Issue 1 Downtime

The corner of the common room had been comandeered. Granted, it wasn't like the corner was ever used for much, but... well, still.

Most of the work seemed to center around what looked like a tube of glowing green glass, extending from a palm-sized relatively flat device. A veritable web of wiring was spread out from the bottom, with various smaller devices connected to it at the points. Apparently there was power going through it, as the various little devices had live indicator lights, and Cal seemed to be working from some sort of plan.

Currently, he had a small device that he appeared to be re-wiring, preparing to connect it to the sequence of devices. The television was switching channels at his will, and next to him, there seemed to be a slurpee cup with wires running into the green liquid inside, up into a plastic bulb that was collecting the gas that the current was giving off.

"So is that what we're going to use to take over the world together, Dr. Evil?" Haley asked, popping up behind Cal almost stealthily.

Cal managed not to jump and knock anything over, but it was very obvious that he only barely managed it. "Nah, this is what I use when the meddling heroes come to try to break my sweet inventions," he said, making sure that he hadn't spilled the glass of definitely-not-soda.

"Dude, you got slurpees and you didn't come find me to ask if I wanted one? Laaaaame." she teased, leaning over giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Cal seemed to relax somewhat at the kiss, leaning back toward her a little... then swaying dangerously like he was dozing in class. "Eh, needed a sugar rush last week. So I saved it. Kitchen notices if you try to steal bowls," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Shit... that wasn't good... Making sure all the connections were secure for the moment, he carefully found a safe and clear spot to put down the device he was working on.

"But seriously, what the hell is this?" she giggled.

Cal frowned, looking down at the mess that he was in the process of turning away from. "Well... um... it's just something I found plans for that I had almost all the parts for, so I... um..." 'A power staff' is a lot lamer to say out loud than it sounds in my head...

"Parts for a present for me?" she grinned.

"What? I... no," he said, looking kind of like a deer in headlights. Shit, I thought I had another week or so before the price came up... "It, um, isn't much good if you can't control it and, um, I don't have plans for controls."

"We'll I guess you just have to make me something next then," she teased. "I might have a present for you soon," she grinned.

Well, that didn't take long. Novelty wears off quicker these days. "Sure," Cal said, forcing a smile as he turned the rest of the way around to face her. Despite the fact that his eyes couldn't be bloodshot (since they, y'know, weren't real), Cal had a look typical of college students pulling a series of all-nighters. he'd obviously been showering and taking care of the necessary hygene issues, but the circles under his eyes and the fact that he kept looking in danger of dozing at any moment showed that sleep hadn't been on the schedule.

"Jesus, when was the last time you slept? You look like shit."

"I've slept enough," Cal shot back, relaxation ending as he started turning back to the project.

When was the last sleep cycle?

Code: Select all

Processing log review -> Last sleep cycle run Monday.

Well, that's... isn't today Wednesday? What day is- Friday? Seriously?

Haley smirked. "Yep. Enough sleep. Suuuure."

"Did you just stop in here to make fun of me?" Cal snapped, trying to focus on the device he'd been working on, but finding himself unable to focus enough to shift back into work-mode.

Haley's smirk faded into more of scowl. "We'll I'll leave you to your glowing green machine shit. Text me later I guess."

She turned and started to stalk away, clearly annoyed.

Good. All she's doing is trying to use me anyway.

"Wait!"

The hell? Why did I do that? Cal sighed, closing his eyes (and again swaying precariously). "I... look, I'm sorry," he said, kind of slumping in place. Oh yeah. Lonely. Shit. Lot easier when I can forget that I am...

"USE YOU?!!?!" she spat, whipping around to face him, her eyes daggers, and several overhead lights shattering. "Fuck you! Seriously?"

This seemed to throw Cal for a loop for a moment. "Well p- FUCK YOU, I DIDN'T SAY THAT!"

He didn't s...oh god fuckig damnit. That's not fair at all.

Haley stopped dead in her tracks and took a deep breath, her face flushed with anger, and the lights in the room flickering. "Listen I...I'm sorry." She started.

"Don't have a very good filter, and I definitely heard more than I should have. I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. No one should be given shit for their inner monologue"

"But you're still mad," Cal sighed. "All right... we'll play this out. Are you saying I'm wrong?" He very decidedly tried to keep his thoughts quiet.

"The hell would I use you for?" She asked, looking a bit hurt. "We made out. We're friends. Maybe a bit more. I dunno. I'm not asking for diamonds or your fucking undying affection or anything. I want to be your friend, Cal. I need friends. Half the chicks here fucking hate my guts. I want someone who thinks I'm not some crazy bitch and likes to hang out, and watch shitty movies, and plays with their phone as much as I do."

"But if you just think I'm using you, or you don't want me around, it...it's okay. I'll fuck off and not bother you ever again."

Cal shrugged. "Well, it's what everyone does. If someone wants to hang out with me, I'll find out what they want from me the next week, or else they'll stop wasting their time. I'm used to it. You play the hand you're dealt, and that's the hand I was dealt." The fact that there didn't seem to be any bitterness in him about the 'facts' was... well, kind of sad.

"...I just want you to be happy Cal," she said, looking pretty sad.

"You're a great guy, and a good friend, and I'd do anything for you."

Cal looked up at her, studying her for a moment, and if she heard his internal chatter, it'd seem to be weighing the fact that he thought that she was telling the truth against the unlikely circumstance that a hot girl would want anything to do with him. Finally he sighed, rubbing his temples as he turned round. "I'm sorry. I just... I don't know. God, I'm tired..."

"So go the fuck to sleep, you goof," she smiled weakly. "C'mon, I'll help you clean all this up."

"No, I..." He thought about it for a moment, then realized that he didn't have a choice but to put this stuff away now, anyway. Now that he'd stopped, he couldn't focus enough to keep going. He sighed, taking a few quick visual captures of the work, making a few notes of where he left off, then looked around. "...guess I should at least put this away. Can you grab that box for me? Just... slide it under when I pick this thing up?" He carefully grabbed the glowing piece and lifted all the wires up, being very careful not to let them get tangled as he moved it to lay it down in the box.

Haley did as instructed being careful not to touch anything he didn't tell her to.

"Wish we could just pass out together. You're really comfy," she smiled.

Cal chuckled. "Well, it's not even close to time to sleep, so if you want to put up with my ass dozing, we could watch something," he suggested, remembering how comfy she had been.

"Sure," she smiled.

The stations started changing as Cal stowed away the box with his project in it, but he quickly gave it up. "You pick," he said. "I don't know how much of it I'll remember later anyway." He looked around, then picked a couch while she got the remote.

"Oooh, Jersey Shore marathon! Hell yes!" Haley grinned and grabbed one or the blankets off the back of the couch and curled up under it, leaving plenty of room for Cal to join her.

Cal laughed, flopping down next to her on the couch, and enjoying for a moment that with computer eyes, the room didn't spin when you got dizzy. "Man, if these guys can be millionaires, no reason we can't. Think they might do a mutant reality show some day?"

"Oh my gosh that'd be awesome. I'd totally be on it," she said cuddling up with Cal under the blanket.

Cal would find she smelled even better than he remembered.

God, she smells great... Honestly, Cal wasn't sure if she really did smell better, or if it was the fact that he'd spent at least a day engrossed in his project and ignoring anything that even remotely resembled a leisure activity that just made it feel that way... but he was leaning more toward the former. He slipped his arm around her, settling in comfortably. "We could make a killing with that idea," he said. "The Mutant World. Get a couple heroes, a couple down-on-their-luck villians, and some independents, throw 'em in a house, and watch the fireworks."

"Hell yes. This is our best idea yet," she laughed, snuggled up against Cal.

"Taking over the world's too much work anyway. Then you have responsibilities," he yawned, the last word sounding like a very dirty word to him.

"Yeah, fuck that," she laughed. "Although, if you're awesome enough then you've got lieutenants to do all the dirty work and you just enjoy your tropical island palace."

"Rather just let the world go fuck itself and sip cocktails on the beach anyway," Cal yawned, relaxing into the couch. His eyes, at this point, were half-closed at least.

"Didn't want you to leave me alone, either," he sighed, drowsily and randomly.

"Cocktails on a beach sounds pretty amazing," she smiled contentedly, adding sofly after a moment,. "But maybe that's just the company that sounds so good."

Go to sleep hottie...maybe you'll have good dreams.