It had taken longer than I would have liked to finish my Tinkering, especially when I realised none of my three costumes would be appropriate for what I was trying to do. That resulted in me creating what I'm thinking of as my 'Professional' costume, designed to invoke a sense of formality and calm. It still looks like a mass of ragged cloth, but there's no splatter patterns, and there's a more cohesive look with white and black strips and some dark purple patterns weaved in. My mask has also been replaced with a clean black cloth covering the upper half of my face and sweeping up just past my hairline. Simple but elegant, relying on the specific cuts to give it the right feel.
It did at least mean that when dad called home at ten I was there to confirm I'd be fine if he stayed over with some friends. Honestly, I'm glad he's spending time with people outside of work again, even if they're still dockworkers. Maybe I'll get a quest to help expand his social circle.
When nothing pops up I focus back on the task at hand. The Palanquin, a rather popular nightclub from what I can tell. Two stories tall with a fairly large footprint, possibly a refitted warehouse given the area. The line out front on a Saturday night is long, as one would expect, with two bouncers at the door just to manage them all.
But waiting in line would likely cause many problems for many people, so fortunately I have an alternative. Using The Words Are Silent always feels a bit weird, but blending it with my other vocal powers makes it even more bizarre.
A trio of polite voices, copied from women in their mid twenties, reaches the ears of the smaller of the two bouncers. "Greetings, hello yes. I am Phantasm. Only you hear voice, others hear your voice though, yes. Would like to meet with Faultline, yes. Have business, professional, yes? Nod if understood, nod then shake if you not help, yes?"
He's obviously nervous when he starts hearing my voices, and the words don't seem to have helped as he begins looking around a bit wildly. When I finish he nods twice, then begins speaking with the other bouncer, telling him a potential client has come to speak with 'the boss' and so he needs to go inform them. Excellent!
It's barely more than five minutes before he returns, looking around for several moments before nodding and gesturing back towards the building. Seems the meeting is a go! I make my way onto their roof quickly and quietly, then listen carefully to identify where people are. Adjusting my position to hopefully land outside the room I think they're in. A quick flicker of Manton's Ghost and Cheshire gets me into a hallway on the second floor.
Suppressing Corner Creep I politely knock on the door, receiving a quiet "Enter" in reply.
Pushing open the door I find the room occupied by three capes. Behind a large oak desk sits a woman in a white dress shirt and wearing what looks like a cracked welding mask, her black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Faultline. To her left stands a woman in what looks to be a red and black hooded boilersuit with black gloves and boots. Her face is covered by a gas mask with reflective lenses and some kind of modification to the filters. I don't actually recognise her which is mildly concerning.
Finally, to her right, is a morbidly obese man in what appears to be simple street clothes, blue jeans and a gray sweater. His face is uncovered, revealing him to be not just bald, but completely hairless. His translucent skin reveals the shadow of his skeleton, only occasionally covered by a smattering of small spiral shaped growths that almost look like shells. Gregor the Snail, one of the Case 53s I'm hoping to observe for my quest.
As I enter Third Person POV reveals a fourth person in the room, a bright orange boy with blue hair wearing blue jeans and a black tank top with a long, thin tail stuck to the wall above the door. Newter, the second Case 53 I'm here to observe, excellent. I leave Third Person POV observing him.
Letting Fitting In flow I perform a slightly uncanny but otherwise professional bow, bending into a perfect ninety degrees mostly for my own amusement. When I straighten up, I speak out loud, using the three voices I'd spoken to the bouncer with. "Greetings, yes. Am Phantasm, yes. Am here on behalf of a Thinker friend, yes."
I see Faultline stiffen a little at the mention of a Thinker, but I can't guess exactly why. Bad experiences?
When she speaks it's with a sharp, professional tone. "I see, and may we know the name of this 'Thinker'?"
Fortunately, when I came up with this plan I did at least think that far ahead. "Friend is calling herself Quest. Interesting power, odd. Gives information as tasks. Might get 'Avoid the ABB' if she is in area with violent members, yes?"
When I pause Faultline takes over, coming to the obvious conclusion. "And she requires our help to complete one of these tasks?"
I nod, shifting slowly and subtly side to side alongside the music I can hear in the club below. "Yes yes, have two quests. Written for you, yes yes?"
I pull out a piece of paper with the name and details of both quests, leaving out the rewards of course. I let my hand float over, not using Cheshire to avoid startling them.
Faultline takes the note with mild caution and quickly reads the small collection of words which promise so much, while offering so little. She looks up as she hands it off to Gregor. "I see, and so you wish to introduce her to Gregor and Newter. These quests, does she ever receive one she is incapable of completing?"
I'm not sure why I'm so confident in my response, but I know the answer regardless and it makes me smile as I lean forward slightly. "No. May be hard, may take time, but never impossible."
Faultline nods. "I see. That's quite a claim, do you have any proof?"
And there's the biggest sticking point. "No. Most quests personal, relate to friends and family and self. This one odd, she has not met one before, yes? Plans to visit Boston, many hero Case there."
Faultline begins tapping her fingers, obviously lost in thought. Before she can speak up however, Gregor does so. His voice is accented, but he is clearly making an effort to speak carefully so he can be understood. "You believe if she follows the second task, she will be given more tasks which will eventually allow her to complete the first, is that correct?"
I bob and bounce a little more energetically as I turn to him. Fitting In is telling me to be a bit more childish and excitable with him. Not too much, not enough to annoy Faultline, but just enough to show I want to help with this. "Yes yes! Is what hero would do, yes? Too many wake up scared and alone and end up in bad situation! If can fix, then should fix, yes?"
I let my eyes swirl and dance with colours as I speak, my hair bouncing and wriggling slightly at the same time as the green and purple streaks flicker in and out across the deep blue and black locks spilling from under my hood. It takes several seconds after I finish speaking for them to settle back into something close to but not what they originally looked like when I came in. I don't know why I did that, but Fitting In wanted me to do something distinctly non-human as a show of excitement. It was actually pretty fun, and part of me wants to go even further. Maybe try splitting up with all my arms out and letting all my pieces and parts bounce around? I'll workshop it for my next Saturday Morning patrol.
I see the corner of his lip twitch up slightly, so I'll count it as a win. "I see, yes that is indeed what a hero would do. Is the fact we are criminals not an issue however?"
I make note of Newter tensing at the comment. Does he think I might attack after suddenly realizing they're criminals? I let my Ditto snort for me. "Hmm… No. You not hurt town, not need stop you."
Then Fitting In suggests something, and I'm not entirely sure where it comes from. "You take care of lost and broken. Help fix. Help recover. Is good, even if do wrong to do good."
The words clearly make Faultline uncomfortable, but Newter snorts from his place on the wall above me, and the unknown woman nods. Gregor is actually smiling at this, even if it's restrained. "Yes, she does. I would be willing to meet with this Quest."
What follows is a debate about prices, times, and precautions, that ultimately results in a very simple decision. I'll go collect Quest and bring her over wearing one of my other costumes seeing as she doesn't have one of her own.
To this end I have my Ditto make her way over wearing my Saturday Morning costume. Despite how much the costume covers I make ample use of my Changer powers. A slight change to her skintone so she looks like she has a bit of a tan, green eyes with some tweaks to the pupil and iris, with chestnut brown hair shortened to barely reach her shoulders and tweaks to her teeth leave her looking like a completely different person! I pick the voice of a random younger teen girl for her to use and her posture with a bit of twisting around under the costume should handle the rest.
Ten minutes later the two of me are back in the hallway, knocking on the door. It opens almost immediately, revealing Gregor with that same slight smile. He steps aside, allowing us to enter and I make Quest look a bit skittish and uncomfortable, while I continue bobbing along to the heavily muffled music of the club.
He's the first to speak once the door is closed, and I note the slight change in his tone. Given what Fitting In is feeding me I think he's under the impression Quest is younger. "Greetings. You must be Quest."
Quest squeaks, then nods. "Ah y-yes! I'm Quest, it's nice to meet you!"
Gregor nods, continuing to take the lead. Interesting. "I am Gregor the Snail, it's nice to meet you as well." He gestures to each of the other three parahumans in the room, Newter having climbed down off the wall and splayed himself out across a couch pressed against the left hand wall. "This is Faultline, she is in charge. Beside her is Spitfire, and on the couch is Newter."
I mentally add Spitfire to my roster of capes in the Bay even as Quest responds. "Oh! Um yes, it's nice to meet you all! And, uh, I hope I'll be able to finish the quest and help you both swiftly!"
Fitting In has me acting shy but earnest, with a childish optimism. Based on their expressions they seem to be dialing down her perceived age even lower.
Gregor nods. "Indeed. Now, you must meet, speak to, and observe us. How would you like to go about this?"
Quest nods along, smiling a little. Gregor seems like a genuinely nice person, which is an odd thing to think of given his occupation. I don't suppose it really matters for the moment, it's not like we can exactly hang out. "Well I think I've met you, and this should cover the speaking part pretty well. I think maybe hearing about how you feel and seeing you use your power would help too?"
I have Quest turn to Newter with a big smile. "Oh and maybe you could tell me about what you like and dislike and stuff?"
I hadn't intended Quest to sound this young or ditzy but Fitting In seemed to be leaning pretty hard on it. I'm glad I made her look shorter than me. Maybe it's because I was aiming for Madison's height?
The following babble of an excited teenage boy being asked about his interests washes over and through me, though I do catalogue several interesting points that might be useful later. Apparently he plays a few online games and is a fan of watching various sports. Gregor has no problem showing off his power, but we run into a bit of a problem with Newter. "Yeah, if I touch someone they get knocked out, kinda hard to show off without pulling in someone we probably don't want seeing this right?"
What I'm about to do is stupid. It's almost certainly not required for the quest. It could go incredibly poorly depending on how my various powers choose to interact with it. I do it anyway. Have I gotten more impulsive since getting powers? I swear I was more cautious than this in the past!
Regardless, I float a detached hand over to him. "Tap tap yes? Is Tag. We find out who win?"
Newter looks over at the others, and see Faultline wave a hand in a vague 'get on with it' gesture using Third Person POV. Then he lunges for the hand and I manage to tap his hand and leave a mark before the hand flops to the ground. It's… odd. Like only part of my mind is blurry and distracted. Diagnostic flashes by at the brief contact, but I'm not really able to get anything from it. The hand wiggles around on the floor before evidently getting comfortable and going still.
We're all staring at it. Slowly, I detach another hand and float it over to poke at the first. I can still feel it, it's just… blurry. A bit numb. It's a very strange experience. After several seconds I have my second hand activate the mark, and watch it join the first on the floor. The two of them end up holding one another in something I vaguely feel like I should be calling a cuddle, if it weren't between two detached parts of my own body.
I slowly raise my head to look at the others as Newter wakes from his brief Knockout. "Very odd. Very very odd." I grow my extra arms and have them collect the hands and deposit them in one of my larger pockets.
This does however present an opportunity. Running Diagnostic on Gregor would probably be easier and more useful, right? I look to the other three parahumans in the room. "Tag? Only two hands left, yes?"
Faultline tilts her head briefly as Spitfire pulls back slightly. When she straightens up she speaks with what sounds like professional curiosity with a hint of suspicion. "You get something out of these games of tag, don't you? More than just the publicity."
Darn it, I really didn't want anyone figuring that out, especially not this quickly! But… maybe a partial truth? Everyone thinks I'm a Tinker, and they're known to be able to improve by observing other powers, right? It's part of what makes older Tinkers so scary.
I let my body bob forward slightly in something akin to a full body nod. "Yes. Is fun, yes yes, but also learn and grow. Improve. New ideas."
Faultline nods as I seem to confirm her suspicion. I wonder if she bought it, or if she's actually on to me… "In that case, we will have to decline unless you're willing to pay for it."
Internally I sigh, but nod along. "Yes yes, is fair. Sad sad but fair. Vigilante work not pay well, no no. Maybe one day? Or you cause trouble in town, hmm?"
I put a teasing smirk on as I make the last comment, but there's also a grain of truth to it. An implied value proposition. Eventually I'll pay her for the game of tag, but won't need to if she takes a job in town and I can grab them during it. So anytime she considers a job in town the value will be reduced by however much she expects me to pay to tag each of them. It's probably not going to be a major consideration, but it just might be enough to tilt the scales.
The meeting continues on for a little while, but soon comes to a close. In the back of my mind I can feel the quest offering to complete and reward me, but I hold off. A visit to Boston seems too valuable even beyond the quest, so I might as well get as much of a bonus from the quest as I can.
I decide to pause on the way home to confirm the notification is about what I expect, and then roll my new Striker power.
Phase Touch
Striker: Phase TouchCost: 5 SPAny object or person you touch can selectively phase through anything you want. You cannot apply this to yourself and you can make something phase through multiple things if needed. Even if you cannot properly identify what that something is, you can phase through it so long as you have seen it or can imagine it.
Which basically allows me to pull people along when I use Manton's Ghost to phase through walls. That could definitely be useful.
Finger Food+Minor Forcefield
Striker (Finger Food)Cost: 1 SPYou can permanently change the taste and smell of any object you touch, such as making salt taste like pepper or making old shoes smell like freshly baked cookies. This does not affect nutritional value, so make sure you don't trick your body into eating too much of what it shouldn't.
You aren't able to make any stimuli that you haven't personally experienced before.
I grimace. Well they can't all be winners. I suppose it'll help make some costuming details easier. Permanent perfume maybe?
Brute (Minor Forcefield)Cost: 1 SPYou are surrounded by a thin, skintight, invisible forcefield, forming a protective barrier. While it offers some defense, the field is delicate. It can absorb and completely nullify the force of a standard punch. When subjected to impacts stronger than a punch, the field will only partially disperse the impact across the hit area while creating a temporary hole. This means you still take damage, but it is spread out, much like the effect of a bulletproof vest. The stronger the force of the hit, the less effective this dispersion becomes. The holes repair themselves rapidly, healing at a rate of approximately five square inches per second.
The grimace doesn't fade as I look at a very minor increase to my survivability. Every little bit helps, but-
A part of my mind, an idle Parallel Process, checks the Tier 0 Upgrades and finds a new and wonderful investment option. Immediately my opinion on the power flips as I use the SP I got from Newter to buy it while I continue making my way home.
Shield UpCost: 1 SP; Minor ForcefieldYour field's durability and strength scale directly with your base defense, making it significantly more resilient. As your natural defenses improve, so does the forcefield's capacity to absorb and mitigate damage, allowing it to withstand greater impacts without breaking.
The stronger your defense and the weaker the attack, the faster the field regenerates, allowing minor damage to repair almost instantaneously. For severe breaches caused by powerful strikes, the repair rate slows but never goes below five square inches per second.
I get home and settle in to continue my Tinkering, quite satisfied with my day. That said, I might have to go scrounging for more fabric, Quest will be needing a costume of her own after all.
Name: Taylor Anne HebertLovable Horror LVL 10SP Cap7Loose SP14Tier 1 Powers(24)Mover(2)Shaker(2)Brute(2)Breaker(2)Master(1)Tinker(3)Blaster(3)Thinker(1)Striker(4)Changer(0)Trump(1)Stranger(3)Tier 0 Powers(51)Synergy Powers(19)Power Upgrades(7)
AN: Capes tend to have a basic understanding of their powers, and in this case part of Taylor's basic understanding relates to the fact quests are never impossible to complete. At least as far as QA is concerned.
Also I hope Quest isn't too annoying to folks, I know we kind of just discussed this.
Dad arrived home, looking rather sheepish, a little after ten in the morning on Sunday. The discussion about a possible trip to Boston inevitably evolves into a discussion of the Administrative Obligations quest chain as a whole. He's not exactly thrilled about my visit to the Palanquin, but is more bemused about my creation of an entirely new cape identity than anything else.
Ultimately he decides he's fine with it, but suggests I should visit the PRT today to set up a visit, rather than just showing up unannounced. I am rather embarrassed to say I hadn't actually thought of that, though it does serve to reinforce that Parallel Wills will always be limited by what I myself will naturally think of.
I'm about to get ready to head over when he presents me with a small stack of papers. The information he'd put together on merchandising Phantasm. I'm actually kind of surprised he's already done, and suspect some of his long nights at work might have actually been spent working on it instead.
He walks me through the documents, and I'm genuinely impressed. Clearly he can tell because he takes a quick break to remind me that he's been handling contract negotiation for the union for most of his adult life. Regardless, the document is formatted so I can present it to the PRT in three stages. The initial proposal, which he thinks I should hand in today, then the detailed request, which he expects will take at least a few days for them to ask for, and then finally the negotiation packet which I'll have to hand over one or two sheets at a time based on the situation. It's not foolproof, but it's a lot better than simply throwing an idea at them and accepting whatever they offer.
It's as I'm thanking him and giving him a hug that the notification pings.
Quest Complete! AssistanceGained:
200 EXP
+1 Loose SP
I smile as I pull back, letting him know my power approves, which causes him to let out a surprised snort. There's a several second pause as he attempts to gather himself, only to end up breaking down into chuckles for reasons he entirely fails to explain. The best I get out of him is something about an old project manager.
In the end I take the collection of papers, get dressed up in my Saturday Morning costume and make my way over to the PRT while my Ditto stays at home, spending a relaxing Sunday with my father. Though it does end up spending essentially my entire trip over convincing dad that it should still count as spending time with his daughter.
My arrival at the PRT building resulted in an… energetic response. It's a slightly strange juxtaposition. The largely mundane building, covered in reflective windows, is one of the more active tourist traps in the city. The only sign of its significance besides the crowds and pair of agents out front is a large shield logo bearing the letters "P.R.T." emblazoned on the front.
Those crowds and agents are what make things a bit more frantic than they otherwise might have been. The agents at least seem to recognise me, but even then they're still a little twitchy. The crowd however is much more split in their awareness and those that have no clue who I am are easy to pick out. I do my best to calm them down by smiling and waving, but there's only so much I can do as I approach the doors.
I could have simply Cheshired inside, but I suspect the PRT isn't fond of people teleporting into their buildings without permission. The agents don't stop me though, which is a fantastic first step. Though I do hear one of them speaking into a microphone despite their helmet's best attempts to muffle it. Which makes sense I suppose.
It's a short walk across the lobby to the reception desk, where a slightly nervous looking woman greets me with a smile. Despite her nervousness, her voice comes out smooth and clear. "Hello Phantasm, how can I help you today?"
I smile back, then speak in my three polite young women voices which do cause a slight look of unease. "Two things, yes? First thing, secret, yes? No good for public hmm? Second thing not secret though!"
I pull the small stack of papers from an inner fold of my costume and present them. She takes it cautiously, then freezes as she reads the cover. Then she looks back up at me, then back down. "I… see. Yes I suppose we might be able to help you with this? I will… call up and see if anyone's available."
It's only two minutes later when a slightly bedraggled man in a slightly cheap looking suit opens a nearby door and focuses on me. He seems excited as he approaches, and I do my best to copy his energy. He motions me towards the door even as he begins to talk, his voice a bit higher pitched than I had expected, tinged with a frantic breathlessness as though he's scared he won't get a chance to finish talking.
It's honestly mostly a babble of platitudes and mild boasts that make me somewhat concerned about the quality of his work. Though maybe he's better at other parts of the job and just drew the short straw on this. It doesn't take long to reach a minimalist meeting room containing a simple plastic table and four chairs. I Cheshire over to one facing the door, then spend the next several moments apologizing for startling the poor guy.
Fortunately, the meeting is rather straightforward once you get used to filtering out the bulk of what he's saying to find the actual meaning. The fact I have to leverage a Thinker power to do that may in fact mean it wasn't straightforward at all. Hmm.
Regardless, he does eventually accept the initial proposal and then ends up asking for and receiving the detailed request shortly after. It's while he's doing his initial reading of the detailed request that someone in full PRT operative gear knocks on the door and takes me to a slightly different yet no more impressive meeting room.
No more impressive save for the sole occupant. Armsmaster stands beside a slightly different chair, facing the door as I enter. It takes several Parallels taking over the less productive thoughts before I'm able to finish entering the room. There's a slight smile on his lips, yet somehow it feels a lot more genuine than most of the pictures I've seen of him. Is he… genuinely happy to see me? Why?
"Greetings Phantasm, it's a pleasure to finally get a chance to meet you. It's always a pleasure to meet another heroically aligned Tinker."
Ah, that would explain it. I'd just referenced that feature of being a Tinker the night before, hadn't I? He's hoping we can collaborate. Which means… I'm probably about to disappoint Armsmaster. Well that sucks.
That said, there's no reason not to try and make a good impression. "Yes yes, hello, yes! Very excited! Armsmaster is known, one of greatest Tinkers in world, yes? Curious curious… but sad sad not the time."
Armsmaster takes a seat in what I quickly realize is a reinforced chair, made to handle his power armour, and I take one of the ones facing him. "Oh? Yes I suppose you did say you came for a reason that you would rather keep secret. May I ask for the severity of this secret?"
I bob my head a couple times. "Hmm hmm… very very secret, very danger for innocent if heard by wrong person."
Armsmaster nods, a serious expression on his face as he does so. He doesn't question or debate me on the topic, simply believes me as he pulls out a small white box from his armour and activates it. Immediately the room is filled with a high pitched whine that causes me to blink in confusion. Then my new Tinker specialization identifies it as a method of disrupting recording and long range listening devices. I find myself just starting to reach for it before managing to stop myself.
Turning my attention back to Armsmaster, his slight smile is back as he speaks a little more warmly. "I appreciate your restraint Phantasm, perhaps we can find some time to go over practical details or actively collaborate another time. I assume you understand what it is in a practical sense?"
I nod, blushing mildly as I speak. "Yes yes, ah yes perhaps would be good another time. Now I have request from… friend? Friend yes. Parahuman, Thinker, yes? Using name Quest. Power gives tasks, tasks help Quest, yes? Avoid ABB when not know ABB around looking for girls, yes? Speak to father, when not sure father understand but it go well once do. Such things, yes?"
I can't see enough of his face to be sure, but I hope I'm not just projecting when I say it seems like he has a contemplative look on his face. "I see, and Quest has been given a task that requires the assistance of the PRT?"
I nod, pulling out a sheet of paper with the two quest titles and their descriptions, placing it on the table in front of him. It obviously doesn't take him long to read it, and his mouth quickly quirks down into a frown. "Has she ever been given a task that she was entirely incapable of completing?"
I smile, my Ditto giggling a little at the similarity to Faultline's response. "No. Always possible. Maybe not easy, maybe hurt, but always possible, yes."
He nods at that, face returning to a flat neutral. "I see, and you'd like our assistance helping Quest meet with Case 53s."
"Yes yes. Quest want introduction to Boston team, yes? Several Case 53s there, yes?"
Another nod, and I note it seems almost identical to the previous one. "We'll need to meet her first, but I think ultimately it can be arranged. If she really can do as her power suggests, then it would be a great relief to both those afflicted and the public at large."
"Yes yes, will ask her visit, yes? Phantasm making costume for her, may take time though, yes? Tuesday, yes? Alone okay?"
Armsmaster smiles at that. "Of course. I'll make sure they're ready for her at the front desk on Tuesday. Do you have any idea what the costume will look like at this point?"
I bob my head a couple times. "Yes yes, simple simple. Robes with full mask. Beige robes hmm? Look like rough cloth but not yes? Mask be light blue. Other details? Not sure, thinking. We see."
I see his lip just barely quirk up as I start rambling. "I see, I'll make sure that's included in the note. Is there anything else we can help you with today Phantasm?"
I'm about to say no when a thought occurs to me. "Tag?"
He chuckles good naturedly at that, but it sounds a bit fake. "I'm afraid not Phantasm. Perhaps another time. If that's all?"
Well, it was worth a shot. "Are wards patrol now? Thinking go patrol, could join yes?"
He smiles as he stands, but it doesn't feel as authentic as his first one. Odd. "Clockblocker is currently on patrol with Gallant, I can contact console and get their location for you."
He turns off the device on the table, and at my nod does just as he offered. It turns out they're downtown at the moment, so it shouldn't take me too long to catch up. We say our goodbyes, and soon enough I'm on my way.
Let's Play
When I find the Wards I realise they've already picked up another tag along, which with my introduction will bring the group up to an entirely unnecessary four teenage parahumans. That said, I'm not going to turn down another chance to play tag with Glory Girl. Maybe one of my new powers will let me bypass that shield of hers.
Deciding to take mercy on poor Clockblocker I Cheshire down in front of them with enough space to not spook them too badly. When I finish manifesting I raise a hand, waving at the trio with a big, too wide grin full of pointed teeth.
When I speak, it's with a more childish collection of five voices, with a three to two split of girls to boys. "Hello hello yes! Tag?"
Clockblocker groans, and even Gallant visibly slouches. Glory Girl, of course, seems quite excited to play. That said, it's Clockblocker who speaks first. "No thanks, I may like making jokes, but even I'm not interested in looking like that much of a fool. What about you Gallant? Figured out some magic fix for your own embarrassing defeat?"
Gallant shrugs, both seeming and sounding not terribly troubled by the situation. "No, I can't say I have. Fortunately, we do have a ringer in this case."
Glory Girl preens at the praise, floating forward and taking on a dramatic pose with arms crossed and nose raised. "Bring it on Phantasm! You may have managed to tag the whole Wards team, but I've gotta show what New Wave is made of!"
I bob my head. "Yes yes, let us play!"
I jump back, establishing the minimum needed space for the game, and then wait for an energetic Clockblocker to count us down. The moment he says start I'm in motion, my extra hands growing in as Mist pours off me. Glory Girl for her part dodges back, managing to avoid a Cheshired hand with a smug smile. I split myself up, letting bits and pieces fade in and out as I surround her with parts of myself.
She tries flying upwards, but my pieces keep pace, between my own flight speed and Cheshire she's not able to get away without simply leaving the game. When she turns, her smirk has become a proper smile. We continue weaving around the area, her playing keep away and leveraging her speed, while I continue to block and distract. It's at the ten minute mark that my hand connects, and just before it does I let Weld and Manton's Ghost activate. The hand still connects with the barrier. Darn it.
I briefly consider using Shibari, but discard the idea. I think I'd rather save that for another persona, and winning this game of tag just isn't worth it. Also, the name still makes me uncomfortable. Wh-what if the power ends up- I quickly quarantine the thought and keep trying to find some way around her barrier. I know it's not actually invulnerable, Panacea rather famously triggered after she was hurt.
Then I think of my own forcefield and want to groan. I Cheshire my head up and out of the fog near where she's floating. "Is okay to hit you? Can't tag through barrier, but barrier not go down if not hit, yes?"
Glory Girl freezes, then slumps. "Yeah okay I guess it wouldn't exactly be fair if you weren't allowed to actually do what you need to win… though actually hitting me hard enough to take out my barrier might result in some collateral damage. Maybe we should do it somewhere else?"
I let my fog fade and bob a nod. "Yes yes, smart. We tell them yes? Go somewhere can play? Hmm… boat graveyard?"
Glory Girl quickly bounces back, flying down to inform the duo as I rebuild myself back on solid ground. By the time she returns she's all smiles. "They say they can't come but I'm not actually officially on patrol with them so it's fine if I go. Race you there?"
I giggle at that and shake my head. "No, no race. Am not fast enough for race. Hmm… you carry head? Can bring body to head once arrived, yes?"
She looks absolutely horrified by the suggestion, which only makes me giggle harder. "No? Hmm perhaps take hand and Phantasm tries to keep up, yes?"
She taps her chin, considering the suggestion for several seconds, before she nods. "Alright, but you better not try and tag me until we get there."
Let's Play
The Flight over was largely uneventful, with me Cheshiring my head forward as quickly as I could while the rest of me followed in a staggered dance of appearing and disappearing. Finally she does touch down and the rest of me appears not long after, leaving me winded for a little bit before I recover.
Glory Girl, for her part, seems utterly delighted, which I have to call her out on. "We not all fly free, yes? Some takes effort hmm? Exhausting! Lucky lucky Glory Girl."
This only seems to delight her more as she practically falls over giggling. Or she would have fallen over if she didn't stay floating in the air even while lost in a fit of giggles. It takes her several minutes to recover, at which point she decides to ask a question I'm honestly surprised I haven't gotten until now. "So, do you actually have to talk like that, or is it just part of the persona?"
I double check we aren't being recorded on camera, and then respond with The Words Are Silent just to be safe. Though I still don't use my real voice, even if I limit myself to just one teenage girl. "Just part of the persona, but I'd rather it not get around."
In short bursts, talking like Phantasm can be a lot of fun. After nearly an hour of talking with the PRT and Armsmaster? I'm just tired of it.
Her grin widens. "Cool! Who else knows? Does the PRT? What about-"
I quickly wave her down, continuing to speak so only she can hear. "No no-" I catch myself starting to slip back into the Phantasm speech pattern and correct myself. "Uh, no the PRT doesn't. Know that is."
Oh god why am I suddenly struggling to say actual words?! I send off a handful of Parallels to be flustered about that while I focus on actually talking. "Just you and my dad, so like I said, please don't mention it to anyone."
She gasps, charging forward and taking my hands. "I'm the first person you told outside your family?! Okay okay, we're friends now, gimme your number so we can chat and hang out and patrol together!"
I'm so flustered by the energy that I just decide to go along with it, offering her the simple phone Miss Militia gave me. It's out of my hand and returned once more so quickly I briefly wonder if it's possible to Cheshire only an object without part of me going with it. I check the phone, confirming Glory Girl had added herself to the contact list, apparently alongside her sister. At least I assume that's who "Vicky!" and "Amy <3" are supposed to be.
I tilt my head at the bonus addition. "Are you sure she'll be okay with you giving me her number?"
Glory Girl shrugs. "As long as you don't abuse it you should be fine. Besides, she needs more friends…" She pauses, obviously considering something, then flies in closer with a hand raised to whisper in my ear. "Plus, I've seen her laughing at some of your videos."
She pulls back, then places a hand on the back of her neck, looking away as she continues. "And she's mentioned she appreciates that you take down criminals in a way that doesn't make more work for her."
Ah. Yes I imagine that would be an issue for an energetic Alexandria package wouldn't it? I think I've seen a few people making jokes online about how much collateral damage she does, but I'm not sure if it's still a problem she has, or if it even ever was one.
I nod, letting my body parts separate and float around a bit. "Alright, well you can give her my number and she can text me if she's actually fine with it. You did get my number, right?"
She nods back, waving her phone in the air. "Yeah, I sent myself a text from your phone so I've got it." She pauses for a moment, her eyes obviously flicking to my various body parts. "You doing okay there? You've kind of… split up?"
I smile wide, showing off my pointed teeth. "Totally fine! It's just kind of fun to be all split up and floating around. Kind of like you not bothering to touch the ground."
She looks down, then giggles as she confirms she has in fact failed to touch down ever once since we arrived. "Ah, yeah alright makes sense. Dang, that's a really versatile specialization if you're able to handle splitting up like that. I know people have seen you teleporting around grabbing scrap, but I can't imagine how you'd turn all that junk into something that lets you pull this!"
I blush and look away. Even if it was a rather one sided declaration, it still feels bad lying to a friend. It'd be nice to have a friend who hasn't spent the past year and a half trying to make my life hell. Honestly, I'm kind of amazed nobody is calling me out on the Tinker thing. I opt for dodging the question with a technical truth. "Yeah, I've gotten really lucky in several different ways."
Then I perk up, because we did actually have a reason for coming out here which seems like a great way to avoid any further questions I'd rather not answer. "But enough talk, have at you!"
We don't bother with a countdown, she flies up as I begin producing my Mist once more. The game is on, and this time I'm going to win.
Name: Taylor Anne HebertLovable Horror LVL 10SP Cap7Loose SP15Tier 1 Powers(24)Mover(2)Shaker(2)Brute(2)Breaker(2)Master(1)Tinker(3)Blaster(3)Thinker(1)Striker(4)Changer(0)Trump(1)Stranger(3)Tier 0 Powers(51)Synergy Powers(19)Power Upgrades(7)
AN: For those who didn't see it, I've been ab it under the weather, expect chapters to be a bit slower. My health isn't the best in general so no clue how long it'll take. Also, I updated the power reference post. I think I'll aim for doing that every 3 chapters for now.
Slipping into the fog I begin sending pieces of myself up and around, diminishing visibility and granting myself more space where I can benefit from the speed boost I get while concealed in the Mist. With the boost from moving alongside my music combined with Kinesiologist and Circus Acrobat I'm suspicious I might actually have a serious Mover rating, at least while everything's in effect. Then I Locked In.
Dad might have been a bit bemused by my Ditto frantically asking him to show me how to throw a punch, but given I apparently probably would have broken my thumb if I hadn't I'll say it was probably worth it. I'm not sure how well any of the other advice is going to work given my… everything, but it's still probably better than not having it.
With my very rapid lesson complete and the area around Glory Girl sufficiently full of Mist, I Cheshire into position. Given how different the maneuver is to how I normally operate, I'm not especially surprised Glory Girl doesn't see it coming. I flicker Weld just as I swing, benefiting from the marginal increase it offers as my fist collides with her back hard enough to strain my Minor Forcefield, and she's launched directly into another pair of hands. I manage to lay a mark on her side with one, but fail to place one with the second. Good enough.
She dodges down, eyes a little frantic as I begin launching pieces of myself at her from seemingly random angles, but to her credit she shows off the benefits of experience. She lands in a shower of sand, then immediately launches herself left before rising back up. What follows is several minutes of dodging and projectile Phantasm pieces. The rhythm is finally thrown off when I apparently startle her badly enough that she throws a punch at one of my arms as it flies out of the fog without a hand.
The limb is sent flying and she freezes, hands going to her mouth in horror. "Oh god Phantasm I'm so sorry are you okay?!"
I decide not to abuse her concern, Cheshiring my head up in front of her. "It's fine, I'm fine. I have a kind of… capacitive shield. Just try not to land too many hits too quickly alright?"
I'm honestly kind of surprised to find the limb actually is mostly fine. It might bruise, but between Shield Up, Man of Steel, a flicker of Weld, and probably some of the Tier 0 Brute powers I can apparently handle one of the strongest hits in the Bay.
She lowers her hands from her mouth, looking at me incredulously. "You have a shield capable of shrugging off my hits? I don't want to sound too conceited or whatever but you know I'm, like, the second highest Brute in the Bay right? The highest is Lung! That plus that punch you threw at the start… I think you probably have the third highest Brute rating in the bay at this point! You don't even get into Brute fights, what the heck are you doing with that kind of power hiding under those rags?!"
I blush at the comment, because honestly she's right, and that's even with my SolarHouse of the Cell sitting at basically minimum. Admittedly there's not a lot of Brutes in the Bay so it's not a huge competition pool, but still. "I figured it's better to be safe than sorry? Also wait, Lung is a Brute? Shouldn't he be a Changer?"
Glory Girl just stares at me incredulously. "Really, that's what you're focusing on?"
I can see my blush growing deeper in real time thanks to Third Person POV. "Well it's just kind of weird okay? Anyway, I guess as long as you don't do it too frequently you can attack me back? I should probably get used to it right?"
That causes her to perk up, and I immediately feel like I just made a huge mistake.
Ten minutes later I can confirm, I probably did. It turns out that she was probably at least a little distracted trying to fight her own instincts, because suddenly she's notably more effective and putting both my defences and my Thinker reinforced planning through their paces. That said, I'm learning fast. With both Locked In and Dead as Disco reinforcing Papert's Principle and Understanding, with an entire extra Parallel dedicated to analysis it'd be pretty sad if I wasn't.
I manage to land several other hits to her shield, making use of elbows and knees to supplement my punches, but only land one more tag over the next five minutes. An elbow to the back of the head got her into position, but even then she dodges the tap to her side and picks up a second mark on her arm before disengaging.
In the end what finishes the fight is another surprise attack backed up by the Thinker aspect of Traps. Over the past twenty minutes, she's gotten used to keeping track of my various limbs, making good use of the half second or so needed to complete a Cheshire to avoid hits, or avoid hands if she couldn't. So the trick was rather simple, I made sure she knew exactly where all my limbs were, then landed a Strong Jaws reinforced bite to her arm just as a hand tapped her side.
When I pull back from the bite, letting the Mist fade, she's looking at me with such incredulity that my grin quickly turns sheepish. "Did you just bite me?"
I awkwardly nod even as dad collapses on the couch cackling. "Did you just bite me hard enough to pop my shield?"
I turn off Locked In as I bring in my shoulders just so I can hunch them up as I nod again.
She bursts into laughter as well, even as my dad tries to kill me with his own as I relay her question. "How?! Why?! Just… what the heck, why would your tech allow that?"
I Cheshire the rest of my body up so I can float in the air beside her, looking a lot less graceful than she does as I do so. "It just sort of happened? It's part of the same thing that lets me punch so hard okay?"
She actually has to wipe tears out of her eyes once she finally gets herself under control, then she sees me just… floating in front of her. "And you can fly. Right, I guess that makes sense. If the individual parts of your body can fly then why couldn't your whole body. God that was fun. It's obvious you've never really had to fight like this before, but you're a seriously fast learner, that was really impressive."
And now I just feel kind of ashamed. I can't bring myself to accept the praise when I know it's only because I've got a bunch of Thinker powers helping me. "I can't really take the credit there, my power helps with that sort of thing."
She, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care. She waves off the comment. "Sure sure but that's just what powers are like, you know? If you let having powers diminish any achievement where they might have had an impact, you'll just end up feeling like crap. I saw you improving as we fought, even if it was way faster than I'd expect you were still obviously learning right? So you should still be proud of that!"
Her smile is almost blinding as I fidget, and then when dad makes me tell him what's got me blushing he has the audacity to confirm he agrees with her. "Fine, I guess that's true. Still kind of feels like cheating though."
She shrugs, starting to fly a little higher. "Powers are cheating by default. You just gotta focus on what you're putting in to make the most of them."
I find myself following along, a bit confused as she starts doing spirals, then loops, then flying back towards town with seemingly little rhyme or reason. "I guess. So… what are you doing?"
She grins, letting herself speed up bit by bit until I start falling behind. "Flying! Come on, you can't tell me you didn't dream of flying when you were little!"
That's when the reality of the situation actually hits me, and I look down, then around, and find my lips pulling up into an involuntary smile of my own. She's right! Combining all my mover powers into one with Kinesiologist is the best way to get somewhere quickly, which means I've never actually just… flown around until now. But every little girl wants to be Alexandria, and a big part of that is wanting to fly.
We end up spending the next hour flying around in the skies above Brockton Bay, chatting about everything and nothing, until her phone rings and she's called back home. It's the most fun I've had in ages and I try not to think about the fact the second most fun I've had, excluding other uses of Kinesiologist, is shopping with the trio.
I end up bringing my real body home to rest after the honestly kind of exhausting afternoon, but let my Ditto continue to hang out with dad as I do. Of course, resting doesn't stop me from checking out my hard fought for rewards.
Defeated Glory GirlGained:
400 EXP
+1 Loose SP
1 Cape Power Roll
The fact she gave me that much while holding back really puts into perspective how scary she must be for anyone she's actually fighting seriously.
Mass = Acceleration
Brute: Mass = AccelerationCost: 4 SPYour mass is directly proportional to your velocity. As your velocity increases, your mass also increases, leading to a higher density. This increase in density enhances your strength and durability. This dramatically increases the force of your attacks. The boost in your strength will mean that you always will be able to move your newly added mass with no difference from your base mass.
Wasn't I just thinking about how fast I am when going all out during my fight with Glory Girl? How much harder would I have hit with that first attack if I'd had this backing it up? This seems… dangerous.
Stomach Storage+Caustic Fluids+Genetic Template
Brute/Stranger (Stomach Storage)Cost: 1 SPWith the power of an endless stomach, you can eat without limits. No matter how much you consume—whether it's a whole buffet or mountains of snacks—you'll always feel satisfied and never uncomfortably full. Your digestive system has been altered to store excess nutrients and calories indefinitely, completely digested and ready for use when needed. You won't get fat and will only feel hungry when your reserves start running low.
Note: This power only applies to food you can already eat, not things outside your capability to consume.
I suppose if I ever start needing to eat more to accommodate my powers this might be helpful? Of course it won't do anything to help with the food bill…
Blaster/Striker (Caustic Fluids)Cost: 1 SPAt will, you can cause your spit and sweat to become caustic. It will cause mildly painful, short-term reactions to anyone else it touches.
I can't really see any situation where this will serve me better than Knockout.
Brute (Genetic Template)Cost: 1 SPYou possess the ability to heal flawlessly. Injuries like dislocated joints will reset themselves, and issues such as myopia-related vision loss will also mend. This power doesn't affect the speed of healing; instead, it ensures that any healing your body undergoes is precise. For instance, if it typically takes weeks for a wound to close, this healing process will occur flawlessly over those weeks. No more poorly healed broken bones causing future problems.
Oh that's… really good. I hadn't even considered the possibility of my regeneration causing problems if something healed wrong. Though… actually am I going to have to get fake glasses now?
Golden BodyCost: Genetic Template+Hysterical Strength+Pink Muscles+Black Bone+Lung+Reaction+Efficient Autonomic Systems+ Waste Not Want Not+ ContortionistYour body is physically perfect, combining immense strength, endurance, and agility without any weaknesses. You do not age or deteriorate over time, remaining in peak condition indefinitely.
You possess strength at the absolute peak of human potential, capable of lifting up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lbs) under optimal conditions. Your endurance is limitless; you never tire, allowing you to exert yourself at full capacity indefinitely without the need for rest or recovery. Your durability is exceptional—your muscles and skin are as soft as silk to the touch yet resistant to extreme forces, withstanding low to medium-caliber bullets and immense pressure without harm.
Your speed and agility are unmatched. You move with the coordination of a master acrobat, reacting in milliseconds to any stimulus. Your body operates with absolute precision, ensuring that every motion is efficient and perfectly executed. No movement is wasted, no balance is lost, and no action is beyond your control.
Your lifespan extends far beyond that of ordinary beings. You are biologically immortal, able to live for thousands of years and more without experiencing physical decline. Time holds no power over you; you will never weaken, never wither, and never degrade. Your body does not scar, wrinkle, or suffer from wear, remaining as pristine and flawless as the day you were born.
Your appearance reflects this perfection. Every feature is symmetrical, every muscle ideally sculpted, and no imperfection mars your form. Whether in motion or at rest, you embody both power and grace, an existence without physical flaw or limitation.
The world lurches as the new pop-up appears, my vision swims for a second, and then solidifies into a blur. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why, and it clears up the moment I remove my glasses.
I read the description and find myself mildly horrified by it. Biologically immortal. Combined with my Brute powers that's… that's a big deal. I don't think I have it in me to process that alone. Fortunately, dad already looks like he wants to know why my Ditto just collapsed back into the couch and began looking off into space with a thousand yard stare.
I leave a part of myself to handle that conversation as I focus on something else.
Plasmalemma Mass EjectionCost: SolarHouse of the Cell+Genetic TemplateBy diverting stored solar energy into focused repair cycles, your healing accelerates to remarkable levels. Bruises fade in seconds; lacerations stitch closed by the time the moon rises. You can configure your biology to prioritize regeneration at the cost of long-term charge retention.
Not actually that important, but I'll take the distraction. The fact it reminds me to check the Upgrades also helps.
Two new upgrades present themselves. Cellular Robustness, which just seems to be a worse version of Golden Body, and… Stinky Pants. Okay, so maybe the Upgrades menu isn't actually a good distraction.
After a moment of consideration, I decide to try taking a nice, long bath and minimizing the number of Parallels I have active. This plan ends up similarly failing as a distraction because I end up catching sight of myself in the mirror. With a pair of groans I curl up on both the bathroom floor and the couch.
My Ditto leans in as dad hugs me, my voice a mumble as I explain. "It's not even really that big a difference, but it's… it feels so obvious? I've never been pretty-" I barely pause as dad huffs at the comment. "And I don't really think I am now, but I'm… more. It's like I was airbrushed. It's just not… just not me."
He hums softly, resting his head on top of mine. "Do you think there might be a power in that level zero list of yours that might help?"
I resist the urge to correct him on them being Tier 0, not level, and instead consider the powers I made note of last time I went through the list. There was one that I'd noted for… reasons. I pull up the description on Harmonization. It… doesn't really sound like it, it just sounds like more of the same issue that Golden Body has already given me, but… "Your body is your sanctuary, and with this subtle but life-changing power, it finally feels like it."
Maybe I'm being ridiculous, freaking out about what should just be an incredibly useful power. Maybe it's just hitting me all at once how different all these powers have already made me. Maybe nobody else will notice and it's all in my head. Maybe I'll walk into school tomorrow and be outed as a parahuman by the first person who sees me. Maybe I'll still be alive a thousand years from now, having collected so many powers that I make Scion look like a joke, and no longer even recognize myself as human.
It's that, I think, that's the hardest to deal with. Mom was an English professor, she made sure I developed a love of literature at a young age, and the idea of living forever is a pretty common topic. Despite the many different ways it's presented, it's always regarded as a curse. I've read too many stories going over the various horrors of immortality, and now I'm probably going to have to live with it.
I say as much to dad, and then finish by reading him the full description of Harmonization. He pulls back, and I find my Ditto raising its head to look at him. He's smiling down at me, a little sad, but with a glint of pride in his eye.
When he speaks, it's with a bit of a frog in his throat. "You always were your mother's daughter. I can't say I'd have ever really thought about it that much, maybe until it was too late. But you're smart kiddo, and I think you've got what it takes to figure this out. I remember some of those stories, you know? They deal a lot with the-" He clears his throat, looking away as he carries on. "With the concept of loss. That tends to be what really gets to the immortal. The- the loss of the people they love over time, and the loss of their connection to humanity."
He takes several deep breaths as tears begin to prickle the corners of his eyes. "I think we- we haven't done the best at the first of those. I haven't done the best. I need to do better. We- we can work on it together. Learning to appreciate the time we had with her, instead of crying about the time we lost. Learning to appreciate the time we still have. Which, which we've already started right? Besides, I can't help being a little glad, knowing that I won't ever have to bury my little girl."
I sniffle, wiping the tears from my eyes as I hear him chuckle wetly. "On the second one, I think you should try and make lots of friends. I think you reconnecting with Emma, and making friends with Madison, and anyone else you can manage, will be important. I know it'll result in more of the first problem, but… for as much as the loss of your mother might hurt, I'd never, ever choose to have never known her instead."
He eventually coaxes my real body out of the bathroom and confirms that while the change is noticeable, it's nothing that a bit of makeup and contacts couldn't explain. We end up spending the rest of the night together, talking about mom and what she meant to us, and the good times we had together. We take a picture of my Ditto, as a reminder of what I used to look like, before I finally let it disappear. There's an odd catharsis to it, and I don't bother re-summoning it until after dad's gone to bed.
I don't end up buying Harmonization. Maybe I'll end up rolling it at some point, maybe I won't. For now, I think I should focus on trying to be okay with myself without relying on a power as a shortcut.
Name: Taylor Anne HebertLovable Horror LVL 10SP Cap7Loose SP16Tier 1 Powers(25)Mover(2)Shaker(2)Brute(3)Breaker(2)Master(1)Tinker(3)Blaster(3)Thinker(1)Striker(4)Changer(0)Trump(1)Stranger(3)Tier 0 Powers(54)Synergy Powers(21)Power Upgrades(7)
AN: I don't like reading or writing fight scenes, so I really don't know how I did on the one with Glory Girl.
Fun fact, the second half of this chapter was entirely unplanned! I hope Taylor did a good job expressing why she reacted the way she did and it comes across relatively reasonable. The other part of her reaction she doesn't identify however is that it hasn't been that long since her last breakdown, and she hasn't done a lot of processing on it so she's still a bit emotionally vulnerable.