006: Group Introductions and AMAs - Second Round

[tarnishedavenger]

[Armstrong hates to do this after so many people have introduced themselves in locked channels, but they at least need to put on a show of meeting for Jorgmund's sake.]

So, we've got a few new people here since the last time we did something like this. Time to get introductions done and over with. Just list your name, powers, if any, relevant facts, and, if you feel like it, answer reasonable questions that people have. We'll be able to function together more effectively if we know more about each other. Keep it sensible and try not to wheedle out any dark secrets.

Or, you know, old people can tell people why Taco Tuesday is the best.

Comments

[tarnishedavenger]

As last time, my name's Kevin Armstrong. I'll answer to Kevin, Armstrong, Captain Armstrong, or VIPER-X. Formerly I was a Silver Avenger, one of the guys who kept supervillains and superheroes in line. The political situation got to be... not to my liking, so I joined VIPER, a private organization dedicated to bettering the world. I've been with them on and off since 1992, and it's 2010 in my world.

I've got about twenty-five years of experience fighting just about anything you can think of. If I haven't done it personally, I've heard of someone else dealing with it. Dimensional conquerers, gods, ghosts, insane robots, whatever. I can fight with a blade, my bare hands, and just about any ranged weapon you hand me, though I prefer a sonic rifle and a jetpack.

I don't really like to brag, but I'll answer any questions you have for me. And, yes, I'm one of the guys who teaches various forms of combat here in the Rig.

[bringinghopewithme]

I'm gonna need your opinion on nougat.

[hallelujahjunction]

Hi. [Dan pops up on the screen, smiling and waving all friendly-like, sounding, as usual, like an extra from Deliverance with MRSA.]

I’m Dan Sagittarius, and even though back home I gig as a monster-hunter, I want to make sure all the non-humans on this channel know that it was never in the bigoted way or nothing. We’re all people here, far as I’m concerned. If anyone’s got concerns about me on account of the job or anything else, I’m plenty receptive to criticism or just leaving you alone, promise.

I got nothing in the way of powers but I’m great at holding my liquor and small talk.

[video]

[bringinghopewithme]

Hey - crunchy or smooth peanut butter? This is important. Don't leave me hangin.

[walkingballpit]

List:
Your name
Relevant facts
Answer reasonable questions

Done!

[swap to video]

[walkingballpit]

No, really, hi. I’m Robbie - or Speedball. Just not Robert.

Ask me anything, and I’ll answer almost anything.

[just_rogue]

[ And she looks like the last time she had to do anything like this was grade school. But the skunk streaked brunette gives a wave. ]

Hi. Name's Rogue, just that. Feel like it's pretty safe ta say Ah'm a mutant cause folks here don't seem ta care much. Been a teacher, a leader, a fighter, an not so proud ta say when Ah was young Ah did some bad things that hurt people. Just gonna keep trying ta make that right.

Spent mah adult life trying ta help people so ah guess if you have questions or need something, let me know.

[valkywhee]

What's a mutant?

[Previous Nora hits: "What's a vampire?" and "What's middle school?"]

Video

[scavengineer]

Hi there, I'm Gadget. And yes, I am a mouse. I'm also an inventor and pilot. In addition, I'm a founding member of the Rescue Rangers, which is a small club of do-gooders dedicated to helping animals and humans alike.

Video

[just_rogue]

Sounds like mah kinda people, nice ta meetcha Gadget. Ah'm Rogue an from a similar sort a group mahself.

Video

[vampthropologist]

[A tale, pale man, long dark hair, tinted glasses, wearing a jumpsuit that only comes down to about his forearms and barely contains his shoulders. And he's not especially large. He laces his fingers together, and you see the that fingers are hard, black, and curved, like dogs' nails. Then he hides his hands quickly below screen.]

My name is Beckett. I'm a vampire; specifically I'm of clan Gangrel, if that means anything to anyone here. I'm about three hundred years old, and a scholar. Other then that, nothing terribly interesting.

[aleifr]

Three hundred.

[Not outside of the realm of possibility if magic is in play, as far as Aleifr understands it, but he's still skeptical.]

[valkywhee]

[Nora is very slightly built and looks even younger than her actual late-teens age.]

My name's Nora Valkyrie and I'm a Huntress. I'm from a place called Remnant that has these monsters called Grimm, and I kill them professionally. Everyone on Remnant has Aura, which I'm not used to explaining, but it's like the physical manifestation of your soul and can do things like protect and heal you. Huntsmen and Huntresses don't get hurt until their Aura breaks.

I also know my Semblance, which is kind of a special Aura talent. Everybody has a different one. Mine lets me absorb electricity and channel it to my muscles, so if anyone's got lightning powers, we should team up.

[bringinghopewithme]

This is important. Do you have a favorite fruit?

[video]

[credit_not_blame]

[Presenting: one small pale brunette teenager. Stacia tosses her hair back over her shoulder and waggles her fingers in greeting.]

Hi, I'm Stacia. If you see a bipedal wolf-monster around on a mission or during training, that's me. Do not shoot me, I will hold a grudge. Also, the Easter Bunny will probably do something terrible to you, because he rightly thinks that I'm adorable.

That said, go on and ask me any questions you have!

[greyerrant]

Have you been genehanced in some way to have access to this transformation?

[greyaria]

I'm Dr. Emily Grey. I'm an internist, surgeon, and psychiatrist. My specialties are trauma and neurosurgery, including cybernetics. Since my home world's been at war for years, I've gotten a lot of practice. Ha!

[She's fine. Everything is fine. Her relentless perkiness is completely normal and not some weird form of trauma reaction.]

I'm also probably the only person here who speaks Sangheili, but if that ever comes up, we've got problems. Violent expansionist dinosaur problems.

[greyerrant]

Xenos? Tell me of their tactics.

AUDIO

[71lines]

smrfn tt. knha.

flibrtgibbit.

[Soft snoring noises follow.]

[aleifr]

[Aleifr doesn't say anything. He just slowly arches an eyebrow, sighs, and sends Grey a text to look in on her patient.]

video

[parannoyed]

[As if the blond soldier hadn't already made a bit of an impression in his locked post, he comments here.]

[His skepticism helps sell that this may be his first exposure to the network.]

Agent Washington, hi, so we're...

We're playing party games?

We do that here? That's a thing?

[greyaria]

Everybody, this is Agent Washington. He's extremely physically fit and a veteran of the Great War. He's highly skilled at marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, small unit tactics, and everything else you'd expect from a special forces soldier. He's a strong leader and a superb-team builder, and has a knack for surviving unsurvivable things.

He also loves cats!

[She's helping!]

[aleifr]

I am Aleifr, son of Bjorn, hersir of the Ascommani. Should any of that mean anything to you, I'll be surprised. So far, seems like home's as far from this place as a place can be.

[A momentary silence from the gruff blonde with piercing, ice-blue eyes, followed by an annoyed sigh.]

Ask your questions, if you've got them.

[greyerrant]

You're from Fenris, aren't you?

Video

[garmr]

Why’re we doin’ this again?

[at least he figured out how to do video, this time]

[aleifr]

Fuck if I know.

[greyerrant]

I'm Garviel Loken. That name is sufficient for now, as my title and rank mean nothing here. I was part of the greatest endeavor humanity cast out into the stars, to bring enlightenment into the darkest of places, and return a once-enslaved and superstitious humanity into a secular place as the dominant force of the Galaxy. We were betrayed, and I have spent the last 7 years fighting against my companions to save the dream of the Imperium. Because of this I do not trust sorcery or magic of any sort, as it was the cause of our downfall.

I can fight, with bolter, blade, or other more esoteric weapons if required.

I have been gene-crafted to be incredibly durable and strong, though my strength and toughness are somewhat diminished in this place, and I have been augmented to interface with my powered armor, which has also made the journey with me, though similarly weakened by whatever method they were brought here.

I have spent about 50 years in a command role, and another 100 during the great crusade fighting all enemies of humanity.

Feel free to askme questions.

[garmr]

You're looking pretty damned good for your age. Never would've guessed you'd be pushing a hundred fifty.

[video]

[bringinghopewithme]

[Neat, this again.]

I'm the Easter Bunny. I grow your food. Ask me anything.

[hot_dad]

[Objectively speaking, a giant rabbit isn't the strangest thing he's ever heard of, even if Easter is just some weird human holiday to him. So he'll bite.]

What kind of food?

[hot_dad]

[He can do this. He literally just managed a Zoom call the other week (admittedly with a bit of help). It takes a while, but he eventually figures out how to get the communicator to do what he wants.

(He holds off on actually jumping in for a bit, though. First he looks through everyone else's conversations, because wow that's a lot of handy info just being laid right out there, and then he finds the previous post mentioned and looks through all that too. Never let it be said that he doesn't do his research.)

Anyway. Eventually he gets a video going. He's an attractive guy who looks maybe in his mid-twenties, frowning at the comm for a moment as he makes sure it's actually working.]

Okay. Take two, because I'm pretty sure I just spent a few minutes talking to myself without it even recording.

[He's doing his best.]

I'm Rune. [A beat of hesitation, before adding:] Rune Saint John. I do odd jobs. Private investigations and mercenary gigs, mostly. I work in New Atlantis, when not being kidnapped to post-apocalyptic hellscapes. Let me know if you've ever been, because apparently it doesn't even exist for some people.

[That whole "alternate worlds" thing, which feels more and more real as he sees people casually talking about the ones they came from. Wild.]

I've got firepower of the magic variety, should it be needed.

[walkingballpit]

[ Robbie heard ‘Atlantis’ and stopped on a dime. ]

What happened to old Atlantis?

[wheyoftheadept]

eeeeeey yo chummers what's up, it's ya girl, Saturday. im an elf from Seattle, Redtown to be precise. I punch things really good and don't friggin' ask me about cosmic horrors. thats about it

[bringinghopewithme]

Should I candy roses or violets next?

video

[zerofield]

I would like to make it clear that being thrown into that alien mission is the worst welcome party I have ever received from any organization, and that includes the CSPD sending us to rescue ungrateful children from monsters in the sewers.

[ This is coming from a petite girl of about fifteen. Tio, you are the children. ]

My name is Tio Plato. I'm a researcher working on the Epstein Foundation's orbal network project, which as far as I have thus far determined, would translate in this world's terms to something along the lines of "we're inventing the internet." They took my combat orbment, so I don't think I can do as much here. I do still seem to be able to shield against really big kabooms, however.

I hope it will be a pleasure to work with you all.

[ She is remarkably deadpan about delivering this entire speech, and then nods to everyone and gives an incredibly deadpan "OK" sign. ]

[fromfryingpantofire]

I did this last time, but I may as well throw up a new one. Lots of new folks around, after all.

I'm Sam Winchester. Back home, I'm what's known as a Hunter. Basically, we go around and deal with the things that go bump in the night that are actively threatening those around them. Actively hunting and killing, usually.

I'm also, as my brother likes to call it, a "walking encyclopedia of weirdness". Which mostly means I do a lot of research into the strangeness of my world. It means I know a lot about the things that we hunt and even some things that may not actually exist in our world. But if you need a hand with something odd, I'm a good guy to find.

Yes, I know about Stacia and Kevin. They're fine. I don't hunt anything that isn't posing an actual threat to us.

Also, if you want to learn to shoot or maybe some knife fighting, I'm willing to work with people on that, too.

[just_rogue]

So you go 'round huntin' things that are a threat? How exactly do you define something that different as bein' a threat versus just livin'?

[thewholeofthemoon]

[It takes a few minutes because Remus still isn't very good with all this technology. Which has less to do with him being a wizard and more to do with the fact that it's 1982 where he's from.]

[Which is why it comes on upside down before Remus notices and rights it.]

Oh, right. There we go.

My name is Remus Lupin. Wizard. Also a werewolf, though a different kind from Stacia. Parallel worlds are like that. I'm the kind that only changes on the full moon. And my magic is somewhat more limited than I'm used to, but if you have something small you need fixed, I can manage that.

I'll be honest, I'm not really certain what more to say here.

[just_rogue]

What's it like to do magic? Is it all books an spells or do ya feel it? Ah always wondered.

[kingofneworleans]

[Remy currently has some shades on. Because cameras don't always like his eyes and pretty much everybody else is doing video. Sure, he could go audio, but meh.]

Well, since I ain't done this before.

Name's Remy LeBeau, but I also go by Gambit. Like Rogue, I'm a mutant. Dif'rent power set, though. From New Orleans, but I been livin' in New York for de past few years. Been t'rough de en' of de world a few times back home. Dis sorta t'ing is jus' in a day's work.

Ask whatever you want. I'll tell you if I ain't up for answerin'.

[just_rogue]

Two questions if ya please, Mistah Lebeau.

Do ya have dinner plans? An how'd ya get so darn handsome anyway?

video; Theta appearance and dialog in purple

[bothbarrels]

Hi, everyone. You can call me North, which is an old codename of mine, or you can call me by my actual name, Andrew. No nicknames, though, please. I am not "Andy" or "Drew".

I also have a friend who came with me here! He’s an AI named Theta.

[ Theta appears on the video but shyly tilts his head. In appearance, he seems to be in some kind of armor, but he also has the proportions of a child of about 10. His colors are magenta and purple.

North nods a little before Theta speaks. ]

Hi.[ Theta's speaking voice is also childish, and he sounds a bit nervous. ] I'm Theta. I like puppies and fireworks. Oh, and skateboarding. That's a lot of fun.

You also like math. Don't leave that out.

Oh, yeah. And math. If you need some advanced algebra done, I can help.

[ North nods with a smile. ]

I don't have any powers, per se, though I am a crack shot and a good sniper. I like talking, reading, and playing card games.

And now this is starting to feel like I'm doing a dating ad or something so I'm going to leave it at that.

Video

[walkingballpit]

Hey North. Hi Theta!

[ There’s a definite familiarity, but Robbie’s learned a lesson with Wash just showing up. He isn’t about to assume it’s the “right” Freelancer as the Agent North Dakota, so he leaves out the introduction to see if they ask for his name. Très sly. ]

You should show us all a trick.

And it’s totally a dating ad. You’ve got an A.I. talking about puppies and fireworks. We’re talking long walks on the beach levels of swiping right.

[humandroid]

My name is Data. I am a science officer aboard a Starfleet vessel, in service of the United Federation of Planets. I understand if none of you are familiar with the Federation. Given the scope of even one universe or dimension alone, it is statistically unlikely.

I am an android. A synthetic being. I possess abilities which often exceed the abilities of organic life forms. They have always been incorporated into my programming and construction, but in a way, I suppose they could be considered 'powers'. I am able to explain my advantages and shortcomings in detail as needed.

I am also amenable to pursuing bonds of friendship during our time with Jorgmund. We share in adversities simply by being here. That is not insignificant.

[ Yes being down with friendship is a relevant fact. Mathematically. ]

video; Theta appearance and dialog in purple

[bothbarrels]

Hi, Data! I'm North and this is Theta. He'd really like to talk to you, if that's okay.

[ He gestures at the small hologram to his side. It's magenta and purple, and appears to be the image of a small boy in some kind of armor. ]

You are an AI, too, right?

[fuckcable]

[ Ignoring all of the instructions about what should be shared in this AMA as well as the basic meaning of Ask Me Anything, Ric turns on the video strictly for the purpose of asking what he wants to know in this moment.

The feed doesn't give away much. Brown hair, mid-twenties, and the shoulders of the ever-present Jorgmund-issued clothing in front of a wall that could be anywhere, unless you're exceptionally good at identifying certain rivets. He speaks American English without any hesitation, but there's a faint accent lurking around the th's and that last syllable of impression. ]

I got the impression they weren't too fond of questions.

[ It's an implied question. The 'why the hell are you doing this is in the spaces between the words. ]

[kingofneworleans]

[Well, at least THIS one is familiar. Remy's still got the shades he cadged from somewhere, but that's probably about as familiar to Julio as anything else about the man.]

[And while he speaks American English? Well, Remy's always had his own way about the language.]

Mais oui. 'Course dey ain't. Not questions 'bout demselves, anyway. We wanna ask questions 'bout each ot'er? Reckon dey don' give two monkeys 'bout dat.

Bonjour, Rictor.

[takenalive]

Would you believe that the first time this came around I forgot that I'm not already known here?

I am War-Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. A war-prince is a military rank of a certain renown and distinction, which in my case was partially earned and partially propaganda. By my own actions I was disgraced, so maybe don't rely on me for decision making.

I have also been a slave for twenty-four years as they are measured on Earth. I can't say that hasn't affected me profoundly. A human freed me. In his absence I owe humanity.

As an Andalite I have four eyes, four hooves, two hands, and a tailblade. My people's technology also allows me to temporarily assume the bodies of certain creatures whose DNA I have copied, most markedly a human woman and a bird from my homeworld.

Apparently my translation chip has broken at long last, but I can still make myself understood to anything that has language.