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

[alicornucopia]

"What the f- what does misgendered mean?" says Boots, glancing at Chevalier before uttering a swear word.

[mxglam]

"It means talking about me as if I were a gender I'm not. For example, if I were to talk to someone about you and said 'I like Boots, she's nice,' that would be misgendering you."

[alicornucopia]

"You'd be asking to get your face kicked in, is what you'd be doing," snarls Boots.

"Cool it," Chevalier snaps.

[mxglam]

"Maybe," Glam agrees. "And while I won't kick anyone's face in, that's more-or-less how I feel when people talk about me as if I were a boy or as if I were a girl, most of the time."

[alicornucopia]

"Bull-" pause "hockey," says Boots.

"Which bathroom do you go in?" wonders Windflower.

[mxglam]

"Currently, my room's!" they laugh. "The more elaborate answer to that question is somewhat complicated, but suffice to say that my power lets me use whichever I feel like at the time."

Dauntless looks interested. "You have a Changer power, too?" Armsmaster is half-paying attention to the conversation as well, now.

"Mmmmore or less. It's really the same underlying thing, altering the way something behaves - or looks."

[thinkering]

"I bet Lorica had fun power-testing that," Boots snorts.

Lorica doesn't look up.

[mxglam]

"Mmmmnnno, that doesn't need much testing. Of course, you could prove me wrong." Two can play this game.

[alicornucopia]

"Don't flatter yourself, queer."

"James," says Chevalier.

"What, is flatter a bad word now?"

"That's not the problem and you know it."

[mxglam]

"Oh, Bootsy, you tempt me so much."

[alicornucopia]

"Don't get cute with me," snaps Boots.

"Glam, don't make it worse," Chevalier sighs.

[mxglam]

"Sorry, I promise I won't pick on James." They almost say 'too much' at the end, there, but that would probably be noticed. One scolding has already been enough for the day.

[alicornucopia]

"Thank you, Glam," says Chevalier.

Boots picks at his food.

[mxglam]

"So, Betty, I am curious about your power, but I understand if you don't like talking about it."

[alicornucopia]

"It's airborne poisons," says Betty, not looking their way.

[mxglam]

"I meant a bit more detail than that, but I won't pry any more. My apologies."

Okay, how to talk to people who aren't Boots about things that aren't likely to trigger people or make them unhappy?

...good thing food's such a good excuse not to actually need to talk.

[alicornucopia]

Om nom, go everybody.

[mxglam]

...Glam is going to die here. "So, Echo, what have you picked up with your power so far?"

Echo looks up from her food and says, "Fencing, piano, violin, taekwondo, Brazilian jiu jitsu, krav maga, karate, judo, aikido, rock climbing, swimming, and parkour," in a sort of monotone.

"Oh, that's interesting!"

She shrugs.

...Glam is going to die here.

[thinkering]

There isn't a whole lot of conversation, although Lorica and her dad occasionally look at each other in a way that suggests private helmet-to-helmet conversation. The fruit's delicious.

[mxglam]

Glam decides not to make it known how uncomfortable they are with the lack of conversation. How do they tread the line between 'interest in other people's lives and hobbies' and 'not reminding everyone that their personal lives are probably more traumatic than average'?

They'll probably have to find out.

[alicornucopia]

Miss Militia manages to engage Windflower in conversation about school. Apparently Windflower likes art. Over at the other end of the table Beneficence is talking to Drupe too quietly to hear.

[mxglam]

School and art, yes! With the problem that as of this moment Glam isn't in Arcadia... Well, that's all the more reason to sound interested in the conversation and eventually ask at the appropriate time, "Can you show me something you've made sometime?"

[alicornucopia]

"The Arcadia art show is in six weeks," mumbles Windflower.

[mxglam]

"Oh, cool! I bet I'll like it. I'm actually pretty bad at art, I manage to butcher drawing stick people."

[alicornucopia]

"Yeah, you'll get to skip your art class to go see," Windflower nods.