Editing Cradle (section)

===Background===
Ryan had psychopathic tendencies ever since he was a child. As such, he was a huge pain to deal with, as he would constantly torment his parents, teachers, and classmates.

Cradle had a tense relationship with his parents and teachers, who felt that he had unrealized potential that he wasn't living up to; this gradually caused him to isolate himself from others.<ref name="4b1">A hand slamming down on the table, a paper beneath it.  A mouth opening.  A man that might have been Cradle’s father spoke, but it wasn’t words that came out.  It was the frantic cries of the crowd, the screams, the shouted jumble.<br/><br/>The paper crumpled slightly as the hand on it closed into more of a fist.<br/><br/>In the background, a very prim and proper woman stood with her back to Cradle.<br/><br/>''The parents,'' Rain interpreted.  ''Disappointment and anger.  I can understand that.'' - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/02/13/shade-interlude-4b/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 4b II]]</ref><ref>''The principal,'' Rain interpreted.  He’d seen variations on this.  It was usually like this, or else smoke, rubble, or broken glass poured from people’s mouths instead of words.  ''Cradle wasn’t doing so well?''<br/><br/>He could understand that too.<br/><br/>''It’s even of a similar vein.  Unrealized potential, as far as I can understand it.  Report cards, teachers, father figures, they want something from him and he doesn’t deliver.  He doesn’t hand it over.''<br/><br/>Then the long hallway.  The trudge.  Cradle’s hand was visible as he reached up to fix his glasses, as he reached out to the window.  In the distance, far away, the sounds of disaster could be heard.  The stampede, the fire.<br/><br/>''School again?  A lonely hallway?  Isolation?  I used to call him the recluse.'' - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/02/13/shade-interlude-4b/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 4b II]]</ref>

Things eventually improved for Cradle, and he began to feel happier about his situation in life.<ref name="6.5 2">“I was getting everything set up, finally living the life I wanted to live, and he fucked it all up.  He pulled me into this, he infected me, and now I’m different!”<br/><br/>I opened my mouth to respond, to retort, bait out more and keep Cradle’s attention, so we could figure out a way to get Rain away.  If Vista could get to Sveta and Rain- and it looked like she was heading that way-<br/><br/>“He violated my self!” Cradle’s words were more raw than any others I’d heard from him.  Angrier. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/04/28/pitch-6-5/ Excerpt] from [[Pitch 6.5]]</ref> Sometime following Gold Morning, however, Cradle was caught in the stampede of people attempting to escape the mall fire set by a group of [[Fallen]], where he lost his glasses and was trampled by the crowd as he tried to retrieve them. Pleading for help but getting none, Cradle had a [[tinker]] trigger, becoming part of a [[cluster]] with [[Snag]], [[Love Lost]], and [[Rain]].<ref>Twice, he reached for the glasses, and his hands were stepped on.  There was a desperation in it, more of a struggle to get them than there was even an attempt to stand.  The scene was blurred but his hands were as clear as anything.<br/><br/>Close by, a woman screamed, and the sound was prolonged, multi-part.<br/><br/>He found his glasses and put them to his face with bleeding fingers.  He was kicked, stepped on.<br/><br/>[...]<br/><br/>''Pleading for help, reaching and unanswered,'' Rain interpreted.<br/><br/>''How did all of what came before lead into this?'' - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/02/13/shade-interlude-4b/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 4b II]]</ref>

After his trigger, Cradle buried himself into his workshop, amassing mercenary contacts, resources, and favors.
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===Story Start===
===[[Gold Morning]]===
Survived the event
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