ic Precious Metals (IC)

[Supercape]

GM

 

The crowd was mixed, and had a mixed reaction. 

 

There was little appetite for helping the man, but many were on their phones - saying what? who could say. 

 

There was plenty of appetite for scooping up golden coins, but not all did. If one was homeless, cold and hungry it was quite the gift, and one could understand the greater good of economic stability was a weak argument against the demands of cold skin and empty stomach. And not all who collected the doubloons were in such dire straits. Some wanted to give their children a proper christmas, and, yes, some wanted it out of pure greed. 

 

There was no appetite at all to disperse quietly. What risk was there? Other than being struck by gold falling from the sky. And it was quite the spectacle, even by the high standards of the citizens of Freedom City. 

 

"See?" said the Man in Orange. "Delight always wins! Why be such as stick in the mud? Come on, join the festivities! I could turn your automobile into a platinum plated car studded with diamonds as big as your fist? What say you?"

Edited December 11, 2023 by Supercape

[Poncho]

This was depressing. Michael's shoulders slumped as the man clearly had the adoration of the crowd. And it wasn't like he didn't understand why. How could he compete with fantastical treasures with cold hard reality? Asking others to go without, to forgo riches and struggle and suffer just because it was the right thing to do? That was a decision for an individual to make, not for something to be forced on them. In his own heart he truly thought about agreeing with the man. What could it hurt to let him do what he wanted? How could it really harm people to let this man spread some Christmas cheer? It was just a time when people really needed the cash, when people would probably use it to pay bills or buy presents for others anyway.

 

He was quiet for a long time, just holding the man in the air and ruminating, his thoughts running deep, his morals tossing and turning like a ship in a storm. Finally he sighed. 

 

"Just because it's correct doesn't mean it's right. I think you've helped enough people for today, so many people. And you've done more for them then I ever have. So I think you should take a break for now. Maybe tomorrow, once you have a nice break, you can go back to helping others." He said, smiling. He reached out to grab the glowing wreath around the man's head and try to pull it off.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"What? Just cos its correct doesnt mean its right? What kind of ham-fisted, dyspraxic logic is that?" gasped the Man in Orange. 

 

"How about this?" he added, still squirming against the iron grip of Golden Star. "Just because you are grappling me, doesn't mean you are holding me! Muahahaha! Hows about that then! And, therefore and thusforth, verily and forsooth, you have to release me! Ispo Facto, Logicus ad logicum, I have trapped you in your own reasoning!"

 

He squirmed again. 

 

"Come on, I just trapped you with your own logic? So let me go, will ya! Or I will... or I will spray diamonds all over Freedom City! Diamonds as big as your fist, hows that for Merry Christmas!"

 

A cheer went up from the crowd. 

 

"Keep holding him! We want those diamonds!"

 

Then the chant to a slow clap.

 

"DI-MONDZ! DI-MONDZ! DI-MONDZ....!"

Edited December 16, 2023 by Supercape

[Poncho]

"Okay." Golden Star says, thinking about this.

 

"I let you go." he doesn't actually let him go, he's just saying he is, wondering if he can distract the man long enough to pull that wreath off his head. "You are no longer being held by me, thus you can not rain diamonds down on the people. I am instead 'carrying' you, which is preventing you from falling and splattering messily on the pavement. As such, you are only bound by your own beliefs and I am, in fact, on your side and rescuing you because you are currently falling through the air and would get hurt if you hit the ground, which I am preventing you from doing." he smiles. "You are welcome." He is hoping that the next time the man opens his mouth to try and explain something, he can pull that shiny, golden wreath off his head and that might finally calm him down.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Carrying? pfah!"

 

The Man in Orange squirmed his forehead, trying to wrap his head around the bamboozling word-play of Golden Star.

 

"Are you being... whats the word... fillo-sofyikal?" he asked, lips quivering with the effort of mastering abstract thought processes. 

 

"Bah! You're just trying to trick me! Well, let me tell you, sucker, nobody tricks Mr Thomas Dickens! You ain't fooling me into revealing my name... wait... uh.... dang!"

 

Bored and frustrated with Golden Star, Mr. Dickens (for it is he) shouted down to the crowd. "Murder! Arson! Whoever saves me gets a free Diamond as big as a a truck!"

 

"And here's a taster!" he added. 

 

Lo, from his finger tips, a small rain of small diamonds started to fall...

[Poncho]

"Ah, Thomas Dickens, I see. Well, Mr. Dickens, it is wonderful to meet you, and I think you're right on the money there. I couldn't ever hope to trick you, there's simply no way, you're far too smart and clever for me to trick you. In fact, if anything, you've convinced me that you're right. I can't hope to argue with you on the particulars of this, because you are in the right about all of this. As such, would you do me the great honor of being your personal ferryman around this wonderful night. Why don't you tell me exactly where you want to go, and I'll take you right there, wherever you think it is. I can fly quite far, so it won't be a problem at all. There is just one small problem." He said seriously.

 

"You can't cause a rain of diamonds while I'm flying. Because Diamonds are so hard and sharp, and I fly so fast, if you do that, it's likely that the poor people below will be all cut up and seriously injured, and that would ruin the festive spirit wouldn't it? So let's stop the diamonds for now, and we'll go to a few different places and drop diamonds on our way back to wherever you're going."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"That's right!" nodded a manic Mr Dickens. "You can't fool me because I am too clever. And furthermore, I am to clever to be fooled. Whatsmore, the reason I cant be fooled is because I am to clever, and my cleverness prevents you from fooling me. Ha! Full points to me, I think!" he yammered, voice getting more frantic with every word. 

 

"I want to go to Professor Armitage's house! Its not far. Just fifty miles south of Freedom City, 66 Golem Drive. Quite swish! Its got curtains, and everything! He knows what to do with real power!"

 

He frowned. 

 

"No diamonds at all! Bah! Well, no diamonds then! But i will create a sea of balloons! Thats festive! Green or Red, what do you think?"

 

[Poncho]

Michael turned himself southward to fly that way even as the man talked, but he nodded along seriously.

 

"Absolutely sir, you are far too clever for me to trick you, I'm just a kid! I couldn't hope to keep up with your brilliant intellect and wit, you've certainly showed me." He said brightly and congratulatoryily, beaming a smile.

 

"66 Golem Drive, 50 miles South of Freedom City! We'll head right there. You make sure and be a look put so I don't overshoot it and we'll get there lickity-split!" He said. He was really going to need a nap after this, 50 miles was a pretty long flight for him. But he wasn't going to let Mr. Dickens know that.

 

"I think red balloons are very festive, but why stick to one color? Start with red, then maybe throw a few green in as a sprinkling! Now that would be festive! Giving Christmas cheer to all the boys and girls!" He continued to chat with the man to try and keep him distracted as he carried him. "This professor Armitage seems very smart, I'm certain that's the correct place to go!" And so he flew southward, wishing he had his phone so he could have a gps with this.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Green AND Red! See, I knew you had a festive spark in you! Balloons, baubles... and snow! Yes. we need snow! Whats Christmas without snow?" giggled Mr Dickens. 

 

Balloons sprouted out of thin air, and, as per Golden Star's advice, they were both green and yellow. A few cheers went up from the crowds below. 

 

And then the snow! Glistening, white, shiny - imperfectly probable snow poured forth from his fingertips, leaving a trail of blizzard behind them as they  flew. 

 

This, it seemed, did not cause as much cheer, except from children. Fortunately nobody drove very fast in the shopping season of Freedom City, and the crunches of cars colliding and sliding were mercifully low impact. The horns, the curses, and the occasional fight broke out. And the kids laughed and threw snowballs at each other. 

 

"What a pretty sight!" laughed Mr. DIckens. "Look, its pretty as a picture!" he commented as they flew southwards. 

 

Continued in Curse of the Swamp Hag

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Supercape