9638/A Whole New World

A Whole New World
Date of Scene:	15 January 2022
Location:	Metropolis, to start with
Synopsis:	Terry shows Kaldur a few sights of the surface world!
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Kaldur'ahm

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Terry O'Neil has posed:
The rooftop of the Daily Planet: yes, you could probably see your house from here. If you lived in Metropolis and not... say, originally, under the sea. "So..." the Cheshire cat says with a grin, gesturing towards the glittering city below, the tall building surrounded by crystal towers that are the other skyscrapers in the district. "I have a day job, so to speak, in the offices below. I look to find the truth behind stories and tell them to people. Do they have news services in Atlantis? If not, how do people find out what's going on?"

The cat has been asking questions about Atlatean civilizations. One doesn't often get the chance to learn about new civilizations, after all.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
The lithe, agile Kal walks fearlessly to the edge of the roof. Why not. Even if he fell, he'd survive it. Plus he can make flying water whirlwinds from the water contained in the metal backpack of pressurized water he wears. "We tell our stories word of mouth," he says, peering down, down, down from the majestic height. "Atlanteans are..." He pauses, considering. "...gossips. Some of what you hear is true and some is not, but all of it is colored by the personal politics of the teller."

He turns and walks back toward Cheshire. "You are a teller of truths, Cheshire Cat," he comments. "A sage or an oracle." He nods. "I respect that."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Oh, nobody would call me an /oracle/, I am more interested in finding out the truths of men than the revelations of the gods, and I am fallible just the same." The cat grins and meets Kaldur half-way, "There are news people who try to color the stories with their own biases, too. We at the Planet, we try to do better. We try to set a golden standard. One day I'll get you to meet my boss, Lois Lane." The way he says the name, you can HEAR the capitals, "She is... just great. A paragon of journalistic integrity."

He tilts his head and observes the young man, "I never did ask you- are you staying with Arthur? Or at the Hall of Justice? I've been at the Hall a couple of times, but never with enough time to look around."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal has this way of listening, of focusing intently on who is speaking and what they're saying. He is not burdened with the many surface things that compete for people's attention. He is pleased by the description of Terry's boss and her integrity as evidence by the glitter in his eyes and the half-cocked grin on one side of his face.

"I do not live anywhere," he says matter-of-factly as though homelessness is something he doesn't understand to be a negative. "Sometimes I sleep and eat in the Hall of Justice. I also found a very wonderful sea cave a few miles out that I sleep in." He adds, "I would show it to you but I do not know the incantations to let air breathers survive beneath the water. Not only could you not breath, but the water is so very cold."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Well, as long as you are not suffering privations," the Cheshire grins, "Surface dwellers aren't as hardy as Atlanteans. We require shelters and lots of comforts," he winks and reaches over to pat Kaldur's shoulder. "The reason I brought you up here is... well, I wanted to show you where I worked, but also because the view is quite lovely. Or at least, I think so, anyways. Do Atlanteans build tall, or do they prefer to build along the sea floor? I know so little about your culture," he glances at the young man with the moon in his smile and the ocean in his eyes, "You know... you would make a great interview... an Atlantean, newly-arrived to our shores. Your unique perspective on the surface world would be fascinating to a lot of our readers."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
A smile touches Kal's lips when Cheshire pats his shoulder. He seems to enjoy physical contact. "Some of our buildings are tall, but not nearly so tall as this one. Most are low to the sea floor. Some are very beautiful and grown from living coral by special architects who tend to the crops over generations. It is a marvel."

But at the mention of the interview, Kal's expression sinks a bit. "I do not want my visit here to be about me and my life. I have some here to serve Aquaman, my king. My life is my mission and my duty."

But that smile snaps back to brighten his pretty features and he mimics the shoulder pat gesture. "If you are a gifted sage, there are many more important stories than me, I suspect."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry chuckles, "Nobody calls me a sage. Quite the opposite, often enough," he says with a wink. Putting an arm around Kaldur's shoulder, he guides him towards the other end of the rooftop. "Isn't it funny that the ocean is so vast, and that the landmass of this planet is so small compared to the water... and yet so much can happen in such a small tract of land, comparatively speaking?"

He gestures to Metropolis, "The surface world is split into many nations, and an enormous number of different cultures. Some even just a few hundred miles away from each other." He glances at the Altantean with a twinkle in his eye, "How curious are you to see it all?"

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
A bulldozer /literally/ couldn't move Kal against his will. But he easily allows himself to be led by Cheshire, even leaning a bit against his new friend as they walk. It's the kind of physical contact that is rare on the surface world. "The parts of this world that are beneath the waves are much greater than the dry land, but so much of it is vast and empty. I have been down very, very deep in the ocean where there is no light and no life that one can detect with eyes and ears." He screws up his face in thought for a beat or two. "Think of it like going far out into the wilderness to watch the night sky alone."

He peers out over the vista suggested by Cheshire. "I would like to see more of the surface world, yes. As long as it does not take me away from my duties for very long."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry also leans in. Touch is comforting, and he is often touch-oriented by his very nature. At least, when he is not in A Mood. "What if I told you that I can show you the world? Shining, shimmering, sple..." he pauses, and then he sighs, resting his head against Kaldur's in order to whisper: "If we are going to hang around each other often, I am going to need to catch you up on The Classics of the Surface World. Aladdin. Beauty and The Beast. Hello Dolly."

Now there was a thought. What would Kaldur make of surface entertainment? That was something to try!

He waves a hand, and a glowing, floating carpet manifests at the edge of the roof, his chaos magic construct taking the shape of a classic magic carpet. It is more than large enough to accomodate them, with space to spare.

"So," he untangles himself from Kaldur and leaps forward, landing on the magical construct, the surface rippling under the wind and weight but not giving nor falling, "Why don't you step over here and I can show you some pretty spiffy things about this world?" He sits down, legs stretched before him, propping himself on his hands behind him.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
A smile blooms over the aquatic teen's features. He attended a prestigious magical academy. He's no stranger to enchantments. He easily and agilely steps aboard the flying carpet and sits cross-legged on it. "You are a very gifted user of magic, Cheshire Cat," he comments. "My incantations are more limited, more battle-focused." There is a tiny hint of sadness in this sparkling brown eyes as he says that, as though there is a Kaldur'ahm who wishes he could live for peace instead of for war.

Kal looks to Cheshire with an expression that seems to indicate that he is ready.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I am limited, myself, for now." He raises an eyebrow at Kaldur, and reaches over to boop his noce with a fingertip, "I actually don't know how to do spells. What I do, is out of reflex. I have /much/ to learn, Kaldur. In that, you are /way/ ahead of me. Now..." he says, "Hold on tight!"

Upon saying this, two seatbelts sprout from the carpet to wrap around their waists. That done, the carpet takes a hard dive, heading down at prodigious speed until dipping upwards enough to avoid a collision with the ground. The carpet passes through a Rabbit Hole that opens to intercept them, and after passing through a brief expanse of multicolored lights, they emerge across a different spectacle: the city of lights, Paris, stretches out beneath them. The Eiffel Tower, sparkling in light even at four in the morning, is right ahead of them.

"Paris, called the city of lights. The earliest settlements go back twenty-two hundred years. At one point, the center of music, art and fashion in the world." He grins as the carpet takes a dip towards the champs elysees. "We're almost four thousand miles away from Metropolis!"

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal may have a bearing that belies his years. That comes from having entered mandatory military service at the age of 12 and the Conservatory of Sorcery at the age of 14. But in the end, he's still very young and he seems to be getting a lot of enjoyment from the rocketing magic carpet ride. His face is awash in delight and he lets out a bellowing howl of excitement as the carpet dips into the Rabbit Hole.

Once over Paris, though, some small bit of Kal's enthusiasm dampens. For him, one surface city is very much like any other, varying only in small degrees. He doesn't understand how to visually distinguish them. But still, he's glad to be here and a very polite young man so he says, "That is amazing to take us so far away so fast. You are not so limited, I think, as you believe yourself to be."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I'm a glorifed taxi service," the cat winks, and the carpet makes a hard pitch, zooming through the negative space of L'Arc du Triomphe before vanishing into another hole- and emerging into the light of dawn peaking over an endlessly moving mass of sand that stretches as far as the eye can see. "the Namib is the oldest desert on the planet!" Terry says, as they swoop close to the rolling sand dunes, red with the dawn and their own coloration. "We won't stay long, I know Altanteans don't like the dry heat," he grins, "But I love this- this is the best part..."

As they fly up a dune, they dip upwards just enough to see the golden rays of the sun peek through the sandy crest, making it look as if the world is on fire.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal is, in fact, quite susceptible to conditions of heat and low humidity, but not instantly. He actually stands up on the carpet when it crests the dune toward the sun. "This is very beautiful," he gasps. "We have many dunes under the water, too, but this is...very different. It is a different kind of majesty than that in the sea." He stands there enraptured by the golden rays of sun. And those rays, they are very kind to his soft, easy features, highlighting his natural beauty. But like those who possess such comeliness and yet are utterly unaware of it, he just stands there calmly, watching this particular kind of sunrise for the very time time in his life.

He looks to Chesire briefly and smiles wide, wordlessly thanking him for such a gift.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"That's enough heat for now!" the Cheshire says with a grin, "Let's give you some hydration before you shrivel up," he says playfully, and just as they rise upwards, another Rabbit Hole opens.

And then the carpet stops, hovering in midair over a dramatic gorge, full of color and texture and reflections, with rocky formations all around and water collecting in several swimming areas. One of them is particularly large and blue. "Hamersley Gorge, in Australia!" he says. "How are your diving skills?"

They are only a couple of dozen feet over the water. The carpet vanishes and the Cheshire lets out a whooop, as he falls towards the water, his nimble shape making itself as narrow as it can for entry.

SPLASH!

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal lets out a pleased yelp as the carpet vanishes, his brown eyes glittering. He tucks into a perfect dive and slips splashlessly into the water with a form that would make an Olympic diver just turn around and quit. Now we're in Kal's arena!

He agilely swims down under Cheshire and yanks playfully on his tail and is gone just like that, moving through the water like, well, like a fish. With a playful grin on his face, suddenly Kal's dark, stylized eel tattoos begin to glow with light and energy. The water starts moving around around and around in a circular fashion. He creates a gentle whirlpool. There is not downward sucking force, just a slow and gentle circular energy at the surface of the water. The two of them go 'round and 'round like some sort of aquatic carnival ride.

"You live a life of much adventure, Cheshire Cat. Many Atlantean purists try to depict the surface world as dull and lifeless. They are wrong."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Wet to the core, the cat laughs. He did just leap into the water in his uniform, but that's alright since the skintight material is designed to resist all sorts of elements. He lets himself be swept in the circles, leaning back to float a bit and enjoy the ride.

"It's not all laughs and giggles, Kaldur!" he says, "I hold down two jobs on top of my time as a Titan. Yes, I get to set my own schedules sometimes, but... I do spend a lot of time also /not/ having adventures." He grins, "But I do try to entertain myself when I can."

He reaches over with his hands for Kaldur to take his, to see if they can spin faster. "Your water magic is impressive! I have always loved water... in my high school, I was on the swimming team, you know."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
With a happy-go-lucky, untroubled laugh, Kal takes both of Cheshire Cat's hands in his. "Hold on tight," he says. Though his own grip is like iron, not holding to cause pain but unyielding all the same. Far stronger even than Superboy, Kal holds firmly to Cheshire. His eel tattoos -- seemingly tied in somehow with his powers -- begin to glow brighter as the circle spins faster and faster and faster. "Tell me if it is too much," the aquatic teens says with concern.

"I hope to find duty like you have," Kal confesses. "It is why I am here, to serve my king and to bring light to the darkness."

For an eighteen-year-old, he has a manner of speech that seems to bely his years. That fact that he doesn't seem to know how use contractions probably contribute to his stiffness of speech.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
And then the Cheshire cat is screaming. Not in the manner in which horrified people scream, but in the manner in which those riding their favorite rollercoaster do: it's a joyful, noiseful holler that dissolves into laughter. He pulls on Kaldur's hands so they can be closer, "Can you make it rise? Like a geiser? That would be fun!" he says. If he were grinning much wider, the top of his head would fall off. "Like a spinning cork being shot by a geiser!"

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
The eel tattoos shift in their color and brightness. Yes, they are definitely in somehow with his aquatic sorcery. The whirlpool does, in fact, begin to rise into the air like a waterspout. In this manner, Kal is able to actually fly. "Hold on tight, Cheshire Cat. If you let get go you will fall to your death!"

Then Kal 'accidentally' lets go of Cheshire's hands. He gasps and says, "Oh no!" But, of course, it's all play. Cheshire sinks slightly into the waterspout but is safely and comfortably held aloft as the water tornado continues to rise and rise and rise.

He looks at Terry. "Are you okay?" he asks more seriously. "Is this too much?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Are you kidding?" Terry laughs, spreading his arms, rising and spinning. "I've /always/ wanted to fly! I can't on my own, not without summoning something... but this as close as it gets!" he laughs. At first, he had seemed worried when Kaldur seemingly slipped and let him go, but once it was clear it was in good fun, he relaxed again. Now, he was simply in it for the ride. "After this, I gotta show you what I do for fun!" he laughs, "I think you'll like it."

Some cats do like water, after all.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
In a much more slow and controlled manner, the huge waterspout begins to slow and lower. The two were just easily 60 or 70 feet in the air. Once back in the water, Kal treads water easily. "There are spells that grant the ability to breath underwater but I do not know them. Someday perhaps I will learn." He cants his heads. "Are you warm enough? Cold does not affect me the way it affects most air breathers."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I am a /little/ chilly," the cat admits, "It comes with all the fur." Of course, he looks funny- wet cats always do, but the wet fur also makes his build much clearer, since some of his definition is hidden by the floof in winter. "But nothing that will kill me, I don't think," he grins, "After all, we're in the middle of the Australian summer. The water is cool, but nowhere near as bad as it is back in Metropolis." He treads, then he gets on his back to float, his uniform glistening in the sunlight. "Actually, when it's summer, I have to watch out so I don't overheat. It's why I designed my uniform the way I did- I don't need a lot of clothing in the winter because my fur takes care of it... and if I wear too much in the summer, I can get heat stroke."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
"I have been among the air breathers for very little time," Kal says, effortlessly treading water. "Are cat people like you very common? Are your parents both cats?"

There is a slight, brief glow of his eel tattoos as he closes his eyes on concentration. "We are too far from land. I tried to call some sharks but none are near. They follow the food."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I am surprised they're not here, since I've been told I'm quite the dish!" Hera help us all, he's making dad jokes. The cat chuckles and shivers a little, "But nah... my mother was a human. My father was /the/ Cheshire cat. Which... is kind of a complicated thing to explain. There's this whole other world called Wonderland. That's where my dad came from." He stops floating and swims over to Kaldur, to be closer to him. Not because he's nervous about the mention of sharks. No. No siree at all.

He glances down at his feet, kicking slowy in the water and keeping him aloft. Just because he wants to look at his feet. Not because he wants to see if there are any sharks around.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal tips his head curiously to one side. He doesn't catch the nervousness about the sharks stuff. It's too subtle for his lack of surface-world social skills. "So your mother is a human and she...and she mated with a cat? And the result was you?" Yeah, dude seems real confused about some shit right now.

There is another brief glow of Kaldur'ahm's eel tattoos and the water sort of coalesces into a kind of...water cushion? It creates positive buoyancy, giving easy lift. You can basically sit or lie on it like you would a regular cushion. But it's water. He takes a cross-legged sitting position.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Pleasantly surprised, Terry reclines next to Kaldur. Of course he reclines, he's a cat. "Nnnot exactly. My dad took human form. She didn't know who he really was, and he never told her. See... he didn't know. Apparently there can only ever be /one/ Cheshire cat in the universe. When mom got pregnant with me, he started feeling weak... and that's when he knew."

He frowns, then. "So he just... left. Without a word or explanation. Didn't give her the opportunity to choose. The moment I was born, he ceased to exist- wherever he was at the time- and I got the powers, and the title. They didn't manifest until I was nineteen, though..." he looks down at his hands, and smirks.

"Funny thing is that I am not as powerful as he was. He was pure Wonderland. I'm a hybrid. Half of me is human, which anchors me. But it also... kind of dilutes the power I would have otherwise had."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal sits quietly and listens. /This/ kind of stuff is exactly why he came to the surface world, to learn the stories and the lore, to meet the people. "So when you were born were you...were you...a cat? Like a cat? Or like a cat man like you are now? Did you ever get to meet your father or did he leave before you were born?"

He starts to collect spheres of water with his magic, making them move across the surface of the water before letting them peter out and re-merge with the sea. His demeanor doesn't make it seem like he's showing off at all, more just needing to do something with his hands while he sits idle.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Nah, I was born a normal human. I didn't manifest until I was nineteen... I never met my father. He vanished from existence the moment I was born."

He glances up at Kaldur and smiles, "So... what about you? What's your family like?" He glances at the ballsm and resist the urge to playfully bat at the--- oh, who are we kidding? He bats at them.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
When Kal sees Cheshire Cat batting at the water spheres, he smiles. It's such a warm and childlike smile. He really is a friendly person. He starts to push them toward Cheshire. They move with very little force and easily break apart when swatted.

"My father is Black Manta. He is a very bad man who wants only to destroy what he can't dominate. But I have not known him very well. I was raised by my mother, who is Atlantean, and my step-father, who is a genetically engineered human named Calvin. He was sent by Black Manta to infiltrate Atlantis but when he met my mother they fell in love and he abandoned his mission. He is a good man who has shown great kindness to my mother and me."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Black Manta? It's interesting that such a bad man could be the father of such a nice guy!" The cat grins and bats at another ball, then sits on his legs and turns to Kaldur. "My mom raised me by herself, she never married. Her mother disowned her for bringing 'shame' to the family. It's a Cath-" he pauses. "It's a thing with her religion. Not mine, though." He shrugs his shoulders.

"I went to a school run by people from that religion, and I got years of being shamed and made to feel like the lowest of the low for liking guys. They ground my self-esteem almost into dust."

He grew somber saying that, but then, that smile appears again. "But not anymore. Now I am making up for lost time, and I am not letting anyone tell me whom to love and what to do or not do!"

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal suddenly pelts Cheshire with a dozen or so of the water spheres. They can be easily batted out of the air, but if any make it through they hit softy and splorch into a gentle water splash. "What a strange religion to judge on so trivial a thing. One cannot help who one loves. As petty and political as Atlantis can be, we celebrate love. If one is fortunate enough to meet someone who loves them back in the same way, it is the Ocean's Blessing.

"Although I am confused about one thing. Are there humans who find attractiveness in a cat man? It seems like such an unlikely pair, like an Atlantean finding attractiveness in a fish."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry laughs and tries to bat all of them. He is not successful, and he gets splashed with a few- not that it makes much difference, thoroughly soaked as he is, and shivering as he sits above the water.

Sitting up again and brushing a shock of dripping red mane away from his eyes, he gives Kaldur a raised eyebrow and an insouciant smile. "Are you saying that you find me ugly, Kaldur'ahm?" his tone /sounds/ serious for a moment, and it would definitely carry through... if it weren't for the sheer mischief that sparkles in his emerald-green eyes.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kal notices Cheshire shivering and there is another brief flash of his tattoos. The water in the immediate vicinity of the two begins to warm up like a hot tub. It's quite nice to be able to recline on the water cushion amidst the temperate pocket.

"I do not find you ugly but your animal parts make you an unlikely candidate for a mate." The fact that he's speaking so calmly and matter-of-factly about love and attraction is another indicator that Atlantean culture is much more free and easy about such topics than the surface world.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry blinks for a second, and sinks into the hotter water, enjoying the warmth. "Wait. /Which/ animal parts are you talking about?" he asks. This is one of those topics that is being worded vaguely enough that it is uncertain what is being mentioned, and he is not entirely sure whether he should clarify or not. Feline curiosity /is/ a curse. "And I don't think I can be considered an /animal/ if I am sapient, you know. That classification is usually reserved for creatures who are sentient but not sapient."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
The Aqualad offers a warm smile. "Please forgive me, Cheshire Cat. I believe I swam into waters that are out of my depth. If I offended you it was unintentional and I am sorry. I am grateful for your friendship and for the kindness and adventure you are sharing with me." Then, just to prove how apologetic he really is, he splashes Cheshire Cat with water and chortles out a warm, friendly laugh.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry laughs and splashes back, shaking his head, "You didn't offend me! You just... puzzled me a little."

He clears his throat, and then looks from left to right, before looking at Kaldur. "... just because I /look/ like a cat, it doesn't mean that carries through to /everything/." He combs his hair out of his eyes, "So in that respect, I am a perfectly viable candidate for a mate." A pause, and then his smile widens, "Damn near spectacular, actually!" he laughs and splashes Kaldur again, "Okay, maybe not spectacular."

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
It seems that Kal is not well-versed in all English words. "Spectacular?" he inquires as he twists up his expression in concentration. "I do not think I understand this word. It is like..." He switches to Greek. "Theamatikos?" Then back to English again. "Scenic, like a vista?" Yeah he's all over the place. He blurts out a little laugh at his lack of full proficiency in the language.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry rubs the back of his neck, clearly intending to have fun with the situation. "Well, nobody has quite spoken of me like /that/ but sure... I'll go with a vista. A great view. All sorts of nooks and crannies to explore, and hidden treasures where least expected- my countryside is not for the faint of heart, but for the adventurous and the brave!"

He leans back on his hands and grins, clearly having fun with playing free word dissociation.

Kaldur'ahm has posed:
Kaldur'ahm causes the water cushion to rise up so the two can actually stand on the surface of the sea. "Perhaps we can return to Metropolis, if you have had enough adventure for one day? Aquaman will probably start wondering if I have given up and gone back to Atlantis." He laughs at this notion. Maybe he is starting to get the hang of sarcasm.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire cat smirks, "Arthur's attention span isn't /that/ short... but you're right, it is late on the cold side of the world..." he pauses, "I'll open a portal to the tower lobby. They have heating there. You'll forgive me if I don't want to go out into the winter cold while soaking wet to the fur." He grins and opens the Rabbit Hole, floating above the water. "After you."