Who's under the mask?

[Eliza]

Melody thought back to the event that had made her tell Alyssa about her organs in the first place. The first week they had been staying together, she had still been rather distraught about everything that had happened, and was a bit out of it, so she hadn't even seen the bicyclist coming when he plowed into her, having the choice between her and running into traffic. She couldn't blame him for it, after all, bit Alyssa had seen it and was sure she had broken her elbow from the way it swelled. Melody had to smile when she thought about how insistent she had been that she go to the hospital and get it checked out when the swelling hadn't gone down after a few hours, and it was a horrid purplish black color. As it turned out, it wasn't broken, just really bruised and sprained from the impact. Still, while she was waiting in one of the beds, a nurse came in and asked if she had ever had any major surgeries or injuries in the past. That had led to her giving a lengthy explanation of the car crash that had killed both of her biological parents and seriously injured her. That was also how she tied in the whole adoption thing, since there was no way anyone would ever believe that she was really the daughter of the woman who had taken her in. They looked nothing alike, for one, and the woman who adopted her spoke with a thick Nigerian accent, where as she herself had no real accent to speak of.

Pushing away those thoughts, she nestled herself as comfortably as she could, given her current state, against Alyssa, letting the warmth soak into her aching joints. "I'm sorry I worried you, I honestly didn't expect to be drawn into the fray like that." She shook her head and closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her day settling on her to the fullest extent. "Mine wasn't too bad, I didn't expect to get anything good, to be honest, it seemed pretty normal, until a group of what I can only assume were newbies showed up. Even that wasn't bad, she made the boys grab the girls and take them away, and since the girls didn't want to hurt them, they complied pretty well, but then I guess the hero in charge of them showed up. He made all of these ice shards appear and pelt the Siren. She moved to lead him away from some people, so they didn't get hit, and that was how I ended up involved. I guess they didn't see me, and I suffered from some of the shrapnel, I guess you could call it." She shrugged and yawned, reaching out from under the blanket to rub at one of her eyes.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa let out a huff. "You know, that sounds like a shoddy hero to me. Ice shards? That's.... uh..." Alyssa snapped her fingers, as if she were trying to remember. It was a new kind of hero, they claimed to be extreme sports heros. Not only did they save the day, but they did it in an extreme way. It was stupid, in her opinion. Someone tried to offer her a deal like that, since she was all about explosions and fireworks, but she refused. "What's his name? He's the guy that's on all those skiing commercials, right? Blizzard? No, Bliz. I heard he's good at getting the job done in a flashy way, but always misses the details." That would attribute to Melody's cold. Bliz's powers made everything cold, and could disrupt fragile immune systems like Melody's. "When you go back, maybe you should find some more stable heros to follow."

Melody's nestling about made Alyssa worry that she wasn't getting comfortable. It would make sense, since this bed was really just made for one person. But maybe there was another position they could try? She thought about it and blushed when she did think of one. "Er... I notice you're trying to get comfortable... Should we try lying differently? Maybe... uh..." Alyssa tried to think of a way to explain without seeming like an absolute perv. "Well, I'm pretty squishy... I could lie on my back going across the... uh... whatever-this-actually-is, and you could lie on top of me. I'll even put a pillow on my chest if it'll help you sleep."

[Eliza]

Melody had to resist the urge to let out a small laugh. “They seem to be gaining popularity. Based on the amount of media and merch they get, I would guess it's a way to appeal more to the younger generations and increase funding through marketing.” It wasn't a bad idea, from a business stand point. “I've seen some others that were just as flashy, like that girl with the name that I can only assume was a joke that went too far. I mean, The Burninator? Who thought up that one? I mean, her ability to corral fire is pretty cool, but I can't help but feel that she would be better off over in California or something. At least there it would be more useful, since the state seems to be on fire most of the time. But no, she works in Jersey and spits fireballs.” Melody rolled her eyes at the memory of fighting her. She had been there to steal some unethically appropriated artifacts that she was going to return to the rightful people. For a price, of course. It had taken her weeks to launder the smell of smoke out of her cape, and she was sure that it had taken even longer to get it out of her hair. The comment about more stable heroes made her laugh and shake her head. “Those are no fun, and they don't pay as well. I think the piece that made me the most was that fight between Zeus and Hera. I couldn't believe my luck at coming across those two!” Well, maybe it wasn't luck, and maybe they were secretly married and neither side was the wiser for it, but it still made her a pretty penny when she sent in all the pictures.

She looked up and tilted her head, thinking that maybe it would have made more sense if they shared Alyssa's bed. She was content with how they were now, though. “Eh, I think I would be okay. I wouldn't want to squish you or anything.” She probably would be more comfortable in the position that Alyssa suggested, but she didn't want to be more of a burden than she already was. Besides, the other girl didn't seem like she would be very comfortable sleeping like that. “We could always spoon if you want, I won't even get mad if you grope me in your sleep.” The last part was more of a joke to maybe make Alyssa laugh, since she had seemed kind of tense since she had gotten home.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa chuckled a little at that. "Yeah... I always wondered where that name came from..." Actually, she knew. Because they were of similar aspects, Burninator and Flash Bang trained together back in Hero Academy. They quickly found out that Flash Bang's powers had no fire. She couldn't make sparks big enough for Burninator to control. But they were friendly, and got to know each other in the hopes that they might be partners at one point or another. Burninator, known publicly as Alice, had a four year old nephew who was fascinated by heroes. When hearing that his aunt was a hero, he insisted on naming her. Alice absolutely adored her nephew, considering that she was sterile, so she took the name and wore it proudly. The reason why she worked in Jersey instead of somewhere more useful like Cali always boggled her mind, though. The nephew that she went to see at least five times a year lived in Montana, so there was no reason to stay on the East Coast. Melody bringing up the fight between Zeus and Hera made her blink. "That..." That was quite the fight! "Huh... Those pictures in the news were yours?"

Alyssa furrowed her brow and made a 'hmph' noise. "Thinking your teeny frame could squish me..." In a rather purposeful fashion, while also being as careful as she could, she did some rather embarrassing maneuvers that could be mistaken for a game of invisible Twister. Ignoring Melody's protests, she had herself positioned the way she had described as well as had pulled Melody on top of her, a pillow in her free hand. The many years of hand-to-hand combat and grappling training made stuff like this easy. The only problem was, and Alyssa was hoping Melody couldn't see her face at the moment, they weren't exactly modest back in the CIA during these training sessions. Her hands had been all over Melody, squeezing and gently pushing on so many soft spots. "Well... uh... Wasn't exactly in my sleep... but I wasn't gonna take some excuse like that." She wiggled the pillow. "Did you want this?"

[Eliza]

Melody nodded and yawned again, covering her mouth with one hand while she rubbed her eyes with the other. "I kind of envy heroes, in a way. They can cause just as much destruction as villains, but they get labeled one way or the other depending on what they can do, and who scouts them out first." She wondered what would have happened if it had been a hero coming to pick their child up that day, instead of a villain. Would she have been quickly eradicated for her crimes? Or given a chance? The latter seemed unlikely, based on what the news had said about her, and the reassurance from the hero league would take out whoever had done such a heinous crime. "Hmm?" She was snapped away from her gruesome memories by a question. "Oh, yeah. I had been out there to capture the opening of something or other, but they made a better story, I thought."

"Hey, I'm not teeny! I'm just not tall, unlike some other people." She puffed out her cheeks in indignation and tried to glare, but the sudden shifting distracted her. Instead, she let out an undignified squeak and her face turned red. She hadn't expected for Alyssa to be quite as handsy as she was, it had completely disarmed her from being able to react much. "It-it's okay... you just surprised me..." She glanced at the offered pillow, most of her blush having been forced down. "Um... Sure..."

[Shuboni]

Feeling extremely awkward, Alyssa maneuvered the pillow in between them. With the size of her chest, it raised the pillow pretty tall. Hopefully Melody was still comfortable. It was a pretty squishy pillow, so it should be fine. The comment about destruction caused by heroes was a bit grating. It wasn't like heroes got off with just a slap on the wrist and a, 'don't do it again,' if there was collateral damage. No, they were forced to, not only help with any cleanup and reconstruction, but they would also have to serve community service. Most of that wasn't publicized, however. Publicity was what got the heroes money. From followers, donations to the Hero Association in their name, YouTube, ad deals, etcetera. So, instead, she just said, "Yeah... It is kind of a raw deal..."

Alyssa was starting to push aside her prior embarrassment and focus on her motherly instincts. "Yes you're teeny. If you weren't, you wouldn't be as sick as you are." Her arms tightened around Melody protectively. "Are you too warm? Too cold? Do you need anything?" Alyssa was now making mental notes to get some soup the next day. She would also have to get some more water, because tap in the city was disgusting, as well as some Gatorade or other electrolyte rich drink to help keep her hydrated.

[Eliza]

With the pillow situated, she laid her head down and settled into the most comfortable position she could, considering the all over ache she felt. "Anyway, that seems like enough depressing topics for the day, I think..." It wasn't as if she didn't realize that the life of a hero was difficult, she knew it couldn't be easy. She was just bitter towards them because of the things she had seen and heard, though some were probably influenced by the people had raised her.

Melody sighed with a little smile, knowing there was no point in protesting, and closed her eyes. Thinking back, she seemed to recall that her mother had been really small as well. All of the memories of her parents seemed so distant and long ago and were heavily blurred, she suspected that the things she thought she remembered were heavily altered with time and the change in her perception. Did her mother really used to sing to her every night? She thought she could even remember the sound of her voice, soothing and clear. "Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go, Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go, I hate to leave you, but I really must say, Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight..." Her voice was soft and lulling, she didn't even really think about it as she let the words slip past her lips. They held none of the power she used to persuade others into her bidding, it was was simply melodic and a little sad, almost heartbroken in tone. "I miss them..." and with that, the weight of the day fully settled on her and she drifted off, rather content in the embrace she was in.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa stroked the slender girl's back under the blanket. Her soft singing was rather soothing, but Alyssa withstood the urge to fall asleep. She heard all the way to the end, along with the small I miss them, at the end. A sympathy sob escaped her throat and she held onto Melody as if her life depended on it. The poor girl had gone through so much and, even now, was feeling just awful. She just knew that the comment was about her estranged family. A fiery desire came to Alyssa's mind. She was going to make the next day the best day she could for Melody. What time was it? She looked around in Melody's room for a clock but couldn't see one. She reached in vain for the phone that was stuck on the charger, but couldn't reach it without waking Melody up. She inwardly grumbled then told herself that she had time. The next day may just be a really good day, but Melody would have the best darn recovery that Alyssa could muster. With that determination in mind, Alyssa cradled the girl and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Alyssa woke with a bit of a panic. Her alarm wasn't going off! She was about to scramble out of bed when the weight that was on top of her reminded her what was going on. Melody was sprawled out in, admittedly, a rather comfortable looking sprawl. How she managed it in this odd bed of hers was beyond Alyssa's comprehension, but she looked very comfortable. While the girl was still snoozing, Alyssa did a quick check. Fever was feeling a bit better, but still hot. Glands were still swollen, maybe a trip to the doctor's would be good. If she had influenza, they could get her on a good round of anti-virals. She sighed a little and looked around, finally spotting an analog clock on the wall. There was just enough light coming in through the window that she could make out the tie as 6:32. Enough time to go back to sleep? Alyssa looked down at Melody, who was breathing rather evenly. She swallowed and, her heart practically beating out of her chest, she reached up and started stroking the girl's hair. Melody's hair was so soft compared to her own. It was like petting a silky bunny rabbit, except Melody's hair was longer. Alyssa bit her lip and stopped the motion. What am I doing? I might wake her up and she needs all the rest she can get. She got home at what hour again? Just go back to sleep, will you? Alyssa shifted a little, finding another comfortable spot before slowly drifting back to sleep.

[Eliza]

Melody had slept more peacefully than she had in longer than she could remember, when she finally woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains she thought her bed felt quite odd. It took several moments for the memories of the previous night to come flooding back and for her to realize where she was, and that she was quite comfortably nestled against a lovely set of breasts. Wait. What?! She scrambled from the bed in a panic, tripping over her own feet and hitting the floor with a loud thud. "I'm so sorry about last night! That must have been so uncomfortable for you and I can't believe you had to take care of me, again!" Her face was flushed a dark shade of pink as she stared up meekly from her place on the floor, not even sure if Alyssa had awoken in her frenzy.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa was peacefully asleep when Melody scrambled out of the bed. In reaction, Alyssa fell out of the bed as well. She jumped up and yelled, "Whoa, wha's goin on??" She was holding a pose and looking around, ready to fight. When her eyes finally stopped on Melody, she sighed. "Oh... Last night? You don't need to be sorry, darlin'." She grinned a winning smile. Then, it slowly dawned on her how naked they both were. Alyssa blushed and turned away from Melody. "I nearly forgot we were in the buff... What time is it? I think you need to be resting up some more. I could fix somethin' for breakfast, if you'd like."

[Eliza]

Melody did her best to suppress a laugh at Alyssa's antics. It was a little painful to laugh anyway with how dry and scratchy the back of her throat felt, so it was probably for the best. She hadn't even registered that she was nude yet, not until it was pointed out. She let out a squeak and did her best to cover herself, suddenly feeling rather self conscious about how much difference there was between them. Puberty hadn't done her the same favors as it had Alyssa, obviously. "Breakfast would be nice... Maybe just some tea for me..." She didn't really feel hungry, but something hot and soothing sounded pleasant. Did they still have lemon?

[Shuboni]

Seeing Melody as distraught and uncomfortable as she was now, Alyssa mustered up the courage she could. She inhaled deep and put all thoughts of modesty aside. "Then I'll fix ya up some tea. You find some place comfortable to rest your weary self and I'll be back." She marched purposefully past Melody and out in the hall. Then, wanting to say one more thing, she peeked back around the corner. "No need t' be so modest, either. I mean..." She looked away, her cheeks and forehead turning red, "We slept together in the buff, so why worry 'bout it now? Also," Good distraction question, "D'ja want lemon or anything else in your tea? I can't remember how you take it or if you want something different because you're not feeling the best."

[Eliza]

Melody finally settled on crossing one of her arms over her breasts while she let her other hand cover her sex, face still a deep shade of scarlet from the combination of embarrassment, fever, and the fact that she couldn't deny that God damn did Alyssa look good naked. That last bit was a thought for another day and she didn't really care to analyze it right then, it just didn't seem like the right time. She relaxed once she was alone with her thoughts, letting her arm drop until Alyssa popped her head back in, causing her to let out a startled squeak and cover herself again. "Lemon would be good... And honey, lots of honey."

Her voice was hoarse sounding, nothing like it's normal self, and she knew that it would be at least a little bit before she would be able to resume her usual activities so she was going to be stuck taking it easy until her voice was able to recover. After she was sure she was alone again, she pulled on a pair of comfy sweat pants and an old t-shirt that was a few sizes too big and had more holes than a wheel of swiss cheese. It was so soft and comfortable that she couldn't bear to part with it. Still feeling cold, she also grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around herself before trudging out to the living room and curling up on a corner of the couch in a little blanket burrito to await her tea.

[Shuboni]

"Right..." Alyssa put the Breville on to boil. She remembered first seeing one, thinking there's no way some fancy machine could make tea taste better just because it knew the best temperature to brew it at. However, she had to admit that the tea did taste a little nicer using it. Besides, she didn't have to worry about tea bags and all that jazz, just pop the loose leaf into the little basket and let it do its thing. Feeling self conscious, but also being her awkward self, Alyssa opted to tie an apron around herself to preserve some modesty. She wasn't happy about the fact that her entire back side was still exposed, but she reminded herself that the only person who would be seeing it was Melody, it wasn't like she was serving tea at the Guild this way or anything. She grabbed the honey before looking in their fridge for a lemon. What she had previously thought was a surplus of lemons turned out to be just one lemon that was looking worse for wear. In fact, it felt soft. Too soft for a lemon. She tutted before grabbing the lemon juice. Wasn't quite as good, but it would work. She shook it, poured some tea from the Breville into two cups, put a bit of lemon and honey in one and the same, but with a double helping of honey, in the other.

"Tea's hot!" Alyssa called out as she brought the cups into the living room. Seeing Melody cocooned in a little blanket burrito made her giggle a little. "Well don't you look comfy." She set both cups down on the end table next to where Melody was sitting. "Hang on, I gotta get some real clothes on." She then turned away from Melody and scurried back to her room to find something halfway decent to wear for this occasion. Sweat pants and a holey T-shirt with the Joker on it sounded good, so she donned that before heading back into the living room. "How's your tea? Sweet enough?"

[Eliza]

Melody peeked out of the blankets and accepted the offered tea gratefully, letting the warmth of the mug warm her cold hands as she inhaled the soothing and rich scent of the tea. "Thank you." She offered a smile before blowing on the cup and taking a sip as Alyssa retreated into the other room to get changed. It was sweet and slightly tangy, but most importantly it soothed the pain and dryness in her throat and made her feel a little warmer as she shivered in her blanket. "The tea is perfect, thank you." With her free hand she pulled the blanket tighter around herself and tucked her feet a little closer, hoping it would make her feel warmer.