Successes have many fathers, failures have none.

[exceedmyself]

WHO: Baron Zemo (exceedmyself) and OPEN
WHERE: East River Park Amphitheatre
WHEN: 6PM-onwards, of the 15th of Oct.
WARNINGS: Nothing awful :3
SUMMARY: Zemo is antsy without a team to lead in the City, and what better place to recruit than a place full of superpowered imports?
FORMAT: Para to begin, whatever people are comfy with after. Mingle and threadjack

Comments

[faithinhumans]

"What is?" Because Godric is good as hell at sneaking up on people for no reason. He's quite suddenly standing just a tad to Zemo's left, fingers folded behind his back, surveying the architecture as well. It's interesting; he rather likes the modern aesthetic, after all.

He is pleased that waiting until the sun had disappeared from the sky didn't made him late, if only because he liked to be polite, and he'd been so kindly invited.

[exceedmyself]

Zemo didn't twitch, but that was by virtue of a life full of similar surprises, glanced across at him. "Guten Abend, Godric. You've caught me talking to myself."

He leaned back, surveying the sky, and then, to Godric, "In your long life I'm sure you've seen much... Have you ever seen a dozen humanoids in bright spandex and lycra halloween costumes fighting to defend the safety and security of the defenseless against the machinations of the wastefully, pointlessly depraved?"

[faithinhumans]

Godric gives Zemo props for that. On the inside. On the outside, he nods politely in reciprocation for the greeting, looking for reals sincere. Okay maybe a little amused. "I apologize."

He raises an eyebrow shortly afterward, bemused by the phrasing. He's totally not going to be talked into spandex of any kind, though. "I cannot say I have."

[exceedmyself]

"No need." He waves a hand in casual dismissal, then turns his full attention to Godric, "I invited you here because I want to propose you join a team for the betterment of this City, and all the people in it. Indigenous and ImPorts alike."

A beat, "I'd offer a modest stipend, but I don't think money is of any interest to you. There are...other benefits."

[drmoonstone]

There was definitely something to be said about this new city and the circumstances around her arrival in it. She couldn't have asked for a better time to get pulled out of her world, away from the Raft, from Luke Cage and Songbird's precious little attempt to control a new set of Thunderbolts. She was completely free now, free from the Raft, free from Norman Osborn, and free from her own past. This was a fresh start, and even if she still couldn't escape the Thunderbolts, she could at least enjoy herself.

It had been pure coincidence that she had flown over the amphitheater and had seen a familiar face sock, but once she'd noticed there was no way that she was going to just ignore it. She landed out among the seats, sitting in the first row, looking far too amused for anybody's good.

"Any of who?" As if she really had to ask, but if Zemo was going to talk to himself, he could at least talk to her instead.

"I'd heard that you had shown up here."

[exceedmyself]

"Karla." Zemo sounded - albeit guarded - genuinely surprised to see her, "Keeping as informed as ever, I see... that Porter has a sense of humor, I'm sure. Are you in good health?"

He knew better than to try evasion of the question, answering smoothly, "This City's brimming with heroes. Lost, confused, in need of guidance. My favorite kind."

[drmoonstone]

"It's not very difficult with everyone sharing the same public network." She maintained her cool, pleasant tone that gave away nothing, though she was smart enough to know that she shouldn't be too careless with someone like Zemo, who was already on his guard.

"I'm better than ever, but I'm sure that you expected nothing less, and you seem to be the same old Zemo." She wasn't surprised that he was going to put together a new team, and honestly, she was more interested in his potential than the Osborn-influenced kill squad that the Thunderbolts she'd be leading in the field were. If only she wasn't a publicly known war criminal and Zemo didn't know her as well as he did.

"You're just the man to lead them on the good, moral path, right?"

[exceedmyself]

"No, I suppose not," Zemo murmured idly, hopping down from the stage and padding lightly over to her, "I have a great deal of faith in your ability to flourish even in the face of terrible adversity."

The contours of the fabric suggested a smile, "I can't think of anyone more qualified than me. Is anyone else from the original team here? Abner, perhaps..? Erik?" He kept his voice carefully neutral, though Karla's presence gave him hope. It was a big City, surely. "Or are you alone?"

[tothecloud]

What begins as a small moving speck in the sky soon appears to be a familiar young girl, weaving across the darkening sky on her signature cloud. Abby Boylen arrives on the scene. Her sneakers touch down on the ground just in front of the stage, vapors dissipating from under her feet as she takes a cautious glance around. The vastness of the amphitheatre makes her feel a little small.

She isn't even sure, really, what she's doing there. She doesn't feel particularly qualified-- not with being so freshly out of her training, and with powers ranked so low on the scale. But there's that part of her that misses working on a unit with other superhumans, with costumes and a fancy name, and at the very least, she can say that she was invited.

Tentatively, at length, Abby waggles her fingers hello as she wanders closer to the stage. "Er-- hi, Mr. Baron Zemo."

[exceedmyself]

He looks up and over his shoulder, then turns smoothly at the waist to watch, and by implication, admire her smooth descent. Whether by accident or design, this is an excellent demonstration of what she can do, and although flight's a fairly standard ability back home, there are ways to use it and ways to waste its potential.

"I'm glad you could make it, Abby." He greeted her, holding out a hand to shake, treating her--sort of like he'd treat the diplomats in the U.N., because it was easier than treating her like a young girl, "I hope it wasn't too much inconvenience. How are you?"

Anyone can threadjack if they want

[origamiguardian]

Maggie was intrigued by the opportunity. As far as she knew the contracts she took with the Birds of Prey were not exclusive, and she was interested in another source of a paycheck. Maybe she could afford clothes on top of books and sometimes food!

She entered the ampitheatre, putting away the book she had been reading along the way to look for Baron Zemo and sized up the other applicants as well.

:D

[exceedmyself]

He noticed her from afar, nodded his acknowledgment, but was somewhat surprised by her appearance - she looked very normal.

Then again, he figured, so did he. "Thank you for coming." He stepped down off the stage, approaching her, "Miss Mui, is it?"

Re: :D

[origamiguardian]

If only he knew she was wearing paper clothes over a light kevlar padded unitard.

"Yes. I'm Maggie," she nodded, regarding him with some curiosity. "Baron Zemo? Thank you for inviting me."

[exceedmyself]

"Of course. You're an imPort, like myself--you've been taken from home, and I wager you have some abilities that are useful." This was a cautious question. Who really knew what passed for use in these parts.

[exceedmyself]

When Zemo spots the man, he's at first arrested by the sheer presence of Thomas Blake, a presence that - egotistically - reminds him somewhat of his own. Someone who had acknowledged their flaws just long enough to annihilate them, like any other enemy.

"Mr. Blake? Good of you to come."

[exceedmyself]

"I won't bore you with every aspect of my history, Catman--can I call you that--? But I have experience in helping people find purpose. People like myself - like you - have the gift and the curse of superiority to most, whether physical or mental. That gives us a certain liberty from their society, but ...also a responsibility to them. We do our gifts a disservice if we don't use them well."