Fox

Mara made a contented noise, leaning back into her girlfriend and semi-unconsciously tilting her head to the side for easier nuzzle access. "Say that now," she teased, carefully poking the taller girl in the calf with her foot. "Few promises for when I'm sweaty and exhausted after training." She raised an eyebrow, glancing off at nothing as a thought hit her. "Still. Probably good for me. Physical strength, flexibility. Wrestling skill. Stamina. Would be useful for many things."

Mara said nothing, other than a quiet wave when she - or, at least, 'Ema' - was introduced. Social niceties were not her forte and she knew it; that was something far better left to Miss Americana. Instead she stood behind the more socially-capable heroes, trying to look as quiet and unassuming as possible with her hands in her pockets and her glasses concealing her eyes as they took in the small apartment and the underlying code. She did, at least, try to keep that code from distracting her too much from the conversation, nodding where she felt it was appropriate.

'Gaianight' took half a step back in the middle of waving goodbye to Bay-bee, a couple small rocks pulling up off the ground before he got back his reflexes back under control. Aggressive or not, seeing a bunch of massive, massive bees flying toward you was a hell of a thing. "Ah. Um. Hello," he managed, reminding himself that they were really quite nice bees (even if they could probably snap him in half like a twig). "I'm glad you're enjoying it. Is it holding up okay? Still plenty of room for the new children?"

"Some," Dragonfly cagily admitted, chewing her lip and frowning at the recent brain scans. The subject at large seemed to make her more than a bit uncomfortable, like she was choosing her words with utmost care. "....research, I mean. Have a - vested interest - no new treatments?" She raised an eyebrow at the pair, tapping a finger against her leg. "Have seen...there are things that cause...degeneration, seemingly-spontaneous self-repair -" She gestured at scans indicating each in turn, frowning. "- but....last I knew, not...subtle. Would notice them being done to you. Or would show up in bloodwork, or require...extensive time strapped to a table. Assuming you would know about those, if they were happening, unless you had frequent blackouts to account for required time."

"Exciting because it's yours," Mara corrected, smiling a little despite herself. She managed to keep her hands in her pockets while she carefully inspected things, betraying a little more caution and curiosity than she'd have liked. "Small," she finally observed, glancing at the walls, "but...cozy. And more organized than my rooms usually are," she ruefully added, with an apologetic look in Ellie's direction. "I like it. Reminds me of you. Smells like you, even." She paused, frowning as she realized how that sounded. "...was a compliment. Like the way you smell. I do, I mean. Smells are important."

Mara blushed a little, but bit her lip and nodded, putting her hands in her pockets in the hopes of keeping them under control. The possibly vain hope, but she tried to keep reminding herself that they didn't have as much privacy as they were used to. too used to living alone "The living space of the standard American teenage girl," she wryly commented, with a tone dangerously close to nervous joviality. "Well. Not standard. Above-standard, and unusual. Still - should be...word. Entertaining. Interesting."

Shaking his head, Tarrant chuckled and led the way back through his tunnel (Hm. I need to remember to fix that up sooner rather than later. I'm pretty sure I ate out part of the second-floor supports there....) toward the heavy front gate and Stesha's throne. "I wouldn't mind a good meal, if it's not too much of a bother," he agreed as they walked, rolling a shoulder and wincing. "Moving that much rock is...I don't know, energizing - thrilling, maybe - but after the joy wears off you realize it takes a lot out of you. Heh - after I made the bee hive, I slept for almost two days straight - breaks pretty much just for teaching and eating. I think half my students thought I was drunk or off depressing medication, or something."

'Ema' made her way off the elevator a bit faster than was strictly necessary; she'd been awfully glad for the long coat and sunglasses. The latter, especially: they weren't as good as her visor for hiding her face, but they did a fair job hiding her rather profound discomfort until she could get moving again. "Hate crowded elevators...." she muttered. "Shouldn't be that many people in a closed space. Ever. For any reason." She adjusted her coat and tried to keep her mind off the sheer number of people the city seemed to hold. Instead she pulled her shades down a bit, glancing around the corridor with a critical, dark blue eye. "Looks...almost like something I'd design. Steel and long glowing lights, I mean. Not really a compliment for interior decorating, I think. But simple and efficient. Could be worse."

Mara was looking awfully tempted to do something else, herself, but she shot a quick look down the stairs as she remembered that there were still other people in the house. Somewhere. Where maybe they wouldn't be able to hear anything if care was taken to keep silent.... no - no no - likely a bad idea - not thinking straight - stupid biology She took a deep breath - and nearly regretted it, pulled as close to Ellie as she was - and slung her arms around the taller girl's waist. "Seem...like a good family. Interesting to see a good family up close, really. Enlightening. Good for...perspective."

Simple, clean, and uncomplicated. I like it.

Whoo. Fun time: 15pp to spend. Time to put Dragonfly in that power suit, a little ahead of schedule! 'cos I'm impatient, and Shaen's space thread scares me. Some fluff changes to reflect the change in costume, as well as general character growth (and a couple nit-picky things correcting my own writing style). Also some formatting changes (mostly capitalization) for legibility and to annoy Shaen in our continuing tug-of-war. Dragonfly's resources are running lower, as she has no real income (and making and maintaining the suit is a decent increase in her expenses): she loses Benefit (Wealth) to reflect having to be a little more careful about what she spends and where until ongoing plans bear fruit. The visor device gets dropped, refunding 4pp; this, the 1pp from the dropped feat, and the 15pp yet unspent all get fed into the gauntlets to turn them into a full-blown power suit. It has the powers her gauntlets and visor had before, with the following changes: - Her protection has been split between a Force Field and the actual Protection power. - She picks up Immunity 9 (Life Support). - She picks up Improvised Tools as an enhanced feat. - She gets a new (and dynamic) array representing her axillary power system, which can be directed toward flight (up to Flight 4) or boosted strength (up to Super-Strength 4). Suit below, for ease of checking: Full sheet: [floatr][img=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/b/b0/DragonflyHF.png][/floatr] [b][u]Player Name[/u]:[/b] Fox [b][u]Character Name[/u]:[/b] Dragonfly [b][u]Power Level[/u]:[/b] 11 (160/160pp) [b][u]Trade-Offs[/u]:[/b] +2 Defense / -2 Toughness [b][u]Unspent pp[/u]:[/b] 0 [b][u]Progress to Silver[/u]:[/b] 55/60 [b][u]In Brief[/u]:[/b] Bitter young genius out to apply her mind on [i]her[/i] terms, and no one else's. [b][u]Alternate Identity[/u]:[/b] Mara Hallomen [b][u]Identity[/u]:[/b] Secret [b][u]Birthplace[/u]:[/b] France (Dual-Citizenship, French/American) [b][u]Occupation[/u]:[/b] Full-Time Inventor/Superhero [b][u]Affiliations[/u]:[/b] Ironclad, Jill O'Cure, The Lab [b][u]Family[/u]:[/b] Alexander "Hollow Man: Hallomen (Father) [b][u]Age[/u]:[/b] 19 (DoB: December 1991) [b][u]Gender[/u]:[/b] Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u]:[/b] Caucasian [b][u]Height[/u]:[/b] 5'5" [b][u]Weight[/u]:[/b] "I can build death rays, you know." [b][u]Eyes[/u]:[/b] Dark Blue [b][u]Hair[/u]:[/b] Dirty Blonde [b][u]Description[/u]:[/b] On the short side, slim and modestly proportioned but not exactly muscular, Mara tends to take just enough care of herself to maintain her shape and stay alive, but not much else. She nearly always looks a little strung-out, hair disheveled and eyes tired, like she doesn't sleep well (which she doesn't) or spends long stretches distracted by some project or idea to the neglect of all else (which she does). Her clothing is simple, practical, and subdued in color (shades of gray and black being popular, dark reds, blues, and purples being runners-up). Makeup is practically a foreign concept. Her power suit is built to be sleek and afford her full range of motion, colored in greys and gunmetal blacks with neon blue highlights. The gauntlets are, relative to the rest of the outfit, bulkier and have plating that can shift and rearrange for the task at hand, including deploying a number of small tools; the back of the suit carries a smooth 'backpack'-like piece that extends four short articulated nodes to generate and control her wings in flight. Various parts of the suit, most notably the helmet, can be commanded to pull back or fold away for convenience (though this may, of course, invalidate the suit's life support functions, and there are safeties in place to try to avoid that happening). [b][u]Power Descriptions[/u]:[/b] When Dragonfly's Datalink is active small lights 'dance' behind her eyes; this effect is not very bright, but is highly piercing (being subtly noticeable even under her visor, which obscures most of her features). Failed attempts to penetrate her Mental Immunity are met with psychic "static," resistance, and unintelligible echoes of her multiple running thoughts. Her technology-based spatial effects typically manifest as shifting, churning distortions or fragmented space. Some effects are tinted the same distinct neon blue her suit (especially at the gauntlets) emits at the seams and glasswork when charged. In flight the suit creates four thin wings of that same neon blue-tinted energy which leave a soft trail behind her: they are insubstantial, if tingly, to the touch and designed to look like stylized and blade-like dragonfly wings (though they do not flap, but can and do adjust position for in-flight control). [b][u]History[/u]:[/b] In certain parts of the underworld you don't buy or sell weapons without knowing the name Hallomen. Word is that for the right price he can get you anything: designer drugs like Max or Zoom, the very latest in illegal technology, and even, once in a rare while – if you can afford it – gadgets from caught supervillains that got 'lost' on their way to the incinerators or science labs. From the back alleys to high-class black market auctions, he supplies whole armies if the price is right and by luck, bribes, and exceptional planning he never seems to get caught; those who've dealt with him jokingly call him the “Hollow Man†(through rarely to his face) in honor of how the police raid into his storehouses and labs to find empty – 'hollow' – rooms. What customers only very rarely know is where most of the new and custom items came from. Hallomen is a cold and ruthless man but a man none the less, and around the turn of the 20th century had a short tryst with a villainess and frequent buyer. He was completely uninterested in the child she bore (what use did he have for a wailing, disgusting baby?) until several years later, when he got word that the child was displaying superhuman traits – signs of high intelligence (for a child of that age) and her mother's ability to control computers by thought alone. Now and only now was the girl useful to him and when the mother was killed (something he calmly claims he had nothing to do with, of course) the daughter fell into his care. Little Mara Hallomen was indeed predicted to be brilliant when she grew older but that simply wouldn't be enough (or soon enough) for the Hollow Man – no, anything good can be made better. He invested considerable resources into her 'education', and so it was that young Mara grew up all but alone in a barely-staffed lab, under a constant regimen of 'vitamins' and 'medicine', supplied with a never-ending stream of knowledge and information; her only human contact was a rare visit from her father, a scant few researchers or guards, and the occasional empath or psychic paid to enhance her mind in ways conventional science could not. Even this was cold comfort, however, as anyone who set foot in the building was under strict orders not to talk to Mara unless absolutely necessary so she could concentrate on her real purpose: designing new and improved tools of crime. From death rays to personal teleporters to battlesuits, she made them all. Old-school and cutting-edge, energy to gravity to good old bullets, she designed a veritable panoply and Hallomen made money hand over fist. Kept docile, driven, and borderline insane as an intended side-effect of her constant "health treatments," the only thing her father could never have predicted was the net effect it was taking on her mind: redundant and parallel in some places, warped and enhanced in others, bit by bit her brain was growing resistant to outside influence. The older she got the more treatment she underwent and the more treatment she underwent the more resistant she became; the more resistant she became the more disquieting her life seemed. Finally, near her 18th birthday, she was resting in what passed for her private room when a lone dragonfly wandered its way through the barred window and caught her eye. To anyone else it wouldn't even have been a remarkable specimen of a dragonfly, but to her the darting little bug was the most beautiful thing in the world: free. Then and there she made up her mind to be as free as the dragonfly was: to escape and feel the wind under her metaphorical wings. Less than a month later, the guards came to wake her and found the room empty, the majority of her research and designs completely destroyed, and a very large sum vanished from her father's own personal bank account. She's managed to stay a step ahead of her father and his goons ever since, figuring Freedom City and its relatively high hero count to be the perfect place to hide out…and test some new designs on her own terms. [b][u]Personality & Motivation[/u]:[/b] Mara's more than a little bitter about not having had much of a childhood, and not amazingly socially skilled (which she typically deals with using snark and mistrust). When presented with a puzzle or new idea to build she's energized and almost manic as her brain kicks into gear to solve the task at hand. She's very intelligent and highly rational, but a combination of chronic bad sleep and frequent headaches (both side-effects of her altered brain and assorted substances that are even now still washing out of her system) can make her snide and irate. Given her life so far, she has a fairly intense dislike of criminals. She's softer at heart than she'd ever admit, having an especially strong drive to aid children, but by and large she's more driven by the victimizers than their victims. It's occurred to her that she could accomplish many of her goals by villainy (at the very least as the sort of villain who hunts other villains as often as they break the law), but believes heroism's just more rational – being strictly on the hero side of things provides more advantages than disadvantages...not to mention helps her sleep a little easier, particularly if she gets her own creations off the streets. [b][u]Powers & Tactics[/u]:[/b] Mara dabbles in many areas of technology but most of her combat tech is based on spatial distortions, something she developed under her father's thumb but didn't work the kinks out of until she'd escaped. Her devices, her gauntlets especially, are built to warp and fold space to provide any number of effects. Her Datalink power she finds useful, but more for utility than combat; her mind's resistance to outside influence is something she tries to keep well-hidden as her ace in the hole against manipulation. When given half a chance she plans her battles quickly and efficiently, well aware that she relies on her devices and that those devices have limits. Against an obviously inferior foe she might be careless, but against anything or anyone challenging she is methodical and deliberate, striking when she'll have the upper hand and analyzing the situation for any advantage. [hr][/hr] [b][u]Complications[/u]:[/b] [b]Enemy:[/b] The Hollow Man. When she left she dealt a huge (if sadly not crippling) blow to her father's business, not to mention the very large sum of money she took with her. He wants her back, preferably in good condition, though the longer he has to pretend that the key to his most popular items has vanished the more and more flexible he gets as long as she's alive and her head's in one piece. [b]Hatred:[/b] People taking advantage of children, anyone using the creations she thought up, and to a lesser extent organized crime or high-end weapons dealers. [b]Legacy:[/b] Against her best efforts, some of her creations are still being made here and there, and there are still quite a number of older designs floating around through the underworld. Anyone savvy enough, or connected enough, can link this (often quite lethal or empowering) technology to her. [b]Relationship:[/b] With [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2517#Jill]Jill O'Cure[/url]. [b]Secret:[/b] Identity. [b]Side-Effects:[/b] Powerful depressants and some other compounds (like Zombie Powder) react badly with chemicals and conditioning still in Dragonfly's system; depending on the dosage used she'll range from being slightly neurotic (as her sense of identity fights the old conditioning) up to complete if temporary regression to a happy and disturbing little worker bee that almost mindlessly devours any technical projects put in front of her. [b]HUD:[/b] The power suit device communicates most of its Super-Sense powers through Dragonfly's normal senses, and thus may be lost to the appropriate dazzle or similar sense-impairing attack (eg, all visual senses and Uncanny Dodge are lost when visually dazzled; radio signals cannot be 'heard' if deaf; etc). [b][u]Abilities[/u]:[/b] 0 + 4 + 0 + 14 + 2 + 2 = 22pp Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 10 (+0) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 12 (+1) [b][u]Combat[/u]:[/b] 8 + 8 = 16pp Initiative: +7 Attack: +4, +10 Spatial Control Grapple: +8/+4 Defense: +12/+4 (+4 Base, +8 Shield), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4/-0 [b][u]Saving Throws[/u]:[/b] 5 + 4 + 6 = 15pp Toughness: +8/+5/+0 (+0 Con, +5 Protection, +3 Force Field) Fortitude: +5 (+0 Con, +5) Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will: +7 (+1 Wis, +6) [b][u]Skills[/u]:[/b] 84r = 21pp Computers 8 (+15)[sup]SM[/sup] Concentration 4 (+5) Craft (Electronic) 10 (+17)[sup]SM[/sup] Craft (Mechanical) 10 (+17)[sup]SM[/sup] Disable Device 8 (+15) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 10 (+17) Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+15) Languages 4 (English [Native], French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish) Notice 4 (+5)[sup]SM[/sup] Perform (Stringed Instruments) 9 (+10, +12 Masterwork Instruments) Sense Motive 9 (+10) [b][u]Feats[/u]:[/b] 13pp Ambidexterity Eidetic Memory Equipment 4 (20ep) Fearless Inventor Luck Master Plan Online Research Skill Mastery (Computers, Craft [Electronic], Craft [Mechanical], Notice) Speed of Thought [quote name="Equipment 5pp = 20ep"] Masterwork Double Bass [1ep] Masterwork Violin [1ep] Multitool [1ep] The Lab (HQ, 1pp contributed to [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4400]The Lab[/url]) [5ep] [u]Warehouse (PL10 HQ)[/u] [12ep] [device][i]An outwardly-unremarkable warehouse tucked away in Greenbank, no local gangs or criminals seem to want to talk about it. Funny, that....[/i] Size: Medium [1ep] Toughness: +10 [1ep] Features: [10ep] Concealed (+10 DC) Computer Defense System (Attack +11, Blast 11) Fire Prevention System Garage Laboratory Living Space Power System Security System (DC20) Workshop[/device][/quote] [b][u]Powers[/u]:[/b] 2 + 61 + 6 + 4 = 73pp [b]Datalink 2 ([/b]Mental, 100ft[b])[/b] (Mutation) [2pp] [b]Device 15 ([/b]75pp Container, [i]Flaws:[/i] Hard-To-Lose, [i]Feats:[/i] Restricted [Datalink][b])[/b] (powersuit, technology) [61pp] [i]A high-tech armored suit capable of warping space to various effects. It requires Datalink to be properly piloted.[/i] [device][b]Aux. Power Array 4 ([/b]8pp Array; [i]Feats:[/i] Dynamic Base Power, Dynamic Alternate Power[b])[/b] [11pp] [list][u]DBP[/u]: [b]Flight 4 ([/b]100mph / 1,000ft per Move Action[b])[/b] (aux. power allocation: flight) [8/8] [u]DAP[/u]: [b]Super-Strength 4 ([/b]+20 STR: 1,600lb heavy load[b])[/b] (aux. power allocation: strength) [8/8][/list] [b]Force Field 3 ([/b][i]Feats:[/i] Selective[b])[/b] (spatial) [4pp] [b]Enhanced Feat 1 ([/b]Improvised Tools[b])[/b] [1pp] [b]Immunity 9 ([/b]Life Support[b])[/b] [9pp] [b]Protection 5[/b] (armor plating) [5pp] [b]Shield 8 ([/b][i]Feats:[/i] Evasion 2[b])[/b] (spatial) [10pp] [b]Spatial Control 10 ([/b]20pp Array; [i]Feats:[/i] Accurate 3, Alternate Power 3, Precise[b])[/b] (spatial unless otherwise noted) [27pp] [list][u]BP[/u]: [b]Blast 10 ([/b]10 100ft Range Increments / 1,000ft Max Range[b])[/b] [20/20] [u]AP[/u]: [b]Damage 10 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Penetrating [DMG 20][b])[/b] (spatial blade) [20/20] [u]AP[/u]: [b]Dimensional Pocket 9 ([/b][i]Feats:[/i] Progression [Cargo] 1 [50 tons], Quick Change[b])[/b] [20/20] [u]AP[/u]: [b]Stun 10[/b] (electricity, taser hand) [20/20][/list] [b]Super-Senses 5 ([/b]All Visual Senses [[i]Extras:[/i] Analytical], Infravision, Radio, Uncanny Dodge [Radio][b])[/b] [5pp] [b]Teleport 1 ([/b]100ft per Move Action, [i]Feats:[/i] Turnabout[b])[/b] (spatial) [3pp][/device] [b]Immunity 10 ([/b]Mental Effects, [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [1/2 Effect], [i]Feats:[/i] Innate[b])[/b] [6pp] [b]Quickness 6 ([/b]x100, [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Mental Tasks], [i]Feats:[/i] Innate[b])[/b] [4pp] [b][u]DC Block[/u]:[/b] [code]ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Dimensional Pocket Touch DC19 Reflex Trapped DC19 Will (+1 per round) Escape Spatial Blade Touch DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Spatial Blast Ranged DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Taser Hand Touch DC20 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Abilities (22) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (21) + Feats (13) + Powers (73) - Drawbacks (0) = 160/160 Power Points Edits done by Geez3r

A very brief, slightly impish smile flashed across Mara's face and she paused for a moment at the top of the stairs without letting go of Ellie's hand. "'Exceptional taste.' Yes," she deadpanned, "you do," and leaned up to steal a quick kiss. And then licked her own lips a little, blushing. "Revenge for the foot," she noted with mock scolding. "And the...mental images. Of sweating. Very pleasant, but very distracting. Owe you for that, later. Threat and a promise."

Looking surprised, Mara let herself be pulled to her feet and out of the room, glancing back at Erik and Gina with a mixture of apology at her sudden exit and general helpless confusion. "'Menu selection,'" she echoed, shaking her head. "Everything? Surprised most of that didn't end up going bad." She paused, nervously adding, "I...like your family. They're nice. And I'm glad they...approve." could be misleading? - no - paranoid - disregard - trust them - and would likely have noticed something "Hard to express - should have been born with ability to link to people, not computers. Would be so much easier. For communicating, I mean. On a computer too often; using a keyboard all the time would suck."

Tarrant nodded, his amusement back under control as his worry faded (and as there was no more giant bee bottom sticking out from one of his new walls). "Miss Fleur's right. If you were unlucky you might end up stuck when she and I aren't here, and then you might get seriously hurt, or trapped until one of us happened to stop by. We'd be very sad if something bad happened to you just because you wanted to explore!" He shook his head, but smiled. "You're a lot of fun to have around, Bay-bee, and I enjoy watching you look around...but you've gotta be more careful."

Dragonfly - Ema, she reminded herself - frowned as she was distracted from furrowing her brow at the nonexistent skyline and followed Miss Americana's (Mary's) gaze to the mutant-warning poster. "Don't remember it being mentioned," she agreed, tilting her head. "Is....concerning." She shot a glance at Miss Americana. rampant fear - bad sign for Sharl's future acceptance - singular or distributed source? "Mutations could be normal...or could be introduced by subtle system glitches. Possibly victims, either way. Frequent enough occurrence to require a poster is...very concerning. Also possibly a reflection of public danger or fear-based discrimination. Or both."

Dragonfly took a deep breath, centered herself, and stepped through the door. True to Miss Americana's warnings, Tronik took some...adjusting. There was data, certainly, but at first it didn't quite snap into shape - glitchy-seeming ghosts of shapes swam in her vision as dissonant sounds played in her head. Before too long, though, the world started sliding into place: colors shifted back into the normal ranges, visual information sorted itself back out into edges and planes, and her ears started to sift sense out of the city noises. Even the ground under her feet felt normal again, though for half a moment her brain was near-certain that 'down' was up and to the left. She shook her head, trying to clear out the last of the confusion. "Hate new systems," she muttered, frowning at the texture of the ground's surface, which was rapidly shifting in depth as whatever part of her brain handled these things sorted out the details of how her surroundings were supposed to work. "Still. Well-designed. And lucky. First experience with Linux gave me synesthesia. You two adjusting okay?"

Dragonfly glanced around, quietly reveling in the raw data flowing around her - flowing around them, she corrected, remembering that for the first time she wasn't alone in her computer-diving. Still, it wasn't something she'd done anytime recently and she'd almost forgotten how...alive it felt, the silent thrill and the all-consuming roar of pure, unfiltered information. It took a lot of willpower to not just reach out and mess with passing streams, to grab and inspect them for hidden gems like encryption keys or a few thousand bytes of a whispered secret. Instead she put her hands in her pants pockets; a mostly symbolic gesture, but a gesture none the less, and something to keep her curiosity mostly under control until they arrived.

Snorting a little, Tarrant was caught between pent-up concern and the very strong urge to laugh. He settled for shaking his head and trying to keep a straight face. "Hey! Hey, hold still, Bay-bee. I don't know how in the world you even...." He placed a hand on the young bee's back, placing the other against the wall and having it flow outward and away from the poor insect's neck. Head. I really have no idea how bee anatomy works. The process was a lot like making the tunnel here had been, but clearly a lot more careful - a young giant bee was still a giant bee, and he didn't really want to experience a pony-sized sting.

Tarrant's head shot up and turned toward the noise, instantly serious. That's a very good question. Most of the hallways aren't really designed for bees, so they don't head directly back that way from here - the central courtyard might work but that's still too round-about of a way to--no, screw it. I can fix it up later. He simply turned toward where the noise had come from, and quickly walked forward...with complete disregard for the walls in his way. Not that they, natural stone to the last, could stop him any more than a thick forest could stop Stesha: every time he reached a wall it pulled out of his way, blocks rearranging, reshaping, or just dissolving as he came close. Behind the pair of them the humans left a long, almost perfectly round tunnel as if some giant worm had eaten away the shortest path between where they'd stood to the bees' rooms.

Dragonfly The City of the Future (28) Fun in the Sun (11) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (40) One Out of All Things (11) Russian Reactors are Reliable (7) Second Opinion (12) 28+11+40+11+7+12= 109 posts Gaian Knight Falling and Forgetting to Land (27) Room for Rent: Spacious, Good View (25) 27+25= 52 posts

"Dangerous, anyway," Dragonfly dryly threw in as her two cents, yawning and belatedly untying a bit of cord she'd been using to keep her hair out of her face while soldering. "With free will, no guarantees the AI will help or trust you. Without free will...would hesitate to call it sentient. Or humane. Not much middle ground." She paused mid-step as she realized who Miss Americana's guest was, head pulling back a bit as she realized this was perhaps a hair more unusual a 'consultation' than she'd expected...and she'd been expecting something fairly unusual. Miss Americana was a more than capable engineer and programmer, after all. She quickly glanced between Archeville and Miss Americana, and then over at the wall screen featuring the brain scans. That certainly got the lion's share of her attention, moreso even than the presence of the Doctor: for nearly a full minute she stood still glancing up and down the wall of images, her head tilting so far to the side it was a wonder it didn't swing around in a full circle. ".....I've seen worse," she said at last, glancing back at the pair. She didn't sound awfully confident about it. "....I think. Very...unusual?"

Tarrant chuckled. "Absolutely - the stonework's about finished, unless I decide to change something later. Like, ah, bigger cubbyholes - I left some room in the wall to expand it just in case, but...a year, you said? That kind of makes me wonder what their, ah, life span is like. Though it seems like it'd be a little crass to ask them." He led her up and through the front doors - huge and stone, not wood, and he'd almost certainly cheated to keep them from breaking their own hinges when they moved. "Not," he explained, chuckling, "that I intend to keep them closed much. Probably only in the winter...if it gets too cold I can shut them and use the smaller entrances, with the much lighter doors."

Tarrant chuckled. "I know the feeling. That's the terrible thing about...specialized domains, if you will." He rolled a shoulder, still a little stiff. "You and I can be really good at something - you, ah, a little bit more than me, I think - but all we have is the one thing. Some practice lets you get good mileage out of it, but everything has limi-" He blinked. "Ah. Er." He blinked, and his nose twitched. "Bee room. Far side, Miss Bay-bee," he offered, pointing. "They're the ones with the really big doorways - and there's a little cubbyhole just for you." He somehow managed to wait until Bay-bee was gone before sneezing, ruefully rubbing his nose. He couldn't help but smile, though. "Well - 'little'," he said, glancing at Stesha. "As giant, pollen-covered bees would measure it."

Dragonfly sighed, laid herself out flat, and closed her eyes. see if I can remember how to do this on the first try - really need more practice - slacking She took a deep breath, and her devices hummed as they powered down. Her manifestation inside Sharl's room was a bit stuttering at first, but after a moment she solidified as...herself. Or, at least, a more abstract version of herself: clothes a little more stylized, equipment pared down to free-floating steel plates and solid light constructs. Not that she intended to stay that way - a glance at Miss Americana and her avatar rearranged itself, changing to a short, lithe young woman with dark hair pulled back into maybe an inch of ponytail. She raised an eyebrow over her black, nonreflective glasses and picked at her trenchcoat a bit. "Prefer shorter jackets. But didn't want to break the theme."

"What?" Dragonfly blinked, sitting up straight from the circuitry she'd been working on and glancing toward the intercom. odd - not usually interrupted this late - not usually anyone to interrupt - unusual - worth investigating? She put her tools down and stretched a little, lights dancing behind her eyes as she glanced around for her gauntlets. "Still around," her voice came back over the intercom, with that odd reverb that usually meant she couldn't be bothered to use the physical interface. She yawned a little, glancing at the clock. didn't think I'd been here that long "Odd request. Could take a look - your office?"