9836/TITANS: Don't Call her Marvin

TITANS: Don't Call her Marvin
Date of Scene:	30 October 2019
Location:	Living Quarters, Titans Tower
Synopsis:	Titan's Alien-wrangler-in-chief Stardust welcomes Miss Martian to the tower and inducts her and Noh-Varr into the Titans. GIMME TWENTY, RECRUITS!
Cast of Characters:	Miss Martian, Stardust, Marvel Boy

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Miss Martian has posed:
In the tradition of various space aliens, the arrival of M'gann M'orzz - better known (and more readily pronounced) as Miss Martian - at Titans Tower occurs not via the ground level entry, but in a descent from the sky above. Polite, she has sent a message ahead about her arrival (or rather, her uncle had on her behalf), because space aliens descending unannounced does tend to be the kind of thing that startles some people. Still, she manages to make it weird. She first arrives hovering outside one of the windows, cape and skirt fluttering lightly in the breeze.

The weirder part is how she actually announces herself, since there's no doorbell up there. A mild psychic pulse carries through the tower, gentle enough not to startle or wake and settling more audibly in the most alert mind it finds. < Hello? This is M'gann, erm Megan, oh jeez I mean Miss Martian? My uncle should have told you about me! Is it alright if I come in? >

Stardust has posed:
    Titans Tower can be a bit of an intimidating place to visit, at least if you're not expected. The giant T stands alone on an island somewhere just about where the East River flows into Long Island Sound, reached by an automated ferry from North Hempstead, the lights of the Bronx and Metropolis visible on the far bank. Automated voice query the visitor before they are even allowed to step on the ferry, and while it's intended that anyone with a good reason can come visit, the security is obvious.

    Then again, some people fly. That saves talking to the AI guarding the ferry, but those fliers are tracked well before they arrive, and not entirely hidden turrets follow them all the way to a landing. No doubt other, more hidden security systems are also following them.

    It's all a lot less intimidating if you have an invitation though. A contact from the JLA to the Titans recommending you certainly smooths the route, and Megan's journey is interrupted by no rude turrets or importunate AIs. Her passage to the window is unimpeded, and the window slides right open as if she is expected, which indeed she is.

    Inside is Titans impressive living quarters - slash - monitor room. A welcoming space, dominated by an absolutely huge sofa facing an even huger monitor. Seated on the sofa, and operating the control that opens the windows for flying visitors, is Stardust. One of the more prominent Titans in recent times, even very modest research into the Titans will inform the researcher that she is quite often acting as the group's public face, though the exact workings of the team are not really publicized and what her precise role is remains something of a mystery.

    <<Welcome, M'gann. Please come in.>> Such research would not have hinted that Stardust knows the Martian language, but perhaps she asked J'Onzz for a greeting. She quickly switches to English. "I'm Stardust. Welcome to the Tower. Why don't you grab a seat and we can talk about what we can do for each other?"

Miss Martian has posed:
<< Wonderful! Thank you. I shall enter presently. >> Hovering outside (and still blissfully oblivious to any murder lasers tracking her!), the young green-skinned woman clasps her hands together in an effort to contain her own excitement. And then she starts flying forward, without waiting for the window to start opening first. She's halfway into it - with a good portion of her upper body sticking through the glass onto the other side - when it starts to slide open for her. This causes her to produce a surprised and more traditionally verbal exclaimation: "Oh!" Fortunately, the window slides through her in her lightly-phased state as readily as she would pass through it, and so no one turns into a botched magic trick.

Once inside, Megan hovers just a short distance further, casting a very wide-eyed and delighted look all around the interior. She looks genuinely amazed, entranced even, albeit equally so by some of the high-tech doodads like the monitor room controls as she seems with the utterly mundane things like the living room furniture. Earth is exciting!

After a few moments of amazed wonder, she finally touches down, as if settling her feet on the floor will finally make the whole visit 'real', even official. "It is wonderful to meet you Stardust. Oh, it's fine if you want to call me just Megan. Its really close and I like it." And the 'secret' part of such an identity doesn't seem a super pressing priority to her. Offered a seat, she happily moves over toward that huge sofa, which seemed particualrly attractive to her. "Uncle J'onn said it would be a good idea to stay here a while. Mmm. He said that you're basically like his friends in the Justice League, just younger, like me! So you'd be perfect to teach me what I need to know."

Marvel Boy has posed:
Exiting his guest room in his full Kree battle gear, which is really just a ultra-durable green, white, and black bodysuit, Noh-Varr looks at Colette as she lounges out on one of the couches. "Greetings and good day, Stardust." Noh stretches immediately after his greeting with a big yawn. "How are you doing today?" He puts his hands on his hips, looking flamboyant and cheerful as ever.

But then, all of a sudden, ANOTHER alien enters the room! Did she phase through the window? The scientific mind in Noh-Varr is extremely impressed, leaning forward. "How did you do that? Did you vibrate your molecules so quickly that you became intangible like the superheroes who rely on speed?" Noh-Varr asks her curiously before he shakes his head.

"I am rude. My name is Noh-Varr of the Kree Empire. Who might you be?"

Stardust has posed:
    "So long as nobody tells you we're the Junior Justice League," Stardust replies with a smirk. "We're closely allied to them of course, but we're very much our own organization. He's right though, we do sort of specialize in giving a place to... well, younger and less experienced heroes. An environment where we can all learn together. And of course, not be treated like sidekicks." The smirk spreads into a grin.

    "Megan," Stardust repeats thoughtfully. "Hmm. I like it. Okay Megan. Though I'm quite used to pronouncing strange alien names these days. You can call me 'Colette' if you prefer, but only in private please. I'd prefer the world not track down my civilian identity."

    As she talks, Stardust watches Megan's entranced study of the room with a faint smile. "All this kind of new to you? I'd have thought if you'd seen the Watchtower nothing much would come as a surprise. Or are you very new to Per'elandra?" She uses the Martian word for Earth - she must have been talking with J'onzz.

    "Ah, Noh-Varr!" Stardust greets him with a wave and gestures him to come and join them on the sofa. "Megan, this is Noh-Varr. He's a Kree. He's not officially part of the team, but he's been staying with us while on Earth. Noh, this is Megan. She's a Martian. Mal'candr'adr. I have to admit I was under the impression there weren't any left, but it seems there are at least two. They are able to alter their physical density, though I have to admit I'm impressed how smoothly she went through that glass. I thought it would take more concentration."

Miss Martian has posed:
"Would that be bad?" Megan seems quite uncertain. "The Justice League is... so super famous!" Obviously, one part of Earth culture she is up to date on is the general hero biz. "And a lot of the Titans have connections with its members, right?" Yet she's not about to argue with Colette's portrayal of the organization. What does a visiting Martian know? "But that really sounds wonderful. Not that being a sidelick doesn't seem fun, but I don't think J'onn really needs one. He's sort of used to doing things on his own." Last - or apparently second to last - Martian and all of that.

Whatever they're discussing, Noh-Varr's sudden entrance draws her attention, or particularly the pointed question he leads off with. She answers quite readily: "Oh, no, nothing like that." And then a nod at Colette's comment. "Right. Martians are natural shapeshifters, and we are not limited to a contiguous form: I slightly dispersed my body, allowing the constituent material to pass through the gaps in the glass' structure." Yeah, phasing by vibrating would be -weird-. "Glass is non-crystalline so it's sort of easier. I'm still learning how to do it properly, and my uncle can move much more quickly and through denser solids."

Then she echoes the introduction. "M'gann M'orzz of Mars. Or right, just Megan lis fine! Its nice to meet you, Noh-Varr."

Then she turns back to Colette. "I haven't been here very long, no, but of course I've seen a lot of it before. I just, hmm... well the idea that I'll actually be -living- here makes it really exciting. The Watchtower isn't quite so Earth-y, but this place seems much more like a cool appartment that people live in on TV. Only even cooler!" Which apparently is very exciting for her.

Marvel Boy has posed:
Noh-Varr gives a little salute to Stardust as she greets him. When Megan is introduced to him, and she promptly introduces herself in turn, Noh-Varr turns to look at Megan specifically as he smiles. "I have never met a Martian in person before. Where I am from, we believe that they all died out. This is wonderful news!" He was like this when he realized that Kryptonians were still a thing (albeit in small number) as well. He looks so happy!

When he's told that he's not quite a member of the team, Noh-Varr looks at Colette. "Something I wish to speak with you about. Your peacekeeping unit is one that is attractive to me in terms of membership. I have been studying earth-database for the past week. I would like to undergo any trials that would permit me this."

Ah right, Megan.

He turns back to look at her. "You disperse then realign? That is incredible." Noh-Varr shrugs. "I have very little tricks up my sleeve. I am what you call a modified Kree. I simply possess enhanced physical characteristics by human and Kree standards and a few other tricks." like wall-crawling and having exploding fingernails and...of course, mind-control saliva. Its all very strange.

"...Watchtower?" He looks confused at this. No, he has not been creeping around the Moniter room.

Stardust has posed:
    Stardust just can't help grinning at Megan's enthusiasm. "If you can contain your excitement, you'll be glad to know we've prepared a room for you. It's in the west wing..." she points to one of the two spiral staircases leading up to the two dormitory corridors. "...and it has your name on the door. Not much in it right now, you can decide how you want it decorated."

    Stardust picks up something small from the sofa beside her and tosses it over to Megan. "You'll need this. It's a Titans Communictor. I have one for you two, Noh. Keep it with you while you're here. It'll smooth things out with tower access and lets you contact the rest of us if you need help with something. Also notify you if there's a problem you might be able to help with. These ones are a little limited, obviously the team sometimes has things we wish to keep on the quiet. If you decide you want to stay long term and sign on with us... and it works between the rest of the team and you, you'll get an upgrade. Same for you, Noh."

    "Megan, you're new here and probably kind of deciding what to do with your life. That's cool, we're able to put you up here as a favor to J'onnz, but we would like you to consider what Noh here has just decided on..." she quickly flashes Noh a smile "... and join up with us as... well, you know. If you're interested in following in your uncle's footsteps. A Martian's talents would be very useful. As would an enhanced Kree's. What we'd expect from both of you is to remember that there's a lot here that is unfamiliar to you. Earth may seem like a relatively primitive world, but it's kind of... complicated. It can be very dangerous at times. Also making the wrong moves can have consequences on a scale you would not expect for a world that seems like a bit of a backwater. Take your leads from those of us who are more familiar with the place for now, okay?"

    Turning to Noh, Stardust gives a nod. "Actually it's not so much trials as training. I don't question the training you have had previously, but that training wasn't with us. What makes a team work well is when the individuals understand each other and know how to work together. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, you know?"

Miss Martian has posed:
"Unfortunately that's mostly true," Megan tells Noh-Varr with a touch of sadness in her voice. "As far as I know it's just me and my uncle J'onn that are left. But he thought he was the only one for a really long time, and if that was wrong, well... maybe there could be more of us still. Right?" Which allows her a hopeful upswing in her tone and expression, a touch of much-needed positivity. "You're joining too? That's wonderful. You can tell me about your people too! Even if I'm an alien by local standards, in the big picture, Mars is really pretty much Earth's next-door neighbor. I learned a little as a child, and my uncle had me study a bit off the League's computers, but mostly I don't know a lot about the rest of the universe."

As for containing her excitement, well, as much as Megan might want to follow Colette's instructions, the fact that she's being told she'll have her own room and all this freedom in what to do with it doesn't precisely help with that! It's a bit too much to contain, and so... WOOSH. Off she goes, with a burst of speed, up the stairs and down the hall to take a look. She stares at the door a few seconds, and then wooshes back, in time to receive the communicator.

"Its wonderful! But I'll need to get some posters." At least she knows about posters! However the communciator does receive a little bit of a more curious look. "Oh, right. You need these things to communicate. Just like a telephone!" And the fact she says 'telephone' is a hint to the age of some of the posters that will be going up on her walls.

The more serious topic of the team and what it means does finally sober her exuberance somewhat. "Honestly it's all still pretty new to me, but uncle J'onn and I, we- erm, it's hard to explain exactly. But he showed me what he does, and I think it's really amazing. So I want to try. I understand that there are things I have to learn first, but I think it's worth it if I can do what he does. Protecting a world is important." The last said with all the gravity of someone who has lost one.

Marvel Boy has posed:
Noh-Varr looks at Colette. "Need I remind you I was the last survivor of a team of peacekeepers from Hala?" He asks her curiously. "I know how to work with a team. I simply need to familiarize myself in working with the lot of you. Though I am enjoying the terminology of this planet. Its 'awesome'."

Oh Supreme Intelligence.

Then he looks at Megan. "I am sorry that the stories and information are true. I wish I had the oppurtunity to learn earth-culture to the extent that you have, but I was only given and told what I need to know: the language, the dominant species, and the systems of government." He shrugs softly.

"Hah!" He wraps an arm around Megan in comraderie if she allows. "Then we will train together to be worthy of the peacekeeping Titans!"

Stardust has posed:
     Stardust nods to Megan, all serious-face. "What happened on your world was a tragedy. I have been told about the H'ronmeer curse. Our solar system could do without another tragedy. Since I've been a member, this group has been instrumental in stopping this world being destroyed twice. If you want to make a difference, it's a good place to be.

    "No, No." Or is that 'No, Noh'? "You don't need to remind me," Stardust tells Noh. "But that's your old team. This is a new one. We work differently. Every member has a very different skill set to every other. And we're a lot less formal than Kree tend to be." Stardust flashes a grin. "We're a team of individuals. That's kind of complex, and you're going to have to figure out how things work when you don't have ranks and appointed tasks. What team of Hala Peacekeepers ever had someone who can change into any animal they want, a wielder of chaos magic and a pacifist who can manipulate electromagnetic radiation at will to work into their tactical planning?"

     Leaning back in a most relaxed fashion, Stardust smiles and says "Actually one of the most important parts is not exactly formal training. It's socializing. Get to know the people on the team. Not everyone's gonna be your friend, but if you don't know who you're standing next to, you're at a disadvantage, and so are they. You can learn how someone else fights in a simulation, but the best way to learn how they think is to get to know them. Which uh... reminds me."

    She turns to Megan, head tilted slightly. "Your people are natural telepaths. Yes you can communicate without the T-Com, but this will let you communicate with the entire group, wherever they are, without having to try to track down their minds. Keep in mind Humans are not telepaths and we value our mental privacy. Be careful where you go with your mind or you'll upset people. Also there are a few of us who... well you probably should particulary avoid poking around in my mind, or in Raven's, or Vorpal's. Any close mental communication with the three of us could get uncomfortable. On the other hand we have an Akiar on the team. They are contact telepaths and I suspect he would be very happy to share some mind-to-mind communciation with you.

Miss Martian has posed:
"That's OK, at least you got formal training. I mostly picked it up from old TV shows." This may start to explain things. Or... rather, it answers one set of questions and then promptly raises a bunch more. There's a lot of oddities about Megan, particularly if one knows much about her uncle or Martian history. Yet maybe this is another reason it's good for her to hang out with a different team! "Plus what I've been able to study since I arrived. I have spent a little time in a human school, and I think I'm picking it all up OK." At least she's not trying to eat the toaster.

The arm around her seems to surprise her, but not to any ill effect. She is, at least at the moment, properly solid and everything! "I am very eager to meet everyone and make many new friends," she notes, apropos both to Noh-Varr's physical display of camaraderie and Colette's words about everyone socializing together.

The warnings receive a more solemn nod sort of nod. This is clearly something that's come up with her already. "At first I didn't know, and I did... absorb? A lot of the Earth basics just by my initial contact with the minds here, reading knowledge from them. It was Earth's collective thoughts that even drew me in the first place." Which is staggering itself, that she felt them from so far off. "But I have rules now. No intrusive reading, unless they are 'bad guys.' I am also working on mental combat techniques and discipline with my uncle, but it will be useful to have others to communicate with and learn from."

Marvel Boy has posed:
Noh-Varr looks upon Colette as she continues to try and reason with him about the situation at hand. It was true that the Kree had so many rules that they are one of the most rigid cultures in the galaxy. Though Noh-Varr always had a bit of a free spirit, he's been a strict follower of such rules. He's Kree. Its what they do. He looks briefly irritated, before he sighs. "Very well...since I do not believe I can persuade you otherwise." He hangs his head a little bit.

But then he looks over at Megan, who was still at his side. "Then double the reason for us to learn together! I believe there is also a Zachary who is skilled with moving his hands and speaking backwords. Its all very strange."

"It should be stated that my mind is fairly open. It must be, for the Supreme Intelligence to know of our loyalty and for there to be no secrets between comrades. You have my permission to read my mind or communicate with me that way if you wish."

...thats nice(?) of him.

But then his attention is back on Colette.

Stardust has posed:
    "If you enjoy TV," Stardust says to Megan with a grin, "You'll be glad to know that huge monitor screen makes an awesome TV watching experience. Thought Raven and Robin get very disapproving when I use it to watch cartoons. "Sounds like between the television and your uncle you're got a pretty good handle on things. Though I wouldn't expect him to have sent you here without ensuring that first. I mean I'm kind of our alien liaison person, but the rest of the team is not all that familiar with aliens. Well, the rest of the planet in general. It's only been a few decades humanity has officially known of the existence of alien races, and most people are kind of jumpy still."

    "You can't persuade me otherwise, because I /know/, Noh." (Or is that 'No, no'?) Stardust hops to her feet and heads over to one end of the living room, which has a kitchen area. "I know about how we operate. And I know about how Kree operate. You only know one of those things, so you should take my word for it. And the moving hands and speaking backwards thing is called magic. It's pretty cool. Awesome, even." She opens a large fridge and starts pulling out cans of soda.

    "So." Stardust looks over the counter at the pair with a grin. "There's a kind of ritual we have here at the Titans. Almost a religious thing. I'm going to introduce to you to it, so I hope you're hungry." She moves over to the oven, opens it, and pulls out a short stack of flat card boxes. "It's called the Eating of the Pizza." She brings her goodies back over unstacks the boxes, opening the lids to reveal far too much food for any normal three people to eat, with a wide range of toppings. "They're a cooked grain base with an assortment of meats and vegetables on them, and they are very tasty. If there's anything you need to avoid eating let me know and I'll tell you which ones are safe. Help yourselves."

    After cracking open one of the cans of soda, Stardust flops back down onto the sofa and gets comfy. "So, are there any burning questions either of you have, or you just wanna enjoy the eats?"

Miss Martian has posed:
"I understand that our existence is not common knowledge. If anyone is uncomfortable with my presence, I can make adjustments," Megan suggests, and even as she speaks, her skin tone lightens toward a human caucasian complexion, complete with a dusting of freckles, evidently to match the red hair.

The young woman then turns her attention back to her fellow alien. "That sounds similar to Martian life. Because we are all telepathic, thoughts are shared freely, and the keeping of personal secrets is a... rare thing. This is the strangest thing about Earth by far." And Megan does sound relieved to have someone who posseses at least a somewhat similar experience. And so she does reach out to Noh-Varr's mind: << I would be happy if we communicate in this way. Later we can share our recollections of our worlds. >> Even the suggestion comes with vague images, a fraction of her mental picture of life as it once was on Mars.

On the plus side for Stardust, she does not have a military background to rely on, and so her only (returning to verbal) further comment there is: "I am eager to learn the team's methods."

<< Magic? >> she wonders at Noh-Varr.

Finally, as Colette moves toward the counter, she floats up from the couch to drift in that direction. "I am familiar with pizza. According to TV, human adolescents consume a great deal of it! But I have not had a chance to properly enjoy it." But she looks quite eager, examining the variety of pies and toppings with great fascination. "I am ready to eat!"

Marvel Boy has posed:
Noh-Varr just goes quiet. He shakes his head lightly. He's stubborn thats for certain and he believes he knows best for himself. Pfft, don't all aliens? Except for the really really sweet ones like Megan. But he does brighten up when the call to Pizza is officially sung. "Ah yes, I have been properly introduced to the Ritual of Pizza. Beast Boy was very enthusiastic about it."

He smiles happily before he releases Megan to do what she can. Though he hears her voice in his head and he smiles. <<I believe this would be a very happy thing for us to do. I believe its called 'bonding' in a sense. I am equally as happy to tell you about Hala so long as you are happy to speak of Mars.>> he sends her fragments of images of his own homeworld and the culture therein.

"Magic? I know not what this is." To Megan, he just shrugs. <<I don't know. It is an unfamiliar term.>>