...Would that something be "a chance for another dream sequence"?  ...Shit, can she actually - okay, she can take a nap in her transformed form, or more accurately, get her arrows back for napping purposes - she can in fact just immediately transform back even if she's dropped the shape immediately before.  Just the getting into a form seems to lock it.  Okay.  She can work with that.

...Blue arrow please do the thing.  Ain't no way she's getting to sleep otherwise, it's too damn bright in here.  ...She probably needs the sleep anyway.  And it's more comfy to be in this body than the other one.  So.  Experimental shenanigans, ho.  She hopes that that's her weird luck quota for the week met.

Stabbing herself with the blue arrow sends her straight to a deep, dreamless sleep with barely any time to register it. She is still in pink-butterfly-wing form when she wakes up at least six hours later.

Well, that's...  On the one hand it's weird that that worked so powerfully and immediately for her when it didn't on the other guy, on the next hand, it's annoying that she didn't seem to have any recallable dreams because of this, on the other other hand, yay, she can just stay like this kind of all the time probably.

...Kind of.  Probably.  Being locked into the transform like this doesn't...let her see much about anything else she's got.  Let alone that she can't find a button to actually shift between multiple transforms or anything.

She'd really rather not, but she does feel like she kind of has to detransform, again.

Dammit.

So.  What's actually in that new slot?  Now that she's presumably filled it.  ...She hopes it's something neat.

It feels... Bigger than the first one? Slightly stronger, slightly more powerful. It feels cool, dark, quiet.

Shy. Like an ambusher.

Does she try it?

...Hmm.  On the one hand, she definitely wants to.  On the other hand, it seems like this one might want more ability to test literally anything than she can do at home.

She'll shoot an email to Stella.

Is that offer of power testing still open, by the way?

This is an automated response system.

I understood that you are inquiring about Stella Sky's previous offer to help you learn about your powers. Yes, the offer of power testing is still open. I will query Stella Sky for a good time. What times work for you?

AutoResponder

I'd rather be available at her convenience, but I do normally tend to prefer to do things afternoons and evenings.  I've no particular schedule to adhere to, otherwise.

This is an automated response system.

I understand that you prefer 12:00 PM-8:00 PM. After reviewing schedules and availability, please approve the following itinerary:

1:15 PM - Pickup from any location in or near Baltimore

1:37 PM - Arrival at unspecified location.

1:37 PM 3:48 PM - Power Testing with Stella Sky

3:51 PM - Depart from unspecified location

4:06 PM - Dropoff at any location in or near Baltimore

AutoResponder

...Sure, that would work.

This is an automated response system.

I understood that you accepted the previous schedule. Great! Please tell me where you should be picked up from at 1:15 PM.

AutoResponder

If Ms. Sky's transportation is sufficient to navigate air traffic control, then BWI would make a reasonable location for pickup.

...That's some Oddly Specific Choice Of Times, she really can't help but notice.  Other than the 1:15 PM.  Like, sure, it would absolutely make sense for the times to be like that, but also, that gives a search radius, doesn't it?  If she just circumscribed a circle..  If it's right.  It's probably not right.  Or maybe it is.  ...1:37 - 1:15 = 22m, 4:06 - 3:51 = ...66 - 51  = NOT 22. Okay, so the times are just fucky because of...reasons.  Okay.  ...Actually, why did it even give specific travel period timings?  That seems like something it can't actually know.

Probability that the AI is sentient and/or sapient: dropping!  A thinking being would not perform such Markov-chain-esque itinerary nonsense.

This is an automated response system.

I understood that you wanted to be picked up from Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Ms. Sky prefers to perform pickups in unobtrusive locations away from commercial airports and other restricted airspace. The VTOL craft can land in most areas. Can you select a different location?

AutoResponder

I thought that might be the case.  ...Ironically, I don't believe I know of any such place in my usual travel radius.  ...Travel radius, I say, like it's not depending upon public transportation or, like, where I can get a taxi to for less than twenty bucks.

...I suppose there's always the option of me flying somewhere.  I'd just really rather not, because it's not like I can navigate worth a damn without fucking over compartmentalization more than I already have and will be.  No compass for doing it manually or anything.

...Maybe if I use offline Maps...  Or, I suppose, there's the Park and Ride that would provide some cover while not being literally BWI.  ...Though that still has airspace negotiation troubles overhead, if I recall correctly.

This is an automated response system.

I'm sorry, I did not understand your response. Should I forward this conversation chain to Ms. Sky to clear up my confusion?

I believe that may be advisable.

There's nothing for about ten minutes, then:

Cupid,

Looks like you ran into the bot's limits. Every time someone does I make it a little bit better, though.

I really just don't want to pick you up right at the airport. Isn't there a parking lot or field or something I can grab you from? Or you can just fly around for a while and I find you that way, like last night?

-SSky

I did mention there's a parking lot, yeah.  There's probably a lot of parking lots to pick from, if I actually think about it, some more commercial than others.  The Park and Ride I mentioned is kind of In BWI's Airspace still, since, like, the flights go right overhead - but it is there if that works better.  I'm admittedly kind of surprised you...have the option?  To do that, ngl.  I guess if you're doing something where you just never come within the FAA's jurisdiction, that'd do it...

 

Anyway.  Just...Tell me how far you need to be from the airport itself and I'll see if there's anything close to me?  I dunno.  I use BWI as a Schelling point of location-ness for myself pretty damn often, so, like, I don't have much ready in terms of Places that isn't like, right there, especially in terms of staying out of the way of planes and shit.

Not being able to actually STOP me in any meaningful way without causing a whole bunch of problems inspires a lot of creative interpretations. We can get into the philosophy of super powers and their proper interaction with the government later if you want, but it's better for everyone not to push the envelope. Five miles away should be fine. Or I could give up my lovely VTOLs and literally give you driving directions to a lower security telepresence type setup. We'd have to do that tomorrow though so I have time to ship power testing equipment there.

I do agree that the state of government was Unprepared For Sudden Superpowers, I just kind of think that it makes sense for the FAA to be one of the agencies our lot actually listens to, so we don't get splatted by planes.  Or become part of Edna Mode's "No capes!" slideshow.

Lemme just check the map real quick.

...The Park and Ride should work, it's more than five miles off of the airport proper.

Pickup at 1:15? Should be about a half hour flight to my place, which is secret as hell, and the same back.

We'll test the effect of all the arrows you want on laboratory rats, and I have a damper device that for most supers makes them act about like a human-size target would. I also have target dummies that try to register what powers would have done to thme, but those are a lot less reliable. Powers Are Weird (tm). I'll offer advice and whatever training we can fit in, too.

Sounds fine by me.  And yeah, powers are very weird.

See you later.

I am totally gonna insist on rewarding cooperation to take down a baddie, btw. 

It's how I get less altruistic types to do it, too.

Well, it's not like I can stop you, even if honestly like nine-tenths of me is just blinking at this idea in sheer bemusement because of course people should help other people and why on earth should I be rewarded for doing the barest minimum of that?  Like, I had power, I had responsibility, it was in my fucking backyard, (metaphorically), Q.E.D.  But, yeah, I get the optics of it.  ...One thing that I think could/would help a lot is, like...

If you're doing gravitics at all, I could absolutely use something to soup up the anemic carrying capacity I have with my flight so far?  I don't...have any particular reason to believe that it will increase with time, effort, practice, what have you, though I don't have a huge reason to dis-believe that, either.  Though like, there's bound to be another bajillion things your resources could be better used on.  Like taking that exact (magi)tech and going to space with it for science purposes.  I know you try to not get on the FAA's radar, ha, but surely NASA would love to have you?  Please tell me that they weren't such utter fools as to -

Well.  You built a presumably fully-functioning space shuttle in your garage.  Please tell me someone's actually making some use of it.

Oh I'm putting stuff into space all the time. I just don't advertise it much.

Talk more when you get to my lab? You might be able to imagine how busy I am.

Yeah.  I can only guess but my guess starts at 25/7.