>>5614557
You look down at the chunky, chalky amalgamation of old cracker and what you think is pork.

"Sure." you say, grabbing your spoon and probing the stew. "I like hardtack stew."

"If you liked it, you would know that it's properly called hellfire stew." Longboat John says.

You look at Sam.

"Yeah, it's called hellfire stew." he says, confirming your fears.

Hellfire stew. Oh, of course it's called hellfire stew!

"Oh." you stir your stew, half expecting to see a lost soul drift up to you with the steam. "Never heard it called that before."

"That's because you've never heard about it to begin with." Longboat John says. "21ster, with your artificial foods and flavorings and dyes. You've never had hellfire stew. You can't handle it!" the ghostly dandy stretches his neck like a snake towards Cookie. "I bet he was going to throw it away! I bet he would have taken one bite and tossed the bowl clean across the room!"

Oh great. Now Cookie's looking at you.

Or at the very least, he's moved his robes so that his shadowy mass is facing your general direction. Thing is, Cookie is now very interested in seeing you take your first taste.

Hellfire stew. The things people used to get up to before electricity!

Oh well. They do say the hardest fight is in preventing fights from happening...

>Roll 1d20 to take a bite
>I need three rolls.

File: Rumble.png (320 KB, 800x1640)

320 KB PNG

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 ours, they’re not canonical to Martin's Quest and do not take place in the same setting nor do they have the same characters.

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

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5614558
Wooooo

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5614558

Hope the third roll helps Izzy enjoy this delicious stew

Rolled 6 (1d20)

cmon, no whammies

goddammit.

>>5614561
>>5614566
>>5614723


Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You take a bite...and oh god.

It's so, so spicy!

What is that? Pepper juice? Granulated pepper? Both at once?

You think it's both at once.

To your credit, you don't spit it out as much as open your mouth for air and have it dribble out.

Cookie rises, shaking like a black flag in a storm wind.

Longboat John laughs. "I knew you were a faker!" he motions to his goons. "Get him!"

"Get him?" Edith rises into the air, shielding you with her wings. "Excuse you? I thought we were supposed to fight!"

Sam sighs and cracks his knuckles.

You touch the Mercury Toothpick in your pocket. You guess you're having a bar room brawl after all.

Will it work on ghosts? You're pretty sure it will. You only know a little about Sun Wukong, but he was supposed to have raided Heaven, right? You doubt a weapon meant for him would fail against the incorporeal.

Powersets within range: Sam and Edith.

>What do do?

>>5614739
Copying my post from last thread
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 create 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

>>5614739
PUNCH THEM IN THE SOUUUUUL

>>5614743
>>5614749
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBObJhcy8Wg

You hum a certain theme to yourself.

You know the film is controversial due to its depiction of ghosts, but you can't help but love it, it's so funny!

The MT sprouts into a sword and shield connected by a thin cord only you are aware of.

You slap your sword against your shield. You think you saw someone do this in a movie once.

The ghost thugs seem taken aback. Then, Longboat John slaps one on the back of the head.

"You idiot! Get him!"

You spread your sword and shield apart as if inviting them to hit you. You've been wanting to try this trick out since Monster showed you.

The ghosts jump at the opportunity to tackle you...and as they charge, you enlarge the string between the sword and shield into a large wall.

Their ectoplasmic bodies flatten like puddles as they run headlong into the obstacle.

Laughter echoes from the shadows. Longboat John looks furious.

A long rapier with an ornate guard springs from his fingers. "You dare make a fool of me?"

"Put that sword away before you hurt yourself." you say.

You aren't sure where you found the guts to say something like that. You're sure Steel Dolly will have something to say about you escalating the conflict.

It's clear John is the leader of his little group. If you take him out, it may stop the other ghosts from trying to grab you again.

You reach out and copy Sam's power, then you focus on Longboat John.

>Roll 1d20+5

>>5614739
>What do do?
>'Waste not, want not' you are teenager not a fucking child. Men up and eat the fucking stew private!

Rolled 1 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5614791
Will we break the bad roll streak?

>>5614798
I guess not
I think I'm going to pass on rolling for a while

Rolled 14 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5614791

>>5614797
Alas, our palette is not tough enough for pirate food...

>>5614798
You put Longboat John in the blender that is the rumble ring. His ectoplasmic form is stretched like sugar in a cotton candy machine as he goes round and round and round the energized center of the ring.

The other pirates stop, as you thought they would, uncertain about circumstances now that their leader is incapacitated.

"I didn't want to have to do that." you say. "But if you start a fight, I'm going to finish it."

You smile to yourself.

Oh, that's a good one! Did you pick that line up from Sam? You make a mental note to remember it for later.

Suddenly, an elongated arm swipes itself free of the rumble ring and, powered by the centrifugal force of the ring, heads toward your head with considerable force!

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5614806

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>5614806

File: 1651763529742.png (222 KB, 640x640)

222 KB PNG

>>5614846

>>5614846
BONK!

Somehow, you didn't think the sound of getting hit upside the head by a ghost hand would be BONK, but it is.

You come to with Edith shaking you and shouting in your face. "Izzy! Izzy!"

"...Izzy?" she smiles as she sees your eyes open.

"Izzy!" she picks you up in her arms and squeezes you until you think you're going to pass out again. That dragon strength of hers is completely disguised by her small frame.

"I'm...okay..." you gasp.

Edith places you in your seat. "And I'm so glad you are!"

"I told you he was okay." Sam says.

"I thought you were dead! Longboat John slapped you across the head and you fell down and I thought you were dead Izzy I'm SOOOOOO happy you aren't dead!"

"Would be pretty ironic to go in a place like this." you rub your head as you look around. You see Longboat John's minions slowly rotating around the inside of a rumble ring.

"What happened to Shortboat John?" you ask.

"We took care of him." Edith says. "Sam got another rumble ring around him, and then I...well, take a look!" Edith flaps over to the trapped ghosts.

"No! Wait!" they shout. "You said you wouldn't do it!"

"Well I changed my mind. You can cool your heels on the Odic layer of the Astral with your friend."

Edith takes a deep breath, and when she exhales, the sound that comes out of her mouth is like burst of static electricity.

The ghosts vanish as suddenly and completely as water hitting a hit skillet.

"Entropic dissemination of ectoplasmic manifestations!" Edith grins. "See Sam? I don't always sleep in manesology!"

"Neat!" you say. "Edith, you got to teach me how to do that sometime."

You look around and spot Cookie, doing his best to stay out of eyesight of Edith. "Hey? Cookie? We cool?"

Cookie nods.

"Okay, good! I'd like to come back here sometime."

"They aren't normally like this." Sam says. "I don't know who Longboat John is, but he isn't a regular."

>>5614867
Cookie is cool

>>5614867
"I might be able to explain." a youthful ghost, a little older than you and your friends, approaches you. He removes his tricorn and gives a deep bow. "My name is Renwick Hartfield. In other times and climes, I was known as Cutpurse Ren."

"I don't recall you being here before either." Sam says.

Ren turns toward him. "Perhaps you'll recognize me like this?" his face suddenly ages to that of an old, weathered sea dog. Wrinkles on his face made with a a broadsword are hard to tell apart from wrinkles made with the blade of age. One eye looks lazily at the floor.

"Now I do remember seeing you." Sam says.

Ren's face returns to youth. "I'm afraid that I am to blame for Longboat John. I woke him up out of his natural torpor."

"Torpor means he was sleeping." Edith says, proud to remember something else from manesology class. "Manes sometimes do that after decoupling from their bodies."

"Why'd you do that?" Sam asks.

"I wished to speak with him. I knew him, long ago, and as I stand upon a new chapter of my life, I wished to talk with him again. May I sit down?"

"Sure." you say.

"Thank you. Please forgive him for his behavior. He was raised by whores and scoundrels."

"We'll forgive him so long as you teach him to be a gentleman." Edith says. "Make sure he remembers me the next time he tries to hit on someone."

"I shall reprimand him harshly for his attitude and actions." Ren says. "Also, please allow me to pay for your meals today."

"Noooooo costttttt..." Cookie intones from the back.

"Did you wake up the other ones?" Sam asks.

"That I did. They, like Longboat John, were old acquaintances of mine. Like him, they are like statues."

"They seemed rather animated for statues." Edith says.

"I speak metaphorically. Longboat John, he was about your age when he hit his head on the longboat and drowned. And here he is, centuries later, with his head still sparkling of blood. The others are like that as well. I was like that. I had my face and my memories and they were all that I was."

"But now you're young." Edith says. "You make yourself young."

"That I have. Aye, that I have. No more a living statue will I be. I have grown tired of being tired, of being tired that I think the same things and do the same actions and haunt the same places while the world changes around me. If I am to be a spirit, I want to be a youthful spirit."

"Good for you." Sam says.

Ren looks at your head and smiles. "First battle scar, mate?"

>What do we say?

>>5614949
>I think so, all the other fights so far were just training
>Or against crabs

>>5614957
"I think so, all the other fights so far were just training." you say. "Or against crabs."

"Crabs you say? You grew up on an island?" Ren asks. "I was raised on Barbados myself."

"Uh huh. A place called Beck Island."

"Don't think I've ever heard of it."

"A superhero named Dancing Star made it back before I was born, but not before you were born, obviously."

"Ah. The wonders of modern superhumans. The Astral walls were thick in my time. No pulling islands out of the water like a god, no girls with leather wings, no ghost pirates, either. Archaic as my kind are, we're just as modern as you and yours, in that respect."

"That's a good way of thinking about it." you say. "Everyone has a place in this world. And if they don't, they can build one. Mr. Hartfield--"

"Call me Ren, please. Captain Ren."

"Captain Ren, I think I know a little how you feel, sir. I used to be very disconnected from the world. It was just me and my family on Beck island."

"Just you and your family?" Captain Ren asks. "All by your lonesome?"

"All by our very lonesome. And I didn't want anything to do with the world, because I didn't think there was a place in it for me, just a place for the powers I copied."

"But now you're out and about mingling with rowdy ghosts."

You nod.

"And taking your lumps without a complaint like a strong salt!"

"Well, I'll probably take a pain killer later."

"You do Beck Island proud, Izzy."

"That's very few people, sir."

"Yourself and your family, aye. But you do them proud."

Complimented by a ghost pirate captain. You feel accomplished!

"What say I order a nice basket of fruit while we play a game?" Captain Ren asks.

"What kind of game?" Edith asks. "Because if its gambling, we're going to get in big trouble with the school..."

"No, no, nothing of the sort."

Captain Ren waves his hand over the wooden table and a blue map of an ocean appear, created out of his ectoplasm. In the corner of the map is compass rose intertwined with a sea serpent.

"What's this a map of, Captain Ren?" you ask.

"You'll see soon. But tell me, Izzy, to a modern boy like yourself, what do you think if the most important thing for a ship to have out on the oceans?"

>What do we say?

>>5614982
>A compass? Unless you have a way to read the stars

>>5614996
"A compass? Unless you have a way to read the stars?"

"Aha! No, you are mistaken, young Izzy." Captain Ren says. "It's the wind, boy. The wind!"

The water on the map starts to ripple into waves.

"Neat!" you exclaim.

"I think I understand why you picked the compass. You modern boys, its like you have the whole world in your hand, from the north to the south, form the east to the west. The noosphere brings you information from the four corners of the world and beyond, and the interway can take you there in seconds. But the world I'm from, the world of ship and sea, is a much smaller world, and there it is the wind that is most important. Odysseus had to go into hell and back out again for a bag of winds. Remember that. It is the wind that makes you move. It is the wind that keeps you alive."

You nod. You attentively listen to every word Captain Ren says as if he was another teacher.

"Now, for us to start the game. you will need a vessel..."

Three ships pull themselves out of the water and float before you, droplets streaming down the sides of their hulls.

"Choose one." Captain Ren says.

>The first is big. You think it's called a galleon It's hull is large and loaded with cannons. It's got several masts filled with sails.

>The second is small. You aren't sure what its called. It's got one mast with a large sail shaped like a pizza slice. You think you see a single cannon on the deck.

>The third is of an intermediate size. It's got three masts and the large, triangular sails of the second. You see it has a couple of guns, but not as much as the first.

>>5615081
>The third is of an intermediate size. It's got three masts and the large, triangular sails of the second. You see it has a couple of guns, but not as much as the first.

Trying to stick to an "every other day" schedule, so you won't see any updates tomorrow.

Keep voting on what our ship is going to be!

>>5615081
>The third is of an intermediate size. It's got three masts and the large, triangular sails of the second. You see it has a couple of guns, but not as much as the first.

>>5615081
option 3

>>5615081
>>The third is of an intermediate size. It's got three masts and the large, triangular sails of the second. You see it has a couple of guns, but not as much as the first.

>The third is of an intermediate size. It's got three masts and the large, triangular sails of the second. You see it has a couple of guns, but not as much as the first.

>>5615081
>>The first is big. You think it's called a galleon It's hull is large and loaded with cannons. It's got several masts filled with sails.

File: sugoi.png (93 KB, 253x446)

93 KB PNG

>>5615081
ooh the galleon. do the galleon!

>>5615081
Second looks fast, fast means good.

>>5615088
>>5615104
>>5615115
>>5615123
>>5615124
>>5615130
>>5615225
>>5615274
>>5616817
"I'll take this one." you point toward the middle-sized ship.

"Ah. Why that one, pray tell?" Captain Ren asks.

"I don't know much about ships." you admit. "But if it turns out I need speed, it looks pretty speedy, and if it turns out I need power, it looks strong."

"That's a wise answer, not only for your reasoning, but because you admit you don't know much. Many of you moderns confuse familiarity with knowledge. "Look at this page in a book!" you say, as if a page can think."

The other two ships sink beneath the waves.

"Aw, me and Sam don't get to play?" Edith asks.

"In a moment." Captain Ren says. "But I would like to see what Izzy does on his own. Look carefully at your ship, Izzy."

You do so, and see little ghostly pirates moving around the deck.

"Neat! That's a lot of detail!"

"Thank you, Izzy." Captain Ren smiles. "I've been exercising my ghostly powers. Exercise benefits a dead body more than a living one, as there's more a dead body can do. Just a fascinating quirk of nature. Now, you may give your crew commands."

"Uh...what's the command for "move sail?" and how do I let them know to move the front sail instead of the back sail...or is that the front and that the back?" you have no idea how a boat works, and you found it strange. You always thoughts boats were simple things, bronze age tech that you drop in the water.

Captain Ren chuckles. "Oh, there's no front or back to a boat, lad. Here's what you're looking for:"

You follow Captain Ren's finger as he shows you around your ship.

"Bow. Port. Stern. Starboard."

"Bow. Port. Stern. Starboard." you repeat. "Four directions to a boat."

"Four directions to a world." Captain Ren says. "They say a ship is like a little world. And if that be true, then a ship's captain is God."

"And dies with his creation."

"Exactly, lad." there's a twinkle in Captain Ren's pale eye. "Exactly."

"I think if i have to give commands to the men, I'm going to lose the game." you say. "And it's going to be to the sea, not any opponent."

"That's where you're right and wrong, Izzy. The sea is the ultimate opponent. More ships have met their end against her than against all the navies of the world combined throughout history. More sailors have died from running aground on reefs than from cannon shot. But don't you worry about commanding your men. I figure you get enough dry education at that school of yours. I've never much been one for schools."

"I think Martin's is a lot different from the schools you remember." you say. "And a lot more fun."

"They probably don't lash you anymore, do they?"

"No, but they do put me in judo holds."

"Ha! I think you learn more from that!"

"My coach says I have a knack for wrestling."

"Anyway, don't you worry about giving commands. I've allowed a modern convenience--telepathy. You may think what you want your crew to do, and they will do it."

>>5617327
"Neat!" you shout as you instantly experiment with your ship.

LOAD THE CANNONS.

And sure enough, the little ghostly specks on your chip do just that!

FIRE THE CANNONS!

And they do! You see your boat rock from the full broadside. The water ripples as a cloud of smoke cuts the air.

Edith flinches. "Izzy!" she shouts. She looks down at herself and checks to see if any tiny cannonballs have embedded themselves in her jumpsuit.

"Did you think about where you were aiming before you fired?"

"Uh...no." you admit.

Captain Ren laughs. "Oh come now, dear, it's just a game! You think I would let my toy ships shoot you?"

"Yeah. I figured as much." you say.

"You can't be too careful with toys. Not with all the supervillains that use them." Edith says.

"We had a specialist in supervillain psychology talk to us about toy themed supervillains today. She said it had something to do with arrested development, they didn't get to play as kids so now want to force everyone to be their playmate." Sam explains. "It's why she's toy shy."

"Just make sure the toys keep their naval warfare to themselves." Edith says. "Otherwise I'm going to play sea monster with them!"

Sam looks at Edith's face.

"Something wrong, Sam?" Edith asks.

"Hmmmm....no. I don't think you can do it. Too cute for a seamonster."

"Hm. That's because you've never seen me angry."

"I have too seen you angry. You are adorable when you're angry."

Edith sticks out her tongue at Sam.

"Well. since Edith doesn't like being a target, let me offer up my own ship." Captain Ren touches the water and the lightly armed ship, the one with maybe a single cannon, pulls itself loose from the water.

"You picked the small one?" you ask.

"Yes."

"You're giving yourself a handicap?"

"Oh, something like that..."

The single sail of Captain Ren's ship flutters in the breeze. In a flash, it turns black, with a characteristic skull and crossbones.

"Enguarde, Izzy." Captain Ren says. "And mind the wind however you move!"

>I need two things:
>A name for our ship
>And 3 1d20-3 rolls.

Rolled 17 - 3 (1d20 - 3)

>>5617333
>A name for our ship
The Skezzy. It's a mix of Izzy and Skenazy

>>5617352
I'm in for the Skezzy even if it sounds oddly self-centered.

Rolled 14 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5617333
If you need more rolls I can throw one. 15% chance of getting higher than 17...

Rolled 12 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5617333
Skezzy is fine

>>5617333
>A name for our ship.
>The Skezzy

File: POTSM.jpg (133 KB, 900x900)

133 KB JPG

>>5617352
>>5617996
>>5618619
>>5618900
>>5618912
"I'm going to call you the Skezzy." you tell your ship, and to your amusement, the name appears emblazoned on its side.

"Skezzy?" Sam asks.

"Izzy plus Skenazy." you answer.

"A fine name." Captain Ren says. "Mine is the Cuchillo, and it's crew are a bloodthirsty sort!"

The Cuchilo cuts through the water towards the Skezzy.

"Fire!' you tell your ship, and the cannons cut loose, but the Cuchilo knives through the bombardment.

"You sure you want to get closer?" you ask Captain Ren. "I got an awful lot of cannons on my...what's this kind of ship called?"

"Yours is a galleass. Almost as strong as a galleon, almost as fast as a galley."

"What are those holes in the side of my ship for? More cannons?"

"Oars."

"Dude, you got a rowboat?" Sam asks.

"Hm. A galleass is no mere rowboat." Captain Ren says.

"Fire again!" you give the order as soon as your little men finish reloading the cannons. You mange to soak the Cuchilo in near-miss waterspouts, but it continues to move closer and closer to your ship.

"That's an agile boat!" you compliment.

"You best not be cheating!" Edith says.

"I swear on my honor I'm not. But a Bermuda sloop is a fast ship. It's a pirate's ship."

"It looks like you should watch where you're charging." you say. "Because if your sloop hits my galleass, it's going to be like a mosquito hitting a wall."

"Is that my strategy, though, Captain Skenazy?"

You think for a moment...and then you get it.

"All hands, deploy oars! Full speed ahead!"

"You're going to ram him?" Edith asks.

"I'd shoot him instead. Don't think you'll miss point-blank."

"And prepare to repel boarders after we hit!"

The Skezzy deploys her oars and goes full-speed ahead!

"Ah, you get it." there's a twinkle in Captain Ren's eye.

'What he get?" Edith asks. "What he get? I don't get it!"

"He got how pirates fight, Edith. Tell me, how do you think pirates fight?"

"Well uh, they blow up enemy ships. With their canons."

"No no no, that's how soldiers fight. Pirates want loot. Pirates want the ship their enemy has. You can sell the ship. the only problem is the men on board!"

The Skezzy nearly rams into the Cuchilo, nearly dashes it to timbers with its bulk, but it turns its sails and the wind carries it alongside the ship.

"Darn! Too close for guns now!" you say.

"Just as a pirate likes it! Deploy grapples!" Captain Ren shouts.

>Roll 1d20 to repel boarders!

Rolled 1 (1d20)

"Here goes nothing"

>>5618970
Several ropes fly from the Cuchilo and attach to the hull of the Skeezy. Pirates with daggers in their teeth climb the timbers.

"Cut their ropes, quickly!" you order your men, and though they cut a few and send the pirates falling into the drink, they're too slow for most of them, and you find a pitched battle being waged on the deck of your ship in nearly a blink of an eye!"

"Uh...go right! No, left! Wait you guys, bunch together! Don't let them--"

...and then the pirates are flowing the last of your men into the ocean and hoisting the Jolly Roger.

"...Well darn, that went bad, fast!"

Captain Ren chuckles. "Well lad, you were up against an old pirate. But you did well. You recognized my strategy. I didn't think you would."

"I figured you were up to something getting so close to me when my ship was so much bigger than yours. I shouldn't have attempted that charge. I think the oars tired out the arms of my men."

"And you're quick to recognize your mistakes! That's another point in your favor, Izzy. Ah, how I would have liked to have had you on the real Cuchilo."

"I don't think mom would have approved."

The old pirate leans back and roars with laughter. "Ah, you're alright for a living boy, Izzy."

"So now that Izzy's dead, can I have a turn?' Edith asks.

"Yes, yes, you'll all get turns." Captain Ren says.

He reaches into the map and stirs a whirlpool with his fingers that swallows the ships, crews and all. Then, he reaches his hand into the water, down to the wrist, and pulls out your ship.

"Here. It is yours." Captain Ren places the ship next to you.

"Really? Neat!" You say. It seems today is a red letter day for collecting cool things!

A bowl of fresh, cool fruit, apple slices and oranges, hovers next to your table.

"Complimentssssss offffffff theeee houseeeee..." Cookie intones.

"Hey, Captain Ren, do you got a ship that can fly? Like Peter Pan's?" Edith asks.

"Hm...no..."

"Rats!"

Captain Ren sticks his hand back into the water. "...But I think I can make one!"

"Awesome!" Edith cheers.

It's good to see she's in good spirits after that run in with Longboat John.

>Give me three rolls, all made at 1d20+3, to see how you do against your friends

Rolled 6 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5619003

Rolled 12 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5619003

Rolled 18 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5619003

>>5619003

Rolled 19 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5619003

>>5619007
>>5620402
>>5621267
>9
>15
>21

"Aww..." Edith pouts as the Ostentatious, he enormous flying dreadnought, sinks below the waters.

"You probably shouldn't have tried to crash down on top of me." you explain. "Those oars can make the Skezzy move fast once I get them all out. It's tiring for the men, but man, can they put on the speed when I need them too."

"I thought for sure the belly flop maneuver would work." Edith said. "It worked against Sam!"

"That's because I didn't think you'd actually do it." Sam says. "I told you it was a risky maneuver, and Izzy proved it."

Edith sticks out her tongue. "Yeah? Well, it still worked against you! The Ostentatious may be a flying boat, but he's still a boat!"

"He?" Sam asks. "I thought boats were always called she?"

"They were in my time." Captain Ren says. "Though call it what you will, a boat is a boat."

'Boats in Russia are called he." you say. 'Don't ask me how I know it. I think I saw something on the Flashback Channel about it."

"Ah, you 21sters are dilettantes of knowledge." Captain Ren says. "You know a little about everything but a lot about nothing--though in your case, I think your education has done you some good, Izzy. You do know some things, and thoroughly."

"I try to be a good student." you say. "It leads to being a good superhero, so they say."

"More than that, it leads to being a good man."

"Well, all your ships can be girls, mine is a boy." Edith says. "I see the Ostentatious as friendly, fat king. Hey Sam, have you come up with a name for your ship yet?" Edith asks. "I wanna know what I destroyed!"

"The switchblade." Sam answers.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You got to apply the greaser thing to everything? Even your toy boat?"

"Hey, part of making a brand is image consistency." Sam says. "Look at Eagleman. He's got his Eaglerangs, and his Eaglewing, and his Eaglesword, and that's not even mentioning the Bat guy."

You and your friends spend the rest of the evening sinking each other's boats and eating fruit...until you notice how late its getting and remember that there's a certain all-night diner you promised to meet a certain somebody at!

Captain Ren smiles as you hastily explain why you got to take off.

"No worries, no worries at all, Izzy. It's the way of the living to be busy. I myself hope to find something to busy myself with soon."

>Any parting words for the Captain and Cookie?

>>5621302
>Thanks for everything, you've been great!
>I got still a lot to visit and see, so I don't know if I'll return here soon. But if I do, I'll definitely look for you Ren! And try your food again too Cookie!

>>5621302
>So long! And thanks for all the fish!
>I don't know if I'll come back again soon, but I'll try!
>Anyway, it's been fun!

>>5621313
>>5621325

"Thanks for everything. You've been great, and its been fun!" you say. "I got a lot to do at school and everything, and even outside of school I got a lot of places in Joyous Harbor to visit, but I would love to come visit you again sometime. You got a fun game here, Captain Ren."

"Thank you, Izzy." Captain Ren says.

"Yeah! It's really fun! You should see about sharing this at Gallantry Games, it reminds me a lot of Hercs and Gabes."

"That's not something I'm familiar with." Captain Ren says. "It sounds modern."

"It sort of is." Edith says. "It's a little war game, like this pirate ship thing, but it's played with figures of old World War 1 robot armors. Hercules and Gabriels. My friend Tanya loves the game, plays it every day at lunch."

"Ah. I see." Captain Ren smiles. "Edith, for an old ghost like me, even the Great War in the Air is as modern to me as today. See you around, children. Perhaps next time I'll share some old pirate stories?"

"Sounds good." Sam says. "We'd love to hear them."

"Commeeeee backkkkkkk soooooonnnn..." Cookie intones.

"Will do." you say as you head toward the door. "So long...and thanks for all the fish!"

You're certain that neither Captain Ren nor anyone in the Smiling Fortune caught the reference. The Captain chuckles all the same at your incomprehensible 21ster sense of humor.

......

"That was neat!' Edith says as she plays with her Ostentatious, making it dart up and down and generally playing with it like a football. "We got to beat up some bad ghosts and then we played board games with a good ghost! We even got toys out of it!"

"Just watch Captain Ren and Cookie collaborate together to rebrand as a McDonalds." Sam says. "A ghost ship toy in every meal of hardtack stew."

"And instead of a drive-through, you take a ghost ship and dock." Edith says. "You know, that does sound kind of cool..."

"Hold." A voice stops your group cold. You turn and see a ghostly skeleton sitting on a barrel.

"If the next thing out of your mouth is "There was a ship," we're gone, man." Sam says.

"I heard ye was talkin' to ol' Cutface Ren."

"He called himself Cutpurse Ren." you say. "Though that was an old name."

The skeleton's teeth chatter as he cackles. 'Ha! Cutpurse, he says, Cutpurse? Oh, that's not what I's remember! I's remember old Cutface Ren, and we's called him that on counts what of the the big ol' cut gone' cross his face!"

'Hey, I remember you." Sam says. "You're Hollow Jack."

'Right, 21ster, right ye are! I's am old Hollow Jack, for the ol' grog flows through me body like rain down a gargoyle's gullet!"

"I thought so." Sam turns to leave. "Come on, Izzy. He's kooky, barely coherent. They say he died pickled and hasn't gone sober since."

"Hold! Ye should know boy, Cutface Ren be not one to trust! I warn thee of associatin' with such a man!"

>What do we say?

>>5624364
>Well, he basically says he wants to try being young again. Makes sense to try, being old and set in your ways for centuries doesn’t sound very fun. Unless you’re a species that lives for a lot longer I guess?

>>5624890
"Well, he basically says he wants to try being young again. Makes sense to try, being old and set in your ways for centuries doesn't sound very fun--unless you're one of those species that lives for a long time, I guess?"

The skeleton cackles. "Ahahahaha! He wants to be young again, issat it? Ahahahaha!"

"What's so funny about that?" Edith asks.

"Oh, he don't want to be young again. What, he want to be a cabin boy again? He want to be kicked around lashed?"

"Come on, Izzy." Sammy says. "Let's leave the skeleton to molder in his own sauce."

You turn and walk away.

"Ye listen to an old salt? Ye hear?" the skeleton shouts after you. "Ye keep an eye out for Cutface Ren! That boy was always up to no good! No good he was, I's say1 No good he is now! Ahahahahaha!"

......

You and your friends stand on the shore. Far in the distance, the lights on the Joyous Harbor boardwalk are starting to turn on. You can see the Ferris Wheel rotating. You can see the lights but the people are too small--but if you listen, with a little boost from Edith's draconic powers--you an hear them, the sounds of laughter carrying over the waves.

"You must hear pretty good, Edith." you say. "I can hear the people all the way on the boardwalk."

"She hears good." Sam says. "When she wants to."

"Hey!" Edith shouts.

"Anyway, children, I think it's time for me to head off to bed."

"Really?" you grin. "Okay, grandpa."

"I'll take Old Ironsides back." Sam says. "You two better fly off on dragon wings. You still got to visit Allnighter's, right, Izzy?"

"Yeah. I told Copycat I would be there."

Red wings grow from your back and you take to the air. "I got to say, Edith, this is way easier form of flying to figure out than Helen's. But don't tell her I said that."

"I won't." Edith climbs into the air after you. "Hey Sam, you sure you don't want us to give you a lift? I promise I won't drop you in the water again--that only happened once and it was an accident."

"I'm alright." Sam replies. "You two have sold me on the sea serpent. Old Ironsides isn't so bad."

"I bet you're going to pet him and take a selfie with him as soon as we're gone!" Edith says.

Sam smiles. "Not on your life."

"Well, give him a pat for me!" Edith bids farewell to Sam as she soars into the air after you.

....

You and Edith follow the lights back to Joyous Harbor. Up above, nature's lights are starting to shine.

When you reach the shore, the massive 100 floor building that is Martin's School peaks over the horizon. Red and blue lights illuminate the upper floors to help flying kids coming home late see it.

"Well, see you tomorrow Edith." you say.

"What are you talking about?" Edith asks.

"It's like Sam says, I gotta go up to Allnighters, talk to Copycat, get some coffee, look at the night owl superheroes, that stuff."

"Oh I know. I'm coming too."

...huh?

>What do we say?

>>5626793
>"Alright then. Did you decide that just now or were you planing on it already?"
>"I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but if it's about showing me around the place, you don't need to worry about it."
>"But I appreciate the company, everything is better with friends, right?"

>"But I appreciate the company, everything is better with friends, right?"

>>5626793
>"I appreciate the company, everything is better with friends, right?"

>>5626793
>>5626799
Backing this.

>>5626799
>>5626824
>>5626829
>>5627135
"Okay." you say. "Did you decide that just now or were you planning on it already?"

"I go to Allnighter's every Tuesday. Didn't I tell you that?" Edith asks.

"Uh...no.'

Edith snaps her fingers. "Oh. Darn. I didn't tell you...then what was it I was remembering? Oh yeah! I was remembering that I wanted to remember to tell you! I guess that never got beyond the remember stage..."

"It's alright." you say. "I overthink things a lot too. Why do you go to Allnighter's? Don't take this the wrong way Edith, but I don't see you as one of the usuals of a place like Allnighter's."

But then again, she apparently goes regularly to the Smiling Fortune...or as regularly as Edith does anything...

Edith scowls at you. "I'll have you know my contact education teacher meets me there."

"You got a superhero as a contact teacher?" you ask. "I thought you were ERC 2..."

"I am. I'm not training to be a superhero, and she's not a superhero. She's a superdetective. I'm training to be a detective."

Edith? A detective?

...Is she putting you on? She can barely find things in her own room...

>Roll 1d20 to suppress your surprise.

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5627173

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5627173

File: One Of The Brady Bunch.jpg (156 KB, 471x851)

156 KB JPG

>>5627194
You can't help but smirk a little...

"Hey!" Edith glares. "I know, I know, I don't look like detective material, do I? But you remember how good my senses were, right?"

"I do. I was able to hear all across the bay."

"Exactly! They say learning how to do detective work will help me improve my focus, and that I could be really good at! If you don't believe me, check my file, my contact education is right there!"

(And it is! Check her file on the site!)

Edith suddenly looks uncomfortable. "Look...if you don't want to hang out with me now that' Sam isn't here...it's a big place. I'll find a place to sit alone."

"Naw! What are you talking about, Edith? I appreciate the company. Everything is better with friends, right?"

Edith smiles. She's so happy to be included i your little adventures. "Thanks, Izzy! That almost makes me forgive you for doubting I'm a detective!"

"Come on, it's cold up here, let's get some hot coffee! It's on the boardwalk, right?"

"Yeah!"

Edith swoops down to the boardwalk, leading the way.

.....

It doesn't look like much. It look like any sort of modern coffee shop. If it wasn't for the little neon sign saying ALLNIGHTER'S over a moon wearing a domino mask, you'd think Edith was pulling your leg

You were expecting something more...film noir.

Peering inside, you see normal, everyday people, much to your surprise. Not a costume in sight...

"This isn't how I thought it would look." you say.

"They get that a lot." Edith opens the door for you.

You step inside and instantly get it.

The modern coffee diner is replaced by something very Edward Hopper. Round swivel seats, wooden tables, and servers dressed in clean white uniforms and black domino masks,

"Ah, hologram display! Neat!" you say.

"Yeah. Allnighter's is a secret." Edith says, "An open secret. Everyone even kindofsortof related to the superhero community knows about it. But the holograms work to keep tourists on the street from like, seeing King of the Night in here and coming in to ask for his autograph."

"King of the Night comes here?" you ask.

"And the Crime Fighter--all four of them. And Vampiro, that's Martina's dad. And the Night Maiden, and the Gargoyle, and the Knight of Tears..."

You look around as Edith continues to rattle off names.

A lot of masks. A lot of black. You see people you recognize from television and the noosphere. Before now, Johnny Winter's was the most famous guy you've ever seen. Some of these folks are legends!

'Yooooo Izzy!" Copycat calls from a table. Next to her is some guy you've never seen before in a red mask. You guess that's the other speculo she mentioned, Just-A-Hero. He's clearly going for a "casual" superhero look, like Sam. His costume is just a red and yellow T-shirt that says "Just Another Hero."

You wave back. "Hey! I brought a friend along, I hope you don't mind."

"I just saw my teacher." Edith says. "Let me check in with her real quick Izzy, I'll be right back!"

File: Red Queen Armored.jpg (249 KB, 1280x1500)

249 KB JPG

>>5627266
https://www.capeworldcomics.com/comic/the-red-queen-the-4th-red-bee/

Edith flies next to...is that her teacher?

She's...uh...well.

You're betting she falls firmly on the "dark superheroics" side of the bright vs dark debate.

She's got a mask like a compound eye and red form-fitting armor that seems to...break apart in places, and move, as if each part of it was alive. She's got...you think you can fall them "phalanges" or "tentacles" or something like that coming off her. And they're all sharp.

You feel worried about Edith, for a moment, but then the lady in the armor hugs her.

You want kick yourself for worrying, but some of these night time heroes, man, they're creepy!

The lady gently pulls Edith down from the air into a seat then taps the top of their table. Lights in a honeycomb pattern appear on the table. Edith looks down at them intently, as if she can see something in them.

What are they doing?

"Yooooo Izzy! Earth to Izzy!"

You bring your attention back to Copycat.

"Ah, sorry. I was just uh..."

"That's Red Queen." Copycat says. "She's cool, for a teacher. Edith's lucky to have her. She's supposed to be insect nightmare themed, in case you couldn't tell."

"Oh, I could tell she was...something."

"Nanites. She's come a long way since her great-grandfather. He was the Red Bee, and his power was that he could control a single bee."

"Talk about an upgrade." you say.

"Anyway, this here is the other speculo I told you about! Just-A-Hero, Izzy, Izzy, Just-A-Hero."

The bald young man holds out his hand. "Welcome to the speculo table. Have a seat."

You shake his hand and take a seat. "Neat! So is this like, our official table?"

"You say a password and the wood slides away to reveal a command center terminal." Just-A-Hero says.

"Really?"

"Yeah, totally. It used to be used by the Crime Fighter to solve cases while he had a cup of joe."

"What's the password!" you ask. "I want to see!"

Copycat elbows Just-A-Hero. "He's kidding, Izzy."

"Darn. That sounded pretty neat." you say.

And it did sound pretty neat.

"So Izzy, Copycat told me you kicked her butt today in ERC."

"He scored a narrow victory." Copycat says.

"She said you surprised her, did something she didn't expect you to do." Just-A-Hero says. "How'd you pull that off? She's usually the one that surprises people."

You see Copycat blush.

>What do we say?

>>5627275
>"Yeah, she tried to surprise me, but I just called her bluff, didn't back down and turned it around on her"

>>5627275
>>5627278
This and
>”A shame she didn’t call me on it. It would have been… electrifying.”
Puns are an excellent deflection trick, especially when it’ll have her blushing harder while still not revealing anything.

>>5627278
>>5627357
"Yeah, she tried to surprise me, but I just called her bluff, didn't back down and turned it around on her."

"How'd you do that?" JAH asks. "I mean what exactly happened. Speculo fights can get awfully abstract with all the different powers involved."

"It was a wrestling match, more or less." Copycat's face grows even redder. "Like I told you, I was the bad guy, he was trying to escape, and I underestimated him so he was able to reverse a hold on me. That's all."

"It's a shame she didn't call me on it. It would have been...electrifying."

"How so?" JAH asks. "I thought you guys were stuck with using Dolly's powers to beat each other like railroad ties?"

"W-Well, Just-a-Hero, Izzy is talking about...piezoelectric generation."

"Dolly can do that?"

"Well...yeah. You just need to know how. She's big on superstrength tricks, remember? Teaches that whole strength control class. I was going to generate a small magnetic field to trap Izzy in a sleeper hold if my gamble had paid out."

"Superpower tactics always make my head spin." JAH says. "Me, I just go with the flow, mostly because I kind of have to by default. Did anyone tell you exactly what my powers are, Izzy?"

"Uh, no. What can you do, JAH?"

"Well, you know that guy with the watch that can, like pick between different powers, I think like, 10 or 20 oh them?"

"I know the guy with the dial."

"I think those are the same guy. It's hard to tell sometimes. Anyway, it's like a roulette when they change powers, they don't know who they're going to get. I have that. Mirabolists say my mind is up there in the far Astral next to the hyperkeimenon which grants everyone superpowers. I can wish for whatever powers I want--but there's a catch!"

"There's always a catch for speculo powers." you say. "Everyone thinks we're invincible until we lose."

"Yep. I can wish for any power, but there are always semi-random factors involved. Like, if I wish for ice powers, I may turn into an ice golem, or a guy that shoots ice from his hands, or a guy with a never-ending blizzard around his head. I've taken a lot of Astral meditation classes since my powers developed, mostly with Mr. Neiros, and I can foresee transformations and edit out the ones that look really bad. Like I can stop myself from turning into the "talking snow cone" guy or the "everything around me drops to absolute 0" guy, but I still can't wish for powers beyond very broad categories."

"Neat power!" you say.

"Sometimes it doesn't seem so neat."

"Oh, that's every power. But I bet it's trained you to keep on your toes and that's great! Improvisation is like, half of what superheroes do."

"Yeah, that's true." JAH says. "Sometimes it's lame, like when I can only pick from a list of very crappy powers, but other times it cool, like when I end up using a crappy power in a way I didn't think I could to save the day. It's those little "A-ha" moments, they make it all worthwhile."

>>5629128
"Superheroics isn't a career for me. It's a passion." JAH gestures to the rest of the diner. "It's why I like coming here. Not to get into the whole bright vs dark debate, but the guys here, they're dedicated. Real dedicated. You do something that forces you to spend the wee hours of the morning up until you feel like you're in the Twilight Zone and time is an illusion, you're dedicated. That's why I come here. That, and the coffee is pretty good. You didn't here this from me, but I think they put some sort of superdrug in it..."

"Stop trying to fool the new kid." Copycat says. "He's too smart for tricks. I found that out myself."

"Anyway, if you like my powers, why don't you give them a shot? Interference from your own power might make the results uh, a little less impressive than you might wish, but like I said, it's about the "A-ha!" moments."

You look at JAH's powers through your special vision. Most powers look like little orbs of light. HIs is like a patchwork quilt. There's a lot of different orbs of light all arranged together in an uneven pattern. Some are far apart, some are close together. Some are faint, some are bright. Some have rectangular shapes, somehow, and you're really curious how the one shaped like a pyramid works.

"I'll give it a shot." you say, and extend your power over JAH's own.

You feel a brief, calming, holistic feeling. That must be your mind getting close to the hyperkeimenon. It's like a little taste of Nirvana.

Copycat makes a face at you. "You look medicated..."

"How's the hyperkeimenon treating you?" JAH asks.

"It feels like waking up from a long nap wrapped in a warm blanket."

"Not the most poetic description I heard, but a good sign nonetheless."

>What power do we wish for?

>>5629146
Can't go wrong with super healing. Specially if it heal other people as well as yourself

"Healing powers could cone in handy"

>>5629146
Malleable physiology which gives us near invulnerability basically what Plastic Man has.

>>5629181
>>5629230
>>5629234

"I want to go with super healing." you say "That seems to be one that's hard to get wrong. I heal someone less, I heal someone more, unless I roll its total opposite, no problems, right?'

"Good choice." JAH says. "But you don't need to be so reticent about the roulette. Random though it may be, it's my hyperstasis, not my metapathogen, and it's never giving me a power that's too bad...though to be safe, I think we should double you up with Copycat."

"I see what you're doing." Copycat says. "With my power, Izzy can copy your skills."

"It took me a long time to develop my pruning skills. Without them, you really will have to trust to pure chance." JAH says.

"As cool as it'll be to copy skills, stacking speculo powers produces interference." you explain. "I won't be able to copy more than one skillset at a time."

"You only need to copy mine." JAH says.

"True, but there will probably be gaps in the knowledge."

"Hey, me at middle school is better than me just as my powers develop."

"Okay! Let's do it! Copycat, may I copy your powers?"

"I was hoping to wager it for the rematch. You know, motivate you with Mega Man rules. You only get to copy who you beat first."

"But I did beat you."

"Warmups don't count! But if you got a good reason to use my powers, go right ahead, so long as you got a good reason to do so."

>JAH AND COPYCAT ADDED TO THE PERMISSIONS LIST

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>5631487
I wonder where we will get teleport this time

File: 69866099-C952-4842-B1CD-0(...).jpg (15 KB, 413x395)

15 KB JPG

>>5631492
oh shit

>>5631492

You reach out and copy JAH's skills along with is powers.

"So I want to get healing powers. What do I do ne...oh wait, never mind, I got it."

And you do.

The hyperkeimenon opens before you, but it doesn't overwhelm you. You allow it to flow through you. It is the sun, you are glass. It touches you and passes.

Now all you go to do is wish for healing and wait for the results to flash through your mind. This should be easy and simp--

"Fascinating! There you are!"

Oh god. Why does this keep happening to you?

A glowing white being in the shape of a man appears within your mind. "I didn't think I'd be able to talk to you so soon, Izzy. What are you doing so far up in the Astral? You copied a wizard or something?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea who you are. If you're like, an easily offended fairy king, please don't kill me, I've had a busy day."

"Oh no no no no, you don't need to worry about me! You're perfectly safe! In fact, I want to make you even safer than you are now!"

"Please don't tell me this is going to end up being the cosmic version of a protection racket. Because I can't pay. I get an allowance, man. I got nothing."

The being laughs. "Oh! You're so witty, Izzy! You flatter me. Because you see, you are me!"

You take a deep breath. You wonder if you're doing the same back on Earth?

"You're me?" you ask.

"Yep!"

"From...the future?"

"Well, it certainly would raise a lot more questions if I was from the past, wouldn't it? But yes, I'm from the future, from one of those "shared continuity" alternate universes. But you know the Astral. The higher portions are totally removed from time and space, so since I'm disjointed from time, and you're disjointed from time, we can meet!"

>What do we say?

>>5631526
>"Alright Old Izzy, do you have any tips on how to stop getting teleported when copying powers?"
>"The adventure is cool and all, but I have a feeling one day it's not going to end well."

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5631526
>"So, what exactly do you want again? And please try not to be cryptic about it, I don't want to get a headache."
>"Alright, are we going to meet again someday? I know I'm eventually going to be you if everything goes right, right?"
>"How much are you allowed to tell me? And do you remember getting talking to an older version of you, er, me, when you- I mean when we- were both where I am now?"

>>5631537
>>5631637
Well, here's a special situation.

The old thaumaturgists say that talking to your own soul is the first step to true wisdom, but they probably didn't mean it like this...

"Alright, Old Izzy, do you have any tips on how to stop getting teleported when copying powers?"

"Did you mess around with Monster?"

"Yeah. His dad got mad, but he was cool about it. Gave me a shapeshifting staff."

"The mercury pen!" Old Izzy exclaims. "I still have that!"

"I called it the mercury toothpick."

"That's to be expected, Young Izzy. Our universes share a timeline, but fluctuations and perturbations are a natural part of temporal geography."

"So you're the Izzy of Christmas that might come, not the Izzy of Christmas that will come."

"You got it. Don't get caught up in overthinking the timeline stuff."

"I think I already am, to be honest." you say.

"I figured as much, but take it from a guy that's done a lot of big, cosmic stuff--as big as the multiverse is, the inside of your head is bigger, and easier to get lost inside. You know, Denmark won the Schleswig War in my universe?"

"I'm...not sure we had that in mine..."

"Oh, you did. It's just that Germany won in your universe. It didn't have much of a change on things. Sometimes the butterfly flags their wings and mankind ends up enslaved by dinosaur people. Sometimes the other side wins the war and it's a historic footnote. Point is, don't worry about it."

"Alright. But uh, putting the fact that our universes have differences and what-not aside...how's mom?"

"Mom's fine, Young Izzy. She still runs her vintage hardware store. Sells a lot of old video game stuff now."

"Really? Neat!"

"I know! It's fascinating! Anyway, Young Izzy, to answer your question, be careful of getting teleported when you copy stuff related to the big cosmic powers that run he multiverse, that's all I'm going to say about it...though...let me think..." Galaxies swirl around Old Izzy's head as he ponders something. "Yeah. Yeah I should be able to tell you this. I don't want to tell you too much, because otherwise you-do-this, they-do-that, chaos engulfs the timelines, and a lot of old, powerful dudes get mad at me again."

Again?

"But I can tell you this. Talk to Helen. You've met her already, right?"

"Yeah. Wait, your universe has it's own Helen universe?"

"And it's own Earthworld, complete with Yomi. It's a big multiverse. Anyway, talk to her about your problem. She should be able to help you so that when you'll be able to tell before you get teleported. That should save you some grief later on down the line."

"Thanks, Old Izzy." you say. "It's cool going on these big, cosmic adventures, but I'm worried that one day it's not going to end well."

"Well...there might be a reason I'm telling you to talk to Helen." Old Izzy shrugs. "But that's really all I can say concerning that."

>>5631667
"I understand. Anyway, what exactly do you want again? You talked about protecting me from something earlier, and please don't be cryptic about it, I don't want to get a headache."

"I'll be as clear as I can be, Young Izzy. Believe me, I getcha, I hate it when the big cosmic types talk in riddles, too. All the power in the multiverse and they can't figure out clear communication, yeah? Anyway, your problem is this, there's another Izzy out there in the multiverse, and well, don't take this the wrong way, but he's pretty evil."

"My evil multiverse twin..."

"Yeah, everyone's got at least one. Don't feel bad about it. I mean, he's my evil twin, too. You know that alien guy with the cape?"

"Helen's dad?"

"Yeah, him. Don't tell her I said this, but he's got like, a bazillion evil twins. I don't know what it is, but good Helios seem to be the minority in the multiverse. Point is, don't worry about having an evil twin, worry about what he's doing, and what he's doing is this--he's hunting down young versions of himself and trying to corrupt them into copies of himself."

"Why's he doing that?" you ask.

"Meanness and loneliness. Remember what I said about Helen's dad? We're the opposite of that. For most Izzy's in the multiverse, you master your powers, break your limits, and become really really powerful. I'm like, a cosmic fireman now. Other superheroes rescue people from burning buildings, I rescue universes from burning multiverses."

"Neat!" you exclaim.

But the evil Izzy, he's rare. He looks across the multiverse and finds that he's the abnormal one and it bothers him, makes him think something's wrong with him, and there is, it's called sociopathy, but he doesn't see it that way. He wants to correct the imbalance against him and turn as many Izzys as he can into broken, spiteful supervillains."

"Even if it means depriving the world of firefighters?"

"He's a mean, mean, guy, Young Izzy. He calls himself the Xile, because they exiled him to Beck island prison."

"Prison?" you ask.

"Yeah. His Beck Island was a prison."

"I can start to see how he ended up so different..."

"It was part environment, part him. Don't feel bad for him, though. He chose his path a long time ago."

"And he's going to be coming after me?" you ask.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, I hate to lay that all on you in our first meeting, but forewarned is forearmed and all that."

"Can you help me with him?"

"As much as I can. But there's only so much I can do to your universe before the changes start to effect mine. I know I went on and on about how you shouldn't sweat time travel stuff, but there really are limits, and one is that I can't fight your battles for you. You got to fight him yourself, but you won't be alone. Your friends, your teachers, they'll help you. You can beat him. I know you can beat him, because you're me. Always remember he's the off-model, not you."

"Do the teachers know about him?" you ask.

>>5631692
"Not yet, but they will. He's working with...someone else, and I wish I could tell you who it is, but I can't. They're going to try and test you, Xile because he wants to to turn you into himself, the other guy because he thinks its a game. Just be ready, okay?"

"I will be."

God, you got so much to tell your teachers in the morning...

>>5631637

"Hey, Old Izzy, before I leave, can you tell me some things?"

"Sure, Young Izzy. We're both outside of space and time, so ask away, the clock isn't budging back on Earth."

"We're going to meet again someday, right?"

"Yeah. It's hard to say when exactly, because you know, timeless realm and all that, but I'll be able to check in with you after your first encounter with Xile, you can count on that."

"I mean, will I become you? If everything goes right I turn into you,right?"

"Ah, Izzy, come here..."

Old Izzy hugs you.

"So, I'm the true, special ending with all the sidequests completed, am I?" Old Izzy asks.

"You seem that way to me."

"Izzy, I'm flattered, but you shouldn't limit yourself like that. There's a lot of downsides to being me. I'm hardly on Earth. I had to miss Sam's wedding because I had a team-up with Yog-Sothoth, who, by the way, is pretty chill, don't let his bad rep fool you."

"You copied a lot of powers though, right? You got really strong?"

"I copied all the powers and then I invented a few new ones."

"And everyone is safe and happy in your world--mom, Sam, Edith, the school?"

"Everyone is safe and happy. Though that's less on me and more on them. I didn't cast a spell of happiness over the whole world. They made themselves happy, and you can learn a lot from them, even if they may seem silly at times."

"Then I want to be you! If I become you, everything I want to happen, happens!"

"Don't become me, Izzy. Become like me. But if you want to become anyone, become yourself. I'm not you at the finish line up ahead. I'm just another one of your teachers."

"What's your name?" you ask. "I mean, your supername?"

"Xero. With an X instead of a Z. What did you go with?"

"Xerographer...you know, like the copier..."

"Fascinating!" Xero extends his hand. "From one superhero to another, it's a pleasure to meet you, Xerographer."

You shake Xero's hand. "Thanks."

"So you really leaned into that whole office worker theme?" Xero asks.

"Didn't you?"

"I went with math, actually. I had a big 0 on my chest. I thought it represented infinite possibilities. Harmony said it meant I was a 0."

"She's a bitch in your timeline, too?" you ask.

"Oh, yeah. Don't mind her, though, she lives off attention."

"Hey, Xero, I got to ask, and I know you don't want me to overthink this stuff, but I got to ask this--do you remember having this conversation? And was it like, with another Xero, or was the Izzy different?"

>>5631735
"I remember having a similar conversation with 98.78888 accuracy with an Izzy named Xen--he also dropped the Z, used an X. Xen's cool. If I can't get in touch with you later, he will."

>What do we say?

>Do we ask Xero anything else, or do we ask to return to Earth?

>>5631736
>"Think there's a way to stop Xile from being an asshole? I mean, if he is going around corrupting Izzy's, there could be a way to un-corrupt him, right?"
>"So, who did Sam marry? Another hero? A normal person?"
>"Actually, nevermind, I would joke about it with him and it could end up ruining his happiness. Did we end a cool godfather though?"

>>5631739
"Think there's a way to stop Xile from being an asshole?" you ask. "I mean, if he is going around corrupting Izzy's, there could be a way to un-corrupt him, right?"

"That would be nice." Xero says. "Maybe it is possible. We haven't been able to think of a way, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. He's just so...well, he killed his Sam."

"He killed his Sam?" you can barely believe it.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because he got in his way. He's the kind of guy who if something doesn't bend to his will, he breaks it. He...well., you know your double power? How you can copy a power and then copy it again to increase your own while stealing it from the target?"

"Yeah."

"He...and I'm sorry if this gives you nightmares, but he found a way to keep doing that to a person."

"He can steal a power three times?"

"Sometimes more than that. He has a base, we can't find it, and neither can the superheroes of his Earth, but in that base he's got a bunch of tubes connected to a generator, and in those tubes are superhumans he's captured. He absorbs their powers remotely, through his armor, and the generator keeps them alive just enough for him to steal their powers again without killing them."

"That's horrible!"

"Scary, isn't it, Xerographer? But don't fear his power. Understand it, respect it, but don't fear it. Xile is actually weaker than most Izzy's his age. Other Izzy's learned how to overcome their limitations, and, in time, how to draw power directly from the hyperkeimenon. He cut corners and in the end it cost him. His armor became a crutch. He didn't master his own powers. He relied on those he stole."

"I always did fear becoming nothing more than a nexus for other peoples' powers." you admit.

"So did I. So did Xen. It's why we became who we are. Xile never had that fear. He saw other peoples' powers as belonging to him, as his property."

"If he's so much weaker than you guys, how's he such a problem?" you ask.

"Because he's sneaky and smart. He built his armor himself. And he's driven. Part of why he wants to copy and paste himself on other Izzys is because he feels burned in the grand scheme of things. Imagine going all-in on gaining power to the point you hurt people, kill Sam, become the greatest supervillain of your Earth--and in the wider multiverse, you end up an abnormally weak Izzy."

"...Xero, do you think it's possible a guy like that can change?" you ask.

"I honestly don't know. Maybe. Maybe not..."

You take a deep breath and try changing the conversation to something more pleasant.

"So...who did Sam marry? Another hero? A basic? Actually, nevermind. I think I would joke with him and it could end up ruining his happiness."

"That's prudent." Xero says.

"Did we end up a cool godfather, though?" you ask.

"I'd like to think I'm a good influence on her development."

A daughter! Sam has a daughter!

>>5631779
"But like I said, I don't see Earth nearly as much as I probably should. You'd think, all these powers, I should be able to make time, but here's the thing, Xerographer, the multiverse is always bigger, always stronger. All the egomaniacal pills that like, grab the Cosmic Core or the Glove of Infinity or whatever, and go muwahaha now all the multiverse is mine? They don't get it. They don't how big it all really is. No matter how infinite your power, there's always an infinity out there you can't reach, always a universe beyond the reach of your power, always something beyond you. There's a niche even for a guy with my powers, and it's a niche that I fill completely and totally. I do lot of good. I've saved so many realities, but I still find it hard to make time for Earth. Remember that, Izzy, there's always a cost. There is simply no such thing as power without a cost, not in all the multiverse. You want to become like me? Cool. But my advice to you, as another Izzy, is to find a way to cling faster to your friends."

>What do say?

>Do we ask to go back to Earth?

>>5631780
>Alright Izzy, I'll remember to stay true to my friends.
>It might be hard though, you know how we always feel like we need help others.
>Maybe I can find a way to do it together

>Do we ask to go back to Earth?

Also, kind of wish we thought of Mercury Pen when we were naming the staff, it would have fit right in with the office supplies theme.

>>5631798
>>5632063
"Alright Izzy." you say, "I'll remember to stay true to my friends."

"Good." Xero says.

"It might be hard though. You know how we always feel like we need to help others. Maybe I can find a way to do it together?"

"They say you're never too young to start your own superteam. And that's something I wish I did."

"Well...this was cool and all, Xero, but I should probably be getting back. Just-a-Hero expects me to come back with a healing power."

"That won't be a problem. I'll send you down. You'll be able to snag what you need on your way."

"See you around, Xero."

"See you around, Xerographer. It was fascinating talking to you!"

A white light engulfs you, and you feel yourself being pulled down, down, down through the Astral.

You fall into a black void. The white glow pulls tight around your skin.

"Interesting." a voice calls out from the darkness. "He sealed you up nice. I can't get to you. But you can hear me, cant' you?"

A man in sharp armor appears before you. The shoulders are long and pointed. The hands are clawed. The helmet is a mask with a long, pointed beak. And every wing trailing behind the armor like a cape is like a razor sharp piece of glass.

"Xile." you say.

"Ah, don't call me that. Call me Izzy, Izzy."

"You don't deserve that name."

"Why not? It's what mom called me. It's what she called you. I can't talk to you long, Izzy, his power is sending you back to your world, so let's have a quick chat, you and me. Or me and me. Shall we? Shall you? Shall I?"

"You sound like you're enjoying yourself."

"Oh, I always enjoy myself. I always do what I want. It makes me the happiest Izzy in the multiverse."

>What do we say?

>>5632063
Don't you just hate it when multiverse copies steal your thunder?

>>5633257
>You really went all in with the edgelord aesthetics didn't you? I guess I can't blame you for wanting to look the part tough
>So quick question, did you join the BoL or did you go for an independent villain kind of thing?
>Actually, do they even exist in your universe? I heard things were very twisted there. You know, to be able to make you end up being the way you are and all

>>5633262
"You really went all in with the edgelord aesthetics, didn't you? I guess I can't blame you for wanting to look the part, though."

"What can I say?" Xile shrugs. "I've always liked birds. I'd watch them from my island and wish I could copy their "power" to fly. By you can't supernaturally copy the natural. Isn't that a bitch? What's your deal, Izzy? You like fish, because you're built like one. You look like a tube, all built around the middle. I see I got to you just in time, Izzy. You haven't muscled up yet. You've just started."

Well, this isn't entirely a nightmare. Good to know you'll get your physique in order.

"Quick question--did you join the BOL or did you go for an independent villain kind of thing? Actually, do they even exist in your universe? I heard things were very twisted there. You know, to be able to make you end up being the way you are and all."

Xile laughs. "Ah, I see you really are a soft Izzy. No, Izzy. I didn't turn out how I am because of my world, though I will admit the adversity I faced helped toughen me up. No, I turned out how I am because I'm smart."

Xile unfurls his wings.

"Look at me, Izzy. You think any of those big glowing bastards, those adult Izzys that I'm sure gave you a hug and patted your shoulder and told you everything was going to be alright, you think any of them in a billion years could make something like my Aves Armor? They're all superpowered muscle, no brains. I mean, do you even get how incredible my armor is? It maintains a constant connection between my body and the samples in my base, and it maintains this connection across space, time, dimensions, planes, universes, timelines, whatever. There are very few places in the multiverse I can't reach where I'm powerless."

"I'm not impressed. I know what you are. You're a weak Izzy. You're weaker than all the rest of them because you cut corners."

"And yet here they are trying to protect you from me. Interesting, isn't it, Izzy? They got more power than me, I'll admit that. But their power made them weak, mentally. All that "one with the universe" bullshit made it so that they never had to think. But I've been hungry, Izzy. They say I'm power hungry and that is 100 percent correct. Hunger makes you smart. Take that as free advice, tubby. But to answer your question about the BOL, they actually run my world. Yeah. They aren't a bunch of posers pretending at being real supervillains in my world."

"They took over your world?" you ask. You can hardly believe it. You know they say that every scenario plays out somewhere in the multiverse, but you find it hard to believe Gingerbread Man and Overlady took over a planet.

"It happened after the Worlds War, you know, back in the 1940's. The superhumans were tired after beating the Axis, but they didn't get to rest. You know your girlfriend Helen and how her universe got a broken continuity after fighting back against evil space gods?"

Girlfiend?

Helen?

You didn't even consider her...

>>5633298
"Well, a bunch of evil space gods attacked my universe in the 1950's, back-to-back-to-back. That thinned out the superhero set." Xile says. "You see Izzy, for your world, the 1950's were a time of recovery, and the BOL arose in response to a time of plenty. And they were jokes. They still are. Buch of losers running around dismantling rockets because "people don't care about the planet enough" or putting viruses in the noosphere because "people don't think for themselves enough." My BOL arose during a war. Weakness was outlawed. Everyone got a superpower. Everyone was a superhero. Think of it like your Earth State, but on all the continents, and it doesn't fuck around with a pretension of "the strong serving the weak," because no one's weak. No one's allowed to be weak."

"Why did they lock you up on Beck island?" you ask. "You sound like you go well with their philosophy."

"That's where you're wrong, Izzy. The BOL is hierarchical. Certain powers go on top, certain powers go on the bottom. With my power, our power, to take powers, we were placed at the bottom. You see Izzy, they believed in a superhuman community. Everyone has a power, everyone matters. I could take everyone's power, and make everyone matter squat."

"They were afraid of you." you say.

"And they were right to be. Oh, I nearly broke their back. They had to call out to the multiverse to save them from me. But I'm not so much interested in fighting the BOL anymore. I like my new project. I'm a teacher, Izzy. I'm your teacher. Think of meeting me as the development of your autodidactic potential!"

>What do say?

>End conversation?

>>5633306
>"So I was right, School Shooter McGee's vision of an ideal world is just a mixture of Earth State and BoL, and it sucks!"
>"Anyway, that doesn't change my mind that you are the result of a fucked up place. Seems like you only had the chance of seeing one way of doing things, and by the time you had other options, you were already too deep into sunken cost to accept it."

>>5633310
Oh, and then
>End conversation?
Not much to add. Izzykind will just have to drag Xile out of his comfort zone kicking and screaming and beat kindness into him until it enters his head inflated head

>End conversation?

>>5633306
>>What do say?
You are correlation between mental illness and world that wasn't capable to help you. I would be more understanding if you were only product of your environment. But only reason we will never be able to see eye to eye is simple because our brains work differently. And you will never be capable of seeing things my way.

>>5633306
>>5633310
+1

>>5633310
>>5633324
>>5633480
>>5634119

"So, I was right. School Shooter McGee's version of an ideal world is just a mixture of Earth State and BOL, and it sucks!"

"You talking about Tommy Taylor?" Xile asks.

"What was he on your world?"

"Dead."

"You killed him?"

"I bet the others told you quite a lot of stories about me, Izzy. But if you think I killed everyone whose names you know, you're wrong. Tommy killed himself. Did they put implants in him on your world?"

"Yes."

"They didn't do that in my world. A tool goes bad, you don't break it, you make it work. So that's what they did. They put Tommy Taylor to work. Until he turned all that telekinetic power inward and popped his head like a grape. It was shame. I wanted his power."

"How many people do you have in your...tubes?"

"Izzy, if I told you the number, you would either cry or throw up. Let's say I have enough. Enough to do whatever I want."

"You don't. Guys like you don't have an "enough." You'd put the whole multiverse into tubes if you could."

"You know Izzy...you're right. I would, if I could. See, you understand me. A little bit. You're not as different from me as you would like."

"You've a bad guy." you say. "But that doesn't change my mind that you are the result of a fucked up place. Seems like you only had the chance of seeing one way of doing things, and by the time you had other options, you were already too deep into sunken cost to accept it."

"Naw. I do what I want, Izzy. I'm the Izzy with the most freedom in the multiverse." Xile says. "I only do what I want. And what I want is to turn you into me."

"Why?"

"Because I really hate those glowing omnipotent dicks, and no matter what power they invent, they can't change that they came from you. Sure, they can throw up weird acausal auras that keep them existing even when you don't, but they love you, Izzy. You're their nostalgia, you and your happy Martin's School adventures. It hurts them when I turn you. All those gods powers, and their hearts are still nice and human-soft."

"You won't turn me." you say.

"I will, and you won't be the first. And you won't be the last."

"You wont' turn me. And I'm going to save you form yourself."

Xile laughs.

"Sure, Izzy, sure. You're going to turn me. You, when mom couldn't, when Sam couldn't, when all the power of the BOL couldn't. But you're going to do it. What, you're going to force me to repent? With what? Your weakness? Your inexperience? You're not the teacher here, Izzy, I am. And I got a lot to teach you. There's this patsy I got from your world. We're going to play with you. Well, he thinks its a game. He doesn't get that he's my pawn. He's called Bright Idea, and you can run that name by the Martin's teachers, see what they say about him."

"Come at me whenever you like. With whoever you like."

>>5634798
"Oh. You're real brave behind that aura, aren't you?" Xile claws at the aura around your body, sending red sparks to drift like stars through the void surrounding him and you. "Don't worry. I'll teach you have to be real brave. You go to learn what real fear is before you learn real courage, Izzy. I'm going to make you strong, Izzy. I'm going get that baby fat off you. I'm going to get you big and ugly. Getting the shit kicked out of me wizened me up. It'll do the same for you."

"You won't turn me." you repeat.

"We'll see about that." Xile says as he starts to fade away. "Well, it looks like that's all for today, Izzy. See you real soon."

The universe goes black, and then you find yourself back at Allnighter's.

"Hey, you okay Izzy?" Copycat asks.

"He's just enraptured with the hyperkeimenon." JAH says. "It's like watching a sunset, but moreso."

"Sounds like you drugged him." Copycat says.

"I'm okay." you say at last."

"Hyperkeimenon entranced you?" JAH asks.

"Yeah, something like that."

>What do we say?

>>5634803
Maybe the truth? Cause we can't exactly lie to them can we?

>>5634803
>"So I ended up meeting an alternate universe future me, that warned me about an evil alternate universe future me that wants to turn me evil, and then I ended up meeting him as well so he could do the standard megalomaniac villain speech."
>"I keep getting dragged into these thing when I copy powers, sorry. I should to warn the teachers about Xile and Bright Idea."

>>5634807
>>5634812
You decide to tell them everything.

They think you're joking at first, but then it quickly dawns on them that you're serious.

"...So I ended up meeting an alternate universe future me, that warned me about an evil alternate universe future me that wants to turn me evil, and then I ended up meeting him as well so he could do the standard megalomaniac villain speech."

"Damn man, that' rough." Copycat says. "Did you ask him what I was like in his world? No wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know even if you did ask."

"So, did you remember to bring back a healing power?" JAH asks?

Copycat glares at him. "What is wrong with you? Izzy just got back from a weirdo multiverse thing where he met his evil twin!"

JAH shrugs. "So? You want to be a superhero, right Izzy?"

"Yeah. Well, more like a super factotum, but I'm a superhero at the core."

"Then you can't sweat the small stuff."

"Izzy trapped in a war between his multiversal selves, that's small stuff?" Copycat asks.

"Xile showing up right here, right now, would be a big deal. Xile talking about how he's going to destroy Izzy, well damn, that's every supervillain. They're always more talk than walk. You can't be rattled just because one of them calls you on the multiverse telephone and tells you he's going to kick your ass."

JAH turns to you. "My advise Izzy, is to take the rest of the evening nice and slow. Have some coffee, chill, go home, sleep. When you wake up you can tell the teachers all about what happened. And ask them about this Bright Idea guy, because the name doesn't ring any bells for me."

"Or for me." CC says.

"I just wish I'd stop being dragged off into the multiverse every time I copy powers. It's so annoying."

"It's only twice it's happened." JAH says. "I wouldn't worry unless it happens a 3rd time. Anyway, Izzy, how do you like your coffee?"

>How do we like our coffee?

>>5635054
>With milk and sugar

>>5635054
>With cream.

>>5635132
>>5635146
You order up a coffee filled with as many sweet things as you can put in it. Your experience back at the Smiling Fortune has taught you that you don't like bitter things.

The coffee is still more bitter than you would have liked, but you're able to sip it down. Do superheroes really like this stuff? You think a rejuvenation ray would be a lot better. It does warm you up, so that's nice.

Edith is still talking to her mentor. Boy, do you have something to share with her later!

The speculos see you looking at her.

"So to move on from the thorny subject of evil multiverse clones and their evil plots, how'd you end up hanging out with Edith anyway?" JAH asks.

You aren't quite sure how to answer it, and they can see your reticence.

"I just ask because, you know, she's not the most popular type." JAH says. "She's got a few friends. Tanya, if you can believe it, is one of hers."

"I've heard that name before." you say. "Who is she?"

"Dude. She's the captain of the flying team."

"We have a flying team?"

"Dude. Did you just arrive here yesterday?"

"Uh...yeah."

"Oh, that's right. You did. Anyway, yeah, Tanya's a big deal. She's also like, Edith's surrogate big sister. They're close. But you and Edith, how'd that happen?"

"Well, me, Edith, and Sam." you say. "They've been showing me around Joyous Harbor."

"Is she your girlfriend?" CC asks with a catty smile.

"What? No." she really isn't. You aren't even sure you want to have a girlfriend, chaotic as your life currently is.

For just a moment, you think you see CC's smirk turn into an actual, pleased smile.

"It's just well...you're here with her, and Sam isn't here..."

"Oh, stop teasing me." you say. "You sound as bad as Harmony, CC."

"Hey now." CC crosses her arms. "Don't go comparing me to that bitch. Anyway, if you and her aren't a couple, are you with her to uh..well..." CC makes a clawing gesture. "...Is it because that happened?"

Damn. Someone always talks, don't they?

>What do we say?

>>5636239
>No but yes?
>That was when I met her for the first time, but I do consider her my friend. First one I made here in fact.
>...Sam doesn't count because because I knew him before.

File: Murder or Suicide.jpg (125 KB, 900x854)

125 KB JPG

>>5636241
"Uh...no, but yes?" you reply.

"What does that mean?" CC asks.

"It means that, yeah, when I met her for the first time, it was kind of for that. But I do consider her my friend, now. She's the first one I made here, in fact--Sam doesn't count because I knew him before."

"But you did start hanging out with her because you felt bad for her?" CC asks.

"I don't want to say that."

"Hey, it's okay man. Lot of people feel bad for Edith." CC glances over at her. "There's that thing that happened to her with Glass. But even if she wasn't kidnapped and impersonated by a BOL metamorph, well, there's her being her." CC says.

"She's not as helpless as you might think." you say.

"She's pretty darn helpless when it comes to making friends." CC says. "It may not seem that way because you're one of hers, but you're on a very short list, dude."

You grin. "Maybe it's an elite list?"

Edith gets up, and flaps over to your table/

"Oh shoot, here she comes..." CC mutters.

Yeah. You guess you were gossiping about her. Sort of.

"Hey Izzy, come on!" Edith pulls on your sleeve. "I want you to meet Risa! She's my teacher!" Edith looks at the other two speculos. "Oh hey there, CopyCat, Just-A-Hero, just need to borrow Izzy a minute."

"Cool." JAH says.

"Go ahead." CC says.

"But they barely finish getting the words about by the time Edith's pulled you toward the table with the rather scary lady in the nightmare insect suit.

Seeing your reticence, the woman drops the helmet. She doesn't remove it. Instead, it dissolves away.

You're happy to find a human face and not, like, a robot skull.

"Hey." she says. "Risa Raleigh. I'm the the 4th Red Bee. The Red Queen."

"Red Bee...like the guy from the 40's?" you ask.

"Yeah. You probably saw him on the Flashback Channel."

"Izzy couldn't believe you were training me in detective work!" Edith brags.

"Hey now! I was only a little incredulous!"

Edith sticks her tongue out at you.

You stick your tongue out at her.

"Ha. Okay, kids, sit down. Take a look at what I'm working with Edith on, Izzy."

Risa directs you to a honeycomb shaped grid of light on the table. Inside the grid, you see a grizzly image...

>>5637645
"Jeeze..." you say. "Is that real?"

"Yeah, it's real." Risa replies.

"You can show us real dead people?"

"You go into the med classes, they have you cut up dead people."

"What's the uh, red stuff?" you ask, pointing to the geometric light framing the image.

"That red stuff is blood, Izzy." Edith says.

You give her a look.

"Ha. Gotcha!"

For a moment, you consider telling Risa about your little encounter with Xile and Xero. She's a teacher, after all, and a superheroine...but you want to have a good time with Edith. You know she'd freak and get scared if you started talking about it.

Maybe it would even, you don't know, trigger her or something? She was abducted by a BOL supervillain, and a supervillain wants to do...well, you aren't sure exactly what his plans are, but you're pretty sure it's equal or worse to what Glass did to Edith.

"The red stuff is what I call "pollen." Risa explains. "Nanites. All my stuff is made out of pollen. In sufficient quantities, it glows. I can use that to make really, really flat computers, essentially spotlight computers. Looks cool, doesn't it?"

"Can I copy it?" you ask. "I can copy super technology, though my version sometimes comes out a little different.

"Not a good idea, right now, sorry." Risa says. "This is the kind of power you need to be able to copy precisely. There's a function within the pollen, the Red Queen function, that keeps my pollen from eating everything it can reach. When a certain mass is reached, the energy my pollen needs to maintain that mass increases substantially. In the absence of a big source of energy, if its just on the ground or something, my pollen starts to degrade. It's a safety measure, and if you can't copy the Red Queen function perfectly, I can't let you copy it."

"That sounds fair." you say. Maybe once you start getting better at copying technology powers you'll be able to take Risa's nanites for a spin?

"Now." Risa taps a clawed finger on the image. "This authentic Mainline City homicide is Edith's homework. Maybe you can help her with it, Izzy? What kind of homicide are we looking at? A murder, or a suicide, and how you do you know which one it is?"

"Ah, I just find these crime scene pictures so unfair!" Edith says. "I'm limited to what I can do with a picture. I can't smell it. I can't zoom in with my eyesight and see tiny clues."

"There's enough there in that picture to draw a conclusion." Risa says. "Edith, you're great at finding clues, but that's only part of the job. You got to learn how to put the clues together. That's what this is training you do to.

>Murder or suicide?
>How do we know? Show your work!

>>5637660
I have no idea

>>5637963
Sometimes, that's the best answer.

Anyone else want to hazard a guess?

>>5637660
>Murder
>Why is the lamp unplugged? It seems a bit difficult to write a suicide note there in the dark. And what about the glasses, why isn't she wearing them? I don't know, it seems a bit funky to me.
Hm, though one.
I'm probably wrong here, but oh well here's my guess.

>>5637660
>First thing pointing towards suicide is the gun and a blood spatter are on the same side if women was sitting towards the window and put gun to her head blood should be on opposite side. Obviously she could sit with her back to the wall and put gun in her mouth which would makes blood splatter almost make sense but it's too low imo.

>Second thing is cigarette in hand kinda weird to pull the trigger yourself in the middle of unfinished smoke.

To help Edith we might suggest that should play out the act of suicide. That should help her realize about the blood

>>5638937
Murder*

>>5638937
>>5639666
Why not both? Playing out how both would happen should show the trajectory of the blood and objects

Sorry, update might be coming a few days late. Going through a project pile-up.

Well, darn.

I'm going to have to put the game on hiatus while I finish up a few projects. Check out the discord for the other Martin's game. I want to catch up on them before I pick Izzy's game back up.

Got the thread archived here:

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5614557/

Thanks for running.

Sorry Otto, didn't mean to steal your ID! I didn't know you posted from the library!

>>5653240
Not a problem.