Sharkguard: The Sea-Roaring Defender IC

[ripleycat]

Indeed, there are several semi-trailers parked outside, a standard closed container, presumably for Kim's non-living cargo, and a pair of trailers with ventilation holes, like those used to carry horses and cattle, for the spiders themselves. The trucks themselves are all big black shiny slab-sided things with tinted windows. You can't see anything about the drivers, or if they even have drivers.

There are no members of the press waiting for you, just the trucks, a long black limousine, and several unsmiling security men who look like Secret Service agents, no doubt there to keep the press and bystanders away should they show up.

Loading of the boxes from Arachne's lab is done by the same squad who accompanied King down the stairs, to keep the number of people involved at a minimum. As they finish up, Kim brings out the spiders, who seem very interested in the outside world, sniffing and pawing at the air. She seems troubled by the trio of trucks, and turns to King. "Me in one, and Sharkguard in the other. What assurances do I have that you won't just have the third truck drive off and leave us? I'm not abandoning my equipment or my darlings."

[Starsign]

Coming outside after what felt like hours inside the building, Sharkguard takes a deep breath at the fresh city air... And still wishes he could taste the salty air of the sea instead. At least that will be soon so long as things work out. He takes care not to bother at the security men and instead helps with packing followed by watching the curious spiders come out and be welcomed to the outside world. Their curiosity again amuses the shark-man as he wonders how they might react to water. Considering their mass he can expect they probably won't be able to swim unless Kim can somehow teach them to.

First however comes convincing the spider-lady to agree with going with three semi-trailers. Her concern isn't without merit; the non-occupied truck moving away from the other two could be possible considering the CEO's reputation and there won't be any negotiation to change the plans that are set. With a hopeful smile, Sharkguard walks to Kim as he goes to encourage her in a confident tone. "Well I haven't been told about trucks splitting from each other being part of the plan. In case one does go AWOL though, I'll chase after it and carry the dang vehicle myself to the port if I have to! I make that a promise. I know my way around the city and trying to get away in a large truck is more difficult with the traffic than you think. So try to have a little faith in me. I know it might be difficult but I believe this is for the best and I'll be sure you, your spiders, and your equipment get to the island in one piece." While King is around, Sharkguard tries to avoid his accent coming out; he hopes to bring it back once he and Arachne reach the port, or failing that, the island.

[ripleycat]

Whether he was being honest in the first place, or the vision of you chasing a Majestic Industries truck through the streets in full view of the public convinced him to play along, King simply gives you that calculating smile and says. "No need for any of that. I said there would be no negotiation, but I am also a man of my word. I have agreed to transport Dr. Hunter, her equipment, and her subjects. Nothing so underhanded as that even crossed my mind. Everything will arrive safely, I assure you. It's in my best interests too, remember."

Kim seems understandably more convinced by your words than any empty rhetoric the CEO can spin up. "All right, love. That's true enough. Though I admit watching you pursuing a runaway big rig through the city would probably be very entertaining."

Fears assuaged for now, Arachne herds her spiders into the moving trucks, and settles into one of the trailers with them, leaving you a dilemma; travel to the docklands in a pitch-dark trailer filled with heavy, fragile, and probably not very well tied-down equipment, or travel to the docklands in a more open, better-lit trailer... filled with giant and probably agitated spiders.

[Starsign]

Nodding in relief that fears have calmed down, Sharkguard turns to look at the decision of whether to go in the trailer with heavy, fragile machinery, or the one with half of Kim's spiders in them. He takes a moment to think; neither option sounds preferable, but there isn't another way around. He debates about entering the trailer with the machines. It'll be bad if they break because they knocked against his body and, not being a technician in the slightest, he won't be able to repair them. He can imagine coming out of the trailer being the only thing intact as a worst case scenario.

For the trailer with the spiders, he doesn't have to worry about them breaking so long as he doesn't move; their understandable anxiety and agitation on the other hand could result in some of them acting a little crazy around him. Likely he'd end up with a couple bites and if he was a normal human he'd be very worried.

However the shark-man boasts a confident smile as he walks to the other trailer full of spiders. "Right, I'll be in this one," he says to the CEO and to Kim if she can see. "No need to worry," he pats the first-aid kit he carries with him, "a spider bite or two ain't going to be a problem and I have this just in case." He looks at the trailer Kim is in for a moment before carefully entering the trailer, trying to move to a corner of the trailer to keep from taking up too much space if he can.

[ripleycat]

With everyone and everything as ready to go as they'll ever be, the trio of semi-trucks pull out and begin their journey across Freedom City. Picking the spider trailer allows you glimpses of town through the slits in the sides. As you feared, it also means getting bitten by frightened arachnids. The roar of the engine and the hubbub of afternoon gridlock send the spiders into a panic. They clamber all over the inside of the trailer in a frenzy.

After half an hour of being in the eye of a spider storm, the trucks pull into the warehouse at Majestic's port facility. The warehouse is deserted, no doubt on King's orders again. The spiders finally calm down a bit as this leg of the trip ends, and you can finally smell that salt air.

Arachne opens her trailer and skitters out, her spiders following obediently behind her. She peers through the holes in your trailer with a look of amusement. "Good trip, dearies? I hope they weren't too rambunctious, Sharkguard. This is a lot to take in on their first sojourn out into the wider world."

With the spider herd reassembled and a pair of the Majestic security men unloading the more-or-less intact equipment from the third truck, it's time for a very different leg of the journey. The MSV Charlemagne (one of the guards explains that all Majestic ships are named for royalty) is not the ship you'd expect to be ferrying such a small cargo out to Kim's new home. It's a massive freighter, designed for intercontinental voyages. It seems they were simply unloading at the dock when Arachne's attack unfolded, and with King wanting to wash his hands of the whole situation as fast as possible, the Charlemagne was simply in the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on how you looked at it.)

You are escorted into the cavernous hold by the guards who accompanied you in the trucks. King's paranoia about keeping this quiet apparently extending to the ship's crew. As the laborious process of getting the big vessel out of port begins, you find yourself with a moment to relax, as the spiders wander around the deck, much more at home in this big empty space than in the confines of a speeding truck.

[Starsign]

Relieved to finally smell the salty air of the sea, Sharkguard finally manages to relax after the ride. The spiders' lack of calmness during it had them bite the shark-man a number of times but otherwise weren't too bad. Their panicking had bothered him like they might try to break out of the trailer, something very problematic. There are a number of very shallow bite marks on him by the time the ride is done though he doesn't look worse for wear otherwise. "Nothing be of concern here," Sharkguard proudly says as he brings back his accent. "I been seein' worse manners in my life before. Don't need to go worryin' over my safety." Sharkguard waits for the spiders to get out of the trailer before getting out himself. He isn't going to admit to anyone that he was unnerved during the ride but does give a small sigh to be out now.

Before getting in the much more comfortable hold of the ship, Sharkguard stretches on the pier as he takes a look out to the wondrous ocean. The MSV Charlemagne isn't what he expected to be used but if it gets the job done then he isn't going to mention anything. He takes care of entering the hold as Kim, the other spiders, and her equipment come in as well. Once the ship takes off for the island, Sharkguard shows a glorious smile as he watches the outside sea from a window. "Great to be back at ta ocean. Hope yarr spiders won't mind seeing it once yarr all arrive on the island." He nuzzles a nearby spider that he thinks is Rosie before continuing, "So I be knowin' that Rosie has quite the likin' to me; do yarr know what any o' ta other spiders think of this old sailor?"

[ripleycat]

"I'm not worried. They can't swim anyway, so I don't imagine they'll bother with the water much. They'll figure it out quickly enough either way."

Arachne shrugs and smiles mildly at your question and the return of your accent. "It's hard to say, love. They're bright, but right now they're still animals. They react on instinct. Those you've tussled with today are no doubt going to be wary and skittish for some time, but they also have short memories. No doubt they'll warm up to you in time."

"On that subject, I believe Rosie should be fine just traveling back with you. She's a bit brighter than her compatriots, no need to stuff her in a trailer again or anything."

It takes about an hour for the Charlemagne to get up to steam, out of the harbor, and to make the very short run out to the abandoned island. With no proper facilities, the spiders have to be loaded onto the ship's boat to get them ashore, which means another uncomfortable journey in close quarters with agitated arachnids.

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I'll let you describe this abandoned town and all that, since it was your creation.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard nods casually to Kim as she explains about her spiders. They may have not understand the concepts of learning or development completely yet but they are growing. The question is how much will they grow, mentally and physically. The shark-man will likely know in time; he ages slower than most other creatures, though he does age. For now he looks at the various spiders crawling around the ship and then gives a small smirk at Kim's response. "Rosie ain't gonna be a problem travelin' back. Worst comes to worst, she can be ridin' me across the sea back to ta city; I be sure she can hold on tight."

As the ship reaches the harbor, Sharkguard stretches his arms to prepare to leave with Kim and her spiders and make way to the island... Only to hold off as much as a sigh as he can when he realizes they need to make do with getting there in close quarters with spiders that don't enjoy being cramped. By the end of the ride he had a few more bites on him; thankfully they're nothing more than an annoyance.

Once on the island, Sharkguard leads Kim, her equipment, and her spiders to the village he was talking about before. Treading through a small area of trees wasn't fun but they did keep the village itself out. Whatever reason it was, the abandoned village turned out to be a suburb of sorts that was only partially completed in the middle of a large clearing. An average of five or so modern-day buildings lay completed, two on one side, three on another and a patch of dirt and grass between the sides; presumably it was going to be the road if it ever was finished. One of them, a hardened brick building in red has a staircase next to the building that leads to a large empty cellar. Another white house has a balcony on it's second floor to give a better view of the island than being on ground ever will. All of them manage electricity support, though not in the best quality, but should be enough for Kim's equipment if they worked just fine down at Majestic Industries' sub-basement. Along with the few modern buildings are a large wooden cottage and several attempts at straw and cloth tents that could collapse the moment a child pokes at it.

"No idea why this place ain't completed," Sharkguard says as he carries whatever machinery Kim needs help with. He thought about trying to impress her by lifting 3 or 4 at once, but once at a time is for the best to ensure nothing is damaged. "This place be either not worth ta investment started or maybe a strike hit ta workers. Either way construction be gone now and sight o' human life ain't be on here for least a year now." He takes a look at each building while carrying optimism that this will work well enough for the spider-lady. "Hope it'd works for you; very least yarr spiders got more room than they did in ta basement." Had this place not be on an island, Sharkguard would have loved to live here with Alyssa. Sadly the exciting times of being a hero meant that emergencies would be something he had to be in the city for in the first place to help with.

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Apologies if this village breaks the willing suspension of disbelief; I wasn't sure just HOW good it could be but I figured a couple modern day buildings and a cottage might be fine. Lemme know if it doesn't and I'll fix it.

[ripleycat]

Despite the cramped boat ride and arduous trek through the forest, Arachne seems to be in good spirits. In fact, she seems positively delighted with the half-finished little town, skittering about and peeking through the windows of all the buildings. The spiders do much the same, wandering about the half-finished road, going into the buildings and off into the trees. One triumphantly returns nibbling on a squirrel. The local wildlife is going to be in for a rude awakening over the next few days.

"Oh, this is lovely! Far more healthy than being cooped up in that dark cramped basement. Being able to be safely out of doors will be so much better for my darlings' development! And you say it's hooked up to the grid? Well, that will make getting started again much easier, even if it's a bit shaky."

She watches the late afternoon sun dipping down towards the sea on the horizon. "Thank you for this, love. It's a far better ending to this day than I thought it was going to have, I assure you. You're always welcome here, and please, do come visit! I imagine we'll have some great things to show you in the future!"

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Nah, no worries, it's great.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard keeps his usual smile as he sees Kim look at the abandoned town delightfully. Inside though he contemplates once more the idea of letting a scientist such as her wander on her own island to do what she is able to accomplish. He's glad that he avoided a fight and that she's now away from the city, but he still wonders whether he may wake up to see a giant spider visible from Freedom City's harbor. Hopefully that won't be the case though; Kim seems smart enough not to make any dumb mistakes and a huge spider probably means that there would be a LOT of collateral damage on the island.

Instead the shark-man nods as Kim thanks him for his help. Happily, he responds, "Aye! I do plan on coming by on occasion. Ain't guaranteed since I be havin' ta worst schedule plans imaginable, but I try my best. Gotta make sure yarrself or anyone else don't get in trouble again now and I be wonderin' to know what is borne of yarr work." He watches the sun begin to set, the first of what will be many setting suns the spider-lady will see. It would probably best to be back by dusk so he can take Rosie home at night instead of the daytime.

"Well ta day be more interestin' than I expected, but I be off now before it gets too dark before I reach ta harbor." Sharkguard calls Rosie over as soon as the spider is done whatever her current business is. "Just one question, yarr know what else Rosie can eat aside from small animals?" While the shark-man definitely has a number of rats Rosie could have, he hoped she might be able to digest something like fish or another, possibly healthier food.

[ripleycat]

"...large animals?" Arachne chuckles. "They're carnivores. Any sort of meat will be fine, I think. They've never had any problems with anything I've fed them."

Rosie scampers over when you call, at least as much as something the size of a compact car can scamper. Kim hugs the big arachnid, then rubs the top of the spider's head, which causes Rosie to make that "Chrrrr" noise. "You be good. This is for science, after all. I don't want to hear about you causing any trouble for Sharkguard, all right? You'll like it with him, I promise." She turns to you. "I think leaving before it gets dark is wise, sweet. Don't want to attract too much attention when you get back to the city."

[Starsign]

"And I be sure Rosie won't be gettin' into any trouble herself," Sharkguard confidently proclaims to Kim as he nuzzles Rosie. He gives one last nod and handshake to the spider-lady. "Time to set sail then. Till later Kim!" With that, Sharkguard takes his leave of the village with Rosie and out to the shores of the island. He looks off out in the distance to the city. "Yarr about to learn more of the city than a spider ever will," he says to Rosie, "I be sure it'll be good."

The shark-man slowly gets in the water before floating on his stomach, his legs still touching the sand above water. "Okay now, just climb onto me and hold tight. Don't care if yarr needs to sink legs or fangs in to hang on; this ain't ta first time I be dealing with ridin' people across ta sea." Sharkguard waits for Rosie to, hopefully get on and be secure before beginning to swim off back to Freedom City. Whenever Alyssa rides with him in the waters, he never dives down and always stays above water. Same thing goes for Rosie, though as a giant spider it might be a little more complicated. Either way they should be back at a good, quiet time.

[ripleycat]

It takes the creature a few moments to understand what you want it to do, but Rosie tentatively crawls onto your back. The giant spider is a lot heavier than Alyssa, that's for sure, and very awkward to carry on your back, but you're just big enough that she can stay latched on without spilling off into the sea. Fortunately for the both of you, it is a calm evening, and the sea is peaceful for your journey back to the mainland.

It takes about 2 hours for you to return to the mainland by swimming, by which time Rosie is thoroughly miserable, cold and wet. She scuttles off into the darkness as soon as you land, growling. You're the only familiar thing she can see, though, and soon comes back, staying close and examining her strange surroundings with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. It would be best to get her back to your apartment building quickly, before Rosie runs off into the city or encounters a civilian. While it's fully nighttime by now, Freedom City is crowded and well lit 24/7. Someone will notice the giant arachnid following the giant sharkman quickly enough.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard does his best to avoid making too much noise as he arrives on land. Being stealthy is not a good trait of his but hopefully he can get home without him or Rosie being seen. As the spider comes back to him from her quick venture out in the darkness, the shark-man motions for her to follow as he takes a look around where he is. A moment later Sharkguard moves into the dark alleyways and begins to navigate his way around until he gets to the apartment he and Alyssa live in. Though the harbor is a bit ways from the apartment, it isn't anything like swimming to an island like before. The riding may have been a little disorienting for Rosie but Sharkguard has learned one can walk off most ailments... At least he can.

During this time, Sharkguard thinks to himself on all the possible ways he can explain this to Alyssa. He's had some pretty insane stories to tell but nothing like bringing home a giant spider. He isn't sure how well the two could even get along and he'd rather not force Rosie into another apartment room for Alyssa's sake. He knows when he gets home he won't know the words to say to his adopted daughter; at best the situation might be a little awkward.

[ripleycat]

Rosie's mood seems to improve as you walk. At the very least she's dry by the time you get to the apartment. By sticking to the back alleys, you're able to avoid most of the folks who are up and about at this time of night. You do come across a couple of guys stumbling out of a bar, but fortunately (at least for you), they're both so blind drunk that they're unlikely to consider the huge sharkman and his oversized spider friend hallucinations, if they even remember you at all.

When you arrive at the apartment, nothing seems amiss. Rosie seems comfortable with the dark and half-abandoned halls- this is a lot like the sub-basement where she's spent her entire life, after all. The lights are on in the corner apartment you've occupied. When you enter, you see that Alyssa has once again made dinner herself (mac and cheese this time). She's lying on the floor in front of the TV, flicking idly through the channels. You catch a few seconds of a news program speculating about what might have caused the shutdown and partial evacuation of Majestic Industries downtown headquarters before Alyssa notices you and jumps up, turning off the TV and rushing at you for a hug.

"You're back! What took you so long? I thought that-" Any other observations she was going to make catch in her throat as Alyssa sees Rosie wandering around the hallway behind you. "Aaaah! D-dad? W-what is that?"

The appearance of this small loud human catches Rosie's attention as well. She shuffles into the room behind you, making that now familiar trilling noise and curiously poking at Alyssa, who squeaks in alarm and tries to use you as a shield.

[Starsign]

Arriving home, Sharkguard gives a relieving smile as they leave the outdoor and Rosie quickly adjusts herself to the home. By this point he expected her to run and try to chow down on the couch or something. The television catches his attention very quickly though as the news speculates about what had occurred earlier at Majestic Industries. As much as he'd like to tell her what happened, it is probably for the best in his mind to be vague about what had happened.

As soon as Alyssa's attention is caught to him, Sharkguard gives a happy greeting to her as he bends down to hug his daughter. Her immediate reaction to Rosie and the spider's reaction to the child however keeps him from speaking up in a more boisterous mood. He looks to Rosie for a moment as she tries to poke at Alyssa; embarrassment and hesitance strides on his face. "Ah, Alyssa this spider here is Rosie. She'll be staying with us." Sharkguard reaches his hand out to Rosie to carefully rub the head of the giant spider. He moves back to a relaxed tone as he explains about Rosie. "Don't worry, Rosie here is actually pretty docile once you get to know her. Right now she's curious; just don't show any sort of aggression to her." Sharkguard wasn't too sure if Alyssa knew some of the more complex words in the dictionary, but saying some of those words could be a good start to help her learn it.

Sharkguard looks back to Alyssa, hugging her gently and loosely as he tries to encourage her. "You know your father wouldn't take an action if he isn't sure either of us would be safe, right?" While what the shark-man says is true, "safe" is a very loose adjective to describe some of the things Sharkguard has done and been involved in during his superhero life.

[ripleycat]

"Um, OK..." Alyssa nods half-heartedly at your reminder that you wouldn't do this if it weren't safe, but she clearly isn't convinced by your words. She shuffles a step or two towards Rosie and holds out her hand, but squirms and jumps back when the spider takes a curious nibble on the offered appendage. "W-why is a giant spider going to live with us anyway? It's kinda creepy." Rosie, for her part, isn't actually being particularly creepy that you can see. She's just shuffling around the entranceway to the apartment.

"Where is she from? Is this why you're so late? Um, and, uh, what- uh, what does she eat?" It's clear Alyssa still thinks that "people" might be on that list.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard frowns a little as he notices that Alyssa and Rosie haven't quite gotten past the "unnerving and curious" stage of relationship yet. Considering he has known Rosie longer than Alyssa has, he shouldn't be surprised that the two aren't exactly on the right track. Yet he feels annoyingly bombarded by questions that he'd rather not answer truthfully. Not wanting to show annoyance though, the shark-man flashes a smile at Alyssa as he responds to her questions. "You could say I was late because of Rosie. I met her in the alleyways just after beginning head back from the meeting. I didn't like the idea of having her loose on the city or having to put her down. Couldn't find anyone else who wanted to take care of her so I decided to do it instead." This is almost about as false as the truth gets but he didn't want to state that he made a deal of sorts with a half-spider scientist down at Majestic Industries.

Sharkguard makes sure to get Rosie's attention before pointing to a small hole in a wall at ground level. "She just eats animals and rodents. I think this apartment has a big enough supply of rats to satisfy her." While he knows giant spiders don't eat humans, placing them in cocoons isn't something he wants to tell Alyssa. The shark-man takes a quick look at the size of the apartment room they're in. "Might get a bit messy due to the spider webs but I can take care of those easily."

He hugs his adopted daughter tightly, not painfully but enough so that she feels his embrace. "What I'm saying is that I ain't letting this spider cause harm to you, not that she'd want to anyway. Like I said, she's docile and curious. I know she ain't that parrot I once said I'd have but I'm glad to have a pet here." Sharkguard isn't sure whether it'd be right to call Rosie a "pet," but he thought saying it as such might make his daughter a little calmer. Either way tensions will be a little higher than preferable for awhile; Sharkguard can't wait till Saturday comes around.

[ripleycat]

Rosie crouches in front of the hole, chittering. She knows what you've pointed her towards- or if nothing else, she can smell the rats.

Alyssa seems to accept the story about finding Rosie in an alley. This is Freedom City, after all. Stranger things than stumbling across giant arachnids can and have happened. Frequently. "I trust you. If you think she's going to be OK, then I'll try to get used to her." Promise aside, it does seem like things will be a bit tense for a while. Only time will tell if everyone can learn to get along.

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Seems like an excellent place to wrap things up! 3pp for this adventure, and a new Complication: Rosie the Spider. Issue 3 will be up... well, when it's up. Moving this week, and stupid busy at work. I'll try to do it ASAP, though.

[ripleycat]

Issue #3: They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships

"Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned."
-Samuel Johnson

10:30 AM, Saturday, March 4th, 2012.
Lonely Point, Freedom City.

Lonely Point was aptly named. It jutted out into the ocean, forming the southern border of the Great Bay. The narrow spit of land was separated from the rest of Freedom City by Lake McKenzie State Park, and the nearest neighborhood was the sparse and rural Port Regal. The barebones and half-decommissioned Lonely Point Naval Base was the only sign of civilization for miles. The remoteness came with some perks, though. Out here was one of the few places "in town" where Sharkguard could spend time with Alyssa outside without worrying about being swarmed by paparazzi or giving away their secret. It wasn't just the isolation that made it attractive, though. The distant seashore was beautiful, inland pine forest giving way to white sand beaches and bright blue waves. Lonely Point Lighthouse stood high on an outcropping above the bay, and from here the intrepid hiker (or solitude-seeking superhero) could watch the sealanes, little sailboats and yachts mingling with the huge oceangoing ships ending their long voyages in Freedom City harbor. The hustle and bustle of the bay mixed with the peaceful and tranquil shoreline made this a great place to relax and unwind.

Things had marginally improved in the Sharkguard household over the last few days. Rosie had established herself in a corner of the living room, and aside from having to sweep spiderwebs and dead rats out of the way every so often, there had been no major incidents. Alyssa finally seemed convinced that the giant spider wasn't going to eat her. Though she still wasn't all that thrilled with Rosie's presence in the first place, a grudging tolerance had developed. The oversized arachnid was back in the apartment today, giving both sides a break. Alyssa was down near the water's edge, skipping rocks into the waves and enjoying the sun on a day that was more early spring than late winter. A light breeze whipped up whitecaps on the bay, and insects chirped in the dune grass. It was lovely, and so far the city had managed to keep itself out of peril, giving its greatest protector and his daughter a well-deserved day off together.

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At long last, here we are! Some freeform to kick things off, with the long-awaited free time with Alyssa.

[Starsign]

Out at the remote piece of land known as Lonely Point, Sharkguard had never forsaken the chance to savor his time here whether alone or with Alyssa. For him there are few places that he likes as much as this. The calm nature of the sea and quiet winds rarely are found in cities; even at the harbor the shark-man can find the attention too much without a little time to himself. As great as fame is there needs to be a little time for time to oneself and this is often the best way for him to spend it. When Sharkguard may pass away, he hopes that the view and sounds of Lonely Point will be one of the last things he'll see and hear. Not that he's interested in dying of course. He considers himself still rather young in terms of how slowly he ages even if he's in his low-forties. It's not gonna stop anyone from calling him an "old man" for those that do know his age though.

For a short time, Sharkguard stands on the rock peak overlooking the ocean and the various boats and yachts that are in the distance. As great as the view is, it doesn't have the same feeling as being out on the sea itself. The shark-man always prefers action over observation though never should one remove the other. In the case of spending time with Alyssa however, this is the best place to do that. After a few moments of enjoying the view, Sharkguard walks back to the water's edge where Alyssa is enjoying herself. Wearing a thin and large white-and-blue wetsuit along with his usual bandanna, he shows a small, comfortable smile to his adopted daughter as he takes a flat rock and tries skipping it across the water, preferably in a distance where there isn't a boat of any sort in sight. "It's been awhile since we've come here. Do you remember when that was?" His voice is quiet and calm as he lets the tranquil sea and sounds of Lonely Point influence his current mood. "There ain't ever been a place like this back when I was younger. Back then though I worked a lot more as a sailor so I tend to stick to the harbor. When I did go out to sea though, I never gave up the chance to watch the sun rise or fall from my sailboat." Sharkguard pauses to let Alyssa speak as he looks up at the sun, a part of what can make the sea so beautiful to look at as glistening can be seen on the water's surface.

[ripleycat]

The rock skims across the water until it hits an incoming wave and finally sinks beneath the surface. Alyssa tries to imitate you, sending one of her own skittering after it. "I'm not sure. I think its been at least a couple of months, right?" She frowns and tries to do the math in her head, then gives up. "Too long! That's how long its been. I love it out here."

She listens to your reminiscing, then pipes up with a question of her own. "Dad, why did you stop being a sailor if you loved it so much? Why did you decide to become a superhero instead?"

[Starsign]

Watching Alyssa trying to skip a stone across the water, Sharkguard decides to sit down on the sand next to her. He calmly admires the view of the sea as he thinks back to when the last time the two were here. It certainly wasn't back a couple months ago, the sea had mostly froze over and the ice wasn't as nice a sight to him as water is. Their last visit was probably before the winter, which like Alyssa said, has been too long. The activity of the city meant that the two couldn't come unless in rare days like today, however it makes these visits all the more memorable.

Sharkguard pauses as Alyssa asks him why he became a superhero in lieu of a sailor. He hadn't told her too much of his past, mostly that he was from another city to the north. Eventually he brings out a smile as he energetically responds, "Why? Cause it was the right thing to do of course!" After throwing out the corniest excuse ever, he embarrassingly clears his throat. "Okay it ain't just like that. There was a time in my life when... I wanted to do something more with my life." Slowly, Sharkguard thinks back to his younger days as he speaks in a partially solemn tone. "The life of a sailor was great, but one day I decided to try something new. I was always one who enjoyed a brawl and liked getting attention. Being a superhero offered both and there was rarely a shortage of crime to fight."

He pauses to think over what he had said. In reality he hadn't told the whole truth. Much of his decision to be a hero was based on his frustration and disappointment at Aquo-Sign's failure in properly powering him up. He wanted to prove that he could be a hero despite the false build-up that was there. He didn't want to tell Alyssa that however; he felt that his decision was a little fool-hardy to tell right now. It wasn't a significant importance and he didn't want to imagine Alyssa doing something like that herself to be a hero as well.

Sharkguard continued speaking, sounding more energetic again. "Course for whatever reason one becomes a hero, there's always responsibility taken as part of it. I love the action but you be a hero first and foremost to protect others. That's something I learned in my early superhero years." He winks to his adopted daughter. Every young or inexperienced hero has to learn a lot; Sharkguard knows this very well.

[ripleycat]

Alyssa listens raptly to your explanation. She doesn't seem to question this version of the story. Of course, she has no reason to, either. That you wanted to protect people and be in the spotlight are reasons enough to become a superhero in her eyes. "That makes sense. And there weren't any other superheroes up in Portfall, right? Someone had to do something." She skips another stone, this one bouncing far across the waves before hitting a rock under the surface and ricocheting off into the surf.

"When I grow up, w-would you be OK with me being a superhero?" She asks finally. "I want to help people too!"

[Starsign]

Watching his daughter go to skip another stone, Sharkguard thinks back to Portfall again. There were other heroes, but none of them tried to be so high-profile as he did. Wasn't so much "someone had to do something" as it was "someone chose to do it for his own reasons." Though he knew that considering where he is now, things could have gone much worse.

On the subject of Alyssa wanting to be a superhero, Sharkguard's eyebrow ridges pop upwards for a brief moment. It was an interesting thought at the very least. He quickly switches to a laugh as he heartily responds to Alyssa using his accent. "Well when yarr be gettin' older, I may accept yarr as me first matey on ta job!" Sharkguard really would rather Alyssa not get in the field of battle, however this doesn't stop someone from helping others to safety or taking care of those who are struggling. Hero work is well more than about fighting crime.

Sharkguard gets up to one knee, bending over as a way of offering Alyssa to climb on his shoulders. The view is always better when you have something to stand or sit on. A thought then comes to his head as a way of continuing the subject. "Alyssa," he begins contemplatively, "If you were to be a superhero, what kind of superpowers would you want to have?" A soft smile on his face comforts his interest on the matter.

[ripleycat]

"Really? You'd let me come be a hero with you? Awesome!" Alyssa clambers up onto your shoulders, smiling, but deep in thought. Superpowers are serious stuff, after all. Figuring out which ones are right for her is not a task to be taken lightly.

After several long moments of thoughtful deliberation, Alyssa announces her decision. "I wanna be invisible! So that the bad guys won't even know I'm there until *Pow!*" She throws a punch into the air above your head. "Lights out!"

"And I'd want to be superstrong, too, like you! So I could lift really really heavy stuff and help rescue people who get trapped and stuff. Yeah, that'd be really cool!"

[Starsign]

Sharkguard lets out a soft chuckle as Alyssa mentions that she'd want to have invisibility as a power. "Aye. I would have recommended that too. You can let me have the attention of the villains while you stop their nefarious plans," he says with energetic wisdom in response to her. If there is any power the shark-man isn't keen of dealing with, it's invisibility. He has senses to try and counter them but on the occasions he has dealt with the ability to be unseen to the naked eye, it often doesn't end with him coming out with the unconscious villain slumped over his shoulder. Better for a hero than a villain usually.

The shark-man makes sure Alyssa is held on tight as he stands. It's a great view from on his shoulders but it's also quite a ways down. He then speaks with a brave, amused grin; "Did you get the idea of Super-Strength from my feats on television? I had a feeling you enjoyed that." Super-strength actually isn't one of the powers he wish Alyssa would have. It takes a degree of control and a bit of a different outlook on the use of anything to avoid breaking anything with titanic strength. It took Sharkguard a bit to learn this and he's willing to help any hero learn that as well.

Deciding to get a better view, Sharkguard begins carrying Alyssa to the rocky peak where the higher ground allows for a greater view. On the way, the shark-man asks, "Alyssa, what kind of costume would you want to wear if you become a superhero?" This is a simpler question for his daughter, one more around personal interests rather than the responsibility and importance of superpowers.

[ripleycat]

Alyssa seems thrilled that you approve of her choices in superpower, not picking up on your reservations about superstrength. She grips your shoulders and nods at the comment about watching you on TV. "Uh huh, that's the best part! That and when you pound on the bad guys!"

As you make your way up the outcropping jutting up out of the sea at the end of the peninsula, you can see the bottom of the Lonely Point lighthouse come into view. It's automated these days, no lighthouse keeper, just a maintenance guy a couple times a week. Right now it appears to be deserted. It's too far removed from the city to attract many tourists or visitors. It's not called Lonely Point for nothing, after all.

As you walk, Alyssa goes back into deep contemplation, visualizing a suitable costume. "It would be blue and white, cuz you wear those colors a lot, and I want to make sure we'd match. Gloves, and tights with a stripe down the side, and boots, really heavy ones, so I wouldn't slip and fall where villains could see me, that would be really embarrassing. And I want a cape! A really big and long one. Capes are awesome. And a symbol on my chest, too. A shark? No, 'cause then everyone would think I had shark powers, and I'd have to explain that I didn't all the time. Maybe a... um... what do you think, dad?"

[Starsign]

Sharkguard gives a small giggle at Alyssa comment as he sees the bottom of the lighthouse. He has never actually entered the lighthouse itself despite the fact that it's deserted; he prefers the sounds and smells of the outdoors than the walls and odors inside. However he can't quite imagine what the view would be like from at the top aside from breathtaking. Diving from such a point would be something he'd love to visualize even if entry into the ocean won't exactly be pleasant. Him and Alyssa has come to Lonely Point so few times that there is usually something new to try.

Moving to the end of the peninsula, the shark-man listens to Alyssa's ideas for a superhero costume as he imagines how she would look in it. Most of it he can see her actually wearing. When given the chance he smiles softly to his daughter. "What do I think? I think you should go with whatever you like best. Don't really need a shark symbol I'd say. You'd match your costume well with mine." He pauses before mentioning, "But I can't say I can see you with heavy boots. Remember last winter? I had to carry you partway to school cause you couldn't stand walking in snow with those boots we have." Sharkguard didn't want to mention that the boots were of rather poor quality; both him and Alyssa knew that painfully well.

His smile fades for a moment, having trouble imagining Alyssa being an active supporter in a battle. He didn't want to think of her doing such a thing until she was at least sixteen years old. Even then, he'd try to keep her out of as much danger as he could. Almost out of a small sense of worry, Sharkguard speaks up again. "So Alyssa, what kind of plans you've got when we go up against the bad guys? Hope you don't mind me asking but I want to be sure you'll stay behind me when you find yourself threatened. Gotta know when to be protected by the hardy sailor, aye?"

[ripleycat]

"Well, I'll have to get new ones then." Alyssa seems determined to stick to her guns on this boot issue. As if reading your mind, she stares up at the lighthouse as you pass. "That looks cool! Are people allowed up there? Could we go in?"

Your question, and the concern in your voice that accompanies it, cause Alyssa to look a little confused. After a moment she answers somewhat hesitantly "Yeah. I mean you're way bigger and tougher than me, and you know way more about being a superhero. D-dad, I don't really have superpowers. You don't have to worry about me getting hurt."

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Got the rhythm of this scene, finally. Just let me know when you want to shift things to the next scene. We can go as long as you like.