Summary:
August 12 2014: Skaar Lunair and Jericho chat briefly in the aftermath of Starfire's departure.
A Field Outside Metropolis
Open field with some trees for shelter at the edges.
Characters
NPCs
- None
Mood Music:
[* None]
Skaar's eyes narrow again when Starfire speaks his language again. He is curious. And the woman just leaves. He grunts. "Fine. What now?" He looks at Lunair. Someone has to have answers, and Lunair talks a lot. So: stare.
*
Lunair has gone quiet, actually. Looking thoughtful. "I haven't met much royalty," She admits. Whatever may happen to Jack, is timey wimey stuff. Besides, she has to ask him what the hell a love spot is sometime. She looks to Skaar. She's quiet, staring back. "Hmm. Well. You'll want some sort of place to stay… what do you eat, anyway?"
*
"I don't need shelter," replies the green alien. "I usually hunt my own food… what do you eat here?" Pause. "No, what I want to know is about this SRD all of you seem to fear." They fought him despite being hiding from something else that was in the city. It is puzzling.
*
"The Special Response Division." Jericho supplies, with a sigh. "It's not so much that they're individually frightening as that they're numerous, well organized, well funded and relentless. Crossing them is a good way to get yourself a national manhunt. Beat them too much and they'll sic the military or one of the government funded meta teams on you. That is if the White Hats don't cowboy up on you first."
*
Lunair inclines her head. "Well. You should still be careful. A lot of this land is owned and there's nooooot exactly a lot of wildlife left, to be truthful. Much of this area is settled and the deer, rabbits and so on culled to keep them down. We eat lots of things, meats, grains, fruits, veggies…" She trails. "And the Special—" She nods and points to Jericho. "Yeah. The trouble with them is, they aren't terribly picky or discriminate. One of my friends saved one and they went after him briefly. Fortunately, everyone got away but," Lunair nose wrinkles. "It's basically a hassle more than an outright threat unless they escalate." Think highly powered mosquitos. She looks to Jericho. "And um. You're okay?"
*
Skaar mulls on this. The very concept of 'nation' is somewhat new for him, although not completely strange. That wild life has been culled so much as Lunair seems to hit is also strange, but Metropolis seems considerably larger than any of the warring city states of Sakaar. "So you hide from them. Why not fight against them?"
*
"Because they're a branch of the government," Jericho points out. "One of the largest, richest and most powerful governments on the planet. Fighting them is tantamount to declaring war and if it gets bad enough it will kill any chance that people like Lunair have for a peaceful acceptance in society. Which would only breed more war." The hacker shakes his head. "No. I'm a soldier, Skaar, and a very good one, but even I have to draw a line somewhere. Some battles cannot be won with weapons."
*
Lunair nods to Jericho. "People who are unusual, like us, often face a lot of fear and rejection. I usually try to hide what I am," She admits. "Though, people often pick up that I'm -" Pause. "Well. My abilities are a lot more subtle than some," She offers. "Also, even if you win some fights, they would simply overwhelm most of us. It would take a whole country of people with powers to handle them," Sigh. "I am a fighter, it's true. But I know when not to fight and when to. I'm not supposed to kill everyone," She rubs her chin.
"It's sort of a 'fight selectively' kind of thing. I prefer most of my contracts be against those who're either douchebags or evil." Both is just a bonus.
*
Skaar snorts. He is no soldier, but he has fought all his life. "You think that if you refuse to fight they will leave you alone?" In his experience, is never that way. "Governments. Statesman. Aristocrats. Bureaucrats. The name doesn't matter. They all want the same. Control everything." He grins at Lunair, looming over her. "Or… do you think they will ever leave you alone? Are Earthlings different from the children of Sakaar's many races?"
*
"They won't ever leave us -" Jericho lumps himself in here because though he's not a mutant and not persecuted because of that, he's been plenty hunted for his own abilities, "-alone if we prove ourselves to be the threats they already fear we are. We do that and they'll lash out to destroy us with a force that will make our present difficulties seem… quaint. No, this is a problem that has to be approached from the other end. People fear us. And in many cases they are right to do so. Not everyone with superior abilities has used them well. This is a fight won or lost here." He points to his head, and then his heart. "Once the people no longer fear us, or enough of them do, the rest will follow."
*
Lunair looks to Skaar, "Nah. I tend to think of it as a challenge. Get what I need to get done, then not get caught. It's like an obstacle course or a time limit," She offers. She smiles at Skaar's grin. "And no, they probably wouldn't ever leave us alone until people accept those with powers. Which will take a veeeeeeery long time. The big problem is that SRD really doesn't discriminate. Mutants, aliens, magicians," Pause. "Technology, many other things…" Given that some folks with powers dislike OTHERS having powers and - and - "And I don't know anything about Sakaar, so I honestly couldn't say fairly," She admits.
*
Lunair furrows her eyebrows in thoughts. "There are many races, many species here. Earth is kind of a special, whacky place. Personally, my job often involves lethality and killing. But it's controlled, I guess. I try to keep others in mind when I fight." Usually. "But what are Sakaar's many races like? And hey, are you thirsty?"
"I see it is just the same," Skaar pulls back a bit, looking back to the city. "In Sakaar… the wormholes brought many races to the world. Some walked, some flew, some crawled, some built machines, some hunted in the wilds. But deep down they were all the same. They all had powerful champions. And most of their leaders were always trying to control more, steal more out of their own people, distracting them with games, or wars with other tribes or cities." He points back to Metropolis, "I thought you were the champions of the city, but you are not, are you? You are targets."
*
Jericho sighs. "I don't do the 'champion' thing. Some do. And it…varies. Some groups operate with government sanction and support. Many others though…" He glances over to Lunair. "Yeah. We don't. I just happened to be in the area when you landed and started tearing the place up. Normally I'd be out in a flash but it didn't seem right to just skip out and let you - I thought - rip the place a new one."
The hacker looks up and to the north, tracking movements of SRD response teams via the network. "What will you do now?"
*
Lunair pauses. "Seems so." She considers it. "I'm not really much of a champion," She rubs the back of her head. "I mostly do good, though," She offers. She looks to Jericho and nods. "I am not. I guess I'm pretty much a target. I was just surprised. I was buying a friend a gift and then you landed. I should probably check on my car," Now that she thinks of it… "And you resemble someone who has a minor problem with self-control. He really likes smashing," She says. "So I think people were really worried."
She goes quiet as Jericho asks his question.
*
Skaar shrugs, folding his arms. "Watch. Learn. Then I will plan what to do." That is pretty reasonable given his smashing arrival, right? "But if that SRD army wants to harass me, I will make them and their masters pay in blood," and that is probably not very reasonable. Or maybe it is if he has classified the SRD as a group of thugs working for a corrupt government.
*
"That'll get you hunted real quick." Jericho sighs again. Wasn't Skaar listening? "Maybe you could, I dunno, get with the other alien who was here? Coriander I think she said her name was. She could at least bring you up to speed on everything before you went all 'Hulk Smash' on the planet again."
He looks down at the palm sized communicator Kori had handed out to anyone who wanted one before she left with Sir Beersargood in tow.
*
Lunair nods. "It will get you hunted down a really long time. It's not their might, it's sheer numbers. They're persistent. Please believe us," She remarks to Skaar. "I mean, I know you are a totally mighty dude. But it'd help to get some good contacts and set yourself up," She offers. "Kori- an - der? She seemed nice. I think she even was referred to as a princess. She seems like a good contact," She offers. "I don't mind giving you some cash to start you off here, either," She notes. Lunair peers at the little communicator, too.
That was 'Koriand'r'… Lunair got it almost right. Skaar has the communicator and she spoke his language. He will be talking to her, soon. "I do believe you," he replies. But it doesn't change anything, really. "Cash?… hrm, to trade? No. I don't need anything except to learn about Earth."
*
He'll get a hell of a walking tour of the Sardines take a dislike to him. "Then Coriander,' what alien names their daughter after a spice, really? "Is probably your best bet. She was in the same, ahem, boat once." The hacker/combat cyborg pauses as a question occurs to him. "By the by, is that how you normally look or do you… shrink down any? I only ask because the only being I've seen that's even remotely like you undergoes a kind of metamorphosis."
*
Almost. Lunair tilts her head. "Yeah, you'll need it for almost everything. Hunting rights, food, shelter, registration… You should take it just in case," She remarks. "You can give it back later. Or talk to Miss K— I really doubt it's spelled that way. Maybe they like spices?" She considers. She looks to Jericho. Lunair looks back to Skaar. "Well. I'll answer questions as I can."
*
Skaar says, "Koriand'r," corrects Skaar. Oh look, Lunair just volunteered. He can almost like the girl, despite her apparent lack of common sense. "I need a map. Then I need to know the names of the local leaders, the tribes, cities, gangs. I need to know when I am breaking laws. And…" glance to Jericho. "Everybody is very short on Earth. It is not my fault. I see this is going to be a problem, uh?""
*
"Koriand'r?" How could he tell. Ah well. "Uh, well yes and no. It means you can't blend which makes not being an Sardine magnet verrrry important. Unless you want to hide a lot. Or associate with criminal types."
Heck, even looking relatively normal most of the time has caused Jericho some trouble. "Do you have a computer of some kind? That… talks in a language I can talk to? I can upload some basics, if you do."
*
Lunair nods at the corrections. She looks up to Skaar. It probably is odd she's not bothered in the slightest by his appearance. "Okay," She nods. "We can give you those. And laws vary from place to place. There's some places more friendly to taller people," She explains. "I know a lot about the underworld people because they're always paying to have each other ki—" She trails off, looks to Jericho. Coughs. "They're busy in some places." She offers. "You do stand out a lot. And it could be trouble in some places. Metropolis is a bit more tolerant, probably because of Superman who watches out over it. But pretty much what he said. Even I have trouble if a fight comes up," She offers. "Either way, here's the low down…" And Luna will explain, but no one wants 5 paragraphs of Lunair's perspective on law.
*
"I don't have a computer." Look, he has a stone sword and clothes made of animal skins and hand-crafted bronze. It is weird Skaar knows what a computer is (but he does). He listens to Lunair's perspective of law.
Wait, he has rights? Really? That is a new one. But apparently there are also a vast number of things he can't do. In fact, it is not even legal for him to be here. Also, the nation is very large, but not the only one. He makes a few questions, difficult questions that require long answers. They include questions about what areas have less population and more wilderness, so Jericho and Lunair might get an idea of where he is going next.
*
“Closest place that matches that description is Adironak State Park. It's north of here." Jericho flips a holographic display on. His arm lights up, projecting an image of New York state with park lit up in red. Upstate New York, some distance from here but very large. "Even that isn't completely uninhabited. There's the Park Rangers and campers and hikers and such. But it's largely uninhabited. You'd have to travel west to get into truly desolate territory. And to be perfectly honest I think your best bet for safe harbor is still with Koriand'r, but that's up to you."
*
Lunair lets Jericho handle the map stuff. "You could keep the communicator and check out the forest. They haven't done the deer culls this year, so you could probably eat okay for awhile," She considers. "I'll give you some cash in case something happens. We really don't want you getting picked on, y'know? I mean, more for their sake. You'd probably launch them into orbit on a whim." She makes a throwing gesture. "Either way, welcome to Earth. And stuff."
*
Skaar just wants to keep his options open. That 'park' seems a place where he could get lost for a while. The holographic display catches his attention. Handy thing. He still wants a regular map, though!
And Lunair is still trying to help him. And welcomings! She gets another stare from Skaar. "Fine," he decides gruffly. "We'll see."
*
Getting hardcopy isn't exactly easy, but Jericho does manage to produce a military topographical map of the area. Don't ask why he has it. "Yes, welcome to earth, for what it's worth. Hope the next time I see you is under better circumstances."
*
Lunair listens. She nods to Skaar. "Sure. Enjoy your time in the wilds, alright?" She goes quiet at the stare. She looks between the two. "And yeah. I shouldn't keep you guys here. The SRD is likely going to figure things out eventually."
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