Heart Shaped Pupil:
Is that the one with all the eyes?

Creepy Kid:
That’s Multifaceted Interest. You call yourself a good student?

Heart Shaped Pupil:
I am a good student. Interest and vigilance are the same for you.

Creepy Kid:
Same range of the spectrum as Vigilance but diff’t. Is open and loose…
…You haven’t seen Vigilance. Same thing but focused more and pulled together tight…
…Think armadillo with ears like a fennec fox and bigger eyes…
…and claws because its keen

Heart Shaped Pupil:
Awww

Creepy Kid:
Very not aww. Ugh.

I added my own thought to the text conversation.

Victoria:
We want you on sidelines. Fast would be good. Rescue, evacuate civilians

Heart Shaped Pupil:
Vicotria!!!
Victoria!
How are you? Excited?

Creepy Kid:
I can make that one form. But I want to get my hands dirty too.

Hands dirty? I paused, thinking about that. Looking back at the conversation, I skimmed things. Chris had contributed more than half of the conversation, going into detail, ideas, plans.

I had never seen him quite this engaged. Was it because he was more comfortable online than in person? Or was it because he wanted to get his hands dirty, as he put it?

Victoria:
Why?

Creepy Kid:
_This_ is why I’m doing this hero team thing…
…I missed the visit to the Warden HQ because I wasn’t at the computer…
…which was my fault. I need to be a part of this.

I didn’t reply immediately, instead sitting back, thinking about things, while Kenzie responded, sharing some of the same image she had already sent me as part of the chat.

Chris wanted to be a part of this, and the visit to the Warden HQ. He wanted to be part of the big things? The large events? But he didn’t care about the rest? Were the big events tied to big emotions?

I couldn’t understand him.

A knock on the front door got my attention. Weld stepped out of the bathroom, towel at one of his hands, and let Crystal in. She had the binder and the bag. She was wearing her bodysuit with a jacket and jeans. The ‘Laserdream’ logo on the front, an arrow with a series of lines flowing behind it at a diagonal.

“This is so damn heavy, Victoria,” she said.

“If it was too heavy you should have left it,” I said. I hurried across the living room and down the hallway to reach her, relieving her of the bag.

Greetings went around. Sveta stepped out of the washroom, wearing her body again, with a sweatshirt and sweatpants on. Her makeup had been washed off, and the tattoo was clearly visible on her cheekbone. She gave Crystal a hug.

“They’re preparing for a crisis,” Weld said.

“I know,” Crystal said. “Believe me, I know.”

We moved to the living room. I set the black cloth shopping bag down, and fished inside.