Heritage

Grimalkin "You know, I used to put more faith into the rules of hospitality, but ever since the 'Red Wedding', I don't trust anyone anymore," Grim said with a shake of her head. "Hey, how about we agree to signal each other if we see something fi-" She caught Aquaria out of the corner of her eye. "Uh, suspicious? Like if the Yanni cover band are all packin' heat, or a doorway to the Underworld opens in the ladies' room? Does that sound reasonable?"

Grimalkin At the mention of the fae, Grim made a face of mild disgust. "Yeah, this whole thing is probably going to have a pretty strong 'faerie tale' vibe, so be careful of acccepting gifts or giving your word, and I say this as a fae myself: faeries suck." She laughed before continuing. "I'm hoping the food's going to be safe, but who knows; at the very least, I'm not eating any f###in' pomegranate!"

Grimalkin "Oh, thank you!" The changeling laughed as she glanced down at her décolletage. "It's been a while since I showed the girls off, so I will happily take the compliment. And feel free to call me 'Grim'. You look fantastic, too!" With a casual wave of her hand, Grim conjured up a wicker deck chair, which she artfully draped herself across. "Well to be honest, I'm not looking right now, but you never know," she offered in response to Aquaria's query. "I do think you're both right to be suspicious, though; I was tempted not to show, but then I thought if it was a trap, I'd feel bad if I wasn't there to help out."

Grimalkin Normally Lynn was a bit of an attention hog, at least when she was in costume, but tonight she opted skip the paparazzi and reach the dock discretely. This whole scenario made her nervous, and if things turned out to be sinister, she'd rather the public didn't know she was involved. Wouldn't it be nice if your paranoia was totally unfounded? She floated onto the deck and gracefully alighted, her iridescent outfit spun from glamour catching the harbor lights in greens, blues and blacks as her wide collar of smoke trailed behind her. Her glamourweave left little to the imagination as it hugged lithe form perfectly; it left even less to the imagination on the front, as the deep plunge reached all the way to her navel. A mask inspired by cat's eye glasses, with points swept up to either side that echoed her elfin ears, and an cascade of curls down to her shoulders completed her look. Not bad for a Jewish grandmother! "Good evening! Nice to see some new faces; well, new to me at least. It's Sea Devil, isn't it? And...Ghost Girl?" The changeling grinned as she curtsied. "Grimalkin, Mistress of Mystery! Nice to meet you both." There was more than a little South Jersey in her accent.

Grimalkin Once upon a time, she could have reached out to her with but a thought. But that was before everything changed. However 'tailor to the supers' notwithstanding, there was only one person who's opinion she could trust with something like this. So a text was sent, and then a few hours later Lynn Epstein was standing in front of the Mirror of Al-Kazar in the secret room behind her office. Talking to her ex, Gretchen McDaniels. "Hey." Gretch looked as lovely as ever in a red flannel shirt open over an Ozzy Osborne tee, tight black jeans and scuffed Doc Martin's, a wristwatch with studded leather strap on her right wrist. Her black plastic framed glasses made her look like a sexy, irritated owl. "Hey." Lynn stood in what appeared to be a vintage Muppets Show t-shirt, loose cut jeans and light hiking boots. For several seconds they both stood there framed by their respective full length mirrors, arms crossed self-consciously across their chests, trying to avoid each other's gaze. "Thank God this isn't at all awkward." Bless Gretch for breaking the ice! Lynn laughed out loud and was finally able to look at her ex-partner and ex-lover, who wore a wry and crooked grin. "I'm sorry, I just...I didn't know who else to ask for advice, y'know? I mean, part of me doesn't even want to go, but-" "You should go and you should slay. Show them what a badass bitch you really are." "Okay, okay, I will. So, any suggestions?" Gretch cocked her head to one side, the way she did when she was deep in thought. Oh how Lynn missed that look! "You have an amazing body, especially in the ass department. Not to knock your tots, which are also exceptional." "Oh God, uh...thanks." "So you want to wrap all that sweetness in something fine. It should catch the light and hide as little as possible. How are you in heels?" "I mean, you know I'm ridiculously agile, but anything over three inches just feels a bit much, y'know?" "That's fine." Again with the head tilt. "I'm thinking...tell me you've seen Legend." "The 80s movie with Tom Cruise? Yeah, but not in a long time." "Lily's black dress, after Tim Curry corrupts her. Google it." The shapeshifter pulled out her Android and deftly typed in a search. "Okay, yeah I kinda remember that. Lemme see...oh...oh! Oh, that's a lot!" Gretch sighed and showed her famous half-smile. "Part of my queer awakening, I assure you. Mom wondered why I wore out two VHS tapes." "I mean, I love it, but the collar looks like...like, I think I'd be knocking s### over all the time. Or put someone's eye out." The former barista shrugged. "So make it out of something less dangerous." "Like what, tissue paper? I'd think that would just be a fire hazard if there's any torches, and if this party is in Hell, you know there's going to be torches, so-" Lynn froze, eyes wide with an ever-growing grin on her face. "What. What do you have?" "Smoke. I'll make the collar out of smoke." "Hell. Yes." - - - Grimalkin stood before her mirror, which no longer showed her ex within its surface, and took in her own reflection. Her outfit of fine-spun glamour was like no material which existed anyhere in the natural world, borrowing as it did elements of spider silk and beetle shells. Depending on where the light was coming from, it appeared to be dark green, midnight blue or black. The three inch heels blended seamlessly into the gleaming material wrapped around her legs, torso and arms. There was also a dramatic plunge down the front, revealing everything from collarbone to navel, but impossibly everything was held in place through sheer force of will. Her mask evoked classic cat's eye glasses from the 50s, and her curly hair cascaded artfully down one side of her face. Finally the wide collar of black smoke billowed up from her shoulders, and trailed along behind her on as she moved. "Hell yes, indeed."

Crystal-Gazer (2) Is Potato (Pancakes) (1) Make No Small Plans (1) Grimalkin [MAXED] () Harsh Words () The Hades Gala, departure () Miracle Girl () One In A Million () The Return of Ku Tu! () Extra/rollover points go to The Shrike

Crystal-Gazer Lulu got quite pink in the face at Davyd's reaction to her reaction. "Ah mean...ah didn't-" What had she meant by it? Did she think Davyd was pining away for her in some lonely tower? At last, she shook her head and laughed self-consciously. "Ah'm sorry, ah- " She covered her face with her hands and made an odd groan before flashing an embarrassed grin. "Hoo whee; how 'bout this weather we're havin', huh?" She focused on her pancakes for a bit as she waited for the blood to leave her ears.

Crystal-Gazer Lulu's eyes went wide at Megan's suggestion, and she was instantly excited. "Oh my God, do you know her? Ah mean, I've read all about her, of course, and seen her on TV a bunch. Ah know she lives in Freedom, right, 'cause ah...well, we've sensed each other, 'cause telepathy, duh, but we've just sorta waved at each other 'cross the back fence, if you know what ah mean. Ha!" Her face flushed at the thought of meeting one of the world's most famous psionics, and she slapped the tops of her thighs three times. "Woo, yeah, let's do it!"

Crystal-Gazer Being the sensitive person she is, a good friend and of course a telepath, Lulu instantly picked up on Davyd's sudden discomfort, though she didn't presume to understand the many different feelings he was feeling right now. "Oh, ah'm so sorry, ah-" She reached our a hand to place it on his, hesitated for a moment, but then chose to put it on anyway, giving it a supportive squeeze. "Look...ah don't-" She sighed and closed her eyes. "Ah can't imagine what your feelin' right now, and ah say that as a telepath who is actively blockin' your thoughts out of respect. If you need some time to process that lil' bombshell ah dropped in your lap like it was nothin', ah can vamoose or whatever." Lulu opened her big brown eyes and smiled, tiny tears in the corners of her eyes. "Whatever you need right now, okay?"

Crystal-Gazer Lulu was no stranger to 'patter', the surface conversation one maintains while having the more important conversation telepathically underneath. She wondered if Davyd's Grue heritage was one of the reasons he was so good at it? It was a little strange to hear her normal rural Alabama accent floating over the neutral (though still warm and expressive) mental voice that automatically translated her speech patterns. I'm sure that there will be lots of legal issues to address; I may even have to wear an inhibitor collar from time to time, like maybe when I take tests? Which would suck a bit, because it gives me headaches, but it would be worth it, right? But then the redhead's patter shifted into a surprising direction that snapped Davyd back to full awareness. "It's so weird makin' all these decisions without Adam. Like we still 'talk' all the time, but since we split up, it's just been different, know what ah mean?"

Crystal-Gazer Lulu was not prepared for the sight of Davyd 'texting' across his forehead. The fact that he was saying something so serious and profound somehow made it even more hilarious; it was like being struck by something funny at a funeral. But out of respect for Davyd and his concern for her, she managed to keep it together. However, a smile did touch her lips when she reached out to him telepathically. You don't need to use such drastic measures to speak privately to me; you just have to call my name out with your mind. The food arrived, and she tucked into it with gusto; Lulu had selected the 'Mini Potato Pancake Flavorful Trio', with salmon, two eggs and all kinda of other yummy things. As she tried a little bit of everything, she continued to speak into Davyd's mind with her oddly accent-less 'mind speak'. I don't know if you can ever be 'ready' for something like this; I'm sure Psyche wasn't. But I think I could be of more value to the world as an open telepath than I would be staying in the shadows.

Lulu nodded along as Megan went into a great deal of detail about the ups and downs of her superhero career, and the complication her secret identity brought along with it. When her foster mother finished, the telepath sighed and smiled. "Wow. Thank you for sharin' all that." She chuckled ruefully. "Y'know, it never occurred to me that as much as mah life was fu- uh, messed up by mah family knowin' about mah powers, in a weird way it spared me from havin' to keep it a secret from them. 'Course, there was a whole lotta downside to that situation..." "As much as ah appreciate you tellin' me all that, and believe me, ah am thankful you did, but-" Lulu struggled to pick her next words carefully. "Bein' a speedster is...well, it's kinda cool, know what ah mean? Folks in general ain't so scared of speedsters, although ah think that's just 'cause they never think about the true implications of that power. 'Cause if they did? Whoa!" She laughed nervously, then frowned and shook her head "But anyway, what ah mean is...telepathy scares people. And it should, because in the hands of a sick sumbitch, it is downright horrifyin'." The redhead grimaced. "And a cute girl who can run fast ain't nearly as terrifyin' as a white trash telepath from a family of crooks."

Grimalkin At the appearance of the mysterious newcomer, the Mistress of Mystery frowned, and dropped her cellphone back into the pocket dimension she retrieved it from. She carefully looked 'Hood' up and down as she took a few steps closer. "A.E.G.I.S., huh? Have you been following these clowns, or did you just happen to be in the neighborhood?" She stroked her chin with a slender forefinger for a few moments, then abruptly switched to rapid-fire Parisian French; her accent, pronunciation and grammar were flawless. <"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, my friend! We don't often see federal agents looking into street crime. Are you based in the area?">

Rolling Initiative just to have it here: 1d20+19 If Casey gets a good read off of the cowboy team, she will prioritize getting civilians clear.

Initiative for MG: 1d20+9=29

"Well, that's kinda why ah wanted to talk to you, to be honest," she said with a touch of anxiety in her voice. "But before we get to that, gimme a chance to check out the eats here." After she figured out what she wanted, she set the menu aside and took a sip of water; unusually, her hand was shaking when she put the glass down. "Um, ah've been doin' a lot of thinkin' this year, and now ah'm lookin' for a little help from mah friends, to quote a popular song." She smiled self-conciously as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Ah'm actually, ah'm lookin' to start at FCU this fall, in the psych department. Ah'm thinkin' about pursuin' mah doctorate. In psychology, that is." Suddenly her tone was dead serious as she locked eyes with Davyd. "But ah want to do it...as a public telepath."

Lulu looked between the inside and outside tables; both were incredibly charming in their own way. But after a moment's consideration, she sighed and shook her head. "Well, you can take the girl outta the South, but you can't take the South outta the girl. Alabama springs are a bit warmer than up North; let's head inside." She let him hold the door for her as she stepped in and eagerly took in the ambiance; the sights, smells and even snippets of spoken Ukrainian were quite delightful. "Oh, ah love it! Look at all the colors!"

A few minutes later, a familiar voice with a warm Southern twang called out to the young shapeshifter. "Davyd, hi!" Lulu was wearing a much-loved fisherman's sweater, black jeans and matching boots with a decent heel, and had a tasteful black purse over one shoulder. She looked fresh, beautiful and confident as she strode up to greet her former classmate, still very much the lovely redhead he first met years ago, but now much more comfortable in her own skin. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" She gave him a warm hug, then took a step back to take him all in. "Son, you look amazin'! Ah love the hair!"

Casey's eyebrows raised a bit at her mentor's statement; she knew from past experience that Terrifica's brain operated considerably faster than the average, but she never expected her to acknowledge the fact publicly. She was still considering the ramifications of this information when the sadly all-too-familiar sounds of violence reached her ears. "Nuts," she stated emphatically as her head drooped for a moment before popping back up again. "Okay, see you both outside." There was a rush of wind that sent napkins and drinking straws whirling through the air, and then Miracle Girl was out in the street, arms crossed over her chest. It spoke to her impressive bodily control that she didn't rip the door of its hinges or shatter any glass on the way out.

MIRACLE GIRL "He's probably trying to see if they can fly, like the real thing," Casey joked after receiving her hug, expertly balancing her plate of food the whole time. "I don't blame him for being disappointed." "Yeah, this stinks to high heaven," muttered the blonde heroine under her breath in response to Dancia's question. "I've been tempted to give it an x-ray scan, but I was nervous that might trigger some sort of automated response."

Crystal-Gazer (7) Is Potato (Pancakes) (6) Make No Small Plans (1) Grimalkin [MAXED] (1) Harsh Words (1) Miracle Girl (2) One In A Million (1) The Return of Ku Tu! (1) All points go to Crystal-Gazer

Lulu nodded, looking thoughtful. "So, if you don't mind me askin', how many people know about your secret identity? How did you decide to tell 'em, and how did they react?" As of right now, not too many people knew about Lulu's powers, outside of the Harrows, people she knew from Claremont, and some of the residents of Columbia, Alabama (including her family).

While Casey pulled her Tascam digital recorder and directional mic out of her bag, her amazing eyes happened to fall upon a familiar pair of figures. Oh my God, is that...she got so big! The blonde student expertly worked her way through the crowd toward Dancia and her adorable daughter, who she met when she did a summer internship with the reporter a few years ago. "Hey there! Fancy meeting you two here!" Casey was looking downright professional, with her hair pinned up and elegant glasses on. She wore a smart cardigan vest over a blue blouse, with grey slacks and sensible black leather shoes. Her big smile was quite infectious.