Mutants & Masterminds: Divine Intervention - [Divine Intervention] Winter Wonderland

[Henry Milokavos]

Henry smiled and sat down, looking around at the other divine-blooded around him. "Ms. Magnussen, please stay. It's not every day that one gets to spend time with some of the more exuberant of divine blood society. Think of this as a chance to sell yourself and your works in the future. After all, an artist shouldn't be starving when dealing with the quality of work i have seen you produce in your portfolio." He continued, but with his tone shifting to that of a teacher, his work voice, "As for the rest of you, I do suggest you take into consideration what Praxis just said. You could do so much better if you were to focus yourselves. Take Mr. Normanson." At this he indicates Sly. "He has a goal of attending a college that will help him further his expertise with engineering. You would be wise to follow a similar path. Not necessarily the same method. College isn't for everyone. But take steps to further yourself, in the eyes of mortals and immortals alike. It will pay off in the long run." When he finished speaking, he took a long sip of his Scotch and waited for the inevitable response he felt would be coming.

[Sylvia Normanson]

Sly blinked then walked in. The sort of gangly youth looked over one of his idols a bit incredulously. "Divine?" He smiled. He knew that Puck had something in him... after all, he had everything here at the party... well... Sly did help a little on some things and Puck ran with them but his understanding of Sly's inventive ways was a credit to his blood. As for the others... it was obvious who they were in one form or another.

"Divine implies a higher cause and purpose... really who among us feel entitled to flex our power? Trust me... I've had my fill of uncaring gods and their machinations."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, I met my dad... Quite honestly I find him annoying and it insults me he's trying to get back into my life now, not when my Mother was still alive."

Yep, Henry made Sly cross that rubicon. "You guys seem the only ones not to have had some sort of issue... should consider yourselves lucky."

He missed his mother, and it's been just two years since her death... The Christmas season was a... bad time for him.

[Shosuro Miren]

"You're an artist?" Puck asked Krysti-Lynn, subtly trying to keep her at the part a little longer. He was interested, but he also immensely enjoyed the visual buffet of Beautiful People - and had a disdain for such things as 'homework' and 'class schedules'. That and those with artistic talents always fascinated him; it was one thing that did not come naturally to him and so up until this point in his life he'd largely avoided artistic pursuits. "What kind of artwork do you do?"

He grinned at the older men, a cheeky expression that lived up to his nickname. "And surely one evening can be spared for the pleasures of life, even for such an enterprising woman, mmm?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Krysti gave Sylvester a shadowed look - he was by no means the only one with an issue with his divine parentage, and she had never even met her father. Nor did she particularly care to. She gave Praxis a crooked grin, then shrugged as she sat down at the table with the other Divine children. She wasn't precisely comfortable, and certainly didn't feel like one of them, but she had to admit, there was a bit of a thrill.

"The homework ain't going anywhere I guess. I can get to it later," Krysti said, giving Henry a nod. It's not like I get tired or anything. She flashed Puck a shy smile, the faintest hint of colour in her cheeks. She was a very physically active woman, more even than her heavily muscled build would suggest, but privately glowed at the interest in her art, which to be fair, was also a strenuous physical activity, the way she did it.

"I draw and sketch some, but its sculpting and carving I like best, working in steel and metal, mainly," Krysti explained, strong hands gesturing animatedly, corded muscle dancing with smooth power in her arms.

It was with those hands and arms she did most of her sculpting and carving, which she did mostly in private, so as not to draw attention to her heritage. When she had to do stuff in class, she made a pretense of using actual tools, but the results were never as good as with her bare hands, in her mind.

"Mostly, I just repurpose pieces scavenged from junkyards - there's a lot those in New York, way more than back home. I've done some abstract stuff - not that crazy stuff that doesn't look like anything, just things that... suggest what they are." There was no artifice or pretentiousness in the young woman. She pulled out her smartphone - a decent model, if growing dated - cuing some pics of her work. "But now, I've really gotten into a pseudo-organic kick. I like the outdoors and hunting too, so mixing steel and nature seemed like a cool and different mix."

She laid her phone on the table, turning it around and sliding it across to the others could see the pics as she flicked through them slowly, her voice perky and excited. "I did a tree once, and a couple of flowers, roses and tulips mostly. But now I'm trying my hand at animals. Not, super real looking ones, just... you know, if you see it, you'll know what it's suppose to be. Taking a lot of practice, but the owl turned out real well, dont'cha think?"

Some Pics

Owl is by Robert Jefferson Travis Pond. I intend for Krysti's style to be similar, though she's not as good... yet. If you look at the site, she did the Phoenix as well (under the Bird category)

If anyone else finds sites showcasing cool or interesting Steel Artwork/Sculptures, feel free to PM them to this account.

[Sylvia Normanson]

Mention repurposing junkyard finds into art, Sly smiled. Of course Junkyards for him are a gateway into yet another invention misadventure. It was how his Cygnus started.

"Junkyards? Now that's my idea for a date." He said, a sly grin on his face. "A woman after my heart."

"You just make artwork? Nothing mechanical?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

"Like machines and stuff?" Krysti asked uncertainly, a skeptical tilt to her head.

If this guy was a GodBlood, as it seemed his was, he might've been the geekiest looking demi-god she could have imagined. And she didn't forget when she was in her bra and changing into Puck's shirt, he'd only had eyes for the pizza she had brought. Besides, she liked her boyfriends a bit older and a good deal more athletic.

Kid was probably super-smart though - he'd built his own flying... thing, if she had caught that right.

"Uh, no. I don't know how to do things like that," Krysti admitted with a shrug and a rueful grin. "I mean, I made a couple of things with a wings or tails I could position, and stuff like that, but it's not really what I'm going for, y'know? The pose should be dramatic and dynamic enough that I don't have to use tricks like that, right? I hope I get good enough to do that."

[Kalanea McKay]

She swept in, late as usual. For someone who could cross the Atlantic in less than two hours, Kali had a tendency to never arrive on time for these functions. Then again, she'd had been in town since this afternoon, and it was only the elegantly-wrapped box she held in her hands that had kept her from arriving on time.

She'd exchanged emails with Puck for the last several weeks about the ongoing construction at the Kyo Zon Compound, and upon receiving an invitation for the upcoming holiday celebration, she knew the perfect gift for him. And while she was normally capable of doing general tasks incredibly quickly, she had taken a little extra time with her dearest friend's holiday gift.

Late or not, the charismatic daughter of Hermes still made quite an entrance. She had arrived via taxi, because she didn't believe in putting on airs and saw no difference between taxi and limo for the cross-city trip. She was wearing a beautiful Indian-inspired evening gown in a mossy forest green and a soft brick red, a unique twist on the traditional Christmas colors. She also had on some beautiful jewelry to match it, something she'd picked up at a bazaar in Delhi a few days ago to go with the dress.

Kalanea's Outfit

She wasn't as beautiful as some of her divine relatives, but she was stunning by human standards, and with a smile and a disposition as charming and charismatic as anyone - even a godblooded child - had a right to be. Many of those there knew her, or at least of her. She had developed quite a reputation for her photography, and for her dedication to human rights issues - something fairly unusual in an one of the openly god-blooded. She hurried over to Puck and the large group of divines, setting the gift down on a neighboring table and holding her arms out to greet one of her dearest friends with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Puck, dearest, how good to see you. Kales Diakopes!"

Translation

I couldn't type it in the actual Greek, it wouldn't let me. This is the phonetic in Greek for 'Happy Holidays', for those characters that speak it.

[Shosuro Miren]

Kalanea was one of the few people in the world that could have moved Puck from his comfortable ensconcement in Darrik's arms. He slid gracefully out of his chair and pulled her into a tight hug. "Laney! I almost thought you were going to miss tonight!" He kissed her exuberantly on both cheeks, "Kales Diakopes, agapemeno fili!"

Folding her arm in his, he presented her to the table. "Everyone, this is my dear friend Kalanea. You may know her from her blog, Shutter-Hop. Kalanea this is...." he took a deep breath and started at one end of the table, "Sylvester Normanson, Henry Milokavos, Krysti-Lynn Magnussen, Kal Eason, also known as Praxis, of course, Coraline Boehm, Moira Eason, Darrik Reynolds, and Maia St. Croix." He managed to get through all the names with only a little cheating from Xo.

He snagged a chair from the table she'd set her gift on and found a scrap of empty space at the very full table to set it at. "Come, join us. We've been talking about college and art. Ms. Magnussen, here, is a sculptor in metal. Here," he drew the cellphone over to Kalanea to show her the pictures Krysti-Lynn had been passing around. "Aren't they wonderful? I have a landscaper who wants to put in a topiary labyrinth near the Tower for visitors." He mused, "Think how it would look with pieces like this throughout it. A sort of metal menagerie to go with the bushes...."

[Aphrodite Pandemos]

More pretty people, Moira thought with a smile as Puck introduced Kalanea. She thought about taking Puck leaving. So many beautiful distractions, she thought, hard to keep my mind on business. Moira poked Darrik and whispered to him with a smirk in her voice, "You think we have a chance for Ecstacy against the new girl?"

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Moira said with a curtsy to Kalanea.

[Sylvia Normanson]

"Like machines and stuff?" Krysti asked uncertainly, a skeptical tilt to her head.

If this guy was a GodBlood, as it seemed his was, he might've been the geekiest looking demi-god she could have imagined. And she didn't forget when she was in her bra and changing into Puck's shirt, he'd only had eyes for the pizza she had brought. Besides, she liked her boyfriends a bit older and a good deal more athletic.

Kid was probably super-smart though - he'd built his own flying... thing, if she had caught that right.

"Uh, no. I don't know how to do things like that," Krysti admitted with a shrug and a rueful grin. "I mean, I made a couple of things with a wings or tails I could position, and stuff like that, but it's not really what I'm going for, y'know? The pose should be dramatic and dynamic enough that I don't have to use tricks like that, right? I hope I get good enough to do that."

Sly massaged his chin. "You know... things like that... you know form and function stuff... they can work hand in hand when the right team works on something."

"If you ever need anything worked on mechanically, let me know." He said with a smile. "I don't have any business cards... but... I think Puck can give you my e-mail address or at least my XBox live profile name."

He scratched his head, letting everyone talk amongst themselves once he was done with Ms. Magnussen.

[Darrik Reynolds]

The commentary about college and such didn't matter much to Darrik. He was doing quite well for himself, and he kept up on interesting things of the world, so he considered himself educated quite adequately. But oh, Darrik smiled brightly as an old conquest streamed cheerily into the room. He didn't begrudge Puck for slipping out to greet his old friend.

"She's not as active in the bedchamber as us, dear." Darrik replied quietly to Moira. "Patience and then you'll get to see how fun Puck can be when all this glamor party dies down." He rose and took Kalenea's hand, giving her a lusty little smooch there. "We've met a few times. I haven't seen you since Uganda. Still putting the ill-intentioned in the spotlight?"

Both of them as it turned out, had been around for LGBT rights-focused activities, the Shutter-Hopper to publicize injustices and Darrik to promote tolerance and influence public attitudes. Both had ended up romping in a more locally-acceptable fling for the night.

[Kalanea McKay]

She returned the cheek-kisses from Puck, and accepted the chair happily, obviously thrilled to see him. He pressed Krysti's phone into one hand, and then Darrik took the other, his lips pressing against her skin and sending a little shiver of pleasure up her spine. She smiled warmly at him and stood briefly, kissed his cheek quickly in greeting, and then sat back down at the seat Puck had found for her.

"Darrik, how fabulous to see you here - it's been awhile! I'm doing my best, as always, though I confess sometimes it's just picture-taking for the fun of it, too. Oh my."

She had glanced down at the phone as she spoke, and began flipping through the pictures of Krysti's artwork, the expression on her face enchanted.

"How lovely - what a fantastic medium, I've always loved sculpture, and you've got great movement here. Metal must be a difficult medium to work in! I love the idea of a metal menagerie - what's your name again, chérie? Krysti-Lynn?"

Krysti nodded, and Kalanea held the phone back out to her graciously.

"Krysti, I would love to swing by your studio or workspace while I'm in town, maybe take a couple pictures of your pieces? I'd love to post up something on the blog if you're interested.. it could get you some attention, maybe drive up your business or net you some commissions! Of course, some artists don't want the attention, but I just adore these and I'd love to share them! You should definitely hire her to fill your labyrinth, Puck darling. It would be exquisite!"

[Shosuro Miren]

He smirked, suppressing the blatant response he'd normally have to such an invitation. Krysti-Lynn seemed a bit shy and Puck could behave, he just usually chose a mode of behaving that left his peers blushing and his parents shaking their heads. He also hadn't failed to catch the interplay between his friend-never-a-lover and his lover-that-became-a-friend, a slight moue of jealousy touching his lips before being banished by an honest smile for Krysti-Lynn.

"I'd like that, if you have time to spare. I could just commission on piece at a time and you could do them when you had a chance around school. Perhaps between Laney and I, we could replace your pizza gig with something more profitable." He gave Praxis a cheeky grin, "That is, if I'm not poaching you away from Praxis. That's a war I'm pretty much guaranteed to lose." The tease was on himself and all in good humor.

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Krysti's large jade eyes widened in complete bewilderment. She had heard that rich people could pay stupid money for art - crazy stuff most of which she didn't understand the appeal of - but she had never really considered making and selling her sculptures as a viable vocation. She was just taking colleges courses because she wanted to get better at it and because her mother had worked hard to give her the opportunity to go to college.

And Puck wanted to commission her to build a full menagerie for his labyrinth-garden? Unconsciously her head turned towards the illusion-sheathed grounds, picturing their expanse. He thought her stuff was good enough for that? And Kalanea wanted to post pics of her sculptures on her blog? Kalanea was famous for going just about anywhere - Krysti read her blog sometimes - and she thought her stuff was noteworthy enough to post.

"Uh, er, wow," Krysti stammered, a bit overwhelmed, yet proud her artwork was drawing attention. She ducked her head and ran a hand through her blond hair, trying to conceal a faint blush. "You guys really think my stuff is good enough for all that?"

Both Puck and Kalanea gave Krysti honest nods, admiring her work. Huh, maybe I don't have to run pizzas after all... Or consider looking for a club as good as the Naughty Nymph here in NYC to dance in after-all, to make ends meet. Krysti gave Puck and Kalanea a bright grin.

"Wow! That's awesome! I mean, thanks! Er, that would be acceptable to me," Krysti said, trying to keep her cool - if she ended up squee-ing, she'd have to kill herself. "It's not like I cared about delivering pizzas, it was just the first thing I found after moving to NYC."

She focused on Puck, her fingers drumming on the table and almost bounced on her seat. "I got school and talking with Prax here, I'm gonna try out for the DWF, though I don't know yet if it's something I'll like. So, if I can work on one piece at a time, when I have the time, that'll work for me and I hope for you too." Krysti realized she didn't have the slightest clue how much her sculptures could go for - she wasn't a professional or well-known or anything. She hoped Puck did. "I don't need much sleep or get tired often, so it's not like it'll take me forever or nothing."

When she turned to her gaze to Kalanea, she worried her lower lip self-consciously. "Um, yeah, you can take some pics, if you like. I'm renting a storage locker at the moment, to hold the pieces I've done or am working on, along with the scrap and junk metal I use."

Trying to be low-key about her divine heritage really wasn't working much since she moved to New York. One party, and she met like, a dozen other GodBloods. Didn't mean she wanted everyone to know. "But if you could, can you keep my name out it for now? I'm a small town Montana girl. I'm not really ready for everyone to know... y'know?"

Kalanea chuckled in commiseration. "Not a problem, Krysti. Everyone understands artists are entitled to their eccentricities."

"Hey, thanks. Maybe I'll be willing to be more open, later. " Krysti didn't think of it as being eccentric - she just didn't want people fawning over her just because her fucking father was a God.

"As for working in iron and steel, yeah it can be tough, but..." Krysti flexed an arm, her bicep swelling in large, hard ball of preternatural muscle. "... I'm strong enough to handle it. And thanks for the comment about the movement. My mom and I hunted to put some extra food on the table, so I've seen how animals run and pounce, how the muscles move under skin and over bone. I'm trying to capture that in my sculptures."

The cutely sexy, brawny young woman gave Sylvester a thumbs up. "If I need help making a moving sculpture, I'll keep you in mind, dude. And if you need metal carved, embossed, etched, or whatever, give me a call." With a finger, she flicked the steel stud piercing her brow, and the studs and rings in her ears, making them ting. They were simple, but had smooth, organic lines. "I made these too."

[Praxis]

Praxis had been watching the interaction between the divines at the table. His recently acquired analytical ability had allowed him to learn a great deal in a short amount of time. He admittedly wasn't paying overmuch attention to the actual discussion going on, but Krysti's statement about intention to try out for the DWF got his attention. He considered the time and smiled a bit to himself.

"On that note, ladies, gentlemen, Darrik, Puck, I should probably be off. I'm expected in Seattle tomorrow afternoon"

Praxis rose from his seat and gathered his things. Not in anything resembling a hurry, but it was clear that he was on his way out.

"Take care, all of you"

[Sylvia Normanson]

Sly nodded to Praxis, a bit stunned that he was standing within arm's reach of the baddest badass he had ever laid eyes on.

"I got nothing else better to do tonight, so I'm not leaving until Puck kicks me out." He said with a grin. "I mean flying in my Cygnus and stuff is fun and all but this... I don't do this often."

He spies the last bit of Pizza and grabs it. He was distracting himself from the fact that someone he was hoping would show had... probably ended up with bigger fish to fry.