Gizmo

Usually a coil of barely contained dynamic movement that drew restless if it wasn't in action, Erik found it unusually easy to simply be still next to Willow's preternatural calm. Her latest statement jolted him back to full alertness, however, and he shifted to look at her directly. "What? Will, c'mon, that wasn't your..." It took only one glance at the slender woman's expression to tell how serious she was about her decision. "Okay. Alright, fine, but I'm not 'taking you into custody'. We'll go to the police together and explain what happened," he countered, pulling her back toward his side after sliding away a moment before. A low, soft rumble reverberated through his chest. "And in the interests of encouraging open, honest discussion in the future, you should know that I'm finding this streak of civic responsibility intensely attractive."

Kimber's thoughts reached across the distance to Eve's mind as though the telepath was hearing them from the far end of a massive echoing chamber. At first they were disjointed and inarticulate, a deluge of panic that came from all sides that faded in and out like a crashing tide. Eventually they took on enough definition to be intelligible is only just. --burninghelpfirehotnoscortchseargetawayflamepainbadnonono-- After long moments of the telepathic equivalent of hyperventilating, the phantom's thoughts became more ordered as Sage's reassurance reached her. --E-eve? I... There was so much fire, so close, burn me to nothing, ashes...!-- There was a stuttering gasp of will, then a steadier, --Calm. Right. I'll try...--

"Ah, yes," Trevor confirmed, following Erin's gaze to the stairwell and quietly rolling his shoulders in muted discomfort. There didn't seem to be any polite way to express their well-founded concerns about what was transpiring upstairs, unfortunately. He briefly considered a more frank approach, but definitely offending their hosts to avoid a merely hypothetical faux pas seemed tactically unsound. "Family has put a lot of work into Freedom. Like to protect our investments."

Trevor turned his head to watch Megan hurry downstairs and out the door with a carefully schooled expression on his face. "...lucky she didn't ask for a pony," he murmured just loudly enough to be heard by the others at the table. Turning back to the White's he parted his lips the speak, paused for a moment and finally responded, "Mark... May be best to just think of him as magic." The laconic young man shifted his shoulders in a subtle, apologetic shrug, leaving it at that. "Sure he'd love to demonstrate. Down here. Where everyone could watch," he offered, attempting to look reassuring.

To clarify, anyone not immune to cold getting within 25' of Kimber right now is going to have to make a DC10+ Fortitude save after each minute to avoid taking 1 point of temporary Constitution damage, since she's radiating extreme cold (the equivalent of an arctic winter storm).

Floating along, invisible and immaterial to the world likely should have seemed more disconcerting, but it barely registered to Ghost Girl as anything unusual for all the thought she gave it. The wildly telekinetic girl elicited a pang of sympathy from the unseen observer, who lingered for a few moments to surreptitiously use her own modest abilities to tidy up the fortunately few loose odds and ends that had been thrown about. The next few dormitories did little more than confirm what they'd already been told to expect, and Kimber wasn't honestly paying much attention when she passed through the wall and into the room of the young man in the morphic molecule outfit, musing as she was on what might be hidden beneath the surface. When he erupted in a column of flame, however, all distractions were roasted out her mind along with any rational thought by white-hot terror. Even without the need to breath, the phantom's throat seized up on her as she threw her invisible arms up in front of her face and rocketed blindly backward through the walls and shelves and doors until she smacked painfully against the inexplicably impassible portal to the basement. Curling up upon herself, the ghost fought to stop shaking as she pushed her immaterial form futilely into the corner of the hallway. Anyone observing the scene through the amble security cameras would have noticed a sudden onset of bouts of static followed by cracking lenses as the temperature in Dunwich dormitory plummeted below freezing in the span of seconds.

Setting the blonde corpse atop the stainless steel slab in the Manor's sterile medical bay, Midnight stared silently down at it from behind red lenses for several beats. At her, the young man decided finally, unfastening his featureless mask and letting it hang about his neck as he made ready for a more thorough examination. While he was by no means a medical expert, his training in forensics had been comprehensive and combined with the superior equipment of his inherited base of operations he was soon able to deliver a number of shocking facts to the rest of the team. His initial summation of cause of death proved to be correct, as did Erin's sharp observations of the discrepancies between the still form and the pop star who's performance they had endured earlier in the day. Both DNA comparison and fingerprint matching proved, however, that they were indeed looking at Greta Ratner; just not the same Greta Ratner. "Estimate sixteen years old," he told the others in a flat, carefully emotionless tone. "Signs of freezing suggest preservation rather than duplication." There was no need to state outright the obvious conclusion. They'd all been present when von Streitcher's alternate universal double had attacked Nina al-Darsah and had heard her father's warnings.

"Oh!" Kimber exclaimed, straightening in her seat with immediate concern when Eric mentioned the quickly approaching end of his break. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to take up all your time," she apologized profusely, ducking her head guiltily. Looking at he clock herself, the poltergeist bit her lower lip in consideration. "Well... I'm kinda breaking curfew already," she admitted, reflexively hiding a bit behind her latte, "but it's not like I'll get in any more trouble if I'm out later! Plus I'd be learning, so that's practically school-related!"

Goes without saying, but let us know if there's anything we can be doing to help out.

"Father is in investment management. Financial consulting," Trevor responded easily, his tone the same even baritone it had remained throughout the entire conversation. The questioning didn't bother him; he'd trained to deal with far more invasive and insistent interrogations, after all not to mention having been on the delivering end far more often. The greater challenge was deciding how much of the Whites' frankly amateur if well-intentioned technique to pretend to succumb to for politeness' sake. "Mother is trying her hand at interior design in Zurich, last I heard. Possibly out of date." After a pause in which he took another sip of coffee from his refilled cup, he volunteered, "Raised by my grandfather. A retired chemist. May be more relevant."

Done by Ecal Wail 17PP to spend, but nothing too fancy. 1PP: +1 Base Defense, -1 Dodge Focus 8PP: +32R of Skills Skills: 84R = 21PP Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+18/+10) Investigate 9 (+10) Knowledge (Civics) 14 (+15) Knowledge (History) 14 (+15) Knowledge (Streetwise) 14 (+15) Languages 1 (English [Native], Hindi) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Swim -/+6 2PP: Enhanced Strength 2 3PP: Leaping 3 3PP: Impervious 3 [b][u]Player Name[/u]:[/b] Gizmo [b][u]Character Name[/u]:[/b] Wail [b][u]Power Level[/u]:[/b] 14 (207/207PP) [b][u]Trade-Offs[/u]:[/b] -5 Attack / +5 Damage [b][u]Unspent PP[/u]:[/b] 0 [b][u]Progress to Impervium Status[/u]:[/b] 27/150 (Platinum status earned by [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2517]Jack of all Blades[/url]) [b][u]In Brief[/u]:[/b] Veteran hero from the late 1970s and 80s with super-dense muscle tissue granting strength, durability and a powerful sonic wail, come out of retirement to continue the good fight. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAZhayNXao][floatr][img=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/0/01/WailHF.png][/floatr][/url] [b][u]Alternate Identities[/u]:[/b] Keith LaMarr [b][u]Identity[/u]:[/b] Public [b][u]Birthplace[/u]:[/b] Freedom City [b][u]Occupation[/u]:[/b] High School Civics Teacher [b][u]Affiliations[/u]:[/b] 1-800-JUSTICE [b][u]Family[/u]:[/b] None [b][u]Age[/u]:[/b] 56 (DoB: December, 1954) [b][u]Gender[/u]:[/b] Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u]:[/b] African-American [b][u]Height[/u]:[/b] 6’6†[b][u]Weight[/u]:[/b] 1175 lbs (235 x 5) [b][u]Eyes[/u]:[/b] Brown [b][u]Hair[/u]:[/b] Black, Streaks of Grey [b][u]Description[/u]:[/b] Keith LaMarr is an imposing mountain of muscle, the weathering of the decades only enhancing the effect. His clean-shaven head is contrasted by a a beard of dense, curly hair on his square jaw, marked by two streaks of grey. He tends to favour darker, utilitarian clothing, typically with a slightly dated cut. As Wail, his outfit reflects a respect for tradition far more than any attempt to conceal his identity. Dark jeans are fasted with a broad, metal belt over a black sleeveless top adorned with a long, yellow ‘W’. Each wrist is covered by a matching black and yellow bracer, while round sunglasses add to an already impassive visage. [b][u]History[/u]:[/b] Born in Freedom City’s Lincoln neighbourhood in the mid-1950’s, Keith LaMarr was not afforded many advantages in life. The son of a factory worker, LaMarr was taught from an early age that anything in life worth having was worth working and fighting for. Run-ins with local gangs as a youth sharpened his wits and fighting skills, but he refused to join up, convinced that the promise of easy money and power was a sucker’s bet. That sense of integrity would cost him dearly when, in 1972, a jilted gang carried out a drive-by shooting of LaMarr’s home. His mother was killed immediately, while his father survived long enough to be rushed to hospital where, thanks to a shoddy investigation, LaMarr was arrested at his bedside on suspicion of belonging to a rival gang. Vincent LaMarr succumbed to his injuries while his son was sentenced to prison time on fabricated drug charges. LaMarr was involved in an increasing number of altercations with other inmates and guards during his imprisonment at South River State Penitentiary, developing a reputation for a short temper and willingness to attack opponents more than twice the stringy young man’s size. Several months into his sentence, he joined an experiment conducted by Dr. Burton Noah, an AEGIS scientist, in exchange for early parole. An attempt to induce muscle growth through a combination of chemical treatments and precise sonic frequencies, sabotage by a vengeful guard resulted in LaMarr’s skeletal and muscle structure becoming super-dense. Besides increased strength, durability and endurance, the most notable effect was phenomenally enhanced lung muscles enabling a devastating sonic wail! Escaping from South River, LaMarr almost immediately ran into an altercation between the villain Bronze and the police. The convict’s timely intervention not only subdued the superpowered criminal but also save a school bus full of elementary school students. Combined with his willing surrender to the authorities, this was enough to have LaMarr’s case reopened, revealing a number of irregularities which were enough to have him permanently released. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHWcN5YxuYc][floatl][img=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/d/d1/1-800-JUSTICE.png][/floatl][/url]Taking the moniker Wail based on a comment made by a grateful grade schooler, LaMarr initially set up shop as a metahuman bodyguard after encountering difficulty finding work despite his cleared record. It was through this that he met Yelena Vostok, a Ukrainian mercenary who had received a cybernetic arm after an early mishap with her teleportation powers, and Javed Randeep, a Indian-American polyglot who’s amazing skills extended to translating human body language, making him a formidable martial artist. The trio eventually joined together to form an agency that solved unusual problems while serving any worthy cause as 1-800-JUSTICE. Upon hearing Yelena refer to her teleporting ability as ‘jumping’, Javed, in a fit of the playful wit that would make him the team’s heart, adopted the code name Jive. The hired heroes handled everything from gang violence to mystic robots to international incidents throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, skirting the anti-cape laws introduced by Mayor Franklin Moore. Over the years, LaMarr developed romantic feelings for Javed, though he was reluctant to admit to them. By the 1990s, 1-800-JUSTICE had all but faded into obscurity, but were among the heroes who reappeared to combat the Terminus Invasion. In the heat of battle, Yelena managed to teleport her friends out of harm’s way a split second before being vaporised by a massive laser weapon. Devastated, LaMarr and Javed officially retired their heroic identities and settled down to start a new life together. Javed’s talents allowed him to support the couple as a high profile translator while LaMarr earned his degree and a position teaching civics at Joseph Clark High School. They lived happily for several years, with infrequent bouts of excitement as Javed foiled an assassination attempt or one of LaMarr’s rouges gallery reappeared for a final confrontation. Unfortunately, exposure to Terminus radiation had riddled Javed’s body with cancer, and after a long battle he passed away at the age of 55 in 2009. Having buried the love of his life, LaMarr grappled with what to do next. Ultimately the decision was made for him when the Grue invaded Freedom City en masse. Defending his students from a massive creature released by the aliens, he found that his powers had only grown stronger over time. Freedom City still called out for justice, and weary though he was, Keith LaMarr was still the man on the other end of the line. With a new costume and a renewed commitment, Wail is back in action! [b][u]Personality & Motivation[/u]:[/b] LaMarr has suffered a great many hardships in his life. These trials have forged an ironclad will stronger even then his superhuman skin, and while a lesser man may have become embittered, he has developed a keen empathy. His sense of integrity demands that he use his experience and abilities to defend those who cannot defend themselves. That isn’t to say he is without his rough edges; Javed once commented that there was very little of Keith that was [i]not[/i] rough edge. His age and profession have given him a didactic tone and his expectations for both his students and the latest generation of heroes are high indeed. The years have helped to mollify his temper but have not removed it. Dramatically aware of his own mortality, he is determined to continue to make a difference for as long as he is able. [b][u]Powers & Tactics[/u]:[/b] With superhuman strength and durability, LaMarr is a powerhouse to be reckoned with, standing shoulder to shoulder with many of the modern day bruisers. His true might, however, comes from his namesake sonic wail, an extraordinary torrent of concussive force that can deafen foes as easily as it sends them flying. This is thanks to the tremendous lung strength and capacity which resulted from his enhanced physiology. Against mundane foes, Wail typically restrains himself to hand to hand combat, but is not afraid to let loose with his full fury should the situation call for it. His super-dense biology also prevents him from floating in water, and gives him a mass several times that of an average person of his already impressive stature. [hr][/hr] [b][u]Complications[/u]:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] LaMarr is well into his fifties, although he’s aged remarkably well. [b]Destructive:[/b] LaMarr’s sonic wail has the potential for massive collateral damage. [b]Enemies:[/b] Over the decades LaMarr built up a substantial rogues gallery, some of whom now have younger successors. [b]Lost Love:[/b] Javed’s death remains a fresh wound for LaMarr. [b]Prejudice:[/b] A gay black man born to a low income family, LaMarr is no stranger to unfair treatment. [b]Public Identity:[/b] Although he goes by Wail in the field, LaMarr has never maintained a true secret identity. [b]Responsibility:[/b] Joseph Clark High School. [b]Temper:[/b] The wisdom of age aside, LaMarr does not react well when backed into a corner. [b][u]Abilities[/u]:[/b] 12 + 4 + 10 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 36PP Strength: 36/22 (+13/+6) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 20 (+5) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) [b][u]Combat[/u]:[/b] 16 + 16 = 32PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +8 Grapple: +22/+13 Defense: +13 (+8 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback: -9/-2 [b][u]Saving Throws[/u]:[/b] 7 + 3 + 8 = 18PP Toughness: +13/+5 (+5 Con, +5 Protection, +3 Density) (Impervious 6/0) Fortitude: +12 (+5 Con, +7) Reflex: +5 (+2 Dex, +3) Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8) [b][u]Skills[/u]:[/b] 84R = 21PP Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+18/+10) Investigate 9 (+10) Knowledge (Civics) 14 (+15) Knowledge (History) 14 (+15) Knowledge (Streetwise) 14 (+15) Languages 1 (English [Native], Hindi) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Swim -/+6 [b][u]Feats[/u]:[/b] 12PP Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Dodge Focus 5 Fearless Luck 2 Power Attack Startle [b][u]Powers[/u]:[/b] 18 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 8 + 56 = 88PP [b]Density 6 ([/b]x5 Mass, [i]Extras:[/i] Duration [Continuous], [i]Flaws:[/i] Permanent[b])[/b] [18PP] [device][b]Enhanced Strength 12[/b] [b]Immovable 2[/b] [b]Protection 3 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Impervious[b])[/b] [b]Super-Strength 2[/b][/device] [b]Enhanced Feats 1 ([/b]Endurance[b])[/b] [1PP] [b]Enhanced Strength 2 ([/b]Total +14 with Density[b])[/b] [2PP] [b]Leaping 3 ([/b]x10, Running Long Jump: 230', Standing Long Jump: 115', High Jump: 57'[b])[/b] [3PP] [b]Protection 5 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Impervious 3[b])[/b] [8PP] [b]Sonic Control 27 ([/b]54PP Array, [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power 2[b])[/b] (Genetic, Sonic) [56PP] [array][u]Base Power[/u]: [b]Damage 18 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area [Targeted, Line, 5ft x 170ft], [i]Feats:[/i] Knockback 18[b])[/b] (Sonic Wail) [54PP] [u]Alternate Power[/u]: [b]Damage 13 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area [General, Cone, 120ft], Linked [Stun][b])[/b] [24PP] [b]+ Stun 9 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area [General, Cone], Linked [Damage][b])[/b] [27PP] (Sonic Scream) [53PP] [u]Alternate Power[/u]: [12 + 13 + 21 + 2 = 48/54PP] [device][b]Communication 6 ([/b]Auditory, 20 miles, [i]Extras:[/i] Area[b])[/b] (Sonic Shout) [12PP] [b]Dazzle 13 ([/b]Auditory Senses, [i]Extras:[/i] Area [General, Cone, 120ft], [i]Flaws:[/i] Range [Touch][b])[/b] (Sonic Bellow) [13PP] [b]Emotion Control 13 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area [General, Burst, 60ft radius], Linked [Trip], [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Fear], Range 2 [Touch][b])[/b] [7PP] [b]+ Trip 13 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area [General, Burst], Linked [Emotion Control], [i]Flaws:[/i] Range [Touch], [i]Feats:[/i] Improved Trip[b])[/b] [14PP] (Fearsome Roar) [21PP] [b]Enhanced Skills 8 ([/b]Intimidate 8[b])[/b] [2PP][/device][/array] [b][u]DC Block[/u]:[/b] [code]ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC28 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Sonic Wail 170’ Line DC33 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Sonic Scream 120' Cone DC28 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) DC19 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Sonic Bellow 120' Cone DC23 Reflex Deafened Fearsome Roar 60' radius Burst DC23 Will (Staged) Shaken/Frightened/Panicked Contested +13 vs worst of STR/DEX Prone Abilities (36) + Combat (32) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (21) + Feats (12) + Powers (88) = 207/207PP

"Well hey, I mean, we don't know they're evil yet," Kimber protested half-heartedly at Koshiro's surly indictment, wringing her hands unconsciously and giving the food she hadn't paid much heed to a second glance. "Wraith's right, we don't know enough about what's going on, beisdes that's it's kinda... ick." The whole idea of sinister intentions lurking behind the school's relatively normal facade was still making her uneasy; the thought that the staff there really were acting against their students best interests was extremely unsettling. When Sharl suggested a specific plan of action, however, the translucent blue girl visibly brightened. "Well gee, if only we knew somebody who could turn invisible and walk through walls, eh?" Any subtlety in her whispered statement was likely lost in the way she wiggled her eyebrows up and down over her domino mask.

Groovy. troll, did you want to post IC first or shall I?

:approved:

Alright, couple of things for Midnight. Auto-20 Gather Information Investigate with Masterwork Laboratory. (1d20+14=33) Knowledge (Streetwise). (1d20+9=28) Medicine. (1d20+5=21) Whatever is relevant, I guess!

Kimber swallowed her second mouthful of latte awkwardly at the mention of heat and flame, in a manner that surely would have induced choked coughing had she actually needed to breathe. "Don'like fire much," she mumbled indistinctly as she regained a degree of her composure, holding the glowing reflection of the real cup in both hands and staring down at it. A faint, frost-bitten tint of blue began to slowly spread over the girl's cheeks before set her jaw and forcibly rallied, her corporeal disguise reasserting itself along with her good cheer. "Anyway, it's not hard to control as long as I don't forget!" she assured Eric earnestly.

"Let's try not to encourage any super-villainous tendencies, muñequita," Ellie mock-chided, her broad smile not dimming a fraction despite her words. They both knew how important a step this was for the young inventor, not just the public appearance and renouncement of her father but the entire HAX endeavour. It was all she could do not to wrap Mara in a bear hug on the spot, and she distracted herself by turning to the pair of security guards. "Sorry to storm the gates, there, guys. So you need me out of the way?" Naturally the medic approved heartily of the choice in staffing. She'd eventually had to reveal her real first name to Erin, of course. Between the auburn haired powerhouse's relationship with Fulcrum and new employment, trying to maintain the Jill Pique identity she'd adopted while at Claremont just hadn't been feasible. On the other hand, she'd pretended to have been meeting Steve Murdock for the first time, since the former Omegadrone had only ever met her in-costume. It was all a bit of a headache, but there was no questioning the trustworthiness or competency of either of them and if Mara was going to make herself a visible target Ellie was glad to have them around.

Oh jeeze, you know what it is? I'm so used to playing characters with Uncanny Dodge. Never mind, you're absolutely right. Toughness Save vs. DC 20. (1d20+13=25) On the upside, it's nice to play a character who gets his full Toughness bonus even when he's flat-footed for a change!

Wait, why is he flat-footed? He knew the apartment was under attack before he entered. Is this a surprise round?

"Ooh, yeah, TVs and things go all staticy when I'm invisible," Kimber confirmed without looking up as she gingerly reached for the latte's spirit duplicate, pulling the ethereal beverage out of its solid shell. "One of my friends at school is sort of a hologram, so I try not to do it too much! I already fried one of the school's computers when I floated through it; so embarrassing." Holding the glowing cup in both hands, the phantom took a few moments to appreciate actually being able to pick something up for once. "The bigger problem is more that if I'm not paying attention I kinda freeze everything around me. Luckily my super rad alien roomie doesn't mind!" Finally taking a tentative sip of the coffee, her sea green eyes lit up and she took a second, larger gulp. "Oh my goodness, it totally, totally tastes like pumpkin! How do you even do that?!"

Kimber didn't bother to adopt her usual illusion of corporealism among the local students and although she did pull back the hood of her tattered reaper cloak, her domino mask remained firmly in place. The proverbial cat was already out of the bag that the visiting group consisted of super powered individuals and there was little reason for anyone to assume she wasn't just an ordinary metahuman affecting some type of intangibility. Besides, there was something about the school that made her reluctant to let her guard down. For the most part it felt like Claremont or any other high school, but the poltergeist could sense sour spikes of anxiety that caused her masked eyes to narrow momentarily in a predatory fashion before she blinked the expression away. "Guys, some of them seem pretty scared they're going to transform, too," she whispered to her friends, floating closer to the ground than usual. "I think maybe it's not just Bastion's powers that are all wiggy."

Oh, hey, should have thought of this before. Kimber should use her Detect Fear on the local students. That's: Super-Senses 5 (Detect Fear [Mental, Extras: Acute, Analytical, Radius, Tracking]) [6PP] With Analytical she should be able to get a pretty good idea of what's got them spooked - assuming they're even afraid of what's going on.

Amid the surprisingly large audience a hand shot overhead and waved excitedly as the young woman it was attached to made her way rather forcefully through the crowd toward the stage, jockeying for position with those reporters not distracted by the offer of facility tours. Ellie Espadas would have rather been with her girlfriend during the nervous minutes leading up to the short speech but had ultimately been worried that it might have drawn questions in an unwanted direction. Even so, clad in a fitted vest over a professional looking blouse and slacks she'd secured a seat close enough to the front that she was able to beat the rest of the pack to the CEO, beaming from ear to ear. "So proud!" she began without preamble once she was close enough to be heard over the hubbub of the crowd without raising her voice. "All the proud."

"Heh, is that your way of telling me that breakfast in bed should become a regular thing?" Erik asked with another, shorter laugh as he reflexively shifted to release Willow's hand so that he could wrap the freed arm around her shoulder and pull her against his side. "So I guess you're, what, eating for one now? I feel like we're going to making up a lot of this as we go. Which, y'know, business as usual." Turning from the clouds overhead to look over at the dryad. "Which is to say I think the food thing can be arranged."

With a faint expression that was as much a lack of frowning as it was a smile, Trevor inclined his head slightly and moved his cup into a more convenient position. "If it's no trouble, Miss Maher." Something about the tone of his voice and comparatively florid sentence structure suggested he was affecting a particular style of speech intentionally, for all his neutral manner prevented it from truly being called wry. The illusionist had evidently managed to place herself on what passed for the taciturn young man's good side.