Freddy Arc 18 Full

10:40 <~Antioch|GM> Hey, Nick, let's start things off with three social rolls from you. Empathy or Willpower can apply.
10:40 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 2h6+1x3! Therapy
10:40 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Therapy" (4)+1 [6]+1 = 7  ::  [6]+1 (4)+1 = 7  ::  [3]+1 (3)+1 = 4
10:40 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6+1x3! Max Darnell Soc
10:40 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Max Darnell Soc" [5] +1 = 6  ::  [2] +1 = 3  ::  [5] +1 = 6
10:41 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 3d6-1x3 Social
10:41 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Social" [6] [5] [6] -1 = 16  ::  [5] [3] [5] -1 = 12  ::  [5] [6] [5] -1 = 15
10:41 <Nick|Freddy> oh whoops
10:41 <~Antioch|GM> Haha, it's cool. I'll take the first one.
10:41 <~Antioch|GM> 5, 4, and 5.
10:41 <Nick|Freddy> nice, that's the best
10:42 <~Antioch|GM> Last time, on #WDCleveland...
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy Darnell is a recently triggered parahuman, a Master with the ability to construct humanoid minions -- realistic at first, but as they deteriorate or fall under scrutiny, appear feral and rodent-like.
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> He triggered, running away from home in a search for attention and finding none, but when he returned, his parents and family attempted to shower him with attention due to his new-found powers, arguably making things worse than before.
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> Kept under close scrutiny in a home with an upgraded security system and extended family members being used as caretakers, he manages to run away from home again, finding himself running up against Primus, the city's corporate heroes, apparently tasked with his safe return.
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> He's confronted by his father, a prominent backer of the corporate team, and after a long, very strained discussion, manages to put some work towards mending the gap between the two.
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> He's introduced to Primus proper the next day, with his father hoping that him joining the team is a suitable alternative to the Wards that he's more fond of, but the introduction is cut short as the team responds to a Blackguards attack in Borgata territory.
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> After first impressions are made, he's finally able to visit a therapist with his father for a scheduled meeting.
10:49 <~Antioch|GM> ...
10:51 <~Antioch|GM> The therapy session is productive in some respects and vexing in others. Freddy finds himself calmer, better able to express his thoughts, in an environment with the therapist as a mediator.
10:51 <~Antioch|GM> He's able to have his thoughts heard without his father or other family members talking over him, to a certain extent.
10:52 <~Antioch|GM> It's an opportunity to vent his frustrations, an opportunity to make points and compromises that he wouldn't otherwise have.
10:53 <~Antioch|GM> Still, without being able to talk about his powers, there's a good deal that's left unsaid, topics that he's unable to broach without revealing the fact that he triggered with parental neglect being the primary component.
10:57 <~Antioch|GM> Max, for his part, makes promises and assurances to ensure Freddy's voice is heard at home, admits his fault in treating Freddy more like a belonging possession than a person. He's agreed to give up some measure of control. It's visible that it bites at him, but it's equally visible that he's willing to concede his stance.
10:59 <~Antioch|GM> As the discussion nears its close, the feeling of neutrality does shift for the worse, if only slightly. The therapist acquiesces to Max's points more, and Freddy gets the sense that it's both the fact that he's an adult and that he's presumably footing the bill for this session.
10:59 <~Antioch|GM> Progress has been made -- a lot of it, in all honesty -- but the session ends on a decidedly sour note.
11:01 <~Antioch|GM> ||
11:03 <Nick> Freddy probably should have expected that much. His dad was so much easier to listen to and believe, as an adult and a successful one, at that.
11:05 <Nick> Freddy didn't expect the therapist to be on his side, but the session was at least as frustrating as it was helpful. Freddy couldn't bring up his powers, but more importantly, he couldn't bring up Primus and his dad's insistance on his joining.
11:05 <Nick> He bets the Wards can talk about their powers with their therapists.
11:07 <Nick> Freddy supposes that he should thank his dad for trying as much as he had been in the past few days. It had been worse, before, both before he ran away and just after he came back.
11:07 <Nick> "Thanks, Dad," Freddy says, "This is hard." ||
11:13 <~Antioch|GM> "I'm glad you came," he replies. "Sorry that I didn't take you sooner."
11:16 <~Antioch|GM> He's silent for a few more moments.
11:16 <~Antioch|GM> "Is there anything you want to do, before going to check out the Wards thing on Saturday? Hang out with your friends or go see a movie?" he asks.
11:16 <~Antioch|GM> He thinks on it for a while longer.
11:16 <~Antioch|GM> "There's a place in the Primus building where capes train," he adds. "If you wanted to practice with your power, or something." ||
11:18 <Nick|Freddy> That's actually a pretty good idea. Freddy only has a faint idea of his power, and no idea about the limits. He's only really made the one rat fully, and he doesn't know if he can control it more or make more than one.
11:18 <Nick|Freddy> If something happens at the fundraiser, like he hopes, then it would be a very good idea to learn more about what he can do.
11:19 <Nick|Freddy> "Practicing with my power sounds good," he tells his father.
11:19 <Nick|Freddy> "When can we do that?" ||
11:23 <~Antioch|GM> "You can have all of tomorrow, if you like," he says. He seems happy, but it's reasonably easy to assume why. It's more time spent at Primus, more time to get comfortable with the building and the capes there. ||
11:26 <Nick|Freddy> "Sure," Freddy says a bit more sullenly. What had been a glimmer of enthusiasm at the thought of flexing his powers like a real superhero fades as he realizes where and with whom he'll be doing it. ||
11:27 <~Antioch|GM> It's with that lingering sense of discontent that the remainder of the day passes. Dinner is unobjectionable, but given the atmosphere, conversation is flat, brief, perfunctory.
11:27 <~Antioch|GM> The next day, his dad drives him across the river and over to Primus.
11:33 <~Antioch|GM> Their training area has all the trimmings of a gym, with some other affectations besides. A ring in the center, presumably for sparring, punching bags, some esoteric measuring equipment that he's not quite sure the purpose of, and more stuff besides. It's roomy, and he wouldn't be surprised if it took up more than half of the basement floor.
11:34 <~Antioch|GM> One of the guys who works for Primus hands him some gym clothes, showing him to the locker room. As he passes by the training area proper, he can see Corsair swordfighting a mirror. Occasionally, even through the glass, he can hear a faint "Hyah!" or "Have at you!" punctuating the background whir of the ventilation. ||
11:39 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy takes a breath and heads in. He's had to train in gyms before, for soccer, but everyone there was his age, and he had more than a couple friends with him. The situation here is different. This gym belongs to people who he doesn't exactly like, and who don't all like him. Corsair is OK, he guesses, but even so he doesn't really want him watching as he
11:39 <Nick|Freddy> tries to figure out his power.
11:41 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't address Corsair's presence as he heads to a corner of the large room, faces the wall, and starts to generate a ratman. ||
11:46 <~Antioch|GM> At the edges of his peripheral vision, in the shadows lurking behind the punching bags, he gets the impression of a swarm, skittering together, building itself up into something coherent.
11:46 <~Antioch|GM> (( ~~~ power testing minigame ~~~ ))
11:47 <~Antioch|GM> (( Ask me five questions about your power! Make some rolls! Later, tell me one thing you want to try to improve about it. ))
11:47 <~Antioch|GM> ||
11:47 <Nick|Freddy> ((Should the questions be asked IC or OOC?))
11:47 <~Antioch|GM> ((OOC is fine.))
11:56 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy spends some time generating as many ratmen as he can, trying to make the first one look like his favorite soccer player, seeing if his intentions can guide their appearance. He then experiments with what commands he can give, including nonverbal hand gestures and /really hard/ thinking, and sets one to hitting the punching bags. He tries to make them
11:56 <Nick|Freddy> talk, and checks how complicated his commands can be.
11:56 <Nick|Freddy> ((What are the rats' stat lines? How much can the appearance be customized? Can they talk convincingly? Can they understand complex commands with conditions (if/then)? Can they innovate while following commands (eg, assuming they could talk, can they hold a conversation if instructed to)?)) ||
12:05 <~Antioch|GM> (( Rats are flat 2, but you can give them three +1s in any stat, although they're capped at 4. The appearance can be customized pretty handily. If you can imagine a face or person, the rat will do its best the mold their appearance to match that, although it falls apart under scrutiny / damage. Stupid rats sound stupid, but rats with decent Soc can pull off
12:05 <~Antioch|GM> a decent act. The rats understand if/then commands. They can hold a conversation sort of well, depending on their stat allocation. ))
12:05 <~Antioch|GM> He conjures rats, first one, then two, then three, playing with how much he can mold and tailor them to his expectations.
12:06 <~Antioch|GM> A muscular, hunchbacked rat-man works the bags, while two ratfolk chatter to themselves, holding a sort of inane conversation.
12:06 <~Antioch|GM> He repeats the process, testing the limits of his innovation, the limits of his minions to understand his commands.
12:07 <~Antioch|GM> At some point during this, Corsair leaves, either because he's done yelling at his reflection or because he's starting to get a little weirded out.
12:12 <~Antioch|GM> They're human-passing, and it's interesting to note that the rats seem to grow stronger after they shed their disguise. It's partially the shape and form of the rats, and partially a mind-altering aspect of his power -- he can see what the rats ought to look like, overlaid what they actually are.
12:13 <~Antioch|GM> "Please pass the butter," one rat says to another, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
12:13 <~Antioch|GM> The other rat mimes passing butter. ||
12:20 <Nick|Freddy> This power is more useful than Freddy thought. He can make the rats look like specific people, even! That will be super useful for any stealth or infiltration applications. Freddy tells the rats to stand up, and thinks about what else he can do here. Making the rats work out isn't super productive, since each rat is pretty expendable. Freddy checks the time
12:20 <Nick|Freddy> on his phone. It has to be fairly late by now; it took a fair amount of time to just make three rats.
12:21 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't want to have to make new rats if something happens unexpectedly, but he doesn't have high hopes that he'll be able to convince his dad to let him bring them home. The first one had lasted a fair while without any guidance, though, so maybe if he tells the rats to hang around his house and stay out of sight, they'll be able to last for a while.
12:21 <Nick|Freddy> He decides to try asking his dad first. ||
12:22 <~Antioch|GM> ((Roll flat 1d6, please!))
12:22 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6
12:22 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy [2]  = 2
12:26 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy has a better idea of the shape of his power, now. He can sense there's room to improve, nuance to be added as he experiments and molds each rat. He can give them direction, focus his attention one way or another, lending breadth or depth to his power. In his practice, he begins compartmentalizing different varieties of his minions.
12:26 <~Antioch|GM> ((Make up two Rat Types. You're more familiar with them, they're summoned faster. They have a fixed stat line and more skills than the average rat.))
12:28 <Nick|Freddy> ((Buff Rat: 4 Brawn 3 Guts. Sly Rat: 4 Dex 3 Wits))
12:29 <Nick|Freddy> ((Do they get skills?))
12:29 <~Antioch|GM> ((Four pips, but can't go over 3 in one specific skill.))
12:31 <Nick|Freddy> ((Cool. Buff Rat gets 2 Brawl, 2 Withstand. Sly Rat gets 3 Sneak, 1 Awareness))
12:33 <~Antioch|GM> He familiarizes himself with two specific varieties of minion, trying to remember the sensation of their specifics as best as possible. They'll come to him faster, now.
12:34 <~Antioch|GM> When he asks his dad, he gets to see him at a loss for words. He stutters and pauses for a few moments, mumbling some stuff that sounds like "I don't know", and "my car".
12:34 <~Antioch|GM> ||
12:36 <Nick|Freddy> "It's OK, dad. I'll make them go," Freddy responds. To the rats, he whispers for two of them, including the muscled hunchback and the soccer player, to disappear, but tells one to hide out near the house and stay out of sight. Hopefully his dad wouldn't question where they were going or why he had to whisper.
12:36 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm done now," Freddy says. "Thanks for driving me here." ||
12:37 <~Antioch|GM> His dad looks noticeably relieved.
12:37 <~Antioch|GM> "You excited for the fundraiser tomorrow?" he asks, changing the topic. ||
12:39 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah!" Freddy says, truthfully. "It should be exciting, getting to see all the Wards."
12:39 <Nick|Freddy> And there's always a chance something /exciting/ will happen. ||
12:41 <~Antioch|GM> |||
12:41 <~Antioch|GM> ...
12:41 <~Antioch|GM> Saturday morning is filled with the impatience of having to wait until evening, to have something exciting happen.
12:42 <Nick|Freddy> ((/exciting/ - > /really/ exciting*))
12:43 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy reads the flyer for the event more than once. Dinner, door prizes, meeting the Wards with Q&As and autographs.
12:43 <~Antioch|GM> There's a new Ward joining, apparently. Ripcord. ||
12:45 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's first emotion is jealousy. Why did Ripcord get to join the Cleveland Wards instead of him? The signings and Q&As more than make up for it, however.
12:48 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy will be able to meet real superheroes that are actually his age! Primus was OK, especially that Cantus guy, but the Wards were what he always had dreamed of, who he had collectible cards of, who featured on one of his T-shirts. They were the real deal. Or they will be, when they grow up. ||
12:50 <~Antioch|GM> Maybe he'll need a cape name soon, too.
12:51 <~Antioch|GM> The rest of the day is filled with a lot of fidgeting, wondering what clothes to wear, what stuff to bring to get signed. ||
12:55 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy wears khaki cargo shorts and his Eidolon shirt. He collects a few figures and a hat with the PRT logo, and puts them in his backpack.
12:56 <Nick|Freddy> He was excited, but now he's getting more and more nervous, waiting for the event to draw closer. Will he make a fool of himself in front of the Wards? In front of the kids from his school who are also there?
12:58 <Nick|Freddy> Whatever might happen, the event is something that he /has/ to go to. He'll tell the rat he made yesterday to hang out near the school, in case of emergency. And more than a small part of him hopes for an emergency. ||
13:01 <~Antioch|GM> After a light lunch, impatient waiting, and trying to kill time by browsing PHO, it's finally time. He tells the rat skulking near his backyard to go early, since he lacks the benefit of a car, and he creeps off towards East Tech.
13:01 <~Antioch|GM> His dad cranks the car engine. ||
13:03 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy gets in the car, his stomach fluttering.
13:03 <Nick|Freddy> "Alright," he says, both to himself and his dad. "Time to go!" ||
13:05 <~Antioch|GM> (( Okay, gonna pause here for a bit. Errands and lunch. ))
13:05 <Nick|Freddy> ((glhf))
16:04 <~Antioch|GM> ...
16:08 <~Antioch|GM> Max and Freddy get to East Tech earlier than a lot of folks did for the event. The parking lot is only half full, with two easily recognizable PRT vans parked near the very front.
16:09 <~Antioch|GM> They walk in, with Max flashing the tickets. The guy at the door is Mr. Beckman, Freddy's U.S. History teacher, who waves hello as he walks past.
16:10 <~Antioch|GM> The auditorium is right in front of the school entrance, and the entryway has been prettied up with carpets and banners and decorations. There are two ladies sitting at a fold-out table covered in a nice tablecloth. One is taking care of door prizes and the other one seems to be handing out menu cards to fill, for the dinner.
16:12 <~Antioch|GM> There's an unmanned table next to the door prize lady holding some of the prizes. Freddy can see T-shirts with a lot of the Cleveland capes on them, with a new design that has the silhouette of all four Wards front and center. There are lunchboxes and posters and a lot of other stuff, even some merchandise for capes from other departments. ||
16:13 <Nick|Freddy> ((What's a door prize?))
16:14 <~Antioch|GM> ((Oh! It's like a lottery thing. If you go to an event and show up, you get to put your name in to have the chance to win a prize.))
16:14 <Nick|Freddy> ((oh ok))
16:14 <Nick|Freddy> ((lol))
16:14 <~Antioch|GM> ((It's a door prize because all you have to do to enter is go through the door, so to speak))
16:14 <~Antioch|GM> ((Generally it's a thing to drum up attendance / enthusiasm for an event))
16:14 <Nick|Freddy> ((Sure, I had never heard them called something specific before))
16:15 <~Antioch|GM> ((Might be a regional thing))
16:16 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's eyes light up at all the merch. He walks over to where the lady is collecting entries, not caring whether his dad follows.
16:17 <Nick|Freddy> He enters himself eagerly, and thanks the woman there, before taking a menu card and returning to his dad. He checks out the food options as he walks. ||
16:19 <~Antioch|GM> It's really fancy, almost jarring to have it served here, when the usual food here is constantly cafeteria-quality.
16:20 <~Antioch|GM> Salad with smoked salmon, three different kinds of soups that he can't tell the dang difference because they're all in Italian or French or something.
16:21 <~Antioch|GM> He's got the pick of some kind of pasta that he has no idea about, some kind of baked chicken dish (the chicken is free-range, which is apparently important enough to mention), and roasted beef tenderloin with mushrooms, as far as the main dish goes.
16:22 <~Antioch|GM> Then there's the choice between something called panna cotta for dessert, or an apple cake with ice cream. ||
16:23 <Nick|Freddy> ((is it like a checkbox thing? pick one in each category?))
16:23 <~Antioch|GM> ((Yep!))
16:25 <Nick|Freddy> The salad sounds good to start, and Freddy knows he likes beef and mushrooms, but he's torn about the dessert.
16:25 <Nick|Freddy> "What's panna cotta?" he asks his dad. He hopes it's better than apple cake. ||
16:25 <~Antioch|GM> Even his dad has to think about it for a while.
16:27 <~Antioch|GM> "It's sort of like Jell-O, but made of milk, with some kind of sweet sauce. Fruit, usually, I think." ||
16:27 <Nick|Freddy> Hm.
16:28 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy isn't sure if he'll like that. Milk Jell-O sounds nasty.
16:28 <Nick|Freddy> He checks the box next to the apple cake.
16:29 <Nick|Freddy> He waits for his dad to fill out his own menu card, and then heads into the main auditorium. ||
16:32 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy's dad spots someone in the crowd, probably someone from work. He strides over and starts talking, probably about something boring.
16:33 <~Antioch|GM> There are PRT guys scattered here and there, keeping an eye on the doorways. Up near the stage, at a table in the front, some people are sitting. Freddy recognizes one of them as Fleetfoot. He seems to be watching the crowd. ||
16:34 <Nick|Freddy> Oh man. This is really it. Freddy's heart beats slightly faster as he sees Fleetfoot.
16:35 <Nick|Freddy> Should he go up and try to get something signed? No, there'd be a time for that, and he doesn't want to annoy Fleetfoot by going up to him now.
16:37 <Nick|Freddy> He bounces a little on his feet as he looks at him, though, before more thoroughly examining the rest of the room. Security here is intense. There's a lot of PRT uniforms. And the Wards themselves probably count as security.
16:38 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy starts walking around, looking to see if he recognizes any of his school friends so he can have someone to talk about how cool this is. ||
16:41 <~Antioch|GM> He's able to spot Steve from his soccer team coming in through the door with his mom and dad. Steve apparently sees him too, running over.
16:42 <~Antioch|GM> He points excitedly at Fleetfoot, at all the prizes outside and clearly out of his line of sight, and then just starts gesticulating incomprehensibly.
16:42 <~Antioch|GM> "Dude!"
16:42 <Nick|Freddy> ((to talk to*))
16:42 <~Antioch|GM> He tries to think of something more poignant to say, but ends up yelling "Dude!" again. ||
16:43 <Nick|Freddy> "I know!" Freddy says, more quietly than Steve's yelling, but still above normal volume.
16:44 <Nick|Freddy> "This whole thing is crazy! Did you see the new shirt?"
16:45 <Nick|Freddy> "And imagine if you won it and got it signed by frickin' Fleetfoot. What did you bring to get signed, anyway?" Freddy asks his friend. ||
16:47 <~Antioch|GM> Steve turns around, shucking off his Eidolon backpack.
16:47 <~Antioch|GM> "It's gotta be this bad boy here, am I right?" ||
16:49 <Nick|Freddy> "Aw, nice, dude," Freddy says, "We match."
16:49 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy points at his shirt. "I brought my figurines and hat. And my shirt, of course."
16:51 <Nick|Freddy> "Do you think anyone's going to crash the fundraiser? Remember the PHO thread on the last one, with Wink?" Freddy asks. He tries to keep most of the positive emotion out of his voice as he says it. ||
16:52 <~Antioch|GM> "I heard about it, but I didn't check it out online," he replies. "No way though, right? I mean, there's gonna be a buttload of capes here." ||
16:54 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah, I guess, but there were capes at the other one too I think." Freddy's not going to let himself be convinced that something /won't/ happen.
16:54 <Nick|Freddy> "And look at all the PRT people. It looks like they're expecting something to go down." ||
17:00 <~Antioch|GM> "Maybe," he agrees. "There's been a lot of stuff going down. Did you hear they arrested Cremator this morning?"
17:00 <~Antioch|GM> "Well... sort of arrested," he adds, conspiratorially. ||
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy saw a thread about that, but he hadn't clicked it.
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> "What happened? Didn't the Blackguards just have a fight with Primus and the Protectorate a few days ago? Did something else happen?"
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy supposes he can't share how much he knows about the first fight, so he plays a little dumb. ||
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> -||
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> He's still upset he didn't get to help out. ||
17:12 <~Antioch|GM> "The People and the Blackguards fought yesterday. That Cantus Aureus guy was there too."
17:12 <~Antioch|GM> "But that new Borgata cape showed up and took Cremator after they beat him," he continues.
17:13 <~Antioch|GM> "So he turned up this morning at the PRT headquarters and just dumped him on the ground, apparently."
17:14 <~Antioch|GM> He scratches his head, apparently sort of flummoxed as to why that happened.
17:14 <~Antioch|GM> "It came up on the news when I was eating lunch." ||
17:17 <Nick|Freddy> "Wow, seriously? Did they get anyone else, or just Cremator?" They captured Verminator in the first fight, but Caitiff and the others ran away, if Freddy remembers what he saw on the monitor right.
17:17 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy hopes they caught the other Blackguards too, in this latest fight. ||
17:18 <~Antioch|GM> "Uhh," he says, thinking about it. "I think the People have Bone Homie and Artful Dodger?"
17:18 <~Antioch|GM> He sniggers a little rudely when he says Bone Homie's name. ||
17:20 <Nick|Freddy> "Caitiff got away? That's bad." Caitiff had been the most effective in the fight he saw, flooding the whole battlefield with smoke.
17:20 <Nick|Freddy> "Good for the People, though. I didn't think they got into a lot of fights, really." Freddy's opinion of them had been tainted by that idea, and now he's a bit more impressed by them. ||
17:21 <~Antioch|GM> "Anyways, why did Capo take Cremator and just turn around to give him to the PRT? That's weird. He could have just let him get arrested, y'know. Regularly." ||
17:23 <Nick|Freddy> "He might have interrogated him or something. Those villains are all crazy, ya know?" Freddy responds. It is a good question, though. Maybe he can ask Cantus the next time he sees him. ||
17:23 <~Antioch|GM> "Yeah," Steve says, apparently happy with that explanation. "Villains are weird." ||
17:24 <Nick|Freddy> "Is anyone else coming?" Freddy asks Steve. "From our school, I mean." ||
17:25 <~Antioch|GM> (( Jsyk, this is your school the event is being hosted at. So probably, if that informs your question. ))
17:25 <Nick|Freddy> ((he's more trying to ask about people they both know))
17:25 <~Antioch|GM> (( Ohhh, I gotcha. ))
17:30 <~Antioch|GM> "Oh, uh, Justin, Chris and Matt said they were coming. I didn't really ask around though."  Just some guys in the same grade.
17:30 <~Antioch|GM> "Aw, snap. I wonder if we can guess at who the Wards are if we figure out who didn't show up," he suddenly adds. ||
17:33 <Nick|Freddy> "Whoa, good idea."
17:33 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy pulls out his phone and starts a list. '- Steve' he writes. He resolves to try and note down each of his classmates that he sees, and maybe they can use that to narrow down the list.
17:33 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't bother thinking about what to do with the info. It's not like he wants to out them, and they would probably be upset with him if he told them he knew, or even just try to deny it.
17:34 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy has a glimmer of hope, though, that he'll still eventually be a member of the Wards, so it might eventually be usable information. ||
17:39 <~Antioch|GM> He has a chance to say hi to a few classmates he hasn't seen in a decent while as they come in, putting their names on his phone as he does so.
17:41 <~Antioch|GM> Laurie, Kendall, Jared, Lee, Gabriel, Rachel, Camille, Adrian, Alexis, Tre, Jo, and so on. A lot of people from his grade and a few of the juniors and seniors that he recognizes.
17:41 <~Antioch|GM> His dad shows up partways through, not really intruding, putting his hand on Freddy's shoulder.
17:41 <~Antioch|GM> "Hey," he says, handing him a placeholder card. "Sit wherever you like, okay?" ||
17:46 <Nick|Freddy> "Thanks, Dad," Freddy says happily. He finds a place to sit with Steve, and continues discussing the Wards and their general awesomeness. His mind keeps going back to the fact that he was so close to being a Ward himself, though, if not for his dad's dumb concerns about safety. It's not like being a member of Primus would be safer. They hadn't made it out of
17:46 <Nick|Freddy> their fight untouched. ||
17:49 <~Antioch|GM> 6 o'clock rolls around and the room ends up being really packed, even with all the walking space between the tables.
17:50 <~Antioch|GM> A lot of tables are chattering, presumably also very excited about the Wards, and the combined noise of a lot of voices echoing across the auditorium makes for a noisy environment.
17:50 <~Antioch|GM> Some have to shout to be heard, feeding into the problem, and it gradually gets louder and louder.
17:51 <~Antioch|GM> Then, the speakers come to life with a click, and a woman in a neat suit takes the stage. Slowly but steadily, the room falls silent. ||
17:52 <Nick|Freddy> ((anyone he'd have a chance to recognize with a know roll?))
17:52 <~Antioch|GM> -||
17:53 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy actually recognizes the woman -- his memory is jogged by the fact that he just mentioned the first fundraiser, the one that Blackjack showed up to.
17:53 <~Antioch|GM> The woman on the stage is Erin Jett, who all but cussed out Wink on a hot microphone when he showed up and interrupted things. ||
17:54 <Nick|Freddy> Wow. Freddy shifts slightly in his seat, but waits for her to talk. ||
17:56 <~Antioch|GM> When the room has reached an acceptable volume, she taps the mic a few times, then clips it to its stand.
17:59 <~Antioch|GM> "Hello everyone," she says, "so glad you could make it out tonight. And so many of you, too."
17:59 <~Antioch|GM> "Just letting you know, we'll be bringing out food soon. In half an hour, we'll have some words from the PRT, the Wards, the school system, and our drawing, but for now, enjoy!"
18:00 <~Antioch|GM> She steps away for a moment, then leans in, smiling with a knowing expression on her face.
18:00 <~Antioch|GM> "I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I do hope that this event won't be quite as exciting as last time."
18:00 <~Antioch|GM> A lot of the grown-ups in the room chuckle appreciatively at this. ||
18:03 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't think what she said was that funny, even apart from the fact he secretly disagrees with it. He waits a few seconds to see if she's finished with her introduction. ||
18:08 <~Antioch|GM> Humor aside, it is admittedly easy to sympathize with someone who doesn't want to stare two of the most dangerous Blasters in Ohio dead in the eye again.
18:08 <~Antioch|GM> "Thank you, sincerely, for coming," she adds. "It means a lot to have your support, to know that there are this many people on our side who want to see Cleveland turn around again, starting with the children."
18:08 <~Antioch|GM> "We've got a busy night ahead of us. I do hope you'll enjoy our main event."
18:09 <~Antioch|GM> Given her tone, the notes she's touching on, it's pretty easy to see that her speech is being tailored to the adults in the audience. It's something of a trade-off, at least. The adults probably aren't as excited about having the opportunity to hang out or interact with the Wards. ||
18:12 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's fine with the speech. He can wait. He turns to Steve, and softly says, "She talked to Wink when he crashed the other fundraiser. It was badass." ||
18:13 <~Antioch|GM> "Oh, c'mon," Steve scoffs, rolling his eyes. "It's not like Wink is even scary."
18:13 <~Antioch|GM> He puts his two index fingers over his mouth and affects a very dramatic tone.
18:13 <~Antioch|GM> "Hola......... amigo." ||
18:16 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy cracks up. "Did you see the russian one? He's all 'Greetings..... Komrad.'" ||
18:18 <~Antioch|GM> Steve bursts into a fit of snorting. "Oh, man, the one with the furry hat? Absolutely hilarious." ||
18:19 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy laughs again. When he calms down, he says "So what food are you getting?" ||
18:20 <~Antioch|GM> "Uh, shoot, I dunno. My dad must've ordered for me."
18:22 <~Antioch|GM> ((A quick Know-check, just for fun, with Computers applicable.))
18:23 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 2h6-1 Computers
18:23 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Computers" [6] (5) -1 = 5
18:24 <~Antioch|GM> The food starts coming around. Freddy gets his salad while Steve gets this sort of thick, brown soup with pasta, beans, and a lot of other vegetables.
18:24 <~Antioch|GM> He recognizes it as minestrone, only because he looked it up after reading that one soup_pelt guy's signature for the umpteenth time. ||
18:27 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy digs into his salad, not talking as he does so. He does glance around the room, though, checking for anything interesting, including dining Wards.
18:27 <Nick|Freddy> "Can they eat with their masks on?" he wonders. ||
18:28 <~Antioch|GM> The Wards aren't out there eating with everyone else.
18:28 <~Antioch|GM> "I guess they probably have their own place to eat. Maybe they're behind that curtain near the stage?"
18:29 <~Antioch|GM> "Oh man, what if they're just hanging out here in their civilian identities, eating dinner with us, and changing later?"
18:29 <~Antioch|GM> He gulps down his soup, sets it down, and stands up. "Guess I better get going," he jokes. ||
18:32 <Nick|Freddy> That... doesn't seem likely. "They'd have to put their costumes on and take them off just to eat with their families," he says to Steve. "They're probably behind the curtain like you said." ||
18:32 <~Antioch|GM> "Yeah, probably," he says, sitting back down. "It'd be cool, though."
18:33 <~Antioch|GM> The main dish comes around. Steve gets the weird pasta thing, and he prods it with his spoon.
18:33 <~Antioch|GM> "Man, my soup already had pasta in it." ||
18:35 <Nick|Freddy> "You should have ordered your own food, then," Freddy says playfully.  "I get tenderloin and mushrooms." ||
18:36 <~Antioch|GM> Even through Freddy's been kind of spoiled with good food lately, it's a lot better than his usual fare, probably because of the good company. It's the first time in a while that he's had a face-to-face conversation with someone his own age. ||
18:38 <Nick|Freddy> It's definitely good to be talking with Steve. He's a lot more interesting than his aunt and the other people he barely knew that had been taking care of him. He's almost wishing he could go back to school sooner, even. He eats his meal slowly, savoring the flavor, the environment, and the company. ||
18:42 <~Antioch|GM> The apple cake dessert is also actually pretty good. The top is covered with crumbled dough and apple slices.
18:42 <~Antioch|GM> Steve is enjoying his weird milk Jell-O, but only in the sense that he's picking up the plate and shaking it to watch it jiggle wildly.
18:42 <~Antioch|GM> "I wonder if this is how Tecton feels," he says, beating the panna cotta with the flat of his spoon. ||
18:45 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy chuckles. "I bet Tecton feels a lot cooler than you do, jiggling your plate like that. Stop that, people are gonna think you're a middle schooler or something." ||
18:46 <~Antioch|GM> "Fiiiine," he says, rolling his eyes. He digs out a chunk with his spoon, trying some.
18:46 <~Antioch|GM> "Weird. I like it, but weird." ||
18:47 <Nick|Freddy> "Let me taste!" Freddy says, "You can have some of my ice cream." ||
18:50 <~Antioch|GM> "Sure," he says, scooping some of the ice cream onto his plate.
18:50 <~Antioch|GM> The panna cotta is, as advertised, weird, but pretty good. It's got a little bit more give than regular Jell-O, and there's an almondy taste to it that mixes with the fruit sauce pretty well. The texture is still a little boggling, though.
18:51 <~Antioch|GM> Someone comes up on stage again, but after listening in for a bit, it definitely sounds like stuff that's meant for the grown-ups to listen to. Even the principal is going to give a dang speech. ||
18:52 <Nick|Freddy> ((how big is the school, student wise? would Freddy have interacted meaningfully with the principal before?))
18:53 <~Antioch|GM> ((It's one of the bigger schools. There are like, 175~200 kids in your grade. He's only interacted with the principal perfunctorily, unless he got into detention-worthy trouble, I imagine.))
18:55 <Nick|Freddy> ((ok))
18:55 <Nick|Freddy> ...
18:56 <Nick|Freddy> "This stuff is actually OK," he tells Steve. "I like my cake better, though," he continues as he finishes said cake. ||
18:57 <~Antioch|GM> The apples are still crisp, even though they were baked into a cake. How did they do that?!
18:57 <~Antioch|GM> (( GM Tip: Freeze the apple slices before you bake them. That's how you keep them crisp. ))
19:00 <~Antioch|GM> A few people that he doesn't recognize come up and introduce themselves. One of them is apparently a superintendent. All of them are very happy that people showed up today to give them money. It's boring, because there are no superheroes involved. ||
19:03 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy decides, cake gone, that there's nothing better to do than to listen to the speeches. The Wards were bound to start talking soon, right? ||
19:06 <~Antioch|GM> Some old dude called Garret MacArthur coughs out something that sounds roughly along the lines of "making Cleveland better for the kiddos" and shuffles down the stairs back to his table. People clap, but only politely. Most people are done eating at this point, and staff are coming by to clear the tables.
19:09 <~Antioch|GM> "We're going to need the gym floor clear for our main event," Jett announces, "so hang tight with us as we get the tables packed away. We'll be announcing the winners of our giveaway, so keep your ears open!"
19:11 <~Antioch|GM> The two ladies from the front table earlier come up and make a big show of drawing slips from a fishbowl while reading off names. It looks like a lot of parents wrote their kids' names on their ticket entry, since so far the only people who've been called have been kids around his age.
19:11 <~Antioch|GM> One of them wins a Valiant With Motorcycle action figure. It must be very new. He only has Valiant Without Motorcycle. ||
19:12 <Nick|Freddy> Shit, there's a Valiant figurine with a motorcycle? That's super cool.
19:12 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy really hopes he wins something.
19:12 <Nick|Freddy> "Did you enter, Steve?" ||
19:13 <~Antioch|GM> "Yeah, duh! What do you wanna get?" ||
19:13 <Nick|Freddy> "I want the new shirt. Or something with Valiant. Like a hat." ||
19:14 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 5h100
19:14 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM (31) (27) (12) [76] (14)  = 76
19:15 <~Antioch|GM> There are a crapload of giveaway prizes, so it's actually a pretty good way to kill time. Some folks move over to the bleachers once their tables are rolled away.
19:18 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy does actually perk up, hearing his name called, and finds himself the winner of a very solid Triumvirate lunchbox, though he probably already has one. The blow is softened by the fact that there's the new Wards T-shirt stuffed in the lunchbox after he checks it. ||
19:19 <Nick|Freddy> "Sweet! Do you have this lunchbox, Steve?" he asks. He doesn't need another one. ||
19:19 <~Antioch|GM> "Uh, no, why?" he asks. ||
19:20 <Nick|Freddy> "You can have this one. I have the same one already." ||
19:20 <~Antioch|GM> The look in Steve's eyes as he wordlessly accepts the lunchbox resembles something akin to undying loyalty. ||
19:21 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy puts the new Wards shirt on over his Eidolon one. This is awesome. He moves over to the bleachers.
19:21 <Nick|Freddy> "Come on, they said they need the floor clear for something." ||
19:27 <~Antioch|GM> The floor is cleared and the bleachers are filled up. It's not as crowded in the gym anymore, and it looks like some of the adults who were participating have meandered off elsewhere, maybe to talk about things.
19:27 <~Antioch|GM> The speakers begin to play music, slowly growing louder, and the kids chattering on the bleacher start to quieten down again. From behind the curtain, four capes step out. Well, three. One of them flies.
19:28 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 2h6-1 Ripcord, Presentation
19:28 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Ripcord, Presentation" (1) [3] -1 = 2
19:29 <~Antioch|GM> It's clearly Ripcord. Flying is impressive, and he swoops over his teammates to take center stage, but it's kind of obvious even from the distance that his nerves are killing him.
19:29 <~Antioch|GM> Not everyone in the auditorium notices, though. A lot of them are whooping and cheering and stamping their feet, Steve included. ||
19:32 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't blame Ripcord. He'd be nervous too, being the center of attention like that. And, even with the nerves showing, it's still very cool. Freddy had initially been disappointed with his power's lack of flight utility, so he's jealous. ||
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> Knuckleball steps up, taking the microphone off its stand.
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "Hey," he says, "I'm Knuckleball."
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> He passes the mic down from Ward to Ward.
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "Switchblade."
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "Em- Embody."
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> Ripcord takes a deep breath.
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "And I'm Ripcord."
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> He passes the mic back to Knuckleball.
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "I know the Wards aren't really a huge thing in Cleveland right now," he continues, "but we're gonna be."
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "Heck, a lot of you probably don't know exactly what we do."
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> He grins widely, showing teeth.
19:36 <~Antioch|GM> "So we're gonna show you."
19:37 <~Antioch|GM> The Wards step forward, down the stage and into the center of the gym, right at the half-court line. A lot of folks in the gym start flipping out and hollering. ||
19:42 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy cheers as loud as he can, stomping his feet and yelling, putting his hands together. This is /it/. They're awesome! Freddy only barely takes the time to regret his not being on the team. ||
19:43 <~Antioch|GM> On the opposite end of the gym, a bunch of really tall kids in jersey start coming in, filing in opposite the Wards.
19:44 <~Antioch|GM> The nets on either end of the court start lowering themselves, and he recognizes the jerseys as the ones for East Tech's varsity basketball team, and begins to realize the nature of the demonstration.
19:46 <~Antioch|GM> Five players, six more on the bench, compared to the Wards' four. Each of legitimate players is really tall, comparatively. Ripcord looks miniscule compared to them. A ref carrying the ball follows them in. ||
19:46 <~Antioch|GM> -||
19:47 <~Antioch|GM> "Whoa, damn," Steve says, trying to be heard over the noise. "You ever see sports with superpowers? This is gonna be sick." ||
19:48 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah, seriously," Freddy says. "Why isn't there more of this?" He'd watch superpowered sports any day. ||
19:51 <~Antioch|GM> The whistle blows and the ref tosses the ball skywards. Tip-off.
19:51 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6+1 RA
19:51 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "RA" [4] +1 = 5
19:53 <~Antioch|GM> Ripcord hurtles into the sky to try to reach the ball, but the guy in front of him is nearly two feet taller. He clutches the ball and manages to get it out of Ripcord's reach before the flying cape is able to take a swipe at it.
19:57 <~Antioch|GM> His team scatters down the court, and he makes to pass to one of his open teammates.
19:57 <~Antioch|GM> As it happens, he passes thin air. Nobody seems to know where the ball went.
19:57 <~Antioch|GM> Nobody seems to know where Switchblade went, either. The crowd cheers uncertainly.
19:57 <~Antioch|GM> Knuckleball doesn't seem to be paying any attention to this, and as the spectators' collective perception snaps back into place, they can see him receiving Switchblade's pass.
19:57 <~Antioch|GM> The varsity players do a very abrupt about-face.
20:00 <~Antioch|GM> At this point, he passes to Embody. She looks very surprised, but tries and makes the shot anyways.
20:00 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6+1 ED
20:00 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "ED" [4] +1 = 5
20:01 <~Antioch|GM> She makes the shot, looking even more surprised. Isn't she supposed to have some sort of different form or something? Whatever it is, it doesn't look like she's using it, which is a little disappointing. ||
20:03 <Nick|Freddy> Damn, that thing with Switchblade was awesome. Freddy makes a mental note to make a basketball-playing rat archetype next time he gets a chance. Imagine if there were 3 rats on the Wards' team...
20:03 <Nick|Freddy> He tries to refocus, make himself get caught back up in the game, in /their/ powers. He shouldn't wallow in that sadness here. This is a super fun event. ||
20:08 <~Antioch|GM> It goes back and forth a bit. The Wards are down a player, a disadvantage in and of itself, and defensively, their only measures are relying on Ripcord to be airborne and in position to block shots, or for Switchblade to vanish for a moment and steal the ball.
20:08 <~Antioch|GM> After Ripcord lets a three-pointer slip past, Knuckleball seems to give him some sort of signal. Neither of them look especially worried -- rather, they all seem to be having fun, even Embody, who started out with this "oh god, I've never played basketball in my life" look on her face.
20:14 <~Antioch|GM> It's both an interesting and slightly inconvenient aspect of the game when Switchblade intervenes, making everyone lose track of the ball, but this time, the sleight of hand misdirects their opponents enough to give them breathing room. Knuckleball takes the time to high-five Ripcord, who begins flying away, before having the ball passed to him. He's
20:14 <~Antioch|GM> immediately surrounded by two blockers.
20:14 <~Antioch|GM> Grinning, he tosses the ball into the air, and predictably, it's smashed back down onto the court.
20:14 <~Antioch|GM> Then, it starts drifting back up again, slipping under them and homing after Ripcord, who is amusing himself by having the ball chase him as he does loops in the air. He dunks the ball after fooling around a little, much to the appreciation of the spectators.
20:14 <~Antioch|GM> There is some brief consternation as to how many points it's worth. ||
20:19 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy laughs. That's awesome. It looks like the Wards are having a good time too...
20:19 <Nick|Freddy> Which only serves to remind him that he's not. His enthusiasm dips and his thoughts slow as he is filled with lethargy. He doesn't try to fend off the negativity this time. ||
20:27 <~Antioch|GM> The rest of the game continues to be really exciting. There turns out to be some counterplay to Knuckleball's homing tricks -- one of the players figures out that slamming the ball out of bounds before it reaches its destination puts it out of play, even if it doesn't stop it from returning to its intended target.
20:27 <~Antioch|GM> It's honestly a very close match. There's a bit where the ball vanishes for a good thirty seconds, resulting in Switchblade jokingly shouting, "But I did a slam dunk! From the half court line! Didn't you see?"
20:27 <~Antioch|GM> Near the end, egged on by the close game and what might be a competitive streak, Embody shifts into a large, seven or eight-foot form, crimson red with massive, flat palms and rounded edges, features shifting here and there. She blocks the ball, slamming it back down into the court, causing it to pop. She turns back to her regular shape, looking very
20:27 <~Antioch|GM> embarrassed but a little pleased with herself.
20:27 <~Antioch|GM> They look like they're having a lot of fun, but more importantly, they look like they're having a lot of fun as a team.
20:27 <~Antioch|GM> The game ends with a close win for the Wards and they line up to shake hands, but despite how cool it is, it doesn't really help lift the spirits of the teamless Freddy. ||
20:30 <Nick|Freddy> He chuckles at Switchblade's joke, but feels almost guilty for doing so, as if he's betraying his bad mood.
20:30 <Nick|Freddy> He turns to Steve, and smiles as well as he can. "That was cool." ||
20:31 <~Antioch|GM> "Hell yeah it was!" he shouts back, with ten times the enthusiasm and ten times the volume. He catches himself for a moment.
20:31 <~Antioch|GM> "Something wrong, dude?" ||
20:33 <Nick|Freddy> "No, I'm fine," he says, "See you later, I'll be right back." Freddy gets up and walks out the front door, hopefully avoiding any attention from his father or the crowd. ||
20:33 <~Antioch|GM> He slips out of the gym. Nobody gives him a lot of attention or gets in his way. There are some people leaving with him, maybe to go to the bathroom. ||
20:36 <Nick|Freddy> He walks out of the building, heading for the picnic tables outside where he sometimes eats lunch in the summer, avoiding the crowds on the way. ||
20:36 <~Antioch|GM> ((Wits))
20:36 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Wits
20:36 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Wits" [2] +1 = 3
20:38 <~Antioch|GM> He checks the door as he heads outside before closing it. It's locked, and he's glad he's checked. He sticks a rock in the door to make sure it's not closed all the way.
20:39 <~Antioch|GM> Outside, the picnic tables and the dead grass around them are all covered in snow. It's cold, but it's quiet, and there's nobody else out there. ||
20:42 <Nick|Freddy> He clears the snow off of a bench and sits down at the table. He rests his elbows in front of him and holds his head in his hands.
20:42 <Nick|Freddy> The fundraiser wasn't supposed to be like this. He had been excited not even an hour ago, as he won the T-shirt he's wearing now.
20:42 <Nick|Freddy> It was supposed to be fun. God knows Steve is in there, having fun.
20:43 <Nick|Freddy> Maybe it's Freddy's own fault that he's not having fun. Maybe if he could just accept that he'd never, /ever/ be a member of the Wards, he'd be able to go back in and laugh with his friend.
20:43 <Nick|Freddy> But that acceptance would be just as painful as sitting out here, in the cold. By himself.
20:44 <Nick|Freddy> ||
20:44 <~Antioch|GM> The sly rat he made earlier lurks at the edges of his vision, pacing around in the shadows. ||
20:45 <Nick|Freddy> Well, not entirely by himself, then. But does it really count as company if he controls and created the rat?
20:46 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy shuts his eyes tighter, trying to give himself the courage to face the facts.
20:46 <Nick|Freddy> He sits up and clenches his fists.
20:46 <Nick|Freddy> He can't just wait here, can he?
20:47 <Nick|Freddy> He has to go back inside, live with the fact that he won't be a Ward. He can still join the Protectorate in three and a half years, he tells himself.
20:48 <Nick|Freddy> He takes a deep breath, and lets it out in shudders. He walks back to the door, dismissing the rat. ||
20:53 <~Antioch|GM> When he gets back, the Wards are up on the stage again, autographing things, and everyone's in a very long line, which is even more disheartening. ||
20:55 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy decides to wait in line. He brought things to be autographed, so he might as well. Maybe one of the Wards would grow up to be a famous Protectorate member, and it'd be worth something. He has to hold his mind in check to prevent him from continuing that line of thinking. He gets in the line, and waits. ||
20:56 <~Antioch|GM> He's broken out of his thoughts by Steve, jumping up and down, waving his arms, further up the line. "Hey! Freddy! Get over here!" ||
20:56 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy makes himself smile, not out of deception, but to try and force some of the feeling on his face into his head.
20:57 <Nick|Freddy> He goes up to Steve.
20:57 <Nick|Freddy> "Thanks," he says. "Sorry, I had to go to the bathroom." ||
20:58 <~Antioch|GM> A lot of the kids he cuts in front of just straight up mean-mug the fuck out of him. Steve notices not at all.
20:58 <~Antioch|GM> "Sheesh, dude! Of all the times you have to take a dump." ||
20:59 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy ignores the people behind him. It's just line. They'll live, waiting one person more.
20:59 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah," he responds. ||
21:01 <~Antioch|GM> "So," he says, switching tracks entirely, "the game! Dude! I never knew Switchblade was so badass, man." ||
21:02 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah, Switchblade was cool. I think. I couldn't see him half the time," Freddy jokes. ||
21:04 <~Antioch|GM> "And Embody, man, I've never even seen her transformed before!"
21:05 <~Antioch|GM> He freezes, then stomps the ground.
21:05 <~Antioch|GM> "Shit! I totally should have been recording that whole game! Augh!"
21:05 <~Antioch|GM> "All that PHO cred, down the drain," he sighs wistfully. ||
21:06 <Nick|Freddy> "It's OK, man. Someone else will post it, I'm sure. Probably already has." To pass time while they wait in line, Freddy checks PHO on his phone, viewing what other people are saying about the fundraiser. ||
21:09 <~Antioch|GM> There's a thread that got put up in preparation for the actual event, but it doesn't look like anyone's put the video up yet.
21:09 <~Antioch|GM> Gosh. Hopefully at least the PRT recorded it.
21:09 <~Antioch|GM> Most of the people at the fundraiser are too busy actually being there to post, although there are a few enthusiastic comments about Embody's power, with some folks snapping pictures of the game. ||
21:10 <Nick|Freddy> Predictable enough, not that interesting.
21:10 <Nick|Freddy> "No one's put it up yet," he tells Steve. "Sure is a long line." ||
21:13 <~Antioch|GM> "Which Ward is your favorite?" he asks, still relentlessly enthusiastic. ||
21:15 <Nick|Freddy> "Um, I dunno," Freddy, trying to stay detached. To this end, he says the first name that pops into his mind. "Switchblade, probably." ||
21:23 <~Antioch|GM> "I'm gonna go with Ripcord," he says. "One of the other Cleveland locals made a post about him the other day, guessing he was a transfer. He can do a lot more than fly, apparently." ||
21:23 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah?" Freddy asks, "What else does he do?" ||
21:24 <Nick|Freddy> -||
21:25 <Nick|Freddy> He's not really focusing on the conversation. ||
21:25 <~Antioch|GM> "I dunno the specifics about it," Steve says, "but apparently he can control yo-yos?"
21:26 <~Antioch|GM> The line is making good progress, and the two of them are getting close to actually getting some of their goodies signed. Steve is trembling with excitement. ||
21:28 <Nick|Freddy> "Yo-yos?" That snaps Freddy out of his state of not-quite paying attention. "What sort of power is that?" ||
21:29 <~Antioch|GM> "I dunno, man! He just has, like, three yo-yos, apparently? They fly around and he can hit people with them and tie them up?" ||
21:30 <Nick|Freddy> "That can't be the power. Superpowers don't involve yo-yos. Maybe he just is really good at yo-yos and also happens to have the power to fly." ||
21:31 <~Antioch|GM> "A-are they Tinker yo-yos?" Steve says, eyes wide.
21:31 <~Antioch|GM> In a hushed voice, he adds, "I'm gonna ask him." ||
21:33 <Nick|Freddy> "I doubt he'll tell people. It's not smart to tell random people about your powers when you could keep it a secret. And besides, what type of Tinker makes yo-yos? Do they shoot fire or something?" Freddy asks. Seriously, this is ridiculous. ||
21:37 <~Antioch|GM> They get to the front of the line, bickering about Ripcord and his yo-yos, and then it's time to get things signed. Fleetfoot is there, too, as a recently-graduated Ward. ||
21:39 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy gets his new shirt signed by all the wards there, and his Fleetfoot figurine signed by the man himself.
21:39 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm a huge fan," he says. A /huge/ fan, he thinks to himself. He tries to get out of the way quickly, to make up for cutting in line, but makes sure to hear Steve ask ripcord about his yo-yos. ||
21:42 <~Antioch|GM> Steve, predictably, blurts his question out, which surprises Ripcord.
21:42 <~Antioch|GM> "Whoa, hey," he says, "just hang on a bit. The Q&A is right after this, alright?" ||
21:43 <Nick|Freddy> He was nervous earlier, too. He probably wasn't prepared for such an aggressive assault. Freddy feels for him.
21:43 <Nick|Freddy> "Now what?" he asks Steve. "Back to the bleachers?" ||
21:44 <~Antioch|GM> "Yep. And then Q&A time. What are you gonna ask?" ||
21:46 <Nick|Freddy> "Not sure." Freddy tries to think of a good question. He's tempted to ask something about how joining the Wards works, but he had just told himself he was giving up on that. "Maybe I'll ask about what they meant earlier when they said that the Wards were gonna be a big thing soon." ||
21:55 <~Antioch|GM> "That one's easy, though. They got a new member. They're gonna start patrolling more, kicking ass." ||
21:56 <Nick|Freddy> "Maybe it was just a good script that they were following," Freddy says, "but it sounded like more than that." ||
21:57 <~Antioch|GM> Steve shrugs. "If you think so," he says.
21:58 <~Antioch|GM> He's quiet for a moment, then sighs.
21:58 <~Antioch|GM> "Man, do I wish I had powers," he finally adds. ||
22:00 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah," Freddy sighs, but it's not his lack of powers that he's thinking of, that makes him sigh. It's Primus, and everyone there, with the possible exception of Cantus. ||
22:07 <~Antioch|GM> "What kind of powers would you want?" he asks, taking the 'yeah' for agreement.
22:07 <~Antioch|GM> "I'd wanna be a speedster," he says with some conviction. ||
22:09 <Nick|Freddy> "Man, flying is so cool. Look at the Triumvirate. They can all fly," Freddy says truthfully. He still wants to be able to fly. ||
22:09 <~Antioch|GM> "Aw, c'mon, man, flying is so overdone," Steve says, shoving him playfully in the shoulder. ||
22:11 <Nick|Freddy> "You don't want to be able to fly? You've never looked at a bird and been like 'some /people/ can do that'?" Freddy asks, incredulously. ||
22:13 <~Antioch|GM> "If I wanted to fly I'd sit in a dang airplane," he shoots back, but it's good natured. "Nah, flying's cool. It's just, you pointed out the Triumvirate, and sure, they can all fly, but it's not like, their main think, you know?" ||
22:14 <Nick|Freddy> "I guess. Legend has lasers, Alexandria has strength, and Eidolon has damn-near everything," Freddy says.
22:14 <Nick|Freddy> "Still, it would be cool to fly." There's a wistful note to his voice. ||
22:15 <~Antioch|GM> ** main thing
22:16 <~Antioch|GM> Their discussion goes back and forth a little. It's surprising how casually he can play off the fact that he doesn't have powers for the conversation.
22:16 <~Antioch|GM> Eventually, the Q&A session starts.
22:17 <~Antioch|GM> There are too many people to just start asking questions, but a lot of folks flock back as an audience in front of the stage as the Wards pass around a mic, picking out hands in a teeming forest of arms.
22:20 <~Antioch|GM> There are a lot of inane questions. Favorite food, romantic interests, one kid has the nerve to be cheeky and ask "what's your real name?".
22:21 <~Antioch|GM> One kid asks Ripcord, "Why did you transfer?"
22:21 <~Antioch|GM> He tells them about one of his old teammates, who kept giving him a hard time and putting him down, how he hopes he's found some friends both in his new team and in Cleveland as a whole, even in this school, insinuating that he'll be attending this upcoming semester.
22:21 <~Antioch|GM> Steve's hand is way up, although its height is sort of erratic, because he's jumping up and down. ||
22:21 <Nick|Freddy> It helps the deception that his powers would never be something anyone would dream about. He doesn't have to pretend about wanting the other powers.
22:22 <Nick|Freddy> He's enjoying the questions so far, actually. It's helping him relax about the Wards. Learning more about them, putting actual people behind the masks.
22:22 <Nick|Freddy> He raises his hand, too, but keeps it much more still. ||
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> He learns a lot of really interesting tidbits, even as he waits.
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> Ripcord's favorite hero is Myrddin, for one, and that Embody was homeschooled before she came to Cleveland.
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> Knuckleball is actually horrible at baseball without the help of his power. Switchblade seems not to be the subject of a lot of questions -- Freddy's not actually sure if he's doing that fading into the background thing on purpose or not.
22:27 <~Antioch|GM> The leaping and hollering Steve right next to Freddy's hand gets picked, finally.
22:27 <~Antioch|GM> "Hey Ripcord!" he shouts. "Are your yo-yos Tinker yo-yos? Are you a yo-yo Tinker?"
22:27 <~Antioch|GM> A lot of the students look very confused, though a few of them start laughing. The Wards start laughing, too.
22:30 <~Antioch|GM> "Yes," he declares dramatically. "My jetpack yo-yos help me soar through the skies!"
22:30 <~Antioch|GM> He produces three from one of his pockets and they zoom towards the ceiling, tugging at his arm like balloons trying to escape.
22:30 <~Antioch|GM> "Darn," he says, "out of gas."
22:30 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6-1 RS
22:30 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "RS" [3] -1 = 2
22:30 <~Antioch|GM> He receives a very lukewarm reception. Most of the students aren't very sure if they should be laughing or not.
22:31 <~Antioch|GM> "Uh, just kidding," he adds, looking a little nervous again. The three yo-yos fly of his fingers, doing tricks by themselves. Good, respectable yo-yo tricks, too, ones that spit in the face of the laws of physics.
22:32 <~Antioch|GM> "I'm a precise telekinetic," he says. "The lighter something is, the better I am at controlling it."
22:33 <~Antioch|GM> The crowd is suitably more impressed, watching the impromptu show. ||
22:34 <Nick|Freddy> That made a lot more sense than Freddy had expected for the dumb yo-yos. He guesses that the flight part must be a separate power, unless Ripcord has no body fat and bird bones. ||
22:36 <~Antioch|GM> ((Wits check))
22:36 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Wits
22:36 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Wits" [3] +1 = 4
22:37 <~Antioch|GM> The Wards keep receiving and answering more questions, but Freddy gets passed over, probably because they just picked someone right next to him.
22:37 <~Antioch|GM> Steve, for his part, looks suitably pleased for asking a question that got a pretty cool answer.
22:38 <~Antioch|GM> While he's paying attention to the Wards, something catches his attention.
22:39 <~Antioch|GM> Knuckleball's line of sight shifts to the rear of the auditorium, drawn away from the crowd in front of him.
22:39 <~Antioch|GM> "Alrighty," Ripcord says, oblivious, "who should we pick for our next question?" ||
22:40 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy quickly turns to look at the back of the auditorium. Is something finally happening?
22:41 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy has a thought that he doesn't want to acknowledge, and pushes it aside.
22:41 <Nick|Freddy> /If whatever happens is bad enough, he'll /have/ to use his powers, and no one will be able to blame him if he outs himself in front of the Wards./ ||
22:48 <~Antioch|GM> At the doorway to the gym, with two squaddies hesitantly leveling their weapons at it, is a Tinkertech suit of power armor.
22:48 <~Antioch|GM> It stands roughly the size of the PRT troopers right next to it, but has four arms and a full helmet with a dark-wraparound visor.
22:48 <~Antioch|GM> It's constructed of alternating plates of lacquered gray and burnished silver, and a soft white light emits from every joint in the armor.
22:48 <~Antioch|GM> More light peeks through as the two right arms flex themselves, gaps in the joints growing wider and letting more light through where it bends.
22:48 <~Antioch|GM> It raises both arms on its right side.
22:49 <~Antioch|GM> ||
22:49 <Nick|Freddy> ((Any chance of recognition?))
22:49 <~Antioch|GM> ((You can do a Know check if y'like))
22:50 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Know
22:50 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Know" [3] -1 = 2
22:51 <~Antioch|GM> He certainly doesn't recognize the suit of armor, and even though he's thinking on the spot and coming up blank, he still feels confident that it's not a cape from Cleveland. He'd know. ||
22:53 <Nick|Freddy> Holy shit. Freddy's stomach drops as he sees the Tinker (or at least, the suit of one) enter the room. Was the fact that it hadn't done anything violent a sign that it wasn't going to? Could it be a good guy from somewhere else? Or did it just want a dramatic entrance before it starting fucking people up? Freddy frantically shakes Steve and points at the
22:53 <Nick|Freddy> suit. ||
22:53 <~Antioch|GM> Steve turns around, a little confused that his attention is being drawn away from the Wards, and then his eyes widen.
22:54 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy can hear Knuckleball say something, coming out of the speakers next to the stage.
22:54 <~Antioch|GM> "Okay..." he says slowly. "Sure. You there, in the back."
22:54 <~Antioch|GM> "With the power armor."
22:54 <~Antioch|GM> The entire audience turns around almost immediately.
22:54 <~Antioch|GM> "What's your question?" ||
22:56 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's not entirely sure, but that doesn't seem like the right way to talk to whatever it was.
22:57 <Nick|Freddy> He's worried, but adrenaline is pumping through him, and his worry is partially offset by the excitement. He waits, tense, ready to jump out of his seat if anything starts to go wrong. ||
23:01 <Thalia|Fidler> Lumina lowers her hands, nice and slow. There were guns trained on her after all, but under the suit, she can't help but smile. She speaks loudly. "I had a question. Can I join the Wards?"||
23:03 <~Antioch|GM> The crowd erupts into some very frenetic whispering.
23:06 <~Antioch|GM> Knuckleball's tone takes on a more relaxed cadence, some of the strain going out of it.
23:06 <~Antioch|GM> "Wait, uh, I'm glad you want to join, but... who are you?"
23:06 <~Antioch|GM> Steve shakes Freddy by the shoulders, mouth agape. Freddy's never seen him scream so quietly in his life. ||
23:11 <Nick|Freddy> "..."
23:11 <Nick|Freddy> ((to be clear, that's part of my post, not an indication of typing))
23:11 <Nick|Freddy> Another FUCKING new Ward. Freddy's excitement and worry turns to resentment and stress. Freddy needs to get  out of here. He says nothing to Steve, standing up, and runs out of the school building, not caring who sees.
23:11 <Nick|Freddy> Tears start to well up in his eyes as he exits. He doesn't stop at the picnic tables, this time, but keeps running, aimlessly, away from this fucking girl who's currently stealing his dream. ||
23:14 <Thalia|Fidler> She ignores the person getting up and running out, but she does stop for a second, thinking if she knows him. "Lumina. You can call me Lumina."||
23:16 <~Antioch|GM> He runs, not stopping even when he's winded, sprinting through the snow and ice, seeing his breath fog up in the air, breathing more and more shallowly as he goes. Eventually it's a choice between stopping or collapsing. He ran away, before, when things were really bad, when he was cast aside and ignored, and it hurt him, stayed with him for weeks, months.
23:16 <~Antioch|GM> The resentment never faded.
23:16 <~Antioch|GM> This? It feels even worse. ||
23:17 <~Antioch|GM> ((Thal, Know check))
23:17 <Thalia|Fidler> $roll 1d6 know
23:17 <[ATM]> Thalia|Fidler "know" [4]  = 4
23:17 <~Antioch|GM> ((It's Freddy from computer club.))
23:17 <~Antioch|GM> (( Nick can keep going here. Thal, you can resume in #WDCleveland2.))
23:18 <Nick|Freddy> ((I'm going to have to go to bed at this point, Anti))
23:18 <Nick|Freddy> ((When's a good time to continue?))
23:19 <~Antioch|GM> ((Hmm, you're going to see the musical not tomorrow but the day after, right?))
23:20 <Nick|Freddy> ((yes, but tomorrow I have a party in the afternoon. depending on how much you think is left, I could potentially start at the same time tomorrow and hopefully finish before I have to leave))
23:20 <~Antioch|GM> ((Works for me!))
23:20 <Nick|Freddy> ((Great!))
23:21 <~Antioch|GM> ((Thal, you can pause here too, if you feel inclined to chase after dear old Freddy from computer club.))
23:21 <~Antioch|GM> ((Or we can keep going, if you want to keep being a limelight-hogging bitch!))
23:21 <Thalia|Fidler> ((MMmmmm, both options are so tempting. ))
23:22 <Thalia|Fidler> ((I think it depends on this: do I have any way to possibly contact him?))
23:23 <~Antioch|GM> ((Hmm. Trying to decide how to answer that.))
23:24 <~Antioch|GM> ((Since Nick has been awesome, if he's still here, I'll ask him -- yes or no?))
23:24 <Thalia|Fidler> ((Like, would I have a phone number or PHO handle or something?))
23:24 <Nick> ((I bet you can figure out my PHO handle))
23:25 <Nick> ((doubt we'd have exchanged numbers, though))
23:25 <Nick> ((I'm guessing we didn't know each other too well, otherwise with how big cape nerd both our characters are, we'd probably be better friends))
23:25 <Nick> ((good enough that it would have come up before))
23:26 <~Antioch|GM> ((Hmm... roll computers for me, then, Thal))
23:26 <Thalia|Fidler> $roll 2h6 computers
23:26 <[ATM]> Thalia|Fidler "computers" [5] (2)  = 5
23:26 <~Antioch|GM> ((Freddy is CapeFan709 in PHO, if memory serves me right. You both posted on the Cwn Annwn AMA thread.))
23:27 <Thalia|Fidler> ((Alright, I'm going with the bitch option. I'll message him later.))
23:29 <~Antioch|GM> ((Righto! Carry on here, then.))
23:32 <Thalia|Fidler> ((Still want to move to 2?)
23:32 <~Antioch|GM> ((Nah, here is good.))
23:32 <Thalia|Fidler> Lumia hesitates as Freddy runs out. She's tempted to go after him, but well... there was a lot riding on this moment. It had to go well. She'll message him later and find out what is going on. Something was definitely up there. She focuses her attention back on Knuckleball. ||
23:35 <~Antioch|GM> "What... brought you here to join us today, Lumina?" Knuckleball asks hesitantly. ||
23:40 <Thalia|Fidler> "Well, I heard about the fundraiser, so this seemed like a good chance for this. But." She pauses for a brief moment. "I came to join the Wards because, after some thinking while building a suit of armor, "Lumia knocks a hand on the chest for emphasis. "I realized that I want to help the city and it's the best place for it. I also happen to believe there
23:40 <Thalia|Fidler> isn't a better team in this city for me to end up on."||
23:41 <~Antioch|GM> Knuckleball laughs.
23:42 <~Antioch|GM> "You jerk, we just got these four-person T-shirts printed, and you tell me that?"
23:43 <~Antioch|GM> He sighs, albeit good-naturedly.
23:43 <~Antioch|GM> "Sure, Lumina. You're in. Paperwork pending."
23:43 <~Antioch|GM> Someone in the crowd decides to start clapping, and before long, others pick it up. ||
23:49 <Thalia|Fidler> Annemarie inside the suit inhaled deeply, just enjoying the moment. A lot of planning and scrambling for this moment. She probably gave Sorenson a few grey hairs in the process. She could enjoy being Lumina for a few seconds. ||
23:52 <~Antioch|GM> After the cheers die down, Knuckleball clears his throat.
23:52 <~Antioch|GM> "Well," he says, "that's a heck of a way to wrap things up tonight. We're just about out of time, but don't worry."
23:53 <~Antioch|GM> "You'll be seeing us plenty, in the future."
23:53 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 2h6 KBP
23:53 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "KBP" [5] (3)  = 5
23:53 <~Antioch|GM> It's a good line, delivered well, even if it does sound a little scripted.
23:54 <~Antioch|GM> "Except me," Switchblade cuts in, to scattered laughs.
23:54 <~Antioch|GM> "C'mon, Lumina," he adds, strolling off the stage. "You've got a date with some paperwork." ||
23:56 <Thalia|Fidler> Lumia smiles under the costume. "Oh joy, paperwork." She says in as monotone as she can manage while she follows the Wards out of the building. She keeps messaging Freddy on PHO at the forefront of her mind, something was up. ||
00:03 <~Antioch|GM> As the Wards take the exit at the rear of the auditorium with Lumina in tow, the audience goes in for one final round of applause.
00:03 <~Antioch|GM> Even though that thing with Freddy niggles at the back of her mind, she can't help but exult in the attention, the feeling of finally being out there, not only doing something, but something meaningful.
00:03 <~Antioch|GM> And there's still more to be done.
00:03 <~Antioch|GM> ||||
00:03 Antioch|GM → Antioch
00:03 <~Antioch> You can compose your PHO PM to Freddy in a PM to me later!
00:03 <ThalAI> Sure thing.
04:10 ⇐ You disconnected: Connection closed for inactivity
10:43 Antioch → Antioch|GM
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> 23:11 <Nick|Freddy> "..."
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> 23:11 <Nick|Freddy> ((to be clear, that's part of my post, not an indication of typing))
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> 23:11 <Nick|Freddy> Another FUCKING new Ward. Freddy's excitement and worry turns to resentment and stress. Freddy needs to get  out of here. He says nothing to Steve, standing up, and runs out of the school building, not caring who sees.
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> 23:11 <Nick|Freddy> Tears start to well up in his eyes as he exits. He doesn't stop at the picnic tables, this time, but keeps running, aimlessly, away from this fucking girl who's currently stealing his dream. ||
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> 23:14 <Thalia|Fidler> She ignores the person getting up and running out, but she does stop for a second, thinking if she knows him. "Lumina. You can call me Lumina."||
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> He runs, not stopping even when he's winded, sprinting through the snow and ice, seeing his breath fog up in the air, breathing more and more shallowly as he goes. Eventually it's a choice between stopping or collapsing. He ran away, before, when things were really bad, when he was cast aside and ignored, and it hurt him, stayed with him for weeks, months.
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> The resentment never faded.
10:44 <~Antioch|GM> This? It feels even worse. ||
10:45 <Nick|Freddy> ((how close is Freddy's school to the hospital his brother is in?))
10:46 <~Antioch|GM> https://usercontent.irccloud-cdn.com/file/ARzynvON/Walking%20to%20the%20hospital.PNG

Walking to the hospital.PNG450.59KB • image/png
10:53 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't know where exactly he's going as he heads towards downtown. After several blocks he slows his pace to walking, his lungs burning up with the cold air, his breaths desperate and shuddering.
10:54 <Nick|Freddy> He can't believe what just happened. He had told himself he was OK with not being a Ward. With never being a Ward. But ever since he got his powers, that had been where he thought he'd end up, eventually. The Wards is /the/ place for kid superheroes. He hadn't even given up when his dad had tried to force him into Primus, he'd tried to get away from that.
10:57 <Nick|Freddy> And finally, /finally/, he had managed to start accepting that he wasn't a Ward, when they announced Ripcord, the new Ward at the fundraiser. And had he fallen apart? No! He had somehow convinced himself that he was OK with it. And then when it looked like the thing he was most hoping for at the fundraiser was happening, it hadn't been a supervillain intruding. No. It was some girl, in a suit of four-armed power armor. Someone else who got to
10:57 <Nick|Freddy> be on the team.
10:59 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's tears keep falling, though they seem to freeze to his face as he runs. Where can he go? He couldn't exactly get support from his parents.
11:00 <Nick|Freddy> His brother, then. Dirk. Dirk would be able to understand, and he could tell him about his powers and everything that just happened. Freddy starts to make the long trek to the hospital. ||
11:02 <~Antioch|GM> It's a long trek, one he knows will take more than an hour -- in this below-freezing weather, no less.
11:03 <~Antioch|GM> Still, he knows the layout of the city and the way to get there well enough from when he ran away.
11:03 <~Antioch|GM> ((Wits roll))
11:04 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Wits
11:04 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Wits" [3] +1 = 4
11:06 <~Antioch|GM> There's a sense of worry underlying the other emotions vying for a place in his mind, and he remembers the last time he ran away. Intercepted and caught by Primus before he could get too far.
11:06 <~Antioch|GM> At least there weren't alarms going off, this time. ||
11:07 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy takes his phone out of his pocket and takes out the battery. That should stop whatever tracking software is on it, right?
11:08 <Nick|Freddy> At least, there's probably tracking software. Freddy assumes that's how they found him last time, what with his dad's spy stuff that he already knew about.
11:09 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy stops, takes some deep breaths, and then continues. ||
11:10 <~Antioch|GM> ((Street smarts roll!))
11:10 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Street Smarts
11:10 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Street Smarts" [3] -1 = 2
11:14 <~Antioch|GM> He knows where in the city he is, as he goes through shoddy neighborhoods to get to one of the bridges that crosses the river, but he doesn't really know about the specifics of the villainous cape scene in his vicinity.
11:16 <~Antioch|GM> His phone said 8:52 PM when he took the battery out, and it's quiet out. As he gets closer to a bigger street, the sound of cars passing by gets louder.
11:17 <~Antioch|GM> Taking the main roads is the only way to get where he's going at a reasonable pace, but it runs the risk of him being seen.
11:18 <~Antioch|GM> His sly rat follows at a distance, sticking to gutters and shadows, keeping low and out of sight. ||
11:22 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't want to freeze on the way, so he uses the main roads, but he tries to stay inconspicuous. He puts on his hat over his distinctive hair, and tries to look as if he's not running away from a Wards fundraiser. He's already wearing a different shirt then he was when he left home, but maybe the darker Eidolon shirt underneath would let him more effectively blend in.
11:23 <Nick|Freddy> He decides that the cold he's be exposed to by switching the shirts won't be made worth it by the darker color.
11:25 <Nick|Freddy> He's glad the rat has the right idea, and if anyone tries to mug him or something, it could provide backup while he tries to make more. ||
11:30 <~Antioch|GM> When Freddy finds himself out on the main roads, things become a lot more clear as to where he is, territory-wise.
11:30 <~Antioch|GM> There's a strip mall on one side of the road. One side is sufficiently illuminated by the parking lot lights for him to see the graffiti all over the brickwork.
11:30 <~Antioch|GM> A stylized suit of spades in black, with a stencilled '21' sprayed directly over it. Blackjack. ||
11:32 <~Antioch|GM> ((It's this, but nighttime. Directly across the street are some buildings that look like projects.)) https://usercontent.irccloud-cdn.com/file/IAcObRZ6/arbor%20park.PNG

arbor park.PNG1.01MB • image/png
11:34 <Nick|Freddy> Oh, no. This is not a place Freddy wants to be. Although Blackjack had been suffering some losses lately, if he remembers the PHO posts. At least there shouldn't be Tinker drones watching him with Lock gone. Freddy keeps walking. Stopping and turning around might make him a target. More of a target than his small frame already probably makes him, anyway.
11:35 <Nick|Freddy> He tries to stay hidden and discreet as best he can while picking the pace up a little. ||
11:35 <~Antioch|GM> ((Stealth))
11:36 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 2h6+1 Sneak
11:36 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Sneak" (3) [4] +1 = 5
11:39 <~Antioch|GM> ((Wits))
11:40 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Wits
11:40 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Wits" [4] +1 = 5
11:41 <~Antioch|GM> He keeps to himself, staying out of street lights and trying to move a little quicker.
11:41 <~Antioch|GM> There's a faint sense of paranoia that's only worsened by the empty streets and the fact that he's trying to stick to the shadows. It feels like he's being watched.
11:41 <~Antioch|GM> A faint rustle to his right makes him start, but after fighting down the panic, he finds the source -- an especially plump rat, lurking behind an overturned sack of garbage. ||
11:45 <Nick|Freddy> The large rat reminds Freddy of his power. He'd be a lot less likely to be mugged if he had two Buff Rats walking with him. He also wants to see how much faster he can make them. They should assemble themselves out of sight, too, so that shouldn't be a problem. Freddy wonders if he can make rats and walk at the same time, or if the rats will stop growing as they are left behind.
11:45 <Nick|Freddy> He starts making a Buff Rat as he continues on his sneaky way. ||
11:49 <~Antioch|GM> The speed at which he makes his first rat is a lot better than his usual. He doesn't make it two blocks down before seeing one of his rats in the guise of a muscular dude follows behind him, lurching out of the half-fenced-off dumpster enclosure that he saw the fat (actual) rat in.
11:49 <~Antioch|GM> He himself is respectably sneaky, while the buff rat is less so, although it's at least following at a distance. ||
11:51 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's glad to have back-up, now in case of a fight or other situation. Hopefully they should be out of Blackjack territory soon, and on their not-so-merry way to the hospital. ||
11:55 <~Antioch|GM> ((Awareness))
11:55 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Awareness
11:55 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Awareness" [4] +1 = 5
11:57 <~Antioch|GM> The relatively quiet night is punctuated by the sound of breaking glass. It takes only a second for Freddy to get his bearings, figure out that the sound is coming from the south. He's not headed that way, taking a different route to the hospital, but it's close enough to be within earshot. ||
12:01 <Nick|Freddy> Should he investigate? He's always wanted to stop crime, but now isn't exactly the best time...
12:01 <Nick|Freddy> No, he has no costume, no plan, and no one knows where he is. Getting into trouble would be stupid. Freddy avoids the breaking glass, and hurries away.
12:01 <Nick|Freddy> The Wards probably would have done it, comes a voice in the back of his head. The thought just makes him walk faster away. He doesn't want anything to do with them, now. ||
12:02 <~Antioch|GM> Whatever it is, it means that Blackjack probably isn't going to worry about him as he tries to slip away.
12:03 <~Antioch|GM> Even as he leaves, more breaking glass sounds come from the same direction. He can hear the faint warble of a car alarm, too.
12:03 <~Antioch|GM> His rats don't seem to care. ||
12:07 <Nick|Freddy> Whatever, Freddy thinks. It's not his problem. Although, maybe he should check it out anyway. It could be something important.
12:07 <Nick|Freddy> "Go see what's happening," he tells his Sly Rat, "and come back to tell me." ||
12:08 <~Antioch|GM> The Sly Rat scampers away, heading towards the source of the noise. ||
12:10 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy keeps walking as he waits for his rat to return. His rats are pretty good at finding him, so it shouldn't be an issue. ||
12:12 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 2h6+1 Sly Rat Sneak
12:12 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Sly Rat Sneak" (2) [4] +1 = 5
12:12 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6-1 Sly Rat Wits
12:12 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Sly Rat Wits" [6] -1 = 5
12:14 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6-1 Sly Rat Soc
12:14 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Sly Rat Soc" [6] -1 = 5
12:14 <~Antioch|GM> ((Wow! GJ, rat.))
12:15 <~Antioch|GM> After a a few minutes (it's hard to say how many for sure, with his phone dead) his rat returns, still clinging to the shadows.
12:19 <~Antioch|GM> "Two capes," it says. "One with arrows. The arrows are weird. One who goes 'booom'. They're fighting other people."
12:19 <~Antioch|GM> Beneath Freddy's feet, the ground trembles slightly. ||
12:22 <Nick|Freddy> ((know check?))
12:28 <~Antioch|GM> ((Sure thing))
12:28 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Know
12:28 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Know" [2] -1 = 1
12:29 <Nick|Freddy> ((rip))
12:29 <~Antioch|GM> ((Nobody you've heard of.))
12:31 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't recognize the description of either cape. One that goes boom? Weird arrows?
12:31 <Nick|Freddy> "Thanks," he says dismissively to the rat.
12:31 <Nick|Freddy> He resolves to check PHO when he gets to the hospital, to see what was going on over there. And he continues through the cold night. ||
12:38 <~Antioch|GM> (Guts x2))
12:38 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6x2 Guts
12:38 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Guts" [1]  = 1  ::  [3]  = 3
12:46 <~Antioch|GM> He passes beneath the highway underpass, wishing he was better dressed for the biting cold. The sounds of property damage fade as he walks farther and farther.
12:48 <~Antioch|GM> He presses on, makes it as far as crossing the bridge -- but losing feeling in his hands and feet, he realizes. Running away in the fall was tough and miserable, but running away in the winter? It could be a death sentence. ||
12:55 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy starts moving faster, both to hopefully warm himself up and to reach somewhere with heat more quickly. He keeps his eyes out for any restaraunt, hotel, or other business that would be unlocked at this hour. ||
12:56 <~Antioch|GM> ((Athletics, Endurance, Awareness))
12:56 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6 Ath
12:56 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Ath" [6]  = 6
12:57 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6 Guts, Endurance
12:57 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Guts, Endurance" [6]  = 6
12:57 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Awareness
12:57 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Awareness" [2] +1 = 3
13:01 <~Antioch|GM> Nothing really jumps out at him on the way there, except for a bar that he wouldn't be allowed into, but surprisingly, things are all right. He reaches deep down in himself to make the sprint and tough it out, stumbling into the hospital lobby and gradually massaging sensation back into his digits, and spots a bathroom where he can run his hands under warm
13:01 <~Antioch|GM> water.
13:01 <~Antioch|GM> ((Shard reputation moved one tick away from Conflict))
13:01 <~Antioch|GM> ||
13:06 <Nick|Freddy> Phew. That had been scary. So scary that it had pushed his reasoning for coming here temporarily out of his mind, but as he starts to warm up, it isn't relief that he feels, but self-pity and anger. It's so damn unfair! Why couldn't /he/ have been the one joining the Wards? He has a power! He had always thought that if only he could get a power, he could join the Wards.
13:08 <Nick|Freddy> Screw the Wards, then. That new Tinker girl especially. She really hurt him. Freddy leaves the bathroom and goes to the reception desk to ask for a visitors pass. ||
13:08 <Nick|Freddy> ((visitor pass? visitor's pass?))
13:10 <~Antioch|GM> "Visiting hours ended at eight, dear," the receptionist says. A look of concern crosses her face.
13:10 <~Antioch|GM> "Where are your parents?" ||
13:10 <~Antioch|GM> ((Also, where are your rats?))
13:10 <Nick|Freddy> ((Rats are probably lurking outside))
13:16 <Nick|Freddy> Fuck. Fuck! Seriously? Can't Freddy get one break? He spent an hour walking here, and nothing's going to come of it. Great. And what's he supposed to tell the receptionist? 'My dad's at a Wards fundraiser and my mom's working?' probably would just prompt more questions. Freddy decides to ignore that question.
13:16 <Nick|Freddy> "He's my brother. Isn't there an exception for siblings?" Please, please let there be an exception. ||
13:17 <~Antioch|GM> "There's an exception for family," she says, "but if you're under 18 you need to have an older relative with you." ||
13:21 <Nick|Freddy> Well, Freddy could handle that. "My dad's outside on the phone. I'll go get him."
13:21 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy goes outside and starts getting a dadrat growing. ||
13:23 <~Antioch|GM> It takes a while to put together a rat with his dad's features, but not as long as some of his other experiments. It's an easy face to picture.
13:23 <~Antioch|GM> While he's waiting, he realizes the fundraiser is probably long over. His dad is probably freaking out. ||
13:29 <Nick|Freddy> As long as he doesn't do anything weird, he should be fine at the hospital for a bit without anyone finding him, especially if he gets the dadrat to disappear after he gets in.
13:29 <Nick|Freddy> He tells the rat to pretend to be his dad, but not to talk unless someone asks him a question. They both go back into the hospital.
13:29 <Nick|Freddy> "Can we get passes now?" Freddy asks.
13:29 <Nick|Freddy> ((Give the ratdad 4 soc and 3 wits if I can determine his stats)) ||
13:29 <~Antioch|GM> ((Of course))
13:29 <~Antioch|GM> "Ah, great. Who are you visiting?" she asks.
13:30 <~Antioch|GM> She turns to ratdad. "Oh, and could I see your driver's license, sir?"
13:30 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6+1 Ratdad Soc
13:30 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Ratdad Soc" [4] +1 = 5
13:31 <~Antioch|GM> He mutters and mumbles to himself, scratching his head. "I... I must have forgotten it at home."
13:32 <~Antioch|GM> Ratdad put his hand on Freddy's shoulder. "Freddy just wanted to pay a visit, and he hasn't had a chance to lately. It's been kind of a busy week," he says, apologetically.
13:32 <~Antioch|GM> The receptionist chews on her pen for a few moments, contemplating. ||
13:33 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy pulls out his own wallet and says "I have my school ID if that helps." ||
13:34 <~Antioch|GM> ((Soc. +1, because you look kind of pitiful.))
13:34 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6 Soc+1
13:34 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Soc+1" [5]  = 5
13:36 <Nick|Freddy> ((gonna go get some lunch, shouldn't take long))
13:36 <~Antioch|GM> It's enough to make her relent.
13:36 <~Antioch|GM> "Well, okay. I'd hate to make you drive back in this weather. So who are you visiting?" ||
13:38 <Nick|Freddy> "Dirk Darnell," Freddy says, guarding his tone carefully. ||
13:40 <~Antioch|GM> "Okie-doke. He's up on the seventh floor. Elevator's over there," she says, pointing. "Have a good evening!" ||
13:52 <Nick|Freddy> "Thanks," Freddy says. He gets into the elevator and presses the button for the second floor. He waits to see if anyone else gets in before the door closes. ||
13:52 <~Antioch|GM> ((Is ratdad coming with?))
13:52 <Nick|Freddy> ((To the elevator? yeah))
13:53 <Nick|Freddy> ((also I meant seventh))
13:54 <Nick|Freddy> ((I want to talk to ratdad in the elevator is why I'm waiting to see if other people come in))
13:55 <~Antioch|GM> Nobody else enters the elevator with Freddy and his ratdad. The hospital is quiet and empty. ||
13:57 <Nick|Freddy> "Can you disappear, now?" he asks the rat.
13:57 <Nick|Freddy> Oh, wait. That could be a bad idea. It would look very suspicious on the security cameras if someone disappeared while riding an elevator. Better to keep him around until they leave the hospital.
13:57 <Nick|Freddy> "Actually, nevermind. Keep doing what I said before." ||
13:57 <~Antioch|GM> Dadrat nods once, staying quiet.
13:58 <~Antioch|GM> It's a little better that way. It was kind of disquieting to see a face simulacrum of his dad lie to the receptionist with his dad's voice.
13:59 <~Antioch|GM> ** -- face
13:59 <~Antioch|GM> ((Also, let's pretend the receptionist was actually helpful and also said the room number, because I'm a dummy))
14:00 <~Antioch|GM> Nobody else bothers them on the way up to the seventh floor. ||
14:01 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy and his ratdad go to Dirk's room and Freddy knocks softly before opening the door. Dirk should probably still be awake. It's what, nineish? ||
14:05 <~Antioch|GM> "Hey, yo," his brother calls out from behind the door. "You can let yourself in, they let me know you were coming up." ||
14:09 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy enters the room, leaving ratdad at the door for now.
14:09 <Nick|Freddy> "Hey, Dirk," he says, finally letting some of his emotion into his voice. He's obviously tired and sad, from his body language to his tone to his expression.
14:09 <Nick|Freddy> "Can I talk to you about some stuff? Can you promise not to tell anyone?" ||
14:11 <~Antioch|GM> His brother is sitting upright in his bed. He's doing a lot better, though he's still in a cast. He should be out of that and back home in a week or two, if Freddy remembers right.
14:11 <~Antioch|GM> Dirk's brow furrows. "Er, sure," he says. "What's up?" ||
14:13 <Nick|Freddy> "Um," Freddy says, "well, I guess the first thing is that I've got powers. I'm a parahuman."
14:16 <Nick|Freddy> "I make fake people that are actually giant rats. Dad's not really here, he's one of my ratpeople."
14:16 <Nick|Freddy> "I know it's gross. I didn't choose it."
14:16 <Nick|Freddy> ||
14:16 <~Antioch|GM> His brother's expression grows more and more confused as Freddy talks.
14:17 <~Antioch|GM> Finally, he makes a sound that's sort of like "bwuh?!" ||
14:18 <Nick|Freddy> "You can come in now," Freddy tells the ratdad.
14:18 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm here because, because..." Freddy trails off.
14:20 <Nick|Freddy> "You know I always wanted to join the Wards. Dad wouldn't let me. He's making me join this other team filled with grown ups, and they're all assholes."
14:20 <Nick|Freddy> ||
14:23 <~Antioch|GM> "Evening, son," the ratdad says, unprompted. It's very unsettling. Dirk seems to agree, given his expression.
14:27 <~Antioch|GM> He's too discomfited and boggled to respond, having to deal with this on top of Freddy's revelation. ||
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> "Stop that," Freddy commands.
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> "Sorry to drop this all on you, Dirk, but I need to tell /someone,/ and dad barely listens, and mom's never around."
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> As Freddy thinks of how to continue, thinking of the fundraiser, his eyes resume their watering.
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> "And, and there was a, a f-fundraiser today and..."
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy struggles to keep talking.
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> "T-they h-h-had a new Ward and..."
14:33 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy has to stop entirely, as the tears stream down his face and he starts full-on crying. He puts his face into Dirk's bed. ||
14:34 <~Antioch|GM> This is clearly too much for Dirk to handle. He tries his best, but his best amounts to awkwardly patting Freddy on the shoulder once or twice. ||
14:36 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy keeps wailing, trying to muffle the sobs with the bed coverings.
14:36 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm-I'm s-so-orry," he gets out, his words stuttering as he cries. ||
14:37 <~Antioch|GM> "I-- I, uh," Dirk tries to say, in between pats.
14:37 <~Antioch|GM> Finally, he settles on, "Shit, man." ||
14:40 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy continues crying. Maybe it'll help him to let it out, he doesn't know. There's not much else he can do right now, anyway. ||
14:40 <~Antioch|GM> For his part, Dirk sits there and lets Freddy get his blanket damper and damper. Occasionally he tries for some more pats, but loses confidence after a few. ||
14:43 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy eventually runs out of tears. He stays buried in the bed sheets for what feels like several minutes, but probably isn't all that long, before standing straight again, sniffling.
14:44 <Nick|Freddy> "What am I supposed to do now?" he asks, somewhat retorically, out of ideas. ||
14:47 <~Antioch|GM> "I... I don't know," he finally says, sighing.
14:48 <~Antioch|GM> "Just... do what he says. You'll turn eighteen eventually." ||
14:50 <Nick|Freddy> "Maybe," Freddy says. He's not convinced.
14:50 <Nick|Freddy> He remembers the fight he passed on the way over here.
14:50 <Nick|Freddy> "Can I use your phone? I want to check something," Freddy asks his brother. ||
14:51 <~Antioch|GM> "Sure?" he says, handing it over. He keeps stealing nervous glances at the dadrat. ||
14:51 <Nick|Freddy> ((what day is today, IG?))
14:51 <~Antioch|GM> ((Saturday))
14:53 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy pulls up PHO, logs into his account, and checks the Cleveland board for any thread about the fight that his rat saw in Blackjack territory. ||
14:54 <~Antioch|GM> Even though he doesn't find a thread about the altercation happening on his way up here (it's only been close to an hour since he passed it by) he does seem to have a private message. ||
14:55 <Nick|Freddy> He checks his messages, curious to see what it could be. He hasn't posted any comments or anything since Thursday. ||
14:56 <~Antioch|GM> The message is from BronzeBlubird96, and it reads as follows:
14:57 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy,
14:57 <~Antioch|GM> I'm hoping I rememebered your PHO handle correctly. If this isn't you, just ignore it. I just saw you at the Fundraiser. Well, at the end, anyway. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know we don't know each very well, but if you need anyone to talk to about ANYTHING at all? I'm here for you.
14:57 <~Antioch|GM> Annemarie from Computer Club
14:57 <~Antioch|GM> ||
14:58 <Nick|Freddy> ((about how many people were at the fundraiser?))
14:58 <~Antioch|GM> ((a bunch. you'd have to ballpark it, but it felt like more than 400.))
15:01 <Nick|Freddy> ((considering he literally made a list of everyone there he saw that he knew, do you think a know roll to see if he realizes she was probably one of the Wards is reasonable?))
15:02 <~Antioch|GM> ((a little far-fetched. more people came in after and he was pretty distracted talking to steve or checking out the wards.))
15:02 <Nick|Freddy> ((sure, sure))
15:03 <~Antioch|GM> ((Btw, when do you have to go again?))
15:05 <Nick|Freddy> ((~2 hours))
15:05 <Nick|Freddy> Annemarie, right. He remembers her. She must have seen him run out.
15:06 <Nick|Freddy> Well, talking to Dirk didn't give him the answer he wanted, so maybe messaging her back would be a good idea. But could he tell her about his powers?
15:06 <Nick|Freddy> That doesn't seem like the best idea, telling random people from school about his powers. He hadn't told Steve.
15:07 <Nick|Freddy> He doesn't even know this is really her, now that he thinks about it. Why would she of all people message him? No one else had done anything.
15:07 <Nick|Freddy> It could be someone else trying to get to him, find out about his powers.
15:08 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy ignores the message. ||
15:09 <~Antioch|GM> There's a knock at the door. ||
15:12 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy freezes. It had to be his dad. He /really/ doesn't want his dad to see the ratdad.
15:13 <Nick|Freddy> There's nothing he can do now, though. He goes to the door and opens it. ||
15:14 <~Antioch|GM> It's just a woman with brown hair in a long ponytail, wearing a jacket and a blouse.
15:15 <~Antioch|GM> "Oh, sorry to interrupt," she says, sounding a little confused, "and I know this is a little weird, but The Good King wants to talk to you?"
15:15 <~Antioch|GM> |||
15:15 <~Antioch|GM> (Think I'm gonna pause here, sorry. Got a crazy headache for some reason.)
15:16 <Nick|Freddy> ((No problem! Feel better!))
15:16 <~Antioch|GM> (Thanks!)
15:16 Antioch|GM → Antioch
20:20 ⇐ You disconnected: Connection closed for inactivity
01:50 ⇐ You disconnected: Connection closed for inactivity
16:01 Antioch → Antioch|GM
16:40 <~Antioch|GM> Resuming, backtracking a few lines...
16:40 <~Antioch|GM> 14:51 <~Antioch|GM> "Sure?" he says, handing it over. He keeps stealing nervous glances at the dadrat. ||
16:40 <~Antioch|GM> 14:51 <Nick|Freddy> ((what day is today, IG?))
16:40 <~Antioch|GM> 14:51 <~Antioch|GM> ((Saturday))
16:40 <~Antioch|GM> 14:53 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy pulls up PHO, logs into his account, and checks the Cleveland board for any thread about the fight that his rat saw in Blackjack territory. ||
16:41 <~Antioch|GM> Even though he doesn't find a thread about the altercation happening on his way up here (it's only been close to an hour since he passed it by) the forums are blowing up with discussion about the party-crasher, Lumina, with a smattering of other threads about Ripcord. He barely notices that he has a private message. ||
16:44 <Nick|Freddy> Seriously? On top of all that, she's getting famous online? Freddy almost feels like crying some more. It's not a good feeling, this jealousy.
16:44 <Nick|Freddy> He resists the urge to click on Lumina's topic. He knows it will only make him feel worse. Instead, he checks the message notification. He hadn't been expecting anyone to message him on here. ||
16:44 <~Antioch|GM>  The message is from BronzeBlubird96, and it reads as follows:
16:44 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy,
16:44 <~Antioch|GM>  I'm hoping I rememebered your PHO handle correctly. If this isn't you, just ignore it. I just saw you at the Fundraiser. Well, at the end, anyway. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know we don't know each very well, but if you need anyone to talk to about ANYTHING at all? I'm here for you.
16:44 <~Antioch|GM> Annemarie from Computer Club
16:44 <~Antioch|GM> ||
16:50 <Nick|Freddy> Annemarie must have seen him run out. Well, she came to an accurate conclusion: he isn't alright, really. Dirk hadn't given the answer he wanted, so maybe Annemarie would have better advice. He's not sure how much he could share, though. He shouldn't tell Annemarie about his powers, at least. He hadn't told Steve, even. He decides to respond vaguely.
16:50 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm not doing great, but I can't really talk about it. Thanks for the offer." ||
16:50 <~Antioch|GM> There's a knock at the door. ||
16:51 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy freezes. It had to be his dad. He /really/ doesn't want his dad to see the ratdad.
16:51 <Nick|Freddy> There's nothing he can do now, though. He goes to the door and opens it. ||
16:51 <~Antioch|GM> It's just a woman with brown hair in a long ponytail, wearing a jacket and a blouse.
16:51 <~Antioch|GM> "Oh, sorry to interrupt," she says, sounding a little confused, "and I know this is a little weird, but The Good King wants to talk to you?" ||
16:53 <Nick|Freddy> What? The Good King? Does TGK have tracking tinkertech or something?
16:53 <Nick|Freddy> Warily, Freddy responds, "Why does he want to talk to me?" ||
16:55 <~Antioch|GM> She looks slightly confused. "I, uh, honestly have no idea. He just sent me down here to let you know?" ||
17:00 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's confused, now, too. "Um, so does he want me to come see him or what?"
17:00 <Nick|Freddy> The Good King is a hero, but not one associated with the Protectorate, so Freddy knows less about him than some of Cleveland's other heroes. As far as Freddy knows, he's not involved with Primus either. Had his dad contacted other capes to try and find him? ||
17:00 <~Antioch|GM> She nods. "I can show you upstairs to meet him." ||
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy turns to Dirk and ratdad haplessly. "Um, well, I guess I'll be back. Stay here."
17:02 <Nick|Freddy> The last is directed towards the ratdad. He steps out of the room and shuts the door behind him, and looks to the woman for direction. ||
17:03 <~Antioch|GM> Dirk freezes up, plainly terrified at the thought of spending time alone with an impostor dad.
17:03 <~Antioch|GM> The woman strides towards the elevator that he came up in.
17:03 <~Antioch|GM> "Follow me," she says. "He's up on the tenth floor." ||
17:05 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy follows the woman as directed. Tenth floor, huh? The hospital was taller than it looked from outside. Or maybe he just never paid attention to the height. ||
17:05 <~Antioch|GM> When he steps into the elevator, it's clear that it's the topmost floor. The woman swipes a card before she presses the button, and the elevator begins to ascend. ||
17:06 <Nick|Freddy> "Is this his hospital?" Freddy asks. He had known somewhere in the back of his mind that TGK was based in a hospital, but he never really thought about which one. ||
17:08 <~Antioch|GM> "Sort of, I guess," she replies. "He doesn't own it, but he does use it as a base. Well, the top two floors, at least. He has some kind of arrangement going on with Dr. Mayfield and the board of directors." ||
17:10 <Nick|Freddy> "Oh."
17:10 <Nick|Freddy> That's... sort-of interesting. Freddy mostly just asked to fill time. He spends the rest of the elevator ride silent. ||
17:13 <~Antioch|GM> When the elevator doors open, he finds himself in a small lobby that looks like a miniature patient's waiting room, three snug chairs, a desk full of magazines, and a mini-fridge with a glass door containing sodas, bottled water, and iced coffees.
17:20 <~Antioch|GM> He's not given much time to examine them -- the woman he's following leads him through the door, and for a moment, it's like he's been transported somewhere else entirely.
17:20 <~Antioch|GM> The room in front of him looks more like a lab than a hospital, with heavy machinery lining the walls, computer terminals adjoining them, tall burnished metal freezers, centrifuges, miniaturized arrays of vats that are placed neatly around the room.
17:20 <~Antioch|GM> Despite the sheer amount of paraphernalia on display, it still gives him the sense that things are remarkably compact -- there's ample floorspace, the ceiling feels high. There's no sense of crowding or chaos.
17:20 <~Antioch|GM> Two hallways are visible at the rear of the room, leading to individual rooms. Freddy gets the sense that the lab he's in right now was a repurposed hospital floor reception area, while the hallways are repurposed wings.
17:20 <~Antioch|GM> In the center of all the machinery, The Good King is idly watching some reddish-brown liquid travel through clear, flexible tubing. He turns to Freddy as he enters the room, his backpack clicking and whirring, seemingly providing a constant flow of chemicals into his shoulders, spinal column, and crooks of his elbows.
17:20 <~Antioch|GM> It's an imposing sight, even without the Tinkertech. The King is well within the range of six feet, and intimidatingly musclebound for someone who spends the majority of their time cooped up indoors and working in a lab. ||
17:21 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy is suitably cowed by the man and his surroundings. He's a hero, he thinks to himself. It helps, marginally.
17:21 <Nick|Freddy> He waits for The Good King to speak first. Freddy has no idea what this conversation is going to be about. ||
17:24 <~Antioch|GM> He walks over to one of the machines on the wall and works the terminal for a brief second, spider-like appendages from his backpack doing the typing for him. A shutter on the device slides open and expels a rolling chair with a tiny choo sound.
17:24 <~Antioch|GM> He walks the rolling chair over to Freddy and takes a seat, so they're closer to eye level.
17:26 <~Antioch|GM> "Heya, Freddy. I guess I should formally introduce myself, before anything else. I'm Blake."
17:26 <~Antioch|GM> He extends a handshake. ||
17:28 <Nick|Freddy> Wow. Freddy wishes he had spider robot arms to type for him. It would be very convenient.
17:28 <Nick|Freddy> "Hi Blake," he responds, "I'm Freddy." Stick to the basic greeting. Freddy shakes his offered hand. ||
17:31 <~Antioch|GM> "Second of all, I'd like to make it really clear that I'm on your side. Not your dad's side, not Primus's side."
17:31 <~Antioch|GM> He waits for Freddy's response before continuing to speak. ||
17:34 <Nick|Freddy> Well. That made things a bit clearer. He knew about his dad, and he knew about Primus. He must know about his powers, then, too. Freddy's not sure about the truth of his statement, though. Even Dirk seemed to be on his dad's side. Steve might be on Freddy's side, if he knew.
17:34 <Nick|Freddy> "O.. K," Freddy says, elongating the first syllable. He makes it a prompt for TGK - Blake - to continue. ||
17:39 <~Antioch|GM> "I keep in touch with Cameron, one of the guys who works for Primus. He let me know about your general situation, and also you bolting from the fundraiser."
17:40 <~Antioch|GM> "In a few certain circles, there are a lot of people who are looking for you now, and a lot of people who know that your dad is looking for you."
17:40 <~Antioch|GM> He looks slightly awkward as he scratches the back of my head.
17:41 <~Antioch|GM> "And, uh, given that there's currently a fake one in room 722, I'm assuming, I kinda want to nip this in the bud before the wrong sort of people catch wind of this." ||
17:42 <~Antioch|GM> ** back of his head
17:43 <Nick|Freddy> "Nip it in the bud?" Freddy asks, "Do you mean I should go back?" Freddy's not a fan of the idea. ||
17:45 <~Antioch|GM> "I had a different sort of idea," he says. "You stay here, get rid of the fake before people other than your brother and my staff know to check Dirk's room for you, and we speak to your dad here. Settle things with better terms for you."
17:46 <~Antioch|GM> He sighs, exhaling deeply, before continuing.
17:46 <~Antioch|GM> "I have a lot of sympathy for your situation. You don't deserve this kind of treatment from your family." ||
17:51 <Nick|Freddy> Great. Talking things out with his dad, again. That hadn't gone so well last time. A part of Freddy never wants to see his dad again. Maybe, though, The Good King would actually be able to help. More than the therapist did, anyway.
17:51 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy sighs. It's not a perfect solution, but now that he's had a chance to settle down and cry, he realizes that the alternative is probably much worse. Severe punishments, maybe, for running away again. Or at the very least, even more restrictions and safeguards against him running that would ensure he'd never get another chance to be alone.
17:51 <Nick|Freddy> The last sentence sounded pretty genuine, anyway. The Good King's plan is probably the best option out, at this point.
17:51 <Nick|Freddy> "That... makes sense," Freddy responds, after thinking it through.
17:52 <Nick|Freddy> "Thanks," he adds. ||
17:57 <~Antioch|GM> "I've been in similar situations. I have to make it clear, however, that my power isn't absolute. There are things I can and can't do."
17:57 <~Antioch|GM> He places his hands on his knees, not breaking eye contact.
17:57 <~Antioch|GM> "So, tell me what you want. Get rid of your doppelganger and we'll talk things out. Have a workable plan before your father arrives." ||
17:59 <Nick|Freddy> That's a pretty good deal, actually.
17:59 <Nick|Freddy> "OK," Freddy says, with more confidence this time.
17:59 <Nick|Freddy> He turns to return to the elevator, before remembering something.
17:59 <Nick|Freddy> "Oh, wait. Do I need a card to get back up here?" ||
18:00 <~Antioch|GM> "No need," he replies. "There are security cameras in the elevator, I can enable your access remotely." ||
18:01 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy nods, and presses the button to go down. ||
18:11 <~Antioch|GM> ((Ah, shit, connection blanked out again for a while there. My bad.))
18:11 <Nick|Freddy> ((Not a problem.))
18:11 <Nick|Freddy> ((Glad you're back, though))
18:11 <~Antioch|GM> The elevator descends to the seventh floor, running smooth and quiet, leaving him to his thoughts. ||
18:17 <Nick|Freddy> The Good King gained respect from Freddy earlier today, when Steve told him that he had been involved in a successful attack on the Blackguard. Now, that respect was increasing further. Someone willing to come up with a plan, advocate for him? Freddy almost doesn't believe it.
18:17 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy thinks of what he wants to get from his dad. The first thing that comes to mind is not joining Primus. The only good thing about Primus so far was Cantus whoever, and he didn't make up for his teammates. Especially not Downsize.
18:17 <Nick|Freddy> Secondarily, Freddy still wants to join the Wards, but he's been coming to think of that as a non-possibility over the course of the day. Something he shouldn't ask for. It would only upset him to hear another 'no.'
18:17 <Nick|Freddy> Other things... Freddy wants the spy stuff off his phone, the bars off his windows. The alarm off the back door. He needs to run, sometimes, to just get a grasp on his own thoughts.
18:17 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy gets out of the elevator as it arrives and heads to his brother's room. ||
18:19 <~Antioch|GM> His brother, when he arrives, is attempting to feebly shove ratdad away from the bed, looking very put-off.
18:19 <~Antioch|GM> "I'm a very important businessman, you know," the ratdad protests. ||
18:20 <Nick|Freddy> "You can disappear now. Sorry, Dirk. I know he's creepy," Freddy says. ||
18:21 <~Antioch|GM> Ratdad crawls under Dirk's bed.
18:21 <~Antioch|GM> "Please don't leave me in a room with one of those guys ever again," Dirk says. "They're... wrong. I can't stand it." ||
18:22 <Nick|Freddy> Yeah, yeah. Freddy's power is terrifying and bad.
18:24 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm really sorry, Dirk. I won't do it again. I'm going to go back to talk to The Good King and maybe the real Dad," Freddy tells him. "I'll come say bye before I leave. Thanks for letting me cry all over your bed." ||
18:26 <~Antioch|GM> "Uhm... yeah. Sure," he says, a falter in his voice that's either awkwardness or insincerity. ||
18:28 <Nick|Freddy> Well, awkwardness and insincerity are better than some alternatives. Freddy leaves the room and heads back to the tenth floor. ||
18:32 <~Antioch|GM> Blake is waiting when Freddy gets back, though the woman that showed him up is no longer present.
18:32 <~Antioch|GM> "So, did you think on it?" ||
18:33 <Nick|Freddy> "I have a few ideas," Freddy says. He's not sure if he's supposed to list them now, or wait for Blake to ask him, so he stops awkwardly and waits. ||
18:33 <~Antioch|GM> "Sure," he says. "Let's hear 'em. Can I get you anything?" ||
18:35 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy glances at the minifridge. "A drink would be good. Whatever you have. And... do you have a chair I could use?" Freddy feels odd, standing while Blake sits. ||
18:36 <~Antioch|GM> Blake grabs a soda pop from the fridge and goes back to the odd, shuttered terminal, typing again. Another swivel chair pops out, and he rolls it over to Freddy, can of Dr. Pepper atop it. ||
18:40 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy sits. He doesn't open the soda, yet.
18:40 <Nick|Freddy> "The main thing I want is to not have to join Primus. They're jerks, and there's no other kids," Freddy says bluntly. ||
18:41 <~Antioch|GM> "That part is easy. He can't make you join any hero group without your express consent. The law and the Youth Guard would be on your side." ||
18:45 <Nick|Freddy> "Oh," Freddy says. That was easy. He has to pause to collect his thoughts.
18:51 <Nick|Freddy> Should he bring up the Wards? Freddy doesn't think he should. His dad wasn't likely to budge on it.
18:51 <Nick|Freddy> "There's also all the stuff he did after I ran away. He put software on my phone to track me and my calls, and he made it so my window doesn't open. He put an alarm on the door so I can't leave without huge spotlights lighting up and like sirens going off." ||
18:56 <~Antioch|GM> Blake frowns at that.
18:56 <~Antioch|GM> "That's stupid," he says, "but it's legal, and the fact that it's legal is stupid."
18:56 <~Antioch|GM> "I can try and convince him anyways."
18:56 <~Antioch|GM> He pauses, then stands up, suddenly looming over the seated Freddy, and starts pacing.
18:56 <~Antioch|GM> "To get what you want, we need to give your dad some of what he wants, things that the two of you can compromise over, or threaten him with what he doesn't want." ||
18:57 <Nick|Freddy> "Like what?" Freddy asks. The only thing he knows his dad wants is for him to join Primus, and that's worse than the other things. ||
18:59 <~Antioch|GM> "If you think on what he wants," he replies, still pacing, "I'll give some thought to the threats."
19:00 <~Antioch|GM> "I'd also like to hear what you want, in a different sense. I've heard about what you don't want, to be sure, but where do you want to see yourself after this, moving forward?" ||
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy thinks. What does he want, and what does his dad want? Freddy wanted to be a superhero. But does he still want that? He's unsure.
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> Yeah, actually. He still does. His visit to Primus soured him on some aspects of it, but the fight he had watched was still really cool. And someone needs to fight the villains.
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> Now, what does his dad want? His dad wants something from Freddy, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a show of trying to care right after Freddy's trigger.
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> Right after his trigger.
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> Is that a clue? Does his dad want for him to do something with his powers? Maybe it was just that he wanted Freddy to join Primus. Was he getting something for Freddy joining Primus, maybe?
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> The only thing Freddy knows about his dad's wants in general are his work. He had spent a lot of time working at the college, and had made sure that his sister had done well enough to go there. He hadn't cared as much about Freddy's grades, though, and Dirk had left the house after high school, not deigning to go to college. Maybe his dad cares about grades? And there was that other school his dad had wanted him to go to. Freddy's still
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> against that idea.
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm not... really sure what he wants, apart from stuff I don't want to do already. I guess he cares a lot about school and stuff," Freddy says.
19:18 <Nick|Freddy> "And what I want... I guess it sounds silly, but I want to be a superhero." ||
19:19 <Nick|Freddy> ((Have to go eat, be back in a bit, sorry))
19:19 <~Antioch|GM> ((No worries!))
19:21 <~Antioch|GM> Blake nods.
19:21 <~Antioch|GM> "It's reasonable. You didn't want Primus because of the reasons stated earlier. I take it the Wards aren't an option, given that your dad is pressuring you to join Primus?" ||
20:01 <Nick|Freddy> "He thinks they're dangerous," Freddy says, "because of how they killed Mortal Lock and let a villain join. And... I've sort of given up on that, with him." ||
20:03 <~Antioch|GM> "Mmm," he says. "It doesn't leave you with a lot of options, does it."
20:03 <~Antioch|GM> "Tell me, Freddy. What does being a superhero mean to you?" ||
20:06 <Nick|Freddy> "Getting a costume. Stopping crime. Getting verified on PHO," Freddy lists off. He's given it some thought. ||
20:06 <~Antioch|GM> "And having other cape friends your age? You mentioned that as a sticking point, when Primus was mentioned." ||
20:07 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah," Freddy affirms. ||
20:07 <~Antioch|GM> "Why give up on the Wards, then?" ||
20:12 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy feels his stomach do something weird. "It's... it's not like I wanted to give up." His voice cracks.
20:12 <Nick|Freddy> He's not really explaining himself well, but it's not something he wants to talk about anymore. ||
20:15 <~Antioch|GM> "Don't, then. Stick to your guns. You'll need conviction to be a hero." ||
20:22 <Nick|Freddy> "I guess," Freddy says. "It's hard, though." ||
20:23 <~Antioch|GM> "What made it hard? I'm curious," he says. "What brings you down enough to make you give up on your dream?" ||
20:28 <Nick|Freddy> "'Cause my dad doesn't want me to, and other people just get to join and my dad has to say I can't, and it's not fair!" Freddy exclaims, putting more force into the end of the statement than he means to.
20:28 <Nick|Freddy> "Sorry," he mumbles. ||
20:30 <~Antioch|GM> "There are a lot of things in this world that we can't do," Blake sighs. "Most of them aren't fair."
20:31 <~Antioch|GM> "I can't kill Behemoth, for one." ||
20:31 <Nick|Freddy> "No one can kill Behemoth, though," Freddy says. "That's a dumb example." ||
20:32 <~Antioch|GM> "Is it fair that he exists?" ||
20:34 <Nick|Freddy> "I dunno," Freddy says. "I guess not." ||
20:36 <~Antioch|GM> "But I take tissue samples from the capes who promise to fight him, give them extra chances to come out alright, go out and treat the wounded and do what it takes to increase their chances of survival."
20:37 <~Antioch|GM> "Fair, unfair, it doesn't matter in the long run. You say something's unfair? It comes part and parcel with the implication that it's out of your power."
20:38 <~Antioch|GM> "Things are unfair? It doesn't matter. You do right with everything in your power, regardless. That's being a hero." ||
20:41 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah, I know." He does know. People are always saying that life isn't fair.
20:41 <Nick|Freddy> "It's just really tiring to have to watch them get what I want and I can't be part of it." ||
20:44 <~Antioch|GM> "Do you think it's a foregone conclusion? That you can't get into the Wards, no matter how hard you try?"
20:44 <~Antioch|GM> "I think there's a chance," he says, "if you're willing to take it." ||
20:47 <Nick|Freddy> "I did try, and it just made me feel worse."
20:47 <Nick|Freddy> I don't want to hope again just to be disappointed again, he thinks.
20:47 <Nick|Freddy> The thing is, though, that just talking to The Good King here already made Freddy hope that there's another chance.
20:47 <Nick|Freddy> "I'll try," he decides, a moment later. ||
20:52 <~Antioch|GM> "That's what I wanted to hear," he replies, grinning. "Let's have a word with your dad."
20:52 <~Antioch|GM> He digs out a cell phone, which looks surprisingly mundane next to the Tinkertech he's bristling with, dialing a number.
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Hey, Cameron?"
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Freddy is with me at Fairview."
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Not your brother, Freddy Darnell."
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Yeah. Do you mind passing this along to Mr. Darnell? Send him up to the tenth floor."
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Nah, it's just that we've got some words for him."
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Hm? Go ahead and write off him joining Primus."
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Surely it's not that bad. Didn't you get some new capes?"
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> "Yeah, alright. I'll talk to you later."
20:57 <~Antioch|GM> ||
20:59 <Nick|Freddy> Huh. Freddy doesn't feel bad at all that Primus won't get him on their team. If they wanted him, they shouldn't have been such assholes while interacting with him.
21:00 <Nick|Freddy> He wheels his chair back and forth nervously with his feet, waiting, tense. ||
21:04 <~Antioch|GM> Blake's phone buzzes, receiving a text, and he glances at it.
21:04 <~Antioch|GM> "Fifteen minutes and he'll be here."
21:04 <~Antioch|GM> "So you want to join the Wards, you want to ditch the surveillance crap."
21:04 <~Antioch|GM> He pauses for a second, thinking it over.
21:04 <~Antioch|GM> "If you join, there's the possibility you could stay at the PRT base. There's precedent." ||
21:07 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's eyes widen.
21:07 <Nick|Freddy> "Really?"
21:07 <Nick|Freddy> That would be amazing. He wouldn't have to deal with his dad. Before this whole thing, before he ran away, he had wanted his parents to interact with him more, but now his dad just brought him bad feelings. And if he succeeded in convincing his dad that he should join the Wards (!), there'd likely be an even more strained relationship between them. ||
21:09 <~Antioch|GM> "It does come with its cons. Cutting ties with your family, to a certain extent. A great deal, if your father reacts poorly." ||
21:10 <Nick|Freddy> "They're never around, anyway."
21:10 <Nick|Freddy> And when they are, it's usually bad things.
21:10 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy remembers the late-night milkshake. Usually.
21:10 <Nick|Freddy> "I could still see them sometimes, right?" ||
21:14 <~Antioch|GM> "It depends," Blake sighs. "There's already a wedge between you and your family, starting with your running away, then with the disagreements about Primus. This conversation we're about to have is going to drive it deeper."
21:14 <~Antioch|GM> "Some people say that putting some distance between you and your family can ease strained relationships, but I don't know for sure. I don't stay in touch with mine." ||
21:16 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy gathers that The Good King's family situation hadn't been good, either.
21:16 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm not sure. I was closest to my brother, anyway, and he doesn't live with my parents. Or, well, he didn't, before he got hurt."
21:17 <Nick|Freddy> "I'd rather be too far than too close, right now." ||
21:30 <~Antioch|GM> "Sure. You're brother's an adult, so I don't think that'd pose as much of a problem."
21:30 <~Antioch|GM> "He's almost recovered, by the way. The bullet's removed, and we're just waiting for the fractures to his clavicle to mend." ||
21:33 <Nick|Freddy> "That's good. I knew he was pretty close to better," Freddy says.
21:33 <Nick|Freddy> He falls silent, and waits. He pulls out his phone and turns it back on, putting the battery back in. No point in disabling the tracker, now. He pulls up PHO when it boots, out of habit, and scrolls through the top posts in the Cleveland board. Maybe now there'd be something on the fight. That's a good thing to tell an established hero, actually, he realizes.
21:33 <Nick|Freddy> "There was some sort of fight in Blackjack territory on my wa y over here," Freddy tells Blake. "Some cape with arrows and another with explosions or shockwaves. Do you know anything about that?" ||
21:35 <~Antioch|GM> "Huh, no. Those powers don't ring any bells, either."
21:36 <~Antioch|GM> "Huh, no. Those powers don't ring any bells, either."
21:36 <~Antioch|GM> ((Oops, sorry for double send.))
21:37 <Nick|Freddy> ((was wondering whose end that was on:P))
21:37 <~Antioch|GM> There's a PM reply when he checks the forums, too. "I can understand that sort of thing. Let me know if you change your mind, alright?"||
21:40 <Nick|Freddy> Huh. Even The Good King has no idea.
21:40 <Nick|Freddy> "Should we tell the PRT or something?" he asks. ||
21:40 <~Antioch|GM> "I'm sure they'll know by now. Besides, I'm not going to begrudge anyone who picks a fight with Blackjack." ||
21:42 <Nick|Freddy> Well, then. Freddy doesn't much know what else to do but wait, so that's what he does. ||
21:46 <~Antioch|GM> The remaining time passes quietly, a little awkwardly. TGK goes back to tinkering with his serums.
21:46 <~Antioch|GM> Then, he checks his phone again.
21:46 <~Antioch|GM> "Your dad's about here."
21:46 <~Antioch|GM> ||
21:51 <Nick|Freddy> "Oh," Freddy says.
21:51 <Nick|Freddy> He's not sure how he feels about this. His stomach drops, and he feels nervous, certainly, but he's also a bit excited that he might be able to become a Ward and move away from his parents. He's almost afraid to even dare to think of succeeding, at this point. ||
21:53 <~Antioch|GM> The elevator dings and Freddy's dad walks through.
21:53 <~Antioch|GM> He takes a moment to take in the room, but when his eye turns to Freddy, his gaze narrows in anger.
21:53 <~Antioch|GM> "Frederick Walter Darnell," he says coldly, "it's time you learned that running away does not solve your problems." ||
21:56 <Nick|Freddy> "I know, Dad," Freddy says sullenly. "But we have some stuff we need to talk about." The Good King had said that heroes need conviction? Well, here goes nothing. ||
21:57 <~Antioch|GM> "No buts," he says. "We're leaving. Now."
21:58 <~Antioch|GM> Blake stands there, eyes mostly on Freddy. Waiting for him to show his conviction, no doubt. ||
21:59 <Nick|Freddy> "No, we need to talk here," Freddy says, more firmly. "I'm not joining Primus." ||
22:00 <~Antioch|GM> "You're not in a position to tell me when or where we need to talk. You've caused me enough trouble already."
22:00 <~Antioch|GM> He strides forward, grabbing Freddy roughly on one shoulder. ||
22:03 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy tries to shake him off, while another part of his mind starts putting together a Buff Rat.
22:03 <Nick|Freddy> "Don't touch me," Freddy blurts out. ||
22:03 <~Antioch|GM> ((Brawn))
22:04 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Brawn
22:04 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Brawn" [5] -1 = 4
22:04 <~Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6 Max, Brawn
22:04 <[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Max, Brawn" [1]  = 1
22:04 <~Antioch|GM> Freddy slaps his father's hand aside angrily. It's surprising how easy it is.
22:06 <~Antioch|GM> He gets a dangerous look in his eyes. "I will get Primus involved, if I have to. Don't push me further."
22:06 <~Antioch|GM> "Things can get worse." ||
22:07 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy looks at Blake. Is he just going to let this happen?
22:07 <Nick|Freddy> "You mean you'll have them kidnap me?" Freddy asks contemptuously. ||
22:09 <~Antioch|GM> Blake is still watching, though his brow is furrowed, and he's frowning.
22:10 <~Antioch|GM> "Don't be so dramatic," Max says. "I have legal custody of you. They're merely helping me bring you back where you belong." ||
22:12 <Nick|Freddy> "You won't have legal custody for much longer if you call a group of capes to drag me kicking and screaming back home so you can lock me in my room," says Freddy, his voice getting more emotional by the syllable. ||
22:13 <~Antioch|GM> "You've run away from home three times, now," he says, voice calm and level in his anger. "I'm well within my rights to take preventative measures." ||
22:16 <Nick|Freddy> "There's a reason I've run away, though!" Freddy nearly shouts. "Whoever's deciding the court case won't miss that, Dad." ||
22:19 <~Antioch|GM> "You're taking this to court, then," he says, completely unintimidated. ||
22:20 <Nick|Freddy> "I don't know!" Freddy exclaims. He looks to The Good King, lost. He doesn't know how deep he's dug his grave, at this point. ||
22:21 <~Antioch|GM> Blake steps forward, finally having something to say.
22:22 <~Antioch|GM> "I think we can work out an arrangement between the three of us, Mr. Darnell."
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> "I'd like you to allow Freddy to join the Wards," he says, "and if he so desires, remain with them on-site in a boarding capacity, such that he does not have to reside with you nor interact with you, unless he explicitly wants to."
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> "To be frank, Mr. Darnell, you're a terrible influence on your son."
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> Max's eyes narrow.
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> "Like hell I will," he growls.
22:26 <~Antioch|GM> Blake turns to Freddy. "What do you think?" ||
22:27 <Nick|Freddy> "Yeah. I don't want to live with him when he's threatening to call a cape team on me for running to the hospital to see my brother."
22:28 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy's surprised that his dad went so far, all things considered. He thought that they had been being better, the last few days. ||
22:29 <~Antioch|GM> "What makes you think you can tell me what to do with my own son?" Max retorts. He's beginning to lose his composure.
22:29 <~Antioch|GM> Blake scratches the back of his head. "I'm you're outvoted two to one."
22:30 <~Antioch|GM> ** I'm afraid
22:30 <Nick|Freddy> ((huh?))
22:30 <Nick|Freddy> ((ah))
22:31 <~Antioch|GM> It's this statement that seems to push him over the edge.
22:31 <~Antioch|GM> "You don't have a say in what I choose to do with my son, and he sure as hell doesn't either," he snaps, hands clenching into fists. ||
22:32 <Nick|Freddy> "Like hell we don't," Freddy says. He checks on the progress of his rat, scared that this will turn into a contest of force. ||
22:33 <~Antioch|GM> Blake smiles mildly. "Let's sweeten the deal, then. I'm prepared to bargain."
22:35 <~Antioch|GM> "If you don't accommodate the stipulations as mentioned earlier, I will publicly withdraw all healing services and heroic support the People are currently providing to Primus Parahuman Insurance."
22:36 <~Antioch|GM> His smile turns up slightly further at the edges, looking more predatory.
22:37 <~Antioch|GM> "There will be an outrage, Mister Darnell. People will be shocked. They'll wonder what could have caused this schism to occur. They'll start asking questions, and those questions will lead to you."
22:37 <~Antioch|GM> "Certain things will come to light."
22:37 <~Antioch|GM> "I--- I-- you--," Max blusters. "You can't--- extort me like this!"
22:38 <~Antioch|GM> Amidst Blake's statements, the partially-constructed buff rat is forgotten. ||
22:41 <Nick|Freddy> "Thank you," Freddy says to Blake. He decides that he should stay silent here, because every time he talks he makes his dad more angry. ||
22:44 <~Antioch|GM> "While we're at it," Blake continues, taking advantage of the fact that Max's mouth is agape, "I'd like to inform you a little about the nuances of parahuman sciences."
22:45 <~Antioch|GM> He paces the room, waving his index finger as if giving a lecture.
22:45 <~Antioch|GM> "There's a common thread, when us capes gain our powers, you see. It's commonly known as a trigger event."
22:47 <~Antioch|GM> "For those that dabble in keeping up with parahumans, it's generally accepted that the trigger event is catalyzed by a moment of powerful emotion. Triumph, despair, fear, courage."
22:47 <~Antioch|GM> "It's intentional misinformation, Mister Darnell."
22:47 <~Antioch|GM> "Take that list of powerful emotions and cut it in half. Get rid of all of the good things you could possibly think of, on that list."
22:48 <~Antioch|GM> "Betrayal, physical abuse, isolation, rejection." He pauses, putting a heavier emphasis on the next phrase. "Abandonment."
22:49 <~Antioch|GM> "I'll spell it out to you more plainly."
22:49 <~Antioch|GM> He strides closer to Max, who consciously or unconsciously backs away, not stopping until he's against the wall.
22:50 <~Antioch|GM> "You have traumatized your son to the point where he developed superpowers."
22:50 <~Antioch|GM> "Congratulations," he spits. ||
22:53 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy puts his head down. He didn't known that. Not all of it. It makes sense, though. That was the worst he ever felt.
22:53 <Nick|Freddy> He takes a deep breath. In and out. Stay calm. It'll be okay. ||
22:55 <~Antioch|GM> "You-- you can't do this to me," Max croaks.
22:55 <~Antioch|GM> Blake's response is almost immediate, whip-quick, like a verbal backhand.
22:55 <~Antioch|GM> "I can, I will, and I'm giving you an option, here."
22:56 <~Antioch|GM> "Allow him to join the Wards. Sign the requisite paperwork. Resolve things peacefully."
22:58 <~Antioch|GM> He falls silent for a moment, letting Max quietly reply, "Or?"
23:00 <~Antioch|GM> Blake grins again.
23:00 <~Antioch|GM> "I turn this over to the Director, video footage of this altercation since you walked into the room and all."
23:00 <~Antioch|GM> "She has far better legal services at her disposal than I." ||
23:03 <Nick|Freddy> The Wards! It feels so close, so possible, that Freddy almost can't believe it.
23:03 <Nick|Freddy> And Blake, on his side? Really, actually helping him? Freddy really can't believe that.
23:03 <Nick|Freddy> He's scared of talking, of changing how the conversation is going, in the fear that he'll anger his dad into taking the hard option.
23:03 <Nick|Freddy> He talks anyway. A hero needs conviction, he says to himself.
23:03 <Nick|Freddy> "Please, Dad. It'll be easier and it'll make us both happier if you just let me join," he says. Begs. ||
23:07 <~Antioch|GM> ((Social))
23:07 <Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Social
23:07 <[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Social" [3] -1 = 2
23:08 <~Antioch|GM> His argument comes out as weak, broken, lacking the conviction he told himself he'd muster, too muddled by the fear of things going wrong, of things going wrong precisely because he opened his mouth.
23:12 <~Antioch|GM> Somehow, it's that weakness that saves him. Max looks at his son, pleading, hollow, uncertain. Looks him dead in the eye.
23:12 <~Antioch|GM> He takes the only victory he can get, too cowed and fearful for an overt act of spite, perfectly aware of the cards being played against him.
23:12 <~Antioch|GM> "Have it your way," he concedes, muttering the words quietly like poison in his mouth. "You'll see."
23:12 <~Antioch|GM> He strides back to the elevator, punching the button. ||
23:14 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy keeps his mouth shut. He'll talk to Blake when his dad's gone, when he can't mess things up further. What's he going to do, though? ||
23:20 <~Antioch|GM> The elevator opens and closes, taking Max Darnell with it.
23:20 <~Antioch|GM> Blake is quiet for a while, pacing a bit and then grabbing another soda from the fridge. ||
23:23 <Nick|Freddy> "Now what?" Freddy speaks up. He's unclear on what his dad meant. Did 'your way' mean the way where TGK gave video footage to the PRT Director? Or was 'your way' the way where he cooperates? He hopes for the latter, obviously. ||
23:25 <~Antioch|GM> "I can requisition the paperwork tomorrow morning," he says. "A lot of it will need your dad, both his signatures and personal information like your social security and stuff, but we can fill out what we can and turn the rest over to him."
23:25 <~Antioch|GM> The buff rat emerges from behind a corner, lumbering towards Freddy.
23:25 <~Antioch|GM> "Oh, uh, hello," Blake says, blinking.
23:25 <~Antioch|GM> "Hoo-agghh," the rat replies, flexing. ||
23:28 <Nick|Freddy> "Oh. I was making him in case it turned into a fight," Freddy says. "You can go now."
23:28 <Nick|Freddy> "So what about tonight?" he asks. "Can I stay in the hospital? There's cots for visitors, right? I could sleep in Dirk's room." ||
23:28 <~Antioch|GM> The rat turns away and rounds the corner, still grunting.
23:29 <~Antioch|GM> "You can stay on this floor. There's room for anyone in the People to stay overnight if they need it, and a few spares for capes that need discreet treatment." ||
23:31 <Nick|Freddy> "Oh, ok, thanks," Freddy says. "I'm pretty tired now, now that I think about it. And thank you so much for helping me there. I couldn't have done any of that." ||
23:36 <~Antioch|GM> "It's no problem," he replies. "I'm glad to have been able to help. Let me know if you end up needing anything like a change of clothes, food, or the like." ||
23:38 <Nick|Freddy> "I'm still full from the fundraiser," Freddy says. He can think of it without falling into despair, now. "Thanks. Where's the beds?" ||
23:39 <~Antioch|GM> He points to the hall down the left. "1007 should be empty and unlocked. I don't think I need to tell you this, but get some rest."
23:41 <~Antioch|GM> He pauses, then catches himself. "Do you mind if I get some tissue samples? If you're going to be joining the Wards, I may as well have you in my system." ||
23:43 <Nick|Freddy> "Can we do that in the morning? I'm happy to let you, but I think I need to sleep sooner than later," Freddy says. His eyes are dry and tired, and the lights seem brighter than they should be. ||
23:44 <~Antioch|GM> "No problem," he says. "I'm in no big hurry." ||
23:45 <Nick|Freddy> "Thanks," Freddy says, for what feels like the fortieth time. "Night."
23:45 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy heads down the hall towards the indicated room, and goes inside. ||
23:47 <~Antioch|GM> The room's light flickers on when he steps inside. There's an open door to his left that leads to a hospital bathroom, roomier than the usual with handholds for the mobility-challenged. The bed is to his right with a privacy curtain that's been pulled back, and a television is mounted on the wall opposite. ||
23:51 <Nick|Freddy> Freddy strips the top blanket off the bed and climbs under, fully clothed. He closes his eyes, not bothering to turn off the light. It's probably motion-activated, and should therefore shut itself off in time. He thinks of his day as he falls into sleep, the ups and downs and ups and downs. It had been interesting, certainly. And tomorrow, he'd take the first step towards joinging the Cleveland Wards. ||
23:53 <~Antioch|GM> He falls asleep, faster than usual, feeling far less alone than he has in months.
23:53 <~Antioch|GM> ||||