Heritage

It was weird being Grimalkin again; it wasn't like she couldn't access her powers as Lynn, but all her years away from Freedom she hadn't maintained a separate persona. The people she knew in Bill's world all knew she had super-powers, so she didn't have to pretend to be someone else...well, unless she actually was pretending to be someone else, of course! She decided that Grim was still as skinny as ever, so she sort of 'sucked in her gut' by cleverly redistributing her mass and ditching Lynn's somewhat more mature curves; the classic Grim hair was back, of course, all short and spiky with hints of red, and the black mask and black-and-midnight blue leathers were wrapped around her petite form again liked they'd never left. Grim's voice was also a bit higher than Lynn's, and her Jersey accent a bit stronger. Overall, she felt like she was impersonating a non-existent kid sister. The diminutive fae strolled off the Pegasus like she owned the place. "Wow, so this is where the tulips come from; neat!" A pair of wooden clogs appeared on her feet out of nowhere as she joined Velocity. "So where should we start, interviewing the staff?" She looked over her narrow shoulder at the Duke, grinned like a madwoman and then spoke in perfect Dutch. <"Don't worry, your Ducalness; I got the native lingo down pat!">

Personally I'd be fine with heading out now.

Lynn pulled a notebook and pen out of her front apron pocket and jotted down the three unfamiliar titles. <"I'll have to look those three up on Amazon, they sound interesting. Let's see, books I can recommend. Uh, well, The Monster Show, which is about the history of the American horror film; I don't agree with everything the guy says, but it's still pretty cool. The original Oz books by L. Frank Baum, favorites since I was a kid. John Norwich did this three-part history of Byzantium, which is just so...sad and tragic and amazing; it's like the prototype of Game of Thrones, so watch out!"> Gretchen passed by with her tray of partially-devoured cookies, which set off a few alarm bells. "Gretch, what are you doing? That tray looks like sh##!" The young bookseller looked blasé and shrugged. "I'm heading back by the bar; I can stock up." Then she indicated Dancia's table with a jerk of her head. "Also there's a reporter over there doing a piece on the store; might want to stop by." Lynn craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the journalist. "Okay, I see her, thanks." Turning back to Sam, she smiled apologetically. <"It looks like duty calls; here, take a card-"> She pulled a business card out of her apron and offered it. <"We're going to be starting a book club soon, maybe two or three; check out our website for details! It was very nice to meet you."> She smiled and offered a firm handshake and a little bow. Approaching Dancia's table, Lynn raised her eyebrows inquisitively. "Hello, I'm Lynn Epstein; I understand you're doing a piece on our little shop?"

Lynn smiled and shook her head at Tona's confusion. "That is your girlfriend trying to work the deal, something I imagine she does quite a lot." The older woman arched her back, did a quick handstand and then continued the move until she was standing on the beam again. "But she's right; the online ad had a few extra details that weren't in the print ad." She slid down into an effortless split, sighed and crossed her arms across her chest; the effect was rather unnerving. "Frankly, I need more employees; everyone's part time and scheduling can be difficult. If either Toma or Mali could work at least twenty hours in the shop, I will cut your rent in half." She raised a graceful eyebrow in Sam's direction. "I think that's more than fair for two young people in their first apartment." Lynn spun her legs around and was somehow back up on the beam again; just how flexible was she? Finally she did a double backflip and stuck a perfect dismount on the mat. Grabbing a towel off a nearby rack, she approached the trio as she dried herself off. "So that's four hundred a month for the both of you, plus one of you earning ten dollars an hour; combined with being able to do your own wash for free and I think you just might make it." Lynn sighed and suddenly looked much older than her face suggested. "Look, here's how it is: I'm not hurting for money right now, and my needs are small; I own this building outright, and I'm running the bookstore downstairs out of love and nostalgia." She jerked her head back towards the apartment building. "I have a unit that needs to be filled, and you seem like nice kids; lots of people took a look at the place, but they were mostly d-bags." She shrugged one more time. "It's really not that complicated."

For a few seconds, Lynn just sat there on the edge of her desk looking gobsmacked; this fellow wanted Lynn Epstein's help more than he wanted Grimalkin's? Wait, he wanted them both? How the hell was she going to pull that off? But then thankfully Velocity came to the rescue! When she'd finished, Lynn cleared her throat and chimed in. "She's right, your Grace; Grimalkin has been dealing with supernatural threats out in the field for years, as well as time travel and other dimensions. She might seem flighty at times, but she definitely knows her stuff." Hopefully that would do it!

Lynn gave Robert a slight bow. "A pleasure, Lord Harrow." Then she turned back to the Duke. "All the resources of my shop are of course at your disposal, your Grace, but I think the faster our little team is back on-site in your homeland, the better. I'll call my friend Grimalkin and see if she's free to help; she'll be of more use than me with your problem, and should be able to meet you at the airport or wherever your flight back leaves."

Lynn chuckled and happily took Ellie's arm as they headed upstairs. "Ah, l'amour! I remember it well!" She dropped the French accent and continued in a somewhat more serious tone. "Yeah, so far so good; got my hand-picked band of misfits, sales have been decent, locals seem interested in the store...so yeah, I'm pretty happy with it right now." Inside the apartment were several well-loved pieces of furniture, including many bookshelves; vintage movie and magic show posters covered the walls, and the portrait of Grim painted by William Blake hung over the gas fireplace. The bric-a-brac was a highly eclectic mix of Southwestern folk art and what looked to be Jules Vernesque space junk. A ceilling fan swished overhead, and intriguing cooking smells wafted in from the kitchen at the back of the apartment. Somewhere an iPod was softly playing an early 2000s playlist. The hostess gestured towards a pair of leather sofas that flanked a coffee table by the fireplace. "Welcome, have a seat! Can I get anyone a drink?"

Thanks for the responses! I wanted some clarification because it occured to me that Grim can pull off a sort of Russian doll/clown car trick by putting someone in her dimensional pocket, then shrinking down to pixie size and going into someone else's purse or bag! Velocity carries the three of us across the Atlantic!

Lynn took the three girls around the rest of the apartment, showing them the bedroom with its small closet and master bath, the kitchen with its attached half bathroom, pantry and laundry closet, then out to the rear deck; it was partly enclosed on two sides, but open to look out over the small yard. Lastly she took them down the back stairs, across the yard and over the garage; the room was fifteen by thirty and surprisingly well-equipped. In addition to a fixed cycle and weight set, there was a speed bag, heavy bag and focus bag; there was even a wooden Wing Chung dummy! The final item was an FIG-standard balance beam; approaching it, Lynn slipped off her sandals and easily mounted it. As she began to go through a basic routine, she chatted amiably with her prospective tenants while still displaying excellent form. "So, are you interested? I gotta admit, I like you guys, and would love to offer it to you."

A rules question for our refs: how much breathable air is in a Dimensional Pocket? Grim's only holds 250 pounds, so I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't too long, but I'm curious in general.

I wasn't try to throw a wrench in anyone's plans or derail the story; just felt some things needed to be addressed :D

"And there we go!" Lynn grinned as she held down her hair to keep it from blowing around and revealing her pointed ears (yes, she could easily smooth them down, but she liked to just be herself now and then). "Hello Velocity, it's wonderful to see you again." Then she turned to address the newcomer and held out a hand for a firm handshake. "And who is this? Lynn Esptein, welcome to my store." At that moment, a wide-eyed Gretchen and a stunned Lance leapt through the door, his hair slightly ruffled and hers a crazy wind-blown mess; Lance was still wearing his apron which sported a large wet splash, and he was clutching a latte knife like it was a deadly weapon as his eyes darted back and forth between the various parties in the room. It was Gretchen who finally managed to speak, her voice possibly showing more emotion than her entire previous life. "What...the HELL...was that?!" Lynn rubbed her face with her hand, clearly embarrassed. "Ah, I'm sorry, guys, it's Velocity. I, uh...may have neglected to mention that I know some super-people." She shrugged emphatically. "But this is Freedom City, right? I mean, lots of folks probably know a super-person or two, so it's really not that weird when you think about it, right? Right?" Gretchen just stood there, arms defiantly crossed across her chest as she scowled at everyone present; Lance had lowered his arm slightly, but still clutched the barista tool. From time to time the young man snuck peeks at Velocity, clearly somewhat taken with her. Finally the young bookseller, leveling her gaze at her employer. "If this is going to happen again, I want hazard pay." "Gretch, it's not-" "I'm dead serious." She gestured at Velocity, her hand taking the whole of her in without making eye contact. "I have nothing against superheroes, miss, or people who have them as friends, but I just...wanted a boring job where I could get free coffee and occasionally sell some books." Lynn sighed, then crossed her own arms. "Fine; we'll talk. But if one of you gets hazard pay, you all will. Now if you don't mind, I have some work to do." Gretchen nodded curtly, then walked out; Lance backed out, offering a quick nervous bow towards Velocity, a big schoolboy grin on his face. "Ma'am." Lynn sighed and perched herself on her desk. "Sorry about that; I guess it was only a matter of time before my two worlds began to collide. Actually, I'm glad it was a visit from a friendly and not a bad guy seeking me out for some reason." Shaking her head clear, she turned back to Robert. "So, you were saying you could sense something wrong about his Grace? Like, chronologically?"

She does have super-speed; in theory she could run and fetch him at any time.

To be honest, Grim was not a great poker player; sure, she knew the basic rules, but the finer aspects of probability were far behind her rudimentary math skills. But she did know a lot about BS; her father used to play every Friday night with a bunch of guys from work, and sometimes she would hang around the edge of the group, watching the men's faces and listening with delight to their cussing and playful banter. Her father told her a bit about strategy and tells, but mostly she looked at the men's eyes and listened to the tone of their voices, because that's where you could see the truth. Now all these years later, her BS meter was a well-honed tool; despite her time in college, her knowledge of psychology was still fairly fundamental, but she knew a nervous fidget when she saw one. Of course, now she also had a few other weapons at her disposal; the force of her personality and the intensity of her gaze were nothing to sneeze at, but then she let her mink stole slide off her pale shoulders and turned her smile up to five thousand watts... That's right, boys; take a good look and see if you can focus on my tells!

"Oh, uh..." Lynn drummed her fingers on her desk. "Y'know what, send them both; even if it takes longer, it will probably save us time later, and time is literally of the essence. Do you have something to write with? I'll give you the address to pass on to Velocity..." The call completed, Lynn set her phone aside and offered her 'client' what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "So good news! Velocity, Freedom's lovely speedster, is on her way, and it sounds like she's bringing along a specialist in temporal anomalies, so yay! I also have another friend in the biz I can get in contact with, but that will take a little longer; her name is Grimalkin, and I'm sure she'll be eager to help."

When the duke began to speak, Lynn pulled the phone away from her ear and held it out towards him so Megan could hear the fear in his voice; when he finished, she shrugged and spoke again. "So yeah, that's it; I'm convinced at the very least that he thinks the threat is real. He's not just yanking our chain." She started gnawing on a thumbnail. "So whaddya think, would she be interested? I'm thinking of giving my old spritely friend a call..."

Grim's Untrained Sense Motive check: 1d20+2=17 Aw, so close! Crazy Card-playin' Skillz: 1d20+23=32 Now that's more like it! Edit: Grim has some fairly impressive Slight of Hand skills (+15) and she also has the ability to conjure objects out of thin air; in theory, she could create fake cards and work them into her deck, but as has been stated, she would be in deep doo-doo if she were caught. On the other hand, her Bluff skills are impressive and at Charisma 26, she's both very attractive and potentially intimidating; I will have to think about what tactics she's employing...

Sorry, Deep Freeze does NOT have a spaceship of her own; I just meant she would be dependent on one for travel. I am really gunning for that mechanic job on Starshot's hunting ship!

Gretchen was gazing across the store at her boss, an odd look on her face. "And now it seems she speaks fluent Chinese; that's fairly random." Turning back to Dancia, she merely shrugs. "Eh, you can quote me, I don't care. You should probably leave out the stuff about Maddy; it's all true, but she'd probably sue you for libel." She looked like she was about to continue wandering the store with her tray of half-eaten samples before she stopped and looked back over her shoulder, eyes blank with boredom. "Oh yeah, she just came back from travelling the world I guess, for about three years. She was in school at Freedom College for about a year before she got married and took off. She doesn't wear the ring anymore, but it's on a cord around her neck, so..." She shrugged again. "Guess I should have opened with that stuff, huh?" And with that she was off again, listlessly offering her wares.

Lynn cleared her throat as she tried to figure out how best to explain the situation. "Uh, well, let's see; I have here in the office of my bookstore - which, by the way, is totally awesome and you must come see sometime - one Duke Dooyeweerd of the Netherlands. This guy says both he and his castle-estate-type-thing are under the effects of some sort of slowness curse, and he's looking for help in jump-starting it. Oh, and if we don't help him, he'll die." She shrugged and looked at the duke. "I think that pretty much covers it, right?"

"I'm good, I'm good! Sorry to drop off the face of the Earth like that; things have been kinda crazy." Then she turned slightly away from her 'client' and lowered her voice a tad. "Listen, I was wondering if you were still in touch with your fleet-footed friend; someone brought a situation to me that might require her specific talents."

The bookseller furrowed her brow as she pulled a musty book off a shelf and began flipping through it's pages. "A 'speed force'? That's a new one on me, but nothing is out and out impossible with magic, assuming the practitioner knows what he's doing; it would just be sort of unusual." After a few seconds of skimming, she shook her head. "Yeah, usually with magic you're looking at portals, flight or teleportation as your preferred modes of travel, though like I said, nothing's impossible..." Then she paused and looked at the Duke sort of sideways. "Although...I know someone, well, I used to know someone who was quite the expert on all things speedy. I just hope her number hasn't changed..." She pulled out her smartphone. "If you don't mind?" Once she got the go ahead, she went ahead and dialed. "Hi, is this Megan? How's this for a blast from the past, it's Lynn Epstein!"

Deep Freeze (aka Ana Kristina Plonsky) Origin: Earth (Flint, Michigan) Archetype: Gadgeteer Energy Controller in a Battlesuit Mode of Travel: Spaceship (Flight for maneuvering in vacuum) Typical Haunts: Lor Space, working as mechanic on Starshot's ship if he'll have her. I still need to draw up her sheet, but I think it would be very cool to be part of Starshot's crew :D

Lynn fought to keep the grimace off her face when the Duke kissed her hand; it was unexpected and mildly unpleasant, but she knew it was supposedly a sign of respect and good breeding. The mention of a possible spell was also rather alarming. Bowing her head slightly, she addressed the Dutch peer. "I am honored you've chosen my store to begin your quest, your grace. I can assure you I take magic very seriously; my great-grandfather Ira Silberman, who founded this store, consulted with the Liberty League on occult matters in his day, and I'd be happy to offer the same service to you." Noticing that Lance was giving her a rather odd look from behind the espresso bar, she cleared her throat. "Uh, maybe we should go back to my office to discuss this delicate matter; Lance, can you hold the fort for a few?" "Sure, Lynn, I guess-" "Great, you're the best, call me if you need me! Gentlemen, if you could follow me, please?" She led them through the store and into her private office; closing the door behind them, she sat behind her massive walnut desk, which made her look much younger. Above and behind her head where a pair of vintage firearms, a lever-action rifle and a revolver of unusual design, mounted in a special frame on the wall. Various other odd bits of bric-a-brac lined the shelves around the rest of the office, and music and the sound of the espresso machine drifted in from the open transom She indicated two chairs with a wave of her hand. "Now, what sort of spell do you think might be plaguing you, your grace?"

Made a minor addition to Lynn's last post to address Kit's security concerns.