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Post by Artie Cade on Dec 28, 2016 19:15:27 GMT -5
After absolutely agreeing that bathing before dinner was a preferred idea, and collecting the piece of brain matter from Laura for...safe keeping, Artie had gone to get cleaned up himself. It was hardly becoming to wear a suit stained with his daughter's blood. Or so he assumed.
After having taken a short enough bath and laid out a more appropriate set of evening attire, namely a set of white silk pajamas and a long red quilted smoking robe with generous lapels. He searched the entire villa but evidently never did have any of his replacement masks sent in...so he found himself more than a little self-conscious as he headed down to the dining room in his slippers, which softened his footsteps but comparatively made his cane louder.
Tang. Tang. Tang. Tang.
The dining room was one of his favorite places in the villa, so well designed. The night sky and beach and stars could be seen through the countless windows lining the walls, few panels separated them. The long table and high backed chairs seated around them were cushioned, but the structures of them made from a crystaline glass. They brought a stark contrast to the outcroppings of rock that served as portions of the walls, one side forming a small waterfall in lieu of a fountain. The water flowed gently down and into the small pool beneath. Artie approached it and sat on the rim of the makeshift fountain, looking up at the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling. He smirked. It was all rather lovely after all.
He turned his attention to the stairwell as he saw Laura come in. He stood and nodded.
"Good evening, kid," he said as he limped toward her, "Hope the accomodations have been better than...well, the jungle today."
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Cheetah
Villains 
This sort of thing doesn't happen to Barbara Minerva. I don't let it.
Posts: 129 
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Post by Cheetah on Dec 28, 2016 22:00:09 GMT -5
Naturally Barbara took the longest to prepare for dinner. As the tub filled, she spent the time examining herself, making sure there was no remnants from the change or newly added feline features. Thankfully, everything was back to normal, and yes, she now considered her sometime cat eyes to be normal. It was just how things were. Just like Barbara decided she was going to pamper the hell out of herself and not give a damn how long it took. Amazingly, Artie had a good selection of bath items, all with fairly subtle and natural scents too. That actually made her wonder if he had planned in advance who his guests would be to this little island, or if the choices were due to this special hunt? Though it wasn’t too terrible an inconvenience, Barbara had yet to tell anyone about how sensitive her nose was when it came to certain smells.
She spent a good twenty minutes soaking in the hot, lavender scented water before even attempting to scrub herself clean. During that time, she managed to comes to terms with most everything that had happened today. Oddly enough, the least of her worries was the fact that she was responsible for the death of two men. She was more concerned with Artie, Laura, and the fact that she had opened up a rather large and obvious can of worms and was certain they had more than a few questions to ask. Be that as it may, she would simply have to deal with it.
Though reluctant to do so, Barbara did eventually leave the comforts of the tub, dried her hair, dressed, and made herself presentable. It was tempting to go for comfort and walk around barefoot and in pajamas, claiming trauma from the days events, but she had had enough of being the pinnacle of ‘wild woman’ status, so when she finally joined both Artie and Laura in the dining room, Barbara was presentable in dark gray slacks and an off-white blouse, with minimal make-up and her hair pulled back into a simple plait. The dining room was a sight to see, exquisite enough to make her stop in her tracks and take it all in. She wondered if Artie had designed it. If so, if he ever wanted to start a legit business, she would absolutely suggest he go into architecture. “I’m sorry if I took too long,” she told them, managing a small, and maybe a little weak, smile.
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X-23
Heroes 
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Dec 29, 2016 16:09:32 GMT -5
It felt weird seeing Artie without his mask for this long, usually if it went missing he'd have found a new one immediately, but this wasn't New York. Laura wondered where he kept his spares and imagined a walk in closet where faces hung on racks like they were neck ties. It was something that could only ever be imagined around her Father, and was something that he probably had.
Usually it would upset her to look at the injuries she caused but today had drained Laura too much for her to have the brain power for guilt. so she just sat in the chair next to Artie's left, hugging her knees up to her chest and resting her chin atop them. "they are very nice." she agreed, "thank you." which was true, they were big, had everything she wanted out of a room and she found the bed comfortable so she was happy. Plus the view out of the window was nice. "The room would have had to be on fire for it to be worse then dying. but I do like it a lot." she added, being far more casual about it then Artie's avoidance tactic.
They sat, making idle chat (or rather Laura let Artie talk while she gave the occasional reply or answer, because he enjoyed talking and at times like this, Laura enjoyed just listening to him as a useful distraction from her overactive mind.) until Barbara reappeared. And human again which was probably a good thing.
"welcome back." Laura said, meaning it in two ways as she approached. "It is not an issue do not be sorry." she noted, thinking she didn't want Barbara to worry about things that didn't really matter.
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Post by Artie Cade on Jan 1, 2017 18:02:20 GMT -5
Grinning from ear to ear, Artie gave a slight nod to Barbara as he caught himself idly holding Laura around the shoulder.
There were few things Artie Cade cared about in this world, but Laura was one of them. He tried not to be overly affectionate toward her, as he worried that might make her uncomfortable. But thankfully she never seemed to mind. She was a good kid. A good soldier.
He rose and brought Laura to her feet as well, limping toward Barbara.
"No no no, not too long at all!" he said with a chuckle, "Just long enough for me to get things moving with dinner."
He gestured toward the well kept and well furbished long table and limped over toward it.
"We of course have wine and anything else beforehand, but things should be out...soon." he said as he checked the time on his pocket watch before he pulled out the two seats on either side of the head of the table, gesturing to Laura and Barbara to sit.
He then clapped his hands and a cart of white and red wines was rolled out by another employee of the island villa. When he stopped the cart near the table, the man rolled back a small carrier on the side to reveal an assortment of whiskeys and liquors as well. Artie giggled.
"I didn't forget your preferences, Laura." he said as he sat in the high backed chair at the head of the table and selected the Chianti. The waiter nodded and opened the bottle, pouring his employer a glass.
"We certainly have enough to discuss..." he then said in a small voice.
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Cheetah
Villains
This sort of thing doesn't happen to Barbara Minerva. I don't let it.
Posts: 129
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Post by Cheetah on Jan 1, 2017 22:54:41 GMT -5
Apparently, getting everyone clean what exactly what needed to happen. It was a good thing to see Artie smile while being with Laura. No, he didn’t smile, he practically beamed with happiness which was a wonderful change from earlier. While it was good news to know that Laura was not easy to kill, Barbara still did not want Artie to go through something like that again. What if there was a lucky shot or someone discovered her Achilles’ Heel and she did not wake again? How long would Cade hold her body saying she would wake up soon? How easily would he break upon her actual death? He would be lost if that ever happened.
Taking her seat, Barbara watched as Artie busied himself with everything, wanting to be the proper host while also making up for the incidents that happened today. She wasn’t a psychiatrist, but Barbara could tell how much he was trying to block out of his mind. Even though she was not in the mood for alcohol, she also knew it would be bad for her to decline the efforts Artie was going through to provide all of this, so Barbara chose the lightest wine he had to sip on. Perhaps once dinner was concluded, she would have the stomach for something more substantial. “Please don’t feel the need to put on airs and graces for me, Artie. We’ve all had a long day and, though I’m sure you can go on forever with the amount of energy you have, you can also relax for the evening,” she told him, slouching in her chair in a manner that was considered to be more than unladylike.
At his last words, any levity that Barbara had inside of her dropped like a rock. Even the wine was suddenly sour and turned her stomach. “I am…. sorry for not being as up front with everything as I should have been. Truthfully, I was not fully aware what would happen. The request to kill Frank was just that. He insulted me and… I’d never killed someone before and it felt like both a folly and a desire to experience such a thing,” she explained. “As for my transformation? I had no idea.” Looking down at her hands, she quietly added, “Nor did I think he would appear as he did.” For a moment her stomach heaved, but thankfully nothing came of it other than the normal amount of displeasure and a few more memories of her as the cheetah creature. “I will do my best to answer what questions you have.”
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Post by Artie Cade on Jan 3, 2017 12:58:56 GMT -5
It had hardly occurred to Artie that alcohol wouldn't be everyone else's go-to. He quickly realized that perhaps something with more...rehydrating properties might be useful and so he spoke to the waiter softly and they both nodded, the waiter scuttling off and leaving the cart. Artie lifted the bottle of merlot from the top of it and began to steadily open it. As he did so, the waiter returned with a pitcher of ice water and began to fill the trio's water glasses, setting the pitcher down and excusing himself to fetch dinner.
"I suppose my first question for you, Barbara is uh..." Artie said as he successfully opened the bottle of wine and poured himself a reasonable glass, "...well, I see it all seems to have worn off like he said. So I'm glad that makes you undoubtedly happy. But what I'm wondering is...what's that all about? I remember the cat eyes from our first...encounter, but...this seems a whole new thing."
He took a fortifying drink of wine and nodded in approval at the vintage before looking back at Barbara.
"I mean, cat-you certainly appears to be stronger, faster, fiercer than you are normally. Well, I mean, not that you can't be...fierce."
Artie threw her a wink and a smirk before he realized he was blathering.
"So yes, my burning question is...what's it like? What was it like? All of it. Everything you did. I imagine you and Laura have some things in common now."
That was his opinion anyway. He was never entirely sure what all Laura could do, and she often surprised him. Now two important ladies in his life were these incredibly powered folk and it interested him deeply, being a half-scratched away, half functioning sort of person himself.
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Jan 4, 2017 11:47:48 GMT -5
Laura hadn't actually held an opinion between alcohol or water, so let all of that pass her by while the important things carried on undisturbed. She let herself rest against her Father, the sense of them all being alive and well helping her feel at ease.
So. Questions.
"We should test the extent of your powers." Laura began, "you want to know exactly what your limits are. I found myself overestimating what I could do until I sat down one day and made certain of my limits." That day had mainly been Laura breaking her own bones over and over so she could memorise how long it'd take to heal so she could plan contingencies around it. She wasn't going to bother Artie with those details. They would upset him. "but you seem like you may be more powerful then I am."
Laura didn't know how to feel about that. it was odd, but it did not bother her simply because Barbara was on their side. It was acceptable at any rate. Just a bruise to her ego. "Do you have a way out if that being tries to force you to do something you do not wish to? are you certain he was telling you the truth? Do you trust him? what makes you think that way?"
Barbara would probably not understand why that was the first line of questioning Laura had, Artie would and Laura hoped he didn't push the issue.
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Cheetah
Villains
This sort of thing doesn't happen to Barbara Minerva. I don't let it.
Posts: 129
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Post by Cheetah on Jan 4, 2017 18:14:29 GMT -5
What’s it all about? That was both an exceedingly easy quest to answer as well alone that was filled with complications. “You know about my main line of work, selling artifacts to private buyers. It, coupled with my doctorates, allows me the opportunity to travel and explore. It’s almost an itch that needs to be scratched. You return home for a couple months and then, before long, you are aching for warmer locales, different foods, even foreign faces and languages. Another thing that affects explorers and archeologists is the need to discover lost places,” she explained, hoping Artie would understand what drove her to do all of this. “You wouldn’t believe the lengths that explorers go to in order to be the first to find a lost city or settlement; absolute secrecy, bribing border guards, sending rivals false information, riding all night long just to get a few hours head start, even plain thievery. One of the most famous cases was regarding Percy Fawcett. He, his son, and an expedition went into the Amazon in order to discover this lost city, possible El Dorado, but he called it ‘Z’. As it happened, Fawcett’s team… no one knows what happened to them. They just stopped sending communications. Prior to leaving, he had given instructions for no search parties to be sent out should he go missing. Still, they did, but the current rumor is that, when pressed for coordinates of his last location, his wife intentionally misled them by a span of two hundred miles, because she did not want the rescuers to accidentally find the city before Fawcett. As of yet, they’ve only found a few personal items from his final journey.” Barbara then realized she was rambling, trying to give as much fluff and facts without truly answering the question.
“While in Africa, I kept hearing about a lost tribe deep in the jungle. Gone and dead, just ruins left of their temples to the jungle god they worshiped. From what was said, they had an odd sort of society and, from what little information there was, you couldn’t tell if they were a patriarchy, since their main god was male and had ever masculine aspect, but his ceremonial wife seemed to be on equal footing with him in terms of power, not just as a title. They weren’t completely patriarchal nor matriarchal. They held blood sacrifices, but weren’t a warring society, only protective of their people. It was a society that confused scholars enough to the point they considered this to be completely fabricated like the Amazons, so expeditions were never conducted….. until I decided that I would find it. I took a team and, after weeks of searching, I found a temple nearly completely consumed by the jungle. Rather than wait for everyone else, I rushed inside and found, covered in thorny vines, a golden idol. The vines cut through my gloves and I bled on the statue.”
“When the rest of my team found me, I was unconscious on the floor, running a fever, and unable to be woken even though I had a death grip on the statue. By the time I did recover my senses, we were already in a port town, waiting for passage on the next ship to England. The native guides had immediately fled upon seeing my state, while the logical half of the expedition had simply packed up everything and, not wanting the woman paying them to die, brought me back to civilization for medical attention. Despite my earlier symptoms, I was apparently healthy and normal, save for my eyes. To that end, word spread among the natives that I was cursed and no one wanted anything to do with me. Not in that part of Africa anyway. Once I returned home, the dreams involving Urzkartaga started and even when awake I began to hear his voice, but only in the presence of the statue. He claimed me as his wife and guardian and promised me power.” Knowing this story was becoming a bit long-winded, Barbara quickened her pace.
“I decided to vacation here while trying to figure everything out. The night I was at your club, Artie, I was… experimenting with my newly improved senses. It was not beginner’s luck when I started winning at cards. As odd as it sounds, I was actually able to smell their ‘tells’; anxiety, elation, whatever would let me know what sort of hand they had.” She then smiled. “I heard the change in the crowd when you must have entered the room and the sound of your cane going up the stairs before I even saw you.”
When Artie described how she was when changed, Barbara had to laugh. Yes, she was clearly stronger and faster, able to do all she did in the jungle today, but to say she was fiercer? That was unlikely. Or so she thought until she began to replay the events in her head. Barbara was normally hotheaded when pushed, but she also was able to be well composed and maintain a sense of dignity. Today however, she had just been set in her ways and quick to anger. More surprisingly, she either hadn’t noticed or she had enjoyed it. “It… it was glorious. I felt no fatigue, no tiredness or strain.” Her eyes widen as she realized something. “I just ran through a jungle and down a beach to here and I wasn’t winded at all.” That surprised her. Her speed, strength, and agility had all been increased incredibly. Then she began peeling back the layers of her memories. “Everything I knew at first was purely on instinct and in the moment. I knew you, but only by scent. No names. But I knew you were good and that I needed to protect you. The gunshot brought me back to myself.” At that, Barbara touched her side, realizing that it was not hurting nor had she bandaged it. She could feel that it was still tender, but had scabbed over, and she guessed that by tomorrow, it would be nearly healed, if not completely. “It never occurred to me consider what you wanted when you were…” She stopped, trying to figure out how best to describe Artie’s earlier attempted suicide without letting Laura know. “When you were greatly upset by Laura’s apparent death. I was going to keep you from doing anything foolish and there was no way you could stop me. I felt…. unbeatable, like my will would not be questioned.”
When Laura began talking of testing her limits, Barbara did hesitate and look at the girl a bit warily. Yes, testing her limits would be an idea, but, from what she had seen of Laura handling having her own brain in her hair, Barbara wondered if she would treat her as equally indifferent, like a tool pushed to the extremes. “I’m sure we can work something out. As for saying whether I’m more powerful than you, I am not entirely sure. As for your other questions, I do not know what he can and can’t make me do. The story was clearly interpreted wrong. Wife could mean many things; from ‘married to’ to ‘dominated one’. This being my first change, I don’t… No, that's not true. When Artie and I first kissed in his club, I heard his voice in my head and felt a pain in my back. I didn’t think much of it, but he visited me that night, saying he was displeased. It’s possible he has quite a bit of control over me, likely more so when I’m transformed. As for trust? I'm sure that it's very simple in his mind: I do right by him and honor him without betrayal and he shall respect and honor me. I'd rather not test that though”
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Post by Artie Cade on Jan 5, 2017 19:09:22 GMT -5
Artie pondered this for a moment. It was...quite a lot to process. Even he had never gotten the whole story.
He realized that it was probably a good thing to surround himself with these sorts of people. His daughter, well he knew her power thoroughly at this point. She was always an asset to him and his business. And could even scare him at times, to boot. Barbara now had the benefit of her intelligence and this new...form, which clearly was a force to be reckoned with in its own right. The notion of harnessing it and figuring out what her limitations were would be interesting, especially since Laura asserted that Barbara's cheetah form may be more powerful than she was. Which was quite a curious notion. Artie certainly hadn't ever met anyone or anything quite like his daughter.
Petting Laura's hair lovingly as she leaned against him, Artie considered posing another question.
"Well that...certainly explains most of it," he said, nodding slowly, "I don't think that figuring your limitations is such a poor notion either. I mean, we're in an ideal spot for it, I can adjust parameters easily enough, get a run through together in the next few days and I..."
He paused, realizing that he was diving head first into work again when all of this had happened. He shook his head at himself and chuckled.
"...but no more of that. Not tonight, certainly. There's drink to be had, the fire's roaring, we'll have good food and just...wind down."
The waiter came forward again, this time presenting a box of cigars, opening it in front of Artie. He withdrew one, sniffed it under his nose and nodded, offering it to Laura to sniff as well for her approval.
"Havana," he said with a nod, "Good. I'd hoped they would keep in the climate."
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Jan 6, 2017 20:44:18 GMT -5
what transpired was a story that gave Laura a lot to dwell on. It was obviously true just by how strange it was, no one would ever tell it if they wanted to be believed which made it believable. Ironic really. So magic exists? as did beings of higher power.... she was hesitant to acknowledge anything as a God without stronger evidence then powers. with the right use of her healing factor she was confident she could have less educated areas of the world believing all sorts about her.
Perhaps she wouldn't tell Artie that. He'd want to try it for a laugh and drag her out to the African jungles or something and she didn't have the same kind of enthusiasm. maybe for his birthday.
after she'd finished, Laura looked at Barbara. "Have you learned to detect lies through heart beats? I can teach you how to pick up on it if you wish. it is a useful skill." really one of the most interesting parts of all of this to Laura was the idea Barbara had similar enhanced senses. it would be nice having someone around who understood the problem it could sometimes hold.
"you have had an interesting life." Laura finally summed up her opinion on the whole story, not really having much she could contribute besides the obvious. she was far more interested in the concept of power sets, even if she was happy to agree with her Father that it could wait for another day. "you are faster then me, your muscles must have been increased as well, so there is a good chance you are able to physically overpower me." she frowned, "perhaps I still posses greater stamina. this will be a strange comparison to make."
The idea of just going along with what someone wanted without question made Laura's skin crawl, but she did not want to force an issue Barbara was coping with for the moment. but to the young womans mind no one had the right to make such power plays over others without giving them an option to leave. employment was fine, deals were fine, chains of command made sense. But if there was no way out then Laura wouldn't be able to just let it stand like it was a fine and dandy thing.
Laura smiled at her Fathers quiet affectionate actions and nodded. "i agree. Dying burned through a lot of energy, i feel hungrier then i have for years. rest will also help." when he offered her the cigar, she breathed in deep. Laura was able to get smells and textures out of the item Artie never could and probably had a deeper appreciation for the quality of the object then the vast majority of people that considered themselves connoisseurs. "a good choice. as always." she replied, appreciating the small way of taking away the stresses of the day. it was a good start.
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Cheetah
Villains
This sort of thing doesn't happen to Barbara Minerva. I don't let it.
Posts: 129
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Post by Cheetah on Jan 7, 2017 11:47:38 GMT -5
A slight, almost pained laugh escaped Barbara’s lips as both Artie and Laura insisted on testing her limits. “I’m not above testing everything out, but I’ve only just discovered this new form and I would very like to at least relax for the evening and not have to think about what I was not too long ago, or at least not to conceive of ways to test my strengths and weaknesses.” Yes, perhaps tomorrow, she would be up early, bright-eyed and excited to do such a thing, but right now, the more she thought on the subject, the more her back seemed to itch, as if wanting to grow fur and a tail once more. She wasn’t certain if it was just her mind playing tricks due to apprehension or if it was a precursor to the change itself. There was so much she did not understand at the moment.
Thankfully, Artie realized after a moment that he had been rushing things. When he dismissed his idea for the night, Barbara relaxed, and the itching died down. It had simply been her worrying over all this, which was good to know.
At Laura’s question regarding hearing heartbeats, Barbara shook her head. “No, I’ve not been able to distinguish that, though I have excellent hearing now. As I said, I’ve mainly utilized my nose to detect things, whether they are truths or lies. But if it is something I can learn, it might come in handy.” It was funny to think that this young woman would be able to teach her tricks and techniques she was not aware, but then again, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense to Barbara. Was Laura so stand-offish due to these abilities? Having her senses overwhelmed by everything or having a beastial nature rather than a human one? “Perhaps I could return the favor by teaching you a few things myself. Not that I’m critiquing or judging, but it is clear that Artie has raised you by the way you dress and and act. Maybe you and I could have a day together, just the two of us. That is if neither of you object.”
“My life is interesting, yes,” she agreed. As Laura rattled off what she understood about Barbara’s new form, the woman couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “Cheetahs are fast, as well as agile, and I was able to lift your father easily. I will probably have to agree on the stamina theory as well.” Though she hadn’t yet tested it out, from seeing them on the savannah, cheetahs were not high speed, long distance runners. “I think you will be an excellent teacher, Laura.”
At the mention of food, her stomach rumbled and Barbara could smell all that was cooking in the kitchen, making her appetite grow all the more. Between her and Laura, she wondered how much they could consume. “I hope the cook doesn’t think the two ladies accompanying you have a small appetite, because I have the feeling he will be greatly surprised,” she chuckled as the cigars came by. Putting her hand up, she dismissed the box when it was her turn. Cigars had never really been her thing, but she was pleasantly surprised when the waitstaff produced a smaller cigarette case from his pocket, complete with holder. With a smile, she took what was offered and settled back down once it was lit, content for the moment.
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Post by Artie Cade on Jan 8, 2017 1:30:50 GMT -5
Nodding now that Barbara was given her cigarettes and holder, Artie handed a cigar to Laura and gestured for the waiter. He dutifully came over to the girl, snipped the end off the cigar and lit it for her. Then did the same for his employer.
"Usually more of an after meal thing, but..." Artie said as he exhaled the smoke up at the ceiling, "It seemed best to relax while the rather lavish spread is being finished up. I told 'em to cook for an army so...should be no worries."
He grinned and chuckled, removing the paper band from his cigar. A very European thing to do but he considered it one of the few worldly things he knew about in terms of custom.
"NOW then," he continued as he smoked, "The way I figure it, we'll have a night of it together. Then who knows...you two can start looking into testing out Barbara tomorrow, I can assist with the island if need be, or...we could just take the day for ourselves. After all, of the three of us, I'm the one whose had the least rough go of it."
He chuckled.
"And seeing the island with you two is probably the best way TO see it," he said, "If you're up for a bit of exploration. Or hell, just relaxing on the beach. You both certainly deserve it."
He blew smoke rings at the ceiling and patted Laura's head. He could never express to her how much her returning his affection meant to him any time it did happen. It meant the world to him. He'd bash in his good leg to match if it meant he could see that smile of hers as often as he would like.
"A day off is something we could use in our usual line of work. And after today especially, that seems like a solid plan to me. But the day is up to you two. It's the least I can do."
Feeling really fairly...awful about today, Artie really was in the mood to pamper his companions. After a day that went so very wrong, it was all he could hope to do to make it right: an excellent dinner, a drink or two, a good night's rest and then a day doing whatever they pleased. That seemed fair to him. And more fatherly than he could usually be back in New York. Almost like a vacation overall. And now that the storm of the day had passed, it had the potential to be entirely sunny tomorrow.
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Jan 16, 2017 11:52:15 GMT -5
Laura only nodded in agreement that it made more sense to wait until tomorrow. "you are already exerted. it would not be a fair test if you started off on a handicap." which may have been Laura's own way of arriving at the same conclusion as Barbara or it might just be Laura being used to everyone getting tired disappointingly fast. Perhaps both. even if it wasn't relaxing for Barbara to think about how to test such things, Laura did it on automatic so let the back of her mind start running ideas and hypothesis' on the limited info she currently had.
Information that was updated by the explanation she got. It was a little odd to Laura seeing someone just give away their potential weaknesses like that, and Laura almost warned her not to be so open to people she hardly knew but it suddenly occurred to Laura that it might have been a sign of trust. Curious. At the idea of excellent hearing, Laura wondered if she actually compared to Laura's. there was potential there. Laura found herself thinking all the possibilities of two people with superior hearing working together. That was going to be the first thing they tested, Laura would make sure of it. "Curious. I do not use my sense of smell for much beyond tracking and identification. Speaking of, even your current form smells different to when you got off the plane."
For the life of her, Laura could not imagine what Barbara was talking about next. "I.... do not dress like Father?" she questioned slowly, trying to see how on earth anyone came to that conclusion. "i can list differences in our body language and usual responses and stimuli as well if that is needed." But even with whatever Barbara was trying to say, Laura saw no reason to say no to the offer of learning more. It was always useful and it would help Laura understand Barbara better now it was clear she was a person of significance to Artie. "Yes. I would like to accept your offer. Thank you." She finally answered, pushing her personal questions to the wayside for dealing with later.
it was one of those rare moments where Laura genuinely laughed without warning, it came out as just a quiet little chucking sound as she glanced at her Father and tried to pretend she hadn't. she wasn't going to say it aloud but the thought that being able to lift her Father easily being some kind of feat of strength seemed really funny to her. The man was quite light. "i will try my best." she promised, appreciating the faith shown in her as well as taking the opportunity to change the subject.
Laura was happy to let her Father come up with suggestions for tomorrow, all of them seeming like good ideas to her. "i am happy with these plans." She said, before trying to come up with a way to narrow down her opinions. "you need to relax as well. You have been through more stress then I have." after all Laura hadn't even realised she'd died until she had come back to life, she didn't want to dwell on the hints that Artie had taken it badly. "i will need to talk to the staff to make sure we have no other problems from them." she added, giving the man with the cigar box a thoughtful expression. it was oddly satisfying to watch him stumble midstep and Laura was fairly certain it would be easy to make sure no one else was thinking of doing anything stupid. "can you tell whoever is washing clothes I apologise for the blood stains? I understand how they can be frustrating to get out and do not expect them to have mine back any time soon."
as nice as she was being, and as unthreatening a reassurance as she had just given, Laura was well aware something like that would be enough that the gossip between the staff would be only on their bosses scary Daughter for the rest of the night. sometimes being nice was worse then any act of intimidation. Her Father had taught her that, and Laura looked at him to see if he'd noticed.
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Post by Artie Cade on Jan 17, 2017 19:15:59 GMT -5
(Some time later...)
The meal had been perfect. At least in Artie's estimation. The cook had really outdone himself...the sheer volume of food he had prepared and not a bit of it had gone to waste. So much so that he was having the man take one of the boats to the mainland tomorrow to fetch more to stock up. The wine had flowed, they had lightened their conversation and Artie had all but forgotten the day's events. The ashtray was full of cigar stumps and spent cigarettes and Artie poured himself another glass of wine shakily.
"Ya know what..." he said with a grin, "We've done all right for each other, haven't we?"
He leaned toward Barbara and kissed her cheek before he did the same for Laura then sipped at his wine.
"All things considered...life's all right." he giggled as he raised his glass, "To the two of you. As my grandma used to say...ay the roof over your heads be as well thatched as those inside are well matched....but ya know, not in a wedding kind of way, you're too young for me Laura."
He cackled, tussling Laura's usually very neat hair and clinked his glass with the two others in the room and sipped at his wine again before sitting back in the large chair and lighting up another cigarette.
The day had been...taxing. And he didn't even get the worst of it. And yet here they were, having a better time for it. He didn't often feel close to anyone but...was this what a normal family felt like? Normal friends, even? He looked over at Barbara and grinned. She'd gotten her revenge after all. And that felt like something to check off his ever growing list of things to do for his friends. And his...well, closer than friends. And Laura's enthusiasm for tomorrow's suggestions seemed to perk him up too as he had never really been on much in the way of a proper vacation with her. With the two of them there with him, he felt like things might actually feel as normal as they could.
No Wicked Suit to maintain. No souls to tear apart piece by piece in the Rabbit Hole. Nothing but time to test out retirement...or that's how he looked at it, anyway. Not that he necessarily ever anticipated really retiring, but he assumed that this was what it might feel like.
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Cheetah
Villains
This sort of thing doesn't happen to Barbara Minerva. I don't let it.
Posts: 129
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Post by Cheetah on Jan 17, 2017 23:33:08 GMT -5
Barbara smiled at Laura. Watching her speak and discover or learn about things was almost amusing. She had never met anyone quite like her before and it made her want to learn about her story all the more. “I smell different from this morning?” That surprised her. Of course it was logical that she would be different after the change, but enough so that it affected her scent? She was almost tempted to ask what was different about her, but that was hardly an appropriate subject for the dinner table. Thankfully, Laura quickly switched the subject to herself.
“What I mean to say is that your dress sense is very similar to Artie. You dress rather boyishly, most likely for ease of movement and comfort, but I doubt that you have a single dress in your closet.” Rather than push the topic further and further into more questions, Barbara was actually pleased to see the girl accept her offer. “Good. I’ll make sure that this will be an enjoyable experience. I promise.”
After the meal, Barbara was feeling blissfully fuzzy. Once the food had arrived, she accepted the alcohol more readily and now everything had a delightful haze to it. Her stomach was full from exquisitely prepared salmon fillets and a marinated pork shoulder wonderful enough that she begged for the recipe. Of course, that was just her own dishes. How Artie managed to find a cook that could prepare so many individual dishes, she’d never know, but she hoped the man was paid quite well. Nor did she know how she could eat so much. At the moment, she was curled up in her chair, finishing off the last bit of her chocolate raspberry mousse cake. “I’m stealing your cook, Artie. You can’t leave him on this island. He’s too good,” she told him once her cheek was kissed.
This was why she traveled. It was to get away from frustration and worries and to just be with people and things she enjoyed. To make it all the more interesting, she was now a kitty, a thought that made her giggle. She now had power. So much power that she had yet to comprehend and appreciate, but which she would test out tomorrow, but only after she slept in. At the moment, she felt as if she could sleep for ages, entirely content. “Mmmmmm, I love you, Artie,” she mused, setting down her empty plate and picking up a not so empty wine glass. “Tomorrow shall be education during the day and more relaxation during the night. I may be a kitty all day,” she giggled, clearly more than a bit tipsy. Oh yes, today had been a good day indeed.
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