magicalworld: (ball)
Calvin ([personal profile] magicalworld) wrote in [community profile] capeandcowllogs2013-06-11 01:06 pm

Give me a sense of wonder

WHO: Calvin and OPEN
WHERE: Outside the MAC, then at the Botanical Garden, then the Pie Hole.
WHEN: The day of Tuesday the 11th.
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: It’s summer! That means it’s time for Calvin to goof off and get in trouble all over the City.
FORMAT: Prose with multiple setups- specify which one is being used in the subject line of your reply!

A. Outside the M.A.C. (early afternoon)

Realistically, a child as young as Calvin really, really, really shouldn’t spend as much time running around the City unsupervised as he routinely does. However, a number of factors- including having superpowers, being a long-time resident of the City, and just not caring about practicality or safety- have led to Calvin spending his summer day zooming about alone, getting in trouble.

After a productive morning sleeping in, Calvin has flown to the front of the M.A.C. to once again try his hand at the excitement and reward of the business world. He is on the street just outside the front entrance, sitting on a red plastic bucket behind an overturned cardboard box serving as an improvised sales counter. Written on the front in sloppy black marker is the product and the price:

“GREAT IDEAS – 25 CENTS”

There is nothing that could possibly go wrong here at all ever.


B. Botanical Garden (later afternoon)

One of Calvin’s least favourite things about the City, other than being separated from Hobbes and his parents, is that it’s such a city. There’s concrete and pollution and too many people, and the parks always end up being attacked by monsters or robots for some reason.

As an alternative, Calvin is now visiting the Botanical Garden in the Bronx. It's quieter here. There's more solitude. Many of the plants and displays are beautiful. The jerks in the labs wouldn't let him inside to poke at their experiments, unfortunately, but it's still a great place. When he's surrounded by plants and cool air, Calvin can close his eyes for a moment and pretend he's back in the woods with Hobbes. When he opens them again, he might still be alone and in the City, but he's also smiling more.


C. Pie Hole (evening)

Now that Calvin is once again allowed within the Pie Hole’s hallowed halls, he is celebrating by absolutely stuffing his face. The Porter’s two hundred dollar weekly stipend might not be much for an adult, but for Calvin it has resulted in him having more disposable income than a six-year-old should ever be able to waste on pie.

At least Calvin is being a model customer right now. He’s not hurling any pie or pretending to be a Skrull or calling himself ‘Nivlac.’ Calvin is really grateful for Ned letting him back into the fold, and is trying to be on his best behaviour for the moment.

His table manners are still appalling, though.
smarterthandad: (I think I hate my future self.)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-06-15 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
She somehow suspects he's going to blow it all on pie and comic books.

"I'll believe you have a shrink ray when I see it." Val's not skeptical about the possibility of shrink rays, merely about the possibility of Calvin being able to design and build one.
smarterthandad: (You don't need to worry about that.)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-06-17 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Riiiiiight.

"Before I let you shoot anything with that, you're not a reality warper, are you?" She remembers how Franklin's cap gun turned into a real gun when he was angry at Norman Osborn for threatening them, and she really doesn't have time for a wacky Ant-Man-style adventure today.
smarterthandad: (He'll cut off his own head or something.)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-06-18 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
"Good enough." If Val believed it had the slightest chance of working, she'd demand a test on something disposable rather than her expensive and complicated one-of-a-kind prototype, but since she's entirely certain that's a dollar-store dart gun Calvin scribbled on with a sharpie, she quite willingly unstraps her holo-emitter and sets it on the box.

"Okay, let's see this 'shrink ray' of yours in action."
smarterthandad: (Mom is gonna kill you.)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-06-19 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Why would she smack him? Just being Calvin seems punishment enough. Plus, her parents don't approve of violence...despite being superheroes. There might be some mixed messages at work.

Val isn't bothering to hide her total lack of surprise. "That's a really elaborate setup for an 'eww, girls' joke. Maybe you should consider open mic night over science as a hobby."
smarterthandad: (How would I know something like that?)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-07-11 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
"Uh-huh." Val so totally believes him. Can't he just see the sincerity dripping off her? "So does 'cootie' intensity fall off as one over r squared, or are we looking at more exotic properties?"

She wishes she were recording this. It's comedy gold.
Edited 2013-07-11 06:49 (UTC)
smarterthandad: (Have fun.)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-07-12 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Sure, let me have a look." Val's physical courage is strong...or at least she doesn't place any credence in Calvin's worries about explosions, because she takes the toy with no hesitation, and then pretends to scrutinize it.

"Oh, here's your problem."

Pause for effect.

"This is a toy you drew on with a magic marker."
smarterthandad: (Do we know it won't make things worse?)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-07-13 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
"I've never heard the word 'advanced' used in quite that context." Val sets the gun on the box and retrieves her holo-emitter, fastening it around her wrist.

"Your weirdness aside, size-changing is a pretty useful capacity to have, and since Dr. Pym isn't around, I might as well produce a reservoir of Pym particles. You can come see a lab test when it's up and running if you want." Let it never be said Valeria Richards is not magnanimous in victory.
smarterthandad: ([adult] 4)

[personal profile] smarterthandad 2013-07-18 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay, champ." Val's more or less checked out of the conversation at this point, and she turns a slow circle to see if they're being watched, at least by anyone who isn't an ImPort. Satisfied that's not the case, she triggers the emitter, and three year old Val is replaced with twenty-three year old Val.

"I'll be in touch."