Gizmo

"You mean you're a sup-erk!" The effervescent apparition hopped excitedly into the air, hanging there a split second longer than she really should have as she quickly slapped a hand over her own mouth before she could exclaim anything confidential. "Sorry, sorry!" she whispered quickly, looking sufficiently abashed. "It's still just exciting to keep meeting so many really cool people! I get all, 'Eeeee!' You know?" Kimber shook her fists back and forth, raised just over the height of her shoulders, miming barely contained enthusiasm. "Anyway, you should totally come teach a class or something! A lot of the other students think supernatural stuff is all whatever, and I'm like, 'hello, dead girl, right here,' but they're all, 'psh, drama queen,' which is so... pbbth." Making a loud raspberry sound, she lowered her hands to cross her arms over her chest. It likely didn't escape Eric that she was avoiding the question of recovering her living memories, but to be fair her vocalized train of thought was pretty hectic.

Pausing for a moment, one of Trevor's eyebrows raised a fraction of the distance it had fallen behind his sunglasses. "Misunderstand. Don't need my permission." He picked his cup up once again with one hand while gesturing in an airy fashion with the other. "Eve likes you. Her decision, not mine." Admittedly he could see how his visit might have come across otherwise, but there was little he could honestly do to change his gymnast friend's mind once she'd made it up, mental link withstanding. "But you need to know this is... a risk for her. Opening up this way is rare. Wanted to impress the gravity upon you."

Doktor Totenkopf'd 11/7/2011 Ghost Girl 12PP to spend, so lots of stuff. 2PP - +1 Attack 1PP - +1 Will Save 2PP - +8 Skill Ranks +4 Bluff +4 Diplomacy 2PP - +2 Feats Dodge Focus 5 Second Chance [Diplomacy] 4PP - Increase Ghost Array to 24PP, add 2 Alternate Powers: 1PP - +1 rank of Protection [b][u]Players Name[/u][/b]: Gizmo [b][u]Power Level[/u][/b]: 11 (162/162PP) [b][u]Trade-Offs[/u][/b]: None [b][u]Unspent PP[/u][/b]: 0 [b][u]Progress to Impervium Status[/u][/b]: 12/150 (Platinum status earned by [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2517]Jack of all Blades[/url]) [b][u]In Brief[/u][/b]: Teenage poltergeist with an upbeat personality and chilling powers. [floatr][img=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/f/fd/KimberHFHuman.png[/img][img]http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/c/cd/KimberHF.png[/img][img]http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/0/0a/KimberHFGhostGirl.png][/floatr][b][u]Characters Name[/u][/b]: Ghost Girl [b][u]Alternate Identities[/u][/b]: Kimber Storm [b][u]Identity[/u][/b]: Public [b][u]Birthplace[/u][/b]: Thunder Bay [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Student [b][u]Affiliations[/u][/b]: Claremont Academy [b][u]Family[/u][/b]: None [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 16 (DoB: August, 1979; DoD: January, 1996) [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Deceased-Canadian (Caucasian) [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 5’7†[b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: None [b][u]Eyes[/u][/b]: Ice-Blue (Sea Green) [b][u]Hair[/u][/b]: Ice-Blue (Chestnut Brown) [b][u]Description[/u]:[/b] In her natural state, Kimber appears as the image of teenage girl rendered in frosty, luminous blues, slightly translucent and floating a few feet off of the ground as though she were swimming through the air. Long hair drifts about her face, carried by an absent wind, while the faint chill of fresh snow surrounds her. The disturbing sight is considerably softened by her perpetually chipper expression and broad, friendly smile - even if she still had bones, none of them would be mean. Expressive and given to animated gestures, she tends to flit about a room, chattering excitedly. Her phantasmal abilities allow her to take on a more lifelike appearance, returning colour to her flesh and bright green eyes while dropping dark drown hair back to fall between her shoulder blades. Although she can appear as almost anyone she likes, direct sunlight reveals her true form, making it impossible for her to maintain the day-to-day illusion of a normal life. In her heroic identity as Ghost Girl, she shrouds herself in a long, tattered reaper's cloak of the same pale blue, its hood and a simple domino mask concealing her face. [b][u]Powers Description[/u]:[/b] Kimber's ghostly nature renders her both completely incorporeal and translucent to a degree. Keeping the aura of cold that perpetually surrounds her to a barely perceptible minimum takes considerable concentration on her part; if she is distracted the temperature about her rapidly drops to well below freezing. She is also able to render herself completely invisible, though telepaths may sense her as a mental echo and electronics equipment will hiss with static at her passing. Not being restrained by any actual physiology, Kimber has a considerable ability to alter her appearance, from her clothing and apparent age to disguising herself as other individuals. The most extreme application of this sees her taking on an aspect that combines heartbreaking beauty and the sheer, existential horror of piercing, for a moment, the veil between life and death. The more paranoid might wonder if this is, in fact, her [i]true[/i] nature revealing itself. [b][u]History[/u]:[/b] Kimber's life before her passing is largely a mystery. Her own memories are few and indistinct - she could tell you who the Prime Minister was when she was alive or what her favourite brand of cereal was, but she has little actual context for any of that information. Even after her death, she lost several years, punctuated by infrequent but steady reports of strange, terrifying activity surrounding a particular log cabin in the camping grounds near Thunder Bay. Trespassing teenagers related tales of horrible faces in windows, dishware smashing itself against the walls and an unearthly chill that defied campfires and generator-powered space heaters alike. Eventually the stories caught the attention of Daniel Storm, an outdoorsman with no small amount of experience with the sorts of supernatural hazards that become more frequent the further north and away from large settlements one travel. A terse, unsociable sort, Storm wasn't typically one to get involved, but for whatever reason, his interest was piqued. Despite the poltergeist's repeated attempts to drive him away, he eventually found the long dead remains of a young woman in the woods. What little cooperation the admittedly suspicious Storm was able to get from the local authorities pointed to the winter of 1996, one of the coldest on record, as the time of death. Taking it upon himself to give the Jane Doe a proper cremation should have put the ghostly apparition to rest. Instead, Storm found himself face to face with the floating but quite distinct image of an alarmed girl. Although understandably distressed as she came to understand her situation, the phantom adapted with surprising speed, taking the name Kimber because, "I just [i]feel[/i] like a 'Kimber', right?" Storm did his best to fill in as many blanks for her as he could over several weeks, and contacted various occult peers when it became clear that the situation fell well outside his personal experience, not just in terms of supernatural phenomena, but also dealing with a teenage girl! Eventually, through friends of friends, he was put in touch with Duncan Summers, a gentleman with no small expertise in helping teenagers of unusual natures. Nonchalantly suggesting that she might as well use his last name for the resulting paperwork, he sent the heroine-in-training out into the world for a second shot at life! [spoiler]In life, Kimber was Rebecca Stone, a Thunder Bay native born in 1979. Observant and astute, she was otherwise mainly notable for her energetic disposition, growing into a happy if largely unremarkable teen. Becca had little connection with superheroics; the Mulroney administration saw government funding of super teams heavily reduced then cut altogether, and North American opinion remained for the most part negative towards costume vigilantes until the Terminus Invasion in 1993. The newly elected Liberal government under Chrétien rode the rocketing popularity of superheroes that resulted, and the band posters in Becca's room were replaced with images of national heroes. In 1996, Becca and several friends went on a winter camping trip, despite the weather that was frigid even by Northern Ontario's standards. The group camped out in a log cabin, but while out hiking through the wooded trails, Becca became separated from the others and lost her way among the twisting paths. Heavy snow hampered any search efforts, eventually forcing the police to note her as missing and presumed dead. The details of her case were unfortunately among those lost in the move to a digital database.[/spoiler] [b][u]Personality & Motivation[/u]:[/b] Despite her regrettable situation, Kimber retains a surprisingly upbeat attitude. She tends to react to any new situation with curiosity and enthusiasm, asking lots of questions and rapidly jumping from thought to thought. Looking oddly doesn't seem to particularly bother her, but a surprising talent for reading people makes her acutely aware of how disturbing her undead nature can be for some. As a result, she may compensate with an even cheerier manner or make reassuring attempts at humour. Death has done nothing to dull Kimber's sense of empathy - if anything, it's given her a greater perspective on the preciousness of life. Despite her positive mindset, she considers herself to have very little to lose, or at least to be in very little danger of true harm, and so is quick to lend whatever aid she can. The adventure and romance of the superheroic lifestyle certainly appeals to her as well, though her notion of it is more than a little idealized. After all, people might be scared of a ghost, but who could be scared of the marvelous Ghost Girl! [b][u]Powers & Tactics[/u]:[/b] Kimber's main offensive ability is a bone-chilling ethereal touch that drains the strength from her target's limbs, eventually leaving them helpless and shivering. Although reluctant to engage in violence in the first place, particularly given how little threat convention weapons pose to her, when her teammates are put at risk she moves to disable their opponents as quickly as possible. She takes advantage of her unhindered mobility, but is [i]not[/i] entirely beyond being hurt, and her sense of invulnerability can get her into trouble. Her incorporeal nature, along with her powers of invisibility and disguise, make Kimber an ideal scout and infiltrator. A side-effect of her concealment scrambles radio signals in a small radius, a handy trick for disabling nearby communications even as it serves as an unfortunate tell for those who are familiar with spirits and their ways. Although she cannot truly touch physical objects, she is able to manipulate them with a minor amount of telekinesis. [b][u]Complications[/u]:[/b] [b]Amnesia:[/b] Kimber's memories before her untimely demise are foggy at best. [b]Naive:[/b] Kimber's a naturally trusting sort inclined to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. [b]Pyrophobia:[/b] Intense heat and fire are one of the few things that can actively harm Kimber, and she's understandably hesitant around either. [b]She's Dead, Jim:[/b] It's a living man's world, Kimber's just haunting in it. [b]Truly, Truly Outrageous:[/b] Kimber missed out on a lot of pop culture and world history after her death, though she's been quickly catching up. [b]Untouchable:[/b] Kimber has no physical form. [b]Young Freedom 2.0:[/b] Kimber's friends are pretty rad. [b][u]Abilities[/u]:[/b] -10 + 6 - 10 + 0 + 6 + 2 = -4PP STR: - (-) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: - (-) INT: 10 (+0) WIS: 16 (+3) CHA: 14 (+2) [b][u]Combat[/u]:[/b] 26PP Attack: +7 (+11 Ghost Array) Defense: +11 (+3 flat-footed) Grapple: +6 Init: +3 [b][u]Saves[/u]:[/b] 9PP Toughness: +11 (+11 Protection) Fortitude: - Reflex: +5 (+3 Ref, +2) Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7) [b][u]Skills[/u]:[/b] 14PP = 56R Bluff 4 (+6/+10 Attractive) Diplomacy 11 (+13/+17 Attractive) Intimidate 8 (+10) Languages 1 (French) (Base: English) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 12 (+15) Stealth 12 (+15) [b][u]Feats[/u]:[/b] 9PP Dodge Focus 5 Luck Power Attack Second Chance (Diplomacy) Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) [b][u]Powers[/u]:[/b] 28 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 30 + 21 + 11 +7 +2 +6 = 111PP [b]Ghost Array 4.8[/b] (24PP, [i]Power Feats:[/i] Alternate Power 4) [28PP] [array][b][u]Base[/u]: Concealment 8[/b] (all visual, auditory and olfactory, [i]Extra:[/i] Linked, [i]Power Feats:[/i] Close Range, Selective, [i]Drawback:[/i] Power Loss [Detect Ghosts/Undead, Necromantic Awareness]) [17PP] (invisibility) [device]+ [b]Concealment 2[/b] (all mental, [i]Extra:[/i] Linked, [i]Flaw:[/i] Displacement) [2PP] (mental echo) + [b]Obscure 4[/b] (radio, 50' radius, [i]Extras:[/i] Action [Free, +2], Linked, [i]Flaws:[/i] Partial, Range [Touch], [i]Power Feats:[/i] Reverse Progression 1 [Area, min 25']) [3PP] (radio static)[/device] [b][u]AP[/u]: Damage 11[/b] ([i]Extras:[/i] Affects Corporeal, Autofire, Linked [Drain], [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics], [i]Power Feats:[/i] Accurate 2) [13PP] (disrupt electronics) [device]+ [b]Drain Toughness 11[/b] ([i]Extras:[/i] Affects Corporeal, Affects Objects, Linked [Damage], [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [11PP][/device] [b][u]AP[/u]: Drain Strength 11[/b] ([i]Extra[/i]: Affects Corporeal, [i]Power Feats:[/i] Accurate 2) [24PP] (chill of the grave) [b][u]AP[/u]: Emotion Control 10[/b] ([i]Extras:[/i] Area [Perception], [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Fear], Range [Touch], Sense Dependent [Vision], [i]Power Feats:[/i] Startle, [i]Drawback:[/i] Power Loss [In Sunlight, -3]) [3PP] (beautiful terror) [equip][b]Morph 8[/b] (Any Humanoid, +40 Disguise, [i]Power Feats:[/i] Attractive, Fascinate [Diplomacy], [i]Drawback:[/i] Power Loss [In Sunlight, -3]) [15PP] (terrible beauty) [b]Super-Senses 5[/b] (Detect Fear [Mental, [i]Extras:[/i] Acute, Analytical, Radius, Tracking]) [6PP][/equip] [b][u]AP[/u]: Snare 11[/b] ([i]Extras:[/i] Affects Corporeal, Area [General, Cone], [i]Flaws:[/i] Action [Full Action]), Range [Touch], [i]Power Feats:[/i] Progression 1 [Area, max 275'], Reverse Progression 1 [Area, min 100']) [24PP] (ice breath)[/array] [b]Enhanced Feats 1[/b] (Quick Change) [1PP] [b]Environmental Control 3[/b] (Extreme Cold, 25' radius, [i]Extra:[/i] Duration [Special], [i]Flaw:[/i] Range [Touch]) [3PP] [i]This power is always active by default, but can be 'turned off' with a free action and a sustained duration. If Kimber is unable to take the free action required, it automatically reactivates.[/i] [b]Flight 1[/b] (10 MPH) [2PP] [b]Immunity 30[/b] (Fortitude effects) [30PP] [b]Insubstantial 4[/b] (Incorporeal, Affected by Fire/Heat, [i]Extra:[/i] Permanent, [i]Power Feat:[/i] Innate) [21PP] [b]Protection 11[/b] [11PP] [b]Regeneration 7[/b] (+0 recovery bonus, Resurrection 2/one day) [7PP] [b]Super-Senses 2[/b] (Darkvision) [2PP] [b]Telekinesis 1[/b] ([i]Extras[/i]: Affects Corporeal, Range [Perception]) (Heavy Load: 50 lbs) ([i]PFs[/i]: Precise, Subtle) [6PP] [b][u]Drawbacks[/u]:[/b] -3PP [b]Vulnerability ([/b]Fire/Heat, [i]Frequency:[/i] Common, [i]Intensity:[/i] Moderate [x1.5 DMG][b])[/b] [-3PP] [code]DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Disrupt Electronics Touch DC21 Fortitude Drained Toughness Touch DC26 Toughness [Autofire] Damage Drain Strength Touch DC21 Fortitude Drained Strength Emotion Control [Fear] Perception DC21 Will Shaken Snare 100' Cone DC21 Reflex Entangled Abilities (-4) + Combat (26) + Saving Throws (9) + Skills (14) + Feats (9) + Powers (111) - Drawbacks (-3) = 162/162PP Doktor Totenkopf'd 11/7/2011

Midnight II Free Action: Arrange Gadgets: EMP Device: Drain Toughness 15 (Extras: Affects Objects, Area [General, Burst, 50ft radius], Linked [Damage], Flaws: Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [15PP] Damage 10 (Extras: Area [General, Burst], Linked [Drain], Flaws: Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [5PP] Standard Action: Set off EMP. (DC 25 Drain Toughness and DC 25 Toughness Save) Move Action: Run to the trailer. Free Action: Arrange Gadgets: Teleportation Signal Hijack Super-Senses 1 (Trace Teleport) [1PP] Teleport 4 (Extras: Accurate, Affects Others, Power Feats: Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Cargo] 1 [200 lbs.]) [19PP] The idea here is to knock out any teleportation gear the 'Unifiers' might be carrying (along with the sound equipment and any camera phones in the audience), then get to the trailer and get ready to try to figure out where Aryan Angel got off to.

Hours after word had reached Sanctuary from Earth-Prime of the Gorgon's defeat and the ended threat, the relocation of the evacuated populace was in full swing. It would take days to return everyone to their homes, but thanks to significant foresight and high spirits stemming from relief, thing were going as smoothly as could be hoped. Overlooking the procession from hill nearby Stesha's cottage, Erik Espadas sat on the grass divested of his alter-ego's costume and generally trying to stay out of the way. While the world's greatest scientific minds and space-borne heroes had faced the planet-killer head on, the street level swordsman was forced to admit that the threat had been well out of his own weight class. Instead, he'd done what he could in keeping Willow away from the influence of her 'elder sister' after the controlled dryad's nearly disastrous rampage through the West End. Looking over to the slender, white haired woman, he was silent for a moment before beginning, "So. We should probably talk, huh?"

Mara's face only fell for a brief moment, but given their relative positions it would have been hard for Ellie to miss the expression. "Hey, stop that," she scolded without much heat, raising her free hand to deliver a light thwack to the blonde's hip. "You can't keep beating yourself up over that. Just, no. Vetoed!" Letting out a small breath that wasn't sure if it was a rueful chuckle or a resigned sigh, she sank a little bit deeper into the couch to make it easier to talk. "I think it's fair to save the giant space lasers for special occasions though, yeah. Speaking of which..." she continued, walking her fingers back up Mara's side, "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Yea-oh, wait. I don't think you're supposed to know about that..." Kimber realized mid-sentence, pulling a worried face and hoping she hadn't inadvertently blow the Academy's cover as an exclusive prep school. "Ah heh, er, anyway. Um, I don't think I've got anything like that!" she assured the necromancer with an emphatic shrug that lifter both sides of her jacket. "I guess I probably wouldn't really know; I can't remember much at all from when I was alive. You probably have to remember stuff for it to count as 'unfinished business', though, huh? Seems like that'd have to be a rule." The phantom stuck her hands back into her jacket pockets and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Dan did say I was sort of a freaky case. Sorry if I'm being confusing!"

The simple fact was that not many people could lead LaMarr anywhere without his express consent, and Cathy Desmaris did not number among them. "Ma'am, this is a family matter, I respect that," he rumbled, not moving an inch despite her polite attempts to guide him toward the door, "but I need you to understand something. What your son can do isn't messing around in metal shop. He has a gift." The emphasis on the final word made his meaning clear, something any parent in the metahuman-dense city would have understood. "That's something you're going to have to deal with. When you do, you'll have help." Nodding respectfully, he finally moved to the door and stepped outside.

"Poor attitude," Trevor stated flatly once the illusionist had finished her impromptu tirade. "Unintended consequences, factors outside control, accepted," he continued, humouring her initial premise with a steely tone that discouraged interjection. "Fatalistic resignation? Unacceptable." While he could understand Etain's reluctance to make a promise she wasn't sure she could uphold, the severe young man could not stomach the manner in which she was giving up before trying. "Mistakes? Make reparations. Uncontrolled variables? Find new variables. Anything else is excuses." As he folded his arms across his chest, his eyebrows lowered to the edge of his sunglasses. "Do not demand perfection; insist upon the attempt."

Softly sniffing involuntarily, the brunette shifted along with her girlfriend, moving the hand that wasn't pinned beneath Mara down to rest atop the shorter girl's hip. Managing a small smile, she admitted, "You would, too." Craning her neck, Ellie brushed her lips lightly across her partner's forehead before shifting to rest her own brow against it, meeting her gaze. "I know you feel bad about turning that satellite into a weapon, but it was probably the single sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me, so."

"It wasn't even for that long, though," Ellie rebutted, feeling a hot flush of shame touching her cheeks then attempting to bury it in Mara's blonde hair. Somewhat muffled, she continued, "Everything you went through..." One might have argued the technicalities of whether the superhumanly intelligent girl's years of abuse constituted 'mind control', but it was unarguably violation of the same sort, and, Ellie thought, on a scale magnitudes greater than her own trauma. "It's just... I didn't even fight it off, it was just... turned off. And I feel like it might come back any second."

The commiserating grunt Trevor made as he took another sip from his cup indicated that the relative discrepancy between the linear flow of time between parallel words was just another of a long list of complications he would have been just as happy to do without. He was about to expound - in his own, tight-lipped manner - on the subject when he realized that the mystery of Etain's peculiar circumstances had somewhat distracted him from the reason for his visit. Setting down his coffee, the young mechanic took a moment to refocus his thoughts before saying, "Will help resolve that, if requested. More immediately, did come here to discuss Eve."

Stifling a yawn as Mara's lacing fingers stilled her own, Ellie smirked slightly despite her melancholy. "So that mad, cariño, and don't you ever change," she teased, nuzzling her cheek into the top of the engineer's head affectionately. "I'd also say you're entitled to at least offer some strongly worded advice when I'm being, y'know, ulcer-inducing." As much as Mara maintained her own lack of expertise on any number of day-to-day subjects, there were ultimately few opinions that meant as much to the pre-med student. "I still feel like this shouldn't be bothering me as much as it is. I mean, ridiculous as it is, mind control happens in our line of work. Other heroes just shake it off."

The breath Ellie took as she prepared to respond pressed against Mara's back only to be released in a stifled snort as the inventor finished her offer of support. "Snerk. You're such a mad scientist when you're feeling protective," she noted with amusement, a considerable amount of tension draining from her shoulders as she drummed her fingers up and down her girlfriend's stomach. "I... I probably should talk about it, I just..." Sighing, the medic grimaced slightly. "Bottling everything up is sort of my default tactic. Turning it all inward. I feel pretty weird about dumping any of it on you."

:approved:

Maneuvering her arms around Mara's waist and resting her cheek atop the blonde's head, Ellie gave her a girlfriend a squeeze at the mention of the summer's trials. The taller girl had been reluctant to discuss either Archeville's betrayal or the Gorgon taking control of Willow, though it was certainly the former that had hit her harder; if anything, the planet killer's mind control had been distressing specifically because it had reminded her of her own loss of control. There were several beats of silence where it seemed as though she was about to say something, but ultimately she settled for hugging her girlfriend more closely and closing her eyes tightly.

Ferros, Ghost Girl, Papercut, Revenant, Willow WIP

Making a sound between a snort and a stifled laugh, Kimber shook her head. "Hah, well, that's really nice of you to say, but I spent a decade and a half scaring random teenager away from a log cabin in the woods by smashing dishware and moaning on and on about being 'so, so cold'," she explained with a vaguely embarrassed shrug. The phantom got the feeling that such poltergeist antics were a little on the passe side. Abruptly realizing that she'd failed to provide the proper context, she straightened, exclaiming, "Oh! I froze to death, in the woods. So you can see how that sorta makes sense, anyway." Floating off of the newspaper dispenser and looking around quickly to make sure nobody was glancing their way, the undead girl concentrated for a moment before quickly taking on a solid, living appearance once again. "Speaking of crazy, at least nobody'll think you're talking to yourself!" Tugging briefly on her jacket, she did a quick inventory to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, then gave Eric a quizzical look. "Unfinished business? I've got a paper due in class next week that I should really be working on instead of going out, but that's not really what you mean, eh?"

"Well, obviously," Ellie sniffed haughtily even as she shifted her posture to best accommodate Mara's smaller frame next to her own. Getting properly comfortable, the young woman closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled softly, running a considerable risk of falling asleep right where she was. Instead, she reopened her eyes and tilted her chin to observe the view out the window over the top of her partner's head. "This is really nice. Not running around or fighting anything or..." Her voice caught in her throat briefly before she reiterated, "This is really nice."

"Why would anyone want to teach kids to be villains?" Ghost Girl asked concernedly, looking rather aghast at both the idea and how unruffled everyone else seemed to be with the possibility. The idea of teachers actively attempting to corrupt their students was more that a little unsettling. "And if they're Unspeakable how come we can talk about them so much? Or is it one of those ironic names?" The whole thing was really awfully confusing, but the phantasm didn't hesitate when her friends agreed to see the strange case through. "If everyone else is going, so am I! You might need me if Dunwich turns out to be haunted or something!"

Trevor's lips set in thin line at that, brow furrowing slightly in the shadow of his fedora's brim. "Suspicious," he noted aloud as he considered the emerging details of Etain's case. "Party who dictated terms of trip also dictated point of arrival? Unlikely to be an accident." It sounded very much like whichever force or being was behind these inane rules was not playing fair whatsoever and that as much as anything else about the petite illusionist's story got Trevor's hackles up - though naturally he showed little outward sign of it.

Reaching up to take the key in both hands, Ellie felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest. It wasn't as if she hadn't expected to be welcome in the new apartment, nor was this any great change from their standing arrangement at the warehouse, but something about having a physical representation to squeeze her fingers around sent an electric thrill down her spine. "Thank you, Marbar," she said simply, the last vestiges of irony slipping from her broad grin as she bent herself upright just enough to slip the key into the pocket of her jeans. Reclining once again, she resumed her smirk. "Now stop being obtuse, muñequita. When your girlfriend starts talking about how comfortable the easily shared couch you're leaning against is, it would be fair to interpret it as an invitation."

Kimber did a poor job of stifling a light laugh at that, though it probably would have been easier if her throat and tearducts had been real and not just reflexive affectations. "Hee, you can just say 'dead', really! It's nice that you're trying to be all polite, but it's okay," she assured him, wiping the back of her sleeve across her eyes and making a visible effort to cheer up. "Oh, and, um, nice to meet you, Eric! Well, it was nice, then it was all 'ahh spilling coffee everywhere' but now it's back to being nice, so." The ghost waved her hands back and forth, miming her own panic. "Near as anybody's been able to figure, I died about fifteen years ago, but I spent most of the time since being sorta, y'know, crazy. I'm loads better these days!"

Jack of all Blades (5) [Gorgon] The Queen of Heaven (5) Midnight II (28) Good Stock (9) Nanofibers (7) The Iron Tongue of Midnight (11) Hotsy-Totsy Nazi (1) Wail (3) Science Shenanigans (3) Ghost Girl (36) The Strange Case of Room 404 (26) Change is Necessary for Growth (7) Fine Spirits (3) NPC/GM (3/2 = 1) Jill O'Cure [Gorgon] The Queen of Heaven (2) Room With A View (1) The rollover from Jack and the NPC posts isn't enough to make a difference anywhere, but Ghost Girl can get my Ref Point.

"I feel like I should probably be trying to convince you to socialize more, but mostly I'm glad you're actually remembering to think about food," Ellie noted with a sardonic smile up at Mara as the blonde inventor leaned slightly over her reclined position. Even looking about as weary as the pre-med student felt, the sight of sunlight streaming through the window and across the engineer's face turned the smile several shades more guilelessly genuine than she'd originally intended. The new apartment was considerably cozier than the repurposed warehouse, and conveniently situated roughly equal distance from the university and the Espadas household, both of which were reasons for hearty approval. Getting the Greenbank before or after classes had been arduous at best and with the Interceptors temporarily setting up shop in her family's home, privacy there had been limited. "On an unrelated note, this couch is fantastic," she continued innocuously, lifting and then lowering one foot from the knee.