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

[mxglam]

"Bye!"

Off they go.

Eventually they resume being multiple people, and start exploring just how much they can stretch the definition of 'sufficiently hard squinting.'

[alicornucopia]

They receive a note under their door saying that they should show up for dinner to be formally introduced at seven in the larger breakroom (not the one for just the Wards).

[mxglam]

They will eventually notice the note. Probably before seven.

And they'll be there, prim and proper and single.

[alicornucopia]

Everybody's there. Even Lorica is there, with her helmet partly peeled open as it is when she's eating, although it throws shadows in such a way that nothing about her chin is actually displayed. She's sitting next to her dad, at the wards/grownups division at the table. A couple of PRT people are there, but not Piggot and not enough to be the entire Brockton Bay contingent of them. Dinner is lasagna plus a bizarrely extensive array of fruits and vegetables. Lorica, her dad, and Beneficence are the only ones wearing masks. A couple of attendees (Windflower and Chevalier) are only identifiable by process of elimination.

[mxglam]

Glam wonders whether there's anything they should be obviously doing like introducing (if everyone stops talking to stare at them) or getting food (if there's an obvious seat reserved for them).

[alicornucopia]

There is an obvious seat. Chevalier gets up and plants a hand on Glam's shoulder. "Everybody this is Glam, who signed on last night. Glam, these are -" Chevalier goes around the table. Most of the attendees get real names and cape names both; Lorica and Transit are Lorica and Transit; Beneficence is apparently no face but yes name and introduced as Sarah.

[mxglam]

"Hi!" they beam. "I'm not entirely sure if I'm supposed to say stuff so I won't!"

[alicornucopia]

"Hi, Glam," say a couple of the heroes.

"You can talk. It's just us," says Chevalier. He gestures Glam to their seat. They get to be next to Lorica.

[mxglam]

"Oh I'll talk, it's just saying things that's not necessarily going to happen," they say as they walk over to their assigned seat. "Oh, and Lorica, I managed to figure out how to make food go through my mask."

Buuuuullshit. But bullshit loud enough that at least a few people must've heard, and they will probably by default believe them.

[thinkering]

"Ooh, neat, that's going on the list for future tests to see how broadly you can apply it!" she says.

"Hello, Glam," says Transit. "Good to properly meet you."

[mxglam]

"Hi, Mr. Transit! It's good to meet you too." They bite back a number of things they think to say that would not be appropriate, and just smile.

[thinkering]

"Just Transit," says Transit, sounding amused. His helmet is designed a lot like Lorica's; he flips it up to eat grapes.

[mxglam]

Glam grabs food and eats it through the mask. It does, in fact, go through! Bullshit is the best!

[alicornucopia]

Windflower says, "Are you going to be weird like Lorica and not take your mask off even in here?"

[mxglam]

"...can you ask me this again tomorrow?"

[alicornucopia]

"Whhhhy?"

[mxglam]

"I'll explain tomorrow!"

[alicornucopia]

"Why are you being weird?" asks Windflower.

[mxglam]

"Oh, love, that question I can't promise to answer even tomorrow. I'm just really really weird. Would a normal person have emojis on their face?"

[alicornucopia]

"Don't call me love," exclaims Windflower.

Boots snickers.

[mxglam]

"Sorry, was just an expression. Didn't mean anything by it. Won't use it again."

[peterxy]

"So, Glam, what exactly is it you do?" asks Dauntless, who's apparently called Mark.

Echo, whose name is Willow, picks at her food and doesn't seem to be comfortable about joining in the conversation.

[mxglam]

"Conjuration of things, some limits that shrink with time and practice; changing how things behave, also has limits that shrink with time and practice. This suit and this mask are both conjured. Look, I can make a floating golf ball." And one appears, in a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Stuff I neglect disappears after about thirty minutes unless I pay attention to it again."

[alicornucopia]

"Are you naked under there?" leers Boots. "If you forget to pay attention to your suit?"

[mxglam]

Oh, so that's what Lorica meant. "Don't you wish you knew?"