Heritage

Unfortunately for Grim, Jack had come as Avenger, which gave him a distinct advantage; it was tougher to give him grief when he was all scary and swathed in black. She did however give his spouse a courteous nod. Since Robin was still within earshot, she kept things official. "Nice to see you again, Phantom; I wish I could say the same for your teammate." For a long time, the changeling said nothing; her eyes got a bit wide and her nostrils flared a bit, and the observant could see her claws extend for just a few moments before they thankfully retreated. The whole time, her steely gaze shifted between Wesley and Avenger. At last she spoke, keeping her voice level with obvious effort. "So you two made a fake head...out of pork. You made a pork head that looked like me." A short pause. "Why the hell would you do such a thing?! You slap a few pork chops together and give it my face for what possible reason?" Then she stopped and jabbed an accusing finger at Wesley, her whole arm trembling with rage. "Waitaminute, last I remember, you couldn't sculpt dead tissue; it had to be alive." She quickly did the math, and her face turned to a mask of outrage and disgust. "You did this with a live pig, didn't you? You turned a pig into me, and then I'm guessing the great and powerful Avenger ripped it's ****ing head off! You sick-" Rage quickly turned to revulsion, and Grim fell to her knees and vomited.

Lynn turned to Eli. "It's a bookstore, here in the West End. All kinds of stuff in stock, but mostly books on magic, both stage and the real stuff. I used to spend hours wandering the shelves when I was little." The changeling looked slightly embarrassed by the scientist's eager attention. "Well, it was a few years ago, back when I was patrolling the Fens; me and a few other folks got sucked back in time by accident, something to do with powers interacting funny." She frowns as she tries to recall all the details of the trip. "I don't think it was a straight trip back, maybe a little sideways? A few things seemed different; I did meet the Centurion, briefly, which was a trip and a half. He seemed very nice." She didn't really like telling this particular story; it felt like bragging in some ways, but then there were also all the ways they'd royally screwed things up. "And then we disrupted the timeline by introducing my teenage mother to the wrong guy, and when we returned to the quote-unquote 'present', it was all messed up. The city was trashed, like a warzone, and there were different versions of everyone, including me by a different dad..." She was starting to get a headache; trying to remember what actually happened versus what was supposed to happen was making her a little dizzy. Rubbing one temple, she wrapped the story up. "Uh, I don't remember everything, to be honest; we must have fixed things, because the world went back to how it was supposed to be. I just can't remember how we did it." The young Interceptor smiled at the offers of help, happily accepting Elena's thoughtful stroking. "Thanks, I could really use that. I know my aunt's been disputing Lou's will for years, but I never knew why; she's not my favorite person in the world, but it's not like she's evil or anything." Then she held up the manuscript. "This is what really worries me, though; I mean, I've obviously not had a chance to read it yet, but I'm kind of conflicted. Part of me would love to see my family's heroism shared with the rest of the world, but another part is scared it might bring bad guys out of the woodwork. Grampa mentions Wilhelm frickin' Kantor in the letter, and you just don't mess with guys like that." Lynn smiled as she looked at the letter again. "Yeah, he really did..."

Overall, the evening had gone a lot better than Lynn had expected; in general, any trip to her folks that didn't involve a visit from the Atlantic County Sheriff's Department was a good one, but this time she was actually glad she'd come. Things were still awkward between her and her mother, but that was nothing new; the fact that they could be in a room together for more than five minutes and not scream at each other or throw things meant they'd both come along way. And Colt and Butch had hit it off, just liked she hoped they would. Her mom was happy to hear about her plans to attend school in the fall; though she was less than impressed by her choice of majors ("So what, you want to be a cop?"), the thought of her daughter attending college still seemed to please her. Of course, nothing could prepare her for the Xeroxed copy of Grampa Lou's book Lynn had made her, spiral bound with vinyl covers courtesy of Kinko's; she read the letter and clutched the volume to her chest, too moved for words. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with it yet, " Lynn told them. "But I figure you should read it before we make any decisions. I don't want to start any more trouble for our family." As they rode the Stellar Cycle back home, the changeling's arms once again wrapped around Colt's torso, Lynn smiled at thoughts of the future, something she hadn't done in a long time

"On my way, Jack!" The determined pixie girl zipped to Jack's position by the MAVERIC and firmly grasped the collar of his coat with her tiny clawed hands. "Hold on to your hair!" With a flutter of her wings, she impossibly hoisted the swordsman into the air, heading for the ragged hole in the hospital's side. As she flew, she leaned her itty-bitty face into Jack's ear to offer some pint-sized encouragement "By the way, the Giant Lightning Sword from Hell? Epic!" The gaping maw of glass and concrete loomed before them as Grim thrummed forward.

Okay, I did a few things this month; I had 3 PP to spend, plus I got rid of Grim's extra 2 ranks of Morph that really didn't do much, which gave me a total of 7 pp to play with in July. The breakdown is as follows: A) 3 pp to add ranks of Immunity: Disease, Heat, Starvation and thirst 2 pp to raise Glamour array to 8, which then gave Grim 16pp per each AP, which looks like this: Adds one rank to base power (Morph) Concealment raised to 6 (Regular Olfactory) Elongation added 1 rank to Super-Movement (Trackless) Added one rank to Emotion Control (capped by PL) Added 2 to Enhanced Charisma Added a rank to Flight 3 (50mph) C) 2pp to add a rank to Super-Movement (Sure-Footed) [img=http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k240/Heritage367/024ydmedcrop.jpg] [b]Character Name:[/b] Grimalkin [b]Power Level:[/b] 14 (214/214PP) [b]Tradeoffs:[/b] None [b]Unspent PP:[/b] 0 [b]Diamond Status:[/b] 81/90 (32PP pre-bump, 49PP post-bump) [b]Alternate Identity:[/b] Lynn Epstein [b]Height:[/b] 5'3" [b]Weight:[/b] 116 lb [b]Hair:[/b] Brown, worn short and a bit spiky [b]Eyes:[/b] Dark brown [b]Description:[/b] A pretty young slip of a girl, Lynn typically wears ragged jeans, T-shirt, tennis shoes and a hooded sweatshirt during the day, but is wrapped in skintight leather of black and midnight blue, complete with domino mask, when she prowls the dirty streets at night. While she may appear to be a wee skinny thing, due to her faerie nature she's actually [i]much[/i] stronger than she looks. [b]History:[/b] A young runaway from Atlantic City, Lynn Epstein turned to a life of panhandling and petty crime to survive; three years ago it became too much, and she crawled into a dark alley on a chill winter night to die, but instead awoke the next day transformed! For many months she used her powers selfishly, living the high life and swindling ‘suckers’, until one night she saw a young streetwalker attacked; the FCPD’s profound indifference to the crime appalled her, and she swore that night to use her powers to help those the Powers That Be would not help. Like a trickster goddess with a vengeful streak, her personal brand of justice might seem somewhat capricious, but she would never willfully take a human life. [b]Personality & Motivation:[/b] Being that she's a shapeshifter, it's perhaps not surprising that Lynn is rather hard to pin down; she lives very much in the 'now', making few great plans and doing her best not to dwell on the past. Her emotions are intensely felt, and she can switch from playful to angry to sad almost in the same sentence. Lynn also finds comfort in the little things, everyday wonders like bike rides in the park, ice cream of nearly any flavor, and lazy afternoons spent lying in the grass; she never seems to have enough of the simple pleasures, which makes her cherish them all the more. As a crimefighter, Grim is driven by many things: the desire to see a wasted life blossom once more, an end to cruelty, injustice and indifference, and a strong personal desire to constantly improve her technique. She likes teaming up with other heroes to see how she measures up and maybe pinch a trick or two, but she is frequently very self-critical of her own performance, to the point of downplaying her many successes. However, she’s still quite young and her confidence continues to grow. [b]Powers & Tactics:[/b] Grimalkin's powers come from her faerie nature; some of them are innate, such as her keen senses and high tolerance to cold, but many of them come from her ability to manipulate glamour, the very essence of the fey. Seeing as her body is now wholly composed of glamour, she can alter it in a number of ways, such as completely changing her appearance, making herself nearly undetectable, or eluding capture. She can also create various objects seemingly out of thin air (actually ambient glamour), which she uses as props, furniture or just her own amusement. In combat, Grim prefers the stealthy strike to take better advantage of her razor-sharp claws; when forced into a 'fair fight', she uses her wits and charm to befuddle her foes to level the playing field. [b]Complications:[/b] Prejudice (the Wealthy) - Due to her lower middle class upbringing, Grim has a hard time sympathizing with the well-to-do Sensitivity to Taunting - She can dish it out, but she can't take it. Verbal barbs have a way of really getting under Grim's skin. Prejudice (Vampires) - While she makes an exception (with some difficulty!) in Avenger's case, Grim really doesn't trust bloodsuckers at all. Short Fuse - Under the right circumstances, Grim can get very angry very fast, but usually cools down just as quickly. Secret Identity - While she doesn't go to the impressive lengths of her teammate Jack of All Blades, Grim does wear a mask and use only her heroic name while in the field. [u][b]Abilities[/b][/u] [44PP] Strength 20 (+5) Dexterity 26 (+8) Constitution 18 (+4) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 12 (+1) Charisma 32/16 (+11/+3) [u][b]Combat[/b][/u] [24PP] Initiative +12 Attack +6 Base, +10 Melee, +12 Claws Defense +12 (+6 Base, +6 Dodge Focus], +3 Flat-Footed Damage +5 Unarmed (+7 Sneak Attack), +10 Claws (+12 Sneak Attack) Grapple +18 Knockback 4, 2 Flat-Footed [u][b]Saving Throws[/b][/u] [19PP] Toughness +9, +5 Flat-Footed Fortitude +10 (+4 CON, 6PP) Reflex +12 (+8 DEX, 4PP) Will +10 (+1 WIS, 9PP) [u][b]Skills[/b][/u] [29PP = 116 Ranks] Acrobat 15 (+23) (Skill Mastery) Bluff 15 (+26/+18) (Skill Mastery) Climb 7 (+17) Diplomacy 5 (+16/+8) (Skill Mastery) Disguise 0 (+3, +38 Morph) Gather Information 5 (+16/+8) (Skill Mastery) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 4 (+6) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 4 (+6) Knowledge (Streetwise) 9 (+11) Notice 14 (+15) (Skill Mastery) Perform (Dancing) 2 (+13/+5) Search 14 (+16) (Skill Mastery) Sleight of Hand 7 (+15) (Skill Mastery) Stealth 15 (+23) (Skill Mastery) [u][b]Feats[/b][/u] [42PP] Acrobatic Bluff Agile Climber All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Attack Specialization (Claws) Connected Contacts Defensive Attack Defensive Roll 4 Distract (Bluff) Dodge Focus 6 Elusive Target Equipment 2 Evasion 2 Grapple Finesse Improved Initiative Move-By Action Luck 2 Power Attack Setup Skill Mastery 2 (Acrobat, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Notice, Search, Sleight of Hand, Stealth) Sneak Attack Takedown Attack 2 Taunt Uncanny Dodge 2 (Audio, Olfactory) [u][b]Powers[/b][/u] [53PP] [b]Comprehend 2[/b] (Languages: Understand all, Languages: Speak any one at a time) [4PP] [b]Immunity 5 ([/b]Aging, Cold, Disease, Heat, Starvation and Thirst[b])[/b] [5PP] [b]Glamour 8 ([/b]16PP Array, [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power 5[b])[/b] [21PP] [quote][b][u]Base Power:[/u] Morph 8 ([/b]Any Humanoid, +40 Disguise[b])[/b] [16PP] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Concealment 7 ([/b]All Visual and Audio Senses, Regular Olfactory Sense, [i]Feats:[/i] Close Range, Selective, [i]Extras:[/i] Affects Others, Flaws: Blending[b])[/b] [16PP] [b][u]Alternate Power[/u]: Elongation 5 ([/b]100ft[b]) + Insubstantial 1 ([/b]Liquid[b]) + Super-Movement 3 ([/b]Slithering, Trackless, Water-Walking[b])[/b] [16PP] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Emotion Control 14 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area, [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Fear], Sense-Dependent [Vision][b])[/b] [14PP] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Enhanced Charisma 16[/b] [16PP] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Flight 3 ([/b]50mph, [i]Drawbacks:[/i] Power Loss [Wings][b]) + Shrinking 8 ([/b]Tiny, [i]Feats:[/i] Normal Movement, Normal Strength, Normal Toughness[b])[/b] [16PP][/quote] [b]Leaping 2 ([/b]x5[b])[/b] [2PP] [b]Strike 5 ([/b]Claws, [i]Extras:[/i] Penetration 3 [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power, Improved Critical 2, Incurable, Mighty[b])[/b] [13PP] [quote][b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Create Object 5 ([/b][i]Feats:[/i] Innate, Precise, Progression 2, Subtle, [i]Extras:[/i] Duration [Continuous], [i]Flaws:[/i] Range [Touch][b]; [i]Drawbacks:[/i] Power loss: Contact with cold Iron)[/b] [7PP][/quote] [b]Super-Movement 2 ([/b]Slow Fall, Sure-Footed, Wall-Crawling[b])[/b] [6PP] [b]Super-Senses 10 ([/b]Normal Hearing [[i]Extras:[/i] Accurate 2, Extended], Normal Olfactory [[i]Extras:[/i] Accurate, Acute, Extended, Tracking], Normal Vision [[i]Extras:[/i] Counters Obscure 2 {"Darkness"}], Danger Sense [Olfactory][b])[/b] [11PP] [u][b]Drawbacks[/b][/u] [-8PP] [b]Vulnerability ([/b]Iron, [i]Frequency:[/i] Uncommon, [i]Intensity:[/i] Major [+50% DC][b])[/b] [-2PP] [b]Weakness ([/b]Iron, [i]Frequency:[/i] Common, [i]Intensity:[/i] Moderate, -1 CON / minute [10 rounds][b])[/b] [-6PP] DC Block Unarmed -- DC 20/Toughness (22 w/ Sneak Attack) -- Damage Claws -- DC 25/Toughness (27 w/ Sneak Attack) -- Damage [b]Abilities 46 + Combat 24 + Saving Throws 19 + Skills 29 + Feats 42 + Powers 62- Drawbacks 8 = 214/214 Power Points[/b] [u][b]Equipment[/b][/u] [quote name="Equipment"][i]Shared Equipment - Contributing 4ep[/i] [b][u]Interceptors HQ[/u][/b]: [21ep] [i]Size:[/i] Large; [i]Toughness:[/i] 10; [i]Features:[/i] Combat Simulator, Communications, Computer, Concealed 2, Defense System, Fire Prevention, Garage, Gym, Living Space, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Power 2, Power System, Security System 2, Workshop [b][u]Defense System 1:[/u][/b] [b]Snare 10[/b] [b][u]Power 1:[/u][/b] [b]Healing 9[/b] ([i]PFs:[/i] Persistent, Regrowth) [20pp] [b][u]Power 2:[/u][/b] [b]ESP 6[/b] ([i]Visual, 20 mile range [all of Freedom City][/i]; [i]Extra:[/i] No Conduit; [i]Flaw:[/i] Medium – Surveillance equipment; PFs: Subtle, Rapid) [14pp] AND [b]Quickness 9[/b] ([i]Flaws:[/i] Limited to Search) [3pp] AND [b]Quickness 9[/b] ([i]Flaws:[/i] Limited to Notice) [3pp] [b][u]MAVERIC[/u][/b] (Mobile Armored Vehicle for Emergency Response and Intercepting Criminals): [13ep] [b]Size[/b]: Huge [2ep] [b]Strength[/b]: 35 [1ep] [b]Speed[/b]: 5 [5ep] [b]Toughness[/b]: 10 [1ep] [b]Defense[/b]: 8 [0ep] [b]Features[/b]: 4 [4ep] Features: Alarm, Caltrops, Remote Control, Smokescreen [/quote] Done by Geez3r

Is Hellion up now?

Auto DC 25 on Notice as Grim tries to take it all in.

Grim surveyed the damage and shook her head sadly; this was not good, not good at all. "That's a real good question, Jack. I think if we poke around her, we better do it fast before the army of the night has a chance to hit the next address. I'm going to hop inside for like a minute, tops, and then hop back out." In a flash, the changeling let her body collapse into a pool, and the shiny gloop arched through the air and right through one of the smashed windows, quickly reforming back into Grim. Her eyes darted about, her pointed ears twitched this way and that, and her nostrils dilated as she vigorously sniffed the air.

Gossamer

Lynn held up a hand in a warding gesture. "Hey, it's cool; we didn't agree on a time beyond 'right away', which admittedly might have been kinda dumb, but don't worry, he'll show." She smiled with a certain satisfaction. "He's too scared not to." Noting Wesley's arrival, Grim turned back to her current boyfriend. "See, what'd I tell ya?" She turned back to her ex-boyfriend and sighed deeply, shaking her head. "Wes, Wes, Wes...how the hell are ya, bud? Made any interesting gifts recently?" Peering past him, she noted the young woman with the long red coat and the staff. "Ah, I see you brought back up as well! Always a good idea when seeing the ex again, am I right?" She indicated her teammate with a jerk of her head. "This here's Colt, my well-armed boyfriend. So who's your friend, Wes?"

A bit of background on Ira Silberman, aka the Amazing Al-Kazar, based on things I've had Grim mention in the past. He was a stage magician who wore a gold lamé turban and who's shows had an Arabesque theme, he seems to have has some access to actual magic though this has been rather vague, and he helped out the Freedom League from time to time. I've always pictured him in the PL6-8 range, like Mandrake or Zatara. He was always supposed to be a bit of a second stringer, so not the kind of hero everyone in Freedom has heard of or remembers. His career as a stage performer was probably more memorable than his crimefighting career. In other words, for now I leave it up to the players to determine if they know anything about him, or knew him in the past.

Still wiping away tears, Lynn shook her head. "Well, I never talked about the time travel thing because that was sort of my first date with said Japanese boy, and personally I think talking about your ex with your current boyfriend never ends well." She picked up a tuft of grass and began tossing the blades aimlessly. "He died a little over a year ago, saving my life when we were living in Seattle." She laughed sadly. "He always said I was the most depressing girl in the world, and here I go, just proving him right." Wrapping her arms around her knees, the shapeshifter rocked back and forth. "As for the store...well, the last I heard it was tied up in some legal battle; my aunt was disputing my Grampa's will, saying he was mentally unsound at the time it was written." Suddenly she stopped rocking with a realization. "That means my aunt doesn't want me to have the store. That b****!" In a flash, Lynn was up and wending her way through the party-goers, heading for the clump of older heroes; she had the parcel tucked under one arm and the letter from her grandfather in the other. She was smiling a rather strange smile, somehow sad, knowing and proud all at the same time. "Elena, I know you didn't think anyone could top your amazing gift, but somehow my Grampa Lou pulled it off...from the grave." She held out the letter, and turned her body to take in Tayla and Ace as well. "You guys have all been around for a long time - no offense, since you're all pretty much stunning - and I think I might need some advice from a previous generation or two. Y'know, about family histories, and the way they can turn around and bite you in the ass. Check this out." She offered the letter to any who wish to read it; noting the arrival of her employer, she nodded and smiled at the German uber-genius. "Hiya, Doc; glad you could make it."

So glad I went with the roll! Perform check: 1d20+10=26

I am so glad I evacuated my neighbors for this! After Zoe performed, first Jack of All Blades and then Eddie and Warren played, each one a stellar hard rocking performance. Estelle marveled at the way the teens handled their instruments, but it looked like Jack had basically found an exciting new use for his powers. "Hey, that's cheating!" During the performances, her hair became alive with the music, like a million fibrous oscilloscopes pulsing with energy; sometimes frizzy, other times curly, with a few long locks pulsing just to the bassline. When 'Hanger 18' rumbled to a close, the blonde heroine jumped up and down like a teenager, clapping and eagerly pumping her fist in the air. The whole time, her affectionate little tether rested happily around Divine's hips. "Yes! Yes! Yes! That was f***ing amazing!" Estelle never cursed, so in a weird way this was high praise indeed. Visibly shaking with excitement, she fetched her guitar, which she had leaned up against the sofa once things started to get hot and heavy, and plugged in her red SG. "Okay, I am strictly an amateur, and I have no hope of surpassing any of you more talented folks, but now I have to play something! Feel free to join in if you know it; I don't sing, so anyone who wants can take the vocal. After this, we need to hear from Dragonfly." She shot a playful wink the timid girl's way, and then ripped into the opening of Offspring's 'Genocide' Perhaps inspired by the general level of talent in the room, Gossamer gave a rather impressive performance. Judging from the gleeful look on her face, even she was happily surprised. As she played, she hopped, danced, shuffled, skipped and ran in place, her whole body in ecstatic motion. And yet throughout the whole performance, the little golden ribbon never yanked, tugged or in any way caused Divine the slightest discomfort; it just rested against her soft skin like silk.

Lynn shrugged, like it was no big thing to have people over to your secret lair. "No worries. It was nice to see you again; come by anytime, as far as I'm concerned." Moping her face with the towel, she called out to the team's AI. "Vince, can you escort Miss Jill back to the surface?"

Initiative for Gossamer: 1d20+7=20.

Gossamer has been recently recast, and is now played by the awesome Yvonne Strahovski.

Even though it looks like it's just Colt and Grim interacting, if someone wants to overhear him reading it aloud, knock yourself out.

Not wanting to ruin the party, and in truth feeling ridiculously girly for busting out the waterworks twice in one day, Lynn had done her best to keep quiet as she studied the treasure in her hands, one that in it;s own way was just as miraculous as Elena's wonderful present. But of course, she should have know that Colt's keen 'Grimsense' would start tingling, and sure enough he was soon by her side. She turned to face him, her eyes once again puffy with tears. "Hmm? Oh it's nothing; I just keep getting these gut-wrenchingly awesome gifts today. Take a look." She shows him the open package, which contains several interesting items, including some stock certificates, old photographs, a manuscript and a letter dated June 17th, 1996, printed on an old dot matrix printer from the look of it. "Can you read the letter to me? I can't get past the first sentence."

Kill! The! thread! Kill! the! thread!" Seriously though, I say we fade out now; I kind of want to wash the aftertaste away as soon as possible and get down to business! :D

Butch chuckled and shook his head. "Well, it's very kind of you to say that; we brought three beautiful children into the world, and despite our best efforts they all turned out amazing, so we must have done something right." He sighed, and for a moment he actually looked his age, maybe even a bit older. "Colt, you and Sher are gonna do whatever your gonna do, and God only knows where life will take any of us. But I'll tell ya one thing; based on what I've seen today, if the two of you ever take the step...well, the one I hope you'll take, I would be very proud to bring you into our family and call you son." Then he laughed loudly, and the light was back in his eyes. "No pressure or anything, right?" Butch pursed his lips. "Ooh, that sounds good! I take mine black with two sugars; none of that pale syrupy mess my daughter calls coffee for this old fart!" He scooted over to the wheelchair ramp, bellowing as he came. "Honey, Bill here's gonna make us a pot of real joe! Get out the cake and ice cream!" Once the dishes were done, Lainey turned her attention to her daughter's hair. "I'm sorry, it's just driving me crazy, honey; wait here, I'll go get-" She started to head for the trailer's tiny bathroom, but Lynn held up a brush seemingly out of thin air. "Here, ma, use this one." Her mother looked at the hair hair implement with unabashed wonder. "Where did you..?" Lynn looked somewhat embarrassed, and could not meet her mom's eyes as she held the brush out at arm's length. "It's a hero thing, ma; don't sweat it." Gingerly taking the offered brush, she lead her daughter in to the living area, where Lainey sat in a recliner with Lynn at her feet, and she combed out the girl's long curly hair. The familiar activity was soothing for both of them, and the shapeshifter closed her eyes and breathed in the trailer's familiar contents through her nose, and for a little while it was like she never left. After a few quiet minutes together, Butch started hollering about coffee and dessert from outside, and both mother and daughter rolled their eyes the exact same way as they got up and headed for the fridge.

Lynn peered over the top of her goblet at the elderly gentleman as he spoke, rubbing the cup back and forth between her fingers. When he finished, she looked lost in thought. "So what this is means is, I'm in a very unique position here; since my soul is still mortal, I'm not bound by a certain role like most fae. It's like.." She sat up and set her cup aside as her hands became more animated, in classic Jersey fashion. "It's like I'm a character in a faerie tale, but I also know I'm in a story, and I still get to write it. Unpredictable human behavior and creativity bonded with a faerie's changeable body." She snorted and shook her head. "Damn, no wonder they don't like me; I'd be scared, too!" Suddenly her mood darkened, and her worried gaze fell upon Mr Silver. "Do I scare you? Or at least, what I represent?"

Wow. In someways, I feel stupid for having Gossamer actually spend skill points on Perform. HP are both best thing and sometimes the worst thing about M&M :roll:

A golden lasso snatched the player out of the air, and slid the iPod into Estelle's back pocket. "Thanks Eddie, and don't worry, I pay for all my music, since I have absolutely no excuse not to at this point." As Zoe ripped into one of her favorite Metallica songs, the blonde heroine's head began to bob vigorously to the sound; she carefully put down her own guitar so she could better play along on air, her right leg pumping to Kurt's rhythm as her fingers worked the invisible fretboard. A humongous grin spread across her face as she marveled the young redhead's playing. Many people, including both her parents, assumed Estelle's professed love of hard rock and metal was a mere rebellious affectation, but in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. It was times like this, when she could feel herself getting lost in the power of the music, that she truly felt the most alive. Gossamer turned to Divine, then brought her ear closer to the goddess to better hear her over the tortured chords. "What? Oh yeah, they're awesome, actually! She has amazing hands!" As Estelle shut here eyes and continued to rock her body to the music, her hair inevitably started to work itself loose from its confinement, unwilling to be left out of the fun. Now free and unfurled, the shimmering blonde mass was like a savage sea of gold, Gossamer's head-banging sending wild ripples throughout the strands. A long flat ribbon looped sinuously around Divine's waist, languidly resting like a belt just above her shapely hips. The sensation, the feel of the immense power that lay just beneath that soft skin hit Estelle like a bolt of lightening, and she rocked out even harder than before as she wept tears of pure joy. And she really didn't care who saw. Life is truly wonderful, isn't it? :D

Colt's 'steely-eyed gaze' bit caught Butch by surprise, and soon he was laughing and coughing with smoke billowing around his head. "Oh man, that was good! Very good indeed!" But when the cowboy grew more serious, Lynn's father leaned in, hanging on every word and occasionally nodding in agreement. When Colt finished, the older man carefully stubbed out his joint on the wheelchair's armrest (which from the look of the wood he did a lot), and put everything back in is shaving kit. "The thing of it is, the best advice I can give you, no matter what your plans with Sheri are, is what not to do." He spread his arms wide and smiled ruefully. "I am an object lesson in this regard." He then began to count off on his fingers. "First of all, don't lie to her. I mean, you can lie about the little stuff, like if you remembered her sister's birthday or something, but not the big stuff, because like Shakespeare said, the truth will out. And believe me, it is always worse." "Second, don't get mixed up with bookie and lowlifes of that ilk. I know your Mister Cowboy Goodguy, but everyone has a weakness." He looked down at his useles legs. "My love of partying, excitement and good times cost me and my family a lot." Tears began to stream down his face, as his body was racked with sobs. "It almost cost me a daughter, a sweet little girl who had it a lot harder than she had to because her old man was a lousy f***-up." Butch looked back over his shoulder at the trailer, and pointed to it with an outstretched arm. "It wasn't always like this, ya know; you put a decent family through a meat grinder and somebody's gonna get hurt. Maybe a lot of people." He put his head in is hands and sighed. "Oh, Lainey; I'm so sorry." Inside the trailer, Lynn helped her mother dry the dishes; they hadn't spoken for several minutes, but ech seemed to draw some small comfort from the other's prescence. At long last, the changeling sighed and set aside her dish towel. "Ma, I'm sorry for the way everything turned out; the phone calls, the police, the credit cards, everything. I wasn't trying to hurt you or Dad. I just couldn't live her anymore." Lainey nodded. "I know; we all felt trapped here back then." She sighed and looked at the walls and cabinets of the tiny kitchenette. "Sometimes I still do."