"Meet the Folks" By Yuki-Usa November 23, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Number One Place for Superheros and Villains of the Furry Persuasion ____ __ ___ ______ _ / __/_ _____ ___ ____/ |/ /__ ___ ____ /_ __/__ ___ (_)__ _ _\ \/ // / _ \/ -_) __/ /|_/ / -_) _ `/ _ `// / / _ \/ _ \/ / _ `/ /___/\_,_/ .__/\__/_/ /_/ /_/\__/\_, /\_,_//_/ \___/ .__/_/\_,_/ /_/ /___/ /_/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SMT Airfield The City's Airfield is on it's own island, apart from the mainland, to prevent any accidents from spreading. In a city where such a large percentage of the city populace is either superheros or supervillains, each one causing an equal amount of super damage in a daily routine. The airport is a bit further to the east on the island. Only two roads extend from the island, one to the west, into the industrial area of the city towards the Candy Factory, and one to the north, which is a service road into and from the Harbor District. [ Obvious Exits: Southern Harbor District , Grey Vault Island ] [ Compound ] Contents: Yuki-Usa(#3532P/JM) Donovan_Thorn Fate has arrived. Ffiona has arrived. Mako has arrived. Fruitbat has arrived. Donovan_Thorn carries Yuki-Usa, Fate, Ffiona, Mako, and Fruitbat with him. You say, "Thanks again, everyone, for coming with me to meet my folks. I'm sure they'll be pleased to meet you all..." Yuki-Usa eyes Ffiona, who's tagged along. "Well, most of you..." Ffiona's eyebrow raises. " Who, moi? " Fate... "Moving on." He's walking along next to Usaki.. Until the airport checkpoint. Security Guard clears his throat. "Sir, we can't let you in with that deadly weapon." Fate... looks blank for a moment, then hands over a pair of nail clippers. Security Guard nods. "Thank you, pass along." Ffiona ambles on, a bit behind the rest of the group. Donovan_Thorn follows along. Yuki-Usa leads the way to the terminal where they're to meet Usaki's parents. After a brief wait, the plane taxis up to the gate and unloads a large crowd of people. Mako simply follows along, as her player's a bit distracted. Fruitbat finds a spot on the terminal ceiling to wait. Donovan_Thorn also follows, looking where Usaki's looking trying to spot people that could be her parents. Through the crowd presses a hard to miss couple: a tall, wide, male rabbit in a button-down shirt and slacks, and a short, curvy female rabbit in a blue pantsuit. They appear to be together, and in their mid to late 40s. The woman spots Usaki, and waves excitedly. "Usa-chan!" Donovan_Thorn grins. That was easy enough. Yuki-Usa squeals in delight as she spots the couple. "Mama! Papa!" She pushes through the crowd and greets the woman with a hug. "It's so great to see you two!" Fate looks around. @o He pulls up his goggles, and his eyes have changed color with the new body, back to his original gray. The glasses flicker into place over them. Fate approaches the three rabbits, and waves sheepishly, waiting for Blistering Destruction(tm) at the hands of the parents. :p Mrs. Fuyumoto smiles warmly. "Nice to see you too, dear. Your English is getting even better!" She eyes Fate critically. "And who's this, hmm?" Her smile subdues a bit. You say, "Oh! Mom, Dad, this is my, um, friend Foxeryn..." Fate bows. "The Apparently Very Reverend Foxeryn Cutter, Superhero after a fashion. In the team led by the panther over there." Thumbs at Don. Mr. Fuyumoto stomps forward, smirking. "Ah, superhero? Fancy that, our little Usa-chan knows actual superheroes..." Usaki blushes a bit, "Um, yeah, I guess I do... 'the panther over there' is another of my friends, Donovan Thorn." Donovan_Thorn wavies and nods, heading closer to the group now that the initial awkwardness is over with. "That's me, and this is Mako, my wife. n.n Hello Mr Fuyumoto, Mrs Fuyumoto." Mako waves cheerfully. Ffiona stands a bit behind Don and Mako, doing what one might call 'skulking'. Mr. Fuyumoto nods politely, "Nice to meet you," but Mrs. Fuyumoto looks critically at Don. "So, you're a superhero, are you?" Donovan_Thorn says, "It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the short of it. I run a scrap depot for my day job." Donovan_Thorn says, "How are you? Hope your flight was uneventful." Mrs. Fuyumoto nods. "Eh. The food was okay, the movie not so much..." She starts to walk off, and says to Mr. Fuyumoto "Come on, dear, we have to go get our bags... Usaki, you and your little friends come along, alright?" Donovan_Thorn blinks. Fruitbat thinks, . o O (The movie was worse than the food? Poor bunnies....) Fate follows along. "What were they, respectively?" You say, "Pardon?" Fate yerfs, "Movie and food." Donovan_Thorn follows along as asked, a little pulled off by being called 'little'. He's not THAT short. >.> Mrs. Fuyumoto chatters on as you all walk, "Dinner was prime rib and chef's salad, but not as fine as it sounds... first class or not, all that airline food's the same when they put it in those little microwaveable packs... Breakfast was a bit better, light continental fare... the movie, ech... some kung-fu action film, don't know what your brothers see in that garbage, Usa-chan..." Fruitbat follows along, flitting from spot to spot along the roof. Ffiona follows as well. Yuki-Usa nods at her mother, following her close, sorta listening but not really. "Uh-huh, yeah... oh, really? Yeah, I know what you mean, Mom, those Hong Kong action films aren't really my thing either..." The party eventually arrives at the luggage pickup, and Usaki helps spot her parent's luggage... "It's the Samsonite with the cherry-blossom pattern, kind of hard to miss." There seem to be a LOT of suitcases with a cherry-blossom pattern, each of which Mrs. Fuyumoto confirms is either hers or her husband's (mostly hers). Fate... "I have this sudden feeling that I should clear my Malletspace account." He offers to carry quite a bit. Mako wonders internally if they rented a car. Or possibly a trailer truck. Donovan_Thorn wonders if he should bring in Hopper-IV to carry luggage. >.> Mr. Fuyumoto helps carry his wife's larger pieces of luggage. He might not be a pro sumo anymore, but he does keep himself in pretty good shape. Usaki helps with a pair of hat boxes that almost obscure her field of vision. "Geez Mom, I thought you two were staying for the week, not the month!" she teases. "Oh, now don't sass your mother, Usa-chan... remember our last family vacation? Your father nearly threw his back out trying to lift your luggage all by himself!" "Yeah, but that was after he lifted YOURS by himself..." The two share a bit of a laugh at that... Fate uses his power to assist, lifting as much as he can by applying a stasis field, and blinking immediately after. "Heavy." @o Donovan_Thorn heads off and returns with four or five of those luggage roller thingies... Fate... "Good thinking, Don." ^.^ The luggage is all loaded, and the party heads to pick up the Fuyumotos' rent-a-car... a mid-sized sedan with (thank goodness for small favors) plenty of trunk space. Even so, getting it all to fit in is a bit of a chore... Donovan_Thorn whews. oO Fate yerfs, "Well, that was fun. What next?" |OOC| You say, "Anyone know of any ritzy hotels in Supermegatopia? Or should I just make one up?" |OOC| Donovan_Thorn says, "There's supposed to be one in the Convention Centre, but it's not actually built. We can just assume it." Mrs. Fuyumoto pulls out some papers from her handbag. "Alright, we need directions to our hotel... how do we get to the Grand Kiwi from here?" Donovan_Thorn goes into a country-boyish long rambling explanation of past this, 'round yonder that, etc, etc, etc. Mrs. Fuyumoto nods. "Yes, alright, good, I got it, thank you young man!" The Fuyumotos get into their car, and Mrs. Fuyumoto calls out "Why don't you kids meet us at the hotel, and we'll treat you to lunch?" Fate will take 'free lunch' anytime. ^.^ You say, "Alright, thanks! See you then!" Donovan_Thorn will as well. ^-^ "Thank you. Can the kids come along?" Mrs. Fuyumoto looks at Don and Mako. "Ah, you two have kids? Sure, sure, we're good for it? Right, dear?" Mr. Fuyumoto nods. Donovan_Thorn makes some calls and arranges things... *Later...* The Grand Kiwi(#3194R/M) Wow, swanky digs! You're standing in the lobby of the Grand Kiwi, one of the ritziest, fanciest, and most expensive hotels in Supermegatopia. The high-roofed lobby is decorated in striking shades of green: from the check-in desk, to the circular couch in the middle, to the crystal chandelier, to the Art-Deco architecture. It looks like the City of Oz, only more so. A hallway leads to the ground floor wing, while another leads to the Grand Kiwi's restaurant, the Vert Cafe. [ Obvious Exits: PullLever, ut ] Contents: Haley Connie Fate Mako Ffiona Yuki-Usa(#3532P/JM) Donovan_Thorn Fruitbat PullLever (one word) to re-desc the room! Connie slips in, having somewhere on the trip over misplaced her much-faster brother. Or perhaps he misplaced -her-. At any rate, she's by herself, though she expects Haley to be here ahead of her, or come in just behind. He's difficult like that. Yuki-Usa wows, as she steps in, carrying some of her parent's luggage. "Boy, you guys have been saving your yen for a while... this is one of the fanciest hotels in town!" Ffiona has disconnected. Donovan_Thorn steps in with Mako, Connie, and Haley. "....wow. Nice place. oO Maybye I shoulda worn a tuxedo." Mrs. Fuyumoto waves dismissively as she starts checking in at the desc. "It's quite alright. We'll just send the things up to the room, and then see about lunch..." Fate walks in with Usaki and her parents, gets looks from the staff. "... Whaaaat?" Fruitbat skreeks, "Heh. I match!" Connie tilts her head. "If it was worn, Papa, wouldn't you have to replace it?" She looks around, absorbing the posh luxury, then up at the chandelier. For some odd reason, it steals the bulk of her attention. Donovan_Thorn says, "Nonono, worn, the verb." Haley looks around casually, hands in pockets. Ffiona exits, stage right. Ffiona has left. Mrs. Fuyumoto gets the keys to the room, and sends a team of bellhops to take the suitcases up. She then sashays her way over to the restaurant, where the host tries to stop her. "Pardon," he says, with a thick French accent, "but do you 'ave a... reser... vation... madame?" He trails off a bit as he looks her over. "Ah! Harumi Fuyumoto!" he shouts, nearly stumbling off his step stool in surprise. "It is you, no?" Donovan_Thorn is slowly beginning to get the impression that Usaki's parents are pretty important people. Fate lags a minute. "Hey, Connie. What's up? I need your help on a gengineering project, later." Yuki-Usa wows. She knew her mom was famous, but not THIS big. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's her..." Mrs. Fuyumoto shushes her daughter. "Let me handle this, dear..." To the host, she says "Relax, I'm not here on business. My husband and I just want a nice, quiet luncheon with our daughter and her friends." The waiter regains his composure. "At once, madame! It is an honor to have a world-famous restaurant critic such as yourself at our establishment, even if it is not for a review!" He leads the way to a large-ish table, big enough for everyone. "A waiter will be with you right away!" the host says, before dashing off to alert the rest of the employees. Connie looks up, then nods. "Sure, Auntle Fox. I just... here, lemme give you this." She scribbles a set of numbers down on the back of a business card (from Honest Al's Used Flying Saucer Emporium), and hands it over. "I'm not uplinked. There was a .... thing, last night. That's the cell phone Papa got for me today." Fate noddles. "I'm missing components for a genetic template, and I'd like some assistance finding compatibles, or equivalent mechanisms that aren't too expensive. ( Fate and Connie's shop talk gets some odd looks from Mrs. Fuyumoto as she overhears, but she doesn't intrude. Sure enough, a waiter comes by and gets everyone's orders, starting with drinks. ) Donovan_Thorn takes a seat at the table, and fiddles with the fancy plaited napkin thingy until it unfolds and he can put it on his lap... Don just wants water for a drink. Yuki-Usa gets a glass of orange juice, while the elder Fuyumotos order some wine. Connie nods, watching the bustle as she settles into a chair. "Okie. If you'll help me nail down some platform-independent CI and CCI wetware." She's more than a little distracted, it seems, eyes flicking over the decorations in the room. Her drink of choice? It's not on the menu, so she opts for water. Fate orders ... lime tonic. ^.^ "So, Mrs. Fuyumoto. What exactly do you do?" >.> Fruitbat splits the difference between fruit juice and wine. "Sangrea, please." Donovan_Thorn grins, "Restaraunt critic, didn't you hear the waiter? Sounds like a nice work if you can get it." Mrs. Fuyumoto hmms. "Well, it's nice to get a free meal on occasion, but people make so much fuss over me whenever I go out to eat... it gets old after a while, let me tell you!" Fate ahhhs. "Understandable." ^.^ Haley thinks orange juice sounds like a good idea, gets that. Donovan_Thorn nods, "I'll bet. Have you been in SMT often?" Mrs. Fuyumoto shakes her head no. "I've only been here once, about a year and a half before my oldest was born... but apparently I'm famous in restaurant circles." The waiter comes by with drinks, and she allows the waiter to pour her a glass of wine. She sniffs it a bit, obviously a pro at this. Connie looks from side to side, then asks quietly (and very politely) of the most likely seeming adult, "Do the restaurants ever get thier feelings hurt when they're criticized? Or are the buildings non-sentient?" Mrs. Fuyumoto stares at Connie, then chuckles politely. "Ah, such an odd yong lady... is this one of yours, Mr. Thorn?" Donovan_Thorn patpats Connie, chuckling as well. "Yes, she is. Mrs Fuyumoto, this is our daughter Connie. She's abit literal sometimes, but she learns /really/ fast." Points out Haley, "And this is our son, Haley. Say hello, Haley." Haley inclines his head, "Hello." remaining fairly quiet otherwise. Donovan_Thorn explains the concept of 'restaraunt critic' to Connie quietly. >.> Fate yerfs, "So, what're your plans while you're here?" Harumi nods at Fate, "Well, we were just going to see the sights, spend some quality time with our daughter, catch up on old times, you know..." The waiter comes by again to ask for your orders. Fruitbat has become terminally idle. Fate nods, and orders... Um. Uh. ... "Chicken parmesan." >.> Donovan_Thorn decides on lasagna. Connie ohs, nodding as she grasps the concept. Yes, that explains why all the waitstaff look like they're on adrenal rushes. Food. Hrm. After a moment she opts for fettucine alfredo. "It won't make me fat, will it?" she frets. Fruitbat has unidled. Fruitbat skreeks, "The crab Alfredo for me, please." Yuki-Usa gets some fettucine alfredo as well. Her mother gets some grilled salmon, while her father orders grilled shrimp. Mako has become terminally idle. Donovan_Thorn shakes his head, "Course not." Feels like muttering... stupid teen magazines and their indelible memes... Fate would suggest memetic treatments, but never studied memetics much. You say, "I don't think you have to worry about that, Connie... heck, I hardly do anymore." Connie looks relieved. She gives her father an odd look, then nods at Yuki. "Okie. I just worry... I've been having odd cravings today, and it's been really weird." Mrs. Fuyumoto smirks, but refrains from commenting on her daughter's weight. Her outfit is looking a bit snug too, so it seems Usaki's not the only one with weight issues. Fate laughs. "I've never worried about it, but that's probably due to the metabolic boost my power gives me. Donovan_Thorn snerks. "You thin people. ;p" Fruitbat doesn't worry about her weight. It's self-correcting. Fate has now run out of topics that are not viscerally disturbing. Mr. Fuyumoto speaks up, "So, about this power... if you're a superhero, what is it? If you don't mind me asking..." Fate yerfs, "Mine? Well, it's twofold." "Yes, go on..." Fate yerfs, "First, I generate 'blank spaces' in reality, literally two-dimensional plates. They're useful as shielding, or in emergencies shelves." Mrs. Fuyumoto nods, "Yes, go on..." It's about this time the food starts arriving. Fate yerfs, "Secondly, I 'adjust' the entropy present in any closed system. That is, I can selectively 'add' or 'retract' age to things. I can also tell exactly how long any given system, or object, has been in existence. Don's suggested that I go into antiques appraisal." Fruitbat skreeks, "He's got a point. That or archeology." Fate yerfs, "... Believe it or not, that's the simple explanation. Wish I had an easy one, like Don's. >.>" Donovan_Thorn blinks. "I'm not simple. I just don't know how I work." Connie giggles softly. "Auntle Fox is -never- simple. And Papa's just spiff. Who needs to explain that?" Fate yerfs, "I didn't say you were simple, Don. Just easy to give the gist of your powers. It doesn't get any quicker than "Schroedinger's Cat, sans box and radiation."" Mrs. Fuyumoto smiles, as she cuts off a slice of grilled salmon. "It does sound like it has some practical applications..." She takes a bite of salmon. "Mmm, very nice... delicately cooked, and well-seasoned..." Donovan_Thorn starts on his lasagna, being careful to use the correct fork and all that... as an afterthought, points out to connie and haley the correct utensils for things. You say, "Beg pardon? I don't quite get the analogy... what does Schroedinger's Cat have to do with Don? I was hardly aware he had powers..." Donovan_Thorn says, "That's because you never see them." Donovan_Thorn says, "That's... kind of how it works." Donovan_Thorn says, "When nobody's looking I can vanish and appear somewhere else. That's it." Fate starts in. "Also works with objective-only observers, right Don? Cameras that nobody's watching, AIs...?" Yuki-Usa nods, finally getting it. "Yeah? I thought you were just good at sneaking up on people..." She digs into her fettucine. "Mmm, good stuff!" Donovan_Thorn says, "Cameras don't work, AI's don't work. Though oddly enough, nightvision gear does." Connie accepts the silverware crash course, shrugs, and starts in on her supper. She's gotten used to turning around and finding her father missing. But the pasta is very good. Donovan_Thorn would comment on the lasagna being wonderful, if he wasn't busy eating it. The table conversation dies down a bit, since everyone is busy eating, but Mrs. Fuyumoto manages to get a word in between bites. "So, Usaki, I just have to know... you been seeing anyone 'special'?" Fate busies himself more thorougly with the chicken and associated spaghetti. >.> Donovan_Thorn feels an uhoh moment coming up, he just knows it... Yuki-Usa blushes. "Aw, mom..." Fruitbat's eyebrows twitch for just a moment, then her face goes completely blank... Fate almost *does* choke on that one. Three universes over, Clockstopper *does* choke, and nobody knows the Heimlich, or actually bothers performing it. This sends a chain of utterly humorous events in motion that parallel any anime with multiple protagonists would have. Here, however, Fate simply sputters a bit. @o Mrs. Fuyumoto grins. "Ah, don't tell me, you DO have someone... I know you too well, dear, now who is it?" Connie pauses in her eating. God help the civilians, but she's almost as bad with matchmaking as she is with WierdScience(tm)... and this could be interesting. You say, "Um, well, he's a real great guy... handsome, smart, a real gentleman for the most part, but just rough enough around the edges to make him interesting..." Mako exits, stage right. Mako has left. Donovan_Thorn continues working on his lasagna. One might get the impression it would take a small nuclear device to dislodge his attention from it. Fate is liking the description, and considering giving this person a body-ectomy if it's not him. This from the guy who went down to the courthouse to get his hero license re-upped and walked away with all the licenses he could buy and brought money for. Including a license to hang sheep from a clothesline for the purposes of drying them out, illegal in the state of Montana. A nod from Mrs. Fuyumoto, "Wait, don't tell me, it's someone in this room, isn't it?" Connie smiles, then frowns, fingers rising to where the tx/rx module usually is. She pokes back at her pasta, distracted for the moment, thus relatively harmless to polite conversation. Yuki-Usa eeps. "You read me too well, mom..." Fruitbat has become terminally idle. Donovan_Thorn says, "This is the part where Sherlock Holmes finds the murderer, right?" Fate finishes the chicken, and hits the remainder of the spaghetti. "I think the better metaphor here is James Kudo. Connie looks up, hooked back into the conversation. "Someone got killed? Was it someone I knew? Do I need to go thump someone for being mean?" Yuki-Usa elbows Fate. "It's Shinichi Kudo in the original..." Donovan_Thorn says, "...I was joking, Connie. :p Trying to get people to lighten up a bit." Fate winces. "Baw! I am defeated! Didn't know that, actually. Hadn't read the original, or seen its anime." Mrs. Fuyumoto frowns. "What's with the sudden 'Detective Conan' allusions? Is this person someone I might not approve of if I met them in person? You're not..." Yuki-Usa waves her hands frantically. "No, mom, I'm NOT gay! The guy in question is, um, Fox..." Fate... "Yo?" Connie blinks. It's almost visible on her face as she retraces the conversation, and then turns to look at Fox. Her mouth opens, then she turns to look back at Yuki. And then she stares down at her half-eaten pasta without saying anything. Fate is glad that Connie realizes the gravity of having just met The proverbial Parents. Both Fuyumotos seem a bit surprised, looking the kitsune over. It seems Mrs. Fuyumoto is a bit less so, with a resigned "Saw this coming" expression on her face. "So I guess you two aren't just friends, after all?" she says calmly. Fruitbat opens her mouth, closes it with an audible -snap-, opens it again, and finally shoves a huge forkful of Crab Alfredo into it to end the temptation. Fate ahs, "Yeah. Guilty." ^.^;; "Soooooo..." Donovan_Thorn polishes off the lasagna nonchalantly. "Mmm. Good lasagna." Yuki-Usa munches on her pasta, aware of the awkward silence. "Well, we haven't really gotten anywhere... we've been seeing each other from time to time, gone on a date or two... maybe kissed once or twice." Connie looks up, glancing at her father. "Papa? I... need to go check on something." She glances at Yuki's parents and offers an apologetic smile. "I left an experiment in progress... my calculations just turned up an error, and I really need to go stop things from ... reacting any further. I'm terribly sorry," she adds, slipping out of her chair. Donovan_Thorn mrfs, rising as well, "Pardon me, I'd better see her home safely." Mrs. Fuyumoto nods. "It's alright... quite alright..." Fate waves. "Don, Connie. See you around." Donovan_Thorn will be back, once he's put out whatever's burst into flames or such. Fruitbat looks around a bit nervously as all the other neutrals flee the scene. She looks at Yuki and Fox, as if to ask if she should flee or if they desperately want her to stay... Connie meefs. "Stop at VinHQ for the radshielding, okie?" she murmurs to her father. "It really was nice meeting you both. Thank you for the dinner; it was wonderful. IF you'll excuse me," she adds to the rest with another curtsey, then heads for the door with a muttered comment that sounds a lot like 'Chernobyl in miniature'. The Fuyumotos stare at the comments about radiation shielding and Chernobyl. "Goodness, you have some... interesting friends," Mr Fuyumoto says. Fruitbat tries to look as unobtrusive as possible... Connie goes home. Connie has left. Fate laughs. "It gets more interesting, trust me. Hang around long enough and you'll see. The Vindicators are kind of... a mad-sci hero group." Donovan_Thorn returns. That is, a while later, he just outright reappears where he was sitting like he'd never left at all. Did he leave? Or was he ever really here? No one knows! Yuki-Usa hehs, as Fate's comment gets more polite nods from her folks, as does Don's sudden apperance. Dinner eventually winds down as the remaining diners finish their meals. Donovan_Thorn says, "There, sorry 'bout that. Everything's fine now." Fruitbat chirrips. "Got it shut down in time, I take it?" Fate yerfs, "... Connie's working on thermonuclear tech?" His pocket... ejects a UMD. "Here. Plans for the Doorknockers Mk.1 and 2. The new Mk3 that powers the Active Fusion Lance doesn't.. have a spec yet." Yuki-Usa ums, "Guys..." She gestures to her parents, still starring a bit, hemming and hawing awkwardly. Donovan_Thorn nods, "Nick of time, but it's safe." Thanks fox and pockets the UMD, whatever a UMD is. As the dinner winds down, returns the napkin from his lap to his table, and spends a minute or two in a futile effort to re-pleat it. Hmms. "I haven't been in a restaraunt this nice, what size of tip do you think would be appropriate?" Mrs. Fuyumoto speaks up, "That's alright, we have the check covered. And the tip..." Donovan_Thorn nods, "Thank you very much for the dinner and conversation, it's been fascinating." asides to Fox, "Don't worry, they'll adjust." Yuki-Usa hehs. "Well, it's been nice seeing you guys, but I got some running around to do. See you later Mom, Dad?" Her folks nod solemnly, but as Usaki gets up, her mother whispers to her "We'll have to talk sometime later..." Usaki nods, and waves bye to Don and Fate. "See you guys later, too." Fate waves goodnight. ^.^ Fruitbat waves. "Bye, Yuki." She looks very nervous now... Donovan_Thorn blinks at FruitBat. "You OK? Looks like you're sitting on something sharp..." |OOC| You say, "Alright, see ya"