audience: nico di angelo

[becomemod]

Comments

[becomemod]

[ their eyes may be covered, but nico will get the feeling that they easily meet his gaze. ]

Unfortunate coincidence, isn't it? But you're right, I do. All of us do. The arrangement can be mutually beneficial.

[resumed]

[ he can appreciate that, thank you phoenix. ]

Then...if you have suggestions on where to start, I'll listen and consider them. It's the least I can do in this case.

[ the cocoa puff chirps and also stares at phoenix with its dumb glowing eyes. ]

[becomemod]

[ they cross their arms over their chest to think. ]

If you find anything odd, that's a start. [ they seem to realize a second later that "odd" might be just about anything in a world that's totally new to nico. ] Things that don't belong. White objects in odd places, papers with strange writing, villains saying things outside of the normal villain fare. Those are the sorts of things we're looking for.

[resumed]

"White objects" kinda seems a little vague when you have a team and a leader called White Tiger. The rest is doable though. I would think villains saying weird-villain things is a little more obvious, and any papers I find I'll bring back to you.

Have you had luck finding those sort of things so far before we got here?

[becomemod]

[ shakes their head. ]

Not since the battle, no. We've been a bit preoccupied with the construction, so we haven't had much time to dedicate toward searching recently. The only thing we'd found was about the competition and the lot of you coming here.

[resumed]

[ hm. yeah that makes sense to him. ]

The clean-up after a battle is always a pain. [ mumbling... ] Okay. I'll see what I can find somehow. Now that we're not stuck to the hotel and behind the caution tape.

[ he seems to consider something else then, leaning back a little as shame the cocoa puff adjusts on his shoulder. ]

...is it still a no-go on changing my ability?

[becomemod]

You'll still find the caution tape here and there, so don't be too reckless while you look.

[ for some reason, they seem amused by the possibility of that. ]

'Fraid not. You can change your team power, if you like, but not your own.

[resumed]

I've never been reckless a day in my life. [ he says, like a liar. but he still looks put out by that. ]

The team power is...fine for now. And if I can't change my ability then I'll figure out something else. What I had before here was fine. Nothing needed to change.

[becomemod]

Is that so...?

[ they don't seem convinced, but it's still rather funny. ]

Believe me, if I could give you your original abilities, I would. Having what you're used to would be far more effective here than learning something new as you go.

[resumed]

Absolutely.

[ don't!! ]

It's not even that I don't want to learn something new. I mean I don't, I've been working with what I have for years, but I understand having to try and make something else work. It's just that one...sort of feels like a curse. That's all.

[becomemod]

[ they tilt their head. ]

Why would it be a curse?

[resumed]

[ ....how to explain this. ]

If not a curse, it's definitely a joke that isn't exactly funny.

[becomemod]

[ after considering this for a moment, they answer decisively. ]

I don't understand. But I'm not going to force you to use it, if it bothers you that much.

[resumed]

[ thank you phoenix, i, ty, am going to force him to get over it but also. ]

Thank you. [ ...the crux of the matter though is: ] But I understand not using it won't really help us either, will it? If I don't have my own powers, and if I don't have my sword, and I can't use these new powers I'm trying to figure out what else I can do to make sure we're successful. If that makes sense.

[becomemod]

Well, that would depend on what happens here. There's no guarantee that any of you would have to fight - at least not much. I understand that you're trying to work with what you have, and that's all that I can ask of you.

The information we need is out there somewhere. I believe that you have the drive to find it, powers or no powers.

[resumed]

Sure. I don't like taking no for an answer. [ that is putting it so lightly. ] So as long as there is an answer out there, I don't plan on quitting just because I'm at a disadvantage.

[ ...hm. ]

Did you choose those three powers yourself? The ones from Amazo...om.

[becomemod]

Good! Neither do I. Between the two - or three - of us, we'll find something sooner or later.

I didn't. They're just what I have to offer.

[resumed]

[ he's about to ask why three but then he decides this means will whether that's actually the case or not.

...but that's interesting. ]

Whoever brought you here didn't give you much of a choice for stuff either, did they? [ that seems kind of unfair. ]

[becomemod]

Not a bit! We all had to learn how to use these powers from scratch, too.

[resumed]

[ why is everything terrible. ]

I can't decide if that makes me feel better or worse, Phoenix. [ he shakes his head. ] How long did it take you to master yours?

[becomemod]

I don't like making you feel worse, but I'd rather you know than not.

Most of my spare time was spent practicing, so I'd say... a month or two? I'm still not the best with the healing, but the offensive aspects of my abilities are simple enough.

[resumed]

Oh. [ he was just being kind of facetious, and so he blinks in surprise at the comment. ] No, I'd rather know, too.

We're not going to be here for that long, so I don't know if I'd even have that much time to practice. [ he has swung around from "i refuse to even look at my power" to thinking about at least knowing what to do with it even if he doesn't use it. ] You practiced with the other leaders? Fire can be pretty intense.

[becomemod]

Maybe not, but you're always welcome to a spar in the training room if you want to give it a try.

Sometimes. Some of them have suitable abilities to counter fire. But my other abilities are better for other people, so I practiced more alone when I could, so I wouldn't have to hold back.

[resumed]

[ ... ]

I might with a sword, but I don't even know how I'd start trying to use my power. [ maybe he can electrify his sword? who knows. ]

Can I ask what the others have ability-wise? Or is that something I have to ask you guys individually? [ out of curiosity. ] ...I think I understand though. My powers weren't exactly great for practicing around a lot of people either. Not until I got better with them.

[becomemod]

Have you considered something like this?

[ they shift as if to draw a sword, a blade of fire forming in their hand. they're pretty casual with this flame sword, letting the blade swing through the air (though not at nico) as they shrug. ]

I don't think it's something you'd have to ask them, but I think they'd prefer to tell you themselves. Or would you like others to hear about you secondhand?

...Your original powers. You haven't mentioned what they are, besides dealing with spirits.

[ they're curious. ]