Heritage

Grim's eyes went wide and she instantly felt like she was going to vomit; the thought was horrific, unthinkable. And yet... We never saw Atlas coming, either. Her hands began to visibly shake, though she did her level best to hide them by tightly crossing her arms across her chest. When the shapeshifter spoke, her voice was tight with barely-restrained panic. "Uh, yeah, well, I'm just goin' on a few theories there, y'know, stuff I read, stuff Colby suggested to to me. I've never put any of this stuff to the test." Her eyes locked onto the forge, and pinpricks of sweat popped out of her forehead. "Do you think that's possible, that I'm a, I'm a sleeper? Is there any way I could even tell? I've experienced, whaddya call it, 'lost time', like on the X-Files." Finally her voice cracked with near-hysteria as her body was racked with sobs. "Is that when they did it? Is that when they killed me?" :cry:

Hi guys! Sorry I've been so darn quiet in this thread; partly it's been an internet access issue, and partly it's been concern over Gossamer's current relationship with ASTRO Labs. I've always thought of her as being very loyal to ASTRO, but I also love this project. Does anyone know from RL experience if it's common for a researcher to maintain both lab space and connections with two such organizations? if not, I might need to do something IC to show her changing jobs. Like Fox, I find myself in the position of saying 'well done!' on the HQ design, while having done nothing but kick in a PP :(

I've been babysitting a sick nephew this week, sorry for the lack of posts; hopefully he'll be better after tomorrow :)

The shapeshifter shrugged. "I did what you always do in a faerie tale; I had to complete three quests, each one harder than the last." She began to tick off the quests on her fingertips. "First I had to save a beautiful princess from an ogre. That one wasn't too hard, because he was an idiot; I just talked him into doing something stupid, basically." Grim chuckled at the memory, then moved on. "The second one was to help a mother find her baby, which the goblins had carried off from its crib and up the chimney; that was a bit more challenging." She shuddered. "Goblins are a lot more horrible than I would have guessed, especially fighting a pack of them." And then she got very quiet for a few moments, her eyes downcast. "The last quest…there was this old woman who lived in the forest, who seemed really sweet and kind, y’know? Like your favorite grandmother or great-aunt." She took a deep breath. "But she was really a witch, and not some silly Halloween costume kinda thing; I’m talking the full-on Baba Yaga, crooked-little-house-all-made-out-of-bones kind. She was terrifying. And there I was, just a little cat trapped in her house…†With great effort, she forced a smile. “But I defeated her, and then I got my old body back and met the Queen of Summer, sitting on her golden throne; actually I’m pretty sure all the women I met there were really just her, using glamour to test me. And she told me about my bloodline, which has had fae blood in it for hundreds of years, and how her sister the Queen of Winter pulled my lifeless body out of that alley, and kindled the tiny little spark that remained into a big ol’ magical bonfire.†She shrugged. “Still not quite sure why the Winter Queen did that; she and Summer don’t talk much, I guess.â€

Lynn frowned, deep in thought. "Well, I didn't really specify a taste when I made it; I just thought 'glass of water', and that's how it turned out. In general, I think I have to know something, like, at least slightly to create it. My family's been in the furniture business for years on my dad's side, so I'm pretty good with that." She tugged at her lower lip. "Like if you asked me to make you a pork crop, it would probably taste funny, 'cause I've kept kosher from birth, so I've never had one." The shapeshifter raised an eyebrow at the tricorder, but offered no comment on it. "Uh, I was a small gray cat, y’know, regular house cat size. When I asked the faeries why I was a cat, they said, 'You are a cat because you've always been a cat. Here in Faerie, all is truth and no one lies.' Which I’m fairly sure is pure BS, at least for the human point of view on truth and lies. As far as the name goes, yeah, I first read it in Macbeth freshman year, then I saw it again in House of the Seven Gables. I spell it the way Hawthorne spelled it, not the old English way." She smiled. “I just liked that it had 'Grim 'in it, made it sound a little scarier somehow. And with the way my powers work and my pointy little ears, why not a witch's cat, right?â€

Works for me; can we say Dyne's mysteriously disappeared? ;)

Grim squealed in delighted panic when she looked over her shoulder and spotted the human freight train barreling down on her; she waited until Mona was just within arm's reach to drop to the floor and go all squishy. Then the pool of super-slick Grimglamour arched through the air and hit the ceiling with a splat, where she resumed her human form, albeit upside down and slicking out her tongue. "Your too slow, old woman!" She conjured three glass bottles on her fingers, and started to clink them together rhythmically while grinning like an idiot. "Interceptors, come out to play-ay!"

Grim looked mildly annoyed. "Well just because I don't get thirsty anymore doesn't mean my mouth can't get dry, silly. Which I know doesn't quite makes sense, but it's true." She conjured up a glass of water, quickly gulped it down, and then dismissed the glass. "See? No muss, no fuss. And yeah, as my body becomes more fae or whatever, I seem to need less and less; I had no idea how much time I wasted in the bathroom!" The tips of her ears went a little pink after that statement, but she continued. "So yeah, my researches. Well pretty much everything was pointing at 'faerie', especially my issues with iron. At the bookstore I met Detective Morena Colby of the FCPD, who I guess is kinda their resident magic expert, and this Irish kid named Sirius who was some sort of kitsune, even though I think they're normally Japanese." What the hell was Dok putting together? It looked vaguely sinister...:? "Reena suggested some books, but really I didn't get to know her until later; it was Sirius who was able to help me find the portal to Avalon, back in the alley where I'd disappeared and reappeared in the Fens. I was sucked right through a brick wall, and woke up on the Other Side, which was this huge forest. Also, I was a cat; a talking cat." She grinned and shook her head. "Stupid faerie tales."

Gossamer Brainiac Brunch Champagne Shenanigans Cry Havok! Date Patrol! Action and Romance! Two Heroes Unite! Shaggy Dog Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone Grimalkin Earth Victoriana: The Brit Machine Meet the Interceptors! No Place Like Home Stay on Target... Stopping By For A Nice Little Chat Takes A Thief Wait, Who's Saving Who Here? We All Need Someone We Can Lean On Welcome back, Kris Welcome to The Interceptors, Jill O'Cure Zombie Powder is a Helluva Drug

Estelle graciously let Felix attend to his hosting duties, and then started to move slowly about the room, scanning the party to monitor its evolving mood; any good party is like both a three-act play and a living thing, and one is wise to stay sharp. Viktor and the stupendous Miss Americana were dancing, easily the most glamorous couple of the night, and Felix and a lovely woman had joined them. One poor young man was having a bit of any issue with the paparazzi, but then it seemed like Victory from AEGIS was being kind enough to intervene, so her focus shifted elsewhere… That is, until the poor young man bumped into her! Though she did spill her drink when she stumbled, she was able, due to years of practice, to avoid getting any champagne on her dress. Seeing that the teen was about to take a bit of a spill himself, her braid quickly unfurled and several golden tendrils shot out to grab him at the shoulders and waist, easily able to handle his athletic frame. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you!†Lifting him back up to his feet, she smiled warmly at him as she sent a few tendrils across the room to fetch some napkins from a nearby table. “Are you alright? Sadly dodging photographers is often a full-contact sport.†She did her best to mop up the spill with the napkins as a simply stunning young lady approached them and began to speak with the young man in Latin, of all things. How very interesting! :raise:

Grim looked over her shoulder at the German genius and gave him an 'are you serious?' look. "A dress? Seriously? Dok, remember who you're talkin' to here." She stood up, and in an instant mist swirled about her in delicate little whorls, leaving her in a lacey creation with a white bodice, her hair trailing majestically over her shoulders. She grinned happily as she did a slow spin. "Now I'm not saying this is the final look; me and my sister Eddi are still batting around ideas via Facebook, but I am sayin' the dress is not an issue. The tux, on the other hand, we still need to pick out." She smiled at her fiance and shook her head. "And we're still debating the whole 'cowboy hat at the service' issue." The shapeshifter gracefully stepped over to Eli and playfully bopped him on the head with her bouquet. "Dude, stop learning so darn much and pay attention! The service will be here in Freedom, in the family bookstore so both my family and all our hero buddies can attend; we're only talking about having the honeymoon in a gingerbread Bavarian castle." She moved back over to Colt and pulled him down onto the beanbag, the dress shifting back into her FC sweats to make for better snuggling during the movie.

"Hear hear!" Estelle raised her beer in salute. "So, before we run off into the night tomorrow in our quest to fight evil, can I ask what sort of tactics and techniques you use? Personally my best trick seems to be a straightforward grab; very few bad guys can wriggle free once I've wrapped my hair around them."

Works for me! This thread can also be locked, O Red-Lettered Ones!

Grim was still a bit uneasy, but having her fears acknowledged helped a little. "Yeah, okay. Well the first time I met Wesley, he did that thing where his eyes glow? And of course, the first thing I'm thinkin' is he's try to see me naked, so I freak out a bit; then he tells me I'm not human." For a few seconds she said nothing, just picked at a seam on her conjured jeans. "Which was kinda scary to hear, but it did make sense, y'know? It explained a lot of things. So after that, I did some research into magic and stuff, and I was in this bookstore called The Never-Ending Story in Riverside; ever been there? Very cool. And I met two people there who kinda helped me on my journey, just like Joseph Campbell said they would." She stopped for a second and addressed Dok directly. "Uh, can I drink down here? I don't want to make a mess, but all the yappin' is leaving me pretty parched."

This thread can be locked down, Red Letter Gang! :D

Estelle beamed appropriately at her host and responded with a quick peck of her own. "Thank you so much for inviting me, Felix! An excellent turnout, from the look of things." She accepted a bit of Beluga, which she nibbled delicately. "Mmm, delicious, thank you!" Hearing Dr Archeville's name announced, she turned to see the brilliant polymath enter with...Miss Americana, from the brunch! "Goodness, that Viktor moves fast; such a naughty one!"

Here are Gossamer's updated Reps.

The trip down to Dok's lab triggered a horrible childhood flashback for Grim; her father had shown her a very odd film by Dr Seuss called The 5000 Fingers of Dr T when she was little. There was a very creepy scene where a man in black mask took the kid down to the dungeons in the basement; she had nightmares for weeks afterwards. Of course, it would have been even creepier if he still had his German accent, but hearing him rattle on and on about the Jews down here was really starting to freak her out. Still peering about very nervously and visibly shying away from the blacksmith's forge, the changeling responded in a tremulous voice. "Uh, yeah, by Jewish law it goes by the mother's side of the family, so your dad...your dad would be considered Jewish, but technically you're not unless your mom was, which I'm guessing, y'know, she wasn't." "Uh, y'know, anywhere is fine...so,um...what kinds of tests did you have in mind...?" I can always fly out of here, right? Yeah, if I can somehow retrace my steps back through the house of CRAZY! :shock:

"Dr. Estelle de Havilland." Was it strange that she was used to being announced when she entered a room? Certainly it wasn't normal; at least it hadn't gone so far that she expected to hear it whenever she entered a Starbucks. Such idle thoughts were dismissed as her sharp eye began to scan the room, looking for rivals, enemies and friends. Rather than put her hair up in some sort of elaborate arrangement, she'd opted for her traditional long braid down her back; since her hairstyle was simple, she felt comfortable selecting a black-and-white patterned dress she'd been eager to try on. Her jewelry and shoes were elegant and understated, since the dress really did all the talking. Taking an offered flute of champagne with an appreciative smile, she noticed Felix Fassbinder talking with a several guests. Not wanting to interrupt her host, she positioned herself within his eyeline but several feet back, sipping her champagne and waiting for him to finish.

Gossamer smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment. "Well, thank you Gregory; I'm looking forward to seeing you in action as well." She leaned forward as bit. "You know, I wasn't always this independant; I was spoiled rotten when I was little. But then when I went Harvard, my parents agreed to pay for the tuition, books and meal program, but they insisted that if I wanted to have any sort of spending money, I had to get a job." She laughs at the memory. "Oh, how I howled at that one! It wasn't so much the having to work part, though I'd be lying if I didn't admit how very unkeen I was on the idea; I was convinced having a job would mean I'd have less time to study and I'd miss out on all the good parties." The lovely blonde paused in her story as the appetizers arrived, then continued as she squeezed a sweet and sour packet onto her egg roll. "I got my first job at a pizzeria just outside of campus, and I loved it; the best friends I made at school were the ones I sweated next to at Pizza Luigi." She took a big bite of egg roll, chewed it thoroughly and swallowed. "And I still make a mean pizza. The secret is in making the right dough; a pie is only as good as its crust, I assure you. And after all, cooking is just applied chemistry, so there you are." She daintily wiped the corners of her mouth, then squeezed on more sweet and sour sauce. “So did you work your way through college? Or judging from your build, I could see you going in under some sort of athletic scholarship.â€

Grim was halfway to the face of big Ben when her little thingamabob went nutso on her, which made it a bit harder to fly, not that hauling around her portrait was helping, of course. With a wistful sigh, she turned and started heading for the Cross and Bow. Ah well, I'm sure I'll come back to London someday... Flitting through the freezing gusts, she landed behind the pub and resumed her normal size and her period appearance, this time getting it right with a hat precariously pinned to a elaborate hairdo, tweed mutton-sleeved jacket, and a sensible winter skirt. Over one large shoulder was the strap of her leather mapcase. From the sound of it, a Salvation Army band was playing in front of the pub, but upon rounding the corner she spotted Edge in his Sherlock Holmes duds with a colorful foursome in tow. Alright, now I've seen everything. :roll: The faeling eagerly wave a primly-gloved hand as she approached the group. "Hi guys! Edge, who are your musical friends?"

Estelle had heard that the Albright girl was very intelligent, and her statements only confirmed the facts; when she responded, her tone was light but still respectful. "Well, if you insist on applying logic and compassion to the problem, then yes, that would be the ideal course of action, but certainly we can look to treat both symptoms and cause? I agree that not every approach we suggested is advisable, but only through the open discussion of all possibile solutions can we hope to seperate flawed proposals from ones with genuine merit." Dr de Havilland nodded in agrement as the towers rose. "Indeed, an excellent suggestion; I'd be happy to donate time, money and effort towards such a proposal, even if I myself was, for whatever reason, unable to set a up a lab on site."

Grim listened in stunned silence as Viktor related his own personal horror story; when he finished, she walked over to him and gave him a fierce yet warm bear hug. "You poor thing; parents can really suck sometimes, can't they?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and then returned to her seat. "I've actually heard of Tay-Sachs before; Ashkenazi Jews are supposed to be more likely to have it, though I also heard that's a myth. I do have a niece who died of it, when I was little." She sighed and shook her head. “My mom's had trouble in the past, y'know, with mental illness. After my dad got injured, she had a real rough time of it; major depression with the occasional psychotic episode. So I know what it’s like to live in fear of a parent. The big thing is to be able to get away from them, and take care of yourself.†For a little bit she said nothing, just gazed at the good doctor with penetrating eyes as she gnawed on a thumbnail. “So you’re a quarter Jewish on your dad’s side; that would been enough to send you to a camp.†She smiled self-consciously. “It shouldn’t make a difference, but to me it kind of does; it will make a big difference when you meet my family, which is kinda sad.†Grim hopped up rubbed her hands together vigorously. “Okay, I think we’ve wallowed in self-pity and melancholy for long enough, don’t you? Are there any tests you can run while I finish my sordid tale? All that’s really left is the hardcore faerie stuff; the angsty soap opera stuff I pretty much covered.â€

The blonde chemist frowned thoughfully. "Let me see, I have been a public metahuman since...mid-2008? Yes, that sounds about right. But to be honest, I didn't make a very serious go of it until last fall, when I decided to become more active and actively seek out challenges and situations where I could help." She smiled and shrugged. "So not a grizzled veteran, but a journeyman, at least."

For the record, I chatted with Nanowire's plater Veiled Malice when I brought Grim back last year, and he approved of (and suggested most of) this interpretaion of events after I left back in '08. But as far as Nightrival goes, we have only this aborted thread that was supposed to be the reunion of NR and Grim, but Shadowboxer disappeared right after making his only post in that thread. Grim was of course disguised as the old timer. Having no input from SB, I have been very vague as to what happened between them back in that homeless shelter; I've always played it like it didn't go all that well, and then Rival disappaered shortly thereafter. Needless to say, Grim thinks something bad happned to her old mentor, and she's somehow responsible :P