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Showing results for tags 'psyche'.
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August 2019 The AEON Building Mark and Nina and Ritchie arrived at Alex and Mike's front door - which is to say, a ripple of magical energy in the air like a crackle of distant thunder turned into shifting, warping shapes that resolved themselves into Mark Lucas in his suit and tie, Monsoon in her glistening silver armor, and a very excited toddler. Ritchie liked his father's powers very much. "Boom!" he declared. "Boom!" He darted up quickly to Alex and Mike's door, laughing. Mark and Nina were just a few steps behind him, the former knocking on the door. (He knew not to just teleport into people's houses, even if they were expecting them.)
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The Harris Family Farm was not normally the kind of farm to rent out it’s barn and pasture for a wedding. It was a working orchard after all, but for today no crews moved through the trees about the business of the farm. Today, at long last, the youngest scion of the Harris family was finally to be wed and where better than the farm where he and his bride had spent many happy if too brief summers in their youth. The old barn had been emptied of its equipment, fresh hay laid on the floor and rustic tables and chairs brought in and dressed in classic country chic. Strings of looping LED lights coiled the pillars and rafters of the barn and the center was cleared with ahastily buts sturdily constructed plywood floor to serve for dancing in the midst of it all. Under the old oak in the pasture stood an arch of multi hued roses that looked grown in place, it helped to have talented friends after all and one made all sorts of new acquaintances teaching in a school for the ‘gifted’ such as Nicholson. Benches draped with gauzy linen were arrayed for the small group of friends and family in attendance. Mike stood nervously at the altar in a bespoke tuxedo that managed not to constrict his broad shoulders. He pulled his glasses from his face and absently cleaned them just to keep his hands busy as he waited, tucking them in a pocket with some trepidation instead of returning them to the bridge of his nose. He didn’t need them of course and he knew fully from the chiding voice in the back of his mind his young bride wanted to see his eyes today. *** A few weeks earlier Mike sat over his Saturday breakfast while he waited for Alex to come down from the room they shared going over his prepared speech in his head. Doubtless unintentionally echoing it in her own mind despite his intent to do this verbally and face to face. He looked up as she floated down the central column in her brightly colored dressing gown and smiled as he stood and pulled a seat for her. “Ah Alex?” he nervously began, “I’ve been thinking … and uh well…” he broke off losing his train of thought and looking down to the table where he had cleverly tucked his notecards under his plate. He hadn't had a chance to take advantage however before Alex let out a musical laugh, “Oh Mike, I agree of course!” She sprung up wrapping her arms around his neck to nuzzle his jaw catching his thoughts before he’d even had time to form words, “And yes a small ceremony at your Grandparents farm would be perfect. *** The music started up the soft tones swelling as the first groomsman and bridesmaid began their march up the aisle. It wasn’t a large wedding party. Erin was Alex’s maid of honor and Mark was Mike’s best man. That made up the entire wedding party and there were only family and very close friends on the guest list. Alex didn’t wear white and she didn’t wear a veil. Her bright red curls were pinned up with barrettes that sparkled and caught the light, tossing off brilliant rainbows along the barn roof but none of those matched her smile. The sweetheart gown that Alex wore started at the neckline in a blushing pink but the skirts turned from deeper pinks and reds to the midnight of a sunset. It might have been a modern trend of dip-dying the hems into ombre but no one who knew Alex was surprised that she’d found a way to wear all the bright colors for her wedding. Alex beamed at Mike when she handed over her bouquet and slipped her small hands into his much larger ones. The words their officiant said were lovely but really didn’t matter. It was clear that the groom and bride communicated silently through their personal psychic rapport in addition to offering their vows when prompted. Alex’s smile was brilliant as Mike slipped the simple band on her slender finger. It had taken all of Alex’s considerable resources to find a material that was almost as hearty as Mike’s impervious skin but she’d managed with a little bit of help. The band she slipped on Mike’s finger was duller than gold but Alex was reasonably confident that it would survive the majority of Mike’s adventures without having to be replaced. The ceremony was both short and sweet before they were presented as Mr. and Mrs. Albright to their nearest and dearest.
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And the OOC.
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ic Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here (IC)
Avenger Assembled posted a topic in The Realms Beyond
July 13, 2018 Midnight Manor Even now, Midnight Manor was one of the safest places in Freedom City. "Sea Devil and Singularity have made contact with Foreshadow. The plan is in motion." Redbird had been more subdued than usual lately - hadn't they all? Even with the evacuations the dead, wounded, and missing in Freedom City were four, maybe five figures; not to mention the heroes, no, the friends they'd lost. "Good." Through his radio link to the Manor, Harrier spoke with the slow, deliberate intonations of a man whose breathing came with difficulty. "Are you prepared?" He'd done his best to help them. They had a map of their destination, a rough sketch of its likely defenses, and more besides - Steve had stayed up all night, multiple nights, dictating to Redbird when Wander and Midnight had been deployed to the action. There was very little else he could do. While the others talked, Mark studied the screens showing the continued carnage of the fight in Freedom City - maybe it was all confined to an isolated few areas this time, maybe this was just touches of Hell on Earth instead of the real thing. He closed his eyes and thought of Nina and Richie, safely away from all this - unless all this spilled out over everything, and took them just like it had taken his friends in the DuTemps Building. When we get back here - I need to fix things. -
GM Simon Gordon's little movement actually started 25 years ago, so he claims. When the then unknown force of the Terminus invaded Earth. Millions died. All because of the Terminus. It was found later on that there were 'sleeper agents' born of the incident. Children of the Terminus. Some used their powers for good, others for evil. But Simon Gordon knew the truth. They were all lying in wait. They would call down the thunder again. It was only a matter of time. Simon found like minded folks. Some with fervent belief. And then his message began to spread. He was a leader. Over the past few months, Humans Against Terminus ERuptionS - a term that Gordon cooked up himself after people called their group 'haters' - grew in size and visibility. The HATERS went national Simon got the ear of media. Suddenly everyone knew a little bit about the Terminus. Enough to know that a scary dark invasion was bound to happen. How the public perceived it was split. Though most saw it as a tinfoil conspiracy theory, others knew such things could happen! March 17, 2018. Noon. Simon was going to educate the masses, personally. He advertised a meeting in Liberty Park. His like-minded would come, but he wanted his detractors to come. He wanted the fence sitters and unknowing to come. He would explain how the HATERS's goals and ideology. There was a small stage with a banner above it reading HATERS. No one was on there, but there was a large group of people swarmed around it. The presentation would be starting in thirty minutes.
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From the album: Alders Portrait Project
Psyche, Liberty League, 2018 -
Winifred lowered the blouse in her left hand and raised the buttoned dress shirt on its hanger with her right, frowning at her own reflection in the full length mirror on the back of her dormitory room's door. "If I'm meeting her at her apartment rather than her office I shouldn't be too stuffy, yes?" she reasoned, raising the blouse again to look at the pair of tops side by side. "But the apartment is still inside the company's building and it's still a business meeting. I can't look childish so erring on the side of professionalism might be wiser." Despite her limited wardrobe she'd already been debating her outfit for a good half an hour before asking for Raina's assistance. She'd been preparing for her meeting with Ms. Albright of AEON for the past week and while it would have been one thing if she were simply delivering scientific findings proposing a line of alchemical cosmetics necessitated a certain level of panache she wasn't confident she could meet. If any of her friends knew how to dress for success it was the self-assured pyromancer.
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January 26, 2017 Kat noticed it that morning. She pushed herself awkwardly up, stretched, yawned, casually waved off her roommate as she tried to fuss and meandered in drowsy laziness to the washroom in a nightshirt, brushed her teeth, rinsed out her mouth, looked in the mirror and . . . Her brush fell out of her hand and into the sink. Her left eye was red. But that didn't quite capture the reality of it. Kat's eyes had been red for years, since her power had almost overwhelmed her in the street. Sometimes, people had joked to her about it glowing, and maybe, if she was totally honest, they had glowed a little. But her eye was red, one solid color, and . . . As her heart beat faster, the light got brighter. She slammed hte door and locked it firmly behind her, ignoring the muffled protest of her roommate. She can't see this. Calm down. She grabbed hold of the edge of the sink, breathed hard and closed her eyes. Calm down. You're excited. That's it. She counted her breaths, kept her thoughts in an easy circle. She opened her eyes again . . . and her eye was still red. And . . . What was that under her shirt? She pulled it up and saw red-dark lines slowly advancing slowly but determinedly down her body. "####."
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January 20, 2017 Port Regal "It's beautiful," said Mark, peering at the image Nina had found. "I love the lacework on the veil - and you've always looked good in white." Perhaps white wasn't the traditional color under the circumstances - but when he'd mentioned that the other day Nina had not been terribly happy with him. "I'll take you over as soon as we're done talking to everyone." Sitting next to his fiancee on their living room couch, he tried to keep his stomach from lurching with excitement as he remembered the purpose of the planned conversation. He'd kept Nina's secret because he loved her, but it had made January one of the hardest months of his life. "It's fine enough," agreed Nina, tabbing over to the page for her personal notebook.. Looking at the dresses had been Mark's idea - having found a satisfactory one, she'd already moved to the next step. "After I wear it, I can donate it to the Women's Center - Malikah's getting married this summer and she can alter it as she sees fit." The dress would do for their civic service in Freedom City in a month. For the wedding to come in Socotra's Great Mosque, when she would be her father's...overthrower, she would need something much more elaborate than this. Mark gave no sign that he followed Nina's thoughts, instead kissing her on the cheek and rising to his feet. "Okay, it's 10:30...I should start the frittata so it'll be ready when they get here." Only an hour and a half left! Mark and Nina lived in a gated seaside development - just the place for two Freedom City residents who had wanted a house and Mark headed into the kitchen. "Everything will be okay," he said aloud, stepping around the bookcase and firing up the oven. "We'll have them over, we'll feed them, we'll tell them we're getting married in February because we're going to have a baby. It'll be a surprise - but everything will be great."
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Here it is
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Tuesday April 26, 2016 3PM Palermo Time - 9AM Freedom City time There's an English-language newscrew in Palermo this afternoon, the BBC crew's report on Italian tourism having been transformed into a worldwide spectacle by means of the Internet. "Some sort of hideous monster moving its way through the city-" A hazy image of a warped parody of a man, some eight or nine feet tall and nearly nude, dressed only in rags and covered in hideous, pustulating boils. "seemingly emerged from the bay and is now making its way through the heart of this beachside community-" It becomes abundantly clear as it, he, passes, that whatever he is is infectious - a wave of that giant fist, and a barricade of the city's Carabinieri, military police posted here for anti-Mafia duty, are on the ground, screaming and writhing as boils erupt from their own flesh. "rampaging through this historic city like nothing we've ever seen before-" He doesn't even bother to knock down the house at the end of the seaside street, instead simply powering through it as he heads into the older, more built-up, more populated parts of this city over half a million. It's abundantly clear that there is no power on Earth - or at least no power in Palermo, that can stop him. "With the current Papal crisis occupying Italy's defenders, we may be alone. This is-" The newscaster screams, his handsome face writhing in agony as the boils erupts from his flesh, and the camerawoman drops her camera and screams as well, catching one last image of the monster leering at them as he passes by. - This is the fourth day of the crisis. By the time the Freedom League arrives in Palermo, everyone knows what they're dealing with. This is Shkhin - this is the Plague of Boils.
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AEON Institute, Downtown Freedom 10:30 AM February 3rd 2016 Though the late January blizzard had for a time dampened the fervor of the ongoing 'Humans First' protests outside the Aeon Institute with the city emerging from it's blanket of snow they had returned with renewed spite for all the institute and it's 'Terminus Spawn' CEO. AEON security maintained a safety corridor for those seeking AEONs services but beyond the barricades the protesters had grown ten deep chanting and waving their signs proclaiming humanities preeminence over the earth and unkind variations on 'Go Home Freaks!' and worse. Pictures of the mangled bodies from the last Terminus Invasion as well as some few victims of recent super violence often attributed to those afflicted with Terminus Energy Mutation Syndrome were shaken in the faces of executive and frightened petitioner alike while slurs and occasional threats were lobbed at those making their way to the main entrance of the Institute. Thus far violence had been avoided thanks in large part to the restraint of the well trained security team deployed along the barricade and the help of the FCPD who were quick to remove any protesters who crossed the line from peaceful protest. None the less the air was electric with the tension and for those with insight into such things it was clear the situation was unsustainable without something snapping soon. The young group from Claremont made their way to the cordon where a security agent and a well bundled receptionist took down their names before beginning to escort them down the gauntlet of hateful people and their signs. The youth of these particular petitioners it seemed inflamed the protesting crowd yet further with the screams of "Freak!", "Devil Spawn!", and worse rising over the general din as the protesters pressed angrily against the barrier despite the nearby securities warnings to back away.
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If only Riley or Raina is there I'll edit tags. Anyone with danger sense ought have it tingling. DC 25 Notice Checks to see a more organized subset of the protesters seem to be moving purposely through the crowd a few rows back pacing the claremonters as they walk the line.
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Mike was not usually big on the night out sort of dates, generally he was as happy with watching an old movie on netflix and ordering in as with more grand evenings, and he almost never set out to arrange a formal date without there being a milestone to celebrate, even then it usually fell upon Alex to see to details. There were however a few things Mike knew and knew well. One Alex worked too hard and did more than even her prodigious abilities could manage without break for too long, Two She was a fan of the grand old musicals of yesteryear, and Three one of her favorites, The Slipper In The Rose, was touring Freedoms city in a revival performance. It was to his credit that not only did he make the arrangements for dinner and the show himself but was very near to actually managing to surprise her with the night on the town he'd orchestrated. He waited now patiently if nervously for her to finish her preparations for the evening his suit freshly pressed and, thanks to her insistence that he get one tailored, for once a good fit on his towering frame. The fine black suite was accented by a Blue/Black silk paisley tie and a light honey linen shirt he had been alarmed to learn cost nearly as much as his textbooks for the quarter. He sat on one of the stools at the bar adjacent the kitchen then stood to pace slowly as he went over the details in his head to ensure he hadn't missed anything before sitting again determined to appear calm at least when she emerged.
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AEON's lobby was a comfortable place to wait, designed to encourage loitering rather than discourage it with available computer terminals for open use and plush chairs to wait in. Despite the obvious efforts made to make people feel comfortable, the gleaming lobby was clearly expensively designed and furnished with a wide receptionist desk staffed with a small number of receptionists. The individuals on duty noticeably straightened at their posts as a petite red-head stepped off of the elevator, gesturing animatedly to her far taller compatriot. Alex was dressed casually today, wearing blue jeans with be-dazzled patches on her pockets and a bright sweater with alternating bands of hot pink and vivid yellow. Her red curls were drawn up with barrettes. She looked, really, nothing like the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation. Truly, Alex looked out of place in her own lobby as she hustled towards the receptionist counter with a spring in her step, talking animatedly the whole way. "So, there's a badge here although the elevator's biometrics have already been calibrated to you but good to have it just in case security gets nervous," Alex said to Mike with an animated smile as she turned towards the counter. "Marcia, hello. How's your son doing, feeling better?" She asked before tipping her chin up towards Mike and explaining, "He got a cold that's been going around his school. Have you met Marcia?" Alex made quick introductions between Mike and the staff currently working the counter. Perfect recall meant never forgetting a name or face which came in handy more often than not.
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"Okay, so what do you think about this?" Erin rested her back against the front passenger door of the Maserati convertible and studied the binder in her lap. She addressed her question to Trevor's legs, since they were the part sticking out from under the car. "We have the wedding in May, on the grounds here, over by that pond Aquaria's been mucking out. We get a trellis and a little platform built, rent a bunch of chairs, and have a florist do up a whole pile of flowers and cattails and stuff so it looks nice out there. Then we clean out the second floor ballroom, get a serious waxing done on the floor and have the bulbs in the chandeliers replaced, and have a reception in there? Easy, and we don't even have to go anywhere."
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It had been over a week since the events that had ended Mikes brief life as a police officer and risked outing him to the world. The press firestorm had died to a bare simmer, the FCPD had promised that they had not begun utilizing empowered officers and that the Officer in question had been relieved of duty. Details of course were sparse. A leak released named hte officer Matthew Bright but the identity was an obvious pseudonym once the press dug into it. Just enough to scrape by a police screening but no life behind it. The mystery of it all was already dying in the hearts and minds of the populace. A few officers grumbled about wishing they had a few more like him, others about the subterfuge to get as far as he had. The official line stood and the mainstream media moved on. Oh there were fringe groups and devoted bloggers still hunting to be sure but widespread interest was fleeting, he was no Centurion dazzling the world with his appearance. Heroes revealed were not the shock they once were. Mike had hid out through the worst of it with Erin and Trevor at the Manor. Between the isolated and unlikely locale and manors defenses it wasn't hard to ensure he was able to retreat from it all. Even in that short time much had changed of course. Decisions had been made, changes, big ones. But there were things left undone, unsaid, if he was honest avoided. He floated weightless amid the quiet of the upper atmosphere somewhere between Low Orbit and the ceiling of winged flight. He'd been a fool for thinking it would end any different than it had, there had been plenty of prodding hints by his friends to that end but he'd be stalwart, stubborn really. The silence was peaceful, below there was the hustle and bustle of the cities and countryside, the noise and light of humanity going about their days. The silence and peace called to him in a way, it was easy here to get lost in that endless stillness. Here it was simple, but simple wasn't really what he sought. He knew that now. Down below there were people that deserved more from him. One in particular. He rolled and descended from his lonely perch a smile creeping to his lips as he broke the sound barrier and shot toward the surface. Freedom city grew bright like a beacon below him as he flew down the noise returned the rushing of wind the squeal of tires the shouts of passion and rage and sirens and cheers. The sounds of home. He alighted on the balcony of one of the high apartments in the Aeon building. One he knew well though always observed from a distance, he'd lied to himself for her safety and comfort. His footfalls were solid though he tried not to startle anyone as he peered through the window, and curtains to ensure she was alone. A small rap on the sliding door was accompanied by a delicate mental request, plaintive and apologetic, Alex?
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Psyche Alexandra Albright Character Playlist Evanescence: Bring Me To Life Taylor Swift: Shake It Off Taylor Swift: Mean Anna Kendrick: When I'm Gone (Cups) Taylor Swift: 22 Walk the Moon: Shut Up and Dance Archetype and Design Psyche's inspiration was almost entirely early Jean Grey in power set and set as a T-baby since that was the closest that Freedom City's setting has to the 1980s Marvel mutants. The rest of Psyche's development comes from the fact that her powers expressed from birth. With her schooling from 5-15 in government funded testing, her on screen antics started at 16 in Claremont where she was part of the founding of Young Freedom. Her costumes usually are drawn from 80s and 90s X-men in style while her personal style is always a clashing mix of colors that are eye-jarring but make Alex happy. Current Role and Hooks Hooks for threads to meet or know Alex are pretty easy. She is a registered T-baby and is out as a public, famous face trying to prove that their kind are not to be feared. She's the CEO of AEON, a corporation she founded with the goal of studying and helping metahumans of all origins. She's an alumni of Claremont and FCU. Her parents live in the Hanover suburb and she's been a native of Freedom City her entire life. It's easy to meet Alex in her role as CEO of AEON, whether that's in an official capacity of one sort or another or when she's required to attend events for the cities movers and shakers. History Alex's mother and father, Rebecca and Victor Albright, were relatively normal citizens of Freedom City. It's true that Rebecca once moonlighted as a bow-toting side-kick to a D-list hero, but those days were long behind her as she and Victor tried to start a family. As Rebecca had served during the grim 80's, her turning away from super her antics left a longstanding rift between Rebecca and her father that was only mended shortly before his death. After struggling to conceive, they were overjoyed when Alex was finally on the way. Unfortunately, the terminus invasion occurred while Rebecca was at the hospital's class on childbirth. The entire class was bathed in the energies of one of the portals but Rebecca and another pregnant mother escaped the escalating battle, thanks to Rebecca's former skills. It was little surprise that the two mothers-to-be became fast friends or that Alex and the other woman's son, Michael, were thrown together often. They were neighbors, it turned out, and the children grew up just across the street from one another. What was surprising was that when Alex, who had always been precocious, started to talk, she talked about everything. Including the thoughts other people had and things she couldn't possibly manage to see. Rebecca, a stay-at-home mother, spent her young daughter's early years trying to teach the clever child to keep her powers under wraps and, also, how impolite it was to go reading other people's thoughts which was a difficult lesson for an inquisitive young mind. Fortunately, she had a ready companion in Mike and her constant mental prattle at him formed a deep and lasting psychic bond that neither one remembers life without. Reluctantly, but confident that she had impressed the importance of secrecy on her offspring, Alex was enrolled in school with her friend Michael. When Michael hit another boy and knocked him across the room and near through a wall, everyone was shocked and frightened at his strength. Despite the reassurances to the children that 'everyone was going to be fine', Alex couldn't help but volunteer - loudly and firmly - that they were all lying, the boy was badly hurt. She knew because she read their thoughts. She even went so far to prove it. Not because she hadn't listened to her mother but felt that if Michael was going to be in trouble, she ought to be in the same trouble as the fight was at least partially her fault. Both children were outed as 'supers', and Alex spent the next decade or so busing into a government contracted facility instead of a normal school environment and then home. They were 'taught' alongside other children that were in utero during the Terminus. Rebecca grew more and more concerned as Alex grew older. Her experience with government oversight and super heroes was only negative. When Alex was around ten, her mother began trying to get her out of the program and into Claremont instead. Rebecca, rightly or wrongly, was convinced that eventually the government would seek to turn her baby into a soldier. It took every contact Rebecca had from her long forgotten super-days but getting put into Claremont was the best thing that could have happened to Alex. Graduating with honors, after her school and life in the teenage super-hero group, Alex’s life was forever altered by her interactions with her time-displaced offspring. Rather than college, Alex founded the AEON foundation, a group focusing on ethical metahuman studies - coming out as a Terminus-child and former super-hero, the young billionaire has hung up her spandex and turned to a life of philanthropy and research. Of course, nothing lasts forever. At twenty-two, she misses making a difference in a more concrete way. She also misses her friends. Who says a young psychic can't have it all? Costume and Appearance Out of her costume, Alex is a slender, self-possessed young woman. With large eyes and a heart-shaped face, Alex's gaze is too intent to hide well and its really the warmth in her smile that gives her any claim to beauty. Her hair is red and prone to curling if she doesn't take the effort to straighten it in the mornings. If she's been caught in a casual moment, she's probably in multiple layers of conflicting colors and without question, something has sparkles. She tones it down for more official meetings as these days Alex employees a very put upon fashion consultant. It is never, however, monochromatic. When Alex was a student hero, she wore her mother's old costume which was all red and white and a rather short skirt. These days, she's in the same blue and gold that Phalanx wears and the body suit is not all that much more complicated than her old student uniform but she keeps the archer-style tip-less gloves in homage to the costume she wore for years. Psyche also no longer bothers with a mask. There's no point these days, after all. She's done hiding her identity. Powers Alex's power stem from the terminus energy she was exposed to in utero. As the entropic energies of the Terminus contain aspects of all sorts of energy, it's hard to say what specifically mutated Alex's physiology. Both psychic and super genius, it was the telepathic nature of her gifts that first manifested. Alex has been telepathic sense birth and its natural to her. It's far harder to turn out other people than to listen in to them which has been a struggle with her strong ethics. Honing her brain to telekinetically interact with the world took much more concerted effort on Alex's part. It has never been as natural as her telepathy but she has both fine control and raw strength. The more control she gains, the less visible any ripples of her powers are on the world although when the terminus imbued energy does manifest, it does show in glowing sparkling light. Personal Life Both of Alex's parents still live in the house she grew up in - which is entirely paid off these days. They go on more vacations as well thanks to their offspring's tendency for trips-as-presents. It's Alex's way of trying to make up for all the years where the government asked them very nicely not to leave the city. Alex lives alone in the AEON tower but those who knew her at Claremont are aware that she and Mike have been engaged since before graduation. They've had a rather long engagement, as such things go, but now that Mike's no longer making every effort for 'normal', things will likely progress on that front. It's less well known outside of Claremont classmates that for a while, Alex and Mike's time lost daughter was a student alongside them. Thankfully, for the moment at least, Zoe is returned to her own timeline. AEON AEON's origins was as a company trading stocks and bonds. When Alex realized that Zoe might be here long enough to need to go to college, she put her prodigious brain to making a lot of money, very quickly. Being a super genius comes in very handy when trying to guess the trends. Alex coaxed her roommate into helping with her scheme and Mike offered some of the savings bonds he had for college to help with backing. Both Mike and Erin have seen significant returns on their efforts, many times over, although both have often been reluctant to touch their portions of the proceeds. Eventually the idea grew into being more of a business. Alex wanted to understand more, especially about the odd nature of Zoe's powers, so she turned the growing AEON in that direction. That was five years ago. These days, AEON is a multibillion dollar company that specializes in metahuman research and biogenetic work, with other smaller technological divisions that work on developing everything from containment to enhancement. When research turns up something that is not necessarily useful to the main goals, it becomes patented and licensed to be profited on and further the corporation's aims of providing aid to emerging metahumans. The advertise that they'll aid metahumans in crisis with their powers to the best of their abilities and thus far, they seem to be doing exactly that. Allies, Associates and Enemies AlliesPhalanx: Alex's other half. She honestly doesn't know if her mind even could survive his death. Fortunately, he's nigh-invulnerable so hopefully, she'll never have to. Wander: Alex's roommate from Claremont and the sister that she never had. There is no doubt or question that Alex would do just about anything for Erin if she asked. After all, just look at Jessie. Edge: Mark was the first boy to ask Alex out so many years ago. Alex has looked into many minds over the years and feels comfortable saying that if there's a purer heart out there than Mark's, she's never seen it. Midnight: Trevor and Alex may not always see eye to eye but the fact that Erin loves him would be plenty reason for Alex to have his back. Beyond that, he's a good person and a better hero. AssociatesYoung Freedom 1.0: Hellion, Geckoman, and Breakdown were the other students that formed the initial Young Freedom. Alex has already gone to hell's door to help get James back and while she's not always in touch these days, she'd still help if the chips were down.Terminus Children: Good or bad, Alex is one of the most public faces of the T-babies these days and she feels some sort of inherent responsibility to try and help others that were caught in the same set of circumstances beyond their control. EnemiesThe Terminus: Its the boogeyman of the universe and the last big invasion is what gave Alex and so many others their odd powers. She tries every day to use them in ways that Omega would not approve of - for good. Pathos: There's not much, at this point, that can make Alex shudder and turn away. The efforts of her alternate-self, however, chill Alex to the core. No one has to remind Alex what's waiting if she goes down a dark path. She's already seen it.
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Hunter Manor was quiet that evening, stately as ever in the waning summer light, with the sort of dignity that belied its crimefighting secret identity. The peace was marred momentarily by a rush of black inkblots appearing from nowhere, swirling into a vortex, and then disappearing, leaving behind three people on the front porch. Erin smoothed her hair as the last dots disappeared, finally used to the weird method of transport after all these years. "Come on," she urged the others. "Not likely anybody's going to notice you here, but why take chances?" She opened the front door wide and walked in, automatically checking to make sure all was well. The doors opened onto a handsome foyer, slightly dusty, with the air of a place that was pretty well cared for, but could use a housekeeper once a week. "Hey Trevor, you home?" she called into the house. "Mark and Mike are here, Mike needs a place to hide out!"
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Date: Late August, 2015 "Just a minute!" Alex called out from behind her closed bedroom door and where she was eyeing the articles of clothing already discarded across her bed. "Almost ready." Now, she'd never been one to really debate a clothing choice. Alex, after all, embraced her own aesthetic with a whole hearted cheerfulness but apparently the one thing she didn't own was something fit for crime fighting in muted colors. She wasn't sure which of them had brought up the entire idea of getting 'back on the horse' so to speak of super-hero'ing but as it was a chance to spend time together with her best friend and, also, a chance to fly - passing it up had never even crossed Alex's mind. Of course she could wear her old costume. It wasn't like she'd grown much since high school, but Psyche's short skirted ensemble would probably have read very differently on a twenty-something lady. Alex really didn't need to see that appear on a magazine cover. Ever. "Okay, I think I'm ready." She stepped out after pulling the turtleneck on over her head and grabbed a light sweater, giving Erin a hesitant look. "Is this okay?" At least the jeans were dark blue but over that she'd put on a turtleneck that could most charitably be described as 'pumpkin'. The sweater was black, at least, but shot through with a sparkly silver yarn. It would have been perfect for Halloween but since it was August, it was really just Alex. "It's a black sweater!"
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The clock on the wall chimed gently, ten soft repetitive notes. In the rooms along the taupe hallway, the lights dimmed and went out, leaving just a narrow beam of illumination from the observation window set in each door. Footsteps and voices in the hall were muffled by thick walls and soft shoes, but still perfectly audible to anyone who couldn't help but listen closely. In the third room on the right, Erin lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling where a muted afterglow lingered on the extinguished fluorescent tubes. Eight hours till morning, eight hours in the privacy of darkness, unmoving, unsleeping. She closed her eyes to slits. If they looked in on her and saw her awake, she'd be taken out and assigned some mindless time-occupying task, and she needed to think. She needed this time in the quiet dark to remember who she was. They'd tried to remake her here, gave her a new name and a made-up past, but it didn't change who she was. She was Erin Keeley White, and she was lost in time and space.
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September 21, 2011 Freedom Hall Under normal circumstances, Freedom Hall might be evacuating through the teleporters rather than through the garden, but then it was only recently that Freedom Hall had gained the services of the famous Fleur de Joie. Lacking the power to journey into space, and having freshly returned from his unsuccessful visit to Heaven, Freedom Angel was focused on the people now, moving through the small crowd of citizens who had been called up as part of the League's emergency evacuation program: there were heroes' families here and dependents, a sampling of survival experts and doctors, anybody who could help set up a camp on an alien world and maintain it long enough for the heroes of Freedom City to save the day. "God is watching everything we do," Freedom Angel assured the small group of families; mostly Navy families from Lonely Point, who were next on the list, "and He watches over us even now. Have no doubt that with His guidance and with the courage and skill of the Freedom League and the other heroes of the world, we will save this planet and everyone on it." "So why do we have to go?" asked a combative-looking girl of about 12, giving the angel a suspicious look. "If everything's going to be okay, why can't I stay with my mom?" Her dad was holding her, hands on her shoulders, but it looked like he had questions for the angel as well, and even as he heard the little fwoop that signaled a successful transfer of the other group, the angel knew he had to say something to satisfy these frightened people. "Because we need your mom to help save the world," replied the angel seriously. "The base at Lonely Point is helping coordinate the League's war with the Gorgon and her creatures in the depths of space. And if your mom knows, and if all your families know," he added, speaking now to the larger group, "they'll be able to concentrate on helping save the world, not just worrying about the ones they love. It's a tough duty," he added. "I know you would rather stay here with the ones you love. But this is a sacrifice we have to make the world that we know and love can be guarded. Sanctuary is a fine, green place," he promised the others as he opened the garden door. "You will love it. Fleur, are we ready for the next group?" he called.
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September 20-27, 2011 Fleur, Freedom Angel, Psyche, Phalanx, Dark Star deal with the evacuees to Sanctuary
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Now, while Alex had been genuinely busy - running a corporation, planning a wedding and tackling post-college course work WAS a full workload - she'd put off this particular visit deliberately. Oh, it wasn't the first leg to visit Erin that she had quietly been dreading. No, her available hang-out time had been genuinely eaten into by countless obligations. The second leg, to visit Erin's alter-ego in prison - that was not a visit Alex had ever wanted to take. She had hoped, despite the odds, that one of the other counselors could undo the machinations of Pathos. Really, it would have been better for Singularity herself as Alex's visible appearance was not one that was going to help at all, but so far no one had made any significant headway. Alex wasn't surprised, but she was saddened. She looked not much different than she had at graduation when she knocked on the door of the manor Erin was sharing with her boyfriend. Her bright red hair was pulled back in a simple tail that made her look younger and for once she wasn't dressed for the office. No, it was Old Alex, with her brightly colored clashing sneakers and tank top, a light jacket covering her slim shoulders. The only jewelry she wore was the bright engagement ring and as a nod to adult hood, small hoops in her ears. In her off hand, she held a simple closed portfolio and the smile she gave Erin when the door opened was bright and beaming, despite the faint shadows under her eyes. Alex had been burning the midnight oil a lot lately. "Erin! I'm sorry that it took a necessary errand to get me to come visit but how are you?" Alex started talking the moment the door was open. She'd already knew who was on the other side, of course.
