Aberrant: Nova World - [NW] Novastorm's Fourth Annual Nova Expo!

[Serena McCoy]

The trio of powerhouses - two novas, and one really hot baseline celebrity - made their way towards the LED guide balloon. That might not have been it's intention, but damned if it wasn't useful. Finally they were close enough, and Rena waved a hand at Kait as they made their way through the last bit of the crowd, trying to catch her attention.

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"Kait! Hey, over here!" The other woman looked up at her name, and her face brightened as she saw who it was. Rena broke through the last couple of people who were milling about, perhaps hoping to absorb some of the brilliance rolling off of the two hyper-intelligent novas just by being in their presence, and hugged her friend tightly. It still felt weird, five years later, that Kait was as tall as she was now, but she was getting used to it. She missed the shorty jokes, though, she thought with a wry smile as she pulled back from the hug.

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"Hey girl, how're you doing? I've missed you! How are you? How're things in the word of maaaad science?" She said it with a drawn-out emphasis on the 'mad', an inside joke regarding one of their favorite online webcomics, Girl Genius.

[Nathaniel Delacosta]

"Hmm..the exhibits is it?"

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A casual glance over in that direction saw a sea of paparazzi as well as a mass of celebrities and socialites. In his attempt to locate the young aviation engineer at a glance, he noticed the LED display of the quantum battery display. Two of the people in front of the display he vaguely recognized as company personnel, another looked familiar for different reasons. "Is that actually Tom Hiddleston?" he wondered aloud. Nathaniel was never one to gush over celebrities, so he opted to avoid that situation.

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Allowing his gaze to move on past, his eyes fell on an exotic-looking nova who was in the midst of conversation with a woman and her dog. Chairman Aziz seemed to be hovering nearby while the women spoke. Turning to Jay he asked, "That lady over there talking to the pet owner, I don't remember her from my briefings, do you happen to know much about her?"

[Ricochet]

"Are you ready?" Dr. Aziz looked at the young nova.

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"As I'll ever be..." Ricardo tugged at his collar. He didn't know which was more uncomfortable, the suit they had stuffed him into, or that he was one of the only non-white people in the room.

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"Good. But first, I have a surprise for you." the doctor stepped out of the way to reveal a familiar face, and a sight for sore eyes...

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"Mãe!"

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"O meu filho!" the woman rushed to embrace her son, unable to stop the tears from flowing freely. Rico squeezed his mother tightly, looking askance at the doctor.

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"I thought you said she was coming next week?"

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"Yes, well...I thought you might want a little encouragement, to know you are not alone."

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Ricardo pushed down the urge to indulge in his own tears; after all he still had his machismo to consider, even if she was his only surviving family.

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The beautiful Haitian woman pulled his face in close, locking eyes with her son.

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"You listen to me filho. What happened was an accident. You must not blame yourself."

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Ricardo's expression darkened. "I know Mãe. An accident yes, but it was still me who is responsible. Tonight, thanks to Dr. Aziz, I can start to make it right."

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Genevieve placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back so she could get a good look at him. "I am so proud of you. And you look so good! Thank you Dr. Calvin, for putting my son in some respectable clothes, and not letting him walk around dressed like some rap-music star."

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"Mãe..." Ricardo warned with a glance. "It's just for tonight..." And with that he gave her a kiss, and allowed Dr. Calvin to lead him to stage left to await their cue. It would not be long...

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Unlike several other novas, Ricardo had insisted that his entrance be a quiet affair. Given the recent events of his eruption, and the rather violent nature of his powers, Ricardo felt like a overt display would be grossly inappropriate and tasteless, not to mention hazardous, and Dr. Aziz and his staff had agreed. Instead, he simply walked out onto the stage to approach a central podium that had been placed there. A sea of people and flashbulbs were hazy at best behind the obscenely bright lights and the teleprompters. The latter were there "just in case" though Aziz had told him that all he needed to do was speak from his heart. The doctor for his part stood back, watching from just onstage.

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Ricardo stood there for a moment, taking it all in, memories of the octagon fresh in his mind.

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"Hello. You may be wondering where is my costume? Where is my flashy entrance?" he began, which elicited a brief murmur of chuckles from the audience.

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He continued, now with a very serious and stern demeanor.

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"It's on Youtube. I won't deny it...I wanted fame. To be known for being a great fighter. Like all fighters, I have violence within me. MMA saved me, and many of my peers from a bad life. To channel our aggression in positive ways. Even so...when I step into the cage, I have only one thought on my mind: to destroy my opponent. To defeat him. To cause him so much harm that he loses consciousness, or so much pain that he quits. I wanted to win. But not like this..."

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A picture of Maximo Blanco, before the accident, a fierce-looking promotional still, appeared on the giant screen behind him. After a few moments it was replaced by a second, a candid shot of the same man laughing with his wife and two daughters at a family picnic.

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"Because when we step into the cage, as fighters...we step through as equals. We bring with us only the fruits of our discipline, our training, our commitment. What happened that night was not fair. While I stand here before you, more of a celebrity than I could have ever dreamed of, with gifts I am only just beginning to comprehend, Maximo Blanco sits in a wheel chair. He can no longer fight, has no more outlet for his aggression. He is trapped. Worse still, he can no longer provide for his family. Why is it, that I get to stand here, at his expense?"

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Ricardo paused, letting his words breathe, as Serena and Dr. Weaver had coached him. He had only just begun to tolerate being around them. They were the loveliest of people, and a better family than he could have ever wished for, but most of the time he just felt like shrinking in their presence. They were so smart. So charming. So witty. Every time he opened his mouth in their presence he felt like he was reduced to stating the obvious.

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"Novastorm...has a lot of money, you know?" He gestured around at the expo grounds, the Quantum Harp, and the XF-37. "They have offered to pay me very handsomely to work for them, defending humanity. I always wanted to be a superhero...what boy wouldn't..." he trailed off.

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"On top of that, every day their are calls... clothing sponsorships, modeling jobs, tv and movie deals. Book rights. You name it."

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He paused again.

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"These are...wonderful blessings. How can I say no? But...how can I say yes? I think this gift is not meant for me. Let's be honest. I'm from the favelas...I have no idea what I would do with all of that money myself. So. I want to announce today that 40% of all of my earnings, from all sources, will go to support Maximo's family. To provide for him, and to send his daughters to college. No, this is not enough. Nothing could ever be enough. Which is why 55% of my pay is going towards the creation of a new non-profit charity, and subsidiary of Novastorm Technologies. The Maximo Foundation will drive research in the areas of prosthetics, and neural-regeneration research."

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A slickly designed logo appeared on the screen, along with a brief slideshow of Novastar labs, an amputee sprinter with next-gen prosthetics, and a quadriplegic learning to move a single finger again.

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"Nothing can take away my remorse for what happened. This project however is going to help a great many people, and I hope will turn my unearned celebrity into something that benefits the world. The How it all works is a bit beyond me, but Dr. Aziz has been very gracious in setting it all up, and even more so in that he is going to match my contributions. I encourage all of you to give whatever you can, so that one day...one day my opponent can stand beside me, and I can raise his hand in victory."

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"Thank you."

,, ,,

And just like that it was over. He'd only had to look at the teleprompters twice, once to remember the name of the new prototype plane, and again with the mouthful of words describing Novastorm's new offshoot charity.

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As Ricardo walked offstage, Dr. Aziz gracefully took over the podium, where he could more competently handle the inevitable media inquiries. Meanwhile the nascent nova returned to his mother, who was still crying.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako raised her right index finger to Serena. "It's not Mad Science that we do, Serena. Well it might seem like it, but trust me there is a lot of forethought and care that is taken on a daily basis with our work. Clearly not the work of an insane lab-coat wearing cook relying on pseudoscience."

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She smiled. "Then again pushing the limit is what we do, so I can see how it could seem mad. Taking calculated risks is sort of part of the job."

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"Sakurako Hino... Yes I am as short as I looked on the expo screens and no, I still can't legally drink. I get that privilege next year." She said, introducing herself. Someone who has to literally advertise her presence otherwise starts to get used to being proactive with the introductions.

[z-Dragonstorm]

“Pinkie, I’m pretty sure that was a joke.” Beth made the remark drily, her left eyebrow rising when the pink-haired scientist stopped rambling. “Rena knows that you guys do real, actual science.” She bit back further sarcastic remarks.

“Tom, this is Saku… Sakuro… I’m sorry. I call her Pinkie.” Beth smiled at the smaller nova with a touch of fondness. “Pinkie, Tom Hiddleston.”

“Delighted.” The Brit extended his hand and shook hers when she offered it. “I enjoyed your presentation on your aircraft.”

“Thanks!” Sakurako said happily, always glad to have her planes praised. She opened her mouth to explain more about them when Beth saw the coming deluge and cut her off.

“Wow, did you guys hear Ricardo’s talk?” she said quickly. “That kinda blew my mind.”

[Sakurako Hino]

"Good. At least we got an understanding. About our scientific endeavors." She said, scratching her head. "Also... I think Mr. Vala's heart is in the right place. Sort of dispicable that the moment some guy in a MMA fight gets wrecked whoever organizes their sport leaves them in the dirt. Sad, really."

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"Wait... was he was fighting... underground? There's no way the UFC would leave someone broken like that."

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She gulped. "A.... At least he's making things right to the best of his ability."

[Jay Davies]

Jay thought for a moment. "I think... something to do with animals... or plants..." he closed his eyes and started reciting something under his breath. After 20-30 seconds he stopped and opened his eyes. "The news reports called her... Druid... I wasn't really paying attention to the TV at the time, but I'm pretty sure that was her. Powers or expertise or some combination of both; the reporter wasn't really that specific, but definitely plants or animals... wait..." he thinks again... "plants or animals or weather, didn't catch the specifics."

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Jay chuckles and holds his hands up as he shrugs his shoulders. A news report was on in the student center while I was trying to do my math homework a while back. Sorry I didn't pay more attention. Heck, if I'd known that I'd be working with them, I would've actually looked for stories about novas. May end up doing that tomorrow; never had much of an interest before now."

[Serena McCoy]

Rena bit back a laugh, but couldn't suppress an amused smile as Beth corrected the little scientist's assumption for her. Then, like the others, her attention was drawn to the speech up on stage.

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"Yeah, he did good up there. He was pretty nervous about it, so they had me call him up and coached him a bit via Skype. I feel bad for the guy, that's a pretty awful way to erupt." She shook her head sadly, smiling a little as she saw Vala hugging a small woman she assumed was probably his mother. He'd mentioned her more than once during their virtual coaching sessions. "He has a pretty bad case of survivor's guilt, at least that's the impression I got. Hopefully working with Novastorm will help him channel that into a sense of usefuln--"

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She was cut off as a young woman hurried up to her, carrying a clipboard and looking a bit frantic. "Miss McCoy? Hi - I'm Jana, I'm working the Expo here. We've got a bit of a problem, we were wondering if maybe you could help out?"

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"If I'm able," she replied, her voice taking on a soothing tone to ease the young woman's frazzled nerves. "What can I do to help, Jana?"

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"Well, we're having a little technical problem backstage with one of the next exhibitions, there's some last minute adjustments going on--"

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Kaitlyn frowned slightly, her expression worried. Technical problems involving quantum could get dangerous. "Is it something serious? Do they need help back there?"

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Jana shook her head. "No, it's nothing major, it's just.. well, they said it's going to take about a half hour or so to get everything corrected, and they were hoping - I mean, wondering - if Serena - I mean, Ms. McCoy would mind bumping up her performance." She was blushing and stumbling over her words a bit, and Serena wondered if the poor woman had already had to ask some other scientists and gotten an earful about it. She knew how scientists could be getting ready for their preparations, thanks to her friendship with Kait. Everything had to be just so, and if everything wasn't exactly right they were more than happy to let you know just how much damage you could be doing by trying to rush a project or experiment. With some of these inventions, gods only knew... they might accidentally tilt the earth on it's axis if they tried to jump the gun on a demonstration. "I know you weren't scheduled for another two hours, but the one after this isn't ready yet, and--"

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Serena held up a hand, interrupting the younger woman's stream of apologies. "It's quite alright, Jana. I'd be happy to perform now. All you need for me is the backup, and my guest accompaniment, since the equipment's already set up. Oh, and the piano. Is all that good to go? How long do I have?"

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The girl let out a breath of relief, as if a giant weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "Oh, thank you, Ms. McCoy! Dr. Aziz has about ten more minutes left, we have the piano standing by, and everyone else you need is here and ready to go."

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"That should be enough time for Jessica to get here with my outfit, she's probably on her way already. Go ahead, Jana, I'll be ready."

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The young organizer rushed off, and Rena pulled out her phone, dialing in a quick text. Jess, hurry, showtime in twenty - literally! Then she shifted it to her left hand, and held out her right one to Sakurako to shake, then to Tom again.

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"Ms. Hino, a pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard a lot about you and your scientific endeavors They are indeed real, amazing science, and I'm in awe. Tom, it was so wonderful to meet you. I look forward to getting to know you better… but not just yet, it would seem," she said, laughing. "Perhaps we could all meet up after my performance, or have a little dinner tonight. Maybe Kait could even drag Daniel, since I have something for him - and for you two as well," she teased, with a glance at Kait and Beth.

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"That would be excellent," he replied. "I've heard so much about Beth's friends, I enjoy getting to know them in person."

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Serena looked like she was going to say something in response, but her phone buzzed with a text alert. She glanced down at it, typed out a short reply, then tucked it in her purse. "Okay, looks like I'm out. See you guys!"

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________________

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Twenty minutes later, and she was good to go. Fame had been good for Rena's ability to keep to a schedule - partly because she now had someone to help her with it, and partly because some things were just so damned important.

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She could hear Aziz out on the stage, which had been set up for her concert. The lights in the exposition hall had been brought down to minimal, concert style. It wasn't as long as a normal concert - just three songs. After all, she wasn't really here to show off her skills, really - not like the other novas present. Everyone already knew about her abilities. She was here more to support those who were out there today, showing off their inventions, raising awareness of the work they were doing to make the world a better place.

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"And here she is, everyone, the part of the show we know lots of you have been waiting for. Everyone please give a warm welcome to Serena McCoy!"

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She drew in a deep breath, her fingers tightening around her violin. Then she let it out and stepped out onto into the spotlight on the dark stage as even the scientifically-oriented crowd went nuts. She laughed softly as she gave Dr. Aziz a hug, and then waved him off with her violin bow as she stepped up to the microphone, the curtains concealing the rest of the stage behind her. She was dressed, surprisingly, not in an elegant silk or lace number that she was often seen in during her performances, but in what could best be described as 'urban grunge'. Her clothes were black, mostly, a bandana holding back her messy, purposefully disheveled but still gorgeous hair. She wore fingerless gloves and metal jewelry and adornments, the only splash of color a bright red scarf worn around her left wrist and hanging down from it. Her eyes were done in a smoky style and her lips were smudged a paler shade than normal. Serena was probably one of the few people on the planet who could make grunge look stunning.

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"Hello, everyone! Thank you, thank you so much!" She allowed them a few more moments to cheer, but then she gestured softly, holding her hands - and the violin bow - upwards, gesturing for the crowd to quiet. "I want to thank everyone for being here today at NovaStorm's Fifth Annual Expo. As excited as I am to perform, and as happy I am that you're all so thrilled to see me, I know I'm not what brought anyone out here today. If you just wanted to see me sing a couple songs, we all know that's what YouTube is for."

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There was a ripple of laughter, and Serena grinned playfully, her voice full of laughter. "No, I know the real reason you're all here today is because you want to see the amazing efforts and the fascinating discoveries created this last year by the employees here at Novastorm. What they do, the things the create - what they work so very hard at, every day - it's all so amazing, and I know I feel blessed to be a part of it."

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She paused for a moment, and her expression grew serious, her smooth, fluid, quantum-infused alto taking on a somber tone. "The definition of transcendence is the quality or state of being transcendent. And transcendent means to go beyond the limits of ordinary experience, to be far better or greater than what is usual. Being beyond comprehension. Now.. I know there are scientists - many of them, one of my best friends, Kaitlyn Weaver, included - that would remind me that the things we've experienced these last few years do, most likely, have an explanation. They can be comprehended. And she's probably right.. she usually is." Her voice had turned teasing, and she grinned softly as the crowd rippled again softly in laughter. Out in the crowd Kait knew that grin was for her.

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"But that's not how it feels to us right now, is it? Everything that has happened, and that keeps happening.. the things you all do for us, and for the world - the innovations, the discoveries, the gifts that some of us have been given, for better or for worse… they feel transcendent. So this new song of mine is dedicated to that.. and to you, all of you here - nova and human alike - that are working to make this world a better place. Thank you."

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The curtain began to rise, and she gestured behind her. Standing, or sitting on crates for chairs or run-down old barrels made of metal for stools and set against a video backdrop of urban blight was a small symphony of players. Their instruments were made of what appeared to be garbage, drummers held their sticks over empty office-sized water jugs and cello players held cellos made of oil drums and sticks of wood.

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"Please join me in welcoming the Landfillharmonic, from Vertedero Cateura, in Paraguay."

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Can we still link videos in posts they way we used to on the old site? I couldn't figure out how, so for now these will just be links to the YouTube videos, but if I can fix it I will.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHdkRvEzW84&list=RDDHdkRvEzW84

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Once the haunting melody had drifted into silence, the crowd went nuts. Rena took a small bow, then gestured towards the young orchestra, who all stood and took their own bow. As the crowd applauded Serena joined in the clapping, and they bowed again, their faces full of smiles. Then the lights focused on the back of the stage went black and , leaving Serena on her own.

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"Those kids were amazing, weren't they? I heard about them several years ago. Their parents work the landfills of Cateura, and their instruments are made from the waste gathered there. The ability to turn trash into something so brilliant is inspiring to me, and I hope it is to you all as well. You can learn more about them online, the information is in the brochures for the expo. But now I'd like you to welcome my other guests, the band Pentatonix!"

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With that, the darkness behind her lifted, and there stood five other performers, dressed in similarly urban grunge outfits. One of them carried a cello and stood at a microphone stand, as did Serena - the others merely carried their own microphones.

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"Now, I know this next song may actually apply to some of you here… and if it doesn't yet, then no doubt it's inevitable." Her voice was teasing again, inviting her audience to laugh along with her. "But I swear, it's meant at least mostly jokingly... After all, we've got to have a little fun at our own expense, don't we?" And with that, she began to play, and the lead singer burst into a the song off of her newest album.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE2GCa-_nyU

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The performance was fantastic, and full of energy. And while they performed it in a manner that was at least slightly tongue-in-cheek, there was also an element of seriousness to it. The world had indeed changed drastically, and there were certainly plenty of people who were plenty cynical about the direction it was heading. But some of the lyrics were hopeful, and Serena knew that every nova present would relate, in some way, to phrases like "I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones - Enough to make my systems blow." And no one present could dispute that they were definitely living in a "new age".

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After more cheering, and another set of bowing from Pentatonix this time at Rena's gesture, the lights dimmed again, this time on the whole stage. It took only a few moments, and then they rose again. This time the only one on the stage was Serena. She was sitting at a simple black baby grand piano, which looked almost stark against the blighted backdrop. And as the lights slowly came up, she began to play, her fingers moving over the piano keys with the same skillful movements they had handled the violin with in the previous two songs. And she began to sing, the words of the old nineties country song taking on a smoother, slower, jazzier sound.

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"This ain't comin' from no prophet

Just a fortunate woman

When I close my eyes I see

The way this world shall be

When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread

When the last man dies for just words that he said

When there's shelter over the poorest head

We shall be free

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When the last thing we notice is the color of skin

And the first thing we look for is the beauty within

When the skies and the oceans are clean again

Then we shall be free

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We shall be free

We shall be free

Stand straight, walk proud

'Cause we shall be free

When we're free to love anyone we choose

When this world's big enough for all different views

When we all can worship from our own kind of pew

Then we shall be free

We shall be free

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We shall be free

Have a little faith

Hold out

'Cause we shall be free

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And when money talks for the very last time

And nobody walks a step behind

When there's only one race and that's mankind

Then we shall be free

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We shall be free

We shall be free

Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out

We shall be free...

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She trailed off, and the expo was quiet for a moment. Then everyone burst into applause one last, final time. Serena stood up, removing the microphone from it's stand by the piano. She bowed to the audience herself this time, and stood quietly as the applause faded away. It took a few moments, and she took another bow or two with a humble, almost embarrassed smile.

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This was the part that was hard to get used to. Sometimes - most of the time - she felt like she had lucked out beyond measure. Sometimes she felt like she had cheated at life. Not only did she end up with a gift that most people had trained and studied and practiced for their whole lives, but she'd experienced none of the trauma that many of her fellow novas had in order to receive it. Compared to many, her own eruption had been tame. It was one of the reasons she worked so hard to do good by the world with what she'd been given. It felt wrong not to do so.

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Finally, the crowd had mostly quieted down. She knew she was getting low on time, and really she'd said all she'd come here to say already, either through speech or song. She lifted the microphone up to her lips, and smiled her most radiant smile at the exposition's audience.

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"Thank you. Thank you so much. I know that's why we're all here, and you guys are the ones making it happen. Have a great day, everyone."

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Then she took her final bow to another round of screaming applause, and waved to everyone as the lights dimmed on the performance.

[Ricochet]

The Brazilian and his Haitian mother were waiting at the sidelines, the woman seeming unable to get a break from her emotions, one hand held over her heart.

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As the singer descended from the stairs, the young Ricardo waved her over.

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"That was really something amazing," he said. "I mean, you know it's not really my scene, classical I mean, but still...that was incrível. This is my mãe, my mother....she very much wanted to meet you. Serena, may I present to you Genevieve Vala."

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The woman beamed at the nova starlet, beside herself.

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"Oh my. You sang like an angel up there. My son, he has spoken very highly of you, of all of you. Thank you for taking such good care of my filho."

[Sonja Bahaar]

"...very promising. We're calling it Soieleau. The scientists were trying to come up with a new bioplastic and initially dismissed the result when they couldn't get it to hold a solid shape."

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The most recognizable woman in the world - thanks to standing head and shoulders (or more) over everyone and a distinctively curvaceous yet very athletic figure as much as her fame - chuckled along with the number fashion designers and textile industry execs eddying around her. Often it seemed, great innovations were the product of complete accidents. But after the development of Eufiber and its synthetic derivatives, like Fauxn - a superior substitute for leather - the fashion and garment industry has been keeping a sharp eye for what was coming out of NovaStorm.

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"I saw something else. A material with all the qualities we look for in the finest silk along with the strengths of a synthetic. Highly resistant to water, staining, and heat damage, holds colour extremely well, doesn't suffer shrinkage, yet breathes excellently. Is Immune to creasing or wrinkling - it doesn't hold a shape well - but flows and drapes marvelously."

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Sonja gestured for her listeners to handle the swathes of fabric on display at the booth, then posed, letting them get a good look - and a feel if they wished - at the stylish dress of silver-grey soieleau she was wearing, offset by the deep wine suit jacket, also of soieleau. As visually striking as Ambrosia was, she found herself stepping back with a wry grin as the fashion designs circled her towering girlfriend, who were far more interested in the prospect of a new fabric.

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"As a biopolymer, it's highly biodegradable, and adding the right catalyst, breaks back down into a kind of soup, making it infinitely recyclable," Sonja continued to explain with a restrained enthusiasm. Fashion icon and magnate that she was, she was very excited by the prospect of soieleau. "It can be extruded into threads like a typical synthetic, but that isn't what impresses me the most about Soieleau. As I'm sure you've noticed, my dress has no seams and the remarkable smoothness of the fabric. That is because it was not woven, but formed as a single piece."

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Karl Lagerfeld arched an effete brow, looking incredibly dubious, but he always did about anything he disagreed with. He wasn't happy with the growing diversity of body types being used in modeling, and he wasn't going to be happy about the new material and the way it was fashioned, but that was too bad for him. He'd adapt or get left behind. Sonja rather hoped he didn't - despite disliking the man, he was a very gifted and inspired designer.

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"Watch," Sonja said, her resonant alto compelling, directing their attention to another part of the display, which was dominated by a state of art 3D printer. "Using body-mapping technology and easily produced molds as a support structure, we can make garments to order and as a single piece. Not instantaneous of course - it takes time for the soieleau to set, but the possibilities are staggering."

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Ambrosia reached up to slip an arm around Sonja's waist, listening raptly as the discussion grew more technical, Sonja explaining in more detail the various properties of soieleau. Making the jump from glamour modeling to fashion, Amber was learning there was a lot more to the industry than most people believed.

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At the moment though, she was more interested with the feel of her firm bodied giant of a girlfriend sheathed in an incredibly smooth and soft dress. Sonja gave Amber's shoulder a playful squeeze, her professional smile deepening as her diminutive girlfriend (admittedly, everyone was compared to her) began to discretely toy with her navel ring through the dress, the navel ring shaped like a pair of lips Amber had gotten her (it had taken Kaitlyn to figure out how to pierce her to actually wear it though).

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"... and the Bahaar Group holds the exclusive manufacturing rights," Sonja finished, violet eyes sparkling, smile growing fierce as some of the execs groaned. "I am of course more than willing to license it - I want to see soieleau all over the market and I'm sure others with come up with ideas for it I never considered. And that is good. But I want what I always want - better working conditions and pay and benefits for the factory workers..."

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Sonja crossed her arms beneath her breasts, looking down at a pair of Chinese textile moguls with a severe expression. Sonja's business and manufactoring interests had served to put Bangladesh well into second place in world clothing exporters - as well as boosting overall economy, working conditions, and gender equality in the country - but it was still a long way behind China. Sonja was beginning to make inroads there too, but progress was considerably slower than she liked, deeply conservative elements fighting her every step without directly facing her. Her eyes slid over to Karl Lagerfeld and Wolfgang Joop, not gaze not softening.

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"... And more diversity in the models you use. Look around Karl - look at the women here - my sweet Ambrosia," Sonja encircled Amber's waist with her hands and picked her up - no longer self-conscious about the action - giving her a quick kiss on the lips before setting her down then nodding at two other women she was well acquainted with sliding through the Expo - she had flirted with both before. "The magnetic Serena McCoy and charming Elizabeth Perot. All of them among the most beautiful women on the planet-

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Lagerfeld sniffed, glancing at the other Nova women and avoiding Sonja's gave. "And you?"

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"Yes, and me! We are part of a demographic of what? A thousand? All of us have distinct figures and builds and not a one is a stick like Kate Moss or Chloe Memisevic. There is more than one body type, Karl, and if you haven't noticed, women aren't being quiet anymore about letting it be known."

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Lagerfeld snorted but still didn't meet her eyes. "And you think you can demand who I allow to walk my runways?"

,,

"I would never do such a thing," Sonja retorted with mocking primness, before crouching down to bring her to eye level with the German fashion designer. "I wouldn't tell you who to hire to showcase your fashion line, though you couldn't do much better than any of the women I named. But I will influence what types of models you use. You want something, I want something."

,,

Sonja straightened up to her full height, flashing Karl the challenging and joyful one-sided grin she had worn on the court as a Tennis champion. "Stay and give soieleau more thought, decide if you want it or not. I have some friends I want to see, but I'll be back."

,,

Amber smothered a smile, never tired of watching Sonja work a group with a blend of friendly cajoling, light banter, glamorous appeal, and a splash of subtle threat. With her heroic and powerful figure, Sonja had a tremendous presence, but managed to avoid being outright frightening (most of the time). Sonja's eyes sparkled as she glanced down at Amber, knowing she'd persuade the designers and execs to most of her requests.

,,

Sonja and Ambrosia made their good-byes and began making their way through the Expo, Sonja mingling with a relaxed and friendly finesse developed from being in the spotlight since she was thirteen. Amber was hardly less gifted, if considerably less experienced than Sonja, and a renowned photographer who had been taking publicity shots for the Expo.

,,

With the huge difference in height, the enormous blonde and petite brunette made a very odd looking couple, absurd even, that the tabloids had taken glee in mocking and conjecturing what went on in the relationship when it had just begun. But closing on a year later, the two women shared an obvious affection for each other, were comfortable in how they fit together, and generally headed the top of any list for sexiest celebrity couple.

,,

When Jimmy Kimmel had asked how their sex life worked while Sonja had been touring to promote She-Hulk, she had answered 'Imaginatively," with a coy grin.

,,

New Term

Soieleau: French for Water Silk, a man-made biopolymer made using various vegetable oils. Has qualities very similar to natural silk and various synthetic fibers. Can be formed into a single piece, rather than woven.

[Serena McCoy]

"É o nosso prazer, Sehnora Vala. Our very sincerest pleasure." She gave the older woman a hug, and kissed her gently on each cheek before pulling back. "We'll do our best here at Novastorm to take care of him for you."

She let Mrs. Vala draw her into another emotional hug, and patted her back gently. She had a soft spot for overprotective mothers,after all. Her own had only started to relax into her daughter's new celebrity status the last year or so.

[Dead Ringer]

The sound of whistling to the tune of Pentatonix's Radioactive heralded the arrival of Shannon, hands in pocket. "Dunno about that." He offered and shook hands with Mrs. Vala. "Shannon Argent. Though Señora Vala, I'm shocked that you've been told we take good care of him."

The words were uttered with all the camp tones and facial expressions befitting an Adam West Batman villain. "At NovaStorm, I'll tell you where he's not. SAFE." Shannon cleared his throat and did a sudden conversation vault quicker than a gymnast. "Really though. Good speech. And wonderful singing, I was wondering when you'd show up Serena. I was this close to starting a betting pool with Jason."

You had to wonder how much heard from the man with no past was genuine, a joke, some act, two of the above or all three. Sometimes Shannon wasn't sure, but accepted it as a facet of his utterly protean identity.

[Serena McCoy]

She pulled away with a roll of her eyes and an exapsperated sigh. "Shannon... charming as always, I see. And obtuse."

Her expression grew serious, and she turned back to Sehnora Vala. "Of course we do not mean to deceive you, ma'am. The world is a dangerous place these days, and your son will be risking much to help others, just like many novas here today. But he is part of the team,and we always do our best to watch out for each other.

She turned to Shannon, and flashed him a brilliant, sexy smile. "But thank you, Shannon. I was pleased with the performance myself.". Without giving him an opportunity to interject, she changed the topic again as smoothly as he had. Turning to the newer nova, she smiled pleasantly. "And you did great up there, Rico. The speech was lovely, and very well delivered."

"Obrigado, Serena. I was nervous though," he laughed, still a bit on edge.

"Well it didn't show. And you're going to find a lot of joy and satisfaction in your new foundation, I know it. I hope you choose to take an active hand in it, there's nothing more satisfying than helping make a difference. It's the best part of all of this, if you ask me."

"I'm sure," he replied, and he reached out his hand for hers. She clasped his gently with both of hers in return, and squeezed reassuringly.

"But I hope you will all excuse me, I actually just got here right before the show, they bumped me up because of a technical issue, so I haven't actually had time to make the rounds at all." She smiled charmingly her company, and it was impossible not to feel touched by her beauty and warmth. "You make sure this boy of yours shows you around the expo, Sehnora. It's amazing, you'll both have a wonderful time."

She started to step away, but caught Shannon gently by the upper arm, leaning in close and murmuring softly in that stunning voice of hers. "Play nice, Shannon... today is a happy day, remember?"

And with that she politely excused herself, and slipped off into the crowd to mingle with her fans and fellow novas. She'd watched the live stream of Beth's presentation this morning while getting ready, frustrated that she wasn't there in person to see it. She wanted more time to chat with her friends, and there were several demos she wanted to see firsthand. There was some new solar power breakthroughs she wanted to get familiar with, since Aziz had mentioned bringing her in to discuss presenting it for humanitarian uses. And she'd heard something about a new fabric being presented by the Bahaar Group...

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako pulled down her goggles, looking at her feet as she leaned against a heavy display. "You know... all this... it's all show. Trying to put a shine on some great work that we've been doing." Sakurako said to Kaitlyn. "Sort of dissapointed I couldn't have done a fly-over at the start of the Expo like I was planning, but the Blue Angels were dragging their heels not wanting to be upstaged by little ol' me."

Sighing she looked over to the aviation display with the standard test prototype just wheeled into position. "You know, I could put in a VTOL system, but that would slow the aircraft down 25%... No good when dealing with a flying zone mutant." She said, scratching her chin.

The music performances impressed her a little, but she started to pay more attention to the polymers being discussed.

"Ooh... seems I got some competition... although the bio-degrading polymers are a pretty sweet idea, but I'm looking at things that last so they don't have to get recycled." She said crossing her arms.

"Oh... that's an idea... I wonder if she's worked with gels... I got this cool idea of using cannisters of a gel I've been thinking of to use as anything from small patches for hulls of ships or passenger aircraft to large, soft ones to stand-in for those airbags firefighters use to catch falling people from buildings."

She scratched her chin. "Oh, Kaitlyn... do you have some accurate bio-mechanical data for a human male of the approximate height and weight of a typical fighter pilot? Including things like blood flow and pressure and blood-oxygen levels?"

[Ricochet]

Mrs. Vala (for she still wore her wedding ring), dabbed at herself with a handkerchief. "It's alright. You know I hate that he fights; I worry so, but the Gracie's taught him the discipline and respect that his father would have given him. I haven't been able to protect him from danger since he was 12 years old. He is going to do what he is going to do. I don't have to like it, but I am proud of him."

,,

She turned to her son. "I am quite spent my son. I think I shall retire back to the hotel for the night."

,,

"I can go with y--"

,,

"Nonsense. You stay. This event is for you. Besides I will be here to dote on you for the whole rest of the week. Nice to make your Acquaintance, Sehnor Argent."

,,

Having said her goodbyes, the elegant Haitian woman sashayed away, leaving her son alone with the enigmatic Argent.

,,

"So. Mr. Argent was it?" Ricardo had the kind of intense gaze that seemed to bore into one's soul. The mega-social novas quickly picked up that it was the look of someone being entirely present in the moment with you, naked really, the kind of look born from a lifetime of poverty and hardship. A look that understood that pain and suffering were universal to the human experience. It was an inclusive look, both real, and raw.

,,

"What is it that you do for Dr. Aziz? I know given our unique talents, we all have unique job titles."

[z-Dragonstorm]

Beth was just as happy to fade into the background once Rena started singing and Sakurako started chattering on about her stuff with Kait. She could see the long-suffering look on her friend’s face, but Kait was capable of defending herself to the petite scientist. Stepping back and drawing Tom away steadily, she pulled them into a less populated area of the show.

“How long will you be in Israel?” Beth asked softly as they walked together.

“Two more days. Then I fly to Cypress for three days, then skip over to… somewhere in Germany and then home to London.” Tom sounded weary as he recounted his travel itinerary.

“So you’ll be in Germany when the Expo is done.” Beth rested her head on his shoulder. “Any chance I can see you there?”

“If you want.” He released her hand to put an arm around her shoulders and draw her close. “I’d like that.”

Her arms snaked around his waist and he put his other arms around her as they turned to face each other. They stood together for a long moment, enjoying the quiet moment. Between their busy lives, they didn’t get moments like this often. A group of kids in shirts festooned with various Marvel characters walked by, gawking and giggling. Beth tried to ignore them but she couldn’t ignore when Tom poorly stifled a yawn.

“You should get to bed,” Beth observed.

“I should.” Tom looked reluctant to leave, which wasn’t entirely about her, Beth knew. The only way to have him back to Israel soon would be via a warper. If he used Novastorm’s warper, that meant he’d suffered an hour of nausea for the trip, and would suffer another on the way back.

“Want me to go with you?” she asked, lifting her head to lock gazes with his blue-green eyes.

“Yes.” His expression brightened as he spoke. “But can you really get away?”

“For the hour or two it’d take to tuck you into bed?” Beth grinned as she brushed her fingers over his cheek. “Not a problem.”

Thirty minutes later, they stepped through a warp into the living room of Tom’s suite. The location selection had been planned to accommodate the vertigo disruption that accompanied stepping through the warp. Tom swayed and made a choking noise the second he stepped through, and Beth caught him by the arm.

“I got you,” she murmured as she walked him to the bathroom. They had just enough time to get his jacket and tie off before he knelt next to the toilet and threw up. As late in the night as it was, there wasn’t much left in his stomach.

“Ugh,” he muttered as he sat back against the wall next to the toilet. Beth handed him a glass of water and got a murmured, “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Beth sat next to him on the floor as he swished and spat the first mouthful. She wasn’t sure the water would stay down but she knew he probably wanted to clear out his mouth.

“I should have thought about this part.” He glanced ruefully at her, sipping from the glass. “This is not the memory I wanted you to have of tonight.”

Beth kissed his cheek. “It doesn’t bother me, so long as I don’t have to clean it up. Besides, you are suffering this just because you wanted to surprise me.”

The actor smiled weakly and put his head on her shoulder. A moment later, he gasped, “Oh, god.” He handed her the water and turned back to the toilet.

Sixty minutes later, Beth helped him to his feet. “I’m sorry, but I’m ready for bed,” Tom told her softly.

“I guessed.” Beth smiled comfortingly as she unbuttoned his shirt. “Can I stay until you fall asleep, though?” He nodded and she helped him out of his clothes and into his flannel bottoms. As she turned down the covers and slipped into the bed, she changed her uniform into a tank top and flannel boxers.

The nova laid down first and let him curl up against her, his head on her shoulder. “You know,” Tom told her after a moment of settling, “I’m not going to be awake long. You are too comfortable.”

Beth chuckled. “You’ve mentioned that before.”

“Yes, but I’m pretty sure the word I used that time wasn’t ‘comfortable’.” The heated note in his voice made her wish that he wasn’t so tired.

“I think,” she murmured as she tenderly kissed his hair, “you’re right.”

His fingers lazily played over the ribbing on her shirt. “I’m always right.”

“Of course you are, dear.” She kissed his hair again.

She felt his face shift as he smiled but after a while his smile faded. Then he faded, his body relaxing against hers. Once she was sure she was asleep, she slipped out of bed and grabbed her phone. Out on the room’s balcony, she called Novastorm and arranged for a warp back to the Expo.

She wanted to stay, but she had work to do. She had to find Jay and talk to him, as well as catching back up with Maxwell, as she’d promised. Then she had other demonstrations of the Quantum Harp in the coming days.

The warp opened and Beth cast a longing glance back at Tom’s room. Sighing, she returned to work.

[Nathaniel Delacosta]

"Hm, so she controls the biospheric aspects of the environment, as well as meteorological effects? That's noteworthy.." So saying he pulled out a day planner and made a note to research this woman later. Rising from the table he bid Jake a nod. "The time has come to put your evasion techniques to work. I've yet to take my time going over these exhibits, and with the more socially adept novas distracting the media I have an opportunity. Good to meet you Jake, hope to work more with you later."

,,

He then started toward the exhibit of quantum batteries, carefully skirting the crowds as he moved.

[Dead Ringer]

Mrs. Vala (for she still wore her wedding ring), dabbed at herself with a handkerchief. "It's alright. You know I hate that he fights; I worry so, but the Gracie's taught him the discipline and respect that his father would have given him. I haven't been able to protect him from danger since he was 12 years old. He is going to do what he is going to do. I don't have to like it, but I am proud of him."

,,

She turned to her son. "I am quite spent my son. I think I shall retire back to the hotel for the night."

,,

"I can go with y--"

,,

"Nonsense. You stay. This event is for you. Besides I will be here to dote on you for the whole rest of the week. Nice to make your Acquaintance, Sehnor Argent."

,,

Having said her goodbyes, the elegant Haitian woman sashayed away, leaving her son alone with the enigmatic Argent.

,,

"So. Mr. Argent was it?" Ricardo had the kind of intense gaze that seemed to bore into one's soul. The mega-social novas quickly picked up that it was the look of someone being entirely present in the moment with you, naked really, the kind of look born from a lifetime of poverty and hardship. A look that understood that pain and suffering were universal to the human experience. It was an inclusive look, both real, and raw.

,,

"What is it that you do for Dr. Aziz? I know given our unique talents, we all have unique job titles."

,,

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you." Given a questioning look by Ricardo, Shannon smiled and explained. "My job description and title are unprintable, unmentionable, unspeakable and not spoken of in the company of the polite public."

,,

That should give him some ideas to process. "But you'll learn soon enough, Ricardo. Just not right now." Shannon smiled. "Also, expect lots of fresh air and getting out into the world again. If anything, our eggheads will leave you tired in the dust."

,,

Et tu, Dr. Weaver?

[Sonja Bahaar]

Flutes of champagne in hand, the very distinct couple wandered through the Expo, perusing the various exhibits and watching the other presentations and displays. Having been there since the Expo opened that morning - Ambrosia to take photos for NovaStorm PR and Sonja to keep her company - they weren't mobbed as much as some of the newer arrivals.

,,

"Oh, yes, the scene where Jennifer Walters is adjusting to suddenly being two feet taller and super-strong was heavily based on my own experiences just after erupting," Sonja said, chuckling with rueful amusement as she answered an adorable pre-teen girl's question. "I felt very clumsy and it wasn't any fun, but I've gotten used to it. Mostly."

,,

"When I grow up, I hope I'm as strong and big as you, Ms. Sonja," the girl gushed shyly.

,,

"Ha ha! Eat healthy, stay fit, and get plenty of exercise and I'm sure you'll grow up to be plenty tall and strong, Molly," Sonja said, flashing the girl's mother a wink. "And when you're older, you'll learn just how big and strong is right for you. Sometimes, there is too much of a good thing. Have fun at the Expo you two."

,,

Sonja had grown used to the way she was now, the strength and endurance, even her size - though that still took accommodation in nearly every respect - but for the most part, it was all just more of what she had had before.

,,

She had been a tall tennis player at 6'2'', and now was among the tallest women in the world. Always athletic and well-endowed, she now had an unmistakably muscular yet very buxom figure. Once a renowned ubermodel, she now naturally looked as good as her professionally-styled-photoshopped-best all the time. Known for being a strong, yet surprisingly fast tennis player, especially for her height, playing an aggressive game close to the net, she was now stronger, faster, tougher than she once would have believed possible.

,,

Sometimes, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy at the Novas who could actually do things. Amber could read minds, if she really wanted. The Kansas City Angels could all fly. Dr. Nathaniel Delacosta could control the very earth and Rico was telekinetic in a variety of ways. And there were many more.

,,

Oh well! This is really a First World/Nova problem, Sonja thought wryly, giving Amber a quick hug, impressed as any as Beth plucked her Quantum Harp with her wings and claws. She would trade her quantum gifts in a heartbeat to get her sisters and parents back, but probably not for any other reason.

,,

Sonja clapped appreciatively along with everyone else at Rico's speech, making a note in her phone to match a percentage of Rico's contribution to his charity with her own personal funds. She had heard Serena perform before of course, but was still as moved by her honeyed, mellifluous tones as the first time.

,,

All in all, Sonja was very satisfied to have done her display early in the Expo rather than following up after some of the others. Not that a display was strictly necessary in her case - her eruption and quantum expression were very well documented in the public eye. Still, it was often overlooked that a woman of her size and strength was also supremely fast.

,,

Because her dignity wouldn't allow her to run around in a hamster wheel at super-speed to power a turbine - despite Kait's and Beth's urgings - Sonja instead had elected to play a full set of tennis... against herself. In under ten minutes. Wistful and melancholy at having to give up the sport professionally, Sonja could admit to herself at least that her display had been more self-indulgent than for others at the Expo.

,,

Those who had been fans of her before would have recognized the Little Black Dress-inspired tennis outfit she had worn during her match at the WTA World Tour Championship when she had completed the first and only Super Slam in tennis a decade ago. Those who were particularly sharp-eyed and watched the slow-motion replays on the monitors would have noticed beyond her incredibly speed, a display of superhuman physical prowess as she recreated the final set of that tournament almost step for step, making allowances for her stature of course.

,,

It was nostalgic and fun. Sonja wished she had someone she could play against on an equal footing.

,,

Passing by the table Nathaniel and Jay were sharing, the enormous Amazon gave them the friendly, professional nod of a colleague who hadn't worked with them yet. Her amethyst eyes catching sight of Max, she flashed him a big grin as she learned over to clap him on the shoulders.

,,

"Ah, Max, so this is where you're hiding. I've been looking for you - no, still not like that! I'm a one-woman woman. But do promise me Bad Daddy's can still cater my show during Miami Fashion Week?" Sonja implored with casual camaraderie.

,,

Bad Daddy's was one of her favourite places to eat in Miami, mostly because they hadn't even blinked when she had stepped in and ordered enough for herself to feed an entire high-school football team. Maxwell Evans and Bad Daddy Kane were good people.

,,

"For you, Babezilla? I'm sure we can squeeze in the time," Max replied breezily, more at ease with the supersized supermodel than most. With New York ReZoned, Fashion Week in Miami had grown and Sonja was usually in attendance.

,,

"And being surrounded by beautiful models in bikinis and summerwear has nothing to do with it I'm sure," Sonja countered with a smirk as she glanced at Amber. "Heidi would hunt him down if he didn't show. I've traveled the world and Max's wings are still the best I've ever had, I swear." Sonja chuckled with playful mischievousness. "I think I'm going to make it a rule - any model has to eat at least two of your wings if the want to walk my runway. I'll send you the details when they've been finalized."

[Maxwell Kane]

Max laughed. "The models and the bikinis are just part of the gig, my way of taking one for the team. I assure you, I suffer through every moment of it." He almost said it with a straight face.

,,

"Mmm hmm..." Sonja looked at him incredulously. "I'll bet."

,,

"But I don't see it as a problem." He said, raising his glass to Amber in greeting. "As long as the after party is still at BD's. Bad Daddy is still dying for another shot at wooing you into marrying him. Frankly, I just think he likes that hugging an eight foot tall woman means his hands land on her butt as a default. I recommend pants that night unless you're feeling adventurous." They both shared a laugh. It was no surprise that Bad Daddy, while one one the kindest teddy bears of a man a woman could expect to find, he was a bit pervy. He'd, at some point, told every woman on Max's team that they were going to marry him one day, even the woman who was already married, claiming 'it's not like he needs to know'.

,, ,,

Max had been quietly watching the Expo from his little niche in the back. He'd heard the speeches, performances, and the slew of other things right down to the theft and kindergarten shenanigans. It wasn't really his things though, being out and exposed as a nova. He certainly didn't take any pains to hide his abilities and wasn't ashamed of them, but he wasn't like the others, he didn't want to be known as a nova who happened to be a scientist, he wanted to be a scientist who happened to be a nova. Expos like this seriously blurred those lines for him. Barely anyone was here to hear about his research, they just wanted to see him make fire dance around the floor. At least, that's how he felt.

,,

"You okay, Max?" Sonja asked, noticing his general lack of enthusiasm.

,,

He shrugged, managing a smile. "Yeah, nothing major. Just don't really feel in my element. I feel like a puppy at a pet store; everyone is just walking by ogling me and waiting for me to do tricks or look adorable so they can approach me and ask Dr. Aziz if they can borrow me for the week end to spot weld some frame-work for them or something. Y'know? Less like a man and more like a display piece. I'm a scientist, not a circus performer."

[Serena McCoy]

Sonja was the first one she spotted - big shock - and so she moved towards her, having at least said her hellos to Beth and Kait. She'd hopefully catch up with them soon. But for now, she made her way towards the Amazonian woman and, she realized as she got a little closer, Max Kane. She smiled warmly at them both as she approached.

,,

Though not as active in team situations as the others were most of the time, she had been around on occasion for situations that required a bit of mediation. A lot of her work for Dr. Aziz seemed to be more public or political, but she still made it a point to know the other nova employees of the company well. And any of them - indeed, anyone really - who might initially be intimidated by her attractiveness or fame were usually quickly put at ease. She was a very down to earth woman who adapted well to different situations and people, and rarely acted with pretension or entitlement. There was a distinct feeling, when interacting with Rena, that what you saw was what you got.

,,

"Hey guys! Sonja.. Max.. how are you two doing?"

[Sonja Bahaar]

Sonja returned Rena's smile with one just as warm. She might be in a committed relationship - and with one of the very few women that were a much for Rena in sheer appeal - but that didn't mean Sonja didn't enjoy looking at other women, and she expected Amber did the same.

,,

Sonja and Rena had flirted before, but it had been not that long after their eruptions and nothing more had come of it. Now they were just friends and good colleagues, often collaborating on public relation events for NovaStorm and promoting various social programs and charities, though they sometimes differed on details and ways of doing things.

,,

Amber, the petite dark-haired, dark-eyed model, dancer, and photographer standing at Sonja's side was known to Rena, a relatively new addition to NovaStorm's PR department. Though to be fair, it was more through Sonja talking about her girlfriend than the sum of the interaction she had with Amber. Rena was happy that the giant woman had found someone she seemed happy with.

,,

"Your performance was amazing, Ms. McCoy," Amber enthused, still slipping into a new-hire's more formal mode of addressing senior employees.

,,

"Exquisite as always, Serena," Sonja agreed. "Amber here snapped some great shots for the public site."

,,

Amber chuckled self-deprecatingly. "That isn't a testament to my skill. You're very easy to photograph."

,,

"We all are," Serena elaborated, sharing easy laughter.with the other two superhumanely attractive women.

,,

Taking a quick around and seeing a CEO who had to weigh at least as much as she did, his buttocks engulfing his chair, Sonja risked sitting down. The chair creaked, but supported her mass as she crossed her long, strong legs. Amber sat on Sonja's muscular thigh, the top of her head still short of her girlfriend's chin. It could have looked silly or unseemly, but the way Amber leaned back on Sonja's chest, and comfortable manner Sonja steadying her with a hand on her waist made it seem sweet. And it prevented Amber from disappearing at Sonja's side.

,,

"We're doing quite well, thanks, Rena," Sonja said. "Having a fine time at the Expo this year. Hope you will too - there are some very interesting exhibits. If we can get the production costs down on soieleau, it might work very well for providing simple shelter and clothing for refugees on short notice..."

,,

Feeling Amber shift on her lap and Max's eyes start to glaze as she began to talk shop, Sonja gave it rest, nodding her at the culinary specialist and scientist who also just so happened to be a Nova as well. "... Max here is feeling a bit... conflicted. He's wanting to be seen as a scientist when most people just want to see a Fire-bender do some tricks."

,,

Sonja's eyes twinkled playfully as she turned them on Max, but her smile was sympathetic. She knew what it felt like to want to be seen one way when the rest of the world (or at least the part of it you were concerned about at the time) wanted to see you in another.

,,

"I've seen you at work at Bad Daddy's, Max - I might be willing to challenge you about you being a performer or not. But I understand what you mean. Still, have you never had to jump through some hoops to earn grant money? Nothing says you can't show a little flare as it were, then subvert their expectations to draw their attention to what really matters to you."

,,

She had done it herself, using her status as the Tiger Woods of Tennis to promote her modeling career back before anyone had ever dreamed of the Surge, even if it did require shifting views on what a model should look like to a degree. Views that were shifting even more after the Surge. Modeling and athletic, and now her status as a Nova have led to other things, including the having the influence to make the world a better place.

,,

"That feeling that it seems necessary to play games like that can be incredibly frustrating I know. If no one else is willing to see pass the razzle and dazzle, at least I am. We are, aren't we, girls? Tell us about what you are working on, or what you're studying right now. I can't promise I'll understand it all, but you have my full attention."

,,

Those who knew Sonja knew she could be incredibly driven and focused on attaining her goals. She could have easily turned into an insufferable bitch. Except she knew when to relax and enjoy the fruit of her labors, and was always willing to lend a hand or an ear to a friend in need.

[Ricochet]

,,

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you." Given a questioning look by Ricardo, Shannon smiled and explained. "My job description and title are unprintable, unmentionable, unspeakable and not spoken of in the company of the polite public."

That should give him some ideas to process. "But you'll learn soon enough, Ricardo. Just not right now." Shannon smiled. "Also, expect lots of fresh air and getting out into the world again. If anything, our eggheads will leave you tired in the dust."

Et tu, Dr. Weaver?

,, ,,

"Soooo...you work in sewage treatment?" It was all the young man, with his humble roots, could think of that would fit all of those criteria.

,,

He flashed his own version of a winning smile at the enigmatic man.

,,

"Oh they've been trying. The eggheads I mean. So far nothing seems to tire me out. I haven't slept once since my eruption. I kind of miss it."

[Jay Davies]

Jay nodded at Nathaniel as he got up. "Hope to see you again soon."

,,

Well, that certainly was interesting. I can't leave yet, I have to spend at least a couple more hours here. I guess I can sift through the memories from around the Expo. See if anything interesting happened... or if anything else interesting happens.

[Nathaniel Delacosta]

“A quantum battery, ostensibly a capacitor capable of storing the as yet undifferentiated energy which gives a nova their power. Such a thing, in theory, represents the ability to harness naturally occurring telluric energy manifestations, the very powers of the universe itself, within an artificial vessel. If it can be stored then it can be manipulated, if it can be manipulated…”

“Excuse me? Dr. Delacosta? Could we have a moment of your time?” It was the voice of a random reporter. Having left the comfortable hideout of Jay’s table, it was inevitable that the media would discover Nathaniel in his wanderings. He had no idea how long he’d been standing there thinking, so he hadn’t noticed that the actual display was starting to close down. He’d been holding a pamphlet the entire time as he was losing himself in theoretical musings. Leaving his thoughts on a back burner while focusing on the present, he turned to regard this reporter.

,,

“Yes, go right ahead.” He turned to address the reporter and her cameraman directly, keeping his face placid as he spoke.

,,

“Thank you Doctor. Our inquiry into the nova personnel roster for Novastorm has you listed among their scientific division, can you comment on that?” Despite the lone cameraman this interview had a quiet, almost private feel to it. Nathaniel suspected that this reporter might be pursuing the elusive exclusive interview angle.

,,

“Indeed. I have been hired on to Novastorm for my specialization in the field of natural resources, as well as my ability to discern long term effects on the environment.”

,,

“I see. I don’t see you on the presentation schedules, though we all saw your grand entrance to the expo…”

,,

“I wouldn’t call that entrance grand…it’s simply the way I travel now. But you are correct; I don’t have a formal presentation planned. I’ve only recently been hired on and much of my work thus far is in the theoretical stage. But what I can tell you about it now is that I am focusing on energy research.”

,,

“Energy research? As in alternate energy sources? Like solar and geothermal?”

,,

“Sources of green energy, yes. I believe there are other options we have yet to explore. More efficient options.”

,,

“Records show that you once worked in oil requisition, but surely the hypercombustion engine has greatly extended the life of our oil stores?” The reporter may have meant the question harmlessly, but she was unprepared for the sudden dark expression that passed over Nathaniel’s face.

,,

“Oil and fossil fuels are at the end of their days. The invention of the HCE was their final wailing gasp. Putting aside the fact that we really should have been beyond such fuel sources decades ago, I believe I have found a better solution for meeting the world’s energy needs. Once that is more efficient than trying to harness the wind or the sun. As this is all still in the theoretical stage, that is all I will say on the subject for now.” With that he turned and headed to the outer courtyard

,,

***

Out in the courtyard amidst the throngs of expo patrons Nathaniel quietly slipped past. He was looking to find a quiet area where he could sort out his thoughts, as the quantum battery display had given him an important idea. However he was interrupted again by an overheard conversation going on between what looked to be net-bloggers covering the expo.

,,

The first was saying, “So how do we rate those two, nobody’s ever seen them do anything with their powers?”

,,

The other replied with, “Nevermind them for now, we can come back to them once we have an idea of what they can do. Give the readers stats for the ones we do know.”

,,

To Nathaniel it looked like they were creating some kind of power ranking for the members of Novastorm’s nova personnel. “Typical,” he thought. “The only thing on the public’s mind is ‘how much damage can they do’, not ‘what can we learn from them’.” He watched them for a time as they quibbled over the sketchy accountings of what each nova could do. Their current argument was whether gravity powers trumped weather powers, and whether cold powers automatically beat fire powers or it was a matter of the strength of the nova in question. So intent were they in their argument they didn’t notice Nathaniel quietly walking up behind them.

,,

An idea struck him that solved several problems all at once. Clearing his throat he addressed them in conversational tones, “You aren’t looking at the issue clearly. The issue isn’t who is more powerful, but rather who has more versatility. Power is meaningless without direction, and power that moves only in one direction is easily avoided.” Seeing that he had their undivided attention he proceeded to walk out into an empty area of courtyard, gathering his power as he walked caused a slight rumbling in the earth and a swirl of sand and silt to flow around him.

,,

“Observe.” He said simply as he made a wide, sweeping gesture. The earth around him for approximately 20 feet in all directions exploded up into the air and hovered there for a few seconds before falling into a ring around the crater he’d just created. He stepped out of the crater and raised his fist, and the earth answered with a fountain of magma which shot up from the center of the crater, filling it like a wading pool before ceasing. Opening his fist and letting it fall caused the magma to rapidly cool into a sheet of obsidian, which he then walked to the center of. As he gazed around he noted that the bloggers had phones out pointing at him, and that he’d attracted a crowd of stunned onlookers.

,,

He then raised his hands, creating a small tremor (not even enough to do more than rattle some dishes), and columns of basalt pushed their way out from the ground forming an unbroken circular wall around the pool of volcanic glass. Suddenly cut off from the crowds, their flashing cameras, and the consistent murmur of the media, Nathaniel shaped some of the obsidian into a desk, took out his tablet and began recording all his thoughts in peace.

,,

“That should satisfy them.”

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako sighed. "Look just... I'll ask later... I think this is a bad time." She smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "I wager we'll have another opportunity to talk."

,,

She went back into the crowds that had resumed their normal density, although now they were mindful of the short scientist.

,,

OOC

I'm excusing myself now from the thread as it's about to close and the game is about to start.

[z014]

The NovaStorm Expo proceeded, as it had for the past four years, with a great deal of wonder and at least a minor crisis or two. The days began to blur together for Kait as the week wore on, mostly because, as was her tradition at this point, she didn't sleep for the duration of the event. The after-party was, as to be expected of any large gathering of the rich and quantum-infuse, epic. Limited to NovaStorm employees and their personal guests, it started just an hour after the last of the Expo-goers were ushered off the property and lasted until the cleaning crews arrived the next day. Kait ensured they were never scheduled in before 2 P.M.

,,

The woman herself made an early night of it this year, turning in just a couple minutes past midnight by the simple expedient of falling asleep on one of the plush couches of the computer lab while her husband and coworkers continued to defend the galaxy in a non-stop play-through of the entire Halo franchise around her.

,,

End-of-Thread

That's it, folks! Everyone can put up one last closing post for their character, if they need to, but no more new/continuing conversations or actions allowed. I hope you all had fun!

[Justin OOC]

I am awarding 3xp to all who participated in this thread for excellent RP