Ynys Afallon 4b
- Location
- Net Slum Tartarga
[X] Sure. It's not that expensive, and you're curious to know what kind of options are open to you. It might also be interesting to hear Nimue describe your 'song'.
-[X] Just the song, thank you.
--[X] Headwings
-[X] Just the song, thank you.
--[X] Headwings
With Nimue practically challenging Velocity and Assault to deny her words, and them looking like they want to, the situation is starting to feel a bit tense. A lot tense, even. This calls for the bomb disposal squid! You should have enough skill in social to avoid unforeseen detonations, yep.
"Um, hi!" You float forward, leaving a tail curled around Mist's neck. Multitasking.
"Yes?" Nimue turns to you. You give her a little wave because Striker protocol: no touchy. Despite her heated words only moments before, her smile hasn't changed, still placid and pleasant. Ah. A thought occurred to you earlier, how it was nice Nimue shows so much of her face. You take that back. Just a mask of a different kind.
"I was interested in what you could tell me about my song?" A quick glance shows Fragarach is still engaged in conversation – negotiation? – with Armsmaster and Miss Militia, but even if he's listening in somehow, you aren't lying, not entirely. Nimue's description of Velocity's music hinted at his past. He never told you the specifics, but you do know he was military, and didn't have a great time. What will Nimue tell you, someone with no past whatsoever? Even if it turns out her words are just general vagueness that could apply to anyone, that's useful too. Gathering information is the mission.
Not that your colleagues are looking particularly happy about what you're doing. Weird.
"Certainly." There's a lighter tone to Nimue's voice now. "A friendly word of caution, however. Your circumstances leave you with little to offer. Notwithstanding Misteltein's advocacy, your contract will not be a bargain."
Well, that's a nice-ish way of saying you might as well not bother. "But you're not vetoing me?"
"I have a personal reservation, but it has no bearing on my business."
Guess Mist's support doesn't count for that much then – though you're not exactly surprised. You don't have a lot money, or fame, nor do you make a terribly useful connection. Loud and frequent claims of being best hero aside... realistically, the first case 53 in Protectorate history to be promoted past basic member won't be you. You know that.
But still.
"I like to have options." Even a road untraveled makes the world bigger for its existence. Choosing to decline is a vastly different thing from not having had the option in the first place. "When I have them, I like to know what they are."
"Splendid." There's an honesty in her voice, something that doesn't strike you as the self-interested cheer of a salesperson. "I must charge you my preview rates, however. I care little for money, less for monetizing my breath, but my swords would be cross with me if I did not."
"That's okay." You shrug. Two-and-a-half days of work aren't that much, and it might be neat. Five hundred bucks shouldn't make a difference in the number of paychecks until you can purchase your dumbos... naturally, from a local and anonymous yet completely legal handler. You need a better excuse. Maybe Weaver can pretend she fished a new species out of the ocean...
"Pray remind me of your powers?" Nimue asks. "In your own terms, please."
"I give people nightmares. But only sometimes on purpose."
"An uncontrolled aspect?" She sounds genuinely confused.
"Uh." Oops? You tug on Mist with your tail. Halp.
"It was a joke, Nim, lighten up," she says, appearing in the corner of your eye. "Cirrata opens up, stores things inside her, and floats in the air. Basically a Lovecraftian piñata."
"I see." Nimue sees, apparently. Wonderful. "I see the reason Cirrata has your favor, that is. Very well, I recall her powers now. And the anchor?"
Body part, you're guessing. Well, that's easy. You point at the wing without Triffid's flower on it. "Wings. I don't use them for flight, can't figure out how to move them. They should do something." It's not that you hate accessories with the sole purpose of being pointlessly cool, but it's a little embarrassing you have them growing out of your cranium.
Nimue nods and takes a single step forward. She's wearing a second mask beneath her veil, hiding her face more sensibly. Through black cloth, you see her eyes close.
"Discordant layers, in some aspects aligned, in others converging still. An anthem of blithe avarice, its rhythm a heartbeat drum, primal and enduring. Through it weaves a dirge, a canticle of aborted screams, singing of pyrite grief and gold mourning."
Confusing. Good thing this is being recorded. It might make more sense after some thought.
"Wings," Nimue continues, her eyes open now. "A first for me, I'll confess. Unused for flight, but perhaps flight?" She pauses a few seconds. If she's thinking, it doesn't show in her smile. "No, I think not. Your magic isn't truly the type."
Another pause, longer this time. "There are aspects of loss to your song, not unlike your colleague, though inverted. The youngest harmony conveys recovery, perpetuation. A life being rebuilt. Defense, then."
She moves her hands as if in prayer, but cupped, her hands two domes. "Shields... no, a shell. Either the wings themselves or something created by them. Powerful through means you already have... as well as a magic further afield."
There is an expectant air around Nimue, so you guess she's done. Honestly, it's a bit of a bummer. Wing-shields? Are you a ladybug now? You already have your own shields, this just sounds like a more complete protection with some extra perks, whatever they are. "Thank you. You can't guess at the specifics?"
"... it would sooner be inspired by the humble than the great. Even in its diminished state, your core is too absolute. Misteltein, please handle Cirrata's other queries. Barring interest from other parties, I will be with Fragarach."
"Gotcha," Mist says. You allow her to steer you away from the central gathering.
"Can you handle my other queries?"
"Heck no." That's about what you thought. "Sorry about that. Nim makes perfect sense to herself, so questions are like asking her to explain why red is red and blue is blue. It's just her worldview. I can screen questions she might be able to answer though."
"It didn't seem that... natural? With the whole closed eyes and concentration thing."
"Theatrics, mostly. Makes people feel better about paying for words." Sounds like an explanation kind of defeats the point, but you don't particularly care, so maybe she's taking that into account.
Over in the distance, Dennis detaches from the other Wards to approach you. Behind him, Gallant's being remarkably sneaky about keeping people in his eyesight, looking like he's just chatting with Aegis. Can't really ask him about his findings until someone takes Mist out of your tentacles though.
You wave at Dennis. "Hey De-Shawn." Augh fuck, emergency mid-name deflection. Thank the gods his costume doesn't show he's ginger. You'll drop the branding department a thank-you seagull later.
For just an instant he falters, but he recovers in the same step. Think fast! "W'sup C? Let's be pros, aight? We hustlin' right now."
… you're torn on how to feel about Dennis right now. Either a pure admiration for his superb social dexterity, or a profound desire to Tentacle Twister him all over the lobby until he promises never again.
"... fosho." You bump his fist with a knot of tentacles, and with apologies to African-American slang. This is about cape identity, a matter of life and death. Please understand.
"Heyas Clock," Mist raises a hand.
"Hey." He nods at Misteltein and turns to you. "Didn't expect you'd be interested, Skye. You aren't really, right?"
"Nyeh." You shrug. "Not enough to matter. It's not feasible anyway." Avalon can no doubt arrange a deal of some sort, but considering the hassle involved, you sincerely doubt they're going to offer a price you'd be willing to pay. "More power sounds nice on paper, but that's just me being greedy."
"Don't you already rate in half the categories?"
"Sure." More than half when your hunches get in your file. "But power is kinda like money. It buys possibilities. Of course more is better. And I'm doing that crappy mentor thing again, aren't I?" At least Vista isn't around this time.
Dennis laughs softly. "No, no, what you do is spin it as something nice, like 'to better further my heroic aspirations' or something."
Hmm. Ambition? No, that would be lying. Your mind instantly cycles through the contents of your inventory. Nimue's words, blithe avarice, feel more accurate. Want beyond reason. That's about you then? Or maybe it's just an educated guess based on your power, because really, anyone with a limitless pocket dimension is going to stuff random junk in it. Hardly a keystone of your personality. Probably.
All this introspection is giving you a headache! You hover around to Dennis' back and hang your arms over his shoulders. There, now he's connected to Misteltein through you, and that's totally useful for a quick security response and stuff. Tactics! The fact he makes a very relaxing perch is incidental and unintended.
"Nah," you decide. "No sugarcoating. Greedy describes me fine. Greedy and possessive. Just need to be greedy and possessive about the right things." Though you do need to adjust the possessiveness. The cold fury when you imagined Shadow Stalker doing something to Ashley, the octoplush Hunch gave you...
"Skye?" Dennis taps one of the tightened tentacles around his costume. Strangling instincts, damn. You loosen them.
"Possessive," you explain, explaining nothing. If you get like this when thinking about a plushie, what will happen when you... no.
This feels like something you shouldn't think about.
And you guess it doesn't really matter. There's no problem as long as there's no problem, so you'll just have to do your best and things will work out. You quickly let your gaze wander over other friends and friendlies in the room, then pat Dennis on his helmet. "If you think you can get away from me easily, you're dead wrong."
"I'm sorry?" Dennis asks.
"Trying out this intentionally scaring people thing. How'd I do?"
"Eh. One out of eight."
Mist, easy to forget despite being stuck in your tail, sighs, loud and theatrical. "You're cute together, but do you absolutely need me here for your flirting?"
Yep, that's totally what you were doing. You roll your eyes at Mist. "Of course. Someone needs to see how cute we're being."
Mist lets out an exaggerated scoff. "Ugh. Clockblocker, can you like, poke me into the future? I'd appreciate it."
"And open myself up to being sued for parahuman assault? I dunno. Let me think about it." Dennis knows exactly what he can get away with. "How about you do something criminal? Faster than signing a waiver."
Mist's gaze roves from his boot to his helmet. Hey, no. You send more tentacles at Mist, keeping her away from Dennis.
"This is completely unrelated, but did I mention I still need to make my first arrest in this city?" You float upward and split your chest, horizontal strands of saliva running from lip to lip.
Mist blinks. Is this the first time your body registers as a threat to her? She blinks again. "Skye, uh, I realize that's your mouth, but just to be safe, we need to review how kissing works."
… you gotta be impressed by her dedication to flirting. Well, you don't gotta, but it's nice of her to take the whole monster squid thing in stride.
Dennis chuckles. "You know, I was... actually, no. Let's just say it's nice to see Skye make more varied acquaintances."
"Varied?" An eyebrow peeks out from above Mist's eye-mask. "I hope you're not implying we're not good people, Clockblocker."
"No offense, but you're competing with professional heroes."
Mist ponders on that for a moment, lips pursed to the side. "Okay, I'll concede that one. But you have to admit we're closer to heroes than villains. We're welcome here, after all."
And if they were invited for a friendly coffee, that might make sense. They weren't, so it doesn't.
"Anyways," she continues, "I'm not picking a fight, I just don't want people to dismiss my team out of hand. Especially you, Skye. Nim prefers favors and service over money. You could travel with us for a few months? We usually stay in costume anyway, and the Protectorate will still be here when you get back. You'd get to travel, see new things and new people, get into the occasionally fight, yeah, but you wouldn't need to share a city with whoever you beat afterward. No grudges. Unattached and free."
"No thanks, Mist. Really, it's okay. Why the sudden pitch?"
"I just... want you to know you have actual options, all right?"
"I do get that." You put a soft smile into your voice. "You seem nice, Mist. Nimue seems interesting, and the lifestyle... new sights and freedom do sound better than paperwork and rules. I'm happy it's an option, more than you probably think." You take a deep, biologically pointless breath, just to find the right words. "But the Protectorate offered me a sandwich when I was starving. Even if you offer me steak now, when I'm already well-fed... there's no contest. None. I'm sorry, it's nothing personal, but you don't even rate on the same scale."
A vaguely wistful smile is Mist's only reply.
===
Vote postponed to next update. Avalon is on the verge of leaving the PHQ, so if anyone has a write-ins involving them, now's the time. 
Also, wow, this update fought me, hope it's at least okay. Next one should be out a lot sooner than a week and then some... ugh.
Also, minor benefactions can reveal Avalon Augmentations, if anyone's interested in that kind of thing. (Though some will become shard growths after this arc.)
Also, wow, this update fought me, hope it's at least okay. Next one should be out a lot sooner than a week and then some... ugh.
Also, minor benefactions can reveal Avalon Augmentations, if anyone's interested in that kind of thing. (Though some will become shard growths after this arc.)
===
Brute/Changer. Wings can rapidly enlarge, gaining arm-like motility. Dimensionally-shunted mass adds unexpected weight, force and durability, unnoticeable by self. Unaffected by Trump powers.
- Mass/power/durability scales with invulnerability shard growth.
- Max regeneration shard growth: most damaged wing can instantly mirror state of least damaged wing.
- Max shardsense shard growth: wings gain resistance to power effects, can cancel power effects on hit.
Drawbacks:
1~30: removes flight
31~79: disables flight when in use
80~100: no drawbacks
- Mass/power/durability scales with invulnerability shard growth.
- Max regeneration shard growth: most damaged wing can instantly mirror state of least damaged wing.
- Max shardsense shard growth: wings gain resistance to power effects, can cancel power effects on hit.
Drawbacks:
1~30: removes flight
31~79: disables flight when in use
80~100: no drawbacks
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