alderwitch
-
Posts
5,245 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Freedom City Guidebook
Freedom City PBP: A How-To Guide
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by alderwitch
-
Robin had fallen largely quiet, her shoulders against one of the maps on the wall and observing more than commenting as her friends chatted. She took a few more sips of her cup before setting it down on the edge of the table discreetly once Fred had decided to partake. If she was going to spend the second part of the evening potentially wrestling the Alkahest down, Robin figured a clear head would probably be helpful. Still, she offered no word of caution. Fred deserved to enjoy the party as much as everyone else, after all. "So what all is the plan for this party?" Robin asked with curiosity. She'd only heard the vaguest of details and wasn't honestly sure what, beyond underage drinking and very likely a few poor choices to follow, "I mean, do people still do like party games or what?"
-
"Sometimes lost memories are too fragmented to retrieve. Or the trauma that would cause isn't worth whatever might be gleaned from it," Alex said, a note of caution in her voice. She had unsurprisingly worked with people seeking memories before this. Even some normal folk were willing to risk a T-baby's help when the need was great enough. "But we have many, many resources at our disposal if that avenue fails us. I'll be very surprised if I can't find some scrap of information to help your search. Let's head on up to my office to start." Alex gestured towards the elevator in the very back of the bank and pressed her palm against the pad available rather than any conventional button, her cheer was irrepressible, "And don't worry about messes. I can almost guarantee I've seen worse. I've been a telepath since birth. My efforts actually have to go into shielding rather than reaching out so before I really got the hang of that, I have bumbled through all sorts of things in my nascent years. And then once I started the official super-hero thing as a teenager.... well, let's just say I am notoriously hard to rattle."
-
"Oh no. Higher powers. Whatever will I do. I'd wring my hands but my crap-sack doctor hasn't done much for my busted arm while worrying over whether or not I am blessed with an immortal soul," Ray snarked back, having resigned himself to an ice pack and IB Profin for his woes. Still, this was more amusing than anything he'd seen in at least a decade and he was half-way hoping they'd try an exorcism before the end of the day. "You could see if the hospital chaplain will bless a bottle of evian to flick at my forehead. That might be faster." He shifted, picking up his melting icepack to press it against his bruised shoulder with a grunt of discomfort before he offered dubiously helpful advice. "You wanna run a hand through that hair, maybe get that tousled look that's all the rage on Grey's Anatomy before your lady-friend gets here? Maybe flex a few times?"
-
"What if I promise to offer advice? Because you're terrible at that," Ray said, some of his amusement dropping away. Although the concern on the man's handsome features probably was at least as irritating. Perhaps more so. "You should just cop to it and admit that you mostly just wanted to talk to her. I'm pretty sure females of your species generally enjoy being told they're attractive enough to fluster their men. Or are you just bad at all things. Maybe I should have a different doctor." The sassy not-a-demon had the gall to grin at him lopsidedly.
-
"No demon would pull a cross from their flesh. That would be weird." Ray said, looking a little put out that there was no appreciation for his parlor trick. Humans these days. Sure, he didn't expect them to be impressed with fire anymore, they'd come beyond the bronze age, sure. But a little awe wouldn't have been amiss. Huffing his breath, Ray began to flip the cross end over end in his good hand, catching it by the long part. "Do I get drugs while I wait? This really does hurt...." He frowned at Ellis' smile, which seemed woefully out of place and went quiet to listen to the call. When Ellis started fussing with his shirt for a phone call, Ray let out a long suffering sigh. Of course. Not that anyone asked him, but he'd always suspected that the hormones of humanity were a little out of whack with what was strictly necessary.
-
Talya took in that statement and the confidence with a bemused smile. She had been suggesting confidence if not quite in that particular manner. Nodding her head rather than offering caution, Talya agreed with a small smile, "I look forward to the upcoming introduction. I'll see if I can have that appointment scheduled by our next class time. Have a happy Halloween, Raina."
-
"Because I had my shoulder wrenched half out of socket by a lizard-thing. Unfortunately 'strange and creepy' tends to get mistaken for troublesome demons far too often. Demons I am good at. DNAscendents, not so much. Would you believe I'm a super hero, Doctor?" At least humor had abated some of his patient's surly temperament although not entirely the snark. As he lifted his good arm, the tattoos flowed over his skin, the flames receding enough to reveal what looked like a wrought iron cross over the skin of his chest. Touching his fingertips to the surface, the glow was bright as he pulled it from the skin into reality. He held it out to the doctor with a lopsided grin. "You want I should lick it and prove I'm not damned?"
-
Ray's scowl deepened for a moment at the doctor's seemingly bizarre hoop jumping for a handful of Vicodin. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the good doctor where he could shove his monte-cristo when Ray finally noticed the side eye being given to his tattoos. "Are.... are you trying to test if I'm a demon?" Ray said finally, his expression utterly non plussed for a moment before he started to laugh, long and loud, "Did- did you get that from television? Why would..." the rest of his question was lost in laughter so hard that it almost hurt. Ray pressed one hand to his chest and the bruised ribs below but not even that pain could cut through his clear amusement. "That. That is hilarious."
-
Talya's smile deepened as the dryad flushed appealingly, letting her brow rest against Min's. As the other woman stepped closer, Talya linked her hands together at the small of Min's back, encircling her waist. As Min pulled back from her brief kiss, the corner of Talya's lips quirked as she teased, "I think you have forever changed the way I think of strawberries." "Personally, I enjoy having little girls to spoil. I have no complaints," Talya replied to that last which was certainly true. Despite her early protestations that she was ill suited to child care, Talya was without fail a willing playmate for Eden's whims much to her delight and never actually turned down a chance to let Mia nap on her shoulder. Clearly, though, while she had no problem adopting their children, Talya had no plans for having any biological offspring. "Besides, think how much they'll be able to exploit any lingering sexist expectations and trounce all comers on their fencing teams when just a bit older."
-
ELDRITCH TOM'D BY HGM Phantom 6 PP available but only spending one to add Ritualist to her feat list
-
SNEAK'D BY HMG Nighthawk 4 PP available Skills: +4 ranks Survival, +4 ranks of Stealth [8r = 2PP] Survival 4 (+8) Stealth 4 (+14) Feats: Hide in Plain Sight, Luck [2PP]
-
LIFTED BY HGM Bombshell Getting her to offensive PL12 caps this month and then working on defensive caps with my next PP. She'll hit +3 Attack / -3 Damage for PL 12 with this with her baton. 8 PP available Spend 6 PP on raising Strength to STR 16 (+3) Spend 2 PP on raising base Attack to +9 (+11 Melee / +9 Ranged / +15 with batons) New DC Block DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 18 Toughness Damage (Physical) Sneak Attack Touch DC 20 Toughness Damage (Physical) Baton Touch DC 22 Toughness Damage (Physical) Baton-Sneak Attack Touch DC 24 Toughness Damage (Physical)
-
Ray frowned at the doctor, looking briefly incensed, "Had 'em for years, for one, and secondly, any reaction would be topical sort of infection or allergy but I run a clean shop with all proper care and hygiene and I'm sure as hell not allergic to ink," Ray groused as he shifted on the bench before reaching for his shirt hem to pull it up and off over his head to prove that he had no rash nor fresh ink that might be point of concern. Dropping his shirt to the side which at least had the advantage of revealing more of the tattoo, even if he was continuing to grouse. There was more bruising on his skin, certainly human fist sized along his stomach and ribs although the worst of the bruising was around the wrenched shoulder. The tattoos, as those were of more interest to Ellis, continued up his arms and down his sides with the Enochian script hidden along the lines of the flames and swirls that decorated his ribs and hidden along the wings. The scrawling words marched along the line of his spine, between the wings tattooed along his shoulder blades and down to vanish below the waistband of his pants which was the clearest of the scripts. It appeared to be more about breaking bindings than what Ellis would expect a proper binding spell to look like, "I had my hands over full and the top step was a little ice-y. Didn't think it had gotten cold enough for that yet."
-
"Of course," Alex said simply, "I should be able to answer the question of whether she's anywhere on earth in about five hours. It won't matter if she's conscious or not with how I'm looking." Alex's tone was confident. If there were any holes in Alex's search, she'd volunteer them without prompting. It would be a strain to push her senses so far, so fast but time was very likely of the essence if the worst case scenario was true. "I'm sure getting Trevor's eyes over there will only help. Although anti-earth is a concern, we shouldn't ignore the possibility that it was someone looking for you. Or intending to use her against you. Her identity has you as her sister, after all, even if they didn't mistake her identity. I'll be insensible while I look so if you need me urgently before five hours are up, contact Mike. He can roust me." Alex paused and then added after a moment's thought, "Actually, you might have use for him. Mike's super-vision has gotten stronger since high-school. He can see through just about anything."
-
"I don't have a concussion," Ray said with a long-suffering sigh, "I've had those before. The only headache I have is from--" he cut off before he could snark out 'from getting punched in the face'. He frowned at Ellis but sat still for the poking and prodding, unaware that his tattoos were being given an examination more than his head. There were more sigils hidden in the swirls and lines of the colors, cleverly so. Ellis could just make out the line of more intricate tattoos, what looked like the curve and feathers of wings along the shoulderblade closest to him although it remained largely hidden under his shirt. As to the script, it was certainly something about flesh and binding although hard to say exactly what that purpose might be with the few symbols he could make out and his own limited knowledge of the angelic, or demonic. "--from falling," Ray said, the words flat. "I fell down the stairs coming down from my shop. Lucky I didn't break my damn neck." He squinted the eye starting to bruise at Ellis, his manner surly and confrontational.
-
"So... did you want me to watch... or?" Robin asked, unsure of what their erstwhile mentor was intending before she gave a little shrug of her shoulders and jogged over to the rest of the group, "These things have some fail safes set in place so it'll stop or whatever if you, uh." Robin paused, remembering the scene with Riley, before she amended, "... if it needs to." Realizing that she was the native of the city, she offered, "That's Providence Asylum," Robin offered, largely to Fred although she wasn't sure if Hannah knew the landmark, "And Raven's a superhero although she's sort of retired now. It'll probably be easier to avoid fighting if we can avoid places that people are gathering and its possible what ever is making people looney tunes might be able to affect us which is probably Fred's job to figure out as she's the science'y sort. We could go to the roof - I can carry you up there, Fred if you want?"
-
Taylor held onto her temper but the look she fixed Huang's smug expression with was distinctly not amused, "So be it," it sounded oddly more formal, her cool intonation as much warning as Jack's red-eyed glare might have been. Huang had found the line in the sand and any more nettling of his mother was going to result in things that he would not enjoy, "Then you can work out the details of your date under Sekhmet's gaze and enjoy having a conversation where your mouths are not engaged in anything other than talking." Her dark brow arched up, her chin tipped slightly as she smacked down the challenge implicit in Huang's smile, "That was what you just agreed to, after all. Now, I ought see about bringing your father around as that will take some not inconsiderable effort."
-
"Well, it's not - you know - it's not super high end. There aren't any French places in this neighborhood but the Golden Dragon is where we used to go for special meals, yeah," Robin said, fond memories of 'fancy' evenings out warring with the nascent understanding that anything she thought of as 'the nice place' probably wasn't an opinion shared with other Claremont kids. "They, uh, have lunch specials and my dad would take me out to get fried rice and kung pow for like my birthday. I mean, years ago." Robin side stepped the memories swiftly as she gestured towards the place at the end, "But, I mean, its not like rare. There are probably a couple over near Claremont too, I mean, I imagine." Robin glanced to Riley uncertainly as she wasn't entirely sure if that was true. She certainly never ordered take-out like some of the other kids did.
-
It was the patient flagged for 'drug seeking behavior' and 'possible criminal involvement' that eventually would roust Ellis from the land of paperwork. The chart he was handed noted multiple contusions and a dislocated shoulder. But for the shoulder injury, it was certainly consistent with a fight and the patient was touting the 'fell down some stairs' line with mulish insistence. When Ellis was shown to the trauma bay, the man in question was seated, not on the bed, but rather in the chair in the corner with an ice-pack held to his shoulder. Although he had the sort of blonde good looks that many thought of as handsome - tall, chiseled jaw, broad shoulders - it was masked under about a day's worth of scruff, a scowl and what looked to be a black eye well on the way to turning a brilliant purple. All of that, however, was really secondary to the vivid tattoos that covered both arms from wrist to under his white tank top and up well onto his neck. The principle motif seemed to be flames and chains although the work deeply intricate. As Ellis entered, Ray was well aware he'd been moved up the chain of command. Otherwise, it would have been a nurse with a small cup of pills. He fixed the doctor with a black scowl, "Look, I just want something stronger than IB Profin so that I can sleep. It sodding well hurts." As Ray turned his head to address Ellis, the doctor could better see where the tattoo met the man's hairline and in the pale patch of skin after the tattoo ended, behind one ear, in as delicate a hand as the rest of the tattoo were Enochian sigils.
-
"Just do it with confidence, my dear. The only difference in looking absurd and looking dashing is a only modicum of grace and all the rest is confidence," Talya smiled indulgently as Raina went towards her new shoes. It was more than worth it to see that wary facade fall away in the face of genuine youthful enthusiasm. It gave Talya a glimpse of what she might have been like, before her world tumbled down. Leaning her hip back against the weapon stand, Talya added, "And, of course. Erik's appeal is really the foundation of the school's business model. Attendance doubles come spring when the number of 'too hot for wearing shirts' days goes up." Her reply was glib and easy, even though that might have been an exaggeration. "But no, he won't mind t'all. Bring who you like. We'll find something for them to do whatever their level of skill might be."
-
"It's what we do!" Alex said with a smile as she turned on sneakered feet, tablet in hand, "First question, of course, is what level of security you're comfortable with. Do you need all data expunged from the system after we're done today or will our security systems suffice for the confidential data? Ethics compels me to also volunteer that my memory is eidetic so it remains in my memory even if all other data and material is destroyed." She smiled then, not glancing up from her tablet as she gave Mike's broad bicep another delicate pat, "He's often oblivious to social cues and frets over accidentally offending. The byproduct of having my running narrative in his head his entire life, I'm afraid," she offered on Mike's behalf before returning to the topic at hand. Alex clearly seemed bemused by the conversation as affront would have been ridiculous. "We deal with all levels of comfort so don't fear we'll turn you away if you think you have special needs. Really, they're all individual cases with different needs."
-
Alex's voice didn't miss a beat as she absorbed the information to include in her thoughts and plans, "Jessie is strong - not just physically - but she survived everything you did as a child." Alex said, offering the reassurances honestly. She might soften the truth but Alex didn't lie. Especially not to her friends, "And while it IS easier to break something than put it back together, what we did - what I did - it'll take time to pick apart. Days at the very least, especially since her mind has had time to heal, to add new memories over the framework I put in place." Alex paused, rubbing her fingertips over the bridge of her nose. Her voice was soft as she finally answered the question behind Erin's worries, "It was very difficult the first time and any new trauma would make things harder but I am by and large reluctant to say anything is impossible. You know I'll do everything I can to help. Even if Anti-Earth has her - even if Pathos has her, we're not without hope. First thing's first, though, and that's testing the hypothesis. Most dimensional transference leaves behind markers. I'd look for technological - science is how I, and therefore, Pathos would look to breach the barrier. My backup plan to cross over would be Mark's abilities. Less certain but lower overhead. I'd have Trevor look over their apartment with that in mind while I search for her telepathically. We will find her, Erin. I promise."
-
Alex picked up quickly as she was rarely out of contact with her phone and Erin's ringtone prompted an immediate response. Distantly, Erin could hear the background noise of other people. As she picked up the phone, gesturing to the employees she'd been speaking with to wait, she pressed the phone to her ear. It didn't take a psychic, or even the advantage of a long time friend, to know that Erin's tight, angry voice was worried, "Looking," was the one word Alex provided in response as she turned her attention outward to look over the apartment that Jessie had not far away. Closing her eyes, her features smoothed out as Alex let her shields drop, sending her senses out through the city. It took less than a moment before Alex said with utter confidence, "She is nowhere inside the boundaries of Freedom City from sewer to skyscraper. It will take me about five hours to search globally. I shall call you back when that's done." There is the briefest of pauses before Alex adds, "Mike's on stand-by should you need him." She paused again, this time longer before promising, "We'll find her, Erin."
-
Talya's deft fingertips smoothed over Min's hair, the gesture tender. The smile she offered in return was one of those rare, gentle ones that was caught only in private moments. "Clinging to the promise of new life in the face of death is a very normal reaction. There's a reason so very many babies were born after the last massive war. I adore that little girl so while I can't complain about the end result even a little, I am sorry that this fear is a new, raw one for you, dearest." She let her other hand fall to Min's hip, encircling her waist. For once, Talya was slightly shorter as she'd abandoned her shoes in one corner with her jacket, "I wish I could tell you that time makes it an easier burden to bear. The woman I spoke with today, her spouse is immortal but she is not and time marches steadily on. She's not sure if she wishes to join her wife in forever's rather long lasting embrace. It isn't a choice one makes lightly, I assume." Talya, after all, had no real say in her circumstances. She gently tucked the strands she'd been playing with behind one gracefully pointed ear with very careful hands and tried for a smile as she asked, "So, then, how did Mia come to be?"
-
"It's pretty good, I mean, I don't really drink much in general but it tastes at least as good as the other drinks that I've had," Robin offered her reassurances, aware at least that some of the kids were a little less on board with the entire concept of home-made alcohol. She gave Riley a small smile of approval and then turned to look at the assortment of maps with some interest, "Man, are all rich people's houses this weird?" Robin gave a small shrug, only to finally realize that maybe Raina's night was not going as well as she wanted it too, Robin added in a quieter tone, "Oh, hey, everything okay?"
