semi-closed log | making an ImPact

[solarcharged]

WHO: Apollo and those he's discussed ImPact with (see note below)
WHERE: a private back room at the 'It's All Greek to Me' restaurant, Nonah
WHEN: a handwavey date in late March
WHAT: let's get this team on the road
WARNINGS: language!
( note: knowledge of this meeting is strictly limited to those that Apollo has personally invited following his post about an Unsettled team. If your character missed that post but would want to join then hit me up via plurk (fizzier) or discord (shaz#0911) and we'll figure out a way for them to have met and discussed it! )

[ The ‘It’s All Greek to Me’ bar and restaurant in Nonah is officially the most unlikely place for a gathering of would-be vigilantes, and yet here they are. Apollo knows the staff – he trusts the staff – and although he’s no longer general manager here he is still greeted as part of the family, even when dressed in his white and gold superhero uniform. It was the only place in the world that Apollo could trust to be the inaugural meeting place of team ImPact.

The little backroom that he’s hired for the night is private and secure – albeit not all that glamorous. Apollo dishes out enough money to the owner to make sure that they’re well looked after with drinks (and stuffed olives) despite the repeated insistence that it was all on the house. Apollo makes sure he's paid well all the same.

After a while, once everyone has arrived, Apollo gently chases Mr. Karakostas from the room and closes the door behind him with a grim smile. He pulls his Communicator from his pocket and places it on the table, clearly switched off. ]

Good evening everyone. Thanks for coming.

[ He pauses, surveying the room. ]

I’m going to be blunt – this is probably a terrible idea.

[ Is he joking? It’s hard to tell, what with the grin on his face. But there’s a pointed grimness to it and a hardened edge to his eyes that suggests, no, maybe he’s not entirely joking. ]

We’re not going to have the resources, the funding, the fancy headquarters or any of the legal protection that the other teams out there are going to have. There’s no paycheck to collect at the end of the day and no-one’s going to be giving us medals anytime soon. We’re on our own on this, but at least we’re on our own together. We’re just going to be doing this for the sake of knowing that we’re making a difference, regardless of whether this government is okay with that.

[ And yeah, maybe just to spite the world for exactly that reason. Apollo isn’t going to lie and say none of this is about making any kind of point or anything. ]

We’re going to get our hands dirty and deal with the consequences, whatever they are. Because there are two major threats out there – the OTO and Atropos – and I’m not going to sit by and not help defeat them just because it’s not technically “legal” for us to do so.

[ Yes, there were exaggerated airquotes around ‘legal’. Of course there were. ]

We’re not going to be popular with the government. But that’s not a reason to stop, right?

[ Because honestly? Apollo’s pretty sure that pissing off the government is a sign that they’re doing the right thing. ]

If you don’t agree then you’re welcome to leave right now. No hard feelings and thanks for coming anyway. But if you want to stay and help out then it’ll be good to have you -- Oh!

[ His face lights up as he remembers the most important part of this entire welcoming speech: ]

And we have a team name. ImPact. As in, imPorts who act.

[ GET IT? Yeah, he’s pleased with that one, as you can tell by the faintly radiant grin. ]

So, first order of business – introductions...


---
( ooc: feel free to top level with introductions, plus anything else your character wants to say! Hijack, mingle, go mad, whatever )

Comments

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo goes first: ]

You all know who I am. Hi.

[ Still, he raises a hand in greeting to the rest of the room, as if he hasn’t just stood here and talked for the past five minutes. ]

Some of you know already, but my powers are strength, flight, and a healthy dose of solar energy manipulation. Which means that if I can’t punch it then I can probably set it on fire instead.

[ And that kind of says something about his general approach to tactics as well. ]

I've been in the hero business for a long time now. The idea of having to sit back while everyone else deals with the threats just because I don’t want to Register didn’t sit well with me, so. [ He spreads his hands. ] Here I am.

[desmodusdraculae]

[Kirk stands against the far wall of the room, arms crossed across his chest. He's still not sure how comfortable he is with being here, but the idea appealed enough to him to hear Apollo out.]

...Batman.

[Kirk adds quietly, a small nod of his head.]

Not be confused with the three Batmen that have left, or the smaller one that's still here.

[Even though he's starting to get use to that by now. Their outfits look nothing alike, but see the cowl and that's all that matters, apparently.]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo glances over with interest at that second bit of information. ]

Have you met them? The smaller Batman, I mean.

[ a beat, then the more important question: ]

...And why are there so many bat men?

[desmodusdraculae]

[He nods.]

Briefly.

[She let him know that in her world he's a bad person, though for the first time he was grateful he was more man than bat.

As for the second question, he just shrugs.]

I have no idea. You would think this world would want more Supermen.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo smiles faintly at that. ]

Maybe it's a good thing there aren't. There probably isn't enough room.

[ Supermen do sound like they take up lots of room. Or lots of sky, at least. ]

[desmodusdraculae]

[Conversely, it just means that Batmen take up barely any room.]

I don't know... It'd make problems a lot easier to punch.

[solarcharged]

[ The smile turns in to a grin as Apollo waves a dismissive hand. ]

Oh, no, it's okay. I can punch enough to make up for them.

[desmodusdraculae]

[Kirk snorts, used to that kind of arrogance.]

Now I know you and Hernan would either get along or hate each other.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo pretends to think about that for a moment, the grin still in place. ]

Let's say 'get along'. You never know who's going to turn up here next.

[desmodusdraculae]

Sure, let's go with that.

[He knows Hernan well enough to know that he's picky.]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo raises his eyebrows at that. ]

You don't agree? [ He spreads his hands. ] I'm perfectly easy to get along with...

[minorgod]

[ Yato will speak up next. He looks pretty unassuming in his usual tracksuit with his arms folded causally, but there's a slim black-sheathed wakizashi hanging from his hip. ]

My name's Yato. I'm a Japanese god back home, and almost all of my abilities carried over with a few adjustments to being an imPort.

[ Which is a little weird to think that his inborn abilities are actually gifted by the Porter here rather than being inherent any longer, and he's still getting used to that. ]

Mostly I'm good at fighting.

[solarcharged]

[ Woah, woah, woah. Apollo looks round at Yato with a look of acute bemusement; he hadn't heard the man's powers before now, but he hadn't quite expected that. ]

Wait, you're a god?

[ jfc how many gods are there in this world! ]

God of what?

[minorgod]

That's right! One bonafide member of the gods, right here.

[ He flashes Apollo a cheeky grin. ]

Why d'you think I asked about your name when we first talked? I'm not the only god here, even if some of the others are... well, as they are.

[ then to the question: ]

Officially? I'm a War god. But I'm picking up the God of Fortune trade.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo throws his hands up in gentle mock exasperation. ]

I swear to god - [ yes, god, ONE OF THEM AT LEAST ] - this world really has got a thing for porting in deities, hasn't it?

[ it's almost worrying! ]

So, did you just get bored of the god of war gig and decide to change it up a bit?

[knaval]

[riptide showed up, still unsure, wearing his shark hoodie and jeans. he crosses his legs on the chair when he's there, an awkward position to sit in for someone so tall and gangly. he does not do well with this human body.]

I'm Riptide. You probably already know me for being a social media phenomenon! Anyway I guess I'll throw down some money for this... I'm Cybertronian, not human and I've been told I'm morally flexible, under the guise of it being for the greater good.

[he shoots gunfingers across the table.]

I have three and a half million years of experience. Literally. I'm also not crazy about these weird grapes? [the olives.] Uhhh... that's about it. I turn into a boat? I was gonna go on that Mars thing but decided not to because of the nanite fuckery. I didn't want to risk my powers malfunctioning and taking out the ship. I'll do anything in and around the Earth's gravitational pull, though!

WEIRD GRAPES

[solarcharged]

[ It's pretty weird, listening to Riptide talk in his human form. And although the discomfort is rolling off him in waves, Apollo can still see the same Riptidish personality shining through. It's a weird mash up. ]

I didn't know about the boat thing. [ or the social media thing, come to think of it. ] What kind of boat are we talking?

[ an inflatable dinghy isn't so impressive. ]

i was about to say he's not wrong then i realised i'm thinking of raisins... we are both stupid

[knaval]

Speedboat transport. It's why I'm so huge and cool. I was made to be quick, especially underwater. My alt is also spaceworthy for short distances... though I'm not airtight, so ya'll might have to get good at holding your breaths.

[he shrugs.]

Most of my race turn into cars and jets, so you didn't really luck out with me. Oh well!

oh my god ilu

[solarcharged]

[ 'So huge and cool'. Apollo resists the urge to roll his eyes but only just. It's good thing you're a cute twunk, Riptide. ]

I think I prefer the big punching robot shape, personally.

end my suffering

[knaval]

[HE IS NOT WRONG, APOLLO]

Yeah, same. This isn't actually an ability I had back home. It's new here. I hate having skin.

--Buuuut, I don't fit anywhere, otherwise. Also! [he says, picking up a weird grape and throwing it at apollo.] Cybertronian. Robot is racist, thank you!

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo ducks the weird grape and purses his lips, if only to prevent himself from protesting that he said robot shaped. Even he knows that's probably not a winning argument. ]

Right. Sorry. Big punching Cybertronian shape.

[ He flicks the olive off the table and on to the floor with a tiny, dull plink</>. ]

What's so bad about skin?

[knaval]

Thank you.

[relaxing and leaning back again, riptide grunts.]

Hm. Greasy. Too soft. Feels too much. [he pinches some of the skin over his wrist and gives it a tug.] Too pliable.

[solarcharged]

Feels too much?

[ Okay, that bit has Apollo's curiosity. The rest of it... understandable, let's face it. Skin isn't exactly durable, especially next to whatever it is Riptide's original form is made out of. ]

How much could you feel before?

[knaval]

I don't-- I don't know. A normal amount!

[he grunts.]

Look, in my Cybertronian form I have eight senses. This one has... what, five? Five? How are you people even alive?! I can't even see into the other room... ugh. I think the feeling equivalent would be... I could feel with my bones inside my skin. But not my skin.

[riptide has a habit of saying things in the worst way.]

Also, being stabbed is fatal for humans, right? I got both my legs blown off once and it was a mild inconvenience.

[solarcharged]

Eight senses... [ Oh. Damn. That actually sounds pretty damn useful. Apollo is starting to see your point, Riptide. ] Yeah, being stabbed is a thing that kills humans, sure. But didn't having your legs blown off hurt?