Con Games (IC)

[Avenger Assembled]

Setting up a webpage for Fleur de Joie had kept Stesha's evenings very busy. Between moderating her small discussion board, answering her occasional email, and going out to deal with "super plant emergencies" meant she was rarely bored. She was checking her email one comfortable Sunday afternoon when she discovered a message from a new source:

From: HeroFan430@USNet.com

To: FleurdeJoie@USNet.com

Dear Fleur de Joie,

Ms. de Joie, my name is Patrick Irons. I am a student at Freedom City College. Though you don't know me, I'm a big fan of yours. I'm a botany major with an interest in crypto-botanical studies, and I'm an organizer of FCC's chapter of the Hero Booster's Club. This year, we're holding a convention at the Liberty Dome in two weeks. We would all be very honored to have you as our guest of honor. We'll pay for your gas and parking, of course, as well as provide free admission to all events and discounts at all our merchants. 30% of all our profits goes to help superheroes in need in Freedom City, and the rest goes to support your local Freedom City small businesspeople with an interest in hero merchandise. On a personall note, I'm a big fan of yours, and I really hope you can make this work. Please RSVP when possible so that we can begin working out arrangements for your visit.

Yours,

Pat Irons

[Electra]

Stesha sipped her tea and read the email over again, grinning a little. That was sort of weird. She'd never really thought of herself as a hero for conventions, but then, it sounded like this was a very small convention. Maybe they were setting their sights low. It might be fun to go and show off her costume at least, though signing autographs and talking seemed like totally weird ideas. And it would be kind of a bummer if nobody was very interested. But maybe she could go and at least have some fun. Picking up her phone, she checked the time, decided it was not too late, and gave Taylor a call.

"Hey Taylor, it's Stesha. You doing anything the second weekend in October?" she asked brightly.

[alderwitch]

Taylor looked up from her paperwork and flicked the phone open to answer Stesha, "Barring sudden demonic invasion, no. I don't have any real plans."

She was seated at the school library, so she closed her books and quickly made her way outside where she wouldn't end up getting shushed at, "Why?"

[Electra]

"I got invited to this thing that the Freedom City College chapter of the Hero Booster Club is doing," Stesha told her, leaning back on the couch with the phone to her ear. "Cause I set up my webpage, you know, so people can contact Fleur if they want to. "They want me to come to this thing they're doing at the Liberty Dome in two weeks. Do you know anything about them?"

[alderwitch]

"I'm not the best person to ask on college activities. I try and avoid anything with the word 'super hero' in the title as well." Taylor admitted before pausing to ask, "You have a webpage?"

[Electra]

'Yeah, I set it up early last month, when I was running out of parks," Stesha said enthusiastically. "I figure I don't know when somebody might have a plant emergency, and this way people can get in touch with me. It's not exactly very busy, but I've helped two school gardens, a cemetery, and a farm co-op so far. Twice it was a hoax, people who just wanted to meet a meta or something, but I looked ahead through the plants and didn't go. People are weird. So, do you want to go with me?" she asked, not even pausing for breath.

[alderwitch]

If it had been anyone but Stesha... Taylor restrained a sigh and with resigned cheer, "Sure, why not. As my mild mannered alter ego, I assume. Does this mean Dark Star and I get to be your entourage?"

[Electra]

"I'm gonna call him next," Stesha assured her. "It'll be fun, we can look at the hero swag, do some people watching, see if they've got any comic books about you guys. And I'll get to show off my new costume before it gets all dirty from being used. I'll give you another call when I've got the details nailed down, okay?"

After exchanging goodbyes, she gave Derrick a call as well. "Hey handsome, you got any plans for the second week in October?" she purred playfully into the phone. She didn't really need to worry about speakerphones with him, as far as she could tell, he got the phone calls right in his brain.

[Cyroa]

Dark Star let the costumed maniac go now that the officials had wrapped the man in the constraints. He hadn't intended to get into a little scuffle but some maniac had broadcast something about threatening to blow up the Eiffle Tower if their demands weren't met. He'd heard the radio signal while he was pushing a broken down barge off the coast of Italy. It was only a quick hop over to restrain the maniac. Thankfully the French officers spoke English to help get through the process easily.

He perked up as he heard Stesha's voice. "Hello Love! I do not think I do. And even if I did, I'd make time for you." He paused in thought. "Actually, it might be possible for me to not make time but slow it down. A strong enough gravity well can alter the flow of time..." He trailed off, sidetracked by the physics the possibility produced. He gave himself a mental shake. "Sorry. What did you have in mind? Are we taking a week vacation somewhere?"

[Electra]

Stesha laughed, amused and bewildered. "What? Wait, don't tell me, I think it would just give me a headache without a couple more physics courses under my belt," She stretched out on the couch, looking up at the ceiling as she talked to him. "You sound like you're in a good mood today, what have you been up to? And while a week's vacation would be amazing, I was thinking of a much more modest excursion, just something local."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star smiled, even though no one could see it as he headed upward to space. "Oh, the usual. A tanker broke down just off of Italy that I kept stable while the repair crews worked. And there was this terrorist fellow in Paris that I just handed over to the authorities here. I'm just happy to hear your voice. That always cheers me up and puts a smile on my face," he said.

"Shucks. Does this mean no bikini?" He might be spending much of his time (and many nights) with Stesha at this point but the sight of her in skimpy clothes was not something that got old. "Oh well. So what did you have in mind?"

[Electra]

"Maybe afterwards," Stesha teased back. "I've got it right here in my drawer, for emergencies. But for this one, I'll be in costume. You don't have to be, though. It's kind of cool, there's this hero booster convention in Freedom City, just a little one, put on by the college. They asked me to come as one of their speakers or attractions or whatever. Taylor's coming with, and I thought it would be even more fun if you were there too. It sounds like fun, and it's for a good cause."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star chuckled. "Sounds fascinating. I'm sure you'll be a fun speaker. I'll be curious as to what your talk will be about; can't wait to hear it." He chuckled, glad it wasn't him. "I'll be happy to come and cheer you on. I'm assuming you want me to come as flesh and blood, not as me. I wouldn't want to detract from your appearance."

[Electra]

"I don't know yet," Stesha admitted cheerfully. "I just got the invite, and I wanted to make sure I'd have some moral support before I said yes. They'd probably be thrilled to itty bitty pieces if you wanted to come as Dark Star, but it might make our plans for having fun out of costume a little tougher to manage. People would probably be after you for autographs and pictures all day. I know Taylor is coming in her civvies, but you know how she is about her costume."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star chuckled. "Let's hope she has some pants then. But I'll be there in normal clothes as well. I should see if I can get a camera so we can record your appearance. And a picture too! I'll definitely need a signed autograph. I'm a avid fan of Fleur. Or the woman behind the mask anyway." He reached orbit and started a slow flight around the Earth passing the Lighthouse with curious and thoughtful glance. Something for another time.

[Electra]

"You're sweet," she told him with a laugh. "If you're lucky, Fleur might even give you her phone number. I've got an in with her, you know. I'll give you a call later when I've got the rest of the details worked out, all right? I'll talk to you soon, be careful out there." After exchanging goodbyes, she hung up and composed a quick reply to the email, asking for more information about what she'd actually have to do, and when, and how. It would be very different from sprucing up the park, but she wasn't afraid of public speaking like some people, and she figured it would be a good time.

[Avenger Assembled]

Patrick Irons replied to Stesha's email quickly, letting her know what she'd need to do at the con.

"Just sign photos, answer questions at one of our panels, attend a seminar or two, and maybe show the public some of your abilities? I'd be happy to provide any plants you might need for that."

He assured her that campus security would be out in full force, so he didn't expect that she'd actually have to do any hero work while she was there.

[Electra]

Stesha exchanged a few more emails with him, ensuring that she would have free admission for herself and a couple of friends, and that she'd have a place to change if she wanted to. That wasn't much of a problem, since she could zip home and back whenever she liked, but still. She assured the nice young man that she would bring her own plants, he should just provide some moist dirt. With all the details taken care of, she got back with Taylor and Derrick to tell them dates and times, and it was all set!

[Avenger Assembled]

The leaves overhead were many beautiful colors when Stesha stepped out of an oak tree on a quiet corner of Freedom College's campus, her position sheltered from view thanks to the bulk of the nearby utility building. The buildings at Freedom College were mostly brick and ivy, a deliberate attempt at recapturing a collegiate past that the party school had drifted away from in recent decades. She had a little while yet before she was due to show up at the convention, plenty of time to meet up with her friends and walk around the campus as necessary.

[Electra]

Since she'd decided to stash her costume in a plant until she was ready to put it on, Stesha blended in pretty well as she walked across the campus. It was a beautiful day to be outside, even if tonight was supposed to be bitter. She'd have to layer something under her costume if she wanted to go out tonight. Taking her time, she leisurely made her way over to the statue where she'd arranged to meet up with Derrick and Taylor before they went in to the convention.

[alderwitch]

Taylor was seated cross legged on a bench, a thick book open on her lap that she had her nose buried in. She glanced up as Stesha approached, her mystical senses warning her of the incoming presence of her friend. She snapped the book closed and tucked it into her jacket where it vanished a little conspiciously.

"Hey, Stesha. I haven't seen Derrick yet, but I know I'm early."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star flew across the stars and rocketed towards Earth. He cloaked himself as soon as he came within Earth's orbit and sped downward. He wasn't sure what time it was but he knew it was getting a little close, if he wasn't already late, to when he was supposed to meet Stesha and Taylor. Not have a watch wasn't often a problem for him but today it was an issue apparently. He rocketed downward, headed for the meeting and someplace to stop. He found an alley nearby and, after checking to make sure no one was around, focused and concentrated. Within a few moments, Derrick was jogging quickly down the street towards them. "Am I late? Sorry, I got a little held up helping out some...folks. Whose ride broke down." He wasn't about to blab what he was actually doing. They all had secret identities here and he couldn't risk those being compromised. So, lame cover.

[Electra]

"You're fine," Stesha assured him with a smile, standing on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss. "I just got here a minute ago myself. I'm glad you guys could come with me today. It's going to be fun! I have another forty minutes before I'm supposed to be dressed up for a demonstration panel. We can go in and look around, see how busy it is." She dug into her knapsack and pulled out three generic visitor badges, handing one to Taylor and Derrick. She had a special one to wear later, but it wouldn't do her secret identity much good to wear a guest of honor badge in her civvies. "First one to find an action figure of themselves wins," she joked as they started walking towards the hall.

[alderwitch]

"Well, that's one Derrick's sure to win." Taylor said dryly as she clipped her badge to her belt. She fiddled with it so that her shirt wouldn't cover it up and stuffed her hands back in her jacket pockets. "I'm pretty sure he's the big name here."

[Cyroa]

"Hello yourself." He smiled at Stesha as he accepted the kiss. "I'm glad to be here. Wouldn't miss it for the universe. Taylor, nice to see you. You're looking well. Work been...ok? And how's Jack," he asked after his friend and Taylor's significant other, curious as to how both were doing.

Derrick blushed. "I am no bigger or more important than anyone else. And do you really think there are action figures of us? I direct all such things to the SCC and told them give away whatever any of it makes to charities." He found the concept of action figures and comics about himself extremely embarrassing. He just wanted to help people and give them something to believe in. Not be hero-worshiped. He took the badge and draped it over his head. He took on of Stesha's hands in his own, enjoying the contact. This was definitely new territory for him. But with these to lovely and stalwart ladies at his side, he was ready to face the trials within!