Five more

[evillurks]

This batch from Crumrin:

Guns are a tool, and a useful one. I try to make myself familiar with a number of weapons. I've trained in several forms of hand to hand fighting, I can make use of a knife, and I'm good with a rapier. Nothing seems to quite beat a gun for versatility though. I carry at least two M1911 automatic pistols, which take .45 rounds, although I've been thinking of upgrading. The aim isn't too bad for a handgun, and they're heavy enough to use as a club in close combat. If I'm expecting a lot of heavy gunfire I carry four, to save reloading time. I'm comfortable with a wide array of guns, but smaller caliber weapons aren't reliable if you need to shoot open a lock or use it as a bludgeoning instrument, and a longer barreled gun would be more accurate but too bulky to carry.

Blue is my favorite color, don't let the scarf fool you. I keep a blue light in the Sanctum. It's very calming, but blue light also has a recorded psychological effect of keeping you alert when you're tired.
That my eyes are blue is coincidence.

Being tall is a liability. It's good for intimidation, but bad for disguise. I would be glad to be a little shorter.

My laugh is a psychological intimidation tool, a form of meditative focus and release, and a useful trademark that leaves no incriminating evidence to be traced back to me. I know it's theatrical, along with the costume, but that seems to work well on the criminal mind. I also often combine the laugh with voice projection in order to misdirect people, because it's to my advantage when they waste bullets shooting an empty corner.

The mind is the seat of all human power. It can, with training and focus, overcome many of the limitations of the body. There are no limits to its growth, no restrictions if you do not choose to accept them. I may be biased because I am of well above average intelligence, but no level of knowledge is a set matter, and people of any intelligence are capable of continuing to learn and grow and push themselves throughout their lives. Of all tools in detecting and fighting crime, my mind is the most important among them.

Edit: Another five from Reldon.
Silver is the metal for my rings, more or less the color of my guns, a colder darker night-associated sort of metal. I'm not quite sure why you picked this one. I do like silver over gold.

Lead(the element) is dull, heavy, dark, dangerous in large quantities. The first two don't apply to me, but the latter two might. It's what bullets are generally made from, of course, so it's something I deal with in high quantities, at a rapid pace.

What about my hat? It's a little more distinctive than the usual fedora, but I have to warn you both types of haberdashery will go out of style. It's more distinctive in my time, because many men go bare-headed now. And when they don't, what they do wear on their heads is a little cringe-inspiring, but I may be getting old-fashioned.

I love flight. You've probably noticed. The autogiro's been updated from whatever you know but I have one still, and a small airplane that's considered out of date. You're going to be very impressed with the innovations in aviation to come, they just keep building them bigger and faster, especially faster. Airplanes will eventually become so common they lose their glamour for most people, which is a shame, but there's still a lot to be said for the joy of flying, of being in control alone up in the sky.
I don't fly as much as I used to, because it's usually something done out of necessity on the job, but when I was retired for a few years I did a lot of it just for fun. That just may have been the only part of retirement I enjoyed.

I'm no stranger to escape, from both sides. I don't like it when criminals escape me, but it happens. The tables are always turning and I've made plenty of escapes of my own. I don't mean to sound masochistic but there is something thrilling about the challenge of it, the necessity of focusing on a puzzle when finding a way out of it is the key to your own survival. I'll admit I like the adrenaline. There are times I can't get out without injury, and then I pay for it later, but still. I'm not pleased when people escape me, but it's inevitable and I'm used to it, and as long as I catch them in the end it's all part of another day's work.

Comments

[courtneycrumrin.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine tried to teach me about guns, but all that really stuck was where the weak points are. I suppose little girls shouldn't play with firearms, anyway.

Blue is my favorite, too.

Ha. Try being short and scrawny instead.

Your laugh is downright creepy. I can see where it would work on more than just the criminal mind. But it's interesting as a form of focus.

Hmm. Where does that leave magic? Do you believe it's a type of mental power, then, or something more?

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Little girls shouldn't. The larger the caliber, the harder the recoil is. I wouldn't trust you to fire a .45 because you might hit yourself in the head with it after the shot was fired.

I hear it's an overly popular colour.

I used to be tall and scrawny. I suppose I still am.

Thank you.

Let me get back to you about that after I've had the chance to try it myself. It's probably a mix. Effort of will seems to be a strong factor.

[courtneycrumrin.livejournal.com]

I'm stronger than I look. I might handle the recoil better than that. Maybe not by much, though.

I'll look forward to the results of your research.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Maybe, maybe not. If you want to learn, I'd still say you should start with a small revolver.

When the current case is over. When I can get back to my reading. I don't exactly miss retirement, but I did like having the time to read and research.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

I was going to leave this idea untouched, but time has tempted me. I find myself very curious as to what words you would choose.

As with anything quid pro quo, I leave you with my own five for you: silver, lead (the element), hat, flight, escape.

((Edited for clarity.))

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Silver is the metal for my rings, more or less the color of my guns, a colder darker night-associated sort of metal. I'm not quite sure why you picked this one. I do like silver over gold.

Lead(the element) is dull, heavy, dark, dangerous in large quantities. The first two don't apply to me, but the latter two might. It's what bullets are generally made from, of course, so it's something I deal with in high quantities, at a rapid pace.

What about my hat? It's a little more distinctive than the usual fedora, but I have to warn you both types of haberdashery will go out of style. It's more distinctive in my time, because many men go bare-headed now. And when they don't, what they do wear on their heads is a little cringe-inspiring, but I may be getting old-fashioned.

I love flight. You've probably noticed. The autogiro's been updated from whatever you know but I have one still, and a small airplane that's considered out of date. You're going to be very impressed with the innovations in aviation to come, they just keep building them bigger and faster, especially faster. Airplanes will eventually become so common they lose their glamour for most people, which is a shame, but there's still a lot to be said for the joy of flying, of being in control alone up in the sky.
I don't fly as much as I used to, because it's usually something done out of necessity on the job, but when I was retired for a few years I did a lot of it just for fun. That just may have been the only part of retirement I enjoyed.

I'm no stranger to escape, from both sides. I don't like it when criminals escape me, but it happens. The tables are always turning and I've made plenty of escapes of my own. I don't mean to sound masochistic but there is something thrilling about the challenge of it, the necessity of focusing on a puzzle when finding a way out of it is the key to your own survival. I'll admit I like the adrenaline. There are times I can't get out without injury, and then I pay for it later, but still. I'm not pleased when people escape me, but it's inevitable and I'm used to it, and as long as I catch them in the end it's all part of another day's work.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

I chose silver since "guns" had already been taken, and it reminds me of many facets of your person. The planes, your guns, your rings, among other things. It seemed appropriate.

Your hat is as much a part of your image as your scarf is, really. Without it, your profile seems...more human, for the lack of a better description. There's something about it, simple or not, that just completes the menace of your appearance, honestly. I happen to think rather highly of the fashion of a fedora, it's a bit disheartening to hear that later generations seem to loose that measure of class in their attire.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed some part of your (however brief) retirement. It would have been a shame to hear that it was a rather boring experience.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

I like silver, as a color, I just wasn't sure what to say about it.

Are you saying I look inhuman? Yes, it is a part of the image, and I admit my costume is theatrical, because that works.

You don't want to know the depths to which class has sunk, my dear. You truly don't. I waver between worrying I'm just being old-fashioned in my standards, and raving against the degredation of society.

I kept busy. I read, learned, traveled, flew. It still wasn't enough, somehow, and I found myself trying to do more and more... activities, because being retired made me constantly restless. Everywhere I went I saw things I itched to get my way into and puzzle out, until I started worrying I was paranoid. I need what I do, just as much or more than the city needs me. I'm aware of that.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

The image is inhuman, and it terrifies people. It works on very simple principles that are seated deep in the human psyche. I respect the level of fear and power even your silhouette can invoke in people. There are times I used to wish Ming Dwan could do the same, but after our more recent discoveries, I'm very content to let her remain as she is.

Oh dear. Well, I imagine as I get older I will share a similar opinion. I rather like the current dress, and if things are as bad as you say, I'll be right there with you complaining about the lack of taste in clothing.

To be honest, I'm not very fond of the idea of retirement myself. To me, it means I've reached an age where I can't do what I want to, or what I used to. I'll relegate myself to a secretarial position in the Bureau and at least keep my finger on the pulse of things typing up reports before I consider curling up in a rocking chair with my afghan. At least your retirement was well spent it sounds.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

You have to be willing and ready to let people see you as inhuman, and all that entails. I don't think you have the psychological bent for it that I do, and I don't mean that as an insult.

I probably shouldn't have said anything.

Whatever reasons I had for retiring sound flimsy to me now. It was a bad idea. I had to fight to put things back together, after, although I've done it well and moved on now. I'll keep on doing this until it kills me, and I'm beginning to think that's a long way off.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

No insult taken at all. I recognize now, that I just don't have the mindset to be that kind of Ming. Personally I would chalk it up to being 'too nice'.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Hm. Remind me later to dig up the psychological tests they ran when they evaluated you for hiring...

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

In my world, I was a confident, 20 year-old with a superiority complex and a flawless linguistics score. My results probably read something along the lines of "crazy enough for the job".

In all seriousness, I never was allowed to see the results, but if you ever get the chance, you've certainly piqued my interest.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Oh, of course they never mean for you to see your own results. Although it does say something if you're bold enough to crack your way in to get a glimpse of them, especially if they don't find out you did until much later.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

My peers would always joke that only the ones who fail the evaluation are the ones who want to see their results. Megalomaniacs. Then again, none of them were of the indomitably curious female breed.

I would rather like to know what I need to improve. It's information on a part of me that's almost more revealing than a fingerprint. That it's documented, and I don't know what it says, has occasionally bothered me. All it takes is the wrong kind of person to find a way to expose me with that sort of paperwork in hand.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

You don't have to be a megalomaniac, just insatiably curious.

It is distressing, knowing such a record exists. The security on these things is very good, though, and partly depends on the person knowing precisely what they're looking for going in.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Curious. We certainly fit the bill, it seems.

If I could, I would lock up that DNA tag in my PINpoint with my psch. evaluation. I'd certainly feel a lot better about keeping it there than in my purse.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

no one likes the idea their secrets might not be as secret as they once thought. I'm afraid with an infinite number of other versions of us out there, and parallel worlds, there's just no way to suppress that information. You'd go mad trying.

More mad, anyway.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Control the damage that you can, the rest, you have to deal with. That sort of situation...

Been there before. Anyone in our line of work would say the same.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

True enough. I feel a lot like damage control, some days.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

It's an interesting game, and a little ego-feeding.

Clever, deceptive, foreign, surprising, young.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Clever – To hear this from the Shadow, I am very flattered. I admit it does take a bit of brain power to make it in the spy-business, as many people seem to thankfully understand nowadays. It took a bit to work my way into the bureau itself. Being a woman made it doubly difficult, but I didn’t let that stop me.

Deceptive – I should hope so! It is my job after all, to be someone I am not. Ironically in being someone I am not, I am also being myself. Ming Dwan may be an evil person, but at a superficial level of beauty she is the woman I always wanted to be as a young girl. To an extent, I enjoy the deception and I have put a lot of hard work into honing my skills here to make myself as much of a threat to my enemies as possible.

Foreign – Technically, I am. I am not American born, but my duty to my country is as strong as my family’s. They brought me up with traditional American values, in the culture of China. Knowing Chinese culture, some of that ends up contradicting the general school of thought, but they made it work. Chinese (Mandarin) is my first language, but I am fluent in American English, and I can speak Traditional almost as well as Mandarin. My knowledge of Traditional Chinese has proven very useful in my time serving Khan and also when I work with people from regions that still speak the dialect.

Surprising – I’m not exactly sure what is so particularly surprising about me, apart from the fact that I popped unexpectedly into the Nexus. I don’t throw a lot of curve balls at my allies, and my enemies, I guess they would be surprised if I gave them the chance to find out who caused their downfall.

Young – I’m not certain if I should be flattered or a little put off by this. I realize comparatively I am young to the Other Shadow, but so is his own double. My youth proved almost a handicap in my current mission, but it’s easy enough to get over. I enjoy being young, it lets me get away with things I know I won’t be able to later down the road

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

Western and Eastern ideas don't quite blend, and my thinking is probably an awkward mix. There are things I picked up in the Orient that the Western world could stand to learn, but then there are things that are too ingrained for me ever to run myself fully over to Eastern beliefs.

That you do what you do and are what you are is surprising.

Take your pick. I have no desire to meet your version of me. I don't think I'd get along with myself...

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

It's actually amusing, now that I think of it, that we appear to have the opposite situation. Myself, raised in China, trained in America, and you the opposite. (At least, that's what I've gathered.) I recognize you've trained all over the world, but it is merely something that tickles my fancy a bit.

Once everything is over, I'll probably ask for recommendations on how to explain the Nexus to my version of you. I have to tell him eventually.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

That's occurred to me before, yes. I have trained all over, but the philosophy in the Eastern regions is something that's stuck with me, in particular.

If you don't tell him, he may find out that you knew and didn't, and that could go badly for you. If you think I'm a kind man, then it's only because you've always stood on the right side of me. It may hurt his ego to learn about from you after you've come to terms with it, but he'll get over that.
All this is assuming he's a close parallel to my own younger self, of course, but that seems to be the case.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

The last thing that I can afford is needing his help at home and having to say "oh, by the way, there's this thing called the Nexus". It would be a serious breach of trust and could get so many people killed when it could have been prevented.

I'm just trying to figure out how to phrase everything. I realize it's not a matter of if he'll believe me, but rather, explaining it the best that I can. I don't want to bring him to the Nexus if I don't have to. My instinct keeps telling me to limit exposure to the Nexus. The less people coming and going, the less outside interference there will be.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

If you find you absolutely need me in some way to work this out, I'm willing, but consider it a last resort. You can mention me, of course, but I suspect he won't be any more eager to see me than I am to see him.
I do think that my contact with the Nexus is influencing my world, and I'm not happy about it, but I have a feeling the damage is done by now.

Does this mean you forsee a time you'll cut off your own access to the nexus?

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

At some point, I probably will try. Even now you mentioned possible issues caused by your connection to the nexus. I'm certainly not you, and I don't know if I could handle battling demons and monsters, alongside international threats as I get older. The last thing I want to have happen, is to die and leave the world unprotected because of me. I shouldn't shift the burden to someone else, and if I can prevent the situation, then I'll do whatever it takes.

However, if the Nexus keeps drawing me back involuntarily, and things keep happening here, then I'll have no choice in the matter.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

I've heard the Nexus has a way of drawing people back. I involve myself against my better judgement, but that's me. I guess I've got less to lose.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find the Nexus won't let me go. But I can try for a time at least. I mean, if you knew, back then, that your Myra was in contact with another dimension, you'd at least understand her attempts to close that doorway to reduce issues that it could cause, I would think.

Less to lose? I don't see how.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

I understand. If the demon that was summoned in my world was possible only because of the connection to the Nexus... well, I certainly wouldn't wish something like that on you. Either of you.

Nevermind.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

While my specialty certainly doesn't extend to the supernatural, I'd learn to adapt. I will learn to adapt.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

I had help, but as soon as i have the chance I intend to learn more so that if it happens again I can tackle it better prepared.
I'm not sure if the resources of the Nexus outweigh the impact it has on my world or not.






You haven't seen my world. I'm not sure I want you to, for several reasons.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

I guess you'll have to hope you don't need to find out. That would be the preferable situation, anyways, but the preferable never seems to happen...

And I can think of a number of reasons I wouldn't want to see your world. Dress code for one.

Joking aside, it's one thing to hop back in time, it's another to jump forward. I think I've seen enough in Khan's world, that I would like to return home and pretend I never saw it. Such a thing is a bit foolhardy, but at least I'll see things gradually instead of being dropped into the middle of them. The Nexus is shocking enough, your world could be what mine turns into, and I think that makes it more unsettling.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

I'd be grateful if I never had to run into anything like that again, yes.

I'm willing to bet that you've never worn jeans in your life.







Yes.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Jeans? No. I keep up with the times in terms of dress. Things are getting more comfortable at least. If what these kids are wearing in Khan's world are any indication though...I might actually find myself beginning to miss petticoats and berets.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

What they wear in Khan's world is along the lines of the same time in my world, yes, except... that my world has gone further. Jeans are the least of it. I don't mind women in jeans, really.
These things are easier to get used to when they change gradually over time, but there are limits.