16440/Downsizing Like Lightning

Downsizing Like Lightning
Date of Scene:	29 November 2023
Location:	Rock of Eternity
Synopsis:	Mary got depowered, hopefully temporarily, as she is going to seek out more fitting matrons for the powers of Shazam!
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Mary Bromfield, Marie-Ange Colbert

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Billy Batson has posed:
The Wizard Formerly Known as Shazam is complaining. Mormoragan is watching The Mandalorian on a wide screen TV. "They should do a show about the little green fellow. The man in the mask has no way to act. The baby is quite endearing. Ylu would watch, right Billy?" He slaps Shazam on the arm and then adjusts his seating on Mary/Thunderbolt's beanbag seat. "When you go out, get some more of that... mac and cheese. It was good."

Shazam rolls his eyes.

"You say your sister wants new powers?"

"She seems to. Calls herself Athena's Wisdom. I mean it's a fair complaint. She's a girl."

Mormoragan gets up reaches for the staff, "Thunderbolt... I summon you. You have explaining to do!" The portal area begins to glow.

Shazam says, "Wait a second, let me send them a text!"

"Oh! Yes... that would have been better. Ah well."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Meanwhile, in a Downtown Penthouse...

Mary and Marie-Ange were just taking a well-deserved night off. Mainly involving cuddling up on the couch and watching the latest Indiana Jones movie on streaming, because why not. It was just getting to the really exciting bit when suddenly the couch begins to glow.

Mary blinks, "What the..."

The glow intensifies, filling the room, until the couch and its occupants are gone.

Which is a bit of a surprised look for Mary when she winds up in the Rock of Eternity, with her girlfriend and the couch. Then she blinks, "What the... who's been cooking the cheap boxed Mac and Cheese in the Rock???" She hasn't seen the Wizard yet, so that's not going to go badly. Really.

Honest.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
And, of course, Marie was totally invested, having been brought up to speed on the earlier adventures of Indy by Mary's expert tutelage, and, while not exactly on the edge of her seat because cuddling, her body /is/ definitely tilted forward towards the TV as the adrenaline amps up.

Then, the couch starts to glow around them and Marie's eyes widen.

"The Crystal Skull! It was real! The aliens come!" she shrieks, frozen in place because, to leave the coziness of the blankets would be a sin, and discouraged by the heat not being turned up /too/ high in the Penthouse.

...but then it turns out it was not, in fact, aliens, and Marie takes a shuddering breath. Then, she's looking around quickly, and her eyes fall on...

"Shazam!" even in a place where, theorhetically, folks know his name, she won't say it if he's not in that form. Of course, then when she's about to say something else... she shuts up very suddenly. Starts to redden and even tries withdrawing within the blankets like a turtle.

Billy Batson has posed:
The Wizard peers, then says to Shazam, "Hey, I brought a whole sofa in! Pretty good. "

Shazam says, "It was Kraft White cheddar! Not everyone cooks, Mary. Come meet our wizard. His name is Mormorgan. Apparently he's done taking time off dead. Wants his job back. Wizard, this is my sister and fellow Shazam -Mary. This is her girlfriend, Marie. I'm just glad she wasn't taking a shower or running Dungeons and Dragons."

"Quiet. I would speak with this one. Prattle on with the girlfriend if you must." The Wizard walks towards Mary, not looking totally crazy. Not totally.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary blinks, "Well, good to see you were only mostly dead." She passes a look to Billy, arching a brow before looking back to Marie, "It's okay hon, um... magic things." She gives Marie a smile, then looks back at the Wizard.

"So, you summoned me, my girlfriend, and my couch. Must be something urgent?" She tilts her head at the Wizard, caution in her tone, and a bit of respect warring with the irritation of a rare date-night getting interrupted.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"You would be less rude by saying please, Monsieur Mor--..."

Then it hits her. 'Come meet our wizard'. She'd heard of a Wizard before. And it's not the one at the D&D table, either. Red fades and is replaced with pale white. Which is closer to normal for Marie, but not quite, of course. This one is Important.

To Mary, she offers a quick nod. "Magic things." she repeats, as if that explains everything. Truthfully, it does explain quite a great deal. So, she's going to hush up for the moment, offering the proper reverance to the legendary one.

Billy Batson has posed:
The Wizard comes still closer. "Billy has told me... Freddy was his rock, you were his common sense. Billy made a good choice in you and the others..."

"Would you please tell her I'm in charge though?"

"Shut up Billy."

"Mary, I have spoken to Billy and I sense your unease. Truly the smart among us struggle hard for their happiness. You have done well... you have love, studies.. what is wrong?" Mormoragan reaches out as if to take her by the hand. His manner is more that of a diagnostician than fatherly.

Shazam whispers to Marie, "This is about as polite as he gets.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary hrms, "Wrong? Well, nothing really... I mean, Marie and I actually had a date night for once, and you wooshed us here, so there had to be something going on, right?" She lets the Wizard take her by the hand, before pausing as she looks at him, "Wait, /was/ his common sense?" She seems to catch the past tense of that statement with both herself and Freddy, and gets a tickle on the back of her neck.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie, for her part, doesn't say anything at the moment; she does give a quick nod to Billy, making a quick mental note of this fact. She's not going to interrupt, especially given the... potentially serious nature of the words being spoken, though she does quietly reach out to take Mary's /other/ hand. Offering support, if silently.

Billy Batson has posed:
The Wizard says, "Certainly you still advise him. He's just getting a little better at things. Good grief Marie, I am here to help her, not take a bite out of her." The Wizard takes a breath and speaks in a softer and kinder voice. "Forgive me. I don't get out much. I still sense unrest... no... despite your cuddling on this couch when I brought you. I can send you back if you do not wish to discuss it... now."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary looks a bit confused, "Unrest? Well, Billy has gotten a lot better, this is true. And aside from the occasional faerie assassin or the like, I've not really had a lot of issues. I mean, I've been to space, I've met other superheroes... and I do have a great girlfriend and a nice career in addition to occasionally getting out to save the world." She hrms, "Though, well, a little advance warning before being summoned would have been nice, I gotta say. But it seems like there's something on your mind, Wizard."

Billy Batson has posed:
Mormoragan says, "You refer to Athena's Wisdom... but you have /Solomon's/ Wisdom, the same as Billy. Are the mentors not what you desire... being a bunch or patronizing men? Do you need a... custom job? There are other deities."

Shazam says, "I had no problem with her changing her name by the way. I wish the younger kids would. It'd be less confusing. I been calling them Hefty, Handy, and Speedy Shazam. I... just want the best for Mary... and yes I still listen to you."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary hrms, "Well, now that you mention it... a group of goddesses would feel a little less patronizing. Particularly when Zeus shows up." She makes a bit of a face at that, "But, I mean, I didn't know that was an option. And well, you were... mostly dead? So I didn't even think of who I could ask." She does open up at that, "And well, I think a lot of people expect me to be getting the powers from goddesses since Billy and Freddy get theirs from the male gods."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Billy gets a bit of an odd look from Marie here, and a lean in his direction to whisper, "...Pedro, Eugene, and Darla are Smurfs?"

What? Cartoons are actually a good way to learn a new language!

She does, however, continue to pay attention to the conversation going on. It's all above her paygrade, to be sure... but it's not like she can't understand what's going on, given that part of her own abilities are of a more mystical nature as well.

Billy Batson has posed:
The Wizard nods. "We can give you new mentors. Athena might suit you more. It will not be easy... but you will be the better for it and keeping the gods happy is always a good idea. But... you will have to relinquish your current powers. You will no longer be Thunderbolt... I mean you can still call yourself that. Then you will have to prove yourself worthy of the new mentors. that is usually three challenges. You can bring a companion on them. A different one for each of you wish. Is this agreeable?"

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary considers that, it's a rather big step, but... it would be /her/ step. Not her brother's step. She thinks about it for a little while, then she nods, "Alright. I'll do it." She glances over at Marie-Ange, giving her girlfriend a smile, "Hope you're ready for an adventure? Because we are about to seriously have one here."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"Always, and in any way you desire." Marie promises Mary with an adoring smile. She doesn't have to be asked twice; whether it means diving headfirst into danger, telling her what waits on the next page of the story, or cheering her on from the sidelines, the French girl is always ready and willing to aide her girlfriend in any way the brunette deems useful.

Billy Batson has posed:
Mormoragan says, "Please become Sha... Thunderbolt. Then Billy must use the staff to remove your powers."

Shazam says, "Wait, what? Why me? I mean we fought a lot but... I don't want to nerf her. She's my sister."

"You must. You bestowed the power to her. I had nothing to do with it. Here." The Wizard holds out the staff and Shazam accepts it hesitantly.

"I might hurt her... I... okay. Get ready sis."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary nods slightly, then takes a deep breath, before shouting, "SHAZAM!" There's the familiar crack of lightning, and then Mary-as-Thunderbolt is standing there. She then looks over at Billy, giving him a slight smile.

"Billy, it's okay. You remember you had to prove yourself to get the powers? Well, this just makes it my turn. You gave me the power... I didn't /earn/ it. I mean, I don't think I've done wrong with them, but I feel I need to prove myself worthy of the powers to, instead of just being your big sister." She grins a bit, then nods at him, "I'm ready."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"Worry not, Shazam. If you hurt Mary, I will punish you accordingly." Marie responds matter-of-factly, the bright smile still remaining on her face. A gentle joke to try and put the boy at ease. It is, however, at this point that she scoots away from Mary just enough so that she isn't touching the brunette. Just in case the staff tries to absorb /her/ abilities as well.

"I know you will do wonderfully, mon amour." she encourages Mary, smile widening. "...and I do not need to consult the cards to be certain of this fact, either."

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam says, "You earned the power every day that you had it." He takes the staff, takes a deep breath then something seems to click. He aims the staff at Thunderbolt and says, "Shazam!" This time the lightning comes not from the sky but from Thunderbolt. It doesn't looks particularly pleasant but isn't painful. Maybe like pulling a band aid off. If it covered your entire body.

Shazam goes over to Mary and gives her a careful hug.

"You take care of yourself. You need anything, call me, You hear? Oh... here." He takes Steve the Stylus from his belt and hands him to her. "Steve may be a help to you." Then he plants an embarrassed kiss on her cheek.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary felt her breath catch, the powers leaving her, going from Thunderbolt back to being Mary again, then she hugs Shazam, "Alright, I'll take Steve for the moment. And I'll be okay. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." She smiles at Shazam, then looks over at Marie, "So, I guess we're going on an adventure. Hopefully there's no dragons or magic rings involved with this one."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
When Shazam comes in to hug Mary, Marie sneaks in a quick hug on the big guy, too. "Worry not. This is your sister we speak of, Shazam. She can do anything she sets her mind to." ...and she'll have magical backup to keep watch over her. It felt... a little weird to be the more powerful one of the couple, for certain, but she was definitely going to step up whenever needed.

Then, her eyes turn towards Mary. "Even if they are, mon amore, we will be ready." Mary's had the effect of making Marie feel more confident for quite some time; it shows easily here.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam hugs Marie back and gives her a peck on the cheek. "I know she can. She can be infuriating." He keeps one woman under each arm.

Mormoragan says, "Very well. I will send you back. Challenges begin tomorrow. Finish your movie. We are binging this Disney channel. Tomorrow then ladies. Board your sofa... I may seize your bean bag chair, Mary. So comfortable."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary nods and takes a seat on the couch, "Well, I can get another bean bag, so that's not a problem Wizard." She smiles a little, hugging Marie when she gets back to the couch, "You know, that movie is called the 'Dial of Destiny'... seems a bit fitting now."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie, for her part, walks with the blanket trailing behind her back towards the sofa, settling back into her place besides Mary and snuggling in appropriately. "...we should watch the rest of it, then get to bed, oui? Rest up, for tomorrow will begin a great challenge." She /is/ glad that they aren't going right now, though. The sudden teleport means that she doesn't have her cards on her, afterall. "Onwards then, towards adventure!"

...and with another flash of light, the piece of living room furniture -- and its occupants -- were back in their rightful places.