Technical Difficulties (IC)

[KnightDisciple]

"Perhaps in a couple more months, I'll know the full implications of that. Still, I'll take your word on that."

He aided her when he could in both the clearing off and the standing up. After it was done, he crossed his arms and took a relaxed pose as she examined him.

"It's a special conductive composite metal. It channels a slightly shifted version of the energy I was shooting at range. Power source isn't anything you listed, but I'm not telling. Trade secret."

She senses he's smiling under the helmet as he tells her this.

"Blueshift, hm? Call me Fenris. And I made the suit myself."

[quotemyname]

Blueshift nodded at the explanation of his armor. She was impressed. "Trade secret? Not for long. Not from me." She smiled. "Good at your job. Clearly. Me too, though." She held up her gauntlet. "Liquid Electricity." She gestured to the glowing blue lines in her suit. "Figured that out. I'll figure you out. Eventually." She smiled. It was a friendly smile. She seemed thrilled as if she were on a hunt.

"Fenris..." Nearly as soon as the name left his mouth, he could see her visor take on a more opaque quality. She quickly pulled down every bit of information she could from the internet about him. "Man of science. Magiphobic? Maybe not. Maybe just irks you. Europe, huh? Neat! Tower of Piza still standing? Just kidding. Course it is." Then she hesitated for a moment, her face was puzzled, "Oh. Neat. Fenris. The god killer. The suit. Implying your not him. Just namesake? No really a legend?" She smiled, curious to find the answers to those questions, and some others.

Made it himself? Neat. I like smart guys. I think he's a guy. Can't tell. Acts masculine. Good enough. Intelligence's more important anyway. Hope he's good looking. Those muscles all suit? Or some him? Brains and brawn? Package deal! Blueshift smiled to herself at her own little silent conversation.

[KnightDisciple]

Blueshift nodded at the explanation of his armor. She was impressed. "Trade secret? Not for long. Not from me." She smiled. "Good at your job. Clearly. Me too, though." She held up her gauntlet. "Liquid Electricity." She gestured to the glowing blue lines in her suit. "Figured that out. I'll figure you out. Eventually." She smiled. It was a friendly smile. She seemed thrilled as if she were on a hunt.

At her proclamation that Blueshift would forcibly discover the secrets of his suit, his "eyes" dimmed slightly, as if he had narrowed them. His posture shifted, becoming more guarded.

"I'd ask that you not. No, not just ask. I'm telling you."

He leans forward, his next words imbued with a bit more of a growl.

"Do not seek this information. I will not appreciate you doing so; I hid the details for a reason. Respect that."

He straightened his stance, lapsing into silence.

"Fenris..." Nearly as soon as the name left his mouth, he could see her visor take on a more opaque quality. She quickly pulled down every bit of information she could from the internet about him. "Man of science. Magiphobic? Maybe not. Maybe just irks you. Europe, huh? Neat! Tower of Piza still standing? Just kidding. Course it is." Then she hesitated for a moment, her face was puzzled, "Oh. Neat. Fenris. The god killer. The suit. Implying your not him. Just namesake? No really a legend?" She smiled, curious to find the answers to those questions, and some others..

"Phobic is too strong a term. I'm not afraid of it so much as I dislike it, for many different reasons. I don't trust magic. Especially when so-called "gods" are involved."

He seemed to mull over his next words.

"It is quite possible that the Fenriswolf is, to some degree, a real creature. To a point, the old Norse gods are real. And Fenris wasn't just any god-killer. Legend says that upon the advent of Ragnarok, he will slay Odin, the All-Father himself."

He shrugged, his armor creaking slightly with the gesture.

"Call it a giant middle finger towards the Norse "gods" on my part. But my goal is the opposite of destruction. Which gives the name whole new meaning in my opinion; that these so-called gods are wrong, and that they are the greater threat. Something to think about, I suppose."

He seemed rather proud of his name choice.

[quotemyname]

"I'd ask that you not. No, not just ask. I'm telling you."

He leans forward, his next words imbued with a bit more of a growl.

"Do not seek this information. I will not appreciate you doing so; I hid the details for a reason. Respect that."

He straightened his stance, lapsing into silence.

Blueshift's look soured. She didn't like not knowing things. She didn't like that he didn't like that she wanted to know things. She thought that made sense.

Phobic is too strong a term. I'm not afraid of it so much as I dislike it, for many different reasons. I don't trust magic. Especially when so-called "gods" are involved [...] Call it a giant middle finger towards the Norse "gods" on my part. But my goal is the opposite of destruction. Which gives the name whole new meaning in my opinion; that these so-called gods are wrong, and that they are the greater threat. Something to think about, I suppose."

"Wrong." She wasn't scolding, or judging. Just observing. "Those statements. Logical falsifies. Correlation... Causation... etc." She paired the last part with finger quotes. "Listen: Ignorance: Not bliss. Not for me. Torture. More like. Deal time. Your secret. Won't dig for it. Won't ignore it either. Happens to come up? Can't ignore that." She shook her head with determination. "Who I am. Girl that knows things. Deserves respect too."

She placed her hands on her hips. Then quickly removed her left hand and winced, discovering one of her ribs was broken. "Oohhh Ouch. Anyway. Logic. 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'. Clarke. Arthur C. Suit looks magical." She made an off hand gesture toward his own technology. She held up the hand with an apologetic wave, "I know. Devil's Advocate. Still. Gods. Religion. Different equation. Far as Ragnarok?" She shook her head warily, "Let's not go there. Kay?" Her smile was a friendly one.

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris is unimpressed by her speech about how much she needed to know things.

"I didn't tell you what my power source is for a reason. It won't "come up". Sorry, but that's how it is."

He sighed, shaking his head as he did.

"This day and age, it's not that magical. Most people ought to figure it's technology, even if they don't know and understand how it works. And the Clarke quote is good, but not perfect.

Don't want to get into a long discussion on gods and whatnot. But as for Ragnarok, I just said my goal was the opposite of destruction, didn't I? I don't plan to go there, and would actively fight such a thing. It's why I'm a superhero, after all."

'This girl is more than a bit odd.' he thought to himself.

[quotemyname]

"Look, everyone has their 'thing'," Blueshift used finger quotes to emphasize her point, "Yours is obviously the "mysterious hero slash role reversal of traditional mythological roles" thing that you've got going on. Mine is that I know things. If I don't know them I find them out. It's just who I am. Telling me about something but not giving me details is like saying, 'Hey, Blue, you want this cake? Too bad. That's my piece of cake,' and that's really not fair." By this time she was pacing left and right in front of him. More credit to the strangeness. "So you know what? I..." She suddenly stopped, glanced up at the larger man in the armor, and went visibly pale. "Damn it!" She stomped her foot. "I'm sorry. I'm doing it again. I just have this thing where I get really excited about things and then I can't stop talking and then I keep talking and no one has any clue what I'm...Ugh. See?"

She looked down at her feet, "What would James say? James would say, 'just drop it,' so drop it."

"Okay, spooky secret of your armor: Not going to think about it. Be tough. Try hard. Subject dropped. She waved her hand to the side, forcibly dismissing the topic. "Clarke. Better topic."

"People think tech. They think specific. Usually involves devices. Shiny. Metal. Moving parts. People think Magic. More rabbits slash hats. Still tricks. Still unexplained. Operative difference: One requires objects. Objects do strange stuff. That's tech. Lacking objects: Becomes 'unexplained'." The finger quotes were back. "Even using lighters. Sparks slash fire. From wrists. Parlor trick. Uses tech. Hide it well. People think magic. Lack of devices. Visual ones. At least."

"Big difference. Willingness to believe. People understand tech. Doesn't jump shark. Instant something is hidden: Start thinking magic."

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris simply stood there, arms crossed, as Blueshift continued her rant about her right to know everything about his suit. His stance revealed his skepticism, but he was polite enough to leave the matter alone once she dropped it on her own.

When she shifted topics, he relaxed somewhat.

"I'd also point out that what's generally considered "magic" seems to bypass current scientific knowledge about the state of the universe and the laws that compose it, while "technology" enhances it. Oh, that's not something the "common man" thinks of quite as much; you're correct that something being "mysterious" or "unexplained" can cause that label to get thrown around. But in circles like ours, it pays to be mindful of more exact definitions.

And that comparison around knowledge is why I don't trust magic, and why I especially don't trust "otherworldly" beings that work entirely in the realms of "magic" and "the divine". But that's neither here nor there, in the end..."

[quotemyname]

Blueshift seemed to gloss right over his prickly demeanor. They were discussing science. Feeling and expression had no place here, only cold hard facts, and reason. That might have been what she'd say. Really, she just never noticed he was upset.

"Always someone better. Least they say. Logically holds. All levels. Even ours. Logically extends to knowledge. Said it yourself: Your emphasis: 'bypass current knowledge'. My emphasis: 'Seems to'." Blueshift smiled, proud that she'd caught him at his own words. "Possible it's science. Unlikely, yes. Possible, still. Someone knows more. Than us."

"Subject of otherworldly," She moved on, beginning to pace, "Met specific beings? Which, or who? I'm curious. Where from?"

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris gives Blueshift a nod at her point regarding "someone better".

"True enough; it's hard to say what principles may ultimately be at work. I can see where you're coming from, though obviously we're looping back to Clarke's Law here. One way or another, doesn't mean I have to like how a lot of the practitioners go about doing things. And there's always someone who knows "more than me". It's pretty much a law of the universe, even if you're a data-lover."

At her question, he went stiff and still again.

"Not something I'd like to talk about, thank you kindly."

[quotemyname]

Blueshift nodded in confirmation, "Sounds true. Enough at least. Assuming working definition of 'magic'." The finger quotes made another appearance, "One accepted by others. Internal semantics - no purpose. But you... you probably knew that... You're smart," She made a passing wave at his suit indicating it served as proof of her statement, "I mean what would be the point right? Calling a spade a spade is no good if no one knows what a spade is and there's no spade to point at. I mean I..." Her arms had been making motions while she talked, she thrust them downward and held them at her sides stomping the ground with one of her feet lightly, "Blue. Stop." She looked frustrated, "Sorry. Carried away. Again."

A wry expression crossed her face, "This point, guess I can assume: You won't answer, 'why'. About the aliens. You not talking, I mean."

Whyyyyyyyy Her brain was busy throwing a temper tantrum. Gotta know! She couldn't understand for the life of her why he wouldn't want to talk about it. Aliens! Fascinating! Tell me more!

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris chuckled and shook his head.

"I've seen five-year-old kids on a sugar high who think slower. Point is, I don't know all magic's rules yet, so I don't trust it. Maybe that will change one day. Time will tell."

At her further inquiry about "aliens", he stiffens a bit.

"Already said I'm not talking about it. I've got my reasons. Think that's my cue to leave. Have a nice day, Blueshift."

He turned and disappeared in a flash of light. Blueshift might see another couple of flashes a few blocks away, before even those were out of sight.

[quotemyname]

Blueshift made a sound that was a combination of grumbling and a frustrated moan as Fenris blinked away. "Grrr! Tall, dark, mysterious. Keeps secrets. Know what other girls think. Me? Not so fun." She grumbled to herself as she scooped up the pieces of her new invention that had betrayed her during the fight. "And you!" she scolded it, "Drawing board! Back you go!" She hoisted the object over the shoulder.

Just want to know, Fenris. That all that bad?" She sighed before firing up the jets on her boots and coasting down to street level. She dropped down to where the box had been that the mystic had stolen. It wasn't there. "Um...Problem. How did? Oh. Right. Talk too much." Blueshift sighed once more. "Mental note. Finish job. Then smalltalk. Also: Track that down."