maskormenacelogs | i know the storm is coming

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i know the storm is coming

WHO: Annie Leonhart and Commander Shepard
WHERE: A park in Heropa.
WHEN: At some point after the mission in Alaska plays out!
WHAT: Catching up.
WARNINGS: Nothing that should exceed canon-typical levels of violence, though given their respective canons...

[ With the mission in Alaska finally over, it was back to the daily grind for Shepard -- or what passed for it, anyway. He knew better than to think that the Russian fleet sailing away was the end of the whole thing. Dealing with the Reapers and the Collectors had taught him that, like a monster out of an old Earth story, taking care of one problem inevitably spawned ten new ones.

For now, though, he could put Alaska out of his mind and turn his attention to other things that had fallen by the wayside, like the mystery he'd agreed to help Annie and Kate look into. For obvious reasons, criminals weren't nearly as willing to talk to a known police officer as they would be to someone who seemed to have more underground connections, but he still managed to turn up more information than he'd honestly expected to.

He'd only paid passing attention to the network while they'd been up there, and what he saw made him even less inclined to use the communicators to pass information on. So the message he shot Annie was brief and nonspecific:

Got a few things to fill you in on. Let me know when you've got time to meet up.

Which was how he'd eventually ended up at park on his day off, wiping sweat off his brow from the jog he'd taken around the perimeter while he waited for her to show up. At this early hour, it was still chilly from the evening, but compared to Alaska it was almost pleasantly balmy. The last time he'd checked, there weren't more than a few other early joggers and some people blearily walking their overexcited dogs around, and from what he remembered of her, Annie wasn't exactly easy to miss.

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[ She's short, and blonde, and is jogging along with a dog in that awkward stage of puppy where the rolly-polly stage has given over to lanky-limb-flailings. Rex, a brown and white Brittany pointer, wags his tail and lets his tongue loll out as they slow down, Annie giving him a moment to start sniffing around the flora in Shepard's vicinity. Her hair's pulled back in its usual bun, fringe poking out at the top and bottom, and her outfit is... apparently a track suit. Gray. Nothing attention grabbing, even if it's lined with white and pink. (Apparently complimentary colors.) ]

Good morning for a run.

[ Is her conversation starter, clucking her tongue when Rex looks like he's about to pick up some short stick in his mouth. He looks up, wags his tail once, and wanders toward Shepard, sniffing as he goes. ]

Did you enjoy your time up North?

[ She's kept track through the postings of other, and what reports had come down from Alaska. So much has been perpetually happening that it's been almost a blur of ongoing action. ]

[ That's better than Shepard, at least, whose tendency to rely on other people to alert him when something is important means he often misses information that doesn't require his immediate attention ... and he blinks when Annie comes up, the only surprise he'll show at the dog's presence. Did Annie have a dog all this time? If he'd been aware of that at some point, he doesn't remember.

Either way, it's a moot point. The only pet Shepard's ever successfully taken care of is a space hamster, but he knows how you're supposed to treat dogs -- theoretically, anyway. He crouches down to bring him at eye level with the dog, holding out his hand out for it to sniff while he speaks to its owner. ]

Cute dog. So you heard about that, huh? [ It wasn't like Olivier had made a big secret about her intentions, admittedly. ]

I wasn't a fan of the snow. I like the weather here better.

Be hard not to. Rex, sit.

[ The growing puppy plops down on his rear end and sits up straight, tail wagging once, twice, then going still, waiting for the hand he just sniffed to come pay proper respects in petting his head. Having Rex on loan from Bumblebee for the moment is a matter of habit. Everyone familiar with the dog and Bumblebee knew Annie took him out for exercise. ]

There's a limit to any extremes that I can appreciate. I hear Hawaii is tropical-temperate all year long. We should arrange a disaster over there.

[ Only she hates long plane rides and that one is bound to be at least a billion hours. Argh. It's still a calmly delivered half-jest, Annie quirking her eyebrows and letting the lead between her and Rex loosen. He's behaving, and he knows her well enough to respond to her consistent demands sensibly. ]

Rex, huh? Nice to meet you. [ His fingers crossed the distance to finally find themselves resting on the puppy's head lightly before he starts moving them carefully and a little tentatively. While he's not quite sporting Annie's track suit look, he's not exactly far from it, in a plain black hoodie and jogging pants. ]

If we move a few imPorts over there, I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time. [ He snorts, then gives her a quick, fleeting grin, the humor gone as quick as it came. ]

Let's take a walk. [ Giving Rex one last awkward scratch, he pushes himself to his feet and inclines his head inquisitively, indicating that Annie can choose the direction they head in -- what matters is that they're on the move. Sitting still, here, makes him feel out of place and restless. ]

Edited 2014-11-30 14:52 (UTC)

[ Annie clicks her tongue at Rex again, prompting him to spring back up to his feet and start tap-tap-tappitying to the side. She knows the general area, leading them into the scant flow of people this time of day. A longer, more meandering path, worthwhile for a young dog to take in order to wear down his energy reserves. ]

What was it you were wanting to tell me?

[ Shepard keeps his stride easy, or intends to, though it looks like Rex has no such intentions of going easy on his handler. ]

I found out a few things about your missing heroes. Not much to go on, though it might give us a direction where to start asking our questions next. Figured you might want to be kept in the loop.

[ Rex and Annie regularly go running together, so he's wondering if he'll get that chance, though he settles down when Annie doesn't budge past the pace Shepard sets. Her response isn't immediate, taking in the simple words he's said. More on the missing is always of interest to her. Personal interest in one sense, and a long lasting one... much like with the Hornets. Hmm. ]

I wouldn't mind direction, and I appreciate the consideration.

[ She clucks her tongue at Rex, prompting him to look up at her and wag his tail, but settle in when he'd started to get distracted watching a dog running with its owner across the field. ]

What have you discovered?

Mostly that criminals don't like talking to anyone with a badge. [ But, he knew that already. He's gone to a lot of places, but not all of them have been particularly productive, so there's no sense in boring Annie with too many of the inconsequential details. ]

I followed up on some of the criminals these heroes captured. Seems like Braunstein had more than a few run-ins with two guys called Jimmy and Hotrod since before he took up the hero business. They haven't heard anything about him recently, but apparently, we weren't the only ones asking around. Jimmy got into a fight with a kid who was looking for information about Braunstein, but that's all I've got on that end.

[ It would look odd to cross his arms while walking, so he unconsciously speeds his pace up a little instead, settling into a more natural, brisk stride. ]

Two ex-cons claimed they spotted a girl who could have passed for Nitestar at an intersection in Orlando. Since they were drunk and she had her hood up, nobody believed them when they reported it. They said she'd dyed her hair and didn't look like she was in the best of health. That was in late 2008.

Nothing on what the kid looked like?

[ Why it makes her wonder about Liam Lawson again...

Still. She nods, having changed pace to keep up with Shepard, not saying a thing about it. She's used to quicker paces. The military doesn't train for an amble, let alone one to match her stride. Rex takes to a lazy trot alongside them, goofy big oversized paws keeping him barely on balance. ]

Nitestar... what has officially been stated as far as her disappearance?

[ Shepard shakes his head. ]

I told them to keep an eye out and let me know if they hear anything else that seems relevant. [ Not for free, of course, but he didn't expect it to be. ]

She was confined in a hospital for a mental breakdown after what happened to the other heroes. Her doctors believe she escaped and committed suicide.

This all ends up feeling disconnected... were you aware the resurrection technology had only been active for two years or so by the point of the disaster on Death Island?

[ Rex wags his tail, lifting his nose in the air and breathing in short huffs. He loves what he scents coming in his way. Hot dogs! (They'll be passing a stand across one of the open fields, next to a duck pond.) ]

[ Shepard's not paying too much attention to the dog, but there's probably some disparaging remark that could be made about the fact that he perks up just as readily as Rex does when he catches sight of the hotdog stand. Hey, a biotic's gotta eat. ]

I wasn't aware of that. [ Talking about being brought back from the dead gets his attention, his frown deepening. Back home, it had taken considerable resources and time to put him back together from being little more than a brain and a bunch of internal organs; to think that the technology here exists to make it happen at the drop of a hat... ]

Nobody reported finding a body, as far as I can tell. The easier explanation would be that she just faked her own death -- which would mean she could still be out there.

Did she ever contact Liam Lawson? I'd be curious. He went missing... he'd have been able to help her do the same. He was alive and asking for financial help from his father a few months ago. If he hasn't gotten himself killed since then, he's still out there.

[ She'd really like to get a chance to talk with this man, or be around when someone better at the talking talks to this young man. ]

They were the same age, and they were both heroes -- and the native heroes seemed like a pretty close bunch, didn't they? I didn't find out anything about Liam contacting her, but Kate might have found something.

[ He pauses, thinking. ]

It's somewhere to start, anyway. Where was he last seen?

At his father's office. I can get the address from Wally, but it's unlikely he stayed in that area. We may want to see if we can speak with his mother again... but I wouldn't want to tip him into running. With the Hornets having gone public, he's bound to be more careful, and his mother's claims may be ones she feels are better justified by now. I'm not sure if the press has gotten to her since October's events.

The attacks on that ... fall festival? [ Or whatever it was. Hayrides aren't his idea of a good time. Shepard crosses his arms, tapping a finger against the crook of his elbow as he frowns. ]

Guess if we do any asking around, we're going to have to be subtle about it.

[ Sadly, subtlety is not something Shepard is terribly known for.

And now, for a different subject entirely: ]

Anyway, besides all that, how have you been doing?

[ Subtle would be good, but subtle with Annie meant tailing and listening, not directly questioning anyone. She doesn't have that kind of subtlty. Making suggestions, sure, arguing logistics, yes, but that's not questioning. That's nudging in a desired direction.

Shepard's question makes her blink, catching her off guard. ]

Me?

[ It's easy to respond with something off the cuff and dismissive, which is her usual. Yet she's thinking about events over the last few months. Things she needs to work on, that he'd possibly be able to help. ]

I'm... wondering if you'd be able to work with me on a little shield training.

[ Yes. Of course that's how she's been doing. ]

[ It's not exactly an answer to the question, but Shepard seems to accept it without any need to question Annie about her further. ]

Sure, if I can. That's the power you used the last time I saw you, right? Have you found out anything else about how it works since then?

I found a way to push it beyond me, if that makes sense. It's still a shield, more than anything else, but it has a limited holding capacity if I concentrate. The use is tied in to my own energy... I have a feeling that's how I'll be able to work on endurance.

[ Through use, and training, and the same things she does to increase her endurance overall. ]

How much of that is finding things out or learning as I go...

[ She shrugs. ]

[ Shepard rubs his chin thoughtfully. ]

Makes sense. Biotics in the field are assigned three times the rations everyone else does, just because they burn through the calories so fast. Are you eating enough to make up for the energy you're using up? Maybe you could try eating more and see if that makes a difference in how long you can hold it.

[ He pauses, glancing left and right to make sure any civilians in the vicinity are a safe distance away, before nodding at Annie. ]

Show me.

[ She's been eating more in general, but that's because of availability, not because of what he's suggesting. It's... not without merit, but it's a different thought process than she's had to entertain before. Maybe that would help if she were actively working with her shields at the same time...

Annie looks around as well, since she also wants to make sure no one's in the immediate vicinity. Show is not something she's used to doing. And realistically... ]

There's not so much to see.

[ She clucks her tongue to Rex, getting him to return to her side and look upward. She signals that it's okay, but she wants him to heel, so she pats her hand on her thigh. Rex seems to understand. He's familiar with her hand gestures, whatever the other ones used with him may be. Annie wants him securely out of the way when she concentrates on some more visible form that can also be beneficial.

One of the ponds they're passing by, the kind where birds try to winter over just because they can as they stop by in migrating south for the winter, is an easy enough target. She concentrates on something she's only begun working with recently, forming an inverted round shield, using her hand as a sort of focus when she lifts about a cup's worth of water up, over the surface of the pond. If he's looking where she is, it's a purposefully subtle thing, this concave structure spreading a thin layer of water above the actual surface of the pond. ]

[ It's an interesting, very specific use of power, and Shepard takes immediate interest, following her gaze out to the water. The way its shaped doesn't escape his attention, and she's right: it doesn't have as much flash as biotics do. Still... ]

How long can you hold it like that?

[ From what he remembers of the time he'd discovered her powers -- and she'd discovered hers as well, apparently -- it had been in a semi-circle too, and he wonders if it's a consistent shape or if she can manipulate it to whatever she needs. In any case, it's interesting. ]

Have you ever tried touching your own shields?

[ She can manipulate the shape, but as far as moving versions, it's been more consistently a platter or rectangular box. She's been able to totally encase water, a moth once, too... so the applicability is different, but her thoughts on it, what she focuses on, is the same. Shielding, not containing, though in essence the two can act the same depending on the application. Which she finds a little silly... but it seems to work. ]

Like this? Two hours. It doesn't require much, though I can get a headache by the end. As for that... yes.

[ She can interact with them, in a sense, but it's almost like she feels that both in her hands and as something her mind registers as a separate sort of sensation. It's difficult to explain. She's very aware of what her shields are doing, or deflecting - not that it communicates as pain or pressure, just awareness. ]

All right. [ So she can generate them from will, which is at least something Shepard can start with. He's not sure how much of what he knows is applicable to what she can do, but if nothing else, the mental discipline involved should be similar. This isn't the kind of skill you can develop by practicing it whenever it's convenient, but until it becomes second nature.

After taking a moment to think, he bends down to pick up a small, flat stone -- perfect for skipping across water, actually -- and gently lobs it towards Annie's shield, aiming to drop it right into the 'bowl' it forms. He has pretty decent aim, so it sails right in, and he watches carefully to see how the shield reacts to it, trying to get an idea of what other properties it has ]

[ She feels the adjustment, extends her shield at the edges to curl upward as the stone drops down into the bowl. The bottom edge of the water stays steady, a splash coming up and out and sending ripples toward an invisible edge, being caught by the lip she'd "put" in place. A few droplets make it out, but the water she'd been holding before largely remains.

So does the stone, having slid toward the lowest point in the "bowl" that wasn't quite there. It's not centered, but it's clearly not being held on a level surface, given the nature of the stone.

The shield wasn't closed off - she wasn't shielding the water from everything outside. She wonders if she can change that, but she's not sure what she's supposed to do (or say) to indicate as much. ]

There's a shift in the weight I can sense. Not much, but it isn't like Sofia. I'm not trying to hold up a collapsing wall and the ton of rubble behind it.

[ She'd barely been able to do that for long enough to let Blue Beetle free the trapped man she hadn't been able to pull out on her own. But she'd held. Sort of. Her shields fractured to let dust and dirt fall through at the end - she needs focus and energy to keep things smooth and all encompassing. ]

[ The name Sofia means something to Shepard, but it's mostly in the sense of images on a TV screen and a death toll ticking up. Normally, he would have tried to ]

I wasn't aware you'd been. [ He should have been there too, probably -- there could have been a difference to make, one more set of biotics to lift debris -- but he'd elected to stay instead, wary that the attacks were a distraction from goings-on at home. Either way, it's too late to go back and change the past. He watches the stone a little longer, nothing how it interacts with the shield, and how the splash defines the sphere's altered shape. ]

It's like you're creating a physical object, not altering the properties of something that already exists. [ Which is a little different from biotics. Maybe someone else could have the fine control to do what Annie's doing with her abilities, but it's a little bit different from what Shepard's used to. ]

How do you create it, or change its shape? Just thinking about it? [ It had taken her time to create it, but it had happened quickly, when she'd been in danger of being hurt. Shepard's already picked up another rock, tossing it idly in his hand. ]

[ She makes a noise of agreement to his assessment - these things feel like constructs of some sort, almost energy, and when she releases them, the only alterations that stay permanent are the moves she might have made. By and large, she doesn't use her shields like that. Right now it's just easier to "show" as a demonstration. ]

It's... difficult to say. In Sofia, I was supporting the structures already there. That time at the festival... it was a reflex. In Nonah, with that woman Lunatic killed... before then, it was the desire to shield more than anything else. It worked. But I couldn't move it, not while I was engaged with him at the same time. It takes more concentration to make something like this mobile when it's not... attached? To me.

[ Here she does manage to lower the shield down, displacing water at the lowest point of the "bowl." It's subtle, especially with the water and stone braced on what looks like empty air. ] I haven't had much luck changing the shapes of things to great degrees once they've come around. I've been trying with water. Making a bowl, then turning it into a square. I tend to lose the shape of it along the way.

[ the headaches have been intense, and she's had homework and studying and a million other things to do. ones that have, in all honesty, felt more important than this. ]

Makes sense. Anything more complicated must take up more concentration [ Shepard nods, thoughtfully. It's always easiest to understand powers in terms of pure physical mechanics, how they work on a practical level given that the exact mechanics of how Annie can generate them are, as yet. That she can answer his initial questions suggests she's been practicing, at least, but there are some things much more difficult to do without someone else to work with.

Which is why, like any good would-be teacher would, he lobs the stone towards Annie, aiming for her thigh. ]

Catch. [ It's not a violent throw, and easily avoided, but it's still sharp enough to make a decent thump should it make contact. He can't rely on simply verbally questioning Annie about how the shields work; testing their properties, like whether she can maintain more than one at a time or not on short notice, or maintain it when she's not actively focusing on it, seems more productive. ]

[ Her problem is that while logically, she's been working with her shields, those reactions aren't trained as second nature. He lobs the stone at Annie and says catch - so Annie does move to catch it.

... With her hand. So while yes, she's maintaining the shield over the water, she also knows her reaction wasn't the one he was going for (probably) when she has the stone in hand.

... Look. Automatic reactions do boil down to what she'd been trained in initially, so the change in her stance, the way she'd moved to catch the rock and be out of the way as she does so, points to what she has as an actual learned reflex. ]

... Ah.

[ Well, that's interesting. Now Shepard's got a better idea of how fast her reflexes are, and just how ingrained they are -- the shield doesn't disintegrate, either her attention wasn't distracted enough, or it's capable of existing even when her concentration isn't solely focused on it. Shepard's willing to guess it's more likely to be the former, though, and he straightens up, brows quirking. ]

Good reflexes. You'll want to work on that -- [ He nods at the shield. ] -- until it comes as easily for you as catching that rock did. Biotics use physical mnemonics so that they don't have to think about every detail of creating and holding a mass effect field. Maybe you could come up with something similar.

[ He's not wrong. If she'd had to deal with a sudden change in pressure at her shield, it wouldn't have held like it can when she's pouring her concentration into it. As it is, she can see the worth in what he's saying, even if it's requiring a sort of mental shift from Annie. ]

That's something I can work on while trying to make it an automatic response. Changing the way I approach or react to things...

[ Isn't easy. It's hard work. She doesn't say either of these things because she feels both are obvious, and she's not trying to protest they're things she cannot do. It's simply part of what she needs to work on. Annie breathes out, twitches her fingers, and pours the water out of her shield's bowl slowly enough to try and keep the stone inside during the process. It takes a while, and Rex is getting bored, leaning against her legs again after her sudden moving had gotten him excited and wagging his tail, waiting for her to play with him like clearly she meant to after all that fast action. In the end, she's left with some residual dampness and a rock.

She furrows her brow and wills it all closer to them, keeping it low to the ground to avoid making it as apparent to anyone glancing their way. ]

[ The way she trails off suggests she's working something out, so Shepard stands back and waits, watching while she manipulates the shield closer. Frankly, he can sympathize with Rex right now, curious to see what she'll do next. Time spent with Annie has been limited, but she's interesting, even if he doubts she'd describe herself that way. Her stoicism only serves to make it difficult to predict what she'll do next, and how she works through things is different. ]

[ It's pretty simple. Complicated because she wants that control, and she doesn't have it down the way she does with shifting. Not that anyone not from home knows, and she prefers it largely remaining that way.

Her concentration and manipulations end with her pulling the shield and stone back up, offering it on an invisible (but tangible) platter, should Shepard reach out to take it. She tosses the stone she caught onto the same surface. It bounces, slides, then goes still, splatters of water coloring it darker where it touches. ]

... it's a process.

[ One she's not going to shy away from. Rex whines, tail wagging as he looks up at the stones. Ball? Ball? Annie threw one, is it a ball? ]

[ Since it seems like taking it is the thing to do, that's what Shepard does, reaching out to pluck the stone out of the air and turning it over in his hand like he half-expects it to have changed from contact with the barrier. ]

Anything that's worth the time it takes to learn it usually is. But that seems like something you'd know already.

[ Stone in hand, he gauges its weight in his palm, and this time when he throws it, he sends it skipping deftly across the surface of the pond (one, two, three) and scattering ducks in a flurry of squawks and feathers. ]

I don't think your power works too much like biotics, but I can teach you some of the focusing exercises they taught us. Maybe that would help.

Focusing exercises... they would. I think they would. This doesn't feel like the focus I have when it comes to anything else I've trained for.

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i know the storm is coming

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