October Catch-All

[backwordscompatible]

Characters: Aya, Midii, Zatanna, & OPEN
Date: Month of October
Location: Keelai
Situation: Various (specified in openers)

Warnings/Rating: none to start; will update if necessary



A. - Zatanna

[She felt overwhelmed.]

[So much had happened. The death of the Turtles. Rising theories about Asti and Malicant and...things that the last exploration group had come across. Tensions were rising, and the worst part of it all?]

[They were in the proverbial calm before the storm. Which meant waiting.]

[Zatanna hated waiting.]

[She was a busy person by nature. Sitting still? Not an option. She would fidgit. Her hands, usually. Flipping a coin or a pencil or some other manipulative. Often, it was subconscious. She didn't even realize she was doing it.]

[Like right then. It was a small card. Not a tarot card, like the kind she'd used at her work in the past--for a time, she had considered the option, but even her skills weren't good enough to actually use the art to predict what would happen. Not with enough certainty to be of use. No, this one was your average playing card. A four of hearts. Arbitrarily chosen from the pack because it was there. Keeping her left hand busy while her eyes scanned the shop store windows. It was October. Which, to her, signified a lot of memories. Of costumes and friends.

[Halloween.]

[More than once, she found herself wondering if they would celebrate this year. With everything going on...probably not.]

[Shame]


B. - Midii

[The soon-to-be teen girl was hardly ever without Riva at her side these days.]

[After what happened...both of them had only just barely stopped crying. For the mutual losses they shared. Out of fear of what was to come. Midii wasn't a fighter. She had always known this. Her strong suit was knowing, but when it came to the enemy...she was too vulnerable. Bad enough when it was her life at stake, but if something ever happened to Riva? She would never forgive herself.]

...I know, girl, I miss them too.

[Sitting on the grass, out in the open, near one of the lakes, she gave Riva a soft pat on the neck. The weather was a bit cooler than it had been during the summer months, but Riva was still in need of constant hydration. An attempt to distract from all the loss. Not just her brothers and sisters...but from the pair that had been her co-parents for so long. First Rapunzel, and now Septimus.]

[They hadn't been particularly close, but Midii had liked them both. She hadn't been lying about missing them. Riva would know.]


C. - Aya

[The message she had translated was...concerning.]

[The latest theories regarding Malicant were even more so.]

[With only just barely enough returns to her assigned quarters to check on her soul lantern, Aya had all but taken up permanent residence in the Laboratory.  She found a great comfort being surrounded by like-minded individuals, in proximity to tools in which she might be of use.  She was a fighter, yes, but she was also one of the most advanced pieces of technology known to exist.  An asset, against an enemy such as Malicant.]

If it is true that the enemy has infiltrated the Network itself...then perhaps there is some way we may use this knowledge to our advantage?

[Her leading--and only--theory.]


D. - (Misc.)

((If there's another scenario you'd like any of the girls to be in, feel free to set up and I will absolutely follow accordingly!))

Comments

Midii, say hi to your fellow turtleparent

[insertdadjoke]

[ This tug is not something Cain really understands. It seems eminently peaceful and safe, but it still sets him a bit on edge to be under the influence of something he can't t identify. While he's not going to go out of his way to seem a threat in response, he makes sure his switchblade is on him when he does to follow the mental pull that was dragging at his brain.

What he finds is really not what he expects, though. It's just a girl and a turtle and somehow that gives him a feeling he recognizes as protective fatherly instinct. ]

What the hell...?

hi fellow turtleparent

[unetrustworthy]

[She was no stranger to foul language, and so his was hardly a blip on her radar. But the unfamiliarity of his voice, alone, was more than enough to draw her attention. She turned, and did not recognize the face before her.]

Is something wrong?

c: hello.

[insertdadjoke]

Wrong? [ He comes closer, kneeling once he's a good distance from the turtle without getting too close to seem overbearing. He isn't sure what to do with this feeling because it is obviously somehow artificial. ]

No, I don't think so, but... I think I was being called.

[unetrustworthy]

[...could it...?]

[She glanced over towards Riva; the now van-sized turtle was slowly turning towards him. Her emotions were projecting a mixture of wariness (residual paranoia she had picked up from Midii over time) and...if that wasn't love, than it was the next best thing. A fondness. An immediate acceptance of the presence in front of them.]

You mean...Riva?

[She had never experienced this before. Until recently, the only co-parents Midii had ever known were Septimus and Rapunzel. They had been one of the last remaining original trios. Only because she knew of other turtles did MIdii even recognize what was happening at all.]

[She didn't like it. And no, Riva, you can stop that right now; she knows what you're trying to do.]

[So paranoid, Midii-mama.]

[Obviously.]

She...she wants to say hello.

[insertdadjoke]

[ Cain watches. He sees an interplay of some sort going on but isn't privy to the specifics and he tries not to let that put him on edge. Everything about his new temporary home is running his give-everyone-a-chance policy ragged and it's about time he got a breath of fresh air.

He just isn't sure if this is going to be that breath, or another chokehold. ]

She does? Riva... Hi.

[ As if approaching a skittish animal, he holds his hand out. He's willing to give it a shot, at any rate. ]

[unetrustworthy]

[Midii was...not necessarily a jealous person, by nature, but she was prone to not reacting well to the possibility of things being taken from her. Situations out of her control.]

[She tried to keep it under control for Riva's sake, but she still couldn't help the slight pang of hurt when she felt Riva's excitement and saw her happily flapping her flipper his way. So instantly accepting of the arrangement. Friendship was one thing. But this?]

Do you know what's happening?

[insertdadjoke]

[ Cain takes the invitation and stands to get closer and get a better look at Riva. He sees the kid isn't quite reacting well, but he'll deal with one thing at a time right now. ]

Hatchling bonding, right? Someone else mentioned that... I didn't think it would be like this, though. They rely on us? [ The next part is specifically to Riva, Cain seeming more amused than worried. ] How'd you find me, huh?

C - action;

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony sees Aya's message, but since it's originating from Stark Industries, he doesn't bother responding. He walks down to her lab instead, and pokes his head in. Not bothering with a lead-in, he asks:]

Aya, have you ever interfaced directly with the network?

[looksfine]

[Isn't it just the most convenient having her around all the time like this, Tony?]

[Similarly, with the knowledge that he was most likely somewhere nearby as well, Aya did not even bother glancing up from her console in order to address his question:]

The possibility had been considered, yes.

However, interfacing with the Network would involve downloading at least a portion of my consciousness directly into the consoles. And I have been informed multiple times that any outside interference would result in a complete technological and bio-chemical meltdown of all systems. Including my own.

[Basically, there was a very strong chance that any attempt could kill her.]

[highprofilerichkid]

[Seriously, they need to get out more.]

I'm definitely not suggesting it. That's... basically what I was hoping you'd say, actually. If the systems are fundamentally incompatible, it means You-Know-Who probably can't get inside your head any easier than the rest of us. [Tony nods in satisfaction, his concern relieved.

He wanders casually into the lab, and migrates over to another chair near where Aya is seated, looking like he's decided to hang out for a little while now that he's here. His nonchalance has an ulterior motive, though: once he's seated, he pulls a notebook out of his pocket and turns it so that Aya can see it, but it isn't in view of the console's camera. There's a note written on the page:]

we know consoles not secure. it might be able to hear us too, not sure. hopefully can't SEE everything though, so writing should be safe. safest, anyway. turning the consoles against it— what are you thinking? a virus?

[looksfine]

[ikr? People might start to talk.]

[The thought of him feeling concern for her well-being was...touching. Had it not already been something she'd previously addressed with multiple individuals on multiple occasions, Aya might have been inclined to ask for his assistance in another system's scan. Just to be sure.]

No, he cannot. My technological systems are currently incompatible with the known ware used to power and control Keelai-manufactured machines. And my mental resistance has proven penetrable by only one other...and it had been a mutual decision.

[Kyle. Another story for another time, perhaps.]

[As she spoke, her eyes lifted in time to see Tony pull out the written message. Fortunately, though she was of Oan origin, her Green Lantern energy allowed for the near-instantaneous translation of the English spoken word. She read the message in less than a second and nodded her silent acknowledgement.]

[In return, turning away from the console monitor, she lifted a hand and created a small construct of an identical notebook. Save for the green tint, of course. Writing of her own began to scrawl across the page: for a second, Tony would see only Oan writing, before it fizzled out and back in, now English.]

If it is true that he has, indeed, interfaced with the Network, then yes...a virus that effects their systems should, theoretically, affected him as well. However, such a virus would need to be part digital and part biological, as well as a strain that would infect one of his biometric signature.

[highprofilerichkid]

[Nah, people will be too busy talking about him and his ex-nemesis supervillain boyfriend.]

Okay. Good. That's a relief.

[As he's speaking, he's scribbling a new note.]

biotech isn't my specialty (except neural interfaces, dont know if that's what we'll need) but I can cover the digital side. do we know enough about Big Brother to program something that can infect&harm it?

[looksfine]

[You'd be surprised what people can find time to talk about.]

Your concern for my well-being is greatly appreciated, Tony Stark.

[Similarly, the moment she scanned his words, her own erased themselves. A new set of Oan letters appeared, focusing themselves into English for his convenience.]

Not currently, no. Unless the enemy possesses DNA similar to the local residence, I cannot be certain of his precise species or what viruses may affect him.

Midii

[onethirdthesoul]

[The last time Ryou had spoken to Midii was just days before the turtle deaths, and with that the offhanded agreement that they would play games together again sometime was easily forgotten. At least until just now, because as Ryou was walking past the lake with Yin beside him, he noticed a familiar face.]

Oh, Une-chan! [Ryou calls out and throws his arm up in a wave. Yin comes to a stop beside him, looking curiously over, and Ryou takes a moment to address her.] Let's go say hello to Une-chan! You can talk to the turtle with her too, okay?

[Yin agrees since she's more than happy for the chance to socialize, and so with that the two head over.]

[unetrustworthy]

[The last time Ryou had seen Midii, her spirits had been...oh, no, wait, that had been her entire body. Several feet in the air, in fact, and only with a series of mental distractions had he managed to pull her crashing down onto him.]

[Of course, things were different now. It was almost shocking how much could change in only a few weeks' time. The death of the Turtles. The loss of her remaining co-parent. (And subsequent gain of a new one.) It wouldn't take telepathic empathy to deduce that the nearly 13-year-old girl was feeling a bit down. Try as Riva did to keep her spirits lifted, the young Turtle was too distraught over the loss of her siblings.]

[Including Emily-Helen.]

[Bakura's Turtle.]

[...which might be why, for a fleeting moment, when she first caught sight of Ryou heading towards them with Yin at her side...her heart lept into her throat at the visual deja vu.]

Who--you...have a Turtle?

[onethirdthesoul]

[Before Ryou can actually answer, Yin speaks up as she bobs her head excitedly. She greets Riva first.]

Hi! Are you going to swim? Can I come?

[Leaving Yin be for the moment, Ryou goes on to answer Midii's question with a smile.] Yup! I haven't had her that long, though...if that's what you're asking. I didn't know you had a turtle either.

[unetrustworthy]

[Like Yin even had to ask; Riva was already waving her sister over, leaving Bakura and Midii to talk.]

I've had Riva ever since before she hatched.

[onethirdthesoul]

[Yin will continue to talk animatedly to Riva, she's very excitable...]

Wow, really? Then I have to ask...how big were they? [He makes an egg-like gesture.] Yin-chan is so big now, I can hardly imagine her as an egg!

[unetrustworthy]

Umm...they were...

[She turned her head downward, holding her hands up several inches apart. First width wise, then length. Trying to give him an approximation of the egg she used to care for.]

About this big? It was easily the biggest egg I'd ever seen in my life.

D. welcome center

[wintershepherd]

Despite there being few arrivals lately, the Welcome Center was now busy for another reason. The growing unrest between the Foreigners and the kedan meant that such a prominent location as the Center was easily recognized and not in a positive way. More than one day, he'd come into something graffiti'd on the wall or something heavy thrown through the window. Zatanna's magic had been able to mend the outward damages but it wasn't the physical ones that were the messiest. That there had become such a division between the two factions lately was just one more thing to deal with.

Still, the spirit tried to keep things on an even keel. Especially since there were some kedan, rare though they were, who continued to treat the Foreigners well. The ones that recognized that they were brought here to help, not harm.

Another crash and thud of a heavy rock hitting the floor and Jack sighed before calling to Zatanna, "So, how many indestructible spells do you know..."

[backwordscompatible]

She had been leaning over at the time, jumping with such a start at the sound of glass breaking that her head smacked against the nearby table.

"Ow!" Muttering a few choice words under her breath, the young magician sat up, glaring at the offending rock for a moment before turning to Jack. "That depends. Are you okay with the rocks being throw back at them?"

[wintershepherd]

"At this point? Yes," Jack sighed. At first it had been enough that a few blasts of sharp ice had turned back the kedan, but that had started becoming less effective. He worried that this would continue escalating until there was no choice but to use more aggressive methods; he didn't want to consider using lethal force. It was one thing if there were people in direct danger, but it was hard to be as angry as he wanted to be at how quickly the kedan had turned on them yet again.

[backwordscompatible]

Well, if Jack wasn't going to stop her.

She stood up, and it took a second for the minute wave of vertigo to pass. The spells she had already placed on the Center--one of the few reasons why the kedan had never actually made it inside with their attacks--were draining. Worth it, but Jack may or may not have noticed her taking a lot more cat naps in the afternoons. Ever since the tensions began escalating.

Never mind that, though, because she had a job to do. A glance out the window. Making sure the coast was clear. She would need to close her eyes and focus for this one.

Her lips parted. Murmuring the beginning of a new repelling spell. She hadn't been kidding about the idea of throwing their own attacks right back at them.

...unfortunately, said spell needed to be completed to work, and not two seconds after she began did another rock come flying straight for her.

[wintershepherd]

Frost and light leapt to her defense and the rock struck an outward curving wall of solid ice that formed between her and the incoming projectile. His staff glowed a vivid blue as his magic was channeled along it and he stalked toward the door.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" he yelled angrily. "We're not enemies!"

[backwordscompatible]

It was so tempting to let Jack go off on them. She'd seen what the Winter Spirit could be like when he was angry...and it was exactly what those kedan deserved, in her opinion.

"...yelling at them isn't going to convince them any faster." If he was so determined to run outside, she wouldn't stop him. But she couldn't stand by without at least calling after. "Come here, Jack. I have an idea, but I need your magic, too."