alderwitch

Halfway expecting the little bundle of flowers this time, Alex collected the flowers from her pillow and tucked them into a cup on her desk. She tucked the newspaper clipping with the photo and homework safely out of the way. Once it was clear Erin wouldn't be showing up for lunch, Alex jogged down the stairs to catch up with Mike. The sparkle of her powers flared occassionally as she took the steps two at a time.

Sort of. Alex has always been designed to do the marvel girl into phoenix type of arc. Her PL14 form is a cosmically powerful psychic. Molecular manipulation is one extrapolation of those powers, yes. Being who she is, this is the first manifestation of that potential and of course she would use it to put things right. Alex is a caregiver after all.

ESP - Can I get a final answer on this before I points juggle, please? TK - dropped to PL Mind Reading - removed rapid, added the extra. Mental Transform - Okay, frankly, I see this as a fluff power. I cannot ever see Alex using anything but the memories portion of it, but I see her as able to do it thematically without having to strain which is what extra effort really means. I can drop it to the 3 per rank if its really that big a deal. I'd rather not. Protection - I picked protection as I wanted something not in an array and permanent. Doing that with a forcefield would have cost way more points. Saves - The will save is low as I ran out on points but thematically, there is no good reason that Alex should have high fort or reflex saves. She's not quick or hardy. I'd like to round them up to +5 eventually but don't see them going higher than that. High traits - Yes, the terminus energies have enhanced her brain but I bought her up to human max with attribute points. Anything over that will be psychic enhancement but even without her psychic powers, her intellect can't be negated. Added mental descriptor to powers. Concealment works with cameras as she can use her mental powers to cloud minds while moving cameras etc with her tk. Its part of the integration of her powers into one psychic array. Similarly, her healing is TK based rather than empathic a la Phoenix's molecular manipulation. At the moment, she can only restore things as that's much easier than modification or creation. Her create object is still limited to force constructs.

Alex blinked as he hustled off, a faint frown on her face as she juggled her books. Mike was almost never deceptive about his motives and she could see the awkwardness in his face and posture that clearly denoted the lie. Of course, Mike's white lies were always benevoloent. It was possible he was merely a little shy about the earlier flower... As her thoughts trailed off that way, Alex realized she was holding Mike's book rather than her own. Her books were always a little less ragged around the edges than the ones that Mike tossed around. Also, there was something stuck between the pages. Stopping by the stairwell, Alex set her books down and flipped the pages open until she came accross the little surprise at the center. If he was asking for help with his home work, it was certainly a sweet way to go about it. Somehow, Alex thought that there was more to this than that. She smiled all the way to her next class.

"That's an awfully arrogant stance to take." Alex spoke up quietly, her brown eyes sober as she examined her teammates, "Agent H has been a student here longer than most of us so clearly the plight of Erde is well known. This isn't the first time we've heard of the dimension. It is clearly so much bigger than rushing into fight a battle. That world has been shattered and torn apart by war. It will take months of fighting to gain ground and years and years to rebuild after that. We won the war here and Germany is still recovering. I am all for helping those people and that world but you all need to be aware of what that entails. It is incredibally disrespectful to H and all of the soldiers currently fighting and, yes, dieing in Erde right now to act like winning their war would be so trivial a task." Alex never raised her voice and never wavered as she shared her opinions. She scrubbed one hand against her jeans and turned to the doctor to offer her hand, "A pleasure, as always, Doctor. Thank you for bringing us home."

Alex floated up to her bed to examine the picture and flower, a smile tugging at her lips. She picked up the picture first, her fingertips smoothing the faded edges fondly. Alex could recall the day with perfect clarity, from the scuffed toes of her white and pink sneakers to the slightly lopsided bangs from Mike's most recent home hair cut. The picture had captured them both perfectly. Alex's baby rounded face had been utterly serious as she studiously handed the blocks up. Mike merely looked fondly indulgent as he'd floated up to construct it ever taller. Alex's fingertips brushed the picture once more before she picked up the flower and twirled it. Pulling the clip out of her hair, Alex tucked the lily behind one ear. The faded picture went carefully between the pages of one book. Humming contentedly, Alex slipped her backpack over one shoulder and went out to greet the day.

Alex sighed and reluctantly smiled. From the least introspective team-mate, to the most. "We're not dating. I don't know when we're going to start dating. That's always been up to him. If I told Mike that he was in love with me, he'd believe me. Mike always believes me. Which is why I've never said a word. If he can't figure it out on his own, then we'll stay friends. It's that important to me." Alex leaned up to press an impulsive and platonic kiss against Mark's cheek, "Thank you for that. For everything."

"Mike's feelings for me are complicated. They always have been." Alex said hesitantly. Mike probably hadn't really done a good job to explain things to Mark. He didn't fully understand it himself and Alex knew full well that Mike wasn't comfortable talking about it. So if anyone was going to explain it to Mark, it probably fell on her shoulders. "He didn't realize he was interested in me. Not like that, I mean. Not in a romantic sense. Honestly, I didn't think he'd realize that for another five or six years at least. So, he wouldn't have said anything before hand because he really doesn't know he's in love with me."

Alex frowned at him, the frustration rippling accross her features. Sometimes the difficulties of explaining deeper motivations to her teenage contemporaries tried even Alex's patience. Especially for something like this, where it really would take Mike and Mark working through things. Alex had little doubt that they'd be fine. They were good friends and, more over, two of the finest people she knew. That didn't mean she really thought that Mark would ever understand where Mike was coming from or vice versa. Boys, she was coming to learn, didn't really talk about their emotions. "Of course we're still friends. I'll always be grateful for the good times we've had. Those are memories I couldn't have had with anyone else and I treasure them." She said, automatically reasurring him in return. She went to cover the hand on her arm with one of her own, "I really like you, Mark. That isn't going to change."

"I know that our dating wasn't a big deal to you but I still am sorry that it ended that way," Alex said quietly, her expression still troubled, "Mike never loses his temper. He hasn't lost his temper in ten years now. I'm glad that things are okay between the two of you."

Alex laughed and gestured down to her slender body, "I know, right? What can I say, clean living and a healthy diet can work miracles. Actually, I think Zoe's a little older than I am which is really weird. Well, the whole thing is weird but, well, I don't think my life has ever been normal. I am so very sorry about the scene in the quad." She gave him a repentant look, the laughter fading from her brown eyes. "Someone must have overheard me talking to Erin and misconstrued things."

Alex returned the smile with genuine warmth and headed over to take a seat on the ground next to him. She shifted her backpack to the ground and looped her arms around her knees. She tilted her head to the side as she examined him. There wasn't really another word for the probing look she gave him. "Hi, Mark. How are you doing?"

Mark and Alex talk after the mess in the quad.

Alex wasn't avoiding Mark, of course. Avoidance, firstly, would have been more than silly to try with Mark's peculiar power set. She knew full well, she'd see him exactly when his luck thought that was a good idea. Too her best guess, his luck seemed to agree most often with his subconcious desires which really made guessing the probabilities of his powers both more and less difficult. That was neither here nor there, as she wasn't avoiding him in the first place. Maybe, Alex would have confessed to giving him some time and space on the quad but she really didn't think that scene would have caused Mark any emotional distress. Of course, the emotions rippling around him as he walked off the quad and the spate of bad-luck that had trailed along in his wake would make that more questionable. So, chewing her lower lip with some nervousness, Alex clutched her bookbag to her chest and went looking for her boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend.

Players Name: alderwitch Power Level: 11 (160/165 pp) Trade-Offs: Toughness +3/Defense -3 Unspent PP: 5 Characters Name: Psyche Alternate Identity: Alexandra Albright Height: 5' 3" Weight: 110 lbs Hair: Strawberry Blond Eyes: Hazel Description: Petite and slender, Alex is finally starting to grow out of her awkward stage. Unlike many others in her age group, Alex makes no effort to look any older than she actually is. She still tends to wear her hair in fat plaits. She favors brightly striped tights and flared knee skirts or thick chunky sweaters in bold colors and pegged jeans. The comfort Alex has in her own skin keeps her looks on the charming side of quirky. Since the recent 'puberty' of her powers, she's surrounded in a corona of glowing energy that's the visual manifestation of her telekinetic protection. Her features have a striking quality that she has finally started to grow into. Her eyes are still too large and her chin still too pointed, but her nature is sweet enough to shine through the physical imperfections.. Much of the time she does seem perpetually startled or at least quizzical. Despite her fragile, coltish appearance, Alex has a disarming charm to her. She laughs when she's nervous and is quick to chatter at strangers. History: Alex's mother and father, Rebecca and Victor Albright, were relatively normal citizens of Freedom City. It's true that Rebecca once moonlighted as a bow-toting side-kick to a D-list hero, but those days were long behind her as she and Victor tried to start a family. After struggling to conceive, they were overjoyed when Alex was finally on the way. Unfortunately, the terminus invasion occurred while Rebecca was at the hospital's class on childbirth. The entire class was bathed in the energies of one of the portals but Rebecca and another pregnant mother escaped the escalating battle. It was little surprise that the two mothers-to-be became fast friends or that Alex and the other woman's son, Michael, were thrown together often. What was surprising was that when Alex, who had always been precocious, started to talk, she talked about everything. Including the thoughts other people had and things she couldn't possibly manage to see. Rebecca, a stay-at-home mother, spent her young daughter's early years trying to teach the clever child to keep her powers under wraps and, also, how impolite it was to go reading other people's thoughts. Reluctantly, but confident that she had impressed the importance of secrecy on her offspring, Alex was enrolled in school with her friend Michael. When Michael hit another boy and knocked him across the room and near through a wall, Alex couldn't help but volunteer - loudly and firmly - that they were all lying, the boy was badly hurt. She knew because she read their thoughts. She even went so far to prove it. Not because she hadn't listened to her mother but felt that if Michael was going to be in trouble, she ought to be in the same trouble as the fight was at least partially her fault. Both children were outed as 'supers', and Alex spent the next decade or so busing into a government contracted facility instead of a normal school environment and then home. Rebecca grew more and more concerned as Alex grew older and when Alex was around ten, began trying to get her out of the program and into Claremont instead as Rebecca, rightly or wrongly, was convinced that eventually the government would seek to turn her baby into a soldier. It took every contact Rebecca had from her long forgotten super-days but Alex is just about to start her first 'normal' school. Personality & Motivation: Despite her fragile, coltish appearance, Alex has a disarming charm to her. She laughs when she's nervous and is quick to chatter at strangers. Although she's aware of her intellect enough to know that she's unusual, she has no ego wrapped up in her skills and no competitive streak to speak of. Used to her own social awkwardness, Alex has long given up on being anything other than a misfit and in that she's found a measure of freedom. She indulges in her love of board games and distressing fashion sense with a childlike glee. Although by nature a rule follower with a strong ethical code, her loyalty to her friends and family tends to outweigh her desire to remain out of trouble. She doesn't have much of a temper, but once riled can proving surprisingly stubborn. As Alex has grown up with powers, she has had to learn telepathic ethics the hard way. These days, Alex finds 'snooping' uncalled for in most circumstances. There are, of course, exceptions but Alex is never one to pry - especially with strangers - unless the situation requires it. The only exception is the friend with whom she shares a permanent communication link. She feels completely free to poke around in his brain when the mood strikes. Powers & Tactics: If you asked Alex about her powers, she would tell you that she has an 'overly-efficient and flexible brain'. The tests she's taken at various stages of her life reveal her to be accessing more of her mind's potential every year. Currently, she is capable of switching whether the left or right side of her brain is more dominant, allowing her to look at problems both analytically and creatively. She tests at peak human potential at the moment although she anticipates tipping over into super-powered levels if she keeps up her studies. It is Alex's personal theory that how her brain develops is based purely on the directions she pushes it in. This theory is substantiated by the fact that she can propel herself through air, a skill she stubbornly tried to master after envying the flight abilities of others. It is this theory that keeps Alex from truly devoting herself to one arena of study. Instead she continues to expand the breadth of her learning. Psionics is where the bulk of her 'super powers' lie. These days Alex can scan for thoughts miles away and extend her senses well outside her immediate presence. She's aware that she can even wrest control of a person's actions away from them but finds that both unsettling, and ethically distasteful. In addition to merging the portions of her brain that manipulate psychic energy into one powerful whole, the secondary burst of energies has embued Alex with a permanent - if glowing - field of protection. Complications: Teenager: Alex is only fifteen, not old enough to drive and has all the fun and complications there-width. Registered: Due to Alex's past history of government funded-tests. She has a file that anyone with high enough security could get access to. It details far too much of her life, her abilities and her potentials. It also includes information on her family and friends. Responsibilities: To her family, her friends, her teammates and the daughter who's come back from the future, Alex has a lot on her plate. Stats: ((-2)+0+0+16+16+8=38pp) Str: 8 (-1) Dex: 10 (+0) Con: 10 (+0) Int: 26 (+8) Wis: 26 (+8) Cha: 18 (+4) Combat: (8+8=16pp) Attack: +4 Grapple: +3 (+4, Str -1) Defense: +6 (+4, Dodge Focus +2), +2 Flatfooted Knockback: -7 Initiative: +0 Saves: (2+2+0=4pp) Toughness: +0, +14 (with protection) Fort: +2 (+2, +0 Con) Reflex: +2 (+2, +0 Dex) Will: +8 (+8 Wis) Skills: (48r = 12pp) Computers 4 (+12) Concentration 8 (+16) Gather Information 4 (+8) Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) 4 (+12) Knowledge (Civics) 4 (+12) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+12) Knowledge (Technology) 4 (+12) Language 2 (Spanish, French, native: English) Notice 5 (+13) Search 4 (+12) Sense Motive 5 (+13) Feats: (11pp) Benefit 1 (Wealth 1) Dodge Focus x 2 Equipment 5 Eidetic Memory Master Plan Well Informed Powers: (80 pp) Flight 2 [4 pp] Protection 14 (Drawback: Noticable) [13 pp] Super Senses 2 (Communication Link: Michael/Phalanx, Zoe/Zephyr) [2pp] Psychic Super Sense: Normal Mental Sense, Accurate (2), Acute (1), Radius (1), Ranged (1), Detect Mood (1) [6 pp] Psychic Array 12 (44pp powers; PFs: Alternate Power x 11) [55pp] BE: Blast 11 (psionic) (Extra: Alternate Save (Will), Mental, Range (Perception)) {44} AP: Communication 12 (Mental, 20,000,000 miles) (Extra: Two Way, Area; PF: Subtle, Selective) Linked: Comprehend 5 (Languages, Codes, Flaw: Duration/Sustained) {43} AP: Concealment 10 (all; Extra: Affects Others, Area; PF: Close Range, Selective) {42} AP: Create Object 11 (Extra: Impervious; PF: Progression x 5, Stationary, Selective) {40} AP: Emotion Control 10 (Extra: Area, Mental, Selective; PF: Subtle) {41} AP: ESP 12 (200,000,000 miles, Visual/Auditory; Extra: Duration: Sustained, Flaw: Action: Standard, PF: Subtle, Rapid x 6 (1,000,000 times faster)) {43} AP: Healing 10 (Extra: Affects Objects, Total; PF: Persistent, Regrowth) {42} AP: Illusion 11 (All Senses; Extra: Mental, Selective; Flaw: Phantasms) {44} AP: Mind Control 10 (Extra: Conscious, Duration/Sustained, Mental; PF: Mental Link, Subtle) {42} AP: Mind Reading 11 (Extra: Action: Move/Standard, Area, Mental, Selective) {44} AP: Move Object 11 (Str 70; Extra: Range/Perception; PF: Subtle, Precise) {35} AP: Mental Transform 10 (Completely alter the targets memories (2/r); Extras: Duration/Continuous, Mental, Range/Perception, PF: Subtle) {41} Drawbacks: (0) DC Block: ATTACK --- RANGE --- SAVE --- TYPE Unarmed --- Melee --- DC14/Toughness (Staged) --- Bruise/Injury (Psionic) Blast 11 --- Perception --- 26/Willpower (Staged) --- Bruise/Injury Emotional Control 10 --- Perception --- 20/Willpower --- Special Illusion 11 --- Perception --- 21/Willpower --- Special Mind Control 10 --- Perception --- 20/Willpower --- Special Mind Reading 11 --- Perception --- 21/Willpower --- Special Mental Transform 10 --- Perception --- 20/Willpower --- Special Costs: Abilities (38) + Combat (16) + Saves (4) + Skills (12) + Feats (11) + Powers (80) - Drawbacks (0) = 160/165 PP

Alex wrinkled her nose and pressed a few buttons on her belt buckle. It took its sweet time replacing the clothing but it did cover her in her uniform shortly. "Yeah, I just need to get the timing of that down to something more reasonable." Alex had grown attached to her mother's old costume from her teenage years. The red leather leotard was surprisingly warm and flexible. The white, pleated skirt was a little cheerleader-like but Alex felt it was fun. The mask she pulled out and fitted over her features before she smiled at Mike. "Give me a lift? You're still faster than I am."

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"His apartment." Taylor confirmed and tightened her arms around his waist. She tucked her face once more against his shirt, closing her eyes against the chill of the Void before they appeared in a small entry way. The door behind them had been forced open and there was a subtle but present stench of sulfur in the apartment itself. Taylor let her senses flare out as she automatically took a step away from Jack. The entry way wasn't overly large but they were both too experienced of fighters to stand that close together when there might still be a threat. "I don't feel anyone else in the apartment."

Taylor returned the smile with an ease she would never have had in costume. "Curious mostly. Clearly there are some inventive re-creations. I might see if I can find something for Jack. He actually has an interest in comics. I never did." They slipped into the fan-art room, Taylor checking her watch to make sure they wouldn't miss Stesha's big arrival. Promising herself a quick circuit, she continued to chat as they checked out the little artistic tables filled with skills that really spanned the gamut.

Will Save with Enhanced Wisdom still active: 1d20+9=24

"Already looking," Alex volunteered as she held her hands out to Mike to be carried. It certainly sounded like they didn't have a moment to lose and she couldn't walk and toss her senses out of her body at the same time. At least, not without careening off of the walls. "Hmm... Might be something there. There's odd blank spots. No activity, not even what should be. I'll see if I can get around it but we should head that direction."

"It's not going to be too late. It may just be too late tonight. This is a bad night to fight the forces of darkness. Belief gives them strength and no one believes more in monsters than they do on Halloween. The barrier between worlds is thinner than any other time of the year." Phantom sighed, "If you fail to save him. Note everything. What it looked like, what you fight. Memorize any inscriptions or the layout of any symbols or sigils. Hell's a big place but very structured. If you can find out which demon his father is or any names. Names always have power. Remember everything. They've stolen him to open the gateway between the worlds, I imagine, so any information we can get on their plans, we can use. Good luck."

"What I'm trying to tell you, is that there are worse things to worry about than his death. Trust me, these are worse. Not just for him, but for everyone in Earth Prime." Phantom replied wearily. On the other end of the phone, she rubbed one gloved hand over her mask, "You're looking for demons. Judeo-Christian style demons, which means that he's hopefully picked a scrap of holy ground to fight them on. They'll be weakend, but so will he. You don't want to use anything like fire on them. They may or may not be immune. Depends on the kind of demon, but since you won't know an Enforcer from a Nemesis, just assume that fire's not a good plan with any of them." Phantom didn't ask how young they were. She didn't want to know. It was bad enough to send children after the monsters in the night. But she had little choice and less time. "The older the church, the better. Or a graveyard. Something where the ground would be consecrated to God - big G. Truthfully, the name doesn't matter as much as the intent, but old Christian churches and graveyards are a heck of a lot easier to find than a druidic circle of standing stones. If you believe in something, you might have luck brandishing holy symbols at it but those are iffy if they're not backed by actual faith. You're better off hitting them with a car, really. They'll be hardy, and fast. They'll throw hellfire. Some of them are more insidious and can turn your emotions against you, but you're more likely to fast the equivalent of demonic thugs." She paused, trying to think of any last minute advice. "And if a very handsome man or woman shows up that none of you can touch but the shadows seem to lengthen and deepen around it. Just run. For godsakes, run. Because then you'll already have lost."

"Plenty of glory to go around. Go on, Ace. We all know you love the stage." Taylor teased him without any Malice. As Jack descended from the stage, she shifted so that she could slip one hand into his and lean up to peck his cheek. She flashed him the smile that dimpled both of her cheeks, "My hero."

"First off, he's too valuable to be killed. So, that's not something I'd put a lot of worry in." The voice on the other end of the phone echoed hollowly even through the phone's speakers. There was the sound of rustling behind her voice. "Of course I know about demons, but if you have to ask these sorts of questions, I'm not so sure I should send you off to battle them. He's no martyr, so I imagine he felt this was an inevitable show down that he wanted to take away from you lot. But I don't have time to sit on you all in addition to everything else I have to do, so I don't have too much of a choice. You might want to write this down."