She ran her fingers through her hair, looking more and more panicked. "They trust me, Cassian. They trust me!" * * * "More or less, Sparky?" * * * "I'm really busy!" * * * She pursed her lips. "You're pretty excited about this."
"It'll be fine, Fina," he said, approaching the security cameras. "It's for a good cause." *** "Neither. Why do you like complimenting me?" *** She tilted her head. "What were you gonna do?" *** "I've been really bored since I quit newspaper."
A password flashed up on the screen and she ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "It's not right..." * * * "You get this funny little look on your face when I say it." * * * He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm meeting up with Hazel. Or, I was planning to." * * * She laughed slightly. "That's cute," she said idly, slipping her hands in her pocket.
He looked over at her. "Fina, It'll be fine." *** She squinted at him. "Rude." *** She looked up at him curiously. "Whose Hazel?" *** He pursed his lips. "What."
She put her hands up to her head. "Cass... I feel really, really badly." * * * "How do you figure?" * * * He looked down at her, equally curious. "My girlfriend." * * * She looked up at him, looking puzzled. "What?"
He approached her with a frown, looking down at her before lightly patting the top of her head. "It'll be just fine. Besides, Maverick is the one who wanted this." *** "I don't make funny looks," she said stubbornly. *** She nodded slightly. "Well.. If you want to then I could just do this part by myself." *** "Cute?"
She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide with nerves. "So I'm doing this for Maverick? I barely know the guy! Years of building up trust with my professors and this is what I'm doing with it?" * * * "Sure you do, Sparky. Don't get me wrong, they're lovely. But funny." * * * He raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Nah, angel. Thanks, though. Let's just get this done." * * * "Yes. Cute. It means to be compelled to something because it is endearing or pretty."
"No, you're not doing it for Maverick, per se. You can do it for any reason you want. Maybe so the girl that was killed can finally have her attacker known. I only bring up Maverick cause if we get caught then the blame goes to him." *** "...Your face is funny all the time." *** She had an air of relief and nodded. "If you say so, then." *** "So.. Endearing then?"
She was hanging onto every word before she gave him a brief but nice hug. "Thanks for helping me do this *squee!*ty thing," she said, sitting at the desk and typing in the password. * * * He gasped. "That is so mean!" * * * "What about you? How's your love life?" * * * "I suppose. That is the definition. Why do you ask?"
He nodded slightly before watching the computer screen. *** She grinned at him. "Feel the burn." *** She hesitated, squinting as she thought of what to say. "Desolate?" *** "No reason," he said easily.
She began to move back, watching the camera screens. There was a static at the time of the murder and she groaned. "Of course. We lost all power." * * * "Oh, shut up." * * * "That's so sad," he replied flatly. "You should find someone." * * * "Does it bother you?"
"Well find the girl before it went out. See who was near her." *** She put her finger to his shoulder and made a sizzling sound. *** She frowned slightly. "I don't really want to find somebody. I'm fine with where I am." *** "..No," he said. "I'm fine."
She frowned, moving back the clock to see when the cameras resumed. She frowned when they flickered to life again. “Whoa...” *** He draped an arm over her shoulders playfully. “I am hot. Thank you for noticing.” *** “Are you? Aren’t you lonely at all?” *** “Great,” she replied lightly. “Then don’t be weird about it.”
He frowned. "What?" *** She laughed. "Wow. That's not how I meant it, but okay." *** "Um.. No, I guess not. I have all of my friends." *** "Hm," he muttered. "Good point."
She frowned, winding back the cameras and pointing to the top right corner, where one screen was almost hidden. It stared out across the field and as the time moved, large grey storm clouds rolled across, thundering loudly. *** “Deny it. I dare you.” *** He laughed slightly. “If you say so.” *** “I make a lot of good points,” she said with a small nod.
He squinted. "Maybe they have weather powers? Did a lightning strike cause the blackout?" *** She raised an eyebrow at him playfully. "I don't have to." *** She nodded decisively. "I do say so." *** He smiled slightly as the approached the place. "Occasionally."
"I'm not sure," she said with a frown, playing the footage forward. There was no sound, but suddenly, the screen they were looking at lit up before the entire thing was reduced to static. * * * "Because I already know? That's a low blow, Sparky." * * * "So... who do you hang out with? Besides Theo." * * * "All the time," she countered, stopping at the scene. Everything had been cleaned and the body transported elsewhere. "What are we looking for?"
"Is that a yes?" *** "I don't have to deny it because you're not wrong," she said smoothly. *** She hesitated, frowning slightly. "People.." *** He looked around at the lockers. "Clues, I guess."
"I don't know," she said quietly. "But that's what it seems like..." She ran her fingers through her hair nervously. * * * He blinked, looking over at her suddenly. "Sorry?" * ** "Name three," he replied. * * * The lockers had locks on them. "If you say so."
He nodded slowly. "Have you written any encounters with someone with weather powers?" *** She raised her eyebrows at him. "Bet you weren't expecting that." *** "I can't name three." *** He sighed. "Do you have any ideas?"
