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January 2020 Just after "One by One" When Lulu arrived back at her dorm room after the meeting with Orange Squad, she knew Eira was in there - and in a mood. They'd only been sharing the same space for a few days but she knew what the loud music meant when the door was closed; and that Eira would be perfectly content to listen to it for hours at a time unless she was asked to stop. The sound vibrated through her hand as she opened the door, and she was bombarded by a guttural German voice singing a song that had been five years old when she was born, playing at a volume that pushed the limits of Claremont's policies without actually breaking them. "Du! Du Hast! Du Hast Mich!" Eira was standing at her desk-turned-lab-table, violently banging her head and thrashing her limbs, mouthing along to the song. She'd taken off her hoodie and was down to a black halter top that set off sharply against her pale skin, exposing what looked like deep scars over her shoulder blades as she danced. Eira was not by any means what Lulu would have called a competent dancer, but she was certainly aggressive about it. She looked Lulu's way as she came in; but didn't immediately stop.

January 2020 Eira sat in the library meeting room, staring at the closed door. The lights were off and it was quiet, and she had arrived several minutes early for the Orange Squad meeting. She was wearing an oversized blue hoodie and jeans, a concession to the relative cold that her robotic nature didn't actually require. This would be the first time she'd met most of the Orange Squad, the team to which she'd been assigned upon her admission to Claremont - an admission made possible by her parents connection to the hero community and substantial wealth. It was team-building day.

Claremont Academy, Kord Dormitory. Sunday, October 6th, 2019. 11:00 am Contrary to popular belief, Adam and Lulu were not joined at the hip; sure, they had a very close relationship, but they didn't actually do everything together. For instance, this particular Sunday Adam was planning to work with some of his classmates on a science project, which was very cool, but not quite his girlfriend's cup of tea. She decided instead to head on over to the Bayview Mall to maybe do some shopping, or at very least check out the cool Halloween costumes and scary props for sale. She and Davyd had both expressed an interest in doing something fun for the holiday, so maybe she could- And then the idea hit her, and she loved it. Dressing up in a red jacket, green sweater and burgundy slacks, along with some black riding boots, she headed down to the second floor and knocked on Room 213's door. "Hey, Davyd. Do you have a sec?"

January 2020 Claremont Academy Amid all the hubbub and bub of learning the secrets of various friends, and going on cosmic adventures with other friends, Crystal-Gazer had almost (but not quite) missed the fact that she'd technically been without a room-mate for the entire fall semester. There'd been a conversation before break about how she was going to have a new room-mate after the Christmas holiday, a girl from Sweden named Eira, but that was about all she'd heard. Now it was move-back-in day after the break, and she was set to meet her new room-mate for the first time. She was on her way down the hall to her room, the hallways full of students, parents, and even the occasional friend, when she overheard an argument coming from her open door - an argument that she couldn't understand. First came a man's voice, an older one. Someone not quite yelling but certainly speaking with authority, in a language that she couldn't immediately understand, a feminine voice about her own age. Then another voice, a woman's, as upset as the man's. It wasn't quite loud enough that people were coming to investigate but they were certainly listening. Turning the corner and stepping into her room, she was confronted with two people, no - three? The first two were easy enough to understand. A man in a shirt and slacks that were too expensive to be as casual as he wanted to look, the sort of middle-aged that's beginning to turn into a paunch, a blonde mustache turning to grey on his face. The woman next to him looked much the same, her blonde hair cut short in a pageboy, jewelry on her neck and hands, looking more like a college president than anything else. At Lulu's arrival, they turned to her and smiled politely. "Hello," said the father, "you must be...Lulu?" his accent in English was distinct, but his command of the language fluent. The third occupant of the room stared at Lulu, her pale cheeks flushed from anger. She looked like a punk, hair dyed blue and face pierced, and the only piece of furniture she'd brought with her was a single valise she'd left on the vacant desk on the other side of the room. She said nothing...and thought nothing. As far as Lulu could tell, there was nothing there at all. "Aren't you going to say hello, Eira?" asked her mother. Eira rolled her eyes and fired something off that made her parents glare at her. With a sigh, she turned her attention to Lulu. "Hello. What are you in for?"

Claremont Academy, Freedom City Early November Just Past Midnight The room was dark, illuminated only by the flickering of the screen. Mia rested on her side, dressed in a sleep-shirt and comfortable pajama pants. Normally, she just went with the t-shirt, but it was colder in Lulu’s room than it was in her own. Danica had to maintain a fairly warm temperature, after all. It was normally tolerable, but it was good to get out of it sometimes. Normally, the sound coming out of her laptop would have been Japanese, but she had been forced to agree to use the dub this time. It was a concession she was not entirely happy about but she agreed to it anyway. Not everyone tolerated her weeb trash, and besides, the screen wasn’t the biggest anyway. After a few moments, though, a thought passed into her head. She turned on her side, and looked over at Lulu. They had been through a lot. Even though the Black House had, externally, only had them in there for an hour or two at most, the interior made it feel longer. A lot longer. It had helped her build a stronger bond with the girl, and honestly, she liked hanging out with her even if they did seem to occupy really different worlds at times. “So,” Mia said. “You wanna go get high and maybe get a pizza or something?” she asked Lulu. “No class tomorrow or anything.”

“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature made them.” ― Bertrand Russell, New Hopes for a Changing World It was in mid-November of 2019, about the time that many Claremont students were about to go away for Thanksgiving break, that Judy Smith sent out a message to some of her best friends inviting them to a special meeting in her dorm room. This was quite unusual; as far as anyone knew, Judy and Ashley had never admitted anyone to their dorm room when they were actually living in it. There had been, to say the least, some discussion about who exactly to invite to the meeting. They'd settled on the most trustworthy of Judy's friends, the ones who were proven, reliable quantities. This meant Chelone, with her wisdom; and this meant Crystal-Gazer, who already knew some things. There'd been others on the table. But they didn't know Mia well enough yet, and Leroy was going to be told on his own. And Micah...well, it wouldn't really do to tell Micah before she told Leroy, now would it? So the woman and the girl sat together in their dorm room and waited, Judy on her bed and Ashley on hers, and Judy prayed. She prayed in her own prayer language that everything would work out okay, that her friends would understand and that telling the truth would save the day, and that taking pains to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord and the eyes of Man would save everything. Ashley had taken this opportunity to say a few words to Our Lady of Vietnam, because why the Hell not at this point, honestly, but was mostly thinking about operational security. She had a few extra gadgets on her belt if things really went south, but hallucinogenic gas and electric stunners were of dubious efficiacy against superheroes. If this went wrong, tricks of the trade weren't going to do it. _So why am I doing this?_ she reflected. She looked at the girl kneeling in prayer across the room, speaking in tongues the way she usually did when she prayed by herself. _Because Judy deserves it._ When there was a knock at the door, it was Ashley who answered it; Judy excusing herself for a moment to get dressed. "Be right there!" Ashley was in a punk rock T-shirt and jeans when she opened the door, a carefully composed look on her face. "Hey. Come in. She's just getting dressed." The Smith room was a bit larger than either Lulu or Danica's room, a private bathroom by what must be Judy's side of the room (with its Christian and Old West art on the walls), with vaguely punk rock decor on Ashley's side. It honestly looked like any other Claremont room, albeit with a few more books on the shelves, some extra electronics here and there, big pile of knitting projects on Judy's desk, and some tools and magnifiers for when Ashley worked on her gear.

Lantern Hill, Freedom City October 31, 2019 8:00 PM Mia Mustafic-Markov looked especially spooky this Halloween night. She stood out front of a haunted house, her face marked with a false glasgow grin complemented by fake red blood, and her face was made even paler by white make-up, her eyes made dark and sunken looking by black makeup rimming them. Her neck had a similar false wound, and her denim jacket opened to reveal a white shirt marked by fake blood and three long slash marks over her belly. Yet, the effect was diminished some by the fact that she was dutifully staring at the screen of her phone. She had decided to invite out her Orange Squad team-mates (and Danica!) for the night, in order to get to know them better. And what better way to get to know them than scaring the bejeezus out of them with a Haunted House? Yet, unfortunately, it seemed she was the first to arrive. Which did make sense. She could teleport, and most of them… couldn’t. The choice of venue seemed cool. The Black House, they called it. Not the most creative name, but it was supposedly one of the scariest things ever. It traveled to different cities every year, almost always big ones, and was apparently so scary some people had to check into therapy after visiting. That probably wasn’t true, but it was a pretty great selling point and Mia wanted to check it out. But right now, she was here alone. She looked back at the great mansion behind her, watching as people stumbled out, pale-faced, while more brave looking souls headed on in. Her attention turned back to her phone. Opening up her group text, she hammered out a reply.

Claremont Academy. Sunday, September 8th, 2019. 1:03 am One of the realities of having a telepathic girlfriend is the fact that, as long as you're in range, she can basically reach you at anytime. In the case of Adam Lanchester and Lulu Beaumont's relationship, this meant thoughtful, silly or romantic 'chats' could take place at any hour, but in general the loquacious redhead left her man alone after 9pm most nights. Which made it extra surprising when she suddenly reached out to him the middle of the night, and at extra loud volume at that! - Adam! Adam, wake up! Something f###ing freaky is happening! -

Fall 2019 8PM The night of Sea Devil's talk in Dagon the King The reception had mostly, but not entirely, cleared out. Aquaria had seriously considered skipping it but the food was free and she never would turn down free fish. She'd stood by the snack table, picking up kippers and eating them like a Surfacer would eat canapes, and chatted with a few faculty and students who were interested in what she had to say. By the end of the evening she was feeling, perhaps not perfect, but better. Some few of those who had come had been willing to listen, and even that Atlantean prince had been willing to sing to her for a little while. Even if he has no manners. Sweetest of the Fallen indeed! But now the Atlanteans were gone and it was just the monster and the men, and some of the students were milling around with the knowledge that curfew didn't technically apply if you were attending an on-campus event like this.

OOC thread for this thread. Teen and space heroes in space, meeting the space bears, fighting the star crimes.

GM July 1st, 2019, 4.51PM Lor Diplomatic Navy vessel A Grace in Steel, in orbit of Xix Yr, first planet and capital of the Lia system civilization... The meeting room was structured along clearly hierarchal lines, in contrast to the more egalitarian architecture of the Science Navy ship that had carried the Earth teens to the Lia system. The Ambassador's seat was elevated by a few significant steps, the room arcing inward from there, encompassing a torus-shaped table. Everything was birds, from the Great Galactic Bird blazing across the walls and ceiling to the bird-shaped chairs with crossed wings for backs to the furred and snuffling eagle-like creatures that appeared from nowhere to snuggle against the legs of everyone in the room. From his seat, poised as if about to take flight himself, the Ambassador spoke. "...which is why Squire B'ka will not be joining us! Hopefully your visit to Xix will be less eventful! On behalf of the Coalition Council, and the worlds it represents, welcome to the galactic community!" Ambassador Ortilac already looked angelic with his sweeping red wings, long gold hair and dazzling white formal gown; his outright glow of joy at meeting the 'Terresi' teenagers was infectious, and the previously stern and solemn Lor Navy personnel had been suppressing grins at the excitable envoy throughout his welcoming speech, which had veered spectacularly from the Ealan's dignified, practical notes into vivid speculation about the glories to be seen, the wonders created and the almost frighteningly-rosy picture of the future Ambassador Ortilac believed in. Luckily, he had very easily been dissuaded from trying to hug everyone in glee at paragraph breaks. With a wing, he indicated the armored feline at the table "Squire Kath'lana, of the Star Knights," with the other he gestured to the armored Earth woman and her strange, robotic associate "Sitara the Traveler, and Universal Field Operative 777, of our Praetorians. These good people have agreed to be present at this, the final stage of union with our newest member. For form's sake, the Li have requested we only meet them face to face on the planet surface. I promise, you won't be disappointed!" The ambassdor's ash-grey face creased as his grin returned. He leaned back in the chair, nodding to the assembled officers, dignitaries and Claremont students. "So, any questions?" "Dozens, Ambassador, but they can wait." Dr. Rakesh Chawla never smiled, but he especially didn't around people as gregarious as Ortilac. Cold and quiet, the Claremont head of Extrasolar Studies had been watching his students like a hawk's keener-eyed and more vigilant cousin, keeping the party firmly on track and where, in his mind, everyone was supposed to be. His uncanny talent for finding people just in time to spoil things hadn't endeared him to the teenagers, and even the Lor found the brooding young man hard to get along with. Rakesh glanced at the Claremont students "I am sure the young heroes have questions, however, that can't wait. Not you, Leroy," he added with a sharp look at the tattooed boy who'd started to jump up, arm raised, causing him to wilt in disappointment, "you have done enough damage for today. I will be writing to your mother about that, rest assured." Seated beside Nicole, the gravity-bending prince of Earth-2 practically sunk into his chair. "I merely wished to know where the bathroom was" he murmured in utter dejection, golden eyes fixed miserably on the table.

Name: Crystal-Gazer Power Level: 10/10 (170/170PP) Tradeoffs: None Unspent PP: 0 In Brief: Psionic teen trying to escape her criminal family. Alternate Identity: Louise 'Lulu' Beaumont Identity: Secret Birthplace: Columbia, AL Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Academy Family: Charlene Beaumont (mother), Darryl Beaumont (father), Kyle Beaumont (older brother), Caleb Beaumont (older brother), Bobby Beaumont (older brother), Megan Howell-Harrow and Robert Harrow (foster parents) Description: DOB: February 23, 2002 Gender: Female Height: 5' 6" Weight: 125 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Red Lulu is a pretty girl from Alabama with pale skin, long red hair and dark brown eyes. She wears a lot of denim, mostly cutoffs in her favorite colors (pink and black), and she favors denim purses trimmed with studs or sequins. In terms of shoes, she has a large collection of pink sneakers and gym shoes, and she often wears girly baseball caps. She doesn't wear a lot of makeup, mostly just enhancing her lips and eyes. Since moving in with the Harrows, her style has become a bit more sophisticated, especially at formal events. History: The Beaumont family has a somewhat checkered past back in Columbia, Alabama, with a history full of moonshine stills, reckless driving, and the occasional assault or petty theft. But those exploits are largely associated with the men of the family; the Beaumont women are known for something entirely different. Some call it ‘the gift’ and others ‘the sight’, but the red-headed women of this family all seem to have an eeriness to them. Harriet Beaumont predicted the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, and Imogene Beaumont before her saw the Blocton Mine cave-in of 1895 clear as day. The fact of the matter is, very few of the Beaumonts have demonstrated the ‘true gift’, but that hasn't kept them from running a lucrative fortune-telling business for over forty years out of a rundown house just outside of town. On the night Lulu was born, a bolt of lightning struck a tree in their backyard, splitting it right down the middle, though there hadn't been a storm. Her father Darryl, an assistant manager at the local Piggly Wiggly who’d recently been fired for stealing steaks, declared nothing good would ever come of the girl, and seemed determined to prove his point. Darryl hounded her incessantly throughout her childhood, while showering undeserved praise on his delinquent sons Kyle and Caleb, both of whom were notorious in the Columbia area for drunken fights and making their own explosives. Only the Beaumont’s youngest son Bobby ever showed her any kindness, and they had always been close. However, once she began to show signs of the true sight at age ten, everything changed; suddenly Lulu was 'daddy's little girl’ as Darryl finally saw a way to use her to make money. With Lulu's unseen help, the fortune-telling business became very profitable, but her daddy didn't stop there. He forced his young daughter to extract credit card and banking information from their clients’ minds, threatening her or Bobby with physical harm if she didn't comply. They even pulled her out of school when she turned thirteen, supposedly to ‘homeschool’ her, but really it was to have her around the house so she could do more 'sneakin’ and peekin'’, and her studies suffered. One day when she was a fifteen, it finally came to a head; Darryl wanted her to enter the thoughts of woman who'd just lost her husband, and was looking to talk to his ‘spirit’, a scam they'd pulled before. But the woman had three children to feed, and her daddy wanted to rob her blind. When Lulu refused to steal her thoughts, Darryl moved to strike her, but then he suddenly stopped; Lulu had just discovered her mind control ability. To her father's horror, she forced him to drive them both to the local police station to confess to his crimes. However she couldn't maintain control forever, and a confession under coercion is not legally admissible. The revelations were enough for DCFS to step in, and when word of her story reached the headmaster of Claremont Academy, an offer was made to place her with a foster family in Freedom and enroll her in the academy, where she could obtain a proper education and learn to use her powers for good. She chose the heroic name 'Crystal-Gazer’ after the derogatory term her dad used to describe the family fortune-telling business. Personality & Motivation: Lulu is friendly and outgoing, though prone to long, thoughtful gazes, which usually means she's using one of her powers. She loves to find out other people's stories, but is fairly reluctant to share her own, as she is deeply ashamed of her family. Though she learned a lot of tricks and scams from her brothers, she detests swindlers of any kind, and will only use these skills for harmless pranks or to punish wrongdoing. Lulu is very powerful psionic, the sort that only comes around once or twice a generation, and she feels awful about how her family used her powers for criminal gain. She is particularly interested in exposing con artists and loan sharks, and any who would harm mothers or children. Powers & Tactics: Lulu can read minds, project her senses miles away, send thoughts to others and create impressive psychic illusions, including the ability to make herself invisible, though this does not fool devices like cameras or other surveillance equipment. She can also control minds, though she finds this power a little unsettling. Lulu recently discovered an aptitude for telekinesis, which she's still learning to master. Up until recently, she mostly relied on her illusions to confuse or frighten bad guys, and her ESP is excellent for recon. If things get really desperate, she will take over a thug's body, and shift the balance of power that way. She's still figuring out the best ways to use her telekinesis, mostly using it to grapple foes for now. Complications: "Ah’m sorry, ah didn't mean to pry.” Sometimes it's hard for Lulu to resist the urge to poke around other people's heads, even though she knows it's wrong. “Ah can't let them find me!” Lulu lives in terror of her family tracking her down in Freedom and trying to take her back home. “There's too many voices in mah head!” As a small town psychic in a big city, sometimes Lulu can get overwhelmed by all the telepathic ‘noise’ in the area. “Oh, ah didn't mean nothin’ by it!” Sometimes Lulu likes to play pranks on her friends with her powers; it isn't always well-received. “Ah dunno; it just gets really hard sometimes.” Lulu's been through a lot and is a long way from home, and misses her brother Bobby. Sometimes this can lead to depression and loneliness. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 10 + 10 = 30PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 20 (+5) Charisma: 20 (+5) Combat: 8 + 10 = 18PP Initiative: +1 Attack: +4, +8 Throwing with Move Object Defense: +10 (+5 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Grapple: +4/+20 (Perception Move Object 10) Knockback Resistance: 5/1, 3/1 Flat-Footed Saves: 3 + 4 + 5 = 12PP Toughness: +10 (+2 Con, +4 Defensive Roll, +4 Protection), +6/+2 Flat-Footed Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3) Reflex: +5, (+1 Dex, +4) Will: +10 (+5 Wis, +5) Skills: 92R=23PP Bluff 15 (+20) Skill Mastery Concentration 15 (+20) Second Chance Diplomacy 15 (+20) Skill Mastery Disable Device 3 (+5) Drive 4 (+5) Gather Information 1 (+6) Intimidate 5 (+10) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 3 (+5) Knowledge (Behavioral Science) 1 (+3) Knowledge (Civics) 1 (+3) Knowledge (Current Events) 1 (+3) Knowledge (Earth Science) 1 (+3) Knowledge (History) 1 (+3) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 1 (+3) Knowledge (Streetwise) 3 (+5) Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 1 (+3) Language 1 (English [Native], Spanish) Notice 10 (+15) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 10 (+15) Skill Mastery Feats: 7PP Fascinate (Bluff) Luck Second Chance (Concentration) Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Notice, Sense Motive) Trance Taunt Ultimate Save (Will) Powers: 7 + 40 + 5 + 10 + 18 = 80PP (Descriptors: all psionic) Enhanced Feats 7 (Defensive Roll 2 and Dodge Focus 5) [7PP] (Telepathic) Psionics 17 (34PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 6) [40PP] Base Power: [34PP] ESP 5 (Sense Types: Auditory + Visual, Range: 5 miles, Extras: Action [Free], Duration [Sustained], Simultaneous, Feats: Rapid 3 [x1,000, 18 seconds / 3 rounds to Search a 5 mile diameter area, 6 minutes if Taking 20], Subtle [DC25 Notice]) [34PP] Alternate Power: [34PP] Illusion 10 (Sense Types: All, Extras: Selective, Flaws: Action [Full], Phantasm, Feats: Progression [Size] 4 [100ft radius]) [34PP] Alternate Power: [32PP] Damage 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental, Range 2 [Perception], Flaws: Action [Full], Feats: Precise, Subtle) [32PP] Alternate Power: [32PP] Mind Control 10 (Extras: Conscious, Duration [Sustained, Lasting], Instant Command, Mental, Flaws: Action [Full], Feedback, Feats: Mental Link, Subtle) [32PP] Alternate Power: [34PP] Move Object 10 (Lifting Strength: 50, Heavy Load: 12 tons, Extras: Range [Perception], Feats: Accurate 2 [+4 Attack], Precise, Subtle) [34PP] Alternate Power: [34PP] Stun 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental, Range 2 [Perception], Flaws: Action [Full], Feats: Reversible, Sedation, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [Pain or Sleep]) [34PP] Alternate Power: [31PP] Transform 10 (Memory Alteration, Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Mental, Range [Perception], Flaws: Action [Full], Feats: Subtle) [31PP] Protection 4 (Extras: Force Field, Subtle) [5PP] (Telekinetic) Super-Senses 14 (Danger Sense [Mental], Mental Awareness [Extras: Radius, Ranged], Postcognition [Flaw: Uncontrolled], Precognition [Flaw: Uncontrolled], Uncanny Dodge [Mental]) [10PP] Telepathy 8 (16PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 2) [18PP] (Telepathic) Base Power: [16PP] Communication 6 (Mental, 20 miles; Extra: Linked [Comprehend]; Feats: Rapid 3 [x1000], Subtle) [10PP] + Comprehend 3 (Speak and Understand Any Language; Extra: Linked [Communication]) [6PP] Alternate Power: [11PP] Concealment 10 (All Senses, Flaw: Phantasm, Feat: Selective) Alternate Power: [11PP] Mind Reading 10 (Extras: Effortless, Mental, Flaw: Duration [Instant/Lasting]; Feat: Subtle) Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (18) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (23) + Feats (7) + Powers (80) - Drawbacks (0) = 170/170 Power Points DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 16 Toughness Damage [Physical] Illusion Perception Check vs. Will Deceived Mental Blast Perception DC 20 Will Save Damage [Mental] Mental Transform Perception DC 20 Will Save Transformed Mind Control Perception DC 20 Will Save Controlled Mind Reading Perception DC 20 Will Save Read (Not an attack) Stun Perception DC 20 Will Save Dazed/Stunned or Asleep

Stressed out by the hustle and bustle of Freedom City? Looking for a way to better control your powers? Secretly carrying a torch for a redheaded Southern Belle? Then join Claremont's Meditation Club, led by Lulu Beaumont! Not quite sure if this will lead to threads specifically, but Lulu's noticed several students she thinks might benefit from transcendental mediation, and she's eager to teach them! This would involve yoga mats and comfortable clothes for those who are interested. (Dok, don't feel the need to join; just couldn't resist be the 'rule of three' joke ?)

Late August 2019 Washington, DC Alone in the East Bedroom, Judy clutched the new phone tightly in her fingers before she began typing a message. "Hey Lulu, it's Judy. Are you awake?" She looked past the beeping medical monitor along the left side of her bed to the clock on the wall. Well it was 2AM on a Saturday night, so maybe she was! She settled back on the bed, her comfortable satin pajamas rustling slightly, and set the phone down beside her to wait for a reply. At least she still had her leather-bound birthday present beside her, which she cracked open. "“Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long..."

GM Claremont Academy April 23 2019 11: 45 AM Jhett yawned. He knew he should have at least tried to keep it in but at this point he really couldn't be bothered. He was bored even as he guided his group to the next exhibit in the school's refurnished Next-Gen wing and started reciting another pre-written lecture about the triumphs of the original team. "Right, so, over here we have a new holographic recreation of Next-Gen's first battle with the villain Chess Club. What a wonderful--" Jhett stopped for a second to lazily take garner at one of the cue cards tucked in his pocket. His other hand still pointed to a holographic Sonic destroying a holographic chessmen. "Example of the ingenuity and resolve of young heroes like us. I sure hope I can live to their noble example." The less than impressed expressions on about dozen of his classmate's faces made it blindingly clear to him that they were either as bored as he was or very unhappy with his lack of typical tour guide enthusiasm. Jhett told himself that he didn't care either way. His volunteering to be the guide for Claremont's glorified trophy room for the first Next-Gen team was just his way of getting another good looking bullet-point on his resume when he finally graduated from Claremont and tried to get into a normal, if hopefully very prestigious, tech university. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little bad for boring his fellow students. It wasn't as if they had a lot of choice in being here after all. Exasperated with himself and the tour, Jhett finally threw up his hands. "Look guys, I know this isn't the Danger Institute or Freedom Hall or whatever, but we got to get through this, OK?" He admitted honestly. "Headmistress Summers expects me to lecture you all until lunch about all the new stuff they added here since the Krampus trashed it last year and I sure as Hell don't want to disappoint her... She's kind of scary." There were a quite few snickers and eye-rolls from the crowd after that outburst but Jhett took them in apathetic stride. He'd probably be doing the same if he was on the other side of this. "You know what? Talk among yourselves while I waste fifteen minutes of everyone's time. I don't give a damn and only need you physically in the room. Just don't tell Summers or any of the faculty, alright?" The sound of teenagers suddenly breaking out into several dissonant conversations was all the Jhett the assurance needed that he was probably in the clear. Jhett signed as he moved the loud group to the next exhibit on their list. It was times like these when he prayed that another Krampus would show up and save him from the tedium. Anything was better than this.

GM Chelsea, London, England Sunday, December 17, 2018 7:31 PM local time The black London taxi pulled up in front of one of the large townhomes situated along Cheyne Walk overlooking the Thames. Christmas lights adorned the metalwork atop the low stone walls that ran alongside the sidewalk, as well as several of the trees and hedges in the small yard between the outer wall and the townhome. Robert Harrow, dressed in a dark tuxedo, was the first to climb out of the taxi, turning and offering his hand to first help his wife out of the vehicle and then their foster daughter, Lulu Beaumont. Megan was dressed in a long red evening down which accented her lean figure. The older blonde woman looked at Lulu with a warm smile. "Just remember to relax and be yourself and everything will be fine." She offered as encouragement. Robert gave Lulu a reassuring smile as well as he offered Megan and arm and then started the trio toward the front of townhome. The sounds of music and many voices could be heard coming from the home.

OOC for this.

The English Countryside Thursday December 20, 2018 12:13 PM, local time The Harrows' Land Rover turned onto a narrow country road, having passed through a small little town in the English countryside. The four occupants of the vehicle were currently quiet, all prior conversations having wound down over the last few hours now since leaving London. Lulu had flow into England with her foster family on Saturday, the family spending the first five days of their holiday trip taking in a few of the sites, festivities and shopping of the city. But after the hustle and bustle of the city, they were now on their way to the more subdued setting of Robert’s family estate in the countryside. The weather outside was about what one might expect for England this time of year. Overcast and cold (but a bit warmer than Freedom City had been when they have left). So far there had been no rain today, but how long that might last was uncertain. The country road they were driving along was lined with tall hedges, but beyond could be seen a small orchard on one side and a lightly forested field on the other. After a couple of hundred meters, the hedges gave way and they came upon a towering old country estate. The main section of the home stood some four stories tall, while the wings were about half that height, and looked to be at least two hundred years old. As Robert pulled the Land Rover up in front of the main entrance to the estate, a well-dressed older gentleman appeared through the door, wasting no time in making his way down toward the vehicle as it came to a halt.

OOC for this. The assumption is the PCs are all returning from a Halloween party and are now relaxing together in a rec room when Sam shows up, but if you have another reason why'd you'd be hanging out there go for it and explain it in IC.

GM Claremont Academy October 31 2018 10:13 PM Halloween was almost always hectic night for the heroes of Freedom City, with all kinds of occult madness happening all over the city. Most of Claremont's faculty was off campus dealing with it right this moment. The same used to be true for a lot of Claremont's students but since Headmistress Summer's crackdown on late night teen superheroing most students were spending All Hallow's Eve having parties off campus. Sam Thorn knew all this. In fact, it was one of the reasons why he and the rest of the other students that made up the Hidden Convenant decided to have the ritual tonight. It made sense at the time. The school would be mostly deserted, the wards would weakened without the teachers being around to bolster them, and Halloween was just altogether a great day for late-night summoning. As Sam ran down down an another empty hallway, his hands filled with an ancient tome that felt so heavy in them, and looked for someone, anyone, that could help him he tried to remember that things weren't supposed to be this way. He wasn't supposed to covered in sot and other things we didn't want to even think about. He wasn't supposed to be alone and scared out of his mind. And he was supposed to feel like some presence was getting closer and closer to him no matter how much he ran. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't supposed to be this way..." He kept repeating those words over and over again as he ran. Maybe if said them enough times everything would go back to normal. When he finally spotted a rec room with a light on it Sam immediately barged right in there huffing and coughing as he entered. He didn't know the people in the room but that didn't matter. He needed their help if he was going to save his friends and his soul. "Please! Oh God, please help me!"

Freedom City, Southside, 10:22 p.m. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour... ~ Peter 5:8 ____________________ Agnes was in for another cold night. Freedom City wasn't in the deep of winter yet, but it was getting there, and this icy, frigid drizzle from a dark and cloudy sky certainly didn't help. A sharp squall tugs at her red hoodie and burrows inside, stinging her skin as the wind whistles past the support columns of the overpass under which she had currently made residence. A few discarded beer bottles clink as they shudder against each other, as if also cold, and empty plastic bags and trash flutter past like modern tumbleweed. Above her, the sounds of rushing automobiles on the highway play an unappealing but strangely relaxing lullaby. Still, it wasn't all bad. Agnes had managed to scrounge up a half-decent meal and an unopened bottle of water. With no one around to bother her, Agnes is about to dig in. Then a loud KA-THUNK! KA-THUNK! sounds as a truck rolls over a pothole above, and Agnes is sent into a terrible place within her own head, past memories flooding back. They are so visceral, so real, that Agnes forgets where she is, that she is even Agnes. In the middle of it all, she hears the voice of a girl, not within her mind, but with her own ears, almost washed out by the noise of the cars. The girl screams once for help before the echoes fade away and Anges drifts into nightmares... Agnes wakes up as suddenly as she had passed out. She feels like only a few minutes had passed, but at the same time she is worn out as if she had been out cold for hours. This hadn't been a normal flashback. It felt as if something had pulled her into it, forcibly and violently. She could feel someone or something tugging at the deep recesses of her mind. That force is gone now, but it had still been chilling, and there is no telling who or what had caused it or if it would be back. One thing is certain, however... Agnes had heard a cry for help, from the overpass above. It hadn't been a nightmare, she had heard it with her own ears... ____________________ Delta's eyes were going haywire again. It wasn't the first time. Every now and again the machines within his body did something involuntary, sometimes without his knowledge that they could even do that. However, his eyes hacking into camera feeds are... well, not common, but it certainly isn't all that surprising. Sometimes, Delta just had to wait it out, and let the system restore itself. His eyes flicker from feed to feed, First a security camera from a bakery, patrolling an empty, locked up store front. Next, a cell phone being used to film a boy's twelfth birthday, just as the kid moves to blow out the candles... Third, the dashboard camera of a police cruiser, staring out of a cracked windshield as two men hustle another person with a bag over their head into the back of an electrical repair truck... What? Delta's eyes flick to a new feed, and he wrestles with his internal systems, trying to get back to the last camera. He eventually manages it, but only just as the electrical van is driving away. Delta can't catch the licence plate... but now that the vehicle has moved he can see a street sign in the distance. Abercorne Lane... a small street off the beaten path in Southside, about ten to fifteen blocks from the boardwalk. It is hard to get one's baring from one angle of a camera they've never seen before... but Delta thinks they are heading north, toward the highway. Maybe he can make it if he rushes. ____________________ The hero business takes on a different flavor when you are a genius. Terrifica has no need to monitor police scanners or internet rumor sites or even the daily news. Parsing through incredible amounts of data... that's what computers are for. Besides, Terrifica isn't some common thug who gets her kicks by going out at night and beating up common thieves who could barely tie their own shoes. In most cases, a simple tip to the nearest police precinct is enough to get those kinds of hooligans caught. As such, much of Terrifica's job as a hero can be automated, leaving her plenty of time to be Samantha Carson. But not tonight. Tonight, there is... an anomaly. Obviously, sometimes Terrifica needs to be alerted about specific circumstances. Her phone buzzes, and she is greeted by camera footage that her computer had been monitoring. It is the vision of the dashboard camera of a police cruiser, its window cracked, and no officer in sight. Meanwhile, a pair of masked men hustle a small figure out with a bag over her head, throwing her into the back of an electrical van. On its own, this may not warrant further investigation from Terrifica... but that isn't all. The reason the computer had tipped her off is that someone had hacked her. Her. Terrifica's firewalls are legendary, and yet... apparently not bullet-proof. But the hacker hadn't been flawless in his intrusion. He had left a trace. And now... Now Terrifica could follow his every movement. ____________________ Lulu sits in her empty dorm room in Claremont. It is Thanksgiving break, and a large swathe of students have left campus to visit friends and family... not Lulu, though. Instead, she stays in her room, keeping to her own devices. No distraction keeps her from missing Bobby, however. The entire day, she had had a wriggling feeling in the back of her mind, some creeping anxiousness. It felt almost like her powers warning her of some unseen threat, but too weak. Too subtle. Perhaps it was simply plain old, run of the mill nerves? Such a thought is dashed as a powerful vision - accompanied by a wave of nausea - washes over Louise. In her mind she sees a dark-skinned girl with curly hair and a red hoodie hunched over with her hands clutching at the sides of her head as a cry for help sounds out. For a moment, the vision lingers, before thrusting Lulu forward into the tortured nightmares of the girl. Most of it is incomprehensible flashes, but it is far from pleasant. Suddenly, it all stops. Lulu is inside a darkened, derelict building. From the IVs and discarded wheelchairs, it appears to be an abandoned hospital. All of the lights are off, and curiously, there are no windows, the only light given off by occasionally flickering exit signs. Louise can only see a few feet in front of her - as her eyes are somehow already adjusted the darkness - before near-pitch black shadow envelopes the distance. As she stand at the junction of two crisscrossing corridors, Lulu senses something terrible about this place, beyond its creepy atmosphere. Stains mark the cinder block walls, but without color, Lulu cannot confirm what kind... she can make a decent guess, though. Any attempt to peer into the dark void is disorienting, as if the hallways and corridors are twisting and swaying gently, threatening her with unseen horrors to force her to look away. The vision ends abruptly, just as it had started. Lulu is left watching over the girl she had seen earlier, who appears to have passed out. She is now in control of her own ESP, and can more accurately study her surroundings, that being a highway overpass. Bright neon lights in the distance mark casinos and gaudy nightlife, the signature sign of Freedom City's Southside district. She isn't that far away, not by bus or car. She isn't too to try telepathy on the girl, either... although there is no telling when she will wake up.

Timothy's Bistro Midtown, Freedom City, New Jersey Wednesday October 3, 2018, 5:10 PM Megan Howell-Harrow led Lulu Beaumont up to the entrance to Timothy's Bistro for their dinner reservation. Megan had arranged to schedule bi-weekly time to meet with Lulu over either coffee or for dinner. Given that Lulu was living on campus at Claremont while classes were in session, it provided a good way for Megan to check in with how Lulu was doing and see if there were things that she needed help with. It also helped to continue building a relationship with Lulu, which was going to be important for the next several years while the teenager was at Claremont. Due to Lulu focusing on getting into the rhythm of her new school and other things, tonight was actually the first chance they had for such a meeting since the start of classes. But Megan was determined to ensure that they made this time on a regular basis going forward. She had picked up Lulu from campus over half an hour ago, but they had faced rush hour traffic in getting to the well-known restaurant. "Next time we will pick someplace closer to the school, or plan for a different time to better avoid rush hour." Megan said with a smile as they made their way inside. Giving her name to the hostess, there was another brief wait as they ensured the pair’s table was ready. "So, how have things been going so far?" Megan asked with a small smile as she looked over to Lulu as they waited to be seated.

Bayview Bowl at the Bayview Mall. Sunday, October 14th, 2018. 5:00 pm As part of the new intramural squad system at Claremont, members of each squad were encouraged not just to compete together, but to socialize together as well. Each squad was issued a list of suggested group activities, and allowed to vote for their preferred outing. And so it was that on a blustery autumn evening, a handful of gifted students were delivered to the local retro bowling alley for a few hours' fun. Bayview Bowl was designed to look like it had been around since the 50s, ancient history for today's kids; it's design featured lots of Formica, polished aluminum and buzzing neon, hallmarks of the Doo Wop style associated with the old Jersey Shore. All the seats were upholstered in red leatherette, and recesssed speakers blared out Bill Haley the Comets' 'Rock Around The Clock'. But despite the nostalgia being layed on with a trowel, the Bayview Bowl was a laid-back establishment that appealed to suburban families and offered affordable entertainment and classic American food like cheeseburgers, chili dogs and big chocolate shakes. "Well, I don't know about y'all," said Lulu Beaumont as she stood inside the lobby, taking in the crashing of the pins and the smells of hot nachos. "But a'hm gonna eat like a pig!"

Location: Just a few wrong turns from the Downtown strip of the West End Date: 9 - 23 - 18, 9:15 PM GM Post: Claremont Kids It certainly wasn't a date-date, but a 'lets check out the game store in the West End' had turned into a quick dinner and an involved discussion of the recent tabletop game shaping up for the latest crop of Claremont kids. It should have been a few quick turns to get back to the bus stop that would take them back to the safety of Claremont's dorms but a right instead of a left (or two), and the pair were decidedly nowhere near where the bus stop should be. Instead, they'd crossed the border into a dark and poorly lit Greenbank where more buildings were abandoned than not, especially at this time of night, and the rail yard loomed in the distance. They were absolutely and certainly lost. It seemed entirely deserted, at least, at first. After a few moments. Then, the faintly audible murmur of voices talking caught their attention. Peering around the corner, there was a small knot of shadowy looking individuals apparently intently arguing in low pitched Russian. At their center was a woman dressed in all black. More disconcertingly, there were certain ominous and unmarked crates sitting out. To Lulu's mental senses, the woman at the center didn't even seem to exist but she was absolutely there plain as day. Something shady was going on! GM Post: Interceptors When Talya had gotten a bit of intel on a possible S.H.A.D.O.W. cell operating near the West End, she hadn't kept it to herself. Such growth, really! Her plan, however, to infiltrate the group and ferret out the ringleader had gone over like a sack of bricks. Min, especially, hadn't been too keen on the 'I'll just let myself get captured, then we'll have plenty of information' solution of the former spy. Relationships, after all, were all about compromise. Months of work, though, and it had finally led to tonight. If everything went well, they'd finally have the information for who thought operating on the Interceptors territory was a good idea. Dressed in all black, Bombshell stood disguised in the center of some very, very dangerous people and their even more dangerous weapons, haggling for a 'good deal' for missile launchers and cluster bombs. Somewhere, out of sight, Jack of all Blades waited. She'd dropped enough hints that S.H.A.D.O.W. agents should suspect her real identity. It was a trap. Bombshell and Jack knew it was a trap, and the intended to spring it on their own terms. Everything had been accounted for. Everything, but a pair of Claremont students. Even the best laid plans...

Midtown, Freedom City, New Jersey Saturday, September 1, 2018 10:05 AM The Labor Day weekend had begun, and for malls such as Millennium Mall, that meant sales designed for those going back to school. That was why Megan Howell-Harrow was at the shopping center this morning, although not all that long ago she would hardly have needed an excuse to be at the mall. The last few years had seen her out getting school clothes for her son Lawrence as he began a new year at school, though this year he had really pushed to just stay home, as shopping was far from his favorite pastime. But that was hardly the biggest change this year from previous. Toward the beginning of the summer, Megan had been contacted by Callie Summers about a new student coming to Claremont that had been removed from her family in Alabama due to criminal activity by some of her family members and who needed a foster home while attending Claremont. Megan had never really thought about being a foster parent before, but after reading over the girl's file she realized there was likely a lot she could do to help the teenager find herself a new path as she started over at Claremont. So, she and Robert talked things over with Lawrence and the decision was made to bring Louise "Lulu" Beaumont into their home. Megan turned back to look up behind her on the escalator from the parking garage at the redheaded sixteen year older standing behind her. Lulu had only just arrived in Freedom City the day before, so Megan figured that this outing would give her and the teen a bit of time to get to know one another away from Robert and Lawrence. "So Lulu, do you have any particular places you want to look at first for clothes?" She asked with a warm smile.