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GM 3PM, August 28th, 2020 Silberman's Northwest, Emerald City Silberman's Northwest was a nice place, even if it was very different from the original Silberman's back in Freedom City. Gretchen McDaniels, otherwise known as the Shrike, was, of course, retired. She had left Freedom for Emerald to get out of the hero life, but some times, you just couldn't. She had met Robin Lynne Langley on a few occasions. She had become a regular at Silberman's Northwest, and about a year before, she and Gretchen had shared an adventure into a magic book that was some knock off of the Wizard of Oz. They had managed to escape, and they had kicked ass and taken names, but even as they learned each others secret identities, Robin had respected Gretchen's choice to not be a hero anymore. Of course, things were different now, and Emerald needed all the heroes they could get...

OOC for this. @Heritage @Cubismo I'll let you know once the initial setup is over and Justice and Shrike goes looking for Ultra Girl.

Player Name: Heritage Character Name: The Shrike Power Level: 10/12 (180/198PP) Tradeoffs: Defense +3/Toughness -3 Unspent PP: 18 In Brief: Snarky barista/musician wielding magical artifacts. Alternate Identity: Gretchen McDaniels Identity: Secret Birthplace: Portland, ME Area of Operations: Emerald City, OR Occupation: Barista/bookseller/personal crime-fighting assistant Affiliations: Grimalkin, Silberman's Books Family: Evelyn Woolsey (mother, deceased), Mark McDaniels (father), Caroline Clement (aunt), Lynn Epstein (girlfriend) DOB: November 21, 1991 Gender: Female Height: 5'1" (5'4" in costume) Weight: 113 lbs. Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Gretchen is an attractive young woman in her mid-twenties; she tends to keep her brown hair loose, and has a lightly-muscled athletic build. She has several tattoos on her body, including bars of music on both forearms, inspirational lyrics on various parts of her torso, and the words 'The Future Is Unwritten' on the four knuckles of her left hand. Her ears bear multiple piercings, mostly a mix of rings and ear spikes. Gretchen usually doesn't wear much makeup, but she experiments with lips gloss and eyeliner. As far as clothing goes, she sort of falls into the 'hipster chick' look, mostly because she just hits the same resale shops she favored as a FreeSA student, so comfortable jeans, hi-tops, combat boots, fatigue jackets, plaid shirts, t-shirts, vests, etc. When she's feeling frisky, she'll show some skin (typically a more revealing top), but if she's feeling antisocial, she'll dress down. She often wears rings and bracelets, but always has a silver ring with a large red stone on her left index finger. The Shrike is a mysterious figure wrapped in black; her costume is a mostly black armored jumpsuit with silver accents, topped with a hawk-like silver half-face mask bearing a large ruby in the middle of her forehead. Her heavy reinforced boots add three inches to her height to make her slightly more intimidation, and her gloves are padded for extra protection. A black hooded cloak reaches down to her ankles; the hood helps to hide her features a bit better, and the cloak softens her outline in the shadows. A small carbon fiber shield is strapped to her right arm, which she keeps on her back when not in use. A silver ring with another ruby is visible on the index finger of her left gloved hand. History: For most of her life, Gretchen McDaniels has been disappointed; by a father who abandoned her mother to raise a child alone, by a world that seems more concerned with money than reducing human suffering, and by a music industry obsessed with churning out catchy crap. Growing up in Portland, Maine, young Gretchen was drawn to the performing arts from an early age; her mother Evelyn was a successful attorney specializing in labor law, and though their family was small it was full of love, and the budding musician never lacked for love and encouragement. There were piano lessons and violin recitals, and Evelyn couldn't be prouder. But then when Gretchen was fourteen, her mother was killed in an accident while driving home in a New England ice storm; with her father nowhere in sight, it was decided it would be best for the girl to live with her free-wheeling aunt Caroline in Freedom City. Moving to a much larger city during her freshman year of high school, especially right have her mother's tragic death, proved to be particularity painful for the introverted girl, and she began to slowly build walls around herself. However Caroline, who was also musically inclined, offered something to Gretchen to help with the pain: classic punk rock. The anger, passion and energy of the music struck a chord with the unhappy girl, and even though she often struggled to express her grief and frustration through words, she could always turn to punk to feel better Eventually graduating from FreeSA with a degree in Musical Performance, Gretchen found her BFA opened a few doors but didn't lead to steady employment, so like many recent college graduates she turned to the world of retail to make ends meet. She frequently found herself 'working with idiots to serve idiots', and her dry humor and rather surly demeanor did little to enamor her to either her coworkers or customers. In time she got a job at Slberman's Books in the West End, and her life has never been the same. Due to a rather bizarre set of circumstances, Gretchen now bears the Gifts of the Magi, once borne by Lynn's great-grandfather Ira Silberman, aka the Amazing Al-Kazar; these two magical artifacts adapt to their user, so her costumed identity is very different from her predecessor's. After having been in a committed, very intimate relationship with Lynn for over two years, Gretchen felt the need to make a change; it's not that her feelings for Lynn had lessened; in fact, they'd grown more intense. But Gretchen nonetheless felt the desire to get some space, to work through some things, and do some solo crime-fighting on her own. After much discussion over the course of a long summer road trip, Gretchen and Lynn came to an agreement. Gretchen would help open a new Silverman's Books location in Emerald City, under her own management and operation. The two would still remain dating, but had permission to see other people, though they would still be very much a couple connected by strands of magic. This whole situation is very new, but Gretchen hopes it will help her shake off the feeling that she is being smothered by someone she loves. After a year, both parties will review the situation and go from there. Personality & Motivation: Gretchen is keenly aware of life's injustices, but for most of her life, she felt powerless to do anything about it; but now, inspired by her mysterious employer Lynn Epstein, she found that she can make a difference in small ways, and as the equally mysterious Shrike, she can do even more! Her attitude is frequently seen as caustic or sarcastic, but it secretly hides a big caring heart that she tries to wall off from the dangers and disappointments of the world. Though she doesn't like to use labels like 'bisexual', Gretchen has dated both men and women in her life; she finds men to be uncomplicated and easier to get along with, but women to be more challenging and rewarding in the long run. In any event, she's never been very good at maintaining long-term relationships, due to her extremely guarded and somewhat negative attitude. Powers & Tactics: The Shrike's combination of flight, stealth and ranged attacks make her an ideal infiltrator and combat 'sniper', and the psychokinetic power of the ring allows her to grab and detain foes as well as move objects and remove obstacles with ease. The Gifts are now better attuned to her personality, unlocking several new powers, including creating a sort of 'magic grenade' and allowing her to become immaterial, abilities that greatly increases her combat flexibility. Since losing the Cloak of Mystery, Gretchen's supplemented her magical devices with tactical gear, including armor and several varieties of handmade, non-lethal grenades. Complications: Give a Guy a Break: Gretchen has a tendency to not take men super-seriously, seeing them as rather uncomplicated creatures; this underestimation may cost her. I Don't Like Labels: Gretchen has dated both men and women in her life, though never for very long; this attitude may bother those with more traditional values. Secret Identity: The Shrike has been told how important it is to maintain a secret identity, especially if you're not a shapeshifter! The Distance Between Us: Gretchen and Lynn are attempting maintain an open, long-distance relationship assisted by magic. It's challenging and very much I'm work in progress Abilities: 2 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 26PP Strength: 12 (+1) [Heavy Load: 130 lbs.] Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 24 = 36PP Initiative: +3 Attack: +6 Ranged, +6 Melee, +10 Ring of Power Grapple: +7, +16 Ring of Power Defense: +12 (+13 w/Shield) Knockback: -10 (-1 without Cloak) Saving Throws: 8 + 7 + 8 = 23PP Toughness: +2/+7 (+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll, +3 Protection [EP]) Fortitude +10 (+2 Con, +8) Reflex +10 (+3 Dex, +7) Will +10 (+2 Wis, +8) Skills: 152R = 38PP Bluff 8 (+10) Computers 12 (+15)* Craft: Chemical 2 (+5) Craft: Electronics 12 (+15)* Disable Device 12 (+15)* Drive 2 (+5) Gather Information 3 (+5) Investigate 7 (+10) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Current Events) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Tactics) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Technology) 7 (+10)* Medicine 3 (+5) Notice 8 (+10) Perform (Keyboards) 13 (+15) Perform (Singing) 13 (+15) Perform (Stringed Instruments) 13 (+15) Search 7 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: 8PP Attack Specialization 2 (Ring of Power) Defensive Roll 2 Improvised Tools Inventor Precise Shot Skill Mastery* Equipment: 0PP (40EP from Rewards) Silberman's Northwest (PL10 HQ) [15EP] Size: Small [0EP] Toughness: +5 [0EP] Features: [15EP] Communications Computer Cover Facility (Bookstore) Fire Prevention System Library Living Space Powers 6 (144PP, see below) Security System 2 (DC 25) Workshop  Shrike's Gear Armored Jumpsuit 3EP Small Shield 1EP Laptop 1EP Tactical Harness [20EP Utility Belt] Tear Gas grenade (ME: Dazzle 4 + Nauseate Explosion 4) [18EP] Flash-Bang grenade (AP: Dazzle Burst 4) [1EP] Smoke grenade (AP: Obscure 2 [visual])[1EP] Powers: 17 + 32 = 49PP (All have Magic descriptor) Device 4 (Helm of Truth, Magical Helmet, 20PP, Power Feat: Subtle. Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [17PP] Comprehend 2 (All Codes and Written Languages) [4PP] Super-Senses 16 (Danger Sense, Magic Awareness [Visual, Analytic, Extended, Tracking], Vision Counters Concealment, Illusion, and Obscure [All]) [16PP] Device 9 (Ring of Power, Magical Ring, 40PP, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [32PP] Magic Blast Array 10 (23PP Array, Feat: Alternate Power 3) [26PP] Base Power: Ranged Damage 10 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise) [23PP] Alternate Power: Ranged Burst Damage 6 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Selective, Triggered 2) [1PP] Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Strength 50, Heavy Load: 12 tons. Power Feats: Precise, Subtle) [1PP] Alternate Power: Insubstantial 4 (Power Feats: Selective, Subtle 2) [1PP] Dimensional Pocket 1 (Flaw: Limited [Storage only], 100 lbs.) [1PP]  Flight 5 (250 mph) (Power Feats: Subtle 2) [12PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communication Link [with Grimalkin]) [1PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC16 Toughness Damage (Physical) Blast Ranged DC25 Toughness Damage (Physical) Flash-Bang Ranged DC14 Reflex Dazzled Magic Bomb Ranged DC21 Toughness Damage (Physical) Smoke Grenade Ranged - - - Obscure (visual) Tear Gas Ranged DC14 Reflex Dazzled and Nauseated TOTALS: Abilities 26 + Combat 36 + Saving Throws 23 + Skills 38 + Feats 8 + Powers 49 - Drawbacks 0 = 180/198 Power Points

GM Riverfront August 9th 2019, 4 PM The Riverfront district was as busy as ever on the Friday afternoon. City officials trying to get the last bit of work done before the weekend, locals and visitors starting their weekend in the nearby culture centers and the Yellow Brick Row shopping complex. Traffic had slowed down considerably. Everyone wanted to go somewhere. All in all, a typical Friday afternoon in Emerald City. Peace and quiet, as you would normally find in a city without super villains. Until, suddenly, several men and women stopped what they were doing, and exited their cars. A young man, maybe in his early twenties, stood nearby, appearing seemingly from out of nowhere. He was dressed in a costume with dark and light blue stripes at a 45 degree angle all over his body. He wore light blue boots and small gloves in the same color as the light blue stripes, and had a hood pulled up with the same striped pattern. His eyes were hidden behind a light blue domino mask. One could just spot his short blonde hair at the edges of the hood. His eyes seemed to be glowing white as people left their cards, starting to walk after him and towards the government buildings. Then came the sound, a loud crash as someone big came barelling through the traffic, flipping the cars out of the way while laughing loudly. The ones that caught a good look at him could see a large man, standing at least 10 feet tall, clad in what appeared to be grey armor, stylized like a triceratops, including a large helmet that mimicked that of a triceratops' head: A large flat shield, a pair of horns at his forehead, and a small horn on a part of his helmet over his nose. His eyes were hidden behind black lenses that connected directly to the helmet, while his mouth was left visible. The rest of his armor was the same dull grey as the helmet, consisting of several armored plates interconnecting along his body. He seemed to be running with little rhyme or reason, instead seeming to cause just as much chaos as he could. He didn't seem to care if he hit already empty cars, or cars that still held passengers. Moments after the man had begun his rampage, a bright light illuminated the sky. A woman in a red costume flew from the sky, leaving a trail of fire behind her as she moved. A white sun symbol at the center of her chest seemed to glow as she sent streams of fire flying randomly across the area around her. The yellow goggles that protected her eyes seemed to reflect the light from her flames as she set whatever random targets caught her sight on fire. The goggles were held in place by a heavy leather strap that went over her short black hair. Fire burning in her hands, she came to a stop, hovering above a rather large group of people. "Listen up! I'm Sunburn, and we're the Upstarts! I don't know how a city like this have been this quiet this long, but that's gonna change! This is our city now! So all of you better start handing over everything you got!" Smart phones were capturing everything already. What better place to attack than a city with no other villains? Nowhere to step on your toes or take your score? But the Upstarts had made one mistake: While Emerald City was a city without villains, it was not a city without heroes.

OOC for this. @angrydurf, @Tiffany Korta, @Heritage

-The loud, heart-stopping sounds of an explosion and shattering glass along with the accompanying shock strike around the cities without warning. Within moments, a strange cloud of silvery mist blankets the surrounding area. Just as panic and flight are about to take hold, the cloud begins to swirl without any evident prompting from the wind. It whips itself into a cyclonic mass, discharging what appear to be bolts of bluish lightning both within itself and outward around its immediate vicinity. Both blast and bolts subside and begin to dissipate before anyone can arrive on the scene, leaving the dead and injured as the most immediate concern. The scene is filled with fleeing, panicked crowds and hopelessly jammed roads. The bridges connecting the city have collapsed. Sister cities orphaned from one another- Bethlehem Heights Emerald City, OregonSaturday, August 26, 20196:00 PM South Emerald, the Facet City, a technological hub with a never ending march towards progress. It was easy to forget the city's original growth could be highly attributed to the once large mining community. As the mining industry faded, warehouses grew to support the technology laden industries that had migrated Westward. And of course the working class needed somewhere to hang their hats. Bethlehem Heights wasn't much to look at. It wasn't run down...just not looked after. At least that was how it could be described before the Storm blew through. Cars were on fire, apartments lost power, the streets were flooded with runoff from the Albian River. And looters. Well the looters were feeling particularly bold. As if the police needed any more reason to ignore Bethlehem Heights, the district found itself even more isolated as calls came in from all over Emerald City. Worst of all, there were reports going around that Bethlehem Heights Psychiatric Hospital had an entire wall blown apart. South Emerald was in a state of anarchy.

Prologue Anne Leonard Books had been a fixture in Emerald City's trendy University Hill district since the late Sixties, but earlier in 2018 the elderly proprietor announced her plans to retire and sell the store, as none of her grown children had any interest in something as archaic as running a used bookstore. For several months, it looked as though she'd have to sell to some developer, who would either want to turn the painted lady into an Airbnb, or worse, just tear it down to put up ugly condos. Luckily for Anne, a pair of young out-of-town investors contacted her in August, expressing interest in buying the store outright, including all current stock. They both flew in all the way from Freedom City to begin negotiations, and the retiring bookseller couldn't be more delighted with the young women; true, there was some unspoken tension between the two of them (Anne suspected some sort of romantic entanglements), but they couldn't be more professional or courteous in the business dealings. She felt a small twinge when they stated they would change the name to reflect the connection with the parent store back East, but it was hardly surprising; only her own children wouldn't have made such a change Apparently the younger of the two named Gretchen would actually be operating the store, and she asked a lot of very educated questions about the neighborhood, the store's clientele and what sort of books sold best as well as the most requested items they didn't stock. When all was said and done, Anne felt very good about the sale, and even considered stopping in from time to time to see how young Gretchen McDaniels would fare

So now that the Shrike has been approved, I'm thinking about having a grand opening sale at the new Silberman's location in the University Hill section of EC-OR. This would be an opportunity for any EC-based PCs to check out the new used books and records store in town, and meet Gretchen in their civilian identities. Sign up here if you're interested!

Herein lies a tale, a tale of two cities...

So I've recently been considering turning Grimalkin into an NPC, and having her Sidekick the Shrike take my remaining PL10 spot; that way, they can still be a couple and appear together in vignettes and the like. I've come to the conclusion that while I still love Grim, her PL and ridiculous array of powers really make it hard to find good threads, and as she's maxed out, she has no room to grow. Are there any serious repercussions to me as a player if I retire my Titanium PC?

Moira was a guest employee at Silberman's since the beginning of the year. She'd pop in every Wednesday ring the register, but lately she and Lynn had an idea. What if instead of register work, she pulled in customers? She and Lynn talked about it and they both agreed that she would dress up in a costume. For the past two weeks it was successful. More people in the store, more word of mouth, more sales. Good for all. Not that she didn't get a say in the matter, but Moira generally joyed the work. She would have done it for free, but that's not how businesses work. This week she and Gretchen - the two had mended bridges over the winter months, taking to warmer climes to get to know each other better - had been talking back and forth. They would take lunch break together and wouldn't come back for the rest of the shift. A few hours later, Moira woke up in Gretchen's room, rested. She hadn't slept this peacefully in a while. No mind talk from the parents. And then she noticed her bracer was gone. That thing never left her arm! She didn't want to wake Gretchen, but Gretchen wasn't there either. hopping up from the comforting bed, she raced to put on a night dress and scoured the apartment. For her bracer. For her lover. For any signs of what happened. And nothing had happened! The only thing rustled was the things that got in the way when they came in.

Hey gang! It occurs to me that Grimalkin and the Shrike have mostly been doing social threads recently, and I miss seeing them in action. I'm up for pretty much anything, though they tend to favor mystical/magical issues to deal with, though they're both pretty flexible. I would happily see them team up with other heroes as well.

@Heritage Heroic hijinks are about to ensue!

Silberman's Books, at the corner of Pratt and Frederick. Saturday, January 7th, 2017 10:30 am. With the panic and mayhem of another holiday season behind them, the crew at the West End's most popular used bookstore could finally breathe a collective sigh of relief. January was typically a month of austerity in the US, especially in the retail sector, which made it a good month to take stock and look back on the year that was, and begin serious planning for the year ahead. The decision to open earlier on weekdays and Saturdays, as well as offering breakfast sandwiches, meant major staffing adjustments and a lot more work for the openers. Despite the passing of the holiday rush, the store still need to hire a few more people. So far, the first Saturday morning was a success as the neighborhood discovered the new adjusted hours and menu items, but the store was just a little strained under the increased customer load. A number of Merges were on-site, though of course only one was currently behind the register; the others were either doing dishes or checking stock in back. Gretch was doing her best to 'play well with others' on bar while Lynn worked the floor, using her amazing social skills to good effect. As usual, the two lovers were going back and forth via mental communication, and as often was the case, it was playful and fairly snarky. I want you to list five things you like about Merge. Really? We're having this conversation? Five things. Fine. ...I'm waiting... She...always smells nice. Wow. Really, that's your opener? She does...cool stuff with her powers sometimes. Cute outfits and stuff...

GM March 21st, 2017 8:31 AM A girl slipped in about a half hour after opening, short, a little shorter than Gretchen, though certainly not as slender as she was. She wasn't just hispanic, she was certainly an indio. A punk, with a burnt sienna colored dreadlock hanging on the side of her face, under striped hood of her striped sweatshirt. She idly picked through things, grabbing three books, and a magazine, before she moved back towards the front of the shop. Her age hard to tell, she pursed her lips, and played with the piercing on the lower one. "'Scuse me... only one here?" Her voice was heavily accented, matching where her face was from and English might not even be her second language. She continued on as she set the books down on the counter and she looked at Gretchen. The girl's smell permeated the air, some sort of fruity essential oil, and freshly rained on dirt. A little odd, but then, book stores like this place attracted worse. "Do you do a Mexican mocha?" Pushing up her brows as she shifted her purse up and onto the table, before she was shuffling through the studded leather thing.

Silberman's Books, at the corner of Pratt and Frederick. Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018. 10:00 am. Today it was the 'Tuesday Morning Power Trio' on the floor at Silberman's; Gretchen dutifully working the register, Lance at the bar pulling shots and making the magic happen, and Maddy on the sales floor with her warmth and English Lit degree. The morning crowd of old Jewish men playing checkers and moms chatting chatting over coffee while their babies dozed in their strollers was very much in evidence. The store's owner Lynn Epstein was in her office, sipping coffee and reading resumes while waiting for another applicant to show up for her interview.

Here's this. As always, ask me anything. I do make mistakes. Get your first post out of the way, and then let's Initiative ourselves. For my reference (and yours, if you like): Heart of the Earth Neutronic Paragon Blind Swordmaster

So this is a pretty random idea that I've had for some time; it's not a major character detail, but I think it might be sort of fun to explore, maybe even just at the background level. How many of our Freedom City heroes are avid videogamers? The idea that I had was that Gretchen (aka the Shrike) is an avid gamer, as is Lynn (aka Grimalkin), but they feel that their special abilities gives them unfair advantage playing online games with non-heroic players. Might there be like a mega-secure Discord server or something else set up through HeroHouse that allows heroes to game together between crime-fighting and world-saving, and just gives them another fun level of connection?

Of course, everyone in the thread is in the area when this happens. You can place yourself anywhere within sight of it.

Earth K-Eldritch-5, Geloyra. The people of this Earth live by a loose set of morals, but there are heroes. And some of them are actually OK people. Oh, they'll save you, but you'll pay them for it somehow. Almost all believe in the reward for a job well done. Almost all believe in leaving a swath of bodies in their wake and taking the 'stuff' from said bodies. They'll return to small villages and towns to spend their rewards on alcohol and companionship. Gorth, a marauder. He wields a giant ax with the rage and fury of a demon. He speaks very little words that don't involve the name of his ax and his clan. Hysti, a chaos witch. A comely maiden who's lot in life is to get everything through her physical wiles or, if that fails, her magic. Barron, a thief. Like his trade implies, he will steal anything that isn't bolted down. And you most likely won't see him do it. Windleaf, a shaman. Turns into owls and trees and humanoid hybrids of those to heal and protect the others. The least bloodthirsty. Oh, she'll kill, no problem, but she goes down the path of least resistance. Who are these people? They call themselves the Squires of Avalon. They've made a name for themselves. Minstrels sing of their deeds far and wide. They're not quite legends, but everyone has at least heard of them on their earth. Right now they are planning the end of an epic adventure that will take them to another dimension to find the evil wizard Evadsrednas! Once they have his head on a pike, they will return to the kingdom of Autumnal and receive their rewards. Earth-Prime. Freedom City. 632PM. Friday. Near Federal Plaza. It's just another cold January day. A week or two ago, the world came to 2018 peacefully. Business has slowed to a crawl in the busiest part of town. But people still believe in commerce, the businesses thrive! But there are other reasons to be here. Mr. Murk has received a premonition that there will be a massive dying around this place at this time. He searches for answers to how and why. As if to answer the immortal's query, a giant red portal opened up. If the ancient neanderthal could see what came out of it, he's see a tall mountain of a man with sun darkened skin carrying a large ax on his shoulder, wearing nary but a loincloth made of a lion. A woman so beautiful that both man and women stop and stare. She's dressed in a revealing robe made of red and purple silks. A short man - a child maybe? - dressed in black leather armor, his hands resting on two of the multiple daggers on his person. And a woman with long sharp ears and a wearily expression, wearing a dress made of withered fallen leaves. "This, this place," the leaf-wearing woman speaks with a troubled ton and a valley accent, "its the right place. The connection to the world is greatly diminished!" "Don't worry, Leafy," the short guy said merrily with a British ganger accent, "we ain't gunna be here that long, luv. An' maybe we'll get some weird shyte that we can take back? Countin on it!" The silken robed woman looked to the gathering crowd, she smiled and giggled before making a snowman out of nowhere and having her and it dance for them. The muscle beast growled harshly, "less talk. Less play. Find Evas- Every-... Gods damned wizard." He looked to the robed woman, "talk, not dance!" The silken robed woman rolled her eyes at the wall of meat. Making the snowman disappear. "excuse me, excuse me," she addressed the crowd, her voice sounded French accented, "where would we find your tower of wizards? We are looking for Evadsrednas Do you know of him?"

OOC for Here. Can I get a Notice check please. DC 17?

It seemed like Lynn and Gretchen (alias Grimalkin and The Shrike) had only blinked, and the world was now somehow…off. It was subtle, with a slight dreamlike quality. Now they were in the modern equivalent of a (audience less) Roman Coliseum. How, why, and when did this happen? Kind of…fuzzy on that one. There was a slight memory of leaving Silberman’s Books, but that was all. The duo were close to the walls. Directly opposite from them were three other people. It was a bit far for either heroine to see them properly, though they wore obvious costumes. One was male, and the other two obviously female.

Lynn and Gretchen's Apartment. Tuesday, March 14th, 2017. 1:05 am It had been a long night for the Shrike; Grimalkin's website got an anonymous tip about a human trafficking operation in Greenbank, but it didn't sound like it would be too dangerous. Lynn and Gretchen had been working on inventory with a little informal help from their new roomie Moira when the tip came in; thinking the situation would be quickly resolved, Gretch offered to take the op solo, though Lynn insisted she call her the minute things got too dicey. Gretch found the operation all right; it just happened to be run by a den of Greek witches who loved throwing vipers at their enemies, and hired ex-Spetsnaz 'eyegougers' for security. The young barista repeatedly tried to call Lynn, but the witches somehow blocked magical communication, which left the ringwielder fighting for her life for the better part of an hour in a freightyard. But all those hours playing first person shooters and training with Lynn really payed off; by the time the cops finally showed up, Gretch had personally subdued seven witches and nine Russian bad guys. The FCPD was suitably impressed, and the officers thanked her once they got her statement. Not ready to head home just yet, Shrike grabbed a coffee and slowly savored it on a rooftop, her feet dangling over the edge. Part of her was glad she wasn't able to reach Lynn; it was nice to know that if the chips were down and her back against the wall, she, Gretchen McDaniels, could kick serious ass. Now flying back towards home and the comforting arms of her lover, Gretch gently probed to see if Lynn was still awake; if she didn't get an immediate response, it usually meant the changeling was passed out somewhere already. If she wasn't in bed, Gretch used the Ring of Power to carefully pick her up and float her into the bedroom and tuck her in. The invisble crimefighter landed in the small lightwell patio between the two apartments and opened the door, stepping into the dining room. There was a soft flickering glow coming from the living room, which probably meant Lynn had fallen asleep watching home movies on her beloved PictureBox from Otherworld. Not wanting to wake her girlfriend, Gretch floated silently into the room to an unexpected sight: Lynn and Moira, sleeping on the sofa together under a blanket. All she could do was float and stare at the two of them for several minutes. At length, she finally crossed her arms and spoke. "Well, then."