Owner	Pose
Angelica Jones	The phone call was simple, if heartbreaking. A man's voice on the other end, one with emotion and vulnerability. A father. "I don't know what to do with her. She's not the same, she won't come out of her room and I'm...I'm scared to force her to. She's missing school now, and someone is going to call, to ask why. You know what she is, you saw. I don't..know what to do." The call inspired a trip, to an apartment in Chelsea. One of the lower-rent ones, with no real signs of anything odd going on. Except for a redheaded young lady sitting outside her window on the fire escape, having run out of tears. She stares and waits for something else to catch fire, or explode. Or die.
Cecily Winters	Cecily is... not used to these calls. She might be used to parents of metas calling for her to be temporary bodyguards. Or some rich jerk just needing some extra muscle. But... this. This is new. It certainly makes her 'mom' reflex tingle. And she already had it for Angelica. So she takes her afternoon and drives into Chelsea.     Angelica, up on the fire escape, might see the car as it pulls up. It's... pretty basic. A four door sedan. Non-luxury. Decent commuter car. Silver. It pulls up, and the door opens. A familiar professionally-dressed fox woman steps out, pursing her lips. She might not have noticed the girl on the fire escape, depending on where it is, and goes to tap on the door.
Angelica Jones	The door opens to a man with a haggard look, as if he's not slept. He looks Cecily over as if there's no right answer. He pauses, then says, "You came. She won't come to the door for me. I didn't raise her to...she's in her room." "No I'm not," says Angelica's voice. "But I'll be right down anyway." She sounds angry, as she goes into her window and slams it behind her. The man looks awkward, ashamed. He doesn't know what to say. And Angelica comes downstairs in a hurry, rushing past him, looking away as if she's done something horribly wrong. Neither has slept, most likely.
Cecily Winters	Cecily.. is very obviously what she is. She can't hide those ears and tails. They're a mark of pride, perhaps. But also of pain. She knows that look she's given, and knows the resignation in that voice. It's a voice she's heard a thousand times, in her past life as a police officer. Her ears lift when she hears Angelica, though, and looks towards the stairs.     Her tails brush against the girl, just by virtue of her being in the doorway and the fluff waving. The car doors are unlocked. She fixes the father with a stern glare, "...be kind to her... you may be all she has in this world... I'm no replacement for a blood parent. She's as scared as you are, if even moreso... I've been there..."     She turns and heads for the car, shaking her head, the electronic key fob twirled in her fingers.
Angelica Jones	The man reacts poorly, staring after his daughter for a moment, until the sound of the car door slamming behind her makes him wince. He turns to Cecily, then says, "Her Nana was her life. I'm no replacement. Not for her, or for her mother." He turns away then, going inside and leaving Cecily to do what she will. With his daughter, who sits in the small four door sedan, finding tears where she thought there were none left.
Cecily Winters	Cecily opens the driver's side door and slides in, taking care with her tails. She doesn't say anything as she fires up the ignitiion and starts to pull away from the curb. Only after they're out of sight of the house does she look to Angelica. "...hey..." she reaches out for her shoulder, but only touches lightly respectful of the girl's space if she recoils.     "You're going to be alright, okay dear? Things might be strange and frightening right now, but they'll be ok once you get everything figured out..." she says soothingly, her voice warm and kind.
Angelica Jones	The look on Angelica's face as Cecily reaches for her isn't timid. It's halfway to terrified. But when the touch happens and nothing explodes, she lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "I thought, if I touched anyone I'd set them on fire or something. I melted my tv remote, in my room. I don't want to hurt anyone. Not ever." She watches the traffic go by, a normal thing in a life that's suddenly not normal at all, and sighs in that dramatic way teens can do. But sits straight, keeping some control. A good sign. "Figured out? How can I...we do that?" She knows that she's not alone, that's good too.
Cecily Winters	The hand settles on that shoulder, giving an assuring squeeze. "Sounds similar to what I did my first time... learning how to create fire in your hands from nothing is a bit jarring... though I didn't see any visual feedback with your... business..." Cecily observes.     There's a little shrug at the question, though. "We go somewhere safe, and you can figure out what works best for you, mentally. What triggers your powers, what you need to do to control them. It's not something answered instantly, or in a day. I'm still figuring mine out and it's been two years..." she says gently. "...but the most important thing to figure out is how to make sure you're okay, okay?"
Angelica Jones	The touch seems to help. Angelica is clearly a very touchy person, as she raises her hand to place on top of Cecily's, unless she needs it for driving. She doesn't answer for a minute or two though, the silence stretching, but she doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Just needing a moment to think. "Powers. I have powers. I could help people, like you do," is her first thought when her mind appreciates the idea. "I could do some good. Not just, teach music and grow old." She's staring off into the distance, and the thought seems to be giving her comfort. In fact she almost smiles, though the fear is still evident. "Where are we going? Am I allowed to know?" Then, a heartbeat later, "Are you still scared by yours?"
Cecily Winters	Cecily is also a touchy person. At the welcome of the hand on her own, her tails slide over to Angelica's lap. The warm fluff is silky smooth and maybe just there to help her feel good. She's fine with one hand for driving, though, and it shows. She's a NYC native and she can handle these streets.     "Why not do both?" she suggests. "Help people, and teach music, and grow old.." she offers a gentle smile. "...you can be who you want to be. And you can do what you want to do. Your powers just give you the opportunity to do even more than what you thought.... but don't lose sight of your other dreams, too, if those are things you want..." she says kindly, then looks back to the road.     The further questions aren't answered immediately, as she focuses on some construction ahead. "We're going to see my parents. They have some secure rooms in STAR Labs we can use, and they might have a little more know-how. As for my powers? No... they don't scare me anymore. They mean I can do what I always wanted to do with my life, and do it better. I can protect people."
Angelica Jones	The instinctive response comes out before Angelica can even think. "Oh I'm not good enough to protect anyone," she says, nodding as her fingers find Cecily's tail. She pauses to admire it, the shock of earlier starting to pass. "This is...beautiful! You really are a fox person, it's not a costume." Like I thought, she says to herself, gulping at her own naivete. Lots to learn. But she's adapting quickly, so long as it's about not hurting someone else. She ventures a brave smile and nods. "I'd like to meet them. I mean, I know it's probably a bad time but it really does need to be now." Yes.
Cecily Winters	"You'd be surprised, dear," Cecily says quietly. "...you might be able to protect someone before you even know it. Or something happens and you just... do something on reflex..." she offers. There's a soft giggle, and she nods, "They're real. They've been real for two years. Just like you, it all just... happened... and I wasn't prepared for it. But I'm used to it now. And I'm thankful for them, for all of it..."     She nods, then puts her eyes on the road again. If Angelica knows the city at all, she'll see they're driving off into Long Island. "Mmm? A bad time for what? To meet them? Why do you say that?" she asks, glancing over with a blink.
Angelica Jones	The little lady, though she's actually as tall as Cecily is, seems to be finding comfort in the tail in her hands. She's clearly calming, the tears forgotten. For a moment. "Parents are always busy," she says, then trails off thinking of her father, and her Nana. She lifts her hand from her lap, gazing into her own palm, and slowly traces the lines there. "Nana told me that the 'M' on my hand, right here? It means that I'm special. I didn't think it meant this." She watches them head to...where they're going, wishing. "I wish she could be here." Fingers grip into tail, maybe a bit harder than she'd planned. But she lets go as quickly and wipes her face. "Let's get this under control. I had a test today." Yeah, she's probably not going back to that school any time soon..
Cecily Winters	"I'm lucky in that regard, really..." Cecily begins. "..my father is a think tank and my mother is his personal security... So experiments and analyses aside... well they're always glad to see me..." She imagines that might not be the best thing for the girl to hear, but it's the truth. She listens to Angelica talk about her Nana, and her being special, and winces -just- slightly at the hard grip, as momentary as it lasts.     "Maybe she knew something, mmm? You are special, and it's a good thing. It just comes with.... well, some work. The key part is making sure you don't hurt yourself first."
Angelica Jones	Angelica says, "Agreed," as the STAR labs building comes into sight. It's quite large, though she's been told stories. That it's much bigger inside than it seems from the outside, that there's actually a lot of it that's underground, and she's always wondered if those two stories were mutually exclusive. It'd only make sense... "My father is a nuclear reactor engineer," she says softly, her eyes on everything at once. Both into space, and here. "We moved around a lot. Wherever had a plant that needed him. Just moved to New York actually, so I don't really know anyone. I'm babbling a bit aren't I? I do that. Sometimes, when I'm worried."
Cecily Winters	This particular building isn't far from the coast of Long Island. It's got the same iconic construction as the one in Manhattan, but it might just be a little shorter and wider. Likely a site for oceanic experiments and climate sciences closer to the water. There's no outside security, it's likely handled internally. She finds a place to park and cuts the engine.     That warm smile is still there, and gain she reaches out to squeeze that shoulder. She even goes so far as to slide her hand down the girl's arm and squeeze her fingers gently. "Don't worry about it, dear. We've arrived, though. And if you're ready, we can go inside?" she nods to the building, using her free hand to fish for her ID card and clip it to her vest.
Angelica Jones	Angelica looks a little uncomfortable for a moment, looking at her hand held in Cecily's. Whatever is on her mind she gets past in good time though, as she stiffens her resolve and nods. "I will not lose control, I will not lose control," she says sotto voce, with a look on her face that says Steel, Iron, and other good choices for grounding yourself. "I'm ready," she says. Then she lets Cecily lead her in, not quite as ready as she thinks. And still needing a friend right now. She whispers, "Thank you Cecily," as she gets to the door though. Not as oblivious, then.
Cecily Winters	Cecily can't help but smile, hearing that mantra. She gently squeezes the hand again. "...unpopular opinion, dear, but.. it's ok to lose control. If you learn from it. As they say, a fire can bring new life. And the harder you try to hold back, the more will slip through your fingers. Just relax, dear..." she says kindly. And then they're through the doors. That little 'thannk you' makes her smile all the more.     Inside, it's as expected. A security checkpoint. Metal detectors. And bored security staff. The guard on duty bolts upright, seeing the fox's shoulder holster. Then he sees the tails and the ID card, and sits back down. "...Ms. Winters. They said you called ahead. Sub-level 6," and he jerks his thumb towards the doors behind him marked 'elevators.'     "Thank you," she nods, curt and courteous, as if she were a different person for the moment. The metal detector doesn't even sound off, the guard likely having shut it down for the moments needed to pass through it.
Angelica Jones	Angelica walks past the security station, then pauses. She checks in properly, spotting the basic rules on signs around the entryway. With a shiny new nametag on a lanyard, she catches up to Cecily and shows it as if she's done something epic. Then she stands at the elevator until it opens, looking SO OUT OF PLACE! "I need to pee," she whispers as the doors start to open. Not the introduction she wants, to appear doing the dance when she meets these nice scientists. And it'll give Cecily the chance to brief folks, she thinks. And...still true.
Cecily Winters	Thankfully, it seems, the elevator is empty when it opens. Cecily laughs quietly, "Six floors down, we'll stop in the lobby there and you can do what you need to, okay dear?" she steps into the elevator and beckons Angelica. She nods to the tag, "Good on you, I almost forgot." The fox isn't perfect. "I'm quite used to simply walking inside and heading down..." she laughs.     As promised, when the elevator stops, there's a small lobby with restrooms, and a few glass doors leading off to labs in other directions. The doors have digital signs above them, likely so names and labels can change as needed. Though two of them have the name 'Winters' on them.
Angelica Jones	Angelica says, with a bit of awe, "I haven't seen this many lights and gizmos since we went to Six Flags," as she walks past the doors. Then she pauses, then turns and says, "Right. Brain dead, that's on me." Then she vanishes into the restrooms giving up Cecily's company for that of something a little more familiar,and maybe a bit more needed right now. It doesn't take too long, and gives Cecily the chance to bang on some doors. As necessary.
Cecily Winters	It's not long, certainly, and Cecily figures out where she needs to go and where people are at. When Angelica comes out, she'll see Cecily standing next to a woman in a wheelchair. The other woman looks just like Cecily... were Cecily in her fifties or so. She doesn't wear glasses though. Both women seem to be talking, and even laughing. They don't quite notice Agelica being done, though, as they're caughtin up in chatter.
Angelica Jones	The sound in the washroom is noncommittal; nothing to report occurred within. She exits in a similar fashion and ties her hair back with a scrunchie as she does so, kind of wanting it out of her face. Mid-motion she notes the two ladies and stands and waits to be acknowledged. Sorry, not a lot of interest that pose.
Cecily Winters	It's the sharp ears of the fox that catch the door opening and the footsteps, and Cecily turns to face Angelica. The woman in the wheelchair, with fingerless gloves on her hands, manually rotates herself as well. "Ah, mom. This is Angelica. The one I mentioned. I do apologize for such short notice on bringing her down but..." she trails off as the older woman rolls forward, getting a closer look at Angelica. The look in her eyes indicates someone that's seen a lot--and been through a lot. But her smile is still genuine. It's easy to see where Cecily got it from.     "Yes, an awakening event... a rather rough one, too, as I understand it. Don't worry, you're in good hands with Cecily. And the rest of us. I'm Jessica," she offers up a hand to the girl. Cecily approaches, too, hand on her mother's shoulder.
Angelica Jones	Angelica looks at her own hand when Mrs Winters offers her own. "I'm..not sure it's safe," she says, having apparently lost a little of the confidence she had a short time ago. "Don't be offended, please? I really don't want to hurt you. Or anyone." She shuffles her feet, one of which decides to betray her, and she stumbles a little, placing her hand on a wall to steady. Her fear is not completely unfounded, sadly. Because when she removes her hand, the hand print is on the wall, and the paint there is stripping. She's done -something- to it, and it doesn't look as if it would be healthy for human tissue. And, to her credit or otherwise...doesn't even notice.
Cecily Winters	"Hmmm?" Jessica blinks, hand still outstretched. "Ah..." she withdraws it slowly, and Cecily tries to reach out for Angelica when she stumbles. "That's... why we're here, mom... to... see if we can help her get her business under control... or at least figure out what exactly she's doing...." she trails off, lips pursed as she sees the handprint. Her ears flick and swivel, and somewhere an alarm goes off. One of the glass doors opens and a flying sphere rushes out and focuses what looks to be its 'eye' on the wall. Then it looks at Angelica. Then Cecily and Jessica before scooting back a few feet.     The eye flickers and projects .... a man. A man in a smart suit, with a moustache and he looks, well. Older than Jessica. "Oh... I see..." comes his voice, a little echoey, and he leans in to examine the hand-print. "...most curious indeed, oh yes... ah... excuse me. We have... energy detectors all over the facility in case of containment breaches and the like... I take it you are Angelica, my dear girl?" he asks. And that's where Cecily gets that from.     "Dad..." the fox laughs, and the hologram stands up to look at the fox before flickering closer. "Ah my girl..." he says a bit wavely, and seems to solidify somewhat. The two share a hug, though he's obviously a transparent hardlight hologram, "...helping out another 'stray' with her powers I see? It occurs to me there's more at work here than melting paint, oh yes..."
Angelica Jones	Angelica's eyes boggle as the goings-on go on about her, many of which she may have causes. She looks at the wall finally as the eye inspectigates it, then blanches. So when she herself is spoken to she's not ready for it. "Sir!" she says, trying to stand up straighter. She moves her right cheek awkwardly in what should have been a smile, and glances to Jessica and Cecily. She calms, seeing them both still there, and puts her hand in her own hair. Which does not spontaneously combust. "It's been a really busy couple of days, I admit. Yes sir. My name is Angelica Jones." Wow that came out woodenly. You're not in danger. Don't insult the nice family. "I apparently..melt things?" She waves her off hand at a light, and a small fire pops in it, sending that section of the room into darkness. She frowns. And lowers her hands, carefully crossing them so they won't cause any more damage.
Cecily Winters	Jessica frowns when the light goes out, and Cecily and her fatherly hologram de-couple from their hug. "Oh dear..." the fox says quietly, and the hologram just laughs. "A regular enigma, yes yes. Ah, but where are my manners..." he steps closer to Angelica at her greeting and looks her over. "Charles, Charles Winters. I see you've had the pleasure of meeting my darling daughter and lovely wife. But let's talk about -you-... oh yes..."     The projector drone holds position, and the hologram himself looks over those hands. "Ah... electromagnetic radiation? Oh I'll never cease to be amazed by what wonderous powers come from such unassuming yet extraordinary individuals..."     Jessica herself laughs, "I'll go confer with the maintenance team... I'm off the clock right now anyway... take care you three, mm? Love you~" she blows a kiss to Cecily and winks at Charles before rolling through one of the doors. It just leaves Cecily, the holo-dad, and Angelica alone.
Angelica Jones	The inspections having begun, Angelica looks to be less of a threat than an accident waiting to happen. "Is there someplace you can put me? That I won't electro magnety things into exploding?" She pauses, reviewing her science in her head, then she pauses. "Electromagnetics include a lot of different radiations, the spectrum goes from light all the way to gamma...which is nuclear radiation. Are you saying I'm NUCLEAR?" She pauses, staring at Mr Winters. Hologram. Mr Winters' hologram. "I've had a lot of talks on nuclear radiation, sir. My father fixes reactors for a living. I'd like to not irradiate your family!"
Cecily Winters	To her credit, Cecily can probably survive some pretty gnarly things. The talk of radiation doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest. And that reaction makes Charles laugh. Mr. Winters stands up and presses his hand to his chest, shaking his head quickly.     "Oh dear goodness no, my girl.... you aren't radioactive. You aren't even nuclear, no no..." he hurries to allay her fears in his own strange, absent way. "You -are-, however, radiating -heat-. Intensely. Are you familiar with how a microwave works? Well, of course you are, you seem sound of mind in science. Microwaves, my girl. Microwaves. You're projecting them. Intensely. This may explain the melting of your devices, the failure of your phone to function around you, and the delightful imprint here on the wall..."     "...the bubbling asphalt as well..." Cecily adds in gently, "...more impressive than fire, I'd give you that, dear... though also harder to detect. There's no visual indicator."
Angelica Jones	Angelica breathes. She closes her eyes, then takes a few long, calming breaths. Then, "I'm...a microwave oven?" She opens those dark eyes, then starts laughing without warning. The readings on the room seem to lower, on Charles' end, and whatever Angelica is doing...stops. She's got control, and laughing seems to have helped. "I'm a kitchen appliance," she says around giggles, pointing randomly, not sure what she's doing. "I don't even like using a microwave! Ours is busted anyway." She giggles until she snorts, then stops suddenly, covering her mouth..
Cecily Winters	Cecily can't help but laugh herself, seeing the way the girl reacts to this new revelation. Charles, of course, takes a more scientific stance. "Well, sort of. You could heat food if you wish, yes, but... well concentrated microwaves can be intense enough to superheat plasma for fusion reactors as well. Put quite simply, you have some very, very potent powers, oh yes... Being able to control them would be best for your health, at the absolute least," he nods, hands clasped at his waist. It's all so very human a reaction for a hologram to be making.     Cecily blinks when Angelica stops suddenly, "...is something wrong, dear?" she asks, sounding concerned.
Angelica Jones	Angelica smiles around her fingers, then splays them out. "Actually no. I feel calm, like there's something different in the way I'm doing things." She looks at her hands, then nods slowly, contently. "I can feel it happening. Well, technically NOT happening at the moment. Like, when it stopped I got an idea of what I was doing, a little bit." She looks away from her hand to Cecily and Charles, and then blushes. "Not that I'm going to try and do it on purpose or anything! Not without a controlled environment and some blast shielding!" Whatever happened, it helped!
Cecily Winters	"Precisely! Come, my child," Charles and his drone start to move towards one of the glass doors at the same pace. Cecily's tails floof up and wave with more energy when she sees Angelica is fine. "Oh, that's wonderful to hear. Come on then, dad should be able to get something set up. Likely with a lot of sensors and some lead-lined walls... Honestly, the science business is beyond me. I shoot people and start fires..." she laughs gently.     "You give yourself far too little credit, my girl... I'm already constructing a safe box, and I've also put tea on already. Do tell me you're staying for lunch?"