Superheroing 101, Thursday, Period 4
The class met in the Danger Shop again. It couldn't be helped, it served Electroclash's lazy tendencies so well: why would you ever hold class anywhere else when you could use your psionic-verbal powers to make the room do all your preparations for you? Mind you, it looked like a regular classroom for the moment. Electroclash stood at the front, arms loosely folded over her chest. "Right, kids," she began, "today we're gonna cover yet another superhero problem. |Room, show nerds.|"
Two twentysomething guys popped into existence beside her. They looked like your basic comics geeks - no, really, one of them was actually holding a LadyTrouble comic book. First issue, even. (There hadn't been any others.) That one was gazing at Electroclash adoringly, while the other looked a little more surly.
She jabbed a thumb in their direction. "These are power fans. And they are the creepiest, most annoying fuckers you're ever going to meet." Well, except for maybe some of the more smug superheroes. "But they're also where a lot of your money comes from. They're the ones who'll buy your comic books to bring some joy into their sad little lives --" The surly simulation bloke glared at her for that. "-- and sometimes you can make a little bit of quick cash by visiting their meetings, which is generally not worth the trouble, and also is not at all akin to prostitution, before any of you try insinuating that."
Someone might have had that insinuated at her previously, yeah.
"So, the SPA thinks you should be nice to fans, or some ridiculous bullshit like that. So that's what we're learning about today."
As if on cue, the more eager-looking fan raised his hand. Electroclash rolled her eyes and nodded at him. "I loved LadyTrouble's catch phrase!" he enthused. "I used to write it all over my school books! 'Honesty, Integrity, Virtue'! Who came up with that?"
Electroclash put on her most patient-looking expression. It wasn't all that patient. "That was She-Force." Eyeroll. Witness the lack of patience. "She didn't realize the thing with the initials."
The fan looked confused. The other one, the surly one cleared his throat. "Electroclash, isn't it true you're only ever featured in the skirmishes section of the New Powers Express these days?" he asked, looking at bit pleased with himself for the question.
And Electroclash reacted as she would to the real thing. "Fuck off, creep." A beat. "You're supposed to do better than me, kids. Now, pair up. One of you is a fan, the other a hero, and then you switch. The fan asks really personal questions or belittles your achievements because you're not their favourite, and the hero's job is to deal with it without punching the fan in the face." Not that she'd ever done that. "Got it, kidlets? Go."
[OCD up!]
Two twentysomething guys popped into existence beside her. They looked like your basic comics geeks - no, really, one of them was actually holding a LadyTrouble comic book. First issue, even. (There hadn't been any others.) That one was gazing at Electroclash adoringly, while the other looked a little more surly.
She jabbed a thumb in their direction. "These are power fans. And they are the creepiest, most annoying fuckers you're ever going to meet." Well, except for maybe some of the more smug superheroes. "But they're also where a lot of your money comes from. They're the ones who'll buy your comic books to bring some joy into their sad little lives --" The surly simulation bloke glared at her for that. "-- and sometimes you can make a little bit of quick cash by visiting their meetings, which is generally not worth the trouble, and also is not at all akin to prostitution, before any of you try insinuating that."
Someone might have had that insinuated at her previously, yeah.
"So, the SPA thinks you should be nice to fans, or some ridiculous bullshit like that. So that's what we're learning about today."
As if on cue, the more eager-looking fan raised his hand. Electroclash rolled her eyes and nodded at him. "I loved LadyTrouble's catch phrase!" he enthused. "I used to write it all over my school books! 'Honesty, Integrity, Virtue'! Who came up with that?"
Electroclash put on her most patient-looking expression. It wasn't all that patient. "That was She-Force." Eyeroll. Witness the lack of patience. "She didn't realize the thing with the initials."
The fan looked confused. The other one, the surly one cleared his throat. "Electroclash, isn't it true you're only ever featured in the skirmishes section of the New Powers Express these days?" he asked, looking at bit pleased with himself for the question.
And Electroclash reacted as she would to the real thing. "Fuck off, creep." A beat. "You're supposed to do better than me, kids. Now, pair up. One of you is a fan, the other a hero, and then you switch. The fan asks really personal questions or belittles your achievements because you're not their favourite, and the hero's job is to deal with it without punching the fan in the face." Not that she'd ever done that. "Got it, kidlets? Go."
[OCD up!]