I’ve traveled all this way for something

[maskormods]

WHO: YOU.
WHERE: Eden East's cruiseship
WHEN: Saturday February 15th, around 5 PM EST
WHAT: Registration in motion... among other things.
WARNINGS: None anticipated; let us know if this should be edited.

" The new frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises -- it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not to their pocketbook -- it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security. But I tell you the new frontier is here, whether we seek it or not. "
( from jfk's speech "the new frontier," 7/15/1960. )

The sun hasn't set yet and the temperature hovers somewhere just below 70 degrees this evening; imPorts, both recently arrived and not, will have been escorted to this event so that they can meet each other, have a good time, and of course officially state their registration status. Or lack thereof. It's your decision, they emphasize, even though the unspoken "but" is always there.

It's an elaborate spread, certainly much more elegant than last time. Eden East herself, elegant in her backless champagne-colored dress, meets and greets each and every imPort as she flutters to and fro. She'll find you and chat for a few moments, shaking your hand and complimenting your dress. She'll know your name, and she'll have an entourage of aids and cameras following her wake. Captain Holiday, in contrast, maintains the energy of someone who feels out of place holding the Swear-In ceremony somewhere so extravagant. As imPorts arrive he tells them where to be for the ceremony part of the evening, but that they are free to enjoy themselves until then and after.

( Please state your character's official status -- REGISTERED or UNSETTLED -- in the subject header of your thread. Characters who are UNDECIDED may be contacted later in the week for their decision via their IC contact post. )

Comments

[fronttowardenemy]

[ The suggestion makes his lips curve downward.

Somehow, he doubts this. He isn't sure why the Richards' child would advocate for the Punisher having both his legs back. It seems overly convenient. ]

How? [ And without hesitation, something equally important: ] Why?

[smarterthandad]

"How" is up for discussion, depending on your needs. "Why," though? Because this [she gestures around the room] is crap.

[That's extremely strong language coming from a Richards child, which Frank might or might not realize.]

By any rational standard, we're refugees, but they inject us with nanites, threaten to withhold government services unless we take a loyalty oath, and expect us to play good little Cold Warriors, just on their heavily biased say-so?

[Yeah, she mad.]

I realize how unbelievable this must sound coming from me, but sometimes Dad's just wrong. I don't like being treated like an idiot, Mr. Castle. And I certainly don't like being treated like a commodity.

[Her adolescence is going to be terrifying.]

[fronttowardenemy]

Smart kid.

[ An understatement, he is well aware. He keeps up with his surroundings and those in it; he knows about the reputation Valeria Richards has, if her parents weren't already enough indication. ]

What's your suggestion?

[smarterthandad]

It runs in the family.

[Three generations of supergeniuses and counting.]

This world has vigilantes of its own, working without government sanction. None of them have powers. They're going to be severely disadvantaged when Mr. Stark gets access to the government's data-collection infrastructure. I won't build an extra-dimensional prison [good one, Dad] but otherwise I'm sure you realize how that's likely to play out in an America with a Cold War mentality still firmly in place.

[Frank totally wants to fight Civil War again without Cap and Nick Fury's resources, right?]

They'll need people who know what they're up against, and you'll need people who understand this world well enough to answer the questions you might not think to ask. As for why I'm coming to you about this...I'm sure there are other imPorts who aren't willing to play by rigged rules, but you're the one I'm certain of.

[Given the cards Val's just laid on the table, she does not want to talk to anyone about this whom she thinks has even the slightest chance of ratting her out.]

[fronttowardenemy]

[ It's a sad state of affairs when this little girl is coming to him with more sense and forward-thinking than most grown men and women. ]

Learned not to repeat mistakes. [ It seems like a pointless thing to observe about an apparent supergenius, but her father stands testament to poor decisions from a supposedly great mind. ]

Trying to build your own resistance? [ he sounds skeptical. ]

[smarterthandad]

"Resistance." [She sounds skeptical herself, and snorts.] I want to avoid being turned into a playing piece in some retrograde game of nation-states, and I want to go home. Neither of those is going to happen without a countervailing force exerting pressure on the status quo. You can call that a resistance if you want.

[No government ever willingly sacrificed an advantage, and no minority ever won rights by asking nicely.]

Politics aside--and it's too soon to do anything but put it aside--the registration faction already has Mr. Stark and Dr. Pym, and that's not an easy advantage to overcome. You're going to need help, and I'm smarter than they are. Anything they can make, I can counter.

[She pauses and gives him a shrewd look.]

For example, how'd you like to have an image inducer?

[fronttowardenemy]

[ Truth is: he'd like that a lot. However, he isn't going to tell her that. His brow lifts, and that's the only show of interest he makes. ]

They won't be able to guess where I got it from?

[ As useful as it may be, this means allying himself with a girl this young. Anything that may connect the two of them together is a risk. Considering the fate of every other person who chooses that path -- regardless of their abilities -- he is wary of drawing her along that line. ]

[smarterthandad]

[She raises an eyebrow right back at him. Kid's got a hell of a poker face.]

I was planning to make it look like OsCorp tech.

[Val really, really hates Norman Osborn.]

[fronttowardenemy]

[ Not bad.

He lets silence linger for a moment, considering, before he asks: ]

How long would that take?

[smarterthandad]

[She grimaces and gives a long-suffering sigh.]

Longer than I'd like. I don't have the kind of facilities I need. Pushing for them won't raise any eyebrows, though. I kind of have a reputation with Mr. Stark already.

[Remember the shrink ray incident? Of course he does.]

[fronttowardenemy]

[ Buddying up with Stark to use his resources against him. Clever, but another danger as well. ]

You're making enemies of Stark and Osborn at the same time.

[ It can't be said that she lacks ambition. ]

Ready for that?

[smarterthandad]

[No, she's not. Val has almost no grasp of consequences, and doesn't realize it.]

Mr. Stark's got his problems, but he's not far enough gone to think I'm an enemy, even if we end up working at cross-purposes. He's not vengeful. He causes damage as collateral in racing for the future, not because he wants to.

[Not to mention, like all sane people in the Marvel universe, he's terrified of Sue.]

Osborn's much more dangerous, but I owe him one.

[She manages to look reasonably intimidating for being three feet tall and wearing floofy pink.]

[fronttowardenemy]

[ He isn't about to get into an argument about who could outsmart the other first between her and Stark. Osborn, though, has been on his mind since after the Invasion -- and that little detail where he had Frank killed. ]

Got that in common.

[ He takes a moment before he nods his head. ]

See what you can do.

[smarterthandad]

[She makes a noise somewhere between a snort and a chuckle.]

I can do a lot. ...Speaking of.

[Her eyes flick over his wheelchair and the injuries forcing him to use it.]

The medical tech here should be good enough that you won't permanently lose any strength or range of motion, but if you end up having problems, let me know. I won't even have to be sneaky on fixing that one. Medical advances are always good PR.

[fronttowardenemy]

[ That causes him to raise a brow. ]

Good PR if you keep the patient anonymous.

[ Does she really want to be known as the girl who fixed the Punisher? ]

Breaks are clean. [ After a moment, he adds: ] Keep it in mind.

[ Further along the road... it could save a lot of trouble to have someone willing to patch him up. ]

[smarterthandad]

I'm sure I can find a figure skater who botched a jump or a kid who got hit by a bus. You can sneak in the side door while everyone's posing for pictures in the lobby.

[Give her some credit, Castle.]

Anyway, I'll be in touch when I've made some progress. I guess I don't need to tell you to watch your back.

[Val is just ridiculously suspicious of all of this, especially given she doesn't have her family around to act as a buffer against a dangerous world.]

[fronttowardenemy]

Guess not.

[ He debates whether or not he should say the same to her. Supergenius or not, she's six years old. ]

Know where to look.

[smarterthandad]

[Worse than that. She's three.]

Yeah, I got it. Cui bono, always.

[Val lets herself look a little tired instead of just determined. She'd rather not be doing any of this, but circumstance has forced her hand.]

...'Bye, Mr. Castle.