9060/Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.
Date of Scene:	03 September 2019
Location:	Somewhere in the three boroughs.
Synopsis:	Meeting of darkforce users.
Cast of Characters:	Blackout, Darkstar

---

Blackout has posed:
    He felt a disturbance in the DarkForce. Like waves on a lake that rippled across an otherwise smooth surface. Sure, he's felt it before, but never on such a frequency or intensity. There were others that used his dimension - yes, he considers it /his/ dimension. The others came and went. And many times they were out of phase or in another region of the DarkForce dimension that he rarely visited. Regions that gave even him the creeps. He clearly avoids the areas that Cloak travels.

    Tonight is different.

    The resonance was strong, enough that he could actually follow the origin of the waves. He happened to be within his pockets of the dimension when he felt the splash. Curious, Blackout moved quickly toward the source. Just as he was about to get there, he saw a light and knew that someone had opened a portal. He closed on the area, opened his own portal, and stepped out into the night.

    The smells of the ocean and exotic food first touched his senses. Then the sounds of voices speaking Russian. He looked around and took note that he was standing in an alleyway adjacent to a restaurant. Walking out onto the sidewalk, Blackout shifted his clothing to appear as a black business suit (to normal people, but people who know darkforce will know he's wearing it). He looks around, He's in Brighton Beach, near Coney Island. Little Russia as the locals call it. The restaurant, Stolovaya. A quaint Russian restaurant with traditional food. That's where the other user is. He tries to look into the windows, they are all curtained for privacy. Various people walk up and down the sidewalk, it's 9pm. Time for dinner. His stomach growls and he decides that he should investigate further, as well as get food. He moves to the door, following the sensations of the other darkforce user, and following his stomach. He enters the restaurant.

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia's there. She's eating as she isn't in her costume. She's in clothes befitting her diplomat status. She's delicately eating a fish dish. She's here in a diplomatic mission, and has a pair of bodyguards with her, balding large, muscular Russian men with guns under their jackets, with earpieces in. Laynia sets down her cutlery and looks around sipping her water, setting it back down on the table.

She looks slowly around. Laynia Petrovna, Russian diplomat, Winter Guard team member, pilot, and....crucially, Darkforce user, is settled into a table. She's speaking in Russian to her guards then falls quiet as she looks to the door.

Laynia's here on a diplomatic trip. She's here on official government business, so this is an invoiced meal to the Russian committees, they're covering this. Which explains the guards, and the fancy meal, and....the suit, oh yes, a tailored suit, with her hair styled ever so slightly. Laynia's got her diplomacy hat on. She's not averse to putting her Winter Guard or Darkforce hats on though, if needed.

Blackout has posed:
    Entering the establishment, Blackout greets the approaching waiter, "Hey, yeah, I'd like a table."

    The waiter was expecting the Russian language and says, "Please, sit where you like."

    Blackout thanks him and looks around the cafe. He doesn't see any overt darkforce attire or feel the usage. He takes note of the blonde and her two bodyguards. He looks around at other patrons, 12 in total over 7 tables. He choses a table on the upper deck and will move to take the seat. The table offers him a place where he can stick his back to the wall and have full view of the room and its people.

    The waiter brings him a glass of water, utensils, and an english menu.

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia watches Blackout for a moment, her guards asking who he is in Russian. She explains she doesn't know him. The guards accept that as they get their food, traditional Russian starters. Laynia though studies Blackout more and waits until she's finished her meal, and her guards finished theirs. She gets up and motions for her guards to keep an eye on both decks as she goes over to him. She motions to a table. She looks over to Blackout again, then speaks. "May I sit?" she asks with with a look to Blackout. She's studying his clothes, and.....she's picking up on it. The area around the table goes dark as Laynia's accidentally showing off. She looks around as the light floods back in. Laynia hurries back to her table, time for dessert. Still, Laynia's not that rattled.

The guards don't bat an eyelid as Laynia explains that the lights went out, but she's watching Blackout. If anything, he's interesting. Plus she's worked it out. She knows what his clothes are made of. Darkforce.

Blackout has posed:
    By the time she comes over, he's already ordered and is waiting on his food to arrive. Her approach seems suspect to him, but she's pretty so he's not going to deny the request to sit. As he starts to motion toward the opposite chair. But when she floods the area with darkforce/darkness he's suddenly made aware that it is her that caused the ripples. She would have also noticed that his eyes never left her when the darkness came. Meaning, he wasn't lost or blinded in the dark. Instead, he clearly watched her and then watched her run off.

    Curiousity crosses his face; wondering what that was all about other than directly identifying herself as another darkforce user. But why so chaotically?

    His food arrives. Though he's curious about her and will often glance her way while he eats.

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia looks over at Blackout again as she's slicing up a traditional cake, her guards having accepted the faulty light story. Looking over at Blackout every so often, Laynia's wondering if that's the one Svetlana sent her on the path to finding. She's looking....just a little concerned, she noted him, and his Darkforce tricks. She's made a note of it, but should she really tell her masters? What if....they send her to capture him, or send somebody to 'question' him? Or just order her to keep her powers a secret? These thoughts are running through her head. She's unsure what exactly needs doing. She's got a diplomatic schedule to keep, too...but she's finishing up cake, too.

Blackout has posed:
    Blackout considers his next move. But her two guards may also be powered. So making any overt actions may be a bad idea. Instead, he will leave well enough alone. He will continue eating and let her finish her cake. The steak and potatoes with onions are quite good, and distracting. Allowing the time to pass because he's going to take her darkness as an indication of a warning.

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia looks over again as she gets up again, food eaten as she returns over to Blackout. Her guards stay put. She looks over Blackout yet again, and nods to him quietly, watching him as she finally sits in the oppposite chair. Looking ove the table, Laynia gives him a nod, a greeting in Russian then English. She stretched out her legs out under the table, looking past Blackout yet again, then back to him.

Blackout has posed:
    Once again surprised, Blackout sees her approach and then the seat she takes opposite him. There's a moment of confused silence that passes before he says, "Hello again?"

    He sits more upright in his chair and lets her lead the direction of the introductions. His eyes remain vigilant, somewhat conserned as to where this may take him.

Darkstar has posed:
Watching him, Laynia ask about his clohthes, as she knows he figured out she's both a mutant, and a Darkforce user. She sits back, imperial, regal almost, as if she's about to negotiate a treaty or, or....something like that. Instead she just nods. "I saw your clothes, and I know what you are. I'm curious" she says finally after a moment's silence.

Blackout has posed:
    Suddenly realizing that his clothing is a dead giveaway as to his power set to those familiar with it, he looks down at his jacket and then back to her, "That means you can see that it's Darkforce. Which implies that you're the one that I sensed." He decides to add with an extension of his right hand, offering as if to shake, "Hi, I'm Marcus. It's good to finally meet someone else who has our power."

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia shakes the hand. "Markus? I am Laynia" she says and produces her ID, of Russian diplomatic nature. Laynia looks pleased then smiles to Blackout. "So you are Darkforce user? Da, clothes give it away, yes" she says in accented English. Looking to her ID again she pockets it, then turns her attention back to the man across from her. "You came here why?" she asks. It's not an interrogation, her tone's light and, well, curious really.

Blackout has posed:
    "I came here because of the waves you were making in the Darkforce dimension, Laynia." He answers, trying to be as transparent and obvious as possible. "I live here, in the city. Well, in Manhattan. I felt you in the DarkForce Dimension. Thought I'd come check you out. There aren't many of us."

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia nods, "I disturb the dimension?" she asks. "I use it to escape trouble? I disturb you?" she asks sounding a little plzzled. She's not getting how she's causing waves in the dimensionn. She's not even sure how she could affect an entire, well, dimension...a fact she explains to Blackout.

Blackout has posed:
    He looks at his glass of water, slides it between the two of them and says, "The dimension is filled with material that is in a state of flux between energy and matter. Every time we access the dimension, to pull darkforce from it, entering, traversing and then exiting it, we create tiny waves that resonate for miles. Much like this." He taps the side of the glass, creating a tiny wave that emits from his side to hers and then back again.

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia watches. "Da, I understand now, thank you" she says looking pleased. It makes sense nw about dimensions, waves. She settles back and smiles a little,eyes on the glass as she nods watching the wave as it finally stops. So she taps it again, watching the wave again, before looking from the glass to Blackout. "Dimension is useful" she adds with a thick accent.

Blackout has posed:
    He glances back to her bodyguards and then to her. "I've been studying it for years. It was part of my research project - which is how I gained my abilities. Are you a mutant?"

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia tilts her head, taken aback. She'd honestly thought it was just the Russians researching the Darkforce. "You research it? What?" she asks taken aback. "I was project of Russian state" she says, her English faltering with the shock of it all. "Raised to be loyal. I was..." she says looking vry much unsure what to say. Aside from that, she isn't sure how much she's at liberty to say really. How much the Russian state will allow her to say.

Blackout has posed:
    He doesn't fully understand the limitations imposed on her and figures it's a language thing - or maybe it's her goon squad. He lets it pass and then he states quietly, "Then we are a lot closer than I imagined. How about this, is there a chance when you can get away from your entourage so we can talk later? Maybe you sneak off and I'll find you in the darkforce dimension?"

Darkstar has posed:
Laynia nods, speaking to her guards in Russian, the guards stepping away as she looks back to Blackout. "Yes, I'll do that" she says and looks genuinely pleased to find another Darkforce user even here, in Little Russia. It's been a very interesting trip, and it's not even over yet. Laynia is definitely something else, mutant, diplmat, and....