R. Bluefish
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When the kid appeared, Starlight had gone very, very still, the drink gripped so tightly in her hand her knuckles were white. As Holly left, Starlight let out a long, thin breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She realized Paige was looking at her, and she ducked her head quickly. "I'm fine. Fine. Little ginger ale just went down the wrong way." She thumped her chest and coughed unconvincingly, still not meeting her eyes. Just for that briefest of moments, she hadn't seen the brown-eyed little girl. She'd seen the tiny boy with the wide, scared eyes. Grey, like hers. Clinging to the side of the door like he wanted to hide behind it. Staring at her like she was a bomb that might go off at any second. An angry red mark on his cheek, the shape of the handprint plainly visible against his pale skin. She set her drink down the counter and turned away from it. Her mouth was dry. "I'm fine."
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"Eh, not really. Making it up as I go." She swirled her drink with her straw, studying it apprehensively. "Learn by doing, right? If there was a correspondence course for photokinesis, I'd sign up. But hell, I don't even know where the hell you guys get your costumes." She sniffed the soda carefully. All seemed well. Unable to put it off any longer, she took a sip. It burned like acid. Her tongue felt like it was getting holes eaten through it. She gagged and half-coughed, half-swallowed, spluttering. For a moment panic seized her, before she suddenly remembered. Oh. Right. That's what the bubbles feel like. Now that she knew her mouth wasn't dissolving, the taste began to register. She hadn't tasted anything in almost a year. Sweet and spicy and cold all at once, it seemed to flood her entire consciousness, nearly overwhelming her senses. It was so strong tears sprang to her eyes. Jesus, who needs drugs when you have taste buds? She straightened up, trying to regain her composure as if nothing had happened, making sure not to spill any of the precious liquid. "So, you said you mentioned a Holly - that's your daughter?" she wheezed. "Does she have...abilities too?"
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"Yeah, I grew up here. Me and my sister. Hell, until a couple months ago, I'd never left." And that was because I was experimenting with my teleportation powers and accidentally overshot by a couple hundred thousand miles. Hell of a way to find out you don't need to breathe. "I always meant to move away sometime. There just always seemed to be something that needed doing first. Now..." she shrugged. "Things are different. Different priorities. Different...circumstances." She snorted. "Very different. And, uh..." She hesitated. Moment-of-truth time. "Ginger ale is fine." Let's see if this kills me. If I'm going to die, might as well die from drinking soda.
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"I've been...good. Good." Technically not homeless anymore, so I guess that's something. You know, baby steps. "Thanks for having me. But, you really shouldn't have gone to all this trouble, you know." Seriously. She found herself staring around her as she talked. The place was spacious, clean, healthily lived-in...a far cry from her old apartment. The contrast was so striking it seemed almost surreal. Instead of cigarette butts and discarded fast-food wrappers, there were family photos and decorations. There was no muffled shouting from the idiot couple next door, no howling of stray dogs. You could inhale without getting a lungful of secondhand smoke. The kids outside - She realized she was digging her nails into the inside of her arm again, where the track marks used to be. S--t. She thought she'd broken herself of that habit. She quickly gripped her elbows, hugging herself to force her hands to remain still. "So, uh, nice to meet you, Paige," she said to hide her unease. " I guess Rich told you about me." I wonder how much he told you.
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Okay, this is weird. "Hey, Fa -" she caught herself - "Richard." She lingered on the doorstep for a moment, then said. "Nice place." Man, who do you have to kill to get a place like this? It might not be too luxurious relatively speaking, but compared to the Fens or even Greenbank, this was a palace. Even the neighborhood looked like the kind of place you wouldn't think twice about walking through after dark. Must be nice. "Never seen you out of costume, Rich. Anyone'd think you were just some guy, not a time-warping demigod," she said, half joking.
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Hmm...Yeah, I think I will. Dropping a HP on a re-roll. 1d20+8 26 Much better.
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Move action: Teleport directly behind the two guys who just appeared, doing a 180 in transit so I appear facing their backs. Standard Action: Attack! Gonna target #1 and let him (or her) have it in the back with a full Blast 12. Then, thanks to Turnabout, teleport right back to my starting position by FF and Miras. Attack roll: 1d20+8 16 Save DC is 27.
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"Thanh Nguyen," he said. He considered, then added, "Or Vox. Whichever. Doesn't matter." Blod-what? They're both "special" students too? This was going to take some getting used to. On the street, one of the first rules of survival was never tell anyone anything about yourself. It made you seem vulnerable, made you look weak. People would remember you, and being remembered was bad. But here, everyone was so open about who they were and what they could do. Whole different world. Of course, it wasn't like this was the first place that looked like "the one." Everywhere had a surface, and a reality. There had been plenty of group homes and shelters that seemed like heaven. Then you settled in, let your guard down, and you found out what they were really like. He'd learned that lesson already, didn't intend to learn it again. He hitched up his bag again. "So, what do we do now? Do we just head to the dorms and throw down wherever? Is there...paperwork or something?" He wanted to ask about the "extracurricular" activities, but he restrained himself. Best to wait, get a feel for the landscape. See if everything was what it appeared to be. If not...it wasn't like those gates could hold him. Should also figure out what algebra was.
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"Whatever works." Son? A strangely dull, heavy feeling settled into her stomach. Didn't even know they had kids. She wondered if the kids had powers too. Did it work like that? She would have to ask. Just out of curiosity. She was relieved that she didn't have to bring anything - even if she had the money, she'd never exactly had the most discerning taste when it came to wine. Generally, the only quality she'd ever sought in her alcohol had been...well, alcohol. "So. Port Regal. Sunday. Six o'clock. Zinnias. I'll be be there." Still a couple days to kill. Maybe she'd finally get around to listening to that David Bowie album at Miras's place. See what all the fuss was about. "See you then."
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"Dietary needs? Uh, not exactly. Not picky." She squinted down at the meandering rows of traffic far below. No matter what you cook, there's a decent chance it'll kill me or something. Ever since she discovered her new physiology, she'd never been able to muster the courage to try eating, even when she had the opportunity, which wasn't often. "So. Sunday evening. Got it. Where you at?" she asked. Superhero neighborhood? Didn't even know we had those. Must have quite a neighborhood watch.
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Dinner? For a moment, Starlight was genuinely dumbfounded. She'd never been invited to dinner in her life, even before she got her powers. She wondered absurdly if the other woman was speaking in some sort of code. Was their conversation being listened in on? Is this your idea of being less paranoid? asked a snide voice in her head. Here's an idea - maybe "dinner" is code for "dinner." She started to say that she didn't eat dinner anymore, but something stopped her. She realized that, oddly enough, she didn't want to be rude. First time for everything, I guess. At the same time, she felt a sort of apprehension growing inside her. They seemed to think she was some sort of...socialite. What had she done to give Cline the impression that she was the kind of person who would make a good dinner guest? Was it the casual swearing, or the drug-related anecdotes? "Uh, nothing in my schedule I can't move around," she said, against her better judgement. The moon isn't going anywhere. Well, probably. "When do we wanna do this?"
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"Oh," she said, relaxing slightly. Might want to ratchet down the paranoia a bit, Sam. Casually, she stepped off the edge of the roof, letting herself float slowly through the air. "Uh, yeah, sure, I'll talk to her," she said in a less guarded tone. Wonder what the hell's this about? They need some muscle for something? From what she knew of them, muscle was one thing they had no shortage of.
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Yeah, I can hear you, said Thanh mentally. But only if you want me to, and only if I'm already listening. I can't just go rooting around in your head any time I please. He considered. Well, I suppose I could, but I won't. Wouldn't. That would be wrong. "And no, I can't hook you up with each other," he said aloud to the other girl (and immediately regretted his choice of words). "But I guess I could relay messages. Or something." He felt suddenly uncomfortable under their scrutiny, and looked away, focusing instead on the intricately shaped gates of Claremont. Metal bars. Heh. He was going to be spending the next few years behind bars after all.
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It was times like this that made Starlight really wish she could sleep. She sat on the very edge of the roof of the Rath and Stromberg building, dangling her legs over the dizzying drop below. She was propping her chin up with one fist, staring out at the city before her with half-glazed eyes. Her body was softly glowing, and she could feel her inner store of energy replenishing with agonizing slowness. Recharging her powers every day was certainly necessary, but it didn’t make it any less ass-achingly dull. At last, the glow faded, and she got to her feet, wincing as her legs cramped. She stood there for another few minutes, bouncing idly on the balls of her feet, trying to decide what to do next. The streets had been quiet (relatively speaking), and there had been a disappointing dearth of skeletal dinosaurs in the last few months. Maybe a trip to the moon was in order, to try to settle her thoughts. At least she could get away from the noise of the city. She was just focusing her concentration to make the jump when a loud, insistent digital ringtone blared from her pocket, startling her violently. She pulled out her cheap plastic phone and eyed it suspiciously, trying to think of a legitimate reason for anyone to be calling her. After a moment’s indecision, she tapped the talk button and held it to her ear, letting whoever it was be the first to speak. A man’s voice came through tinnily. “Hello, Starlight – it’s Richard Cline. Are you busy?†Cline? The fast guy with the show? She stiffened. “Aren’t you married?†she said accusingly.
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Oh. Suddenly he felt ridiculous. He balked for a moment, torn. This was a fresh start for him, a chance to stop being afraid of his powers. At the same time, look what happened the last time he used his abilities for every little thing. Oh, screw it, he decided. I'm already here, it's not like I can exactly keep it a secret. He spoke again, but not with his lips. Hello. Are you a student here?
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Vox started slightly when he noticed the other girl, who smiled and gave a strange sort of salute. He waited for a moment for her to speak, then decided to try a "Hi." Another moment passed in silence, then he ventured, "You a student here?" He started to wonder if he should have returned her salute. Did this school have a salute?
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Vox has now officially joined the school as well. I'm always up for any threads that might help him get started.
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Gravel crunched underfoot. The sun shone down, bright and cold, from a clear blue sky. The strap of Thanh's bag was cutting painfully into his shoulder. He kept his eyes downcast, his shapeless woolen hat pulled low over his ears. The day was cool, but he could feel himself sweating under his jacket. Not for the first time, he wondered what the hell he was doing here. He stopped, pulled off his hat, and wiped his brow before mashing the hat back onto his head. The temptation was still there - to just turn around and disappear back into the streets. Hide. Go back where he came from. His stomach twisted. Go where? he reminded himself. He walked on. They had offered to drive him, but he had told them he wanted to walk. He had never been in Bayview before. He was surrounded by the kind of money that made him want to either shrink into a corner or break out the three-card monte. The last bend in the driveway unfolded before him, and he saw the entrance to Claremont Academy. His new home. A young woman was standing near a large tree. Waiting for him? He stopped and adjusted his book bag uncomfortably. He opened his mouth, closed it, then said, "Hey." The word came out quiet and squeaky. He coughed and raised his voice. "Uh, Thanh Nguyen? Is me?"
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Starlight's initiative roll: 1d20+6 18
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Starlight took in her surroundings with a glance. Not exactly what I was expecting. I figured some sort of evil lair with lots of guards and spiked pits, not some guy's mancave. She stepped forward, there was a blink of light, and when she finished her step she was standing directly in front of the frozen man. She waved a hand in front of his glassy eyes. "Nice trick. Didn't know you could do that." She leaned in close to the man's face. "Okay, listen up, s---bird. We have a couple questions. Question number one: Who the f--- are you? Question number two: Where are the drugs? Question number three: Are you actually this stupid?" She glanced at the other two. "That about cover it?"
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Starlight's ears rang from the din of Fast-Forward's assault on the door. "Not bad," she admitted, grudgingly impressed. "Sounds a lot more complicated than what I do. Mainly I just...you know. Shoot light." She paused, watching him pound away. "Guess we're not worried about being sneaky, huh?" She glanced down the tunnel behind them, and found herself speaking without knowing why. "It was beer for me. At first. Then it was weed. Takes the edge off. Then hey, let's try Oxy. But why stop there? Let's give coke a shot, just one time." She snorted. "Then hell, I've come this far, might as well go for some heroin. Just to see what it's like. Just to get me through the rest of this day." She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Well. Here I am." She was silent for another moment, then, "And who the hell's Bowie?"
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Starlight American Vikings Drugs & Death, Inc. Family Food HellQ Reputation table Vox Voice of the People
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Attacking the T-Rex with a full-powered Blast. Attack Roll: 1d20+8=16 Toughness save DC is 27.
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Starlight winced when she saw the dinosaur clip the magician with a painful-looking blow. Ouch. That looked like it hurt. Tucking her arms in close to her body, she flew straight down towards the huge creature, then pulled up directly in front of it's skull. "Right here, bony!" she shouted, swerving back and forth tantalizingly, hoping to distract it. She only stayed there for a moment before rocketing up out of reach again, gathering energy in her fists, and unleashing a blast of brilliant white light down at the monster. I hope the museum has this thing insured or something, she thought. Not sure I can pay the repair bill.
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Starlight leaned in towards the door, studying it cautiously. "Might be able to cut through this," she suggested. "Eventually. Might trigger an alarm or something, though. Don't want to risk trying to 'port myself through - could end up inside a wall." She looked at Miras. "Can you phase through this, like you did before?" She considered. "Though that would mean if there's trouble on the other side, you'd walk into it alone. One of you could try the number pad with your super-speed? Though that might also set off an alarm..." She shrugged irritably. "Hell, I don't know. This isn't really my specialty."
