You cross your arms, staring at the capybara sitting on your desk. "You want me to do what?"
It tilts its head. <<Protect humanity from the agents of the Blood-Crowned Queen.>> Its voice fills your head, a soothing androgynous timbre with a slight reverb effect.
"...and this entails?"
<<Facing Her agents in battle whenever they appear in this world.>>
"And these 'agents' are… monsters? Humans?"
<<They are monstrous corruptions which warp reality around themselves. Ordinary humans cannot face them, for they hide in other worlds and are impervious to most weapons.>>
"Okay…" you frown. "Let's say I believe that. Why should I?"
<<If the Queen succeeds, this world will fall into ruin and corruption.>>
You roll your eyes. "Sure, and this time I'm sure King Krok will defeat Gravity Lass. No one's conquered the world yet, and it sure isn't for lack of trying. Why should I be the one to do this?"
<<I know you care for others, Alysanne Kelly. You would not have been able to awaken your powers if you did not.>>
You sigh. "Look. You want me to put my life on the line to fight scary monsters. If I was ten, that'd probably be enough. Who doesn't want to be a cape on some level? But I've got responsibilities, and I'm not a little kid anymore."
<<What is it you desire?>>
"Doing the right thing isn't going to put food on the table, or pay off my sister's student loans. And what am I supposed to do if I get injured? This isn't Finland. Going to the ER could wipe out everything we have. And if I'm running off to fight monsters on a whim, no way I'm going to be able to hold down a job."
<<...>> 'Hearing' its silence is a strange experience, novel enough that it almost distracts you.
"What I'm saying is," you cross your arms again, "I'm going to need a salary. Hazard pay. Health insurance. Overtime. Vacation days. Do you even have an HR department?"
<<...we do not.>>
"Didn't think so."
<<See, this is what I've been saying!>> You jump at the sudden appearance of a translucent fox, its mental 'voice' more feminine than the capybara's. <<Look, miss, I'm sorry for my colleague,>> she reaches over and gently bats at the capybara's nose, <<they're a bit of a dunce. But I think we can work something out.>>
Oh god they're multiplying. "What."
<<This is extremely irregular,>> huffs the capybara, <<it is against our instructions to interfere with one another's charge, particular–>>
<<Yeah, yeah, and you're about to lose her. You just got off suspension, do you want to be put on archive duty again? Shut it and listen.>> The fox turns her attention to you. You feel a headache starting in your temples.
<<So. Couple things. First off, I'll talk to the boss, we may be able to get you some direct pay. Don't hold your breath though, she's a bit… hidebound. But we can at least work on a bounty system.>>
"...what, I call you up once I beat a monster and you pay me? Somehow I don't think you have a bank account."
<<Not quite. Each of the Queen's minions has a core that they use to exist in the real world. Once you beat them, you can take it, and we can help you convert it. More power, unique magics, or just precious materials.>>
<<Running-Against-The-Breeze, do not tell me you are suggesting she do something as base as converting Ruin Cores into blocks of gold.>> The dissonance between their disapproving tone and utterly serene expression almost makes you giggle.
<<'Course not. The value of gold tanked in the '90s when people started transmuting it willy nilly. No, I'm talking about some good old exotic materials. Well, new, I guess. Convert a Core into Exodite or something that can't be easily synthesized, sell that.>>
Your eyes widen. Exodite, as far as you knew, is exceedingly rare, impossible to produce in large quantities, for some technobabble reason that escapes you.
<<Now, still risky, I know. Your physical enhancements will mean that eventually you recover from any injury, so you shouldn't need hospital visits unless something outright kills you. Which, I know, not the most comforting, but it's something.>>
You open your mouth to answer when you hear the fox again. Quieter, with a subtly different reverberation effect; through some instinct you can tell that the fox is speaking only to you. {Don't let on that I suggested this, I'm already gonna get an official reprimand for interrupting, but while we're not supposed to endorse it there's nothing stopping you from using your powers for other things too. Be a superhero, villain, hell just sell your services to the highest bidder. Ruin Beasts aren't that common, and you have the potential to be pretty damn strong. Tell you what, once you do something public and super for plausible deniability I'll arrange to have some messages sent to you with introductions. I know some folks who can use some muscle this weekend, if that's your speed.}
<<–irregular, but technically acceptable.>> You return your attention to the capybara, doing your best to pretend you hadn't just been distracted by an extremely interesting secret offer from a magical fox. <<I suppose I can assist you in the transmutation of Ruin Cores into most substances. Would that be acceptable to you?>>
You nod. The fox winks at you, then vanishes.
<<I am glad to hear it. I have some reports to make about that obnoxious…>> the capybara's mental 'voice' trails off into static which somehow gives you the impression of swearing. <<... so I must depart for now. Calling me back should be instinctive to you, however, so please do so if you require aid!>>
The capybara vanishes with a quiet 'pop,' leaving you alone with your thoughts.
The first question, of course, is who you tell what you are. And who you don't tell.
Choose one person you must tell.
[ ] [REVEAL] Your sister. She lives with you, and you support the both of you while she makes her way through college. Hopefully to get a better career than you. Keeping it secret from her would be a constant drag on your life, and be just plain hard to do.
+Trait: Family Sticks Together
[ ] [REVEAL] Your friend, the metahuman nerd. He's going to love that you have powers now, and you could get a ton of useful info from him… and it'd feel just plain wrong to keep something so central to his interests a secret.
+Trait: Listening to The Rumor Mill
[ ] [REVEAL] Your childhood friend, the artist. She's not scraping by any better than you are, and if this turns out to be profitable enough, maybe you could help her too. And you know she'd give you an alibi without question.
+Trait: Friends Keep A Shovel Handy
[ ] [REVEAL] That bitch, Evelyn. You don't know what her issue with your sister is, but she's carried her bullying clear from middle school into university. It'd be real simple to just intimidate her out of it, now that you've got powers.
+Trait: Direct Problem Solving
Choose one person you can't tell.
[ ] [CONCEAL] Your sister. She lives with you, and you support the both of you while she makes her way through college. Hopefully to get a better career than you. If you told her you know she'd feel guilty, and might even try to do something unwise to help you and get herself hurt.
+Trait: She Deserves a Normal Life
[ ] [CONCEAL] Your friend, the metahuman nerd. He is going to be absolutely insufferable if you tell him. And how accurate can the gossip rags be, anyway?
+Trait: Just Leave Me Alone
[ ] [CONCEAL] Your childhood friend, the artist. She's not scraping by any better than you are, and if this turns out to be profitable enough, maybe you could help her too. But you don't want to give her false hope, and she doesn't seem to care for capes.
+Trait: Can't Ruin What We Have
[ ] [CONCEAL] That bitch, Evelyn. You don't know what her issue with your sister is, but she's carried her bullying clear from middle school into university. If you let her know, who knows how she'd react?
+Trait: I Hate This Social Crap
The second question is what you're going to do about the implied job this weekend.
[ ] [PLANS] Before you do something public, you need to know what you can do. Get some training in, in private.
- [ ] Approach an existing cape while they're out patrolling, ask if they can give some tips.
+Trait: Always Have A Plan
- [ ] There's a junkyard just out of town that it's an open secret capes practice in. Go there, see just how strong you are, do some physical tests.
+Trait: It All Boils Down To Force
- [ ] Your whole… deal is magic. Duck into the woods, call the capybara back, and see what they can tell you about the more esoteric side of things. Maybe that's an edge you can exploit.
+Trait: An Eye For The Mystic
[ ] [PLANS] You don't know how long you're going to have to prep stuff before this "job," or how quick the turnaround will be. Better to make your debut faster.
- [ ] Patrol at night, until you find a cape fight. Dive in and kick some ass.
+Trait: Strike First, Debate Later
- [ ] Patrol at night, until you find some goons doing something unwise. Kick their asses.
+Trait: Never Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
- [ ] Approach an existing cape out on patrol, ask if you can tag along to make your "public debut."
+Trait: When In Doubt, Ask
