We decided to go over as a group, since it was more or less in the right direction. Delaying the task at hand. While we walked, Sveta and Tristan agreed they’d watch Kenzie together. Sveta no doubt wanted to because it meant spending more time around Weld, and Tristan… Tristan was harder to say, but he seemed to fit in well amid this general level of hectic energy, hustle, bustle, and cape aesthetic. I could imagine him working at a place like this for a full day, ongoing construction included, and not being any worse off.

There was a command center in one corner, with Dragon and Defiant standing by a wall of monitors. Multiple consoles and desks were arranged in a haphazard quarter-circle around that wall of monitors. Each person with a task.

Lookout went straight there, accompanied by Capricorn and Sveta. Weld and Golem followed them.

Rain slowed in his pace as we passed the corner where stuff was piled up but still not organized for a branding or costume maintenance department, one I suspected would be relegated to an upper floor. There were concept sketches, color swatches, textile swatches, and framed pictures of collected images I wouldn’t have been surprised to see at a tattoo shop—but they weren’t for tattoos. Or at least I hoped nobody was tattooing on their costumes.

“Foresight did promise us help with updating costuming. We never got a chance because we were so busy,” I told him.

Rain turned my way.

“For your mask, I sort of like that. Second frame of images, middle top. It’s hard to pull off in a lot of costumes, but if you’re doing the glowing mask symbol…”

He held up his phone. I looked over his shoulder as he took a picture of it, confirming he had the right image.

“Isn’t that too busy?” Rain asked.

“What?” I asked him.

“With the circuit board look?” Rain asked.

“No. Instead of. The circuit board look is…” I tried to find a way to be diplomatic and struggled.

“Puerile,” Swansong said.

“Huh,” Rain said. “I’ve been kicked in the ribs and it didn’t get to me as much as hearing that one word. I don’t even know what that means, exactly.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s puerile,” I said. “It’s… it’s like stripes. You can make it work, but it’s most often going to be something you work with or build on. Less what you want for a mask unless you want to play it up.”

“Huh. This is going way over my head. But it’s sure great to know I’ve had a stupid costume all this while.”

“Not stupid,” I said.

“Basic,” Vista volunteered.

Rain turned around, looking around until he spotted Capricorn, Lookout, and Sveta. “I think, uh, I’m going to go over that way. Leave you guys to it.”