Current Energy: 10
Current Training: Onmyodo (7/10)
Friday, January 21st, 2011
PRT Headquarters, Brockton Bay
'Do you need a moment?' You ask your Master, to which she nods fractionally, obviously panicking at the unexpected wall of reporters.
"Well then!" You say pleasantly, smiling out at the crowd of people and nonchalantly, drifting to your feet just in front of your Master - directly between her and the nearest person, who seems to be slowly doing his best to sidle into her personal space with a microphone. You don't say anything directly to him, but as the combined men and women of the press turn their attention to you, you make sure to look him directly in the eyes, smiling beatifically at him until he takes a step back.
"You all seem to have taken our leader somewhat by surprise! Allow me to answer some of your questions while she collects herself. To start; Purity is in fact, not dead. One of my dear leaders many powers is the ability to safety proof herself. She really can't kill people unless she wants to. Not even by mistake." You say primly.
You're... well you're lying, but you figure that you should have enough time to finish teaching your Master Onmyodo in the coming days of peace so what you just said will be true... eventually.
You also make sure not to say the word 'Master' to the press. Your pevious two Emulations might have forgotten to do that, but building a mythos is a somewhat involved task, and since you pointedly do not want all and sundry to fear your Master, you are forced to leave your preferred term out.
You honestly have no idea why the humans of this place hate 'mind control' so much. It isn't as though most of them do anything important with their lives anyway.
Regardless, your statement seems to have calmed the reporters, albeit temporarily. They each take a few seconds to digest what you've said, many of them turning to nearby camera crews to get their own two cents in, before turning back to you, no doubt trying to figure out how to respond to you when they were originally here to speak to your Master.
"What are Nexus' powers? Accounts are conflicting. Our sources in the PRT designate her as a Master but she's never seen controlling anyone." One of the reporters slides forward to ask, his hair containing far too much product and his breath reeking of menthol and cigarettes.
"That would be telling now, wouldn't it? Weren't you the gentleman with the unhealthy interest in her relationship status? She's fifteen you know. Scandalous. I can assure you she has no power to control other people though, I'm very jealous you see." You offer, faux whispering to the man with a malicious chuckle even as you imply he might be a pedophile on live television.
The man - looking distinctly uncomfortable and redfaced now - coughs slightly, stepping away from you and back into the greater crowd of reporters, many of whom seem to be sniggering at him.
'Are you ready dear?' You ask your Master mentally, while panning your gaze over all those who remain.
'No. But I'll do it anyway.' Your Master answers gravely, her anxiety and distress a massive tidal wave churning just below the safety platform she has constructed for herself using Inner Peace.
'Don't be so worried. They're just people. People with poor self preservation instincts even. Why, they might as well be lemmings.' You answer her cheerfully.
'...This one was a bad guy or something wasn't she? You say ominous stuff like that way too often.' Taylor grumbles at you as she smoothly steps forward, allowing you to drift into place behind her. She has set her jaw, and straightened her back, standing tall and proud. Or... well... appearing tall and proud. Inside she is most certainly not so calm.
Neither are the rest of the Oathbound to be truthful. Parian seems to be doing a fair job at maintaining her cool, although part of that is probably her complete face covering. Aspirant seems to be slightly on edge, his head twitching minutely left and right while he stands with his arms crossed and stance firm, as though he is looking for any potential threats. You'd find the bodyguard like behaviour cute if it weren't so unnecessary. Perhaps you should see about getting him some clothes to fit his larger form. A butler uniform perhaps.
Trainwreck... well, Trainwreck seemed a bit of a mess really. As blunt and rude as the man usually was, he was standing ramrod straight and doing his utmost to keep his face turned downward so that the comically oversized goggles he always wore atop his head were in view. He was sweating profusely, and the grimace of boredom he wore during meetings was instead replaced by a sort of forlorn shame. At first, you assume he is ashamed of having his equipment seen on television. It is, after all, something of a hodgepodge of rusted metal and pipes. But that doesn't make sense. Trainwreck has never been shy about his Tinkering. No, the only part of himself he is attempting to hide is his face, which is, admittedly, pockmarked with acne scars and otherwise quite poorly kept.
Your heart goes out to him, honestly. You have no idea why there are the so-called 'Monster Capes' this Cycle, but you are certain that they aren't configured properly for some nebulous reason of the Thinker's design. Still, you have a fondness for the rude simpleton, if only because he was your Master's first real teammate.
So while your Master readies herself to speak, you quietly drift down into a seated position on his oversized mechanical shoulder, with your legs curled up beneath you in such a way that your knees block his face from casual sight. He stiffens slightly as you do so, but you merely pat him in on the head companionably and return to watching your Master, as though nothing is wrong.
He calms down noticeably after that.
"This morning," Your Master begins, causing the crowd of reporters to quieten and listen.
"This morning, the Empire attacked PRT headquarters. Trainwreck, Aspirant and I - who had been staying here with the intent of working with the PRT during this crisis, responded, preventing a number of Empire capes from escaping their prisons.
"When I started this team, it was for... selfish reasons. I wanted an alliance that would allow me to protect my Father from the gangs. But my team, my Oathbound, are so much more than that. We aren't here just to fight. We're here to make sure that Parahumans - any Parahumans, regardless of whether they choose to fight or simply live their lives, can live peacefully. Free from conscription. Free from conflict. This morning, Parian joined us - and I'm happy to say that I have no intention of asking her to fight with us if she doesn't want to. We aren't an Army. We're a Union. And regardless of your looks or providence," Taylor pauses, gesturing at Trainwreck and Aspirant with her hands, which has the interesting effect of placing her standing with both arms outstretched as if wings. You doubt she notices the posturing, even if it is helpful.
"Regardless of your looks or providence, or even whether or not you join us - we are here to protect you. No one should have to live in fear. Not normal people of villains. Not normal parahumans of conscription. I have no intention of joining the PRT - but I will work with them as best I can to make sure anyone who threatens that peace is arrested. Thank you." Taylor finishes crossing her arms in front of herself. You clap politely at the speech, being more than pleased with it.
Then your Master starts walking forward, ignoring the way the crowd splits before her - partially in panic.
You get most of the way up the road and around a corner as a group before Trainwreck speaks up.
"Hey, you gonna sit there all day or what?" He asks, shrugging slightly. You arch an eyebrow at him.
"What? You're heavy." He says grinning rudely up at you.
"Ingrate." You sniff, floating off his shoulder.
"Are they...?" Parian asks your Master quietly, causing you to turn to her, staring balefully.
""No"" You and she say at once.
Friday, January 21st, 2011
Oathbound Headquarters, Brockton Bay
Owing to the still vandalized state of the Hebert household, your Master and her Father - who is driven there by a PRT escort - end up staying at the Heap that night. It bears the obvious results of attempted arson, which Trainwreck snorts at when he notices, given that the ultimate result seems to be nothing more than a few smudges on the heavily plated outer wall of the building.
Curiously, as you await Trainwreck's inspection of the building, everyone else save Parian having shuffled inside, you notice a man in a dishevelled shirt stumbling tiredly out of the building immediately adjacent to your own. He has medium length, messy black hair, and tired red eyes that none the less detract nothing from his relaxed demeanour.
"Hey! Hi. Sorry. I just moved in next door there. I wanted to say hi." The man says as he jogs up to your Master, though he eyes Trainwreck curiously as the large Tinker bangs on the metal exterior of the building to no obvious effect.
"Oh. Uh, hi." Taylor answers him awkwardly, hesitantly reaching out to shake the guy's hand. Then she looks around sort of curiously, obviously trying to figure out why anyone would choose to live in an abandoned neighbourhood.
"Cus it's cheap. Check it out, that whole tenement over there? That's mine. Gonna make a killing when more people start to show up." He says proudly, gesturing to the abandoned apartment in the next lot over.
"...More people?" Your Master asks, now slightly worried sounding.
"Yeah, you're like, Triumvirate tier right? People tend to move into neighbourhoods with heroes like you around. I mean, would anyone trust Alexandria if the place right outside her base was a shit hole? You want my advice, by all the nearby land and resell it once people start trying to move in. That's what I'm doing. Took all my savings from up in Boston and came straight here once I heard about you." The man explains, then blinks his eyes again, obviously trying to stave off tiredness.
"Names Rey by the way." He adds, almost as an afterthought.
"Taylor. Are you... sure people would want to come here?" Taylor asks, obviously not sure why anyone would move to the Bay instead of out of it.
"Totally. Especially after your whole speech thing today. Bet you get a ton of low tier Parahumans or parents with Parahuman kids showing up hoping they can avoid all the fighting by living near you." Rey says, twirling a finger in the air at the surroundings.
"It's all about gentrification you know? We'll have a Whole Food out here in no time. Hah!" He chortles, obviously laughing at a joke that neither you nor your Master get.
"Anyway. Just wanted to say hi and let you know I won't be getting in your way. Seems like the safest way to live right now anyway." He says with a shrug, then turns to trundle back to his apartment building.
"Bye?" Your Master offers in confusion, seemingly trying to parse everything the man just said and then shrugging.
'He has a point. Power tends to attract sycophants.' You note.
'I'll tell Dad about it. Right now I just want to unwind with some thankless training.' Your Master answers you tiredly. Then blinks once.
'...This is your fault.' She adds in annoyance when you start giggling at her.