Owner	Pose
Jubilation Lee	The Danger Room. Jubilee had been given special permission to use it for those times when she needed a safe way to release any vampire rage that has built up, like an animal held in captivity. It was usually made up to resemble a mall besieged by monsters, as was her favorite scenario to run. Bright colors. Orange Julius employees getting torn to shreds. So peaceful. The Danger Room is in rare form this evening, though. Instead of the bright pastels of a mall scene, the walls and floor are made of dirty stone, damp and moldy, evocative of an underground sewer chamber.     There are bodies all around from Danger Room constructs that have met grisly ends. At the center of it is Jubilation Lee. She's currently battling three different figures, exchanging punches and kicks, blocks, and so on. The constructs are all vaguely monstrous, resembling feral vampires to some degree. Jubilation moves with enhanced speed, giving her appearance a slight blurriness as she moves along in the fight.
Noriko Ashida	Noriko's paranoia around Jubilation's safety has ebbed as time has gone on and the speedster tries to spend time with Jubes when she can, so when Nori didn't find Jubes at first, she wasn't all too worried.  But time passes slowly for the girl and she couldn't help the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Blue sparks fly when she leaps out of her bed. At some point, naturally, Nori slips into the Danger Room, not at all concerned about its namesake.  Nori syncs back down to human speed and appreciates the blurry display of her girlfriend's skills the way everyone else gets to see them.  Nori starts counting the bodies up on her fingers and assessing the damage to see just how angry Jubes might be.  Too many. "Jubes?"  At least Noriko waits between deathblows to /interrupt/ the slaying.
Jubilation Lee	One of the constructs has been given more attention by the simulation. She's a vampire, no doubt about it, but her features are more specific, as though there was manual intervention that guided her design. All that work is undone in an instant when Jubilee snaps the construct's neck and lets her fall lifelessly to the floor. It won't be enough to kill, but maybe Jubilee isn't trying to make a swift end of it?     The voice makes the vampiress freeze. She's looking away from the entrance, so only the back of her head is visible. "...Nori..." Jubilee replies, staring forward, wide-eyed. She sounds worried. "Nori, get out of here, okay?"
Noriko Ashida	The extra attention only makes Noriko start to pay a little more attention, speeding her perception up for an instant before Jubilation's reaction rattles her out of it.  A blink or two for Jubes' tone.  Her brow furrows thoughtfully. "You don't need to worry about me," but Noriko takes a single step backward over the top half of some-thing, or rather, what was once some-one.  "I know how to stay out of your way."  That remains to be seen.
Jubilation Lee	Jubilation looks down at the writhing body at her feet. She lifts her knee and waits. As soon as the construct turns to notice the foot that hovers there, Jubilation slams her heel into the construct's face, sending a splatter of blood into the air. Cruel.     As Noriko moves, Jubilee turns a little to keep the speedster at her back. "No, no, I just... I'll be done soon..." Any movements that might happen on Noriko's part would be met with an opposite one from Jubilation, all in an effort to make sure that Nori can't see what has happened to her face.
Noriko Ashida	Noriko is no stranger to cruelty, and the display makes the speedster close her eyes at the last moment, the crunch.  When she opens them, the simulated splatter is still flinging through the air.  It's the subtle shifts, the lack of a happy greeting, all the little things that begin to add up just enough to lift Noriko's brow an iota. In silent protest and acknowledgement of the weird, Noriko audibly plants her feet, the sound of her sneaker making a meager echoed pat against the stone.  "I'll wait."  The speedster could easily jaunt over and see what Jubes is hiding, but Nori's always kept up a facsimile of respect for Jubes and her space, even if the pause Nori takes when coming through a door has eroded to practically nothing as well as some of her other habits.  But this isn't that.  She could easily step out and give Jubes privacy as well. The more patient would be able to pull this off, waiting for Jubilation to turn...something, but that isn't Noriko, and a half a moment later she's already breaking her stand to test if she's just paranoid or not.  Step left.  Step left.  Step left.  Step right, right, right.  Turn head as if trying to get a good look at the smashed skull.  The speedster's mouth flashes into a frown and she settles.  "Why are you avoiding me?"
Jubilation Lee	Jubilee continues the charade of turning and stepping to keep Noriko at her back. Maybe she could keep this up for the rest of her unnatural life? She could certainly outlast Nori, that's for sure, but... Jubilee tilts her head forward. It's no use. Jubilation turns slowly, her hair providing a nice cover as she stares down at the floor. She looks up hesitantly, making no effort to move her hair out of the way.     It's a rather gruesome sight. Her face is in the advanced stages of healing from what might have been a splatter of acid. Her skin, once porcelain and perfect, is covered in patches of bloated, shriveled scar tissue. The red splotches are concentrated on her forehead, nose, and one of her cheeks. The damage has actually found its way up to the ridge of her hairline, leaving a small spot of red, rough baldness and thinned out hair.     Jubilee's expression is timid, scared even, and not at all congruent with someone who might have just caused a pile of bodies in the Danger Room. Thin red lines have accumulated along her lower eyelids. She says nothing.
Noriko Ashida	And neither does Nori...not a word.  The moment she catches a glimpse of that charred, gnarled flesh behind the curtain of self-consciousness, a meager shield against Noriko's gaze.  The speedster's eyes tense slightly, her lower lid lifting in a flash before suddenly she finds herself right in front of Jubilation, not even remembering the journey. Those dark sapphire sneakers come into the vampire's view.  First one, then the other as Noriko steps closer.  A gauntlet drops unceremoniously.  Nori reaches up to thread her fingers through the thinned hair, but pauses, taking a moment to close her eyes and try to control all of the emotion and electricity surging through her.  She delicately pushes Jubes' hair back with precision and care, but most of all, a tenderness that aches through her from her heart to her fingertips.  Nori leans to place a gentle kiss against the the new map of knotted tissue, lingering there.  As composed as Noriko tries to keep herself, moisture gathers in her eyes.  To see Jubilation without her confidence...like this.
Jubilation Lee	Jubilation would hold her breath if she had any to hold. She had some in there earlier, but that was an accident. Instead, she continues not breathing, but the terror of the situation at least reminds her to think about the fact that she's not breathing. It's really not that different from holding her breath.     Jubilee's eyes dart upward to watch Noriko, taking in and analyzing every movement, every tick, every reaction. She seems to shrink a little against Noriko's touch, her shoulders tensing up, and her head lowering. Pathetic is probably the most accurate way to summarize her posture. Pathetic and scared.     "...I'm sorry," is all she can manage, her voice trembling uncharacteristically.
Noriko Ashida	Noriko's fingers flutter in a light shudder for a moment when Jubilation' shrinks and tenses.  She's about to step even closer when the apology is uttered.  She blinks in confusion and there are no more drawn out moments, just action as Jubilation finds herself wrapped up in Nori's buzzing embrace, held firmly. Nori draws a deep breath and pitches her head forward slightly to touch her forehead to Jubes'.  The speedster doesn't know why Jubilation is apologizing, but there is no shadow in her tone, no doubt.  This she knows.  "No.  You have nothing to apologize for," she says softly.
Jubilation Lee	Jubilee's arms hang lifelessly at her sides, wrapped up by Noriko. She stares forward, trembling still. It's a far cry from the boiling over confidence that comes with being a vampire. She's a little girl again, standing at the steps of her family's mansion, learning from a man in a suit that everything had just been taken away from her. Again. Her fingers curl into loose fists. But... then they open. Jubilation closes her eyes and buries them into Noriko's shoulder as she returns the hug as tight as she can.     "I'm sorry you have to look at me," she wails, blood trickling from the corners of her eyes, over the crests of her cheeks, and down her jawline. She's serious.
Noriko Ashida	Noriko wants to banish those words as soon as she hears them.  Obliterate them as if they never existed, but to do so would vanish Jubilation's feelings.  To act like they don't exist.  That they don't matter, and they do.  Pretending like nothing happened won't help anything, and it's a realization...as if Noriko knows her childish instincts aren't enough anymore.  Life has reared its ugly head again. Sure the school was invaded and all sorts of awful things have happened, but Jubes was always okay (save for that one time she just fell over and died).  School had been their escape from their pasts in the real world where things touch you, things scar you.  She can't just tell Jubes one day they'll get out of there, or she'll come back for her like she did with her little brother, not that these things would apply anyways. "Jubilation, look at me," Nori finds herself saying, not knowing what will come next.  But her voice is strong.  "I'm lucky I get to look at you, and I always will be..." ... "I mean, you're the hottest girl in school.  Now you're the biggest badass too."  She just had to tack it on, as if it were obvious to her.  The words aren't feigned, but by her pursed, worried expression she's not exactly happy with herself that the comment came out, taking away from her words before. Noriko kisses the little rivulets of blood as if they were nothing but regular tears, the red staining her lips.  To the speedster, Jubilation is the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, because she is the only one, at least for Nori.
Jubilation Lee	Someone could be forgiven if they observed Jubilation for any length of time and concluded that she's vain. It's an easy mistake to make. Vanity doesn't drive her desire to look good, though. Her body is an expression of herself. It always has been. Perhaps now her body is even more important to her. It's all she is these nights. A loud sniff comes from Jubilee's sinus cavities as she tries to recover some of the blood that is leaking from her face. It's a challenging feat, but one she's been practicing.     "Nori..." Jubilee protests gently. She shakes her head gently, not finding much range of motion against the speedster's embrace. Noriko said the things she's supposed to say. She's going through with all the beats that one is supposed to follow in a situation like this. "...I just..." She releases the speedster and tenses her shoulders again, looking away.     Suddenly, Jubilation stomps her foot defiantly. "This /sucks/!"
Noriko Ashida	Noriko, for her part, wouldn't believe anyone if they said Jubilation was vain.  It's a part of some kind of blindness, certainly, but also a part of how she is able to see parts of Jubilation she never otherwise could.  Without it, would she see any part of Jubilation but what is right in front of her? The shake of Jubilation's head stings a little and Noriko can feel herself shrink a little inside.  Words are futile.  She doesn't release Jubilation immediately, her embrace solid as if Jubilation ran into something immovable.  It lasts only a moment before she blinks, looking down as she loosens her grip.  Nothing she can say will ever be enough, but she knew that before she opened her mouth.  "I'm sorry." Noriko looks down when Jubilation looks away.  "Who did this to you?" she asks quietly.
Jubilation Lee	Some of that old Jubilee spirit has found its way back. "/I/ did..." she admits, rolling her eyes and leaning her head back. "I did it! It was an accident, I mean, but, like, yeah, it was me." She closes her eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again. They're blood-shot.     "There have been these attacks. Some vampire cult, I don't know. It needs to go. They kidnapped Jon, I guess, and we tracked them down and, well, it was a trap." Jublation's hands curl into a pair of fists again. "So, this /bitch/ jumped out at me, right..." She reaches out and hesitates, awkwardly, as she remembers it. "Here..."     Jubilation bends her knees and pulls at Noriko, to bring her down to the ground. She goes onto her back and positions the speedster's hands on her shoulders, effectively pressing her to the ground. "Like, put your legs... Like, straddle me, right, and hold me down...." She sticks her arm out to the side and pretends to be reaching for something that's just not there.     "So, like, she's gonna drain me... And I'm reaching for my backpack, you know, the one with all the stakes and garlic and UV flashlight, and, yeah, she's about to do it... But I get my hand in there and..." Jubilee brings one of her hands around and gently boops the side of Noriko's head with it. "...All I could reach was a jar of holy water." She blinks her eyes a couple times and looks up at the speedster for her reaction.
Noriko Ashida	One moment Noriko is ready to throttle whoever is responsible, the next?  Jubilation's revelation that it was her throws the speedster.  Noriko's head tilts and she is easily and surprisedly puppeted down to straddle her girlfriend.  It's not exactly the most romantic atmosphere.  There are bodies strewn around them in all the carnage, but Noriko stopped acknowledging their existence minutes ago when they both seemed to step into their own little world of micro-moments. Nori's emotions take a back seat naturally as familiar feelings creep up all the way to the flush of her cheeks.  She just forces herself to breathe a little deeper, fighting the strange mixture of sensations and feelings...and the desire to bolt and hunt down this new foe and...and...Noriko blushes harder when Jubilation looks up at her.  "So she's dead?" is all she manages to choke out.
Jubilation Lee	"Final Death, yeah," Jubilee answers quietly, dropping a little vampire lingo on the speedster. She just lies there on her back, staring up at Noriko. She blinks her eyes a couple of times, now finding the whole thing a little awkward. She no doubt smells awful, as the Danger Room is currently emulating the environment that actually played host for this fight.     "I killed her," Jubilation adds. It's an awkward three words to say, especially given their position on the floor, but it's the truth and Jubes doesn't hide from it. "But, she had to go." Judge, jury, executioner, apparently. "And I ruined my face, so, I guess I deserve it."
Noriko Ashida	"She attacked you and would have killed you.  You defended yourself.  She deserved it," Noriko says plainly as if this is her account of it and she won't change it.  Dealing with Jubilation killing intelligent beings?  Vampires or no...it's just not something the girl ever imagined or expected, and there is no obvious reaction to it, as if processing that?  is just frozen. "Can we change...this?"  Noriko has never used the Danger Room to do anything but unload some electric vibes on her own.  The speedster's eyes dart toward the dismembered leg somewhere nearby.  "It's giving me mixed signals."  She worries her lower lip.
Jubilation Lee	Jubilee's eyes study Noriko, just for a moment, and then follow her gaze towards the leg. She manages a faint smile, the first in a while. "...Seriously?" she teases. "You're supposed to be pretending to be this girl who attacked me, I /just/ cracked a jar of holy water on your head, melting it off, and you're worried about mixed signals?"     Jubilation's smile seems to linger. No small part of her relishes in the effect she has on Noriko Ashida, even when she was alive. The feeling that her face doesn't seem to be extinguishing that flame, though? It swells.     "C'mon, let's just get out of here. I /stink/..." She does.
Noriko Ashida	"Well I do want to attack you," Noriko quips with the only thing that comes to mind.  "I mean not-Just not like that-I-"  Flustered, Noriko shuts up, but that grin, however faint it is, is suddenly reflected back at Jubilation, though more sheepish.  She reaches up to rub the back of her neck. "Okay."  Noriko leans down first though to give Jubilation a good whiff and her lips purse as if she's holding something back...something biological, though the expression is feigned, the seriousness of it belied by a twinkle in her eye.  "Yeah let's go wash up."  The speedster pops up, offering Jubilation a hand which she won't let go of on their way back to the apartment either.