dreamingflowers

Young Justice

Mateo

---

The kiss on the cheek made him smile even more and he failed to notice whatever was going on with the tracer Kassy was barely able to swat out of Zach's hand.

He waited until his "swimming student" left before making eye contact with Zach. He smiled and held out a chair for him. Ever since he met that girl became obsessed with pleasing her. The feelings and emotions connected to her faded over time, but then before the obsessions subsided she would always pull him back in, creating a fatal loop. Mateo didn't know how or why she did it. One thing was for sure, it was nearly impossible to break free of her grip.

It was like she turned him into some other guy he didn't recognize. His own thoughts were fighting with thoughts of her. He knew it was happening but he couldn't stop his own mind. Zach was a great distraction. Mateo loved his loud personality, he demanded all the attention and he did not mind one bit to give his to him. It helped him stay sane.

"Of course I know my stuff" He said confidently. Mateo waved over the waitress, ready to order for both Zach and him.
"Wanna share a chocolate milkshake? Plus whipped cream, so I can lick it off your nose"

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Medical area
Interactions: Ajax

---

Poppy returned to her work after watching Dallas leave the medical area. The repetitive motion of her hands working the mortar and pestle eased her mind into an insensate state. She was always busy with some sort of task, hands on, mind off. The chores provided refuge from her often troubled mind. The seeds were starting to give way to the force of her push, breaking down into a grayish brown dust. The medic scraped out the mortar with a wooden spoon, transferring the powder into a glass container. The first batch of many.

”…Hey…What’s the status of the newcomer?”

She would have given it until noon before she went up to his room. Poppy was relieved to see he decided to come down by himself. In some ways Cerise filled the void left behind by the girl Ajax was searching for. There wasn't a lot Poppy knew about her, neither did Ajax for that matter. Poppy imagined Cerise was what Ajax hoped the girl from his memory was like, or would have been like. Precious innocence in a cruel world.

Poppy's eyes lingered on his face. He was hiding his inner turmoil. It was coming to the surface in his eyes. They flashed with emotion, like lightning threatening to strike her when she stared too long. She took a breath and pulled off her gloves, dusting her hands on the sides of her pants.

"It is difficult to say. It seems like they've been out in the wilderness for some time. From what I can tell there are no serious physical issues."

She went over to the kart next to Indigo's bed. There was a bowl filled with feculent water. She should have kept her gloves on. The medic grabbed the bowl and poured the contents down the drain, unfazed by the smell and look of it. Poppy started to prepare a fresh bowl by first pouring in a full kettle of boiling water. She threw in lemon peels and herbs letting those steep until the scent released into the air. To cool it down she poured in cold water slowly, testing the temperature with her hand.

Poppy dropped it off at Indigo's bedside and tidied up her workbench. Every couple of minutes or so she'd glance at Ajax, when she thought he wasn't looking. He was in pain .... and it was affecting her too. She idled at her workbench, feeling unsure. This feeling would not go away on its own. Ignoring it would only cause them both to suffer in silence.

A small wooden cabinet drew her attention. It was filled with essential oils. It was a time consuming process to make them and in Poppy's medical opinion a useless tool. She opened the doors and looked inside at the rows of bottles. She didn't know what she was looking for. Something to ease heartache she guessed. Cerise would have known what to pick, she always believed in aromatherapy. Poppy used to humor her, but didn't think highly of aromatherapy.

Chamomile? Lemon balm...
She sampled the scent with a thoughtful expression. It didn't make her feel much of anything honestly. Though one thing she did know about this type of intervention. You had to give it time.
Marjoram maybe....

Linden Blossom. It smelled sweet, spicy and floral. She recognized the flower, using it as a mild relaxer. Poppy wondered if the oil had the same soothing and calming effects. With a questionable look on her face she dabbed some on her wrist. Poppy flipped her hair behind her back and brought her wrist to her face. The smell was pleasant, it surprisingly did make her feel at ease. She shrugged and dripped some of the essential oil onto a red cloth. She folded it into a shape vaguely resembling a flower.

Without much explanation she tucked her creation into the breast pocket of Ajax's white coat. She purposefully didn't meet his eyes. Instead she changed the subject of the conversation to something quotidian.
"When I'm finished here I'm going to collect the rest of the shards outside of the gate. I want everything to be cleaned up in case Dallas wants to get to work. So I'll be outside if you need me..."

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Medical area
Interactions: Indigo, Dallas, Desmond

---

Poppy shook her head, red locks shifting around her face and shoulders.
"There isn't. If the bowl is saturated place it outside on the kart. I'll replace it for you. Let me know when you're fully washed and dressed. I'll need to perform a physical exam."

There wasn't much room for argument with the medic. Poppy didn't see any indication as to why she would need to adjust her routine. Dallas intervened and warned her of Vincent's departure before she registered his absence from the medical area. She frowned, letting out a sigh. There was the initial flash of anger which quickly subsided into indifference. Both her thoughts and hands moved onto the next chore. She walked towards her workbench and started to prepare a batch of antibiotics. Vincent was going to need those when he got back. Those glass splinters were bound to cause an infection. Dallas mentioned wanting to go and find a replacement window.

"That's fine." She pressed down hard on something in a mortar and pestle and looked up at Dallas. Desmond offered to organize the storage room. Lysandra was likely busy with either research or some other project. That only left Ajax as a possible companion for Dallas.

Ajax

She stopped grinding the seeds. Poppy didn't often concern herself with the emotional well being of the members of the Commune, focusing on the physical for the most part. It was easier to hand out a sleeping pill, instead of opening herself up and listen to the troubling thoughts that kept someone awake at night. Ajax was somehow the exception.

I shouldn't let myself be distracted.

He has to be devastated.

Poppy decided it would be best to keep him here, at the Crow's nest.

"Everyone else is occupied."
The medic finally said. She pointed towards one of the shelves with medical supply kits.
"Take the most left one, I restocked it."
Poppy walked towards Dallas, waiting until he grabbed the supply kit. She pressed her dagger into his other hand.
"A new window isn't worth losing a memory over. So be careful out there."

Poppy adressed Desmond.
"When there is any change with Amelia I will let you know right away. For now it's good that you're keeping busy. I have a list of supplies I need, but not right away. When you finish organizing the supply room, move them here."

Young Justice

Emerald eyes looked Kassy up and down while she talked.

"It looks like you're pretty far along...." With some effort she produced a fake smile. There was something off putting about her. Even when she was nice, there was a snootiness to her tone and facial expressions. The white dress, dainty jewelry. It was a ruse. A snake hiding in a bed of flowers. The girl softly patted Kassy's stomach.

"Good luck getting the weight off." This time she did sound genuine. It was as if she was wishing Kassy strength to recover from some terrible illness.

She arched a brow at Zach's obvious attempt to mark his territory, practically pissing on Mateo. Her nose twitched like she smelled something disgusting. As much as she wanted to one up this puppy dog she really couldn't be bothered. Mateo was a clingy bore, he could have him for all she cared.

"He's my swimming teacher." She looked right into Zach's eyes, barely selling the lie. The girl glanced over at the table where Aleen'a and Alisa were sitting. She noted one of them was missing, the super serum enhanced baby sitter. She turned her attention back to Zach.
"Mateo's got some swimming tips he's dying to share with you. I'll join your friends over there while you.....chat"

On her way over to Aleen'a and Alisa she slithered back into her nice girl persona.
"Hi there, I figured I'd give those two some privacy." She said nodding to Zach and Mateo. The girl put down her purse and smiled at Aleen'a and Alisa.

"Hope you guys don't mind me joining you for a bit." She pretended to look at the menu she'd already memorized by now.
"Can I get you anything?"

The waitress passed by their table and she ordered a plate of local sweets for the three of them to enjoy.

Code Vein (Closed)

_{C H A P T E R T W O : MISTLE MISTERY}

ON THE ROAD

ON ROUTE TO THE WAYFARERS

---

^{February 25rd, 2057 | 09:05am}

For the past several minutes the only sounds inside the van were coming from the van itself. Engines buzzed, the occasional road bump jostled the people inside. It didn’t seem to stir up any conversation. Renee had hitched a ride with the bunch, wanting to discover what happened to They were passing by some unassuming ruins. Suddenly the sound of multiple successive explosions burst through the silence.

Erik hit the brakes hard, rewarding him with a string of curses from his passengers.
“Don’t tell me I’m the only one who heard that?”

---

Location: Medical area
Interactions: Vincent, Indigo

Clink…..clink….clink….

Multi-colored shards of glass were discarded into a copper bowl filled with a shallow layer of now crimson water. The sterile medical environment along with Poppy’s stern expression wasn’t exactly encouraging of conversation. Vincent who was told to sit and be still and the new arrival Indigo were seated at one of the beds. Poppy carefully removed the smaller shards with a tweezer. As much as she was tempted to just leave them in, it would eventually get infected and Vincent wouldn’t be able to heal himself. Maybe that would finally teach him not to be as reckless.

A few minutes went by. She did not hear the splashing of water coming from behind the curtains of Indigo's bed like she expected. The red haired Sidhe put down the tweezers and looked Vincent in the eye.
"Stay here and don't touch anything."

Poppy went over to Indigo's bed. She could vaguely see their shadow. It wasn't moving.
"Do you need help?" She tried to keep the impatience out of her voice. While she was used to caring for multiple patients, both Vincent and Indigo did not take priority. If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't trust Vincent to be able to get out the glass himself, she would have one less thing to worry about. Indigo however. If the memory loss was so bad they didn't remember how to wash themselves she had to adjust her care. Poppy needed to determine exactly who she was dealing with.

For the ones remaining at the Crow's nest there were plenty of chores left to do. It would be wise to pick something to do, unless you wanted to get caught idling by Poppy. The job she'd ask you to do was usually ten times worse.

Young Justice

She sipped her milkshake, trying extremely hard not to appear bored out of her mind. Riley was an extremely nice guy. The influence of her powers only made that worse. At this point she was pretty sure nothing she would say or do could chase him off. It was exactly where she wanted him to be.

"And there's the hiking trail up the mountains, we could have like a fun picnic there. Or or we can go to the pool. Not the pool at the Youth Center obviously but..."

"Actually Riley you know what would be really fun?"

Riley's heart raced at the opportunity to please the dream date in front of him. He hung onto her words and gestures like a bee on a flower. Riley leaned in closer, eager to please. The girl smirked and intertwined her fingers with his. A hit of pheromones rippled into his senses. He shuddered and his pupils dilated for a few seconds.

“I’d love for you to pick me up some sunscreen. It’s a particular brand, I’ll text you the specifics”

Riley immediately rushed to stand up, knocking his chair back. He apologized to the waitress and turned back to his date.
“Totally I can get you anything you want, I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Oh but before you go, let’s take a selfie together.”

She didn’t have to say that twice. He put his face next to hers and smiled like a goof. The girl waved him goodbye. Once he was out the door of the Hotspot she immediately dropped her facade. She waved the waitress over to clear the table while she was busy on her phone.

“New victim coming in hot. He’ll be there in about an hour, or actually make that two”
xxx

She texted the picture to her client. Riley was the last in the string of guys. Once she delivered him to Kobra about 80% of this job was done.

“Excuse me Miss…”

The girl blatantly ignored the waitress, already browsing through multiple of her favorite shops on her phone.

“Miss I wanted to ask if you could swap tables….”

She sighed and put down her phone.

“Excuse me? Why would I do that?”

The waitress stayed friendly with a smile plastered onto her annoying face.
“We have a pregnant customer and she’s sitting close to the kitchen. The smells might be making her nauseous. Your table is the farthest from the kitchen.”

The girl looked anything but pleased. Her left eyebrow was arched lightly and her lips were pursed into a dissatisfied pout.

“I can throw in a free milkshake for the trouble.”

“No, milkshakes make me fat. Just get me some lemon water.” She huffed and grabbed her purse.

When she sat down at Ja and Kassy’s old table she got right back onto her phone…..until Mateo walked in. He walked at a relaxed pace and scooted onto the seat across from her. He leaned in attempting to kiss her cheek but she pushed his face away with an open palm, not even looking up from her phone.

“Djeez, what’s that for..?” Mateo asked, feeling the slight sting of rejection.

“For not doing your job like I asked.” As if to prove her point he caught sight of Zach over at the Team’s table, he leaned back in his seat and winked.

“I texted you everything he told me.”

“Exactly, you didn’t find me anything useful. Do I have to do everything myself?”
When she finally looked up she shot a poisonous look at Ja and Kassy. Mateo followed her gaze and raised his brows in confusion.
“What’s up with them?”

“Apparently you get special service around here when you’re pregnant.”

Mateo chuckled.
“Maybe you should try then, I volunteer”

"Ha...ha.."
She laughed sarcastically and leaned in closer.
“You’re almost funny…” She said while trying to decide if she would kiss him or empty the glass of lemon water over his head.
"I'm not going to disfigure myself and be stuck with some annoying kid the rest of my life. No thanks. I hate kids."
She glanced at Kassy, a smug smile on her face.
"Though I'm pretty with her you won't even be able to tell that she's pregnant."

At Ja’s and Kassy’s able the waitress offered them cold ginger tea and a plate of various dry crackers.

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Garden
Interactions: Dallas

Ambience

---

Poppy looked up from her work and put down her tools. Small piles of the roots were starting to form on the workbench. They were all cut or processed differently. Some sliced extremely thin, others roughly chopped. It all seemed to serve some kind of purpose. Something Poppy usually kept to herself.

"They're edible roots, very high in iron. I add them to most of the food I prepare."

She searched for her notebook, her eyes passing over something familiar. A cheerfully decorated journal dotted with painted flowers, hearts and ladybugs. She opened the journal on the first page and started to read through the notes. The first few entries were clearly of an inexperienced gardener. Poppy turned the page to the next one, and the next. The writing was loving, at times it felt like the writer was describing the care of humans. There was only one of them who was capable of showing love of that kind. A faint smile tugged at her lips.

Poppy traced over the final entry, absorbing the words. It was a worried paragraph. The condition of the plant in question was fragile. It had trouble flowering. The Sidhe held the notebook and fluttered over into a different corner of the garden. Mellow green eyes searched for something particular. Poppy spotted it, hanging slightly limp with a single struggling bud. She knelt down next to it and touched it gently.
You probably miss her too....

Poppy lowered her face to the ground. Her hair fell onto the dirt, surrounding the small plant in a sea of red. She breathed carefully, focussed and with intent. Slowly the plant started to regain strength. It straightened itself out and the small bud unfolded its petals until a flower bloomed. It was a bright cherry red. Poppy plucked one of the inner petals, one you wouldn't notice was missing.

Minutes after she reappeared at the workbench. The petal was pressed into the journal. A new entry was written with the current date, in Poppy's sharp handwriting.
"Don't worry, it's in bloom
With love Poppy."

Poppy hid the journal in a drawer and continued with her tasks. She retrieved a cooled pitcher of blood laced lemonade, pouring a tall glass. She was on her way over to Dallas when the alarms sounded. Poppy drew in a sharp breath at the harsh sound, disturbing her short lived sense of peace. Vincent rushed through the halls followed by a loud thud and a yelp of pain. Shortly after she heard the sound of shattering glass.

Unbelievable...

She forcefully put down the pitcher, spilling the liquid everywhere. Poppy then grabbed the knife, sheathing it behind her back. With a buzz of her wings she was gone.

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Garden
Interactions: Dallas

Ambience

---

Poppy nodded in agreement.
"Good, I can use your help."The medic didn't wait around for everyone else to decide whether they were staying or going. There was a long list of tasks waiting for her back at the medical area. She looked up at Dallas.
"Follow me..."

They walked into the direction of the garden. Poppy's walking pace was characteristically brisk, but easy to keep up with for someone of Dallas's stature. On the outer edges of the garden there was a rough looking patch. The bottom half of some kind of bulbous plant was partially sticking out of the soil. It was difficult to tell exactly how much of the roots were still stuck in the ground. It looked like someone had tried to uproot it. A shovel was set up against one of the stalks.

Poppy grabbed a large round basket and set it down next to it.
"The roots of these plants are ready to be harvested. I started myself, but I couldn't manage it. I need the entire patch."
She grabbed a large knife from a rack of gardening tools nearby and hacked off the exposed part of the roots. Poppy moved towards her working station, giving Dallas space to start digging.

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Strategy room
Interactions: Dallas

---

Poppy stood to the side, quietly reading the room. Cerise's unexpected and seemingly permanent departure from the Commune affected everyone. Cerise was facing her past. A past she tried to ignore at every twist and turn. It finally caught up to her. Was it brave or stupid to face it alone?

There wasn't a tonic, pill or ointment she could create to relieve heartache. If something like that existed she would be the first to take it. There was no other way to deal with the loss of a long standing member of the Commune other than to face it head on. Poppy felt what she expected to feel. Her sense of loss was numbed.

Despite knowing she wasn't going on this mission herself she studied the maps closely. Dallas was also looking at the maps. Poppy studied the winding trade route.
"Are you staying or going?" She simply asked, keeping her eyes on the map.

Young Justice

Snake in the grass

---

A couple walked into The Hotpot. The guy was positively beaming, smiling from ear to ear. Latched onto his arm was a girl. He pulled out a chair for his date and waited until she sat down. He was being a real motormouth again. It was a combination of nerves and excitement.
“You’ll see they have the best milkshakes here. My fav is the bubblegum flavor. I know I know, weird choice, with the blue and all. Trust me though it tastes amazing!”

The gills on his neck were opening and closing the more excited he got. He didn’t even notice. Right now, he couldn’t get over the fact that he was such a lucky bastard. This girl was something else! He noticed her looking at him from behind her menu.

“I’ll have the pomegranate flavored one.”

“Yeah awesome, that’s a great choice, perfect pick. That’s so tasty too!”
He didn’t have a clue what it tasted like, but he could bet on her having good taste. Everything about her was perfect already. His eyes followed her every move. When their eyes met again his breath caught in his throat.

“Uh…so yeah…” He stammered. God he was being such an idiot. The girl reached for his hand, brushing her fingers on top of his. It sent shivers down his entire body.

“Relax Riley, you’re being so tense.”

Riley felt obliged to listen to her, making an effort to calm down.

Their milkshakes arrived in record time and the couple enjoyed their chosen drinks. It was mainly Riley who did the talking and the girl who listened, or at least that’s what it looked like.