Nightshade

Jessica's plans for All Hallow's Eve was familial. She had been gaining energy for the ritual that would happen. Today was all about gathering carnal spirits. Wrath was simple in this city. Chase down a few criminals, hope they resist, claim self defence when you teach them a lesson. Sloth was not waking up until two. Gluttony was scarfing down everything she could see from the time she woke up. She had to go grocery shopping on Friday for that. Pride came simple as well. Feeling like everything she did was right. Even though she did take a few liberties. As long as she kept to herself and didn't hurt anyone (that didn't deserve it) while doing it, she was content. She was short on Envy and Greed for this reason. Right now, the Boardwalk, her familiar stomping grounds, was where she was. Taking in the sights. She didn't have work tonight, but she could have talked to a few of the club owners. As she stopped to think, she tapped a message on her phone to her mom. Though someone had other ideas. She looked up to see the mysterious man. A few people pointing her out to him. "Good evening," she greeted with a confused voice.

She sighed when she heard about the curfew, fakely defeated, "sure sure, education and all." Sometimes she forgot that he was still in school. Physically and mentally he was ready for the outside world. But you had to have some grounding. Maybe they could go to college together next year? Something she'd talk with him about later. For now she was not wanting him to get in trouble. Also, he didn't seem to know the significance of his tattoos. Something she would teach him later. The tattoos were very enticing in so many ways! She didn't get on him again, but as they walked home she made light touches of the tattoos. The two cuddled, more than friends, they were officially together. As they got closer to their destination, she stopped and kissed him. "I know you have only a few hours, but, well, I want to teach you some things." She kissed him again this time longer. As if she were letting him go for a long time. She pulled back, "And those etchings could teach me a few things." She smirked, "consider this a crash course." She unlocked her front door and beckoned him in.

Well, she didn't know how to be much more forward. As he took off the hoodie, she noticed some artwork on his body. It was awesome to see. She lightly touched his arm, tracing the design with her fingers. "Oh," she grinned as they almost lit up. She looked up at him, "magic?" The bear on his back is what got most of her attention, as she lightly massaged the whole thing. Wrapping her arms around him she hugged him from behind, "I have so many questions, Bear. So much to learn. You from me, me from you." She floated around to in front of him. "My place?"

"Hm, second date," she said reaching in his pocket and pulling out one of the burgers. "You know, this is sort of an outing. A chance meeting. Not really a date. Though we can do better," she rested against him as she floated. Her arms around his neck, she whispered, "what about that camping trip?" She laughed, it was something they'd talked about in jest back in the day. And it was too out of nowhere for just now. But they'd do it one day, she hoped. "Nah," she pulled back and kissed him on the cheek, "but let's make it something fun and memorable. Like the first time." She floated behind him and lazily, rested on his back, "and give me your coat. I wanna feel you, not fabric."

She wished that she was ready for this, but the surprise was equally as satisfying. Wrapping her arms behind him, she pulled into the kiss. Her actual feelings for him, as well as the lust in her, wanted to make this last longer. Reflexively she held on as he pulled away, but seeing as this was his moment for her, she let him go. The roiling mass of emotions between them made her less a friend and more what they both wanted from each other. "I'm sorry for your loss, Jack," she said still feeling the situation, trying to keep her hormones in check. "Yeah, I did want you like that back when we were just a super duo," she pulled her hands through her hair, showing off to him. "But you know," she smirked, "I think it was better this way. We learned something along the way." She floated towards him, putting her hands on his cheeks and kissed him again; this time less forcefully, but audibly enjoying it. "Bear," she questioned rhetorically. "We both have our quirks," she held on to him, enjoying his body heat, "I promise I'll be with you as long as you'll be with me." She grinned, "remember when you started calling me Crim? The bloodbath that was that little fight? I'm going to call that our first date."

As they approached the holy site, Jessica cringed. Visibly. She could feel the carnal spirits fleeing from her. Her power over them waning. Her stomach turning as she thought of her inevitable demise. But she had gotten this far. The only way she was getting out of this was to go through with it. She mentally noted that she was going to exit stage left as fast as she could if she saw a dark altar. As much as Jessica was a talker, she was quiet here. Not a word spoken since she began to get the supernatural willies. She eyed the goons sharply as they pushed her. "I'm going," she snapped. She wondered if this was affecting Jay as much as her. Maybe her pure evil type was less affected? Maybe she was just expendable, after the demon died she'd just go back to Hell for a hundred years, like some fantasy novels Jessica read. She tried to avoid touching everything. Even the ground. Floating towards her destination. Her stomach turned. This was going to suck.

The wake up would technically be Alternate Power: Healing 7 (Extras: Action [Standard], Restoration, Total; Flaws: Limited [Others Only]); Power Feats: Regrowth, Stabilize, Variable Descriptor [carnal spirits]) {31/32} ("Belay Sin's Wages"; magic) If you want me to roll, I'll roll it. But what I will roll for is Intimidating Ye Quan: 1d20+4 21 +2 if this little scene is helping to intimidate to him.

The sight of the water bubble was an impressive one. Jessica had been in this town for only so long. She hadn't seen everything. And the though of all these powers made her both envious and prideful of her companions. Then again, very few would want what the demon sin sorceress could do. Not that it mattered. She reached out to Ye Quan, thinking about reclaiming some of her own vitality from him though his sins. But no, she had a job to do. The sins he had amassed disrupted some, belaying ther inevitable consumption of him and giving him some of his vitality back. He was awake at least. She grinned exaggeratedly, showing a full row of teeth, looking menacing. "Now," she said putting a finger on his forehead, "let's get down to brass tacks. And if you question me, I know where to find some. So, first simple question," she pushed his head back with her finger, "where are the slaves? Where are the people you stole. Tell us now before this gets... wetter." She looked to Tsunami, nodding as if they knew what each other meant. Improv investigations? Yeah, that's what she was doing.

The quiet shove off should have been an indication of things to come, but Jessica was content in her and Jack's renewed partnership and friendship. She lazily floated beside him, thinking of taking his arm as they walked, but he looked like he was lost in thought. And as much as she wanted to talk to him, she was in full 'lean on me and I'll be there for you' for him. His sudden words shocked her out of her complacence. More? She smiled, but this obviously wasn't one of their lecherous jokes from a while back. He was serious. "What do you mean changed, Bear," she asked, floating in front of him, entering his nonexistent personal space, for her at least, "do you need some help? I can always help you." She knew what he meant, well, about wanting more, at least. Though the thought of an old school relationship? It sounded fine. She hadn't been monogamous since... ever? But she could see herself with him.

Jessica looked at the downed leader with a sigh. People rushing out wasn't good either. Hannah was here, or was she? She still had to find her companion. Ye Quan couldn't help. Well, maybe later. But later may have been too late! The two other heroes introduced themselves. "Yeah, I was looking for a friend," she said. "No no no, not in that way," she laughed as she corrected herself, "I know someone who might or might not be here. She was taken." She gave the two heroes the name and description of her friend, explaining what she had gotten herself into. She looked down at Ye Quan and nudged him with her foot, "I need to question Darkness here. I can wake him up. But do either of you have a way to restrain him?"

Jessica was a bit lazy in that she didn't follow Jack into the burger joint. But watching the sun go down was reward enough for her sloth. The lights of the boardwalk would come on soon afterwards. And Jack with burger in tow! It was all good. Sure it wasn't Original BurgerShack, but food was food to her. If it was edible, she would stick it in her mouth. Taste was secondary. She savored good food before devouring it. The giant mass of meat bread and condiments was ok, but it filled a small hole in her appetite. As she nommed, she listened to Jack. She sighed when he mentioned his family. Jack took her to meet his parents. And, well, Jess is not the type you take home to mom and dad. Being all demonic. They totally didn't want anything to do with her. She could only imagine what his dear grandmother would think. To be fair, maybe that's why he didn't warn her of his absence. Wiping her mouth, she moved over, sitting right next to him. "Bear," she said softly, calling him by his and her pet name, "it's fine. You don't answer to me. I'm just someone you can come to and talk about things." She smiled, "I'll be here for you. Just like before you left." To be fair, they did get close as two people could get without calling it official before he left. Friendly cuddles and kisses. They fought crime together, and afterwards would hang out (not a date!) "How about we go find a rooftop in the city and shoot the breeze?"

It was a quick grab that she didn't have time to respond to, but she didn't mind. An intimate greeting from one of her heroic friends. They'd been close. She hadn't heard that voice in months. Music to her ears. She held on to him, "since when do pull disappearing tricks," before pecking a kiss on his nose. "I missed you for a long time. Thought you'd just wondered off. Or worse." She took in the sight of her bear man, it was absence that made the heart grow fond. Her stomach growl ruined whatever romantic reunion this was. "Oh yeah, food," she laughed, "that would be nice."

After Jessica and Jack, they kept in touch for a short while. Hanging out, doing stuff. He had responsibilities as well as she did. Jess did poke him for a while on his phone and other social media places, but he seemed to drop off the face of the Earth. Not the first time a friend ever did that to her. So she went on, the bear hero stuck in the back of her mind. And then? Well, he just showed up in her area. He was eating a burger outside of the place they met. She did pinch herself to see if the carnal spirits were playing with her. But no, he was real. The sky was orange as the sunset on the bay. Which kind of gave her the advantage of sneaking up on him. Maybe he was here for something? She didn't care. She just wanted to know a few things. He felt a light touch on the back of his neck. "Burger, eh," she asked walking in front of him. Crossing her arms, she looked up. Dressed in tight jeans, and a red bikini top covered by a black mesh shirt. "I would have never guessed," she smirked, "where's mine?"

Past Sins Remembered, Ye Quan: 1d20+10 27 Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged]; Power Feats: Feature [must speak last sin based on spirit invoked], Variable Descriptor [carnal spirits]) {32/32} ("Past Sins Remembered"; sin, magic)

The carnal spirit of lust pulled on Ye Quan's sins as hard as it could. But the stubborn gang leader would not budge. Eventually it just gave up. Jessica was not amused at this predicament. Not a lovely one at all. Rage and anger grew as she saw him run off, "you piece of," she cursed as she chased him down, "run all you want, coward, your sins will find you. Like this one." She directed a spirit of wrath at him. As it attached to him, he remembered what sins of wrath in his past, as it urged him to confess.

Jessica Witchblood Fire, Water, Fist and Coding (1) Good Place to Start (1)

Drain Wisdom 10 (Extras: Linked [Healing]; Power Feats: Slow Fade, Variable Descriptor [carnal spirits]), Healing 10 (Extras: Action [Standard], Total; Flaws: Limited [Self Only], Limited 2 [If Drain Succeeds, Up To Amount Drained]) {22/32} Feed On Sin, Ye Quan: 1d20+10 28 DC 20 Will Save if that hits.

The reprimand threw her off guard for a moment, enough for him to smack her with darkness. Cold, it was, and bit a little. "Oh," she grinned, "you want to play, huh?" Floating over to Ye Quan she kept the appearance of movement, trying to distract him with hip movement. "Well, you know what they say," she touched his forehead, "you pay to play." Opening her mouth, a stream of energy connected the two as the carnal spirit of lust aimed to drain Ye Quan's soul of the sweet sweet sin it possessed. The more sin, the better the demon girl would feel.

DC 25 Toughness: 1d20+10 21 Bruised. Injured?

if Jessica were born in another time, this would be normal. Creeping around graves. Getting things situated by what amounts to graverobbing. There were games about that nowadays! She nodded along with the request as Lady Tarot spoke. Jay, along with Larry and Moe, would help her in this effort. She didn't know how she would do it, but hey, if curiosity had its share of felines, satisfaction would make a fine resurrection. "New minions," she questioned in an evil tone as she walked to the door. Taking Jay by the hand, she cackled as she walked out the door.

Skeletal even! Nah, this used to be a character, but it didn't pan out. So instead of wasting the post, i stripped it down for later use.

Soul Power Level: 7 (105/105PP) Unspent Power Points: 0 Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage, +2 Defense / -2 Toughness In Brief: Young adventurer, blessed and cursed. Catchphrase: "Come up off that!" Soundtrack: Linkin Park (Meteora, Hybrid Theory) Alternate Identity: Artemis Truth (secret) Birthplace: Urbino, Italy Residence: Claremont Academy Base of Operations: Occupation: Student Affiliations: Family: Travis Truth, father (deceased). Maria Truth, mother. Description Age: (DoB: ) Apparent Age: Gender: Female Ethnicity: Height: Weight: Eyes: Hair: History The Dangers and the Atoms are more well known family adventurers, but they did inspire other other rich people who could help the cause. The Truth family was a group that consisted of a man with a dream and great genetics. Travis Truth started out doing this by himself, living a dangerous lifestyle of jet setting, treasure hunting, exploring unknown places, and other things like his idols. But then he met Maria. A woman of similar hobbies and tax bracket. They teamed up multiple times over the years. Soon they were inseparable, and he popped the question. She said yes, but that settling down was not in their future. Cut to a few years later in Italy, and they would welcome their first child, Artemis. ANd for a while there, Travis and Maria stopped the adventuring. Artemis was blessed with her parents genetics and their love of anything exciting. Her early years were a trial in itself for her parents! As soon as she could walk, she was into anything and everything. Her parents had to mend many a scrape. They taught her about the world. She could hear their longing to go back into the adventurer business, so she asked them if she could tag along. They jumped at the chance to get back into action and teach her the family trade. Artemis got accustom to looking at and handling shiny things. For years she would race her parents to 'be the first to get it'. And the two trained adventurers could not keep up with her. Artemis loved it! Still her parents did worry. She got more interested in the destination more than the journey. The thrill to them was the chase, to her it was the reward. Her first 'keeper' was a sword made of an ancient metal that was still sharp as the day it was made. It became her signature weapon. Then again it wasn't all about the fancy stuff. Just that she got her hands on it. The greed grew in her. Unfortunately it would be her undoing. The Truth's last expedition was somewhere in an uncharted temple in Mesoamerica. It was dangerous, but they were there to retreive something and get out. But Artemis' wandering eye saw something that got her attention. She went off by herself. Travis and Maria searched for her, but couldn't find her for a while. She was knocked out in a secret room. The ancient gas that she thought was gas, was actually the rainbow serpent, Quetzalcoatl. His spirit at least. He judged her soul and found her lacking in places. He offered to change her view of the world. This would be the ultimate prize, she greedily accepted. What she failed to notice was, that she would have to sacrifice something. When Travis and Maria found the room she was in, the 'gas knocked her father out, killing him instantly. And that's where the story of the Truths ends. Quetzalcoatl lead Artemis and Maria out safely. Both women were grief stricken, but Maria was angry. She could not stand to be around her own flesh and blood. Luckily she had connections stateside. She dropped Artemis off at Claremont Academy. There was an agreement between Maria and the headmaster to keep Artemis in their care for a while. Personality & Motivation She's not antisocial, but she is a very withdrawn person. She'll talk to people, make conversation, but she doesn't get close to people. Sometimes it will seems she's lost in her own thoughts. Her motivation is to make it out of here a better person, possibly more heroic than the greedy child she was. Powers & Tactics Using her martial arts, she will attempt to cow her opponent into submission, mentally as well as physically. Insults and angry words go a long way as she flips around. The sword does not come out until dire consequences. Though it does help with the intimidations as she fakes out her opponent. Power Descriptions Her sword is a . It is made of damascus steel, and resides in a scabbard on her side. Complications Dragon Spirit: Quetzalcoatl keeps in touch with her. As she gets stronger, he will test her, physically and mentally. Greed: She still has a covetous streak that she's trying to squash. Guilt: Her father died because of her. It's an emotional sore spot. Loner: Ever since the incident, she's loathe to make connections. She'll talk and be social, but getting close to people scares her. My stuff: The cassette Walkman, and tapes of Meteora and Hybrid Theory are the last thing her dad gave her. She will flip if they're missing. Abilities 4 + 6 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 6 = 24PP Strength 14 (+2) Dexterity 16 (+3) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 12 (+1) Charisma 16 (+3) Combat 6 + 6 = 12PP Attack +3 range, +5 melee, +9 swords Defense +8 (+3 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple +7 Initiative +7 Knockback -3 Saving Throws 4 + 4 + 4 = 12PP Toughness +6 (+2 Con, +4 defensive roll) Fortitude +6 (+2 Con, +4) Reflex +7 (+3 Dex, +4) Will +5 (+1 Wis, +4) Skills 112R = 28PP Acrobatics 8 (+11) Bluff 4 (+7, +11 Attractive) Climb 4 (+6) Diplomacy 4 (+7, +11 Attractive) Handle Animal 8 (+11) Intimidate 8 (+11) Knowledge (history) 4 (+5) Knowledge (physical sciences) 4 (+5) Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 4 (+5) Language 8 (Arabic, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish) Medicine 8 (+9) Ride 4 (+7) Search 8 (+9) Sense Motive 8 (+9) Sleight of Hand 8 (+11) Stealth 8 (+11) Survival 8 (+9) Swim 4 (+6) Feats 26PP Acrobatic Bluff Ambidexterity Animal Empathy Attack Focus (melee) 2 Attack Specialization 2 (sword) Attractive Defensive Roll 2 Distract (Intimidate) Dodge Focus 5 Endurance Evasion Improved Critical (sword) Improved Disarm 2 Improved Initiative Improved Trip Quick Draw Startle Uncanny Dodge (hearing) Equipment 0EP Cassette Walkman, Meteora cassette tape, Hybrid Theory cassette tape Powers 3 = 3PP Device 1 (sword; easy to lose) [3PP] (damascus steel, slashing) Damage 3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Mighty) [5PP] Drawbacks (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 17 Toughness Damage Sword Touch DC 20 Toughness Damage Totals: Abilities 24 + Combat 12 + Saving Throws 12 + Skills 28 + Feats 26 + Powers 3 - Drawbacks 0 = 105/105 Power Points

Diplomacy the Hell Beasts: 1d20+11 19 I think that's enough for Indifferent to Friendly?

As the demon dogs chomped down on the fake flesh, she called upon her scant knowledge of actual infernal language. Why didn't she do this before? You try talking to dogs while they're hungry. She cleared her throat and boldly approached the hell beasts as they ate. "Hey," she called out to them, in her pidgin Infernal language, before whistling to get their attention, "you guys. Got more where that came from. Come here. I want to give you more. If you give me something." She waved the bowl of stuff. As they got closer she even threw some their way. "What happened to you," she asked questions slowly. They were demons, but they were still of low intelligence. "Who did this to you?" She smirked, maybe some potential allies? "I can get you more of this stuff. Want to follow me?"

Blowing a HP for Infernal language. Note to self. Learn Infernal.