12851/Cordially Invited

Cordially Invited
Date of Scene:	21 September 2022
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Karai traces Bunny to a place she is meeting Razili. She proposes they join the Foot Clan.
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Razili Darnell, Shredder

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Bunny Macleod has posed:
    BROOKLYN, NYC, UNITED STATES, EARTH... etc. etc. etc. All very important sure to the fact that there is a young woman making the best use of her time and efforts tresspassing at a closed swimming pool in the bottom of an abandoned building. A cellphone and bluetooth speaker are blasting some electro punk music, filling the air along with the sound of skate wheels against concrete.

    Bunny herself is wearing a pink helmet and scuffed rainbow, mismatch-colors elbow and knee pads, sporting a couple of bruises and a bought of 'road rash' with some neosporin on her leg, crouching as she comes up the side of the fancy curved pool, spinning a couple of times in the air and coming down backwards, looking over her shoulder as she skates backwards, enjoying some time alone, some bright pink flyaways trailing behind her.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    It's hard to spot Razili under the best of circumstances if she doesn't want to be spotted. Having practiced sneaking around, the teen is very quiet, and of course, she's invisible. A tightly, wrapped bundle of cloth floats through a door that opens and closes. Sentient clothing wad? It hovers near the door silently for a few before moving and sitting itself down on a flat surface that isn't the floor. It unrolls itself. The hoodie flies up and around before settling into the vague shape of a person. Soon, the breakaway pants float down, then slide up (then down then up), taking the form of legs under the hoodie. Flip flops drop themselves the floor. One flips over under a pant leg, then the other does the same. The assemblage of clothes moves like it's walking toward Bunny.
    "Hello," Bunny is greeted. There's no doubt whose voice that is.

Shredder has posed:
    Karai's tracking has gaind new technologies. Ninjas of old would simply track people through their habits. Now we have cell phones. Since Rocksteady had been able to procure Bunny's information, it was easy enough to get the rest of the work done to track her.

    Wearing black leggings and a sleeveless black top, the uniform color of the young asian woman is broken by a red scarf around her neck. She's coming down the opposite direction, as if by chance, when she spots the interesting set of clothing that is talking to her. She pauses for a moment, raising one eyebrow, and then finishes her approach. "Hello, Bunny," she says, her greeting similar, except that she added the girl's name.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Skates rattle, and Bunny comes up over the side of the pool, watching the clothes assemble themselves.

    "Hi Raz!"

She goes back down, comes up the other side of the pool.

    "How are ya doin'?" she drops back down into the pool, and then comes back up on the side closest to Raz, grabbing the side of the pool as she brings her skates up and over her head, holding a one-handed hand-stand, her other hand held out to hel counter-balance as she gives Raz a grin -- and then Karai appears. It's a moment for Bunny to recognize the woman in black as she gives a cry out in surprise, and bringing her legs down in a crouch, the girl imitating her namesake as she tries to figure out if it's going to be 'flight' or 'flight even faster with Raz in her arms'.

    "Karai, isn't it? That's what the... what Bebop called you?" she asks.

    She sticks close to Raz; one hand down as if she was going to raise her shield.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Nope. The hood's shoulders shrug as the already open zipper parts. The flip flops kick away as the breakaway pants just breakaway. The pants are the last thing to fall to the floor, but that just leaves a heap of fabric with a little plastic/rubber. Not a lot to interact with, there. Then there's silence. The animating energy has left the clothes...really, it's just the animating energy any set of clothes has, but without a Raz in them, they just lie lifeless on the floor, abandoned.

Shredder has posed:
    Of course, the likelihood of Karai just happening to arrive at a closed down swimming pool is rather unlikely, and she doesn't try to hide it. She doesn't seem to take alarm at the clothing discarding itself to the ground, and raises her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you," she says. "I have been meaning to take some time to meet with you after our last encounter. It seems you have a friend. Yes, I'm Karai," she says, a hand on her chest as she turns to the last known place the clothing moved. Her ears are keen, listening for movement, and she places both hands down and out a slight bit, as if feeling the air currents around her in case there is an approach. She knows that whoever is there, is likely still there. "I regret that we started on opposite sides of that entanglement, even if we did end on the same. Circumstances were quickly shifting, weren't they? Might I be introduced to your friend?" She's not much older than either of the other girls, but she has a certain air that might make her feel far more adult. No tones of a blooming woman, but of one who has already established herself in life. One with nothing to prove.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    If Raz is smart, she'll keep quiet beneath the sounds of P!nk singing about someone walking her home in the dead of night, and Bunny stays still as Karai introduces herself in a little more disarming manner than last time.

    Which was dis-ankleing. As in a broken ankle. Which doesn't seem to be too bothersome to Bunny at the moment as she stiffens.

    "You broke my ankle last time we met, but, y'know, nice of ya to get me outta there before the lab blew up. Got it fixed, though. The ankle, not the lab. How's the Rhino enjoying internet stardom?" she states warily, and she slowly draws herself up to her five-foot-two-and-a-half-in-her-skates height.

    She looks to the pile of clothes, and then back to Karai.

    "She's kinda shy; I'd let her introduce herself when she's ready."

Shredder has posed:
    "Rocksteady was quite happy with the outcome. It isn't common that he has someone who seems excited to meet him rather than afraid to meet him. Such is the unfortunate plight of mutants who look like him," Karai says as way of compliment. "I think he enjoys responding to the hecklers on the internet," she confesses. "Though I can't imagine why. And I'm glad that your ankle is better. No we made sure that lab would not be operational again any time soon. Those who run it were abominations, not because of what they were but because of what they did. I'm sure you can understand. You saw what they did there.

    "I did want to meet you again actually about the incident. You showed a remarkable ability to adapt to information in a setting where most people would have become immobilized." She smiles, "It's no small feat."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Well. Some people just like lookin' for a fight, don't they?" Bunny states, drawing herself up to a stand, and she rubs the back of her neck.

    "Yeah. I saw what was happenin' there. The lady with the scales an' the guy with the antlers -- they're okay?" she questions, and begins to figit a little bit on her skates, rolling each foot back and forth to keep her balance even and on the move.

    "Well. Y'know. You don't get inta New York City traffic and learn how to stand still. Good way to get run ovah."

Razili Darnell has posed:
    There is the briefest, slightest of tugs on the back of Bunny's outfit. It's either a hint or a request. Either way, it's subtle enough to be lost in her movement to onlookers in front of her, like this stranger.

Shredder has posed:
    "Yes they are," Karai says. "The man with antlers, his name is Reginald. Reg, I believe he likes to be called. He has joined our cause. I'll be direct. That's why I have come to see you. I imagine that it can be a difficult experience to work through, and my family seeks to help people just like yourself. People who are left without defenders. People who have a few superheroes that may side with them, but the larger population at best leaves you as a sidenote and their only support for you lies in a greater desire to support their political affiliations." She arches her brow. "I'm sure you both can resonate with that frustration, can't you?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
Bunny feels the tug on the back of her shirt. She straightens up a little more, even if it means betraying that she knows where Raz is standing, roughly. untrained sixteen year olds versus ninjas, man!

    "... so you came to recruit me for your group?" Bunny questions, and she digs one toe-stop into the side of the concrete, looking in curiosity to the ceiling as if she were thinking it over.

    "All right, let's talk. Tell me what's up with your group. There like, a group dues system? 'Coz I don't got a lotta pocket change." she states, "And I'm not a great fighter. I just got those bubbles."

Razili Darnell has posed:
    One upside of being born invisible--one of few--is that 'sneaking' from birth is just about being quiet, not about choosing things to hide behind or blend in with. Razili is good at it, the moving quietly thing. Since she's not particularly interested in moving at Raz's request, even if Bunny swings her arms behind herself, she won't find the girl who tugged on her shirt just moments before.

Shredder has posed:
    "Yes," Karai answers directly. She glances toward the concrete behind Bunny, looking to see if there's movement of any specks of dirt that might cling to feet or be shuffled about, but then soon returns her gaze up to the girl she can see. "There are no dues, no. We operate in Brooklyn and Bushwick mostly, though we have operations all around the city and beyond that," she explains. "A real network. A real family. This isn't a support group to help people only cope with their experiences."

    She takes a few steps forward. "It's people who will care about you and take action to protect you. Some of us are fighters, you know that part by seeing myself in action with Rocksteady and Bebop." She holds her right hand out to the side, as if it were the other side of the coin. "There are those who gather intelligence, hack the systems of people who are trying to hurt the downtrodden, mutants included. Some give counsel and teach people who have been cast out and given no opportunity. Some even receive scholarship to go to university! We take action that is needed, whatever the action is that is needed. Does that sound like something the two of you would be interested in?" She continues to involve Raz, despite her choice not to engage the conversation, to allow her to know that she is still welcome in it.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny tries to not let on how canny she really is. There's a persona to uphold, that bubbly ditzy type hiding her observant self, and she tilts her head a moment as she listens to Karai's advertisement, and she takes off her helmet, and shakes out all that now helmet-hair-poofy-pink-hair.

    "I wouldn't mind learning how to fight." she replies thoughtfully. "I mean, there's gotta be something I can do really well to lend itself to being good at throwing a punch. Or taking a couple bullets. Or chainsaw."

    YEAH BEBOP SHE DID NOT FORGET.

    "So... Bebop and Rocksteady, are they all Lady Gaga?"

Shredder has posed:
    "They are...allies," Karai seems to take a moment to arrive at the word. "Simple, but when pointed in the right direction, can still be part of the bigger picture. Not everyone is bright, but sometimes you don't need someone bright, just someone strong. The particular operation you stumbled into was one of those. I don't want to overhype it. Most of our operations are not like that at all. People were in danger, and we had to take drastic actions to save them."

    "Teaching you to fight is easy enough. Teaching you WHEN to fight will take longer." She pulls a black card from her person and holds it out. There's a red footprint on the card. It's not cardboard, it's metal. "There's a martial arts dojo here in Brooklyn. The Immortal Dragon Dojo. Present this to sensei Oroku. He's my grandfather, actually. If you give him that card, he'll know."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "No no, I mean... are they born That Way, or... did somethin' happen to them? On account of their appearance, ya know?" she asks, accepting the card as she takes a more concerted look at it.

    And then the color drains from her face a moment. Her fears were confirmed, and she takes a deep breath, and tries to slip the card casually into her pocket. Except she's not wearing pockets, so she slips it into her kneepad.

    "So, your grandfather Oroku, huh? When's the best time to stop in? I don't wanna interrupt a lesson or anything." she states, her head tilting up slightly.

Shredder has posed:
    "Yes," she says. "Oroku is our surname," she clarifies. "His given name is Saki. As I am Oroku Karai. If you drop by any time, he may be there, or one of the other senseis. If it's Tatsu, don't worry, he always looks that grumpy. As for Bebop and Rocksteady, they weren't born that way. They made choices," she tilts her head thoughtfully. "And they seemed happy with the outcome. I don't think they considered some of the side-effects of desiring to be changed in the way that they were."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oh! Right, Japanese? Doesn't sound Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean..." Bunny recounts quietly, and she bites her lower lip a moment, purposefully looking away from where she thinks Raz might be based on the tug on her shirt. She gives a soft 'mmm' sound, and then looks up to Karai.

    "What happened to Bebop an' Rocksteady to make 'em that way?" she questions, "If they weren't born lookin' like that. That's a hell of a Rhino-plasty."

    Nosejob pun. Good one!

Razili Darnell has posed:
    One of the doors opens, but it doesn't close again. There are finally sounds. Receding footsteps. And now there's an invisible lady trackable by sound because she's done being silent for the time being. Her things are just left behind. That is exactly what she told Bunny she'd do, too. That's why she dresses like she does. It's the easiest apparel to just become invisible and run in.

Shredder has posed:
    "They chose to take part in a science experiment of some sort," Karai explains. "Apparently the result was actually the plan. They felt they were getting ample pay to be guinea pigs, and enjoyed the strength and durability that came with the territory."

    Karai shifts to see nothing, but hears Raz retreating, a slight frown crosses her face. "Is she always like this?" she asks. "I hope not. Her shyness tells me that she could probably use a place that she feels safe as well."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "To be honest, I don't know her that well." Bunny states with as little emotion as she can put into the half-lie, but she picks up Raz's clothing, using the shirt to fold over everything else. She's sure she'll run into the girl again, and she eyeballs Karai a moment.

    "So, when you talk about the maligned people... just mutants, or others too?"

Shredder has posed:
    "Defining what separates us prevents us from being one," Karai says. "Whatever species or race someone is. Whether they are rich or poor, they need a place to belong. We don't divide along those lines. I'm human. I'm not a mutant. That doesn't mean I don't see value in mutants. And not simply because they have powers. Mutants are no less or more valuable than other people. Some people have tried to villify us because we'll take acions like the one you saw at the lab. I think you can see why we would take such drastic action. In the months that it would take for a full investigation by the legal system, those people would have died, along with many others. We do what needs to be done. Are you the type of person who would do what needs to be done?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny looks up at Karai. She feels the pressure of the metal card pressing against her knee. She takes a deep breath as she looks down to her nails, dirty and broken, calloused and bent, bruised with skinned knuckles. Her bruises and road-rashed thigh. Her bright pink hair fluttering about the edges of her eyes. She feels her heart sink a moment, and then looks up to Karai.

    "Next time I have a morning off, I'll make my way to see your grandfather, and see if there's something I can do to help." she states with an air of finality. Short, speedy, friendly Bunny. The forgotten middle sister who ate half her birthday cake by her lonesome.

    "I think I can be someone who does what needs to be done."