Summary:Skye finally gives Voodoo a call and a meeting is arranged, complete with Emma Frost and Catseye. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
    |
To call, or not to call?
Skye's been rolling the idea around in the back of her mind for some time now.
The new job's kept her comfortably busy and the pair of new drones she purchased with that one idiot's credit from the bar had given her some new trinkets to play around with but her thoughts keep returning to the Mystery Burner Phone…
She's dug into it as much as she could but there's nothing to be gained from it. Just a single number to another burner. Normally she would be tripping over herself to reach out to a powered individual if given the chance, but… Maybe it was because she nearly got her head blown off during their last encounter. Ooor falling off of a rooftop on a friggin' -hover bike.- Stuff like that leaves a lasting impression.
Eventually the curiosity becomes too much. Sitting in the back of her van she turns to stare at the place where she hid the phone then makes a snap decision and darts toward it so quickly that she loses her balance. Eyes snap wide with a "Whup—!" before she stumbles onto the wadded up pile of sleeping bag.
Silently rolling eyes she turns the phone on and hits the speed dial to the only number in its memory.
"Good job, Skye."
*
With a very pleasant cold snap having rolled in for several days, Priscilla is outdoors with her family enjoying the weather. After all, she has ended up - against all odds! - making a home for herself in New York City, quite the change for the hothouse flower of the Louisiana Bayou. She wants to see snow! Snow, and ice skating again! And sharing that with her family is the best thing ever.
The tall purple-eyed mixed-race dancer is currently tying on a pair of ice skates when her phone gives a warbling signal. She tilts her head slightly, and then reaches for the phone; that's the ring from the anonymizer service forwarding a call to her burner number. « Hang on, you two. I need to take this call. It could be important. » she sends to adopted sister and mother, even as she activates the VPN software, and then answers the call, Voodoo voice alternation shapeshifted into place.
"Hello?" Just because the number or origin is her old burner phone - she has a memory for such details, now that the silly symbols don't dance around before her eyes! - doesn't mean she should assume this is that Skye woman calling.
*
Emma is amazed at the snow, it is quite unseasonable, the nor'easter having blown in from previously non-existent weather patters. Part of her suspects it might be a hint unnatural…and really…considering how happy it is making Priscilla? She can't find fault. She DOES mind that the heavy snows and blizzard conditions have halted work on the Academy, but it is what it is.
Out and about with her daughter, legally adopted, her /heirs/…Emma is dressed in thigh boots lined with fur, a parka with a fur lined hood, and thick gloves as they brave the weather together. All is stark white, though the fur has streaks of grey in it.
She's not even wearing any makeup to speak of, why bother? Cheeks flushed with the chill, she smiles as Pris is donning her skates.
She's come a long way!
Emma nods understanding about the call, bespeaking both daughters in her diamond clear mind voice. «Of course, Priscilla. We'll bide.»
And then Emma, very seriously gathers some snow, forms it into a ball, and tosses it at Catseye.
So there!
*
Sharon has been enjoying living in New York full time. Classes at Columbia during the week, weekends to spend time with family and attending the occasional punk concert. When family time gets interrupted by the call, her tail curls, the tip of it bending towards Pris. Curious, not worried. Not yet at least. With the lives they lead, her standards for worry are pretty high.
She turns back to Emma, just in time to see the ball and dive out of the way with amused squeak. "Is ON now!" She scoops up a ball of snow, quickly mashing it into a ball, and throws it at Emma, ducking behind a tree as she somehow manages to giggle AND purr at the same time.
*
All is not so calm and serene inside of the Hackermobile.
"Ah—" Skye can't help but slip out at the completely unrecognized voice on the other end. Crap, did the number change since the phone had been given to her? Did she wait too long?
She just about stumbles right back to her workstation, awkwardly tucking the phone against her shoulder while fingers leap toward the keyboard. Why didn't she load up her tracker software BEFORE making the call?? -Stupid!-
"Yah..hi. Um. This is Skye? I was given this number after ..weee met down by the docks. Like..three weeks ago."
(Real smooth.)
Also, why is this call coming from Londo—VPN. Of course. Burner, remember? Keep digging, darnit!
*
Pris is trying not to laugh aloud at the amusement of watching her adopted family engage in a snowball fight. This is what winter should be!
No, no. C'mon, Voodoo. Business now. No delighted giggles over the phone. Keep it together!
"Ah, yes. Hello, Skye." Pris recalls that she had to reassure the freaked-out woman by dropping her altered voice pattern. Oops! She morphs her vocal cords back to normal.
"I do recall. We went for an exciting little trip on my motorcycle." Pris responds, teasing it out a bit. "I had wondered whether you would decide to use the phone at all." It has been three weeks. For a lady obsessed with conspiracies, Pris is shocked this has taken this long. "What can I do for you, Skye?"
*
*SPLAT!* Emma is /pegged/, right in the chest. "Oh yes, it IS." She declares in a voice that would be dread with menace were she not so visibly fighting the urge to laugh.
Emma has sufficient training in hand to hand that she's no tyro in this contest. Sure, Sharon's natural speed and agility give her a HUGE advantage, but winning isn't the point - the *play* is.
Still, Emma won't make it any easier than she has to! A bright smile to Pris, and then she's diving for cover herself, making a snowball and then when she hurls it, using her illusion ability so it seems she threw several. Equalizer! She can't compete physically…so…she cheats to even the playing field.
After all, if you're not cheating you're not /trying/ hard enough."
*
Catseye laughs as the occasional snowball hits her, giving as good as she gets (and perhaps a bit more). But the snow is lightly packed, this is after all a game, not a fight, not a training, just a chance to play. And an excuse to need hot chocolate afterwards.
*
It's a simple question. 'What can I do for you?' Yet it leaves Skye completely motionless as her stare attempts to burn a hole right through one of her fancy flatscreen monitors. At least it's the right person on the other end of the line?
"Iii. Just. Thought. I'd follow up."
Why DID she make the call? Because it was one ginormous loose end and she wanted to either see where it would lead or find some closure. She might have followed up sooner if not for the looming concern that someone ELSE is out there hunting down and killing hackers, too…
"Okay, look. I figure you gave me this phone for a reason and I still have no idea who or—WHAT was shooting at us that night. I mean there hasn't been -anything- on the news about this so there's some serious Grade A cover-up going on, right?"
Ah, the young girl seems to have rediscovered her nerves!
*
"Grade B at best, Skye. No one died that night. Not even us." Priscilla responds. She watches her family play, and she projects her laughter telempathically towards them, sharing in the joy even if she's not in the 'fight' right now.
"But I rather expected there would be no news. We didn't bring down the building, nor did they." Voodoo answers with Priscilla's voice, but none of her playfullness.
"As secure as this is, I'm not discussing this over the phone." Pris finally offers Skye. "If you want to know more, we meet in person. You name the time and place."
*
Definitely more. Sharon's aim is exquisite, and Emma's reflexes just not swift enough to compensate. She's a dancer, a trained fighter, and has a fair amount of experience — that gives her a fighting chance, though it is a losing battle. Thus - she wins. Sharon's clean mind warm with the fun of the play, focused entirely on the moment, a breath of fresh air that makes the time precious.
Pris's mind-laughter adds even more - nuance and layered joys, something that they can all revel in.
Family.
Still, the words being spoken are heard, and though Emma is still 'fighting', she is also aware that Pris is having a serious conversation.
*
Sharon giggles, and flops on a park bench. "Enough… snow in hair, and melting down back of collar." She shakes her head, then springs to her feet again to help dust Emma off. The mention of no one dying that night is enough to make her cautious, wary, and her eyes scan the area more even as she continues in the same playful tone. "Want hot chocolate? Can buy some for the three of us…" She glances at the phone Pris is talking on. "Or four."
*
Grade -B?!- "Yah, but..-aliens!- And—and energy weapons!" Skye protests before leaning back with a quick sigh. A hand comes to her forehead, rubbing the heel at her eye.
How can this other lady be so -calm- about the whole ordeal?
"Fine. I'm free now if you are. I'm right by some park..rrrgh" she grumbles while turning to her pinboard to squint at a map of the city. She's not crazy for having a map pinned to the inside of her van. Everyone else is crazy for NOT having one! "Ah, here."
The park name should sound familiar to Pris considering that she's already there with her family.
"The roads are still a little slick and you've kinda..got a bike that flies, sooo…"
*
"So, I'll see you whenever you arrive. Drive safe, Skye." Priscilla offers. She waits a few seconds to make sure Skye has nothing more to say, then ends the session, closes out the VPN and wipes the cookies like she was taught, before putting her phone away.
"Four sounds good." Pris offers to Sharon and Emma as she gets up, walks over, and hugs them both. "Meanwhile, if you don't mind, I'm going to fill you in. It seems a contact of mine is heading to this park. Has no idea 'Voodoo' is already here."
That explanation given, she then switches to telepathy, sliding into the comfortable rapport of their three minds. « A hunt of mine three weeks ago led to what should have beeen their military weapons suppliers. But they had already picked up a tail. Some hacker calling herself Skye. Pretty sure that's not actually her name, but that's what she gave me. » Pris pried for some things, but not many; it's not generally her way except with the Enemy.
« She was in way over her head, nearly got herself killed. I had to change my battle plan to get to her and get her out instead. Got torn up more than a little in the process. » Priscilla shrugs a bit. « Since she's a hacker, and I'm not, I figured making contact might not be a bad thing. I gave her one of my burners. That was her, finally calling. » So now Pris' family know the score. And her family, together, can plan how to do this. It's not like Pris wants to endanger Emma's secrets in this. But Pris isn't stupid enough to just do this on her own without telling Emma and Sharon, either.
It could be a trap. That's possible. Damned dire wraith scum!
*
A mmmm, at Catseye. "Hot chocolate sounds lovely, Sharon." A glance to Pris, and then back to the purple haired girl with the cat's eyes. "Four apparently, and maybe something else sweet to go with." Emma leaves it to Cat to decide what to get.
When Pris rejoins them, Emma listens quietly before setting up a detection web wit her mind. «No hostiles.» She shares. "Interesting." About the contact. The rest of the infodump is considered, and Emma continues her scanning. «Skye? Sounds like a 'handle'.» Not that Emma's a hacker. «We'll follow your lead, Pris…or shall I call you Voodoo?»
One thing is certain - Emma is /involved/. She will not stand idly by, she'll help if she can.
*
Sharon is a hacker at times. More interested in programming than hacking, but when you're working on computer security lessons they overlap more than you might think. Still, what she is first and foremost is Cat. She nods to Pris and Emma, "Hot chocolate and something sweet." And if anyone tries to hurt her sister she'll shred them, until then Skye gets the benefit of the doubt. And a cup of hot chocolate.
So while Pris and Emma work on coordinating things, Catseye bounces off to a nearby coffee shop, returning with four extra large hot chocolates and a bag of chocolate pastries.
*
Skye's voice goes a little flat when she says "Right" before ending the call. Maybe she was too subtle about the idea of Voodoo being able to fly herself on over in a fraction of the time with none of the traction concerns, but..Skye's already like -right here- and can walk the distance so no harm done.
In about the same time it takes Sharon to pick up some edibles and return to the others Skye comes walking into view all bundled up in her mix of soft browns and olive greens. Recognition doesn't come immediately as 'Voodoo' isn't currently on site in all of her purple ninja glory but give her a moment and—
"Oh, hey..!" she stops short and looks from one face to another..to another. "Iii..hope I'm not interrupting."
And then she looks back to Emma Frost.
And her eyes go wider still.
Skye looks like she's ready to say something but stops herself short, blinking and forcing a smile to her face as if nothing awkward just transpired. Though inside of her head the conspiracies just took a major spike!
*
While they wait for Sharon to return with treats, Priscilla stands up and sweeps the area not with her mind - which she does, but that isn't important right now and nothing compared to Emma - but with her eyes. Her eyes, and that interesting talent of hers that unmakes pretty much everyone, of any variety. Shapeshifting, magic, mind control, possession, all of it is exposed before her Sight.
Thundercats references shall be ignored. But feline adoration redoubled.
« I don't see anything. Keep a nose out, Catseye. And thank you." Because hot chocolate? Another of those wonders of the northeast she is longing to experience for real. Pris is about to take her hot cocoa and move to another bench, putting distance between herself and Emma and Sharon until they have a better idea what is going on …
When Skye just comes strolling up. And manages to recognize her curves, even with her face showing and her winter coat on. Impressive! "Hi. You're interrupting, but welcome." Pris turns and offers a hand to Skye. "You know me as Voodoo. I'm going to guess by the diamter of your eyes right now that you recognize this woman?" She gestures to Emma without naming her. "And this is Catseye." Whom Pris is pretty sure is at that moment handing the stranger a hot cocoa.
Coincidence? Or conspiracy? MAYBE BOTH!!!!
*
Emma makes no bones about scanning the surface of Skye's mind, she does not go beyond that just yet, but she is curious what the hackerette's thoughts are. What her intentions are.
Emma's icy blue eyes are composed, and her Natalie Dormer smirk fully formed when the girl recognizes her. "Emma Frost." She introduces.
She removes her thick white gloves, tucking them into a pocket, and then savors a slow sip of her hot chocolate. A smile at the bag of chocolate pastries, selecting the smallest of them.
"A pleasure to meet you, Skye, was it?"
*
Catseye offers Daisy a choice between the last two hot chocolates and the pastries in the bag. Emma got the double chocolate cookie, but there's still a chocolate chocolate chip muffin, a chocolate crossaint, and an oversized cream puff. Sharon has a huge sweet tooth in human form, her feline form can't even taste sweetness. She gives a friendly tail wave since her hands are full. "Pleased to meet you."
*
There may be a bit of wonderment and awe going on here today. Sure, it makes sense that powered people would hang out with OTHER powered people but one of them is all cat and purply and the other is Freaking Emma Frost. She's..not a mutant, though… Is she? Nothing had ever been suggested about it, unless being -stupid rich- is a registerable superpower.
"Ah..-Yah- I recognize her. She's a pretty big deal" Skye replies while almost blindly reaching to accept the incoming sweets (holy cow that's a wicked looking cookie!) The poor hackerette is looking quite out of her league when plainly confirming "That's me!"
Seriously. This park is not big enough to contain this much awesome.
Back to Pris, she says "I didn't realize that you had such a ..um. 'Normal.' Life. Outside of the…" she vacantly motions with cookie in hand. "I mean—of COURSE you would, all of you guys …" she pauses and gently clears her throat. "It's nice to meet you all" she resets with a friendly smile.
*
Offered alternatives, and with a metabolish that is woefully unfair, Priscilla takes the chocolate chocolate chip muffin with her hot cocoa, and stays close by with Skye, smiling ruefully. "Normal life?" she teases, one eyebrow arched as she watches her sister and her mother. "Perish the thought." See, Emma? Pris can learn!
"Everybody has to find a way to live a life, Skye. For a lot of mine, I was very alone." Priscilla explains. "It sucked. But it was what I had. I got lucky, and eventually I found a family." She takes a sip of her hot cocoa, and then leans in very close. "I mean no offense. But anyone endangers my family, I get out the sword and the blaster, and I finish it. Same goes for my very few friends."
The intensity fades, though, and Pris straightens up, sipping cocoa, nibbling on chocolate baked goods, and just standing around like all of this is normal. "I know you have a ton of questions. And to be fair, I have a lot of the answers. Not all of them, but a lot more than you do right now. The question is, Skye: what are you going to do with those answers?" Reading thoughts? That's Emma's bailiwick, she's far better at it. Pris is reading emotions. That's her talent, one hundred percent.
*
Emma eats her cookie with panache. Somehow. Standing outside in the snow and foul weather. Her bites are small, elegant, and precise. It is actually a fairly distracting act, no doubt one she practiced for years to perfect.
Even as she does this, she keeps scanning poor Skye's open book of a mind.
It truly is unfair that she's talking conspiracy with a potent empath and an Omega class telepath. Oh, and don't forget the super keen senses of the kitty-grrl, because things aren't nearly stacked enough!
"Well, /our/ normal, perhaps." Emma allows with the smirk growing a bit.
She lets Pris take charge, this hacker is /her/ contact, after all. Now, that doesn't mean Emma woouldn't have any use for one, but this is her daughter's show, she wants to see how she runs it.
*
Catseye makes a small pfft sound at the idea of normal. And just smiles warmly at Pris and her 'don't endanger my family' speech. It makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like she swallowed a tribble. She tells Skye, "Is alright, we were here anyway when you called. Can just sit on a bench and enjoy hot chocolate while you two talk." She managed THREE whole pronouns in that statement! She's trying really hard to talk normally, even if stupid pronouns still seem utterly ridiculous to her kitty brain. Every person is unique, individual, the genericness of pronouns just OFFENDS her feline sensibilities,
*
Nothing is said about the subject but as soon as Pris mentions having been alone for most of her life there is the very same internal feeling of isolation from Skye. Instead of outwardly expressing it she's giving Pris a confused expression. "Diiiid I come across as threatening at any point..?" Why else would the other lady have leaned in closer and started that with 'no offense'?
The wide-eyed blink soon makes a return. "For real? There were a bunch of gun-wielding aliens at the docks during what was supposed to have been some G-Men black ops nonsense and like -no- one else knows about it. The word needs to get out there, this is serious! I bet not even the other powers know about what happened, how are -they- going to act if they don't have all of the intel?"
She only breaks long enough to take a bite out of her cookie but the ranting soon resumes. "Does this mean there are aliens infiltrating our government? Is our -entire- governoh my god this is a good cookie" she mumbles "ment run by aliens? I mean that would certainly explain a lot…"
To Catseye, Skye suggests "Hey, since you already seem to know about what's going on then I don't mind if you stay."
*
And after Skye clambers on about how they need to tell the world, Priscilla reaches out and very gently taps her on the forehead, right between the eyes. "That. You wanted to know why I would think you could be a threat. That, right there. The urge to tell the whole danged world. Which could very well lead to outing me, and some of the very few people in this world I care about most." But this time Pris does it in a calm, gentle manner. She has proven her point; she has reasons for being Ms. Intense about this.
"For the record: as far as I know, our government is not run by aliens. But, there are some aliens who have infiltrated parts of our government, using that for resources and influence to further their agendas." Hey, the crazy girl has a right to know. So Pris is going to tell her. Just, well, maybe she'll have to let Emma make her forget after?
Gawd, that would suck.
"Most of the other powered folk do not know about them. And since most of them would have no idea what to do about them, it's probably better it stay that way." Responsibility. It sucks. How is it the stripper assassin ended up with all of it?
*
To her daughters via telepathy. «Her thoughts flitter about like a spider-monkeyh on crack.» And then a mental nod. «She's also VERY intelligent, and knows her hacking quite well. She's a good asset to recruit. There is a lot of potential here, Pris.» Emma is only reading the surface and 'shape' of Skye's mind, she's not deep diving by any means, that's not something Emma does casually.
She simply seems to be enjoying cookie and hot chocolate as they all stand around in the snow.
Seems to.
Tricksy telepath is tricksy!
*
Catseye comments, "Some aliens are just trying to live here. Refugees. But raise panic about hidden alien invaders and anyone different suffers. Been down that road before. Was abducted from protest rally against the registration act." Catseye's lavender eyes are grim as she meets Skye's gaze. "I escaped later. Friends… didn't." The registration act may have been repealed, but Catseye will never shake the fear of it or something like it returning. The trauma just… runs to deep.
*
Skye blinks once and seems to rock back just slightly from Priscilla's fingertip. It's not the first time that she's heard this story. Secret identities, and all. "Great, so there are secret wars being fought by both sides at all hours of the day. That's comforting" she sourly replies.
When Pris confirms that some infiltration has happened Skye quickly brings the cookie hand up and points at her. "I knew it!" she declares with perhaps a -slight- note of victory before taking another bite out of the treat. She lacks every bit of Emma's finesse in the matter and either doesn't seem to notice or care one iota.
Such triumph is short lived when Catseye adds to the conversation. Here Skye thought that she had it all figured out, that The People had a RIGHT to know about -everything- that was going on. No more secrets, no more hiding in the shadows, no more pulling the wool over the eyes of the masses!
Then she gets to hear of the personal losses from someone who had been at ground level.
Can 'the people' be any more trusted with the truth than the government..?
Skye lets out a long breath as both of her shoulders sag. "So..what, we just sit back and let all of this happen? There has to be -something- we can do about it…"
And -she wants in- on whatever that might be.
Maybe the masses aren't able to handle the truth, but Skye? -She- can handle it. Her ideals may have been closed but her mind is still wide open.
*
Priscilla turns to look at Catseye, lowering her eyelids slightly as she looks inside her sister, at her pain and memories. And nods. Then she is back to Skye. "There have always been secret wars, Skye. There likely will always be. It is the nature of people." Pris doesn't say humanity. She doesn't mean humanity. She means something much broader and more inclusive.
"That said, there are things 'we' can do." Pris finally admits, smiling ruefully. She looks at her family, and then at the new girl. "That is part of what I do. What I was trained to do. I hunt the ones who mean us harm. The ones who try to use us against one another. Because once I can get close, they cannot hide from me." A glow of purple light builds within and around her eyes as she says that, looking deep into Skye on purpose, just to let the other woman see it, experience it.
Apparently she also takes it upon herself to protect wild crazy unprepared conspiracy theorists.
*
"My own focus has always been on protecting my own kind, protecting mutants." Emma says, revealing a deeply held secret to the girl with a wall of crazy IN HER VAN. "But…that just promotes division. Yes, I will always probably favor them. We mutants are not often treated well, we -are- often hunted, even after the repeal of the Registration Act." Skye won't sense it, but Cat and Pris will both get a burst of Emma's love and her determination to protect them. Another surprise follows - she then sends her acceptance that they can protect her too.
She continues. "There can never be unity, never be peace while we let people divide us." A hand upraised. "I do not say trust blindly, but sometimes…you have to take a leap of faith." A firm nod. "And you must *never* let anyone stop you from doing what is needed. Even if that means you must keep a secret to protect others. There is much that can be done. One needs merely know /what/ to do, and more importantly how to do it effectively."
*
It's funny, Emma deals with high-society and corporate BS and conspiracies that even Catseye can only guess at, after all, Sharon only learns about the kidnapping attempts that succeed as a general rule. Priscilla deals with aliens and secret wars, and Sharon has somehow found herself deep in the mad scientist crowd, helping deal with the fall out from AIM and other rogue experiments.
"Aliens are not the only secret war. And is not binary, tell everyone or do nothing. You watch and listen, you learn. You make connections and pass information. Try to do the most good with the least harm." Sharon smiles wryly, "Sometimes it -is- black and white. Nazis always suck. But sometimes is not, so do the best one can and ask for help when needed."
*
Emma Frost growls. "Hate Nazis."
*
Hello deer in xeno headlights! It only lasts for a brief moment but Priscilla's stare is met in turn by another wide-eyed stare. Skye's had some exposure to metahumans before but this is the first time she's had any sort of othersensory connection to something legitimately -not of this world.- Even an open mind will struggle with such a revelation and hers is no exception!
Just in case that isn't a big enough up front shock, now apparently Emma's a mutant and -holy HELL- the internet would go freaking -apeshit- if this news got out!
It's a test, right? It has to be some sort of test.
And the inside of her van isn't -crazy-..it's full of barely organized interlinking theories of questionable accuracy, thankyouverymuch.
Skye suddenly wishes she had a hand free to hold to the side of her head. No one ever likes to be told that their idea or their belief is wrong and this girl is a -stubborn- little elitist. Instead she turns up the defiance and looks right back to Pris. "I'm also in the hunting business. Just..without all of the flying bikes and plasma guns."
So much for presenting herself as a badass.
One of Sharon's remarks causes Skye to dip her head. "Alright, common ground established. Nazis suck. 'Neo' and otherwise."
Rather than try to do something silly like -ask- if she can be a part of the action (and not knowing that Emma's a -telepathic- mutant…) Skye points out "Seeing as I now know all of this we should be combining forces, huh?"
Because there's no way that Pris is going to gun her down in the middle of a public park for knowing too much.
…Right..?
*
It is a test, that much is true. Not Priscilla's test originally, but still a test and Pris knows it. But she can sense that Skye knows it, and that she is capable of making the 'right call'. That's helpful.
"That was part of my thoughts." Pris offers honestly to Skye. "But I wasn't sure that was something you would be up for, something you could accept." Honesty is always the best policy. Especially since Skye has managed to prove herself capable of that, at least ostensibly. "I'm not a hacker. Not even one little bit." She glances at Emma, smiling softly. "Until recently a page of text was my enemy. So trawling the information oceans is going to be your thing. What I can do is try to start teaching you what I know, what we know, about how some of what you find fits into a larger context that isn't exactly documented on the World Wide Webbies."
What? You wanted proper names for these things? Please! "By the way? Next secret meeting, you're getting the snacks." Yes. Pris teases. This is how she gets through life.
*
It is a test, but what isn't really? Everything is or could be a test of some sort or other. If the internet goes apeshit about Emma's being a mutant, well, that would be really bad news for Skye because at that point a plasma gun might be the right call. Still, she can sense that Pris is trusting(ish) the girl a bit, so Emma simply smiles and enjoys her cocoa and (Far too small) cookie.
Having to actually work at figure control sucks…though not as much as Nazis do.
Silent encouragement to Pris, and then Emma returns that smile, in equal measure. THIS is the Shark that many of Wallstreet fear?!
Emma turns her cool gaze to the Hacker. "Naturally what we've been discussing is not for the general public." That is said in such flat, unemotional, tones that it is /chilling/ enough to make the blizzard seem like holiday in Tahiti (Which is a by all accounts a magical place!).
Okay, there she is. THAT is the scary woman.
*
Catseye smiles at Skye, "I do a little hacking. Mostly social engineering. No patch for human stupidity, yes? But getting bachelors in electrical engineering. Specialty is circuit design." Her smile gets sly, "If need specialized hardware, can hook you up."
*
Huh. That..was surprisingly easy! The Rising Tide may think that ol' Skye here has gone AWOL but on the real side she's starting to get herself properly dug into all of these super politics and stuff.
Although… With such an opportunity there also comes an additional layer of isolation. Everyone -else- has powers. She has fancy computers and a rusty van. Still, she'd rather keep superpowered company than not. Especially if she can't be one, herself.
"What, did you think I was going to be intimidated? All of this might scare off the poor normie? Not a chance. I am all in on this."
Then to Emma (yikes did it just get cooler around here?) she plainly states "Voodoo saved my life. I owe you guys that much."
Oh, but it's Catseye who says the right words… Skye's eyes gleam a little at the prospect. "Sometimes it takes a lot more than a hotfix" she agrees with a grin. "Alright then. It's settled." … "I should probably give you guys my number."
*
Priscilla smiles. "Keep the burner, if you like. Or you can give us another number." She's happy to adjust and adapt. "By the way, if that van of yours needs work? Let me know." Pris may not be able to do all of the work herself, but she knows people. And more importantly, her safehouse is actually above an old car repair shop that is still fully equipped. Handy thing, that.
"Take care of yourself, Skye." Pris offers, extending her hand to take tha tof the other woman. "I believe the joke is usually 'welcome to the next level' ?"
*