May Catch-All / Open Post

[hondoyota]

WHO: Adam Parrish + OPEN
WHERE: Places around De Chima
WHEN: May Catch-All
WHAT: Various starters, some open, some closed.
WARNINGS: None expected, will note in headers and update as needed.


1. Weather Magic - Open to All
Finally, Adam has unlocked the key to his weather magic, and now he's laying on a park bench, staring up at the clouds and manipulating the weather around him. It's harder here, in the middle of De Chima, when he's surrounded by a thousand networks of energy and magic, on massive and miniscule scales, everything from a passerby's wrist watch to the city's electrical grid. But now that he's learned how to extract the movements of wind and water from the rest, he can change the weather.

It's still slow and subtle. He can only nudge, and he can only reach lower-hanging clouds. But as he lays there in the park, the weather keeps changing, hour by hour. The sunny day clouds, and the clouds spiral, dipping once in a hint of a tornado which dissipates as quick as it came, unnoticable to anyone not watching the clouds. Light rain becomes hail, which fades back to rain and then blossoms into snow. The weather outside of the park is stubbornly partly cloudy, but the meteorological cell within the park is beautiful and volatile. And at the center of it, a young man lounging on a park bench, the ground dry around him in a five foot radius, while everything else is wet with rain and snow.

2. Knowledge might be power, but more importantly, knowledge is freedom - Open to All
Adam has always loved libraries. Now that he's only working two jobs and has no schoolwork to occupy his time, he has the freedom to research anything and everything he desires.

Curled up in a quiet reading room near the back of the library, Adam is sprawled sideways over a stuffed chair, long teenage boy limbs stretched out only as far as won't be in anyone's way. All of Adam's stacks of books--tidily sorted into meteorology, electrical engineering, and quantum theory--are precise, just within reach and carefully placed so that no one will trip over them. Smiles come easier to him since he's arrived in De Chima, and he's willing to offer polite, shy smiles in greeting to anyone who enters the reading room.

3. Wayne Automotive - For Bruce Wayne, but Open as a starter to anyone else with a reason to be in Wayne Auto R&D
For a week and a half, Adam has worked as a mechanic in the research and development department of Wayne Automotive. It had been remarkably easy to get a job here. He'd walked in to ask for one, and one of the department managers, irritated to be interrupted, had asked if he could fix the prototype engine currently on the desk. Adam had found the loose connection within a minute, a flaw in execution rather than design, and had been hired on the spot.

The department was nothing like Boyd's Auto Shop, the grimy, cluttered workshop where Adam had worked as a mechanic. Everything in Wayne Automotive was clean and shining, and Adam was diligent about keeping things that way. He felt like an impostor, the youngest--at 18--employee that he'd yet seen anywhere in Wayne Enterprises, aside from a few interns. But he'd been given this opportunity, and Adam was determined to earn it.

He worked late most days, not leaving until every project in his queue was repaired, and he took pride in being able to repair almost everything that crossed his workbench. He could feel the energy and electricity that passed through the engines and navigational computers, and could unerringly locate technical flaws in the design or crafting. What Adam hadn't yet realized, but his supervisors had discovered, was that the area effect of his presence was enough to improve and repair any electrical system in his immediate vicinity. Computers pinged back into function when Adam walked by, batteries recharged themselves, and everything operated at double its normal maximum efficiency.

During the busy height of the day, Adam was more careful with his powers. He didn't like publicizing the fact that he was an imPort, didn't like drawing attention in general, so he always made an effort to use his electrical affinity subtly when the other employees were around. But this evening, with only a couple of projects remaining and no one else around, Adam was willing to unleash his powers and play around with what he could do.

Setting aside a repaired clutch component, Adam leaned against his workstation, eyes falling upon the prototype engine waiting his attention. He should set it on the workstation, attach it to power, and perform the recommended list of checks upon it. Instead, he simply reached for it, drawing power from the nearest outlet in a shimmering arc and feeding it into the engine, controlling it in a closed loop that constantly recharged itself. It whirred into life, beautiful and powerful as everything that Adam worked on here. He found it thrilling, to be allowed to maintain and repair the most incredible vehicles he'd ever seen.

Within seconds, it overpowered, whirring too fast and shorting out, even though Adam knew he'd been maintaining the power at a constant level.

"Why does this keep happening with these models?" Adam asked himself, sighing as he set pulleys into place so that he could prepare to shift the engine onto his workbench and plug it into power, in order to remove the variable of the teenage magician as he tried to figure out the problem with this particular model of engine that kept coming back across his workbench.

4. Somewhere Only We Know - Closed to Gansey
Adam's been having an intense week, between everything that has happened with Noah and Ronan and how hard he's been working at his new job. He's meant to call Gansey half a dozen times, and even when he's turned up at the Meadows he keeps missing Gansey.

He's exhausted, and he knows he's been pushing himself too hard. He needs to get out of the city, especially needs the sanctuary and quiet of the forest that Gansey had brought him to. And he needs his best friend's company, because there are a few things nagging at the back of Adam's mind that he needs Gansey's help to unravel.

Sending a text early on a Saturday morning, Adam heads to the grocery as he texts, picking up a few things so that they can spend the day--or at least the morning--in the forest without needing to return to the city for food.

Can we go to the woods today?

Comments

4.

[disentombs]

On the other hand, Gansey has simply been trying to explore more of the area, gathering information on the local politics, and networking with people. He had gone to his assigned job once (a PA announcer at Big Box Warehouse Store) and promptly decided he was going to have to look for another job. Something more engaging at the very least.

He had just woken up from a short doze when his communicator vibrates, showing him that Adam is up way too early for a Saturday morning.

Of course, Gansey responds back: Absolutely. When would you like to go?

[hondoyota]

As soon as possible. I'm picking up some food to take along so we won't get hungry. And I got a picnic blanket.

Adam tosses a few last things in his basket and takes it up to the registers, hoping he's brought enough, hoping he hasn't brought too much. He doesn't want Gansey to feel obligated to stay all day with him in the middle of nowhere.

[disentombs]

That sounds like a plan. Come over when you're ready.

Whether it's because Adam wants to experiment with his powers or just get away from the noise, Gansey is looking forward to the day with his best friend. He grabs a couple of books and awaits Adam's arrival.

[hondoyota]

I feel I should remind you which of us can teleport.

Adam grins to himself, amused, because he's pretty sure it costs Gansey nothing to teleport. And he's likewise pretty sure Gansey hasn't considered that it takes Adam an hour of effort to get to the Meadows.

Looking up his current coordinates, he texts them to Gansey as he walks out to the parking lot.

[disentombs]

Gansey frowns at the text. He takes the coordinates and picks up the books he'd selected. Taking a deep breath, he activates his powers with his mind. One step and Gansey materializes right next to Adam.

"I didn't realize you would be amenable to doing this locally, considering you'd never asked me to do it before," he says, continuing their text conversation aloud. He hadn't been sure if Adam was going to be Strange about it, considering he seemed to be reluctant to accept Gansey's help a lot of the time.

[hondoyota]

Adam understands Gansey's uncertainty. Gansey's never understood the line of things that Adam considers unacceptable, and why, so it doesn't surprise him that Gansey expected that this would qualify. For once, their polarity has reversed, which means Adam has no indignation or anger as he tries to explain.

"I'm never going to ask you for a ride unless we're going somewhere together," he says, watching Gansey's eyes to see if he gets it. He keeps hold of the two bags of groceries he's got, feeling a huge amount of pride in the fact that the expense was something easy for him, something he didn't have to worry about. "Just like you picking me up in the Pig. It's fine if we're going to the same place."

He offers his knuckles, watching Gansey closely. "Does it cost you anything, to teleport?"

He needs to know that. If it's any kind of strain on Gansey, Adam will go way out of his way to avoid asking it of him.

[disentombs]

Ah, now he gets why this case is okay.

"I miss the Pig," he responds with a hint of longing. Who wouldn't miss the sometimes jarring vibrations every time they shifted gears or the fear that their car could break down at any time?

He bumps his fist to Adam's as he shakes his head. "A little bit of nausea but it's getting better the more I use it."

His closed fist opens to accept Adam's. "Let's go," he offers with a grin.

[hondoyota]

"Is it easier to do when you're with me?" Adam takes Gansey's hand, wondering if his area effect of easing magic or energy works for Gansey's powers the way it works for Ronan. He doesn't think it will, because Gansey's powers seem more based in general relativity, and Adam cannot feel or touch the forces of gravity, time, and space.

But the charge of Gansey's power in order to bridge space, Adam doesn't have any theory for how that works, and thus doesn't know whether he can influence it.

[disentombs]

He grins to himself when he feels Adam's warm, calloused hand take his. He takes a bit of time to really feel his powers, see if Adam is amplifying his at all. With one step, they're back on their mountain ledge, overlooking the lush green valley below.

Perhaps lingering a second longer than was usually proper between best friends, Gansey lets go of Adam's hand and turns to him.

"I don't believe so, although it doesn't seem to cost me much at all," he finally replies, simultaneously fighting down a wave of nausea. Though having Adam nearby is certainly deterrant to wretching in the woods.

[hondoyota]

"Did you get breakfast?" Adam asks, hanging the plastic bags from a broken branch and then looking around for a place to spread the picnic blanket he got. It's lined on one side to keep it dry, and Adam's proud of himself for finding it on sale.

With food and the blanket, their forest retreat feels all the more homey. Adam lounges back on the blanket, basking in the peace and quiet of being far away from all the electrical grids and magical currents.

[disentombs]

Gansey shakes his head.

"Not yet. What'd you bring?"

He grins at Adam cozying up their space with the blanket and sits down on it near him. He sets the books he brought with him aside (history books in order to see the differences between this place and their own). He very ungracefully flops onto his back on the blanket to look up at the sky, taking a few minutes out of his intentions to read to enjoy the scenery.

[hondoyota]

Adam gets back up to fetch the food and bring it closer so they don't have to leave their blanket possibly ever.

"Apples, cheese, crackers, beef jerky, and popsicles so we should honestly probably have the popsicles for breakfast. Also chips and guacamole." Fishing out the box of strawberry popsicles, Adam hands it to Gansey.

[disentombs]

Gansey takes another extra couple of seconds before propping himself up on his elbows and taking the popsicle.

"Of course. What other choice is there?"

He has no qualms when he sticks the popsicle in his mouth, early in the morning or not.

Pondering Adam, he takes the popsicle out.

"Did you want to practice your powers today, or just wanted to get away?"

Wayne Automotive

[the_caped_crusader]

Give the connecting rod a look.

[The voice comes from nowhere, and if Adam turns to look, he'll see a large, well-dressed man casually leaned against one of the other workbenches, hands in his pockets, watching him work with muted interest. He'd only interrupted now because he'd seemed to run into a dead end, and he figured a little nudge in the right direction might help.]

That's some trick you've got there.

[hondoyota]

[Adam startles at the voice, having thought he was alone in the department. The stranger is very well-dressed, especially for research and development, and Adam's suddenly conscious of the grease smudges on his hands.]

Are you one of the designers?

[It seems like the most logical conclusion. Adam hasn't met most of the designers. Usually one of his supervisors takes the repairs and flaws that Adam's found and reports them back to the designers for improvements. He's not sure what else a man in a suit would be doing here after most people have gone home.

Keeping half an eye on the stranger, Adam checks the connecting rod. Using his abilities to carefully control where the routing of electricity, he runs the power in a more contained loop around it, and then tests by going around it, finding that the connecting rod does seem to be causing the problem, though Adam's not yet sure how or why.]

How'd you know?

[the_caped_crusader]

Lucky guess.

[He shrugs casually with a smirk and points up to a stairway overlooking the rest of the factory, where a portrait of him smiling hangs underneath the iconic Wayne Industries logo. He extends his hand.]

Bruce Wayne. You must be Adam.

[hondoyota]

[Adam's eyes go wide as he connects the name to the portrait to the man standing in front of him. He's talking to the owner of the company, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. A man who somehow knows his name.]

Adam Parrish. It's an honor to meet you.

[Adam's small-town Virginia accent comes out strong as he says it, and Adam winces, hating how rural he sounds. Straightening his spine and trying to act confident and composed, Adam shakes the offered hand.]

[the_caped_crusader]

The pleasure's all mine, Adam. It seemed only appropriate to come visit my youngest employee and see why he's chosen here of all places to work. Your manager, Michael, tells me good things and you've barely been here for a month.

[hondoyota]

I'm trained as a mechanic, sir.

[Adam's still shocked that Bruce Wayne knows his name, that his manager would bother mentioning his name to the owner of the company. It doesn't surprise him to learn he's the youngest in the company, being only a month and a half north of his 18th birthday.]

Working here, with these prototypes and inventions, it's an incredible opportunity. I'm learning so much.

[the_caped_crusader]

I'm glad. [A subtle smile.] Speaking of learning, are you going to school right now?

[hondoyota]

I'm eighteen.

[It comes out more defensive than he intends. Technically, back in his world, he still has a year of high school to finish, but he figures he'll get to that when he gets back, since he doesn't imagine anywhere is going to accept "I finished high school in another world".]

[the_caped_crusader]

I know. [He scoffs lightly.] I mean college. You'll find that this world is a little more forgiving than you might expect with something like that. After all, I didn't exactly bring my resume with me.

[hondoyota]

Credits won't transfer when I go back home, though.

[Adam has thought about this. He took a month to decide before he sought out a job and got this one.]

And I'm worried that the physics or medicine of this world might be perceptibly different from the world I'm from, in some capacity which I wouldn't notice until I got home and made a significant error using the variables I'd learned from this world.

[He doesn't mean to be rude, sir, but have you considered the permeability of particle physics in metauniverses?]

[the_caped_crusader]

[Bruce shakes his head.]

Science and physics revolve around the unknown, Adam. You never know when a particular bit of knowledge may come in handy. Besides, it seems to me like you're less concerned with credits than getting your hands dirty. [He says, staring at his literally dirty hands.]

[hondoyota]

That's probably true. It's hard to think about any kind of future or career when everyone tells me it's unlikely I'll be in this world for more than a year or two.

[Adam dislikes the idea of going home. This place has offered so much opportunity and freedom, even if he's only here temporarily.]