long as the box directions said. But that could also be because it was so full of other colors already.

Savvy gave Mason a sidelong glance, trying to decide if he was flirting or just being cheeky. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was flirting. She reached up and brushed her hair away from the side of her neck closest to him. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and pulled her shirt and hoodie away from the spot she was offering. "How's that? Looks scrumptious, doesn't it?" She said, mischief shining in her eyes and an inviting smile on her lips. He could take it or leave it, his choice. Savvy hadn't been with a single person since moving to Pilot Ridge, and to be honest, she was feeling a little lonely. A little harmless flirting was doing her spirit some good, but a nice encounter would be even better.

[Mason McQueen]

“Are you sure you’re still sane?” was all Mason could say before losing all semblance of control and cracking up in from of Savvy. She was definitely like no one Mason’s ever met. At least upon moving into Pilot Ridge, excluding his brother of course. They’ve only met for a few minutes and there she was, making self-depreciating comments about herself and generally being a goof. Which in this case is a good thing. If all people in Pilot Ridge are like her, then he should definitely get out more. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to pack an extra bag of respect whenever we meet,” he nodded as he trailed behind the lady, “My brother says I sometimes have enough for an army. Don’t really see how that’s a bad thing though.” Nope, definitely not witty. Lame even, but that’s just Mason for you. Wit and all that jazz isn’t just his thing. Savvy’s definitely got her work cut out for her.

His eyebrows somehow met with her statement. What does she mean by that? “Why?” He could definitely figure out a more specific question, but seeing that he’s got so much running in his head right now, that’s the most intelligent statement he could get out. Does she do drugs or something? Or maybe into extreme sports? Shaking the thought(s) out of his head, he simply smiled and tried to think of a thing his younger brother would say, “Would I be invited then?”

Finding himself swept by Savvy‘s unique brand of humor (in his eyes anyway), he absentmindedly gave her head a few knocks himself. “It is kind of hard,” he said, his tone as if really considering her statement to be serious, “Want to test that theory then?” He briefly let go of Savvy, letting her fall a few millimeters, before grabbing her again, and winking (apparently he can wink), “Kidding.”

“You sure you didn’t just bounce back up when I caught you? ‘Cause these jeans are definitely not clean.” Not when he’s worn them like, three times already. He just has a habit of forgetting laundry day, that’s all. “But yeah, maybe I’ll settle for ‘knight in jeans’ thing, chain mail and armor is heavy,” he smiled, sure for himself that he’s telling quite the joke, “And besides, it’s impossible to scratch an itch in armor.” He did blush slightly at the mention of his hair. He does put extra care on his hair, washing it for around five minutes per day, scared that he might lose his powers should his hair experience any damage. He might not like his powers that much, but that doesn’t mean he’ll just throw it away. “Thanks. It’s an extra pain to maintain it though. My brother tells me I use more hair products than he does, and he’s gay.” Hopefully that didn’t sound so bad.

Mason could only gulp when Savvy started explaining all about spiders. Well, it was related to her power, if not her power entirely, so it’s normal that she’d have much in-depth knowledge than normal. At least she knew her stuff, right? “All I know is that I’m sure glad I didn’t become a spider when I turned out to be a guy.” ‘Cause females eat males after mating, right? Nice one Mason, harhar. He did back out a bit when she asked if he’s one of those fanatical dudes. He somehow knew this was coming, but Savvy’s straightforwardness caught him off guard. “If I was a ‘super-fanatical crazy Christian guy’ Miss Savage, I would’ve cut your throat right now,” he smiled sweetly then tilting his head to the side and running his thumb across his throat. “I figure Dad was fanatical enough for the whole world. I’m more prodigal son actually,” he nodded, somehow feeling guilty when he remembered his backslide just a year or so ago, when Angela’s condition got really worse. “Then again, I’ve been brainwashed enough in my childhood that I can somehow induce it on others too. Would you like to be brainwashed too?”

No, it was definitely not sexy. It was more comical than erotic really. But then, this is Mason we’re talking about, and rarely does an object become sensual for him. So dense really. “Not now, but yup, I do have a pair in my bag,” he nodded. It’s been a habit for him to bring one everywhere he goes, especially when he was still young and had a tendency to use his powers a lot more than usual. He’s toned his power use for now, but you’d never really know. “Sometimes. But Andrei does it for me now. Says the way I cut my hair’s too 60s or 70s,” he petted himself a bit, making his hair bounce, “He does like practicing on me, seeing that if things got worse, he could just tell me to grow it longer so he could cut it off.” He never really bothered much with people touching his hair, so he simply laughed when Savvy ran her hands against his. It’s more tickling than annoying really. “But I don’t know what color to dye it with. I’m pretty sure pink and purple is a bit out of the picture, are they?” His dad almost killed his brother with fury once he got blonde highlights, he doubts his blood pressure will be normal once he sees his firstborn son with neon green and purple ones. Not that he’s a daddy’s boy or anything, but yeah.

His eyes widened when Savvy did show her neck. He definitely wished Savvy should’ve stuck with the latter – with him simply being cheeky and all. He took one deep breath and politely helped Savvy cover herself up again. “Looks tasty Miss Savage, but I’m on a strict ‘no-blood ‘till 7’ diet right now. You wouldn’t want me to get all fat, do you?” he said, patting his stomach once more, “Some other time maybe?” Nope, he’s definitely not flirting. Not one bit.


ooc:
Meh. A little crappy. Sowee Rosie. D;.
- Jam
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[Mary Savage]

Savvy patted all her pockets, a look of mock concern on her face. She reached into one of them and pulled out a beat up and empty pack of smokes (she was a Camel lady all the way, couldn't help herself) and looked inside. "Yup, still sane! Keep my sanity right here, next to the rest of my most precious and prized possessions." She held it open so he could see the contents. A ring she'd found, a few sticks of gum, a piece of chalk, and a white lighter (yeah, yeah, bad luck. Whatever.). She snerked, unable to keep a straight face while showing him her small junk collection. Okay, the lighter and gum were important, but everything else was pretty random. And the lighter was running low on fuel anyway.

Ah, he was one of those respectful guys. He'd been acting it so far, but she'd kinda hoped he wasn't being serious. She was feeling a little, ah, antsy. (Get it? She made a joke!) "Well then, I might just have to borrow some of your respect if I get in trouble with the law around here. Police never seem to appreciate sarcasm like they should." Savvy smirked. Remarkably, she'd never actually been arrested, despite all the stupid (not to mention illegal) stuff she'd done. She'd had plenty of run-ins with officers, but somehow managed to never have anything incriminating on her. That, or she'd managed to charm them into letting her go. Ha!

She gave Mason a good, hard look. He was honestly confused as to why she might be proud of making it to 31. She figured it was kind of obvious, but then again, he didn't know her. This was the first time they'd met. She held her hand up and ticked off all the things that she did on a regular basis that were hazardous to her health, "Let's see: I smoke, I drink, I party, I play with highly venomous animals, and I went through rehab for some pretty nasty shit. I live a fast life and like fast cars and fast women. That's gotta cut down the life expectancy a few years. But, I am vegan. I'm sure the ridiculously healthy diet has added a couple years back." The main part of Savvy's diet was, oddly enough, hummus. It was quick, cheap, and easy to make and went with just about anything. Of course, if you buy it pre-made it's stupid expensive, but she couldn't really imagine needing to. She smiled at Mason, glad he could handle her humor. Some people just got too weirded out by how open she was. "Course I'll invite you! It'll be a blast. You can watch me do what I do best: do stuff that's bad for my health." She laughed. Thinking about how much stupid stuff she had done was really making her want a smoke!

Now that she was in his arms, Savvy was letting him bear most of her weight, so when he pretended to drop her she actually squeaked. Yes, squeaked. A hoarse, smokers squeak, but a squeak nonetheless. She almost got embarrassed by that, but caught herself in time. She gave Mason a fake disapproving look. "Psh! Some knight you're turning out to be! Dropping damsels!" She patted him on the cheek in a fake slap, and let her hand trail down more out of not noticing than trying to caress his face. She had enough self-awareness to not put her hand right back up and feel his totally smooth skin again, but barely. No stubble. At all. That was so awesome. Savvy couldn't help herself, she had to ask how he did it. If she could get her legs that smooth, then maybe she might finally be able to get lucky in this town. "Wow! How the hell do you manage to get your face so smooth?" She asked, her voice and expression full of wonder. She wanted to rub her cheek on his cheek to see if that more sensitive skin would feel anything, but luckily had enough sense to not do that either. That was one way to get dropped for real.

She looked at his pants a little more closely, not realizing that it might look a little strange. "Well, they're clean compared to mine. But then again, I guess you don't deal with grease, rust, and mildew in your everyday life." She pointed out a spot of each on her pants as she said them. Yup, her job was dirty. Thank God her apartment complex had a laundry room, and that it was free to use! With all the times she'd had to wash items three or four times to get them clean, she would have to choose between being clean or having food. "I don't think armor would suit you, honestly. It is so two centuries ago." She flipped her wrist out as she said that, trying to pretend to be some sort of fashionista. It probably looked pretty funny.

D'aww, she'd gotten him to blush! So cute! "Well, I guess when your power is your hair, it's best to take good care of it." She laughed at the gay brother reference. She knew for a fact that not all gay men were insane about using things like hair care products, but the ones she knew who did tended to go insane. "Wow, that's a lot of hair stuff! You must have a huge bathroom. Unfortunately for me, I also use tons of stuff, but my bathroom is tiny. I have an entire kitchen cabinet dedicated to hair dye, gel, and hair spray. It's ridiculous." Her hair might generally look terrible, but that didn't mean she didn't spend a lot of time making it that way.

Savvy gave Mason an appraising look. Yeah, his life would have been interesting if he were a spider. "If we were spiders, I'm sure we'd have never had the chance to meet. Some lady would have munched you down way before now!" She laughed at her own joke, not really caring if she was making him uncomfortable by letting him know she thought he was handsome, even if it was in a roundabout way. Now that Mason was starting to loosen up, she was liking his sense of humor. He could be snarky with the best of them! "Probably true." She said, regarding his throat cutting comment, "I do seem to have that effect on the more conservative parts of the populace. No idea why." She made an innocent face, her heavily made up eyes going wide and her crimson lips pouting. She couldn't keep it going, though, and it cracked right back into her normal smart-ass smile. Savvy acted as if she were considering Mason's offer of a brainwashing. "Nah, I washed my brain last week. It's still pretty squeaky. But I'd be happy to let you when it starts getting dirty again." She gave him a small wink, so that he would know exactly what kind of dirty she meant. Technically, it was always a little dirty, but he didn't need to know that. At least, not yet.

Savvy smiled inwardly, thinking of what it would look like to see a gay guy preening over Mason's hair. Well, she assumed Andrei was his gay brother, but she could be wrong. "Is Andrei the gay brother?" She asked, "Is he a barber or something?" This last question was in response to Mason saying that he liked to practice on him. He could probably make a ton of money being a live model for a beauty school. They'd pay big bucks for someone who could just grow out all the mistakes the students made, she was sure. She looked at his face studiously, trying to figure out what colors would look good on him. "Honestly, I'd go with blue. It would bring out your eyes." Okay, so she did have her occasional moments of normalness. It wasn't her fault!

Savvy pouted, but only for a second. Well, if he didn't want to do anything, that was fine. She'd still enjoy his company either way. He was a nice guy, and she could probably use more of them in her life. Most of the ones she knew were, quite honestly, assholes. Don't get her wrong, they had their merits too, but nice guys were so refreshing. She continued down the hall, fixing her sweater as she went. "All right, no blood. I understand wanting to keep your girlish figure." She gave him a mischievous, sidelong glance. Not like Savvy herself had a girlish figure, it was far too womanly for that. She liked her ladies with curves, and she liked having curves, so it all worked out for her in the end. They reached the door and she unlocked it and opened it, letting Mason through first. She followed, ever nosy, to see what he was doing. "Need any help getting stuff?" She asked, Not really wanting to have to go back yet. She really wasn't in a mood to be alone today, too much mischief on her mind.

{OOC: No worries! Mason is totally cute! And don't feel the need to match my post length, my Savvy muse seems to be on a roll lately. Xp}

[Mason McQueen]

For a moment there, Mason actually thought Savvy was telling the truth. As much as he’d like to deny it, his first impression of Savvy hasn’t been all good. The lighter and gum would fit such an impression perfectly: she’s a smoker. The ring, he assumed, meant Savvy was engaged. Or something similar, like a family heirloom or an accessory with quite the sentimental value (like his wedding ring, which he still wears to this day). But then the chalk came into view. What’s so wonderful about chalk? Her first chalk stick? Or maybe the chalk her favorite teacher threw at her when she was sleeping once in class? It just doesn’t make sense. It was only then did Mason figure out that Savvy’s just messing with him. Now I feel dumb, he told himself. “That seems an awfully tight space to keep your sanity. Sure it doesn’t go bonkers because it’s been squished for so long?” teased Mason as he looked at the pocket, “If you want, I think I still have space in my safe where I keep mine.”

Unfortunately for Savvy, Mason was (being serious, that is). While he isn’t an honest-to-goodness goody two-shoes (Lord knows how many times he’s been in naughty situations), he does have a tendency to carry a huge load of guilt over something relatively trivial. It was useful to his parents when he was a teen (as it made sure he never got into too much trouble), but it somehow bugs his brother than despite Mason being a grown man already, he’s still pretty much cooped up in his shell. Hopefully Savvy can do something about that. “Meh, you really can’t blame them. If I was to be stereotyped as an obese, donut-loving-to-the-point-of-obsessing guy too, I think I’d be pretty messed up too,” he smiled shyly, apparently proud of his not-so-related but witty-enough retort.

Mason did have an idea about Savvy’s lifestyle (and it wasn’t all good, and he feels so bad for that), but he figured he’d ask just to be sure. After all, Savvy has been pretty much out-of-this-world lately, who knows how wrong Mason is about her life. “You’re vegan? Woah. I guess that pretty much offsets the others then. Who knows, maybe you’ll even live longer than me.” Mason is mature enough to know that those green, leafy stuff are good for him and he should eat more of those than meat, but it’s a bit hard, especially when his power entails he put more protein in his body than usual. Hunger and appetite-wise, a salad isn’t as filling as a chunk of porkchop or barbeque ribs. Heck, he probably couldn’t even live a day with only salads in hand. “Being vegan is a whole lot of work,” he nodded, totally surprised at this new facet of Savvy’s personality he just discovered. Savvy is really taking unpredictable to a whole new level.

When Savvy ran her hands across his face, Mason couldn’t help but blush and feel all tingly inside. It was weird, having someone touch him like that once more. Part of him says it isn’t really right, but another part tells him it’s fine. There’s nothing wrong about some old fashioned flirting, right? Fearing he might offend Savvy with his ever-so-awkward feeling, he simply looked forward, pass her face and to the wall in front of them, helped her up properly this time, and gave her a rather embarrassed smile. “Magic,” he laughed nervously, trying to think of a proper way to explain the side effects of his power, “I didn’t do anything. Blame biology and evolution and whatnot.” While Mason isn’t all embarrassed about his power, it’s the side effects that he worries much about. It’s not exactly fatal or anything, just a little too uncomfortable, for him anyways, to discuss with an acquaintance. Then again, Savvy is a meta, so he tells himself that she’s pretty much used to anything under the sun really. “It’s a long story. Since my power involves making a whole lot of hair, my body decided to simply focus all its resources onto my head. And since it manifested during puberty, other than the normal thin coating of hair all over my body, I didn’t grow hair anywhere.” Yup, it means other than the lack of facial hair, hair on his arms and legs didn’t grow thick, and he has not a single strand of hair in his armpit or his pubic area. Which, if he were to specify to Savvy really, would result to him turning as red as a tomato. “My sister actually got mad at me once for having smoother legs than her,” he added, sticking his tongue out shyly.

Indeed, Mason got it easy. The worst chemical he could think of are the chromates and the dichromates, yellow and yellow-orange chemicals respectively, and while they produce such strong colors, since the lab experiments he’s usually leading require such substances in dilute concentrations, should some spill on his shirt for example, it isn’t really that hard to remove. “True, almost nothing I handle stains, though at times there are those that won’t stain because they’ve already eaten through your shirt,” he smiled, nodding slightly, his eyes telling Savvy that he’s got his share of misfortunes to. “12 Molar hydrochloric acid is one heck of a killer.” He could remember one of his classmates back in the day spilled some on his arm; thank goodness he had enhanced healing so it wasn’t really so disastrous. Hopefully he won’t have such an accident when his class proceeds with the experiment he has in store.

“It is kind of huge, but Andrei says he likes it like that. And since I’m living with him right now, I just have to keep my mouth shut,” he chuckled slightly, hoping that Savvy won’t think bad of a grown guy still living with his brother. It’s not his fault really; he’s been trying to convince Andrei to let him find an apartment of his own, but he keeps on insisting that it’ll be a waste. After all, Andrei does have a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house and he’s single as hell (surprise surprise for a gay guy in Pilot Ridge really).

Mason simply grinned, finding Savvy’s sense of humor truly unique among those he’s encountered. Sadly though, he did not get the whole you’re-handsome compliment embedded deep within the statement. “N’aww, I don’t think anyone would find me tasty really. I’m somewhat sour and bitter, complete with a rather salty aftertaste.”

With her smart-ass-y (in a good way) and very straightforward attitude, Mason isn’t really surprised to hear that Savvy frequently gets on the wrong foot of those crazy, fanatical Christians (which Mason would like to sum up as ‘orthodox’). Heck, he could just imagine the chaos that would ensue should she and his father meet. It would be messy, very messy indeed. “I like the smart-ass Savvy than the cutesy one, no offense,” he teased, “And don’t worry about them. They’re just insecure ‘cause they can’t carry your wonderful fashion sense properly.” While Mason does want to help people realize some mistakes they’re doing, he doesn’t really see much sense in arguing with the said person about it. Both parties will just get furious and end up accomplishing nothing in the end.

Savvy was very wise to include the wink, as without it, Mason would not have gotten the message she’s trying to say. Indeed, while the whole statement first approached Mason as a joke would, when he caught her wink, he blushed so red he was like a homing beacon. When was the last time somebody, other than his wife, flirted with him again? Three, four years ago? Gosh, this is so not good. He tried thinking of a decent response, but his shyness clouding his brain, making him stutter and mumble some unintelligible words.

Andrei question. Ok. This he can handle. It’s quite the stretch from the whole dirty brain issue, and it’s just what Mason needs to keep his mind off it. “Yeah. Andrei’s my gay brother. Didn’t come as a shock really, but Dad went furious when he came out.” It isn’t really a surprise, given that their father’s a pastor and is huge enemy of the gay lifestyle. The only thing he regrets is not being there for Andrei when he really needs him (he would’ve wanted to support his brother outwardly, but he was scared on how his father might react back then). “Nah, he’s a journalist. For the local paper, I think. He just wants to play with the scissors and comb at times.” He did ponder for a while about her color suggestion, only because Andrei’s been telling him the same thing. Should he go out and dye his hair blue then? “Blue huh. I’d think about it.” It’s a bit too daring for Mason’s taste, but since he’s already thirty and the ‘most dangerous’ thing he’s ever done is to wear sneakers (and jeans) to a black tie event, he figures it’s worth a shot.

Thank goodness Savvy didn’t push it further. He would’ve been petrified right there and then just thinking about what he should do next should she have insisted. He simply replied with a nod and a shy smile, too confused to say anything back in return. “Thanks so much Miss Savage,” he bowed slightly as Savvy unlocked the door, “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” He promptly entered and looked at the bottles he needed to bring out. HCl, NaOH and a whole lot more. This would take a while. Fortunately Savvy, his eternal savior, offered to lend a hand. “You wouldn’t mind?” he asked shyly, looking at his watch. It’s a little past five already, he wouldn’t want to implore. “You sure? I mean, I wouldn’t want to keep you in here when you’ve got places to go.”


ooc:
ROSIE! Late and crappy, Jammy is so sorry. D;
- Jam

[Mary Savage]

Savvy laughed at Mason's response. "Nah, my sanity is pretty small. It's like the chihuahua of sanity: small, but fierce! Though, I don't think it would mind the company..." She gave him a wink that let him know exactly what her sanity would do to his if left alone too long, but couldn't hold it. She was pretty sure it would actually end in a noogie war. She laughed again, resisting the temptation to do what the mental image in her head was telling her to.

Savvy gave Mason a sidelong glance, "Honestly, being vegan isn't as hard as people think. Mostly I just eat hummus and tortilla chips. And pasta." She shrugged. If you liked eating out, it was harder, but as long as you were happy to cook for yourself it really wasn't that complicated. She hadn't liked meat all that much to begin with, though, so it was easier for her to quit. Losing all the other animal products had just sort of happened.

Savvy stopped and stared at Mason, her jaw agape. No hair on his chest, face... anywhere. Wow. When she finally managed to make her larynx work, she spluttered, "T-That is honestly the single sexiest thing any man has ever said to me. Period." She didn't care if she was making him uncomfortable, he had just proved himself to be her dream man. She was not being her normal, silly, kidding self. He had caught her completely off her guard and her open face made it obvious she was only speaking her mind. She was half tempted to smash her lips against his right then and there, but fortunately for him her arms and legs didn't want to respond. "I... Just, uh... I... Wow." Was what she managed to do instead.

Savvy snickered slightly, remembering how she had been kicked out of her first two chem labs. Yeah, technically they were the same lab, she'd had to repeat it three times. But the chemicals were just so fun to play with! Her hair usually came out of it looking pretty awesome too. And her partner's. Sometimes the teacher's. He didn't appreciate that nearly as much as she did. "Oh yeah, I've had my share of chem lab mishaps too. I really, really hope you don't get a little me. If you do, supervise closely, or you may end up with a crater where your lab used to be." She gave him a knowing look, letting him know that even though she was being flippant, she was also being serious. She hadn't blown anything up, but that was honestly just dumb luck.

Savvy sighed as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I know. Jealousy can be such an ugly thing. Have you ever seen a nun in a leopard print habit? It just doesn't work." She sighed again, but then snorted. Yes, like a piggy. It was what always happened when she tried to hold back laughter.

Savvy liked gay guys, there was something inexplicably attractive about a man that would never, ever, in a million years want to have anything to do with her romantically. Probably just a masochistic streak, she liked straight women too. "What a lucky man, he's found someone he can take all his artistic frustration out on. Gets a bad article? All he has to do is butcher your hair a little, and ta da! Stress gone." She laughed again, throwing her head back. It wasn't that she thought this was particularly funny, just that she got the mental image of mason with a mohawk for some reason. It was hilarious!

Savvy gave him a reassuring smile, that may not have come out quite as intended. She hoped it did. "Nah, I've got nothing to do but go home to an empty house. This is far more entertaining." She ruffled his hair a little, feeling playful.

[OOC: Sorry this is so late! RL attacked. DX]

[Mason McQueen]

“Nice image. I don’t think I can top that one,” laughed Mason, hoping he didn’t just kill the conversation with such a lame answer. He’s been trying to be as witty and smart as Savvy, but sometimes, it just doesn’t work. It’s definitely a skill he needs to work on, and fast. “My sanity’s quite slow and sluggish, they say, so I think it won’t mind the company. It is easily spooked though, so your Chihuahua better be ready,” added the man, giving Savvy a light punch to hide his embarrassment with his poor retort.

Tortilla chips and pasta, he knows. But hummus? What the hell is hummus? “I do hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but what is hummus?” asked the bewildered instructor, “Is it like, a 'new age' food or something?” Ok, now he did sound like a fanatical Christian. As a kid, he told himself that he’s never going to use the words ‘new age’ to refer to something. It’s just too weird, to the ear and as a compound adjective itself. How he wishes he can rewind time now. “I’m really not the kitchen dude. I tried working in the kitchen, but it’s all rocket science to me.” And yes, this is coming from a guy who’s just short by around two or so credits from earning his masters in Biomedical Engineering.

Mason has heard a thousand different ways that people, men and women, compliment his unfortunate side-effect, but Savvy’s was, by far, the most forward and embarrassing (at least for him) remark about his hairlessness he’s gotten so far. For about half a minute or so, he just stood there, face turning as red as a tomato. Only when something got into his eye did he get out of his shame-trance and finally willed all his redness to come down. It didn’t work fully, but at least he got some of the color out. “Uhh, thanks?” grinned Mason nervously, before letting out an awkward laugh. “I’m quite sure that naked mole rats aren’t sexy even one bit though.”

Thank goodness they had something other than his non-hairy body to talk about. As much as he likes Savvy, he could only take so much compliments from her before actually exploding. It would definitely take some time for him to get used to all the attention. “I do hope not,” he nodded, “I mean, I’ve heard a lot of stories, especially about a certain healer who’s quite the junkie. Verax, is it? I’m not sure. I just hope he’s not in my class, as rude as it may sound.” And yes, he has yet to memorize himself with the children in his class. Though somebody missing the sore thumb named Vincent, should he really be in the guy’s class, is quite the feat if you ask me.

“No, they are simply not made to be as fashionable and awesome as you. They should live with that,” chuckled the man as the image of his father, preaching on the pulpit for a Sunday service, dressed in what seems like Andrei’s skinny jeans and animal-print suit. Not good. “Oh gosh. Now I have the image of my dad in what seems like snake-skin stuck in my head. Blasphemous.”

“Oh please don’t tell him that,” laughed Mason, “I mean, I love his style, but he does get a little over the top when cutting my hair at times. He’d just have even more reason to bug me about trying out a new hairstyle he saw in the magazine if he hears that.” Indeed, though his brother irritates him with such quirks from time to time, he just can’t find it in his heart to say no. “You sure?” his face brightened as he asked, “Awesome. Would you mind getting these four bottles, not all at once of course, and putting them in the table over there? You’re the greatest Savvy.” He winked (what?!) at Savvy as he pointed to the 0.5M HCl, 0.5M NaOH, 1.0M HCl and 1.0M NaOH containers.


ooc:
Jammerson apologizes for another late post. >.<
- Jam
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