[X] Plan: Soft Steps
-[X] Tell her sister.
-[X] Name: Whisper
-[X] Costume: Thoroughly Average, able to fit in anywhere. Intending to hide in plain sight and gather intel for more extensive organizations like the cops to take down criminals. Always shifted at least one feature away from her civilian appearence.
Hmm... anyone got ideas for 'tools' that we could leverage into tutoring/teaching her sister? Probably help with any jelousy on Nessa's part if we can use it for her advantage and it would help address some of the pressure from expectations Finn is dealing with that caused her to trigger.
Adhoc vote count started by Oshha on Sep 29, 2023 at 7:11 AM, finished with 10 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Plan: Soft Steps
-[X] Tell her sister.
-[X] Name: Whisper
-[X] Costume: Thoroughly Average, able to fit in anywhere. Intending to hide in plain sight and gather intel for more extensive organizations like the cops to take down criminals. Always shifted at least one feature away from her civilian appearence.
[X] Plan: Slightly Less Soft Steps
-[X] Both her sister and her parents.
-[X] Name: Whisper
-[X] Costume: Thoroughly Average, able to fit in anywhere. Intending to hide in plain sight and gather intel for more extensive organizations like the cops to take down criminals. Always shifted at least one feature away from her civilian appearence.
[X] Plan: Soft Steps
-[X] Tell her sister.
-[X] Name: Whisper
-[X] Costume: Thoroughly Average, able to fit in anywhere. Intending to hide in plain sight and gather intel for more extensive organisations like the cops to take down criminals. Always shifted at least one feature away from her civilian appearance.
That night, you make your decision. You will become Whisper, the heroine who hides in plain sight and gathers information for others to act upon. It is the best that you can do since you lack any real combat ability despite your powers. You can punch really fast, but you lack the strength to make those punches hurt. You can master any tool and that should include weapons, but you are still limited by what your overweight and out of shape body can do.
You will call yourself Whisper because a whisper here and whisper there will be the downfall of your enemies. You might even find a team to support you some day, but for now, you will work alone.
Your costume will be basic, something that will conceal your identity, but at the same time, it won't make you stand out. You aren't that type of hero that draws attention to themselves. If anything, you are the opposite where the spotlight shining on you is a bad thing. Plus you won't be able to afford much when it comes to your costume. Your disguise will be further strengthened by your shapeshifting as whenever you are out as Whisper, you intend to be at least one step removed from your regular self in terms of appearance.
And you will only tell Nessa about this. You love both your parents, but you can't afford to weigh them down with this. They have enough burdens to shoulder without having to worry about their daughter being a superhero. At the same time, you don't want to keep it secret from everyone as unless you want another breakdown, you will need someone to confide in. What choice is there, but Nessa? You hate the idea of placing your burdens on your little sister, but you doubt Nessa will mind. If anything, your sister will be delighted to help you in any superhero activities from what you know of her.
You consider telling her tonight, but you decide against it. You've already been through a lot today and it isn't like you are going to go out as Whisper right away. You still need to sort out a costume and do a lot more research before you consider going out as a superhero, which means you have plenty of time to bring Nessa into the loop.
You go about your evening normally, the only thing out of place being that you spend some of your studying time researching the local cape scene. Or least you try to as you quickly find yourself being distracted by Turret Knight's signature turrets, wondering how you could improve upon the local King's Men Tinker's work. When you fall asleep, you do so pondering the best way to link up Turret Knight's turrets to an overarching control network.
***
When you wake up in the morning, you log onto the family computer to see if your school is open today and as your power predicted, it is though it is with the caveat that some of the investigating police officers might want to speak with you. With that knowledge, you quickly get ready for school and begin the walk to it. You are tempted to use your powers to transform into a fitter body, but you resist the urge. Your powers aren't something to be used frivolously like that.
School seems fairly normal at the first. People are talking about what happened from Charles getting powers to the day off to the people who are still in hospital from the fight, but other than that, it feels like another day at a school. Except someone in your first class of the day isn't in because they still haven't recovered from whatever Charles did to them.
Of course, that all goes out the window when they find you.
Who does Finn run into at school?
[ ] The classmate who hates her.
[ ] The classmate who loves her.
You are a sixteen year old girl of Irish descent and a working class background. You aren't a genius, but your smarts and work ethic have made up the difference to do well in class until your final year of secondary school. You had a mental breakdown on the first day back at school following the Christmas holidays, resulting in triggering and becoming a hero.
Your current goals in life are to get into a college, preferably a good one, and to kill that racist monster Charles Rainbridge.
You are an attractive if chubby redhead young lady who has a natural talent for getting along with others. You have also allowed your fitness to get away with you thanks to your overfocus on academics, resulting in an overweight and physical unimpressive body.
Your mother is Brigid Blaney, a retail worker, and your father is Fergus Blaney, a janitor. Your little sister by two years is Nessa Blaney, who shares your good looks, but lacks your smarts. You are close to all three of them and love them all dearly.
Primary Power (Thinker): Thinker ability to have an eureka moment where you have a moment of clarity or breakthrough towards trying to figure something out. Except it isn't a real eureka moment because your power only grants you the final result and nothing on how you came to that conclusion, giving you an answer without understanding. You cannot pull an answer out of thin air, but so long as it is technically possible, you can do it. The more relevant information that you have, the easier it is to get an answer while working on minimal information is an instant Thinker headache. Minor Power (Tinker): You feel the urge to make things, but you have no idea what sort of things. Minor Power (Thinker): You gain instant mastery of any tool you are wielding so long as you are holding the item in question. Like your main power, the mastery is instinctive without understanding and lasts as long as you are using the item. Minor Power (Stranger): You go unnoticed with people either not realising you are there or if that isn't possible, they assume that you are allowed to be present. If you draw undue attention to yourself, then the effect breaks. Minor Power (Changer): You can physically transform to fit a role. This grants only a physical transformation with no knowledge, skill or memories nor any ability to convince people of your chosen role. Transformation is limited to being a human female and only diverges from your regular self when necessary for the role. Minor Power (Striker): You can make close-ranged attacks in rapid succession, faster than what is humanly possible.
***
Sorry about how long it has been despite the shortness of this update. I've been busy with other stuff, but hey, here we are. So regarding the update itself, while Finn will be telling Nessa, she hasn't done it just yet. As for the vote, you are getting a somewhat meta-vote between running into a future ally and running into a future enemy.
Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
She finds you at break and she catches you halfway down the corridor, apparently having moved fast after her own class concluded. It is the tall, blonde girl that you saw outside of school yesterday. The one who made you question your sexuality with her full figured curves, her gorgeous face, sharp blue eyes and noticeable muscles and wow, you are wrong about her not looking good in a school uniform.
"Hey, I'm Astrid Norgard and we need to talk," says the girl as she grabs you by the wrist and pulls you along, not waiting for an answer.
You don't resist her pull, instead fighting the urge to blush because you like boys and not girls. What makes this girl so special? Why does this Astrid make your heart flutter more than any boy? Astrid drags off you to a secluded part of the building, where you have some measure of privacy provided that nobody comes by.
"You're a parahuman," states Astrid confidently and you go pale at being called out like that.
"I'm-I mean-" you start to stutter only for Astrid to cut you off.
"You have a high-level eureka moment power, a lesser power about mastering any tool you are holding, a Tinker ability of unknown speciality, a power that lets you to go unnoticed, a shapeshifting ability to take on roles and a power that lets you punch really fast," says Astrid as to your utter shock, she lists off your various powers.
"H-how do you know all that?" you squeak out, horrified at being found out so easily as fear of Astrid now battles your infatuation for her.
"I'm a Trump," answers Astrid before clarifying, "A power copier so when I touched you, I knew exactly what powers you had. And I know you are trustworthy from using your own powers."
"Ah, okay," you say as you aren't sure what else to say in the face of this confident and hot girl, "So what now?"
"We only have a few minutes before break is over and that includes the time we need to get to our next classes," replies Astrid, "Okay, so you want to be a superhero too?"
"Yes," you answer as you think back to last night, "I'm going to call myself the Whisper. I can't really fight, but I can use my powers to spy on the villains and report back to others."
"I can do that, but I can also fight just as well," says Astrid as she flexes an arm, "I'm not just a Trump, I got a Thinker power to figure out powers, a Tinker speciality which is working on Tinkertech, an upgraded body, the ability to use my powers undetected, the ability to take on the skills of role and the ability to steal healing ability by touch. Thinker ability lets me figure out what powers I have and how to use them, my body is that of a low Brute and so long as I'm not too blatant, I can use my powers without anybody noticing. Just as you can transform into a role, I can choose to get the skills of one. And when I touch someone, I can sort of transfer their healing ability to me so they heal slower and I heal faster. Longer touch means I take more healing and how hard I touch them is how long it lasts."
"That's a lot of powers," you comment, "How normal is that? I've only heard of capes having one or two powers?"
"Extremely rare," answers Astrid, "Most parahumans only get a single power. Most parahumans with more than one power tend to be either second-gen or grab-bags like us."
"What do you mean like us?" you inquire as Astrid clearly knows more about parahumans than you do.
"Grab-bag capes are the result of multiple parahumans triggering at once," explains Astrid, "Our main power gets weakened, but in exchange, we get a lesser power from each of our cluster-mates that is based on their power. The fact we each have six powers means that we are in a cluster of six. Me, you, Charles Rainbridge and three of our fellow students here."
"So Charles has six powers as well," you decide to confirm because that will be important information.
"Yes, he does," confirms Astrid, "Okay, we're running out of time so one last thing. Those feelings you have for me? They come from being a grab-bag cape, it's called the kiss-kill effect.
"W-wait!" you exclaim, blushing at being called out like that, "How did you know about my feelings?"
"Because you are bad at hiding them," replies Astrid with a laugh, "If it helps, my powers make me feel similarly about you. Something to be grateful for as it isn't always a given. Now, we really have to get to class, bye!"
***
You don't see Astrid again until the end of the school day. You spot her during lunch, but she is in the midst of people who are clearly her friends and you don't feel like interacting with her in public. At least not until you get those feelings for her under control.
It makes sense that your powers are responsible for them. After all, straight girls don't explicitly develop feelings for another girl overnight. Of course, this leaves you with the dilemma on what to do with them. On the one hand, you do have feelings for Astrid, but on the other hand, those feelings are apparently artificial and you aren't sure what to make of that? Does love count if it is power-induced? Do your powers just want to hook you up to make a superbaby from you?
No, wait, two girls can't have a baby together and you are getting silly. You'll just put these feelings of yours aside until you can figure out what to do with them.
"Hey, Finn," calls Astrid and you freeze up, fighting the urge to blush at the sound of your name from her voice.
Why does being about Astrid make you feel so emotional? You aren't normally sappy like this.
"H-hey, Astrid," you reply as the blonde girl joins you in the library.
"Studying?" inquires Astrid as she peers over your shoulder.
"I need to keep up my grades," you answer, "I get by on both smarts and hard work, not pure genius. Because I'm not one. Just a smart hard worker."
"Right, you're one of those scholarship kids," says Astrid, "My family is rich enough to just pay the fee."
That's right, like almost all students here at King George VI Secondary School, Astrid must come from a wealthy family who can afford the price to get a regular place at the school. Past you might have been jealous, but the last four yours have taught you that being envious of your classmates is pointless. You are poor and they are rich because the world is just unfair like that.
"So, what now?" you inquire as Astrid clearly has something in mind.
What do Finn and Astrid do?
[ ] They discuss teaming up and their cape identities.
[ ] Astrid shares her cape knowledge with Finn.
[ ] They go back to Astrid's place to attempt some Tinkering.
[ ] Write-in. Subject to QM veto.
You are a sixteen year old girl of Irish descent and a working class background. You aren't a genius, but your smarts and work ethic have made up the difference to do well in class until your final year of secondary school. You had a mental breakdown on the first day back at school following the Christmas holidays, resulting in triggering and becoming a hero.
Your current goals in life are to get into a college, preferably a good one, and to kill that racist monster Charles Rainbridge.
You are an attractive if chubby redhead young lady who has a natural talent for getting along with others. You have also allowed your fitness to get away with you thanks to your overfocus on academics, resulting in an overweight and physical unimpressive body.
Your mother is Brigid Blaney, a retail worker, and your father is Fergus Blaney, a janitor. Your little sister by two years is Nessa Blaney, who shares your good looks, but lacks your smarts. You are close to all three of them and love them all dearly.
Primary Power (Thinker): Thinker ability to have an eureka moment where you have a moment of clarity or breakthrough towards trying to figure something out. Except it isn't a real eureka moment because your power only grants you the final result and nothing on how you came to that conclusion, giving you an answer without understanding. You cannot pull an answer out of thin air, but so long as it is technically possible, you can do it. The more relevant information that you have, the easier it is to get an answer while working on minimal information is an instant Thinker headache. Minor Power (Tinker): You feel the urge to make things, but you have no idea what sort of things. Minor Power (Thinker): You gain instant mastery of any tool you are wielding so long as you are holding the item in question. Like your main power, the mastery is instinctive without understanding and lasts as long as you are using the item. Minor Power (Stranger): You go unnoticed with people either not realising you are there or if that isn't possible, they assume that you are allowed to be present. If you draw undue attention to yourself, then the effect breaks. Minor Power (Changer): You can physically transform to fit a role. This grants only a physical transformation with no knowledge, skill or memories nor any ability to convince people of your chosen role. Transformation is limited to being a human female and only diverges from your regular self when necessary for the role. Minor Power (Striker): You can make close-ranged attacks in rapid succession, faster than what is humanly possible.
***
And here you get to meet Astrid Norgard, Finn's mutual Kiss buddy within their cluster and arguably the strongest member of the cluster so long as she has access to Tinketech and other parahumans. Astrid also is abnormally knowledgeable about parahumans for reasons that are currently unknown to Finm, but you are welcome to guess at.
Anyway, Finn and Astrid are going to be teaming up. I was going to put it to a vote, but frankly, their mutual kiss is too high for them to be anything other than allies so here you are. As for the vote, it is a choice between sorting out your future team, Finn getting the inside scoop on the cape life and attempting to use your Tinker power.
Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
[X] Write-in. Subject to QM veto. : They talk about possible other cluster mates and their feelings on them cause you know you want to kill Charles, But what do you feel about the unknown Cluster mates?
So, we have a kiss-kiss reaction. The other person is the strongest one in the cluster, knowledgeable about all things parahuman and also rich. If QM rolled for reactions within our cluster we sure hit a jackpot. Not sure if her reaction is weaker that ours, or she just way better at hiding it (probably the latter), but still - everything about this situation is very nice.
As for source of her parahuman knowledge - considering that her primary power is Trump, I'm think she have a cape in her family. Which makes an option of tinkering in her house a little sus.
[X] Astrid shares her cape knowledge with Finn.
[X] Write-in. Subject to QM veto. : They talk about possible other cluster mates and their feelings on them cause you know you want to kill Charles, But what do you feel about the unknown Cluster mates?
[X] They go back to Astrid's place to attempt some Tinkering.
These two (or even most of the options) arent exclusive.
Even if, as Hyborem points out, someone in Astrid's household is a para (probably a tinker themselves if she already has a workshop) would it really be so bad if they found out.
If they are part of whatever organization Bainbridge is getting recruited too we might convince them otherwise.
If they are a villian or otherwise opposed to Bainbridge's group we might just get some allies.
Probably being paranoid but the thought also occurs to me that the kiss mechanic might just be one sided here although im not that familiar with the cluster mechanic to say if that is likely or even possible.
Probably being paranoid but the thought also occurs to me that the kiss mechanic might just be one sided here although im not that familiar with the cluster mechanic to say if that is likely or even possible.
I mean, we just had OOC vote to meet "The classmate who loves her". And we have a large 6-person cluster, those tends to have more pronounced kiss/kill dynamics which means a very good chance of some power-induced feelings. Simulating kiss reaction on Astrid's part not impossible, but I don't think it's a plausible possibility.
Probably being paranoid but the thought also occurs to me that the kiss mechanic might just be one sided here although im not that familiar with the cluster mechanic to say if that is likely or even possible.
I mean, we just had OOC vote to meet "The classmate who loves her". And we have a large 6-person cluster, those tends to have more pronounced kiss/kill dynamics which means a very good chance of some power-induced feelings. Simulating kiss reaction on Astrid's part not impossible, but I don't think it's a plausible possibility.
I did qualify it as probably being paranoid. I didnt actually think it likely but the thought occured to me and i decided to share. Plus the thought was mostly a continuation of my musings on the cluster mechanic that i am not all familiar with.
I think the only other fanfic that i have read that deals with it is Camera Shy which i loved until it started pivoting to make the kill motivation a central motivator of the mc.
It felt unnatural (which i get is sort of the point) because the two never seemed to have a reason to kill eachother other than the eldritch computer hooked up to their brains said so... it lacked nuance and logic.
Im hoping that doesnt happen here and Finn has some reason to hate Bainbridge that her shard just built upon. Like they do with every other type of compulsion that they impose on thier hosts.
Anyway rant over.
Sorry about that lol
Hadnt realised that that was bugging me as much as it did.
Im hoping that doesnt happen here and Finn has some reason to hate Bainbridge that her shard just built upon. Like they do with every other type of compulsion that they impose on thier hosts.
He is a racist bully who takes advantage of his family's wealth and connections to get out of trouble for tormenting minority students. There is a reason that Finn doesn't find her hatred for him odd like she did with her attraction for Astrid.
