Text; Pull Point Plot (Aged-Down Barnaby)

[prepairing]

[The attached ID reads Barnaby Brooks Jr. As a spokesman for a prominent energy drink brand, his name and face are splashed on all sorts of magazines and advertisements, and anyone who's been here for even a short amount of time might know him as a hero who's very public about his crime-fighting activities.

Generally speaking, it's rare for him to use text over the network. Of course, the message that follows doesn't exactly mesh with his usual image, either.]

I've got three questions. If you've got an answer for any of these, I want to hear from you.

#1: What do you know about this symbol?

#2: Who the hell is this?

#3: Do your numbers reflect the market's ACTUAL demand for heroes, or are you all just calling yourselves heroes because it's become the popular thing to do? At this rate, your characters are just going to overlap. Unless you've got a good hook, your odds of standing out or building a solid fanbase are pretty abysmal.

[You shouldn't need a 15-year-old kid telling you this, he irritably thinks to himself. And yet here we are.]

Comments

text;

[prepairing]

And they can just as easily be dismissed if the sponsors aren't happy with them, regardless of the reason.

text;

[earnedmystripes]

well yeah, thats why you do the stuff they tell you
but that shouldnt be your focus

text;

[prepairing]

If they are literally the only reason you're allowed to be there, I don't see how you can do anything different and hope to get anywhere.

text;

[earnedmystripes]

its like...people who write books and do art and stuff like that
well, sorta
ish
anyway point is they gotta do things other people want to sell their stuff too but they still get to keep it in a way that represents what they wanted to do, yeah?
its like that
i dont care about putting a logo on my chest or having to pose for pictures or whatever as long as it doesnt get in the way of what im here for, which is protecting people

text;

[prepairing]

[That kind of narrow-minded focus on a single idea...it's something that weirdly resonates with him, but Barnaby does his best to shake it off.]

How long will you keep that up?

text;

[earnedmystripes]

keep what up!

text;

[prepairing]

Protecting people as a hero.

text;

[earnedmystripes]

i dunno, as long as i can?
its only been like a year, i havent exactly started thinking about retirement

text;

[prepairing]

[Barnaby purses his lips at that response. The industry will only take and take from someone like Wild Tiger, until they decide he's no longer of use, and they will shunt him aside in favor of the next big thing. It's seldom anything personal. That's simply the way the free market works.

He isn't sure why, exactly, but he actually feels...a little sorry for him? It's strange...]

It's good to plan for the future. Not everyone even has a future to plan for, so you should make sure not to waste yours.

[Who is the old man here, exactly.......]

text;

[earnedmystripes]

whats that even supposed to mean, not everyone has a future to plan for?

text;

[prepairing]

People die before it's their time everyday, and the ones who are left behind are stuck picking up the pieces.

You have a wife and a baby on the way, don't you? It's your responsibility to make sure they're taken care of in case something happens to you.

text;

[earnedmystripes]

[...Jeez, way to be depressing.]

i mean ive got like, health and life insurance and stuff like that?? plus my brother owns a business; theyd be okay

i just dont see the point of thinking about what im gonna do when i leave this job cause thats not gonna happen anytime soon

text;

[prepairing]

[He's good at that.]

So you can't imagine a life where you're not doing hero work.

text;

[earnedmystripes]

[He wasn't planning to get this sentimental in this post, but...]

not really?
its all ive ever wanted to do since i was a little kid
soooo
yeah

text;

[prepairing]

I see.

So it's more than just a competition for you.

text;

[earnedmystripes]

i mean dont get me wrong i bet itd feel really great to be king of heroes
but its never been what i was in it for

text;

[prepairing]

So what’s your advice for someone who aspires to become a hero?

text;

[earnedmystripes]

[wait does this mean he gets to be a wise senpai for an Aspiring Hero tho, what a golden opportunity 8DDDD]

WELL
id say the most important thing is to follow your heart
dont worry about the small details, cause those will work themselves out

text;

[prepairing]

[Wow, that's...really generic advice, wise senpai.]

When you say "small details", what do you mean by that?

text;

[earnedmystripes]

[What's "expressing yourself well", can you eat it.]

like...i dunno, marketing stuff, points, damage fines

[i.e. everything that's not "actively protecting people"]

text;

[prepairing]

[Wow, that's...pretty bad, actually.]

You need to worry about those things if you want to keep your job, though?

text;

[earnedmystripes]

[AND YET he ends up with one of the longest careers in the biz. 8D;;;]

uuuuuugh
LOOK its like i said
not like you dont think about it EVER
just you gotta make sure you know what your priorities are

[Says the guy who ultimately cannot manage his priorities to save his his fuckin' life but WHATEVER.]

text;

[prepairing]

I see...

[He doesn't entirely buy it, but it's not like he has any experience in the industry himself.]

By the way, have you googled yourself since you came here?

text;

[earnedmystripes]

uhhhh no
why

text;

[prepairing]

It looks like you become part of a two-man act at some point during your career.