Heritage

For some reason, the one reaction to telepathic contact Lulu hadn't anticipated was Adam just walking over to her; for some reason, this really embarrassed her, so the pale-skinned Southerner sank into her seat, attempting to hide behind her book and wide-brimmed hat. However, she quickly realized this was doomed to failure, so she grinned like an idiot and tried to play it off as a joke as she squinted up at him, shielding her eyes with one hand. "Hey there, stranger! Did you get my text?"

Oh, she already got approved! And yes, I will definitely miss the pixie form in many ways, but it just made it too easy to do some stuff, if that makes sense? I ain't got to listing for scrap your side of the lumber sauce, which is a lot of running and jumping and climbing, all of which was completely negated when she got the flying. Also she couldn't stop using acrobatics altogether.

Tiff, if you want to use Emerald Spider in this, maybe I'll just mention Merge in the background?

So now that the Shrike has been approved, I'm thinking about having a grand opening sale at the new Silberman's location in the University Hill section of EC-OR. This would be an opportunity for any EC-based PCs to check out the new used books and records store in town, and meet Gretchen in their civilian identities. Sign up here if you're interested!

At the sight of her socialite friend, who always looked like a million bucks, Lynn brightened up as she got to her feet. "Hey, you!" The changeling didn't do polite hugs and air kisses; she gave 'bubbie' hugs that warmed your soul and left you short of breath. "Mmmmm, it's so good to see you!" She look a step back to take in Megan's outfit, shaking her head in admiration. "My God, you are killing it in that dress!" At the mention of her own look, Lynn ran her fingers through her and shrugged with false modesty. "Oh, well, y'know; just a little something I whipped up on the spur of the moment. Nothing major." But then she couldn't fake it anymore, and a huge grin split her face. "I know, right? God, it feels so great to get out and strut my stuff! I missed this so much!"

"Interesting!" Estelle sat up, primly tucked her legs under herself, and took a thoughtful sip of coffee. "So were you thinking more of a golden or honey blonde? Any highlights?" The beautiful chemist leaned forward conspiratorially. "You know back at Harvard, I was a highly sought after amateur colorist; I colored all the girls' hair in my dorm. Made a decent amount of money at it, too. Even developed a few colors of my own! I was very popular around Halloween." She fetched her phone and tapped in a quick Google search before handing the phone to her girlfriend. "Here, what do you think of these?"

Bayview Bowl at the Bayview Mall. Sunday, October 14th, 2018. 5:00 pm As part of the new intramural squad system at Claremont, members of each squad were encouraged not just to compete together, but to socialize together as well. Each squad was issued a list of suggested group activities, and allowed to vote for their preferred outing. And so it was that on a blustery autumn evening, a handful of gifted students were delivered to the local retro bowling alley for a few hours' fun. Bayview Bowl was designed to look like it had been around since the 50s, ancient history for today's kids; it's design featured lots of Formica, polished aluminum and buzzing neon, hallmarks of the Doo Wop style associated with the old Jersey Shore. All the seats were upholstered in red leatherette, and recesssed speakers blared out Bill Haley the Comets' 'Rock Around The Clock'. But despite the nostalgia being layed on with a trowel, the Bayview Bowl was a laid-back establishment that appealed to suburban families and offered affordable entertainment and classic American food like cheeseburgers, chili dogs and big chocolate shakes. "Well, I don't know about y'all," said Lulu Beaumont as she stood inside the lobby, taking in the crashing of the pins and the smells of hot nachos. "But a'hm gonna eat like a pig!"

Millennium nightclub. Saturday, October 13th, 2018. 8:05 pm The night was cold and dark, which fit the way Lynn Epstein felt today; it had been thirteen days since Gretchen moved the last of her stuff out, other than one drawer in the bedroom on the off chance she visited and wanted to spend the night, which had happened exactly twice. Of course, with but a moment's thought she could reach out across two thousand plus miles, and tell the girl she loved how she felt, and she did from time to time. But Gretchen didn't always respond, and that felt worse than dying... So here she was! Millenium was one of Lynn's favorite clubs to work back when she was scamming guys in the 2000s; it's location near the major banks and trading houses meant lots of well-dressed, Gordon Gecko-wannabes with lots of cash. The nice ones she threw back into the sea after a pleasant night of drinks and dancing, but she took the real douchebags for all she could. The place looked pretty much the same, all polished chrome and recessed lighting, and the pulse of techno thumped down from the dance floors upstairs. Lynn was seated at the bar, nursing a Long Island ice tea as she tapped one foot to the beat; it took a lot of effort to get out of the store, and even more to be in a place this loud and public, but she knew she needed a change. She was thankful that Megan was free to come out and cheer her up, which she desperately needed tonight. God, when was the last time she'd hit a nightclub? It had to be decades ago, or at least since she'd been in one like this; back on Bill's world, they were all saloons. To get into the the mood for dancing, the changeling spent a lot of time on her look for the evening, conjuring up a bright red strapy dress that showed of a lot of leg, back and shoulder, and a pair of black low-heeled shoes that were a nice balance between sexy and comfortable. Her hair was much shorter than it had been for some time, 'cut' just past her jawline, and it was straight with a bit of wave and a lot of bounce. Overall, combined with her 'makeup' and a few other aesthetic refinements, Lynn looked almost ten years younger than when she'd left the store this afternoon; she was heading back out into it, and determined to make a splash.

Now seeing that Ms. Green might be the most dangerous character present, Estelle shifted her focus to the odd researcher. She still wanted to keep some of her hair free in case Smokey or one of his 'pals' started to make trouble, so she only used about half of her locks to secure the enraged scientist. Unfortunately, this may have been a mistake, as even though Gossamer was able to get a grip on her, Green showed a surprising ability to slip free of her grasp, causing the blonde heroine grunting in frustration. Please, we're not trying to hurt anyone! We're just trying to resolve this matter peacefully!"

Okay, so I got the hit in, but she broke free?

Okay, right now the lady doth seem to be the greater threat, do let's go. Goss attempts to Grapple. 1d20+10=12 Dang it! Gonna reroll that with HP. 1d20+10=20 Much better! Now for the Grapple! 1d20+23=24 Geez, I'm rolling like crap! Let me know if she's grappled, and then I will post.

Lulu had been looking forward to seeing Ms. Harrow again; it seemed like forever since they'd last been together, and she had so much to talk about! She was wearing a leather jacket, red pullover, black jeans and red All-Stars, a look that she and Megan had put together during their shopping trip last month, and she loved the way she looked in it. At the restaurant, the young Southerner was eagerly trying to get a look at the whole place (using just a hint of her Gift) when the older heroine asked her question. "Oh, it's been fine, ah guess. Ah don't get along with everyone, but that's life, know what ah mean? Ah haven't gotten into any hair-pullin' fights, so that's a nice change." Then she paused and sighed. "Classes...are hard, or at least some of them are; Claremont is just a harder school than ah'm used to, but ah ask for help from my teachers when ah get stuck. Aaaaand ah don't peek into the heads of the smart kids, 'cause that's rude and wrong." She sighed again, then laughed; clearly, she'd been tempted to peek.

Herein lies a tale, a tale of two cities...

Who's up now?

Watching the various antics of her classmates while discretely peering over the top of her novel, Lulu certainly wasn't lacking handsome young men to check out. The one thing she bemoaned was that fact that so few of them were, well, normal. Not in the usual sense, of course; no one at Claremont, including Lulu, was remotely normal, but more in terms of personality and demeanor. Pan and Leroy were both exceedingly handsome, but they both spoke like they'd just stepped out of a movie. Kam looked amazing, but radiated the easy confidence and swagger of the very wealthy, which the rumors around campus were eager to confirm. Janus...was confusing, and not just because Lulu wasn't sure about him...her...they. Oh, it made her head hurt! Janus was both approachable and aloof, and judging from bits she'd overheard in class, not always the nicest person. Micah seemed nice, but she barely knew him. Which left Adam, who was far from a consolation prize; true, the scars were a bit offputting, but growing up in rural Alabama, she'd seen hot guys covered in tats, tat removal scars and even genuine scars. Scars told stories, and she had a feeling Adam's scars told a lot about him. Had he been abused? His shyness offered hints about it. But he was willing to come to the beach today, knowing full well his scars would be visible to all; that suggested courage, or at least a desire to become brave, and the redhead admired that. At length, she couldn't help herself, and she sent a little bubble of thought Adam's way, terrified it might upset or frighten him, but unable to resist the urge to reach out to him. -Hi-

This has just been a particularly brutal week. I think I should have the energy to post some when I get home tonight.

Player Name: Heritage Character Name: The Shrike Power Level: 10/12 (180/198PP) Tradeoffs: Defense +3/Toughness -3 Unspent PP: 18 In Brief: Snarky barista/musician wielding magical artifacts. Alternate Identity: Gretchen McDaniels Identity: Secret Birthplace: Portland, ME Area of Operations: Emerald City, OR Occupation: Barista/bookseller/personal crime-fighting assistant Affiliations: Grimalkin, Silberman's Books Family: Evelyn Woolsey (mother, deceased), Mark McDaniels (father), Caroline Clement (aunt), Lynn Epstein (girlfriend) DOB: November 21, 1991 Gender: Female Height: 5'1" (5'4" in costume) Weight: 113 lbs. Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Gretchen is an attractive young woman in her mid-twenties; she tends to keep her brown hair loose, and has a lightly-muscled athletic build. She has several tattoos on her body, including bars of music on both forearms, inspirational lyrics on various parts of her torso, and the words 'The Future Is Unwritten' on the four knuckles of her left hand. Her ears bear multiple piercings, mostly a mix of rings and ear spikes. Gretchen usually doesn't wear much makeup, but she experiments with lips gloss and eyeliner. As far as clothing goes, she sort of falls into the 'hipster chick' look, mostly because she just hits the same resale shops she favored as a FreeSA student, so comfortable jeans, hi-tops, combat boots, fatigue jackets, plaid shirts, t-shirts, vests, etc. When she's feeling frisky, she'll show some skin (typically a more revealing top), but if she's feeling antisocial, she'll dress down. She often wears rings and bracelets, but always has a silver ring with a large red stone on her left index finger. The Shrike is a mysterious figure wrapped in black; her costume is a mostly black armored jumpsuit with silver accents, topped with a hawk-like silver half-face mask bearing a large ruby in the middle of her forehead. Her heavy reinforced boots add three inches to her height to make her slightly more intimidation, and her gloves are padded for extra protection. A black hooded cloak reaches down to her ankles; the hood helps to hide her features a bit better, and the cloak softens her outline in the shadows. A small carbon fiber shield is strapped to her right arm, which she keeps on her back when not in use. A silver ring with another ruby is visible on the index finger of her left gloved hand. History: For most of her life, Gretchen McDaniels has been disappointed; by a father who abandoned her mother to raise a child alone, by a world that seems more concerned with money than reducing human suffering, and by a music industry obsessed with churning out catchy crap. Growing up in Portland, Maine, young Gretchen was drawn to the performing arts from an early age; her mother Evelyn was a successful attorney specializing in labor law, and though their family was small it was full of love, and the budding musician never lacked for love and encouragement. There were piano lessons and violin recitals, and Evelyn couldn't be prouder. But then when Gretchen was fourteen, her mother was killed in an accident while driving home in a New England ice storm; with her father nowhere in sight, it was decided it would be best for the girl to live with her free-wheeling aunt Caroline in Freedom City. Moving to a much larger city during her freshman year of high school, especially right have her mother's tragic death, proved to be particularity painful for the introverted girl, and she began to slowly build walls around herself. However Caroline, who was also musically inclined, offered something to Gretchen to help with the pain: classic punk rock. The anger, passion and energy of the music struck a chord with the unhappy girl, and even though she often struggled to express her grief and frustration through words, she could always turn to punk to feel better Eventually graduating from FreeSA with a degree in Musical Performance, Gretchen found her BFA opened a few doors but didn't lead to steady employment, so like many recent college graduates she turned to the world of retail to make ends meet. She frequently found herself 'working with idiots to serve idiots', and her dry humor and rather surly demeanor did little to enamor her to either her coworkers or customers. In time she got a job at Slberman's Books in the West End, and her life has never been the same. Due to a rather bizarre set of circumstances, Gretchen now bears the Gifts of the Magi, once borne by Lynn's great-grandfather Ira Silberman, aka the Amazing Al-Kazar; these two magical artifacts adapt to their user, so her costumed identity is very different from her predecessor's. After having been in a committed, very intimate relationship with Lynn for over two years, Gretchen felt the need to make a change; it's not that her feelings for Lynn had lessened; in fact, they'd grown more intense. But Gretchen nonetheless felt the desire to get some space, to work through some things, and do some solo crime-fighting on her own. After much discussion over the course of a long summer road trip, Gretchen and Lynn came to an agreement. Gretchen would help open a new Silverman's Books location in Emerald City, under her own management and operation. The two would still remain dating, but had permission to see other people, though they would still be very much a couple connected by strands of magic. This whole situation is very new, but Gretchen hopes it will help her shake off the feeling that she is being smothered by someone she loves. After a year, both parties will review the situation and go from there. Personality & Motivation: Gretchen is keenly aware of life's injustices, but for most of her life, she felt powerless to do anything about it; but now, inspired by her mysterious employer Lynn Epstein, she found that she can make a difference in small ways, and as the equally mysterious Shrike, she can do even more! Her attitude is frequently seen as caustic or sarcastic, but it secretly hides a big caring heart that she tries to wall off from the dangers and disappointments of the world. Though she doesn't like to use labels like 'bisexual', Gretchen has dated both men and women in her life; she finds men to be uncomplicated and easier to get along with, but women to be more challenging and rewarding in the long run. In any event, she's never been very good at maintaining long-term relationships, due to her extremely guarded and somewhat negative attitude. Powers & Tactics: The Shrike's combination of flight, stealth and ranged attacks make her an ideal infiltrator and combat 'sniper', and the psychokinetic power of the ring allows her to grab and detain foes as well as move objects and remove obstacles with ease. The Gifts are now better attuned to her personality, unlocking several new powers, including creating a sort of 'magic grenade' and allowing her to become immaterial, abilities that greatly increases her combat flexibility. Since losing the Cloak of Mystery, Gretchen's supplemented her magical devices with tactical gear, including armor and several varieties of handmade, non-lethal grenades. Complications: Give a Guy a Break: Gretchen has a tendency to not take men super-seriously, seeing them as rather uncomplicated creatures; this underestimation may cost her. I Don't Like Labels: Gretchen has dated both men and women in her life, though never for very long; this attitude may bother those with more traditional values. Secret Identity: The Shrike has been told how important it is to maintain a secret identity, especially if you're not a shapeshifter! The Distance Between Us: Gretchen and Lynn are attempting maintain an open, long-distance relationship assisted by magic. It's challenging and very much I'm work in progress Abilities: 2 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 26PP Strength: 12 (+1) [Heavy Load: 130 lbs.] Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 24 = 36PP Initiative: +3 Attack: +6 Ranged, +6 Melee, +10 Ring of Power Grapple: +7, +16 Ring of Power Defense: +12 (+13 w/Shield) Knockback: -10 (-1 without Cloak) Saving Throws: 8 + 7 + 8 = 23PP Toughness: +2/+7 (+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll, +3 Protection [EP]) Fortitude +10 (+2 Con, +8) Reflex +10 (+3 Dex, +7) Will +10 (+2 Wis, +8) Skills: 152R = 38PP Bluff 8 (+10) Computers 12 (+15)* Craft: Chemical 2 (+5) Craft: Electronics 12 (+15)* Disable Device 12 (+15)* Drive 2 (+5) Gather Information 3 (+5) Investigate 7 (+10) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Current Events) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Tactics) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Technology) 7 (+10)* Medicine 3 (+5) Notice 8 (+10) Perform (Keyboards) 13 (+15) Perform (Singing) 13 (+15) Perform (Stringed Instruments) 13 (+15) Search 7 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: 8PP Attack Specialization 2 (Ring of Power) Defensive Roll 2 Improvised Tools Inventor Precise Shot Skill Mastery* Equipment: 0PP (40EP from Rewards) Silberman's Northwest (PL10 HQ) [15EP] Size: Small [0EP] Toughness: +5 [0EP] Features: [15EP] Communications Computer Cover Facility (Bookstore) Fire Prevention System Library Living Space Powers 6 (144PP, see below) Security System 2 (DC 25) Workshop  Shrike's Gear Armored Jumpsuit 3EP Small Shield 1EP Laptop 1EP Tactical Harness [20EP Utility Belt] Tear Gas grenade (ME: Dazzle 4 + Nauseate Explosion 4) [18EP] Flash-Bang grenade (AP: Dazzle Burst 4) [1EP] Smoke grenade (AP: Obscure 2 [visual])[1EP] Powers: 17 + 32 = 49PP (All have Magic descriptor) Device 4 (Helm of Truth, Magical Helmet, 20PP, Power Feat: Subtle. Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [17PP] Comprehend 2 (All Codes and Written Languages) [4PP] Super-Senses 16 (Danger Sense, Magic Awareness [Visual, Analytic, Extended, Tracking], Vision Counters Concealment, Illusion, and Obscure [All]) [16PP] Device 9 (Ring of Power, Magical Ring, 40PP, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [32PP] Magic Blast Array 10 (23PP Array, Feat: Alternate Power 3) [26PP] Base Power: Ranged Damage 10 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise) [23PP] Alternate Power: Ranged Burst Damage 6 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Selective, Triggered 2) [1PP] Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Strength 50, Heavy Load: 12 tons. Power Feats: Precise, Subtle) [1PP] Alternate Power: Insubstantial 4 (Power Feats: Selective, Subtle 2) [1PP] Dimensional Pocket 1 (Flaw: Limited [Storage only], 100 lbs.) [1PP]  Flight 5 (250 mph) (Power Feats: Subtle 2) [12PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communication Link [with Grimalkin]) [1PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC16 Toughness Damage (Physical) Blast Ranged DC25 Toughness Damage (Physical) Flash-Bang Ranged DC14 Reflex Dazzled Magic Bomb Ranged DC21 Toughness Damage (Physical) Smoke Grenade Ranged - - - Obscure (visual) Tear Gas Ranged DC14 Reflex Dazzled and Nauseated TOTALS: Abilities 26 + Combat 36 + Saving Throws 23 + Skills 38 + Feats 8 + Powers 49 - Drawbacks 0 = 180/198 Power Points

Thanks!

Yes, that is correct.

"Oh my Lord..." Lulu's eyes widened at the size of Leroy's binder, then she turned to Adam and grinned. "Hey, Mister DM, how much damage can Leroy do if he hits someone with the Book of Answers? That'd be quite a wallop!" The arrival of the dragon filled the Alabaman with wonder and delight, mixed with a bit of fear, and her giddy laugh was at least partially nerves. She also raised an eyebrow at the interactions between Judy and Ashley, which suggested a bit of tensions, but she resisted the temptation to pry. As others went into more detail about their characters, Lulu gestured dramatically, her illusionary gear creaking and jingling appropriately. "Ah am Elothien of the Wyrddwood, wood elf priestess of Nymphala! Ah come from deep within forest, and have had little contact with the outside world." She traced a pattern in the air, and a shimmering green glow danced around her fingertips, shaped like vines and leaves and growing thing. "Ah am skilled in the healing arts, and can speak with animals, but the ways of men confuse me!" Originally, Lulu wanted to play a druid, but was afraid that any whiff of paganism might spook Judy a bit, so despite her cousin's insistance that her character would be 'underpowered', she'd settled on a Nature domain cleric, hoping that might go over better.

Ooh, that shoulder squeeze! Lulu felt her heart skip a beat as the dashing Janus took his leave, and cheeks flushed ince again as she waved. "Nice to meet you, too! Don't be a stranger!" With the charming distraction gone, it was a bit easier for Lulu to focus on just Veronica. The redhead kneeled on her bed like a girl at a sleepover, which in a strange way this kind of was "Okay, so the key to trance is breath control, and it sounds like you already know somethin' 'bout that; can you tell me what you already know?"

Lulu's eyebrows went up at the mention of squads; this might not be do bad! Of course, all of it depended on who ended up on your team; if her experiences at Bible study camp had taught her nothing else, it was that in any given team, there were always both good kids and jerks. The trick was in figuring out who to hang out with and who to avoid, which was usually pretty obvious within the first week. Ah hope Janus is on my squad; he sure is cute!

"Sorry," Lulu said with an apologetic smile. "Ah was just thinkin' 'bout the things ah've done in my life that ain't exactly moral. Things ah did because... someone threatened me or someone ah loved. And how ah had to answer questions like this, in front of a court-appointed shrink while ah cried my eyes out." She looked around the room, and indicated her fellow students with a nod. "Lot of hurt in here; sometimes ah feel the press of bad memories at night, pushin' into my head. Sometimes ah have to take pills to sleep." Lulu took a deep breath and widened her eyes. "Ooh-ee, sorry 'bout that! Back to the questions! Uh, lesee, lock the Grue up, bring in a telepath to check his story, treat 'em with respect until you know otherwise." She drummed her hands on the table. "Next question!"

"Right, of course," Lulu said through a strained smile. Unsure of what to do with herself, she looked around until she spotted Abby, setting up her chair. "Mind if ah join you? Too much sun and ah-" She mimed flames appearing on her arm and said 'whoosh' with eyes widened in mock-alarm. The pale-skinned redhead dropped her bag about five feet from her fellow Team Orange classmate, and unpacked a compact folding beach chair and umbrella. She checked the sun's angle several times as she set up, to insure no direct sun could hit her, then applied a bit more lotion and pulled out a book of her own, apparently some sort of trashy fantasy-themed romance novel. Better to disappear into fantasy than face somewhat awkward reality. Of course, like Abby she made sure she had a good view of the sea, and more importantly, the volleyball game and hopefully Adam...

Made a few spelling and grammar fixes, but the sheet stands now as is.