The Worst Generation: The New City

[Razade]

Issue Two
We Are Each A Bonfire

The cover of Issue 2 of A New City shows the continuing hustle and bustle of Karakuri Town as it's rebuilt, a shot of the former rail tunnels converted into shopping districts with similar large holes punched through streets and designed around to let people move between them, new rails dipping down below to deposit people. The cover shows that a new can do spirit has grown in Karakuri Town. All the faces are bright, even those that hide in the shadows and dark corners of the new underground shopping centers.

It all ends so quickly. The chase, the fight, perhaps a momentary sense of stopping the bad guy from doing the bad thing. It's all so short lived.

Other heroes, you know the ones, the ones that haven't had to climb their way up the ranks, not actually part of The Worst Generation, show up not too long after you get everyone gathered up in the hole. Yes, they blame you for that. No they're not particularly keen on listening to your arguments on how it isn't your fault and even with the presence of Witchfinder, there's only nominal lip service given when they do spare the time to entertain overtures from you. It would seem that the warning Knight Prime gave, that this was soon to not be a you problem, held true. Which raises all sorts of questions like, why is a villain giving you more information than the people on your side or what's so dangerous about all the goings on of the afternoon that none of you are even allowed within breathing room of it now that the big shots are here to clean up.

Questions you'll have to discover on your own it seems because as soon as they arrived, the heroes left. They didn't even offer you help out of the hole! You all manage to get out anyhow and for the most part the team seems unhurt. A few grateful words from the former hostages and police are all the praise you're going to get here. Crisis averted, you're all now free to go wherever you wish! Where do you feel the first port of all would be for your characters, how do you get there and who do you expect waiting for you when you arrive?

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

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• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

The falling action of the fighting and capture of Umbra Cat is covered in a few brief panels for Firebrand. Her racing through the tunnels to try and get to Umbra Cat. Standing in confusion at the sight of her defeated and in tears. Her watching Witchfinder and Sunbird work at ferrying the others back to the top of the hole. Being carried herself back up by Sunbird, trying not to feel too self-conscious at the bridal-style carry. Getting irrate and angry in the background as older heroes arrive to take away their captives while Witchfinder attempts to smooth things over. And finally, arms folded and scowling as she stands with the rest of the team, now on their own.

"Tch." Letting out a frustrated breath, Stephanie unfolds her arms and rolls her shoulders, "Well, whatever, good hustle guys. Looking forward to the next one." She walks over to Kaylee, looking her teammate in the eye, "A word before you split?"

Leading Kaylee off to one side, Stephanie waits until they're somewhere without too many people around then rounds on the speedster. "Hey, Kaylee, you wanna tell me what the hell's wrong with you? You've been acting out ever since that Knight knocked you on your ass. Do you plan on telling me? Am I gonna have to get you in a lock before you do?" Her last comment is punctuated by a shove to Kaylee's shoulder, Stephanie's frustration at Kaylee's snaps and jibes during the mission starting to boil over now that they were no longer having to focus on trying to chase down a villain.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Marked a potential from End of Session moves, also marked Insecure following Livewire's attempt at shifting labels.

Then rolled a 14 for Talk No Jutsu on Livewire, letting her Mark Potential/Clear a Condition/Shift Labels if she opens up to Firebrand. Firebrand will also clear a condition with her roll, re-clearing the Insecure she'd otherwise be marking. Though I think I may have jumped the gun a bit with the roll. With GM permission, I'll let Livewire have a moment to respond, then post the outcome of the roll in my next post.

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Sloth wishes they could say they told you so...so they do. The moment they are deposited on the ground floor of the disaster that they didn't cause but was caused around them, they turn to the team.

"I can really see why you wanna do this hero thing now," they say in a dry, unamused tone, their word bubble dripping with cold cynicism. "It's so rewarding and personally fulfilling. I think I shall clear my personal calendar from here to eternity so we can do it every single day."

They fish out a pack of cigarettes and sigh...they're all mangled. They find one that's at least not broken in two, merely twisted into a shape unbecoming of a cigarette, and pop it into their mouth, patting their pockets for a light. The frame shifts to show them glancing at their teammates as they briefly consider asking Firebrand or Sunbird - hell, Livewire could probably cause fire with her zappy zaps - but seems to decide that might be taking the schtick too far.

Besides, Firebrand pulled Livewire away to have a personal talk - possibly about butts, given the goings on in the tunnel (even Sloth had to admit it was a compelling topic where both of them were involved)...so they sigh and continue digging through their pockets until they find a matchbook from Pride's nightclub.

"So...what now?" they ask through the corner of their mouth as they strike a match and bring it up to the cigarette, shielding the fragile flame with both hands before shaking it out and blowing a puff up into the wind. "What's the protocol here after the teachers give us demerits for bad performance? We supposed to go sit in the corner? Go to our rooms without supper while the adults clean up our mess?"

It's hard to tell if they actually believe it's "their mess" or not, but there's definitely a sulky edge to their voice. They are still quite upset at how much Umbra Cat played them.

Spoiler: OOC Actions

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[SkipperChips]

Livewire
Conditions: Hopeless, Insecure
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Danger: 0
Freak: 2
Savior: -1
Superior: 0
Mundane: 1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

Are You Watching Closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll +Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

I Don’t Care What You Think!: Whenever you reject others’ Influence, add +2 to your roll.

Stop Hitting Yourself!: When you try to embarrass or humiliate an opponent stronger than yourself in front of others, roll + Superior. On a miss you’ve drawn their attention but misjudged their abilities. Take a powerful blow and expect their focus to follow you for some time. On a 7-9 you successfully won the crowd over. Give your Team an Opportunity and mark a Condition. On a 10+, take Influence over your Opponent.

Kaylee runs around aimlessly as the team is forced away from the Seeds and the tunnels. The panels haphazardly show her slouching with an annoyed frown, arguing with some of the newly-arrived heroes, kicking small pieces of rubble around, and generally causing a mess. She refuses a carry from Witchfinder or Sunbird, instead just running back up the way she'd came and waiting for them at the top. Once the team is reassembled, she hangs around to one side, arms crossed and eyes downcast.

Stephanie's 'request' elicits a surprised-but-annoyed "Yeah, sure, whatever" as she's dragged away. She stumbles a little as Stephanie roughly lets her go, but before she can get a word in edgewise Steph's already started in on her. Anger starts to settle in her stomach, burning just a bit too strong. She didn't get it! She didn't get how it felt. At the mention of a headlock, though, a tense grin appears on Kaylee's face. Maybe this was her way to avoid having to talk about her problems. "You know what? Yeah, you will. It's been a while since we've had a real spar. Not really one for losing, though."

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

Stephanie's expression grows more frustrated as Kaylee decides it really was going to take a fight to get the truth out of her. "Fine. But you've not got a choice here, Kaylee." She shifts into an aggressive combat stance, ready to spring forward, "You've been off your game all day, and I've been on a roll."

Stephanie rushes forward with no further warning, skidding to a stop as her aggression prompts Kaylee to move in turn. Anticipating the attempted flank, Stephanie is already raising her guard as Kaylee slams a flurry of punches into her side. The blows sting, but aren't enough to knock her down, her focused Ki softening Kaylee's strikes. Igniting her Ki, Stephanie forces Kaylee back with a quick burst of fire between them.

The reprieve is brief, Stephanie shifts her focus ready for Kaylee to come in from the other side, though she keeps her movements more subtle. When Kaylee comes in again, she springs her trap. While she couldn't match Kaylee's speed, she could use it against her. Leaning backward and bringing her arm up as Kaylee swings in, Stephanie takes a glancing blow across her chin as the punch over-extends. Catching Kaylee's arm with her own, Stephanie twists on her foot and heaves. There's a single panel showing Stephanie and Kaylee in profile. The red-haired brawler framed underneath the speedster as she arcs through the air, electricity trailing after her.

Then, with a heavy thud, they were both on the ground. Kaylee forced face down with her arm twisted up behind her, Stephanie with a knee to her back, one hand on her shoulder, and the other pulling Kaylee's hand high.

"Ok." Stephanie has a slight breathlessness to her voice, a full morning of exertion beginning to take its toll, "You gonna talk now?"

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Posting the outcome of the Talk No Jutsu here. As stated in my previous post, Livewire can Clear a Condition/Mark Potential/Shift Labels if she opens up. Firebrand will clear Insecure.

[SkipperChips]

Livewire
Conditions: Hopeless, Insecure
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Danger: 0
Freak: 2
Savior: -1
Superior: 0
Mundane: 1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

Are You Watching Closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll +Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

I Don’t Care What You Think!: Whenever you reject others’ Influence, add +2 to your roll.

Stop Hitting Yourself!: When you try to embarrass or humiliate an opponent stronger than yourself in front of others, roll + Superior. On a miss you’ve drawn their attention but misjudged their abilities. Take a powerful blow and expect their focus to follow you for some time. On a 7-9 you successfully won the crowd over. Give your Team an Opportunity and mark a Condition. On a 10+, take Influence over your Opponent.

Despite her desperate struggle, Kaylee quickly finds herself pinned to the floor, her arm held skyward in Stephanie's grip. A gasp of pain escapes her lips at the sudden tension even as she tries to silence it with gritted teeth. "Yeah - fun fact - getting blown away by that stupid sonic cannon? Really hurt! Plus, after he was finished blowing out my eardrums? He barely even gave me a backwards glance. Like I didn't even matter to him."

The struggling stops as Kaylee's body goes limp. "You wouldn't get it. You've got it all under control. You're too much of a badass to care about stupid stuff like- like how your parents feel. How they're gonna tear you a new one when you get home. How they're gonna use your butt getting kicked as another excuse to be even more obnoxious, with their 'Had enough fun yet?'s and their 'Just accept that you'll take over the family business, you're clearly not cut out for this'."There's a tired sigh before Kaylee continues. "There, you happy? You wanted to know what this was all about? Well it's about my stupid, overbearing parents. Like a lame dork."

Spoiler: OOC

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I wanna hold off picking my option until Firebrand replies, cause I feel like that would affect what option I should pick.

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

Stephanie eases the pressure on Kaylee's shoulder and arm once her friend stops struggling beneath her. And when she's finished speaking, Stephanie stands and again offers her hand out to help Kaylee up. "You're not lame."

She rubs behind her neck, other hand on her hip and gaze elsewhere as she tries to work out what to say, "Look. Sometimes you've gotta take hits and just keep going anyway. Doesn't mean those hits don't hurt, but you can't always show that they do. At least in the moment. You'll end up spiralling mid-fight if you don't keep yourself in check. It's why I didn't bring this all up during the action, we needed you as focused as you could be." She gives a shrug, looking back to Kaylee again, "I've not got the answer for you, though. I don't care that much what my folks think of what I do, but y'know, I don't actually hear from them much anyway, easier to not be bothered about something when you're not shown it. Which reminds me." She gives Kaylee a gentle punch on her shoulder, offering her a smile, "Sorry for calling you Sparkles. Won't happen again."

[SkipperChips]

Livewire
Conditions: Hopeless
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Danger: 0
Freak: 2
Savior: -1
Superior: 0
Mundane: 1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

Are You Watching Closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll +Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

I Don’t Care What You Think!: Whenever you reject others’ Influence, add +2 to your roll.

Stop Hitting Yourself!: When you try to embarrass or humiliate an opponent stronger than yourself in front of others, roll + Superior. On a miss you’ve drawn their attention but misjudged their abilities. Take a powerful blow and expect their focus to follow you for some time. On a 7-9 you successfully won the crowd over. Give your Team an Opportunity and mark a Condition. On a 10+, take Influence over your Opponent.

"I don't care about being called Sparkles!" Kaylee whirls on Stephanie, tears starting to prick at the corners of her eyes. "And there is no 'just keep going anyway'! There's only so far I can go before my parents get sick of me! Before they decide they've had enough and- and lock me up without a key! Chain me to the family business whether I want it or not!" Her voice starts to crack, either from anger or choking up. "You don't know what my family's like. They don't listen to me. Nobody listens to me in that stupid house. If they want to force me to do it, they'll find some way. All they need is an excuse. And here I am, giving them one."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Cleared Insecure from that C&S, since I think she's primarily Hopeless at the moment. As for the current label shift, I'd like to Reject Influence.

[Whammy]

Colin Wilkinson aka The Witchfinder
Conditions: Insecure, Angry
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +1
• Freak: 0
• Savior: +1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: 0

Spoiler: Moves

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• Before We Get Started: When you have time to closely observe your opposition before a fight, roll + Savior. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 and mark a condition. During the fight, you can spend your hold to name a character you observed and...: redirect their attack to another character or nowhere—into a wall or the sky; cross a distance between them and you ; stun them, close up or from a distance ; ignore all harm from one of their attacks ; escape any bindings or impediments
  
  I can do this all day: When something causes you to remove yourself from a fight, you can shift Savior down (and another Label up) instead. If shifting Savior down would move it below -2, you have to leave the fight instead of shifting Labels.
  
  Not in the Handbook: When you contradict or go against the orders of a superior publicly, roll + Savior. On a miss, they check you. Expect punishment sooner rather than later. On a 7-9 they either balk or direct their frustrations at you. Take Influence over them or take +1 forward. Either way, they’ll bear a grudge against you for a while. On a 10+, they admit to the wrong call. Add a Team to the Pool and clear a Condition.
  

The thing about being at the bottom of the totem pole in an organization is you’re pretty much shut out of anything. That went double when you were technically an experiment of a supervillain that was taken in basically out of pity / wanting to have some eyes kept on you. So the very cold shoulder he got once the other heroes showed up and basically took everything over wasn’t surprising to Colin, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t irritating.

Not helping his mood was the sense that the whole operation had turned into a mess. Sure, the main objectives were complete; the robbery was stopped and hostages were relatively unharmed. But it came at the cost of extensive property damage, and apparently something really important got stolen while on their watch. And all he really did the whole time was get captured and initiate the attack that triggered the floor collapsing followed by being mocked by the villain they had captured after a failed interrogation. Maybe if he did some more training, work on controlling how far of a leap he could get with the staff…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a fight breaking out. Glancing over he spotted Livewire and Firebrand wrestling, but it was over before he could really ask about what was going on. Perhaps they were just as frustrated as he was and just were taking it out physically? Made sense, the two were probably the more physical of the group in how they expressed themselves.
That was in contrast to the companion nearest him, Sloth, who was lazily smoking a cigarette and asking what there was to do next.

He resisted the temptation to mention cigarettes were bad for you, on the account Sloth probably wouldn’t care at all.

”Uh, well, I probably should go write up a report on what happened for Monsoon, and then after that get something to eat. Probably takeout, maybe eat while writing the report.”

He had hoped to get involved in the aftermath management, but with the rest of the heroes having dismissed the team he was pretty clueless as what to do next as well.

Spoiler: OOC Action

Show

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

Sloth had been watching the two fight as well, one brow raised about as high as it could be. Was this "heroic"? Seemed more like something Wrath would do...they would probably like these two. Until they pounded them to paste.

They let the smoke from another drag escape through the corners of their mouth and nose and glance back when Witchfinder replies, then roll their eyes. "Write a report?" they ask incredulously. "Wow, you really are whipped...you gonna let them dress you down back at homebase too? Didn't get enough of it from these jokers?"

They take another languid draw from their cigarette, which is all but falling apart in their fingers, so they sigh and toss it to the ground. "My understanding of humans is that you only live once. So live a little, Skip. Believe me when I say, when you're on the business end of some psycho ex-knight's spear watching your life flash before your eyes, you're not gonna wish you spent more time at your desk finishing that report you'd been putting off."

They stomp out the cigarette with another sigh, thrusting a thumb in the direction of the wrestling duo currently bandying words and sharing "life lessons". "They gonna be at that long? That typical for them?"

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

Action: Provoke (lighten up, let's do something fun) = 12

• Add a team to the pool if you do it
• Take a condition if you don't

[Whammy]

Colin Wilkinson aka The Witchfinder
Conditions: Insecure, Angry
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +1
• Freak: 0
• Savior: +1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: 0

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Before We Get Started: When you have time to closely observe your opposition before a fight, roll + Savior. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 and mark a condition. During the fight, you can spend your hold to name a character you observed and...: redirect their attack to another character or nowhere—into a wall or the sky; cross a distance between them and you ; stun them, close up or from a distance ; ignore all harm from one of their attacks ; escape any bindings or impediments
  
  I can do this all day: When something causes you to remove yourself from a fight, you can shift Savior down (and another Label up) instead. If shifting Savior down would move it below -2, you have to leave the fight instead of shifting Labels.
  
  Not in the Handbook: When you contradict or go against the orders of a superior publicly, roll + Savior. On a miss, they check you. Expect punishment sooner rather than later. On a 7-9 they either balk or direct their frustrations at you. Take Influence over them or take +1 forward. Either way, they’ll bear a grudge against you for a while. On a 10+, they admit to the wrong call. Add a Team to the Pool and clear a Condition.
  

”I’m not whipped, it’s just standard protocol!” he contested. It was just generally good to keep a record of the things that happened to review later, provide evidence, etc. A very important part of the process.

Still, they had pushed him out of everything else, and they had his on the scene statement. That was, basically, just the same thing as he’d tell them in a report. If they felt like they needed more then they could have brought him along and kept him in the loop. Besides, he was also supposed to be keeping an eye on Sloth, so he was still technically doing a mission, so no issues, right?

”You are still very much missing the importance of reports in establishing chain of events for trials...but they do have my on-scene statement so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take a break.”

As for the Sloth’s inquiry about the other two, he gave a shrug.

”I guess. They’re both very physically inclined people so it makes sense they’d burn off some steam by engaging in physical activity like that.

Spoiler: OOC Action

Show

Accepted a Provoke by Sloth to “lighten up and do something fun” on a 12: Add team to the pool.

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

"Ugh...weird," they mutter, rolling their eyes, then glancing back to him. "What about you, Skip? How do you blow off steam? Please tell me it's not by filling out reports--or...wait, wait, let me guess, you alphabetize things." they grin slightly, their tone a shade off from being offensive, a hint of camaraderie keeping it from being confrontational.

"Come on," they say. "I gotta replace my cigs, but after that, the world is our oyster. We're young, stupid, and pissed off at authority. I've heard of worse reasons to blow off some steam. I'll even let you pick--though I retain ultimate veto authority if it's lame or a pain in the ass."

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

Action: Provoke (lighten up, let's do something fun) = 12

• Add a team to the pool if you do it
• Take a condition if you don't

[Razade]

A Karakuri Town Diner

The panels show a deserted restaurant, some diner on a busy street in downtown Karakuri Town. Well. Mostly deserted. Several figures sit in a booth far in the back, susurrations of their conversation marked with little lines about the table. Their attention is grabbed by a small jingling bell as the door to the diner opens, a young woman stepping inside, a shadowy cat spilling around their legs before disappearing into the gloom of the building. They’re dressed in a school uniform, Karakuri Town High symbol on their left breast.

“Looks like we hit a dead end.” the young woman announces in a sing song voice, the other figures in the shadows remaining silent. “Warlord’s people aren’t worth the price either. How many do we still have?”

A figure in the shadows holds up a hand, three fingers raised. “High Society and Hydra are in Bear City and Planet Fall is on standby. Why?"

“Umbra Cat was arrested. Turns out there were heroes pretty quick and the Seeds weren’t at the grave site. Monsoon Knights are out as well. Just trying to figure out a play is all.” the first woman offers, finding a seat at a nearby booth.

The diner goes quiet for a long moment before one of the figures steps out from the boom. Taller than the first and far less formal wear, ripped pants and a tank top all they’re sporting, motions out one of the sooty windows. “Did you get a good read on the heroes? Might be good to throw them off the trail. I’ll take the reserves and throw’em under the bus. If they can’t do what we paid them to do, and their leader’s already locked up in some Guardian holding cell, might as well pivot to other options.”

The first girl nods, glancing out the window. “Yeah. A Monsoon goon, some gorilla with fire powers. A speedster…she looked familiar but I couldn’t place her. Other two I didn’t recognize, but I don’t think they’re any less dangerous than the known entities. One of them has some kind of sleep power. They might be the most dangerous of the five, I’d take them down on your own. Let the reserves go after the rest.”

The punky woman only nods before returning to her seat, motioning for the first to join them. “Guess we should tell the boss…Seeds weren’t there after all.” someone from the gloom offers before the panels fade.

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

Stephanie feels her heart drop as she sees Kaylee's expression when she spins around. Her smile quickly evaporates leaving her looking uncertain, and ultimately she's unable to keep Kaylee's gaze. Rubbing at her forehead, she closes her eyes and sighs, then steps toward her friend with a look of determination and pulls her into a tight hug. She holds the hug in silence for a few moments, a panel holding on a close-up of her face looking pensive. The same panel is repeated as she starts to speak.

"I'm sorry. I'm really crap at this 'sharing your feelings' stuff. I get it if you wanna split now." Stephanie releases the hug, stepping back a short way, "If it helps, I like having you with the team. And, uh, sorry if I made you feel worse. "

[Astus]

Sunbird
Conditions: Angry
Potential: 2/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Danger: +0
Freak: +0
Savior: +2
Superior: +1
Mundane: +0

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Get Off My Cloud: Whenever you reject the Influence of a Hero who tries to impose their expectations upon you, use this move instead of Reject Influence. Roll + Danger. On a miss, they shift your Labels or mark a Condition. They may make a demand of you. On a 7-9 choose one, on a 10+ choose two:
-rebuff their expectations and clear a Condition
-temporarily lock a Label of your choice until time passes
-clear Influence, shift one Label up and another Label down
-make a demand of them

Go Your Own Way: When you respond to a threat or obstacle in your own way, roll + Savior. On a miss, you make the situation worse. Expose a flaw, give ground or give the opposition an Opportunity. On a hit, you distinguish yourself. On a 7-9, escalate the situation. On
a 10+, clear a Condition or mark Potential.

Tom’s Diner: Whenever you clear a Condition by taking its associated action with a teammate, you may spend one team to clear an additional Condition, add a Team to the Pool, or give them a Potential.

Sins of the Past: When you try to atone for the actions done by your family, roll + Savior. On a miss you’ve made things worse either by salting old wounds or complicating uneasy truces. On a hit, you’ve helped provide absolution. Either hold 1 or shift your Savior up and another Label down, your choice. Spend hold to call in a favor when you need it most. On a 10+ gain potential.

We see a few panels showing Sunbird being ready to fight right until the team finds the distraught Umbral Cat and capture her, not knowing to handle this. Then we see her increasing frustration as Sunbird is questioned by more prominent heroes, broken up by panels showing her foot starting to bounce in frustration. Especially once the team is pretty much pushed into a corner in her own opinion. Sunbird looked noticeably less frustrated as she flew Firebrand up, very much trying not to get flustered. And now as she processed all of this and tried not to get frustrated again, she watched Firebrand and Livewire spar. She knew Firebrand just well enough to know sometimes fighting helped her teammate more than talking about things. She got that sometimes, hell maybe breaking something might help her frustration right now. The next couple of panels show her gaze drifting to Witchfinder and Sloth, catching a bit of their conversation. Not her favourite members of the team to be honest, but it didn't feel right to interrupt Firebrand and Livewire right now. We see Sunbird walk over to the pair, and try to join in.

"I've got steam to let off too, I even know a good place if you want to break something to vent. But if WF wants to pick, that's fine with" she said, slipping closer to her normal chipper attitude. She likely had some time before she needed to get home anyway.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Labels have been changed from Firebrands shifts. If Witchfinder and Sloth are fine with her tagging along, she has Tom's Diner in case it becomes relevant. I'm thinking Sunbird knows a local scrapyard if they need to work out that anger by breaking things

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

They turn their attention to Sunbird, as if only seeing her for the first time. They don't have a good feel for this one. Firebrand and Livewire are positively exhausting, and Witchfinder is a tool for people in power, none of which she's especially fond of, but of all of them, Sunbird is a capital-h Hero, which they have been conditioned over several lifetimes to loathe.

Except they're actually here, helping heroes - in many people's eyes they would be considered one! And while they would outright argue normally...

They shrug, giving the smashed cigarette one more good twist of the foot.

"Sure, whatever you want Sunburn," they say with a casual, dismissive tone. "You can be backup for when Skip here inevitably chooses something lame."

They cast a glance to the other two, unable to decide if the scene is going to escalate into something Lust might be interested in or devolve into further fisticuffs (which Lust might still be interested in given it was these two), and decides that if anyone could catch up with them later (and was brazen enough to do so without being explicitly invited), it was these two, so without further comment, they turn to start off.

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

[/LIST]

[SkipperChips]

Livewire
Conditions: Hopeless
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Danger: 0
Freak: 2
Savior: -1
Superior: 0
Mundane: 1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

Are You Watching Closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll +Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

I Don’t Care What You Think!: Whenever you reject others’ Influence, add +2 to your roll.

Stop Hitting Yourself!: When you try to embarrass or humiliate an opponent stronger than yourself in front of others, roll + Superior. On a miss you’ve drawn their attention but misjudged their abilities. Take a powerful blow and expect their focus to follow you for some time. On a 7-9 you successfully won the crowd over. Give your Team an Opportunity and mark a Condition. On a 10+, take Influence over your Opponent.

Kaylee snorts angrily. "Yeah, no kidding you're crap at this! And the fact that I like you makes it all the more annoying!" Wow. Did she of all people just say that?

"Y-you heard me! I said it! I like you! I've got a huge freakin' crush on you!" Kaylee takes a step towards Stephanie, arms gesticulating wildly as sparks start to mix with the tears. "Cause apparently I'm sooo much better at talking about my feelings than you, I might as well say it! You're fun, you could kick anyone's butt, I like looking at yours while you do it, and I mean- you're trying to help! But geez, yeah, you kinda suck at it!" A sniffle and a laugh fight for dominance over Kaylee's vocal chords. "See, that's how you talk about your feelings."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a hit on my Reject Influence, so I'm marking potential by acting to prove Firebrand wrong.

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

"Just kiss already!" they shout from off frame, still leading Witchfinder and Sunbird away from the scene...maybe secretly to give Livewire and Firebrand privacy?

No, probably not.

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

Stephanie blinks, taken aback by the sudden change in conversation direction. Sloth's yelled comment serves to just make her tense up, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. Kaylee was still standing in front of her, though. Clearly feeling vulnerable, clearly waiting for an answer. "... Oh."

Realising this might not be enough, Stephanie finds herself suddenly struggling to keep eye contact with Kaylee, instead looking off to the side as she rubs behind her neck, "... I, uh... I'm... Flattered, Kaylee. I'm, uh, I'm gonna need some, uh, some time to process that, though." She manages to meet Kaylee's eyes, "... Umm... Sorry..."

[Whammy]

Colin Wilkinson aka The Witchfinder
Conditions: Insecure, Angry
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +1
• Freak: 0
• Savior: +1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: 0

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Before We Get Started: When you have time to closely observe your opposition before a fight, roll + Savior. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 and mark a condition. During the fight, you can spend your hold to name a character you observed and...: redirect their attack to another character or nowhere—into a wall or the sky; cross a distance between them and you ; stun them, close up or from a distance ; ignore all harm from one of their attacks ; escape any bindings or impediments
  
  I can do this all day: When something causes you to remove yourself from a fight, you can shift Savior down (and another Label up) instead. If shifting Savior down would move it below -2, you have to leave the fight instead of shifting Labels.
  
  Not in the Handbook: When you contradict or go against the orders of a superior publicly, roll + Savior. On a miss, they check you. Expect punishment sooner rather than later. On a 7-9 they either balk or direct their frustrations at you. Take Influence over them or take +1 forward. Either way, they’ll bear a grudge against you for a while. On a 10+, they admit to the wrong call. Add a Team to the Pool and clear a Condition.
  

Whatever it was they were going to do, it seemed Sunbird was in for the ride as well. That was good, he hadn’t interacted with her as much, and she didn’t really seem to wear her personality on her sleeve as much as the other two so it was much harder to get a read on her. Perhaps she was offering to join due to lack of better options since the other two were busy doing…whatever. Still, never miss an opportunity to try and bond with your teammates, right?

If only they’d stop making fun of him.

”Hey, I’m perfectly capable of picking something entertaining,” he complained as Sloth dismissed his ability to offer a good idea.

Before he could suggest anything, however, the Firebrand and Livewire situation had apparently turned into some kind of romantic situation, with Sloth provoking them to just kiss. His mind briefly tried to recall if there were any fraternization rules, but since they technically weren’t part of Monsoon anyway (he couldn’t recall anything even if they were), he couldn’t say he had any strong objections to the potential pairing.

More importantly, however, it bought him time to try and dig through his memory for a suggestion for an entertainment venue, which he eventually retrieved by the time Sloth’s attention was back to him.

”Well, while those two sort out their fraternization issues, I suggest we take advantage of one of my fellow Monsoon members suggestions and go to a club. The Round Robin is supposed to be good, and if we’re lucky maybe the Robin will actually be there! Just got to change into some civies first!”

That last part was probably important since Monsoon was kind of the inter-faction police. Going to a place explicitly owned by another faction in official gear would probably cause some issues, but there’s no rule that says he can’t go in his off-time with some friends. Besides, Monsoon showed they clearly didn’t need anything else from him today so there wasn’t any need to do any kind of work while he was there. Just hang out with some friends and do…whatever you do at a club.

Spoiler: OOC Action

Show

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

"Ugh...pleeeease tell me that's not, like, some kind of cop bar for superheroes," they mutter, pulling up their sloth-themed hood prematurely to avoid being recognized as being tied to Pride. "I immediately regret putting you in charge of this outing..."

But hey, at least it wasn't boring. Maybe they'd call Wrath over and kick back and watch the fun...

...not a very heroic image, but it was, at the very least, amusing...

"Also...'fraternization issues'? Never thought anyone could make hooking up sound dull. Hey Sunburn, wanna fraternize sometime?" they ask, elbowing their latest "recruit" to their fun group outing.

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

[Razade]

Pool: 1

Witchfinder, Sunbird, Sloth: Round Robin in the Evening

The panels break from the fight, following along with Sunbird, Sloth and Witchfinder as they depart from the scene of the crime. Tell us what you do during the day, as the panels show the sun slowly rising and then sinking in the sky, the panels themselves going from soft oranges and yellows to dusky purples and reds. It was barely afternoon when the fight concluded and as the three of you meet up it's well into the evening. Even if it's just mundane, real life stuff, give us a window of what that looks like.

Round Robin is, like pretty much everything in Karakuri Town, new. The entire city sprung up over three years, propelled by super-human powers and construction, the paint and metal shiny under the neon glow that suffuses the entire district of Black Sands. Getting to the club at all is a task suited for heroes, thongs of college students from the mainland, tourists wanting to see the newly built city and locals clog the streets. With so many people it's not surprising to see the local constabulary as well on patrol, checking with street vendors, pulling the more drunk and disorderly out of the way and generally keeping the intense, screaming chaos of so many people as manageable and safe as possible. It's almost a relief when the three of you get into the club itself, allowed in (barely) on Witchfinder's credentials. Inside the club is somehow a few decibels quieter than outside the club and the throngs of people mostly congregate on the dance floor leaving plenty of space to move around. The club is a several story affair, an open plan with the dance floor at the middle and considerably lower than the first floor, sunk into the ground and flanked by large sweeping stairwells that reach the top floor.

As outside, so inside, security is on the scene though of a particularly more powered bent than the police. Members of A-Round and the Spring Court are easy to pick out. The former dressed in the band's outfits, a Visual Kei sort of affair, while the latter are dressed in more Weather Report appropriate attire. The Robin herself is nowhere to be seen but that's probably not surprising, the place is large, the upper levels for VIPs and none of you are very important and one of you is arguably a person. The club however is open to the three of you, at least the first few floors, so go wild. How does that look? What are you really planning here?

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

What else would Sloth do but sleep? Following the other panels showing flurries of activity, preparation, and making the most of their downtime, Sloth gets only a single panel, showing them face first on their mattress with a "Zzzzz..." bubble above them.

They are, after all, a creature of habit.

As a result, they are predictably late for the rendezvous, carrying a cup of coffee from their favorite establishment, Slothee Coffee (for obvious reasons) and looking fully like they just rolled out of bed despite it being evening.

Only Sloth would feel the need to pregame with coffee.

That being said, they have spent a little downtime doing research, and as they walk to the establishment, and express their doubt that Witchfinder can get them into the place...which proves to be an unfounded concern...but only just as they barely eke through the bouncer's scrutinizing gaze and into the club proper.

There is a panel showing the trio (possibly quintet?) surveying the scene before moving on, leaving Sloth standing alone in the next panel and muttering, "...Pride is gonna kill me...".

And then, an empty panel with Sloth's word bubble coming from the opposite side from where everyone else went, saying "...I need a drink..."

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

[SkipperChips]

Livewire
Conditions: Hopeless
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Danger: 0
Freak: 2
Savior: -1
Superior: 0
Mundane: 1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

Are You Watching Closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll +Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

I Don’t Care What You Think!: Whenever you reject others’ Influence, add +2 to your roll.

Stop Hitting Yourself!: When you try to embarrass or humiliate an opponent stronger than yourself in front of others, roll + Superior. On a miss you’ve drawn their attention but misjudged their abilities. Take a powerful blow and expect their focus to follow you for some time. On a 7-9 you successfully won the crowd over. Give your Team an Opportunity and mark a Condition. On a 10+, take Influence over your Opponent.

Kaylee's mind grinds to a halt as Stephanie's words filter through it. She just needed to process it. Right. Nine times out of ten, that was just code for 'I don't know how to say no yet.' Maybe that was what being open with her feelings got her. Or maybe it was something she'd said. Whatever it was, she didn't want to think about it anymore. She averts her eyes from Stephanie's, glancing back down the alley. "How about some food? All that running and lightning-ing has me starving. I'd bet you're getting pretty hungry too. Come on whaddya say we go get something to eat and just do something else."

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

Stephanie gives Kaylee a wary glance as she's asked if she wants to just go get some food. She wants to ask if Kaylee's sure about the offer, if she's sure she doesn't want some time alone to process. Given Kaylee's reactions earlier in the day, she wasn't sure how to handle it without upsetting her further. So instead she gives a complicated nod and shrugs, "Yeah, ok. Nothing too heavy, though. I guess we can catch up with the others later."

____________________

Later That Day

A rapid series of panels cover Stephanie's next few hours following the fight. They start with her and Kaylee at a simple outdoor food vendor, Stephanie eating a falaffel wrap. There's clearly some lingering awkwardness between the pair as Stephanie engages Kaylee in some stilted conversation, not able to spend long looking at her. Another panel is dedicated to their parting for the time being, this one at least more genial as Stephanie waves goodbye to her friend and wishes her well. The next few panels show her walking through the streets with hands behind her head, arriving at an unremarkable building and entering to a room of unfamiliar people. The next few show her looking increasingly focused, with apparently rising levels of irritation, as she works to try and make a good looking bowl from a lump of clay. The final panel pair having her phone buzzing loudly, indicated by jagged lines from her pocket, and her jumping and spoiling the bowl she'd nearly finished, a scowl on her face even as her classmates hide their smirks from her. A inset panel styled to look like a digital screen shows a chibi Aiko face followed by pictograms showing a club, a robin, drinks, and a question mark.

There's a hard cut to that evening, Stephanie showing up to the Round Robin in a white jacket and crop top. Not exactly stylish clubbing attire, but then she hadn't been told there was a dress code for the place. She watches Colin argue with the bouncer to gain access with some mild interest, and lets out a low whistle when they do eventually get in. Raising her voice to be heard above the noise, she leans over to him and comments "Cool place, Colin! Didn't know the Monsoon had perks like this. Might have to get you to sign me up." She shoots him a smirk, giving him a playful elbow to his arm as emphasis for her joke before heading for a spare table and glancing to the rest expectantly, "I'll get the first round, looks like the bar's just- Oh, Sloth's already on it!" Stephanie spots Sloth in the crowd as she speaks, the low energy Sin being relatively easy to spot in a sea of motion, "I'll help them carry stuff back then, back in a sec!"

Moving back across the club, Stephanie joins Sloth at the bar, "Hey." She glances back to the table she'd just left, turning to lean her back against the bar as she does, "Figured you could use a hand bringing drinks back for everyone." Shooting Sloth a mildly concerned look, she tilts her head, "The noise level good for you here? We can try and find a table further from the speakers if you need to?"

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Stephanie wants the team to have a good time, her goal here is to help everyone unwind and relax after a morning's fighting. Including herself, she also wants to unwind and relax.

[Whammy]

Colin Wilkinson aka The Witchfinder
Conditions: Insecure, Angry
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +1
• Freak: 0
• Savior: +1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: 0

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Before We Get Started: When you have time to closely observe your opposition before a fight, roll + Savior. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 and mark a condition. During the fight, you can spend your hold to name a character you observed and...: redirect their attack to another character or nowhere—into a wall or the sky; cross a distance between them and you ; stun them, close up or from a distance ; ignore all harm from one of their attacks ; escape any bindings or impediments
  
  I can do this all day: When something causes you to remove yourself from a fight, you can shift Savior down (and another Label up) instead. If shifting Savior down would move it below -2, you have to leave the fight instead of shifting Labels.
  
  Not in the Handbook: When you contradict or go against the orders of a superior publicly, roll + Savior. On a miss, they check you. Expect punishment sooner rather than later. On a 7-9 they either balk or direct their frustrations at you. Take Influence over them or take +1 forward. Either way, they’ll bear a grudge against you for a while. On a 10+, they admit to the wrong call. Add a Team to the Pool and clear a Condition.
  

After all the scheduling and agreement to go to a club was dealt with, we see panels of Colin going through a nice preparation routine. We see him suiting up in a white long-sleeve dressed shirt, suspenders, and a tie, his whole appearance looking cleaned up and fresh as to suggest he probably showered at some point (a necessary thing after the physical exertion of earlier). Attempts to comb his hair down don’t quite work, giving just a darkish-blonde bit of mess to the otherwise immaculate look. He wasn’t actually sure what the dress code or atmosphere would be at the club, but better to be a nicely dressed than to show up as a slob, right?

…

Should he call Sloth up and check on his outfit?

No, the point was to relax and team bond, and Sloth would definitely react negatively to such policing. Everyone else he trusted would be fine. Clubs seem like something Livewire and Firebrand would do anyway, provided they had resolved their issues and decided to come along rather than be somewhere off dealing with relationship questions. They had accepted the invitation to come, so it was probably fine.

After that there really isn’t much, Colin’s apartment being rather spartan. There was furniture, a tv in the living room, but it lacked any meaningful decoration. If it wasn’t for the bookcase – mostly filled with reference books, some combat manuals, beginner magic books - and desktop computer (of which one book was a classic ‘switch for the secret room with training equipment and more advanced computer stuff courtesy of Monsoon’) it would basically be bare of any personal flare. And resisting the urge to just do his report anyway, we just get Colin sitting on the couch, a glow suggesting the TV on but not really being watched, and him fidgeting till a clock in the background suggested it was time for him to go.

The change of energy around the club was practically whiplash inducing, him trying to help the others navigate to the entrance. He didn’t exactly like pulling authority for something trivial, but apparently his connections were the only reason any of them were going to get in for the night. He just hoped it wouldn’t cause any issues or expectations that he was secretly here to spy on things.

Firebrand was the first one to talk to him after they got in.

”Heh, yeah, there’s a few perks here and there, but it really is also supposed to be a big responsibility so don’t, you know, tradeoffs,” he says, aware that she was joking but not sure how to lean into the joke. Casual banter was not really his forte, and soon he was left to his own devices as she goes off to help Sloth with something.

Okay Colin, you can do this. You’re just interacting with other regular teens/young adults like yourself….so what are you supposed to do.

He looks around at the people dancing and, not having a better signal at the moment, just kind of starts trying to copy whatever is closest, the stiffness suggesting that yes, he is not exactly used to the kind of fluid and chaotic dancing of a club dance floor.

Spoiler: OOC Action

Show

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

Sloth is just slumped on the bar, rapping at it with their knuckle trying to get someone's attention, when Stephanie shows up beside them, causing them to jump a bit, blinking up to her with a lazily-quirked brow.

They hadn't expected anyone to follow them--oh.

"Oh...right...bringing drinks back...that's what I was gonna do..." they mutter, sighing a bit and leaning on the bar again, though they seem surprised by Stephanie's second statement, furrowing their brows and glancing to her again almost...curiously.

"Why would you do that?" they ask. "I assumed the music was just...part of the experience for you all..."

They got enough of it on the days "Almont Ducard" requested they and their siblings attend him at Pride and Joy.

"Don't worry about me," they go on after a moment. "I just--" yaaaawn "--tune it out..."

Spoiler: OOC Actions

Show

[Comissar]

Firebrand
Conditions:
Potential: 4/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Danger: +3
• Freak: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: +1
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

Moves

Defeat Means Friendship: Whenever you Directly Engage an opponent you may choose to exchange Influence as an additional option when you make a hit.

Talk no Jutsu: When you Comfort or Support someone by engaging them in a fight, you may roll + Danger instead of Mundane. On a miss, mark a Condition as you exchange blows.

Teenager with Attitude - When you stand in Defense of another while you are Angry, take +1 Ongoing until they are out of danger

Stephanie gives Sloth a soft smile, giving them a gentle shove against their arm. "You're part of the team too, you goof. We're here to relax and destress, right? Hard to do that if you're struggling with the noise." She glances back to the others, content to just soak in the ambience of the club for a few moments before looking back to Sloth, "No worries if you're good with where we're at, though. Just wanted to check in with you."

She sits for a few more moments before realising there are no drinks forthcoming, "Oh! Sorry! I thought you'd already ordered!" She turns back to the bar itself, doing her best to flag down the bartender. While she waits she gives Sloth another smile, "I already said to the others I'd get this round, you can help me carry them back if you want, it's cool if you wanna chill here longer though."

Eventually, Stephanie succeeds in getting the bartender's attention, "Hey! Can I get five strawberry daiquiri's?" After a brief exchange involving showing ID and paying for the drinks, Stephanie goes back to waiting, turning herself to again be leaning with her back against the bar. She breaks into a grin as she spots Colin, "Hah! Didn't think Colin'd be first on the dance floor!" In deference to her companion, she fights the urge to give a loud cheer as the Monsoon kid cut loose.

Spoiler: OoC

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Rolled a 6 for a comfort/support. Holding off on marking potential just in case someone else spends a team, but if nobody does I'll be at 5 and will need to pick an advance.

[SkipperChips]

Livewire
Conditions: Hopeless
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

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Danger: 0
Freak: 2
Savior: -1
Superior: 0
Mundane: 1

Spoiler: Moves

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Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

Are You Watching Closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll +Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

I Don’t Care What You Think!: Whenever you reject others’ Influence, add +2 to your roll.

Stop Hitting Yourself!: When you try to embarrass or humiliate an opponent stronger than yourself in front of others, roll + Superior. On a miss you’ve drawn their attention but misjudged their abilities. Take a powerful blow and expect their focus to follow you for some time. On a 7-9 you successfully won the crowd over. Give your Team an Opportunity and mark a Condition. On a 10+, take Influence over your Opponent.

Kaylee's responses to Stephanie are equally stilted as the two munch on some light street fare. A small corner panel shows a set of chibi Livewire afterimages pacing in a circle, knocking themselves in the head and muttering "Stupid, stupid-" ad infinitum. What had she been thinking!? Rule number one of getting someone to like you - don't just blurt out how you feel! And whoops, she'd gone and done it. Now she could barely even look at Stephanie, much less hold a conversation with her. She had to face the facts - she'd botched it. Big-time.

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The next panels show rapid cuts to places all over Karakuri Town. There are shots of her playing three whack-a-mole machines at once, checking out of a clothes shop, and multiple panels of her flipping through a wardrobe the size of a normal bedroom. In each one she's wearing a different outfit, cycling between dresses, suits, and various casual clothes. Eventually, she settles on a blue cropped tank top and a lopsided skirt. Her mass of neon pink hair is held back in a ponytail with a metallic clasp, and her shoes are a pair of dark purple dancing slippers. The last panel of the page shows her leaving a hastily scribbled note on an opulent-looking kitchen table:

"Going clubbing w friends. Be home late."

Kaylee bursts into the Round Robin shortly after Colin takes to the dance floor - fashionably late, as per the usual. She takes a second to survey the scene in front of her and pick out her teammates in the crowd. A cutaway shows her face darken slightly as her eyes light on Stephanie by the bar before quickly pulling away. A few seconds later, she zips over to Sunbird, the bolt of lightning tracing a path through the crowd to throw her arm around Aiko's shoulder.

"Hey, Sunny, what's up? Thanks for setting up all this. If there's anything you had to pay for, just let me know and I can pay you back for it. Gotta use Dad's money for something, you know? Hey, do you maybe wanna go out there for a dance? Looks like Colin could use a little help."

[D.Credibility]

Sloth the Royal
Conditions:
Angry
Guilty
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

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Labels:
Freak 0
Danger +3
Savior +1
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Spoiler: Moves

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Moves:
It’s a Hobby: When you throw yourself into easy relief or run from something difficult, you may clear an additional Condition if you bring a teammate along for the ride.
Thicker than water: When you accept the Influence of someone from your family, clear a Condition (GM’s choice) or mark potential. You may also pick which Label to shift up, though the GM still decides which Label you shift down.

Spoiler: Moves

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Advances:
Christmas Advance: Added ability "super strength and durability" from the Newborn playbook

They look...a bit surprised, a faint flicker of uncertainty in their brown eyes as they watch Firebrand...include them like this. They watch her for a moment, then shake their head, fishing out some money from their jacket pocket.

"I got it..." they mutter, setting the money on the table. "It's my fault we're all here anyways...and I'm not hurting for money."

But when Firebrand called out Witch Finder, they look around, momentarily confused...then actually smirks a bit, shaking their head. "Would you look at that...maybe he can unwind..."

...then winces after watching him for a bit. "...sort of..." they mutter, reaching over just as the bartender puts the drink down, picking it up fluidly and taking a sip. The color and flavor are a bit lively for their taste, but they figure they'll just...go along with it.

Y'know, just for the night...

Spoiler: OOC Actions

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