Sep 9th - Early Winter

[Tereza Rozanov]

Tereza stands in a quiet corner of the gardens. A quick gesture and a wall of ice springs up on her right side. She makes another gestures and the ice rolls around to her left side, snaking like a serpent before forming back into a flat wall.

[Open]

[Shane Marsh]

Shane watched from a short distance, equal parts impressed and jealous. He should still be able to control plants like that damnit!

[Tereza Rozanov]

The wall splits into two and moves in front of her and behind her. Suddenly the walls sprout spikes which retract. She seems to be deeply concentrating, but she says, "May I help you?"

[Shane Marsh]

"Just admiring the show," he half-lied.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Happy to perform," she says sarcastically. "Shane, right?" The wall spikes sprouted and retracted again several times as the walls rotated around her.

[Shane Marsh]

"Got it in one."

[Tereza Rozanov]

The wall melds back together and rotates itself into a humanoid shape. "So what brings you out to this corner of the garden?"

[Shane Marsh]

"Feeling restless I guess," he shrugged. In truth it was doctor's orders to walk every day.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Lot of that going around," she commented. The figure gained a little detail, but it was fitful appearing and disappearing as she tried to concentrate.

[Shane Marsh]

"I heard you guys got sent out yesterday. How'd it go?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Pretty well, all things considered. Rescued someone. Found the guys who were creating the super-juice. No one got seriously trashed. Certainly revealed some holes in my arsenal though."

[Shane Marsh]

"At least you have an arsenal that doesn't do you just as much damage," he said. He sounded angry about that, though obviously not directed at her.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"No, and I'm thankful for that. Especially because the bad guys seem pretty intent on damaging us to make up for it."

[Shane Marsh]

"I still plan on joining when my body decides to stop being a rebellious little prat."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Good. Always good to have more people. It can be a big job."

[Shane Marsh]

"Just wish I knew where my powers were going with this shite."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Sometimes when new stuff pops up, you just have to experiment." She twisted her hand and the ice form dropped to all fours, taking on more of the proportions of a gorilla.

[Shane Marsh]

"I don't particularly want to accelerate the process either."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Then you're a bit stuck. Because those are really the options. You go forward or you maintain the status quo. If neither of those options appeal, then I don't know what to tell you."

[Shane Marsh]

"It's just... the status quo sucks arse, but what if I end up rooted in place or something? That'd be worse."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Then don't complain because your powers don't do more than they do now. And don't complain when your powers decide to do your evolving for you and you have no idea how to control them." Her tone was matter-of-fact and relatively even as she focused on making the ice gorilla pound on its chest.

[Shane Marsh]

"Easy for you to say. You aren't becoming" a freak "something else."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Everyone is becoming something else. Some more than others. Some are already there, some are still in process. But damming the river just makes the flood worse when the dam breaks."

[Shane Marsh]

Augh, I'm really beginning to hate bloody water metaphors.

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Is it really that inevitable?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"As inevitable as a Siberian winter is cold. At least in my experience. Better to change on your own terms, right?"

[Shane Marsh]

"...maybe..."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"When you work in ice, you get used to the idea of things never staying the same."

[Shane Marsh]

"Clearly you haven't met my father the amazing Never-Changing Man."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"He's only never changing relative to your point of reference. I'm sure if you looked closely enough, you'd see he's changed."

[Shane Marsh]

"Well he's fatter."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"See? Change."

[Shane Marsh]

"Not one that counts for anything."