The SUPER headquarters looked like a place someone would walk into to destroy a cursed ring. Or Pippa's view might just have been colored by her experiences. Either way, she had to brace herself and square her shoulders before she marched in through the doors. 

This time, they need you here. Own it.

Heels clicking (the full 6 inches, for extra power), Pippa Swan walked up to the front desk and asked for directions. Was she expected? Not really. It wasn't like they asked for a password or anything. But she had good reason to be here, and Haven's name carried just enough weight for her to be directed to the office of Sabine Sang. Just the person she wanted to see.

Wearing a powder blue suit with a pencil skirt, matching shoes, and her hair up in a bun, Pippa looked her most professional (bordering on flight attendant, but she did not want to spook the government agents with too much color). Her hands were hidden in elegant light blue gloves with a frill around her wrist. Before entering Sang's office, she paused again, taking a deep breath.

Lights. Sound. Curtain.
I'm going to Mary Peggins the sh*t out of this operation.

A small, gloved hand knocked on the office door.

"Miss Sang? I hope you have a moment for me."

Because you don't have a choice.

Sabine was willing to bet Sveta did this on purpose if she knew the whole story. The only thing saving that pain in the ass was the genuine belief that she had no clue who Pippa Swan was on her side of the Rift. Still, it would be like her to do what they agreed to, but find a way to make Sabine’s life harder in the process. When asking for double agents, she was not expecting the Haven leader would send her someone who had a past history with SUPER.

A member of X-quality who made a habit of getting on old-SUPER’s radar in a bad way, this new Pippa looked like the old one. Some of her older agents would still remember the mutant’s rights activist. Treating her like a human to infiltrate the organization would be a challenge, but she did have Noel and Michael and even Kent for that. If anything, this Pippa Swan could be the chum in the waters, rousing suspicions from her more hostile agents.

Sabine wondered if this new girl understood the precarious position she was being put in here.

Regardless of how Pippa felt about her safety in the shark tank, this was going to be awkward. Sabine was part of old SUPER, too. She was complicit with the staff who cracked down on their Pippa and her operations, even if she was not directly involved. She was also suspicious of this new itteration. It seemed convenient. Before the Rift closed, SUPER had Pippa Swan under custody. Now she was going to work with a Pippa Swan who had a similar work background and happened to have ties to Haven, a mutant-first organization. Haven might as well have been what X-quality wanted to be when it grew up.

As she said. A little too convenient, right?

Sitting at her desk in her black blazer and pants accompanying a red button-down, she could hear the clacking of heels approaching her office. Yep, she was going to guess that was her newest consultant wasting no time. Taking a breath to ready herself, she heard the knock at her door and stood to open it.

Pippa was well-dressed, with her blonde hair in a neat bun, opposing Sabine’s relatively plain ponytail. Sabine only had an inch and a half on her own heels, but that was enough to give her that same inch and a half over Pippa, despite the blonde’s own impressive heels. ”Of course, Miss Swan. My door’s always open to you. Come in,” she invited, stepping aside and back toward her desk, leaving a chair for Pippa to take on the other side.

”I hope you found the headquarters alright? Newbies sometimes struggle with the brass’s decision to station us on an island.” It was an attempt at a joke, but she liked that the government positioned them on an out-of-the-way island where they could control access and limit public interaction. A Public Relations person might feel differently.

Sabine Sang had a confidence about her that would have been admirable, had she not used it to headline SUPER. She could definitely pull off a businesswoman look, which was, frankly, wasted on the business of snatching up mutants from the street. Then again, so would have been a second-hand t-shirt.

>>”Of course, Miss Swan. My door’s always open to you. Come in,”

Pippa walked into the office and took a seat. Sabine had been informed of her arrival (not even Svetlana was jaded enough to let her break the news to Sang). She wondered how she felt about the new arrangement. Not that she had much of a choice. From what Pippa understood, whatever truce Haven and SUPER had going on was dependent on her job.

>>”I hope you found the headquarters alright? Newbies sometimes struggle with the brass’s decision to station us on an island.”

"I found it fine. But it does give off a vague sense of Area 15" Pippa noted. Not that most people wanted to get anywhere near SUPER if they could help it. "I am told Miss Sergeyeva informed you of the new arrangement? I am on permanent full time loan to SUPER until further notice. As a PR advisor. She said, and I quote, SUPER needs a face lift. I am inclined to agree."

Sabine was not sure what she expected from Pippa Swan. Maybe someone mousy who stayed in the background to pipe lines into the ear of whoever was on stage? If that was what she assumed, she was wrong; Pippa did not strike her as timid or plain. Instead, she was well put-together, with lustrous blonde hair tied into a neat bun and an eye-catching powder blue ensemble that took confidence to pull off. It was the kind of color Sabine found too flamboyant for herself, but it suited Pippa.

Taking their seats, Pippa made an observation about the intentionally obscure location for the base. She was not entirely wrong; even with some of the shadier aspects of SUPER toned down, there were still government secrets and confidential research being held within the SUPER compound. ”It’s mostly so tourists don’t scare our aliens. They’re skittish,” she answered off-handedly. Then again, if they did have aliens, would anyone even notice amongst the mutants of New York?

Pippa wasted no time reiterating an agreement they were already both aware of. ”Miss Sergeyeva and I certainly came to that agreement, yes. I’ve taken on a more… public role since the relocation of SUPER.” And Kristoph could drown in a river for doing that to her. ”It’s not my comfort zone, though I’m doing what I can with it, but it was time we had an actual professional around. Someone befitting of a new direction.” The government hated the phrase “rebranding,” but that was what it was.

”As such, I’ll be trusting your expertise and looking forward to your feedback.” And she fully anticipated someone from Haven having feedback.

SUPER announced a new profile after the rift closed, but it was far from what most people would have seen as favorable. Shady was the lightest term one would have used for the agency, and Pippa was going to have her hands full before it got turned around to anything even resembling decent.

>>”It’s mostly so tourists don’t scare our aliens. They’re skittish,”

Pippa arched an eyebrow. Ms. Sang made a joke. Good for her.

>>”Miss Sergeyeva and I certainly came to that agreement, yes. I’ve taken on a more… public role since the relocation of SUPER. It’s not my comfort zone, though I’m doing what I can with it, but it was time we had an actual professional around. Someone befitting of a new direction.”

Not her comfort zone. You don't say. It really was time they hired someone like Pippa, even if it was against their will. Ms. Sergeyeva had faith in SUPER turning around... or at least trying to do so, which made Pippa kind of queasy in her stomach, but hey, she got to see first hand if they could be trusted at all. And Ms. Sang could be called a lot of colorful things, but she did not come off as a megalomaniac. Yet.

>>”As such, I’ll be trusting your expertise and looking forward to your feedback.”

"Good." Pippa nodded, pulling out a folder and opening it "Because I have some. So, I gather you are to be the public face of SUPER? Is that a set deal?"

It was hard to compare poorly to old SUPER, particularly after Devon, in all his annoying square-jawed arrogance, publically put the old methods of SUPER on blast with a press conference. The challenge came with keeping the name and the history of a mutant-capturing mad science government agency. It was determined that changing their name would be seen as an ineffective and transparent ploy, so they were going to live with it.

Sabine may have been glad to oversee a move to a less morally questionable ethos, but she did kind of miss when the public did not question their methods so damn much.

Sabine kept her eyes on Pippa as they spoke, trying to measure her up. How did she feel about SUPER? Was she enthusiastic or reluctant toward her new assignment? Was this Pippa practical and pragmatic, or was she dealing with an stubborn idealist, much like the Pippa of her side? For many reasons, she was curious about the latter.

Digging for folders containing transcripts and gathered data from previous press statements. Sabine had no qualms with her own delivery; being a theater kid did count for something. Still, she was not the one crafting messages. ”I’ve been the one handling press conferences, but that is absolutely not a set deal. If you want to get on the stage, I won’t fight you for the honor.”

Sabine Sang was an interesting phenomenon. She handled SUPER press conferences well; she must have had some training in public speaking. But she was far from likable, or even trustworthy; SUPER's reputation as a shady anti-mutant government agency rubbed off on her too, even if she was trying to turn her better profile to the public. It could have been worse, in terms of a public face, all things considered. It also could have been better.

>>”I’ve been the one handling press conferences, but that is absolutely not a set deal. If you want to get on the stage, I won’t fight you for the honor.”

Pippa chuckled at the suggestion.

"Me? God, no. I'm not a public figure. I am here to help you pick one. Preferably one that will help make SUPER be... less of a magnet for conspiracy theories and more... legitimate government agency? I assume that is the goal here?" CIA, FBI, SUPER. People could pick on their job application. "Which, I have to say, begins with you, Ms. Sang. Unless you have someone else you'd rather see on the podium."

It would have been ideal if Pippa just nominated herself as a public face for SUPER. Sabine would gladly hand off the responsibilities to a woman she knew understood both the new direction of SUPER and how to present themselves in a better light. Honestly, she would hand the role off to anyone she believed might competently take it off her hands.

Sadly, their new PR consultant found the notion literally laughable, so Sabine smiled politely in response. It was a new face or it was Sabine herself. ”No, I don’t think I do, sadly. Government agents aren’t filled with public faces or people trained in public speaking. So unless an immaculately dressed PR expert wanted to take the mic, I think we’re stuck with me.”

Arching an eyebrow, Sabine smiled as she started picking up on Pippa’s obvious feelings about Public Scapegoat Sabine Sang. ”So I get the impression you’re concerned about my abilities to front a… how did you phrase it? Legitimate government agency?”

It was a funny idea to suggest Pippa could be the public face of SUPER. She wished she could share the irony with someone who'd known her back in the day. She liked standing up for a good cause, but speaking in public was not usually her job. As a PR person, she just had to pick the best people for it. Even if the pickings were slim.

>>”No, I don’t think I do, sadly. Government agents aren’t filled with public faces or people trained in public speaking. So unless an immaculately dressed PR expert wanted to take the mic, I think we’re stuck with me.”

"Very well" Pippa made a note. Sang was going to do this her own self, then. Well, that made it easier to make plans for the near future.

>>”So I get the impression you’re concerned about my abilities to front a… how did you phrase it? Legitimate government agency?”

Pippa tapped her lips with her pen as she looked up at Sabine.

"Not your abilities. Just your current preparedness." she noted "We will need to work on your public appearances. They don't have to like you, at least. But they will have to trust you, at least. The public, I mean. Because right now, you are less 'she will keep us safe' and more 'she will make people disappear like she is Harriet Houdini.' We need to soften your image. Make you look like a person."

Pippa was honest, Sabine had to give her that. Okay, no BS was a good starting point. This woman was not blunt or rude, which made sense for a PR person. She was also not shy in expressing her points, and her mind was clearly at work on this job.

Sabine understood the public’s perception of SUPER, though she was willing to bet the perception came from the vocal minority. A sad truth of politics was most people never bothered to engage with it. If their preferred media source told them the sky was green, they would assume it was just mirroring the grass.

On this side, media perception was divided heavily between the media touting SUPER as a necessary security measure and the other half citing reports from the other side and claims made by people like Devon. If Pippa was working for Haven, it was clear she not only knew the whole story, but had feelings on SUPER’s past as well.

”Fair enough,” Sabine agreed, wearing a pleasant, unassuming expression. ”So I’m assuming your assessment of me so far is coldly efficient and ruthlessly practical, yes? Considering I sound like the Eradicator, it sounds like you have a task ahead of you.”

Folding her arms over themselves on the desk, Sabine leaned in toward Pippa, smirking. ”So, Miss Swan, any initial ideas on how to soften me up? My public image, at least?”

So far, Pippa had not said anything that was not blatantly obvious, even to Sang. She had had clients before that did not know their own limits, and those were always the hardest to work with. But not this woman. Pippa would not have held back even if she had been, but it was good to know she did not need to mince words going forward.

>>”Fair enough. So I’m assuming your assessment of me so far is coldly efficient and ruthlessly practical, yes? Considering I sound like the Eradicator, it sounds like you have a task ahead of you.”

"Sounds like it." Pippa noted, with the ghost of a smirk on her lips. Sabine had no idea.

>>”So, Miss Swan, any initial ideas on how to soften me up? My public image, at least?”

Softening, yes. The public was hard to pin down, and as easy as they were to manipulate, they also smelled bullshit a mile away if it was not wrapped nicely. Pippa tilted her head.

"Well, for starters... we will need to talk about your wardrobe. I'll have some plans later. Maybe we will need to shop. But for now, it would be great if you made public appearances outside of press conferences. Show people you are... you know. One of them. What are your favorite pastimes?"

Intimidation was not the goal here, but she was wondering if calling out Pippa’s directness might fluster her. Not. Even. A little bit. Well, she did bring Pippa in to do a job; Sabine was going to let her do this and see where the blonde planned to drag her along.

First was apparently a wardrobe revamp, which was actually surprising to Sabine. ”Alright, I’m perhaps out of my element here, but I’m dying to know what you’re looking to change about my wardrobe.” She had a collection of professional attire, suits, and even a few skirts in her closet. She would be interested to see how she was expected to change that for her public appearances.

Appearances Pippa expected her to make more of, evidently. What did she like to do in her off time? Clean her handgun and go over reports seemed like the wrong answers. ”Well, pastimes imply downtime, which I find in short supply these days,” she admitted. ”I do enjoy theater. Events with dancing, though it sounds like you want me there to mingle rather than dance,” she lamented. Good dancing was often ruined by mediocre talking.

There was another thought that came later. ”I enjoy catching baseball games, but my apartment looks over Yankees Stadium, so that I can enjoy without all the crowds.”

At least Sang was not resisting the plan right from the get go. Pippa knew she and Sergeyeva had an agreement, but she was not sure how far their understanding extended, and how much of it was forced by some leverage. At least, for now she was actually allowed to do her job. And the idea of giving Sabine "SUPER" Sang a makeover was already amazing.

>>”Alright, I’m perhaps out of my element here, but I’m dying to know what you’re looking to change about my wardrobe.”

"We'll get to that later" Pippa said, making some notes. Oh, they would. And she was going to enjoy it.

>>”Well, pastimes imply downtime, which I find in short supply these days. I do enjoy theater. Events with dancing, though it sounds like you want me there to mingle rather than dance,”

Pippa arched an eyebrow. Theater and dancing. Maybe Sang was more than just a hardcore, military trained government agent after all? Then again, high arts and posh events had never been a measure of one's actual empathy.

>>”I enjoy catching baseball games, but my apartment looks over Yankees Stadium, so that I can enjoy without all the crowds.”

Oh, honey.

Pippa closed her folder, leveling a look at Sabine.

"Alright, here is the first rule of PR: it is about being seen. Where, when, how, and with whom. I am not your therapist, I don't care what you do for your own enjoyment. But I do care who sees you doing what." At least as far as she was getting paid to do her job well. She opened her folder again. "Theater, that's not bad. Dancing's good too. Baseball games are definitely good. We'll work on all three. I assume you can protect yourself well enough not to need bodyguards? Do you have a significant other?"

Sabine was most comfortable in situations she had control over, and she was quickly realizing Pippa had more control in this situation than the Agent supposedly in charge here. Pippa would not appear in the chain of command, though in theory she would be placed under Sabine. Unfortunately, her particular role was one Sabine could not veto if she wanted Pippa to do her job effectively.

She was going to punch Sveta. She was going to punch Sveta in the face.

For the first time, something Sabine offered up to Pippa was accepted positively. She could work with some of Sabine’s pastimes, though it sounded like Pippa wanted to use those interests in ways she would like them less. Such was the cost of bolstering PR.

There were two follow-up questions, one she found far less appealing than the other, but she had to expect it. ”Bodyguards are not necessary unless you feel they add to whatever message you’re trying to send. I can more than take care of myself. As for the… well, no, there is no significant other.” Was Pippa going to suggest she found one? That would be the biggest stretch of Sabine’s imagination. ”I haven’t really been one to date much. Nothing really since, well, university I suppose? Would that be a problem?”

Sang was attentive, at so far was not showing much resistance to the general idea of visibility. That, in Pippa's book, made her easier to work with. If she insisted on being some kind of a shadow leader wrapped in mystery... well, there would have to be a whole other tool kit for that.

>>”Bodyguards are not necessary unless you feel they add to whatever message you’re trying to send. I can more than take care of myself."

"Duly noted." Pippa nodded "They are not generally a good look."

Unless they were comically smaller than a very hot beefy celebrity, but that was clearly not the goal in this case.

>>"As for the… well, no, there is no significant other. I haven’t really been one to date much. Nothing really since, well, university I suppose? Would that be a problem?”

Pippa tilted her head. That was... surprisingly simple.

"No..." she trailed off. "No, not really. You can always go the 'eligible bachelorette' route until you... find someone. I'm not a matchmaker. I just want to avoid you coming off like a... um. I think 'ice queen' would be the kindest term for it. Anything about past relationships I should be aware of?"