Fox

Mara smiled at the compliments but shook her head a little. "Not finished. Easy to use but can...misbehave. Piping needs to be redesigned, features finished. Lower priority. The motorcycle...." She started the bike up, slowly bringing it out of the warehouse and onto the street, garage door sliding back into place and locking behind them. "Worse ways to get around than fast, free, and your girlfriend clinging to you," she agreed with unusual cheerfulness, starting off toward Claremont.

Snorting, Mara grabbed her jacket off a nearby bench and tossed Ellie a helmet, pulling her hair back before bringing her own helmet down over her head. "Sure. If you want to spoil the fun. Without...phrase. Trespassing in God's domain, what's the point?" She swung a leg over the bike, lights dancing behind her eyes; the garage door rattled as it pulled to the side and above them whirring noises could be heard as the security system armed itself. "Still. Suppose it's best to prevent robocalypses. Coffee maker's stubborn enough without union membership and backing."

Dragonfly frowned back at the scene of the battle as her motorcycle unfolded out of thin air under her hands. "Think...I'll be okay," she assured the odd robot. She'd certainly felt worse, at least.... "Some injured here, but none critically that I can see. Had to...neutralize some sailors on approach, and Daedalus and Miss Americana fought each other unconscious. Daedalus is being attended to, however, and am transporting Miss Americana back to the Lab myself, and will see to her...mmh. Health and safety." technically

Mara made a grumbling noise, pulling some hair back behind an ear as she headed for her motorcycle's place of honor on the warehouse garage floor. "Probably," she finally admitted. "Don't have to...don't get any income, under no obligation to show up every day. Still. At least one project that I should finish, and someone wanted me to look at an AI they're....'cultivating like a flower'. 'With thorns.'" She actually paused in pulling off the bike's protective cover to make air quotes, pulling a face and clearly not knowing what that was supposed to mean.

JEWEL WASP (the Dragonfly of Anti-Earth)[floatr][/floatr] In the universe that holds Anti-Earth, life proceeded much the same as it did here for young Mara Hallomen: her father killed her mother and stole the young child for himself, to raise and have experimented on for greater intellect in the hopes of growing his arms-dealing empire. Unfortunately for him, that is where the similarities end. While Mara-Prime's mind rebelled and grew resistant to the poison fed to it by empaths alongside more literal scarring from intelligence-boosting treatments, the psychic touch and physical alterations to Anti-Mara's mind fed something...dark and ruthless. By her mid teens she was a cold and rational creature, strikingly intelligent and difficult to control. Though she was also sharp-witted, and by the time anyone realized the danger she posed, it was entirely too late...when she'd manipulated circumstances to her liking and had sufficiently prepared, she struck. Like the insect she later took a name after her sting was swift, precise, and brutal. And, too, like that insect her new empire was born from the corpse of the old one - her father's resources became her resources, his contacts her contacts and his people her people. Well, those who didn't (temporarily) escape or join her father's body in the bay, anyway. Now at not even twenty she's earned respect and fear as a ruthless but reliable inventor and arms dealer. She has no interest in grand villainy or ruling anything outside her private business and the people involved; instead, she'll sell you whatever you need to get your villainy done, stock or custom, at what she assures you is a very reasonable price. For a modest additional fee, she won't also sell to the person you're inflicting your villainy on.... ----------- I'm actually not entirely sure how I'd build Jewel Wasp's sheet. She's not really a do-it-yourselfer, because that's what she has people (and money to hire contractors like Fade) for. She's not quite as smart as Dragonfly is, having spent less time having her head monkeyed with, but her social skills would be leagues better and she'd be highly charismatic. More attractive, too - Dragonfly's mother was a knockout and Jewel Wasp has spent less time hungry or under-rested, not to mention less time having her brain and body chemistry screwed with, so she'd be taller and a bit more shapely. Which isn't to say she's personally defenseless. She almost certainly has a meta-human bodyguard or two at all times, and she is an intelligent and capable inventor in her own right. Someone trying to corner her in a one-on-one fight would do well to realize that her power suit is...a powersuit, as comfortable and sleek as a normal suit but loaded with technology to protect herself and punish anyone who needs punishing. Personality-wise she's intelligent, cunning, ruthless, and reasonably charismatic. Charismatic within the limits of her other personality traits, anyway: she doesn't play coy and she doesn't seduce, because she considers both of them beneath her. She tends to be fairly dominating, very much enjoying being the boss in every aspect of life she can (which is most); she doesn't take orders well, and if you push that too far she'll find some way to get back at you, for her own pride if nothing else. Oddly, she's fairly trustworthy (to the letter of her word): she's a businesswoman, first and foremost, even if she's one without morals. If she broke her word all the time, to anybody, nobody would trust her to keep her word to them and that's just bad for her bottom line. If you're on her good side and she tells you something will work, it will work. If she sells you information or a weapon, it'll be reliable as long as she has no good reason to betray you (or a preexisting contract to betray you - first come, first served!). If you try to screw her over or truly work at getting on her bad side, though, you may find that the next time you get into a fight your enemies will have exactly the right weapon or armor to counter whatever you last bought, or maybe that those weapons you gave to your minions all mysteriously explode or break down for no reason at the worst possible moment. But as long as she's respected and your money's good, she'll find or create (or have her people find or create) exactly what you need for your latest diabolical plan, from weapons to armor to secrets to drugs to nullifiers. If it exists and can be bought, sold, or manufactured she can find a way...for the right price.

Dragonfly sat back, letting out a held breath as she heard the radio chatter over her visor. She glanced over at Miss Americana's prone body and winced, though; hauling herself back up onto her feet, she made her way over and did her best to assure anyone and everyone showing up to help that she had things under control, and Daedalus probably needed her help more than the more shapely paragon did.... As soon as no one was looking Dragonfly pulled the robot into her storage. should probably put this somewhere safe until she - probably a she? - can take care of it Any other day she'd have been awfully tempted to poke around it with datalink or a noninvasive tool...but right now she was starving, tired, and she was pretty sure her own sweat was pooling at the feet of the hazmat suit. "I...am gross," she tiredly announced over the still-active intercom, looking out at the writhing mass of starfish. "And tired. And hungry. Going to see to Miss Americana's...safety, make sure hazard teams know how nullifier works, shower. Play bass. Eat. Call girlfriend. Not in that order."

"Work ethic," came the immediate reply, accompanied by a raised eyebrow. "Desire to see things through. Friends, maybe. Stubborn determination." Mara shrugged, draining the last dregs from her coffee mug and setting it down on her plate, hopping off the counter to deposit them near the sink for later washing. "Attractive qualities," she added, stepping in toward Ellie for a moment for a quick kiss. "And probably ones good for success. Hopefully, anyway. Not for making life easy. But good for succeeding."

Mara was content to eat breakfast with her girlfriend in peace for a little bit, or at least until the silence in the warehouse started eating away at her attention span. odd - never used to do that - company makes the difference? - something to get used to - worth it "....so," she lightly coughed, taking a sip of coffee. "Graduation...soon? I think. Don't know if I've looked up school schedules. Summer?"

Dragonfly was making rather profound use of a very broad, multi-lingual vocabulary as she scrambled for the nullifier before it could manage to get itself damaged. would be just our luck - find a spot - no - no - no - there - feet are too slow - predictable - move Her eyes settled on a spot that her visor told her was about as close to the thing's center of mass as she was going to manage without actually walking on it; a thought later space turned inside out and deposited her where she wanted to be. As fast as she could she had the thing set upright and the cover pulled off. Were she a pithier hero she'd probably have had an excellent one-liner about brain mass or viruses or Grue; she had to make do with a fairly colorful epithet questioning the Mind's dubious maternal ancestry as she grabbed the center switch and twisted. had better work, she reflected as she watched the device hum to life. fairly sure odds are against us - phrase - "'when', not 'if'"

"Mmh?" Mara blinked, glancing back at her shelves. "Mmh. Isn't. ...usually. Meant intentional destruction. By me." She frowned, looking at assorted half-finished projects, though at least those were outnumbered by larger machines that'd been stripped for parts. "Would mostly just...fizzle. Spark, burn out, do nothing...try not to keep power sources in anything dangerous. Coffee maker's...a minor exception. Steam pressure. Working on that. Should probably disconnect the yellow button, for now." "Those," she continued, gesturing at an array of items and similar-looking silver or black cases arranged on a shelf just for them (and in a suspiciously tidy manner), "are major exceptions. Would take explaining we're...saving for later. Mostly awaiting being broken down or destroyed. Usually dangerous. Best left alone."

Snagging a piece of toast, Mara nibbled on it while her brain turned that one over. "No. Probably not. Politics...something I'm glad I missed. Sorry. Should have thought of it." She frowned, thoughtfully, and added, "Could drop you off nearby...minimize chances of gossip. Welcome to borrow anything you like, of course. Clothing, I mean. Not..." She gestured vaguely at the warehouse's shelves and benches full of widgets and whatnots. "Maybe best if you ask first, for those. Don't always do what they look like they do. Not always finished. Some just awaiting destruction."

"Necessary, sometimes, too," Dragonfly noted, sipping a drink she'd snagged while everyone was getting up and sitting down. "Some kinds of crimefighting are...cheaper than others. Normal people or people who build powers -" - she held up a gauntlet to underline the point - "- have to pay somehow. Not always lucky enough to win lotteries or have family wealth. Can keep costs down, but eventually have to find income from somewhere ethical."

Mara blushed, biting her lip a little and shifting on the counter as the ghost of a smile came back. "Is...very nice to hear. Shouldn't have worried about it, but couldn't help it. Feelings...have a fairly good idea. I think. May need reminding soon," she added wistfully, before going serious again and shaking her head. "And....is okay. Needed to come out anyway; really is something you deserve to know. Later, then. Without daily commitments or...emotional roller coasters, even if they lead to wonderful things."

Dragonfly made a snorting sound, like a tired laugh she didn't really have the heart or energy to spare to finish. "Psychic signal's stronger here. Inverse square law, maybe. Not influencing my actions, but have permission to drop me into the ocean if it does. Trying to offer me my...significant other, if I destroy you. Spark jealousy." She fired a shockwave at the sailors below, less to actually hurt someone and more to provide Miss Americana and herself with covering fire as they got closer. "Don't think it thought that through. Only thing between me and what matters most is it. Think I'm even angrier than before it brought it up."

Her face fell, but at least Mara didn't panic again - having things more or less out in the open made all the difference. She hesitated, though, and her hands tightened around her mug while she bit her lip and turned things over in her mind. "Don't...want to. Necessarily. But should. Especially if it becomes a...problem. And deserve to know anyway." She sighed, pulling herself up to sit on the counter. "Not...sure where to start. Long version? Short version? Questions?"

Mara almost lost herself in the warm comfort of her shower - the shower she'd had to install and lay piping for herself, she remembered with no small satisfaction - but the delicious smell of fresh coffee wafting up from the kitchen snapped her out of it and she finished the rest of her shower as quickly as she could, drying off and wriggling into the first clean jeans and t-shirt she could lay hands on to make her way downstairs before the food had to sit around for too long. Still quietly humming, she didn't really talk - for the moment, she seemed awfully happy to just hold a cup of warm caffeine and enjoy what was clearly the best morning she'd had in...ever.

"Have a lot of libido to catch up with," Mara defended, grumbling. There wasn't much ire in her voice, though, and she kicked the pants back off on her way toward the bedroom bathroom. "And still older than you," she added, poking Ellie in the side as she passed. "Would have showered when I got back, anyway. Mmh. Fine. Coffee's near the machine, easy to use. Custom design, but meant to be started while groggy." She paused, blinked, and stuck her head back out the bathroom door, half-dressed and gesturing with one hand. "Mmh! Don't push the yellow button, though. Not...a finished feature. Would probably blow a valve." The head disappeared again, and she could be heard humming to herself as she started the water.

Mara reflexively checked her computer for the time, making a small grumbling noise at what was, for her, an ungodly hour of the morning. The noise she made when she spotted Ellie coming out of her shower in a towel was considerably less distressed, though, and as the night's events came back to her she briefly regretted not having had such an awful headache on the weekend. or a Friday - maximize time - later maybe "Mmh," she articulated, apparently just taking a moment to enjoy the morning sight. "G'morning." Eventually, sadly, she had to leave the warm comfort of her sheets behind and dig out some clean clothes...but not before sliding close to Ellie and giving her as soft and long a kiss as she dared without risking their individual plans for the day. "Will get coffee and motorcycle ready," she assured her, sliding into a pair of jeans with a soreness she wouldn't have given up for the world. "No traffic here in the mornings...should arrive with time to spare. Barring distractions."

Yes, somehow sleep wasn't quite as pressing a concern as it seemed a few minutes ago. Mara wrapped her arms up around Ellie's neck, grinning a little impishly. "On the other hand," she said as casually as she could manage, "is technically 'some day' right now. So present's as good a time as any." She pulled her blue-eyed companion closer for another slow kiss, running her fingers through the back of her girlfriend's hair, and added, "Did once offer to help me with inventions, anyway. Rigorous testing is important...."

Mara blushed, wondering how much sleep they really needed to get after all... "Do try," Mara teased, exploring Ellie's stomach with her hand (and trying awfully hard to keep it there). "And don't know...phrase. The half of it. Own tools for metalworking, plastics, carving...." She was clearly partly joking, but that meant she was...well, only partly joking. "Should remind me to show you the box in my closet."

"More than," Mara assured her, laughing a little again. most I've laughed in a while - euphoria? - interesting "Athletic, attentive, attractive, flexible, talented. Suspect your knowledge of anatomy may have been helpful. Also suspect that we'll both only get better with practice." Now there was an idea, though she was a little worn out to do something about it right away. Still, the idea was nice, and oddly comforting, as she settled back into her bed - our bed? - a bit. "Lots of practice."

Dragonfly frowned, breaking out of the quiet, matching humming she hadn't realized she'd been doing. catchy theme "Not that large. Could bring it into storage for- ah. Mmh. No. Unconsciousness or death would trap it there unless I taught you how to get it back out. The gauntlets have a...learning curve. Time we may not have." She shook her head. "Piggyback isn't dignified, but will do what I can. Need to finish my wings...."

"Worth it for the quality of the booty," Mara insisted with a teasing poke at Ellie's bellybutton. "Besides. Not a good neighborhood. Safe enough near the warehouse - local threats learned that after the first few tries - but might not be worth walking or paying cabs too often. Teleporting isn't that hard. Just need the time...competition with other projects. Will have to think about it." That list of projects was starting to get kind of long, but she pushed it out of her mind. priorities "Suppose I'd be just as suited with an apartment or something in a better district. Mmh."

Now she did giggle, a happy little laugh that escaped before she could swallow it back down and save face. "Was hoping not. This was...special," she admitted, quietly running a hand over Ellie's stomach. "But crippling headaches are...not sexy. And too infrequent. Don't regret waiting, but...am hoping you come over more often than that." She frowned a little, tilting her head. "Should think about installing a teleporter. Save on cab fees for travel and dates."

Mara, looking awfully content herself, snuggled closer as well and slid an arm under Ellie's head and pillow. She leaned her head over to give her girlfriend a kiss - a soft, happy kiss, in contrast to recent more passionate ones - and managed to keep a wry eyebrow raised for a scant few seconds. "Suppose I'll have to put up with more nights like this, then," she managed before her deadpan broke back into a smile. She had an awful urge to giggle, but that at least she suppressed. "Will just have to suffer. Nobly."