<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/zB1pHVO.jpg?1)<br/>Stonewall | Jackson Stewart (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=298984.msg14626760#msg14626760)</div>Jackson laughs a bit at the suggestion of flying together.  "Believe me, I would love to.  But I'd never keep up.  You're far too maneuverable."  Her lips curl in a full smile as she looks back over the young woman's form-- "Gymnastics, you say?"  And while there are calculations of how such things could work, could amplify her confidence and control in flight-- if that is a factor in Hope's power, after all?-- the multiple layers of her brain are throwing a hundred questions in her mind that are less about physics and more about biology.<br/><br/>Like about why her physiology is reacting so strongly with chemical stimuli?<em>Is this an alarm response?  Does this super make her afraid for her safety, because she isn't acting like it... rather, it reminds them of those nights and occasional afternoons or mornings when she thinks about the ocean or lights candles or listens to Bach or takes the extra-long showers and engages in self-stimulation to trigger an or--</em><br/><br/>"OR, rather," she clears her throat and smiles-- "if your powers are developing, maybe you can test me as a passenger.  With the right precautions, I'll be fine... if I get too heavy you can just drop me."  She grins and tries not to show how self-conscious she is at how pale her skin must seem to the golden-skinned goddess looking her over, tries not to reveal that she's, ever so carefully, sneaking a glance at a reflective hunk of junked glass to see if, just maybe, Hope's looking with appreciation.  And maybe she suspects that the young woman actually likes what she sees.<br/><br/>Making their way inside, the little bots in her brain shift gears to seamlessly adjust her perceptions to the lower light.  At her offer, which Jax takes purely as a joke-- a hopeful, enticing one, but still a joke-- Jax laughs lightly.  "Being naked in the desert isn't all that bad.  Maybe you should take that off as a precaution."  With a flashing smile she reaches her hand for Hope's arm, daring a move bolder than her normal demeanor.  It's rare for her to initiate physical contact with anyone.  "Kidding.  I think you're grit-free, and no alarms went off when you stepped inide, so I think you're safe."<br/><br/>Inside, it's much cooler out of the sun's heat, but still comfortable. Still, the slender woman gives a bit of a shiver as her nerves betray her overreacting state of excitement.  She tries to dampen it, but the bots don't seem to cooperate.  Seeing Hope's interest in the armor-- the genuine curiosity-- makes her grin with tickled pride.  "A little piece of our design," she says, flickering her fingers with a soft clatter of articulated joints.  "Of course, the CIA and the Army want me to give them the design, but I just can't make it work for anyone.  It's... a bit complicated."  She shrugs toward the lab.  "If I wear the whole suit all the time, it would stay drained... plus, I'd get used to it.  Just being this... I dunno...<i>golem</i>all the time.  So I just use the pieces I need at a time."<br/><br/>She sets the gear aside and extends her armored arm from her body.  "Speaking of," she says coolly, and takes a few steps back from Hope before dipping into the laboratory doorway.  There's a hissing sound, and Jackson emits a sharp exhale-- and then, a digital voice echoes from the lab softly.  "Disengaging RIGHT ARM assembly."  After the brief moment away, she returns, her bare arm now showing, little indentations in her skin the only sign that she'd been wearing sophisticated neural-linked armor.  For now.<br/><br/>"Hope... I have to admit, I did not see today turning out so beautifully."  She grins at the absolute vision of a woman as she crosses the room to the tiny kitchenette area.  "And I do have chardonnay, more water, some fresh fruit, some cheese... Plates are here, glasses are there?" she gestures with her slim fingers, pausing to look Hope over once more, and as soon as the girl's eyes have turned away, she emits a heavy sigh and swallow, careful to remain as silent as she can manage.  "It's all a bit sparse, I know, but... it's home.  Make yourself comfortable will you?"<br/><br/>A few minutes later, she's completed a small plate for them to share-- sliced cheeses, a few berries, and a smear of jam.  And despite being low on real wine glasses, she manages to retrieve a suitable couple of mugs for them.  "So, if I can ask you a million questions, I will.  But I will start with just a couple, if that's okay?  Like... where did this ability of yours<i>come from</i>?  And what are you going to do with it?  You could model for lingerie catalogs, from the look of it, but you're empowered like this... What did you do before, and how has it changed for you?"