Another day in Atlantis had just begun, the amber light of sunrise softly illuminating the corridors and control rooms as the shifts exchanged. The team, minus Todd as per usual, were gathering in the mess hall. Even Woolsey had decided to drag himself down at an earlier hour, which was something that tended to happen once in a blue moon. Munching on an apple as he settled himself beside Sheppard, he observed each of the main off-world crew in turn. Ronan appeared withdrawn as usual, perhaps even more so given the hour as he munched on a piece of toast. Teyla, to his left, was briefly rubbing at her temple before blowing on the steaming bowl of porridge she'd pretty much brought with her. Rodney was munching on a power bar, having already been awake for about an hour and therefore having eaten his main morning meal before everybody else as soon as the mess had opened. Nothing out of the ordinary, save for the crystals hanging around their necks as a precaution. Sheppard took a gulp of tea, and then finally decided to start off the morning's conversation.
"So, anything planned Woolsey?"
"Not for today. Be ready as usual, but there's no scheduled off-world missions until tomorrow."

Teyla smiled properly this time. That meant more time she might possibly be able to spend with Kanaan and their son. The boy was growing up fast, and it took the combined efforts of his parents and sometimes even other Athosians to keep him occupied. Ronan shrugged at the news. More time for sparring or practise, either way he'd spent most of it in the arena. Woolsey's next question soured the mood of the two Pegasus natives, despite the delivery of it being almost casual – confidant in Sheppard's ability to keep the situation cool.
"How is she doing?"
"Well she's got a name, and her eyes are going back to normal. She can feed him through storms as well, according to what Keller and one of his marine guards figured out."
Rodney perked a little at that. Feeding like the wraith he could understand, but drawing sustainable energy from a natural source? He restrained a scoff however, eyeing the Colonel with a sceptical expression before speaking after he'd gulped down a mouthful of coffee.
"Oh please, like that's even possible..."
"The marine saw their hands touching, and her other one open towards the storm. If she wasn't feeding, or attempting to, what on earth was she doing?"
"Well... it's just logically not possible."
"You know the solution then don't you. Get her in your laboratory, and run a few control tests. See what else she can suck the energy out of, and have Keller help."

Woolsey cleared his throat a little then, drawing the pair's attention back to him after watching Ronan and Teyla leave. He had no problem with their dislike of the human's role, so long as they didn't physically do anything to hinder it. He adjusted the collar of his jacket for a moment before speaking; using the tone of voice that generally went along with a no-negotiation type suggestion, he spoke as clearly as possible to ensure that no misinterpretation occurred.
"I agree with John. It makes perfect sense to test her. If she doesn't need to feed specifically on humans in order to sustain Todd, then we don't have to run the risk of her abnormalities being used back on the mainland."
"Small problem there Woolsey," butted in John, lowering his fork with the sausage still attached to it that he'd just departed to get second helpings of.
"Oh?"
"She's probably got family..."
"See how it goes."

With a resigned sigh as he found himself unable to withdraw his words to get him out of the situation, Rodney stowed an apple away into a jacket pocket before making his way towards the laboratory. Hopefully she'd wake up soon so they could get it out of the way as soon as possible.

Meanwhile in one of the rooms, she stirred, prodded into life by the feel of moving energies as the occupants of the other places nearby began to move. With a groan, she then rubbed her temples as her brain seemed to pulse. While the experience in the liminal hive had been one of the most peaceful projections she'd ever done, it'd taken a lot out of her. If Sheppard was still spreading it around that amethyst stopped her from ambiently feeding successfully, she'd be out of meal in her usual allowed haunts. Making the bed briskly, she then padded barefoot over to the full-length mirror propped up against one of the walls. Still pale as always, and still with the same figure as when she'd arrived; good. She leant closer, tugging the skin of her eyes down and sighing. Her left eye had completely reverted back to blue, but the right still stubbornly remained that wraith gold without any signs of fading. Ah well, it made her look different. No complaints. Shrugging off her pyjamas, she stepped under the blissfully steaming hot rush of water from the shower, letting out a growl of contentment. As a civilian, so long as she didn't turn up past a normal working hour, she had a relatively loose schedule – the pager Keller had given her made it even easier. If she was needed by anyone, she'd be buzzed, and was free to do what she wished within reason otherwise. But fate intervened today and she heard the low sound of the pager crackling into life. With a groan, her morning routine was cut short and she dressed briskly. No leather for today. Instead, she pulled on a pair of black cotton slacks, a fitted grey-pinstriped white t-shirt complete with attached tie and then the Atlantis jacket she'd been given. As blue was reserved for military and grey for scientists, she'd been given a black one with a patch sewn onto one arm. While she still wasn't an official member of the expedition, she was their responsibility.

Satisfied that she looked more professional today, she buckled the satchel through the belt loops of her trousers once more and headed in the direction of the Infirmary. A few nods here and there were given to those she passed, but everyone here seemed polite. Ok, almost everyone, but still. Already the scent of chemicals from the laboratories nearby was starting to fill the corridors, and the air seemed to almost thrum with the energy of the city itself. Now that would be a welcome meal. Finally entering the medic's territory, she acknowledged Keller with a nod of her head and a polite murmur before spotting Rodney. As the man was more sceptical, the wolfish grin was forced down and she repeated the greeting. He clearly wished to waste no time, given his serious expression.
"I want to do a couple of tests concerning what you can feed on. Keller will be keeping an eye on what your body does in the meantime." Not so much asking, as ordering. He motioned to one of the beds, and she reluctantly clambered on top of it.

Keller gave her an almost apologetic smile, attaching electrodes over her chest and head before watching the corresponding machines. The readout was normal. Giving Rodney a warm smile that she hoped would lessen his currently bristling demeanour; she was inwardly disappointed to notice that this little test would sour his mood until completed. That was our McKay.
"Alright, now that we've got a baseline, try to feed from me."
He watched her almost smugly, voicing his request more like a challenge. If she was anything like what John had told him, she'd put effort into trying for certain. He'd left the crystal away from him for now, of course. She'd closed her eyes and laid down, and he almost swore he saw her flinch at one point as her breathing slowed. A minute passed, then two, and then eventually five.
"I'm picking up a boost in brainwave activity, and judging by the ancient energy-measuring devices, an increase in that as well." Keller's voice made him inwardly groan, but he then touched a hand to his forehead and shook his head a little. He felt lethargic. Not tired and certainly not hungry, but certainly more sluggish than he'd been a moment ago. Flicking his eyes to her, he could almost have sworn that her lips had tugged up into a smile over her teeth.
She stroked a tendril over his heart, her eyes alight as she felt the pulsing beneath, spreading his life force around the rest of his body and in the air around him. It was weakened a little, but she drew it into her all the same, directing it through her projected tendril back into her physical one resting on the bed. Moving might have clouded Keller's results, so putting in a little more effort was acceptable enough. But when he moved then to drape the crystal pendant over his neck, she let out a mental scream of frustration at the denial of what she'd been so close to taking.

Elsewhere inside his guarded room, Todd woke with a jerk as the noise ripped over the link that their first feeding had establishment. Like her, he had no need to rise early. He was a prisoner, entirely at the whim of the humans around him. With a rasping groan, he rubbed at his temples before pushing himself into a sitting position. Even without putting any actual concentration into his thoughts, his mind was certainly experienced enough to sense the tendrils slowly spreading out from the human. Idly curious, he found one of them and tracked it back, much like he'd have followed a path she'd walked. It was honestly not that different from telepathy, despite the sensations of the feeding being rather unfamiliar. At least he reached her, or what he assumed was her. Drawing his 'brows together for a moment, he then forced himself into her mind now that he was within breaching distance of her mental barriers. Mercifully they were already dropped, lowered from her focus elsewhere. And so, he spoke.
"What are you doing?"
"Feeding..."
"What or who on?"
"McKay, but he's now wearing a crystal. They're testing me, testing my responses-," Her indignance grew, perhaps more at the fact it was a challenge than at the methodology of the test itself.
"- and so I am giving them something to test!"
He withdrew his mind then, but lingered. Her life force, from what he could weakly determine, was deteriorating from spreading herself too thin over too large of an area. While her physical body was in perfect working order, the rest likely wouldn't fare well if she continued – like a wraith too stubborn to feed, the effectiveness when she eventually did might well be diminished. Silently making a note to explain this to Keller if necessary, he drew on his own reserves before literally lashing out into Prisca's mind.

She tensed on the bed, her spine arching as her hands clawed at the sheets as she felt the whiplash sensation from Todd's intrusion. Jennifer, who'd been growing steadily irritated at Rodney's attitude, moved him aside then and removed the electrodes monitoring her brainwaves, sparing him a glare as she did so. She was, effectively, stopping the experiment right now. No negotiation.
"What?"
"You knew damn well what challenging her would do!"
"Jen... I didn't..."
"Just stay out of my way for now Rodney."
She checked her pulse and silently muttered thanks as she appeared to calm. Her pulse was steady, her breathing normal and, overall, no lasting damage appeared to have been done. Removing the wires from on her chest, she wheeled the machine away before moving the bed back in line with the others. If her condition was anything like Sheppard had described, this would be nothing that rest wouldn't cure. Or so she hoped.

Todd sighed inwardly, shaking his head. He almost regretted doing that. He couldn't imagine how furious he'd be if somebody stopped him feeding, so how would she feel? Then he huffed to himself and discarded the matter. There was no point dwelling on it, he was certainly no mind reader. He had a day ahead of him to deal with, and would so do with the same practised efficiency he always displayed in whatever the Atlanteans designated to him. To win their trust, or some of it, was the first goal in his mind. Only when he was sure he had all the cards would he start to play the game...