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>>5574482
HELPFUL LINKS

>Quest Archive

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Capeworld

We're at the bottom. The other quests tagged with Capeworld are back from when Capeworld was a group project on /tg/. They're not canonical to Martin's Quest and do not take place in the same setting nor do they have the same characters. Though given how the multiverse works, you could consider them as taking place in "Earth-2," if you like.

Show your support by giving up votes!

>The Capeworld Discord

https://discord.com/invite/EfDWPzg

>Worldbuilding And Lore

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/capeworld-worldbuilding

>Theme Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQWPKNEUN_U

>>5574482
https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/monster-aka-that-annoying-shapeshifter-guy/

"He's a dragon." Sam says. "But not a dragon like Edith."

"I'm a Vovin dragon." Edith explains. "Well, half dragon. It's complicated. But point is I'm not like Monster."

"He's a dragon from Tiendi, that's the Astral shadow over most of mainland Asia. A dragon prince, actually, and he's spoiled rotten."

"I don't think it's that." Edith says. "I heard he left his family." Edith lowers her voice. "Fled from them, actually. The teachers had to mediate between him and his folks."

"I don't care for his sob story." Sam says. "And that's assuming it's even real. You can't be trust anything about guys like him."

"He messes with you a lot?" you ask Sam.

"Not me particularly. He messes with everyone, generally. He's a prankster. He thinks he's a real funny guy. You know what his favorite thing to do is? He likes to disguise himself as furniture, especially desks. You ever get a desk and there's a lot of loose pencils inside? That's because he's eating the. Yeah. He thinks its funny. If you ever see the staff start putting sticky notes on everything, that's their way of hunting him."

Edith giggles. "One time, Dr. Plaras was afraid of his coffee pot, because he thought it was Monster!"

"That lasted until Steel Dolly started heating the coffee pot." Sam says. "But imagine a 5 year old that can become anything his twisted little imagination can come up with. That's Monster."

"His real name is a secret." Edith says. "Because his family controls all the water of their realm. So they hid his name away so no one could enchant him and stuff."

"If only they hid him away."

Edith frowns. "Oh, Sam, he's not a bad guy. He's not like, Tommy Taylor, and even Tommy Taylor isn't all that bad."

"He's a detention regular."

'Well, I go to detention a lot!" Edith glances at you. "I mean, a little..."

"You go to detention because you forget things, or you had a momentary lapse of your good sense, like that time you nearly tackled Harmony in the halls."

"...she made me mad..." Edith says sheepishly.

"Monster goes to detention because he's a moron. We're here to learn how to be superheroes. He wants to play stupid games, they ought to move him to the elementary wing."

"I think we should have hung out with him." Edith says.

"What is this?" Sam asks. "Pan-multiversal dragon solidarity? He would have done something stupid. Like chase the pirates as Captain Crunch."

"He told Steel Dolly he'll be good. He usually is after he gets a talking to." Edith sighs. "I just don't like the idea of anyone being left out."

>>5574581
You reach out with your power-scanning ability.

It's handy for more than picking out powers within your range.

You focus on Monster. He is, in fact, keeping his distance. He seems to be getting something to eat at Johnny Winter's. You can't pin point locations with your power scanner, but you can determine general "that way" directions. Besides, going by Edith, dragons like burgers.

"He's being a good boy." you say. "Whatever he's doing, he's not trying to ambush us."

"How can you tell?" Edith asks.

"My power scanner ability. It lets me pick out powers in the environment, but it also tells me where superhumans are, generally."

"Hey, since you got his permission to use his power, why don't you try it out?"

"In the middle of the line?"

"Oh, just turn like a finger!"

"Careful." Sam says. "His stupidity might be contagious."

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5574586

>>5574587
Oh no, Sam is right

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>5574586
AAAAAA

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>>5574587
>>5574590
>>5574602

Hm. That's strange.

You stare at your finger. You wanted to make it turn colors. You thought that would be easy mode for a shapeshifter powerset, especially when Monster was pulling all kinds of looney tunes stuff. But nope, your finger remains completely ordinary.

Maybe you aren't trying hard enough? Maybe you should try and--

Oh shit.

You know this feeling. Or rather, you know something like it.

You feel plugged in to a higher power. It's like when you copied the Four Treasures of Homil. But this time its different. This time you aren't in control.

This time, you're being summoned.

Reality blinks, and when the eye that sees all reopens you find yourself standing on a cloud.

You would note that the sky is beautiful painted in shades of blue alien to Earth. But you're preoccupied by the giant dragon floating in front of you.

You thought, for a second, that he was the sky at first, that the sky was a golden expanse.

His massive eyes fix on you like two suns. His breath is like a blast of dessert air. You bet it can get much, much hotter.

The universe rumbles as he says something in what you assume to the best of your limited knowledge is Chinese.

>What do we say? What do we do?

>>5574625
>Hello? I'm sorry, I don't speak your language.
>Did you summon me here? Am I in Tiendi?

>>5574625
"Uh, ni hao (with the wrong intonation)?"

>>5574625
"WHAT UP PARTY PEEEEEEEOOOOOPPLE!!!!"

>>5574634
>>5574646
>>5574790

For a moment, just a moment, you wonder what would happen if you shouted WHAT UP PARTY PEOPLE!!!!!

Then your common sense takes over.

This doesn't feel like a party. This feels like you're in a church and God's come by to visit.

"Uh, knee who? I'm sorry, I don't speak your language. Did you summon me here? Am I in Tiendi?"

The sky darkens

"Nǐ shì shéi?" his voice is calm and low but he's so huge it sounds like the entire world is shouting at you.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what that means."

"Who are you? Who are, small mortal, to try and claim the name and identity of the son of Ao Shun, he who claims dominion of the seas, and the wells, and the rains?"

>What do we say? What do we do?

>>5574841
>My name is Izzy Skenazy. I'm a student of a school that teaches those with powers how to protect and help others. Mine is to copy the abilities of others, but I only do it if they give me permission to.
>I do not wish to claim the identity or name of your son. He is a fellow students that has allowed me to copy his powers, and encouraged me do experiment with them.

>>5574858
I guess we can just say we are a student from Martin's too, since the teachers had to mediate so he should know about it.

>>5574841
"MY NAME IS IZZY FIZZY AND I'M HERE TO COPY YOUR SON OF AO SHUN'S POWER!"

>>5574841
"I've been granted permission by your son to command some of his power. I wasn't aware of the scope or the caveats involved, but I imagine he was."

>>5574875
We're Izzy Skenazy. Izzy Fizzy is the Izzy of universe beta lambda and is a little off.

>>5574858
>>5574860
>>5574880
"My name is Izzy Skenazy. I'm a student at Martin's and my power is to copy other powers, but I didn't steal your son's name or identity, I copied his powers and he gave me permission to do so. I wasn't aware of the scope or the caveats involved, I sure didn't think I'd end up in this place, but I imagine he was."

You never thought a chuckle could be awe inspiring, but you are indeed filled with awe as the great animal god in front of you gives a light laugh.

"My son is a troublemaker."

"He has interesting tastes in humor, sir."

"You may call me Ao Shun. Here, in this place, garmented by the waters of the air and sky, I am beyond formalities. Is not my grandeur evident?"

"It is indeed evident."

Ao Shun chuckles again. "That was rhetorical, little mortal. My, you are verbose for one of your species. Typically mortal men are too afraid to speak in my presence. Are you not afraid of me?"

Honestly, yeah, you're pretty scared. You can see his powers. Most beings, they look like little distant stars. This guy's powers look like a sun stretching across the horizon at daybreak.

There's only a couple of people at Martin's with powers that look like this. It's an indication of pure, raw power. God powers. Do-anything-powers. They all look a little different. His is the deepest blue and it feels like if you touched it, you would drown on the spot. You wouldn't take his powers, the powers would take you, and you would fall in and drown forever.

Okay. They told you Monster was the son of a dragon. You think they messed up leaving out the "dragon god" part.

Are you afraid of Ao Shun? Oh yes you are. But do you tell him that?

"Are you afraid of me, Izzy?" Ao Shun repeats. "If it shall make you more comfortable, I may assume a form more relatable to yours."

>What do we say?

>>5574963
"No problem Drabrony you can pick any form you want."

>>5574963
"My mom would tell me it would be rude to answer truthfully right now."

>>5574963
>There's no need to change for my sake Ao Shun.
>It's just that a quirk of my powers is being able to feel other's strength, and yours is incredibly vast. It's intimidating to be truthful, like seeing a giant wave about to crash on top of you, except much more.

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>>5574969
>>5574978
>>5574984
"My mom would tell me it would be rude to answer truthfully right now."

Ao Shun chuckles again. "Oh, but you are an amusing one, Izzy Skenazy. Please, speak candidly and truthfully. Truth is refreshing in these celestial courts."

Yeah. There's got to be something dangerous about this realm if Monster had to have his name scrubbed.

"Truthfully, Ao Shun, there's no need to change for my sake. It's just a quirk of my powers is being able to feel other's strength, and yours is incredibly vast."

"Vaster than oceans and deeper besides."

"Yes. It's intimidating, to be truthful, like seeing a giant wave about to crash on top of you, except much more."

"You have skilled tongue for flattery and a pure heart. I can see such things."

You don't doubt him.

"Rare to find them both in the same individual."

"Thank you."

"No need. It was not a compliment. Merely an observation. Another is that your heart is beating rather fast. Perhaps assuming this form will help."

These a crack of thunder that nearly makes you jump out of your skin. Then, before you, sitting on a black thundercloud that forms around his body like a throne, is a man in a red robe with a redder face. His mien is terrible to behold, and speaks of an awesome power, yet it is a human face that regards you, and not the living, curling sky behind him.

But you find that very strange. He's still there, as a dragon.

The human form of Ao Shun sees you looking up at his dragon form. "Izzy Skenazy. Have I not made this form for you to look upon?"

You immediately bring your eyes front and center. "Uh, yes. I was just surprised to see that when you assume a form, you maintain the last form. I expected you to transform fully like your son."

"Ah. There we have the misunderstanding behind your summoning to my presence." the human form says. "We dragons are a mighty race. But we are not born mighty. Our power stems from the cultivation of power through the neidan. You may know it as internal alchemy. When a dragon is young, his power rests within himself. The potential to be all things, to do all things, is under his skin. Therefore, a young dragon may take any shape. But as a dragon ages, he assumes this form." the human form points to the dragon. "His scales, once soft, harden into these immortal jewels of power, and through these scales, he assumes the form and the power of a dragon. He no longer changes, for what form could possibly be more perfect, more beautiful than a dragon? Instead, his power, now cultivated to its maximum, is directed outward. Do you understand, Izzy Skenazy?"

"Dragons go from being able to change themselves into whatever they want to being able to change the world into whatever they want."

"You copied my sons power. His power is the power of a dragon, meant for a dragon, meant to be passed on only through the bloodlines of a dragon. Do you understand why it is not merely his power you attempted to copy, but his identity?"

>>5575161
"For me to take on his power, would be to become a dragon. I assume that is taboo?"

"Very taboo."

"I apologize then."

Do you have to bow? You hope you don't have to bow. Ao Shun's been pretty chill so far.

"There is no need for you to apologize, for the fault is with my son."

You brace yourself against a gust of wind. Did the dragon just sigh?

"He did not tell you it was taboo, did he?"

"No. In fact, he gave me permission to copy his power as an afterthought, as we were parting company."

"Typical. He is playing a game. A foolish game. It is not appropriate for a dragon to apologize to a human, but I can make amends for my son's misbehavior. Speak, Izzy Skenazy. You may ask of Ao Shun a boon."

Oh man.

Well, that's putting you on the spot.

>What do we say? What do we wish for?

>>5575175
>Thank you Ao Shan. At the risk of saying something wrong or asking too much, I wish for the permission to break said taboo.
>There might be a day when I'll need to copy your son's powers to be able to save others or myself. And while I can copy someone's power, I can not copy their skills, so I would need to train to be of help in that situation, instead of making things worse.
>If that's not possible, then I apologize.
I might be talking too fancy for a child

>>5575414
+1
Asking for permission to use power in case of emergency is good. But if this is too much maybe some accessory like a traditional hat or piece of clothing they would wear.

I just had a dumb idea to ask if he doesn't let us copy the power: Monster's childhood stories, or if he had any embarrassing nicknames. Not his true name though, that's a secret and I want to respect that.
If he tries to pull another prank, we will be ready for a proper counter attack

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>>5575414
>>5575481
>>5575703
"Thank you Ao Shan. At the risk of saying something wrong or asking too much, I wish fo the permission to break said taboo."

You find it hard to look at the man. You keep having to force your eyes not to look at the dragon.

"Explain your reasoning." the dragon asks through the man.

You remember Sam telling you how much he hates Math class asking him to "explain his reasoning" on certain questions and you almost want to laugh.

"There might come a day when I'll need to copy your son's powers so I can save myself or others. And while I can copy someone's power, I can not copy their skills, so I would need to train to be of help in that situation, instead of making things worse...It that's not possible, then I apologize."

"Your motives are pure. But the taboo is set in stone. I am the king of the northern waters, made king of all waters by my own hand. I, above all my vassals, am responsible for the preservation of the lineage of dragons and its purity. A mortal cannot and will not take of the power."

"Then...does Monster have any embarrassing childhood stories? Something I can use to stop him if he tries to pull another prank?"

"There is a way to satisfy this request and part of the former." the man holds out his hand and slowly opens it. "Izzy Skenazy, you may approach and take what is in my hand."

You do so, very carefully and very slowly. You don't even see what's in his hand until you're right next to it--a small silver stick, about the size of a toothpick.

You take it. It feels strange. It's slick and smooth like glass, but there's a force alongside the smooth body that feels very strange, like you're holding something that conforms to your fingers and surrounds them at odds with the evidence of your eyes.

It's an egonomic magical whatsit, you figure. It'll be hard to pull an Edith and accidentally drop it.

"Thank you, Ao Shun, but I do not understand what this is."

"It is a mercurial bit of matter. I believe that is how the wisemen of your world would describe it. I cannot give you the power to change yourself, but I can give you something that changes. Think of an object, and if you know the object well, it shall become the object. It is cousin to a staff wielded by a certain cunning rogue who inadvertently performed a great favor for me by defeating my rival Ao Guang. I designed this weapon, this tool, as a gift for this rogue in the hopes of brokering an alliance. But it was not to be. The Buddha had his own plans for him. And so here it has sat in my treasury, useless to dragons, but not useless to you."

"How does this help me with Monster?"

"There is a certain sound that he cannot stand. It is the sound of his mother's roar, and it may be replicated by those who know how."

Ah, so that's what Steel Dolly did!

Suddenly, in the man's hand, is a large, ornate, golden bell.

"Here. Take this bell. Study it intently. Learn it to the smallest detail. Then copy it with your staff."

>>5575927
>Roll 1d20 to try out your new staff!

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>5575928

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5575928
Ao Shan is based
Also this is the second time using our powers transported us to another place, and the second time it involved dragons

>>5575929
>>5575945

You concentrate. It's strange how similar transforming the staff is to using your powers. Instead of thinking about a power, you think about an object. It's all headwork, in the end. You think of something clear enough, forceful enough, and it happens.

You end up with a bell in both hands.

"Excellent." Ao Shun praises you through is avatar. "There are slight discrepancies, though none that a human eye would catch. You may take the bell with you. Use it to practice."

"I will. Thank you, Ao Shun."

You take drop the bell on the clouds and turn your attention to the staff. It's incredible how it doesn't leave your hand. You hold out your hand, palm spread, and it simply sticks to your palm, even when you wave your arm. But you place it in your pocket, it stays in your pocket, until you take it back out again.

"It does not return to you if you are separated from it. The one-eyed king of the Aesir appreciates such enchantments. I prefer weapons that never leave the hand to begin with. Do not place it down unless you are sure it is secure. It will obey others, provided they know what it is. You may name it. But be careful who you tell its name to."

>What do we name our new tool?

>>5575414
>Might be too fancy for a child
Izzy is a smart boy and levels up fanciness every time he eats at the cafe-teria.

>>5575945
Hm....perhaps my subconscious is telling me to make dragon crisis on infinite earths? Yorgle vs Edith vs Monster.

>>5575949
Papillion rose?

>>5575949
My first thought is to call it Shifting Smooth Silver Staff, because it seems to be a brother to Sun Wukong's so giving it a similar name feel appropriate, but that's not a very fun name. Also kind of easy to guess.

>>5575965
>Papillion rose
Izzy is a good boy and does not know what that is.
Robert probably does.

Oh, maybe Power Pole, like Goku's staff in Dragon Ball? It was also a Journey to the West reference

Bell Clapper

>>5575989
This is good too.
Makes me think of those drumsticks used to hit gongs too

>>5575949
The Papoose Pummler, or PP for short.

>>5576026
Native Americans have historically struggled more than any other group to come up with superhero identities. The public found Papoose Pummler's tactic of swinging around an invincible super baby on a stick disturbing, to say the least...

>>5575989
>>5575995
That was something to google.

Don't do it.

Turns out a bell clapper is also called a uvula. Why the hell is it so hard to talk about bells without relating to gross anatomy?

Perhaps just clapper? But this does feel like something Izzy would innocently stumble upon (I bet you did, too), and it gives something Harmony can use to be a bitch later with, so more story potential!

>>5576045
Next you're going to tell the public doesn't consider throwing dynamite a martial art

What about cheek Slappa? that sounds like a good name

>>5576055
Lmao
I guess I'm sticking to Power Pole then. Or actually, Potential Pillar to to not directly copy DB.
Got it by googling synonyms and picking the ones that fit. Potential because it can change shape, and Pillar because the monkey king's originally was a pillar.
Another is Mercury Toothpick, because Ao Shao said it was "mercurial", and it looked like a toothpick when he gave it to us.

>>5576055
Here's an interesting one I thought of--strike tone. That's the thing the bell clapper makes that resonates with the body of the bell (I learned some things about bells today, and other objects).

>Bell Clapper. Izzy is innocent and it provides later role play opportunities
>Strike Tone. Let us spare Izzy the inevitable embarrassment
>Other?.

>>5576065
>Bell Clapper?
>Strike Tone?
>Mercury Toothpick?
>Potential Pillar?

Let's keep this real simple, hilariously simple even
>BIG STICK

>>5576069
I'm going with Mercury Toothpick.
While I came up with Potential Pillar and I like it, but I don't know if Izzy knows enough about dragonball or journey to the west to make a reference to it, and making it be an accident feels forced.

>>5575949
Equipment Goo?

>>5575949
Wait, maybe, Arctype?

>>5576078
>>5576069

"I'll call it Mercury Toothpick." you say.

"Excellent. May it serve you well."

Suddenly, another dragon enters the scene--though it's so different from Ao Shun you think for a moment you've encountered yet another variety of multiverse dragon. This one is small--very small. He's about 5 times as big as you are, but compared to Ao Shun he might as well be 5 times as small as you. His scales are silver and soft. He looks like a slippery, tubular fish.

He bares his teeth at Ao Shun and roars a string of Chinese words.

Ao Shun replies with a mythological rainstorm. The universe turns black and weeps. You'd be blind if the dragons didn't have their own soft light. The rain doesn't touch you, though. Curtains of rain fall around you, but not a drop hits you. Perks of being a guest, you suppose.

The silver dragon keeps barking. Occasionally, Ao Shun replies with a short, sharp string of words carried on a clap of thunder.

You feel little bad for Monster. Prankster though he is, he looks so small and weak arguing with the sky.

>Do we speak up?
>Do we sit quietly and let this family drama play out?
>Do we ring the bell?

>>5577255
>Do we sit quietly and let this family drama play out?
Let them have their moment.

>>5577261
You decide not to get involved in the family drama.

Geeze. And you thought you had arguments with mom...

After a couple more exchanges, Monster darts over to you and turns into an umbrella spread wide over your head.

"See? Some god you are! You're letting Izzy get rained on!"

You aren't sure how an umbrella can talk, but it's talking.

"Least of all my sons!" Ouch. Ao Shun lays it on pretty thick. "Are you so foolish to believe that I would let a single drop of water fall upon my guest?"

"And now you're calling me the least again! Mom told you not to do that!"

"All your brothers have hardened their scales. They can be seen in any transformation they make. You barely touch your dragon form! And these foolish games you play on Earth! Have you no shame?"

"I don't want to harden my scales!"

"And so you are the least of my sons! And the most troublesome! Think you, that I would ever consent for a mortal to be given the power of a dragon, the right and identity of a dragon?"

"We're not just power, you big tyrant!"

"Silence, simple one! A dragon is power and the cultivation of power but you, I know not what you are! Who are you, to shirk the duty of dragon kind and persist in your infancy? You flitter through pointless, meaningless forms, neglecting the formation of scales, neglecting your maturation!"

Monster looks thoroughly chewed out.

"It's my power...I can share it with who I want..."

"You cannot! Rebel of mine waters, dare you risk furthering my wrath?"

"...No..."

"If you are so fond of forms other than your true form, shall I lock you in a non-dragon form? Perhaps that of a human? Or a dog?"

"...No..."

"Then work you to win yourself back in my good graces! If you will not cultivate power in yourself, cultivate it in your friend! I have trusted the staff intended for Sun Wukong to his care."

A face appears on the umbrella and stares down at you. "Really?"

You nod and show him the Mercury Toothpick.

The face's jaw drops. To the ground.

"Instruct him in the use of the staff, and return him to mortal space-time."

Monster turns into a metal gate composed of ornate criss-crossed dragons and opens.

"Right through here, Izzy." Monster says.

"Izzy Skenazy." Ao Shun address you, not as the man, but as the dragon. "You shall watch Shao Bao."

Oh man, is that his secret name?

"If he makes a fool of himself, inform me. You may contact me through the usual means used by mortals."

>What do we say?

>>5577565
>I'll try to be a good friend to your son
>He doesn't seem to be a bad person, I'm sure he can one day do you proud.

>>5577565
>"Well, even if you didn't tell me I was going to anyways.
>Shift Shao on through first.
then this
>He doesn't seem to be a bad person, I'm sure he can one day do you proud.
>Have a good day sir.

>>5577565
"WE AIN'T NO SNITCH BRATAN!! YOUR SON WILL LIVE FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

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>>5577568
>>5577627
>>5577672
"I'll try to be a good friend to your son. You don't need to ask me, I was going to anyway,"

Was he asking? Eh, doesn't matter.

"Friends." Ao Shun growls the words on a gust of air, "He does not need playmates. He needs minders! I do not understand why an entire school cannot mind him! But I am grateful for your assistance, Izzy Skenazy."

"He doesn't seem like a bad person." you say.

"Better he be a good dragon than a good person."

"Well, I'm sure one day he will do you proud."

"He shall. One day, he will be a fine dragon. Of that I have no doubt. It is the wait for his maturation that is tiring."

"Can we go now..." the gate grumbles.

You walk toward the Monster-gate, and wonder what's going to be on the other side. "Have a good day, sir." you bid the Dragon King farewell.

Ah, darn! You called him sir again!

.....

The instant you step through the gate you find yourself on the shaded walls of an Oriental palace. Sapphire colored waters gently course beneath the stone banks, and upon closer inspection, you see each stone is carved in the shape of a dragon scale.

"Wellll..." a tiny dwarf with a long white beard and a Burger King crown sits on a red handrail. "...I hope you aren't upset about not going directly back to Earth, I figured we had a few things to talk about first. You aren't missing though, we're deep enough in the Astral that there's a time difference. Not a second's gone by on Earth."

>What do we say?

>>5577727
Your dad was quite reasonable for an ancient all powerful being. Although his parenting style is quite conservative. It must be really hard for you.

>>5577727
I'll back this>>5577932
>Anyways, wanna get lunch?

>>5577727
>Don't worry about me snitching to your father. I would rather talk about things with you instead of getting people involved.
>I kind of get getting into fights with parents. I used to not want to do anything, and my mother would argue with me. But nothing on the scale that happened.
>Your father isn't that bad of host. Very old fashioned, but doesn't demanded me to grovel or anything like that. Don't know if he acts the same when there's a court though.

OP I'm reading your Thread 1. Why can't Sam just get Robert and Henry and all the Thule kids getting triggered by Rumblefish, and have a movie night where he shows them the movie so they understand? They get a cool new movie out of it, what could go wrong?

"LET'S FIND A BUFFET AND RAVAGE IT! NOTHING BUT HOT JUICY MEAT IN OUR MOUTHS !!!"

>>5577932
"Your dad was quite reasonable for an ancient all powerful being." you say.

"Ancient, yeah. All-powerful? Nah. He's just a crummy water merchant. Like the dudes from Chinatown."

"Sam likes that movie."

"So?"

"So maybe you can watch it with him? Movie night!"

'Sam doesn't like me."

"That's because he's afraid you'll turn into the screen, but your version of the movie has everyone as a puppet."

The gnome smiles. "That is a fun idea..."

You return to the topic of the Dragon King.

"Your dad's parenting style is quite conservative." you say. "It must be really hard for you."

"Oh God, oh him, you got no idea." Monster says. "Conservative? Try Medieval. Try Bronze Age. Try primitive screwhead. You probably know that I don't live with my parents. Everyone knows that. The school works as a go-between with me and them. You see, what happened was that mom and dad were going to force me into being a dragon. No more shapeshifting, they were going to enchant me into being a dragon until I liked it. So I ran away. Went to Earth, went to Martin's, because they help kids. So there was all this drama, all this shouting, and now I live at the school."

"What's this place?" you say concerning your surroundings.

"My palace."

"Really?" you can't really be sure with him.

"Yeah."

"It's neat! The water is so blue!"

"I don't like going here unless I have a good reason for wanting time to slow down. Like I'm about to get busted or something. I spend too long here my parents show up to bother me."

"Your dad isn't so bad if he lets you have this place." you say, "I mean, compared to the dads some other kids have."

"I guess so, if you put it that way. I only got one dad to compare him to and that's him. He was all "Yeah, go out and shapeshift, go try all the forms you can!" back when I was a kid. Then i got older and he expected me to start using the ol' perfect silver noodle form. Dragon Nazi. You know he really does think dragons are a superior species?"

"At least he's nice to those he deems inferior."

"Yeah, I guess."

"I hate using that form." Monster transforms into a tiny stone likeness of his dragon form. "I swear I can feel the scales harden around me while I'm in it."

"How long does it take?" you ask. "I mean, for you to become like your dad?"

"Um. Infinite. Infinite time, because it's not gonna happen." he transforms into an hourglass with angry eyes and sands that refuse to fall. "I got no interest in ever being an omnipotent noodle. Me putting the form on today, that was like...putting a suit on for a job interview...and by the way...I'm sorry."

Monster turns himself into a little boy with a dunce cap that rises far above the palace.

"I screwed up. I didn't think the old guy would have had such a good lock on my powers! He must be talking magic shop with Odin again."

File: Judge Pao.jpg (12 KB, 225x225)

12 KB JPG

>>5578695
"Your dad talks to Odin?" you ask.

"They're friends. They're both members of the old sneaky bastards club. Anyway, if you were talking about how long it would take me to turn into dad if I went noodle mode, the answer is..."

Monster turns into a caricature of an ancient Chinese sage with long hanfu robes facial hair nearly as long.

"Not long, for a Long, but long for a human."

He turns back into the little boy.

"It would take a couple thousand years of continual use of my dragon form, though the effects are gradual. First you're only able to turn into things the color of your scales. Then everything you turn in has to be dragon-like, It's got to have scales, it's got to have flashing eyes, even if its just a chair. Then you can't turn into anything at all and you get God powers over all that you survey. Speaking of which..."

Monster turns into a Song dynasty judge, specifically, the legendary Justice Bao. Though you have no idea who that is and just see another hanfu cosplay.

"...Would you rather have the power to turn into anything, or the power to turn everything around you into anything? Be honest! Because I'll know if you're lying, I got magic dragon powers!"

>What do we say?

>>5578281
Movie night is a very possible and very likely plot point. We just need to meet Donald first, since he's the guy that does movie nights at Martin's.

>>5578702
>Honestly, both sound kind of equally useful and cool, just in different ways.
>And depending on how creative you are, you could potentially do the same things with either one.

>I guess sometimes you got change to stay the same, and stay the same to change.
>...sorry, I guess the scenery made me want to try and say something like those fortune cookies, but I'm no Confucius.

>>5578710
The last phrase was meant to be
>...sorry, I guess the scenery made me want to try and say something wise like those fortune cookies, but I'm no Confucius.
I doubt if Izzy ever seen one, but I'm betting on him knowing it by pop culture references

>>5578702
>Neither I wanna be able to return things to what they were.

>>5578710
>>5578741
Hmmm...should I combine these? These are both really good.

>>5578815
>>5578710
>>5578741
"Hm...I'd like to give it some thought." you always like to give everything some thought.

"Just say what you think! Come on!" Monster urges you. "I'm not going to curse you with a thousand deaths if you answer you like god powers more than shape shifting."

"Well..."

"It'll be ten thousand deaths..."

You glare at Monster.

"I'm just kidding! I'm just kidding! I swear humans would have the worst sense of humor in the multiverse if dragons didn't exist."

"Honestly, Monster, I think both of them sound equally useful and cool, just in different ways." You aren't sure whether you should risk calling him Shao Bao just yet. "And depending on how creative you are, you could potentially do the same things with either one, like how your dad made a human puppet."

"That wasn't a human puppet." Monster turns into a wooden ventriloquist puppet you think was on a horror show in the 90's. Or maybe the 60's. There's a lot of living puppets when you think about it, and those are just the fictional ones.

You chuckle as Monster flaps his wooden gums like a nutcracker.

"Ah! Gotcha! See, I can be funny! Don't know why Sam has to be such a sourpuss..."

You're glad Monster is starting to brighten up. You didn't think he'd stay blue for for long.

"I think, ultimately, I got to say I'd prefer neither power."

"Neither? That's not an answer I expected." Monster transforms into a game show host with an outrageous bowtie holding cue cards in front of his face. "Are you sure that's your final answer?"

"Yes. The power I want is the power to return things to what they were."

Monster tosses the cards. "You lost me."

"Well, your question made me think about why I'm at Martin's in the first place. I'm going to be doing a lot of different things and taking on a lot of different roles. They're going to have me working at a hospital soon, if you can believe it."

"A hospital? Ah, lucky!" Monster transforms himself into a burly, hairy man in a nurse's outfit meant for a different sex and different build. "Say hoi to all da cute hoispital dames fer me."

You ignore Monster's antics. You think you're onto something good here. "But whatever I do, wherever I am, the one thing that's expected of me will be that I can use my powers to protect people. If something goes wrong, I set things right. If someone is in danger, I make them safe. I return things back to what they were so people can do their jobs. Shapeshifting could help me do that, but so could elder Dragon powers. Any power can help me do that, which is why I want to learn how to use as many as I can. Sometimes, when you change, you stay the same, and when you stay the same, you change."

Monster turns back into Judge Bao and strokes his beard as he regards you.

File: Bagua_diagram.jpg (57 KB, 382x382)

57 KB JPG

>>5579148
"Sorry. I guess the scenery made me want to try and say something wise like in fortune cookies."

"You've never had a fortune cookie, have you?"

"No. Are they good?"

"You like vanilla?"

"Vanilla? I thought they were lemon flavored."

"Not unless a Thule bakes them! But I like your answer, Izzy. That answer wasn't what I expected, but it was nice. You gave it some thought. Most of the time I ask someone something and they think its a joke...and by the way..."

Monster turns into a giant I'M SORRY card. He opens himself to reveal cursive writing that says REALLY.

"It's alright." you say.

"Sometimes I like to stick it to people and troll them because they're such killjoys. Teachers, for example, or sticks-in-the-mud like Sam and Tanya and Henry, but I didn't mean to mess with you. I'm sorry, as hard as that might be to believe."

"I believe you."

Monster turns into a giant teddy bear holding a stuffed heart that says AWWWWW. You get the sense he has trouble expressing himself without a veneer of irony.

"Sooooo we're going to be buddies now?" Monster asks. "BFFs? Amigos?"

>>5577973
>>5578060

"I was thinking we could get lunch together sometime. Talk about things."

"Not with Sam though?"

"No, that's not a good idea."

>>5578060

"What about dad making you my new warden?" Monster turns himself into a zebra striped prisoner behind iron bars. "Do I get four square meals? Fresh air and sunshine? Daily walks?"

"Don't worry about me snitching to your father. I would rather talk about things with you instead of getting people involved."

"Now that is something I was hoping to hear!" Monster transforms himself into a buff, shirtless warrior wielding a long spear. "I was thinking about training you in that Monkey King present wrong on purpose as a joke, but since you'll half-ass the tattle telling, I won't half-ass the training!"

Monster snaps his fingers and the water below stops churning--stops moving entirely, in fact.

"Come on!" Monster says. "Let's take your new toy for a spin!"

"You got to have some powers other than shapeshifting." you say, looking at the water.

"My parents made me learn some bagua magic. All dragons learn magic before their scales harden to prepare them for the power." Monster leaps down to the water. It doesn't so much as ripple as he lands on it. "I don't hate power. I just hate being all-powerful and all-scaly."

"What did you do to it?" you ask concerning the water. "Freeze it?" You want to know exactly what he did to the water before you follow him.

Monster shrugs. "Made it not move. I don't think, scientifically, you could call it freezing the water. But what's science got to do with it, anyway?"

"Neat!"

"I'd teach you some bagua, but really, you could do a lot better than me for a teacher when it comes to that stuff. But when it come to shapeshifting, you'll find that I am without peer...because if the other guy is more skilled than me, I'll just turn into him!"

>>5579161
Monster looks at his hand. "Oh, Izzy? You said something about fortune cookies?"

"Yeah." you reply.

Monster suddenly throws something up at you. "Catch!" he shouts.

>Roll 1d10 to catch whatever it is he threw

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>5579162

File: Pai-Gow.png (145 KB, 460x345)

145 KB PNG

>>5579171
You open your hand to see two black squares with white dots.

"Dominos?" you ask.

"Pai Gow. Older than dominoes. Older than tarot cards. But yeah, dominos, just old and Chinese." Monster waves you down to the water. "Come on, show me what you got."

You decide to descend with the help of...Mercury Toothpick!

You visualize it extending, and sure enough, it does so. You ride it down like a fireman's pole to the water. Good to know that you can make it shrink and grow without a hitch, but on the other hand, you can't think of a simpler trick.

Monster looks at you pai gow tiles. "Ah. This pair is mooy. It means you're going to die."

"Doesn't that go for anyone not immortal?"

"Good point, but I'm kidding. Mooy is plum flowers. You see, each combination of pai gow tiles stands for a step in the creation of the universe. The Gee Joon pair is God. The Tien pair is Heaven. The Di pair is Earth. You got plum flowers."

"What does it mean?" you ask.

"Plum flowers come after Gor, the geese pair. They were put on the Earth to the eaten. The pair represents a great sacrifice. Be glad you didn't get that one. After God made sure man was fed, he made plum flowers, to make the Earth more beautiful. That's you, Izzy. You make things more beautiful."

You stand in silence for a moment. Damn. You didn't expect a fortune reading to make you sound so...cool.

"At least, that's what two ancient dominos think about you."

"Is this...legit?" you ask. "Like, is telling fortunes a power you have?"

"Izzy, my man, divination is the easiest magical art. Apollo got a bunch of headcases to do it in Delphi. What will be, is, you just read the signs. I threw two random tiles at you. The universe decided what they were. I interpreted them. That's it. It's the magic version of meteorology. Forecast: pretty. Maybe you got a career in flower arrangement in your future, I don't know....buttttttt, if you dig pai gow, you know they're just like playing cards. You, me, pai gow tables, what do you say?" Monster slips a beefy arm around your shoulder. "Huh? The tiles seem to like you..."

"You mean...gambling?"

"Don't worry, it's easy to play, it's just like poker but with dots."

"I don't think any casinos would let us in." you say.

"Casinos on Earth. Ever been inside a genie casino?"

"Have you?"

"Uh, yes! And let me tell you, the genies there are hot, and not just because they're made of smokeless fire!"

>You stick a pin in the suggestion. Sounds like it could be fun, and someone should keep an eye on Monster at a casino.

>Superheroes do not gamble.

>>5579201
>Superheroes do not gamble.
>Unless there isn't real money or betting, then in that case it would be ok.
Mom didn't raise a gambler, but blackjack can be fun.

>>5579201
>WE ONLY GAMBLE WITH OUR LIVES GET US A GUN!!!!
>Play russian roulette

File: Kid with the golden arm.jpg (72 KB, 640x284)

72 KB JPG

>>5579223
>>5579580
You cross your arms. "Superheroes do not gamble, unless they gamble their lives to save other."

Monster rolls his eyes so hard they fall off his face, then scurry back into his sockets. "Gee, who in history class said that one?"

"I don't know." you reply. "I think I came up with that one myself. Did it really sound like something an old superhero would say?"

"Oh totally, it's up there with "drink your milk," and "how come no one recognizes me with glasses?"

Monster spins his spear. "Now, grasshopper, do you know the most important part of shapeshifting?"

(The part of Monster in this thread is played by the legendary Lo Mang of Venom Mob fame)

"Creativity?" you ask.

"Close! And creativity is very important, but its not as important as knowledge." Monster flips open the top of his head like a lid and takes out a golden lump of brain. It makes soft, soothing choir noises as he holds it. "School sucks, but knowledge really is power, as they say. Izzy, could you turn the Mercury Toothpick into a samoflange?"

"What's that?"

"I'm not telling, so you don't know. Can you do it?"

"I get it. I can only create things I understand."

"Understand inside and out! Take me for instance. To turn into all the stuff I turn into, I had to learn a lot. Biology, chemistry, cell structure, atomic structure, man, you Matterworlders get so complicated on the small level. On the big scale? Big empty void filled with sparks of burning matter. On the small scale? Its' like some god designed you guys with copy protection."

"You seem to like learning."

"I love learning! The more I learn, the more I can turn into! Just ask Form Master Gora, he teaches a bunch of shapeshifters and, by the way, he could help you a lot with the Mercury Toothpick, he's a little more cool than the average teacher, but you go on and ask him about me. I'm in his advanced class. I can copy most of the species on the solar system down to the cellular level."

"What's the most fun to be?" you ask.

Monster grins, and momentarily takes the form of the answer--a black crow.

"Sorry human." he says once he's back in his buff warrior form. "You guys are top thirty, though."

"Are crows really that fun?"

Absolutely. They're small, so the rest of the world looks big. They can see far, they can see wide. They can fly, and that's a big one, you got no idea how much the world opens up when you expand that z-axis. And they're smart! Really really smart! I get one to do my math homework for me. Literally works for peanuts. Anyway, let's see what you can do with the Mercury Toothpick! Give me three objects!"

"What kind of objects?"

"Any! Be spontaneous! The first thing that comes to your mind, do it!"

>Give me 3 objects and 3 1d20 rolls

Rolled 8 (1d20)

a spatula!

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>5579690
Mannequin

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>5579690
Fax machine

>>5579731
We truly are the Xerographer

>>5579731
Man, Izzy just has an affinity for office supplies, doesn't he?

You know what we should get for our room?
A pet turtle.
And name it Stationary.

File: Gloss white.jpg (97 KB, 600x600)

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>>5579729
"Transform the Mercury Toothpick!" Monster urges. "Do it! Do it now!"

"I'm trying to think of something!" You hold the toothpick out on your palm. The problem isn't so much you can't think of something so much as you've got so many options to choose from.

"Just pick something already! There's no such thing as a good shapeshifter who's slow! A mercurial will makes a mercurial body!"

You have to admit, he has a point. Cut-up though he is, Monster does take shapeshifting seriously, if nothing else.

You finally convert the Mercury Toothpick into...

Monster tilts his head. "What is that?"

You shrug.

"No, don't shrug! You made it, what is it?"

"I wanted it to be a spatula." You think you got something in your hands that's spatuloid. It's like a cheese grater with a stick attached.

"Well. That's not what it is." Monster says. "I pity and fear the universe where that would count as a spatula. I bet you weren't thinking clearly, were you?"

"I was still of two minds bout what to make...okay, maybe several minds."

"Focus, padwan, focus! When I turn into something, i don't think "Oh no, maybe I should turn into something else!" I think about it what I want to turn into and NOTHING else! Put the image in your mind, get it nice and focused, then make it!"

>>5579730

You try again.

You aren't sure why the object comes to your mind, but it does, and don't question it when it comes. You follow Monster's advice and just do it.

You toss the Mercury Toothpick, and where it lands a glossy white mannequin appears.

Monster walks around it, hmm-ing and pondering your creation.

"Do I do good?" you ask.

"Well. You certainly made a mannequin. This here is 100% genuine mannequin."

"Should I have put clothes on him?"

"Dude, dude, my dude, you overthink things, you know that? Should you have put clothes on him, I don't know, he's your mannequin. The real question is this--does he match what you envisioned?"

"Yes." you reply.

"Then you did good." Monster makes some stabbing motions toward the mannequin. "Is this the kind that comes to life and fights people?"

"No. It's the kind that models clothes in a department store."

"Awww..."

"I'm not sure you should be hitting the Mercury Toothpick anyway, Monster."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about it's durability. Believe me. If you're fighting someone that can actually break it, you got more problems than the Mercury Toothpick breaking, you get what I'm saying? It looks like glass, but dude, this thing was made to be tossed around by Sun Wukong. Fragile it is not."

>>5579731

You walk over to your mannequin and place a hand on its shoulder. "I'm going to try something a little different." you announce.

Then, suddenly, the mannequin is replaced by a fax machine, complete with paper ready to go in the hopper.

Monster presses the buttons and looks amused by how the screen lights up.

"Okay...this is a good one."

He opens the fax machine to find that it even has ink and toner. Monster whistles.

>>5579961
"Damn dude...how did you end up knowing this much about fax machines?" Monster asks.

"Well...my supername is Xerographer. So you know...I figured "office and office supplies," for my theme. My supertheme."

"Oh my Buddha! That's your theme?"

You hope he's not going to laugh, and brace yourself in case he does.

"That is so cool! You know who you need to ask Steel Dolly to pit you against in the CRS? Rubberbandit, The Stapler, and Project Paperclip. Those are totally our rogues gallery!"

"Whew...for a moment I thought you were going to make fun of me..." you admit.

"Now why would you think that?"

Because he's Monster...

"Office supplies is not a theme you see a lot. I can't think of another dude at Martin's with that theme, as a matter of fact, and that makes it cool. Now I know why you rock those suits. Here I thought you were going for a smooth operator hitman thing, or were like, a superpowered door-to-door Mormon. Office supplies is a great theme!"

"Oh, uh, Monster? Can I ask you a quick question?" you just can't help myself.

"Sure man, what?"

"Do Buddhists really say "Oh My Buddha?""

Monster laughs. "Dude, I have no idea! We dragons aren't Buddhists, we're Daoist materialists. You think guys that consider themselves supreme beings believe in transcending material existence? Why get off the big ol' wheel of dharma if you never have to revolve off the top, you get what I'm saying?"

"But what about you, Monster? You a Daoist materialist?"

"I'm nothin. Philosophy and religion are like video games to me. They all look neat and interesting but I get bored of them before I finish them."

Monster pokes your fax machine. "There's one final series of exercises I want to go over before we head back to mortal space-time. Have you ever fought with weapons before, Izzy? Any fencing swords or bec de corbins?"

You grin. "Nope!"

"Well, the thing about a shape shifting staff is that it's very easy to turn it into practical objects. What's a shield but a very simple circle? What's a bo staff but a long toothpick?"

Monster spins his spear. "First lesson. This is called a Qiang. The sharp point goes toward the bad guy, not to you."

File: 3 Section Staff.jpg (33 KB, 480x360)

33 KB JPG

>>5579968
Time to roll some dice!

>Roll 1d20+3 to train in staff and spear fighting

>Roll 1d20+3 to train in sword and shield fighting

>Roll 1d20 to train in the complex but legendary 3-section staff

>Roll 1d20 to train in the esoteric rope dart

Rolled 5 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5579768
I kind of want a pet crab instead, to remind Izzy of home.
Although Stationary could be a pet rock, the other big attraction of the island.
>>5579971
>Roll 1d20+3 to train in staff and spear fighting

Rolled 7 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5579971
>Roll 1d20+3 to train in sword and shield fighting
Note to Izzy: meet the other office supply themed people

>>5579979
Staff practice doesn't go so well for you. You keep trying to do more than you should with it. You want it to whip around, or split apart into several staffs, or fly from your hand, or sprout hands to grab Monster. But time and time again, Monster says--

"No, no, no, dude. You're getting ahead of yourself. The fax machine success has spoiled you. It's a pole with a blade on the end. That's it. That's all it needs to be."

"But you keep moving out the way! I want to extend it to I can get you!"

"Don't do that dude, think physics. The longer the staff is from you, the more it'll work as a lever--against you. If you want to get me, move after me. Don't make me jump on the end of your pole and teeter-totter you into the upper reaches of Mount Meru!"

You think he really would, so you go at the training with significantly more reticence.

"Hmm...you know what, Izzy? Now I'm bored, so let's try something else! You want to be a little more fancy, okay, let's step it up a notch with the fanciness."

Monster's spear becomes a sword and shield.

"Now you may wonder, how, with your singular magic super-staff, can you create two weapons?" Monster holds his weapons out to you. "Well, if you look reallll close here, you can see how!"

You look close, and see a thin string connecting the sword and shield.

"Oldest shapeshifter trick in the book! So long as you master using a little string, you can make any number of objects, all connected!"

You copy Monster's sword and shield--with a string between them, of course.

"Should I keep the string behind or in front of me or tucked under my arms?" you ask.

"It's up to you. If you keep it behind you, maybe you can shapeshift up a little weapon or gizmo to move around toward your hand. If you keep it in front of you, well, you sure look vulnerable when you do this--" Monster holds his weapons wide. "--See? This pose says "please gut me in my heart, bad guy." So they'll likely to try and stab you...so go on and stab me, Izzy..."

You thrust forward and find your strike blocked by the string, which suddenly expands to protect Monster.

"See? Secret shield! Remember that technique!"

You certainly will. You like that move.

"Let's practice a few sword moves, then we can move onto something really cool. You seem to like the sword, shield, nearly-invisible-string combo."

"I think I like it better than the pole." you say.

"I got another triple threat weapon you might like..."

>Roll 1d20 to train in the complex but legendary 3-section staff

>Roll 1d20 to train in the esoteric rope dart

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5580088
>Roll 1d20 to train in the esoteric rope dart

>>5580092
I think we might have hurt ourselves

>>5579979
The crab is called Mr. Paperclip.

I need to write up a list of cool objects and momentos in Izzy's room.

>>5580092
There's still hope for the 3 section staff.

File: 1672819620338986.webm (2.92 MB, 750x722)

2.92 MB WEBM

Live footage of our pet rock crab defending our room against invading mechas

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5580092
ESOTERIC ROPE DART BAYBEEE

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5580092
3 section staff cause its cooler

>>5580129
Mr. Paperclip is a good boy.

>>5580592
"Behold! The three section staff!" Monster proclaims as he shows you a...staff in three sections.

Accurate name.

"Looks like a nunchuck with an extra chuck." you say.

"Yes, but nunchucks were threshing tools used as weapons. You can use anything as a weapon." to demonstrate his point, Monster transforms his spear into a copy of himself. "You can even use ME as a weapon!" the spear-man held by the spearman says. "But not everything is a weapon, grasshopper!"

Monster transforms his spear-man into a three sectioned staff that, fortunately, does not talk...yet.

"The three sectioned staff was created long ago in Tiendi by the Chan school of Buddhism. the Chan were known for their amazing scholarship, text translations, and martial arts. They were like really, really badass librarians. Anyway, the three section staff was created by an acolyte who was trying to find a way to overcome his rival's dual blade fighting style. He tried a pole, wouldn't work. he tried a bladed pole, wouldn't work. But then, while practicing in a bamboo forest, he accidentally chopped down a tree branch and had an Isaac Newton moment. He saw how the branch bent and decided to make a staff that bent. So of course, he beat the crap out of his rival, and the three section staff entered the martial cannon."

"You sound like a fan."

"Well, yeah, a little bit. It does feel like a "shapeshifty" sort of weapon. Now, you try making one!"

You do. You give the three section staff a whirl, and a spin, and a twist, and...you keep finding yourself returning to the sword and shield combo.

"I'm sorry, Monster." you say as you accidentally parry another blow with your shield. "I just...find this combo a little better. I think it's the shield. I really, really like not getting hit."

"Hey, don't apologize to me. If you want to use the sword and shield, use the sword and shield. If that's what feels right to you, you do it." Monster transforms himself into a an old-timey school teacher complete with mortar board hat. The wrinkled old man points a ruler at you. "That's your problem, laddie! You think things way, way, wayyyyy too much! You need less talk, more rock!"

Monster turns back into a warrior. "Got it?"

"Destiny has chosen me to to the sagacious swordsman of plum flowers." You readjust the Mercury Toothpick and firmly grip your sword and shield."

"Yes. But there's one more trick I'd like for you to try." Monster shrinks his spear down while increasing its flexibility. It coils around his index finger as it spins. Then, he casts it out like a fishing line, and in one quick motion, snaps it back.

He dangles out the last weapon in front of you to copy--a metal dart at the end of a rope.

Monster grins. "Rope dart, dude. The ultimate in tricky weapons. It's form is the form of the mind--curved, straight, angled. It's what Scorpion uses in Mortal Kombat, though everyone calls it a harpoon."

>>5581176
>>5580363
>>5580092
>>5580095
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PuiJW8LvKw

As you expected, Monster turns into the mustard colored Chinese ninja.

"Now, test your might!" he points at you, signaling its your turn to copy the simply made but complexly mastered weapon.

You do so, and start spinning the dart around in a big circle. It's kind of fun how the dart pulls on the rope. It stays in motion easier than you thought it would.

You smile. "Well, I can do this, at least!"

"The deadly spinny circle technique!" Scorpion punches his fist into his hand and gives a short bow. "Izzy Skenazy, I bow to your expertise."

Monster turns back to his familiar warrior form. "Anyway, momentum is the trick. The faster you spin it one way, the harder it is to make it spin the other."

"Oh." Now that you think about it, you aren't sure what'll happen if you slow down the spinning...

Monster spins his rope dart in a circle mirroring yours. "Just give it a big snap." and he does just that. The dart halts in the middle of the air and returns to his side. "Now you try."

You pull your dart out of its rotation...

...and smack yourself right between the eyes with it.

You hear Monster chuckling as you rub the spot.

"Should that have killed me?" you ask.

"Eh, maybe. But you got dragon magic on your side, friend. No way I'd let you get harmed in my own realm."

Own realm?

"Wait. Monster, this is more than your own palace? This is your own--"

"Anyway, yeah, that probably should have killed you. Or at least left you like Mr. Brown in Reservoir Dogs."

"That's another film Sam likes." you say.

"Damn! Why's he got to have such good taste in films?"

You flash the rope dart an angry look and turn it back into a sword. "I think I'm going to sword and board it for awhile."

"No shame in that!" Monster says. "It's quite a "hero" look."

"Any more kung-fu weapons to show me?" you ask.

"Not right now. Though if you are interested, I can show you the flying guillotine and five elements staff."

"Those names are somehow highly descriptive without telling me much about them."

"Believe it or not, the staff is cooler than the flying guillotine, though its' pretty cool too!"

Monster points his spear at the water. It churns into a swirling whirlpool. "To return to mortal space-time, just hop on down."

You look down at the whirlpool and its deep, roaring abyss. "You can't like, make a door?" you ask.

"Don't be a weenie! Didn't I just tell you about dragon magic protecting you?"

You flash Monster a smirk. "You just want my exit from your place to be cooler than my arrival at your dad's."

"Just jump into swirling abyss already!"

>Any parting questions or comments?
>Take the plunge!

File: Chinese Sword Art.jpg (27 KB, 312x400)

27 KB JPG

>Mercury Toothpick Skills

Object Transformation: Extra Excellent

Staff: Not Good

Sword and Shield: Good

Three Section Staff: Bad

Rope Dart: Terrible, do not use!

So you're not the most flexible fighter, big deal. Tons of heroes have made legends out of themselves with just a sword and a shield.

>>5581185
>>Take the plunge!

>>5581185
>Take the plunge!
>>5581187
Sometimes the classics are the best

File: imageedit_9_3837422199.png (1.88 MB, 800x985)

1.88 MB PNG

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/izzys-room/

First of the Izzy pages. Izzy's room, listing and detailing all the cool stuff Izzy owns.

>>5581304
Izzy looks like a nerd
Somehow not what I expected, but it's perfect

>>5581305
He'll start losing a lot of that coach potato fat given how much exercise he's getting.

>>5581306
He will always be a goofy nerd at heart. Which is why we love him

>>5581306
>Coach potato
He has the Highschool PE teacher build, that's for sure.

File: Nessie.jpg (101 KB, 976x549)

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>>5581197
>>5581298
You stare down at the whirlpool's edge and hear the rushing water gurgle.

"Oh come on!" Monster says. "The more you stare at it, the more afraid of it you're going to be."

"I'm not afraid of it. I'm just trying to think of the movie this is from...hey!" you snap your fingers. "I got it! You took this from Neveren--"

Monster pushes you over the edge with the flat of his spear.

Down, down you plummet, and when the water rushes over your head....

...You find yourself back in line for Old Ironsides.

You blink. Wow, that was abrupt! You think you prefer it when there's a hole in the air that you walk through.

Edith looks at the Mercury Toothpick hanging on the side of your hand.

"...Izzy, why'd you shapeshift part of your hand into glass?"

"Oh, this isn't glass." you pluck the Mercury Toothpick with the thumb and index finger of your other hand. "This isn't glass at all."

ONE EXPLANATION LATER (COUPLED WITH THE REALIZATION THE BELL ISN'T WITH YOU)

......

"...And he kept the bell? Why am I not surprised?" Sam throws his hands up in exasperation.

"I don't think he much kept it as I just forgot I left it at his palace." you say.

Edith puts a scaly hand on your shoulder. "It's okay, Izzy, I sometimes forget things too."

"It's probably back on the little walkway around the palace." you say.

"It's in Monster's hands now, and he's not going to give it back." Sam says. "I bet if you ask him about it, he'd tell you he has no idea where it is."

"It doesn't matter Steel Dolly knows the tone, I'll just get it from her."

"Hey!" the little boy in front of you in line with a Thule eye balloon pulls on your pants. "Does everyone that go to Martin's get to hang out with dragons and learn kung-fu?"

"Only if you study hard!" you reply.

"Thanks, Lizzy, I will."

When your group finally makes it to the old leviathan, you and Edith are ecstatic. The passive giant doesn't mind the pets and rubs and flash photography. In fact, he seems to like it, and makes a deep, cooing noise.

He feels soft and warm. You were expecting him to feel like a rock given how strong leviathans are.

Sam keeps his hands inside his pockets. He's too cool for the petting zoo.

A Thule lady directs you and your friends to seats strapped around Old Ironside's massive, scaled body and reads off the typical hands-and-feet-inside-the-ride stuff you expect.

Then, with a lurch that jerks everyone slightly forward in their seats, Old Ironsides is off to the coastal islands!

"Wheeee!" goes the kid with the Thule balloon.

"Wheeeee!" goes Edith.

"Wheeeeeeeeeee!" goes you.

Sam looks like he wants to toss you and Edith overboard and then jump in himself.

>>5581640

With Robert's powers, you're able to see that the Thule lady up on Old Ironside's head directs him by creating Thule eyes that he follows like buoys. Neat use of powers!

"Ah!" Edith snaps her claws. "You know what we forgot?"

"We?" Sam asks.

"We forgot to buy carrots to feed Old Ironside!"

"I think the big boy can handle missing out on overpriced veggies."

"We can get some on the way back." you say.

Sam sighs.

"Really? You think they'd have them at the docks?" Edith asks.

"Please don't tell me you two are going to ask the pirates for some carrots to feed Old Ironsides with." Sam says.

"You know! That's a great idea, Sam!" you shout. "Why ask for carrots? I'm sure they won't be mind handing over some tables scraps!"

"Izzy, don't you dare feed Old Ironside hardtack stew!" Edith strokes the noble beast's side.

"Why not? I'm going to eat it! If it's good for me, it's good for a leviathan!"

"Yes, but you're responsible for being foolish, poor Old Ironsides isn't!"

Sam buries his head in his hands.

.....

There's a chill rising from the water as the sky darkens and the first signs of starlight come out from the darkness. You watch Old Ironside's many legs rotate beneath the waters, moving like the black petals of a sunken flower.

Things fill calm.

"...Hey Sam?" you ask.

"Yeah?"

"Earlier you mentioned a Dr. Bell. I don't think I've met her yet."

"Ohhhh...Dr. Bell..." Edith wraps her wings around herself, and you don't think it's just to protect from the evening chill. "She's scary. I know that's kind of a mean thing to say, and she does a lot of good working with the TIMS kids, but she's so....scary!"

"Well. I guess it's only right we have a little ghost story before we meet the ghost pirates. Izzy, what do you think about...fear?" Sam asks.

>It's a useful tool, as many superheroes have demonstrated.

>It's an obstacle to be met and overcome.

>It's a crucial survival instinct.

>Something else?

>>5581662
>Like anxiety and stress, it's something helps humans survive, but it can end up holding us back.
>So we have to learn when to listen to our instincts, and when to ignore them.
>But that's easier said then done

>>5581662
One must dominate fear in order to make good use of it

>>5581662
>It’s a survival instinct that can be used for all sorts of things, like controlling people or improving yourself.

>>5581662
>Fear is that friend that friend that you usually ignore but sometimes raises a good point from time to time
>Either way I like the age old proverb of "It is what it is"

>>5581676
>>5582047
>>5582074
>>5582290
These are all really good!

>Do we focus on fear as an obstacle?
or
>Do we focus on fear as a tactic?

>>5582610
>Do we focus on fear as an obstacle?

>>5582610
Tactic. We are everything - in most cases, we have little to fear.

>>5582610
>Fear is not an obstacle, it's a feature

File: 25_Steel_Dolly_and_Kyaung_-_2.png (268 KB, 1091x1125)

268 KB PNG

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/steel-dolly/

Dolly's got a profile on the site now.

>>5582610
I think tactic would be most fitting. Just seems more like Izzy’s style.

Please forgive the slowness. I finally got Super Robot Wars V. I love the Yamato.

>>5582619
>>5582737
>>5582799
>>5583257
>Tactic

"Fear's a survival instinct." you say. "It can help you, or it can hurt you. it can warn you, or it can mislead you. And that goes for other people too. Fear can sometimes be a tactic. Lots of superheroes use fear tactics, like the All-Nighter."

"Does that mean you're dark superheroics over bright superheroics, Izzy?" Edith asks.

Ah. The old debate. Is it better to be, like Captain Marvel, a hero that shows up, announces his presence, wears bright costumes, and flashes a smile, or, like All-Nighter, a hero that hides in the shadows, ambushes bad guys, and makes them cry for their mommy? It's a debate that's been going on for decades.

"I'm on both sides of the debate." you explain. "It depends on what powers I got, really. If I'm using Helen's powers, I can see myself being all "What goes on here, citizen?" but if I'm like, using invisibility, I don't see why I shouldn't boo on some badguys."

"No!" Edith wags a scaly finger in front of your face. "No taking the middle road! You have to choose!"

"Boo on the badguys?" Sam asks.

"Are you bright superheroics or dark superheroics? Edith asks.

"I'm for...well...what about you, Edith?"

"I'm ERC 2. I'm not going to be a superhero, so I don't need to decide."

"But if you did have to decide, what would you pick?"

"Bright superheroics, definitely! I'm more a talk-to-the-badguy girl than a hit-the-badguy girl."

"What about you, Sam?" you ask.

"Man, how about you? Stop ducking the question Izzy. But I'll you this--I don't think any dark superhero has ever "booed on a badguy.""

Edith giggles.

>We are a bright superhero! HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAYYYYY!

>We are a dark superhero! WHERE IS THE TRIGGER?

>>5583550
>We are a bright superhero! HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAYYYYY!

>We are a bright superhero! HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAYYYYY!

>>5583550
>We are a bright superhero! HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAYYYYY!

>>5583550
>No answer just jojo pose and point at them menacingly.

>>5583555
>>5583562
>>5583582
>>5583621
"Is this a gun to my head type question?" you ask Edith.

"Izzy! That's such a horrible way to phrase it!" Edith replies. "But yes, this is a gun to your head type question."

"In that case...I'm for bright superheroics."

"Yay!" Edith cheers. "How come?"

"I don't know! You didn't give me time to think!"

Sam smirks.

"But what about you?" you ask Sam. "Fair's fair, are you bright or dark?"

"Dark, though I was bright until I learned how to take out an entire room of bad guys with my rumble rings without even setting foot in the same room they're in."

"But aren't you worried about accidentally scaring someone you shouldn't scare?" Edith asks.

"Yeah. I'm also worried about hurting someone I shouldn't hurt. That's why we train. Dark superheroes aren't guys that scare the hostage into running away anymore than bright superheroes are guys that let the bad guy get away while they're saving a cat from a tree."

"I guess that's fair." Edith says. "But I worry about dark superheroes sometimes. They're just so scary, and they mean to be scary, they aren't like Gunnar where they're scary but they're trying hard not to be."

"Who's Gunnar?" you ask.

"Captain Protector." Sam says. "He got a bad break and got born with a nasty metapathogen, but he's a solid guy, the kind you know is going to be be a big-time superhero in a few years. Edith's right about him. Dude's scary, but he doesn't mean to be."

"What's so scary about him?" you ask.

Sam and Edith look at each other.

"He's uh..." Sam lowers his voice. "Deformed."

"Oh."

"I don't mean like, scarred, I mean..." Sam struggles to find the right words. "...It's a bad thing, okay? He can't talk. His body won't let him do that."

"Wont' let him do that?"

"Tissue blockages."

"Has he had surgery?"

"Doesn't work. He's a type 20 regenerator. Nothing works for him."

"Poor guy..."

Sometimes, you feel really low about all the time you spent moping about your powers, especially when there are people out there who drew a low card from the superpower deck.

"Let's not talk about it further." Sam says. "It's the least important thing about Gunnar. You should meet him though. He is a great guy, and a great ERC partner."

"If I copied his powers, what do you think--"

"That is something you need to talk to Ms. Cryptic about, because I can't even begin to imagine what would happen."

"Can we please stop talking about this, please?" Edith asks. "I feel like we're gossiping about Gunnar. I know we aren't, but it feels that way."

"Hey, you're the one that started this." Sam says.

"I did not!" Edith protests.

"Yeah you did." Sam says. "You started it when you brought up Gunnar."

"Oh...Oh I did, didn't I?" Edith touches a claw to her lip.

"Anyway, let's return to the original topic--scary story time with Uncle Sam." Sam says. "Izzy, you talked about fear being used as a tactic, right?"

File: Haunter.jpg (98 KB, 792x620)

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>>5583708
"Yeah. Like how All-Nighter jumps out of the shadows and picks off bad guys one-by-one until there's only a few left and then he--"

"Yeah, yeah, that's cool." Sam says. "That's one way of using fear. But Dr. Bell, she uses fear a little differently. She actually uses fear as a tangible thing, as a tangible...creature."

"She has a thought-form." you guess.

"Class 5 possession." Sam says. "When she was eight years old."

"Yeesh..."

"Class 5 possession. And it was a black 20."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"And she lived?"

"It's not a ghost that teaches her class."

Like most people, you only know a little about thought-forms, but everyone knows what a black 20 is. It's like how people know who Hitler is, or what cancer is, or what a Velstok imploder does. Black 20's are the soul-eaters, the nightmare beasts.. Even the Gods fear them, because fear is all that they are.

"Hey, Sam." Edith speaks up. "What are the possession classes again I might need them for a psychemorphology test..."

Sam sighs. "And here I was starting to get on a roll. You know, I bet the Ghoul Guide doesn't have to deal with interruptions like this."

"But I forgot when the next test it! It might be tomorrow!"

"Okay...class 1 means you know it, it doesn't know you. Class 2 means you know it, and it knows you. Class 3 means it's following your thought-patterns, but still staying out of your mindscape and in the Bessant layer of the Astral. Class 3 means its bordering your mind. Class 4 means its in and out of your mind. Class 5 means its in your mind and its not getting out."

"Okay, got it!" Edith says. "Thanks!"

"No problem. Anyway, she got this black 20 inside her when she was just a little girl. And it was mad, and it was powerful, and it turned Belltown, Tennessee upside down, I mean it was pulling some serious Astral powers, picking up buildings, blotting out the sun, making clocks run backwards, real horror movie stuff. So TIMS comes in and they start mapping all the stuff going on and they do the thumbtacks and cloth map thing and find that at the center of all the disturbances is a little farm. And on this farm was eight year old Dr. Bell, who her parents said had an imaginary friend named Mad Mary who she blamed for all her wrongdoings."

"The Black 20." you say.

"Bingo. She still calls it Mad Mary, to this day. So the TIMS guys encounter Mad Mary, and they see her manifest in physical reality, take a big step out of the Bessant layer and into our world of matter and energy, space and time. They see an inky black mass like a shadow ooze into reality. They see it billow like a storm cloud around some kind of frame. They look closer and they see white--little bars of white peering from out of the dripping darkness. Little connected bars of white. A skeleton."

"The grim reaper." you say.

File: Haunter and Otherthing.jpg (168 KB, 1280x957)

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>>5583735
"Kids always imagine the scariest shit." Sam says. "So that's what Mad Mary looks like--in our world. Inside a person's mind, she doesn't have a look. She doesn't have a form. She's a feeling, specifically the feeling of a panic attack. But that's her just squatting in your mind. That's just the cold warmth evaporating off her non-body. When she wants to feed, well...imagine a car engine redlining, being put on max power until it just tears itself apart. Now imagine the engine is a person's body. The body's fear response is pushed well beyond what the body can naturally produce. The brain short circuits. The heart explodes. You die instantly, and that's exactly what happened to three TIMS telepaths, three highly trained TIMS telepaths. They made contact and boom, down they went, stone dead, right in front of little Dr. Bell, little Judy Bell who was, as you might intuit, was terrified. And Mad Mary lapped up her fear like a cat water."

"The other telepaths got her. They pinned her down inside Judy Bell's soul. But just imagine you're this girl. This thing, this creature, has been tormenting you for a month. It shows up, goes away, comes back, and then you hear about something in the news happening in Belltown. You don't know what's going on. You're eight. And then these other adults show up, professional, cool as cucumbers, and they say they're going to help you. They've had years of experience dealing with mean magical friends. They've seen it all. And then they die at your feet spasming. And the ones that survive? They seal this thing inside you, because its the best they can do. And then they tell you that you have a black 20 inside you, an Astral predator that evolved to gather fear like a tiger evolved to gather meat."

"Mad Mary ate well that night, I bet." you say.

"Yes she did. Probably part of why she stopped fighting. She had a lot to digest."

"She's got to be one heck of a telepath to go through all that." you say.

"She's good. One of the best. It's why she not only teaches here, she teaches TIMS kids, kids like her. She's a special ed teacher, and dude, when it comes to superhuman special ed teachers, those guys are like superhuman spec ops."

"How did she get Mad Mary in the first place?" you ask. "Isn't there usually some sort of traumatic trigger for a black 20?"

"Yeah." Sam takes a deep breath. "Here comes the real scary part of the story. The black 20 was harvesting fear from her. Remember that cloth map with the pins I told you about? Well, the TIMS guys found that the pins got closer to the farm over time. Mad Mary did something 5 miles away, then 4, then 3. It was eating the fear Judy Bell created by being afraid that her parents would find out she was connected to the hauntings."

"Why was she afraid of that?" you ask. "If I had a thought-form, mom would be the first person I would tell."

"Because her parents abused her."

"Oh."

"More common than thought-forms and just as destructive." Sam says.

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>>5583791
"They beat her?" you ask.

"Among other things, yes. They would beat her over the smallest mistakes, so she was terrified they would kill her if they knew Mad Mary was part of her. That's why Mad Mary tightened the noose, as it were."

"What an evil creature." Edith says.

"Not evil, Edith. Just hungry. It was her parents that were evil. Dr. Bell hasn't seen her parents since they were sent to prison, but she lives with Mad Mary every day. She doesn't even use their name, they were Smiths. She took the name Bell from the telepath couple that adopted her."

Old Ironsides pulls up to the dock.

"And that, my friends, is why everyone's a little scared of Dr. Bell. Because she went through that, through all of that, and trained that black 20 like a dog." Sam gets out of his seat and steps onto the dock. "Good night and pleasant nightmares."

You and Edith follow.

"It's not good night yet, Sam." Edith says. "We still need to see the ghost pirates!"

"Stars are coming out." Sam says. "It's close enough to night, and the pirates are the pleasant nightmares.

"Gilbertown..." you say to yourself as you take in the surroundings.

Some of the little 18th century buildings are made out of brick and mortar. Most are not. Most are made of wind and eerie light.

You can hear voices from off in the distance, too distorted for you to determined their precise location. They seem to come from everywhere. One moment you swear someone is whispering in your ear, the next you strain to hear a conversation far in the distance.

The island is alive with the dead.

"You know they named this place for a guy they hung in Boston." Sam says. "True story. They were fans."

"Mr. Gilbert was a pirate?" you ask.

"Don Pedro Gilbert was a pirate captain, captain of the ship Panda to be precise."

"They actually called it the Panda?" you ask.

"Hey man, it was the 18th century. Maybe they thought pandas were like, grizzly sized. But yeah, he called his ship the Panda. They were picked up in Boston on charges of raiding a ship from Salem called the Mexican."

"What was a Mexican ship doin in Massachusetts?" Edith asks.

"No, not a Mexican ship, the ship was called the Mexican."

"Why would a Massachusetts ship call itself the Mexican?" Edith asks.

"I don't know, why would a pirate ship call itself the Panda? Sometimes people pick silly names for important things. Our continent is named after a dude called Amerigo. Europe is named after a mythological cow." Sam puts his arm around your shoulder. "And let's not start on Xerographer here..."

"Hey! I like my name!" you say.

"Someone has to. Anyway, Pedro and his crew were charged with raiding the Mexican and setting fire to it while its crew was still inside."

"Why would they do that?" Edith asks.

Sam rolls his eyes.

"What?" Edith asks. "I just want to know! It seems excessive if they already had the treasure!"

>>5583818
"They denied all the charges, even as they were led to the gallows." Sam doesn't bother to answer Edith's question. "Pedro and pals were the last people to be hung in New England for piracy. That alone would probably have gotten the ghost pirates to name their island after him, but he left behind a ghost, and he did something that endeared him to the community."

"What?" you ask.

"A historian interviewed him about the Mexican and he said that he really didn't raid the Mexican."

"So the last guy hung for piracy, the guy the ghost pirates named their home after, wasn't a pirate at all." you state.

"Naw, he said he was a pirate. He just wasn't the one that got the Mexican."

You stifle a laugh.

"See? Ghost pirates have your very peculiar sense of humor, Izzy. I had a feeling you would get along."

You swat at Sam. "You think it's funny, too!"

"Yeah. But I didn't laugh!"

"I thought he didn't do it." Edith says. "Because you said he was arrested for doing it, not that he did to it."

"So you don't always sleep in lit class?" Sam teases.

"No! I do not always sleep in lit class! I don't eve sleep most of the time in lit class! Half-naps do not count!"

"Sure, sure." Sam looks out over Gilbertown and points to a beached ruin of timbers along the beach. "That's where we're going. The ruins of the Smiling Fortune."

"Now that's a name." you say.

"Izzy, you're about to dine with the dead. Question--how do you feel about ghosts?" Sam asks. "And try to answer like you aren't aware they're all around us."

>I feel great sympathy for ghosts. They feel misplaced.

>I envy them, they can do so much the living can't.

>I have great fear and respect for ghosts and their powers.

>I ain't afraid of no ghost!

>Other?

>>5583840
>>I ain't afraid of no ghost!

>>5583840
>Ghosts are cool!
>It's why I wanted to come here in the first place

>>5583840
>"Top tier waifu option"

File: 1036998349338988615.gif (160 KB, 80x80)

160 KB GIF

>*kicks the door open*
Hey you faggots got room for one more?? BLEEBO IN THE HIZZHOUSSEE

File: alien-dance.gif (4.06 MB, 311x498)

4.06 MB GIF

>>5583840
>"ghosts? Fuck 'em! Let's see those spectral mofos try to throw hands with Bleebo!"
>note: Bleebo is trying- unsuccessfully- to hide a growing erection at the thought of fighting ghosts

>>5583840
>I ain't afraid of no ghost!
cmon, you gotta do it

>>5583884
>>5583904
>>5583995
>>5584229
>>5584246
>>5584263
"I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" you say. "In fact, I think they're neat!"

"Izzy, you think everything is neat." Sam says.

"Do not. I just happen to be fortunate to be in a very neat place. If you can't see it, it's probably because you've been in Joyous Harbor so long. I bet birds don't see what's so cool about flying and fish don't see the big deal about living underwater. Ghosts are neat!"

"I can see how they'd be neat back in the 19th century when people weren't sure they were real or not, but now they're just like Thule or Hubaro, just another kind of person in the world."

"Think about it, though. Isn't it cool that something persists after you die?" you ask.

"I don't intend for my ghost to decouple for a long, long time." Sam says.

"I didn't mean it like that. Dying sucks. It's why everyone tries not to die. But you got someone to carry on in your stead, like a child. Didn't someone once call ghosts children of men?"

"Yeah, some historical guy. Can't remember his name right now." Sam says. "That makes some people uncomfortable, though. They die and then this other being steps out of their corpse with their face and mannerisms and some of their memories. It feels violating to them."

"Not to me."

"Well, you're on good terms with your soul." Sam says.

You shrug. "Eh, most of the time we're cool."

"You talk to your soul, Izzy?" Edith asks.

"I learned how to do it from TIMS. They exposed me to certain powers that let me do it. In fact, just yesterday while messing with the Homil treasures I ended up talking with him."

"I talk to mine. Her name is Fiadh. She's very old and very wise but sleeps a lot. She likes to dream about me."

"That's good!" you say.

"She's the dragon part of me." Edith looks at her claws. "Just as she's got some dragon in my body, I got some human in her soul. We made a good composite, like how iron and copper makes steel."

"Where did you learn that?" Sam asks Edith. "Because you didn't learn that in chemistry class."

Edith grins. "I learned it on my own, a longggg time ago when I was trying to find ways to explain what I was to my parents."

"Are you the iron or the copper? you ask Edith.

"I'm the iron and the copper." Edith says. "The girl and the dragon, and the same goes for Fiadh. I am Fiadh. She is Edith. My supername is Dragongirl. No space. It's not Dragon SPACE Girl, it's Dragongirl."

Edith's supername is Dragongirl? That's--

>So cute!

>So cool!

>Kind of lame, maybe we could suggest a better name?

>>5584229
>>5584246
Welcome aboard, Bleebo. You got your planetary immigration papers in order? Don't want you to get busted by the Warp Authority.

>>5583995
Just wait until Izzy meets Flicker.

>>5584576
>So cute!

>>5584576
>On the nose, but pretty cute. it suits you edith

>>5584576
What about... Furnace!

>>5584576
>So cute!
Question if she won't need to kill Dragonwomen to evolve?

>>5584708
>>5585184
>>5585320
>>5585376
"That's a cute supername, Edith!" you say.

"You really think so? Thanks, Izzy! I get soooo many people saying its too generic, but like, what else am I supposed to call myself? Dragongirl, that's what I am! It's not big-time superheroes haven't been on-the-nose with their own names! That guy with the leopard powers calls himself Leopardman. The girl with the moth powers is called Mothwoman. The guy with the bat powers is called--"

"He gets it, Edith." Sam says. "Though the last guy doesn't actually have...ah, forget about it."

"Sounds like you're a little defensive about your supername." you say.

"Ah...maybe a little bit." Edith admits. "It's one of the things people like Harmony make fun of me about."

"Well, welcome to the mutual pact for defending supernames against bullies." you hold out your hand to Edith. "I'm going to need all the help I can get! I've already been getting bad vibes about Xerographer!"

Edith shakes your hand. "There's nothing wrong with that, only I don't know what it means!"

"Maybe it's best not to explain it." you say.

"No! No, tell me! I got to know!"

"It's what people call a photo copier." Sam says.

"Ohhhh." Edith turns toward the wrecked ship at the water's edge. "Well, enough chatting! I'm hungry!"

"Hold on." Sam says.

"But I'm hungry!"

"There's a few rules I want to go over you two about interacting with ghosts."

Edith folds her arms. "I've had manesology!"

"Yeah, and I've seen the grades you've made it in. Now, rule 1--don't touch the ghosts. Hands to yourself."

"Why's that a rule?" Edith asks. "It's not like you can actually touch them, not unless you have a power that lets you."

"I mean don't wave your hand inside them going "I can't touch you! You can't touch me!""

"Ohhhh. I see how that can be annoying."

"Right. Rule 2, Don't play to stereotypes. No "Argh! Avast ye, scurvy dogs! Swap the poopdeck and walk the plank!" None of that, okay? And rule 3, no starring. Not even at the guys with the skull faces."

Edith sighs. "Sam, I've eaten here once or twice before."

"This was mostly for Izzy." Sam says. "Though a little for you, too. You do forget things, sometimes."

Edith rolls her eyes. "Not important things I don't!" she rises into the air and takes off towards the Smiling Fortune, but you stop her with a question.

"Hey Edith, hold on a moment!"

"What? I'm hungry!"

"Do you have to kill other Dragonwomen to evolve?"

Edith blinks her fire-red eyes. "...huh?"

"Like, you know, to evolve from Dragongirl to Dragonwoman."

"Why would I need to kill someone to evolve? Why would I want to evolve? How would I even --ohhhhh! You're making a joke, aren't you?"

"Yeah...or well, I tried..."

"Izzy is the best comic that holed up on an island all his life." Sam says.

"Hm..." Edith scratches her cheek with a claw. "You guys think I should try Dragonwoman? Do you think that would make people see me as more adult?"

>>5585888
Sam shrugs. "I don't know. Do what you want. It's your supername."

"Izzy, what do you think?" Edith asks. "I've thought about changing to Dragonwoman a few times, because in history class they talk about superheroines that changed from girl to woman because they wanted people to respect them more, but Dragonwoman, that's four whole syllables, it feels long for a supername, and..." Edith lowers her voice. "Asian women might get upset."

"Why would they get upset?" you ask. "Don't they like dragons? I mean, generally speaking."

"Keyword Dragon Lady sometime." Sam says.

"Oh, supervillainess that gave Asians a bad name or something?"

"Uh, something like that."

"Dragonlady sounds so cool though..." Edith mutters. "I'd like people to see me as a lady...but Izzy, what do you think? Dragonwoman or Dragongirl?"

"Here you were going on and on about how much you like your name and you want to change it?" you ask.

"Stop beating around the bush and just tell me!"

"Give it up, Izzy." Sam says. "She's a girl dragon, emphasis on girl. They treat supernames like clothes."

>Well? What do we think?

>>5585898
>I think it's a bit too early, we are still in school aren't we? Girl suits you more.
>Besides, if people aren't taking you seriously, then that means they are underestimating you. And everyone likes an underdog story.
>But if you really want a name change you could also go for something like Dragonica if Dragonwoman is too long.

>Dragonova Sounds metal and intimidating but for now stick to Dragongirl and focus on doing cool stuff. Names aren't forever but what you do while being called a name are

Do not worry, I am still here.

>>5586471
Here's more unispired potential names for adult Edith
Dragona
Dragoness
Dragonette

>>5585898
>>5586471
Supporting.

>>5586471
+1 plus smack Sam for misogynistic comment being raised by mother we know better

>>5586471
>>5587860
"I think it's a bit too early, we are still in school aren't we? Girl suits you more." you say.

"It's not bad, but I'm not sue it says "Here I am! I'm capable of helping and you should trust me to help!" I want a name like that." Edith says.

"Hey, if people aren't taking you seriously, why should you complain?"

Edith shrugs. "Uh...because they aren't taking me seriously?"

"But that means they're underestimating. You can use that to your advantage!"

"Wellll..." Edith smiles. "There was that one time, in ERC combat training, that I got taken down by a sim of the Gingerbread Man--"

You bite your tongue. You aren't going to laugh if you can help it. Besides, what did you just say about underestimating opponents? For all you know, the Gingerbread Man is badass.

"--I wasn't paying attention and he got me with his frosting blasters--"

You bite your tongue harder.

"--so The Coat, that would be Matthew Roy, he said I looked like a Strawberry Shortcake that got lost in the action figure aisle!"

She probably did look cute trussed up in a confectionary themed death trap...

"But I showed him!" Edith says. "Steel Dolly matched us up, and I thwomped him?"

"You thwomped him?" Sam asks.

"Yeah! I thwomped him good! So there's something to what Izzy says about being underestimated."

"Yeah!" you say. "And everyone loves a good underdog story! Like that one New Yorker superhero who struggled to make ends meet as a tabloid photographer."

"I thought he was freelance..." Edith says.

"Last I heard he was a science teacher." you say.

"I heard he did was employed at some kind of scientific foundation." Sam adds.

"Anyway, point is, he's an underdog---some of the time--and he's crazy popular!"

"That's true. That's all true." Edith says. "But when I weigh all that against people taking me seriously, people going "Oh! She's here! Yay! We're saved!" I kind of want a more adultish name."

"Well, if you really want a name change, you could go for something like...Dragonica!"

"Hm...sounds like a band." Edith says. "A cool band! But it sounds a little intimidating, like maybe a weapon or something."

'How about we shorten it to Dragona?" you suggest.

'Dragona...Dragona..." Edith repeats the name to herself. "Better, but I think I'm hung up on the "gon" part, it's a little too strong."

'Dragonette?"

"Pretty! But a little too pretty."

"Dragoness?"

"Better!"

"Oh lord, are you two really playing supername dress up?" Sam asks.

You are.

"--Ess is a nice ending, shame you boys can't use it." Edith says. "Tigress. Lioness. Dragoness!"

"It didn't work out so well for the female partner of the Mist." Sam says.

"Why didn't it work out for..." Edith gasps. "Sam! That's dirty!"

Sam chuckles.

'Now I don't want Dragoness! Izzy! Give me another name!"

"How about Dragonova?"

"Oh...that's pretty! That's very pretty! Dragonova...Drag...on...ova! It sounds so queenly! I like it! Sam! Sam! Call me Dragonova!"

"You want me to what?"

>>5591485
"Call me Dragonova! Like say "HI, Dragonova! Good morning!"

"why?" Sam asks.

"I want to hear how it sounds!"

"But you can just say it yourself."

"Say hi, Dragonova!"

"Okay, okay. Hi Dragonova. Dragonova. Dragonova. Dragonova..."

"Stop! You're making it sound bad!"

Sam smiles. "Dragonova! Dragonova! Dragonova!"

'I can do it too! Sam! Sam! Sam! Sam!"

"Children, children, please." You motion for the two to follow you. 'Don't make me look bad in front of the infamous undead outlaws."

"Good, then!" Edith darts toward the Smiling Fortune and says something about being hungry and how you and Sam take all day to talk, but it's lost in the distance.

Sam smiles after her.

"That was pretty...young of you, Sam." you say.

Sam pushes up his sunglasses. "Yeah. Well, she's got that corruptive influence on people."

'I see."

You give your buddy a light slap across the head.

'Hey!" he says. "What was that for?"

"Sexist remarks. Mom raised me better."

"Did she now? I don't remember you minding so much when we talked about who the hottest--"

"You don't do it in front of girls!" you shout, cutting Sam off.

Sam rolls his shoulder in the direction of the ship wreck. "Come on, buddy. Let's go eat."

......


The gutted insides of the Smiling Fortune are lit by floating candles that never melt from the green flame that tops their wick. There are eyes glowing in the shadows of broken timbers. Faded paintings with oil reduced almost to dust regard you with calm, transfixing eyes.

You can hear a storm outside. Perhaps it as the storm that wrecked the ship.

A floating skull with an eye patch chases after a pair of dice singing snatches of a sea shanty. 'Fifty lashes I got for selling me coat, fifty for selling me blanket..."

A disembodied hand with blood-red rings mimes bringing an empty mug to nonexistent lips.

'Hi guys!" Edith shouts from a table, mouth half full with the hamburgers she brought with her.

You and Sam join her. "So, where do we get the food?" you ask.

Sam and Edith point to a black tent pitched in the corner.

Or what you think, for a moment, is a black tent.

Then you realize a massive, dark bulk is holding it up, and that a smoking cast iron pot is cooking without fire beneath it.

"...So that's the cook." you say.

'That's the cook." Sam says.

You stand up. Here we go.

'Any advice, guys?" you ask.

"Don't ask him for a hamburger! He hates that!" Edith says.

"Thanks, Edith. I'll keep that in mind."

You approach the cook.

A gnarled, three-fingered hand protrudes from the darkness and points a shaking finger at you.

'...What?" a voice whispers.

>What do we say?

>>5591546
>Hello, I would like to order something.
>This is actually my first time here, what would you recommend?

>>5583735
Hitler wasn't that bad a guy, Stalin was worse.

>>5591546
"I'll have two number 9s, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a large soda....no wait 5 large sodas"

>>5591559
this one.

QM?

>>5596628
Still here, just been busy, update soon.

Apologies for the wait, I know it's been a week, bear with me.

File: Hellfire Stew.jpg (195 KB, 1280x720)

195 KB JPG

>>5591559
>>5592563
>>5592961
>>5594041
>>5596628
"I would like to order something." you say to the cloaked figure. "It's my first time here, what would you--"

A black bowl of something red and lightly bubbling appears in the three fingered hand.

"...Oh? Is this for me?"

"Take." the voice hisses.

"Thank you." you take the bowl in your hands. "Is this the uh, hardtack stew? I heard that was pretty good, like your signature disk or something, but this looks kind of solid for a stew and--"

"Take. Eat."

"Okay. Thank you."

You walk back to the table to find Sam smiling.

"What did you think of Cookie?" he asks.

"Do they really call him that?"

"They've called him that since before the United States was a country. They aren't going to stop now."

You show Sam your bowl. "He gave me this. Is this supposed to be the hardtack stew? Because it looks really, really thick."

Edith leans over and sniffs your food. "Yep! That's it!" she covers her face with her arm and sneezes. "Whew! He sure used a lot of salt."

"I'm not sure if that's encouraging or discouraging." you say.

You stare down at your food, your enemy. Soon, the battle will begin.

While you ponder the consequences of your choices, a young ghost dressed as an 18th century dandy with a curled wig and a ponytail. His brass buttons shine in his wispy, blue coat like lights trapped in a fog.

He seems about your age.

He takes a seat next to Edith.

"I think you're a little drunk, sailor." Sam says. "This isn't your table."

'Oh, but I think it is!" the ghost says. "Everyone keeps a chair ready for Longboat John! Why, you must not come here often if you don't know that! But Longboat John can show you around, help you get your sea legs--that's a metaphorical expression, of course!"

He turns with a big smile to Edith.

"And who might you be, pretty one?"

Edith blushes, and scoots out of her seat so that she's floating on air.

"Um...hi. My name's Edith and um, I don't remember you seeing here before..."

"You've been here before? A pretty girl like you in this din of debauchery?" Longboat John hovers after Edith. "Oh, I see, you want some excitement, don't you? Came here to see what 18th century men were like?"

"I came here to eat my hamburger with my friends. Now um, if you would please stop moving after me..."

'Why? Are you afraid of me? Afraid of a boy what bumped his and drowned beneath a longboat? Oh, you don't need to be afraid of me..."

Longboat John touches Edith's hand. She recoils back sharply.

'Please don't do that."

Longboat John laughs uproariously. "Causing a scene, am I, as you 21sters say?"

"Yes, you are."

'But my dear, you caused the biggest scene of all walking in here, pretty as you are. How could I ignore you?"

>What do we say? What do we do?

>>5592563
True, but Stalin was killed when superhumans overthrew him. Russia spent a few years as a collection of feudal states where superhumans handled major industries and basics farmed before they were absorbed by Earth State.

Hitler wouldn't be killed until they got his last clone body in 2000. He had a staying power Stalin didn't.

>>5601080
>"Hey, leave Edith alone. I don't care if you are making a scene or not, but you are annoying her and that I have a problem with."
>"I'm the one that wanted to come here. Also I'm pretty sure she isn't scared of you, you just have the charm of a plank of wood."

>>5601136
Actually, while I want to call out his shitty pickup artist routine, it doesn't flow that well with the argument.
So maybe go with
>"I'm the one that suggested to come here, so I can still decide to skip dinner and go where they wanted to"

>>5601080
"Then you're ruining her scene by being around her so split ya damn horndog we don't want you ruining our meal with your wooden conversations"

>>5601136
>>5601153
>>5601842
"Hey. Leave Edith alone. I think you're ruining her scene by being around her, and I'm the one that suggested we come here, so I can decide to skip dinner and go where she wanted to."

"Yeah. Beat it, little lord Fauntleroy." Sam says. "Shove off and take your longboat with you."

Longboat John cuts his eyes at you and Sam, still not getting out of Edith's personal space. "Oh? Are you speaking for her? I was not aware the little lady was spoken for. It seems rather odd you would take her to a place with so many riotous, bawdy menfolk. Doesn't seem smart if you want to keep her."

"Including you." Edith says. "And this girl can speak, and she says please move to another table."

Longboat John is all gesturing hands and smiles. "Forgive me, my dear, forgive me. I am not one of the rapscallions, heavens no! Longboat John is a gentleman."

"That's a joke, right?"

"I assure you, tis no joke! Why, I'm a chivalrous type. I can keep you safe."

"I can take care of myself!" Edith shouts. It seems that last comment got under her scales. "I don't need some atavistic throwback looming over me! I don't appreciate it, and I don't appreciate you!"

"You heard her. Now scram." Sam says.

"Atavistic, good word, Edith!" you say.

Longboat John grins and hovers backwards, hands behind his neck, lounging on nothing but air. "You really think those two 21sters can protect you, sweet?"

Sweet? Oh, that makes your skin crawl!

"I think I can protect myself." Edith leers at the ghost. "Who do you think you are, anyway? You don't look like a pirate, you look like their cabin boy!"

"Cabin boy?" the ghost's fake smile vanishes. "CABIN BOY? You have some nerve calling me that, bare-legged like a harlot and scaled like an overcooked lobster!"

"Well, you're mean!" Edith retorts. "And you have no manners!"

"Oh. I think I know what this is. You want to have a little tension, don't you? Want to be a little scared? That's why you came here, isn't it?"

Longboat John claps, and a burly assortment of pirates in tattered, waterlogged clothing materialize behind him.

"These be the me that didn't fish me out of drink, on account of them being chewed up with grapeshot."

On close inspection, you can see the wounds in their ectoplasmic bulk. It's like they were turned into pincushions using extra-large needles.

Longboat John points at you and Sam.

"Why don't you two show me you can protect your woman?"

"Hey--wait, what?" Edith stammers. "Don't you fight them, fight me!"

Longboat John shakes his head. "Oh, but you modern girls! You all must play the tomboy, it seems. Very well. I've put my hand aside a mouthy woman's face before!"

>Looks like we're in a ghostly bar fight!
>Powers in range: Sam's, Edith's, Unknown ghost powers from the various ghosts swarming around.

>What do we say? What do we do?

I know we managed to get a thing that let's us touch souls so
>Mix superstrength and magic shit
>PUNCH HIS SOUL BRATAN!!

>>5602544
Whatever we do, we must hum the ghostbuster theme.
Enlarge the toothpick and turn in into a Sword and Board, if it's a relic it should have some magical properties, right? Like silver.
Should probably use Sam's power to crate rings around Short John and start rumbling him down. Giving his ectoplasm a shake should disorient him.
Copying Edith's wings and scales should give us some extra protection and mobility

Thread archived here:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5574482/

Went on a big bootleg action figure kick recently and it inspired me to do some worldbuilding.

Izzy may encounter some of these weirdos.

Evil mercenaries:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/black-card/

War themed cenobites:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-devil-warriors/

Evil Space Cowboys:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-black-hole-gang/

Evil space aristrocat and his furry warrior patsies:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-nighthawk-groundlings/

Space pirates, but they're extremely weird:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-space-patrol-ii/

I thought they would nice fodder for ERC practice.

File: Gargoyle Protector.jpg (416 KB, 1201x1600)

416 KB JPG

And because I didn't want to just write-up ERC fodder, here are potential allies:

What-if Master Splinter took in a bunch of failed supervillains and gave them ninja training to make them better people:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-amicable-herculeans/

A visiting space warrior from a society where the randomness of superpowers has been regualated, similar to Earth State. he keeps challenging Earth-based superheroes and testing them ostensibly to for cross-cultural comparisons of what it means to be a superhuman warrior, but really he just wants a team-up because he remembers when his culture used to be like what the US and Japaense superhero culture currently is:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/savas-cilari-uzay-headman/

Also, mulling over doing something with pic related, who will likely be involved with the Shisa twins, since living apotropaic guardians have to stick together.

>>5602544
>>What do we say? What do we do?
>Tell him to fuck of or we go to Cookie and tell him we can't eat because of him.

>>5606068
I like this idea!

>>5606068
>>5602557
>>5602574
>Do we choose combat?
>Or do we choose social combat?

>>5606235
Fine, let's go for social combat

>>5606235
either one works I just want to punch the soul!!

This thread still up?


Man, I call these threads way too early. Anyway, more lore:

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/supermano/

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-monster-maniacs/

https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/t3-tag-team-terror/

Also, if there's anyone you'd like a lore file on, just let me know.