Esther smiled on last time at Marshall.  Curiously charming, really.  She let that drop, however, moving to Olivia.  No reason to dwell on romance at this point..<br/><br/>..actually, dwelling on romance seemed pretty tempting, after the thought that she might not really be able to have it.  But she brushed that from her mind, focusing on Olivia, and the more volatile nature of their shared predicaments.<br/><br/>Olivia sighed.  "Equal parts amazing and terrible."<br/><br/>"Sounds about right."  Esther said sardonically, sitting next to her.  She seemed thoughtful, which was about what was to be expected.  Esther looked on the field at Marshall, speaking to her, trying to bridge the gap between herself and Olivia a little before diving right in to what she'd learned over the last several hours.<br/><br/>The redhead frowned as she mentioned keeping her hands off Marshall.  "Easy mark?  Just what does that mean?"  There was definitely suspicion in her voice, something that hadn't been there the last time she'd seen Esther.<br/><br/>"Come on, you know you're a flirty one.  Not to mention part of the local Highschool Aristocracy.  You could have a shy boy like that for asking.  I'm just saying he's off limits to you.  To us."  She sighed, putting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.  "..any one of us."  So, either she was playing dumb, or she really didn't know.  It seemed she'd caught up to her in time, although the suspicion wouldn't make this any easier to say.  Changing tact, she mentioned Golden Boy.<br/><br/>Now suspicion turned to confusion.  "The healthy way to do what?  What's gotten into you, Esther?  You have a rep, but it isn't for talking in riddles last I checked."  Esther looked at her in mild disbelief.  She didn't expect her be as aware as she'd become, but this sort of cluelessness was vexing.  Surely, she and Golden Boy had..  Hadn' they?  They couldn't not have!  Right..?  And then Olivia did something very peculiar and started spacing out, talking to herself.  Now it was Esther's turn to look confused, and a tad suspicious.  Olivia sighed and relaxed a little, nodding and speaking to no one present.  "You're right, I know.  Esther isn't my enemy.  I'm just... high strung, after this morning." And then, like she had just done an aside on stage, refocused on Esther.  "Look... I'm sorry.  I don't mean to be all passive/agressive or whatever.  I'm just a little high strung at the moment.  What was it you needed to talk about?"<br/><br/>ROLL 3d6 [Sight Oriented] to notice things.  Result: 5, 6, 2,<br/><br/>Esther looked at her curiously, noticing the way she put her hand in the light when she spoke to herself.  "Okay.  I'm going to have to ask you about that in a minute."  She straightened her back and looked around again, making sure no one was in earshot.  "Look.  I got a.. call..?  from Billy.  He gave me a short Q&A on what, you know, happened.  These new.. tattoos, we all got last night."  A whisper.  "They're alive."  She looked at her strangely, and smirked.  "My guess is that's why you were just talking to yourself.  I tried talking to mine, and it knocked me out.  Neat talk, but I woke up the floor.  Long story.  Maybe not.  Anyway.."  She took a breath and made another quick look around.<br/><br/>"These things can feed on other people.  Or, let me clarify, they can get hungry."  She nodded to Marshall, awkwardly walking back to the school building, but with just a little more pep in his step.  "If I was minded to take Marshall to bed with me, I'd fuck him up.  Literally, I'd reduce him to a lust addled half wit.  He isn't able to handle what we can do in the sheets.  No one is.  No one.."  she looked at her directly, "Except the four of us."  She let the intensity of what she was saying linger.  "That's what I meant by.. the healthy way to do it."<br/><br/>Esther sighed, guilt coming back.  "You might see a girl around named Dorothea.  She was a worthless, condescending bitch before.  Now she's..  not even that."  A deep breath.  "That's why I don't want any of us pulling Number Muncher into the bushes."  She shook her head, putting a finger to her eyes and wiping away a single tear threatening to form.  It wasn't just guilt, that had been steadily decreasing for the last few hours.  It was the sheer magnitude of her change, compounded with it.  "I was always such a prude, Olivia."  It was the first time she'd ever called her by name.  "I hated sex.  I hated the idea of sex, the things it can do to people.  To families."  She clenched her jaw, watching the others on the track, realizing she'd just outed a little more about herself than she was entirely comfortable with Olivia having.<br/><br/>"Now look at me."  A forced chuckle.  "I fucked a life up, this very morning, and now I'm trying to come on to you.  Poorly, I might add."  She laughed, flushing a little.  "Not even because I like you.  Just because I'm getting hungry, and I expect, if you and Golden Boy haven't gotten that far yet, you probably are too."  She let her expression linger a little more, wondering how Olivia would react.<br/><br/>(Contrafactual)<br/><br/>IF the moment happened, Esther would stand and nod.  "We really do need to go somewhere private.  For the screams.  Aside from anything else, it feels rrrrrreeeaaallly fucking good."  Esther felt her body react, just thinking about it, masking the light flush she felt with a grin.  "Ask yourself, I'm sure they'll agree."<br/><br/>IF Olivia is as obviously repulsed by this as Esther would imagine her being, the hippie girl would sigh.  "Standing offer.  You have Golden Boy, so you have an out.  But after a few rounds, it won't work, is what Billy said.  Let me know when that happens.  I'll be here."  She shook her head.  "That leaves me to seduce Band Boy, if I can find him. You three are really hard to pin down, you know."<br/><br/>(End Contrafactual)<br/><br/>"There is more, though.  Although this is something I'm not really sure how to deal with."  She took another look around.  "We have predators.  Something good old Willy forgot to mention.  Mindy is the only one I've seen so far.  Mindy.. Peters?  Perez?  One of those.  A black duck that became a swan overnight.  I hear hissing whenever she's around.  I found out she and Jason's Protege are going to a shebang of their own, not unlike the one last we had last night."  A serious tone, something Esther has never used at school before.  "I'm minded to crash it.  Literally, if applicable."<br/><br/>"Not that you and Golden Boy owe me any favors, but I'd be really happy if I could take you along.  I'm not even sure what I'm up against.  I just.."<br/><br/>Something was strange about her tone.  An acceptance of her own corrosion, perhaps.  Maybe something else.<br/><br/>"..I just gave too much for this chance.  I don't want to know it can be taken from me."