open Radio Edit (IC)

[Gizmo]

"People who need a mobility aid like maybe a wheelchair too, yeah?" Ryder asked, leaning back and turning to make eye contact with Wilona at her table. "You're better than them. 'In some ways,' of course! Folks with learning disabilities, the blind or deaf? Hey, the elderly! You can do loads of stuff they can't any more. That's 'better', isn't it?" He lifted both hands in a sort of apologetic gesture. "Not to call you out or anything, nobody thinks that's what you meant. But more capable, more powerful, privileged if we're using hashtags, that's all different from 'better'. When someone starts talking about being 'better' that's kind of a red flag. "Better' turns into a justification pretty quickly, historically."

[TheAbsurdist]

"Like, Ryder, dude, bruh, like yeah. We can all do things others can't, right Wilona? Like..." He frowned as he searched, not trying to thread a needle, but rather seeing the issue. Then he thought he got it, "Everyone has abilities they can do better than others. I was good at sports before, Ryder has a gang gang of little robot bugs, Wilona, uhhh, I guess you like fire? Sorry we haven't really hung out."

 

"Anyway, like, a good coach is not one who just praises your abilities, even if they are exceptional, they give you honest critical feedback. Like, if you're getting just praise from people, then they're at best just bad at making you better, trying to sell you something, or at worst they are just bad." He drew in a deep breath, and he pursed his lips. 

 

"I mean, I had to do this.. and its difficult. But I am not better. And I am pretty sure that even if I do right then I won't do it right. Rather just hike and climb mountains and rescue people back there."

 

[Avenger Assembled]

 

Owain hrmed, looking uncomfortable at the turn the conversation was taking. "Whatever label you give it, those so empowered must do all they can to protect those less fortunate. Is there nothing that comes in return then? No obligations that flow upwards?" 

 

When Red skittered out from Neko's sleeve, she gently skritched the top of the robot's head as she looked at the others. Maybe this wasn't such a dangerous conversation after all, now that they had moved away from topics like killing. Her tail lashing lightly against the back of her chair, poking out between her oversized T-shirt and sweatpants, she agreed, "Too much praise makes - you soft. A cake nobody bakes. If I tell Carmen her hair looks good, maybe she stops washing," she added with a toothy smile the other catgirl's way. 

[Nerdzul]

The young man nodded at Ryder's objection. "Yep, stronger, not better." Although, he wondered, how his own kind felt about the matter, not that he had any other dragon to talk about it of course, but somehow he doubted that many of them considered themselves on the same level as normal humans. "Plus, it's like... I mean... look all the supervillains that just think they are better than everyone else..." He shrugged. In truth, it wasn't that hard to empathize with Wilona's way of thinking. After all the first thing he himself did when he found out he had super strength and was immune to bullets wasn't exactly go out and help those in need... It was just so tempting... 

 

"We do get a lot in return, for what we do. I mean, feels f- awesome to know that you are making things better, doesn't it?" Luke replied to Owain.

 

"I wouldn't mind getting paid, sometimes, though..." The boy continued with playfully smile. Although, there was definitely a hint of truth in his voice, after all, the Southside Dragon still delivered pizzas and lived with his parents at the trailer park when he wasn't at school.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Nerdzul

[EternalPhoenix]

Wilona

 

Ryder’s words had thrown WIlona entirely off. If she had a conversational weakpoint, it was more assuredly appealing to her better nature and conscience. “…damn it.” She exhaled somewhat frustratedly. And while her conversational momentum was disrupted, others had more to add. “Yes, yes, you get it! I don’t mean better, not exactly. But there’s no word I know that fits what I mean. Powerful is too narrow, capable is kinda inadequate for the mightier powers in the world, stronger sounds like it's only abut muscles, and better and superior are too easily used to oppress people, like Ryder just said.” She exhaled frustratedly one more time. “Everyone in this room can do things I can’t and are therefore better than me in some ways. Yanno?” She waved off Ryder or whoever else. “Yeah, yeah, more capable, more powerful, pick your own word you like more whatever already. It’s guys like this Groovy Guru person that don’t get it. Being better in the ways that we are comes with…ugh, I hate this word…responsibilities. Savvy? Because if we are better, than we need to act like it. Nobody’s automatically right about everything because they can burn through steel, flip cars with wind, fly, or whatever else.” Wilona grinned ferociously. Friggin’ nailed it.

 

Naomi

 

Naomi had progressed into no longer entirely paying attention. She was deep, deep into her art zone now. Doodling had become sketching had become coloring. Images danced in her mind’s eye, and her colored pencils raced to keep up. Galatea, Mary Minstrel, and the Groovy Guru had been finished and a new page flipped to. And then another, as she was on the third page this class period. She wasn’t drawing the class exactly as they were. She was currently inspired by some of the US History posters she’d seen in class. So the current discussion was framed in her sketchbook as something happening in a certain building in Philadelphia in June 1776, complete with costume changes for all present. It really was amazing what one could do with colored pencils and an good eraser. Was Wilona drawn as acting with a bit more melodramatically passionate than in reality, and thus in the drawing's starring role? Well. Maybe.

[Spacefurry]

Leon

 

Leon still held his tongue at Holly's instant dismissal of a friend. He did frown as his roommate spoke up from the other group. Maybe he had been a little hasty in his answer. Maybe life on the streets had desensitized him more than he cared to think about. Mulling it over as the others spoke up, he kept his thoughts to himself as he waited to hear what the answer was this time.

 

“Of course it was mind control.”
Leon groaned, echoing Holly and WIlona’s irritation.
“Cause people aren’t more then able to be stupid on their own.”
He sighed. His eyes glanced down at the paper Naomi was doodling on and chuckled. He listened to the others as the debate veered towards strength vs responsibility. He took Naomi’s silence for what it was. She was thinking it through to herself, nervous to speak her mind, but it had slipped into her own little world. And he could see Carmen sitting near Luke was on brand with her cat-like disdain for the class.

 

At Jonah’s comment about assuming ‘Wilona likes fire’ Leon nearly snorted, but quickly covered it up with a cough.
“There’s an understatement.”
He chuckled before continuing.
“The firecracker’s not completely wrong though. I think her heart’s in the right place, she just phrased it wrong.”
He said straightening up and waves at Ryder and Wilona.
“Like they was saying… Stronger, faster, creating something with a thought… None of that equals ‘better’. But she’s dead on that it doesn’t give someone the right to tell others what they can or can’t do.”
He cocks a smirk in the red-head’s direction.
“Although, I’m sure some of the staff would love it if she would listen to them when they tell her not to do something.”
He chuckled.
“Helping people is fine and all, but seriously, not to sound like a sellout, getting paid would be nice. I mean, what’s so bad about making some cash off what we can do, as long as no one gets hurt?”
 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Spacefurry

[MoonSimply]

Carmen

Carmen hadn't been paying attention at all to Neko, or anyone really else for that matter as she continued to doodle. She was currently drawing herself, with a defeated Neko, crudely drawn at her feet, standing triumphantly like she was the hero over a defeated villain. Of course, Neko wasn't anything like that, Carmen just being somewhat petty when it came to it. This was even more so when she was doodling up whatever was coming to mind. She had already stated everything that had come to mind for the topic and that was all that she was going to give. She'd rather be in her own little world, or otherwise a pretty bad partner when it came to this sort of group work. It would only be a few seconds after that she actually internalized what Neko had said that she brought up any sort of response.

 

"¿¡Qué dijiste gato tonto!?(What did you say cat!?)" Carmen rebuked, speaking only in Spanish as she did not seem thrilled by the jab towards her, growling and baring her sharp teeth towards the fellow less cat looking girl. The teacher, Mr. Hawke, would quickly stop this rather quickly, giving her a stare to make her back down wordlessly. There would be no more retaliation, going back to looking at least like she was paying attention and only partially doodling away.

[Fox]

"Don't feel too bad, Wilona," said Natalia. It might have been comforting if she didn't sound vaguely bored. "Ryder has that effect on people. The only point I think I'd disagree with is that power implies responsibility."

 

She shrugged. "I don't expect it to be a popular opinion, here of all places," she added, "but I don't much expect every person to spend their short lives toiling for the greater good. Even powerful people could satisfy themselves with quiet lives in which they do neither great help nor great harm, surely. I wouldn't judge them for it." She paused, looking up at the ceiling, brows neatly furrowed. "No, that isn't true. I would judge them - they'd aspire to mediocrity, and I'd treat them accordingly. But I don't think I'd count it as a moral failing."

[TheAbsurdist]

At Carmen's outburst Jonah pulled out a little commercial spritz bottle. "Wait I got something!" And he spritz the contents into the air, a slight herb like smell on it, for those who say. "I knew I'd need to stock up on liquid catnip." He said it with such a deadpan voice that it was hard to read whether he was joking.

 

"But, Owain? Like, I don't think so. A component of evil is totally the expectation of of people," he lifted his big hands and made finger quotes, "'beneath' you to owe you anything. I mean I don't think anyone owes anyone else anything, just like power isn't this whole responsibility thing, because well like read a history book, and that isn't true. Like I want to be like a park ranger and do mountain rescue, because I don't think I am a costume hero type. But, then before this happened I was in my old school's baseball team and I was probably use that to get a scholarship. So, I guess Lennon was right, and it's like more true for us, about plans, and stuff."

 

[Avenger Assembled]

Neko gave Carmen an innocent, wide-eyed stare with just the hint of a smile behind it. Then she sneezed and hissed at Jonah, ignoring the conversation for a moment. 

 

"If you please, sir," Owain said to Hawke, "I know this is not one of the tales you have chosen, but I think it worthy of discussion." He looked at the others, gathering his thoughts carefully. "If one spends one's life in service to others, be it with hand to the plow, by use of great abilities, there must be something owed! Else one is no better than a - crofter, laboring only for the benefit of others, never for oneself. How is one even to eat?" 

 

Holly Cline looked at Owain suspiciously, then allowed, "My parents had to be part-timers when I was growing up because neither of them had any money back then. If you can't support yourself heroing full-time, there's no shame in getting a job. If you spend your whole life heroing," she said, obviously quoting someone, "you'll only have half a life." 

 

"There are ways to make money," offered Neko. "Ryder will be very - rich," she said with a nod to the young gadgeteer. "It is - clever. If they pay you for being a superhero, maybe they stop." 

[MoonSimply]

Carmen

 

Carmen would still lock eyes with Neko, the two's little feud still rather ongoing with one another. That stopped for the time being when Jonah sprayed his little bottle, both of them sneezing as they smelled the scent of catnip in the air. Sniffling as she took in the scent, scrounging her nose.

 

"Spray that again, I dare you," she says looking to Jonah like she was about to become the whale from bible story. She rarely came across catnip, and when she did it was not a scent that she liked at all. As it did, it had some of the same effects that normal cats had with the substance, including hallucinatory. Carmen expected that the same went for Neko, judging by how she sneezed.

[Gizmo]

Ryder shifted around the table to move into the space between Jonah and the girls, not blocking anyone’s line of sight but ensuring that anyone would need to step around him to move into another’s personal space. “The cat people get to make the cat jokes, big guy, that’s the deal,” he advised with an easygoing smile in Carmen’s direction that implied the spray bottle gag was somehow more at Johan’s expense than her own and a casual wave of his hand that coincidentally wafted away any lingering scents.

 

He did a poor job of stifling a laugh when Natalia corrected her own claims and was about to refocus the conversation in that direction when Neko’s offhand remark startled him enough to nearly stumble where he was leaning against the table. “Wait, what? Oh, no, I mean I can’t sell any of the stuff I make, it’s not even really safe to use—“ He caught a look from Nat. “—no, I mean, it’s fine for me to use! Mostly. Just, y’know, uh. ‘Rich’ sort of implies a level of exploitation beyond making ends meet, right? We should talk about that more than acceptable margins for personal injury, haha, yeah…?”

[TheAbsurdist]

Jonah pivoted from a look of chagrin at the two felones, to him blinking owlishly and den father. "Sure?" He seemed nonplussed at Ryder's efforts, there was a bunch of pre-existing dynamics he was sort of bounding in like a puppy and it was for the best if he just shut up. Which, good somethings didnt change, I guess, he thought, and being not great with a poker face, his heavy, sharp features dropped into a scowling frown.

 

He half rose from the chair and shot the bottle like a basketball to the waste basket across the room from him.

[Nerdzul]

Luke chuckled and shook his head as he watched the drama unfold, for a moment he thought he should get in between the two contenders, although, to be completely honest, a cat-fight could have been fun to watch, but Ryder preceded him. Whatever...

 

"Guess that everyone has to be a part-timer." He nodded at Holie. "Besides, dunno about you? But I don't plan to be just a 'superhero'... I mean, I want to have a freakin' life too." How to exactly achieve that? Well, he there definitely was still some kinks that needed ironing. 

 

"What I think though... is that Neko, you are the one that is being clever here... Sorry Ryder..." He chuckled.  "I bet your channel is making like, a shitload of money. I mean, we are all freakin' superheroes, there must be people willing to throw us a few likes." He smiled. It made sense right? Although, to be honest, he hasn't had that much of a success himself, not that he didn't have some followers (at least on his thirst-trap videos seemed to collect a decent amount of views), but to be honest, it was far from enough to get by just by collecting clicks.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Nerdzul

[EternalPhoenix]

Wilona

 

Wilona rolled her eyes at Leon talking about her adversarial relationship with authority figures. “Bite me, paperboy. I don’t need any money. There’s a dozen soup kitchens in this city where I can catch a free meal. You wouldn’t believe how much grocery and convenience stores throw away. Yeah, they lock the dumpsters now but that’s a not a problem when you can burn ‘em off like me.” She grinned. “The key is not to hit the same ones or stay in the same area too much or you might have the cops waiting and it’s a whole thing.” She shrugged. “I can fly, so wouldn’t be a problem if they did, but it just makes things more complicated later. Descriptions of your face and clothes, and now there’s all these do gooders who just don’t understand that you’re fine, dammit.” She was very clearly lost in the past and not paying attention to what she was saying. “Anyway. There’s a half dozen shelters for young ladies in town, and I got my own little places to sleep when they’re full or I’m not in the mood to deal with do gooders. Probably somebody owns them, but I kinda don’t care. If you clean up your mess and don’t leave anything behind it’s like you were never there. So whatever. Winter isn’t a problem, either. Wharton’s not so far away that I can’t fly over and get some wood to burn.” And everyone was looking at her again. “What? I lived on the streets for my whole life before I came here. I know how to survive.” Yep, she was totally glossing over the fact that theft and trespassing were, you know, crimes. “I mean, Claremont’s nice…but I’m not here for me. I’m here for Naomi. Once we graduate, we can go back to our lives and everyone can finally leave us alone because we won’t be underage anymore. Ain’t that right, Naomi?”

 

Naomi

 

Naomi had been…well, not furiously scribbling, but certainly going at a high pace. She had made this really highly detailed portrait of the 70s Freedom League. How she managed photorealism with colored pencils was a mystery for the ages. But you know how it is. Inspiration eventually runs dry. There’s nothing left to draw. Boredom. Ennui. People were talking about being paid for their hero work. Or using their superpowers. Money meant nothing to Naomi, and not because she had inherited her parents’ billions. At that thought, she was now sad. They may have been distant parents, never close to their daughter, but like any child she had loved them. Still did, honestly. Perhaps not as dearly as some children love their parents, but enough to miss them now that they were gone. She started a new drawing. Her parents, as she remembered them, not from a photograph. Wilona was talking, so Naomi was at least half paying attention. “You forgot my money, Wil. Mom and Dad left me a lot.” This was spoken rather idly, as her attention was half on her new drawing. She decided to add herself between them.

 

Wilona & Naomi

 

Wilona flinched. “Shoot, you’re right. But you know I don’t like reminding you about…”

 

Naomi shrugged without looking away from her drawing. “It’s okay.”

 

“How much was it again? That suit said something like billions?”

 

“Yup.” Naomi said this like it was the most irrelevant thing to her in the universe. Which really wasn't far from the truth. Money is nice. Parents are better.

 

“Huh.” And now Wilona was nonplussed and at an impasse. Oh, boy.

[Avenger Assembled]

Neko shifted in her seat, tail thumping loudly behind her for a moment. What she wanted to say to her friends was that none of them knew what poverty was, not really. She had patrolled enough in the gigantic towers of this overgrown city to know the luxury of this place. Even Wilona, who had no parents, had lived all her life in a world of computers and medicine and food. She blinked her huge eyes and remembered being hungry. Why would I not want to be so full that I can never be hungry again? But what would they think of me? she thought unhappily, if they knew all the things I had seen. 

 

"I have seen both worlds," said Owain. "I was born in a castle, to a noble family. We lived finer than those we protected, our reward for the sacrifices we made defending them." He hesitated, then said, his voice a soft admission, "but as far as people live, here, the quality of it, this place is far better than that one. There is no hunger here, no want, not in the same way there was in my homeland. This is the good and spacious land, the land flowing with milk and honey," he quoted. 

 

Neko took a moment to collect herself, then smiled for Luke. "Yes, the show is very good for -money. And fans. You should start one," she offered, "but not about cats. That one is mine," she laughed, a little too brightly. Catching Owain's hesitation, she spoke loudly enough for his table to hear, keeping her voice gentle. "There is so much. Why not give some of it to us?" 

[Fox]

"There's rich and there's rich, Cricket." Natalia had moved to rest her head on the back of one hand, listening with manufactured disinterest. "I'm sure you could engineer your way to wealth that would blow the knight's iron-plated socks off without exploiting anybody or giving yourself interesting new arm joints."

 

She eyed Naomi and Wilona and hesitated in what could be charitably interpreted as well-intentioned restraint. "...billions with a 'b' may be as much a liability as anything else, but even that could probably be used for a good cause. If you're looking for charity ideas, Owain could use a tour of some sweatshops and slums." To the latter she shot a smile - though it was neither sincere, nor trying to be. Really, it looked more like the last thing a mouse might see after venturing too far from home. "Medicine and average living standards have improved but less has changed than you think. Allow yourself as few illusions as possible."

[Nerdzul]

"Billions? Woah..." The boy found himself wondering how Naomi could be so casual about having so much money waiting for her.

 

"Got it, no cats..." Luke chuckled at Neko's teasing.  "Well I do have one as Luke, but it isn't gaining that many followers..." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "plus Nightscale can use his own channel..." Yep and one separate enough that connecting the two should not be easy. "Hey I can make one on overgrown lizards with attitude." He joked in turn. "A bit niche perhaps." He grinned.

 

"Yeah I guess that things were rougher back then." Luke ruffled the hair on the back of his neck, as the conversation shifted to Owain's upbringing. For himself, well, he had always thought of not having things easy when growing up, but then again, there were definitely much rougher situations around the world, even among fellow supers. 

 

He found himself nodding though, when Natalie suggested that not much had changed however, since the time of lords and serfs.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Nerdzul

[Spacefurry]

Leon

 

Leon shot Jonah a look when he spritzed in Neko’s direction, but Ryder interposed himself before he could think of something that wouldn’t get him sent to the headmistress again. By the time he was paying attention again Luke was commenting on Neko’s streaming and Leon had to nod in agreement.

 

It was Wilona’s rant that gave him some pause. She wasn’t exactly tight lipped about their past, but she wasn’t exactly forthcoming either. He had to shake his head though.

“You weren’t the only one to have to survive on the streets. You can say you want to go back to your lives, but that’s not the same as going back to the streets. Nobody wants to go back to the streets.”

He glanced at Naomi for a moment with an unreadable look when the ‘b’ word was used. He’d learned she was loaded back when they had their pool day, but that was even more than could have suspected.

“You’ll be leaving school, but you’ll be just fine. Hell, you wouldn’t even have to work.”

Leon stopped himself, resisting the urge to make a biting comment at Wilona only because he didn’t want to do it at Naomi’s further expense. He felt a little bad for what he had already said, but didn't say anything else.

 

Leon knew once this year was over he’d be heading back to the streets himself. Not to the dumpster alleys, but to the dog-eat-dog world of penthouse thefts and fast-talking fences trying to tell you the gold necklace will be too hard to pawn off but they guess they can give you 10% of its worth…

Now that he was thinking about, it something pulled at his thoughts. It had never bothered him before, the thought of going back to his brother and sister seemed the most logical thing. But now something about it bothered him. Something he couldn’t put a finger on. Leon absentmindedly put his hand on Neko’s.

 

Luckily Owain gave him something to be distracted by. He couldn’t help but snort at the young knight’s naivety, echoing Natalia’s comment.

“Maybe, as soon as they stop charging people an arm and a leg to stay alive, and stop, basically, making it a crime to be poor. Sometimes you just gotta take what you can to survive.”

 

He paused for a moment, memories running around his thoughts. He looked up at Mr. Hawke.

“I have a scenario for the class, if it’s okay with you.”

He waited as the teacher gave him a considering look before nodding, Leon nodded back.

 

“Let’s say, you just finished taking down a known criminal. You’re in a random back alley, no witnesses. Just you and the prep. You just noticed that during the fight they dropped a big wad of cash. You have no way of knowing where, or how they got it. But you do know that your neighbor, a single parent just trying to make ends meet, won’t be able to make rent again this month and put food on the table. Just by looking though, you can tell that cash would help them. And if you leave it for the cops, it’s just going to ‘disappear’ in the system. What do you do?”

[TheAbsurdist]

Jonah folded his arms across a broad chest and there was a transition from oblivious teen to menacing in a way that was natural. Not that he seemed to be trying, it was more 'Oh, he is big' creeping up. His expression moving to as close to pensive as a sixteen year old could muster, while the topic meandered past a point he could talk about well.

 

"Like, I dunno, Leon. Who did thet take it from? Do they need it? But then, I mean, yeah, we are making decisions for who needs money more."

 

He had no strong feelings regarding money, as he grew up comfortable, and he was blissfully free of angst.

[Avenger Assembled]

Owain shot Nat an unaccustomedly sharp look. "You might think so," he said frostily. 

 

For her part, Neko listened patiently to Leon's example, then her yellow eyes flicked to the others. The true answer was that she would figure out how much money could benefit her and Owain, then give charity to the needy woman on the street. A single mother in these times probably had far fewer children than in hers but even so, a mother was a mother. 

 

"Why haven't I helped the single mother before this?" asked Holly. "If I call myself a hero, I should already be doing something for her - and everyone else in my neighborhood." 

 

"Perhaps you are poor," said Neko cooly in response to the telepathic girl. "Perhaps the money is all you have." 

 

 

[Spacefurry]

On 12/21/2022 at 9:11 PM, TheAbsurdist said:

"Like, I dunno, Leon. Who did thet take it from? Do they need it? But then, I mean, yeah, we are making decisions for who needs money more."

 

Leon glanced back at Jonah.

"That's just it. You don't know. No way of knowing where, how or why."

He gave the mountain of a boy a shrug.

"I guess you would be."

 

On 12/21/2022 at 9:43 PM, Avenger Assembled said:

"Why haven't I helped the single mother before this?" asked Holly. "If I call myself a hero, I should already be doing something for her - and everyone else in my neighborhood."

 

Leon gave her a side-eye.

"I don't know, why haven't you?"

 

On 12/21/2022 at 9:43 PM, Avenger Assembled said:

"Perhaps you are poor," said Neko cooly in response to the telepathic girl. "Perhaps the money is all you have."

 

"She makes a good point."

He smiled at Neko (yes, he was bias) than looked back at Holly.

"Not everyone has money to burn. Where do you draw the line?"

Leon glanced back at Mr Hawke for a moment before continuing.

"When does it go from help others, to hurting yourself?"

"What if like, Neko said, you were poor? What if you needed that money just to get by?"

[EternalPhoenix]

Wilona

 

Wilona was not paying attention. Like, at all. Leon’s rebuke had very clearly stung. The discussion continued as she blanked out a little. Anyone who was expecting a wrathful reply would have been very surprised when she spoke quietly at last. “You know, Leon…” She always called him paperboy, to the degree that basically everyone in the room couldn’t be sure if she knew his name until right now. “Sometimes you’re a jerk.” She then stood up and walked out of the classroom, deaf to anything Mr. Hawke might say. She did not go far, slumping to a seated position on the floor next to the door. A few tears leaked out. She wasn’t stupid, damn it. She knew life on the streets wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. But what the hell else was she supposed to do when Claremont was over? What the hell was she supposed to do with all the skills and knowledge she had? She didn’t know how to live anywhere else. The rules were all different. She’d have to start all over. She cried lightly and quietly.

 

Naomi

 

Naomi sighed as Wilona left the room. She too, knew that life on the streets was not all sunshine and rainbows. She reached into a pocket and pulled out her checkbook.”Neighbor doesn’t want my money? Do you, Leon?” She was making full eye contact with him for that last question, before ducking her head away again. “Cops don’t need more money, anyway.” She was addressing Wil’s departure by not addressing it. Her partner didn’t like it when people saw her being vulnerable and emotional. Though truth be told, Naomi didn’t like seeing her like that either. Wilona has a certain…romanticism…about life on the streets. It might be best if she found out how wrong she was.

[Nerdzul]

Well... there was... that... Luke winced as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

 

"I guess we should go check on her?" He looked at the teacher expectantly.

 

Was it an excuse to get out of class early, or was it genuine concern? The answer was yes...

 

"Uh ok..." 

 

"I didn't know you had that kind of effect on girls man..." He teased his roomate.

 

"As for your case... I dunno man, that poor orphaned fat wad of cash, who am leave it alone?" He grinned playfully. "Or bring it to the cops? No way... It's  going straight to my neighbor." He added confidently. 

 

"Besides, we should do what we could to help right? We are freakin'  heroes after all."

 

Although to be honest, he was a bit less secure in his answer when Leon followed up with Neko's suggestion. "

 

What if you were poor and needed that money to get by?" 

 

Well, that wasn't exactly an hypothetical for him, wasn't it? And in truth his family could always use a few more dollars, especially wish a little 'bro who had big dreams, but would he steal to get them? Again?

 

"I don't think I'd keep them anyway." He lowered his eyes, wondering if he would have managed to follow through with his words if this was the real world.

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by Nerdzul

[Gizmo]

One of Ryder’s eyes squinted briefly in a subtle wince as Wilona left the room but the small, silent shake of his head toward Luke was a little more obvious. Sending multiple people after the distressed girl wasn’t going to salve her wounded pride. He brought one hand closer to his oversized, novelty belt buckle, the one that looked to have started life as a printer ink cartridge, but reconsidered. Having one of the nearby Robugs keeps an unobtrusive eye on Wilona out in the hall wasn’t the worst idea but it seemed like it might require an awful lot of explanation and backpedaling if she noticed them.

 

That did suggest a similar plan, though. He looked over toward Neko, trying to gauge the guarded time traveler’s reaction to the outburst. He’d seen her use her illusory cats in a similar way to his insect inventions but he knew she also had her own complicated feelings about wealth and having to adapt to a new environment. Probably better to let her decide what she wanted to do without any cajoling. Maybe the other cat-girl was a better idea; Carmen seemed like she’d be able to align with a little indignation in a reassuring way. Ryder just wasn’t sure how to suggest that without getting her hackles up as well.

 

Which felt an awful lot like doing nothing but as Natalia liked to remind him he wasn’t necessarily the best person to solve every problem. Instead he gave a soft, disarming chuckle and leaned back to look over to Naomi’s table. “Ha, wow, paper cheques! You can get fun prints and stuff on those, yeah?”