Training Time

Completed one-shot storylines are archived here after their completion.
User avatar
TennyoCeres84
Site Admin
 

Posts: 2929
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:59 am

Re: Training Time

Post by TennyoCeres84 »

The young man nodded. "Right," he said, then tilting his head in curiosity. "How did you learn to rein in those traits when you first started out?"
User avatar
IamLEAM1983
Site Admin
 

Posts: 3707
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:54 am
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: Training Time

Post by IamLEAM1983 »

The spectacles were briefly angled downwards as Griffin shook his head. "Control is something thieves learn the hard way, especially if they have scraps of talent. I learned the hardest way you could imagine, in that I was never bothered by thermoptics for over a century. For longer than you've been alive, my worst enemy consisted of my own footprints in dust, dirt or snow. Once I did have to compensate, however..."

He sighed and looked back up, again giving the impression that he was smirking. "There were several close calls. Distributing my weight was old hat and I'd stopped making floorboards creak ages ago. Dipping myself in ice water so I wouldn't show up too harshly against a refrigerated vault's sensors, however? That was painful.

I learned, however. That's the principle of the thing. Others haven't been so lucky."
User avatar
TennyoCeres84
Site Admin
 

Posts: 2929
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:59 am

Re: Training Time

Post by TennyoCeres84 »

Ciaran thought over his words and nodded. "So it's learn by trial and error." He then smiled wryly. "I don't want to brag, but I can handle ice water pretty well. I had to persevere through that in order to receive my pelt. It's symbolic of the ordeal our ancestors had to deal with before they actually became selkies. Mind you, it's not as bad as what you had to go through: blood goes toward the vital areas of the body when we have to swim in colder, deeper waters. Though, I'm sure there's other difficulties I'll come across beyond just freezing my balls off."
User avatar
IamLEAM1983
Site Admin
 

Posts: 3707
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:54 am
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: Training Time

Post by IamLEAM1983 »

Nigel laughed, the sound having an honest quality to it. "Oh, absolutely. Try broiling your balls off! I can almost promise that there's going to be days where you'll come out so exhausted and dehydrated that you won't be able to put your pelt on. It'll just slip right off."

His laughter subsided gently. "Jokes aside, being intangible doesn't mean you don't exist. It's your best weapon and also your largest weakness. It's also why we'll need to figure out how your state of flux works, to see if you couldn't carry a few small tools through."

Griffin tapped one of his thighs. "I usually tape a few tools to my legs, using special micro-pore bandages I import from Paradise. Since the tape's as organic as I am, it follows along with me and becomes intangible. The tools almost completely transition - but you can still see small blurs in the air where they're pressed against me."
User avatar
TennyoCeres84
Site Admin
 

Posts: 2929
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:59 am

Re: Training Time

Post by TennyoCeres84 »

Ciaran pursed his lips as he mused over that option. "Yeah, I definitely think that's something worth trying out. Depending on what work I'll be required, I'm sure I'll need some form of tools."
User avatar
IamLEAM1983
Site Admin
 

Posts: 3707
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:54 am
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: Training Time

Post by IamLEAM1983 »

The Voice shrugged. "Okay, let's try it at least once. No need to get undressed, all I want to know is if you'll be able to make - say - this, disappear."

He'd returned closer to the rear of the Gauntlet, momentarily hovering next to a small table covered with a variety of iconoclastic little objects. Dice, Micro Machines cars, action figures, round rare earth magnets - Griffin had a small cornucopia of test objects to try and phase out of existence, to keep his conscious control over his ability as refined as possible.

He selected one of the miniature cars, a shrunken representation of Who Framed Roger Rabbit's Benny the Cab, and handed it to the selkie. It was a small toy, close to the standard in terms of Micro Machines formats, and it fit quite snugly in the little hollow at the center of the palm of his hand.
User avatar
TennyoCeres84
Site Admin
 

Posts: 2929
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:59 am

Re: Training Time

Post by TennyoCeres84 »

Ciaran focused making himself and the toy care turn invisible, but he had no luck. He was able to turn his entire body, sans clothing, intangible; however, the tiny replica seemingly floated in the air. He huffed out a sigh before reappearing. "Not yet," he grumbled. "It'll take some work."
User avatar
IamLEAM1983
Site Admin
 

Posts: 3707
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:54 am
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: Training Time

Post by IamLEAM1983 »

Griffin shrugged and recovered the toy. "Small steps. Don't worry too much about it."

He reset the toy on the table and dug his hands in his pockets. "Now, then. I was thinking we could-"

As he was about to speak, his smartphone began to chime. Griffin grunted, lifted a gloved finger and fished out the device, pressing a few additional keys before answering it. Almost immediately, the phone seemed to overlay the recording of a conference room's noise onto the call's audio. Nigel's tone changed, from relaxed and supportive to slightly terse - as you might expect after being interrupted in the middle of a high-value meeting.

"Yes, Allan, what is it?!"

From then on, Nigel seemed to be fighting it out against someone who had at least some inkling of the CEO's personal activities, verbally dancing around the object of his current occupation, and seemingly tested by someone who seemed intent to find jokes or exploitable humorous material every two or three sentences. It made the former thief sigh a few times.

"Understand - I'm glad you've got our next CES appearance prepped, Allan. I'm glad you've managed to meet the deadline for the HomeSec hub service and that Stanley's on board for the presentation - but I really have to ask about the models. I know CES is like E3 in that eye candy is to be expected, but not everyone is as progressive as we've proven to be. We need to nurture our markets, not ruffle potential conservative fringes by adding Chippendales to our presenters.

Yes - I know about manipulation, Allan - I've almost written the bloody book! I don't want to woo people into placing orders, I want to sell our product based on the strength of what we have to offer. This isn't the forties and we certainly don't need bombshells to introduce personal security measures!"

He shook his head. "No. No, don't - don't ask me to come over, cancel the Chippendales. No - don't teleport over, I - I'm not there, Allan, sod it!"

Nigel lifted his free arm. "Where am I? Where do you think I am? I'm a former thief with a history as a superhero, where do you think I am?! No - No, you are not hacking into the tower's blueprints! Allan? Allan!"

Somehow, even though all Ciaran could see of Nigel's eyes was a pair of sunglasses, he'd be able to deduce the invisible man was looking rather contrite.

"My Public Relations director is on the way," he said, almost as if he dreaded it.
User avatar
TennyoCeres84
Site Admin
 

Posts: 2929
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:59 am

Re: Training Time

Post by TennyoCeres84 »

Puzzled, Ciaran used the context of Nigel's side of the conversation to form a theory about the person on the other side of the line. He was mildly reminded of discussions between his own father and his children and how they would usually think up immature and sometimes unrealistic ideas. "So, I guess you have a teleporting man-child with a thing for male strippers as your PR rep?" he asked in a manner that mirrored his sister's deadpan commentary, raising a brow.
User avatar
IamLEAM1983
Site Admin
 

Posts: 3707
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:54 am
Location: Quebec, Canada

Re: Training Time

Post by IamLEAM1983 »

A gloved hand was raised in a waggly so-so gesture. "He's competent enough and he's proven to have a strong moral center despite his past - but Allan's still ruled by his impulses. He does whatever feels right to him, and only rarely pauses to acknowledge what others have to contribute. He's - well - he's rather self-centered, to put it mildly, but he generally avoids offending others despite that. As to his insistence on using male models, there's a an inference to be made here regarding his personal time."

He shook his head. "It really is none of my business, obviously. Considering - try and give him a bit of leeway, hm? Whatever he might say, he doesn't mean anything by it. If he does, he knows I've never approved of his concept of networking during office hours..."
Locked