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?"
=====
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?"
|
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...
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"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..."
=====
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.
=====
"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.
=====
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
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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
Checking his communicator again he had a long think about if Gui should join.
Indarius: Idk man, it's already gonna be tricky convincing B's parents to let me and Tim take stock of the situation.
Indarius: Having more 'supers' there isn't exactly going to make it easier. Plus you don't exactly bring much arcane experience to the table.
-a few minutes between texts-
Indarius: But I also just don't want to be left alone with Tim.
Indarius: So if you can promise to stay out of the way when we go to disenchant BB then I don't see why not.
Indarius: And don't agree to any deals any magical beings myself excluded (usually) try to make you, that includes food.
Aquarelle: You are a dragon and Tim was the one who made the potions, while I am the one who took BB away from the cafeteria when she was shot
Aquarelle: If the parents are scared or angry, I think I might have a greater chance convincing then to let you help
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Aquarelle: You are a dragon and Tim was the one who made the potions, while I am the one who took BB away from the cafeteria when she was shot
Aquarelle: If the parents are scared or angry, I think I might have a greater chance convincing then to let you help
Indarius: Look man I didn't say you can't come. I'm telling you what I think. I'm not sure if you could help with the actual process, but heck a familiar face to get us in even is helping. Just leave the magic to us.
"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.
[dice=Pierce the Mask, Angry]2d6+1-2
Ne'veah gives Gui a flat expression. "Travel the world? Well, you have something that no one -- well, at least very few people can do. There are lots of people willing to pay whatever it takes to get gifted people working for them." She glances around the restaurant, but it's clear that everyone in the place is engrossed in their own conversations. "Ask Ms. Vallejo if you need the kind of work that'll take you around the world."
She pauses as their food is brought out. After a moment when they try their different selections, Ne'veah looks back up at him. "You're doing a really good job of making me look normal. That's... really impressive." She looks at him with a measure of longing, but it's nothing sexual. As she finishes her plate of food that hearkens back to her aunt, Gui notices a layer of homesickness that Ne'veah may not even really realize herself.
"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...
Xaiara tilts her head to the side. "What does 'faith-based' mean?"
Joy is called to meet with her handler, Ms. Trask. The government agent hands her a jagged piece of some pearlescent material. "I've been given permission to give you this. It's, from what we can tell, a piece of the egg -- or whatever you want to call it -- that held you before your... birth. We've run just about every test that's conceivable on it hoping it'll give us some clue about your origins. Without success, I might add. So, we're letting you have it."
She then pulls out a tablet. "Let's hear your report on Daedalus. Start with the incident at the Convention Center. How did that go, in your own words?"
Joy accepts the nacreous shell fragment and turns it over in her hands, occasionally running her fingers over its smooth surface. Her expression is inscrutable, as if she doesn't know what to make of it.
Still looking at the fragment of the shell, she replies, "Chaotic... the goal of averting harm was achieved, but it was challenging. Many competing priorities. Difficult to find a clear sense of the best way to proceed toward the goal without running out of time."
She pauses in her ruminations to look up at Ms. Trask and fixes her uncanny stare on the agent, who is unruffled. "Even so, the team's members performed admirably. Prioritized finding the most dangerous threats and neutralizing them. Balanced risk with the needs of the moment. Andromeda controlled her abilities in ways that allowed her to effect large changes without undue devastation. Sam was able to coordinate and offer strategic insights."
"While it could have gone better, it also could have been much, much worse."
Empyrean, don't forget to pick and roll for your outreach project
Ms. Trask jots down some notes. "Any time an extinction event is avoided, it could have gone worse. Good job.
"So, how about Daedalus? Anything you'd like to ask me? I do have some memories about going to school."
Ne'veah gives Gui a flat expression. "Travel the world? Well, you have something that no one -- well, at least very few people can do. There are lots of people willing to pay whatever it takes to get gifted people working for them." She glances around the restaurant, but it's clear that everyone in the place is engrossed in their own conversations. "Ask Ms. Vallejo if you need the kind of work that'll take you around the world."
"You are right, but I tink many of dem do not have de best intencions, no?" He asks, uncertain. He always heard how governments and big corporations had always their own interests in mind and would not care about harming people one way or the other. "Dere are lines I... just cannot cross."
He then shrugs. "But I tink dere is no harm in talking to her. My parents always say we must have an open mind."
She pauses as their food is brought out. After a moment when they try their different selections, Ne'veah looks back up at him. "You're doing a really good job of making me look normal. That's... really impressive." She looks at him with a measure of longing, but it's nothing sexual. As she finishes her plate of food that hearkens back to her aunt, Gui notices a layer of homesickness that Ne'veah may not even really realize herself.
The jambalaya was divine and Gui was for sure telling his parents about the place. "Wow, dis is really good. My fader many times snide about how you Americans combine too many spices, but dis one is great!" He tries to keep his excitement low, mostly because Ne'veah shared she doesn't taste food like before.
After a while, after she comments about her feeling normal, he adds. "Is it not strange how normal people want to be special and special people want to be normal? De green grass ting?" He for sure knew how she felt, for the same happened to him, with the exception that after a while his powers allowed him to disguise himself. He was very lucky.
By the end of the dinner, Gui was realising that his chances of being lucky with Ne'veah this night weren't great. She did not seem to be in the right mood, even if he thought he did what she wanted. Well, you win some, you lose some. "Do you want to go somewhere later? Meet some friends or family? I can disguise myself as e girl, not to meke tings compliketed."
Empyrean, don't forget to pick and roll for your outreach project
Ms. Trask jots down some notes. "Any time an extinction event is avoided, it could have gone worse. Good job.
"So, how about Daedalus? Anything you'd like to ask me? I do have some memories about going to school."
"How did it help you, make you a better person?" asks Empyrean.
"I participated in the outreach program, aiding injured people with recovery, teamworking with other trainees, offering inspirational guidance... I feel like I should be doing more."
Chloe: Checking in because haven't heard what's happening with you and Indy
Chloe: Srsly let me know when you're seeing her
Chloe: I will kick ur ass if you keep ignoring me
Chloe: I'd like to be there to help
Chloe: You haven't said anything so I hope you didn't forget
Aquarelle: Y crazy?
Aquarelle: I have replied all your messages
Aquarelle: Y should check your phone, perhaps something is bugged
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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."
Max nods to request the veil. Once it's in place, she changes back into her demonic form as she holds the wand out. With a shrug, she wills the wand to activate.
A shockwave of radiant energy bursts from the wand, swirling around her like a cyclone of divine power. Max gasps as her casual clothes dissolve into golden mist. In their place, plates of gleaming armor materialize, fitting her form perfectly. A cuirass molds to her torso, adorned with intricate engravings. Silver greaves clasp around her legs, and pauldrons shaped like unfurling wings rests upon her shoulders. A flowing white chiton drapes beneath the armor, rippling as if caught in an unseen breeze.
Max can feel the intense magical power thrumming through the armor. She looks down at herself in awe before looking back to Tim. "Holy crap," she breathes.
"School gave me an education. Which didn't make me better in an altruistic sense, but by being educated I was better than what I would've been without," Ms. Trask says.
"I'm glad you helped with the outreach program. I'm hopeful that means the school has better intentions than what certain threat assessments say. Anyway, for a good job with saving the world, here." Joy's handler holds out four glossy tickets. "Invites to the Taylor gala. You and three extras, for whomever you'd like to invite to go with you."
Ne'veah turns her nose up at the idea of Gui disguising himself as a girl. "What? No, that'd be weird. Why would you ask--? Nevermind." She goes quiet for a moment.
"Listen, if you're up for a trip outside Halcyon... to see my Auntie in Savannah... It would involve you using your powers to make me look like I used to. But, you know, you'd get to see more of the world at least. Is that something you'd want to do?"
"Whoo!" Tim whoops when the armor forms around her. "Holy crap indeed. Genuine, Merlin-crafted, knights of some kind of circular furniture-tested mystical armor. Whatdya think?"
Andromeda has put some effort into her outfit today. It means she's in visibly worn athleisure instead of tattered athleisure, but the effort existed. She'd also found a shirt with someone she was pretty sure was Goku. T-shirts were usually too loose and the collar had already frayed away to leave the whole thing asymmetrically leaning to one side, but that's a style sometimes? She could think it's on purpose.
Chloe's scuffed appearance doesn't really register, though Andromeda does immediately notice that she doesn't have any fandom gear on. Oh. Does she just wear that when she's going to her store? Did I just make this like work?
"Hi."
"...oh, no, you've got such a cute fit and I'm dressed in drab," Chloe says in dismay. "I was rocking my Frieren tee when some stupid truck went and hit a muddy puddle on me and soaked me from head to toe and I had to grab something dry to make it here on time for you..." She sniffles, before forcing a smile. "Love the Gohan tee. I think it looks great! Like you're flying your fan flag at the gym! Sorry, I'm babbling here! We're here to shop and have fun, right? You can tell me just how awkward I look in some dress that doesn't suit my complexion at all, and I'll tell you how radiant you look in what is amazing on you," Chloe says, wiping her eyes with the heel of her palm and gesturing to the shopping plaza. "Though my budget is also a little tight, so maybe we can start for me in the clearance aisles to see if we're lucky. What do you like in a fancy dress?"
"Oh. I thought Gohan was... Umm. Are you okay? You seem... manic."
"...no? Not really? But the person I usually have to lean on is dealing with some serious family drama. So I'm a little pent up about a ton of stuff, but at least I have a kick ass gala to enjoy! You okay too?" Chloe guides them into a department store and zeroes in on the red tag merchandise near the back. "I'm trying to keep up with news about the Daedalus school, but my own classes and band is keeping me busy, plus the store..."
"Oh. Sorry. " I don't think I can help her. Should I just... No. Leaving people alone doesn't help them. "That sounds like a lot." Andromeda brightens. I can tell Chroknight to stop bugging her since she's too busy to date. She tries not to despair as she looks at all the dresses; all the floof and flounce and tulle and toile that she can't even distinguish, let alone properly assess. "Threat profiles for fashion might be more useful than firearms. What do you like or umm, looks good in dresses? On you or on other girls I guess."
"I wear dresses mostly for Sunday services, so I don't have a proper fancy dinner function dress. We're looking for dark colors, something that can be reworn and is comfortable - oh, but I think I'd like one with a halter top." Chloe picks through the rack for finds, separating into piles for her and for Angelica. "...Do you have anyone at your new school that you, like...like? As in, crush? Someone you wouldn't mind taking you to the gala?"
Andromeda nods in understanding, but quickly has to focus to keep up again. "I..." The back of her neck burns and she immediately drops her hands away from the dresses she'd been rifling through. "Gui's very handsome. He's like a prince out of a story, even though they don't have tattoos."
"French-Canadian hottie - yeah, I can understand that. You know what he plans to wear because maybe we can match-"
A sales assistant peers around a rack of clothes while the two are chatting. She focuses hard on the one in drab clothes. "...Chloe, right? You go to Hal-Prep? Gina," she offers unnecessarily since her nametag is easily readable.
Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. "Uh. Gina. Yeah, we were in English Lit last year," Chloe says as she low key panics. "Wow, crazy to run into you here. Sorry, we're shopping for dresses for the opening gala at the Praetorium - my dad scored some tickets for me. But, you know, a dress can be pricey, so I'm trying to find something good off of the rack - hey, love your hair now, did you change it recently? Oh, this is Angelica, she's my friend, helping me out and hoping to find something for her, and look at me just talking talking talking!"
Chloe stops and takes a breath. "Sorry, I probably didn't sleep well...last time I slept."
"That's right! You threw off the grading curve since everyone else in class just watched Lord of the Rings. Anyway, wow, really cool that you get to go to the gala." Gina turns to Angelica and extends her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Andromeda puts up her hand to wave. "Hi Gina, I'm Angelica. I don't shake hands, sorry, it's a whole thing." Before Gina asks about 'the whole thing,' Andromeda asks, "Why would you be watching a movie for English?"
"Because Lord of the Rings is the greatest English fantasy literature of the 20th century."
"I guess for fantasy, but..."
"And we got a sub midway first semester who decided you don't need to read a book if there's already a movie."
Gina nods. "Yeah, anyway my boyfriend filled me in on aaaaall the problems with the movies." Seemingly desirous to not get into a LotR discussion, she quickly adopts her sales persona. "So you're both going to the gala? Let me see what we have in your sizes..." she pulls out a few dresses from the clearance rack and sets them out. "We've also got a pretty good discount on cocktail dresses over there," she points.
"That's great! I'm gonna try on some of these, be back soon," Chloe says as she dips in. A minute later, she steps out in a light blue dress. "...does this seem too Dorothy Gale to you?"
"Umm, not unless you do your hair bad. Or skip." Deciding that Gina is on a mission herself, Andromeda gets a little calmer, "Do you have anything that stays close to you, but isn't... Too tight? And it looks good if you're too skinny?"
Gina hides a frown at Chloe's first choice. She tilts her head appraisingly, then selects a dark navy dress with sequins on the bodice. "Try this one. It says 'gala' a lot more than that." Turning back to Andromeda, Gina puts some thought to the challenge. "You might try some slacks. We've got these really nice flowy ones that will really go with your shape. Pair them with a nice blouse, plus maybe a shawl, and you've got yourself a good gala look." She waves her to follow as she weaves through the store to locate the articles.
"Okay..." Andromeda says, a little dubiously. "Oh. I have this voucher. So it has to fit whatever budget that is. Is there something in between flowy and tight?"
"Ooo, sparkly. Lemme try this." Chloe says as she pops in, shimmying into the new dress and taking a look. "Not bad...I'd put this in a top choice. Thanks Gina! But...what would you suggest if my look was to make someone tongue-tied?" Chloe glances at the voucher Andromeda presents and her eyes boggle. She keeps quiet though.
Andromeda pauses, concerned, still having yet to try something on. "Chloe? Who are you trying to make tongue tied? Phal- Archie?"
Gina puts back the swishy, flowy pants. "Um, just regular, then. But you could go with something that has sleek, clean lines." She pulls out a selection of pleated black slacks. "Try these, see if they're what you want."
Turning back to Chloe, Gina grins as she moves to a section not evidently on sale. She produces a shiny jade dress that shows a lot of leg and a lot of back. "This is one of my favorites. I'd get one myself but I actually like to have conversations with my boyfriend. If you know what I mean."
Chloe looks enviously at the jade dress - and looks deflated as she sees the price tag. "I'll try it on at least. It's probably look terrible on me...probably..." As she tries it on, she answers Andromeda. "I mean, I'm sure lots of other people will be there too, right? I just feel like I want to look my...look my...oh my...holy spit why did I put this on, I look incredible and it's way out of budget...unless I use the emergency credit card..."
Andromeda goes quiet. Oh. "You look very pretty; I should try these on."
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She peels back her sheath and yanks her sweats off in the changing booth, staring down at her legs, thin and unevenly darkened where her sheath has left its marks. I didn't even figure out how to shave my legs. Stupid.
"...So, Gina, do you think that the price on this dress is in any way negotiable? Or if there's a promotion I can use?" Chloe asks, really wanting the dress. It's probably not the wisest decision - it's way over budget. But she's spent the past two (actual feel for her - twenty) hours cleaning up the garbage left out in the streets of Rustside. Maybe she deserved this?
She was too worked up; Andromeda sat on the bench; she focused. It's not like no one else likes him. Of course other people like him. And of course Chloe looks- Focus. Blank. Gui's your friend and- Blank. Blank. Calm. Calm. Pants.
The bench was cold where it touched her bare legs. She seized on that sensation, using it to ground her in the room rather than her head. I'm touching the bench. The bench is 21.5 degrees. Pants.
They weren't going to fall off her or anything, but You can't really see me. Thoughts of Chloe in her green dress flick through her minds eye. Pants don't show like that, but anyone could be in here. If they were built like a pile of twigs.
She came out, the slacks partially occluded. "I don't know. Is there anything with... nothing tongue-tied or... Nothing with tongues. More... umm. More though?"
Gina had disappeared when Chloe and Andromeda enter the changing rooms, returning shortly thereafter with several shoe boxes. "These heels will go great with that dress," she says, setting the boxes down while estimating Chloe's shoe size. She pulls out a pair of strappy heels for her to try on. "We offer a ten percent discount on your first purchase if you sign up for a credit card if you're eighteen. If not, I can get the manager to key in the same discount if you go over $500. That's the best I can do."
She lets Chloe think about that and to try on the heels when Andromeda steps out of the dressing rooms asking for more. Gina holds her chin while she thinks. "We've got some bold prints over here," she finally says. "They might be your style." Gina walks over to a selection of floor-length gowns in an array of colors, some evoking tribal motifs and others in striking patterns. She selects a dress featuring swathes of glittery bronze fabric, and a black number with glossy accents. "These are 'more.""
"Oh, no...the heels are amazing too..." Chloe groans as she slips them on and comes out. She feels like she's done a total Cinderella looking at herself. The skirt is above the knees but not so short as to be vulgar, and the keyhole halter is tasteful while still hinting at her sensuality. The color just looks good on her, and with some hair and makeup, she'd look incredible. There were already several photos she'd taken of her in it to keep. "...I really, really, reeeeally want this. Damn. Maybe I can wear it to every fancy function until I'm out of college?"
"Okay." Andromeda brightens at Gina's suggestions. "They look... Oh. Chloe, you look really pretty. Umm... very pretty I mean. Do you think I should..." You can't just ask what would be a wow for Gui. She basically told you she wants to make him tongue tied, but she was being polite. She reaches out, peeling back the sheath around her fingers so she can actually feel the fabric. "If I try these on will you tell me what looks better?"
Moving quickly, undressing without looking so self consciousness doesn't overwhelm her and force her to meditate in the changing room again, Andromeda slips into the long glossy black dress, fussing with a faux-skirt that suggests better hips than she has.
Andromeda emerges, less doing a spin than a rotation, then dives back into concealment, a partial objective notification flashing in her vision until she starts to put on the other one. It's eye catching, asymmetrical with a single swooping shoulder, and in bronze the bodice almost looks like armor. Comforting and concerning in equal measure. She almost expects it to chime as she makes her advance back to Chloe and Gina, but all it does is dazzle. "You were right, Gina." Andromeda isn't smiling, but there's no gloom in her expression. "They're both More. Does one make me pretty, Chloe?"
"They both look so good on you," Gina says to Andromeda, then beams at how the heels really adds to Chloe's overall look. "I was right, wasn't I? Angelica, let me find some shoes for you. Do you do heels?"
"That does look like you're planning to walk the red carpet and let everyone know how fabulous you are," Chloe says. She's got her emergency credit card in hand and thinking about how much she can split the bill between her budget and this.
"...I'm getting the dress, but I think that I need to shop around more for the shoes. This is already overbudget but I'd hate myself forever for not getting it," Chloe says, running a hand along the shiny fabric.
"But which one?" Andromeda asks, the edges of panic tugging at her voice.
"I don't think you can go wrong with either," Gina says diplomatically. "If you're having trouble deciding, think about how you felt when you first saw yourself in it. You can also think about which one is more comfortable, since galas, parties, weddings, all those things can be long and boring. If it's not comfortable to wear, you'll end up hating it no matter how good you look. Well, kind of. It'll be a love-hate relationship."
Andromeda nods slowly, and looks at the tags. "Oh. My voucher covers this?" Another pause. "We need a moment, Gina."
Smiling earnestly, Gina points her thumb at an empty rack in an adjacent row. "Sure. I'll be over there if you need me."
Chloe, could you help find me a dress in the red tags? Gina's objective seems to be expensive dresses. Or to put me in pants because I shave my head."
"Of course she is, and it works because I'm a vain creature who wants to wow people in a stunning dress and she knows what will look good on us." Chloe looks ready to walk out wearing her dress. "Look, the point of this is to have fun, right? Do something for yourself. Even if it's not the most fiscally sound option. Do you like what you're wearing? Do you want to wear it to the gala?"
Andromeda frowns, closing her eyes, centering. "That's not-" She stops, eyes down and squeezed shut, doing everything she can not to let frustration break free.
"...okay, maybe I'm a little too sleep deprived to pick up the subtle signals but I know when people are frustrated. What have I missed?"
"It's just- It's not complicated. I have a dress that looks pretty, and that I like; you have a dress that looks- you look beautiful, and you love it. You'll wear it forever; I will destroy mine at some point, probably soon. I have a voucher that will get an expensive dress; you would have to use your emergency credit card and get in trouble and then you might get grounded or have to work extra hours." And have even less time to spend with me.
Andromeda breathes three precise breaths. "I was in a box, and before that I was going to be an astronaut, and before that I was the weird one, but I'm not stupid, I was never stupid. I sometimes lack context, but when I say what I want, everyone just thinks I don't understand instead of listening!" She opens her eyes but doesn't manage to look all the way back to Chloe. "They just answer the question the me in their head should've asked."
"...well I feel like an ass." Chloe sighs. "You're right, I'm not thinking straight. We can check out the other stores. I'll find something that looks awesome on you that you won't mind it getting wrecked. I can probably save up to buy this later. If it's still here. Maybe there will be a sale soon? I don't want to totally mess up Gina's sale though, we should spring for some stockings with her."
"Chloe. That's not what I asked. I asked if you could help me find something in the red tags. Then I can get your dress, and you can get mine."
Chloe stares blankly for about two seconds at Andromeda before tears start welling up in her eyes. "I would hug you right f%~+ing now but I know that would probably be like super disastrous for everyone."
Andromeda keeps looking to the side to give Chloe her privacy, agreeing, "There would be pain. Probably a lot. Medical attention could be required."
In no time (by everyone else's perspective), Chloe has three choices for Andromeda: The first was a black minidress with a oval neckline and full sleeves, simple with some ruffling; The second was navy blue, with glittering sequins and a single strap; The last one was army green, sleeveless and covering everything from the neck to her calves, conforming to her body shape. Everyone well within Chloe's budget to add shoes.
"You're really good at this. I'm not a normal size, but you found these really fast..." Andromeda says as she focuses on the dresses. "I think the... Blue. But with a belt for my waist? I have to try to make everything else look at least a little bigger, right?"
"Here you go," Chloe says as they offer a shiny white belt with a silver buckle to her. "That'll tie it together."
"Thank you." Andromeda's mood brightens enough to allow her to consider a less upsetting possibility. The dossier update that she's been stalling on pops up again. This time she doesn't dismiss it. "If you like Chroknight, from bowling? I think they like you too, but they are... Fickle. They might really mean it with you though. If you... He might not tell you, but if you would need to know who they are first, I think Gui knows."
"...Uh. Hmm. I don't know how to respond to that without tipping you off about their identity." Chloe says. "Which...I do know who they are. They tell me next to them, you're the baddest mofo on the team. But you're also sweet to be so concerned. I don't like them like that. I'm, uh..." Chloe glances at Gina waiting on them before leaning in. "I love shounen manga. But I also love shoujo. And lots of stuff that straddles the line. Right now, I'm interested in one about a closed off scientist who needs a hand understanding about society at large."
Andromeda stops. "Oh. That is sensible; Sam is bisexual so she would theoretically welcome your advances. I will... I will update my dossiers." She stops; she smiles once; she continues. "You will look very pretty together."
There's a brief moment where Chloe glances at Andromeda with an indecipherable look. She tugs gently on her left ring finger. "...I don't know if I deserve a friend like you. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you here. I should probably pick something that's still in my budget."
Andromeda watches Chloe tug on her finger with blank incomprehension. "It's money from someone evil. I'll use it if I have to; I'd rather do something good with it. You've been my friend past when it was convenient. You don't treat me like I'm just a weapon; you know I'm dangerous. I want to do good things for you."
"...fine. Fine! I still feel like I'm taking too much here...do you want me to try and help you with Gui? I can totally be a wingmate."
Andromeda shakes her head. "Just be my friend."
"It's pretty sweet," Max says, flicking a claw against the silver breastplate. She flexes, feeling her strength enhanced by the mystical armor. But she gives Tim a dubious look. "This is from your father? What's the catch? There's always a catch..."
"Listen, if you're up for a trip outside Halcyon... to see my Auntie in Savannah... It would involve you using your powers to make me look like I used to. But, you know, you'd get to see more of the world at least. Is that something you'd want to do?"
Gui thinks for a moment. He does wonder why she'd prefer to go to a different state to visit an aunt instead of visiting her parents, who probably lived in Halcyon. "Dat... could be pretty fun, yeah, but we will ride dere. How about dat?"
Tim nods solemnly. "Oh, yeah. There's a catch. A big one. The wearer ages a hundredfold while wearing it. It'll protect you, but drive you to an early grave."
He laughs. "Good thing demons don't age, huh?"
Ne'veah looks at him suspiciously. "Ride? Ride what? You're not saying what I think you're saying, right?"
Ne'veah looks at him suspiciously. "Ride? Ride what? You're not saying what I think you're saying, right?"
"E motorcycle." He says, smiling and eager with the idea. "I am not really e horses person."
”Let’s hope that holds true for my human form as well,” Max says. ”So, how do I take it off?”
Tim shakes his head. "No worries. Still a demon even when you don't look it. Taking it off shouldn't be a problem. Trace your finger along that symbol at the neck three times. Should fall right off."
Ne'veah sits back, surprised. "All the way to Savannah on a motorcycle? That's..." she trails off as she thinks about it. Then she a smile tugs at her mouth. "Okay, sure. Should be fun.
"You have a motorcycle, I hope?"
Max starts to trace her finger over the symbol but pauses and regards Tim with narrowed eyes. ”It falls off and my normal clothes come back, right?” she asks.
Max starts to trace her finger over the symbol but pauses and regards Tim with narrowed eyes. ”It falls off and my normal clothes come back, right?” she asks.
"Maybe there are two catches."
Max moves her hand back down. ”I’ll wait for some privacy, then.
“Not to sound ungrateful, of course. This is a nice power boost here. I’m sure it will come in handy the next time a super villain shows up to cause trouble.”
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"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...
Xaiara tilts her head to the side. "What does 'faith-based' mean?"
"Okay," Xaiara says.
Ava smirks at the simple explanation and truncated response. "Perhaps a secular organization would be best for us."
Andromeda nods, still glancing out the window from time to time and growing increasingly concerned as she keeps tracing Gui's path down across the quad. What else would he like? "Maybe it should be for children then? People like helping children; it could be more efficient." Her hopeful expression darkens as she sees Sam pass in the quad, slightly hunched as she focuses on some unknown quandary. Andromeda looks up to Ava again, but thinks better of directly broaching the topic of friendship and Sam. "Xaiara, have you ever failed a mission where your objective was the protection of a soft target?"
Tilting her head with a curious expression, Xaiara shakes her head. "No."
"By that look, can we take that to mean you never undertook a mission with that objective?" Ava asks.
"Yes," the winged girl says.
Andromeda's face falls. "Neither had I, until I started assigning my own missions."
Ava's eyes flash. "This is statistically improbable, but we three have all once been instruments of mayhem in the hands of villainous masters, now liberated. Though... I do not feel remorse for my actions taken while my programming left me no choice but to obey. Do you think I should?"
"Oh. I don't know. I thought for a long time that I had to do what They said. It made it easier, but Gui showed me I could leave and... It's still easier to move forward than to look back. If it doesn't weigh you down, maybe that's better?"
"We were tools," Xaiara speaks up. "We didn't have a choice any more than... than my wings do now. But my wings don't remember what they did. I do."
Ava turns to Andromeda. "Is that why you want to impress Gui? Because he helped free you from your handlers?"
"He did more than that; he made me feel that I could be more again. He made me feel like I wanted to be free. No matter what it cost."
"He sounds special!" Ava rolls onto her stomach on Andromeda's bed and props her chin on the heels of her palm. "Does he make you feel... other things as well? Like, in your stomach? Or lower places?" She asks, her eyes dancing and cheeks flushing with her smile.
Xaiara blinks at Ava's question, then looks expectantly at Andromeda.
Andromeda whips her head around to make sure no one overheard Ava - as impossible as that should be, alone in her reinforced dorm. "Ava!" she hisses, sheath flickering and thickening into a visible haze around her. "How am I supposed to know? We haven't even kissed yet." She checks the door one last time. "Although, don't you think he looks like Prince Charming?"
Ava kicks her legs back and forth while grinning ear to ear. "He's very cute, isn't he? And that accent? He can read the phone book to me!"
Xaiara stares at Ava helplessly. "Huh? Aren't you a robot?"
"Androidian. My infiltrator algorithms can approximate heterosexual attraction. And Guillaume meets most conventional beauty standards."
"Okay." Xaiara pulls her knees up to her chest. "Um, you can keep going, I guess."
Andromeda looks at Ava with a dossier updating look on her face. "Does that mean you choose who you're attracted to?"
Ava's smile drops a fraction. "I admit to not understanding how biologicals cannot. My creator chose whom I would target for my 'affections.' I can still access all the behavioral patterns to have men become romantically interested in me. I have yet to explore the possibility of selecting someone for myself."
Andromeda blinks, assimilating. "Is 'patterns to provoke romantic interest' attraction?" She blinks again, twice. "Is that why the Governess have you seek a platonic relationship with Sam despite her bisexuality? Or were you engaging in those behavioral patterns, and I did not detect them? I have not received training in that kind of infiltration or behaviors, and I have not yet been able to detect them without explanation."
Ava's smile dissipates entirely at the reminder of the Governess' control. "My forced friendship was platonic. I do not know the motives of the one who usurped my directives." She falls silent for a moment, then her smile returns. "If you have not had that kind of training, I would be happy to instruct you."
Andromeda stops, closes her eyes, clears her mind. "I am sorry. That was insensitive." After a long moment she opens her eyes, and looks to Xaiara to see if she's interested in learning a new skill too. "Would you teach me?"
Ava's eyes flash as she sits up on the bed. "Yes! When would you like to begin?"
Andromeda blinks and slides her vision around as she manually establishes an alternate threat profile for her friend. AVA, ROMANTIC.
A forgettable green washes over her, and Andromeda looks over to Xaiara again to check in. "Sooner would be prudent. If successful then I would benefit from this training on my date."
Xaiara is watching the exchange with rapt attention. She hasn't moved from her position perched on the chair, though her wings twitch every so often.
Ava hops off the bed and moves the few pieces of furniture to make for wider floor space. "We can start now, if you wish. Physicality is something I can demonstrate and you can practice even when we're not together." She straightens her shoulders and curves her back, giving her hair a toss. She walks across the room, swaying her hips and giving her shoulders a small shimmy with each step. She stops two paces before the wall, swivels her torso to look over her shoulder, then pivots on the balls of her feet. Placing her hands lightly on her hips, Ava bends one knee slightly and arches her back to emphasize her bust. "Be fluid and graceful, project your femininity in your movements. Balance, poise, and posture. You want to be seen."
Ava's green overlay progressively lightens to yellow in jagged leaps as she continues. Andromeda glances over to Xaiara and back to Ava with more than a bit of hopelessness in her stare. "But you're really pretty!" She half stands then sits again, shoulders somehow even more hunched. "Even if I could move like that I don't look like that; I don't have-" she gestures vaguely between them, ears beginning to burn "...Curves?"
Ava crouches down to look Andromeda in the eyes. "I did not mean to cause you further distress. I was designed to be beautiful. I am... artificial. You are real. In my experience, the men I can easily manipulate are not interested in real. Gui sounds like someone who is."
Andromeda avoids eye contact, blinking away Ava's threatening color. "You're real. You're still real if you use instructions and observations to craft the responses and persona you want to show the world. The you that you make is real; it has to be."
Ava rises gracefully. "And you are missing or deliberately ignoring the point I am trying to make." She delicately points at Andromeda, the tip of her finger just outside her sheath. "You are real in ways that I am not. Flesh. Blood. Human. I am, or was, a doll."
Andromeda's eyes lock on the tip of Ava's finger, sheath expanding and contracting with her breath, but held in check just enough for that finger to remain untouched. "You understand people more than I do; you might be aware of some deficiency that I cannot detect. I am looking at you now though, and I see that you are real. Synthetic, but real."
Ava's chest rises and falls in an approximation of a huff. "You're still not--"
"Ugggh!" Xaiara interjects. "I get it! You have flaws! Like a real person! Ava doesn't because she was designed and programmed! Right?"
"Yes," Ava nods. "I was not denigrating myself, but stating that comparing yourself to my aesthetics is unfair to you."
Xaiara flares yellow in the corner as she comes roaring back to Andromeda's attention. "Oh. Sorry." Blink-click to dismiss. "I was comparing myself to baseline aesthetics, and thought that you were... I did not like what you were saying. Sorry." She turns back to Ava, the back of her neck burning as she tries to get things back on track. "...Was your aggrieved inhalation a method of drawing attention to your breasts?"
"No, it was an aggrieved inhalation. I have behavioral subroutines that approximate the expression of human emotions," Ava states. She glances down at her aforementioned breasts. "You seem focused on my outward appearance. I... do have a possible solution, if I can receive assurances that you will not share it unnecessarily."
"I am not?" Andromeda protests. "I just thought you were trying to teach me how to flaunt and display myself so I am analyzing your techniques. What sort of solution would be possible if I were?"
Ava frowns. "It is something I would like kept secret. I thought the implications of my statement were clear."
Andromeda makes an aggrieved exhalation, shutting her eyes to quiet a chorus of stupids. "I am communicating poorly. I will keep your secrets to all reasonable lengths."
Ava looks at Xaiara, who nods. "All right. Give me a moment." The Androidian steps to the door and locks it, then closes the blinds over the windows. She gets a look of intense concentration, and her body begins to shift! Her skin coloration changes to match Andromeda's, and her frame narrows and thins out! Her flowing locks of hair retract into her scalp as her facial features change as well! In minutes, Ava's clothes hang loosely off of her as she now looks exactly like Andromeda!
"I am an infiltration model," she says. "May I borrow some clothes?"
"Not a very good disguise. You don't smell like her at all," Xaiara says.
Andromeda squeezes her eyes shut before the transformation completes, eyes moving rapidly behind closed lids. Impersonator mode engaged: Tagged subjects will use manual identification. She opens her eyes, avoiding giving AVA, ROMANTIC (IMPERSONATOR) a red overlay. "Borrow whatever you want. There are a lot of clothes still in the packages; you can also use previously worn clothes if you wish to better disguise your scent."
"Pfft." Xaiara rolls her eyes at the idea of disguising her scent. Her dossier updates, and Andromeda does a quick shake to minimize the confirmation, annoyed at the interruption but unable to resist the acquired data.
Ava doesn’t comment. She efficiently changes outfits and resumes her position in the middle of the room, taking the same stance as before with her hands on her hips. "I will demonstrate again." She paces back and forth using the same swaying movement of her arms and shoulders, rolling hips and confident steps. She stops, turns, and looks back at Andromeda. "Now you."
Xaiara raises her hand. "Can I try after her?"
AVA, ROMANTIC (IMPERSONATOR) remained a stable green through her presentation. "I'll go quick then." Andromeda walks across the room. She rocks her arms from side to side as she goes, but her sheath-stabilized gait doesn't sway.
"Keep trying. You're not going to get it right the first time." Ava moves directly in front of Andromeda and walks deliberately, emphasizing each strut and sway by pointing out the mechanics of each movement.
Andromeda hunches back in on herself and takes a seat, heat prickling again. "Isn't it Xaiara's turn?"
"Yes. Sure," Ava says and steps aside as Xaiara leaps to her feet.
The metal-winged girl sets herself in a pose like Ava had shown. "Center of gravity is too high," she observes.
"Yes. That's normal."
"Okay." Xaiara takes several strides, closely approximating Ava's example. She turns, and makes a few more passes, her moves becoming more fluid each time she crosses the floor.
Andromeda breathes out in exasperation. "Is there something that isn't walking?" She stops, smiles, strains the bitterness out of her voice. "You're very good at walking pretty."
Xaiara gets the beginnings of a smile. "Thank you. You, ah, you were walking pretty too."
Ava sits down next to Andromeda. "We can practice social interactions if you like. Males like it when you smile, pay close attention to them as they talk, and laugh at their jokes, even when they are not funny. Try smiling like this:" She smiles until it touches her eyes and leans forward enough so she is looking up through her lashes.
Andromeda pauses to assimilate. "I would also like it if people laughed at my jokes. Is that gender-specific? I am already good at paying attention; we do not need to practice that. I just did a smile at Xaiara to express my affection instead of my envy; was it good? My other smile is just for when I win, but so far boys often do not like it when I win, especially if they have failed in some way."
Ava's eyes flash as her smile becomes more relaxed. "If he likes you back, he will laugh at your jokes," she says. "If a boy likes that you win, he is a good choice."
Xaiara keeps practicing back and forth. "If I keep walking like this, will boys like me?"
"They will notice you." Ava nods. "They will see you as feminine."
Andromeda gives a faint smile. "They should like you anyways."
Tim is wearing a long black trenchcoat and carrying an old-timey doctor's bag when he meets up with Indarius outside the Badawi's apartment, located in the upper floors above their retail and convenience store. "It's traditional," he says if he gets any looks.
"All right," he says, "are we expected or are we going to have to talk ourselves upstairs?"
Indarius shows up wearing his usual set of street cloths, comprising of loose fiting sweat pants and a tank-top with the back stretched to squeeze his wings out the arm holes which has also split it nearly down the entire side.
"Sure, traditional modern mage look. Uh yeah we're not exactly expected, but my solution for that should be arriving shortly."
He looks at the time wondering where Aquarelle might be. "Barring that we'll have to talk our way in."
The sound of an engine roar precedes Gui as he parks his motorcycle nearby. As usual, he wears casual clothes with no brands, logos or messages.
"Hey guys, sorry being lete, but I cannot magic myself here." He says, locking his helmet on his bike. Glancing at Indarius, he offers. "If you want to, I can de-scale you. Do you have e photo of yourself?"
Indy looks over, "I'm... not sure, Tim can you just portal around too or use natural folds like Quincy did with the house on Knight?"
Waving his hand at the other comment he shrugs, "I don't usually keep a photo of myself on hand though, would be kind of bad if someone got ahold of something like that."
Tim snorts, stifling a laugh that hurt his sides. "Quincy can't fold space!" he says when he catches his breath. "That house was all Dr. Infinity. Quincy just crashed there, using the place for his games. Oh, wow. That's funny."
The motorcycle's roar and voices outside create a commotion just inside the apartment. Indy's keen senses hear alarmed voices in an unfamiliar language. After a moment, the front door opens up to reveal Beebee's parents. They both start when they see the dragon on the street outside their residence, with Ms. Badawi letting out a short shriek.
"Who are you!?! What are you doing here outside our shop?" Mr. Badawi says once he masters his shock.
Indarius shrugs again using both pairs of shoulders to do so this time making the wing motion extra dramatic. "I never said he could fold space, he used the spaces already there and-"
He stops short when the door opens, "Oh sorry sorry, friendly I promise. I'm Indarius of First Class, this is Aquarelle," he motions over, then switches to Tim, "and Tim. We uh.. man this seemed easier to approach in my head when we had the forward footing. We were asked by a concerned friend to look into your daughters condition and see if we can't remedy it." The dragon motions to Tim in his task appropriate attire. "The uh.. tail issue to be clear."
Trying to give his most convincing none threatening smile he clasps his hands together. "It was magical in nature and well we, are the best magical practioners in the city for the task." He once again makes a motion between himself and Tim.
The Badawis stare blankly for a moment at Indarius and company. Tim rolls his eyes. "If potion effects last longer than seventy-two hours, consult a magician."
Ms. Badawi mutters under her breath while shaking her head. Her husband glares sternly at Indarius. "You can help her? Fix her, make her better?"
Tim grins and mutters under his breath, "oh, there's so many ways to play with that question. Normies are so much fun."
Indarius holds up his palms, "Uh.. okay not to get into brass tacks, but better no, that's not my job and that's suggesting that this is strictly worse for her."
He relents and looks at Tim for a second, "But yes." He nods and looks back to Mr. Badawi, "We can help her."
Indy and Gui can feel Tim straining to hold his tongue as he stands next to them. He manages to stay silent while the Badawis mull over the offer to help their daughter. Finally, after some private discussion, they relent and allow them inside.
The stairs to their apartment are narrow and the living areas are cramped but clean and well-appointed. "Beti!" Mrs. Badawi calls through a closed door decorated with high school band iconography, "some people are here to help you! And a dragon person."
A muffled voice answers through the door. "Are you talking about Indarius?" The door cracks open and Beebee's head sticks through.
She recognizes Indy right away and steps outside of her room. Her straight black hair is pulled back in a ponytail and is wearing a sweatshirt and sweat pants. A large fluffy tail still flicks and twitches behind her.
She looks around at her guests, evidently expecting someone else to be with them. "Hey. Um, how's it going?"
"Oh.. yeah like the dragon person isn't also here to help.." he says inbetween a long exhale and eye roll.
"It's alright, we got word that you haven't been able to go back to school cause of the, well." He vaugely motions to her tail. "We should be able to help get rid of it."
A swift glance to her parents and back, "If that's what you want."
Gui waves. "Nice tail. How are you doing, BeeBee?"
"Thanks," she says to Gui, flashing a smile that reveals slightly elongated canines. "I feel fine."
She looks at her parents when Indarius suggests she may want to keep her tail. Their expressions darken. "Of course she needs to get rid of it," her mother hisses.
"This is Halcyon. It shouldn't matter--"
"We've had enough of this talk, Beti. You cannot go back to school, you cannot have a future with a tail!" her father exclaims.
"As riveting as this discussion is -- and I'm sure these are all points that have never been brought up before -- I have a purely academic interest in this," Tim interjects, setting down his bag and opening it.
Beebee looks at him warily while her parents watch intently. He pulls out a couple pieces of crystal and tosses one to the the expelled student. She plucks it out of the air reflexively but holds it out like it might catch fire. "What is this?"
"Quartz," Tim says. He holds up a smooth stone with a hole in it against his eye. "Does it burn you?"
"No..."
"Then that's a good thing. Indy, what have you got?"
Noticing the father's comment and tone and knowing he'd be of little help with the magical testing, Gui turns to the parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Badawi, can I talk with you two in privete? I give you my word dat my companions will do noting but meke sefe tests with BeeBee. Dis way we do not get in deir way and do not risk disrupting de tests."
Indy digs into a pocket and fishes out a small nail holding it out to BeeBee. "Iron, just give it a touch let me know if it hurts, tingles, anything really. That'd guage how much fey influence there is in all this. After that I'll see if there's any residual magical essence still lingering about you."
Beebee takes the nail and shrugs while her parents go into the kitchen with Gui. Her mother wrings her hands and keeps glancing back towards the mages while her father paces in the small space.
"Nothing," Beebee says. Tim nods and puts the stone back into his bag.
"Hmm" Indy takes the nail back and stuffs it into his pocket.
Closing two sets of eyelids leaving his eyes heavily glossed over he gives a low chant. "Tarnus No Farendum"
Holding one hand up and slowly scanning it across BeeBee's body the dragon mage tries to determine if there's anything lingering on her that has arcane energy.
Gui follows the parents to the kitchen, looking around along the way, more out of curiosity than anything else. One there, he puts his hands behind his back, much like he has seen the priest of his church doing so many many times.
"Mr. and Mrs. Badawi, I am not going to pretend to know more what is better for BeeBee dan you do. You are her parents and I know no one on Earth loves her more dan you do." He starts. "I can only imagine what you two have gladly sacrificed in order for her to grow up to be de lovely young woman she is."
"I am eighteen and I have no kids. I know noting about your family, but if you could allow me, I would like to give you an advice about dis whole ting... and I am talking as e young man, about de age of BeeBee. Is dat ok?"
Mr. Badawi looks impatient with Gui and his request to offer advice. He tilts his head to look down his nose at Gui even though he stands a few inches shorter. "Young man, I don't know what business you have with the dragon and the other one in there right now, but if your advice is to let Basma throw her future away for a fuzzy tail, you can save it."
Indarius's spell washes over Beebee while Tim roots around in his case. The detection magics react almost instantly, flaring against a corona of magical energy suffusing her body! His draconic vision sees a network of sparkling energy bound within her like a latticework of threads. But as he watches, he notices the strings unravel as they are drawn into the piece of crystal in her hand!
"Wait. What's happening?" Beebee asks. She's now holding out the crystal in the palm of her hand, watching as it dances up on one pointed end and spins like a top.
Indy's enhanced vision sees the crystal spooling the magical threads more and more! Her tail, suffused with magic, evaporates as it is drawn into the crystal!
"Gotcha!" Tim shouts triumphantly as he snares the piece of quartz in a binding cage. Beebee shrieks in terror, realizing that her tail is gone!
Indarius peels back a bit and looks at Tim, "A ley energy sink? I suppose Quartz would make a great conduit to draw in ambient energies."
He continues to watch BeeBee's inner latticework even after it's drawn away. "Strange though. Beebee I may need to keep a watch on this for a while. As Halcyon is laden with ambient leylines and it may be that this step onto the arcane has sort of unlocked your ability to draw that energy in."
"How dare you!!" Beebee screams. "I didn't want it gone! I wanted to keep it!"
Indy looks to Tim cause this was all on him. "If you are now soaking in energy naturally, it may very well come back."
"Ah! Beti!" Mrs. Badawi cries out when she sees her daughter back to normal. Her joy is firmly counterbalanced by Beebee's despair.
"Stop, Mom! No!" she cries as she reaches out for the crystal. "Give it back! Put it back, please!"
Gui watches the scene with sadness, answering Mr. Badawi. "Fader Jemes once preached dat when you are always right, someone around you is always wrong. When you always win, someone around you always loses."
Tim yanks the piece of quartz back out of Beebee's grasp. "Sorry, babe. It doesn't work like that. The potion was supposed to be temporary, and only outside power could keep it running (like Andromeda's little treant event)."
Beebee blinks bleary eyes. "Outside power?"
"Yeah, that's why this has to go back to the lab. Figure out who or what is responsible."
Giving a annoyed snarl at Tim, that comes off a bit more aggressive than he intended. Causing Indy to immediately back up with a tiny, "Sorry. Tim, she should have been given the option. I think we do need to investigate this closer, but everyone should know what they're signing up for with this sort of stuff."
Tim's eyes go wide at the snarl at him. "Okay, I might be able to reverse it. It's hard to undo an undo spell, but if you give me a hand we can give it all back -- but we won't know how the tail stuck around for so long."
"Yes! Let's do that!" Beebee agrees, nodding her head vigorously.
Gui's words don't seem to have registered in their exuberance at having their daughter cured. Suddenly the prospect of it being reversed has them alarmed. They rush back into the living room. "No! Beti! No! You're cured now!" her mother cries as she clings to Beebee's arm.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Gui rushes back with the parents, even if staying behind them. "Tim, you cannot do dat... BeeBee is e minor, we are all minors. De first time it was an accident. You cannot do dis without de parents' consent." In a corner of the room, where none of the Badawis could see, Gui creates a floating banner that reads "THEY WILL SUE THE S*** OUT OF YOU!" Then makes it vanish.
"Hello? The front door is open...Beebee?" Chloe's voice calls out from the front of the house."Mr. and Mrs. Bawadi? I hear voices and am coming in..."
A few moments later, Chloe is there, still wearing her work lanyard. "...Uh. What's going on?"
Indy does his best to ignore the fact that he's pretty sure most of the 'children' here are in fact old enough to not be considered minors. And looks between Tim, BB, the Badawis, and Gui in rapid succession.
"Okay, I think we all need to calm down and have a seat before we go any further."
The draconoid uses his impressive ability to partition people from one another to help break lines of sight to potentially aggevating parties.
"Mister and Missus Badawi, I can understand wanting to shelter your daughter from the dangerous world, but she is rapidly approaching the age where she must make her own decisions."
Indy resists the urge to work his hands nervously instrad placing on over his chest. "My own parents had a rather visceral and unfavorable reaction to my appearance, I knew they would and tried my best to hide it for as long as I could. It was detrimental to me, I was unfocused, angry, and confused. But when I accepted it and had the most important people to me accept who I was as well, I was freed from that."
He glances towards where BeeBee would be were she not blocked by his wing membrane. "I'll not ask you to simply give in, but please listen to what your daughter's wishes. Stifle her too much and you'll push her away or worse, and locking her away from her friends isn't going to help."
Shuffling his limbs to let BeeBee back into the segment with her parents he looks at her.
"Beebee, we don't know each other well, but I think everyone should be allowed to make an informed decision in life. So I need to let you know that if you were to keep this or any other power, it may be permanent and especially with those that make you look different. You will be persecuted, your paths in life will be altered or barred, and noone will look at you the same, even your peers. You may not care about that but it is a heavy burden to carry. Please speak openly with your parents, I'm sure they'll love you no matter what happens."
Putting his limbs down he sighs, "But before anything actually happens we need to know that it would be safe and what caused this to persist when it shouldn't have."
Tim raises his hand. "Point of order, you put the tail back and we won't know what caused it. It's an either-or kind of thing."
Chloe, looking completely lost, approaches Beebee and places a hand gently on her shoulder, leaning forward to check on her friend, obscuring their faces from everyone...
...which is exactly how she manages to heighten their tempo to have a conversation while Indarius is giving his speech.
"Okay, this will probably only last a few minutes at this tempo before they notice something. Which with Indy in full Professor Dragon lecture mode, might actually take longer than our conversation here. What the double fudge sundaes is going on, Beebee?"
Tim snort-laughs at Gui's sign. He dives back into his pack and pulls out some thick black candles.
Mr. Badawi doesn't seem to heed Indy's warning about driving his daughter away. "She is still a minor, and therefore it is our job to protect her! She must learn better judgment! This isn't just some tattoo or piercing!"
Chloe slips into the home under the cover of chaos and confronts Beebee, who is a mess of tears. "They took my tail! I want them to put it back, please support me in this!" She points to Tim. "You gotta convince him, I don't care if I stay grounded. Please."
Beebee hugs her friend tightly, fresh tears pouring down her cheeks. "I felt special. Like you."
"...Beebee. You are special. You're my best friend and I'd run into fire for you. I don't want you to get hurt. But I think that if you want this life, there's no way to stop you if you really try. You don't need a tail to put on the mask. But you do need to hide it from your parents, because they don't understand the need to put ourselves first into danger. You've kept my secret, I can keep yours."
Chloe hugs her back in this moment hanging between ticks of a second. "We can work on getting you a tail again too, but this time one you can hide when necessary, okay?"
"But I want this one! I don't want to wait, I don't want a bunch of promises!" Her bloodshot eyes blaze with sudden anger. "They stormed in here, said all they were going to do was look, and took it without even asking!"
Despite Chloe's comforting words, the hurt, betrayal, and rising anger is all over Beebee's face. "Are you really taking their side?"
Chloe is surprised by this. She's puzzled, trying to figure out what is so pressing that she needs this so badly right now. "I'm always on your side. But this doesn't feel like you, Beebee. I'm worried there's something more going on you're not telling me..."
"I JUST TOLD YOU!!!" Beebee screams as the time bubble drops, her voice cutting through all the side conversations. She wrenches herself out of Chloe's grip and turns towards her door, slamming it behind her.
Chloe looks shocked, then turns with an angry look on her face directed at Tim. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Would be easy for me to smash it, but need to make it look like someone else does the smashing. "This is the most irresponsible magic doctoring - I can't believe that you...you!"
Chloe rushes at Tim, and her elbow somehow knocks hard into the crystal cage floating in the air. It takes about a dozen tries to get it to sail in the right way towards Indarius. Another six to get it where he instinctively moves a hand to block and intercept. And then it's about getting it to impact hard enough to CRACK!
A believable scenario of outrage from a concerned friend. If only she had thought to think of how Indarius might be experienced enough to understand that it might not have just been his own strength that broke it...
"And you are--?" Tim starts when Chloe strides towards him. A ward flares briefly when it looks like she's about to deck him, but then in a comedy of errors she instead smacks the floating crystal! It caroms away, slamming hard into Indarius and shatters!
Those magically-attuned can sense a brief flare of bound, dark-purple energies dissipating into the aether. A few sparks feebly trickle out of the broken crystal.
Beebee's mother claps her hands at her breast in clear relief, while her father looks equally relieved.
"Okay, wow. Overreact, much? Now there's no giving the tail back, or finding out what sort of phenomenon kept the tail going in the first place!" Tim huffs in exasperation. Still scowling at Chloe, he adds, "And let me just say, that's some next-level entropy there. Do you by any chance have some sort of karmic disaster powers? Because you probably destroyed your friendship along with that crystal."
Gui facepalms and sighs as, yet again, the hero with the power to control time itself doesn't take the time to think and jumps the gun.
The silver lining was that the parents were not responsible for shattering BeeBee's dreams. That was awesome for the family.
"Let's go... We have caused enough harm already."
Indy's hand comes up to deflect the magic shard from his eye after letting everything down to open up the conversation again. The crystal shatters and he watches as the essence of the magic trapped within escapes into the nothingness. But he also levels an eye on Chloe, some deep seated instinct telling him that things aren't right and this isn't how things went a moment ago. Sort of a deja'vu.
He lets himself relax for a moment but doesn't lift his gaze from her.
"I agree, Gui. Let's go... because now we won't know who fed the magic, nor is there any chance of giving BeeBee her choice."
He doesn't wait for a reply and uses his extra limbs to lightly, for a person of his immense strength,-shove everyone towards the exiting door. Very clearly upset with how things went down.
Chloe looks stunned in disbelief, mouth agape. No, that was supposed to...
There was more than just the magic gone here. Trying to slip back in time to prevent this showed that the magic had vanished from the cage in the past as well. It was like it had escaped out of time.
"That's not what I...I just wanted to protect her..." Chloe says feebly as she slumps to the floor. "What have I done?"
Indarius is still upset, and still shoos, Gui and Tim towards the door. Looks to The Badawis. "I'll get her home."
Then reaches down to pick Chloe up from her slumped position on the floor heading out of the apartment carrying her in a bridal.
" Tim, I'm sorry this was a waste of your time. Guillaume... I'll talk to you later."
"Vas Corash Goeth"
He speaks as a portal ripples open outside and he quickly exits through Chloe in arm. The chilling portal closes quickly after the two are gone, leaving Tim and Gui alone.
"Sure," Gui answers, waving as they vanish. He starts to walk towards his bike, then turns back to Tim.
"How important it was for us to know what was happening to BeeBee?"
Tim gives the Badawis a formal bow, then follows Gui out of the apartment. He scratches the back of his neck as he thinks about the question.
"Well, it's a mystery, and I like solving them. Hard to say. The potions were designed to wear off. The magic was specifically made to be incompatible to a person's inner force, or chi, or mojo -- whatever you want to call it. That's why the effects were shorter the more Talent you possess."
He pulls out a piece of chalk and starts tracing some symbols on the ground while he talks. "For the potion to have kept going, there had to be an outside influence. Something sustaining the magic and keeping her altered. When the crystal absorbed the potion's magic, it also would have drawn in the outside influence. I could have figured out what kind of magic, if not the actual practitioner if I know them. Now all we've got is a pissed-off normie and a broken friendship to show for it." He knocks on the symbol and the sigils light up, looking like a portal.
"Right, but could you not creete anoder pocion, like somting dat just changes her eye color, and give to her?" He offers. "If it sticks again, you teke it back and examine it?"
Tim pauses before he steps through and stands up straight. "I hadn't thought of that. Dammit, I kind of hate you now since that's a really good idea."
He rubs his chin as he thinks. "I've got a few party potions left, but they're not with me. And she probably won't want to see me again. How about I give you a couple and you get them to her? You could even tell her that you swiped them from me."
"Funny you say dat, because I did swipe some of dem at de party for later use." He laughs. "But de party potions are much more dan e eye color change, no? If it sticks, it could screw her much more dan e fluffy tail."
Tim arches an eyebrow at Gui's confession. "Yeah, she might not like whatever the next potion does as much. There are still a few left that are pretty wild. And some tame ones, too. But that's the fun. Like a box of chocolates." He says that last line with a slow southern drawl.
"More like dose every flevor beans dat could teste like earwax." He thinks for a moment. "How long would teke you to meke e 100% sefe pocion? Or do you tink anoder batch of pocions could work differently from de party ones?"
Tim laces his fingers behind his head and stretches. "Now you're asking for a lot more work. I'm curious, but not as invested as you. What's it worth to you for an, as you say, 100% safe potion?"
"Oh, come on! I can help you with it, if I can." He says. "I am just worried dat de reason it stuck might cause her some harm."
"Also, did you realise dat, if de reason dat it lasted longer is someting of her own, like e dormant ability or whatever, dat you could basically do "build your own" power suit?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. "Dat would be incredible. And scary."
"And unlikely," Tim adds. "It was magic, otherwise it wouldn't have been sucked into the crystal."
He folds his arms and regards Gui. "'Safe' magic isn't exactly my strong suit. It'll take two, maybe three weeks. And that means I need to make sure it's worth my while."
"What do you want?"
Tim looks up into the sky as he thinks for a moment. "For the potion I will need a whisker from Ne'veah, or at the very least a tuft of hair from her tail. Both would be best. To make it safe, you'll need to get me some sap from Eliana's tree." He digs into his bag and tosses Gui an empty vial. "Make sure it's filled all the way up."
He fishes a bit more into his bag and produces a shiny coin. He holds it out for Gui. "For the price of two weeks of my time, I'll need a day of yours. An absolute bargain if you think about it. Do you accept?"
Gui pockets the vial. The thought of getting a whisker from Ne'veah is followed by an image of her playing with his balls when they were no longer attached to his body. "It is always nice to have opcions, so let's put dis on e shelf."
"I tink we can really meke it work with de party potions. Do you have an idea of which effects are still on the teble?"
Tim doesn’t show any signs of disappointment when Gui opts for the existing potions. He thinks for a minute and ticks off his fingers. "The faun one is still out there, the elixir of falsehood, the snake one, the kitsune, the gender swap, the anime look, both shrink and growth potions, super muscles (without super strength)... let's see. What am I forgetting? Oh, the beard one, the ram's horns, the flaming hair... and the kitty cat. Oh, I think there's a werewolf one. That's about all of them."
"Well, let's see if I can talk to her."
Looking at her window, Gui creates an illusory bird to peek on the glass, creating the appropriate sound. All that wasn't necessary, but he liked to do things his own way. After a couple seconds, the bird shifts into a sign that reads: WE HAVE MORE POTIONS. INTERESTED?
Gui has to go down a narrow alley running behind the Badawis' storefront to find what he hopes is Beebee's window. His illusory bird pecks and flashes the sign a few times before the window slides up. Her face, puffy from crying, peers out. She gives Gui and Tim a venomous glare, then looks to the entrance to the alley as if expecting to see Chloe or Indy.
After a moment, Beebee withdraws and slides the window shut.
"Well... dat was worth e try." Gui sighs, turning to Tim and then going for his bike. "You magicking your way home or you need e ride?"
"Portal. You saw me, right?" Tim says as he throws his bag over his shoulder.
Before the duo leave the alley, muffled shouting can be heard in the upstairs apartment. It goes on for several moments, rising in intensity until a slamming door brings about silence.
Seconds later, Beebee storms out of the building and strides past the alley. "What've you got?" she says, not pausing and expecting them to follow.
"What e railcoaster..." He raises his eyebrows to Tim before following BeeBee.
"De pocions are random, you know dat, and Tim tinks he knows what are still in de pool... but before anyting, we got to sit and talk dis through and meke e deal." He says as he catches up to her.
Beebee sets a rapid pace down the street as Gui explains the situation. When he mentions a deal, however, she stops abruptly and glares at him.
"No. I'm not making any deals when it was him that stole it from me!" She jabs a finger at Tim who had been straggling behind.
"Either give me a potion or get away from me."
"I am not asking you to meke e deal with him, but with me."
"We keme hear because Chloe was worried about you. De pocion was supposed to wear off and it did not for you... you could have been in danger." He says, trying to reason with her. "You can still be!"
"You have all de right to be pissed. Tim should not have teken it away from you without asking and I am sure he is sorry." He gives him a hard "you are f#%!ing sorry look". "And I am sorry as well."
"Dis is why we are telling you about anoder pocion, but dere is no way we will be giving you one, unless we discuss how are we going to look what is going on with you."
"Now, are we two getting away from you or are you going to sit down and talk to us?"
Beebee sways on her feet, her eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot. She stares flatly at Gui for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Just leave me alone then. I don't want to talk to you. To anyone."
She starts walking again, away from Gui and Tim. "And when you see Chloe, tell her to stay away from me."
You gave her two options, and she chose one of them. Beebee's clearly an emotional mess, she's not going to be susceptible to subtle Provokes.
Gui doesn't follow BeeBee. "De offer still stands. If you change your mind, let me know, ok? Dat goes also if you just want to talk." He turns, before adding. "God be with you, BeeBee."
"Hey, don't call it a trinket," Chloe protests as they step back out of the portal. She looks around and spots Gui and Tim down the street, running to reach them.
"Beebee...is she still at her place?" She asks.
Indy looks around and follows Chloe glad that she's got some pep in her step again.
Chloe spots a glowing series of chalk symbols in the street out front of the Badawis' store. Her question is answered by Mr. and Mrs. Badawi stepping outside. "Ms. Parker! Find Basma, please!" Mrs. Badawi shouts when she spots her.
Tim is walking with deliberate nonchalance towards the symbols. "Time for me to go," he mutters under his breath.
Gui reaches Chloe and puts a hand on her arm. "I tink you need to give her some time... she asked me to tell you to stay away from her." He then looks at Mrs. Badawi. "Perhaps de seme goes for you, Mrs. Badawi... do you trust your daughter not to do someting stupid? If so, let she tink dis trough."
Chloe looks at Gui incredulously, before turning to Tim. "Wait. Two things...I'm sorry for coming at you like that. That was stupid and reckless of me and just made everything worse." She bows her head briefly before continuing. "A few weeks ago, some crazed thief with a magic wand came into my store and hit both me and Beebee with some kind of spell. I don't know if you think that could be related to what's happening to her now, but I'll do anything for your help."
Indarius looks at Chloe after she begs for Tim's help, "Woah right here dude."
"Don't worry Mrs. Badawi, we'll find your daughter quickly, but she may need a bit to cool down by the sounds of things."
Tim pauses, blinks a couple times, then laughs bitterly in Chloe's face. "Do I think that's related? Miss, Beebee's a girl I met at a party last week. I didn't know anything about a thief with a magic wand, and even if I did, it doesn't matter now because someone destroyed the evidence in an insane amount of bad luck. It sounds to me like you're looking for an excuse to blame your friend's anger on something other than your own actions."
He glances at Gui as he twists his mouth in thought. "But if you've been hit with the same magic wand and want to find out, why don't you drink a potion and see if it sticks around? If you'll really do anything."
Gui sighs, knowing the potion won't stick around, but there is no way for him to say so without giving up Chloe's secret. "I tink we all need to cool down."
"Give me the potion." Chloe tells him.
"I've got a few leftovers, and there are the ones Gui took from the party. We need to go back to Daedalus to get them." Tim gestures towards the glowing symbols on the sidewalk.
"...Mr. and Mrs. Badawi, don't worry. I'll help Basma. But I have to figure out how before I can face her again."
Chloe steps into the glowing circle of chalk.
Tim looks to Indy and Gui. "Stay or come with but make it fast since I don't want to leave her on the Demon Road too long without an escort."
"Stop e moment to tink!" He says, annoyed. "It does not matter teking de pocion now or in an hour! You will still need to wait e couple days to know if it will linger!"
"Too late for that," Tim says, stepping into the portal.
Gui steps back. "Go ahead den. I am tired of trying to help someone dat does not want it."
Once they are gone, he turns to Mrs. Badawi. "I will let you know if I find Basma."
With that, he creates an illusory disguise, turning himself into an old woman with a warm smile, then goes after the direction BeeBee run away.
Gui eventually finds Beebee in a nearby park, sitting on a bench, watching the squirrels play, and wallowing in her despair. Periodically she hugs her knees up to her chest and her body shakes with restrained sobs. Each time she recovers, wipes her face, and tries to pull herself together.
Indy curses he can't leave Chloe alone to make more rash decisions, but he also just told Mrs. Badawi that he'd help find Basma, "Gui find her make sure she doesn't do anything rash."
He then dashes through the portal after Chloe, fearing she'd make missteps like him in the past. after the conversation we JUST had.
Gui gets a text from Chroknight:
Chroknight: Permanently inconvenienced
Chroknight: You're the only one who can be there for Beebee right now
Chroknight: She can't help but hate me
Chroknight: So help her however you can
Gui reads the message, but doesn't reply.
Indarius: Gui did you find Beebee?
True to his word, Gui leaves BeeBee alone. A couple times he feels tempted to reach for her, under his disguise, to offer some cheering words, but then decides that she doesn't deserve to be tricked.
Beebee eventually collects herself and heads back to her apartment, head down and sullen.
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She bumps her fists together in a muffled approximation of a knock that doesn't risk damage to the door. No. Delays have not been fruitful.
After a longish pause, the door cracks open, but stops, a green eye looking out. "Um... hi?" There is a stumble in the tone, but it's definitely a question.
I'm interrupting. It would be polite to just go. If the purpose of an apology is the wronged party's betterment then it stands to reason that the apology should not inconvenience them. It almost works, but talking herself out of attempting her objectives has never been Andromeda's strong suit. "Hello, it is Andromeda," she adds unnecessarily. "I want to talk to you about flaws in our performance and prioritization in our most recent mission. May I enter? Are the bugs confined?"
The eye widens, darts away and then comes back. There is hesitation. "okay" The door opens, pretty normal, except Sam. A moment is all it takes for Andromeda to notice her stillness is gone. She shifts, rubs, fidgets. "The report... I have here... Um..." She starts to search. why is she HERE is repeated over and over in her mind
Perhaps it's only her recent experience, but an IMPERSONATOR? pop-up appears in the corner of Andromeda's vision. She doesn't click it away immediately, leaves Sam targeted, green. "I wanted to talk about my failures, and... Is there something I can help with?"
"Your behavior is outside what I have registered as typical."
Sam turns from her desk, opens her mouth, closes it, and then wraps her arms around herself. Tight. "I... am in the middle of maintenance." her voice dips low. Her eyes drop to the floor and then back up "I... could show you?"
Andromeda nods, stepping forward but leaning back. "I may be disruptive."
Sam steps back, tightens her arms, and looks down "It should be okay." she bites a lip, then quickly goes back to her desk. A short cylinder is on a bed of light, with organized wiring connected to her terminal. "I... introducing new code... to the colony... f-fixing the anomalies." her eyes dart to look at Andromeda, under the fan of her red hair "In me"
"These are your emotional buffers?" Andromeda's attention is nearly tangible. "What anomalies need addressing? The buffers can be disengaged; how modular is that process? What steps have you taken to prevent..." You're here to apologize, not expand your Sam dossier. She doesn't resume her questioning.
Sam's eyes widen as she draws back on the onslaught, but a wide smile bursts from her face (she's never shown anyone who was interested before), before thoughts get in the way and it flees, making her grasp herself tighter "F-flux in strength. Too little for some responses... too Much for others..." she moves a magnifying lamp over so Andromeda can see without touching showing millions of tiny dots. "They are air gapped to prevent penetration... so I have... to..." Sam stops not wanting to describe removal. "You came to discuss the catastrophic event?" Sam sits trying to focus, feeling is skittering across her skin.
Andromeda's sheath audibly hums as it churns the air around her, for once not fluctuating in area, but in constant movement around her body. "I did." She leaves unsaid exactly how much she would rather examine Sam's implants, but she stopped smiling; you're overstaying your welcome. "I should not have allowed you to be hurt. My priorities were incorrectly assigned."
"N-no" Sam stops but doesn't look "I'm... not the priority. The... mission, the people... the world... that is." her fingers ball in front of her. "We... nearly failed. Everyone would have died." her voice cracks up in volume.
Andromeda shakes her head with finality. "The world was not in danger. Before I was retasked, Vorp'l had been forced to preemptively deploy the device before it had gained enough power to have an effect so broad. To prevent what damage it could have caused, we had the best tools available. We had you to direct the disarmament; we had Phalanx to provide additional elements that might be required; we had the tin can available to give us a redo in case something went wrong."
Her sheath crackles. "Without the tin can I would never have left the room. You would not have been hurt in accomplishing your portion of the mission."
"No!" Sam's voice cracks, her palms slamming down on to the desk with a bruising thud. "Parameters in conflict expand past single solutions, Require contingencies." she reaches over to her tablet, her fingers stabbing, holographic screen erupt over the room, showing the battle, from hundreds of angles, maps of the city, power readings, etc. "The device was unstable, the exact output unknown, simulations show this radius" blue semi-circles cover city blocks "Collateral targets causing additional damage" power plants, chemical, nuclear, spill out more semicircles. "Minimal damage was city wide, but projections show potentials of global." her green eyes look up finally "Potential of Global is enough to make the device THE PRIORITY!" her voice shakes with fear, thoughts of those few she loves raking over her. "I... Phalanx could have been seconds later." video follows him running to help, pans out to show civilians cowering, blinking for those that were in immediate danger "If he had seen One of them, he might have paused to help." he cared. Sam didn't, couldn't, WOULDN'T!
The red head turned away. "Chroknight's power is an unstable element accompanied with unknown side effects." her fingers shake as she tried to continue typing. "So. No. No. NoNoNO!"
"I don't matter." Sam isn't working, she is just looking down at her hands. "But I... the world... needed You."
"I-" Andromeda turns away, hunching in on herself, curving her arms, her legs, her spine as she tries to keep anything from pointing at Sam until she's found something like calm. Her sheath crackles and spits, acting against even the barest humidity with brutally multiplied force. She doesn't even open her eyelids at Sam, but eventually faces her nonetheless, a green ghost imposed against the inside of her eyelids where Statian is projected to be.
"I thought Chroknight required my specific assistance for reasons they could not specify without paradox. If I had known-" She stops, starts again. "My priorities were wrong; I failed to keep you safe. If I had ignored opposing requests, you would have been able to utilize my abilities. I will not forget my purpose again."
Sam's mind instantly wants to correct Andromeda's statement about keeping 'you safe'. Sam isn't important, never ever. She's just smart, no gifts, there are so many others just as smart, she is meaningless, worthless.
But Andromeda's reaction causes such an ache of pain to constrict in her that she blurts out "I'm-I'm-I'm Sorry. So sosososo sorry!" her bright green eyes wanting to touch, pat, hug, anything to help, as her mother would have done, but Sam can't even if the sheath wasn't there. Assuming someone would want her to is insane.
"I shouldn't be without these" she looks back at her dampeners "I just... mess things up... without them. I'm sorry! Angelica. You saved people, the-the technology from the other engagement could have caused more harm, maybe, I don't know, there is a possibility. I could be wrong. I WAS wrong, yes, no, please." her words a babbling mess, faster and faster, until it stops on the strangled word.
Andromeda's eyes fly open, and the window behind Sam shatters.
Eyes squeezed shut again, she speaks carefully, not trusting herself to look at Sam even through closed eyes. Sam, "You were not wrong. I was wrong. The team helps people; I'm here to protect the team. If I can't even protect the greens... I was wrong; I am sorry. Thank you for maintaining priorities correctly." Another breath. "Once I am calm I will leave."
Sam flinches at the shattering, a reaction she never does when properly dampened. The window itself doesn't concern her, she is good at fixing things. Things, not people. She desperately wanted to help, to do this right, but she had no idea, NONE, about how to do so. To keep herself from dealing with her matrix telling her over and over and over to not put the dampeners back in, she disables it when they are out.
She opened her mouth, closed, opened, a fish gulping for air. "What are greens?" diverting to information, hoping something will help her know.
"When I was repurposed, it quickly became clear that my capacity for destruction was not limited for practical purposes. It was more relevant for me to be able to quickly assess which targets in the field were capable of causing me meaningful harm on a tactical scale. Greens pose no known threat; yellows pose a potential but unlikely threat; reds-" Andromeda shivers, her lips pulling apart in something like a smile. "Reds are... Exciting. Vorp'l was a red. The worthwhile drones here are reds; they have equipment designed to counter telekines. The magma monster was red; further data might lower that assessment. Indarius has been reclassified..." She breathes until her mouth returns to neutrality. "It is not a value judgement outside of very specific constraints."
Sam listened, feeling lower than ever "I'm a green." a small sound, a tiny choked laugh "I... understand." if she had her dampeners she might explain the contingency plans she created if Andromeda went rogue, if any of them turned rogue, but thinking that way hurt right now so she instead just wallowed. She unclenched her arms around herself to drag a palm across her eyes, trying to stop the wetness pooling there. worthless, weak, needs to be protected her anxieties prod her.
Support, she planned on being support, not in the danger, it is what she had told her father... maybe she should do so remotely, avoid all people, let the real heroes do what they need to do. "I-I can help with that... if you provide the constraints, I could pool data streams to... rank everyone." a little help, if nothing else.
Andromeda perks up at the idea of Sam helping with her data. "Direct interface would be difficult. I was not repurposed with remote capabilities for upload and download. It was considered an unnecessary operational liability. However, it would be possible to..." She stops, unable to just focus on Sam's fun idea. "Why does being a green make you cry? That was not what I wanted."
Sam cringed at the question, at the thought of having to explain why being thought of as weak made her small. It brought back memories of bullying 'Why are you so strange and pathetic, freak',
Sam quickly rubbed the liquid out and deflected "Just-just overwhelmed without my dampeners... I " was going to say need, but that was too assertive, she had spent her reserves of that already "... should maybe get back to encapsulating them for in-sertion."
Andromeda nods. "I cannot help with that." Before she departs though, she turns to make an attempt at explanation. "I destroy; I win. I hope to protect. Gui saved me; you saved the city. I cannot do that."
"Why?" Sam asks, quickly adding "I mean... destruction is applicable for saving. Laser cutters, jaws of life, chemo..." she stops a moment "You would have. I know that." Sam hadn't turned away from her keys, finally her fingers start to press, slide and work the colony into the small causal.
"I lack control." Andromeda looks at Sam, confusion visible in her eyes. "I would have tried if there was no one else, attempted to relocate the device so that the earth was not in its destructive radius, but... You are too smart to see that hypothetical and high risk attempt as certain."
Sam is facing away otherwise the sun that lights her face would have blinded poor Andromeda, simply at being called smart, which was dangerous. "I am a computer without a heart... nothing more." she said softly as if she was reciting. Leaning over there is a sudden loud SNORT, then Sam arches back in near violence.
Andromeda starts, witnessing Sam's upload for the first time with a straining, cracking sound from the nearby doorframe. Triggered by her surprise, her threat overlay snaps back onto Sam in a vivid green. "I hope that isn't what you want; it isn't true."
"Biologically you are correct" the halting melody of Sam's voice is replaced with familiar flatness. "You are also incorrect in your own assessment. Given the conditions and the parameters of the situation, the highest probability of your actions would have been to compensate for your variance, layering the device in sediment or debris, to allow greater stability without risk." her face turns toward Andromeda, the scarlet of her cheeks subsiding as her emotions get smothered, a thin stream of blood from her left nostril replacing it. "You would compensate. You would Create control."
Andromeda relaxes, a faint smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. "Perhaps. I am glad your buffers are helping. Thank you for speaking with me about this." She turns to go. "I have been thinking about you too much."
A moment ago that statement would have caused another sunrise. Instead Sam wiped the blood off and started working through more simulations.
Ne'veah sits back, surprised. "All the way to Savannah on a motorcycle? That's..." she trails off as she thinks about it. Then she a smile tugs at her mouth. "Okay, sure. Should be fun.
"You have a motorcycle, I hope?"
"Ha, I knew you had an adventurous side!"
"Yes, I have e Honda Rebel and, perhaps I can even convince my fader to lend me de H-D Dyna Wide he had just finished renoveting." It was a long shot, but perhaps... "He is e mechanic specialized in old models."
Max moves her hand back down. ”I’ll wait for some privacy, then.
“Not to sound ungrateful, of course. This is a nice power boost here. I’m sure it will come in handy the next time a super villain shows up to cause trouble.”
Tim gestures to the shimmering privacy ward around them like a translucent curtain. "There's privacy enough for the moment. Just the two of us, and it's not like I haven't seen..." He smirks as his eyes roam along Max's form.
"And magic always demands a price."
He sobers abruptly, tests the privacy veil, and sits down in the cool grass. He pats the ground, inviting her to sit down with him. "So I saw Dear Old Dad, as you know, and asked him about Ahk'nathal. It's like anything with him, but I got a bit more of an understanding of what's coming.
"Biggest thing is confirmation of what Shezmu dropped. The guy draws beings of magic to him. And not your cute fairies or mischievous gremlins. The big bads. Demons, dragons, unseelie, eldritch horrors, even warlocks if they've stared into the abyss too long. The armor should help you resist."
He gives Max a moment to let that sink in. "There is some good news. There is some kind of magic weapon that used when the Alliance banished him last time. But no one seems to know where it is."
Ne'veah looks almost insulted. Then she smiles defiantly. "Adventurous? I'll have you know I once fought Whippoorwill. So shut up with all that about 'adventurous side.' I'll bet your bike can't even keep up with me."
Ne'veah looks almost insulted. Then she smiles defiantly. "Adventurous? I'll have you know I once fought Whippoorwill. So shut up with all that about 'adventurous side.' I'll bet your bike can't even keep up with me."
"Really? How was dat?" He asks, interested. Fighting wasn't really good thing, but he was curious.
"And I am not betting on e rece... I am not e wild speedster, because dat is de condicion my fader imposed to me so I can keep my bike, but aside from dat, I do not tink of e good reason to ride past you." He smirks. Not with such a great view.
Max sits near Tim. "Alright, that's more than we had to go on before. Maybe we should try to talk to any members of the Alliance who might know more about the weapon. There has to be some way to track it down."
Chloe feels hot, cold, rough, slimy, and suction-y limbs and tendrils grasping and clawing at her while nightmarish, discordant sights and sounds strobe seemingly straight into her brain. Screams echo in her skull and she can't tell if it's coming from her or her soul.
The sensations suddenly cease except for a warm hand on her forehead and a soft chanting directly in front of her. As her vision clears, Septimus Mathers has his hand on her and she feels the horrific experiences fade as a dream is banished by the morning sun. She's standing in a dorm room covered in arcane sigils and goth decor.
"Anyone ever tell you you're very impulsive?"
"Seems to be a running theme. Also, what the hell was that? That was not like the other portal. Super gross." Chloe checks for slime on her body and clothes.
"Yeah, I've come to learn magic is rarely clean and tidy," comes a familiar voice. Devil Diva lounges on the bed nearby, idly scrolling through her phone.
Tim drops his hand and tosses his bag into a corner. "Hey, Gorgeous. Fact finding was a bust. Do you want to explain it? Or too soon?" he asks Chloe. "Oh, um, this is the friend of the friend of Indarius who had the magical potion mystery. Never caught her name. And this is Devil Diva."
Tim gestures to the hissing rune beneath Chloe's feet. "And that was the Devil's Road. Not a fun place, but it gets you where you want to go."
"Uh. We've met." Chloe looks surprised to see DeeDee there. "...have you been in the Devil's Road? That was...I think I'll take the bus back."
She focus on Tim. "But, right, potion. How long do you need for it be active on me for it to work?"
”I’ve been in a Devil’s Road,” DD remarks, not bothering to clarify.
Tim's eyebrows go up when he learns that Chloe and DD are acquainted. "Interesting. And still not telling me your name. The potion is designed to last about two to three days. Any longer than that and we'll know something's up."
He slips past Chloe in the crowded space of his single dorm and kicks open a large steamer chest. He rummages around in it until he draws out the rack of vials that he had brought to Phalanx's party. Only a small handful of potions remain.
"Take your pick."
"Do I get to know what they do before I chug something down?" Chloe asks as she looks at the rack of potions. "...I'm going to have to call out sick if I grow horns or turn blue."
”What’s wrong with horns?” asks DD, smirking.
"Something, something, expelled from school, something," Tim replies. "And no. No warnings, no clues, just random chaos."
He hops on his bed next to DD, rubbing her shoulder casually as he watches Chloe intently.
"...screw it. For Beebee." Chloe grabs a potion and chugs it down completely, wiping her lips clean and turning to the pair on the bed.
"...I was not expecting to have to do this with someone else here."
Chloe feels the tingling effects of the potion wash through her. Sensations far different from the truth telling potion, this one is far more physical. Her eyesight sharpens and she feels a stretching sensation at the base of her spine.
DD sees Chloe's pupils become vertical slits and turn a greenish yellow while whiskers sprout from her upper lip. Her nose flattens and becomes pink while her ears grow long, pointed, and migrate higher up on her head!
"Catgirl. Nice. Glad I didn't miss that one."
Max’s heart lurches in her chest as she has a sudden flashback to a certain cat girl she dated recently. It was rather messy...
"Are you kidding me?!" The tail flicks behind her as she touches her whiskers. "I thought I dodged this bullet when I decided against joining soccer this year..."
She sighs, glancing up at Tim. "How long will it take for you to get a good reading or whatever Detect Magic spell you need to do?"
"Not long. About twenty minutes to prep another crystal, then an hour after it's drawn off the magic." He glances at DD, frowning for a moment.
Stretching, he leans back against the wall his bed is pushed up against. "If the effects last longer than seventy-two hours. So, let someone know to reach me if by Monday you're still kitty-fied."
He smirks with a cruel glint in his eye. "Enjoy your weekend. Have fun on the bus."
Indy forces his way through the veil after being warded away from wherever the exit was. It leaves him panting and shuddering, "Ok next time.. don't follow Tim through any of his portals." He looks around and finds that he's in Daedalus.
"Must be heading to his apartment.. where is that?"
"...well, this is gonna suck." Chloe mutters. She really wants this to be over sooner rather than later. Skip ahead to the results. She's twitching to just stay awake for the next three days to avoid losing out on her whole weekend.
Be smart this time, not suspicious.
"...I have a mutual friend with DeeDee who apparently can manipulate time. Maybe their powers can speed the process up."
"Oh, yeah," Tim laughs sharply. "Introduce another random variable into the mix. If the crazy wand guy's magic is still on you, you want to throw in a catalyst on top of the potion?"
"What I want is my best friend to be safe and to be happy, and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen, regardless of personal cost," Chloe says. "So, fine. No expediting the process."
Chloe sits cross-legged on the floor and takes out her phone. "I guess all I can do now is wait."
Indarius: Hey anyone know where Tim's apartment is at Daed, got mixed up thanks to his s@%#-ass portal and there's a potential civilian at risk.
Chroknight: Dorms, not apartments
Chroknight: Thought he was your friend
"Seeing as I'm not registered as a student here, would one of you mind showing me the way out?" Chloe asks. "Don't want to have to explain myself to anyone I run into out of here."
Indarius: Friend is way too high, acquaintance at best.
Indarius: Regardless not helpful.
Chroknight: Student directory
Indarius lets out a sigh about how much time this is going to take and heads off to either find the directory, or someone to ask about Tim's whereabouts.
Chroknight: Try the room two doors left of your own
Chroknight: And socialize more
Chroknight: Maybe bring muffins
Outside of the room, Cat Chloe flicks her tail from side to side as she taps on her phone. Frustration on her features and as tense as a wire.
Indarius: I don't room here, I try to socialize, best I can do is cookie's that you throw in the oven
Indy weaves through the halls, he does eventually think that he could just scan the area for magic and that'd help narrow things down a lot probably, so that's what he does.
Indy doesn't find the room initially, and passes by the door at least three times before he realizes that there's a protection spell layered upon the threshold of Tim's dorm. The more he focuses on finding the room, the tougher it is to notice the actual door to his room it is.
Eventually, Indy's power cuts through the wards and he dispels the veil over the room.
"Hey." Cat Chloe speaks up as Indarius finally looks at her standing in front of the door. She looks up at him silently. "Do you have a dorm room here? Because I need a place to crash for the weekend. I've been texting my dad making excuses why I'll be out for the rest of the weekend. And I'm hoping that doing this actually helps, because my best friend is out there in the wind and I don't know if she's ever going to speak to me again."
Indy's eyes flick all the way open when Chloe breaks him from his search. He almost curses under his breath that he got so locked in.
"Oh Chloe... No, I don't have a dorm here. There are other members of my team, but there are also plenty of rooms now empty at the base. Though without the others it's really atarting to feel more and more like my own personal home away from home."
He looks at her features. "We don't even know if the same thing that happened to BeeBee will happen to you." He pauses for a moment before adding, "And being near me won't help what you're trying to accomplish I'm sure."
"I couldn't do nothing." Chloe says, stuffing her phone into her pocket. "And you should get a dorm room. At the very least you won't be alone. And if this doesn't work...I guess at least we'll know the wand wasn't responsible."
"You could have-" He sighs and rubs his muzzle. "No use saying what you could have done. Give me a minute to check on something."
Pulling out his phone he sends Gui a text.
"Not everyone can snap their fingers and redo things for the best possible result. Sometimes you got to jump at the first opportunity because you don't know if you'll get another one later." Chloe sighs, her cat ears twitching.
"Let me crash with you then. Wherever you apparently live. Some secret magical tower hidden between bus stops? Somewhere I'm not going to just run headfirst into the next opportunity."
"I can't manipulate time backwards if that's what you're implying. I've had to deal with the cinsequences of all my f%*!-ups." he says looking up from his phone.
"I like to think getting a redo, would blunt the lesson that the permanence of temporality is meant to teach." He sighs seeing that Gui has yet to answer.
Then waves to Chloe, "Well let's get going then... you know, I should really look at making my own place actually. If my current one doesn't suit you, I doubt Quincy is using Knighthall. But I doubt you'd like to have ammenities from the 60s and the taste of sepia in your mouth at all times."
He starts to head outside. Once there he relaxes a bit like letting out a held breath and unfurls into his true form, settling onto the ground.
"Woah. Uh." Chloe takes a step back as Indarius suddenly grows in size. "That's crazy big. Jeez, no wonder you don't room here if that's you relaxing yourself. Can't imagine it's comfortable squeezing yourself into shape."
She looks at him carefully. "...Wait. Do you want to carry me there like some kind of captured princess?"
Craning his neck a bit to look at her he shrugs, which reads more as a shuffle of his front pairs of shoulders in a seated position.
"It's... well imagine holding your breath, almost subconsciously out of habit for hours on end. When you notice it, it's uncomfortable, until you forget. But there's a part of you that always knows you aren't being honest with yourself or the world. Also my actual strength isn't as nebulous I'm as powerful in both or well, all of my forms. So that's somwthing else to always be mindful of."
At her second question he looks around, "Depends, would you like to ride on my neck, I could carry you, or even put you in a hamster ball and carry that if you so choose."
"Hamster ball." Chloe nods, looking interested where he would conjure up such a thing.
"...Think the adrenaline's dying because I'm getting really tired."
"Hamster ball it is, here step into the clearing."
He stands up and waits for her to move, "Keep all hands, feet, tails, and other extemities close to your person as we board all passengers."
Standing on his hind legs and using his front claws to weave the magic safely around Chloe, she fonds herself in a mostly transparent sphere of force. Indy reaches down and clasps the top, his talons sinking through the barrier of the ball and closing like one would hold a handle.
The barrier rippled around the bottom of his paw and around where his claws pierced it. "I suggest you sit down."
He waited for her to get comfortable one paw grabbing the ball the other planted on the ground.
Chloe hangs onto one of the penetrating claws to ride with Indarius. "...this is my most messed up day ever."
Indy laughs and speaks another few words before seemingly effortlessly lifting off from the air, it's very jarring, carrying the Chloe in a hamster ball. "I think my friend Connie would say, 'The most messed up day so far.'"
The pair are quickly soaring over the city. "You know It's interesting to say I'm surprised I haven't developed some form of Claustrophobia."
He chatters as he levels out into a glide. The subtly shimmering ball providing an unparalleled(for most) view of the entire city below Chloe.
"...Hey. Hypothetical for you. Say someone goes and discovers a way to give everyone a super power. Nothing destructive, just like, the power of flight. Do you think people would be satisfied, or would they still yearn for more?"
There is a long pause where the only thing that fills the air is the sound of the wind and the occassional wing flaps.
"People would want more, some might be happy with something small, but people are jealous and envious." Hoisting the ball up closer to his head he gives Chloe an eye, "Note how I didn't specify Humans, but 'people'." He lowers the orb again.
"There was a time not so long ago where I could have shattered the veil separating our world from the magical. Do you think the benefits of magic would outweigh the terrible misdeeds of the corrupt and greedy who studied things like mind control or even charm magics? I think the answer is no, but... I also believe everyone should have the ability to choose such a path. As much as I would love for it to remain regulated, I know it's not so simple either. Neither would granting powers to individuals."
He banked taking a long wide arc around Taylor Tower. "How do you decide who gets what, what if they aren't happy with it, unforeseen consequences... the list draws ever onward. I could... for a time give someone access to magic, but the ability and the knowledge of how to utilize aetheric energies are two very different things. Not to mention how to do so safely being a monumental challenge itself. The same could apply to something as 'simple' as flight."
He pauses, then lifts the orb again, a sharp smile spreading on his jawline, "I could let you experience what I mean for yourself right now if you want?"
"Have to avoid tainting the results of the experiment being done on me. Got to wait it out." Chloe's got her tail resting against her thigh, looking out tiredly at the skyline.
"...thanks for offering."
"Any time Chloe."
He starts to descend near the outskirts of town, hoisting himself to land on his back legs, before opening a portal that took them to the real location of the base.
The subway of Unity station still his home away from home. "I had another idea for where you could stay, but security reasons justify that I shouldn't do that."
He removes his claws from the orb and gives it a soft rasp with a knuckle causing it to crack open and disperse like a Fabergé egg.
Without the others regularly rooming here the place feels almost deserted, though there are plenty of people amenities still present.
"...You live in an abandoned subway station?" Chloe says, looking around and feeling her whiskers and ears twitch. "...Are there beds here or am I looking at some subway seats with cardboard cushioning?"
"Oof, abandoned? No it's an old subway station that was used as the base for both First class and Second class... till they all moved to the dorms. But I don't have to explain to you the issues of losing concentration in your sleep and being my size all of a sudden."
He claps his massive scaled paws and lights begin kicking on. "I' not some cave dwelling troglodyte. Kitchen is over there, sofa and T.V. in here, take you pick of the beds."
He motions to a few of the rooms that were never claimed even by the new team.
"There's ground access down that tunnel way there if you need to leave."
"...Cool. Until I can go out without looking like I'm promoting some new MMO game I'll stay put here." Chloe crosses her arms and walks towards an empty room.
"...seems lonely."
"At least people won't assume the worst with you."
Indy shrugs, "Can be, but I don't spend a whole lot of time here by myself anyway. Barely need to sleep ever since I changed. One or two days for me is like two weeks. So I'm usually out and about."
It occurs to her that he barely needs to move to at least watch where she goes from the main area.
"Oh yeah bathroom is over there hy the way. Whipp or whoever actually designed the base basically turned the public restrooms into two giant personal bathrooms."
"Dude, you're not a tenth as scary as some of the human looking monsters that have terrorized this city. Like Mourning Dove. Or Ciandra."
Chloe flops onto a mattress. "FYI, I'm probably going to ugly cry in a few. I've been keeping together by sheer force of purpose and I've run out of road."
Indy wants to keep talking about it but decides it's best to leave things alone.
"Alright, well if you want some food, I'm gonna be cooking some Goulash. Mom's recipe... you're more than welcome to come get some if you want."
He hovers by the door for a moment, "It'll all work out Chloe."
Ne'veah smirks. "I think I caught her by surprise, but then she did this weird nerve strike and I couldn't stand for an hour. I wonder if I could take her now that I've changed more." She shrugs. "If she ever comes back to Earth."
As the check arrives and plates are cleared from the table, Ne'veah leans back. "I'll make the arrangements with my Auntie so she'll be expecting us. I'll let you know when it's a good time for her."
Tim leans into Max and puts a hand on her thigh. "Assuming the Alliance gets back from outer space in time. It might just be us.
"Anyway, I've cast some location spells that are running in the background. If one of them pings, I'll let you know."
Once BeeBee gets home safely, Gui pushes his bike a couple blocks before taking his phone to answer Indarius.
Indarius: Gui did you find Beebee?
Aquarelle: Yes, but I let her be
Aquarelle: Just watched her
Aquarelle: She got back home
He then rides back to Daedalus, going straight to Tim's room. After a couple knocks, the door opens. Gui then looks around, making sure no one is overhearing.
"Hey Tim, about de pocion mystery, you need to know dat Chloe is not being honest with you." He shares, serious. "She did drink e pocion in de seme night as BeeBee and it did not stick. Perhaps she is going with dis just so she can feel better about herself, I do not know, but I tought it was important for you to know."
=====
"Sure." He smiles. The smile quivers a bit when he sees the bill, his hands shaking just a little bit when he swipes his card and then leaves the appropriate tips. His meals for the next week will need to be veeery frugal.
"Huh," Tim says, looking at Gui flatly. "You think she was lying about the wand, then? Seemed kinda sus. Anyway, thanks for the info."
Ne'veah offers to pay, flashing her Daedalus stipend card.
Chloe settles in for a long, boring 48 to 72 hours waiting for the catgirl potion to wear off. Meanwhile, the Daedalus students work on outreach projects and their studies while getting ready for the Praetorian Gala.
Their regular activities are interrupted by an emergency assembly called by Daedalus staff. Once all the students are assembled in the Rumpus Room, Ms. Vallejo addresses the body.
"Thank you all for assembling so quickly. Daedalus has been notified that the cyborg mercenary group called the Skullions have attacked an advanced R&D facility in the upstate two hours ago. To cover their escape, they activated three prototype metahuman-hunter drones. The Heralds are pursuing the Skullions at this moment, and have requested assistance from Daedalus volunteers to go after the drones."
She pauses for a moment to let that sink in. "This request goes against the mission of Daedalus, but the information provided is that these drones are exceptionally dangerous and pose a significant threat. The faculty has therefore agreed to ask for volunteers to form three teams, one for each drone."
The students burst into conversations as they consider volunteering and gathering into different teams.
What do you do?
Andromeda raises her hand a bit petulantly. "Should all students be permitted to volunteer for an exceptionally dangerous mission? I will go," she adds as an afterthought.