Electra

Erin had been thinking about leaving, having come to the party, eaten food and socialized, which were the three bullet points on her to-do list. But she'd been curious about what all her friends were gossiping about, so she gravitated closer, half a bag of chips still in hand. She arrived just in time for the tail end of the conversation. "Kind of speaks girl?" she asked, giving Mike a poke in the shoulder that was not quite gentle. "I don't think anyone can explain Mark, anyway."

Erin shrugged. "Go in, I guess. If they are hostile, or if our guy's in there, we don't want to tip them off. If it turns out we should've knocked, we can always say sorry. Their dog's a cupcake, they probably aren't too hostile." She sized up the big door, then holstered her bat long enough to give the door a firm push. It was huge, but she was very strong. She just hoped it wasn't locked, as breaking and entering was probably not welcome in most dimensions.

"I have a costume," Stesha told her, "Ace and I went out shopping while you were gone. It was a very weird experience, but I like the costume itself. It's a lot better than the sweatsuit I was wearing last summer." She laughed, but seemed to sober when Moira asked about the heroing. "I suppose something might crop up, it all depends on the night. I sometimes run into trouble when I'm just gardening." She didn't exactly sound eager for superheroics, even over the phone.

Late one evening at the end of March, after what had been an unusually nice day, Moira received a phone call at her house in the West End. It was Stesha. That was a little surprising, since the two women, despite patching up their differences, hadn't talked too much since the precipitous events surrounding Moira's return to the mortal world. Tonight Stesha sounded a little subdued, but friendly. "Hey Moira, I was thinking about going out tonight and getting started on my parks for the spring. I was wondering, would you come with me?"

The rough handling during the fight had not been kind to Stesha's body, which had been in bad shape to start with, and was now in a graceless and twisted heap off near the bookshelves. When Taylor and the others looked at it more closely, though, lines that had at first appeared to be trickles of dark blood turned out instead to be tiny roots, creeping out from under her torn clothing and matted hair, growing down to the floor and beginning to creep through the carpeting. They were growing quickly, visibly lengthening as they seemed to search for a place to take root.

"It helps, but I can do without it," Erin called back. She'd doubled over for a moment with the rib-cracking force of Gamma's blow, but straightened quickly and seemed unharmed by the time Trevor swung into the fight. "Try and get him away from the plane!" She crouched and leapt entirely over the radiation controller's head, bouncing lightly off the skin of the plane and coming at him from behind when he wasn't looking. The back of Gamma's neck was a perfect target for her bat as she delivered another vicious blow to the villain, sending him reeling.

Erin shakes the Bruised at the top of the round. She will use Fast Acrobatic Bluff against Gamma as her move action, with skill mastery the DC is 25. He can't hit that, so he is flat footed against her attack. Another full power attack. Finally got a half-decent roll, a 23. That's a DC 33 Toughness save.

Erin made a grab for Mark as well, but she wasn't nearly as fast as usual, and just missed him as he went head over heels. While Faith grabbed the first aid kit, she crouched down next to him and took his chin in her hand, turning his head from side to side to look into his eyes. "You're okay," she told him with great assurance. "Just make sure to watch where you're going." She stood up and stepped back as Faith rushed back with the bandaids and Neosporin, leaning against the railing to wait for them.

Ouch, spending another HP to not get knocked unconscious in the first round in front of the new guy. Result is 32. She is bruised.

"Stay behind me," Erin instructed tersely, "and don't touch him unless radiation doesn't hurt you. That green glowy stuff burns." She leapt forward, closing the distance between them and the downed plane with a single impressive bound. She wasn't even on the ground before she brought her bat to bear, swinging it at the villain's head as if she were going for a line drive. It connected with a solid thwack, the vibrations singing up her arms as the bat absorbed some of the lethal impact and spread it out.

Wander will do a full power attack with her bat. She spends a hero point to make up for a roll of a 2, and rolls a 1. Luckily, that hits, so it's a DC 33 toughness save.

Not a great roll, but Erin goes on 19

Stesha is using Disintegrate again. She's spending a second hero point because I cannot roll for beans, and the second roll comes out an 18. If that hits, it's a Fort Save at DC 20, then a Toughness Save at DC 25.

Stesha gulped. She didn't want to go into that greenhouse at all, not when every sense she had told her that something horrifyingly unnatural was going on in there. But plants were supposed to be her specialty, after all. Surely she could handle it... "You take the small ones," she shouted to the swordsman type who'd kicked in the door. "I'll go for the big one." No sooner had she said it than she was touching the wilted white flowers in her hair and teleporting into the the greenhouse of horrors. She came up in the back of the green plants, behind the big one, and concentrated all her attention on it. "Die," she muttered, pointing a finger at it to concentrate all her baleful intentions on the nasty overgrown thing.

Hey, could y'all do notice checks real quick, if you've looked over at Stesha's body lately? She's splorched in the middle of the floor after the gravity came back on, so she's not easy to miss. ;-)

"Nah, but it would be handy," she told him, taking a visual sweep of the alleyway in the moments before the simulation activated. "I can't fly, and I haven't got a gun or any real range of attack, so Archer gets a sadistic kick out of running me up against flying energy blasters. Try to keep to cover." She hefted her bat, body and face alert as she prepared for a fight. It looked like she'd had a lot of experience with this sort of thing. "You ready?"

"I can deadlift about ten tons when I put my back into it," she told him, without pride or modesty. "But that doesn't really come in handy that often in the field, at least not so far. When we do disaster simulations, it can be pretty important." Erin paused as the door slid open, drawing a small cylinder from a holster at her belt. She gave it a practiced spin, making it extend into a silver and black baton nearly five feet in length. Oddly enough, it seemed to be padded somehow, or at least had a soft look to it. "Do you fly?" she asked as they walked into the simulation. They were in a dirty and nondescript city alleyway, but the colors were dull, the lines a little softer than reality. The simulation had not started yet.

"Yeah," Erin said with a shrug, "there's plenty of training routines for people who are too strong or fast or whatever to use the gym equipment. I don't know what your powers are, if you need that sort of thing. People like Mike and me, we don't get much benefit from the weight machines people with normal strength work out on, but the computer can provide enough resistance. I don't know how, it just works. But if you like fighting better, we can do that." She scrolled through to a particular program. "Here's a supervillain battle, I've done it before solo and it was really tough. Two people should be about right. You in?"

Erin raised an eyebrow. "I hope you can see through all that," she said mildly, then headed for the door. It seemed like a heck of a bulky getup to try and fight in, but he'd at least managed to get into it pretty quickly. She led him down to the main floor, then across the darkened campus to the main building and a stainless steel elevator. She had to give the elevator her finger and retina prints before the doors would open, but soon enough they were on their way deep underground. The elevator opened onto a long narrow corridor, dim at night but for puddles of light spilling down from overhead fixtures every few yards. Their footsteps echoed as they walked down the white hallway, to a large gunmetal gray door set deep into one wall. "The locker rooms are down the hall," Erin told him as she scrolled through the programs on the computer screen set into the doorway. "You can keep an extra set of clothes down here if you like to work out between classes, and there's showers and a first aid kit and stuff. You want to fight, or just train?"

"You probably ought to, if you want to actually run a simulation. Nothing in there will kill you, but it can hurt you, and if you get your clothes ruined, they stay ruined." Erin tugged at her uniform sleeve as she rose from the couch. "This stuff is way more durable than civilian clothes, plus the school replaces it if you do manage to destroy it. Are you using a practice uniform, or do you have your own?"

So should I go, or are we still going to wait for Hellion?

Okay, people have been talking for ages about how long and awful the big questionnaire is, how it's lifted wholesale from D&D, how it repeats itself, etc. Here is my stab at improving it and fining it down a little. Make no mistake, it's still very long. But hopefully this version has slightly better flow, and not quite so many repetitive or non-applicable questions. Tell me what you think, or make additions and subtractions of your own. Introduction Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence. Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume? What is your full birth name? Where do you live? How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)? Physical Traits What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain. How would you describe your heritage? How tall are you? What is your body type? Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities? How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence? Describe your skin, eye, and hair color. How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair? Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others? Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks? Do you resemble anyone famous? Do you have a dominant hand? What kind of clothing do you wear? Do you wear makeup? What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way? Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people? History Where do you come from? Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown? Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country? How do you feel about the place you come from? Where is your home town? What was/is it like? Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you? Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life? Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life. What stupid things did you do when you were younger? Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it? Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not? When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision? Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why? Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you? Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets? Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? Family What are your biological parents' names? Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you. What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living? Where are your parents now? Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot? How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable). How do your parents view you now, or how would they? Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them. What was your birth order in the family? Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do? Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged? Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular? Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain. Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life. Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them. If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind? What type of person would be your ideal mate? Relationships Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them. Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend? If you were to go missing, who would worry about you? Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do? Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you. If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future? What is the worst thing someone has done to you? Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? Who or what do you trust the most? Why? Who or what do you despise? Why? What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess? What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities? Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why? Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower? Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them? Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that? Personality & Beliefs Who are your heroes? Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances? Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it? Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides? What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)? What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)? What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear? Is there anything you would give you life for? How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it mark of success, or a means to an end? How do you generally treat others? Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused? Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence? How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex? What are your most annoying habits? Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why? What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can? What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? What is your favorite treat (dessert)? Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat? What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike? What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate? If you have a favorite scent, what is it? Do you have a favorite animal? What is your most treasured possession? Why? Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts? Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do? Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life?How important is it to you? Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special? If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization? Could you kill? Have you killed? What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action? Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they? How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours? How would you react if something important was stolen from you? How would you react to public humiliation? How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you? What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why? If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours? Career & Training Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it? Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person? Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them? Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to? What is your preferred combat style? Have you ever received any awards or honours? What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could? How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn? Lifestyle & Hobbies What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine? Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up? What do you do for fun? Do you have a costume? What does it look like? How do you normally dress when not in costume? What do you wear to bed most nights? Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like? Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables? What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance? Miscellaneous Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make? If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body? What would you like to be remembered for after your death? Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not? What do you perceive as your greatest strength? What do you perceive as your greatest weakness? As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...

Erin became visibly uncomfortable about having the conversation shifted her way, but she just shrugged. "I'm mostly self-taught," she told him. "But I don't have a lot of weird magic-style powers, either. Just extra strength, speed, resilience, stuff like that. I missed a couple years of school, but I'm finally getting caught up with that, and with the power training. They work you hard here, till they decide you're ready to be out in public, at least." She turned off the video game and set aside the controller. "I could show you the Doom Room, if you want," she offered. "You can only access it if you're on a team, but you can come with me this time. It's kind of cool."

I think we talked in chat about having Wander join in on the invasion thread, but I forgot to put my name down in the thread. Sorry!

"He's sort of a fanboy," Erin agreed easily. "He really, really loves the heroism thing, not just helping people, but the costumes, the mythology, all that stuff. It's kind of annoying sometimes, but he's also really, really good to have on the team, so I guess that makes up for it. I don't know much of anything about the history of the League, except what we learn in class," she admitted easily. "Your grandpa was the first Midnight, then? Did he train you?"