Material Desires

[Demi Smith]

Demi let out a harsh laugh. "Kid's still conscious, isn't he?" She retorted. Yeah, Demi could definitely control her power, though not in the way that she knew Roxana was thinking. She probably shouldn't have done it. She could even hear Ceres calmly informing her that it was poor form to let yourself get riled up and react to such childish behavior. That had always been what Demi had gotten in trouble with before.

It might have been part of the reason that she followed along, heading back down the path. Unfortunately, they hit that escalator again, and Demi hesitated, looking at it with the same quizzical expression. It at least gave her something to mess with that wasn't Roxana's comment or whatever.

Deep breath. Take a step, and balance. Demi held perfectly still, her body tensed and focused in a manner not unlike some of her poses. Her drink held out in one hand, the other extended the opposite direction. Perfect calm on her face too, though she struggled inwardly. She gave Roxana another harsh look before taking a sip. She still liked the sugar, after all.

[Roxana Strix]

"That is not the problem. You used your ability on someone who was not even a worthy opponent, someone who didn't even actually do anything to warrant what you did." Roxana responded but after that she was seriously done. There didn't seem to be any point with going back and forth on the matter with Demi. The younger girl had to know what she did was in poor taste and that she could be better in that. Roxana saw it and hoped for it, but she had to keep reminding herself that they had brother grown up in a different style of living.

Similar in a few ways, but still different so she could not expect Demi to get it right off the bat. It was just good that Demi was falling along without complaining or anything. Now they just had to go down the escalator, which demi was still having about the same amount of trouble she did going to up one. Well, more so less trouble and still looking like this was something horribly wrong with the device they were using. It did bring a small smile to Roxana's face again as she looked at the younger girl and how she still tried to be tough.

"You really are...cute." Roxana said, feeling like cute fit best even when it came to demi. Sure the girl was tough and could hold her own in a fight, but she was still a young girl. A girl who did not look like she was okay on being on the moving stairs and thus it made her appear cute to even someone like Roxana. Perhaps it was mainly because Roxana liked to see that other side to a person that was within in them but just didn't really come to the surface all that often.

[Demi Smith]

Yes, Roxana definitely sounded like some of the trainers that Demi had dealt with. Which just made the whole thing worse, because Demi was starting to see where she was coming from and why she was upset and all sorts of other things that made her feel worse overall. That just darkened her mood a few shades more.

There was the whole escalator thing and balancing and everything to deal with too. Sometimes Demi just really did not get the whole technology thing. Why bother with something like this when there were stairs? Did people really have that much of an aversion to walking? She turned to try and ask Roxana about that, only to wobble slightly. That meant correcting herself and looking forward.

Which meant that Demi was back looking forward as Roxana said her comment. Demi's eyes narrowed and she tilted her head to talk over her shoulder. "Say that again and I'll so punch you in the face," she said, adding a smile. "I've got nothing to lose now," which wasn't entirely true. They were just heading home. Still, at this point, Demi would almost take a fight. She was already building up a lot of nervous energy, thanks to the whole environment and the boy and the escalators and just everything.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana had kept a close eye on Demi, mostly for the sake of being ready to catch the girl should she lose her balance and fall. It was because Demi was being so awkward on them that she was likely to end up losing her balance and falling. Compared to if you just stood there in a relaxed manner and didn't even think about them it was practically as easy as it was to breathe. Still, she was not going to fault the girl or get upset at her when this was clearly Demi's first time dealing with such a thing.

It made her wonder what other things Demi would be not used to and how much...fun, it could be to see how Demi would react to them. Had she been on an elevator before? She probably would not like such things, being enclosed in a metal square that went up and down with no way of knowing what floor you were on without the indication of the elevator telling you. She kept those ideas to herself and for later as they had the whole getting home thing to worry about. Demi made a threat, even with a smile as she said it.

It sort of reminded Roxana of her brother for a moment, the guy could say the any threat with a smile on his face no matter who it was to. "At least wait until we get back to the school. I don't wish to have to dislocate your shoulder while we are in the public view." Roxana responded, still having a small smile on her face. They would eventually reach the bottom and Roxana would step off with ease and head to the parking lot, waiting a moment to make sure Demi made it off and was following behind her.

[Demi Smith]

"More like try," Demi replied with a slight snort. She actually believed that Roxana could manage precisely what she promised. Demi was also fairly confident that should Roxana try, she could make the older girl at least somewhat regret the decision. That generally seemed to be how their confrontations went.

Still, Demi had some respect for one of the few people in the school who could beat her almost out of hand. She had at least enough that she'd followed the other into that burning library, though that had at least been some in part to have some fun along the way. Now she stepped off the escalator and showed a bit more of that respect by simply turning to Roxana instead of running off, even if the sugar pounding in her veins demanded she do so.

"Well? Aren't you supposed to, like, be dragging me off to a car or something?" Demi demanded, punctuating the remark by taking a rather loud, almost obnoxious, slurp of the drink in her hand.

[Roxana Strix]

Try? Demi was good, but Roxana was still confident in her ability to pull off something as simple as dislocating a shoulder. Especially on someone smaller then her, whose reach she could exceed with little effort thanks to good genes that had produced tall children. "Perhaps the next time we are training together, we can put that to the test." Roxana responded but she was not too worried about it. She tended to hold back that part of her that was trained to make sure her opponent would not be able to retaliate or even in most cases, never do anything again.

It was all for the sake of those she worked with getting stronger after all and unlike the way she learned to fight, she doubt the school would approve of such a teaching method. Perhaps when Demi was older and actually wanted Roxana to not hold back in the slightest; well besides killing her, then they could have a spare the way that Rox was used to having them. Rox was aware that demi had to have some sort of respect for her, or at least something that caused her to follow and listen to most of what Rox told her. Yes, Roxana had made it clear that she would look after Demi and have her 'under her wing' in a way, but Demi still could have made a fuss about it.

The fact that she did not; all the time, show that there was something there. Roxana paused at the question, looking at demi for a moment. Demi had been walking just fine, so why did Rox need to drag her? Rox stood there for a moment before a small smile returned to her face once more. "Is that a hint that you want me to carry you? A piggyback ride?" Roxana asked. It was hard to believe that Demi would want such a thing but she would have no problem giving the younger girl one; even if she wondered if Demi was just trying to get in the perfect position to choke her.

[Demi Smith]

Demi let out another little dry laugh, not quite a chuckle, as Roxana made the offer next time they trained. That was already something of a promise for the next training session, and Demi definitely was going to hold her to that. Everyone knew that if you wanted to stay sharp, you had to work yourself against those that were stronger, possibly sharper, than yourself. Demi intended to do precisely that.

Obviously later though. For now, she had to deal with the fact that Roxana still didn't apparently quite get the whole "I'm a teenager" thing, regardless of how many times Demi had repeated it. "Uh, why would I want that? So I could get close enough to strangle you?" Demi eyed the neck as she finished. It was most definitely tempting, especially given how things had gone lately.

Would certainly be better than explaining the real reason for the draw. "I'm just saying that you're suppose to be the one going all warden or whatever," she said, adding a shrug. There, that should work. Right?

[Roxana Strix]

A dry laugh, something that Rox was used to hearing from Demi and Elsa as well so it didn’t really do anything besides communicate what she already knew. It was not really hard to figure out what was going through Demi’s mind sometimes, especially when it came to thinks like training and who would be able to win in a fight between them. Demi was good, but she was still young and Roxana had years on her and that would make the biggest difference in a fight.

Yes, Demi would eventually get up to where Roxana was, but Rox didn’t know if it would be fully to her level. Roxana knew how to kill people after all, and while Demi probably could do the same; a part of her didn’t want to the girl to have to deal with such a thing. Rox could not help but to let out a small sigh at Demi yet again reminding her that she as a teenager. "I have not forgotten your age. Your age had nothing to do with you wanting a piggy back ride or not. There are plenty of people far older who still enjoy such an...activity." Roxana responded.

She knew her sister would have been up for such a thing, even if she would also use it as a chance to make you pass out. "Do you want to strangle me?" Roxana asked, figuring it didn't hurt to know if that was something Demi desired to do at this moment in time. As for her next comment, Roxana just gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "No need to drag you out if you are following me just fine and not putting up a fight. If you want me to, I can but I saw no need to treat you in such a manner when you were at least behaving properly for us returning to the car." Roxana pointed out.

[Demi Smith]

People far older wanted piggyback rides? Demi pulled another face, one that was halfway between disbelief and outright disgust. She supposed that she really shouldn't be that surprised, given how the people around here acted. Still, it sounded downright, well, downright childish to Demi, and spoiled, and petulant, and wow, was it making a lot more sense now.

The question almost took her aback too. Instead Demi just flashed a tight smile. "If you let me," she replied, putting some venom into the words, not certain if she actually believed it or not. There was a shrug that followed and insisting that Demi would follow without putting up a fight. "I could, you know," she pointed out, "fight you. Here: get us both in trouble," because there was no way that Roxana could take Demi down without having to resort to using mutants powers, and Demi was fairly certain that they both knew it.

"But whatever," she walked forward, brushing past Roxana. "Let's just get to the car," and now Demi had to hope that Roxana didn't pick up on the fact that Demi was mostly guessing about the right direction and didn't have a clue where the hell they were headed.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana saw the face, but she made no comment on it. Demi could view such an activity the way she pleased and Roxana was not going to change her mind on it. She did however start to wonder if she would ever want a piggy back ride. She thought to a time when she was younger when she did it, but that had been again a way to attack her opponent since she was small and had to use her target's body in order to assist in what she needed to do. There was that one time where her brother had did it with her; claiming it to be for fun, but Roxana still could recall how he ended up taking advantage of her letting her guard down and the pain that followed.

She would stick to giving piggy back rides, if the need to ever give one out ever showed up. So far she had just carried people in her arms, but a piggy back would be effective if she still needed to use her arms. Demi responded in a way that Roxana half expected, but it was still interesting to hear all the same especially with the way Demi said it. "I don’t practically enjoy being strangled; so no, I would not let you." Roxana responded in her usual simple manner as she kept moving ahead. Demi then spoke up about how she could fight and cause a problem for the both of them. Roxana was obviously aware of that and stopped to look at Demi for a moment.

"I'm well aware of that." Roxana responded simply. She just figured that Demi did have at least a decent level of common sense to know that it would end badly for mostly her in the end if she pit up a fight. Roxana personally was confident that she could stop Demi without using her power; she just had to land a hit. Honestly she was pretty sure it would not have been hard thanks to her reach and the amount of years she had training long before she came into her powers and still to this day. They were heading to the car, making it outside, and Demi was going the wrong way.

"Turn a little to the left." Roxana spoke up, heading in the right direction, and figured that Demi would catch on with that advice right there. She would get to the car, start it up, and head out as soon as Demi would get into the car and was buckled up. Then it was back to school.

[Demi Smith]

Aware, yeah right. Demi had the feeling that Roxana just said stuff like that to sound tough. People like here were totally always doing that, going around blustering and talking about how big and bad they were. Problem was that people like Roxana also happened to have some skill to back it up, which was why Demi kept mostly silent on that particular matter.

That and she was trying to remember her way back to the car. She kept moving forward, trying to both look like she was leading and sort of let Roxana point the way. The other girl must have figured something out though, given the whole direction correction thing. Demi paused mid move and turned her head back to look at the older woman.

"Right, I so knew that," she said, reaching up to thumb her nose and smirk. "Was testing you," she altered herself a little more, heading just a bit left, looked at Roxana, and then headed in the new right direction, back to the car, back onto the route back to the school...

...and it really hadn't been too bad, she supposed, really. Demi was almost wondering if she could somehow talk Roxana into heading out again. Maybe checking out something more interesting next time, something she was actually excited about...