slayers_desire | kidnapping Clark to a red-sun Earth

April giggles. Because a flying kangaroo would have been funny. Totally Captain Kangaroo references there.

"Clark had to fight off a stag that had showed up. But other than that it was fun. We raced. Played hide and seek. And got to eat grass."

"Yeah, that's definite luck. And that sounds pretty painless," she says, nodding her head all relieved. "The idea of being an animal bothers me. Y' know, with altered states of mind, that... that instinct in the back of your head, being changed. Then I start thinking about conservation of mass, and whether when I've changed if there's something with a bird-brain hanging out in my body."

"It wasn't so bad, once I got used to it," he admits, shifting one leg to stretch it out a little more. He still feels a bit weird, a bit off, but the sunlight is making a difference now. "It was actually fun once I figured out what was going on. And I'm glad at least one of us had hands."

"It enabled us to come here. Instead of hanging out in my Kansas apartment all day as animals. Clark still owes me new sheets." April leaned more towards the shade of the trees, then the bright sunlight.

Sheets, which means that they were sleeping in the same bed when the change occurred, which means they were having a sleepover. Sleepovers are awesome.

"Yeah, hands're important. Otherwise, how would you high five anyone?"

"Or open doors, or use PINpoints, or grab things," he adds, because he found that a lot more helpful.

He's still thinking about the last two days, trying to figure out how much of it was real. It's hard to tell, and he doesn't really want to ask, because he remembers some pretty disturbing stuff and he's fairly certain he was alone for a lot of it.

"I had four stomachs in deer form." Random information.

Bringing up her knees to hug them, April tries to think of appropriate way to phrase a question in her mind, but is just blanking.

"That's awesome. Four stomachs. It's strange, being aware of internal organs, 'cause usually they're just mellowed out, doing their organy thing. You always learn something new, from changing like that."

"You know what's really weird, was having a tail," Clark adds. "Changed my balance completely, but it sure made hopping a lot easier."

He looks over at April, a little concerned about her body language, and puts a questioning hand on her arm.

"I am always aware of my internal organs. Guess it is one of those vampires things." April smiles softly.

She places a hand on Clark's. "Just worried. Don't want this to happen again. I hate losing my connection to you. And feeling helpless."

Victor's fingers twitch, she realizes how terribly desensitized to these problems that she's become. Bad things happen, and the best thing to do is roll with the punches, handle the issues when they come, and not worry. Just be prepared. It's not her place to say so, though, not yet, she should give Clark a chance to comfort April his own way.

"...you felt it all too, didn't you?" he asks, with another twinge of guilt. It was bad enough that he had to feel terrified and paranoid for the last two days, but knowing that he subjected her to that by proxy... "This won't happen again," he promises her, not knowing if he can keep that promise but he's going to do his best to make damn sure he never even lays eyes on another piece of silver kryptonite. "I should have x-rayed the box before I opened it. If we ever get any more unexpected packages, I'll do that before we do anything else."

April can only nod to Clark's concern for her. It can be difficult for an empathic to share the emotions of the person they love.
Even though April cherishes the connection they share. Knows it gets them through the tough times.

"I wish there was a way to detect Kryptonite before it effected you. I would hate for us to always be suspicious of unexpected packages."

"It might be good to check unexpected packages with the x-ray vision anyway, considering all the other crummy things folks can put in boxes." Vicky is always paranoid, and it's important to be so careful.

"Is there... any way to put a lid on your empath powers, at least temporarily? It'll keep you safer when you're dealing with really painful things."

"I know how we can find green kryptonite without letting me get in range," he says, glancing over at Victor and remembering the kryptonite detectors she made when they were clearing the fields after the meteor shower. "But the other colors... I seem to have to touch them first." And he nods at Victor's endorsement of the x-ray plan, because they have run into malicious packages twice now, and it's always a good idea to be careful. Although, he has to wonder if that's some remnant of the paranoia talking.

"That is at least one good thing. Seeing you in pain is never good."

April runs her fingers through her hair. "I find it easier to not sense emotions when I... I am in tune with my vampire powers. Its easier to shut them all off. And to just... not be affected by the voices at all."

"For a moment there, when we were helping Clark, I almost went there. But the vampire is just a part of me that is difficult to share with everyone."

"I didn't want to make things worse for you Victor, when you were working so hard to help Clark get that kryptonite removed from his system."

"Yeah," she says, grinning fit to split at Clark. "I'm pretty sure my kryptonite detector qualifies me for evil genius status." Then to April, to explain: "We put some of his blood in little vials, and the vials of blood would react in a very visual way to the presence of green k. It was awesome. It worked really well."

"What do you mean, about the vampire powers?" she asks, curiously. She knows for different kinds of vampires there are different rules, and the closest she can think is that perhaps the vampire powers bring April closer to the animal that is in all people, and that disconnects her from her empathy.

"We might have to get more, but if we could keep some around, it could definitely help reduce my exposure to green kryptonite," he suggests. Clark never likes the idea of being exposed to kryptonite of any flavor, but he's willing to endure a short burst of pain if it helps him avoid more in the long run. If only it worked for the other colors, too.

He's concerned to hear that April nearly retreated into her vampire state, and he puts a hand on the back of her neck, warm and solid, attempting to offer reassurance and comfort. He knows how hard it can be for her to deal with her darker half, especially so recently brought forth last month by the kryptonite vampire sorority incident.

"Maybe experimenting with a few different colors might give us some detection for those two. I am sure you both would figure it out."

Smiling at Clark's touch at the back of her neck, April eases slightly. Making it easier to talk about the vampire. "In my universe, vampires are Demon spawn. They infect humans, possess their bodies, and slowly destroys all traces of the human that used to be there."

"As the vampire, I feel no empathy. No human emotions. I am more logical and cunning, but with a twisted darkness to the way as the Demon is always seeking power and control." She steadies her breath. "Someday... I wouldn't mind you researching some of my abilities."

"It would be nice..." April bite her bottom lip. Looking back at Clark. Not sure if he has talked to Victor about this yet. "To have both of our genetics researched. See if we are... um... compatible."

"The only problem is that contact seems to activate the other colors of k." There's a burst of elation, overwhelming, like a bird flapping its wings at tremendous speeds as Victor comes up with a solution. It's a rush. "A radiation detector, handheld. That would be perfect, wouldn't it? Right?"

"If you'd be comfortable with it, I'd like to help in any way that I can," she says. "What d' you mean by compatible?"

"It might," he agrees. "They probably give off different types of radiation, so you could even calibrate it to warn us of specific kinds."

Clark hasn't brought it up with her, and this is a little awkward, because he knows she doesn't necessarily think about this sort of thing in the same way they do. "Um. She means... genetically."

"Oh gosh. It would be wonderful to have a hand held radiation detector."

"I am comfortable with it. I would not mind having Clark around for the tests, as he is able to deal with the vampire persona fine."

April phrases her next statement delicately. "That way we would know if we could have a family. Of our own. Someday far in the future."

It's one of the best feelings in the world, to come up with a solution to a problem, and she's all heart-poundy and happy and proud. "Did you know that bananas give off trace amounts of radiation?"

Then: "Oh. You mean engaging in activities that'll one day result in offspring. I'm not sure how I could... test that," she says, equally delicately, face heating up right away.

"They do? Then why haven't there been any banana-powered supervillains?" It's rather sad that that's Clark's first question. It's a bit of a joke, but still.

He'd been hoping to wait a little bit and come up with a more delicate way to phrase the question to her, to try to avoid her getting embarrassed, but it was probably inevitable. "Well... I still don't even know if I have DNA," he says, carefully. "Or if it's double-helix, or if I have the right number of chromosomes." He tries to phrase it scientifically, to give her a different angle to look at it that isn't so awkward for her.

"How do you know there haven't? Just because you haven't faced any?"

"I have no idea what my DNA even looks like." April adds to things to avoid the embarrassment part. "I am awful curious."

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