Fox
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Indira was a picture of surprise, though her step didn't falter. "Grue? I...suppose you would not be so calm if they were not rogue. Still, that is very surprising....Grue. Hm." She waved a hand, dismissing the thought for later. "They are personal items, but close inspection would reveal them to not be from Earth," she replied, grimly. "There are two: one is a bone, and the other is a picture. I do not think the original thief knew of their importance - the bag they were inside was stolen while I was preparing my things to move to Freedom City. But I have since tracked them to the hands of a group who is...you would say 'paramilitary'? An odd word, but a fitting one. They are well-armed and paranoid, and may know what it is they have."
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"Am taking better care of myself," Mara grumped good-naturedly as she followed Erik toward the...was that 'Rec Room' or 'Wreck Room'? "Am here, for one. Eating better. Sleeping...is harder. But improving; fewer headaches help - thanks to you, I think. Happier. Lower stress. You make me happy." And she meant it, though it was phrased more as an observation than a compliment. "Training program...mmh. High-tech? Hoping it...'behaves' better than the Lab's. Almost killed me last time. Don't go in there anymore...probably fixed now, but not taking any chances."
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Sighing, Dragonfly took one last look at the maps and notes on the 'Temple of Door'. [bg=#555555]"People go, don't come back...great. Probably opened a door to somewhere they shouldn't have. Happens. Have to be ready for it, though. Mmh...."[/bg] The heroine glanced in the general direction of the celebrations, wondering if she should go say goodbye...but decided against it; she really didn't know these people, and if this was supposed to be a race she suspected that stubborn dragons and apparently immortal vampires had put her behind. That the decision also saved her from having to socialize was, surely, just a side benefit. So, she simply found the nearest window and jumped out, wings flaring to life and sweeping her up into the sky toward this Temple of Door (or, at least, as 'toward' as the relatively primitive maps and journals could direct her).
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Tap-tap-tap went the finger. Designing, at least, was both in her area and good for keeping her mind off things. [bg=#555555]"Similar methods for safety while experimenting,"[/bg] she suggested, tilting her head. [bg=#555555]"Layers of security to keep nanites from touching anything but themselves. Several layers,"[/bg] she emphasized, [bg=#555555]"in case of failure. Redundancies. Don't need to start preserving planet for Gorgon. Remote access - personal or computer - would provide some information. Careful experimentation might provide more. Hard to plan too much past containment until we know more."[/bg]
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The revelation had apparently distracted Indira from her more pressing concerns, and she glanced between the trio as they simultaneously offered help and connected the dots. Dots she thought they'd already connected! She blinked twice in rapid succession, and a sharp eye might have noticed that in the space between blinks her eyes went from a normal deep brown to pure, solid black orbs and then back again. "I - no. Please, we should...." She trailed off, but she was gesturing politely at the door, and her meaning was clear enough. The teen was highly distracted as she led them through the streets of her city, but at long last she straightened up and sighed. "I am sorry. I had thought you had already been told, and I was not sure...but it is the least that I owe you for helping me. I am not from Earth, no, and yes, that is why I shall be attending Claremont. I am Kinigosi, though we are not the most...numerous of races, and I do not expect you have heard much of us. But please...do not tell others. I would be in a great deal of trouble if word left the planet that we are here - which is why the loss of some personal items is distressing."
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The food was, if not stellar five-star quality, quite good (and this close to the airport, was probably relying on many people not having enough experience with the spices to know the difference). Conversation was polite and standard - questions about Freedom City, Claremont, how was your flight, where are you headed next. Mrs. Singh and Indira did most of the talking, really - Mr. Singh seemed much happier (if such a stern face was capable of the emotion) to sit and observe, watching the trio of heroes as if he expected them to pull out knives or a ray gun. All too soon the food was finished, the plates cleared, and Mr. and Mrs. Singh were (in Mr. Singh's case, reluctantly) standing up and politely excusing themselves, saying they'd give the young folk time alone to get to know each other or look around the area before they had to worry about leaving. Indira remained all manners and polite smiles until a few seconds after the door had closed behind her parents...and then she almost deflated, exhaling and slumping for a moment in relief. Ingrained manners almost immediately reasserted themselves, but even sitting straight and speaking politely she seemed a lot less apprehensive and - unfortunately - a bit more worried. "I - I asked my parents if I could get some time alone with you, to get to know you better before we left; I know my father can be...intimidating. He only wants the best for me, you understand. And I do want to get to know you all - I do - but I...I need your help." She smiled a little, but it was a tight, unhappy smile. "Some things were stolen from me, and I was not supposed to have them. I could get into a great deal of trouble if I do not get them back very soon; I was able to track down where they are, but I am not sure that I alone can safely...please. I cannot possibly hope to ask this of you, but I would consider it a great favor, and...I suspect that if I do not get them back and they are found out I will not be able to attend Claremont. Or Earth."
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Mara snorted, and shook her head. "Could tell you where I am now - generally below average. Poor upper-body strength, faster than most, okay flexibility - hard to judge that last one, mostly comparing to Ellie, who - ....you probably don't want to hear about in context. Mmh. Should probably eat better, get regular sleep." She was ticking them off on her fingers now, in a tone of basic self-assessment. "Rely too much on technology for protection, rely too much on suit's proprioceptive feedback and targeting assistance for accuracy." She tilted her head, frowning. "Probably missed something. Not expecting instant results - not how science works, not how life seems to. Wouldn't expect it from training. So. What do I do?"
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Mara snorted, and shook her head. "Could tell you where I am now - generally below average. Poor upper-body strength, faster than most, okay flexibility - hard to judge that last one, mostly comparing to Ellie, who - ....you probably don't want to hear about in context. Mmh. Should probably eat better, get regular sleep." She was ticking them off on her fingers now, in a tone of basic self-assessment. "Rely too much on technology for protection, rely too much on suit's proprioceptive feedback and targeting assistance for accuracy." She tilted her head, frowning. "Probably missed something. Not expecting instant results - not how science works, not how life seems to. Wouldn't expect it from training. So. What do I do?"
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Dragonfly tilted her head as Miss Americana talked, chewing on her lower lip as she turned the idea over in her head. [bg=#555555]"....reasonable,"[/bg] she admitted. [bg=#555555]"Would give us better idea of what we're up against. Would prefer to stop it, but prevention is good, and buys time."[/bg] She paused for a moment, tapping a finger against her pad as she turned the idea over. [bg=#555555]"Might take...caution. More than is obvious, I mean - don't know what Gorgon would consider large enough to be important. Possible that small team is too small to pay attention to, but can't depend on that. Can't depend on reactions from inhabitants, either, or how well-defended or controlled nanite samples might be."[/bg]
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Dragonfly tilted her head as Miss Americana talked, chewing on her lower lip as she turned the idea over in her head. [bg=#555555]"....reasonable,"[/bg] she admitted. [bg=#555555]"Would give us better idea of what we're up against. Would prefer to stop it, but prevention is good, and buys time."[/bg] She paused for a moment, tapping a finger against her pad as she turned the idea over. [bg=#555555]"Might take...caution. More than is obvious, I mean - don't know what Gorgon would consider large enough to be important. Possible that small team is too small to pay attention to, but can't depend on that. Can't depend on reactions from inhabitants, either, or how well-defended or controlled nanite samples might be."[/bg]
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"It is the most populated city in India," Indira supplied Sharl, smiling. She hesitated when Corbin offered his hand, but shook that too. "Mumbai has been a very interesting place to live, but I am looking forward to American cities. I have heard good things, and am looking forward to a school where I might...fit in better." That last bit got her a sharp glance from her father, and she immediately changed the subject, inviting the trio to walk with them toward the promised restaurant. And, as promised, it was indeed nearby - just a few minutes brought the group to a restaurant promising quality food from almost any major country in the area. They weaved their way through the floor not to one of the main tables, but to a door toward the back that opened to a small but private room. "My mother, Maya Singh," Indira introduced, politely indicating an attractive woman already seated. Mrs. Singh smiled, and stood to shake hands as everyone took their seats. "We are not rich," she explained with an accent to match her husband's, "but the owner of this restaurant insists on offering us a private room after he was...helped." That last bit was accompanied by a sharp glance toward Indira, who looked suitably embarrassed. "It will allow us to talk in privacy, though my husband and I will soon leave you all alone to get to know each other."
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Dragonfly had, finally, looked up from her pad as the video played, frowning behind her helmet and tapping her pencil against the paper. underestimated size - construction? - hard to tell - 1220 won't work - can't make a power source big enough in that time - begin 1221 She flipped to a new page of paper without looking down, but didn't look back down. [bg=#555555]"Wish we knew more about...motivation. Methods. Exact process. Seems...unlikely that nanite absorption on that scale would fail very often. Mentioned earlier that she's been turned away before - so she's capable of choosing new targets when...phrase...'stakes are too high'. Assuming Gorgons are similar across realities - large assumption, mmh - could imply that Terminus-occupied Earth had threat too large to avoid, maybe. Or somehow considered...unpreservable?"[/bg]
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"It's true," Mara confirmed, nodding once. She made a jabbing motion, casually miming using her sword on something or someone. "Very satisfying. Design trade-off, though - usually not lethal, good for getting past armor, but isn't solid even if I want it to be. Goes right through most things. Scatters on things it can't. Useless for defense, parrying. Leverage." She shrugged. "Unarmed - yes. Probably best. Would be unarmed anyway if without my...mmh. 'Tin pants'"
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Mara frowned, taking a moment to consider that. "Mmh. Sort of? It's-- mmh. Just show you." Her choker flared, sending a ripple across her body that left her armor in its wake; while normally this would be immediately followed with her defenses, this time her helmet's faceplate split apart and moved out of her way. She made a fist and her 'sword' formed about an inch off the end of her knuckles, space twisting together and tinting her signature neon blue. Mara turned it around a few times to show how it moved. "Placement is more like...punching dagger? Only longer. Punching sword; would probably be impractical if it weighed anything." She shrugged, and let the sword disappear; as soon as it was gone her armor flared and vanished in the same ripple effect it had appeared in, leaving her back in her exercise clothes. "Good reach. Probably better leverage if it was positioned like a real sword, but doesn't have any mass - can't build momentum anyway, doesn't matter how hard I swing it."
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Mara blushed a little, but the corner of her mouth was still threatening to put a grin on her face. "Familiar territory then," she deadpanned. "Ancient? Makes sense. Immortals...mmh. Wonder if I'd go crazy. Crazier." She shook her head, following Ellie back toward the hub. "Remember everything. Immortality...almost wonder if it would be too many memories. Still. Would be very interesting to see world change. A lot of new science. Plus," she added, teasingly exaggerated cheer in her voice, "could put lots of toys in a cyborg or android body. Useful. Compact!"
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Mr. Singh was just this side of expressionless, focusing his stern gaze on each of the heroes in turn as if he was sizing them up or expecting them to do something strangely unique and offensive. Eventually, though, he extended his hand and gave Corbin a firm - very firm; the man was clearly much stronger than he looked, and he didn't look that weak - handshake. "I am Rishi Singh," he introduced himself, in a heavy but understandable accent, nodding to each of them in turn. "And this is Indira Singh, my daughter." She nodded politely, offering a hand toward Eve for a handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you all," she greeted, in a significantly lighter accent. And she certainly seemed sincere, if somewhat pensive and preoccupied; if her father noticed her distraction he certainly didn't show it. "Please - my mother is waiting in a restaurant not far from here. I am sure it has been a very long flight - are you hungry?"
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As soon as everyone in the shop was sufficiently distracted by the villains, the storm, and the other heroines, Mara ducked away into the nearest changing room; as she went out of view the choker at the base of her neck flared, a ripple in space itself flowing out over her body and leaving her armor in its wake. Then it was the armor's turn to flare, powering up with a soft hum rendered almost inaudible by the weather. Reality not far from the front door of the shop twisted in on itself, depositing Mara - or rather, Dragonfly - on the sidewalk. She watched the knife-wielding maniac take a swing at Willow and immediately launched a twisting, rippling distortion his way...though she wasn't quite fast enough to land the hit. Recognition came a second later. [bg=#555555]"....you guys?"[/bg] she asked, sounding more put out than anything else. [bg=#555555]"Thought you were still in prison. Where's the annoying pink one?"[/bg]
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Move Action: Duck into a changing room. Free Actions: suit up, defenses up. Move Action: Teleport outside. And hey, what the heck. SURGE: Ranged Attack Roll vs. Guy Fawkes II (blast) (1d20 + 10=21) Not enough to hit him. Ah well! HP to waive the surge fatigue. Dragonfly's suit offers her environmental protection, thankfully. Her fort save's awful!
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OOC thread for Conspiracy Theory. 'cos we're gonna need it!
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After the excitement of their last flight, the final leg to India was likely a terrible anticlimax...but boring isn't always a bad thing. Still, after nearly ten hours of peanuts, recycled air, and terrible movies the rest of the passengers certainly looked like they were ready to be on the ground and stretching their legs. That plus a little more time to get through security and claim whatever luggage they'd brought and a plane's worth of tourists and natives were stepping out into a warm but overcast Mumbai summer day. The city was busy and streets were even busier, but as fortune had it the collective of heroic envoys didn't have very far to go: right there at the sidewalk stood a tall, dour-looking man in a button-up shirt and what could only have been his daughter. Both were standing almost unnaturally still, like metal rods against the shifting tide of the crowd, but they were clearly watching the groups leaving the airport. The daughter, an attractive teenage girl in fairly conservative clothes, was holding a sign that read only: CLAREMONT.
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Dragonfly arrived, true to form, both punctually and extremely distracted - considering the stakes, if anything she was far more distracted than normal (for her, anyway; 'normal' in the true sense of the word had a bad habit of just not applying to a lot of the things she did, for better or for worse). She nodded in the direction of Murdock and Miss Americana as she entered the room, but otherwise didn't react much to her surroundings. Instead, she took a seat near the corner and slouched a bit, pulling a fairly big design pad and pencil (literally) out of nowhere. When she wasn't glancing up to watch others arrive she was tapping a finger against the pad, and when she wasn't tapping she was sketching something. Or, rather, several somethings, as every so often she'd mutter something and move to a fresh page of paper, glimpses of designs and equations visible as the pages turned.
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"Thrude?" the engineer asked, pulling her hair back and through a hair band, for however long such a thing could hope to keep unruly bangs out of her face. Clever things, bangs. "Can see that. Unfortunate. Haven't - mmh - 'looked' at his home computer. Don't know if it's in range. But he seems very impressive. Suspect he deserves more appreciation than he gets? Maybe." She took a deep breath, shifting a little to get used to the sneakers she'd put on. "Guess I'm ready. Time for torture?"
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"Interesting base," Mara complimented, awfully amused by the two-man comedy show as she followed Ellie down the corridor. "Cross-dressing artificial intelligence, brother. And your brother, I mean; not implying your brother wears dresses. Guess he could. Wouldn't judge...out loud." She shook her head, the corner of her mouth twitching into a lopsided grin. "Still. Seems...lively?" As they entered the locker room she glanced around and finally settled her eyes on the showers, entering and pulling a curtain behind her with muttered (and slightly blushing) excuses about not being tempted into anything before exercise. A minute later she was back out, having exchanged her more practical riding clothes for a dark grey tank top and matching cloth shorts.
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[bg=#555555]"Vampire escaped,"[/bg] Dragonfly informed the man, frowning. It still bothered her...but at least he didn't have female captives to 'wed'. As far as she knew, anyway. [bg=#555555]"But you should be better prepared, now. Will take him some time to recover, anyway."[/bg] She took a moment to tap a finger against her leg, trying to focus more on the problems at hand and less on the surrounding celebrations. [bg=#555555]"Would appreciate access to maps. Still need to get home somehow - would be good to have better idea of where I am. Phrase...'lay of the land'. Local features. Anyone who could help."[/bg]
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Mara took one look at the princess gown and groaned, slumping and putting one hand (the one that she hadn't quietly slid around her girlfriend's waist) to her face. "No," she insisted. "No, no. No. No princesses. Vapid, unhelpful, dead weight. Loud. Will be glad to never meet another one. Gossip for you:" she continued, taking her hand off Ellie's hip long enough to make vague and frustrated motions with both hands, like she was grabbing something the size of a basketball and squeezing. "Quirk exists. And is more annoying than advertised."
