alderwitch

Murmuring and questions were lost for a moment as the journalists jockeyed for position, eagerly trying to get the attention. Unfortunately, the more... problematic elements of the press corp were quick to leap into the fray. "What is the league going to do about the Terminus children? With the clinic and the recent exposure, Freedom City is once again a nexus for those tainted by the Terminus energies?! How can the League keep us safe from the threat inside our own children?" The histrionic timbre rose above the gamut, spitting out soundbites rapid fire and hoping for a good look or a word, or - at worst - something that could be chopped up to continue to push the T-baby menace story that their network had been running heavily for the last year or so. "Fft, T-babies - old news. What about more... personal team ups?" That was the Tattler, an absolute gossip rag as the reporter swung her microphone towards the team. "With the League full of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes.... Can we expect an all star wedding anytime soon from any of you or should Freedom City hopes for a League rescue-romance remain alive?"

Volcanic had been noticeably quiet compared to her assigned partner as her attention was on the situation. Clever banter wasn't so much her strong suit at the best of the time and there was... something in the song of the earth below that she couldn't quite parse. It was nagging at her just as the tiger talked and then pounced. Letting her flames die out enough to drop to the earth, the elemental landed at the edge of the crater, her posture wary. "Facsimile, maybe don't taunt the god?" Volcanic suggested, the tightness of her voice coming across through the crackle of flame. Sandman. Frost isn't here so you're my mystic go to. God in the shape of a white tiger. Whatcha got? "Easy, there, big guy. Spit my friend out and maybe we can talk. Why you eating dogs?"

Volcanic is going to hold her action while she does some team communication! Since tossing fire at the tiger grappling the teammate is perhaps a less than good plan.

"Oh my god," Sofi muttered from where she was now clinging to Alice's waist like they were at a horror movie. Her brown eyes were wide and fascinated. "Jinkies, Scoob, the door man could give Vincent Price a run for his money. Like, do you practice that?" Sofi reluctantly untangled herself from Alice to go up on her toes and waved maybe a little frenetically at the doorman. They were an unlikely trio but the candy-haired exile from a techno rave took point. She pinged off of Alice and thumped into Lou's side in her efforts to bounce up and down to be seen through the window of the door. "Hi! Your house is funny and hard to look at. We don't have a delivery and we're not members but maybe we want to be- Ow! Alice!" Sofi protested as the thief jabbed an elbow in her ribs. "What? Don't you want to see what its like inside? It can't be worse than gym membership fees."

Name: Janus Danger Codename: Dangers don't need codenames! Year: Junior Pronouns: They/Them Roommate: Veronica Danger Goal: Move past mourning the past and find the Danger joie de vivre again. Favorite High School Movie: But I'm a Cheerleader!

SEISMOGRAPH'd by Fox For Volcanic: Update the current Tremor Sense: Super Senses (Tremorsense (Tactile); Ranged [2]) [2PP] To: (+12 PP) Super Senses (Tremorsense (Tactile); Accurate [0], Acute [0], Analytical [2], Radius [0], Ranged [2], Counters Illusion, Concealment [4], Penetrates Concealment [4], Extended Range 2 [2] ) [14 PP] Please remove 'Newly Empowered' and 'Semi-Controlled' from her complications and add the following: Responsibilities: Leilani has connections now. The Freedom League gave her a new start on her new life and she owes a debt that can never be repaid. She had friends, and relationships and family that she'll protect as well as duties to a team to uphold.

You could volunteer, Ray offered the suggestion, his ankles crossed and resting on the end of the couch. The phone fit easily in his large hands. He did, however, type like an old person with punctuation and full sentences. 'I do that a couple times a month. Like you said, reminds you why you do the hero thing? Plus, it might help you get that day pass to go to the Louvre. Ray added with a small smile although he entirely forgot to add an emoji into the conversation. 'You know, some kids do art therapy. With your love of art and your time in therapy, it might be a thing you look into? You seem to like to help people, more than just the saving the world stuff. I bet they offer classes in it at your school too. Just something to keep in mind. It can be hard to find a way to do art that also pays the bills. At least, that was true for me!

Talya winced at 'momma Bombshell', her expression truly pained for a moment. The look she gave Erik was long suffering and wordless; one of those clearly parental exchanges that managed to convey without words just how draining her afternoon had been as Octoman talked and talked and talked. She fluttered one hand elegantly towards Octoman, "He reminds me of Geckoman but more cavalier about his safety and without the ability to regenerate limbs, I presume." Talya murmured as she went to pull out a towel and start wiping off her costume. It wicked blood fairly well, in general, but she made a moue of distress as her finger found the bullethole in her top. "I just picked this up. Do you think this will patch? Maybe I can hide it in the seam..." Tossing the towel on the sink, she leaned her hips back against the counter top and arched her brow at Octoman although she commented to Erik, "I'll get him a spot in Claremont but handling his parents might be difficult. It might require your mother. His mother is a public defender, it sounds like." Mia, however, was giggling at Octoman's dramatics. "Bam-BAM!" Mia copied cheerfully, miming rather successful punches that narrowly missed her father's nose as she threw them. Still giggling, she turned towards Octoman and gave him a cherub's smile, "Parents don't care what you look like, silly. My brother's got a funny eye but he's my brother and if anyone looks at him funny, I'll pop 'em! Right in the NOSE. BAM-BAM!"

"I can fly," Andromeda offered to Facsimile cheerfully. "Of course I can fly. I can do... more or less what I used to although at maybe a smaller scale because I really, really, REALLY don't want to rip apart my fragile flesh body. It was ever so difficult to get it just right. Ooooh, thank you," Andromeda added, swiftly shifting away from concerns about shredding her body with power to take the ice cream and delicately set about eating it. "Do you think the cold makes the sweet better or is it the sweet that makes the cold better...?" She turned towards Dio and blinked once before cocking her head to the side in clear curiosity. Absently, she licked the ice cream once more as she considered his question, "Life is not a common phenomena and when it cropped up, it drew the attention of early star-faring races - those who had been able to manage the fundamental forces of the cosmos," Andromeda explained, clearly confused that it wasn't common knowledge. Shifting her ice cream cone, she released it to let it float above her fingertips. As she spoke, the ice cream turned into other objects between her fingertips - shifting fluidly from solid to liquid and back again - elaborating on the forces that she mentioned; "There are five forces and together they form the stuff of creation; mastering them allows a person to... meddle. Manipulate. Long ago, at least as your people think of 'long', they came and meddled and then left. I watched. I've been watching although I don't pay all that much attention to the politics or the why. I don't know where your gardeners have gone. There's so very many people now that its not easy to follow the life of one or two."

Notice: 20

Talya had collected two champagne flutes, one in each hand which meant when she glided over towards the happy couple, there was no necessity to offer a hand or otherwise enter the bride's personal bubble. Her smile was warm, "We meet under better circumstances this time. Champagne?" Talya offered gamely lightly lifting one champagne flute in offering. Talya, like Mara, was well aware that the open easy affection of the Espadas clan could take some... getting used to. "And many felicitations on your happy day." She canted her body just a bit, including Mara in the conversation without crowding the couple, "And you know, Mara, all you need to do is say the word. I do love planning a good social engagement. White tailored slacks and a chic blouse. It would be stunning, don't you think?" For anyone else, talking about another wedding might be a touch awkward but Talya was striving to balance talking about the wedding without turning the focus entirely on Gina so she could wade into the conversation at her leisure. "Thank you, Tia," Eden replied with a bright smile, her hand tucked into Erik's as her other one found Min's. Anchored between her two parents, she gave Ellie a gamine grin, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I got to wear heels too!" Though, really, it was more of a kitten heel on a child's dress shoe but she clearly felt very grown up at the grown up party.

Janus' smile was equal parts reassurance and provoking. It was a very cat-that-ate-the-canary as they folded their trim arms behind their head and stretched out lazily. When Kam very uncharacteristically paused and then fumbled, Janus' went tense and straightened with the sort of bow-strung tight tension that was more appropriate to the battlefield than the school Quad. Despite their efforts, Kam's mystery girl had remained exactly that - a mystery. At least Janus knew there WAS a girl, which was more than most people had managed to suss out. Janus' violet gaze darted over possibilities only to finally land on a young woman making their way with determination across the quad. It was no current student, and she didn't have the look of a new student, either, as the young woman made her way with confidence across the quad. Muscular and compact in the way that gymnasts might be, the woman moved across the green grass towards the administration with lethal grace. The most noteworthy feature, at this distance, was the fact that one of her two arms was a high-end prosthetic; distinctly Dakanan to those who knew what to look for in its simple silver design. "Ooooooh," Janus said, scooting up to perch on the table and blatantly shade their eyes to get a better look. "Ooooooh. Her? Is that her? It has to be her."

Init: 13 I somehow don't have either of those knowledges though at this point, Leilani should so I'll add them to my next character update. Do you want flat rolls or just to skip it,AA?

Do you want to respond to Exaccus before I post, AA? I'm not sure how the bluff works on the tiger!

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Talya replied easily as she followed Mara in, one hand lightly on Eden's shoulder. With a big family, Eden was often surrounded by her siblings. It was a rare treat to be alone with all three of her parents at a special event. Raina had been more than happy to volunteer for babysitting duties. Not only did it pay handsomely - Talya was more than happy to provide pocket money in exchange for the rare night out - but it gave her an entirely acceptable excuse to pass on the party. The twins and Mia remained at their home with Raina while Eden, at seven, was allowed to come to the party. Talya wore a simple fitted sheath dress that hit just below her knees in a navy so dark that it might as well have been her typical black and a pair of matte pumps to match. The three inch heels put her closer in height to her partners. Her blonde hair had been twisted up into a soft chignon and the makeup was subtle. It was certainly not the sort of dramatic figure that she usually cut. Chic and stylish - certainly lovely - but Talya chose her clothes with the same care that she always did, in an effort to put the bride at ease as much as possible. Eden, however, was adorable in a fluffy high waisted dress and with a less complicated version of the braids that Talya often put in Min's hair. A pair of sparkly clips kept her hair pinned in place but she couldn't stop fussing with the delicate golden pendant attached to an equally delicate golden chain. The charm was real gold, shaped like a small rose with a single pink diamond in the center. Eden offered Talya a smile before she dropped back to slip her small hand into Erik's and squeeze lightly, with clear nerves. Talya tipped her had back to offer Min a smile. She was already eyeing the dance floor, personally, as Talya really did enjoy a spin around the dance floor. "Do you want anything to drink, dearest? Mara? Anyone?" Moving away from her family, Talya went to glance over the options as a robot floated by with a tray. It stood to reason that Gina would feel more comfortable if they weren't all standing and waiting to watch her enter. Most brides wanted that big entrance but Gina was hardly 'most brides'.

Talya's expression was mingled horror and amusement at that particular leap of logic. "Mercy, no-" she was starting to say as Erik pelted into the room only to have Mia exclaim with absolute pride, "That's my Daddy! Jack a'blades is my daddy. I got an action figure too. It goes pew pew!" Mia declared with glee, snuggled against her mother. Their daughter didn't seem to find the purple blood spatter frightening but then it was off enough from human blood for her to not make the connection. Talya's costume was liberally smeared from Octoman's injuries and fortunately, that hid the red of her own blood at least enough that their young daughter hadn't noticed it. The injury had already healed under the bullethole in Talya's costume. She gave Erik a shrug that could only be described as apologetic as she held out Mia for her father to take. "I wanted to see Mummy!" Mia protested as she wiggled her legs and feet, that lower lip jutting out at her father. Eden would have been apologetic but then, Eden listened about the rules about code names and the intercom. Mia, however, was full of words and opinions about why she was perfectly in the right to break a half dozen of the household rules. "An I met a new friend. He has noses in his arms. Why don't I got noses in my elbows, Daddy? If Mummy brought him home, he's gotta be safe an he seems nice. He's my friend!" Ah, the instant affection of extroverted five year olds. "Mia, my sweet," Talya sighed heavily. "We've talked about this. When you see your papa in costume, you're really supposed to pretend not to know him. I'm sorry," that was to Erik as she gestured towards the injured teenager. "There was a hostage situation on fifth street and I thought I ought to intervene. He's just a teenager, Jack, parents don't know and well..." she flipped her hand slightly, communicating the injuries without words, he almost died, "I've just about convinced him to go to Claremont. I had to help... He's a huge fan of Geckoman. Oh, and he's deaf. I have VINCE running subtitles since my ASL is rusty at best." She turned with a sidelong smile towards Octoman, amusement quirking her lips once more, "And no, I didn't have children with Geckoman. We're merely friends."

Hi, as the other guides have mentioned, the tone of this character isn’t likely to work. Almost none of our heroes have anything like guns and those that do are more sci-fi and non lethal. As Ari mentioned, the new players guide is really helpful and you can look through the other heroes that have been approved to get a feel. You want to look at MArvel movies or the Batman animated series or silver and Bronze Age comics ideally. There are some Iron Age concepts that will absolutely work but this isn’t one of them. You want a character who is heroically motivated and uses non lethal methods. Hope that helps!

Talya decided that she’d gotten the worst of it fortunately before he started waving and gesturing. “Easy there, tiger. Easy,” Talya said with some amusement. Reaching out, she caught his shoulders before he could bound up off the operating table and disturb the bandages that she’d put in place. The smile on her features was fond and almost vaguely maternal although that didn’t fit at all on Bombshell’s features; not if you expected her to be Bombshell. ”I’m not sure if anyone can claim that they taught Geckoman to BE Geckoman. He’s a bit of a law unto himself but, yes, when he was a teenager, he attended Claremont as did his teammates. You don’t have to worry about filling out anything although I will need your actual, legal name as well as your family’s information. Don’t worry. I won’t be sharing your secret although its really something you might consider. Living a lie is a very, very hard path to walk and the further down that road that you go, the harder it is to turn around.” Her expression turned briefly somber before Talya shook that off, “It’s a dormitory but you don’t have spend the weekends there if you’re local, though many do. You can go home as often as it appeals but it’s a good place, with good people and with teenagers able to understand some of what you’re going through. Now, how are you feeling? I...” ”Mummy!” Talya pivoted at the sound of her daughter’s voice, snapping around with the same sort of speed that she used for combat but it was too late; Mia had already burst through the door to stare at Octoman with wide, wonder filled eyes. “Mummy! Who’s sat?” ”Oh, mercy, Mia. When you hear me using code names on the intercom, it means to stay away,” Talya scolded gently as she stepped forward and scooped the little girl up into her arms. She couldn’t have been more than four or five, with delicate features, tanned skin and Min’s elfin ears. All of the children had inherited those. The last of Talya’s mask fell away and she gave her daughter the look of exasperated mothers everywhere as the lower lip stuck out in a definite pout at the reprimand. Talya sighed, shifting Mia to her hip, “And I’m sure Mommy has no idea where you are, hm? Slipped out while the twins took up all of her attention?” ”I was watchin’ Daddy’s class an’ I slipped out when Vince started talking to him on the in-er-com.” Mia said, clearly proud of having given her father the slip. Really, Talya had no one to blame but herself. Stealth was the game that she often played with the children. Mia’s bright gaze landed on Octoman, “Who are you?! You got lots of arms.” ”Mia,” Talya groaned before she turned towards the intercom. Decades of espionage and she couldn’t even manage to keep her offspring from breaking secret identity. “Be polite, my little love. Erik, Min, I have Mia. She’s in here.” Talya directed that towards the wall for VINCE to relay while Mia protested, “I like his arms! It’s not mean if I like them. I only got two.”

“Claremont is a prep school but its for teenagers with powers and abilities,” Talya said as she leaned in to clean the edges of one wound gently. The trick with non standard biology was in figuring what would work and what didn’t. More glue than sutures, Talya suspected. She squinted a little, taking in the edges of the injury before she turned to get the medical version of superglue. “I shan’t confirm or deny the new Raven’s identity. It would be impossibly rude, for one and I am rarely rude... at least not without purpose.” Talya stuck the edges together and then held a bandage over the injury while it sealed shut. She glanced up so Octoman could read her lips clearly and offered a conspiratorial smile, “Geckoman is a Claremont alumni. And don’t worry about the details, those are easy enough to address. I know the headmaster.” Talya waved one hand absently, the one that wasn’t holding the bandage in place.

“Geckoman is quite alive and well, he’s just been busy with... well, secret identity things. Let’s go with that.” Talya replied as she went to pull out the gauze and first aid supplies, setting up a tray with practiced hands. Talya had stitched together more wounds than she cared to count in her life time. The screen meant that she didn’t have to worry about which way her head turned so she could talk as she worked. “He stops by regularly though. You might see Jack or Willow, they’re the only ones in the building at the moment.” That was a lie, their offspring were here too, as was Raina but the only team members in residence were those two although the other Interceptors stopped in often enough. The door was certainly always open. Talya sat back on her stool as she pushed herself over to deal with the worst wounds first. At least the kid seemed hearty, thank goodness. Her lips quirked in an amused smile as she blew her bangs out of her way to start applying pressure. “And no offense taken. It is a risk inherent in the relationship. Put your hand over this bandage and let me get the other injuries cleaned up. And no, not too much gets away from me. Do your parents know that you have powers? Have you been invited to Claremont yet?” Bombshell didn’t worry about mentioning Claremont. Before this teenager left her medical bay, he was going to agree to attend even if he’d never heard of it. Far more experienced heroes had tried and failed to hold out against Talya’s powers of persuasion.

Andromeda followed Facsimile’s clarification with rapt attention, nodding or shaking her head as she followed the line of reasoning behind the nuances that he was elaborating. “Oh, I see! And this is a bad-maybe-concerning scene. I don’t want to cause any trouble. It’s just ever so hard to find a place not teeming with life but also close to people. I really, REALLY wanted to see people up close and not from so far, especially because my senses are all so different now that I’m here.” Andromeda paused, running her fingertips over the ice cream cart as they passed it with the same wonder on her face as she’d had for the grass and trees that they passed. When Triakosia spoke up, she nodded, “Yes, of course. Where are we going?”

Bombshell had offered a smile or two, demurred any thanks and gently disengaged. Her gaze landed on the teenager, assessing his injuries and keeping an eye on his balance. She couldn’t help but catch the way Octoman turned his head to track people’s faces when they spoke. It was a little more difficult to follow an eye line with a mask but Bombshell was used to it. He was watching their mouths. “Alright, hold on and try not to pass out.” Bombshell instructed as she went to catch the teen’s arm and hoist it up over her shoulder. Pulling Octoman tight against her side and hip, Bombshell slipped the baton from the small of her back again and sent the grapple into the air where it latched on the casement of the tall building they were standing next too. Pulling them through the air, Bombshell considered her options on approaching the HQ. The infirmary was above the secret entrances, near their home. Talya could either drop them onto the roof and go down - and hope that none of her children heard her come home - or go in through the basement and take the elevator up. The West End whizzed by before Bombshell dropped them onto a rooftop absolutely dripping with greenery and plant life. Still shouldering the brunt of Octoman’s weight, Bombshell keyed in the code to the door and swung it open. “Vince, I’ve got a guest that I’m taking to the infirmary. Could you ask Willow if she’s free to join us and let Jack know that he’s not going to want to stick his head in without changing out of his civvies?” Bombshell asked the building’s AI as she helped the teen down the stairs and passed the door that lead to the floor that held her home and Raina’s apartment. Another short stair flight down and she opened the door to the infirmary; all steel and white with the faint scent of antiseptic clinging to the surfaces. Bombshell helped Octoman onto the bed, letting him sit up as she stepped back. She pulled her mask free and dropped it on the counter. Blood streaked her skin and her uniform; most of it Octoman’s syrupy purple but she’d not yet managed to clean up her costume and her own red blood streaked her shoulder. With a slight grimace, Talya pulled the lead out of the healing wound in her shoulder and dropped it in a silver tray with a soft ‘plink’ so the bulletwound could close the rest of the way. “Vince, can you also toss up subtitles onto this monitor as I’m talking?” Talya pulled the screen down and nodded towards it for Octoman, “In case you miss what I’m saying. You have any allergies, honey?”

Notice check: 23

Bombshell had no intention of letting the man get back up. Stepping over his prone form, Talya snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “I just want you to know,” she said, the words almost conversational as she hefted one baton back against her shoulder, like a batter’s stance. “There IS no one coming. Not my teammates, not my friends. It’s just me and that kid. We beat you. Do try to remember that when you’re sitting behind bars. If, of course, your heart survives the next twenty minutes. You do know what happens to most people who take Max and Zoom at the same time, don’t you?” Bombshell didn’t kill, not anymore, but there was a reason that she fell only somewhat towards the line that separated hero from everyone else. Rather than checking his vitals, Bombshell swung her baton at the man’s skull with all her considerable skill; putting the full force of her body behind it. She did roll him onto his side before hog tying him for the police just in case he did start to vomit but if it hit the news that he’d not survived his mad rampage, well, Bombshell wasn’t going to be shedding any tears, or losing any sleep. Collapsing her batons, Bombshell had larger concerns about whether the wife-beater survived his cocktail as she took in the state of the teenager. ”Stay with me, alright?” Talya said as she closed the distance to kneel down next to Octoman. Clear concern creased her expression, even behind her mask. “I can carry you, I think. There’s a place that’s not too far. We can get you some medical help. Wrap your arms around my shoulders and I’m going to lift you up.”

She is going to burn the HP to avoid fatigue, spend her move action to feint with a DC25 because I usually roll terribly when I try to roll for bluff checks. For her standard action, she’ll power attack against the prone dude. And no, she doesn’t even feel a little bad about it. Uh. I, uh... Nat 20? 34