001: Group Introductions - TEXT

[tarnishedavenger]

[During a lull in the party, Armstrong taps out a quick message to the network. Not that private one, he doesn't trust it. They can answer whenever they like, so long as he gets an answer. The trick would be wording it.]

So, we're all in this for now. You've had your welcome cake, but you can't meet everyone in a party, no matter how hard you try. But, since we've all been encouraged to sign up with Jorgmund, I figured now would be a good time to get some introductions done. Talk about any specialties we might have.

Share information that we feel comfortable sharing. This isn't to pressure anyone or to force out any dark secrets.

[Not where watchful eyes can see, at least.]

Besides, I prefer doing this to making a cute information sharing game.

So, please, make your own threads within this post to keep everything organized.

Comments

ama - video

[googledox]

[For once, he actually feels like he can participate in one of these. The Legionnaires from other dimensions that had been trapped in his universe had responded to the public in question and answer format like this, feeling that it was a positive way to interact with the citizenry. But Brainy hadn't been...the most popular at the time. At least until the lost Legionnaires were found and he was no longer blamed for their disappearance.]

[Opening himself up to commentary would've been disastrous, disruptive to his friends' conversations with others, and...painful.]

[It's different here. They're all in this together, he's not being blamed for something he didn't od.]

[Despite that, he's hesitant. Protecting himself from exposure to the world is a hard instinct to shake.]

[But the hesitation doesn't show on his face when the green-skinned alien finally posts. He looks sure of himself. A little dinged up due to the bruise on his cheek and split lip scabbed over with a green scab. But sure of himself.]

[He has his comm set up on its stand and his hands casually steepled. His expression is a little more severe than his actual mood but sometimes his intensity is a bit like a firehouse, very hard to control or turn off.]

[The situation is unpleasant and his one shot at lab access was a bust because said lab was total nass. The situation is intense so he's intense.]

I am Brainiac 5, and though some might say otherwise, I am primarily responsible for the continued existence of my superhero team back at home, the Legion of Superheroes.

Since the topic of capabilities has been raised, I suppose I should give my own.

My species is noted for its superintelligence, which is measured with a 10 level scale. I am a 12th level intellect, accomplished in most scientific disciplines - not counting the [deep shudder] social sciences, of course. However, my greatest areas of strength are in mechanical engineering and theoretical physics.

I look forward to potentially collaborating with the other scientists in residence, especially since my initial attempt to use the labs here to devise a means to disable the shock collars has left me banned from the rig's labs in perpetuity. Unfortunately the labs here were too primitive for me to make proper use of them in the short time I had.

Though I'm not the best on my team, I'm also an experienced hand to hand combatant, trained by the best. And I am sometimes relied on by my team as a tactician in our efforts to protect the various worlds in our galaxy and beyond.

We typically fight cosmic threats, but also run smaller operations foiling government conspiracies, crime syndicates, and large crime rings. Recently with the help of a group of people displaced from alternate dimensions - similar to this situation - we saved all of existence from a corpulent, gluttonous otherdimensional terror that was poised to consume the entire multiverse.

[Boy he's wordy. And arrogant. His tone is definitely arrogant. And then...]

[He pauses, his expression softer and a little sadder.]

I'm hoping our time here is...minimal. I would very much like to return to my son as soon as possible.

[He moves on, chin up.]

You may proceed to pose any inquiries you may have.

[likeits1999]

sounds pretty rad. except the banning thing, but thanks for trying, bro.

[ The important things that Kevin needs to say here. ]

[googledox]

You're quite welcome.

[He looks away from the screen, like sincerity at close range with a stranger is a little difficult. (It's been a rough few years.)]

I find this situation...in such an open form of community, I'll just say it's discomfiting. [Heinous, villainous, unimaginably cruel.]. My natural assumption was that everyone else most likely wished to go home as much as I did.

You have my apologies, for my failure at enabling that.

[video]

[likeits1999]

[ Kevin pops on the camera because it just seems... more polite this way. His demeanor's relaxed, but definitely earnest. ]

Dude don't apologize to me, you already tried to do more than I can. Like, sure, I got some shit I need to get back to, but I'm not gonna go nuts on one dude for not being able to make that happen in five minutes.

You seem real smart and that's good to have around helping, so I'm alright. I mean. As alright as any of us is.

[googledox]

[Brainy is finally able to meet Kevin's eyes and he looks...almost confused. It's not an expression that passes over his face often.]

I've grown...unused to others interrogating my actions with good faith. I appreciate it.

[likeits1999]

Sorry to hear that, man.

[ And he means it, just all easy and honest. ]

Hey, weird question, but is Brainiac like, a nickname?

[ A smart guy who gets called Brainiac and is used to people being on the offensive is... not at all unfamiliar to some school memories. It's a weird coincidence, but he wonders. ]

[googledox]

It's a title, based off of the name of one of my ancestors. Those in the family line that exceed a certain level of intelligence receive it, and the numbers are based on how many generations removed we are. My mother was Brainiac 4, my grandfather was Brainiac 3, and so on.

It once had negative connotations due to the first Brainiac being infamous for his malevolent nature.

[He briefly raises both eyebrows.]

By using it as my superhero appellation, I have imbued it with a different meaning through my actions.

[Of course that sentiment with the UP public is apparently is as fickle as the direction of the wind.]

The only member of the family line that doesn't bear the title is my son. He was briefly called Brainiac 6 but I have insisted on others calling him by his name. If he chooses to adopt it when he gets older, perhaps to follow in my footsteps, for once it will be a choice.

[likeits1999]

Oh, cool. I just wondered cause it's like, a thing kids call other kids who are smart cause there was a Superman villain called Brainiac who was real smart.

It's... not very nice.

[walkingballpit]

Addendums:

[ Robbie ticks them off on his fingers as he goes. ]

Nobody that matters says otherwise; if anyone needs Brainy to English translation, I can at least get you the gist minus the heavy duty science; and he’s cooler than he lets on.

[googledox]

I'm speaking English. [With a bit of an accent, but he's fluent.] I only have issue with the occasional idiom.

[walkingballpit]

It’s not that. Your English is fine - you’re just doing that Brainy thing, and not everyone has your vocabulary. I don’t have your vocabulary.

[googledox]

Ah. I suppose there is a relative dearth of thesauruses.

[He thinks about his word choice and then decides that if it's not easy to look them up, he'll just define the words he thinks are difficult.]

[He holds out his hands wide, trying to explain. Temba, his arms open.]

Corpulent means fat.

Normally, I would have reservations about judging someone by obsolete single-world-focused beauty standards. However, I think all bets are on when it comes to judging paracausal nightmares.

[walkingballpit]

[ Deadpanning will get him through this. ]

This may come as a shock, but I know what corpulent means. I actually understood your whole spiel, which is 40% of why you put up with my one-six billionth of a level 4 intelligence.

I don’t what paracausal means, but I know the prefix, root, and suffix so I figure it means irrational. I’m sure it’s a perfectly cromulent word.

[googledox]

I wasn't defining it for you, I was "translating" for everyone else.

I know you have very well-developed vocabulary. It makes you a very charming and engaging conversationalist.

[walkingballpit]

[ It’s really hard to be sarcastic when someone’s being so sincere. Robbie suspects that Querl was genuinely trying to assist in self-translating, but you can’t give a tiger new stripes.

He settles back in his seat and sighs, resigning himself to just surrender the translation point. ]

You know, that’s not entirely fair. Now I’ve suddenly got this reputation to live up to, where I’ve got to be a sparkling conversationalist who can out-banter Spidey and out-sauve Wonder Man. I didn’t stack your previous achievements up against you.

text

[passifloraincarnata]

[Oh. Setsuna knows this kind of demeanor. This man is almost like a Labyrinthian technician, in his approach: the clear, technical specificity and the underlying eagerness to be given reason to perform optimally. So many people here are so much more familiar in how they act than she was expecting them to be. It leads her to engage despite, well, the reservations she feels are obligatory to actually provide him, for ease of communication's sake.]

I would like to be able to cooperate with the scientists on the Rig so I don't know if I should talk to you at all.

I was however raised to be useful in executing some of the practical applications of your particular specialized fields of study and if you do not find more suitable resources available to you it would be rude of me, being capable of potentially making your research efforts, whatever they may be, less inconveniently inefficient, not to offer my abilities as an assistant despite this.

text

[googledox]

I do appreciate the offer but it's perhaps best if you don't affiliate with me on any attempts at scientific inquiry lest you might be banned from the labs as well.

But perhaps there might be others here that they allow into the labs and if there's any guidance I might be able to offer to any of you, you're certainly welcome to it.

[Translation: He's noting her desire to help. There might be knowledge he can offer the scientists and their potential aides to make the best - and most rebellious - use of their time there. But they'll have to be careful about it, so they don't get banned too. Best to verbally dance around it right now, but keep assisting each other in mind.]

You said you were raised to do such things? This catered to your personal interests, I hope.

text

[passifloraincarnata]

I thank you for your consideration, and your courtesy. I will keep it in mind.

In a sense, it may have. I learned as much as I was provided an opportunity to be taught because I desired to be more useful to serving whatever purpose I could be selected to serve and expected to excel in than others, and thereby to be more deserving of whatever further resources I had proven myself capable of exploiting more efficiently than they could. That was, for most of my life, the only thing I cared about. I don't think those are the kind of "personal interests" you mean, but they were mine. I like donuts, and making new friends, and dancing, nowadays, but I don't know if those are exactly what you mean either?

I can assure you that I've only recently been given much chance to enjoy applying the skillsets I've spent my life acquiring, however, and it is always my pleasure to be able to put them to use for any goals I might find myself personally invested in the results of.

text

[googledox]

I ask because I wasn't always shown consideration when I was a child when it came to others caring about my preferences.

Whenever someone speaks of being raised in an environment with focused interests I'm always somewhat concerned over whether their wishes had been respected.

Re: text

[passifloraincarnata]

That's very kind of you.

And I believe it's safe to say I know what you mean. It sounds as though our childhoods may have had that in common ...

Re: ama - video

[wheyoftheadept]

bless you for trying, chummer. good to have an experienced hand on board.

text

[googledox]

I could do no less.

But for now, I should perhaps...proceed with caution in regards to any overtly antagonistic actions towards our...benefactors.

[Translation: He's not going going to try to attack them as directly again anytime soon. They have to play it closer to the vest.]

Re: text

[wheyoftheadept]

catch more flies with honey and all that.

TEXT

[becauseimacoward]

[A father...damn, that immediately makes Dojima sympathize with him. Still, this isn't the time for social pleasantries! He has something else a bit more urgent to ask, he figures:]

What kind of technology did they have? Anything that looked like it could be remotely of use, no matter how unlikely?

[Could it be a potential lead? Pretty doubtful, but you never know unless you ask. Detectives don't ask questions unless they already know the answer, but right now he doesn't have such nice privileges]

[googledox]

Yes, but nothing that could be utilized quickly and nothing I'm comfortable speaking about openly.

[He needs to be a little more careful now that his one grand attempt was thwarted.]