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Playing for Keeps

 Playing for Keeps
type
TVTItem
 Playing for Keeps
label
Playing for Keeps
 Playing for Keeps
page
PlayingForKeeps
 Playing for Keeps
comment
Playing for Keeps (link goes to the story on Scribl, as the original site crashed and burned) is a Podiobook series by Mur Lafferty (also published as a book), which takes place in the shining metropolis of Seventh City, home to many powerful and successful superheroes... and also home to a number of superpowered humans who didn't quite make the cut.Laura "Keepsie" Branson is a third-generation superhuman whose sole superpower is that nobody can steal anything that belongs to her. Deemed too weak and unworthy to be allowed to put on the spandex and call herself a "hero," she now runs a bar where the employees and many of the patrons are low-powered supers like herself; people who don't get the flight or energy blasts but have perfect control over elevators or the ability to smell the past. They're the "riff-raff" of the metahuman world; shunned by the "real" heroes and forbidden from using their powers to aid in the battle against evil, they try to keep their heads down and live their lives as best they can.But one day, Keepsie encounters supervillain and Gadgeteer Genius Doodad, who slips her a mysterious metal sphere. A mysterious metal sphere that it turns out both heroes and villains really want to get their hands on. Before they know it, Keepsie and her low-powered friends have to use whatever powers and abilities they have in order to survive as they find themselves pitted against both corrupt, jerkish heroes and manipulative, vengeful villains in a struggle that might bring the entire city to ruins.
 Playing for Keeps
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2023-06-15T06:57:31Z
 Playing for Keeps
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2023-06-15T06:57:31Z
 Playing for Keeps
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DBTropes
 Playing for Keeps / int_1b06aa41
type
Villains Never Lie
 Playing for Keeps / int_1b06aa41
comment
Villains Never Lie: Averted. Clever Jack lies about Seismic Stan being dead. Also, while nominally a "hero," Ghostheart's superpower is based around lying; as long as they aren't aware of her power, she can make anyone believe anything she tells them.
 Playing for Keeps / int_1b06aa41
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Playing for Keeps / int_1b06aa41
 Playing for Keeps / int_25b5600
type
Captain Ersatz
 Playing for Keeps / int_25b5600
comment
Captain Ersatz: Surprisingly averted. There are a lot of original superheroes and -villains in the story, but while you will recognize some of the powers, there doesn't seem to be any real analogues to any Marvel or DC characters — with the possible exception of Pallas, who has more than a bit of Wonder Woman in her.
 Playing for Keeps / int_25b5600
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 Playing for Keeps / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 Playing for Keeps / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: On two levels. The supervillains don't join in the discrimination of the third-wave superhumans but treat them with some level of respect (possibly because the villains themselves have been treated poorly by the heroes in the past). Also, while not directly evil, Jerkass hero The Crane is more than willing to use brutal methods when interrogating suspects... but he's appalled when he finds out that some of his fellow heroes are actively getting innocent civilians killed.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_3496b29a
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Heart Is an Awesome Power
 Playing for Keeps / int_3496b29a
comment
Heart Is an Awesome Power: The entire point of the story. As the protagonists in this story gradually discover, powers that seem useless can become not only very useful but in some cases lethally so, when used with a bit of imagination. Keepsie's power is that anyone who tries to steal anything from her ends up petrified until she lets them go — not a very versatile power, it seems at first, but it turns out that this also extends to people trying to take her life, making her effectively unkillable and anyone who tries to kill her will instantly find themselves unable to move at all. Later on, when she gets powered up on Zupra Ex, and learns to control her powers, she finds that her power can make her friends unkillable as well, since they're "hers"... and she can even learn to petrify people at will for "breathing her air." Peter can learn things about other people by smelling them. Turns out this means he can not only track people like a bloodhound but also know exactly what they're doing and where they're going, and he can instantly find out anyone's biggest strengths and weaknesses. Michelle's only power is that she can carry any tray, no matter how full it is, without dropping or upsetting it. This means she can carry anything, no matter how big and heavy, as long as it's technically on a tray — and it also gives her lethal aim if throwing the tray like a discus. Ian can send out high-pressure beams of feces from his hands. Extremely gross, but actually a very effective weapon. Alex has Healing Hands, though can only heal one square inch at a time. He still ends up saving the lives of quite a few people with this power. Collette is a Supreme Chef who instinctively knows exactly what kind of food everyone wants. Comes in handy when someone is trying to impersonate one of your friends, because while they may be able to mimic his appearance and voice, they have more trouble mimicking his exact food preferences. Also, it's amazing how useful an intricate knowledge of cooking oil and its boiling point might prove when you're under siege... Tomas has Super Strength, but only for five-second bursts. Still, it's incredible what you can do in five seconds.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_36c64123
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Gentle Giant
 Playing for Keeps / int_36c64123
comment
Gentle Giant: Tomas, the resident Norwegian, is very tall and possesses Super Strength (which he can only sustain for five seconds at a time, but even without it he proves to be pretty strong), and is also a kind, gentle soul — if sometimes rather puzzled about the behaviors of Americans.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_3946634e
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The Smart Guy
 Playing for Keeps / int_3946634e
comment
The Smart Guy: Peter, who feels he has the weakest power, is the one who comes up with the majority of the plans and also makes brilliant suggestions to the others on how to use their powers more effectively.
 Playing for Keeps / int_3946634e
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Playing for Keeps / int_3946634e
 Playing for Keeps / int_3c3f28a5
type
Blessed with Suck
 Playing for Keeps / int_3c3f28a5
comment
Blessed with Suck: What many third-wave supers feel they have been. Sam's is a standout example: She can know anything, but at the cost of one year of her life per answer. She looks old despite being a young adult because of how she experimented with her power. Except her real power is the ability to perfectly lie to anyone who doesn't know that that's her power, which is morally iffy but far less sucky.
 Playing for Keeps / int_3c3f28a5
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 Playing for Keeps / int_4d070ee3
type
Power Perversion Potential
 Playing for Keeps / int_4d070ee3
comment
Power Perversion Potential: Tattoo Devil has the power to make any of his tattoos come to life and take physical form, and in battle uses this power to call forth wild animals to attack his opponents. Later on it's revealed that he also has a tattoo of a naked woman... and one of a naked man.
 Playing for Keeps / int_4d070ee3
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Playing for Keeps / int_4d070ee3
 Playing for Keeps / int_537dd8fe
type
Affably Evil
 Playing for Keeps / int_537dd8fe
comment
Affably Evil: Clever Jack is a quite personable and charming guy... but, as the characters are reminded, this does not mean he's not a villain.
 Playing for Keeps / int_537dd8fe
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Playing for Keeps / int_537dd8fe
 Playing for Keeps / int_571bfe2
type
Super Serum
 Playing for Keeps / int_571bfe2
comment
Super Serum: Zupra, the Fantastic Drug that's the source of all the superhumans' powers is a variant on this. If a pregnant woman is treated with the drug, her baby will develop superpowers of some sort either upon birth or when reaching puberty. The upgraded version, Zupra Ex, can give powers to adult humans as well as enhance and increase already existing powers, but can also cause temporary or permanent insanity.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_57b80b45
type
Fantastic Racism
 Playing for Keeps / int_57b80b45
comment
Fantastic Racism: Third-wave superhumans, who have weak or non-conventional superpowers, are discriminated against by both normal people, who'd rather not have anything to do with them, and by the superheroes, who treat them with contempt and disdain.
 Playing for Keeps / int_57b80b45
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Playing for Keeps / int_57b80b45
 Playing for Keeps / int_5aa5145
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Rubber Man
 Playing for Keeps / int_5aa5145
comment
Rubber Man: The Crane can stretch any part of his body at will — unlike other examples of the trope, however, he also has wings.
 Playing for Keeps / int_5aa5145
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 Playing for Keeps / int_617f0563
type
Heel–Face Turn
 Playing for Keeps / int_617f0563
comment
Heel–Face Turn: Light of Mornings, who turns out to simply be a fifteen year old girl and a victim of Clever Jack's manipulation. Also, Ian after his Face–Heel Turn switches back to the side of the protagonists when he realizes what a huge mistake he's made.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_620e256f
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Gullible Lemmings
 Playing for Keeps / int_620e256f
comment
Gullible Lemmings: A lot of the citizens of Seventh City seem to be suffering from this trope, both normals and heroes. Villains and third-wavers seem a little more resistant.
 Playing for Keeps / int_620e256f
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 Playing for Keeps / int_620e256f
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 Playing for Keeps / int_6293c185
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Sequel Hook
 Playing for Keeps / int_6293c185
comment
Sequel Hook: At least three. Dr. Timson is still at large and Peter is going to track her down, Ian and Light of Mornings are probably still out there, and Keepsie hints she might join the reformed Academy.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_6439de78
type
Heroic Sacrifice
 Playing for Keeps / int_6439de78
comment
Heroic Sacrifice: Ian and Light of Mornings, who have both temporarily been on the side of the bad guys, both stay behind in the strange demon dimension so that Keepsie and Peter can close the interdimensional portal and keep the Eldritch Abomination from entering Seventh City. It's fairly heavily hinted that they'll survive, though.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_65e33518
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Lethal Harmless Powers
 Playing for Keeps / int_65e33518
comment
Lethal Harmless Powers: So many examples.
 Playing for Keeps / int_65e33518
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Playing for Keeps / int_65e33518
 Playing for Keeps / int_6bccf2ba
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Supreme Chef
 Playing for Keeps / int_6bccf2ba
comment
Supreme Chef: Collette has this as her power; she can cook anything to perfection and knows instinctively exactly what whoever she's cooking for wants and how they want it, even if they don't tell her. The only reason why she hasn't been headhunted by three-star restaurants is that most normal people are wary of employing a superhuman, even one with non-aggressive powers like hers.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_787a34e7
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Swiss-Army Superpower
 Playing for Keeps / int_787a34e7
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Swiss-Army Superpower
 Playing for Keeps / int_787a34e7
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Playing for Keeps / int_787a34e7
 Playing for Keeps / int_7913eb6f
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Healing Hands
 Playing for Keeps / int_7913eb6f
comment
Alex has Healing Hands, though can only heal one square inch at a time. He still ends up saving the lives of quite a few people with this power.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_a51b63ed
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Flying Brick
 Playing for Keeps / int_a51b63ed
comment
Flying Brick: Pallas, probably — though it is questioned in-story whether she is actually flying or just jumping very far.
 Playing for Keeps / int_a51b63ed
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Playing for Keeps / int_a51b63ed
 Playing for Keeps / int_a8c6a317
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Super-Strength
 Playing for Keeps / int_a8c6a317
comment
Tomas has Super Strength, but only for five-second bursts. Still, it's incredible what you can do in five seconds.
 Playing for Keeps / int_a8c6a317
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 Playing for Keeps / int_b39b94da
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Born Lucky
 Playing for Keeps / int_b39b94da
comment
Born Lucky: Clever Jack's power. It also gives him Improbable Aiming Skills with ranged weapons.
 Playing for Keeps / int_b39b94da
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 Playing for Keeps / int_b4b811ac
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Super Zeroes
 Playing for Keeps / int_b4b811ac
comment
Super Zeroes: The third-generation supers, but most in the story find ways of using their powers anyways.
 Playing for Keeps / int_b4b811ac
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 Playing for Keeps / int_bf9ed416
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Immortality
 Playing for Keeps / int_bf9ed416
comment
Keepsie can't be stolen from, but killing her is "stealing her life", so she essentially has a form of Immortality.
 Playing for Keeps / int_bf9ed416
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 Playing for Keeps / int_c85adb75
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Semantic Superpower
 Playing for Keeps / int_c85adb75
comment
Semantic Superpower: Keepsie can't be stolen from, but killing her is "stealing her life", so she essentially has a form of Immortality. Michelle's power allows to carry anything that's technically a tray, no matter how heavy it is.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_c868a42a
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Freudian Excuse
 Playing for Keeps / int_c868a42a
comment
Freudian Excuse: The supervillains turn out to have this.
 Playing for Keeps / int_c868a42a
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Polite Villains, Rude Heroes
 Playing for Keeps / int_cd99383e
comment
Polite Villains, Rude Heroes: Clever Jack, being Affably Evil, is far more polite to the main characters than the "heroes".
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 Playing for Keeps / int_dae5c997
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Action Girl
 Playing for Keeps / int_dae5c997
comment
Action Girl: Both Keepsie, Michelle and Collette, despite having less-than-impressive powers, can kick quite a bit of ass when they need to.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_e70127
type
The Mole
 Playing for Keeps / int_e70127
comment
The Mole: Keepsie quickly figures out that there must be one in their midst, with how the Academy seems to know everything she and her friends do. At first, the main suspect is Patricia, the grouchy waitress, but the real Mole turns out to be the kindly Samantha, in actuality the "hero" Ghostheart.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_eb8e4fa8
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Jerkass
 Playing for Keeps / int_eb8e4fa8
comment
Jerkass: Most of the heroes from the Academy, to varying degrees. The only real exception among registered heroes is Pallas, the first superhero who inspired the founding of the Academy.
 Playing for Keeps / int_eb8e4fa8
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 Playing for Keeps / int_eff83d77
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Mundane Utility
 Playing for Keeps / int_eff83d77
comment
Mundane Utility: Collette uses her Supreme Chef power as cook for Keepsie's bar, Michelle's ability to carry any tray perfectly makes her an amazing waitress for the same, and Keepsie's lost and found is the safest place in the city, since until the stuff in it is claimed, it's her property.
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Surfer Dude
 Playing for Keeps / int_f591365a
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Surfer Dude: Ian is a fairly low-key version of this.
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 Playing for Keeps / int_fbba5e98
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Gadgeteer Genius
 Playing for Keeps / int_fbba5e98
comment
Gadgeteer Genius: Doodad is a villainous example; his superpower enables him not only to build all kinds of devices, robots and gadgets, but also gives him control over machines and mechanics that he didn't build.
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Cast from Lifespan
 Playing for Keeps / int_fef8bef4
comment
Sam's is a standout example: She can know anything, but at the cost of one year of her life per answer. She looks old despite being a young adult because of how she experimented with her power. Except her real power is the ability to perfectly lie to anyone who doesn't know that that's her power, which is morally iffy but far less sucky.
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Playing for Keeps

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Playing For Keeps
seeAlso
Playing for Keeps
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Born Lucky / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Heart Is an Awesome Power / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Imposter Forgot One Detail / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Lethal Harmless Powers / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Living Lie Detector / int_927d32e6
 Playing For Keeps
seeAlso
Playing for Keeps
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Polite Villains, Rude Heroes / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Semantic Superpower / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Super Zeroes / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Supreme Chef / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Swiss-Army Superpower / int_927d32e6
 Playing for Keeps
hasFeature
Web Serial Novel / int_927d32e6