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Fall 2020 The kitchens Between one thing and another, Orange Squad had not had many opportunities so far to get to know each other. But with the traditional American holiday season settling in, it was evidently time to change that. Professor Lynn has spread the home ec class throughout the big Claremont kitchens as best she can, trying to stay out of the way of the hardworking group of student professionals and community volunteers who actually make the meals Claremont students eat. "All right, everyone, I have your assignment. All of you represent different culinary legacies to one degree or another," she said, giving a special smile to Ryder who was clearly already one of her favorite students, "and it's the integration of the whole into one that makes for a really good team!" She smiled, hands inside her apron, as she went on, "what I want you to do is come up with a dish that truly represents your blended legacies. And don't think I'm asking you to cook your lived identity, either, because that's nonsense. Come up with a dish that represents a combination of your past, your future, your skills, and your talents - and prepare a version of it that can be served at dinner tomorrow evening. That's just in case your first attempts don't work out," she added with a smile as she moved among the group of students. "remember, there are accidents in the kitchen - but only happy ones!" Eira extended the finger on her left hand and then began unscrewing it, slowly undoing each joint with an audible click-click-click, watching the organic students as they talked to the home ec teacher. This was not a class to which she had contributed very much.

High Earth Orbit The Lighthouse Friday February 7, 2020 8:50 PM Greenwich Mean Time (3:50 PM Freedom City) In the aftermath of Eria's first meeting with her fellow members of Orange Team, the Swedish teen had made arrangements for her team to spend the weekend on CoVic Station as guests of the Praetorians. So when classes had finished today, the members of Orange Team were taken in a school van to Freedom Hall, where they teleported up to the Lighthouse, the most convenient place for the Praetorians to meet them. The Claremont students had been aboard the Freedom League's space headquarters for about half an hour, getting a tour from Freedom League member Velocity, who for the most part had managed to keep herself moving at a more normal speed. When the yellow clad speedster got word that the Praetorians' spacecraft had exited the wormhole at the edge of the solar system, she led the teens down to a large viewing lounge located near the airlock where the spacecraft would be docking. Outside the large windows of the lounge, the teens could see the Earth moving past below, with the northern half of Africa having moved into view. "Well, it should only be a few more minutes before they arrive." Velocity said as she moved over near some of the windows before turning back to regard the group of teens.

April 13th, 2020, 9AM at all points in the Omniverse, the start of Spring Break, Eternity Threshold of Primes, The Dimension of Doors, Infinity "I'm multiple liquid tons of 'dragon's blood', Prince. You're what, a gallon? Gallon and a half? This is stupid as hell." Above his charge, the green dragon lounged on a step, looking up at the boy with no little frustration. In the geometry-defying space Leroy Ransom-Conte, Dragon Prince of Earth-2, looked even more excessively dramatic than usual, a robe of pure white billowing from his shoulders, his feet unshod and his hair swirling in the shrill wind between worlds. In one hand was a knife of black diamond, in his other was a bundle of nerves very clearly trying to escape down his sleeves. Sweat trickled down his face as the blade approached his thumb. Beneath his shifting toes was a meticulous circle graven with Atlantean runes, with five circles intersecting at points any magician would understand at a glance, but to Leroy had been as alien as the experience of towering over most schoolmates. "My blood is unspilt for their sake, Dio." He swallowed, focusing on the descending arc of the smiling, smiling little dagger. "I am a coward." The dragon snorted, looking deeply unhappy "I don't think so, but...okay. Give a shout if you want something for the-" The knife brushed his skin, and like water dissolving salt it tore through. "-pain." Dio finished with a sigh, hopping off the step to pat Leroy on the back as the boy's face worked fantastically, the six scars on his cheeks stretching and growing ragged. Hurriedly, as the black blood beaded and smoked, Leroy walked to each circle and marked the names they enclosed with a smear. That done, he fumbled in a backpack, withdrawing a first aid kit and sitting down to disinfect and close the clumsy tear in his royal skin. "I thank you, Almighty," he muttered, tearing a band-aid out of its box, nose wrinkled at the sting of alcohol, "for Judy Smith, and her unerring foresight." "Now what?" Dio demanded, reclining once again, his pointed tail swinging over the edge of the abyss that gaped between the staircases wheeling and rambling in every direction. "They'll come here when they next walk through a door, but this dumb plan only works if they're all on board for visiting an Earth whose only advertisers are you and me. And one of us doesn't exactly make it sound amazing." he added with a look as pointed as his fifth limb. "I asked if they would like to visit a magical world, meet wonders and have an adventure. They all said 'yes'. This is the agreed-upon time. They know to open a door now will transport them." Leroy completed the application of the bandage with a gentle kiss, as Judy had always done, though he remained uncertain why. Despite the obvious lingering pain, his golden eyes shone. "I have erred many times, my dragon. But this time, nothing can possibly go wrong!"

OOC thread for this thread. Orange Squad goes to Earth-2 for spring break! Thrills, chills, blood-spills abound in a comedy classic! @Dr Archeville @Heritage @Shofet @Avenger Assembled

January 2020 Eira sat in the library meeting room, staring at the closed door. The lights were off and it was quiet, and she had arrived several minutes early for the Orange Squad meeting. She was wearing an oversized blue hoodie and jeans, a concession to the relative cold that her robotic nature didn't actually require. This would be the first time she'd met most of the Orange Squad, the team to which she'd been assigned upon her admission to Claremont - an admission made possible by her parents connection to the hero community and substantial wealth. It was team-building day.

Lantern Hill, Freedom City October 31, 2019 8:00 PM Mia Mustafic-Markov looked especially spooky this Halloween night. She stood out front of a haunted house, her face marked with a false glasgow grin complemented by fake red blood, and her face was made even paler by white make-up, her eyes made dark and sunken looking by black makeup rimming them. Her neck had a similar false wound, and her denim jacket opened to reveal a white shirt marked by fake blood and three long slash marks over her belly. Yet, the effect was diminished some by the fact that she was dutifully staring at the screen of her phone. She had decided to invite out her Orange Squad team-mates (and Danica!) for the night, in order to get to know them better. And what better way to get to know them than scaring the bejeezus out of them with a Haunted House? Yet, unfortunately, it seemed she was the first to arrive. Which did make sense. She could teleport, and most of them… couldn’t. The choice of venue seemed cool. The Black House, they called it. Not the most creative name, but it was supposedly one of the scariest things ever. It traveled to different cities every year, almost always big ones, and was apparently so scary some people had to check into therapy after visiting. That probably wasn’t true, but it was a pretty great selling point and Mia wanted to check it out. But right now, she was here alone. She looked back at the great mansion behind her, watching as people stumbled out, pale-faced, while more brave looking souls headed on in. Her attention turned back to her phone. Opening up her group text, she hammered out a reply.

The Dream Dimension Saint Agnes Day (21st January 2019) One benefit of training in the mystic arts was an awareness of when you were dreaming, so it made it difficult to be surprised to enter the dreamscape. So it was a double surprise to Rosa that not only did she go from her meditations, but she was also in a house that looked straight out of the ‘50’s. But her sharp mind wouldn’t allow her to be totally stunned, so she got up from her meditation and began to explore the house. She was of course in the kitchen, full of the wholesome smells of baking cookies, looking to all the world like a wholesome housewife. Rosa, however, knew better, her mystical senses told her she wasn’t who she seemed. The trefoil flames on their gingham dress were a nice touch as well! “I assume I’m here for a good reason?” she took a bite of one of the cookies, luckily here she could eat without problems. “I assume you know about my daughter?” “I believe you have several, all lovely despots I’m sure!” There was a flash of anger in the “mom’s” eye’s, but she bit the anger down with a fake smile. Even without Liam’s social skills, she could read the mood. “One was taken from me before she could complete her training, I need someone to show her the mystical realm. Show her the realm, ending with my own and I’ll give you what you want, freedom from your bounds to Bedlam...”

September 2019 Kord Dormitory Fourth Floor Common Room 3 AM Anyone coming along on the fourth floor common room would have found it a quiet place this evening. The fierce Watchdog, guardian and protector of her sister Daystar, was sound asleep in a dark room, her head pillowed on the arm of the couch, while Judy sat on the other side of her feet. The room was dark, the TV and lights off, but Judy could see fine. She didn't like talking about that - about how she could see in the dark almost as easily during the day, about how her eyes glowed with a silvery-white phosphorescent fire when she did so. Normal people didn't do that. What she did like doing was knitting, a hobby she'd taken to with some enthusiasm on these evenings when Ashley was asleep and she was alone. Well, not entirely alone. The world buzzed with radio chatter here, as everywhere, but she'd learned to tune it out - almost. As her needle worked, she sang a soft acapella in the darkness, "Gonna take my horse to the Old Town Road, gonna ride till I can't no more..."

Mali loved the castle kitchen. It was big enough to move around in, had all the pans she might need, and a commercial grade dishwasher. True, she had to go perusing various Asian markets to get the supplies she liked, but that was fine. Nobody minded if she added a little spice to the pantries. Her mis en place was already in place. Pans, pots, spices, herbs and knives worthy of a chef. So there she was, rocking to the music in her headphones while her knife slid effortlessly through the vegetables. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a rock band logo on it, swaying to the beat. Tofu pad thai, with varying levels of heat. She herself could handle a lot, others not so much. She had bowls set aside and the best rice noodles she could find. She mused, more than once, that if she hadn't been a superhero, she likely would have been a chef. Not that she was as good as a chef, just that she had the passion and drive to become one. She sure hoped people liked dinner, she was told they'd have guests.

Claremont Academy, Room 301 Just after the Krampus Incident "We might have some," Abigail answered Elizabeth as they both stepped clear of the portal in their dorm room. "We can always go out and get more, if we need to." The young mage dismissed her portal with a flick of her hand and hopped up onto her bed, sitting cross-legged in its center. Her eyes unfocused for a moment and her Arcana regalia began to unmake itself and reform into a more sensible slipping off of school grounds after a protracted fight while everyone else is stuck cleaning up afterwards outfit. She was also very much trying to not stare at her roommate who was suddenly very distracting and Abigail didn't understand how, or what, or why that was or what it meant. Instead she just felt her face heating and she kept her eyes down, which in the small room meant she was watching her roommate's legs.

Here is the OOC for this. Hero Points Arcana - 3 Masque - 1 Ouroboros - 3 Veronica - 3 Conditions Arcana - Fine Masque - Fine Ouroboros - Fine Veronica - Fine State of the Sphere. CPU - Kinda intact Forcefield - Intact, Breaking, ? Pinions - Kinda intact, ? Electronic Defense Systems - Offline, Maze-like, Filled with Drones Pillars - Mostly Intact, ? Outer Shell a. - Breached, No ground, Blinding light Outer Shell b. - Breached, Floating islands, Electricity

Magic Club Room, Claremont Academy Bayview, Freedom City, New Jersey Monday, November 5, 2018 5:45:13 PM Nicole Whitfield-Hall slammed Bellios' helm on the school table in front of her, causing it to wobble. She ignored the wobbling, instead turning to meet the eyes of everyone in the room that Claremont's Magic Club called home. It was, as club rooms go, nothing too magical. The walls were painted white and the floor was covered in wood paneling. Light fixtures did a good job of lighting the room in white fluorescent and the windows were open to let the fall air in. Couches and cushions littered one side of the room, fluffy in bright colors. A large whiteboard dominated the opposite side and it was covered from end to end in Nicole's scribbly handwriting -- notes to herself and metaphorica-logic based tandems used to navigate her type of magic. The two wooden tables were pushed to the wall, freeing up the middle for the current occupants, a bunch of monoblock chairs that matched their numbers, and one table in the middle of it all. Nicole's eyes were a little bit crazed, like those of a powered up cultist high on otherworldly drugs and gods. Too much caffeine and too little sleep frayed the edges of her features and she sniveled her nose, ruddy with the cold she had been harboring for the past few days. She was sitting in her wheelchair, in clothes that could have been a day old or three. A gray sweater and blue sweatpants completed the I-just-woke-up look, though for her it might as well have been a I-haven't-slept-for-two-days look. "Right, so, I've gathered yo--" She stoppped, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth just as she sneezed. Taking her hand away with a sniffle, she reached for a handful of tissues to wipe at her nose. There was a few seconds of awkward silence as she did so and pocketed the used tissues before she looked up again to continue her explanation. "Right, so I need your guys' help. And I really need your help so I'm glad that you came here today no matter what we think of each other." And at this she looked pointedly at Huang, before muttering under her breath. "Jerkass." Then she continued, tapping at the helm on the table. The helm gleamed a bright red and their faces were reflected on its purple-tinted visor. "See, Bellios over here has been acting up ever since a thing I did last week, if you know what I mean. Now, I've fixed most of the problems but this last one is tearing my hair out. It's honestly pissing me off and it's been doing so for two nights now. And there's no way I'm going to a faculty member after Summers' drumming after the assembly." She paused and shivered, having experienced how scary Summers could really be in a locked room. Alone. "So," she said, picking up again. "I think you've got the skills. Is why you're here. And the magic obviously, this would be so much more complicated if you aren't. Some of us are touched by magic through the sympathetic bonds you've created with your... things." She threw a thumb at Elizabeth and Veronica. "And some are dripping magic like sweat after P.E." And here she tilted her head towards Abigail. "You're what I got and if you're thinking of walking back out the door right now we can deal. You scratch my back and I scratch yours kind of deal. What do you say?" She met their eyes again, clearly expecting them to either agree or "deal" in her words.

It was shortly after classes had finished the day several of the students had been presented with several ethical questions during philosophy class. Veronica Danger was walking at something of a brisk pace through the Quad from the main classroom building, trying to catch up with one of her fellow students, Abigail Storm. The weather was still warm enough that the teenage Danger was dressed in her typical cargo shorts, this time a brown pair, with a red T-shirt over which she wore a short sleeved tan button up shirt that she wore unbuttoned. "Hey Abby!" She called out as she started to draw near the other girl, which allowed her to more easily catch up with the other teen as she stopped to see who had called her name. "Hey, just wanted to see if you were okay." Veronica said as she drew up alongside Abby. "You seemed to get a bit frazzled toward the end of those questions in philosophy."

Bayview Bowl at the Bayview Mall. Sunday, October 14th, 2018. 5:00 pm As part of the new intramural squad system at Claremont, members of each squad were encouraged not just to compete together, but to socialize together as well. Each squad was issued a list of suggested group activities, and allowed to vote for their preferred outing. And so it was that on a blustery autumn evening, a handful of gifted students were delivered to the local retro bowling alley for a few hours' fun. Bayview Bowl was designed to look like it had been around since the 50s, ancient history for today's kids; it's design featured lots of Formica, polished aluminum and buzzing neon, hallmarks of the Doo Wop style associated with the old Jersey Shore. All the seats were upholstered in red leatherette, and recesssed speakers blared out Bill Haley the Comets' 'Rock Around The Clock'. But despite the nostalgia being layed on with a trowel, the Bayview Bowl was a laid-back establishment that appealed to suburban families and offered affordable entertainment and classic American food like cheeseburgers, chili dogs and big chocolate shakes. "Well, I don't know about y'all," said Lulu Beaumont as she stood inside the lobby, taking in the crashing of the pins and the smells of hot nachos. "But a'hm gonna eat like a pig!"

Arcana Power Level: 10 [12] (157/196 PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 39pp In Brief: Just a girl, torn between two magical legacies, writing friendfic and posting it to tumblr. Alternate Identities: Abigail Storm (Secret), Abigail Eldrich (Secret) Birthplace: the Netherworld Occupation: Student, Apprentice Mage Affiliations: None Family: Una the Unrelenting (Mother), Adrian Eldrich (Father), Daniel Storm (Adoptive/Surrogate Dad) Age: 16 Gender: Female Height: 5'7" Weight: 140 lbs. Eyes: Green Hair: Black Abigail is taller than average with a lithe build. She has narrow, silver-flecked emerald green eyes and freckled, lightly tanned skin. She has hip-length, raven black hair tucked neatly behind her ears. She has a delicately featured, heart-shaped face, well-defined hawkish nose and classically elegant, chiseled high cheekbones. She favors dark clothing and wears little in the way of jewelry, with the exception of a simple silver pendant depicting a circle inside of a triangle. Her outfit as Arcana is transmuted from her own clothing, and is a dark grey hooded cloak with a silver threaded hem over a similarly colored bodysuit. Woven into the shoulders of her mantle is the symbol of The Modrossus while an enchantment on her outfit causes the cloaks cowl to completely obscure her face, rendering it as a black silhouette with glowing green eyes. Motes of light dance around her when she wields her magic, shifting in hue and luminosity depending on the elemental nature or strength of the spell. History: Much of Abigail's early childhood was being honed into a weapon, or at the very least a tool, to crack open the defenses of Earth Prime and open the way for her mother. It wasn't a nurturing environment in the traditional sense but Abigail, like her sisters, didn't know anything else and so they lived for the approval of their mother and mentor. When Abigail was around eight she was sent to Earth Prime to foster among Una's supporters in the magical community, those that thought they would have a place of power and authority in the Netherworld but that never happened. Instead Daniel Storm of True North, Phantom the Gatekeeper and Eldritch the Master Mage of Earth Prime (and her own father), intercepted Abigail's arrival. She spent several years living with Daniel Storm, even adopting his surname as a cover identity, and learning through his gruff tutelage how to be a kid before eventually moving to Freedom City to live with her father and attending the Nicholson School before moving on to Claremont Academy. When her father died and Phantom took over his Mantle, Abigail felt a little adrift, but the new Master Mage and her family as well as Daniel Storm (and his collection of misfit "children") served to anchor her. She still struggles with the loss, but her mother didn't mold her into someone that gave up easy. Personality & Motivation: Abigail just wants to live her life on her own terms. She realizes that, considering who her mother and father are, this is an impossible dream but that just makes her more determined to make it true. Someone will always have designs for her future, either her own mother (and her supporters) or former foes of her father that believe she'll pick up where her father left off. For now she merely wishes to be a good student, both of the Claremont Academy and of the current Master Mage. Abby is generally soft-spoken and uncomfortable in the spotlight, even if she's still rather personable and quick to make friends. Her secret pleasure is to write stories and make little drawings of her friends or personal heroes, though she'd probably die from embarrassment if some of her more private works got leaked. Powers & Tactics: Arcana attempts to stay at range and blast the target and otherwise shape the field of conflict to aid her allies and hinder her enemies. She relies entirely upon her magic, and isn't really capable of defending herself in a melee or in a scenario where she can't employ spells. While she is capable of raining down considerably destruction, she prefers a more precise application of power though in the end her thought process is very pragmatic when it comes time to do battle. Complications: Crowned: Whenever Abigail drifts towards emotional extremes, a phantom image of Una's Three-Flames Crown appears above her head. Keystone: As the child of Earth Master Mage and the Queen of the Netherworld many believe Arcana to be a conduit that could allow them access to those dread powers and even allow the Netherworld to subsume Prime. They may be wrong, but that doesn't make them any less likely to entertain nefarious designs involving her. Netherborn: To the magically aware Arcana's spells have an otherworldly undertone to them. Her magic would feel familiar to those that know (and have possibly encountered) Una. Reactions would be varied but invariably it would be attention that Arcana would not want. Wallflower: Abigail doesn't do well in front of, or in the middle of, crowds and has a tendency to freeze up especially if the situation is stressful. This carries over to finding non-violent confrontation difficult to handle; she has a tendency to misspeak when trying to deescalate things and ends up making them worse. Abilities: -2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 22PP Strength: 8 (-1) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +6 Base, +10 Ranged (+6 Base, +4 Attack Focus) Grapple: +5 Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -7 Saving Throws: 4 + 4 + 6 = 14PP Toughness: +10 (Impervious 5) (+2 Con, +8 Force-Field) Fortitude: +6 (+2 Con, +4) Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will: +9 (+3 Wis, +6) Skills: 48R = 12PP Bluff 8 (+10, Skill Mastery) Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 4 (+6) Knowledge: Arcane 8 (+11, Skill Mastery) Knowledge: Theology 8 (+11) Notice 4 (+7, Skill Mastery) Sense Motive 4 (+7, Skill Mastery) Sleight of Hand 4 (+6) Feats: 25PP All-Out Attack Attack Focus: Ranged 4 Dodge Focus 4 Eidetic Memory Equipment 3 Fearless Luck 2 Power Attack Precise Shot 2 Quick Change 2 Skill Mastery (Bluff, Knowledge: Arcane, Notice, Sense Motive) Teamwork 3 Equipment: 3R = 15 EP Headquarters [15EP] (Toughness 15 [2EP]), Size: Medium (Huge Inside) [3EP], Features [10EP] (Concealed [DC +10], Dimensional Portal, Dual Size, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Security System [DC 20], Self-Repairing, Workshop Powers: 29 + 13 + 3 + 5 + 10 = 60PP Array 13 (26PP, Feats: Alternate Powers 3) [29PP] (Arcane Arsenal; magic) BP: Damage 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Feats: Indirect 3 [Any Point, Any Direction], Variable Descriptor 2 [Any Magic]) [25PP] (Arcane Blast, magic) AP: Damage 10 (Extras: Area [General, Shapeable], Feats: Variable Descriptor 2 [Any Magic]) [22PP] (Arcane Wave, magic) AP: Create Object 7 (Extras: Duration [Continuous], Feats:Precise, Selective, Variable Descriptor 2 [Any Magic]) [25PP] (Arcane Construct, magic) AP: Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 [Any Element]) [23PP] (Elemental Manipulation, magic) Protection 8 (Extras: Force Field, Impervious 5) [13PP] (Spell Shield; magic) Super-Senses 3 (Magic Awareness [Mental]) [3PP] (Arcane Acuity; training) Teleport 1 (100 ft; Feats Change Direction, Change Velocity, Turnabout) [5PP] (Blink; magic) Variable Power 1 (5PP Variable Pool, Any Combination of Traits, Extras: Action 2 [Free]) [10PP] (Cantrips; magic) Obscure 5 (One Sense [Normal Vision]) [5PP] Environmental Control 3 (Light; Extras: Independent, Total Fade, Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Slow Fade 2 [5 Minutes]) [5PP] Comprehend 2 (Speak All, Understand All) [4PP] Drawbacks: -0PP None DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 14 Toughness (Staged) Damage Arcane Blast Ranged DC 25 Toughness (Staged) Damage Arcane Wave Touch/Area (Shapeable) DC 25 Toughness (Staged) Damage Totals: Abilities (22) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (12) + Feats (25) + Powers (60) - Drawbacks (0) = 157 / 196 Power Points