Fox

"Your guys?" Viktor turned his head to rattle some Russian off to Natalia, who waved dismissively from her seat, responding in kind. Viktor did not seem elucidated. "You have - what? What is this. Now I must see, yes, release them." "Perhaps these people do not share their philosophies because their philosophies are weak," he mused, leaning back against the central metal table (which made a terrible sound as it scraped back against the floor an inch). He crossed his arms, bushy brow furrowed low over his eyes. "They fear that you, too, will know they are weak and small. It is a weak man's problem. If you wish to play the banjo, play the banjo." "Do not play the banjo," countered Natalia. "Baaah," dismissed her grandfather, raising a couple fingers off his arm in lieu of the full hand wave. "Flowers were always good for me, but that was a long time ago. I cannot say now. Clearly you must have done something right -" "Grandfather." It was a warning. "- so perhaps you keep doing that. If someone competes for her affections, perhaps punch him." Natalia was sitting back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, narrowing her eyes at her grandfather like she expected to develop laser vision.

Viktor scratched his chin, calloused fingers scraping along stubble as he surveyed the room. "It does lack the better sciences," he admitted. "Nothing here so dangerous as my gauntlets, except maybe little Natasha, hm? But that is as it should be, ho!" 'Little Natasha' rolled her eyes, dragging a metal stool away from the lathe so she could sit beside the door. "My advice to you," the man continued unabated, "is to fight." There was a spark in his eyes at that, and something else too - a sort of uneven shimmer when he turned his head, a gold against his natural blue that was impossible to see until it caught the light. "Fight for love, or for your justice, or for wealth, or - or best of all, most of all - fight for the thrill of fighting. But never stop, and you will always be worth something." He'd been awfully imposing there for a moment, the image of a man who'd gone blow for blow on the covers of newspapers, but it went away and he was an old man again...if a very very large one. "Ah, well. Great men truly die when they give up on their passions. Their bodies sometimes keep moving around for years after," he added, waving a hand in a suspiciously familiar dismissing motion, "but the man is dead. Nothing sadder."

Viktor was quiet for a moment, and then his brow furrowed. "You are the boy?" he asked, in a heavy Russian accent. "The boy?" was Natalia's immediate response, her voice as arched as her eyebrow. "Are there others? You speak of him." "I don't - grandfather. Do not make me sound like some kind of lovesick -" "You speak of almost no one. You do mention this one." Viktor unlaced his fingers, shrugging without sitting up. "So he is the boy." Whatever Natalia shot back with, it was in Russian; with Viktor responding in kind it was a moment before anything was intelligible. The room was not in great shape, to match the rest of the building, but someone had clearly put some effort into getting things in order - the dirt on the floor showed signs of furniture being moved around, and most of the debris had been piled up in the corner along with what looked like the shattered remains of a table, some damage far older than the rest. No super-science to be had here, aside from a pair of large, complicated metal gauntlets on the table behind Viktor; a set of chemistry equipment against the back wall was merrily bubbling away at some chemical concoction or another, burners fed by a portable propane tank; metal working equipment next to the door had clearly seen recent use, surfaces shining and clean where they'd had to turn or scrape. Bits of dark steel plates sat here or there, but in their unassembled state it was hard to say what their purpose would eventually be. Natalia had resorted to what was clearly some kind of crude Russian invective, which apparently meant her grandfather had won the debate. He was laughing, a deep gravelly thing, as he stood to flash a grin at Ryder. "So! You are the boy -" - Natalia mostly managed to stop a glare - "- and I am Viktor. You are too small, I think, but brave, and you have survived little Natasha so far, and that is good enough for me, for now." He stretched, back and shoulders popping as he looked around the room. "It is a terrible workshop. I have had better. But it keeps me busy while I am here, and it is good to not draw attention sometimes, hm?"

"Different names for different contexts, Cricket," sniffed Natalia, leading him through the building toward - according to the signs - one of the larger machining rooms. "I'm not stalling, you asked a question and I answered it. I'm giving you a chance to save lives - you should be grateful." There was light coming from beneath the heavy doorway, and noise, but nothing so loud as a generator - the building may have still been on the city's power grid. This barrier, at least, seemed slightly less likely to give Natalia a blood disease, and she opted to open it by hand. "Ryder, meet Viktor Koshchei. дедушка, this is Ryder." Viktor Koshchei was a veritable mountain of a man; he had to be close to seven feet tall and at least half as wide at the shoulder, and even sitting his heavily-muscled, broadly-built frame dwarfed a chair that had probably been designed for an entirely average person. It was a body built for performance and not for show, thicker in the middle and hairier than any body builder would allow, clad in a simple striped tank top and suspender-supported slacks that probably dated to the Cold War, for all that they remained largely intact. There were small metal implants here and there along the skin of his arms, goggles hanging around his neck, and a shock of white hair on his head that fell to not quite obscure a square-jawed face that hadn't lost its sharpness with its advancing age. He sat with his arms on his knees, great thick-fingered hands clasped together in front of him as he silently sized Ryder up.

Natalia looked up for a moment, pondering the question. "...I think that's up to you," she decided, looking over at him - and the implicit buckle. "He'd keep your secret, if it matters, and I don't think he'd ever use it against you. He'd probably approve. He likes to think he's an 'older, better class of criminal'." The way she said it implied she'd had to hear the man talk about it at length. "But if he finds out you fight hand-to-hand he might want to actually punch you, and I can't recommend letting him do that. Someone's going to end up hurt." They'd apparently reached their destination - Natalia took a long look at the tetanic metal gate and elected to open it with gravity, dragging the thing back along the gravel to reveal an old and clearly abandoned rail maintenance building. "Don't ask him why he's in America, he's not likely to tell you the truth and he'd be annoyed that you're in prying into his...work. Don't mention my mom. He's going to call me pet names and you're not allowed to use them, because someone at school would overhear you and I can only get away with so many murders, Cricket."

Greenbank Railyards Mid-March, 2022 Natalia had mixed opinions on Greenbank. She did actually like urban decay as a design, all the crumbling signs of what was, the traces left behind of the people that had been through before you, the little signs of life and business still ghosting through to show that the place wasn't completely abandoned - but the best version of that was always clean, in her mind. Not sanitized, but less raw garbage piled up. In her ideal world, it would have smelled better. More rust and crumbling brick, less ammonia. "He's promised me that he's not here on work," she was saying as they walked down a sidewalk that was slowly losing a fight against grass and weeds. She'd worn boots for this trip - something broken glass or rusty metal wouldn't get through, that complimented skinny jeans and a loose black top with golden stitching. "That probably means it is work, just not the kind that causes any real trouble. He wouldn't lie if he thought I would find out and catch him on it."

Natalia did not deign to turn all the way around to look at Neko; once it became clear what she was after, she graced the cat with a rude but malice-less gesture. It was, at least, a moment with which to compose herself. "Don't worry, Cricket," she said, putting a hand on Ryder's shoulder. Her expression was less comforting than the gesture was. "Being scared is a good start. We'll build from that." There was probably humor buried under there somewhere; she almost but not quite lost her customary bored scowl. "If nothing else, I'm sure you know I can be depended on to share my critique. Do return the favor, though - I am...unaccustomed to intimacy, and having clearly lost my mind I think I trust you to let me know if I've crossed a line somewhere."

To her credit, Natalia's expression didn't change...merely her complexion. "...thank you. One step at a time, Cricket," she said, turning slightly pink at the edges. "A date first, then we see if you've earned hand-holding, and we'll see how heartfelt things get from there. I recommend saving the cherishing until after you've decided if you can put up with my scathing affections," she added, waving a hand as if dismissing a bad idea. She had not yet turned back to not-pink. "If what I really wanted was immediate fawning, I'd have wrapped a couple freshmen around my finger." She paused, hand freezing in the air before turning an accusatory finger Ryder's way. "On which note, let it not be said that you're so far beneath me. I am a high bar, Cricket, but I have a reputation to maintain and it won't do to have people thinking I've lowered myself too much. Once in a while, at least try to remember that you're a handsome teenage genius with a good heart and a strong will, it'll do you some good."

Natalia took a moment to finish compressing a collection of dirt and garbage into a neat little garbage sphere, dismissing it with a wave to join its fellows like a small collection of odious basket balls. "I did, Cricket," she said. She was choosing her words carefully - her well-practiced neutral American English accent was neutral-er than normal. "I was wondering if, this afternoon or another, you might like to watch a movie with me, and then get coffee or a dinner - depending on the timing." She turned to look at him, mostly impassive - she'd folded her hands behind her back, and seemed less nervous than carefully appraising. "As a date, specifically. I am asking you on a date."

Archiving; this sheet has been replaced by a new version.

APPROVED!

Double-check the Knockback modifier; it rounds down, so with +7/+5 Toughness, the knockback would be -3/-2. I count 17pp of feats, not 18pp, so unless I've missed one you're over-paying. For clarity and auditing, please note the costs of each of the powers inside the array and container. To avoid confusing them with the normal point costs you can annotate them differently (an array slot can be listed as "[38/38]" or such, your choice!) but it's useful to have them there. As a pure aside, I really like the use of Luck Control there for the tiny speedster dodge. That's a nice use of the effect.

APPROVED!

Mostly just little growing pains math stuff: At 245/250 power points, Grimalkin would have 5 free, not 11. You should probably note that the character has +4 Toughness when flat-footed, the same way we do for defense, since you're leaning so heavily on Defensive Roll. You've bought 31pp of skills, which is correct in the Skills section but off in the final point totals at the bottom (though, once the Skills bit is fixed, I believe the final tally is correct at 245/250). The Equipment line says you've spent 4pp for 15ep, but you've spent 5pp for 25ep.

We're sorry these are late, folks; a mess of badly-timed real life stuff kept pushing the counts out and we should have handled that better. We usually do! Alas. We aim to be better. As mentioned in the active threads thread, the new year does come with a special bonus: players got two power points, to give to their characters as they chose. We hope they serve you well - you deserve them. As always, if you think something's gone awry with your post counts, please don't hesitate to reach out to me (or the ref team in general, if I'm not available). Without further ado...! --------------- alderwitch Bombshell: 1 post = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp Kid Celtic: 1 post = 1pp angrydurf Kensei: 1 post = 1pp + 1 (ref) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Avenger Assembled Angelic: 8 posts = 1pp + 1 (ref) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Patriot: 8 posts = 1pp Fast-Forward: 0 posts + 2 (GM) = 2 posts = 1pp GM: 2 posts * 2 = 2 Dr Archeville Artificer: 2 posts = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp Horrorshow: 9 posts = 1pp Protectron: 0 posts = 0pp + 1 (ref) = 1pp and is now TITANIUM! Electra Chelone: 1 post = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp Fleur de Joie: 1 post = 1pp Singularity: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1 post = 1pp EternalPhoenix Queenie: 1 post = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp Effigy: 3 posts = 1pp Terrifica: 2 posts = 1pp + 1 (ref) = 2pp Pacer: 0 posts + 1 (GM) = 1pp JETTE: 0 posts + 1 (GM) = 1pp GM: 1 post * 2 = 2 Exaccus Mirror Knight: 2 posts = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp Fox Eclipse: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1 post = 1pp Gaian Knight: 3 posts = 1pp Masque: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1 post = 1pp Nocturne: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1 post = 1pp + 1 (ref) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Gizmo Jack of all Blades: 2 posts = 1pp Chitin: 0 posts + 2 (rollover) = 2 posts = 1pp + 1 (ref) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Heritage Crystal-Gazer: 2 posts = 1pp + 1 (gift!) = 2pp Grimalkin: 7 posts = 1pp Miracle Girl: 3 posts + 7 (rollover) = 10 posts = 2pp + 1 (gift!) = 3pp Kaede Kimura Shadowborne: 1 post = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp KnightDisciple Gabriel: 2 posts = 1pp Patrioteen: 1 post = 1pp Raven III: 2 posts = 1pp Thunderbird: 0 posts + 2 (rollover) = 2 posts = 1pp + 1 (guide) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Judex: 0 posts + 2 (rollover) = 2 posts = 1pp MoonSimply La Puma Negra: 13 posts * 2 (new player boost!) = 26 posts = 3pp + 4 (extras) + 2 (gift!) = 9pp Nerdzul Nightscale: 14 posts + 14 = 28 posts = 3pp + 2 (gift!) = 5pp GM: 7 posts * 2 = 14 RocketLord Archer II: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1 post = 1pp Freedom Eagle ∞: 7 posts + 3 (GM) = 10 posts = 2pp Ghost: 9 posts + 16 (GM) = 25 posts = 3pp Justice: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1 post = 1pp + 1 (guide) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Nevermore II: 5 posts + 10 (GM) = 15 posts = 2pp Rocket: 2 posts + 8 (GM) = 10 posts = 2pp Space Ranger III: 0 posts + 1 (GM) = 1 post = 1pp Forever Boy: 1 post = 1pp Little Mermaid II: 1 post = 1pp GM: 19 posts * 2 = 38 Spacefurry Paper: 11 posts = 2pp Blackstaff: 0 posts + 8 (GM) = 8 posts = 1pp + 2 (gift!) = 3pp Chimera: 3 posts = 1pp GM: 4 posts * 2 = 8 Sophistemon Impact: 0 posts = 0pp + 2 (gift!) = 2pp Tiffany Korta Bee: 1 post = 1pp Madame Raven: 4 posts = 1pp The Scarab III: 0 posts + 1 (rollover) = 1pp + 1 (ref) + 2 (gift!) = 4pp Ms. Grue: 1 post = 1pp The Sailor Torpedo Lass: 0 posts = 0pp + 2 (gift!) = 2pp

Nocturne: 2 posts = 1pp + 1 (ref) = 2pp Inside the Kotatsu (2) Eclipse: 0 posts + 1 (GK rollover) = 1 post = 1pp Grim: 0 posts + 1 (GK rollover) = 1 post = 1pp Titanium Characters Gaian Knight: 2 posts = 1pp Written in the Stars (2)

Unarchiving at player request.

Archiving at player request.

Alas, no; 'Grapple' is technically a separate kind of attack from a strike or specific power. It's why "Attack Focus (Melee)" applies to grapple, but "Attack Specialization (Unarmed)" doesn't. Specialization's usually just too narrow to include a bonus to grapple attacks, unless you specifically buy "Attack Specialization (Grapple)", which...I don't think anyone ever does, for pretty good reason! APPROVED!

"It's a plan, then," said Natalia, who was rarely enthusiastic about anything, but was slightly less un-enthusiastic than usual. "An expert for Friend, someone nearby to make them disappear if they try to harm Friend or the building, and a noise machine that will almost definitely not explode or break anyone's arms. And, hopefully, a plan to sustainably pay for it all - but that's a problem for later." The latter thought was dismissed with a wave, which disturbed some dust, which elicited a small sneeze. "...and none of it's likely to happen if we can't at least mostly clean this place up," she added, wrinkling her nose. "I suppose that's why we were here in the first place. Though I do want to talk to you afterwards, Cricket." It sounded like an afterthought, but Natalia's eyes on Ryder were...appraising. "If you have the time."

"Hrm. That's oddly encouraging," said Gaian Knight, opening the front entrance to usher everyone inside. He really should have thought to protect the skies better; an awful shame for someone who could fly. "It's horrible, mind," he amended, double-checking to make sure that everyone was at least indoors and on their way to the nearest conference room before he shut the door behind them; his stone edifice, now abandoned, sunk back into the earth from which it had come. No sense attracting more attention.... "Definitely, you have our sympathy, and we'd like to offer what help we can, if we can. But an army of mindless drones speaks to a chink in your foe's armor." "The summoner," mulled Tiamat. She was standing by the door to the conference room; more accurately, she'd planted herself so that no one could sneak off further into the building. It was not a day for tours. "Mindless drones imply a mind somewhere else." "Yes, that. If they're mindless, someone has to be pulling the strings; if they're magic, someone has to be calling them up. It's something, anyway."

Just a tiny bit of math: By my count, the Grapple bonuses would be +8 (base; +5 attack, +3 strength), +15 (+5 attack, +7 strength, +3 Super-Strength), and +17 (+5 attack, +7 strength, +3 Super Strength, +2 Super-Strength). I may be missing a bonus somewhere, though.

APPROVED!

Mostly checks out on mechanics - just the little edge case and math things: I'm afraid you can't take Skill Mastery on Concentration - you'll have to pick a different skill there. (Skill Mastery can only be taken on skills that allow you to take 10, which Concentration does not.) The battlesuit is missing its power point cost. It's the only power so it's easy enough to derive, but it should be there for completeness. You've listed range increments for the knuckle dusters, but not bought the Ranged extra. I'm not sure if this was intended to be a ranged power, given the name and the DC block? Super-Movement costs 2pp/rank, not 3, so you've overpaid a bit in the movement array. Double-check the Auditory super-sense; the pricing's a bit off, mostly because it's not clear whether you're bought those extras for the entire Auditory sense (in which case you're very much over-budget, since extras like Accurate become much more expensive). This is especially important for the Ultra-Hearing, since it is a new sense and won't benefit from any extras (and would be split off into its own power or a clearly-defined subset of this power) unless you buy them for the entire sense rather than the Normal Auditory sense type.

Unarchiving at player request.