Power/Swap Event

[spoofer]

Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: Power fluctuations across Xistentia affect not only the electricity of the city, but also the supernatural abilities of the residents. Will you get caught up in the chaos, or try to help out the next poor bastard who accidentally sprouted telekinesis overnight? Check out the mod announcement!
Date(s): Month of March 2018
Warnings/Notes: Potential violence/accidents

Power/Swap Event

That sing the ecstasy of the soul and senses

Blackouts & Brownouts (March 10-13)

Early Saturday evening, the power goes out across Xistentia. Of course, if you were out in the woods roasting marshmallows or hunting elk, it doesn't make much of a difference until you approach the city and find the twinkle of lights has gone out. However, if you were enjoying some of the city amenities, it's immediately obvious that something is very wrong. Almost all stoves, lights, stereos, and heating systems cease to work. Television is right out. Devices running on indepedent power— such as cars, and cellphones and earpieces that relay the daemon network-- continue to work as long as they have battery power. Fortunately, by now the weather is fairly mild— dropping to a crisp 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 Celsius at the deepest part of the evening, but far from intolerable for most people. While some have fears that D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. may raise its ugly head while Xistentia is defenseless, F.A.T.E.S. issues an assurance that all remaining power is being routed to interdimensional defenses. Mostly, it's the anxiety and boredom that people have to contend with. So maybe you'll be part of the service passing around lanterns and candles, running patrols to prevent theft, or helping to charge up devices from the handful of people who have developed generator technology throughout the town. Some dubious genius even developed specific electric blankets that convert positive affect from cuddling and shared sympathy to heat output that can be calibrated for maximum comfort.

Or maybe you'll take advantage of the rise of community spirit in the nighttime, and come together to drink and tell stories in the one part of Xistentia that seems to continue to offer a little light— the Temple. There, people congregate to play a drinking game of truth or dare, or possibly complain about them millennials and their dependency on technology.

On the third day, residents begin to find that their daemons are malfunctioning a little. Accidental shitposts, distorted audio, and bizarre typographical errors are the least of it. It's as if your sentient personal assistants have gotten terribly drunk, though they reassure you that it's just part of the repair process...

Swaps and Supercharges (March 14-24)

On day four, the power comes back on and the daemons begin to sober up. It's awesome.

Except that that's when everybody's supernatural powers promptly go haywire.

For some, this is a sudden amplification of powers— superstrength or speed suddenly doubling in measure, or stone skin and magic swords will suddenly jolt into activation in the middle of brunch. A couple of werewolves wake up fuzzy on the morning after a new moon, whereas several wizards find themselves casting unintentional, messy spells while mumbling "shit" over something ordinarily innocuous. Arguably worse, a few people find their powers nullified. It's easier to manage, assuming you arranged your life so that a normal person could go about it. You may have to help one of our local giants escape from their seventy foot suburban home through a towering window, though.

And then there are the swaps. You'll hear about it on the network mainly— people squawking in dismay, that not only have they lost their old powers, but now they have something completely new. Keep your eye out— maybe someone will need your help, managing a terrifying set of abilities and weaknesses that you are familiar with.

NPC Swaps

Though many PCs have powers available for swap, several NPCs have also unleashed their abilities into the pool! Brief descriptions are below. Players may choose to handwave some off-screen help or instruction from these NPCs, or try and figure it out with the help of PCs.

1. Telekinesis— 2 tonne maximum left (equivalent of a player vehicle), may throw or catch knives. Special feats, such as flight, may also be available but require study to master.
2. Elemental Control
   • Hydrokinesis— 15 cubic feet of water may be moved at one time, such as the volume of a square room of 'typical' adult bedroom height. This volume may be shaped or hurled around with the force of an ocean wave (for surfing, rather than storm). Water cannot be generated, but with effort and concentration, it may be pulled from the air or smaller bodies at a distance. Bodily transformation into water is an option.
   • Pyrokinesis— the ability to generate and manipulate flames. Fires will start small, such as fireballs the size of a fist, and be fairly easy to maintain. However, with greater effort, larger, shorter-lived fireballs may be summoned for attacks, such as they may destroy 1 normal passenger vehicle in one shot. Bodily transformation into fire is an option.
   • Terrakinesis— shockwaves through stone/earth/sediment or 15 cubic feet of earth may be moved at one time. Characters may raise pillars or shields of earth for offensive purposes, generating enough destructive force to flip or destroy a car in a single shot. With less offensive goals, they may reshape landscapes. Bodily transformation into earth/stone is an option.
3. Touch Telepathy - Characters may read or affect the thoughts of others by coming into physical contact with them, with effect proportional to effort. Weaknesses will include that the target's willpower can overcome the ability, as characters learn to detect intrusion over time; they may also suffer from difficulty 'shutting out' the thoughts of others that they touch. Opt-out/consent pages will be required.

OOC Note: Changes to powers will be temporary, lasting throughout the month of March before reverting. There will however be the opportunity to make them permanent if you desire. For this, please keep an eye out for the next announcement, which will include a signup for long-term ability conversion!

Comments

Era ☘ FFXIV

[astralera]

MARCH 10th ☘ NAMEDAY

[ Era is twenty-seven summers today.

It was on this day what feels like eons ago that she chose the name that would be hers. Never has she regretted her choice. It is her identity, alongside that of the Warrior of Light: Era Ra, the Raen adventurer.

And now she supposes that Lady de Borel can be added to that list, though Era is fairly certain she will never use it.

She has never celebrated her nameday before - there has never been the time - and is left at a loss as to what to do for it. Era hasn't spoken a word of it to anyone else, deeming it unimportant for others, but that doesn't mean it is unimportant to her. Perhaps she can treat herself to a nameday cake?

Yes, that sounds like a perfect idea. A cake for her and Aymeric to share. Something to distract her from her current melancholy.

Changing out of her training clothes and into a fresh pair of jeans and a warm sweater, Era finishes up by placing a flowery hair ornament above her regrowing horn to distract from it. Satisfied that she doesn't look dishevelled she then hops onto her Chocobo, Peki, and rides back into the city in search of some manner of dessert to partake in. ]

{ run into her on her way into the city, browsing shops before the power goes out, buying a cake, or after the blackout on her way home. or even in the woods earlier in the day! }

☘ AMPLIFICATION

[ Era has always been incredibly powerful, felling gods and armies alike, but Xistentia put a noticeable dampener on the potency of her more destructive abilities. She adjusted to it rather quickly - she doesn't often use her full strength, after all - yet the past few days Era has noticed her spells have been more... impressive every so often. It is inconsistent, which has slowly been driving her mad. She likes to be in control of herself, keeping her abilities in check. Never expending more aether than she needs for a spell. Never using more force than necessary.

It bothers her enough that she cuts her training sessions short whenever it happens, which leaves Era to fill in the time with crafting, gathering, exploring, or hopping on Peki to visit the unicorns.

She notices it in other ways as well while running errands in the city, when Era frequently finds herself reacting to something someone does before they do it. This is something that has never happened to her outside of combat before and is more than a little disconcerting. Her standard abilities going haywire is something she can cope with, but if the Echo continues flaring up Era will be half-tempted to just lock herself in her apartment until it stops, lest she be shown something she really would rather not see. ]

{ can be found training in isolated areas of the beach or forest, exploring the forest, or wandering around the city. if you would like Era to have an Echo vision of a moment of your character's past please contact me via Plurk (froakie) or Discord at Era Ra#4916. alternatively if you would like her to react to something your character is about to do/say let me know in the thread itself!

feel free to contact me if you have any other ideas in mind as well - I am open to plotting. C: }

Re: Era ☘ FFXIV

[shadowmarshalllucask]

[The Shadow Marshall followed behind his O.W.L Daemon as he stopped as he looks over at Era. He found himself having a strange new power that he had no idea how he got and it felt so weird. He found himself having a ability to move earth, just small at first as rock moved around him. But he sighed.

(OOC: You can have Era tell some of Lucas's past)

[astralera]

[ It isn't really any of her business - especially not when it is someone she doesn't know - but the man's sigh catches her attention. And, given current circumstances Era hazards to ask: ]

Is aught amiss?

[shadowmarshalllucask]

[Lucas eyes Era cautiously, still not sure of the new world.]

I have a lot on my mind.

amplification - woods;

[pillz]

[it's a random flash that she catches, which is probably annoying enough. even apart from the fact that the boy that the vision is of has always annoyed the fuck out of her anyway, all by himself. the rude kid she'd met at the mingle, months ago, skinny, spiky hair, skinny jeans, and something spiky about his aura too. it's either that, or slime.

but the flash of vision she gets isn't him the way his spikes and slime normally sit. instead, he looks young the way that people do when they're out of their depth and uncomfortably feeling. his eyes are damp, so he's being careful not to blink; his voice cracks and he has to pause, sharpen his tone, say something meaner, to patch it over. it's kurt on the other side of it, blue-skin and pointy tail. an angel of a boy, despite his demonic appearance. she hears it, the choppy, messy, broken conversation between the boys. every word traded in panultima.

but the next minute

the vision's over. and there are footfalls in the woods, but they're just here in xistentia again. kavinsky is trampling along the forest road, a leather jacket zipped to his throat. whistling off-key. his dog-shaped daemon bounds at his heels.]

[astralera]

[ The forest had always been her place to escape when Era needed time to herself and her thoughts, or to just train until her thoughts no longer mattered. Aymeric had some reservations about her going out exploring again so soon after her Incident (Era will take what happened to her grave - not even her husband will ever learn of the absolutely mundane thing that sent her home), but for all of her lingering exhaustion she needed to move. Taking a few days to rest with Aymeric was more than enough recovery in her mind, and now she needed to make up for missed time.

It's as she's returning to her training site nearer to the city (engagement ring and wedding band now firmly back on her finger) that Era is unexpectedly struck by the Echo. The vision it grants her drills into her skull a bit more fiercely than she's accustomed to, forcing her to her knees rather than simply staggering her. She digs her fingers into her scalp as she's shown a memory she would rather not see (far too invasive, even for the Echo); two boys conversing. She recognizes Kavinsky, and while Era only has passing recognition of Kurt normally the memory allows her to recognize him immediately as well.

I care about you. A lot.

Thanks, I guess. Say you're welcome.

If it weren't so obvious this was the Echo Era would have though she were feeling her own emotions for how similar they were to her own. Wishing for affection and love, yet believing you don't deserve it. Putting on a façade; a strong face. Not allowing yourself to be weak. The fear of opening your heart to someone lest they shatter it.

Insecurity. Guilt. Self-loathing.

Era comes back to self-awareness lightheaded and breathing hard, legs weak and hands shaking. She clasps them together, absently running a finger over the rings on her left hand in an attempt to calm her racing heart. It beats in her chest like a hummingbird in a cage, uncomfortably loud in her skull.

The boy in her vision must be nearby, else she wouldn't have been struck by it, but Era doesn't have the faintest idea how to broach the subject with him. It had never occurred to her before how much of an invasion of privacy the Echo truly was, mostly because in the past it had only ever shown her what was needed, in some way. She turns to look to her daemon for comfort though the most Emeraldd can offer her is a warm body to lean on while she catches her breath.

Perhaps she does need to convalesce a few days longer. The Echo has never drained her so thoroughly before. ]

[pillz]

[you know, the funny thing is, kavinsky is having a good day. or night, as the case tends to be for vampires. he isn't thinking about kurt-- well. he's always thinking about kurt, lately, but he doesn't know he's thinking about kurt. he's playing with his daemon now, picking up a stick to throw. yelling at her, cheerful abuse that's less gross and cruel than usual. jumping over a patch of mud, urging her to do the same. clapping when she succeeds.

(he'd been thinking, for awhile, that he'd invite kurt along for one of their walks— it seemed like the kind of thing kurt might want to do, while he was pretending to be normal and mundane as such bullshit as walking.) (sometimes kurt likes to pretend to be normal.) (kavinsky had been thinking: maybe he would too.)

(but it doesn't matter anymore.)

then he sees her, the small woman with her horns and scales. there's a visible twitch of reflex on his face-- he almost says something obnoxious. but he's well fed and physically active, and more aware of his regrets lately, even if he's still not nearly as aware as he should be. so he waves at her and calls out,] Sup, Era. You trying for some alone time or you wanna show Moonshined some of the sweet local stanky spots?

amplification;

[shadowblends]

[as much as he hates to admit such things, kurt's found that keeping his emotions in check has been harder than it usually is. a small part of him consistently wishes throughout the day he hadn't come to xistentia, but the stronger, more firm part reassures him that just because he's in a rough spot, he can't give up on the other friends he's made here.

going out on a limb like he'd done with kavinsky wouldn't be an every day thing and the longer he focused on it, the worse it became-- which is exactly why the azure-skinned boy's decided that distracting himself will be the best course of action.

unfortunately, while his powers have suffered somewhat — small, sporadic teleports that he seems unable to control — it's nothing like what poor era's going through. back home, putting up wards around one's mind was basic training for all of them, but on xistentia? he's unaware of any telepaths or those that are retrocognitive, especially ones that he could be in close proximity to where they might hear and see his thoughts. bits and pieces of a conversation she should already be familiar with, a past-time, yet the words are still very fresh in kurt's mind.

it's taken every fiber of his being to not cry (again), to not message kavinsky and apologize because he's done nothing wrong. well, aside from being straightforward and unsurprisingly, that has consequences he'd been braced for, but not quite accepting of.

he approaches with curious timidness, iridescent eyes blinking at the girl gathering things up. some recognition comes across his face before he clears his throat and forces the slightest smile.] Hello, [he greets quietly.] Would you object to an offer of help?

[astralera]

[ were the Echo anything similar to telepathy Era likely would have begged Hydaelyn to take it away from her, but luckily it is only a minor inconvenience every now and then, showing her old memories needed to gain an understanding of the person whose soul she has connected with. She was usually only struck by an Echo vision of an enemy's past, though there were rare occasions where she was granted memories of her allies and only ones of those moments was on purpose.

Era was also usually only struck by a memory vision once or twice a moon, if not less. So even with the irregularities she's experiencing with her powers she is not expecting another one so soon after her experience with Kavinsky. ]

...I would not.

[ Era looks up at Kurt curiously, head tilted to the side and sympathy alight in her eyes while the rest of her expression is decidedly neutral.

She has no need for any help gathering the various herbs and insects she intends to collect for alchemy training, but neither is she going to turn away the young man's help. Even without the powers of a telepath it's clear Kurt has much on his mind, and Era unfortunately has a good idea of what is bothering him. ]

Have you experience with plants?

[shadowblends]

[he doesn't quite know it yet, but he's sorry for whatever emotions end up getting inadvertently tossed era's way. kurt usually does well when it comes to keep them under wraps; he's never been in a position where he has needed to handle these sorts of feelings, though.

regardless, he meets her gaze with very little effort, attempting casualness by allowing his lips to curve somewhat higher.] I do, actually. [considering his house is full of them. things like succulents, aloe vera and jade, ponytail palms and snake plants.]

Are you looking for a certain type? Like, there are some better for cooking and others that are more suitable on a medicinal level.

[which makes him remember the incident where kavinsky had been burning, how he'd pondered the idea of using foilage to soothe his damaged skin. a happy thought, though he shakes his head anyway.]

Will Solace | Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

[healingdork]

[During the blackout, Will sends out a message letting people know he's got his own personal little clinic should anyone need any medical assistance. It's more like a single exam room with an entryway outside but he's never trusted the medical facilities here, even if they supposedly do wonders. He'd personally rather put his trust in a real living being, so should anyone prefer that, he's always open and on call. Nobody's ever really needed to use the clinic before and Will has done most of his medic work out in the field during arrivals or when some other event happens - they are in the middle of a war, after all - but it's still a peace of mind for him to know he has a place he can use if need be.

Once the power comes back on, Will goes about life as normal... until he starts noticing a few things. He spends most of his time with Nico, so Nico is how he figures it out; when he holds his hand for long periods of time, he can't... sense how he's doing physically. Usually he'd be able to tell if he was tired or... or something but there's nothing.

He follows what other people are talking about and eventually he realizes with a sinking horror... his powers are gone. He really really hopes it's only temporary because he can't even begin to think about what life is going to be like if he's just a regular mortal now. He doesn't say anything about it, just says he's going to go play his guitar for a bit, picks it up, and goes somewhere somewhat secluded to sit down.

He doesn't play though, just resting the guitar in his lap. What if any talent he had with it was because he was a son of Apollo? What if he sucks now? What if he tries to play something and all that comes out is an awful twang and that's it? Or worse, what if someone shows up needing help and Will can't tell what's wrong with them because he can't touch them and figure out what's wrong? What if he can't heal them fast enough before they die if they're bleeding out?

He manages to keep his calm for the most part in that regard, because he's confident enough in his own medical know-how to help someone if someone needed it. It might not be as fast but he still knows basic medical first aid, knows how to take care of wounds and set broken bones and other things like that. There's a nagging what if lurking in the back of his brain, but he knows he's not absolutely useless without his demigod abilities.

He still can't bring himself to touch his beloved guitar though. Sure, he was never as talented as some of his other siblings but the thought that he might actually have zero musical talent and that what little he does/did? have is only because of his father makes him feel like something is breaking a little bit inside of him. He's resting his guitar on his lap with his arms draped over it, holding his hands out with one palm up and the other holding his celestial bronze dagger, eying the dagger like he's contemplating using it. He's only intending to prick himself with it for medical reasons, but it might not exactly look like that. If he's a regular mortal, the celestial bronze will go right through him, and he'd rather find that out now versus when he needs some nectar or ambrosia and tries to take some only for it to end up badly. He remembers trying to give ambrosia to his completely mortal father and... well... It'd been a good thing he hadn't accidentally killed him, let's just say. Regular mortals and ambrosia or nectar did not mix, at all.]

[deathkid]

[ it's not uncommon for nico to visit his fiance at his clinic. most of the time, he's there to help out, wrapping up bandages or cleaning things up. they both know he has no talent for healing, not like will, but he can make a person sit still or hold a person down when the occasion calls for it. he's also good at following will's orders, they're so used to working as a team that way. but that's back at camp and now nico's feeling distinctly strange. for one thing, when he tries shadow traveling to will's clinic, something seems to block him, forcing him to take the normal way: walking. when he gets there, he automatically looks for his fiance, hoping will might have a solution for his problem, but what he finds takes him by surprise.

will, sitting there with his dagger in hand, as if he might do something drastic with it. immediately, nico rushes to his side, kneeling before will in order to hopefully talk him out of whatever is going through his fiance's head. ]

Will? What in- What are you doing?

[ he reaches out to lay a hand on the blade, figuring putting himself in harm's way might jolt will to his sense, but to his surprise, his fingers and palm pass right through the blade as if it were air. ]

Will... Are you...?

[healingdork]

[Will looks up in slight surprise when Nico suddenly shows up next to him. Shows how much he'd been paying attention, lost in his own thoughts. But he puts on a easy smile of reassurance... that promptly changes into one of confusion when the celestial bronze passes through Nico harmless.

Will just kind of stares at the blade for a moment, then passes the blade between his own hand, carefully so he doesn't actually cut himself if it's still working. It goes right through.]

... You too?

[tangleofgarlands]

[It's been a while since Arthur saw Will--which is mostly his fault. After awkwardly sitting on his doorstep for a few hours before fleeing to Janus's apartment, he'd been afraid to reach out again, convinced that his feelings were written on his sleeve and flattering, but not exactly wanted.

If he's honest with himself, he probably wouldn't be here if he'd known Will already was, and he's halfway through stepping back and turning around when he really takes in what he's looking at.

The taut, hunched line of Will's shoulders, the way he's holding his guitar without really holding onto it, and--most worryingly--the grim focus, the intent with which he looks down at a knife in his hand.

Maybe it's been long enough that his earlier humiliation has gone numb, or maybe the skirt Mandy made him for his birthday has made him more brazen. Regardless of why, he closes the distance between them and gently, firmly takes hold of Will's wrist.

He'd intended to take the dagger away before Will could hurt himself, but he doesn't get that far--as soon as skin touches skin, there's a flood of emotion so strong it nearly sweeps him away, and it takes a moment for him to realize the thoughts aren't his.]

Oh--Will.

[He'd had no idea. It's dizzying, trying to sort through the bits he doesn't understand with the raw fear and hopelessness and overwhelming insecurity that he understands too well, and for a long moment the only thing he can do is hold on tight with his hand. There's a part of him that wants to make excuses for himself, to back off and stop intruding on someone else's head, but...he just can't. Propriety seems a bit pointless, in comparison to dark thunderheads where he's used to seeing the gold of the sun.

He bites his lip and tilts his head to meet Will's eyes, reaching up with his free hand to brush his fingertips over the handsome line of his cheek.]

This isn't all there is to you. It doesn't change who you are or what you've done.

[healingdork]

[Will is taken out of his thoughts when a hand rests over his own and he looks up to see...] Arthur? [It has indeed been awhile since he's seen him, and while he's been told by now that Arthur probably fancies him, he's still not sure if it's 100 percent true or not, so he hasn't really brought it up with Arthur personally yet.

He's surprised by what Arthur says and looks down in slight sheepishness.] Must not have been doing as good a job at making it seem like there's nothing wrong than I usually am.

Marcus Wright/ OTA

[anewhero]

[b] March 11th- Power Outage [/b]

Day two of Xistentia's power outage. Marcus had been glad that nothing of his needed charging of power as his daemon was nearby.

Blaird followed Marcus in the background as he stared at the dark lights surrounding the city. He and Blaired had been glad to be carrying a candle of some sort to at least see.

A terminator with a light was a little weird to say the least. He'd fix something if he had to.

He had felt his strength wane due to the city but it was odd to feel somewhat human again.

Bardock 🦅 Dragonball Z: Episode of Bardock

[ssbardock]

[Daemon malfunction]

Bardock finds himself flying in the air only to stop having his talking scouter malfunction and read to him strange, odd directions that don't make sense.

He smacks it and growls. This is annoying.]

He's forced to land.

Barclay Odell ⛵ OC ⛵ OTA;

[disbands]

March 14+;

[To be quite honest, apart from the ambient fear going around everybody, Barclay had quite enjoyed the blackout. It felt like returning to his roots. Granted, his roots go all the way back to the 1800s, before penicillin, never mind the convenience of a microwave. He'd managed to persuade Kenzi that candlelight was sexy and romantic. It had not taken all that much persuasion at all.

And now that the lights are back on, he's out again, patrolling the beach. He's looking for new arrivals in part; he does this often, to be helpful, in no small part because he lives right up on the lighthouse that overlooks the white sand. Eager to help. Or at least, to totter around slightly tipsy on rum, singing British songs of war that no one else in this world seems to remember. That perhaps, sometimes, even he himself would prefer to forget.

But sometimes he's just out fooling around. Picking seashells.

And maybe you're the one who catches him doing this, finding his little treasures in the shiny stretch of fine grain, listening to the waves. Wandering along the gentle, wrinkling edge of the foam-hemmed waves. And maybe you're the one who notices that there's a ocean wave the size of a horse flowing along absently behind him, like a heeling pet.]

[moshennik]

Hey! Slow it down, daddy long legs. [ Kenzi will never learn that she should just go ahead and take those heels off when she's walking on the beach, especially when chasing after her deliciously vertically blessed boyfriend. ]

I see some seashells over there. [ She points towards a pile of seaweed.]

[disbands]

[Barclay turns at the sound of her voice. His whole face crinkles up with laughter. The winter stole away most of his tan, but he's getting it back quickly, she can see; the tip of his nose is slightly pink where he managed to dodge away, scoffing at the notion of contemporary sunscreen.

(He'll be thankful later, in the summer. When he's reminded that sunburn is a thing.)

You know what's really weird, though. The single ocean wave that was gliding along behind him abruptly stops, waiting behind him, water churning through its hooked shape. It's like something out of a movie, and he totally doesn't notice.] Oh this one is lovely, [he says, stooping to pick it up.] And I promise, I'm not doing this to spite Vex. They are quite lovely. Strange, I'd forgotten that the sea was something to admire after all those years trying not to die upon her.

Tony Stark | OTA;

[servomotor]

electrical blackout;

[Despite the fact that Tony loves him some mechanics and technology, he's always done surprisingly well when horrific third world scenarios are foisted on him. The blackout is no different. No, that's a lie. The blackout is plenty different; there's no kidnapping, no exploitation and blackmail. Not no possibility of death, but significantly less than you'd worry about with the warlords.

Tony is helping out. He might be the one who stops by your door, clanks his metal fist against it, and calls out,] Flashlights, flashlights, read all about it. Or just get your quota. I-- also— come bearing an assortment of--
[and at this point, his voice dissolves into a mutter. you might pick out random words, like kale?, toilet paper, this can smells funny.]

power/swap;

[When the power comes back on, Tony's happy. Holding Shepard in the dark is a pleasure beautiful and strange, but its beauty leans heavily on how deeply unfamiliar it is to him otherwise. And it's good to be back in familiar spaces, doing familiar things. Specifically: building in his workshop. Fridayd is leaning over his shoulder, debating with him about the best algorithm to program into this oscillating device for better vehicular balance. He's grumbling thoughtfully, poking a slender screwdriver into tiny contacts within the little machine.] You're blocking my ligh--

[—BAMF—-]

—-ight.

[and then he stops. Blinks. Wherever you are, whatever you were doing, you suddenly have a guest. One Tony Stark, presiding with a doohickey the size of a pocketwatch and a bemused expression on his face.]

why hello there

[astralera]

[ After realizing her Echo was flaring up along with her other abilities, Era decided that convalescing like Aymeric suggested she should would be a good idea, which is why she's sprawled out in their living room on a nest of blankets, dressed in some lingerie while using one of her husband's (fiancé's?) unbuttoned button-ups as a housecoat. There are snacks, of course, because what good is a documentary marathon without some popcorn, pastries, and a thermos of cocoa?

Lily is summoned alongside her, perched on her shoulder and watching the birds-of-paradise on the screen with rapt attention. Emeraldd is sprawled over her feet, batting at a loose thread from one of the blankets.

Era feels cozy and safe, silk and lace hugging her curves and Aymeric's shirt around her shoulders. She has the sleeves rolled up to what would be the Elezen's elbow but just brushes her wrists, making it possible for her to drink her cocoa without issue. They're just about to show another of the strange avians' mating dances when suddenly their view is blocked.

She startles, sip of hot chocolate going up her nose and causing her to cough. Emeraldd jumps up quickly enough that Era doesn't trip over it in her haste to get up. With Lily summoned she doesn't have any of her bladed weapons on her, but she's felled foes with her codex before just by bashing them with it, so...

Era recognizes who it is after she's shifted into an attack stance. Once she does she goes from hurrying to defend herself and home to rushing to button up her shirt.

She's not impressed right now, even if she knows it's likely not Tony's fault. ]

[servomotor]

[Tony's eyebrows climb his head. The first thing he sees is the mildly decorated living room; the first thing he hears is the happy chitter of the television, informing us about the particular mating techniques of a species that's peripherally familiar to him. (If he had a mind palace, it'd be full of the most unbelievable junk, believe you me.)]

Huh.

[The second thing he sees is Era. Specifically, Era's breasts? Half-covered, of course, by a very pretty patterning of lace and translucency over her pale skin and tautly muscled parts. The next moment, he's looking at her face, her expression of consternation as she swiftly buttons up the goods.] Did you and your stuff teleport into my workshop, or did me and one of my stuff teleport into your... [a long pause. He glances around.] Tastefully decorated abode?

power;

[shadowblends]

[now, kurt's positive he's never encountered someone else with an ability like his own. other teleporters? sure, but not in the same smoke and echoing rush of air akin to his peculiar mutation.

when the familiar bamf sound filters through his living room, the immediate response is to look around the area and see if he's the one on the fritz. after noting that he hasn't left the kitchen, he peers around the doorway and blinks at the sight of one perplexed looking tony stark.]

Oh, [he starts.] Hello, mister Stark. [more than a little weird, but he has been aware of the malfunctions people have been suffering-- himself included, for that matter.

flicking water from his fingers, nightcrawler steps into the room adjacent to the one he's in, blue lips quirking with mirth.] You seem to be suffering from the odd power outage, too.

[servomotor]

I'm having a pro—

[BAMF.

BAMF.] --blem, [Tony finishes, having relocated now to the kitchen, just right of Kurt.] If you have some advice I'd really appreciate it.

[Tension is thick in his voice, despite his casual tone.]

Query. What happens if you teleport into a solid object? Say a wall. [He runs his fingers through his black hair and glances out the window.] Just in your case.