[OPEN] hope dangles on a string

[nepotis]

Who: Harry Osborn nepotis and YOU!
What: Harry tries to grocery shop, and also beats up some NPCs
When: mid-March
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: wanton violence, possible mentions of alcoholism and poor coping habits

[ Harry Osborn is not a hero. He has no desire to "save" people, nor is he particularly suited for it. Conversely, he certainly doesn't think of himself as a villain, either, but then... who would? More than that, he has no interest in "reforming" himself to fit any mold this world has set for its metahuman residents. As such, he has no plans to join either of the guilds offering memberships and free handouts. He'll find his own way, by tooth and nail if he has to. ]

01. Independent Streak ⋯

[ Harry knows that his life will be different now that he's been cut off from Daddy's money. He's eventually going to have to find a job, find housing, find a way to feed and clothe himself without a team of staff to take care of those needs for him. His money and housing concerns are largely taken care of at least for now, but given how he has no intention of joining either of those guilds anytime, he knows it would be in his best interests to start making headway on independence now.

The main hurdle Harry has to clear to attain real independence is learning to cook for himself. His entire life, he's either had private chefs or school meal plans doing all the cooking for him. While he still has the Alliance's no-limit credit card, he could feasibly order takeout or delivery for every meal, but logically, he knows that cooking skills will take time, so he'd better get started learning sooner rather than later.

Which is how he ends up at the grocery store closest to the Diadem Hotel, shopping for supplies and ingredients. So far, he has in his cart:

• a carton of eggs
  
• a 5lb bag of yellow onions
  
• a package of frozen meatballs
  
• a jar of cocktail sauce
  
• salt and pepper shakers
  
• a value pack of 6 chicken breasts
  
• a box of frosted flakes

It's clear this poor boy needs help. He stands in the pasta aisle, completely stymied by the sheer overwhelming number of shapes. ]

What's the difference between penne, and penne rigate? [ He asks no one in particular, holding up two near identical boxes.

Or maybe you run into him in the bakery department, purchasing the smallest, saddest birthday cake, only big enough for one person to eat alone. He stands in front of the rack holding the number-shaped candles, picking out a "2" and a "1." ]

02. Heal Thyself ⋯

[ A curious thing had happened to Harry when he crashed down in Excelsior during the last Confluence. Angered by an influencer who had turned his head into an emoji, Harry had let loose punch after punch, taking out all the pent-up rage and frustration that had been building in him since his father's death. That's not what's curious, though. What's curious is that, after beating poor Emoji to a pulp, the telltale signs of Harry's terminal condition— the patchy skin on his neck, his shaking hands— had miraculously been cured. The effect was only temporary, though, and Harry quickly realized that if he wanted to stave off the slow, insidious progression of his deadly disease, he would have to make this a regular thing.

And so, though he is neither "hero" nor "villain," Harry spends his days walking the streets and back alleys of Central City, looking for marks he can beat up and leave bloodied, then walking away hale and hearty, whistling an innocent tune. He uses the Alliance credit card to buy a set of brass knuckles which he keeps tucked away in his jacket pocket and slips on whenever he's cornered a new victim. He's smart about it, hiding his identity with a hood, dark sunglasses, and a medical mask. If anyone questions why he's buying a 50-pack of disposable masks, he simply replies, ]

Cold and flu season.

[ Is it actually cold and flu season? Who knows. Not Harry. ]

03. Wildcard ⋯

[ Want something else? HMU @ millennialfalcon! Will match prose/brackets. ]