metalogs | [OPEN] you're a god, you're a hero

Entry tags:

marvel comics: gabby kinney

[OPEN] you're a god, you're a hero

Who: Ororo Munroe (Storm)

agoddessonce and you!
What: catch-all for settling in before timetravel shenanigans
When: (early) September
Where: Little Love, Exelsior, others
Content Warnings: n/a

Little Love

Little Love is easy to come back to. The creatures from the previous, repetitive September 1sts are... nostalgic. Some of her earliest days with the X-Men had involved jaunts to the Savage Land, and this was very reminiscent of that.

While Ororo isn't exactly interested in bounties, she can't turn down help when it is asked. So she finds herself in the air, safe distances away from the bigger beasts and scooping them up into precisely-fashioned cyclones, spinning just fast enough to contain and disorient them. Easily done, considering how many times she'd had to do this to the same, or similar beasts before.

She looks to the nearest person assisting her with the job. "Where is the nearest holding station?"

Exelsior

Ororo is drawn to Exelsior, mostly because it seems that most of the younger mutants from her world are here. She makes her rounds, takes peeks at the homes they've made, makes sure they're eating things that aren't junkfood, and then explores the rest of the city.

Gabby and Julian had managed to create a little park for the friendlier beasts they rounded up at Little Love, so she comes to visit them on a weekend. Honestly, she can't believe they've really done this, and spends more time than she ought to just going around what they've managed to do. By the afternoon she'd flown with a perfectly docile pterodactyl and then had a sleeping sabretooth puma in her lap.

Of course, there's also the matter of the recurring power outages. While she's there, she offers what help she can - being a literal light in the darkness, kickstarting generators whenever they're needed, keeping freezers cold with sheets of ice and snow.

Then the total blackout happens, and she's flying off to the power grid to investigate. There must be something she can do. She's hard to miss - hair and body glowing with crackling lighting as she streaks across the sky.

[ ooc: feel free to leave a wildcard prompt too! Storm can be anywhere in the present as she's still exploring as much as she can. happy to plot something out further via PM or over plurk on

almondlychee! ]

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And so proceeds what must be one of the funniest moments in the damn month, if you know David. Because he's such a composed and self-controlled young man. So the yelp and jumping aside that comes when he's addressed by a familiar voice is not his usual. Nor is the way he trips over his own legs and falls on his rear.

And once he's down there he gets to just... process and look up at her. Ororo.

"Storm," he breathes out, shocked. And then he reaches up, unlatching the helmet and pulling it off of his head. He wanted to see her with his own eyes, not through his cameras. Was it even possible?

As he looks up at her, not even bothering to get to his feet, he switches seamlessly over to Krakoan, needing to know if the language meant anything to her.

"Could it really be you?"

Since she is fresh off of their world, Ororo slips into Krakoan pretty smoothly. It's a good reminder, though, and helps place David in the timeline. Roughly.

"It is me. I arrived from the sky several days ago. Time seemed to fold upon itself for a while, but now it seems I am here indefinitely. Or so I've gathered."

She reaches down to offer him a hand up, to help him to his feet. She won't keep talking down at him, that's just rude. And uncomfortable. Especially since she wants a full report, or what will pass for one.

"What is the situation, David? Have you determined the cause of the outage? I can provide light, and power for generators, but not forever. This city will need the grid back up soon."

Very roughly, but it's so soothing to hear the words. There were so few people to speak it with these days. He nods along to her explanation of her arrival. Sounded about right, even though... Man, things really were a mess around here, weren't they? Which was completely usual.

He takes her hand, happy to be helped up. As he stands he gestures to the helmet, a small vine of that golden, faintly radiant energy growing up under it to raise the thing to his hand so he can clip it to his side.

"Would that I had an answer for it. So far as I can tell from this end, the system is still producing power. It's just not distributing it. Can't find an error in any of the systems either. So far as I can tell technopathically, it's running as it should on the software side and the software is confirming all the hardware is going right. It's just... not going where it should."

And that's frustrating. Beyond it actually. He pulls his gloves from his pockets and puts them back on. Just like that any bit of skin the helmet wouldn't hide is completely covered.

"In case you haven't been briefed on it, this place can... change powers a bit. I'm only able to do my normal stuff with physical touch now, and I don't get to keep the knowledge. And I've picked up a few tricks too. Which aren't helping."

He's worried the answer is more magical, which would be annoying because he's never been the one to solve those things.

"If I didn't know better I'd say Electro or someone similar was absorbing it, but it's not that."

"I can still see the power," Ororo affirms, nodding as she follows where he gestures. Her own eyes glow as she attempts to track where the energy seems to be going. "But it appears to disappear right where it must start scatter through the cabling. For no reason, either."

She sounds unhappy, because it doesn't make sense. Even if it were magical, it should still leave some trace behind.

Still, she rests a hand over David's shoulder to reassure him. "We, or the others investigating this will figure it out. In the meantime - how long have you been out here, David? Please do not overwork yourself."

That's useful. And it confirmed David's concerns rather well. Earns a deep sigh from him. That's definitely not something he can help with. Damn it all.

"And Strange is gone now so I can't ask him to pop an eye in to see if it's something in his wheel house. Maybe Loki can take some time off of wedding plans and consult."

Doesn't seem likely though. What does seem far more reasonable is the way the tension melts from his shoulders at his touch. For once in a damn long time there was another, older mutant around. One he trusted without even a flicker of hesitation. Sure she didn't have the answers for everything, but she was sensible.

"On this Earth, or in this building? The former for more than a year and a half, the latter... Long enough that security is going to get annoyed if they find me. Starfallen aren't exactly kindly looked upon these days by the government, no matter how many times we help haul asses out of fires."

He's tired, please forgive the language.

"Seems like we're adding another voice to the 'David please be reasonable about work-life balance' council. Thanks for the reminder. I've probably got worried texts at this point."

"I spoke to that Loki briefly, he seemed... busy." And very different, from the Loki she recalled. She isn't sure if she'd be able to work closely with him, if at all. "Busy, and quite entrenched into his life in that city he helps run? So I assume he has been here for as long as you and Julian and Joshua have been here, somehow."

Which confuses her, but she is trying not to think that hard about it. Given how her experience in this city began, with time folding over itself again and again, it's not hard to presume that time just... works differently here.

In any case, she's nodding for him to follow so they can head out the way he came. If they find an open window, she'll offer to fly him out.

"I am the wrong person to talk out of joining councils, David. You know I will serve on one if it needed me." And she was serving on two when she left their universe; what's a third? She spares him a slight smile while they step out.

"Who else is on that council?" Someone else she needs to check in with, perhaps?

"Oh, he is. And he's far less likely to believe that people might actually give a damn about him sometimes than the one back home is. He's been here as long as Josh and I have. Julian's a bit newer of an arrival though."

OF course David was always in that smaller group of people who didn't mind Loki back home. Came with traveling the multiverse with him. Even if some of what had inspired that entire trip had been said Loki's fault. At least they had found their closure here a year ago.

It takes a bit to get through the twists to head back outside, and once he's through the door David's lifting his helmet back on. Which means his voice is heavily distorted by a synthesizer again.

"Sorry for the theatrics. There's been... less than positive support for Starfallen here and I do my best to protect my identity here. To keep Prodigy and David separate. Which has led to hilarious rumors in the past. For a while people thought I was a Dullahan. But the people who matter know. Which includes you now. As for the council, the main seat is my partner. He's going to be frustrated that I took so long when it was something I could confirm with a touch and a few seconds."

But David was thorough. No shock there.

"Don't suppose I can invite you over for tea or coffee."

The helmet gets a brief hum of acknowledgment. She understands, but she herself had little plans of doing the same. Ororo was many things - and she was all of them at once. She'd never attempted a secret identity, and isn't planning to attempt it here. She was already a public persona at home - doing the same in this world shouldn't be too bad.

"... I'd like that, thank you. Do you and your partner live within the city?" It's very dark out here, with the blackout. Despite the temptation to light the way with some lightning, she keeps her powers to herself for now. David wanted a low profile, after all.

"I can fly us there, if you will tell me where to go. And if you need help with the power - perhaps I can provide a judicious bolt of lightning for your home?" If he needed it! She assumes he has a generator. He reminds her of a very young Forge, somehow, and an efficient generator seems like the sort of thing he'd have.

"Yes. We live near the edge of the city core. I know the way."

With his helmet on he doesn't mind as much of a show and curls his fingers in the air, making another small protection of psionic energy that gave off that golden glow. One that revealed a motorbike.

"I imagine it shouldn't be hard for you to keep up with me."

He takes his helmet off and swaps it for another in the bike's storage box on the back, and shoves his coat and gloves in there too, replacing them with a less obvious set. Then the light dims.

"And I wouldn't mind an extra bit of juice in some of my large batteries. We're not keeping the fridge running but I have other systems I need up and running and they are hungry."

She tilts her head curiously at the golden glow. That is new, but something to ask after later, when they were in private. As it was, she wanted to see his home before asking after anything more.

"Of course I can keep up. Please, lead the way." She floats up into the air with a burst of wind, nodding for him to get going. If they were closer she'd ask to hitch a ride, but truthfully she didn't know David that well outside of his file.

Still, he's a familiar face from home and she's eager to get to his place. It's easy to let him lead, especially since he's more familiar with the area than she is. Even after they arrive, she still waits patiently outside his home until he can properly invite her inside.

"What systems have you got running, when you have the proper power source for them?"

When they arrive he stows the bike in the garage, and guides her into the house.

"Should have told you to land on the roof. Can't believe I didn't think of it."

Though of course the roof looked flat and boring from outside of their illusions. Not as important as going into the place that is so lavishly appointed in a cozy style. Very filled with antiques and the whole vibe that goes with them.

"I'm maintaining some of my communications and research systems. The electric kettle of course, and a cook top. Water heater."

Sounds reasonable, and about what she expects from him. She nods approvingly as they enter, taking in the interior curiously and trying to piece together the kind of life David was making for himself here. She'd been to Julian and Josh's house and it was about what she'd expect of young men their age. She was curious to see how David was doing.

"If you don't mind sharing, I'd like to hear a little of your research - or at least anything to do with these recent events, or what you know of this realm."

It's as close to asking for a mission report that she'll get. They're not in the field, but it's hard to shake off old habits. (She'll need to shake it off eventually - there was no team to command here, no councils to attend.)

All the same, the further she enters the house, the more aware she is that she's entering his space - a space he shares with someone else. "Please pardon my intrusion," she says, rather belatedly, when they get into - the sitting room? A kitchen? Wherever it is he will lead her.

He doesn't even have a lab set up yet, so they aren't drawing on too much power needs.

"I've been working with a company that specializes in assistive technology for people with disabilities. Until recently it was a prosthetic limb project with a version of Dr. Otto Octavius not of our world. We were... doing well."

And Otto was gone now, which was a strangely sore spot for him. He'd come to love the old guy. But he's pulling his AR glasses out and already turning a tiny bit of his attention to compiling a full report on the history of this world, his own role in events, and all the important things about Starfallen Meta conflicts for her to read on her own time. Because he was, if nothing else, detailed in reporting. She might have no team here, no councils, but she was still ingrained in his mind as a superior in some ways and he would give in to implied requests from her easier than most of the mutants of her generation.

She's frankly lucky she wasn't Jean-Paul. If it had been his actual boss he'd have provided coffee first and done his lengthy debrief immediately.

"It was nice, turning my abilities here to helping other people, especially after all we were doing on Krakoa and the sorts of things I learned from Forge and Sage. But now it's a bit more difficult. Come on, kitchen's this way. And it's no intrusion. I invited you."

Another curl of his fingers and there's the hovering light at his side again. He'd been pleased at the practical use. As he does so he raises his voice, calling out on the way toward the kitchen from the entry hall.

"Beloved! If you're home please make yourself decent. We've got a visitor. I'll be in the kitchen making tea. And coffee. Both is good. And if you are around, a fire in the living room wouldn't be amiss."

"You make it sound as though I spend the majority of my time parading around in various states of undress," he calls down from the loft, amused. Fortune has it is in fact dressed, having just gotten back from the shop, because another fifteen minutes and he very well may have been pantless.

He comes to lean over the railing, squinting down before he descends. Not someone he recognizes. "Tea and coffee. All the bells and whistles today. Hello, I'm Balthier, the humble chimney sweep."

He pauses to grin at David and wave to their guest before crossing to the living room to start a fire as asked, setting something pleasant but unobtrusive on the turn table while he's at it. "There are lemon bars on the counter too, love."

If nothing else, Ororo is grateful for the chance to read something so substantial and detailed from someone she actually knows. One of her hangups about this place was all the information she clearly needed to catch up on - but all the information seemed skewed, coming from the guilds themselves. David, she knew, was not only thorough, but had a level head. She may not have worked with him personally, but she hears of him through the others, and that was enough.

But more than business - it's the way he calls for his partner that draws her attention. Ororo looks up for him, offering a smile, and a hand for a shake. "Hello, Balthier, more than chimney sweep I presume? Please pardon my sudden intrusion of you lovely home."

"I am Ororo, a... resident of David's world." It's funny to realize mid-sentence how the usual ways to identify herself here won't mean much. How would she be introducing herself here? She wasn't on Krakoa, or Arakko, or a Wakanda here. And to be a mutant didn't seem to mean what it did back home.

To David, she tries to temper her wry, tired reaction. "Please, bells and whistles are not necessary. Just tea is fine." But she wouldn't say no to a lemon bar.

It will be nice to actually report in to someone, if he's honest. Like admitting there are authorities here he respects. Someone who has seen so much shit and might have answers to how to approach some of it. The very fact that she's around reduces David's anxiety and stress by a few points. Not many, but enough to be noticed by him.

"Far more than a chimney sweep," David agrees with a laugh. "He's a dashing rogue who stole my heart. And Ororo is more than a resident of my world. She's a very powerful mutant, and one of the best members of the X-Teams there ever has been."

Because he's not kidding. She's a powerful mutant, and David has explained the concept of an Omega-Level before, in defining Josh to his partner. That said, he thinks she might not feel as comfortable being given that title here, even if it was true. He also leaves out the royalty, former Headmistress of his alma mater, and so many other things.

"And in this case, Ororo, the bells and whistles is the tea and coffee. I'll get the lemon bars. I could use the sugar. But bad news. Can't figure out why the power is failing. But, upside? Ororo found me and that means I came home without burning myself out first so you don't need to give me any disapproving looks."

Balthier's outward demeanor doesn't change, but he readjusts his expectations for this guest, coming to properly hold out a hand to shake after getting the fire started.

"It's a genuine pleasure to meet someone from David's home, and someone he respects so deeply. Getting him home early? You must be important." He offers a warm smile, even if he expects the two of them to retire to talking shop; that's well and good. His work is still operating, and magical artifacts suddenly are of higher value in a town used to convenient amenities.

"Please, sit -- dining room or living room. I'll get things for you. I know what it's like to have someone to catch up with." He moves to shoo David from the kitchen. They haven't hosted anyone in awhile. It's a nice excuse to get out the good china.

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[OPEN] you're a god, you're a hero

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