Odd, very odd..(Open)

[Franceska Elyse Delaney]

Work continued as usual, despite the fact that she had no idea what she was truly reading right now. She understood the gist of it, but there was no way she honestly believed this was the real dirt. This had to be some sort of smoke screen, no company could have developed such technology, it just didn't exist. That was what she told herself alot in this job, despite Marina explaining to her that there would be things she didn't understand fully, things she was better off not questioning. Despite her curiousity, Frankie agreed to not ask questions, though she couldn't help but feel that something very odd was happening in LA lately. People seemed off, even if they didn't know it themselves, everyone on edge.

"This almost feels like I was let in. Too easy, but why?" she asked herself aloud as she stood in front of her computer. What a beauty it was too, having connections made this a bit easier to deliver. Standing at the keyboard, Frankie was surrounded by six large monitors that all seemed to be streaming information, lines of code, video, things that would probably simply confuse the normal person. To her however this was life, she lived for this in her time off, there was something comforting about having all the information at your finger tips, knowing everyones secrets. The monitor to her right seemed to be rapidly cycling through walls of text, it looked like she was searching for something, however Frankie was actually reading everything she saw.

Her power worked subconciously, she had no idea that she was actually reading all the information as it flashed past. Her entire life she had always just known things, she had no idea what, when she saw or read something. A serious of lucky coincidences is what she played it up to, yet behind those eyes was a super computer, almost as if she was a machine herself. Her ability to read, process, and store information was frightening, almost as if she herself was built from computer parts. "Current transactions.." she breathed softly, looking through bank records, trying to figure out some sort of pattern in the marks movements, what they were after specifically.

The place she was asked to "research" had security like she had never seen before, even she was having trouble getting in. She could access public records, some slightly less guarded information as well like transaction records, but the research data she could not seem to crack. Something was fighting her at every step, as if there was some sort of living breathing being inside their machine actively playing a game of chess with her. Sighing, she took off her glasses and set them on the desk. "You win for the day." she said, wandering towards the Bagel she had neglected earlier. All this working was getting to her, she was rarely home lately between her and Lovelace Music.

Throwing herself into a cushioned chair, she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "I guess I am early too. So quiet.." she commented, still talking to herself. Normall she was the last one here, but today it seemed that everyone was out doing something else. Eating with one hand and flipping through a phone with the other, her attention was elsewhere and she wouldn't notice the next person to come in.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

She felt like her face was gonna split in two she was yawning so much. The last few days had been chaotic to say the least and it had darn near nothing to do with her day job. This meant that calling in for a personal holiday wasn't an option, on top of that crime fighting didn't let you take a day off. Walking in in jeans and a purple sweater, Mari came in with a thermos of tea and a cup of fruit. She stretched and her spine popped and she sighed in pleasure as she glanced over and saw Frankie. "Morning, Frankie. You want me to order breakfast in?" she asked sleepily as she plopped herself down and put her cup of fruit on the desk, careful not to let it or the tea spill.

Frankie looked done in and it was only 7AM she must have let herself in early and worked pretty hard. Stretching out lazily Mari took a sip of tea and then looked through the notes on her desk. One had been left by Trent with a red rose. Smiling she picked it up and looked at it. She wondered where he had gotten it from but being Trent he would just shrug and say "Around." smiling she texted him a quick thank you, not knowing if he was down for the day or still out and about. Sighing softly she pulled a wrappered spork and napkin out of her desk and began to eat the fruit in her fruit cup. She wanted to make sure she got something healthy in before she got lured away by some faceless confection of sweets. Her appetite had returned by Logan's arrival but she wasn't gonna gorge herself on the box of twinkies and dingdongs she had stashed away. She'd not gone nuts she'd just gotten one box of each and was just waiting to see if Hostess was picked up again.

The fruit went down her throat easy and she just relaxed a moment as she let her mind drift slowly to her to do list. Flipping through her calendar for the day she saw with satisfaction she had schedule a nap in there. Ironic but she often needed some down time to have things click or just to see what the heavens wanted her to do about certain children. It was just a way to touch base with Michael and it relaxed her greatly for the rest of her day.

[Franceska Elyse Delaney]

Marina's yawn startled her from her thoughts causing her to drop the phone into her lap. Turning her gaze toward Mari, it was easy to see that she was just as tired as Frankie though neither of them would take a break. They were both too stubborn for that, neither of them had much concern for their own personal health when it came to doing something that mattered. Smiling slightly, she took a moment to drink her in. Something about her seemed different from the usual norm that she had sunken into over the past ten years but Frankie couldn't put her finger on what it was. There was a sort of glow, but was it a man? Something else? She couldn't tell, as far as she knew things were complicated with her "Trenton thing".

"If you want. I am more confused than I am hungry this morning.." she said, trailing off as she continued to read something on her phone. "Everytime I tried to dig up more specific info on the equipment being purchased by the institute I encountered blocks. We all know that doesn't happen, not to me, they have something stopping me and I can't figure out what it is." she said, sighing softly as she rubbed her temples. She hated to lose, this was her game, where she felt like she had the most control. "If I can't do my job, then I am no use to the foundation." she said, sounding beaten and wounded.

"Did something happen last night? You seem the same as usual, tired, but there seems to be something else present.." she said, not missing a beat. She knew that look, she was trying to push off things that were happening by focusing on work. Through alot of what was going on with Reginald, her past, Frankie had been there through it over the last ten years. She wasn't going to abandon Marina to despair or to work herself to death. They were really the same and that was why they were able to watch out for each other. They both understood that the other would allow themselves to be lost or obsessed with whatever they were doing.

"Is it Trenton?"

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Turning her chair to face Frankie, Marina looked sympathetic, "Now now, none of that. Their security systems are probably monitored by multipul people simultaneously no doubt. You can't be expected to work miracles on the first day." she winked at her gently as she focused on her friend, taking small polite bites as she listened to her speak, "You do wonderful work, this is probably just a minor snag that your subconscious will work out." she suggested gently with a smile of encouragement. "Would it be easier for you to log in from home? I know you've been working hard, maybe getting a few days off and just logging in will give you new insight." She could tell Frankie was beat and they knew each other well enough so that the other woman would know that it was a sincere suggestion and not a veiled "Get out" comment. She was worried that Frankie would hurt herself if she kept going. "You work far too hard as it is, Frankie. Maybe I should block off nap time for you as well?" she suggested with a teasing grin trying to cheer her up.

Mari raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You make sound like I just got laid or something..." she said with a smirk as she shook her head gently, "No, its nothing like that. I just have a friend visiting and we talked. He's been helping me get things sorted out in my mind." she said quietly as she stretched, "Trent met him last night." she said gently as she tried to explain without going into a long winded monologue. "I'm not sure they are going to get along." she said honestly as she looked a bit sad and bit her lip.

"There has been a lot of things going on with Trent and I. Its hard because I'm going through some issues with my past and his past so I'm trying to absorb a lot of information." she said softly as she looked at her cup of tea, "And then my ex Philip came back into town so that's an added complication." she sighed and rubs her neck as she tried to shake off her feelings of disquiet. "Philip always makes things difficult. He just brings up so many confusing things for me and Trent and he hate each other. One of these days they are probably going to get in a fight."

She leaned forward and steepled her hands and rested them on her knees, "Philip wants everything to go back to the way it was when I was nineteen and we were together. But there was a lot of things that happened at that time and he has a horrible temper that scares me. He doesn't understand; he just makes excuses." She exhaled, "He thinks Trent drags me into problems and is dangerous but its like the pot calling the kettle black."

[Franceska Elyse Delaney]

Rubbing her temples gently, Frankie sighed. Marina was probably right, but then again that renewed her drive to try at the exact same time. In all her analyzing she had not stopped to consider that she was facing down multiple people. Perhaps she would have to try another approach, distract them with something bigger while she infiltrated through a back door. Normally she could use a fairly direct approach, no one she had hacked had ever been able to stop her before, but this was quickly becoming a game and one that could turn very sour quickly. "The longer it takes, the slower you are to help these people." she quickly retorted, though help them with what she didn't know. She always wondered what Marina did, but for the sake of them being friends she didn't pry.

"Mhm, I'm sure that is all. You mean this one, right?" she asked, showing Marina a picture of Logan. She couldn't help herself sometimes and she scanned the security systems at the manor. She had to know what was going on everywhere at all times, it was sort of an impulse that she wished she could deny. "I couldn't blame you, he is very attractive. If you won't make a move, maybe I can?" she joked, wiggling her brow at Marina with a smile as she took another drink of coffee out of her enormous mug. She knew that Marina had her reasons, but she also knew that it was counter productive for her to block herself off from experiancing life out of fear.

"If you would like to share, I can help you figure it all out. I mean, what else am I good at or good for?" she asked, laughing softly. She didn't think much of herself either which was probably why they got on so well. Marina was sarcastic, but not shy. Frankie was shy, terrified of the opposite sex when it came to making a movie, and never seemed to know what to say in social situations but she was working on getting better. Marina at the very least had convinced her to come out a few times a week rather than barricading herself in her room with her computers because it was safe.

"Phillip can burn in hell after everything you've been through. Marina, you should just cut him out entirely, he doesn't deserve a second chance honestly. He treats you like you're a thing, not a woman, and you Marina Sinclaire answer to no one. Not with the kind of money and influence you have." she said, laughing as she finished the coffee. Stretching in her chair, she yawned and sighed loudly.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

"I'm not going to sacrifice you to get information, Frankie. Yes the information is important but not at the cost of your health." she said firmly, looking at her friend with concern. "I know you like a challenge but if you pass out on me you're not helping anyone." she pointed out as she finished her fruit and sealed the container it was held in. She pushed her glasses up on her nose, "I'm speaking to you as your friend, not as your employer. I'd feel rotten if you got sick from over work."

"Y-yes that is him." she said, resisting the urge to face palm. She forgot that there were security cameras in the house. One of these days she needed to rip those out of the house and into the trash heap where they belonged. "Its not that simple, Frankie. I-" she stopped and exhaled, "I have a ton of baggage. And not the usual kind either. I have rotten luck with men." she finished as she massaged her temples and exhaled gently. "I was just starting to get my life together and it completely derailed and I'm just scared to try again." The irony was she didn't have to add supernatural politics to anything that was the nuts and bolts of a lot of her problems.

"I just...I have panic attacks and freak out if things get too intense. I'm a freaking mess romantically. Sometimes I think I should have just given up all my money and become a nun after everything." she babbled nervously at the other woman, "Some days I just..." she exhaled, "Well after everything that happened I just feel like I have a giant scarlet letter on me that everyone can see. Its just so much pressure sometimes. Not from any one person or anything but its just hard. I mean Rodney left and then Logan and I just get my life back on track and Philip showed up. "

"Its not that simple, Frankie. Its not. He has this habit of randomly showing up places and I know he treats me like crap but...part of me wonders if he's not right. I mean he basically said I was stupid for staying with my dad and that I set myself up for what happened." Her eyes started to well up with tears and she dashed them away. "He said I put myself in bad situations and that I make excuses for peoples bad behavior except for him." she exhaled softly and closed her eyes. She pinched her nose lightly to focus herself to calm down. It was clear that Philip had upset her and she had been worried about it for a while. She dabbed her eyes and stared down at her feet, "I may have money and influence but it doesn't stop things from hurting. I would be foolish to let my pride blind me." she admitted quietly.