Who: Will and Hayley What: Science! (AKA: Will pokes Hayley) Where: The lab at Monarch Industries When: Monday afternoon-ish Warnings: Unintentional innuendo and hardcore shoulder-touching action.
Halfway through Monday morning, Will's email exchange with Orin popped back into his mind, pushing its way past the thoughts of other experiments he had on deck for the week. Most of them were genetic - testing himself and wolves to see if there was some link he could exploit to reduce the monthly shift. He'd been stalled for ages though, and his mind was itching for a distraction. It settled on the problem of figuring out Hayley's power and ways to counteract it. He may not have been able to find a solution for his own ability, but if he could help her even a little bit....
His mind was already turning over ways to test the limits of her ability, to find out the extent and strength of it - to find out what it really was. There was the energy transfer, which he knew about, as well as the temporary power transfer in the case of Creations. But did it extend to animals? Plants? Was it an actual physical energy, or something more super-natural? Super-natural he doubted he could help with, but if it was actual physical energy... that might be possible. If nothing else, a barrier must be possible - she already used the fabric of her scarves and gloves - maybe there was something that could allow actual skin-to-skin contact.
He headed for Hayley's desk, lost in his thoughts, and walked up behind her, not realizing how quiet he was being. "I've been tasked with helping you." Ever since telling Orin about her ability - and her embarrassing problem - Hayley had been uneasy. At least she hadn’t told Will about Orin’s assignment for him, and hopefully that meant the matter had been dropped. If Will didn’t know, then he couldn’t do anything. Neither of them would be in danger, and everything would be fine. Things would go back to normal, Orin would get distracted by something shiny, and all would be well.
She was doing some work on the computer, idly editing a spreadsheet, when a voice behind her startled her. Gasping, she swiveled in her chair quickly, eyes wide. It was Will. “You scared me, sugar!” she said with a nervous chuckle. A few moments later, she realized what he had said. Her expression fell. “Help me with what?” she asked, knowing full well what he meant. That bastard Orin had told him about this. It was hard to tell if she was angry or upset. Will startled a bit when Hayley jumped and turned, making a face that clearly communicated that he was sorry for sneaking up on her. The emotions were easy enough to read as they crossed her face. “Sorry. He asked me to. Though it makes sense to look into, and you could’ve asked before.” He could have thought of it before, to be honest. His own ability was difficult enough to deal with; he couldn’t imagine trying to live with hers daily. He gave her a smile and braced himself for the refusal that he knew would come. For a few moments, she just gaped at him. She could have asked. But she didn’t need the help. It wasn’t their job to fix her - it wasn’t anyone’s job. “I know,” she finally said. “But Monarch Industries is a company, it isn’t just one person. And Mr. Monarch can’t just waste money and your time whenever he wants to. My problems are my problems. I can’t just dump them on you.” Will laughed quietly and shook his head. “If you knew how much time I spent here on personal projects, both my own and Orin’s, you’d probably change your mind. It’s not a waste of money or time, trust me.” He paused, looking at her for a moment. “You’re not dumping. I’m offering. Come on.” He tipped his head toward the lab he worked in most often, gesturing her back. “We can talk about stuff. I’ve been thinking this morning.” She opened her mouth to object, but deflated. Arguing would get them nowhere. She knew that. Arguing never got anyone anywhere. Orin was a stubborn bastard, and while Will certainly didn’t seem like one, she was beginning to think that there was a stubborn streak in there that he kept hidden quite well. With a sigh, she nodded. “Okay,” she said, standing up from her chair and following his command towards the lab. “And you’re gonna have to be more specific than that, sugar. I imagine you think a lot.” She offered him a gently teasing smile before passing him, walking ahead into the lab. Will smiled and shook his head, her accusation not that far from the truth. He’d expected a little more of a fight, but followed after her and closed the door behind them, not wanting the other lab employees to over hear. He headed for his tall bend chair, perching on the edge of it and looking at her for a long moment. Any way he approached it would be awkward, so he figured to just jump right in. “So you absorb energy. And powers.” It was a statement, but he waited for her confirmation. Sitting in a chair across from Will, Hayley was briefly reminded of her other problem. The one she had initially e-mailed Orin about. Thankfully, her face was already fairly rosy from the fright Will had given her, so any change in her hue brought on by sudden memories of one bizarre accident several weeks prior was nearly invisible. Instead, she could try and focus on the task at hand, nodding at his blunt statement. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I touch someone, and I just...drain ‘em.” She looked down, chewing slightly on her lip. “You already knew that,” she added sheepishly, guilt tinging her voice. Will waved off what sounded like an apology with a distracted hand gesture. That wasn’t why he’d brought it up. He grabbed a nearby lab notebook and opened it to a new page. “Okay. How does it work? Just... I know you don't know exactly, or it would be easy to counteract, I’d guess. But just in general. What happens? With as much detail as you can stand.” He gave her a supportive little smile, mind slipping into research mode as much as possible with her cheeks so pink. Talking to Will was normally fun, but something about him with a notebook and pencil made Hayley feel like she was at a doctor’s visit. And she hated doctor’s visits. Fidgeting in her seat, she looked down at her knees, taking a deep breath. “I touch someone and then I feel like I just drank a Red Bull. Or five. I’m all hyped up, and I just have to...do something. And after I do it, I usually...am not hungry for a while.” She paused. “And speaking of hungry, I realized I started eating a lot more after it started. Like I’m hungry almost all the time, and if I don’t eat for a few hours, I get hunger headaches.” She paused, thinking of the granola bar in her desk. Now she wanted it. “Oh, and my hair.” She twisted her fingers in the silver streak in her hair. “It started going gray a few months after it started, too.” She paused. “And the people I drain, they just seem really tired. Like they just ran a few marathons or something. And if I take an ability, they still have it, obviously. And then I just...lose the ability after a certain time, I guess.” She paused, looking over at him. “Was that okay?” Will wrote everything down as quickly as he could as she spoke, using a strange sort of shorthand that he’d grown comfortable with over the years. He thought as he wrote, everything seeming to point to some sort of energy imbalance. He paused to chew on the end of his pencil as the thought, barely noticing Hayley’s ‘doctor discomfort’ for the moment. After a bit, he looked back up at her again, a little intense with his questions. “And is it just skin-to-skin contact? Not your hair? And... what blocks it? Have you tried different things?” Hayley chewed on the inside of her cheek as Will wrote down everything she said, feeling as if he were looking at her through a microscope. She steeled herself as he fixed her with an intense gaze, questions just as pointed. “Yeah, just through my skin. And...fabric? I just covered up when it happened, I figured...my skin hurts people, so I should just cover it up. So that’s what I’ve done ever since.” Will wrote down a few more things as he nodded. He studied the notebook again for a long few moments before looking up at her again, focused on her again and smiling softly. “Okay. Want to try to find some stuff that might help?” The scientist faded a bit again from Will’s face, leaving his usual non-work expression, friendly and a little concerned. Though the change was subtle, Hayley noticed, relaxing subconsciously. “Okay...but like. How are we gonna test it?” She looked at him critically. “You got some...plants, maybe?” Plants couldn’t feel pain. The expression on Will's face went a little surprised. "Does it work on plants too?" He looked at her for a second before shaking his head. "That wasn't what I'd planned, but it might work. I don't have any right now, though. I'd mainly planned..." He raised a hand and waved it a little, giving her an awkward smile. “I’m pretty sure it does, yeah. It’s a little hard to tell, but flowers seem to look droopier after I touch ‘em a bit.” Or maybe it was just her luck. As he held up his hand and smiled, her eyes widened. Suddenly, it was very difficult to remember that he was fully clothed, and the flush on her cheeks returned full force. “What if what we’re tryin’ doesn’t work and I zap you?” she all but hissed, fighting to keep her voice down. Will frowned a little, knowing that the plants would work as a last choice, but they wouldn't be able to respond as effectively as people would. He knew Hayley's concerns were valid, but... "It's the slow part of the month. So there shouldn't be any surprises there." He paused, going thoughtful. "And I have touched your skin before. I remember what it's like. It'll be fine." He quirked a small smile at her. "I don't intend on hanging on very long without something between us." He took a moment before he realized how awkward that sounded, and how awkward this entire thing could likely get, and made a small face. He could have reassured her for a thousand years and she’d still be unconvinced. She had felt what he did after she’d touched him, the morning after. Even if it was the “slow part of the month,” that sort of agony was uncalled for. She knew it wasn’t entirely her doing, but she certainly hadn’t helped. With a sigh, she nodded reluctantly. “Okay...” she said. She was about to continue when he cut her off, her gaze rising to his. Her reaction showed clearly on her face as her blush magnified. She bit down on her lower lip, eyes wide. “O-Oh...well that’s...good...” She cleared her throat. “Good! You’re the boss. Uh, scientist. So I’ll just do whatever you want me to.” He smiled awkwardly at her again when she blushed, and was very glad that their strangely nosy employer wasn't there to witness it. "Okay." He hesitated, glancing down to read over his notes again before sighing. "So. I guess..." He trailed off and then shook his head, laughing awkwardly. "I'll just come out and say it, this is going to be strange. If you're not comfortable with it, we don't have to. But... we might be able to figure out something to help you if we try." Admitting how awkward this was seemed to only make it worse. “If you’re willin’ to help me, then I’m comfortable with it.” Mostly. But it wasn’t his fault that she hadn’t been able to touch another human being during her most hormone-driven years. “But if you’re...not comfortable with it, then you don’t have to.” His smile didn't fade, still awkward but warm. "Of course I'm willing to help. I haven't been able to figure out anything for easing my own problems, but yours might be easier." He reached out, still smiling, and touched her carefully on the shoulder, hand safe on the other side of the fabric of her shirt. She bit her lip. “Well what if by figuring out what’s goin’ on with me...you can use it for yourself?” She wasn’t sure how all that worked, really - science had never been her strong suit. She tensed as he reached out, instinctively wanting to withdraw. But she stayed put, allowing him to settle his hand on her shoulder. It was a foreign sensation, even through fabric - people so rarely touched her. Even around Evie and Mr. Sablier, she remained aloof, too terrified by the prospect of harming a hair on Evie’s head to allow herself the slightest leniency. It was nice, even through the fabric of her shirt, to feel a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked to his hand briefly, a genuine smile overtaking her face. Glancing to him, she didn’t dare move a muscle. “So uh...where do we start?” “I think we start by getting a read on what sort of energy patterns you’ve got going on. There’s some equipment a few doors down that I think might help. If you’re up to it.” He stood and headed for the door, then turning and holding out his hand like a gentleman, waiting for her so they could begin. “Okay,” she said with a nod, standing soon after he did. “I’m up for anything.” She prepared to follow him when he paused, turning and extending a hand. A small smile spread across her lips as she very tentatively took his hand. Again, it was strange, something she wouldn’t normally do. And she didn’t have much hope for these experiments. But maybe, just maybe, Will was right. Maybe he could help her. She’d never know until she let him try.