Watery thoughts (Warhead then open)

[Toni Craft]

Toni sits on the grass, her heavy body causing the ground beneath to cave in slightly. Her legs were pulled to chest and her arms rested on her knees. Silently, she stares outward, her eyes scanning the vast watery landscape before her.

Her eyes droop slightly as she watches the lake ripple with the wind. Occasionally a frog leaped or a leaf fell or a fish jumped, disrupting the serene and calm water.

The moon's reflection was warped and twisted by the fluctuations in the fluid surface, but ultimately returned to it's round shape, only to to be distorted all over again.

Come on, it can't be that bad. You used to do it all the time as a kid, remember?

Sure, she remembered, but that had been a long time ago. Eight years ago, she'd never have thought about it, she'd just run into the water. But now...after life had engaged itself, it was astonishing that she'd even be sitting there, that close to the water's edge.

Toni was personally thankful that most of the kids didn't bother coming down to the lake at this time of night. She really didn't want to be seen down there.

With a tired sigh, she rests her head on her arms as she continues to watch the water shimmer under the moon and stars.

[OOC: This is probably going to be pretty quick, but it's hopefully going to show the relationship between Toni and her brother, Matty. It'll just be a conversation between them for the first little bit, but then I'll open it up for anyone else that wants to join ]

[Matthew Craft]

Where'd she go? Matthew wonders, glancing around the Mansion's grounds.

Shortly after dinner his sister had gone missing. Well, not so much missing per say, but rather, she had made herself missing. Not that he was surprised, Toni did that every once and a while. Even the erratic needed some breather time. But Matthew knew his sister better than anyone. Breather time meant that he was supposed to go find her because she wanted to talk. It was like hide and go seek, only with a much more complicated ending.

He crosses his arms and looks around the wooded back of the Mansion. The only thing back there was the lonely path that led to the lake.

Riiiight...the lake. Duh.

Luckily for Matthew, there were small lights illuminating the path so he didn't have to worry about stumbling in the dark. Within minutes he sees the reflecting moonlight filtering through the trees.

As he appraches the water's edge, he notices the dark silohuette against the lighter grass.

"Knew I'd find you here." He says, seating himself comfortably next to his sister, stretching his longs legs out in front of him. "Even after eight years you still miss it?" Matthew asks, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

[Toni Craft]

Toni yawns and looks up as the sound of heavy footsteps approached her.

"Knew I'd find you here." She waits for Matthew to seat himself comfortabley.

"You were always the more astute one," Toni grins at her younger brother.

"Even after eight years you still miss it?"

She lets her smile fade and turns back to the lake.

"'Course I do, Matty. You, of all people know what I was like." Toni lets her legs relax and stretch out in front of her and leans back on her hands. "'Member that time Dad and me went scuba diving around the Keys? That was a good time."

She had been twelve when her family had taken a trip to Florida. Matty and Toni's father, Jacob, had taken her on a diving excursion around the Florida Keys. Toni, ever the avid swimmer and water enthusiast, had never seen anything quite that beautiful; the swarms of rainbow-colored fish and darted to and fro, plucking pieces of hard-boiled egg from her finger tips, making her grin through her regulator. Every once and a while, she'd flip over on to her back and watch the bubbles leave the mouthpiece with a loud fwuush. The fish would swim up to the column of air pockets, curious, but would quicky break away when a bubble came too close.

That had been one of the best times of her young life, but life had quickly caught up with her. After her mutation had manifested itself and she had gained about 335lbs worth of iron, Toni quickly realized that she sunk like a rock. So, at the age of 14, Toni could no longer engage herself in the water sports she had so willing done so before. Actually, it was far more complicated than that.

Toni's first encounter with water after her 'iron ordeal' had not ended well. After a mishap with with Matty, she had ended up in the lake and much to her surprise, she didn't bob back up the surface. The water had only been six feet deep, but Toni still hadn't reached her full height, and besides that, sitting on the bottom had sent her into a brief moment of shock and surprise. It wasn't until she realized that her lungs were burning did she realize that her new-found iron body did not come with gills. Fortunately, her father had been close by and dove in to fetch her, using an amazing amount of strength to lift her from the bottom and out into the air. After that, Toni manifested the most intense fear of water imaginable. It was at the point that her body would completely shut down the moment she came within twenty feet of water, whether ocean, lake, pond, or pool.

She lets the moment of memories and silence come to an end as she speaks up.

"Hey, didn't you have a Danger Room session today? How'd that go? Nuke anything?" Toni adds with a laugh and pokes him in the side.

Toni could afford to be a little rougher with her brother, given that he was nearly as tough as she was, if not more. But despite his huge and imposing exterior, he was still her little brother and she still had the right to beat him up ever once and a while. So with that thought it mind, Toni pokes him again with a small laugh.

[Matthew Craft]

"You were always the more astute one,"

"Naturally. I was born a genius remember." Matthew grins and taps his temple, shooting her his amused 'gaze upon me for I am so smart' look.

"You, of all people know what I was like."

"Right. Yes, of course. The young dorky version of you. How could I ever forget. Thankfully it wasn't contagious." Insulting or assaulting his sister in any way was something that was strictly off limits to Matthew. Off limits to everyone but him.

He doubted that any of the other students, and even the faculty, had any idea what their relationship was like. Within the school Toni and Matthew rarely spoke, and if they did, and were accompanied by others, they did so reasonably professionally. Reasonably is the key word there. He thinks with a light role of his eyes. Toni is anything but reasonable most of the time.

"'Member that time Dad and me went scuba diving around the Keys?"

"Er...no. I don't. I was six years-old, remember? I don't remember much of anything from that...except something about me eating a jellyfish and Mom and Dad laughing at me....Jeez, even back then they weren't normal..." He runs a large hand through his short hair and chuckles.

And then Toni has one of her 'moments'. The brief and rare moments of nostalgia when she remembers back to her early years. Matthew sighs and lets her think in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the sounds of the water and wind. It was better not to disturb Toni during a 'moment', or else there may be some bodily harm involved.

But he knew exactly what she was 'momenting' about. Toni had always missed the water, ever since she had found out she could swim or even really wade in the stuff. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe that she had once aspired to be a professional salvage diver.

And slowly, just as expected, Toni pulls our of her reverie and blinks a few times.

"Hey, didn't you have a Danger Room session today? How'd that go? Nuke anything?"

That brings a small giggle (yes giggle, 'cause even big guys get to be childish) up from his chest and it only increases when Toni pokes him in the side. "Stop it! And yes, I had the session, but no, I didn't nuke anything. We haven't gotten to that part yet." Matthew contemplates how to get his sister back for poking him, "Miss Monroe hasn't let me do the Chernobyl thingy lately. She's says that she'll reserve a special session for me when the other kids aren't around."

And then he giggles again as Toni pokes him once more. He was always the more ticklish of the two.

"Hey! I told you to stop!" He sputters out through his laughter. In retaliation, Matthew gives his sister a little jab, hoping that maybe he'll be able to make her succumb to the same fit of twittering.