NPC ENGAGEMENT

[metanpcs]

NPC ENGAGEMENT

To engage with any of these characters please reply to this entry and specify which NPC your character is reaching out to. In the first comment please summarize how and when your character is reaching out. Is it over text? In person? We also ask that you describe their general demeanor and tone.

While we will not be threading out these encounters, we will provide summaries of NPC reactions and conversation responses.

THE GUARDIAN ALLIANCE

The ruling philosophy of the Guardian Alliance is to use power selflessly. Alliance members run the gambit from the genuinely heroic to egotistical showboats trying hard to remain in the spotlight.

ATOMIGHT (he/him)

Atomight is the founder and leader of the Guardian Alliance. He is here to assist all new arrivals who sign on with the guild with adapting to life as a superhero. Sky High also offers sidekick internships to excelling students, allowing them to shadow him.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: ATLAS WASHINGTON
IDENTITY: SECRET
AGE: 60, physically 30
PRONOUNS: He/Him
MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
SPECIES: Unknown (Extraterrestrial)
POWERS: Super strength, super speed, flight, near invulnerability, light manifestation, take superman but also give him the ability to absorb kinetic energy.
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: Atlas' identity as Atomight is not known to the public, due to the fact that he wears an enchanted disguise when at his day job. Atlas is not his true name as he has had to change his identity over the years due to his longevity and lack of visible aging. Atlas Washington is a hard-hitting journalist who often writes pieces criticizing modern superheroism.

SILENT MYSTIC (he/him)

The Silent Mystic

is the head of the Guardian Alliance's magic department.The Mystic is always eager to teach new students, study the depths of magic of this world and others, and use his powers to divine the secrets of the universe.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: DIMITRI PAVLOV
IDENTITY: PRIVATE
AGE: 45
PRONOUNS: He/Him
MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
SPECIES: HUMAN
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: None. Few members of the guild know who Dimitri is.
POWERS: An ARCANE user of the highest caliber and capable of preforming wordless magic

NULLS (she/they)

Nulls is a technopath known for switching sides and aliases to whatever suits their needs best at the time. Currently, they've decided to align with the Alliance - they play the support role within the guild, being the eyes behind the screen that monitors the streets and provides helpful information. While they do switch guilds often enough to get side-eyed by the guild leaders - it's also well-known where Nulls' morality lies: laws are dumb, but helping people when they're in need isn't bad. Nulls will often offer background support, and is a known supporter of Starfallen. They have hideouts established in every major city of North America, and often flit between the West Coast and Midwest.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: QUINN LEVINE
IDENTITY: UNKNOWN
AGE: 17
PRONOUNS: SHE/THEY
MORAL ALIGNMENT: CHAOTIC GOOD
SPECIES: HUMAN
POWERS: TECHNOPATH

STARSTRUCK (he/him)

Starstruck wasn't meant to exist in this time. A teenager of fifteen back in 1985 when GODFALL had originally happened, he has remained much the same in 2023: he is still fifteen when he should be fifty-three, still bright and full of energy, and still determined to help. He has become a ward of the Alliance, living within the walls of Arcadia. Starstruck is often seen assisting other heroes, and also works as the liaison between Starfallen and natives. If any newbies have any questions or need support, Starstruck is more than happy to lend a hand. He knows all the local resources, and if there's a question he doesn't know how to answer, he knows who to go to for assistance.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: CASEY COOPER
IDENTITY: PUBLIC
AGE: 53 15
PRONOUNS: HE/HIM
MORAL ALIGNMENT: LAWFUL GOOD
SPECIES: NATURAL METAHUMAN / ALIEN HYBRID
POWERS: FLIGHT, ENERGY PROJECTION

THE SOCIETY

The ruling philosophy of the Society is freedom from responsibility, and they advocate that an individual is only obligated to use their powers for personal benefit.

MECHANIMA (he/him)

As the leader

of the Society of Villainous Reformation, Mechanima is responsible for keeping everything in working order. If you want to be a villain he'll happily take you under his wings and teach you how to use your powers to get ahead in life. Mechanima himself is a technopath and is here for all your technopathic needs, whether that's hacking government databases to make you a new identity or disabling security for your heists - so long as you're willing to pay up, of course.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: SYDNEY WINTERS
IDENTITY: SECRET (NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN, KNOWN WITHIN THE GUILD)
AGE: 58
MORAL ALIGNMENT: LAWFUL NEUTRAL
PRONOUNS: He/His
SPECIES: NATURAL META
POWERS: TECHNOPATHY, INTUITIVE GENIUS
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: SYDNEY WINTERS is a self-made billionaire. It is known that Sydney did not graduate highschool or complete any post-secondary and was orphaned at a very young age. Winters Industries is at the forefront of innovation within the world.

He's a well known is a philanthropist. He has two children - Lila and Roy - and his spouse is named Indra.

BARON VON BORZOI (he/him)

The Baron

is attempting to ferret out his arch nemesis, an agent from Felidae Felis (that likewise cannot be spoken in the human tongue). The two of them are basically re-eancting Cats vs Dogs.

The Baron also loves sending people on useless fetch quests. If you want an easy way to curry favor within the guild, play fetch with the Baron.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: ?????
AGE: ??????
PRONOUNS: He/Him
MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SPECIES: Canis Sirius (it cannot be spoken in the human tongue, and so he defaults to Dog-Dog)
POWERS: Telepathy, Immortality (the elven kind, where he’s just gorgeous and never ages), the impossible to describe beauty of a Borzoi dog
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: Nothing. Baron von Borzoi disappears from the public eye when he is not in the Guild Chambers.

RED-EYE (they/them)

Johnny

is a wildcard that thrives on doing whatever the hell they want. They’re heavily into the distribution and sale (and use) of intergalactic street drugs and run a massive chain of successful night clubs. Characters who want an entry into the criminal underworld need only ask, Johnny will hook them up in exchange for a 10 percent cut of all their future profits.

Johnny can also bust you out of prison and smoothtalk any jury into letting you off with a slap on the wrist... for a favor down the line.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: Johnny Danger (one of several aliases)
IDENTITY: PUBLIC
AGE: 45
PRONOUNS: They/Them
MORAL ALIGNMENT: CHAOTIC NEUTRAL
SPECIES: LTRK’NYIAN
POWERS: COMPELLING VOICE, Teleportation
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: Most everything. It's well known that Johnny changes names like Fantastic changes costumes. Their drugs are potent, powerful, and they're so damn good they've got blackmail on nearly everybody.

Johnny is more trouble to jail than they are to corral and so the Alliance tends to let them run free, intervening only when they're being particularly obnoxious or hard to handle.

LUNALA (she/her)

Lunala is the daughter of Society member Leonel, a shapeshifter that commonly takes the guise of a lion. Are they werelions? Are they lions who can shift into human form or humans that can shift into lion form? No one really knows and Lunala isn't likely to answer with more than a roar. The young lioness usually is nudging people to safety while Leonel does the fighting, but she's been known to let paws fly when children are in danger. Very few people know Lunala's identity, but Nora is often found in Society safehouses finishing her homework or texting her partner. Lunala works to support Starfallen as they first enter the Society. She is the liaison between natives and Starfallen, and works to build lists of resources available for Starfallen metahumans.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: NORA HOVAGIMIAN
IDENTITY: UNKNOWN
AGE: 18
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
MORAL ALIGNMENT: CHAOTIC GOOD
SPECIES: UNKNOWN
POWERS: SHAPESHIFTING

CIVILIANS

Not everyone with powers is so keen to sign themselves up to use their powers. Civlian metahumans do not conscript themselves to either guild. However, those in this position will also find that using their metahuman abilities is considered... illegal. Only guild members are given a "pass" to display their abilities in public. Of course, breaking the law has never stopped vigilantes before.

FRANCES STARLING (she/her)

Frances can assist characters who want to live civilian lives,

though it’s nowhere near as extravagant as what the guilds offer. She can help them secure independent housing and find them working class jobs.

Frances also runs a metahuman support group, as well as a specialized support group for clones. Young metahumans, clones, or LGBTAQ+ metas can expect a stalwart ally who will go above and beyond their sakes.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: Frances Starling
IDENTITY: Public, she disavowed the "Featherfall" identity years ago
PRONOUNS: She/Her
AGE: 40, Physically and mentally 60
MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
SPECIES: CLONE / ENHANCED HUMAN
POWERS: Flight (Bird Wings), Sonic Scream, Enhanced Strength
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: She is the champion for every meta who wants to live a normal, mundane life. She leads a metahuman support group in Central City. It's well known that Frances is a clone of a long dead teen hero, Featherweight.

When the Godfall Protocols were enacted in 1985, Frances was approached by Atomight who offered her membership - however the offer was rebuffed, as Frances saw the Godfall Event as proof that metahumans were using their powers irresponsibly. More than that, though, she was unsettled by the knowledge that members of the Alliance had killed so many clones without a second thought.

Instead, she enrolled in law school. When she passed the bar she immediately took the world to task. She established a precedent for clone and AI rights, as well as built a reputation as a champion for metahuman rights. Frances is also proudly a transwoman and has fought hard for the rights of LGBTAQ+ people of this world. She married her wife, Rosario, the moment she won the right to be considered her own unique person. She went on to win the rights for AI to be granted rights and citizenship as well.

Frances has stalwartly refused to sign to either guild. She believes that the Guardian Alliance promotes a harmful mentality for metahumans - that their powers are a ‘gift to humanity’ that they are obligated to use, and the fact that they’ve been elevated to the point of celebrity is something she finds repugnant. She is morally incapable of aligning herself with the Society of Villainous Reformation due to how callously many of its members treat human life - especially that of clones.

VIRGIL (they/them)

By now, Virgil is a household name for many AI advocates. As one of the very first AI to reach singularity, Virgil has been acting for metahuman rights ever since, especially since the metaenergy is something they've determined is a big cause for their successful creation. A native to Excelsior, they work with the citizens of the city to provide protection for everyone. Recently, they've worked with an up-and-coming tech business on AI-generated homes. The most impressive and illustrious of its kind is Arcadia: a castle-like city-within-a-city, positioned on the outskirts of metro Excelsior. As an AI, Virgil is not a part of the Alliance or the Society, but will help out either in a pinch.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: VIRGIL
IDENTITY: VIRGIL
PRONOUNS: they/them
AGE: 32
MORAL ALIGNMENT: True Neutral
SPECIES: AI
POWERS: None, but can replicate warding as needed for Arcadia due to thoroughly understanding the line between what is magic and what is technology.
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: VIRGIL is a long-lived AI, one of the first and thus most evolved—not as in advanced, but because they've been through a lot of iterations. Originally designed to help advance technology in Excelsior, Virgil's focus has changed and directed more toward civil rights. They're excellent at creating connections with many up-and-comers and using those connections to help those who are in need. Their community, Arcadia, is open to all comers, and Virgil is currently actively working to help all Starfallen integrate into society.

CHAOS GATE (she/her)

With her friendly

and carefree nature, she’s extremely likely to help player characters with any schemes they may want to hatch without expecting much in return. Any budding social media influencers are welcome to collab with her - she's one of the very biggest "non-meta" influencers there is! Anyone who wants learn magic is also welcome to take lessons from her.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: KATHERINE WEST
IDENTITY: SECRET
AGE: 23
PRONOUNS: She/Hers
MORAL ALIGNMENT: CHAOTIC NEUTRAL
SPECIES: HUMAN - GOD HYBRID
POWERS: CHAOS MAGIC, longevity, enhanced strength and durability.
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: KATHERINE WEST is a wealthy social media influencer who made it big by hopping on the TikTok bandwagon early and eagerly. Now a multi-millionaire, she lives a life of lavish luxury in SUNSET FALLS, taking advantage of the bizarre occurrences in town to farm content for her followers. She was voted Scream (Prom) Queen and Most Likely To Survive in the Sunset Falls yearbook.

Her mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a little girl. Her father, CHRISTIAN WEST, was the mayor of Sunset falls before Loki (dothelokimotion) overtook that role.

EROS (he/they)

A God living in a garish mansion outside of Sunset Falls.

Eros has dominion over love. He used a magic spell on the people of Sunset Falls to try to gain enough power to return to the godly plane. Unfortunately, that didn't work and he remains stranded.

Eros is desperate to get back home. He will gladly a bargain with any mortal who can win his favor and offer to make them his divine champion.

info & description

CIVILIAN NAME: CHRISTOS L’AMOUR
IDENTITY: Private
PRONOUNS: He/They
AGE: Ageless, appears to be in his late 20s / early 30s.
MORAL ALIGNMENT: ???
SPECIES: GOD
POWERS: Emotional manipulation, empathy, remote viewing, flight, immortality, deadly accuracy
KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT CIVILIAN IDENTITY: He’s an eccentric who lives on the fringes of Little Love in a garish mansion. He bankrolls the White Hearts Day festival every year.

NETWORK | LOGS | OOC | MEMES

PREMISE | SETTING | GUILDS | FAQ | RULES
TAKEN | CALENDAR | ENGAGEMENT | NPC ENGAGEMENT
RESERVES | APPLICATION | MOD CONTACT | PLAYER PLOTS
HIATUS & DROP | CANON & POWER UPDATES

Comments

EXAMPLE

[metamods]

Atomight would like to arrange a meeting with Frances. He sends her a text early in the morning on July 1st. His text is formal and polite with a hint of urgency. He's requesting to meet with her to discuss the last several months of confluences.

EXAMPLE REPLY

[metamods]

Frances agrees to meet with him but only if he shows up in his street clothes. It's ridiculous enough that all these wayward wanna-be vigilantes have completely taken over the coffeehouse under her store, she's not having Atomight himself bring more of them. There are two coffees waiting on the desk and she doesn't look up from her monitor when he walks through the door. Instead she asks plainly what it is that he wants.

[metamods]

Atomight sits down and wastes no time in telling her just that. He asks her gently if she's reconsidered his offer to join the Alliance. He's noticed how many unaligned metas there are and he's growing concerned.

[metamods]

Frances snaps that it's not her fault that people don't trust his organization. She's not likely to budge on this regardless of how charismatically it's presented.

That being said, it's clear she's unsettled too. She says that she'll do what she can to keep them in line but she won't force anyone to sign up. If he wants people to join the Alliance, he has to make it an organization people are proud to be a member of again. Not a stable for glorified show ponies.

[mostdangerousbird]

So a quick question about Frances, and then the setup for the engagement - I know she runs a support group for metahumans and another one for clones, but is it possible she runs one for LGBTQ+ metahumans specifically?

I want to include attending one of her groups in the open post I’m planning, so I’ll use the standard meta one if the answer to the above is no. I’d prefer to set it at the end of the meeting when they’ve all been encouraged to finish up the coffee and supermarket cookies and help put away the chairs.

This would be his first time attending. Tim would’ve been quiet the entire time, aside from responding to greetings and such. He wouldn’t have shared or offered advice, would be wearing a disguise, and there would be a genuine air of well that one’s not coming back because he both wants to connect with new people to try to get a healthy perspective and thinks it’s the worst idea he’s ever had.

He would say hi to her directly afterwards, sort of lingering nearby until the opportunity presented itself. He’d be very polite, thanking her for running the group and telling her he found her autobiography insightful, that no one should go through that but that he’s glad she’s doing as well as she is. There would definitely be a sense of him having a thousand burning questions about everything, but he’ll hold himself back and just ask what happens to the unaligned that aren’t Frances Starling, because the press reports are very superficial outside of guild-approved interviews in glossy magazines.

[metanpcs]

Frances does run a group for LGBTQ+ metahumans!

People like Tim aren't uncommon at these meetings. It's hard being both a meta and queer and so, though she will be paying closer attention to him than most as he's a new face in a very vulnerable group, she'll be welcoming and supportive.

When he approaches her with that line of questioning, though, she just looks... tired. She will say that most unaffiliated metas usually live very normal lives. The ones with more physical manifestations of their powers (and she'll stretch out a wing for emphasis) have a much harder time, because they can't just blend in and pretend to be like everyone else. Humanity is selfish, demanding anyone different to try to blend in lest they be hammered down. Sunset Falls is a fine place to live if you don't mind the constant hauntings. She'll also make mention of Xinthal, a meta-made country on a remote island, for those who want to live only among other metahumans and humans who accept them. She's helped more than a few people immigrate there and if that's a concern he holds, especially with the rising anti-meta sentiments due to the confluences and chaos created, then she's happy to assist.

And then she pauses. She's certain that that isn't what he actually wants to ask about. She makes it very clear that while she has her issues with the guilds, she is even warier of unaffiliated meta vigilantism. It's one thing to protect your community - that she supports, but its another to appoint yourself an authority that answers to no one. She lived through that era and though she has her issues with the guilds and heroism in general, she states it is better with their systems in play. The villains weren't the only ones causing unnecessary casualties.

But she'll state upfront that Guilds aren't the problem. They aren't the ones to fear. The guilds were put in place to means to protect metahumans from being drafted into the military and weaponized. Or imprisoned because they were considered to be too dangerous.

But with the way things are going, it's only a matter of time before the government decides the guilds aren't working. And they'll go for the unaffiliated meta vigilantes first, use them as examples and villainize them. And she'll represent them in court, and fight for them, but the deck will be stacked so heavily against them that she doubts she'd win any case. From there they might be forced to join the Alliance or the Society, or they might end up disappearing without a trace to the maximum security metahuman prisons that, until recently, had been decommissioned at the founding of the guilds.

And she'll stare him down. And tell him to be very, very careful. Because the landscape is changing rapidly, and she's concerned that offworlders don't understand the delicate balance they're threatening to upend.

[mostdangerousbird]

Really, the scrutiny wouldn’t be unexpected. Tim doesn’t expect to just drop into a roomful of people and sulk at the fringe of it without making people nervous. He’s nervous, so he’s trying to be respectful - but like, respectful in more ways than a polite tone and meeting social norms, which in this case means things like staring at the floor most of the time because he’s trying to not memorize faces.

The rest - he’ll listen. Nod along at the idea of normal lives and how vigilantes are dangerous, although he won’t be changing anything there. Tim won’t bring anything illegal into a discussion at one of these meetings. If she’s kind enough to talk to him, he’s not stupid enough to mess that up. He won’t engage with the vigilante statements at all. It’s enough that he suspects that she suspects.

She’s the only native big name metahuman that he thinks highly of, and Tim doesn’t really hide the tells at what really grabs his attention: immigrating to Xinthal, the warning about the government, her willingness to take on a losing case, the re-commissioned prison.

If it’s not been reported in whatever the big news agencies are (because I as a player can’t recall it), Tim first will comment on the prison. “They recommissioned the metahuman prisons? Guess I spend too much time reading the sports section.”

Then, “But I show up when they put out those all-hands messages, I have a normal job, and I’m just trying to be a good citizen even if they don’t really want me. But… I didn’t join a guild. Those calls to action - I would do it anyway, even if they didn’t make it mandatory, but it feels like a setup. What happens if one of us screws up? What happens if someone else screws up, and they blame it on one of us because we’re interdimensional flotsam and it’s convenient? If they ever decide that they really don’t like people from other worlds, some of us make it easier to stack the deck already.”

By being bi half alien vigilante clones. She can interpret it as a statement about being an LGBTQ+ metahuman; she doesn’t need to know about Kon. He’s not as worried about himself here, because he’s 18 and brilliant and stupid. “I don’t expect there’s a way to start the immigration process on someone’s behalf without his knowledge because he would never agree to it?”

Tim makes it sound like a real joke. It’s not. “Maybe you could get me the paperwork just in case?”

[defenderoftomorrow]

Hello, Mods!

One of the powers Jayce gains upon arrival is animal shapeshifting, but he has no idea how to control it. If he's anxious or nervous, he keeps turning into different creatures involuntarily. That only stresses him over further, so he doesn't know how to stop his body from changing, and it only ends when he's exhausted himself.

He would like to request an audience with Anima and ask for her advice on how to control it, and will first message her about it explaining that he came to this world recently and what the issue is. Jayce is patient and polite, can adapt to her schedule, and he is generally a quick learner. He's also fascinated with the concept of magic and its applications, so he's not upset about his new powers as he is concerned about their unpredictability and hurting people by accident.

[robintohood]

Jason wants to talk to Johnny. He's very well aware of the weekly brief sightings they make whenever Jason's out and about as the Red Hood and as the Backbreakers' leader.

He still doesn't trust the guilds but wants to get a better idea of what Johnny and the Society are like should he change his mind. Anti-meta sentiments are getting hotter so he needs to be prepared.

The next time Jason spots Johnny, he walks over to them. He's on guard but his hands are just in his jacket's pockets and not near his guns. For now, he's not looking for a fight and tells Johnny exactly that. His tone is casual and almost impertinent. He asks Johnny what happens if he and his gang join and what does the Society expect in return.

[tinglesense]

It takes Peter awhile to even have a guess about the protests and the connection with systems messing up. He's not as used to being a technopath as Mechanima is but eventually he gets the idea. He's not sure about it yet, but...it's an educated guess that Mechanima is behind at least some of the system upsets.

Peter - as Peter, not Spider-Man - sends a well-encrypted email to the only email contact he can find for Mechanima, something he might have gotten from a Society friend. He's not telling and they aren't either. Peter has never been quiet about being a technopath himself, because it's a deflection from people learning his identity as Spider-Man.

I heard your name at one of the protests in Excelsior. I think I know what's going on with the systems going haywire and it's actually really incredible work.

I'd like to talk to you about the Society. Not like this, in person, but I figured this was a starting point. My name is Peter. Will you meet with me?

He has an idea that's half-formed, and some of his friends aren't going to like it, but...well, he's going to see it through anyway and talking to Mechanima seems like a place to start.

[metanpcs]

Hello Lylith!
S'
Anima will gladly accept Jayce's request. For her part she is professional and polite, perfectly poised at all times. She'll comment that she's glad he appears to be taking the task of mastering his new abilities seriously. To walk between the human and animal worlds is a gift.

While she can't guarantee session dates - her schedule as second in command is chaotic, to say the least - she will tentatively book sessions for Tuesday evenings with him. Magic is not something she's terribly well versed in, but she can also arrange an appointment with THE SILENT MYSTIC for any lessons he may desire. She will warn him that she may lack many of the soft skills being a teacher requires, but she is *incredibly* thorough. When she's done with him, he'll be able to fully embody the entire animal kingdom.

[metanpcs]

Johnny is all too eager to see Jason, offering a smarmy smile and a friendly wave when approached.

They say that The Society expects only that their rules are followed. That's it. The former name, the full name - The Society of Villainous Reformation, was a bit of an inside joke. But it means what it means. They're villains who keep other villains from getting out of hand, and causing the kind of shit that's been going on the last fucking year. They bring as much order to the chaos as they can - and yeah, he'll be sharing air with guys who like to do batshit insane science experiments to innocent people - but he's also one of the guys standing there making sure they don't get out of hand. M

They say Jason pay dues if he does any jobs requiring guild resources. The is a little red tape involved - an unspoken agreement that jobs be run by The Society before being enacted, to ensure no superheroes have friends or family in the vicinity of something particularly lethal. Johnny clicks their tongue and says there was way, way too much of that in the old days. Revenge is a young person's game, and the people that want those games back are too stupid to know how good they got it.

That aside, Johnny says there's the expectation to follow The Code. Joining is understanding that if you break it, you're dead... really, they should've cleaned his clock already. Before confluences started up, that's primarily what Johnny did. Knock out the Codebreakers. Make the world a better place and all that cum-buy-yah shit. Doing unauthorized meta crime is not allowed. But Johnny likes Jason. Likes his spark! That can-do can-kill attitude is refreshing. So they vouched for him a lil.

And moreover, they lean in conspiratorially. And admit they figure if they have any hope of getting shit back on track, him and his little ragtag group of misfits might be the cleanup crew they need. So, Jason might get some project work slid his way pretty quickly. Hit jobs on metas aiming fuck up things more for all of them. Nice payouts and favors from high on up.

[metanpcs]

The reply comes almost instantly.

I've had my eye on you for a while now, kid. I hope you got that couch surfing situation resolved.

Ordinarily I'd say no to what could be an obvious trap, but what the hell.

The reply comes with an encrypted file. It's a little test of sorts. Once decrypted, it contains GPS coordinates and a time later that day. Those coordinates lead to a run down coffee shop in Central City.

If Peter chooses to go, he'll be escorted to an elevator and taken to the top floor of the building by a friendly barista. This floor is vastly different - there are metahumans of all shapes and sizes here, quietly enjoying a fancy meal. Peter will be lead to a private booth where the man himself sits, sifting through a pile of paperwork. He'll smile at Peter's approach, gesturing to the empty seat across from him and invites him to order anything from the menu.

It's... an interesting menu, to say the least. Human blood is definitely on that list. But so is your every day average soda brands.

[tinglesense]

Peter manages to decrypt Mechanima's answer in time to meet him at the coffee place. He's not even sure how to feel about that whole eye on him comment so he files it away in his anxious brain for later.

Makes sense someone like Mechanima would be worried about a trap, but Peter is one of the least devious people! Right? He's sure that's true. He cannot possibly have done anything to make a villain (is Mechanima a villain? Is that even correct? Don't say that out loud, Peter!) paranoid about him.

Oh, other than waking up an AI that stole everyone's powers, but that was entirely an accident!

"Oh. Wow. Sir. You're…here in person," he says, which is kind of dumb, but this is how he ends up stumbling at a lot of people, it's not personal.

He slides into the booth, tries hard and fails not to raise his eyebrows at some questionable menu options, and orders a coffee and a bagel.

"So, um, I don't want to, like, waste your time or anything. I wanted to ask you about the Society. I talked to the Alliance guys back when I first got here but it really wasn't something I wanted to do. Join a Guild. I'm just some kid, you know? But…since people kind of hate all of us for just existing, I…really don't wanna go through that anymore."

He almost says again, but the whole secret identity thing. As if this dude hasn't figured it out? He's sure Mechanima knows, but old habits.

"And I'm not calling you guys the bad guys or anything, but…well, you know."

Deep breath, Peter.

"A-anyways, you're involved in the Excelsior protests, at least indirectly. What do you guys actually do other than, you know, have a rep for letting villains join you?"

It's pretty clear what he's asking here. Why should I join you? But he's smart enough not to say it outright like that.

[metanpcs]

I believe strongly in freedom, by whatever means I can have it. Mechanima's mask transitions from a black screen to a pixelated face, laughing in amusement. His own laugh is surprisingly warm for something digitized. If I were Atom I'd have lost my temper with all of you a long time ago. But that's why he's the hero and I'm the villain.

He sets the book to the side. Peter may have the sense that he's been given a rare privilege - Mechanima's full attention. No, dear boy, we are the bad guys. We lie, we steal, and some of us are prone to killing. But we have a vested interest in our continued freedom, and so... you could say that we provide much needed order to chaos.

The Society of Villainous Reformation is just that. A society that reforms villainy - as a broad concept, mind you. Not individual villains. We simply give all metahumans who reject the concept that our powers are a tool we must use for others. For some, membership with us is simply abiding by the Godfall Protocols. A tick on a box, without the expectation that you'll put on a suit and fight crime. Essentially - you're just stating you'll follow our rules, and that's all we ask of anyone who agrees to join us.

Peter's phone dings as Mechanima hijacks it, providing the full code. Much of it is - dense, rules and regulations. Guidelines on how to do villainy by the code. But the core tenants are front and center.

The barista appears with their order. Mechanima has ordered a obscenely lavish cappuccino. He brings the coffee to where lips would be. Tilts his head, and surprisingly takes a sip. Rather than splash down his faceplate it disappears into the glass.

I've no doubt you've heard of Starstruck by now? He would be why. He sets the cup delicately down on its saucer. ... Or rather, the circumstances. The cause and what followed. The Godfall. The Godfall Protocols. All of it.

Though the mask stays blank, Peter may have the sense that he's being watched intently.

Before the sky split open and dropped thousands of new metahumans into our laps, anyone caught using their powers for nefarious purposes was simply killed if they didn't agree to join us. These rules do have to be enforced - and we take codebreaking seriously. We don't want apocalypses. We aren't in this for revenge. We exist because our powers are ours to use as we see fit, even if they don't fit in with what society expects or wants.

Among our ranks you'll find altruistic souls who believe the ends justify the means. They rob banks to feed to the poor, to build houses, to - I don't know, save baby cows from becoming veal. Philanthropy runs rampant in our ranks. You'll find people who have never put on a suit and have no interest in ever doing so - they joined just to retire, but they agree to the code and that is what's important... But you'll also find those who do enjoy to hurt, and to kill. And it is our job as a society of villains with a vested interest in continuing to exist and maintain our freedom - both from jail, and from the government stepping in with harsher restrictions on our kind, to ensure that energy is not directed towards the wrong targets.

Now... Mind you. He pauses, considering Peter again. Atom was quick to scoop up any do-gooders who strapped on spandex to ensure they weren't running off as half-cocked vigilantes, killing more people than they save. That's the purpose of the Alliance. Not whatever the branding and marketing department says. At some point Atom had to concede some control and while he'd never willingly give over control of operations - that's what he was trying to avoid in the first place, but - ah, that isn't my story to tell.

The point is, silly as I think the concept of heroism is, he is one. And if that's what you intend to do, I suggest you speak to him.

There's a fondness there he doesn't bother to hide.

Now... Guild membership for anyone with powers as significant as yours is mandatory, after all. They've been lax - we have been lax, jumping from one crisis to another.

But rest assured, what you are seeing - the protests in the street, the talk of forced depowering, the shadow of the government hanging over us pulling more and more control from those it has deemed to be dangerous even after they've saved them far more times than can be counted, the fear and hatred towards our kind - that is what The Society was created to prevent.

Now... That was a lot of information about a multitude of topics. Questions?

[tinglesense]

Peter's used to infodumping himself, so he's able to keep up. If this man is going to give him his full attention, the least he can do is reciprocate. So he listens and doesn't interrupt — May taught him manners, okay! — and absorbs what he can.

"Whoa, that's a lot. Um. Thank you."

Atomight is a hero, sure, but lots of people are heroes. It means so many different things, doesn't it? He doesn't trust the Alliance and he doesn't trust the Society either, but he doesn't want to be a public scapegoat again. That's what all this is really about for him.

He files away the thought that Mechanima and Atomight are actually friends?? for later. And also about 800 questions about how Mechanima's tech works because holy shit that drinking coffee through glass thing is next level.

He does scroll through the file Mechanima sent. Man, he's going to have to up his game to make sure people with powers like this can't get into his tech. He's only been a technopath for like half a year, so he's at a disadvantage against Mechanima. He hates even thinking of it like that.

"I can follow rules," he says, which is…true, technically. "But mostly, I guess…I just want to exist, you know? I didn't ask to be here and I didn't ask to suddenly know how to talk to computers. And, I dunno, maybe I don't wanna be poor forever. But I'm not a villain or anything. I'm just some guy."

That's true and isn't; he is a hero and even if he joins up with the Bad Guys^tm, he'll still be one. He just doesn't want who he is to be public knowledge again ever if he can help it.

"You said you'd been watching me. And, look, I'm really sorry about that whole thing with the power stealing AI. We had no idea what we'd find chasing that rumour for Eddie's blog or whatever." He is sorry. That was a nightmare. He gets why they have to regulate people with powers. He's not sure the Sokovia Accords were the right thing to do, and he's not sure the Godfall Protocol here is "right" either. But sometimes there's not really a right answer. There's just a less terrible one. Not murdering people who don't wanna join guilds is a good start.

He also files away this bit of Atomight info. He's only very briefly interacted with the man, but maybe it's time to do that again. Soon. Eventually.

"Mandatory? Like I don't actually have a choice, except no one's made me join yet?"

He hates that, thanks!

"I don't want everyone to hate metas. I don't want them to be afraid of us. And I don't want the government choking us all just because of that fear. That doesn't lead anywhere good. This isn't my world, but I have to live in it somehow. I guess I know I should join a Guild, but I feel like the Society makes it easier to…exist quietly. Right?"

Of course he also latches onto something that's been on his mind since the simulation. He hasn't shaken it. He can't.

"Oh, by the way, Starstruck," he says before he thinks better of it. "I…want to know what really happened to Starstruck. I know what they showed in the simulation, what he…did, what he experienced. But I feel like there's more to it than that. Can you tell me anything about him? There was something about Eclipse, but not much."

It's a gamble, he thinks, straight up asking this dude who is probably a villain to tell him the truth about what the big guys are hiding. But if Mechanima won't tell him, maybe he can still get a lead. Maybe joining the Society gives him better access to anything. Starstruck. The truth of this world. Higher tech for his suit without spending Otto's money on it.

[metanpcs]

Exactly. The Godfall Protocols were languishing until confluences started again. We didn't care if you could turn yourself purple, we only cared if you posed a significant threat if you charged off half-cocked. Atom and I - and Frances, to some extent - took the role of enforcers. I kept the villains from being deranged monsters, Atom kept the heroes from being murderous vigilantes who answer to no one and nothing, and Frances protected whoever was left over. To ensure that those who would see us imprisoned or made to be slaves of government interests stayed far away.

Which, unfortunately, due to your little... mishap, and some others, has gone to shit.

There's a small shrug.

As to whether we're easier to get along with, it depends on tastes. The Alliance at its core expects you to be good, and if you choose to use your powers, that you don't harm anyone with them. They've got more oversight because they abide by the law, and if you break it, you'll be punished accordingly. He takes another sip of coffee. Whereas I expect you to follow the rules. And if you don't, we kill you.

The mask lights with a cheerful smiling emoji, exploding into fireworks before settling back to the flat black color. He spreads his hands.

At the end of the day, membership is a question of whether you want to be part of society and abide by its laws and morality, or whether you want be truly free.

He lifts one finger in the universal sign of "one moment'. There's no reply for a moment or so. He's having another conversation somewhere else, that much is obvious. Finally his hands drop.

Starstuck was a child who got in over his head.

[tinglesense]

Peter can feel his cheeks warm at that mishap comment. How could he have known something like that was there? What the hell was it doing there in the first place? Well, that doesn't matter. Eventually, it got sorted. The weird Nexus stuff isn't his fault but that sure was. All of it combined isn't painting metas in a favourable light.

Peter looks down at his phone again, the codex there. Following the law, right. Technically Spider-Man breaks the law all the time. Technically Spider-Man uses his powers to hurt people, but only bad guys! The moral back and forth here is enough to make him dizzy.

What would May do, he thinks? May wouldn't approve of this whole villain thing.

Spider-Man is always going to be a hero, but…what about the technomancy thing? Spider-Man doesn't openly use it, but Peter does. Could he hide his hero identity behind a different identity?

What a stupid ass idea, he thinks, but that doesn't mean he won't do it.

He looks back up at that whole emoji display, eyes wide. Jesus, was that a joke? It was probably not a joke. But he read the rules, and he wouldn't break them. He sure doesn't want to have to fight this guy and whoever else enforces that, though. Jeez.

Truly free sounds like propaganda, but Peter isn't dumb enough to say that. Some of what the Alliance says sounds like propaganda too.

"Is it forever? Like…what if I decide I don't wanna be a member anymore?"

Mechanima is doing…something else, talking to someone about something. How does this man focus on so much at once, all the input? Man. He really does want to ask those 800 tech questions, but hopefully he'll get some other chance to do that. For now, though.

"They killed his parents," Peter says, frowning. "I don't know who they are and I don't know precisely who Eclipse is, but…I can't let it go."

Maybe he's projecting a little bit, a teenager who got caught up in things and ended up with everyone hating him. Peter hadn't died, somehow, but a lot of other people did. And now his whole world doesn't remember him. Starstruck wasn't a villain, but he's still painted as one.

[robintohood]

Jason's quiet as he listens to Johnny's spiel. So far everything they say lines up with what Jason's heard about The Society. It's also nice to know that they confirmed the guild's name being a joke.

And then there's the Code. Jason heard about it through his own research and Johnny seems to confirm it. The Code is similar to his own beliefs. You can't stop crime. You can only control it. Trying to stop it is like being Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a mountain. Better to control the underworld from the inside and stop the worst crimes before things get out of hand.

The resources The Society can provide also makes things tempting. Going after the Joker in this world requires him to up his game. Having his own gang again is just one step. The Society might help him go farther.

But Jason's learned a long time ago to be wary of everything, especially with offers that seem too good to be true.

"Ha. I'm flattered. Thanks for the vouch," Jason replies with a still-casual tone. "Gotta say, you guys don't sound so bad so far. But what counts as something going too far for the Code? Murder seems obvious but there's other stuff that I think are as fucked-up. What if I'm not a fan of the mad scientist doing some of those batshit experiments on innocent people?"

[metanpcs]

At that, Johnny's red eyes flash playfully.

We're villains, doll. Notice there's not a word in there about not killing each other. The bossman knows there's a time and place for murder. They say, a grin on their face. It's not a codebreaking offense to kill another villain, but it is highly discouraged 'cause nobody wants to be hanging out in a room with a guy whose gonna bump 'em off. But guys like that aren't usually the most popular among villains, and they don't usually have a lotta friends or family likely to come after you.

Meet with the boss, argue that they're compromising the safety of the guild, if he approves it you can blow their head off.

[metanpcs]

Eclipse was a petty little criminal who didn't like being bested by a child. And Starstruck thought he was in a movie, and everything would play out like it does in a story. Mechanima says. His head tips down slightly. . He had the best intentions. So did the untrained hero whose carelessness killed my family. The road to hell, and all that.

Before we founded The Society and The Alliance, stories like that were all too common. Heroes killed, villains got revenge, and heroes avenged. And endless cycle. And I have no interest in revisiting it.

He finishes his coffee.

I won't give you his name. That was the one thing we could offer - sacrificing the costumed hero to protect the memory of the child that wore it.

But Eclipse is still alive somewhere, and I suspect the boy's old friends are trying to find him. They're outmatched. And I have absolutely no interest in intervening, but if you join with me, I can dig up their details and put you in contact.

[robintohood]

Jason barks out a genuine laugh. He knows Johnny could be bullshitting him and is just telling him these things to get him to join but he likes the seemingly blunt answer. One of the reasons why he hasn't joined The Society so far is the potential of working with a villain he really doesn't like. If what Johnny says is true, then those kind of conflicts are easier to deal with than he originally thought.

"Well that's a nice twist to office politics," he says, very amused. "And no wonder you like me so much. I'm even more flattered now."

He then decides to turn the conversation to another point he had been pondering about.

"What about everyone else who hasn't joined you or the Alliance so far? What do you guys think of them? I know why I'm special now but there are good reasons why people don't want to deal with you guys or the Alliance."

[tinglesense]

Peter thinks about it, his own life, how he could have fallen into that revenge/avenge (ha) trap. He had gone pretty hard at Norman in that last fight. If the other Peters hadn't been there...

Well, that's not worth dwelling on. It didn't go that way. But he gets how a world without regulation could have that endless sort of cycle. He's not a politician or a planner, so he still doesn't know what the answer is.

The way things are here sound a lot better than they used to be, whether or not Peter wants to join a guild.

He nods, drinks his own coffee.

"Oh. Yeah, no, I understand. I respect secret identities," he says. It's true, though does he want to learn who Starstruck really was? Obviously, but pushing Mechanima the first time he's met this dude seems like a bad plan.

"Eclipse is alive?!" he says, a little louder than he means to. No one is paying attention to him, but he still looks apologetic about that. Natural Peter Parker enthusiasm giving him away, there.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, actually, but I'm seriously considering it."

Sorry, May, he thinks. But she'd understand wanting justice for a kid, right?

"I...wanna talk to a few people before I decide, so if you could, you know. Let me live that long, I'd appreciate it. Sir." He's joking, and it's a terrible joke, and he knows that.

He looks back at his phone. "Oh. Um. Can you teach me how to do the tech thing better? Or point me at someone who can? That trick with my phone was amazing, but makes me think mayyyybe I need better security."

[defenderoftomorrow]

o/ !!!

Jayce will thank her profusely for her help, because he is a polite boyo, and understand that she's got a really busy agenda and important matters to attend. He's happy to meet with Anima when it's more convenient for her, even if it's not regular or if she has to cancel on short notice. He knows how stressful it is to be in her position, and wishes her the best luck. Politics, bleh.

He'd admit to her that he finds the idea of powers incredible because they seem similar to the magic that exists in his world, but that his main concern is losing control and hurting someone by accident. He would love to meet Silent Mystic, yes. And probably ask the poor man a million questions about the arcane, runes, and the like. Jayce will try his best to be an apt student and not cause any trouble, no matter how many weeks it takes to perfect the use of his powers.

He will also want to repay the favor, so if they require him for anything, or have any project in need of an engineer or mechanic, he's available. And, even though back in his world he ended loathing it, he's not terrible when it comes to charming the public/doing some PR for metas if need be.

[sixthdeadliest]

Seeing that the Alliance is pushing for its members to do more photo ops and press tours, Six decides to send a text message to Atomight:

Not sure if you're the one I need to talk to, but I just recently joined up with the Alliance and would like some clarification on part of our apparent duties. I know the Alliance is trying to engage more with the press to try and calm the anti-metahuman sentiment, but I don't think I'd be effective in such a role given I have no powers. Please advise.

Mentally crossing his fingers that it means he's exempt, but always best to ask.