logs from cleveland main

<Antioch|GM> ...
<Antioch|GM> Freddy has a few moments after his appointment with Dr. Freeman before he goes into his branding appointment with PR Director Sorensen.
<Antioch|GM> It's a good opportunity to gather his thoughts on what he's aiming for, a chance to mull over the 'homework' Sorensen gave him.
<Antioch|GM> He's tapping out a crude outline of his thoughts on his cell phone, and it's a compelling enough question that he can devote his focus more towards answering the question and less towards feeling like shit. Granted, the talk with Freeman seems to have helped, somewhat. ||
<-> You are now known as Nick|Freddy
<Nick|Freddy> With the help of PHO and thesaurus.com, Freddy's able to come up with a pretty good idea of what he's going for. Something obviously heroic, unrelated to the rat part of his power. He comes up with a few words with associations that he likes, and lists his current four favorite capes in terms of name and presentation.
<-> soulpelt| is now known as soulpelt|Wink
<-> Bel is now known as Bel|Dags
<Nick|Freddy> Imagning his possible branding is really exciting, even with the events of last night constantly on the periphery of his thoughts. A cape name and a costume are defining aspects of any superhero, and Freddy's going to get a name and costume of his own in the near future.
<Nick|Freddy> Feeling more upbeat after the session with Richard and his nap, he heads to Sorensen's office, his thoughts set down on his phone. ||
<Antioch|GM> The door is open for him to step through, and Sorensen is sitting at his computer, one of those desktop setups with two really large monitors. It's a better opportunity to take a look at his office. It's cluttered, almost packed to the brim with magazine covers, superhero figurines and memorabilia, but there's a... sense of order to the whole thing, a
<Antioch|GM> gradient of sorts along which every single item in the room is sorted by.
<Antioch|GM> ((Knowledge check.))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Knowledge
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Knowledge" [4] -1 = 3
<Antioch|GM> He can't quite place what the sorting function used to organize the mess of cape-related collectibles in the room is -- the sheer volume of the stuff is overwhelming.
<Antioch|GM> There are bookshelves, some which have comics, some which have textbooks and binders, a few costume mannequins, a tri-fold mirror and platform in the back of the room...
<Antioch|GM> All told, there's a lot to take in.
<Antioch|GM> Sorensen swivels his monitor over to the side, clearing the part of his L-shaped desk that faces the door.
<Antioch|GM> "Freddy," he says. "Glad to see you. Did the question I asked you earlier inspire any ideas, give you a sense of direction for what you're going for?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Yeah," Freddy says. "I, uh, took a nap after this morning but I wrote down some notes just now." He hands Sorensen his phone.
<Nick|Freddy> "I basically thought of some words and other heroes that I like." ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Pastebin me those notes?))
<Nick|Freddy> https://pastebin.com/w7mgwsA3
<_> [ freddy's thoughts on branding - Pastebin.com ] - pastebin.com
<Nick|Freddy> ((dashy, what are you doing here?))
<Antioch|GM> "Interesting," Sorensen says, scrolling through the notes. "It looks like you've given this a good deal of thought."
<Antioch|GM> "I admit I only know the broad strokes of your power, but given that you don't seem intent on touching on its themes very much..."
<Antioch|GM> He leafs through a stack of notes on his desk.
<Antioch|GM> "You're able to create... minions, humanoid ones, with their own crude intelligence. That's the thrust of it, and that's all we should care about, for the sake of this discussion, right?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "They're rats in disguise, but yeah," Freddy says. As much as he doesn't like the fact that his power is creating rats, he feels like Sorensen is babying him by leaving that obvious detail out. ||
<Antioch|GM> "But it's a theme you don't want touched on, for branding's sake," he says. "What I care about are certain other facets of  your power. How much control you have over the aesthetics, personalities, quantity, et cetera, of your minions."
<Antioch|GM> "Minions," he reiterates, emphasizing the word, "not rats. Better to get into the habit now." ||
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<Nick|Freddy> "I can make three at a time," Freddy says. "I can control what the minions look like pretty well. I've mostly made them look like other people so far, or just to fit, uh, like a template. If they look like a person I know they have that person's personality, too. I dunno if I can control the personality if they aren't based on a real person." ||
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<Antioch|GM> "Let's try something, then," he says, standing up, glancing at the phone again, and stepping over to his many shelves of cape memorabilia. He grabs three figures from them, sets them on the desk in front of Freddy.
<Antioch|GM> Eidolon, Valiant, Dauntless. They're good models, poseable, officially licensed. All three of them have embedded LEDs, Eidolon's billowing cape interior lit by an ominous green, Valiant's transparent, ghostly armor a pale blue, and the carefully-sculpted bolts of lightning coming off of Dauntless's Arclance flicker realistically.
<Antioch|GM> "For the sake of my curiosity, why don't you try your hand at making them?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "OK," Freddy says. It might be hard without knowing what their faces look like. Freddy starts creating the rats - minions, starting with Valiant. He focuses hard on the costume, trying to make it look like the figurine's. ||
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<Antioch|GM> It takes a while for the resultant Valiant-alike to step out from a hiding place behind the tri-fold mirror. Overall, the effect is good, but the armor is... more like clear plastic, rather than the actual ghostly armor effect.
<Antioch|GM> The minion steps on the platform in front of the mirrors and strikes the same pose the figurine is making. Sorensen goes "hmm."
<Antioch|GM> He steps up to the minion and tilts its visor up, scrutinizing its face.
<Antioch|GM> "Hmmm."
<Antioch|GM> "That more or less answers my questions. You can practice with the other two if you want, still. I'll leave the finer details of the testing to Zykov."
<Antioch|GM> "To extend the analogy further, would you prefer calling your minions action figures, or would you consider that too childish?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Uh, I like action figures, but I'm not sure that that's the impression I want to give," Freddy says. Action figures aren't heroic.
<Nick|Freddy> He's a bit disappointed in the plastic-looking armor, but it's not too bad, considering he's never seen Valiant in person, right? The face probably is wrong too, he reasons, based on how Richard thought his minions were put together. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Then another question. When you appear in public, where do you want the focus to lie? More towards your minions, more towards you?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Me," Freddy says. "I don't like the minions very much." ||
<-> Lysa|GM is now known as Lysa
<Antioch|GM> "Then the spotlight is on you, as a commander of sorts. A ruler, a squadleader, a general or tactician with customizable soldiers under your command. With me so far?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Yeah," Freddy says. He smiles. That's a good image. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Then we can narrow things down into another dichotomy, for what type of image you want to evoke as a leader. Military or royalty?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Maybe military over royalty," Freddy says, uncertain.
<Nick|Freddy> Royalty seems like absolute command, tyrany. He doesn't want to be a dictator. But then again, military implies violence and bloodshed. That's also not great.
<Nick|Freddy> "Are those the only options?" ||
<Antioch|GM> "When it comes to conveying the appearance of a leader in the forefront of the group and center of the spotlight, those are the most feasible options. If you were to adopt something more along the lines of a tactician or strategist, then there would be more focus on your minions." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Military, then," Freddy says. "General or something." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Hm. Military titles work as a baseline, though they're more suitable for two-word cape names. There might be some clash with your age, as far as appearances go, hmm."
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<Antioch|GM> "General Guile. Bit of a mouthful. Hm. Polemarch, Commandant, Chieftain, D'Artagnan, Ringleader, mm. Not quite hitting the right notes here, but I'm feeling around at the edges of it. Thoughts?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "I'm not really feeling any of those, to be honest," Freddy says. "They don't really feel the way I want. Sorry." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Yeah, I don't like them either," Sorensen says. "But do any of them trend towards a direction you prefer, or are they equally unappealing?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Ringleader is the best," Freddy says, "but it sort of sounds like a drug thing." ||
<Antioch|GM> Sorensen snorts. "I suppose so. I'm going along a different track, then. Badges of office, in a sense. Ceremonial weapons, something that's more suited for a leader than for out-and-out combat." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "I like that," Freddy says. ||
<Antioch|GM> "A lot of non-English names, and I feel like Imperial Sword and Imperial Regalia tend to fall flat or feel ham-fisted. Triskelion doesn't quite hit the mark. Reichsschwert and Schläger don't really do the trick, and not all of the connotations there are great."
<Antioch|GM> "The two feasible candidates I can think of now would be more like... Joyeuse, or Flamberge. Decorative blades, more symbols of status than weapons. You'd probably still need to learn how to swordfight, regardless." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "What's Joyeuese?" Freddy asks. "I like the sound." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Charlemagne's sword, from way back when. Means 'joyous' in French. Used to be used as a coronation sword." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Huh, maybe," he says. "I'm not sure about having to use a sword. Any other ideas?" ||
<Antioch|GM> "Crosier comes to mind, despite the religious implications, but it's less a tool of command. A bishop's cane or staff."
<Antioch|GM> "Pennon? A standard-bearer or rallying point, again, diluting the image of leadership."
<Antioch|GM> "Unfortunately," Sorensen says, "military leaders tend to favor blades as their badges of office." ||
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<Nick|Freddy> "Hmm," Freddy says. "I like Joyeuse, so far. What about royalty?" ||
<Antioch|GM> "Easier, on that front. The White Prince comes to mind, since I don't expect you'll encounter any difficulty color-coordinating your minions and their attire." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Hm. I dunno." ||
<-> Druza is now known as Druza|practice
<Antioch|GM> "Espada Ropera, Sabreur, Praetor, Princeps." He drums his hands on his desk, taking longer to think and browsing his computer every so often, presumably for inspiration. "Titles work, but they're one part of a two-part name, and I can't put my finger on what'd fit, when it comes to Commandant Whatever, the Something Marshal. At least, nothing readily comes
<Antioch|GM> to mind." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "I like Praetor. That's a Roman thing, right?" Freddy asks. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Yeah. Plenty of fertile ground when it comes to Latin military titles, now that we're on the subject, actually. Legate, Tribune, Praefect, Consul, Centurion -- well, the last one would be misleading unless you could make a hundred minions -- Cohort works too." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "What's the difference between all of those?" Freddy asks. ||
<Antioch|GM> Praetor roughly maps to commander, Legate'd be a general, Tribune's between a legate and a centurion. They're all military leaders in some capacity, but it's a question of how high up the chain they are. Consul'd be more a governing thing, and Cohort's refers to a group as a whole," Sorensen says, giving a very simplified summary of things. ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Praetor or Legate, then, out of those," Freddy says. "What about the words in my notes? I guessed they'd probably be taken, but if some of them aren't, that'd be really good." ||
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<Antioch|GM> "Most of those are taken. We can twist them around, Strategos rather than Strategem and Preceptor rather than Precept. Both work well as names, though there's less emphasis on you as a leader." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy frowns, thinking. "I think I like Joyeuse the best." ||
<-> FossilLord is now known as FossilWork
<Antioch|GM> He nods. "There's a good deal I can work with, with that name. Any particular requests or concerns when it comes to the aesthetics of your costume? Color choices, preferences, and the like?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "White and dark red?" Freddy suggests. "For the main colors. And something that covers my hair." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Crown, visored helmet in the knight style, or something else a little less old-fashioned?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Dunno," Freddy says. "Crown seems sort of presumtuous. Maybe less old-fasioned." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Got it," he says. "I'll get back to you on the design sometime tomorrow, then." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Cool!" Freddy says. He's excited to see what the designs might look like. Joyeuse. He likes it. ||
<Antioch|GM> "I understand you're going to a funeral later today," he says. "Do you need any formal attire?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Oh," Freddy says. "Yeah. I don't have any clothes, actually." And he hasn't showered since yesterday before the fundraiser. ||
<Antioch|GM> "I'll go ahead and take your costume measurements now, send someone over with clothes your size in a few, then." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy nods. "Sure." ||
<Antioch|GM> Sorensen gives him the twice-over with some fabric measuring tape.
<Antioch|GM> "Hmm. We'll probably update your costume over time. You've got room to grow, still, I wager." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Yeah, still growing," Freddy says. ||
<-> Saff is now known as Saff|GM
<-> Yumgar is now known as Yum|Hartmann
<Antioch|GM> He nods. "Good. I feel like this is a role you can grow into. I'll send some clothes over soon. Best of luck and condolences." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Thank you!" Freddy says, meaning it. He has a cape name now! And he'll have a costume soon enough.
<Nick|Freddy> Now though, he has to go and get cleaned up and ready for the memorial.
<Nick|Freddy> ||
<-> FaustAndAbout is now known as Faustus
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<Antioch|GM> |||
<Antioch|GM> ...
<Antioch|GM> Freddy's freshly showered and changed into more somber clothes. His phone buzzes with an alert. One of the People is here to pick him up. ||
<-> ColdGold is now known as ColdGold|GM
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy leaves his room and heads to the front lobby. He hopes he's going to be in good enough shape to not break into tears during the ceremony. Right now, he's doing OK, but he's pretty sure that ccould change at any minute. ||
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<Nick|Freddy> ((could*))
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<Antioch|GM> There's a woman in a cape costume waiting for him. Blue, white and purple, purple domino mask. Up close, with the mask only covering part of her face, she looks old, mom-ish. Jetstream, with a slightly modified costume now that she's with the people.
<Antioch|GM> "Hey Freddy. I'm here to pick you up," she says. ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Hi," he says. "I'm ready to go." He's a bit nervous, not knowing her, but she's with The People, right? She can't be that bad. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((He would have known her as a Protectorate cape up until two months ago -- the debacle where she was shot in the chest by Amphetamine Queen was very publicized.))
<Nick|Freddy> ((Mm, yeah. He knows of her. He doesn't know her as a person))
<Antioch|GM> She leads him back to her car. It's just a regular car. Nothing fancy at all about it, seemingly. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy turns and looks back at PHQ before getting in the car. It doesn't feel like home, but that's probably a good thing. Freddy hasn't had the best experiences at home. He'd be coming back here, though, and staying there for the foreseeable future.
<Nick|Freddy> It's just started to sink in, become a reality. He was going to be a Ward. Live at PHQ. He has a superhero name now.
<Nick|Freddy> And yesterday... yesterday he'd been in a fight with a real supervillain. It had been awful. The worst experience of his life, maybe, but at least he has a chance to have more experiences. Three people weren't so lucky.
<Nick|Freddy> At least he gets to go to the memorial to honor Absynthesis and Khandhas. They deserve that much. ||
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<Antioch|GM> It takes them a while to cross the bridge, and the sun sets as they drive. When they get there, the venue is filling in with people.There aren't many people there that he recognizes, save for Blake. There's some guy talking to him. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Bel|Dags, we can move here.))
<Antioch|GM> ...
<Bel|Dags> ((o7))
<Antioch|GM> TGK turns to look at Dags. "Glad you could make it," he says. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((We'll alternate between Dags and Freddy from here, and I'll cut in whenever I feel like it.))
<Bel|Dags> "Sorry I had to. How you holding up?" I fish the flask from the front pocket and offer it over. I bet I'll be making that gesture a lot tonight. ||
<Nick|Freddy> ...
<Antioch|GM> TGK shakes his head. "Maybe later. I'm getting the mourning out of the way now, because there's a great deal left to do, later." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy walks up to Blake. He stays silent, not wanting to interupt the conversation. ||
<Antioch|GM> Blake turns to Freddy. "Doing alright, considering the circumstances?" he asks. "Thank you for coming." ||
<Bel|Dags> "Sure, sure." I say, pocketing the flask.
<-> soulpelt|Wink is now known as soulpelt|
<Bel|Dags> "Hey kid. Friend of his?" ||
<-> Druza|practice is now known as Druza
<Nick|Freddy> "I'm... doing OK," Freddy says. He turns to the unknown man.
<Nick|Freddy> "I... was there when he died." He tries to keep his face straight, his eyes clear. ||
<Antioch|GM> "No offense," TGK says to Dags, "but everything about this kid stays off your books, please. There'll be some dirt on Primus in it for you." ||
<Bel|Dags> "Oh. Sorry." I scratch my head. "Appreciate the offer, King, but no business during the funeral, if we can help it? I'm not that mercenary." As I talk, I fish out the flask again and hold it towards the kid. He's older than I was, first time.
<Bel|Dags> "In his memory," I say to him, before turning back to TGK. "We can talk after, if it makes you sleep better at night." ||
<Antioch|GM> Blake raises an eyebrow at the proffered flask, about to stop Dags, but hesitates and decides against it. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy shakes his head. "No, thanks." It doesn't seem like the thing to do. Not at a memorial. ||
<Bel|Dags> I raise my own eyebrow before pulling it back and taking a sip myself. No sense wasting good scotch.
<Bel|Dags> "Name's Dags Tanner, kid," I say, putting the flask back and holding a hand out. ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Freddy Darnell." Freddy shakes his hand. ||
<Antioch|GM> Blake gestures at Dags. "He's an information broker," he explains, "for HPIA. Worked with Khandhas." ||
<Bel|Dags> "The very same," I say.
<Bel|Dags> "Good guy. Deserved better." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Oh," Freddy says. He realizes he knows absolutely nothing about Khandhas. Freddy assumes he was a cape, but he doesn't even know what his power was. "Yeah," Freddy says. "He saved my life." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Mine as well," Blake agrees. ||
<Bel|Dags> "Sounds like Khandhas. Did you know he once spent a week doing nothing but ripping off drug dealers with fake cash to get drugs off the streets? Sold the whole operation to the PRT, came out with a cool dozen grand and dropped half the Dust Devils' network." ||
<-> Faustus is now known as Faustus|GM
<Nick|Freddy> "Wow," Freddy says. "That's impressive." ||
<Antioch|GM> "It's still kind of surreal," Blake says. "He survived Behemoth. Barely, but he did." ||
<Bel|Dags> "Mentioned offhand that he got nuked worse than a TV dinner, real casual-like. Never did say how he got out of that one." ||
<Nick|Freddy> The life of a hero. Freddy's sad he doesn't have anything to contribute.
<Nick|Freddy> All that good stuff, and then nothing. Gone. Freddy sniffs. ||
<Antioch|GM> "He had a favor to call in. West coast healer, I was too out of it to pick up on the details."
<Antioch|GM> More people come in, slowly but surely. Freddy sees a cape in a simple hat and trenchcoat -- the only signifier that he has powers is his plain mask. Dags knows him as Haddon. A few more capes arrive, mostly the bar patrons who didn't have anywhere else better to go, with the bar closed. ||
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<Bel|Dags> I wave at Haddon.
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<Bel|Dags> "Guy also drank his way through about six glasses of my best scotch before letting me know he probably couldn't get drunk," I chuckle. "Word of advice, Freddy, don't drink a drink you can't enjoy." ||
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<Nick|Freddy> "Sure," Freddy says. He doesn't feel like he fits in, here. There's not much he can contribute, not much he can say about Khandhas. Or Absynthesis, for that matter. He goes to sit down on a bench. He wants to be here, for them, but the rest of the crowd aren't exactly people he feels comfortable around. ||
<Bel|Dags> I watch the kid walk away. "What's his story? Off the record, it's a funeral." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Bystander," Blake says. "Cape. Wrong place, wrong time, but his help? Made a world of difference."
<Antioch|GM> From his seat, Freddy can see the woman lurking behind Dags suddenly get into a glare-off with a new arrival, a woman with red hair, a dark dress and opera mask. ||
<Bel|Dags> "Helluva thing to be a bystander to. He's what, thirteen?" I fiddle with my coat. Feels strange to not be the only one in a trench coat. ||
<Nick|Freddy> He wonders what the stares are about. Some history, he imagines. Nothing he should worry about. Not now. He tries not to remember the details of what happened. He doesn't want to break down, here, in front of all these strangers. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Fourteen," Blake says. An Asian guy out of costume walks behind the red-haired woman and places a hand on her shoulder.
<Antioch|GM> They both walk up to Blake and Dags. "Royal Flush," he greets, "and...?"
<Antioch|GM> "Jiangjun," the man replies. ||
<Bel|Dags> "Hey, Flush." Uh oh. "Jiangjun. Khandhas mentioned you." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Sorry I haven't dropped by," he says. "I've been kind of a shut-in lately."
<Antioch|GM> Royal Flush scans the area, doing her level best to ignore Maia. "What happened?" she asks Blake, and the two segue off into their own conversation. ||
<Bel|Dags> I do my best to drift Maia's way, drawing the two apart.
<Bel|Dags> "What've you been closed off doing? He was looking for you for a while."
<Bel|Dags> Let's keep walking, let's keep walking... ||
<Antioch|GM> "Trying to keep this city from collectively shitting the bed," he says. ||
<Bel|Dags> "Nice of you." Turning to Maia, I stage-whisper, "Can we hold it together here?" \|
<Bel|Dags> ||
<Antioch|GM> "Sure," she mutters. "As long as I don't have to talk to her."
<-> vandaway is now known as vanderhuge
<Antioch|GM> More people arrive, and some sit next to Freddy, even though most people who glance at him seem confused as to why a 13-year-old-boy is present.
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<-> FossilWork is now known as fossil
<Nick|Freddy> ((I'm going to go eat, posting from me might be slow))
<Antioch|GM> Some he recognizes, some he doesn't. The ones he does... Rebellion, one of the People's capes. He doesn't know much about him. Burn Notice. The Borgata's pyrokinetic.
<Antioch|GM> Dags sees him, too. He lights up a smoke. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Why wouldn't they be confused? Seems like everyone else here is an established cape. And he's just a kid. ||
<Bel|Dags> Alright, looks like we both have someone to avoid here.
<Bel|Dags> "What the hell's he doing here?" Aimed at Maia, but really meant for the world at large. Didn't think he went in for societal norms. ||
<Antioch|GM> "He's pr--" Maia starts to reply, getting cut off.
<Antioch|GM> "Khandhas saved his boss's life in the Behemoth fight," Jiangjun says, almost absentmindedly.  ||
<Bel|Dags> "Oh? Huh."
<Bel|Dags> I'd rather not referee a Thinker fight.
<Bel|Dags> Let alone an info Thinker fight.
<Bel|Dags> But.
<Bel|Dags> It might be fun.
<Bel|Dags> "How'd that go down?" ||
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<Antioch|GM> "Just S&R stuff. Got him stabilized and evac'd on time is all. You should see if you can inherit that favor and cash it in on Pizzicato sometime," Jiangjun says, poking at his cell phone. ||
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<Bel|Dags> "Not a bad idea." I steal a glance at Maia.
<Bel|Dags> Hope she's not getting pushed too hard. It /is/ a funeral after all. ||
<Antioch|GM> The look on her face is pretty easy to read. It says, "No wonder Royal Flush hangs out with this asshole." ||
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<Bel|Dags> Sounds about right.
<Bel|Dags> I keep them occupied with small talk, trying to keep Maia defused as I move towards Haddon. He's a safe person for her to talk to at least. ||
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<Antioch|GM> "Jiangjun," Haddon says. "It's been a very long time."
<Antioch|GM> "For you, maybe," he mumbles, texting someone.
<Antioch|GM> "You guys have your chit-chat," Maia says, taking a seat. "You gotta shut up when the funeral service starts, so go get it out of your system."
<Antioch|GM> Haddon takes the seat next to her. ||
<Bel|Dags> I nod, moving away. No need to piss off the ex-supervillain more.
<Bel|Dags> "Hate to bother ya, what that you're a superpower-powered detective and I'm just the regular kind." ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Who's that directed to?))
<Bel|Dags> ((Jian, sorry. Figured we'd be alone.))
<Antioch|GM> ((Oh, durr. Sorry.))
<Bel|Dags> ((You're fine. I'd be trying to get with more people, but the combinations are all explosive))
<Antioch|GM> ((Heh.))
<Antioch|GM> He shrugs. "RF keeps telling me to get out. I owe Khandhas enough to pay my respects. Two birds." ||
<Bel|Dags> "Shame his death had to be the stone. Heard you two were close. He have any big plans coming up? I might be able to carry those through, depending. He was a strange one." ||
<Antioch|GM> "I kept him out of my plans. We were looking into Sigma, even told him to avoid her. Don't think he poked his nose in that direction, but it still fucking sucks that he died because of something I was trying to keep him away from. Should have just filled him in, let him make his own choices. Not really what I'm good at." ||
<Bel|Dags> "Happens. I've been guilty of that." I think of Brigid.
<Bel|Dags> I look around, making sure I'm not missing anybody. ||
<Antioch|GM> Nobody else he ought to talk to, for the time being. Nobody who's missing and ought to be there, save for Kusakabe.
<Antioch|GM> "It's a habit, you know? You get used to keeping people out of the loop. Maybe you get that." ||
<Bel|Dags> "When information is money, being tight-fisted is hard to break."
<Bel|Dags> It's reasonable that TGK didn't want to drag him all the way down here, but still a shame.
<Bel|Dags> "Especially when there's nobody you're used to spilling the beans to. I get that."
<Bel|Dags> As refreshing as shooting the shit with peers in the info biz is, I can't help but keep thinking about Freddy. Everything from his lack of a mask to TGK's warning to his sheer presence here screams 'interesting'. And interesting is worth money. ||
<Antioch|GM> Blake steps up to the impromptu podium offset from the casket. Two caskets, actually, upon closer inspection. Right, Absynthesis.
<Antioch|GM> The low muttering silences itself, and pretty much everyone's taken a seat. Freddy's kind of alone, it looks like TGK is the only guy he really knows, although Jetstream is sitting near him. ||
<-> Lysa is now known as Lysa|GM
<Bel|Dags> Despite TGK's warning, I make my exit and head over his way. I settle in next to him, motioning to the chair to ask if he's got anyone sitting there. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy nods his head, not wanting to make a noise in the silence. Dags seemed nice enough. ||
<Bel|Dags> I sit down. Time to get serious. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy watches Blake, waiting for him to start talking. ||
<Antioch|GM> Blake clears his throat.
<Antioch|GM> "Thank you, all of you, for taking the time to show up here and pay your respects to Khandhas and Absynthesis. I'm sorry for the short notice, but Sigma's attack is just a symptom of the problems in Cleveland right now. We all have our jobs to do, in the face of it. But let's not dwell on that for now," he says.
<Antioch|GM> "This is to honor the memories of the two people who died heroically yesterday night. They gave their lives to protect me and everyone else in the hospital."
<Antioch|GM> That's somewhat of an embellishment, but it seems Blake genuinely believes it.
<Antioch|GM> "Many of us gathered here today owe them a great deal. I certainly do."
<Antioch|GM> He pauses for a moment. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy nods along. Everything he said is true. He sniffs. Stated outright like that, it's hard to not think about the fight.
<Nick|Freddy> The red light. The pile of ash.
<Nick|Freddy> Tears well up in his eyes. ||
<Bel|Dags> I dip my head. Khandhas kicked ass. Didn't know Absynthesis had it in her. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Khandhas came to Cleveland only a few months ago, but he did his part, especially when the city needed it. He fought off an Auswahlen attack, he stepped up to the plate when Behemoth struck halfway across the world... in a lot of things, he went above and beyond. And he never considered himself a hero. Just an investigator. Just someone who was doing his
<Antioch|GM> job." ||
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<Nick|Freddy> Freddy wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. He sniffs. He can cry if he wants, but he doesn't want to right now. ||
<Bel|Dags> ||
<Antioch|GM> "Absynthesis came to town even more recently. She offered healing services to a lot of villains and rogues. Not something I really looked favorably upon. But she came to the hospital to help Inspector Kusakabe, who's been paralyzed from a Master attack for months now. She offered to try to fix him, something I haven't been able to do, and it really seemed
<Antioch|GM> like she was making forward progress."
<Antioch|GM> He shakes his head regretfully.
<Antioch|GM> "We lost a lot, yesterday." ||
<Nick|Freddy> She'd had to make a choice in the end, and she'd made the right one. That counts for a lot, in Freddy's book. Especially with what she sacrificed to do it. He takes a shuddering breath. ||
<Antioch|GM> "I'm not a good eulogist. Public speaking isn't my strong suit. This probably isn't even how a real funeral goes," Blake says. "But if you'd like to come up here and share something that honors their memories..."
<Antioch|GM> He steps off to the side. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy sort of wants to say something, but he feels like he doesn't know anything about either of them. He also doesn't think he could get up there and start talking without just full-on sobbing. He stays in his seat, tears sliding down his face. ||
<Bel|Dags> I clear my throat and, hesitatingly, stand up.
<Bel|Dags> ((One sec))
<-> iridium248 is now known as iri|Derek
<-> ColdGold|GM is now known as ColdGold
<-> soulpelt| is now known as soulpelt|sleep
<-> tubes is now known as tubes|GM
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<Bel|Dags>  ((So for posterity, this is the longest I've ever taken to post. What a record.))
<Antioch|GM> ((You're a champ.))
<Bel|Dags> I make my way between the chairs up to by the caskets.
<-> Faustus|GM is now known as austus
<-> austus is now known as Faustus
<Bel|Dags> "I feel like I should say a few words. As most of you know, Khandhas did a good deal of work with me through the HPIA."
<Bel|Dags> I pause. It's too dry outside, I have to swallow past a hard lump.
<Bel|Dags> "Most of the work he did I didn't give him. Sometimes I'd walk in the office and there'd be a box sitting on the desk, or a tallish man in face paint waiting patiently to explain how exactly he took down some predatory gang."
<Bel|Dags> I try to avoid looking over at Royal Flush or Maia. There's too much hurt there.
<Bel|Dags> "But everything he did, he did it because he wanted to help. He judged his work by how many people it helped and his drink by the burn, and I hope one day I can say the same for me."
<Bel|Dags> "Thanks." I sit down, not looking at anyone.
<Bel|Dags> I swig the flask. Khandhas would've wanted it. ||
<Antioch|GM> Haddon steps up. He takes the flask for a moment.
<Antioch|GM> "Before he was a cape, Khandhas was an investigator. A private detective."
<Antioch|GM> "He stuck with it, after he got his powers. There's a lot of ugly stuff you get to see in that job."
<Antioch|GM> "Front row seat to a lot of the worse things humanity has on offer."
<Antioch|GM> "It says a lot, that he stayed with it. That he kept doing what he could, solving problems one by one."
<Antioch|GM> "To Khandhas," he says, raising the flask, "and to staying true to your beliefs, no matter the ugly truths." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy stays quiet in his seat, crying. He's glad that other people are saying things. Khandhas deserves it. ||
<Bel|Dags> I raise my flask with him, with an eye to the young boy next to me. He'll need a drink soon. ||
<Antioch|GM> Royal Flush stands up. "He saved me after I got kidnapped," she says.
<Antioch|GM> "I owed him a lot. Wanted to pay him back, once things settled down."
<Antioch|GM> "I–"
<Antioch|GM> Her voice hitches noticeably, and she takes a deep breath.
<Antioch|GM> "– I really wish I had the chance." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy's a bit disappointed that no one's saying anything about Absynthesis. It doesn't seem fair, exactly. Maybe she wasn't here long, so people didn't know her, but she still deserves something to be said. She died for him, and for Blake.
<Nick|Freddy> He tries to catch his breath, stop crying, but he can't, not right now. Everything happening reminds him of one thing, the last few seconds of the fight. Throwing his shoe, being shoved to the ground. He'd almost died.
<Nick|Freddy> Khandhas and Absythesis hadn't been so lucky. Even Antithesis, as much of a monster as she seemed to have been, was dead now.
<Nick|Freddy> He wants to get up, to say something, for Absynthesis's sake. He stands up shakily. He walks to the podium. If he stood behind it he'd be mostly hidden, so he stands to one side. He freezes up, seeing the impressive array of capes in front of him. But he has to talk. Say something.
<Nick|Freddy> "I-," he starts. His voice cracks. "I didn't know Khandhas or Absynthesis. But they both made a decision at the end. They sacrificed their own lives. That's-" he takes a deep breath. "Th-that's the b-best that you can do."
<Nick|Freddy> His tears are falling faster now, and not so silently. He takes a gulp of air before sitting back down.
<Nick|Freddy> He puts his face in his elbow, embarrassed. He cries. ||
<Bel|Dags> Man, this kid's getting torn up. First fight, maybe, and turns out it was a goddamn massacre. Something that manages to take out Khandhas is something nobody wants a part of.
<Bel|Dags> I put my hand on his shoulder and slide him my handkerchief out of my back pocket. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy takes the hankerchief and wipes his face liberally. ||
<Antioch|GM> (( ColdGold - does Dodger want to say a few words? ))
<ColdGold> ((I'm free in a few minutes to drop a quick line if you're fine with that))
<Antioch|GM> (( Word ))
<Bel|Dags> I lean over and quietly mutter, "You should say something, kid. You were there." ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Just cut in with ... whenever you wanna))
<Bel|Dags> "Anything." ||
<Nick|Freddy> ((bel, he did just say something))
<Bel|Dags> ((Fuck.))
<Bel|Dags> ((This illiteracy is really holding me back.))
<Bel|Dags> ((Redact))
<-> ColdGold is now known as Dodger
<Antioch|GM> Dodger sees the kid from that night take a stand, say a few words through the tears. ||
<Dodger> ...
<Dodger> Dodger who's remained quiet and towards the back up to this point, startled upon seeing the kid there. The one he'd told to run back in the room. He'd seen those people getting torn up, but he honestly hadn't given them much thought. They had broken into rats after all...
<Dodger> Was it him who'd made them?
<Dodger> Poor fucking kid. Dodger hadn't seen the entire fight, but he'd managed to piece together the rest of the night at the funeral. It must have been... brutal.
<Dodger> Dodger walks up and pounds the kid's shoulder with a friendly fist as he walks up. He moves to take the stand.
<Dodger> "I'm gonna start off by saying I didn't come here with a speech prepared, so don't expect anything crazy."
<Dodger> He takes a deep breath. "I didn't know Khandas well, or at all really. We had just met. But I can say I have respect for the guy, the kind you get fighting alongside them. When the windows blew in on us, we both knew we had something rough ahead of us, and we pushed through.
<Dodger> We watched her tear things apart, she came for our lives. But we fought to protect what's good in this city." He taps his chest twice with his fist and points at the King.
<Dodger> "Respect to this man. And respect to Absynthesis. A person who did business with me on my first night out, gave me advice even though I'd just started rolling with the Blackguard. I heard how she helped, and well all I can say is that it was real Absynthesis."
<Dodger> He moves to step down, but remembers one last thing.
<Dodger> "Shouts out to my boy out here, who's toughing it out. Keep your head up, man." Dodger says pointing to the young Freddy before stepping down and heading back to the back of the crowd.
<Dodger> ||
<-> Dodger is now known as ColdGold
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't exactly feel like he's 'toughing it out' right now, but he appreciates the idea. ||
<Bel|Dags> I offer my flask as Dodger walks by. Boy deserves a drink. ||
<-> ColdGold is now known as Dodger
<Dodger> Dodger stops and observes the flask, before deciding fuck it he can break his rules a bit for them.
<Dodger> He takes a swig, and nods at Dags.
<Dodger> ||
<Antioch|GM> It burns along the way down, not a sharp one, but a steady, warm burn, spreading into his chest and lungs. ||
<Dodger> The burn isn't a bad one. He hands the flask back.
<Dodger> ||
<Bel|Dags> I nod, taking it back and taking a swig myself. It's for Khandhas.
<Bel|Dags> I offer it one more time to Freddy. Maybe his opinion's changed a bit. ||
<Antioch|GM> The swig is probably the five hundredth one he's taken over the course of the afternoon. For Khandhas. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't even notice the flask being held out to him. He's too busy crying and wiping his tears. ||
<Bel|Dags> I pocket the flask. He's just a kid, after all. ||
<-> Dodger is now known as ColdGold
<Antioch|GM> ((Knowledge roll Nick|Freddy))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Knowledge
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Knowledge" [1] -1 = 0
<Antioch|GM> Some guy in fancy armor steps up.
<Antioch|GM> "Absynthesis was smart. She had to be, for a solo Tinker who could heal people."
<Antioch|GM> "She treated being a cape like a business, and she never treated a customer poorly."
<Antioch|GM> "I never knew her to leave a favor unrepaid. As far as I know, she died with a clean ledger. It's rare, among people like us." ||
<Bel|Dags> He's not wrong. Everyone's got debts. Good on her for keeping hers clean. ||
<Nick|Freddy> ||
<Antioch|GM> Jiangjun moves up to speak.
<Antioch|GM> "It was kinda weird to me how Khandy never really thought of himself as a cape for a while."
<Antioch|GM> "Kinda had to drill it into his thick skull that he started playing a different game once he got his powers."
<Antioch|GM> "But man, when it clicked, it fucking clicked. Auswahlen, the Shisike, hell, Behemoth. Managed to kill Sigma as his last act."
<Antioch|GM> He shakes his head.
<Antioch|GM> "What a fuckin' guy. What a champ. You could grind up his bones and make powdered crazy."
- {Day changed to Sunday, April 9, 2017}
<Antioch|GM> He gestures at Dags. "Gimme the booze, guy." ||
<Bel|Dags> I toss him the flask. I mean, he asked for it. ||
<Antioch|GM> He catches it in one hand and unscrews the cap, knocking it back.
<Antioch|GM> He chokes a little on it. No experience drinking.
<Antioch|GM> "Fuck," he says, coughing, tossing the flask back.
<Antioch|GM> "To Khandhas," he says, in between coughs. "This is a fuck of a bitter pill to swallow." ||
<Bel|Dags> I catch it and knock one back in response. Well said. ||
<Nick|Freddy> ||
<Antioch|GM> A few people step up and leave tokens on the casket. Nothing especially meaningful, save for something from Maia.
<Antioch|GM> Heavy metal cylinder, tempered glass. Dirt and rubble are trapped within, and the top of the cylinder is etched with a stylized 'A'.
<Antioch|GM> She takes a moment to read the inscription.
<Antioch|GM> "Khandhas; Behemoth. December 03, 2009. Istanbul."
<Antioch|GM> ||
<Bel|Dags> I bow my head. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Fighting an Endbringer. That's a good thing to do. One of the best. Freddy tells himself that he'll help like that, someday. ||
<Antioch|GM> Everyone participates in a goodish length moment of silence.
<Antioch|GM> Blake steps over, nudging Dags.
<Antioch|GM> "Should I announce the wake, or you? It's your place." ||
<Bel|Dags> Political ramifications tumble through my mind, power plays and status displays suggested and discarded before I shake my head. It's a funeral, and for friends.
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<Bel|Dags> "I'll do it. You're right, it's my place. Now a good time?" ||
<Antioch|GM> "Now's as good as any," Blake says. ||
<Bel|Dags> "Mhm." I lever myself up, turning to face the majority of the crowd.
<Bel|Dags> "For anybody wanting to pay their respects, I'll be hosting the wake at my bar after this. 'S The Spade, feel free to ask if you don't know the address. Everyone's welcome, these two touched a lot of people." I cast my eyes across the crowd, gaze lingering on some of the more villainous. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy finishes up his crying session. It's easier to stop when people aren't talking about them anymore. He sniffs a great many times before turning to Jetstream.
<Nick|Freddy> "Are you taking me back now?" he asks. ||
<Antioch|GM> She nods at him. "If you're ready." ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Yeah," he says. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Thanks for coming," she says, leading him to the car.
<Antioch|GM> ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Yeah. I'm- I'm glad I came," he says. It was good to at least learn more about the people who saved his life. Died just yesterday. Now a pile of ash. He gets in the car without another word. He doesn't talk the whole way back to PHQ. ||
<Antioch|GM> ||||
<-> Antioch|GM is now known as Antioch
<-> You are now known as Nick
<Antioch> Thanks! We'll have a wake session sometime for Dags and Dodger.
<Antioch> Freddy can go home and chill.