"Hey, Ge--" Whistler was likewise buffeted by the sonic scream, one hand above her head to greet the sandman. Although she was very agile, it caught her entirely off-guard; Dani took the full force as it rolled her backwards a couple of feet onto her back.

She lay there in a daze, somewhat bruised, for a long few seconds. She found herself wondering how that hurt more than a bullet while she looked dizzily up at the ceiling.

"Ow."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:40, Fri 18 Nov 2022.

Geo had raised a hand slowly, to wave, when a wall of sound (and a lot of debris) slammed into him.  Given he had the agility and reflexes of, well, a pile of sand, Geo took it full on.  Thankfully, he was just as tough.  His sandy form rippled but he was otherwise unbothered.

"Is this how you say hello here?  Or did I somehow do something offensive within 5 seconds of being here," he asked with a gravelly chuckle.  He probably wouldn't be quite so jovial if he had been hurt.  "Is everyone alright?  What happened?"  The particles of his body swirled, dropping debris and glass bits to the ground.



OOC:

19:43, Today: Secret Roll: Ryan Cardier rolled 7 using 1d20+2.  ref.

19:44, Today: Secret Roll: Ryan Cardier rolled 25 using 1d20+10.  tough.

Reyna suddenly stopped, eyes wide as she took in the devastation in the wake of her surprised scream and then the sand man asked what happened, trying to make light of the situation.  "Oh My Gosh!  I apologize profusely!!"

She rushed forward to Whistler, "Are you alright?  Did I hurt you?"  The small raven haired singer then snapped over to Daydreamer, "Are you  alright?  I apologize! I will fix the damage !"  She rushed over to Geo, "I apologize.  I was surprised and screamed." She suddenly turned toward Chef, "Not that you are scary!  Did I hurt you?  You look very nice and fluffy!"  Her eyes still wide, she looked around for Business Cat, "Oh Noooo!! Where is Business Cat??  Is he okay?  I hope I didn't hurt him!!"  She rushed toward the door that she thought Business Cat was yeeted through and started knocking politely but insistently on the door, "Business Cat, I apologize!  I hope you are okay!  Can I come in and apologize directly to you? Business Cat??"

Reyna was feeling embarrassed, anxious, shamed at losing control of her power and possibly hurting people as she rushed around, trying to apologize to everyone and make sure they were alright.  Reyna's power was coming through her voice as anyone in front of her when she was talking, would feel those emotions rolling through them in waves as the raven haired young woman bounced around from person to person to check on them and apologize.  She feared that she would be rejected by these people who were in a similar position as her of having their lives changed by gaining special powers.


OOC: Emotion Control: Fear Rank 7: embarrassed, anxious, shame.  This is all accidental and uncontrolled and no one is really in the effect long before she is moving toward another person, only roll if you want to. :)    Rolls are: a Reflex Roll to half the effect and then a Will Save.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:29, Sun 20 Nov 2022.

The doors didn’t budge, as though some great force was keeping them shut. “Reyna! It’s okay! Deep breaths, okay? Deeeep breaths. It’s super okay. Nobody’s mad.” Becca continued to follow Reyna with her arms outstretched, ready for the hug whenever Reyna was ready to give it.

As a firm believer in the Power of Friendship, Bex remained a bastion of positive vibes in the face of the emotional turmoil roiling from the startled woman. “This is why Plidinous Vogue is perfect as a spot. We’re totally okay. But you gotta breathe, okay? You gotta be here with us in the present. When I get stressed, I think about yoga and meditation and energy. You know? So just breathe with me. Can you do that with me?“

Whistler almost answered Reyna, but then she was already panicking her way over to the next casualty of her accidental power display. "Just a bump," she answered, probably too low for Reyna to hear over her ongoing damage control.

The vigilante twisted her arms back and planted her hands, then kipped up to her feet and started to brush dream dust off of her clothes. Funny, there wasn't dust visible anywhere in the office, let alone sparkly dust, but every pat seemed to produce a puff of glitter. The price of being in a dream.

Psychologically numb to fear and its ancillary emotions, Whistler wasn't even aware emotions were being manipulated while she watched Becca steadfastly pursue Reyna with a hug loaded in the chamber.

"All good, Geo?"

Geo had started towards the stunned Whistler but she was back to her feet before he'd gotten far.  He waved off the sound woman's paniced apologies with one sandy arm, unaffected (and unaware) by the roiling emotions she projected.  "Quite alright.  Accidents happen, right?  If I hadn't been given something of a heads up, I would have the same reaction.  If I could blow things up I mean," he added with a grinding chuckle.

Nodding to Whistle, he finished his slow walk.  "I seem to be unbothered.  And pretty sure that had more 'oomph' than the rock I tested on my foot," he added with a rough smile as his arms extended, 5, 10, 15 feet to start picking up and moving the debris, collecting it to a small pile.


OOC:

Not bothering with a reflex to something he can't even tell is coming!  Will just assume I fail that one given he can't make a reflex save to save his life even if he sees it coming.

Will - no problem!
07:09, Today: Secret Roll: Ryan Cardier rolled 20 using 1d20+6.  will

Turning around to face Daydreamer as the petite blonde approached her, speaking calmly and reassuringly.  Reyna nodded her head as the blonde asked her to focus on her breathing and that everything was alright.

"Right, breathe, I can do that," Reyna nodded as she closed her eyes and accepted the hug that Daydreamer was offering as she rested her forehead on the blonde's shoulder.  She took slow deep breaths as her singing teachers had taught her. "Are you sure that everything is alright?" She asked hesitantly as she focused on breathing, "Is Business Cat okay?" She was calming down as she accepted Daydreamer's comfortingly hug and words or reassurance combined with her deep breathing.  She looked over Daydreamer's shoulder to see the others moving around and interacting calmly with each other.  Her eyes widened in slight surprise as she watched Geo moving around and stretching out his limbs to gather up debris.

Pulling Reyna in tight, Bex rubbed Reyna's back.  "He'll be okay," she confirmed quietly.  "My friends are always okay.  Just like you now, Reyna.  It's gonna be alright.  Sometimes my friends have to rest in the Neverwas and pull themselves back together, but they always do!  Because friendship conquers all!"  She didn't try to pull back, nor was hers a death-grip hug.  Becca was willing to let Reyna control the intensity and the duration of the embrace, after the initial squeeze to start things off.

"Besides, it takes a lot more than that to make Plidinous Vogue have a tummy ache!"

Whistler wandered over to one of the beanbags which hadn't been utterly disembeaned by the sonic blast, dragged it back to the sitting area, and sat down into it with a little wince.

"Promise I'll help clean up, just resting my tailbone for a moment." Dani explained while she began to gently stretch out her hips and knees from a seated position.

"Had more oomph than the buckshot, too," she added, returning Geo's nod.

"You're fine.  Take a few."  Geo continued to pile up the debris as he looked around the odd office room.  Clearly Becca was some kind of crazy idealistic kid.  It was just a question if her crazy leaked out into reality or not.  Anything certainly seemed possible at this point.  "Ok, so, I have to ask.  Are these like imaginary friends or...?  Or maybe WERE, before all the power things?  Is the furniture the same or did you buy it at IKEA or something," he asked, his shifting sands sounding voice was curious as he tried to get a handle on everything.

Reyna relaxed as she accepted Daydreamer's hug and reassured her that Business Cat was alright as was her other friends.  The singer flushed as Daydreamer included her in that list. "Thanks, I still want to apologize to Business Cat when he comes back." She affirmed to the blonde as she pulled away after a solid minute of hugging. "And I insist on helping replace the furniture I destroyed," she nodded her head determinately.  Looking over to where Geo was grabbing up the debris.

She glanced around at Daydreamer, Whistler and Geo, "And once the show I am in starts, I will get you all tickets to see the first showing as part of my apology for blasting you all!" She volunteered excitedly, forgetting that she has been trying to keep her identity secret, but their acceptance of her has lowered her guard.

"I have no idea where the furniture is from, actually..." she admitted when Geo asked.  She relinquished Reyna when the other woman pulled back, and put a thumb against her own chin.

Hmmm.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Finally, she shrugged.  "It's okay!  We'll get it all fixed up.  And yeah, these are all my friends, Geo!  Everybody's my friend, I'm super lucky!"  The promise of a show made Bex happy, but she turned her keen eyes upon Whistler and--

"Oh no!  Are you okay?!  Do you need help?!"  She rushed over and knelt beside the beanbag Dani was sitting on.  "Do you need a doctor?"

Danielle leaned into the bean bag and got comfy, closing her eyes while the others chatted and hugged it out. It was remarkable how charming and friendly everyone she'd met so far was, even the gangster. Maybe comic books got it right, and paragons - branding - were, by nature, a pleasant bunch.

Or maybe Daydreamer was influencing more than they thought.

Or summoned them from her imagination.

...

Nah.

Whistler stuck her thumb up in the air when Reyna mentioned a show. "Sounds sick!" She answered the siren, cracking an eye to observe Geo fixing the place up. Then Becca was on her, and Dani shook her head with a gentle wave-off.

"That's sweet of you, Day, but I think I'm okay! I knocked my head on the floor but I don't think I have a concussion, just need to walk it off. Or sit it off, I guess. Point is, I've taken a lot of licks in my life; I'll be fine!"

"Oh, what show?," he asked curiously, out of reflex before he realized that people might want to hide who they were.  Well, Whistler didn't seem to care and he was doubting Becca cared either.  Was he just the odd one out here?  "I'm sorry; probably shouldn't have just asked that.  Regardless, congratulations on the show."  He nodded in agreement with Whisper.  "No harm, no foul.  Accidents happen and no real damage done it seems.  Well, except the furniture," he added with a gravelly chuckle.

"Okay...," Geo trailed off as she avoided the second part of the question.  Or perhaps just forgot or got distracted.  Both seemed feasible enough.  But it lead him to think that she could create life with her power.  Sure it was really weird and odd but it sure seemed like life to him.  "Do you mind if I fiddle with the debris?  Or do you think it'll fix itself or something?"

Reyna rushed over to check on Whistler at same time as Daydreamer, relaxing as the tall woman gave a thumbs up.  Geo did bring up an interesting question about where the furniture came from.  "Maybe Plidinous swallowed the furniture some time in the past and it ended up in here!"  Reyna suggested with a thoughtful look on her face and then pouted, "But wait, he came from the Neverwas," she frowned as she remembered Whistler mentioning Daydreamer's friends came from her imagination.  She followed up her thought with a question for Daydreamer, "Where is the Neverwas?"

She turned toward Geo, "Oh, it is just a modern adaptation of Phantom of the Opera.  The producer hopes it will take off and she has the experience for people in the industry to listen to her, so could propel me to stardom." She gave the others a big smile of hopefulness.

"umm... Geo, you don't have to answer this, but are you always like that now," Reyna asked cautiously as she realized that what she thought was a man was staying in sand form.

"As long as you're sure," Becca replied with a quick pat on the wrist.  Standing up, Bex gave Geo a thumbs up!  "Fiddle away!  It'll all fix itself, because my friends'll fix it!  Don't worry about it at all!"  Beaming she listened to Reyna's question before leaning in and tapping her temple.

"The Neverwas is alllll up in here," she confided with a wink.  "My mom taught me about positive signaling and how to put the right vibes and energy out into the world, so that you could get the right energy back.  And so I did that but with my imagination, because my dad died before I was born and I never knew him so I was like, what was he like?  So I was trying to imagine him and my friends were there, and they helped me not to feel sad, and I haven't felt sad since.  So that's where we are!"

Because that explanation?  Made perfect sense.  Definitely.  Bex nodded solemnly, while Chef Rumblesteak took out a tray of kale chips from him tum and started offering them around.  There was a tiny sound of scratching behind one of the doors.

"Phantom is a pretty good show!" was Whistler's deeply substantive contribution to the discussion of Reyna's show. To Becca's explanation of the Neverwas and her worldview, all Danielle could manage was very theatrically sneaking two kale chips instead of one off of the Chef's tray.

"It's... Really cool that your friends have been there for you for so long,” she finally tossed in. "Is it strange for you now that other people can see and speak with them?"

Picking up a broken table leg, he rotated it in his hands for a bit as he looked back at Reyna.  "Guessing you're a singer?  Makes sense with your power I suppose.  I wonder if that's true of a lot of us?  Our power just enhances what we already were or liked or were good at?," he mused aloud.  "While mine had nothing to do with my life or preferences, it certainly seems true of you and Whistler.  Becca too maybe."

He concentrated on the material, seeing if he could change it...

"No, I can shift forms.  Like so," he said, the sand and loose particulates he was made up of pulled together and tightened up, solidify and darkening.  A few blinks later he was a hulking stone figure.  Now his voice really did sound like grinding rocks.  "I am much stronger like this.  Tougher.  Heavier too.  But a bit slower," his bulky shoulders shrugged before things started to break apart as he turned back to sand/dirt/particulate matter.

"But if you mean can I look normal, like a regular person?  Yes.  A good chunk of my powers don't work unless I am changed so it's kind of safer.  But...mainly, and I mean no offense by this, it because...well, I don't know who to trust or IF I can trust people with what I look like.  I have family and friends who know nothing of this stuff.  They're regular people.  And I wasn't careful enough.  Before I ever made those pillars, just like some others on the text, someone sent pictures of me using my abilities.  Pictures that should have been impossible to take without powers.  No note, no blackmail but it sure as hell had the feel of a threat behind it.  So, now, I'm being extra careful.  I don't know how else to keep people safe except hide any connection.  Sorry.  I just don't know what else to do," he said with an apologetic half shrug.


OOC:
I have transformation (only non-organic) but I have no idea if it works on summoned stuff...

Yep, he's worried and untrusting of people he just met 10 mins ago. ;)  More than welcome to convince him otherwise!

Reyna nodded thoughtfully as Daydreamer explained Neverwas and how she called her friends, "That makes complete sense and I still don't know where we are," the petite raven haired singer said with a smile at Daydreamer. She hugged Daydreamer, "I am sorry for your loss, losing a parent must be so hard.  I am glad your friends are here and now we are here as well."

Smiling she accepts a Kale chip from Chef, "Thank you Chef," she replied politely as she bite into the chip, appreciating its flavor.

"It is a good show," Reyna smiled at Whistler, "I am really enjoying being in it!  We are still rehearsing, but we are scheduled to start in February."

As Geo mentioned his hesitation to reveal himself, Reyna was reminded of her initial hesitation to reveal herself. "I understand completely, Geo." Then she realized she had properly greeted Geo and stuck out her hand, "Hello Geo.  I am Reyna.  It is a pleasure to meet you." When Geo revealed that he was responsible for the pillars, Reyna's eyes go wide, "Oh, you created all the pillars?  I put contact information in the pillar at Lakeshore Park.  And then a guy approached me and started asking all kinds of questions about powers and I got creeped out a little bit.  So I didn't share any personal information with him, but he also put a note into the pillar because I convinced him that he should just make the leap.  And I didn't reveal anything until Daydreamer brought me here which is very private and I got to meet others with powers as well.  I apologize for screaming again, I got surprised and it just came out. So I understand and support your caution about revealing anything personal about yourself."  Reyna displayed her breath control as she got that all out without taking a breath between any of the sentences.

Was it strange for other people to see her friends now?  "I don't really know," Rebecca answered with a shrug.  "I guess?  They used to just be my friends, but now they can be everybody's friends, and that's... like... exclusively good.  So I'm really happy about that!  So I think it's not strange that people can play with my friends now.  I think it's just a good thing."  She punctuated the thought with a nod and a smile.  Ryan picked up pieces of furniture and converted it freely.  Whatever strangeness was going on, apparently the furniture was Real for a given value of Real.

"That's okay!" she added, nodding to Geo.  "Sometimes people don't wanna share.  That's okay.  It's important to push your own boundaries but you have to do it in a healthy way, because if you don't set any boundaries for yourself then you might end up in a really bad situation!  Like one time I was trying to bend way too far and I pulled my back and I couldn't walk properly and my mom thought I'd broken my spine but I was okay but it was scary."

Exactly the same situation.  1:1.

Rebecca got up and moved towards Geo.  "But if it's any help... you're safe here.  Plidinous isn't gonna let anybody hurt you or something.  Okay?  All of my friends are here to keep people safe.  It's why I invited Reyna in here in the first place.  So you take your time.  Okay?"  She offered him a hug.

Reyna's comment about losing her dad earned a little bit of a shrug.  "He died before I was born, so I never really knew him.  I don't know what it's like to not be in that situation so it's hard to, like, rationalize what the differences are or how I was impacted.  You know?  Like... if you know option 1 and option 2 then you can sorta compare and contrast, but if you only have option 1, it's like... well, how do I even figure out what's up?  You know?"

Whistler munched on her kale chips and listened politely to the others' conversation. It was heavy subject matter, the issues of identity and loss. Becca may have been one of the best-adjusted people she'd ever met, but Dani wondered if she would still think that of the denizens of the Neverwas were still limited to the teenager's imagination.

"That's really wise, Day," she commended the young reality warper on... All points, really. "Usually people spend a lot of time talking to someone with a degree to reach that sort of introspection. And even then...

"Great chips, Chef!" She added to the felt colossus and his oventum.

Geo offered a sandy smile and a nod to Becca.  "As I said and I mean no offense.  But like my dad used to tell me, 'trust is easy to loose but hard to earn'.  Everyone seems like good folks but I just met you guys like 15 minutes ago, mostly," he added with a concession towards Whistler.  "I'll help however I can.  Just not sure I'm ready to show that part of me yet," he added with a rippled shrug of his shoulders.

The piece of scrap metal changed color to a dull copper in his hand and smoothed out to look like a length of pipe.  "A way I use to make a little money that's near untraceable.  Scrapyards buy copper by the pound and no one looks twice," he remarked absently before dropping the copper pipe onto the scrap pile.

"It's nice to meet you Reyna," he said, returning the handshake.  His hand shifted and smoothed out, becoming less rough and grating to the touch.  "I did indeed, though it took me a while before I made the decision too."  He tilted his head slightly at her.  "You did?  And I didn't reply?  I could have sworn I responded to everyone with a legitimate contact.  What contact information did you give," he asked curiously.  "I suppose I could have missed it," he admitted.  "There are a lot of bogus letters or news agencies and the like and who knows how many that didn't leave me a way to contact them," Geo remarked, just shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it.  And as I said, it's not because of me that I'm being cautious.  I don't particularly worry about myself.  Hell, if it wasn't for needing to be with other people and such, I wouldn't need anything I guess.  My powers make it so I don't really need anything," he said, voice sarcastic and tinged with a bit of feeling.

A short woman in a long blue down jacket, jeans, boots, and a knit hat walks through the doors and into the space.  She makes it a few steps in before pausing, taking in the scene.  There is a sense that she's not finding what she's looking for.  "Umm... hi, I'm Jess," she says with a small wave.

---

Yet again, despite a lack of expectations, Jessica still finds herself surprised at what awaits her behind the door.  An office with bean bags is surreal enough, but the area of destroyed furniture is rather incongruous.  The three young women seem normal enough, though the humanoid mass of sand is different.  And she doesn't really recognize any of them.  Not that she would really recognize anyone other than Karl Brennan.  It's hard not to notice someone looking and acting the part of a real-life Superman.

In any case, she should probably introduce herself.

Okay, that was pretty lame.  Hopefully no one will draw attention to it.

Reyna nodded thoughtfully at what Daydreamer shared, "That is true." She was glad the blonde was very accepting of her lost. She had meet someone in a similar circumstance who had let bitterness eat them with dwelling on the 'what ifs'. She smiled and hugged Daydreamer again, "I am glad to be meeting you, Daydreamer."

After shaking hands with Geo, finding shaking his hand to be a strange, but pleasant sensation as the sand his body was made of moved against her skin, like letting sand slide off your skin . "Huh, I left an email address?"  She tilted her head curiously, getting a an uneasy foreboding.  She listed off her anonymous email to Geo to see if he recognized it.

She nodded in agreement with Whistler about the Kale Chips, "They are great, Chef!  Thank you for sharing them with us."

She turned as she heard another voice from the door, "Oh, hello Jess. It is a pleasure to meet you." Reyna immediately stepped towards the woman and extending her hand in greeting, "I am Reyna and I just got here today as well."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:34, Fri 02 Dec 2022.

Rebecca remained with open arms towards Geo, because that hug was a-comin'.  Oh lawd, it was a-comin'.

The kind words from Whistler earned her a big Rebecca smile, which was like all of the other smiles except this one?  Well, it was big.  "I just talk with the Burblemeister, mostly.  He's really smart.  But he doesn't let me do things sometimes, 'cause he says they're dangerous.  Captain--"

Looking around conspiratorially, Bex leaned in.  "Captain Shoecannon thinks the Burblemeister gets right persnicked, and I don't actually know what that means, but I think it's a bad word."  The look to punctuate the thought was... a lot of eyebrow work and eye widening.  A little bit of a grimace thrown in to really underscore it.  From behind, Chef Rumblesteak produced a "kerberble", which in this case meant it is my pleasure to provide them.  Rebecca believes in healthy snacking, and I aim to please!

Geo's hug was taken by Reyna, but the great thing about hugs was, they were infinite.  She wiggled a little in Reyna's arms before waving to Jess!  "Hi Jess!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:10, Wed 30 Nov 2022.