(Please note that OM has granted permission to be played as an NPC by Spud, Uni and myself)
***
I had to laugh at that. "I've been there," I admitted as I transformed back to Chris. As a side benefit, the sudden burst of cosmic energy
actually dried me off. And changed my clothes to something more suitable for my larger size... including my favorite jacket. Very curious indeed. Amy glanced
over at me, clearly evaluating me. Grinning, I held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you Amy," I smiled.
She grinned and shook my hand back. "Good to finally meet you in person," she said. "I'd introduce you to Brian, but as you can see, he...
um, she's a little out of it."
Holding back a laugh, I looked her over. "Yeah, so I can see. Um, I guess I read it wrong in chat. I thought he had Rhea in the back of his head."
Kneeling down, I took a look at Mr Whiskers. A panda? What wasn't how I remembered him from Paragon. Or was that how I imagined him from Paragon? This was
starting to give me a headache.
Amy shrugged. "Well, he was. Then Rhea said he couldn't handle the power to teleport you and... um..." she shrugged. "Science Booster
Costume Change?"
This time I didn't bother holding back the laugh. "Well, I guess I'm grateful for now. But I kinda hope she can reverse it." Amy had to nod
in agreement as I looked around. "So, I've met you, I've met Brian... Where be the Optimal one? I wouldn't mind meeting..." As I worked
out the expression on Amy's face, I found myself resisting the urge to facepalm. "You didn't check, did you?" I asked. Rather then answer,
she bolted out of the room. "Well, I guess it's a very excitable night," I added out loud, before turning back to study Rhea.
That lasted about ten seconds, when Amy called out my name in a worried voice. Swearing lightly, I followed the sound of the voice, soon enough finding myself
upstairs, looking at where Amy was placing a rather dazed looking Nene Romanova on the bed. Blinking, I was suddenly struck by the rather shocking discovery
that Nene, who I saw every day, overseeing PSI's computer hub, was Net Sabre, one of the most powerful Sabres, who trained the other recruits to the
Sabres, had humbled Reichsman and Recluse, and...
For a brief moment, my eyes nearly rolled up in my head and my world spun, before I grabbed at the doorframe to balance myself. "Owww..." I managed,
squeezing the bridge of my nose to ward off a killer headache.
"Amy?" Nene squeaked. "You're, I... Owie..." she said, imitating my pose.
"Ben, that's you, right?" Amy asked gently. "I mean, you're not entirely Nene, right?"
"What the heck kinda question is that?" she said, looking at Amy oddly.
Given the situation, I couldn't resist with the snark. "Well, given you're currently shorter, cuter, and with a touch of added Sabre, it's
only fair to ask."
She turned her attention to with with the wonderfully scornful look I used to imagine her giving Leon and Terrence... or did I remember that? My headache was
coming back again. "And who the flipping heck are you meant to be?" she demanded.
Failing to keep the grin from my face, I couldn't help but bow. "Chris Wood, aka Matrix Dragon, finally meeting you in the flesh for the first time in
close to a decade of friendship," I announced, then spun on the spot, shrinking down into Tamara and my PPD uniform. "Or, you can call me Tamara
Reilly, the incredible Major Starlight," I said with a friendly wink.
Nene stared for a moment. "I'm not crazy, am I?" she asked.
Shrugging, I grinned at her. "Only if the rest of us have gone crazy too. You're my friend and all Miss Romanova, but I'd rather not meet you via
a set of involuntary sex changes and being dunked in a river-"
"That was you being ambitious," Amy pointed out.
That fact was waved off as unimportant to the matter at hand. "Come on downstairs, Spud's passed out in the garage from rampart Rhea outbreak."
Nene blinked, standing up. "Spud's got Rhea in his head?" she said in a tone of utter horror, then paused. "Wait, he's got a voice in
his head with a voice in her head?" she quipped.
A grin formed on my face. "Oh yeah, you're Ben," I commented. "Come on."
***
***
I had to laugh at that. "I've been there," I admitted as I transformed back to Chris. As a side benefit, the sudden burst of cosmic energy
actually dried me off. And changed my clothes to something more suitable for my larger size... including my favorite jacket. Very curious indeed. Amy glanced
over at me, clearly evaluating me. Grinning, I held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you Amy," I smiled.
She grinned and shook my hand back. "Good to finally meet you in person," she said. "I'd introduce you to Brian, but as you can see, he...
um, she's a little out of it."
Holding back a laugh, I looked her over. "Yeah, so I can see. Um, I guess I read it wrong in chat. I thought he had Rhea in the back of his head."
Kneeling down, I took a look at Mr Whiskers. A panda? What wasn't how I remembered him from Paragon. Or was that how I imagined him from Paragon? This was
starting to give me a headache.
Amy shrugged. "Well, he was. Then Rhea said he couldn't handle the power to teleport you and... um..." she shrugged. "Science Booster
Costume Change?"
This time I didn't bother holding back the laugh. "Well, I guess I'm grateful for now. But I kinda hope she can reverse it." Amy had to nod
in agreement as I looked around. "So, I've met you, I've met Brian... Where be the Optimal one? I wouldn't mind meeting..." As I worked
out the expression on Amy's face, I found myself resisting the urge to facepalm. "You didn't check, did you?" I asked. Rather then answer,
she bolted out of the room. "Well, I guess it's a very excitable night," I added out loud, before turning back to study Rhea.
That lasted about ten seconds, when Amy called out my name in a worried voice. Swearing lightly, I followed the sound of the voice, soon enough finding myself
upstairs, looking at where Amy was placing a rather dazed looking Nene Romanova on the bed. Blinking, I was suddenly struck by the rather shocking discovery
that Nene, who I saw every day, overseeing PSI's computer hub, was Net Sabre, one of the most powerful Sabres, who trained the other recruits to the
Sabres, had humbled Reichsman and Recluse, and...
For a brief moment, my eyes nearly rolled up in my head and my world spun, before I grabbed at the doorframe to balance myself. "Owww..." I managed,
squeezing the bridge of my nose to ward off a killer headache.
"Amy?" Nene squeaked. "You're, I... Owie..." she said, imitating my pose.
"Ben, that's you, right?" Amy asked gently. "I mean, you're not entirely Nene, right?"
"What the heck kinda question is that?" she said, looking at Amy oddly.
Given the situation, I couldn't resist with the snark. "Well, given you're currently shorter, cuter, and with a touch of added Sabre, it's
only fair to ask."
She turned her attention to with with the wonderfully scornful look I used to imagine her giving Leon and Terrence... or did I remember that? My headache was
coming back again. "And who the flipping heck are you meant to be?" she demanded.
Failing to keep the grin from my face, I couldn't help but bow. "Chris Wood, aka Matrix Dragon, finally meeting you in the flesh for the first time in
close to a decade of friendship," I announced, then spun on the spot, shrinking down into Tamara and my PPD uniform. "Or, you can call me Tamara
Reilly, the incredible Major Starlight," I said with a friendly wink.
Nene stared for a moment. "I'm not crazy, am I?" she asked.
Shrugging, I grinned at her. "Only if the rest of us have gone crazy too. You're my friend and all Miss Romanova, but I'd rather not meet you via
a set of involuntary sex changes and being dunked in a river-"
"That was you being ambitious," Amy pointed out.
That fact was waved off as unimportant to the matter at hand. "Come on downstairs, Spud's passed out in the garage from rampart Rhea outbreak."
Nene blinked, standing up. "Spud's got Rhea in his head?" she said in a tone of utter horror, then paused. "Wait, he's got a voice in
his head with a voice in her head?" she quipped.
A grin formed on my face. "Oh yeah, you're Ben," I commented. "Come on."
***