Thevshi Posted December 23, 2013 Author Posted December 23, 2013 Tsunami Giang could not help but smile slightly at Thaelia's recounting of their encounter with Natas and his mercenaries over the summer. "You are forgetting about the three of us running into that duplicator at the mall just before Thanksgiving." She stated, though it had been something of a frustrating encounter given how the duplicator had basically toyed with them all, using her duplicates as decoys to distract from what she had really been up to. As Thaelia stepped away a moment, Giang gave Marcus another smile. "But over all things have been rather quite. It has been months since I had to dodge any agents sent by my father or any of Dr. Sin's other lieutenants, though I suppose it's only a matter of time before someone comes after me again." She replied. Although Marcus had not been present at any of the attacks on Giang during his last semester at Claremont, he had certainly heard about how she and John Smith (aka Myrmidon) had been attacked by tong martial artists during the Chinese New Year celebrations in the West End, and then a few months later, Giang, Subito and Serge had been captured and taken to island in the South Pacific where Dr. Sin had an island for training operatives and Cerys, Tona and Morgan had assisted Raven in tracking them down. As Thaelia returned with a familiar figure in tow, Giang gave a smile of greeting. "Good evening Errant. Happy holidays."
Corsecjedi Posted December 24, 2013 Posted December 24, 2013 Foreshadow Foreshadow whom had returned from the conference with his own plate of food. The announcement of variety was true to form they even had beetroot soup. He hadn't grabbed it, making sure that every food choice he picked didn't look Russian let alone Eastern European. Ending up with a very Germanic spread overall. Foreshadow wasn't sure he'd agree on being one of the best stealth experts that Gabriel had seen. Considering that 'while' included the likes of Raven for a league member like him. But he'd take the compliment rather than refute it, especially seeing as Erick would seek to give whatever truth the claim lacked. He did have to take a moment to follow the accent of the woman in front of him. He had to wonder if it was a testament of having done this for a while now to not g "A pleasure to make your acquaintance and no need for apologies. Although to expand on 'sir' Gabriel's claim, I can get by alright when it comes to subterfuge. I wouldn't presume myself your better in that area. However, what I am good at is being able to adapt from being subtle to having a spotlight on me. If you ever find yourself in the working the Southside, I'm sure we'd be able to compare notes." Along with getting his food, Foreshadow had mad sure to pick himself up a second glass of cider. Much like when he handed Velocity an extra one earlier in the evening he reached down to hand the newfound one to Shadowblade. His attention returning to Gabriel. "And hey the big guy's fists sound a whole lot like thunder when they're smacking against something at least." Shadowblade chuckled at Foreshadow's answer to Gabriel's comments about fists and thunder and then took the proffered glass of cider and drank deeply - the drink was crisp and full of flavor, and she had to stifle a sigh of satisfaction. She'd also noted Foreshadow's slight pause before responding and decided to moderate her archaic speech at least a bit. "Many thanks for the cider; tis my favorite," she said with a friendly smile and then added, "And I would be delighted to compare notes with thee. If duty ever takes me to the Southside, be sure I shall attempt to call upon thee." She swept the room again with her amber eyes; the pleasant taste of the cider mingled with the relief of having met a few heroes without embarrassing herself and allowed her to relax a bit. She took in the sights and sounds of the gathered powers, her emotions tinged with just a bit of wonder and more excitement. Her polite, formal smile became warmer and more genuine and she dropped another curtsy to the heroes near her. "Friends, if you wilt pardon me for but a moment, I feel the need to sample the delicacies and acquire another glass." She moved off toward the tables which seemed almost full to groaning with food and drink and helped herself to a small plate.
Avenger Assembled Posted December 24, 2013 Posted December 24, 2013 Fast-Forward "You're telling me. Jeez, half these kids were born after '93." At the mention of his son, Richard had his wallet out at super-speed, showing pictures of a handsome, track-suited kid who did indeed look more than a little like Richard had back in the day. "This is my boy Will, just turned sixteen. Not quite as fast as me, but he's getting there. He's at that school for the hero kids these days." Another flip, and there was a girl of about eight with the family, looking a little more sullen than her sunny big brother. "This is my Holly-girl, she's eight this year. I tried to get her into My Little Pony, but she's a Disney girl through and through. She takes after her mom...thank goodness." He was a good dad, and would never discuss the problems his daughter's powers had caused the family with somebody else, even a friend of his. Richard was also smart enough not to dwell too heavily on family, knowing the magnitude of Keith's all-too-recent loss. For a man who woke up in a cold sweat when he thought about times he'd come close to losing Paige, it was all too easy to know what topics to run around. "You should come out to the West Coast sometime, man, let us do a classic 70s Supercrime! special. We could get what's her face, the one who turned the first Lady Liberty into an animal mutant, on the show, tell the kids the difference between a wolf-mutant and a real werewolf. Gotta make sure the kids know what's what, right?" He zipped away for a moment, from his perspective the party slowing to a crawl, and came back with a hot toddy for himself and Paige. "Just saw Beth take Velocity and Fleur de Joie aside, but she went behind a locked door. I guess we'll know...soon enough." Worry mixed with impatience was not a healthy combination for him, so he tried to stifle it.
Avenger Assembled Posted December 24, 2013 Posted December 24, 2013 Lady Liberty Having regained her composure by the time she reached her fellow Leaguers, Lady Liberty quickly pulled both Fleur de Joie and Velocity aside, Beth Walton-Wright's formidable force of personality enough to let her persuade her teammates to join her in a small conference room just off from the banquet room. Looking at the two women, Beth hugged them both before stepping back, hands folded over her stomach. "Stesha, Megan...I have some big news, and I promised myself you'd be the first two I told." The composed, calm diplomat was obviously bubbling over with repressed emotion, but it didn't seem to be unpleasant news. "I'm going to have a baby. I know, it's a big surprise!" she added. "I'm fifty-four years old and I'm going to have a baby!" She laughed, still obviously hardly able to believe it, her expressive face torn between giddy anticipation and dread at the same moment. "Trevor and I, we thought we were too old, so we stopped trying...and I guess that was all I needed."
April Posted December 24, 2013 Posted December 24, 2013 Blue Fox La Renarde Bleue, the heroine formerly known as Sage, arrived at Freedom Hall with a lack of flash and fanfare that was typical of her. The Hall didn't overawe her like it did years ago, a result from her own achievements and some static she caught from the League proper, but she didn't turn aside the invite she received though none could fault her for doing so. Though this was a private affair, and it was likely those within could be trusted, she wore her costume but made a few concessions to the event. She wore her hood down which allowed her white hair to spill over her shoulders, and her fox mask not in evidence even if the heavy makeup--not very different from her Sage days--that she wore under it was. With a small sigh, she entered the building.
Thevshi Posted December 24, 2013 Author Posted December 24, 2013 Velocity Velocity had gone along with Lady Liberty with minimal coaxing, after all, the older Leaguer had been at the hero thing since around the time Megan had been born. When Megan had started operating as Velocity, Lady Liberty had provided encouragement, advice and other support, and had become something of an older sister figure once Megan had joined the League. The speedster had been rather curious about what Beth wanted to talk to her and Stesha about when they made their way into a small conference room a bit down the hall from the party. That curiosity was only heightened as Beth hugged them both again once they were alone. And when she told them her big news, Megan opened her mouth in shock, for a moment at a loss for words. It had not been long after she had become a member of the League that she had learned about the trouble Beth and her husband had been having in trying to start a family. But of course, a moment for her was often hardly noticeable to most anyone else, and she quickly smiled and gave Lady Liberty another hug. "Beth, that is wonderful news! I know how hard it has been for you and Trevor over the years. This must truly be a Merry Christmas for you two!"
TheAbsurdist Posted December 26, 2013 Posted December 26, 2013 Errant Were it anyone else, he'd have shot Thaelia daggers of bloody murder with his glare at the grabbing and then the hauling. Instead he tried to wriggle out of her grasp, mostly unsuccessfully. She was strong, and he wouldn't use his usual tricks to get free. So he gave up and let himself be led by her, until he was standing there, a seething ball of annoyance. Though the mask effectively. "I see most of these people everyday." He sighed, unable to escape her grip, and looked off to the side, appearing as nothing so much as a cat waiting for an opportunity to bolt. "Hello Tsunami. Arcturus." Not that he was looking at them, he rarely did that. Everyone here knew that he always seemed to be paying attention to other things.
KnightDisciple Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) Foreshadow Along with getting his food, Foreshadow had mad sure to pick himself up a second glass of cider. Much like when he handed Velocity an extra one earlier in the evening he reached down to hand the newfound one to Shadowblade. His attention returning to Gabriel. "And hey the big guy's fists sound a whole lot like thunder when they're smacking against something at least." Gabriel chuckled and nodded. "True enough! Either way we leave their heads ringing." Shadowblade chuckled at Foreshadow's answer to Gabriel's comments about fists and thunder and then took the proffered glass of cider and drank deeply - the drink was crisp and full of flavor, and she had to stifle a sigh of satisfaction. She'd also noted Foreshadow's slight pause before responding and decided to moderate her archaic speech at least a bit. "Many thanks for the cider; tis my favorite," she said with a friendly smile and then added, "And I would be delighted to compare notes with thee. If duty ever takes me to the Southside, be sure I shall attempt to call upon thee." She swept the room again with her amber eyes; the pleasant taste of the cider mingled with the relief of having met a few heroes without embarrassing herself and allowed her to relax a bit. She took in the sights and sounds of the gathered powers, her emotions tinged with just a bit of wonder and more excitement. Her polite, formal smile became warmer and more genuine and she dropped another curtsy to the heroes near her. "Friends, if you wilt pardon me for but a moment, I feel the need to sample the delicacies and acquire another glass." She moved off toward the tables which seemed almost full to groaning with food and drink and helped herself to a small plate. Gabriel gave her a small bow. "But of course, and feel free to take your time. There's plenty to choose from." As she moved on, he eyed the rest of the crowd, just taking the whole event in. "Kind of wish we had these parties more often. Old friends and new faces, together in one place to celebrate, have fun, and relax. Seems like we spend all our time fighting and running and resting, and not enough celebrating and eating and drinking. Fun's important too, after all!" Edited December 27, 2013 by KnightDisciple
Brown Dynamite Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 Foreshadow Gabriel chuckled and nodded. "True enough! Either way we leave their heads ringing." Gabriel gave her a small bow. "But of course, and feel free to take your time. There's plenty to choose from." As she moved on, he eyed the rest of the crowd, just taking the whole event in. "Kind of wish we had these parties more often. Old friends and new faces, together in one place to celebrate, have fun, and relax. Seems like we spend all our time fighting and running and resting, and not enough celebrating and eating and drinking. Fun's important too, after all!" Foreshadow didn't address whether he shared that same train of thought with Gabriel. Getting a chance to unwind was a good thing and he was certainly the sort to enjoy a bit of being in the public eye. At least far more than his predecessor. But even when injured taking more than one night off never sat well with Foreshadow. As easy going as he was Foreshadow was still a workaholic at heart. And he got plenty of fun moving from rooftop to rooftop busting some criminal. "I suppose there'd be some appeal to it. But there are plenty of places to find accommodating for folks in masks or err in your case helmet." She swept the room again with her amber eyes; the pleasant taste of the cider mingled with the relief of having met a few heroes without embarrassing herself and allowed her to relax a bit. She took in the sights and sounds of the gathered powers, her emotions tinged with just a bit of wonder and more excitement. Her polite, formal smile became warmer and more genuine and she dropped another curtsy to the heroes near her. "Friends, if you wilt pardon me for but a moment, I feel the need to sample the delicacies and acquire another glass." She moved off toward the tables which seemed almost full to groaning with food and drink and helped herself to a small plate. "I look forward to any future association. Can't have enough allies in the streets." Foreshadow smiled and raised his own glass before responding to Shadowblade leaving to fetch herself a plate. "But of course. Partake in the festivities and all." He didn't go so far as to bow like Gabriel. Instead turning to clear the route for her to walk his hands directing towards the area she headed off to. His attention soon returned to his plate starting work on finishing his own meal slowly but surely.
Electra Posted December 28, 2013 Posted December 28, 2013 Fleur de Joie Stesha moved in for a hug as well, her face lighting up with genuine happiness for a moment. "Oh Beth, that's so great! Congratulations!" She stepped back, still holding her colleague's shoulders as she looked her up and down. "You may be fifty-four, but you've got a body a thirty-year-old would kill for. You'll do great, and you'll have a slew of willing babysitters on call. What did Trevor say when he heard the news?" Beth's husband, for all he was still quite handsome, did not have the body of a thirty year old anymore. Stesha could imagine the news coming as a bit of a shock. But this was Freedom City, hardly anyone died of old age here. "Do you think you're going to take leave from the League?"
Avenger Assembled Posted December 29, 2013 Posted December 29, 2013 Lady Liberty Beth smiled, "We were both surprised. I went to Daedalus and Miss Americana both just to make sure everything was normal, and everything is fine. I'm due sometime in June." She shrugged and admitted, "Maybe it wasn't the teary-eyed joy that people have in the movies at first, but Trevor's happy, and I'm happy, and we...well, our 'we' is getting a lot bigger! As for the League..." She sighed softly, looking around the conference room. "I think I may step back. I won't retire," she added quickly, "not as long as I've got my powers, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize those until the baby is born. But I've been in the business almost thirty years now. People I met when I was already a veteran hero have since married and had kids at Claremont. I'm ready to choose time with my family."
Avenger Assembled Posted December 29, 2013 Posted December 29, 2013 Comrade Frost "Greetings, Renard." Having shed his Santa beard and donned his costume once he'd left the heat of the fire behind, Comrade Frost had sought out the all-too-familiar face of his old ally's successor. He'd taken note of the arrival of the Terminus Invasion veterans nearby, but for all the memories he had of 1993 the sight of the second French Renard brought back memories he'd long since forgotten. Almost seventy years since they were gone. In another few decades, only I and one or two others will have seen them living. The last surviving member of the Allies of Freedom bowed to his old ally's legacy. "And Merry Christmas. I am sorry I have not come to see you before this, my work with the League has been...demanding."
Electra Posted December 30, 2013 Posted December 30, 2013 Hologram Paige linked her arm through Richard's as they stood among the gathered superheroes. She suspected that the hot toddy in his hand was not the only one he'd indulged in while on his ten-second journey to the bar, but that was all right. It was a party, and neither of them were driving tonight. Unfortunately, when he drank, Richard did tend to get a bit maudlin, and this year, in this place, amongst these people, there was really only one thing to be thinking about. And indeed, Richard was already scoping out the steps near the door, looking for a high place from which to make a speech. She tightened her arm on his in quiet restraint. Not tonight, love, she told him silently, letting him feel the sympathy in her words. We had the commemoration this summer, that was good and right. But it's been twenty years.She cast her gaze over the crowd, gently drawing his perception along with her own. Half the people here first learned about the Invasion in school. And the other half... Paige looked towards the closed door where Beth had drawn her teammates. Life goes on for all of us. Let tonight be a happy night. Lifting her glass, Paige glanced in Keith's direction, smiling to include him in her words. "To old acquaintances and absent friends."
Brown Dynamite Posted December 30, 2013 Posted December 30, 2013 Glamazon Thaelia nodded along to Errant's matter of fact observation. "Yes, is it not wonderful? To have such good acquaintances that you can see every day. But the proper response would be to compliment the attire of the ladies you so rarely get to see dressed up in such formal garbs. I am sure Mali and Giang would love to hear how lovely they look tonight." The conversation could have been misconstrued as Thaelia being cheeky. But she wasn't the cheeky sort, simply direct in her dealings. "Watch let me try it. Arcturus that suit looks as if it was finely made and the golden tie around your neck would no doubt make an excellent weapon if we were suddenly invaded and you needed to wrap it around someone's neck." Her compliment on his aesthetics somehow turned to tactical appraisal. Of course considering adding armored additions to formal attire was part of her norm, there was a strong chance that the two weren't that mutually exclusive.
Noniad Posted December 30, 2013 Posted December 30, 2013 El Heraldo "Mix and mingle? I'm on it!" Shaking the offered hand with vigor, Heraldo nodded in confirmation "Oh yeah, totally! Well...used to be a student hero, I graduated in September. Good times. Quiet too" he said thoughtfully "Everyone at school was all 'this time it's gonna be the Sky Lord! This time it's gonna be the Crime League!', but nothing happened, which is kind of a relief." "And yeah, I'm totally from Puerto Rico too!" he acknowledged with a grin of real pride "I get to speak from soul to soul with the spirit of the island, which is, though I say so myself, pretty awesome. Though...last I was there was back in July, spent most of my life here in Freedom City. How about you Starchaser?" he asked the star-spangled man with a polite raise of his feathered hat and a quizzical raise of an eyebrow "Where are you from, space? Ooh! Are you a Lor?" his eyes nearly blazed with excitement at the idea. Starchaser gave Heraldo an impressed look at the revelation that he had spoken personally with the spirit of Puerto Rico. Alexander had not yet had much contact with the supernatural... He chuckled at Subito's question, "Sorry, I'm no Lor. Not even from space, I'm afraid. I've lived in Freedom City all my life. I'm just your average superhuman, I guess. My powers simply... manifested." He glanced down at his costume, realising where the presumption that he was an extraterrestrial might have come from, "Basically, somehow, I have the energy of a star inside me. I'll confess, it took some getting used to. Maybe I could've benefited from a place like Claremont. What was it like?"
Gizmo Posted January 1, 2014 Posted January 1, 2014 Wail "Hmph, 'classic'," LaMarr grumbled at Richard's proposal for a Supercrime! special. The aging civics teacher wasn't one to begrudge anyone making a reasonably honest living from their metahuman gifts and on the occasions the sensationalist show actually managed to be educational it actually struck him as a fairly noble endevour but he wasn't sure how he felt about the idea of taking part. It might have just been the sea of youthful faces enjoying the party talking but those classic days felt a bit bittersweet just then. At Paige's toast he realized he wasn't the only one feeling that way; the theatrical couple just had a different way of showing it. He rumbled an agreement and set his jaw stubbornly against the tide of maudlin recollection. "Sixteen, though? That can't be right."
TheAbsurdist Posted January 1, 2014 Posted January 1, 2014 Errant He looked at Thaelia, actually looked at her as she told him to tell Mali and Giang that they were attractive. "Objectively I find them both attractive anyway. But I am not good at these sorts of things, so I would say it artlessly, though neither of them is particular looking for such a remark from me, because it would be forced and artificial to come from me in a social setting. And neither find me attractive." And then he looked to Mali an Giang. "The dresses look good on you." Without glancing back to Thaelia, his focus sort of shifted and went elsewhere, "There, better?"
GranspearZX Posted January 1, 2014 Posted January 1, 2014 Tsunami Giang could not help but smile slightly at Thaelia's recounting of their encounter with Natas and his mercenaries over the summer. "You are forgetting about the three of us running into that duplicator at the mall just before Thanksgiving." She stated, though it had been something of a frustrating encounter given how the duplicator had basically toyed with them all, using her duplicates as decoys to distract from what she had really been up to. As Thaelia stepped away a moment, Giang gave Marcus another smile. "But over all things have been rather quite. It has been months since I had to dodge any agents sent by my father or any of Dr. Sin's other lieutenants, though I suppose it's only a matter of time before someone comes after me again." She replied. Although Marcus had not been present at any of the attacks on Giang during his last semester at Claremont, he had certainly heard about how she and John Smith (aka Myrmidon) had been attacked by tong martial artists during the Chinese New Year celebrations in the West End, and then a few months later, Giang, Subito and Serge had been captured and taken to island in the South Pacific where Dr. Sin had an island for training operatives and Cerys, Tona and Morgan had assisted Raven in tracking them down. As Thaelia returned with a familiar figure in tow, Giang gave a smile of greeting. "Good evening Errant. Happy holidays." Errant Were it anyone else, he'd have shot Thaelia daggers of bloody murder with his glare at the grabbing and then the hauling. Instead he tried to wriggle out of her grasp, mostly unsuccessfully. She was strong, and he wouldn't use his usual tricks to get free. So he gave up and let himself be led by her, until he was standing there, a seething ball of annoyance. Though the mask effectively. "I see most of these people everyday." He sighed, unable to escape her grip, and looked off to the side, appearing as nothing so much as a cat waiting for an opportunity to bolt. "Hello Tsunami. Arcturus." Not that he was looking at them, he rarely did that. Everyone here knew that he always seemed to be paying attention to other things. Arcturus "Errant! Happy Holidays!" He grinned widely and almost gave him a hug. He was certain that was a bad idea, so he just waved as he was more or less dragged over to their group. Having spent some time with Errant, he felt like he understood the quiet psychic a little better. Errant valued his privacy and personal space. If anything, Errant was the one psychic he knew that he could trust. "You guys have definitely been keeping busy," he said with a nod. "You know you can always call me if you need anything, yeah? The Academy's got my number in last year's directory, and I'm pretty sure they have Parkhurst's number around for magically inclined students..."
Ari Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 He chuckled at Subito's question, "Sorry, I'm no Lor. Not even from space, I'm afraid. I've lived in Freedom City all my life. I'm just your average superhuman, I guess. My powers simply... manifested." He glanced down at his costume, realising where the presumption that he was an extraterrestrial might have come from, "Basically, somehow, I have the energy of a star inside me. I'll confess, it took some getting used to. Maybe I could've benefited from a place like Claremont. What was it like?" Subito's face fell behind the mask, though something else Alexander said made him set his jaw "Hey. One thing first." Pointing a stern finger at Starchaser, Heraldo leaned forward and said with a serious look in his eyes "There is no such thing as an 'average super'. That's the kinda crap they blather about in New Freedom, if those books the Harpers write mean anythin', and it's just about the worst way to talk about your gifts ever. 'Cause then you start quantifying something that makes you who you are. Powers don't mean anything unless they're used well. The numbers never tell the whole story." Relaxing, the muscular teen settled back into the loose stance he'd been in before "And you have a star powering you?" Heraldo looked at the heavenly son with renewed admiration "That's amazing! How does...how does that feel?" he asked before waving it away with a red-gloved hand "Nah, forget it, forget it. As for the school, well..." he glanced thoughtfully over at the familiar head of Marcus, again struck by an uncanny sense of familiarity as he caught a glimpse of the girls nearby. Was it the straight hair? it was probably the straight hair, that was all. Still... He turned back to the solar warrior and shrugged, his broad shoulders briefly standing out under the tight fabric of the shirt and jacket "...it was a school. Had some really awesome stuff, like the Doom Ro-uh, the "combat simulator", which is basically like a holodeck made wayyy better, but the point of being there was to learn. They taught us about the world our powers, skills or ideas had gotten us into, how it works and what we can do about it. Claremont's a really dedicated place, slackers don't do too well. and learning how to experiment with what you can do is really important. "The difference between knowing how to use your powers and understanding how they work, is nothing less than life and death!"" he declared, striking a mock-dramatic pose and shaking his fist at the ceiling. Dropping his arms to his sides he laughed aloud "Aw man, Mr. Kuzkin, that guy. He was so awesome. Theatre instructor," Heraldo added, catching the faint look of non-comprehension on Starchaser's face "but he helped out ironing little lessons like that into our brains. I've seen it do a lot of good for the students, some of my classmates started out a lot less powerful than me, now I'm like a fifth wheel when they're around. Bein' around a lot of people who know what you're goin' through, and are having the same problems themselves helps a lot too. You meet so many people who have had such different lives than you, too, from outer space to other-dimensional tyrannies to fantasy kingdoms. You learn somethin' new every day, and you don't even realize it until you're in some crazy situation with like a demon-possessed cyber-ape, and you just say to yourself "Oh, so that's why they taught me how to do that!"" Taking a bite out of a taco that looked bigger than his own head, he chewed blissfully, carefully balancing the plate on a nearby table so he could take a quick swig of water to wash it down. "I loved that place. Met some great people, saw some crazy things. Even got to meet the best, most badass girl in the whole world. I'm kinda sorry more supers don't get to go there." Heraldo tended to get very into whatever he was talking about, so it was only vaguely that he noticed the entrance of the other heroes. As he drank though, his sensitive ears almost pricked up at the sound of Elias's familiar voice. "Ooh! Uh, sorry man, be back in a second, gotta say hi to friend from school. It was great meeting you, Starchaser, you gotta tell me about those star powers of yours!" Heraldo shook the man's hand with tremendous vigor before dashing off into the crowd with plate held high to keep it from crashing to the ground. Sliding to a halt next to Elias, he thumped the other boy on the back, "Hey Errant! You showed! That's awe-whoa" he stopped short, staring open-mouthed in shock at Mali, Giang and Thaelia "I...wow. Ladies" the Hispanic teen looked grave, doffed his hat and made a sweeping bow "I am a churlish wretch, and never thought my schoolmates would ever appear so resplendent('cept Cerys). Forgive my blunder, you look as lovely as the rose-tinted dawn tonight." Looking up he added with grin at Arcturus "Hi there, Arky! How's it goin'?"
Thevshi Posted January 2, 2014 Author Posted January 2, 2014 Lady Liberty Beth smiled, "We were both surprised. I went to Daedalus and Miss Americana both just to make sure everything was normal, and everything is fine. I'm due sometime in June." She shrugged and admitted, "Maybe it wasn't the teary-eyed joy that people have in the movies at first, but Trevor's happy, and I'm happy, and we...well, our 'we' is getting a lot bigger! As for the League..." She sighed softly, looking around the conference room. "I think I may step back. I won't retire," she added quickly, "not as long as I've got my powers, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize those until the baby is born. But I've been in the business almost thirty years now. People I met when I was already a veteran hero have since married and had kids at Claremont. I'm ready to choose time with my family." Velocity Velocity gave an understanding nod to Lady Liberty's comments about stepping back from her duties with the League. "No one is going to begrudge you wanting to focus some on your family Beth. Robert and I certainly appreciated having the chance to some 'time' in the Null Zone with Lawrence before bringing him back with us and stepping back into our lives." "The rest of us with miss seeing you as much, but we will take care of things." The yellow clad speedster then added with a grin. "We should probably get back out there to continue mingling and helping greet any new arrivals." She continued. "Besides, I want to try to steer some people to the dance floor! Don't want that to go unused!" Over Freedom Hall's PA system, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, sung by Aretha Franklin, began to play.
Geez3r Posted January 6, 2014 Posted January 6, 2014 Arcturus "Errant! Happy Holidays!" He grinned widely and almost gave him a hug. He was certain that was a bad idea, so he just waved as he was more or less dragged over to their group. Having spent some time with Errant, he felt like he understood the quiet psychic a little better. Errant valued his privacy and personal space. If anything, Errant was the one psychic he knew that he could trust. "You guys have definitely been keeping busy," he said with a nod. "You know you can always call me if you need anything, yeah? The Academy's got my number in last year's directory, and I'm pretty sure they have Parkhurst's number around for magically inclined students..." Maxima and Crusader exchanged a few more pleaseanties before they parted ways to mingle with the other heroes in the crowd. Maxima took a few moments to eat what was on her plate before swapping the dish out for a glass of sparkling apple cider. Her conversation with Velocity kept playing over in her head, about how she started out as a super-hero while she was still in high school. It got her curious what it must be like to be a teenage super-hero. Sure she had powers back in the day, but fighting crime never even crossed her mind. She wanted a little more insight into the matter and figured she would invite herself to chat with some of the younger heroes that were present. Maxima made her way over to the group, stooping low so she was only slightly towering before introducing herself. "Hello. I don't believe I've met any of you before. My name's Maxima, I'm just making the rounds, introducing myself to everyone. And who might you all be?"
Avenger Assembled Posted January 6, 2014 Posted January 6, 2014 Fast-Forward With her announcement done, Lady Liberty rejoined her fellow Terminus Invasion veterans, taking Paige aside for a quick, mostly-telepathic conversation. ...I called Donna and she said "It was about time the Spirit of America was a mother." We'll wait till after the New Year to announce anything, though. The business isn't like it was back when Donna wore the uniform. As the women talked, the veteran heroes, along with a few of Beth's friends from the League, found their way into the League's small museum. Mostly tended by the League's support staff rather than the professional historians and museum specialists who worked over at the city's various historical museums, this was more of a collection of curios with hand-printed labels (and short stories) next to each one. Pleased to see his mom's work in a place of pride, Richard borrowed Paige's phone to snap a picture of Clock Queen's first pair of swords, still buried in the concrete block where the Centurion had put them after their first fight in 1965. "She liked the impervium ones better anyway," he commented to his wife, remembering the way Anne Cline had always told that particular story. Zipping around the room as he usually did, Richard was actually the first to notice the painting - an image on the wall in acrylic and oil, a massive, nearly-life size picture of a small group of superheroes squared off for battle against a gigantic robotic monstrosity dotted here and there with grisly human remains like butterflies in a case. He recognized himself first, then Paige in her old costume (tattered as it had been by then), and then the rest of them. He knew this scene well enough, burned as it was into his nightmares even after twenty years. Zipping along back and forth like an angry bee, he was about to exclaim in disgust at who had stolen their legacy before he saw the artist's name. "..._Keller_ painted this?" Even after twenty years, he still wasn't really on a first name basis with Arrow-turned-Archer. "When...when did he even start painting?" he asked, looking up at an unmistakable image of what the local press had dubbed the Battle of Lincoln. "About ten years ago," said Beth, heading over to join him in front of the picture, a static 'shot' of an image that had come at the end of a very long, long, long three days. "He says it relaxes him. He donated this one over the summer, with the condition we keep it in the League's personal museum." "Damn." Richard looked up at the gigantic work of a city in flames and battered heroes at their last ounce of strength, showing that last moment when Fast-Forward, Hologram, 1-800-Justice, and the last survivor of FORCE Ops had teamed up against the end of the world, clearly done by somebody who'd actually been there. For once, he was at a loss for words. "...damn."
GranspearZX Posted January 7, 2014 Posted January 7, 2014 Maxima and Crusader exchanged a few more pleaseanties before they parted ways to mingle with the other heroes in the crowd. Maxima took a few moments to eat what was on her plate before swapping the dish out for a glass of sparkling apple cider. Her conversation with Velocity kept playing over in her head, about how she started out as a super-hero while she was still in high school. It got her curious what it must be like to be a teenage super-hero. Sure she had powers back in the day, but fighting crime never even crossed her mind. She wanted a little more insight into the matter and figured she would invite herself to chat with some of the younger heroes that were present. Maxima made her way over to the group, stooping low so she was only slightly towering before introducing herself. "Hello. I don't believe I've met any of you before. My name's Maxima, I'm just making the rounds, introducing myself to everyone. And who might you all be?" Arcturus "Arcturus. Nice to meet you. And Happy Holidays." Arc found his gaze angling upward. It was definitely something that didn't happen too often. Nevertheless, he didn't seem to mind new and unfamiliar company. Instead, he allowed the others to introduce themselves as well. The entire situation was a far cry from where he'd been not even a year before, and if his journey into his own mindscape had proven anything, it was that he had a lot of room for improvement. It was a nice change of pace, not being so guarded and on edge all the time. Of course, with the Cult of the Beast Rune still at-large, he couldn't completely relax. This was still an enjoyable departure from the craziness that was his regular situation.
Thevshi Posted January 8, 2014 Author Posted January 8, 2014 Glamazon Thaelia nodded along to Errant's matter of fact observation. "Yes, is it not wonderful? To have such good acquaintances that you can see every day. But the proper response would be to compliment the attire of the ladies you so rarely get to see dressed up in such formal garbs. I am sure Mali and Giang would love to hear how lovely they look tonight." The conversation could have been misconstrued as Thaelia being cheeky. But she wasn't the cheeky sort, simply direct in her dealings. "Watch let me try it. Arcturus that suit looks as if it was finely made and the golden tie around your neck would no doubt make an excellent weapon if we were suddenly invaded and you needed to wrap it around someone's neck." Her compliment on his aesthetics somehow turned to tactical appraisal. Of course considering adding armored additions to formal attire was part of her norm, there was a strong chance that the two weren't that mutually exclusive. Giang could not help but smile slightly at her roommates comments to Elias about how he should behave in the social setting, although she did feel sympathy for the Elias and the situation Thaelia was putting him in. Errant He looked at Thaelia, actually looked at her as she told him to tell Mali and Giang that they were attractive. "Objectively I find them both attractive anyway. But I am not good at these sorts of things, so I would say it artlessly, though neither of them is particular looking for such a remark from me, because it would be forced and artificial to come from me in a social setting. And neither find me attractive." And then he looked to Mali an Giang. "The dresses look good on you." Without glancing back to Thaelia, his focus sort of shifted and went elsewhere, "There, better?" She focused back on Elias as he offered the suggested comment, likely in the hopes that Thaelia would leave him alone then. "Why thank you Errant." Giang genuinely replied with a warm smile. "But why would you think neither of us finds you attractive?" Arcturus "Errant! Happy Holidays!" He grinned widely and almost gave him a hug. He was certain that was a bad idea, so he just waved as he was more or less dragged over to their group. Having spent some time with Errant, he felt like he understood the quiet psychic a little better. Errant valued his privacy and personal space. If anything, Errant was the one psychic he knew that he could trust. "You guys have definitely been keeping busy," he said with a nod. "You know you can always call me if you need anything, yeah? The Academy's got my number in last year's directory, and I'm pretty sure they have Parkhurst's number around for magically inclined students..." The Asian teen turned back to regard Marcus, giving a slightly nod to his suggestion they had been busy. "Thank you Arcturus, we will be sure to remember that." She replied as he mentioned they could always call him if they needed any help, particularly with magic related issues. Sliding to a halt next to Elias, he thumped the other boy on the back, "Hey Errant! You showed! That's awe-whoa" he stopped short, staring open-mouthed in shock at Mali, Giang and Thaelia "I...wow. Ladies" the Hispanic teen looked grave, doffed his hat and made a sweeping bow "I am a churlish wretch, and never thought my schoolmates would ever appear so resplendent('cept Cerys). Forgive my blunder, you look as lovely as the rose-tinted dawn tonight." Looking up he added with grin at Arcturus "Hi there, Arky! How's it goin'?" Then another familiar face joined the group of present Claremont students and recent alumni. Giang gave Subito a smile. "Thank you El Heraldo, it is very good to see you again. Happy Holidays." Maxima and Crusader exchanged a few more pleaseanties before they parted ways to mingle with the other heroes in the crowd. Maxima took a few moments to eat what was on her plate before swapping the dish out for a glass of sparkling apple cider. Her conversation with Velocity kept playing over in her head, about how she started out as a super-hero while she was still in high school. It got her curious what it must be like to be a teenage super-hero. Sure she had powers back in the day, but fighting crime never even crossed her mind. She wanted a little more insight into the matter and figured she would invite herself to chat with some of the younger heroes that were present. Maxima made her way over to the group, stooping low so she was only slightly towering before introducing herself. "Hello. I don't believe I've met any of you before. My name's Maxima, I'm just making the rounds, introducing myself to everyone. And who might you all be?" And then there was another new arrival to the group, one who toward over everyone of the teens. Giang looked up at Maxima as she introduced herself and gave the older heroine a small bow. "Greetings Maxima. It is an honor to meet you. I am Tusnami."
Ari Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 Then another familiar face joined the group of present Claremont students and recent alumni. Giang gave Subito a smile. "Thank you El Heraldo, it is very good to see you again. Happy Holidays." Subito beamed at the Asian teen "Happy Holidays, Giang!" he replied warmly, replacing his hat on his curly head "Great to see you too! Dunno why I didn't think you, Mal and Thaelia wouldn't be here. I knew El Sourface" he bumped Elias with his broad shoulder "would only make it if I made him, but you? Kinda surprised more of us aren't here. Think Glow's gonna show up?" he added excitedly, looking around at the far door just in time to stare at a white field of rounded, even hillocks, a small blue river traveling in a straight line through them. Blinking in surprise, his eyes traveled up the suddenly-appearing mountain, until at last, his head thrown completely back, he beheld a human face surrounded by black hair. As Maxima bent down and introduced herself, the young paragon stepped back politely to giver her some space. "Hello. I don't believe I've met any of you before. My name's Maxima, I'm just making the rounds, introducing myself to everyone. And who might you all be?" "Good evening, and Merry Christmas Mz...er, Maxima!" he said with a quick recovery of his bright grin, offering her his much smaller hand "I'm El Heraldo, champion of Puerto Rico! You're really huge," Subito added, eyes sparkling with new excitement "Could you make yourself even bigger, if you wanted to? Not a lotta people who can go giant in Freedom City, I gotta say. Where you from?"
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