Kannan-ni atte hajimete shinyū-wo shiru.

[sonoflongshot]

((Takes place shortly after this.))

Aiden took the lead in calling Valeria. He figured he should since he was being the most calm about the invasion of privacy. It was a weird sensation being the calm one. He decided he didn't like it.

He also wanted to be the one to call Val. He understood why she had gone to be with her family, but he missed having her around. Also, he wasn't sure wherever she went people were making sure she ate like he did. They probably were since she was with family, but he still had itty bitty doubts that one of his special hallmarks was taken over.

He cleared his throat and hit Valeria's number on his phone's speed dial. He fidgeted in place before leaning on a nearby wall to try to seem calm and cool. She would only hear his voice, but sometimes presentation was everything.

Comments

[valeria_richards]

She'd really had been living with her brother these past few weeks than her parents. The quiet child that just simply couldn't reconnect to them and wouldn't be able to for a long time. Franklin and her relationship was stronger than it had been in years on the plus side, but from what Valeria understood, she'd be losing her brother's attention sooner or later.

And that was all right, they were adults now. She was paging through a book, Bad Astronomy, when the familiar tune of Material Girl sang on her phone. For a moment, she remembered the medium days. The days before her parents were discovered, the years after she accepted their death. The light days were before their death, when Valeria had been arrogant. She rolled off the chair to reach the phone and flipped on, "Hello?"

[sonoflongshot]

"Val?" Of course it was. It was her number. Aiden grinned despite himself.

"It's Aiden! I hope you're doing well, and we haven't talked in awhile. I'd like to sometime soon, but I'm, uhm, calling because we New Mutants need your help."

[valeria_richards]

The voice was familiar. Very familiar. She could even hear the smile of one of her best friends.

Valeria had to swallow for a second before answering, "Hi, yes, it's me." She took another breath, hand covering the receiver and then answered, "It's be far too long, hasn't it? Gosh, I'm actually staring to feel ashamed I lived in New Jersey, it's been that long."

She frowned hearing the request for help, "What happened? Is Sara okay? She didn't get hurt in the Jay situation?"

[sonoflongshot]

"It's been forever by my reckoning, but you know how patient I am," he joked gently. He scratched the back of his head.

"Sara is... spitting angry and so is Angel. Jay situation? I don't think she's been hurt lately." He completely missed the news about a rampaging Hulk in NYC. He was distracted by a yellow bloat ruining things. "Mojo managed to get cameras into the base somehow. He taped in my bedroom and Sara's. Then he edited things and put out a sex tape of Sara and me on the internet. We need help to find and get rid of the cameras."

[valeria_richards]

"You're the most impatient little devil I know. Worst than I am." No, Aiden knew when to be patient as far as Valeria was concerned. That's what really mattered.

"If she's not concerned about that, it sounds she's okay." Valeria assured him over the phone. She'll explain it to him later when she gets there -- if she gets there. She's fairly sure she should go. And when she hears about the camera her jaw drops. Not that Aiden could see it.

"Mojo." She said evenly after a moment. "Mojo. Mojo the pimple of grease, slime, and hideous managed to break through my defenses? Mojo. The walking puss bucket."

[sonoflongshot]

"Yeah. He got past your security system somehow." He sounded apologetic about it. Not that he had anything to do with it, but Val's security system was the best.

"We figure Spiral might have done some mystical masking of the cameras because ... well, how else could he get it past your stuff? Zip's going around with a magnifying glass investigating. I may have let him read some C. Auguste Dupin and Sherlock Holmes recently."

[valeria_richards]

"But... but I considered magical algorithms. They have algorithms. They do. Dr. Doom had some laying around a couple of years back..." Valeria's voice rose in anger as she got up from her chair to pace her parent's living room. This might have drawn her mother's curiosity but Valeria ignored the concerned peek.

"But then again Mojo is weird. Maybe they got extra cameras into the building. Maybe. I don't know. How did you guys find out?"

[sonoflongshot]

Aiden coughed softly. This was possibly the reason why he should call Val. he could tell her without dangerous ranting.

"Apparently, there's a Mojo-manufactured porno out on the net with me and Sara in it. From what I've seen, Angel was replaced with Sara. It was set in Sara's bedroom. You didn't put cameras in our bedrooms, so I figured they hadn't compromised your system to get footage but gotten around it somehow."

AFTER THE VACATION THAT LASTED FOREVER

[valeria_richards]

Well, there was anger, and ranting. But it was focused and controlled ranting that combined the offense her friends were being hurt and the fact the walking plate of lard got past her defenses.

"Y'know, I was planning to update the systems. They're starting to put remote controls into insects and can get cameras on 'em. They found a 'loop hole' and that's annoying enough."

WELCOME BACK

[sonoflongshot]

Aiden quietly listened to the focused and controlled rant. He thought it was always better for the gals to get that out. Mostly because he liked avoiding the anger coming down on his head. It was a well-honed habit.

"So, I should tell the girls you'll be down to help out? And do you need a ride?" He idly scraped at the wall with a fingernail. He figured she didn't need a ride, but it was polite to ask. Also, he needed to know how much time he had to run to a grocery store to make her a thank you meal.

RAWR

[valeria_richards]

Somehow, that was a very good theory. Though Valeria was good at focusing her anger about 90% of the time. Aiming at Aiden was like aiming anger as a golden retriever puppy.

"I... might need a ride. The Fantasticar is being used by my parents again. I... need to get something more suited to ... me." She might get a segway and try to engineer it to make it fly.

YEEP

[sonoflongshot]

"Okay!" He paused. Actually having her in the car would give him more time to plan. Also, it would give him a way to ask her what she wanted to eat today instead of sorting through Val's favorites of what he made.

"I'll let the girls know, have Cedric keep an eye on Zip, and be on my way. You're... uhm, in that big building I've never been to?"