Is It Supposed To Do That?

[Seiji Lockard]

Seiji might not have been a college student anymore and actually worked for the school, but no one said that he could not be a part of the Science club. Okay, perhaps no one said it because it should have just been assumed by him. However, Seiji liked science and he found that there was always something new that he could learn. So he was still a part of the club and no one had told him he could not participate so he kept showing up. Today they would be working on a new science experiment with partners and Seiji was already looking forward to it.

He was pretty much a sucker for trying the classic rocket experiments or even the ones involving well making anything. "Excuse me; this paper says I'm to be your partner for today's team experiment. Oh, hi Mercedes." Seiji said as he moved over to the table that he had been assigned to. They were largely doing this own their own with the paper that they had been provided to work off with and the science club leader was around if anyone needed help. Seiji had worked with Mercedes before but that was back when he was actually in college and now he mainly saw her when he was at the science club.

She always seemed at least alight around him so he assumed she had no problem working with him now. "How have you been?" Seiji went ahead and asked as he sat down on the stool. He should have been getting the supplies for the experiment but his need to be piolet and formal had him wanting to make conversation first and make sure things were still okay between the two of them.

((Tag: Mercedes Allen))

[Mercedes Allen]

    Mercedes was leafing through the instructions, gathering a basic idea of what the experiment was about while waiting for her partner to get there. At the sound of a familiar voice she looked up, a genuine smile spreading across her face as she spotted her new lab partner,"Seiji, hey! It's been forever!". She's never had a problem working with Seiji, quite the contrary actually. She prefers him over most of the other members of the science club, his lighthearted persona and similar love of all things science pushing him to the top of her list.

    She was in no real hurry to start the lab and didn't mind one bit catching up with Seiji. "I've been well, how about yourself? How has life after graduation been treating you? I hardly see you anymore," she gushed, discreetly diverting the conversation away from herself. It's not like she had anything to hide, she just prefers not to talk about herself.

[Seiji Lockard]

Seiji could not help but to start to smile a bit more when Mercedes gave him a super friendly greeting. He should have expected as much, but he could never help always feeling like he was a burden or bothering someone else in some way. After all, he again was someone that no longer went to school here and just worked here so he figured that everyone must have thought it was weird that he still participated in club. Mercedes had never said anything about it, but he figured it was because she was just being nice to him.

Either way, when someone did actually seem happy for him to be around, it always improved his overall mood and made him smile all the more. “It has indeed. I apologize for not being around for the past few science club gatherings. Work has been keeping me pretty busy.” Seiji admitted with an honest apology. Ghost was also something that was causing him to not be as active in this club as he was in the past and as much as he would like to be. There was just so much more he could learn not only from the club but from its members. Even if they were younger then him, he never would count someone out for being able to teach him something new.

“I have been pretty good overall. I still keep being scolded for working too hard and not getting enough sleep, but that because I’m enjoying my jobs and wanting to do all that I can for my fellow mutants.” Seiji confessed as he ruffled his own hair a little bit. He almost brought up Ghost, but he didn’t want to bring up anything that could change the mood from its current pleasant state. “I’m sorry. Feel free to stop by my office or the labs if you feel like I have been neglecting you too much and I will make it up to you. Say…treat you to lunch?” Seiji offered yet another apology and a way to make up his not being around her as much anymore.

((Tag: Mercedes Allen ))

[Mercedes Allen]

    She brushed off his apology with a literal wave of her hand, "Please, you don't have to apologize. I understand completely." And she did, he had a job now and priorities, the science club could wait.

    "That's great Seiji, Not a lot of people can say that they love what they do, although you do need your sleep," she scolded in a joking manor. She was a total hypocrite and she knew it. Mercedes was a complete workaholic, and she was rather familiar with working late at night on something, even if it's not at all academic. However, the evident dark circles currently under her eyes were not the product of one of her late night projects but rather late night visits. And no, it's not what it sounds like.

    Thanks to her empathetic abilities, she could tell that there was something bothering him. Something he wasn't telling her. She almost brought it up, but decided that if Seiji wanted her to know he would tell her, and she refrained from digging deeper, not wanting to invade his privacy. Even still she was concerned and a bit curious about what was bothering her lab partner. She nodded her head in agreement. "Lunch sounds great. Now, lets start this lab, shall we?" she asked, giving Seiji one final smile before turning back to the lab table.


OOC: I found this science project, do you think this could be the one that they're dong?

[Seiji Lockard]

"T-thank you." Seiji responded to her words about how he did not have to worry about it and her hand gesture. It was nice to have a friend that was so understanding, as most of them were but he still greatly appreciated it. It also still made him feel bad either way because he didn't want to get so caught up in his work that he didn't get to spend time with the friends that he cherished so much and wanted to hold onto. He was just going to have to make it up to her no matter what and he had a feeling like she would accept whatever he came up with a way to pay her back.

Most of his friends did, even if some of them were a bit stubborn about it, which he still didn't fully understand to this day. "I know. I just get so caught up and with SPRITE I just want to be that much more helpful to my fellow mutants." Seiji responded a little solemnly. He still felt so useless, even if he and Jason had managed a lot together, there was still so much to learn and understand. On top of the issues that were popping up here and there between those who were normal and those who had powers. "You should be sure that you get some sleep too. You don't look like you have been resting very well. Are you suffering from any bad dreams or having issues with your powers?" Seiji could not help but to asked, already sounding concerned.

Of course he would notice the look in her eyes. He was very observant of the human body, especially the bodies of those he socialized with often. As for what was wrong with him, if she asked he would tell but he would not say it on his own since he did not like to put his troubles on other people. Mercedes agreed to lunch and then was ready to do the lab, which was so like her. Seiji chuckled a little as he nodded his head in agreement as he read over again what they were supposed to be doing. "I'll work on Solution A while you do B?" Seiji asked as he already started to add 43 grams of potassium iodate 800 milliliters of distilled water.

((I was hoping you would pick one XD. It's perfect.
Tag: Mercedes Allen ))

[Mercedes Allen]

    He was right, She probably would accept any way he had to pay her back because she knew he was genuinely sorry about working so often. Being quite the workaholic herself she understood where he was coming from. He was sacrificing himself for the greater good, solving things most people are too lazy or too stupid to figure out. Demanding something more out of him would be inconsiderate and selfish at the least.

    Mercedes shook her head, amused, but at the same time touched by the concern he showed towards her well being. "Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine. No issues whatsoever," she ensured, blowing of his worries as a cloud of her own developed.

    Were her powers getting stronger? Was that how she found Gabriel so quickly? Maybe it wasn't his emotions, but a new sensitivity to her powers. Maybe that's how she detected Patch's 'dark side'. These thoughts alone scared her. She was sensitive enough as it was, she couldn't even turn her powers off for heavens sake! What if she had to start from the beginning again? What if she started having her fits three or four times a week like before? She shoved these thoughts down the drain, she couldn't afford having to start all over again.

    She wiped all evidence of those dark thoughts off of her face, focusing all of her attention on the experiment. By the time Seiji asked his question she already had the correct amount of potassium iodate in hand and was about to mix it with the sulfuric acid. She looked up from her work and gave him a sheepish smile, "Sounds like a plan?".

[Seiji Lockard]

Seiji gave a small nod, understanding her words that everything was fine with her but as always he was still going to worry just a little bit. "Feel free to let me know if that changes or if you just want to talk. I'm always here for you." Seiji informed her, just wanting to be certain that she understood that down to her very bones. He had friends, not many but he had some and the ones that he had he wanted to make sure they understood that he was there for them.

It could be when they were happy, sad, or not really feeling anything at all. He wanted to be there for them no matter when and where and all they had to do was speak up. He felt like there was something up with his friend, but she seemed to be focused on the assignment and he didn't want to push too much. While he always wanted to know what was wrong so he could help, he also knew that pushing someone could do harm as well. "Wonderful." Seiji responded to her words of agreement with him.

They would then get to working on the assignment, with Seiji making certain to take his time and make sure that every measurement he was working on was as accurate as he could get it. "Based on what we are working with, it's going to be some sort of color changer...just as it says on the worksheet." Seiji spoke up, before half chuckling at his useless words since the instructions provided informed what would happen. "I'm ready when you are." Seiji said as he set his beaker down and was ready to watch when she would mix her sin as well.

((Tag: Mercedes Allen))