[video]

[takeittothemax]

Quick question. Any newbies in the audience happen to be telepaths? Or oldbies, I'm not really picky.

[It looks like he's about to swallow a lemon here.]

Name's Max Lord, and I could use a favor.

[And now, an additional, bigger lemon.]

I'd really owe you one.

[He spins a bit in his spinny chair, pondering. Less lemony looking, anyway.]

One of something, anyway. To be determined later.

Comments

video;

[superieure]

[She's glaring, but the lemon-look he's got is softening some of it. If he's in trouble and needs a telepath, well. She needs something to do.]

What kind of favour?

Re: video;

[takeittothemax]

Name it. Except I don't work with children or animals.

[A pause, considering.]

Depending on how you define children, anyway.

video;

[superieure]

Nothing, at the moment, but be certain I'll call it in.

[If nothing, she could use a gopher.]

Why do you require a telepath?

Re: video;

[takeittothemax]

I'd tell you to hash it out with my secretary, but I'm fresh out.

Long story. [A bit distant looking, there.] If you know how to turn these things private, I'll spill the short version.

55% encrypted

[superieure]

[She fiddles with the console and raises the default encryption as much as she can, at the moment.]

Speak freely.

[takeittothemax]

I've got a whole heap of bad karma incoming, and I need to know if I'm already halfway there to deserving it. I figure I'm probably at about ten percent, tops, but, well, I could be wrong.

[superieure]

[Eyebrow raise.]

That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[well, ok, maybe somewhere on a list of the top twenty, somewhere.]

Unless you happen to be an insurance salesman, in which case, I'm terribly sorry, I can't help you.

[takeittothemax]

What, you've never been mindwhammied into evilness before?

[superieure]

[She sits up, and glares. Cortex is a fresh memory, for her, and the wounds sting, that she was turned against her friends so easily.]

In which case you need to learn how to block it, not a scan to test your capacity for wickedness, or whatever.

[takeittothemax]

[Yeah, well, join the club. And, hey, at least you didn't kill one of them. Right?]

Wait, you can block it? [blurted out.] Sorry. Had a bit of difficulty with that one in the past. Twice. [Depends on if you count the nineties.]

[superieure]

[The nineties count over at that Other Comics Company, Max.]

To an extent.

[Useless against someone like her, but, details.]

[takeittothemax]

Extent's better than nothing.

[superieure]

That'll cost you more than a simple scan would.

[But she's up for it as long as she gets something out of this.]

[takeittothemax]

The way things are around here? Could come in handy. Sure, sign me up.

[superieure]

Very well. When would you like to start?

[takeittothemax]

What's your schedule look like?

[superieure]

I'll check with my secretary.

[Is she joking? You never know...]

video; private

[escarabajo]

Max?

[His lips are curved into a tight, concerned frown.]

Are you sure about this?

Re: video; private

[takeittothemax]

[Nod.]

If I'm going darkside, I oughta know. Besides, it worked out well enough last time.

[escarabajo]

Come on. It's not necessarily going to tell you anything; for all you know, nothing weird or mind controlly happened and--

[...you just snapped out of the blue one day? Okay, that's terrible to say. Jaime cuts himself off.]

This won't guarantee anything. No matter what it tells you. I'm not telling you not to do it, but you can't let whatever you find out dictate what comes next for you.

[takeittothemax]

It's not like those other two options are any better, either.

[Shrug.]

And I can't exactly do anything about it from here, but....

[Where are those moping drapes when he needs them.]

Well, what would you do?

[escarabajo]

[Jaime hums thoughtfully.]

I dunno.

But I do know that, no matter what you find out, that doesn't change the fact that you can still choose whether you want it to change you or not.

[takeittothemax]

Hm.

Could always spruce up the Christmas list a bit....

[escarabajo]

Don't ask Santa for any evil satellites. Please.

Text; anon

[backinakidflash]

Do you know how hard I am facepalming here? Y/N: __

text; anon

[escarabajo]

Really, dude?

text; anon

[backinakidflash]

Really, dude. If changing the future were that easy, we'd all do it.

[takeittothemax]

They'd be pretty difficult to giftwrap, anyway.

[escarabajo]

Even more difficult when it's sending out evil robo-drones to kill all metas.

sorry for the delay

[takeittothemax]

You know, I don't think Evil Robo-Me really thought that one through. Or much of anything, really.

text; anonymous location

[backinakidflash]

Why do you need a telepath?

[takeittothemax]

You know when you wake up with a hangover, and have absolutely no idea what you did last night?

Reverse that. Also, don't drink.

text; anonymous location

[backinakidflash]

You're a regular MADD advertisement.

[takeittothemax]

Consider it a public service announcement.

text; anonymous location

[backinakidflash]

Max Lord.

Saving the world for himself.

One pea-brained idea at a time.

[takeittothemax]

I'd think they were more broccoli sized....

[magicalpadawan]

Depends. What do you need?