Yo... Dem Books and Unicorn horns... (Bailey/Open)

[Rhona Hall]

Grabbing lunch from the Cabal cafeteria Rhona noted it was kind of crowded than it usually was. For the food was ranked mediocre for some but it had some good days... like Pizza day. Paying for three slices she decided to try and find her a seat. She was newer to this place and young so trying to really mesh with the crowd was always hard to start with by spotting the opening. However, there was a face she saw and found herself venturing there. The glasses girl from before...

Unlike the soldiers, she was quite unlike the rest of them, all gung-ho and ready to punch it. They had met once and Rhona hardly remembered names being said. So why not. 

Taking an adjacent seat she remained outside of a "three-foot personal bubble" that some might have. Not sure if Bailey noticed her yet but Rhona was quick to find a topic to start conversing with. "Ah... so I could not help but peak from the books I recovered for you... thought maybe just in case I got the wrong person I'd check. Interesting reads..." She knew of the kind and remembered getting some of them who wanted to be cool like their comic characters learning martial arts. Even in her remote and cozy town, they were plenty. But hardly any girls would actually take the boys seriously nor could she recall any of them holding a book like those. At least not while Rhona was in the same room.

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey was happily eating a bit of lunch by herself, not really tasting the food she had in front of her. It could have bee salad, pizza, or week-old milk as her thoughts wandered elsewhere. Until the girl from the other day sat down in front of her, though it would be the sound of her tray hitting the table that would draw the smaller blonde back to reality. She blinked and offered the girl a smile and nod that quickly froze mid-motion as the mention of the book that had been left behind was brought up. Rather splendidly, too, from the way she choked on a bite of food and had to wash it down before responding.

"Ah, yeah, something like that." Her cheeks were already flaming as she looked around, then shook her head and went back to the conversation. Nothing screamed "this is something embarrassing" like making it obvious. Thankfully, she didn't have the book on her, or others like it.

"Thanks for returning it, by the way. How'd you know it was mine, anyway?" Totally ignoring the fact a random, pretty girl now had an idea what she was into. And young. Bailey shifted in her seat, unable to ignore that, either. She offered a silent prayer to no one and nothin in particular that the questions would stop.

[Rhona Hall]

Rhona shrugged picking up one of her big slices and folded it in half so to keep it stable with one hand. "You left it and someone asked me to return it to you, I guess they saw it was your's first hand. Anyway apparently they were going in the opposing direction, so I was happy to help. I don't think we had spoken before that day so I was not sure I'd get the right person... but you look like you read a lot so seemed to fit." She took a reasonable bite before continuing. "I thought not much of it, suppose I've been around too many dudes growing up to be flustered at a lot of that." She hoped it was a few words to help this not be as awkward for her. "Still, what do you study here at Cabal?"

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey found herself suddenly grateful that this girl had only briefly flipped through the book for a name. Normally she didn't carry that particular literature with her, but a recommendation had been made, and curiosity rose until she decided to look into into.

"I see." She brushed some of the hair from her eyes, silently willing the heat in her cheeks to cool. Instead, she found herself biting back the urge to talk about the points to consider, how some of it was garbage and others could be surprisingly interesting. A cafeteria full of people seemed the wrong place for that kind of chat.

"I suppose my answer to that depends on if you actually want to know what my focus is or why I'm here."  Two questions that seemed to come up frequently.

[Rhona Hall]

"I dunno... people come here with a plan I suppose, that or someone sent them here with one. I don't mind serving a cause that suits me. My motives involve me to explore my abilities and grow with them." She shrugged taking another bite. "It being Solar Energy, my Mother used to be afraid that I would just explode and cause some kind of disaster or even die if I got too angry... Not going to lie, it would be nice to know and not worry about a fate like that... at least not until I stand on the back of the men who killed her and take them all with me." She paused a bit and slowed her chewing a bit. "Hm... a bit grim topic for me while eating... my bad."

"I guess what I am doing... is to make a friend, get to know you. Well all be fighting side by side one day anyway. Might as well right?"

[Bailey Oleander]

"Someone usually does." Bailey smiled, fiddling with her food without actually eating it. Even if the person who came to the Cabal didn't have one, someone did. She listened to Rhona's explanation without interrupting, taking in the girls desire to make the world a better place as well as put her family's fears - and her own - at rest. The mention of her body going haywire didn't perturb the quieter girl, who merely nodded with a thoughtful expression and took a bite to buy some time before continuing.

"It's fine. I'd want to know, too. It's better to know the potential risks of what you're doing, especially if it seems like something useful. You should always know what tools are available to you and what it might cost to use them. I'm the same way. I'm here to learn how to use my power and control it, but I have people back home who need my help, with or without my power.

"But it wouldn't hurt to have friends either. I'm Bailey, by the way. Bailey Blake."

[Rhona Hall]

"Good on you then." She grabbed a napkin of her own and wiped the grease from her fingers to offer a handshake from across the table. "Rhona, Rhona Hall." If Bailey took it she'd feel Rhona's hand to be immensely warm as natural to her. The temperature of Rhona's body is higher than that of a normal person. Par for the course of the abnormalities that floated about the campus.

"Now I don't mean to pry but you seem a bit... tired?" Of course, it would usually be from diligent studies or hard training. Something they'd click with or so Rhona thought.

[Bailey Oleander]

The hand offered was surprisingly warm, enough so that Bailey immediately looked at Rhona's face again to make sure the girl wasn't flush. But she didn't seem to be sweating to go along with the extra heat. She wondered exactly what it was that caused it, bititng back the questions that sprung to mind as she released the other girl's hand.

"You could say that." She gave a small laugh and a nod, grateful her new friend had used a napkin. "I have long days and short nights, here and back home. You think I'd be used to it by now, but it's different here, too.  There's a lot to learn here."

[Rhona Hall]

She kind of chuckled. "That I get, but I've torn my body and healed it every day and I swear to you I am still not used to long distance running... My cardio is great... But I hate it, part of it bores me but mostly it is just uncomfortable." She bit into more pizza. "Truthfully no matter how we push ourselves the body while varies depending on the person has limits and weaknesses of course. You might be killing more brain cells staying up cramming it with information rather than sleeping. Sucks that deadlines are a fact of life."

She could relate to that way of thinking. Might be simpler in mind but she is quite understanding. "So with so much to learn and discover... what is your focus in studying?"

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey blinked and set down her fork as Rhona spoke her mind. She knew the girl was one to speak her mind, but she hadn't expected such a thorough response. It was a good point, however. Conditioning for one thing didn't mean a person was equal to all tasks in the same category.

"I might be." She chuckled and shook her head. "Still, you do what you do. I'll be fine." Just don't take her caffeine away from her. Please.

"Control," she answered almost at once, poking at her food again. "Control for myself and learning how my power works with others."

[Rhona Hall]

Rhona was curious as to what her abilities might be but seems like it was not something Bailey wanted to answer from the previous questions she asked. So she was going to leave it at that. True too she might of misunderstood what Bailey meant.

"Mhmm... with others is kind of fun. Back home my friends would test me all the time... Just dumb shit like walk daring me to walk through the fire or touch red-hot iron. An I know that sounds like a ton of stupid but I found out a lot of things that way. I was the only one who had Qi after some of the older boys left for the world it was quite one-sided. Of course, that was all when we were not Sparing at my Dad's Martial Arts School." She finished her last couple of bites of pizza and twisted open an untouched bottle to drink. "Should you need an extra hand, I'd be happy to help... And I promise it won't be dumb like seeing if you wanted to touch a hot iron." she chuckled.

[Bailey Oleander]

"Oh no, I woudln't say that. Not really." Okay, yes, it was. This girl was literally walking through fire for her power and for kicks. Because her friends dared her to. Shaking her head, Bailey leaned back to take in the taller girl as her tongue poked the inside of her cheek. Just what kind of power did she have?

"It sounds pretty intense. I might take you up on that. What can you do that made them dare you?"

[Rhona Hall]

She could not help seeing the look on Bailey's face. Rhona knew it was all dumb to do but she had fun and no harm came from it. Doesn't change the fact it was still dumb, and Rhona was quite the show-off.

And The grin on Rhona's face became apparent and the napkin in her hand was wadded up. Her eyes would glow and her hand from the wrist up would glow clenching her fist over the napkin. A whisper smoke came from between her fingers. Turning her hand over her plate, so not to make the mess, all that would fall from her opening fingers were black feathery ash. "I absorb the power of the Sun and mostly it stays internally so my body has an incredibly high tolerance for heat."

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey was still staring at Rhona's hand as the ash fell between her fingers and the girl finished speaking. Though there were occasionally people with abilities from her territory, she'd never met anyone with them until arriving at the Cabal. And now here aws one, able to absorb the sun and use it. To keep the energy inside and unleash it at will. Her gaze remained on the girl's hand afew moments more before shaking herself.

"Huh." Ideas starting tumbling over each other as she looked up at Rhona with a nod and a smile. "I see what you mean now. We should try working together on it sometime." Rhona was probably going to be a ginneau pig in the process, but it couldn't hurt to get used to working with more than one person.

"Then you could really get your glow on."

[Rhona Hall]

Speaking of Glowing, Rhona could see a spark in Bailey's eye when she finished her demonstration. Keeping her wide grin she was more than happy at the thought.

"Couldn't have said it better," She gathered her trash. "Let's meet up tomorrow afternoon, I've got something to tend to today, is that okay?"