Lu and Vance, Backdated to September 22

[om_justice]

Lu and Vance chat powers at Roberto's birthday.

Lu took a sip of her sparkling juice and looked around Bobby's apartment with an amused expression. Somehow, even though she'd never seen it before, it was exactly what she'd have imagined him selecting.

While looking around, she caught sight of one of her classmates, and smiled as she headed over. "It's amazing, isn't it?" she asked, gesturing around at the decor. "Have you been here before?"

Vance looked up from where he'd been adjusting his vest (waistcoat? Were they different?), and smiled. "Hey, Lu." She was in class with him, though they really spoke. Still, she'd always seemed pretty nice. "It is pretty amazing, for sure. I mean...it is Bobby, though, so I'm not totally shocked?"

"Never been here before, though, no," he admitted.

"Neither have I. But I agree - it's very Bobby." She glanced around one more time, then turned back to Vance and smiled. Despite having had classes with him last year and a few training sessions since she'd joined JVX, he really didn't know much about him, but especially given the latter, she wanted to change that. "So, what've you been up to? Did you do anything fun over the summer?"

He shrugged. "Just hung around school, mostly. Low-key summer and all that. What about you?" He asked. Lu was kind of rich and famous, right? Or something along those lines? She could've done something super awesome.

Lu laughed. "I worked, mostly - I was interning. But I did get some beach-time in, and one of me tried surfing." She leaned in just a little, confidentially. "Don't ask her about it unless you're actually interested. She's pretty enthused and trying to talk everyone else into trying it too."

Vance chuckled. "I'm guessing Purple?" That was the adventurous one, right?

"Are we really that predictable?" Lu pretended to sigh, then gave up and grinned. "We are, and yes, her. But I've got to admit, it was fun."

"So how does it work? Like, you get all the memories when you recombine?" He was legitimately interested. Her mutation seemed cool.

"Almost always," Lu confirmed. She shrugged. "Every so often things don't quite match up," or, occasionally, one of them held something back, but that didn't need to be shared, "but normally what one of us remembers we all do, eventually."

He smiled. "Sorry. I'm a giant nerd for all stuff mutant. That's really cool, though."

Lu laughed and shook her head. "No need to apologize; other people's mutations fascinate me, too." She gestured over towards the couch, eyebrows rising in silent inquiry. "You can ask anything you want, so long as I get to ask a few dozen questions about telekinesis?"

Vance took the seat she'd pointed out and, once she'd joined him, asked, "What do you want to know about TK?"

"I guess mostly - how does it work? It doesn't seem much like Kon's, from what I've seen during practice."

He thought about that for a second, trying to figure out how to explain the difference between his telekinesis and Kon's. "I think his is more....tight to his body? If that makes any sense. I project force outward, more. Almost like grabbing things with my brain-hands. Kon seems to wrap himself in TK, instead."

Lu considered that and nodded. "I think so." She smiled. "I can't figure out how that makes him fly, but it does. I like the mental image of brain-hands, though. That sounds cool."

Vance grinned. "It kind of is. So, with your mutation, do you split apart at will? Or is it like Jamie, where if I bump into you there might be three of you suddenly?"

"Oh no, you can bump into me at will," Lu assured him. "That won't trigger a split. I can split at will - that's normally how I do it." Her smile tilted. "Sometimes it happens on its own if I'm conflicted. I'm still working on that; it's been an uphill battle."

"Like, mentally conflicted?"

Lu nodded and grinned a little. "I don't always agree with myself."

He nodded in understanding. "I'm not sure anyone always agrees with themselves, even when they can't physically prove it."

"I just do it a little more physically that most," she agreed. "So, the brain hands? How many things can they manipulate at once? Is there a limit?"

"I mean, I think the limit is kind of like..well, how many things can do you focus on at a time, I guess. It's like that thing where you have to draw a triangle with one hand while drawing squares with the other. Which...maybe hasn't explained it well, but I'm not entirely sure how to," Vance admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"Isn't that awful? Sometimes there just aren't the right words." Lu shook her head, but smiled back. "English definitely needs to expand and add on a pronoun for the yous that aren't the you who's currently talking. I think I understand what you're saying, though."

He looked relieved. "Phew. Does it help, having three of you to think things through? Can you, I dunno, think better?"

"I don't think so?" Lu considered the question, her forehead furrowing a little. "I mean, I see things from three different points of view sometimes, so that can help if I'm trying to decide what to do? Or it can hurt, because instead of deciding I'll stand there arguing with myself." She offered a crooked smile. "So, I'm not sure if it's better, really. I definitely can't pool brainpower or anything."

"Multiple perspectives sounds cool, though. If maybe a little frustrating." Vance said.

"Both, I guess? For me, it's just...pretty much normal." Lu shrugged. "I have to admit, it's a lot quieter when we're separated. How much can you lift at one time? Weight-wise, I mean."

"I...actually don't know," he admitted, looking a little amused by himself. "That's actually a really good question. I haven't tested weight in awhile."

"Something to try in the next JVX practice?" Lu looked equally amused. "Or I can monitor the Danger Room if you'd rather do it without a crowd."

Vance grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

Lu laughed. "Just let me know when."