1. impor-Tina [Video + Text]

[continuousgroaning]

[Once Tina had had everything explained to her, she intended to do... something. Maybe not give a great big speech, but at least say hello, meet the people she'd be living and working with. However, the stage fright kicks in and all that comes out of her mouth is an uncertain groaning noise.]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

[She shuts up then, and switches to text.]

sorry, I get horrible stage fright sometimes. i guess here it's even worse because I wouldn't think of myself as being superhero material. especially when my powers are

that I can cook really well and pass through things?

And I have a job at a jeans factory, which doesn't fit with either of those. am I at least in good company?

oh, my name's Tina :)

Comments

text

[h2no]

[are you kidding is this stupid kid even ten years old goddamnit]

AIN'T THERE A LAW AGAINST HIRING KIDS IN JEANS FACTORIES?
I GUESS NOT.
YEAH, YOU ARE. WE ALL GOT WEIRD JOBS!

text

[continuousgroaning]

You'd think so

you'd think there'd be laws against making kids superheroes, too

but here we are :)

video;

[fayzedandconfused]

[ oh it's another kid! ]

Hey, phasing is pretty cool! And cooking is always gonna come in useful.

video;

[continuousgroaning]

[Tina seems relieved at that. She's not alone in being a hero kid.]

Hmm, I guess so! I'm not as good at it as my dad, though. And I only really know how to make hamburgers...

text

[am_i_a_monster]

It's okay. I'm not superhero material either.

Cooking well is an awesome power to get.

text

[continuousgroaning]

okay, phew. i don't feel like a total loser now.

It is! i'm going to have to learn, though. The only thing I know how to cook well is hamburgers.

[dirtyredneck]

Your superpower is to cook really good? That mean if you tried to cook a clam bake, it'd come out awesome even if you had

[Shit, he can't write 'shit' can he? He doesn't know this kid. 'Crap' probably wouldn't be good either...]

terrible ingredients?

[continuousgroaning]

Yup. And I think I could, if I'm understanding the way my power works. I've never done anything like that before, though.

text

[dumbfound]

Cooking sounds like a really good power though?

text

[continuousgroaning]

It is useful. I mean, I could have gotten a lot worse things.

Video

[foreshadower]

You have a cooking power?

[ Color him very interested. ]

Video

[continuousgroaning]

Uh-huh. The file says that anything I try to cook will turn out perfectly. I'm... not sure how that works, though. I only really know how to make hamburgers and my dad's a lot better at it than I am.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Stage fright exhibited on the Network is a first.

[continuousgroaning]

really?

that sounds like a bad thing

[resipiscent]

You aren't required to be a superhero, though.

[continuousgroaning]

Really? then what else can I do?

[Voice]

[hellrisen02]

[There's a quiet chuckle, belonging to an older man's voice.]

Porter still brings civvie kids in, huh? Some things never change.

You good or you need any help, kiddo?

[Voice]

[continuousgroaning]

"Still"? Have you been here for a while?

I think I'm good. I mean, I have a job, and I'll still be going to school.

text;

[380s]

[Why does this place keep dumping kids on their own?]

Superheroes are overrated around here

[Or anywhere, really.]

text;

[continuousgroaning]

Why do you say that? i'm genuinely curious.

[ text ]

[ghoulking]

Cooking is a great power. You can feed yourself and others.

But many get strange jobs, you can always try to find a better and more fitting one. Maybe as a cook?

[ text ]

[continuousgroaning]

well, if my current job means I get to look at butts, I'm not going to complain.

but if I get better at cooking, maybe. it is a useful power, if not for fighting crime.

text

[bindsthedead]

Well, both of those are useful powers? A lot of imPorts can't cook, and passing through things is a power that can keep you safe.

text

[continuousgroaning]

not too useful for fighting crime, but I see what you mean. and I'm definitely going to need to keep myself safe.

text

[tacticianing]

It's good to meet you, Tina.

Rest assured. This world's insistence on calling everyone a superhero has nothing to do with whether or not you are one. Don't let that pressure you into anything. The powers you have are useful ones. Moreso on a regular basis than ones meant for battle.

text

[continuousgroaning]

That's kind of a relief, actually. i'm only 13, so being expected to be a hero and save people and stuff is a bit much.

and yeah, that's what I was worried about. what can I do, fling hot oatmeal in a bad guy's face or something?

[Video]

[lasersounds]

Woah, you okay? [Because wow, that groaning was a bit concerning--even if it was just a result of stage fright.]

I'd say you're in good company--for the most part. We're all a pretty friendly bunch.

And I have to give you props, most people freak out when they first get here.

[Video]

[continuousgroaning]

I think that's about as freaked-out as I ever get. [She smiles.] But I'm okay, thanks. Freaking out wouldn't have helped anything.

[aggressiveapathy]

you can pass through walls
who needs a job

[continuousgroaning]

well

i don't want to break the law

text

[khajidont]

I get stage fright too. It really sucks, doesn't it?

[ For once, he's not just trying to make a kid feel better (although he is trying to do that). He does get awful stage fright, and, well, uncertain groaning is never out of the question. ]

Trust me, though, cooking really well is a superpower that most actual superheroes definitely don't have, so you've already got a leg up on them. My name's Jaime. It's nice to meet you! :)

text

[continuousgroaning]

It's a bit embarrassing, to tell you the truth. but I've had it since i was a baby, too. Mom told me I'd make that groaning noise a lot when i was learning how to talk and she was trying to get me to say "mama".

I've had a few people ask me to cook for them. i feel famous already.

you too, Jaime! :)

video

[hellosirs]

[ More kids! ]

I guess you could think of the cooking as, um... super life skills?

video

[continuousgroaning]

It's a pretty useful one, too. Maybe I can spin it into a career as a celebrity chef.

text;

[marriedmedium]

Ooh, a cook? How is your quiche lorraine?

text;

[continuousgroaning]

Never made it before. My speciality is hamburgers.

[text] i wanna die holy shit tina

[kestreldawn]

videos are sort of daunting. text is often better.

those seem like useful skills. have you just arrived?

[text] <3

[continuousgroaning]

I agree. I feel like I sometimes express myself better when I write than I do when I speak.

Yeah, I haven't been here for very long.

text -> video

[andtherevolution]

hey! i think we met a couple days ago. with the import fans, remember?

[wait, would Tina remember her? She sends the message, but follows up immediately with a video reply]

I was the girl who did this.

[She moves the camera away from her face to her hand, and shows herself phasing it in and out of the headboard of her bed. Just in case the bubblegum colored hair wasn't enough to make her stand out.]

video

[continuousgroaning]

[Tina indeed doesn't remember until the video turns out- the other girl's pretty unmistakable even without the phasing.]

I remember! Thanks again for helping bail me out.