[hr] [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/8zfY3hBF/Untitled-design.png[/img][/center] [hr] [color=gray][center][h1][i][b] Friday 1:06pm SDN Breakroom[/b][/i][/h1] (( ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: [@SonnetNSunbeam]/Asteroid, [@Ezekial]/Ikret | ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: [@BigPapaBelial]/Hat Trick, [@FourtyTwo]/LG + James ))[/center][/color] The sound of Jet laughing immediately quieted ten different worries she hadn't even known she'd had. Of course that number jumped right back up again when he doubled over, hand going to his ribs in a gesture she was now very familiar with, but it was more worry about him than anything else. [quote][color=mediumpurple]"And here I was filling out paperwork for child- er- bear support. I wasn’t even expecting joint custody.”[/color][/quote] Alaine snickered softly at that, pain wincing through her side but not as much as if she'd let herself actually laugh. [color=gray][b]"Hey, a growing bear's going to need all the parenting he can get, I imagine."[/b][/color] He was leaning towards her. From the outside looking in, he wasn't that close... to Alaine, it felt like he was [i]very[/i] close. She went rather still, eyes wide behind her mask. [quote][color=mediumpurple]"Alaine- I won this for you.” His voice is steady- but quiet. Soft- but sure. "It reminded me of you. But now- he reminds me- of me?”[/color][/quote] Had she not been so distracted by the quiet way he was talking, she probably would've found it funny that he and Sophie had both seen stuffed bears and thought of her. Instead she was still just staring at him, brain stuttered to a halt as she mumbled a surprised, "...Oh." [quote][color=mediumpurple]"You’ll just have to give me the opportunity to win you another.”[/color][/quote] Jet leaned back then as Sophie -- Lightning Girl -- entered, and Alaine didn't reply; but the pink spreading across what was visible of her face probably spoke for her. There was screaming in the back of her head again -- but it wasn't the usual, language-less star-screams. This time it was just her, squealing and giggling mentally like a giddy kid. Hat Trick entered eventually, chatting with LG briefly and mentioned the Gala before groaning about the aches he still had from last week, which was way too relatable... Alaine forced herself to pay attention to Lightning Girl's response about the Gala, noting the dress code expectations and wondering how she was going to manage it. Sophie sounded eager, at least -- Alaine could see through that attempt at hiding excitement. It was probably a big deal for an important hero like her. She probably already had a nice outfit ready. Dang it, were there dress shops around that had, like, off-the-rack dresses? That was a thing, right? The only experience she could really draw any ideas from was when she'd gone wedding dress shopping with her sisters and mom and grandma, for Brook's wedding. But trying to figure out what she going to do was stressing her out again and she really didn't want to be stressed right then, so Alaine casually shifted a little in her seat, legs stretched out -- and let one boot lightly rest against Jet's. Just enough that it [i]could[/i] be unintentional. The sight of two big, angel-like wings being fit through the door eventually made her start thinking about something other than the man sat next to her, and Alaine blinked a couple of times as she processed what she was looking at. [quote][color=#40B4C4]"Sup."[/color] Punctuated suddenly by the 'pop' of the bubblegum she began to work on purely for dramatic purpose.[/quote] The bubblegum popping burst the brief air of statuesque, goddess-like presence the newcomer held, and Alaine's head tilted to the side subconsciously in curiosity. She remembered he Slack message then about a new hero -- Ikret, right? She was stunning. From the curves to the suit to the wings... she looked like she ought to be on a runway somewhere. Alaine was quiet for the moment as Jet spoke up, greeting the newcomer; he was joined by LG, who introduced her teammates enthusiastically. When she was noted, Blackstar sheepishly uncrossed her arms to lift one hand in a small but friendly wave. Finally speaking again when there was a pause in LG's introductions, she offered a light, [color=gray][b]"Howdy."[/b][/color] A little light conversation, then the dispatches started rolling in; James picked her for a welfare check and Blackstar stood, pausing briefly to tap Asteroid's shoulder with her gloved knuckles. [color=gray][b]"Seeya later, Louie,"[/b][/color] she hummed, grinning at him as she shortened one nickname into another without really even thinking about it. On her way to the balcony she gave Ikret a relaxed, two-fingered salute and a nod. [color=gray][b]"Hey, good luck on your first day."[/b][/color] She was no Lightning Girl, but she hoped her friendly tone came through. And with that she off, on to the dispatches for the day. [hr] [center][h2][color=gray][i][b]Orange 1:25pm[/b][/i][/color][/h2][/center] [center][color=gray](( ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: [@FourtyTwo]/James | ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: [none] ))[/color][/center] [quote][color=lightblue]"Okay, Blackstar, need you on a Search and Rescue mission. Somehow, some hiker has ended up being teleported into the San Gabriel Mountains, no idea how he got there, and he needs saving. Can you go look for him? Gonna patch you into Los Angeles SAR, they'll have more info on the situation. Head north towards the San Gabriel Mountains and standby for further info."[/color][/quote] After so many mild dispatches, a more serious one coming in through her earpiece immediately had Blackstar's attention. [color=gray][b]"On it,"[/b][/color] she replied to James, stepping off the rooftop she'd been idling on while waiting for another call. Soon James had patched her through to SAR, and she listened as the operator explained the situation. Random guy on the street one minute, in the middle of nowhere the next? [i]Wormhole[/i], Alaine thought to herself matter-of-factly. That should probably be a bigger issue. If it were her, she'd be asking the guy where exactly on the street he'd been and blocking the area off, just in case. She could see the mountains coming up; she'd been out that way before on her pre-work, early morning flights. She was pretty sure she'd gone streaking through the sky above them like a shooting star just last week, actually. [quote]"Blackstar, thank god you're on the line! Okay, we've narrowed it down to four grid co-ordinates from his phone call, but we can't still see him.....can you look around for him? If you find the guy, he's in an orange shirt, sounds like he's quite hurt because he fell into a tree....if you can pull him out, get him to hospital as soon as you can!"[/quote] [color=gray][b]"Alright..."[/b][/color] She thought for a minute. [color=gray][b]"Orange?"[/b][/color] "Yes, and in a tree." [color=gray][b]"Gotcha."[/b][/color] Blackstar let her flight path shift upwards as she approached the mountains, arcing high into the sky. She had good vision and she knew it -- she had a feeling that if she got high up enough to scan the whole grid area, she'd have a better chance of spotting the lost man than if she tried flying low. She curved over the mountains, turning midair to study the ground below. Orange wasn't a natural color, so she had hopes it'd be easy to spot. Of course, if he was sort of buried beneath a bunch of foliage or tangled up in a tree, that might make it difficult... She supposed she'd do an overall sweep first, then go in for a closer look if-- Oh. There he was. Alaine fumbled to a halt midair, registering the flash of orange she'd just seen far below. Twisting around, she dropped into a quick dive, pulling up before she smashed into the trees and righting herself so she could float down. [color=gray][b]"Hello?"[/b][/color] [color=orangered]"Here! Help!"[/color] Okay, yeah, that was him. Blackstar pushed a few broken limbs out of the way, bracing one boot against a thicker branch and leaning into the foliage to spot her displaced civilian; the orange shirt was a bit dirty and ripped, and he did look a little worse for wear -- but overall he seemed alright. [color=gray][b]"Alright, bud?"[/b][/color] Blackstar asked, extending a hand; he took it, wincing as he carefully edged towards her down the wide branch he'd managed to perch himself on. [color=orangered]"Y-Yeah, I think so... I mean, k-kind of... I think I might've broken my leg though, it hurts like hell..."[/color] Gripping his hand, Alaine shifted around, maneuvering amid the branches and glad for the lenses over her eyes as a small limb whacked her across the temple. Ignoring the lingering pain from the events of the past week, she lifted the man in a bridal carry, being very careful of the leg he thought was broken. [color=gray][b]"Okay, here -- let me get you to the ground and set that leg for you, yeah?"[/b][/color] The guy was more than willing to sacrifice a couple scraps of his already-ruined shirt, and it only took Blackstar a minute to find a couple of good sticks to brace on either side of his lower leg. Crude but efficient splint made, she gingerly picked up her passenger again and made a swift flight to the hospital the San Gabriel SAR operator directed her to. Emergency services were waiting when she touched down, setting the man on the stretcher they provided; she stepped back to let the nurses take over, but before she could turn to leave she heard him call out. [color=orangered]"Hey!"[/color] Blackstar paused, pivoting on a heel to look back. The man waved to her from the stretcher. [color=orangered]"I bet you hear it all the time, but thank you! Really, I've got kids--[/color] [i]Please! Please, I've got kids--[/i] Alaine blinked, ignoring the urge to make a motion like she was physically shaking something off. [color=orangered]"I was just on the way home... if I fell out of that damn tree, hell, I might not have made it back to them."[/color] The guy laughed faintly, letting out a breath of relief and calling, as the nurses began to wheel him away. [color=orangered]"So thanks! Keep up the good work!"[/color] Blackstar stared after him for a second before throwing on a quick smile and waving after him. [color=gray][b]"Ha -- yeah, no problem! Get better soon, yeah?"[/b][/color] She saw him throw her a thumbs up before he and the nurses disappeared into the hospital, and she stood there for a few seconds more before taking a deep breath and ignoring the burn in her ribs. Clearing her throat, she turned and pushed off the ground and into the sky again. [color=gray][b]"Alright, James, got it wrapped up and headed back to Claremont."[/b][/color] Judging by the time, that might just be her last dispatch of the day, she reasoned. After that was the real challenge -- [i]a social event[/i]. Yay.