Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero

[Asbjørn]

\"Tell me about these 'Teragen' people & their 'manifesto', please\", she glances at Nate, \"I recall something about them from the 'catching up' I've been doing, but there was so much to take in.\"

His eyebrows visibly furrowing a bit trying to remember what he knows about them, he says "Well... the manifesto is basically a statement saying that no nova needs to live by normal human laws and standards, bullshit about all just laws being based on judgment by one's peers and that novas can't be compared to baselines. I think he said something like 'holding novas to human laws is just as stupid as expecting humans to live like chimpanzees'." He sighs a bit, adding "I'm not a philosopher, really, but it more or less boils down to that Might makes Right, and that novas should be allowed to do practically anything, simply because they can..."

[phoenix]

Natalia wiggles slightly, winks  at 'Popsicle', then proceeds to sink several balls on her break  . She stands, stretches, then smiles at the 'boys' as she walks around the table to line up her next shot,

\"So fella's, what're we playing for?\"

John breaks out of flirting mode for a moment to consult his very vague knowledge of this particular game. "Umm.. fifty, I think. I've only played this once or twice, though.

"Oh, did you mean why are we playing? Well, the others are in conference about something or other, and it's better than sitting around doing nothing. Unless you've got any better ideas..." ::wink

[ProfPotts]

John breaks out of flirting mode for a moment to consult his very vague knowledge of this particular game. \"Umm.. fifty, I think. I've only played this once or twice, though.

\"Oh, did you mean why are we playing? Well, the others are in conference about something or other, and it's better than sitting around doing nothing. Unless you've got any better ideas...\" 

Natalia giggles ::bigsmile ,

"No, silly, I meant 'what are the stakes', you know, what's the bet gonna' be?"

[Nullifier]

Jan beams  at Jonas, squeezes John's knee, & tosses her perfect blond hair, asking the reporter,

\"So, Mr Salt, do you like what you see?\"

She glances around the well-appointed room...

Grinning, "I suppose that all depends on what I'm seeing, but I'll admit the scenery is nice, at least. " ::cool

Frowning slightly, he turns his attention back to John, "Not to be rude, but I'd like to talk to you alone a bit first before we start the actual interview, get to know you as a person before we get down to business. As such, I'm afraid I'd prefer if your entrancing co-star would leave us be for a little while." ::sly

[ProfPotts]

Frowning slightly, he turns his attention back to John, \"Not to be rude, but I'd like to talk to you alone a bit first before we start the actual interview, get to know you as a person before we get down to business. As such, I'm afraid I'd prefer if your entrancing co-star would leave us be for a little while.\" 

Jan is visibly annoyed by Jonas' actions & manner ::angry ,

"Well, Mr Salt, you are being rude - it's polite to ask a person directly if you want them to leave. The fact you want me to leave in the first place is merely poor taste on your part..."

[brilyn]

\"I'm not a philosopher, really, but it more or less boils down to that Might makes Right, and that novas should be allowed to do practically anything, simply because they can....\"

Derek frowns slightly.

"That would be one interpretation, one that has a large following by certain self-proclaimed Teragen members, such as Geryon.

"A less extreme view point is that since Nova's are as advanced (genetically) from humans as humans are from apes, then it's simply illogical for them to be held to the same legal standards as a baseline.

"For example, most drugs are illegal because they harm people who take them (yes, I'm aware that this is an oversimplification). But it takes a truckload of cocaine to get some Novas just slightly high. Shouldn't that be as readily available to them as alcohol is to baselines?

"There are many more examples, and ideas. Suffice to say that while I don't subscribe to the ideas, I *do* understand them. The Teragen (on the whole) tend towards acting like mercenaries. The IRA of the Nova world, with Orzaiz as their Gerry Adams."

[Nullifier]

Jan is visibly annoyed by Jonas' actions & manner  ,

\"Well, Mr Salt, you are being rude - it's polite to ask a person directly if you want them to leave. The fact you want me to leave in the first place is merely poor taste on your part...\"

Raising an eyebrow, "As I recall, it was John who asked if it was alright if you stayed, and thus it was to him that I replied. That fact that I want you to leave has little to do with my taste or lack of it, it's just business. In fact, I'd be delighted to talk with you at a later time, if you'd like, but right now this is John's time, and I'd prefer not to have you stealing any of his fire or unduly distracting me from my journalistic objectivity, which your mere presence would undoubtibly do. Now, if you would please excuse us, John and I have much to talk about. "

[Archer21]

Secretly delighted at Jan's skillful move to knock the reporter off balance, John decides it's time to play peacemaker. Clearing his throat, he leans over to Janet and whispers for her ears alone..."Jan, thank you for your efforts. And the kiss. I'm afraid this 'gentleman' will continue to be a pain unless you leave, and I'd like to see what he really wants. I'll make it up to you, I promise." ::wink Kissing her cheek, he stands and taking her hand, walks her to the hallway and suddenly, brings her close and kisses her as passionately as he knows how. (OOC: So what kind of roll is appropriate for this? ::laugh Rapport, maybe? )

Stepping back, he smiles at her, then walks back into the living room, sitting down in front of Jonas. The smile disappearing, he leans forward and says, "Mr. Salt. Unless you intend this interview to end much more quickly than you thought, I suggest that you refrain from further irritating my guests." Holding up a hand to forestall argument, he continues. "I understand your desire to maintain objectivity, and I applaud your professionalism. However, your tact leaves something to be desired."

Leaning back, and seeming to relax, he smiles. "Now that that has been settled, shall we continue? You mentioned something about getting to know me as a person? What would you like to know?"

[Ayre el KaBeer]

In the Game Room.

Natalia giggles  ,

\"No, silly, I meant 'what are the stakes', you know, what's the bet gonna' be?\"

Will composes himself in a buisness like manor that his father taught him ::closedeyes "50 will suffice, we playing round robin or one on one?"

As Natalia is taking her shot Will pulls John aside and whispers so she can't hear "Time to play it smart the old man is two rooms away and it's best not to upset him..." Will continues, regretfully "We should both back off and keep things friendly with her and the old man ".

[phoenix]

Natalia giggles  ,

\"No, silly, I meant 'what are the stakes', you know, what's the bet gonna' be?\"

Will composes himself in a buisness like manor that his father taught him  \"50 will suffice, we playing round robin or one on one?\"

\"Round Robin. How about strip pool?\" ::devilangel

As Natalia is taking her shot Will pulls John aside and whispers so she can't hear \"Time to play it smart the old man is two rooms away and it's best not to upset him...\" Will continues, regretfully \"We should both back off and keep things friendly with her and the old man \".

"Good point. Truce, then?"

John returns to the table. "On second thought, I suspect that if we played strip pool, everyone but Mr. Stoplight here would quickly be in the buff.. Let's just say no bets, shall we?"

[Ayre el KaBeer]

\"Good point. Truce, then?\"

\"Truce. ::smile \" Will returns his focus towards the pool table.

John returns to the table. \"On second thought, I suspect that if we played strip pool, everyone but Mr. Stoplight here would quickly be in the buff.. Let's just say no bets, shall we?\"

"Fine, no bets... ::blink Nice shot! I think we're gonna have some competition here Johnny boy ::biggrin ". Will goes to the bar fridge and pulls out some soda's for himself and his companions and sits back to enjoy the game and the company.

[Asbjørn]

Listening to Derek's explanation of the Teragen philosophy, Nathan nods his agreement. Shrugging, he adds "I agree that there are differences, but in my opinion they all amount to the same thing in principle." - Turning back to Emma - "You get the idea, though."

- "What I'm worried about is how on earth we're gonna take on Divis Mal. I mean, I like going up against the odds, but this..." ::confused He leans back, shaking his head a little.

Looking a bit worried he asks Derek in a lower voice "By the way, Derek, I can ask you now Masters and Terry are outside... When you change those beers back, will they all turn back into poolwater...? You can be honest. I'm not having any more anyway..."

[ezekiel]

Terry and Masters come back into the room, their smiling normal selves. Terry approaches Emma:

"It seems that something has come up and I must excuse myself. I'm sorry to have crashed the party like this but we're rarely all together. - Terry kisses Emma gently and takes her into his arms looking deadly serious over her shoulder at Nathan. He mouthes the words "keep her safe!" leaving Nate half wondering whether its a warning or a threat and his beaming smile returns as he lets go of Emma - Take care." Terry then looks around at everyone in the room and nods goodbye "Derek...Nathan...Ms. Ash..." and takes Masters hand as he heads out the door. No words are exchanged between them, only a knowing nod. Terry throws one last fleeting glance at Emma before disappearing out the door.

Terry bumps into Jan as he walks towards the main entrance

"John's busy? Tell him I had to go and thanks for the invitation. - Terry smiles at her - I know, I promised I'd make it up to you. Remind me someday and I'll take you out for dinner somewhere special...- Terry kisses her on the cheeks - Goodbye."

Outside, if someone were watching, they'd see Terry looking thoughtful at the ground, almost hesitant, before jumping into the air and disappearing behind a cloud...

[OOC. I'm off to sail the world...well part of it anyway. Hopefully this won't be the last you've seen of...the Nathanson!]

[ProfPotts]

The Interview:

\"... I'll make it up to you, I promise.\"

\"I'll be holding you to that\", whispers Jan, adding, \"I'm getting quite a collection of promised 'make ups' today...\"

Kissing her cheek, he stands and taking her hand, walks her to the hallway and suddenly, brings her close and kisses her as passionately as he knows how.

Jan takes the kiss in-stride, & indulges in it to the fullest, enjoying all she can (although John thinks he notices a slight hint of surprise just at the start of his 'move' - but it was gone so quickly he can't be sure).

(OOC: So what kind of roll is appropriate for this?  Rapport, maybe? )

[A kiss like that? That's all Style baby... all Style... ::cool ]

Jan heads out - only to bump into Terry,

\"John's busy? Tell him I had to go and thanks for the invitation. - Terry smiles at her - I know, I promised I'd make it up to you. Remind me someday and I'll take you out for dinner somewhere special...- Terry kisses her on the cheeks - Goodbye.\"

Outside, if someone were watching, they'd see Terry looking thoughtful at the ground, almost hesitant, before jumping into the air and disappearing behind a cloud...

Jan watches the flying Nova go, quietly reflecting to herself,

\"Hmmm... I'll have to think of something good for that one to 'make it up to me'...\", she turns back into the house, touches her cheek gently, & smiles, \"Although John's kissing technique is much better...\" ::sly

The Meeting (moments before):

Terry approaches Emma:

\"It seems that something has come up and I must excuse myself. I'm sorry to have crashed the party like this but we're rarely all together. - Terry kisses Emma gently and takes her into his arms looking deadly serious over her shoulder at Nathan. He mouthes the words \"keep her safe!\" leaving Nate half wondering whether its a warning or a threat and his beaming smile returns as he lets go of Emma - Take care.\" Terry then looks around at everyone in the room and nods goodbye \"Derek...Nathan...Ms. Ash...\" and takes Masters hand as he heads out the door. No words are exchanged between them, only a knowing nod. Terry throws one last fleeting glance at Emma before disappearing out the door.

Emma blushes ::blush at Terry's kiss & seems quite flustered, but looks worried as Terry makes his exit. She turns to Masters & asks,

\"William, is everything alright?\"

Masters smiles his confident, reassuring smile ::biggrin ,

\"Oh, everythings fine - I do hire these people to work for me you know, Emma, I can't have them spending all their time escorting beautiful women - the Unions would kill me!\" ::biggrin

The Games Room:

\"Round Robin. How about strip pool?\" ::devilangel

Natalia grins...

\"On second thought, I suspect that if we played strip pool, everyone but Mr. Stoplight here would quickly be in the buff.. Let's just say no bets, shall we?\"

.. then pouts...

\"Fine, no bets...  Nice shot! I think we're gonna have some competition here Johnny boy  \". Will goes to the bar fridge and pulls out some soda's for himself and his companions and sits back to enjoy the game and the company.

... then frowns slightly, commenting,

"With all that beer in the pool you can't find us anything stronger?", then adds, with a mischevious look ::devilangel , "I'm begining to think you guys are no fun..." ::wink

[Asbjørn]

\"Oh, everythings fine - I do hire these people to work for me you know, Emma, I can't have them spending all their time escorting beautiful women - the Unions would kill me!\" ::biggrin

- "You sayin' that's not work? I'll tell you, Masters, she's a handful! ::wink "

[brilyn]

\"I agree that there are differences, but in my opinion they all amount to the same thing in principle.\" 

Derek frowns (again):

\"Hmm.... suffice to say that I disagree. One simply has to look at how Geryon conducts himself in public, vs. Count Orzaiz to see the VAST difference in interpretation. However, let's agree to disagree on this point. And now, I do not consider myself to be a Teragen member or sympathiser.\" ::wink

\"You get the idea, though.\"

\"Yes, quite. I suggest that if you wish to know more, you read the philosophy for yourself. It's quite short, but as with all things that are simply put, there are literally THOUSANDS of interpretations.....\" ::biggrin

What I'm worried about is how on earth we're gonna take on Divis Mal

Derek shrieks (like a girly-man):

"Argh! Good lo.... I mean.... fscking he..... Cripes man......" ::crazy ::crazy ::crazy

Derek takes a moment to calm himself down. Takes a deep breath.

"Can we try walking first? PLEASE????"

"I mean, we don't know even IF Mal is involved, on ANY level, and you want to start planning how to take him down? Wouldn't Utopia have done it already if they could? Pax is THE heaviest hitter on the planet, yeah?"

Starting to think seems to have a calming effect on Derek, and he simply starts talking out loud:

"Intel. We need intel. We need to find out where the group was working from. Where they are based. What contacts do they have. Do they have 'day-jobs'. Did people in their day-jobs know about the cult. Suspect about the cult. How did they recruit. How messages were passed on up to the High Priests, and down from the same.

"Once we have all that we can start seeing how much higher this goes..... "Aim small, miss small" I believe the saying is....." ::biggrin

[Ayre el KaBeer]

The game room.

... then frowns slightly, commenting,

\"With all that beer in the pool you can't find us anything stronger?\", then adds, with a mischevious look  , \"I'm begining to think you guys are no fun...\" 

"No fun huh? ::dozingoff how about a run? ::sly "

A few moments later at the door of the meeting:

Will knocks on the door, when someone opens the door he says "We're just going to check out the area we'll be back soon". and leaves before any questions can be asked.

Outside:

"Now this is gonna get really cold so I wont keep it up for long... But it's one hell of a rush!" Looking over to John "Cheer up John if you really want I'll give you a lift later ::laugh".

Picking Natalia up "Now hang on". Will glows red and starts of at a jog, then a run, then he starts to 'fly', figuratively speaking of course.

(OOC: He doesn't go full tilt he tries to keep it at around 100km/h so she doesn't freeze to death. He also has his forcefield up incase of an accident, if she get's hurt masters will have his head)

[Nullifier]

Secretly delighted at Jan's skillful move to knock the reporter off balance, John decides it's time to play peacemaker. Clearing his throat, he leans over to Janet and whispers for her ears alone...\"Jan, thank you for your efforts. And the kiss. I'm afraid this 'gentleman' will continue to be a pain unless you leave, and I'd like to see what he really wants. I'll make it up to you, I promise.\"  Kissing her cheek, he stands and taking her hand, walks her to the hallway and suddenly, brings her close and kisses her as passionately as he knows how. (OOC: So what kind of roll is appropriate for this?  Rapport, maybe? )

As he watches the scene with a slight grin on his face, he takes off his camera bag and begins setting up his equipment.

Stepping back, he smiles at her, then walks back into the living room, sitting down in front of Jonas. The smile disappearing, he leans forward and says, \"Mr. Salt. Unless you intend this interview to end much more quickly than you thought, I suggest that you refrain from further irritating my guests.\" Holding up a hand to forestall argument, he continues. \"I understand your desire to maintain objectivity, and I applaud your professionalism. However, your tact leaves something to be desired.\"

Leaning back, and seeming to relax, he smiles. \"Now that that has been settled, shall we continue? You mentioned something about getting to know me as a person? What would you like to know?\"

Looking up from his camera and microphone setup, he shrugs slightly and says with a mild grin on his face,"I'm very sorry. I wasn't made aware that you'd have guests, and I suppose I was irritated at my staff and took it out on Janet. I hope she's not really angry with me. The person who arranged the interview did mention that it was to be at your convienience, didn't he? If now's not the best time, perhaps I should leave? If not, I'd be interested in anything you'd be willing to tell me about yourself, perhaps starting with your childhood, your family, early influences, that sort of thing."

[Archer21]

Grinning back, John responds. "Don't worry about it too much. Yes, your assistant did specify 'at my convenience'. With as busy as I normally am, this IS convenient." He smiles apologetically.

"Hmm...my childhood was fairly uneventful. I grew up in a beautiful home in upstate New York. I attended a variety of boarding schools, coming home for holidays and breaks. My father was always busy, traveling around the world on business. My mother did her best to be there for us, but her modeling career was demanding as well. I suppose it would have been very lonely for me, had my parents not made sure Jacob always went to the same school I did." He pauses, struggling with emotion, then continues, "Jake was my older brother. He was killed less than a year ago. You'll forgive me if don't wish to speak of him too much. The pain is still very fresh."

Shaking his head forcefully, he seems to shrug off his emotions, then looks back at Jonas. "My father was, and is, a very forthright and responsible man. He wasn't always there, but when he was, he was an amazing Dad. Attentive and caring, but very strict if you stepped out of line. He was a soldier for many years. Discipline and honor are very important to him. My mother, she was an angel. Beautiful, supportive and very loving towards her family. In her own way, though, she's just as tough as Dad. Both of them are getting older, but still very active. My father finally retired, sort of. Now he helps run the financial aspects of my mother's fashion design company." John laughs. "I don't think either of them are going to stop working anytime soon."

[ProfPotts]

The Meeting:

\"You sayin' that's not work? I'll tell you, Masters, she's a handful! ::wink \"

Masters & Ash laugh ::laugh , & Emma punches Nate on the arm (pretty hard for such a slender girl...), before joining in with the laugher ::laugh (although, being Emma, she's also a bit embarrassed ::blush by his comment).

Derek shrieks (like a girly-man):

\"Argh! Good lo.... I mean.... fscking he..... Cripes man......\"   

Derek takes a moment to calm himself down. Takes a deep breath.

Masters looks side-long at Derek... ::confused , Ash seems concerned, & places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

\"Can we try walking first? PLEASE????\"

\"I mean, we don't know even IF Mal is involved, on ANY level, and you want to start planning how to take him down? Wouldn't Utopia have done it already if they could? Pax is THE heaviest hitter on the planet, yeah?\"

Masters shrugs,

\"Hey, for all we know this 'Mal' character is just a baseline with a big special effects budget & a sick sense of humour...\"

Starting to think seems to have a calming effect on Derek, and he simply starts talking out loud:

\"Intel. We need intel. We need to find out where the group was working from. Where they are based. What contacts do they have. Do they have 'day-jobs'. Did people in their day-jobs know about the cult. Suspect about the cult. How did they recruit. How messages were passed on up to the High Priests, and down from the same.

\"Once we have all that we can start seeing how much higher this goes..... \"Aim small, miss small\" I believe the saying is.....\" 

Masters raises his hands in a calming gesture,

\"Look, let's not dwell on this now, ok? Terry just felt you should all know about this, & I guess I see his point. But we do have people working on this, good people, trained investigators & the like - it's not like we've been sitting on our hands over this, so don't start panicing, right? Unlike the Teragen I have pretty good reason to believe that us baselines can still contribute a bit here & there - & this investigation isn't going to greatly benefit from guys who can lob plasma around or turn into nerve gas - when that bit comes up, I'll be sure to call... In the meantime, I obviously appreciate any input you may have, but this is supposed to be a party; so what say we go find our host & make an effort to cosume whatever expensive spread he's laid on for us.\" ::wink

Masters opens the door, allowing the ladies to leave first...

... when someone opens the door he says \"We're just going to check out the area we'll be back soon\". and leaves before any questions can be asked.

Masters steps out into the corridor, watching the rapidly fading crimson streak, & mutters ::angry ,

\"Just so long as they're keeping Nat out of trouble...\"

Outside:

\"Now this is gonna get really cold so I wont keep it up for long... But it's one hell of a rush!\" Looking over to John \"Cheer up John if you really want I'll give you a lift later \".

Picking Natalia up \"Now hang on\". Will glows red and starts of at a jog, then a run, then he starts to 'fly', figuratively speaking of course.

Natalia is a bit stunned ::blink by the lightning-fast speed she's picked up as Will runs off,

"Wow!", she exclaims, her arms around Will's neck, her body pressed tightly against his, "I was gonna' ask what you meant by 'run'..."

She smiles ::bigsmile as Will blazes across the property, causing the horses to whinny & jump as they rush past. She talks into his ear to be heard,

"So this is what it's like to be a Nova, huh? Cool!" ::cool

Meanwhile...

Jan meets up with Masters & co, glancing over her shoulder & commenting,

"Was that Will & Natalia I saw out back? It was hard to tell at that speed..." ::confused

Masters looks somewhat less than pleased... ::angry

[phoenix]

\"Cheer up John if you really want I'll give you a lift later \".

"Think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer, though."

John watches as Will blasts off. He sighs, then strolls over to a nearby oak tree. The sun is setting, and John stares up at the fading and cloud-hidden sun. It's really quite beautiful. He hasn't been able to just look at the sky for quite a while. He sighs, then leaps straight up. His jump carries him to a branch, which he swings up onto. He makes his way to about halfway up the tree and soaks in the pink and blue aura from the west. Then he closes his eyes.

Focusing his mind's eye, he begins to daydream. He pictures a great white bear standing in the arctic on an ice floe, by a hole in the ice. Slowly, the details on the animal begin to fill in: first its shape, then its black nose and eyes, then its great, horny black paws. It stares unmoving at the hole in the ice. A seal pops its head out of the ice and the bear falls onto it with blinding speed..

A bat (evidently an early riser) swoops directly at John's face, veering off at the last split second and taking quite a few gnats and mosquitoes to dinner with it. John takes the sensible precaution of falling out of the tree and landing on his rear. He lets out a string of obscenities, then stops and laughs at himself. He gets up, brushes himself off, then goes back up the tree for a nap.

OOC: Modified post: I thought it was night and it wasn't. Post altered to suit current timeframe, dusk sounds about right to me.

[Asbjørn]

Masters & Ash laugh  , & Emma punches Nate on the arm (pretty hard for such a slender girl...), before joining in with the laugher  (although, being Emma, she's also a bit embarrassed  by his comment).

Nathan pretends to try to dodge her punch, exclaiming \"Hey! Be a good girl now! ::laugh Or I might have to give you a good spanking ::wink I'm warning you... ::tongue ::wink \"

\"...& this investigation isn't going to greatly benefit from guys who can lob plasma around or turn into nerve gas - when that bit comes up, I'll be sure to call...

- \"Hm. When that bit comes up, I've a feeling I will be the one to call you...\"

In the meantime, I obviously appreciate any input you may have, but this is supposed to be a party; so what say we go find our host & make an effort to cosume whatever expensive spread he's laid on for us.\" ::wink

- "Now, that is just what I wanted to hear. Lead the way." Muttering half to himself he adds "I hope he's got some real drinks too, cause I don't feel too reassured by Derek not answering my question..."

[brilyn]

When you change those beers back, will they all turn back into poolwater...?

As they're leaving the room:

"Sorry about that, forgot your question in my panic.... Only the things I concentrate on will change. So don't worry about that" ::wink

[Archer21]

As everyone comes out the study, they immediately smell a host of wonderful aromas coming from the dining room. Following their noses towards the food, they spot John in the living room being interviewed by Jonas.

The doors to the dining room are open, and the guests can see the enormous oaken table is covered to the last inch with Caribbean-style food. Seafood abounds, fish and shellfish of every kind. There is also a variety of spiced and jerked chicken and beef. There are 3 waitresses, and one man in a tuxedo, likely the maitre'd. In the corner, there is also a fully stocked bar, with a bartender waiting patiently.

[Nullifier]

Grinning back, John responds. \"Don't worry about it too much. Yes, your assistant did specify 'at my convenience'. With as busy as I normally am, this IS convenient.\" He smiles apologetically.

Nodding, \"So I see.\"

\"Hmm...my childhood was fairly uneventful. I grew up in a beautiful home in upstate New York. I attended a variety of boarding schools, coming home for holidays and breaks. My father was always busy, traveling around the world on business. My mother did her best to be there for us, but her modeling career was demanding as well. I suppose it would have been very lonely for me, had my parents not made sure Jacob always went to the same school I did.\" He pauses, struggling with emotion, then continues, \"Jake was my older brother. He was killed less than a year ago. You'll forgive me if don't wish to speak of him too much. The pain is still very fresh.\"

Shaking his head forcefully, he seems to shrug off his emotions, then looks back at Jonas. \"My father was, and is, a very forthright and responsible man. He wasn't always there, but when he was, he was an amazing Dad. Attentive and caring, but very strict if you stepped out of line. He was a soldier for many years. Discipline and honor are very important to him. My mother, she was an angel. Beautiful, supportive and very loving towards her family. In her own way, though, she's just as tough as Dad. Both of them are getting older, but still very active. My father finally retired, sort of. Now he helps run the financial aspects of my mother's fashion design company.\" John laughs. \"I don't think either of them are going to stop working anytime soon.\"

Nodding and making encouraging noises, he listens to John. At this pause in the conversation, he smiles and says, "Alright, you seem to be a natural at this. Just let me get everything hooked up, and we can begin the actual interview."

Jonas gets up and starts by hooking up small collar mics to each of their collars and focusing the camera on the area they're sitting in. Then he hits the record button on the camera and walks over, sitting down and getting properly adjusted.

A smile leaps to his face and he says, "Thank you for allowing me to interview you today in your beautiful home, John."

[Archer21]

As the camera comes on, John smiles warmly at Jonas. "Glad to have you Jonas. Anything for my fans."

[Nullifier]

As the camera comes on, John smiles warmly at Jonas. \"Glad to have you Jonas. Anything for my fans.\"

Smiling and nodding, "Yes, quite. Well, let's start out by talking about your current project. What would you say are your goals as an actor in the movie, and what direction to you see your career taking as a result?"

[phoenix]

OOC: Never mind. (Post deleted due to pre-emptive events further in thread).

[Archer21]

"Well, Jonas, this is my first time playing in a serious romantic role. I'd like to see more "firsts" for me in the future. I'm happy with my previous work, but as an actor I always want to expand my repertoire. I think that any performer wants to push themselves, to see exactly what they can do." He chuckles to himself, then continues. "As far as my goals in this movie...as this is set in the old west, I always try to make sure that I leave my cellphone in the trailer! ::biggrin Seriously, my main goal is simply to do the best I can to make the story real for the audience. It's a great script and project, I'm glad to be a part of it."

[ProfPotts]

Outside:

John takes the sensible precaution of falling out of the tree and landing on his rear. He lets out a string of obscenities, then stops and laughs at himself. He gets up, brushes himself off, then goes back up the tree for a nap.

As John returns up his tree he hears a soft female voice call to him,

\"Hi there.\"

Glancing down he sees a beautiful [is there any other kind?], slender, pale-skinned woman, with all-white eyes & flowing white hair, standing at the base of the tree. She's wearing tight-fitting blue jeans, cowboy boots, & a loose white blouse, & has her hands in her back pockets as she smiles up at him,

\"What's your name?\", she asks.

Meanwhile...

... as Will sprints across the grounds at breakneck speeds, Natalia suddenly decides to kiss him passionately! ::devil

Inside:

Nathan pretends to try to dodge her punch, exclaiming \"Hey! Be a good girl now!  Or I might have to give you a good spanking  I'm warning you... \"

Emma actually looks a bit worried at this! She nervously bites her lower lip, & shyly looks at Nate from under her fringe, whispering,

\"You wouldn't do that?... Would you?...\" ::nervous

As everyone comes out the study, they immediately smell a host of wonderful aromas coming from the dining room. Following their noses towards the food, they spot John in the living room being interviewed by Jonas.

As the others head in to get eats, Ash whispers something to Masters, who then heads into the interview room. He slaps John on the back, in a friendly manner, saying,

"Come-on 'host' - you've got guests to entertain!" ::biggrin

Turning to the reporter he offers his hand,

"Nice to meet you Mr Salt - it's a rare privilage to meet an investigative reporter I don't employ myself! We're trying to have a party here - you think you could force your way into joining us whilst you go about your sinister journalistic business?" ::sly ::biggrin

[phoenix]

As John returns up his tree he hears a soft female voice call to him,

\"Hi there.\"

Glancing down he sees a beautiful [is there any other kind?], slender, pale-skinned woman, with all-white eyes & flowing white hair, standing at the base of the tree. She's wearing tight-fitting blue jeans, cowboy boots, & a loose white blouse, & has her hands in her back pockets as she smiles up at him,

\"What's your name?\", she asks.

John is so surprised at the presence of the woman that he almost fell out of the tree again, but catches himself, putting the squeeze on his branch with his shoulderblades for all he's worth. Then he looks at the woman again, and decides to come down anyway. He drops, landing on his feet.

He smiles at the newcomer. "I'm John. And you?", he says simply. He offers his hand.

"So, umm.. are you a friend of Mr. Fabry? This party is busier than many restaurants I've been to! I'm lucky he already has all the money he needs, or he'd probably be tempted start charging admission." ::wink

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Meanwhile...

... as Will sprints across the grounds at breakneck speeds, Natalia suddenly decides to kiss him passionately!  ::devil 

Alittle startled at first ::blink (OOC: you know at not being able to see infront of him...) , Will slows down untill he reaches a safe stop. In an instant a battle rages and in that same instant is resolved, this same battle has gone on through the ages in the minds of males everywhere!

Voice in Wills head no.1 *Be responsible, the old man will have your head on a stick*

Voice in Wills head no.2 *Don't be an idiot, there's a beutiful girl in your arms and on your face!*

No.1 *You'll be sorry! Plus you told John you'd back off!*

No.2 *Shut up No.1 or I'll stab you with an ice pick!*

Will recipricates, No.2 is victorious! A few minutes pass "Well that was unexpected". ::blush

[Archer21]

As the others head in to get eats, Ash whispers something to Masters, who then heads into the interview room. He slaps John on the back, in a friendly manner, saying,

\"Come-on 'host' - you've got guests to entertain!\" 

Turning to the reporter he offers his hand,

\"Nice to meet you Mr Salt - it's a rare privilage to meet an investigative reporter I don't employ myself! We're trying to have a party here - you think you could force your way into joining us whilst you go about your sinister journalistic business?\"

Looking up at Masters, John grins. "You know, that sounds like a fine idea! I didn't want to expose any of your 'employees' to the camera without your consent, but with your permission..." Looking over at Jonas, he winks. "Jonas, what do you say? Since you'll know soon enough, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you that Ms. Thorne is not the *only* Nova guest I have here today. Besides, we can do this as 'A day in the life of John Fabry. His private life revealed!' Sounds fun, eh?" Patting his firm stomach, John says with a smile, "Besides, I'm hungry!" ::bigsmile

John waits a few moments for Jonas to gather his things, then walks with Masters, Ash and Salt to the dining room, making sure they're seated before taking his place at the head of the table.

[Asbjørn]

Emma actually looks a bit worried at this! She nervously bites her lower lip, & shyly looks at Nate from under her fringe, whispering,

\"You wouldn't do that?... Would you?...\" ::nervous

::biggrin ::wink - \"No, I wouldn't. Not unless you want me to... ::wink \" He leads her into the dining room. \"But let's eat first, ok?\"

Turning to the reporter he offers his hand,

\"Nice to meet you Mr Salt - it's a rare privilage to meet an investigative reporter I don't employ myself! We're trying to have a party here - you think you could force your way into joining us whilst you go about your sinister journalistic business?\"

Nathan thinks to himself *Is that such a good idea? Inviting a gossip-loving celebrity-journalist to join us? Great... With my luck, Emma's gonna have her picture on the news too... *

[ProfPotts]

Outside:

He drops, landing on his feet.

He smiles at the newcomer. \"I'm John. And you?\", he says simply. He offers his hand.

\"So, umm.. are you a friend of Mr. Fabry? This party is busier than many restaurants I've been to! I'm lucky he already has all the money he needs, or he'd probably be tempted start charging admission.\" 

The woman takes the offered hand, & holds it firmly. Her smiles fades & is replaced by a look of concern. Her brow furrows & she quietly says,

\"No. You're not 'John', are you? John is a frightened teenager who cries himself to sleep thinking about how he couldn't save his parents. You're stronger than that... you're the bear, the rage...\"

She lets his hand go & steps back, stares into his eyes & says firmly,

\"Show me who you really are... Glacier!\"

Elsewhere:

In an instant a battle rages and in that same instant is resolved, this same battle has gone on through the ages in the minds of males everywhere!

Voice in Wills head no.1 *Be responsible, the old man will have your head on a stick*

Voice in Wills head no.2 *Don't be an idiot, there's a beutiful girl in your arms and on your face!*

No.1 *You'll be sorry! Plus you told John you'd back off!*

No.2 *Shut up No.1 or I'll stab you with an ice pick!*

Will recipricates, No.2 is victorious!

[LOL ::laugh ]

A few minutes pass \"Well that was unexpected\".

Natalia smiles naughtily as the couple pause in their... activities ::blush ...

\"Ok\", she admits, \"so you are some fun...\" ::wink

She kisses him again, then adds, excitedly,

\"How fast can we go? What else can you do?\" ::sly

Inside:

\"No, I wouldn't. Not unless you want me to...  \" He leads her into the dining room. \"But let's eat first, ok?\"

Emma looks confused, & somewhat worried, by Nate's words... ::confused

As Salt enters the dining room Jan looks over at him with an angry frown ::angry ,

"What's he doing here?", she demands.

Masters grins ::biggrin ,

"As far as I'm aware Mr Salt is one of those reporters who is adept at 'digging up dirt' on people - exclusive OpNet exposés & the like - so I'd guess he's here to try & ruin some reputations." ::sly

He turns to Fabry,

"I'm sure he told you that, right?" ::wink

[Archer21]

Masters grins  ,

\"As far as I'm aware Mr Salt is one of those reporters who is adept at 'digging up dirt' on people - exclusive OpNet exposés & the like - so I'd guess he's here to try & ruin some reputations.\" 

He turns to Fabry,

\"I'm sure he told you that, right?\" 

Raising an eyebrow, John glances at Jonas. "Hmm...no, he hadn't actually. Of course, with Mr. Salt's contacts, I'm sure he's aware that if he were try to publish anything damaging, my own not inconsiderable contacts and influence in the media would make sure that he would regret it. Oh, or hadn't I mentioned that? Oops." ::devil

Still smiling brightly, John starts lading his plate with food, and motions the bartender to the table. "A gin and tonic please. Bombay Sapphire for the gin."

[Asbjørn]

Emma looks confused, & somewhat worried, by Nate's words... ::confused

- "Never mind, Emma. I'll explain it later."

[Ayre el KaBeer]

\"Show me who you really are... Glacier!\"

(OOC: OH... MY... GOD!!!)

Natalia smiles naughtily as the couple pause in their... activities  ...

\"Ok\", she admits, \"so you are some fun...\" 

She kisses him again, then adds, excitedly,

\"How fast can we go?\"

\"We can't go too much faster than what we were moving before, going too fast could seriously hurt you... hmmm... Maybe you'd be ok in some biker gear, then we could give formula 1 drivers a run for their money ::biggrin .

\"What else can you do?\" 

"What else? There's just no pleasing some people ::laugh . " Will chuckles "There's really not that much more to it, really. I can't fly or throw lightning bolts, but I'm strong, quick, the Docs say I can survive pretty much anywhere and it's fairly tough to hurt me, but I haven't been all that eager to test that. Probably the coolest thing I can do is sprint up walls and across ceilings, though I doubt Fabry would like me trying that around his house."

After a bit more smooching "We should head back now, I did say we weren't going to be long, I'd hate for your grandad to send out a search party for us." With that said they get up, he picks her up again holding her closer to him and starts out *He's gonna kill me...Hell they both are!* ::biggrin .

[phoenix]

Voice in Wills head no.1 *Be responsible, the old man will have your head on a stick*

Voice in Wills head no.2 *Don't be an idiot, there's a beutiful girl in your arms and on your face!*

No.1 *You'll be sorry! Plus you told John you'd back off!*

No.2 *Shut up No.1 or I'll stab you with an ice pick!*

::biggrin Don't let it keep you up at night.. John is well aware of the nature of that kind of agreement, and besides, he's got other things on his mind:

The woman takes the offered hand, & holds it firmly. Her smiles fades & is replaced by a look of concern. Her brow furrows & she quietly says,

\"No. You're not 'John', are you? John is a frightened teenager who cries himself to sleep thinking about how he couldn't save his parents. You're stronger than that... you're the bear, the rage...\"

She lets his hand go & steps back, stares into his eyes & says firmly,

\"Show me who you really are... Glacier!\"

John's eyes widen, and he gives a sharp intake of breath that would qualify as about 25% of a gasp. He stammers out a response:

"I.. I can't. Mr. Masters.. Will.. If I lost it.. every single one of them would be.." It peters out. John closes his eyes.

"All right." He opens his eyes again, and concentrates. He begins to change: his already muscular frame becomes even more so, and he becomes even more handsome in a predatory way. His hair turns from bleached-blond to the purest white. He begins to glow blue, then the glow explodes like a huge, ignited matchstick, reaching to several meters above him. It dies down, settling into the form of the great bear.

John is overwhelmed by the sudden burst of sensation. The amazing strength! The feeling of the hypercold air crawling over his skin without damaging him in the slightest! The incredible array of smells! The scents emanating from the mysterious woman alone, some of them fascinating, bring Glacier's attention back to her presence. He regards her with a newfound wonder.

"Who are you?"

Does it matter?

[brilyn]

Derek watches the banter with a grin on his face, looking simply happy to be there.

\"You know, that sounds like a fine idea! I didn't want to expose any of your 'employees' to the camera without your consent, but with your permission...\" Looking over at Jonas, he winks. \"Jonas, what do you say? Since you'll know soon enough, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you that Ms. Thorne is not the *only* Nova guest I have here today. 

The Nova with the highly-reflective skin voices a request at this point:

"Um... Mr. Salt? Hi, my name is Derek Chalmers" ::biggrin

He offers his hand.

"I have absolutely no difficulty with being quoted on anything I say here, but I would ask that you not include me in any of your pictures. I like my privacy, and due to my skin condition, pictures of me tend not to turn out too well, if you get me." ::wink