7848/More Quantum Bling

More Quantum Bling
Date of Scene:	16 September 2021
Location:	Common Area - Milano
Synopsis:	Finley surprises Ava with a gift to make understanding her powers easier. In return, Ava shows Finley a little of what she's learned on her own.
Cast of Characters:	Ava Starr, Finley Ellison

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Ava Starr has posed:
Rain pelts heavily against the canopy of the Milano's hull. Ava stands at a window inside the ship, watching the purple grey clouds crawl across a leaden sky. The drops that hit the window are fat and heavy, sluicing down in thick rivulets that make it impossible to see clearly through the glass. Not that she cares. The sound of the water pinging off the hull is still somehow relaxing.

However, it entirely precludes any serious testing or training for the day.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley's been a bit scarce recently. She'd claimed a bunk for her own, and had been disappearing into it for hours. Ever since they'd tackled those crazy clown robots. Or not long after, once she'd spoken to a few of the animal wardens.

But now she emerges, and after stopping by the QEC, she heads for the Milano's common area -- looking for Ava. Something in her body language radiates anxiety, but also anticipation. She has a small package wrapped very prettily and tucked under one arm.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava turns as she hears Finley's footsteps across the deck. She gives the engineer a light smile, her head canting slightly to one side. "Hey," she greets, a brow arching slightly. "You've been scarce." Not that she's entirely minded.

Okay. Yes. Maybe she's worried a little. But she's spent the time trying to work things out without being studied. So... it was kind of a win-win, if she's honest.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"I've been working on a project," she tells Ava. Finley's almost bouncing with nerves. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Sorry."

Then she thrusts the package out toward Ava. "Here."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava blinks as the pretty little package is thrust out into her hands. "What's this?" she asks, taking it and turning it over to look at it from all sides. There's a lopsided, slightly awkward smile on her lips. Her birthday was nearly ten days ago, after all. And it's not like she's told anyone that. Not even Finley...

Not, mind, that the SHIELD agent mightn't have found out through Ava's file. Doesn't matter.

Carefully, she pulls at the paper and works it free. No, she's not one of those devil-may-care sorts who just tears into things. She can count the number of times she's gotten a nice present in her life on her fingers and not run out of digits. Presents are special.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Open it," Finley says, watching Ava intently. She *hopes* that Ava will like it. It's taken all of her spare time. Time she *could* have been spending with Ava.

When Ava pulls the paper free, she's met with a fairly large jewelry box. Nevermind where Finley's found a jewelry box halfway across the universe. "Go on," Finley encourages her. "I hope you like it."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava runs her fingers lightly over the soft exterior of the box. She doesn't ask where Fin got it -- she's just as likely to have traded with the furries on Halfworld to get it as anything else. A wry smile touches her lips and, when she glances at Fin, it's with a subtle apprehension.

Jewelry, even a simple bracelet or necklace, somehow feels weighty in their new relationship.

Nevertheless, she carefully pries the sizable box open to see just what has been hidden within.

Finley Ellison has posed:
The pendant gleams back at Ava from its velvet bed. A large vaguely teardrop shaped raw crystal shines with translucent clarity. Its facets reflect in her eyes, sometimes blue, sometimes green. It seems to glow, lit from within. Silver encases the crystal, wire flowing round in serpentine weaves.

"Um, it's a, uh, well... It's an energy-flux scanner, as well as data recorder and storage unit," she says in a rush. "You don't have to wear it."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava blinks rapidly at the explanation. "It *looks* like a necklace," she notes, smile turning wry again. There's dry humour in her tone. Scanner. Right. No romance in that, though the form is very pretty.

She cants her head and turns the crystal over in her hands carefully. "You... want to monitor me?"

Finley Ellison has posed:
"It's also a necklace," Finley admits. "I thought that if it looked like jewelry it might not feel so invasively science-y. I, er, I mean,--" she's twisting her fingers with anxiety now that she has nothing to hold in her hands-- "I'm sorry it took me so long to notice that recording your experimenting with the q-bands bothers you. Now I don't even have to be there. Not if you don't want me to...And I can't monitor you in real time. All the data stays in the pendant."

Finley bites her lip. She hoped this would make Ava more comfortable. And now she's afraid that she's made it worse. Ava probably hates it. Maybe hates her now. And she'll never get to see Ava wear it. She'll never be able to truly tell if she managed to match the stone to Ava's eyes.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava has a moment of dawning understanding as Finley rushes to explain. "Oh. I see. Okay." She considers it for a moment and then decides that, while it's too big to wear all the time, it may serve a purpose. If nothing else, she suspects it will make Fin smile.

"Here," she says, passing it to her and then reaching up to gather her own hair off her neck. "Fasten it?"

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley almost leaps to fasten the necklace. When the claps links together and the crystal settles against Ava's skin, the jewel does truly glow. And Finley notes, delighted, that it does match Ava's eyes. "Oh, I got it right," she breathes.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava sets her hair back into place across her shoulders and looks down at the piece. It *is* pretty. Just a little bigger than what she might wear casually. For its purpose, though, it makes sense. And she'll use it... perhaps not all the time, but enough that Finley can get the data she needs.

It's really not so bad, if she isn't under constant observation.

She leans in to give Finley a gentle hug. "Thank you for the thought," she says. "The piece is lovely, but it's the thought that means more."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley relaxes into Ava's embrace, her anxiety banished by the touch. "It suits you," she observes. "I'm glad. I wasn't sure..."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava gives a wry smile. "We need the data," she admits. "I'm just tired of being a labrat." She lets out a soft sigh, gives the engineer a squeeze, and then straightens. The rain continues to pound on the ship window. Still holding Finley's hand, she draws back to the window and its sluicing streams, watching it turn the idylic Halfworld meadlowland into a watercolour.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"You're not a labrat, Ava," Finley protests, "You're a scientist. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

She kisses the other woman softly on the temple and whispers, "You're a miracle, Ava Starr. And I'm so sorry that people have tried to convince you otherwise for most of your life."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava's lips twitch in a faint, wry smile. She pulls Finley to her and slides around behind her. Her arms encircle Finley's waist and her chin on the blonde's shoulder while she continues to look out at the rain. "Oh," she says softly. "I did learn something this week." While Finley was jewelry making.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley leans into her, letting Ava support her weight. "Mmmm?" she murmurs. "Tell me about it?"

Ava Starr has posed:
"Mm," Ava replies. Her blue eyes sparkle almost mischievously. Her embrace tightens around Finley. "Hang on," she whispers softly in her ear. "And don't squirm."

Don't squirm?

Her legs flex and she draws Finley into her intangibility field, springing lightly into the air. They drift up through the hull of the ship, into the rain. But the rain sliuces right through them without touching them at all. Can't get wet, if the water can't actually hit you.

Her embrace is strong and she wraps herself around Finley enough to protect her. Then, she starts to actually fly. For her... this is new. But she did have fun learning it. Slowly, she picks up speed.

Finley Ellison has posed:
FInley gasps as Ava pulls her into intangibility. Her whole body tingles. It's warm. And then they're floating. Finley clings tightly to Ava, first in surprise as they slide through the ships hull, through the raindrops, through the air. Then with wonder and giddy delight as they start to pick up speed. "You marvel!" Finley crows. "This...how?"

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava chuckles softly, but there's always that dry self-deprecating undertone. "I was trying to figure out how to regulate the new power levels," she admits. "I... almost ended up in orbit." Yeah. She didn't say that. "But it didn't hurt so..." Intangibility has its advantages.

"Phyla could fly," she admits. "I figured it was worth a shot." She already knows how to control thrust, after all.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"You're amazing," Finley says. And then she kisses Ava. As they fly through the rain, the soft light reflected by the grey clouds makes Ava seem to glow. She looks into Ava's eyes and bites her lip. To keep the words in. As much as she wants to, telling Ava that she loves her right now might startle her into dropping them both. So she doesn't say it. But the feeling pulses through her, elastic but steady. like a heartbeat, like the raindrops.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava's not ready for 'I love you', yet. So, it's just as well Fin doesn't startle her with that. It's not that she doesn't feel something for the young engineer. It's that she doesn't know how to handle that feeling. So, instead, she lets them sweep through the sky, the meadowgrasses below a green blur as she picks up a little more speed.

The quantum field around them protects them from the effects of the speed, as does the intangibility that keeps anything from colliding with them.

"There has to be some sort of upside to all this, right?" the Englishwoman replies, her arms strong where they hold Finley close.

Slowly, she swings them round in a wide arc that will ultimately return them to the ship.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley snuggles close to Ava, thoroughly reveling in the sensations of flight. She laughs, "This is a definite upside, yes."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava slows their flight as Finley snuggles in midair. She kisses Finley's cheek lightly, feathering down her jaw and neck to her shoulder through the fabric of her shirt. Then, however, she picks up speed again, heading toward the ship. Better to get out of the rain, in any case. She doesn't want to risk overtaxing herself.

Eventually, they end phasing through the ship and back into that little corner of the common area. Ava gives Finley a small smile. "Upside, yes."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley shivers under Ava's kisses. They're flying so fast, and the air is cold and Ava's mouth is hot on her skin. It's hard to think.

When they're settled back in the corner, and Finley is sure that they can interact with their surrounding again, she turns in Ava's lap, her eyes alight with wonder and desire. She runs her fingers through Ava's hair, brushing it back from her face. And then Finley kisses her, fiercely, hungrily, as she's trying to communicate without words...

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava makes a small noise of surprise when Finley's kiss pulls on her hungrily. She closes her eyes, pulls the blonde tightly to her, and lets her power tingle around them. They end up slipping invisibly through the floor, drifting belowdecks to the draped QEC. There is a definitely advantage to both intangibilty and invisibility. Relocation doesn't require a lot of stumbling or show... nothing that will attract their crewmates' attention.

Which -- given the rest of their afternoon? -- is a very, very good thing.