"So... is it a normal faerie move to Pokemon-up your enemies? 'Cause that's a much more useful trick if you do it before a dragon trashes the whole neighborhood. Y'know, for next time." Bronwyn's words were light, but tension sat heavily beneath them.
She hustled over to Alexis and Shayera, grateful that her mask kept her worry from showing. A kiss was out of the question and a little... icky so she just found an unbroken patch of skin to rest her hand on. "C'mon Wing, you can't be napping on the job."
Eábha turns her head at Bronwyn's question. I do not understand your words. But I am glad already your thoughts turn to the next time you shall fight by my side! she says. There is much to consider after that combat, you can ported yourself well. As did the one who has stolen your face. And the iberian's effort was valiant. she says, very clearly quite happy, even rather wounded.
She goes over to shayara, Because it seems to be what everyone else is doing. The woman is in awful shape, chewed on by a jabberwock. Her hand extends lightly, and she brushes at the wounds, leaving streaks of Glamour where she passes. the glamor would not heal the woman's wounds, but it would let her ignore them for the time being, unless someone reminded her for their existence.
The iron stench behind the Iberian's veil was now laid bare; Shayera bore metallic wings with bladed feathers. Eábha's glamour fades as soon as she lays it upon her flesh.
Without warning, Shayera's arm strikes like a viper and her hand clamps around Eábha's neck. Her eyes open, bloodshot and blazing, and for an instant they are feral, unthinking. She blinks, however, and her grip relaxes. "Who? Oh, you. Uggghh. That was... new..." Her eyes roll over to look at Bronwyn and she smiles weakly. "Hey, B. You did it. I don't--" Shayera gasps as she remembers the Jabberwock.
She urgently tries to stand up, her wings anchoring her balance where one leg doesn't want any weight put on it, and another arm hangs limply. "The dragon! Where is it? Did it fly? I can--" She goes woozy over standing up too soon and reaches out to steady herself on Bronwyn and Alexis. She tries sniffing the air, but that sends her into painful coughing. Frothy blood appears at her lips.
"Probably can afford to... give it a little head start..." She falls back to the ground.
Nearby, Officer Quinlan just stares in astonishment.
"Hey! It's fine. New girl's got it... well, contained. Maybe wait and ask if it's needed before the immediate flying into danger anyways?"
Turning to Quinlan she asked in a low voice, "Do you need us here for anything? I'd like to get her somewhere a little more tranquil to heal back up."
She has wings! she says, obvious surprise in her voice. That said, since the Iron wings were unveiled, she has mad a point of being significantly farther away from Shayera than before.
Officer Quinlan nods and takes a few steps back. She speaks into her microphone as she heads back toward the church. "Uh, dispatch. The super's back up."
Shayera groans as she lays on her back, but she gives Bronwyn a tepid thumbs up. "S'okay. Contained is good." She takes rapid, shallow breaths while taking a better stock of her injuries.
"Dislocated shoulder, hip. Broken ribs... punctured lung... lot of internal bleeding..." She coughs again painfully, but then pushes herself upright with her wings. She glances over to Alexis. "I could use that reset," she says, gesturing to her shoulder with her arm hanging awkwardly.
"Damn. Stupid bent wing. Got caught on the dragon's eye goo. Messed up my exit vector," she says with a half-smile. She looks at Bronwyn with deep affection. "But it doesn't hurt as much anymore. Your welding, it melted the nerves. Matrix figured that out, but you did it." She reaches out for her hand. "Wherever you want to go, I'll follow."
Alexis looks over Shayera's arm, and knows what to do immediately. They grasp onto it and before she can tense up, pops it back into the socket.
They were perhaps a little too forceful. It looked like it hurt Shayera more than it should have, but perhaps that was just lingering pain from her wings? "Your arm should heal properly now," They tell her. "...Will you be able to go back to school?"
Perhaps if they'd gotten there sooner, this could have been avoided. Having to take precious time suiting up before a fight wasn't practical on a day to day basis. They needed a solution for that problem, some way to make their armor ready in seconds, not minutes.
Maybe Kaoru could think up of a solution. They needed to apologize to them anyways for breaking the lock of their car. Turning to Bronwyn, they tapped the side of their helmet with a finger. "Are you good at fixing cars?" They ask. "I had to break the car's lock to get to my armor."
Shayera barely grunts when Alexis pushes her shoulder back in its place. "Thanks," she says. She looks down at herself, streaked with blood and saliva, and stained with mud and grass. "I don't know. I need a shower. I should have wore my newer pendant which swaps my outfits and hides stuff like battle stains and scars." She points to her cheek where there's a faint line from where she had been scratched by Gae-Buidhe. "I wore my old one today, which just hides the the wings. And the scar, for some reason. ... The cord was stronger."
She looks toward the school, uncertainty on her face. "I'm a mess. Putting on my clothes is just going to reinforce the obvious. Damn. Rumors are going to go wild again. 'Shayera disappears when Wingblade arrives.'"
She puts her troubles aside. "Oh, I could ask Whetstone to fix Kaoru's car. He's real good with things like that. And Eábha, thanks, I guess, for containing the dragon? What's happened to it? Is it back in the... place you came? Do we need to make sure the door's closed so nothing else stumbles through?"
Her heart was pounding; her cheeks were hot enough she thought her ski mask might catch fire, but instead of what she wanted to say she murmured, "Sweetie, we're in public and your 'costume' sucks for keeping you incognito - even when you haven't been chewed up and spit out." She moved over to brace Shayera's injured limbs to Alexis could pull them back into alignment. "So cape stuff now. 'Wherevers' and 'following' later, kay?" Probably good not to give me an excuse to like, sponge her down...
Eábha nods in acknowledgment of the thanks. It is in my care. It will behave itself. she says, taking the kitten from her bag momentarily to show Shayera.
I don't know if you could close that door. it is more like a shattered hole in a wall than a door. And moreover, why should you want to? This world has be deprived of so much for so long.
"Okay," They agreed with Wingblade's suggestion, "But...I think that, um, I need more equipment." Alexis was honed in on the idea that they needed more things to help support them. Like the armor, but in a way that wouldn't frighten others.
"Something like that for me. Like I was when we met," They tell Shayera, pointing to her pendant. "And something like...oh! The tiny car! Only not the car, but my armor. Do you think that Kaoru could make my armor shrink so I can carry it around with me everywhere?"
That was, if Kaoru would help. Alexis wasn't certain what they wanted anymore. They hoped that whatever tech he put in his car, he could put in his armor. It would be helpful - probably. At least it would mean less of a problem for the team.
"...But, um, right. We should go," They suggest, pointing to the parking lot.
Shayera's mouth pops open in astonishment and a measure of disbelief at the kitten in Eábha's purse. "...okay."
Alexis' questions take her attention away from the transformed Jabberwock. "Yeah. Whip's on her way, but probably won't be here for a few minutes. I don't think the school's the best place. We should regroup somewhere close by."
She nods in the direction of the hovering drone. "Looks like Kay's not out of the game yet." She waves at it. "You can come too!" she says in a louder voice that sets off another bout of pained coughing.
Eábha dances along the direction she likes best. This direction also goes to the ice cream parlour. she waves to the drone as she goes. Hello, Kay!
"Well I'm not going like this," Bronwyn grinned. "I'll go grab my backpack from wherever Wing stashed it and meet up with you guys in a bit, okay?"
Shayera smacks her head, then winces. "Wait. I left your pack on the roof, along with my clothes. Hang on. You go ahead, I'll go get them and meet you wherever you decide to meet."
She still hadn't healed up much, but her wings hadn't been damaged any further by the Jabberwock, so they work fine. She takes off, streaking into the air and banking around to come at the school from a different angle. She snatches up Bronwyn's backpack and gingerly collects her dress and shoes to make sure they're not soiled, then flies back to meet the others.
Washing off dragon spit and blood in a public bathroom wasn't the easiest task, but she focuses on the worst spots that would be exposed before pulling her charm back on and changing back into her dress and flowy jacket. The good news was, all eyes seemed to be on Eábha so she thinks she may have pulled it off.
She orders a mint chocolate chip ice cream cup and rejoins the group. "So, uh, interesting day, huh?"
Kaoru waited just long enough to see the situation was contained before leaving. He left the drone hovering for a bit with orders to retreat someone else he could pick it up later. Largely because he rather liked the idea of it annoyingly "accidentally" canceling out any noise as people near it tried to talk. Hope you a!@+%&&s know how to sign. Though in truth, there was only one sign he was interested in sending them and he was pretty sure it was universal enough that even they'd get it.
...yeah, leaving was probably the best bet before he'd do something he'd regret. He had taken a certain amount of satisfaction from watching those a~!*&~$s get smashed and burned but ultimately, it had just frustrated him more. He kind of wanted to punch every single one of them in the face. And if not for the fact that all he'd accomplish was breaking his fist, he might consider doing it. He couldn't stand the thought of looking at any of them right now. Idiotic, lying psychopaths the lot. They only made his life worse and on top of everything, his goddamn clothes still didn't fit right.
Maybe fixing his lock would make him feel better. It had been a weirdly long time since he had had a chance to do anything physical with his hands and he kind of missed his tinkering. Now might be the perfect chance to try to get an idea of exactly what this thing was capable of. Maybe that would occupy his interest enough for him to cool down. Assuming he could forget why he even needed to do repairs in the first place, that was.
Bronwyn wasn't thrilled to be back in paint-spattered sweats, But hey, better than pretending that tucking a skimask into my shorts is a re-disguise.
She grimaced.
Alexis is right. I am gonna need to make a faster solution for the armor, once it's finished... Shaking off that train of thought, she grinned and took a bite of Shayera's mint chip as she mentally checked back into the ice cream shop.
"Well, it's a shame I can't cross a fire-breathing dragon off the bucketlist, but it certainly wasn't a boring day, that's for sure!"
She looked over her shoulder to where Kaoru wasn't, and offered a suggestion to Alexis. "If you want something like the pendant, I might be able to help suss that out for you... Transposition or illusion are both easier to work than a full transmutation, but we'll need someone to, uh, pull the trigger."
Noticing that not everyone seemed to be on the same page, she quickly explained. "Now, I don't know that it works the same way for people like Eábha, but the way it was explained to me goes a little something like this. To cast a spell or make a charm or... well all that kind of thing, you need three things. You need a battery, a, uh, power source; you need a channel, something conductive enough for what you want, and lastly, you need to know what you're doing.
You can get around some of that, but it's usually pretty dangerous. Magicking around when you don't know what you're doing will always have other effects. If you don't have enough of your own power, you can take it from other things, or people... That's where all the stories about blood sacrifices and stuff come from. It's the most... efficient way to draw from someone else.
"And then there's me. I know a little about a little, and with a sample to work off of, I can figure out a lot more. And I've apparently got a lot of oomph to work with too. But as far as the whole conductivity thing goes... I'm completely inert."
Shayera listens quietly while Bronwyn explains some of the basics of magic. Periodically, she would glance over to Eábha to see how she reacts. Once Bron finishes, she looks at the Sidhe. "So, how good are you and unraveling a possession? There's a really strong entity that's been bound to an innocent girl, and he needs to go."
Having to split off anyways, Alexis made their way back to Kaoru's car, hoping to catch him. They hadn't seen him since the fight with Balor. Turning into the parking lot, they saw him looking over the trunk of his car, and they felt ashamed.
"I'm sorry," Mercy spoke up quietly as they approached. "I would have waited, but the dragon made getting my armor a priority. I did my best to keep it as intact as possible." As they'd done it, there was probably only the latch that snapped for the locking action in the trunk door. "Can I do anything to help fix it? Wingblade said that she could get someone to look at it for you." They looked at Kaoru, trying to determine just how mad he was at them...
Stowing their armor behind a dumpster was not ideal, but striding into an ice cream parlor as Mercy was far more conspicuous than going in as a disheveled homeless girl. They sat down quietly and listened to Bronwyn explain some things about magic. They weren't entirely certain they followed it completely, but they got the gist.
"So I need a conductor, like Hex?" They said, before glancing at Eabha. "Or maybe you. I would...appreciate being able to look different. So that people see me as how I started school." They rubbed their hands together.
"I wanted to ask Kaoru about his shrinking technology in his car for helping to store my armor, but..."
The others need to prompt Eábha to assume a human guise when they go to the parlour, as she seems quite content to stride around as "Beautiful and terrible as the morning and the night" Sidhe princess. I can't Imagine why I should be expected to. But as you insist.
She listens as Bronwyn explains magic. Well, that's the hard way. The easy way is to use a glamour, like me. So long as people believe it, it is true though doubt and disbelief are to it as poison. she says If you have the capacity to weave one. Should you be lacking thence, there are those who are born with gifts. To turn into a beast when you are eraged, or to Unmake enchantments wrought by others. Or to Know names, or to make every weapon you wield one of true death she supplies, sucking down more Mocha ice cream, and fishing more gold coins from her purse I could go on. Once, a geas from the rulers could grant you powers like unto that, but woe unto they who break their word... she admonishes. I do not know the lord of this realm, but perhaps you could be granted one as well.
Then, there is seeking the aid of a druid or Fili, or perhaps a seiðmaðr or völva from the north. I suppose that may be what you're talking about. Such creatures are loath to share their secrets, and I never did learn their arts.
She pauses to fetch more sugar. When she returns, she addresses Shayera. My people are quite adept with magic, but I, of course, am not educated in such things. Is this why you asked if I was in possession of anyone else? And what thing ails this Child?
I could show you how a glamour works, see if you have the aptitude for it. Humans aren't often able, but I suspect you are like Shayera, stronger than a mere human. She offers Not now, however. I am still wounded from that fight.
Shayera spares an uncomfortable glance with Bronwyn over the Efnysien/Camila situation. "Uh, yeah. I'm not really a big fan of entities possessing others. That's fine; I'm sure there's other people working on it."
She falls silent in pensive thought for a little bit as she finishes off the rest of her ice cream. Her phone buzzes, catching her attention. After a glance, she stands up. "That's my ride. I'm going to head home. Whip's probably going to have a lot of questions for me."
She leans in and gives Bronwyn a peck on the cheek. "I've got my photo shoot tomorrow after school, but after that, I was wondering. Would you like to have supper we me and Yin, Shu and Yu? At their place? Yu's a great cook."
Kaoru barely glanced up as he moved the last of his things from the trunk to the back seat of the car. It gave him time to make sure his face was blank and voice flat. "No, I'll fix it myself." He said simply. He didn't really think Alexis would be able to help with the delicate work required. Given she already had trouble controlling her strength, it seemed pretty likely she'd only manage to make things worse. "And politely decline Wingblade's offer on my behalf. I believe I can manage." Plus he wasn't about to let some stranger take a look at his top-of-the-line, practically-brand-spanking-new baby. Especially one who might want to install spyware or place a tracker on the thing or who knew what else. Or worse, wanted to "improve" it and broke it somehow. Not that he had personally ever done that. Nope.
He gave Alexis a quick, sideways glance and almost immediately regretted it as his jaw tightened ever so slightly. Her current face definitely wasn't doing her any favors in the 'make Kaoru not want to punch you in the face' department. Forcing himself to remain polite, he added, "Was there anything else? If not, I was going to get started tinkers. I don't like leaving my backseat cluttered. It's dangerous for anybody up front."
Wingblade pushed herself through a punishing acrobatic regimen in her aerial obstacle course hanging from the ceiling of her apartment. The bent feather still sent a numb throbbing sensation, but she could ignore it. What she couldn't ignore, however, was the change it created in her profile. She previously knew the dimensions of her wings down to the millimeter, but the fight against the dragon showed that she needed to adjust her instincts to account for the upturned feather.
She was performing a complex maneuver through a tight space in the geometric shapes when again the tip of the wayward feather scraped against an obstacle, sending out a shower of sparks. Her trajectory was thrown off by a hair, and she smacks hard into a beam. She spins and crashes to the floor.
"You'll have to do better," came the voice of her mentor as Wingblade pushed herself to her feet.
"I know," she groans. "That was an improvement. First few times, I actually hooked the feather on something."
Whippoorwill winced despite herself. "That would hurt."
"Yep. Still not as bad as it was, though."
"Uh-huh. And what about today? Reports were you got chewed on pretty good. You okay?"
Wingblade stretched, feeling a little soreness still in her torso where her ribs were still knitting back together. "Yeah. Nothing feels wrong."
Whippoorwill nodded, seemingly satisfied. "We need to talk about this afternoon. I've got some very antsy SCA folks asking about the status of the team. What can you tell me?"
It was Wingblade's turn to wince. "Oh, crap. You told me to lay low, didn't you? Well, I wasn't not going to fight a dragon. Even though it did chew me up and spit me out."
Whippoorwill didn't look amused. "So, let's talk about this Foamhair? That's what Quinlan heard, anyway. We're really running out of names to call ourselves if that's what she's going with. Who is she?"
"Oh, Eábha? She's definitely not from around here. Calls herself a member of the Sidhe, like a type of fairy. Talks strange, uses glamours -- some kind of magic trick that hides her true self. I think she's got some kind of mind control, too."
"Was she related to the appearance of the dragon? Reports said she shrunk it down and put it in a sack."
Wingblade frowned. "Tangentially, I think. She's from the sort of Elsewhere that Bran is-- was-- from. She called it Tirnanog, and says it's the same as Olympus, Alfheim, and Kunlun."
"Tir Na Nog."
"Yeah. What's more, she said that the meddling of Balor left a nice big hole between those realms and ours. So, dragon during Seventh Period."
Whippoorwill let out a long breath that Wingblade could tell hid a number of silent swears. "And this Eábha? What is she doing here?"
Wingblade shrugged. "Seems like she's a tourist, enjoying her holiday. Got a little violent with me, since I could sense something going on behind her illusion -- sorry, glamour -- and she thought I was one of the Fomoire when I confronted her. I set her straight. Did a nice little bit of de-escalation, too. You'd be proud."
Nodding in approval, Whippoorwill moved on. "So, any chance she can show us this hole between realms?"
"I asked her, but she was all vague. I don't think it's something so blatant like a big swirling portal."
"Great. We'll have to get some experts on it. Find out what we're dealing with, and whether it's one-way or two-ways. We don't need civilians wandering into the realms of the faerie."
Wingblade blinked. "Oh, wow. I hadn't even thought of that."
"Well, sounds like she could be an ally in this mess. See if she wants to be on the team."
She saluted the Defender. "Will do."
"...Do you think that you could put your shrinking technology into my armor?" Alexis asked plainly. "You can study how my armor works. Find a way that I can get it on quickly and carry it anywhere, like in a watch," They suggest. "Maybe the way my armor self-repairs can be used for your car."
"...Um. I just want to look like I did when I first started school." Alexis tells the fae girl. "I don't think that I'm someone who can actually make magic happen. So, um, a charm like Shayera's would be useful, if you could make one that will help me look like that so I can go back to classes."
"That's not how it works." Kaoru said flatly. "The shrinking seems to be tied to the metal it's made out of. You'd have to completely scrap your current armor to make a new suit out of the same stuff." Which would, of course, somehow required finding whatever the hell material the car was made out of somewhere. He just hoped Alexis was attached enough to her own armor to decide to try to tearing his car apart to make a suit for herself. Though since he hadn't yet figured out exactly what mechanism was being used to induce the changes, that would likely just result in them just both being useless. Though hopefully that wouldn't happen; the semi-fluid nature of the metal seemed to make it weirdly durable. After all, he had been rear-ended by a speeding van with nary a scratch.
Eábha looks the girl over, some small dregs of her glamour coalescing into a gem in her hand, before she lets it evaporate to conserve strength Oh, give me a day, and I absolutely could do that, give you the appearance you've always wanted... but of course, nothing is free. she stands up, and makes a point of examining the girl. it could cost you, perhaps a scream, I've always wanted to see what the Beansidhe feel.Maybe the smell of your favorite food, or a colour. whatever would you give me, Miss facethief? she asks
Bronwyn headed home straightaway after school. She was beat after all, and the longest moment of privacy she'd had was a too-short shower that had been relentlessly scored by Camila and Lucas hammering on the bathroom door.
She unlocked the house with the doormat key and typed in her guest-passcode to quiet the beeping of the security system.
So no one's home.
She let out a sigh that seemed to pull ten tons from her shoulders and immediately got to work, hustling from place to place at a speed slightly too fast to look completely human.
The sound and smell of sizzling meat and veggies just made her stomach growl louder, but she couldn't just stay and enjoy, she really didn't know how much time she had for- Well, I guess it's not really Bran-stuff anymore is it?
I could call it cape-stuff if I end up actually wearing one, I guess.
Once her replacement lunch was started she dashed back to where she thought she'd have been bunking. Camila's room was a straight up mess that practically made her teeth itch as she picked and hopped her way past piles of debris and a myriad of models and projects that were either half finished or had been kicked along the ground often enough to lose pieces.
I don't know how she finds Anything in all this... But I guess that makes it a pretty good hiding spot.
Shayera's duffle was hidden beneath a fresh layer of clothes, still stuffed with all the tools and weapons and fragments of Bran's armor, and everything else she needed to keep hidden from her parents and Camila's. Bronwyn wrinkled her nose as she pulled it out from what was Doubtless a new layer of unwashed camouflage. Hey, it may not smell like Irish Spring in here, but at least it doesn't smell like rotting head...
Carefully she went through her bag, sorting out what needed to stay here and what could go back to her Forge. [/smaller]"But what do I do with you?"[/smaller] she murmured to Bran. "And why aren't you decaying?"
ARE YOU FINALLY ALONE?
"Holy crap!"
"Oh. I thought that since it shrunk you too, it must be some kind of energy field it creates to shrink it," Mercy comments, looking crestfallen. "But maybe Bronwyn can find the metal its made from. Where did you get it?"
"Facethief?" Alexis looked a little put off by the title, glancing at Bronwyn nervously. "I could give you food. But I've been borrowing money from Shayera for most of my food, so I don't know that it's mine to give away. I'll have to think," They tell Eadha.
Bronwyn put her hand heavily on Alexis's arm, leaving Gae-Dearg's charm dangling between them and Eábha.
"Hey Alexis? Don't make any deals where you'd give Eábha something abstract, okay bud?"
The still vaguely inhuman girl's eyes fall on the charm as it is interposed. You are no fun, iníon le lugh she says. But of course, it is Miss Alexis' choice... though she offers Hospitality. Perhaps I should take it up, for the traditional term, if it is truly hers to extend. she says Or is hospitality too abstract, Heir?
Wingblade finished a grueling training session with Whippoorwill, then joined her on patrol. She earned several eye-rolls from her mentor when she pulled out her phone and started live streaming on her social media channels. The action that night was pretty low-key, however, mainly focusing on some clean-up from Monday's series of attacks and making sure the opportunists were discouraged.
She returned to her apartment later that evening, glad for the relative normalcy of the night.
"A friend gave it to me. It's a prototype or something. I think I'm supposed to be giving user feedback or something on how well it works." Kaoru wasn't about to admit that he wasn't actually sure what metal it was made out of yet. Though even if he were able to get a sample, he wasn't exactly sure what he'd do with it given he was pretty sure it wasn't one of the common metals. Though, come to think of it, alloys were combinations of metals, right? So surely there was some way to analyze it to figure out the break down maybe? Bronwyn might know. Not that he was about to ask her. He was pretty sure good, old, reliable Internets would also know as well. And it was less likely to laugh at him behind his back after he asked.
"Oh. I didn't know you had other hero friends," Mercy replied. "Well...please let me know if you figure it out. It would be really helpful. I'll try to find some way to repay you for it," They finish. "I got to meet the others...see you later."
"I don't have anything to give you, except my gratitude." Alexis looks forlorn. "It's okay. I'll find someone else to help. There has to be someone Whippoorwill knows, perhaps." They stand up, nodding to Bronwyn. "I got my phone back, so call me if you need anything."
Sneaking back onto campus after hours was doable. Showering and changing clothes before putting the armor back on made it easier to move around. They considered going on patrol again, but there were too many sleepless nights as it already stood. They needed resources that they were unsure about how to get. So it was in their best interest to seek out people who might have the information they needed.
They were heading out to the Defenders headquarters, passing through the city, when the streetlights started to flicker. Everything within a few blocks suddenly went dark, to the annoyance of plenty of people that Mercy could hear. They climbed up to a water tower to see how far it spread, noticing the bright light a few lots over. A couple of well timed jumps got them close enough to look down at a power transformer, fenced off with chain links and barbed wire - and a strange glowing spider crawling over it, the size of a large dog and jagged at its joints and body.
Mercy dropped in to try and get to it, but before they could close the distance, the light flared off it intensely and they were forced to look away. When they looked back up, the spider was gone. The lights started to flicker back on as well, everything humming normally again. Mercy wondered what that had been all about - something to bring up to the Defenders perhaps. Though they really needed some spare replacement comms.
Palour
Your gratitude. she smiles and offers her hand I would gladly trade a seeming for your gratitude.
The Karma Lounge
Halcyon's Premier nightclub was surprisingly busy, any of the revelers there for the first time, drawn there by some very explicable force. the lights burned brighter than before, and the music blares, as a sidhe girl loses herself in the spirits, both senses, of this place. Still, the thought of the others, the Iberian and the Heir and the facethief, loom in her mind.
The morning finds most of the club covered in exhausted or passed out patrons, but the dawn breaks the compulsion to dance, before there is more than inconvenience. The fey girl takes her leave, wondering what school will be like today.
Shayera couldn't help but give her newer charm a little rub before she stepped out of her ride to school. It was the one that swapped her outfits with a word, so if something else appeared out of the Tuatha realm, she'd be able to switch into her action gear no problem.
She'd mentioned upgrading her outfit to Whippoorwill as well last night, much to her relief. Shayera didn't like the feeling of the bulky fabrics and padding on her, but given the amount of punishment she'd taken lately, some sort of protection was in order. Now just to find Bron and let her know the fitting time, and we can both get better outfits, she thinks with a small smile to herself.
She'd felt so pulled apart lately -- too many obligations pulling her in different directions. Shayera resolved to start bringing them together. She'd make her sisters and Bronwyn see each other as positives in her life; she'd take a stronger hand in guiding what's left of the team -- including finally confronting Kaoru about his place on it. And she'd figure out Alexis and Eábha and Camila, and her social media followers... all in good time.
Shayera strode into school in another high-fashion ensemble. Today's going to be a good day.
After saying hi to the fashionistas and making nice with her sisters, she follows her senses to Eábha, catching her before she went back into the school office. "Morning! You don't need to check in there again. You just go with your Thursday schedule."
As she pulls out her own tablet to demonstrate, she leans in close and drops her voice so it's shared just between the two of them. "So, Eábha, that was good that you helped with the dragon and all. The bunch of us, you know, the ones who teamed up to fight it? Well, we're all heroes of a sort. Would you like to be a part of that?"
"BRONWYN PASCAL. WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN SO LONG TO SPEAK WITH US."
"You're dead! Why would I try to talk to someone who's dead?"
"LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN THAT I AWAITED YOU ELSEWHERE, YET YOU HAVE NOT RETURNED. NOW THE PROOF IS UPON YOU THAT THE VEIL BETWEEN WORLDS HAS BEEN RENT, AND STILL YOU DELAYED."
"Ok, ok. Look, I'm sorry, but you get that it's been a couple days, right? And I just got back from helping take down a Jabberwock. How was I supposed to know there was more coming?"
"YOU MUST NOT RELAX YOUR VIGILANCE. YOU ARE THE WARDEN OF YOUR TIME. A BREACH SUCH AS THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FORM WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE. ATTEND, AND LISTEN WELL. THE LAWS BIND ME; ONLY THRICE MAY I APPEAR IN YOUR WORLD, AND THERE IS MUCH YOU MUST LEARN BEFORE-"
The door slammed open and Camila burst in beaming.
"¡Ahora no! Dame un segundo antes- Great. Now he's dead again. Bran? Bran? Bendigeidfran?!
...Cyclops guy? Yep, still dead. Thanks Camila. I get two more chats with him apparently, and I don't even know why that one ended."
"Oh! Umm. 'Fnysien says that's one of the laws too. He won't appear in front of more than one person. And apparently, 'Yes, that includes me, even though I-' Eww, gross. I'm not saying that, but uh Efnysien thinks it's stupid, but that Bran's stupid too, so it makes sense. But he's gone for now anyways, don't you want to hear how I punched out a hydra?! I thought it was gonna be easy at first, but then the heads kept growing, and, look, I know I know, but I **thought** it would run out of necks or something. But eventually I just punched the chest part in half, and when **that** started to regrow I-"
"Camila! You can't just shout about this stuff in the house! What if someone else was home? Did you think of that?"
"Yeah, but Mom and Dad's cars aren't here, and Lucas has rehearsal, duh."
"And what about my parents."
"Abuela'd be at work and Abuelo..."
"Not here today. But he could've been, right?"
"...Maybe."
"Look, I get it. It's... exciting or whatever, but you've gotta be smart about this." Bronwyn smiled weakly, "Or else you might wind up sleeping on your niece's couch, right?"
"That's your fault; I told you you should just stay in here with me."
"I think we'd just be more comfortable if you didn't stay in Camila's room... You understand."
"Yeah, well. You know me. I'm stubborn..."
Eábha strides through the hall, a little lost. people adored her, sure, but she wanted the others, they were fascinating. She plotted to lure someone to a lake, adn spirit them away into the reflection, ut her heart wasn't really into it.
Then the Iberian shows up. Ah, I had not been told. This is a strange device. she says, taking the book they had been reading the previous day Do we get to read more by Dickens? she says excitedly.
I knew you were heroes, no mere mortal could have done much of what you did. Though your armours, less the facethief's, are odd. I would count myself among that number. she says, smiling brilliantly.
Bronwyn's phone buzzed, and the text came afterwards from Alexis.
I still haven't found any help for my armor or a charm
The Defenders HQ wouldn't let me in after dark
Can you help me?
Also I saw a weird spider yesterday
It might be related to that dragon?
Mercy for their part were still waiting in front of the headquarters, painstakingly typing slowly on their phone as they waited for someone to talk to - it would have been easier if they'd remembered to ask Kaoru for a new comm. But they didn't have a line to Whippoorwill on this phone, which made it difficult for them. Especially since they were getting strange stares from people passing by on their commutes now that the armored hero was standing around idly.
Shayera smiles back at Eábha, ignoring the collisions that were occurring around them. No fewer than five students bumped into each other because they were too busy staring at the fae's insanely beautiful smile, and another managed to crash into an open classroom door.
Shayera took a moment to study the Sidhe before her. Yes, she's beautiful, but there's so much danger underneath the vision she projects. It's stupid to just focus-- oh, wait. Beautiful girl in front of me. Let's see... Lesbian thoughts. I should want to kiss her? Do other things? Get tingly feelings?
For a moment, it might appear to Eábha that Shayera got caught up in her glamour based on the way she stared at her just then. Except in moments she sighs, almost crestfallen, as the spell slides off of her. "So, if you like strange devices, here." She hands Eábha a small trinket of metal and wires surrounded by a softer material. "It's a communicator. It goes in your ear -- not all the way into your skull, mind you -- and it will let you call and talk to the others on the team." She explains the taps and the emergency features as they walk to class.
==============
Shayera didn't share any classes with Kaoru, so finding him took a little planning and anticipation. She couldn't wait for him after school because she was going to have to rush to get to the photo shoot, so it had to be during the day.
Thankfully, she'd earlier identified Kaoru's locker, so she made sure to be there in the short window between his lunch break and the start of hers. "Hey," she says directly to him, forcing the scenario that he would have to acknowledge her or appear obnoxiously rude. "Did Ms. Woo get ahold of you? She apparently wants us involved in the school's 'Asian Culture Week' starting on the 8th." She lets that hang in the air a moment. "I told her I don't know what your plans are like in the upcoming weeks. Maybe you could give me some idea?" She waits to see if Kaoru picks up on the coded question.
==============
Shayera finishes chatting with her sisters, then moves over to sit at Bronwyn's table. "Okay, my after-school thing should be over at six-thirty. I'll pick you up at seven? I know it's a little late, but will that be okay?" She gives Bronwyn a hopeful smile.
Shayera's behavior is confusing. It was not that she was unused to stares, but wistful sighs were not how they usually ended. she might have even given the Iberian a kiss, for her valour yesterday. But as she liked it. She quietly takes the device, placing it in her ear, and smiling as it becomes a collection of piercings. So, we talk to each other... say when there are foes to strike down. Sounds fascinating. she says So, how often does that sort of thing happen?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Eábha slowly makes her way through the unimpressive selection of food on her tray, while her admirers sit with her, explaining the school, and asking questions in return.
What is the purpose of calculus?
Marketing scheme for ritalin.
Why did you move to Halcyon?
It was an opportunity few receive.
Who rules this land?
Umm... the guy in charge of the city is Mayor Clarke.
Do you have a car?
No, I have no need of it.
What is Netflix, and why do people see it so often?
it's... like a video service. Um, Eábha, where are you from?
Tir Na Nog, of course.
I told you she was foreign, dude....
I don't remember that from geography class
Isn't that, like, next to the philippines?
F+!~ it, I'm googling that
Eábha, where is Tir Na Nog?
Everywhere, and nowhere, through the hedge and beyond the mists.
Hey, so Wikipedia says tat Tir Na Nog is... a Celtic otherworld...
What does that mean
Friggin Halcyon
is she, like... should we go get the counselor?
Dude, I don't think he's lost it... it honestly explains a lot.
Are you?... Eábha are you trying to tell us you aren't human?
Of course not, I am one of the Sidhe. Did you not realise this?
What are... The Sidhe? Like an amazon? she asks We've had that whole greek mythology thing going on for a while...
No, one of the fair folk, The Tuatha de Danann. Has this place really so neglected your education?
I mean yeah, but we also didn't have a class on irish faries
How are we supposed to know that...
I'm confused, is she ACTUALLY another super, or is she coming out, and I'm not getting it?
So, Why are you... Liek, you're not here to take over the world r anything, right?
Oh, no. I just want to explore this new world. or old world, I guess. she says, as the lunch bell rings, and everyone has to disperse to the far corners of the school.
Shayera laughs a bit at Eábha's question. "Here in Halcyon? All the time. The good news is, there's a bunch of heroes here too, but they're all pretty busy. So if something crazy happens, it's good to get involved. There's also some stupid laws that you have to be aware of, but you don't have to worry too much since I've got an adult hero who's watching out for us."
========================
========================
Shayera is up and moving out the door the moment the bell rings. Usually she's not desperate to leave the campus at the end of the day, but time is pressing on her today. She throws her school bag into the sports car waiting for her and hops in before Ms. Quinn peels out in advance of the rush.
Once they're away from the school, the driver pulls into a secluded spot to let Shayera out. She deactivates her charm, revealing her wings and normal hero outfit, including her domino mask covering most of her face. Wingblade takes off and beelines to the magazine photo studio at her best speed.
When she arrives, she is greeted and hustled off to hair and makeup while a trio of fashion consultants present her with a number of ensembles. Tiffany Yincy is there as well, giving her a sly wink before introducing herself as someone meeting her for the first time. Then Gloria Canzater appears with a tablet in hand that she taps away on. "Wingblade! Wonderful to see you again! Sorry this will be so rushed, but we're on a deadline. We're going to start with a few casual outfits," she says. "Then we'll finish with a couple formal dresses, since prom's coming up soon." Gloria adds a wink. "And we usually feature a Q&A with our headliner, so Janette here would like to ask you some questions submitted from our readers."
"Uh, sure," she says as her hair is teased and primped to give it a bit more volume, while other attendants apply some color to her nails. Then her hero outfit is pulled off and set aside while they start with the first set -- a backless summer dress with some strappy sandals.
* * *
The photo shoot lasted several hours, and tested Wingblade's patience to its limits. Her cheek muscles ached from keeping her smile up, and there always seemed to be one more pose that the photographer needed. Her wings required additional lighting to be set up to keep lens flares down -- and she was glad that her feathers weren't polished to a mirror sheen otherwise it'd take twice as long.
They had fans running all the time, blowing her hair back which seemed to completely undo all the effort the stylists had put into it. By the end of the shoot, she had so much product and hairspray in her hair she figured she could fight Tempest Fugit and nary a hair would fall out of place.
All the while this was going on, the magazine writer Janette had been peppering her with questions. Since Wingblade had set a hard end time of six-thirty, there wasn't enough time to have the full shoot and a leisurely sit-down where she could be interviewed.
* * *
Halcyon Haute Teen is honored to have the teenaged superhero sensation Wingblade as our cover model this month! This high-flying hero is showing off this upcoming summer's hottest looks. Who better to show off this year's backless trend than the blade-winged heroine who fights both evil and drab fashion![/i]
Halcyon Haute Teen: It's so exciting to have you modeling for us. Your wings are beautiful, but they have to pose a challenge to what you can wear, right?
Wingblade: Thanks! Yeah, there's a lot I can't wear. Tight T-shirts are pretty much a lost cause. Same with jackets. Which is a shame, since they seem like they'd be fun to wear.
HHT: Still, it seems like a pretty nice trade, being able to fly.
Wb: Well, flying's great, sure. I hear some say it's the best super power. I have to agree.
HHT: That's not your only power, is it?
Wb: Right. I heal really fast. That's nice too, since it's always important to get up after you've been knocked down.
HHT: You got more than get knocked down once, right? Did you actually die, or were you just hurt real bad?
Wb: ... I... I think I died? I don't remember much about it. I mean, it was like I blinked, and then everyone was telling me they thought I died.
HHT: Well, it's great having you back.
Wb: Thanks.
HHT: So tell us about Whippoorwill. She's a favorite of ours here at Halcyon Haute. She's one of the Defenders, and shares the same fashion struggles that you do!
Wb: Ha. Whip's great, but she doesn't worry too much about making a fashion statement. I've never heard her complain about not being able to wear a T-shirt. But, you know, when you have giant wings on your back, it's hard to blend into a crowd.
HHT: But your wings are metal. Can they come off?
Wb: No. They're a part of me. The scientists call the metal my wings are made of, "living steel." Which is as good a name as any. I feel everything that happens to them.
HHT: Wow. That's crazy. We've all noticed that you've started wearing a mask, like you're worried about having a secret identity.
Wb: No, it's not that, not really. There's some nice features in the mask I wear -- head's up display, facial recognition scanners, that sort of thing. I'm trying to be more well-rounded as a hero. That includes a new suit upgrade. You heard it here first!
HHT: That's exciting! A new look for Wingblade is on its way?
Wb: Yeah. I've decided to go with something with a little more protection. I just got to work on the design.
HHT: That's great to hear. Once it's unveiled, I hope you'll consider giving Halcyon Haute Teen another exclusive!
Wb: Now I feel pressure!
"No, she didn't." Kaoru responded simply. "What's on the 8th? I would have expected Lunar New Year to make a better week to do something, but it's a bit late for that."
Shayera smiles to keep the frustration off her face. "I know, right? Sometimes these adults in charge just don't have a clue." She bobs her head in emphasis, trying to convey her real meaning. "But since this is important, I was hoping I could find out what your plans are. Going forward. Since we've hardly spoken in the last few weeks, I have no idea if you'd be available to team up on this little project happening. Or, you know, if you hated this whole mess so much that you'd like to wash your hands of it entirely?"
As she waits to see if Kaoru gets her meaning, her eyes widen in surprise. He smells different. Wow, I'd almost say he's actually a... She inhales sharply through her nose. Whoa. You can't fake that. Shayera steps back and assesses Kaoru's posture and stance. "Huh."
* * *
Halcyon Haute Teen: Ha. Like you haven't faced much worse working with Whippoorwill. Who would you say is your biggest nemesis?
Wingblade: Well, Whippoorwill's always got something to say about stuff like that. As in, that's not what we're here for. Rivalries and grudges just make things miserable for everyone, you know? It's better to work out your differences than just see who's the biggest bad@$$, right?
HHT: That sounds like good advice for anyone, not just superheroes.
Wb: Well, yeah. If you can keep a clear head, and have some empathy, then you might find new ways of dealing with your problems.
HHT: That's great stuff. And so relevant to teens today.
Wb: I guess? It sounds good saying it. It's a lot harder in practice.
HHT: That's certainly true. Let's switch gears. You've teamed up with a lot of heroes over your short career. Who's your favorite hero you've worked with?
Wb: Wow. That's tough... I mean, I owe a whole lot to Whip, of course. Then there's Bran the Blessed. He's been such a great ally over the last year. But, the others have been great too. Mercy, Thor Girl, Hashtag, Tectonic... and all the others. They've all brought something different and unique to the table.
HHT: Your team's had quite the changing roster ever since you started working with anyone besides Whippoorwill. Any reason why so many come and go?
Wb: I don't know. It's just... life happens, you know? I don't-- I don't know.
Eábha sat in the office, looking at the woman as she waited. several adults were muttering to each other in the meeting room nearby. Finally, one of them breaks off, and goes over to her.
So, Eábha, do you understand why you're here? the principal asked
Not especially, this is rather unlike normal formal introduction ceremonies, but that is the only thing I can think of.
Well, It was reported to me earlier today that you had self reported as being a parahuman entity. We also have video from yesterday's dragon attack that supports those statements.
well, of course. I am one of the Sidhe. Frankly I struggle to see how those instructors and pupils in a place of learning did not recognise me, I took almost no effort to disguise myself.
According to Ms. Wood, you used magic to sign up for classes. We need to enroll you properly, and there are a few forms for students with extrahuman abilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Eábha flops on the couch, having followed Alexis home. She is in full drama queen mode, her dress flowing extra as she throws herself around. Utterly unreasonable. I am compelled into nearly half a dozen agreements to continue attending their damnable academy. I've half a mind to simply stop going! she blusters. She sighs dramatically again, righting herself. I was told there was a lovely restaurant on 17th st. but I cannot say know where that is. Would you be willing to show me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
♩-Be a doll and spare the Lecture♩ she sings in the secondary gym, trying desperately to remember her next line as the opposing lead stambled a little in his tap dance.
♩I'm offering a full time spectre!♩
♩Are you good enough?♩
You Betcha, Trust me Baby♩
♩We've just met now.♩
she hears another scoff from the side, where Quiara and Molly waited for their cue. I've been in drama since freshman year, she waltzes in, and she gets the lead, and she's been in this school 2 days.[/]
Molly adds [b]Yeah, I know. Nad now we're playing Barb and Adam. and she's, like, not human. Isn't there a rule against supers in sports? Shouldn't it apply here to?
Okay, from the top! Ms. Taylor calls. Eábha, go reread the lyrics, you're a little off. and Quiara, Molly, less chitchat.
Kaoru gave a half-shrug. "I guess it depends on what she wants. I imagine I'm going to be spending a lot of time with Xan in the near future, so depending on if it's a task she's interested in doing with me, I may or may not have the time. Especially if she decides to run things like I've heard she does in her classes: all assigned groups. I somehow always get matched with incompatible people. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to class." He walked away.
Shayera sighs when Kaoru walks away. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," she calls after him. She shakes her head. She had a lot of unanswered questions, like where he'd gotten that car, and... whatever was going on with his scent. But he didn't give off any 'bad guy' vibes, so if he was done with her, then she wouldn't press any more. Not like he was likely to open up to her.
=======================
The photo shoot was taking too long. There was always one more pose, and one more adjustment that was needed with a skirt or her hair, or something, that added five, ten, fifteen minutes on. Wingblade chafed, feeling time slip by too fast.
She was about to call it quits when they brought out a simply gorgeous black sequined prom gown. Feeling torn down the middle, she finally relented. As her makeup was being touched up, she sent a quick text to Bronwyn.
李秀英: Photo shoots running over. :( can I meet u there?
She quickly sends Bron the address of her sister's hotel suite and then steps into the prom dress. She'll understand. When this magazine hits, at the very least, she thinks as her eyes go wide at her reflection in the mirror.
"I don't get to keep these, do I? Didn't think so. But I think I'm buying this."
Bronwyn still couldn't sleep. She wasn't tired exactly, but there was just too much racing through her mind, and that could be exhausting enough.
She was lying on the couch, blanket and heavy pajamas stifling her, willing herself not to walk over her phone charger to check the time again, when she heard her phone buzz.
Alexis (They/them): I still haven't found any help for my armor or a charm
Alexis (They/them): The Defenders HQ wouldn't let me in after dark
Alexis (They/them): Can you help me?
Alexis (They/them): Also I saw a weird spider yesterday
Alexis (They/them): It might be related to that dragon?
Yeah. It's been like... 12 hours. I didn't think you'd gotten a crazy magic fix in 12 hours.
At least not one without an ugly price.
Bronwyn: Yeah, we'll find a fix for the armor thing, but if I'm going to do it, I'll need to find a good channeler and she won't talk to me that can be hard to do.
Bronwyn: I'll talk to Whip though. There has to be a bed we can find you but i don't have one to offer rn
Bronwyn: yeah, apparently there was a hydra or something over at sacred Heart
Bronwyn: were probably not done
Her phone's alarm went off and she shot up off the couch, feet barely touching the ground as she ran to the half-bath to toss on a nondescript running outfit before bursting out the front door to the still dark streets.
At least the security system shuts off at 6... I don't know what I'd do if I had to stay there till class started.
Alexis: Okay, will keep a lookout
Alexis: Thank you
Alexis: Do you think the penthouse is safe now?
Alexis: I want to go back but I dont want to put her in harm
After play practice
Eábha tentatively stands at the doorway to the penthouse, one finger on the intercom button as she peers skeptically into the camera. Miss Shayera? I was told this was the place to spend my time outside classes, And that I am not to spend my nights in dance clubs. I am sworn to comport myself as a guest. she offers.