Gizmo

If you have concerns with your October post counts you can reach out to the Ref team directly; if you didn't get your threads for October up in time you can post them in Late Thread Counting. April Arcana: 1 Ref PP = 1PP Ari Rainshadow: 1 Guide PP = 1PP AvengerAssembled Fast-Forward: 2 GM [4] + 1 Ref PP = 2PP Neko: 3 posts = 1PP Patriot II: 4 posts = 1PP Sea Devil: 1 post = 1PP Dr Archeville Horrorshow: 1 Ref PP = 1PP EternalPhoenix Terrifica: 1 Ref PP = 1PP Fox Nocturne: 1 Ref PP = 1PP Gizmo Chitin: 1 rollover + 1 Ref PP = 2PP Jack of all Blades [Maxed]: 1 post Heritage Crystal-Gazer: 1 post = 1PP KnightDisciple Patrioteen: 1 Guide PP = 1pp MoonSimply La Puma Negra: 10 posts = 2PP Nerdzul Nightscale: 11 posts = 2 PP RocketLord Spaceman: 1 post = 1PP Spacefurry Blackstaff: 2 GM [4] = 1PP Chimera: 6 posts = 1PP Paper: 4 posts = 1PP Predator: 5 posts = 1PP Supercape Captain Cosmos: 1 GM [2] = 1PP Diamondlight [Maxed]: 2 posts Echohead: 4 posts + 2 rollover + 2 GM [4] = 10 posts = 2PP Gamma Buzz: 1 GM [2] = 1PP Haven: 5 GM [10] = 2PP Peak: 1 GM [2] = 1PP Snakebite: 1 GM [2] = 1PP TheAbsurdist Jotünn: 1 Ref PP = 1PP Thevshi Multi-Girl: 1 post = 1PP Sri Kath'lana: 1 rollover = 1PP Timeout: 1 post + 1 Ref PP = 2PP Veronica Danger [Maxed]: 1 post Tiffany Korta Zhenchina-voin: 1 Ref PP = 1PP trollthumper Cavalier: 1 Ref PP = 1PP

"Dios, kids. Lighten up," Erik drawled with a nonplussed if sympathetic look in the rearview mirror. "Not for nothing, Leon, but you're not going to phase me with the school of hard knocks routine. At the risk the old guy giving you advice after you just met me, doing some petty crime to keep your family alive isn't exactly something you need to be losing sleep over" He let that hang in the air for just a beat before adding with a lighter, wry tone, "When you tell that bit to Talya maybe talk it up a bit, though. Classy, black tie thieving, yeah?" He turned the car's steering wheel hand over hand to take them around a street corner. "I meant more like are you more of a bowling or mini-golf kind of guy? You like to talk basketball or hockey? Work with me."

"My idea's mostly home cooking and parkour but the one-liners are important," Erik defended himself with a sage nod. He barked a laugh at Leon's probing joke, more amused than the teen expected. "You picked the wrong foster parent if you're going to take shots at age." After a pause to reconsider, he allowed, "Or the right one, I guess, from a self-preservation angle." The older man politely found something further down the sidewalk to occupy his attention while the teens shared an affectionate albeit chaste moment then swung himself back into the driver's seat with some reluctance. "It's not too far, thankfully. So, Leon, tell me about yourself."

Reclined to look over his shoulder to the back seat, Erik tilted his head to one side and raised his eyebrows. “Good recovery there, champ,” he congratulated Leon with a hint of a sardonic smile. The older man opened the driver’s side door and exited the car in a single, fluid movement, leaning across the roof of the car. “Relax. I’ll give you a critique on your game later, if you want. Rizz? Is that what it’s called now?”

Strictly speaking 'Erik's car' wasn't; growing up in the city he'd taken transit far more often than getting behind the wheel himself but with an ever expanding gaggle of youths in tow it had become more and more of necessity. Fortunately Talya seemed forever able to produce the correct vehicle for any occasion and this navy blue hybrid probably hadn't even seen use as a getaway car. Less fortunately he was being reminded why he did his best to avoid driving in Freedom City traffic: knowing that there was a fairly high chance of having one's parked car used as a projectile in a metahuman brawl seemed to encourage a recklessness the swordsman was much less comfortable with when not moving under his own acrobatic power. "Oh, smart, you'll beat us to the same red light by a whole five seconds, you @#$%," he muttered to himself as an aggressive ride share cut in front of them. He glanced at Neko's reflection in the rearview and cleared his throat. "Getting there, cuchillita." His cream coloured henley was much less flashy than her yukata even if rolling the sleeves up past the elbows revealed a few criss-crossing scars on his forearms. A pair of rings hung from a leather cord around his neck and a short trimmed beard framed his lopsided smile, a darker shade of his dusty brown hair. "So... meeting the boyfriend, kind of a big deal, yeah? Am I supposed to be like the cool, fun foster dad here or did you want more of a hardass, shovel talk sort of thing? I never get to do that with Raina. Really, any guy who doesn't do right by her, that's their funeral." He was only partly joking. As much as she'd gotten more comfortable within her small circle of trust Erik understood that Neko liked to present a calculated appearance based on the situation, an impulse he knew something about himself. If she had a particular way she wanted the interaction to go then he was along to do whatever he could to make it happen. The kid deserved to have some of the adults in her life in her corner.

Chitin July 2023 Edits Chitin Power Level: 10 [14] (231/231PP) Unspent Power Points: 0PP Trade-Offs: Bush Cricket: +3 Attack / -3 Damage; +3 Defense, -3 Toughness Orchid Mantis: -2 Attack / +2 Damage; +3 Defense, -3 Toughness Yellowjacket: None Offensively; +3 Defense, -3 Toughness Kabuto Beetle: -2 Attack / +2 Damage; -2 Defense, +2 Toughness In Brief: Ingenious innovator with insect-inspired inventions! Catchphrase: “Chitin online!” Theme: Anything Goes by Maki Ohguro Alternate Identity: Ryder Fujioka (Secret) Birthplace: Freedom City, New Jersey Residence: Claremont Academy dormitory Base of Operations: Smoothie Shack Occupation: Student, juice bar server/delivery person Affiliations: Claremont Academy Family: Shotaro “Shawn” Fujioka (father), Jenny Fujioka (older sister) Description: Age: 19 (DoB: April 3, 2004) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Japanese-American Height: 5’9” Weight: 130 lbs Eyes: Brown Hair: Strawberry blonde (dyed from black) Ryder’s lean build is emphasized by his rapid, emphatic body language. His angular jawline is softened by the broad smile that typically dominates his face along with expressive brown eye, all framed by tousled hair that hangs past his ears and has been dyed a strawberry blond. He prefers to dress in loose clothing in neon colours, often splattered with oil or paint depending on the project that currently has his attention. He is rarely seen without a long, red scarf which belonged to his mother and a chunky belt with a novelty buckle made up to look like a colour printer’s ink cartridge. The base form of the Chitin armour is a black jumpsuit with white and silver armoured pieces including reinforced boots, chest plating and a full face helmet with large oval eye pieces reminiscent of an insect. The armour assumed each of its specialized forms by incorporating the associated Robug drone into the helmet’s faceplate and adding additional armour in a specific colour: cyan for the bush cricket mode, magenta for the orchid mantis mode, yellow for the yellowjacket mode and gunmetal grey for the kabuto beetle mode. Aesthetically, each form is patterned off of its namesake. History: A third-generation Japanese-American, Ryder was a precocious but easily distracted child, raised by a single father alongside an older sister. As he grew teachers complained about his doodling and apparent non-sequitur outburst when called upon while his test scores remained exemplary and the cheerful oddball proved equally popular with and ridiculed by his classmates. Advanced classes were in some ways a better fit but Ryder found he still had trouble focusing on anything outside his current particular interest or working with his more decorous peers. Outside of school he took joy in two things above all: building with his own hands and going fast. By the time he was thirteen his garish but effective modifications to his hand-me-down bicycle had given his family’s combination juice bar and ice cream parlour, the Smoothie Shack, a reputation for quick delivery and given his father some unwanted experience with first aid. The palm-sized insect-themed robots he built from spare parts over the summer his leg was in a cast only gave him new avenues to both help out and create unintended chaos. With his imagination captured by the fantastical vehicles that race through Freedom City’s streets and the high tech power suits that soared through her skyline, Ryder used his Robugs to chase after his heroes and see them in action for himself. He arrived on the scene too late to watch Dragonfly handily subdue a villain and rescue a number of bystanders but did stumble upon one of her drones which had been damaged in the course of directing the evacuation of a collapsing building. Curiosity outweighing discretion, Ryder took the drone’s remains home and studied it, reverse engineering some of the limited version of Dragonfly’s hallmark spatial manipulation technology with which it was equipped. Mind exploding with new possibilities the now hyper focused teenager set to work designing and building his own power suit: the Chitin armour. His first test run garnered mixed results and the attention of the drone’s owner... Personality & Motivation: Ryder exudes cheerful idealism nearly to the point of naivety. He believes deeply in the basic decency of people and that everyone deserves the opportunity to work toward their best, most genuine selves. As such he is willing to go above-and-beyond to help complete strangers with little provocation, which can lead him to unintentionally cross personal boundaries. Similarly his curiosity is both Ryder’s greatest asset and greatest liability. He draws connections and makes rapid intuitive leaps when presented with new information, sometimes outpacing his common sense. Still, he would much rather beg forgiveness than miss out on an opportunity to learn something new. Powers & Tactics: While he delights in friendly competition and putting his inventions to the test Ryder loathes true conflict. If words have failed and people are in danger, however he is a tenacious fighter who will oppose more powerful opponents without hesitation and continue so long as he can get to his feet. Outside of the Chitin armour Ryder is reasonably coordinated but untrained in any specific hand-to-hand discipline, relying heavily on the speed and strength granted by his inventions. If a particular tactic is proving ineffective he will swap to a different armour mode and press on. Power Descriptions: Activating the CMYK Driver belted around his waist allows Ryder to access the sub-space dimensional pocket where the Chitin power armour is stored. From the outside this spatial warping looks like ribbons of multicoloured light extending from the belt briefly before the armour’s base form is super imposed over his body. Pressing a Robug to the front of the armour’s helmet prompts it to rearrange itself and incorporate into the faceplate before specialized armour components are retrieved from sub-space and installed. The cyan bush cricket themed mode adds mechanized improvements to speed and leg strength, allowing for prodigious leaps. The magenta orchid mantis mode unfolds blades from the armour’s forearms which use the same spatial technology to slip through defences and a camouflage package for blending into surroundings. The yellow yellowjacket mode features additional targeting hardware and hexagon shaped recesses across the arms and chest plate which can launch a flurry of wasp-shaped ballistics. Finally, the gunmetal grey kabuto beetle form puts all resources toward additional durability and musculature enhancement with blunt implements curving over the fists to better utilize that crushing potential. Complications: Presented by HAX: The Chitin armour system is based heavily on technologies for which Mara Hallomen AKA Dragonfly holds the patents, which the armour’s insect theming does nothing to obfuscate. Rising Dreamer: Ryder’s optimism can cause him to ignore potential consequences to his actions or give the benefit of the doubt when that might be unwise. Snack Amigo: Ryder works part-time to support his family’s restaurant, the Smoothie Shack, placing demands on his time outside of school. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 6 + 12 + 2 + 8 = 36PP Strength: 14/24CMY/34K (+4/+7/+12) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 22 (+6) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 12 + 8 = 20PP Initiative: +10 Attack: +6 Base, +8 MeleeMK, +13 MeleeC, +10 RangedY Defense: +13CMY/+8K (+4 Base, +4 Enhanced Defence, +5 Dodge FocusCMY), +4 Flat-Footed Grapple: +11/+15MY/+20C/+24K Knockback: -3CMY/-11K Saving Throws: 4 + 6 + 9 = 19PP Toughness: +7CMY/+12K (+3 Con, +2 Defensive Roll, +2 Protection, +5 ProtectionK) Fortitude: +7 (+3 Con, +4) Reflex: +8/+12C (+2 Dex, +6, +4 Enhanced SavesC) Will: +10 (+1 Wis, +9) Skills: 120R = 30PP Acrobatics 8 (+10) Computers 9 (+15) Craft [Artistic] 4 (+10) Craft [Electronic] 9 (+15) Craft [Mechanical] 9 (+15/+21 Robugs) Diplomacy 15 (+19) Disable Device 4 (+10/+20 Robugs) Drive 8 (+10) Handle Animal 4 (+8) Knowledge [Life Sciences] 4 (+10) Knowledge [Physical Sciences] 4 (+10) Knowledge [Technology] 10 (+16) Languages 2 (English [Native], Japanese, Russian) Notice 9 (+10) Perform [Oratory] 7 (+11) Sense Motive 14 (+15) Feats: 25PP Acrobatic Bluff All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 2 Beginner’s Luck Challenge (Combat Diplomacy) Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Defensive Roll 1 Eidetic Memory Equipment 1 Evasion 2 Improved Initiative 2 Improvised Tools Interpose Inventor Luck 3 Move-By Action Power Attack Second Chance (Emotion Control) Set-Up Takedown Attack 2 Equipment: 1PP = 5EP Electric Scooter (Vehicle) Size: Medium [0EP]; Strength: 10 [0EP]; Defence: 10 [0EP]; Toughness: +6 [1EP] Features: Alarm [1EP] Powers: Speed 3 (50MPH) [3EP] Powers: 71 + 32 = 103PP Device 17 (CMYK Driver Belt; 85PP Container; Flaws: Hard-to-Lose; Feats: Restricted 2 [Authorized Users], Subtle) [71PP] (technology, powersuit, spatial) When activated the driver uses spatial exchange technology to summon the Chitin power-suit armour. Each mode is accessed via the corresponding Robug. Communication 4 (Radio, 1 mile; Flaws: One-Way; Feats: Subtle) [3PP] Enhanced Defense 4 [8PP] Enhanced Strength 10 (to 24 [+7]) [10PP] Immunity 2 (Suffocation) [2PP] Protection 2 [2PP] Super-Senses 7 (Radio [Accurate (+2), Danger Sense] [4PP], Visual [Infravision, Tracking, Ultravision] [3PP]) [7PP] Chitin Armour Modal Array 25 (50PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 3; Drawback: Action [Move Action to Switch]) [52PP] Base: Bush Cricket Instar - “Hop to it!” Concealment 6 (All Visual, All Radio; Flaws: Displacement) [6PP] Damage 0 (Extras: Autofire [7], Feats: Mighty) [8PP] (CMYKick) Enhanced Feats 10 (Attack Focus [Melee] 5, Dodge Focus 5) [10PP] Enhanced Saves 4 (Reflex 4) [4PP] Leaping 5 (x50, 850’ Running Long Jump, 212’ High Jump) [5PP] Quickness 3 (x25; 1 Minute to Standard Action) [3PP] Speed 4 (1000’ Move Action, 100MPH) [4PP] Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling, Water Walking; Flaws: Limited [While Moving]) [2PP] Super-Senses 8 (Auditory [Accurate (2), Extended 1, Ultra-Hearing], Visual [Analytical 2, Counters Obscure (Darkness)]) [8PP] AP: Orchid Mantis Instar - “Say your prayers!” Concealment 4 (All Visual; Flaws: Blending) [4PP] Concealment 10 (All Sense Types; Flaws: Limited to Machines) [10PP] Damage 5 (Extras: Linked [+0], Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Extended Reach, Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [11PP] + Drain Toughness 12 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [+0]; Flaws: Limited [Objects Only]) [12PP] (CMYKutters; dimensional, electromagnetic) Enhanced Feats 5 (Dodge Focus 5) [5PP] Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4PP] Super-Senses 4 (Visual [Counters Concealment, Counters Illusion]) [4PP] AP: Yellowjacket Instar - “Kick the nest!” Damage 10 (Extras: Area [Targeted, 80’ Cone], Selective; Feats: Homing 2) [32PP] (CMYKuarrels) Enhanced Feats 5 (Attack Focus [Ranged] 4, Dodge Focus 5) [9PP] Obscure 3 (Visual, 25' radius; Extras: Independent) [9PP] (CMYKover) AP: Kabuto Beetle Instar - “Can’t beat this!” Enhanced Feats 4 (Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Throw, Improved Trip) [4PP] Enhanced Strength 10 (to 34 [+12] Total) [10PP] Immovable 5 (Extras: Unstoppable) [10PP] Immunity 20 (Electrical Effects, Fire Effects; Flaws: Limited [Half Effect]) [10PP] Immunity 2 (Visual Dazzle) [2PP] Protection 5 (to 8 Total) [5PP] Super-Strength 4 (Effective Str 54, 28 ton Heavy Load, Feats: Countering Punch) [9PP] (CMYKudgels; gravity) Device 9 (Robugs; 45PP Container; Flaws: Easy-to-Lose; Feats: Multiple Devices 3, Restricted 2 [Authorized Users]) [32PP] (technology, robotics) The Robugs are a quartet of semi-autonomous, palm-sized drones resembling a bush cricket, orchid mantis, yellowjacket and kabuto beetle respectively. Base: 7 + 4 + 4 + 19 + 10 + 1 = 45PP Communication 6 (Auditory, 20 mile range; Feats: Subtle) [7PP] Comprehend 2 (Speak to and Understand Animals) [4PP] Enhanced Skills 4 (Craft [Mechanical] 6, Disable Device 10) [4PP] ESP 6 (Auditory, Visual, 20 mile range; Extras: Simultaneous; Flaws: Limited [Reachable by Robugs]; Feats: Rapid 1 [10x search speed]) [19PP] Move Object 3 (Strength 15; Extras: Range [Perception]; Feats: Precise) [10PP] Alternate Power 1 [1PP] AP: Instar Swarm - "Four colour dream! Now WAKE UP!" Duplication 14 (210PP; Extras: Horde; Feats: Mental Link, Progression 2 [5 Duplicates]; Drawbacks: Limited [One of Each Instar Form]) [44PP] Drawbacks: -3PP Normal Identity (Major, Uncommon; Standard Action to activate CMYK Driver, Unable to access Chitin armour without belt) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 18 Toughness Damage Unarmed (C) Touch DC 22 Toughness Damage Unarmed (K) Touch DC 27 Toughness Damage CMYKutters (M) Touch +5' DC 22 Reflex Drain Toughness [Objects Only] DC 27 Toughness Damage CMYKuarrels (Y) Area DC 25 Toughness Damage [General Area] Totals: Abilities (36) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (19) + Skills (30) + Feats (26) + Powers (103) - Drawbacks (-3) = 231/231 Power Points 2PP - +2 Strength 2PP - +2 Charisma 4PP - +2 Base Attack 2PP - +1 Base Defense 2PP - +2 Fortitude 2PP - +2 Reflex 2PP - +2 Will 2PP - +8 Skill Ranks 3SR - +3 Diplomacy 2SR - +2 Handle Animal 1SP - +1 Language 2SR - +2 Sense Motive 2PP - +2 Feat 1PP - +1 Defensive Roll 1PP - +1 Luck 8PP - +2 Device 2DP - +2 Enhanced Defense 2DP - +2 Enhanced Strength 6DP - +3 Array 2PP - +2 Autofire 4PP - +4 Enhanced Saves / 1PP - +1 Extended Reach 1PP - +1 Improved Critical 2PP - +2 Drain Toughness 2DP - +2 Super-Senses / 6PP - +3 Damage / 4PP - +2 Immoveable 2PP - +2 Immunity 3PP - +1 Device 1DP - +1 Communication 1DP - +1 Enhanced Skills 3DP - +1 ESP / 6DP - +2 Duplication (AP slot had 1 unspent DP already)

Canister Toughness Save vs DC 26: 1d20+9 = 22 24 - Chitin - Bruised x1, Bound, 0HP 21 - Canister - Bruised x2 19 - Nocturne - Uninjured, 2HP

“Been plenty chatty already," Canister retorted thrusting both gantleted hands straight forward and catching a surprised Chitin's wrists. For a moment they strained against each other, helmets only a handbreadth apart while sparks shot from the mechanical components of their suits. “Something about you, Fujioka. I was expecting it after seeing you in action at that concert but here I am @$#%ing out loud anyway." With a grunt they forced Ryder back, new scrapes in their weathered gloves. “Time to get serious." The enigmatic figure pulled the red spray can from their belt with one hand while tugging its blue twin free from the carabiner at their side. "Danger! Under Pressure!" Scarlet plates fell away as they slammed the new can into their belt, accompanied by the boom of violently displaced air from dimension tearing. The new armoured pieces gathered around the arms and shoulders, rounded segments painted deep navy blue with an oily sheen. The light around them hadn't even finished fading from view as Canister took a heavy step forward and whipped an arm around from the shoulder toward Chitin. A metal tentacle shot from their suit like a lunging snake, wrapping around the young inventor once, twice, three times and constricting with shocking strength, pinning his arms to his side and forcing the breath from his lungs. "How about we both shut up?" A second coil ensnared Chitin around the waist and lifted his kicking feet off of the warehouse floor, tightening with a distressing crunch of protesting carbon fibre.

Canister went plummeting horizontally, crashing into a support pillar that sent them into a violent spin until their 'fall' took them far enough from Nocturne's influence that they were able to get their feet back under them - not to mention getting under back under them. The impact of their boots and one armoured knee left radiating cracks in the cement as they steadied themselves with a hand and tilted their head up to glare back the way they'd come from being their helmet's faceplate. Chitin shook his own head vigorously, focusing up in the moment he'd been bought. "Honestly? I getting pretty close to losing my cool, too. Magenta!" Cyan burst from the front of his helmet along with the light blue sections of his armour, just in time for the vivid pink, mantis-shaped Robug to bound from her hiding place behind Koshchei and take his place. "Orchid Mantis Instar! Say your prayers!” Light spilled through dimensional incisions around Chitin as he sprinted after his assailant, the new set of components fastening into place. Long, curved bladed segments extended from his forearms, clouded with condensation from the heat generated by the rapid quick changes. The helmet's multifaceted eyes lit up in a contrasting green as he reached the recovered Canister. "Maybe you'll be ready to talk after a quick nap!" Leaping forward he threw all of him momentum into two-armed slash aimed at his target's midsection.

Canister Toughness Save vs DC 20 (Brick Wall): 1d20+9 = 22 Move Action: Switch to Blue Paint Standard Action: Snare vs Chitin Chitin Reflex Save vs DC 20: 1d20+6 = 13 Toughness Save vs DC 20 (Constricting): 1d20+5 = 8 Toughness Save vs DC 20; HP Reroll: 1d20+5 = 8 > 18 Uh oh! 24 - Chitin - Bruised x1, -2 Defense, Bound, 0HP 21 - Canister - Bruised x1 19 - Nocturne - Uninjured, 3HP

Chitin Hero Point: Avoid Fatigue from Extra Effort Move Action: Switch to Orchid Mantis Instar Standard Action: Charge Canister: 1d20+6+2 = 11

Canister Opposed Grapple Check: 1d20+20 = 32 Wheeee!

“There he is,” Canister grunted as they took the impact and shoved Chitin back a step, their voice distorted and metallic through their armour's helmet. “Tell me, Fujioka. How do you seriously preach love and sunshine then turn around and make yourself into a walking weapon and not see the hypocrisy?” Drawing back they launched forward with a hiss of pistons, driving a gauntleted fist into Chitin's midsection with enough force to momentarily lift the other youth off of the floor. "I built the suit to help people!" Ryder retorted even as he stumbled back a step unsteadily, spots floating across his vision. “Oh, well. Then you failed.” Canister advanced, shoulders squared. Even as flames licked around the warehouse they seemed totally focused on their target, ignoring the other occupants.

Ryder collided with the chair heavily, the clang of metal against the concrete floor lost in thunderous explosion of the volatile equipment on the workbench. Ears ringing and his left shoulder giving a sharp, painful protest the young inventor found his hand already reflexively on his belt as he forced his feet back under him. He mouthed the activation command and toggled the cartridges in sequence as readily as exhaling a held breath. The sounds around resolved back into focus but he thought he would have been able to hear the cheerful call no matter the cacophony: "CYMK! Dream in colour!" Where Canister's transformation had been a violent tearing the ribbons of light that cut through the space surrounding Ryder were almost elegant, the black jumpsuit wrapping around him like a wave crashing across rocks. He was shifting his weight to his forward foot as the white and silver armoured segments locked into place with a mechanical whir. "Cyan!" The Robug had anticipated the call and landed on the faceplate of the helmet the instant it materialized, unfolding into twin fins across the forehead and multifaceted eye, glowing red from within. "Bush Cricket Instar! Hop to it!” The light blue components appeared and activated mid-sprint as he tackled Canister head-on, multicoloured afterimages of the spatial portals trailing behind him like a jet stream.

“Okay but you see how ‘the government views you as a walking nuke’ is also bad, right?” Ellie winced, clenching her fingers into anxious claws on either side of her face. With visible effort she relaxed her hands and lowered them to her sides. “Sorry, sorry. Obviously this is a huge deal and if they’re going to have a Patriot in the first place they’re @#$%ing lucky they got you.” She let out a long breath, blowing her hair off of her forehead. “Honestly it’s weirdly a relief? You always got sort of… jittery when you didn’t have, like, a project and hey! America. There’s a project, amirite? I feel better knowing you’re doing this than thinking you’d just been unmoored after school.” A brief pause before she hurriedly added, “Not a boat joke, the house boat’s great, love the boat.”

"@#$% sake, Ash, you can't just call someone a 'libertarian' like it's--" Ellie had begun to object, eyes scrunched closed and fingers pinching the bridge of her nose, before Mara's muted reaction caused her to pause long enough for the rest of Ashley's words to catch up to her. Dropping her hand and opening her eyes the doctor took in the helmet on the table, nonplussed. "Huh." Eventually she put her hands on her hips and gave a small nod to one side. "That does scan. Congratulations? Is it a 'congratulations' situation? You were always vague about the work you were doing so I was kinda worried it was some off-the-books black ops thing and this is obviously way better than that!" Ellie winced, wrinkling her nose again. "That sounded more complimentary in my head. Look, the jacket's great. The jacket's an unequivocal win. Are we on a list, now?" Her muted alarm was obviously fighting with her desire to be supportive, not helped by the fact that they'd just been discussing their daughter. She would have trusted Ashley with the lives of her loved ones any day of the week but the same trust didn't extend to the people to whom the Patriot reported.

"Don't forget that if you wanted to make a couple calls and skim a power set or three you could pretty much make your biology work however you want," Ellie pointed out as they retrieved their coats and headed back out in the December weather. "It'd take some careful experimenting and frank discussion of bodily functions which I know are your favourite, but..." With a shrug she leaned into Mara's shoulder, ostensibly against the chill. "Dios, Yoyo is just the most special kid. I mean, she's a teenager now, don't know when that happened, and I know everybody thinks their kids are perfect but I think about what we were like at that age and I just can't get over how she knows exactly who she is and doesn't budge an inch if someone has a problem with it. I'm serious!" She laughed, a broad if lopsided grin splitting her face. "Forget honour student, our daughter could go ten rounds with a bulldozer and not blink. Also she's an honour student. In case you were wondering."

“I’m a catch,” Ellie confirmed serenely, touching fingertips to her chest and nodding. She tilted her head to one side, one eye closed while the other sought out Ashley’s gaze but she didn’t press the issue when the other woman looked away. Gently she continued, “It’s not your job to convince her or win her over, y’know. Representation or normalizing or whatever is one thing but I think that’s more about giving closeted folks some courage and shutting up the real %$&?s. If someone who knows and loves you specifically wants to put conditions on that it’s up to them to get their heart in order.” She gave a small shrug and tried to adopt a lighter tone. “Every family’s different, though, yeah? Might be messy but I’m sure it’ll work out in the end.”

"Wow wow wow!" Ellie leaned over the table, halfway standing out of her chair to get a better look at the photo on Ashley's phone. "I love the shoulders on that. And that's such a sweet tradition." Thinking on the 'traditional' along with the reminder of the other woman's fairly conservative politics gave her a moment's pause. She leaned back in her chair and took a moment to choose her words. "This is always the thing with weddings in the community but does your family know that your ladyfriend is from 'out of town'?" Ellie chewed on the corner of her bottom lip and wrinkled her nose in a muted wince as she added the potentially more delicate question, "And, y'know, a lady?"

Chitin Standard Action: Activate CMYK Driver Move Action: Activate Bush Cricket Instar Extra Effort: Surge Standard Action: Charge Canister: 1d20+11+2 = 23 Canister Toughness Save vs DC 20: 1d20+10 = 19 Move Action: Demoralize Chitin; -5 Challenge (Fast): 1d20+10-5 = 16 Standard Action: Unarmed Attack vs Chitin: 1d20+12 = 28 Chitin Sense Motive Check vs DC 16: 1d20+13 = 19 Toughness Save vs DC 23: 1d20+5 = 8 Toughness Save vs DC 23; HP Reroll: 1d20+5 = 14 + 10 = 24 24 - Chitin - Uninjured, -2 Defense, Extra Effort, 2HP 21 - Canister - Bruised x1 19 - Nocturne - Uninjured, 3HP

Ellie rolled her eyes at 'government drone'. "I've worked too may ER shifts to think cops with guns sounds like a good idea and I've never had to wonder how one of the bees' body cam footage mysteriously went missing. And look, this is obviously a downer but people already vote to put kids in cages; would it be inappropriate if, whoever, say Gabriel said that was a crappy policy?" She leaned back in her chair, not looking terribly pleased to be committing the the more serious topic but also unwilling to brush it aside for the sake of social niceties. "The main issues with policing come from them prioritizing property, wealth, maintaining established power structures because they're part of those structures. The system is actively hostile to cops who actually want to "work for us" and being a fewer steps away from lobbyists and @#$%s jockeying for re-election doesn't seem like it would make the Patriot more effective, does it?" The brunette raised her empty hand in a vague gesture and looked into her teacup. "Look, obviously I'm coming from some bias here since I've met most of the current League but the geology nerd has gone of bat for "us" time and again. On the other hand, last time a Patriot was on a League there stopped being a League. Which, with the benefit of hindsight, I think we can confidently label 'not great'? I didn't miss any campaigns on social to make McCarthyism cool again? I never check mine, the algorithm is still showing me nothing but wedding stuff, it's unusable."

Ellie looked up to listen to the televised interview as the proprietor drew attention to it and was polite enough to wait until he'd delivered their tea and stepped away before pulling a face. "Can't say the lady's not trying, at least. Wouldn't see me taking that job. Sucks they trot the kid out there too, though." She looked across the table to Ashley and gave a gesture of embarrassed apology. "Sorry! Not what we were talking about. It just gets me, like, meta-humans can't have a political opinion? Should we not vote, either? The government's going to make laws about people with powers, about our bodies but watch out, it'd be inappropriate if we had opinions about it?" The subject had obviously hit a bit of a sore spot and the young doctor looked over her shoulder briefly to make sure she wasn't disturbing anyone else in the little restaurant. Lowering her voice just in case she extended a hand toward Ashley. "Like, we both come from cops, yeah? Can't be a cop if you've got powers. But how is the Patriot not a cop? So what even are the rules?" She made an irritated gesture before picking up her teacup. "Don't get me wrong, I'd rather it was her doing it than some bro from your hot wings place; everything I hear is she's good people. You can just tell there's ten speech writers off camera vetting this stuff. They know exactly what they're doing getting the Soqotri kid up there going, 'meta-humans in government is bad, actually,' like that's the squeaky wheel in this country." She hunched her shoulders and covered most of her face with her cup. "Ugh, Mara, baby, help change the subject again or I'll keep being totally unbearable. Sorry, Ash."

Chitin Initiative: 1d20+10 24 Canister Initiative: 1d20+10 21

Canister punctuated the statement by snapping the aerosol can in their hand to the left, right arm crossing their body while their left grabbed a lever on their belt and pulled it to a locked position on the opposite side of the chunky central piece. "Chitin Runner Canister, online!" A gravelly, distorted voice replied from the belt, "RGB! Leave a mark!" Their index finger plunged down on the head of the paint can, spraying in a wide arc in the space between them and the others present. Rather than a hiss of compressed pigment the sound was like a shotgun blast as thousands of droplets each punched a pinprick hole into a pocket dimension, bright white light and displaced air bursting forth, creating a streak of distorted space that hung in the air. Slamming the can into the space on the belt opened by moving the lever, Canister charged through the violent tear. "Danger! Flammable!" They emerged on the other side armoured in black and slate grey plates, burnished bolts spinning to lock pieces into place and steel studs on the knees and reinforced toes reflecting the last of the quickly fading light behind them. Their scuffed and stained red jacket echoed the X-shaped visor that dominated their helmet, pulsing with a muted crimson. They channeled their momentum into a high kick aimed at Ryder's chest. The startled teen had just enough time cross his arms in a hasty block before being sent flying backward into the chair Natalia had been using. Not missing a beat, Canister pointed a hand toward Koshchei's scientific equipment and let loose a torrent of scorching flame in an unavoidable arc!

"Honestly Dr. Koshchei, bit of a fan but you've pretty much made all your meaningful contributions to history so..." Canister shrugged, face schooled into a flat expression that was hard to read. "Omelettes, eggs. You get it." Despite the relaxed banter they noticeably didn't come any further into the room, staying where they could keep all of the room's occupants in their sight lines "Wow. Okay, ethically a hot mess and also weirdly, needlessly rude?" Ryder took a show, careful step forward, one hand still raised toward the intruder. "There's gotta be a smarter way to deal with your whole deal than trying to start a fight so you don't feel as bad about the whole premeditated murder thing. Literally just talk to me, okay?" One of Canister's eyes twitched as their neutral look broke into an irritated scowl. "Wild. I just assumed the sanitized, sexless, loves-children-and-animals, theme park mascot version of you from the corpo history minute vids was propaganda but you're actually an oblivious caricature of a person, aren't you? I've had to @#$% around in your time period for longer than I wanted and it's not just an old-timey thing, it's just you, you actual clown!" Ryder puffed up his cheek and let out a loud breath. "Woof. I mean, most people like children and animals, that's sort of the default? And I'm still feeling out labels on the ace spectrum, but 'sexless' is factually--" Abruptly remembering who was in the room he stopped short. "We don't really need to have that conversation right now." "What d'you know. Consensus."