Telekinetic dynamite [OPEN]

[rebelarrow]

WHO: Judd Lauren and YOU
WHERE: Various
WHEN: September
WHAT: A telepathic and telekinetic former assassin tries to figure out his surroundings. Along the way he gets overwhelmed by telepathic noise, gets into a bar fight, buys some kids ice cream, and causes a miniature tornado.
WARNINGS: None foreseen, will edit if necessary


01. Voices - Heropa
[Unlike a portion of the strangers that had apparently been mass abducted to this place, Judd didn't find abilities thrust on him. No, he had been born with his abilities, as did any Psy born on his world, and he had spent a lifetime of strict discipline to keep them in line. He had always been proud of his capacity to keep his abilities under control, to keep a tight leash on them from becoming violent. That meant, among other things, developing strong mental shields to keep everyone else's surface thoughts at bay.

The only problem with that, it seems, is that his shields had been built factoring in the varying shields of all three races of his world--Human, Psy, and Changeling. Humans, even on his world, had woefully inadequate shields, but this place... Even with his current shields, it was like everyone in the city was screaming in his head.

What he needed was a place of quiet, to get himself away from so many minds crammed into such small a space, and rebuild his shields from the ground up. But, skilled as he is at compartmentalizing, any attempts he made to create something temporary were halted as another wave of minds crashed against his. Any options of teleporting into a forest were gone to him for now--he had no visual locks that he could trust of this place yet and until he developed them, he was stuck travelling the old fashioned way.

By all outward appearances, Judd, dressed in all black with a leather synth jacket, seems no different than anyone else milling about the city... except for the steady trickle of blood dripping from his ears. He stumbles once but quickly regains his balance and continues on, moving faster than he was before.

He has to get away from the crowds.]


02. Bar - Anywhere
[The only times Judd ever found himself in a bar he was working--either as an Arrow tracking down a target, as a rebel gathering information, or as a SnowDancer lieutenant dragging thick-headed juveniles out of trouble. As he's not currently doing any of those things, and alcohol does... unexpected things to Psy physiology he sees no reason to start now. He walks past the bar in question without sparing it a second glance, just as three locals stumble out and call out to him:

"Hey, imPort! You think you're better than us, don't you?"

For a fraction of a second Judd considers stopping, but thinks the better of it--he's not here for a fight. Unfortunately for Judd, the drunken locals don't seem to see it that way. One of them hurls a bottle at the back of his head--only for it to shatter into a million pieces about a foot away from him, as if hitting a brick wall.

Judd turns on his heel now, his eyes like ice as he reigns in his annoyance. When he speaks, his voice is oddly toneless, though his annoyance somehow manages to slip through.]

Turn around and go back inside. You aren't going to like how this will end otherwise.

[That only seems to egg the two locals on. Judd did his best, but now it's time for a fight.]


03. Park - Anywhere
[Judd isn't exactly sure where all these kids came from. He only found himself at this park in his efforts to familiarize himself with his new surroundings and create a new mental database of teleport locks. Nothing about him seemed designed to stand out; in fact, he'd chosen his outfit--dark grey top, jeans, a thick yet stylish watch hiding the mark on his wrist denoting him as an imPort--to blend in with the crowds. And yet somehow a lost child had noticed him and asked him for help.

As he ran a telepathic scan of the area listening for a woman calling for her child, Judd had bought the child ice cream to calm her down. It wasn't long before mother and child were reunited... but apparently word had spread that Judd was buying ice cream, and now there's a whole gaggle of them looking at him expectantly.

Help?]


04. Release - Heropa
[Something that Judd had been desperately trying not to think about ever since arriving and getting his abilities under control is just how quiet the psychic plane had become. The SnowDancer Net was tiny, consisting of his family, his fellow lieutenants, and their mates, but it was a steady hum of background noise and warmth that Judd had come to rely on. The most important connection in his life--that to his own mate, Brenna--is still there, barely, the vibrant strand disappearing into thin air whee it should connect to his heartbeat. The fact he could no longer feel her emotions through the bond gutted him in a way that no other indignity of being ripped from his home had.

Which was why a heavily wooded area near the Heropa government housing seems to be undergoing a miniature tornado, with trees ripping out by their roots in the whirlwind and shredding into piles of sawdust as Judd finally unleashes his emotions in a contained fury. He stands in the middle of the ecological carnage, his face stonelessly expressionless as he tries not to think too hard about how Brenna probably wouldn't approve of him destroying nature.

But he had no choice; he had to release this flurry of emotions out in a controlled manner, or else he could seriously harm someone.... just hopefully not anyone who sees the wind funnel and comes out to investigate.]


05. Wildcard!
[Feel free to run into Judd anywhere! If you want a specific starter, reach out to me on plurk at redconfession.]

Comments

Outside Bar - Jeopardy?

[detectivedwloki]

[Detective Loki happens to be passing by the area when he hears the drunks call out and then the smashed bottle. His cop instincts kick in quickly and he hurries over that way, hands out in a placating gesture, hoping to prevent the fight before it truly starts.]

Hey, hey, hey... Everybody calm down... Alright?

works for me!

[rebelarrow]

[While keeping the drunken locals in his line of sight, he glances over to see who the newcomer is--Enforcement, maybe.]

I am calm. [So calm, in fact, his voice could probably chill a volcano.

The glass shards from the shattered bottle begin to vibrate slightly, rising an inch or two from the ground.

The locals begin a drunken rant about imPorts running around acting so high and mighty, like they're better than everyone else, craning their necks to see if this new guy's an imPort too.]

[detectivedwloki]

[A badge and a holstered gun can be seen attached to the detective's belt, visible when he moves, under his jacket. He addresses the drunks first, since they're still rowdy.]

Nobody thinks they're better than you here. I think you need to go and sleep that drink off...

[He then notices the moving shards and looks to Judd. He blinks a couple of times, although it's not startling. He knows people have powers here. It's just becoming a stressful situation fast, and he has a nervous tic.]

Sir, what are you doing?

[rebelarrow]

[Judd absolutely catches both, though reacts to neither. He merely watches as the locals begin to curse the Enforcement officer out for being "one of them" who "thinks they know best."

At the question aimed at Judd, the smallest fraction of a smile crosses his face as every single shard of the glass bottle rises, floats slowly past the two drunken idiots, and falls neatly into a nearby recycling bin.]

Doing my civic duty, and taking out the trash.

[Neither action nor statement goes over well with the two locals.]

02 (the falls)

[killtime]

[ It's one of her nights off. No uniform, no heavy utility belt, no service weapon. Just plain old Andy, hoping to have a quiet drink before she heads home to her family. She's making her way down the sidewalk to one of the local watering holes when she spots what looks like a brewing commotion outside the door. She can't see it clearly but — ah, shit, was the the sound of glass shattering? A twinge of annoyance draws her eyebrows together. Hera's left tit.

She really could just ignore it.

It's not like she's on duty.

She won't even get paid to deal with this.

...Fuck. ]

Hey. Hey. [ She approaches, barking her words out at the men. ] MFPD, assholes, break it the fuck up!

[rebelarrow]

[Judd catches the new voice and quickly glances to look in her direction, never fully taking his attention away from the drunken idiots. For their part, the idiots look at Andy and silently debate whether or not she really is a cop, or just making it up. Finally, they decide not to take a chance.

"That fucking imPort started it! Threw a bottle at us! We was just going to defend ourselves! We got a right!"

In answer to that accusation, Judd merely looks at the broken bottle shards a foot from his body, then looks back at the locals. He hides it well, but he's insulted they think his aim would ever be that terrible. His niece's aim is better than that, and she's a small child.]

[killtime]

[ She's heard it all before — all this "fucking ImPort" shit. And the thing is, Andy just doesn't really give a damn. She can't be assed. They don't pay her nearly enough. So she just stands there with her hands loosely folded over her chest, giving the two natives a dead flat stare that's a thousand years practiced. Does this look like an officer that cares much about their rights?

Nope. ]

You're about to hear me tell you about your right to remain fuckng silent if you don't fuck off. [ Then, she glances over at Judd — the fucking ImPort who started it, apparently. ] And you, step away from the locals. I don't need you shooting lasers out of your eyes at them or what the fuckever your "thing" is.

01

[loyal_soldier]

[Heropa is outside of Aegis jurisdiction, so he doesn't actually patrol here. Not officially. But it's habit, when he's in one of the Porter cities, to walk the streets and get a feel for the layout. Understand the space, so that he won't be out of his element when Aegis inevitably gets called in to support when a new anomaly comes along. He just has to do it out of armor, and on his own time.

He's getting better, from how paranoid he's been the past few months, but crowds still give him trouble. He's doing his best to avoid the main streets, but sometimes there's just no way to continue without walking a stretch of one, alert and on edge.

And that's how he notices the man.]

Sir? [Blood from his ears. Maybe burst eardrums. Can he even hear anything? He moves to line of sight, looking for any other signs of trauma.] Do you need assistance?

[rebelarrow]

[Judd doesn't exactly hear 622, but it isn't due to his eardrums being burst, but rather that his voice was just one of many crashing in through his inadequate shields. He raises another wall of shielding, but even then he knows it's not enough.

There are just too many voices to combat at once.

He does, however, see someone cross into his line of sight, far too close for comfort, and so he pushes him back with a wall of tk. Under normal circumstances he would never have lashed out like that, but this circumstance was hardly normal.]

Go away.

[Despite his inner turmoil, his voice is flat and cool as ice.]

[loyal_soldier]

[He was alert, ready for things to go sideways, but somehow he still didn't see the push coming, catching him off-balance and toppling him. His armor appears around him before he can hit the ground, entirely on reflex. He felt an impact, but where--?

The man's an imPort. That was a power. Maybe something worse.]

01

[usaf]

[ Carol is getting used to Heropa. The crowds, the sunshine. She's settling into this world in a way that she didn't think she would, using it as a substitute for the Earth she'd left behind.

She's on her way to pick up some groceries when she notices a guy stumble in the crowd. No one else seems concerned, they just walk on by, but Carol goes over to him, frowning even further when she notices blood coming out of his ears. ]

Hey. Hey... You okay?

[rebelarrow]

[Judd senses more than sees the woman approach him, his focus too heavily on throwing up futile temporary shields to block the noise. There is a lot about today that he'd look back upon poorly, but leaving himself vulnerable on the physical plane will definitely be one of his most mortifying.

It takes the last of his considerable will to not lash out and hit her with tk, though he does settle for a deep scowl as he splits his concentration.]

Fine.

[And by all accounts, he sounds fine. No strained voice, just cool, calm, collected... and a little flat.]

[usaf]

[ Now that she's up close, Carol gets a better look at him. He looks fine, other than the blood thing, but she knows that looks can be deceiving. ]

Yeah, sure. Blood coming out your ears is just normal, everyday stuff where you're from? I don't think so.

[ She puts a firm hand on his shoulder and looks him in the eyes. ]

Tell me how I can help. What do you need? Medical attention? A quick retreat?

Nonah Park

[pushygirl]

[Kira had just been on her way to buy some ice cream for herself when she noticed the small crowd of kids. She watches with obvious amusement as they cluster around Judd.]

What did you do to get so much attention?

[rebelarrow]

I bought a lost child ice cream. [A pause.] She was crying and I thought it would help while we searched for her mother.

[He glances down at the gaggle.]

Apparently they think I'm giving it out.

[When Judd speaks, his voice is oddly flat, though there is amusement buried in it.]

[pushygirl]

[Well, she may as well help him out.]

[Kira decides to see if a lie will send them off and taps one of the children on the shoulder.]

Hey, have you seen the magician yet? I heard that there'll be a show starting soon.

Park

[helpdesk_hero]

No good deed goes unpunished.

[The words come from an amused young man walking up beside Judd as he finishes buying yet another ice cream. He does move past the man to order his own cone, mint chocolate chip and people can judge him all they want for it.]

You're probably their hero right now, breaking all the rules their parents set for them about sugar before bedtime. Hero to the children, bane of the parents.

[Oh yes, he's amused with his own choice there, but that fades into a more serious, kinder look.]

Saw what you did with the first kid. Part of me wonders how you found that parent so fast.

[rebelarrow]

[Should Judd judging the newcomer for his ice cream taste, he doesn't show it.]

It isn't that late. [Is it?

Besides, he's more concerned about the optics of buying ice cream of children unaffiliated to him... he also cannot say no to an innocent face.]

The park isn't that large.

[helpdesk_hero]

[Should Judd not, he'd be the second person and definitely high on David's 'not a bad person' list for it. Even if he turned out to be evil.]

You might misunderstand how effective kids are at holding on to high energy levels. Or maybe I'm overestimating based on some unique cases I have run into.

[Not that large? Definitely right there, Judd. But... efficiency is a pretty effective thing. Which David won't pry into any further. Instead he just takes some extra cash out of his pocket and hands it over to the person running the stand, asking them to use that to cover the next three kids that come up to ask for ice cream. And quietly asks them to say that some random person accidentally paid too much and told them to keep the change.

That way it's not creepy guy in his twenties buying specific kids ice cream to lure them anywhere.

There are solutions to every problem, if you find the right angle.]

o1;

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Visiting the various cities is something Rogue does on a regular basis, both for business and pleasure, delivering things for the office and making her rounds of every coffee shop she comes across. (The woman is 72% caffeine, most days.) And being around the crowds that are part of the larger cities? Just a sweet bonus.

Back in her old life, crowds had been avoided like the plague. When even the slightest brush of bare skin could risk someone's life, it just hadn't been worth the risk. Here, though, she can enjoy the pulse of life around her without worry of hurting anyone. So when someone stumbles near her, she doesn't shy away, instead turning her focus straight to the man who—

Is he bleeding?

Following him while he moves quickly, she raises her voice to try catching his attention, that smooth southern drawl colored with concern. ]

Sugar, are you okay?

[ If he can notice it through the cacophony of the crowd, her mind will be a blissful white noise, her strong mental shielding keeping the hundreds of psyches within her head at bay. One of the benefits of training with her world's most powerful telepath. ]

[rebelarrow]

[Oh, he definitely notices. The one spot of quiet in this sea of screaming nonsense. What he doesn't do is hear her through the noise, everything else in his head drowning it out.

Not hearing her mind makes him reach out and lightly tap at her shields, not attempting to get in, but more to assure himself that he isn't hallucinating. He's light enough that she shouldn't even feel it.]

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ She doesn't feel that tap, her own abilities not ranging toward anything even resembling telepathy and those shields a veritable concrete wall around her mind, keeping things both in and out. Still, there's something about him that tells her he's noticed her, and so she very carefully reaches out to touch his arm. Whatever's got him so distracted, she knows all too well that sometimes a physical presence helps. ]

Sugar? Can you hear me?

4

[solarcharged]

[ He can feel the currents in the air even from hundreds of meters above ground level; there's a certain tugging, twisting quality to the air around this little wooded stretch outside Heropa that Apollo knows better than to ignore. He drops from the sky in a golden burst of light, sending dappled shadows over the forest as he sweeps low above the tree line in search of the source. It isn't long until he closes in on the shredding noise, the snapping and splintering of wood, from the middle of what looks like a brand new clearing that definitely wasn't there before. ]

What the fuck is going on here?

[ It's hard not to be pissed off at the sight of this completely senseless destruction; Apollo's face is twisted into obvious annoyance as he lands in the clearing and surveys the damage in dismay. ]

[rebelarrow]

[It takes Judd a moment to recognize that he's no longer alone in the clearing, and that fact alone bothers him. A second later and he realizes why--the man is approaching him from the air. After Carol, he really should have learned his lesson about flight-capable metahumans. A large (yet dead-looking) tree trunk snaps in half as the thoughts pass Judd's mind, before the whole tree splinters into a million pieces. In fact, the entire new clearing is filled with neat, tidy sawdust where the trees once stood.

He glances at the man with the long hair and... interesting bright outfit, and debates saying anything at all. Who was this man, and why did he warrant an explanation? After a moment's deliberation he decides against it--there's too much he doesn't know about this world yet, and it doesn't pay to rub everyone the wrong way.]

I needed to release my tk in a controlled environment.

[Still, since Apollo's landing, no new trees have ripped from the ground. The sawdust, however, starts to spiral neatly up into the air and drop into even piles around them.]

Most of these trees were dying anyway.

[Most, because he's willing to acknowledge that he hasn't exactly been checking before ripping them out. Felix, Hawke, and Brenna are all undoubtedly back home yelling at him for doing something so stupid. He'll go buy some saplings in the morning.]

[solarcharged]

You've heard of punching bags, right?

[ Apollo's snapping, he knows he is, but this is just senseless destruction of a rather nice wooded area. His expression is tight with simmering annoyance as he pointedly scuffs a white-clad foot through a considerable pile of sawdust and sticks nearby. ]

You know, punching bags - about this big, this tall, not a part of our natural ecosystem?