Artistic License (IC)

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum grinned and sipped her coffee, "I swear you're a ninja, Carrie. Come up with a theme and you'd be a great hero."

"Vicky is right. Horns or not you've always been a great dad."

"Sorry, well, to spring Carrie on you both. I figured I should hook up Lou with Freedom City's version of Edna Mode," she said, waving her arms wide and imitating the character's voice, "You will look fabulous, daling!"

Leaning over the portfolio, Fulcrum asked, "So the poor guy just wandered into the mess huh? Ouch. What caused the infection anyway? The hardcore zombie fans will want to know."

"Actually, I do have a few webcomic artists interested," she said in reply to Vicky while flipping through a notepad, "Jenny Turon is interested in a print run of Fuzzy Logic as well as hosting. Three Rocks, The House at the End of the Lane, and Evil Stick Figure are all in negotiations for hosting. I just need a good name for the hosting site. Ideas?"

[Azuth65]

"If you're as handy with a sewing machine as you are at being sneaky, I'll definitely call on you to see about a suit or two," Vicky said.

"I admit, it's a little '28 Days Later', him just wandering into a decent sized town without being accosted by the undead or running across some survivors, but I liked the idea plus I got to draw some scenery gorn. The further into town he rides, more of a sense of unease and dread I tried to impart to the surroundings. The little details like bullet holes, trash, blood, and all that."

"I didn't really pick a cause, just the set of rules I'll be adhering to with the story. Romero never really explained why his zombies came back from the grave either," she answered, "Which is why I didn't feel a pressing need to pick an origin for their condition."

Watching Mona for a second Vicky replied dryly, "The best title for a wild west zombie story I came up with was Dead Noon. I'm pretty sure I don't qualify for naming anything." After a minute's pause she shrugged, "If pressed, I'd guess 'Archimediate Entertainment' could work."

[Cube]

"Aw... I'm touched, Mona. I'm just glad she's not as short as Edna Mode or I might have stepped on her..." he grinned.

He listened to Vicky's story intently. "...Interesting. Considering the nature of the actual outbreak, not telling people what caused it would make sense. This is before stuff like the CDC and Mass Media, so all you could get are rumors. Plus a cause implies that there's some sort of method of stopping it, which might not be what you're going for. As long as you're internally consistent, you'll be fine."

[Dariusprime]

"Yes, internal consistency is key," said Fulcrum with a nod. "The rumor mill would be a departure from radio messages from the government."

Refilling her coffee, she glanced up at the working Carrie, "Want some coffee, Carrie? We have a little of everything."

Leaning, gently, against the wall, Mona sipped her coffee and pondered the website's name. After a moment, she nodded, "'Archimediate Entertainment' does have a good ring to it? What do you think?" she asked, addressing Carrie and Lou. "You're both in on this too."

"Any time, Lou. I know how difficult life can be after such a dramatic change. The little things matter a whole lot when you're eight, or in your case, what...ten feet tall?" she replied with a grin. Reaching out one long arm, she patted him on the shoulder.

Hopping up, she continued, "So! Your portfolio is looking really good, Vicky. What else did you bring for us?"

[Aoiroo]

"Ahh, don't be mean Mona, I'm not that short."

She chuckled a little,

"Heh, really? What type of hero would I make, The Ninja Tailor, sewing villians into their clothes, fixing loose buttons, and throwing sewing needles like stars. That would never fly, I have horrible aim."

Carrie continued to scribble in her book as she walked over the only person at her eye level,

"It's your call, I mean you are naming this place after your cat. Given, it could be worse, no one would take something like Fluffy Entertainment seriously."

Pulling out the tape she started to measure Vicky,

"So, Lou's suite, dark solid colors, shoes,"

She glanced over at Lou's large feet,

"I'll see about, haven't made many shoes before, or any, but I'm sure I can find someone. For Vicky here, winter colors as I said, dark suit as well, maybe navy blue, or black, not grey, seriously, I hate the look of grey suits. Nice light colored blouse, beige, spearmint colored, or lavender. Pants suit or skirt suit, which do you prefer?"

[Azuth65]

Vicky pointed towards her tablet computer, "I'm still working through a 'dungeon punk' sort of story. The main cast is a trio of adventurers. We've got Kris, a Changeling terramancer; Keirsha, she's basically the Bowman's archery combined with skill at creating potions; and Shaith, a swordsman who carries twin swords made of starmetal."

As Lou and Mona flipped through the files, she continued, "So far I don't have much more than 'a shapeshifter/magic user, an elf with trick arrows, and a swordsman with badass swords wander into a ruin and kill a bunch of demons' for a plot. It'd make a decent prologue or one-shot but that couldn't carry an ongoing series."

The teen looked down at herself before she replied to Carrie, "It's the nicest one I had access to that wasn't meant as funeral wear." Holding up her arms when instructed she answered, "Probably black for the suit itself. Black goes everything, and contrasts with my hair pretty well. For the blouse, I could get behind spearmint, especially if I have my sunglasses on or it's close to Christmas. And I'm inclined to go with a skirt suit."

[Dariusprime]

"And he is an adorable cat and could make a great mascot," she replied with a shrug. "Actually that is a good point. We need a mascot, be it furry or not. Ah hell, we need a symbol too. We have a lot of work to do!"

Still looking through Vicky's portfolio, she glanced at Carrie, "I've heard of stranger heroes," she replied in a humorous tone.

"I have a source for shoes. Ever met Benny Jenson? He made custom shoes for years. Semi-retired now but still does some work for heroes. All dig up his number."

Nodding to the new story description, Mona thought a moment and replied, "I wonder if we should hire a couple of full-time writers. Not that any of us can't knock out a good story, but a couple of professional brainstormers and script writers could speed things up. Especially in the beginning."

"I wish I could wear skirt suits," she joked while flipping through the files.

[Cube]

"I do like a good dungeon punk story." said Lou. "Part of the influence behind Pyre's original aesthetic. Not that I'd actually ever wear spikey demon pauldrons... And, yeah, ten feet tall."

He smiled a bit as he flexed one of his arms. "I mean, it's not all bad, once you get used to it. it's just... doors and pants."

He paused to consider the name. "I like it! And a cat would make a cute mascot. Especially with a little cape and cute little whiskers and..."

"...Oh. Uh. Got carried a way for a second. I do like it, though."

[Azuth65]

"Might be a little obvious but since your company is being named after your cat, perhaps either a feline paw print or a cat's eye should be worked into the design?" Vicky suggested.

"There's two more files with more fleshed out concepts. One I've got is a steampunk story in an old castle turned school for the increasing number of mad scientists showing up after a different turnout of the Napoleonic Wars, which left much of Europe in ruins. The elders are training them to use their creations for the betterment of all rather than letting them fall to their baser instincts and become would-be conquerors," Vicky stated.

"The other is a more standard sci-fi affair about a small ship and its crew after the former crashes onto a remote planet. It's as much character driven drama as it is full action and adventure as they try and survive on and explore their new home," she continued.

[Dariusprime]

"Both ideas could work actually," said Fulcrum, tapping her coffee cup, "A paw print or something for the main logo, and a little superhero cat for the mascot. With the paw on its chest perhaps?"

Mona flipped through the steampunk panels, looking impressed, "I particularly like this one. The story sounds interesting, and something really zings with your sketches. Did you deliberately change up your style a bit for this one?"

"Speaking of Lord Pyre and costumes," added Mona, "Not to presume too much, but have you considered actually being a superhero, Lou? I mean, I'm guessing you have all of Pyre's abilities. Could be really therapeutic too. Minus the demonic pauldrons of course."

As if to punctuate the conversation, a scruffy, one-eyed gray moseyed out of a back room and surveyed the gathered. Despite Lou's size, and maybe Vicky's eyes, he looked nonplussed. He simply meowed and began rubbing against Carrie.

[Cube]

"Heh, what do you think I've been doing lately?" said Lou. "I mean... I don't really have a costume, but it helps. Audrey keeps saying I should get a cape or something." He grinned as he idly sculpted a ball of fire in his hands, the flame dancing around his fingers for a few moments before quietly snuffing out.

"I mean, I'm not formally affiliated yet. I've worked with a few people, though."

Pyre's train of thought was promptly derailed by the sight of a one eyed kitty.

"Awwww, hey there! I haven't seen you in a while, little guy!"

[Aoiroo]

"Careful, he's easily startled and you're easily startling."

Carrie said it offhand as she was scribbling in her notebook like she had been not taking active part in the conversation so much. She liked art, but couldn't input much without seeing an actual finished project, she didn't have vision in that sense, at least with drawings. As for cats, they really didn't appreciate not hearing when someone walked up behind them, and Archimedes was not any different, she had the scratches to prove it. If and when she got a pet, she would probably get a dog, cause they're less startled and more happy to see.

"An actual costume costume would be redundent, you're big, red, and have horns, you don't need logos for other people to identify you from any of the other capes out there. I can make you something quick and tough to go under your clothes though. Still button up, though likely in the back rather then the front. Do you get cold?"

[Azuth65]

Vicky smiled inwardly, watching Lou try to pet Mona's one-eyed cat. Aloud she said, "If we don't use him as a mascot, I could certainly add him into one of the comics...," she trailed as the fact ideas were spinning in her mind played across her face. "And I just had an idea for the dungeon punk series, I love random inspiration."

Turning her attention to Archimedes she said in the voice every pet owner seems to fall into when talking to their pet, "Somebody here is getting a can of tuna and a bag of catnip next time I come by."

The teen nodded, "I tried some different brush tools and tried to incorporate as many historically accurate structural aesthetics into that series. I was also up to my eyeballs in research material on that one, trying to avoid making anything that just looked like it was ripped from a standard sci-fi comic, repainted copper and had some gears slapped on."

[Dariusprime]

"Nice, Lou. That's good to hear. Well, you're always welcome with the Interceptors," replied Fulcrum. "We operate out of the West End, but really we're a core team with a loose association of heroes and friends that help out each other as need. If you need anything: training, a buddy, back up, whatever, ask for Jack-of-All-Blades or myself." She offered him a business card with the Interceptors' numbers.

Still flipping through Vicky's sketches, she added, "The Interceptors is Jack's baby now. We can run together some time if you want."

"Working with anyone interesting?"

Archimedes looked up at Lou with that self-satisfied 'yes, it is I' face cats do. Seeing no attention from Carrie, the mercurial cat moseyed over to Lou and enjoyed his affections instead. Somehow looking ever more smug at Vicky's offers, he sat down and leaned into Lou's pets. Then, all of a sudden, with a SWOOSH, he was sitting on Lou's shoulder in the blink of an eye. He meowed and rubbed against his cheek.

Fulcrum was busying listening to Vicky. She nodded, "Nice, very nice. Roughly how many hours of research have you put in so far?"

"What's the idea?" Mona asked in curiosity. She tried not to ask that to an artist with a fresh idea, but she wanted to see how Vicky would react as much as learn of the idea.

[Cube]

Lou's eyes popped at the mention of the Interceptors. "Really? You mean, I could... With Jack... and... Stabpunch?!"

With the sudden appearance of a Kitty on his shoulder, he seemed to calm down. "Oh, well... I've worked with Wail, and Asad. Oh, and Whiplash. Plus I did some work with Revenant and Fleur De Jolie."

"I've always wanted to run with you, Mona. It'd be fun. ...Well, as fun as saving lives can be, anyway. Serious Business."

He looked at Vicky as the cat rubbed up against his sideburns. "So, what was your idea?"

[Azuth65]

Vicky shrugged, "I stopped keeping track around thirty. I do have to say that some of the designs were really fun to mess around with but a few... well, it's a good thing I enjoy the story."

The teen took a moment to try and straighten her train of thought, knowing when she didn't it was less a lineal progression and more jumbled mess which could easily go off topic. "This one is another that won't carry a series but would probably work as a decent backup story. I'm just thinking a powerful Lich finds himself lonely and brings his feline familiar back as an undead companion. The main reason this isn't a 'well, why don't you let him?' scenario is the fact some human sacrifices are needed to get the energy flowing for the ritual." At Lou and Mona's faces she blanched and said in a quieter voice, "I didn't say it was particularly good. Next time, I start with Shaith or Keirsha jumping off a crashing sky-pirate ship."

[Cube]

Lou shrugged. "I dunno, it's a start. The greatest stories always start off with a simple concept."

He gave Archie one last pat before setting him down. "Like this one. You've got a Lich who wants to animate a cat, and he needs something gruesome to do it. It's kind of silly, but we can work with that. Who does he kidnap to do these sacrifices, and how does he get them? Golems? Mooks? Butterfly Nets?"

He grabbed a napkin from the coffee table and idly began sketching. "Then you've got your protagonists. What do they think about this? How do they react? Do they stop him? Try to find another way to get the cat back?"

By the end of the conversation, Lou set a rough sketch of a Lich hugging a small undead cat on the table, the pencil slightly smudged by the soft paper. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

[Dariusprime]

"Absolutely, Lou." she smiled and nodded, "Stabpunch to your heart's content. Just whenever you want to give it a go. I'm free tonight actually."

"And it should be fun, in a way. Keeps things fresh and prevents burnout, or worse, grimdark." A grim, scrunched up face followed.

Stretching a bit, she mentally noted the listed heroes and nodded, "Only met Fleur out of that group, but the names ring a bell. That's a good start, Lou. Networking is surprisingly important in hero circles."

Truth be told, she didn't think Vicky's idea was that bad or off base. She smiled and patted her on the back, "Yeah, that is what brainstorming is for. Believe me I have sketchbooks full of material that you would laugh over. If you can sell it as something you'd enjoy, I bet we could sell it for others to enjoy. You're doing fine."

Patting her on the shoulder again, she went over for more coffee, "Confidence, Vicky. If nothing else, you could get a fun pulp short story out of it. Maybe we should put out an anthology?"

[Aoiroo]

Carrie was still scribbling in a book,

"How are the Interceptors anyway? Grim and Colt retired right? So yeah, I don't think I've met any of the current ones, they don't really run in my neighborhood. Given, it's the Fens, no one likes running there, even when I run, I take a cab to the Theatre District first."

She flipped some pages in the book and started scribbling down,

"Also, materials, materials, gonna have to hit of Viktor again for the fireproof aren't I. Well at least he's nice enough to provide sewing needles that don't break on the fabric. I'm gonna need to make a multilimb manikin. That's gonna take some doing, and my shapeshifter friend that helped me to make yours went out of state to go to college. Details, details, also fireproof buttons, best be thorough, metal would melt too much, gonna need lots of those, cause of the horns. and cufflinks, cause those always look nice, maybe less tie more cavatt. I'll work on that later."

She flipped the book a few more times, before looking up and putting the pen tip on her chin,

"Huh, you think about swim wear also Lou? That's fairly straight forward, but I don't know how swimming works for someone with a fire affinity."

[Cube]

"I don't mind getting wet. I mean, I bathe and all. But... um..."

He somehow turned a deeper shade of red at the mention of swim wear. "I'm sure just a pair of trunks would be fine."

He reached for another cup of coffee; which he could do from his seat, considering his position and arm length. He even still managed to keep sketching with his free hands while he did so. "I really do appreciate all the effort, though. I'll even help make a manikin if you'd like. I did some basic sculpting in college. Plus, I usually don't burn my clothes anyway, as long as I don't lose focus."

He chuckled. "...Though my wife says I burn through shirts a tad bit too often. Calls me a show off."

Lou took a long sip of his coffee. "...I only ever did it on purpose like, twice, though. Really."

[Dariusprime]

"As well as can be expected given the last year's events," noted Fulcrum as she refilled her coffee. "Yes, they retired, and aside from light hero work, are happily globetrotting as a honeymoon. Retiring may have been for the best for them."

Turning to Carrie, she continued, "Jack and Jill are still around the West End. The two new members are Willow, a kind of...druidess, I guess, and Geckoman, a former member of the team Young Freedom. Good folks far as I can tell. We'd probably be much better organized, but since we lost our base and funds are tight, we've been running semi-independently."

Fulcrum chuckled at the crack about fireproof materials. "He'd be your best bet. I could probably sweet talk him. In fact he was just working on something like that. A memory fabric if memory serves me."

"Cookies anyone? Oatmeal or chocolate chip!" she said while dropping a couple of bags of homemade cookies on the coffee table.

Leaning against the wall, she listened to the exchange and smirked, "Sure you did, Lou. Sure."

"I can help with the manikin too," added Fulcrum before turning her attention to Lou.

"Interested in taking sculpting up again, Lou? My studio has everything you'd need if you want to give it a whirl. Even have contacts for metal and marble."

[Cube]

"It really only was twice!" he insisted.

"But... sculpting metal and marble would be interesting."

He thanked Mona as he took a chocolate chip cookie from the plate.

"But, yeah. It sucks that your base got... un-based. Wish there was something I could do to help. Rebuilding or something..."

He shrugged. "If nothing else, I could help decorate your new base. I don't exactly have all the superhero supplies lying around my house, unless there's something my wife hasn't been telling me."

He chuckled.

[Azuth65]

Vicky sat back for a few minutes and quietly munched on a couple of the offered cookies after a quiet thank you. "Well, the anthology idea might be something to stick a pin in. Weekly Shonen Jump and Shonen SQ are a pair of anthology magazines that have some pretty good numbers behind them. I also know the anthology builder website does fairly well for themselves."

The teen smiled at Lou, "Gotta say, I bet the extra hands would be pretty helpful when sculpting. I know there are times when I'm drawing I could use an extra pair. Then again, half the time that's from also being up to my eyeballs in homework from the rest of my classes."

[Dariusprime]

"Sounds like a great time then," answered Fulcrum to Lou's interest in sculpting. "I'll see what I can dig up from materials. No pun intended. Give you a call when something turns up. Any particular material you want to give a try?"

To the comment about the base, she shrugged, "It happens. I'm just glad everyone survived relatively unscathed. The base sort of went kaboom."

"Chatting with Jack and Jill will be a good bet. They're setting up a little something, but they're also working on a shoestring budget. Probably be pro bono work. I'd certainly appreciate it. Thank you for the offer."

Fulcrum chuckled along with Lou, "More than one super in the family huh? I see how that works." She winked at him and sipped her coffee.

Nibbling on a cookie herself, Fulcrum nodded to Vicky, "Certainly a thought. From my unofficial surveys, print books still have a niche market, and a strong loyalty base at that. An anthology would offer us the additional flexibility we'd need as a start up."

[Cube]

"Pffft, I don't think so." said Lou. "She'd let me know if that was up."

Lou considered. "Though an anthology would be a good idea. Maybe an app too. I heard those are popular. The fun thing is, you can mess with the traditional format a bit. Still, you can't beat the classic paper medium."

Lou looked at his spare limbs. "And the extra hands do help. Took a bit of practice, but I can work with pretty much all four."

To demonstrate, Lou grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen, and started sketching out two pictures at once. "...I just need to figure out how to do this with other things."