"Whoa," Missy said in wide-eyed surprise at Connor's sudden transformation into a gigantic robot. Her voice was still distorted by her aberration. "That is definitely something you don't see every day." After a pause, she glanced at Autumn, and her eyes widened again.

"Hey, you're all icy," she said. She felt stupid for saying it, but too much was happening too quickly for her, and she could barely assimilate it all.

Are all nova gatherings like this? she boggled.

She felt the beer in her hand, but that was all. Somewhere near her, a voice tried talking to her. Her whole body had goosebumps. Unfortunately for Hero, Divine had spotted Gabriel Law.

OH MY GOD! her mind screamed as she found herself transfixed by his beauty. It took a few moments, but she regained use of her reasoning abilities.

That one is not like the chums and schmucks I toy with every day. This one will be a challenge. She was already scheming on a way to meet him.

"Uh.. thanks Hero", Divine said as she took a long draw from the beer. "After these two drinks, I'll need to use the ladies room."

"Then we can go swimming for awile." she finished with a wink to Hero.

Missy's statements difused the situation for Caduceus. Her view of novas in the world was refreshing.
"Melissa, being a nova is fantastic and being around other novas is pretty fantastic too. Heck, I met this fascinating guy in Africa who can turn into any kind of plant - roots, living off sunlight, the whole works ... and he can still sense the world around him too ... without eyes. How's that for wonderous?"

Missy boggled at how calmly Evan was taking the appearance of a fifty-foot tall brightly-colored war robot on the Louisiana beach where moments before there had been a quite happening party. Wide-eyed, she gripped the taller nova by the shoulders and started shaking him.

"Giant robot!" she shouted, still shaking Evan with one hand and pointing with the other. "Big! Metal robot! Huge robot boots and fists! Lasers that go. . . ME!"

The icy nymph turned her head and looked to Melissa, the smile she sent over her shoulder was nothing short of seductive, even if it wasn't her intention. "Yeah, pretty cool huh?"

What happened next took the frigid nova by suprise. Wide-eyed, Melissa gripped Evan by the shoulders and started shaking him. Her outburst, short lived as it was, forced both of Solstice's hands over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter.

Connor rises to his feet and slowly makes his way to wher the others are seated and eating. God I hate this. Any other time I'm in control. I have to get out of here until I get back to normal, this is too damn awkward. Still it would be impolite not to ask if anyone wanted to come.

"I'm going for a flight, does anyone want to come along?"

Slowly it dawned on Missy that she was the only one over-reacting to Connor's startling mechamorphosis. She stopped shaking Evan, and took an embarrassed half-step backwards in the sand. As she calmed down she even slid out of her nova form. She stopped glowing, and her voice returned to normal.

"Um, sorry about that," she apologized awkwardly to both Evan and Autumn. "I'm just not used to seeing things like that."

The change in Autumn fascinated her, and for a moment she forgot that Evan existed. She turned to face Autumn and let her feet carry herself closer. She tentatively reached out with a fingertip, unsure of herself.

"So, you're made of ice," she said quietly, stating the obvious. Near-total rapture filled her expression, as she took in every inch of Autumn's form.

"Completely," Solstice reached out and took a gentle hold on Melissa outstretched hand. "See?"

The nova was frozen solid, yet she retained flexibility. Even thought she was a bit damp from the summer heat, she was still smooth and soft, like normal skin. "No need to be shy Missy, we're all friends here. In fact, I'll tell you everything you'd like to know about me and my powers if you'd like. Honest."

Evan couldn't really say he was all that surprised by Missy's inattention. As an Utopian, he was used to being around the exotic and remarkable a great deal of the time.
"Its okay," he said to the back of Missy's head. It was easy to see that she was entranced with Autumn's icy visage. As Missy reached out to touch the floating nova, Evan even felt a twinge of vindication.
'I thought that her touching Autumn was a good idea.'
Autumn glistened invitingly, but it was painfully clear to Caduceus she was flirting with Missy and that he was the redundant third wheel.
"Why don't I get us some drinks," he offered. Mistakenly, Evan assumed that both girls were underage, so he didn't ask Missy if she wanted a beer. As it was, he took a step away from the ladies and headed for the cooler.

"Wow," Missy said quietly. "That's really something. How's it feel? Are you cold all the time?" She glanced toward Evan as he wandered away for drinks. "I have some Gatorade in the cooler! You can have one too!"

Akaisha follows Joe over to the food and grins looking at everything, “It was really nice of him to get all this food for everyone.” She grabs a plate and gets a hotdog for herself, complete with some ketchup and mustard. She also scoops some potato sald onto her plate before opening the cooler to get some drinks.

Since it’s a hot day out, it seems like water is the best idea and she grabs two bottles. Carrying her plate and the water over to Joe, she sits approaches him and is about to offer the water when Connor bursts from the ocean. It’s enough to make her bobble the water and her plate but she manages to recover.

With a smirk she shrugs, “I’m definitely impressed.” She looks around and then sets her food down next to Joe. “Watch my food, I’m going to change. You can have one of the waters!” Without waiting for an answer, she trots off to find a place to change.

A few minutes later, she gets back, wearing a blue bikini top and sarong. She sits down in the sand and picks up her plate, “I feel a little like I’m at a circus. But at least the food and the company is good!” she smiles and takes a bite out of her hotdog, looking out at the huge robot in the surf.

It took a moment for Hero to realize that Divine was captivated and by who.
'Gabriel "Fucking" Law ... holy shit!'
He knew he had no chance. Divine was ... well divine and Gabriel was the optimal beautiful person, why he was ... was a costumed freak. He didn't hate Law, but was bowing to the inevitable.
"You do what you got to do," Hero told Divine as she got up, though he meant it in a rather different way.
Socializing wasn't his strong suit, but he knew he wouldn't have to say much. He got up, plate and beer in hand and went over to hover around the grill were Gabriel and the two ladies around him. Wether they noticed him or not wasn't important. This would give Divine an opening, or so he supposed.

"Cold? Oh, no." She let go of Missy's hand. Despite Melissa curiosity Solstice remained true to her word and remained as open minded to her constant staring. "I have no concept of cold while I'm like this, or heat unless were talking really, really hot."

She shook her head a bit, showing off the wind chime effect of the resilient strands of her icicle hair. "I think it makes a lovely sound. I feel no different like this than I do any other time."

"Yeah, we exist, but we're novas, not demons," Karrie said firmly. "I used to be a human, but then a node in my brain changed and began to send out new energies. I have harnessed those for my use. It does not make me a demon, but a mutated human." She frowned at Mikita. "There is no need to introduce religious iconography into what is a purely scientific process."

And then circumstance changed her desire to talk to Mikita. A ride? With Conner? As the Superior?

I have died. Just DEAD, and I'm having a Jacob's Ladder moment, but it's actually a good experience because my superior mind is more in control of itself than Tim Robbin's character's was.

"Sure!" she yelped, waving a hand in a move that was unconsciously, sickeningly similar to one seen in a billon giant robot animes. "I'll go with you!" She remembered her manners and turned to Mikita. "You wanna come, too? I'm sure there's room on the Superior!"

She didn't even pause to consider that there might be some cockpit action going on today.

Connor nods and lowers his left hand to the sand. "Climb on then. Don't worry it's perfectly safe."

She's sure enthusiastic about this. I'd have never dreamed of meating another nova who likes giant robots as much as I do.

Divine watched as Hero stood up and headed straight for Gabriel Law. Did he want to meet that hunk of a man too?, she wondered to herself as she got to her feet.

Rarely was Divine nervous about meeting anyone. In fact, it was Divine who made others nervous; ue to her sexuality and ability to use it. Taking a deep breath, "Well, here goes", Divine muttered quietly before heading off to met Gabriel.

Despite being mesmerized by Autumn's icy form, Missy remembered her manners and stopped staring--as much, anyway. Missy had at least a dozen questions to ask her, but she held back. She knew that she'd not appreciate someone prying into the details of her own eruption or abilities so soon after meeting, so she would not do it to anyone else either.

"So, something to eat?" Missy asked, shifting the conversation back to where it had been before Connor had suddenly turned into a gigantic and brightly-colored war robot. "I mean, that barbecue still smells really good. Maybe after that we can play volleyball. I brought a ball. Do you play?"

Don't be a newbie, she reminded herself. Talking about nova abilities is lame. Talk about ordinary people stuff and just be friendly.

Alessa's leg where still shaking a bit when Connor decided to surprise the whole party by sprouting out of the Sea transformed in the Gundam Supreme? Super? Superior! Yes, he transformed into his favorite giagiantic robot self, and offered a flight which Coyote immediatly leaped towards the idea.

Alessa tought to herself that she had flown before with Connor, and Coyote was such a huge fan of him that it would be almost a crime to not let her ride with him. After she convinced herself that she was not ditching Connor for Gabriel Law, she lead Gabe and Kara to the picnic table, which seemed to be turning into quiet the hotspot.

Alessa literally plopped down on the chair, her knees finally giving out on her. But now she was sitting right across Gabe Law, unfortunate that Kara had picked a a sit right besides him. Infront of them a bunch of biodegradable one use cups and plates and a big pile of BBQ Meat, Pork Ribs, Hamburgers and Sausages.

Alessa turned to Kara and Gabe "What will you two want first?" Alessa offered them a plate to each.

He snagged the two Gatorades right before someone else did, fending off any protests with his own little glare. As he trotted back, Evan could see Missy doing most of the talking while Autumn hovered there like some winter nymph. He hoped those two could hit it off. They seemed like nice young women.

"Here you go," he said offering Missy her drink. For a moment Caduceus found himself one drink short.
"Autumn, do you want this one?"

"Ugh, food sounds absolutely stellar right about now." She arced her neck and let her body go limp as if she was about to fall over from exhaustion. "Feed me." It was all in good humor and Autumn laughed hoping Missy would loosen up a bit. It was pretty obvious she was nervous. Not that Autumn wasn't, but being a Utopian Nova she was a bit more tempered to the culture shock than Melissa was.

"Here you go," said Evan offering Missy her drink as he approached the two ladies. It was obvious in his expression that while medical science was a breeze for the young doctor nova, counting skills waved bye-bye long ago. "Autumn, do you want this one?"

The ice covering her cracked and fell away in a frosty display revealing the gorgeous young nova beneath it. She chuckled sweetly at the poor guy, who was trying oh-so-hard. That's very thoughtful of you handsome, but I'm still hopped on three Eruptions. "You ran all that way. You worked for it, you deserve it."

Without wasting any steps Autumn walked with Pew Pew Pew (and Evan???) to the food.

"Thank you, but no Alessa," Gabriel rose his hand up rejecting the plate with impecible etiquette. "Not hungry, remember? Please however, do not let me spoil your good time, enjoy."

Kara found herself next to Gabe, an lovely and nerve-wracking position. She grinned at Alessa and asked, "Are you referring to food or to the company?" With a wink, she took the plate and started to fill it up with food.

She noted that Gabe didn't eat, but she dug in hardily. "So, Gabe, what have you been up to since we last talked?"

"Too much." Gabriel said with a depressive sigh that heralded the collapse of his head into his arms. After a moment he raised his head. "Between getting the next CD ready and handling my corporate affairs I've been pulling nearly thirty three hour days for two months. No time for friends, for relaxing, for sleep."

He cracked the top on a soda and took a sip. His eyes trailed Kara's frame from behind the soda can and the hint of a grin shown on his lips. In typical fashion for these two, the game was on. "I haven't had time for anything. That's why I came out here, I needed the... release."

He lowered the can and swiped his hand through his perfect hair for no reason, since it never seemed to be out of style.

Karrie climbed faster than she'd climbed anything else in her life. The metal under her fingers was smooth; it was hard to believe that just a short while ago, she had shaken that other hand, mirror to the one she had climbed in. The gigantic steel hand she now rested on was then only a little larger than her own, and that it had been covered in flesh, not steel.

"Are you coming?" she asked Mikita. "Come on; you'll have the ride of your life," Karrie promised, grinning widely.

"Oh, you are releasing a CD Gabe?" Alessa for a minute wondered if he would mind her calling him Gabe, but after he passed his hand through his hair she sighed sligthly with a pork rib on her hands hiding her face. "I know you specialize in cover songs from American bands from the 90's and early 2000's but when will we get to hear you write a song from the heart Gabriel?"

Alessa hoped she had not asked something too personal as she took a big bite out of the Pork BBQ rib and silently chewed while waiting Gabriel's answer.

Mikita Oogala did come here to see what these Nova were about. He came to the conclusion that they were strange and powerful just like the spirits of the jungle. They were also to be feared, and Mikita knew that to feast on their remains would be a dangerous undertaking.

Oh..But what a feast that would be!

Maybe Karrie was right about her and Mech not being demons. And from Mikita's perspective, that could have been true, for they were not afterall, African. They did not understand the ways of Juju, curses and posessions. But for her to say that western 'science' explained away demons, bordered on madness itself. Demons did exist. Mikita was one of them.

"I will come. Because you ask me to." Mikita, with little expression on his face, deftly leaped onto the outstretched metal hand, and clambored over to where Karrie now sat.

"I've uh, only wrote one song." His voice touched the ears of his listeners like the sorrows of an angel not meant for mortal ears. "For Balm, she never got he chance to hear it."

He sunk into silence and for the moment Gabriel's eyes were locked on the rolling surf of the Gulf of Mexico. He broke himself free of his depressive memories. "But uh, the entire CD is all new stuff, no covers. Well, we're debating a hidden track of some remake of a classic rock song, we're just no sure which one yet."

Kara laughed softly at his reply. They always did this; joking and laughing, but they never got further. It had never been right. And as she listened to Gabe speak of Balm, and recalled her own words to Liberteen not that long ago, she was beginning to think that this might not be the time either.

Oh, well. Sand chafed anyway.

"I look forward to hearing the CD," Kara replied diplomatically, not wishing to speak more of the blue-haired nova who had died so suddenly. "What are the ideas for the hidden track?"

"Hmm," Gabriel smiled as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "I'm not sure. We were chuckling over 'Sharp Dressed Man' by ZZ Top, but Morgan really wanted to cover something older than that, like a few Creedence tracks or maybe some Doors stuff. We've been arguing for a week or so about it now."

The nova age Orhpeus shrugged and took another drink. "I'm open for ideas. Hit me with what ever you have."

Bell blushes slightly, "Yeah, it can take a bit of getting used to. But the food and company help." He chows down on the food he had taken. He looks around as he takes a napkin and wipes the rib sauce off off his face.

"So, what do you do for fun, Akaisha? Read? go to the movies? travel?" Bell looks over at Kara and smiles. Glad to see her enjoying herself. He sighs and looks back at Akaisha, "What kind of food do you like other than BBQ?"

Connor rose from his kneeling position with the two riders, one of them a nova he had not met. "I'm going to put you on my shoulders. There are grab ons there, and a couple of plates that will act as deflectors." He brought his hand up to his shoulder and allowed them to get situated.

He took several dozen steps away from the encampment and oopened the wing thrusters on his back.

"Here goes, Hold on to me." Blue flame ignited from the thrusters on his back and beneath his feat and Connor shot off into the sky heading west down the beach. He went about half-speed out of consideration for his passengers for about fifteen minutes to get away from everything. and he then slowed and eventually brought himself to a near stationary hover in the standing position over a cut coming from the marsh and emptying into the gulf.

"So my red scarfed friend, I never did introduce myself. I'm Mech, or Connor if you wish. I hope you have enjoyed your time here thus far. If I may ask what brought the two of you to the party?" He started moving again, though remaining upright and heading South out over the Gulf. Situated on his shoulders they could feel the metal beneath them move as he breathed. It was unheard of to have a breathing giant robot, but here one was.

"I wouldn't know what to say about American rock songs Gabe, I was raised with other type of songs around me, only the most famous or mainstream of the U.S. came overseas so I would be biased." Alessa sighed, putting her burger down this time around, cleaning her lips and around her mouth with a napkin.

"But I can say for certain, that Pearl Jam had a cover for 'Last Kiss' that I could hear over and over when I was younger, it's a beutiful song." Saying this, Alessa winked at Gabe "Or you could always have a song that is a cover of YOUR songs by another band, sounds like a nice twist, don't you think?"

The handholds were apparent, and Karrie grabbed them immediately, her knuckles whitening with her effort. And then the moment: Karrie screamed with joy as the thrusters pushed them into the air, a joyous whoop that was lost in the roar of the jets. This was the best day of her life, even if she was sharing it with a scary stranger who believed in demons.

The shoulders shifted and heaved below them, and air rushed in and out of the robot. God, it's so... With shaking hands, the young woman dared to release her death grip on the robot and press a hand to his neck, where the pulse would be. A steady vibration shivered the metal skin under her hand and Karrie felt her heart squeeze tight. Intimate. That's the word you're looking for, girl. Intimate.

I am so screwed.

"I'd say just do 'I Love Rock 'n Roll.' It is a classic," Kara replied softly. "I'd recommend doing something like that. Something old and great; take it and make it better."

She ate a piece of rib, not taking the effort to be neat with it. It was barbeque; it was su