ic Follow the Yellow Brick Row

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Tuesday February 11th, at 4 PM

Leaving Mars Tower, moving towards Yellow Brick Row, Emerald City

 

When a company like MarsTech offers a guided tour for your students, then a school like Claremont Academy agrees to come. The headmistress might have her misgivings about Maximilian Mars and the company, but it would be hard to deny that they are on the cutting edge of technology, and son, a group of students were chosen, which included, among others, Iris and Daniels Evans, Michael Adon, Lawrence Harrow, Parker Powers and Carmen Alvarez Arrache, with Stephanie Harcourt joining them as their chaperone. 

 

They had left Freedom City with their classmates the previous day, stayed in the very luxurious Crown Tower Hotel (paid by MarsTech) and now, after a long day of being shown around Mars Tower, being told about their technologies and upcoming events, the students were heading towards Yellow Brick Row, where they would be allowed to run wild.

 

Of course, not everyone had been entirely happy about going on the trip.

 

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Harcourt asks, directed at Iris and Daniel in particular, as they walk down the street. "Remember, while Maximilian Mars might have a dark past, his company is at least trying to do right by the consumers. It's not like every company out there tries to make their products last as long as MarsTech."

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

All that Parker can really think about once they leave MarsTech is how much Tracy would have loved going there, and how very unlikely it would be that she would ever get to go. He was honestly surprised that he got to go in the first place, given his connected to Powers Inc. If anything, it would have made sense that MarsTech had done background checks and considered someone with his connections a security risk.

 

Then again, maybe they just didn't show them anything that special? Not like some of the projects that he knows Tracy is working on.

 

With a heavy black jacket over his jeans and a white t-shirt, Parker doesn't really stand out as he walks with the rest of the students, keeping silent for now.

[Dracostern]

Cerebral and Cerebellum

 

To say the twins were on edge was an understatement. Neither had any idea why they were picked for this trip, but they decided, against their better judgement, to go anyway. The two wore causal outfits, nothing flashy. If anything they wanted to blend in. Iris had thought of wearing a hoodie but that would make her stand out a bit more, especially considering she would wear it up. So they just wore civilian outfits, since it was cold, Daniel wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt with a jacket over it. Iris, meanwhile, wore long pants, a t-shirt and a jacket the exact same colour as her brother's. Both wore running shoes too.

 

That being said, they both did stick close to the group and didn't really look anyone in the eye. Daniel would have a (forced) smiled on his face quite Iris kept her regular poker face. They were both not really paying that much attention to the tour guide, though they did look at some of the tech like holographic creating phones and the hovercar prototypes. Though for the most part they kept quiet. Both breathed a sigh of relief as they left, with Iris turning to Harcourt to answer her. "I guess it could have been worse...still I don't trust that man at all."

Edited January 9 by Dracostern

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"It's not that bad, right?" he said, looking up and back at the building.

He was dressed like the school's golden boy as always; cashmere cardigan to keep him warm in the school colors, neat and tidy hair, shiny shoes. He'd look like a nerd- someone to be bullied- if he wasn't still a strapping young man built for football and hockey. And all his friends, including Carmen, who he was staying close to.

 

"I can understand there being some issues, but still...for obvious reasons, their Cell Phones are really useful for someone like me." by which he meant, someone who was prone to getting shot, stabbed, blown up, or punched. "There's plenty of bad corporations, I suppose. That's why a strong government is needed to keep them in line." he mumbled. That was his desire to be a politician speaking again. Given it was Michael, he probably had an entire plan laid out; not for Mars Tech, but for companies in general, if he got elected to public office.

"...Still. It's different on this side of the nation. Very different." he mumbled.

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

Lawrence Harrow was walking toward the back of the small group of Claremont students. The blond teen was dressed similar to Michael, a pair of navy slacks, a white dress shirt with a red tie, over which he had a lighter blue sweater. The only thing that was not part of the school “uniform” was a green winter rain jacket for the cold and often rainy Pacific Northwest weather. 

 

While outside of Vueriz, Lawrence was the most knowledgeable member of the current Junior class when it came to technology, he had seemed slightly disinterested during the tour, though he clearly seemed to understand all the things they had been shown. Indeed, the seventeen-year-old had generally been rather distracted since he had taken several of the Juniors, along with Carmen, to CoVic station in January.

 

When the discussion turned to the owner and leader of MarsTech, Lawrence's focus was brought back to the group. "Well, it is probably fine to be somewhat distrustful of anyone with as much financial and political clout as Mars," he glanced over at Parker with a slight grin, "not all corporate leaders are irredeemably evil. And as for his past, when it mattered, he stepped up to help push back the 1993 Terminus Invasion, and got a pardon as a result. He is hardly the only former supervillain that received such a pardon from that event, perhaps two of the more famous being Richard and Paige Cliene."
 

[MoonSimply]

La Puma Negra

 

Carmen didn't seem to like so far, her journey to Emerald City, furrowing her nose and brow as she got more adjusted to the change in environment. It seemed like the area had far more precipitation than Freedom City had, and she didn't really know how to feel about it. It wasn't Aquadilla and neither was it Freedom, so it felt strange for her in such a place. At least for the most part was that she was inside for the most part, getting a tour of Marstech as they paid for all expense trip over across the country. The only reprieve from such weather was that she was decently adapted, the perks of having fur, and so was wearing the old skirt in the school colors on top of the regular school uniform, with only the addition of the varsity jacket she wore around this time of year.

 

"Yea.... different," she spoke in response while listening in alongside Michael. This was as with her heighted sense of sight saw what looked like a man walking a goat, with nothing on save a pair of slippers and an oversized bathrobe. A strange place it was indeed, but her entire life had become strange since becoming a hero. Ever since she had become the being for which she was, "You think they are doing this just to try and nab us out of high school?"

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Harcourt nods in response to Iris' response.

 

"That is reasonable, but like Lawrence said, some people do change, just look at the Clines. Like Mars, they helped during the 1993 Terminus Invasion and went on to become heroes." She pauses, looking around to make sure that they are not being followed, before leaning in closer. "With that said, having some skepticism is probably a good thing, even more than 30 years later."

 

As the group continues, they finally reach the Yellow Brick Row, the famous open-air mall. 

 

"Alright kids, you got a few hours, so go and have some fun. Meet me back at the hotel at 8 so we can all check in for the night before catching the ride home tomorrow."

 

So, here they are, the Yellow Brick Row, 8 blocks of traffic free streets with signature golden painted bricks. Any and all kinds of shops and restaurants they can imagine are there.

 

As most of the other students on the trip start to filter out and away, Michael, Carmen, Daniel, Iris, Lawrence and Parker are left to decide what to do.

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

"Strong government?" Parker asks Michael, with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile. Michael and his beliefs in authority, before looking to Lawrence. "Hey, the whole "financial and political clout" thing is my parents' and sister's deal. I'm fine with letting Michael get all the political clout here." He is grinning too, obviously in on the joke.

 

As Harcourt leaves them be, Parker turns to the rest of the group. Shopping has never really been his thing, but who knows, there might be something to do. Just from where they entered the Yellow Brick Row, he can see so many shops, both bigger chains and what seems to be small local ones. 

 

Moving closer to Iris and Daniel, he leans in to quietly ask them "How are you holding up?" 

 

From what they had told him, they didn't exactly have a great time in Emerald City before they escaped the first time. 

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"Oh yeah the Clienes. They do that interview show right? That's a pretty neat idea." he mumbled once the group had been left alone. "But they weren't like super evil villains were they? I mean that was like 20 years before my time, so it's not like I know for sure. And the Terminus Invasion would equally be, well, ages ago. The whole thing is kinda ancient history." he sighed. That wasn't exactly right, of course; plenty of things could rear their heads from 30 or more years ago to cause problems in the current time, heck, there was that new student that liked to claim to be the successor to King Cole, and that was in like the 40s and 50s. But keeping a handle on things you weren't really around for was pretty difficult, even at the best of times. 

 

He did think a little bit about Carmen's question, looking up at the city.

 

"I guess it's possible. Claremont is a highly regarded school across the nation, extremely exclusive. Even without them knowing 'the whole story', so to speak, Lawrence or Parker would be an excellent recruit for their business, though Parker does have his whole 'my family is a competing corporatin' thing going on. But Lawrence? Well educated, well spoken, highly technically skilled, connected to big money both in the US and England? He'd be an ideal grab." he noted, casting an appraising eye at Lawrence as he thought about it. 

 

"Heh, well. It might be more than they'd bargin for to try and recruit one of us, though."

[Dracostern]

Cerebral and Cerebellum

 

Iris nodded at Harcourt's words, she understood objectively what she was saying, and if anything this topic kind of resonated with both of the twins considering their own history. Soon enough the group was left alone and questions addressed. The twins glanced at the Mall, they had always looked up at buildings like these with envy when they were really little, but now those hard days seemed just so far away for the both of them. Iris would turn back to the group and nod her head towards Parker. "I'm fine, just trying to lay low a little bit until we can leave." She nodded before turning to Carmen and Michael. "Also Michael's right, it would be benefical for them to recruit us, so I would warn you to be careful." More so them then Iris or Daniel but she wouldn't say that out loud.

 

Daniel, meanwhile, would nod towards Parker, indicating that he felt the same way as his sister, but unlike Iris, Daniel had a (slight forced) smile on his face as he turned towards the rest. "Politics and business talk aside for the moment, why don't we look around? Maybe hit the food court. I'm famished haha!" He would take lead of the group and head towards said food court.