KnightDisciple

Hm. I'll save the HP, and Teleport over to Gargoyle 2, still fighting in Close Combat mode. Thus, a Melee Attack! 1+8=9. ...Yeah, using that HP right now. :oops: Ha! 19+8=27. I should get Improved Crit with this guy. Anyways. DC 23 Toughness Save.

Carson blinked; for several moments, he sat there, processing Stesha's rather insightful suggestion. "That...is...Actually. That's a better idea the more I think about it. You're right on all counts for why it's a good idea. I'm shocked why I haven't thought of it before. It certainly takes care of one of my two main criteria for a serious relationship. The second criteria being "the other person is a woman"." He smiled, before his gaze went unfocused for a minute...and he busted up laughing. He shook his head, the laughter subsiding a little. "Sorry, sorry. That wasn't at you. I was just imagining some of my college friends talking about the idea. I can just hear Bill saying "Oh, come on Carson, I'll stand by the door to the sanctuary, and you lean casually against the fountain of holy water! We'll be a one-two punch for the lovely single ladies!". Yeah, me and Bill and Brian and James and Sa-" He stopped, his smile faltering. "-everyone else would have had a jolly time cracking up about it...right before we tried the bloody idea out. It really is a good one, truly is. I think I could use the study group even if it doesn't land me a date. I've been feeling drained; it might be just the thing to make me feel more "in-balance". So, yeah. I think I'll try that out, and let you know the results." He sipped his coffee and chuckled again. "I'll probably wait a while before revealing my "night job". Maybe not all the way to proposal; might not end well. Don't want anything getting in the way of a girl saying "yes"; already enough trouble with that."

Carson listened to the toast, nodding along and smiling. 'He's pretty good at public speaking, but I suppose he'd have to be, with all his companies and whatnot.' He joined in on the impromptu "glass band", though he was one of the first to stop; wouldn't do to break the tableware! When Stesha and Derrick kissed again, he gave a cheer of joy for them! "Huzzah! Bravo!" He settled down a bit after a moment, but he couldn't help but smile, seeing such happiness, such love!

Corbin grins at the praise. "If nothing else, they need to make sure there are people to be good leaders next year, when the seniors are gone. Still, it's pretty awesome." He nods at what Blake says. "I think it's good you followed your heart and all. Besides, while there are some paranormal investigators, there's not a glut of them like there is with normal heroes. Which does make your work important. Like I said before, I'm all about helping you if you need the extra muscle. I might not be a wizard or anything, but I'm still pretty handy to have around." For a moment, a hand of blue fire floated in the air, giving Blake a thumb's up, accompanied by a cheesy grin from Corbin. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Fenris, PL8 that he might be, would be quite interested, both as a hero and as a scientist/businessman. I mean, hey, if the tanks crap out, maybe his civilian ID can "hear the rumor" and come running with a counter-offer? As for his hero ID, Fenris has met Blueshift, and will probably have met a couple others; as well, he's the type who would notify the local authorities and say "don't worry about the giant metal wolf dude, he's on your side". So maybe he hears about it after catching a speeding car of bank robbers or something.

Carson lifted his mug in a salute, acknowledging Stesha's points. "Touche. You bring up an excellent point, all told. We're poor helpers if we're mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional wrecks, aren't we? Hm." Another contemplative sip, followed by a thoughtful munch on his muffin. "Not sure how I'd go about it, though travel's not a huge problem. Thing is, while an afternoon of "alone time" would be good, I'm not one for constant solitude. February's a bit of an odd month for that...Hm. Then again, spring break is in just a couple of weeks at the College. I could go somewhere quiet for an afternoon, go spend a day or two at home, talk with my folks. After that...hard to say, just yet. Don't suppose you know of any good places I could look for available women, do you?" He gives Stesha a cheeky grin and an over-exaggerated waggle of his eyebrows. It seems that his nerves are calming during the course of the talk with the rather motherly plant controller. Some of his classic good humor is returning.

Carson nods, and goes into the kitchen. He soon returns with a plate bearing a simple turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich with mustard, as well as a good helping of Pringles chips. Carson himself sits in his previous spot, taking a bite out of his sandwich, and using his chewing time to think. "I doubt I would. I was thinking in broader terms. I mean, normal people have to eat. Soldiers on Earth thus need to eat. Being able to let your soldiers fight forever without food would probably let you do more, right?" He shakes his head, realizing what he said. "Sorry. Just...thinking out loud. So. Um. Glad neither of us is totally freaking out about this. I'll say that everything we talked about before still stands. Was there something else you wanted to ask me? Anything else you wished to talk about?"

Carson poured himself another mug of coffee, sipping it more slowly this time. "Well. My parents know, but they're across the ocean. My siblings don't know, yet, but I face the same problem there. I...There was a time, I might have shared it with one or two more "average" people, but that chance passed. Now, with me half the world away, I try to keep things tight to the chest because I worry about my family. Thing is, I'll have to trust someone one day. But I'm not even sure how to figure out who to trust. How horrible does that sound, coming from a guy like me?" He gave a slightly hollow laugh. "A "good Catholic", and I feel like I can barely trust anyone." He sips again, his gaze far away. "I'm thinking of scaling back some of my activities. I feel stretched thin right now. Obviously, I can't stop teaching. That kind of pays my bills. And I can't, won't, stop hero work entirely, though that might get dialed down a notch or so. No, I think I need to dial back on my mentoring work. Perhaps tell them I'm on the "reserve" list, only there for the really bad cases, where my talent for talking would be most needed... Maybe if I open some time up in my life, I'll discover time for other things? Is it bad that I want that?"

Carson stopped his slight pacing that he'd taken up and looked over to Stesha. He seemed to be seeing her in a slightly different light, and was almost...intimidated...by what he saw. "Bloody hell, have you been taking lessons from my mother?" With a smirk and a shake of his head, he returned to his seat. He ran one hand over his face with a sigh. "You're right to correct me about that. I'm honestly not entirely sure where it came from, beyond "nerves". Well. That, and the priest has been doing a series on relationships, marriage, and the like recently. Mentioned that generally speaking, it's better to not be alone with another man's wife or whatnot. Less of "because the two of you will do naughty things" and more "avoid even the tiniest possibility of regretting your actions" or whatnot. I guess the enemy threw that one in my face at the worst time. So. Yes. We're fine, that little bit was out of place. Though I would like to swing by when he is around; Derrick's a good bloke. But busy enough I won't try to restrict us like that. Might end up being weird, honestly."

"A bunch of things. Not even counting what I just saw this afternoon." He takes a large sip out of his mug before continuing. "It's all kind of tangled up. For one thing, it feels like almost all I've been doing lately is...firefighting, I guess you could say? I mean, sure, I'm teaching still, and mentoring, though that's slacked off of late...But I'm getting through to fewer and fewer criminals. Mostly because I'm dealing with more and more "super-crime". Robots, thugs with laser guns, crazy uptight guys in power armor..." He gulps the rest of the coffee down before setting the mug on the coffee table with slightly shaking hands. "Demons. Men who call demons using the blood of murdered teenagers. All that and plenty more. And yet, people are still getting hurt. I mean, on one level, I know I'm doing good work, worthwhile work. I already had that talk with Heyzel. But it feels like there's more "big stuff" happening. And I feel like I'm at the edges of something bigger. Maybe I'm just paranoid. But if that were all, it wouldn't be as big of a deal. No, as stupid as it is, I'm lonely. Oh, I have friends, for sure, both in and out of costume. But...you bloody Yanks and your great bloody holiday last week. Calculated to make singles feel awkward and misplaced. The worst part is, it's not that I couldn't get a date. But I'm not sure it would be right. I lead a double life, Stesha. You and Derrick are lucky, because not only do the two of you know your secrets, you can pretty much take care of yourselves. The market's a lot slimmer if I limit myself to superheroic ladies. Especially since my requirements are already a bit specific." He gives her a wan smile, fiddling with his rosary unconsciously. "Sorry. Shouldn't dump that on you. And I guess that's the other thing that's been bugging me. It feels awkward, coming around here when Derrick's gone. I mean, I'm here alone with another man's wife, a wife pregnant with his child. It's not so bad since we're isolated, but it's still a bit...weird? Sorry. It's not your fault. It's just that I took a metaphorical step back and realized how it could appear. I'll still be around, but I'd like to make sure I spend at least some of my time here when Derrick's around, too. Maybe dinner sometime? I could even treat you guys at my place, though I don't promise miracles." Carson's clearly nervous and distracted, his brow furrowed as he tries to sort out his thoughts. "I guess today just kind of made a whole bunch of random thoughts surface. And here I am, fretting about how "hard" my life is, and how I don't get dates, when there are children without shoes. I should go." He stands suddenly, walking in the direction of the door before stopping suddenly. He sighs, shaking his head. "Right. Different dimension. Can't just fly home..."

It's more accurate to say I want to hear everyone. This is intended to let him talk to anyone and everyone all over the planet, thus it will be grouped in with his existing communication power. However, I don't need it to pick up any other sounds. I mean, I could justify it, sure, and I might add a separate Enhanced Hearing thing somewhere else, but this particular power grouping is to talk to people anywhere in the world.

Carson nodded, seeming to follow along with Mark's fast-paced talking just fine. "UNISON does excellent work. You should be proud of going into that field. You seem pretty enthusiastic, which is good. Especially for places like Africa; I think they need fresh shots of enthusiasm and idealism over there." A wan smile crosses his face at the thought. "And it's good that you're thinking about helping the most people possible with your abilities. Good on you, Mark." He turned to regard Trevor with a speculative eye. "Family business, eh? Good luck with that. Maybe I'll buy a pack of Bazooka next week, to help your bottom line." He turns back to Mark, chuckling as he shakes his head. "Appreciate the offer, but music's more of a side thing for me. I enjoy listening to it more than I enjoy making it. I can do covers of stuff fine, but I don't have a talent for writing it, see. Like I said, drama's where I'm really gifted. Just not what was needed today, is all."

Carson took in the improvements with an appreciative eye. "I like how you and Derrick have spruced the place up. Real home away from home at this point. Or is that your apartment?" Some of his nervous energy from earlier seems gone, but it's clear that something's still "off" with the Irish hero. "I'll take it black. Nothing else added in. Like I said, once we're done here I'll need to go get balls rolling, especially for those shoes. Do you have a way to receive my call once I've got them arranged? I meant what I said about not sleeping, but I do hope to sleep before the week's out." He smirked at his own remark, settling into the couch not far from the muffins. He reached for one, taking a small bite before contemplating the rest of the muffin as he chewed.

Carson quirked an eyebrow at the lad. "Nice trick with the hat. And I never said you were troubled. How'd you get that idea? I was simply describing what I do for a profession." He had a slightly confused look on his face. "My question about your plans didn't imply I thought you needed mentored. I was simply curious. Making conversation. Being polite. Sociable. Something amiss with that?" There was honest curiosity in his voice at that question.

Right, so, this has been bouncing around in my head for a bit, and I want to go ahead and get it "in writing", as it were. At the moment, Gabriel has the ability to talk to anyone and everyone on the planet Earth via the following power: Now, at some point, I want him to be able to achieve the following results: *Hear anyone and everyone on Earth; thus, he could hold a conversation with the world, if he so wished, or someone in Cairo while he was in Los Angeles, with no cell phone required. *Understand every verbal language; anything that uses scent, sight, telepathy, or any sense besides hearing to communicate is out. But if someone makes noise to transmit ideas to someone else, I want him to understand that. *Be Understood by everyone; right now, he can speak in English, and that's it. Obviously, this might take a while and some investment before it's possible, but I'm curious how I'd do it. I figure some ranks in Comprehend would cover the middle item, but I'm at a bit of a loss on how to cover the other two goals.

"You should see me perform The Tempest." Carson smirked as he took a sip of his drink. "I'll keep your suggestion in mind, but I don't know if I want to get into the cutthroat world of the recording industry. Didn't you ever see Be Cool? I'll stick to teaching college students drama, with a bit of mentoring troubled kids in the mix." He eyed both of the boys, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "You guys have any solid post-graduation plans? Or are you going to "wing it" for a bit?"

"No need for you to pay me back, this is simple hospitality. And I do have plenty of food, and do wish to share. I won't force you to eat, mind. I just want to make the offer clear. I don't have anything fancy, but I could scrounge something up." Carson seems to be fixing himself another sandwich, with a few chips thrown onto the plate. He smirks as he sets it on an end table next to his seat in the living room. "It's amazing how much of an appetite I have sometimes. I'm kind of surprised you don't eat much. Though...I guess you're probably...modified...to not need food. Makes a twisted sort of sense, at least." He doesn't sit yet, waiting patiently for Harrier to decide on whether he's going to eat or not.

Gabriel had walked a bit closer as the others spoke. At the sheriff's words of thanks, he just shrugged. "As far as I am concerned, I only did what ought to be done, Sheriff. I'm glad we stopped him before more kids had to die. Before more destruction was wrought. It's what I, what we do. Stop people like him, things like that demon." He had a slightly faraway look in his eyes as his gaze drifted in the direction of the ruined church, then towards the sheriff's office, and thus the morgue. His gaze sharpened, and he turned to face her again. "I'll leave you a card. If you ever have trouble along these lines again, feel free to call me. I'll come to help if I can."

"Lord preserve me from amorous giant bees," he replied with a smirk. He took the coat with a thankful nod and smile, taking a moment to get it securely fastened over himself. After all, he was about to start going really fast. "See you there." As soon as she'd disappeared, Carson shot straight up into the air, managing to keep himself subsonic until about a mile up. Then he started to cut loose, until he was hitting the upper edges of where he could easily breath. Barely resisting the urge to fly to Ireland on this earth (he didn't think he'd like what he saw), he settled for rocketing up and down the Coast a few times, bleeding off energy. Finally, he slowed down after about 15 minutes, and angled in to soon land on Stesha's porch with only a slight rumble in the sky signifying his landing. "Coffee should be ready now..." With that, he knocked on the door.

Carson gave a nod and started walking out of the enclosure, smiling and waving to people as he went. "A quick cup of coffee would be good. Then, I can head out to get these kids some shoes." There was steely determination in his voice as he spoke. When they got outside, he stopped, waiting for Stesha to catch up. He gave her a slightly nervous glance. "Listen. Do you mind if I fly myself back? Shouldn't take more than a second longer, if that. You know how fast I can fly; just plant-port yourself over, and I'll be knocking at your door." He gave her a slightly weak smile, as if to reassure her.

Carson gave a wry grin. "Can't do too much on the day off business. Unless you want to start bringing other heroes, or just talented individuals, in on this little operation. It might be worth it at some point." His expression shifted to more serious tone. "And I was serious when I told them I'd get shoes for the kids before sleeping. As soon as I'm back on Earth, I'll make some calls and pick them up, as well as getting balls rolling on some other things. I think I know how to answer questions without either blatant lies, or just blurting the totality of the truth. It's all in presentation, after all. That's what I teach my drama students." At her question about how he was doing, it was like a mask suddenly popped up around his face. He seemed "fine", but there was a hint that things weren't quite so nice. He also shifted uncomfortably, taking a step back, giving Stesha a bit more space unconsciously. "Well, you know. The usual. Teaching. Mentoring. No preaching, I suppose. Plenty of hero work. A thug here, a demon-summoning warlock there. Just keeping people alive and happy, generally. Nothing terribly exciting."

Carson raised an eyebrow and chuckled at the antics of Mark and Trevor. He remembered the shenanigans he got up to in high school, though he hadn't had super-powers at the time, so perhaps it was a bit different. He chuckled and leaned forward a bit, making sure to keep the volume down enough that only the two Claremont students ought to hear him. "So. You two go to Claremont. I'm guessing your "extracurricular activities" you're so worried about that young lady discovering are more than a few games of poker with the fellas on Friday." He waves his hand if they show any signs of worry. "Don't worry. I won't mention anything to the young lady you're planning to, oh, what's the term these days? I believe the term is "mack on". I would advise a bit of subtly if Stesha's nearby. Then again, she might not mind. She's a bit of a romantic, when all is said and done. And Chloe is a lovely young lady, all told. Have you boys ever met any of the rest of their families? I only know bride and groom myself." He does seem a bit lost at the proceedings, apparently not being well-acquainted with anyone beyond the happy couple. He did take the time to catch the young bridesmaid's eye, raise his glass in a small salute, and give her a wink. He then turns back to his fellow attendees. "Honestly feeling a bit out of my depth here; I only met you two and some of the others out front. Odd how some circles never cross paths until times like this."

Carson smiles a bit as Stesha assures him of Derrick's ability to get a power generator. "Fair enough. So, clothes, hygiene items, vitamins, and farm animals. I think I know contacts for all of those needs." His gaze wandered to the crowd, pensive. "I wonder...At some point, they'll need teachers, or something like that. But I suppose that's for another day. What about you?" He turned to look at Stesha with concern. "Is there anything you and Derrick need?"

Fenris let out a great belly laugh, which sounds rather threatening through his vocal filters. "Ha! In the fight, you say! Watch this!" While the Gargoyle's claws do indeed hit, they just skitter off of his thick armor. Meanwhile, the lights on his suit shift, his posture changes slightly, and glowing claws spring from his fingertips. "Always wanted to see what these babies would do to mobile stone. Ha!" With that, he brings one hand down in a vicious blow upon the creature, hoping to seriously impede its ability to fight. "Hope your plan involves more than me taking all of them on myself, little lady!"

Save first, then. DC 28. Youch. 15? Yeah, no. Gonna use a Hero Point and reroll. Ha! 31! Eat that, Gargoyle 1! I think I'll switch to my Close Combat package. Also, using All-Out Attack for +2 Att / -2 Def, and Power Attack for +2 Dam / -2 Att. So attack bonus stays put, Defense goes down 2, and Damage goes up 2. Booyah, 27. That'll be a DC 25 Toughness Save from Mr. Gargoyle 1.