audience: nico di angelo

[becomemod]

Comments

[resumed]

The database helps, but it's kind of awkward to constantly look at it while talking to people.

[ but he shrugs a little. ]

I think things are okay? This is still weirdly calm in comparison to most threats to my world.

[becomemod]

It helps to talk to people one on one. At least for me.

[ Better to remember them one at a time, sort of. ]

The trouble here is hard to predict. Sometimes things are calm for a while, then suddenly it's everything all at once.

[resumed]

It's easier, at least. [ he prefers one on one half the time when he does have to talk to people, even if he still finds himself sometimes ready to eject from the conversation. ]

That's actually kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't know if these are even questions you can answer but Fox sort of mentioned you were good with just asking things.

[becomemod]

They're good at answering questions too. [ Fox, please. ]

I don't know what the questions are, so I don't think how much I can help. Shoot and I'll see what I can do.

[resumed]

They're...interesting. [ the tone doesn't indicate anything negative though. he likes fox enough but he truly is not sure how to read them just yet. ] But there are eight of you.

I'll start with the first one. You guys have been here for a while. What kind of trouble should we really be expecting here?

[becomemod]

Interesting is a way to put it. [ The tone seems slightly annoyed regarding Fox, but that's not Nico's problem. ]

There are sometimes villains that really shake things up. Not always, but enough that you kinda have to wonder where they're coming from. In the worst case scenario, the city takes the worst of it. We do our best to minimize the damage but... you saw how it looked.

[resumed]

[ it's not nico's problem but it does make nico curious and fills out a little more on his "how do the leaders get along" bingo card. ]

Yeah. It...wasn't exactly the best scenario for a villain attack. For all we know, they could still be hiding out in rubble elsewhere while the construction's going on. That makes it harder to plan though when you don't really know what the villains are like until they arrive, doesn't it?

[becomemod]

Yeah. It really is.

[ If they could plan for everything, they wouldn't be stuck here. ]

It's impossible to plan for everything, but you can get used to working with people. That's pretty much always going to be part of any coordinated response. It's good to know each other's strengths, y'know?

[resumed]

Yeah. I can work with people just fine. It's what we have to do where I'm from, too. But usually back there we've had years and years of training with our powers and access to our weapons. It kind of feels like we have a curveball now.

[ but... ]

Do you and the other leaders work well together then?

[becomemod]

I feel that. [ A small sigh. ]

Yeah. We've been working together for months now. We'd be in serious trouble if we couldn't.

[resumed]

The city probably wouldn't still be here at all otherwise? [ hah. but he pauses to think. ]

...I also wanted to ask about something I read in the news. About how there used to be twelve original heroes.

[becomemod]

I don't want to think about that alternate universe.

[ Please they're trying to keep this city from blowing up again.

Their expression seems to fall, even with the mask. ]

... Yeah, that's true. They arrived here with us.

[resumed]

[ he can read a room, but also, he figures if goat doesn't want to actually answer they won't. ]

Can I ask what happened to them?

[becomemod]

[ ... ]

They died in attack a month ago.

[resumed]

[ ....terrible, thanks. ]

Oh. [ ... ] I was afraid that was the case. I assume they were helping you fight?

[ it's rude to ask if they were at least able to retrieve the bodies for proper burial, but he's thinking it. ]

[becomemod]

[ Sometimes the answers are bad. ]

They were, and they were all great in a fight too.

[resumed]

Am I allowed to ask what they were like?

[becomemod]

[ There's a moment when it seems like they're struggling with themselves. ]

Sorry, it's still fresh.

[resumed]

[ he shakes his head. ]

Don't apologize. I shouldn't have asked. [ literally he's busy yelling about his power elsewhere because it reminds him of dead people, he has no leg to stand on here. ] I was trying to find anything about the history of Oceanside or what happened thinking it might help us understand what to do next but...I get it. It's...hard when you're the people left behind.

[becomemod]

[ A month isn't much time, and they didn't really get time to grieve with all the fallout.

They give a nod of thanks and acknowledgement. ]

... Yeah. We have to keep going, and the city needs the help. [ That doesn't make any part of this easy. ]

[resumed]

Places always need help, and there will always be heroes. [ ... ] Were you doing anything similar to this before you came to Oceanside?

[ let's not talk about dead friends anymore rn. ]

[becomemod]

[ They seem grateful for the out. ]

Not even a little bit. It was an adjustment getting used to everything.

[resumed]

Sounds pretty rough. [ there is a tinge of sympathy to that. ] At least some of us are used to fighting, but the adjustment period's always a little harder. Especially if you've never had powers before or anything.

[becomemod]

No powers and no real fighting at home either. I know some guys who are used to it, but this isn't the same thing as a street brawl.

[resumed]

[ yeah that's not quite the same thing as suddenly being thrown into whatever this is, so oof x2. ]

Besides the street fights then...it sounds like you were from somewhere that was mostly peaceful. Throwing a few punches isn't really the same.