alderwitch

"I didn't mention," Robin said, her voice tightening. She fixed her grey eyed gaze on some point beyond the good doctor's shoulder, her posture tense and coiled as if she were waiting for a threat to bounce out from behind a couch. Unfortunately, this wasn't a situation she could punch into oblivion. Her hands flexed before she shifted and folded her arms up. "I'm not sure what you want me to tell you. I can tell you that tactically, I was in close with that Feral when Riley's arrow exploded her skull. I had to be the target - I can take the most damage. Would you like me to admit that I have more nightmares now?" Her gaze flicked to the doctor, bleak for a moment, "I do," she said, because it was true, her tone matter of fact. "I remember how hot the... fluids were when they sprayed across my skin and the way my sneakers slipped a little in the mess. I remember the smell. I remember..." She looked back to the point on the wall and swallowed once. "And then I remember the way the next Feral died under my hands, adding to the mess that, at least at one point, was a person. I have a very good memory, Dr. Chandler. What would you like me to say?"

"Laka stay lolo. We never so fancy," Leilani snorted with the easy dismissal of an older sister. Dipping her fry in the ketchup, she gave a little shrug of her shoulders, "Still not sure where it all comes from. Not sure it matters much." She sat back in her chair then and gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Strong enough swimmer, yeah. I jus sink if I go shift into rock-lady form. But don't need to breathe then so no biggie. I maybe take you up on that. Might be nice to do something familiar, yeah?"

"What's vegan?" Leilani asked, blinking once at the term. She took a few more bites of her food before elaborating, "I don't gotta roommate. Though probably need to find a job at some point. Can't compete anymore." One of many things sacrificed due to her odd abilities. As she watched Kimo's water trick, Leilani shook off the frustration with certain rules and arched her brows, "You are a meta. It run in the family or something?" Leilani had certainly never heard of it in all of the stories she knew about their family but it seemed odd that there'd be two elemental humans in the same extended family without something tying them together. "You do ice'n all or just the water?"

Renegade took a slow, steadying breath as the illusion faded and the force of power pressed in on the knot of heroes. He ignored the question and instead shifted to turn his attention to the assembled heroes. "I... am not a very powerful angel as such things are measured, but I am here." Some of his affected drawl fell away, leaving his words almost formal and accent-less, as if he were too focused on the emergency at hand to adjust the nomenclature he chose. "I imagine that I will draw the bulk of its attention and shall do my best to do so, providing time for the rest of you to strike and forestall it striking." He turned towards Paige, holding out one hand to her with the Enochian tattoos glowing. "The weak link might be Roman. Mine is the Abrahamic faiths, daughter of Ruth, - if you ask a blessing of me, I shall do my best to grant it." It wasn't normally Ray's bailiwick but he was an angel and despite his problems with dogma, he had faith that he would not be forsaken here and now in his asking.

Talya didn't applaud but she might have considered it, "And now my day's complete," she commented off handedly to Dimitri before she briefly ghosted off to retrieve Erik's discarded coat from where it was tangled around one of the vampiric goons. Wouldn't want to leave it behind after all. It was iconic. Draping the coat over her shoulders to keep track of it, she returned to Dimitri's side, carefully sidestepping the runes in the process. Distracted from watching Erik in his element, she tuned into Dimitri's comment enough to make a face. "Mercy." Her blue eyed gaze skimmed the court yard, finally landing on the box that Ace was proffering. "I don't mean to rush you, Mitya, but apparently Ace has decided to run his Pandora's Box gambit on an angry vampire. I think we might be on the clock now." As if they weren't before.

"I not ready," Leilani said immediately and pulled her tray over with far more restraint than Kimo displayed. Still, she brightened at the last offer, "You know where there some good surf? The waves here all messy. No good breaks I found yet." Leilani commented with a true surfer's disdain. She'd managed to surf a bit but thus far had found Freedom City's offerings disappointing. Absently starting to pick at her food, she replied, "Freedom League took me in. Gaian Knight an Comrade Frost been showing me how to not flash fry everyt'ing 'round. Is slow going but I getting there. Can surf in the air which is pretty good but I gotta long way to go."

"Never like having patrols circling. Too much left to chance," Nighthawk agreed as she paused to catch her breath before adjusting her course of travel to intercept the heavy patrol that Nevermore had pointed out. She didn't flinch from the sudden flash of fire in the distance although she did double check on the coms... just in case, "Woodsman, you good?" She didn't have much time for a response as the patrol was clear when it rounded the corner. Nighthawk had long ago learned to tell the difference between a low caliber hand gun and the nastier weapons that would really hurt. "Got an armed patrol. Watch yourselves." With that terse warning, she dropped silently from the rooftop into the midst. Thankfully, guns had a certain range of efficacy. Being shot pointblank was nasty but they had to tag her first and close in, Nighthawk had the advantage of speed and training. The shotgun barked in the night as she slammed her hand to the barrel, driving it aside to take chunks out of the street harmlessly. Her fist followed swiftly, taking the shotgun wielder out with a blow to the nose. Ducking and twisting, she dodged the next barrel as it swung towards her as she dropped low and swept the other man's legs out. Drilling his head once into the pavement, just hard enough to knock the man out, Nighthawk turned in time to catch the barrel as it swung towards her chest. There was a soft 'crunch' of the metal deforming as her fist tightened and she drove the weapon back into the man's solar plexus. "One patrol down."

"Do be careful. Try not to end up dealing with too many muggings on the way home." Talya replied with a small smile and said her cordial farewells to Gina as well, a touch warmer than usual as the tension had begun to ease there. Talya left the boxes where they were for the moment to head for the stairs at Eden's gleeful welcome. "Mum! Mum! Mum!" Talya's heels clicked swiftly on the stairs despite the expansion of her waistline, certainly audible to Min's advanced hearing. "Don't jump this time, dearest. We'll have to wait a few more months before I'm catching you mid-flight, I'm afraid," Talya's caution was gently affectionate and she ran her hands through Eden's dark hair as her legs were swiftly glommed by toddler hands. Absently, she smoothed Eden's hair back and set about restoring it into a neater pony tail. "Have you been helpful while we were gone?" Absently smiling at Eden's chattered updates of what all she'd missed, Talya nudged the little girl back into the apartment and towards where her partner was unpacking. She paused to greet Min with a kiss once Eden had come up for a necessary breath, "Oh, you've been productive, haven't you. Thank you."

"I might be willing to settle for not burning through all the shoes I own in a week," Leilani replied in the same humorous vein. She'd actually gotten much better with keeping her clothes intact through a transformation. Her shoes, however, were inevitably a lost cause. "As to the birds and the bees, well, I think that's a sort of far off concern. I have to scrub char marks from the floor when a scary movie startles me. I'm reluctant to even hug the overly flammable. I don't think kids are going to ever be in my cards." To say nothing of her dubious mystical biology. She gave Frost's hand a squeeze then as if she were comforting him. "But that's not really new and sounds like my sister, Laka, did more than her duty to carry on the family. Are you going to stay home and raise the next generation or is it back to active work for you then, Klara?"

Leilani was reaching for the cake when Kimber's mild comment about her flammability registered. Her hand stuttered, the flinch visible before she resolutely finished reaching for the slice. Her multicolor gaze was direct as she looked at the ghost, "I won't hurt you," she said, the words a little too firm but directed almost inward. It sounded almost like a vow in the way Leilani phrased it. Taking the cake, her gaze dropped down to watch her movements as she carefully began to carve into it with the fork as if by focusing on the minute movements, she was grounding her senses. "I did," she agreed. "Well, an inactive lava vent. Gaian Knight took a look round where I got spit outta - There was a person size hole in the solid pahoehoe under the water. Were you, y'know, awake for it or more like sleeping?" Leilani asked as she lifted the bite towards her mouth. "It was like sleeping for me. Close enough to." She paused to chew and swallow, enjoying the tang of the pineapple. "Oh, s'good! As to folks coming along, more the merrier. Can always rent a couple of boards. Got a..." she paused, hesitating over the word choice. It felt weird to call Kimo her 'great nephew' but it was accurate, "Got family in town that can make up some decent waves. Surf's a bit crap otherwise though magnificent might be a bit overstating it," she slanted an amused grin towards Dimitri then, "Maybe we'll go see some actual pros then you can decide where I rate in the rankings."

Leilani shifted slightly in her seat, uncomfortable as she demurred, "I just got this power. Pretty sure calling yo'self hero is something that you earn." Absently, she shifted again to let her hand fall on Dimitri's forearm, the movement casual. Her control was growing, though, especially when she didn't over-think it and the hand that rested on his sleeve continued to stay warm despite the draw from the thermovore. "You gotta big family then?" She invited to Klara, shifting the topic as she left her hand in place. Switching to using her free hand to pick up her glass, she continued on, "Kids and grandkids and all?"

"I don remember," Leilani retorted, bristling at the term Auntie. "An not that much older than you." The fire in her mis-matched eyes likely did more to confirm her identity than any other story. No doubt her siblings had included stories of her temper among whatever other family tales that had been handed down. Despite her scowl, her skin remained cool under his hand and she didn't fight being maneuvered into the burger shack. She gave a small, stubborn shake of her head - ordering her meal in terse words, "They gonna have to wait till I'm sure I not gonna set the whole hale a'fire. The Leilani they knew might as well be dead. What I gonna have in common, huh?" She spread her hands wide almost in disgust at her athletic form, "Can't go back to how things used to be now - only way is forward."

I'm still debating my responses to the poll but I don't personally mind darker overtones to stories or characters and I have often chafed under some of what feels more arbitrary restrictions at very points but then I'm also a person who feels that sexual overtones are more policed than the violence. I like my slice of life stories. I understand at the same time that there's a lot of good reasons for restrictions rather than just carte Blanche. Personally, regardless of the choices made around Bedlam, I think that it might be prudent to clarify the lines and goals of those lines a bit more clearly and, honestly, I think that even with the lighter tones we tend towards in Freedom City adventures - content notices on threads might be prudent regardless so as we move forward there are no nasty surprises for anyone in threads. On a personal note, as a survivor, it wouldn't make me uncomfortable for people to have those elements in their backstory or as something that has to be dealt with. Honestly, some people work through things through fiction. I'd prefer those topics to have a small note at the top so that I wouldn't stumble into them without warning. With all of it though, I think that explaining the goals and our expectations for the site and threads would be better than the really vague 'Keep it PG-13' that we have tended towards as direction. Right now, as it stands, we are firmer on our limitations often than actual comics which, isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think it might be confusing. There is so much out there now for Super Heros, from grim and gritty movies like the DC movie universe to the light and fluffy Hero 6 and everything in between - which is awesome. I've gotten long and ramble-y, I think, but I'd like to be able to explore more varied stories on this board and I think that our community can handle that. I like the idea of Bedlam and Emerald City. It just might take some finessing along the way.

Introduction Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence. I really wear an awful lot of hats. As a super-hero? An Interdimensional Guardian who helps insure that the multiverse doesn't get punched too full of holes. As a person, though, I'm trying to juggle the duties I've been given with my family and occasionally think I can keep a mundane career as well. Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume? Taylor is what my friends and spouse call me, Phantom is the catchy super hero name I use and the formal title is the Chosen of Heshem when I'm 'on duty'. There's a childhood nickname that my siblings use sometimes when they're being especially obnoxious. What is your full birth name? Taylor Xiao Chun. I took my husband's name when we married as well so Taylor Xiao Chun Faretti. Where do you live? In a haunted house in the North Bay. No, really. How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)? That's tricky as according to my driver's license, I'm twenty-seven. I was born in September, 1988. If you add up all the years I've lived in dimensions outside of time, I'm probably closer to my mid thirties, somewhere around there but its hard to nail down an exact age. Physiologically, I haven't aged since I became displaced from this dimension, so I'm stuck in my early college years visually. It can be a little confusing. Physical Traits What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain. I'm biologically female and identify as such. How would you describe your heritage? My mother is American, of mixed Western European heritage. My father is American and Chinese in heritage. I'm bi-racial, half caucasian, half asian. I grew up speaking both Cantonese and English in the household but went to a public school with other upper-middle class Freedom City kids. How tall are you? Five feet and one whole inch. I'm short, I know. What is your body type? Short and curvy. I have some muscle tone as I work out for the days when the vast cosmic power is countered but I'm no hard body. Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities? I'm allergic to fire? Seriously, fire does hurt me more than the average person. It's not my antithesis, really, but I do try and avoid trading blows with people who throw fire in general. How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence? I'm not the stealthy one in my household unless I'm banking on turning invisible and intangible. When I'm walking on solid ground, I'm not especially heavy footed. I can come across a little awkward sometimes as I've grown used to passing through solid objects as my instinct and sometimes have to correct for that. I can project both confidence and menace when I want to although normally I bank on being unassuming out of costume. Describe your skin, eye, and hair color. I take more after my father in coloration than my mother. I've got golden skin, brown eyes and straight black hair. I'm easily identified by most Americans as Asian but to my Chinese relatives, the influences of my mother's genetics are pretty obvious. How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair? Nope, no facial hair but I don't really do all that much with my hair. It's thick and straight and won't hold a curl worth a damn no matter the amount of products used on it. I used to keep it shorter but these days, it's well past my shoulder blades. I tend to pull it back from my face when running after the kids or put it up in some sort of up-do if there's an actually fancy event to attend. The rest of the time, its just loose and straight. Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others? A few years ago, I would have prevaricated on this question but honestly, I'm 'cute'. I'll never be sultry or a knock out but I've got a good figure and an attractive face even if without makeup, I easily look aggravatingly young and wide-eyed. Other people would probably agree with it although my husband would certainly pretty up the word choice. He's alarmingly good at flattery. Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks? No scars, tattoos. I have my ears pierced from before I became Phantom and I suppose the most noteworthy feature other than that are my dimples. Do you resemble anyone famous? I don't resemble anyone famous, no. Do you have a dominant hand? My right hand is my dominant hand. What kind of clothing do you wear? I prefer comfortable and casual when at all possible. I like my jeans and tank tops though I trade that in for a sweater come winter time. I don't really feel the cold but blending is important. If I'm dressing up, its almost certainly a dress of some sort that shows some leg. I used to avoid heels like the plague but I've grown to embrace the height advantage they allow. I've come to realize that a nice wedge boot can work with just about anything. Do you wear makeup? I wear some these days. It's worth the effort to look a little more polished when dealing with the kid's schools. I look less like I'm the nanny with a bit of lipstick and mascara. What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way? My voice is low and husky naturally, in the alto range. The boom-crack of it as Phantom is distinctive, obviously but it's not uncommon to surprise people that my natural speaking voice is on the lower end. Thankfully, it often makes people reassess as I sound like the professional adult that I am. Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people? I tend to fiddle with the amulet around my neck when nervous or otherwise agitated. It's a pretty obvious tell and the people who know me well are used to it. I don't think it annoys anyone and if it does, they're a rather sensitive lot. History Where do you come from? I was born and raised inside a well off suburb of Freedom City. Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown? We're living in Freedom City, in the North Bay, now but while JJ was a baby, we relocated to a different dimension out of concern for his safety. Now that the kids are a little older, we're back in Freedom City. It makes the commuting a little easier. Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? I feel loyalty to the citizens but no real government. I don't consider myself overly patriotic - I'll act to defend my fellow citizens out of a sense of humanity not a sense of patriotic loyalty. How do you feel about the government of your country? How do you feel about the place you come from? The government is a flawed creature - they all are. In terms of Freedom City, no place else really quite feels like home but I don't look at the city through rose colored glasses. Freedom City has its own issues as well but I think its a good place to raise my family. Where is your home town? What was/is it like? My home town is Freedom City. I grew up in the suburbs here. It was a lot like the suburbs you see on television shows - which I didn't realize was sort of strange until I was much older. Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you? Growing up, I was around the kids of other well to do professionals. Our public school was in a good neighborhood and we were right in the same socio economic group with two parents that were doctors but it was a largely white area with not a whole lot of other ethnicities. There were a couple of other kids that were Asian but almost no one that was bi-racial. At home, we spoke both English and Cantonese. Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life? I've always been really good with languages, I have a natural knack for it and I wouldn't be a superhero now without that ability. It was my ability to translate the Eye of Heshem's inscription that transformed me into Phantom. Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life. No, my life growing up was pretty mundane, happy even. We have a big family and I was well taken care of as the baby of it. My probably most defining moment was the summers I spent in China, specifically when I was a teenager and allowed to join my Great Uncle on his archeological dig. It was fascinating. I suppose I always thought I'd follow in his foot steps. In a way, I am, just not as an archeologist. What stupid things did you do when you were younger? Really, I was a pretty boring kid. I was a bit of a nerd and spent most times either playing with my older brothers or with my nose buried in a book, so even as far as dumb kid things, I was pretty boring. Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it? I went to public school in Freedom City - we were in a good school district. After that, I went to FCU for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I probably would have enjoyed higher education more but it was pretty hectic juggling school with a superhero gig and, later, a baby. Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not? I wasn't super sentimental about my childhood mementos but traditions are really important to my mom and I think she's kept most of the stuff from when I was a baby and little kid. I think she keeps hoping we'll have a girl to do some sort of mother to daughter hand off but I keep telling her that it's not really likely to happen. When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision? I could say that I wasn't given a choice but I've been given lots of choices. When I saw how important the work I could do was, my path was clear to me. It's been clear ever since that its something I have to do. It would be hard to pick one person who was more influential than the others. I mean, my Great Uncle's stories were just as important as how my folks have talked about being doctors. Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why? No, I'm pretty clear about the reasons for what I do - people don't always understand or agree but I don't obfuscate them. Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you? I leave the whole dark secret keeping to my spouse. I think that's more than enough for one family. Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets? I don't, really, but I end up having to keep some of my husband's secrets. I'm married to a vampire who's trying to keep Freedom City's vampires in check, and safe at the same time. Personally, I stay out of the vampire politics as much as possible but sometimes protecting my family means protecting those secrets. And I would do anything to protect my family. Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? I have no criminal record of any kind. Family What are your biological parents' names? Michael and Elisa Chun Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you. I was raised by my biological parents. What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living? They're pretty well respected. They're both doctors and, at this point, are pretty well respected in their fields. I think they're probably going to be retiring in the next five to ten years, honestly. Where are your parents now? They're still living in Freedom City and working at the hospital they've been at for most of my life, though Dad just cut his hours way back. Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot? We've pretty much been in Freedom City since my parents were married. Dad did his residency at the hospital here and met my mother and they've not really budged since. How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable). I get along with my parents although they're a little baffled. I am definitely 'one of these things is not like the other' after going super hero. I get the unconditional love and acceptance but my folks are hardcore scientists. The multiverse and the arcane that make up my existence are somewhat outside of what they can fathom. They worry, I know. The danger, they understand that part all too well. How do your parents view you now, or how would they? They love me. They're proud of me. They don't really understand what I do but to be fair, even most people in the super hero community don't really understand my work. Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them. I do have siblings. I have four older brothers: Michael (Jr.), Jason, Steve, and Jackson and there's on average about two years between each kid, give or take. I'm closest with Jackson. The eldest three all have married and have kids. Everyone but me went into some sort of science route and the eldest is a doctor, like our parents. What was your birth order in the family? I'm the baby of the family, Jackson's a year older than I am and some change. Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do? We all are spread out in Freedom City. I live in the North Bay and the others are in various Freedom City suburbs. Mom holds a monthly family dinner for the whole clan that's hell to pay if you miss. Jackson, I think, might finally have a partner he's willing to start bringing into the family. My other three brothers all have wives and children. My eldest brother is a doctor as well and the other three have all gone into STEM fields. Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged? Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular? We faithfully go to family dinner night and I stay in touch. I love my family dearly but I'm starting to face the fact that everyone's going to keep aging and our family unit... is not. Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? My brother Jackson is the closest to me but there's been some distance as we have been wrestling with our own lives for the last few years. Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain. It's me. I'm the sheep of a different color. I'm one of the most potent sorceresses of this dimension, I've married a vampire and my offspring has a dis-timed twin that's a teenager. That sort of trumps the fact that Steve married a crunchy hippy nutritionist. Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life. My paternal great uncle, Huang Chun, is famous. He's a professor of Antiquities in China and a renowned archeologist. In his younger years, he was part of Johnny Danger's Jungle Patrol although he rather loathes the name 'Hong Kong Harry'. Huang's been a rather large influence on my life, from teaching me when I spent summers in China to sending me the Eye of Heshem for safe keeping. Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them. I have a husband and children. I married Jack Faretti. We met in our alter-egos, when he used to masquerade as the crime fighting vigilante known as Avenger. I had no idea he was a vampire until much later in our relationship but I accept his nature now. The pregnancy with JJ was a surprise. He's a dhampir, half human, half vampire. We're also raising his time displaced twin, Huang who's in his teenage years. This is really the short, short version of our family story. If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind? Our life isn't perfect - we have ups and downs - but I wouldn't trade it for anything. What type of person would be your ideal mate? Jack isn't the sort of person I would have described as my ideal mate. He'll deflect and obfuscate information, and he's stubborn once he's set his mind to something - like this insistence on leading the vampires, but he's also loyal and protective. I know Jack loves me and I couldn't picture spending my immortal existence with anyone else, even when he's actively driving me crazy. Relationships Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them. My closest friend would have to be Stesha and it's probably due to the fact that she's one of the kindest and most accepting people out there. I am not an easy friend to have at the best of times. We became close when we were both relatively new to doing the super-hero thing. I have a few other friends, mostly former team mates, but we've drifted apart over time. Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend? My best friend is probably Stesha. We used to be closer but I really let her down when we vanished off of the grid. She deserved better but, as I said, she's a kind person and we're getting past that, I think. We spend a lot of time connecting over playdates now. Our kids spend a lot of time playing together. If you were to go missing, who would worry about you? Probably only Jack. He's the only one who'd really know that I was 'missing' rather than just busy in another dimension. And then there'd be hell to pay, really. Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do? I married the first person I had a serious relationship with and we're still together. Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you. Zealot. A witch-hunter that caught me by surprise and kidnapped me. I didn't get to hit him with a car that night so I'm saving it up for the next time I see that sonova... Also, Dracula. He crashed my wedding to try and kill my husband and then he showed up when JJ was born to try and kill him. We don't really get along with Jack's side of the family as they're a murderous lot. If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future? Yeah, its not real likely that a witch-hunter and Dracula are going to team up but if they do, I'll make them regret it. What is the worst thing someone has done to you? My brother was kidnapped during the invasion of Hell on earth but the worst part of that experience was realizing that I couldn't go rescue him and be distracted from the actual dimensional crisis. It was the hardest moment I've had as a super hero, knowing that I had to choose my duty over my family. Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? My loyalties are first to my oath to Heshem and keeping the dimensional balance but, to be honest, I think now that I could be bated with my children or spouse into a much harder choice. I love my brother but I'd let him burn for the multiverse. I'm not so sure I could leave Jack or the kids behind. Who or what do you trust the most? Why? Who or what do you despise? Why? I trust Jack the most - not to tell the truth, really, but I trust him to make the right calls when it counts. I trust him to have my back in a way that no one else would. As to despise, that's a strong word. I dislike a lot of things but I think the only thing I despise is Dracula. Because there, its personal. What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess? I admire bravery, cunning and the ability to stand up to others for what you believe. Personally, I'm brave but more clever than cunning. I do stand up for what I believe in, as exhausting as it often is. What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities? A closed mind. Nothing aggravates me more quickly than people making snap judgements based on their narrow understanding of what they think the world is. The multiverse is so much larger than most people can comprehend. Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why? I have a secret identity although my family, including my parents and siblings, are aware that I'm Phantom and some of what that means. I hide my nature from the larger world in general but I'm known in the super hero community since the kids attend super hero schools. It gets complicated as Jack is sometimes known as a vampire to some groups and sometimes known as Avenger to others and rarely, he's known as all three to certain individuals. That's much harder to keep straight than whether or not someone knows that I'm Phantom. Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower? I've worked on teams in the past and I managed to work with them. I deal in the mystic arts which is something of a niche among the super heroes but my team ups have largely gone well. I'm generally a follower. Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them? Not at the moment. With Jack in retirement and the original Midnighters disbanded, I'm mostly a solo act these days. It's sometimes lonely but I don't know if I'll ever find another super team that's quite right for me. Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? I'm reluctantly part of the PTA at JJ's elementary. How much time do you spend on that? As little as possible without looking like we're shirking our duties. Bake sales make me feel as out of place as football games did in college. Personality & Beliefs Who are your heroes? Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances? My parents are my heroes. I know that's lame and trite but they went to work every day and saved lives and they didn't have any special powers or divine command. They just did it because it was the right thing to do and they worked hard at it. I like to think that strip all my powers away and I'd still fight just as hard to take care of people. Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it? I do. The most rewarding part is coming home at the end and sweeping my son up in my arms; to know that he's safe and the world he knows is going to keep spinning just a little longer. Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides? No. I know where my loyalties lie and I know I can't go back to who I used to be. I don't even want to. What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)? Surviving the teenage angst in my house, getting a little more private time since the kids are in school and maybe coaxing Jack out onto the rooftops a little more often. I'd like to see Huang graduate from high school without getting anyone pregnant or breaking any (major) laws. What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)? I'd like the boys to be healthy and happy... and not being hunted by monster hunters or angry vampires. I'd like to think in another twenty years, I won't still be getting tetchy notes from the Master Magus - but I probably will. I hope in twenty years, I've made peace with the fact that I'm immortal and my siblings and parents will never be. What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear? My greatest fear is something happening to the boys. I think its not unrelated to the fact that people have wanted JJ dead literally before he was born. Generally, I double check the wards if its just ambient anxiety. If its an actual threat... I take care of the threat. Is there anything you would give you life for? Many things, most people. That's... sort of what being a hero is? At least to me. Never casually or frivolously but I go out every night knowing that I'm willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good. How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end? I enjoy the fact that its not really something we have to worry about? I remember trying to deal with paying for an apartment while doing school and super hero work - that was stressful enough without being actually poor. I'm glad we're well off but its really the means to an end. Of course, its not really my wealth. I just enjoy the benefits of it. How do you generally treat others? I'm not the most demonstrative with people. Its really only my innermost circle that I let my guard down around fully. I'm usually scrupulously polite but it takes a while to get in past the acquaintance zone with me. Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused? I don't think I'm very trusting no. Jack's lies about who and what he was... that was really hard to get past. I made the right choice and I'm a lot more comfortable these days but sometimes my trust can still be shaken if it gets prodded in certain areas. \\. Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence? I'm introverted. I'm a private person. I've finally found my self-confidence but I still don't like feeling emotionally exposed. I find large displays of emotion often uncomfortable to deal with unless its from someone I'm very close to. How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex? I don't really pay it much attention. I'm not actively looking so the fact that someone's attractive and available is largely off my radar unless its pushed in my face. I still tend to get awkward and uncomfortable if I'm being flirted with by attractive men that I'm not in a relationship with. It's somewhat compounded by genuine concern for their well being at that point. What are your most annoying habits? That depends on who you ask. If you ask my friends, its probably the fact that I am not good about forewarning them about vanishing off the grid for work ahead of time. My teenager tends to take great issue with how profoundly 'uncool' I am. Other people in the super hero community generally have issues with my supposed inflexibility about the rules. Really, though, I am much more flexible than I'm often given credit for. Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why? No, not really. I try to avoid generalizations. It's a bad habit to be in. What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can? I don't really need to eat but I still have a bit of a sweet tooth. Stesha and I often enjoy cheesecake or other deserts when we have time to chat. I generally enjoy my food if I'm sitting down to eat, since its never a need. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? Lemonade, especially when it has way too much sugar in it on a hot summer day. What is your favorite treat (dessert)? Orange jelly candy. Whenever my dad would go back to visit relatives, he'd sneak back some orange jelly candy for us to enjoy. It always reminds me of when I was little. Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat? I'm really not very picky. I imagine there's food that I wouldn't enjoy but I'll generally try anything. What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike? Red. I'd have to say my favorite color is red. I don't really have colors I dislike. What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate? Apparently I like 'old people music'. I still don't think that the nineties music counts as 'old'. I'm not a huge fan of rap or dub-step. I generally prefer music that's in the pop-to-soft-rock spectrum. If you have a favorite scent, what is it? Leather and rain. Too bad they don't bottle it. Do you have a favorite animal? Not really, no. What is your most treasured possession? Why? In terms of owned items, its probably the jewelry I wear. There's nothing truly mystic about the Eye but I wear it to remind me of the vows I've made. I value my wedding bands to remind me of the same thing. Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts? I don't really enjoy roughing but but the things I need are pretty low as I neither need food nor sleep, and can exist in the vacuum of space without an issue. Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do? Probably, but I haven't run across it yet. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life? How important is it to you? I spend my days arguing with gods, demigods and tetchy spirits. I believe in spiritual entities but there aren't any I personally worship. There are some who have earned my respect. There are many who have not. Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special? Not really. Just experience. If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization? I don't attend any religious services. Could you kill? Have you killed? Everyone has their breaking point, I have mine. It also depends on what you consider a life. I'd never harm a human child under any almost any circumstances. I have blasted imps off the face of this dimension. What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action? I follow my own internal compass. Everyday I have to weigh what the right course of action is. Sometimes that might be taking a life. I give that action the proper weight it deserves. Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they? When the alternative is far, far worse. Sometimes you have no good options. How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours? With grim dismay. If it was an enemy taking a life, I would see about stopping them with all my considerable power. I'd stop a friend too, if I disagreed with their assessment. If it was something I agreed was necessary, I'd do my best to support that person in the wake of that action. How would you react if something important was stolen from you? I would get it back? How would you react to public humiliation? I'd be pissed but I'd not retaliate unless it was escalating. It's not like I can't survive a bit of humiliation. How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you? I would grieve and, if necessary, I would see about dealing with the chain of events that had caused it. I've lost people, yes. You can't be a superhero for this long without watching people die. What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why? I don't know. There's a lot of terrible things that can be done. Violating people is abhorrent, as is their murder but the scale of one murder versus the annihilation of a world or a universe... There is a great deal of wrong that can be done when someone has both the will and the power to act on it. If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours? Presuming that 'stopping it' wasn't an option, I would see about ensuring that those I left behind would be in as good a position as I could leave them. I would spend time with Jack and the kids if I couldn't take us all somewhere safe for some odd reason. Career & Training Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it? I have significant special training, yes. In addition to my mundane study of languages, I was trained in the Dimension of Doors by the same magi that teach the Master Magus in the arcane arts after I was Chosen by Heshem. I've continued to advance my arcane and cosmology studies with the tools at my disposal since then. Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person? Turning 'super hero', was something I did largely on my own. I was given the tools and training but never actually trained on the job. I learned about the super hero community largely alongside the Knights of Freedom. I don't see most of them much these days save for the one I married. Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them? Other than the suite of powers that was given to me by Heshem, I have no small mastery of the arcane arts thanks to study. Take away all the powers I have, I retain more knowledge than most will possess about magic. Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to? I'm a translator. Usually free lance as my schedule is too erratic for much else but I keep hoping I'll have time to work as an interpreter - maybe when the kids are older. What is your preferred combat style? Enjoy the benefits of intangibility while throwing massive amounts of eldritch blasts at anything that looks at me funny. Have you ever received any awards or honours? Not since I was a kid, no. What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Without Jack in active duty, I should probably brush up on some of my stealth or speed. Maybe. I have some definite gaps in my ability to function as a solo hero after being part of a team for so long. Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could? No, not really. I used to wish I was better in a large crowd but I'm comfortable with who I am now. It'd be nice to be a little better at hiding things sometimes. It would certainly be useful. How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn? A little jealous and a little baffled at the whole ease that some people have with the social scene. Lifestyle & Hobbies What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine? I don't really have normal routines save as dictated by the kids school schedule and that's going to be all up in the air. Jack works nights, obviously, so if he's home and available, he'll roust JJ for school in the morning, or I will if I'm the one currently at home. While JJ's in school is the time I really have to get mundane work done. I'm 'on call' for heroic work most of the time while Jack gets to dictate his schedule a bit more so he's usually more primary parent during the day. My day gets turned upside down so regularly that I don't really have a steady schedule. Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up? I have lots of interests outside hero work but little time. I'd like to do more mundane work, I still vaguely hold onto the desire to work in interpretation at one of the embassies although its unrealistic with the rest of my life. Honestly, we rarely even have time for date nights. What do you do for fun? Fun is when I coax Jack into putting on a hockey mask and beating up some thugs in the Fens for an evening. Don't judge me. Everyone has their thing. Do you have a costume? What does it look like? I do, I wear leather gloves and thigh boots over a long sleeve leotard, a face mask and a long ragged cloak. The Eye of Heshem holds the cloak closed when my costume appears. How do you normally dress when not in costume? Casually. I favor jeans and boots and tank tops unless its too cool to get away with a tank top. I'm not afraid to dress up for special occasions but most days I favor comfortable and casual. What do you wear to bed most nights? Nothing? Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like? I wear the Eye of Heshem at all times, its an amulet with a faceted oval gem that's a deep black in an old gold setting. I also wear a matched wedding and engagement ring set on my left hand that are fairly traditional diamond and gold. Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables? Generally if I have something I need to keep safe, its at the Manor or in the Void. My library is very, very secure. What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance? Generally we travel through the Void. If we have to look 'normal', we'll drive but teleportation is much faster once you're used to it. Miscellaneous Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make? Taylor Faretti has a will drafted that deals with any material goods and there are standing instructions about the boys with a few friends as well as the magi that once taught me. If anything happens to me, I want to know that Jack and the boys will be looked after. If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body? Not really, no. What would you like to be remembered for after your death? The only memories that really matter to me, is that the kids know that they were wanted, loved and protected. I don't really care what the world remembers about me but I want the kids to have whatever memories they need to be alright and to feel like they weren't missing out on time together. Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not? I'm a far greater protection then I could ever be a threat. There are checks on my actions far beyond mortal understanding and I ensure that many terrible things don't sneak their way into the worlds that they do not belong in. What do you perceive as your greatest strength? My greatest strength is my sense of duty. It drives me on even when I might otherwise despair. What do you perceive as your greatest weakness? Probably the fragments of 'normalcy' that I'm not willing to give up on for myself or my family. I know that they're also openings that can easily be used against me but sometimes you just can't compromise As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice... Taylor, you've come so far from where you started and you're a lot happier for it but you're sort of losing yourself in trying to be what everyone else needs from you. Just be you. You're already more than enough for the people that you love.

Origin Story Placeholder

"Can you believe these questionnaires we have to fill out for JJ's school? I think the CIA is less complete in their background checks," Taylor complained to her spouse as she flipped through the pages of writing requested in order to be an eligible volunteer. Of course, this sort of diligence was one of the many reasons that they were comfortable sending JJ to Nicholson in the first place but it didn't mean that Taylor enjoyed the paperwork. At least she had plenty of friends to call on for the references portion, she supposed. Only half listening to Jack's response as it drifted out from the shower, she turned her attention to flipping through his already completed forms. It was probably much easier to fill out when one was more willing to bend the truth in the responses, "Did you have Daisy write this for you?" Assuming that the shower turning on was agreement enough to that question, Taylor huffed a breath and briefly regretted her on lack of minions as she went to put more truthful answers on the page. What are the names and ages of the children in the family? (1) "I bet these questions are less difficult for most families." Taylor sighed as she began to put down answers in her own neat handwriting. She sat down in the chair at Jack's desk, absently double checking her responses to make sure they weren't too different from whatever had ended up on his forms. Nibbling on the end of her pencil, she muttered to herself as she tried to fit her unconventional family into the space allotted on the forms. "Jack Faretti, Jr., age five and Huang Faretti, age sixteen." She paused and then scrunched a note onto the corner of the page. "Time-lapsed growth." That was close enough to the truth. Uncertain if that was clear enough, she added a small arrow to the sixteen year old and hoped that would be good enough. They'd probably just call with questions, right? What is your name and relationship to the student? (2) That one, at least was easy. "Taylor Faretti, mother," she filled in the appropriate information, having to pull her wallet out of the Void to add the necessary details like Driver's License number and the associated errata required. She hesitated at the address before filling in the residence with the manor's information. It wasn't like anyone could find it if they weren't well aware of what to look for. She was careful to put down the post office box, though for the mailing information. Having a mystically concealed house played hell on post office delivery. Who is allowed to pick the child up from school, name(s) and relationship? (3) "I'm going to put my mom down to pick up JJ as well," she called over to her spouse and his shower, dutifully filling out all the information as she put down her own and Jack's information as well obviously before hesitating and adding Stesha. That part she didn't call out to her spouse but it was a good idea. Stesha was always excellent back up and probably the most trust worthy super hero that they knew. What is your schedule and availability? (4) "Not much," Taylor muttered to herself as she hesitated, tapping her pencil to the paper. Finally, she blocked out times almost at random before adding underneath, "Happy to volunteer but often 'on-call' so schedule fluctuates. Can probably adjust time as needed with enough notice." Hopefully notice was a little more than the night before. That was the sort of response her parents had always had to put down as shift rotations often fluctuated. What is the nature of the child's gifts (if any)? (5) Now this was a bit trickier. Taylor paused to double-check what the wording was on Jack's form before she forayed out into trying to find a polite way to refer to her offspring as a natural predator. "Supernatural speed and stealth, night vision," she murmured as she noted down the most politic version of JJ's abilities. Taylor hesitated, twirling the pencil before she finally settled on, "Sharp teeth." Hopefully that didn't sound too offputting. Surely Nicholson had seen worse. Are there any hereditary conditions we should be aware of with this student? Any allergies or dietary restrictions? (6) "You told them that JJ was sensitive to sunlight, right?" Taylor wanted to know as she double checked. Sometimes her spouse got a little paranoid about outing weaknesses which wasn't overly helpful in this particular case. Vampiric paranoia should have been right up there with garlic allergies. Double checking that the sensitivity was on both forms, Taylor quickly filled out, "Sensitive to sunlight - needs sunglasses outdoors and sunblock before recess. Allergic to garlic." She grimaced then. Might as well have just written 'vampire' on the form there. Still, she left it, quickly moving down the list. Are there any known dangers to the student that the school should be informed of? (7) Noting that section of Jack's version was suspiciously blank, Taylor paused before reluctantly moving on herself. "I'm not telling the school that Dracula might show up. It's not like he's going to show up in mid daylight and any other security would stop minions. He's not been active since JJ was born anyhow. Maybe the old bastard's dead." Taylor doubted it but she could dream, couldn't she? Is there any special heritage or skills you'd be interested in providing as a volunteer? (8) Somehow, Taylor didn't think they'd want to do dimensional traveling at Nicholson. There were certainly some nice dimensions for a day trip but she didn't really want to encourage dimensional jaunts quite that casually. "Family is bilingual," she wrote down instead. "Cantonese / English" she added for their home, deliberately leaving off the Old Slavonic that they also spoke. No one wanted to learn it and Jack certainly didn't enjoy encouraging people outside the culture into speaking it. What are you goals for your student for this year at Nicholson? (9) "Not biting the other students," Taylor muttered to herself as she wrote down something much more banal, "Also, a bit of time where the house is not pure chaos." Instead she filled out the line with something mild and inoffensive, along the lines of hoping he'd make new friends and develop new skills. "Really, what more do you want from kindergarten." Is there any recent issues at home that might affect your student or that you'd like the staff to be aware of? (10) "Maybe I should mention that Melly decided to pass over to the other side." Having one of the ghosts move on hadn't upset JJ overmuch. Really, Huang had taken it more amiss but Taylor sometimes thought that Huang had more dislike of change than JJ had thus far developed. Giving a small shake of her head, she instead wrote, "Is adjusting to his mother going back to work full time and having his father as primary care-taker." Are there any spiritual or cultural traditions that the staff should be aware of? (11) Taylor hesitated. This had always been a big deal for her mother but the family traditions her little family had developed were more divorced from the cultural traditions she'd grown up with. Sometimes, Taylor felt a bit of guilt over that break. Her mom had always made certain that Taylor and her brothers were well connected to their heritage but Taylor hadn't pushed that nearly so hard on her own children. Frowning slightly, Taylor reluctantly wrote "None," and pushed down the twinge of guilt she felt at doing so. How would you feel about taking part in the school fundraisers? (12) They were well off enough but Taylor didn't think it would just be sending a check. "We'd be happy to take part in fundraisers," she wrote, some of her humor returning as she cheerfully volunteered her spouse for a bake-sale. He might fob it off on an underling but the mental image still amused her enough to sign them up for it. Are you interested in joining the school's PTA? (13) "No," Taylor groaned even as she wrote the opposite. She loathed crowds, she always had and PTA meetings were usually scheduled at a time that she'd probably be able to make most of them. It was good to be involved in the kids schools even if Taylor couldn't picture something she'd rather do less than spend evenings crammed in a gym with other parents that she largely didn't know. Is your family aware that there may be other species at Nicholson, including students from other planets? (14) There we go, something she could answer assertively and honestly, "It was one of the big draws for us. Our group of acquaintances are diverse and we want the same for our children." Not to mention people who could accept a Grue or other alien among their children's playmates were much less likely to bat an eye when JJ smiled at them. It was one of the many things she worried about, beyond the fact that JJ might bite if threatened, but he was just a little boy and he'd feel the rejection keenly. Are you aware that Nicholson has a zero tolerance policy for any sort of intolerance based on race, ethnicity, species, etc? (15) Still frowning at the thought of JJ having to deal with parents that might judge or dislike him, Taylor was a little overly emphatic in ticking the 'Yes' box on the paper. It was one of the things that had sold Jack on sending the boys to any school. They might have been over-protective but JJ's nature was always in the forefront of his mother's thoughts when she tried to navigate her offspring through social interactions. Would you be interested in helping celebrate our diverse background during the school's multicultural fair? (16) She didn't really think they'd be celebrating JJ's vampiric nature at a booth during a school fair but there was plenty else to celebrate in their family's heritage. It might also have been lingering guilt from the question about family traditions that had Taylor agreeing to this particular activity too. It might just be another conversation about Chinese New Year but it assuaged a bit of her guilt for drifting from her own parents. In case of an emergency, Nicholson has an expansive security plan. Who will be picking up your student at the designated area during an emergency situation? (17) Absently, Taylor put herself down along with Jack as she imagined it would be one of them collecting JJ in a true emergency. It wasn't until her gaze dropped to the next question that she paused. In case of an emergency, will anyone in the home be on the front lines of a catastrophe? (18) Taylor paused for a long moment before filling her own name in. At one time it would have been both of them but Jack was largely retired now. She knew that even if it was something that Taylor regretted. It was a bit stark to realize that in a true 'world-falling-apart' catastrophe, she'd actually be on her own. On the plus side, though, Jack would be able to get to the kids without regret or remorse. He'd be okay and they'd be okay and Taylor... Well, she'd manage. Is there anything else we should know about your student that wasn't covered under earlier sections? (19) "I should warn them about Ammy," Taylor considered, trying to shake off the grim mood with a shake of her head. "JJ's best friend is Stesha's daughter, Amaryllis, and he might be... obstinate about seeing her if she's at Nicholson." Taylor jotted down, well aware that Stesha visited the school often enough and occasionally with Ammy in tow. At least they'd be prepared for potential tantrum if JJ was denied a chance to monopolize Ammy's time. Finally, what could Nicholson do to better support your student? (20) Thank you for your time. Please fill out the attached forms to allow a background check. "I hope he makes friends," Taylor said with a sigh but she didn't write it down. "Huang's an awful lot like me - he has a hard time making friends. I'm hoping that JJ has an easier time of it." Pushing the completed form over with Jack's on the corner of his desk, Taylor rocked back to rub her eyes briefly. "Parenting is hard."

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Table of Contents Hell Q The Interview Origin Story

Phantom - Desert Shadows China, Xinjiang Region, July 2003 “Hmmm.” Taylor’s attention perked at the deep intonation from her grandfather’s brother, Huang. It was a dusty and hot - even for a July day in the Taklamakan Desert - but Taylor hadn’t yet flagged despite the glare of the sun high in the summer sky. That thoughtful rumble from the elderly but still spry Huang Chun could only mean one thing; that something here in the archeological explanations had surprised the one time member of the Jungle Patrol, and that was not a common occurrence. Though Taylor had begun to pick up the Uyghur dialect steadily as she trailed her Great-Uncle around the dig-site, the rapid fire instructions that Uncle Huang offered were too fast for her to follow in entirety. “Great-Uncle?” Taylor prompted in the Cantonese that she was far more familiar with, excitement and impatience in her tone. When the offer had come to spend a few months exploring Ördek’s Necropolis in Western China, it had been met with little interest among Taylor’s siblings. Only she, the youngest of the lot, had begged and pleaded to be allowed to spend the summer in the desert heat, examining tombs. True, it hadn’t been nearly so exciting as the Jungle Patrol adventures had made out archeology to be. Really, it was hot and exacting - cataloging each micro-find and taking the meticulous care not to destroy the delicate remains. Yet, despite the occasional tedium of the tasks, Taylor found herself gripped by puzzling out the stories hidden in the bones of the ancient burial mound. “Patience, Xiao,” Huang said, not for the first time but with clear affection in his tone for his brother’s grandaughter. Of all of the Chun offspring that Huang had seen over the years, only Taylor had inherited his fascination with archeology - perhaps she might prove to inherit the duties that he’d not yet been able to put into other hands. As the archeologists began to carefully uncover the inscription, Huang turned towards his great niece and bid her closer, curious to see if he was right about the potential in her talents. Switching to English easily, he invited the young woman to take a look at the inscription that had caught his interest. “What do you think?” Taylor paused, frowning at the unfamiliar curls and swirls on this particular etching. “I… I don’t understand, it doesn’t make any sense.” Huang paused to look at the teenager, patient as he gestured again towards the etchings, “Very little is done in this world to no purpose at all. Take what you know and start there.” Her brow creased for a moment in concentration as she was directed once more to the writings. Taylor had a natural knack for languages, that had been clear from the moment she’d begun to doggedly pick up scraps of the various dialects used around the dig site but this was far more complicated a puzzle. “It… it doesn’t have any of the forms I would suspect. The tomb is supposed to be bronze age, about four thousand years old, but the shapes of these… uh… letters? Symbols?… They don’t match any of the sorts of other writing we’d expect from this time and place - At least not the ones we’ve been cataloging.” Taylor puzzled out, her dark gaze thoughtful on the writings before she turned her expression up towards the elderly professor uncertainly. He grinned at his great niece in delight, the expression erasing years from his features. Huang lowered his voice conspiratorially, as if inducting her in a great mystery, “That’s because this inscription is in Lemurian.”

"That it is, Mitya. That it is," Talya agreed as she laced her fingertips over her midsection and vanished into the store-house of creepy vault goods. "Did he say 'blood magic'? I think its downright rude to leave without a souvenir, don't you? If I was an evil necromantic vampire sorceress, d'you think I'd keep blood in a cask or a jug?" There was the fainter sound of rummaging underneath the din of combat. "Yuck, well, that's not good anymore, clearly." Talya's voice floated out before she reappeared nudging a small cask along with one booted foot as she lugged a small chest in her arms. Surely something in there would be of moderate use to Dimitri in mixing magics. That or he'd blow them all up with it. She did pause however to briefly admire Jack's posing atop a heap of vampires, "See, I miss out on these sort of moments lately. Though it's better when he's somehow managed to lose his shirt halfway through the adventure, I have to admit." She offered the chest to Dimitri who was perhaps less likely to appreciate the heroic swath that Jack of all Blades cut through the vampires.

Bombshell is going to spend her round sassing and finding blood in the closet of icky artifacts. As you do.

"He's going to be just fine," Phantom assured the woman, her voice echoing with the same hollow intonations but the gloved hands that picked up the child were gentle. "Could you possibly tell me where he and his mother moved to... and perhaps why? It is generally my experience that these things are not just random acts." Shifting the boy slightly in her arms, her glowing gaze flicked to the woman's brow and the streaks of blood there. Without comment or gesture, Phantom touched on the same magic that had healed the boy, surrounding a woman with the white light of healing energy while she continued her conversation. Multitasking! "Does someone named 'Harry' happen to live around here, also?"

Leilani took in the ghost's alteration and gliding with more equanimity that she would have displayed a few months ago, or years if you were measuring by the actual calendar. "As you do," Leilani replied to the comment about blasphemy and nature. She trailed along in Kimber's wake, pausing to shed her flip flips by what Leilani deemed the entrance to the house. "I'm sure its fine. Smells good," Leilani reassured the ghost, her hands in the back pockets of her cut offs. "Can show you how sometime if you'd like. Learning's not so hard. Mastery - that can take a life time - but anyone can dabble if they're interested. Actually, that's maybe the one good thing from my weird gifts. I can surf anywhere now. Well," Leilani paused to glance towards Frost then, "Anywhere that I'm not gonna melt things pretty much. But I surf longboard they call it now. Whoo-ee, went to get a new board and they have all kinds of fancy gimmick they got going on." The soft rolling of her words thickened with enthusiasm. "I got something like my ol' board but its way lighter. You should try it. There's no feeling like taking the drop."

"Do it," Nighthawk agreed with an air of authority in her tone as she pivoted and spun between those who'd decided that gang-on-one were decent enough odds. Her fighting style consisted of short, sharp blows and precise movements. It wasn't any particular style - the only formal training that she had was in gymnastics - but was rather a catch-as-catch-can grab bag of whatever worked. Her shin caught one errant gang banger in the throat, dropping him to the ground with a grunt. Like her partner, her actions bespoke a carefully restrained lethality, exerting enough pressure to render targets unconscious but no more than necessary despite her banter earlier. "Nevermore, you wanna see bout getting some information from 'em while Woodsman keeps 'em moving?" "Who are you - glrk!" The thug had not time to finish his question as Nighthawk caught him by the back of his jacket and sent him flying after his compatriot towards the dumpster with a clang. "Two points."

Leilani grunted as she was picked up and hugged enthusiastically. She expected it and normally was much more demonstrative herself but her family remained a source of mixed emotion. Confronting their current existence meant accepting the family she knew as gone. "They already offer," Leilani replied reluctantly, giving Kimo a vague pat on the arms as she was propped down on her feet, "But they already move on, yeah? Don't really wanna stir up sorrow thats already been put to bed." She paused and then, almost hesitantly, "Laka, she have a good life?" Leilani didn't fight getting tugged up towards burgers, nor had she really answered what had happened to her that stormy morning. Of course, she still had no clue as to why her transformation had occurred in the first place, "The Freedom League, they been good to me. Helping me getting things under control and all."