❄VIDEO❄

[icysmile]

[The video snaps into focus instantly, giving everyone a good look at Blue Rose chatting with a technician about adjustments to something in her hab. Given the half-finished look of the place, she's strutting through while everyone's still hard at work, making sure everything's just how she wants it. Better to do it now while they're there, after all. She beams at the camera for a moment.]

Hello, everyone! You'd think there'd be some kind of ceremony with a meeting or something. [Oh well.] I'm told this is probably where I'll be staying for the next few weeks until we've wrapped up this whole Chronoblivion situation, so I thought I'd extend a hand and introduce myself to everyone. Obviously I'm one of the newer arrivals. You can call me Blue Rose, or maybe Karina if I'm out of costume. One or the other, please. [She's well aware that there are some cultural difference here, but you've got to draw the line somewhere. She turns to a worker and waggles her fingers.] The softer yellow. The other shade would glare a bit, don't you think? Oh, you don't see the color? Well. Ah. Take my word for it. [She coughs and turns back.]


It's a pleasure to meet all of you! Really, it is. I don't think I've ever worked with so many NEXTs at once! It's kind of exciting. Anyway, why don't I talk a little about myself? Let's see, I'm eighteen years old. I've been a Hero with Titan Industries for almost four years now. I understand that's longer than a few of you, but I'm always willing to lend an ear if you've got any problems. [As long as they're not stupid problems.] I'm an elemental-type NEXT, I can make ice. I'd offer a demonstration, but I'd hate to interrupt the workers here by making a mess. So something small. [She holds up a hand and her eyes glow blue, with an accompanying aura. Slowly, a frosty rose forms between her fingers.] Tada!

Anyway, in addition to being a hero, I'm also an idol! I was looking forward to releasing my third album soon, but I think that's been put on hold. I don't think that will mean much here, though. Even if it wasn't another universe, a thousand years is a long time for music to remain popular, isn't it? Maybe I'll work on something new in my free time. [She turns away again when someone asks her something. She shakes her head, handing them the rose.] No, just a normal piano. I don't know how to work that one! Oh, just give me both, I'll learn that new one. Oh, can you add some cameras? I might start a new blog, and showing people how I work would be good. [And then she's back like she wasn't interrupted.]

Well, that's probably enough about me. If you've got any questions, feel free to ask! But, really, I'd rather hear about you all right now. Why don't you introduce yourselves?

Comments

[icysmile]

[She manages not to make a face at the whole 'near-death experience' part. Ouch. Perhaps she should have chosen her words more carefully.]

Well. I'm sorry to hear that. At least you're getting help and not trying to tough it out.

[She's seen enough macho boneheads refusing to admit they have problems and trying to run away from them.]

NEXTs are born, not made. It's genetic, we usually express sometime in our teenage years. I'm sorry, I just don't know what caused it, only that we started appearing, oh... Forty years ago, maybe?

[the_civilian]

Thanks. [he grins.] And yeah, definitely got right on the "getting help for this" train. The Legion has an on-site psych doctor, she's pretty cool. And handles the "holy crud, you're an alien, we don't have contact with aliens back home" staring very gracefully.

[He rubs his chin thoughtfully.]

Huh, that seems pretty wild. And I guess if people have been being born NEXTs for forty-odd years, people in your world have been looking into it pretty heavily.

...Still, "some weird genetic thing happened that we don't understand yet" doesn't weird me out as much as "sometimes people just get super powers from drinking chemistry experiments".

[icysmile]

From the sound of things, it seems like she's been getting plenty of practice!

[Blue Rose got her freakout period done in private. Now she's determined to put her best face forward.]

Yeah. NEXTs are valuable for a variety of reasons. If I wasn't a Hero, I'd probably be making quite a bit of money in the transport business. Or making snow for official events. Or making ice sculptures. [She's apparently thought about this a bit.] I've never heard of any artificial powers being created, but I suppose anything's possible.

[It might even explain how Jake ended up with two powersets instead of just the one.]

[the_civilian]

[Dryly. So dryly.] Well, she's certainly never bored.

[Tadashi nods along thoughtfully as she speaks.]

I can see that. Even if they don't fully understand the mechanism by which it's controlled, having someone around who can do that sort of thing without needing tools or machines would absolutely be valuable in a lot of ways, especially once they got good enough at it to do those things as casually as you can.

[icysmile]

[She laughs politely.

And as he winds down, she's nodding.]

It's largely a case of how creative you are with your powers, to be honest. And control, of course. I knew one girl who could spew an endless amount of water out of her mouth and thought it was useless, and I read about someone who could turn his bones to jelly to get through small openings like cracked windows or chimneys. He ended up being a ventilation cleaner.

[the_civilian]

Creativity is very important. There's a lot you can do with just about anything if you're willing and able to take the time and think it out. Did that girl you knew ever figure out what to do with her power?

[Tadashi has to admit though that if he'd grown up knowing he might get super powers as a teenager and he'd ended up with "endless water-vomit", he'd probably be disappointed too.]

[icysmile]

Mm. A situation came up and I sort of pressured her into helping. [She'd put out larger fires by herself, of course.] She just needed a chance to prove to herself that no one would think she was a freak, that's all. I don't know what she plans on doing with her life now, but I wouldn't be surprised to find her enrolled in the Hero Academy.

[the_civilian]

Sounds like it worked out pretty well, then.

What's the Hero Academy like?

[icysmile]

I wouldn't know, honestly. I never attended. My sponsors picked me up when I was only fourteen and I received training directly from them.

From the sound of things it's fairly similar to high school, except with more scouting from companies that are interested in the graduates.