6603/Branding problems

From United Heroes MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Branding problems
Date of Scene: 21 February 2019
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: A consultation with the New Mutants' PR wiz.
Cast of Characters: Rage, Souvenir




Rage has posed:
There's a break between classes and Andrea has a study hour. Currently, she is settled in an empty classroom by herself with a pair of books, hunched over a notebook and jotting down references, citing sources, entering page numbers. She is dressed in a pair of loose fitted jeans and a baggy Xavier's sweater with her brown hair which has been growing out pulled behind her in a loose pony tail. Celebrity she may be, she fits in just like anyone else at first glance. Her foot taps away beneath the desk as she hums to herself, reaching over to tap in a few things on a flat screen device which looks to be a database with multiple tabs open.

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir slips in the door quietly. Very quietly, actually. She looks around the room quickly, then out in the hall, puts her hand on the door to not make it click, and closes it. Then she closes the deadbolt with a *snap* of metal on metal before walking over and sitting nearby, crossing her arms and waiting patiently for you to get to a point you can pause at.

Rage has posed:
Glancing upwards at the sound of the door closing, Andrea looks over curiously at Erika, then pushes herself up to a seating position. "Hey." She says with her usual happy vibes smile. "What's up?" She swipes her hand along the screen of her device to turn it off, then nudges her notebook off to the side.

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir claps her hands together softly and smiles. "You have PR experience. Seriously, you could probably convince New York to give the Hulk his own holiday or something." She leans in a bit. "I need your help. Branding, product release, contingency plans, stuff like that."

Rage has posed:
Tucking some brown hair behind her ear, Andrea looks at her curiously, then slowly tilts her head to one side. ".. You are.. wait, what are you doing? You're trying to .. do what exactly? Get Barbie Dolls released or something that look like you? Shirts? Um... Etsy store? Why do you need branding for?" She looks genuienly confused.

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir points. "Okay, look. I don't like it when the people around me are creeped out by me, okay? It blows. You can totally sympathize I'm sure." She puts a piece of paper down and starts marking points in pen.
    "I get information off of objects. People think I'm trying to steal all their secrets." She frowns. "I'm not, I give basically zero shits, but they do."
    "Sam wants me practicing sneaky stuff so I can get souvenirs. Strategically? Great idea. PR wise? 'Oh wait, the chick that learns all our secrets from taking our stuff knows how to pick my pocket? Oh HELL no.' Yikes."
    "I have somebody that wants to date me. SHE'S nice. That means I can kiss having people comfortable with me in a locker room goodbye though."

She hmms, trying to think if she's missing anything.

Rage has posed:
".. Okay, first of all, I don't know of a /single/ person who is creeped out by you because of your powers. People were more concerned about Emma Frost walking around in her underwear with her telepathy. I also don't think anyone is creeped out around me." Andrea says as she runs a hand over the top of her head, untangling her brown hair so that it sprawls across her shoulders. "I can smell fear you know. I can smell a lot of things." She trails off in a mumble. "But seriously, I think maybe you're overthinking this. Like, maybe one person said something and you think it's a bigger deal. You stealing how to cook a pancake is not like.. on the same level as someone downloading your entire brain sitting across the hallway. The kinda shit Quentin would pull."

"Personally, if I were you, I'd utilize the heck out of the Danger Room in focused sessions, as opposed to real world ones, which means you won't have to practice on your fellow students. That, or maybe we can put together dummy situations with the rest of the New Mutants, and maybe a few other students who want to practice, and we can lay objects about and have you work on your powers from there. You know what I mean? But, seriously, no one around here hates you, or thinks you're weird."

Souvenir has posed:
"Oh yeah, my parents are basically crooks and I know my way around the dark web. Eventually, stuff is going to come out. Right now, my brand is so shaky, even *I* don't like me, and I know nothing has gone south yet? But I feel like it could go down really fast if something happens that makes people suspicious. So, like, I need a better image that makes that stuff look like, you know, put together and heroic, not like the villain that's up to no good that for some reason the in kids like, or it's going to start reflecting bad on the people I spend time with."

Erika Kristasdottir bites her lip. "Already working on that. I'm not practicing on anybody. Move silently and open locks are easy to hide. Hide in shadows, find remove traps type stuff looks weirder. Pick pockets is right out. That kind of thing. Hell, I want to learn investigation and forensics, and those could get spun a bad direction. So like, it's not that I have a bad rap? It's that all the stuff I'm working on could totally snowball into one if I don't set some stuff up for it."

Rage has posed:
"Well, I don't know if Mister Guthrie is giving you the correct path. You see, being sneaky and stealthy has it's drawbacks if you get caught. You don't have an offensive skill-set that would allow you to get out of that situation, such as Laura with her military background, claws, healing factor and heightened senses. I would think that she would be the team's rogue due to her skillset. You though?" Andrea says as she props her chin up in the palm of her hand. "I would do something else with you all together honestly. I like the dark web path, the investigatory one, researcher, trouble shooting, computer monkey. Right? I wouldn't send you out into the field to sneak into Magneto's lair to try and pick his pocket, or even downtown Jersey. You kinda got 'easy to mug white girl' written all over you."

"Personally, I would use you in situations in which I'd drop you square in the middle of a party. Put you in a Versace dress with heels, a bit of lipgloss on and have you gain intel on the bad guy in the middle of plain sight. A touch here, a brush there, and get you out. Unlike Laura, who is not equipped to deal with large crowds of a social strucure, and the fact she stands out, you would fit in perfectly because you don't stand out, you don't ping on any type of mutanty radars like claws or gills or feathers, and you have a power that is super useful."

"I think what you should do is the opposite of 'stealth and sneaking about'. That actually draws a lot of attention to you." She taps her own nose. "I smelled you before you opened the door. You were stepping on the tips of your toes, making sure the balls of your feet do not hit the ground. The slow way you opened the door, you put barely any weight into it. Those of us with heightened senses can pick up on the out of ordinary things. Your greatest asset isn't being sneaky, it's not being sneaky."

Leaning back into the chair, she gives her a warm smile. "And I'll totally still PR the shit out of you, because it's fun, if you really want it, but I don't know if you need it. High school is four years and you're out. Who cares what they think after graduation, right? But if you're talking about becoming an Avenger or a Teen Titan, I'm sure they're pro enough to not get awkward around you."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir nods. "Yeah, and that stuff makes sense, just, like - I need a build plan, okay? Everybody has ideas, but I have to sort out how to work stuff and what I need to practice. And then I have to be able to sell that stuff." She writes on the paper anyways. Face - Bluff/Disguise/PP/G.Info/Etiquette

"And, you know, contingency plans. So yeah, I want to have more of a solid image here." She considers. "Who would you want me to talk to about learning all that stuff, anyway?"

Rage has posed:
"You're talking to an actress, Erika. I'm teaching you how to act." Andrea says with a wolfish grin on her face. "Seriously though? Soon as I graduate, you know what I'm doing? I will be putting out my fourth album, going to manage my charity and see what types of gigs I get. That's it. Just because we're mutants, doesn't mean we need to go out and be superheroes. Personally, if I were you, my path would be to finish high school, get into college and get a degree in law enforcement. Crime scene analyst. I got bored one day and started picking out the perfect jobs for my friends. You know, type of stuff like.. okay, so they don't put spandex on and save the world, what would they do? I had you pegged for a CSI agent."

Andrea taps along the top of her tablet. "Know how cool that would be, if you were able to solve crimes very subtly with your powers, helping police officers catch bad guys quicker? You're /smart/, Erika. I think you know you're smart, but you over think and complicate stuff. You're very analytical. Which is a bonus by the way, not a flaw."

"My advice on having an image here? Just be yourself. You're friends with Doogie and he's a cool guy with terrible esteem issues. Buddy up with him. I bet he's into the same geeky stuff you are. Join a club that you may not think about joining and force yourself into finding a new interest outside of your box. This will give you skills on how to adjust to new situations. Give you critical thinking, and introduce you to new people. Focus on what you are passionate about and wear it on your sleeve. We're in Mutant School. This isn't the Breakfast Club. We all accept each other for what we are, what we look like, yadda yadda. Make good memories. Have fun. Kill the grades. Just be happy with who you are and breathe. Don't worry about what /could/ happen. That's an unknown. Tackle that /if/ you get there."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir nods. "Okay. That totally makes sense. I'll let you get back to your studying now if you want, I still totally need to sort some stuff out. Thank you.." She rises and collects her paper, waving. "Let me know if you think of anything else. You know how to find me and all."

Rage has posed:
Watching her curiously, Andrea gives a subtle sniff of the air, a flare of the nostrils, then props her chin up in the palm of her hand. "You okay though? Wanna talk about the girl thing?" She asks, brows lifting.

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir umms. "Yeah, kinda." She sits again. "She's pretty and I like being around her, she flirts with me super hard, and Meggan basically popped a breaker off of the two of us and that got super awkward and like.. I don't know how to deal with that. Just like, I don't think I feel, you know. *like that*. So I don't want everything to blow up."

Rage has posed:
"What does that mean? Pop a breaker off?" Andrea sometimes she feels like she's a hundred years old when it comes to slang. "My advice on relationships is never rush anything. People seem to wanna meet, have lunch and hop in bed like five seconds over, claim they're in loooooove, then two weeks later break up and talk about how it was a hot mess. Mason and I for example, we have a lot of history, and we have a lot of work to do, even today. There are days I want to kill him, there are days I'm sure he thinks I'm an over dramatic diva. No relationship will be perfect, so the best way is to ease into it. You think she's pretty, you like being around her, so hit up a few dinners, snag a movie, find a few areas of common interest and just enjoy kicking it. Sparks will come from there in time. I've only dated one guy ever, seriously, and that's Mason and we rushed things. Young and dumb at fourteen, star struck at being instant millionaires. On-screen chemistry with our characters. We hooked up like super fast. In hindsight I'd have taken things slower, but you know.. young and dumb, right? It's how we roll. Geting into a romantic relationship is like getting into a friendship, with hand holding privvys. Don't over think it, and don't get jealous while it's fresh and new, and just be open and honest, but not /too/ honest. You know? Leave a little mystique there to uncover. If that makes sense."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir ohs. "Yeah I guess. Um. And Meggan, um. She's an empath. She gets a double dose of anything people are hiding. So she walked past us, and had a.. overload episode thing or something, half shapechanged into her and kissed the hell out of me, then realized what she did, freaked out and apologized for embarrassing us. It was, um, well. She's super nice, I totally backed her up, but we totally got kicked out."

Rage has posed:
".. I don't know who Meggan is, but um... yeah, I can see how that would be weird." Andrea trails off a bit. "I wouldn't let that be a downer though. Long as uh.. this girl you're into understands. Would make for a good story to chuckle about later down the road. So what is your concerns?"

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir ums. "She's here now, last I checked. Alumni and all. Anyway. Besides the fact that I feel like other kids here are going to get kind of weird? Uh. I like her, I kind of like her like her, but I'm creeped out at the idea of like-like-liking her, so that seems kinda.. you know. Broken."

Rage has posed:
"You're fifteen, Erika. You're not supposed to be undressing her with your eyes yet. Just have fun holdnig hands and smooching in a movie or something. Don't over think it." That is going to be her motto with her from here out. Andrea gives a stretch of her body, then rises up to loosen her limbs. "A relationshp is about respecting each other's boundaries. Long as you are both on the same page, it should be okay. What does like-like-like mean? Is the third like sex or is it happily ever after? You gotta dumb it down for me, I didn't have a normal teenage life. Kinda why I'm /here/. I got sick of home studies and private tutors and being around adults."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir blushes. "The first one. I mean, it's not like I am dragging her off to my room, but everybody acts like I'm supposed to *want* to. Like 'Oh, resist the temptation!'. I'm not tempted."

Rage has posed:
"Yeah, you shouldn't be tempted. You're a kid. Hell, I just turned seventeen um... six days ago.. seven? Seven. I'm still a kid. You can be in a meaingful relationship and not want to have sex. If this new girl is being pushy though, she may not be someone to keep around long term. One track minded people tend to stay one track minded. I mean.. Mason and I.. you know.. we've hit a few home runs, not as many as I'm sure he wishes we could, but I don't think about it often. Is it fun? Sure. As long as you're on the same page with your partner and you are safe and careful, but again, in hindsight, I'd have made him wait a lot longer. Like.. marriage type of wait." Andrea eases herself back on the desk a bit. "But I also felt pressured, because he's .. you know.. /Mason Steele/ and I was starstruck and giddy and I was afraid I'd lose him, and I was in sooooo in love. After his suicide attempt, it rocked my world. Sorta put everything in place for me. It shifted the way I look at the world, how I approach relationships, friendships, contracts. That moment changed the way I breathe." She rubs the back of her neck. "Sex is always like one of those things that people put a lot of pressure on. There's nothing wrong in being a virgin, Erika. I wish I was."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir hmms. "It just doesn't seem like it would be fun. Kind of icky. Like, I don't want to do that. At all. And that's not how everyone else talks. They act like they want to, but it's not too hard to not do that. Not like.. Like it makes them feel like throwing up." She goes a little bit green for a moment.

Rage has posed:
Laughing, Andrea shrugs her shoulders. "It's okay. You may come into those types of hormones later on in life. I wouldn't stress out about it. It's really not gross, honestly. Do you have ...um.. hangups about your body? I mean, you aren't ugly by any means. I heard some girls that are heavy bleeders can get freaked out about it. Honestly though, don't even stress out. You aren't wired wrong, there's nothing wrong about not wanting to get laid. It's kinda blown out of proportion anyways. Geez, my first time was so awkward and weird. You watch movies and TV and it's all perfect. Perfct kiss, hot and steamy, guy and girl knows what they're doing. In the real world? You end up laughing the entire time as you fumble about in the dark and it's literally over and done with in like a minute. You're not missing anything. Just be you. If this girl likes you, she'll accept you for you and wait for you for however long you need to. If she doesn't wanna wait? She sucks and should be kicked to the curb. Then you tell me, and I put the fear of Little Red Riding Hood into her." She winks. "I'll even bring Laura along with me. No one messes with the pack."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir uhms. "I don't think so? I'm, like... really average, I think. Can we not talk about.. you know?" The green queasies come back with the whole discussion of... 'stuff'. "And she hasn't pushed me for anything. Um. She has powers. I don't know if she's mutant or not. She's been trying to practice and stuff. Caping around. She' sway more hero-ish than I feel like I am."

Rage has posed:
"Mm. Just be careful, okay?" Andrea says as she rubs the back of her neck. "I hate coicidences." She trails off a bit, then gives a shake of her head. "Eh. I'm sure it's fine. I'd like to meet her if you guys decide to get more serious. Maybe we can all do dinner or something one day." She gives a glance down at her watch and licks her lips. "I should get going though. I have a few calls to take care of before my next class. Work. All that boring stuff. Tour dates and contracts and shtuff. Lemmie know when you wanna do PR stuff though. Maybe we can go shopping. I'm serious about the Versace dress."

Souvenir has posed:
Erika Kristasdottir says, "Sure. And.. Thank you. Whenever works for you. I'm going to be logging a bunch of D.R. hours soon, I think."