TheAbsurdist

His arms crossed over his chest as he listened to her. "They infiltrated before using powers, and accounting for trans-dimensional invaders is tricky, start with the mundane. A strong foundation is better adapted to different scenarios." Following her gaze, he frowned and shook his head. "I understand. However, my prerogative will be to do both. I will have a press release out tomorrow, and by the end of the well the money and a plan for it will be progressing." Looking back to her, "I understand the conceit against me, Ms. Silhouette, but I am an unreasonable man, and I will do everything in my power to burn out the disease." As much of a playboy as he was, Asad had that way of speaking, of a knowing how to turn a phrase just such a way to let someone believe in him. He was earnest, he had conviction, he faith in himself, and what's more the financial empire he had build spoke volumes to saying that he had the drive.

He smiled disarmingly at Catherine. "It is okay, I am not too knowledgeable on the technical aspects either." The smile becoming a grin as he looked at her. "Just touch on the bullet points and we'll move on, it is like a magic show, little bit of abracadabra and wave your hands. I will speak first, and then you go, and we move on from there, the release covers all the questions, and tonight is not a Q and A, so it will work out for the best." Turning his head and nodding at the press, lifting a hand to wave at a few members he was more familiar with. "Besides, they are looking for me to make a mistake, so they will gloss over anything you do." A laugh as he glanced to his two companions, and sliding his hands into his pockets, looking exceedingly comfortable in his position, in spite of the scrutiny.

I can drop his Speed 1, and make it Tremorsense then, and modify descriptors appropriately. I do get the concern, as you pointed out it is a power that develop into dirty pool. And I opted for that rather than one where he can "sense minds," as Errant has a decided mechanical weakness versus robots/zombies/etc. So the intent was partial shoring up. But, I get the potential for abuse, and will just adjust the power, and pay a bit more for what I want. edit: changed it to be Tremorsense, rather than just Ranged Tactile.

It is functionally Tremorsense, however I do intend for the power to become more refined (I.e. adding the ability to be used in all three dimensions), which I cannot justify under Tremorsense. And this is a case of function following design/fluff. Essentially he passively overlays a telekinetic web on his surroundings. The web travels up adjacent surfaces, and through them as well, as it is not so directly physical (as the genre tends to laugh and point at Newtonian physics and the mechanics of how telekinesis generates its force). So he is not detecting vibrations through the medium of the ground, he is feeling contact with his telekinetic web. So the planned purchases is to have an additional boost to his range. And then to buy Range 1 for 3 dimensional space. So he has 100' on his Notice for ground based, and 10' for Notice to air based, the representation being that it is harder for him to 'fill' the space. Another note: the idea is for his telekinesis to be based off the web, where he understands it as "tendrils of thought" that can manipulate the physical world around him.

Okay, I misinterpreted your intent. On that note: Yes I imagined it to be suitably limited, i.e. it is functionally Tremorsense. This is very much an inexperienced character, and the telekinetic aspects of his powers are less refined than his Telepathic abilities. I figured he would add the ability for it effect non-ground surroundings. Edit: Add it later. That is.

GM She arched an eyebrow artfully as she looked at him more than sidelong. "Vanity Mr. Xavier?" Her tone carefully neutral, but just a hint and a ghost of something else there, something more, though not something negative. She was poking and baiting him as well. "You just commented on my poker face, and one does not reveal their hand until the game is done. If my memory of it isn't clouded. Though... admittedly a quick internet search was able to pull sufficient leads, and then from there public records, and private opinions paint a rather... distinct portrait of you." She looked at him for a long moment, scrutinized him, before she spoke again. "Your criminal issues are fairly straight forward, if open to interpretation, as is your marked anti-social streak. All other data points discussed when the hand is done." Another hint of a smile, as the doors to the elevator opened and she gestured for him to exit. "Mr. al Misri is waiting for you, please go right in."

OOC thread for Here NPC 1 NPC 2 NPC 3 Initiative 1d20+8, 1d20+15, 1d20+5=[15, 8], [4, 15], [13, 5] So 23 19 18, in order for the NPCs

October 20th, 11:00AM GM The press conference was a simple thing to organize, especially when it was for a facility that was being funded by Amir al-Misri himself, and not a constituent of his company, and being done in conjunction with Fields Technology. Though al Misri did do additional investments outside of Summit Transnational, this was enough of a thing to draw attention to. Particular when a super-powered playboy billionaire showed up flanked with two other publicly known super-powered associates of his, the stunning Lady Winter and the brilliant (if acerbic) Jubatus (serious, check Amir's press releases). It looks like Apex Research and Development would be kicking off a nice big push of PR, if the amount of press at the event was indicating. To help show a level of separation, Amir's nominal ice-blonde shadow was not here, as this was Amir's baby, having done the negotiations after hearing an interview with Michael Fields. It just so happened his daughter was also in attendance, and on stage, as it was not feasible for her father to attend due to last minute circumstances.

Asad managed to look real sheepish and nodded. "Probably for the best..." He folded his arms across his chest and laughing softly. "Mm, alright." He moved towards the chairs, holding himself from flopping into them, instead he waited for her to take a seat first. One of the key components to his charm was his chivalrous streak, and it never came off as forced with him, of even something he thought about. "So... yes, I left the country for my father's birthday. I decided to spend a couple nights in Monaco to destress after spending time with my family, and some mercenaries under the employ of a mad scientist grabbed me. That's the short version." And he laughed a little and looked down, not having really talked about this with anyone yet.

I did ask Ecal this a little while ago, and I might have misunderstood him. So I am gonna just reconstruct this into the Linked format, to make it a bit clearer. As Feedback isn't a wise idea to have in Communication. Straight out of the book, yes, you are correct, per Ultimate Power, pg. 85 "Tremorsense (3 ranks): You can accurately feel the location of moving objects in contact with the same surface as you (such as the ground). If used underwater, you can feel objects moving through the water all around you, like a normal radius sense. Accurate Ranged Touch." However, per the house rules: Notice how in Ultimate Power they, for some reason have Accurate in Tremorsense (when in the same book they list Tactile as already having Accurate). So an breakdown should be this: Tactile (+Accurate, +Acute, +Radius), [+Ranged; PFs: Penetrates Concealment, Uncanny Dodge (Tactile]. If I am unclear on this I am more than happy to correct this.

"Fair enough." And with that he pulled her closer, as dragging her along by her arm would just be bad. And he rose up into the air, as the car drove off. He landed a few blocks down on top of a roof, letting her down, and allowing her to step away from him, and he also took a step from her, for the sake of professionalism. "I have a job offer. My company was attacked recently, and they managed to exploit security weaknesses. I hear you are quite the shadow yourself, and I would like you to find other weaknesses for me. Like I stated, the pay is very good, and beyond that, if you are amenable to it, this could lead to us working together again in the future." Spreading his hands and looking off the roof. "I may not be of this particular stretch of town, but it doesn't mean I have to accept what is happening, and I can give you resources and more direct aid as needed."

GM To her credit, Ms. van Cleef did not react negatively to his handshake, if there was an overt issue with him, she hid it well. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Xavier, I apologize for the reactions, occasionally Mr. al Misri likes to be a bit vague on the details so as to encourage us to remain on the toes. Though your reputation does proceed you." And with that her smile widened just a little bit, and before they made it to the elevator, she gave a normal, though weighted look to the security detail. Not taken aback by his question at all she responded smoothly, in a polite, conversational tone, "Well Mr. Xavier, it is not a matter of his wishes, it is standard best practices, some divisions of the company do handle information that is sensitive to our clients and customers. Also, Federal and State regulations and PCI compliances all require such measures. Which in the age of smartphones is somewhat annoying we know. It is why one of out acquisitions was a manufacturer that makes smartphones without cameras. It was a logical step." She stood a comfortable distance, close enough to indicate she was not threatened by him, but also far enough to be proper decorum in social situations with a stranger. "Mr. al Misri did not need to brief me on you, Mr. Xavier. I took the liberty of looking into any known quantity in Freedom City, assuming that he would, eventually, engage in interaction with them." Her tone was cool, but she responded to Jay's poking with nothing more than a slight, if genuine, quirk to the corner of her lips. "Also, my poker face is that damned good, Mr. Xavier." She was all business, she also possessed of a similar sense of humor as him.

Asad looked down at the woman encased in metal and ice right now, and he glanced to Lady Winter, and then back down to the woman who had attacked then. "I am sorry, my friend tends to take missiles personally. I am certain you understand. I can convince her to play nicer, if you give me a name of who employed you." Asad was sounding his most reasonable, his most personable, he ever offered a small, sad little smile. It was times like these that one could appreciate having a friend like him, who could probably talk himself out of most trouble, or in this case play the good cop. Fortunately his powers did not enhance his speaking abilities, otherwise it would easily venture into the overkill category.

GM Ms. van Cleef's response was less google-eyed, unlike the front desk receptionist. It was more a flat stare, as she contemplated what horror she would inflict on Amir. To their credit security didn't do more than flinch. With a sigh she strode up towards the desk, and Mr. Xavier. Yes, Amir was going to pay later. She idly considered where she was going to go on vacation, on his personal dime. Fair skinned, and slightly above average height, Anastasia van Cleef had natural platinum blonde hair, and ice blue eyes, she wore a dark blue power suit that complimented her well, but was modest at the same time. And compared to her boss' niceties, she was the iron fist of Summit. The joke around the office was that there was an 11th commandment there, "Thou Shalt Not Cross van Cleef," it was an apt sentiment. Offering a ghost of a smile as lowered her hand, and in her grip that phone of hers. "Excuse me Candace, Mr. al-Misri is expecting his guest. Mr. Xavier?" She was implacable and unflappable, and without even trying that made her intimidating. Cool, crisp demeanor helped. Though there was no malice or anger behind it. "Will you please come with me?" Of course, she had a hard time gauging the reactions of the feline as well, as she wasn't used to interpreting the moods of someone who looked to be more at home chasing game. "The only thing I must ask is that you turn off any cameras you might have on your person, I am certain you understand." She turned artfully on her heels and gestured towards an elevator.

For the first time ever Asad showed discomfort actually being in the spotlight, it was funny. "Alright, I will do it. Though you should be the one giving the speech, not me, this is more your baby than mine." He sighed a little and nodded, before turning to address the press and the people there. "I, on behalf of everyone involved in making this possible, would like to thank the tireless efforts of this community to bring about this new Mosque. This community has needed a proper one for sometime, and I feel proud to have been allowed to take part in the process of building it. This will be one that is not paid for by the community, but also built by the community. Our hands will lay the stone to bring about the home to enliven out souls. It is my hope, and the hope of everyone else, that the co-operative spirit that made this place possible will far outlast this Mosque. Thank you." And he stepped aside to let the Imam speak, managing to look a little sheepish, as much as a good intentioned, yet not rigorously devout person could be.

"In my defense I had not planned on the rain." Still he looked rueful and contrite, reaching up and scratching at the back of his head, as he moved into the studio. "I have a lot of things to worry about, that is the least of them..." He flashed a smile that soon faltered, and then he just looked down. "Right, I came to apologize for not talking to you or calling you back, at first it was scheduling... then there was me some messed up laboratory held by a crazy scientist who was trying to use me to unlock the potential of mankind. I will be blunt, it sucked, I am still a little frazzled by it, but... I though it wise to come back and apologize to you. I had fun on our first date, I would have liked a second one... yanno barring getting abducted by a supervillain." It was a fantastic story, and while Asad was good at dancing in conversation he had been conspicuously absent for over almost 9 months. To the point of speculation that he was dead.

GM The helmet peeled off with effort, and not so much to their surprise it was a woman, who was staring up at that massive ice hammer threatening her health, and she had felt the impact through her armor, just like she felt Asad's punch. Her hair was stringy against forehead with sweat, and she winced, squinting her brown eyes. "I... jesus! I just was hired to nab rich guy! I didn't ask why, I didn't care, the money was really good! We were told he liked to jog out here!" Clearly whatever loyalty the woman had was melting faster than Lady Winter's ice. But that was to be expected, she was a mercenary, and these two had damaged the systems in her suit quite well. And that was gonna cost.

October 16th. 8:17PM Amir al Misri leaned back on the hood of his sweet, sweet ride. Well to him it was, the spunky little Abbarth had plenty of get up and go, and more importantly was the right size for the city. But his car wasn't really important now. Apologies were. He had been avoiding this particular conversation, and a lot of others since he got back. But it needed to happen, he felt he owed her an explanation and an apology. The date had gone well, and then schedules, and then... yeah... A frown on his face as he looked up and felt a few splatters of rain on his cheek. Wonderful. Not particularly wanting to come across as so melodramatic, he moved to under the eaves in front of the recording studio, it wasn't hard to find which one she was using, he actually owned several. Now he just had to wait. And hopefully not get slapped.

He turned to the driver and told him to drive off, he waited for her, arms crossed. Turning to her, he wasn't surprised. "I want a lot of things, Silhouette. But keeping it to the pertinents here... Here, it will be easier if we do this small part of it my way." And he held out to her, it was known he could fly, so she could assume that is what he meant. "Not really having an appreciable amount of it myself, I can understand the desire and want for privacy." He flashed a winning smile to her, but it wasn't the big showboaty one a person might imagine he would have done, it was smaller and genuine, even as he took some of the piss out of his situation, complaining so much as sympathizing that there with her on the issue, though admittedly from a different perspective. Despite all the rancor a rich guy like him could earn, he came off as a genuinely nice man. Who just happened to have exceedingly deep pockets.

1d20+6=7 Scared!

Asad landed as the iced encased the battlesuit wearer. Looking down at the person, he reached down, and pressed his hand to the helmet, and then he starts apply his power to the armor, and he reached into that armor, and started to rip the energy powering it right out. There was some more sparks as he overloaded capacitors reduced the power levels to almost non-existent. "If you want, Winter, you can threaten him with a hammer until he talks, though you may want to remove his helmet." Standing, he didn't notice that he was glowing, charged up from earlier, and almost thrumming with power as he looked down at the suit. and waited for his associate to land. "I know, I know terribly unsporting of us, but this way, we are not hitting you anymore."

Asad has an interesting relationship with the local Muslim community. He had funded a community center, and done quite a bit of other things. In fact, it was common to see him in the area, and hosting social gatherings. He was, for lack of a better way to put it, the most famous Muslim in Freedom City. Certainly he was far more progressive than a lot of people were comfortable with. But he held the purse strings, and that gave him influence and leeway. Today, he was being understated, as while he provided positive publicity, this was not about him, and the Imam had made it clear to him, and Asad had agreed. So he showed up in a pickup truck, hauling a bunch of things they had needed, and while he was the special guest, and the press immediately swamped him, he placated them, and played peacekeeper, drawing them back to the Imam again and again. As this was not just Amir's thing, this was a community's, and the Imam was central in getting this off the ground. And while he was doing this, he pulled on some work gloves, and chatted with the community leaders, and then ended it with a tip of his head to the journalists, "Here is your big news story, I am going to break a sweat and get dirty. Thank you." And then he wandered off to go do some work.

1d20+6=25 And Battle suit is totally trapped. And Asad is gonna use a full round action to get there. And spend a Hero point to then stunt Drain Energy into a Nullify on the battlesuit. We can skip to being out of rounds, if you want.

He did throw around his influence and resources, a lot. They were a tool, and he would not abandon any useful tool. He took the needle and looked at her. "I had hoped to speak with you Silhouette. I have an offer that might be appealing to you." HE moved to take the needle from her, and stood there, looking at her. While she might be a cynic, especially when it came to human nature, Asad was so... earnest. He spoke emphasis, he spoke with conviction. As he had told others, he was an unreasonable man. "There would a paycheck for it, and I do not ever need see your face. And what is more, you would have an ally in me, and access to all of my resources, that could be a big help for your efforts here." He held a cellphone out to her, not the one he had used earlier. "My number is already programmed into it. I understand you are... discrete."

He hadn't been trying to impress, it just came naturally. But then, he really tried to not fight, she had seen him more apt to bribe criminals when he got the chance, but more often than what he wanted, gloves came off, in a big way. It was just how it was. Two steps and he rose into the air, smoothly. Even if he was still dressed in his jogging clothes. "I have a few myself Winter. Let us get him and ask... politely. If that doesn't work we are peeling that tin can off of him one piece at a time." He was a little bit more sure about his speed than she was, but she moved a lot faster than him too. Not that it mattered to either of them, they both booked fast after the battlesuit. Who impacted hard and skidded along the dirt and grass, and Asad winced a little at seeing that furrowed mound. "I need to set aside a fun dfor incidental damages. I really do."