ratboitodayforfirlz

<Antioch|GM> 23:11 <Nick|Freddy> "..."
<Antioch|GM> 23:11 <Nick|Freddy> ((to be clear, that's part of my post, not an indication of typing))
<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.
<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. ||
<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."||
<-> You are now known as Nick|Freddy
<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.
<Antioch|GM> The resentment never faded.
<Antioch|GM> This? It feels even worse. ||
<Nick|Freddy> ((how close is Freddy's school to the hospital his brother is in?))
<Antioch|GM> https://usercontent.irccloud-cdn.com/file/ARzynvON/Walking%20to%20the%20hospital.PNG
<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.
<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.
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<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 be on the team.
<-> FosSleep is now known as FossilLord
<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.
<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> It's a long trek, one he knows will take more than an hour -- in this below-freezing weather, no less.
<Antioch|GM> Still, he knows the layout of the city and the way to get there well enough from when he ran away.
<Antioch|GM> ((Wits roll))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Wits
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Wits" [3] +1 = 4
<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.
<Antioch|GM> At least there weren't alarms going off, this time. ||
<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?
<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.
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<Nick|Freddy> Freddy stops, takes some deep breaths, and then continues. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Street smarts roll!))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Street Smarts
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Street Smarts" [3] -1 = 2
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<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.
<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.
<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.
<Antioch|GM> His sly rat follows at a distance, sticking to gutters and shadows, keeping low and out of sight. ||
<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.
<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.
<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> When Freddy finds himself out on the main roads, things become a lot more clear as to where he is, territory-wise.
<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.
<Antioch|GM> A stylized suit of spades in black, with a stencilled '21' sprayed directly over it. Blackjack. ||
<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
<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.
<Nick|Freddy> He tries to stay hidden and discreet as best he can while picking the pace up a little. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Stealth))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 2h6+1 Sneak
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Sneak" (3) [4] +1 = 5
<Antioch|GM> ((Wits))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Wits
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Wits" [4] +1 = 5
<Antioch|GM> He keeps to himself, staying out of street lights and trying to move a little quicker.
<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.
<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. ||
<-> FossilLord is now known as FossWork
<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.
<Nick|Freddy> He starts making a Buff Rat as he continues on his sneaky way. ||
<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.
<Antioch|GM> He himself is respectably sneaky, while the buff rat is less so, although it's at least following at a distance. ||
<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Awareness))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Awareness
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Awareness" [4] +1 = 5
<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. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Should he investigate? He's always wanted to stop crime, but now isn't exactly the best time...
<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.
<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> Whatever it is, it means that Blackjack probably isn't going to worry about him as he tries to slip away.
<-> FaustAsleep is now known as FaustAndAbout
<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.
<Antioch|GM> His rats don't seem to care. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Whatever, Freddy thinks. It's not his problem. Although, maybe he should check it out anyway. It could be something important.
<Nick|Freddy> "Go see what's happening," he tells his Sly Rat, "and come back to tell me." ||
<Antioch|GM> The Sly Rat scampers away, heading towards the source of the noise. ||
<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> $roll 2h6+1 Sly Rat Sneak
<[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Sly Rat Sneak" (2) [4] +1 = 5
<Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6-1 Sly Rat Wits
<[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Sly Rat Wits" [6] -1 = 5
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<Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6-1 Sly Rat Soc
<[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Sly Rat Soc" [6] -1 = 5
<Antioch|GM> ((Wow! GJ, rat.))
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<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.
<Antioch|GM> "Two capes," it says. "One with arrows. The arrows are weird. One who goes 'booom'. They're fighting other people."
<Antioch|GM> Beneath Freddy's feet, the ground trembles slightly. ||
<Nick|Freddy> ((know check?))
<Antioch|GM> ((Sure thing))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6-1 Know
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Know" [2] -1 = 1
<Nick|Freddy> ((rip))
<Antioch|GM> ((Nobody you've heard of.))
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy doesn't recognize the description of either cape. One that goes boom? Weird arrows?
<Nick|Freddy> "Thanks," he says dismissively to the rat.
<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. ||
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<-> SleepingLid is now known as Lid
<Antioch|GM> (Guts x2))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6x2 Guts
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Guts" [1]  = 1  ::  [3]  = 3
<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.
<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. ||
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<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Athletics, Endurance, Awareness))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6 Ath
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Ath" [6]  = 6
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6 Guts, Endurance
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Guts, Endurance" [6]  = 6
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6+1 Awareness
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Awareness" [2] +1 = 3
<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
<Antioch|GM> water.
<Antioch|GM> ((Shard reputation moved one tick away from Conflict))
<Antioch|GM> ||
<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.
<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. ||
<Nick|Freddy> ((visitor pass? visitor's pass?))
<Antioch|GM> "Visiting hours ended at eight, dear," the receptionist says. A look of concern crosses her face.
<Antioch|GM> "Where are your parents?" ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Also, where are your rats?))
<Nick|Freddy> ((Rats are probably lurking outside))
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<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.
<Nick|Freddy> "He's my brother. Isn't there an exception for siblings?" Please, please let there be an exception. ||
<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." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Well, Freddy could handle that. "My dad's outside on the phone. I'll go get him."
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy goes outside and starts getting a dadrat growing. ||
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<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.
<Antioch|GM> While he's waiting, he realizes the fundraiser is probably long over. His dad is probably freaking out. ||
<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.
<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.
<Nick|Freddy> "Can we get passes now?" Freddy asks.
<Nick|Freddy> ((Give the ratdad 4 soc and 3 wits if I can determine his stats)) ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Of course))
<Antioch|GM> "Ah, great. Who are you visiting?" she asks.
<Antioch|GM> She turns to ratdad. "Oh, and could I see your driver's license, sir?"
<Antioch|GM> $roll 1d6+1 Ratdad Soc
<[ATM]> Antioch|GM "Ratdad Soc" [4] +1 = 5
<Antioch|GM> He mutters and mumbles to himself, scratching his head. "I... I must have forgotten it at home."
<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.
<Antioch|GM> The receptionist chews on her pen for a few moments, contemplating. ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy pulls out his own wallet and says "I have my school ID if that helps." ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Soc. +1, because you look kind of pitiful.))
<Nick|Freddy> $roll 1d6 Soc+1
<[ATM]> Nick|Freddy "Soc+1" [5]  = 5
<Nick|Freddy> ((gonna go get some lunch, shouldn't take long))
<Antioch|GM> It's enough to make her relent.
<Antioch|GM> "Well, okay. I'd hate to make you drive back in this weather. So who are you visiting?" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Dirk Darnell," Freddy says, guarding his tone carefully. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Okie-doke. He's up on the seventh floor. Elevator's over there," she says, pointing. "Have a good evening!" ||
<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. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Is ratdad coming with?))
<Nick|Freddy> ((To the elevator? yeah))
<Nick|Freddy> ((also I meant seventh))
<Nick|Freddy> ((I want to talk to ratdad in the elevator is why I'm waiting to see if other people come in))
<Antioch|GM> Nobody else enters the elevator with Freddy and his ratdad. The hospital is quiet and empty. ||
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<-> Tuzi is now known as Teruzi
<Nick|Freddy> "Can you disappear, now?" he asks the rat.
<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.
<Nick|Freddy> "Actually, nevermind. Keep doing what I said before." ||
<Antioch|GM> Dadrat nods once, staying quiet.
<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.
<Antioch|GM> ** -- face
<Antioch|GM> ((Also, let's pretend the receptionist was actually helpful and also said the room number, because I'm a dummy))
<Antioch|GM> Nobody else bothers them on the way up to the seventh floor. ||
<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? ||
<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." ||
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy enters the room, leaving ratdad at the door for now.
<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.
<Nick|Freddy> "Can I talk to you about some stuff? Can you promise not to tell anyone?" ||
<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.
<-> ColdGold is now known as ColdGold|GM
<Antioch|GM> Dirk's brow furrows. "Er, sure," he says. "What's up?" ||
<-> Divock is now known as Divock|Hush
<Nick|Freddy> "Um," Freddy says, "well, I guess the first thing is that I've got powers. I'm a parahuman."
<Nick|Freddy> "I make fake people that are actually giant rats. Dad's not really here, he's one of my ratpeople."
<Nick|Freddy> "I know it's gross. I didn't choose it."
<Nick|Freddy> ||
<Antioch|GM> His brother's expression grows more and more confused as Freddy talks.
<Antioch|GM> Finally, he makes a sound that's sort of like "bwuh?!" ||
<Nick|Freddy> "You can come in now," Freddy tells the ratdad.
<Nick|Freddy> "I'm here because, because..." Freddy trails off.
<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."
<Nick|Freddy> ||
<Antioch|GM> "Evening, son," the ratdad says, unprompted. It's very unsettling. Dirk seems to agree, given his expression.
<Antioch|GM> He's too discomfited and boggled to respond, having to deal with this on top of Freddy's revelation. ||
<Nick|Freddy> "Stop that," Freddy commands.
<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."
<Nick|Freddy> As Freddy thinks of how to continue, thinking of the fundraiser, his eyes resume their watering.
<Nick|Freddy> "And, and there was a, a f-fundraiser today and..."
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy struggles to keep talking.
<Nick|Freddy> "T-they h-h-had a new Ward and..."
<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. ||
<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. ||
[Remus] [RED SIX, RED S, GREEN S, BLUE THREE, YELLOW THREE, YELLOW SEVEN, YELLOW S]
<Nick|Freddy> Freddy keeps wailing, trying to muffle the sobs with the bed coverings.
<Nick|Freddy> "I'm-I'm s-so-orry," he gets out, his words stuttering as he cries. ||
<Antioch|GM> "I-- I, uh," Dirk tries to say, in between pats.
<Antioch|GM> Finally, he settles on, "Shit, man." ||
<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. ||
<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. ||
<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.
<Nick|Freddy> "What am I supposed to do now?" he asks, somewhat retorically, out of ideas. ||