Gizmo

"She likes to pick words that put people on the back foot when she meets them so--" Ryder began by way of explanation while simultaneously Jenny replied to Natalia, "Invited's an improvement, normally people just sort of get swept up in his--" They both stopped mid sentence as they realized they were talking over each other and turned from their guest. "Don't make it sound sinister, I just like to know if people can handle themselves before--" "Yes, 'invited'! Are you doing a hazing right now? Are you hazing me right--" "Oh my god Ry, I am trying to be cool in front of your cool sunglasses indoors friend so I don't embarrass--" "You're already cool, we're cool people! Natalia gets competitive about social interactions, it's going be weird if you--" "You know you didn't actually introduce us yet, right?" "Crap!" "Language!" "Shit, then." "Better." Simultaneously they turned back to the teen in the doorway. "Sorry! This is my sister, Jenny. Jenny, this is Natalia."

Just a step behind Kensei, Chitin launched himself forward, a trail of sky blue light leaving afterimages in his wake. Bounding into the air with a flip, he landed a thunderous bicycle kick directly onto the hilt of the katana alight with crimson flame, driving the weapon clear through the Giraffe Ragin's head, through its wounded neck and out its opposite side. The armoured hero landed on the far side on both feet while the swordsman dismounted with acrobatic grace next to him, their backs to their defeated foe. For a brief moment the beast's entire form vibrated with discordant notes, increasing in tempo and volume to a fevered pitch until abruptly it detonated in an explosion of light and electricity that backlit the pair into dramatic silhouettes. All that was left was a scorch mark on the street and a trail of destruction behind it. “Argh, I wasn't looking at the explosion!" Chitin lamented, spinning around a moment too late and tossing his head back dejectedly. “I bet that looked so cool!"

It is! Giraffe Ragin Toughness Save vs DC 28: 1d20+10-3 9 Hit it so hard it e x p l o d e s!

Kensei's blade sliced cleanly through the the translucent monster's form, leaving not a torn wound but a sort of instability. The yellow of its neck seemed dimmer, flickering in an out of view. It reacted as though physically struck, toppling forward onto its front knees and nearly tumbling onto its side and screeching electric amp feedback. “No time like the present!" Chitin called back to his friend as he somersaulted back onto his feet. He toggled the chambers on his belt in sequence, rerouting power to his leading foot and he dropped into a ready stance. “I think it's time for this guy to wake up. Big finish?" Light began to surge around the edges of the armour on his leg, growing in intensity around his boot and humming with intensity, waiting for Kensei's signal to strike.

Chitin Move Action: Acrobatic Bluff vs Giraffe Ragin: 1d20+5 15 Delaying until Kensei's action. Unarmed Attack vs Giraffe Ragin; All-Out Attack 5, Power Attack 5: 1d20+11 18 Giraffe Ragin Sense Motive vs DC 15: 1d20+2 9 Flat-Footed against Chitin's attack, so the 18 hits. That's a DC 25 Toughness Save, ready for Kensei to Combine Attack! The Ragin passes its turn with the daze, so Kensei is up again after I get an IC post up!

Giraffe Ragin Automatically fails that Feint. Toughness Save vs DC 23: 1d20+10-2 9 Eek! Have an HP for a Fiat, Kensei. Toughness Save vs DC 23, Fiat Reroll: 1d20+10-2 15 EDIT: You know what, ignore that, let's let the stagger ride! 22 - Kensei - Uninjured, 2HP > 18 - Chitin - Bruised x1, 2HP 16 - Giraffe Ragin - Bruised x3, Dazed, Staggered

"It's quite light and refreshing! I'm a bit surprised, I associate you less with a citrus flavour than, I don't know, bitters and cinnamon. Grapefruit at a stretch." She paused to take another sip and examine that statement. "I may be attending too many marketing brainstorming meetings. Though as I recall, Matthew felt that horse riding was for vacations and people who don't know how to spend their money and he hasn't exactly been proven incorrect. And I only had someone explain that 'bougie' was a diminutive of bourgeoisie about a month ago. Also in a marketing meeting. I'm obliged to attend so many marketing meetings." She pulled a face and rolled her eyes. "I want to hear more about these 'assess chaps', please."

"Ah, cool! My dad runs the Smoothie Shack in Riverside," Ryder supplied, nodding in understanding and apparently willing and unbothered to take Astrid at her word without further inquiries. "My roommate and I saw a metal show the other day! Well, it was less a show and more we fought a sort of giraffe-rhino-centaur rage demon made out of energy that roared power chords and its outline sort of vibrated like a sound wave? Pretty rad except for how it almost trampled people." He picked up one of the cookies Danica kept mentioning from the table, using it to absently gesture to illustrate his story. Magenta bobbed her head in agreement with the new arrival's assessment of her overall excellence. "Oh hey, thanks!" Ryder responded as well, taking a bit of the cookie. "Ooh, cinnamon-y! I don't know if I 'keep up' with Eira so much as she mostly tolerates my presence in the same lab but I do okay, haha! I'm definitely an armour guy; Magenta and her siblings help out with that."

"Yeeeaaah... it's not, though," Ellie told her, leaning to one side in her chair so she could rest one elbow over its back and cross one leg over her opposite knee. "I'm gonna get a little elder queer on you here but the idea of a quintessential high school experience is bull$#!%. It sounds like you're less wishing it was something you were doing and more worried that you'll look back with regrets, yeah? But for some people, they look back on high school and the most important thing was being on the football team. Or starting a band with their friends. Or reading their favourite author for the first time. Or it was totally miserable and they're just glad they made it out the other side. None of them did high school more 'right' than the others because their four-or-more-years looked more like some movie with a bunch of grown-ass actors pretending to be kids." She craned her neck a bit to make sure she was looking Danica in the eye and made a little gesture parallel with the table between them. "This whole conversation you've been talking about protecting your friends and not wanting to make anyone uncomfortable and watching out for younger kids. You've got more love to give than just about anyone I've ever met and that doesn't have to include any combination of romantic or sexual or monogamous relationship to be valid and fulfilling."

"Is it weird if I say I'm super interested in your biological processes? But yeah, I should help Jenny close up anyway, you can have your pick of whatever backed goods are left." Ryder wasn't going to give her a chance to argue over paying for anything and forged ahead and opened the door. Chimes over the door jingled as he walked through, waving to the pair of older women packing up their card game as he smoothly scooped up their used plates and cups on the way to the counter. "Hey! Surprise, I guess!" The young woman behind the counter bore an unquestionable familial resemblance to him although she traded him broad grin for a confident smirk. Her long black hair was shaved on either side of her head and tied back in a ponytail with a pronounced poof over her forehead. Her apron was festooned with a number of buttons and pins with buttons, including pride flags and slogans summing her thoughts on certain institutions. "Hey dork, keeping out of trouble?" "Nah, disrupting the military-industrial complex and gaming the broken prison system," he replied cheerfully, depositing the dishes near a sink and reaching over the counter to retrieve a spray bottle and cleaning cloth. "Nice," Jenny congratulated, bumping a fist into the one Ryder presented to her. She looked back over to the entrance to give Natalia an openly appraising once over. "And collecting pretty private school girls? I'm so proud, Ry."

With Elena's departure Magenta refocused on the other immediate source of attention and hopped off of her cup podium, coiled her legs beneath herself and hopped a surprising distance to land on the edge of Danica's shell just above her right arm. "Mag! You gotta ask permission first, come on," Ryder admonished with a frown and an apologetic look toward the tortoise-like girl. Magenta made a series of unconcerned clicking noises that did a decent job communicating that asking first was for other, less adorable robots, surely. Sighing, Ryder shook his head. "Sorry, she and her siblings kinda do what they want sometimes. I did watch that show and I still carry around a notebook for writing down ideas and I honestly hadn't made the connection but maybe it did actually influence the naming conventions! Whoa, like, insight, right?" He swivelled back to Astrid with ease learned from helping multiple tables simultaneously at his family's restaurant. "Ha, seems like Elena wants to talk to everybody without taking to everybody, I can so relate to that. For real, though, what power do you have? Do they fit the heavy metal aesthetic? I'm getting strong vibes so I'm betting yes." He pointed to her shirt with one hand then crossed his arms at the wrists to simultaneously point to Danica with the other. "And did she say you organized all this, Danica? 'Cause this all looks great."

"I understood that joke," Winifred snorted, pointing at Riley before returning her attention to Raina with an uncharacteristically bright smile and no small amount of relief relaxing her shoulders. "I don't disagree but the representative I spoke with was insistent about a 'couple's package' being tremendously desirable. She kept asking some very personal questions about my romantic life and laughing loudly at incongruous points in the conversation, very odd." She gave a small shrug. "Regardless, you're welcome, 'seriously'. I trust you'll have a good time. Now I'm trying to imagine Matthew in one of those hats. Black, presumably." She took a a sip from the glass that had been satin front of her absently and gave a small start. "Oh, bubbles!"

"At that point we were just guessing. We knew there were things we might be able to use if we could get to another city assuming the Curator's version actually had those things. Or those cities. We just had to hope that we weren't still in some messed up scenario he was running." Jill took a bit of time to describe the specifics of their overland journey; she felt like most of that was going to end up on the cutting room floor especially since she didn't feel like sharing the small, personal moments between the abductees. "Basically it was like camping but the absolute worst. So, y'know: normal camping."

Magenta preened under the attention and raised the plastic cup triumphantly as Danica asked if she was trying to get a drink only to lower it uncertainty when asked if she could actually drink. “She didn’t think that far ahead,” Ryder supplied with shake of his head and a smile that said he was used to indulging this sort of behaviour. The Robug made a rapid series of clicking noises at him and he raised his hands in defence. “I was getting there! This is Magenta, I’m Ryder! Hey, that is a wicked shell! I’m more of an exoskeleton kinda guy but keratin, chitin, it’s all good.” He laughed easily, deepening his dimples. Magenta looked all the way up at Elena, paused for a moment then set the plastic cup onto the table upside down and scuttled up on top of it to use as a little podium, as though that significantly reduced the size difference. She certainly seemed pleased with her ingenuity as she extended a curved forelimb to El to shake.

Doktor'd! Chitin Big one, spending 18PP! Here's an itemized list of the changes, then the actual formatted sheet under the spoiler tags. +4 Skills [1PP] Sense Motive 4 (+5) +3 Feats [3PP] Challenge (Combat Diplomacy) Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Set-Up CMYK Driver Belt: Device 11 [55DP] to Device 13 [65DP] [8PP] Immunity 1 (Environmental Cold) [1PP] Bush Cricket Concealment 4 (All Visual; Flaws: Displacement) [4PP] Quickness 3 (x25; 1 Minute to Standard Action) [3PP] Super-Senses 2 (Auditory [Extended 1, Ultra-Hearing]) [2PP] Orchid Mantis Affects Insubstantial 2 on Damage 5 [2PP] Drain Toughness 5 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [+0]; Flaws: Limited [Objects Only]) [5PP] to Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [+0]; Flaws: Limited [Objects Only]) [10PP] Super-Senses 2 (Visual [Counters Concealment) [2PP] Yellowjacket Damage 8 (Extras: Area [General, 80’ Cone]) [16PP] to Damage 8 (Extras: Area [Targeted, 80’ Cone], Selective; Feats: Homing) [25PP] Kabuto Beetle Countering Punch on Super-Strength 4 [1PP] Enhanced Feats 2 (Improved Throw, Improved Trip) [2PP] Immovable 3 (Extras: Unstoppable) [6PP] Robugs: Device 3 [15DP] to Device 5 [25DP] [6PP] Communication 4 (Auditory, 1 mile range; Feats: Subtle) [5PP] ESP 4 (Auditory, Visual, 1 mile range; Extras: Simultaneous; Flaws: Limited [Reachable by Robugs]; Feats: Rapid 1 [10x search speed]) [13PP] Move Object 2 (Strength 10; Extras: Range [Perception]; Feats: Precise) [7PP] 1 + 3 + 8 + 6 = 18PP spent!

December 2020 The Smoothie Shack - Riverside, Freedom City Continued from Monkeys on Parade In the heart of Riverside the juice bar Ryder led Natalia to was afforded a little more street front real estate than it might have been further downtown, enough for a large arching sign with the name Smoothie Shack in bright capital letters, flanked by stylized palm trees and fruit silhouettes in a multitude of colours. Through the big front windows diner style booths in pastel colours could be seen, occupied by a smattering of patrons of wildly differing ages and aesthetics. The second storey of the building was given to more understated red brick and windows with shutters, presumably living space. Ryder stopped on the sidewalk to heft his bag over his shoulder with one hand and gesture proudly with the other. "Tada!"

"You got the first letter right, that's like one-in-twenty-six," Ryder told Astrid encouragingly with a short laugh. "Eira and I did some lab work together, yeah!" He cupped his hands around his mouth when the purple-and-pink haired girl called in their direction, showing holo glitter painted nails in reds and whites. "Yes! You're very interesting!" In a more modulated tone he added to Astrid, "The stuff I do is kinda less secrets of the universe and more-- Magenta!" His exclamation was directed to a palm-sized robot in the shape of a praying mantis scuttling about the drinks table with a red plastic cup held aloft in her forelimbs. Rendered in glossy white and her namesake magenta the Robug froze and slowly turned her head to look at the surprised teen, managing to imply sheepishness with her triangular head. "What happened to staying in the dorm room?"

"I don't know if terrified is really the right word. Like, it's one thing to look up at the night sky and know intellectually that you're seeing light from stars that are unfathomably far away but your brain just sort of bounces off the scale of it. Which is sort of also the reason things got a little tough to keep track of after that." Jill traced a large circle in the air with her fingertips. "So the 'planet' we were on was actually a ring around a star, right? Like a construct the size of an actual planet's orbit made up of all the places and people the Curator had stolen. So we were always facing toward the 'sun', meaning no day and night cycle. Made it very weird to try to keep track of time as we started heading west. Or, like, 'west'." She used air quotes around the word with a helpless shrug.

Chitin February 2021 Edits +4 Skills [1PP] Sense Motive 4 (+5) +3 Feats [3PP] Challenge (Combat Diplomacy) Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Set-Up CMYK Driver Belt: Device 11 [55DP] to Device 13 [65DP] [8PP] Immunity 1 (Environmental Cold) [1PP] Bush Cricket Concealment 4 (All Visual; Flaws: Displacement) [4PP] Quickness 3 (x25; 1 Minute to Standard Action) [3PP] Super-Senses 2 (Auditory [Extended 1, Ultra-Hearing]) [2PP] Orchid Mantis Affects Insubstantial 2 on Damage 5 [2PP] Drain Toughness 5 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [+0]; Flaws: Limited [Objects Only]) [5PP] to Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [+0]; Flaws: Limited [Objects Only]) [10PP] Super-Senses 2 (Visual [Counters Concealment) [2PP] Yellowjacket Damage 8 (Extras: Area [General, 80’ Cone]) [16PP] to Damage 8 (Extras: Area [Targeted, 80’ Cone], Selective; Feats: Homing) [25PP] Kabuto Beetle Countering Punch on Super-Strength 4 [1PP] Enhanced Feats 2 (Improved Throw, Improved Trip) [2PP] Immovable 3 (Extras: Unstoppable) [6PP] Robugs: Device 3 [15DP] to Device 5 [25DP] [6PP] Communication 4 (Auditory, 1 mile range; Feats: Subtle) [5PP] ESP 4 (Auditory, Visual, 1 mile range; Extras: Simultaneous; Flaws: Limited [Reachable by Robugs]; Feats: Rapid 1 [10x search speed]) [13PP] Move Object 2 (Strength 10; Extras: Range [Perception]; Feats: Precise) [7PP] 1 + 3 + 8 + 6 = 18PP spent!

"Yeah, no, that sounds like it would majorly suck," Ellie agreed bluntly, idly brushing her bangs to one side with her fingertips. "Sure when you're sixty you'll look thirty but you could also just moisturize. The good news is that high school is fake and literally the second you get out of here nobody is going to care. But you still have to get through high school and that part sucks." She shrugged in a gesture of commiseration. "But if we're trying to be constructive instead of just enjoying my excellent bedside manner we can get specific. The driving thing's what my wife would call a solvable problem. Computer assisted whatever, you're in the world's greatest city for extremely specific science, somebody can make a Tortoisemobile." She tried to gauge Danica's expression carefully before proceeding in a less sardonic tone. "And you don't have to want to date anyone. Not now or even ever. Is it more that you're not interested in a romantic relationship or is it more the physical stuff you're not excited about? Could be both, also not weird."

Ryder's lazy spin turned nearly into a pirouette as he reoriented toward Astrid's voice. "Oh hey, thanks! It's Ryder. I like your boots! You must know--" His supposition was interrupted by shouted Swedish and irritated exits. "--Ei... ra... Um. I'm sure that's fine, she's just, like, high energy yeah? This way she gets to show off two outfits!" His optimistic spin on the exchange seemed genuine as he gave the redhead a reassuring thumbs up. "The jacket's a hand-me-down from when my sister was getting rid of a bunch of clothes but I did the paint later, actually! I had sort of an accident with some ball bearings and a can of paint and an electromagnet and that was a real mess but it did give me some ideas for some, y'know, alterations."

"We have a mutual appreciation for 'fancy' after all," Winifred noted casually, not entirely successful in hiding a bit of tense anticipation as she swirled the rebujito's mint around the glass experimentally and waited for Raina's reaction. Inside the envelope was a brochure for a guest ranch a ways upstate along with two vouchers for a weekend stay. "I know it's been some time since you've had opportunity to go riding. I confirmed that they allow, ahem, 'service animals' and their guest suites are rustic in aesthetic and modern in amenities, including internet access." Those assurances were primarily for Merlin's benefit, left the monkey fear he was being thrown to the proverbial wolves. "Whether you'd prefer to make two separate trips or share with your current beau I leave to you but hopefully a bit of a pleasant diversion either way."

Amidst the Valentine's decor Ryder Fujioka's tousled strawberry blonde hair looked especially pink as he entered the gym with a broad, dimpled grin. His light blazer had probably started off as a fairly stately black but at some point it had been nearly covered in a spray-painted burst pattern in brilliant magenta and deep violet. Under it he wore lilac henley with a white calligraphy pattern and comparatively plain black stonewash denim. Stopping just inside the door with his hands on his hips he looked about with delight. Seeing only students he knew by reputation didn't seem to deter him in the least as he walked toward the snack tables, spinning about on his heels as he went to take in all of the decorations.

"You can hardly hold it against Cathy that she was the only one of us who didn't need to change. Present birthday girls excluded, naturally," Winifred opined, giving Raina a look of exaggerated innocence before leaning over in the booth to give the pale woman a hug with her tattooed arm. "It's good to see you in the snow-kissed flesh. The latest batch of testers I sent you should arrive any day but honestly heaven only knows. I've stopped being amazed by the speed of the post and gone back to being generally irritated by its every aspect. You wouldn't believe the administrative nightmare involved in expanding our distribution overseas." With a huff she turned back to Riley in his new position. "Festive or no I think I shall avoid your particular brand of merriment, Smith. That seems an excellent way to ensure a visit from the Solution and she cannot be trusted to behave herself in social situations."

"The Curator tried to egg us on for a bit once we stopped actively fighting, sending fake comm messages to Beekeeper's armour, leading up around by the nose. When that didn't work he decided to take his ball and go home. Only in this scenario the 'ball' was 'the entire city we were standing in'." Jill made a few gestures with both hands to try to illustrate what she was talking about but again the sheer scale of it made it difficult. "Imagine you're an ant standing on the pages of an open book and somebody picks the book up to snap it shut. Vertigo doesn't really cover it. Quickstep really saved our collective butts. She was half-starved when we found her but she pushed it to the absolute limit to teleport us out of range one at a time while the whole place was being ripped apart."