[quote=@Tatterdemalion]
POTENTIAL 2

Sara bows back. She might be a badass, but the most badass thing of all is choosing to share in her friends’ weird little rituals. And... tbh, Locker’s one of the best dance partners she’s got.

“Step one is establishing an alibi. You’re going to need a bot that can cover for you in chat, and also some sort of weird depression hobby. That way, you’ve got someone who can cover for you by spamming typos, and you’ve got an excuse for hiding in your apartment. Second, we start laying hints that you’re Vault, but sloppily, like someone’s trying to shunt suspicion off onto you. Then, just to make sure the lowest common denominator gets it, you’ll get saved by Dominus as Vault. And while that’s happening, I’ll start spamming [i]the butts match,[/i] using photoshop and arrows and curves to PROVE YES PROVE that you and Vault are the same.”

She catches the look he gives her and nods solemnly. She was, in fact, controversial and ultimately canceled fic writer S4R4STORM17. Victor can never, ever find out.[/quote]

"Sometimes even I forget how much work you put in to make this look easy," said Locker. "And yeah, alright. I think video game development makes sense as a weird depression hobby, especially if I'm making twisted little experimental games for Weird Youtube. Nobody wants to talk to game developers, the games can be bad and weird enough that nobody feels good about looking them up, and games take arbitrarily long periods of time to make -" he's working through the angles, following through. This is the opposite of where you started; you were the hero and he was the backup then. "Pity I won't get to fake my death, I've been mentally rehearsing my Comstar all through the fight."

[quote=@Phoe]"Oh come on, don't tell me you don't believe there's a legit Hyperborea dimension after all that @SARAHPHIM double nonsense! Phimmy alone should be worth an extra fifty credibility points on this! Especially because it was her stupid version of Satan I had to chase all the way over there! And then, get this, that asshole raised Devilhome out of the ground like twenty minutes after I showed up on scene and was still getting my bearings and had the nerve to call [i]me[/i] a cartoon character! So I do this once-in-a-lifetime mission and I blow the whole stupid thing chasing a jerk around Devilhome which is basically just here but weirder and [i]I'm still so mad about it![/i] What a waste of a perfectly good emergency..."

She folds her arms across her chest, too deep into pouting to care about what this looks like anymore. Call her out on it, Cinders, she dares you.[/quote]

Cinders picks up her next set of chopsticks. Rather than part them and try the precise scissor gesture she just jabs one like a spear, puncturing right through the sushi roll and denting the countertop below, and then adeptly transferring the results to her mouth. The assassin-chef in the background scowls at the terrible chopstick form.

"So I guess that's the reason I want to be a superhero then," said Cinders. "To find out how full of shit you are -"

She laughs and thinks better of trying to pat you on the shoulder. "I mean, like, there are other jobs that involve kung fu on the regular, but all the heroes I follow seem to have all these weird, magical stories that's wackier than anything you see in the movies. Just the idea of actually living it rather than just writing about it, you know?"

[quote=@Balmas]"Hey, mama. Remember how you always told me that when I grew up and married, I'd have a kid as wicked as I was?

"...No, Mami, I'm not married. 

"Yes, you know I'd tell you if something like that... Mom! Mami, no--I--Yes, I know how to use a con--Mami please--"

Victor runs his hands through his hair wearily. "Look, we're not like that yet and that's not the point. Point is, point is, you know."  Dammit. Damn it all. "He needs help, and I don't know how to give it."[/quote]

"You were right to call me," there's the slam of a car door in the background of the call. "I've been worried sick. My boy makes the evening news and not a single phone call to let me know you're okay -" the engine starts and there's the ripping roll of tires. "- I'm coming right over. Look, Victor, it's [i]okay[/i] if you're not ready. You're still a kid yourself. And you're lucky enough to have a family so lean on that, okay?"