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| − | |Date of Scene=2020/03/22
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| − | |Location=St. Martin's Island
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| − | |Synopsis=Apart from minor fainting accidents, the long-anticipated meeting of Bird and Beast (Boy) is a success. For once Colette is better at keeping secrets than Carol. Terry gets his car towed.
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| − | |Cast of Characters=177,348,339,311,325
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| − | {{Poses
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| − | |Poses=:'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> It is complicated really, the series of events that conspire to pull all these people together.<br> First off, it all started with Colette contacting Captain Danvers to ask Terry O'Neil, cub reporter and personal barrista to Ms. Lane, to setup a meeting with Beast Boy and Kian where the two could go flying.<br> Honestly, Carol was a bit amused by the whole affair and shot Terry a message inquiring if he could arrange for Beast Boy to be somewhere remote, picking the same field she did for Colette and Kian's second meeting.<br> She also let the meddler know when and where to be and then would be doing her job of bringing Kian out to the meeting.<br> Somehow, she manages to not tell Kian it is a playdate, the joke would likely be lost on the alien birb.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> For his part, Kían is sure he's going to be asked to leave the planet or something.<br> Even if breaking that window was an accident, and he shouldn't have been there, and it really wasn't his fault (except that since he was there it was), but how did he know that ledge would be slippery?<br> He hasn't been sullen on the way to… to wherever they're going, but he's been unusually uncommunicative, even taking his limitations in English into account.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "Hey, Gar, how would you like to get some fooood?"<br> That had been Terry, about fifteen minutes or so ago. If there was one thing he could count on, it was his friend's seemingly unending appetite. He wasn't quite sure how Gar managed to stay trim, except maybe his transformations required that much energy expenditure… who knew? The important thing is that the bait worked.<br> It was important, because earlier that day he had received a message from Captain Marvel. This was a bit of a start for Terry, because he was still convinced that she either hated his guts or didn't trust him at all. Upon reading the message, he was quick to answer:<br> <<Sure, I can totally bring him there. Let me know when's a good time?>><br> Flash forward to Almost Right Now, with Terry at the wheel of his far-too-old car. "—so I know we agreed on Thai, but there's something I've got to do first. Can you hold onto your hunger for just a bit?"<br> And This Is Now, The Current Moment, and Terry is pulling up to the agreed-upon field, his faithful and rather dusty car wheezing to a stop.<br> "This is the place!" Terry says rather cheerfully as he slides out of the car.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> The Meddler is early on the scene. St. Martin's is home turf for her, and besides she likes to turn up early for things. In fact if anyone ever turns up before her, she considers this good reason to be distrustful of them; why would anyone turn up ahead of time unless they are up to something?<br> The beach is nicely deserted. It's not quite beach weather and this is one of those beaches which is more driftwood than golden sands, more abandoned bandstands than deck chairs and ice creams. Not far away, the distinctive architecture of the Titans Tower sits solitary in the bay, the unlikely arms of the 'T' looking like they may fall at any time. There are a few lights on in the Tower; this has rarely been the case in the last few years. The locals are beginning to notice.<br> Colette has, of course, told Kian what to expect—but not when to expect it. It's unknown to her as to whether the bird will be in a froth of excitement or bubbling along in his normal state of alien bafflement. She kind of hopes the latter, because she wants to see the look on his face when he's told he's going to get to fly.<br> She will not berate Kian about broken windows. Not today.<br> The arrival of Terry and Gar in Terry's trusty old wreck is greeted with a loud whistle. Not far away, Colette leans against her own car, rather less beaten up and quite a bit newer. Shiny, black, and expensive looking. "Hey guys! Over here!" she yells, waving them towards the beach, before trudging out across the sand to where she'd first pulled Kian out of the water.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Food sounded good. No, great. There's been food at Terry's place. Some more has been delivered, but it was time to get out for something a little more fresh and different. Thai was a good choice.<br> Getting out of the apartment was also a good thing, and Gar even had his own clothes again! Raglan shirt, jeans, the paw-print kicks… it was like being home again, and going out for a ride with Terry, all healed up with the stitches out, had him feeling eager.<br> That was until they took a detour and got to a beach. Terry earned a sidelong glance, more of a sharp look and a raised brow. "Don't tell me we're gonna find that giant turtle again and see if it'll finish the job."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol will drift closer to Kian during the flight. «You're not in trouble Kian, just taking you to see Colette and some other potential friends who want to help you with adjusting to earth.»<br> There is no reason for Carol to keep him in suspense or spring anything bad on him. She thinks this is likely a good thing.<br> «How has the school been?» trying to get him to talk some during the trip.<br> When they get there though she drops into view out of the sky with grace and precision, landing on the beach.<br> The word for this is punctual, not early.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "You're kind of adorable when you're being completely paranoid and suspicious," Terry says with a smirk as he closes the driver side door. When he hears Colette's hail, he groans. "Oh man, I hate getting sand in my shoes."<br> He starts heading for the beach, dressed simply in a black T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, hands in his pockets. Noticing that it's only Colette down there, he starts looking up as he approaches the designated spot. "Nice car," he says to Colette as he approaches her. "We should trade sometime."<br> And there she appears, out of the sky, Captain M, the Marvelmaster. He raises a hand in salute, and then looks over his shoulder to make sure Gar is actually coming and not, you know, noping out of it or something.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> «It has been… interesting,» Kían allows. How do you relate to the incomprehensible, after all? Even with the prospect of meeting others who might be able to help him, the little birdman still appears somewhat disconsolate.<br> And then, to his shock, he… '''recognizes''' this place! It's where he first arrived on this insane planet. Oh, Gods… they '''are''' going to ask him to leave, and he doesn't know ''how''!<br> For a moment, he hesitates, hovering effortlessly, looking back and forth between Kolét and Mar-fel and… who are those two?<br> Curiosity wins again. He touches down slightly further away than Carol, and nods in the direction of Gar. "''K'río takh''."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> "You forget," Colette says to Terry, one eyebrow arched. "I've driven yours. I wouldn't accept it as a gift." She breaks into a grin and pats him on the shoulder. "It's a lovely car really, Terry. It looks beaten up and it has character. Suits you perfectly, you should never change. Hi Garfield!" Garfield gets an even wider grin and a wave. "Looking good. Leg working again properly?"<br> As Carol and Kian come in to view, Colette greets the pair with a full arm wave, suspiciously like someone flagging in a plane to land. Carol gets a jaunty "Hi, Captain!" when she lands, and when Kian touches down to she strides over to meet him. "''Kian tavar'h! Kie''. Come and meet my friends! I think you'll like them." She glances back in Garfield's direction. "The green one? He has a gift, Kian. He is called Garfield. The other is called Terry. They are both good people. "<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Gar Logan ambles out of the car, rolling his eyes. "It's not paranoia when they're really out to get you," he points out, raising a finger to help make the point.<br> Still, his eyes are on a swivel, along with his head, turning a full circle with his steps as they move away from the ride. "So what's this all about?" he asks, before his attention shifts to follow where Terry's looking. Before he can answer, he's getting questioned by Colette. "Ahh, yeah. Just got the stitches out earlier. I was getting antsy." He does ''not'' punctuate this by turning into a colony of them, however. Not this time.<br> Why? Captain Marvel and that winged alien are in view, getting closer, then landing. His head tilts at the strange words being tossed around. "It's the bird," he realizes.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> "Great you hear that Kian, you're the bird now." Okay, that amuses her, though she repeats it in Kian's language before looking to Colette.<br> There is silence for a long moment then she nods. "You're very adept at his language all of a sudden, Colette." Yeah, something is definitely up for sure with this.<br> Carol was fully ready to have to translate and yet….<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "Hi, Captain," Terry says. It's understandable that he'd be lost in the shuffle, since he's not the green shapeshifter, winged alien, or flying woman. He's just a regular person, like—<br> "Colette?" Terry raises an eyebrow after Carol's comment. "How on earth do you speak Kianese?" It was his turn to borrow Gar's suspicion and wear it for a while. As Kian becomes instantly fascinated by the green shapeshifter, the redhead tilts his head and looks at Carol.<br> "So you haven't given her a primer on Alien 101, right?"<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Kían does not approach, not yet. Actually, both young men have his attention—'green' is just another way of being human, as far as the birdman can tell. I mean, he's met almost no one without some sort of ''thar''—Gods-given or otherwise. His wings spread very slightly—not warningly, just a little. He might be showing them off, even.<br> «Is one of them the one I was told about?» he asks suddenly, turning to face Carol. «The one who can have wings at will?»<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> "I got a translator implant, Captain. You made it seem like such a useful thing to have." Colette's expression is distinctly impish. "Nah. I only picked up a few words. ''Tavar'' means 'friend'. ''Kie'' means 'peace'. Garfield, Kian and the Cap here all have a ''rhy'thar'', a gift from the gods. See? It's easy if you have an ear for languages." She gives Carol a quick wink. There may be just the hint of an admission in that wink.<br> Turning to Garfield, Colette suggests, "Why don't you show him your ''rhy'thar'', Garfield? Maybe you could compare wings."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Gar Logan stage-whispers, "What is he saying? I don't understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!" He does a spot-on impression of Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour movies.<br> Still, the bird-boy is certainly a source of curiosity. "Yep. I am definitely green, so we know he sees that color just fine. We talked about him a little bit, Cap. Captain?" Whichever she prefers. "Colette thought I could, uh, be a good thing for him, so…." A hand waves as if he's trying to build that belief back up, himself.<br> A glance particularly between Terry and Colette follows, then he's moving closer to Kian, head tilting as he takes an exceptionally close look at him, studying as much as he can from just what the eyes tell him. "This is kind of cool…."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol crosses her arms and gives Colette a stern look, but then she just smirks and shakes her head, relaxing again. "He said you're green, Beast Boy." Then looks to Kian. «I think so, wonder who told you about that?» Amused still.<br> Yeah, she isn't going to be too upset. There hasn't been leaks on the internet or newspaper articles. So for now, what the hell.<br> «Beast Boy can fly like a bird, not quite like you but closer than I can, yes.»<br> She steps away past Gar, leaving him with Kian for right now and heads to Terry and Colette. "So you two getting on thick as thieves, hmm?"<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "Swimmingly. She puts my life in mortal danger, and I get…." Terry pauses with an exaggerated delay, and says, "I'm sure I'm getting something out of it. I'm sure I'll think of something."<br> He glances at Kian and Gar, and tilts his head. "So, do we give them some space to take off? This was a good idea of yours, Colette. It's bound to do him some good." He's talking about Kian, totally.<br> He glances at the Captain. "How has he been doing, with the inevitable culture shock?"<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Kían holds his ground as Gar approaches, then bows, spreading his wings wide. "''Kíe, Kar'fi'el'… Gar'fi… Gar''." That, he can pronounce. He also turns and bows to Terry, with a not-unexpected, "''Kíe, Téri''." Much easier name. And then he adds, "Iss ler'n In'g-lis. Iss… no good yet. Iss ler'n." His accent is sibilant and musical, with the cadences of his own native language.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Colette crosses her arms and steps back, standing beside Carol, to watch Gar and Kian interact. "You're getting better, Birdy buddy! ''Am''. You say, ''I am learning English''," she calls out in encouragement. "Garfield, Terry—Kian is a contact telepath. If you make skin to skin contact, he can talk directly into your mind. No language issues that way. He'll understand if you're not comfortable with that though. As you can see his English is a work in progress and all that."<br> Very quietly Colette whispers to Carol, "I promised to say nothing about certain places you have alluded to that might indicate certain things to certain people, Captain. I have stuck to that. I understand exactly why you are cautious about it and agree fully with your caution. You can count on my discretion. You can't count on me not to do everything in my power to make sure things work out for Kian. I promised not to mistrust you in future, and I trust you are inferring certain things that I don't have to spell out more directly. I hope you can offer the same, and trust me." Rarely have words been spoken in such a roundabout manner, but she's confident that Carol will understand, and that if Terry overhears any of it, he will be thoroughly puzzled. Which would be an added bonus.<br> Colette glances at Terry, then back at Carol, and gives an emphatic shrug. "Having his life endangered is Terry's ground state. He thinks it makes for better stories, and he knows no other life. Yeah. I guess he's become some kind of a friend or something, but he's far too honest for thievery. A rare beacon of innocence and purity in the media cesspool. Someone has to look out for him."<br> Terry gets a wink before Colette agrees with his statement. "Yes, he needs the opportunity to fly." She's talking about Kian too, totally.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Much of the conversation between the others is winding up a bit secondary to what Gar is doing with Kian right now. He moves around in back to get a better look at those wings, actually part of the alien's body, and while he's studying everything closely he keeps his hands to himself. "Fascinating," he says, now pulling off a perfect imitation of Leonard Nimoy's Spock. "Yeah, you can call me Gar, or whatever you're comfortable with." He doesn't even try to use any of the words of Kian's language, at this point. Not yet.<br> One thing he does pick up on from Colette is the talk of being a contact telepath. "That's different, but maybe he doesn't want to touch someone else either, hmm?" Back to the reason they're all here: Kian. The wings seem… about right for the type of body he has? They must, if flight works. "All right. I'm gonna try something, and this is either gonna work or I'm just gonna look silly."<br> No comments from the peanut gallery.<br> He focuses on Kian as if he's trying to shut everything else out. Usually it takes a lot more study than this, but… well, it's been a couple weeks since the last time he shifted, he's itching to do it again, and he wants to make a good first impression if he can.<br> Seconds later, a carbon copy of Kian stands before him, only green and Gar-like in detail. But, it's accurate down to the size, shape, wings, and all other details, even to the point of wearing the same things as Kian. "Ooof…" he exhales, raising a hand to the side of his head as the wings spread to aid with his initial balance.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> "In my experience his people use the telepathy a lot. I think it is very quiet here for him." That was directed over at Gar now. And to Kian, «Explaining the telepathy, he was worried you aren't comfortable with it.»<br> She turns her attention to Terry and Colette. "Well, try to not get him killed or anything. Who will get Ms. Lane's coffee if you end up getting Terry killed?" Okay, yeah, she couldn't help zinging Terry lightly.<br> To the muttering and conspiring from Colette well she nods. "Okay, I am trusting you, did already quite a bit. Don't let me down."<br> Then she is looking back to Gar and Kian. "I… had no idea he could do that."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Kían holds still while Gar studies him. For the most part, he looks like an adult human male, scaled down to about five feet tall. For the most part. He has an athletic build, like a gymnast, although maybe a little broader in the shoulders and thicker in the chest—well, duh. Wings. Hands are short a finger by human standards. Or humans have an extra finger by his. The feet are definitely different—longer, flexible, almost like a talon cast in flesh. No claws, though.<br> «I'm not comfortable without it,» he replies to Carol, «but I can manage. I didn't like the fear I felt from that lab technician when we discovered I could mind-touch through physical contact.»<br> Of course, he has no idea what Gar is up to. He just assumes that the green one has as bad a case of curiosity as he himself.<br> And then Gar changes.<br> "''c'Rhys'yw''!" Kían breathes… and collapses in an insensate heap to the ground. Obviously, he wasn't expecting that either.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "I convinced Harley Quinn to go to Wonder Woman, you know," Terry says, always one to stick up for the little guy, and in this case he was the littlest guy present. Even considering the diminutive bird-man. "I do more than just fetching coffee."<br> The very vague communication makes him smirk. There is Secret Stuff afoot that nosy reporters aren't privy to, so he stuffs his hands in his pockets and is content to hover until the conversation swings by him.<br> When Gar becomes a replica of… whatever Kian's people are called, Terry grins so broadly that he almost looks like the Cheshire who ate the canary—that might be the wrong turn of phrase, incidentally.<br> "A lot of people don't know the awesome things he can do. They end up pretty surprised," Terry responds to Captain Marvel. Is that pride in his voice? It sounds like it.<br> And then the bird-man faints. "…including Kian. The alien just fainted."<br> He rubs the back of his neck and looks at Carol and Colette, "Um… I know how to administer CPR. To a human…." Which is not ''a propos'' here, and not that useful.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> "FUCK!"<br> Colette's voice echoes along the beach. Small wading birds take startle and take to the wing along the strand.<br> Rather more quietly, Colette adds a "Sorry." This seems to be aimed more at Carol than anyone else. Kian's lessons probably haven't got that far, and Gar and Terry are used to her by now. "Nor did I, Captain."<br> Colette rushes to Kian's side to check the bird-man is breathing properly and hasn't damaged anything in his fall. "C'mon, wake up, Birdy buddy. Just Garfield's ''rhy'thar'', I did tell you." She's gentle. No cheek slapping.<br> Colette looks up at Gar. "Don't worry," she says. "Just a lot for the birdy guy to take in. I think he was expecting to never see anyone who looked like him again. And holy hell, Garfield. I thought you just did… well okay, I can see why thinking you just did animals doesn't make sense. But I did ''not'' know you could do that. That's… that's kinda… incredible. Fuck."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> "Oops."<br> The Gar-birb rubs the back of his head and the wings shift back to a more normal position as Kian collapses. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I thought maybe it would help if I could look like him. I really hope I didn't just kill an alien." That would not be good for intergalactic relations with whatever Kian's people are, wherever they are.<br> At Colette's outburst, his wings rustle and she's over by Kian's side before he can even make a move to help. "I wasn't sure I could either, without more studying. Maybe I should go back before he wakes up?" The second birdboy looks more sheepish at this point. "But these wings ''are'' pretty cool like this." He glances over a shoulder, and catches a glimpse of Terry looking on. Carol, too.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> "Well… that is definitely not what I was expecting all around." She nods to Terry. "I doubt CPR is required… well… I mean I hope he didn't have his species' equivalent of a heart attack." Okay, now she is actually a bit concerned.<br> She moves after Colette to stand near Kian and Gar-birb. She nods to Gar. "I mean the goal is for him to have someone to fly with…." Then she crouches down and looks to Kian and then to Colette. She extends a hand and taps her wrist with her other hand and scans Kian. "His vitals are… mmm heightened but he isn't dead." Thank Christ. How would she explain that to Director Fury?<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "It's fine, Gar. I don't think our friend here does very well with surprises, is all. Maybe in his home planet you have to warn people before you whip out your ''rhy'thar'' or something." Trying to defuse the tension with some light-heartedness. Perhaps Gar is a bad influence after all. Terry walks up to Gar's side, letting Colette and Carol deal with the emergency, as they are the ones who have the most knowledge of Kian.<br> He reflexively reaches over to put an arm around Gar's shoulder in a universal gesture of support, but then realizes the wings are in the way, so instead he pats Gar's shoulder. "You're fine." Looking at Gar out of the corner of his eye, he says, "That was pretty impressive, by the way."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Kían comes around easily, but fuzzily. "''Qokh, 'Ka, h'ártha'soq''!" he mutters with some annoyance. Carol's translator may have a little trouble with the first couple words—the first seems to be a generic epithet with no clear translation beyond being inappropriate for polite company. The second means 'soul', but appears to be used like a name instead of the word itself. The rest is easy: a grumpy "Lemme sleep!"<br> His eyes open… he is '''not''' at home, this is '''not''' his bed. "''Ái, c'Rhys'yw''," he moans, and sits up… or more likely allows himself to be helped into a seated position. «I... am sorry. I wasn't ready, I never expected… nnh.» He does not look at Gar yet, not until he gets his bearings and gets to (or is helped to) his feet.<br> Then he does the same thing to Gar that Gar did to him—circles him, studying him, appraising whether it's "right" or not. "Iss… Akiár. Iss ''río'', but iss Akiár. Iss… how?"<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> "You guys told me to show him my ''rhy'thar'' or whatever it is!" Gar exclaims, and as his hands spread out, so too do the wings. Terry might have to duck or otherwise evade the feathers, as Gar is now left to look up toward him from a new height of about five feet, like Kian. "But… I've been able to turn into things other than just animals if I focused hard and knew them enough. I thought I should at least try to see if it helped." So far, the jury is out on that one. It will depend on how Kian further handles all of this.<br> The moment of truth arrives as Kian returns to the land of the conscious, and he's watched with a tilted head from Gar's point of view. Now it's his turn to be given the visual inspection. "Ahh… yeah, I guess? It's what I can do." Now his own wings extend again.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> "He did this a couple of times when I was pulling him out of the water," Colette says. "It'll be fine, give him a minute. I'm guessing his species has no natural predators, so they faint easily in moments of stress. Reduces shock, temporary increase in muscular rigidity. Not an uncommon strategy in a species more prone to accidents than predation. Alien psychology I'm less confident of though, Garfield. No idea what's going to be best, but I'd suggest stay as you are rather than repeating the shock. His mind is probably processing right now, with the benefit of reduced sensory overl…."<br> Colette's lecturing is interrupted by the bird coming to his senses, and she stops speaking to help him up, which is clearly a more helpful use of her efforts. She gives a small shrug to herself.<br> "This is Garfield ''tavar'h''ˈs ''rhy'thar'', Kian." Colette speaks slowly to the birb. "He is a human. Like me. But he can change. One thing, then another thing. Change ''shape''. Human, Akiar, human. I did not know he could change… like this. Into Akiar. He did not do this before. You will have to help him learn to fly with these wings, Kian."<br> Colette steps back to let bird and green bird circle each other in peace, standing with Terry and Carol again. "I won't," she tells Carol.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol steps back and mutters to herself, though is likely overheard, "Like one of those fainting goats," then louder, "They don't seem to really know war from what I can tell or anything… so the no natural predators does seem to make sense." She nods to Colette, agreeing with her it seems.<br> "No reporting on this, Terry."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> A flash of annoyance passes across Terry's face. "Who do you think I work for, the Bugle? I haven't leaked a thing up to this point, you know."<br> He turns on his heels and makes a beeline for his car, storm clouds between his brows. When he comes back, he is wearing a brown leather bomber jacket, the chill of the air apparently having gotten to him. Or maybe it was a convenient excuse to detach and prevent himself from saying something unwise. When he comes back, he returns to the original observation location, not so close to Gar and Kian.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Right now, Kían's entire world is figuring out this impossible green birdman. Apart from the color, he looks right, but there's really only one sure test. "Iss… f'ly?"<br> Without warning, he just sort of hops into the air, hovers there a moment, then circles the small group. "Iss f'ly?" he repeats, hovering above, but not '''directly''' above, Gar. He's leaving, it appears, the proper amount of clearance for another birdman to take off.<br> Certainly unknown to the others, there is one other test that Kían can—and will—make to see how complete the transformation is. {<span style="color:#00cccc;">''Can you sense this? Have you duplicated the ''ki'thar'' as well as the ''kan'thar''?''</span>}<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> "When he understands the world he's in well enough to make his own informed decisions?" Colette says to Terry, "You get to be first to ask him for an interview. The Captain's just being cautious. Her heart is in the right place, even though she's a little paranoid about how she approaches things. Still, better to be wrong about something you've prepared for than something you haven't, I always say." She gives Carol a very broad smile and a wink. Very similar words had been exchanged before in the past, and her tone of voice is as teasing now as Carol's had been that last time.<br> "So I mean I'm not trying to plan anyone's life for them or anything," Colette says apparently unironically, "but it occurs to me that if these guys get on, and if they are both willing… well, Garfield's at the tower over there. It has a really convenient roof for flying from, and it's right on the bay where long flights could be taken without drawing significant attention. There's not a whole lot of actual Titans going on at the moment, and it's hard to imagine anyone on the planet better equipped to keep Kian safe while he learns the ropes of planet Earth."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Gar Logan looks over a shoulder to see how Terry's holding up, trying to balance any concerns over his well-being with the larger matter of trying to figure out the best way to help Kian. "Small point, Colette. I don't need help learning to fly with these wings. I already know," he points out, taking a prideful tone about it. "And he might not have any natural predators right now, but that can change in a hurry once more people start seeing him around." Just ask him about people wanting to exploit those who are special.<br> He creates enough room so no wings are in danger of getting struck, whether by other wings or just people in general. Just before his new feet push off, he pauses and turns back toward Kian. {<span style="color:#44cc44;">''Yes… what is this? What are those words?''</span>} His expression is a mixture of confusion and curiosity.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol pinches the bridge of her nose and looks to Colette. "I was trying to make a joke," she says softly. Then calls after Terry. "I was trying to make a joke, sorry Terry. Just wanted to lighten the whole mood… with the fainting alien and all that…."<br> She looks to Colette. "Okay grasshopper… enough of that." She is amused though and teasing back, and then she looks up watching Kian fly around happily. "I still think the school is a good idea instead of just hiding away in a Tower. Like you just said there aren't many people actually staying there right now."<br> She watches Gar take off after Kian there and tilts her head a bit just nodding.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> "''Kya''!" That's a happy sound, at least judging by the growing smile on Kían's face. He swoops once around Gar—he really is in his element, in the air, and looks more… normal… than probably either Carol or Colette has seen him before.<br> {<span style="color:#00cccc;">''The ''ki'thar'' is the mind-gift—what we're using right now. ''c'Rhys'yw tavéi'', I didn't dare hope that you copied me this far! And the ''kan'thar'' is the body-gift, the wings. They're… oh, I'll explain why they're called that later. You'd need to understand our religion, and I don't want to talk about that, I want to fly with someone normally for the first time in '''weeks'''!''</span>}<br> No doubt the telepathic conversation will go unremarked below—all they see is Kían hover there a moment, then absolutely rocket skyward.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> Terry digs into his right-hand pocket and takes out a small parcel wrapped in paper and napkins. He begins unwrapping it as he speaks, walking towards the group.<br> "Sorry… I'm a little sensitive about the journalist thing, I guess. I overthink some things sometimes." A quick glance at Colette. "Not. A. Word," he says, unwrapping his parcel to reveal a fried egg sandwich. "I'm sorry for getting upset."<br> It's only after he takes the bite that he explains why he might be on edge. "My mom found out about the bullet wound." Chomp. Munch. Munch. "…and not from me."<br> He glances at Gar, eager to see him take off… and then he frowns, puzzled as to why Gar is looking at Kian that way without saying anything.<br> "That's a little odd…" he frowns, "That's an awful amount of silence…." And then Kian takes off. <br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Colette flashes Garfield a double thumbs up. "My point, Garfield. He could use someone with the smarts and experience to keep him safe from unnatural predators while he's learning his way around. I mean…." She stops and shakes her head, as if realizing she's getting ahead of her self. "Look, I mean obviously only if you like the guy. But he's pretty likable. It just seems… well." Shoulder shrug. "Can't think of anyone better, right now."<br> Colette gives Terry's shoulder (the uninjured one, unless he picked up another injury while she wasn't looking) a quick squeeze, but that seems to be her only response to the bullet holes revelation right now. That seems like a conversation for another time.<br> Colette gets a sudden coughing fit while Carol is talking, just about at the first 'o' of 'school', but it doesn't last very long at all. "There are reasons why a change of scenery might be a good idea, Captain. In short somewhere where there are not too many people and those people are attracting attention to themselves already would probably be a better location for a guy with wings than somewhere where it would be not a good idea to bring that kind of attention if it can be avoided. He'd have more freedom, and language lessons can be done at a distance. It'll be better for him, and it'll be safer for the other people ''at that place'' he is currently. WHOOSH!"<br> The final word is of course not part of the preceding thoughts, it's a reaction to Kian's excitable acceleration.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Within moments, Gar is about ten feet into the air, still close enough to overhear the others below as they observe the interaction between Kian and himself. "I can be any predator I want, or prey for that matter. And I look out for the people who are part of my family." It's one reason he's tried to give the past Titans a nudge or two, to see if any would be willing to try again, but so far it's fallen seemingly on deaf ears.<br> That can be worked on in due time, but he's more caught up in getting more comfortable with what's going on with the Akiar physiology and that mindspeak side.<br> {<span style="color:#44cc44;">''Whatever an animal or… other species can do, I guess I get all of that with you too.''</span>} It's difficult not to grin back at the pleased sound that surfaces from the smiling alien, watching the way he circles him. The time has come to literally stretch those wings out and use them for what they were made for. A second or two after Kian bolts vertically, Gar follows suit. Double whoosh!<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Honestly, all this, this is why she is glad she doesn't have kids really. They are much.<br> She nods to Terry. "No worries, I'm not sure I am very good at humor most days anyways." A smile given there, self-deprecating. She looks after the flying types. "They are being awfully quiet," she notes.<br> Colette gets another look. "Maybe," she notes. Which is not a no. Then she looks up after Gar. "I'd need to talk to Garfield and any of the remaining Titans about it though. Also double woosh."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> Terry's head shoots back, watching Gar's flight. He stays silent for a bit, and then he takes a bite of his sandwich.<br> "…he really is something else."<br> "Don't apologize, I am sure I would've found it funny if my ears weren't still burning from Miss O'Neil's Patented Sonic Blast, accompanied by the liberal use of my full name. That's one first name, three middle names and a last one. At least four times."<br> He squints, trying to keep the green blur in his sights, but before he knows it they are gone. If he heard anything about schools or not, he's not showing any acknowledgement If asked, he might answer that for all that he's concerned, he's pretty sure they're hiding him in a convent. He's heard they're full of penguins anyways.<br> "Well, the tower is right over there. Gar says that Raven is there all the time. Maybe you can go see her while we wait here for the boys to come back. By all accounts she sounds very friendly." Chomp.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Both Carol and Colette have seen Kían fly—but not like this. Colette couldn't go flying with him. Carol was always taking him somewhere.<br> Now, he's just flying for the sheer joy of it and—it's like dancing in three dimensions. He is fast, agile and graceful, and completely at home in the air.<br> Also, he does not stray too far—he remains in sight, although he might be reduced to a faintly birdman-shaped speck high above.<br> Kían doesn't say much, telepathically, to Gar for a moment, although he should be able to sense absolute, unbridled joy. He's showing off, and he knows it, and he's good enough to get away with it.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Colette returns Carol's look, but says no more on the subject. She knows she's right. She's certain that Kian would agree. She's pretty sure that Doctor MacIntyre would too. And she's confident that Carol will agree when she's had time to think about it. Why push the point?<br> "I think you're pretty good at humor, Captain." Colette grins. "You don't have a stick up your ass. I appreciate that in a person." She's been the butt of Carol's teasing a few times, and oddly that's helped a lot with actually trusting the agent of diabolical gubmint conspiracies.<br> "Ya know," Colette says looking upwards at the dancing figures. "I believe we have achieved happy bird."<br> Raven at the tower a lot? That's something Colette didn't know. She files the fact away, but says nothing to contradict Terry's assessment. She doesn't know either.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Gar Logan is also more quiet than he's been since the last time he slept. There are interesting things at play here, questions to ask and answer in due time. For now? Flight. He's done it countless times before as various species of bird, but never as a 'hawk-man' like this.<br> Even the telepathic side takes a back seat for now, second to the joy of unrestrained freedom. Perhaps some of that feeling is bleeding through from Kian himself, but Gar shows he's every bit as capable of matching Kian's aerobatics. That's how complete the mimicry is, the duplication of the species.<br> Talk of Raven's personality is… left for the others to go over. There is nothing for Gar to implicate himself over.<br> After what might be a good minute or two, he finally asks, {<span style="color:#44cc44;">''Are you all right? Even this way, you're not saying much.''</span>}<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol glances at the Tower and then looks at Terry. "I'll speak with Garfield first once they are done flying, or later depending on how this goes."<br> She looks back up at the sky, crossing her arms again and watching. "It does seem like happy bird is achieved. He was really moping hard on the way over here for some reason." She never did get it out of him really.<br> "Also Colette… of course I don't. Rogers is the one who is America's ass." Which is really unfair for Steve, he has a sense of humor when you get to know him.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> {<span style="color:#00cccc;">''Forgive me, wing-brother Gar. I was just allowing myself to feel absolutely normal for the first time since… since I fell into this weird world. And you have flown before, haven't you? You're good—for a ground-bound Terran.''</span>} It really is meant as a compliment—Kían has no expectation that Earth people could have any real appreciation for flying, and Gar admitted that he's never been in this kind of body before. Granted, Kían can't imagine why one would choose any other body… but he may be biased.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> Terry watches the specks dance across the sky, before he has to lower his head again to bite off the last of his sandwich. Happy bird indeed—and yet, something was missing.<br> "Be right back."<br> He goes to the car again, but this time he comes back with the car itself. This might prove to be a dumb move, requiring the use of driftwood and similar levers to get it unstuck, but….<br> Terry turns the stereo on and synchs it with his phone—the deck being the only thing in that car that is newer than ten years old. As the redhead steps out of the car, keys in the ignition to keep the stereo running, strains of music can be heard from the rolled-down windows.<br><br> ''Mr. Blue Sky please tell us why<br> You had to hide away for so long (so long)<br> Where did we go wrong?''<br><br> Terry lays down on the hood, hands behind his head and against the windshield, legs crossed at the knee. "Seemed fitting, somehow," he says, by way of explanation.<br><br> ''Hey you with the pretty face<br> Welcome to the human race<br> A celebration, Mr. Blue Sky's up there waitin'<br> And today is the day we've waited for….''<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Gar Logan hovers in place, using the wings to keep him at an even level, upright in midair whether Kian continues to circle, dip, dive, rise, or anything else. {<span style="color:#44cc44;">''Is that what I am now, a wing-brother? I could have just turned into a hawk or an eagle, but I felt like challenging myself. Just let me know when you're ready to go back down. I'm sure they're going to have some questions.''</span>}<br> In fact, with the vision the Akiar possess, he has a very sharp view of Terry lounging on the hood of the car he moved, plus Captain Marvel and Colette continuing to study what's going on up there.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Colette drags her eyes down from the aerial ballet to watch Terry's perhaps ill-advised antics. She's surprised he can get that car to start moving on a road, how's it going to manage on sand?<br> "You told me he was cool," Colette says to Carol. "Now you're telling me he's an ass? Well never mind, he'll get over it. This time next year your friend Tony Stark will be America's ass."<br> She thinks for a moment. "If he makes it that far. I suspect his security detail will be claiming stress payments, he doesn't seem to like standing very close to them."<br> Colette shakes her head at Terry, smiling, and goes back to staring up at the sky, watching the wing brothers at play. "You know," she says to Carol, "I do think we can mark this down as a succesful experiment."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol watches Terry move his car down and yes probably get it stuck. "Mr. O'Neil… I'm going to tease you if I have to lift your car back up to the road." Which is a lot faster than driftwood really. Either way he is bound to be teased though.<br> "Steve is very cool. I just had to make that joke because the one time a reporter called it America's ass. Stark on the other hand may be an ass but he will be a whole different kind of America's ass than Rogers." She hand wobbles. "It'll be complicated."<br> Then she nods. "Experiment a success… as long as neither of them faint and I have to catch a falling bird."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br> "If you have to lift this car…" Terry says, closing his eyes with a smirk, "It'll be with me in it beause it's twenty-twenty and I feel cheated that I still don't have a flying car."<br> The callipygian conjectures are not missed on him, however, and he raises a finger to add, "I must concur that Captain Rogers' is, indisputably, America's ass. That shit is absolutely magnificent and so help me god if, in the incredibly, extremely unlikely chance I ever get to interview him, if any of you ever tells the man I said it I will run away and join a convent."<br><br> ''Mr. Blue, you did it right<br> But soon comes Mr. Night creepin' over<br> Now his hand is on your shoulder<br> Never mind I'll remember you this…''<br><br> Terry's foot moves to the beat of the song, but it slowly begins to lose impetus, until it finally lays perfectly still. By the time ELO is engaging in some intricate vocal polyphony after Johann Sebastian Bach, he has fallen asleep. Because he has spent the last several nights staring at the ceiling for indeterminate amounts of time before finally falling asleep. Can't imagine why that is.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> {<span style="color:#00cccc;">''Sure, we can,''</span>} Kían replies, already spiraling lower—then dropping into a powerdive. To those on the ground it looks only barely on the sane side of suicidal—except that at the last second, the birdman snaps his wings wide to brake, and touches down lightly on the sand. He fairly bounds at Carol, and flings his arms around her. «Thank you! Oh, Gods, how I needed that!» And Colette gets the same treatment. «And thank you too, ''tavar'h''!»<br> And Terry too gets, er, well, glomped by a birdman. The physical contact brings on mental contact, so he gets an immediate translation: {<span style="color:#00cccc;">''And thank you too!''</span>}<br> Then Kían awaits Gar's landing.<br> Certainly, neither Colette nor Carol has seen the birdman this happy before.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Gar Logan remains up in the sky, watching Kian's descent closely. "Heh," he says to himself. "Piece of cake."<br> So, he duplicates the dive, waiting a fraction of a second longer before braking as well, skimming sand with those unique toes. By the time Kian looks back toward him, he's retaken his usual appearance, the wings quickly retracting back into his body, at least as far as it looks to the rest. He regains over half a foot in height as well, and he's blowing on his knuckles as if he just shot all the bottles and cans in succession without a single miss.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Colette peers around behind Carol. When she's finished peering, she arches an eyebrow and makes no comment. There was no attempt to hide this; the gesture was clearly exaggerated to ''be'' noticeable.<br> The teasing, it appears, has not ended.<br> "It's your turn," Colette points out. "I had to rescue the last falling bird, and you're rather better equipped to do it. On the other hand, you now have the power of life or death over Terry. Next time you're worried he's going to publish something, you can threaten to tell Captain America and hie him to a convent."<br> When the two birds land and Colette finds herself hugged, she hugs back and laughs. "Glad you had fun, Kian ''tavar'h''! I'm ''sure'' you will have plenty more opportunity to fly with Gar." While hugging she pulls a hand away to give Garfield a thumbs up, and a ''big'' grin.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:348|Kian (348)}} has posed:'''<br> Kían fairly flings himself at Gar, wrapping his arms tight around him. The physical contact will provide a mental translation—although Carol will still need to translate for Colette's benefit, if she so desires. «Oh, Gods and Goddesses… '''thank''' you, Gar!» On an impulse, he gets up on tiptoes and kisses wingless Gar on the cheek. «Thank you for letting me feel normal again! I can't tell you how much I've… I've….»<br> And that's where he chokes off, catches his breath raspingly, and then begins to just plain old sob.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> Carol catches the hug and gives him a hug back careful of the wings and her own strength of course. «You're very welcome Kian., It was Colette's plan though.» She smiles and then looks to Gar. "Thank you for helping Gar."<br> Colette gets a smirk. "Yeah well take it up with the media," she notes about the teasing. She watches Kian then fling himself at Gar.<br> "Ur…."<br> She looks at Colette. "Okay you're right. If Garfield is fine with it I'll make it happen."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> Probably a good thing Terry is crashed out on his car, and also a good thing Kian doesn't weigh very much. It's almost surprising how light he is, and Gar didn't think much about that while he was an Akiar, if at all. But, the embrace and the overjoyed reaction, not to mention the 'peck' at the cheek… it leaves Gar smiling more easily than he has for a while. Therapeutic, it might just be.<br> "I'm glad it helped, and it was cool to be that and… oh." With Kian sobbing into his shoulder, he guides his arms around the birdman and looks back toward Colette and Captain Marvel with a sort of half-smile. "What am I fine with?" he asks.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Colette just gives Carol a nod this time. She's beginning to rather like Carol. She knew the captain would come around.<br> Stepping up to rest one hand on Kian's shoulder and the other on Gar's arm, Colette shakes her head and says, "Garfield Logan, that was fu… that was amazing. You just made one very lonely alien into a very happy alien." She takes her hand from his arm and punches it instead, gently. Then she jerks her thumb in Terry's direction.<br> "He's fallen asleep. I vote we leave him here. What? C'mon, it would be ''funny''."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:177|Carol Danvers (177)}} has posed:'''<br> "Oh, Colette thought if this experiment worked out well… you and Kian flying. That perhaps you and the other Titan staying at the Tower over yonder would be a better place for Kian than where he currently is. Since it is hard for him to keep a low profile and well… you see." She vaguely gestures.<br> "Honestly it is Colette's idea though perhaps she can explain." Punting it right back to the meddler.<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> "I'm not against that, but I've kinda been trying to get some of us back together without a whole lot of luck," Gar confesses, still helping to support Kian since right now that seems like a good thing to be doing. "I don't want him to feel like he's alone, and, uh, Raven's not big on hospitality these days."<br> He also gives Terry a glance, raising a brow toward Captain Marvel and Colette. "Of course I'm okay with trying, if it helps." Seems this has already helped, so anything further could only make it better. "Maybe you guys were right about this, too."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:311|Colette O'Connail (311)}} has posed:'''<br> Meddler indeed. Of course there is no mention from Colette of Kian's ''rhy'thar'', the fact that the silly bird has some kind of energy manipulation powers. Stage two of the conversation, though. And there's the fact that Kian isn't the only one who needs help here, and Colette's thinking as much about how to bring Gar out of his funk as how to get a happy bird.<br> "What's to explain? I mean it's a big old tower. Two people staying there? Empty. Kian would bring a bit more life into the place. I mean if Raven wants to keep to herself, it's not exactly making for cramped quarters. And Garfield, you said to me the other day you want to help people again. There is literally not a single person on the entire planet who could do a better job of helping Kian out than you. You proved that very clearly today. I don't know what funding is like for the Titans these days, but if there's a money issue I'm sure Cap here can have a word with SHIELD. And if not…." She shrugs mildly. "I'll sort it out. So… I mean I know it's an imposition, but…." Colette winds down and waves hand. "Ah. It would be nice to see people using the Tower again. I was brought up around here. I remember when you'd go past and the Tower would be shining brightly in the night. That… that meant something."<br> <br>
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| − | :'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br> "Maybe we should all just head over there for now and have something to eat, then figure out the rest. I'd like to have more people around again, too," Gar is honest in saying, something he's been thinking about since before he returned from California and the acting jobs. "And I do want to help others. This felt… good."<br> If he has to help carry Kian the whole way, so be it.<br> <br>
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