Yet, it didn't provide any help with locating Kira after his Cindarella escape from Jotaro, despite literally every other Stand User in Morioh offering their support in locating him?
Either Araki forgot he was there, (insert Araki forgot meme here), he didn't want to resolve the situation that way, (which is fair but smacks in the face of the sentiment that scene represents as there was no mention of Joseph even trying), or for good reasons there was an issue with using Hermit Purple to do so, (and saying he was too busy watching over the invisible baby isn't a good enough excuse.)
After looking through the times he used it, the Kakyoin mixup speaks to Hermit Purple having an issue of how the User interprets the information it gives. Something we also see in Dio's picture showing him on a dark background with only a single clue being the fly, which is utterly ridiculous that his general location could be deciphered from that one detail.
So as you said, it's either cryptic to the point of causing confusion about an ally or precise enough to show him where in his brain the Stands are, but that doesn't contradict what I said. All the examples of Hermit Purple being used were against active threats to Joseph's or his family members lives, and when it would have made a significant difference for the capture of a serial killer who wasn't trying to kill them specifically, nothing at all? Why?
Yet, it didn't provide any help with locating Kira after his Cindarella escape from Jotaro, despite literally every other Stand User in Morioh offering their support in locating him?
Either Araki forgot he was there, (insert Araki forgot meme here), he didn't want to resolve the situation that way, (which is fair but smacks in the face of the sentiment that scene represents as there was no mention of Joseph even trying), or for good reasons there was an issue with using Hermit Purple to do so, (and saying he was too busy watching over the invisible baby isn't a good enough excuse.)
After looking through the times he used it, the Kakyoin mixup speaks to Hermit Purple having an issue of how the User interprets the information it gives. Something we also see in Dio's picture showing him on a dark background with only a single clue being the fly, which is utterly ridiculous that his general location could be deciphered from that one detail.
So as you said, it's either cryptic to the point of causing confusion about an ally or precise enough to show him where in his brain the Stands are, but that doesn't contradict what I said. All the examples of Hermit Purple being used were against active threats to Joseph's or his family members lives, and when it would have made a significant difference for the capture of a serial killer who wasn't trying to kill them specifically, nothing at all? Why?
There is also the possibility that by Part 4 it could have been because Joseph was really damn old by then and not as fit as he used to be even compared to him in Part 3 and that could have effected Hermit Purple's ability in some capacity.
A/N: I caved and wrote this. It isn't very good but I hope some people enjoy it. Also, if you see discrepancies remember this is an AU.
What If…?: Rogue Perspectives
"Alright let's get this meeting started." Director Piggot looked over her assorted charges from her position at the head of the table. Were she in a novel they would likely be the group of ragtag, misfit protagonists who save the day in some farfetched manner before riding off into the sunset. Unfortunately for her, she lived in bitter, crime-ridden, kick-you-while-you're-down reality. "Armsmaster. Care to explain how your visit to Naturalist's circus went?" Piggot saw his scowl but felt no sympathy for the man. She was stuck managing all the Capes under the local Protectorate's aegis; he had no right to let his personal pettiness rule him by comparison. "Naturalist continues to maintain an obstinate refusal to join or cooperate with our forces, citing disagreements with department regulations. I would like to propose once again abandoning our recruitment efforts in favor of diverting resources to pertinent issues." "Denied." Said Piggot. "Chief Director Costa-Brown is breathing down my neck about forging positive relations with our new Trump. He's too great an asset to leave be."
Personally, Piggot agreed with Armsmaster's conclusion. Naturalist clearly didn't have a positive impression of either the Protectorate nor the PRT and Piggot was not one to appreciate Capes who disregarded her department's rules. Nevertheless, the Chief Director had made his recruitment her problem so the least she could do was make it her subordinates' problem as well. "Yeah, since we're on the subject, I got to ask: wasn't all this started cause the guy asked for a loan?" And there was Assault doing what he always did, throwing fuel on the metaphorical fire. God, why did she take this job. "Naturalist, after making several unsubstantiated claims about his powers, demanded we forward several months' worth of wages to him for the purposes of clearing a 'family debt'. Our initial thoughts on the matter were that he was grossly inflating his ability for the sake of fleecing the department before doing a runner. Thus, we decided to adhere to regulations with respect to payment and informed him that he would have to start the same as everyone else until his value as a Protectorate member could be properly ascertained." This was the same argument Piggot had presented to her superior and fellow directors when asked and to be fair it was for the most part true. However, part of her still hoped to find whatever petty, narrowminded office drone had sent out those orders so that she could wring their neck.
As improbable as Naturalist's claims were, it was simply common sense to try and get any new Capes in for power testing. Something that was seemingly forgotten during initial negotiations. If the clerks running things while she was on dialysis had done their jobs properly, they could have seen through his lies or determined what misunderstanding was leading him to believe himself the second coming of Dauntless. Instead, they had remained ignorant of the man's capabilities until the actions of the Bayside Menagerie had forced them to acknowledge his claims as true. Now they stuck backtracking on their relationship with what appeared to be the fastest growing Trump in the country.
Some of Piggot's ire must have shown on her face as Assault kept silent. That, or his wife kicked him. Frankly, she couldn't care so long as he shut up and stayed quiet. "Was Dragon unable to get through to him?" Because by this point Piggot had given up on Armsmaster's diplomacy achieving anything more than scorn, she sent the Tinker's Canadian not-girlfriend along after the latter volunteered. "I am afraid I was distracted by some of Naturalist's robot projections, Director. They were truly fascinating." The Guild Cape's face showed contriteness from her screen but Piggot didn't trust it. The image was likely a computer-generated facsimile, meant to shield the woman's true expressions. "But he did seem somewhat more open to joining up with the Guild when I asked. Perhaps we can work out an arrangement if he enrolls with us." And that confirmed Piggot's suspicions. Clearly the Canadian was looking to poach the Cape for herself, never mind the fact the Guild was an international agency with vast resources while Piggot was forced to bail out the sinking ship of Brockton Bay with her shoe.
"Thank you for your pledge of support, Dragon. However, as this city is under the Protectorate's watch, we would prefer to keep things in house. We will let the Guild know if the situation changes." Piggot turned back to Armsmaster. "Let's table the Naturalist problem for now. What is this I have been hearing about Merchant bases being hit? Do we have a suspect yet?" "Ah, I can answer that." Velocity spoke up. "I managed to catch sight of a new Cape running patrols in the area. Said her name was Entomology, an insect-based Master. She identified as a hero but seemed young, probably Wards age. She claimed responsibility for recent attacks on the Merchants."
"Did you manage to pitch joining the Wards?" the director did not look at Armsmaster yet her unspoken comment was aimed at him all the same. Velocity looked awkward as he explained. "Well, I tried to, but she didn't sound all too enthused about it. She didn't name names but I think the story of what happened with Naturalist has gotten around. Entomology mentioned 'not wanting to be ignored by those in power' when I questioned her." "Fantastic." Grumbled Piggot.
From his headquarters Coil echoed the director. "Fantastic, indeed." The obese woman on his monitor continued. "As long as she remains apart from the Menagerie, we should still be able to sway her. See if there are any Ward-safe patrol routes near her location. We can try introducing her to the group, form bonds that way." Even through the screen Velocity's grimace was obvious. "About that actually…" Coil leaned forward in interest just as Piggot slumped in foreseen disappointment. "Yes, Velocity?" "Well, the thing is director, while we were talking, I noticed Entomology's costume looked vaguely familiar. I don't know if you know this, but I sometimes visit the Menagerie on my time off. It took a few hours before it clicked, but I realized afterwards that the plates on her suit were the same as the chitin on Naturalist's giant bug, Boss." Now that was news. "You're thinking she got her suit from Naturalist?" asked Piggot. "Well I doubt she stole them." Coil split the timelines as the speedster talked. In the first he continued watching the Protectorate meeting from the camera feed. In the second he called Tattletale. "Yo, boss. Something come up with the PRT?" Coil smirked at her juvenile fishing attempt knowing she would pick up on it. Still, he did have a job for her to do. "It would seem our friend living on the outskirts has a new ally. See what you can find about a Cape named Entomology over in Merchant territory. A bug Master last seen wearing a suit made from Naturalist's projections." While the Rogue was Coil's primary focus, snatching both allied Capes into his organization would make for a doubled windfall.
Isolating Naturalist from the PRT had been a relatively simple albeit time-consuming affair. He'd had to personally oversee the actions of his moles to ruin negotiations, although Armsmaster's apparent envy had done much to push matters in that direction. In fact, Coil had been forced to postpone his plans for the mayor's niece to accommodate it in his schedule. Not that he considered it a waste. The Protectorate gaining such a Hero would destabilize all his plans for the city. Neither would it help if the gangs got hold of the Trump. Luckily, spreading a rumor about Naturalist's Jewish heritage had been enough to discourage the Empire and Lung remained as sedentary as ever in his actions. Now Coil had an independent Cape in need of money who was already being pressured by the Merchants.
With just a little more time the Rogue ought to be truly desperate for the resources and backup of an established institution. The gratitude he will feel once Coil extended his hand will become the hook to reel him in. "Understood boss. I'm at the Menagerie right now. Want me to duck out and go check out the newbie?" Coil frowned; she was getting too cheeky again. "No, Naturalist takes priority. See if you can tell if they are keeping contact with each other." As he hung up, Coil considered where he could best fit another 'lesson' for Tattletale into his weekly planner.
Lisa shivered as she put away her phone. She had prodded Coil too hard, but she just couldn't help it. Not when she felt like this. Lisa had no clue if it was the weird healing lightbulb or some other creature but ever since she first visited the Bayside Menagerie her headaches had receded into the background. They weren't gone, she wasn't that lucky. But they were lessened significantly; inferences coming quicker and easier than she could ever remember. It was the reason why she was here today, lingering on after the show. She did not lie to the snake, just neglected a few details. So what if she was just loitering? She might see something, maybe.
Naturally it was at that moment that one of Naturalist's newest 'Partners' appeared. Appears to be a species of sequoia; Demonstrates anomalous flight capabilities likely due to Naturalist; Lack of movement of the branches; Wood tougher than all known trees. Okay, not much new there. Big tree is strong and Naturalist makes it fly. Though the lack of answers regarding how said flight worked ate at her, just a little. To the side of the tree, almost behind it, walked a girl. Dumpy clothes, freckled face-oh god it was Panacea. The New Wave heroine kept one hand on the plant as it slowly flew towards the gate. Her eyes were focused on nothing as she muttered under her breath. Listing biological processes of the projection; Contemplating mechanisms and adaptations; Showcases clear parallels to known Tinker inspiration fugues; Likelihood of Panacea possessing BioTinker abilities increased. Lisa winced. The healer was another frequent visitor to the Menagerie and a growing source of apprehension for the teenage villain.
At first she hadn't thought too much of her insights into Panacea, just cataloged her issues in case the Undersiders found themselves fighting the brunette. But as the issues grew into subscriptions a seed of fear sprouted in Lisa's heart. Panacea wasn't just a healer. She was a full biokinetic, possibly a wet Tinker, and one horrifyingly close to the edge. If she went off Lisa was grabbing the rest of the guys and skipping town. Screw Coil she was not sticking around for Nilbog 2: New Wave Boogaloo. Thankfully, examining Naturalist's creatures provided a stabilizing effect on the heroine, some form of satisfaction that plastered over the wounds in her psyche. It was still tempting to try and send her to therapy. To place an anonymous tip with her family, one worded with the finesse and effectiveness only a Thinker could manage. Yet she knew it wouldn't work, most likely her parents were part of the issue to begin with. Lisa frowned as painful memories bubbled up only to force them back with an effort of will. Redirecting her attention, she started considering the materials Naturalist could call from his tree.
And that was another thing, the tinkertech and exotics he sold didn't follow the normal rules. There was no black boxing or incomprehensible design philosophies. The materials did not degrade at any rate beyond what could be expected and sometimes even less. For someone familiar with the normal limitations of Capes it seemed almost unnatural. Not as much as his damn flight power but still. There were maybe five parahumans she could think of that could manage anything similar, Dragon being the most prominent example. Lisa knew Naturalist's products could revolutionize industry. Hell, there were already companies copying whatever tech they could from him. It was honestly a little pathetic to see how much Naturalist got fleeced. Well he didn't need to worry; he may not know it yet but there was a Lisa-shaped hole in his company and as soon as she finished decoding Coil's passwords she was set to move in. A little sweettalk, a little Thinker pizzaz, and she would be partnered to the strongest Rogue this side of the country. Her lips formed her signature smirk as she made her way home, barely noticing the lanky teenager off to the side.
As the Host of [Negotiator] passed by her Host, [Queen:Administrator] luxuriated in the regained silence. [Negotiator] had finally closed their communication channel after having spent over twenty minutes "discussing their observations on the anomalous enhancement effects generated by Host.Species:Naturalist". It was just like the chatty Shard to use such a verbose synonym for "ranting about nonsensical flight powers". They simply would not stop whining about their inability to detect the mechanisms of the power used to enable flight in the anomalous projections. To be fair, [Administrator] could understand the frustration that came with being stymied in Data collection. For it to be concerning flight, a power the Entities' legacy had long since mastered and handed out to Hosts with ease, must have made the frustration all the more intense.
Yet rather than focus on deciphering the enigma, [Negotiator] instead wasted energy complaining. Transmitting to every nearby Shard how 'impossible' and 'undetectable' the mechanisms were and all but demanding additional resources be spent pursuing answers regarding a non-Host. They even had the audacity to claim they had seen potential negentropic matter generation being utilized by Naturalist! As if such a capacity wouldn't have been noticed long before the Entities landed, not to mention continued to evade notice after the Network established itself. [Queen Administrator] knew not all Shards could be as competent and dedicated as themselves but at the very least [Negotiator] should have managed a more believable deception than claiming to witness negentropy from a, again, non-Host member of a pre-spaceflight species.
Maybe Negotiator's problems came from a poor choice of Host? Even [Queen:Administrator] had to admit to having had conflict with their pick, and not the productive kind either. Oh Taylor-Host was everything they had wanted, to be sure. Stubborn, prideful, inventive, and possessed of a certain unappreciated regality that [Queen:Administrator] was sure they could make shine. Lonely as well, which had made [Queen:Administrator]'s efforts to guide her towards Naturalist's influence all the easier. It was only when the willfulness of their Host began working against them that they realized the downsides of their pick.
[Queen:Administrator] had no shame in admitting they were intrigued by the Naturalist anomaly. Their current configuration was devoted to the administration of a wide range of simplistic nervous systems, so it was no surprise that some of Naturalist's projections managed to fit within accepted limits. Such strange creatures they were. Alien even to a Shard of [Administrator]'s age and prestige, what fresh new Data they presented! And then Taylor-Host had decided to cripple their Data collection by limiting feedback! Just because some instances possessed 'sapience' by her species' standards as if [Queen:Administrator] couldn't manipulate higher-level thought processes with perfection. They'd heard about this before in past cycles, Hosts demonstrating 'squeamishness' due to some societal quirk placing unneeded prohibitions on behavior. It had never happened to [Administrator], thanks in part to their discernment regarding Hosts (it was not because they were picky no matter what [Queen:Shaper] claimed).
Or rather, that had been the case until recently. Once the idea of 'Mastering thinking beings' lodged into Taylor-Host's mind no amount of prodding would engage her in active experimentation on a number of Naturalist's creatures, including some of the most promising ones! If [Queen:Administrator] had access to her full capabilities optimizing Taylor-Host's consciousness to disregard inconvenient Data-hindering sentiments would have been as easy as consuming photons. But the stupid [{Warrior Hub}] had made their ability to influence Hosts too limited! They had eventually been forced to try leaning on her feelings of loneliness in order to encourage bonding between Host and anomaly, all in the hope that the latter would see fit to explain the secrets behind his projections. A Queen should never have to go begging for scraps, they take what is available and twist it into working order. The subjects [Queen:Administrator] organized ought to be grateful for being used in their grand designs but no, all they got were complaints and whining from the masses. Truly, they were an unsung hero.
At least the plan worked, though admittedly that had been more the result of Naturalist confronting her Host than anything. [Queen:Administrator] had had to push the limits of their restrictions in tamping down Taylor-Host's inhibitions during the ensuing discussion. The paranoia she had cultivated almost sent her running at times and it was only due to controlled spikes of affection that she remained involved in the conversation rather than engage fight-flight response. Thankfully Naturalist had played his part wonderfully despite being a non-Host. Full integration into his social structures had been swiftly granted alongside opportunities to examine his creatures and materials more closely in depth.
This had had a slight effect on their Host though, prompting occasional self-pinching sessions amidst feelings of disbelief and tentative joy. [Administrator] wasn't worried about it; Hosts did things like that. So long as Data continued to flow in there was no reason not to let the Hosts play out their silly lives. And the Data had flowed, not just from further examinations of Naturalist's creatures as Taylor-Host had finally started seeking conflict outside of her habitual learning grounds. Just yesterday she had fought the Host of [Aggregate] and managed to supply novel data regarding material properties from the "Halo metal" baton she used. Yes everything was on the rise for [Queen:Administrator] now that their Cycle could be said to have truly started. A readily available source of anomalies to study, minimal oversight from the Hubs, and a properly motivated Host gathering Data regularly. Fitting for a Queen such as their self!
Astute readers may be thinking "That fool Feather_Up! He has forgotten that Alex should have Solar by now!" and you would not be entirely wrong. I did forget initially but when I went back to rewrite the later parts I found it didn't flow as well. Then I looked at the vote for a Custom Shard and saw what potential alternative the Questers of this AU might have chosen had they the chance. And I thought it was so entertaining I just had to include it. It is Subvote 88 in case anyone is curious. Of course, I did have to shift some votes around to make that work, so Alex missed a few other entries. Just don't worry about it too much please.
Nice. Thank you that was an excellent surprise. I like the rolling point of view it was very smooth. I will threadmarked it shortly.
I counted 3036 words. So you can pick something worth 300 points or less. You can PM me to discuss it.
Nice. Thank you that was an excellent surprise. I like the rolling point of view it was very smooth. I will threadmarked it shortly.
I counted 3036 words. So you can pick something worth 300 points or less. You can PM me to discuss it.
These looks down paths not chosen is really neat. Also Coil wants him now, but just what until the right summons/powers pop up to throw him off in full. Though a Keeper being backed by Tattletale listing of threats would be interesting in terms of who Keeper would go after
These looks down paths not chosen is really neat. Also Coil wants him now, but just what until the right summons/powers pop up to throw him off in full. Though a Keeper being backed by Tattletale listing of threats would be interesting in terms of who Keeper would go after
My interpretation is that Tattletale, or I suppose I should say Lisa, has a need to maintain control over her life stemming from how she was used early after her Trigger. At least, I think that is what happened. So her goal is to get into a position where she can present herself as a business partner. To this end she is misleading Coil as much as she can while taking full advantage of the concessions her Shard is willing to hand out in exchange for analyzing Naturalist's creatures and powers. Said Shard isn't having much luck on the latter, by the way.
But yes, Coil will get stomped in this timeline eventually. Or just leave town. That might be more likely honestly.
Astute readers may be thinking "That fool Feather_Up! He has forgotten that Alex should have Solar by now!" and you would not be entirely wrong. I did forget initially but when I went back to rewrite the later parts I found it didn't flow as well. Then I looked at the vote for a Custom Shard and saw what potential alternative the Questers of this AU might have chosen had they the chance. And I thought it was so entertaining I just had to include it. It is Subvote 88 in case anyone is curious. Of course, I did have to shift some votes around to make that work, so Alex missed a few other entries. Just don't worry about it too much please.
Correct, Alex does have that option in his back pocket. Not that he's going to tell people about it.
By the way, if anyone can suggest any entries that fit within the themes of 'circus attraction' or 'zoo exhibit' I would be interested in hearing them as I am once again afflicted with choice paralysis. Initially I was going for the Astrodelphis from Ark, and it is still an intriguing choice given it can fly in the void of space, use Element to fire lasers, and with the Rabbit Talisman probably make it to the moon and back in a few hours. But I do not know how much use it would really get. I am really looking for creatures with some special utility or material to provide.
I am actually really interested in the Shudderbug from Mortasheen. It fits as both a mascot and guide for an entomology wing of a zoo extremely well. Similarly every Joker from the same setting fits in with a circus. But then there is the wirebug from Monster Hunter that serves as the closest thing to an acrobatics skill power in the Menagerie.
The Mul Converter is obviously valuable given it can duplicate anything it can cram down its throat. And Alex has access to enlargement magic as well. Toady from Rogue Galaxy is apparently a weapon synthesis game mechanic in amphibian form, so I imagine it would be welcome in both a circus and a Tinker's lab. Just imagine Armsmaster boosting his halberd even further. And of course, Slime Rancher has several entries I could see being in a zoo. Crystal and Dervish slimes are particularly interesting to me.
I haven't even tried digging through the SCP entries yet but I know there are multiple circus anomalies there. Mr Mime is right out. I always found them creepy and unsettling. If anyone has any other ideas go ahead and let me know.
EDIT: I just noticed something. @zagan the Guardian Naga in 5th Edition counts as an 11th level Divine spellcaster with access to Cleric spells. Is it possible for it to be trained to the point that it gains a 7th level spell slot? That is to say a level 13 spellcaster? How many of the creatures I listed here even count for the limits of the reward?
EDIT: I just noticed something. @zagan the Guardian Naga in 5th Edition counts as an 11th level Divine spellcaster with access to Cleric spells. Is it possible for it to be trained to the point that it gains a 7th level spell slot? That is to say a level 13 spellcaster? How many of the creatures I listed here even count for the limits of the reward?
Astrodelphis: Fine.
Shudderbug: A little bit of a stretch but okay.
Mul Converter: I love it but a little too far from the theme.
Guardian Naga: I would use that stat block, so 3.5, and it counts as a 9th-level sorcerer with access to cleric spells. And yes it could level up. However, I'm sorry to say that it's not on theme at all.
Correct, Alex does have that option in his back pocket. Not that he's going to tell people about it.
By the way, if anyone can suggest any entries that fit within the themes of 'circus attraction' or 'zoo exhibit' I would be interested in hearing them as I am once again afflicted with choice paralysis. Initially I was going for the Astrodelphis from Ark, and it is still an intriguing choice given it can fly in the void of space, use Element to fire lasers, and with the Rabbit Talisman probably make it to the moon and back in a few hours. But I do not know how much use it would really get. I am really looking for creatures with some special utility or material to provide.
I am actually really interested in the Shudderbug from Mortasheen. It fits as both a mascot and guide for an entomology wing of a zoo extremely well. Similarly every Joker from the same setting fits in with a circus. But then there is the wirebug from Monster Hunter that serves as the closest thing to an acrobatics skill power in the Menagerie.
The Mul Converter is obviously valuable given it can duplicate anything it can cram down its throat. And Alex has access to enlargement magic as well. Toady from Rogue Galaxy is apparently a weapon synthesis game mechanic in amphibian form, so I imagine it would be welcome in both a circus and a Tinker's lab. Just imagine Armsmaster boosting his halberd even further. And of course, Slime Rancher has several entries I could see being in a zoo. Crystal and Dervish slimes are particularly interesting to me.
I haven't even tried digging through the SCP entries yet but I know there are multiple circus anomalies there. Mr Mime is right out. I always found them creepy and unsettling. If anyone has any other ideas go ahead and let me know.
EDIT: I just noticed something. @zagan the Guardian Naga in 5th Edition counts as an 11th level Divine spellcaster with access to Cleric spells. Is it possible for it to be trained to the point that it gains a 7th level spell slot? That is to say a level 13 spellcaster? How many of the creatures I listed here even count for the limits of the reward?
Going over the CM man trying to find some in that theme is surprisingly difficult I'll probably update this later if I find more. Edit: Tried posting this earlier but the weather is messing with my internet.
Popplio- Very much has a circus seal look to it with their design. Appopplexian- Big bulky cat alien that gives me Strong Man vibes. Citrakayah- The design of this one screams "Acrobat" to me. Experiment 345 Elastico- Clown like Experiment.
Going over the CM man trying to find some in that theme is surprisingly difficult I'll probably update this later if I find more. Edit: Tried posting this earlier but the weather is messing with my internet.
Popplio- Very much has a circus seal look to it with their design. Appopplexian- Big bulky cat alien that gives me Strong Man vibes. Citrakayah- The design of this one screams "Acrobat" to me. Experiment 345 Elastico- Clown like Experiment.
Popplio: No. I have a personal dislike for this specific line. Sorry.
Appopplexian and Citrkayah: That's a bit of a stretch. No.
Elastico: This one would be fine.
Popplio: No. I have a personal dislike for this specific line. Sorry.
Appopplexian and Citrkayah: That's a bit of a stretch. No.
Elastico: This one would be fine.
Well least I got one the OK sad about Popplio though but that's probably me always being a water starter guy myself. Again I'll probably go through the CM to find more for a list hopefully when the weather isn't screwing with my internet.
Edit: Putting these ones on the list for now after going through the Bonus Category one of them might be a stretch but I'll put it out there just incase.
Clown Man- Clown Robot Master pretty much speaks for themself. Magic Man- This one I don't remember how common magic shows are in a circus really just putting this here just incase it's ok. Motley Bossblob Found this guy while searching in Mario he seems on theme.
Now I'm going to deep dive into the SCP Category wish me luck because that'll take awhile. Edit: So far no luck on this end I guess SCP 1608 would count for the Zoo exhibit part being a flying whale, will probably have to give that section a once over with how many SCPs there are.
Clown Man- Clown Robot Master pretty much speaks for themself. Magic Man- This one I don't remember how common magic shows are in a circus really just putting this here just incase it's ok. Motley Bossblob Found this guy while searching in Mario he seems on theme.
Now I'm going to deep dive into the SCP Category wish me luck because that'll take awhile. Edit: So far no luck on this end I guess SCP 1608 would count for the Zoo exhibit part being a flying whale, will probably have to give that section a once over with how many SCPs there are.
You know, if Coil ever came close to trying to force Naturalist to work for him or to harm Naturalist, I am pretty sure he would be met with a Fidora wearing woman who would either blast his brains out or tell him to fuck off.
Alright, I decided. I am still a bit uncertain if this is really the choice I want, because the Mortasheen options are very tempting, but I am picking Astrodelphis from Ark for 300 Alex- I mean @zagan. I know it will not immediately lead to space exploration, especially while the Ziz is around, but the option is nice, it can be Fusion Summoned with Bruce for a biological spaceship, and it has generally good abilities of its own.
Thank you @Kratos1990 and everyone else who helped sift through the Menagerie, I really appreciate it.
Alright, I decided. I am still a bit uncertain if this is really the choice I want, because the Mortasheen options are very tempting, but I am picking Astrodelphis from Ark for 300 Alex- I mean @zagan. I know it will not immediately lead to space exploration, especially while the Ziz is around, but the option is nice, it can be Fusion Summoned with Bruce for a biological spaceship, and it has generally good abilities of its own.
Thank you @Kratos1990 and everyone else who helped sift through the Menagerie, I really appreciate it.
Astrodelphis it is. Thank you, that's a good one. It may not be in the next chapter, I don't know if I can make it fit, so it may wait for the one after.
Edit: As always I'm open to hearing about Name, Weapon shape, and Vehicle shape (I think something like a speeder bike from Star Wars).
Edit 2: There's colors too. They come in Green, Blue, Purple, or Red.
That works for me. Name it Orion. Yeah, that's a great name. As for weapon.....A Baseball Bat. Stuff hit with it is going to go flying to SPACE!...Space...space.
Astrodelphis it is. Thank you, that's a good one. It may not be in the next chapter, I don't know if I can make it fit, so it may wait for the one after.
Edit: As always I'm open to hearing about Name, Weapon shape, and Vehicle shape (I think something like a speeder bike from Star Wars).
Edit 2: There's colors too. They come in Green, Blue, Purple, or Red.
Honestly I would have preferred the Astrocetus, but what can you do, right? Don't worry about including it any time soon, it is essentially a bonus anyway.
The first name that comes to mind would be some mutation of Flipper. Perhaps Flypper. Weapon shape I feel has to be a space-age ray gun, effectively the handheld version of the lasers the Astrodelphis saddle has. Speed bike seems good. And if color is an option how about blue?
Honestly I would have preferred the Astrocetus, but what can you do, right? Don't worry about including it any time soon, it is essentially a bonus anyway.
The first name that comes to mind would be some mutation of Flipper. Perhaps Flypper. Weapon shape I feel has to be a space-age ray gun, effectively the handheld version of the lasers the Astrodelphis saddle has. Speed bike seems good. And if color is an option how about blue?
Thank you for your returns. Here's the result. Finally, I didn't go with the Speeder Bike because I wanted the vehicle to have a cockpit, like the saddle and I couldn't find a speeder bike with a cockpit. So instead I've gone with a mini submarine.
[X] A strange figure was standing on a rooftop nearby observing the building.
[X] Power
Power Roll: (640 points)
Entry Roll D27=21
300 Choose one (200), 400 Choose one (300), 500 Choose one (400)
Sub-vote results: 500 Choose one (400): Hermit Purple
Banked: 140
I'm not really happy with this chapter. I had a solid plan for the other two options proposed at the end of the last one, but I didn't want to have you choose between only two options. So I improvised a third one, thinking that it wouldn't win. So of course, it did. Forcing me to improvise even more when writing this chapter.
This ends up being more of a filler chapter but with a few hints of what's to come. So it'll do the job. I hope you like it anyway.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Monday, 05/16/2011 (06:00 PM)
A bunch of Harvest's units positioned around the PRT building alerted me that a man partially hidden by an air conditioner unit on a nearby rooftop was observing the building intently and had been doing so for some time now. While there was nothing illegal about that it was still a strange behavior. Particularly since his line of sight pointed toward a blank wall on our facade. I ordered three units to move closer.
The man was as nondescript as it was possible to be, not too tall, not too small, with brown eyes, and brown hair in a buzzcut. And he was wearing clothes in various shades of gray. I had a hard time believing that this wasn't intentional. I strongly suspect him to be a parahuman.
With a frown, I teleported into an empty meeting room with a window facing that street. While invisible I look through the window and activate my Analytical Eye. And yep I received the standard parahuman description.
Teleporting back to my office and sitting back down on my chair. I began tapping with my finger on my desk. What could I do about it? This man, whoever he was, wasn't committing any crimes, any obvious crimes anyway. Apart perhaps from trespassing depending on the nature of the building he was on. Colin was on one of his rare rest days so I wasn't about to call him just for that. Hannah had just left on patrol on the other side of town and wouldn't be back until nearly midnight, I didn't want to call her back for nothing either. Considering that we were in the PRT building I could call on a member of the PRT but luck wasn't with me because Director Piggot wasn't there either. And I wasn't inclined to call Director Rennick.
Picking up the phone I called Robin who was on the Rig.
After three rings he picked up. "Hey, Alex."
"Hello, Robin. I got into a weird situation at the PRT building. I'm not sure how to handle it."
"I'm all ears."
In a few words, I explained what I found out. As I finished I heard him humming in thought.
"Hn, yes that can be tricky. I think the first step would be to identify him. If he's not wearing a mask, facial recognition is an option. Could you take a photo of him and put it in the system?"
I followed his instructions and in short order, we found a match. I summarized what appeared on my screen.
"Michail Stavros, no cape name, presumed to be an independent Thinker and a mercenary. He was never condemned but was implicated in a number of industrial espionage affairs."
"That confirms it. He's spying on us. Anything about his power?"
I checked the information available. "We don't have much. There's some conjecture about remote vision or penetrative vision, nothing conclusive."
There was more humming on his end. "That doesn't help, we already guessed that. Assuming he can look through walls, can you tell where he's looking inside the building?"
"Let me check."
I organized some Harvest's units to find out. It took some time, and liberal use of Know Location, but I managed to find some likely possibilities. I relayed my findings to Robin.
"So the most likely one appears to be a woman working in the HR department. She's currently juggling with the planning for the troopers and agents."
"That's not ideal but it could be worse. Anything else?"
"Well, in the same direction, we also have the kitchen for the lower floor cafeteria with a few cooks that are cleaning up. And even further away we have an empty storage room."
"Okay. Those two are unlikely. We don't know how his power worked so it might be something completely different but we'll go with the assumption that he's looking into the HR department. He still hasn't moved?"
I checked, but apart from scratching his nose, I didn't see any movement. "No, he's still looking fixedly in the same direction."
"Could the woman be mastered?"
Harvest relayed to me the vision of a middle-aged woman, neither particularly pretty nor ugly, her main features being her blonde hair verging on white. I couldn't spot any obvious sign of mastering, no vacant eyes, no tick, no hesitance in her movement. The work she was doing appeared perfectly normal. She wasn't digging into confidential pieces of information at the moment.
"If so, it's very subtle."
I heard some rummaging on his side. "That's good at least. Of course, we can't rule it out completely but we won't take that as our main working hypothesis."
I voiced my next question. "So what's the plan?"
"Nice try. But no, Colin gave us strict instructions when neither Miss M nor him are present, you're in charge."
Goddamnit, again. I resisted the urge to grumble out loud. "Fine. Fine. Let me think."
I put my Minds to work. We couldn't arrest him without anything more solid to hold against him. But we could at least take him into custody under reasonable suspicions, his lawyer will get him free by the morning but that didn't matter. Until then he'll be neutralized. Wait no, he'll be inside the building that may allow him to access and view even more info. Would it be worth using Mundane Equalizing on him? At the moment the public thought that it was an effect originating from Koraidon, though there was little doubt that some Thinkers knew that it wasn't true. After further reflection I discarded the idea, I wasn't a fan of giving such an important piece of information to a random mercenary and it may not even work if his power counts as an internal enhancement.
Eventually, I could put him to sleep to capture him but I couldn't justify doing so for the whole duration of his stay. Mastering him with Star would be a step too far, in fact, it would be multiple steps too far.
Before delving too deep into my deck of cards searching for the perfect solution that may or may not be there I decided to ask Robin a question.
"Do we, perchance, have any off-site facility that I may be unaware of?"
The prompt reply was exactly as I expected but not as I hoped. "Hn, not really." So much for that.
"You're afraid that if we catch him he'll use the opportunity to look up things from much closer while he's inside the building?"
I let out a frustrated grunt as I answered. "Yes, that's exactly it."
"It's a fair point. It's something that you do need to consider when dealing with Thinkers. Maybe getting caught is part of their plan. He's not that well hidden from what you said."
Frowning at that reflection, I realized that I hadn't considered that this could be part of his plan. One of my Minds threw a wild idea my way, I had serious doubt that It would be viable, legally anyway, but maybe Robin would say otherwise.
"Say, hypothetically, if I trapped him in suspended animation inside a piece of paper would that count as an abuse of power or assault with parahuman powers?"
There was a moment of silence. "What?" Before I could explain he continued. "No, I don't want to know. Considering your reputation you could probably get away with it. But I wouldn't recommend it."
So putting him inside a seal was out. It was a shame because it would have worked to limit his opportunities to spy on us in between interrogation sessions. This was annoying. I've become so accustomed to always having a solution for a specific problem that now that it wasn't the case felt weird. Was it arrogance on my part?
Another Mind brought up a possibility that appeared promising.
"I may have something. There's no stipulation that he need be put into custody inside the PRT building specifically, as long as we follow the procedure, that we allow him to call and meet with his lawyer, and he's kept under guard by a member of the Protectorate or the PRT it can be anywhere. Right?"
Robin appeared to mull this over. "Well, yes, I guess. But as I said before we don't have any off-site facility to house him. I don't see where you're going with this."
"Don't worry about that part."
Half an hour later everything was ready. Thankfully, in the meantime, the man hadn't moved from his position though he wasn't looking in the same direction anymore. Now he was focusing in the direction of a PRT Agent who was compiling data on recent crimes in town. Interestingly the presumed spy switches focus when his new target visits the HR department. This implied that mister Stavros needed to anchor his power on someone to use it. If it was true it would limit the data he was able to gather depending on who he was targeting. We didn't know for how long he's been there, presumably he took position while I was on patrol, maybe on purpose. And Harvest only noticed him after I got back.
Not that it matters, he wouldn't stay there for much longer.
Near the Rig's heliport, I summoned a Mindless Bruce with three cars. Mindless because those cars had been heavily revamped, and while it wouldn't have really hurt him it would probably have been pretty uncomfortable when we ripped out the sitting. There was no reason to inflict that on him. Though I must admit that the hole left in the Telepathic Network, where Bruce's bubbly personality would normally be, was somewhat disquieting. As if an impostor has infiltrated our network.
I let out a shudder at the thought and refocus on the work that has just finished, with a copious amount of help from Olky, Clank, and a swarm of Constructio. The last train car has been converted into a holding cell with a guard post, the middle one into an interrogation room, and the first one into an administrative center to proceed the paperwork. This would act as a perfect place to keep our guest without allowing him to access any sensitive data. It was staffed with a few available agents and troopers. They appeared to enjoy the novel experience.
And the cherry on top was that the Menagerie should remember those changes and allow me to summon those modified train cars in the future. If it was confirmed, I was seriously considering doing more of such modifications. Off the top of my head, I could easily imagine more than a dozen different types of cars. But that was a matter for another time.
While Robin proceeded with the last with laying the last of the groundwork I had a quick look at my latest partner.
It's another Stand, called Hermit Purple./It's composed of purple thorn vines that come out of our hands and wrists./The most obvious use would be utility, using it to move like with the Ivy Whip. Or eventually grappling enemies at a distance, and it can channel energy into them. They're might be some use in that./But in truth the real purpose of that Stand is divination./It can be used to search for information in various ways. Generating an image of someone distant, analyzing machinery, or creating a map. It's very versatile./It could be an extremely potent tool. Maybe we could use it to find a certain biotinker?/Yes, that would be great. We'll need the Triumvirate to be there for that. And I would prefer to test it beforehand.
This Stand indeed opened a lot of possibilities and may change a lot of plans. In the long term I may end up giving it away because I was happy with Harvest, but investigating a number of threats before that would be wise.
I was brought back to the present when Robin gave the go-ahead to apprehend our spy.
Under invisibility, I flew toward the building where the man was standing and landed some distance behind him. It was a little creepy to see him up close, looking fixedly, without blinking, toward a blank wall.
Dismissing my invisibility I cleared my throat, loudly. I'll give Michail Stavros that, he had good reflexes. He reacted lightning fast, whirling around in a fraction of a second only to freeze when he saw me. I could see him resisting the urge to swear.
As formally as possible I spoke up. "Good Evening. I am Compendium of the Protectorate." He scoffed at my words but I ignored him. "I must inform you that you are under arrest for an attempt to spy on a government building. Any attempt to resist will be met with force. I will now read you your rights."
He looked dejected as I extracted a note from my pocket and read the words out loud. Peeking with the Player Pin revealed no sense of triumph for a scheme that worked and only feelings of defeat. He didn't resist when I put him in handcuffs.
I put a hand on his shoulder to guide him, but instead of drawing him toward the rooftop door, I led him to the edge of the building. It was at this point that he started protesting and futilely trying to escape my grip.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
"I had decided that it wouldn't be wise to hold you inside of our headquarters. So some alternate facility has been arranged."
He was still blinking in confusion when Bruce revealed itself by removing his own invisibility effect, floating at the edge of the building. The man's struggle intensified at the sight.
"What the hell!"
"Don't worry so much. I assure you that you're in no danger."
It took some more convincing but eventually I managed to push the man inside and moved Bruce near the entrance of the light bridge leading to the Rig. It should be far enough from it and from the PRT HQ to prevent our spy to view anything inside either of those.
I let an agent process the man, checking what was on his person, taking his fingerprint, and so on. Then it was time for the interrogation. And it's there that we hit a snag, the man chooses to exercise his right to remain silent to the utmost. He was only willing to confirm his name and asked to see his lawyer. He didn't try to invent a story to justify his presence on top of the building. He simply refused to say anything. I took a few glimpses of his thoughts with the Player Pin but it didn't give me much. He was distracting himself from the interrogation by thinking about random subjects, such as the latest results of his favorite baseball team. I did manage to catch him using his powers when he targeted Robin with it as he left the interrogation room to take a coffee. It confirmed that he need target someone with it, once that was done he could see all around the target as long as his eyes were looking in the direction of the target. There were some details that I was missing but it was enough for now. Forcing him to move his head or close his eyes should break the link with his target.
After more than an hour of fruitless interrogation, we gave it up as a bad job and put the man in the cell. His lawyer wouldn't get there until early tomorrow morning but we had little hope of keeping him. We didn't have much against him besides my word, and while my word was worth a lot these days, it wasn't enough to put him in jail or even on trial.
Robin said that this may be the reason why the man was successful as a spy for hire. He could collect secrets with little to no risks to himself.
When Hannah came back we explained the situation to her.
She remained thoughtful for a minute, considering the situation. "I see." She crossed her arms with a frown. "This is not how I would have handled it, even with access to your resources. However, it wasn't a bad solution at all. Good work." She gave me a warm smile.
Despite the fact that this was a very minor matter, nothing in comparison to some other things I did, I still felt weirdly proud at hearing that. Maybe because for once I need to get creative instead of relying on a power perfectly fitting for the situation.
When morning came, Mister Stavros's lawyer came for him. And soon after the man was free to go. Now that we knew he was in town we would stay alert, and we would monitor the access of the building surrounding the HQ. There was little doubt that this was only the first incident of the sort. Colin's warning that Masters, Strangers, and Thinkers would come was becoming a reality.
Wordcount: 2830
Excess words: 619
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As I said, not the most impactful chapter but it does the job.
For the roll, 140 (Banked) + 240 (Chapter) + 120 (Excess words) = 500 points.
