maskormenace | One ☼ Video

One ☼ Video

[ It’s Clark Kent the one that talks to the network, pushing his glasses up in a nervous gesture. The file had both his names, along with a pretty basic explanation of his powers so he knows, at least, that he doesn’t have to play Cat and Mouse games with the government about who Superman really is. But he’s still going to keep things on the down low for a while.]

Clark Kent here, and I’ll already say I’m sorry in advance if you’re getting tired of new people popping up. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be the first one to complain that ‘people are waiting for me back at home’, so I won’t bother.

We’re… fairly used to weird things happening all over Metropolis by now, and Lois- Lois Lane? Anyone ever heard that name?- happens to love finding herself in the middle of it far too often for my liking. So I get it, I do, but if what they were looking for were heroes to do this whole- [A vague movement with his hand.] well, “heroical” thing they should probably have gotten somewhere for the Justice League, or the Society.

I’m just- usually the one that writes about it, this is all a bit over my head. But if there’s any way people who aren’t used to do the heavy lifting could help, I’d like to hear about it.

[There, he’s probably left enough clues that people in his world will pick up. Hopefully also someone who actually recognizes him- Clark Kent just got here, so Superman can’t risk making an appearance so soon.

Before he turns of the feed, he adds something else:]

Oh, and I’m… apparently going to be talking about fashion. Unless ill-fitted suits I can pay of a reporter’s salary are suddenly in I’m afraid I’ll need some pointers on that, as well? I’m not sure why they thought I’d be fit for that job, either…

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[ ID reads Karen Starr.

It's been a long year for Karen and she's not gung-ho on the whole multiverse deal, so when she hears his voice, she's initially hesitant. It sounds and looks just like him (the other him), but that's how it's always been for her.

She's afraid of being disappointed, though she can't help the excitement in her voice. There's only one way to find out if this is a version of Kal she actually knows. ]

The greaser look apparently never went out of style here, for one; it just got a bit updated.

[ Finally, toning it down: ]

Hey, Clark.

Edited 2014-10-04 08:27 (UTC)

[A glance at the ID tells him all he needs to know. For all he knows everyone's still keeping secret identities even if the government is on it and he doesn’t want to fuck up Peej’s on his first day here.]

Karen. [So much relief in just a word, and the ‘thank Rao you’re here’ is clear in his eyes even if he doesn’t say it.] Greaser style never truly got to Smallville, I’m afraid. I might have to re-familiarize myself with Danny Zuko if that’s the case.

We should probably meet, whenever you aren’t busy?

[ Relief washes over her features for a split-second; so he does recognize her. This is the other Kal she knows and while he's not her Kal, he's grown to be the only other she could accept aside from Kal-L. ]

You know I'll always make time for you if I can. I can meet you in a bit, if you want.

I'd love to. [If anyone can understand all the confusion going through Kal's head right now as he meets people from alternate Earths, it's her. And having someone from his family- or close enough to being family, even if he knew he'd never quite fir that role for her- around has always helped him keep a clear head.]

I'm living in Pennsylvania, and I have already made sure the fridge is full so I'll cook something up. We can eat together.

[Food = solution to all problems.]

They housed you all the way there?

[ She arches a surprised brow, but that's all she'll say on the matter. Who even knows how the government decides on these things. Maybe they ran out of room in Heropa. ]

Hard to turn down food. What's the address?

Maurtia falls, residence 1. I'm not sure why they housed me here, from what I'm getting most people seem to be housed in Florida. But the newspaper I'm working for is in here as well so I guess it was just convenient.

I'll be waiting.

[ Of course he's always going to be "far away" from her.

Karen nods. ]

I'll see you later.

[ "Later." ]

( ooc: would you like to action this? )

I'll be here.

[He knows he won't have time to cook anything right away before she comes, not if he wants to cook it properly and not at super speed. But he gets started anyway, because it gives him something to do. This whole thing... as much as PG being here is reassuring, it has him on edge.]

[OOC: sure c:]

[ Karen, on the other hand, can't help but feel somewhat excited and relieved all at once that this Kal is one that recognizes her and vice-versa. A part of her is marginally leery she's setting herself up for disappointment, but she flies over without wasting a nanosecond, arriving at the doorstep to the house in Maurtia Falls as discreetly as possible.

She smooths down her hair and blouse before knocking. ]

[He’d hear her arrive, so he doesn’t take long to open the door. Smiling, because the fact that she actually knocks… he finds it sweet, for some reason.]

Hello, there. [And he reaches to pull her into a hug. Because it’s Peej, because Rao knows how long she’s been here… and because it’s not like Clark needs a lot of excuses to hug people.]

[ Something in her chest stirs when she's pulled into his embrace. She's visibly surprised initially and it takes her a moment to relax against him and pull up her arms to return the hug.

God, it's been too long. Besides, who can really turn down a hug from Supes? ]

Hi, Kal.

[He smiles when he’s hugged back, and eventually breaks the hug. He’d been on edge knowing she had spent a while here, wondering if so much time away from him would have changed things. He’s relieved to see it hasn’t.]

We might have to wait a bit for the food, but you can fill me in in the meantime. There’s probably a lot I need to know about this place.

And I want to know how you've been doing, Powergirl.

[ It's only a little disappointing for the hug to have to come to an end. She can hardly believe he's here: a Superman who has accepted her despite her not being his real family. They don't have to go through any of the awkward motions she deals with every other time she encounters another Superman.

Not always anyway. It's easier to be around Kal when Kara's not brought up or hanging around herself. ]

You know me: I'm making do. [ Surviving, as always. ] I don't even know where to stat.

What did the soldiers tell you in the lab?

[Kal should probably sit down and have a talk with her about the Kara situation. But considering how badly it’s ended every time it’s even tangentially brought up… he’d just rather not. Kryptonians can be surprisingly good at denial.]

Your definition of making do was always kind of broad. [He knows she doesn’t do feelings, he usually accepts that. But he’s also seen her break down minutes later after she assured him she was feeling fine.] But we’ll get to that later.

The government had a file on me. My powers, my identity- both of them. They knew everything about me. [It’s clear how much that has put him on edge.] They told me about registration, about how this place never really got past the cold war, about the incredible technology they have in this place. Gave me a place and a job, but you know how the job thing turned out.

Oh, and also this. [He shows her his wrist. The tattoo is not really visible in the broad light, but he hopes she gets what he means.] They apparently have the means to pierce my skin, and now my body is hosting some nanites I didn’t ask for.

Edited (how does one fail so badly at copypasting even) 2014-10-14 21:38 (UTC)

[ The good feeling dissipates quickly as he lists off the issues she herself had when she first arrived. She lifts her wrist for moment, rubbing the skin above where the tattoo would be visible in lower lighting and reveal UNSETTLED.

Her brows pinch closely together. ]

I don't know how they managed to do that to us. I've wondered if it's something we ingested or inhaled unknowingly rather than been injected with, but having no memory of it is off putting, too.

I thought they could have used Kryptonite on me, theorized that maybe once they had realized they couldn't just pierce my skin they figured out my identity. But that was before I realized there were people from different Earths and universes, where the name Superman would mean nothing.

[A loud sigh.] I'm almost afraid to ask, but... how long have you been here?

Here? Nearly ten months. It's a long story, but before a group of us wound up in this world, we were in another world that had a Porter.

[ There's slight hesitation on her end before she adds solemnly: ]

That world was destroyed right before we came here.

The City? I've been told some about it but no specifics, and I didn't know until now it'd been destroyed before you ended up here.

What happened?

Something cosmic, that's for sure. The Porter's sister, Atropos, began to destroy the planet. We couldn't stop her.

[ Of course it still bothers her. It hits too close to home. ]

It was like dealing with another Crisis and there was nothing we could do to prevent it.

Atropos like the Greek Morai. Fitting name I guess, if she ended up destroying the city. Did everyone survive? How did you end up in here?

[And after a pause.] I'm sorry if this is hard, for you. I guess I'm having a hard time processing you've been here for as long as you have.

No. [ She shifts, her stance uncomfortable for a brief second. She rubs her elbow, glancing to the side.

Nepeta never made it through. ] Only us imPorts. There weren't many of us left either.

[ Karen drops her arm. ]

The Porter of that world: Lachesis. She sent us here and now she's supposedly synced up with this Porter. [ Then she shakes her head. ] It's alright. I'm alright; the flow of time here is headache inducing.

You always say you're alright, Powergirl.

[It isn't mean to be chiding or condescending. It's just a fact: she has a tendency to take everything the world throws at her in stride, being the symbol everyone expects her to be. Which sometimes makes everyone forget that she's just as vulnerable as everyone else, inside.

Kal won't make the same mistake.]

But I believe you. Does that meen the population of imPorts has kept on growing since Lachesis [Another of the fates. Huh.] ended here?

[ It may be fact, but she does withdraw reflexively when he brings it up. She knows he only means the best and the attention to her well-being is nice considering she's occasionally felt shoved out of the picture when Kara showed up, but she also doesn't like to be made to feel she needs to second guess herself. She's done too much of that in the past. ]

It takes a lot to hurt me. [ She snorts lightly, adding a small smile. ] Right; there used to be more imPorts in the City before it dwindled down. I wasn't in the City long, though I can point you to others who had been there for some time. Mitchell Hundred, who was mayor, was there about four or five years now?

[ Mitchell is going to faint if he meets Clark in person. ]

We were a group of forty-something when we were ported here. Near fifty. Now we've got to be a little over two-hundred.

[He notices how she flinches back, but he decides to pretend not to. He had to make sure she wasn’t just putting up a front so he’d feel better… or just to convince herself she was alright- but she’s right. It takes a lot to truly hurt Karen.]

I’ve talked to Mitchel. Seemed like a good man, for a politician. [And that’s without realizing the restrain the man had to use to stop himself from forth-walling Clark. He’ll appreciate that a lot when he realizes how he kept his secret identity.]

That’s a very exponential growth. Has it shown any signs of slowing down?

As long as I've been here? No. I don't have an estimate, but there's also the people getting ported out to factor in.

[ Not all ports outs get reported or noticed, after all. ]

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