For the Love of Science [Michelina, Invite/Ask]

[Oriana Verde]

The green haired scientist waited but a few more seconds before turning and pressing her hand to the palm reader that keyed all the doors in the lab. As the door slid sideways opening back into the hallway, Oriana smiled a little to herself and was about to step through when she found arms wrapped around her waist. Briefly the Verde stopped a twinge of color coming to her features at the recognition of the hug, but before she had a chance to say anything, the younger woman had already released her and started through to the hallway. Lavender eyes shifted slightly to the opposite corner before Oriana stepped through and started down the hallway. She’s such an affectionate thing… As if this thought needed to be said at all.

Unpainted nails ran briefly through green hair in an attempt to shove it just past her shoulder as Oriana walked. Luckily she had not inherited the hair of her father or grandfather that seemed to enjoy poofing in every sort of direction, and instead the fine locks of her mother’s hair had been inherited. To say the latter was easier to manage was probably an understatement. Oriana thought little of this now, however. Striding down the hallway back towards the elevator room, Oriana found her thoughts on one thing only: what was in the box.

However, it seemed fate would call her to wait for just as she got to the end of the hallway and back into the elevator lobby room, the cry of the ‘call’ system reverberated in pale ears. Oriana froze bristling in mid-step as her mind raced to wonder who could be downstairs. She had placed no outside orders as of late nor had she finished any orders that would require pick up. Who then was at her doorstep? “Michelina, this should only take a minute,” Oriana’s words escaped into the air shortly thereafter, and a firm expression came to Oriana’s face as she finished the last few steps to the intercom on the wall. All too quickly long fingers pressed the receiver button, the computer recognizing her presence easily and drawing up a hologram interface.

What Lisbeth would see on her end only around fifteen seconds after having pressed the call button, was a shift in the display panel. A compartment would open from the top, and a spherical camera would raise itself from the device staring soullessly at the apparent caller. But a few seconds afterwards from its head, a projector would display a hologram of a certain stern faced greenette apparently ‘staring’ at the redhead not-quite-intruder.

On her end, Oriana would see much the same thing, a camera having raised itself and a projection of the person coming upwards. Not recognizing the young woman before her readily, Oriana fought the urge to scowl. Who the heck was this? Some stupid mafia member trying to intrude on her work again? It was rare that they ‘knocked’ on her front door. Could it possibly be a bystander who had happened upon the display? From the 99% of humanity that she saw less fit to walk on this earth, Oriana expected anything and everything, yet who would have guessed not only how to reveal the hidden elevator but also how to call? Seventy-nine percent certain mafia related… Oriana briefly calculated in her head before proceeding.

“Yes?” her voice was stern, her speech not gruff but very business oriented.

[Michelina Innocenti]

Michi couldn't wait until she got to make her ring and her excitement was clear. She always loved learning new things and since she had been taken, there were a lot of things Michi hadn't gotten the chance to learn. Making rings had been one of the things she had always wanted to do but whenever she tried to look into it, she would get in trouble. At some point, Michi had simply given up in making a ring and focused on boxes and box weapons instead. That was how she had made her cloak in hopes that it would provide a means to escape...the time in the dismal place was not something Michi wanted to remember...or relive for that matter, ever again.

This wasn't the time for such dismal thoughts though, she was with Oriana after all and nothing bad could happen in the lab after all. Or at least, that was what Michi had come to believe during the year she had been at the lab. It was hard to believe that it had already been a year since she had come here but to Michi, it felt like home. She felt safe and loved every minute of being able to create boxes using the state of the art technology that was provided. Compared to what her life had been like before, the difference was like night and day and Michi was glad to be out from under of the thumb of those people. All they had cared about were results and whether projects would be finished on time despite how miserable she might have been feeling at the time. To them, it didn't matter if she had to stay up all night to complete it. She had to finish it or there would be consequences...which usually meant pain.

Shuddering briefly, Michi pushed the thoughts aside as they stepped into the elevator lobby. It didn't matter now anyway, what was important was that she was with Oriana and was finally going to make her first actual sky ring. With her own sky ring, there were so many possibilities that she could do...still, Michi had never really practiced using her flame that often. Maybe she should try learning, after making the ring of course. Stepping into the elevator library, Michi couldn't help but be excited, bouncing up and down excitedly much like a child. She was just about to ask about how to make a ring when suddenly the 'doorbell' rang, making Michi jump in the process. Oriana's words thereafter elicited a short nod in response as she watched Oriana pressing a button that brought up a....floating redhead?

Red eyes grew as she looked at the unfamiliar face that appeared in the display, "What's that, Ori-onee?"Michi asked without thinking before realizing her mistake and looking down. Right, she probably shouldn't have said anything...it was probably something business related and Michi didn't know anything about how to handle orders and such. Besides that, Michi didn't particularly like the mafia after all that she'd been through and thus was perfectly content letting Oriana handle that side of things. Still, the holographic image looked more like a child than any other customer that frequently asked for boxes and the like...had a little kid gotten lost or something? That wouldn't be good...that meant that a little girl had somehow stumbled across the secret entrance... That wasn't possible though, it was well hidden and Oriana had designed it herself...how could a kid have possibly found it.

Words: 592 | Notes: --- | Tags: Oriana Verde, Lisbeth A. Koenig

[Lisbeth A. Koenig]

The seconds ticked by and the less than convincing smile Lisbeth put on her features slowly drooped. Patience being a virtue was never introduced to the youngest of the Koenig family, at least not in a social setting. She knew, or was taught and thus expected, that science was a slow creature. Experiments took time to set up and run their course. Data required time to be collected and properly documented. Materials needed to be made and assembled meticulously with exact precision. All this took time. But that was just the nature of the beast and not even a thought went to the time consumed in creation. While time did pass during work, it was time spent moving forward, so it was not considered a waste. Socially, however, was something different. For things other than work, time was a precious commodity. Liz's time was worth something. Its weight in gold, if you asked her. It was not something she gave up to be wasted. The world would not stop turning to allow for waste. It moved forward at a constant pace. Those who paused too often would soon find themselves left behind in the grand scheme that was the universe.

The redhead sighed, becoming agitated at being kept waiting. The building had seven levels. It was the middle of the day on a weekday. There had to be SOMEONE working. Lots of someones. Perhaps the security guard was asleep at his post? 'You're so fired, if I ever have a say in it. And don't think I'm not going to complain.' She mentally ranted. Lisbeth's brows creased in frustration as her hand rose to press the call button again, only to be stopped by the change in the display panel.
"Finally" She whispered, dropping her hand back at to her side. An access hatch on top of the palm reader box opened and a sphere rose up. Liz raised an eyebrow as she stared at it. It was obviously a camera by the obvious lens that swiveled down to focus on her. 'Lazy and mute' She thought when when there was no immediate inquiry.

No sooner had she thought the insult when a light came on on top of the sphere. A full color holographic projector displayed a perfect image of the person who was answering her call. Green eyes widened in realization that it was not security, but Oriana Verde herself!. Lisbeth recognized her immediately. Hell, she didn't even need to have seen her picture. Green hair, lavender eyes, You'd only of needed to be familiar with the Verde of old to see the family resemblance. The lab coat and stern look of her humbled Lisbeth. She knew that look. It was probably the same look Liz would have had in Oriana's place. Who knows what research or project had been disturbed to come answer the doorbell. The no nonsense "Yes?" Inquiry confirmed her hypothesis. But there was something else.... A second voice. It was barely audiable, but Liz caught the words Oreoni? No, It wasn't Oreoni. It just clicked. Ori-onee. And only because her brother used to call her Oneesan and Neesan and later Imotosan, when he understood that she was not older than him, so she was very familiar with the Japanese terms.

It was Lisbeth's turn to pause. Nowhere in her data did it say that Oriana had a... younger sister? A twin, yes, but Liz was sure the voice was younger and female. Confusion briefly showed on her features. She stared into those lavender eyes and any thoughts the Koenig would have given to how she would handle the conversation were lost to her. Actually, she'd not given it any thought beforehand. She was good with just ad-libing. She was ready to argue with a rent-a-cop who she could deceive and manipulate easily, not speak to Verde herself. What would Liz say? She did not have an appointment. Verde would not know who she was, or that she even existed, really. Lisbeth had been off the grid almost her whole life. Her brother, on the other hand, would probably be known having lived in the country. She quickly weighed her options as decided that the truth was her best bet. She gambled that Oriana would have to be a fool to turn her away once she revealed herself. And the woman who's image was staring down at her did not look it.

Lisbeth decided that she would just be herself. There was no reason to stage a facade or any deception. A smile tugged at the corner of Lisbeth's lip to become a crooked smile as her eyes relaxed from their widened state to normal.
"Ah, Guten Tag, Fraulein. (good day Miss.). Oriana Verde, I presume?. My Grandfather Koenig sends his regards." she said as her features turned to one of amusement and a full and genuine, if not somewhat mischievous smile.
'Shock and awe, baby. Shock and awe' She thought with an mental laugh. She may have been off the grid, but Koenig made sure she studied history and was current with world news. She's watched enough documentaries and CNN footage to be familiar with the term and its meaning.

Even though Lisbeth did not plan or intend it, Oriana would recognize that the term Fraulein is not used any more in German greetings. Only an old person (especially one that has been in hiding) that did not know of the obsolete status of the word might still use it. A young girl with such formal old-world mannerism might also hint at the credibility of her claim.

[Oriana Verde]

Lavender eyes didn’t leave the hologram even as Michelina’s words came to Oriana’s ears, and the only sign of recognition on the matter was the small tensing of her muscles. She didn’t know who this redhead was. She didn’t recognize her face, eyes, or anything, and that made her wary. Her features scantly changed as the woman on the other end of the line began to speak, yet the recognition of German came to her eyes- at least the first part of the statement, anyways. The last word ebbed at the corners of her mind, like something on the tip of one’s tongue, yet she put this away as the voice continued.

The fact that this girl- this apparent not-kid- knew her by name was more than a little unsettling considering Oriana could not name hers. Certainly there were more people in the world that knew her existence than she knew theirs- if only due to her Verde heritage, yet the fact the face on screen looked not at all familiar was not pleasing. The tips of Oriana’s fingers twitched below the line of camera sight but clear enough to Michelina should she glance there. The answer to her mental question seemed to come readily, however, yet it was not what she had expected in the least. For but a moment, lavender eyes widened before relaxing again. A…Koenig?

They’ve been off the radar for years… Oriana’s mind snapped out in protest at such things all too quickly, yet she was lucky enough such things did not make her lips as a different thought came to mind. How had a Koenig gotten in? Not in; she wasn’t in the lab yet… yet into the arcade, onto her front door. How had had a Koenig got onto her front door and she was only just hearing about this? Oriana’s lip twitched briefly as a series of mental swearing rose up from the ashes of her attempt at giving such words up, and it took her dignity as a Verde to remind her not to speak.

What do you want? Was the thought that came to mind after other mental words had settled for a few seconds. A small cough was the direct response as she gathered up the startled remnants of her business profile. “Appreciated,” was the first word from Oriana- which might have earned a pained laugh from the woman had she not been sealed in her statements and resolve to business. “Given name and business here, Miss Koenig?” Mechanical words worked the best for Oriana, and like a well-oiled machine, she spat them out carefully, controlled, if soullessly. Surprise at a grandchild walking up out of nowhere was hidden. Confusion at the situation was locked away. Oriana was, to say the least, an efficient person when she desired to be.

Ever still, it made her uneasy. Michelina could probably tell.

[Michelina Innocenti]

In all honesty, Michi hadn't expected a response from Oriana when she was talking to what was obviously a holographic projection. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why a child had found the door anyway. As the holograph's eyes grew wide, Michi found herself staring back into them, not sure quite what to make about this person that just appeared out of nowhere. The words that were spoken thereafter made Michi blink, unfamiliar with the German words that were spoken initially. Then the girl spoke Oriana's name, causing Michi to cover her mouth with both hands, stifling a gasp that would have been heard otherwise.

This wasn't good...how on earth did this child know Oriana? Judging from Oriana's reaction, she didn't know who this person was either which was even more alarming. What if they were here to take her back to that place...nothing would surprise Michi anymore after what she had seen. Stepping closer to Oriana, Michi took the greenette's hand and gave it a light squeeze, hopefully reassuring her in the process. The name Koenig caused Michi's eyes to grow this time in recognition of the name. He was one of the creators of the first boxes and rings....so...what was his granddaughter doing here?

Feeling Oriana tense, Michi squeezed her hand again, hoping that the gesture helped in some way. She had seen Oriana's business side before, certainly but this time she was more tense, uneasy even... If this Koenig did anything to hurt Oriana, Michi wouldn't think twice before using her flame to protect her. Even without a ring, Michi still had her cloak and it's protective properties. If need be she could use that instead or risk using her own flame to try and negate the attack. Oriana had saved her after all, and Michi didn't like seeing her so defensive and uneasy. If only this Koenig could just go away...but...why did they suddenly appear. The Koenig's hadn't been heard of for years...had something happened...?

Words: 337 | Notes: --- | Tags: Oriana Verde, Lisbeth A. Koenig

[Lisbeth A. Koenig]

The reaction from the Verde girl had much to be desired. It was cold and condencending, as far as Lisbeth was concerned. If it wasn't for the widening of the lavender eyes that stared back at her, and the twitch of the lips, Liz would have been fooled into thinking she made some error in judgement and was actually talking to an automaton or AI.

'What's with this girl. Really? Name and business?. Was she subject to some kind of Verde brainwashing or boot camp?' She mocked mentally, the smile once more wavering to turn serious, but not quite making it there. For some unknown reason a thought so absurd crossed her mind, that she started to giggle. It was a scene from on of her favorite movies. The one where the dwarf Gimli is asked why he was traveling with a man and an elf by a mounted Rohan soldier. 'Give me your name, Horse-master, and I shall give you mine' echoed in her head. And she may have used that line, but she already knew the Verde's name. Liz's hand came up to cover her mouth. She looked away briefly and shook her head making her pigtails sway. "I'm sorry. Its not you. I just had the weirdest though." The Koenig assured her before regaining her composure and again locking eyes with Oriana. The crooked smile, almost smirk was back. So, shock and awe didn't quite work out. The greenete's reaction was enough though. Liz knew that she had Oriana's attention. Lies were out. She could ill afford any mistrust right now. She continued with the truth.

"Look, I've been traveling for days. You wouldn't believe the details, and there are too many to speak of like this. Just let me in and we can talk. I'm Lizbeth. My dad was Sven Koenig. It would probably have been him here instead of me if he was still alive." She stated, averting her eyes towards the end.

Daddy was a sore spot for her. He'd died when she was just 5yo. Saving her none the less. And then was accused of causing the blaze in a drunken stupor. Liz knew better. No drunkard could have done what he had. She agreed with Koenig. He was murdered. She shook her head to stop the memories from haunting her. This was not the time.

Green eyes me Lavender ones again. "I am Grandfather's successor. Everything he knows of protoscience, he passed on to me. Why am I here?. Science!. Grandfather was in it for the money.  He spent a good portion of it keeping tabs on his friends and enemies alike. Its why I know you and the Innocenti girl are in this building. And that this building is a facade for a lab. That was his doing, not mine." Her eyes hardened. "Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it. -Albert Einstein." She quoted. "I am not my grandfather. Money is just an annoying reality of life. It buy materials needed and provides sustenance, nothing more."

Liz's eyes softened. "Take young researchers, put them together in virtual seclusion, give them an unprecedented degree of freedom and turn up the pressure by fostering competitiveness. -James D. Watson" She quoted again. "Grandfather's inventions and creativity have grown stale since he decided to disapear and go at it alone. Science cannot grow on just one person's ideals. One becomes apathetic. Mundane." She said, looking lost in thought. Grandfather had lost his passion. It was not just his advanced age. In the last eight years or so he had not come up with a single original item. It was Lisbeth's Alchemy that provided improvements to old ideas.

"I propose a partnership. Like our grandfathers before us had." She blushed, averting her eyes again. She was not naive. Her speech was one of a scholar. Of an adult. But the last few weeks had taught her that no matter how proper she spoke, her appearance was that of a child many years junior to her age. "I'm not just some kid, okay. I'm 18. I'm just.... short." she said with a wince. Her hands curled into fists. "A late bloomer" She spat out, the humiliation clear on her features.

Everywhere she went on her journey to where she was now, people thought she was just some kid who lost her parents or was a runaway. No one took her seriously, and she was afraid it would be the same case here. She was lucky to even be in Japan. She barely managed to get on the flight due to trouble with her documents. 'Thank you, Granddad. Bet you thought I'd come crawling back. You keep that pipe dream going.' Her brows creased for a moment as anger bubbled up then simmered.   She thought about the injustices she'd suffered, but she pushed it down. That was behind her.

Lisbeth knew It was not Oriana's fault. "Just give me a chance, k?." Lisbeth asked, Her eyes cast down. Memories of her visit to moms almost surfaced. She refused to let them. But the truth of the mater was that she could not go back there no more than she could go back to Germany. She had nowhere else to go, and only now was she coming to terms with that. "May I come in?" Liz pleaded without meaning to. She looked back up into the eyes of the hologram of Oriana. She could not help the defiance that slowly etched into her features. God!.. she was a child after all. Tears wanted to well. She fought to keep them from forming.  She thought she could suffer no bigger humiliation. But laying herself bare like this..... It was unbearable. It had better pay off, or she was going to kill something till it died of it. The whole damn planet was a "something".

[Oriana Verde]

Fingers had encircled her own, and briefly lavender eyes had swayed from the hologram meeting Michelina’s features as the younger girl had made the gesture of comfort. In ways that she could not put to words, it was indeed that: comfort, and in a brief ironic moment of clarity, Oriana realized it was one of the few times that someone had taken her hand in such a gesture. Certainly she had been led as a child, but those had been times of fast pace, only used in a ditch effort to keep her from slipping into a crowd when her father was out. The thought was put away as quickly as it had been drawn out as eyes flashed forwards again.

A green eyebrow rose at the gesture of a laugh that transpired across the hologram system, and thin lips pressed together in question. However, the younger woman’s assertion that it was not her doing that had caused it was accepted for the most part. Weird thoughts did come at random intervals- though it still was not the place to laugh. What was unexpected was the appeal to her social decency, though in retrospect, Oriana supposed it was a natural reaction to one standing on the door step wanting in. As the answers unfolded, however, Oriana was left with still more questions. Her father was dead; that was obvious, yet what business would they have had regardless? Multiple answers came to mind, yet Oriana dismissed them all. She did not wish for her imagination to conjure up why this girl was here. She wanted the words from those lips. Qualifications were given, and Oriana could not help but compare them to a job application in a way. It was business in one form or another, after all. What caused a flicker again in those lavender pools was the mention of science.

There were probably many things one could say about Oriana, yet the most obvious thing to escape most lips was the fact that the young woman was a scientist. In all that she was, she had pledged herself to science- whether for the right reasons or not was always to be debated, but never the less. In a strange sort of moment, she felt a kindred spirit, akin to the first time she had laid eyes on Michelina, and in a bitter reflection on the past, she halfheartedly wondered if this had been what her own grandfather had felt when meeting this one’s grandfather. Despite herself, a twitch of a smile came to Oriana’s features. Somewhere in the back of her mind, however, the thought that she had been proverbially and literally stalked to the point that someone was aware of Michelina’s presence in her lab was not something she enjoyed.

Though she was not a literary being, Oriana recognized and understood both quotes well enough, and in a roundabout way, she had come to the conclusion of why Lisabeth was there even before it was stated. The irony of the situation- or perhaps the parallel of it in the way it reverberated from history of old- was almost amusing, yet Oriana was still not one to readily trust. Certainly a partnership sounded good on paper, but in the world filled to the bloody brim with mafia, it was never that simple.

What words came after, however, caused Oriana to blink slowly. After having finished college at a young age, it had not come to her mind to consider anyone lesser for being younger. It was intelligence that mattered, what one could do with her mind that counted. Who cared if one was ten or a hundred if she could not reason, think, and use the things that had been handed out from generation’s past? Briefly, Oriana’s eye slipped to Michelina. The girl was two years younger yet showed such promise with box designs and technology. Even if she had yet to learn how to make a ring, Oriana had not forgotten what they had been doing prior to this not at all, she had shown strength and ingenuity elsewhere. She was only seventeen, not yet legal to most of the world, and yet a prodigy. No, Liz hadn’t needed to say such things even though she had. Oriana knew never to judge a box by its cover- hah, pun.

A soft sigh echoed form Oriana. Alright, she had defensive mosca if necessary and one girl was no bigger threat then the idiots that seemed to feel compelled to enter her lab of their own desire anyways. She’d see. In but a moment, Oriana reached forwards pressing a button on the box causing the elevator that she had called to move instead down to the bottom floor while she and Michelina remained simply in the elevator room. “The lift is coming,” was all Oriana stated before shutting off the hologram as the sounds of the elevator on the move vibrated her ears. It would be at the bottom floor prominently, and Liz would find the doors opening to her soon enough. Whenever the girl stepped in, the elevator would take her to the very floor Oriana and Michi were on, no buttons needing to be pressed.

Meanwhile watching the hologram disappear, Oriana let out a soft sigh, her gaze directing itself towards Michelina after a moment. “It seems we will have to work on your ring in a bit,” she mumbled falling out towards the end as though speaking more to herself than to Michelina. She supposed the situation could not be helped timing wise. Briefly, Oriana glanced down to her hand still being held before briefly abet awkwardly raising to set it atop Michelina’s. “We have a guest,” was the calm wording that came as lavender eyes met red ones. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take too long.” Oriana wasn’t sure about that statement.

[Michelina Innocenti]

As Michi watched the hologram of the girl who claimed to be a descendant of Koenig, she couldn't help but wonder how this place had been found. As far as Michi knew, the security was good, or so Oriana had assured her on several different occasions after she'd woken up from a nightmare. Still...if a kid could find this place and locate the hidden door that did not bode well for the lab's security to say the least. Michi couldn't help but be the slightest bit frightened at the prospect of anyone else finding this place...if they knew she was here, they could take her away again. That was why she had spent so much time making the box that was now concealed in her pocket. The last thing Michi wanted was for this girl to find out about her sky flame. Ori-onee knew now and that was alright...Michi had wanted to tell her eventually after all but this girl...no, she needn't know what her flame was.

The laugh at Oriana's question caused Michi to stiffen slightly. Of all the things the girl could have done, she was going to laugh? The apology thereafter and explanation that followed was enough for now but Michi didn't think that she liked this girl that would make light of a question Ori-onee asked of her. Did the kid, Lisbeth apparently, forget that she had in a sense knocked at their door and not the other way around? Well, at least it seemed that Liz was telling the truth about being a Koenig...or so it seemed. Michi didn't trust this Liz at all and even as she explained her reason for being there, because of science, Michi only grew more leery of the girl by the minute. Science was the very reason she had been taken from her father after all and by itself was not a good enough reason to be allowed into the lab, at least not to Michi.

Perhaps if this girl-Liz hadn't laughed at Oriana or made her uneasy, Michi might have had a better opinion of her. As it stood, every argument that the girl made to be allowed inside only served to remind Michi of her time in that dark place. They had only been interested in science too, the production of bigger and better boxes that they were blinded by everything else. To them, Michi had been nothing but a tool to be used and though Michi did enjoy science, she did not like to be reminded of the time she spent there. Fear wrapped its icy tendrils around her heart right then as she listened to the kid plead her case some more. It seemed enough to appease Oriana and that should have been enough for Michi but she simply couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mistake. They shouldn't let her in the lab, nobody should come in, least of all a girl they had just met.

The words thereafter about Liz not being a kid caused Michi to blink, not sure why the girl had decided to share that information to begin with. The credentials stated prior to the sudden appeal to not be seen as a kid seemed to have been enough for Oriana after all and in the end, it was her choice whether the girl stayed or left. Please...Michi pleaded internally,Say no...just say no... Unfortunately, it seemed that her pleas went unheard as Oriana sent the lift to the girl anyway. Michi could hardly breathe and surely looked as if she had seen a ghost as the blood drained from her face. Terrified red eyes looked up at lavender eyes as she heard Oriana say something about working on the ring later. No, this was wrong...it wasn't supposed to happen this way...

"You should've said no..."came the soft reply thereafter as Michi struggled to keep her rising panic at bay,"Why didn't you say no...she knew I was here...nobody's supposed to know..."she continued, eyes already brimming with unshed tears. "She-...she could be one of them... I-...I don't want to leave..."Michi continued, hardly making any sense in her panicked state. Oriana's assurance that it wouldn't take long fell on deaf ears as she more or less clung to the greenette,"Don't make me leave..."Michi whimpered, her voice quivering slightly as she spoke. In Michi's mind, the only explanation of why the girl knew she was there was because she knew Oriana had taken her. For all they knew, the girl could be lying, the appeal could have been to convince Oriana to let her in by talking about science. There had been no proof that Liz was who she said she was after all. The thought of being taken away from Ori-onee, from the lab, from what had become her home terrified Michi to no end. She didn't want to go back there and if this girl was one of them that was exactly what would happen.

Words: 852 | Notes: She's so scared | Tags: Oriana Verde, Lisbeth A. Koenig

[Oriana Verde]

Michi had blanched, and Oriana’s lips pressed together in recourse. The look reflected in those red eyes was nothing short of terror, and even before Michelina had begun to speak, Oriana knew she was upset. Pale lips pressed together as the younger woman began to speak. The mesh of words that escaped into the air revealed the fear, but rather than reciprocate the feelings, Oriana set a hand on Michelina’s shoulder before stepping closer the gesture of a small hug meant for comfort given. Such gestures had once been awkward for the scientist- and were still awkward should anyone save for the little girl in front of her desired them- however, to Oriana, Michi would probably always be some small creature of sorts she’d pulled from that annoying lab and deserved some form of comfort.

“Breathe, Michelina…” Oriana ordered softly after a moment, her tone of a calm sort of control. “No one is taking you anywhere. There are defensive Mosca here for a reason, and I have Chu and Il Faro on me should there be a problem. This is our home turf, and I am not defenseless nor are you.” Releasing her briefly from the hug, Oriana fished a familiar green box from her lab coat, the style and design of lightning across its sides. With her ring still on her finger from earlier, Oriana ignited her flame, the sharp electric green sparks cackling a little before she inserted the ring into the hole of the box. The lid flashed open and a familiar yellow mouse came bounding out shortly thereafter to land upon the floor. Ears and nose twitching with a few small sparks of electrical flame, Chu squeaked out a greeting before quickly climbing up Oriana’s leg and hip to sit at her shoulder leaning forwards just a little to stare at Michelina. Oriana didn’t even flinch as he did so. It had become too natural to her in years past.

Reaching her hand back to set itself briefly on Chu, Orina gave the mouse an ear scratch briefly before pulling him gently off her shoulder and holding him out to Michelina carefully. The mouse blinked hanging there in between his owners hands for a moment glancing back in confusion. “We have a guest coming, Chu, I want you to keep Michelina safe no matter what,” Oriana ordered sternly. The small electrical mouse gave the best salute he could given circumstances and glanced back at Michelina squeaking that he’d do so! He had attacks if necessary! He may be small but he wasn’t to be underestimated!

[Michelina Innocenti]

As terrified as Michi was, Oriana's arms around her did give her some form of comfort. She usually felt better when she was with Oriana but the only thing she could think about right then was the dark place she was held as a prisoner that time. Everyday had been a nightmare and the mere thought of being taken back to that dark place was debilitating. Burying her head against Oriana, Michi clung to her, afraid that if she would let go, even for a moment that her worst fears would come true after all. If they knew that she was here, in Oriana's lab, then it was only a matter of time before they tried to take her back there and that was the last thing Michi wanted to happen. She liked the lab, it had been her home for the past year and she didn't want to leave...not like this.

The soft command to breathe interrupted Michi's thoughts as she looked up into Oriana's eyes. As Oriana continued, Michi couldn't help the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she explained that she wasn't going anywhere, this time out of relief. That was right, this was their home...there were defenses in place and boxes... Michi still had her cloak after all and though it was defensive, at least it was something. When Oriana released her, Michi watched as she pulled out a box and ignited her flame. Lightning crackled and sparked, drawing red eyes to its flame before they were inserted into the box. Chu appeared and sparked briefly with the same lightning flame before climbing onto Oriana's shoulder, eliciting a small laugh from Michi. She had seen the small mouse do so often enough but even still it never ceased to amuse her.

In her first days at the lab, Chu had been one of the few things that Michi let approach her. Box animals weren't bad after all, they only did as they were told and had personalities of their own. Chu was sweet and adorable and it was one of Michi's favorite pass times to play with the mouse. Smiling slightly, Michi watched as Oriana pet Chu briefly before holding him out to her. At first, Michi was as confused as Chu apparently was but understood what was happening quickly enough and took Chu, snuggling him close much like a child would hold a stuffed animal.

"Thank you, Ori-onee..."Michi murmured, already feeling better about the situation. She still didn't know if this Lisbeth was telling the truth or if she simply painted a pretty picture to be admitted entrance to the lab. Either way, Michi was not as scared as before. It was going to be alright, how could it not be. A bell chimed, indicating that the elevator had arrived, startling Michi slightly in the process. Holding Chu closer to her as if he was some type of shield, Michi stepped behind Oriana, not wanting to be seen by Lisbeth immediately. If there was any chance that this Lisbeth was affiliated with them, Michi felt a little safer this way.

Words: 521 | Notes: --- | Tags: Oriana Verde, Lisbeth A. Koenig

[Lisbeth A. Koenig]

The words were simple ones. Nothing complicated, uncommon, or fancy that one would need to look up in a dictionary to know the meaning of. "The lift is coming" was what the Verde said, yet Lisbeth could not comprehend them at the moment. Her features were screwed up in confusion as she chewed on the words and tried to extract their real values. She was dissecting the words needlessly, looking for a hidden meaning. Some ulterior scientific meaning that did not exist. Lucky for Liz, the hologram had flickered off immediately after the words were said. It saved her from another humiliating moment. "The lift?.... is coming" She mumbled, repeating the words. Mulling them over in her mind. It was not until the light for the ground floor turned on followed by a very light chime that she blinked and snapped out of it.

'The lift... Wait, that's it? I'm in? She thought as she came to terms with the simple meaning of the words. Liz was not used to "simple" she was used to complex and seemingly impossible. She was conditioned to look at the big picture and not the obvious. It took her that minute to realize that when not working, she had to narrow her view to the simple basics. It was not the first time this had happened. There were several times since she left Germany where caught in that loop.

As the doors slid open though, something else she slighted to temper sprang to action. Lisbeth jumped back to put distance between her and the elevator as she instinctively reached for her daggers. It was a programmed automatic reaction of years of martial arts weapons training fueled by paranoia. However, she was caught off guard since she was not paying attention. She was supposed to have been aware of her surrounding at all times. Her backward jump ended abruptly when her back and back of her head hit the arcade machine that had slid back into place after it slid out of the way to reveal the elevator. Liz saw stars when she impacted the machine. She rebounded off and fell forward to her hands and knees in front of the now open elevator doors. Twin daggers went skidding out of her grip and into the lift when she put her hands out to break the fall. "OW!" 'Stupid Stupid Stupid!' Lisbeth exclaimed while mentally scolding herself.

Her training in a controlled environment with open floor space did nothing to prepare her for these close quarters. She simply had no field experience. Just her classroom training. She was in a strange and unknown place and had had doubts that she was speaking to a live human being. The Verde's responses and actions were almost cyborg like. Mechanical. With this in mind, she did not know what to expect. She knew that the Verde and Innocenti girls were in the building, but there were 7 floors. There could be dozens of employees that she knew nothing about. Her files were focused on the former friends and their relatives. If there was a detailed file with data on this facility, Lisbeth had failed to secure it before leaving.

While she may have just called herself stupid, Liz was not. Based on the technology of the entry security system, anything was possible. That brilliant mind churned again. The arcade was the first layer of security. A facade. Dozens of innocent bystanders. Human shields, so to speak. No one would launch a massed frontal attack during business hours. Second layer was the hidden elevator. No other access up. If there was a stairwell or other fire escape required by building codes, they were so well hidden that there was nothing in Koenig's files about them. Her grandfather's warnings that she needed to be on guard at all times came to mind. He'd warned her time and again that she, her brother, and her mother were supposed to have perished in the fire that killed her father. Mom and Leon lived a normal life. They would be left alone. Liz, However, was a different story. She was the one who inherited Koenig's vast knowledge and research. Once she was back on the grid, those who missed their targets years ago would try again. Grandfather made sure he made that clear over the years.

Lisbeth felt a pang of fear. All her life since she was 5yo and was taken in by Koening she has been told she is on someone's hit-list. That to resurface in the world would mean her death. Her eyes flew open and her head snapped up to look at the elevator car. Had there been someone on that elevator to kill her, she would have been dead. She scrambled to her feet and rushed into the elevator to retrieve her daggers. She wanted a minute to compose herself and get ready for.... Liz stopped herself. For what?. No one knew she was here. The orders for her death would have to be made by the boss of whatever mafia family originally put the hit on her dad. She almost reigned herself in. However, another detail became apparent: the lack of the normal buttons to push to open and close the doors, or even to select a floor were non existent. Liz's head whipped left and right to glance at all four corners of the elevator car. The doors slid closed and panic set it. "What the hell is this! Hey!!" She yelled, gripping the waist height rail that adorned three sides of her dungeon.

Okay, it wasn't exactly a dungeon. Not in the dark and rusty-chains sense. Lisbeth was in a small elevator car with plain walls, plain floor, and well.... plain everything. Spotless. Sterile. Cold. The lift started its upward movement and Liz staggered back until she felt the wall behind her. The metal walls felt cool against the skin of her arms, hard and unyielding. Fluorescent lights made the brushed stainless metal gleam in a way that felt harsh to her eyes in her panicked state. She was trapped. In the back of her mind, she knew she was over-reacting, but she couldn't stop herself. What if Grandfather was right? What if it wasn't the Mafia but the Verdes or Innocenti or both who'd killed her father. Did she just walk right into her own demise? What would happen to her once those doors opened.

No one knew she was here except her Grandfather, and he'd already made it clear that once she left, she was on her own. Lisbeth stared at the doors before her and had a growing disoriented feeling: that the walls and ceiling were closing in around her. Like she couldn't breath. Like the walls of the lift were pushing in to take up all the available air. Her breathing grew shallow and she was literally panting. She semi-crouched into a defensive stance. Her blades in her hand came up in front of her with her right hand extended with the left parallel and four inches behind. She almost looked formidable . If only her hands would stop shaking excessively. The elevator slowed and the chime dinged. Eyes wide, she paled. The doors were going to open, and she had no idea what to expect. The thought of a dozen blood thirsty mafioso's rushing at her poisoned her mind. Lisbeth almost kindled her cloud flames to enhance her blades and tensed her muscles to launch into an attack. Surprise was her only option. If she could kill the enemy directly in front of her she could rush through the gap and maybe her speed would aford her to get into an open area where she could fight effectively. But what if she was wrong? A mistake could cost her new allies. but also her life. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Onee-chan, what do I do. Help me! She pleaded the thought of Leon. He always had good advice. If only he were there. The doors opened and Lisbeth did not launch into an attack. Whether it was paralyzing terror or an actual decision would be up for debate at a later time.

Anyone in the elevator lobby would see a frightened Lisbeth in a defensive crouch with her back against the back of the elevator. Her breath coming in short gasps. Her blades, shaking in her hands, her head and eyes wild and darting in all directions looking for a threat before focusing on Oriana.

[Oriana Verde]

Feeling a different set of arms around him, Chu gazed up at Michi before finding himself compressed in a small hug. Had it been anyone but Michelina (and Oriana of course), he might have panicked and shocked something however, it was not the case. The girl whose arms he was now in had been at the lab for some time, and he knew her well enough. She was more timid than he was even! A few squeaks of assurance, or attempted assurance, that everything would be alright escaped from the mouse as he brought his cheek up against Michi’s and rubbed against her the best he could.

Oriana exhaled in a small sigh of relief when it seemed that Michelina was soothed at least in part with Chu there. Though her mind had been more readily answering the question of protection that Michi had nervously brought up, Oriana was also aware that he would serve another purpose: a different form of soothing that came with something to hug. It was un-businesslike to pause even for a moment and give a hug of comfort to someone else when the attention was predominately meant for the one who had started it, and it would be a sign of weakness to have one of her subordinates on the verge of a nervous breakdown when the elevator opened. Thus, Oriana had fought or a solution in the last few seconds and come up with at least something. The thanks earned a small nod before Oriana’s head turned towards the dinging door, her ears being the thing to catch Michelina’s steps as she had moved behind her.

Steel doors opened but a second thereafter revealing the girl from the other end of the hologram crouched and shaking more akin to a caged animal than a calm intellectual. Lavender eyes flashed and reflected against the knives the girl was holding, yet their excessive erratic movement and their owner’s fearful look gave clues as to why they were out in the first place. Rather than be afraid and defensive towards the smaller threats, Oriana deadpanned. Was this little girl scared too? Arceus what the hell was going on? She just managed to soothe one rabbit and she got another one walking in the door?

Rather than approach Lisbeth or even step back to give her more room, Oriana allowed her gaze to readily meet those sharp green eyes allowing her own to reflect a calm, ordered, business appearance. “Lower your knives, Lisbeth daughter of Sven Koenig,” was the surprisingly sharp order that escaped from Oriana’s throat. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she flinched at her own words briefly. She would not tolerate threats even from one who appeared to be afraid in her own right- though from what at all Oriana didn’t know and couldn’t understand anyways. Michelina had already shown fear, and the last thing Oriana needed right then and there was for more of it to jump up at the sight of weapons. She could deal with this situation; she could work this situation. She had dealt with worse, armed idiots breaking into the lab at the tip of the iceberg. No, she’d keep control of this situation. Even if the hairs at the back of her neck were standing on end. Oriana sucked in a breath shortly thereafter. “If you don’t, there will be consequences to your foolish actions,” her words didn’t waver ven for a second despite her stomach now tensing.

[Lisbeth A. Koenig]

Her survey of the elevator lobby showed no other persons or threats, only the figure standing before her. It was the Verde girl, in the flesh and not a hit-man or a gang of goons. Green eyes locked onto Lavender ones and the seconds seemed to tick by ever so slowly as if an hour at a time. The lavender eyes sharpened at the sight of Liz's blades. This was a reaction she anticipated so she paid that no mind. When they came up to meet hers, the gaze was cool and calm. There was nothing in them that hinted at a threat or critical assessment of Liz. It's as if Lisbeth was not a threat at all. In any other situation, Liz may have seen this as an insult. She knew she was lethal if the need arose for her to use force for either defense or offense. She'd trained for almost half her life in the use of her chosen weapons, and also in a wide variety of blades of all types and sizes.

The calm, collected posture of the person before her, however, was catching. The fears in her mind melted away to allow for the normal logical self to gain dominance. The sharp order for Liz to lower her weapons reached Lizbeth's ears, and only then did she realize she'd been holding her breath. She expelled the air in her lungs in a sort of sigh of relief. Her hands, however did not lower her readied weapons right away. The tone and words used by the Verde were still something that kept a red flag waving in the air. Did girls her age talk like that? None of the teens she'd run into did. 'What's with her?.' Did this girl just have a thing for the Terminator cyborg from those old Schwarzenegger movies? Technology did not yet exist, even in current times for a perfect humanoid shaped cyborg.

The sucking in of a breath brought her focus back to the Verde girl. The second command that followed and notice about consequences caught Lisbeth totally off guard. She watched for a moment. Oriana's chest rose and fell with breath. No, this girl before her was no machine. She was very much human, Liz was certain of that now. Knowing that, her hands steadied, and her crouched ready stance eased so that she slowly stood straight. Liz's hands lowered to her sides and before she could even think to control her outburst, She snorted and started to laugh, taking her eyes off Oriana as her head lowered.

There Liz was, ready to throw herself at a torrent of an attack. The overreaction in the elevator. The humiliation of literally begging to be granted entry. She thought she was going to dies, for Christ sake!. All of it in perspective, it was either cry or laugh. The figure before her and the whole cyborg thing she seemed to have going in her communicating simply tipped the scale to the latter. It was simply overwhelming relief at avoiding what she thought might have been her last moments of life. It was just ridiculous. Totally absurd. Just an unreal moment. "'Okay, You've had your fun, Old man.'" She thought to herself, mumbling the words softly while imagining this to be an elaborate hoax by her grandfather. He did like to watch the old re-runs of punked and candid camera and all those other old tv shows about pranks and stuff. She could picture him laughing at her from a video monitor what slide down from the ceiling. Siting in his plush chair back in Germany with a smug look on his face. Mocking her and telling her to cease her foolish ambitions and return home. She couldn't help laughing. It was just comical the way life took its liberties. She dismissed that outlandish thought almost immediately, but it was too late to stop the outburst.

Lisbeth dropped her daggers as she almost doubled over in laughter. She kicked them out of the elevator to slide across the polished floor to come to a rest at Oriana's feet. She immediately brought a hand up to cover her mouth as she took in a breath. Her other hand was waving off her outburst. "Oh my god!. I'm so sorry. It's just the elevator thing. And then the other thing with, you know. And I thought you..... and wow. I thought I was dead there for a minute." She rambled, her mind far outpacing her spoken words to make her sound ridiculous. "And I'm going to want those back" Liz said after another breath and an end to the laughter. Her eyes focused on her daggers at Oriana's feet, and that's when she noticed that the Verde had four of them. Liz sobered quickly as she followed the 2nd pair of legs up to where they disappeared at the hem of Oriana's lab coat. Squashing outright any thoughts that might have flashed about the cyborg hypothesis, she remembered the other voice she heard earlier over the speaker. The sister?...

Lisbeth took a few cautious steps forward. The elevator door sensors picked up the fact that she exited and the steel doors slid closed behind her, just barely avoiding trapping one of her long red pigtails that come down to waist length. Her head tilted to the left as she studied the whitish locks that had a hue or tint. Almost like a soft pink that peeked out from behind Oriana from what she was sure was a girl she knew to be hiding there.

[Oriana Verde]

As the redhead had eased up from her crouched position, Oriana forced her frame not to fidget where she stood. It took everything in her not to react completely to such a subtle motion with her nerves borderline fried already, but she managed it well enough for a nineteen year old anyways. What transpired thereafter, however, cracked the glass. The snort and laugh earned a scowl of disdain and a look of skepticism at best, her hand reached up subtly to run through green locks of hair in an effort to keep herself calm. If only because her eyes remained on Liz’s features did Oriana catch the mumble of lips though what was said escaped her. What in Arceus’s name was this girl even thinking? As the daggers were dropped and the girl dropped to laugh kicking the very things that had set Oriana on edge out of her own reach, the greenette allowed a more somber calm overtake her, purple eyes reflecting in the blades that were now deposited by her feet. This girl was either as loony as they came or someone who had a sense of humor beyond herself. Either way, Oriana didn’t particularly like it.

The explanation of the laughter came in chunks, the first of apology and then the rest in minor phrases that made little sense to Oriana on first glance, and even the fullest last statement earned a small eyebrow raise as Oriana’s mind ticked over what had just transpired. Briefly lavender eyes flickered down to the blades, and had Michelina not been hiding directly behind her, Oriana might have bent to seize them up from the floor. Instead, a shoe came to press down on the blade making it clear retrieving it was not going to be an option for a while.

As Liz slowly drew out of the elevator, Oriana’s gaze raised itself to her again. “I don’t see what’s so funny,” was the flat, matter of fact statement that escaped from those pale lips as Oirana did everything in her power to control her voice and tone. This was still business, and she swore she’d dealt with things of this nature more than not. She’d grown up in the mafia realm; threats were common. Then why was she fighting so much to keep her usual cool? Honestly when she was truthful with herself, it was for Michelina that Oriana was worried. She had made sure to keep the bulk of those who came into the lab for boxes and whatever else away from her Innonceti. If she’d been thinking more clearly at the time, Oriana might have sent Michelina away to another room, yet there was little she could do now on the subject.

“Though I surely hope you bring more to the table than your display in the elevator and rampant unintelligible attempt at humor,” Oriana’s words escaped into the air reverberating an almost scolding tone. Had she been older, one might have mistaken her for a mother scolding a child, yet at the moment it was the best Oriana could do for the situation that had worked her up. “I will warn you now if you bring any threat of harm or otherwise to my lab assistant or myself, the consequences will not be light.” After a moment, Oriana allowed a breath to be taken, her calm coming back again.

[Michelina Innocenti]

Chu's reassurance of sorts that she was safe did make Michi feel slightly better as the elevator doors opened revealing Lisbeth crouched in a corner wielding twin blades. Closing her eyes, Michi hid behind Oriana, uttering a small squeak that sounded similar to one of Chu's. Had Michi been in her right mind she would have realized that Lisbeth's reaction had been because of fear and not because she was getting ready to attack. Oriana's sharp words ordering Lisbeth to stand down helped remind Michi that they weren't helpless after all. This was their lab and they made the rules which included whether Lisbeth was even allowed to do...whatever she wanted with the lab in the first place. Sure Lisbeth had said something about wanting to work together earlier but Michi wasn't entirely certain if she believed the story of the so called Koenig who came out of nowhere.

The clatter of metal on the ground made Michi jump as she heard the unmistakable sound of laughter. Nothing was funny that Michi could see as she peeked out from behind Oriana, but could only see the strange girl laughing about nothing. The elevator? There was nothing amusing about the elevator...it was simply a method of transportation, nothing else. Was there another reason that the so called Koenig girl was laughing? A brief scan of the surrounding area revealed nothing out of the ordinary, or at least nothing that Michi could see as she snuggled Chu a little closer to her. The scrape of metal on metal startled Michi as the knives skidded across the room to land at Oriana's feet.

Footsteps were heard as Lisbeth closed the distance between them as Oriana scolded her about the inappropriate display of laughter in the elevator. There was simply nothing funny about it no matter how Michi looked at it and Oriana wasn't one for nonsense, especially when the so called Koenig girl had come to them in the first place. The last words from Oriana reassured Michi that she was safe especially with Chu in her arms. Oriana wouldn't let anything happen to her, she was safe here...in their lab. The supposed Koenig girl couldn't do anything if Oriana wouldn't allow it. Red eyes peered into green one as Michi stepped out from behind Oriana slightly, Chu still held close to her much like a one would hold a plushie. Michi didn't trust this Lisbeth but considering that the girl appeared to be a child, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all....

Still, with what Lisbeth had mentioned earlier about knowing that there was an Innocenti in the lab...Michi didn't know what to think. If this child was affiliated with them in any way, they would stop at nothing to get her back. Holding Chu closer to her, Michi nuzzled the mouse lightly and stepped behind Oriana again, not wanting to be closer to the child than she had to.

Words: 495 | Notes: --- | Tags: Oriana Verde, Lisbeth A. Koenig