Aberrant: Infinite Earth - Cosmos Nova - [CN] Atlantic Nights

[Mech]

For many a Night on a Yacht in the Atlantic was a dream come true. Connor had his Yacht brought up from New Orleans a week before when the Director first told him he'd be tasked with hosting this little party. The food was all catered, the alcohol, for those who wished it was there too. The big thing was the course. They'd head out into international waters, where they'd be largely free of oversight. He'd cut the engines and let them drift and with any luck, they'd get to bond as fellow novas in service to the betterment of everyone.

That was the general plan at any rate.

There wouldn't be any baselines, the Yacht could easily be piloted by a single person, much of it was automated. The food would be self-serve, they were all adults after all.

He sat there in a beige buttondown and black slacks, complete with a pair of sandals. He was actually pretty relaxed, for having not met any of these fellow novas before, in anything more than an offcial, nod, meet and greet. This was the first time a real gettogether was to be had, for as many as could make it.

The hundred and fifty foot yacht could accomodate over a dozen people and had a fifteen foot runabout as well, As it was easy to see Connor was a fisherman, it still had his gear within it. The Yanch was immaculately kept, though fairly spartan. There were no great works of art, or fancy antiques, everything aboard was made to be quite comfortable and making the journey a pleasant one.

A full complement of televisions in each of eight rooms, with sound systems and stereos throughout gave the appearance of someone who loved music, and the main bridge looked like something from Star Trek.

He smiled, it could all be managed from the outer bridge if he chose, which was a simple affair.

He stood waiting on the aft deck, seeing who would be the first to arrive for this government mandated party.

[SeaEagle]

The sound of a sonic boom a kilometer over open water is plainly heard. When the small object pulled in range it slowed to a landable speed over the aft deck near where Connor stood. Her armor that made her look like she was part F-22 was red and white... in the typical pattern of the US Coast Guard but the emblem on the "wings" matched the DSA. She was wearing the red cold-water suit a rescue swimmer would wear and she had two large duffle bags in hand with the typical rescue swimmer gear for a coastie on merged with her Armor.

She looked like a living, breathing Jet theme Mecha Musume.

When she landed, the armor disappeared, including the aerodynamic and streamlined helmet that made her look more like a teenager wearing jet-themed armor than an actual girl... her long black hair kept in a ponytail.

She looks to Connor with her beautiful blue eyes that shone not with youth or innocence but with determination.

"Ah! You're Mr. Fontenot! Just got off my stint assisting the US Coast Guard... hence the gear I'm wearing."

She adjusts back up her goggles. "Sort of fun actually... I get to swim in cold water and not give two shits. More fun than last year... spent 6 months on the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake recovery effort there."

She also doesn't mention the classified mission she was on in Somalia where she took down a pirate raid using just her sonic booms.

"The bags got my clothes... I didn't know if to expect a casual or formal occasion so I prepped for both."

She smiled, offering her hand for a handshake. "Kei Nakano. Midwest District of the Department of Superhuman Affairs. Pleased to meet you."

Even with the awkwardness of the flippers she was wearing... she did seem a bit cute at her 4'11" height. "I hope we're going to have some fun... I'm... really needing a vacation." She said with a smile.

If Connor's read her profile, she's 20 years old.

[Mech]

"Well miss Nakano, Welcome to my Yacht, the Enterprise. (Bite me all of you snickering as you read, his other boat's a twin-hulled catamaran and I'll give anyone two points in my games if they can guess (in PM) what it is named.) He smiled, If you wish to change, there's seveal staterooms on the lower deck, and more on the upper if you want a view. Just put the little tag on the door to show the room's been claimed. You can go and refresh yourself as you wish. Once everyone's arrived, we'll be heading out. Until then make yourself at home. Thing will be pretty casual here tonight."

Connor was easily the most handsome man she'd ever met, and with his cool amiable manner, it was insanely difficult to not like him.

"We will certainly be having fun if I have something to say about it."

[SeaEagle]

Kei nods and follows Connor's directions to one of the upper staterooms near the aft entrance. After all if she ever needed to deploy quick, that would be the place to go.

It takes a bit to change from her rescue gear to her jeans. Then she pulled out a sailor collared shirt that definately didn't look regulation for school or anything, although at her height what would give her a exposed mid-riff only stopped at the top of her jeans, and the short sleeves met her elbows, and a pair of Chuck Taylor converse with baggy socks. She definitely dressed down. She decides to let her hair out from the tight, braided ponytail and makes twin low-hanging pigtails. She decides to take out of her "casual" pack what looks like a blue fanny pack and puts it on around her waist.

She pats it. "There... got a PFD just in case." It's been a habit for her to have a personal flotation device on hand. It's red handle sat flush with the belt and mostly out of view from most people there.

After about 5 minutes she steps out of her room after noting where the life vests and the life rafts were kept and places the tag he recommended on the door. She brushes herself off and makes her way back to the aft station. She was curious who else would arrive and she looked forward to meeting new people.

(she'll arrive on deck as the next person shows up.)

[Telluris]

"...Give it to me baby! Uh-huh uh-huh! And all the girlies say I'm pretty fly for a white guy..."

The apartment was a mess. It wasn't dirty - there were no unwashed plates or pungent socks around the place - but it looked as though a team of burglars had broken in, then had a fight with ten souvenir stand owners and a mad scientist, and hadn't actually taken anything away with them afterwards. It took a special kind of mind to be able to navigate the piles of books, gadgets, toys, authentic Japanese tea-sets, Batman figures and artworks formed out of junk metal. It took an even rarer kind of mind to be able to not only live in it, but actually be comfortable there. Someone to whom chaos was just another series of patterns, a bunch of numbers to be crunched. If a person had that kind of mind, then the mess resolved into a mad kind of Feng Shui that was actually beautiful and relaxing, each piece of the puzzle an organic component that extended the energy of the person into his or her living space.

Or something like that, anyway. Rob was still trying to perfect it.

The phone interrupted his singalong with The Offspring. Rob killed the stereo with a wave of his hand and called the phone too him from it's cradle atop the home server-farm. The current piece of art-in-progress didn't halt it's slow transformation from an engine block into a gold-and-tungsten-steel abstract, even when the panic-stricken female voice on the other end of the line started babbling at him as soon as the phone was at his ear.

"I don't know what to wear I can't go Rob I don't know what I'm doing!"

"Karrie?" Rob blinked, wondering what the hell this was about. For about 1 second, then light dawned and he smiled, trying to calm her. "Okay, slow down. It's a party, on a boat. Conner will be there, and so will a bunch of other super people. It won't be that bad, Karrie."

"It will be if I'm NAKED!" Karrie 'Coyote' Dineh almost yelled.

"Think about it. A weekend. On a boat. Drifting. With Conner on the boat... Wait, naked? Why would you be naked? Other than the obvious." Rob tried not to laugh.

"Because I don't know what to wear!" the near-yell became a quiet wail of feminine distress. Karrie only ever sounded like that about clothing. And Conner. That is, when clothing and Conner were involved in the same instance. And sometimes just when Conner was dating some actress or model... Then Karrie would play sad music and eat ice cream and generally behave like a total girl. Rob didn't like to hear her in distress, though. I'm just too soft-hearted, that's me.

"Got some swimwear?" Rob asked with the same tone as he would, in the lab, ask Karrie if she had a wrench. There was a long pause, and he could hear some sniffling and some clothing being moved around.

".... yes."

"Got a dress or two? Got some shorts and t-shirts?"

"But... they're normal clothes. I can't wear those in front of Conner." The wail of despair was creeping back into her voice. Rob winced and restrained the urge to sigh.

"Conner wears normal clothes. I'm planning to wear a pirate costume and Speedos. Trust me, it's the girl that makes the clothes, not the clothes that make the girl. You'll be aces."

"Wait... did you say pirate?" Suddenly she sounded more like Karrie and less like a rom-com queen on a meltdown. Rob grinned.

"Oh yeah. I'm gonna go kinda Errol Flynn crossed with Jack Sparrow-"

"Hmm... OK."

"- And I'll be stealing Horst's ornamental saber he hangs in his office.... wait, what's OK?"

"I know what I'm wearing, at least the first day. Thanks, Rob!" There was a click and the sound of an empty line. Rob smiled gently.

"It's what I'm here for." he told the dead phone quietly before sending it back to the cradle. He glanced at the clock on the wall and 'hmmed'. It was about time to get ready, and he still needed to steal that sword.

* * * * * *

Another sonic boom heralded the arrival of Conner's next guest, and the star of screens large and small looked up just as the lean figure of his team-mate and fellow DSA big-gun dropped out of the sky onto the deck wearing... a pirate outfit. A good pirate outfit, mind you. It was definitely Sparrow-inspired, though Depp hadn't worn a white t-shirt under the sea coat that read "Particle physics gives me a HUGE Hadron!" in bold purple lettering.

"Arrr! Shiver me timbers and hand over yer wenches!" Rob 'Telluris' Lehnsherr grinned from under the tricorn hat and the eyepatch, one hand brandishing an ornamental saber that Connor recognised from a certain Director's office. Rob had a large covered wicker basket under his other arm and a duffel-bag slung over one shoulder.

"Rob." Connor smiled, trying not to express too much curiousity (or nervousness) at what might be in the basket. Whatever it was, it would likely be harmless and fun... though harmless did not mean the same as inoffensive. "Welcome aboard."

"Thank'ee, cap'n." Rob smiled as he spun the sword idly around his fingers and sheathed it in one smooth motion. He set the wicker basket down out of the way, winking at Connor. "Toys." he explained cryptically, then straightened as the small girl of Japanese ethnicity emerged on deck. Rob blinked, then looked at Mech.

"Connor, you're awesome. You've got a yacht with Japanese teenagers on it!" he exclaimed, eyes wide as he looked back at Kei. "And I didn't bring my octopus costume! Dammit!"

Kei, naturally, recognised Robert Lehnsherr, better known as Telluris. A hero in Japan (amongst other places) after using his considerable gravitic and tectonic gifts to help Nippontai quell the tsunami, then power down the damaged reactor before helping evacuate the town, the renowned physicist and bona fide superhero had greatly abated that disaster. She'd not actually had the chance to speak with him before he'd had to leave that time... so the piratical apparition ogling her was somewhat of a surprise. Rob winked at her, then transferred his eyepatch to the other eye and winked with that one too before mock-grabbing Connor's lapels.

"Tell me you've got one with blue hair! I always wanted a girl with blue hair!"

[GeorgeRay]

George was actually feeling anxious - of course no-one would notice, but he felt it all the same. It's almost as bad as a first date. Of course, it's been building for years - ever since he got his powers he's been drifting away from his baseline peers - of course he still wants to work with them, that probably spurred his efforts for co-existence on if anything, but it's never been the same since they started fawning over him. Who ever thought being too popular would be a problem? Well, recruiting Novas in Australia was great - and while he had a similar effect on them, it tended to be reduced and their unpredictability kept him on his toes, but now he's recruited most stray novas in Australia, they all look up to him - there he has to behave as a role-model, and they tend to follow his example. Strange, how he missed someone being willing to stand up to him. Of course there is the politics and the bureaucrats - no matter how much they liked him, many of them had their own agendas but the game of power was a challenge. This is different - not work, not fighting to make the world better, but meeting peers - and he's been sadly lacking in peers lately.

Well, no sense in putting it off any more, George stepped out from behind Kei (a convenient entry point - he had met her briefly when he brought a team of novas to assist with earthquake recovery in Japan. Nothing too fancy - more a gesture than an aide - especially considering how protective Australia and Japan were of their Novas). He looked around, feeling slightly over dressed just in time to hear Rob mention his octopus costume. And that was enough to break the ice - no more anxiety, back to his usual quiet confidence as George stepped forward.

"G'day from Australia, Good to meet you all" started George offering a handshake, "It's Telluris right? Next time you're in Australia remind me to introduce you to Sharon. She's not Japanese, but I've seen her turn her hair as blue as a sapphire."

[Mech]

Connor smiled as Rob showed his own irrascible nature. "I know I invited Miss Price, and Dr. Esposita" He named off the only other nova in the acting community, Katherine Price, know as Kitty to her friends. He'd not thought about it, but having someone with both feline attributes and mannerisms, as well as his other guests, and things would get surreal. Dr.Mariposa Esposita was a Mexican medical doctor who errupted while tending the sick in Mexico city. Her angelic beauty and healing gifts instantly made her an overnight sensation. She was a calm, collected woman concerned with aiding the needy, and it was because of her that Connor himself had expanded his aid to Mexico's poor, funnelling large amounts of money to help the sick and hungry. The feline and Winged novas would be welcome additions to the party, if they could clear their own busy schedules.

He nodded to George as he made his own unconventional entrance. "Welcome to the party, it's good to finally meet you."

[SeaEagle]

Kei adjusted her goggles.

"I am in my twenties, Mr. Lensherr." She says smiling, swallowing back the fact that not everyone knows she's just short for her age. She however took some time to memorize some photos and profiles. Noticing his outfit actually lightened her mood. "But... I've been known to act my shoe-size not my age."

She playfully nudged Rob in his shoulder before seeing George appear. "Ah! George!"

She runs over and hugs him. He did splendidly during the recovery effort she assisted with, and she had always meant to thank him. "Now this... is going to be a party."

She dislodges herself from George and steps back. "Well... I wonder who's next."

She wanders over to Connor. "You know... maybe I should have brought the blue wig..." She says with a smirk before realizing such things were a bit out of character for her persona. Then again, she is wearing a schoolgirl blouse with jeans... that... just isn't typical. Of course if she was in her typical flight gear that stuff was custom tailored. Well, the flight suit at least.

She fights back the urge to run back into her quarters to change outfits again, and rocks back and forth on her heels. Looking quite confident.

[Telluris]

"You invited Kitty? Nice." Rob enthused, privately wondering how happy Karrie would be about that. The supernhumanly sultry Ms Price, whom Connor had dated a few times, would probably need a bodyguard... "And the Dr Esposita? I'm tempted to fall down just to get some laying-on-of-hands!" Without even pausing he turned and grabbed George's hand, smiling manically.

"G'day indeed. You're George Ray?" he asked whilst his one visible eye regarded George keenly from under the brim of his hat. "I've heard a little of you through DSA files. Nice to meet you." he announced, giving George's hand a firm shake before leaning in and stage-whispering "And you must tell me more of this... Sharon." He grinned slyly, before turning to Kei.

"See, that's your appeal, Ms Nakano." he told her whilst grabbing her hand and shaking it too. "You're this cute, compact bundle of awesome who can outrun an AMRAAM and fit into most overhead luggage compartments... and you're even legal! Have a drink!" One of the metal drinks trays carrying a variety of bottles floated from a table and drifted over to the group as the irrepressible nova continued. "Have several! This is gonna be fun, guys. I even brought my lime-green leopard print Speedos!"

[SeaEagle]

"Actually, I'm 20, exactly... I wager Connor plans on taking us out to international waters to avoid those sticky legalities. Then again Alcohol does nothing to me anymore..." She grins and accepts a quick shot of rum from the tray. "Nice thing about me being a Nova... I can be designated pilot AND drink."

She smiles, making sure she accepts and has her shot away form possible photo angles. She wouldn't want to destroy Connor's reputation. At least not yet.

"Man haven't flied the old fashioned way since my eruption... even with all my practice after I signed up."

"Fastest woman on earth and I never seem to be satisfied." She grabs a can Connor probably left earlier by error and tosses it up and fires a quick shot with her laser, a light cyan blue in color, before the can lands in the trash. Leaving a nice hole through the aluminum. She of course made sure she did that when she knew the flight paths were clear. Being able to see in Radar and out as far as her normal sight can go in 360 degrees is pretty useful for that.

She adjusts the yellow scarf at the bottom of the collar like a tie. "So... What's been up in your lives..."

[z-Coyote-Mad Scientist]

She couldn’t come as a pirate. Rob had taken that, removing her sexy pirate option. So Karrie had to get creative. Not that creative was hard for her. Still, she was a little annoyed that he’d gotten the easy one. She also blamed herself; she had spazzed out completely and had to be talked by Rob. That was a little embarrassing and she had no idea that Rob understood (mostly) and sympathized (largely).

The gull dipped low over the waters, bright eyes watching the assembled novas on the boat. She could see Conner and she had a brief thought of fleeing. Two things stopped her. First, she really did want to meet Conner. Second, she was pretty sure Horst had tried to hide her invitation from her, and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

The gull swept out to sea and then back, coming at the boat from the Atlantic. The top of the yacht hid her approach, and Karrie landed on the upper deck. There was a brief moment to make sure she was alone then a flex of her quantum muscle left Karrie standing there. The woman had dressed in a British sea coat over her black pants and white shirt. A sash wound around her waist and held a real-looking flintlock. It was real, but Karrie had stuffed the bore with wire and bits of metal long ago so that she could show people that it couldn’t be fired. It wasn’t harmless, but no one knew that yet. She had on boots and a tricorn hat with a cascade of white feathers down the back.

Drawing a deep breath she wouldn’t normally need, Karrie walked to the railing of the upper deck and leaned against it. “Well, well, well… Rob the Black-hearted,” she sneered down that her lab-mate. “I knew you’d turn up here! Don’t worry folks, you’re safe. The Fuzz is here. If he gets out of hand, I’ve brought these.” She opened her hands so that the handcuffs dangled from her index finger. Her smile was wickedly amused.

Conner was right there, but Karrie couldn’t look at him. Not directly. Not yet. It would be like looking into the sun, only with less blindness and more soaked panties. She wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

[Mel Grimson]

Why Director Hammond had been so pushy about getting him over to America to be at this party, Mel did not understand. All that blather about the need to form good relations with 'our allies across the pond' and the need for Mel to be more social was to say the least, aggravating and patronizing.

Bureaucrats. Despite the nature and isolation of his usual missions, Mel more than certainly needed his freedom from lonliness, especially with potential colleagues.

Besides, international waters would be a safe place from the overbearing desk jockeys like Hammond. He hoped so. When he showed up at the ramp to the Yacht, it was in a casual sort of black suit and green pants.

"Permission to come aboard!" Mel bellowed with a hint of Irish brogue, meeting the eyes of Mech whom he had met once before- fuck. Lensherr too, at the same meeting. Time to face a load of Irish jokes.

[Telluris]

"Damn and curses!" Rob recoiled, drawing himself up like a vaudeville villain. "Tis Keel-Haul Karrie, scourge o' the free sailor and the single man!" A gravitically-assisted leap brought him up onto the rear rail, nova agility letting him balance with ease as he brandished his stolen sword. "No wench of the law is goin' ta clap irons on Black-hearted Rob - leastways not on a first date! Have at ye!" Just as Mech was trying to figure out how it was that his yacht might sink before even leaving port, an Irish brogue intruded on the scene.

"Permission to come aboard!"

"Hark, tis master Grimson!" Rob bellowed back, tossing the sword aside so that it landed point-first on the nearest table with a *thunk* and a quiver. "I'd recognise that soft lilt o' the Emerald Isle anywhere! Cap'n Connor, if ye'll restrain yer wench up there and keep me out of irons, I'll keep my peace. Come aboard, merry leprechaun! Don't worry about Keel-haul Karrie - She's all bark and no bite unless she's been hitting the ol' firewater."

[SeaEagle]

Kei blushed... Here she is, dressed all haphazard and here are two wannabe pirates standing on Connor's deck.

She hopped up onto one of the water-side rails and sat. Her agility and balance wasn't to be denied. She could sit on a drumstick. Wouldn't be comfortable but she could if she had to... not vertically, horizontally, mind you. She doesn't swing that way.

"Hello!" Kei said, waving to Mel and Karrie. Her mischievous grin wasn't one of impending shenanigans, but one of someone finally relaxing. "We seem to be drawing a crowd! Good!"

She hops up unto the rail and starts scaling it like a tight-rope walker. "So... we got two pirates, A irish guy I don't know of yet, George of the outback and the living, breathing mech... god I think I heard a joke somewhere regarding this." She says, doing a ballerina like turn until she stood at attention dead-center on the stern guardrail. She hops off back unto the deck and leans back unto the rail she hopped off of.

[Mel Grimson]

Mel supposed since everyone was letting their hair down like this: ah, fuck. Once if never. In a clear show of similar high-end nova coordination and reflexes, he leaped up, feet on the railing for miliseconds, before pushing off for a second jump and he grabbed the mast, swinging around but holding easily onto it several feet off the ground. "As the tom-fool Telluris said, I'm Mel Grimson, from North Ireland. UK agent, for the record. Also for the record, what just happened was how a real pirate boards a ship, not like your fake blarney Yank floating over."

[SeaEagle]

She would wisecrack at this point. Her cover got blown in Somalia anyways and everyone here probably has some sort of security clearance...

"Pirates got no finesse anymore. I should know. Flipped over three of those rubber boats those Somali pirates call a "fleet". All I needed was to sonic boom them. I think there was only one real casualty because he cracked his head and drowned. Didn't know until his body washed ashore a few days later. Other than that... again... no finesse."

"I think old Rob is just saving his best for when it's needed. No need to be showing us how he takes care of business."

She walks over and sits in a deck chair.

"I heard there was some sort of nerdy little symposium you science club types went to. What was the news?" She said with a cat-like grin.

[Mech]

Conor shoot his head at Rob and Kei's antics. Clearly this was going to be a fun night.

He had turned to smile at Carrie, that same smile that melted hearts the world over, and nodded. "Welcome aboard, Karrie, Make yourself at home."

No sooner had he spoke than Mel announced himself. Here Rob beat him to the punch and he nodded. "Granted happily. I think only Kei's chosen one of the upper staterooms, there's still three more, and four down below if any of you'd care to stow your gear first." He looked to Kei. "I know there is one, but we're still to polite of company to tell it yet."

He seemed the picture of the perfect host. "Mel it's good to meet you. What records I was allowed to see were very impressive. Though of course we've met before."

[GeorgeRay]

George smiled at Kei - good to know that their efforts had a lasting impression. He hadn't done much work outside of Australia, but international co-operation is important, especially now the scale of impact from powerful individuals is increasing.

Back to Rob "Fair warning about Sharon though - the things she can do with her hair are amazing, why she even managed to wrap up Big Ben long enough for him to cool down from a rage" George continued with a Grin "Unless it's pretty special I doubt your octopus suit would hold a candle to it". George knew he was dropping a few minor secrets, but he had discretion to reveal basic information for "international co-operation",

He sat back and watched the antics as Coyote arrives (plenty of time to mingle later), and smiled when Mel joined in. "Good to see the UK is here" he steps forward offering a hand "George Ray, from Australia - I've got some family in Ireland, beautiful country you have there."

Turning to Connor "if no-one else objects, I'll take one of the upper rooms, I'm sure I'll enjoy the better view".

[SeaEagle]

Kei hopped out of her chair. "Always appreciate the help. I like Australia... bit dry for my tastes in some parts."

"You know guys... one sec..."

She starts to hover, and flies back to her "room" on the upper deck and starts rummaging through her bag and finds an outfit she was feeling more apt to wearing. She took a swing through Akihabara a few months back and got some swag, including a cute number she was saving for an occasion like this. Of course it was playing to her appearance, but something about it seemed to attract her. Probably since she has a weakness towards Anime. Not as bad as her jet addiction. She puts on the new blouse and skirt with a new set of shoes and socks, putting her first outfit away and keeping the belt with the stowed PFD around her waist like a belt on her skirt. She keeps the high, bushy pigtails and goggles. Seems a bit of a trend with her.

The outfit looks like this

When she hovers back to everyone a few moments later she had a grin from ear to ear. "There... worked up the courage to wear this..." She looks at the puffy sleeves and does a twirl. "I don't own many girly things."

She sits back in her seat. Seemingly proud of herself.

[z-Coyote-Mad Scientist]

“Then I’m all bite,” Karrie snarked to Rob, for all that her remark was lost in the bluster and cluster of Mel’s arrival, Kei and Mel showing off and then Kei proving she had no sense of humor. Part of Karrie’s annoyance stemmed from the fact that Karrie herself couldn’t show off unless she showed things off she preferred to keep secret for now. She was prepared to answer Kei about the conference when Conner looked at her.

The world slowed to a crawl as he smiled at her; Karrie felt hot and cold at once. His lips moved and she heard his voice, but the words made no sense. Sparkles of sunlight caught his hair and teeth; his perfect body moved with grace under his tanned skin. A billion angels sighed adoringly, at least in Karrie’s head. Then he looked away and Karen realized she’d just stared like an idiot while he’d talked to her. Directly to her. Using her name and everything. And she’d stared. Like an idiot.

Damn it!

Then Kei went and pretty much sealed the cap on Karrie’s opinion of her by changing into an anime cosplay outfit. Am I seeing this? Karrie wondered as she stared at the sight. She glanced at Rob, to find him staring at Kei like someone had dropped a live squid in his lap. Ok, I’m seeing this. Remember – you’re representing the company to international peers… oh, who am I kidding?!

(In far away D.C., Director Horst felt a great disturbance, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. He popped another handful of Tums and begged whatever gods were listening that it wasn’t something that Rob or Karrie were doing. Even as he prayed he knew no hope.)

“Wow, I didn’t get the memo that we were supposed to dress in racial stereotypes,” Karrie said with that grin that Rob knew so well. “And me without my deerskin! At least I have some turquoise jewelry on me, thank the Great Spirit! And Grimson, where’s your pipe and little green hat? The pants are a good start, but Conner might think we’re not getting into the spirit of this.”

There was a beat of silence as Rob laughed and the others looked awkward, having that first moment when they realized that Karrie was, well, a bitch at times. And not afraid to cross lines others wouldn’t. She scooped up her bag. “I’m going to snag a room. C’mon, Rob.” There was no way in hell she was sharing with Kei, and definitely none of the guys. That left Rob, which was far from ideal but better than the alternative.

“No clappin’ me in th’ irons without at least three daiquiris!” Rob shouted as she caught him by the arm and steered him for the stairs.

“Yeah, yeah. Up or down?” she asked in a soft voice as they walked.

“Down, way down,” he muttered back, then said, “Are we sharing?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Excellent. Just don’t forget to hang a sock on the doorknob if you get lucky with Conner.”

Karrie blushed so hard she felt her face might explode. “Yeah, same for you if you get lucky with Kei,” she said to him tightly.

[GeorgeRay]

"And here I am without shorts and thongs" said George as he reached for a drink "you know - the sort you wear on your feet not the other type". The drink wouldn't affect him, but at least the motion helped get out of "work" mode. "These are peers" he thought to himself "duty is well and good, but you've got to relax." "Hmm, if that's the spirit, two secs" says George and disappears, A few minutes later he steps out from behind Conor, in boardshorts, thongs and a tight fitting surf brand t-shirt. "Thanks for this Conor" he says with a pat on the back "I didn't realize how much I needed a chance to kick back and relax until I got here." "So" looking around the group "Who else are we waiting for?"

[Mech]

Connor watched blankly as Kei returned, dressed, in a schoolgirl outfit no less, and knowing on shore there was at least one camera getting a picture. Karrie's biting tone made him wonder if perhaps he'd need to clear the air before she and Rob disappeared belowdecks to the same room. Well so much for that, if they're already a couple.

He smiled to George as he returned. "Well the two ladies I hope, Morgan McLeod said he was coming, And Darklighter over in Germany mentioned he'd come and bring his lab assistant. I invited others, but we'll see if they show. There's enough space for everyone as the rooms are large enough for an air matress and regular bed. There's the common room too, I've fit six airbeds in there before." He nodded to the others. "I will ask that one of the downstairs rooms be saved for Kitty and Dr. Esposita, they'll be happier down there."

[SeaEagle]

Kei blinks confusedly. "Huh?"

It takes her approximately less than a second to figure it out. Kei realizes she is trying too hard to be cute, but someone here thinks she's following a stereotype. Kei does what she wants to do. She's an American too... freedom of expression and stuff.

She grins, realizing that someone here takes themselves more serious than they think. "Meh... haters gonna hate. I'm just here to goof off and honeybadger the next couple of days. Unlike some people think this isn't my usual wardrobe. If I could I'd be in my flight suit... the whole party..."

Noticing Karrie had left she snickers a little. Leaning back and looking at what few stars there are in the sky. "Cant wait to get out of the light pollution of New York... I wanna see stars again."

[Telluris]

“Excellent. Just don’t forget to hang a sock on the doorknob if you get lucky with Conner.”

Karrie blushed so hard she felt her face might explode. “Yeah, same for you if you get lucky with Kei,” she said to him tightly.

"I'm looking to get lucky with Dr Mariposa Esposita." Rob leered piratically. "If I do, you won't need the sock on the doorknob to know it." He waggled his eyebrows and Karrie mock-scowled at him. "Because it'll be obvious." Rob went on, deadpan. "What with, like, the boat rocking side to side. And the yelling. In sexy, dirty Spanish."

"Pig." Coyote laughed, swatting the hat off Rob's head so he had to scoop it off the floor. "What's a nice Catholic girl, angelic wings and all, going to see in you? Here, this place seems good." She ducked into a spacious stateroom with a double bed either side of the doorway. Three doors leading off it proved, upon opening, to lead to two closets and a bathroom. Rob dumped his duffle on the right hand bed and whistled.

"Nice boat. I got to get me one." He stuck his head into the bathroom and whistled again. "Hey, there's a large shower and a tub in here. Conner doesn't mess around with his creature comforts!"

"Mmm." Karrie seemed withdrawn as she looked around, listlessly poking in the closet. Rob came back and sat down heavily on his bed, bouncing once or twice.

"Good resistance here. Plenty of spring to get sprung." he said lightly, brown eyes following Karrie as she ambled to the bathroom, apparently in no hurry to get back upstairs. "So... Conner seemed happy to see you made it." he couldn't resist saying. Karrie looked round at him immediately, her eyes widening in that cute way they had.

"You think so?" she said excitedly, coming back over and sitting on her bed, across from him.

"Sure. He welcomed you aboard, gave you his ten gigawatt smile, called you Karrie... You're in like Flynn." Rob grinned. "Face it, if you don't get to at least second base with him at this get together, you got problems no amount of superpowers can fix."

"S-Second base?" Karrie squeaked, her face turning tomato-colored. "With Conner?!" She hopped to her feet, and Rob restrained an inner sigh as she began to enter what he thought of as the Mech Meltdown. "I couldn't. I can't. You saw me, Rob! He spoke to me and I just went retarded!" She started to chew her lower lip. Stage 2 Mech Meltdown, Rob thought. Next will be the- Ah, here we go. Karrie went over to the full length mirror, stared at herself, and sniffled.

"Look at me! He's got nova supermodels coming out of the woodwork with perfect little butts and wasp waists and golden tans and I've got-"

"Birthing hips." Rob contributed helpfully, chewing on some jerky. Coyote whirled on him menacingly and he grinned, switching his eyepatch over to the other eye once more before bouncing off the bed and coming over to her. "C'mere, you." He grasped her shoulders and turned her back to the mirror, standing behind her and peering over one shoulder. "Let's see what we can see."

"Me." Karrie moaned. "And I'm hopeless."

"Bullshit." Rob retorted. "Mech's this awesome fantasy dude, right? Taller than tall, strong, handsome enough to cause geriatric women to remember puberty and a genuine super hero in addition to being a big-time media star. He's got super - literally super - models, actresses, fantasy women of all kinds crawling over broken glass to get a piece of that. But you don't care about getting your picture on Entertainment Weekly's cover. You don't want him as a trophy or to prop up your lousy acting career." Rob smiled at Karrie in the reflection and tapped her cheek. "You are a real woman: down to earth, brilliant, funny as hell and able to turn a vacuum cleaner into a WMD. You are seven shades of awesome, Karrie Dineh." Rob's expression had turned sober, his sable-brown eyes still gazing at her in the mirror. Then he blinked and straightened up.

"So don't worry about the so-called 'competition', cos they only have as much chance as you give 'em." he grinned, heading back to the bed and loafing on it. "And besides, you got me on your wing, and I'm the goddamn Maverick of hookup dogfighting."

[Mel Grimson]

Mel slid down and tried not to laugh at the whole scene, Dineh's commentary aside. "I'll take an upper room then. And I don't think Karrie's a hater... she was acting more like..." His observations pin-pointed on the lady, and the veteran had to hide his own smirk- failing, for he remembered that age in his life.

"Doesn't really matter." He shrugged it off, letting Karrie have her secret safe from the oblivious Mech. The man had so many women fawning over him, he couldn't recognize the signs of a genuine admirer through and through. "I should ask though, what's the policy on what goes on in guest bedrooms? I think Telluris will be testing any restrictions to the limit."

[Mech]

Mech shrugged. "We're all adults here, I expect you to behave like it. Aside from that, if you end up with a roommate, respect their privacy as I expect them to respect yours. What happens here on the boat should remain here in that regard. I won't be telling any tails of that nature. Though of the antics potentially a dozen novas can get into in International waters, well I imagine they'll get ashore somehow."

[SeaEagle]

Kei salutes to Connor and adjusts her goggles. "Yes, sir!"

She then takes to heart what Mel said. "Hmm... is that what I stepped in... not good."

"Dogfighting I can understand, being a test pilot I can understand, heck, search and rescue I understand. Relationships... no clue."

She adjusts her outfit. "To be honest... I'm just here to have fun. I am a bit under orders to... I've not had a vacation from my job since I started from the DSA. So... I'm going to have fun."

She smiles, putting her hands behind her head.

"Since I can adapt to it... a nice swim sounds fun tomorrow. Unless we head to warmer waters first... then I can have reason to put on my swimsuit."

Giggling she sits up. "And if anyone here isn't a good swimmer I've found I'm a damn good lifeguard."

"So, Mel... Have any stories to share?"

[z-Coyote-Mad Scientist]

Karrie stared at herself, unsure what Rob was really seeing in the glass. She was just a little too short for the right height; her hips were too big and her face wasn’t nearly as pretty as the other women she’d seen Conner with – like Kitty Price. Her stomach churned with fear and she said, “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“What this?” Rob asked, still watching her from the bed.

“Me… trying anything,” Karrie said, pressing her hands to her face.

“I need a more complete sentence than that,” Rob told her, between bites on his jerky. “Here, I’ll start it for you. I, Karrie, don’t know iffff…”

“Me trying to do… anything with Conner is a good idea.” Karrie’s brown eyes were locked on Rob’s, and he could see the panic in them.

Rob wasn’t always a patient person, but for Karrie, he found a bit more. “Alright, we’re close. I, Karrie, don’t know if trying to do anything with Conner is a good idea becauuuuuse…”

The pertrified native woman stared at him in the mirror, her eyes indecisive. She screwed up her courage, forcing herself to admit what she didn’t really want anyone to know. “I don’t know how to get to second base,” Karrie said miserably.

“Like you did with any other guy in high school,” Rob told her. “Conner puts his pants on and pulls them off just like anyone else.”

“Okay,” Karrie said. It wasn’t, not by a long shot. But she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to actually say, I’m so lame that I have never gotten to second base with a boy. “You said something about a wingman? What’s that all about?”

[Telluris]

"Hmm?" Rob seemed distracted momentarily by something, then blinked and looked closely at Karrie. "Your wingman, when at a party and stuff, is your partner in the great game of partying and hooking up. He, or she, will watch out to see you don't drive drunk, or go off with nasty folks, or end up making out with a violent offenders girlfriend. They watch your ass. In a more positive note, they help you out if you've got your sights set on someone. Like, say, running interference on Kitty Price so you can move in on Conner..." Rob let that hang in the air for large, pink-faced moment, then smiled slyly at her.

"But you won't, because when you said 'I don't know how to get to second base', you weren't just talking about a specific Conner-ific case." Karrie went red again, and Rob laughed. "Really?! You've never hit second base?"

"Or first." Karrie mumbled, then fixed him with a glower. "I was busy."

"In high school you were busy?"

"Yes!" Karrie folded her arms and scowled. "After I erupted, I was helping Dad feed everyone. And before I erupted..." the scowl wavered, but she stuck her chin out mutinously. "I was fat."

"Wow." Rob, for once, wasn't laughing as he sat up straight on the bed and regarded her gravely. "I guess since you got into the DSA there's been no chances... Wait, no, you've been fixated on Conner since you got into the DSA." He shook his head, pondering. "Never been kissed... I mean, my teenage years got a bit interrupted by the whole superpowers thing, so I guess I can relate some. But damn."

"So Conner's going to be so disappointed." Karrie mumbled, looking at her feet. "I don't know how to kiss." She looked up suddenly and fixed Rob with her big browns. "You can't tell anyone. Especially Conner. Please!" she begged cutely. "Promise?"

"I promise." Rob sighed, smiling a little. "But it won't make a difference: he'll know as soon as you kiss him. But don't worry!" he added, seeing Karrie start to reach Mech Meltdown stages 3 through 8. "Most guys don't mind that so much, if they're not douches. And Conner's a nice guy."

"I'm leaving." Karrie said decisively, heading to the door. "I don't belong here, and I'll just embarrass myself and Conner and-" The door slammed shut, and she glared at Rob. "Open the door, or I'll-"

"Relax." Rob said, offering her a stick of jerky. "Tell you what, let's not worry about getting to first, second or any base with Conner right now. You're overthinking it - as usual, I might add - and you won't have any fun if you do that. It's a party, Karrie. Chill out, make some fun of the ethnic stereotypes, get a little crazy and see where the waves take you."

[z-Coyote-Mad Scientist]

Karrie fanned herself slightly as her blush began to recede. “I just don’t know what I’m doing,” she grumped as she stepped forward and accepted the piece of jerky. “I mean, in the lab? No question. It’s easy. I really hate that I have no clue what the hell I’m doing.” She tore off a piece of meat, her eyes miserable. With a sigh, she dropped on the bed next to Rob and leaned against him. Rob nodded as he recognized the first step to recovery from Mech Meltdown, though he didn’t expect the recovery to be complete, not with Mech in the vicinity. Her braid tickled his arm as she put her head on his shoulder and continued, “I wish dating were like pushing a button or working out a formula. Oh!” Her head came up. “I should totally work on that! Some kind of formula that when it’s done says, Rob equals Kitty Price or Karrie doesn’t equal Conner.”

“You know, even your examples don’t help,” Rob told her. “Part of what makes you good at being a mad genius is that you have confidence in yourself in the lab. And you don’t with Conner. You assume you’re going to fail. Like I said, you’re awesome and if you’ll let Conner see that, he’ll like you.”

Her stomach twisted at the idea. “Rob, I’m like… it’s… I’m not a normal girl. Have you seen the women he’s with? They’re svelte and-”

“Svelte?”

“-hot and-”

“Hell yes.”

“-and you’re not helping!” Karrie tore off another piece of meat, chewing morosely. “If I didn’t have grease that won’t come off my hands, or exhaust burns on my arms or have no idea how to apply makeup, then maybe I’d have a shot.”

“Maybe you should give Conner a chance to decide if he likes a real woman,” Rob suggested. “Look at it this way, he’s had the Barbies and plastic perfections. Is he with any of them right now? What’s the longest one of his relationships lasted with one of them?”

“Susan ‘Arcane’ Rodriguez, six months and seven days,” Karrie replied. Rob blinked and Karrie asked, “Wait, was that one of those questions that I’m not supposed to answer because it’s creepy? Horst wasn’t too specific about what was creepy and what wasn’t.”

“It’s… something.” Rob cleared his throat. “Karrie, seriously, let Conner decide if he wants a real woman or a plasti-girl.”

“Okay, I have a question. If ‘real women’ are so great,” Karrie said suddenly, “then how come you’re always going after brainless, horny plasti-girls?”

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Darklighter arrived over the yacht with no fanfare - the only sign being a slight gravity-lens style rippling around him as he made a solo space-time transit.

He hovered above the yacht for a moment, a man made of blue crystal in a very nice Italian suit.

Delicately he descended to the deck, still waving hello as he touched down. "Hello! Good evening everyone." he intoned in his deep, not quite operatic voice.

It really is a shame that Sarah could not make it, thought DL. She would have enjoyed this, but a reunion with her alternate family took precedence.

Those who had kept track of such details would note that Hans had RSVP'd as coming with a date - but was alone.

[SeaEagle]

Kei stood in awe of the man of crystal...

"My god... You... you are a Nova and not an alien right... umm... not that it would be a bad thing... you look like a friendly alien..."

Standing before him was a short girl that looked very much like a schoolgirl with bushy black pigtails, goggles, and a blush redder than the scarf-tie under her sailor collar.

If he read his files on international novas or even seen the news last year he would have heard of the diminutive Kei on her rescue missions a few months ago saving a fishing trawler's crew off the coast of New Foundland during a particularly severe storm.

"I'm... Kei Nakano... Sir..."

[Telluris]

Rob sighed. Karrie could be perceptive, brilliant and sharp on the details, but only with her gadgets and Conner, it seemed at times like this.

"Karrie, when do you think I last got laid?" he asked matter-of-factly. "Not counting sheep." Coyote blinked, smiling a little at the sheep reference, then shrugged.

"I dunno." Karrie reddened a little at the reminder of her own inexperience.

"One month, five days, and 22 hrs ago. And who was my last girlfriend?"

"Was it that sophomore cheerleader from Wyoming State?" Karrie tilted her head on Rob's shoulder to look up at his face, perplexed at the resigned expression and head-shake.

"Never had one." he replied soberly.

"Oh come ON!" Karrie sat bolt upright and shoved him a little. "You're always flirting, and going to college parties and celebrity parties and going on dates with..."

"With girls I don't date again." Rob finished, his dark eyes grave. "I have sex - sometimes, when I desperately need the human contact. Or, y'know, sheep contact." He smiled wryly. "Whichever. And yeah, I flirt. I like to flirt, and I like to date, and all of the rest of it. And the parties are fun, but I don't stick around for the drunken orgies."

"So why no girlfriends?" Karrie asked curiously. Rob glanced at her and hesitated, then shrugged.

"My work, I guess." he answered, looking away and fishing another stick of jerky from his pocket. "It's dangerous, and I think I've got a touch of the old superhero problem - the bad guys know who I am, and if anyone wants to hurt me, they can go through someone I love. I don't want to get someone hurt. Plus it's unfair on them, worrying about me, or worrying that they're not good enough for me because I'm a nova." He stared a trifle moodily at his booted feet.

"And then there's the intelligence thing." he added. "Most people are... well, dull. And that's unfair too, because they're not, really. It's just that I'm too sharp. I feel like I have to wait at the end of a conversational point for them to catch up. And I hate feeling like that, because I can see it being so damn easy to go from that to feeling contemptuous of nice, smart, fun people. It's one reason I goof around a lot, to try and dilute that feeling. Now I picture having an actual relationship with someone who I have to be a clown around all the time, rather than letting them in, and it's not a pleasant picture." He wolfed down the stick of jerky in three bites and nudged Karrie with his shoulder. "I don't know if any of this makes sense. Maybe it's silly of me to worry about that. But there it is: Rob the Hound is actually... not."

He blew out a gusty sigh, privately relieved that he could dance around the subject without actually lying to Karrie.

[Mel Grimson]

"Which one?" Mel asked wryly with a quirk to his lips. "In my fifty-plus years of life, I've seen enough for a library of stories." Most of them involving death, violence, war, misery, pain, misery, blood- etc to oblivion and beyond, but fucking hell, so what? One couldn't pick and choose everything. Kei, more than a little surprised, remarked, "Fifty-plus? You look only late thirties, early forties."

Her visual guesstimate was quite accurate, causing Mel to increase his grin. That was true, but there was a reason for it- and that context would make an excellent story in and of itself. "Well, then I think I know what story to tell you." The light glinted off a ferocious smile at the memory.

*Flashback*

March 18, 2008

Ballymena, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

The explosion, thundering with a boom worthy of Olympian bolts, jarred Mel awake, eyes snapping open to adjust to the flash of light that immediately followed, illuminating the living room with a golden glow, more ominous than reassuring. With decades of life in combat dictating that he get up and armed, he did so, cursing as he found himself knocking over the near-empty glass of whiskey on a nearby small table.

The drink did not hamper him, thankfully, but the booms and flashes of gold continued as he stumbled over to one of the secure cabinets in the kitchen, where he kept one of his leftover guns from his IRA days. Not a good sign. Nova attack? Something nova-related was going on, and Mel suspected it was going to wreak havoc on the neighborhood if not stopped.

In haste, when the lock wouldn't open- and he couldn't waste time to find the special key, Mel frustratedly resorted to smashing open the padlock- he'd buy a new and better one later. Immediately, he pulled out the AR-18 and quickly checked it over. Functional and the magazine was all set for loading. Mel slotted it in and raced out the front door... into Pandemonium.

Fires were burning about the town, screams of fear and pain were resounding, and a clear trail of destruction had come to the neighborhood, through the prize public park even. The culprit was up in the air, a man with green hair, surrounded by a bubble of golden light which resisted the town police's meager bullets. He was inhumanly handsome, but the image was damaged by how casually the man waved, causing bolts of that golden light to shoot through Constables O'Ryan and Peters, leaving smoking, fatal holes in their torsos.

What was worse than seeing his drinking buddies at the pub simply wiped out, what set Mel on edge, was how the man laughed. "Ha! What can you do, little zips? Huh?" As if the murder, the horror being perpetrated was sport. A game that only the green-haired man enjoyed and felt entitled to.

The brutality, being someone who knew what it really meant, made Mel's vision go nearly red, pulse pounding drums of war. Raising the AR-18, he started firing bursts at the sphere-encased man while making a run for the corner of the house across the street, which would provide better. The bullets were practically incinerated as they intersected the force field, and the murderous nova snorted derisively at the aging ex-Legionaire. "Oh fuck off and die!"

Mel had barely time to see the fast moving bolt splash into the area of his path, and he went up and into the house wall, collapsing to the ground in a heap. Pain shot around everyone, and he was instinctively certain ribs had been broken. But the beat in his head, aching tremendously did not let up. It almost seemed to have a language to it. GET UP. DON'T DIE. KILL THE SOB.

Somehow, Mel pushed a hard up and lifted off the ground. Staggering to an upright position, he surveyed the field of carnage and understood. The nova's dismissive firing pattern led quick windows of time to jink aside. The AR-18 was smashed, but the dropped pistols of Peters would do just as well.

He pushed off and charged. His target finally noticed and blinked in surprise, before focusing now on really swatting down Mel. But every motion Mel observed and figured into understanding where the next shot would come. Always he ducked or leaped away before the shot got close enough to have a chance of harming him.

Then Mel slid and scooped up the service revolver, and raised it from a kneeling position, arms extended forward to point the gun dead-on at the nova's chest. "Take this!" The trigger was pulled, the gun discharged, but at the moment of launch, the bullet in question glowed blue, swathed in a jacket of energy.

It cracked through the air and blew apart the golden shield like tinfoil, and the marauder had nothing of a heart or other local internal organs now. Even as he felt a deep belief that justice and vengeance had been rendered, Mel suddenly observed that his hands looked much less wrinkled now...

*End Flashback*

The story had just finished being told when Professor Darklighter showed up. Mel had heard enough to know who he was, and nod companionably in welcome. "'Lo Professor."

[SeaEagle]

Kei blinked at Mel's story, split between the geometric beauty of the entity before her and the riveting story.

"Wow... that is... quite the story actually. I saw the news report about the incident before my training began in the DSA. In fact it was one of the reasons why I thought of joining in the first place. See... I knew the Refugees somehow started the process that caused us to even exist. At least that is what the labcoats at MIT said during a DSA think-tank I was actually at. They were analyzing how my armor worked and what sort of material it was made out of when I heard them talking about that firefight."

She armors up, keeping the color pattern she had when arriving of the red and white USCG standard pattern, and her outfit seemed to be complimented by the armor. She was the jet-woman again. If only to show what she talked about. The helmet formed around her head once more, a clear visor across her eyes. She kept the mouth section open so she could speak freely.

"Yeah... I look like I'm wearing jet-armor... sort of cool actually. Sorta feel like a girl version of Iron Man."

She folds back the armor sections of her helmet to let her hair out. Then slowly turned off her armor. Being able to attune to her clothes and gear, she can form armor around it to protect it, and to provide some joints to it to deploy things like the PFD for her usual flight gear or her parachute.

"Seems I manifest a sort of plastic/metal hybrid composite alloy that can redirect kinetic and energetic damage. Not sure of my limitations, but man... them labcoat guys loved taking samples only to see it dissolve like so much dust in the wind. Had a giggle over that."

She sits on her beach chair. Finally feeling comfortable again around everyone.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Hans chuckled, and replied to Kei "Most definetly of human stock, Miss Nakano. I assure you, very friendly. I am coming from an emergency transit, had to move a red cross convoy before the earthquake that will happen tomorrow. To call on my full powers I often must shift my body to its bio-crystalline form. I like to let the tissues revert back naturally as the internal energy levels fall on their own ... "

"Hello Mr. Grimson. Nice to finally meet you. We were both at that last Stonehenge Gate Security Conference, but they kept pulling me into overly long talks with politicians and accountants ... so I was unable to make introductions. Or do much of anything else fun on that trip."

"Please, continue. I sense that I have arrived in the middle of a conversation."

[SeaEagle]

Kei blinks...

"Now it would make sense you could pick up on tectonic movements... sometimes my electromagnetic senses go a bit wonk when a earthquake is about to occur. Can you pick up on such disturbances a day in advance? For that matter, where did you pick up on the potential tremor?"

"Good job on getting that done, by the way. I wish I had such foresight, my warnings usually come oh... 10 seconds before the event."

She brushes off her outfit a little. She felt enough aftershocks in Japan where she sensed electromagnetic "burps" that seem to happen before a tremor reaches the surface. There were a few days in Japan where it seemed she was constantly on alert for a big tremor.

"I guess you and me got some altruistic habits. The Red Cross are nice folk. Doctors Without Borders though... man... that's some adventure there."

She giggles. She enjoys dangerous things... perhaps a bit too much.

[z-Coyote-Mad Scientist]

Karrie stared at Rob for a moment. “I know what you mean,” she said softly. “About the being too smart thing.” She gazed at him with somber eyes as she said, “I sometimes wait for you to catch up to the conversational point, too.”

Rob snorted at her, glad to return to the more familiar ground of gently sniping at one another. “That’s because I was doing a number of mental laps while waiting for you to make one.”

“White jerk!” Karrie laughed and shoved him on the shoulder. He laughed as he rolled sideways on the bed, only to stiffen when Karrie grabbed at his waist.

“Karrie, what the hell!” he yelped, then relented when she just snatched the beef jerky out of his pocket, giving him a ‘chill out’ look. Rob shifted onto his back, resting his arm under his head and curling a leg on the bed. His hand rested on his belt as he watched Karrie chew on her meat and grow uncharacteristically thoughtful. “Uh oh,” he said, “I know that look. That look means no good for someone, and since I’m the only person in here, that’s me.”

“I was just thinking… I can take care of one of your girlfriend-related problems,” Karrie said.

“Uh, no, you can’t, because you can’t take care of your own,” he pointed out, looking vaguely alarmed.

“No, I mean… not like setting you up or anything, because I’d totally suck at that,” the native woman told him with a laugh. “I’d set you up with a married woman, or a man in a dress, or something like that. I meant, if you find a girlfriend, someone you really want to be with, and you’re worried about her safety, I’ll make gadgets for her to use to protect herself. A panic-teleport device – she hits a button and she’s teleported to a safe place. Or a forcefield. Something that if she’s got a second or two, she’ll have a chance to react and save herself.” Karrie smiled, a rather rare smile that wasn’t mischievous or mocking but just completely sincere. “That way, you’ll know she’ll be safe even if baddies come calling.” Her grin normalized into something more puckish. “But you’re on your own with the other issues, I’m no help there.”

[Mech]

Connor listened intently to the story, and nodded. "Truly amazing, Mr. Grimson." He looked to be saying more, but stoppled as Darlighter arrived. He smiled, not showing his puzzlement.

"Hans, good of you to come. I was beginning to wonder if you'd been held up." His eyes narrowed. "I hope Sarah is alright, since you told me she'd be coming too, and you arrived alone." There was friendly concern, Connor had met many of the refugee novas in his duties and travels, and He'd come to like Sarah more than most, aiding Hans how he could when it came to legitimizing Sarah.

Something that many were coming to know, Connor often acted out of near total altruism, and was someone who didn't distinguish between native and refugee novas. Privately, people like Kitty, Darklighter and Dr. Espinosa knew he valued them for many reasons, not the least of which was their experience with living as a nova. He worked on the side to help where he could, but even with his fame and status, it was a long uphill battle.

[SeaEagle]

"Oh... His name is Hans? Hello."

Her blush only became more redder. She holds out her hand after standing up and walking over. "I... should have asked your name when you arrived... how rude of me."

This wasn't a crush, this was more of her seeing a beauty to him on the electromagnetic spectrum. It was more she was in awe more than anything.