endbringer, meet gun

[peterxy]

...Very unseasonable rains can be seen in the distance from the shores of Acapulco.

The Brockton Bay Protectorate starts organizing volunteers to be transported or teletransported in batches to it. Heroes, rogues, villains, anyone's assistance is appreciated. A rendez-vous point is set for non-Protectorate capes wishing to volunteer, and Protectorate capes are informed of the situation via communication devices.

Comments

[thinkering]

"Yeah. It all makes sense on a local decisionmaking level, but I can't help but notice almost everyone with institutional power over me principally exercises the power in such a way as to convince me to wash my hands of the whole business when they graduate me."

[mxglam]

"Elaborate?"

[thinkering]

"Like - they understand that I am valuable but do not seem to have internalized the information that my goodwill is valuable, that when you don't have the luxury to hire and fire the cape to get a good 'culture fit' you should maybe make sure every single other person in the system is optimized to soften that. If they were thinking, if they wanted to keep me, they would give me a slightly smaller parts budget and hire me a liaison specifically selected to be my best friend and make sure I never had to spend another two minutes in a room with somebody whose main skill is getting promoted through the PRT ranks and that I never had to have a conversation with Boots that wasn't about tactics."

[mxglam]

They giggle. "Is Boots that annoying?"

[thinkering]

"Just not my cup of tea. I'm sure he has lots of friends."

[mxglam]

"What a very diplomatic thing to say."

[thinkering]

Snort.

[mxglam]

"So what's daily life there actually like? How does it mesh with classes and stuff, if they require you to get an education? And family time?"

[thinkering]

"We go to school, after school we hang out in our lair, I tinker most of the time so I don't think I have the best view of game night or whatever. Some of 'em work out. A little sparring. Whenever they're worried about Youth Guard protests they nag us about our homework. We go home or stay out later and patrol and then go home."

[mxglam]

"Game night might actually be in the list of pros for me. ...possibly watching cute people work out as well."

[thinkering]

"Capes aren't filtered for looks either, you know."

[mxglam]

They shrug. "Sure, but having to stay in shape is bound to help. And I mean, have you seen Legend."

[thinkering]

"Not up close."

[mxglam]

"Well me neither but you know what I mean!"

[thinkering]

"I do, I do."

[mxglam]

Giggle. "Anything to add to the list?"

[thinkering]

"I might be running dry unless you have more specific questions."

[mxglam]

"Lessee..." Think think. "What actually changes if you go to the Protectorate when you graduate?"

[thinkering]

"You're a step up in the command structure, you don't have to go to school and if you do there's nobody worried about Youth Guard protests anymore if you have an off-day, and unlike being Ward Captain like Dauntless is now you can, if you work up to the point of seniority in your team, have some actual autonomy on some things that matter."

[mxglam]

"Things that matter like what? Also is the moving around and changing teams actually voluntary? The media makes it seem like everyone's altruistically joining whatever teams will best help everyone else, the forums make it seem like every hero's a pawn of the Protectorate."

[thinkering]

"Forums are mostly right. If you want to stay put you can probably do that. If your day job, should you maintain such a thing, moves, you can probably follow it. But Dad got moved here and I don't think he was upset about it but they didn't really ask him."

[mxglam]

"Hmmm. This overall lack of autonomy sounds really annoying."

[thinkering]

"Ah-huh."

[mxglam]

"Well, thanks for this, info's useful."

[thinkering]

"You're welcome."