Gizmo

Jack was up and on his feet almost as quickly as Talya, eyes flicking back and forth to take in their new surroundings before the whole of his attention was pulled to the blonde's misery. Approaching with careful steps so as not to startle her the swordsman used one hand to slowly rub her back in a circle while the other took her shoulder to help steady her. "That's probably fine," he agreed accommodatingly, gently placing a few strands of hair behind Talya's ear and out of her way. "Not like he wouldn't get over it." Glancing behind him he asked Frost, "Can you make some water? Does your ice thing work like that?" Sparing some consideration for the locals walking by he offered a smile full of perfect teeth. "Hey, how's it going? Nice place, very green."

"Frost, don't take this the wrong way, but me shirtless and you shirtless? There'd be nothing even about that." Jack of all Blades returned to the room having changed into his work clothes with practiced efficiency. Taking his cue from the others he crouched down, royal blue greatcoat spreading out in a semicircle behind him. "Just so long as we're not doing a medieval, knights and dragons thing. That never goes well for me, like the time with the book and the eyepatch or the time when Bill didn't have any pants." He glanced between the Dimitri and Talya. "What, we only get to reference old adventures if they happened before Kennedy was president?"

Kimber put most of her arm through the castle wall as she turned around to look at Eira, caught off-guard by the abrupt change in conversation. "Um. W-well, I suppose you're getting to be a young woman now, it's natural for you to start thinking about that sort of thing," she reasoned aloud, steepling her fingers awkwardly and looking about in vain for a distraction. It was the sort of topic she would have liked to have a little preparation time before handling but she also didn't want the girl feeling embarrassed for bringing it up. "I guess first off, you can say 'ghost'. Even if you want to think 'free roaming psionic echo' or whatever Sharl rambles about, 'ghost' is just a lot easier, I think." She folded her legs up underneath herself and floated downward until she was at eye level with Eira, hands in her laps so that she didn't fidget. "But no, usually someone only leaves a ghost when there's a strong emotion involved; fear or anger. 'Unfinished business' is sort of the classic but it can be more complicated than that. Like, I'm a poltergeist specifically but I'm also much, much stronger than most ghosts, more coherent. After Jotunheim..." One hand went to the pendant hanging from around her neck. "I'm something different again. Everybody's changing all the time, sometimes the changes are just a little more dramatic."

Love in the Dark Kimber Storm and Tarva the Black - February 2016 It had been one of those evenings where Tarva had work to do - which meant bending over with her black ink pens and notebooks, the scratching of her writing the only sound in the quiet of the common room. Late one night, when they were alone for a little while, Tarva looked up from her notebook over at Kimber, the yellow legal pad covered as usual with her narrow, tightly wrapped scrawl - the black letters so small that she could fit two whole lines of text in between the rules. “Darling, do you think a full dimensional disruption would destroy-” She hesitated a moment, looking down at her notes, then said, “Feh, what have I been thinking! I should have been talking with you about this from the beginning. I’ve been a fool. Do you have a moment?” The soft clacking of knitting needles stopped as soon as Tarva spoke up, the implements hanging still in the air several feet above the shadow witch’s head along with a partially finished project and book of patterns. Floating nearby with her toes pointing toward the arching skylight and her fingers intertwined behind her head, Kimber beamed downward. “For you? I might even have two.” She was grateful for the excuse to take a break; the runes she was trying to incorporate into the midnight blue shawl weren’t quite coming out the way she wanted and a dropped stitch in the wrong place would render the whole of the spellwork useless. Dropping down to Tarva’s recliner she flew in a tight circle around her partner before settling down on the armrest with one leg crossed over the other and her shoulder rubbing companionably up against the other woman. “So, what are you destroying tonight?” Her grin wrinkled the dusting of beryl freckles across her nose that were only clearly visible up close and she craned her neck to look curiously down at the notebook. “Well, hopefully nothing,” said Tarva, her pale cheeks blushing obsidian for a moment. Bashfully, she showed Kimber her work, leaning against her with comfortable ease. “I’ve been making contingency plans for what we should do if the castle is conquered by...you know. Them.” She hesitated just a moment, looking down at her work, then back at Kimber, then spoke with the sort of assured authority that meant she’d been planning something out in great detail. “I was planning on a deadhand spell, the sort that would go off even if I was already gone. That’s simple enough - but the execution is difficult.” She smiled for a moment at the private joke. “I’d thought about something specific for each of us, but maybe a full dimensional disruption, really shattering the local fabric of reality, would be the most effective in getting the job done cleanly. I just worry it would be too easy for Them to detect and deactivate.” “You take gallows humour so literally, licorice whip,” the poltergeist sighed without entirely managing to hide a small smirk of her own. Shifting her posture she draped an arm over Tarva’s shoulders. “You know how I feel about worst-case planning. It is not happening like that. If those-- mmh.” Kimber bit her tongue rather than indulge in some uncharacteristic profanity. “If They come looking for trouble, I’m not letting them lay a slimy finger on you.” She studied Tarva’s face for only a moment, however, before relenting, the levitating knitting supplies neatly stacking themselves in a tidy pile on the nearby table. “If it makes you feel better, love. How local are we talking? There are innocent people living right below us, remember.” “I remember,” agreed Tarva, “which is another reason I think the disruption is the way to go. The end of reality is no time to be selfish.” She tapped her pen against the paper and went on. “I could collapse the dimensions of the whole building if I place the ritual seals in the right places. No one would have to feel a thing.” She looked at Kimber, catching a reaction on her face, and pain flashed in those dark eyes, pain that burned with the inner fires that she sometimes let Kimber see. “And I know how that sounds to someone from Prime.” She folded her arms around herself, her height making it difficult for her to draw up into the ball she obviously wanted to be in. “But there are things that this place is not prepared for, things that I... I want to keep from you, darling.” She pulled a hand free and reached out for Kimber’s cheek. “I want to keep them from everyone.” “I knew how you meant it,” the smaller woman promised, taking Tarva’s hand in her own and kissing the tips of her fingers. Kimber had seen enough to know that saying that being conquered by the Annihilists was a fate worse than death was no hyperbole and as much as it hurt her she did understand that her lover would rather die than return to that horror. Just as Tarva understood, she suspected, that she was fundamentally incapable of accepting the sort of no-win scenario the sorceress took as simple fact. It wasn’t an argument that had ever gotten them anywhere so she took a different direction. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea here, in Freedom,” she began, keeping her tone light and academic even as she held Tarva a little more tightly. “When I was working on the Jotunheim portal it turned out opening it was a lot easier than it should have been. There’s so much dimensional travel here it’s all swiss cheese. If somebody intersected your seals…” She puffed out her cheeks then with a touch of dry comedy mimed letting out the breath she couldn’t actually take. “I wouldn’t mind so much going out in a blaze of glory with you but I’d rather not be half of an interdimensional t-bone accident.” Tarva seemed to relax when Kimber didn’t begrudge her feelings about the Terminus - or the mercy they would give people by letting them not experience it. “You’re right. There’s too much risk - I’ll have to go back to the drawing board.” She wrapped her arms around Kimber, pulling the smaller woman up into her lap as if she didn’t weigh anything. “Really, with the defenses we have here, that’s the only crisis I’m worried about. Your local terrorists and malcontents are no real threat. Though there is the question of those dreadful shapeshifters.” She smiled at Kimber, lightly patting her cheek. “Luckily, I have a very detailed knowledge of your body. And if need be, we can spend all our time afterwards performing a very intimate examination to make sure everything is as it should be.” Kimber made a show of rolling her eyes at the unsubtle flirtation but that didn’t stop her from draping herself more comfortably against the shadow witch. “Well there you go,” she hummed, lightly tracing the neckline of Tarva’s dress with one index finger while her cheeks flushed a deeper azure. “Suddenly I’m much more interested in discussing contingency plans. Should we run a few drills? It’s so important to be properly prepared.”

Walk Through My Garden Forever Bombshell, Jack of all Blades and Willow - February 2016 “I caught a nap, you needn’t fret,” Talya laughed as she went to shoo her partners out of the house and onto their planned escape. “It’s hardly the first time that I’ve watched these two, after all. Go. Have fun. Don’t come back for a few hours as we have a fully planned tea-party to attend to.” “Tea party!” Eden agreed with enthusiasm that had far more to do with the promise of sweets and a parent’s undivided attention than grasping the indoctrination into appreciation for proper tea time. “Fretting? Who’s fretting?” Erik balked even as he strained his neck to survey the kitchen and visibly ran down a mental checklist again. “Neither of us is halfway British enough to ‘fret’. I’ll admit to brooding on occasion, once I even experimented with fussing but fretting? Never!” His rambling didn’t fool either of the women in the apartment, of course; where Min and Talya were more able to let things flow naturally Erik hadn’t quite gotten past worrying over the logistics of balancing their three person relationship. Even if they’d all agreed that the current arrangement was a lot more practical than always trying to hire a sitter that didn’t stop him from looking a bit like a confused puppy when leaving either of them at home with the girls. With a laugh Min grabbed Erik's arm and gently - the dryad was all too aware of her strength - tugged him toward the door. "You're rambling, love," she said, flashing Talya a conspiratorial look. "And it sounds an awful lot like fretting." Min's tone of voice was considerably gentler than her winter aspect would typically allow but that wasn't surprising; Erik and Talya were equally aware that their presence smoothed out the ancient guardians personality to something a little closer to human. "Come," she said, "before we decide to stay in tonight." * * * * * Crisp fallen leaves crunched under Erik’s boots as he shifted the basket under his arm so that he could pull his scarf up toward his chin with his free hand. There wasn’t quite frost on the ground but the weather had been hovering around the right conditions for it. Fortunately for him the trees in the denser part of Wharton State Forest took most of the bite out of the wind, reducing it to a sort of low sigh that rose and fell as they hiked. He actually found the brisk air invigorating in a way, which he suspected was Min rubbing off on him. It hadn’t been that long ago he’d have balked at the thought of spending any length of time outdoors in late winter. The dryad, of course, had no such issues with the season, walking beside him as comfortably as though it had been summer. “Lemme know when you see a good spot, florecita.” Min gave her husband a thoughtful look then nodded, the ghost of a smile on her lips since they both knew she could make a good spot but she appreciated the gesture. She heard the spot before she saw it, the faint sound of water stubbornly flowing when by all rights it should start to freeze, and a few minutes later Erik and Min were by the edge of a small brook flanked by conifers. It was a cute little spot, one that obviously hadn't seen much in the way of human activity despite the proximity to a major city, and the trees were such a good windbreak that it was practically cozy. "Perfect," Min said taking the basket from Erik, giving him a small peck on the lips before turning to set up. While the dryad unfurled the blanket with characteristic grace her husband unpacked two thermoses of soup along with all of the sealed containers he’d spent the early afternoon in the kitchen preparing. Little puffs of steam rose up in the chilly air as he lifted one lid to reveal wedges of quesadilla neatly packed into a row with seasoned potato wedges stuffed more haphazardly into every available gap after he’d realized he’d made more food than would easily fit into the basket. Sprawling out once the blanket was laid down Erik unzipped his jacket and propped his head up on one elbow, giving Min a lopsided grin as he gestured to the spread of food with a theatrical wave of his free hand. “Your banquet,” he drawled, waggling his eyebrows. “I just hope now that you’ve lured me out into your cold, dark woods you had a plan for keeping a poor human cook warm.” An impish grin crossed Min's face and she laughed, pushing Erik over onto his back and straddling his waist. "I have some ideas," she said as she leaned across him, her breath warm against his skin. The food, as lovingly prepared as it was, was soon forgot. * * * * * Talya came up from the crystal clear water of the Danger pool with a sudden sharp gasp for air. While she’d certainly come to admire all the many ways that Min’s utter lack of a need for oxygen was useful in enjoying an unguarded pool, Talya still needed to breathe. Her voice husky with lingering pleasure, she reached out gentle hands to pull up the dryad to join her on the surface. “Did I not tell you the Danger gardens were a sight to behold?” Talya murmured as she draped arms around her lover’s shoulders. Min's copper-hued cheeks were flushed a dark bronze as she leaned into Talya, the warmth of the Englishwoman's skin against her own providing delightful contrast to the water. "They are fascinating," Min whispered into Talya's ear while her hands remained below the water's surface. She spun the other woman around, leaning her up against the edge of the pool while her curtain of white hair flowed behind her. "But," the dryad purred into her lover's ear, "you are by far the prettiest flower in the garden." “Flattery… the second best way to my heart,” Talya all but purred as she twisted in the water to twine her arms around the dryad’s neck and leaned forward to nibble her own path from one elegantly curved ear towards the water line. A gasp interrupted Talya’s plans for a second round of antics in the pool as one very startled groundskeeper rounded the corner. It took a lot to make one of the employees at Danger Manor blush but blush he certainly did as the spy laughingly pulled her lover from the water to escape deeper into the gardens. Getting caught, after all, was at least in some amount, part of the fun. * * * * * Although Talya’s expression remained somewhere in the realm of pleased, Erik knew her well enough to recognize the thread of excitement below the surface that he generally associated with costumed activities and capers. Apparently when she’d mentioned a desire to go dancing, it had meant more than she’d actually expressed. Of course with the blonde British woman, that was hardly a surprise. Talya was all legs and heels, the short black dress loose enough to both dance in, and still fit in a way that she deemed flattering. With a wave of her fingertips, she pulled Erik past the line at the door, and the bouncer, and into the club itself with a certain degree of familiarity. The floor was already thick with couples enjoying the live band. Rather than drag him to something akin to a hip-hop club, Talya had instead chosen a venue more like what she’d grown up with - even if now it was predominantly hipsters dancing lindy-hop. Her fingers laced in Erik’s, she didn’t pause for a table as she headed for the floor with an assurance of, “It’s easy. With all the acrobatics you do, it’s just like falling off a bike.” That was almost certainly not the proper idiom. Erik straightened his chocolate brown dress shirt with a tug of his free hand and took in the bustling club with a glance. “I’m sure I’ll pick it up in no time,” he agreed with a confident grin, allowing himself to be pulled past the tables toward the dancefloor. Inwardly he was a little less sure but this was just about the most charged he’d ever seen Talya without a mask on. If keeping that smile on her face meant a little faking it until he got the hang of things, that he could do. Perhaps surprisingly, Talya drug him to the side of the dance floor rather than into the throng. Once she’d cleared out a small swath of space, she pivoted neatly into Erik’s arms, one hand lightly resting on his shoulder and the other tucked into his hand. “If you can manage fencing footwork - which clearly poses no trouble for you - this is really not all that different,” was her laughing response. “Just watch my feet.” “Just watch you, huh?” Sliding in close enough against Talya that he was more feeling for her movements than seeing them he matched her footwork, gradually getting a better feel for the music. Hand on her hip, they might as well have been alone in an empty room for all the attention he gave anything but her. “I think I can manage that.” * * * * * Talya’s laughter was soft, well aware that at this hour both the children would likely be asleep, and the last thing she wanted to do was rouse them. She, after all, had plans yet for the evening; plans that depended on all three adults having no other demands on their time for the immediate future. With her high heels dangling half-forgotten from one slender hand, her other ghosted along the small of Erik’s back as he dealt with the door. Her voice was low, husky, and laughter lingered in her tone as she asked, “Min still up? If not, I have a few ideas on how to rouse her…” A quiet home greeted Talya and Erik as they entered the apartment, though a light was on in the living room and their ancient lover was curled up on the couch sound asleep. She held a book open in her lap - one of Talya's more racy romance novels - and a blanket around her feet. It was obvious that she fallen asleep waiting for them to return home. The scene turned Erik’s grin into a low laugh to match the blonde’s as he set the keys down quietly on the coffee table and leaned into Talya’s side. “Well, let’s see if great minds think alike, then, ha.” Slipping out of the half embrace he slid silently onto the couch next to the dozing dryad and ghosted a kiss onto the tip of one pointed ear. “The bed is more comfortable,” Talya suggested none too subtly as she discarded her shoes by the door and crossed the room on silent feet. As Erik nuzzled Min awake, gentle hands folded up the blanket and put the books aside. With a little nudge to Erik’s shoulder and a kiss to his cheek, she added her voice low, “Put those muscles to use, hmm?” As Erik lifted his wife up into his arms, Min’s amber eyes fluttered open and she gave Erik and Talya a sleepy smile. “Mm, welcome home,” she murmured.

Let's All Go To The Lobby Set and Ouroboros - February 2016 The gangly usher ducked awkwardly out of the way as Set stormed out of the theatre, nearly bowling over a couple who’d made a side trip to the concessions stand rather than sit through the trailers before the show. Barely keeping her oversized popcorn bag upright the blonde began to snap something at the passing godling but with brief crackles of electricity sparking angrily in Set’s bright red dreadlocks decided it was better to just head into the movie. In the lobby Set covered his face with both hands, only becoming more frustrated as he felt the heat from his cheeks on his palms. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that this would be a nice, normal date, tying back his hair and adopting a pair of tortoiseshell glasses along with a more modern outfit than he usually bothered with. He’d convinced Sekhmet to take some time to herself and even - miracle of miracles - turned off his phone even before they’d reached the theatre. But then they had to go and play that trailer before the movie. “Augh! The… the nerve! The utter lack of respect!” “Hollywood.” Huang agreed as he approached the tetchy godling with a fond hint of a smile. He had worried for a moment his date’s sudden departure had been something of his doing before he had fully realized what had been playing on the screen and hurried after Set as he fled in outrage. Keeping a safe step back from any risk of errant lightning he gave the god a moment to collect himself. “Soooo,” he finally inquired, “You still need a moment?” Huang was not unaccustomed to such reactions to the film industry’s creative license when it came to that which it termed ‘mythic’ of course. His father's feelings on the entire lineup of classic movie monsters was the stuff of legends. “You should trash it on Twitter,” he suggested with a grin. “Take them to school on Egyptology.” “Don’t imagine I haven’t already!” Set promised, turning about and throwing his hands into the air in a way that made his suitably ironic cardigan flare out dramatically for a moment. “They announced the casting ages ago, you know. One might suppose that were they to cast a Scot they might at least find one with red hair!” At the stares of patrons waiting in line for another screening the Heliopolian got his electric display of displeasure under control but Huang still noticed a little more of his accent slipping into his words. “Apologies, sweet,” he sighed in a lowered voice, pushing the glasses up slightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Should have been no great surprise, I’ve been fielding questions online more and more since the posters started going up. Seeing that travesty larger than life--” He paused and looked up at his date with a sour expression. “Ra’s buttocks, I believe I’m actually being triggered. Tis a wholly perverse sensation.” If anything Huang seemed charmed by the outburst and dramatic displays of pique. The rather delightfully hipster chic costume the god had chosen was an attractive look on the Heliopolian - that certainly helped - but Huang was nothing if not a product of his upbringing and passions and outrage were traits of desire in the Faretti household after all. He stepped in as the lightning dampened and brushed a stray dreadlock back over Set’s ear. “Hey, you have nothing to apologize for,” he said firmly and ran his arms around the godling’s waist into a light hug. “It’s a crappy thing to be erased from your own history, being pissed is the only reasonable reaction.” A hint of a fanged smile tinted his lips as the dhampir leaned in. “Besides you’re cute when you're full of righteous fury.” “I’m always cute,” Set corrected mulishly, letting his head fall to rest on Huang’s shoulder. As always he ran a few degrees hotter than a mortal human would have, not feverishly so but as though he’d been sunning himself under a desert sun for hours rather than trudging through the New Jersey winter. Pressing against his date seemed to quiet the last of the brewing storm, leaving only a melancholy sigh. After a few moments of stillness, the godling muttered, “They cast me as the villain.” He pulled back enough so that he could look Huang in the eyes, expression glum. “And I was. He was. My elder self. Yet even so…” He signed and turned his head to look away. “I suppose I have little room to complain on that front.” “Well then I stand corrected,” Huang replied with a dimpled smile as he wrapped his arms around the shorter boys shoulders. “It happens,” the dhampir lamented. His father's side of the family rarely made for heroic leads in film themselves, and when they did it was usually best forgotten. “The real you is complex and varied and, well, real,” the tall teen pointed out resting a cheek on the crown of Sets head. “That never plays on film, dark is bad, light is good, straightforward narratives so no one gets lost, entertainment by lowest common denominator.” Huang used one knuckle to lift Sets chin and smiled a dimpled smile with just a hint of fang down at his boyfriend. “Besides who wants to be good all the time,” he suggested with a wink and leaned in to plant a firm kiss on the godlings lips drawing more than a few looks and, as people realized who was in the theatre, grainy cell phone pictures to later disappoint and confuse the internets when the famed teen god appeared to be receiving a thorough kiss from the air. As the kiss broke Huang shrugged. “Let's get out of here,” he suggested cavalierly, “I know my mom is all up on this normal dating thing but the fact is we’re not normal and that's what makes this...” He pointed between himself and the well dressed godling. “...work so well.” He turned the arm over Set’s shoulder to lead him out. “Let’s go see something real,” he mused. “I could portal us to Egypt, you could tell me about the glory days?” he suggested with a grin. “Or we could go haunting Romanian ruins and spook some superstitious locals!” “Remain good, sweet,” the Heliopolian chided with a pleased smirk, slipping an arm around Huang’s waist and allowing himself to be led out of the theatre. “Events have take a truly troubling turn when I must serve as the positive influence.” Mood improved by the dhampir’s words and in no small part the public display of affection he paused for a moment before adding, “Though I do dearly love a good ruin…”

"No! Really?!" Becky gasped with a delighted laugh, stooping just enough to wrap her other arm around Eve's thighs before lifting her girlfriend off of the ground and spinning about. Still supporting the shorter woman's weight she brushed light kisses up her jawline toward her ear. "That's amazing! I thought I was only going to have enough time to give you a tour of the least dingy broom closets on base! You're amazing." She wasn't sure what kind of strings needed to be pulled to get two national governments to sign off on something like that but she'd eventually gotten to a point where she'd just had to accept that Eve was capable of working some pretty spectacular magic when motivated. "Good luck getting me to let you leave after two whole weeks waking up next to you, though, foxy," she chuckled in a throatier register, nuzzling the spot she'd just kissed. "Happy Valentines Day."

"Agreed," Jack replied distractedly, his attention turning back to the watercolour and its additions. When martial philosophies started talking about immortality it tended to be a bit of a red flag in his experience but there was something else nagging at him, prompting him to step closer. "Do you hear that? Like plucked strings in steel grey-- oh, there we go." Reaching out, he rubbed the newer ink with a gloved thumb and forefinger and bizarrely it began to peel away, leaving the painting underneath untouched. After a moment's work he held the result in his hand, reshaped into something resembling a business card with the now familiar symbol on one side and a phone number on the other. "Magic," he explained without getting into the specifics of how he'd noticed the lingering spellwork. "Kind of a showy way to leave your contact info, huh? Think we can guarantee this is masks and tights business at this point."

"Saw that line coming," Erik insisted, the tension of a held breath released in a short, deep laugh. He leaned over to kiss the same spot on Talya's forehead before extricating himself from the tangle of limbs to walkover to the coffee table next to the couch. "Let's not pretend I didn't have any help, though, c'mon. Let's see..." Rummaging around he retrieved the stub of a pencil and a stack of sticky notes with half of the Nicholson School's logo still visible printed on one side. Tongue between his teeth he sketched out a few lines on the top piece. "Renovations I can do. We were already talking about knocking down that wall, yeah? We're just using the rooms across the hall for storage right now anyway." He was getting a little ahead of himself but it was nice to have something constructive he could do in response.

Erik might not have flinched at Dimitri's handgun but when Dent-Danger explained the reason her grandfather had stopped receiving his life-prolonging treatments the swordsman looked as though he'd been punched in the stomach. He schooled his features back into something more neutral as quickly as he could but not soon enough to fool anyone; the idea of leaving longer lived partners behind obviously hit a little too close to home. "Palm fronds, right. Let's call that Plan B." Retrieving a short black duffel from where he'd dropped it when they'd been led into the room, he hefted it over one shoulder. "Give me a minute to change and I'll be good to go."

"Easy for you to say," Erik drawled, apparently the only one in the room who wasn't fluent in French - something he should have seen coming, in retrospect. "I was a bit of a hard sell after... well, you know I don't like asking for help," he told Talya when she remarked on the complicated nature of the school's financials, side-stepping the more sensitive conversation. "We do okay here anyway but the extra money is why we can do those free youth nights or afford equipment for Vince." Eve's question caught him off-guard and he blinked for a moment as he processed the change in topic. "The Council? I dunno, getting the zoning worked out for this place was a pain in the ass but I think they're mostly alright? Not running the place into the ground like some cities, anyway. Why?"

Wildcard Toughness Save vs DC 27: 1d20+4 9 Unconscious! Wildcard is down and we are out of combat!

TRANSMUT'D BY HGM Reagent / Alkahest Fixing some formatting and adjusting some fluff as well as spending 31PP: 2PP - +2 Intelligence 2PP - +1 Base Attack 4PP - +2 Base Defence 3PP - +3 Will Save 1PP - +1 Craft (Chemical), +2 Disable Device, +1 Knowledge (History) 4PP - +1 Device rank 15PP - +3 Alkahest Form ranks The bandolier becomes: Device 3 (Bandolier of Alchemical Flasks; 15PP Container; Flaws: Hard-to-Lose) [12PP] Base: Confuse 8 (Hallucinogenic Fumes; Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude, +0], Area [General, Burst], Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses], Feats: Alternate Power 3, Progression 4 [Decrease Area; 20' - 40' radius]) [15DP] (chemical, inhalant) AP: Damage 8 (Byzantine Fire; Extras: Area [General, Burst], Ranged, Secondary Effect 4 [DC 19], Flaws: Action [Full Round], Unreliable [5 Uses]) {12/12} (chemical, fire) AP: Healing 8 (Lesser Elixir; Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses], Feats: Stabilize, Persistent, Regrowth) {11/12} (chemical, qi) AP: Obscure 3 (Magnetic Dust Cloud; Radio, Visual, 25' radius; Extras: Action [Move], Independent [+0], Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses]) {10/12} (chemical, magnetism, smoke) The Alkahest Form becomes: Alkahest Form 16 (80PP Container [Active, Sustained]; Drawbacks: One-Way Transformation [When Calm, -3], Temporary Disability [Exhausted Upon Transforming Back, -2]) [75PP] Density 3 (Mass x3; +6 Strength, +1 Toughness [Impervious], +1 Immovable, +1 Super-Strength) [9PP] Enhanced Abilities 36 (Enhanced Strength 12, Enhanced Constitution 20, Enhanced Wisdom 10; Drawbacks: Decreased Intelligence 14) [28PP] Enhanced Skills 2 (+8 Intimidate) [2PP] Growth 4 (Large; +8 Strength, +4 Constitution, -1 Combat, +4 Grapple, +2 Intimidate, -4 Stealth) [12PP] Impervious 9 (Total 10) [9PP] Immunity 7 (All Chemical Effects [Half-Effect, +5], Environmental Cold) [7PP] Regeneration 9 (Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured 6 [No Action]) [9PP] Super-Senses 4 (Olfactory; Accurate [+2], Acute, Tracking 1) [4PP] Also switched up Sword Cane (Damage 3 [Feats: Mighty, Subtle]) [5EP] to Bartitsu Cane (Damage 4 [Feats: Mighty]) [5EP] (chemically treated wood

- Edits, First Draft Reagent / Alkahest Power Level: 8/12 (181/181PP) Unspent Power Points: 0 Trade-Offs: Reagent: +2 Attack / -2 Damage (Bartitsu Cane), None (Alchemical Flasks), +4 Defense / -4 Toughness Alkahest: -3 Attack / +3 Damage, -5 Defense / +5 Toughness In Brief: Victorian-era alchemist struggling to contain a merciless force of nature. Theme: Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs Alternate Identity: Winifred Wei Identity: Semi-Secret Birthplace: London, England Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Academy Family: None Living; Wei Chao (father, deceased), Wei Xia (mother, deceased) Description: Age: 16 (Subjectively; DoB: April, 1839) Gender: Female Ethnicity: British Chinese Height: 5'4" / 8'6" Weight: 120 lbs. / 600 lbs. Eyes: Green Hair: Black Winifred Wei is a slim young woman saved waifishness only by her impeccable comportment and intense demeanor. Her jet black hair reaches down to her waist but is almost always done up in a twisted bun that strikingly frames her heart-shaped face. Perpetual dark circles under her eyes speak to a lack of sleep and abundance of stress but her tone of voice is nevertheless clipped and precise. In clothing she prefers subdued colours and a noticeably more formal manner than her modern day peers, though she's been quick to take advantage of the greater mobility of modern fashions. When expecting trouble she carries a broad leather bandolier filled with stoppered vials of alarmingly coloured alchemical concoctions and is rarely seen without her elegant mahogany walking stick with its serpentine styled head. Alkahest, by contrast, is a pallid mass of twisting, too-dense muscle with a greyish, corpse-like tint. Towering even with a pronounced stoop, her proportions are only nominally human and give only the most general indication of gender. Milky white eyes staring out from behind long, disheveled hair and a flat expression betray nothing as the beast stalks her target with a terrifying single-mindedness. The transformation is violent and chaotic, shredding conventional clothing and taxing the capabilities of skin-tight morphic molecules. Fortunately the Academy has been able to provide her with a looser, high collared lab coat made of the adaptive material. History: Wei Chao emigrated from Hong Kong to London in 1833 by taking a job as a deckhand for a prominent shipping company. Skilled at absorbing and applying new information and with a humble charm that ingratiated him with the company's officers, he made himself an indispensable assistant to the ship's doctor when a seafaring mishap left several sailors injured. With the help of his sponsor, in impressively short order and causing something of a stir Chao was accepted to the University of Cambridge to study medicine. Artfully walking the line between impressing his teachers and peers with his abilities without stepping on anyone's toes in a few year's time he had established himself enough to send for his wife, Xia. Similarly brilliant, she soundly invested the early profits of her husband's modest practice and the couple made themselves quite comfortable. In 1839, after considerable difficulty, they had a daughter, Winifred. Fully assimilated and conscious of their social standing Chao and Xia practiced only enough of their homeland's traditions to benefit from the Western fascination with orientalism. Raised as a native Londoner, Winifred demonstrated prodigious intelligence from a very young age, if not the restraint and moderation her parent's practiced so carefully. Frustrated by the assumptions leveled against her based on ethnicity, gender and youth her talents for biting sarcasm and humiliating her detractors were a frequent source of contention at home. Assimilated or not, Chao was uncomfortable with the idea of his daughter marrying an Englishman and was convinced after months of cajoling to allow her to work as his assistant, at least for the time being. Having devoured the contents of her father's medical texts even as a child, as a teenager Winifred chafed under the limited scope of a practicing physician. Scouring the city for more obscure tomes she found herself drawn into the booming community of fringe researchers who preferred to refer to their collective areas of study as 'rogue science' but were referred to in hushed tones in polite society as simply mad. Thrilled to learn from such progressive - if frequently unhinged - thinkers Winifred was particularly drawn to the mysteries of alchemy, throwing herself into its study unbeknownst to her parents. Starting with a foundation in the alchemy of Hellenistic Egypt, pouring over diagrams purportedly copied from originals saved from the Library of Alexandria, she studied the writings of Jābir ibn Hayyān and Roger Bacon, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Jan Baptist van Helmont among so many others. She found early success in dramatically improving the effectiveness of her father's tonics and moved on to more outlandish concoctions, such as a sticky tar that burst into flames when it came into contact with air and in one case a particularly potent airborne hallucinogen. Expanding her scope to Chinese alchemy and Indian rasayāna then even dubious information surrounding supernatural creatures she began to form her own theories about a serum that would not only cure infirmity but strengthen a person to the limits of human capability, granting perfect health, clarity and perhaps even immortality. Her initial experiments along these lines were not promising but she could feel herself getting closer, on the very cusp of a monumental breakthrough. It was at this point that her parents discovered the increasingly conspicuous laboratory she had been hiding in her room along with her collection of esoteric writings. Horrified and frightened both for Winifred's safety and the family's public image they forbade her from any further scientific studies. Blaming themselves for leaving her too idle they hurriedly made plans to have her married off, hoping to put the whole thing behind them before the matter could become explosively public - perhaps literally. Railing against the injustice and indignity, Winifred locked herself in her room and redoubled her efforts in a frenzy. Deciding that the consequences could be damned, she downed the latest version of her serum and immediately doubled over in agony. What followed she was only ever able to recall in a hazy blur: tearing clothing, the wall of her family home reduced to loose brick and dust, a thunderous boom and spreading flame, sharp cracks and wet pops and shouting constabulary. When she came to, gasping for air and wearing tattered rags, barely strong enough to stand, she knew she had created something truly monstrous, become something monstrous. She could feel the creature, her other self, barely contained and threatening to emerge again and could see only one solution. Stumbling from shadow to shadow, she broke into the hidden laboratory of one of her fellow rogue scientists she mixed a poison that would do more than just kill her, even taking into account the formidable fortitude she estimated the creature to possess. It would render her body wholly inert, preventing any chance of contamination or of her work being replicated through the study of her remains. With a sobbed plea for forgiveness, she swallowed the draught. Her flesh hardened, turning to a glossy, jade-like substance and leaving Winifred Wei, alchemical prodigy, an unexplained statue of a huddled, grief stricken youth. Personality & Motivation: Well aware of her own impressive intelligence and used to having to prove it to others, Winifred has had her confidence severely undercut by the botched serum that created Alkahest. Given what now happens when she becomes upset, however, both aspects have been bottled up as best she can manage. She strives to be collected and professional at all times, leaving her seeming somewhat cold and distant apart from a dry wit that seeps through from time to time. The only thing her condition hasn't been able to damped is her curiosity and need to understand how things work. She is ultimately a scientist before all else and she now has the entirely new world of the modern day to discover and peel apart. She's happiest given solitude and a well stocked chemistry lab. Although her transformed state is obviously more physically capable Winifred sees little potential for good in it. Principled and steadfast, she won't back down from a confrontation particularly in the defense of others but much prefers to labour under her own merits, doing everything she reasonably can to avoid turning into Alkahest. While she views the creature as a largely separate entity from herself she considers herself responsible for its actions all the same and works hard to do as much good as she can when she's herself to make up for them. Powers & Tactics: In combat Reagent carries a bandolier of flasks with a variety of alchemical potions. These range from a fairly straight-forward explosive to a fast acting hallucinogenic cloud to a draught that rapidly accelerates natural healing. Most of these she tosses like grenades, the flasks shattering on impact and releasing their contents, but since she can only carry so many at a time and because they are indiscriminate in their effects she in careful to choose her moments. More precise is her reinforced walking stick with which she is fully proficient but if a conflict has come down to a face to face confrontation something has probably gone very wrong along the way. Alkahest is a single-minded force of nature. It has no tactics, only its target, which it pursues without pause or mercy. Strong and nigh-invulnerable, Alkahest will plow through walls, obstacles, friend and foe alike to get at the subject of its unspoken wrath then pummel it until it stops moving. Once that happens the creature chooses a new target, on and on until it has calmed enough to revert back to an exhausted Winifred. Complications: Chemical Mixture That Creates Chaos: Winifred is continuing to experiment with the serum that turned her into Alkahest, searching for a cure. Dangerous knowledge in the wrong hands. Electing to Ignore It: Winifred was an iconoclast to begin with and removed from concerns over societal standing she's apt to simply ignore any instruction with which she doesn't agree. Need a Little Old-Fashioned: Winifred clings to certain mannerisms such as her style of clothing to mitigate her future shock. No Version of This: Upon transforming Alkahest will pursue whomever or whatever triggered the stress reaction with an inhuman single-mindedness, be they friend or foe. So That's What That Does: An alchemist learns through experimentation! Winifred's sense of inquiry frequently outweighs her sense of caution. Some Form of Electricity: While a prodigy in her own time Winifred has missed out on more than a century of scientific advancements that are now common knowledge. Take That Away: Winifred is without a home, funds or familial connections. She relies on Claremont Academy for the necessities. That's My Secret: Winifred's uncontrollable transformation into Alkahest is triggered by elevated stress, be it anger, fear or other trauma. She has to constantly work to keep her emotions in check. Abilities: 4 + 2 + 4 + 12 + 0 + 4 = 26PP Strength: 14/40 (+2/+15) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14/38 (+2/+14) Intelligence: 22/8 (+6/-1) Wisdom: 10/20 (+0/+5) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP Initiative: +5/+1 Attack: Reagent: +8 Base, +10 Melee Alkahest: +7 Ranged, +9 Melee (-1 Growth) Defense: Reagent: +12 (+8 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Alkahest: +7 (+8 Base, -1 Growth), +3 Flat-Footed Grapple: +12/+29 Knockback: -2/-19 Saving Throws: 2 + 4 + 8 = 14PP Toughness: Reagent: +4 (+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll) Alkahest: +17 (+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll, +1 Density, +10 Enhanced Constitution, +2 Growth) [Impervious 10] Fortitude: +4/+16 (+2/+14 Con, +2) Reflex: +5 (+1 Dex, +4) Will: +8/+13 (+0/+5 Wis, +8) Skills: 56R = 14PP Bluff 0 (+2/+6) Attractive Craft (Chemical) 14 (+20/+12) Concentration 5 (+5/+10) Diplomacy 0 (+2/+6) Attractive Disable Device 2 (+8/+1) Intimidate 0/8 (+2/+12) Enhanced Skill, Growth Knowledge (History) 1 (+7/+0) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 5 (+11/+5) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 10 (+16/+10) Language 4 (Arabic, Cantonese, English [Native], Italian, Latin) Medicine 5 (+5/+10) Notice 5 (+5/+10) Sense Motive 5 (+5/+10) Stealth 0 (+1/-3) Growth Feats: 9PP Attack Focus (Melee) 2 Attractive Defensive Roll 1 Dodge Focus 4 Eidetic Memory Equipment 1 Inventor Power Attack Speed of Thought Equipment: 1PP = 5EP Bartitsu Cane (Damage 4 [Feats: Mighty]) [5EP] Powers: 12 + 2 + 75 = 89PP Device 3 (Bandolier of Alchemical Flasks; 15PP Container; Flaws: Hard-to-Lose) [12PP] Base: Confuse 8 (Hallucinogenic Fumes; Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude, +0], Area [General, Burst], Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses], Feats: Alternate Power 3, Progression 4 [Decrease Area; 20' - 40' radius]) [15DP] (chemical, inhalant) AP: Damage 8 (Byzantine Fire; Extras: Area [General, Burst], Ranged, Secondary Effect 4 [DC 19], Flaws: Action [Full Round], Unreliable [5 Uses]) {12/12} (chemical, fire) AP: Healing 8 (Lesser Elixir; Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses], Feats: Stabilize, Persistent, Regrowth) {11/12} (chemical, qi) AP: Obscure 3 (Magnetic Dust Cloud; Radio, Visual, 25' radius; Extras: Action [Move], Independent [+0], Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses]) {10/12} (chemical, magnetism, smoke) Enhanced Feats 4 (Presence of Mind; Dodge Focus 4, Flaws: Limited [Human Form]) [2PP] (training) Alkahest Form 16 (80PP Container [Active, Sustained]; Drawbacks: One-Way Transformation [When Calm, -3], Temporary Disability [Exhausted Upon Transforming Back, -2]) [75PP] Density 3 (Mass x3; +6 Strength, +1 Toughness [Impervious], +1 Immovable, +1 Super-Strength) [9PP] Enhanced Abilities 36 (Enhanced Strength 12, Enhanced Constitution 20, Enhanced Wisdom 10; Drawbacks: Decreased Intelligence 14) [28PP] Enhanced Skills 2 (+8 Intimidate) [2PP] Growth 4 (Large; +8 Strength, +4 Constitution, -1 Combat, +4 Grapple, +2 Intimidate, -4 Stealth) [12PP] Impervious 9 (Total 10) [9PP] Immunity 7 (All Chemical Effects [Half-Effect, +5], Environmental Cold) [7PP] Regeneration 9 (Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured 6 [No Action]) [9PP] Super-Senses 4 (Olfactory; Accurate [+2], Acute, Tracking 1) [4PP] Drawbacks: -3PP Vulnerability (Emotion Effects, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5 Effect]) [-3PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed (Reagent) Touch DC 17 Toughness Damage Unarmed (Alkahest) Touch DC 30 Toughness Damage Bartitsu Cane Touch DC 21 Toughness Damage Hallucinogenic Fumes Ranged, 35' radius DC 18 Fortitude Confuse Byzantine Fire Ranged, 35' radius DC 23 Toughness Damage DC 19 Toughness Damage [Secondary Effect] Totals: Abilities (26) + Combat (32) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (14) + Feats (9) + Powers (89) - Drawbacks (3) = 181/181 Power Points

"Cheating! You're cheating!" Wildcard shouted as he scrambled out of Raina's line of fire. The gout of mystic flame crashed into the street instead, sending sparks raining outward in a brilliant flash that cast the villain's darting eyes in stark light. Even with his probability warping powers spent for the time being he had far more actual combat experience than both of the heroes put together and an acrobatic feint to one side was enough to open Echo up for a quick rabbit punch that struck her squarely. Without the benefit of scoring a lucky hit to exactly the right spot, however, he was ultimately just a man and the young woman who'd stood up to so much punishment already that evening weathered the blow without flinching.

The Alkahest didn't respond to the name Raina was calling, only turning its attention to her as the witch grew closer. It's great shoulders rose and fell visibly under the stained and smeared lab coat while milky white eyes focused intently on the source of the soft voice. "GRAAAUGH!" the beast roared directly at the teenager's face, spittle flecking its uneven lips as it shook its head vigorously like a dog. Still, gradually the Alkahest unclenched its fists, huffing short, hot breaths as it sank to its knees. It pawed at the torn up pavement with one hand before trying to put weight down on the other, only to have the limb give out from exhaustion, leaving the twisted mass of muscle to collapse loudly, twitching and distorting as it began to shrink. Soon a young woman lay curled up under the tattered coat in its place, groaning softly through the last of the spasms wracking her body.

ALKAHEST Will Save vs DC 28: 1d20+10 26 The Alkahest will calm down and start to revert to Winifred!

Wildcard Move Action: Feint Echo: 1d20+8 20 Standard Action: Unarmed Attack vs Echo: 1d20+10 24 That's DC 15 Toughness if she passes the Feint and DC 17 with Sneak Attack is she fails. 59 - Downtime - Unconscious > 20 - Echo - Bruised x3, 0HP 13 - Sparkler - Uninjured, 3HP 6 - Wildcard - Bruised x2, 0HP

The fencing instructor looked up from what he doing and grinned, waving the petite Frenchwoman inside. "Hey, Snowcap! C'mon in, you're fine." Brushing off his knees with only minimal effectiveness he walked over to greet the new arrival and extended his hand. "We're just doing some maintenance, didn't know you'd be swinging by today. Talya, this is Eve Martel, a not insignificant reason this place manages to keep its doors open month after month. I know what you're thinking but no, not a relative of Min's." Turning back to Eve he presented the woman hanging from the ceiling with a flourish. "And may I present Talya Browning, esteemed faculty member of this illustrious institution. So, what's up? Just checking in?"

Erik snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, I get it. And it's not like it's all that rare for somebody to threaten me with a gun to begin with." The smirk on his face briefly turned cool as he added, "That said, you bring that thing into our home, we'll have words. Just fair warning." He didn't really believe Frost's claims of being a poor marksman but he wasn't having a firearm in the hands of anyone who thought a loaded gun made a good prop anywhere near his daughters. It was a matter of principle. "Maybe a dumb question but I guess he wasn't ever all-the-way immortal?" he asked a little more loudly, unfolding his arms. "I guess I assumed he just had the same deal Ace does but no so much, huh. Jeeze."

The sound of warping, breaking steel only briefly drowned out the roar of inarticulate rage from the Alkahest as it sloughed off its exhaustion to charge across the blighted street, directly into the mass of wreckage and toward Fury. A piece of mixing drum was send flying to the left with one thoughtless swat, a mass of burning rubber skidded to the right until the alchemical behemoth spotted its target. "RRAAUUUUUGH!" The Alkahest brought both fist to bear against the disoriented Terminus mutant, pounding away relentlessly. At first Fury stood rigid like a cement beam in the face of the onslaught but she stumbled backward a half step and as she lost her balance a massive fist crashed into her again. Uprooted, the terrorist was flung backward, through the portal behind her.

ALKAHEST Hero Point: Clear Fatigue from Surge last round. Standard Action: Charge Fury: 1d20+10 17 That's a DC 27 Toughness Save. Extra Effort: Surge Standard Action: Initiate Grapple vs Fury: 1d20+8 9 Worth a shot!

Rather than tensing up at the sound of the hammer Erik actually seemed relieved, letting out a short breath. At least now they could get this conversation out of the way; at some point being menaced by a handgun had lost much of its novelty. "See, this is why we need to keep working on the 'disclosing important information to people who care about you' thing," he told Talya in an aside before turning his attention back to Dimitri and his pistol. Evidently the conversation with Dent-Danger had used up most of his supply of self-restraint as a puckish smirk began to pull at one corner of his mouth. "I sort of feel like that medical training you like to talk about should fill in the blanks there, Corncob," he retorted, drawing up to his full height and crossing his arms while shifting his weight subtly to one leg in case he needed to suddenly dive out of the way. He could appreciate where Frost was coming from, sure, but he wasn't going to find any apologies coming at him with that attitude. 'Young fellow' indeed. "And you ought to know that the last angry sibling who wanted to have this conversation with me was a moon. Tough act to follow, y'know?"

Erik blinked once at the news but did a passable job at keeping the surprise from his face. Unlike the Talya or Dimitri he was only as old as he looked and hearing that Johnny Danger was on his deathbed was like being told that Santa Claus was succumbing to old age. He'd had the entire run of Jungle Patrol adventure books as a youth - all second hand and from mismatched printings - and it was a little difficult to think of the man as an actual person rather than a sensationalized fictional character. If he'd ever given thought to it he would have assumed that if the elder Danger was going to die at all it would have happened by then. "Sorry to hear," he offered smoothly despite his internal thoughts, giving Dent-Danger a sympathetic inclination on his head without presuming anything more. He didn't have any illusions that Johnny was much like his literary counterpart, no more than Ace had matched up to his expectations, but a death in the family was always difficult.

I've no such excuse, I'm just a chucklehead and forgot. Jack of all Blades / Jill O'Cure (18) Count Your Blessings (5) A Winter's Tale (4) Unpredictable Magic (7) Teenage Superstars (2) Midnight II (2) That's Rough, Buddy (1) Kiss Me and Smile For Me (1) Ghost Girl (9) The Traveler in the Dark (4) Honestly a Barbarian (4) And He Built a Crooked House (1) Rock / Nae-Dae (2) Nothing Lasts Forever (1) Our Space is Vast (1) Reagent / Alkahest (4) Monster Mash (1) Bulls on Parade (3) GM (4 * 2 = 8) Time Out (4) Rollover and Ref Point can all go to Reagent.