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Thanksgiving 2018 Nightingale's warehouse Nicci's place had advantages over Anna's - it was bigger, cleaner, and you didn't need to start generators to turn on the lights. It was a good place for Thanksgiving dinner, and so it was tonight. Anna was at the head of the table, her hair up and wearing the pseudo-Victorian dress Nicci liked, looking down at a table that seemed, well, not exactly like her family but was close enough for now. There was Esperanza on one side, her styled hair dyed a mix of red and black that matched her crimson shirt and black dress, Jason across the table, the two of them shooting each other looks like feuding siblings, and Nicci next to Anna herself. Anna had had big plans to make a Honduran Thanksgiving for her sidekick's benefit, but an irritated Esperanza had fired back that her mom had never bothered with that stuff anyway. So instead they had what could optimistically be described as an all-American Thanksgiving; roast turkey and cranberry from the can, stuffing from the box and mashed potatoes from same, and a sweet potato casserole Anna had picked up somewhere that had marshmellows cooked brown on top. Esperanza was eating and not saying much; which was about as good as it got. It was going to be a good day. Anna reached under the table and squeezed Nicci's hand, smiling at her. "Happy Thanksgiving, honey," she said softly. Maybe nothing here was on the menu for Nicci - but she was going to make sure Nicci ate well that night.

Wading Station, North End, Freedom City 7:30 pm 4th September 2018 It had taken a year to arrange everyone schedules, mostly it's was true Lucy's schedule, but finally, they were free to take there road trip across the country. The place that she'd chosen to meet up with Nicole was Wadling station and old Art Deco station that she remembered from her breathing life, the contrast between that and the modern building just reminded her how her life was now. With her standard sunglasses, she lent on the body of the car that they'd be using for this road trip, a '63 soft top Corvette in black, obvious her assistances idea of a joke. It was probably lucky that she couldn't find a Model T-Ford car or this trip would have taken so much longer.

Fall 2018 A Sunday evening The secret headquarters of Lady Horus Wadjet had taken Anna's departure to go pick up Chromium as a good occasion to break down her gun and rework its parts, something Nicola knew by now meant the girl didn't want to talk. She usually didn't. She was near the skylight of Old Main, the glass open to allow for Lady Horus's return, the lunch Anna had picked up from Five Guys not quite cooling yet as it sat on a table she'd pushed out for the meeting. "So. You and the old lady," she looked up from her work at Nicola, who Anna had invited over to meet the new guy "and make sure he ain't got no bad intentions." Anna had gone all out for the troubled teen who was about to move in with them, clearing out a space opposite from where Anna and Esperanza's rooms were. "Good for her." Esperanza's hair had grown out a bit since Nicola had first met her, though it was still short enough that it didn't reach the nape of her neck. - Out by the dockyards, Chromium had been asked to wait for his "ride" to Anna and Esperanza's secret headquarters - so here he was, the Sunday evening crowd light enough that even he attracted relatively little notice.

Near Calavera Cantina 1st September 21:00 CDT, 20:00 EDT Every city had a place like this, a place where people hadn't passed on peaceful and the living feared to tread. Those who knew where to look might be able to find a door to a cantina that served the most exclusive clientele. One of that clientele walked through the quiet streets of Freedom City, without any fear from the streets she was transversing. To be fair since she'd returned to the city Lucy Harker, who very rarely went by the name Revenant, didn't really fear anything. In fact, she was pretty excited for the chance to meet up with her friend Nicola that recently moved to another city, and whilst phones were fine it always nice to meet in person. And thanks to both of their unique status they could use this mysterious cantina to meet up easily to catch up on things.

Summer 2018 Outside the foundry. Anna hesitated a moment before knocking, picked up her commlink, and spoke into it all of a sudden - "You ain't back there watchin' me go about my business, are ya?" After a moment's pause, her sidekick's voice came back, sounding amused. "Business?" "Ah...damn kids!" Anna muttered before she tucked the commlink back into the pocket of her black skirt and knocked on Nicola's front door. It had been a couple of months since Anna and Esperanza had permanently moved out of Nicola's headquarters, out to the facility at Belcher College that the two of them had renovated into a headquarters for Lady Horus and her sidekick Wadjet. They hadn't seen much of each other since. Anna shifted where she stood, running her hand up through her short blonde hair, and then knocked again.

Celestial Spirit Fellowship Tuesday, July 10th, 2017 7:32 PM The heat was breaking as the sun dragged down towards the horizon. But it still felt hot enough to light a fuse. Samantha Lemire sat on a graffiti-splattered bench in front of the shelter, nursing a cigarette like a shipwrecked man might nurse clean water. She looked out on the dirty street as the lamps flickered and fought against the twilight. As a charity worker in the Country Club, Sam had seen a lot and handled half of it with her own two hands. On a number of those occasions, she'd wished she'd had thicker gloves. But she knew what it was like to get her hands dirty and deal with the muck of the world. Not like this, though. This was something else entirely. She fought against her nerves as the steel door to the shelter scraped open. She turned to find Michael, one of the volunteers, waiting in the frame. "They show up yet?" "No. How's our... guest?" "He's fine. Sleeping it off, for now. As for the rest of him --" "Just focus on the bit that's sleeping. The others?" "They're fine, for now. If he wakes up..." Sam shook her head. "I gave him enough Benadryl that he could sleep through the Fourth of July." "You could have used the Haldol --" "There are people who need that. And he's not mad. As we know it." She turned back to the street, waiting for her guests. "Mind you, I'm sure these guys know it better..."

Okay, initiative time: Lady Horus: 35 Stabbo the Clown: 34 Nightingale: 28 Thugs: 7 Lady Horus: Move Action 1: Enter the bedroom and return (interrupted w/Move-By Action) Move Action 2: Don her Lady Horus helm and transform Free Action: Activate Concealment 10 She'll surge (and hold her action), readying an attack vs. anything that attacks Esperanza Stabbo the Clown: Move Action: Enter the kitchen! Free Action: Activates Concealment Standard Action: he'll prepare a standard action to attack Lady Horus when she appears! Nightingale is up as soon as I post IC!

St. Sebastian's Church Monday, December 1st 6:52 PM Eric LaCroix wasn't really much for church. He wasn't an agnostic or anything - when you'd seen all the things he'd seen, and even gone up to Heaven once, it was a bit hard to just bury your head in the sand and pretend that there was no higher order to things. His position was both political and sentimental. For one thing, when you dealt with as many entities that claimed divinity as he did, it looked a bit weird to hitch your cart to one horse - and even weirder to hitch it to two or three. For another thing, these days, he didn't really find the community in church that he had as a child. Back then, it was coming together to proclaim the mystery of faith. But nowadays, it didn't really seem like much of a mystery. But there were some things that still drew his attention towards the church from time to time. Like, say, arriving back in the West End after a bracing day of work, only to find a crowd of people and three news vans outside of St. Sebastian's. Night had already fallen, and the New Jersey winter was blowing hard, but that wasn't deterring people. Eric pushed his way through the crowd, hearing psnippets along the way. "Can you believe...?" "...a trick, maybe, or..." "...no, a miracle, don't you see, it's..." After a good few minutes, Eric finally got a glimpse through the open doors. He didn't get much farther, as a security cordon had already been set up. But in one of the eaves of the church, he could see a state of the Virgin Mary, her arms spread wide in supplication. And tears of blood running from her eyes. Something about the miraculous sight tickled the back of Eric's eyes. There was something going on here, something beyond trickery or hoaxes. But was it really a miracle? Maybe, once the crowds had thinned, he'd be able to come back and give it a closer look...

Rio Branco Avenue Rio de Janeiro, Brazil December 25th, 2014 5:25 PM local time Nick Cimitiere's jacket was tempered for heat and cold, meaning he didn't need to forgo protection - or mystique - based on the temperature. But the humidity of the Rio summer was still getting to him. The whole city was strung out for Christmas, but the tilt of the earth meant it felt more like the height of July back home. Speaking of back home... he'd told his family he'd be out of town for a few days, but would be back for Christmas. He always hated to lie to his family about these matters. Four years home from college, eight years as a superhero, and he still hadn't come clean about meddling in the affairs of life and death. But some matters of death were more important than matters of life. There had been a number of disappearances in Rio over the past few weeks. People from all walks of life had left messages for their family and friends, saying they were going to "a better place," and then had vanished entirely. Fortunatus, a local seer and fate manipulator who Nick had partnered with on a particularly tough job years ago, had given him a call about the matter. "The path is clouded to me," he had said. "I see that they are gone, but I cannot see where they have gone and who led them there. I fear this may be more your department than mine." "Anything else you can tell me?" "Just one thing. There are a number of 'great bumps' on the horizon." "Great bumps" was Fortunatus's term for a confluence of random factors that could spell either windfall or disaster. Nick had no idea where it came from. "I have one that I must handle myself, as it involves plucking the threads of chance like a harp. But I can see that these disappearances will not stop soon, and may breed a catastrophe of their own if unimpeded." And so, after spreading the word amongst the community and walking the back roads of reality, Nick had found himself walking a beat in paradise. Those who had gone seemed to be truly gone - after visiting their residences and the local cemeteries, he could find no trace of the vanished having left ghosts. Then again, he wasn't the only one on the beat. "How's it coming on your end?" he asked over the comms relics he'd handed out.

GM The Greenbank was a wreck of crumbling buildings and old railroads. More than a few of Freedom Cities homeless lived here. Many ill, in body and mind. Many lonely, many desperate. Young and old, men and women, and every race of earth. Possibly, even races other than earth. This was Freedom City, after all. The Mission of Mercy was a charitable mobile medical unit, run by volunteers, to try and give at least basic medical care to the homeless, some who were extremely ill. Run by a nun, a pair of nurses, and a rotating number of doctors who gave up their free time, it was well received, and at least made a little difference to a few lives. It saved more than a few. And Mad Jake, the hobo who was suitably mad, was stumbling scared from it. He had seen some crazy things in his time. Why, a few months ago he had sworn he had seen somebody open up the "Grin and Bear it" building, and descend into its basement. But then, he was blind drunk, and, he had to admit it, pretty loopy. He was frightened out of his wits, stumbling in the dark, vodka bottle in hand, tumbling, stumbling, and running from the Greenbanks, towards the Fens, and shouting to the world... "The Devil! I saw the Devil! Drinking blood!" he screamed in fear.

OOC for a grimdark spooky adventure for Nightingale and Revenant. Well Informed + Gather Information, or alternatively Knowledge [streetwise] for the Mission of Mercy DC 10: Its a Catholic Funded charity, giving medical care to the homeless. DC 15: It does a lot of life saving work. It is a mobile Infirmary well equipped, staffed by doctor, nurse. DC 20: It is run by the meek and lovely Sister Fenton, a nun of the Catholic Church, who also used to be a nurse. DC 25: It has well stocked blood supplies, rather unusually. For plot purposes, Nightingale will certainly know a rumour (your choice how to narrate the knowledge) that the Mission of Mercy has a ton of blood and is not well protected. You may, or may not know, that it would be unusual, but not implausible, to do so.

Nightingale Power Level: 8 / 13 (180/215PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 35 In Brief: A thief turned religious sister turned vampire turned thief turned hero. Alternate Identities: Nicola "Nick" Cervenka Identity: Secret Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic Occupation: Nurse Affiliations: None Family: None Age: 21 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'10" Weight: 135 Eyes: Grey Hair: Dark Brown, often dyed. Even before she was transformed into a vampire Nicola was a pale skinned brunette whose height, gray eyes and slender build would have turned more than a few heads. She carries herself with unshakable calm and moves with a preternatural--and almost predatory--grace that carries over as an uncanny stillness, though in manner she is warm and inviting. Nicola doesn't confine herself to one particular fashion or style, wearing what she feels like, and sometimes dying her hair to match (or as the mood takes her.) The one ubiquitous accessory that is nearly always in her possession is the rosary she held from her all-too-brief service to the church. Heroics, on the other hand, call for a certain look. Wearing dark clothing shrouded in a black long coat, Nightingale seeks to invoke the intimidating style of the eighties and early nineties, while also giving a nod to the fashions of private detectives. Sometimes she even wears sunglasses at night. History: My name is Nicola, and despite appearances to the contrary, I am not a monster. "Willful," the school administrators called me, which was a polite way of saying stubborn and opinionated, and though I wasn't fully aware of it at the time I knew it caused no end of frustration for my parents. That being said the first thirteen years of my life were fairly ordinary, and that chapter of my life closed with a fairly ordinary car accident. There isn't much to say about the time between the car accident to the time I felt I could do better or my own. That "willfulness" again I suppose, but by the age of 16 I was eking out a living on the streets of Prague doing an odd job here or there but mainly I was a thief. There were some hard lessons to learn, and the first I learned was that it was "safer" (relatively speaking) to be a boy, and with my frame it was certainly easy to disguise myself as one which worked well for a time. Then I met Kveta. She was a little older than me, a few years I think, and had been at the game longer than I was. She was also quick, smart, charming, and one hell of a thief and I found myself pulled into her orbit. She taught me a lot and, gradually I came to love her. In hindsight, that's probably not what it was, but I was young and convinced and, well, love is a weird thing--the one you love is either completely incapable of wrong and you don't dwell too much on their actions or you do the complete opposite. Writing that down, that sounds more like obsession. Which, yeah, fits. I never really thought about the other girls, and some boys, Kveta recruited. I didn't really think of it as recruiting, but sure enough there was soon a small gang of us. And some of the things we were doing changed and instead of being on our own we took jobs for the Bratva, petty theft started to give way to higher and higher stakes; picking pockets gave way to cracking safes and.. well.. I ended up in prison. My stay was comparatively short, most of the evidence against me turned up missing, but I started to have doubts about the direction of my life. I started talking to a Catholic deacon, and as terribly cliché as this sounds, I found a new path to follow. When I was released, with the help and recommendation of Deacon Anatoli I joined a local convent as a novice sister. The work was good, my life was in general looking better, and the other sisters did not judge me for my past. I say was, because one night a stranger came to our door seeking shelter from a storm. Something seemed off about the man, and my old instincts warned against allowing him in, but before I could say anything the man identifying himself as "МаÑтер," was invited in. Then all hell broke loose as he tore the throat out of the sister that invited him in. The other sisters scattered, terrified but I was, perhaps, a bit stupid. I kicked him, I punched him, I grabbed him and slammed his face against the brick wall and... and he laughed at me. Moving faster than I could follow, I felt a sudden impact before my vision went black. The state of the convent when I woke was the stuff of nightmares, and I'll spare you the details of the grisly scene and the discovery of my own changes, suffice to say that I still pray that God will one day reveal why he allows creatures such as I. I've had to resort to theft again, to eat, to live. The alternative is not an option I want to take. I'm not sure why I was spared (if you can call it that,) but I will find this "Master" and put an end to him. I've caught a trace of him in Freedom City, in America, which is in a way to my benefit. I might be able to find allies, even friends, and it is a city where I can do some good. Personality & Motivation: Nicola is... complicated. She is determined to find--and possibly unmake--the person who made her what she is, not for her sake but so that it doesn't happen to others. Though she hides it behind an aloof--sometimes cold--exterior, a strong altruistic streak runs through Nightingale; she doesn't have much but what she has she'll give to others if their need is great. Nicola isn't suicidal, in the eyes of the faith she still clings to such a thing is a sin, though she's prone to bouts of melancholy when she stops to consider what she has become which tends to make her a little eager to be the martyr. She still clings to her faith, if only by the fingertips, but she wonders why God would even allow creatures such as she. Powers & Tactics: As both a vampire and a blood mage, Nicola has a number of physical or magical means to track, subdue or otherwise function as a hero. She has a limited focus in her blood magic on manipulating the blood directly, preferring to concentrate on the more on the familial and social relationships of blood magic, and the breakdown of those relationships. Complications: I Never Drink... Wine: Nightingale can only survive off of blood, normal foods do nothing for her and in some cases make her ill! However if blood is mixed in with the foods she can eat them without being sick. She still gains no nourishment from it, though in the case of alcohol it'd at least allow her to feel the effects. Tarnished: Before she was a religious sister Nicola was a thief. Not a particularly good thief, nor a particularly bad one, but one that didn't quite respect international borders--and would occasionally work for those of dubious character, like the Russian mob for instance. Interpol has a file on her, and watches her movements. Literally A Monster: Vampire Blood Mage; not a combination of attributes that has the best of reputations. Sun Sensitive: While the sun isn't deadly to Nicola, she does find prolonged exposure to be uncomfortable and sufficiently long periods are painful with the headaches they produce. Sudden exposure to bright sunlight can also be particularly distracting though the effect can be mitigated somewhat with eye protection. Abilities: Strength: 26 (+8) Dexterity: 28 (+9) Constitution: - (-5) Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 24 PP Initiative: +9 Attack: +8 Grapple: +16 Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 7 = 7PP Toughness: +8 (+8 Protection) Fortitude: Immune Reflex: +9 (+9 Dex, +0) Will: +8 (+1 Will, +7) Skills: 108 Ranks/27 PP Acrobatics 6 (+15) Bluff 9 (+12, +16 Attractive) Diplomacy 9 (+12, +16 Attractive) Disable Device 11 (+15) Drive 1 (+10) Gather Information 2 (+5) Investigate 6 (+10) Knowledge: Arcane Lore 6 (+10) Knowledge: Streetwise 3 (+7) Knowledge: Theology 3 (+7) Language 2 (Czech [Native], English, Russian) Medicine 4 (+5) Notice 9 (+10) Perform: Percussion 4 (+7) Search 6 (+10) Sense Motive 9 (+10) Sleight of Hand 6 (+15) Stealth 12 (+21) Feats: 14 PP All-Out Attack Attractive Dodge Focus 4 Evasion 2 Fascinate: Diplomacy Fearless Power Attack Ritualist Takedown Attack 1 Uncanny Dodge: Olfactory Equipment: None Powers: 68 PP Blood Magic 5 (10PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [14 PP] BP: Damage 8 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Flaws: Distracting, Requires Grapple, Feats: Insidious, Subtle) linked Boost 12 (Single Trait [Regeneration], Extras: Affects Objects [Only], Flaws: Personal, Source [blood]) [10 PP] AP: Healing 8 (Flaws: Tiring, Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [10 PP] AP: Move Object 8 (Strength 40 [Heavy Load: 3.2 tons], Extras: Range [Perception], Flaws: Limited [Objects/Individuals with Blood], Extra Save [Fortitude], Feats: Precise) [9 PP] AP: Sensory Link 8 (2000 Miles, Flaws: Distracting, Feats: Subtle 2) [10 PP] AP: Super-Senses 4 (Postcognition, Flaws: Source [blood]) and Mind Reading 8 (Extras: Action [Move/Standard], Flaws: Duration [instant/Lasting], Range 2 [Touch], Source [blood], Feats: Subtle 2) [6 PP] Immunity 30 (Fortitude Save) [30 PP] Protection 8 (+8 Toughness) [8 PP] Regeneration 6 (Recovery Bonus +5 [+0 Total], Resurrection 1 [week], Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses, Blood Recharges]) [3 PP] Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2 PP] Super-Senses 6 (Blood Awareness [Olfactory, Very Common Descriptor], Acute, Tracking 2 [Normal Speed]) [6 PP] Enhanced Physiology 1 (5PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [5 PP] Leaping 1 (x2 [Running Long Jump: 30 ft.]) Speed 2 (25 MPH, 250 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 1 (Slow Fall) Drawbacks: -0PP None DC Block: [table]ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECTUnarmed Touch DC 23 Toughness (Staged) Damage Damage 8 Touch DC 23 Toughness (Staged) Damage Healing 8 Touch DC 18 Fortitude (Harmless) Healing Mind Reading 8 Touch DC 18 Willpower Mind Reading Move Object 8 Perception DC 18 Fortitude Move Object Sensory Link 8 2000 Miles DC 18 Willpower ESP [/table] Totals: Abilities (40) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (7) + Skills (27) + Feats (14) + Powers (68) - Drawbacks (0) = 180/215 Power Points