Chroknight: If you see Johnny, can you ask him if he's seen Beebee lately?
Aquarelle: Sure
Aquarelle: Never really talked to him
Aquarelle: I will let you know
Aquarelle: Is she in trouble?
=====
People were all talking about their projects and it seemed his teammates had already formed groups with the other students. He should definitely do the same and he already had an idea.
"Hey!" Gui says, as he sits at Ne'veah's and Kennedy's table. He gives the panther girl a discrete wink, before turning to Kennedy "Have you already formed e group for de community project? I was tinking about doing an immersive movie session at Halcyon's Children Hospital. You up?"
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Gui looks around the restaurant, trying to take in everything. He had never been to the south, so that was something new for him. He liked it quite a lot, the more classic style making him feel quite at home since Rimouski wasn't a big city.
Having made his research, Gui is wearing putty chinos with a blue belt, a light orange and green gingham shirt, and a navy blue blazer. The real color and design of his clothes were very different, of course. To be honest, he wasn't sure he wasn't looking like a fool.
"I am really looking forward about dis night," he says, taking her hand and smiling. "You are stunning." That compliment was a bit odd and somewhat self-congratulatory as she was covered in his illusions.
"Our food is like e mixture of classics from France and from our indigenous people, transformed in e way to fit de cold weader. We have lots of soups and pies and stuff with gravy, like poutine," he explains. "My home town is by de gulf, so we eat a lot of seafood and fish. I am hoping dis place has gumbo or jambalaya... am I saying it right? Is it good?"
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Tim frowns. "That shouldn't happen. The potions were designed to wear off." He glances at the girl with him. "I might need a moment to work on this."
Turning back to Indy, he thinks for a moment then shakes his head. "No way. Even a person with zero Talent would have burned off the potion in three days. Four, tops, but they'd have to really be a zero. Uh-uh. If you're right, either someone or something's keeping the effect going, or... I dunno. Maybe they have super powers and that was the trigger?" His face sours in distaste at that possibility.
"Your elixirs stank of the fey," Eliana states.
Tim shrugs his shoulders. "That was just the chaos-binding reagent. Do you know how time-consuming it would've been to make thirty-plus random potions one at a time? I sure as Hell wouldn't have given them away for free, that's for sure."
"Look Tim all I'm asking is that you come by to help since you were the one who made the stuff. If anything think of it as helping your own magical research along, and if we're wrong and it's just something that unlocked her latent powers, then we've barely wasted any time."
He nods at Eliana's comment about them stinking of fey, "I could... taste it too when I took one, not to mention how it morphed me. But if it's just some fey trickery then it shouldn't be terribly difficult for me to dispel, if the binding isn't too strong."
Xaiara just watches intently as Ava's eyes flash for a moment. "If physical contact is your concern, you have limited options. Presuming that precise control of your powers is not presently an option, power dampener devices -- though rare -- exist and one might be procured to facilitate skin-to-skin contact. Alternatively, I have heard of a person with power draining capabilities. That could have a similar effect to a dampener."
Andromeda clenches before she can stop herself, forced to release that tension into a small temblor. "It's not good for me to have my powers suppressed. Sorry. Have you gone on a date with a boy yet?" she asks Eva. "The theory is helpful, but seems incomplete when applied to enhanced beings. That's why..." She changes her mind. "I didn't want to talk to my normal friend about dating. Maybe it's just too different for someone normal and someone like us? Maybe it wouldn't work?" Something almost like hope turns to gloom. "Gui's almost normal; he always wants things not to be about powers."
Kennedy rolls her eyes at Gui's suggestion. "Oh, yeah. Nothing heals the sick like collective terror. Bonus points when they're sick kids." She exchanges a glance at Ne'veah, then looks at an empty seat that is chuckling. Zeke, also known as Pallor, becomes visible.
"Good one. You know, you should anyway," he laughs.
Ne'veah spears a piece of her rare steak with a claw. "Sorry, Gui. It'd just be you doing your illusion thing with the rest of us watching a kids' movie. And that sounds pretty lame."
Ne'veah gives Gui an up-and-down glance with her eyes but doesn't comment on his outfit. Thankfully, it fits the decor of the restaurant quite well and though he stands out it's more because of his age.
She listens politely to his description of his home and the Canadian cuisine he's used to. "I think that's how you say it. But gumbo and all that is Cajun-style Southern."
A quick glance at the menu reveals that the Sazerac Cottage leans heavily in New Orleans-style cuisine, which includes gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice, and beignets. "Looks like you got your wish," Ne'veah says.
Even though the waiter says that the restaurant's sweet tea is exceptional, the panther girl orders water. When the drink order is done, Ne'veah shrugs. "I don't have many sweet receptors anymore."
Tim laces his fingers behind his head. "I like a good mystery. Sure. What time?"
Ava gets a coy smile when Andromeda asks about dating. "I am an infiltrator model," she says.
The smile drops as Andromeda begins to despair. She reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder, her dermal covering withstanding the Bull's sheath and managing to feel warm. "You are admitting defeat before you have even begun. Gui is not normal, or else he would not be here at Daedalus. Perhaps the solution lies not with you, but with him."
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Indy nods and pulls the device from his neck again. "Let me see if we can set up an official time to meet up."
Indarius: Hey Chloe, got some traction, need to know when and where we can meet the afflicted friend lmk asap
Indarius helps where he can with the group project of the community garden. Weather that be conjuring water, moving soil, transporting seeds or even fledgling plants for transplantation. He also assists the other students by providing plenty of chilled treats to help them cool off from the work, the benefits of being a living refrigeration unit.
"Logged 150 hours in the past two weeks picking up every piece of loose litter in the city. About twenty went just to the Aviator Memorial Park in Rustside where I cleaned out that stupid pond. There was a whole car in there! So gross. Oh, I also stopped a plot to kidnap senior citizens to be used as disposable drone soldiers by the Arcadian Society in their secret war against the sea kingdoms. But that wasn't the assignment, so I guess just grade me on the park cleanup."
Chloe: Her parents won't just let you see her though
Chloe: I can't even get to see her
Chloe: Trying to get people to help out fixing it so she can return to school
Andromeda endures the light physical contact with a look of focus and determination. Is she trying to make me repair her again?
"We should find a good partner for the canned food and clothing drive. Operational support is critical, and local allies can help provide a logistical infrastructure from which our particular talents and personas can be leveraged to a better outcome. A faith-based organization can immediately lend credibility and provide us with an existing network of donors as well." And Gui will like it if we help the church...
"No rats versus spiders until I get my huntsman spiders that Daedalus is shipping me." Jessie props her chin with her hand as she leans on the table. "Archie, you making clothes could still work. Yeah, it's only for a few days, but you could make some real nice, like, job interview clothes. They'd only need them for a day or two. It's all about timing."
Sam nods "I will collate application sites and run data analysis on previous hires to determine openness to marginalized populations as well as create deep dive engine to search job history/training/interests in our applicants to pair them with the most significant potentials." she is typing away "I have backup ECs" her threads "That I can program to run autonomously." both Archie and Jessie have seen the threads cleaning constantly, correcting blemishes, and generally being creepy, but effective.
The creepiness is the issue that is most remembered from that day. A booth set up to allow full tissue work is met with screams and emotion distress that confuses the science nerd girl more than anything, making her feel insecure.
Max remains silent for now, though she listens to the conversation between Indy and Time with interest.
***
Max flexes her social media influence to raise awareness and funding for several charities throughout Halcyon City.
Gui raises an eyebrow at the overwhelming negative feedback to his idea, but he figured he'd at least give another try. "Look, when you are sick, specially if of e bad one, it is as if you have e massive weight on your shoulders and chest... your disease is all you see and tink. All de meds, de exams, de hospital, de visits, everyting is so... overwhelming." He appears to know what he is talking about.
"De doctors are already doing all dey can to heal dose kids, and you are right, my powers and yours have noting to do with dat, but we for sure can help dem tink about someting else at least for e while... dis is why so many heroes do visit hospitals. Dis is about hope."
"And dis is not just me using my powers. My illusions have image and sound, but for me to animete e whole movie is e massive effort. To meke it immersive as possible, we would need smells and even touch somehow, like having e fan to blow wind and e sprinkler to throw droplets of water during e storm, or nudging deir feelings slightly in e tense scene, and so on..."
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She listens politely to his description of his home and the Canadian cuisine he's used to. "I think that's how you say it. But gumbo and all that is Cajun-style Southern."
"Oh, I see, dis shows how much I know about it. Still looks good dough." He replies. "How different is it from the food in Savannah? Savannah is South Carolina, right? Or is it Georgia?"
A quick glance at the menu reveals that the Sazerac Cottage leans heavily in New Orleans-style cuisine, which includes gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice, and beignets. "Looks like you got your wish," Ne'veah says.
"Do you like it?" He asks, slightly worried. He was surprised she had not looked at the menu online, considering she picked the place.
Even though the waiter says that the restaurant's sweet tea is exceptional, the panther girl orders water. When the drink order is done, Ne'veah shrugs. "I don't have many sweet receptors anymore."
"Hum, dat seems tough. I am not really dat into candies and desserts, but I am big on sodas and... well I tink it might mess up many oder food as well. But did any of de oder receptors got enhanced?"
Tim nods his head. "Sure. You got me curious." He fishes out a coin from his pocket and hands it to Indy. "Come find me when you're ready to go."
Once Indy leaves, Tim turns back to Max with a grin since he noticed that her teammate didn't recognize her. "Keeping the human look on the DL. I can respect that."
Changing subjects, he gestures to the wand. "So before we were interrupted... wait. Do you want more privacy? I could call up a veil if you want. Otherwise, just do your thing to demon-ize yourself. It'll be cooler if I don't tell you any more. Just see what happens."
Kennedy slaps her hands down on the table. "Maybe you're not getting it: I don't do nice and fun hallucinations. I'll end up traumatizing the kids with their subconscious fears. Not the kind of outreach project that gets a Gold Star."
"It's in Georgia," Ne'veah says. "And I like Cajun food well enough. But there are other Southern classics here. See? I'll probably try the shrimp and grits," she says as she holds up the menu and points to the "Southern classics" section. "They even offer fried green tomatoes, and a lowcountry boil. Those are Savannah classics. If you like seafood, try the boil."
When the topic shifts to her enhanced senses, she nods. "Oh, yeah. I see in the dark really well. Smell, hearing... they're all way better than before." She falls quiet, studying the menu a bit more before she sets it down and puts her hands in her lap. Her eyes dart around the restaurant, meeting Gui's eyes briefly before focusing on something else behind him.
If the silence stretches, Ne'veah asks,"So, are you looking at colleges?"
"Yeah, I am not getting why you are so angry," Gui says, getting up and shrugging. "Good luck, guys." He wasn't married to his idea and he could have asked what they were planning to do instead, but no. It was not worth it.
=====
Knowing he would not be able to pull his project on his own, Gui was forced to change it. Instead of an enhanced movie experienced, he instead took advantage of a MTG Launch event that was happening in the weekend, managing to make a deal with the organizers, creating a side event where players could have their matches animated in real time. The money collected would then be donated to the public library.
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"It's in Georgia," Ne'veah says. "And I like Cajun food well enough. But there are other Southern classics here. See? I'll probably try the shrimp and grits," she says as she holds up the menu and points to the "Southern classics" section. "They even offer fried green tomatoes, and a lowcountry boil. Those are Savannah classics. If you like seafood, try the boil."
"Hum... very tempting," Gui says, reading the boil's description. "I tink I will stick to de jambalaya, oderwise I will be stuck imagining if it was tastier."
When the topic shifts to her enhanced senses, she nods. "Oh, yeah. I see in the dark really well. Smell, hearing... they're all way better than before." She falls quiet, studying the menu a bit more before she sets it down and puts her hands in her lap. Her eyes dart around the restaurant, meeting Gui's eyes briefly before focusing on something else behind him.
"Dat is someting else den. In general do you like food more now?" Curious to what Ne'veah was focusing on and wondering if something was bothering her, he discreetly peeks behind himself when ordering a soda.
If the silence stretches, Ne'veah asks,"So, are you looking at colleges?"
"I am not really sure. If I could choose, I can see myself working in de movie industry. My powers could creete special effects way better dan computers." He shrugs. "Not sure if I would need e degree for dat and dose are far from cheap. You?"
"Yeah, I am not getting why you are so angry," Gui says, getting up and shrugging.
"'Cause you don't f!*!ing listen," Kennedy mutters as he gets up and wishes them luck.
"Dat is someting else den. In general do you like food more now?"
Ne'veah shakes her head. "It's different. Food is more like, just fuel now. I can still enjoy it, you know. But I'm like a lot of your strong, fast mutates. I need a lot of fuel."
"I am not really sure. If I could choose, I can see myself working in de movie industry. My powers could creete special effects way better dan computers." He shrugs. "Not sure if I would need e degree for dat and dose are far from cheap. You?"
Ne'veah flicks a lock of hair over her shoulder. "I'll probably stick with Daedalus for college credits if everything stays the same. Turning into a cat creature teaches you that long-term plans are usually garbage.
"But movies are cool. You could probably join Behind the Mask right now."
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Tim nods his head. "Sure. You got me curious." He fishes out a coin from his pocket and hands it to Indy. "Come find me when you're ready to go."
Indy takes the coin and stuffs it into the bag he kept his books in. "Alright see you then."
Turning and heading away with the group of other more monsterous students, once they are plenty out of sight of Tim and his lady friend Indy visibly relaxes and lets out a long pent up breath.
"Thanks, you guys, I know it uh.. probably seems dumb but. Tim and I didn't get off on the best foot and I already have lots of beef with his family so... yeah. Thanks really."
Ne'veah flicks a lock of hair over her shoulder. "I'll probably stick with Daedalus for college credits if everything stays the same. Turning into a cat creature teaches you that long-term plans are usually garbage.
"But movies are cool. You could probably join Behind the Mask right now."
"I see why you might feel dis way. I tink some people have very strong dreams about doing or being someting or someone dat dey would do anyting to accomplish it." He says. "Like, in my kese, I want travel de world, but I do not really care dat much about e particular profession. It is not someting cheap, so I need e good job, but aside from dat, it is very flexible."
While talking casually, Gui pays attention to Ne'veah's expression and reactions, trying to figure out how he was doing and what she wanted.
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Aquarelle: Hi Indarius
Aquarelle: A friend told me you are trying to help BB
Aquarelle: I would like to help
Aquarelle: If you think I can
Aquarelle: Do not want to get in your way