My bunny slippers just ran for cover

[will_you_still]

Morgan doesn't strictly need to sleep. Even if she didn't want to put up with the annoyance of constantly having a caffeine buzz and having to ask for coffee on almost every summon, there are naps. Naps can keep a daeva going for quite a long time.

But there's something unutterably pleasant about curling up in a proper bed in pajamas and just sleeping. And then waking up and getting breakfast in those pajamas. So she does that, because immortality's a long unpleasant time if you don't enjoy the little things every now and then. Like adorable bunny slippers and soft pajamas and sleeping in.

She's midway through a fruity salad thing that counts as the standard fairy breakfast when she feels the summon. Showing up to a summon in pajamas? Eh. If they're proper summoners she bets they've seen worse, and she doesn't particularly care if they think she's unprofessional.

She puts her spoon down and accepts the summon.

Comments

[peterxy]

"Being on a team, going on patrols, helping out against villains, showing up to public events sometimes, having backup when you need it. Day-to-day it's mostly patrolling and helping people out in cape-related ways, with the authority of the Protectorate behind you so people respect you right off the bat."

[will_you_still]

Morgan frowns a bit.

"There's no infrastructure branch of the Protectorate? One for maximizing use of cape powers for things other than fighting?" Pause. "Because quite frankly I think I'd be wasted on patrols."

[acanofworms]

"Cape-related ways aren't necessarily just fighting, though there's a lot of that going on, with at least two villains for every hero. But we also help out with disaster prevention and relief, for example.

"However, you could also be an independent, the Protectorate actually encourages parahumans not to go into the cape-versus-cape business. It would be harder for you to coordinate with others if you did end up in a fight, but if you're not planning on fighting at all other than against threats like the Endbringers you don't really need to join up."

The jet slows down for Alexandria to jump off and enter another jet waiting for her.

[will_you_still]

"Mm. I'm not against fighting villains, just - any time I'd be on a patrol, looking for villains to maybe fight, I could be sending arrays of satellites into space, or building factories, or clearing out rubble and helping with construction, or helping people colonize Mars, or any number of things. I want to coordinate with the Protectorate, want to pitch in if there's a villain or major disaster you'd need help with, but for every day keeping the streets clear?" She raises her eyebrows. "I could be helping so much more instead."

[acanofworms]

Legend nods. "Well, you wouldn't be the first independent the Protectorate's worked with on a regular basis, and if you assisted on capturing villains and didn't break any laws while doing so, we wouldn't get in your way. We'd definitely welcome help against people like the Slaughterhouse 9."

[will_you_still]

"Okay. So, independent but besties with the Protectorate. I can work with that. Can I possibly get assistants, through the Protectorate, or recommended by you? Have a lawyer to go over what is and isn't illegal for an independent, have some people to sort through what my available power options are, maybe someone for PR? If I can't make the money to pay them I'm not trying hard enough, that's not the issue. I don't know people yet."

[acanofworms]

"There are a few lawyers that are known for working with parahumans, but most of the people that work with the Protectorate work exclusively for us. We have our own legal, branding, and marketing departments, with full-time employees. You'd have access to those for free if you joined up."

[will_you_still]

"I am willing to join up," she sighs. "But I am a valuable resource that would be wasted if you had me as a standard hero. Is there a non-patrol option?"

[acanofworms]

"The problem with opening an exception to you would be that other people would want exceptions as well, and even though patrolling heroes on average don't end up running into any trouble, sometimes they do, and the very fact that they patrol has a deterrence effect on crime."

[will_you_still]

She frowns at Legend.

"... So the only people that join the Protectorate are the ones that are willing to fight? There have to be capes that want to help but don't want to fight, are they all just uncoordinated independents?"

[acanofworms]

"...there are fewer than you'd expect," Legend admits. "Parahumans tend to be very combative by nature. Many theorize that the fact that we all get our powers from traumatic experiences has much to do with this. And it doesn't help that most powers have very few non-combat uses, and tend to work better when being used in fights. No one knows why."

[will_you_still]

"Do you have zero capes that would be fantastic for things other than fighting people?"

[acanofworms]

"Not zero, we were just in a meeting with someone who uses their powers for non-fighting reasons, but you'd be surprised. And again, many powers noticeably work better when being used for fighting people, even Tinker powers."

[will_you_still]

"I meant in the Protectorate."

[acanofworms]

"A few, yes, but none of them has expressed a desire to do something other than fighting. Especially because, even with every hero of the Protectorate willing to fight, we're still hopelessly outnumbered and often outgunned. We'll use every hand we can, because we really need them."

[will_you_still]

She's going to recruit and redeem villains.

"Okay. Independent, besties with Protectorate. Can I get something you can call me with if you need my help?"

[acanofworms]

"We can probably provide you with a mobile phone and help you find somewhere to live, with some of the relief fund for victims of Endbringer attacks, there's probably some technicality that will cover you."

Especially if she really is Mary O'Brien's projection, he does not say.

[will_you_still]

"All right. Thanks." Pause. "And if either of you have two minutes and a marker or something, I know how to draw at least one safe summoning circle, and we can see if we can summon anyone."

[acanofworms]

"We don't really have any appropriate writing implements here, but if you could summon more of your kind, why didn't you do that before?"

[will_you_still]

"I can't. Humans only. One of you would have to finish the circle and be the summoner."

[acanofworms]

"Ah."

[acanofworms]

"We can arrange that once we reach New York." Pause. "We didn't actually ask you, we're dropping Eidolon off in Houston and going to New York, but if you want to go anywhere else...?"

[will_you_still]

"New York's fine for me. I don't really need a jet to go anywhere in the world," she says dryly.

[acanofworms]

"Good point," chuckles Legend. "We can try to summon more daeva when we get there. Are they likely to be as... prosocial as you are?"

[will_you_still]

"We'll be attempting to summon a friend of mine," she explains. "I've worked with him before. He's a different type of daeva than I am - the kind that changes things. Nice guy, won't mind sticking around, will be as prosocial as I am. Don't freak out at his appearance, he likes looking like the rainbow man."