maskormenacelogs | (OPEN) and all that we could do with this emotion

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(OPEN) and all that we could do with this emotion

WHO: Ted Kord AND YOU!
WHERE: De Chima, mostly.
WHEN: All of March
WHAT: Open post!
WARNINGS: Nothing for now.

blue + gold:

Ted and Skeets' new business venture is already off to a good start, with several potential clients both in and out of the imPort community. Now that the main lab and workshops are set up, as well as Ted's own private workspace, he's seeing potential employees for interviews, clients for consults, and native investors who are excited by the prospect of getting in on the ground floor of a new imPort business, especially one run by someone who's already made a name for himself and his innovations in this world.

If you're stopping by their newly opened labs in De Chima, you'll find Ted in one of three places: tinkering or doing consultations with clients in the main lab, working on more private consults (or maybe catching a nap) in his office, and checking in with new employees in the impressive employee lounge.

out + about:

Despite how busy he's been, Ted still has a life outside of work to attend to, believe it or not. Throughout the month, he can be found overseeing movers hauling his things from Wayne Manor to his new apartment above Blue + Gold, grabbing a bite to eat at his favorite deli near the Hall of Justice, or maybe even taking a break to play fetch with B.B. the beagle at a dog park. In the evenings, maybe you'll even spot him in a bar in one of the porter cities, sitting alone and nursing a beer, or out on patrol in full Blue Beetle regalia.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He's neither an employee, nor an interviewee, nor a client, nor an investor— but he is a curious interloper, so the Doctor's probably slipped in alongside one of the above at some point. Which is why there's now an old man in sunglasses casually poking around the main lab and workshops, in search of anything particularly cool-looking within reach. And if an area's off-limits, well... He doesn't care.

He'd heard tell of an innovative imPort-run lab in his assigned city, 'course he had to come take a gander. ]

[ Ted doesn't notice him at first. Which may be less of a testament to the Doctor's subtlety, and more due to the fact that Ted hasn't had a solid night's sleep since mid-February but is still going non-stop, but the fact is, it's not until the second time Ted's walked past him poking at something in the lab that he realizes he has no idea who this guy is. ]

Uh, sorry, this area is employees only. If you're here for an appointment, the front desk can get you checked in.

[ Without looking up, the Doctor pulls a worn leather wallet out of his pocket and flips it open, a few inches from Ted's face, with great confidence.

The card inside is a blank piece of slightly psychic paper, onto which he's intended to project the perfect image of an employee's badge, or some similarly impressive bit of authentic-looking identification. It generally fools the layfolk.

(Unfortunately, psychic paper doesn't always work quite as well against certified Genius-level Intellects™.) ]

Ian Chesserman, PhD. MD. DFA. Do you know who made this?

[ The thing he's poking, he means. ]

Edited 2018-03-08 06:23 (UTC)

[ Ted frowns, glancing at the blank paper then back to the Doctor. ]

Yeah, I did, and I'd appreciate if you'd stop touching it and tell me who you actually are.

[ The Doctor finally looks up, first blinking at Ted, and at his blank paper. Then back at Ted. ]

Oh. Now, that's interesting.

[ In what way? He doesn't say, just slips it back into his pocket and pulls himself up straight. ]

Well, then, you must be that Ned [ Fred? Ed? ] chap, good to meet you.

I'm a super-advanced, hyper-intelligent space alien known as the Doctor and I've only come to look at this, [ points, at the thing ] amongst other things, because I've a charming and irrepressible scientific curiosity, about things. And I'm fond of labs. Nice lab, I like what you've done with the place.

[ Is this working. ]

It's Ted, and—

[ A beat, as he takes in the rest of what this strange dude is saying. But he's buying it so far. This isn't his first alien encounter, after all. ]

...Huh. Well, thanks, I guess. What kind of alien?

[ Oh, good. Much easier when people believe it straight off. ]

The friendly, adorable kind. [ Sounds perfectly earnest about that. He pushes his sunglasses up to his hairline, ] Talk to me, about the thing.

Well, I can buy friendly, at least. [ He gives a wry grin. ] Good shades, though.

[ The "thing" is a single hexagonal solar panel that resembles ones that the Doctor may recognize from vehicles produced in the past year or so. ]

Anyway, it's the original prototype from a design I released back in 2016. Combining solar power with the native hover-engine technology for a greener transportation. The final product wound up a lot more streamlined, slimmer, and camouflages a little better than this one.

[ WOW??? Name a cuter alien!

(No, don't actually.) ]

You've been busy, haven't you. What year are you from, Ted?

[ Impressive. He slides the shades back down as he gives the panel an appraising look. The glasses start... buzzing? But nothing else happens, visibly.

Just scanning the tech a little, here. Checking that there's nothing nefarious about it— he's been in a lot of evil labs over the years, you understand. Greener transportation's had its downsides. ]

I've been here for a little over two years, so I've had time. But it was 2005 back home when I died and turned up here.

[ He's casual about his death, almost cavalier, but not in a way that suggests, much as he may like to think, that he's particularly well-adjusted about it. And while the Doctor won't find anything particularly nefarious, the buzzing glasses do draw Ted's attention ]

Do they always do that?

[ Glances... up at the mention of his death, but doesn't comment on that bit in particular. "My condolences" might not be appropriate here. ]

Well. Glad you haven't gone round profiting from technology stolen off a future-Earth. That'd be cheating, of course. [ And probably bad. But he can believe this guy built it himself; he'd passed the genius test and all.

He takes the sunglasses off and holds them out so Ted can try them on— only seems fair. Though they just look like your typical Ray-Bans from here. Adding, ]

...Not always. Even I would find that unbearable.

[ Haha. ]

Edited 2018-03-21 06:58 (UTC)

There's some technological difference between my world and this one, even with timelines aside. But would it be cheating if they were still my original designs from a future-Earth?

[ Far be it from Ted to turn down a chance at trying on some sweet shades. He pops them on, hoping he looks as cool as he assumes he does in them. ]

How do I look?

[ Distracted from the first bit by Ted in these SICK-ASS SHADES. Man, he's got great taste. ]

Fantastic.

Now, look at the lights, and think "off."

[ They're not just a fashion accessory; he's here to show off, of course. ]

[ Jaime's not happy.

There are, admittedly, many reasons for him to be feeling distinctly unhappy, but the reason behind his unhappiness today is a rare one, and his name is Ted Kord. On an ordinary day, Jaime counts Ted as one of his many blessings - he had met Jaime with more enthusiasm, kindness and empathy than he had to, or than a replacement he had never approved in the first place necessarily deserved. He had proven himself worthy of Jaime's admiration in almost every way.

Except for, as it turns out, the fact that he's a damn idiot who's going to die a second time on account of the fact that he's killing himself, no Maxwell Lord necessary. Jaime had given himself a few days to fret and worry and to feel an unearned sense of self-righteous anger before going to Skeets and asking him to help him fix this.

As of now, he and Skeets are both in his living room, currently empty of all of Jaime's roommates, and waiting for Ted to drop BB off. It had been their best shot at it - it's private, it's safe, but it won't feel like they're just bombarding the guy at work or at home. Still, Jaime can't help but try to quell his trepidation as he watches the door, jaw clenching and unclenching, hands balled into fists in his lap.

Ted had better listen to reason, he thinks, or else he's -- okay, he's not sure what the end of that sentence is, but by god, he'll figure it out before Ted arrives. ]

[ It's not too long before Ted's knocking on the door—briefly, and more out of habit than anything, as he just lets himself in, unclipping BB's leash and letting him run free into the house. He calls out as he closes the door behind him: ]

Jaime, you home?

[ Without waiting for a response, he follows BB as he immediately makes a beeline for Jaime in the living room, but stops short in the doorway as the dog starts barking excitedly up at Skeets. ]

—Down, BB, no chewing. Uh, hey... Skeets...

[ Oh good, the dog was here. Skeets "sniffs" dismissively but quietly. ]

Hello, sir.

[ Skeets had hoped that working on the Blue & Gold would help alleviate some troubling things he'd observed about Ted. He was both right and wrong; and unfortunately, the "wrong" part appeared to be more dangerously precarious than the situation had been previously.

When Jaime approached him, Skeets agreed to help immediately. ]

You may wish to sit down.

Edited 2018-03-10 03:57 (UTC)

BB, c'mon, here boy, [ Jaime says, snapping his fingers at BB and luring him over to where he's sitting and not to... maul Skeets, or whatever the heck it is he wants to do whenever he sees something metallic and shiny. It's a quiet, subtle gesture, and one that Ted is unlikely to see or hear, but he allows his fingertips to be covered by his suit and quickly flicks his wrist, locking the door behind Ted. He doesn't want anyone walking into this conversation. Jesse, Yusuke and Shinji aren't supposed to be home for some time yet, but if they come home early, they can wait on the steps, thank you very much. ]

Yeah, Ted, sit down. We wanted to talk to you about something.

[ Jaime's voice is light, as though it's no big deal, but he's not as good an actor as he'd like to be; his voice may sound fine, but there's a certain set in his jaw and steel in his eye that betrays the fact that this isn't going to be a carefree conversation. ]

[ Despite how he may act, Ted's not actually stupid, and it only took Skeets advising him to sit for him to catch on to something's not quite right here, and Jaime's poor acting clinches it. But if they're going to play this casual for now, so will Ted. So he takes a seat on Jaime's sofa, setting what has become his nearly ever-present paper cup of coffee down on the side table. ]

Sure, fellas. What's up?

[ Skeets, meanwhile, sounds the same as he ever does; vaguely matter-of-fact about everything. ]

As I'm sure you're well aware, sir, we're your friends, and we care about you.

[ It's a sign of how far they've come that he self-describes himself as Ted's friend without even mentioning Booster, or indeed, of thinking of Ted through that lens. ]

We do not wish for you to feel attacked or on the spot, but we did feel it was best to discuss some matters with you that we find concerning.

[ Yeah, Jaime thinks. That's a good tack to take. Skeets is being kind, and responsible, and leading off with the fact that they're only doing this because they care about Ted, and they want him to be better than - whatever he is now, whatever it means to just be surviving without much of a care about your quality of life, or how long that life is going to last, even in this place.

It's good that he can follow Skeets' lead, because there's a big part of him that wants to grab Ted's coffee cup and chuck it out the window despite the fact that he has no idea whether or not coffee's actually bad for someone with a heart condition. It just seems like something he shouldn't be doing. ]

You haven't been taking very good care of yourself, [ Jaime says carefully, almost hesitantly. ] Between all the work with the League, and your company, and - well, everything else. It's not good for your health. Have you had a check-up since you got here?

[ Ted frowns, crossing his arms across his chest. Later, he'll probably realize he had this coming, but right now it's actually kind of surprising. Sure, he's been working long hours and not sleeping the greatest, but it's not that bad. ]

Guys, c'mon. I know I've been busy lately, but I promise, I'm fine.

With respect, sir, no you're not. Would you like me to scan your vitals and display your current bio-readings to the room, sir?

[ Whether or not this is actually something Skeets is capable of is inconsequential - there's a note of irony in his voice.

He... may have already failed at the good cop-good cop routine they had going on. ]

I can also display heart attack statistics and probabilities based on lifestyle and habits if necessary.

You don't have to, [ Jaime says, voice tight and a little ragged around the edges in a way he determinedly attempts to conceal, trying to squash down the anger rising in his chest. Being angry's not the way he deals with anything. He doesn't like being angry, and it's never actually productive, just some horrible morass of emotion that lives in him and clouds his judgment from time to time, and he absolutely shouldn't feel so angry about something for which Ted is technically the victim of.

He pushes his anger down to the bottom of his gut as something to be attended to later, if not outright ignored. ]

Ted, did you know you've already had a heart attack in the last month?

[ Ted's about to get defensive—he's been training harder than ever, and he's come up with all kinds of promising projects and developments in the short time Blue & Gold has been in business. He's balancing work and Justice League stuff just fine, so who cares if he has no real social life to speak of? Lots of 40-somethings don't, especially 40-something superheroes, and—

At Jaime's words, the color drains out of Ted's face. ]

...What?

Yeah, that's what I thought. Remember when we were at Justice League HQ the other day? I was scanning the computer? I wound up scanning you too, and that's when I saw what bad shape you're in. I thought --

[ He pauses, takes a deep breath to settle himself. ]

I figured if you knew you'd had a heart attack, you would've told me. Told Skeets, at least. So that meant that you didn't know at all. And Ted, that - that's not a good thing! You shouldn't be working so hard that you don't notice these things!

I— [ He lets out a breath and runs a hand through his hair, visibly shaken. ] No, I had no idea. I figured the nanites would prevent anything like that.

[ Saying that out loud makes him realize how much worse things must be. Idly, his fingers rest on his sternum, at the middle of the scar running down his chest from his heart surgery. ]

They should, is the thing. They can help a lot, but they can only do so much. If - if this is happening even with the nanites? Then Ted, that means that this is really bad.

[ He sighs, settling back with his arms crossed, expression pinched in a way that means that he's trying to contain himself. ]

Do you see what we're saying now? Something's gotta change.

[ At least that confirms Ted wasn't trying to hide something like that from them, which is what Skeets was worried about. His tone takes on a more gentle air. ]

You don't have to do this alone, sir. If you need help, any help at all, we'll be happy to help. But we want to know that you're trying to help yourself as well.

[ Ted curls his hand into a fist against his chest for a moment, then sinks back against the couch with a sigh, running his hand through his hair. ]

Yeah. You're both right, I've gotta do something differently.

[ The probably is, burying himself in work and training and Justice League missions had been such a good way to keep his mind off of—well, anything, really. Despite appearances, the mind of Ted Kord has not been a particularly happy place for a fairly long time. ]

Skeets is right - if there's anything you need, we'll be right there, no questions asked.

[ He wonders if he should ask what's on his mind. What the hell, he decides. If they're doing this, they have to take it all the way, or else they may as well not be doing this at all. ]

It shouldn't have ever gotten to this point. Ted, I'm not - I'm not saying this to guilt you or whatever, but people who are doing... okay don't usually do things. Like this. And people in our line of work are, um, pretty well known for not really doing okay.

[ He glances up at Ted, forehead creased. ]

You're allowed to not be okay. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do something about it .

[ you know what's really nice? when someone walks into your lab and immediately starts running their hands over things, touching things. the way raven takes to it isn't like a kid in unfamiliar territory. the moment she sees something familiar, she gravitates towards it, instantly forgetting the reason she's here — ted kord, with his opportunity to put her brilliant mind and restless fingers to work. ]

[ raising something thin into the air to inspect it, raven's expression is one that's a little impressed. ] Not too bad. I wouldn't call it a gold standard yet.

[ murmuring to oneself is the first sign of genius, right? ]

[ Ted grins, watching her manhandle the projects on display. He knows that instinct to examine and inspect every bit of equipment and technology in a new lab until he knows it like the back of his own hand, and watching her examine everything with a critical and excited eye is reinforcing his decision to bring her in. ]

That one was a prototype. I've got the current model disassembled in my personal lab while I think about what direction I want to take with it from here.

[ raven turns around, wearing an expression of surprise — and, if he recognises it, complete and utter wonder — at the mention of — ] You mean this isn't your lab?

[ having a personal lab where no one can tinker and mistakenly call it their own because it's really a shared space is the dream. ted kord is life goals right now. ]

You're teasing me. [ she says it with a smile, trying to tone down her inner nerd from jumping out of her skin. ] That's not nice.

My lab's a few stories up, but I'm thinking I'm going to re-purpose some of the office space upstairs for employees to have some smaller private workshops as well.

[ He grins, absolutely recognizing her poorly-concealed geeking out. ]

Y'know. In case you needed any more convincing that you should come work for me.

[ this is like valentine's day, her birthday, and chrismas all rolled into one. ]

[ pressing her lips to the side, raven's thinking of a catch. what hoop can she throw ted's way to see how he jumps through or over it? playfully narrowing her eyes, ] Do I get free rein to touch everything at any given point in time?

[ she's already sold. can't you see the elves moving her in? ]

[ Ted gives her a considering look. ] Well, you do seem like you know how to not lose a finger or an eye messing with equipment... Let's call it free rein on any of the shared spaces, and free-ish rein in private labs.

[ Why bother with elves when he's already taken on some interns from De Chima U to do all the heavy lifting? ]

[ all she heard was "yes, it's all yours." ]

[ pleased, even with the restrictions that clearly don't apply to raven (they do), she puts down what she's been fiddling with and runs her eyes (and hands) over more gear. she can't help herself! like a kid in a candy store, she must touch everything. ]

How did you get into this again? Hobby? Study?

[Normie was also a fan of Ted's favorite deli, and though he usually orders in, he's just come from a meeting and opts to eat in. As he grabs his food from the counter, he turns and nearly knocks into someone, managing to avoid him at the last possible second.]

Hey, sorry about that, are you all-- [He pauses as he gets a look at the person he almost hit.] Oh, hey, you're Ted Kord, aren't you? The owner of that new startup? Congratulations on that, by the way.

[ At least Ted narrowly avoids getting mustard on his new tie, or dropping his sandwich all together! He's going to count that as a win. ]

No harm done! And yeah, thanks. I'm the co-owner, but I'll take the congratulations, all the same.

[You can thank the symbiote, Ted. Normie is not that graceful.]

Oh yeah, it's you and the robot, Skeets, right? Always great to have more imPort businesses around here.

Honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to go back into owning my own company—I did back home, and I was never a fan of the upper management stuff. [ He shrugs, neglecting to bring up the part where his superhero career frequently caused him to neglect Kord Industries either near or completely to the point of bankruptcy more than once. ] I'd rather be in the lab than in a corner office. But Skeets is proving to be a natural at it.

I feel you there. [Paperwork is the worst.] At least you have a partner this time, so you can spend more time in a lab.

That's the idea. And he literally never sleeps, so it's not like he doesn't have the time to do all the boring stuff!

Maybe I should build a robot CEO. I miss free time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(OPEN) and all that we could do with this emotion

blue + gold

(let's pretend i have better out of costume icons)

nice business casual spanex, ted!!

business casual spandex would be a step up from some of the stuff he wears

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W-W-W-WILDCARD

oh boy oh boy

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b + g

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out + about

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