Much like ye olde times, the local tavern is where hard-working people come to take a load off and catch up on the daily gossip. Although there are several such establishments in the Pitt, the Windmire Bar and Brew is the largest and most prominent and commands a position of prestige right at the head of the Pitt's merchant bazaar. A number of trucks, vans, lev-bikes, and cattle-drawn carriages line the front of the building as visitors to the city spend their earnings and make the economy turn.

The interior of the Windmire is comfortably-lit and open with light wood paneling throughout and the center of the main chamber is taken up by a restored 1963 Corvette painted in navy blue. A stage in back is set up for musical performances, although it is currently vacant. The bar is currently being manned by a twenty-something woman with a bright red ponytail, blue eyes, and a black-and-navy-blue waistcoat and blouse ensemble. She seems to have caught a break in the action and was brazenly sipping what looked and smelled like a mocha between puffs on a cigarette.

The man Legacy X is looking for, Zane Eccleston, purportedly rarely left the Windmire and was surely around here somewhere. Supposedly the man was an advocate for Mother's rule and had accumulated quite a large number of followers. If the situation was left unattended Mayor Skullfucker could lose quite a lot of people when Mother's forces arrive to integrate their community -- or, worse, a civil war or a traitor legion during the coming battle.

Legacy decided he was simply going to open things up gentle. He sat down, and spoke to the woman behind the bar. "Hello, there. When you have a moment, I'll have a glass of whatever you are in the mood to pour me."

He took a look around the establishment behind him, before he looked back to her with a smile on his face. "You know, I heard that this place has some of the bravest and most outspoken people in defense of their right to be free men and women. Is that true?"

He was speaking to her, but his voice was clear, and he was wondering who, if anyone, had an interest in his words.

The bartendress quirks an eyebrow at this strange new customer. "That is a dangerous thing to ask a businesswoman," she says; her eyes say playful, but her tone says emotionless robot. "Heck it, I like a challenge. Let us have a look at you..." She walks nearer, sets her cigarette in an ashtray, and peers analytically at Legacy from behind the counter with her clear blue eyes sparkling strangely in the light. Cocks her head this way, then that way, before spinning on her heel and hopping to the big booze rack behind her.

"Tough guy?" she murmurs, hand hovering over a bottle of whiskey. "Definitely tough, but not... macho. Refined? No. Expensive? Not a chance. Cheap, then? Hmmm... oh, I know; he wants to sample the local brew." She stands on the tippy-toes of one leg to try and retrieve a mug from the top shelf but she is too short. She tries twice more, hopping and brushing her fingers precariously against the handles. Giving up she sighs and flicks her wrist, summoning a vessel briefly alight with a warm orange glow to her hand. She fills it from a metal barrel and delivers it to Legacy's waiting hand and stares at him expectantly as he takes his first sip.

"There are some people in town like that," the woman says, continuing to speak in a flat monotone with very carefully enunciated words. Legacy thinks he can hear a suppressed lisp in some of her hard consonant sounds. "I do not know how brave they are, but they are certainly outspoken. In the evening you can hear them outspeaking very loudly, and other people being very loud back at them. So, so loud. I do not work nights anymore." She picks up her cigarette and takes a long draw from it.
This message was last updated by the player at 12:35, Thu 24 Nov 2022.

"That's a neat trick with the cup." Legacy put a bit on the table and took a drink. He took a look at the drink. "Spicy. That's different."

He continued to slowly drink it, pausing only occasionally to speak. "Honestly, I just wanted to know what your favorite drink to mix was. What's the drink you always like to see someone order up? The one you like to make? That which makes you glad you are in this line of work."

He took another sip, before continuing. "Also, aside from drunk people being loud, what makes the recent nights different for you?"

"Just a spot of telekinesis, no big deal," the woman says dismissively.

"Bartending is not my passion; I am attempting to save up the necessary funds to open a library," she says. "If you want a mixed drink I will have to get the Big Book of Instructions out."

"It is mostly one man." Some disdain finally creeps into her monotone. "Zane. Arrogant. Opinionated. Kind of hot until he opens his mouth. The man has been swanning about the place preaching Mother this and Mother that, filling everybody's heads with lies about comfort and utopia." She frowns as something seems to occur to her. "He does not talk to me much personally. I think he knows what Mother does to people like me. I am half a mind to use my 'freak power' to set his hair gel on fire. But many other people listen to what he says. They do not have that sword of Damocles hanging over them. Oh, sorry; that is a literary reference. Did I mention I like books?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:01, Thu 24 Nov 2022.

"So, you want to be a keeper of knowledge?" Legacy sipped at the drink, wondering if there ever was a time when he would have felt even a buzz. "Explains your work here. You learn everything just by keeping an ear open. For example, I'm here because of... well, Mother, incidentally. She's not fond of my family, either. And this Zane fellow sounds like he's fine with the idea of Mother, but he's not comfortable with the reality."

He finished the drink. "Guess I'll have to explain that part to him, and see what he says. You think he'll be here tonight, even with me just kind of being here? If he's familiar with Mother, he will absolutely know me as the tenth Legacy. I'm on her list."

"No, not exactly. Well, maybe? I am not sure myself. I just like the smell of old books. Paper has a... quality to it. And I guess I like the idea of a quiet place. Brass Hat told me that libraries were once places where everyone knew not to talk loudly, and they were filled with books. I like both of those things."

"You want to meet Zane?" she asks. "I cannot imagine why, but he has been staring at you from the second floor game room for the last thirty seconds." She points out a tall, well-chinned blonde man with slicked-back hair, holding a pool cue like a staff as he peers over the wooden railing at the floor below.

"Oh? Well, guess I shouldn't keep him waiting." Legacy simply stood up, and floated up to Zane directly, careful not to hit any parts of the building. He waved as he moved over the wooden railing. "Hello. I've heard of you, Mister Eccleston."

He stuck his hand out in a handshake. "Legacy X, here to help defend your town. I've heard you are very passionate about the subject. I was hoping to hear your side."

Amanda eventually also arrived at the bar as a central point for meeting people. She seemed to hold her breath as she stepped through the threshold though if she allowed herself the departure from humanity she really didn't need to breath so it was just a gesture for her. She grew a foot taller her face shifted subtly like under the influence of a skill photoshop editor. Her figure became more defined like a pin-up centerfold immaculately made up and inhumanly flawless in her perfect proportions her practical clothing melted into a flowing river of dark silk that literally seemed to pour from her like a black waterfall down from a backless sweetheart collar with an impossibly deep plunge and pooling and reforming beneath her. She glanced about the bar nervously strangely shy for someone stepping out in public in such a dress.

She walked somewhat oblivious to people's reactions to her, until she spotted Legacy-X floating over a railing. She waved shyly to the familiar face and moved a bit closer to the man he was approaching.

OOC: Focused Morph Attractive +2 with the rest in persuasion, -2 Awareness.

Amanda puts on her face, tall and statuesque and amazonian in a way even the green goddess of her strange little party couldn't quite capture. Even Mother's finest constructs seemed flawed in comparison, and dresses the like of which she now displayed hadn't been made since before the war. She gets immediate attention from the Windmire's spartan inhabitants who had never seen quite her like before.

Of course, because it was not a real dress it did not impede her much as she ascended the steep stairs to greet Legacy and Zane.

Zane's attention is more focused on the brazenly levitating man. He accepts the handshake, his grip firm. Firmer. Okay, he is genuinely trying to crush Legacy's hand in his grip, and were the Wonder a mere man he might have succeeded. Before long a popping sound makes Zane flinch and he pulls his hand back with as much dignity as he can muster, wiggling his fingers to get the blood to return to his joints.

"Greetings Legacy X," he says formally, smiling despite the minor hand injury he just self-inflicted. "I appreciate your intentions, as I am sure all citizens of the Pitt do. I cannot help but wonder, however, why you come to protect our quiet community now, just as we stand on the cusp of the deliverance we worked so hard for." Something in his smile changes from affable to accusatory. "We stand at the foot of the gates into paradise, which we have toiled with our own hands to open. Do you come to tempt us away from our reward, like a demon of an era past?"

Legacy laughed gently. "You've got a firm grip. You're likely a very strong warrior when you are roused for battle, and you also have the strength to pursue your vision of peace in a town filled with warmongers. That's not easy, and I respect that. You've probably got some real scars defending your ideas."

He continued to smile, and landed. "But no, I'm not a demon, sir. That road holds no appeal to me. But your words are interesting. It sounds like you're part of a group that has been petitioning the Sophitias to come here. Is this accurate? And if so, does the Mayor know of your efforts?"

He was also quite curious about Zane's motives, and was weighing Zane's belief in what they were saying.

OOC: 22:45, Today: Legacy X rolled 20 using 1d20+8.  Insight, curious about Zane's belief in his own words.
Let me know if I need to roll Persuasion as well.

Amanda frowned slightly as she closed the distance with a lack of urgency. "Gates of paradise? Legacy-X I don't believe I've met your friend, but that sounds suspiciously like the lines I used to feed desperate people new to Mom's empire as a youth minister. Maybe we should talk, I some insight into the actual reality awaiting those who surrender themselves to mother. She forced a neutral expression as she braced emotionally for the painful emotional hits she expected this man was about to deliver against her unintentionally.

Best as Legacy can determine, Zane appears to believe his words without reservation or hesitation. There is no sign of the sort of confusion or conflict that might come from being chipped.

Zane chuckles softly at the praise. "I am a man of but modest ability and even more modest hope; I am honored that you think well of me."

As Amanda approaches Zane glances her way, putting Legacy's words on the back burner for the moment. His eyes widen just a hair in surprise at seeing such a lovely figure in a wasteland roadhouse. As she speaks, Zane cocks his head, and then openly laughs. "Oh my, yes, I suppose I have spent a bit too long around those lovely dolls and their flowery words," he admits to the both of them. "I will speak plainly then. Yes, I have spoken to Mother's agents and petitioned to have the Pitt evaluated for integration. There are good people here, and I thought they deserved better. I have not spoken to our uncouth mayor directly, but I have made no secret of what I have been doing; if she keeps a good house, and I know that she does, then she is aware."

He focuses more intently on Amanda now. "You say 'surrender,' and speak of some dark reality, but I would expect a former minister to know better than anyone what the Barrier Cities are like. I admit I have never ventured beyond the yellow zones, but from what I have seen the cities are beautiful. Clean air, healthy plants, pure water, safety and service courtesy of Mother's... 'angels,' heh. Are you saying that is all a facade?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:29, Wed 30 Nov 2022.

"Zane, this is Amanda. Amanda, Zane." Legacy, now having dealt with at least that formality, returned to the issue at hand. "And no one is saying that what they have is a lie. What you are missing is the cost. First there is the surface cost - Mother hates Wonders. She is not particularly discriminant in her hatred of them. From mighty Wonders like my father to people like our bartender below, Mother would eliminate, mind control, or sterilize every Wonder she can get her hands on. Everyone who raised a Wonder would be held as suspect in Mother's eyes. Everyone who hides a Wonder from her because it is their child or their neighbor's child is an enemy of the state."

"And there are more Wonders in this world than you or I know. Many are not aware of it, or their powers are subtle. Most are not like me, despite Mother's propaganda. You might even be one yourself and be unaware of it." He gestured behind him, and downstairs. "So, if you can look the bartender below in the eye, and tell her 'I would see you mind-chipped if it meant improving life here,' or tell Miss King here 'I would see you dissolved alive in acid if my people could have a better standard of living,'... I'll give you this if you can do that: you are a harder man than I am. Because the Sophitias can, have, and will absolutely do those things."

Edit OOC: 01:19, Today: Legacy X rolled 20 using 1d20+10.  Persuasion for Zane.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:16, Fri 02 Dec 2022.

"I'm a decent case for that myself. You know latent wonders don't know they're wonders till they breakout. I was on missionary field trip in a yellow zone. A horror attacked. Mother promises safety and it's not like she doesn't defend her subjects but she covers up the death count. It was a pretty colossal mess up I suspect my entire class died. I found out I was a wonder when I took about a yard of ragged rebar to my center of mass and thus despite being one of those angels I was deemed unworthy of life the day I found out I couldn't die.
But and this is where you are even if your not a wonder, Mother's love is conditional. Be powerless, make productivity quotas, avoid unpleasantness in word and deed. How many people here do you think fit Mother's society today? Mother will hide what she needs to do to make everyone fit her society. It's not all medicine and makeovers. How many people who live here do you think she will need to "fix" to make this her society? How many people have bonds to wonders or bonds to those who have bonds to wonders? If you cared only for yourself you needn't stay here. Mother's safety is expensive. She seemed mostly sad about this. She missed her old life more than she admitted, but understood the abusive nature of the power dynamics.

"Lady Amanda," Zane greets cordially, even offering to take the wonder woman's hand for a kiss. He pretty quickly returns to business after the formality, though.

Zane listens patiently and waits his turn until after both Wonders seemed to be done speaking. He tries not to let it show, but it is clear their words have affected him and there is muted pain in his voice even as he counters their points.

"So, even Mother cannot promise safety from the wasteland even in the places she claims to control," Zane notes. "That is a damning claim; I can understand why she might not want it to get out. I have to talk to some of my sources, but... I believe you."

"I know it will be difficult for some to integrate; they might even find themselves chipped if they cannot control their need to exercise petty authority. Perhaps the biggest and most recurring criticism I have heard of our Mayor's rule is the men and means she uses to enforce it; I think that many people in town are looking forward to seeing those brutes taken down a peg by a robot in a French maid outfit."

"As for Wonders, well..." Zane looks over the railing at the strange little bartender woman. She was tall for a woman, but spindly and fragile-looking. She had started helping another pair of customers after Legacy left her and was shuttling between cupboards with an endearingly gangling alacrity. Zane sighs. "Little Clarity is a town treasure," Zane says sadly. "I could never demand that she sacrifice herself for our sake. I don't think there is a person in town who wouldn't miss her. I feel awful for her."

"Don't," a woman's voice responds to Zane. Its owner is a thirty-something woman with dirty blonde hair in a chin-length bob with a teeny-tiny sidetail puft on the top of her head, wearing an ankle-length chestnut skirt and forest green knotted sweater jacket. "I'm sorry dear, but I couldn't keep quiet any longer. You know that even consorting with their kind is dagnerous." She entwines her arm with Zane's, looking affectionately up to him for a moment. Then, with the abruptness of a lightswitch being flipped, focuses her attention on the two superhumans across from them with scorn intense enough to send men of lesser fortitude scurrying.

"Leave us. We don't need any help from... people like you."

"My wife," Zane introduces the interloper. "Mol-"

"Zane, no!"

"-ly," Zane finishes despite the interruption. He looks over at her. "They are trying to help, Mol."

"They're just sour-graping you!" Molly refutes. "Just because they don't deserve Mother's love they're trying to drag us all down into the dirt and the acid rain and the rat-shit with them. We earned the right to peace, to raise a family, away from that. I won't let them jeopardize us, Zane! I just won't!"

Zane sighs and offers up an apologetic smile to the Wonders, clearly curious how they will react to this new paradigm.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:45, Sun 04 Dec 2022.

Legacy was a bit taken aback at this, but his only real tactics were patience and understanding. So he took a calming breath, and focused his thoughts. I am here to save even this.

He focused his gaze on her. "We are not trying to drag you back into anything. Recently, we have reopened the way to an old hospital. Your world is steadily improving, and it can do so without Wonders needing to be sacrificed on some altar another decided needs to exist. None of my team is challenging your right to life, freedom, or happiness. Quite the opposite. I am making the case that Mother will challenge the right of many of us to live, she will absolutely challenge your right to be free whether you are Wonder or not, and as for happiness - well, if you are Mother's chosen, you'll have it, if you are okay with the costs to everyone not her chosen."

Legacy nodded to them both, a slight bow. "That's... pretty much my case. The others are here in town, and you'll likely see them later on if you want to talk to them, too. Neo and Terranovae are not hard to find, when they are letting themselves be known. They're probably reinforcing your wall now. Probably taking the weird killy parts that poison people out of it, too, if I know them."

"As for Skullfucker..." He took a breath, because he didn't like her much either, but the jury was still pending. It wasn't looking good, though. "One problem at a time. For now, I need help defending this town. Not for her, but for its people."

OOC: 22:58, Today: Legacy X rolled 16 using 1d20+10.  Persuasion for Mol-ly. :P
This message was last edited by the player at 03:58, Tue 06 Dec 2022.

Amanda tried to be calm and caring but hurt and upset came through her voice "Molly was it. I'm Amanda I was just telling Zane about my life before my powers appeared.

Mother isn't as strong as she pretends, I was basically a princess in that society, daughter to a pastor, youth ambassador, shining example of mother's ideals of humanity. I was a fool. I was trying to get new people used to living in Mother's care. People have trouble when they realize it's not quite the magical place they were promised and they're basically refugee. So on this little goodwill mission my classmates died and I was impaled brutally by a horror in a supposedly safe area. Hard to say how often it happens. Mother doesn't let people discuss such things much, gives them disloyal ideas.

Given her lack of resources and her earnest effort to protect the unpowered, she's pretty selective about who she extends protection to and what kind of life they get on the inside. She's constantly pushed to her limits. She's interested in the Pitt for the metal, more than the people. If she takes the city she'll have little use for you and compared to better known humans even you would be considered fairly suspicious. You'd be entering the life of a reasonably well cared for serf, with more effort making sure you comply rather than making you comfortable. I mean she hasn't invited to let you stay there has she? No because she wants the Pitt and maybe you can help deliver that otherwise you're nothing but chafe.

Don't get me wrong if you were starving or dying of disease and I couldn't help you I might suggest you seek her out try your luck as the unwanted masses, but you've got a pretty decent life here in the Pitt, you don't need a soulless machine hunting down and killing good people, your friends and neighbors because she's convinced she knows best. I'm not Mother and I don't have her resources but I will be trying to protect people from horrors wherever I am and won't demand loyalty or ask them to turn on or kill their friends."

OOC: 23:45, Today: Amanda King rolled 11 using 1d20+9 ((2))