Heritage

Estelle took another bite of gooey spicy delight, then waggled her hand in the air. "Well, most of the partners are of a more engineering bent than I am, which leads to a rather interesting 'hard vs. soft' dialectic. It also means I rarely know what they're talking about; of course, most of them are vastly more intelligent than I'll ever be, which can be a bit sobering." She set aside her plate of pizza and wiped her face and hands with a napkin idly fetched from across the kitchen (she deposited a few in front of Greg as well), and she looked off into space as she tried to summarize her fellow researchers. "Miss Americana...is somewhat hard to get a read on; she's delightful and clearly brilliant, but she keeps her cards close to her very ample chest." She grinned in mild embarrassment at her own cheap gag. "I haven't fought at her side or gone on any sort of mission with her, but her work on prosthetic limbs is top notch, and seems to be a bit of a passion for her." Estelle shrugged. "Perhaps she has a family member who suffered a loss; I'm not sure." "Supercape is 'veddy' English; growing up, I was surrounded by English nannies, and some of that air seems to have rubbed off on me, but next to Cape I sound like I'm from 'da Bronx'." She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "To be honest, I have no idea what Cape is working on; how embarrassing! I think he's into physics? He certainly talks like a physics professor, at the very least." "Ironclad is very hard tech; built her own powersuit, uses it very well, and is always tinkering on it or some other project. Again, very smart, but also very sweet." And here Estelle smiled as she considered her last 'coworker'. "And Dragonfly...is adorable. Brain this big-" She held up her hands to indicate an imaginary object the size of a watermelon. "Very serious, but also very funny; bends more physical laws before breakfast than I have shoes. She'd be terrifying if she wasn't such a dear." With a shrug, she reclaimed her dinner. "And that's all of them, really; Viktor Archeville stops by from time to time, to chat and be dazzling, but he's just a very welcome guest."

Notice check for Gossamer: 1d20+6=9 Oh for the love of...should I waste an HP on a reroll?

Gossamer There's A Little Grue In All Of Us Welcome to The Lab! Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone When The Moon Hits Your Eye News post (this time for sure!) Grimalkin Fair Ladies Place Your Bets, Ladies! Near Mint Condition Somewhere That's Green A Very Interceptors Christmas

The tiny shapeshifter snorted in playful derision from her perch on Colt's lap. "Shyeah! No way I'm gonna clean up all those needles and tinsel! But don't worry, presents and food are all as real as real can be." Lynn hopped up to grab seconds and help distribute food, repeatedly pointing at Mona as she passed her. "I like the way this girl thinks; she's a keeper, Dok, do doubt about it. But I do have Apples to Apples and a few other party favorites if we wanna go that route." Heaping a second plate with food, Lynn rolled her eyes and mumbled, "God, he's gonna bring this story up every year, isn't he?" At least now her tone was more amused than strident.

Lynn frowned at this, unsure if the younger woman was making fun of not just her but alos all her friends and teammates as well. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest, clearly annoyed. Ugh, Grim didn't like the sound of that at all; it reminded her of countless sci-fi and fantasy movies where the condescending aliens or elves or whoever treated humans like they were retarded or something, because of their horrible wars and immaturity as a species. She always wanted to sock those uppity snobs in the mouth. "Well you can ask as many as you want," the shapeshifter responded hotly. "As long as you don't mock my very human tendancy to want to make the world a better place. God forbid I might not like the status quo of suffering and ignorance, and actually want to do something about it."

Estelle snorted. "Sexy, sexy kissing makes everybody hungry; it's all part of the wonderful world of biology." She eagerly picked up a slice and curled it New York style, gently blowing on it a few times just in case the cheese was still molten lava. The blonde chemist shrugged. "Well, so far so good, I suppose; I am starting to wonder if I should just make an amicable break with ASTRO and move into the Lab full-time; there are pluses and minuses to both facilities, to be honest." She took a big bite of her homemade pie, which produced a greasy smile and a happy little dance. "Mmm, it's so good!"

Shortly thereafter, Gossamer joined the rest of her labmates in the common room, the pockets of her labcoat bulging with wrapped items. She found an empty seat and plopped into it with a satisified sigh. "Free at last!" Several tendrils fished out the mysterious bundles, which turned out to be four cut tea sandwiches, three brownies and a Diet Coke. "Sorry, I didn't get time to eat; luckly I was able to send out feelers for supplies." She spread a napkin across her lap and carefully laid out her repast, with one golden braid popping open her can of soda. "So, what's the butcher's bill; did we all survive?"

As the ceremony proper began, Lynn suddenly felt her heart racing; of course, she was immensely happy for Stesha and Derrick, but she couldn't help but imagine her own upcoming wedding to Colt...er, Billy. I guess I should get used to calling him that... She was deeply conflicted by this line of thought, as it seemed unfair not to focus her full attention on today's lucky couple; however, it then occured to her that several young women present were probably engaged in similar fantasies, and not to beat herself up to much. They do look amazing; oh man, here come the waterworks... A discretly conjured handkerchief appeared in her hand to soak up her tears, soon joined by a second one she thoughtfully offered to Mona.

The changeling's question actually took Lynn aback, and for several seconds she could only blink in bewilderment. "What does a hero do?" She scratched the back of her head. "Well, I don't know if I'm really a hero, though I'd like to be, so really I can only answer for me...huh." Her brow furrowed. "I guess you could say...that a hero doesn't accept the world the way it is, y'know? She sees the world's messed up, but rather than saying, 'Oh well, there's always gonna be problems', she decides that not enough." Idly wiping the whipped cream off her nose, she paused to give the matter further thought. "A hero decides to do something about the world's problems, y'know, actively; she goes out there and faces the challenges head-on, using whatever powers or skills she has to try and make it better." She shrugged. "And you don't always pull it off; sometimes you accidentally make things worse, which really sucks, but you keep on going at it, because you can't give up. It's like your heart won't let you."

Grim accepted the praise with good humor and the occasional grin, but like Edge she was rather troubled by the final outcome of the whole affair; the world was saved and everything, but the final encounter with the young tsar and the creepy gasping corpse of his dad...yeah, that was probably gonna stay with her a lot longer than any happy memories of a job well done. Still, I got to meet William Blake, who I'm so gonna Google when I get home, and he made this amazing painting for me. Shouldering up her picture tube, she waved good-bye to the cheerful British lady and looked forward to getting home to a nice bubble bath.

Lynn shook her head. "Well apparently I was, uh, 'rebuilt' or 'reborn' or whatever by the Queen of Winter, but when I visited, I was in the Summer Court, or at least a Summer Court. I still haven't met the Queen of Winter, but maybe I should, right?" She awkwardly cleared her throat. "So yeah, I went on a series of quests, three of them, natch, and when I was done I got to meet Little Miss Summer Queenie, who was all superior and stuff, and she told my how I was recreated, but not why; to be honest, I don't think she actually knows." She frowned, clearly troubled by the thought.

The tiny brunette grimaced and stared into her empty coffee mug, which she absentmindly filled with glamoured hot cocoa, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. "Uh, well...to be honest, my experience is very limited...just the one trip, really..." She took a long sip of cocoa and sort of hid behind the foam. At last she sighed and set down the mug with a dull thug, a forgotten spot of whipped cream on the tip of her nose. "I didn't like them; they all seemed shallow, spiteful and capricous. I felt like I was just...I dunno, like a doll or a plaything, a prop in all their little dramas." She held up her hands protectively. "Just so you know, I might have been in a totally different version of Faerie than the one you grew up in, so my experience might have been, well, totally different."

That last line made Estelle laugh out loud; her real laugh, somewhere between a deep belly laugh and a loud snort. It was completely unladylike and rather charming. "Ah, that's what I love about this city; it's the only place on the planet where men actually ogle my brain." She chuckled and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, Felix, but I prefer to stay out of the strictly private sector; nothing personal, of course." She allowed herself to be spun around by the dashing older man; this was a good night.

Lynn pursed her lips and nodded; she really hadn't thought her question through, and Etain's reply made perfect sense. "Yeah, okay, fair enough. Huh...I guess I've run out of questions." Then she perked up a bit. "Actually, to really be fair, it's technically your turn." The shapeshifter gestured expansively. "Fire away, missie! I'll let you know if we run into a non-disclosure clause."

Gossamer resisted the urge to sigh as she sent back a mildly frustrated thought. Well, if you insist on playing the 'basic human decency' card... With a bit of effort, Estelle managed to smile politely at the unnerving robot. "Of course, you're more than welcome to come along, Protectron; actually, we might have use of your sensory apparatus. If you two would care to follow me..?" The blonde heroine led them back to the elevator, swiped her security card, and hit the button for the eighth floor.

"But that's what I do best," Estelle protested in jest. She raised a hand to her eyes and laughed. "Oh dear me; I suppose this is the price I must pay for not being a blonde bimbo." She turned her head and kissed Greg gently on the lips. "Thank you for putting up with my occasional insanity; I can't turn my brain off, which is both a good and a bad thing, I suppose." She kissed him again and smiled like a little girl. "So, pizza?"

It took a few seconds for Lynn to register the large hand on her shoulder and murmur a reply. "Hmmm? Oh, it's nothing; I just...don't always like myself very much." She smiled ruefully. "Y'know, people think I'm this happy little elf all the time, but sometimes it's a lot of work." Lynn sighed deeply, then reassuringly squeezed Mona's hand. "It's nothing, really; I'll tell you all about it sometime. Besides, we're suposed to be here for Derrick and Stesha, right?" The tiny shapeshifter, who looked even smaller next to her teammate, turned her attention back to the ceremony and did her best to think happy little elf thoughts.

Estelle snorted with good humor; sometimes it was fun to hang out with a cheerful egotist. She was also happy to see he was by the far the best dance partner she'd had in a while. The blonde chemist shrugged modestly. "Well I must be doing something right, because people keep inviting me to these sorts of affairs; let's just hope they never figure out how boring I can be."

“Mmm.†Grim barely acknowledged Dok's departure; once she started watching movies, she tended to get very quiet and sucked into the story. The shapeshifter stretched and rubbed her eyes, unaware that the tiny doll was perfectly mirroring the gesture next to her. "Well, I liked the cartoon one with Kiefer Sutherland the best, because you know me with the sophisticated tastes, but I actually did like one of the dance ones, the one by the, uh...Pacific Northwest Ballet? It was pretty cool, with all these costumes designed by the guy who wrote Where the Wild Things Are." She shook her head at the memory of the performance. "Those dancers are pretty amazing; I wonder if I could do that?" Careful not to disturb little Grimanikin, Lynn oozed over the back of the chair in her primal glamour form, solidifying back into herself wearing tights and a tutu. Standing en pointe, she proceeded to effortlessly prance around the lab as the small entity she'd created earlier watched in wonder. "I mean, nowadays I probably have the body control and poise and stuff to pull it off, but without the training, I guess I look kinda dumb, huh?" With a sigh, she allowed her outfit to return to the collegiate sweats she's worn when she'd first arrived. "Well, I think that enough of a workout for one day; I-" Her eyes fell upon the doll, sitting forlonely on the big chair, and she felt a twinge of guilt. "Uh, do you think she could hang out here for a while? Y'know, until I figure out what to do with her?"

Estelle nodded sharply, fairly sure she'd just wandered into a well-guarded area of her labmate's personal life. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry; I find scientific curiosity and good manners are often at odds with one another." The chemist set aside her glass and rose gracefully from her chair. "Yes, a few lines from Henry the Fifth certainly do seem to apply: 'For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition.'" She laughed at the sentement as she fetched her labcoat from the rack and coiled her braid back into place. "'We few, we happy few.' Come on then, let's see if the ravaging hordes left any cold cuts in their wake."

Estelle winced sympathetically. "Mmm, that's not good; forgive me for saying so, but better management of your diet, sleep and excercise might help with the headaches. There are also a few herbal remedies and vitamin supplements that have helped many people, though naturally there's still a lot of debate in the community on those." She shrugged. "Of course, that's assuming your body still follows the human baseline. One should never assume anything living in Freedom; I've met several people here who don't even have to eat or sleep." Gossamer stretched her arms like a lazy cat and her hair followed suit, twisting and coiling like saltwater taffy. "Sadly I'm not one of those people; other than my rather bizarre filamentous biomaterial, my body seems to behave much as it always has, for better or for worse." She drained her glass and frowned. "Did you see what kind of food they're serving downstairs? All this talk of biological needs is making me hungry!"

Lynn almost bust out laughing when she heard Mark go all fanboy on the local super scene. Why was I so worried about blowing his cover again? The shapeshifter's face clouded a bit; with the accoustics in the church and her own proximity, she heard the enthusiastic Mr Lucas discussing the upcoming marriage plans of Alex and Mike, the two Clarement students she'd once been ordered to spy on by Dr. Archeville himself. That's another step closer to having little Zoe, and then what? The end of the world as we know it? Oh God... She and Dok hadn't had a meeting on the subject in a while, in part because of her own school career, but also because she had pointedly not brought it up around the German genius; his newfound enthusiasm for seemingly everything, from ballet to her lovely teammate Mona, thankfully provided more than enough distractions. Maybe I'll join the two Jacks at Panera in a little bit...

Gossamer shook her head sagely. "Ah, there is nothing sadder than the morning after a mad science bender; 'Who is this android powered down next to me, and why does my mouth taste like metal shavings?'" She quickly typed an email response, then closed out of her PC. Swiviling her chair around, she crossed her long legs and delicately held her glass in her fingers. "I've always wondered how the techies live; for instance, what is your schedule like on a normal day? Do you set a certain time aside for biological functions or just sort of wing it?" Though here tone was mildly humorous, her blue eyes were bright with genuine interest.

At this point I'm waiting on my char edits, and then I have to stat up Jolli the evil twin and get her approved, then we'll go from there.

Gossamer shrugged as she trashed her junk mail. "I grew up around old things, and I find them very soothing." She indicated a door leading out of the room, right next to her private bathroom. "I do the real work through there, mostly in the visualization lab and the clean room." She sighed and shook her head. "It gets a little lonely up here; you enginners get all the fun toys." Estelle winked and flashed a grin to show she wasn't bitter. The blonde chemist smiled as a slender tendril accepted the glass. "Ah, thank you. Well the way I figure it, if you're smart enough to design those gauntlets, you should be smart enough to hold your liqour on private property." She raised her glass in salute and brought it to her lips, then frowned slightly. "Although I have been wrong before..."