Heritage

Reflex save: 1d20+6=21

Lulu got a bit flushed at Judy's reaction to the revelation, because the telepath sometimes forgot not everyone picked up on emotions as easily as she did. Could she really not see it in the boy's eyes? But maybe Judy avoided his gaze out of shyness; yes, that was probably it.

"Oh, uh, yeah," the redhead continued with a nod, as the conversation got even more awkward. "We've, uh, been mentally intimate? And you, uh, you can't lie at the level; you're...in too deep." Oh, her cheeks were burning now!

With shocking swiftness, Shift tore across the park towards Toxic, feeling that his powers would be best to deal with the poisonous girl. Just before reaching her, he rapidly decelerated so it's not to injure her unduly, since she may well have been doing all this under duress. The robotic teen rapidly threw his six arms around her and quickly brought her to the ground.

"Don't don't listen to Casanova! He is using his powers to control you!"

Shift is going to move to Toxic, roll to hit and then attempt to grapple.

Unarmed attack on Toxic: 1d20+6=21

Grapple with Additional Limbs: 1d20+24=43

Oh, I hate when that happens! Lost posts are the worst.

Reflex save: 1d20+6=8. Ooh, hard fail!

Shift has Luck 2, so she could theoretically get out of this easily, but I want to see how this plays out. She's stuck!

I must admit I'm a little stumped as to what to do here. It might help me if I know what specific threat I am facing, in terms of rules? Like is Shift about to be Grappled, Engulfed, Snared or what?

Shift is switching from Concealment to Additional Limbs.

"I have no problem fighting in the dark," Shift stated with firm resolve. "Especially since Sebastian appears to be provoking a hate crime against those two young men. If there was any doubt he was no hero, that doubt has been shattered."

Shift dropped into a low crouch as his mimetic properties altered in favor of two extra sets of arms, the better to grapple their quarry.

Crystal-Gazer ()

Fairytalers: Never-Ending Story ()

Independence Day ()

Meet The Parents ()

Pirates Over Midtown ()

Miracle Girl ()

Shift ()

Capers And Casanovas ()

Dr. Midas Returns ()

Lessons to Learn ()

The Shrike ()

The Mars Connection ()

Feeling really bad about it, Shift ratcheted her chassis to catapult herself into the air, not unlike the leap of a cricket, to land on top of the roof of a cab. Now above the crushing spaces between the cars, she hopped from rooftop to rooftop, internally gritting her teeth at the damage she was doing.

"Sorry, sorry! After bank robbers!"

Yeah, sorry. All over the place right now

Can Shift use her Jumping ability to get on top of the surrounding cars, and then drive over them? 

"Oh, ah'm definitely interested in goin' to college, ma'am, and maybe even somewheres local. What ah am strugglin' with is mah area of study. Well, let me rephrase that." 

Lulu sighed as she struggled to find the words, her fingers seemingly grasping at concepts floating in the air. 

"Ah know ah want to work in psychology; figurin' out what makes people tick is somethin' ah've been doin' since I was ten years old, but...how do ah pursue that legally? And ethically? Do ah do research, do ah do therapy? Do ah...work with people in comas? Ah don't want to pretend ah can't do what ah do, but ah don't want to be used to hurt people neither."

The telepath signed.

"Ah think ah have a real opportunity here, to help change the way people think about telepaths; ah just need to figure out the best way to do it."

Initiative roll: 1d20+6=23

No way!

Lulu caught her breath a bit at Judy's statement, but then slowly nodded her head. "Ah have been...aware of your feelin's for each other for some time. Ah never said nothin' to either of you, seein' as it ain't none of mah business. But, seein' as you are now solicitin' mah help, ah will help you in anyway ah can."

She reached out and took both of Judy's warm hands into her own.

"First of all, Micah is crazy about you; you ain't got any concerns on that front. And ah haven't even had to look in either of your heads, 'cause you both broadcast your feelin's so loud."

"Micah is probably the sweetest, most respectful boy you ever could meet; just the thought of offendin' you or hurtin' your feelin's is enough to give that boy a stomach ache. But there's plusses and minuses to that, know what ah mean? 'Cause he wants to ask you out so bad, it hurts. But his respect for you, hell, for all women, makes him hesitate; he doesn't want to assume anythin' or be in anyway improper."

Here the young telepath scratched the back of her head.

"Now, as far as your best course of action goes? Well, that's a mite tricky. Ah guess...just, be there for him, y'know? And if you start to feel nervous 'round him, just take a minute and think of a calmin' place. If he sees you're relaxed, hopefully he'll get more relaxed, and maybe finally work up the nerve to ask you out."

And then she shrugged and smiled.

"Other than that, just keep on bein' your sweet self; that's what he loves about you."

"Thanks for your help, sir. We really appreciate it." Pol was good at games, so in theory this was a contest she could do well in. Luke...might have a bit more difficulty. It did seem he wasn't the most academically inclined boy at Claremont; maybe she could help him study? She'd like that.

As soon as the die was cast, the robot returned her focus back to the game. "Ooh, a 6! I'm moving ahead!" Shift spun herself around with her arms out, like a figure skater, and twirled herself into a giant black chess piece, only with her head on top, her crown designating her as a queen. The queen hopped six spaces forward, then turned to look scornfully at Quirk.

"What's next?"

Game die for Shift: 1d6=6

Pol was super-excited! First Miss Americana had helped her get her first state ID card, and now thanks to a money order for two hundred dollars from her missing parents, she was able to open her first bank accountat the Eastern Seaboard Bank, complete with debit card. Now she could do people stuff and buy people things! She did a little spin as she strolled along Golden Row.

But her delight at her first real step towards personhood was rudely interrupted when a trio of bad guys came smashing out of the bank next door, throwing shattered glass everywhere. "Stop that," she yelled as she shook the glass out of her curly hair. Seeing as the miscreants did not  cease said behaviour, Shift ducked behind a sculpture, there was a series of whirings and clanks, and then what looked like a long, low-slung motorcycle came roaring out from behind it after the criminals.

"Just drop me off at an alley I can change in, and I'll be good to go," Gretchen said from inside the offered helmet. She was peering around with her glasses, which usually flared up to show her incoming danger. Though she wasn't in costume, at least most of her powers offered some degree of subtlety if they were surprised.

Initiative for Shift: 1d20+6=19

Once she got into the bathroom, she quickly relieved herself, washed her hands, and then looked at her reflection in the mirror. "You've got this, girl. These are nice people, and they like you." As she washed her face and fixed her makeup, the telepath continued to bask in the warmth of the house. This was a place of love, and she'd dropped into it with barely a ripple, beyond the slow warm currents deep below the surface; the Lancasters were happy for their son.

Once out of the bathroom, Lulu headed to the kitchen, the heart of any house to which all Southern girls are innately drawn. "Do you need any help, ma'am? The biscuits could probably use a little warm-up, too."

Valerie's relaxed demeanor quickly put Lulu at ease, and she eagerly gave her a warm hug in return. "Why thank you, ma'am. It's an honor to meet you, too. And ah'd love a cup, thank you." Then she turned to Colin and almost did a curtsey, though it was more of a quick bow of the head and dropping one knee an inch or two. "Thank you, sir. And Adam can't stop talkin' about the two of you, neither!" She was a little pink in the cheeks as she pointed over her shoulder. "Can ah use y'all's restroom right quick?"

After what felt like an eternity of driving (but was actually only about 45 minutes due to a bit of traffic), the dark blue SUV got off at the Providence Road exit, and was soon winding its way through bucolic residential streets of northwest Hanover. The houses here very impressive, but not quite as overwhelming as the old money mansions of North Bay; Lulu tipped a mental hat to Miss Megan for exposing her to obscene wealth in such a comforting fashion.

At last, they pulled into Briarwood Court, a short winding lane with only a few houses, and the Lancaster home was revealed, an impressive three-story Colonial with dormers, a bay window and Greek Revival columns. Lulu whistled in appreciation as she parked the car.

"Oh mah goodness, look at that! That there's a house!" She got out the driver's side door and reached into the back seat. "Hon, can you grab the casserole? Ah got the pie and biscuits."

Lulu listened to Adam, her amazing boyfriend, as she kept her eyes on the road, occasionally wiping away her tears with her hand or sending a quick glance his way. As he continued, she began to nod, at first just a little, but then more often and with increasing confidence. When he finished, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before returning her focus solely on the road.

"Thank you, Adam; ah really needed that." 

She sighed and shook her head.

"Sometimes ah...ah forget how far ah've come, know what ah mean? Ah still have this self-image that ah don't even fit anymore, but when ah get nervous, ah... whatcha call it, ah regress. And ah think ah'm still that little girl in the mud-stained blue jeans, which ah am not. 'Cause ah...am a badass, sophisticated young woman who is f###in' funny and a damn good cook."

She nodded firmly and smiled.

"And ah got the best damn boyfriend in the whole world."

Her big brown eyes flicked up to the rest view mirror, and she sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Oh Lord, ah look like a drowned cat. Hon, allow this girl a little vanity first time meetin' your folks, okay?"

Lulu waved a hand in front of her face, and suddenly there was no sign of all the tears and smeared mascara.

"Ah know, ah know, it's cheatin'; ah'll fix mah makeup for real once ah get a chance to use the washroom. Just don't want to look like a puffy-eyed raccoon when your momma opens up the door." 

"Okay, three o'clock. So we'll have...a whole hour to just...sit and talk." A brief pause before near total meltdown. "Oh honey, they're goin' to know ah'm a moron! Ah can't talk about smart s### that long? Ah'm just goin' to sound like the dumb hick ah am, an', an' they'll sound all smart and stuff because they're both doctors, and they'll know ah'm no good for you!"

She slammed the steering wheel and turned to look at her beloved, her eyes puffy and red with tears.

"Ah'm so sorry, Adam! Ah can't! Ah can't drag you down to mah level! It ain't right!"