TheMushroomLord
Ezekiel
Simple Unicycle
Damycles
Hitman
Eviledd1984
Yankee
Hound55
Noctis
Date/Time: November 11th, 2022. 6:10 PM.
Location(s): Redline PRT Headquarters
She could not believe this!
...Okay, that was a lie. She just couldn't believe something like this would happen on the first day! Everything had been all lined up, nice and smooth; gather them all together, do a bit of meet-n-greet, show them around their personal Headquarters (though Rachel still thought it was an odd choice to stick it underground), get them acquainted with some of the amenities, like the Garage, the Changing Rooms, and definitely the (now poorly named, thanks to a certain addition) Workshop, which....Well, she supposed was still going to happen, but not how she'd envisioned it. And last but not least, maybe get them some celebratory pizza for a day well done (unless Fukuda decided to throw them right into patrols or something....).
Doesn't that sound nice?
Well, it was all getting thrown out the damn window on the whims of the Think Tank. God, she hated her job sometimes. That was the foremost thought on her mind as she strode down the surprisingly well-lit staircase on her way down to The Wards, her light blonde hair kept in a short ponytail as the more unruly ends of her hair hung rebelliously to both sides of her head, refusing to be tucked away and kept in line like the rest. As she continued her descent, the light kept catching brief glimpses of the rest of her; the soft yellow eyes, the handful of freckles dotting her face, and the elegant suit she wore; in contrast to her superior, it was instantly recognizable that Rachel put far more effort into her appearance, to dramatic effect. In spite of her personality, at a first glance, you might even assume she was the more serious and put-together of the pair due to this.
The Vice Director's stride was even and calculated, having traveled down this stairwell quite often as of late, making last minute adjustments to the Wards HQ and ensuring the integrity of the structure, while Fukuda had to handle more vital tasks. Truth be told, she'd wished they had been given more time to liven the place up; the Lounge was scarce as could be, she knew, and could feel more homely, if nothing else. Though with the planned tours at some point, perhaps that would give the wrong impression....
Well, at the very least, this was good exercise. Speaking of, she needed to see about getting Atsushi outside a bit more often, even if it were just for the morning jogs again. Rachel was well aware he'd been doing overtime for weeks on end in preparation for this, and while she wasn't so different in that regard, she knew too well how he let stress pile up. Convincing him to take a break will be a monumental task, but she'd manage somehow....
Finally, she had made it to the end of the well. At first glance, it would appear to be a dead end, with nothing but a strange installation of sort off to the side. Of course, she knew better. She smiled. All the little fancy security measures were a fun new detail to play with in regards to The Wards HQ; Rachel would have to find time to chat with Lockdown about the nitty-gritty of it, she was admittedly curious. Sadly, even amongst Tinkers, that young lady was consistently busy...Oh well.
Placing her palm atop the steel pad, a brief scan crossed over it, giving her a funny little tingling sensation. Was it supposed to do that? Hm. Regardless, when the installation read 'Clear' in green text at the top, she relinquished her hand and stood at attendance, as abruptly, a wall panel nearby the sofa three of the Wards were lounging on folded in on itself, revealing the Vice Director in all her glory. Her....5'5 glory. Okay, so maybe she wasn't as imposing as some individuals, like Fukuda or Risen (now that guy is built...), but she had a presence all her own. One that was usually rather glowing, though at this moment there was a definite edge to it, to those who had grown familiar with her....Namely Fukuda himself, though Morgan might pick up on that vibe.
Smiling to the Wards, and giving a subtle wink to Morie, her eyes crossed paths with the Director's, and they locked....With Fukuda being the first to crumble, awkwardly breaking away from the stare. Rachel just sighed. She'd have time to yank his chain later, and besides, he wasn't the one really deserving of the ire growing inside her. Turning her attention back to the children, her smile returning after that exchange, she began to speak.
"Hello! Hopefully you all remember me from your interviews and tours of the PRT; I'm Rachel Elton, Vice Director of Redline's PRT. I also go by Fashionista when I'm doing some 'off-the-clock' work. Or when I feel like irritating a certain someone." She gives a brief giggle before composing herself once more, as off to the side, Fukuda rolled his eyes.
"You all can call me what you wish, though Rachel's fine! Sadly, due to some...Unforeseen circumstances, we're gonna need to move things along faster than we would have hoped." Another burning stare to the Director, who couldn't muster the courage to meet it once more. "...But enough about that! I'll fill you all in on what's what as we go, and I'll get to show you all your costumes! My favorite part!" She couldn't suppress a little squeak of joy at the thought; there was nothing she loved more than getting to show off her designs! Well, maybe there was....But they were already here. "Follow me!"
Making elegant strides, Rachel approached one of the doorways that littered the Lounge; heavy-set metal doors, built like they were meant for a bunker. A minor precaution, when involving Parahumans as dangerous as some of these kids could be, even if she didn't buy into that very much. It also had a similar installation to the panel she had entered from (which, as an aside, had already closed itself off once more, appearing by all remarks as a totally normal wall again), which she once again put her palm to. A few seconds later, with the brief hiss of pressure being relieved from the high-security doorway, she made her way into the room.
Large, well-made lockers complete with more peculiar scanners lined the walls of this room, the white tiling echoing quietly with each click of Fashionista's heels as she made her way in, getting to the end of the line where two more paths diverged, each marked off with a sign denoting male or female; the actual Changing Rooms, as they were. A brief peak in could tell they were of much the same make as this room, though they had steel benches for seating, and if the Wards looked hard enough, they could make out alcoves for showering as well.
"This is the locker room, with the changing rooms right behind us! Of course, this is where you'll be fetching your costumes, as well as where we'll be keeping those earbuds of yours when you're off-duty. They are PRT property, after all." A soft laugh escaped her, before an equally soft 'Oh!' escapes her. "Almost forgot, you'll all be needing these; personal cards to access your lockers. Apparently my suits still count as Tinkertech, so due to some laws they have to be securely contained for 'safety concerns'." She didn't make her feelings about the topic subtle, with the obvious air-quotes she used to punctuate those so-called 'safety concerns' and the slight venom she put into the start of that statement.
Still, her positive attitude returned quickly and freely, as Rachel personally went around the group to hand the cards off, a stark contrast to how casually and disconnected Fukuda had granted the Wards their earbuds. With that said and done, she returned to her spot near the end of the room, lightly motioning towards the locker, unable to conceal her eagerness at seeing the reactions. She thought she'd done a stellar job with what they'd asked, even if some of them had....Been less than interesting. She so badly wanted the kids to like the work; she'd put too much time and effort into them otherwise.
She even had to collaborate with Tech Wizard for some of them, for God's sake! He's not bad or anything, but trying to work with him is an absolute nightmare. So she could only hope they would appreciate her efforts. Oooh, and she really couldn't wait to see them actually try them on! Oh, she was sure they'd look great! Rachel was already beaming with expectations.
