Fantasy Superhero Times

[Deathkitten]

Florida Man​

Completely and utterly naked, waving more than just his flags around, this crazed man has been seen for the last few hours dancing atop car roofs. Every time someone approaches him, he shouts and points the hand-made flag at them and proclaims that, "Los Angeles will become a swamp for the Florida gods," or something similar. It seems as though he has a fear effect, because anyone who approaches him, once he shouts at them they run away to a safe distance.

And so, this crazed naked man has a ring of police around him about 10 meters away from him at all times. He hasn't been moving around much, occasionally moving from one car to another, but no one can get close enough to take him into custody.

ManofManyRoles Kameron Esters-

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Adam Marshal

Adam settled into his recliner comfortably, leg crossed in his lap as he rested his chin atop his knuckles to study Catharine as she spoke, watching her eyes, body language, listening closely to her voice, the way she acted, and the way she spoke. While he would have loved to give her the benefit of the doubt, the day he let down his guard for even the slightest of things is the day he'd regret it. So, by sheer force of habit, he weighed everything Catherine told him and how she acted when she said it. Catherine was definitely much older than her age suggested, and likely much stronger than her diminutive frame suggested. Perhaps not physically, but with her skill set most certainly. "I see. New Orleans is a beautiful city, last time I was there anyway, wonder if it's still that way. Had to travel out that way for business for a bit, wish I could have stayed to see the sights for a while honestly."

Adam glanced towards his wife as she made her way towards the kitchen and gave a slight nod, attention going back to Catherine. "A fair enough question. Sylvia and I are detectives, so we have the routine duties that come with that. Looking into breaking and entering, arson, burglary, murder, etcetera etcetera. In Sylvia's case, she's also a Spiritual Shaman, with a focus on spirits and ghosts when it comes to specialties. My focus is a bit more eclectic, you could say. I have an Absolute Will, to be open about it. I can't be charmed, seduced, scared, or have my mental faculties or sanity damaged. I honestly wouldn't know either you or Abigal would have powers unless you'd told me. With that said, my job typically involves shutting down cult activity, arguing with the Great Old Ones and Outer Gods, and ensuring the city isn't devoured by some extra-planar entity. With that said ma'am, Abigal says you dated something otherwise Eldritch at one point? Am I going to have to worry about dealing with that at some point, as long as I'm mentoring Abigal? I don't mind if that's the case, but I'd appreciate fair warning as possible."

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Thomas Black & Mary Moon

Thomas glanced at Selena, giving a calm nod. "If you want to buy her a milkshake, I won't object. I'll even cover the cost if you want. I did college at one point too, I know money can be tight, after all." Thomas's hands buried themselves into his lab coat pockets, balled into fists as he shifted his weight from one foot to another ever so slightly. Thomas gave an apologetic little smile to his daughter at the confirmation his advice was...sub-par, at best. "Sorry, hun." If someone wanted to identify a nuclear radius in an equation he'd be more than happy to help. Bring up theology though, and the poor man was lost, unfortunately. Thomas's attention darted to the good doctor, nodding his head once again. "Yes sir. Due to...obligations, I probably shouldn't be out and about too long..." He glanced over to Tabby, leaning over to whisper quietly. "Do we have a time we're keeping, I can't imagine we have an unlimited grace period..." If he wasn't back in his little room at some point things could start to go awry...no one wanted to misplace the 'nuclear football', after all.

At being called Mary zipped over, a quick salute and a chipper grin on her face. "Yes sir, you called?" Thomas blinked, staring at the diminutive red-head who had zoomed on over in but a blink of the eye...how quick was this kid, exactly? Mary looked over her shoulder as they started to move away, flashing a grin to Selena. "Be back in a hot second, promise! I haven't forgotten you!" As the group disappeared into Dr. Böhmer's office and Mary was given a rundown, a frown had settled on her lips, resting her hand against her chin as her mind raced rather quickly, winding and unwinding over and over again. "We're in a tricky position, Dr. Böhmer, and sir. When it comes to fighting the government, especially. As I see it, and I mean no disrespect to you, Dr. Black, truly. You're being identified in a case of 'Needs of the many versus the needs of the few'. I don't agree with this sentiment, it's very...wrong is putting it lightly. However, there's likely a dozen if not more contingencies for you, your wife, and your daughter, as well as any help you might get. This isn't a quick-fix sort of problem...I wish it was, sir, but it's going to take time." Thomas frowned, settling into a chair and cupping his head in his hands. "So it's hopeless, then?" "Not at all. The United States Government waved 'total sovereignty' long ago. You could sue it, and you could win in a court of law, and they would be forced to respect it at least on paper. However, more important, is to win the court of public opinion your case right off the bat sir. I'm not sure why you're being held against your will, so I can't imagine it'd be an easy fight, but it's possible. Local figures, local authorities, influential heroes...the more people on your side, the better off you'll be...Dr. Böhmer, does Dr. Black have any close friends, outside of yourself, who could sway public opinion in his favor, over time? Or do we know any heroes who'd be sympathetic?"

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Natalie Brenton

Nat rubbed at her tailbone after falling on the ice, wincing a bit. "Shite, that hurt," she mumbled softly, attention darting back to Chutes. "Sorry, love. Hate to be the heartbreaker. Happy to stay friends though, just don't wanna get hopes high to shoot em down." Nat struggled to get back upright, floundering a decent amount before she managed to accomplish the whole goal of getting upright once again. "Here's the thing love, ya don't please her. Even I can't please her...I don't think she can feel happiness, honestly." Don't go spreading lies about me. I can entirely feel happiness. Uh-huh. Is that from the suffering from others? Yes, of course. Psychopath. BITCH!

Nat slowly started to move about in a slight circle, at least getting some enjoyment out of the fact she could move ever so slightly now as she spoke with Chutes. "In a bit, might be a good idea, yeah I s'pose. A whole lot's going on right now, I shouldn't take too much 'me time', lest everything burns down while I'm away. And sure, I could give ya a hand with something if ya need it, seems fair enough! Need me to toss someone on their ass? Give em a talking to? Watcha need, and I'll work it into the schedule I got going on!"

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Ariah

Ariah shifted ever so slightly, irritation causing an eyebrow to twitch as she was once again subject to these annoying 'human' sensations. The sooner she got used to them, the better, she supposed. "You can say better, you wouldn't be wrong. Refer to 'humans are terribly inefficient' for proof. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate organics in the slightest, but you definitely could use a few sets of patch notes. As for my little sister, don't worry, I keep an eye on her. I'm not going to let anything happen to her, dad. I suspect if I had cut out extra parameters I had added, we'd be below .20 honestly. However, I added a few parameters to account for other things, corporate actions, most likely wars that we could be facing on Earth, etcetera etcetera. The fact the process only took .2542 is impressive itself, dad."

Ariah gave a small nod of her head to Robert as he expressed thanks for the background check she'd performed, a very small smile on her lips. It was an odd expression, one she had to force. She knew a 'smile' was most fitting for the current social interaction, but it didn't feel natural on her face. Then again, her own face didn't feel natural on her face at the moment, so there was that. "Before I answer that, is that rhetorical, or would you care for the actual statistics? I can provide an answer for both, should you desire. At any rate, is there anything else I need to do with this body, as of currently? I cleared my schedule for the day, though I suspect with Mia...she's probably wandered off, hasn't she?"

Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

Marshall Household​

"Oh yes, New Orleans is beautiful. But it's also a very strange place. The deep south has a lot of secrets and a lot of foreign magicks," Catherine said, smiling. She gave a slight pout toward Abigail when Adam mentioned her previous partner, and lightly flicked her shoulder, "Abby it's not very nice of you to give other people's information out like that. Especially something as personal as an ex."

She sighed and shrugged, blushing lightly, "Ah well. Yes. I did date an eldritch entity at one point. For a while, at that. And I had spent some time with another two, though informally. I had a tiny fling at one point with Lilith and Nodens, but that was just for fun and was quite a long time ago. Now, who I'm much more embarrassed to talk about... especially with someone as well-informed as you, Adam, is um... well his true name starts with an H and ends in a tur but I can't say it or else he'll probably pop up unwantedly. Not to mention that would be rude for your wife and Abby's psyche. I dated an avatar of his for a few years..."

Catherine rubbed the back of her head, "I am well aware how silly it was for me to do so. I was by the edge of a lake and the avatar met me there and we chatted for a long while and just hit it off. For a while it was hard to believe they were even eldritch, they could pretend to be normal so well. Alas, turned out to be extremely possessive. He's the main reason I have Abby carry talismans. They're most effective toward him, but are good enough for others that it should protect her mind from short-term contact. It's like a... bit of a repellant, I suppose. My house is absolutely covered in such things. Certainly not the worst boyfriend I've ever had, but... he just got too weird for me. I realized it couldn't go anywhere. It's not like I could marry something like him or even have him around family easily. He still bothers me and has tried to get to me through Abigail more than a few times."

She took the glass of water that was offered to her as Sylvia returned, "Thank you. Ah, so, yes. That is a concern, since you already deal with the eldritch. Running into Mr. H is... more likely in your line of work as is." Catherine fiddled with the hem of her dress, "I have a knack for making talismans. If you saw hers, you probably already know that. If you'd like I can make some for you as compensation for my own poor decisions affecting Abby's work with you?"

ManofManyRoles

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Jade Callahan

A soft 'oup' escaped the tomboyish girl as she was dragged upright into a hug, Jade a bit limp currently in the embrace. Despite that, she quickly melted into the hug, savoring the feeling of physical contact. Something she couldn't even get from her own mom, or dad when he was around. Not without so much prep work and immuno-boosters and cleaning and disinfecting...so many steps, just for a hug. Silvery blue eyes stared over Mia's shoulder towards a wall, arms awkwardly wrapping around her in a tight hug, a slight sniffle escaping her. "Thank you..." So long as she didn't move her face, she wouldn't see her getting glossy eyed...and of course, no sooner did she have that thought did Mia move and cup her cheeks, forcing her to meet her gaze and match those synthetic blue with her own blue's, glossy and growing damp, face scrunching into a pout. "I need to have Ariah dust more often, I got the sniffles," she stated as if by instinct, before Mia could even offer further input. She didn't want to be accused of being sentimental, of being soft, over the concept of being able to go outside. Just as quickly though, her features softened, staring at Mia. "...Thanks, Mia. That means a lot to hear. Love you too...don't tell Ariah I said that though, she'll have someone sneeze on my groceries...You mean it though? You think you can get me outside, sometime? See something outside of this floor?"

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Casey Kemp

Casey slowly rubbed his daughters arm as he kept her held close, arm wrapped around her in a half-embrace, taking a moment for her to let everything come tumbling out before he responded. "Family tradition is you become a full merc at eighteen. All training wheels come off. On your fifteenth, I was going to start taking you on full missions. Felt like that's when it'd only be right you found out everything as well. I never told you, because you'd never directly asked. Your biological father was a Cartel Lord, down in South America...I want to say Brazil. Your mother was a mistress who ran out on him after he got a little too handsy. Course, with a man like that, he wasn't going to let his heir go with the mother, not when he could raise you himself to take over the empire. I'm not sure what became of your mother, but she wasn't at the villa. Your father had hired me to wipe out a rival cartel, and the pay was good, so I accepted the job. He insisted he pay half up front and half after the job. I was twenty-one at the time, but I still had a decent reputation at the point. Figured he was smart enough not to break his word. I came back from the job, and he decided to try to stab me in the back. Had his men surround me and open fire...So I ended up gunning them down, and then I fed the man a dose of neurotoxin after I bombed my way into his panic room. Since I used my personal mix, he died in about five minutes, suffering the entire time. I think you had an uncle, I shot him in the throat and then the temple...I was about to blow the entire villa before I found your nursery. Not sure why...I felt compelled to take you with me. Felt like you didn't deserve it, you were still just a baby. There were no survivors at the villa, and the entire thing is a crater to this day last I checked...I don't know what became of your mother, or where she is."

He paused for a moment, features twisting into an obvious display of focus as he worked to jog his own memory. "No...no one mourned or missed you. Everyone's dead....I don't have any other specifics, hun, I just know I didn't leave loose ends. If you want we can look what we can dig up. I'm sorry it all came out this way." He gave her a tight little squeeze as he held her close, resting his head against hers. "No need to apologize. Did nothing wrong."

Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

Ada​

“Yeah… family tradition… fifteen, huh? Hah… I don’t know why you care so much about my fifteenth birthday specifically,” Ada stiffened and shivered hearing about her biological family. A little broken sound squeaked out of her mouth, something close to a laugh. She shook her head, rubbing tears away though more came down her cheeks, “I… so… I might have a mother somewhere that’s still alive?”

“I… at some point… I had a family more than just you and grandma… I can’t… I can’t wrap my head around this. I feel nauseous. Have you never looked into my mother?? You said you didn’t leave any loose ends but my mother is a loose end. I’M a loose end!” Ada dug her nails into her arm hard enough it was leaving marks, shaking her head vigorously as though it could make it all go away, “I’m just part of a mess you had to clean up. A mess… Damn it I know that’s not fair! I want to rage and stab you and be so furious that it hurts but I just… I don’t have the energy for it. I feel like a lie. I feel disgusting. That the man who made me was disgusting. I feel completely disgusting.”

Ada released her death grip on the pillow and fell backward onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly with her arms outstretched at her sides, “It would’ve been simpler to kill my mother. Now what am I… what are we supposed to do? If she’s alive what do we do??? I can’t just NOT meet my MOTHER! But… us… our lives… You took me from her. She didn’t deserve that. She’s just a victim by the sounds of things.”

“I can’t say that I wish you left me with her or something like that. I don’t. I love you and you’re my dad, even if I’m really angry with you. But… it’s not fair to me or her to not know her. If she’d even want to know me… it’s been fourteen years. She’s probably moved on…,” she mulled, tears streaming down across her ears though her face was wearing an expression of apathy, “You rescued me from your own work. From murdering my blood family. I… I really… I still don’t know how to process that. You absolutely had to kill them. And I trust that. It’s the obvious choice. But… it still makes me feel this horrible pit in my stomach.”

“Dad I wish you told me sooner. It hurts so much to hear this now. I feel like I’m a lie. That I’ve been lied to. That I’ve been living a lie. Waiting until I was fifteen was one of the stupidest things you’ve ever done. Total asshole move,” her face softened a little, “I’m happy I live with you and not some drug sleaze-bag.”

Ada let her hand move back across her stomach, still searching the ceiling for patterns, “I wonder what my mother is like. Even if she’d probably never want me. No one else mourned for me, so she probably didn’t either. I wonder if she’s got the same power as me, or if that came from my biological father’s side. I wonder what she thinks of mercenaries. Or what she thinks of fighting. You made me think my mother was dead, dad. Dead would’ve been easier than this feeling.”

“I’ll be ok. I feel like my world just shattered around me. But I still have you. And you still have me. And I wouldn’t give you up for anything… You suck for not telling me sooner, but… thank you for explaining it now,” she mused, giving him a loud sigh, “We need to have Sean over tomorrow to train his stupid ass. Plus he needs to be punished for breaking that promise to you. I don’t care if it was something I needed to know, he still needs to be punished for it. If I think of anything better than breaking his fingers or something I’ll let you know.”

“Oh, and as penance for being totally awful and lying to me for like… forever… I want to go hang out with the Aphera kids again. I know you hated it there but it was fun and I have to try to beat that one kid David’s face in since he beat me before.”

ManofManyRoles

 

[Deathkitten]

Mia​

“Of course I mean it! And also, Ariah already knows I love you. You’re really important to both of us. She doesn’t like you the same way I like you, but still,” Mia rambled, smiling wide at Jade, “You’re awesome. It’s hard not to love you.”

Mia gripped Jade’s shoulders and lightly shook her, “Okay! I’ll make sure you get to go outside! But that means training. Oh! It also means I need to buy you something specific… okay, done. Oh… shoot I’ll need to make sure you have the space for it… Gosh darn it I’m too impulsive sometimes…” She brought her hands away and put her hand against her mouth in a thinker position, “I just put in an order for a sensory deprivation chamber of sorts. That should help with your technomancy connections.”

She turned off the television with a quick glance and stood up off the couch. Mia pointed at Jade, arm outstretched and the other against her hip in supremely cute fashion, “You gotta train like you want it! Do you want it?? Do you wanna go outside and feel the breeze!? Let’s do it!”

Mia looked around and spotted a robot frame that Jade had in the house, “Right. Now then. You’ll practice by controlling my advanced body. Okay? I’ll go in this guy for the moment so you don’t have to fight me for control right this second.” After she said that, her body went dormant, and one of the robots in the room walked up and planted their hands on the back of the couch.

Its voice sounded all wrong but it was obviously Mia controlling it, “Make me proud! Lay down on the couch, close your eyes, and take me over! Er… my body over? Oh it doesn’t sound as cool as it did in my head. Whatever! Shush and do your best!!”

ManofManyRoles

 

[Kameron Esters-]

IVORY​

Ivory arrives to the scene, standing just several meters behind the police line and sees the crazy, naked 'prophet' jumping around like some hopped-up monkey. "This jimmy pure is a nutjob," she says, "he's completely naked 'n' jiggin aroond oan tap o' cars, juist saying his wee sentence ower 'n' ower again. He's bin 'ere fur hours. Whit's even stopping thae guys fae detaining him fur like...public disruption or something? Cannae thay juist tranquilize him or something? It better nae be fur o' 'freedom o' expression', ah swear tae th' spirits... "
ManofManyRoles Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

Robert Dantif and Dr. Böhmer​

"Oh! Good. Good. I'm pleased that you have something that can handle your mind a little better," he said, nodding in thought. He rolled his eyes, "Rhetorical. And no, I don't think there's anything else. You walking around and using the body is the best test for us to see if there are any errors or things I need to fix." Robert glanced back down to the tablet and tapped to locate Mia, "Don't tell her I have this locator on her, please. She runs off so often it's necessary, but I don't want her learning about it and removing it. Anyway, she's at Jade's right now. So yes, she ran off, but at least she went to a safe location this time."

Robert set the tablet down to his side and yawned, "Maybe I'll catch a nap... Lord knows I need it. But... ugh I still have things to do and Mia literally just texted me about something she would like me to make if I could." He ran his fingers through his messy, slightly oily hair, "Need a fuckin' shower, too... I need like six of me to get all my things done. Damn weak body. There are only so many hours in the day, I hate wasting some sleeping."

As he began to walk away, his personal phone rang, which it rarely does since not many people have his personal number, and he stiffened in surprise. He answered, "Dr. Böhmer? I wasn't expecting a call from you. Is everything alright?"

"Ja, ja, it's Halright Ropert. Ah... vell... Acdually truthfully it is not Halright, put I zuboze zat's vy I'm calling vu."

"Oh boy. Alright. Do you need me to come make a trip over?"

"Ah... nein, nein. I don't zink zo at zee moment, put is zis line zecure to talk offer?"

"And now I'm more concerned. Of course, it is, Doctor."

"Do vu rememper Docdor Zomas Plack?"

"Yes...?"

"Ja. He's aliffe. Und he's right next to me right now. Peen held Hakainst his vill py zee koffernment, zame vith CHuliet."

"..."

"Vu're one of zee beople ve poth know zat ve can trust."

"Understood," Robert sighed into the phone, pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand in rising anger, "I have... ah... This is a lot to take in, doctor. Please put Thomas on the phone?"

"Ja," Böhmer offered the phone to Thomas, and Tabby took the moment to whisper back to him quickly.

"We don't have a set time schedule. They're busy with that situation, and the drive back takes a while, so we should be good for at least a couple more hours."

Robert looked at Ariah, angrier than she had ever seen him, boiling right under the surface, "Hon, I might have to ask you for help with something if you're willing. It... ah... almost certainly won't be legal, though. Love, Thomas Black is still alive." He turned his attention back to the phone, "Thomas! Fuck, man... I thought you were dead. Everyone thinks you're dead. You're the closest thing Ariah has to a godfather. You helped me figure out certain aspects of power for frames. Why the hell didn't you call me sooner?? I'll fucking kill whoever thinks they can keep you and Juliet locked up. I'll make them regret doing this to you. I fucking promise. What do you need? Do you need to stay here? I can clean out a spare room. No one's getting in this house without my permission."

ManofManyRoles

 

[Deathkitten]

Chutes​

“Oh no no. It’s totally fine. No need to feel bad about turning me down. I’m all good,” Chutes said, smiling at her efforts, “You’re doing a great job by the way.”

He skated around and around Natalie, hands cupped behind his back, “Oh I’m fine. I don’t actually need anything. The part of me that I mentioned, Vice, is bound in a grimoire. This young man has that grimoire, along with some others. He seems like a really good, caring person. You might be able to convince him to help. He has a goddess among his repertoire that seems pretty strong. She was the cause of the storm earlier… and also the shaved off mountain top. I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to help a fellow deity. Up to you though.”

“They could probably use some help building a shrine in return, I suppose.”

ManofManyRoles

 

[Cam E. Leon]

Eternox listened to jewel, to not have a kid.... everyone has their own struggles, "unto you do I swear a debt beyond my life. I thank you for this moment, to hug my daughter for the first time, I wonder if I will be able to hold back tears" he stated as they have already arrived at the outskirts of the park, a massive swirl of green fog consuming it. Not even slowing down he readied his blade, and while eternox could merely sense the joyous humming of the blade through his hilt, Jewel, attuned to the ways of magic could hear clearly "AHHAHAH YES MY KNIGHT, DISPLAY MY BEAUTY TO ALL" exclaim in the voice of a pompous noble lady. With a sparking light emitting from his eyes Eternox delivered a single vertical swing to the fog, his blade unseen to any whose senses were not to the extreme, and as if reality bent to his will, the very space itself parted in half, splitting the wall of noxious fumes as if it was welcoming him. Walking through he saw a few corpses, their skin already necrotized, faces in agony. His grip on his blade tightened, but he kept marching forward, arriving in the center of the park. Viona lying on the ground absently looking unto the sky. "Viona..." Eternox said struggling to find the words, calmly dropping his sword he walked towards her. Viona turned to him suprised, "d-dad? what are you doing here!? Dad you dont even have a mask you need to leave quick! " she said backing away fear in her eyes, desperation in her voice, but it all froze as eternox dropped to his knees pulling her into his arms, hugging her tight, Eternox felt like if he let go now, he might never have the chance to hug again. His throat tightened, and his voice wavered but he forced out the words needed to be said, "It's okay Viona, I'm okay, you wont hurt me" Even with a smile upon his face, he was unable to hold back his tears, Viona stared shocked, he...he was okay? Was it really okay? Her arms trembled as she couldn't find any words, as if a dam had broken she hugged him tightly Clinging to him as tears streamed down her face, "I-I'm sorry dad...I fucked up....I....people are dead.... I just... I thought I was okay, I thought I had stopped caring, b-but... I... I lost control at the mere mention of a cure.....I....I-im a mo-" but she was silenced by Eternox pulling her tear soaked face into his jacket, "Your not, Don't you dare finish that sentence Viona. Don't ever finish that sentence, none of this is your fault, it never will be. Don't worry... Dad will handle it. You just focus on living your life, Okay?" He said as tones of self guilt ran deep in his words, he meant what he said, it wasn't her fault, it was his. And if the military or government wanted to punish anyone. They'd have to kill him first before ever touching her.
ManofManyRoles Deathkitten Daniel Reaving

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Casey Kemp

Ada's father was silent for a moment, just letting her process everything and work through it at her own pace. It's not like he could force her through to the other side of this emotional battle, this was something she had to face all by herself. "There's a chance your mother is alive, yes. I didn't really look into her, she had been out of the scene a couple of months before I was hired properly I believe. Neither of you are loose ends, she wiped her hands entirely of your father's business, you were only a few months old at the time. Baby brains are grapes, they can't qualify as a loose end usually." He was silent for a few more moments before proceeding with his train of thought. 'You're not a mess. You're not a lie. And you're not disgusting. I didn't take you from your mother, your father would have ensured you never had a chance to meet her himself if he had a say in it, if not kill her as a point. Cartel lords Modus Operendi are dirty, they operate through fear...If you want a chance to see your mother, we'll figure that out. I can ring a few contacts."

Another tight squeeze of a hug around her, holding her close. "I figured it would have been more appropriate to wait until you were fifteen, hun, I'm sorry. I haven't raised a girl before. I'm happy I live with you as well, Kite." He glanced over to her, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "We'll have Sean over first thing in the morning, I'm not exactly pleased he went back on his word with me. You know how particular I am about that. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I still have to deal with the merc I have locked up, and the man who hired him...if you want to go over to the Aphera residence, do you want me coming with you again? And make sure you dislocate the little shit's jaw this time, hun."

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Jade Callahan

Jade gave a soft nod of the head, listening to Mia speak. "Ariah puts up with me, that's different...Wait, what do you mean like me the way you do?" Admittedly Jade and Ariah were on better terms than it would seem from a surface-level perspective, but for reasons, none could really know about. After all, the hero Quasar was just Ariah linking into drone bodies she'd managed to craft for her. Still, neither Mia nor Ariah was legally allowed to be heroes, and their father had expressly forbidden it. So yes, Jade and Ariah actually had a good relationship, it was just for means that weren't necessarily 'legal'. Jade flopped back and forth as she was shaken by the shoulders, giving a somewhat grumbled noise at the experience. "Why the shakiiing," she bemoaned, relaxing once Mia was done shaking her like a ragdoll she straightened upright once again, nose crinkling somewhat at the statement that Mia had gone ahead and just bought something on the spot. "Wish you'd have just asked me to buy something like that. Those are expensive, and I can assure you I've got more than enough money that I could burn...but yes, I have enough space for something like that."

Jade pouted somewhat as Mia struck her pose, grumbling. "Ya look like a damn cartoon girl with how animated you get. Course I want it." Jade's attention flicked between the advanced frame and the security droid that Mia had taken the liberty of commandeering, pouting once again. "Please don't damage the V.I or it's systems while you're in there. My security guards are super time-consuming to make, and while I can afford to replace them, I'd rather not." Given the fact it was a security droid, it had a limited vocal range, much more robotic than Mia's own usual voice, but lined with concealed equipment and enhanced servo-dynamics to guard the penthouse and C.E.O floor Jade lived on. Laying down on the couch, Jade folded her hands across her stomach, lifting her ballcap off her head so she could lay it over her face as a make shift mask, giving a small sigh as she closed her eyes. "Do me a favor. Never tell Ariah that I 'took you over' or 'took your body over'. She'd actually kill me if you used that phrasing. Alright, alright. Hang on. It's easier to patch into a V.I droid or a computer system, your body is a whole different thing." Jade relaxed, her breathing slowing down to a calm and steady pace as she established a connection with Mia's body, her own mental faculties drifting into Mia's body system and sorting through it in an effort to get a grip on everything. It was much easier without the A.I inside the shell, granted, but the frame was still supremely advanced. Slowly Mia's shifted until it suddenly jerked, neck twisting and turning as the eyes blinked. Like a clumsy marionatte it moved its arm this way and that, working the jawline up and down, but no sounds escaped it. "Te-...ting...Test-...Testing...I think I've accessed the vocal systems."

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Adam Marshall

"Not sure what it is, but the further south you travel in the states, the more you find strange magics, beings, and energies. And there's more secrets that way than I'd like to admit, but that's a discussion for another time." Adam glanced between Abigal and her grandmother as Catherine flicked the younger woman for sharing such personal information. Granted, Adam felt a little bad for putting her on the spot like that, but he needed to know what he may end up having to deal with if anything. Though as Catherine went on to explain, Adam's expression went from neutral to somewhat exhausted, grabbing his mug of coffee and taking a sloooow sip. What was the most polite way to call someone he'd just met an absolute fool, he wondered? Though the irony of such a thought wasn't lost on him, given his own life choices. At the end of the day though, he'd have a much easier way of living if humanity and everything else could stop poking the things from beyond the stars. Putting the coffee mug down he kept his attention on her, though it was somewhat bothersome how relaxed she was talking about this. Embarrassed, sure, but still she didn't seem bothered at all by the fact she'd had an affair with an avatar of the King in Yellow. Maybe it'd be easier if he moved to the Moon one day and left this all behind...then again, he'd have to share space with the cats from Saturn and Moon Beasts if he did, and that was an entirely different mess. He'd never get away from the crazy...god help the world when he ended up biting the dust, he supposed.

"With all due respect, Miss Catherine, and not to undersell your abilities or anything. I hate to be the one speaking of impending doom, but at best any talisman a person can produce more often than not is just decent bugspray. If it really wanted to, you'd still be forced to host a visit. On the upside, such beings typically disregard humanity at large, especially if they lose interest in you, as it's only so entertaining to watch an ant scurry in the dirt for so long...With that said, let's make sure we avoid poking that metaphorical bear, right?" Adam paused, realizing he was starting to ramble somewhat as he gave a slight shrug. "I'd be happy to compare notes with you, ma'am, and I'll consider the offer. I mean no ill will towards you when I say this, I simply prefer to keep a more hands-on approach with what I keep on me, typically speaking."

Deathkitten

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Ariah & Thomas Black

Ariah gave a calm nod, irritation present on her features almost perpetually at the moment. Irritation at sensations, irritation that she could feel the irritation on her face, irritation that she was irritated...there wasn't enough one's or zeroes in the world to describe how annoying all of this felt right now. "I see. I just wanted to check before I processed those numbers for you. And trust me, I won't tell her. Honestly, I'd have put a locater on her myself ages ago, but she's hard to keep in one place long enough to do that...hence why the locater is a necessary thing. Though if she's over at Jade's, I'd prefer to get home promptly, lest my employer starts trying to hit on my sibling again." Ariah settled down into a seat right beside her other party, more annoyance on her features at the sensation of the chair... Whoever decided that a sapient creature needed 'sensation' and not some other means of interpreting external factors should be taken out back and shot, truly. Warning messages sufficed just fine without these feelings. "What does Mia want? Also, if you need more of you, I could just ask Jade to make a few copies of you. She helped with the program for Mister Böhmer, after all. Making a copy of your brain waves and putting them into rudimentary droids would be well within her capabilities."

As if on cue, speak of the devil and he shall appear, there came the phone call from Dr. Böhmer, Ariah's head tilting just a bit at her father's statement of needing help of the more amoral needs at one point. "We can discuss it, if you think it's that necessary. However, you know I don't like agreeing to anything blindly."

Thomas nodded slightly to Tabby, taking the phone as it was offered to him, a mouthed 'thanks' to his handler and friend. Thomas winced a bit as Robert exclaimed his name, giving a small sigh. When he spoke, he sounded like a shell of a man that Robert had known years ago. Thomas used to be a bit of a wallflower but generally happy person...now he just sounded carved out, hollow, exhausted, and done. "Hey Robert. Yeah, I know, everyone thinks I'm dead. Everyone's made that abundantly clear to remind me of something I know already today. I couldn't call you, because my contact with the outside world is heavily monitored. Less people who know I'm alive makes it easier, I guess. Would you please calm down though? I appreciate the sentiment, but I just..." there was a pause then, Thomas trying to piece together his thoughts in a way that wouldn't sound to terrible given Selene was in the room with him now, "Scalpel, not hammer. Take it from the nuclear physicist who's blown up before, a delicate touch is absolutely necessary, Robert. I can't...move right now, or go anywhere. I can take care of myself, I'm not...good to be around people right now, Robert. I'm a risk, and that's not me being dramatic. If you can do anything for me...I don't know where Juliet is, Robert. If you do anything for me, if you ever do anything for me again, please find Juliet. Find my wife, and tell me where she is. Find Juliet and...please just make her life easier, to the best of the way you can without drawing attention to it. I don't think she's being treated right. But I can't...I honestly can't think of that right now. It's not...healthy for me to get upset. Just...find Juliet for me Robert. I'll try to be in touch to the best of my ability, we'll get this figured out...but this isn't something I can really explain over the phone, it's difficult enough in person."

Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

Viv​

A gaggle of young children, all under ten, were trying to “play” with Chrysos. Their version of playing was a bit too rough for someone who was without physical power, though. A little eight year old with fire covering his hands was giggling like a maniac chasing him around.

Another person entered the large living area, one of many living rooms in the huge compound. This one, a petite woman with lilac hair, was an adult, even if only barely.

She gave a sharp whistle, and all the kids looked at her on cue, stopping like they were trained. Which, to be fair, they were trained. They were trained like hell, which only made them scarier little monsters. Viv motioned over her back, “Adult time now. Scram, kids. You’re too damn rough with the newbie.”

“But!”

“No buts. If you can beat me, you can have buts. Until then, I’m higher standing in this family. Wanna try me?”

The one kid that tried to argued grumbled, but no one decided to take the challenge, and they dispersed like the entertainment hungry fish they were. Viv took a long sip from her boba and walked the rest of the way up to Chrysos.

“Hey. You okay? I’m Viv. Felt bad for you, so I decided to come over and save you from the masses. Need a water or something?”

Cam E. Leon

 

[Kyrenka]

~Dietrich~​

Dietrich did his best to keep a pleasant air about him despite his unease. He couldn't quite tell if some of the people were real or if they were robots, but judging by their constant smiles and the two women's strange names he was leaning towards robots. Resisting the urge to analyze the women in front of him, he quietly kept beside Morgan as he let her deal with things for now; only glancing away whenever someone strayed too close. Thankfully, they were approved for a meeting with Sherm easily. A bit surprising. He would've thought that the owner of such a large and prestigious company would be a bit more reluctant to meeting complete strangers.

The large elevator they were led to brought them directly to Sherm's own workshop. Thankfully, Sherm and Avro seemed welcoming to their presence. Dietrich reached out to enthusiastically accept Avro's hand and return the handshake. "Oh, we don't mind a little disorganization! It's the mark of a genius at work after all." Despite not having said or done anything, the blond was acutely aware of Kali's presence in the room. This complicates things. He waited for Morgan to introduce herself first before chiming in with a chipper, "And I'm Dietrich."

He felt Morgan squeeze his arm before releasing it. He noticed it; the gears turn in Avro's head as she quickly picked up on their actions. No doubt, Morgan saw it too. As does Kali. It was good that the engineer was smart. That meant she'd see their way sooner rather than later. But there's the emotional aspect. Either Avro was an incredibly good actress or she felt no fear being near Kali; the latter meaning that things would get even more complicated. Victims who suffer at the hands of a loved one tend to feel guilt and justify their abuser's actions. He had seen it many times. It was one of the few times Morgan and Dietrich were both stumped by something; why would anyone take the side of their abuser, or in this case murderer, to the point of turning the blame onto themselves when the evidence clearly pointed otherwise. It defied logic, yet it was a common theme in human behavior. It frustrated him, even back when he was a child and all his mother could do was shrug and forlornly shake her head.

'You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink,' she would say. It bothered him. Dietrich never let it show though, and instead let his face morph into a concerned expression. It wasn't hard as he felt genuine compassion for this woman and what she has gone through. "That doesn't surprise me, but I'm sorry to hear that. Since we're intruding in on your space, is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?" Personally, he was hoping that she would bring them to an office full of those security robots. Anything would be preferable to sitting in the same room as Kali.

((Interacting with Deathkitten 's Avro, Cam E. Leon 's Sherm and Kali, and ManofManyRoles 's Morgan))

 

[Kyrenka]

~Anne Beaufort~
​

Anne scrolled through her scanner once more, Aia settled contentedly beside her. The increase of activity was both a good thing and bad thing. Bad because they had to spend some time laying low to avoid getting tangled up in anything too dangerous. Good because the two of them were able to spend some time focusing on Aia's basic education. Flashcards, children's shows, books, educational day trips, and other things that would fill a normal kindergartener's day were what kept them occupied all this time. Although it pained her to ignore the learning experiences the scanner offered, this was also an important part of Aia's schooling that had been neglected a little too long. Balance Anne. You need to find a happy medium. The excitement and unique experiences that a superhero hub like L.A. offered had made her starry-eyed. She lost focus on the other necessary aspects of Aia's childhood. The girl wasn't a weapon or a soldier, she was a person and needed a well-rounded life in order to become a healthy and fully functional adult.

Maybe when Aia's ready, we could visit a carnival. Bright lights, loud sounds, lots of people, lots of stimuli. The experience could go either way but it was needed to help shape her into a stable adult. She's been doing so good in the city though, she'll probably do well. The zoo was another matter though, so they might wait a while before visiting one. Letting her hand idly pet the alien's head, Anne continued to examine the alerts on the scanner. The low level requests were right in their ballpark; specifically the dog. Nice and simple. It would be a good exercise of Aia's tracking abilities as well as ramming home the fact that violence wasn't always needed. Not that violence has been a problem. But children were impressionable and the scientist didn't want Aia to pick up any bad ideas or habits. Not to mention the fact that this is an animal.

Aia has seen pets before, and has either recognized that they were not food or thought that they weren't worth eating since the alien had never attacked one before. This would be a good opportunity to teach Aia the difference between hunting and tracking as well as reinforcing the difference between pets and food. Setting her phone down so she could turn her full attention onto the star of the show herself, Anne smiled. "What do you think? You ready to pick this back up again?"

((Interacting with Daniel Reaving 's Aia))

 

[Deathkitten]

Lady Death​

Returning to Purgatory once she heard tell of the capture of certain OA members, Death was quite pleased. Now that they were in Purgatory, they were in her domain. She could actually interact how she wanted to without fear of stepping on other concept’s toes.

Passing into her domain was so relaxing. Like taking off uncomfortable shoes. She considered for a moment what sort of form to take. Something cute would be counterintuitive. Something more serious, instead then.

Changing her form, she moved into a plain-looking meeting room. A coffee table. A loveseat. A couple of cozy-looking chairs. A fuzzy grey rug. Grey-blue walls. Dark wood flooring. No doors. No windows. Some pictures on the walls that changed scenes from cityscape to cityscape on earth.

“Melita dear, bring them in and come sit with me,” Death said aloud as she sat in one of the chairs, folding one leg over the other.

Once everyone was in, she smiled like a mother at the two souls, “No doubt you two are very angry. I hardly expect such bold individuals to be calm souls, but I do hope you’ll hear me out. I am Lady Death. I apologize for any difficulties you might have in asserting yourselves here. Purgatory has a calming effect on souls, pacifying, even. You fought well against my dear Knight here, however. First I shall answer your questions.”

ManofManyRoles Cam E. Leon Djinni

 

[Deathkitten]

Mia​

“If you’re worried about the cost you can just buy me food when we go out together one day,” Mia teased. She was actually quiet when Jade was working on connecting to her body though. She didn’t want to mess her up. It was weird to see her body move like that. Almost creepy.

“You’re doing a great job,” she said, internally smiling even if she couldn’t externally, “And by the way your VI is totally safe. I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Mia had such a hard time containing her excitement, “This is so cool. You’re doing a great job, Jade! Try walking it around the house. Treat it like you would your own body… Well, come to think of it I don’t know how different my body feels to a flesh one. Huh. Interesting thought. Anyway! You’re doing awesome. Keep it up!”

“You’re pretty good with distance connections as long as there’s internet, right? So that shouldn’t be an issue once you get the hang of this. I’ll treat you to street tacos. You’ll love them.”

ManofManyRoles

 

[Deathkitten]

Robert and Selene​

“Jade is a perfectly fine woman. I trust her around Mia. Try not to worry too much about it. Besides, what she wants has to do with Jade. I don’t want to make any big leaps like that though, the copy things I mean,” Robert said before the call.

He gave Ariah a small, apologetic smile, moving the mic away for a moment, “Love, I won’t force you to do anything. You know that. Even if it’s important like this is, you have the right to say no.” Robert moved the mic back, “Thomas, I’ll do whatever I can. I can be a hell of a scalpel for you. It tears me up inside knowing you couldn’t contact anyone this whole time.”

He sighed, “And no offense, Thomas, but I’m pretty accustomed to risk. I’m over sixty now. If I want to take a risk with whatever that explosion did to you, then that’s my choice. I assume it was the explosion that did something, anyway. People have gotten powers from stranger things. I trust that you’re not being dramatic, though. I’ll take your word seriously. I just want you to trust me as well.”

“I’ll look into where Juliet is. I’m certain Ariah could do something like that in less than five seconds, honestly. Breaking into government servers isn’t exactly difficult for an amazing person like my daughter,” Robert let go of a soft, chuff laugh, eyes sad, “Come meet me at my house. I’ll fit you with an internal communicator. Something they won’t easily detect that will let you contact us. We’ll make it quick so you’re in and out so no one suspects a thing. There are no government eyes on my property, much to their chagrin. They’d love it if they could, but I value my privacy so much. They control too much of what I do as is. My house is my house. So… just… come by. I’ll have her location by the time you get here. I promise. I’m going to hang up and get started on that.”

The soft button press didn’t do a good job of expressing how he felt right now. He took a deep breath and turned to his daughter, “Thomas Black is being held against his will by the government and so is Juliet Black. I want to ask you to find Juliet. You remember them both I’m sure. I’m… livid. Cold angry. Absolutely frigid. Ugh.” He raked his hair back with his fingers, “Sorry. Just… If you’re willing, then please do. If you’re not, it’s okay. I won’t be mad, hun. It’s illegal. Very illegal. But this is wrong. I’ll do it myself if you’re unwilling. You’re just undoubtedly better at it.”

Selene looked up at her dad and hugged him on his side, “Are we gonna go get mom..?”

ManofManyRoles

 

[Deathkitten]

Marshall Household​

Catherine gave him an apologetic smile and looked to Abigail, saying one word that echoed with strange power despite its calm and soft tone, “Deafen.”

She looked to Adam as Abigail pouted and rubbed at her ears, “I… haven’t managed to tell her about this yet so I’d prefer you don’t share it with her. I plan to tell her, but… I’m just not sure how. I am not human. Not fully. Its why I’m more resistant to going insane or what have you. It’s why he is more interested in me. It’s why I’m… better than a regular person at making talismans. It’s why I’m so ‘weird’.”

Catherine sighed, “I was young and dumb. I know it was stupid. Beyond stupid. But… you can consider my bloodline akin to divine. It isn’t… divine. Not really. I don’t have a spark or whathaveyou. But I think you could consider it closer to a Loa.” She looked to Abby again, “Cancel.”

Abigail huffed at her grandmother, “Just wait until I learn how to do that too!”

“Better work hard then,” she smirked, “Right. Anyway, I can give you notes, Adam. I much prefer to be hands on as well, so I definitely understand that. Relying on others makes it… hard to trust competence. And when you’re dealing with such dangerous things it’s so risky.”

“Oh! Right. I didn’t clarify. The talisman she has is more to make it hard for him to find us when we’re out and about. The ones at my house are repellants, the ones we take out with us are more repellant plus hides our presence unless they’re right on top of us. Works well. Plus it annoys him so that’s a plus. He’s an ass,” she muttered into her cup, “Oh there is one more thing you might want to be aware of. Abby, love, I won’t block your hearing this time but it’s about your mother.”

Abby nodded, sad, “Ah… yeah… my um… my mother didn’t want me, so I went to live with my grandma early on. She didn’t have powers like us. I had siblings too. But one day they all died in a massive house fire…”

Catherine swallowed hard, “It’s hard to talk about it for me still. Even if my daughter and I were estranged, she was still my daughter. The cause of the fire was never confirmed. I have a personal belief that it was arson. If that is the case then that might be a concern down the line, since everyone related to her died but Abby, of course. That’s more of a conspiracy theory at this point, however, so I hardly put weight in it. I think that’s everything.”

Abigail nodded, “I can’t think of anything else to tell you about.”

“Oh and I’d love to babysit anytime you need it. I am specially equipped to deal with your adorable little girl’s special skills,” she added, smiling sweetly, “And I am CPR certified and willing to go through more certifications. And as a bonus, Nyarlathotep will find my house annoying.”

ManofManyRoles