Heritage

Lulu was standing in front of one of the vending machines, trying to figure out what she wanted to eat, sweet or salty. After coming to the only sane conclusion (both, duh!), she reached down and grabbed her Snickers and a bag of Hot Fries. Looking up, she noticed Judy, Corrine and several other students leading around someone new. Not wanting to be inhospitable, she approached the group with a friendly smile and a wave. "Hey, y'all!" The pale redhead wore a blue denim vest over a black Lynryd Skynyrd T-shirt, jeans and a pair of red Hi-Tops. "Showin' a newbie around? Hi, ah'm Lulu, pleased to meet you!"

"Well, how 'bout this. We go to the Gap first, 'cause they got boys' and girls', so we can both look 'round, then we go to the show, so we got plenty of time to get snacks and good seats. And afterwards maybe we hit the game store and maybe PINK. How's that sound?" Lulu reached over and took Adam's arm in both her hands, her hip bumping up against his thigh as they walked; it felt good being at his side.

Lynn laughed, too, and it was warm and jovial; it was nice they could now talk and joke like equals. "Alright, alright; all kidding aside, it's good to have these conversations. It's good to think about the future, and our unique place in it." She sighed. "You're not the only hero who has past misdeeds to atone for; I hurt quite a few people before I got my priorities straight. I abused my powers selfishly and preyed on wealthy men. It's not enough to fight crime or root out supernatural evils; we need to think about how we can make a greater impact on the world." Lynn's passion for the subject was palpable; clearly she'd become much more thoughtful with age, though she'd always been passionate.

Ah; this was goung to be one of those conversations. "I am Lynn Epstein, owner and proprieter of Silberman's Books, and inheritor of my family's legacy." As she said these last words, she drew herself to her full height and looked downright regal, even at five foot three inches. "If you have issues that do not pertain specifically to books that you wish to discuss, it might be best if we speak in my office after business hours. Can I offer you a cup of tea while you wait?" She gestured towards a wire rack holding an array of tea blends in colorful boxes; one might think it was thoughtless to make such a gesture in front of a blind person, but it perhaps hinted that she suspected her customer possessed a unique set of senses.

Lulu enjoyed spending time with Adam; he's was just easier to hang out with than most of the boys she'd known. He didn't just want to talk about cars, hunting and sports; he talked about weird and interesting things, like science and religion. He didn't think she was stupid for not knowing things, and found her enthusiastic curiosity about everything charming. And they both loved games, from simple boardgames to tabletop roleplaying and the odd little games they made up on the spot. Standing in front of the large illuminated map of the mall, she was of course wearing her beloved denim, with a light blue jacket over a pink hoodie. Her jeans were artfully distressed, and her pink Keds had little pictures of Betty and Veronica all over them. "Well ah have two go-tos when it comes to mall excursions: PINK and the Gap." She indicated both stores on the map. "And ah'll never say no to Claire's or Hot Topic, but those ah can give a pass if we're short on time." Then she turned to her steady and looked a bit embarrased. "Ah'm sorry, that's all super-girly stuff. Where do you like to shop?" She turned back go the map. "Look, they got Eddie Bauer, American Eagle...ooh, they got a game store, Adam! We gotta be sure to hit that!"

It was late on a Monday, Tax Day to be specific; not a lot of book sales, but the coffee side of the business had kept them jumping all day. Lots of late filers on their laptops slurping lattes as they e-flied, then slowly closed the lids of their computers and sighed in relief, then took a big bite out of a well-earned muffin. After about 8pm, customers tended to thin out on weeknights, and today was much the same; Lynn Epstein, the owner of Silberman's, had already done of half of the day's bookkeeping, and was getting ready to shoo folks out. But then she paused, and turned to the unusual customer, head cocked slightly to one side. Her eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall, then she frowned slightly and shook her head. "Uh, no, it's fine; we're still open for a few minutes. How can I help you, sir?" This man had an interesting vibe to him, not at all hostile, but definitely unique. The changeling had a feeling his inquiry would be an interesting one.

Lulu felt a chill go down her spine when Dee said she'd been 'lucky' not to have met any other telepaths; clearly she had, and still bore the scars. But in keeping with the pattern they'd established, she kept the surface conversation pleasant. "Well, you musnt've met many Southerners then, because we tell the worst jokes at our own expense; probably a self-defense thing, at this point. Ah mean, ah'm about as white trash as you can get; ah just clean up real good. " Then her facial expression became more grave; it was hard to keep a smile on your face when you discussed some topics. -I was ten. My father was quick to take advantage of my gifts. My family hurt a lot of people.- An involuntary shudder passed through her body, then she forced a laugh and ran her fingers through her hair. "Ah could use a drink; am ah allowed to drink here? I was sixteen back home, but ah might have magically become older on the flight across the Pond."

Somehow I never got the notification on that last post, so sorry for this late response. I'll start with Notice and Search checks for Grim around the bookstore. Notice: 1d20+15=22 Search: 1d20+15=27

At the mention of 'prolonged life', Lynn sucked air in through her teeth and shook her head. "Yeah, that's a whole deal, innit? It's such a mindf###. Like, I'm now older than my parents, but when I'm around them, I'm still their little girl, y'know? But I kinda love that, in a way; they still get to be my parents. And Benji will always be my big brother, and Eddi my big sis." But then her face clouded. "Until they're not, of course; not looking forward to those days. I mean, I know it's kinda selfish, but I hope Gretch-" And here she winced for second; she wanted Gretchen to decide for herself if Dok ever learned her name. "Uh, my partner finds a way to stop aging; it's a pretty exclusive club, and we're all gonna run out of dating options pretty quick." And then a look of elfin mischief crept into her ageless eyes. "Y'know...when I left this Earth all those years ago, I was just a kid, and you were more like a father figure to me." The changeling cupped her chin in her hand and cocked an eyebrow, as she dialed up the glamour several notches. "How things change..."

"That's awesome! You can go on adventures and pick up Companions and stuff." Lynn seemed genuinely happy for Dok. "I had my fill of space on the Other Side. I mean, at first it's amazing, like the first time you see Earth from orbit? But then I start to get claustrophobic, and miss the fresh air." She shook her head vigorously. "No, this little pixie is quite happy to stay Earthbound for now." Then she shrugged. "But ask me again in a few years, and who knows? Maybe I'll stick out my thumb and hitch a ride."

"We're in a sort of weird... I'm not sure what it is; she's running Silberman's Northwest, out in EC. We talk daily. She's younger, and she needed space. And time." She sighed and smiled. "I hope we can make it work again someday; we really are good together." After a few quiet moments of personal reflection, Lynn continued. "Electronics, mostly, but also acoustical engineering. She's also a very talented musician with a voice like an angel, and a truly wicked and dark sense of humor. God, I miss her!" The changeling shifted in her seat and changed topics before she got too maudlin. "I could see you doing well out there in 'the Black'." She pointed skyward. "Buuut don't you need a spaceship for that?"

"Oh, well, ah know a thing or two about distant cousins; hell, I swear ah'm related to half of Alabama!" Lulu cleared her throat as her cheeks went slightly pink, as he response was a bit more Southern than she intended. "Ah'm staying with the Harrows back in Freedom while ah attend school; they've been very kind to put up with me." Meanwhile, she continued the telepathic side of the conversation, unsure what the proper protocol was in this unusual situation. -I'm glad to hear that. You're actually the first telepath I've ever met; how long have you been psychic?-

"That would be kind of sweet," Casey said with a slight nod. Of course she'd read all about Centurion, both before and since her transformation, but she'd never felt the same sort of kinship with him at Tria did, perhaps for obvious reasons. She'd always looked to her father for inspiration, even if they didn't always agree on everything. Lots of things, it seemed these days. Noticing the odd group in robes, the blonde heroine shaded her eyes as she used her amazing vision to get a closer look at them. "Is that some sort of church group of some kind...?"

Lynn looked slightly puzzled as she scratched the back of her head. "What have I figured out? Uh...this is about as far as I've gotten, to be honest. I mean, I started to compile a list of shapeshifters who are active in the Freedom area, but it's far from complete." A paper list suddenly appeared in her hand, and a pair of reading glasses manifested on her nose. "Let's see, there's me and you, Pseudo and Set...is that it? I feel like there have to more I don't know about...which makes sense, since we are talking about people who are naturally sneaky." She handed the list over to Daphne. "I mean, if you can think of any others, please let me know!"

As the discussion turned to more current events, Lynn became visibly more comfortable, almost chatty. "Well, I finally managed to reopen my grandfather's bookstore, which has made me deliriously happy; we're actually coming up on the five year anniversary. You should stop by!" But at the mention of teams and partnerships, the changeling grew more wistful. "Uh, no team, but I did have a partner; a damn good one. Very good with the technical side of things." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Then we started dating, and thinks got complicated; we're taking a break right now." After another sip of mint mocha, Lynn's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "So what happens now? Are you moving back to Freedom, or just passing through?"

In terms of detective and tracking skills, this group is off the charts. 1. Strix and Sekhmet (and Grim, technically) have amazingly keen senses and tracking ability; I suggest we let them tear the shop apart looking for more clues. 2. Set and Grim have amazing Gather Info bonuses and they're both shapeshifters, so getting the 'word on the street' presents little challenge. 3. Temperance can communicate with spirits and has good Arcane Lore (as I think does everyone else). Those are three avenues off the top of my head.

Crystal-Gazer (13) Afternoon Matinee (4) Christmas with the Harrows (1) Fright Night At Claremont (1) Mud Pack (3) Nostalgia Trip (1) Reflections Of The Mind's Eye (3)  Grimalkin (13) [Maxed] Body Doubles (1) Codus Immortus: Grimalkin (4) Mending Fences (7) Siren Song of the Void (1)  Miracle Girl (1) Hero Worship (1)  Shrike (0)  All points for Grimalkin go to Shrike

I think one route is scent tracking, unless he's teleporting. Unless Temperance can do a tracking/divination spell?

I think we're going to try and track down the imposter guy?

Lynn whistled. "Wow; they really did take all your toys away, didn't they? That must suck." She finally wiped her mouth with her napkin, and then quickly reapplied her mustache with another sip of mocha. "So are you like on house arrest or something, like wearing a monitor 24/7? I know Miss A said something about memory wipes, which kinda blows, but which also makes me feel a lot safer; no offense." She looked a bit sheepish as she nibbled on her pastry.

Regrets... I've had a few... It had been a while since Lynn Epstein had had a full-on, atomic blast hangover, but at least she'd had a few hours to work on it. By now, there was mostly just the faint crackly ache in her temples, lightly bloodshot eyes, and the taste of old gym socks on her tongue. Nothing that would really slow her down. She sat on the edge of her conjured futon and took frequent swigs from a water bottle as Strix talked, then mulled things over for a bit before responding. "Well I think the first thing we need to figure out is, do we split the party? We could theoretically cover more ground if say me and Strix followed up on one lead while the Egyptian Duo tracks down another, but then neither team is at full strength if something goes really bad." She swished water around in her mouth before swallowing and continuing. "Old Crazy Man Hawthorne isn't leaving his rubber room anytime soon, but that also makes him vulnerable if someone wants to take him out to cover their trail. Evil Rob Zombie Hawthorne is on the loose and could be up to anything anywhere, advancing his plans." The changeling took a deep breath and sighed. "If we stick together, I vote we visit the old man first; if we split up, I want a piece of the ###hole who totalled my store." She shrugged. "I honestly don't know which is better; I'll leave it up to you guys."

I'm sorry, I was bouncing between houses the last few days, but now I'm back home with no excuse not to post. I will post here within the next two hours

"Sounds like we got here right one time!" The others turned to see Lulu, still in her Ginny Weasley costume, standing beaming with her arms crossed in front of a group of very angry-looking Claremont faculty. The redheaded telepath did a quick scan of the remaining three members of the Cabal of Idiots, and determined that while none of them were dead (thank God), one of them would soon wish he was. She held out her wand and pointed it right at Mike Carpenter. "There's our boy; Expelliarmus! And ahm guessing 'jail-timeus' to boot, you stupid sumb- uh, dummy!" She approached her classmates, looking somewhat apologetic. "Sorry it took me so long to show up with the cavarly; ah reached out to Headmistress Summers with my mind as fast as ah could, but it took us a while to follow your tracks, Nicole. Y'all alright?"

I will try to come up with something quick; I like Lulu showing up with the authorities.

The changeling laughed out loud. "I hadn't thought of that, but that's a good point! Good one you for knowing your own limits." She picked up her phone and called out to the front. "Hi Lance. Can I have a medium virgin mocha and one of those double chocolate donuts with the sprinkles brought back here for our guest? Thanks." She waved a hand to dismiss any possible concerns. "Don't worry; 'virgin mocha' is just our way of saying 'fancy hot chocolate' around here. No caffeine." The two shapechangers chatted amiably while they waited for Daphne's order to arrive, talking 'the biz' like the seasoned prows they were. In short order, tall handsome Lance the barista brought in delightful looking donut and the previously described virgin mocha, both of which smelled truly wonderful. "Excellent, thanks Lance! Now, I'd like to move on to the semi-serious idea I wanted to float by you. I will admit that at first, my interest was purely selfish, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this thing could possibly help the whole heroic community here in Freedom. Now, let's say hypothetically that Daphne Celeste was, I dunno, invited to the mayor's annual Christmas ball or something. Daphne Celeste, not Ms. Grue; that's very important. But then, you get a hot tip on some case you've been working on, and Ms Grue has to be at the docks to intercept a shipment of stolen weapons. What do yo do?' Lynn made a dramatic sweeping gesture along the length of her body, and as the swirling vapors passed over her, she was suddenly transformed into Ms. Daphne Celeste, wearing a lovely formal gown with her hair up and a string of pearls around her graceful neck. "You ask you friend Grimalkin to cover for you for an hour or two while you round up the bad guys!" Lynn resumed her original form with a shrug. "But then what if we could take it a step even further; what if 'Captain Colossus' gets invited to the same party as his secret identity, millionaire playboy Carl Connors? It's important that both men are seen at the event to help create the illusion that they're two separate people. They don't have to both stay there whole time, just long enough to sell the idea and appear together in a few photographs." It was clear the idea was very exciting to Grim, although her motivation was less clear. "This is a service that we and other shapeshifters could provide, free of charge within our community; people always think of us as being shifty or sneaky, but this could be a way we could really give back!" She finally paused to catch her breath and run her hand through her hair. "So whaddya think? Good idea, or am I just going crazy?"