Gizmo
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"Guy's gonna get through the fun part before we even catch up!" Jack cried, exaggerated outrage tinged with a barely suppressed laugh. The manic element of the swashbuckler's personality and manner was at the fore as he ran after Gabriel into the building, his movements closer to a series of fluid jumps than normal steps. While he was certainly determined to put a stop to whatever was being planned, the peril of the situation only made the toothy grin on his face spread wider.
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In no position to argue the point, Erik sighed heavily. "How did tonight become all about me, anyway?" he drawled with a small smirk, lowering his arms to fold them across his chest. The expression on the young man's angular features remained vaguely amused, but there was a subtle tightness that suggested he wasn't really used to having to justify his actions or choices. "You're just terribly interesting dear," Gina deadpanned. "Even so, I suppose we can tear ourselves away from the heady drama of your life for a little while. Mara, you must get some chance to socialize, working at the Lab?"
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"Well, here's the good news," the fencer replied, giving Willow a small, wry shrug. "Having regrets actually gives you something in common with humanity." Jack was briefly reminded of his run-in with Xipe Totec and other ancient beings who had unfortunate ideas about how best to guard the mortal population, and he got the impression that in her younger years the dryad may have fallen into that category. "Course, another thing you've got in common is that you'll keep getting chances to make new decisions you'll be happier with. Me, I'm a live in the moment kinda guy."
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"Well, it's not like he's obsessed or anything," Ellie pointed out lightly before giving her brother a smirk. "Oh wait." "Alright, alright!" Erik practically groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "So I'm committed, it keeps me busy. What, you think I never take a night off?" There was a long, awkward pause before he clarified with some annoyance, "Yes, I take nights off. Occasionally. Well, I could if I felt like it."
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Trevor squeezed Erin's fingers back and shot her a quick, sidelong glance. He didn't think she really had anything to worry about, but he knew that she was walking into a situation she wasn't comfortable with largely for his sake, and appreciated it. Stepping though the double doors to the library, he led the way into the spacious room with a high, domed ceiling, past the first row of stacks. Travis was sitting in an armchair in one corner next to a lamp, a heavy book spread open in his lap and a steam cup of tea on the small table next to him. Despite his age, the elderly hero's senses remained acute, but he waited for politeness' sake until Trevor cleared his throat lightly to look up at the teenagers. "Ah, Trevor," he greeted in a friendly if familiarly subdued tone before giving Erin a shallow, cordial nod. "And Miss White. Good evening."
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Jack didn't seem particularly concerned with any conjecture about courtly intrigue among the fae; he paid little enough attention to human politics. He also gave up on trying to lighten the mood. Gabriel seemed determined to brood through the entire affair, and Nick did habitually paint his face to look like a skull, after all. Instead he sauntered over as Grim flipped through the book, peering over the diminutive heroine's shoulder. "So we figure there's actually a group, not just pseudonyms, huh? Whelp, let's get going, then!" The swashbuckler seemed pleased to be on the move again, although he did sigh. "Would been cool to ride the unicorn there..."
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"I know, right?" Erik laughed easily, all the while rubbing the back of his neck ruefully. "You have to appreciate he's on his best behaviour tonight," Ellie noted, resting her chin in one hand, "due largely to numerous threats. Believe it or not, he can be pretty obnoxious sometimes." Gina shook her head with a small sigh. "Unfortunately, not everyone shares that particular sense of humour." "Or it could be because most of the women I meet are supervillains," the lone male pointed out flatly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence there, sheesh."
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Jack blinked twice, trying to decide whether or not he'd heard the dryad correctly. "Place to put down...?" Trailing off, he made a short, snorting sound that rapidly devolved into a soft chuckle and then into resonant laughter as he lifted his chin and rested the back of his masked head against the tree's truck. It took a few moments for him to get himself under control before he was able to speak, giving the coppery toned woman a broad, toothy grin. "Miss Willow, I think we're going to get along."
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"Well, that can't be right," Jack scoffed with exaggerated perturbation. "I'm well known as an absolute cad and bounder, just ask anyone." He cast a quizzical glance up at the branches of the tree shielding them from the rain. He wasn't entirely convinced that 'Sister Oak' was capable of holding opinions or expressing inquiries, but he supposed it would hardly be the strangest thing he'd seen, and Willow seemed to be in a position to know. "I think that could be arranged," he nodded with a small smile. The brownstone had been secured partly with the intent of providing semi-permanent housing for those of Freedom's protectors who would otherwise be disenfranchised, and there didn't seem to be any great reason the yard couldn't serve the same purpose. "You could even come inside sometimes if you felt like it."
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"It's absolutely a double standard," Erik laughed easily, his tone surprisingly holding far more genuine affection than wry teasing. "Ellie wouldn't be caught dead calling anyone else something like that, you know." His sister folded her arms with halfhearted petulance that threatened to dissolve into a small smile. "Well, nobody else better be calling you that, anyway," she told Mara, leaning over briefly to kiss the blonde lightly on the cheek. "...and I'm glad you like it."
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Setting aside the covered basket to be dealt with later, Trevor took a few moments to see to the Night Cycle before leading the way into the mansion itself. "Probably the library," he decided in response to Erin's question, walking unhurriedly through the corridor toward the spacious foyer and the rooms beyond. "Should still be up. Just get used to late nights eventually." For all that the young man had taken over the mantle, Travis Hunter had never truly stopped being Midnight.
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Trevor opened his mouth behind his motorcycle helmet to argue against Erin's offhand mention of 'totally falling apart', but closed it again instead. When he reopened it, the young man told her, "Can keep it short, if you like. Not known for our extended conversation skills." The air rushing past them robbed the dry observation of much of its subtle humour, but it still resonated through his chest and back. With night having fallen in earnest, they sped from one pool of light from a street lamp to another.
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Jack was quiet for several long moment, letting the white haired woman be alone with her thoughts and the light background ambiance of the rain. Eventually be began conversationally, "I actually talked to an Olympian once, in this very yard. She... was kinda skanky, honestly." He made a show of shrugging helplessly, then offered Willow a smaller grin. "Hey, good news is we can always use more guardians around here," he noted brightly, gesturing vaguely to the city past the brownstone building and its surrounding fence. "So no frowning!"
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Ellie covered her face with both hands at that, groaning in painful embarrassment. "Argh, too far, Marbar, too far," she sighed reproachfully, squeezing her eyes shut behind her palms to avoid looking in her mother's direction. On the other side of the room, her brother made a sudden, snorting noise. Clearing his throat carefully, he innocently asked, "Sorry, 'Marbar'?" "What?" the younger Espadas sibling asked, looking up as she processed what he was talking about. As realization dawned, her cheeks darkened, and she glared at Erik. "Sh-shut up!" "That is adorable," he laughed instead, shaking his head in amusement.
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Bending smoothly from the waist to accept the rose, Jack let his grin broaden slightly. "Ah, and you have sisters! The universe is truly a generous place." The swordsman's light, amused tone made it clear that the plant controller was free to take his shameless flirting only as seriously as she cared to. As he slipped the stem of the flower into a button hole on his royal blue greatcoat, his expression turned a little more sober. "I know it's awful of me to ask, but no sense dancing around the issue. Just what are you, Miss Willow?"
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It only took a beat for Trevor to realize why Erin might not be enthused by the novelty of empty stretches of space with no sign of another human being, but he silently cursed himself for his thoughtlessness all the same. As such, he was careful as he replied, "If you want to. Have to talk to him eventually. Doesn't have to be tonight." It bothered the young man that the two people who mattered most to him in the world made a habit of avoiding each other, but it wasn't his decision to make.
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Erik let out a low whistle as Eli elaborated on the situation in more methodical detail than he was used to hearing from the young speedster. Well. Not so young any more. Dios. The fencer rubbed the back of his neck and leaned heavily against the refrigerator door. "Well, damn, and here I was all excited about being gone all of five minutes. That's some heavy stuff." It wasn't just a matter of the change in Eli's physique and demeanor; three years was long enough to build a new life, make friends and find a place. Hell, he was in the future longer than I've known him in the present.
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Wincing slightly at the brusque treatment, Jack gave the patriotic paragon a slightly reproachful look. "Hey, easy! You don't see me ripping your shirt open. At least not without asking first," he added roguishly, at least partly to distract himself and the other heroes from a partially suppressed wince of pain. "I might never have been a boy scout, but luckily for me mi hermanita doesn't go by Jill O'Cure because she's a fan of seventies rock. It works out: she gets some practice and I don't bleed out. Win-win."
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"Heh, it sounds all poetic when you explain it," the fencer chuckled, unclenching his fingers and letting the fiery construct evaporate into the damp air. Jack gave the white haired woman a curious look as she extended the seed in her palm, a wryly wary given her earlier excursion into his personal space, though he made no move to discourage her. As the vines shot out around Willow's arm, it was his turn to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "Ha! Plant armor; that's clever!" he complimented, tilting his head to get a better look at the grown gauntlet.
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"Hey, don't sweat it, it was, y'know, probably really funny," Erik attempted kindly, his smile more than a little bemused. He only partly understood most of what the young woman said, if he was being honest, but then he had trouble keeping up with his sister when she started talking about her more scholarly interests. He knew the reverse problem was part of the reason Ellie had become so withdrawn and dryly sarcastic during her high school years, and it was heartening to see her opening up again. Gina for her part looked as though she was having a difficult time keeping a straight face. "Oh no, dear, it's completely true. I really am all-knowing." She took a sip from her mug while regarding their guest over the edge of the cup. "Just something to keep in mind."
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"What can I say, it's a helluva ice-breaker," Jack confirmed with an expression that charmingly balanced wry self-deprecation and easy confidence. "Magus, huh? My old man called us metamagi, but I didn't exactly get the registration papers, y'know? Point being, Freedom City's sort of the port of call for all kinds of general weirdness. Mutants, aliens, magicians, lab accidents, immortals, various and sundry beasties and so on." He wasn't sure which category Willow fell into, but the way she talked about a long time ago reminded him of the wistful way Ace Danger or Talya Browning spoke about their pasts. "Lotta power going around, and some folks try to take advantage. When they do..." The hovering ball of flame snapped outward like an elastic bad, shaping itself into the form of an ornate rapier in the the blink of an eye. "Folks like me make sure they don't. Jack of all Blades: not just an unforgivable pun."
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Trevor quickly did the math in his head, taking into account how much Mrs. Lumins had been showing her pregnancy the last time they'd spoken. "Would have to be soon, yes," he agreed. "Guessing they have access to superior midwifing skills," he continued in a dry deadpan. "Mostly just held things last time. Bit surreal, running into all that at the side of the highway. Nobody else far as I could see. Different from the city."
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The Omnireality Oddball Offspring Orchestra! Midnight IV, Lucky Strike, Dante Dark Scarab, Firebird Aquila, Psilent, Four-Leaf Clover Huginn, Brick, Midnight Witch Zweihander, Protea Sundance, Big Science Beatz,Vril Knight, Dragonclad Will O'The Woods, Vorpal, Columbina Demeter, Venus, Amaryllis Junior, Breunor le Noir Balder, Vrykolakas Lucky Star, Blaise O'Glory, Geckogirl
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Search Check. (1d20=17) Ranks, shmanks!
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"Ah, well then," Jack smiled jauntily with a deferential wave of one hand, "allow me to welcome you, Miss Willow. As for the difference, well..." In a minor feat of legerdemain, a small metal lighter appeared between two fingers of his opposite hand, a spark igniting. The flame flickered for a moment before abruptly leaping free of the gleaming device and soaring in a glowing arc to float just above the energy manipulator's outstretched palm. "Depends how liberal you want to get with 'human' city."
