video;

[ragefeathers]

First of all ████ this shit.

[ Mackenzie Haynes is one very unhappy looking young woman. She is dressed in the typical new hire garment and she glares at the camera on her device like she might be able to burn a hole in it. That changes to an almost unhinged level of outrage when she realizes that the application is bleeping out her curse word. ]

What the ████?

Why can't I say ████?

So not only did I get ████ing kidnapped, I can't even cuss about it? This is bull████.

Comments

[credit_not_blame]

There's something running around here that's maimed almost half a dozen people and murdered a few more, and we've got some real tough cookies on that list.

Also, you probably got messed with on your way here from where ever you came from, so you may be less invulnerable than you expect.

[ragefeathers]

Well, bless your heart. It'll takes more than some psycho from a slasher flick to do me in. Trust me.

[ A grin that says 'I am exceedingly confident in my ability to either do or receive damage. Possibly both.' ]

[credit_not_blame]

Yeah, but you look young enough that the Easter Bunny will be upset if you get maimed, even if you can walk off being disemboweled.

[That cocky attitude does make her homesick, though.]

I'm Stacia. What's your name, or should I take a squint at your name tag and make a guess?

[ragefeathers]

Kenzie. And uh, ████ that. I'm not some kid. Sweet ████ing Mother, I don't look like that much of a baby do I?

[ She squints at the display, as if the communicator might tell her the answer. ]

And I mean, I've walked off being disemboweled before.

[credit_not_blame]

You just got your butt dropped into an alternate universe and you think that the Easter Bunny is a step too far? Really?

[Well hey, that sounds like there's someone else here with speed-healing. That could come in handy.]

Congratulations. I can too, but I prefer not to get disemboweled in the first place. I like my insides to stay inside, like agoraphobic nuns.

[ragefeathers]

Easter Bunny is made up, like Santa Claus and the ████ing Tooth Fairy. Am I supposed to believe that these guys hijacked the ████ing Easter Bunny to keep them supplied with hard boiled eggs and chocolate?

[ Scoff. Kenzie smirks. ]

Well good for you, but you don't get ████ done without a bit of risk.

[tarnishedavenger]

Mm? Oh, Santa's real enough. Every now and then he asks for some superhero team or other to help him deliver presents, especially if there's been trouble.

[ragefeathers]

This is some coordinated ████ to ████ with the fresh meat, isn't it?

████ you.

[credit_not_blame]

Welcome to the post-apocalypse, where everything's made up and what you know doesn't matter. Why wouldn't they hijack the Easter Bunny if they were given an opportunity?

[Eye. Roll.]

Yes, yes, you're very tough and very strong and very butch, and we are all so impressed. Surely you will lead us out of bondage with your ability to not die. Is that what you're looking for?

[ragefeathers]

'Cause the Easter Bunny's made up bull████ for corporations to sell more chocolate made harvested by slave labor.

[ Mackenzie says flatly, unimpressed. ]

Not looking for your ████ing approval. Just letting you know that I can handle myself and that I'm not some ████ing coward who's gonna tuck her tail between her legs and scurry off first sign of trouble.

[video]

[bringinghopewithme]

Ahem. My labor's totally voluntary and I'm the only one doing it, if that makes you feel better.

Re: [video]

[ragefeathers]

[ Mackenzie might be more gobsmacked if she weren't use to spirits being a thing. She's just never heard of the Easter Bunny having one before. Still, this response throws her for a loop for a moment. ]

Sweet Mother Gaia. You actually the ████ing Easter Bunny?

Re: [video]

[credit_not_blame]

Told you.

['Mother Gaia', huh? Interesting.]

[video]

[bringinghopewithme]

Well it's only the best job there is, but somebody's gotta do it.

That said - dunno if you've gotten a chance to test everything out since arrival, but coming here did away with a lot of my powers. If you're going to be risking disembowelment while someone's disemboweling kids, do yourself a favor and check if you still got all your powers intact.

[obviously this one's going to chafe under supervision, but Bunny is half determined already to track her down and keep a distant eye in case she does decide that the buddy system doesn't apply to her.]

And while I've got your attention - any food allergies, is chocolate safe for you to eat, and what's your favorite fruit?

Re: [video]

[ragefeathers]

[ This is the weirdest shit she's seen in a while and Kenzie has seen some weird shit. ]

I'm not a kid. I'm twenty-two. So maybe get your eyes checked before you start handing out advice, Peter Rabbit.

[ Glare. She's prickly and angry, radiating a primal anger in all directions. ]

No, yes, and I dunno oranges?

[video]

[bringinghopewithme]

Hmmmm.

[He appears to consider this reaponse to his well seasoned advice.]

Nah.

I'll grow a bonsai orange tomorrow though.

[credit_not_blame]

Maybe where you're from, sure. But there's an Easter Bunny here, and he grows a lot of the food, and he's pretty cool.

[She's going to enjoy watching Kenzie eat her words.]

Great, I'm glad you can handle yourself and that you're not a coward, because we're going to need your help stopping this thing before it hurts anyone else. But we can't do that if you're laid up recovering from being strangled with your own intestines before you were dropped down an elevator shaft, so if you could accept that I'm trying to give you necessary information, that'd be fabulous. 'Kay?

[ragefeathers]

[ There's a deep breath from Mackenzie. She closes her eyes. Focuses. She's clearly trying to pull something back instead of just... saying the first shit that comes to mind. It is a visible effort. ]

Okay. Yeah. Fine. I'm just really ████ing pissed right now. I was going through some ████ right before I got here, yeah? I get it. I get it, you're being 'helpful' and ████.

[ Dial back the Rage. Try and focus. Bitching out someone trying to help isn't likely to go great. On the other hand, she really just wants to vent her anger. For now, she manages to contain it. ]

[credit_not_blame]

[Okay, Kenzie's trying. That means Stacia should try too. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, forcing herself to unclench her muscles. When she opens her mouth, she makes sure to modulate her tone so that she's less bitchy and sarcastic and more understanding.]

Yeah, I get that. They had to knock me all the way out when they demonstrated the shock collar, because I completely lost my shit. If you want, we could hit the gym and spar for a bit. Work off some of your very reasonable aggravation and my chronic case of cranky jerk.

[And see how much of her healing she's kept hold of through the walls of the universe or whatever.]

[ragefeathers]

A work-out sounds really good right now. Like, exactly the ████ I need to not lose my ████ kind of good.

[ An exhale, sharp and uncertain. ]

Just. I don't wanna hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it.

[ Read: I don't want to hurt you. For all her bravado and pugnacious assholishness, Kenzie is not the kind of woman who wants to hurt someone who doesn't deserve it. ]

[credit_not_blame]

[This time, it's Stacia's turn to grin with all her teeth.]

I'm harder to hurt than I look.

But seriously, don't disembowel me. Bikini season is unforgiving enough as it is, and I've already got a scar I can't explain to my parents.

[ragefeathers]

[ Let zie let's out a sharp bark of laughter. ]

I'm already out of the running for bikini season, unfortunately. See you there.

[ That said, she shuts off the video feed, then heads for the training-slash-work out space to locate her hostess. ]

comms --> action

[credit_not_blame]

[Her hostess is already there when Kenzie arrives -- mostly because Stacia had been in the gym when Kenzie had introduced herself to the crew. Her jumpsuit is even more ill-fitting in person, but depending on how closely Kenzie look, she might see something familiar reflected back at her.]

Hey, you made it! This place can be a pain in the ass to navigate early on.

Re: comms --> action

[ragefeathers]

It makes my skin crawl is what it does.

[ Kenzie grumbles, staring around the training area. This place just feels weird and she doesn't like it at all. She goes into a couple stretches, her attention refocused on Stacia. ]

I feel kinda bad if I'm just gonna beat up a kid.

Re: comms --> action

[credit_not_blame]

Yeah, that doesn't go away, but it gets easier to find your way around eventually.

[She smiles sweetly but it doesn't reach her eyes, which are simply assessing Kenzie's movements.]

If it helps, a portion of my hand-to-hand training is built around taking advantage of that impulse. So, what's your story? Most people would at least ask a few questions before asserting that they're safe from whatever's stalking the halls.