<div class="floatleft">(http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5499ff2ce4b0b85c868a2158/t/556fb05ae4b01eeb36c217a6/1433383003661/)</div><hr/><strong>Name:</strong>Arthur Curry/Orin (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=239229.msg11802466#msg11802466)<br/><strong>Affiliation:</strong>The Atlantean Empire.<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Saturday the 17th of October 2015, 21:40<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Gotham Clock Tower, Central Gotham<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>M'gann.<br/><strong>Theme Music:</strong>Starvation - Thomas Bergersen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnGaCAHhGfo)<br/><br/><hr/><hr/><strong>Summary:</strong>Orin shifts his position on the rooftops to a flat-roofed residential looking building nearby, and awaits M'gann's arrival. Once she gets there, he gives her an equally big hug in return and gently attempts to reassure and soothe her.<br/><hr/><hr/><br/>Despite the brief spike of fear and panic he felt come from her as sharply as if he himself had been stricken with the emotion and the momentary surge of protective aggression that he felt on her behalf, it was gone as quickly as it arrived, and he didn't worry about it overly much; he had learned over the course of getting to know her back in Atlantis and here in Gotham that that brief, unexplained panic was usually a case of bad remembrance. She was still haunted by several horrific experiences in her life - primarily her captivity in those abominations that Lexcorp had decided to call "Labs," and the day J'onn had died in her arms, something that he was forever ashamed that he could not have helped her avoid or get through emotionally - and she frequently relived them ever so briefly before she was able to crush them back down into the recesses of her mind. His surge of aggressive protectiveness was therefore merely a reflex at that point, a reaction resultant of feeling such a powerful spike of negative emotions beamed directly into his brain as his mind readied itself for battle to protect both itself and M'gann...but he knew that her struggle with her internal demons was one that he couldn't fight for her, or even lend his strength to; he could offer support and he could talk with her and listen to her and even give her a gentle hug if she needed it, but in the end, it was a war that she had to fight on her own. The fact that he couldn't help her in any direct way weighed heavily on his mind - though it was stupid, he still felt guilty for not being able to support the Justice League as he had promised, and her own stab of pain and fear is answered by a momentary wash of guilt back towards her side of the connection, though he manages to shut off the flow quickly - but he, too, banished such thoughts even as she drew near, their mental connection growing stronger and more pronounced as she approached.<br/><br/>He couldn't see her, though he could tell which direction she was coming from and how close she was roughly speaking, so she was likely phasing through the wall of the clocktower in order to come and meet him; it was sensible, given that she apparently couldn't remember how she got in, though it did highlight a problem with having a secret hideout that you took people to to get healed; if they ended up being untrustworthy, you never knew what they were capable of. If M'gann wanted to, she could phase<em>Orin</em>through the floor, and then the whole place would be his to do as he saw fit...the fact that M'gann was in there suggested that the internal security wasn't as heavy as the external security since if an unknown biological entity was present in<em>his</em>secret lair, his security would have orders to contain and - if necessary - terminate the intruder. Extreme, perhaps, but if he had a lair it would be the last place he'd want to have compromised. If nothing else, if they got free, they would tell every other villain where it was and he'd have to move shop, and quickly. And that wasn't attractive to him. But, the point was moot; M'gann would likely never mean the woman who quite possibly saved her life any harm whatsoever, and Orin was certainly not about to divulge the location of her secret base. He owed her for getting M'gann to safety, and he wouldn't ever repay that with betrayal. Still, Orin elects not to respond to the telepathic broadcast; she'd be there soon anyway, and he needed to get into a position to greet her properly. Turning slightly, he sprung from the outcropping that he was perched on and onto a nearby roof, bending his knees as he landed on the flat, walled enclosure of the building. It was apparently a popular smoking area for the residents of the area, judging by the trampled cigarette butts and the well-worn door positioned in the centre of the wide open space. He could see why - you could see the stretching skyline of Gotham in all directions from that spot - but he sincerely hoped that nobody decided to go up there that night...he didn't need any smokers interrupting some long overdue Uncle/Niece time.<br/><br/>Speaking of Uncle and Niece time, he felt her presence rapidly approach a moment before he felt something<em>else</em>rapidly approach, and turned just in time to avoid being taken out from the side by her rapidly approaching, invisible form. Of course, she wasn't invisible for much longer; a fraction of a moment before she would have passed straight through him she shimmered and became solid once more, crunching into his torso and wrapping her arms around him tightly. She squeezed with a strength that would have probably ended up killing a normal human - but which he was thankfully able to withstand, though the force of it did make him blink a little in surprise - and he responded with a hug almost as tight, his arms wrapping around her body firmly as she buried her face into his chest. He leaned back a little, hoisting her off of her feet for a moment before setting her back down...but he didn't let her go, keeping a decidedly tight, protective grip around her back and waist. He could feel the relief and happiness and gratitude and all the other confusing flurry of conflicting and complimentary emotions cycling through her, and he could feel the slight dampness on his chest that probably came from her eyes and the odd consistency that usually accompanied such types of water - Lord of Atlantis, remember? He could tell the difference between different types of waters instinctively - and all he could do was hold her tighter. His hands stroked her back gently, in an attempt to calm her, as his slowly and deliberately did his best to send a steady, pulsing stream of reassuring calmness through their telepathic bond. He kissed her hair paternally, and gently patted her shoulder.<br/><br/>"It's good to see you too, M'gann...I'm glad to see that you're safe after what happened at the bank this afternoon. When I felt you lose consciousness and fade into the distance, I almost abandoned the fight against Ivy right then and there. It appears that that would have been the wrong choice to make." He smiled a little. "Come now...dry those tears, Little One. You know that I have faced worse than Ivy in battle and lived to tell about it. You'll be stuck with me for a while yet, I'm afraid." He didn't know whether the relief was to do with Ivy or not, but...well, it couldn't hurt to reassure her on that note, now could it? Even though an Atlantean lifespan was indeed longer than a humans, it was still far shorter than a Martians...and he meant to make sure that she lived through all of her allotted time. And to do that? He'd need to be around for a long time, too. "You're ok, and I'm ok. That's all that matters at this moment, ok?" He smiled again. Despite the tough front she put up, his little M'gann was far more delicate than she appeared...and it was his privilege and honour to be able to help her stay stable and grounded. Everybody needed somebody to just give them a hug when they needed it, and Orin was proud to be at least one of those people for M'gann. Nobody should have to face sorrow alone, and now that he was in Gotham, she'd never have to do it again, no matter what. He only regretted not being able to be there for her sooner.