alderwitch
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Gather Information: 1d20+13=31
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It was Friday afternoon when Robin heard the rumors and after a few hours of leg work, she took the round trip back to school via bus to fetch back up. Oh, she knew the streets and the Fens well, but there was enough unease among her neighborhood to know that this was atypical, and her skill lay less in tracking and more in pummeling. Fortunately, Robin happened to know someone who filled in the gaps in her knowledge. Unusually grim-faced, Robin had turned up in the boy's hallways after curfew, knocking on the door only loud enough to roust her boyfriend with a short, sharp knock. A normal teen wouldn't have been out at night in the Fens if they had other options but even other teen super heroes might have gone for an older mentor. Robin, however, had a very short list of people she trusted. "I need your help," she said simply when the door opened, still in her Nighthawk costume but for the mask. "Something's wrong in the Fens."
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There were very, very few things that could throw Bombshell off her stride. The fact that Steve had gone full Omegadrone and busted through their window, no problem. Hanging from one foot at 120 plus miles per hour through the city, just another Tuesday. The face on these officers - that terrible, familiar face - that caused the immortal heroine to freeze, balanced on the toes of her boots on the car. Likely, it went entirely unnoticed with the far more pressing chaos. By the time she'd leapt into motion again, there were bodies bleeding on the ground - but not dead. So, not activated by Omega. After all, Talya had lived through the last two invasions. She knew what an actual Omegadrone battle looked like and if punches had been pulled, well, that was only for worse atrocities as a prisoner. She flipped over the hood of the car, landing on silent feet only to continue forward as she brought the back end of her baton up and into the villain's throat, it was as precise as it was efficient, with just enough strength to lay the man out without crushing his windpipe. She raised her voice then, projecting in a clear, crisp voice, with the full weight of her personality behind it, "These are not actual officers!" Of course, who knew how that would be taken. Her reputation, after all, was not the most sterling of heroes. Tonight, on the news, former felon Bombshell is now working with the Terminus. I can just see it. Dammit, Steve.
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Move Action: Getting within melee range Standard Action: Power Attack with the baton (1d20+10)=19 TOU Save is going to be DC27
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"I already do," Alex said with a smile as she was settled into her chair and looked over the menu with avid interest. At some point between their high school graduation and now, over the course of many professional business meetings, Alex had found her comfort with fancy places and as she settled into her chair to turn over the menu, that ease was noticeable for someone who knew her as well as Mike did. She reached up to fiddle with one glittering earring as she looked over the menu, her gaze still on it as she asked, "What do you think you're getting?" She set the menu down on the table, finally glancing up with an affectionate smile for him, "I appreciate the trouble you've clearly gone to. I did need a nice night out with you."
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"Nope," Robin's answer was quick and certain as she pulled herself up onto the same limb with ease. She straddled it, facing Riley, knee to knee and if not as natural on her perch, certainly steady. "You don't either. What your world went through changes people. Changes what they think is important. That guy's never had to struggle and fight like your parents did. He'd have been grateful you were alive and healthy. They're not the same - they look the same and all of that but tragedy has a way of stripping people down to their core and I don't think your dad was bad at his core." She gave a little shrug of her shoulders, the too thin shirt shifting a little with the movement. If it hadn't been so baggy, the seams would have given out long ago. "Most people aren't."
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Talya followed in after Raina, her shoes making no sound on the ground and although she smiled a little at the reunion, her gaze scanned the room first before studying Raina's mother. Talya, of all people, was well aware that humans were complicated creatures. It was possible for criminals to be loving parents, it was possible for heroes to be terrible ones. Discretely, she scanned the woman's responses with a discerning eye and deemed them genuine for the moment as she took up a place off to the side, her hands laced lightly in front of her. Eventually, she'd introduce herself but Talya felt no need to interject herself into a family moment and it gave her the opportunity to watch Raina's mother.
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As Riley bolted, Robin froze for a moment. Her backpack and jacket were in the kitchen still, which might have seemed minor things to leave behind but they were really all Robin had in the entire world and she had learned early on the streets to keep things she valued always in her sight - but that was the opposite direction Riley had fled from. She stood, all the muscles in her body tense and tight. "The hell is wrong with you people?" She growled as she turned to follow Riley, vaulting over the couch in one smooth motion and abandoning her possessions. People were more important than objects. Her parents would have understood. At least, Robin told herself so as she broke into a full sprint, using the frankly inhuman speed to launch herself at the lower branch and pull herself up after Riley with more natural ability than tree-climbing skill. "Riley?"
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Talya did not lean over immediately to check on Raina as one might have expected. Rather, her weight shifted subtly, her hands relaxed and open. People who'd fought alongside her would have recognized the deceptively casual posture. Those who were especially keen eyed, or knew her well, might have noticed the way her left hand turned slightly. It was brief and one she relaxed out of at Raina's assurances. Her blue-eyed gaze cut to Seven and for a moment Talya's voice turned cutting, "Honestly. She's an innocent child." She turned slightly to step forward in case Raina needed a hand but let the teenager choose if she wanted to reach out and didn't elaborate further but she was already planning her phone call to those she knew in the League to share her opinions of this whole matter later on. Her expression smoothed out into an urbane, polite mask as they journeyed down into the abyss. "Thank you," she said to Seven as she went to usher Raina into the room, adding to the teenager, "I'm afraid all of Blackstone goes for this particular brutalism aesthetic. Did you decide to bring any photos for your parents after all?"
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"Ah, well then," Ray said after a long pause as he watched the smoke swirl up and the transformation occur. His gaze slid over to Sam as she went to head into the back, amusement finally kicking up the corner of his mouth, "I don't do tights. There's a bathroom off to your right, though. Help yourself." He crossed over to the hippie to help him out of the chair and towards the door. It wasn't as if the mood was dangerous to the man. It just left him... mellow, but not incapable of getting out of the way of traffic. "Shame about your coat, man. Why don't you head home, sleep it off?" Giving the man a gentle nudge out the door, he flipped the sign to 'Closed' and began the process of locking the shop up, "Of course I'm coming with you. I'd be looking into it regardless. It's one of the things that I do. Let me just grab my jacket while your friend changes. You two have names you like to go by, I assume?"
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From the album: Alder's Artistry
Finally complete! -
Robin held the door open, her expression less than welcoming as she took in the tableau. It wasn't too hard to surmise that there was some sort of weird friction between Prime-Riley's parents, nor the fact that her Riley had not been warned about this potential which, personally, Robin didn't approve of. That was fairly obvious on her features as she frowned at both of Riley's not-parents. "I'm Robin, Riley's girlfriend," she offered, perhaps less friendly than she might otherwise have before adding with a nod towards the frozen form of her boyfriend, "That Riley." She stood still for a moment, struggling with her instincts as she was well aware that she could actually punch no one in this particular scenario. When all you had was a hammer... Robin took a few steps back towards Riley, her movements slow and quiet like she was afraid he might bolt, "You okay?" Robin wanted to know, her voice low as she discarded manners in favor of support. Her gaze cut towards her backpack and jacket, already planning her exit strategy for them both.
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"Such tales," Talya agreed dryly, shaking the chocolate bar slightly like that would thaw it faster. She folded it instead between her warm hands to help the process along, only then responding to Frost's statement on the clone. Her words were more clipped than usual as she added, "Hadn't. Ace is terrible with sharing information if it doesn't suit his current needs, damn his eyes. I know we all agreed to die for our countries but I never really fathomed just how far that would get bent out of all recognition. D'you want me to do some digging?" Talya turned towards Min then to elaborate, as she was well aware - even if it wasn't discussed - that Erik was familiar with the Allies of Freedom and she wasn't as confident that the dryad knew her old teammates, "Hank - the Human Tank - was on Allies of Freedom with us. Died during the war, I'm afraid. But that was ages ago."
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Fortunately, Talya had practice with not only the miniature version of the Espadas look but had been prepared for a less that warm reception. Her smile, pat and practiced never slipped though it warmed when Min's fingertips touched the small of her back. The look she slanted the dryad was brief but reassuring, conveying with a flick of her bright blue gaze that she was just fine. Shifting Mia to one hand, she touched Eden's head gently, her fingertips brushing Min's almost accidentally. "Briefly. Gina was kind enough to offer her expertise when I had yet another misunderstanding with law enforcement." Talya's smile might have been warm for Min but her voice was dry, bemused, as if her tendency to get arrested due to her reputation was merely amusing. Her gaze cut over to Erik then at that particular memory. "Though it was ages ago. Before Ace absconded with me." She glanced down to Mia then, removing her hand from where it had touched Min's to rescue her necklace from chubby baby fingertips. It was tempting to claim Mia as an excuse and flee to the living room but she had promised Steve - and she could hear the minute stress in Miss A's voice. Talya was rather proud she didn't sigh before she added "Yes, Gina, is there anything we ought help with?"
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"And they're so fetching with this charming grey ensemble," was Talya's dry commentary as she accepted whatever had been deemed necessary for heightened security procedures. She arched one brow up then as she pointed out, "You know, any clever escape attempt comes from the direction security is not looking in. Hypothetically speaking, of course." The smile she offered then was lazy, as if there was no concern at all in walking into a secure facility that even she would have to work hard to escape. She gave Raina's shoulder a little pat of reassurance as she added, almost conversationally, "What exactly were the rumors about this particular escape?" She asked and then added to Raina, "There's always rumors of an escape. The incarcerated have quite a lot of time on their hands to plot, especially when the bulk of the clientele are of the super villainous nature."
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Talya fell into her public role with a natural sort of ease, commanding much of the attention as if it were utterly natural. The differences in the Talya that taught Raina and Bombshell were subtle but present. Most of her banter took on a playful, flirtatiousness that was distinctly different from the banter that Raina had seen with Erik. She chatted up the prison guard about her children and posed for a handful of pictures, putting the guards at ease and at the same time, giving Raina time to her own thoughts. At Seven's approach, Talya arched a single brow above her sunglasses and stepped from the gang plank with an easy gait. "The pleasure is mine, Seven," Talya said, the words smooth and her accent as crisp as if she were wearing her proper costume, which she might as well have been. Her smile was dazzling beneath her dark sunglasses, "I can't believe they trotted the League out for me, though. I've been on the side of angels now for, oh, at least a few years? Such a fuss!" Talya's tone was cordial, friendly even, as she inserted her presence as reason for the additional security but somehow didn't brook a verbal dissent. She put one hand very lightly on the back of Raina's shoulder blades. "We're ready when you are."
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Talya's body was warm and solid, and although the familiar heart beat in Min's ears pounded like it was threatening to give out, it was blessedly steady. The ex-thief, for her part, took a second to get her bearings, her attention first on the weeping dryad. Talya lifted hands that shook ever so minutely - one of the few signs of just how high the toll her resurrection took on her body to frame Min's face between her palms, her thumb gentle as it caught her tears. Her voice, more raspy than husky, offered a quiet, "I am so, so very sorry. Are you hurt? Were you hurt? How long was I gone?" At Erik's footsteps, Talya lifted her head to take in the disaster that the battlefield had become in her time deceased. It was with relief that she noticed the returned Interceptors, Erik among them. The dinosaur was noteworthy, certainly, but a distant second to her rough headcount at Erik's question. "The woman - the sassy, pregnant one - were we fast enough?" She wanted to know when the thief failed to spot her among the heroes. Talya glanced up as the coat dropped over her shoulders, only then seeming to notice her own nudity. Of course. Magic, after all, didn't generally extend to incidentals, like clothing or hair care products. "Oh. Thank you." She paused, then before saying delicately, the effect only somewhat ruined by the slight tremor of her hands and the rasp of her voice, "I recant my earlier statements about the severity of the dumpster crisis."
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Robin was a quiet presence, interjecting little in the sports watching. She knew enough about football to follow the bulk of the activity but it had never been of particular interest to her and, even if it had, her quiet unease with this domestic environment would probably have squelched any desire to participate that she might have had. She kept her hands laced together, mentally bracing for the inevitable suggestion to Riley - her Riley - that she was an unsuitable partner. Really, she'd known that was coming since Riley issued the invitation. Anyone born in this world would want more than a homeless kid from the bad side of town for their offspring. "Yes'm," she said as she stood up from the couch, relieved to have something to do other than stare at a game that she really didn't want to watch. She crossed to the door on quiet feet and opened it at the knock. "Uh, hello?"
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Alex threaded her arm through Mike's, her usual bounce in her step as she tried to keep stride with him. It never worked, of course, Mike always had to shorten his walk for his petite fiance but it was old hat to both of them at this point. "We don't need one, of course," Alex said with a happy laugh, "But you know its out of character. I can count on having nice evenings for every special event - and you never miss one - but spontaneity is not something that really comes naturally to you." She gave his arm a light pat as she turned her bright hazel eyes up to the restaurant with the same lively curiosity Alex usually viewed the world with, "Which is fine, really, I love you just the way you are. Though, you have to admit its a bit funny. Doing something on the spur of the moment is easier for you than the majority of the planet."
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"Raina," Talya said, her voice dropping slightly. She reached up to pull the sunglasses from the bridge of her nose and give the girl a look that wasn't blunted by the tinted lenses. "I will make certain that nothing happens to Merlin, regardless, but you and I are going to walk into the prison, visit your parents and then we will walk out. Together. You have my word that you'll be back at school, safe and sound by the end of the day." She pushed the sunglasses back onto the bridge of her nose as she went to pull the car into a spot. "Do you really think I go into Blackstone without having at least two contingency plans for how to get out in an emergency? And a back-up plan in case there needs to be a daring rescue. Erik would be annoyed if he had to come fetch us out of a super-max prison, but he'd come. We're in this together, my dear. Now, chin up. It's show time."
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Robin had braced for something spooky and Raina did not disappoint! She jumped a little in her chair, startled more than frightened and although she noticed the grip tighten on her hand, she didn't comment on it. "Grossssss..." Robin said, laughing through her disgust, "Well, I think you well and truly satisfied my dare. Your turn to pick your victim." She wiggled her free hand at Raina in what Robin probably believed look like magic but mostly looked like 'jazz hands' before she turned towards Riley, letting her body relax into his side a little. In an undertone, she added, "I like your accent, you know," she told him, resting her chin briefly on his shoulder. "S'cute."
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"Mhm," Talya agreed, much of her expression hidden behind her sunglasses. "I'm just saying a little specificity goes a long way. You could call them cowards. Or puerile, mewling fools." Talya provided, offering the suggestions for offensive things to call the classmates that so vexed her student. After all, Talya had decades of taunting her opponents into foolish action to draw on. "Depending on what behaviors offend you." She glanced over the rim of her sunglasses then, to cast a look towards Raina, "I've been called a bitch many times, usually when I was doing something better than a male counterpart. It's an insult one tends to grow inured to in short order. I'm not saying you can't call them whatever name strikes your fancy. I'm saying if the goal is to wound, then precision is often the key with more than fists." Talya turned her attention back to the road, nodding towards the window to give Raina something to focus on other than responding, "There's Blackstone in the distance."
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Talya's mouth curved up in a fond smile with the last statement. "Dear Duncan. He was quite the catch in his day, you know. All dark and brooding, if you go for that sort of thing." Talya added, making it sound as if she was not one of those sorts, which was true. Talya enjoyed the flair for the dramatic, clearly, but the silent, brooding sort had never drawn her attention. She signaled before turning down the long road towards Blackstone. "You know," Talya said after a brief pause, "There are so many better words to use to suggest one's disapproval than 'bitch'. Oh, cuss words have their place. Believe me, I can curse in almost half a dozen languages when the time calls for it, but you know, the primary insult in that statement is their gender. It doesn't wound the same way that a properly aimed insult can. Words are as deadly a weapon as any you can hold in your hand. It's worth honing them."
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Talya arched one brow at Frost in return. This WAS what she was good at after all and the day Talya couldn't have an Asgardian eating out of her hand... "As long as its a short excursion. I have promised to let the home front know if my dimensional jaunts are going to be more than a few hours." Talya said, the words light but full of meaning. If they ended up with weird time antics, she was going to be a cranky camper. "I've always said that the valkyrie are the most sensible of their lot. A little intense, to be sure, but intensity isn't always a bad thing."
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"Might as well," Robin agreed, after giving the cab a brief, thoughtful glance. If it was one of those urban horror stories of a psycho posing as a cab driver, probably best that they had this group of kids rather than any others. With the same sort of confidence she had in walking down blind alleys in the Fens, Robin shouldered her faded backpack a little closer and slid onto the cab's seat, scooting in to make room for the rest of the teenagers.
