[Center][h1][color=#e74c3c]Samantha Haynes/Hexfire[/color] & [color=#ff6347] Firand'r/Scarlet ("The Crimson Comet") [/color] [/h1] [hr] [right][sub] January 1, 2020 [b]|[/b] Keystone City[/sub] By: [@Fallenreaper][@Crusader Lord][/right][/center] Samantha blinked for a moment then glanced at the clock on her TV. Silently she cursed herself. She had forgotten that Scarlet still went to high school, and they didn’t normally release this early. [i]Too late now[/i], she thought. Her attention shifted back to the conversation. [color=#e74c3c]"Oh, sh-crap Scarlet."[/color] Samantha immediately corrected her language midway. [color=#e74c3c]"I forgot you were still in school. Hope I didn't get you into trouble. And yeah, I'm currently at home. I need your help with the props if you're able to make it here safely." [/color] The young Tamaranian sat there on the toilet seat for a few moments, thinking over the somewhat pressing issue that Sam had just presented her with. With the robbery and all, and the odd stuff going on, it wasn’t like she could just walk down there entirely...right? Not like she was limited to walking though, as she’d been well aware of and made use of for some time (albeit not predominantly due to ‘reasons’). Indeed, as the idea came to mind she seemed to perk up as the gears in her mind clicked and whirled away. [color=#ff6347]”Oh! I can make it, just gotta’ get mah’ Ma’ to drop me off somewhere nearby safe an’ all. Don’t worry though, I’ll be there!”[/color] As she spoke on the phone, Scarlet stood up and began making her way out of the stall and bathroom once more. Despite the positive tone in her voice, however, her mind was just hoping she could have plausible deniability for...denting a locker with beyond human stuff. Yes. Her mom would not like that, and it was probably good that she’d overheard the teachers noting that the school’s camera system was on the fritz and had been turned off since a couple of weeks ago. She could likely make it to the door pretty fast if she booked it, and thus avoid suspicion, which was basically the plan at this point. [color=#e74c3c]“You sure? I don’t want you two risking your lives. I don’t know how close your school is to downtown and the police and ambulances went by my apartment not long ago.”[/color] Sam stood up and skirted around her current project, once more heading for the kitchen. She needed to check her snack supply. [color=#ff6347]“It’s no trouble at all!”[/color] the teen rebutted as she gently pushed open the exit door, a small feeling of relief washing over her once more as she swiftly let the door slam shut and bolted for where she’d be meeting her mom, [color=#ff6347]“Not like ah’ can leave ya’ to do it all alone, after all! It’ll take a while, if ah’ remember last time correctly.”[/color] [color=#e74c3c]“All right. Stay safe and tell your mom hi for me. I appreciate the help. I think you'll like the current display theme. It’s about witches, demons, and stuff.” [/color]Samantha smiled, imagining Scarlet’s excitement. [color=#ff6347]“I’ll see ya’ there then, Sam. Don’t get yourself possessed by a demon before ah’ get there though!” [/color]Scarlet said jokingly in return, her legs pumping as she noticed her mother’s car in line to pick her up, [color=#ff6347]“See ya later!”[/color] With that, Scarlet would hang up on the call as she neared the passenger side door of her mother’s car. It wasn’t hard to identify the big yet old blue Ford truck they had been making use of by this point, but it still did its job well...especially after her mother had gotten her hands on it for some ‘upgrades’. It was also not hard to identify her mother in proper disguise, sitting there looking like the brown haired and glasses-wearing human woman she played herself off as. Pulling open the door in a hurry, the teenager simply flopped into the seat and let her books fall into the seat space next to her with a long sigh. Her mother, however, seemed to let out a sigh of her own as well. Ah. [color=#ff00ff]“With the bank robbery today, I came earlier to get you and have been waiting here a good while. Did something happen?”[/color] Crap. Not like her mother didn’t worry about everything, but at the same time it wasn’t like she wanted to admit denting a locker in with her head. [color=#ff6347]“Ah...well Rachael was tellin’ me about tha’ bank robbery, and ah’ got a call from Sam to remind me ah’m coming to help paint some displays. She says ta’ tell you hi as well.”[/color] [color=#ff00ff]“Ah. I had almost forgotten, but with traffic as it is I am not sure we can get down there to drop you off-”[/color] [color=#ff6347]“No worries! Ah’ can get there safe if ya’ just drop me off a few blocks away!”[/color] Scarlet could feel her mother’s eyes looking at her, a somewhat knowing look on the disguised Tamaranian woman’s face as she opened her mouth once more. [color=#ff00ff]“How so?”[/color] [color=#ff6347]“Umm...well, I was going to be walkin’ there. Sam told me bout’ an alternate path to get ta’ her place.”[/color] Nailed it. ...She’d managed to get her mother to agree to dropping her a few blocks away from Sam’s, but even so Scarlet felt the pressure. She could already hear the words that hadn’t been said: “[color=#ff00ff][i]No flying in public[/i][/color]”. It was something the teen had heard many times in the past, a warning repeated on and on and on like a broken record. Albeit, she did make use of it behind her parents’ backs sometimes. She could fly generally well at least, but it wasn’t as if it was her common mode of ‘transportation’ at all anyways. But the way to get there was honestly a pain today. Scarlet ultimately took a winding route through some alleys, and alongside little bursts of flight between rooftops and to get up higher the Tamaranian girl had eventually made her way over to where Sam’s house was. Well...like a block away, really, but it wasn’t like she was trying to be seen either. Or perhaps her mother’s and stepfather’s warnings were getting to her by the time she got that close. Either way, she had supposed, she was getting to Sam’s place without the added hassle at least. Eventually Sam would hear a knock on her door, a somewhat familiar rap on the door followed with- [color=#ff6347]“Hey! Ya there Sam?”[/color] Samantha promptly opened the door, checking the individual outside. Seeing Scarlet, she exhaled in relief then stepped to the side. [color=#e74c3c]“I’m glad to see you’re safe and sound. Come on in, I think I got some hot chocolate and chips for a snack if you’re hungry. Careful of the stuff in the center of the room.” [/color]She turned on her heel as she closed the door behind Scarlet. The teenager seemed to smile back softly at Sam, before giving a nod as she came inside. Albeit at the mention of the things in the center of the room, Scarlet could not help but somewhat pause and take a look at it as she stood there in her casual attire. A large ‘stone’ tablet that lay on a plastic tarp in the room, paint buckets and brushes, splatters and drips, and the usual assorted artistic arrangement (mess) beyond that which she’d come to associate with Sam’s work. Honestly speaking, it was far from the first time she’d been here to help as well in the last year’s worth of time. [color=#ff6347]“Lookin’ good today, Sam, and ah’ don’t just mean the art,”[/color] the teenager said with a cheeky tone and a friendly grin, before setting a small bag of her things down on the sofa casually. Samantha chuckled,[color=#e74c3c] “All I got on is a shirt and jeans. Usually I only get dressed for company, otherwise I would be in my pjs. I got a nice set of comfortable pajama pants.” [/color] She moved around the project mess and toward the kitchen. [color=#e74c3c]“So, interested in some hot chocolate or want to get started on this project first?” [/color] Scarlet chuckled to herself as she followed Sam towards the kitchen, a light rumble of her stomach making the idea of warm hot chocolate and snacks tempting. Not that it hadn’t already been stupid cold around her though...not her favorite aspect about living this much farther north. A warm, mild winter was something she had been mostly used to, at least here on Earth. [color=#ff6347]“I can understand that, this mornin’ I was wishin’ ah’ had somethin’ to snuggle with due to how cold it’s been. Ma’ says she’s got some more blankets today though,”[/color] she said, unzipping her jacket in order to not over-insulate in the warmer apartment as she spoke, before walking over and lightly setting her jacket over the couch as well. Samantha nodded, filling a mug up with the hot liquid. [color=#e74c3c]“I’ll get you a few blankets and grab the space heater. We need to make sure to keep it away from the project. It took me hours to get the right shape and for it to feel natural.” [/color] [color=#ff6347]“No problem Sam,” [/color]the younger Tamaranian said, letting out a small chuckle before walking over behind her friend and surprising her from behind with a hug. Sam was a good person, that much Scarlet knew for sure, and the two had been bonding before over little art projects like these and such. That, and at least for the giggles it was too fun to tease her like a good friend should. It was not much of a surprise to the teen that Sam was ‘single’, as it were, though while the teasing was all in good fun she never held Sam’s relationship status or seeming obliviousness against her at all either. Frankly, it was just nice to have someone to relate to over some kind of artistic or such pursuit. Samantha jumped in surprise. She didn’t expect the affection at first. The older woman gradually relaxed, letting the younger girl hug her. [color=#e74c3c]“If you want this, you’ll have to release me, so I can give it to you. I also still need to get those blankets and the heater.” [/color] [color=#ff6347]“Haha...ok, ok, I don’t wanna miss out on some hot chocolate. [/color] [color=#ff6347]“But for tonight I think what I want to work on first is some of those ‘rock’ textures, if you’d let me. Left side is looking pretty good, but if we can hit that right side I can get it to match better. Made a costume with some textures like that for KeyCon 2019.”[/color] It was enough joking around for the moment anyways, so the teen felt, before letting out a small sigh and releasing Sam. Hot chocolate was a welcome source of warmth in these times, and frankly speaking she wasn’t worried about burning herself on it either. Being an alien had its perks...or...ah...alien princess with experimentation done on her? That had been an odd thing to learn a few years ago, among other things. [color=#e74c3c]“I hate rock textures. I did well on the first side, but I doubt I can repeat that success and make it natural. So you’re welcome to it.” [/color]Samantha stated as she skirted around Scarlet and moved toward her room. She opened the closet and pulled out about three thick blankets, placing them on her bed. Her body moved around her bed to pull the space heater free, ensuring she unplugged it first, then placed it on the blankets. Collecting everything up in her hands, she walked into the living room once more. [color=#e74c3c]“Need a little help. Can you grab the heater and set it over to the wall? I’ll toss the blankets on the couch and you can bundle up. Then I’ll set the heater up so it won’t catch the art on fire.” [/color] Scarlet silently walked over and took the heater from Sam, before moving back over toward the spot near the wall. From there it was simple to plug it into the wall, though while her friend wasn’t looking the Tamaranian felt the heater to make sure it was going to warm up just fine. For a normal person that was asking to burn a hand, yet for her it was more like touching a comfortably warm cookie fresh out of the oven. From there she simply did her best to try to adjust the heater herself, noting the position of the art and using what little experience she had with this thing when she’d visited Sam before. [color=#ff6347]“Ah’ll let you get it fixed up the rest of tha’ way, but I think ah’ got it as close as ah’ can.”[/color] Samantha looked to spot Scarlet checking the heater. Her expression fell into worry and concern as she spoke. [color=#e74c3c]“Don’t burn yourself. I don’t think I have any burn ointment. It’s on my shopping list.” [/color] Already she had started to set the blankets down and spread them out, enabling Scarlet to wrap herself up in. Feeling satisfied with her efforts, she shooed the girl over to the couch. [color=#e74c3c]“Let me see if I can get it positioned so it’s still blowing on you, and not the art. I don’t think we want a house fire. The insurance won’t cover it.” [/color]She moved toward the small upright rectangle heater. [color=#ff6347]“If ah’ fire happened, we’d be in some ‘hot water’ to say tha’ least. But if ya get cold at all ya’self, Sam, feel free to join me over here ta’ warm up too.”[/color] The teen seemed to be concerned for a brief moment as she spoke, despite her attempt to interject some humor at first. Yet even with her own dislike of extreme cold, it wasn’t as if she didn’t extend the same courtesy to her host. Didn’t want a friend shivering cold while they worked after all. [color=#e74c3c]“I’m pretty comfortable right now. But let me grab my laptop and I’ll show you what we’ll be working on.” [/color]Samantha once more walked back into her bedroom and retrieved her laptop. When she came back, she flopped on the sofa and gently shifted the device on her lap. Her finger touched the mouse pad and clicked on her notes. Immediately windows of ritual tables, witchcraft, and more in various browser tabs. She offered the computer to the younger girl. [color=#e74c3c]“What do you think?” [/color] Scooting over closer to Sam on the couch to get a better view, Scarlet took the laptop carefully and examined the designs and various browser tabs. Her face seemed to shift into a look of notable concentration, as if her eyes were caressing every detail of ideas lying before her eyes. Taking out her phone, the girl began to pull up some of the pictures as she could find them, even taking a look over the laptop and phone to make sure to pull up ones that her older friend had already started on. [color=#ff6347]“Hmm…,” [/color]the teenager said, giving off a light hum as she collected her thoughts and looked over to Sam right next to her, [color=#ff6347]“All looks good ta’ me conceptually, but a couple ah’ these things are ah’ tad’ redundant.”[/color] Scarlet turned off her phone and put it back in her pocket, before turning the laptop and pointing out what she was saying to Sam. [color=#ff6347]“Tha’ magic circle you’ve work on so far stand out more than this design from the Goetia, so ah’d say go fer’ this one over tha’ other ta’ avoid gettin’ too redundant visually. Ah’ can help finish it off and touch it up as well, along with those rock textures, if ya’ want..”[/color] Samantha nodded, then explained. [color=#e74c3c]“Some of these will be for the display items. The whole exhibit is one on witchcraft and magic. These..”[/color] She pointed to the runes and pendants. [color=#e74c3c]“... are all foci for the spell casting rituals. We need to be able to showcase as many as possible. Though we could break it up into three sections to make it less crowded.” [/color] As two continued their conversation, they managed to wrap up the props and exhibit design plans. It took numerous hours as Samantha paused long enough to order a pizza. One large for Scarlet and a small for her. As they waited for the delivery guy to arrive, they began to shift the stuff to the side and haul it to the truck. Things were running smooth and half the work down when they broke for lunch. After finishing the last of their meal, Samantha began to start up the truck, and they headed over to the museum. Upon pulling into the drive way in back, a short and well-dressed woman exited the loading doors. She looked at her clipboard then waved her hands. Her high heels clicked on the pavement as she walked briskly to the truck. She kept her dark hair cropped into a straight, pixie hair cut with the bangs stopped short above the eyebrows. The dress suit had a white and blue theme giving her a professional look. “Ms. Haynes! Slow down. I need to tell you something!” Sam did as she was told, gradually slowing then halting the truck out of traffic. She peered out of the window, her arm rested on the door frame. [color=#e74c3c]“Yes, Mrs. Garret? What is it?” [/color] “Can you and Ms. Straussen take those to the storage room? You can set them up later tonight.” The director commented, looking up from her board. Samantha nodded. [color=#e74c3c]“No problem.”[/color] “I expect it done before midnight. I also need you to update the site and email copies of the pamphlets to Mr. Edison before tomorrow morning.” The woman sighed as she settled back into the seat. [color=#e74c3c]“Yes. I will try.”[/color] “No, it’s not try. It’s do. You will do it.” The director corrected her as she twisted on her right heel and walked away. Her eyes focused on the clipboard as she scratched off some things on a list and continued back into the museum itself. [color=#e74c3c]“This is going to be a [/color][i][color=#e74c3c]fun[/color][/i][color=#e74c3c] night. Goodbye sleep.” [/color]Samantha sighed, starting up the truck and pulling closer to the loading doors.