Fox
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Freedom City Guidebook
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Indira frowned at the map, her eyes becoming featureless black surfaces in the heartbeat between two blinks. "There is an interstellar base under Freedom City?" She glanced up at the others, curiosity written on her features. "I did not know - I suppose I would have been the last to be told, but it is still very strange to hear such a thing is under our feet." She had to wonder how angry her family's Lor officer would be if he found out, but that wasn't necessarily a point against the place. "I am sure we can find a way in, if we already know where it is. Even if it is hidden, it is designed to be used, and we are all very good at...what is the word. 'Infiltration'?"
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Tarrant chuckled and shook his head, shifting his bag a bit on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I have no reservations about being a reserve member. If it lets us do a little more good out there, I'm fine with it - and if it unexpectedly cuts into my work, well, that's what we have TAs for." "I do have to echo the communication question, though," he thoughtfully added, pointing to Carson. "Even if I'm not...ah, way outside normal signal range, I spend an unsurprisingly high amount of time underground, and signals don't always carry so far down there. I'm sure you guys have some pretty fancy technology, considering, but it's worth bringing up."
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"I am familiar with clothing," Wraith assured her friend, though she had a rather dubious look on her face as she took Eve's clothes and held one of the items up. "I...will attempt to not stretch her clothing out too much." The reassurance lasted only as long as it took her to duck into a side room and change, at which point it was a rather blatant lie: the skirt was fine, and still plenty decent if somewhat shorter than it had been on her petite teammate. Eve's undershirt fared less well, though, and an embarrassed Indira had apparently been forced to tie the bottom of the looser overshirt together to keep it closed and save her own dignity - and even then the undershirt was pulled up enough that it may as well have been an especially fit midriff. "I...do not think this shirt will fit you anymore," she hesitantly informed her comrade, self-consciously tugging at the clothes (as if she didn't have enough other distractions) as they resumed their way to food, her heroic outfit tucked under one arm as an inconspicuous dark roll of cloth. "I am very sorry."
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Tarrant just stood there blinking for a moment, waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it became apparent that there was only the one shoe.... What. "That's...uh, wow. I don't even know what that is. I honestly hadn't expected-" The geokinetic hero cut himself off, chuckling. "Man, listen to me. Informal or not, I'm honored, sir," he said, giving Bowman a formal nod - the bag he was still holding over his back kept him from a more cheerful bow. "I'd be more than happy to join if you want me."
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"Um. Yes, right. I believe I can guide the others and walk or eat, as long as I do not have to do much else as well," Wraith hesitantly agreed, making her stiff, bone-filled legs straighten out so she could stand up. And then she just stood there for a beat, like she was expecting something to happen. The newly-human girl blinked, pinching part of her outfit between two fingers and pulling it out a little bit. "....yes, okay. I am wearing actual clothing, now, apparently. That is...that is very inconvenient." She took another deep breath, making herself trot after Koshiro before he got too far ahead. "Human food and human taste had better be very good to make all this worth it."
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Tarrant had pondered long and hard on how to answer the invitation - it had arrived by mail, so it was clear they already knew who he was (which earned a rueful chuckle), but it was ultimately unlikely that the League was interested in 'Tarrant McLeod, Geology Professor' joining their ranks. In the end, he erred toward drawing less attention: he made his appearance in plain clothes, brown slacks and a slate grey vest over lighter grey tie and a dark red shirt. His shoes were significantly less formal: true to form, he'd shunned 'nice' footwear in favor of a better pair of simple brown hiking boots. One hand was in his pocket as he entered the room, the other up at his shoulder to hold onto the strap of a large, sturdy duffle bag - it had gotten him some looks, but the invitation had apparently been enough to let him take it in. He never felt right without it nearby, anyway. "Hah!" The wall of accolades had caught his eye as soon as he'd come through the door, and the professor's free hand went up to rub the back of his neck. "....man. That's...kind of embarrassing, actually. I didn't think I got noticed that much - I mean, the bridge thing, sure, but - aw. Tell me they don't have the picture with the cat. That wasn't dignified at all."
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It was a smaller gathering than Wraith had expected; she'd been hoping that there would be enough people to allow their little trio to slip away unnoticed. With less than two score, though, that would be harder than she'd have wanted. Ah, well. Lacking the ability (and, if these people were anything like Kristina, the desire) to properly socialize, she settled for playing up her part, preening a bit at the attention but discouraging anyone but 'her' people from getting too close. She seriously doubted any of them knew much about aliens, but a partygoer figuring out that the 'dragon' was actually some sort of metal changeling would be more attention than they wanted at the moment.
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Likewise.
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"Sharl and Koshiro want us to look at places the...um, team, could hang out," Indira elaborated, watching with great interest as Avro went after the mouse; she was almost perfectly still, dark eyes following the hunter and his prey with a mix of approval and appreciation. "Avro has learned quickly - it is a good trait," she added, before returning to the topic at hand. "I do not know where we will be going, but if nothing else, exploring a bit is better than book reports or staying home."
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Tarrant's expression went unreadable for a moment, eyes still hidden behind his goggles and the little rocks that had started following him when he stopped the gas halting their lazy orbit behind his shoulders. Only for a moment, though, while he thought on the newest revelation - he wasn't one for posturing or intimidation. "That's...interesting," he cautiously admitted, furrowing his brow. "And it's more than a little unexpected. No offense, Captain, but I think I'm starting to agree with Gabriel here - the deeper this goes, the more it sounds like we need to know the bigger picture, for all our sakes. All our cards on the table, so to speak - especially if it means taking a charming young lady somewhere that could be dangerous."
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"Avro is very nice," Indira confirmed. She was caught between wanting to pet Lora and wanting to pet Avro, but with both animals occupied she settled for standing in place and casting her eyes around the cafe. The tall teenager was almost sad she didn't have a human appetite or metabolism - coffee wouldn't do much but make a mess if she had to shapeshift in a hurry later on, but she'd heard good things. "I very much like the stinger on his tail," she belatedly added, turning her attention back on the 'tabby'. "It is very fearsome, though his poisonous spines are neat as well. It is a shame they must be hidden."
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Gaian Knight raised his eyebrows at that, looking with a small bit of concern between the three wasteland dwellers. The Captain's old enough to decide that for himself, and Scraps is a tough little guy, but Penny....? "I could fit a couple more on my makeshift platform, but...are you certain?" he asked, carefully. "We wouldn't want to expose you to any undue danger. If there might be mad Grue out there - or mad anything else, really - we wouldn't want to put you into any more danger than strictly necessary, history with the issue notwithstanding."
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"I do not believe I have met either of them - perhaps I need to socialize more?" Indira shrugged, putting her hands in her khaki pockets; it wasn't that she went out of her way to not meet people, but she had to admit that most of her time outside of class had been spent alone or with her team. Socializing with humans was still...weird, and she was at least sort of trying to not let her true nature slip out that much.... "If worst comes to worst," she jokingly added, "I believe I weigh enough to account for myself and at least one other person. Does the weight limit operate on an average?"
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She kept close to the 'Winters', exuding as much fearless caution as she could - a wolf keeping a dark and dangerous eye out for its pack.
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"A hound!" Indira seemed genuinely pleased, kneeling down for a moment to gently pet the German Shepard's head. "Domestic home animals are so very interesting! Cows and sheep are simply large, stupid animals that deserve to be eaten, but dogs and cats...they are tame, but retain...you might say 'pride', I think. She is like you? It is a good choice, for a pet - she is very convincing." She stood back up, reluctantly leaving Sharl's pet alone to focus back on the task at hand. "A headquarters could be very useful - and it would be a good excuse to sneak away, even during the school year. I believe I know where Kimber may be...."
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Indira's home was simple, quiet, and utterly unremarkable: a simple little house in a simple little neighborhood full of simple little buildings buildings so alike that they may as well have been built out of kits. She answered the door herself, looking a bit out of sorts, but with a mood that brightened considerably on seeing her friends. "" she announced, in Hindi, over her shoulder - not giving her unseen parents a chance to reply. "" She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her, slumping; after a moment of hesitant waiting like she expected it to open back up again and swallow her whole, she stood up straight, took a deep breath (for show, of course, but it disguised her quiet re-settling of her own mass), and set her shoulders. "Thank you. I do not know why you are here, or what we are doing, but as long as it is not here I am in. I believe I would do anything to be out of that house for a while. ....what are we doing?"
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GM post is probably fine. More PP for you, and Wraith's largely passive here, guiding the others to the MacGuffin. It's easier to just roll that into your/their post(s).
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"I...I think so." Wraith nodded, but she shuffled a little uneasily before finally taking a seat on the ground, her awful bones keeping her from being properly still and comfortable while upright. With as much instruction and guidance as Sage could give her, she tried to be still, internally and externally, trying to reach out with her mind. It was like scents, right? That much she got. She just had to find the right scent.... When her eyes opened they didn't see anything anymore, but there was a brief impression of something shapeless and three-eyed pulling itself up off her body and fading away. Not that her mind actually went anywhere, but it helped her focus, helped her to imagine tracking that one, single scent in a forest of thinking, feeling-- ~I have it,~ she thought to the others, cocking her head to the side like a dog that found something interesting at the foot of a tree. ~I believe I can lead you to it from here.~
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I'm assuming Wraith is doing this with help from Sage, to waive the concentration check. Wraith stunts: ESP 13 (mental; Feats: Rapid 9, Drawbacks: Noticeable) [21pp] That's less than she has pp in her main psionics array, so it should work. Not something Eve breaks out with much, I think, but tracking something by mental 'scent' makes more sense to Wraith than most of these psychic shenanigans. Math: 25-mile radius, so way over range ('cos Sage's psychic powers are potent!). An extended search over a 50-mile diameter takes 100 years (!!). Rapid 9 brings that waaaaay back down to a few seconds. Taking 20 on the search (net check: 25) takes that back up to a little over a minute. I'm assuming for plot sakes (and for the sake of keeping the thread moving) that her check is enough to find the thing. If not, smack me upside the head and I'll revise.
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Gaian Knight frowned, unconsciously resting a hand on the hilt of his sword. That is really the kind of thing you need to lead with, buddy. "Alright, so we have two immortal Grue who could be pretty much anywhere and anyone, one about as dangerous as the other. That's...." With his free hand he rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "That's...something, is what that is. I've got another concern, then: these Grue were modified by their own people, they've probably been surrounded by some flavor of death all their lives, and they may have been sealed away for who knows how long before escaping to a pretty wasted landscape and no way to get home. I'm a little concerned by what state their minds might be in by now, especially without the rest of the Grue nearby - we'll want to talk with them, of course, but that may be kind of difficult if they're...ah, unstable, at all. I know I would be."
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"Strictly speaking, we do not truly have 'genders'," Wraith noted, apparently not quite so restrained on the subject as her roommate. "That is something that takes quite a bit of getting used to, when first encountered. I do not have your secondary--" She paused, grimacing as she realized something, and looked down at herself. "....n..never mind. Let us concentrate on switching back, please. And if we are going to eat, I should probably join you. If Ghost Girl has not eaten in sixteen years, I am likely no better off."
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Gaian Knight frowned, rubbing the back of his head as he listened. "Well, that's...a fair bit worse than we thought, then," he admitted, frowning. "If it only spares humans and Grue, then the bees are probably in as much trouble as anybody. Not that they'd do too well in the long run without any plants, but...." He sighed, wishing he'd spent at least a little more time learning about biological agents. Rocks don't get infections.... "I don't suppose there's a counter-counter-agent? A weapon so...ah, voracious...that it hunts everything seems pretty dangerous; sometimes these things have a bad habit of jumping species boundaries, don't they?"
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"Locating the creatures and finding a paper trail rely on being able to slip away and investigate," Wraith noted. She was still working on her 'dragon', concentrating on an arm that had a dragon's head instead of a hand, its features shifting as she tried to adjust its design to her satisfaction, with occasional input from the other two heroes. "Assuming, that is, you mean a literal paper trail." She tilted her head, the reptilian face on her arm tilting back at her. Her three eyes closed and disappeared, the blank silver orbs in the 'dragon''s face blinking open to jet black so that it - she - could regard itself as best it - she - could in the reflection of the car window and her now completely featureless head. "I am a little concerned by what sort of protection and defenses there are likely to be in areas like the...in where ever creatures may be kept," she pondered, her still-functional hand experimentally twisting into a lizard's claw. "Not perhaps to keep people out, but to be necessary for keeping things in."
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"I do not like this place very much," Wraith tentatively mused as she looked around during their ride back. She had never been around space as much as she'd liked - her parents were never rich enough to afford their own ship, after all - but she'd been off her planet more than enough to be deeply unsettled by the...emptiness of it all. Even in space, so aptly-named by the humans because it was full of space, there was supposed to be...more than this. The Silver Tree was also unsettling, though for entirely different reasons. She could certainly appreciate the beauty of it, but there was some instinct deep in her Kinigosi mind that couldn't shake the feeling of a planet-entangling plant being a terrible, dangerous thing. She tried not to think about it.
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"We do not sleep," Wraith assured Nick; with Kristina out of the room she was taking the opportunity to inspect the manticore cub, torn between not wanting to disturb it and wanting to poke or pet it. "I do not believe staying late will be of great concern. The party may be more difficult, however - we have an invitation, and Ghost Girl can perhaps disguise herself?" - that last bit was directed at the heroine in question, as Wraith didn't want to assume too much - "- but I cannot, really. I do not believe metal creatures are...proper party attendees." She paused for a moment, and blinked, wiggling a finger at the cub. "Unless that were the point," she corrected, glancing over her shoulder at Nick in a way necks really weren't designed to turn. "I do not know that I could disguise myself as an anonymous human, but if creatures like the basilisk or manticore are acceptable for this...you would say, 'crowd'?...I am fairly sure I could be a convincingly strange monster. Or I could simply sneak in - I do not know which is the better option."
