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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2016 9:33:50 GMT -5
It was raining again and all of a sudden a hat wasn't just a snazzy article of clothing but a shield against the torment of the skies. Well maybe not the one that the Question wore; one of many of the same blue hue that he had stored in his cramped wardrobe in his grimy little hovel of a bachelor pad. Batman never releases an Autumn collection and the Question's appearance must be consistent for the sake that of all the variables out of the reach of his hands, what he wore was entirely down to him so he thought to himself that he might as well fight crime in a sharp manner. A cheap suit for a cheap guy, sewn together with cheap thread by cheaply paid hands and finished off with an equally cheap navy tie and darkly toned orange shirt. It wasn't quite a flowing cape and scarlet boots but this poorly crafted off the hangar purchase was his suit of armour as much as his expressionless mask was his helmet for it gave him a sense of security. As he judged if you're going to bite it then the brand of your brogues hardly mean a thing.
Anyway back to the rain - that thick downpour from Heaven's very own garden sprinkler no doubt, had seemed to cover Gotham ever since he got here off the train from Hub City. It either rained or it snowed or poisonous spores clogged the air or pieces of flaming shrapnel seemed to be falling left right or centre. And when it rained it poured. Peering up into the grey avoid above, the thin sheet of skin like latex across his face all that protected him from the elements, the Question sighed and knew that if the Government did in fact use Project HAARP for influencing weather patterns then they must despise the Gotham demographic. If he had lips to drink from he'd have brought a warm broth in a flask but alas anonymity over a warm stew any day. From the alleyway where he stood, one bent leg pushed backwards onto a graffiti stained wall so that he could lean for a bit, Vic Sage better known by the legions of doom and online conspiracy rooms as the Question watched the home of Nina Stenet closely. As he hummed some catchy jingle that he heard on the radio over to her house, he waited for his opportunity to approach.
With a flick of his wrist he peered down into a water stained digital wrist watch, examining the time before returning back to his vigilant watch. For the past week she had been getting home from Gotham City's Lexcorp outlet at 7:30, though his working career in journalism only really lasts from 22:00 to 23:00, every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday night. So as long as he turns up with a story worth airing or a guest worth interrogating at 21:59 he'll work for another week and repeat. So this leaves him with copious amounts of time for daylight snooping between the warm embrace of two back alley dumpsters. Since the last time he had dropped by her security system had been upgraded for some reason and though he could likely find some way in it would be easier for them to speak if he approached her in the open which he wasn't too happy about. Still when an innocent such as the good Doctor finds herself rolled up in the arms of an agent of the powers that be; Alexander Luthor himself well then the Question can't help but have one or two quick questions. As soon as he finished mentally muttering to himself the sound of an approaching engine cut through the downpour, a German manufactured engine and so he moved closer with the hope that the vehicle would be her's.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on Apr 29, 2016 16:01:28 GMT -5
The tall, monolithic skyscraper that holds the apartment of Nina, along with the residences of many others who consider security to be of paramount importance, makes no declarations on the outside about what is on the inside. Numberless people walk or drive past it every day without stopping to wonder what might be inside - from the outside one would assume that it can't be that interesting, as the building itself isn't that interesting to look at. It has the stark, utilitarian look of a building designed by someone who never once put form over function. It's quite a bit nicer on the inside, but the number of people who know that is hardly more than the number of people who pay the enormous cost to live there.
Returning from a day's work in her lab, Nina's attention isn't at all upon her surroundings, but that doesn't matter because Hope is acting as chauffeur. It isn't until the car turns into the nondescript, sloping driveway that leads to the underground parking garage but stops short of actually going inside that she's aware that there's anything unusual going on. But unlike her, Hope almost never ceases to be aware of her surroundings, and she spots the man approaching - and is immediately suspicious because even before she notices his lack of facial features she notices that he happens to be conveniently moving within a blind spot of the building's security cameras. Stopping the car, she tells Dr. Stenet, "Stay in the car." She recognizes the man, though she doesn't exactly know him - just as he probably recognizes her. Hope Taya is Lex Luthor's second best personal bodyguard. And as such she's known to be quite capable in a fight, able to stand toe to toe with some of the best fighters in the world.
But what, exactly, she intends to do right now is a question that doesn't get an answer - no sooner has Hope exited the vehicle and closed the door, than Nina's door opens and the doctor herself steps out. Which causes the bodyguard to glance back and give her an exasperated look, which is ignored. Nina doesn't have to do what Hope tells her to do, at least not unless Hope intends to literally force the issue. Hastily unfolding an umbrella - an object that she alone seems to have on hand - she turns toward the Question gives him a nod of acknowledgement. "Long time no see," she comments. Well, a long time compared to everyone else who has at one point stalked her.
"You know him?" Hope asks Nina, sounding unpleasantly surprised by this.
"Well, I've met him, at least," Nina replies - in their previous interactions, the Question has had much more success in getting to know her than the other way around. Then again, he seems to be somewhat of an expert on that, while she hasn't really even tried aside from discovering a few key character traits. It doesn't matter to her who the man behind the mask is as long as he's a decent person and she can have some sort of an understanding with him. Glancing between him and Hope, her eyes finally stop on Hope as she adds, "Why don't you take the car and head on inside? I'll be up in a bit." She can assume that if the Question is here, he's looking for her, and if he's looking for her then he probably wants to talk. Probably about something that he and probably Nina herself doesn't care to have reported to Lex, so Hope needs to leave.
But based on the woman's expressions, the bodyguard clearly doesn't want to leave. In fact, Nina's suggestion leads to a bit of a stare down between the two women - a silent battle of wills. Which would tell Question a lot about the situation already. Clearly Lex Luthor is fully involved in working with Dr. Stenet, though either Nina is not fully on his side or she's pretending not to be. That Hope is not only present but apparently protecting Nina means that there must be the possibility of a substantial threat against her, or at least Lex thinks so. But if Nina thought that the Question was a threat, then she wouldn't sent her away. But all this leads to another question: What happened to Nina's own bodyguard - the short blonde young woman who doesn't seem to like the Question very much?
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 13:55:34 GMT -5
A grayscale building for the era of depression, a monument that touches the clouds for those in power to look upon from a far with a smirk on their satisfied faces knowing that their influence has corrupted in that certain direction. If the Pharaohs of old had their pyramids, constructed by the hands of malnourished slaves then it told the Question that though the architecture might have changed the regime keeps on rolling. Leather bound feet splash through black puddles that dot the soaked tarmac as the man in the fedora approaches the now still vehicle yet still maintaining a range for potential safety reasons. Not that Vic feared Dr. Stenet to any real extent, past meetings aside, but it was the thought of the watching eye of her employer that worried him so, not that his expressionless face or ever crisp voice would let on. A man like Luthor would hope to keep his well manicured paws on his assets and if Nina was every bit as skilled as she was when they last met then he'd be holding this ace close to his chest. It was a refreshing sight to lay eyes on her after such a long time, it was pleasing to see someone who had gone through what she'd experienced in the last few years and continue to hold onto some form of idealism. Though they hadn't spoken for months the Question wouldn't be the Question if he didn't check in on people every now and then.
"Always a pleasure, Dr. Stenet." Though some would take such a comment in perhaps a sarcastic light, rarely did Vic ever say anything without certainty as in a world such as his honesty was a rare expense. With a tilt of his head he gave a glance to the bodyguard that followed her from the vehicle recognising her as Hope Taya from Luthor's very own staff. This wasn't the first time that his crusade for truth and justice had him knocking at the Luthor portcullis with his heroic battering ram and her name had come up before but there was little chance of her also being a lizard person, that would just be a wild accusation. "Do all new cars come with an imposing bodyguard or just the ones from the Luthor production line?" The look that he gave her was a lingering one; the area where his face would be giving a daunting stare of judgment even without having eyes with which to cast aspersions.
There was little point in Taya leaving, either way she'd inform her overlords that Nina had come into contact with an unknown assailant who prodded her for sensitive information. "She can stay or go, she'll run back to her owner eventually. Speaking of which how is the man of tomorrow? Still forgetting about today?" Though being wealthy and in a seat of influence would be enough for Vic Sage to hate Luthor's guts, what really burned him was Luthor's apparent benevolent uses for said finances and power. Power corrupts in every case so the Question believed that if you're going to be an evil genius with a towering headquarters then you might as well be honest about it. Though if he had all the answers then there would be no point of the Question itself which is arguably just as important as the search of the truth is often as rewarding as the actual knowledge. "Doctor if you're working for him for any reason other than the prospects of an impressive dental plan then we're going to have to have words."
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on May 11, 2016 7:44:33 GMT -5
Nina certainly wouldn't assume that a pleasant greeting from the Question is sarcastic. Yes, some of their past interactions weren't completely positive, but she thinks that they have enough of an understanding. Then again, he's difficult for her to read. But she can interact with him with some confidence anyways, if only because they both know what her boundaries are. She'll cooperate as much as she's willing to cooperate - which is a great deal, actually - but not one iota more and he can't force her to do more.
Unless, of course, things have changed since they last spoke. Which they probably have - if things had remained the same, why would he have any reason to talk to her again? A lot of things have changed, come to think of it. And the man immediately points out two of them - the car and the bodyguard. Though she's quite quick to defend the former. "Hey, don't insult my Mercedes! She's a product of precision German engineering, not Lex's vision of a bold new tomorrow," she replies, obviously pretending to be far more offended than she actually is, though she's not completely unoffended either. She likes her car - she picked it out herself and paid for it herself well before her association with Lex Luthor began, and the implication that Lex had anything to do with it actually does upset her just a little bit. She doesn't comment on the bodyguard, though, and she doesn't notice that the fact that her words further underlined the fact that she's been interacting with the billionaire himself and not just his corporation.
Without a firm consensus on whether or not she needs to leave, Hope is not going anywhere. If the other two refused to talk until she left then she'd pretend to leave while actually attempting to eavesdrop. But since she knows that Dr. Stenet is very well aware of the fact that she would try, she's not going to count on the fact that she'd be able to manage to do that. So as long as they're willing to talk in front of her, she'll at least be able to find out what this vigilante wants to talk about and perhaps glean something from the answers, even if Dr. Stenet is being guarded. All of that is much better information than simply knowing that someone talked to someone.
But she doesn't appear to be happy about what she's hearing so far - the strong look of disapproval on her face doesn't seem likely to leave it any time soon. What, exactly, she's so disapproving of is more difficult to determine, though there's a good chance that it's everything: the questions, the answers, the fact that the conversation is happening in the first place - everything. But otherwise she makes no effort to add to the conversation, simply standing there in the rain as if the moisture is beneath her notice as her eyes shift between the two who are talking and sometimes flickering around in habitual awareness of her surroundings.
Nina's own expression becomes displeased when the Question doesn't agree that Hope should leave, but the expression doesn't linger. Instead she bursts out in a laugh at the unexpected - and quite accurate - jab at Lex. "You could put it that way. He's been very much himself, lately. But what else is new?" she replies. But her amusement disappears and is replaced by a frown at the next question. "I don't work for him, I'm a consultant. Our relationship is..." she pauses to give a heavy sigh, "...'Mutually beneficial'." She pauses, glances over at Hope, then looks back at the Question and says, "You know, if you want better answers, she's going to need to leave." Because there are things that she doesn't want Lex to know.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2016 11:25:07 GMT -5
"A car is a car, invented so that we can get to our hovels of work quicker." What would be a smirk curves its way under the polymer sheath that suffocated his face as it would be hard to judge whether he was being serious half the time with the seemingly obscure accusations that came from his mouth. More times than not there was some genuine logic to his assertions which was the worrying thing. If there was ever a figurehead for the New World Order, Lex Luthor would be in the running for the position with his charming magazine articles and charity schemes to support African farmers and revolutionary medical research funding. Wouldn't be too long until his loafers were relaxed up on the oval office desk. This was the type of man that angered Vic Sage more than any other, the very kind of figure that made him become a journalist in the first place; one that hides behind decency to hide their own sinister nature. To the average man Luthor was nothing more than a bald Bruce Wayne, a prince of luxury to curse or praise depending upon how the economy rises and falls. But for those willing to ask the question, to look beyond that which the propaganda would have you believe, a whole new perspective can be ascertained.
As a seasoned and experienced member of the free media, Sage once had the duty of standing his ground in a short conversation with Mr. Luthor when came to Hub City to attend a conference on the mounting issues dealt with by law officials by presenting Lexcorp's newest crime prevention technology. It was a brief albeit fiery encounter as Sage all but launched himself at the budding enterpriser as he made his way off stage to the point where security was forced to intervene but with that momentary exchange Vic knew that Luthor was nothing more than a public sham. Who would have predicted that that disgruntled employee of the Hub City Chronicle would one day become a defender of the law in a trench coat, with the means to look a little deeper into the workings of Alexander Luthor's conglomerate. The brighter his candle the larger the shadow, and if Nina had been persuaded to offer her services then the Question had to intervene.
"Trust is a rare commodity these days." Question's vision hadn't moved from Hope who still was standing down rage of his looks. "You're right, the last thing we need is her pulling a supressed pistol out on us. Go away, the adults need to talk." His voice was flat and sharp, lacking in the jovial respect that ebbed through when he chatted with the good Doctor. For Hope he held no good will so no part of him felt responsible for offending her 'feelings'. "When I hear mutually beneficial why do I think that he's getting the best deal out of this and you're getting short changed? Luthor's many things, stupid isn't one of them so this investment will pale in comparison to the potential yield. If you don't want to willingly tell me the exact nature of your work then I don't mind removing your finger nails." A joke but it wouldn't be the first time.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on May 17, 2016 19:24:33 GMT -5
Not just the Question's expression, but the words he uses causes Nina's eyebrow to lift. "I don't believe you mean that. Anyone who has been in a car chase wouldn't say that, and I bet you have," she states, figuring that he's been in a few. She's been in only one, but it definitely changed her view of cars - they went from being a box that gets her from Point A to Point B to a tool that can protect her from danger, assuming that it's good enough. Hence why she abandoned her economy car for something with some muscle - hopefully she'll never need to use it for that, but if she needs it then it's there.
When the Question addresses Hope directly, the large, black woman visibly bristles at the words. But she is nothing if not self-controlled - she simply turns to look at the Question, her eyes staring into him. His absurd mask does not intimidate her, nor does his reputation or anything else about him. And her expression gives him a very clear message as her eyes bore into him. 'Give me one excuse,' says the look - a mixture of challenge and confidence.
She is nothing if not professional, and he has not yet done anything that would warrant her to resort to violence. Her job is to protect Dr. Stenet, and it would obviously be an overreaction on her part to insist that the woman is in any real danger now - at worst the danger here is that the doctor might pass along information that her employer wouldn't like to be leaked. But it isn't exactly her job to police that, and Dr. Stenet is under contract - it would probably do more harm than good to attempt to keep this conversation from taking place, though of course she'll do her best to determine whether or not the doctor says anything that she shouldn't have. She doesn't especially enjoy looking after the woman, and it would be her extreme pleasure to report a breach of contract if one occurs.
Yet right at this moment there isn't much that she can do besides leave, now that both of them are insisting that she do so, which is quite frustrating, really. Especially since she is quite certain that she could defeat a fool like the Question easily - she just needs an excuse. But she doubts that the man is foolish enough to give her one, so after making her feelings on the matter clear, she simply gets back into the car and drives it the rest of the way into the parking garage.
When she's gone, Nina breathes a sigh of relief, as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders - now it's just her and the Question. At least until Hope has finished parking the car and can attempt to eavesdrop, which is something that she's very well aware will happen - her relationship with the bodyguard is... complex. But before she worries about that, she responds to the Question by stating, "I'm not about money. Lex stands to profit a great deal because of my help, and that is annoying, but he's offered a lot of things that I need a lot more than money. And though I'm not sure why you think that I'd let you remove my fingernails, that's not necessary anyway. The exact nature of my work is unimportant technical jargon. What's important is that Lex is attempting to invent immortality."
While she lets that sink in, she looks pointedly at the direction that Hope went with her car before looking back and stating, "If you'd like to discuss this further, perhaps we should go for a walk? Unless you have a better idea?" She's clearly concerned that they've not seen the last of the bodyguard, and if they remain here then it would be all too easy for the woman to figure out how to listen in. For them to go for a stroll would make it at least a little trickier, but that's all that Nina can come up with on such short notice. Of course, she's not a vigilante, as suspects that the Question might have a better idea. Or not - though she knows that he's clever, he doesn't strike her as being as prepared for everything as Batman would be.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2016 12:23:17 GMT -5
Though the mind was the only part of the body that Vic truly required, the other more overt means that his muscles could achieve were just as important when leg work had to factor in to thought. As the Question only knew basic information about the bodyguard he really couldn't judge how a physical engagement would pay off for him with him knowing nothing about her level of fighting prowess. However if he was to make an assumption, which was unfortunately 99% of his mental processes, he'd have guessed that as she worked for one of the most influential men in the world in an often close capacity in a security role then her skills are likely note worthy. Of course that being said the Question was no amateur at using his fists courtesy of a bare knuckle childhood in America's worst slum district and the more recent span of training courtesy of a few figures he met when travelling through China on his "quarter life experience" as he referred to it. In short he could hold his own thanks to the mixed martial arts form that he'd picked up on over the years.
So when she backed off and retreated into the garage in the car, his gloved hands un-flexed from their almost fist like hold, not that he'd be willing to give her any reason to hit him. He didn't continue speaking until the car's glowing rear lights had faded around the corner though time would be of the essence if Hope had cause to inform her superiors that her client had been chatting with mysterious vigilantes. His silent train of thought was interrupted with a silent flurry of cognitive implosions as the words "immortal" were uttered in serious conversation. "Immortality? A means for the wealthy to forever enjoy their ill gotten profits, a cure to the only certainty in life for the right price." The notion of life itself in the palms of a man who knows his only depraved entitlement, who likely plans to weaponise this very law of nature for his own financial gain.
A more weary man would ask himself how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his home to be the world, than he who aspires to be greater than his nature will allow. It wasn't a sentiment that a journalist could share but it was one that he could understand, as Man seemed determined to conquer every challenge put before it, for better or worse. Again he fell into a deep sullen silence, moving in a rapid pace though he never seemed to move a few feet in a certain direction before turning on his heels and moving in another vector though he soon began to mutter under his breath as he verbally ran over the thoughts bubbling in his mind. It was her mentioning of moving their conversation to a more convenient location that broke him away from his ponderings, so many questions were ready to force their way from his mind and out through his mouth.
"A walk? Could be pleasant were the weather nicer but sure we wouldn't want the hired help returning and listening in on our treason. That's if you don't mind being seeing in public with a man missing a face, I've never seen Batman have a stroll down main avenue yet." Of course he could always just take the mask off which he was unsure about due to the possibility of her assistant returning and seeing them. Anonymity is his greatest defence. "Want to see a real car? I've got mine parked down the alley a bit, we can use that and get a few minutes away from prying eyes."
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on May 20, 2016 19:52:11 GMT -5
Hope happens to be that caliber of fighter who can generally stand toe to toe with - if not a head above - the best fighters in the world, so long as they don't have bizarre super powers or extreme equipment. And even if they do have either or both of those things, she's clever and resourceful - she would not have her position in Lex Luthor's employ if she were anything less. Which is why it's a very good thing that another qualification for her position is to not be so easily provoked that she uses those skills when she shouldn't.
But even Hope has limitations, like the amount of time that it takes to park a car, which is why Nina doesn't hesitate to dive right into the conversation - she has a few moments at least before she'll have to be wary of an eavesdropper. Even though she doesn't feel like what she's said thus far is something that she should have to keep a secret - yes, she understands the need to keep the specifics of research like the lines of investigation, the methods, and the discoveries a secret so that the proper people can get paid for the work that they do, but that's different from a general statement of an end goal. If you have to keep your end goal a secret from the world, then you're doing something wrong, at least in her opinion.
"He says that what he's discovering will be for all mankind, not just the wealthy," she offers, because... well, he is saying that. Whether or not that's believable is not her fault.
When he comments on her being seen with him in public, she gives an amused laugh and comments, "I don't care about my reputation." Though when he then suggests his car, she's quick to nod - that's a better idea, and the idea of going somewhere with him doesn't make her nervous. "Lead the way," she says, as she walks over to him shifting her umbrella to include him when she's close enough.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 1:21:25 GMT -5
"When our lords and masters upgrade perhaps he believes that the means of production will have some trickled down benefits. Even if he gives this power to wider society he's unleashing something that no one should have, control over what should be uncontrolled." The patter of rain fall slowly gave way to a buck shot of light that burst through the greying sky above, illuminating one of the walls of the alley way. A puddle of recently fallen cloud perspiration sat within the cracks and holes of the street, splashing the tails of Vic's flowing coat as he his loafers stepped on them. Parked somewhat down the way, cradled neatly between two dilapidated bins sat a vehicle with a paint scheme reminiscent of the shadowy clouds above. It was a Toyota from the 1990s, as inconspicuous car as ever there was one covered by a rusted chassis and fading coat. Beyond that there was nothing special about the vehicle at all bar that it was missing both a front and rear number plate for security reasons of course. Once he reached the drivers door his gloved hand ran inside of the coat and pulled a key out which he used to unlock it. "Jump in."
The interior was just as lacklustre as the exterior, a muddling together of low level plastics with cheap and suicidal fabrics. If one was to see this car pull up outside your property you'd be more likely to either turn away in disgust or wonder why anyone would drive such a piece of automotive monstrosity. Which was exactly the point of course. With a sharp turn of the ignition it spluttered to life a horrible chunter, the engine rocking like the last coughs of a dying man's life. Due to the nature of his work the Question only invested in cheap vehicles that could be bought and later disposed of for as little cost as possible. Cranking it into reverse the car rolled back into the open street and then began to make its way up and left out of the next turning into the hustle and bustle of evening Gotham. A steady stream of traffic shuffled along the avenue with the Toyota just about sliding into place at the rear.
"With power over life Luthor could coerce entire populations into his biding with the allure of rewarding them immortality. Life should be life and death should be death, there endeth the two. I've heard of cults that operate with the goal of achieving infinite life at the heart of their preaching but this is the first scientific attempt for some time." At this moment he cocked his head ever so slightly in the direction of Nina. "Which brings me to my next question, Doctor; why are you helping him and perhaps more importantly why does he need your help?" That was to be said in an inoffensive manner even if it didn't slip from his mouth in such a tone but a man such as Luthor would have an army of geneticists in the palm of his hand, what good would one more do?
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on Jun 7, 2016 8:36:40 GMT -5
Not feeling any particular need to comment upon the Question's summation of what Lex is trying to do - he's preaching to the choir, really - Nina simply purses her lips to indicate her grim acknowledgement of the situation. Following along with him, she doesn't remark upon the car. Yes, it isn't very impressive, but she understands the utility of it instantly. Her own car may perform well in a car chase, but it's not very subtle. If she could get away with simply not attracting any attention, she would. Unfortunately, her enemies are much better at seeking than she is at hiding, so why even try? Being able to run from them is a more valid strategy - at least in the short term.
She gets in and shakes off her umbrella before she closes the door. Once they're inside, she sighs in a slight relief - now she feels that she can be reasonably assured that she can speak freely. She doesn't feel that often enough anymore, at least depending on the topic. Having Hope as her nearly constant shadow makes her feel both safer and somewhat oppressed - she has little doubt that the woman could defend her quite effectively, but the fact that she has to censor herself on certain topics is quite the drawback sometimes.
Taking a moment to settle into her seat and enjoy not having that problem for a while - or, more accurately, having a significantly shorter list of taboo topics as there are things she wouldn't say around the Question either - she doesn't comment until he's speaking again. Once again she doesn't feel the need to comment upon the full implications of what Lex is doing, but the grim purse of her lips returns to her face. But the question he asks is something she'll quite happily answer. "'Helping him'? I don't think I am - not really. Not if you mean actively increasing his pace toward his end goal. What I am doing is keeping an eye on the fools who are doing it, making sure that they won't get themselves and possibly many others killed in this pursuit," she states, shaking her head.
"He's got a rather long ways to go, actually," she continues, "Partly because he's looking for the good kind of immortality - the type where you don't simply not die but are young, healthy, strong, and don't go insane. That's a tall order - humans and all other life are designed to die because death, while bad for an individual, is good for the species. His scientists are pursuing many lines of investigation in order to attempt to solve all the little problems of illness, injury, and aging and some of their investigations are... ill advised. He wanted me involved primarily because he was experiencing quite a few 'laboratory accidents' and he knew that I could help with that problem. I agreed because I doubt that I can stop him from pursuing this sort of research, I generally prefer scientists to not get themselves killed no matter who they're working for and what they're researching, my arrangement with LexCorp includes them assisting me in getting my own work to the masses, and the only aspect of what Lex is doing that I actually object to is any attempt to halt or reverse aging. I fully support his attempts to cure actual disease and injury."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2016 4:04:27 GMT -5
The ironic notion of people dying in the search for eternal life would have brought a dark smirk to his face if it were merely just a trivial notion but as Dr. Stenet's honest words could now attest to this was more than just a theoretical quandary. Vibrations from the ticking straight six engine rocked through his leather bound palms as the crimson light burned above the road, halting all traffic while the flock of mindless consumers and workers marched across the road to their offices of servitude. There was an unexplainable contradiction with his feelings for the City as at once he left both endearment and disgust for the hub of yearning life; a hatred for the bustling mass grave that the streets served as yet an admiration of the life that could spark amongst the grime. That's why he remained, for a knight should be where the monsters are. However as Vic watched through a face with no expression, watched the people shuffle along giving no thought to the existence of those they knock shoulders with, he wondered whether that is what immortality would feel like. A thousand lifetimes not to care, devoid of the urgency of a single life that forces people to live. They will be alive but they will never live.
"Who would decide who will be immortal? Will the Government or Luthor himself distribute the market's newest commodity; life? I could write a PHD on why the Government shouldn't have that power, I could write two, and Luthor may be a lot of things but someone without an ulterior motive he is not. His adverts for a better future, the recent linking of Metropolis and Gotham, his funding of Arkham Asylum and City alike: the thought of his hand wrapped around the essence of life is not a welcome one. What I'm struggling with is if he's for Humanity then why is he doing this at all? The Earth is crumbling under the oppressive weight of seven billion people, imagine what our species could get up to if we no died. There's no doubting the man's genius, maybe this is just a joke to him, forcing Humanity to tie their own noose."
The questions ran from his mouth like a torrent of water were more for himself than Nina, he simply just liked to voice his concerns so that they had more of a physical weight to them. Above the row of cars the traffic light flashed a dull lime shade and suddenly the car began to pick up speed and continue down the road, bumper facing rear end to the yellow cab than drove in front. At the bottom of the street, far down past the other slabs of grey concrete, piercing through the distant sky stood the shining form of glass and steel emblazed with the name Lexcorp burning through the grey clouds. What little sunlight that broke through the heavens glistened on the rain soaked skyscraper, illuminating it for all the land to see. Maybe Alexander Luthor just wants to have the powers of God that the world already thinks he has. A man with monuments, a man who can make miracles happen.
"How close is he to achieving his goal? And what would you say if I were to try and stop it? I want what you want, people to become stronger, to have a chance against the worst of diseases but eternal life...that's a curse not a gift." A look was shot at her as he spoke carefully and cautiously.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
~ Relationship Status: Single
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Post by Nina Stenet on Jun 27, 2016 5:01:53 GMT -5
"That's why, even as I fight to extend human life, I stand firmly behind the idea that death is not a disease. At least not when it's at the end of a long and happy life. Everyone gets their turn on this Earth, and it should be a good turn, but then it's someone else's turn. To try to avoid that is selfishness at its finest - death is a part of life. If everyone's immortal, that's a problem. If some people are and others aren't, that's also a problem," Nina comments, expressing her own thoughts on the subject. Which are easy enough for her to summarize - she has had way too much of an opportunity to consider these ideas as of late.
As she speaks, she too notices the people outside of the car - Gothamites simply going about their day. Umbrellas are in abundance, but so are people enduring the rain with some sort of hat as their only protection. This part of the city is one of the 'nicer' parts of the city, where you can find people of all ages and social classes travelling the sidewalks. The contrast between rich and poor in particular captures her attention at this moment. In a world full of so much inequality and other problems, even if it's possible to achieve immortality you'd have to be insane to believe that mankind is ready for it - or even ready to decide whether or not it's a good idea. Even in what is supposed to be one of the best nations in the world they can't figure out basic social issues, and even if you believe that Lex isn't pursuing this goal for entirely selfish reasons, does he believe that making everyone immortal will just make all of that go away?
She frowns when asked how close Lex is to his goal. "It's hard to say, actually. At the moment, I'd say he's not very close at all. But that's only because I haven't bothered to tell him when one of his lines of investigation is a wild goose chase - only if it's pointlessly dangerous - and I don't think any of his current fast-track lines of research will lead to what he's looking for. But even though I doubt that they'll work out, those things are... well, in many cases quite incredible. Substances and ideas he got from who knows where that do things that I never would have considered. So just because he doesn't have anything that looks promising to me now doesn't mean that he won't find something to look into tomorrow that will achieve his goal by next week," she explains, looking a bit troubled, "But barring that he also has another, more conservative line of investigation that's more 'traditional', you might say - standard science not requiring the discovery of some miracle substance made somewhere else. That one will take... well, who knows, but many years at least."
Next to him, she shifts in her seat slightly so that she's at least somewhat turned in his direction instead of staring out the window. "But that's where he's looking into curing injury and disease. But since I'm up to speed on everything he's discovered there - that's where I've primarily been since I started helping there, if you were to shut down the whole operation it wouldn't bother me - everything that I would consider to be actually useful to humanity is in here if not in my notes somewhere," she adds, tapping the side of her head. Specifically, the spot just over left temporal lobe where that type of memory is primarily stored, but her preciseness in that regard would be lost to most people. "Though if you can avoid that last department, I'd be much obliged - until they start focusing a bit more on actually slowing the aging process, they're actually doing good work in there," she adds, because even if nothing she considers to be very important would be lost, it would definitely slow down learning anything new, "And, for the record, while I'm happy to talk to you about this right now, you're probably not going to convince me to actually do anything for you. Lex knows where I live."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2016 12:52:51 GMT -5
As they moved through the block pattern streets of Detroit's Detroit, the traffic began to clear upon approach to Luthor's tower of excess, allowing Vic to actually move the car up into third gear. It's 6 stroke engine panted away, likely overheating due to some faulty pipe or wiring under the bonnet and only kept from erupting into flames by the bitterly cold summer that they were experiencing. "People often think whether they can do something rather than if they should do it, half the problems in the world are down to Human arrogance. Our ambition is a double edged blade to say the least I mean considering it got us this far is one thing but we've destroyed everything in our way to get here." Voice trailing off for a moment, Vic cast his gaze out over the window next to him, peering through the condensation covered glass at the crowds that hugged the pavement with their designer trainers. He didn't hate the masses, he didn't despise that they lived in such a sheep like level of docile cooperation with the powers above, it was the fact that they were being forced into such a mindless position by people like Luthor. A man such as him, who believes that life is a toy for him to play with and by extension the lives of every being on the planet are his to control. No man should have such power.
It would be remiss of the Question to expect her to do anything life threatening for him, they'd had fewer conversations than he had fingers on one of his gloved hands so it came to no surprise to him that she never offered any direct aid. No that he needed it of course but a hand inside would have been helpful, this wasn't his first rodeo with a multinational conglomerate with seemingly infinite money and manpower. "You've helped enough alright, Dr. Stenet, I'd never ask you to do anything that would cause you harm. You should get a mask too, a symbol of anonymity offers a number of benefits when dealing with corporate treason and fighting the forces of darkness." What would have been a joke were his tone not deadly serious. Being the Question offered Vic Sage the opportunity to operate without the fear of his work having knock on effects in his personal life though that wasn't the sole reason why he wore the faceless mask. It was simply a symbol, that when in costume he represented the yearning masses' call for justice, that he would embody the questions that should shake the powerful from their positions of corrupt debauchery.
"Supernatural substance? Well if I can just target his more unconventional area of research and leave the traditional science, would that be acceptable? I'm not trying to hinder Humanity, I just hope to save it from the self that Luthor is persuading them that they need to be." A thousand thoughts on the concept of a mystical, potentially other worldly source of longevity ran through his mind as his mental vault was opened once more to search his archive on the impossible and hidden secrets of the world. Neurons flashed with a dozen notions of conspiracy concerning eternal life; ranging from the Holy Grail, Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth right through the concept of a vampire. Yet none of them offered a realistic answer to the problem that faced them, all of them were merely stories.
With the car once again slowing to a chuntering stop, the tires screeching a damp pathetic wail, Vic placed his chin on the steering wheel and looked intently into the glowing ember of the crimson brake light on the car in front of them in an attempt to stir any thought.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
~ Relationship Status: Single
~ Character Profile
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Post by Nina Stenet on Jul 27, 2016 5:51:33 GMT -5
When he mentions her need for a masks, Nina laughs lightly, "You assume that I don't have one." But she does have one, tucked in the back corner of her closet in case she ever needs to pull it out again. "But unlike you, my 'enemies', such as they are, know me quite well in person - I think that they would know who I am in costume based on how I move alone. And I'm simply not inclined to go fight the forces darkness in any event - that's for people like you. People like me see to it that the mess after the fight gets cleaned up properly so that there are less likely to be problems in the future. That's also important," she states more seriously.
Well over a decade ago, when she first discovered her power, did it occur to Nina that should could use it to fight crime of all different kinds? Yes, but only vaguely. But though she has a strong desire to do as much as she can for humanity, she didn't have to think about it for more than a moment before she concluded that her efforts were better spent elsewhere. There are, after all, other ills in the world besides crime and corruption, and though those things have far-reaching effects, so does the quality of healthcare available. And though someone else might say that she should have made a different choice about where to put her effort, she's never regretted her decision.
"You do whatever you have to do, and I'll deal with the consequences," she states confidently, "I trust that you're able to weigh the pros and cons, whether it's whether or not it's acceptable for actually beneficial research to get caught in the crossfire or how many clues your actions end up giving Lex about the content of our conversation today. If you say that it's worth it, I'll believe you. Just do me a favor and try to live up to that level of trust."
It isn't until she's saying these things that she realizes something: She's not really afraid of Lex. But not in an arrogant way of believing herself to be untouchable - no, but she feels that she could manage to cope with the degree and manner in which he would choose to be upset with her if he did decide that he's upset with her. Metaphorically speaking, he wouldn't shoot her with his big guns and his little guns would at worst be a hassle, not devastating.
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Last Edit: Aug 26, 2016 3:24:07 GMT -5 by Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2016 3:22:42 GMT -5
"We all have a role to play in society it's true, a respective manner in which we can either do good or evil. We have to work with what we've got. I had a natural knack for investigation, my power was to see connections between facts that no one else could and I used that gift through the medium of the Question." As he mentions himself he raised a palm to his featureless face, alluding to the mask that he wore and the symbol of anonymity that it offered him. "Believe it or not I'm not always breaking into peoples houses in a trench coat and fedora, that's weekend stuff. But the mask allows me to be more than just anyone, I like to think that it has a metaphorical message to it too."
Traffic began to move again as Vic moved the vehicle up the gears, sliding the stick into a higher position as the revs continued to grow in size. With the pulling on a lever the rear indicator flashed on and the Question turned his car off of the main stretch of road, down an adjoining avenue before turning the car around and heading back towards their original start point. He wondered whether by this point the Luthor monitor that Nina had watching over her had reported her asset had gone rogue with a masked figure. If she did report Dr. Stenet's runaway conversation, no doubt a number of eyebrows would be raised back at Lexcorp and questions would follow. Unless she decided that her reputation was more important so she'd decide to keep this one quiet from the powers that be.
"My next step will be trying to gain access to the lab, you can help with me that or I can manage it alone." Security would be tight, world renowned for its nigh impossible level of protection. "If I can see the operation up close, I'll try and work out how to destroy the cure to death." Until now he had hardly considered the moral implications of what he was going to do, the destruction of man's opportunity to become Gods. But as ever the pragmatist he judged that in the long run Humanity would suffer stagnation and overpopulation. Within quarter of an hour they had reached the courtyard that they had originally spoken in, albeit it was now far less puddle ridden than before as the sun continued to claw its way out through the grey sky above. "If this vigilante thing doesn't work out I'd make a great taxi driver."
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