652/A Family Attraction

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A Family Attraction
Date of Scene: 28 May 2017
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Gravitas, Superwoman




Gravitas has posed:
    "I'm sorry, D. No go. We're going to have to go to the zoo another day, buddy." Victoria is chatting with a young man of perhaps thirteen years of age as they make their way down the sidewalk leading between Metropolis State University and a public tram station. This is Metropolis, trains run through the skies as often as busses crisscross the busy streets. The university district is a pretty busy place to be.
    "Toooori? Why not! You said we'd get to see the polar bears! There's a new cub. Polar bear cubs are extremely rare in captivity. They're going to transfer him to a different facility soon!" Demetrius is an upstanding young child. His hair is darker than Tori's but he's about as tall, having recently crested five feet. Moderately muscular, glasses, grey eyes. They look like siblings.
    "I know, buddy. Okay... Tell you what. I think I can squeeze out of class in a bit, okay? Might have to be tomorrow. If I hand you three bucks think you can manage the train home yourself?" Tori is smiling her usual incandescent grin, half-skipping as they walk. Or she would be if she wasn't laden with books in a convenient back problem inducing backpack.
    D rolls his eyes, as if to say 'I take the train by myself all the time'. Which, to be fair, he does. "Okay, fine," Dmetrius concedes quietly. "Tomorrow then." He crosses his arms over his chest.
    Tori is soon watching from street level amid a small crowd as her brother heads up to the train station to make his way toward the residential district they call home. She takes a deep breath and sighs, shaking her head. "Okay. So! If I pick up the laundry late I can probably squeeze in to philosophy and... Who am I kidding? Maybe I should take a day off."
    It's a rare thing to see Gravitas in a skirt but Tori has gone for the sundress look. She has her hair half-restrained with a hairband and is wearing a pale blue dress with little white flowers. shows off her well-defined legs. So much for hiding. There's even a matching white daisy tucked into her hair.
    "Zoos... Hm."

Superwoman has posed:
    One Damaris Duval steps off a tram, dressed as one might expect a woman of Metropolis to dress- albeit one with an aversion to skirts and dresses. She wears a pair of jeans that hold nicely to her form- low cut, skinny jean variety. A retro look for this day and age, but one that suits her well. She's wearing a crop topped shirt that shows off a line of paleish belly, along with those spectacular abs. On her feet, a simple pair of sneakers. A new addition is the glasses she's wearing. Fashionable, somewhat broad-rimmed.

    Faora turns to look- smiling as she notices Victoria... and the smaller human. She approaches all the same, "Tori!" she calls out, that little accent there in her voice as she comes closer. Tall, commanding, beautiful- Damaris Duval looks every bit a supermodel walking down the street with her extreme confidence.

Gravitas has posed:
    "Damaris?" Demetrius is waiting patiently at the tram platform. He turns to watch as Damaris Duval goes past in the same manner as half the people on the platform, men and women both. He's staring openly; he's thirteen, after all. He also watches as Victoria lights up on hearing her name called, blue eyes widening slightly as they snap to the the woman in question. She can likely be forgiven for the way her features light up as she sees Faora. The girl can't really help it.
    "Fancy seeing you here." Still grinning the girl starts in ae's directin, waving energetically with her left hand as she sashays forward. There's a definite bit of skip to her step now. "You already know you look fantastic in that," she observes as she tilts her head slightly to the left. "What do you think?" Tori asks as she gestures to the dress. She sways her hips lightly, mimicking a twirl, and letting the skirt flutter against her upper calves. In this outfit it's possibly to clearly make out her curves, as well as how tiny she is.
    "What's up?"

Superwoman has posed:
    "Quite lovely, Tori. And yes, I do know." Damaris offers with a quiet smile- perhaps a bit of a peek at Tori's legs as she spins and twists. "Who is this?" she wonders of the young man who stares at her. "Oh, yes. I came to see you." she says simply.

    "Am I interrupting something?" Damaris wonders of Tori. "I can drop in another time? I do not wish to be a bother."

Gravitas has posed:
    "Interrupting? What? No!" Victoria is effervescent. It's the simplest description; she bobs forward easily and moves to take one of Damaris's hands into both of her smaller ones and gently tug the (much) taller woman toward where Demetrius is standing. Suddenly his posture improves and he blinks af ew times.
    "That's Sunny D! Yo, D, this is Damaris," Tori announces in a firm tone, laughing softly as she does. Demetrius rolls his eyes.
    "Demetrius Lawrence," the young man offers helpfully. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Damaris." He takes his best, most mature voice, forcing it down an octave or so, and then offers Fae his right hand, smiling. He has Tori's smile, really. Victoria can't help rolling her eyes at this but she releases Fae's hand anyway.
    "You're not interrupting at all! We were just talking about hitting up the zoo-"
    "For a school project," Demetrius adds hastily.
    "What project? Anyway, have you gotten a chance to take a look? They have some of the rarest animals in the world there. I think Lex Luthor made a major donation last year? Some big shot anyway. It'd waste less time than flying around checking them all out where they live." Hint hint. Tori is still smiling.
    "Anyway, you're never a bother. S'like family. There's always time."

Superwoman has posed:
    Damaris looks down quietly at Demetrius, offering her own hand to the adolescent human being. She, of course, doesn't squeeze particularly hard to shake his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Demetrius." she looks between the two. "A zoo. That does sound pleasant. Don't let me interrupt, though, if you two are going to the zoo for educational purposes. I wouldn't want to get in the way- despite your assurances." The tall, European sounding woman says as she pulls her hand back after a moment. "But no, I've never been." she admits quietly.

    Damaris, standing at six feet tall, is taller than most of the people wandering through the tram station, she takes a look over the heads of the others. "Where is this zoo, anyways?"

Gravitas has posed:
    "You're not interrupting," Tori replies, laughing and shaking her head in a flurry of curls that manages to be less expansive than usual. "Okay, that's it. Settled. You're coming along. D's an 'independent learner' anyhow. Doesn't need his big sis holding his hand. Right, D?"
    "W-what? No, of course not!" Demetrius replies immediately, blinking. "I think it would be great if you would like to come," Demetrius adds earnestly, still smiling up at Faora. Good middle ground, slightly taller (but thinner) than Tori, shorter than Faora. Slightly less gawking as well.
    "You're not interrupting, promise. If it'd get in the way I'd tell you. I promise." Tori is already going for Damaris's hand again. She needs both of hers to properly contain it but she'll drag a little if necessary, not that an actual tug-o'-war between the two would be safe to have in public, so if Fae plants her feet she'll relent.
    "Oh, look! There's our train." Demetrius has triumphant smile now. Apparently the zoo is going to happen after all, just the way he planned. Readjusting his backpack Demetrius is starting toward the train.
    "Besides," Tori adds with an impish grin. "You'll probably love the baby penguins. So many baby animals, it should be pretty amazing." Tori is even more enthusiastic than usual. She isn't bouncing off walls, but she's positively glowing with quiet joy.

Superwoman has posed:
    Hand in hand, Damaris and Victoria- she follows along as she's tugged- dragging is barely required. She smiles, ever so slightly. "I guess we'll see the zoo, then." she says as they move onward towards the train. Damaris' stark blue eyes are watching everything. Hearing everything. So much to sense in this place. "Penguins? If you say so." she offers without commitment. "I don't think I've ever seen penguins in real life, to be honest." she says.

    "Where is the zoo?" Damaris Duval asks next as they reach the train and get on- she pulls a pass out from her pocket to scan herself onto the train. She's apparently gotten used to using such transport in her secret identity.

Gravitas has posed:
    "Oh, right. North Metropolis. Three stations. Won't take long, this is the express. Not a lot of stops along the way," Victoria responds cheerfully. She also scans a bus pass as does Demetrius. The train is moderately crowded, to the point where Faora and Victoria are left standing while Demetrius narrowly snags a seat net to a middle-aged overweight Samoan woman who begins nattering on about a recent children's movie.
    Tori keeps Damaris's hand now, still smiling intensely enough for herself and her companion both, blue eyes bright as they scan everyoen around her in a much less suspicious way. The train hums softly as it gets underway. A security officer is patrolling through the crowd of people, checking the passes and tickets of about one in every five. Tori pays them no mind.
    "I'm glad you came to visit. S'exactly what my day needed." Demetrius and the as yet unnamed woman are somehow getting along famously.

Superwoman has posed:
    "I'm glad to hear that, Tori." Damaris offers as she resets the glasses on the bridge of her nose with a push of a finger. "I was walking through the street, and I just felt like I'd see if I could catch you on campus. How are you studies going?" She asks, as her hands squeezes Tori's ever so gently. Superwoman, of course, never stops working. Even now she's scanning everything. Its just part of who Faora Hu-Ul is... she can't ever not take work home with her.

    There is a certain level of discomfort in the closeness with all these people- something Damaris is able to hide, mostly, from those around her- its all the noise. The scents. The visual distortions. "Why do you think I'll like the baby animals?" she wonders then, looking over towards Victoria.

Gravitas has posed:
    "Because, well. You're a nurturer. You might not feel like it but you took me right under your wing. You protect people. Plus, they're completely adorable. You have no idea til you see them in person. Promise." Tori just bobs a bit, standing easily in her place on the train. It would take far more than high liner acceleration to topple a Victoria, of course.
    "It'so kay, we'll be off the train soon," Tori whispers sympathetically. She squeezes Fae's hand in turn. The girl might not be quite as alert but hse seems to have a similar idea about their surroundings. The only thing she seems to trust implicitly is Faora herself, at her side.
    Eventually the train does shudder to a stop at a station that helpfully includes the Metropolis Park Zoo as one of its local destinations on the flashing board overhead. Demetrius has lapsed into silence and walks a few steps behind as they emerge onto the platform among the small, milling crowd to walk the few blocks to the Zoo itself.

Superwoman has posed:
    Faora is happy once the train as stopped, and they step off- quiet a long moment. "I think you have me wrong, Tori. I'm not a nurturer." she replies. "Protecting people isn't the same as nurturing them." she notes, just as softly as they walk behind Demetrius towards the zoo. "So, your little brother." she notes, "Does he know?" She asks, next, eyes tilting skyward. "You know..." she speaks so quietly now, the boy couldn't hear her. "Its important he doesn't, you know." she adds in.

    "I do what I do because it is needed, Tori. I.. can't bring myself to trust big blue to do it on his own. Bias, on my part. He's a scientist, I'm not."

Gravitas has posed:
    "No, he doesn't. Mia does- my twin. I couldn't help it. I didn't know what it was, it just happened," Tori whispers back to Faora gently. "She's the only one," the girl finishes simply before slowly shaking her head once more. "I couldn't avoid that one. Anyway, when I say nurturer maybe I mean- teacher. You jumped straight to guiding me around and showing me how to do things. You weren't just protecting me..." Tori shrugs slowly at that, tilting herhead back to look up toward the sky over her head.
    "I get it. We don't just need to trust people to get things done," Tori adds in a whisper. "But you can trust me, Damaris." Demetrius seems contan to stand back a ways and follow, for some unrevealed reason. "I get that it's needed. We can save the world. From anything, probably."

Superwoman has posed:
    "Don't be so sure. That thought is tactically unsound." Faora replies, as any good soldier might. Or, at least one who's very into tactics. "There is always the possibility of defeat. You can't put your guard down." She smiles, "I taught a lot of people. A lot of soldiers. It.. didn't come naturally, though." she offers. "In my heart, I want to do my job and then go home to talk to my cat."

    "I have no doubt I can trust you, Tori." Damaris replies quietly with a squeeze of her hand. "So, tell me more about this zoo?" she changes the subject.

Gravitas has posed:
    "I don't mean it literally. There are things that might be able to challenge us but I still don't know who it might be," Tori responds, hastening to clarify what she is sayig. SHe nods slowly as Faora continues before giving a a light shrug. "What you're not sure of is if I can keep up if things get really dangerous," she finishes.
    There's a lopsided smile that follows and then Tori allows the conversation to change subjects easily enough. "It's a great big forested looking area with enclosures where they keep rare animals. Some of them need special help, others have lost the ecosystems they've normally lived in, that sort of thing. So you get to ee thea nimals run around and, well... Be animals. You can learn a lot about them that way."

Gravitas has posed:
    Also, a cat person, huh? Awesome. I want to meet your cat. What's their name?"

Superwoman has posed:
    "I don't have one anymore." Faora replies. "I'm still looking for an apartment... and a job." she sighs, "An identity. I'm getting help with that part, though. My friend in blue... and a friend of his. I'm still very unsure of all of that." She pauses a long moment. "I named her..." she pauses a moment. She speaks a word in Kryptonian. "It doesn't have a direct translation.... Perhaps something like 'The way the sun sparkles on diamonds' She had the most lovely wings." A little sigh, shaking her head- letting it slide.

    "It was a long time ago. She probably died long before... well. You know." Faora laughs quietly, "I hope it was easy. She was a good cat." Another long pause. A quiet moment as she holds Tori's hand and they walk together into the Zoo. She pays for her own ticket, of course.

    "I probably will get another cat, though. The cats here are not unlike those I'm familiar with. No wings, though... It should make keeping it off the top of the counters a little easier."

Gravitas has posed:
    Tori listens in rapt attention. As Faora speaks of her cat the girl's grasp on the woman's hand tightens slightly until sheis actually squeezing firmly, hard enough that a nromal person might acutally be hurt. She knows the Kryptonian can take it, of course, which si why she does so. Still, the effect might be noticeable. Even comforting, depending on how Damaris chooses to interpret physical contact.
    "It sounds wonderful," Tori remarks gently, tilting her head slgihtly as she es so. She thinks for a long second, the span of two breaths and forrever all ato nce, turning those blue eyes upward once more. Victoria looks back at Demetrius and waves. He flashes her a 'peace' sign and grins, all of his teeth on display
    "A good cat can be great. I have an idea there." Tori considers this for a long moment. "Any idea what sort of jobs you are looking for now?"

Superwoman has posed:
    That squeeze doesn't hurt her at all. Damaris returns it, an ever so gentle increase of pressure. "Thank you. I named her because of her wings. White, like snow. They caught the light so nicely." she shakes her head again. "It doesn't matter, though. I need a job, first. A life. I have nothing."

    "A job has been a larger part of my thoughts recently. I don't know what to do. What I can do... I mean, my skills are somewhat biased." Faora notes softly as she continues to split her attention between watching Demetrius, and keeping her attention on Victoria. "I don't know, exactly, how to translate those skills into work here. Furthermore, given exactly what I am, I think to shy away from security might be wise. But what else is there? What else do I know..."

Gravitas has posed:
    "Okay. Maybe I can help you figure out something," Victoria responds slowly. "You... Might have to learn something new," the woman continues slowly, tilting her head slightly as she considers this for a moment. "I don't have anything worked out off the top of my head but that doesn't mean anything yet. I hadn't thought about it yet."
    Tori cocks her head for a moment then glances back at Demetrius, slowly shaking her head as she does. "Why are you so quiet?" The woman asks, garnering a wolfish grin from her little brother, who just shrugs his shoulders. Up ahead is the gate and turnstiles leading into the zoo. Tori pays for all three without even giving Fae an opportunity to pay- unless she really wants to shove Victoria out of the way.
    "You still don't have an apartment?" the smaller woman finally asks, rather slowly. She seems to be considering something as they step through onto the paved path. This particular zoo is built into man-planted woodlands with huge enclosures. As the signs explain fewer animals is a small price to play for their animals to be happier.
    Now Demetrius chimes in, "Okay! POLAR BEARS!" The polar bears are as far away as you can get. Tori is quick to shake her head.
    "Birds first. You know. Eagles... Penguins..."
    Victoria asks very quietly, "Would you like to stay with me? Until you get things together."

Superwoman has posed:
    "I've been staying with my friend in blue." Faora replies, "Its good, but its not mine. I need something that is mine." she explains, "But, I appreciate your council on that." Faora continues as the young man goes on, not stopping Tori as she pays the ticket price for all three.

    "Why birds first?" Faora wonders, "Is there a method to visiting this particular zoo?" she asks next. "You could let him go and see the polar bears- surely there is no danger here." She looks over to Victoria quietly, "I'll make sure of it." she adds then. "But, you are in charge here in this regard."

    Faora leans over slowly, "He's been sneaking looks at my ass since we met." she whispers, with a quiet grin.

Gravitas has posed:
    "Of course he has. You're gorgeous and he, like his puberty last year," Tori responds with a soft laugh. "I'm just glad you're not bothered by it. And birds first because... Most of them are closer. And I like penguins. If I let him run all the way across the zoo to see the polar bears we're just going to go in circles. Unless..." Victoria pauses for a long moment.
    "Kay, so. Listen up, D. Here's the deal! You go on over to the polar bears and whatever but meet me by the food court in an hour, alright? Call me if anything goes wrong. I'm trusting you, dude. Don't climb into any enclosures or run over anybody!"
    "I was six, Tori!"
    "Yeah, well. You're not now so this time I'mma kick your butt! Go on. Shoo." That sly smile is offered by Demetrius again who gives both Tori and Faora a two-fingered salute before taking off toward the bears.
    "So, we can really go see anything. I figured we'd visit nearly everyone if you have the time." Then Tori adds in another of those quiet whispers, "Okay. You're staying with Blue? But still. Jobs. Um..." She considers this for a moment. "Warehouses?" Tori asks after a second. "Physical labor won't cause you any problems. Or, anything technical if we can fake you some credentials, your highschool education blows away our technical degrees anyway."
    Tori walks at a relatively casual pace. Up ahead? Peafowl. The first of many animals to come, no doubt. "Any animals you DO really wanna see?"

Superwoman has posed:
    "Despite my school's focus, I'm equal to many of your mid level scientists. I could work in a laboratory and hold my own. I'd like to stay away from things of physical labors. Anyways, who would believe someone like me is just a dock worker." Damaris notes, smiling quietly at Tori's compliment. She looks to the young man as he runs off. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye and an ear out for your brother." she says next.

    "I don't really care what we see, Tori." Damaris offers next, "I just came down here to see you. I'll let you lead. Show me the animals you like."

Gravitas has posed:
    "Alright. Laboratory work it is," Victoria agrees slowly, tilting her head as she does so. "Just need credentials or to go to school for a little bit..." She shifts her weight from left to right, her excitement obviously building as she leads the way through the exhibits. There are lions, there are tigers. There are bears. The giraffes aren't really out to be visited with atthe moment. But for Tori the zoo is at its best when they reach the penguins.
    There's a separate enclosure from the adults where the downy penguin chicks are being allowed to run free, kept away from he pool where the other penguins live. Tori is grinning as she tugs Fae toward the five chicks tumbling and climbing over the little rocks in their enclosure.
    "Most people think of penguins as cold weather animals with all that fuzz but these are actually warm weather penguins. ANd they're so cute! Oh my God!" Tori is pointing, Fae's hand in tow. She could float over into the enclosure right now. But she doesn't, thankfully.

Superwoman has posed:
    "I'm not sure I have the patience for lab work. For science. I was engineered for a certain level of action." Engineered- an odd term to use, perhaps. "Its not an easy thing to explain, Tori. I.. don't know any other life. In a way, my... alter-ego... that'll always be the real me. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully not be that woman. This... this would just be a mask." She says softly. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to be Damaris. I want to be. I think.. I think I need it."

    When they stop its at the penguins. "You like penguins, don't you?" Damaris asks quietly, as they pause there- watching quietly. Smiling at Tori's reaction. Faora's reaction, of course, is much more muted. Much less excited. "Quite cute, yes."

Gravitas has posed:
    "I have a stuffed penguin doll I keep by my bed," Tori responda bit absently for a second."I've had it for literally as long as I can remember." The girl gives a light shrug of her shoulders, turning slightly so that she can better focus on Faora for a moment. "Okay, so. Action, but not physical action? This keeps getting harder," Tori notes, that grin of hers quickly returning.
    "We just have to make a list of possibilities," Victoria finally muses quietly. "And... You shouldn't think of them as two different people. We all have- different parts of ourselves we share at different times. We have to, because situations are different. If you need to be Damaris you can... By being Fae." Tori bobs slightly on her feet, considering Faora's features for a long moment.
    "You're a lot more than you think you are." Tori bites her bottom lip briefly. "I think I am starting to get to know you pretty well finally. You- kept saying I didn't know you. But I never asked you and I think i need to...
    "What did you do, Fae? If you're up for telling me."

Superwoman has posed:
    "Yes. It will be difficult to find something suitable. I.. have lived within a caste society for so long its difficult for me to truly understand the freedom offered to me here." Faora answers honestly. Quiet as she looks to Tori.

    And then that question. Faora looks away- how could she not. "You may not like what you hear, Tori." Faora begins, taking a slow breath. "But, I suppose, its better that you know." Another long pause as she looks away. "I was implicated in several crimes. The worst of them are treason, subversion of the ruling council, multiple counts of murder, membership in a terrorist organization, assault, and complacency in a plot to overthrow the government of my people."

Gravitas has posed:
    "Okay," Tori responds slowly. She blinks those wide, pale blue eyes of hers a couple of times, keeping them affixed to Faora's face. A few seconds are allowed to pass as she draws a carefully measured breath and then exhales. "So why did you do it?" She doesn't betray her thoughts in her expression. The smile has given away to an uncharacteristically serious look and she isn't moving. The two are just off to the side of the penguin exhibit, and for now they are essentially alone. Tori has not, notably, released Faora's hand.

Superwoman has posed:
    "Why?" Faora shakes her head, "I can't tell you why, Tori. I.. I was younger, angry. I thought, perhaps, I was doing the right thing for my people. I thought, that maybe- maybe I was going to help my people find something they had lost." she gives a sigh, "But that doesn't matter. My reasons don't matter, Tori. They'd never matter. Not for the crimes I committed."

Gravitas has posed:
    "Of course they matter. If you were soem kind of raging power hungry bloodlusty barbarian who had a change of heart that would be way different than this. Lost. Confused. I have to be able to decide for myself if I can trust you, right?" Tori lifts onto the balls of her feet now, rising in height until she is only a few inches short of Faora and can more easily meet the taller woman's eyes.
    "Whatever you were before I... Trust you. Your goal was to save your people, right? And I know you'll never do it again. ...Sec." Tori stops and reaches into her pocket for a small tube. It's cherry lip gloss. Chapstick, really. She applies it briefly.
    "Right. So," Tori continues. Her small hands shift to Faora's shoulders and she leans in a bit closer. "I'm not saying you're not responsible for what you did. But you can still be mroe than what you were. ANd why you do what you do... Is a big part of how."

Superwoman has posed:
    "I was certain what I was doing was right.. at least, until the end. Again, that doesn't matter. I am the reason the plot was discovered, but that doesn't matter either." Faora explains quietly. "It still committed those crimes. I still betrayed my people." she says then, still quiet. "I can never repay.. I can never.." she sighs quietly. "I can't undo what I did and the people I hurt... I can *never* show them that I've atoned."

Gravitas has posed:
    "You're right. You can't. You can't be forgiven by the dead, Fae. They're gone, and that wasn't your fault. You can't shoulder the burden for every horrible thing that happened either." Tori keeps her hands on Faora's shoulders, her lips glistening faintly now. A little redder and smelling faintly of cherries. Moreso when she's closer, of course. Given Faora's enhanced seneses Tori was quite subtle.
    "All you can do- are doing- is be better. I'm sorry I brought it up. I know it's hard for you to talk about." Tori embraces Faora tightly afterward, wrapping her arms fully around the statuesque woman's abdomen and pressing herself into her, her head against the Kryptonian's chest.
    "The only one who is left to forgive you is you," Tori sighs, her voice muffled. "If it'll, um, help you then I'll fight alongside you every day 'til you can." SHe oounds a litle sheepish now.

Superwoman has posed:
    "Thanks. I don't know how much it will help." Victoria offers as she looks left and right. Then up to the side. "I have to go, Tori. There's trouble." she says, as she looks quietly towards the other woman. "We can continue this discussion later." she offers, with a bow of her head. "You should stay here, though. This... is dangerous." she states quietly, "I'm sorry."

    Faora is off like a shot, moving through the crowd before she ducks behind something and... she's off!