Sophistemon

Samuel stared at Lynn, his expression unreadable for a moment, until he spoke and it became obvious that he'd been busy processing what he'd seen. "I knew it," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "From the moment that I saw you, I knew that you were different." He stood from his chair, slowly. "And not just magical, though that seems obvious now. But this place... it felt so familiar, when I walked in. Like I'd been somewhere like it before, and now I know why." He pointed at Lynn. "You're fey, aren't you?" He nodded, answering his own question. "Believe it or not, but I've met people like you before, in Brocéliande." Samuel chuckled, and then reached towards the zipper of his 'gently used' coat. "I don't have a stunning transformation sequence, I'm afraid." He seemed genuinely apologetic as he drew the zipper down and shed his outer layer, revealing that underneath he wore a stunningly well tailored three-piece suit that was resplendent with a crimson, gold-buttoned waistcoat. He turned, set the coat on the chair behind him, and was smiling when he faced the two women once more. He reached toward the cuff of his left arm and drew up back to the shoulder, and then repeated the process with his right. "As you can see," he said. "There's nothing up my sleeves." He then reached towards Lynn with his right hand, thrusting it towards her face, and snapped his fingers. As he did so, a black tophat with a matching crimson band appeared in his left hand. Smiling, he donned it, and ran his fingers along the brim. "I wear monkey-suit everywhere," he admitted, a slight blush coloring his features. "It's bulletproof, you see?" He opened the jacket, revealing the protective symbols stitched into the lining. "After I got out of prison, I can't know what to expect, so... it pays to be careful." He grinned, and then reached into the jacket to remove from an interior pocket a simple length of black wood, tipped on both ends by caps of polished silver. He held it out to Lynn, but kept his grip tight. "Can you feel it?" he asked her. "I took the wood from Brocéliande, from a very special tree." He paused, thinking. "I keep it with me always. Maybe, in a way, it was the wand that drew me here, to you." He looked the Gretchen, and smiled. "To you both."

Samuel, who has spent the last five years in prison and had, since his release, paid far more attention to the classified ads than to the sensationalist daily coverage of of Freedom City's bustling super-heroic community, had no idea who the Shrike was. With that said, Gretchen's sudden mystical transformation into a masked vigilante was an impressive feat of conjuring and he couldn't help a smile from forming on his lips at the display, and he clapped politely for a few moments to show his appreciation. "Your clothes," he said, reaching out to run a finger along the fabric of her cloak. "Your costume. Summoned from somewhere else and mystically exchanged for your streetwear, or simply conjured out of nothing?" He looked, then, towards the ring. "And the ring... you're using Al-Kazar's old artifacts? Is there anyone here who isn't magic?" With that, he reached into his back pocket and removed a depressingly slim and battered leather wallet and pulled from it his driver's license. He slid it across the table to Lynn and took the tax forms in exchange, which he began to fill out. "Serendipity," he said as he began to write. "Is a type of luck that takes the form of finding valuable or otherwise pleasant things that you weren't looking for." He looked up at them both, the shopekeeper and her assistant. "Meeting you two today is probably the most serendipitous thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life."

Samuel sat there for a moment, turning things over in his head. He'd come into the store for magazines, for a few books to read between birthday party performances. Instead, he'd found... friendship, maybe. Employment, definitely. And something else, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was definitely there, just slightly out of reach. For now. "If that's the case, then, Lynn..." He looked up, found her eyes with his own, and held the gaze for a moment. "Yes. Yes, absolutely. I'd be honored. Thank you." Inside, Samuel was dancing jigs of unadulterated joy. This was, potentially, the start of something new and amazing -- though he had some trouble understanding what she'd meant about giving something back to Freedom City. Whatever it was, it could wait until after he'd figured some things out for himself.

Samuel smiled, thanked Lynn, and took a drink. The two of them sat in a few moments of increasingly uncomfortable silence before Gretchen entered, at which point the magician understood. Sending, he thought. Never did get around to learning that one. And then, another thought: Just how many more people in this building possess the Gift? His internal musings were put on hold when Lynn turned her focus back in his direction and made an offer that struck him numb. He sat there, staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes until her posture shifted just slightly enough to clue him in on his own awkwardness. He blinked, cleared his throat, and spoke. His words were measured, chosen carefully, and delivered with great care. "I am honored," he said. "That you would grant me the opportunity to work with the personal effects of one of the greatest magicians to have ever lived." And then came the inevitable 'but'. "But," he continued. "Are you sure that you... really know what you're getting into?" He lowered his eyes. "My, uh, reputation being what it is... I would hate for this place to suffer because of me, because I'm here." He sighed through his nose, and then took a breath. "Lynn... miss Epstein. You have to know that this is more than I deserve."

Samuel nodded when Lynn mentioned masks, makeup, and mime. A completely new appearance, in a completely new place, with a completely new act... It meant starting over, of course, but wasn't that what he wanted? A clean break from his old life, a fresh start somewhere else? But if that were true, why had he come back to Freedom City, the site of his greatest failures and most humiliating defeat? Because, he thought. I have unfinished business here. And then, Lynn had rested her chin in her hand and stared at him for a while, musing over something that he could only guess at. It seemed for a moment that she was looking through him, her eyes piercing his flesh like twisting gimlets. Samuel swallowed, suddenly nervous to be sitting alone in a room with a beautiful magician that he knew nothing about -- her power, her intentions, were a complete mystery to him. At last, finally, she spoke of help and the necessity of trust, and those fears began to melt away. She leaned in, then, over the table, her eyes shining like polished stones, and he sat rigidly in his seat. When she'd finished saying her piece, and her words hung turning in the air between them, his answer slipped from him unbidden, in a way that was surprising but not at all regrettable. "Yes," he said. "What do I need to do?"

Samuel raised both hands in a traditional 'No!' arrangement and shook his head. "Please, please, I get enough psychoanalysis from my court-appointed therapist to last me a lifetime; I don't need any more." He was grinning while he said it, though, like he was letting her in on joke. But at her mention of money, that smile wavered. "Well," he said. "It's funny that you should mention that. I've been, ah, performing at small venues lately." He snaps the fingers of his right hand and a small card appears in his grip -- an act of legerdemain, not of real magic, but somewhat impressive nonetheless. He hands it to her to read. Mystical Marvels & Extraordinary Entertainment, it boasted. Let World Famous Magician SAMUEL STEINER Host Your Next Event. Birthday Parties, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs & Weddings. Rates Negotiable. A phone number -- cell, not home -- was printed at the bottom. "Business isn't exactly booming," admitted the former celebrity. "After... what happened... nobody will let me on stage anymore. I couldn't even headline a high school prom, people are so afraid that I'd hold their kids for ransom. They actually told me that, once. They were afraid that I'd hold their kids for ransom. What would I do with a gymnasium full of teenagers, anyway? I used to rob banks, for crying out loud, I never held ransoms!" He shook his head, trying to clear the darkness away. "Anyway. A few days ago I worked a birthday party for some kid and his dad tried to stiff me. I managed to, uh, convince him otherwise, but it turns out that I have all of the negatives of a criminal reputation and none of the positives, like being known as a guy that you don't want to mess with." He sighed. "I've just got to keep at it. A few more months, maybe a year of things not going wrong, of not relapsing, and maybe people will start trusting me again. Maybe I should think about performing overseas, under a new name? I was thinking of something like 'Magnus the Magnificent' or something. What do you think?"

Samuel paused, mid-exit, and slowly sat himself back down. As Lynn spoke, the iron forcefulness went out of her and it wasn't long before she was that same pleasant, beautiful young woman that he'd met only a few minutes before. When she spoke about wanting to see the best in people, and then about shame and regret, he felt something gnaw at his heart that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Here, maybe, was something that might actually be trying to understand him. And then, with a simple wave of her hand, she conjured beverages -- and everything changed. A look of joyful amazement etched writ itself large across his face. He glanced about, slightly, subtly, searching for hidden compartments or other apparatuses that might explain the sudden appearance, but he did so half-heartedly. He knew magic; he'd spent years studying it in all of its forms, and this was the real deal, true blue. And she had done it so effortlessly, too. There had been no look of concentration, no muttered incantations or complicated gestures; just a simple wave of the hand. She hadn't even needed a wand! It was with that last thought that the thick, black-blooded vein of jealousy began to pump its poison into Samuel. It had been so easy for her. So simple. She hadn't even really needed to try. And was that really surprising? Here she was, the great-granddaughter of Al-Kazar himself, so what wonder was it that magic ran in her blood? Some people got all of the luck, while others had to scrabble in the dirt for whatever forgotten scraps of ancient knowledge they could find until their fingernails fell off and their callouses had callouses that tore open and bled. He snapped out of his melancholy just in time to hear her ask her question, and to see the friendliness shining in her eyes. He breathed, calmed himself, and spoke. "Magic is... or can be... anything." he said. "But to me, magic is everything. I live for it, top to bottom. From simple parlor tricks like pulling a nickle out of someone's nose to..." he motioned towards the glasses, and the decanter that rested between them on the table. "To that. The real thing. It makes me feel alive in a way that nothing else does. Forget drugs, right? Who needs cocaine when you can fly, or move a car with a flick of the wrist. Nothing else compares, not even close." He closes his eyes for a moment, and breathes deep. "But it's a lot like holding fire, too. Beautiful, but dangerous. You have to be very careful or it can backfire. People can get hurt." He swallows, and takes a long drink of conjured water. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm rambling. I just... I haven't had anyone to talk to about this in a really long time."

Samuel followed after Lynn, his excitement nearly palatable in the air around him. Although Al-Kazar hadn't been the one to introduce him to magic, Samuel had still idolized the man as a child. He had modeled aspects of his own stage persona after the man, having gone so far as attempting to replicate and even surpass the turbaned magician's more astonishing feats of illusion. In fact, if he had ever stopped to think about it, his own eventual pursuit of real mystic power might have stemmed from the rumors of Al-Kazar's dabbling in the same. It was a surging resurgence of that childish adoration that blinded the formerly malcontentious magician to the events that were unfolding around him. When Lynn led him into a room apparently devoid of the promised artifacts, he didn't notice. When she bade him to sit and help himself to a handful of sweets, he complied. And when her demeanor changed and she revealed her knowledge of his past, it took him about one and one-half sentences to catch up. "Well," he began. "Like I said, I'd heard that the store had been redone, and I thought that I'd check in and see if you had any copies of some of the books and magazines that I'd lost. I don't know if I really expected you to have any Unnatural Geographic, but it was worth a..." The blood drained from his face and one jellybean slipped from numb fingers while another caught in his throat. He coughed once, twice, three times to dislodge it and stared across the table at a suddenly very different-looking young woman. "Oh," he murmured, a pit opening at the base of his stomach. "I... that was all... Look, that was all a very long time ago. I don't do any of that stuff anymore. I really just came in to check things out, and to see what you had in stock." He carefully replaced the lid on the candy dish and moved to stand up from his chair. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time." He had somehow managed to force his face into a convincing mask of placidity. "I expect that you'll want me to turn out my pockets before I go?"

The scent of her hair, the delicate floral perfume, almost sent him reeling again -- but then the neurons started firing and his eyes opened wide for another reason altogether. "Wait," he said, raising up both hands with the palms out. "Grandpa Ira?" The smile that split his face then wasn't so much the heart-breaker that he'd employed to such great effect before as it was the joyful grin of a scruffy child given carte blanche in a candy store. "You're Al-Kazar's great-granddaughter? I didn't even know that he had any children, let alone grandchildren! Did you ever meet him? What was he like?" And then, a split-second later, another synapse clicked into place and sent off a message, causing realization to dawn on Samuel's face. "You have the mirror?" He swallowed his excitement and tried to compose himself, but nevertheless motioned for her to lead the way. "Yes. Yes, I want to see it. I didn't even realize that Al-Kazar's props were still just laying around! I'd always just assumed that what hadn't been lost or thrown away all of those years ago was just sold to museums and private collectors. I had no idea... If I had, I'd have tried to get my hands on some of it myself years ago. The Mirror Illusion was one of the ones that I'd watch over and over again. I have to see it in person!"

Samuel withdrew his hand from hers with no small amount of reluctance and then used it to rub the back of his neck. "Ah, right. I hate to be a bother, but I was wondering if you guys had any issues of Unnatural Geographic tucked away in storage somewhere? Or, I guess, if you might know where else I could find them? Like I told your associate, I once had a pretty amazing collection but then they needed to be sold, and now that they're out of print they're almost impossible to find in decent condition." He was prattling, chattering on like a adolescent schoolboy. He'd performed for heads of state and royalty before without having been this nervous -- just what was so special about this woman that she was making him act this way? Samuel paused, cleared his throat, composed himself, and continued. When he spoke again, it was with a well-practiced calm. "I'm sorry," he said. "I really shouldn't bother you with something like this; I'm sure that you're busy. It's really something that I should solve by going online and hunting down a collector. I just thought, you know, I had heard that the store had been renovated and I wanted to check it out and see what had changed while I'd been away." He smiled the same ice-melting smile at Lynn that he had only just recently used on Gretchen. "I'm really impressed with what you've done with the place. It wasn't really anything special when I was in here last, but you've really made it worthy of the Silberman name." He turned to the side, to face the poster of Al-Kazar, and his smile faded a bit. "I was a huge fan of his when I was growing up, actually. I used to have a ton of his old performances on VHS and I'd watch them over and over again, until the tapes got ruined. I used to think, you know, if I saw it just one more time I might figure out how he was doing it all. And the way that he could captivate a crowd! He was nothing less than a master of his craft." He sighed and turned back to Lynn. "Anyway, I'm sorry to have bothered you with all of this."

The first woman, Gretchen, was attractive. The second woman, Lynn, was... something else altogether. Not only was she gorgeous in the most classical way, but it felt as though the air of stimulating serenity that permeated the building seemed to radiate out from her. She was like a brightly blazing star and Samuel was immediately caught up in her orbit, helpless to escape the pull of her beauty. Her familial resemblance to Al-Kazar was lost on him at first, relegated to a faint, tickling recognition at the back of his brain that was swept away when he reached out and took her hand. He marveled at the softness of her skin, the quiet strength of her grip, and was so enthralled by her presence that he forgot to provide a false name in answer to her question. "Steiner," he said. "Samuel Steiner. Sam." If he'd had the presence of mind to realize it, Samuel would have been embarrassed by himself: acting like a teenager and all but tripping over himself in front of a beautiful woman was not the best way to make a good impression. But he just couldn't help himself; she was the most amazing thing that he'd seen in over five years -- the second most beautiful, if you counted the dingy old bus that had ferried him back into the city proper following the completion of his sentence. Even then, it might be a tie.

Samuel's smile widened slightly at her initial reaction -- especially when she returned his greeting with a smile of her own -- but fell again after hearing the bad news, and even further when her posture reverted to the sort of practiced professionalism that retail employees engage in when they're worried that a customer is going to be one of 'those'. Samuel didn't want to be one of 'those', and so he shook his head. "No, that's okay; I don't want to be a bother. It was a pretty rare find even back when it was being published. I'll probably have to start looking into private collections if I'm going to have any chance of finding it. I just thought, you know... It would have been right up his alley." He motioned with one hand towards the poster of Al-Kazar. "Speaking of which, when was this place renovated? I was in here a few years ago and it was just a regular old bookstore, with all of the fun sucked out. It's nice to see that it's returned to its roots. And the coffee's new, too, right? It smells amazing." Small talk. Small talk was the key, and he was dangerously out of practice after having gone five years without a meaningful conversation. What he doesn't mention, but what's been on his mind since he'd first entered the building, was how familiar the bookstore felt. Samuel can't sense magic -- it's not a power that he'd ever developed, as useful as it might be. He had instead relied on seeking out whatever scraps of knowledge that he could find and having them translated, but he had been to a great many places of magical power, Brocéliande most notably, and this bookstore had the same sort of feeling to it; a paradoxically electric, stimulating calm. He felt simultaneously relaxed and energized, a feeling that he attributed to the scent of fresh, strong coffee in the air.

A bell above the door rang sweetly as it opened, heralding the entrance of an attractive man in his early thirties who wore a slightly ratty winter coat to protect against the unpredictable weather. He blinked as he entered, and then smiled as he realized that much had changed since he'd last payed a visit to Silberman's Books. Before the accident, before his pilgrimage to Brocéliande, before... everything that followed, Silberman's Books had been a rather drab and dour little store so far removed from the intentions of its founder -- Ira Silberman, the Amazing Al-Kazar -- that he had left without perusing its wares. He had heard in passing that the shop had fallen under new management and had, on a whim, decided to check up on it. Samuel Steiner stood in the entryway and breathed deeply, his eyes closing as he inhaled the scent of old paper and fresh coffee. He opened his eyes again and cast them across the walls, taking in the decorations, before settling his gaze on a poster of the man himself, Al-Kazar. Samuel nodded towards the poster, one magician acknowledging another, before stepping further into the shop. To think, he thought, that someone could be embarrassed about all of this. A smile fixed itself to his face as he browsed. A few minutes passed as he wandered the shelves, searching for this and that, and it wasn't long before he had a small library of books clasped under one arm. The one thing that he'd hoped to find, however, eluded him, and he approached one of the shop's employees -- a pretty young woman in a green flannel shirt, with arm tattoos -- and flashed her the sort of winning smile that had once melted even the iciest of hearts to puddles of warm goo. "Hello," he greeted. "Good afternoon, miss. I'm sorry to bother, but I've looked and I can't seem to find any back issues of Unnatural Geographic. I had a pretty great collection a few years ago but they had to be, ah, sold off at an auction. I was hoping to rebuild it, since the magazine went of print a few years ago, and I was wondering if maybe I've overlooked them, or if you had any in the back?" It had been a great collection, too -- missing only a few issues -- and their loss had been one of the more devastating things to occur during his imprisonment.

EVERYBODY LOVES A CLOWN Samuel stared at the proffered money with a look of dark realization dawning on his face. He reached out, slowly, and took the crumpled bills, where a quick count confirmed his suspicions. He sighed, already sensing how the conversation would go. “We agreed on two-hundred,” he said, and his client smirked as he reached up to scratch what would, in little more than a year, become a truly awful bald spot on the top of his head. A child ran past, nearly crashing into Samuel's legs, too distracted by the bouquet of balloons she held to watch where she was going. Samuel dodged her, and then reaffirmed. “We agreed,” he said, “on two-hundred.” “Yeah,” said the man, still scratching. “But the act wasn't that good, you know? You get a hundred; that's fair for what we got outta you. The kids weren't even that into it, anyway. The clown got more attention.” Samuel's hands curled into fists and he worked the tongue inside of his mouth, trying to find the right words. “I've have you know,” he argued, “that I've headlined in Las Vegas. I've entertained heads of state. I've performed works of illusion and legerdemain in my time that would have confounded to madness the greatest magicians of generations past. Despite the diminished circumstances, there was nothing wrong with my act and you know it.” The other man's smirk widened, his lips splitting into an unfriendly smile before he spoke again. “Sure,” he said. “Sure, you did some card tricks and pull some rabbits outta your hat. But there wasn't any real magic, was there? You didn't turn invisible, or levitate my car, or turn the cake into gold or nothing.” He licked his lips and then wiped them dry with the back of his hand. “I know who you are, Steiner,” he said. “My wife, she did a, what, an Internet search on you. I know who you are and I know what you can do. What, you thought that you could get outta prison after leeching our tax dollars for the last few years and then half-ass my son's birthday and still get the full amount? You're lucky I'm giving you a hundred, man. You're damn lucky.” Samuel clenched his teeth and spoke slowly. “Magic,” he tried to explain, “is not a toy. It can be dangerous. And if I could turn cakes into gold, I wouldn't need to be performing for unappreciative troglodytes like you!” He took a step forward and towered over the other man who, to his credit, stared up at him without a hint of fear on his face. “We agreed on two-hundred dollars, in cash, today. I am not leaving without my money. If you do know who I am, if you know what I'm capable of, you should know better than to antagonize me.” The other man grinned, again, and then spit a wad of phlegm on Samuel's shoe. “Get offa my lawn, man. You won't try nothin' and you know it. One wrong move and they haul your sorry butt back to the clink.” The man stared up into Samuel's eyes, that infuriating smirk twisting his features into something oddly familiar. The magician saw red. Acting on a mixture of instinct and impulse, he took a half-step back and reached into his jacket, withdrawing a simple, twelve-inch length of white-capped black wood. “Fine!” he growled. “Fine, then, have it your way. You want real magic? You want to see what I can do? Fine!” He leveled the wand at the man, who raised his hands and stumbled backwards, tripped over his own feet, and landed on his backside in the grass, babbling for forgiveness. “You want magic?” ranted the incensed sorcerer, ignoring him, his lips drawn back to reveal clenched teeth. “I'll show you magic like you've never seen before!” Samuel pointed the wand directly at the man's face, between his eyes, and spoke a word that split the air like thunder. The man gasped and shielded his face with his hands, his heart hammering in his chest while he waited for the onset of eternity. A moment passed, and then another, before he peeked between his fingers and saw the attendees of the party rushing towards him. He looked down at himself, saw that he was still human, and then stood up on shaky legs. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked around for the magician – but there was no sign of him. He'd disappeared, seemingly vanished into nothingness. The man began to pat himself down, feeling for any signs of injury, but found nothing out of the ordinary until he reached his back pocket. His eyes widened when he confirmed his suspicions. “Son of a gun,” he grumbled. “That jerk stole my wallet.” Another teleportation returned Samuel to his apartment where he collapsed, laughing uproariously, into a ratty old couch. “His face!” he gasped. “The look on his face! Oh, I bet he wet himself!” Still chuckling to himself, he divested the man's wallet of its remaining cash – another one-hundred and sixty dollars – and then sobered as he took in the cramped confines, dingy lighting, and third-hand furniture of his home. “Phenomenal cosmic power,” he murmured. “Itty bitty living space.” He stood, threw the remains of the pilfered wallet into the trash, and then paced to the window. “The clown got more attention,” he said to himself. “The clown got more attention?” At just that moment, a garishly-costumed figure streaked passed his window, flying off to parts unknown. Samuel watched him go with bright realization dawning on his face. “Yes,” he said. “They always do.”

TRANSCRIPT: STEINER, SAMUEL – 'PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW' EXERCISE – PERFORMED BY DR. JACQUELINE HYDE 1. Mister Steiner, where are you from? I'm from Reno, Nevada, the biggest little city in the world, but I've lived in Freedom City for years. 2a. How would you describe yourself, physically, and would others agree with your description? I think that we can both agree that I do a pretty good job of taking care of myself. My genetics don't hurt! 2b. For the record, could you go into detail? Oh. I'm roughly six-one, I keep myself fit, I have brown hair and brown eyes. Oh! And I try to dress nicely. 3. Do you have any distinguishing speech characteristics or recurring mannerisms? I used to have a slight Western accent, but I've traveled so much that I don't, really, anymore. 4. What would you say is your primary motivation? Hah! Well, at the moment, I'm mostly concerned with staying out of prison! And finding work. 5a. What would you say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? I possess magical powers that, in a more enlightened era, would have me worshiped as a god. 5b. All right, that's a strength. What about your weaknesses? I… suppose that I can be a little too cocky for my own good. But women love a man with confidence! 6. What is it that you love more than anything else in the world? What do you hate? Magic. And… magic. It's a lot like playing with fire; you have to be careful or accidents can happen. 7. All right, interesting. How would you describe your mental and emotional state? I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle. A little nervous about life outside of a cell, but it's nothing that I can't handle. 8. What is it that you are the most afraid of? That's, uh. Hm. I guess that I don't want to be forgotten. I don't want the world to forget that I was here. 9. What would you say is your greatest ambition? Right now, I want to be better than I am. I've made mistakes. I want to fix what's wrong with my life. 10a. How do you feel about the state of the world, and of your place in it? The world's a mess! You have all kinds of crazy people running around, doing whatever they want! 10b. And what about you, mister Steiner? How do you fit into the world? I… don't know, yet. Hopefully I still have enough time to figure it all out. 11. Do you have any prejudices? How do you get along with others? Are you asking me if I'm a racist? Because I'm not. I love all people, especially when they love me back. 12. Where would you say that your loyalties lie? In what order? That's an interesting question. I'm loyal to family and friends, I guess. I was loyal to my gang. 13. Do you have a lover, or a partner? How do you think that they feel about you now? Jacqueline, I've had too many lovers to list, and I'm sure that they all think back on me very fondly. 14. Call me Doctor Hyde, please. You mentioned that you have a family. What is the relationship there like? Sorry. I'm an only child, but my parents are alive. We haven't spoken for years, not since the accident. 15. I'm sorry to hear that. How would the people closest to you describe you? I'm… impressive! I'm entertaining, I practically fill the room. I'm a people person to the absolute max. 16. Do you think of yourself as a role model? I don't see why not. I mean, sure, I've been to prison, but I'm a self-made man. That's respectable. 17. I see. Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person? Do you follow a religious tradition? Doctor, I've fought gods. I've got the scars to prove it. Everything worth believing in is right down here. 18. Would you describe yourself as a team player? Do you like being part of a group? Why? Absolutely! I have a lot of offer other people. I'm smart, I'm charismatic, I've got magic up the wazoo... 19a. Given your history, how do you feel about the place of meta-humans and aliens on Earth? I… well, look, take it from me: they can definitely be a double-edged sword. There are some bad eggs. 19b. Certainly. But, in general, how do you feel about the world's metahuman population? They make the world a more interesting place to live, I guess. It'd be much more boring without them. 20a. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself, what would it be? Do better. Be better. Make positive changes and never give up. 20b. Thank you, mister Steiner. With that out of the way, we can begin today's session.

Table of Contents Twenty Questions The Hell-Q Everybody Loves a Clown

Done; how does that look?

Oh, a lot of his griping is going to be internal. And I hope to divest him of being a jerk pretty rapidly. What benefit would Perform bring to the character, beyond authenticity?

Power Notes Create Object: 5x5' cubes with a Strength of 25 and a force of 800lbs. Flight: 10mph, 88 ft per round. Move Object: effective strength of 25; LL-266 lbs, ML-533 lbs, HL-800 lbs, ML-1.6k lbs. Teleport: 500 ft as a move action, five miles as a full action. Movement Notes Flight: 10mph, 88ft per round. Jumping: RJ-11 ft, SJ-5 ft, HJ-2 ft. Teleport: 500 ft as a move action, five miles as a full action. Throwing Distance: 130 lbs 5 ft, 10 lbs 25 ft. Carrying Capacity Notes Light Load: 43 lbs. Medium Load: 86 lbs. Heavy Load: 130 lbs. Maximum Load: 260 lbs. Push/Drag: 650 lbs.

Presto the Preposterous Power Level: PL10/12, 156/181PP Trade-Offs: None. Unspent Power Points: 25 In Brief: A former stage magician that discovered a pathway to real magic, Samuel Steiner once used his amazing abilities to commit a whirlwind tour of extravagant robberies that catapulted him, briefly, to the kind of super-stardom that he had never known as a mundane performer. Eventually captured and incarcerated, he has only recently finished serving his sentence and has returned home to Freedom City. Residence: Freedom City. Base of Operations: A small, unimpressive apartment. Catchphrase: “Presto!” Alternate Identity: Samuel Steiner. Identity: Public. Birthplace: Reno, Nevada. Occupation: Vigilante. Affiliations: Solitary. Family: George Steiner (father; estranged), Martha Steiner (mother; estranged). Description: Presto is obsessed with his appearance. Tall and athletic, with an aggressively maintained physique and perfectly combed hair, he insists on always looking his very best for the public. Presto dresses in an immaculately tailored three piece suit, complete with tailcoat and crimson vest. White gloves and a simple domino mask conclude his costume. While in uniform Presto is almost never seen without his magic wand, which appears as little more than a simple, white-capped length of black wood. Age: 33. Apparent Age: Early 30s. Gender: Male. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Height: 6’1”. Weight: 185lbs. Eyes: Brown. Hair: Brown. Power Descriptions: Presto was a stage magician who, through long study and intensive training, has learned to command the power of real sorcery. His knowledge allows him to launch bolts of elemental energy, create temporary constructs, levitate heavy objects, ensnare his enemies, and transmit himself through space. A ritualist and artificer, he has enchanted his costume with spells of flight and protection. History: Inspired as a child to pursue a career in stage magic, Presto achieved a level of skill that should have enshrined him as a master of his craft. Unfortunately, he shared a world with men and women possessing abilities that made his acts of illusion appear paltry by comparison. Desperate for recognition, he researched and attempted to incorporate real magic into his act, but an accident led to the end of his career and the destruction of his reputation. Scorned by his peers and unable to find work, Presto embarked on a series of flamboyant and high-profile robberies that ended only with his imprisonment. Personality & Motivation: Samuel Steiner has always loved to be the center of attention, but Presto craves the limelight to the point of obsession. He is boisterous and bombastic, prone to grand gestures and speechifying. He talks with his mouth, his hands, and his magic all at once. He has become a hero for selfish and short-sighted reasons: he failed as a performer, as a super-villain, and now feels that he has one last shot at the recognition that he knows that he deserves. In time, he may see the error of his ways and evolve into a genuine hero, but in the meantime… doesn't everyone love a good redemption story? Powers & Tactics: Presto is direct to a fault. The sheer amount of magical power under his command, combined with the protection offered to him by his enchanted clothing, permit him to enter combat against mundane opponents without much fear of danger. When facing empowered enemies he tends to be more cautious, but still attempts to turn the battle into a narrative. If there are goons, he takes them on first, building tension before moving on to topple their leader in a grandiose and climactic victory. Even when deprived of his magic, Presto's skills make him difficult to capture and contain for very long. Complications: Accident: Presto relies on his wand to maintain true control over his powers. Should he be divested of the focus that it provides, his magic could backfire in an embarrassing and potentially dangerous fashion. Fame: as a former minor celebrity and an even more minor super-villain, there are many people in Freedom City who recognize Presto even, or perhaps especially, when he's not dressed in his costume. Hatred: despite his (largely desperate) turn towards the light, Presto can't help but harbor a deep and irrational loathing for the superhero responsible for the humiliating defeat that finally led to his capture. Obsession: Presto craves the spotlight, and will almost always act to put himself at the dead center of attention. His insistence on being noticed is not only disastrous for stealth missions, it is also annoying. Reputation: his previous actions have made it hard for many people, particularly those among the heroic community, to believe that Presto's desire to be hero are really genuine. His grandstanding doesn't help. Responsibility: the terms of his release dictate that Presto must attend weekly meetings with Doctor Jacqueline Hyde, his court-appointed metal health counselor. He is very slowly falling in love with her. Secret: unlike most heroes, who must maintain their secret identities, Presto's was already revealed. Instead, he focuses on keeping his crippling dependence on his wand a secret from the world at large. Abilities: 2 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4+ 8 = 30PP Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 20 = 30PP Initiative: +3 (+3 Base, +0 Misc) Attack: +5 Melee, +10 Ranged Grapple: +6 Defense: +10 Base, +5 Flat-Footed Knockback: -5 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15PP Toughness: +10 (+2 Con, +8 Misc) Fortitude: +7 (+2 Con, +5) Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5) Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 120R = 30PP Acrobatics 4 (+7) Bluff 8 (+12)* Climb 1 (+2) Computers 4 (+7) Concentration 4 (+6) Craft: Artistic 12 (+15) Diplomacy 4 (+8) Disable Device 4 (+7) Disguise 4 (+8) Drive 4 (+7) Escape Artist 8 (+11)* Gather Information 4 (+8) Handle Animal 0 (+4) Intimidate 4 (+8) Investigate 4 (+7) Knowledge: Arcane Lore 12 (+15)* Notice 8 (+10) Perform: Stage Magic 9 (+13) Search 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Sleight of Hand 8 (+11)* Stealth 4 (+7) Survival 1 (+3) Swim 1 (+2) Feats: 15PP Artificer – Use Knowledge (arcane lore) and Craft to create temporary magical devices. Attack Focus (ranged) 5 – +5 bonus to ranged attack rolls. Attractive – +4 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks with people affected by your looks. Eidetic Memory – Perfect recall of everything you’ve experienced. Equipment 1 – Acquire 5 points worth of equipment. Evasion – Suffer less damage from attacks allowing a Reflex save. Improvised Tools – No penalty for not having tools for a skill. Luck 1 – Gain an additional starting hero point. Ritualist – You can create and cast arcane rituals. Skill Mastery* – Choose four skills you can take 10 with even under pressure. Uncanny Dodge (auditory) – Retain your dodge bonus while flat-footed. Equipment: 1PP = 5EP HQ (Toughness 15, Tiny, Computer, Concealed, Defense System [Snare Effect], Living Space, Security System) [5EP] Powers: 16 + 12 + 6 = 34PP Magic 10 (Magic, All Magic, 12PP Array) [16PP] Base Power: Blast 10 (Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Precise, Variable 1 – any elemental) [12PP/12PP] Alternate Power: Create Object 5 (Extra: Movable; Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Precise, Stationary) [12PP/12PP] Alternate Power: Move Object 5 (Extra: Perception; Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Precise, Subtle [12/12PP] Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Reversible, Variable 1 – any elemental) [12/12PP] Alternate Power: Teleport 5 (Extra: Accurate; Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Easy, Turnabout. [12/12] Device 3 (Magic Costume, All Magic; 15PP Container; Flaws: Hard-to-Lose) [12PP] Power: Dimensional Pocket 1 (Flaw: Storage Only) [1/15PP] Power: Enhanced Trait 3 (Feats: Quick Change 2, Quick Draw 1) [3/15PP] Power: Flight 1 [2/15PP] Power: Immunity 2 Environmental Cold, Environmental Heat (Flaw: Half-Effect) [1/15PP] Power: Protection 8 [8/15PP] Device 2 (Magic Wand, All Magic; 10PP Container; Flaws: Easy-to-Lose) [6PP] Power: removes the 'Unreliable' flaw from the 'Magic 10' array [10PP] Drawbacks: (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed 1 Touch DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast 10 100ft DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Snare 10 100ft DC2 Reflex (Staged) Damage (Energy) Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (30) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (32) + Feats (15) + Powers (34) + Miscellaneous (???) - Drawbacks (-) = 156/181 Power Points.

It turns out that I wasn't, but that part of the sheet was polluted by the remnants of an earlier character that made substantial use of feats to reach his caps. I've rewritten it to be more easily read. Does that meet your approval?

All right, I've removed that Smartphone equipment and moved that point into a rank of the Luck feat, to help Presto get out of any jams that he inevitably finds himself in. Avenger Assembled and I have also decided that Fast-Forward will have been the one responsible for defeating Presto at his Vegas debut, leading to his incarceration -- though of course the speedster doesn't recall it as important. Are there any more comments and concerns? And weaknesses that need attending or details that need expanding?

Hello, everyone. I'm Sophistemon, and I'm the friend that Blarghy mentioned in his first post. As he stated earlier, the two of us have been talking back and forth about applying here for some time, with scheduling conflicts preventing us from doing so -- until now. Before I seek Moderator approval for the following character, I thought that I would post it here, first, to see what everyone has to say before I commit to it. I welcome any and all comments and critiques, and hope that I prove myself to be an asset to your community. Player Name: Sophistemon. Character Name: Presto the Preposterous. Power Level: PL10, 150/150PP. Trade-Offs: None. Unspent Power Points: 0. Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30. In Brief: A former stage magician that discovered a pathway to real magic, Samuel Steiner once used his amazing abilities to commit a whirlwind tour of extravagant robberies that catapulted him, briefly, to the kind of super-stardom that he had never known as a mundane performer. Eventually captured and incarcerated, he has only recently finished serving his sentence and has returned home to Freedom City. Residence: Freedom City. Base of Operations: A small, unimpressive apartment. Catchphrase: “Presto!” Alternate Identity: Samuel Steiner. Identity: Public. Birthplace: Reno, Nevada. Occupation: Vigilante. Affiliations: Solitary. Family: George Steiner (father; estranged), Martha Steiner (mother; estranged). Description: Presto is obsessed with his appearance. Tall and athletic, with an aggressively maintained physique and perfectly combed hair, he insists on always looking his very best for the public. Presto dresses in an immaculately tailored three piece suit, complete with tailcoat and crimson vest. White gloves and a simple domino mask conclude his costume. While in uniform Presto is almost never seen without his magic wand, which appears as little more than a simple, white-capped length of black wood. Age: 33. Apparent Age: Early 30s. Gender: Male. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Height: 6’1”. Weight: 185lbs. Eyes: Brown. Hair: Brown. Power Descriptions: Presto was a stage magician who, through long study and intensive training, has learned to command the power of real sorcery. His knowledge allows him to launch bolts of elemental energy, create temporary constructs, levitate heavy objects, ensnare his enemies, and transmit himself through space. A ritualist and artificer, he has enchanted his costume with spells of flight and protection. History: Inspired as a child to pursue a career in stage magic, Presto achieved a level of skill that should have enshrined him as a master of his craft. Unfortunately, he shared a world with men and women possessing abilities that made his acts of illusion appear paltry by comparison. Desperate for recognition, he researched and attempted to incorporate real magic into his act, but an accident led to the end of his career and the destruction of his reputation. Scorned by his peers and unable to find work, Presto embarked on a series of flamboyant and high-profile robberies that ended only with his imprisonment. Personality & Motivation: Samuel Steiner has always loved to be the center of attention, but Presto craves the limelight to the point of obsession. He is boisterous and bombastic, prone to grand gestures and speechifying. He talks with his mouth, his hands, and his magic all at once. He has become a hero for selfish and short-sighted reasons: he failed as a performer, as a super-villain, and now feels that he has one last shot at the recognition that he knows that he deserves. In time, he may see the error of his ways and evolve into a genuine hero, but in the meantime… doesn't everyone love a good redemption story? Powers & Tactics: Presto is direct to a fault. The sheer amount of magical power under his command, combined with the protection offered to him by his enchanted clothing, permit him to enter combat against mundane opponents without much fear of danger. When facing empowered enemies he tends to be more cautious, but still attempts to turn the battle into a narrative. If there are goons, he takes them on first, building tension before moving on to topple their leader in a grandiose and climactic victory. Even when deprived of his magic, Presto's skills make him difficult to capture and contain for very long. Complications: Accident: Presto relies on his wand to maintain true control over his powers. Should he be divested of the focus that it provides, his magic could backfire in an embarrassing and potentially dangerous fashion. Fame: as a former minor celebrity and an even more minor super-villain, there are many people in Freedom City who recognize Presto even, or perhaps especially, when he's not dressed in his costume. Hatred: despite his (largely desperate) turn towards the light, Presto can't help but harbor a deep and irrational loathing for the superhero responsible for the humiliating defeat that finally led to his capture. Obsession: Presto craves the spotlight, and will almost always act to put himself at the dead center of attention. His insistence on being noticed is not only disastrous for stealth missions, it is also annoying. Reputation: his previous actions have made it hard for many people, particularly those among the heroic community, to believe that Presto's desire to be hero are really genuine. His grandstanding doesn't help. Responsibility: the terms of his release dictate that Presto must attend weekly meetings with Doctor Jacqueline Hyde, his court-appointed metal health counselor. He is very slowly falling in love with her. Secret: unlike most heroes, who must maintain their secret identities, Presto's was already revealed. Instead, he focuses on keeping his crippling dependence on his wand a secret from the world at large. Abilities: 2 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4+ 8 = 30PP Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 20 = 30PP Initiative: +3 (+3 Base, +0 Misc) Attack: +5 Melee, +10 Ranged Grapple: +6 Defense: +10 Base, (+5 Flat-Footed) Knockback: -5 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15PP Toughness: +10 (+2 Con, +8 Misc) Fortitude: +7 (+2 Con, +5) Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5) Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 120R = 30PP Acrobatics 4 (+7) Bluff 8 (+12)* Climb 4 (+5) Computers 4 (+7) Concentration 4 (+6) Craft: Artistic 8 (+11) Diplomacy 4 (+8) Disable Device 4 (+7) Disguise 4 (+8) Drive 4 (+7) Escape Artist 8 (+11)* Gather Information 4 (+8) Handle Animal 0 (+4) Intimidate 4 (+8) Investigate 4 (+7) Knowledge: Arcane Lore 8 (+11)* Notice 8 (+10) Search 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Sleight of Hand 8 (+11)* Stealth 4 (+7) Survival 4 (+6) Swim 4 (+5) Feats: 15PP Artificer – Use Knowledge (arcane lore) and Craft to create temporary magical devices. Attack Focus (ranged) 5 – +5 bonus to ranged attack rolls. Attractive – +4 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks with people affected by your looks. Eidetic Memory – Perfect recall of everything you’ve experienced. Equipment 1 – Acquire 5 points worth of equipment. Evasion – Suffer less damage from attacks allowing a Reflex save. Improvised Tools – No penalty for not having tools for a skill. Luck 1 – Gain an additional starting hero point. Ritualist – You can create and cast arcane rituals. Skill Mastery* – Choose four skills you can take 10 with even under pressure. Uncanny Dodge (auditory) – Retain your dodge bonus while flat-footed. Equipment: 1PP = 5EP HQ (Toughness 15, Tiny, Computer, Concealed, Defense System, Living Space, Security System) [5EP] Powers: 16 + 8 + 6 = 30PP Magic 10 (Magic, All Magic, 12PP Array) [16PP] Base Power: Blast 10 (Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Precise, Variable 1 – any elemental) [12PP/12PP] Alternate Power: Create Object 5 (Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Precise, Stationary) [12PP/12PP] Alternate Power: Move Object 5 (Extra: Perception; Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Precise, Subtle [12/12PP] Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Reversible, Variable 1 – any elemental) [12/12PP] Alternate Power: Teleport 5 (Extra: Accurate; Flaw: Unreliable [50%]; Feats: Easy, Turnabout. [12/12] Device 2 (Magic Costume, All Magic; 10PP Container; Flaws: Hard-to-Lose) [8PP] Power: Flight 1 [2/10PP] Power: Protection 8 [8/10PP] Device 2 (Magic Wand, All Magic; 10PP Container; Flaws: Easy-to-Lose) [6PP] Power: removes the 'Unreliable' flaw from the 'Magic 10' array [10PP] Drawbacks: (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed 1 Touch DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast 10 100ft DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Snare 10 100ft DC20 Reflex (Staged) Damage (Energy) Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (30) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (30) + Feats (15) + Powers (30) + Miscellaneous (???) - Drawbacks (-0) = 150/150 Power Points. Notes: I have some of my own concerns with the sheet, which I will list below in the order that they appear. 1) I am looking for a hero, or a group of heroes, to take responsibility for putting Presto in prison a few years ago. If no one steps forward I could make one myself, but I think that it would be great to have a real connection with another player or players. 2) I am looking for a power feat to add to the Move Object power. I can't decide between Split-Attack and Subtle, so please chime in with advice. If someone has access to other books that contain an even better option, please let me know. 3) I've used five Equipment Points to craft a smartphone that can do just about everything that I can think of when I think 'smartphone'. Blarghy mentioned that characters can get a phone for free; if so, I'll fold those points into his HQ and make it really special. 4) I think that it would be thematically appropriate to give Presto a Power Loss drawback when he's unable to gesture and direct his spells. If I do that, would it open the way for a Normal Identity drawback, or would his Ritualist feat prevent it? 5) I have created a piece of art that shows Presto as I envision him, and I've also filled out the Twenty Question exercise. When and where should I post those to claim the point rewards?