Nemaisare

Post-P.R.C.U. Pitch Platter

Hound and Roman are running away! Quick! Catch them!

Post-P.R.C.U. Pitch Platter

But it's the governments making the decision on whether an individual requires that rehabilitation/education rather than a voluntary thing, the governments and public opinion would be deciding if they're delinquents or not, which would mean that most of the characters who felt pressured into joining PRCU would probably end up in a similarly pressured situation (or just enforced enrollment) with this one, wouldn't they? Or have I missed something?

As long as they've created situations that endanger civilian lives, that's probably enough to label them as "persons of interest" to ensure they get the moral teachings that'd ensure they don't use those powers negatively on purpose next time.

Post-P.R.C.U. Pitch Platter

For my own two cents, I think "an institution for the rehabilitation of superpowered youths" sounds remarkably similar to "an institution for the education of superpowered youths", it's probably less a matter of how similar we make things and more a matter of still mourning the death of a well-liked premise and character-driven plots. But I think it's probably a change for the better. If we keep things too close to the old setting, then we'll continue to compare. Whereas if we take the premise of the old--beleaguered superpowered youths having to deal with pressure from within and without their "protecting" institution while learning how to control their powers and conform to the ideal set before them and hopefully make friends or enemies along the way--but leave the specific setting--superpowered academy--behind, the vibe and flavour might change, but the overall plot potential and character dynamics should be fairly similar in scope.

Of course, if the flavour of that superpowered academy was the strongest draw, then all ^that^ would obviously work less well... >.>

Anyway, I cannot decide between the first four options, I'm easy with whichever of those plots becomes the end result, so don't make me weigh my decisions more than that. I'm very bad at choices. Very good at waffling though...

And @Hound55, my thoughts for the end result of putting Lucas through the HEAT program were that he'd make a good investigative supporter, and if his powers work best on the scene, then it'd be good if he has the training to back up being in a potentially dangerous situation, or just to know the general procedures so he's not making things more difficult for everyone else while he helps out. How well he was going to do in adapting to the program at the start of classes was another matter entirely. lol :P

Post-P.R.C.U. Pitch Platter

For me, specifically, I just like Lucas, so if he fits, I'd be tempted, whether or not I'd end up going with him in the end would still depend on a variety of other factors. Including plot potential and character dynamics, and if I have any other ideas I like better. :P So, there is no special need to ensure he could fit, though I do appreciate any effort thereof. :)

I rather like that street-level heroes community service idea too. Kinda like... the daily Spiderman activities (supervised) as opposed to the main conflict of the movie Spiderman shenanigans... It would certainly fit with the attempt to raise public opinion of people with superpowers and avoid having superpowered individuals feel like they have to take matters into their own hands and then doing it wrong... >.>

Post-P.R.C.U. Pitch Platter

1 and 2 are certainly more closely tied to the previous scenario, though 2 does not seem like it’s geared towards characters that didn’t have as much of a traumatic power manifestation. Or that wouldn’t be happy to use their powers to get into trouble, but that might just be me misinterpreting it. (I also don’t have a problem with that, just pondering character porting potential. And snickering to myself at the thought of Lucas in scenario 1… pffft)

Post-P.R.C.U. Pitch Platter

Hmm, I think I'd be most invested in 2, 3 or 4, but 1 is also up there. Honestly, I'm not actually sure what order of priority I'd give those four. It would probably depend on the character I might come up with and the interaction potential... Not sure I've got the energy for big and sweeping, which 3 and 4 seem more likely to turn into, but damn if I don't like the details there. And the possibilities of between-city strangeness. Hoo boy, they all sound fun.

I like Zelda games, but they're not exactly my cup of tea for writing in. And 6 sounds awesome but boggled my poor brain.

Pacific Royal Collegiate & University - [CLOSED]

I mean, he could have just ghosted us if he wanted to. I do get the feelings of upset. It's a good story, a good setting, great cast, and Wraith's put in a lot of work, and we've all been waiting hopeful to keep going. And wanting to get that disappointment off your chest is perfectly reasonable, but real life is something I'm sure we've all seen get in the way of our stories here. It's happened to me plenty, and I know it's always a cleaner, more pleasant finish when people have the guts and courtesy to admit that they're not feeling it anymore or have gotten too busy and just can't keep up, or that they will be in the future, instead of up and vanishing and leaving you hanging.

I know I've been guilty of ghosting people a time or three. I'm not proud of it, but the upset that sometimes gets directed at you when you do admit these troubles can go a long way in making it harder to resist that ghosting temptation the next time... I'm just glad Wraith's given me a fun few months and there's been some great writing to enjoy and that he's been open about the difficulties of GMing and continuing.

Putting in the time to write collaboratively is certainly an agreement and a time investment, but it should in no way be turned into an obligation. It's a hobby, not a job. (no matter how often I wish I could turn it into one... >.> but then I'd probably start hating it...)

Pacific Royal Collegiate & University - [CLOSED]

My feelings are similar to Bean. I've enjoyed what we've had so far and think this is a good group and I like the story. But if it's going to end down the line anyway, seems better not to push ourselves into continuing. So, my vote would be to let it end here, but if enough want to continue, I'll stick it out.

I do appreciate you bringing it up now though, instead of struggling against your available free time and posting inertia here or springing the surprise end come September. *shrugs* It is what it is, and fun was had, so I'm not fussed.

Pacific Royal Collegiate & University - [CLOSED]

_{Location: Stadium – PRCU, Dundas Island}

First Class #2.49: Chasing Friends

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_{Interaction(s): N/A}

Previously: Squares and Circles

If asked, Lucas could not have said he was happy with his choices. He’d started to regret taking that step forward as soon as he did. Or, well, he was regretting leaving his first choice empty, because no matter how much he wanted to be a neutral, open-minded person, seeing obvious proof of the ups and downs Team Blackjack was going through didn’t offer much by way of enticement to join them. He still would, if he had to, since he’d already made the offer, but before the second whistle blew, he’d definitely been tempted to pull out the Eclipse armband to be sure he wouldn’t. Too late to change his mind though. He didn’t like changing it too often or he’d forget how to hold onto what he wanted. And then the whistle blew, and it was definitely too late.

Thankfully, though he was tense throughout the brief rearranging, they ended up pointing him towards Eclipse. He’d take it. One last glance at Firebird had him grinning and waving back at Ariel before he joined his new teammates with the smile still lingering. He wasn’t the only one from Firebird here either, so it didn’t feel quite as daunting. Alyssa, who thought trees could fight back (and he wasn’t going to argue that) and Sierra, who was really Sierras and who made dad jokes. He wasn’t nearly as sure about the two who’d come over from Blackjack, but he gave them a smile all the same and was relieved when he discovered he’d thought right. The voices around him were all still vaguely familiar, even if they came from shirts instead of walls. Maybe it really wouldn’t be that hard learning new names and faces. He already had one down: Suzanna Poots. Didn’t know anything else about her, but he’d learn more eventually.

First, a welcome from Aaron Matthews, then back to Dr. Lehrer and finally time to pick Houses.

Suzanna already had, apparently, and he watched her walk off for a moment, letting his gaze follow along to naturally take in the House representatives that had been waiting for a while now. It all looked very formal. And colourful. And he didn’t even know what his choices were yet.

So, he opened his envelope to have a look, frowning through the friction of pulling out the invitations and laying them on the grass in front of him as he squatted down to consider. Green… Silver… Brown… The silhouettes were all very recognizable and he liked that they said the same thing, made reading faster. Alces said he was gentle; Lynx, that he was patient; and Ursus, that he was empathetic. He… wasn’t really sure what to do with that information. He hadn’t bothered looking up much about the Houses before this. The invitations themselves didn’t come with much more information than that, just the warmth of being printed, gathered, and slid inside the envelope. No voices he could identify or words he thought were important. But if he was going to choose based on what each House thought of him, then… Well, he didn’t know.

But when he looked up to see if the house leaders and representatives behind them might give him some inspiration it hadn’t managed before, his frown bloomed into a wide grin, and he made his choice.

He’d switched teams so other people could have a chance at different social environments. Didn’t have to do the same with the Houses. Didn’t have to think as hard as he had been, either. Still grinning, Lucas gathered his invitations and the envelope and joined the rest in making their choices known. He arrived in front of House Ursus’ leader just behind Jonna and grinned even bigger when he realised that was one more person he wouldn’t have to go looking for if he wanted to spend time with them.

Following her lead, he held out his own invitations, Ursus on top, and added, rather less formally. “Hi. Me too.”

Pacific Royal Collegiate & University - [CLOSED]

_{Location: Stadium – PRCU, Dundas Island}

First Class #2.49: Squares and Circles

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_{Interaction(s): Yay Teams…}

Previously: Spilling Over

Rocking back and forth heel to toe as Dr. Lehrer provided the introduction into an event Lucas wasn’t sure anyone had been looking forward to, he couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering across the crowd watching them. He didn’t really get it. This whole thing. The school teams he knew were sports or competitions and homeroom. Since they weren’t playing anything and were taking classes together, he’d mostly equated it with homeroom on a smaller scale. Hadn’t really thought any further than that until he’d gotten stuck trying to connect the names of his team members to their voices from his P.T. shirt. Ended up catching the wrong voices, listening to short-lived screams, and drowning in waterlogged fabric as he fell into each sullen silence between Hyperion’s picking out the pieces while the rain ran through the weave with gravity towards the next grand claim. Played it all on repeat often enough he could quote the gods into worshipping the ground they walked on and had so many aching reminders of what happened when powerful people picked you up and dropped you like a hot potato that his bruises felt bruised.

He hadn’t gone splat because he hadn’t been that high—and he wasn’t an actual hot potato—but Banjo had…

He didn’t remember that part.

He didn’t remember much of that night, really. He forgot about a lot of things all the time, pushed them to the back of his mind so he wouldn’t have to think about it. This time at least, he hadn’t forgotten, he just hadn’t noticed. Would have been nice if he didn’t have to know either. But it was his shirt… It might not have the whole story, but it had enough. Too much. After Dr. Miranda’s calm voice cut through his numbed reviewing of Hyperion’s attack and pulled him back to H.E.A.T. and raising the temperature from storm-wet chill to sunny day and pizza-oven hot, he’d gone looking for her. Found the pineapple lady first.

Jess. She was Jess, not Pineapples.

Handed her the shirt and told her he didn’t want it while asking about the team swap in the same breath. He wasn’t sure when the shirt ended up back in his hands—though he’d tossed it into a corner as soon as he got back to his room—but he’d at least learned a bit more about the swap. Mostly, that it was still happening, and that it was a bigger deal than he’d thought. He wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be, but anything made into public spectacle had to be bigger than the bare bones made it seem, right?

He'd been thinking about it off and on ever since. Nothing concrete, not really wondering which team he should pick. Who he should pick. If staying or going was bad. But the more the walls started making him uneasy, counting down the time until he could leave them for good, the more it started weighing on him.

The teams weren’t perfect. Nothing and nobody ever was. But they’d all fallen into place like someone shaking dice. Everyone got a number and a square hole to fill and that was all right for him. Didn’t matter if he couldn’t be a square, he could still fill the space. It was probably that way for most of them. Didn’t get to pick so it didn’t matter, right? But then someone died. Others took the killer’s side.

Made him even more all right with staying where he was. The other floors felt so thin when he went down the stairs he’d started holding his breath to get out the front door. He didn’t know if all of that was just from the last week, might have been other years and other people all piling on, but either way… He didn’t know what team meant to the rest of them now. And after feeling a lot more nerves around him while they’d all made their way onto this field, even with all the eyes on them, he was thinking things weren’t that casual anymore. Things weren’t all right anymore. It wasn’t just about pretending they could be squares together. Wasn’t even about finding a different group of circles.

That thought had wormed its way deeper and deeper into him until he couldn’t ignore it. And as the ceremony played out and pushed him closer to stepping out or staying still, Lucas didn’t notice his thumb finding its way between his teeth. Didn’t really feel them pressing down. Didn’t know if he was thinking too much or not enough or if he even wanted to do anything about it. Wasn’t his problem, but it would be if he took that step. Switching teams meant switching floors. Staying on thin ice. He didn’t want to deal with it. But was there anyone who would?

Looking down the line both ways and not seeing anyone he couldn’t get along with—from the beehive to those he’d not really spoken with yet, to the Sierras who’d made him part of their conversation to Ariel, who’d teased the water out of the stegosaurus without needing to be asked twice, they were all just strangers slowly becoming people he could recognise both inside and outside the walls.

The same could be said for the other teams staying at the Intake House though. Both now and last year, and the year before that, and before that, and on down the line. He didn’t know if he’d miss them, didn’t think they’d miss him. Didn’t know if he’d be making any sort of meaningful point but when first one and then another from Firebird stepped forward, he did too. A beat late, flinching at the whistle and needing a deep breath first, but he did.

Couldn’t stop now and that made the next step easier.

Turning with a slow-growing sheepish grin to look at them all lined up, he pulled his shoulders right up to his ears. “Sorry, thanks. I like you guys, okay? You’re nice. It’s nice, all right. But they all need nice, too. Uhh, want your bee back?” There’d been one crawling on his shoulder for a while now and he wasn’t sure if it belonged to Firebird’s beehive or some… other beehive….

He also hadn’t had a chance to ask Jess if he was about to look really stupid. He’d only asked for the rules he’d thought he’d need to know. Hadn’t asked what happened if students didn’t find their fit. Hadn’t asked if you could only make half a choice. And no one here had said anything new. He'd... sort of been listening... So, he was glad for an excuse to stall the next step. But he didn’t want anyone standing on the field now to feel unwelcome or unable to make the choice they wanted. Being angry wasn’t fun. Neither was being scared, or sad, or guilty. But Blackjack and Eclipse both were full of those things. Probably for different reasons. They all needed to know they weren’t alone or unwelcome. Maybe they needed what their team couldn’t give them. And they couldn’t find that if no one let them in.

So, once the bee was dealt with, he turned back around and marched towards the middle, raising his hands like he was supposed to. Firebird in his left, nothing in his right. If anyone wanted to switch with him, they could. If nobody did, then he could just go back to his spot.

But as a small group of other students stalled a little way off, with growing frowns as things were said and more people got involved, his shoulders and arms began to sag, and he forgot to keep smiling so others would know he was happy to trade places. He wasn’t hearing everything that was said, and their expressions didn’t make him eager to try, but even so, he was losing what little confidence he’d had in his decision. Were they not even going to let people leave?