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 Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:11 pm
Robbie listened, his face taking that 'it could be' look at her first statement, and then his eyes diverting again at her final question.
What sort of leader was Joy? He didn't answer for several moments.
"She was my wife. I'm probably not the person to ask that." He answered, but then took the breath that was customary of his going into something he had to be careful about, "Idealistic, focused, thorough, over-cautious, and prone to bouts of random pure adoration or hatred for something. She thought in fairy tale terms of black and white: Everything was perfectly good or perfectly evil, and things started out ok, then go horribly wrong, and get so bad that it looks like the good guys are going to fall on their butts, curl up and die, but good always triumphs over evil, so good is just meant to go on. So she did. The only gray areas she thought in was when she thought someone was being tricked. Bolthor was gray to her. Ace was gray to her. Amazingly enough, Flood was gray to her too." He shrugged, "Part of her hero worship for the Hylands, I guess. She was all the corral of---Well, anyway... I guess that describes her."
He clearly had been about to go on and had more to say, but had shaken his head, reigning himself in from doing so.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:34 pm
Joy's lips twitched upwards, though she did not disagree with Robbie. He was the closest to Joy, so surely he would have the best opinion of her then anyone else? Except for maybe Ace...
Joy contented herself to listen to whatever it was he was willing to share...and she wasn't certain if she liked what she heard. it left her feeling unsettled.
Perfectly good or perfectly evil Random bouts of emotion? Fairy tale terms? They were not the qualities that she could imagin were good for a leader to have.... Joy continues to nibble on her thumbnail. her gaze was distracted by now, her thoughts were focused inwardly. What kind of leader was that? overly cautious...Joy thought back to what had happened with her back in the laboratory. She had hesitated so often because she had been afraid of acting wrongly. She had been so concerned with who was the right team she had even ignored the obvious danger of the fire.
A good leader would not be distracted in such a manner. Yet even as she this...Joy found it incredibly hard to change her personal values. She closed her eyes and attempted to focus on the other things Robbie was saying...but it all came back to how Joy...this other Joy and herself included, seemed to be a hesitating and blinding individual. Was this how she had gotten herself foled in the begining.
"Wait... Flood has something to do with Mr. Hyland?" Joy opened her eyes and looked back up at Robbie. he had been about to say more but..this definatly caught her attention. She could not refute her...hero worshipping. Even despite her withdrawing from the others and her muted focus she still valued Lesley's advice and principles. Even if it made her heart sick and ache she still wanted to believe in those values. She wanted to see that her world lived up to those philosiplies. A small part of her feared she might go too far with her pursuit, but she chastised herself in the very next moment. it wasn't like she intended on forcing people to accept the value. it wasn't like she intended on making the world that way whether it wanted to be or not. She understood that a certain amount of free will and acceptance was needed to make things work the way she desired. She couldn't take that away. It would make her into the very thing she hated...
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:38 pm
"Flood is Sir Hyland's second son." Robbie didn't even hesitate on answering that question, "Samuel Hyland, and is looked at as his generation's most powerful evolved, and he fights for the elitist side." Robbie shook his head, "Sir Hyland never talks about the hows and whys."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
"No!!" Joy automatically responded. Her green eyes widened with sheer disbelief. "Not Sammy! Thats not possible!" Not a Hyland! It was -impossible- for a Hyland to be a bad guy! Joy found her head shaking back and forth in denial. "There...there has to be something..." Something..anything. A reason..it was impossible for a child of lesley's to turn out evil!
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:20 pm
Robbie shrugged a little, "It is what it is." He answered, voice low.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:25 pm
She just....no... Joy half turned away. "I can't believe that...it's not possible for a Hyland to be a bad guy...theres something...there has to be a reason behind it..something..." Joy made herself pause though, and she made herself turn back to Robbie. "But...this isn't my world..and it's not my matter to defend or disbelieve...maybe I can do something in my world to make certain...."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:30 pm
"You'll have to ask Sir Hyland about that one. I don't know what is up with that. You are in America though. I don't know how you'll get around to talking to him in your world. Just... be careful... and realize you can't be fixing everything. Just do what you can stitch by stitch where you are. Ok? Don't overstep yourself. Please don't do that ag--" He shook his head, and now did completely avoid looking at her, making the excuse of needing to tie and untie his shoes---very slowly and deliberately so.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:50 pm
"I can probably get my father to arrange it. Lesley was the evolved who realized I was a evolved first. It was his power my body tried to mimic when it first began to manifest...but...." Joy shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Lesely's power is beyond me. It's one of the powers I can't Mimic and the reaction I had made it seem like I was going to faint and fall down. Still... It's one of my fondest memories. My own personal hero was the one to discover what was special about me...and he caught me when I started to fall..." Joy's lips curled into a slowly growing and slightly dreamy smile. " We had dinner in my world you know. I met Rena and Lee and Sammy...Ace and the boys had a mud fight.Then they had to get hosed down for dinner. Mrs Hyland is a goddess in the kitchen. It was so noisy and full of life andlaughter.I remember thinking that -this- is what a family should be like. happy smiles and cheerful conversation. Just..all that happiness. And I remember wanting it so badly in my life I felt like crying... Rena was sitting next to me and she asked me if I was okay...and Lee...He was so handsome...and so charming. Just like his father. We...We actually..." And here Joy paused to hiccup a small laugh. "We actually started a conversation on how amazing Mr. Hyland was. It was so childish... I'd give anything to go back to that moment."
She did not fall silent after her small flash back. Instead she looked down at where Robbie was tieing his shoe.
"I think I know what your asking me Robbie..but I can't. I think thats exactly what the problem is. Everyone is all concerned about their own stitchs...their own part of the world. America...Europe...China...Russia... they are all focusing on themselves and leaving the rest of the world to fend for itself. I'm not going to do that...when I get back I...I'm not going to focus on just fixing America. i want to fix everything...and since I know Sammy may be in trouble I won't ignore that. I'm going to try and help him too... Before I go..I'm going to get everything I can about the whole world..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:53 pm
"I think Ace is waiting for you." Robbie had stood up, just looking at Joy, and no longer with the patient listening look either. He now turned around and began to walk out, "I have some things to do. Good luck talking with him. Rena! Rena, I need to go home!"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:03 pm
"Robbie?" Joy called out with a bit of surprise. She didn't think he was angry at her for her temporary 'Hero Worshipping' of Lesley. He had stressed that he knew she wasn't his Joy. But still... her disagreement of his request must have been what had upset him... Joy tucked her hands into her back pockets. he was already calling for Rena to take him home...and Joy would not stop him. Perhaps he'd talk to her later when he brought her the information he found for her...
She did have Ace waiting on her after all..so with a somber look and slightly dreading feelings Joy made her way to the guest room she had asked her brother to wait for her in.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:11 pm
"....which was biiiiiiiiig mistake, because then Simon Cat fell--SPLAT!!--like that, right on the ground and---Oh, hey."
Ace had not only been telling what was apparently an impromptu story, but acting it out. He'd been on his knees when Joy came in, and fallen over on his back, causing things to shake and fall off the nightstand his head had hit (he hadn't even missed a beat or rubbed on it). Heavens knows what else he was about to do, he'd already been on his knees when he realized Joy was standing there.
And Jimmie? He was watching Ace with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. When he stopped, Jimmie squealed and giggled, clapping his hands together. "Uncle Acey is funny!" Who cared what the story was when the man in front of him was acting like an idiot? Fun to watch!
Ace scooped Jimmie from off the ground and bounced onto the bed with him, "Look, I don't mean half those awful things I say. If I hurt you, I'm sorry." Ace rushed into speaking before Joy could, "It's just weird, you know, and really disappointing, and stuff. And I just want you gone. I wish I'd never done that with Rena. It was stupid. Please don't hate me."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:19 pm
Joy glanced over at jimme. The careful smile she had prepared faltered a bit as she remembered Robbies earlier confession concerning Jimmie. Obviously he intended on leaving Jimmie here for a bit...or perhaps he had been so mad he'd forgotten he was taking his son home?
She turned instead to Ace..and found herself cut off before she could even begin. "Ace....Ace..." She tried twice, but ended up falling silent as it seemed he simply had to speak his peace.
"I don't hate you Ace. What you said before...you were right about all of it. I shouldn't have followed you in the first place. It had been dangerouse and I could have gotten hurt. I am sorry i didn't listen to you when you were trying to give me advice on where you thought I should go. This is your world and I should be paying more mind to what you have to say...and I could never hate you for any of this. You were looking for your Joy. I understand completely. I'd have done the same for you if I could."
Joy made a small gesture for Ace to follow her to the bed where she took a seat. "Ace, I need you to answer some questions for me. I want to make certain my brother and I don't end up in a bad situation and I just...I really need to know a few things. Robbie mentioned you and I...ah.. Joy got involved in a group that manipulated you two. When abouts was that?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:37 pm
Ace looked ridiculously relieved at Joy's statement. He wasn't sure what he'd been looking for, but apparently part of it had involved some sort of fight with her. After a moment, he offered her a cautious sort of smile. "I'm the one that does stupid things. Leave that to me, and keep your own butt safe, ok?"
He thought about her question, "During my first year of college, but it was after Dad died. I don't know if that would help or not. You know, having my world smashed to pieces with the end of the NSA and Flashcharge's disappearance." He shook his head, "I didn't even find out I was evolved until then, when some guy had some major slip up and was able to trace the source back to me. Kind of funny, no one else really can tell that it comes from me, but I had to run into the guy that could. Otherwise, I may have never known I was evolved. But, you know, he was fighting on the right side even at the time. I was alongside him. It was just a big fist fight--" He shrugged, "That doesn't help you though. With Dad still alive, maybe I would never get into it. I don't see why, between him and Uncle Charles and Flashcharge---I mean, they're my ultimate heroes. I'd be right up with them, wouldn't I?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:10 pm
Joy settled down on the bed and tucked a leg under her. Had she been wearing a skirt or dress she was certain she'd never have been able to sit so casually. She inhaled a little, and continued to smile at Ace even when he seemed slow to return the smile. She choose not to argue with him about who was doing stupid things. Between the two of them she was certain they both had their fair share...though Ace probably was a teeny bit ahead.
Joy tried to place the timeframe as closely as possible in accordance to Ace's words. She placed her hands over her face and groaned slightly. "First year...okay...so it would be relatively new to Ace...but still...thats a few years now that he's at least been in touch with these people. He's not going to want to believe me if I just come back and try to tell him what he's gotten into is bad...."
Joy dragged her hands down her face until her eyes peered over her fingertips at Ace. "About how much do you think he would have told them by now? Were they...no wait...you said the NSA was destroied by this time right? Do you suppose they would have been interested in the NSA if it had been still there? And what about me? He wouldn't have told them much about me would he have?"
Joy cast her eyes down towards the bed as she attempted to quell the unhappy feeling she felt growing inside of her. " Ace and our father...he doesn't get along with him at all. I'm sure you understand wht I mean by that...but it's only gotten worse as time has passed. He and father have had some very awful fights. He's completely vanished out of our lives, he shows up very randomly...mostly it seems to check up on me. he's always asking if I'm ready to be happy yet and what -I- want. He tells me that I can't be happy trying to be fathers clone, and i don't think he liked the fact at -all- that I had plans to enter the government and work with father as soon as I could."
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:53 pm
"That's only if he and I went to the same college." Ace reminded her when she started to calculate how much he must have been involved.
Then he continued to look more and more surprised and scandalized by Joy's words. "Tell others about you? With YOUR powers? No way! I introduced them to you first and let you get to know them. I told you who they were and had you judge them, because I trusted you to make a wise decision for yourself." He shook his head, "I can't believe that I would question your motives. I mean, I did. You tagged after me like a puppy-dog, so when I went to college, I went away as far away as possible to let you live your own life." Ace laughed a little, "I yelled about you trying to be a clone of me, actually. That was good for me, it made me want to be and do better, but it didn't matter. You failed at cloning my more negative points. I didn't think you were happy though. That's all I wanted for you. But Dad? We didn't get along, really? I don't remember not getting along with Dad." He frowned, "Well, he was getting bad there, and we had started, I think...But it wasn't anything to run away over. I never wanted to be Dad, I wanted to be a superhero. I guess if there were words over that, then---"
Ace paused and frowned, "Well, then, that would be a good way for someone to come along and offer me just that. That's precisely what happened with me. I mean, I wanted so much to be something bigger than life, and when all that was pulled out from under me with the NSA going down... See, that's why I don't see why I wouldn't get along with Dad. I was planning to go in right under him to see what I could do to be a help too."
He looked at a loss as to what to say.
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