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]

"I mean, he could have phrased it better for you but he doesn't know you. As a generic spiel it's practically charismatic."

[mxglam]

"Yeah, exactly." Sigh. "What are your thoughts?"

[thinkering]

"If I were you I'd join up and keep my head down for a few months, take what's on offer, shut up about what-all else, and make it to graduation without pulling anything stupid, but that's me and it's been clear all along that I'm more open to the Wards on less provocation."

[mxglam]

"Yeah." Think. "I was also honest when I said I was tempted. All in all, I think it's likely I would've chosen to join up anyway. This kinda just... speeds matters up a bit."

[thinkering]

"Yeah."

[mxglam]

"What I haven't properly thought about yet is what I'll say my power actually is."

[thinkering]

"You're on record as a shaker-blaster-mover with a Tinker subrating 'so no one underestimates your potential versatility'."

[mxglam]

"Awww you're gonna make me blush!"

[thinkering]

[mxglam]

"Sorry. Anyway, what's my suspected power so far? ...actually what have you told them it was?"

[thinkering]

"I told them you can conjure things up temporarily, they're solid but only mostly obey physics, and you can do Tinkerlike effects on the fly but nothing technically sophisticated, just sometimes like at Acapulco big."

[mxglam]

"Okay. So if I were to say what caused all this, I'd say - tell me if you spot any obvious flaws or a better way to word this or something - that I could, like you said, conjure things up. They're not temporary as long as I actually pay attention to them at least once every half an hour. I can grow in sophistication with time, the more often I conjure something the easier it is to do it and the more complex I can make it in the future..."

[thinkering]

"Yeah, if you say you improve with practice that helps a few different things."

[mxglam]

"Yup. Any suggestions? Anything I overlooked- oh, yes, actually, I have limited ability to affect things I didn't create that also grows with time, and my stuff doesn't like being looked at too hard. I don't think that's a weakness I can afford not to mention here."

[thinkering]

"Is it literally just vision or any attention?"

[mxglam]

"...I don't actually know? I mostly dispel things I'm not looking at, except Santuario's stuff kept working even while it was hidden by the casing - I didn't even think about it at the time - so it's not exactly vision. I have about forty-five more minutes, we could try testing some stuff. If you want."

[thinkering]

"Is this really the best time?"

[mxglam]

They shrug. "Maybe not? I just really don't feel like facing Chevalier again right now, even if my answer will be the one he wants."

[thinkering]

"What I mean is if you wanted a while to think maybe you should think, not do powers testing. If you want to stall you can stall, I guess."

[mxglam]

"...I don't know if I need to think any more than I have, really. I've been thinking about this for weeks now, it's really unlikely I'll think of any new arguments in the next 40 minutes, and I won't be able to contact anyone from New Wave probably which was my next step in information collection and in any case they probably don't have the legal power the Protectorate does even if Chevalier did exaggerate the risks."

[thinkering]

"I think one of them is a lawyer, but yeah, point."

[mxglam]

Sigh. "So it's pretty much decided, I suppose. I'm going to be a Ward."

They look up at the ceiling, then close their eyes.

"...any ideas on how to convince people to put a spotlight on me without explaining that part of my power?"

[thinkering]

"I think tonight proved that you don't just need attention, you need the right kind of attention, and you need to nail that before you get lots of it. Look, even if all you can conjure without bolstering are small mundane objects you could still outclass Miss Militia but for experience and your need to sleep. You need solid tactics and a reputation for not killing people or you will aim a gun at an Endbringer and annihilate half a continent."

[mxglam]

"...so basically just let it happen."

[thinkering]

"That's not what I said."