Zeitgeist Blue

OOC thread for this.

Skies Above Seoul Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea Saturday, June 27, 2019 8:25:41 PM Two figures traced lazy circles in the space above skyscrapers, straddling the line between the sea of noise and light below and the empty blue sky above them. It was a Saturday in twilight, the sun setting an hour ago, and like all cities on Saturday nights the streets were packed with cars, horns honking at each other. People waded in and out and through the open air markets and shopping boulevards. Families ate dinner together. Friends drank to each other. Drunk voices rose in chorus to sing songs in Kareoke. Parties blared and thrummed with the beat of music and bodies. But up in the air, the two figures might as well have been the only ones left in the planet. "Hey, how's the headset going?" Nicole's voice sounded in Selena's ear, loud and clear. It was almost as if Nicole was speaking right beside Selena and not fifty feet to her 11 o'clock and slightly behind her. As Nicole asked this, the form of her armor entered Selena's view. It spat out flame from her boots in short, controlled bursts and looped away and around her, back out of her vision. The two had travelled to Seoul for one last visit before the university season started and the two, presumably, part ways. They had different paths in life, though both were superheroes and that made for a small community. Both could fly and that made travel easier. Still, one last trip was in the itinerary and they both jumped at the chance to go abroad. They hadn't been in Seoul long, only two days but the chance to fly around aimlessly in a new city was always a treat for anyone who could. As for Selena's helmet, it was a gift Nicole had made for her. Something that allowed Gauss to speak and look and listen without the hassle of things like the howling wind on her face when she was flying at top speeds. "Earth to Selena. Hellooo," Nicole said again. "I say again, 'How's it going?'"

Nicole Nicole hummed softly as she watched Huang leave. Then she glanced at Aquaria from the corner of her eye. "Think we're all agreed at least that for all the widespread fighting it's the bystanders who suffer the most. I don't have anything against you because you weren't an aggressor in that war. Don't think I've ever hunted vampires myself." "You said your people were forced? Archeville do that to you? Being united is good, like Dio said about his mom, but not when that unity comes at the cost of some other people." She rubbed at her legs absently, thinking a bit before she replied. "No. It's fine. My legs are broken from an incident not related to the Surface and Sea war. So I sit in this chair to move. The wheels help with that." A thought crossed her mind and she cocked her head questioningly. "You don't have Deep Ones with disabilities? No, with your people's lifestyle I guess they'd just be a drag on the tribe. I guess not."

Salvo She would have scratched her head if it wouldn't have scratched the paint. So she just shrugged at Frost's response. He made it clear he wasn't the IT guy. A hero came in late and Salvo turned her way before returning her gaze back to Frost. She punched her palm, producing a heavy clanging sound. "Then I'm ready for the tests. Whatever you'll throw at us. If it's the League we're trying out for then we need to prove we can hold up to the real challenges. "

Nicole She jumped a bit as Huang spoke up from behind her and, rubbing at her heart, she glared daggers at him. "Stop sneaking up on people like that! You'll give someone a heart attack one day." Then Huang gave his own little speech and that brought a thoughtful expression on her face. And when finally when he was done and when Dio was done, Nicole shrugged. "Doesn't seem like the Deep Ones were being forced to invade by gunpoint." She glanced at Aquaria before continuing. "Elise Cokes was graduating from my school. She dissappeared on June 17 while taking her exams, just as her whole class and the classes in that hall rioted against everyone, anyone, and among themselves. I had to run away from people breaking glass and burning the principal's office. Police finally brought them down through tear gas a day after. There were sporadic riots around the county, even among the police. Course, they happened all the same time and that didn't make going out of your room a fun jaunt." "As for Eli, well, she was gone. So was her dad and her two year old brother. Just like dozens of people missing around the country. It took weeks after the dissapearances to account for them. The Deep Ones and Grue invading London didn't help. Neither did the powered fighting or when the British Armed forces finally deployed." She took a sip from her glass. "Easy to say not to be prejudiced when these things don't affect you." Then Phantom began speaking up and Nicole turned her attention to the Master Mage.

Nicole The girl's spine stiffened as Aquaria mentioned the name, asked her the question. Her thoughts strayed from the connection to connection until she found her temple sweating a little, though it was relatively cool tonight. She wiped the sweat from her brow. "I know what the incident reports said," Nicole said, her voice flat, as if reciting in class. "Deep Ones spilled out of ArcheTech facilities around the globe. They killed and pillaged chanting with that name on their lips. Did that right after swathes of people started attacking for seemingly no reason. Emergency services were overwhelmed and it took days to beat them back and list the dead and missing." Her fingers drummed on the wheelchair's arm as Aquaria croaked. "I'm familiar with Lemurian mythology and society, from what little records and half-truth remains, and your people are descendants of the Serpent People. I don't really care what ancient wars were waged from before history but I do care if those grudges come out of the sea today and tear people apart. I like you, Aquaria, so don't tell me you were part of that invasion." "Or do, but I'd tell you you're better off joining and dying with the Spectrum Knights. Take your armor back."

Nicole "Thanks," Nicole said as Huang returned her glasses. She activated it and true enough it sparked back into life. Magic senses back on and streaming data into her software, vision was awash with so much information but still she focused on Huang over all that. She scoffed. "Don't look so pleased with yourself. I said traditional rituals, which is really really specific." She smirked, taking the sting off her remarks, before returning her attention to the person responsible for almost breaking her software. "Right," and she shooed him away as if he were a fly. "Guess I won't need you anymore. Glasses fixed and without your help. You can leave now, whoever you are." *** A few moments later, and Nicole and Aquaria were alone as the Deep One smshowed off the armor like a normal person would a Ferrari. "I'm gonna pretend I understood everything you just said perfectly," Nicole said after Aquaria had finished explaining. She moved around the armor, glasses on, then stopped right beside Aquaria. "Star Knights? Spectrum Knights? Not ringing any bells here, but sure, space terrorists bad." When Aquaria released the seawater, Nicole reversed her chair, making a disgusted noise before pinching her nose hard between her fingers all the while. "What do you need no one to know it was you for?" She asked bluntly. "I know superheroes keep their identities secret but it's you're, well," and she gestured at Aquaria, waving her hand from webbed toes to hairless head. "I mean look at yourself. You're a Deep One. Not much call for secrecy when you aren't a normal human in a human city."

20 QUESTIONS 1. Where is your hero from? Emerald City, OR , US. 2. How would your hero physically describe him/herself? Is this different from how others would? She’s tall and on the thin side. Others wouldn’t see so much of her height as she spends her time on a wheelchair. She has frizzy hair too. 3. Does your hero have distinguishing speech characteristics or recurring mannerisms? She’s pretty excitable in that nervous, too many thoughts kind of manner someone dealing with a fascinating problem they just have to solve would have. 4. What is your hero's motivation? To be everything her namesake is not. That’s death, of the moral kind. 5. What are your hero's greatest strengths and weaknesses? Her mind’s pretty damn great and so is her motivation to excel. Her heart’s still finding the right place to be and how to get there but it is, slowly. She’s too prone to tunnel-vision, her way or the highway is how it usually goes. 6. What does your hero love? What does your hero hate? He loves the feel of oil on her fingers, working magic late into the night. She loves making the world a better place through the things she creates. She hates people who make the other people suffer and knows it. 7. How would you describe your character's mental and emotional state? Mentally, she’s in a great place. She’s like a sponge, always absorbing and revising information. Emotionally, she’s got something to prove to everyone out there but herself most of all. 8. What does your hero fear the most? Being insignificant. Failing. Making a fool out of herself. 9. What is your character's greatest ambition? To become the very best. Seriously, the very best. 10. How does your hero feel about the state of the world and his/her place in it? It’s a crappy place all things considered. It’s the reason why people have to come together and do something about it. But that’s just a pipe dream, really. It makes the efforts of those who do more precious. 11. Does your hero have any prejudices? How does he/she get along with others? She’d like to think she doesn’t, not the sweeping, generalized stereotypes kind. But she prejudices herself on individual people, like everyone does sometimes. They’re dumb or stupid, or an ass, and she sticks to it like industrial glue to hair. Otherwise, if they go through first impressions fine then anything can go. 12. Where do your heroes loyalties lie? In what order? No loyalties here. There’s no higher ideal or thing she puts up with except who needs her help in the here and now. She’s not doing what she does for country or religion, only that it’s the right thing. 13. Does your hero have a lover or partner? How do they feel about the hero now? No she does not. 14. Does your hero have a family? What is the relationship there like? She had a family. She kind of still has one in the form of her father. The relationship’s a bit icy as they don’t see eye-to-eye, but they’ve learnt to deal and at least know when something isn’t going to go down well, so they skirt past it. 15. How would the people closest to your hero describe him or her? She’s confident and sarcastic but with a streak of humor in all that when she’s in a good mood. It makes things interesting, though much easier to get tiring if it takes the wrong turn. 16. Is your hero a role model? If she is she isn’t one you’d think of at first. She’s no Centurion or Martin Luther King, that’s for sure. She’s a kid, a teenager, finding her way in this world by smashing through it at Mach 5 speeds. 17. How spiritual is your hero? Does your hero follow a relgious tradition? She isn’t spiritual. Zero. Nope. Never was and never will. Not even the higher powers that mages evoke sometimes get to hold any awe on her save for the academic and a source of magic. 18. Is your hero part of a team, or would he/she like to be? Why? She isn’t part of a team. She would like to be part of something, be with heroes who can work well together. The journey’s easier when you’ve got others to share it with. Right now, those are her friends in Claremont who share her… hobby. 19. How does your hero feel about the place of metahumans and aliens on Earth? It’s great. It’s all great. Part and parcel of the world she lives in and so she doesn’t see anything abnormal about them. But she tries to find how to turn those things into something useful and good society can use. 20. If you could give one piece of advice to your hero, what would it be? Hey, how about a trip to another country to relax and see the sights? An extended one too. Let your guard down and how about stop being so stubborn for a change? You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, stop treating this like a 100-meter sprint and more like a marathon.

Salvo "Oh. I just try my hardest, Comrade," Nicole said in a contralto, her voice electronically shifted to obscure even more of herself from the outside world. She had been caught off-guard by Frost's jolly greetings but her armor purred, seemingly pleased for her. Frost's chill did not bother her with her armor, though she did note the drop in temperature. Then when Frost made his announcement, Nicole couldn't help but blink in surprise. She had expected something - one didn't get an official summons from the Freedom League for nothing and even less of a nothing was gathering a whole bunch of heroes. Some of whom were A-listers in their own right like Fulcrum who was a Centurion-hero, indestructible and unstoppable like her predecessor. Volcanic's civilian identity was public, and like many heroes who did not keep secret identities that made her a celebrity to be pursued by the media. What little she found on Sandman painted a picture of a mystic whose methodologies trended towards the subtle, so different from her own tendencies. She also knew of Terrifica's record of wiping Boston clean of organized crime and the hero's continued mantle bringing her to Freedom City's streets. She did not need to read up on her fellow Claremonter's file as she was already aware of his various escapades and his focus on the Southside, which had recently complemented her efforts as a civilian volunteer. Miss Grue's file was the thinnest, the least active hero, or perhaps the one whose exploits were least publicly known. Either way, Nicole was not the judge here. Frost had greeted her warmly and so Salvo gave her the benefit of the doubt, as a free Grue at least. And only just. Nicole gave the alien one last look before returning her gave towards the proceedings. They were a diverse bunch. A paragon, an elemental, a mystic, a powerhouse, a cowl, and one shapeshifter. Different powers, different skillsets, different experiences and histories, all of them here now. She felt a little bit like a kid with the just under two years she had under her belt. "Before we get started though," she said after Sandman's question. She half-raised a hand to get Frost's attention. "I'd like to know how we were chosen for the trials. What made us stand out from everyone else? Because there are hundreds in Freedom City alone, thousands if you include North America and even more around the world." She gave a nod Frost's way. "You're enough proof the League is willing to bring in heroes from other countries."

Searchable Profile [A woman in a melding mask and wearing sturdy right in front of the camera and leans over some mechanical contraption held over an intense blue flame. Her hair is in a tight ponytail. Sparks fly from a tool she is holding. The room is dark around her, and the flame and sparks illuminate her.] [The picture is cropped so that it only reaches her wide smile. She wears what looks to be a summer dress in dark blue and a gold necklace. Lights are draped over her shoulders and arms and she holds up her hands to hold up even more.] [The sun catches Freedom City's skyline, soft pink and blue hues from the dawn sky tint the glass skyscrapers, and you can a few indistinct figures in the distance can be seen flying around. Some lights can be seen but most are turning off. The streets are free from the heavy congestion of cars. The city is waking. The tips of polished red armored boots can be seen at the bottom of the picture. Sunlight glints off of them.]  Name: Nicole Gender: Female Preferred Era of Pop Culture: Gen Z here. Give me the internet and social media, boybands and K-pop groups, Disney and Netflix. About you: I'm studying to be an engineer and a physicist. I'm also active in the local charity scene and right now my focus is helping those most affected by the Terminus Invasion. I love a good hard textbook on a rainy day while blasting BLACKPINK on my earphones. Get me a good dinner in the rooftop dinner scene and we'd be off to a good start! Looking For: A guy (I'm straight). Smart and funny with class. Tall, dark, and handsome's not an original idea but it's what I go for. Also puppies! Partner Goals: Something long-term is ideal. Still trying to learn about this dating thing so I'm open to trying even if our goals don't match. Who knows? Fun Prompts! My Favorite Thing About The Place I Live Is.… The many small stores, restaurants, cafes, and anything and everything tucked in every corner around the area. Most People Who Know Me Would Say I'm… Smart but I've got a big heart and that's what matters the most. My Favorite Childhood Memory Is… Studying in England alone. New sights, great friends, and a whole new freedom I had to wrap my head around Five Things I Am Not… Not busy, selfish, boring, dense, a pain in the ass Private Letter to ErosUnlimited

Salvo "Facs!" The helmet and tinted visor obscured the wearer's face and the armor itself was sleeker, cleaner lines and plates that belied the hardware inside, but Alex would recognize Nicole, his fellow student from Claremont. They had graduated together, thanks to Alex retaking classes, but the extra year had also meant the two saw each other around the campus. Nicole took what she could before they would meet Comrade Frost. Even if the duo hadn't interacted much beyond the occasional greeting and small talk, they had worked together well and, whatever this summons was about, she hoped for a repeat performance. "The hammer's new," she noted as they were escorted by the League employee. They must have seemed an odd pair; a woman in power armor and a hero whose costume called to mind a construction worker, but this was Freedom City and they were in Freedom Hall. "Seems like you took off running right after graduation. Or maybe it'd be more accurate to say you'd never stopped." That was one thing the duo shared and she could respect. The dedication to being a hero, to taking care of the community and fighting against the criminals of Freedom City. She braced herself as they were teleported to the League satellite. It was neither her first time using the teleporter nor her first time in space, but the view of Earth from above still took her breath away. She took a moment to admire the view before moving her eyes across the assembled heroes. She recognized Terrifica and she raised an armored gauntlet in greeting and there was another who looked like a poster child of a paragon. As the others introduced themselves, her on-suit computers worked overtime to collate information found on the net, shifting through rumors and news, to create a data file on each one. In her mind's eye, she brought up the dossiers and arranged them in front of her, a floating row of electronic sheets. "A curious bunch," her father said from her side. He sipped at his coffee cup, his legs propped up as he sat on his gauche armchair. "Take care not to embarrass yourself and our family. You're in the big leagues now." She smiled to herself. She had no intention of doing so. She finished her sweep of the room and her gaze rested on Comrade Frost, his reflection tinted red on her visor. Out of all the heroes here he was the most famous and Salvo recognized a kindred spirit in the mystical arts and a defender from threats of that nature. "Salvo, Comrade Frost. Your satellite is really nice," she said, then gestured to Alex. "And this is..."

Nicole "Rita," Nicole said in a whisper, her eyes wide with fright. She backed away from the doorway slowly for fear of prompting the mice into acting. One hand reached out for something to wield as a weapon and found a table lamp. She felt the weight as she brought it close to her chest, hefting solid metal with both hands. Her fingers trembled but she only gripped the lamp harder, knuckles going white, to stop the trembling. "Why the hell are they outside?" Her whispers were frantic as she whipped her head around the room to find another exit. There had to be something, a way out or to get everyone to shut their eyes for just one second, else... else she was going down to a pack of mice. She'd have laughed if she wasn't so terrified.

Nicole As Rakesh retreated Nicole's grin grew wider and she turned to her fellow Claremont students then Sitara and Seven. Whatever Leroy was doing was his own problem and she quickly pushed him oit of her mind. "That was way easier than expected. Now we really have the run of the place. Nice work, Lulu." "And," she said in response to the Li. One hand gestured to Sitara the Traveller and the other reached out to ruffle Li's fur. "We go to a bar. Sitara here says you don't have one worth a damn but I'd still like to see what giant teddy bears drink. It's got to be something, right?"

Character: Salvo Identity: Secret Interested in Team Membership? Yes Specialty (if any): Magic rituals and artifacts, technomagic (not publicly known). Mechatronics engineering. Engineering physics. Issues with PR: Broad-based collateral damage, NSA-style hacking and monitoring, dabbling in darker magics and familial ties to criminal enterprises (not publicly known) Resume: Fought in the heaviest fighting during the Terminus Invasion. Personally (with assistance from the hero Terrifica) disabled the Terminus Invasion portals. Claremont alumna (not publicly known). Fought off Giant Krampus (not publicly known).

Nicole Zenith's power coursed through her body and went deeper than that still, then filled her with a corruscating light. It spilled forth from her and the room was bathed in power and while she felt her limbs changing, restored into a different state, it did not hurt. She stayed still, sitting in her wheelchair, until the last of Zenith's power subsided, leaving behind spots at the back of her eyelids. Her body no longer felt ablaze with fire but for long seconds she merely concentrated on her breathing. Then she opened her eyes and remembered she was still inside the counselor's office, which felt so dull after everything. Brown desks and furniture, a little scraped. Paper documents scattered in neat little piles. Sunlight shining dully through the curtains. Then there was Zenith herself, so colorful and dynamic amid all the mundane things, though she was stock still perched on the edge of the Marquez's desk. She almost seemed unreal. Now seemed so unreal. Her toes squirmed as pins and needles shot through her foot, and she could feel her eyes begin to water. She shook her head silently and pinched the bridge of her nose, composing herself. Then she put one foot on the ground. Her other foot followed. Unsteadily, as if unsure if her legs could support her weight, she rose to her feet, using the wheelchair as support. Her face was unreadable as she stumbled forward, almost falling but catching a nearby filing cabinet to steady herself. Features scrunched tight in concentration. Her hands reached out for support and she slowly made her way to Zenith until she was almost in front of the otherworldly being. One of Nicole's hands was pressed against the wall and she leaned heavily against it, arm rigidly straight. Hair was matted across her forehead and Zenith could see beads of sweat. Nicole eye's met her own. There was a fire behind it and it only grew as Nicole opened her mouth in a snarl. "I don't owe you a damn thing. We make that clear, Zenith. Corinne."

Nicole "Space, reallllly?" Nicole raised an eyebrow as she ate the fish, cooked okay but bland. She set it aside after two bites. "I'd like to know how a Deep One managed to take something from space and if that makes it anything special. I know a whole bunch about armorsmithing, more than anyone here, so sure. Show me what you've got." Her finger drew circles lazily in the air and she leaned forward, indulging Aquaria's confidence with a serene smile. "I'd even watch you do a practical demonstration. Maybe you'd get to impress."

Edited by TT Changes Remove Age (not Birthday) so I don't need to update that every year Feat: Benefit (Wealth) Complications -> A Parallel Path, Father Dearest, The Sins of Family, The Gift of Blood, This Magic of Mine Bellios Device -> Weapons Suite Array -> Snare 11 Drawback: Disability Changed In Brief Residence, Base of Operations, Birthplace, Affiliations Physical Description Skill Point distribution to better reflect her experiences Device 1 (Wheelchair) -> Device 1 (Bracelet) Formatting in Bellios Device Bellios Device -> Servo-Dynamos -> Corrected Super-Strength from 16-46 to 18-48 Bellios Device -> Weapons Suite Array -> Close Quarters Combat Engine to Iron Grip Added Complications -> Her Own Brand of Magic, Her Own Brand of Science, Zenith Touched Bellios Device -> Weapons Suite Array -> Snare -> Flaws: Limited (5 times a day) Bellios Device -> Weapons Suite Array -> Damage 10 -> Feats: +2 Knockback

Nicole Oh this was just getting better and better. Nicole's smile grew wider by the sentence as the man apologized and practically allowed her to go do whatever tests she would need in order to get her devices running. Sure, he went on about some great machine exploding but it mostly went through one ear and out the other. If she was so scared of explosions, she wouldn't have experimented in new and exciting ways and if she hadn't experimented then she wouldn't have been as great as she was now. "Great!" She clapped her hands together. "You can stay and I'll try to find something to begin the tests. You owe me that much and I owe your teacher and her decade of experiments for my glasses not exploding on my face." "Now if only I could find something that isn't arbitrarily considered a sufficientlt technological advanced instrument, like magic things for example. Know where I could find those?" She gave a show of searching around her for something then stopped as Huang approached. "Huang," she greeted. Then she gestured at Hex, explaining with a gleeful measure. "He's consented to a round of testing so I could fix my glasses and figure out just what specifically caused it to malfunction in the first place. Not now obviously but when we have the time. I'm sure you'd have some idea to go about it. My usual instruments aren't available and..." Her smile fell by a fraction and she hid her expression behind a coughing fit and a fist. "And you're better at traditional rituals." She said it quickly before her cough miraculously vanished. Then she moved to a nearby table and took a plate and utensils, holding it up to Aquaria. "Oh, how thoughtful. I hope this isn't a bad time for you, is it?"

Nicole "Ohhh, so it isn't the fish that smells like fish," Nicole says as she examines Aquaria's fish. Cooked well enough to actually look edible. Still, Nicole's hand remained clasped over her nose and she eyed Aquaria suspiciously. "Guess that only leaves you as the one who smells like fish." She shook her head at Aquaria's offer for fish. Sure, it looked edible but who knew what Deep One diet differed from that of normal humans? At the very least she was looking at an upset stomach for eating food she wasn't used to. "No thanks, Sea Devil. I'm actually surprised Deep Ones cook their food instead of eating it raw. Like, where do you find fire under the sea? Do you invoke Dagon's name for Eternal Flames of Cooking?" "At least you've got the self-awareness to understand how messed up Leroy's mom is. And here I thought the both of you were brainwashed! Which really beggars the question why you're allowing yourself to be bossed by a toady like that." Nicole said. Then she soon turned away as the two priests began talking about their gods. While they interested in the purely academic sense, worship was a whole other thing and she let them be. Besides, some heavyset newcomer was coming their way. His whole getup screamed hippy, new-age dudebro to Nicole though she never really knew hipsters to dress like Gandalf with flowers and rainbows. So she chalked it up to intuition, which never failed her in these matters. Then he began to explain just what he had done and Nicole's expression of curiosity quickly turned into one of being hella pissed off. "No. No you aren't," she finally said and she whipped her glasses out and shook it at the big guy. She couldn't see his expression since everything was now blurry but she didn't really care. "Do you know how state-of-the-art, cutting-- no! Bleeding edge these are. What happens if you run off and they still don't work, huh? Your staying here in case I need to reverse something and need a sample of your whatever to do it properly." She took a deep breathe then added slowly, in a manner of a teacher patiently explaining for the sixth time to a particularly slow student a lesson that was taught six months ago. "Besides, why don't you," and she brought her glasses back on. "Just stop using magic right now?"

Nicole "Then do it!" The desperation in her voice surprised even herself and she paused, pursing her lips as her hands wrapped around Corinne's wrists. Not a few seconds before she had wanted to be anywhere but trapped under the other girl, but now that the offer was dangled she wouldn't let go. It was a lightbulb turned on, a rubber band pulled so far that it broke. Now Corinne couldn't take what she said back. It was a challenge to be accepted then and there. "Your-- you've all been talk," she stuttered, hands cold, and while no doubt the dancer could easily free herself from the grip, Nicole held on like Corinne was a lifeline. "Prove that you aren't. Use your power to fix my legs and maybe evI'd just find something else to latch on to. Maybe you'll be right a second time but I'll be damned if I let you dictate to me what'll happen to my life. I'll freaking show you otherwise." Slowly, like an eggshell cracking, her mouth parted into an ugly half-smile, half-sneer that both reached her eyes. "Do it or are you so scared of what you can do? C'mon, help someone in need."

Nicole Nicole's magical sensors on her glasses had been turned up to maximum reception while she had been talking to Leroy. Sure, it overtaxed the micro-runes and delicate fibers entangled underneath the surface in such a way as to allow her to perceive the various phenomena in the magical spectrum, but in a gathering as big as this she just needed to gather as much information as she needed. She felt it in her bones and kept an eye out for particularly interesting individuals. The Master Mage was one, of course, like eldritch thunder and light rolled into one. One whose outgoing dataflow Nicole could only describe as gritty and gave two data sources. And some zombie of the not good-looking kind that definitely screamed of the grave (plus some brighter neon lights). And while her fellow students in Claremont were interesting magically, she had already amassed a significant amount of data about their skills, enough to form working theories about the more esoteric and academic aspects about them. Though there was this one girl who arrived with Veronica and Liz that she did not recognize. She turned to look but before she could begin to analyze the signature static lines appeared across her vision, ones would find in a television with no signal. One or two at first but they grew in volume until most of her glasses was covered in static. "The hell?" She took off her glasses and tapped at the sides experimentally. She hadn't fiddled with it recently except for regular maintenance, and that she could do in her sleep with both hands tied behind her back. Either she'd become stupid the past few days or something was messing with her stuff. A quick look around showed she wasn't the only one peering at their phones or electronic watches in alarm. "Alright," she said loudly to no one in particular (though Dio was still beside her), her eyes twitching in annoyance. "Who's the idiot who couldn't keep their magic in their pants? Cause something here is messing with my glasses and I'm going to kill her if I have to overhaul the system." Then Sea Devil or Aquaria Innsmouth to Freedom City's records announced her presence to everyone there. Nicole returned her glasses minus the analysis program and did a double take as she recognized the speaker's race. A Deep One. Odd, even other in a gathering of humans and beings tied to humans. It piqued Nicole's curiosity, enough that she almost let go of her annoyance at her tech short-circuiting. "Let's go, Dio. We need to meet... uh, her?" *** "Hey, uh, Miss Sea Devil." Nicole waved as she got closer and she couldn't help but gag at the overpowering smell of fish. When she finally stopped enough to breathe properly, she continued."Are you the maker of the Elder Sign? Because something's messing with my tech. My glasses don't work and my phone's dead too, and would you know anything about that?" As Nicole spoke she looked the Deep One up and down, noting the engravings on the trident and noticing the finer details on the Elder Sign-like tattoos all over Aquaria's slimy flesh. She could have asked more about those, clearly dark magic the Deep Ones were reputed to practice, but Nicole put little stock on what people labeled things. Yet, the fish smell was really bothering her. She clapped a hand over her nose, not able to bear it any longer. "And why are you carrying a fish?"

Rolling to Gather Information (Well Informed + Online Research) on Sea Devil Sea Devil Computers: 1d20+15 = 29 Aquaria Innsmouth Computers: 1d20+15 = 22 Deep Ones Computers: 1d20+15 = 30

I'd like to Aid on Heritage's roll. Diplomacy: 1d20+2 = 13

Nicole Nicole nodded her head vigorously at what Lulu had just said. Hell no to staying indoors. Hell no to not seeing the diplomatic integration firsthand. Hell no to not bar-hopping and looking for zero-g rocks. This was her last field trip with Claremont and she wasn't spending it like how Chawla wanted them to spend it. Doing nothing. Lulu had did the smart thing and spoken up first, but the upcoming Junior still needed support. "Yeah, what's your problem, Chawla?" Nicole spoke up. She couldn't place her hands on her hips like Lulu did so she did the next best thing and gripped the arms of her wheelchair. "Why don't you give us a break?" She waved her hand at the Li representatives. "I want to get to know Leng and Lu Chu." Then she moved it towards the structures around them. "Take a look at their energy recycling methods and their stealth tech that had even the Coalition impressed. I want to do so many things." Her hands balled up to fists dramatically. "And I'm not going to be able to do all of them if I'm just watching Netflix in the hotel." "Besides," and she moved her wheelchair beside UFO, who was just as adorable as the Li. "Seven will keep us safe. They know where to go." At this point Nicole wasn't indignant. In fact, her face was screwed up in joy at the prospect of everything she just said. Doing all that among teddy bears just made her doubly excited. And if Chawla said otherwise then forget him, she'll do what she wants to.