Once and Future (WormxFate)

Aldsan · Aug 26, 2023

I woke to a dark room.

It felt as though I had been dreaming. A distant, grassy field. A blue sky in the distance, yet so close I felt as though I could touch it. Already, the details escaped me. A part of me wished to return to sleep again and recapture that scene.

That was impossible though. However much I wished, that scene would not return. To begin with, a dream is something that only happens once and not continuously. Simply closing my eyes would not bring its return.

All was silent except for a soft, rhythmic beeping. I slowly pushed myself to sit up, staring for a moment, first at the heart monitor and then down at the IV that was in my arm. I was in the hospital? Running a hand through my hair, I looked around. How had I gotten here? I couldn't… I couldn't remember. I had been returning home from school. I had heard screaming – and now I was here.

I slowly pushed myself onto my feet, only to have them almost immediately give way underneath me. I clutched to the side of the bed, barely holding myself upright. A shuddering breath ripped through me. So weak.

Clenching a fist, I grabbed the IV stand and used it to support myself as I forced myself back to my feat. I wouldn't allow my own body to defeat me. I limped towards the bathroom, stumbling a few times, but finally making it to where I could stare into the mirror.

An unfamiliar face stared back. I reached out and ran fingers against the mirror and traced unfamiliar lines. Gaunt cheeks and emaciated flesh. It hardly resembled the me from before. Even putting that aside however, there was something off, something strange that I couldn't put my finger on.

It didn't matter. I would figure it out eventually.

The door burst open and a nurse in blue scrubs rushed into the room. Her gaze fell first upon my bed, an expression of shock crossing her face before she finally looked around and spotted me. "You're awake?" She asked, a note of wonder in her voice.

"I am." I stared back at my reflection in the mirror for a brief moment before returning my eyes to the nurse. "I feel as though I've been asleep for some time."

"It's been almost an entire year," the nurse said softly, as though afraid the news would somehow break me. I simply nodded and stepped out of the bathroom to meet her.

A new day had dawned. A new beginning. I would do my best to meet it head on.

Of course, the question remained. Who are you:
[ ] [CHARACTER] The daughter of a dock worker.
- Low starting funds and low renown, but high freedom.
[ ] [CHARACTER] The daughter of a hero.
- Moderate starting funds, high starting renown, comes with expectation of heroic behavior.
[ ] [CHARACTER] A rich heiress.
- Extra funds per rest period, comes with expectation of good social behavior in your non-cape persona.
[ ] [CHARACTER] (Write-In)

What drives you?
[ ] [POWER] To protect the innocent. (Brute)
- Increased armor class, max hit points, and healing rate.
[ ] [POWER] To destroy your foes. (Striker)
- Increased melee damage.
[ ] [POWER] To quest far and wide. (Master - Projection/Mover)
- Always have access to a mount.
[ ] [POWER] To lead others to battle. (Trump)
- Empower allies.
[ ] [POWER] To hold court and rule. (Thinker)
- Bonuses to social rolls.

Aldsan · Aug 26, 2023

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ryJ2PzNyodw0DMPd-yAeFIndkYEkyTVO4W7u59GIS84/edit?usp=sharing

Aldsan · Aug 26, 2023

Hello, and welcome to Once and Future. This will be using a variant of the Pendragon tabletop ruleset.

Your main goal is to accumulate Renown as a Parahuman. Note, that Renown is separate from Reputation. Reputation is simply a measure of how the world sees you, whether as a Hero or Villain, and can fluctuate based on your actions. Renown is the fame that you gather for doing great deeds, and doubles as your experience, gaining new perks as you become more famous.

Dice rolls are resolved much like blackjack. You want to score as close to your target threshold as you can without going over it. This means that if you have a score of 10 in Academics and need to take a test, then a dice roll of 1-9 is considered a success, 10 is a critical success, 11-19 is a failure, and 20 is a fumble. By increasing your score, you can increase your chances of success.

Time spent is divided into two phases. An activity phase, where you attempt to influence the world in some fashion, and a rest phase, where you take the experience of your actions and attempt to learn from them. Note, that as skills increase, it becomes increasingly difficult to increase them further.

Aldsan · Aug 26, 2023

Your abilities in this quest are governed by a number of traits and characteristics. Five Characteristics quantify every character's physical qualities.

Size: Measures a character's relative height and weight compared to others. Governs health and how hard you are to knock down.
Dexterity: Measures a character's agility and nimbleness. DEX keeps a character upright or mounted when there is a possibility of knockdown in combat.
Strength: Measures a character's physical power and their ability to exert force or pressure on an object.
Constitution: Measures health and vitality.
Appeal: Measures the character's natural charm, presence, and physical attractiveness.

The Derived Characteristics are: Knockdown (SIZ), Major Wound (CON), Weapon Damage (STR + SIZ/6), Brawling Damage (STR + SIZ/6), Healing Rate (CON/5), Movement Rate ([STR + SIZ/2] + 5), Total Hit Points (SIZ + CON), and Unconscious (Total HP/4).

Traits represent a character's personality. They define a character's feelings and govern behavior. The combined total for a trait pair is always equal to twenty. An increase to Energetic, for example, will cause an equal decrease to Lazy and vice versa.

Chaste/Lustful: This Trait pair measures a range of attitudes concerning carnal pleasure and romantic fidelity. It is important to note that failure at a Chaste roll or success at a Lustful roll does not denote an action but a feeling.
Energetic/Lazy: This Trait pair measures a range of feelings and behaviors related to activity and inactivity.
Forgiving/Vengeful: Some parahumans consider Revenge the accepted pathway to justice. Forgiving/Vengeful measures the range of these powerful emotions.
Generous/Selfish: This Trait pair measures willingness to share or not share with others.
Honest/Deceitful: This Trait pair measures a person's subjective view of the truth and how much they are willing to bend it towards their own needs.
Just/Arbitrary: This Trait pair measures a character's subjective view of fairness.
Merciful/Cruel: This Trait pair measures a character's innate sense (or lack) of regard for their fellows.
Modest/Proud: This Trait pair measures how much a person thinks of themselves in comparison with everyone else.
Prudent/Reckless: This Trait pair measures how much a person thinks before acting.
Spiritual/Worldly: This Trait pair measures a character's attitude toward and faith in the unseen world. Worldly should not be conflated with Indulgent. A Worldly character need not seek excessive pleasures, instead taking a more moderate approach to life.
Temperate/Indulgent: This Trait pair measures a character's appetite for good food, drink, and other vices.
Trusting/Suspicious: This Trait pair measures the level of faith a person places in the motivations and intentions of others.
Valorous/Cowardly: This Trait pair measures how brave and audacious a character may be during times of extreme duress.

Passions are strongly held values and beliefs. These can range from Loyalty to one's companions, to a Love for one's family. In a situation where it is appropriate, (for example, the Love for your family can be invoked if they are directly threatened), the character may invoke a passion to attempt to gain a bonus to their rolls. You can have a maximum of 40 points spread across various passions in each passion category.

Reputation: A category unto itself, you desire to protect your reputation when it is on the line.
Fidelity: Whether allegiance to friends, allies, or organizations, this passion represents personal loyalty.
Fervor: Whether Love or Hate, this passion is an expression of intense feeling.
Adoration: This represents extreme devotion to a person or religion. This goes beyond simple love or fealty into something more akin to awe.
Civility: A respect for the laws of the land, the belief that certain rules should be upheld. This could speak to a respect for Heroism, or simply the enforcement of the Unwritten Rules.

Skills are a way of measuring actions that the character can attempt to do in the quest.

Social Skills
Awareness: The general sense of things around you. Used to spot something hidden or notice something out of the ordinary.
Intrigue: Intrigue is the Skill of learning secrets, whether by gossip or eavesdropping. It is the Skill of learning a secret by knowing whom, when, what, and how to ask. It is the Skill of sifting truth from lies.
Etiquette: Courtesy is knowledge of the culture, laws, and customs. This includes things involved in cape culture.
First Aid: First Aid is immediate medical assistance.
Leadership: Your ability to lead a team. This includes general team direction, as well as resolving interpersonal team conflict.
Orate: Orate is the verbal Skill that can influence another person or group, stir emotions, or change minds. It may be argumentative, persuasive, coaxing, or cajoling, depending upon the need.
Recognize: The Recognize Skill represents the ability to single out other capes. It is a relatively small group of people. You can use the Recognize Skill to remember a cape's identity to recall the details of their reputations.
Hunting: The Hunting skill can serve for tracking enemies or setting up traps.
Stealth: A skill that measures your ability to remain unseen, or simply unnoticed.
Flirting: Flirting is a Skill that uses a combination of words, tones, expressions, movements, gestures, and attitudes to communicate charm. Its main use is to gain someone's interest, though it may also be a source of flattery.
Fashion: A skill governing your ability to put together an outfit. Costumes are important to capes, an important first step in gathering Renown.
Academics: Your general ability with schoolwork and other studies.
Finance: Ability to handle finances and business.
Politics: Knowledge of current politics and laws. Can be applied to knowledge of things such as NEPEA-5, as well as local gang territories.
Science: Science is the knowledge of higher tier science, whether physics, biology, or chemistry.
Technology: Technology governs skill with computers and other machinery.
Religion: This Skill quantifies how much a character knows about the beliefs, rites, sacred calendar, and practices of a particular religion. The Religion Skill does not represent faith.
Parahuman Studies: A measure of the current knowledge of Parahuman Science. Includes things such as power classifications, cluster triggers, and how certain trigger events can shape powers.

Combat Skills
Strategy: Strategy is the knowledge and ability to lead others in and, if alone, survive a large-scale conflict, as well as knowledge of combat in general. It will help you pick out targets weaker than you, and avoid combatants that are stronger than you.
Brawling: Punching, grappling, and knifing someone in the ribs.
Melee: Swords, spears, bats, and other melee combat weapons.
Firearms: Guns, bows, crossbows, and other ranged weapons.
Parahuman Power: A measure of control and inventiveness with your Parahuman power.
Drive: Used to control a vehicle, particularly in combat. You gain a bonus to rolls if you are mounted, attacking an unmounted combatant, but any rolls you make are limited to the maximum allowed by your Drive skill.
Charge: Used when mounted to deliver a vicious charging melee attack.

Aldsan · Aug 26, 2023

Sometimes, during the course of the quest you will receive a "Check" to a Trait, Passion, or Skill. This represents the potential to learn more and grow. These can come about either through direct action (you go out clothes shopping and gain a check to Fashion) or through Fumbling a roll (you critically fail, but gain a check as you learn from your failure).

These checks won't do anything until you hit your next Rest period, at which point you have the opportunity to grow. If you roll higher than your current threshold, you learn from the experience. If you roll below your threshold, it is too similar to experiences you have already had.

For example, if you gain a check to Just and your current score in Just is 16, then you would need to roll a 17 or higher to increase Just in this manner.

Note, that these are essentially free points. You gain these potential Skill and Trait increases independently of the points that you are able to spend each rest period. So try to look for opportunities to gain checkmarks in useful Skills and Traits.

Aldsan · Aug 31, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [CHARACTER] A rich heiress.
[X] [POWER] To protect the innocent. (Brute)

Things did not end there, of course.

Morning arrived, and I sat watching the dawn break. The horizon shone in gleaming gold. Had there been something similar in my dream? I traced my fingers against the window's glass, simply watching the sun rise higher.

"Ellie?"

A shaky voice came from behind me. Ellie. Elaine. Yes, that was my name. So why did it feel so foreign to me? I turned and smiled at my brother in the doorway.

"Good morning, Dean."

He rushed to wrap his arms around me, tears streaming down his cheeks. I shifted uncomfortably a moment, silently enduring the discomfort of the moment, before wrapping my arms around him in turn. It was strange to see how much difference a single year could make. He had grown so much. I hardly recognized the boy he had been before my accident.

"Where is Mom and Dad?" I asked.

Dean pulled back, a faint frown crossing his face. "Mom is downstairs still, handling the paperwork for your discharge. Dad… was out of town on business when we got the news."

My lips thinned. "Of course." More important that she get me home where my injury could no longer be an embarrassment than she actually see me once again.

"Don't worry about it too much, Ellie. I'm here for you. It's good to have you back."

That was true. My brother had always been my most stalwart ally. I still remembered the toy lions he had once carved for me. Except… that could not be right. Dean had never done anything like that. He did not know the slightest thing of whittling, and I had never been so short of toys as to require one so roughly made. Yet, I recalled those lions with more fondness than all the toys I knew awaited me back at home.

"...I am still adjusting somewhat, to be honest. I do not remember all of what happened."

Dean sat down on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. "How much do you remember?"

"We were out shopping, I believe? Together with Victoria and her sister." A playdate of sorts. Let the two siblings keep each other company while Dean could go off and spend time with his girlfriend. It didn't particularly work. Amy refused to leave her sister's side, and had never shown much interest in speaking with me.

Dean's face scrunched up in concern, as though something I had said was niggling at him. Still, he nodded after a moment. "There was a new gang that was trying to muscle into Brockton Bay. Called themselves Chorus. I don't know what they were thinking – if they thought it would give them a reputation, or if they just didn't care about casualties, but they attacked the mall."

It came back to me.

The sharp retort of gunfire broke the chatter of the crowd. The screaming started moments later. Then, silence. Nothing had changed, people were still screaming, still panicking, still pushing and shoving as they attempted to flee, heedless of who they might hurt in the attempt. There simply was no noise. Only one man was allowed sound in this place.

A blonde man wearing an opera mask hopped up onto a fountain, turning to look out over the crowd. "People of Brockton Bay. Do not panic. As long as you cooperate, you will be able to go home safe and sound, if short of a few shiny things. Please take out your wallets, watches, and jewelry. My associates will be around to collect them shortly. Don't try to fight. Don't try to be a hero. That's how people get hurt."

I looked to Vicky. She was a hero right? Glory Girl? She would save us. Except, she was looking at Dean, who shook his head ever so slightly. She tried to say something in response, but no words came. Eventually, her shoulders sunk and she gritted her teeth, resigning herself to what was happening.

Don't be a hero. That's how people get hurt. So she was just going to watch instead?

What use was a hero that didn't do anything when you needed them most?

My ears popped and sound returned to the world in a rush. Complete silence turned into a din, only to be silenced once more as a gun was fired into the air. Three men in masks went from person to person, telling them to give any money or valuables they had on them. And people complied.

Better to give up their things than risk their lives. It was with a bitter expression that Victoria handed over the earrings that Dean had bought her. So too, did Dean hand over his wallet.

Then there was Amy.

"Fuck off. I'm not giving you anything."

There was hardly even a second to stare in shock before the robber backhanded her across the face, sending her reeling to the floor. Vicky didn't wait. She surged forward, wrapping her hand around the man's wrist, a sickening crack following moments later. The man's scream followed, only for silence to envelop the two of them once again, cutting the sound short. And though we couldn't hear anything, I saw Vicky fall to the ground, clutching at her bleeding ears.

The man slowly picked himself up, holding his broken wrist, and kicked Vicky in the ribs. Even though she was Glory Girl, even though she was supposed to be invulnerable to everything, I saw his foot make an impact. Vicky curled up into a ball, still clutching at her ears. Then, the man pulled his gun and pointed it at her.

No. I couldn't allow this. I had to do something. Anything. I lept at the man, grabbing at his wrist, trying anything to get it to point away from Vicky. The man scowled. I wasn't strong like she was. He didn't have any problems fighting me. But he was pissed off and already hurt. He pushed me back and then the world became noise. Screaming, honking, random chatter. The roar of jet engines and train whistles. Dog barking, children laughing. All of it. All at once. Louder than I could handle. My screams joined the chorus.

It distracted him though. However briefly. I saw Vicky push herself to her feet, a murderous expression on her face. A final sound reached me. The sound of gunfire.

Then there was darkness.

"Oh." I took a deep, shuddering breath. "After I was… injured, what happened?"

"Victoria knocked them out. She'll be really happy to know you're okay. She could have been seriously hurt if you hadn't been there, and she's always blamed herself for what happened."

"She should not. The blame lies with the perpetrators."

Dean gave a weak smile and reached out to put his hand over mine. "Are you mad at me, Ellie?"

"No?" I tilted my head, squinting up at him. "Why would I be?"

"I don't know. It's just that you've been so stiff and formal since I got here. And… I didn't really do much to help when you got hurt."

"What could you have done?" I shook my head. "No, I am not angry at you. I suppose I am simply overwhelmed with everything."

"That's understandable. You ready to get out of here then?"

"I am." I took his hand and stood up. My steps were still shaky, but already they were firmer than they had been when I had first woken. "Let's go home."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I stared at my face in the mirror. It had been a few days, the flesh had begun to fill in and I was looking like my old self once again. Yet something still felt off. Why did I feel as though my eyes ought to be green? I frowned, and tied my hair back into a ponytail, getting a feel for how it framed my face. That was… better.

Sighing, I turned away from my examination and moved back to my desk to look over my school books once more. I was a year behind in my studies. If I had any chance of making it into Arcadia High School with Dean, then I would have to study.

Of course, my family didn't lack for money. Even if I didn't pass Arcadia's entrance exam, they could afford to send me to a good school elsewhere. I could prioritize other things. A part of me ached to learn how to defend myself instead. To make sure that if something like the mall ever happened again, that I would be ready for it. Still, to lean so entirely upon my family's influence left a bad taste in my mouth.

I had a month to bring myself up to speed. It was up to me to decide how best to spend that time.

It is May of 2010.

Due to the ideal you have chosen, your Just trait has been set to 16 and certain events that would have happened in canon have been averted. So it is, we have several votes to make. First is school:

[ ] [School] Take the test for Arcadia.
-There will be a check made for if you are successful or not at this.
[ ] [School] Rely on your family connections
[ ] [School] (Write-In)

Second is how to spend your free time:

[ ] [Free Time] Reconnect with your friends
[ ] [Free Time] Spend time with Dean
[ ] [Free Time] Your mother wants to reintroduce you to high society. Go to a gala.
[ ] [Free Time] (Write-In)

Next, we come to our first vote on how to spend experience.

You may distribute up to 9 points among your personality traits. No trait may be increased above 15 in this manner. As a reminder, traits work in opposites. An increase in Forgiving leads to a decrease in Vengeful and vice versa.
You may distribute up to 8 points among your skills (including Combat Skills). No skill may be increased above 15 in this manner.

This will be structured as Plan voting. Structure it as the following:
[ ] Plan Name
-[ ] [Traits] (Write-in)
-[ ] [Skills] (Write-in)

Aldsan · Sep 4, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [School] Take the test for Arcadia.
[X] [Free Time] Reconnect with your friends
[X] [Traits] Modest 3, Generous 2, Prudent 2, Merciful 2.
[X] [Skills] Academics 4, Orate 3, Strategy 1.

In a 30-60-90 triangle, the length of the hypotenuse is 6. What is the length of the shortest side?

I scowled down at the Geometry work as I scribbled in the solution. I had never done poorly in math, but I still wouldn't say that I enjoyed it, and having to catch up on an entire year's worth of material was seriously starting to tax my patience. It wasn't just Math either. History, English Literature, and Science just for the core classes. That wasn't even getting into the physical rehabilitation she needed to spend time doing each day or the Foreign Language requirement.

Sighing, I scrubbed a hand through my hair and stretched. It didn't matter. I would handle it.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Ellie? May I come in?"

"Yes. You may enter," I said, lifting my head at the sound of Dean's voice. He pushed the door open a moment later and stuck his head inside, an odd expression on his face.

"Hey there. Still have your nose to the grindstone, I see. I don't think I've seen you take a break all week."

"I have a great deal to get done."

"I suppose that's true," he replied neutrally. "Still, it's dinner time. Mom asked me to fetch you."

"Very well. I will be down shortly."

He lingered by the door, as though he wanted to say something else. Nothing came however, and he finally withdrew. Frowning, I stood up, taking a moment to stare out the window.

I wasn't stupid. I knew I wasn't acting the way Dean remembered. Something had changed in me during my slumber. I had been home two weeks and still everything in my life felt foreign to me, as if they had belonged to some other person. I could hardly stand the gaudy pink that nearly everything in my room had been painted in once upon a time. I longed to do away with the frilly decorations. I had no interest in the toys.

Whoever Elaine Stansfield had once been, I knew I was no longer that person.

Still, if I chose to, I could put on the mask. I could pretend to be her once again. I could brighten my smile and talk about fashion and boys and other banal things that girls my age spoke of. I could ask for the latest handbag or shoes and go spend all my time with peers of my age. I could play the part of another person, if I wanted to.

Gamemaster said:
Honest vs Deceitful
Honest: 4 | 10 = Success
Deceitful: 12 | 10 = Failure
Gain a check to Honest.

No.

I squeezed my hands tight, my nails biting into my palms. No. I could not live like that. I could not bear it. My family would simply have to accept me for who I was now, and not who I had once been.

Buoyed by my new resolve, I strode from my room, back straight and head held high.

Our house leaned closer to an estate or mansion than it did the typical suburban home. This meant a few things. The facilities, obviously, were beyond what my parents could possibly take care of themselves, even if they were inclined to. Instead, we had a number of live-in staff. It meant that we had a stable of horses and the space to actually ride them in the backyard. It meant that we never wanted for facilities to entertain ourselves.

More inconveniently, it also meant that it was a walk to get anywhere. Three hallways and a stairwell later, I finally neared our dining room, only to stop as I heard voices from inside.

"--Concerned about her. She isn't acting like she used to."

"Well, of course she isn't, Dean. She's still adjusting from being in a coma for a year."

"I know, but maybe we should consider having her see a psychologist? Just someone to help her with everything."

"Have you actually seen anything to be concerned about?"

"Well, no–"

"Then let's not worry too much. She still isn't even fully recovered. Give her time."

"...Alright, you're probably right. We should try to get her out of the house though. She's been cooped up here ever since she got back. I was thinking I could take her next time Vicky and I were hanging out together."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before rounding the corner. "That will not be necessary."

Dean's face went scarlet as I entered the room. "Ellie! How long were you there?"

Across from him sat my parents. Dean and my father looked alike for the most part, as though sculpted by the same artist. The same eyes, the same chin, the same curve to their jaw. The only real exception was the gray sprinkled into my father's hair and the creases that had begun to form around his eyes. Our mother was the stand out of the family. My features resembled hers a bit more closely, with the sharper jaw and narrower nose, but her dark brown hair wasn't shared by the rest of us, nor was the olive color of her skin.

"Long enough," I replied. "And while I appreciate the offer to take me out, you should not. I am still recovering. You would spend the entire day tending to me when you should be enjoying it with Victoria."

"I do agree with Dean," my mother chimed in. "Elaine does need to get out more. Not necessarily with that Dallon girl, especially after what happened last time, but the Anders are hosting a party soon. You always got along well with Theo before, right Honey?"

I hadn't. My former self had mostly ignored the poor boy. It was no fault of his own, really, but the somewhat pudgy, quiet boy had never caught my interest enough to spend time with him beyond what I had to. He perhaps enjoyed a second chance. Still, while I did feel somewhat guilty over my previous behavior, it was not enough to sway my decision.

"I think I would be even worse off. I am able to walk reliably now, but standing around and dancing all night is still beyond me. I will go and meet with some of my friends however. I have not had the chance to see them since I woke, and I am sure we can enjoy visiting the Boardwalk together."

"Well!" My father cut in, "I'm glad that's settled. Honestly, both of you worry too much. Elaine's just been buckling down getting ready for school, it's hardly something to be concerned over. Let's just have dinner and be glad she's back, okay?"

I met my brother's eyes, tried my best to assuage the worry I saw there with my smile alone. Nothing changed. We both remained as we were.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Traditionally, Brockton Bay had been a trading post and port. A shipping destination that mostly served a competition for Boston. Boston, of course, was the larger city and larger port, but taxes in Massachusetts ran significantly higher than they did in New Hampshire, leading to some diversion of goods northwards. Unfortunately, with the rise of Parahumans in the 90's, most businesses preferred the security of a larger port and shipping began to dry up in Brockton.

Then the Union riots happened, ships were sunk in the bay, and what was left practically disappeared entirely.

In its wake, the city had struggled. A boon had come in the form of the Protectorate Headquarters, a floating fortress that had been created for the local Protectorate. Suddenly, the city became a tourist destination. The city fielded one of the largest Protectorate teams in the north east seaboard, second only to New York itself, really.

Now, the Boardwalk was one of the most affluent places in the city, with stores running along its length from north to south. All within view of the PHQ, its forcefield shimmering like a rainbow under the noon sun. It was with this monument looming over me, that I arrived at the docks, driven by our family's chauffeur, dropped off to meet with my friends.

"Ellie! It's so good to see you again!"

"Hello Megan, Chelsea. It has been too long." I smiled slightly as my two friends rushed to envelop me in a group hug.

"God," Chelsea said, "I heard from my Mom when you got hurt and I just couldn't believe it, you know? We've got so much time to make up for!"

"Yeah! I've missed you so much, Ellie!"

My smile turned brittle. Yes, I suppose that you missed me so much that you failed to send even a single message after you had heard I woke up.

Gamemaster said:
Trusting vs Suspicious
Trusting: 9 | 10 = Success
Suspicious: 7 | 10 = Success
Neutral result.

No. That was uncharitable of me. I had known Megan and Chelsea since I was young. Our families ran in the same circles. Their lack of contact was not out of malice nor even a lack of caring necessarily. They simply were the type to not think about it to begin with.

"Well, let us not linger. I only have a few hours that I am allowed out and you two need to catch me up on everything that I have missed."

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 6 | 7 = Success

"Where to start though? Oh, there's some new thief who's been making the news! Apparently they dress up as a clown for some reason. The news is calling them Circus."

"A clown? I thought villains were supposed to be intimidating?" I asked.

"Maybe they think clowns are scary?" Megan shrugged. "Um, what else? Oh, Stacey started dating Avery. And Jen got real into pro wrestling for some reason, not really sure what's up with that."

Chelsea shook her head. "She hides it, but she's always been a bit of a tomboy, I'm not really surprised. No, what is surprising is that Gallant and Glory Girl were seen walking around holding hands again. Wasn't she supposed to be dating your brother, Ellie?"

I frowned. "To my knowledge, they are still together."

"Ahh, I wonder if it's a love affair. Maybe I can swoop in and snatch Dean up if she breaks his heart. Er, that's not a problem right? I know we're friends, but your brother is kind of a hunk."

"I do not govern his love life. Do as you wish." Though, you would hope he had better taste in women than to go after Chelsea.

"Good! Good. Glad to hear that."

Chelsea smiled brightly, clearly oblivious to how Megan was glaring at her. I simply sighed in response. It was going to be a long day, wasn't it?

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Loyalty (Friends).

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"You're going to do great. I'm sure."

"Honestly, you are acting more nervous than I am, Dean. I will be fine."

"Alright. Go break a leg, Ellie."

I gave my brother a long-suffering look and stepped into the classroom. Inside, a dark haired man stood near the blackboard, apparently waiting on me.

"Ah, Miss Stansfield. I'm Mr. Olsen. I will be your proctor for the test. Are you all prepared? Once we start, there will be no going back."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Olsen. Not to worry. I am prepared." I gave a slight smile and sat down at the desk.

"Glad to hear it. Hopefully I'll have you in class once this is all over." Mr. Olsen winked and set the test paper and a booklet on my desk. "Alright, I'm going to start the timer. Best of luck, Miss Stansfield."

Gamemaster said:
Invoke Passion: Station: 10 | 12 = Success
Academics: 13 | 11(+5) = Success

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

A day later, I was still riding on the giddy high that my test results had left me with. I had passed. I would be attending Arcadia come August.

My work had paid off.

Of course, I would have to keep at it. It wasn't enough simply to get in, I would need to keep my grades up during the year as well. Still, I had committed to a cause and I had succeeded. I had done what I set out to do.

"Earth to Ellie. You there?"

"Yes, I am still here." I refrained from rolling my eyes, though a part of me was tempted to do so. "Where is Chelsea though? Was she not supposed to meet us here?"

Megan frowned. "I'm not really sure. Let me send her a text."

I hummed in response, scanning the crowd. We had met up at the mall this time, and it certainly was not lacking for people. Perhaps Chelsea had simply gotten lost.

Ah, nevermind. There was a familiar head of brown hair over there. Talking to some boy from the look of things. Honestly, Chelsea–

The boy grabbed Chelsea's wrist as she tried to pull away.

My jaw tightened.

It is May of 2010.

We arrive at our first combat. Looking a little scant on those stats, lets see how your luck holds up. Choose your stance.

[ ] [Combat] Cowardly.
-Flee combat. Do not engage at all. Gain a check to Cowardly.
[ ] [Combat] Prudent.
-Engage for a minimum 1 round before withdrawing without loss to honor. The first round must be spent fighting Defensively. (You gain a bonus to your Threshold, but no damage can be dealt to the enemy even on a successful attack).
[ ] [Combat] Valorous
-Engage for a minimum of 2 combat rounds before withdrawing.
[ ] [Combat] Reckless
-Engage for a minimum of 3 combat rounds before withdrawing. The first round must be spent fighting Recklessly. (Enemy gains a bonus to their Threshold, but you deal bonus damage if you are successful in the bout).

Next, assuming combat goes well and you aren't incapacitated, you have some choices to make. Your family is nominally Christian, in that they at least attend church regularly. Do you attend with them?

[ ] [Church] Attend and pay close attention to the sermon.
[ ] [Church] Attend for show and to socialize.
[ ] [Church] Do not attend, it's a waste of time.

Finally, you have another free time option:

[ ] [Free Time] Rehab. Make sure you're back in shape.
[ ] [Free Time] Megan and Chelsea want to take you to meet some boys.
[ ] [Free Time] End of School Year party. Megan and Chelsea can help introduce you to people you'll be going to school with.
[ ] [Free Time] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Sep 8, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Combat] Valorous
[X] [Church] Attend and pay close attention to the sermon.
[X] [Free Time] Rehab. Make sure you're back in shape.

"Come on, baby. I can show you a good time. Just come with me."

"Um – I have some friends I was supposed to meet. I really can't stay."

"Hey, hey, that's fine. Your friends can come too!"

"No, I really need to go–"

"I don't know if you know this, but I'm a pretty important guy. You should listen to me."

"Please, let go of me–"

Glaring at the man – No. The boy. He couldn't be more than a year or two older than the three of us – I strode up, folding my arms over my chest. I wasn't especially tall, I didn't cut much of an intimidating figure, but he still flinched back. "Unhand her this instant."

"The hell?" The boy said. "What's it to you, white girl?"

"You will release her voluntarily, or you will be made to."

The boy scoffed and let go of Chelsea before swaggering forward to loom over me. "I think you need to learn to talk with more respect, white girl. You see this?" he asked, pointing to a checkered red and green handkerchief that he had wrapped around his bicep. "This means you don't fuck with me. You understand?"

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 20 | 2 (+10 Situational Bonus) = Fumble!
Gain a check to Recognize.

I squinted up at the boy. "Am I supposed to be impressed by your choice in fashion? It is rather ugly and out of place, truth be told."

The boy gaped at me. Chelsea gaped at me. A couple of the surrounding people gaped at me. What had I said that was so out of place?

"Ellie, those are gang colors!" Megan hissed from behind me. "He's in a gang!"

"Ah." The previous conversation clicked into place. Well, that was embarrassing. I should probably at least briefly look into the gangs in the city to avoid the same mistake in the future. Still. "What of it?"

"You dissing the ABB?"

"I think any organization you may be a part of will not trouble itself over the fact that a craven wretch such as yourself quarreled with a teenage girl."

Battle Rolls said:
Stance: Valorous
>Gain a check to Valorous

Invoke Passion: Loyalty (Friends): 2 | 10 = Success (+5 to Brawling threshold)

Elaine Brawling: 11 | 1(+5) = Failure
Delinquent Brawling: 6 | 8 = Success
>Delinquent wins the contest.
>>Damage: 4 (-3 Armor Reduction) = 1 damage dealt to Elaine. (31/32 HP)

Elaine Brawling: 5 | 1(+5) = Success
Delinquent Brawling: 1 | 8 = Success
>Both combatants are successful, but Elaine rolls higher. Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: 4 (0 Armor Reduction) = 4 damage dealt to Delinquent. (20/24 HP)

Continue?
Energetic: 19 | 13 = Failure
>Elaine withdraws.

The boy's eyes went wide and I barely managed to flinch back as the backhand caught me across my cheek. Oddly, it stung less than I thought it would. I wonder if he pulled his punch – afraid of hurting a girl, perhaps. Regardless, I would not pull mine.

Shaking off the blow, I stepped forward and drove my fist into the boy's diaphragm. He folded over, letting out a harsh wheeze, before falling to the ground. I stepped away, disinterested in continuing things further.

"Come Chelsea. We had best depart before we attract further trouble."

She nodded, wide-eyed and jogged forward to enter into my wake. "Are you okay, Ellie? I can't believe you actually did that!"

"I am fine. More to the point, are you well? Did he hurt you at all?"

"Um – No, I'm fine. Since when can you fight? God, your Mom is going to freak when she finds out about this."

"That – is true, I suppose. I will find some way of explaining the situation to her. You need not worry." I hummed thoughtfully as we returned to the table that Megan and I had found in the food court.

Megan laughed. "I never knew you could be so scary, Ellie. I thought he was going to piss himself for a second there when you first walked up."

"Megan!" Chelsea slapped Megan's arm before grinning at me. "It's true though. 'So what?'" she said, mimicking my voice.

Gamemaster said:
Modest vs Proud
Modest: 19 | 10 = Failure
Proud: 1 | 10 = Success

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the heat that was rushing to my cheeks. "I suppose I was rather impressive there, in retrospect. At the time, I was simply angry at how he was treating you, Chelsea."

"Aw." She leaned forward to wrap me into a hug. "Well, I'm glad to have you back, Ellie. I don't know what I would have done without you. Now, come on, we still need to walk around and shop!"

Smiling, I followed in their wake. We had done this hundreds of times before. I knew that. Yet, somehow, these tranquil, worryless days felt novel to me.

(In the end, my mother restricted me from leaving the house for a week when she found out that I had been hurt. It felt somewhat of an overreaction. After all, the bruise had been gone by the next day).

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Ellie! Are you ready yet?" My brother's voice called from down the hall.

"I need a few more minutes! I will be there shortly!" I called back. It was somewhat uncouth for me to do so, but he was family. I turned my attention back to the mirror, carefully finishing tying my hair into a bun, a braid running around it like a crown. It wasn't a terribly complicated hairstyle to put together, but unusual for me who usually wore my hair long.

The clothes that I had chosen were also unusual for me. I had not chosen any of the trendy clothes that filled my closet. Instead, I had put on a simple blue skirt and white blouse, with a cardigan thrown over it to act as a jacket. It was simple. Modest even. Perhaps that was for the best, given where we were going.

Stepping out of the room, I smiled at Dean. "There. I am ready. Shall we go?"

My brother stood blinking at me, taken aback for a moment, before dumbly nodding. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

"Of course. Church is hardly a strenuous activity. You may escort me if it makes you feel better, however."

"Oh, can I now?" He laughed before bowing and sticking out his elbow. "Then, by all means, my Lady."

Soon after, we were chivvied out the door towards the car, the entire family bundling inside. Another unusual thing about today. It was rare that the whole family was together like this. My mother, of course, always had Dean and I attend, but usually it was our chauffeur who drove us. My father had rarely attended. Or at least, that had been the case prior to my hospitalization.

The church itself was the same as I remembered it though. A large, oddly-shaped structure that adhered to modern architectural sensibilities. The inside more closely resembled an amphitheater than a chapel, with rows of chairs arranged in an arc, all leading downwards to where a large stage sat at the bottom.

The service began with worship. A rock band came out onto the stage and began playing while projectors splashed the lyrics onto two big screens for the audience to sing along with.

My stomach twisted. I knew the arguments. That all of this… pomp would allow the message to reach a wider audience. Yet somehow, the showiness of it all stood out to me in a way it had not before. All this wealth poured in, not to help other people, but to entertain the parishioners.

I allowed my gaze to drift up to the cross that hung above the stage. Was I the only one who saw a problem with all of this? Did no one else feel this unease? My family and the rest of the audience around me all happily smiled, and sang, and cheered at the end of each song.

How many in this very city suffered while my family and others within this church sat here crowing about how holy they were? Nothing was done. The hungry were given nothing to eat, the thirsty were given nothing to drink. The sick were only looked after if they had the money to pay. Villains and lawlessness roamed the streets with impunity.

"Hello everyone! Go ahead and give a hand to our worship team!" The Pastor had come out on stage, a thin, bald man who smiled widely for the audience. "We're going to be studying in Matthew today, so go ahead and flip your Bibles open and we'll get started."

How could this possibly be what we were meant to be?

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean."

My lips tightening, I bowed my head and prayed that the Lord might hear me.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Spiritual.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I hit the water with a splash, skimming across the surface of the pool for several yards before losing my momentum and turning to swimming to maintain speed. It was barely a pause when I hit the wall, only to spin, place my feet against it and launch myself back the opposite direction.

It was strange. I had loved swimming growing up. My dad had cheerfully joked that I was part fish, for how I would dive under the water and only come back up once I needed the air. Yet, seeing the pool, I had been afraid for a moment. As though all knowledge of how to do this had deserted me.

One part of me, sure I could swim effortlessly. Another, confident that I could walk across the water but never swim it.

A month into my recovery, and I still had not sorted out these feelings. I was growing frustrated with myself. Why was it proving so difficult? Why did I feel like a stranger inside my own body?

I let out a sigh as I finished my laps and pulled myself free of the water to sit on the pool's edge, running my hands through my wet hair as I pulled it free of its ponytail to squeeze out the water.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Energetic.

"Great job, Miss Stansfield. You've made a shockingly good recovery so far. I'd say you're probably safe to let out into the wild now."

"Oh?" I asked, looking up the personal trainer my parents had hired to help me through my rehabilitation. "Am I a wild animal now? What sort, do you think?"

"A lion, perhaps. You have that sort of regal bearing."

I smiled, a part of me pleased with the comparison. I had a fondness for lions. I had taken care of one once, when it was a child, though we had been separated after only a month together.

My smile faltered. That was impossible. It had never happened. I had never owned a lion. So why did I remember it so clearly?

"Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen someone recover to full capacity as quickly as you have. At least, not without powers involved. Though, I hear that you did the same with your schoolwork, so perhaps it's simply down to your hard work at the end of the day."

"Perhaps so. Was there anything else planned for today?"

"No. The day is yours. You should take the time to enjoy yourself."

"Hmm." Time to enjoy myself? What did that even look like? I frowned, trapped in thought even while my trainer departed, while I showered off the chlorine of the pool, while I changed back into my clothes. I frowned as I paced the halls, restlessly moving from room to room, passing the game room, the kitchen, the gym.

I had no homework to complete. My physical rehabilitation was finished for the day. Megan and Chelsea were busy today, so I had no social obligations. I had no duties to complete. Anything I did would be something I wished to do for myself. And – I had no answer as to what I wished to do or where I should go.

None at all.

In the end, I wandered into our sun room and simply settled onto the floor with my feet tucked under myself, my eyes closed as I pondered the future.

It is June of 2010.

We have arrived at our first rest period.

First things first: Checkmark rewards:

Checkmarks said:
Energetic: 2 | 13 = No Increase
Honest: 16 | 10 = Increased by 1
Spiritual: 10 | 10 = No Increase
Valorous: 6 | 15 = No Increase
Loyalty (Friends) : 13 | 10 = Increased by 1
Recognize: 13 | 2 = Increased by 1

Next is training and practice. You may select any one of the following improvements:

Training said:
Change a Personality Trait
You can add one point to a Trait, decreasing its opposite by the same amount (subject to an effective minimum value of 1).
-OR-
Change a Passion
You can add or subtract one point from any Passion.
-OR-
Change a Characteristic
Players may add one point to any one of STR, DEX, CON, or APP.
-OR-
Train Skills Up to 15
Add 6 points to any number of Skills under 15 in any combination—all points may be added to one Skill, divided between two Skills, or more—as long as the values are not raised over 15.
-OR-
Train a Skill Up to 20
Increase one Skill over 15 by one point, up to a maximum value of 20.

Please structure this vote as a Plan, i.e.
[ ] Plan Name Here
-[ ] [Training] Skills 1, Skills 2, Skills 3, etc.

The next stage is to tally Renown and to receive Renown rewards. As you have not established a Cape Identity, you are not yet eligible for Renown.

Next, you receive your monthly allowance. Given your status as a Wealthy Heiress, you earn $100.

I have created an associated shop in a new tab on the Character Sheet. If there's anything in particular you want to see added to the shop, please feel free to mention it and I will assign it a price. If at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.

[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)

Now for our actions going forward into the next month:

Your return to church life has given you something to ponder regarding the state of the Church.
[ ] [Church] Accept it as it is.
>Modern trappings do not make it inherently bad.
[ ] [Church] Distance yourself.
>You still consider yourself Christian, but perhaps another church or private worship would be better.
[ ] [Church] Paganism.
>Perhaps you could investigate other avenues to Spirituality instead of Christianity.
[ ] [Church] Agnosticism.
>You are not in a position to judge for the moment, but perhaps it's better to distance yourself from religion entirely for the time being and focus on the material world.

You are witness to an altercation where three gang members armed with bats are beating a man. Do you:
[ ] [Altercation] Get to safety.
[ ] [Altercation] Make a distraction. Hopefully that's enough for the man to escape.
[ ] [Altercation] Interfere. You must stop these men.
-[ ] [Interfere] Immediately. This cannot wait.
-[ ] [Interfere] Grab some sort of disguise first.

Your parents want to get you out doing more actual activities. Choose:
[ ] [Activity] Sports. Baseball might be a good time. At the very least, you could hit things.
[ ] [Activity] Music. Spend time learning to play an instrument.
[ ] [Activity] Driving. You're old enough to get your driver's permit. Surely a few classes wouldn't hurt.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling. It could earn you some money on the side if you do well.
[ ] [Activity] Beg your way into staying inside and browsing the Internet.

And finally a free time action. I'm going to leave this one entirely up to write-ins. If I particularly like a specific write-in, I reserve the right to also include it in addition to the write-in that wins the vote.
[ ] [Free Time] (Write-In)

Next up is an interlude.

Aldsan · Sep 10, 2023

Eternal_observer said:
I'm sure there's nothing wrong with this kind of QM interference - if you see us making weird choices, you can alert us if you think it's appropriate. Especially regarding a system that many of us are probably unfamiliar with.

For example, what specific skills will be used if we decide to fight?

Okay, so probably best to make a quick informational regarding combat.

Let's start with skills. I've simplified things compared to the actual Pendragon system.

Brawling
Used for unarmed combat / grappling / some close ranged weapons such as daggers (or a telescopic baton).

Note that Unarmed Combat will always deal minimum damage. (i.e. if your Melee Damage is 4d6, you will deal a flat 4 damage on every attack). Most other small weapons will deal 1d6 less damage (i.e. 3d6 instead of 4d6).

Melee
Swords / Spears / Axes / Maces. Each of these have special properties as noted in the Shop, but in short:
>Swords grant a Parry protection value when used in two-hands and cannot be broken.
>Spears grant a Reach advantage against shorter weapons and negates the advantage a Mounted combatant would have against you if you're on foot.
>Axes bypasses armor granted by Shields.
>Maces deal extra damage to Armor.

Ranged
Formerly Firearms, I decided to rename it as it also applies to Bows, Crossbows, and Thrown weapons.
>Bows deal 1d6 less damage at range. Crossbows and other Firearms deal fixed damage that don't scale to your stats.

Charge
Can only be done while mounted. It is the only way to both Move and Attack in the same round, and is typically how a knight will open combat in Pendragon. Instead of dealing your own damage, you deal your Mount's damage. (A typical Charger that you start the game with does 6d6 damage). It's very possible to knock an enemy knight out of the fight turn 1 with Charge if you roll well on damage.

Drive
Horsemanship in Pendragon. This is to control your mount, particularly in combat. While mounted, your combat skills are limited to your Drive. (i.e. if you have a 10 in Melee, but only a 6 in Drive, then your Melee is limited to 6).

Strategy
Used primarily between combat rounds in battle. You can identify opponents and choose opponents in a pitched fight instead of getting randomly assigned. This is how you choose to go after Victor instead of randomly getting Hookwolf.

Knockdown
Any time you take damage over your knockdown threshold (before Armor Reduction) you must make a Dexterity check to remain on your feet or mounted. If knocked down, it takes two rounds to get to your feet, and you take a penalty to your fighting skill while knocked down.

Major Wound
If you take more than your Major Wound threshold in a single attack (after Armor Reduction) you take a Major Wound and are knocked out of combat. You permanently lose one point in a random Characteristic (Dex, Str, etc) and are Debilitated until you are healed above half your hit point.

Unconscious
If you take a lot of small hits that bleed you over time, you will be knocked unconscious when you hit your unconscious threshold.

Mortal Wound
If you hit 0 Hit Points, you will be knocked out of combat. You permanently lose three points across random Characteristics (Dex, Str, etc) and will die unless healed above 0 hit points.

Healing Rate
Your healing rate determines how effectively First Aid can treat you. Each successful First Aid treatment heals you for your Healing Rate. Each wound can only be treated once, whether the First Aid check succeeds or fails. (i.e., you take three wounds for 7, 8, and 3 damage and retreat for healing. Two of the First Aid checks succeed, but one fails. Your Healing Rate of 5 means you heal for a total of 10 damage, meaning you're still missing 8 HP that can't be healed during the battle and must wait for time to heal).

Armor
Armor acts as damage reduction. If you are hit, the damage of the hit is reduced by the amount of armor that you have. This does mean that attacks can be reduced to 0 damage if you have enough armor to absorb the blow.

In short, your Major Wound threshold is currently 14. That means that if you take more than 14 damage in a hit, you will be knocked out of the fight and lose a stat. This isn't hard to accomplish when you aren't wearing armor.

Aldsan · Sep 11, 2023

She is sitting there naturally.

In a space filled with tranquility, white sunlight shining upon her dignified posture. There was a purity to the air, as though something unearthly had descended to this space. A deep blue ran through her, a vast ocean of calm serenity, streaked with the occasional other color that reflected whatever she happened to be thinking about in that moment.

After a year, his sister had woken up, and Dean wasn't sure she was the same person any more.

His sister had been an excitable, chatty thing, always flitting from one thing to another. She had never lacked for something to say. She had also been a bit of a brat, if he was honest with himself.

Now, she was this mature young woman who he sometimes caught looking at him as though he were a stranger. A young woman who saw her room, kept exactly the same way it had been a year ago, and was confused by it. A young woman who spent all her time working – either on her rehabilitation or her studies.

Dean let out a breath. She was still his sister. He shouldn't be surprised that there would be some changes after an experience as traumatic as what she went through.

Raising a hand, he knocked lightly on the doorframe. Ellie's eyes opened, a small smile crossing her lips. So unlike the wide, bright smiles she had worn before. "Hello Dean. Did you need something?"

"No, I just saw you sitting here and thought I'd check on you. You okay?"

"Yes. I am doing well. I am surprised you are still here however. Were you not scheduled for your internship today?"

Dean's smile faltered ever so slightly. He hadn't told Ellie what his 'internship' really was yet. Before, she had been too young and a bit too much of a gossip for him to do so. Now… "I still have a bit of time, though I do need to get going soon."

"Sit for a moment then. I would ask your counsel."

Furrowing his brow, Dean sat down next to his sister, though he crossed his legs instead of folding them under himself like she had. "What's the matter?"

"The other day, at the mall, Chelsea was accosted by some boy who claimed to be a gang member. The incident was resolved without her coming to harm, thankfully, but it still concerns me that they would walk about displaying their allegiances so brazenly. Is the law failing to keep the peace in our city?"

Dean winced. That was a hard question to answer. "To a degree, I suppose so. Really, the city's had a slew of gang problems, going back to at least the 90's. The Marche, the Teeth, the Empire, and now the latest, the ABB. Seems like as soon as one gets kicked out, a new one moves in."

"What is preventing their removal?"

"Well, the obvious answer is Capes. There's a lot of villains in the city, and they have a tendency to be especially dangerous. That's just the obvious answer though, I think. The real answer is that too many people privately support them. Too many people who think the Empire has the right idea even if they aren't members themselves. Others just want the respect and power that it gives them over other people. And even putting that aside, there's a lot of people who are just desperate, and will do whatever it takes if it means getting a steady paycheck."

Ellie went silent for a long moment before asking, "Is the city so filled with desperate people who have no other options to them but banditry?"

"I'm really not the best person to ask about the economics behind it all, but yeah. There's a lot of businesses that have shut down and we have a growing homeless population."

"I see."

Dean frowned, watching a thread of purple melancholy run its way through his sister. He smiled brightly and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's not all doom and gloom. We have Heroes too. Maybe once they put the gangs away, the city will get better."

"That is true. The gangs may be a symptom of the underlying disease, but their presence prevents an actual cure. Like a cancer, they will need to be cut out if things are to improve."

That was… now the melancholy had changed to the steel of resolve. What was she thinking of doing?

"Thank you for the advice, Dean. I appreciate it."

"No problem, Ellie. Keep yourself safe, okay?"

"Of course. Would I do aught to make you worry?"

Dean wasn't sure that he wanted to know the answer to that.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

While the Bay was dominated by the view of the Protectorate Headquarters, a shining beacon for all its citizens to see, the headquarters for the Parahuman Response Team was a much smaller office building located downtown. It didn't look like much from the outside. It wasn't until you got inside that you started noticing the steel bars that could descend to cut off a hallway, or how the windows weren't actually glass but some sort of special plastic instead.

In most other cities, the Wards would be located with the Protectorate, with the older heroes taking on the role of mentors. As with many things however, Brockton Bay was the exception.

Dean swiped his badge to clock in before heading up to the Wards' living area. The place wasn't much, honestly. A couch, a TV, a small game system that Dennis had brought in himself. A microwave and refrigerator in the attached kitchenette. They each had bedrooms here to use in case of emergencies, but they weren't actually supposed to stay overnight most of the time.

Speaking of Dennis –

"Hey Dean," the redheaded boy called from the couch, controller in hand. "How's it going?"

"Oh, nothing new. Any idea what tonight's meeting is about?"

"Nope. Rory might though."

"Cool." Dean glanced at the TV, checking on what Dennis was playing. Some sort of shooter, it looked like. "If we have time afterwards, maybe I can join you for a round."

"Heh. Well, if there's one thing I've got plenty of, it's time."

Dean grinned at the joke, ignoring the sickly yellow fear and worry that shot through Dennis when he said that. When he'd told his team about his sister waking up, Dennis had been the one person who had really understood. The others were all happy for him, of course, but Dennis knew what it was like having family that you weren't sure you would ever get back.

"Is Chris here yet?"

"Already in his workshop when I got here. I'm not entirely sure he actually goes home sometimes."

Dean snorted. "His mom would be all over him if that were the case. I'll go say hi and get into my armor though."

Chris was the newest member of the team, having joined back in January. He was still finding his footing, trying to figure out what he could do with his Tinker power, and his workshop reflected that. Several half-finished projects were scattered around the place, abandoned in favor of whatever new idea had struck him.

The door was left open, but Dean still knocked on the doorframe. "Hey Chris. How's it going?"

"Huh? Oh! Hey Dean. Good to see you." Chris grinned and looked up from whatever he was working on now, a pair of welding goggles strapped over his eyes. It really added to the tinker look, in Dean's opinion. "I finished tuning your armor up already, so you should be good to go."

"Great," Dean replied, giving an easy smile. The armor in question sat in the corner of the room, appearing much like a large set of medieval plate if not for the blue LED lights that lit up the joints. A button near the back of the neck caused it to slide open, revealing the powered skeleton within. Originally, this had been Armsmaster's project, a way to protect Dean and make him look like a Tinker instead of a Master. Since Chris had joined however, it had been passed to him. Dean started stepping inside, glancing over his shoulder at Chris. "Any progress with your stuff?"

A flicker of teal. Pride mixed with hope, perhaps? Sometimes the colors blended together in ways that weren't easy to read. People were rarely ever just one thing. "It's a bit touch and go, but I think I might finally have the gravitonic emitters working for the hoverboard. I'll be your eye in the sky before long."

"Hey, that's great to hear. Could always use more air support." Dean curled a fist, metal fingers curling in response. The armor sealed up behind him, hiding Dean away so that Gallant could step onto the stage. "Alright, thanks again for the work. See you upstairs?"

"Yeah, I'll be up in a minute."

Dean was the first up to the conference room that they used for official meetings. It was a rather plain room, the sort of plain wooden table and low pile carpet that you'd expect to see in any normal office setting. It had honestly been a surprise his first time here. When he had joined a team of superheroes, a part of him had expected the sort of things you saw in comic books and movies. Holographic projectors, steel sliding doors, secret passages, that sort of thing.

Instead, it was incredibly average. Cheap, even. He'd seen offices at his father's company that were better kitted out than this.

One by one the others arrived.

Carlos, wearing a rust-red costume, a silver shield on his chest. Aegis.

Dennis in his white bodysuit, animated clocks ticking away on his shoulders and chest. Clockblocker.

Missy in her green and white skirt. She didn't so much walk into the room as burst in, the space warping to pull her from across the hallway. She took a seat next to Dean and smiled up at him, pink dusting through her. Vista.

Chris, in his red and gold armor, a callback to Hero. Kid Win.

Rory, his helmet in the shape of a golden lion's head. Triumph.

Finally, Armsmaster strode through the door in his signature silver and blue armor, reaching the head of the table exactly when the meeting was supposed to start.

"Hello. Thank you all for attending." Armsmaster took his helmet off and sat down at the head of the table, smiling at each of them. "I know some of you have patrols after this, and the rest are eager to get home, so I'll try and keep things brief."

"First is the situation update. There have been a few skirmishes between the ABB and the Empire over the last couple weeks. Nothing too serious, and we're hoping it stays that way, but be on the lookout. More importantly, we've seen an uptick in independent cape activity."

He flicked the projector on, an off-color image appearing on the far wall. A woman wearing a bright red-gold ensemble, a jester's hat atop her head. "We've had a couple pop up this month. First is this one. We're tentatively going with the name Circus. She's been doing a lot of breaking and entering, burglary. A villain, though not a violent one so far."

"Next is this one." A new image, this one of a teenager. His costume wasn't much, a black hoodie with a red scarf wrapped around his mouth. "We think he's a new trigger, a vigilante. He's been operating mostly in ABB territory though. Battery has had the chance to talk with him, so we hope he'll take the offer to join before something happens to him."

There was no need to say what. Everyone knew the statistics for vigilantes.

The projector flicked again. "Moving on, Shadowstalker. She's been operating as a vigilante for awhile now, and while there's been some concerns, there hasn't been anything concrete. That's changed. If you see her, call it in."

Dean cleared his throat. "What did she do, exactly?"

"We are pretty sure it was an accident. A member of the Empire bled out before an ambulance could get to him. She's still not considered a villain, but she needs to be brought in."

General nods went around, but Dean could see flickers of sympathy through the other Wards. The Wards existed to teach responsible use of powers, but powers were inherently dangerous. Everyone knew accidents could happen. Still, that was why they worked with a team and within the bounds of the law, not as independent vigilantes.

"Finally, there's been an uptick in missing persons cases. Mostly the homeless, which isn't that unusual, but keep your ears to the ground and let us know if you hear anything. You've been doing good work out there, so keep it up."

With that, Armsmaster stuck his helmet back on and left. It was a bit abrupt, but Dean had discovered that Armsmaster was something of an abrupt person. You more or less got used to it after a while.

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Dennis said,raising his arms to stretch above his head. "No lectures about proper call-in procedures this time. You still up for that game?"

"You've got the time, don't you?" Dean joked. "How long until my patrol starts?"

"I suppose not. Next time then."

Missy bounced up from her chair, pink suffusing her aura again. "Well, we might as well get going then, right? Just the two of us, Dean."

"Don't forget me on Console!" Kid Win called.

Missy's mood immediately dampened. "Oh yeah. And you too, I suppose."

Dean laughed awkwardly. He'd told Missy before that he was dating Vicky, but it hadn't really discouraged her. If anything, she had gotten more obvious with her affections. For someone who could tie knots in space, she was an incredibly straightforward girl.

"Well, and one more too. Vicky mentioned she'd like to come along tonight, so I told her to meet up with us."

The last of Missy's good mood disappeared.

A few notes.

First, the vote on Chapter 0.3 is still ongoing and will remain so for another 48 hours. It's running pretty close on a couple of them, so get your votes in now.

Second, a bit of housekeeping on the character sheet.

Firearms have been renamed to Ranged. It more accurately reflects the possibility of using a Bow, Crossbow, or Thrown weapon as well.

The Reputation Passion has been renamed to Honor. This is actually what it originally was in the Pendragon tabletop, but I initially renamed it because 'Reputation' is more of a thing for capes than 'Honor' is. Passions are about your personal interests though, and it's a bit weird doing a passion role for Reputation. So back to Honor it is.

Finally, one person requested a purchase, so we get our first shop vote:
[ ] [Purchase] A Burner Cellphone ($20)
[ ] [Purchase] Don't buy anything at this time.

Aldsan · Sep 13, 2023

Okay. Previous vote is closed, but because I'm generous, we're holding a quick follow up vote. This vote won't last long, so get it in quickly.

[ ] [Purchase] Aketon and baton
[ ] [Purchase] Aketon, baton, and burner phone
[ ] [Purchase] Do Not Purchase Anything

Aldsan · Sep 16, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Training] Brawling 6
[X] [Church] Distance yourself.
[X] [Altercation] Interfere. You must stop these men.
-[X] [Interfere] Immediately. This cannot wait.
[X] [Activity] Driving. You're old enough to get your driver's permit. Surely a few classes wouldn't hurt.
[X] [Free Time] Research the parahumans in the bay, especially the gangs.
[X] [Free Time] A Lion may be a bit much... but what about finding and caring for a cat, after all, cats are fun sized lions... Right?!
[X] [Purchase] Aketon, baton, and burner phone

"Okay, you'll want to ease off the clutch while pressing down the gas at the same time–"

The car jerked forward and then stalled out. I frowned. I had released the clutch a bit too quickly, perhaps.

My driving instructor sighed next to me. "Well, that happens. It's a good thing we're not dealing with any hills yet."

Pressing the clutch down, I restarted the car. This time, I held the clutch a bit longer, allowing the engine to rev before smoothly accelerating forward. I turned the wheel, keeping the car in first gear for the moment as we rolled along the circular track.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Drive.

"Oh, good job. It usually takes new learners a few tries before they pick it up. Have you driven at all before?"

"I have not," I replied. "However, while it is impossible to avoid error entirely, one should not repeat their mistakes."

"Well, sure, in theory. It's the execution that usually messes people up, Miss Stansfield."

I made a small noise of acknowledgement, shifting the car up into second gear. "That is fair. Once I am more experienced with cars, I would be interested in obtaining my Motorcycle license. Would you be able to assist with that as well?"

"I'd have to run it by your parents, but I don't see the issue myself."

"Thank you," I said, shifting the car into neutral and letting us coast to a stop. I would not turn sixteen until December, so I had some time before I could actually obtain a license, but I would need to log hours spent driving towards my learner's permit in the meantime. "Are we scheduled for the same time next week?"

"We are through the rest of summer. Well, except for your vacation in July, your mom told me you wouldn't be here that week."

My lips thinned. A vacation? How kind of Mother to inform me of our plans, much less ask.

"I am afraid I could not speak to any specific plans we might have yet."

"Hey, no worries. So were your parents picking you up today, or…?"

"My brother. He is on a date at the moment, but will be meeting me once they finish up. I thought I might walk around the area while I waited."

Look, a date is basically a rendezvous. He says he's going to play, but it's a chance for a man to appeal to a woman he likes.

The memory rose as if from a dream. A nostalgic smile crossed my lips. Where had I heard that?

My instructor frowned. "Well… I mean, this neighborhood is probably safe for you, but be careful. Nowhere in the city is completely safe these days. You're always welcome to just hang out at the course until your brother gets here."

"That will not be necessary. I have been taking self-defense courses recently as well – I am confident I can at least run away should I need to."

My instructor frowned, but it wasn't untrue. After the incident with the hooligan at the mall, I had spoken to Father about the issue. The city was dangerous, there was no getting away from that fact. Twice, I had been in danger in a space that should have been safe. I needed to know how to defend myself.

It had taken more convincing than I expected, but he had agreed in the end. Moreover, I had excelled in the class thus far. It was simple. Use my full body to generate power behind my strikes. Use their center of gravity against them. Lock their joints. It felt familiar – just unpracticed.

Leaving the driving course, I stopped briefly in the building's lobby to collect my things – a blue and gold leather jacket (Arcadia's colors, though the jacket lacked any sort of accompanying logo) and a baseball cap. I tucked my hair into the hat, letting it stream out the back in a ponytail, quickly sent a text message off to Dean, and stepped out into the bright sunlight of the summer afternoon, a pair of tinted glasses hiding my eyes.

The neighborhood itself, while not quite as affluent as the Boardwalk, was still fairly upscale and well kept, close enough to downtown that it hadn't suffered from the rot and decay that afflicted much of the northern half of the city. Most of the buildings were red brick and white wood, the sort of homes and shops that wouldn't have looked out of place constructed in the 50's. Small coffee shops, cafes, and bookstores dotted the street.

I settled on a bench and pulled out my phone, flicking through to the post I had made on the local boards of Parahumans Online. There were threats in my city, and the best way to educate myself was to ask for the wisdom of others. In short, the outlook was not particularly positive.

The city was infested with gangs.

The first, and most notable perhaps was the Empire Eighty-Eight. A collection of white supremacists and open neo-Nazis. It was filled with the sort of filth who preyed on the weak and acted as if it were a virtue. They crowed about protecting good, hard-working American citizens, but that included only those who agreed with them. If you were too Black, too Asian, too Jewish, too Foreign, too Disabled, too Liberal, or just plain too different from them, then you were a target to be eliminated.

Their greatest rival was, and I felt my mouth twisting in distaste just reading the name, the Azn Bad Boyz. I suppose it was too much to hope that criminals would have any sense of class. Regardless, the Azn Bad Boyz were a more recent gang, having consolidated out of a number of smaller gangs a mere two years ago. Unlike the Empire, which worshiped an ideology, the Azn Bad Boyz were held together almost entirely by force of will of the man who had created the gang.

Lung.

A parahuman who had made a splash when he entered the local cape scene by reportedly engaging with the entire local Protectorate at once and emerging victorious. Since then, there had been little success in dislodging him.

Then there were the smaller gangs. Drug pushers, street gangs, and mercenaries for hire. The East Side Kings, the Archer's Bridge Merchants, the Cobras. Most of them were two-bit players at best. An odd stand out was a group of mercenaries that operated downtown – apparently they had access to tinkertech equipment and offered protection services for hire. No one quite knew who their backer was, though they must have one given the expense of their equipment.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Recognize.

Letting out a soft sigh, I closed my phone again and looked up at the sky. A blue, cloudless expanse hung above me, stretching on as far as I could see. So far, yet there was a feeling as if I could reach up and touch it. And perhaps, if I reached up, someone else's hand would as well.

Knowing it was impossible, yet reaching all the same.

For a moment, the city fell away. I stood in a grassy field, the same blue sky stretching endlessly above, a forest in the distance. I stared out. Waiting. Waiting for something.

I began to lift my hand, only to retract it. My chest felt strangely tight and I could not say why. Lowering my head into my hands, I let a shuddering breath tear through me. What was wrong with me? Why did I feel this way?

Why did I feel this yearning within me?

A sound eventually tore me from my thoughts. A small, plaintive meow. Glancing down, I looked at the gray tabby that had joined me on the bench.

"Ah–"

The cat stepped forward to bump its head against my arm and I smiled, tracing my thumb gently behind its ear.

"Well, hello there. Aren't you a handsome fellow?" The cat purred, tilting its head up to allow me to scratch under its chin. Oddly enough, considering how sociable he was, the cat did not wear a collar. "What are you doing here?"

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 12 | 3 = Failure

The cat provided no answer, of course. Instead, he spun a circle, brushing his side up against me, his tail tickling at my nose. A soft giggle escaped me and I leaned in to grab him, pulling him up onto my lap. He stepped back and forth, kneading his paws, before finally settling down, my fingers tracing along his back.

What a friendly child. I considered briefly whether I should name him. It was possible that he already had one. Possible even, that he already had an owner. He was skinny, perhaps a bit underfed, but hardly starving.

"No, better that I not get overly attached." I would not take this child away from whatever home he had here.

Regretfully, I pulled the cat from my lap and walked away. It was with some amusement that I noted the cat trotting after me, dogging at my heels. A stubborn little thing. Well, if he was that insistent…

The stench of blood and a grunt of pain brought me to a stop. I turned, looking down a narrow alley to where three men surrounded another. One swung a bat, and the beset man fell to the ground, his knee shattered.

"I told you what would happen if you didn't pay up, didn't I? You were lucky we were even letting you operate down here – not like we need businesses owned by heebs in this area."

"I'm not –"

"What, got something to say, Jew?"

Another of the thugs lashed out with his foot, catching the man in the ribs.

"I was trying to pay," the man wheezed. "Sales have been down this month."

"Always the same story with your type." The thug lifted his foot and stomped down on the man's hand.

My jaw clenched. This was wrong. These men, abominations.

I stepped into the alley, heart pounding my chest. This could not continue.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Honor.
Gain a check to Reckless.

"Stop!"

"The fuck do you want, girl?"

"Step away from that man. Now."

One of the thugs rolled his eyes. "Run along, girl, before you get hurt."

"Disperse, or I will make you do so."

"God save me from children who want to play at being heroes. Jake? Grab her and hold her down or something. It's fine if you rough her up a little, but try not to hurt her too bad."

The man who had been singled out shrugged and stepped forward. He looked… surprisingly normal. Brown hair, wide shoulders. He looked about college-aged, but with the sort of build that suggested he could have played football. He gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry about this. Really, you still could just run away, save yourself the trouble."

"I refuse."

"Right. Then, I suppose we're doing this."

Battle Rolls said:
Invoke Passion: Honor: 7 | 15 = Success (+5 to Brawling threshold)

Elaine Brawling: 6 | 7(+5) = Success
Jake Brawling: 13 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=10) (0 Armor Reduction) = 10 damage dealt to Jake. (14/24 HP)

Elaine Brawling: 18 | 7(+5) = Failure
Jake Brawling: 11 | 8 = Failure
>Mutual failure.

Elaine Brawling: 2 | 7(+5) = Success
Jake Brawling: 18 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=13) (0 Armor Reduction) = 13 damage dealt to Jake. (1/24 HP)
>>>Jake takes a Major Wound and is knocked unconscious.

The man, Jake, lunged at me, but I was prepared for it. He wasn't using his fists, just trying to grab me, but that was dangerous enough in and of itself. I wasn't particularly large or strong. If I was pinned, I would have difficulty escaping.

Instead, I ducked under his lunge, my hand darting into my jacket pocket. When I had started my self-defense lessons, I hadn't relied solely upon learning how to punch and kick. Instead, I wrapped my hand around the handle of my telescopic baton, flicking it out to whack Jake's ribs as he passed.

He let out a wheeze, stumbling a few steps before spinning around to glare at me. Jeers came in from the sidelines, his friends taunting him.

"Come on, Jake! You gonna take that from a girl?"

"Show her what a real man is made of!"

"God, shut up both of you." Jake put a fist into his palm, cracking his knuckles. "Look, girl. You keep this up and I will have to hurt you. I'd suggest you stop now."

"I would offer you the same courtesy. Leave now, and I will let you go in peace."

"Well, I warned you."

Jake charged, and once again I weaved beneath his blow to deliver one of my own. It seemed he had learned from last time however. Even as I evaded him, he brought his arms down to guard himself, protecting himself from a second blow to the ribs. Not entirely unintelligent then. I would have to vary things up somewhat.

This time, I attacked first, aiming high with my baton. He flinched and stepped back, not trained to ignore that primal response that occurs when you see something moving towards your face at high speeds. He tried to raise his arms to block at the last second, but was too late and my baton cracked him across the skull.

He fell to a heap on the ground.

I looked to the two remaining, who stared back at me wide-eyed.

"Did this bitch just kill Jake?"

"I dunno. Maybe just knocked him unconscious–"

"No, head injuries like that are really dangerous. God, we'll need to take him to a hospital. Fuck it. Let's fuck her up and get out of here."

Both men advanced on me, bats slung over their shoulders. My lips tightened. It was one thing fighting one on one against a man with no weapon, but the odds with multiple opponents were significantly worse.

Battle Rolls said:
Elaine Brawling: 2 | 7(+5)(-5 Outnumbered) = Success
Thug A Melee: 20 | 8(+5 Outnumbered) = Fumble!
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=12) (0 Armor Reduction) = 12 damage dealt to Thug A. (12/24 HP)
>>Thug A is dealt a Major Wound and knocked out of combat. His weapon breaks.
Elaine Brawling: 8 | 7(+5)(-5 Outnumbered) = Failure
Thug B Melee: 3 | 8(+5 Outnumbered) = Success
>Thug B wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=12) (5 Armor Reduction) = 7 damage dealt to Elaine. (25/32 HP)
>>Knockdown? Dexterity: 6 | 12 = Success

Elaine Brawling: 16 | 7(+5) = Failure
Thug B Melee: 16 | 8 = Failure
>Mutual Failure.

Elaine Brawling: 10 | 7(+5) = Success
Thug B Melee: 7 | 8 = Success
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=11) (0 Armor Reduction) = 11 damage dealt to Thug B. (13/24 HP)

Elaine Brawling: 5 | 7(+5) = Success
Thug B Melee: 9 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=8) (0 Armor Reduction) = 8 damage dealt to Thug B. (5/24 HP)
>>Thug B is knocked unconscious.

The man on my right swung and I spun into it, raising a hand to slap the bat from below as I passed under it, throwing its trajectory off. I twisted, my baton swinging around to shatter the man's knee. He brought his bat up in both hands, as if to defend himself from my follow up attack, but I simply kicked through the wood and slammed my foot into his face.

Unfortunately, this left me open to his ally. Pain seared across my back as a bat caught me across my shoulders. I went stumbling for a few steps before I managed to steady myself and turn, wildly swinging a counter attack that came nowhere close to my opponent.

Damn it. I was lucky I was wearing my jacket. That had hurt even through the extra padding.

"Shit! Ray! Who the hell are you, girl?"

"You are asking that rather late, are you not?"

"Ugh." The final thug spit off to the side and widened his legs, holding the bat in both hands. Was he… Was he going to try and hit me as if I were a baseball? That stance was all wrong for actual combat. A part of me felt distinctly offended. I walked forward to the edge of his range and let him swing, simply leaning back a bit so that the bat would bypass me. Unfortunately, he was quicker to recover than I anticipated, and I had to abandon my follow up attack to gain distance again.

Still, the man was clearly nervous. The narrow passage of the alleyway did not allow for me to actively circle around him, but I paced back and forth, watching his eyes follow me. When I finally struck, it was faster than he could follow.

My baton found his elbow and he cried out, his hand reflexively loosening on the bat. He tried to attack me one-handed, but I didn't allow it, already circling behind him to sweep his feet out from under him. One final blow to the head and he was out.

In the aftermath, I stood there, panting, staring at what I'd done.

I had beaten three men, three armed men, into the ground. I'd never fought before in my life. I'd had a grand total of two weeks of self-defense classes. This shouldn't have been possible. What had I even been thinking?

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I turned away from them and kneeled to attend to the man they had been attacking. He was broken, bruised, and bloodied – but still conscious. He turned his eyes up to me as I approached.

"Damn. You wiped the floor with them."

I gave a small smile at the comment. "It was my pleasure to do so. Are you okay?"

He shook his head, but fished a phone out of his pocket after a moment. "If you could call the ambulance, I'd appreciate it. Cops too, I suppose."

Nodding, I took the phone, dialing the number in.

"Hello, 911, where's your emergency?"

"There are four men badly injured in an alleyway near Miller and Rockland. They require immediate medical assistance."

"What was your name, Miss?"

Gamemaster said:
Honest: 19 | 11 = Failure

I glanced down at the bodies of the men I had just finished injuring quite severely. This… probably would not be a good thing to admit to. "My name is not important. Was there any additional information you needed?"

"Are you injured at all, Miss?"

"No. I am fine."

"Alright. I've sent the message out to Dispatch, so they should be on their way. Just hang tight, okay?"

"Thank you."

Well, I suppose that was my cue to leave if I wished to remain anonymous. I turned back to the injured man, handing him his phone. "Will you be able to manage if I leave?"

"Yeah, I think so. They got a few good hits in, but I can wait for the paramedics. Does my heroine have a name?"

"None that I would like associated with this, I think. I suppose if the police ask, you can call me X or some such."

"A woman of mystery, huh?" The man laughed, but it quickly turned into a wheeze. "Well, Miss X, best of luck out there."

"Thank you." I smiled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder before turning to leave, a strange sense of pride welling up within me.

A Hero, hm? A person who would save everyone that they could see. An impossible dream, but I smiled nonetheless. I might not be a cape, but why should that stop me from being a hero?

Of course, if I was going to do that and retain my anonymity, I would need a disposable phone. I could not rely on victims always giving me theirs to call in with. Something to consider, perhaps.

Gamemaster said:
Passion for Heroism [Civility] gained at (3d6+3) = 16

Gamemaster said:
Renown gained (3 Thugs x 5) = 15

You don't know how tempted I was to make a 'Stop right there, criminal scum,' joke. Also, you guys got incredibly lucky with your combat rolls. Especially taking one of the teamed pair out on round 1 with the exact damage you needed to deal a major wound. Nuts. Anyways,

It is June of 2010.

The Mysterious Heroine, X, has had her first fight. How will she proceed?
[ ] [Heroism] Design a name and costume.
>You can't just be X forever.
[ ] [Heroism] You took that bat hit strangely well. Maybe you should check yourself for powers?
>There's no way this can go poorly. At least you're smart enough not to jump off a building to see if you can fly.
[ ] [Heroism] Look into types of Parahumans.
>If you're going out doing hero things, you're bound to run into them at some point. Knowing the difference between a brute and a breaker will probably be good.
[ ] [Heroism] Study your first aid.
>You might need to treat injured people in the future.

Your mother is dragging you to a Gala. What do you fill time with while there? (This is in addition to any events that may occur while at the gala).
[ ] [Gala] Gossip
[ ] [Gala] Flirt
[ ] [Gala] Indulge in good food.

While at the gala, you're seated with a group to socialize with. Who are you with?
[ ] [Socialize] The Anders
>Theo is a bit quiet, but not too bad for company.
[ ] [Socialize] The Alcotts
>Your brother might be friends with Rory Christner, but you wound up shoved to a table with his cousin instead.
[ ] [Socialize] The Dallons
>Mostly just Vicky and Amy here at your brother's invitation.
[ ] [Socialize] The Mystery
>You're seated with someone you don't know. She looks about your age, at least.

A strange cat has followed you home. What do you name him? (The quest master reserves the right to Veto).
[ ] [Cat] (Write-In)

Not immediately relevant, as you don't have the equipment yet, but something to keep in mind for the future. What will your main fighting style be? Note: Fighting style will shift depending on situation and equipment (i.e., even if you are two-handed, you will take a shield out if there's bullets flying), this is just your 'default.'
[ ] [Equipment] Two-Handed
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage, but can't gain the benefits of a shield.
[ ] [Equipment] One-Handed
>Deal less damage, but gain the benefits of a shield.

It's summer and you've got some free time to spend between parties and heroics. How do you spend it?
[ ] [Free Time] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Sep 16, 2023

Hello everyone, I'm here today to discuss another part of the Pendragon ruleset: Feasts!

Now, in actual tabletop Pendragon, Feasts act as a sort of competition between players to accrue Geniality (aka, how much everyone at the party likes you). There's a lot of opportunities to accrue checks in various traits and skills in the process and the player with the highest Geniality at the end of the night gains a bonus Glory reward.

Obviously, that doesn't work here, we're playing as a single character. So, instead, I'll be pulling various feast cards for the events of the feast and giving out a reward depending on what your Geniality is at the end. This will be mostly automated on the quest master side of things, so the main choice you'll have is what to fill your time with between events.

Gossiping, Flirting, Indulging, or Gaming.

Gossiping uses Intrigue to find out the latest news about the city. A successful roll will give you a check to Intrigue and some news about the city that may or may not be useful. If you choose Gossiping, you may write-in if you are looking to find out specific information – though, there is no guarantee that the people you talk to you will know or want to share that specific information with you.

Flirting uses the Flirting skill to engage in conversation with a character, with a successful roll giving a check to Flirting. This isn't necessarily initiated by Elaine, it could simply be entertaining someone else who is interested in her instead. If choosing this option, you may write-in if you're interested in flirting with a specific character.

Indulging rolls Temperate, gaining a check on a success, or gaining a check to Indulgent on a failure. In some parties, alcohol may become available, at which point the possibility of becoming drunk also arises.

Gaming rolls your Strategy, gaining a check on a success. This will not be available at every party.

Aldsan · Sep 27, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Heroism] You took that bat hit strangely well. Maybe you should check yourself for powers?
[X] [Gala] Indulge in good food
[X] [Socialize] The Mystery
[X] [Cat] Kay
[X] [Equipment] Two-Handed
[X] [Free Time] (Write-In) Do some introspection, try to figure out where these strange memories and feelings come from.

Hazel eyes met mine. Slowly, I reached out, stroking my thumb along the cat's forehead, listening to it purr in contentment.

After I had vacated the alley, I had swiftly left to meet with Dean elsewhere, only to be surprised when I realized that the cat had followed me the entire way. Clearly, he was a stubborn sort. Regardless, if he wished to be with me so dearly, then I would not deny him. I took him with me.

Needless to say, my parents had not been enthused to discover that I brought a stray home with me. He was friendly enough however, and won them over fairly quickly.

"Kay."

The cat perked his head up, acknowledging the name I had provided him with. A small smile crossed my lips.

"Hello Kay."

I poked a finger to Kay's nose and he turned his head, rubbing a cheek against my finger, before abruptly jumping down from my desk and padding out of the room, apparently finished with me for the moment. A disappointed sound escaped me, but I allowed him his escape unmolested.

Well, as long as he enjoyed his new environment, I hardly had cause to object.

Wandering over to my bed, I allowed myself to collapse into the mass of stuffed animals that I had piled upon its surface. I winced as one dug into my back, shifting to get more comfortable before finally settling in.

Hm.

Yes.

I could get used to this. I had many doubts about my previous self's taste from a year past (why was everything in the room pink?), but I could agree with her in this. Surrounded on all sides by fluffy creatures – Truly, there was no greater sense of comfort than this.

Alas, it could not last forever.

Eventually, my phone's alarm sounded. Unfortunately, I had somewhere to be this evening. I had managed to forestall any social events after I had first woken up by claiming health issues, but now that I had been given a clean bill of health, my mother would have her due. It was time that I attended the latest of her galas.

Rousing myself, I sighed and moved to the closet to begin changing into my dress for the evening, only to glance in the mirror and see the dark, misshapen bruise that marred my shoulders. My first choice of dress had an open back. That would not be an option. I would have to find another.

I hovered briefly over a black dress before rejecting it. I knew from experience that black had a tendency to make me look washed out and pale. A white dress went quicker – beautiful, but too much for the size of the event. There would be a certain amount of extravagance, of course, but it was still a relatively minor event all told. There was such a thing as overdoing it. Pink – No. A yellow dress – well, that wasn't so bad, but it perhaps had the opposite problem of the white. Too close to being a sundress, too casual for the gala.

Eventually, I found another blue dress, this one running all the way up to the neck. It was sleeveless and clung a bit too tight on the hips – I would need something new in the future – but it would do for the evening.

As I had once before, my fingers began tying my hair up. It was a style I had never once worn before I had been rendered comatose. I could not recall having seen it within any fashion magazine, nor had any of my friends ever used it. Yet, my hands steadily wove the braid as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As if I had done this every day of my life.

I stopped and closed my eyes, hiding the stranger that stared at me from within the mirror. I allowed my mind to calm, the world falling away until only I was left.

Who was I?

I remembered growing up wealthy and wanting for naught.

I remembered growing up poor, an orphan adopted by my family.

I remembered going shopping at the Boardwalk almost daily.

I remembered when going to market was an event to mark the season, with festivals and games being held in celebration.

I remembered Christmas Eve service, traditional hymns jazzed up by our youth band.

I remembered the lonely tolling of bells and my hand wrapping around the hilt of a sword. Snow dusted the ground and my breath frosted in the air. Outside, the clamor of men rushing to and fro filled the town, but here, in this old churchyard, there was a strange calmness, as if the entire world held its breath.

"You should think this through before you grab that."

A vision was shown. A miserable fate. A miserable death. The failure of a kingdom.

"--No. Many people were smiling. I do not believe it will be a mistake."

The sword was pulled forth.

A sharp gasp escaped me, my throat clenching in sudden dread. Wetness stained my cheeks.

"A miracle has a price. In exchange, you will lose the thing most important to you."

What had that been? I lifted trembling fingers, tracing the outline of my face upon the mirror's glass. What were these memories of a life I had not lived? What had I gained from taking that sword? What had I lost?

Why did my heart feel as if it were tearing in two?

Gamemaster said:
Spiritual vs Worldly
Spiritual: 15 | 10 = Failure
Wordly: 12 | 10 = Failure

"The Lord is my light and my salvation," I whispered, the prayer and psalm forming upon my lips. "Whom shall I fear?"

A guilty part of myself reminded me that I had not returned to church since that singular service a few weeks ago. Yet, now I called upon God when I needed solace. Rank hypocrisy. Still, I called out all the same.

"Lord, please guide me in this hour. Please – tell me what is happening to me."

Silence answered me.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Dean! Your hair is a mess!"

"What? No, it's normal."

"Tsk–" Our mother combed at Dean's hair with her fingers, trying to straighten it out to how she liked it. "We're already running late too."

"I hear it's fashionable these days," our father joked.

"Don't you start–"

"It's fine, Mom. Really." Dean cut in.

I cleared my throat, watching how they both jumped as though they had been unaware of my presence up until that point. "Who is hosting tonight's event? I do not believe you told me earlier."

"The Christeners – It's just a minor fundraising thing, getting ready for the election in November, you know." My mother frowned at me and reached out to tug at my dress. "This dress won't do at all, Ellie. It's so plain – What were you thinking?"

My lips tightened, but my father rescued me before I could reply.

"Oh, stop hassling the kids, Helen. Like you said, we're running late. It's not like there's any time to change."

"Fine. I suppose you're right. Are you both ready to go?"

"About that," Dean said, "I was going to drive separately, go pick Vicky up. I invited her to come as my date tonight. Ellie, you're welcome to come with – I know Vicky's missed you."

"I–" The question was, did I want to see her? The last time I had – a memory flashed by, cacophonous noise ringing in my ears. No, I would have to see her eventually either way. I could manage a car ride at the very least. "Very well, Dean."

"Great!" My father chimed in. "We'll meet you there then. Drive safe, alright?"

"Of course," Dean smiled sunnily and we waved our parents off before walking our way down to his BMW. I slid my fingers across the smooth paint, and for a moment, I was seized by a strange impulse to take the wheel myself, certain that I could see us there. I pushed it aside and strapped myself into the passenger seat.

As we pulled out of the driveway, Dean glanced over at me. "Hey. Is everything alright?"

I blinked and looked back at him. "Yes? Why would it not be?"

"No reason. Just… I know we haven't gotten to spend as much time together as I'd like since you've woken up. I've had my work, and you were busy studying to get caught up. You know I'm here for you if you need me though, right?"

"I know," I said, a feeling of warmth spreading in my chest. "Thank you, Dean."

We spent the next few streets in companionable silence, broken only by the music on the radio. I turned to the window, watching the city go by. After a time, I asked, "Is it just Victoria joining us? Or will her family be coming as well?"

"She mentioned she might try to bring Amy along, get her out of the house."

"Amy never was the most social person."

"She wasn't, but…" Dean grimaced and scratched at her cheek. "She became something of a shut-in after the incident at the mall. Wouldn't leave her room except to go to school."

"Why?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

Dean looked over at me, meeting my gaze. "Guilt, I would assume."

If she had not spoken up. If she had not made the robber lash out against her. If she had simply allowed the injustice in front of her to continue for the sake of safety. If and if and if – I may not have been rendered comatose.

"Ridiculous." The thought had occurred to me more than once since I had awoken. I rejected it as I had every other time. "She is not at fault."

Dean glanced away. "Emotions like that aren't always logical, Ellie. Sometimes, even if someone knows intellectually that it's wrong, they'll still run away or hide or even lash out."

What could I say against that?

I mulled over the problem, still not coming to any sort of solution by the time we pulled into the cul-de-sac where the Dallon household sat. It was a two-story home with a well-kept lawn, next to a series of near identical homes. Nice, certainly, if nowhere near so large as ours.

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 2 | 3 = Success

Dean circled the car to open my door for me, and I stepped out, only to pause. I felt eyes upon me. I looked up and caught sight of brown hair through one of the windows. Amy. Once she realized I had spotted her, she quickly withdrew, the curtains falling to hide her from me.

So. It was to be like that then.

I strode up to the front door and knocked, Dean hurrying in my wake. Carol Dallon answered the door.

Victoria's mother was a severe looking woman, with a sharp jaw, a narrow nose, and her hair cut into a short bob. Her perpetual frown, at least every time that I had met her, did nothing to soften that impression. She spared me a glance before glaring at Dean. "Hello Ellie. Dean."

"Hey," Dean said, giving a bright smile in response. It had to be intentional. There was no way he was actually oblivious to the way Mrs. Dallon was looking at him.

"I'll let Vicky know you're here," Mrs. Dallon said shortly. "You know the rules?"

"No hanky-panky and I promise I'll have her back by ten."

"Good. Ellie, glad to see you back on your feet."

"Thank you. I am glad to be back upon them."

Mrs. Dallon walked upstairs and Victoria came flying down naught a minute later. Literally flying; her feet did not touch the staircase. Unlike me, she had overdressed for the occasion. A beautiful white dress hugged her body, the shimmering fabric cascading down like waves. Her hair caught the light, her smile brightened the room.

"Ellie!" She smiled widened and she rushed in to wrap her arms around me. I stiffened at the sudden contact, before slowly relaxing, returning the hug. "I'd heard from Dean, but it's so good to see you again."

"Yes. I am glad you are doing well, Victoria."

"Victoria? Since when do you call me by my full name like that?"

"Is it an issue?" I asked, frowning.

"No. Of course not. Just…" She looked at my brother. I couldn't see what gesture he made in return, but her hug tightened ever so slightly before letting go. "Well, come on, let's get going."

We walked back to the car and I moved into the rear seat, allowing Victoria the front to sit with Dean. As the car pulled out of the driveway, I shot one final look at the house and the face lurking in the upstairs window.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Party said:
The Party is Medium sized and will last for three rounds.

Appeal: 2 | 14 = Success
>You are Popular. Gain 1 Geniality per round.

Round 1
>Popular: Geniality increases to 1.
Election Season
You find yourself involved in a conversation about the upcoming elections.
Politics: 12 | 1 (+1 Geniality) = Failure
>You fail to follow the conversation. No effect.

Round 2
>Popular: Geniality increases to 2.
Chatterbox
You find yourself caught in conversation with a lady who talks incessantly.
Etiquette: 5 | 7 (+2 Geniality) = Success
>You politely excuse yourself and slip away. Geniality increases to 3.

Round 3
>Popular: Geniality increases to 4.
Regale the Host
You are asked to entertain the host with a story.
Orate: 15 | 6 (+4 Geniality) = Failure
>The host is unimpressed. No effect

Indulgent: 18 | 10 = Failure
Constitution: 8 | 14 = Success
>You are sick to your stomach, but you do not throw up.

"Dean! Victoria! I'm glad you both could make it. And Ellie, of course. It's been awhile since I saw you at one of these."

"It has been some time since I was able to," I answered. "Thank you for having me, Rory."

"Not at all." Rory Christner, the mayor's son, was a tall, broad-shouldered young man. He grinned and reached out to pat Dean on the shoulder. "Come on in."

Thus, did the night begin. We went to Rory's father first, and I was made to endure a conversation about the upcoming elections and who they thought would win. I managed to understand that he was confident in his own chances, but that there was a good chance the incumbent sheriff would be losing his position. At some point, I felt my attention start to drift before I managed to excuse myself.

Unfortunately, a friend of my mother's ambushed me after that. It was all the usual platitudes. How happy she was to see me, how big I had gotten. I'm not sure she even realized I had been injured until recently. She asked how I was doing in school and if I was dating any boys.

I gave her a tight smile. "I am sorry. However, I really must use the restroom."

"Oh, alright. Do take care, dear."

"Thank you."

I managed to escape all of two steps before my mother came looking for me. "Ellie, there you are. I was just telling Rory here all about how well you were doing getting caught up for school. Tell him about how hard you've been studying."

I glanced at Rory, who mostly looked uncomfortable for me and as though he didn't want to be there. "I don't think there is much to tell. I did well enough for Arcadia's placement test. Excuse me, I really need to sit down."

Extricating myself from unwanted conversation once again, I finally managed to flee and sit down at a table, rubbing at the bridge of my nose. It was strange. I had enjoyed these parties in the past. Now they just felt tedious. Well, if I was to be trapped here, I could at least enjoy the food. I began stacking my plate with cheese and salami.

"Well, someone certainly has an appetite."

"It has been a long evening," I said blandly, not pausing in my consumption as I glanced at the unfamiliar voice. A young girl, perhaps about my age, sat across from me. She had tied her long, strawberry-blonde hair back with a ribbon in a way that seemed as if it were meant to draw attention to her piercing blue eyes. "I do not believe we have met."

"We haven't." She smiled and I tilted my head. There was a faint accent to her words, trained almost to no longer be there. "I'm Erin Archelot."

"Elaine Stansfield."

Erin giggled. "I know. A lot of people have been talking about your miraculous awakening, you know?"

"Is that why you are here then? To confirm the rumors?"

"Of course not," Erin said, shaking her head. "We're both going to be attending Arcadia in the fall. I was hoping we could be friends."

Gamemaster said:
Trusting vs Suspicious
Trusting: 9 | 10 = Success
Suspicious: 17 | 10 = Failure

"I do not see why not," I said, reaching for a piece of salami, only to find I had eaten the entire tray. I frowned and began on the lemon bars instead. "We will be in the same year together then?"

Erin clapped her hands together. "We will! And I'm glad to hear it. I was there last year too, but didn't really manage to connect with many people. Everyone seems intimidated for some reason."

"I cannot imagine why. You seem likeable enough."

"Well, who knows? My Mom was a bit famous way back when, but that was years ago."

I raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? What for?"

"I guess she was a famous singer back in the day?" Erin shrugged. "She's more on the production side of things nowadays though. She's here at the party, if you want to meet her."

"Perhaps another time," I said, taking a slice of cake. "Were you planning to follow in her footsteps then? Become a singer yourself?"

"I'm sure she would like me to, but no. It's a bit too much spotlight for me. I prefer to stay a bit more behind the scenes."

"Understandable. I am sure being gawked at like that must be unpleasant."

"Hmm, well, something like that, I suppose." She smiled pleasantly and took a cookie for herself.

"What is it that you do want to do with yourself, in that case?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Maybe I'll become a wizard, like that guy over in Chicago."

"Wizard?"

"You know, Myrddin?" Erin stared at me a moment and must have realized that I did not know who she was speaking about. "Wow, you must really not watch the news or anything. He's pretty famous. Not Triumvirate tier or anything, but still."

"I have never been particularly interested in parahuman culture," I demurred, though something about the name tickled at my mind. "I do not imagine that wizardry is the easiest of vocations to enter."

"No, I suppose it isn't," Erin said with a faint smile. "I suppose I'll just have to keep thinking about it then."

I arched an eyebrow, but she simply stayed silent, nibbling on her cookie until the moment had passed.

Then I was simply left with awkward silence, not sure how to advance the conversation once more. It was almost a relief when Dean came over to inform me that he and Vicky were leaving.

"I suppose that is my call for the evening. It was a pleasure meeting you, Erin. Hopefully, I can do so again soon."

Erin smiled brightly at me. "Yeah, I hope so too. Maybe we can hang out sometime before school starts."

"I would like that," I said simply and returned her smile before turning away.

Gamemaster said:
Geniality: 4
>Gain 4 Glory.

The night had been long. Soon, the morning would come, and with it my plans for a new day. During my fight in the alley, I had taken our three grown men. I had taken a hit across the back with a bat and kept fighting. However I looked at it, that was not normal. Something was odd with me – not just my mind, but my body as well.

It was time I found out what it was.

Gamemaster said:
You heal naturally. Hit Points: 30/32

Moving sucks. The end.

I'm not really happy with the latter half of this chapter, but I was tired of hanging onto it and wanted to push it out, so here we go. The vote of Dallons vs Mystery was pretty close, so I wound up giving a bit of both. The investigate your powers bit is pushed back to next time, but will be included in more detail.

Not happy with how the Feast rules worked in converting to a quest format. I think I'll probably scrap them and run something a bit simpler for future occasions.

I have decided to rename Renown to Glory. This is what it originally was in Pendragon. I had changed it to better suit cape life, where fame is important, but I'm shifting that because of the next point – I have also decided to allow for the collection of Glory in your private life. You won't earn as much as you would through combat, but this way you're not limited to only combat as a collection source.

It is June of 2010.

Choose someone to spend time with:
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Morgan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work.
[ ] [Activity] Summer Classes
>You may have gotten into Arcadia, but it wouldn't hurt to get caught up more.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>It could earn you some money on the side if you do well.
[ ] [Activity] Religion
>Visit churches to try and find a new one.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Choose a way to advance yourself as a hero.
[ ] [Heroism] Design a name and costume.
>You can't just be X forever.
[ ] [Heroism] Look into types of Parahumans.
>If you're going out doing hero things, you're bound to run into them at some point. Knowing the difference between a brute and a breaker will probably be good.
[ ] [Heroism] Study your first aid.
>You might need to treat injured people in the future.
[ ] [Heroism] Look for trouble.
>You're not a hero if you aren't actually going out and saving people, right?
[ ] [Heroism] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Oct 5, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon
[X] [Activity] Sports
[X] [Heroism] Look into types of Parahumans

My fist slammed into foam. I followed it up with a flurry of blows, exerting as much strength as I could. The self-defense class I had signed up for did not focus on fighting and instead concentrated on methods to escape and run away. That did not mean we hadn't learned the basics. Enough that I knew how to throw a punch at least.

The punching bag rocked back a scant few inches. I think it was safe to say that I did not have any sort of super strength.

I let out a sigh and used the back of my arm to wipe sweat from my brow. I had already tried a few other tests just to see if I had any physical enhancements. I measured how high I could jump, how much weight I could lift, how fast I could run. Our home's personal gym did not lack for equipment.

The only thing left was to test my durability.

I picked up a thin sewing needle from where I had left it nearby. The prospect of injuring myself was not a particularly appealing one, but this seemed the easiest way. I drew my lips tight and pressed the point against the pad of my finger. There was a moment of resistance before blood began welling up. Nothing that could not be explained by my hesitance and the needle not being quite sharp enough.

Many people were smiling.

It did not matter. I did not need powers to try and save people. It was reckless, perhaps, but… I could envision the task ahead. That which I could envision, I could make reality. There was already someone close to home who I could help, after all.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Thank you for having me."

"Hey, I'm happy to have you," Victoria said, smiling brightly. "Can I get you anything? Snacks, a drink?"

"No, I do not require anything," I replied, glancing around the Dallons' living room. It was quite a bit smaller than our own, but it was still nice. Family photos lined the walls, the furniture was well-made, a large TV hung on the far wall. It was only on a second examination that the oddities began to stand out.

The doors had reinforced frames and heavy-duty locks. Thick curtains lined each of the windows, ready to be drawn and hide the inhabitants from the outside. A security system was primed and needed a code imputed every time the door was opened. This was a home of people who expected danger.

"Oh, okay. Well, make yourself at home. I was a little surprised that you asked to come over – I don't usually see you unless Dean brings you along. Are you doing okay, by the way?"

"I am doing as well as could be expected, I suppose. There has certainly been some need to adjust, both physically and mentally, but I have been doing my best to manage it."

"Well, if you need anything, let me know, okay? Homework advice, making friends, hanging boys from trees – whatever you need, Big Sis Vicky is on the case." She grinned brightly and winked at me, patting her bicep.

A smile played about my lips. "Well, perhaps I shall take you up on that at some point."

Victoria put a hand over her mouth and faked a gasp. "A month awake and you're already getting back into the dating pool? Who's the lucky boy?"

"Who said anything about a boy?"

"Lucky girl?"

"Yes, though not in the sense that you are thinking." I let my smile fade, the humor of the moment fading. "I was hoping to speak with Amy."

Victoria froze, her feet slowly lowering to the ground. "Really? I mean, that's great if so, I just didn't think the two of you ever got along much."

"We have not in the past. Regardless, I would like to change that."

Victoria studied me, her gaze inscrutable, before she finally nodded, tilting her head towards the stairs. "Alright, follow me. I'll try and draw her out for you."

I followed behind her, my shoes sinking into the plush carpet as I silently followed behind her. We passed Victoria's room first, her door hanging open to expose it. Passing by, I spotted a desk with a laptop sitting open and a large bookshelf with several trophies decorating it. Victoria stopped at the next door and knocked.

"Amy? You awake?" she asked, her voice soft. Hesitant.

"What is it?" A muffled voice replied.

"Could you come out? Elaine's here."

"Just tell her I'm asleep."

"Amy, it's three in the afternoon."

"Then tell her I'm not here."

"Amy, she wants to talk with you. Just come down for a bit?"

"Well, maybe I don't want to talk with her!" Amy snapped. "Just… just leave me alone, Vicky."

I pressed my lips tight. My patience with this petulance was growing thin. "Excuse me, Victoria."

"Ellie? What are you–"

My foot slammed into the door. The doors leading outside may have been reinforced, but they had not taken the same precautions here. There was a crack and the latch slipped, the door banging into the wall as it flew open. Inside, Amy sat wrapped almost entirely in a blanket, staring wide-eyed as I came through the door.

"What the hell?! Did you just break into my room? Are you fucking crazy?"

The girl was paler than I remembered, the color drained from her skin from lack of sun, leaving a stark white to contrast with her many freckles. Her brown hair had grown long and tangled, wild from lack of care. And though she wore her blanket as a cloak, it parted enough that I could tell she wasn't wearing much in the way of clothes. A large t-shirt and her underwear. I scowled down at her and she flinched back as I approached.

"Get dressed," I said, my voice as tightly controlled as I could keep it. "Your family may have indulged your cowardice, but I will not. I am taking you outside."

"I'm not going to–"

"Get. Dressed."

Amy glanced to Victoria for a moment before looking back to me. Her jaw worked, trying to say something but unable to produce the words. Finally, she bit out, "Fine. But get out of my room. I'm not going to change with you watching, you creep."

I held her gaze, not looking away until she met my eyes. The pink of anger and embarrassment slowly invaded her cheeks and I waited until it was near a tipping point before I replied, "I shall hold you to your word." With that, I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me. It failed to latch properly and began drifting open again.

"Holy hell." Victoria stared at me as though I were a stranger. "Where did that come from, Ellie?"

"...Do you believe that I went too far?"

"A bit," Victoria said dryly. "I won't complain if it works. I will leave you in a tree if you make Amy cry though, okay?"

"Well. Far be it from me to tempt your wrath. You are welcome to come along, if you wish."

"Next time, maybe. I have the feeling the two of you need to have a talk without me acting as third wheel."

"I don't think we need to have a talk, not that anyone asked me," Amy said, stomping out of her room. She'd thrown on a pair of jeans and a hooded jacket despite the summer heat outside. She hadn't bothered combing her hair.

"Your opinion is noted," I said. "However, I am choosing to ignore it in this case. Shall we?" I offered my hand only for Amy to glare at it as though it had personally offended her until I lowered it once more.
"If we must," Amy finally said.

I met Victoria's eyes and she gave me a sympathetic smile. It would seem I had my work cut out for me. "Then let's go." I led the way back downstairs. Dean had not been available to drive me today – I had needed to catch a taxi over here – but there was a bus stop nearby that ran close to where I was intending for us to go.

"Where exactly are we going anyway?" Amy asked. "If it's shopping, I'll save us the time and hard pass now. I get enough of that when Victoria decides she needs to drag me out of the house."

"We are not going shopping."

"Good," Amy said. "Maybe this won't be a completely miserable experience then."

Well, one could dream, I suppose.

A half hour later saw us at a set of batting cages down near the Boardwalk. It was part of a larger facility – there was a laser tag arena, mini-golf, an arcade, and other entertainment for children our age to busy ourselves with. Amy however, had not been happy with my choice.

"Sports? Really? I take it back, this is already worse than shopping. At least then I only have to walk."

"Just hit the ball, Amy."

I followed my own advice, only to whiff the strike as my swing came in a bit too quickly. Amy scowled but followed suit soon after, a satisfying crack echoing through the cage.

"Why did you decide on this anyways? You never struck me as the sports type before."

"I have been attempting to broaden my horizons since I woke up." I swung again, this time managing to catch the edge of the ball. The force didn't transfer properly however, and it simply bounced away. "Besides which, I had the feeling that this conversation would leave the both of us wishing to strike something."

"Well, that's for sure." Amy swung again. Crack. Another ball went sailing back and was caught by the cage's netting.

I shifted my grip. I had never done anything quite like this before, to my memory, yet it still felt somehow familiar. I swung again – the bat hit and the ball went flying upwards before falling back down behind the plate.

"Stop."

"What?" I turned to frown at Amy.

"Widen your stance. Spread your feet apart. Square your shoulders."

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean?"

Amy huffed and shut her pitching machine off before circling around to my cage. I shut my machine off as well, and she stepped in behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder and another on my back, pushing gently to straighten me. "I mean your stance is all wrong. You look like you're trying to swing a sword around."

Raising an eyebrow, I followed her instruction. "You are better at this than I thought you would be."

"Vicky's main sport was always basketball, but she's dragged me to places like this before. She could probably give you better advice than I could."

I hummed and glanced back at Amy. "She seems like a good sister."

"...Yeah. She is. Better than I deserve."

"True."

"Hey!" Amy scowled. "You're not supposed to agree with that!"

"Would you prefer that I give you platitudes instead?" I asked. "Perhaps about how love does not care what you deserve?"

"Ugh. No." Amy shook her head and looked away. "Forget it."

Pausing, I tilted my head back, looking out towards the sky. "I called it a platitude, but that does not make it less true, Amy. Love does not care whether you deserve it or not. Your sister loves you. That will not change. It is simply up to you to live up to that love."

"Easy for you to say," Amy scoffed.

I sighed and set my bat down. "What is it that is eating at you exactly, Amy? My brother thought you were guilty over what happened to me, but that does not seem to be the case."

"Wait, is that what all this has been about? Because of Dean? He had no right to talk about me like that!"

My eyes narrowed. "Amy. He was worried about you. Your sister is worried about you."

"Yeah, well, it's none of their business, Elaine!"

A frustrated sigh escaped me. One step forward and two steps back. "If not with them, then speak to me, Amy. Cease this tantrum and allow me to help you."

"Why do you care, even? It's not like we were ever friends."

"Perhaps not. That need not stay the case, however."

"And what, I'll just become a better person through the power of friendship?"

I stepped forward into Amy's space and drove a finger into her chest. I was shorter than she was, the top of my head only coming up to her nose. I tilted my head back so that I could look her in the eyes. "You think you are not worthy of their love? Fine. Then I will beat you into shape until you resemble an actual functioning human being again."

Amy's eyes widened. "Er, when you say beat me into shape, what does that mean exactly?"

A smile played on my lips. "I suppose that is for me to know and you to discover. To start, we will be making this sort of outing a regular thing. You are not allowed to simply hide away in your room any more. At the very least, you will join me in my self-defense classes so that you are prepared for any future trouble."

"...Fine. I can agree to that. For now."

"Good. Then let us hit a few more balls and I will buy us dessert on the way home. Is that acceptable?"

"Well, that would require you to actually hit anything first," Amy snarked.

"Oh? Those sound like fighting words to me, Amy. Were you looking to make a competition of it?"

"You know I'll crush you, right? You haven't hit a single ball yet."

"Ah, but I have received your instruction and taken it to heart. I am sure my fortunes are ready to shift."

"Well fine," Amy grinned. "If you want to lose that badly. If I win, you have to give me your serving of ice cream after this. I get both, you get none."

I narrowed my eyes. A harsh penalty indeed. "I accept."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Energetic.
Gain a check to Melee.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Nearly two hours later, Amy laid sprawled across the bus seat, groaning softly. "Ugh. I can't believe how competitive you are."

I shifted uneasily and looked away. "Surely it wasn't that bad?"

"We played five games with thirty balls each game." Amy grimaced and looked away. "You sulked when I beat you and asked for another rematch, only to get mad if I tried going easy. Not even stealing your ice cream makes up for this."

"...Perhaps I was a bit overly enthusiastic."

"You don't say," she replied sarcastically.

I looked out the window and watched the city pass by, trying to ignore the heat that was burning my cheeks.

"...Still," Amy said after a moment. "I had fun. Thanks, I guess. Even if you owe me a new door."

"...I will see what I can do to replace it."

Amy laughed, a surprisingly gentle sound for how harsh her voice could usually be. Outside, the world passed by, idyllic as the Bay ever could be. Blue skies stretched as far as I could see, the Sun bright in the sky. A cloud passed and a second sun appeared.

"What–?"

A series of popping sounds came from nearby – gunfire? Amy was starting to raise herself up in response to the noise when the Sun descended and the world disappeared in light. The bus was rolling, my arm wrapped around Amy as I tried to keep us in our seats. A thunderous clap came nearby and the both of us fell down onto what had once been the bus's ceiling.

Gamemaster said:
Elaine Dexterity: 14 | 14 = Critical Success

I let out a slow breath as I slowly sat up. Amy and I were unhurt, thankfully, but I couldn't say the same for the other people on the bus. A quick scan of the vehicle showed people who had broken bones while falling. Others who had fallen on shattered glass and cut themselves. Some were unconscious. Others were groaning in pain.

Across the street I could see men dressed in garish red and green, guns aimed towards the sky. A dreadful roar shook the ground beneath me, dredging up terror from deep within my soul.

There was no time to think. I had to act.

It is June of 2010.

You have been caught in the crossfire of a Parahuman battle. You need to respond and fast.
[ ] [Battle] Attack
You should get rid of those gunmen across the street. It will be difficult to evacuate everyone if it's an active warzone.
[ ] [Battle] Rescue
Start dragging people out of the bus to try and get them to safety. This will take time and be difficult with a battle going on.
[ ] [Battle] Hide
Bunker down inside the bus and hope that help comes soon.
[ ] [Battle] Flee
Get yourself and Amy to safety. The others will have to fend for themselves.
[ ] [Battle] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Oct 10, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Battle] Rescue

"Amy."

"Whu–" Amy stirred on top of me and I gently shifted her to the side. "What happened?"

"A Parahuman battle. We need to pull the people trapped here to safety quickly, before anything else happens."

"I–" Amy slowly pushed herself up and looked around. An explosion sounded off in the distance, the force and noise enough to send the bus rocking once more. "Where is even safe?"

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 6 | 3 = Failure

I drew my lips tight. There was too much noise. I couldn't tell which direction the battle was in, if it was even moving away at all. "I do not know. I know that we cannot afford to stay here, however, and neither can these people."

"So what, we just pick a direction and go?"

"We will not escape far with all of these people – but we can at least get them inside a building and out of the line of fire."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Prudent.

Amy chewed on her lip, her eyes frantically darting around the bus, before finally nodding. "Okay. Okay. We can do this. How do we do this?"

Ducking down to look through the window, I surveyed the area before pointing to a bookshop. "We aim for that building. The heavy shelving should hopefully help stop any bullets that come through the walls. I will begin organizing anyone who is awake and uninjured enough to assist those who are hurt."

Amy nodded again and took a deep breath before rushing to the nearest person. Meanwhile, I scanned the bus. There had been eighteen people onboard prior to our crash. Not including Amy and I, there looked to be three relatively uninjured, with another two who could at least walk under their own power. That meant at least two trips, possibly a third to get everyone, and that's assuming everyone helped.

Gamemaster said:
Heroism: 7 | 16 = Success
Leadership: 20 | 0 (+5 Heroism) = Fumble!
>Gain a check to Leadership.

I stepped out into the aisle and raised my voice. "Everyone who is able – We must move everyone who is injured off the bus and into the nearby buildings swiftly! The longer we stay here, the greater the chance that we are caught in the crossfire!"

"Fuck that!" A man swore. "I'm not waiting around for some Empire goon to put a cap in me! I'm getting out of here!"

"Wait – These people need your help!"

The man ran for the rear door, shoving me aside as he passed by. I hit the ground, the breath blown out of me, more stunned by the act than the actual force behind it. The other two uninjured people, a man and a woman, shared a look before following after him, a bit more slowly. One of them looked down at me as they passed.

"Sorry kid. You mean well, but we just can't risk it. Not with things this bad already."

Slowly picking myself up, I squeezed my hands tight. I could not fault them. They simply wished to keep themselves safe. Still, the taste of bitter disappointment filled my mouth.

"Oh God. What are we going to do?"

I took a deep breath and looked at the woman who had spoken, a woman with a very obviously broken leg. "We will do whatever we are able. My friend and I will begin carrying whoever we can, but we need you to stay calm in the meantime."

The ping of a stray bullet hit the frame of the bus and the woman flinched. "We're going to die, aren't we?"

"No. Not today. Not if I can help it."

The woman broke into tears and I looked away. A part of me wanted to join her, but I could not afford that. Not now. For now, I locked those emotions away and focused on the task at hand. The people who had been knocked unconscious would have to be first. There was no chance that they would be able to drag themselves to safety. Amy could help those who only had broken limbs out of the bus at least. I performed mental triage and moved to grab my first rescuee.

Gamemaster said:
Strength: 9 | 9 = Critical Success
Rescue (2d6+6) = 9+6 / 13 people Rescued prior to interruption.

They were heavy. It wasn't even that big of a person, yet I found my arms straining. I grit my teeth and bore the weight. Then I bore the weight of the next person. And the next. Even those who were twice my size, somehow I managed to walk. A mere eleven people to carry.

The bookstore owner looked a frightened mess when I brought the first person in, but he was quickly ushering me through, helping take people from me once I got them to the door. I finally heard sirens in the distance as I left for the final casualty, though the sounds of explosions had not yet quieted. Extricating them from the wreck, I made it to the door when a thing made of twisted steel tore through the street.

Its passage left the bus a twisted wreck, the gunmen who had been firing from nearby now a mangled heap. The thing stopped, turning to look at me for a moment, before continuing onwards, uninterested in a random civilian. A wolf made of jagged, cruel blades and barbs. Another Parahuman.

This was the face of the conflict in my city. This cruelty. This indifference to the safety and happiness of its people. I shook, overcome with rage and fear and exhaustion all at once. I barely managed to get inside the bookstore before collapsing to the ground, barely able to draw in breath.

"You okay?"

"No. Not particularly." I allowed my breath to slow before opening my eyes to look at Amy. "Is everyone safe?"

"Yeah. I can't believe we managed it." Amy gave me a small grin and punched at my shoulder. "I didn't think you had something like that in you."

Gamemaster said:
Modest: 2 | 10 = Success
Proud: 12 | 10 = Failure
Glory gained for successfully rescuing all wounded = 30

"I just did what I could," I said, glancing away.

"Well, I guess what you could do was more than I thought." Heat suffused my cheeks, but it was a pleasant embarrassment. Amy kept talking, having apparently not noticed. "I already called 911 and left a message with my family. They're busy trying to contain this, but an ambulance should be on its way."

"Good. That's… good. Do we know what caused this?"

"No idea. That bright flash at the beginning though? That was Purity, the Empire's resident Blaster."

"Blaster?"

Amy gave me a funny look. "Yeah, you know. Shoots beams and stuff. Did you never learn the Parahuman classifications?"

I shrugged. "I was never terribly interested in them before… everything that has happened."

"Well… I suppose the classifications do change quite a bit, the science around it is still evolving, but Blaster's on pretty much all of them. Vicky could tell you more, she's a huge nerd about this sort of stuff."

"What are the others?" I asked.

"Ugh. Give me a sec. How'd it go?" She began singing a small rhyme, "Mover, Shaker, Brute, and Breaker. Master, Tinker, Blaster, and Thinker. Striker, Changer, Trump, and Stranger."

"That's all of them?"

"All of the ones currently in use. Like I said, there's some older ones, or ones that don't get used often any more. Like Shifter or Nuker."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Parahuman Studies.

I hummed thoughtfully and closed my eyes, too tired to truly engage with what she was saying. Darkness soon overtook me.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

A scream rent the air. The girl woke with a start, immediately moving to begin donning her armor. Her armor, but not her sword. She had drawn the Sword of Selection earlier that day. Not all had acknowledged it. King Lot had declared that he would never serve someone as young as her as King. Nor had he been alone. Others had left in discontent, murmuring of a child king. Yet, for every one that left, two had vowed their allegiance.

The sword had been hung in Saint Paul's Basilica. Proof for all to come and see that the sword had been drawn. The King had been chosen.

And tonight, the very same night that the sword had been drawn, vandals had come to sack Londinium and steal the sword.

She left her lodgings, with not the holy sword but instead one made of common steel in hand. A man covered in painted woad and wielding naught but a knife came screaming out of the night. A twist and a slash and he was cut down.

Even without her holy sword none stood in her way. Pictish knifemen were cut down. Their spears were broken. Their shields shattered. And at the Basilica, she found loyal knights had formed a defensive line, keeping any from taking the sword.

"You have each done well. Tell me your names, that I might know who has served me faithfully this night."

"My Lord, I am Lucan," one youth told her. He was young, and could not have been a knight for long, only recently graduated from squirehood. A firm jaw lent him a dignified appearance however, even in the midst of this bloodshot.

"My Lord, I am Griflet," another said. This one was young – too young to have been knighted yet. He must still be a squire, and yet had fought on anyways.

"My Lord, I am Bedivere," the last said. A handsome face, perhaps a year or two older than herself looked back at her steadfastly, disguising the pain of his severed hand. Yet, even despite the grievous wound that showed hurried signs of wrapping, he had not been slowed in his defense of the sword.

"Rise. I acknowledge each of you as knights of my household. You shall be proud. For each of you have obeyed your king's command."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

When I opened my eyes again, a day had passed. Someone had taken me back home while I slept, though I could not remember who. Vivid memories of dreams whirled through my mind as I slowly left my bed.

A slew of messages had filled my phone while I slept.

There were Victoria and Amy, of course, asking me to let them know once I had woken up. Mostly Victoria. Amy had sent a single message and had not bothered since. Victoria it seemed asked every few hours if I was awake yet. More surprising were Chelsea and Megan asking if I was okay and getting worried when I did not respond, and even a singular message from Erin checking on my safety.

I sent a message to all five, letting them know I was well. That accomplished, I left my room.

The house was strangely quiet. No maids here to clean. No gardeners outside taking care of the lawn. No sign of Dean in his room. It made the snatches of overheard conversation stand out all the more as I approached the living room.

"--Need to get out of this city. How many more incidents like this do we need?"

"You know it's not that simple, Helen. Where would we even go? Boston? That's even worse than here, they've got the Teeth running around causing havoc. New York? They have a new villain pop up every other week."

"What if next time she doesn't wake up? Or what if next time it's Dean who's hurt?"

"Look, these things never last that long. We can move up the vacation a bit, get them out of the city until it blows over."

"...Fine. That's fine. Just… how did everything go so wrong in the world?"

"I don't know. Too many selfish people choosing to become villains."

I quietly stepped away, not willing to listen any further. A cold pit had formed in my stomach. It wasn't just that people became villains. It was that not enough people stood up to them in response. Yet, here we were, fleeing in the face of adversity.

There was not much I could do about that. Not at this point. However, I could at least use the opportunity to better myself, and return more prepared for next time.

It is July of 2010.

We have arrived at a rest period.

First is to tally checkmarks.

Checkmarks said:
Energetic: 19 | 13 = Increased by 1
Prudent: 1 | 12 = No Increase
Reckless: 15 | 8 = Increased by 1
Honor: 9 | 15 = No Increase
Leadership: 2 | 0 = Increased by 1
Recognize: 5 | 3 = Increased by 1
Parahuman Studies: 8 | 0 = Increased by 1
Drive: 16 | 1 = Increased by 1
Melee: 2 | 1 = Increased by 1

Next is training and practice. You may select any one of the following improvements:

Training said:
Change a Personality Trait
You can add one point to a Trait, decreasing its opposite by the same amount (subject to an effective minimum value of 1).
-OR-
Change a Passion
You can add or subtract one point from any Passion.
-OR-
Change a Characteristic
Players may add one point to any one of STR, DEX, CON, or APP.
-OR-
Train Skills Up to 15
Add 6 points to any number of Skills under 15 in any combination—all points may be added to one Skill, divided between two Skills, or more—as long as the values are not raised over 15.
-OR-
Train a Skill Up to 20
Increase one Skill over 15 by one point, up to a maximum value of 20.

Please structure this vote as a Plan, i.e.
[ ] Plan Name Here
-[ ] [Training] Skills 1, Skills 2, Skills 3, etc.

The next stage is to tally Glory and to receive Glory rewards.

Glory said:
Chapter 1 Glory = 49
Passive Glory: (15 per Famous Trait & Passion (>16) = 30) = 30
Total Glory = 79

No Prestige Rewards awarded this month.

Next, you receive your monthly allowance. Given your status as a Wealthy Heiress, you earn $100.

Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)

Now, for our actions going forward into next month.

Your parents are taking you on vacation next month. Elaine technically doesn't have any control over this, but you the readers do.
[ ] [Vacation] New York
[ ] [Vacation] Los Angeles
[ ] [Vacation] France
[ ] [Vacation] England
[ ] [Vacation] Japan
[ ] [Vacation] (Write-In)

While on vacation, what will you focus on doing?
[ ] [Activity] Sightsee
[ ] [Activity] Talk with the locals
[ ] [Activity] Hit the beach
[ ] [Activity] Stick with what your family is doing
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

And finally a free time action. I'm going to leave this one entirely up to write-ins. If I particularly like a specific write-in, I reserve the right to also include it in addition to the write-in that wins the vote.
[ ] [Free Time] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Oct 17, 2023

"Come on, don't scream. Just be nice and quiet and it'll all be over soon."

The woman – girl, really – did not listen. The man sighed and pinned her to the ground, slapping her across the face to shut her up before wrapping a hand around her throat. Panicked, the girl tried to swing at him, her hand slapping ineffectually at the man's head. It wasn't enough to dislodge the man. It never would be enough. It was enough to annoy him however. More importantly, it was enough for the figure watching them from above.

Sophia's crossbow let out a twang as she pulled the trigger. Her bolt buried itself in the creep's shoulder and he went spinning off of his victim in a spray of blood. The girl ran off, not even waiting to thank her savior.

That was fine. Sophia didn't care about getting thanked. She was just here to take scum like this off of the street.

She hopped down off of the roof, her body dispersing into shadow, allowing her to land safely and reform, a second bolt already slotted into her crossbow. Walking over to the man, she kicked out, her boot finding purchase in the man's ribs as she flipped him over onto his back.

Blank, empty eyes stared up at her.

Shit. That made another one. She groaned softly. That meant she'd need to hide the body. It was hardly the first time, but it was still a pain in the ass. She couldn't call Emma to help her with this either. The last time she'd called Emma in to help with a dead body, her friend had freaked out. Emma might be a survivor, but she wasn't as strong as she liked to think she was.

That was fine. That was part of being a supportive friend. Sophia would help her get there. Eventually.

Bending down, she yanked her bolt free of the body. Maybe she could widen the wound, make it look like a stabbing instead. Just another mugging gone wrong in Brockton. That could probably work. That girl had run off so fast she probably hadn't even seen Sophia.

Nodding to herself, Sophia drew her knife, a nifty little thing she'd gotten at a sporting goods store, more hunting knife than pocket knife. Perhaps it was a bit much for the job, but well, needs must. She placed it over the man's chest and thrust.

An iron grip closed around her wrist. Sophia instinctively tried to jerk away before she realized it wasn't some third person who had grabbed her. It was the corpse. The man she had killed had reached up and grabbed hold of her. The shock held her in place long enough for the corpse to lunge upwards and sink its jagged fangs into her shoulder.

She cried out and turned to shadow immediately, but the corpse had torn a chunk of flesh out of her. She rematerialized a few feet away and sunk another bolt into it, but it hardly seemed to even notice. It simply licked at its blood-stained lips, staring at her with eerie red eyes.

"D-Don't scrrream," it gurgled wetly. "Just b-be nice and quiet. It'll all be overrrr soon."

Yeah, fuck that. Sophia dashed backwards, but the creature was fast. It was ontop of her, bearing her down to the ground almost before she'd realized what had happened. The world inverted, shadows turning ghostly as she became insubstantial, slipping the thing's grip again.

Range. She had to get out of this thing's range. She rematerialized just enough for her feet to meet the ground, jumping upwards. Her breaker state had all the mass of a shadow, and she soared upwards with the momentum she had generated, reforming to grab the roof's ledge. She could just snipe this thing safely from above–

A hand wrapped around her ankle and yanked her down before she could pull herself over the roof's ledge. She hit the ground, hard, the air driven out of her, but forced herself to roll away, instincts screaming at her. The creature landed where she'd fallen a moment before, the pavement cracking under its feet.

She stumbled, shaking her head. Things were getting blurry. The alleyway was covered in blood – her blood. The wound in her shoulder ran deep. She had to get out of here. She knew the creature would be on her in a second if she reformed, but she had to in order to generate momentum. She kept her momentum in her breaker state, but she had to leave it, even just for a moment, if she ever wanted to redirect herself.

The world regained color for a brief second, her body physical again as she leapt for the wall. Claws raked across her side and she screamed even as she slipped into incorporeality once again and into the building, away from the monster behind her. She stumbled and reformed once she was inside.

The other side of the wall was some kind of fridge. Those big walk in ones that butchers and some restaurants used, all steel and hooks and hanging slabs of meat. At least, she assumed that was the case. The lights were out, the room plunged into utter darkness. She bumped into something hanging and prayed that it was what she thought it was as she stumbled forward through the room, searching for the door.

Part of her just wanted to lie down. To go to sleep. A deep lethargy had settled on her, her limbs growing heavier with each passing moment. She took that part of her and stuffed it in the trash where it belonged. She wasn't dying here, in some restaurant freezer. She hit the opposite wall. No door yet.

A loud rattle came from her side. Someone trying to open a locked door and failing. The door rattled again before suddenly banging open, blown off its hinges. A dark figure stood there, silhouetted by the light behind it. Sophia didn't wait. She immediately jumped sideways at the wall.

A scream ripped out of her as she hit a wire, live electricity racing through her entire body.

She hit the ground, twitching, unable to move. Shit. Shit, shit shit. This is why she didn't just jump through random walls. Was this really where it ended? She was supposed to be the predator, stalking criminals unseen until she struck, and now she was being hunted down? She squeezed her eyes shut, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

"Shadowstalker."

Sophia cracked her eyes open, staring at the cobalt plated steel boots in front of her. "Armsmaster?"

The man paused, looking around the alley, shifting his grip on his halberd. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

"Already… t-turned down your Wards pitch once, y'know?"

"I think you might wish to change your mind. Unless you plan on bleeding out here in the alley?" Sophia shook her head minutely. "Good. Then come with me if you want to live."

Sophia groaned softly. "M-Movie references now? D-Didn't think you were that corny."

He wrapped his arms around her and hefted her upwards, his grip surprisingly gentle. "What reference?"

Sophia tilted her head up to look at his face. The grim set of his mouth seemed entirely serious. Damn it. This was her life now, wasn't it?

She let her gaze stray back to the alley as Armsmaster carried her out. For a moment, she swore she saw red eyes staring at her. Then, she blinked, and only darkness remained.

Aldsan · Oct 27, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Training] Leadership 3, Politics 1, Parahuman Studies 1, First Aid 1
[X] [Vacation] England
[X] [Activity] Talk with the Locals
[X] [Free Time] Visit local places of power

The crowning of a King was no simple affair. The sword may have been drawn from the stone on New Year's day, witnessed by God and man alike, but that was not the end of it. A new assembly of noblemen came from far and wide to witness the miracle on Candlemas, and once again, the sword was drawn.

"Truly amazing, my Lord. To think that we would see a King over all of Britain again. After Uther fell, I thought our country was doomed for destruction, but I feel hope once again."

"You shouldn't be deceived. This beardless boy is just a puppet of Merlin. You can't trust a sorcerer, especially not that one. I, for one, will never swear to this pretender."

So it went. Some declared their fealty. Others their distrust. Again, more noblemen gathered on Easter. Again, the miracle was repeated. Again, noblemen stepped forward to swear their loyalty, but many left instead, believing it a hoax. On Pentecost, the miracle was repeated for a fourth time, and with it came the crown.

"Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth this seat of royal dignity, which is yours by the authority of Almighty God. May that same God, whose throne endures forever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast forever."

She stared up at the Archbishop as he lowered the crown upon her head. It had been five months since she drew the sword from the stone. A part of her questioned the need for this pomp, but both the magus and Ector had insisted it was important. It was a necessary foundation upon which to build everything that would flow henceforth.

"Rise, Arthur. King of Logres, and High King of Britain."

It was not true. Not yet. Logres may have bowed to her, but the rest of Britain had not. In just a few days, King Lot and his dissidents would assemble an army outside the city and she would have to spill the blood of her own countrymen. For now, for this brief moment, the people celebrated the coming of a new era.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I jolted awake as the plane bounced, the wheels hitting the tarmac. The flight to London had been a long one, and at some point I had drifted asleep. Yawning, I stretched in my seat, the fleeting images of my dreams slipping away now that I was awake.

"Finally here. Hate these international flights."

Paying only half an ear to my father's complaints, I gathered my bags. We were staying here for a week. A week in which my parents hoped that the Protectorate would wrestle a lid back onto the boiling pot that was Brockton Bay. There was no hope that they would actually stop things entirely. The gangs had been embedded within the city for well over a decade. If they could have removed them so easily, they would have by now.

The three of us moved through the terminal and out to where our rental car waited. Three, because Dean had not come with us. Something about his work being understaffed and needing all hands on deck right now. I wish I had been allowed to stay behind with him; this trip felt cowardly. Violence had erupted on the streets and I had retreated to another country entirely for safety. It had been my parents' choice, not mine, but it was no less bitter a draught for that.

It could not be helped. I would simply have to make the most of the opportunity.

There was something here, in this land, that called to me. An urge that I knew not the name of. Something stirred in me, a desire to seek it out.

Unfortunately, I did not know where to begin. I spent the first few days simply seeing the various tourist attractions in the area. Big Ben. Buckingham Palace. The Tower of London.

It was when we visited Saint Paul's Cathedral that I found my first hint of something.

A sense of nostalgia welled up in me as I approached the Cathedral. For a moment, I saw not the large edifice that was there, but instead a much smaller church. Outside, there would have been a small, closed off yard, covered in snow that had fallen the night before. A large, flat stone would have sat in the center, a single piece carved into plinth with a sword driven into its center.

No sign of it remained. Yet, I was certain that I had once stood here in my dreams.

I took a deep breath. The air lay heavy here. This was an old place and memories were worked into the very stone beneath my feet. It may have changed from my dreams, but the core of the place had not.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Spiritual.

Inside, tall columns made of white marble lined the nave, the cathedral long enough to make it look narrower than it was in truth. There was an enormity to the place, a sense of sheer scope that left our church back home pale by comparison. Art decorated the ceilings, the walls, and was even carved into places in the floors.

This was a building that no longer reflected the small island nation that had been beset on all sides, but instead the wealth of an empire that had conquered the world.

"A miracle has a price. In exchange, you will lose the thing most important to you."

There was a time when the peoples of this isle fought to push the invading tribes from its shores. The Angles. The Saxons. The Normans. In the end, they had failed. This was no longer the land of the Bretons. Nor was it the land of the Cymric. It was England now. The land of the Angles. And just as they had invaded Britain, so too had their reach spread to the rest of the world.

My heart clenched, a strange melancholy overtaking me. I could stay there no longer.

"You doing okay there, Ells?"

"Just a stomachache, I think," I told my father. "If you do not mind, I may just stay in the park for a bit whilst you visit the museum."

My parents shared a look briefly. "Sure, I don't think that's a problem. Just stay in the park and don't wander off. You've got your phone on you, right?"

"Worry not. I have it with me."

"Okay. Don't talk to strangers or wander off with anyone."

"I will be fine. Go. Enjoy yourselves."

"Alright, but call if you need anything."

"Go!" I laughed. Really, they worried too much. Shaking my head, I wandered into the nearby garden, enjoying the warmth of the sun upon my skin and the breeze at my back. As parks went, it wasn't especially large. I could walk a circuit within a handful of minutes without effort. The trees made a barrier between the park and the rest of the city however, lending the space a bit of peace.

Settling beneath a tree, I folded my legs under myself, simply taking the time to watch the other people in the park. There, a child walked hand-in-hand with their parents. Across the way, a pair of old men sat, playing chess. A young woman was using the path to jog. A couple was walking their dog, a tiny thing that did not even come up to the woman's knee.

Everyone was going about, living their lives peacefully. Everyone was smiling.

A warmth spreading through my chest for the first time since I arrived in this land. If this was the result, I could accept the journey that had led to it.

A series of gasps went through the park, people pointing upwards. I jerked my eyes upwards, taking a moment before I managed to spot a man flying past, dressed in vivid blue and red.

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 20 | 4 = Fumble!
Gain a check to Recognize.

I did not recognize him, but the surrounding voices seemed excited rather than afraid. A local hero then, perhaps. Even knowing it was safe, however, it still put a damper upon my mood.

People in Brockton Bay would not have reacted the same. Even knowing that the parahuman was a hero, there was always the undercurrent of fear that their presence meant violence would soon follow. London had its villains as well, but it was safe in a way that Brockton Bay was not. Safe in the way that Los Angeles or New York were. Safe in the way where heroes ruled the streets, rather than villains.

Britain may have been my home in my memories and dreams, but Brockton Bay was my home now. I could not – would not suffer to allow its people to live in fear.

Elaine Stansfield was gone. That girl had died a year past. Yet, neither was I the woman in my dreams. At least, not yet. Every day, a bit more of who I was now was chipped away, replaced with the King who had once lived in this land. I knew I ought to feel dread at the prospect, but I did not. They were my memories, of this I was certain. I was simply reclaiming them.

Most importantly, the woman in my memories had been a warrior. She would have had the power to do something about the barbarity that plagued our land. With her memories – my memories – I may have the ability to drive out the malefactors that plagued my city.

"No way."

A voice nearby wrenched me from my thoughts. I looked up at the young Asian woman wearing a bright red shirt and white chinos. She stared at me in return, her blue eyes wide with surprise.

"Saber?"

"Rin," I breathed, the unfamiliar name escaping my lips.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Sorry again, you really do look a lot like her."

I hummed thoughtfully, sipping at the tea the woman had bought for me. The two of us sat at a cafe just across from the park where we had met.

"I take it you have not seen this friend of yours in some time?"

"Yeah. It's been, oh… about six years now? I didn't really expect to ever see her again, so you caught me by surprise."

I wasn't truly surprised to find out that I resembled the person from my dreams. Already, I had noticed details about my face shifting ever so slightly in the mirror. My cheekbones just a bit higher than they were before. My eyes just a hint more green. It was gradual enough that I doubt anyone would notice, not without comparing me to a photograph at least, but to someone who had known her, it must have been a shock.

No, my surprise was not in my resemblance. My surprise was that a person in the modern era knew her. I could not remember Rin. Not yet, at least. Yet, there was an instinctual fondness that told me this was no coincidence. It had truly been my past life that she had known.

"I apologize if it was an unpleasant discovery."

Rin waved her hand. "No, it's not like that. It wasn't unpleasant. It was just a shock is all. It's strange though. You even talk a bit like her."

Gamemaster said:
Trusting: 13 | 10 = Failure

I pursed my lips. A part of me said that I could trust Rin. Perhaps if I could remember anything about her, I would be able to place my conviction in that feeling. However, I could not and therefore I would not. For now, it was better if I kept my cards close to my chest.

"You said her name was Saber?" I asked. "Was she a cape?"

"Cape? Oh, you mean a parahuman. Well, it was something like that, I suppose," Rin said vaguely. "You probably won't be able to find her searching online though."

"Why is that? Did she not gather any fame as a parahuman?"

"Oh, she was plenty famous," Rin said with a wry smile. "But that was back when I lived in Japan. Before Leviathan did a number on the city. I'd like to think we got along pretty well, but truthfully, I only knew her for a couple of weeks."

Gamemaster said:
Academics: 3 | 11 = Success

I blinked. "You lived on Kyushu?"

"Not on the island itself, no. An island sinking is a big deal though. The rest of Japan caught a lot of blowback from that. Fuyuki was spared the worst of it, but it was still pretty bad."

I frowned and looked down into my cup. Every Endbringer attack was bad. The devastation they wreaked left scars in cities that would take decades to heal, when they did not destroy the cities entirely. Some attacks were worse than others however. Kyushu and Newfoundland. Twice, Leviathan had not been content with simply destroying a city and had instead sunk an entire island.

Millions dead because of a monster's whim.

"Easy. You don't want to break the cup."

That was true enough. I loosened my grip and set my cup gently on the table. "Is that why you moved to England?"

"No, that was unrelated. I got a scholarship with a school here, so I've been working on that. I do visit back home sometimes though, and things are doing better these days."

"Oh? What is it that you are studying?"

"Mineralogy."

"That is… an unusual choice of major."

"Ahaha," Rin laughed. "I suppose it is. I've always had a bit of a connection with gemstones though. Speaking of which, I'd like to give you something before I go."

"That is not necessary, Rin."

"I know. I'd like to though." She reached into her purse, digging around for a moment before pulling out a peridot the size of my little finger. It had been shaped into a kite, likely intended to be fitted to a necklace or pendant, though the stone was still loose. "Take this."

"Rin. This is too much."

"It's my money, I get to decide if it's too much or not." She placed the pale green stone into my hand and folded my fingers over it. "Take it."

Gamemaster said:
Peridot added to equipment.

There was energy trapped beneath the stone's surface. A swirling vortex straining to be unleashed. A tempest that had been constrained to this small rock. "It's warm," I murmured.

Rin's eyes widened for a moment. "Yeah. It's said that peridots are associated with healing and protection. So keep that close, and if you're ever in trouble, maybe it'll help protect you."

I hesitated for a moment before finally placing the peridot into my pocket. "Thank you, Rin. You are a good person."

"Hmph, don't overthink it," Rin said, turning her face away. "I'm not some hero going around rescuing puppies and kittens like a certain idiot I know. It just would have left a bad taste in my mouth otherwise. Consider it an investment. You have to live and pay me back some day."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "Then I will be certain to do so. You may rest assured that I will pay my debt in full."

Rin looked back towards me, her eyes soft again. "Yeah, I know you will. You really are just like her. It makes me wonder… Well, I can look into it later. It's a good thing Shirou was visiting back home though. I can only imagine how he would have reacted if he saw you."

"Shirou…?"

"Yeah, he'd definitely make something more out of this than he should." Rin shrugged as if to say, 'What can you do?'

She stood atop a mountaintop, facing the rising dawn. The horizon shone in glimmering gold, banishing the night. The morning sun rose. The halted wind began again.

"I see. Then our contract is at an end. I became your sword, defeated your enemies, and protected you. …I am glad to have fulfilled this promise."

"...Yeah, you did well, Saber," a voice said behind her.

"In the end, there is something I must tell you." She turned to face him. "Shirou – I –"

I clutched a hand to my chest, suddenly breathless. I did not know the name. It was unfamiliar to me. Yet, happiness swelled in me knowing that he was well.

Rin studied me with keen eyes. My reaction had given something away. I did not know what. She nodded to herself however and stood up. "Well then, I'd best be going. I've got a paper to write for class and a bit of research to do. …Take care of yourself, okay?"

"...You as well, Rin. I am glad to have met you."

With that, she left, leaving me alone once again.

A quick bit of housekeeping. I am removing Politics and Science as skills. They felt unnecessary for this quest. The points in Politics will be added as a bonus to Intrigue instead. In addition, for the sake of making things a bit easier, I am also removing the Charge skill and combining it with Drive. You will now just use Drive as a limiter for Charge attacks. The points in Charge are added to Drive as a bonus.

It is July of 2010.

You have one last place you wish to visit in England before you have to leave.
[ ] [Visit] A lake
[ ] [Visit] An oak tree
[ ] [Visit] A large standing stone
[ ] [Visit] A grave

After that, you will return to Brockton Bay. Choose someone to spend time with:
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Morgan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise.
[ ] [Activity] Hunting
>Your father likes to go hunting in the woods outside the city every now and then. It hasn't ever been your thing before, but you could give it a try.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work.
[ ] [Activity] Summer Classes
>You may have gotten into Arcadia, but it wouldn't hurt to get caught up more.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>It could earn you some money on the side if you do well.
[ ] [Activity] Religion
>Visit churches to try and find a new one.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Nov 7, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Visit] A lake
[X] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[X][Activity] Religion

I walked through thick fog, eddies swirling around my ankles. It had been warm out this morning, too warm for fog. The summer heat had burned off any that had remained in London. Yet, here, it seemed pleasantly cool, the fog thick enough that I could not see more than a few feet in front of myself.

It was our last day in England. Tomorrow, we would return to America. All week, I had felt called to find… somewhere in Britain. Some place that I did not consciously know. It was only today that I had made an excuse about going shopping to my parents and left, catching a taxi to take me out to a lake hidden in the English countryside.

At some point the ground had begun to feel smooth and even beneath my feet, as though I were walking on glass, though I had plenty of friction. It was only when I looked down that I realized that I was walking upon the water itself. My skin prickled, gooseflesh raising along my arms. The air hung still, the lake motionless, the world trapped in a moment of time.

"What is this?" a voice hissed from the murk. "Some new jape of Merlin's? Some new prank with which to torment me?"

I let out a slow breath and turned towards the voice. "It is real enough. I am real."

A woman stepped out of the fog, her dress trailing across the water's surface. Pale blonde hair, nearly white in the surrounding gloom, framed an eerily familiar face. How could it not be familiar? It was my face. Simply grown more mature, the face of a woman rather than a girl.

She reached out, tracing fingers across my cheek, blue eyes staring at me in shock. "Thou art real," she said in wonder. "It is truly thee. How is this?"

"I know not the mechanism. Simply that I am."

"Thy body still rests. This cannot be thee in truth. So how…?" The woman frowned and leaned in, her face nearing so close to mine that our noses nearly touched. Her eyes roamed across my face, as though taking in every detail. "I see," she finally said. "So that is the way it is. To think we had concluded our cruel fates only to see its thread reeled out once again."

Her hands rose to cup my face. A strange anxiety filled me, an urge to step back, to get away from her. Her hands held me in place, unflinching, her lips curving in a wicked smirk.

"What are you–?"

"Thou wert stolen from me once upon a time. Thou once took mine kingdom from me, and thine kingdom in turn took thee from me. Thou who shouldst have always been mine." She leaned forward, pressing her lips against mine. For a moment, my thoughts fled, lost in the shock. For a moment, all I could focus on was how cold she was, as though I were being kissed not by a human but a sculpture of ice.

My hands found her shoulders, pushing her away. She did not so much as stumble, but she released me, letting me fall to the water's surface. The woman smiled down at me and my skin crawled.

"How wonderful that we might have another chance. I see not the reason for your return, only the means. 'Tis a simple enough trick, however. Yes. Simple enough that it may be imitated."

"Imitated?" I whispered, not trusting my voice.

"Indeed. The Age of Faery hath ended. Magic hath faded from Britain. I cannot leave here anymore than thou couldst leave Avalon. Yet, something found a way to bypass that. A way with which to bring thee to the Modern Era. It galls me not to have done so first, but for something like this, I will make exception."

I slowly pushed myself back to my feet. "What are you planning to do exactly?"

The woman simply smiled enigmatically and turned to leave, vanishing back into the fog. Only her voice remained.

"I shall see thee again soon enough, Sister."

I awoke on the lake's shore, the sun shining down bright overhead. It was a warm summer's day, yet I found myself covered in a cold sweat.

Gamemaster said:
You gain 50 Glory for meeting the Lady of the Lake.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The flight returning from England was a long one, and I found myself unable to sleep the way I had on the way there. My stomach churned with unease and I kept my head bent forward, resting on the seat tray in front of me for much of the trip.

Had I made a mistake? My memories were too scattered to say for certain. Yet, a creeping dread gnawed at me, insistent that this could only lead to ill.

Even if I could not remember everything, I was not so stupid that I did not fail to connect my memories to the legends. The sister of the King had plotted his downfall and orchestrated it successfully in the end. However, she should not have been the one associated with that lake.

Moreover, there were her final words. Did my carelessness result in the theft of someone else's mind and body?

I squeezed my eyes shut, tasting bile at the back of my throat.

It was a great relief when we finally reached Brockton Bay. It felt as though I had tied myself in knots during the trip, and the source of my worries was not cured, but at least here, I felt like I could do something. Anything. I was no longer trapped in the air with nothing but my own thoughts to torment me.

The experience had left me exhausted however, and I barely managed a brief greeting to my brother when we arrived home before departing to collapse in my room.

A short series of knocks interrupted me before Hypnos could claim me. I let out a short groan before rousing myself and pulling the door open.

"Dean?"

My brother smiled at me brightly from the other side. "Hey there. I just wanted to check on you. You kind of rushed back here when you got home."

"It was a long flight, Dean. I wished to rest."

Gamemaster said:
Ellie Deceitful: 1 | 9 = Success
Dean Suspicious: 14 | 5 (+10 Empath) = Success
>Dean wins the contest.

Dean frowned at me. "You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right? You don't have to hide it."

"I … Thank you. Truly. It is not something you can help with however." I smiled at my brother and patted his arm gently before stepping back to allow him into the room. "Tell me how things went while we were gone. Is the latest battle between the gangs all over?"

"It seems to have died down, at least," he said, sitting down next to my desk. I only had the one chair in the room, so I simply sat on my bed. "The News said that Challenger and Armsmaster managed to arrest Panzer and the Empire retreated after that."

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 5 | 4= Failure

The name did not mean anything in particular to me, but it was good knowing that another villain was off the streets nonetheless. For a moment, I could picture the scene of a week ago. A creature of jagged steel and hooked blades tearing through the fallen bus where civilians had sheltered but moments before, heedless of the damage it caused. Someone had to stop them. I had to stop them.

"What even started the conflict?" I wondered.

Dean shrugged. "It's hard to be sure. I think there's some speculation that they were trying to assassinate Lung. They failed, obviously, because he's still around."

Honorless wretches.

"What of you? Were you safe during the week?"

"Me? I'm perfectly fine," he said, flashing me a bright smile. "Nothing too exciting at work. We got a new intern at the office. She's still adjusting to the idea of working with a team of people, but her heart's in the right place."

"I am glad. I was worried that something may have happened without me here to protect you." I closed my eyes, leaning back into my bed. It was true. I was happy that my brother was safe. Yet, there was a strange, wistful melancholy mixed in with it. "Be sure to treat your new coworker well. If she has difficulties in adjusting, then be patient with her."

Dean let out a short laugh. "I'm the big brother. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be the one protecting you."

"Is that so? I suppose I should not lighten your duties, in that case."

Dean squinted at me, a troubled expression settling on his face. "I feel like I just got tricked into agreeing to more work."

"You will survive, I am certain," I said with an amused lilt to my voice.

Dean sighed. "Fine. It's not like I could refuse you anyways," he joked.

"As you should not. I am the King of this household, after all."

"Don't you mean Queen?" he asked.

"I meant what I said." I folded my arms and looked away, my cheeks burning.

"Of course you did." Dean grinned and gently punched my shoulder. I swatted his hand away, but that just widened his smile.

"Begone knave. Your King requires her sleep."

"Very well, I am off, your Majesty. Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?"

"I–"

She shivered beneath a blanket, rain pounding on the window. Her brother sat at her bedside, idly whittling at a block of wood.

"Hey brat. You had better not go dying on me. I still need you to haul my gear and polish my armor, you know. It would be troublesome for me if you were to die now."

She smiled gently, suddenly burning despite having been shivering just moments before. "I would not wish to inconvenience you, brother. I will get better soon."

"Good. I won't lighten your duties, you know. But… Well, if it will help you get better, I'll do just one thing for you. Anything you want."

"That is not necessary, Kay."

"Just pick something already. I'm not taking no for an answer here."

"Then… I wish to have a dream. A dream of a lion running across the plains."

"I suppose I would like to see a dream."

Dean frowned. "I don't think there's much I can do about that."

"...I know. Thank you, Dean, but I do not need anything else."

"Okay. Have a good night then, Ellie."

He left and I watched him before sinking down to rest my head on my pillow. A moment later, Kay (the cat) darted into my room and hopped up onto the bed to begin kneading at my chest before settling down to curl up on top of me.

"Fine. A dream? You got it." He focused on his whittling and eventually handed her a small statue that looked like a cross between a cat and a dog, though he looked inordinately proud as he placed it into her hands. "There, I made you a lion to accompany you in your dreams."

"This is meant to be a lion?"

She hesitated, unsure if she should say anything. "Thank you, Kay. Though it looks more a dog than a lion."

Kay's face turned stricken. "Really? I thought I did really well on it," he mumbled. "It was supposed to be an old, dying lion. One that couldn't even hurt a mouse. That way it wouldn't hurt you in your dreams."

She laughed, the sound bright and pure, and reached out to squeeze her brother's hand. "I shall cherish it, Kay."

That night, she dreamed of a lion running across the plains.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Love (Family)

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The tall steeple loomed over me. I took a deep breath, staring up at it, before stepping forward to press against the large oak doors. The hinges were well-oiled, and the doors swung easily despite their weight, admitting me inside.

I had spent the weekend investigating various churches in the area. Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, even some non-denominational establishments. Some called to me more than others, but I was intent on being thorough. Even if one "felt right" to me, I intended to make a survey of my options and how they differed.

So it was that I entered the Catholic church. It was a relatively small chapel, though well-kept all the same. The pews were of rich oak and stained glass lined the windows. An unearthly quiet hung about the place, as though excessive noise would taint this holy place.

A voice broke the silence.

"Well, hello there. What brings you here, young lady?"

I turned to the voice. The priest was older, nearly bald, with what hair was left long since turned gray. I nodded in his direction. "I suppose you could say that I am looking for answers."

"Well, I'd say you came to the right place. I'm Father DiMaggio." The priest moved towards me and offered his hand. Despite his apparent years, his gait was steady and his limbs thick. Age had not yet withered him. I clasped his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Father."

"So, what answers can I help you find?"

"I…" I frowned, pursing my lips as I thought through what I wanted to say. "I am having something of a crisis of faith. I grew up in a church, but recently looked around myself and saw nothing but worldliness and self-interest. Nothing of what the church was meant to be."

Father DiMaggio nodded slowly and sat down on one of the pews. "I hope you will excuse me. My knees aren't quite what they were anymore. However, as to your question, you would hardly be the first to come to a similar conclusion. At the end of the day, the Church, any church, is made up of people, and people aren't perfect. It is hard to grow up idolizing the organization only to one day realize its flaws."

"That is not particularly reassuring advice, Father."

"It's true though. We will never be perfect so long as we are on this mortal world. Only once our Father in Heaven claims us and purifies our souls and bodies and we are born anew will we be truly faultless."

Perhaps not even then. If man was already a flawed creation, would he become better for being reborn? Even if that were true, if all of man's impurities were washed clean, could he truly be said to be the same creature?

My lips grew tight in a pained grimace.

"If it is advice you want however, I suppose you have a few options."

"What options are those?"

"The first, obviously, is to decide the flaws are too much and to turn your back upon faith entirely."

I squinted at him. "Is that truly advice that you ought to be giving as a priest?"

Father DiMaggio laughed. "Perhaps not, but I wanted to be frank with you. Besides, it's just an option, not what I would recommend. If you were the sort to do that, I do not think you would be here asking questions now."

"Then what are my other options, as you see them?" I asked tersely.

"The second is to continue doing what you are now. Moving from church to church in search of perfection, never quite satisfied with what you find. For, no matter where you go, you will always be able to find some sort of flaw."

"I take it you do not recommend this either."

"I do not," he said. "It's one thing if they are teaching false doctrine or the differences are simply irreconcilable, but you will never be happy if you're simply seeking perfection."

"However bad the result, you can't change what's happened. Wanting to redo something because you couldn't do it is just childish selfishness!"

Was that what I was doing? Seeking perfection?

"Your third option is to confront it. Go and be the change you wish to see in the Church. Lead by example, with compassion and love."

"I am surprised, Father. None of your options included joining your church."

Father DiMaggio smiled and waved a hand as if to brush aside my comment. "You are welcome here, of course. I just want you to be sure that you are making your decisions for the right reasons, not because you are running away from something."

"Thank you. I shall have to think over the advice you gave me."

"Of course. The world will hardly end tomorrow. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Take your time and make sure your decisions are the right ones."

A sinking feeling curled beneath my breast, some part of me warning that perhaps I did not have as much time as the priest believed. That eventually tragedy would strike. I was here for a reason. Something loomed on the horizon. Something I would be needed for.

I turned to leave and Father DiMaggio called out to my retreating form. "Evening Mass begins in one hour if you would like to attend."

Stopping, I considered the offer. It would not hurt. I turned back into the church.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Religion.

You have activated my trap card. One of the odder parts of Type Moon lore is that Vivian and Morgan are alternate aspects / personalities of the same person.

It is July of 2010.

Choose someone to spend time with:
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Morgan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise.
[ ] [Activity] Hunting
>Your father likes to go hunting in the woods outside the city every now and then. It hasn't ever been your thing before, but you could give it a try.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work.
[ ] [Activity] Summer Classes
>You may have gotten into Arcadia, but it wouldn't hurt to get caught up more.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>It could earn you some money on the side if you do well.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Choose a way to advance yourself as a hero.
[ ] [Heroism] Practice
>You don't have much in the way of weapons right now, but you should work on improving your ability to fight anyways.
[ ] [Heroism] Design a name and costume.
>You can't just be X forever.
[ ] [Heroism] Look into types of Parahumans.
>If you're going out doing hero things, you're bound to run into them at some point. Knowing the difference between a brute and a breaker will probably be good.
[ ] [Heroism] Study your first aid.
>You might need to treat injured people in the future.
[ ] [Heroism] Look for trouble.
>You're not a hero if you aren't actually going out and saving people, right?
[ ] [Heroism] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Nov 25, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Social] Erin Archelot
[X] [Activity] Hunting
[X] [Heroism] Practice

The tip of my sword cut through the air. Slash. Step forward. Bring the sword through in a reverse cut. Parry. My mind knew the motions, even if my body did not. I had to rebuild that instinct, to make myself more than I was.

"Well, it was the only thing I was good at. You can train your body even if you don't have talent as a magus."

A fond smile crossed my lips. I could not remember the source of those words, yet a warmth permeated my chest all the same. The sentiment was true however. Even if I lacked the power I had in my memories, I could still train my body.

The image in my head faded. No longer was I practicing with a sword – a mere stick occupied my hand. The warmth of the summer sun beat down on me. Brockton Bay tended to grow humid during the latter half of summer, and the air clung unpleasantly to my skin, leaving sweat to soak through the t-shirt and jeans I had chosen to wear today.

The week since we had returned home had seen me listless, with little to occupy my time. Worry gnawed at me. If my once sister were to appear in front of me now, there would be naught I could do to resist her.

A flash of blue caught my eye. Our gardens were large. A number of flowers were planted across the grounds. A batch of blue tansies and purple pansies should be beneath my notice. The heady scent of floral perfume tickled at my memory, the sensation of cold fingers caressing my skin. My jaw tightened and I turned away.

This could not continue. I knew that. I could not allow this paranoia to destroy my life. I could not ignore the threat, but I could not allow my fear to rule me. I would simply do as I had always done.

I would arm myself. I would hone my skills. I would steel my resolve. I would vanquish my enemy.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Melee.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

It was early the next morning that a clatter downstairs woke me. Repressing the urge to yawn, I pushed myself from my bed and padded down to our parlor, where I spotted my father dressed in camouflage, a rifle slung over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up from putting a pack together, surprise clear in his eyes. "Oh, good morning, honey. I'm just going out hunting with a few of my buddies. You can go back to sleep if you want."

"I am fine," I answered shortly. I had been waking earlier of late anyways. A memory niggled at me of a time when I had slept only from dawn until the sun rose, and that time I slept was spent learning from the Magus in my dreams besides. The five hours I slept now was ridiculous luxury by comparison. "Is Dean not going with you? I thought he usually did for these trips."

"He was going to, but he got called in to work at the last minute. Some emergency or another," my father grumbled.

"His employer must rely on him a great deal to call him in on short notice," I mused. "I did not think that was typical for interns."

My father hesitated. "It's not. Dean's been eager to prove himself though. I keep telling him he could just come work for me at our company and take things easy, but he won't hear it."

"That is not a bad thing in and of itself." The ability to stand on his own two feet would serve Dean well, so long as he did not take his independent streak too far. He would be expected to inherit the company some day – knowing how the company functioned would be important when that day came. "If you require extra company however, I do not mind acting as a stand in."

"Really?" My father straightened. "You've never shown much interest before."

"I am interested in trying new things. In having experiences that I did not have the chance to before."

My father's eyes widened for a moment. "...Alright then. I'll warn you now though, it's mostly just a bunch of old men sitting around and drinking all day. You'll probably get bored."

"Perhaps," I said, "but that is still a valuable experience in itself."

"Fine. Go get dressed and you can come with."

I nodded my assent and returned upstairs to my room. Unfortunately, my wardrobe did not lend itself well to stalking about the woods all day. Most of it was thin, easily torn fabrics, chosen for fashion rather than practicality.

In the end, I settled on a pair of overly soft boots, jeans, and a long sleeved t-shirt. I hesitated over what to do with my hair, before eventually settling on simply drawing it back in a ponytail. A baseball cap and a set of sunglasses and … this is uncomfortably close to what I was wearing when I rescued that man a month ago.

It would have to do. The clothes were nondescript enough anyways. I doubted anything would come of it.

Heading back downstairs, I joined my father in packing the rest of his gear into the car. The ride after that was quiet. I glanced over at my father, wondering if I should say something to attempt to connect with him. He kept his eyes on the road. Eventually, he turned on the radio and I turned my gaze out the window, watching the scenery go by until we left the city limits.

I … no, Elaine did not have the same acrimonious relationship with her father that she had with her mother. That was because there was hardly a relationship at all. He was permissive and acted loving, at least, but for the most part she had gone unnoticed, passed over in favor of her brother.

Eventually we turned into a campsite in the woods. Several other cars were already there. To my surprise, I recognized some of the men standing about. My father got out of the car and waved.

"Max! I see you managed to rope Theo into things this time."

"It took some doing, but I managed. No Dean this time?"

"No, work called him in at the last minute. Elaine volunteered to come though."

"Elaine? Now that's unusual."

"Do not mind me. I was simply curious," I said, having unbuckled myself and followed my father. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Mister Anders."

"Please, just call me Max. I'm sure you'll pick things up quick enough."

Nodding, I said, "Max then. I ought to go say hello to Theo as well."

"Sure, you go do that. His girlfriend is here too, so it'd be good for you to meet her."

I raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware he had started dating. Good for him, I suppose."

Max laughed. "I know it can be hard to believe with the way my son is."

"Hm." I nodded my assent and turned to search for the boy.

Maximilian Anders was a tall, broadly built man with slicked back blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. For all of his bulk, it was clear that most of it was muscle. The man took care of himself. Theo, by contrast, had the same sort of height and bulk, but in his case it was mostly fat with little muscle to be found.

I found him sitting in silence next to a blonde girl who did not particularly look as though she wanted to be there. The girl was scowling out at the woods, only to switch her glare onto me as I approached. "So who are you then?"

I raised an eyebrow and silently looked at Theo, who looked embarrassed over the girl's outburst, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Hi Elaine," he mumbled quietly.

Looking back to the girl, I took a moment to silently examine her. Average height (which was still taller than I was) and thin, with long, straight hair that ran down to the small of her back. Her face slowly grew redder as I looked her over – perhaps she thought I was ignoring her? I decided to finally answer, "I am Elaine Stansfield. May I have your name, since you so rudely demanded mine?"

"Tammi," the girl bit out.

I nodded my acknowledgement and turned my attention away from her, dismissing her from my mind. "Theo, it is good to see you well."

"Thanks," he gave a small smile. "Um. I'm glad to see you're doing better. I heard what happened."

"Thank you. I will not say it has been easy adjusting, but I have been managing."

"Great," he said awkwardly. "I'll look forward to seeing you at Arcadia then?"

"Of course." I glanced at Tammi, who didn't seem particularly pleased with her paramour promising to see another girl. She glowered at both him and me in turn. "Will Tammi be joining us there?"

"No," she said shortly. "I go to Immaculata."

I tilted my head. Immaculata was a private all-girls Catholic school. Tammi had not struck me as the type – not with how tightly her jeans hung to her hips or how her shirt rode up to expose her stomach. Perhaps that was simply prejudice on my part in thinking that a 'Catholic schoolgirl' had to conform to a certain archetype.

"A shame. You are religious then?"

"Ugh. No. It's just my uncle being a controlling asshole. Not that it's any of your business."

An uncle. Not her parents?

"If you would like to spend time together outside of school–" I began in a softer voice, only for her to cut me off.

"Fuck off. I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't need your pity."

"Very well. Theo has my contact information should you change your mind." I would leave Theo to assuage her injured pride. I did not care to. "Until next time."

I turned away and left. For a moment, I thought I caught Tammi staring at me from a distance, but perhaps it was simply my imagination.

Another three men had shown up – I actually recognized all of them, I realized, by face if not by name. Other than Max, only one other had brought a child, a ten year old boy who was occupied by his cellphone. Now that I thought of it, the fact that Max had brought Tammi was rather odd in itself. In the case of most children, bringing them along was meant to serve as a bonding activity. A paramour did not fit with that.

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 11 | 7 = Failure

I suppose it was none of my business.

"This is a lot of people for a hunting trip, isn't it?" I asked my father as I rejoined him.

"Well, to be honest, we don't do much actual hunting," my father replied. "It's mostly an excuse to socialize. We'll split up later to see if we can spot anything though."

"Do you ever have much success?"

"Not really. Actual hunting involves a lot more patience than a couple of drunk old men wandering the woods have. Ideally, you want to sit as still and quiet as you can for a long time, keep the animals from ever knowing you're even there."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Hunting.

A simple enough lesson, though one that would likely be difficult to implement in reality.

"I think I may leave you to socialize and take a hike through the woods for a bit."

"Alright," my father said. "Don't wander too far and get lost. You have your phone on you, right?"

I didn't. I had left it behind when I was dressing. No matter. I probably would not need it.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I was lost.

Grumbling, I walked through the woods. The sun was beginning its descent, so it must be past noon now, at least a few hours had passed. One tree looked much like another and they had all blended into each other some time ago.

Vague memories of playing in the Forest Sauvage came to mind, but nothing that translated into actual ability.

Surely if I simply picked a direction and traveled, I would eventually find my way to somewhere.

There was no guarantee of that. The woods had a way of turning and twisting so that a person could think that they were heading in a straight path when they were actually walking in circles. Still, there was nothing for it. I had to make the attempt.

A half hour later saw me no closer to finding civilization. The hair on the back of my neck had begun to prickle however. There was something odd here. Frowning, I looked around for any sign of my discomfort, but found nothing.

Turn back.

Something lay ahead. Something that rejected visitors. Something that did not want me here. I hesitated.

The howl of a wolf echoed behind me and I stared back with wide eyes, my body already lowering itself to act.

Time with Erin will be next chapter.

It is July of 2010.

A wolf is behind you, an unknown danger ahead.
[ ] [Wolf] Fight
>You don't have much in the way of weapons or armor.
[ ] [Wolf] Hide
>You're not very good at this, but you could attempt it.
[ ] [Wolf] Flee
>Something dangerous lies ahead, though you don't know what.

Choose a way to advance yourself as a hero.
[ ] [Heroism] Design a name and costume.
>You can't just be X forever.
[ ] [Heroism] Look into types of Parahumans.
>If you're going out doing hero things, you're bound to run into them at some point. Knowing the difference between a brute and a breaker will probably be good.
[ ] [Heroism] Study your first aid.
>You might need to treat injured people in the future.
[ ] [Heroism] Look for trouble.
>You're not a hero if you aren't actually going out and saving people, right?
[ ] [Heroism] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Dec 1, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Wolf] Fight
[X] [Heroism] First Aid

The howl of a wolf echoed through the forest. Further away than the first, thankfully. Still, something I would rather not deal with. I took a step back, preparing to flee.

Turn back.

No, that was not an option. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed a branch from the forest floor and put my foot against it, forcing it to snap at a sharp angle. The resulting creation was a rough approximation of a spear. A very rough approximation.

I eyed my sharp stick with some trepidation, suddenly unsure of trusting my life to this thing. Another howl, closer than before, forced me to put those doubts aside. I did not have the luxury of choice.

Spear in hand, I leapt for the nearest tree, scrambling up to secure myself atop a branch even as a gray blur came barrelling through the underbrush. It slammed against the base of the tree in a rush of snarling fangs and snapping jaws, leaping after me to try and pluck me from my precarious perch.

Invoke Passion: Honor: 3 | 15 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5), Height Advantage (+5)
Wolf: Height Disadvantage (-5)

Elaine Melee: 2 | 12 (2+5+5) = Success
Wolf Bite: 11 | 9 (14-5) = Failure
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=11) (0 Armor Reduction) = 11 damage dealt to Wolf. (24/35 HP)

Elaine Melee: 19 | 12 (2+5+5) = Failure
Wolf Bite: 16 | 9 (14-5) = Failure
>No Hit.

Elaine Melee: 19 | 12 (2+5+5) = Failure
Wolf Bite: 20 | 9 (14-5) = Fumble
>No Hit.

Elaine Melee: 5 | 12 (2+5+5) = Success
Wolf Bite: 2 | 9 (14-5) = Success
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=12) (0 Armor Reduction) = 12 damage dealt to Wolf. (12/35 HP)

Elaine Melee: 7 | 12 (2+5+5) = Success
Wolf Bite: 18 | 9 (14-5) = Failure
>Elaine wins the contest.
>>Damage: (3d6=8) (0 Armor Reduction) = 8 damage dealt to Wolf. (4/36 HP)
>>>Wolf is rendered Unconscious and unable to continue.

Most people do not realize just how large a wolf is. Those without experience often think of them as large dogs. They are not. Wolves are massive animals. They are predators that could easily take down most grown men through sheer size and weight. There is an instinctual fear when faced with them, a time calling back to when men feared the night and the beasts that roamed it.

I could not afford fear.

Without thinking, I stabbed downwards with my makeshift spear. I caught the wolf just below the neck. Not a fatal injury, by any means, but the wolf let out a yelp of pain before lunging again. Its teeth came within inches of my foot and I scrambled to pull my legs up further before thrusting down again.

My thrust went wide, glancing off of the beast's fur. I quickly thrust again, only for my spear to catch, not quite managing to pierce, but instead splintering along the handle as the pressure began to break it apart. I hurriedly retracted it, shifting my grip as the wolf snarled at me from below.

A gunshot split the air. Too distant to be of help. The wolf jumped again. I was waiting for it. My aim was off however. Instead of a fatal blow, my spear buckled, piercing into the wolf's side but a scant few inches.

I felt a snarl of my own forming on my lips. What I would give for a proper weapon right now.

Still, the strike had left the wolf on its last legs. Any normal animal should have retreated after that. This one did not. It kept lunging at me with unchecked aggression. Rabid – or something else? I did not have the time right now to find out.

This time, I waited. I made sure of my strike. The wolf leapt and I placed my spear in its path. This time, I made sure the spear drove deep, leaving the wolf to bleed out on the forest floor.

Far away, I heard another howl. Another gunshot. I itched to go and help – but no, the risk was not worth it. Not with no weapon. I instead took the opportunity to climb higher in the tree, out of the reach of any enterprising wolves.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 25 Glory.

I sat there for a half hour before Max Anders burst into the clearing, hunting rifle in hand. He looked the part of some sort of action hero, here to save the day. Theo and Tammi, following in his wake, looked far less blase about the situation, looking nervously in every direction.

They stopped as a group when Max spotted the wolf's corpse at the base of the tree.

"What the…?"

I cleared my throat. Max's eyes darted upwards to where I sat, still bloody spear slung across my lap. "I assume the area is clear of threats?"

"Yes," he said roughly. "You killed this wolf? With a stick?"

"Yes," I replied simply. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"One of them took a bite out of Justin before we realized what was going on." He shook his head and straightened, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "I've never even seen wolves in this area, much less seen an animal act like that before. Your dad's been going crazy with worry. He tried calling and couldn't get a hold of you."

"I dropped my phone," I said blandly. "Would you mind not telling my father about this? He will be worried enough as is – you can simply say you found me hiding in a tree."

"I can do that," he responded slowly. He narrowed his eyes, studying me from below. "Would you mind explaining how you managed to kill a wolf all on your own? Are you a parahuman?"

"I am not. I was simply lucky."

"A good thing then. If only we all had that sort of luck," Max joked.

"If only," I said dryly.

"Hey," Tammi said, having circled around to nudge at the wolf's corpse with her foot. "I think it's still alive."

She was right, I realized. The wolf was undoubtedly bleeding out, but its chest still rose and fell.

"A shame it wasn't a clean kill," Max said. He frowned and turned to look at his son. "Well, nothing for it. Theo. Put it out of its misery."

Theo had hung back, quietly watching our conversation. Now he was the center of everyone's attention. "That doesn't seem necessary," he said quietly. "It's already dying."

Max's voice hardened. "I didn't ask if it was necessary. I said to do it, Theo."

Theo hesitated. Max's face turned thunderous. He strode over to his son, and for a moment, I thought he might strike Theo. Perhaps he would have if he did not know that Tammi and I were here watching. As it was, he grabbed Theo's wrist and leaned in to begin furiously whispering to the boy.

"Theo," I cut in, my voice gentle. "It is already dying. There is no sense in prolonging its pain."

Theo finally nodded, his lips drawing to a tight line. "Fine. I'll do it. Sir."

Theo stepped forward and unslung his rifle, placing the muzzle against the wolf's head. Even from here I could tell his hands were trembling. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away.

The firing hammer fell.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The walk back was an awkward one. Theo did not seem to want to look at any of us. Max still carried his anger like a cloud around him. The mood was tense enough that Tammi stuck to my side the entire way back, despite her earlier cattiness towards me.

I stared at Theo's back.

Theo was a gentle boy. There was no disputing that. There seemed something deeper here however, some undercurrent that I was not aware of.

What was I missing?

"Um, Elaine right?" Tammi whispered.

I raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "Yes?"

"Look. Sorry for being such a bitch earlier. I – Well, I didn't really want to be here. You seem cool though. If you ever do want to hang out, just let me know, okay?"

"Of course," I said, smiling gently. "I would be happy to."

"Cool." She raised a fist. I stared at it a moment, before realizing what she was after. Slowly, I raised my own and bumped my knuckles against hers. She grinned and said, "I'll see you around then, Short Stuff."

I blinked.

"What do you mean Short Stuff? You are only a few inches taller than I am!"

"But I am taller."

"My height is completely normal!"

"Whatever makes you feel better," Tammi said, smirking.

I made a noise of discontent. How was I to respond to this slander? Folding my arms, I turned away. Some battles were better left unfought.

"What do you think made the wolves so aggressive?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Who knows?" She replied, graciously allowing my diversion. "Maybe they were just hungry."

"In the height of summer? There should be plenty of animals in the area for them to eat."

"Honestly, I really don't know, Elaine."

That was fair. I doubt she had ever even seen a wolf prior to this. Max had indicated they weren't common to this area. That just made it all the more strange however. What had brought them here? What had stirred them up?

"Look, there's everyone up ahead," Tammi pointed.

So they were. We walked up to where the cars had been parked – several foldable chairs and coolers filled with beer had been unloaded in the time I was away. One man was sitting down, his arm a mess of bloody bandages. My own father seemed unharmed, but a look of immense relief crossed his face when he saw me approach.

"Elaine! Oh, thank God. I was so worried that something had happened. Are you okay?"

"I am fine. Truly. Nothing happened."

"It's true, Mark," Max cut in. "You've got a smart girl there. I found her hiding up at the top of a tree."

My father shuddered and hugged me close. "Thank you. I really can't thank you enough, Max. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened."

"Think nothing of it. What are friends for, after all?" Max asked, a wide smile crossing his face.

"Of course. Let me know if you ever need a favor, alright?"

"I'll keep it in mind. You go ahead and take care of your girl for now."

"Right. Let's go home, Elaine."

I nodded my assent and followed him to the car, though my eyes lingered on the injured man. There would inevitably be more injured people around me in the future. Even if it was the very basics, knowing how to treat someone in an emergency would be important. One more thing to study.

One more, on top of everything else. I was starting to wonder where I would find the time.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to First Aid.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Oh, this dress would look great on you! You should try it on."

After we returned from the hunting trip, things more or less returned to normal. Summer vacation continued to wind along, and I found myself staying at home for the most part. Still, I had at least one more social obligation to discharge. I had promised to spend time with Erin. Things had been delayed somewhat by my family's sudden vacation, but it would do me no good to go back on my word.

The problem however, was that I was unsure what to do with her. I simply did not know her well enough to make plans. In the end, I had simply called her and we decided on the common pastime that girls across America indulged in.

We went to the mall together.

"I am not sure the color would suit me," I said, eyeing the pale green sundress a bit dubiously.

"It will, trust me. Besides, half the fun is in trying things on, it doesn't matter if it looks good or not."

"You truly know how to make a person feel confident in themselves," I said dryly.

"Who needs confidence?" Erin asked. "You're just trying things on, not going out on a date. Now come on, quit stalling and go put it on."

I huffed amusedly and allowed her to push me into the changing stall.

Disrobing, I caught sight of my body in the mirror. I was not… womanly by any particular stretch. I had not grown curves to enchant men. I did not have the long legs that modern fashion models prized. My training had resulted in the beginnings of muscles visible along my back – the muscles of a warrior instead of smooth skin of a beauty.

Just as in my past life, I could convincingly pass as a boy if I truly wished it.

I scowled at my reflection and pulled the sundress over my head. It is not as if I even particularly wanted to date anyone. There was nothing to be upset over aside from my own injured pride.

"Well?" Erin's voice came from behind the door. "How's it look?"

Not as bad as I feared. I would have preferred if it had sleeves to cover my shoulders at least, instead of simple straps, and the amount of cleavage the dress had was unfortunate, given that I did not have the assets to complement it. I stepped out of the changing room.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Fashion.

"I still maintain that it is not my color."

"It's not the worst," Erin replied absently, her attention having seemingly settled on my chest.

"Erin?"

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking – where did you get that necklace from?"

I touched a hand to the peridot that Rin gave me. After we returned from England, I had asked to have it set and strung on a chain so that I could wear it with me wherever I went. Normally, I kept it beneath my clothes, but the dress left it bare.

"It is just something that I picked up in London. Why?"

"You just picked it up? Nobody gave it to you?"

"Erin," I frowned. "What is the issue exactly?"

"I – No, it's nothing, sorry. Nevermind."

"Very well." I stepped back into the changing room to switch back to my regular clothes. "It is getting close to noon. Did you want to continue shopping or head to the food court next?"

"I could go for a pretzel."

I smiled. I, too, would most certainly enjoy a pretzel.

We left the store and continued on our way together. On the whole, it was surprisingly pleasant. Not that I did not enjoy my social interactions with my other friends, but there was always a tension present in them. The knowledge that these people had been friends with Elaine – the girl she was, not the imposter who had hollowed her out and replaced her.

There was none of that burden with Erin. She had not known Elaine, only the me of the present. That was a rare gift these days.

I just wondered how much longer these days would last.

The dice continue to be in your favor. Be very glad that I made Elaine climb a tree. That first attack would have hit her otherwise. I rolled damage just to see what would have happened and it would have taken her out in one shot.

It is August of 2010.

We have arrived at a rest period.

First is to tally checkmarks.

Checkmarks said:
Spiritual: 19 | 10 = Increased by 1
Love (Family): 11 | 10 = Increased by 1
Recognize: 18 | 4 = Increased by 1
Hunting: 13 | 0 = Increased by 1
First Aid: 1 | 2 = No Increase
Fashion: 2 | 3 = No Increase
Religion: 18 | 3 = Increased by 1
Melee: 15 | 2 = Increased by 1

Next is training and practice. You may select any one of the following improvements:

Training said:
Change a Personality Trait
You can add one point to a Trait, decreasing its opposite by the same amount (subject to an effective minimum value of 1).
-OR-
Change a Passion
You can add or subtract one point from any Passion.
-OR-
Change a Characteristic
Players may add one point to any one of STR, DEX, CON, or APP.
-OR-
Train Skills Up to 15
Add 6 points to any number of Skills under 15 in any combination—all points may be added to one Skill, divided between two Skills, or more—as long as the values are not raised over 15.
-OR-
Train a Skill Up to 20
Increase one Skill over 15 by one point, up to a maximum value of 20.

Please structure this vote as a Plan, i.e.
[ ] Plan Name Here
-[ ] [Training] Skills 1, Skills 2, Skills 3, etc.

The next stage is to tally Glory and to receive Glory rewards.

Glory said:
Chapter 2 Glory = 75
Passive Glory: (15 per Famous Trait & Passion (>16) = 30) ; (Fair Appeal = 15) = 45
Total Glory = 259

(I've retroactively fixed your passive glory for Chapter 0 and 1 so you have a little bit extra).

No Prestige Rewards awarded this month.

Next, you receive your monthly allowance. Given your status as a Wealthy Heiress, you earn $100.

Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)

You have unlocked your first Adventure! At the start of each month, you can choose if you want to focus on investigating and solving the problem presented in the Adventure. If you choose not to, you will instead focus on normal street-level patrols and heroics.

Please Note: Not every adventure is meant to be completed immediately when it unlocks. Sometimes it's better to wait until you are better trained and better armed to attempt it. That said, the problem won't necessarily stay around forever either. If you take too long, it might get worse, or someone else might solve it.

[ ] [Adventure] The Adventure of Aggressive Animals
>The animals in the forest are acting strangely aggressive. It might be worth investigating.
[ ] [Adventure] The Adventure of the Forbidden Woods
>There is a part of the woods where you fear to tread. Maybe you should find out why.
[ ] [Adventure] Focus on your duties
>Do not engage in adventure this month.

Now, for our actions going forward into next month. School is starting!

Choose someone to spend time with (at school):
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Meagan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

You have several new classes at school. Which is your favorite?
[ ] [Class] English Literature
[ ] [Class] Math
[ ] [Class] Biology
[ ] [Class] History
[ ] [Class] Computer Science
[ ] [Class] Physical Education

You have several options for extracurricular activities.
[ ] [Extracurricular] Student Council
[ ] [Extracurricular] Debate Club
[ ] [Extracurricular] Journalism Club
[ ] [Extracurricular] Baseball
[ ] [Extracurricular] Part-Time Job
[ ] [Extracurricular] (Write-In)

Choose a way to advance yourself as a hero.
[ ] [Heroism] Design a name and costume.
>You can't just be X forever.
[ ] [Heroism] Look into types of Parahumans.
>If you're going out doing hero things, you're bound to run into them at some point. Knowing the difference between a brute and a breaker will probably be good.
[ ] [Heroism] Look for trouble.
>You're not a hero if you aren't actually going out and saving people, right?
[ ] [Heroism] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Dec 5, 2023

Theo hurriedly raised his arms to block the fist coming towards his face, only for it to plant itself in his gut a moment later. The air drove itself from his lungs and he fell over, wheezing, clutching at his bruised stomach.

It was not the first such blow he had suffered today.

"Get up," Brad said. When he didn't reply, the man kicked at him.

Theo groaned and scrambled back to his feet. He barely managed to get his hands up when Brad's fist blew past his guard and slammed into his face. He crumpled into a heap again.

Brad just scowled. "This isn't going anywhere. Fucking Tammi over there did better at this shit than you. Are you going to let yourself be shown up by a girl?"

Theo opened one eye – the other was swollen shut – to stare across the room. Tammi sat there, typing away at her cell phone, completely ignoring the beating that he was taking. He slowly pushed himself to his feet again.

This time, Brad split his lip.

"Stop," his father's voice echoed across the empty ring. "This is going nowhere."

"Heh. I could have told you that to begin with. Boy's too soft."

"Watch what you say, Hookwolf. He is still my son. He just needs tempering, as any good piece of steel requires."

Brad – Hookwolf – shrugged. "No skin off my back. You want me to keep beating him, I'll keep beating him."

His father stepped into the ring, the clink of steel ringing with each step. "There is no need for that. I think he has learned his lesson. Haven't you, Theo?"

He lifted his head to stare at his father, clad in all his glory. Steel plate armor shone, intricately fitted to his father's body. The joints held no gaps, only increasingly small overlapping plates that shifted and pulled with the man's every movement. The helmet was all one piece, blades rising in a circle around it in imitation of a crown.

Before him stood not Maximilian Anders, but Kaiser, the leader of the Empire Eighty-Eight.

"Yesh, shir." Theo mumbled, his words slurring together more than he would like.

"Hm." His father stood there silently, as if waiting for some further reaction. When none came, he turned away. "You can keep the bruises overnight. It will help let the lesson sink in. I will ask Othala to see to you tomorrow."

Theo nodded. He had expected as much. His father would probably force him to keep the bruises even longer if it weren't such a potential problem for people to see him like that.

"Hookwolf. I'm assuming that Rune told you what happened in the forest. What are your thoughts?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Theo saw Tammi look up, suddenly interested in the conversation.

Hookwolf scratched at his chin. "It's not impossible she's telling the truth. People can do some crazy shit when their lives are on the line. Still, killing a fucking wolf with nothing but a stick is pretty out there. I'd say chances are she's a parahuman."

"I thought as much as well."

"No real way to tell what the powers are though. She actually used the stick, so probably not a Shaker or Master, but could be just about anything else. If you want, I could send a couple of my boys to rough her up. We'd find out what powers she has real quick that way."

"That's a terrible idea," Tammi interjected.

There was a brief silence, both men turning to look at Tammi. His father finally asked, "Do you have something to add, Rune?"

"Yeah. We want to recruit her right? Sending a couple of our own guys to attack her is just asking for her to develop a grudge. Pay off a couple of druggies – or better yet some chinks who are willing to wear red and green. Don't send them directly after her, that's way too overt. So soon after exposing herself in the forest, she'll know one of us had to be involved. Target one of her friends instead."

"You've been giving this some thought," Kaiser said quietly.

"Hah," Tammi barked a short laugh. "No. That's just the obvious stuff. The hard part is convincing her to actually join."

"And do you have any suggestions on that front?"

"Dunno," Tammi said flippantly. "I don't know the girl well enough. She's offered to hang out though, so give me some time and I'll figure it out."

"Hm." Kaiser silently examined Tammi for a long moment. "I will admit, this is more initiative than I am used to seeing from you, Rune."

"It was just a thought. Take the advice or don't." Tammi shrugged, her eyes flicking up towards Brad. "No skin off my back."

"The idea is a good one. We will discuss the details later. Keep your nose clean in the meantime."

"Of course." Tammi shifted, returning her bored stare back down to her phone.

Theo knew it was the worst thing she could have done. It was as if she were the one dismissing his father instead of the other way around. His father wouldn't make a scene of it – that would undermine his dignity. Instead, Tammi would probably find herself occupied with some sort of drudge duty in the near future as punishment.

Hookwolf eyed the girl in exasperation, having apparently come to the same conclusion. Shaking his head, he looked at Kaiser. "We should probably talk about our operations up in Midtown. Had a few of our buildings burn down during the fight with Lung."

"We can rebuild. The Protectorate is still licking its wounds, and Lung has shown no interest in coming out of his hole."

"That's not the point. If Purity's gone off the reservation –"

"She's just being stubborn," Kaiser said, turning to walk away. Hookwolf followed close behind. "She thinks she can do things on her own. Her failure is a good lesson in why that won't work. She will come crawling back soon enough."

"How soon is that? How much damage does she do in the meantime?"

"I have it under control, Hookwolf."

Their voices faded as the two left. Even after the door swung shut behind them, Theo waited a full minute before allowing himself to collapse. Every bit of him ached. Hookwolf had not held back. No – He had. If he hadn't, Theo would be dead. Instead, he was just covered in bruises, every bit of him pummeled by the man in the name of training.

After all, according to his father he was too soft. Too weak. Hardly worth calling his son at all.

Theo grit his teeth and looked up. Tammi was still typing away at her phone, unconcerned with him.

"What the hell was that about, Tammi?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," she replied without looking up.

"I mean sending them after Elaine like that."

Tammi's phone snapped closed. "I think you will find, Theo, that I convinced them not to attack Elaine. So why exactly are you upset?"

"You could have – you could have convinced them that she wasn't a parahuman. To just leave her alone."

Tammi scoffed. "If you believe that, then you really are as stupid as you look. Even if I was interested in sticking my neck out for a girl I just met, there was no stopping this."

"F-Fuck you." He stuttered the curse word, unused to saying it. Shame ran through him, a part of him rebelling at the idea of speaking up. Of speaking out. Of using words he wasn't supposed to.

"You wish." She stood and stretched out. "In any case, at least I did something. Meanwhile you just laid there like a useless lump. You can criticize me when you're capable of actually doing something yourself."

Theo squeezed his hands tight, his fingernails biting into his skin, and looked away.

"Yeah, I thought so." Tammi said scornfully and walked off.

The room fell silent. The only one left was Theo, his body battered and bloody. He was alone. They had left him here. His father had not even cared enough to see him home after the beating he had given him.

Tears sprang from his eyes. He slammed his fists into the ground, trying to push himself up, only to fall back down, unable to support himself. Tammi was right. He was useless. Helpless. He had never accomplished anything worthwhile in his life.

He laid on the ground weeping, cursing his own weakness.

Aldsan · Dec 16, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Training] Melee 6
[X] [Purchase] Sword
[X] [Adventure] Focus on your duties
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon
[X] [Heroism] Design a name and costume.
[X] [Class] History
[X] [Extracurricular] Student Council

"King Nym. Your father once swore himself to Uther Pendragon, High King of Britain. Now, I, Arthur Pendragon, rightful heir of his kingdom stand before you. Will you honor your family's vows?"

Nym squinted down at her from atop his throne, turning the jewel-encrusted goblet that she had brought him as a gift over in his hands. The man himself was short, with an atrocious curling beard that he tugged on idly as he thought.

"So," Nym said, "a Boy-King seeks to take my armies and my lands."

The girl felt Kay stiffen beside her, but she kept her composure. She had no room to allow her own stung pride to intrude in this.

"This gift is a good start. It is well that you see my value. I will not lead my men to their dooms for something so paltry however."

"Paltry?!" Kay burst out. She knew what he wanted to say, but the girl silenced him with a look.

"I understand your worry, King Nym. Is there aught I can do to allay your fears?"

"No. Everyone knows that you only have a scant few banners rallied to your cause. Lot's army outnumbers yours. The Saxons outnumber both of you."

"Numbers did not bring Lot victory at Carlion," Kay growled.

"Kay," she rebuked gently. "Enough."

"If you are so confident, then you do not need my men." Nym looked her in the eyes and continued. "The Kingdom of Britain is dead. Let it rest in its grave."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"You have your schedule?"

"I do."

"And your locker combination?"

"Yes, Dean."

"And your books?"

"If I did not, it would be somewhat late now," I said, looking pointedly at the gate to Arcadia High School. The two of us stood out front, a good thirty minutes before classes were supposed to start. I had requested the extra time to acquaint myself with the building to prevent myself from getting lost.

Not that there was much chance of that. The building was built to resemble an 'H," with two large wings to the north and south and a shorter cross-section connecting the two. It formed a natural courtyard as we approached the school.

"You know you can come find me if you run into any problems, right?"

"Cease your worrying. I will be perfectly fine, Dean."

"Okay. Good luck then, Ellie."

I sighed and watched him walk off. I had not even been hurt in the incident with the wolves, yet my family was back to treating me as if I were made of glass again. Undoubtedly, this is why modern heroes found secret identities so convenient.

On that subject, I needed to put together an actual costume at some point. It was the social norm for those acting as heroes in this day and age. More to the point, there were different expectations for parahumans. Many of those without powers would immediately back down or surrender when faced with one.

Violence was a tool that would sometimes be necessary. However, it was still better when conflict could be resolved without resorting to it. Peace was a rare thing in this world. All too often we human beings chose to live by the sword.

Gamemaster said:
Fashion: 6 | 3 = Failure

The problem was that I did not know where to start with designing a costume. I would need armor, of course. I was not willing to sacrifice practicality to wear the skin tight suit that many parahumans favored, even if I were to put aside issues of modesty.

Even putting that aside; however, it was a different sensibility from that which I was used to. Flashier. More concerned with bright colors and photogenic smiles than simple regality.

Regardless, I could consider it later. Matters of secret identities could wait.

I stepped inside, walking past rows of lockers without pausing. I had been assigned one of my own, but I did not feel any particular need to use it. A few books were hardly heavy enough to warrant storage. I could simply carry the load for all of my classes with me throughout the day.

Even this early, there were already a few students on campus. Small groups were scattered about the building, simply spending time talking with one another. Walking past a window, I caught sight of the school's football field. Athletes were already there, performing drills – though I knew the athletic teams were not official for the year yet. New students still needed their chance to try out.

It spoke to a greater degree of motivation than I had expected. Where I saw these sports as mere games, an entertaining way to pass the time, perhaps they saw something deeper. Where I saw school as a passing diversion – important, certainly, but not something that would shape my life – they saw it as central to their identities.

A strange sense of vertigo overtook me. I was fifteen. Many of the students on campus were older than I was. Yet, for a moment, they all struck me as so terribly young.

I traced my fingers across the window and shut my eyes. The future was bleak. Crime ran rampant. The Endbringers picked off cities one by one. The world continued to burn. Hope was a feeble outpost, beset on all sides by thievery and misery and murder.

Yet, these children still hope. Hope for their futures. Hope for themselves.

How was I to respond to that with anything less than my all? My abilities were limited compared to my memories. I did not have the strength to repel the darkness of this world. Not yet, at least. However, I still had my voice. My voice, which I could raise as their advocate and their shield.

My destination in mind, I moved back downstairs and walked briskly to the front office. A secretary looked up as I entered, a hint of exasperation in her eyes on seeing a student enter this early in the morning. No matter. I stepped up to her desk.

"I am interested in joining the student council. How would I go about accomplishing this?"

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Leadership.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Apparently joining the student council was more complicated than simply asking to. Instead, I would have to advertise my candidacy and be elected to the position. Fie on the Greeks and their blasted Democracy. In my day people listened to the King and that was that.

Jokes aside, I did not mind so much. I was not doing this for fame or recognition, so if the student body ultimately decided that the position was better suited to another, then I would wish them well.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, I was left attending classes. Classes in which very little learning had occurred – Instead, we were going over the classroom syllabi.

"--We'll be covering expectations for the semester – starting with our attendance policy. I understand that sometimes emergencies come up, but generally speaking you are expected to be here. Unexcused absences will count against your grade."

My eyes glazed over. Did they doubt their students' abilities to simply read the sheet of paper they had handed out? We had to spend an hour going over how plagiarism was frowned upon? I did my best to maintain my attention, I truly did, but I was glad when the bell rang and I was able to make my escape along with the rush of other students.

The teeming mass of bodies pushed its way downstairs, in pursuit of the cafeteria. I followed in their wake until I saw a familiar mess of brown hair sitting morosely at one of the tables. A part of me said to stand in line and get my food first, before anything else, but… Well, it is not as if it was going anywhere. I sat down next to Amy.

"Hello Amy."

The girl lifted her head ever so slightly from where it rested on her arms so that she could glare at me with a single eye. "Ugh. You. Just leave me be."

"Well, you are certainly sunny today. What has you in such a temper?"

"I was up late last night. This is my nap time. What do you care anyway?"

I frowned, taking a moment to study the girl, as if I could find some hint from what was wrong simply from her slumped posture. I finally asked, "Have I done something to offend you?"

"No. What could have possibly given you that impression?"

"Amy–"

"No really. It's not like you made a big deal of us hanging out only to then ditch me all month."

Ah. Well, I could see now why she was angry.

"And that's after you spent all afternoon trash talking me."

I did perhaps go a bit overboard in that conversation.

"And you still owe me a new door!"

I cringed back under the onslaught. That was… well, it was perhaps deserved. My once sister had occupied my mind since returning from England and I had allowed my promise with Amy to slip by the wayside. Cheeks burning, I cleared my throat.

"You are right. I am sorry. I should have been more considerate."

Amy kept a baleful eye upon me for a long few seconds before finally sighing and looking away. "It's fine," she mumbled. "I get it. I'm sure you had other stuff to do."

"Even still. It was my mistake." I placed a hand over hers. "Please allow me another chance."

Amy ducked her head down, hiding her face between her arms. "Fix my door and we'll talk."

"I promise I shall do so this weekend. I am surprised your parents have not already done so, to be honest."

"I don't think they've actually noticed," Amy grumbled.

I raised an eyebrow. I could not see how they possibly could have not noticed. If they truly had not, it raised some serious questions.

"Well, regardless. I promise I will be there."

"Sure. Whatever. Now go away, I wasn't kidding about this being my nap time."

"Very well. I shall keep quiet and let you sleep."

"...You aren't leaving," she said, rather than asked, her voice drained of emotion.

"I am not."

Smiling fondly, I reached out to ruffle her hair. She swiped at my hand and glowered at me, but that was an upgrade to the glare she'd leveled at me before. Progress.

"You're a menace."

"Some have called me that before," I admitted. "Putting that aside, were you… alright after what happened with the bus?"

Amy let out a long-suffering sigh. "Perfectly fine, even if Vicky made a huge fuss. She wouldn't leave me alone for days afterwards. Honestly, it's like she didn't have bigger things to worry about."

That's right. Victoria would have been more involved in the actual fighting, given her position as Glory Girl. "How exactly does your family respond to something like that? Do they just patrol more and hope to run into criminals shooting at one another or is there a more proactive approach they are able to take?"

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 8 | 9 = Success

"Given that I'm the only one in the family not involved, I'm really not the best person to ask. I'm sure Vicky would be happy to talk your ear off at some point if you ask her. But yeah, basically. If the Protectorate gets a tip off about a location they want to raid and need the extra muscle, they might ask my family, but otherwise they're stuck just pulling active crime off of the streets."

"How do they actually stop it then?"

"They don't," Amy said bluntly. "Most of the time all they can do is try and keep a lid on things and let the gangs burn themselves out. Big batches of violence like that don't usually last very long."

I furrowed my brow. Nothing would improve if that was the case. You could not win a war fighting purely defensively. Eventually you would be worn down. No, if they were to win this war, then a strike would have to be made against the leaders of these brigands. Kaiser… and Lung.

A shiver went down my back. The memory of a flash of light seared my eyes, of a distant roar that thundered in my ears. The memory of a peaceful day turned into a nightmare.

I was not ready to face that. Not yet. My past self could have, but my body and my skills were not yet adequate. I would need to sharpen myself against the lesser criminals of the bay.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

That night, I snuck out of my house. A long scarf was wrapped around my face, hiding my mouth, while a baseball cap was pulled low over my eyes. As a costume went, it was not much. I would have to work on that. It would do for now however.

The one improvement I had managed to get ahold of was the sword I had strapped to my side. It had been a rare moment of fortune finding one among the pawn shops near the Lord Street Market. I had simply been browsing for anything that might catch my eye at the time.

The sword itself was nothing special. A simple longsword with a crossguard hilt. There was little to no ornamentation upon it. It carried no special powers. A nameless blade, the same as any other. Even still, it was well made and sturdy enough for what I would be putting it through.

It just went to show that all sorts of odds and ends tended to appear in the markets here. Unfortunately, I doubted I would find anything quite as useful as actual armor. For that, I would likely need to turn to the internet.

I had done some research and there were modern blacksmiths that sold historical recreations of such armaments – apparently the cape scene had given them a boom in demand as well. A surprising number of capes liked to employ medieval weapons or armor, whether for practicality or aesthetics. That led to cape followers and fans wanting their own copy as a collectible item.

Cape followers were an odd lot, who I did not entirely understand, but it worked out in my favor in this instance.

Thoughts of new equipment aside, I did intend to find criminals to dispatch tonight. The question, I thought looking at the empty streets around me, is where to find them?

It is August of 2010.

Where does Elaine patrol?
[ ] [Patrol] North End
[ ] [Patrol] The Docks
[ ] [Patrol] Midtown
[ ] [Patrol] Downtown
[ ] [Patrol] Stratham

You actually have to run for Student Council. What is your strategy?
[ ] [Student Council] Speeches
>Focus on giving speeches about your platform.
[ ] [Student Council] Grass-Roots
>Focus on speaking with students individually.
[ ] [Student Council] Advertisement
>Focus on advertising yourself with posters around campus.
[ ] [Student Council] (Write-In)

Time for our name and costume votes. This will have a couple of run-offs. To start, please submit names as a write-in. This is purely to generate names of interest, so feel free to submit multiple ideas.
[ ] [Name] (Write-In)

Same for costume, submit images or descriptions of what you want the costume to look like.
[ ] [Costume] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Dec 16, 2023

https://i.imgur.com/AYDbe8H.jpg

Aldsan · Dec 18, 2023

Alright, time for our first run off vote.

For the costume, it sounds like there's general consensus towards Mercenary Knight as a mid-point and eventually transitioning into a canon design, so we'll go with that.

For the name, it's time to vote:
[ ] [Name] Pendragon
[ ] [Name] Valiant
[ ] [Name] Avalon
[ ] [Name] Saber

Aldsan · Dec 25, 2023

Voting said:
[X] [Patrol] North End
[X] [Student Council] Grass-Roots
[X] [Name] Pendragon

The North End of Brockton Bay sat adjacent to the Docks and thus was hit the hardest when the Union Riots happened over a decade past. The district was littered with empty, abandoned warehouses that had once been filled with goods and now served only to house the ever growing homeless population.

The larger gangs could not be bothered with the area – it was not worth the projection of force that would be required to hold it. However, the sad reality was that poverty bred crime. Minor criminals still fought over what few scraps remained in the area.

On a more positive note, this did mean the area would be ideal for my purposes. I needed opponents to sharpen my skills against, and any criminals I caught here were unlikely to be members of any criminal organization with enough influence to actually retaliate.

The problem of course, was with finding crime in progress. I did not have much in the way of experience as Elaine nor as the King in actually catching criminals in the act. I had rendered judgment upon thieves and malcontents upon numerous occasions, but rarely had I ever been involved in their actual capture.

Gamemaster said:
Hunting: 16 | 1 = Failure
Awareness: 12 | 3 = Failure

The streets remained quiet. Perhaps even brigands preferred to sleep this late at night, despite the stereotypes of thieves conducting their business under the cloak of darkness. I sat on an empty bench and blew the air out from my cheeks. Nearby, a dirty man slept underneath the bus stop's overhang. Homeless.

He was not the first such person I had seen sleeping out on the streets tonight.

It was a problem that I did not know how to solve. Simply removing the criminals who preyed on these people would not grant them sturdy roofs over their heads nor warm food in their bellies. It was a necessary first step, but it was not enough. Nothing she had ever done was ever enough.

Far above, the stars twinkled, distant and uncaring. Long ago, the Magus had taught the girl how to read the stars, to divine the future and read the strands of fate. She had not – I had not been the best of students. I had used the skill on occasion to divine if my path was the correct one, but I had often ignored the warnings of fate. Now, I was not sure I could read the stars even if I wished to.

"You some sorta cape?"

I looked towards the poor man who had awoken during my introspection and nodded. "I am. A Hero."

"Pull the other one. Heroes don't bother comin' all the way up here."

"It is precisely because others do not, that I felt I had to."

Gamemaster said:
Appeal: 9 | 14 = Success

The man slowly sat up, combing his fingers through his scraggly beard. "Huh. How about that. Some white knight come down to save us poor folk, is it?"

"To the best of my ability. Although, I admit, I have not had much success thus far."

"I suppose you wouldn't. Ain't much around here but drug dealers and pimps, and they're already asleep by now."

I frowned, but it was not much different than I had expected. I slid my wallet out of my jacket's inner pocket and placed a twenty in the man's hand. "Thank you. I know it is not much, but I do appreciate the information."

"Ehh, I didn't really tell you anything anyone else couldn't have, Sonny."

Sonny? I shook my head. I spent a lifetime concealing my gender. I should not be surprised that it was so easy for him to make the mistake. "Even still. I am new to this, so any information at all is helpful."

The man's face soured, but he folded the bill up and stuck in his coat. "Damn kid, you're going to get yourself killed. Fine. There's a couple of dealers that like to hang out in the alleyway two streets up. They're part of some minor gang. Just big enough to keep anyone from tryin' to rob 'em for their stash."

"Hm. I did not think addicts would be so easily dissuaded."

"Even addicts know not to get their knees broken. The Merchants might be trash, but they'll still kick your ass if they think you're messing with their product. Look. Just remember you didn't hear it from me. I don't need any trouble, you hear?"

"Of course." I stood up and looked back at him. "My lips are sealed."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Approaching the alleyway the vagrant had indicated, I quickly made my way up a fire escape to a rooftop nearby to watch. True to his word, a trio of men had occupied the alley – one obviously in charge with two bodyguards, metal bats slung over their shoulders. The situation was obvious, but even still I waited, watching a few transactions take place.

I had not doubted what the man had told me, but I needed to be sure. Over and over again, desperate people came, seeking their next fix.

Decision made, I slipped back down to the street and advanced on the alley.

They spotted me before I could get close. A shout of, "Cape!" went up and the dealer began sprinting in the opposite direction, while his two bodyguards shared a look, unsure if they wanted to actually fight me or not. I did not give them the chance to run as well.

Invoke Passion: Heroism: 11 | 16 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5) , Outnumber (-5)

Elaine Melee: 20 | 9 (9+5-5) = Fumble!
Merchant1 Melee: 16 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine drops her sword. Gain a check to Melee.
Elaine Melee: 15 | 9 (9+5-5) = Failure
Merchant2 Melee: 15 | 8 = Failure
>No Hit

Elaine Evade: 9 | 17 = Success
Merchant1 Melee: 13 | 8 = Failure
Elaine Evade: 10 | 17 = Success
Merchant2 Melee: 5 | 8 = Success
>Elaine evades the attacks and picks up her sword.

Elaine Melee: 8 | 9 (9+5-5) = Success
Merchant1 Melee: 1 | 8 = Success
>Elaine Damage (6d6) = 27 = (1/28 HP)
>>Merchant1 takes a Major Wound and is knocked unconscious.
Elaine Melee: 18 | 9 (9+5-5) = Failure
Merchant2 Melee: 15 | 8 = Failure

Elaine Melee: 7 | 19 (9+5+5) = Success
Merchant2 Reckless Melee: 15 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (6d6) = 18 = (10/28 HP)
>>Merchant2 takes a Major Wound and is unable to continue.

My sword struck. The two each hurriedly raised their bats to defend, their eyes widening as they realized what exactly they were up against. Their movements were clumsy however. Slow. Yet, by some chance, one's wild flailing caught my blade with his bat and the force ripped my sword from my fingers. The sword skittered across the alleyway and I was left dodging these two thugs, their confidence suddenly renewed by my lost weapon.

My cheeks heated in sudden shame. These two had no skill to speak of. Their swings were wild, easy to dodge. Yet, I still found myself on the backfoot simply because my own skills still had yet to catch up to my memories. No matter. I danced around their blows until I could scoop my blade back off the ground, quickly twirling it to parry one bat aside before driving the point into a thug's shoulder.

The man screamed. The other was panicking, swinging with all his might at me – How foolish. His blows had already proven clumsy. Forgoing his defense in favor of strength was only to his detriment. I allowed the bat to pass over my head and brought my sword's edge across his thigh. I turned away before he had finished falling.

Two down in mere seconds. That was how combat went. The long drawn out fights of Hollywood simply did not match what was often true of reality. However, this would still have been for nothing if I did not catch the actual dealer.

Gamemaster said:
Elaine Movement: 7 | 17 = Success
Dealer Movement: 18 | 15 = Failure
>Elaine wins the contest.

I began sprinting after him. He had a lead on me, but it was clear that he did not often need to run. He was thin; however, it was not the leanness of a fit body, but the scrawniness of one who simply did not have excess fat. His breath came in short wheezes with each desperate pump of his legs.

Elaine Grapple: 1 | 7 = Success
Dealer Brawling: 16 | 8 = Failure
>Dealer is grappled.

He did not have a chance. I leapt upon his back, driving him down to the ground. He attempted to spin, to throw a punch, but I wrenched his arm behind him, quickly sliding a zip tie into place around his wrists. A useful invention of the modern era – certainly faster than tying him with rope would have been.

"Fuck! Cocksucker! Skidmark is going to make you gargle your own shit for messing with me!"

I frowned. The lamentations of the defeated were common enough for me to ignore, but I was off-put by the crude language. That was… new. "I do not know who this Skidmark is. You should cease your struggles however. You are only delaying me from treating your comrades' injuries."

"Fuck those assholes. They couldn't even buy me twenty goddamn seconds to run away."

"Please be quiet for the moment." I finished tying his legs and dragged him back to the alley where his compatriots waited. The man who I had stabbed in the shoulder had passed out from the shock of the wound. The other, still-conscious man looked up at me, fear in his eyes – but he had not tried to flee. "You did not attempt to escape?"

"Not much point," the man with the leg injury said. "Not like I would have gotten far. Besides, I've heard what vigilantes do to runners. I'd rather go to jail than get stuck to a wall."

It seemed I would need to pull my blows better in the future – or find tougher targets. I pulled a roll of cloth bandages out of my jacket pocket and set to binding their wounds. "I have a few questions for you. So long as you stay put, we can keep things civil."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks," the man said, though his tone was not particularly thankful.

Gamemaster said:
First Aid: 2 | 2 = Critical Success!
>Gain a check to First Aid.
First Aid: 5 | 2 = Failure

I focused on the man I had stabbed in the shoulder first. His wound was the more critical of the two. "The three of you are members of a gang?"

"Yeah, we –"

"You shut the fuck up! This shitstain doesn't need to know anything!"

Leveling a look down at the dealer, I said softly, "If you interrupt again, you will lose your speaking privileges."

Something about my threat made the dealer go pale and he edged away from me as best he could, pushing himself up against the wall. I turned my attention back to his bodyguard, continuing my treatment of the one I had stabbed.

"The gang?"

The bodyguard swallowed and nodded. "We're just small-time dealers mostly."

"Your friend mentioned someone called Skidmark?"

"He runs the Merchants. They sell to us, we cut them some of the profits."

"Where can I find him?" I asked.

"I don't know. Honest. He calls us up when he wants to meet."

I pursed my lips and examined him for any signs of dishonesty. If he was lying, I could not tell. Nodding, I turned my attention to the dealer. "And you? Did you have you aught to add?"

"Fuck you!"

"I thought not." That only left one thing left to do.

I called the police.

Gamemaster said:
Glory gained (2 x Merchant) = 30
Glory gained (capturing dealer) = 20

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

A red blur arrived before the ambulance or the police managed to. It slowed to a stop in front of the alleyway, resolving itself into a man. I squinted at him a moment, trying to place him in my mind.

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 16 | 5 = Failure

"Hey there. Got a call about an arrest?"

Hm. He was one of the city's defenders, but I could not place the name. No matter. I nodded at him as he approached.

"The three behind me. The one tied up was the dealer – the other two were bodyguards who attempted to attack me when I approached."

The hero looked back and forth between me and the men on the ground. "So you're claiming this was self-defense."

"Not at all. Their attack forced me to incapacitate them quickly, before their compatriot could flee, but I still approached with the intent of apprehending these men."

"Well, that's something," the hero muttered. "Would you mind talking off to the side?"

"As you wish." I stepped forward to the edge of the alleyway, careful to keep the three prisoners in sight.

"Look," the hero – Acceleration? – said, "It's great to see new heroes out here, but you might want to consider not using a sword."

"I am not sure I understand the issue. A number of heroes use weapons. Some of them are even among this city's local Protectorate."

Momentum nodded. "That's true. But people like Armsmaster train extensively to use their weapons safely. You can't use excessive force. The lethal option should only be there in a life-threatening situation."

I glanced back at the three still-living men.

Blitz let out a huff. "I get that you didn't kill them. You have to admit though, this could have very easily gone badly. That's the entire point of the Wards – to make sure that young parahumans like yourself have the training to use your powers safely. Training to make sure people you capture actually get sent to jail and don't get let out due to a technicality too."

"Hm." I mulled over his words. It was true that I did not have the skills that my past life had. Not yet, at least. An organization such as the Wards would be helpful in that sense. Not just for the training, but for the team support and the logistical support of actually finding crimes for me to stop.

On the other hand, a more prideful part of me rebelled at the thought. Joining such an organization would mean ceding my own authority. I would have to obey orders that were given rather than moving to my own initiative. I would be shackled to the decisions of the Protectorate's leadership.

It also meant that my family would need to be informed. My family who had increasingly been treating me as if I were made of spun glass. Just what would the reaction be with this added on top of everything else that had happened?

After a long moment, I nodded and said, "I cannot accept your offer tonight, but I will give it some thought. Do you have a way to reach out to you in the future?"

"Sure." Impulse gave me a broad smile and fished a business card out of a belt pouch. "The number on here will send you to an operator, but they should be able to direct you to a Protectorate hero who's on duty if you need to talk to one of us."

"Thank you. I will be in touch. Can you handle these three from here?"

"Of course. The cops should be here soon enough, I can watch over them until then."

Nodding my thanks, I turned to leave.

"Hey. I didn't catch your name."

A small smile crossed my lips. I had given my name some thought. There were a number of options I could have chosen. Perhaps those options were a better choice in some ways. They would have adhered closer to cape culture and expected norms for Heroes. They would have obfuscated my identity and my abilities.

However, I had no need to hide away. If I was to be a banner of hope in this age, then I needed to make clear what I represented. I needed to make clear what I was. I needed to make clear who I was. Nothing less than my own name would do.

"I am Pendragon."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Proud.
Gain a check to Honor.

It is August of 2010.

You have been offered to join the Wards.
[ ] [Wards] Join
[ ] [Wards] Stay Independent

How lethal should you be in the future?
[ ] [Force] Lethal
>You will not go out of your way to kill a defenseless enemy, but you will not hold back against those who bear arms against you either.
[ ] [Force] Defensive
>You will avoid killing enemies, but if your life is on the line, you will resort to lethal force.
[ ] [Force] Merciful
>You will avoid killing enemies whenever possible.

Your cape identity could allow you to pass for a boy.
[ ] [Gender] Male
>Hide your gender and pretend to be male in your cape costume. This could help protect your identity.
[ ] [Gender] Female
>Make it clear that you are female if someone assumes otherwise.
[ ] [Gender] Ambivalent
>Allow people to assume what they will. It doesn't matter to you either way.

Choose someone to spend time with (at school):
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Morgan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

While campaigning for Student Council, students bring their concerns with the school that they want addressed to you. What are they?
[ ] [Concerns] (Write-In)
>This is just an aggregate, just fill in ideas, don't feel the need to vote for someone else's once it's been suggested.[/spoiler]

Aldsan · Dec 25, 2023

"Hashire sore yo–"

"None of that here!" A bokken swung, banishing the pretender from the sacred space. Task accomplished, Taiga turned. "Hello everyone and welcome to this Tiger Dojo! This time we're here for a special Christmas Edition."

"Hello, thank you for having me along this time." Artoria stepped in and bowed.

"Ah, yes, thank you for being a guest this time, Saber-san. Though, eh… Isn't your outfit a little off?"

"Hm?" Artoria looked down at what she was wearing. A white kosode with a red hakama. "What seems to be the issue, Taiga?"

"I mean, what's with that cosplay! I'm not going to have any presence at all if you start wearing costumes!"

Artoria frowned in thought. "Is it that large an issue? I was informed that these were the traditional clothes in which to greet the New Year."

"No! Shrine Maidens are banned! First of all this is a dojo, not a shrine!"

"Is that so? I shall keep it in mind for the future."

"Who told you to wear that anyways?" Taiga asked.

"OSU!" The Senior Student popped through the door. "It's the holidays, Sensei. We can't just do things the same way as always!"

"Geh – I mean, that's why we brought Saber here to begin with, Ilya."

"No! We brought her because we needed someone actually related to this story. And who else were we going to bring? Amy?" Ilya sneered. "That girl would only bring down the mood."

"I do not think Amy is as bad as you make out," Artoria interjected. "She certainly has a rough tongue, but so too did my brother Kay. She just needs someone to encourage her. In fact, she lacks many of Kay's vices. She is not off indulging in alcohol or lusting after women at all times."

"Ehh…" Taiga looked at Artoria with pitying eyes. "Sometimes I can't reconcile how positively you speak about your brother with the actual stories you tell about him."

"Do not be ridiculous. My brother was Seneschal of Camelot. He looked after our finances and ensured that not a single coin was misspent. That just goes to show how responsible he could be when he put his mind to it."

"In other words… doesn't that just mean he was a tightwad?" Ilya asked.

"Your are mistaken, Illyasviel–"

"Wait, wait," Taiga interrupted. "I feel like we've already had this argument in another timeline. Let's just move on."

"Yes, Sensei~"

"Right then, before we wrap things up, do you have any advice to give our viewers, Saber?"

"Yes. Thanks to the vote to focus on examining my memories in Chapter 1.2, Elaine is much more in tune with my personality than she otherwise would have been at this point. Unfortunately, that does not necessarily convey skills."

"Ah… Yeah, we've noticed. Elaine has been getting into all sorts of dangerous situations, hasn't she?"

Artoria nodded. "Indeed; and such situations are likely to continue. However, no one is an island. Your best hope at victory is not to do everything yourself, but instead to recruit dependable allies. Even when I led my armies, I did so with the help of many others."

"Aw," Ilya complained. "But all the coolest heroes go solo. Like Spider-Man and Superman."

Taiga put her hands on her hips. "Untrue, my young apprentice. Spider-Man has been a member of the Avengers and Superman leads the Justice League. Even a loner like Batman is accompanied by Robin. Now, if only there were a Tiger-Man to look up to."

"Hmm, I guess… Who would Elaine even partner up with though?"

Taiga scratched at her head. "She doesn't really have too many options right now. She could always train up a sidekick herself?"

"I will avoid giving too much input on that matter, as I do not wish to bias the voters," Artoria replied. "Besides which; now that Elaine is venturing out as a hero with more regularity, she may find more opportunities to ally with other heroes in the future without compromising her identity."

"Alright, with that established there's just one thing left for this Tiger Dojo."

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Merry Christmas everyone. On top of the Omake, I also bring you a Christmas gift.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 500 Glory.

Five hundred Glory, giving you a free Glory upgrade. (This would normally be every 1000 glory in an actual tabletop session of Pendragon, but I have decided to accelerate things for this quest). This gets you two rewards!

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions. Right now, I would recommend using it on Characteristics for the raw stats, but this does potentially allow you to increase Skills past the hard limit of 20. Every point above 20 increases critical threshold range (So a threshold of 22 would crit on a roll of 18-20), so something to keep in mind for the future.

[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:

[ ] [Power] Spiritual Armaments
>Manifest your arms and armor using mana. Be the magical girl you were meant to be and never be caught without your equipment. (You still need to purchase equipment to use it).
[ ] [Power] Chivalry (D)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and 4 hit points.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (E)
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -2 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Automatically pass checks to stay mounted if you take a hit exceeding your Knockdown value.
[ ] [Power] Charisma (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10. On a success, gain a +5 threshold bonus to any Social roll.
[ ] [Power] Magic Resistance (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10 opposed to parahuman powers that target you. On success, the effect is negated.

Aldsan · Jan 19, 2024

Voting said:
[X] [Power] Spiritual Armaments
[X] [Glory] CON
[X] [Force] Defensive
[X] [Gender] Ambivalent
[X][Wards] Stay Independent
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon

The next day saw me more tired than I expected. There was a time when staying up late into the night to work or to train would not have presented me with any issues. Now, I had an entire four hours of sleep, yet I still found myself yawning the next morning. Truly, this easy life had made me far too indolent.

Gamemaster said:
Energetic: 12 | 14 = Success

Still, I pushed on through the day, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I listened to Mr. Harrison discuss early Mespotamian settlers and the Indus River Valley. It was interesting, hearing how historians had come to regard the period, but staying awake proved more of a fight than I had expected it to be.

No matter. Difficult or not, I would not be defeated by my own body. I bit down on my tongue, letting the pain shock myself back awake and pushed through the day – and when my classes finally ended, I forced a smile upon my face and went to meet with the students.

"Hello, I am running for Student Council."

"I would hear any concerns you might have."

"Have there been any school events that you particularly enjoy?"

"How can the school improve?"

"Has your club run into any issues?"

"Please keep me in mind while voting."

It was exhausting in a different sense. Things had changed. Supreme executive power was now derived from a mandate from the masses. To speak with each individual student was a bit much, but I could not just speak to them from on high as I would have as King. I had to instead approach them as equals.

Considering that I was not a familiar face and had no deeds to my name, they were not inclined to listen to me.

Most brushed past. A few heard me out, but gave no promises. Many did not seem interested in the election at all – they saw the student council as being largely ceremonial and not terribly important. If they were interested, they were more likely to be inclined towards the rival candidate, who had served as Vice-President the previous year.

Even still, I persevered.

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 2 | 9 = Success

"Please tell me your hopes for the school."

"Well… I suppose if I had a complaint, it's that the cafeteria could use a bit more variety. We get a lot of the same every week," one boy said.

I nodded seriously in response. A student could not learn on an empty belly any more than a soldier could fight on one, and poor food led to poor morale. It would be an important issue to address.

"Well, I mean, everyone knows that the athletics clubs get most of the budget, right?" Another replied. "It really ought to be distributed more evenly."

A more thorny issue. As far as I was aware, that sort of thing was dictated by the school itself, not the student council. Moreover, schools tended to favor athletics departments because said departments helped to generate revenue for the school in turn. Still, if things had become unbalanced to the point that regular students were noticing, then perhaps it bore looking into.

"Not a student council thing, but if you're just looking for problems in general, then some of our equipment has gone missing," a girl in a sports jersey said.

"What do you mean by it being missing? Was it stolen?"

"I assume so. I can't imagine why else someone would go around taking balls and bats from the storage shed except maybe to resell it. Weird thing is that we actually found some of it – not all of it, just some – stashed under one of the bleachers. One of the other girls on the team swears we've got a ghost, but it's probably just some punks looking to make a quick buck."

"A ghost?" I asked, lifting a brow. "That seems like a strange conclusion to draw."

"Don't ask me. She was here late the other day and is convinced she saw something out there."

"...I will look into it," I said after a moment. Ghost or no ghost, theft of the school's property could not be tolerated.

"Sure," the girl said, clearly not expecting anything to come of it.

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: The Haunted Storage Shed

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of my hammer rang throughout the empty house. It was said that a kingdom could be lost all for want of a nail. Fortunately, I had brought plenty with me to fix my previous bout of recklessness.

"Are you… sure you know what you're doing?"

Correction. The almost empty house. I glanced over at Amy who was watching me with a bemused expression from her desk. "Of course. Even I can do something as simple as this. Rest assured, I should have the door returned to its rightful place soon enough."

"Not really what I meant."

I hammered another nail into place. "What do you mean then?"

"Nothing," Amy sighed. "Never mind."

A brooding silence fell over the both of us. I continued my work, trying to think of something to say, before finally asking, "Where is the rest of your family? You did not mention it when you said they would be out today."

"On patrol. Where else?" Amy's lips twisted in a strange grimace. "I'm the only one who doesn't have powers, so they're all out being heroes while I'm left here by myself."

"You would prefer to be out there with them?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Amy drew her knees up to her chest. "I… When you got hurt at the mall, it might have been one of the most terrifying moments in my life. Not just seeing you get hurt, but seeing how that could have almost been Vicky instead. I can't imagine having to feel that sort of fear every single day."

"There is no shame in that, Amy."

"Isn't there? Every single person in my family goes out and saves people except me. Even you – When that bus crashed, you started evacuating anyone while I was so paralyzed I couldn't even think of what to even do next. Even if I got powers, I would be too scared to actually use them."

Frowning, I tapped a final nail into place before answering. "A year ago, when we were confronted at the mall, you were the only one to speak up against the injustice of it all. Not me and not your sister."

"And I fucked things up as a result."

I met her eyes. "It was an incredibly reckless thing to do. However, it was not the action of a coward. You may not have the abilities that your family does, but that does not mean you lack for bravery."

Amy looked away, her face turning red. "Well. Thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess. It doesn't really change that I'm useless though."

Sighing, I stood up and flicked her forehead. Ignoring the ensuing cry of pain, I said, "You are not useless, Amy. Or if you are, it is simply for a lack of training and motivation."

"You're saying I lack motivation?" Amy glared up at me, her hand covering where I had struck her.

"Amy. When the Protectorate goes to battle, they do so alongside the Parahuman Response Team, do they not? The PRT troopers do not have powers – are they useless?"

"So what? Instead of being a hero I should join the PRT?"

"What of the doctors who tend to the heroes when they have been hurt? What of the analysts who study their opponents for weaknesses? Are they useless? What of the lawyers who strive to see that those arrested stay behind bars? Are they useless as well?"

A moment of indecision crossed Amy's face.

"The work that your family does is important. However, there are any number of people out there whose support they need to be truly successful. No person is an island able to work without any help at all. You wish to be like your family. Of course you do. However, even if you are not on the frontlines, that does not mean you cannot find ways to help them."

Even in the past, when a castle was sieged, those who were unable to fight did not just hide away in safety. They would carry water and supplies to the walls, tend to the wounded, and help however they could. There was no such thing as a bystander, because everyone had a stake in ensuring that the castle survived.

"But I… I don't want to just sit on the sidelines and watch them be in danger."

"Then learn to fight. You do not need powers to be a hero or to save someone's life. Otherwise, find other ways of supporting them, even if it is simply to welcome them home to a warm meal."

Amy frowned. "You make it sound so easy."

"Of course it is not. Why should the difficulty of the task stop you, however?"

"Yeah," Amy said, a strange note entering her voice. "I suppose you're right. If I really did care it shouldn't matter how hard it is."

Must she take everything in its most negative light? I flicked her forehead again and she flinched backwards. "You know perfectly well that is not what I meant."

Scowling, Amy swiped my hand away. "What the heck, Ellie? Quit doing that."

"Hmph. Then listen for a change instead of making up whatever narrative paints you in your worst light. If I wished to say something ill about you, I would say it. I do not need your assistance in doing so."

"You've gotten awfully mouthy since you woke up," Amy scowled.

I lifted my nose, the gesture feeling more familiar to the part of me that was once Elaine than who I was now. "And you became a miserable recluse whilst I slept. Thankfully, my mouth is a small price for you to pay for my company."

"You're certainly not lacking for self-confidence. Whatever. Be that way if you want, I don't care. "

A slow smile began to spread across my face, a hint of mischief in me – only to stop as I realized it. That was… Elaine would have had that reaction, that amusement to Amy's attempt at aloofness, as if she were a grumpy cat that wanted attention but would not allow anyone to actually get close. Elaine would have had that reaction, but the King I once was would not.

I brought a hand to my head. I had thought I had replaced Elaine in her entirety. I had thought Elaine was dead and gone and I walked in her place, a stranger in a strange land. And yet… My vision swam.

"Ellie? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied. "I was just suddenly dizzy for a moment."

Naked concern shone in Amy's eyes. "Do you need to lie down?"

"No. I am fine." Taking a deep breath, I plastered on a smile. The same smile that Elaine had worn thousands of times. "Do you want to go outside? Get some fresh air?"

Amy's face scrunched up. "Do we have to?"

"Yes," I said definitively and reached out to take Amy's hand, pulling her to her feet. "Come with me. Do not worry. We will not be going far."

"Fine," she grumbled, but followed my lead downstairs and out to her backyard.

Like most of the house itself, it was an odd mix of suburban normality and paranoia. Several chairs and tables were set up near a grill on the patio area, a few scattered trees gave light shade to the yard, and the flat grassy expanse made it easy to use. However, the fence was higher than most, high enough that someone could not easily look in. The trees were trimmed back so that someone could easily be spotted if they were among the branches. Padlocks kept the gates shut tight.

"So?" Amy asked. "What did you have in mind exactly?"

"Sparring. I have said so before, but it is important for you to learn at least the basics of self-defense. This is especially true given who your family is – you are a natural target."

"It's not like I don't know anything. Uncle Neil's taught me to throw a punch before."

"Humor me then. I would like to judge your skill for myself."

She squinted, the glare of the Sun in her eyes. "Do we really need to do this out in the heat? I could do without the tan."

I raised an eyebrow. "I suppose that is true. You could use the reflection off your skin as a weapon to blind your opponents."

Amy scowled and swatted at my arm. "I'm not that pale!"

"You have yet to burst into flame, so we may at least be assured that you are not a vampire," I said blandly.

"Ha ha," Amy said humorlessly.

"More seriously, I am sure you will appreciate the grass a great deal more than the wooden floor when you hit the ground."

"Again, not sure why you're so confident. Pretty sure I've had more self-defense lessons than you have."

"Then show me."

So she did. Amy threw a punch. She did not put her full weight into it, clearly expecting to catch me off guard and not wanting to hurt me. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her through, sending her falling into the dirt.

"Again."

Amy stared up at me, blinking in surprise for a moment, before scrambling to her feet, her face hardening in determination. Again, she came at me and again I put her on her back. A smile floated across my lips. There was something nostalgic to this. It was not the same as having a training sword in hand, but she showed the same determination that someone else I had once known had.

The name and face floated just out of reach. It felt as though I could picture him if I could try a bit harder, focus just a bit more.

Amy managed to reverse my hold and I went flying. I allowed myself to turn, getting my feet under me so that I could land on them and avoid falling prone. The memory was gone.

"The hell? I finally got you and you still manage to land on your feet? What are you, a cat?"

A grin came unbidden to my lips. "My mother signed me up to be a gymnast when I was younger. I will admit to be rather out of practice these days, but controlling a fall is simple enough."

My past life could have managed it through sheer agility, but I did not have that advantage in this body. I had to rely instead on the training that Elaine had once had. It was a strange thing to rely on her memories instead. How much of her was left?

Amy huffed, but a smile flitted about her lips. The girl was clearly enjoying herself, even if she would no doubt refuse to admit to it. "Well, good. You'll need it, because I'm going to keep throwing you from now on."

"We shall see," I replied simply.

In the end, she only managed the one throw and spent the rest of the afternoon gathering bruises.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Brawling.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The red setting sun cast its shadows over the classroom. The room was empty, but for me, the students long since gone for the day. I had spent another afternoon campaigning for the student council, but for this moment, I simply wanted time to reflect.

Stretching a hand out, my sword appeared in it. Not the sword I had in my past life, but the one I had found at a pawn shop. I let go of it and it disappeared in small motes of magical energy.

I did not understand.

This was not a skill I had in my past life. This was the skill of a spiritual entity. The skill of a Servant.

However, I was flesh and blood, not a ghost. Moreover, Servants were able to summon their weapons because the weapon was an inherent part of their being – a physical object purchased in this age should not be capable of being summoned and dismissed in this manner, even by a Servant. Yet, I suddenly found myself able to do so.

What was I? Every time I came to a conclusion, I found new facts to contradict it.

Who was I? Elaine; A girl with memories of the past? Artoria; A king reborn into the present? Or something else entirely?

I paused. That had been the first time I had acknowledged my past name to myself. Artoria. Even though I had known it instinctually, I had never thought it before. Why? Biting down on my lip, I scrubbed a hand through my hair, frustration mounting.

A card materialized in my hand. The card that Velocity (and I made sure to commit his actual name to memory) had given me. A team to work with would not be so bad. As I had told Amy, no person was an island. The Wards stood to give me support, equipment, and legal standing.

Yet, how could I ask them to trust in me when I could not even trust in myself?

I allowed the card to vanish, just as I had my sword. For now, I would continue on my own path.

It is August of 2010.

Where does Elaine patrol?
[ ] [Patrol] North End
[ ] [Patrol] The Docks
[ ] [Patrol] Midtown
[ ] [Patrol] Downtown
[ ] [Patrol] Stratham

Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Morgan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

The election is here. Elaine can give one final push for more votes. What does she focus on?
[ ] [Election] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Mar 13, 2024

Voting said:
[X] [Patrol] Midtown
-[X] Begin looking into the Haunted Storage Shed
[X] [Social] Dean Stansfield

"So what is it that we're looking for exactly?"

"I am unsure," I answered. "I already spoke with the administration regarding the issue, but they say they have not seen anything of note on the security cameras and items continue to go missing despite a change in locks."

My brother leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. The two of us had found shelter beneath the bleachers, attempting to be as unobtrusive as possible while we watched the school's storage shed. The setting sun had cast the field in shades of red and thus far we had not seen anything of note.

"You think we're going to find anything if they didn't?" he asked.

"Perhaps not. However, it does not hurt to attempt. Either we find something or we do not."

"Fair enough," Dean sighed. "Still, how did I get roped into this?"

"I should think that would be obvious. You are…" I gesture silently at Dean, trying to find how I want to place my words. His eyes widened for a moment. Was he that curious about what I thought of him? "...More diplomatic than I am. If we do find someone here, you may be able to prevent it from escalating to a conflict."

Dean frowned. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Ellie."

"It will be fine, Dean. Do not worry too much. If it does come down to a fight, I will protect you," I teased, a gentle lilt in my voice.

"Pretty sure I'm supposed to be the one protecting you," he replied dryly.

"I can protect myself. All of you do not need to keep treating me as if I will break under the slightest breeze."

"Ellie, that's not what I –" Dean paused and looked down at his hands. "I know you can. You shouldn't have to. I know I failed to do anything a year ago when you… When you were hurt. That doesn't mean that you can't rely on me though."

"Oh." To think he had been struggling with that this entire time. I placed my hands over his. "Dean. I do not blame you for my injury. It was not your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

"I know that. I do. But I'm your big brother. I want you to be able to rely on me."

"I do rely on you. Your support means a great deal to me, Dean." I hesitated. I could tell him about my slipping out at night to be a hero. It might make him feel better to be involved with that part of my life. I would have to consider it. "Just because I do not need a protector does not mean that I don't need my brother."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Love (Family).

He gave me a faint smile. "And I need my sister. Just let me know when I can help. I promise I won't let you down. Even if it's just to deanflect any annoying boys."

"Ugh." I set my hands on my hips and glared at him. "Here I had allowed myself to believe that you had given up on the terrible puns on your own name while I was in a coma."

"Vicky likes them," he replied shamelessly.

"Victoria likes anything you have to say, she is positively smitten with you."

"I'm not so sure that's true. I dean – Sorry, I mean, we do have our occasional blow ups and break ups."

"It is not a real break up if you reunite a mere two days later, Dean." It had already happened twice since I had awoken and it had only been three months. At this point, it was simply a part of their courting ritual, a fact of life like butterflies dancing or peacocks strutting.

"That's just the strength of our bond," he replied sunnily.

Scowling at him, I jabbed a finger at his chest. "I will show you the strength of my foot up your–"

He cut me off, placing a hand on my arm. "We have company."

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 15 | 3 = Failure

I squinted out at the field. The sun had fallen below the horizon, casting the school into shadow. "Are you sure? I do not see anyone."

"I'm sure. There, sneaking up on the shed," Dean pointed.

I still did not see anyone, but I would trust in his judgment. Bursting out from beneath the bleachers, I began sprinting across the field, Dean following in my wake. Halfway across the field, I pulled a flashlight from my jacket pocket and flicked it on, turning it to illuminate our path.

A pair of boys looked up from where they had clearly been making out against the side of the shed, startled by our sudden approach.

"Matt? Is that you?" Dean asked from behind me.

"Dean? Uh. Yeah. What the hell is going on?"

I let a sigh escape me. "We were investigating rumors that equipment was being stolen. I can guess at what is happening here, but would the two of you mind explaining yourselves?"

Matt cleared his throat and glanced away. "Um. Paul and I like to come out here at night. This late, there's no one else really around to bother us. I don't know about the equipment – I mean, sometimes we'll take stuff out to play a game or two if we're feeling up for it, but I always put the stuff back when we're done. We don't steal anything."

"How did you get the keys to the shed?" I asked.

"I'm on the football team," the other boy, Paul, said. "I know where they're kept. I know we're not supposed to mess with the stuff on our own time, but we really do return everything when we're done."

"You have not seen or heard anything while you two were out here?"

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 11 | 9 = Failure

"No," one answered.

"We haven't," the other said at the same time.

For a moment, I had the urge to run a hand over my face and groan. I resisted, of course. That would not be dignified. Even still, this was a headache. On the one hand, I could report the two of them. They were misusing school equipment. They would certainly be reprimanded if not worse. On the other hand, their actions were not technically hurting anyone, and this was a place that they could escape to feel safe.

Worst of all, whichever choice I made, I still did not have an answer for how or why the equipment was going missing.

I glanced back at my brother, silently communicating with him, before looking back to the two boys. "Very well then. Let us figure out what we are to do about this."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

After that I said my good-byes and gave my brother an excuse about going out shopping for a bit while I left to blow off steam against the criminals of the city. All that wait and I had nothing to show for it.

At least here in Brockton Bay, there was no shortage of criminals to find.

Invoke Passion: Heroism: 7 | 16 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee)

Elaine Melee: 4 | 14 (9+5) = Success
Thug Melee: 4 | 8 = Success
>Elaine Damage (6d6/2) = 9 (0 Armor Reduction) = (15/24 HP)
>Thug Damage (3d6) = 11 (8 Armor Reduction) = (30/33 HP)
>>Tie. Elaine breaks the Thug's Bat.
Thug Valorous: 12 | 10 = The Thug Surrenders

The first fight could hardly even be called such. A man stupid enough to try and mug what he thought was an unarmed teenage girl. He swung at me, the bat skimming off my wrist, leaving a bruise that would be gone by tomorrow. I responded by trapping the bat against the ground and snapping it with a single swing of my sword. A follow-up drove the flat of the blade against his wrist and he let the pieces drop.

There was a time when using the flat like this would have been seen as dishonoring my opponent. Now it was a requirement. The law of the modern day meant that I had to avoid killing anyone. A difficult task to be sure, when faced with such fragile opponents.

Fortunately, while this man was stupid enough to attack me, he was smart enough to surrender once his weapon was broken. A call to the police saw him collected in short order and I resumed my patrol through Midtown.

Gamemaster said:
Glory gained (Thug) = 15

It did little to improve my mood.

I felt slow. Unskilled. Useless. The failure to resolve the issue with the school's missing equipment was just one more frustration on top of everything else. I boasted to Dean that I did not need his protection, yet if I were truly as skilled as I was in my memories, I would already be removing the gangs from the Bay, not just taking my vexation out upon petty criminals.

Letting out a slow breath, I tilted my head back. I needed to plan better. It was not enough to simply charge into things. If I was not yet strong enough to remove the leadership of the gangs, then I could target their logistics instead. An army marched on its stomach and in some ways a gang was no different. Drugs, prostitutes and weapons. Remove their sources of income and the gangs would crumble.

Of course, just as with the storage shed, the issue was not with the theory, but with finding my quarry. I did not know the location of any drug labs or whore houses. I did not have any clear targets.

I am unsure what made me turn down the next alley. Perhaps I heard something without realizing. Perhaps it was fate that brought my next encounter. Either way, my blood boiled as I saw the three men in red and green, a young girl on the ground beneath them.

"--Aren't going to complain if the merchandise is a little used, right? Might as well enjoy ourselves first."

"Can't you keep your cock in your pants for five goddamn minutes, Tao? Let's just grab her and get paid."

Gamemaster said:
Just: 3 | 16 = Success
Prudent: 1 | 11 = Success

I could have hung back. I could have followed them to find out where other girls like this one were being kept, to where more of their organization was hidden.

I could not. I would not. This sort of injustice could not stand. I could not allow it to stand. Not even to prevent it from happening to others in the future.

Invoke Passion: Honor: 12 | 15 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5) , Outnumber (-5)

Elaine Melee: 17 | 9 (9+5-5) = Failure
ABB1 Brawling: 6 | 8 = Success
>ABB1 Damage = 5 (5 Armor Reduction) = (30/33 HP)
Elaine Melee: 1 | 9 (9+5-5) = Success
ABB2 Brawling: 10 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (6d6/2) = 11 (0 Armor Reduction) = (17/28 HP)
>>ABB2 Dexterity: 5 | 10 = Success
ABB3 Evade: 12 | 16 = Success
>ABB3 moves away and draws his Pistol.

Elaine Melee: 3 | 9 = Success
ABB1 Brawling: 8 | 8 = Critical
>ABB1 Damage = 10 (8 Armor Reduction) = Elaine (28/33 HP)
Elaine Melee: 9 | 9 = Critical
ABB2 Brawling: 15 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine withholds the Critical. Damage (6d6/2) = 22 (0 Armor Reduction) = ABB2 (4/28 HP)
>>ABB2 is knocked Unconscious.
ABB3 Ranged: 4 | 6
>ABB3 Damage (1d6+15) = 19 (5 Armor Reduction) = Elaine (14/33 HP)
>>Elaine Dexterity: 4 | 14 = Success
Shadowstalker Ranged: 3 | 18 = Success
>Shadowstalker Damage (1d6+10) = 16 = ABB3 (12/28 HP)
>>ABB3 takes a Major Wound and is knocked unconscious.

Elaine Melee: 6 | 14 = Success
ABB1 Brawling: 3 | 8 = Success
>Elaine Damage (6d6) = 20 = ABB1 (8/28 HP)
>>ABB1 takes a Major Wound and is knocked unconscious.

Charging in without hesitation, I heard only a brief scream of, "Cape!" before crashing into the man who had wanted to 'use the merchandise,' the flat of my sword slamming into his shoulder. The man gasped in pain and stumbled back, quickly trying to orient himself and raise his guard. I followed through and smashed my pommel against his head, watching him crumple to the ground.

His friends did not stay idle. The nearest attempted to punch me, my jacket taking the first blow, while the second caught me across the chin, spinning my head around. It was a pretty feeble attempt, but these men lacked weapons. At least, that is what I thought.

The gunshot took me by surprise, the impact jerking my body back. I almost did not realize what had happened at first.

The third man had taken the chance to back off and shoot me. The bullet had taken me in the shoulder. I took a deep breath, pain radiating out from the wound as my mind caught up with the shock of it. The man steadied his hands and aimed for another shot.

A crossbow bolt sprouted from his shoulder before he could.

Not questioning my good luck, I turned and brought my sword down upon the remaining man. The situation was dire – I did not bother using the flat of my blade. Still, I aimed my stroke and the man fell; injured but not dead. It was the only mercy I could spare him.

Gamemaster said:
Glory gained (ABB) = 45

It was with shaky hands that I placed my sword point-first into the ground. All three men were down for the count, and the victim… the victim sat huddled in the corner of the alleyway, terror writ plain upon her face. She was a small thing. About my age, but petite, cute in the way that I imagine would inspire feelings of protectiveness in many a knight.

"It will be alright," I said softly. "You are safe now."

The girl hesitated before suddenly rushing forward and wrapping her arms around me, burying her face against my shoulder. "God, thank you, thank you, thank you. I was so afraid they were going to take me and I was just going to disappear. You hear about stories like that all the time, but I never thought they were true."

"Shhh," I hummed what comforting noises I could, distantly noting as a shadow leapt from the roof, resolving into a black cloaked individual as it hit the ground. "It will be alright now, I promise. They cannot hurt you any longer. What is your name?"

"M-Madison."

"Listen to me, Madison." I pressed my burner phone into her hands. "I need to make sure that these men are secured. Can you call the police while I do that?"

"Y-Yeah. I can do that. I can do that."

"Good. Thank you, Madison." My scarf hid my mouth, but I did my best to infuse a bit of warmth into my voice to try and reassure her. She gave me a shaky smile in return and I counted it a victory.

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 20 | 5 = Fumble!
Gain a check to Recognize.

With that taken care of, however, there was one other person to address. Stepping away from Madison, I approached the cloaked figure. "So. Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?"

"Should I?"

"I mean, the Protectorate made a pretty big stink about making me their newest Ward. I'd like to think I had a pretty good rep even before that too."

I shrugged. "I am new on the scene."

"Hmph. Well, fine then. Name's Shadowstalker. Can't say you aren't brave, but it was pretty dumb just running in like that."

"Pendragon. I thank you for the assistance. I would like to argue your point, but… You are correct. I allowed my anger to overwhelm my sense and I paid the price for it."

"Tsk." Shadowstalker clicked her tongue. "At least you're smart enough to admit it."

Smiling a bit under my scarf, I took a moment to look her over. Her costume was the sort that was popular with teenagers. Dark and moody, hinting at mystery. Her tone likewise was a gruff affectation. It was not the sort of gruffness that people sounded like naturally, but a managed tone, the tone of a child trying to sound tougher than she was. The small hint of embarrassment at my thanks only sealed my conclusion.

This girl was trying too hard to embody her persona.

"You joined the Wards recently?" I asked.

"Yeah. There's a real nasty fucker on the streets, going around killing people. I got in over my head, only got out because Armsmaster showed up. After that… Well, I was always pretty independent, but having people to watch my back didn't seem so bad after that."

"Is this the part where you suggest I should join as well?"

"Nah. You do you. Even if it's good to have a team, it's still a pain being involved with the government. Maybe find a partner you can team up with though, if you're going to stay independent."

"I will admit, while I do not have any intention to join the Protectorate, I would appreciate someone with more experience who can assist me. My greatest challenge right now is in locating the gangs rather than just petty criminals."

Shadowstalker went silent for a moment before crossing her arms. "Look. If you want, I can go on a few patrols with you. Show you the ropes. Just don't let it get out, okay? I'm not supposed to be doing unsanctioned patrols on my own now that I'm in the Wards. If you do come with me though, we're not going to pussyfoot around."

I nodded. "I shall keep it in mind. It will need to wait for another night however. I have a bit of new ventilation in me that needs patching up."

Shadowstalker snorted, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, you do that."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Though it had been bandaged, the Student Council Elections found me with a hole still in my shoulder. Each jostle, each handshake, every smile sent waves of pain radiating through me. I ignored it and kept going.

How could I do any less?

Gamemaster said:
Appeal: 12 | 14 = Success
Etiquette: 7 | 7 = Critical!
Orate: 5 | 6 = Success
Leadership: 18 | 4 = Failure
>4 Successes vs 1 Failure

Despite it all, I still let out a sigh of relief when the votes came in, declaring me the victor. A part of me doubted that I would be. In many ways, I was a poor leader, even in my previous life. Knights had left my court, declaring that I did not understand human feelings. Surely even these children would see what a poor ruler I was, given the opportunity.

Perhaps they still would in time. For now, they had entrusted me with the duty of leadership. I could but do my best to learn from my mistakes and to live up to their expectations.

Gamemaster said:
Glory gained for appointment to Student Council = 100

It is September of 2010.

We have arrived at a rest period.

First is to tally checkmarks.

Checkmarks said:
Proud: 5 | 10 = No Increase
Leadership: 3 | 4 = No Increase
Recognize: 8 | 5 = Increased by 1
First Aid: 20 | 2 = Increased by 1
Etiquette: 2 | 7 = No Increase
Brawling: 1 | 7 = No Increase
Melee: 17 | 9 = Increased by 1
Honor: 18 | 15 = Increased by 1
Love (Family): 12 | 11 = Increased by 1

Next is training and practice. You may select any one of the following improvements:

Training said:
Change a Personality Trait
You can add one point to a Trait, decreasing its opposite by the same amount (subject to an effective minimum value of 1).
-OR-
Change a Passion
You can add or subtract one point from any Passion.
-OR-
Change a Characteristic
Players may add one point to any one of STR, DEX, CON, or APP.
-OR-
Train Skills Up to 15
Add 6 points to any number of Skills under 15 in any combination—all points may be added to one Skill, divided between two Skills, or more—as long as the values are not raised over 15.
-OR-
Train a Skill Up to 20
Increase one Skill over 15 by one point, up to a maximum value of 20.

Please structure this vote as:
[ ] [Training] Skills 1, Skills 2, Skills 3, etc.

Next is Glory, as we have hit a new milestone.

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions. Right now, I would recommend using it on Characteristics for the raw stats, but this does potentially allow you to increase Skills past the hard limit of 20. Every point above 20 increases critical threshold range (So a threshold of 22 would crit on a roll of 18-20), so something to keep in mind for the future.

[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:

[ ] [Power] Chivalry (D)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and 4 hit points.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (E)
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -2 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Automatically pass checks to stay mounted if you take a hit exceeding your Knockdown value.
[ ] [Power] Charisma (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10. On a success, gain a +5 threshold bonus to any Social roll.
[ ] [Power] Magic Resistance (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10 opposed to parahuman powers that target you. On success, the effect is negated.

Next, you receive your monthly allowance. Given your status as a Wealthy Heiress, you earn $100.

Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)

You are currently following the Adventure of the Haunted Storage shed, but have hit something of a roadblock on how to proceed. What do you do to investigate?

[ ] [Adventure] (Write-In)

As part of the adventure, you discovered Matt and Paul canoodling. How do you respond?

[ ] [Boys] Turn them in.
>They have been using the school as a rendezvous point and mishandling school equipment. Even if they aren't the thieves, you still need to report them.
[ ] [Boys] Warn them off.
>Don't report them, but warn them not to repeat this behavior any more. They need to find a new spot.
[ ] [Boys] Let them be.
>They aren't hurting anyone. Just let them keep doing what they have been.
[ ] [Boys] (Write-In)

You've been injured pretty badly. Where do you go for treatment?
[ ] [First Aid] The Hospital
>It would cost money, and the information about your injury might leak, but you know they could treat your wound reliably.
[ ] [First Aid] Amy
>Amy is pretty good at first aid and could probably treat it, but that would mean telling her your secret identity.
[ ] [First Aid] Treat it yourself
>You're not very good at first aid. You probably won't be able to do much besides bandaging it and waiting for it to heal.
[ ] [First Aid] (Write-In)

Shadowstalker has suggested that you team up with someone going forward.
[ ] [Team] Stay Independent
>You're doing just fine on your own (and you don't have to split the Glory when you succeed).
[ ] [Team] Glory Girl
>You would almost certainly have to tell her about your secret identity.
[ ] [Team] Shadowstalker
>She would insist on doing something dangerous, like busting a drug house – or an actual Parahuman. Note: This won't happen until you're fully healed, so don't worry about it happening while still injured.
[ ] [Team] Try and find other Independents
>There's bound to be some in the Bay, right? They may or may not be any good in a fight though.
[ ] [Team] (Write-In)

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Morgan.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>Victoria apparently has some sort of charity photo shoot she's attending that she's invited you to. It could earn you some money on the side if you do well.
[ ] [Activity] Driving
>You have your learner's permit. You should get more time on the road.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Morgan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Sorry about how long this took to get out. I took what should have been a short hiatus to binge my way through a few fics, that quickly turned into a much longer hiatus unfortunately. We're back now though!

Aldsan · Mar 20, 2024

Welcome to the Parahumans Online message boards.
You are currently logged in, TheEternalVeda

♦ Private message from SpecificProtagonist:

SpecificProtagonist: You're not going to believe this
SpecificProtagonist: I got rescued by a hero last night
TheEternalVeda: What the
TheEternalVeda: Are you okay?
SpecificProtagonist: Yeah. Some ABB guys shoved me in an alley
SpecificProtagonist: This guy with a sword shows up before they can do anything though. Total badass new hero.
TheEternalVeda: You're right, I don't believe you. What guy?
SpecificProtagonist: Didn't recognize him, but introduced himself as Pendragon.
TheEternalVeda: Like King Arthur Pendragon or something?
SpecificProtagonist: Yeah! Real knightly, cutting down villains for my honor and stuff. Took time to make sure I was okay and waited with me until the cops showed up. Offered to walk me back home.
TheEternalVeda: Sounds like Gallant has some competition.
SpecificProtagonist: Maybe! Do you think I'd have a chance if I asked him out? I'm pretty sure he's my age. Maybe a bit younger.
TheEternalVeda: What makes you think he's your age?
SpecificProtagonist: He's a little short and his voice isn't too deep. I'm not like, Glory Girl pretty or a hero or anything, but I have a shot at least, right?
TheEternalVeda: Nothing is impossible in this world.
TheEternalVeda: Just show him all the capefic you write. Guys love slash, right?
SpecificProtagonist *New Message*: Ugh. You could have at least pretended to encourage me.

■

"Thank you all for coming here today. We are new to each other, so let us begin with introductions."

Vedika Dhawan snapped her phone closed and glared across the table at the new Student Council President. "We all know each other. You're the only one that's new here."

The Student Council elections for Arcadia were a bit unusual, in that there was no election for Vice President. Instead, it was the loser of the presidential race that took the position. A silver medal. A participation prize. Why waste someone who was interested in school governance just because they lost what amounted to a popularity contest? The entire point of the council was to give kids experience more than it was to actually achieve anything of note, after all.

Vedika had run for President the last two years. She had served as Vice President the last two years. It had been expected. Penelope had been the incumbent. Vedika had known she wouldn't win against her – But this year was supposed to be different! Penelope had graduated! Vedika had been on the Council for two years now! It had been her last chance before she graduated as well and this girl who had just started Arcadia breezed in and crushed her with what seemed like hardly any effort at all.

Vedika should have had every advantage possible and she lost again.

Elaine Stansfield met her eyes and nodded, entirely unruffled by the spite in Vedika's voice. "Then I have a great deal to catch up on."

"You–"

"Hey," Austin put his hand on Vedika's arm and leaned in to whisper to her. "We all have to work together for the next year. Let's try to get along, alright?"

"Fine." Vedika took a deep breath. "I'm Vedika. Your Vice President."

"Austin, I'll be your Treasurer."

"Kayla. I'm the Secretary."

Vedika met Elaine's gaze. The girl's expression still had not changed since they sat down. Motionless and cold, as if she had been carved out of stone. A statue in place of a person. Why had she lost to this girl?

Was it because her brother was dating Glory Girl? Popularity by association? Or was it because she was rich? Had she bought her way in somehow? Was it that Vedika wasn't pretty enough? Vedika's large, round glasses left her firmly in the nerdy group, while Elaine looked toned and sporty. Or was it simply because she was white and blonde and Vedika wasn't?

She didn't know. Why? Why Elaine and not her?

"We will stop here for today. Everyone, please give some thought to how you would personally want the school to improve. We will discuss your ideas tomorrow. Vedika, could you please stay a moment?"

It was that time already? Vedika hadn't even noticed, lost in her thoughts as she had been. Everyone else began shuffling out. Austin shot her a worried look as he walked past, but she couldn't bring herself to reassure him. The door closed, leaving just her and Elaine in the room.

"What did you want?"

Elaine let out a slow breath, perhaps the most human show of emotion she had shown all meeting. "I am sorry."

"What?"

"When I decided to run for Student Council, I did not give thought to who my opponent would be. I did not think of what dreams I would be crushing in the process. I thought only of my victory. I am sorry, Vedika."

Tears sprang to Vedika's eyes and she furiously scrubbed them away. Damn it. This would be so much easier if Elaine were a bitch that Vedika could simply hate for stealing away her future. "It's not your fault. Everyone voted. I just… lost."

Elaine reached out and squeezed Vedika's hand. "Nevertheless. Perhaps things would be different if I had given thought to my opponent. It is because of that, I am ashamed that I must beg your help, even with the debt that I already owe you."

Vedika drew her hand back to rub at her temples, knocking her glasses askew. "My help with what? You won already."

"With the management of the Student Council, of course. You have years of experience after all. Who else could I rely on but you?"

A cynical part of Vedika's mind told her that this was how people were exploited. Elaine had defeated her, but now was trying to remove the sting of that defeat by making her feel important. It was a classic tactic used by manipulators. And yet… Looking into Elaine's eyes, she wanted to believe that the girl across from her was genuine.

On the other hand, better not to make decisions in any kind of high-pressure situation. "I'll think about it," she finally said, intending to do just that once she got home and didn't have those piercing green eyes staring at her.

"Of course. Take what time you need." Elaine's lips twitched in what could only be described as the ghost of a smile and she stood up before offering her hand to help Vedika as well. "Is it alright if I walk with you downstairs?"

"Sure."

Vedika tucked her hands into her pockets and quietly followed in Elaine's wake. Outside, she could see the football team running practice drills out on the field, the Sun just beginning to crest the horizon and cast an orange glow across them. The hallways, however, stood empty, only the occasional murmur of a club hidden behind a door spoke to the building's occupation.

"What made you run for Student Council?" Vedika finally asked.

Elaine tilted her head upwards. "I would like if I could claim entirely altruistic motivations, and there is an element of that. I do genuinely want to help my fellow students, to do whatever I can to protect their hopes and dreams. However, if I am honest with myself, I think there was a part of me that simply wished to feel useful. To be useful."

That was hardly any different in practice, Vedika thought. Elaine's selfishness was that of a saint. Vedika had wanted a lot of things from being President – the honor of the title, the boost to her college applications – but really, she had just wanted people to look up to her. She had wanted to be popular for a change. Her stomach twisted. Maybe this was why she had lost. People had seen the difference in their intentions.

"Is it because of your injury?"

Elaine raised an eyebrow. "You heard about that?"

"Rumors. I was curious about why the girl running against me was a Sophomore despite not attending last year."

"Well, you would not be wrong in assuming that." Elaine paused, her lips drawing to a tight line. "I have never felt so powerless as I did when I first woke up. I do not have the strength to do the things I truly wish to do. Not yet. However, even if my body lacks the strength, I could still lend my mind and experience to helping where I could. If nothing else, I could administrate."

We stepped out of the building, the summer heat hitting us full force as we passed through the front doors. "Intentions are all well and good, but are you certain that you have the skills to back it up, Elaine? It doesn't do any good to anyone if you're just here to bumble around."

"I understand that. I hope I can prove to you that my confidence is not misplaced. I can do this. More importantly, the two of us can do this together."

Vedika let her shoulders slump. What was she even supposed to say to something like that?

"Okay."

"Hm?"

"I'm going to go home and finish sorting through my feelings, and when I come back tomorrow I'm going to be the best Vice President you'll ever have. Got it?"

Elaine's eyes went wide, blinking in surprise. It was replaced a moment later with a smile, as Elaine closed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. "Certainly. I got it." Clearing her throat, Elaine asked, "Not to spoil the mood of your departure, but do you need me to call my brother and ask him to drive you home?"

"No!" Vedika coughed, her cheeks heating up. Half the girls in the school had a crush on Dean Stansfield and she was hardly any exception to that. She didn't need him to see her when she was as out of sorts as she was. "It's fine. I'll just walk. It's not that far to my house."

"If you are certain," Elaine said dubiously.

Vedika simply waved her off and turned to leave.

The question of why still niggled in the back of her mind, but… she thought she could understand now why so many people had voted for Elaine. Her loss didn't suck any less, but maybe she could bear it if this was who she had lost to.

Sighing, she tucked her braid over her shoulder and wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead. She really should have taken Elaine's offer of a ride. It's not that it was a particularly long walk, but it was hot out today. She'd just been so flustered in the moment she'd turned it down without really thinking.

"Hey."

"Huh?" Vedika came to a stop and looked at the Asian boy that had been loitering out near the gate to the school. He looked to be about her age, but wasn't someone she recognized. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah." His eyes raked across her body and Vedika stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You friends with blondie over there?"

What was this creep after? "What if I am?"

"Goddamned bitches can't even answer a simple question. Whatever. It's good enough for me. I'm tired of waiting." The back of his hand caught Vedika across her cheek before she had the time to process what happened. It wasn't until after she actually hit the ground that her scream finally escaped her.

What was going on? Why had he hit her?

She raised trembling fingers to her cheek. In the distance, she could see Elaine sprinting towards the two of them, her face a picture of righteous fury. The boy kicked Vedika in the ribs before flicking a knife out of the waistband of his pants.

Why? She was already down. She hadn't done anything. Why hit her? Why kick her?

Why?

"I'm gonna teach her why you don't fuck with the ABB."

Vedika fell into darkness.

You have the opportunity to generate a new passion, Hate (ABB). This can be a potential new source of strength, if you wish it. Be warned, it will affect behavior if you accept it.

[ ] [Passion] Yes
[ ] [Passion] No

Someone has requested the purchase of a Motorcycle Helmet for Elaine ($50).

[ ] [Purchase] Buy
[ ] [Purchase] Don't Buy

The teammate vote resulted in a tie, so we're doing a runoff it seems.

[ ] [Team] Glory Girl
[ ] [Team] Shadow Stalker

Once and Future (WormxFate)

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