ex_engineers208: (Default)
ᴍᴀᴅɪsᴏɴ ᴊᴇғғʀɪᴇs. ( box ) ([personal profile] ex_engineers208) wrote in [community profile] capeandcowl2013-01-30 02:23 pm

eight □ video. joint.

[ The video opens on a sub-basement laboratory of the Xavier Institute. There stands who else but...Sydney Greenstreet? He gives the audience a small, knowing smile as he stands there in his rotundity in a black suit, holding a cigar. ]

Mm hmm hmm. I distrust a man whose trust for other men is determined more by his trusts than his distrusts. There is no trust without discretion, and in that scrutiny we develop the distrusts that determine our interactions with the world at large. I do like a man who tells you upfront that he distrusts you, saves the time of founding a trust that only disguises the true distrust present.

[ Once he's done he gives his audience a very stern look that holds for all of five seconds before it starts to crack, erupting into a hearty laugh. When he continues, his voice is different, now a rich, purring baritone that may sound familiar. ]

I'd like to present to you the X-Club's latest invention, a new take on an old classic... [ He fusses with something on his wrist, and his black suit turns with with a small red fez on his head that's more Casablanca than Maltese Falcon, until finally the illusion dissipates to reveal the slightly hunched form of Hank McCoy. ] ...the image inducer!

[ Hank straightens himself to his proper height, and the camera pans out to accommodate, now including Madison Jeffries in the picture to his left. ] This baby brings back memories. It works by projecting a hologram over its wearer, allowing them to appear however they like, and voice modulation to complete the disguise. Back in the day, those of us whose mutations were more visibly apparent used to use these to facilitate our free movement through society. These days, it doesn't really come up as often.

[ Madison cuts in, fiddling with something behind his back -- his hair looking a little off, pulled away from his face. ]

We still reckon it’s a highly utilitarian tool that might come in handy for imPortkind, if we iron out the kinks. Uh. We got a handful of secondary and tertiary projects bein’ worked on; most a’ them are distraction-like. "Distraction-like" only in that we have other primary projects, but they all have their applications. No matter how seemingly frivolous.

Actually! [ Hank nudges Madison with his elbow with an excited grin. ] Why don't we show them that other one we finished yesterday?

Aaah. [ For a second, Madison looks rather uncomfortable -- mortified, mostly. ] We don’t gotta show them everythin’. [ Hank spreads his arms, his smile growing wider. ] Ohhh, none of that now! There's no need to be shy.

[ Madison throws him a mildly despairing look, then reaches behind his head to pull off what appears to be a rubber band; his hair falling down in a rather luxurious, white-streaked wave. Hank beams. ]

He’s buyin’ me a haircut later. Entirely worth it. [ Madison sighs, blowing a loose strand away from his face. Vaguely, with a wave: ] It’s a, uh. Hair thing. T’sall. Enzymatic overdrive a’ follicular cells, yadda yadda. Whatever. Guaranteed to give you hair like Ka-Zar overnight! [ Hank says it with a wink. ]

Anyhoo, we’re on the tail end a’ publishin’ the results a’ the headline project, but if y’wanna donate a hint a’ tissue for the sciences... it’d be much obliged, yeah? There were some concerns last time it came up that I wasn't... [ In the mood to deal with. ] ...available to answer, that we'd like to be more upfront with now. What we're looking for for is proof of physiological connections between imPorts that are absent in the native populace, so obviously we'll need a reasonably sized sampling pool of imPort volunteers.

So, y’know, with that lil’ hint a’ clarity -- please? We got cash, alright?

[ They both give big, slightly desperate smiles for the camera before the feed cuts. ]

red is madison, blue is hank
incywincyhero: (spidey: snowy head)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-22 10:51 pm (UTC)(link)
... It's a little more complicated than just that.
incywincyhero: (spidey: a-janglin')

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-22 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, think about it. Who do you know who lives in the City right now and would have a vested interested in knowing who I am?
professorlionface: (Um.)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-02-22 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, fair point, but...not everyone is the Green Goblin, either.
incywincyhero: (spidey: arms crossed)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-22 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
One of him's enough.

[Plus there's also Electro ... though ol' Maxie hardly scales in comparison.]
professorlionface: (Let me ask you...)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-02-23 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
Granted, though I have to wonder what that says about the rest of us.
incywincyhero: (spidey: closeup)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-23 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
Huh? I don't quite follow.
professorlionface: (Let's consider this.)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-02-23 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
You wear a mask to hide from one man, and I guess your average mugger, but that's beside the point. Where do the rest of us fit in with that?

I mean, the two of us are teammates, aren't we? I know I certainly have no reason to blab your secrets to him.
incywincyhero: (spidey: it's tingling more than ever now)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-23 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
Beast -- Hank. It's -- it's not that I don't trust you. But you're an X-Man, I mean, you get things like -- well, like mind reading, mind control, good old-fashioned surveillance... torture.
professorlionface: (Intense concentration.)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-02-23 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
[He's a bit tight-lipped at the last point. Does Spidey know about that? It would be odd to be so hesitant to say it while discussing Osborn otherwise. Maybe it isn't about him at all, it could be something more personal to the Webhead, of course. Stop being so paranoid, Hank.]

Mind reading means I've worked with some of the most powerful psychics in the multiverse. I'm not without training there.
incywincyhero: (spidey: angst is his reward)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-23 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's certainly not just about Hank, though it's remembering the things Hank told Peter Parker in confidence that's making Spider-Man mentally squirm with guilt. He feels as though he's broken a confidence just by being the same person.]

Okay, maybe. But you definitely can't train away a genetic sample.
professorlionface: (pic#3702039)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-02-23 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
That much I can understand. Having tissue on file under the name "Spider-Man" is probably just asking for trouble.
incywincyhero: (peter: decisions)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-02-24 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
Sorry I can't help with your research. The other stuff, we should -- uh, maybe we should talk about it another time. [And not in public.]
professorlionface: (What was I thinking?)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-02-24 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Mm, in your time, I imagine.
incywincyhero: (spidey: snowy head)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-03-01 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I -- [Repeating himself, helplessly:] It's really not that I don't trust you.

... I'm sorry. We really should talk about this later. I mean it, Hank.
professorlionface: (I'll explain this slowly.)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-03-02 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
It's fine. [Even though he's probably the only one on the team who doesn't know. He isn't bothered, nope, not at all.] But it's your personal matter, so it isn't really something I can expect you to change until you're ready.
incywincyhero: (peter: decisions)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-03-02 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not that I'm not -- I mean, I already tried to -- [He sputters out.

A few moments later, he switches to private and continues, quietly:]
Look, I don't want you to think I'm trying to fob you off. Name a time and a place.
professorlionface: (I'll take your word for it.)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-03-03 08:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Sure, maybe that'll get him what he wants, but something about it doesn't feel right.]

Honestly, Spidey, I think those are two things you should be deciding for yourself. If you feel your hand is forced, that's only going to start this off on the wrong foot.

Get yourself in the right state of mind, give it some thought. And then, when you think you have, give me a call. That's your time. We'll work out a place then.
incywincyhero: (peter: blinds)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-03-03 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
You're not forcing me -- [He realizes how petulant he's sounding, and stops. Yes, he does feel like he's been backed into a corner, but he has only his own poor decisions to blame for that. Since he clearly can't explain to Hank right now, maybe it would be better to take some cool off time.]

But maybe you're right that I need to not make promises I can't follow through.

I'll call you.
professorlionface: (What was I thinking?)

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[personal profile] professorlionface 2013-03-04 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
Take care of yourself, alright? I'll talk to you then.
incywincyhero: (spidey: empty hallways)

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[personal profile] incywincyhero 2013-03-04 11:36 pm (UTC)(link)
See you soon.