13836/Circling back and touching base

Circling back and touching base
Date of Scene:	14 January 2023
Location:	Somewhere in Gotham
Synopsis:	Veronique checks up on the progress of ~the project~ that Caleb is putting together. Before that happens she is introduced to video of a recent horrific event in Gotham to Caleb specifically. Stuff that makes Veronique want to avoid the city's dark alleys.
Cast of Characters:	Veronique Lalonde, Caleb Dykstra

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Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique hasn't been back to touch base with Caleb in some time. Having nearly been caught with her hand in the cookie jar in a number of places, the need to have a better disguise or costume when out and about has never been more important.

Checking back in on Caleb's garage hasn't been difficult, but she has been more circumspect with her abilities this time. It's absolutely killing her to not rely on her powers, but she practices restraint. No sense in drag-race burning rubber right up to the front door of where you need new and better tires when unlicensed street racing is frowned upon. The bus came within acceptable proximity to allow Veronique to sloooowly walk towards the Garage and knock on Caleb's workshop door. "Hey...S'ouvir!" So much for stealth. "Hey...hey you in there?" Veronique presses her face up against window or door to peer in, moving over to peer inside a garage bay if it's open.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
At this time of night, the workshop is closed of course. What windows there are, they're small top ones, more to let some sunlight and fresh air in than grant a view. But the workshop door is a garage gate type, metal to boot. When knocked upon, it tends to clang. It takes a few moments for a voice on the intercom to sound - and a CCTV camera moves upon the gate. <<Hello. Kindly lift your clothes mid-waist and show me your back, please.>> A pause, <<And before you ask... No, I am not kidding.>>

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique's image on your CCTV leans back, surprised by a less friendly welcome. It ~is~ night of course, so maybe this is just extra precaution. She's heard about this city after night falls. "Tabernac?" she exclaims and turns to peer upwards, looking for the camera. When she spots it, she tilts her head to the side questioningly. "It's me!"

Not her circus, not her monkey's, Veronique will play by the rules if need be. She pulls up her t-shirt, rolling it up to drag her hoodie's hem along with it. Displaying her navel and edges of her underwear, she does a little turn in place, adding a mocking hip-shake her and there like she was doing a little performance at the club she works at. No sidearm or weapon tucked or strapped, the only thing a tramp-stamp at her lower back.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
<<Excellent>>, the voice says. <<Come inside, please.>> There's an electronic buzz on the door - which, for explanation, is cut into the garage gate - as the CCTV camera resumes its sweeping scanning pattern.

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique yanks on the door after the buzzer does its thing. Hauling it open. "How polite." she murmers. Casting a look over her shoulder, she tucks her shirt back in and enters the workshop.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Once Veronique is inside, she can see Caleb cocking a shotgun into rest. Whatever happened, it got him and got him bad, to the point of paranoia. Once set aside, Caleb straightens himself and takes a deep breath, "Sorry about that. Some shit went down recently, and one can never be too sure."

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique feels like maybe she should raise her hands at the sight of the shotgun. "You get held up?" She's still tucking in her shirt, giving Caleb the hairy eyeball. "Maybe you drink less coffee, switch to decaf." Crisis hotline worker she isn't. She quirks her lips, frowning and approaching. "I got a few meds I could offer, if you need to get calm, real calm. Can chew 'em up like candy, oui?" She pulls out a little ziplock of what appears to be street opiates, and gives it a little shake.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"No, I got a close encounter with the stuff of nightmares the other day", replies Caleb. "Dunno if you heard the news about a flash mob growing ever bigger as people joined it?" He waits for Veronique's reply before continueing.

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique gives a shake of her head. "I'm mostly in the Big Apple." She pockets the little baggie of Copium, crinkling the plastic, considering offering Caleb for a second time. "Flash mobs...they so 10 years ago I thought. But I've heard of Swarming, stealing phones and such. Trick is to be faster." she muses. "You definitely need to relax. Strong drink or a little powder. You alive, is all that matters."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb looks at Veronique for a long moment. "I don't do drugs", he replies. "And this swarming was about taking lives, and whatever phones or money people had be damned." He sets the shotgun aside, and placing it in a space under the counter. "It was happening right in front of other people, and they didn't realize anything was wrong." He grabs his cellphone, and shows a video to Veronique. "Doesn't show the full deal, but it's terrifying."

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique frowns heavily, so much that it doesn't do her rather pretty face much justice. She looks skeptical as she brings the phone up to her face to take a peek at the video, her thumb poised over the playback. "Drugs ain't all that bad, plenty of people use them." The way she says it, she's probably more defensive than anything else. She presses play and observes by the light of the video.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
While Veronique has a look at the video, he takes a moment to grab hiself something to drink. He pulls an energy drink for the speedster, "Here. On the house. An apology for the shotgun greet."

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique pulls the screen closer to her face on the 2nd viewing. Her frown isn't easing up, the corner of her mouth curling severely like she was sucking a lemon. She looks up briefly to accept the drink. She mumbles something about the offering being a ~good choice~ and starts slurping it back, trying not to spill it. Waste not, not have to want as much later. The chemicals and ingredients in the energy drink put a flush to her cheeks and she hands the phone back after a 3rd viewing. "If you didn't seem so worried, I'd say you were trying to show me a movie trailer. Get a flamethrower, ditch the shotgun maybe. Tabernac...And that thing is around these streets is it? Maybe time to move to another city, oui?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra shakes his head, "I'm like this because that thing went after me, and then me and two other people who happened to be superpowered helped to put a stop to it." He adds, "Besides, you don't get a flame-thrower so fast without having to do some tweaking around the garage", he states. "But, it was basically hammered into a pancake. So problem solved, apparently." He leans against the counter, "But it kinda makes you think... What if there's more than one out there, what then?"

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique smacks her lips and swallows down the dregs of the energy drink. The empty can is gently crunkled, made to flex inwards and allows to pop back to somewhat an original shape. "I'll try not to. If I see one I'll head the other direction before I end up like those twits." she offers somewhat dismissively and callously. "Maybe you be fine though. If it got thumped by people with powers, maybe won't need to BBQ." Veronique works the can between her palms, revolving it in a fidgety way. "Wouldn't worry about. You'll be fine." Spoken like someone who didn't get attacked.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, the fact it knew my name right after it took some people I was with that night, is definitely disconcerting. Makes me wonder what else it knew about me or mine", he says with a visible countenance of concern on his face. "And leaving is pretty much not an option, believe me." He doesn't develop on that subject any further.

"But anyways", he shifts the topic, "you're here to check out how the project is going, am I right?"

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique licks at her chops and gives you a side-eye. She doesn't press on the ability to pull up stakes and go. She certainly doesn't know what its like to have property, let along linger in one place too long. She raises a hand to stifle a bit of stomach discomfort that tries to issue out of her yap. Anxiety tends to upset the tummy.

Veronique comes over to stand before you, tilting her head. "Oui. Might be, could be, will be need to be more...discrete about my face in the coming weeks. Big risks mean chance to mess it up, and I'm not one of those rich shits that can kiss babies and buy good press to make it all a fairy tale or a non-story."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, this project has been fun, lemme tell you", Caleb straightens up. "You won't be needing to worry about your face after this, because it'll be covered." He starts walking towards a side room. "Step into my R&D department, and let's see what I was able to pull off."

Veronique Lalonde has posed:
Veronique follows, jamming her hands into her hoodie pockets after disposing of the can upon a nearby shelf. "Good good, I don't need to get famous." she mumbles. "Not like the ~others~." she sniffs and turns her nose up at the collective of goody-two shoes imagined and real. "And those with horseshoes up their butts, non?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, as long as you don't get caught, then sure, you'll avoid fame", he replies. "But you like risks, so I won't be advising you on the seatbelt." A slight pause, "Well, I recognize at least their efforts in trying to do some good, but" he adds, "life is really not as simple as they'd like to show it."

He leads Vero into a room filled with shelves of materials, old and new, marked for restoration and/or tinkering. "I can buy into the bullshit a little", he states, "but I've seen the really dark and dirty weave and dodge the system and come out laughing." The statement there sounds kinda... personal, "And the small fish gets explored and thrown aside like a rag, a victim of the system. Disgusting."