Electra

Raina was getting very, very, very tired of these guys. She hadn't liked them from the start, she'd liked them less when they'd started throwing around clouds of pestilence and grabbing kids, and now she just wanted them to go away. It had not escaped her attention how bad she was at getting them to go away, either. That was... possibly a concern. She hadn't been doing a lot of crimefighting, per se, since she got out of high school, that was something she tended to leave to the nutjobs who liked to do it, but she had sort of thought that if she needed to, she could still throw down. She was torn between going to Erik and asking for a lot more pointers and hoping like hell that he never, ever heard of this night from anyone so she didn't have to die of embarrassment. Anyway, one left and he was practically unconscious on his feet. She could at least mop up. Taking the time to aim properly for once, she lined up her shot and hummed as she flicked another bright orange fireball in his direction. It hit, just like it was supposed to, flamed merrily, and... nothing. The guy looked maybe a little more singed. "Are you goddamned freaking kidding me?" Raina demanded of the sky, not even bothering to use her disguise voice.

"Okay, we won't mention that part," Paige assured her easily, jotting a note on her pad. That would remove a chunk of the human interest from the story, but it wasn't worth prying into another hero's private life over, especially one who'd only been a teenager at the time. They weren't some skeezy tabloid publication. She listened as Blodeuwedd went on with the exciting climax of her story, nodding encouragingly in the hopes that she would continue with the story without further verbal prompting that would need to be edited later.

"The interns on Sanctuary tell me that business cards are hopelessly old fashioned," Stesha confessed with a soft chuckle, "but I like them. It's much easier to give somebody a card than to have to put numbers in each others phones right then and there. If something's not broke, why fix it?" She closed her hand and the flower she'd been holding disappeared, leaving behind only a breath of perfume. "Getting onto the League can be a weird business," she told him. "A lot depends on what they're looking for at any given time. I got tapped for the Auxiliary first, the League team that handles Freedom City and the Eastern Seaboard in particular. There's that team, then the Chicago team, the West Coast team, all for regional operations and support. These days, pretty much everyone who moves up to the main League team, the one that handles things all over, comes from one of the support teams. I was on the Aux team for four years before most of us got the bump all at once, and they got new people for the Freedom City team. We mostly look for heroes who are good with people, who can work well in teams, have powers that mesh well with the team they'd be going to. The usual stuff, I suppose." She shrugged one shoulder, smiling ruefully. "I guess each move seemed pretty small while I was making it, they just came one after another. Looking back, though, yeah. It feels like a million miles from where I started. I imagine it's that way for you, too. Still in the same city, but everything changes."

Raina will Feint as her move action, taking the -5 and using Skill mastery, which sets the DC at 29. She will then fireball Cueball. Orokos does the thing that Orokos does, so I'm going to spend her last HP. Orokos does what Orokos does again, but HP makes the second roll a 26. Autofire is active.

Danica flinched at the sudden violence but didn't back away, instead looking toward Elena's hand for any sign she'd hurt herself. "I think because it's hard in a different way," she offered, keeping her voice quiet and even. It was hard to resist the urge to babble, to recite all the things she'd learned about social anxiety and the way it messed with peoples' brains, or maybe just tell all the stories about all the people she'd seen punching the walls around here over the years. Danica liked to talk, and getting nervous or excited just made her more talky. But talking a lot didn't seem like the right answer for right now. "You practiced for a long time and got really good at fighting Omegadrones. I watched you fighting that one when you got here, and it was cool. But you don't have to be good at everything right away."

"Hey, hey, it's all right," Danica assured her, putting calm into her voice and quietcalmokay into the atmosphere around them. She didn't reach out to touch Elena; she'd had enough peer counseling training to know not to do that when somebody who was used to fighting a lot got upset. Danica didn't think Elena would try to hurt her, or even that she'd be able to hurt her, but accidentally lashing out would probably make Elena feel worse even if most things just bounced right off Danica's tough shell. "You were doing great in there! Parties can be super-overwhelming, especially when there are lots of people! It's totally cool and normal to need a break."

Even after the witch's head was separated from its undead body, Singularity paid close attention to ensure it would not get up again. Typically zombies did not recover from beheading, but it was not safe to assume anything. Once it became clear that it was not going to get up again, she returned her attention to the room, scanning everywhere for additional threats. The boy was not a threat, nor was the metal creature. There was a man, unknown, concealed now behind the metal... Indira, Jessie remembered. That was Indira, and she was Kimber's friend, and she was Jessie's friend. She looked over and saw Aquaria, Aquaria who was Jessie's best friend, and who was watching Jessie like she was afraid something bad was going to happen. Like Jessie was going to make something bad happen. This wasn't the first time that adrenaline and the start of a fight had made Jessie forget things, but it was never good to come back from. Jessie hunched in on herself, making herself smaller and less threatening, and locked one hand around the opposite wrist as though to cuff herself in place.

"You can just tell me," Paige assured him. "We can either just move on to something else or we can turn off the cameras for a minute so you can take a break. And don't be worried about asking for one if you need it. I know this is hard stuff to talk about, even after all these years. You definitely would not be the first person to take a few minutes if you find you need them." With the preliminaries out of the way, there was a few minutes of activity involving setting up a lapel mic for each of them, then adjusting the lights one more time, then doing final sound checks. Finally the director nodded to Paige, who turned to Cobalt Templar with a smile. "Just to set us in the moment, can you tell us a little bit about what sort of heroic work you were doing in those days? You were part of a hero team, weren't you?"

Danica was not a fast walker under the best of circumstances, but she did have a way of getting a crowd to part effortlessly for her, even without anyone noticing it happening. She walked with Elena out of the crowded Valentine's Day party and into the deserted hallway outside the gym. From here the music of the party was still faintly audible but the noise level was much reduced and the air was cooler and fresher. Most students entering and leaving the party were using the outside doors, so they weren't likely to be disturbed here. "How are you doing?" Danica asked, all friendly concern.

Danica was holding court next to the food table, saying hello to everybody who approached, encouraging folks to try the cookies and generally reveling in the success of the party. It was awesome to see so many people having fun, and the singing was super-cool! Magenta seemed to be having fun too, though it was a little bit hard to tell the facial expressions and body language of a robot praying mantis. At any rate, Magenta had not attempted to make a break for it or take a dive into the punch bowl, and Danica counted that a good sign. Even as she socialized, she kept half an eye on Elena, just to make sure the other student was doing all right after her bad moment earlier. She seemed to be doing okay, but Danica noticed right away when she broke off from her conversation and started Danica's way. "You are amazing," she told Magenta, "but I have to give you back to Ryder now for a minute, okay?" Very carefully, she scooped up the bug and passed her back to her creator, then turned to Elena with a head-nodding expression to suggest speaking out in the hallway.

Chelone remained still where she was, watching the action and merely closing her eyes as the massive rush of blue energy washed over her. By the time it passed by and she opened her eyes again, her shell was no longer glowing and her eyes had returned to their normal color. "Wow!" she cheered enthusiastically. "That was wicked! You were just, like, slice-slice, and bam! Pwned!" She waited for a moment or two to make sure that the monster was really-truly not coming back, then embiggened her shell once more to let the poor bystanders out of her pocket dimension. "It's okay," she encouraged the frightened young mother, "the monster's gone now, and I'm sure the bus is going to come soon!" She held the door open so mom and stroller could get out, then poofed away the shell, leaving herself looking like a normal teenager once more.

Chelone nodded, those big black eyes regarding Ryder with fierce intensity. "We shall not fail to destroy the aggressor," she assured him, then raised her hand again. It seemed to take forever, long moments of no hurry at all as blue light collected in the palm of her hand, but finally one more dog-sized tortoise took shape. She released it with a flick of her fingers and it flew, seeming to follow Ryder's blades of energy straight towards the heart of the beast!

Danica did her best to return the bow, but had to stop before getting too far lest her shell overbalance her and tip her off the stool. "That's okay," she assured Redbird. "I really appreciate you wanting to help me!" She returned her attention back to Mr. Hunter. "That all sounds great!" she enthused. "If I had a car with a computer and some cameras that would help me avoid running into anybody, I'm sure I could handle normal navigation and stuff. My parents have always worried about things like, what if someone steps out in front of my car, or what if there's ice on the road and I go skidding? Even if I could yell for the car to stop and have it stop instead of pushing the brake pedal, I think that would be faster! And extra room for seats and stuff would be radical!" Twisting on her stool, Danica looked over towards the garage door. "I left my scooter outside so it wouldn't mess up your floor because I rode it from the bus stop and it got really slushy, but it's a basic Segway people-mover for now until it blows up or I get a new one from the people at the Lab, whichever comes first. It weighs like 75 pounds so I can lift it when I have to, but not very high."

Chelone will do a regular turtle attack and attempt to combine it with Ryder's attack! Her roll is so bad! She spends an HP to make the roll not be so bad. The roll is still bad, but HP luck makes it good! It is a 28!

Sparkler: Run With The Devil's Advocates Only Doing Good When I'm Having Fun Hologram: (with vignette) Behind These Tattered Seams (OMTB)Interview: Bloudewedd (OMTB)Interview: Jill o'Cure The Young These Days Are Glued to TV Screens (OMTB)Interview: Cobalt Templar The Old Girl is Dying On Her Feet (OMTB)Interview: Ghost Chelone: Ticket to Anywhere The Keratin and the Chitinous A Fiery Gospel How A Young Heart Really Feels The Best Offense Fury Road Fleur de Joie: (with vignette and new rep table) Feels Like Yesterday Singularity: Auspicious Season Miss Americana: Where Do We Go? (OMTB)Dreams Into An Empire Wander: (with extra-long vignette) All rollover points to Sparkler, please!

Raina let loose another fireball, which was countered basically on accident with the way Angel was weaving drunkenly back and forth. That was just plain annoying. If the jerk wasn't going to cooperate and just pass out already, she was going to have to hold both their attention a little longer. That wasn't great in terms of not getting hit by a jackass with an axe again, but she'd deal. "Well now this is just plain pitiful," she commented, looking down on the two villains. "Maybe if you both hold each other up, you can sort of limp along home together." The suggestion was mock-solicitous, emphasis on the mocking. "You haven't had any luck at all with anything else you've tried tonight, might as well try running away."

She's taunting them both, and also she will not disappear after all. IC coming up!

Paige put her hands down and gave Richard a long, level look. "All right, let's slow this way down," she told him. "So you got some evidence that there was a demonic invasion of some sort in 2009 that most people don't remember now. And that evidence is that a hero who was here back then told you at a PTA meeting that it happened. He told you that at the PTA meeting, with two dozen other parents in the room. That doesn't exactly sound like an Area 51 level cover-up, hon." She held up a hand before he could rush in any more explanations. "It's possible that there is something there that's being kept out of the public eye. We both know that sort of thing happens all the time. Even you and I understand that people don't need to know all the dirty details of how close we occasionally get to being wiped out. It's possible that those kids got wind of it and strung together a whole sordid story about how and why and where and who. It's even possible," she added, her hand still raised, "that against all the odds and every morsel of logic, that they got something entirely right and that story is true. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. It has nothing to do with our story!"

"I should've known something was up with you when you actually volunteered to go to the PTA meeting!" Paige accused, only half removing her hands from her face. "You hate going to the PTA meetings! Did you back that poor man into a corner and start spouting conspiracy theories all over him? Do I need to send them a card or something?" She sighed and pulled his notebook over towards herself. "I give up. What do demons in 2009 have to do with the Curator?"

"Who still does what?" Paige looked completely baffled for a moment as she tried to follow Richard's train of thought from Claremont to Freedom City as a whole to some nebulous They who should be guarding against an equally nebulous Them... Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. "Oh my god. You interviewed the Conspiracy Kids. Damn it, Richard, I told you not to let them get inside your head!" She put her face in her hands with a strangled half-laugh. "What were they on about this time?"

Fleur de Joie Stesha knew she wasn't the most observant superhero around, but the fact that it took her almost ten minutes to notice the time slip was a little embarrassing. In fairness, she was deep in the most exciting part of her novel, which had fortunately come along with her, and mornings on Prime when she could simply enjoy a few private hours with a book were few and far between. Also in her defense, it wasn't as though she landed in unfamiliar surroundings. It was simply that when she finally looked up at the end of a thrilling chapter, she was in her old apartment and didn't notice that it wasn't correct until she reached for her tea and found the cup was gone. That small discrepancy was finally enough to reboot her brain. This was not her sunny and open little place in the DuTemps building, half home and half Prime HQ for the nonprofit that funded Sanctuary's needs. This was the cluttered and cozy space she'd chosen when she'd first moved to the city, crammed with plants and with barely enough room for one person, let alone three. Or more often two. Stesha's breath caught in her throat as she took in her surroundings. It all looked exactly like she remembered, shelves of plants crowded up near the window to catch every scrap of light, walls covered with photos of family and friends. Wedding pictures had pride of place above the dining table, surrounded by photos from Amaryllis' newborn photo shoot. Once the shock cleared a little bit, that was at least helpful for gauging when exactly this was. She hadn't really expected being thrown ten years back to be even more disorienting than being thrown a thousand years forward. The place looked empty at first glance, but experience had taught Stesha to be wary. Without knowing who was behind this or why, anything could be a trap. She crept carefully around the back of the sofa and into the living room, and still managed to nearly trip over her own leg. Past-Stesha was deeply asleep on the sofa, face-down with one cheek mashed against the cushions and one leg hanging off the side. Stesha remembered these days very well, when tending to an infant human and an infant planet all at once had sapped even her superhuman stamina. Sleeping in the bed by herself had not felt good, but the couch had hosted some very intense naps. She had to smile down at her past self. She looked like a complete dork, but a very comfortable one. A small noise from the hall caught her attention instantly. This, too, was familiar, an awake baby trying to decide if it was time to cry. Stesha hurried down the hallway and into the bedroom where Amaryllis, maybe all of four or five months old, was fretting in her pretty white crib. Stesha felt her heart melt instantly. It seemed like yesterday her daughter had been small enough to hold in one arm, and now she was close to Stesha's own height. And she loved how bright and brilliant and outgoing and fun Amaryllis the fourth grader was, but oh, how she missed cuddling a baby. Stesha knew it was probably a terrible idea, but her arms did not check in with her brain before she was scooping Ammy out of the crib, as easy and practiced a motion as if she'd just done it an hour ago. A quick check revealed a dry diaper and the half-closed eyes meant her daughter was probably not quite ready to be awake, despite her protestations. Smoothing her fingers over down-soft green curls, Stesha walked with her to the window and let the sun shine on them both while she hummed a Russian lullaby she'd learned from her own mother. Sun and song and rocking did their work, and soon Amaryllis' scrunched and fussy little face relaxed back into slumber. That was nice, past-Stesha could probably use all the nap she could get. Mindful of the risk, Stesha ever so carefully laid the baby back down in her crib to avoid even the possibility of an accidental trip to the future. Even so, Stesha stayed at the side of the crib and watched until the disorienting pull of time took hold once more.

"She has a point, Matt," Raina acknowledged, cocking her head. "You can't just say things like that and not deliver. I mean, we'd probably have to find a different sort of club to go to later, but I think it's doable." She stole another chunk of fruit from Merlin's glass, making him shriek and flag down the waitress to get Raina an actual drink. The fact that the waitress didn't even seem surprised was a testament to the cape-friendliness of the place. "But seriously, what I really want to know," Raina went on, looking around the table, "is if I'm the only one who has ended up getting in like, so much less superpowered-bullshit trouble as soon as we got out of superhero reform school. Cause it seems weird to me."

Player Name: Electra Character Name: Fleur de Joie Power Level: 15 (244/250) [260] Trade-Offs: -5 Attack / +5 Damage, -5 Defense / +5 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 0 In Brief: A plant-controlling heroine who balances Freedom League membership, caring for her own personal planet, and single parenthood, Fleur de Joie believes in the power of networking to get the job done right. Alternate Identity: Stesha Madison (formerly Lumins) Identity: Open Secret Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois Occupation: Freedom League member, CEO of nonprofit organization Sanctuary World Inc. Affiliations: Sanctuary, Freedom League, Nicholson School Family: Amaryllis Lumins: daughter, b. 06/03/11. Father: Paul Madison, Mother Annie (Lispzyanka) Madison, Sisters: Grace (b 1975), Chloe (1987), Brothers: Basil (1978), Jasha (1980), David (1983). Derek Lumins (Dark Star): ex-husband, married 2010-2015. Description: Age: 35 (DoB: May 1, 1985) Apparent Age: About 30 (immortal) Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'3 Weight: 160lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Green, thigh-length, kept up in braids and crowned with flowers Under normal circumstances, Stesha is about the most harmless-looking person you're ever going to see in your lifetime. Small in stature, with a soft-edged, curvy body and an open, guileless face, she's the person most likely to be ignored or overlooked in a fight. Her most distinctive feature is her extraordinarily long green hair, which she generally keeps in intricate braids pinned close to her head, and accented with a plaited ring of live flowers. In her civilian life, she favors blue jeans and sweatshirts or t-shirts, depending on the weather, with soft makeup whenever she can manage the time. Her costume is a loose green tunic and matching slacks, brown boots and gloves, a belt with many pouches, and a brown cowl-coat that buttons to the bottom of her rib cage in front and hangs to her calves in back. Power Descriptions: All Stesha's powers are of the magic descriptor, and can also be affected by anything that affects plants. History: Stesha's childhood wasn't idyllic, but it was reasonably close. She grew up in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and the home of Northwestern University, where her father was a professor of botany. Her mother was also an avid gardener, as well as a complementary medicine practitioner and midwife, so growing up, Stesha had plenty of exposure to the science any mysteries of plants. With five siblings, she also had plenty of company and competition in every walk of life. All those brothers and sisters meant someone was always around to share the work or the blame, to tell a secret to or take on an adventure. Most of the time she enjoyed her big family, but as she grew up, the problem of dating when one has three overprotective brothers became increasingly annoying. An avid learner, Stesha followed in her father's footsteps and studied plant biology at Northwestern. She enjoyed biology and did well, but soon discovered that her passion was elsewhere. Science was great, but she preferred the magic of a gorgeous flower in full bloom to the colorless data extracted from a crushed and dissected plant specimen. She got her degree in biology, but her minor was in art, and as soon as she graduated, she decided to become a florist. She was able to get an apprenticeship at a highly-regarded shop in Chicago, and discovered a knack for it that she'd never had for lab work. Before long, she was caught up in the life of her community, providing flowers for celebrations and consolations, gifts and gardens, parties and patios. It was very rewarding! She'd been working at the shop for about a year when a shipment arrived that would change her life. Called the Fleur de Joie blossom, the rare specimen was said to bloom only once ever hundred years, and then only for a matter of hours or days. In order to fully capture the event, Stesha and her coworkers set up round-the-clock watch to be on hand for the opening. When it did finally open, very late one night, Stesha happened to be standing right in front of it. The blossom heaved, then released a cloud of shimmering pollen, all over her! She choked and passed out, and when she woke, she felt... different. When her hair began turning green days later, it sealed the deal. The plant had given her powers, and she wanted to know what to do with them! After some cautious experimentation in Chicago, she decided that the best thing to do would be to move to Freedom City, where she could become a real superhero. It didn't take more than a few days in Freedom City for Stesha to realize she was in way over her head. Her powers were useful and fun, but they didn't take her very far if she got into trouble. Luckily, she started making friends almost immediately. With allies like Phantom and Divine, she didn't feel nearly so vulnerable in her hero work, and gradually became braver and more skilled. Divine also introduced her to a friend of hers named Dark Star, who in civilian life was a shy, gawkily handsome man named Derrick Lumins. Stesha and Derrick hit it off right away, an affection that quickly deepened into love. Stesha knew that Dark Star was a cosmic hero who did a lot of his work off Earth, but in those early days he took pains to be around as often as possible, and she convinced herself it wouldn't be a problem. Practice and training broadened Stesha's skills, and eventually she discovered the ability to reach other dimensions through the plant life common to each. While training with Phantom, she came across an Earth that was blasted and dead, obviously from some kind of war decades ago. She thought it looked like a great place to get away from Earth Prime and practice all the plant-growing techniques that just didn't work in the middle of a city. She christened it Sanctuary and made it her home-away-from home. It wasn't long before a situation arose where her nemesis, Beekeeper II, unleashed a swarm of giant bees on the population, then got himself promptly thrown into jail. Once pacified, the bees had nowhere to go, so Stesha took them in on Sanctuary, creating a meadow full of giant flowers for them and asking her friend Gaian Knight to build them a hive of earth to live in. Later on, she discovered a small group of human survivors on the planet as well, and began working with her friend and neighbor Gabriel to give them a better quality of life in a village on her reclaimed land. A year later, the population exploded when she agreed to take in ten thousand refugees of a world lost to the Terminus. As the number of inhabitants grew, the Sanctuary project began to take up more and more of her time. Back on Earth Prime, things were busy for her as well. Her engagement to Dark Star nearly fell through due to his frequent absences off-planet for important hero work, but a promise of his commitment coupled with true love and a surprise pregnancy were enough to convince Stesha to go through with a rescheduled wedding. It was quite lovely, and Amaryllis was born six months later. Unfortunately true love and promises could not hold up forever against the press of a universe full of needs and demands. Within just a few months Derrick was gone all the time again, leaving Stesha to handle things on Earth by herself. She moved her main residence to Sanctuary, building a home of plants and leaves that was comfortable and easy to take care of, safe in a place where she had plenty of support in raising her little girl. In 2015, after Dark Star had been gone from Earth for two years and only came back for the Communion invasion, Stesha called an end to their marriage. The divorce was complicated by neither of them living on Earth and it became public as well, due mostly to them allowing the public access to their early-relationship love story. Stesha, although still a beloved heroine in general, took it on the nose from the tabloids and wound up withdrawing as far from the public eyes as was practical in her situation. Despite the ongoing disaster of her personal life, Stesha's powers and heroic abilities continued to mature. She was offered membership in the Freedom League Auxiliary, where she served for several years before being promoted to full membership upon the retirement of several longtime members. As a member with little ability to leave Earth, Fleur de Joie is rarely called upon for cosmic threats, but does often coordinate with organizations like UNISON for disaster relief and other humanitarian work. Sanctuary has continued to grow as well, to a current population of nearly twenty thousand humans and several thousand bees, in a space covering much of Southern New Jersey. Personality & Motivation: Stesha is a naturally hospitable person with an optimistic outlook and a generalized desire to make the world a better place. She enjoys meeting new people and making friends, and takes particular pleasure in befriending and mentoring brand new heroes. She takes her many responsibilities seriously and works very hard taking care of them all, but she also tries to take time for fun and relaxation whenever possible. Despite her friendly and caring nature, she is a deeply private person who has learned through hard experience to guard the softest parts of her heart. These days it is common for Stesha to happily listen to others' stories all day while offering very little information on her own life, except to her closest friends. Powers & Tactics: A plant-controller through and through, all Fleur's powers involve the manipulation of greenery. Oftentimes she'll start out by throwing a handful of seeds wherever she wants to work, then growing them instantly into mature plants she can use. Her powers are often subtle and indirect; she is a fan of keeping a villain distracted with words while a vine creeps up behind them. Her first impulse is generally diplomacy, a fight avoided is a fight won in her book. If diplomacy doesn't work, she typically moves to attempting to clear the field with her snares and dimensional pocket. She can also act in a support capacity, moving civilians out of danger and healing the wounded. Despite her subdued fighting style, Fleur can put on a heck of a show when she wants to. In her element or on her planet Sanctuary, her displays of power can be awesome and landscape-changing as she raises forests in seconds or turns acres of scrub into piles of mulch with a wave of her hand. When she was pregnant with Amaryllis, she began forming fairy rings of flowers and mushrooms wherever she stood or sat, even indoors, but that has tapered off, much to her relief. Her dimensional teleportation involves traveling through plants, whether by making doors in tree trunks, portals formed of vines, or massive flowers to jump into, depending on what's around to work with. Complications: I Need You, Baby: There are a lot of people counting on Stesha for their very survival. Amaryllis is always first and foremost in her mother's mind, but she's the tip of the iceberg. The giant bees rely on her to keep the flowers that sustain them growing, and the human population of Sanctuary would have a very, very hard time getting by without her, especially if an emergency pops up. Getting away from it all is not an option. Only the Lonely: It's been five years now since Stesha's divorce, and though she knows she should be over it by now, it's still a very sore spot. Most of her friends are busy with their own lives these days, and she herself has a hard time freeing up a moment for coffee, much less dating or bonding with new friends. Her acute and pervasive loneliness is a weakness in an otherwise well-adjusted psyche. With Flowers in Her Hair: Stesha's long green hair is actually alive, and an important component of her powers. The last six inches or so are dead cells and can be cautiously trimmed, but anything above that is part of her body and will cause pain and damage if cut. If too much of her hair is damaged or lost, she will not be able to use her immunities to food and sleep, nor will she be able to regenerate her health. Take My Breath Away: Stesha “breathes” much more the way plants do than humans do. She inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen. This is harmless in the everyday, even useful if she's trapped in a tight space with other people, but not great for, say, scuba gear, or if some well-meaning medic tries to put an oxygen mask on her. Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Stesha technically has a secret identity, but it's a very poorly kept secret. There isn't much she can do to hide her highly distinctive coiffure, and she's not great at maintaining an air of mystery. She doesn't always even need to be in uniform for people on the street to know who she is, one more reason she spends a lot of her downtime on Sanctuary. Let Them Not Pass Like Weeds Away: A naturally compassionate person, Stesha's first inclination is to safeguard all life, even of people who are trying to kill her. It is also very hard for her to accept that sometimes you can't save everyone. What You Give is What You Get Returned: Stesha is friends with many, many, many superheroes, and she knows that if she's in trouble, she can call on them for help. On the flip side, if one of them calls her for help, she will do anything she can to assist. She's also a member of the Freedom League, which carries a whole other set of responsibilities that she strives to live up to. But there are only so many hours in the day! Abilities: 0 + 0 + 14 + 4 + 4 + 10 = 32PP STR: 10 (+0) DEX: 10 (+0) CON: 24 (+7) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 20 (+5) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP Attack: +8 (+10 Flower Power) Defense: +10 (+2 Dodge Focus, +4 Flat-Footed) Initiative: +8 Grapple: +8, +28 w/Move Object Knockback: -10/-3 Saving Throws: 3 + 10 + 8 = 21PP Toughness: +20/+7 (+7 Con, +13 Protection) Fortitude: +10 (+7 Con, +3) Reflex: +10 (+0 Dex, +10) Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8) Skills: 120R = 30PP Bluff 15 (+20) Skill Mastery Concentration 8 (+10) Diplomacy 15 (+20) Skill Mastery Gather Information 16 (+21) Skill Mastery Intimidate 8 (+13) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 8 (+10) Skill Mastery Medicine 8 (+10) Skill Mastery Notice 13 (+15) Skill Mastery Profession (Florist) 3 (+5) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 13 (+15) Skill Mastery Stealth 5 (+5) Survival 8 (+10) Feats: 30PP Accurate Attack Benefit (Freedom League Member) Connected Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 10 Environmental Adaptation: Heavy undergrowth Improved Initiative 2 Inspire 5 Interpose Leadership Luck 2 Skill Mastery 2 (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Info, Knowledge (Life Sciences), Medicine, Notice, Profession (Florist), Sense Motive) Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Equipment 10PP = 50EP Headquarters: 47EP Size: Planetary (18EP), Toughness: +20 (3) Features: Animal Pens, Computer, Defense System 3 [blast 15 [BEES], Snare 15 (entangling vines), Stun 15 (stun flowers)], Gym, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Isolated, Living Quarters, Personnel, Pool, Power System, Sealed, Self Repairing, Think Tank, Workshops Powers: ESP (3), Impervious Toughness (1), Super Senses (1) ESP 9 (visual and auditory; Extras: Duration [Continuous], Simultaneous; PFs: Rapidx10, Subtle) Impervious Toughness 15 (Active/Sustained) [15PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communications Link w/ Fleur) Masterwork Commlink: [1EP] Masterwork Flashlight: [1EP] Masterwork PDA: [1EP] Powers: 2 + 63 + 3 + 3 + 14 + 2 + 6 = 95PP Feature 2 (Distinguish Seeds By Touch Instantly, Instantly Make Flowerpots) [2PP] Flower Power Array 24 (48 pp, PFs: Accurate, Alternate Powers 14) [63PP] BE: Snare 20 (entangling vines, PFs: Indirect 3, Obscures Senses 3 [Visual + Audio], Reversible, Subtle) {48/48} AP: Create Object 15 (plant shapes, Extras: Duration [Continous/Lasting], PFs: Precise, Selective, Subtle) {48/48} AP: Dimensional Pocket 5 (inside Flora, Extras: Duration 3 [Continuous/Lasting], Range [Ranged], Feats: Indirect 3, Progression [Cargo] 10 [1,000 tons], Subtle) {44/48} AP: Damage 14 (Extras: Linked +0, [Drain], Range 2 [Perception], Flaw: Limited 2 [plants]) + Drain Toughness 14 (Extras: Affects Objects +1 Linked +0, [Damage], Range 2 [Perception], Flaw: Limited 2 [plants])(PFs: Incurable, Precise, Reversible, Split Attack, Subtle) 48/48} AP: ESP 9 (Flora's gaze, Visual + Audio Senses, 20,000 miles ["Anywhere on Earth"], Extras: No Conduit, Simultaneous, Flaws: Action [standard], Feats: Dimensional 3 [Any Dimension], Subtle) {43/48} AP: Healing 15 (medicinal plants, Extras: Action [standard], Total, Flaws: Distracting, Feats: Persistent, Regrowth, Stabilize) {48/48} AP: Healing 15 (plantsboon, Extras: Area [Targeted, Burst, 75ft radius], Range 2 [Perception], Total, Flaws: Distracting, Limited 2 [Plants], Feats: Persistent, Regrowth, Stabilize) {48/48} AP: Move Object 20 (mobile vines, Effective STR 100, Heavy Load: 12288 tons) (PFs: Indirect 3, Subtle) {44/48} AP: Nullify 10 (photosynthetic mastery, All "Air" Powers, Extras: Area [General, Burst], Effortless, Selective, Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Progression [Area] 3 [500ft radius], Subtle) {44/48} AP: Snare 15 (nature's grasp, Extras: Area [General, Shapeable], Obscures Senses 3 [Visual + Audio], Selective, Flaw: Distracting) {48/48} AP: Stun 20 (stunflower, Extra: Range [Ranged], Flaw: Action [Full], PFs: (Indirect 3, Sedation, Subtle, Variable Descriptor 1 [any plant]) {46/48} AP: Super-Movement 3 (plant doors, Dimensional Movement 3 [Any Dimension], Extras: Duration 2 [Continuous], Portal 2, Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Portal Size] 5 [250ft x 250ft], Turnabout, Subtle) {28/48} AP: Teleport 9 (plant doors v.2, 900ft per Move Action, 20,000 miles per Full Action ["Anywhere On Earth"], Extras: Accurate, Affects Others, Flaws: Medium [Plants], Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Cargo] 12 [500 tons], Turnabout, Subtle) {44/48} AP: Teleport 9 (plant doors v.3, 900ft per Move Action, 20,000 miles per Full Action ["Anywhere On Earth"], Extras: Accurate, Linked [super-Movement], Flaws: Medium [Plants], Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Cargo] 14 [2,500 tons], Progression [save DC] 5 [DC24]) [40PP] + Super-Movement 2 (Dimensional Movement 1 [To/From Earth-Fleur], Extras], Flaws: Medium (Plants)) [4PP] {40+4/44/48PP] AP: Transform 11 (plants into plants, 2,500 lbs., Extras: Duration [Continuous/Lasting], Feats: Innate, Subtle) {48/48} Immunity 3 (ambrosial, Aging, Disease, Poison) [3PP] Immunity 2 (plant physiology, Critical Hits, Sleep) [3PP] Immunity 1 (photosynthesis, Suffocation [CO2], Extra: Affects Others) [2PP] Protection 13 (lignin skin, PF: Subtle) [14PP] Regeneration 2 [ambrosial, Resurrection 2, 48 hours] [2PP] Regeneration 10 (botanical rejuvenation, Recovery +2 [+9], Recovery Rate: Bruised 3 [No Action], Staggered 1 [20 minutes], Injured 2 [5 minutes], Disabled 2 [1 hour], Flaws: Source [sunlight], Feats: Regrowth) [6PP] 32 + 32 + 21 + 30 + 30 + 95 = 250/250PP ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage Dissolve Plants Perception DC24 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Toughness Perception DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage Entangling Vines Ranged DC30 Reflex (Staged) Entangled/Bound Grow Plants Ranged DC20 Fortitude Transform Magic Flower Ranged DC20 Reflex Dimensional Pocket O2 Burst Ranged/Area DC20 Reflex 1/2 Effect Ranged/Area Contested vs Power Rank/Will Nullify Step Through Plants Touch DC24 Reflex Teleport Stun Flower Ranged DC30 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Vines (Thrown Object) Ranged DC35 Toughness (Staged) Damage

Hologram When Paige woke up, she was not in her bed. This was not exactly an unprecedented occurrence; Paige had slept in lots of weird places between her turbulent youth, life with Richard, life in Hollywood, and the rigors of parenthood. It would be tough to beat the nights she'd slept in the bedding displays at Sears as a teenager or the uncomfortable bunks that made up transient quarters on the Freedom League's orbital base, but the thing about those was that she knew she'd wake up there when she'd gone to sleep. Going to sleep in her bed and waking up elsewhere... that was hardly ever a good sign. Waking up in an alley was an especially not-good sign, though again it was not entirely without precedent given her misspent young adulthood. Paige grimaced as she peeled herself up off a few sheets of damp cardboard and sat up, wishing for the spine she'd had as a nineteen year old. Even when she woke in alleys, she usually had some idea what she was doing there Had she been mugged? Was it some sort of kidnapping? Amnesia, mental tampering? Anything was possible in Freedom City. Automatically, she reached out to Richard over their mental link. Where are you? There was nothing for a shocking moment, not anywhere in the vicinity, then nowhere in the city, the region... there! She arrowed in on the familiar mind and was met by a sudden bizarre wash of nonsense, babble, impressions. It felt more like the links she'd made with their children as infants than- oh. Flexing her power, Paige looked through Richard's eyes. She saw wooden bars and a flimsy white mattress pad, and beyond that, a cheap motel room so horrendously outdated that it even made Paige's brain wince. Sitting on the bed was the Clock Queen herself, Anna Cline, in her full regalia and looking much younger than Paige herself. “Goddamn it,” Paige muttered, withdrawing her mind and trying to blink away the headache as she stood up. At least she had clothes on, a pair of sturdy mom jeans that she refused to admit were never going to be cool and a Discovery Channel hoodie she wore when the house was chilly. She was probably going to be hideously out of place, but it still beat naked. Making her way to the mouth of the alley she saw, as she'd expected she would, a full living-color-and-sound-and-smell panoply of Freedom City, 1963. Just looking at it made Paige want to groan again. She hadn't enjoyed this era the first time around, no way was she hanging around for a second dose. It would be all right, she reminded herself. They had a contingency plan for this. She just had to get Richard the message, in exactly the way he'd insisted it must be delivered. If only her husband weren't such a damn nerd... Paige looked around, caught her bearings, and went to find the nearest Western Union office. Dear Richard, if my calculations are correct, you will receive this letter immediately after I go missing from 2021. First let me assure you I am alive and well...

Raina will use Fast Taunt again as her move action. For her standard action, she will go for Angel, since Cueball's obviously not exactly the brain trust of this operation. Fire ball! She gets a 16 on the roll, which may or may not be enough given the fairly rough shape he's in! At the end of her turn, she will use a free action to switch back from Morph to Conceal. Poof!