Once and Future (WormxFate)

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.

DannyPhantom619 · Dec 25, 2023

[X] Stay Independent
[X] [Force] Lethal
[X] [Gender] Female
[X] [Social] Theo Anders

NooneImportant · Dec 25, 2023

Aldsan said:
>>Merchant2 takes a Major Wound and is unable to continue.
[/ quote]

should be "[/spoiler]," the rest of the post is messed up.

Aldsan said:
"Hashire sore yo–"

PADORU PADORU!!!

[X] Stay Independent
[X] [Force] Defensive
[X] [Gender] Ambivalent
[X] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -2 threshold penalty

Knoxov · Dec 25, 2023

[Wards] Join
[Force] Defensive
[Gender] Ambivalent
[Social] Amy Dallon

Filo · Dec 25, 2023

[X] Stay Independent
[X] [Force] Lethal
[X] [Gender] Ambivalent
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon
[X] [Power] Instinct (E)
[X] [Glory] STR

The Revanchist · Jan 19, 2024

[X] [Wards] Stay Independent
[X] [Gender] Male
[X] [Social] Dean Stansfield

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)

48Tarantulas · Jan 20, 2024

[X] [Patrol] The Docks
[X] [Social] Victoria Dallon

Emiya Pendragon · Jan 25, 2024

Demiservant? Reincarnation? Pseudo Servant?

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!

Skitzyfrenic · Mar 13, 2024

Instinct seems pretty good for a power upgrade. Avoid getting hurt in the first place.

DannyPhantom619 · Mar 13, 2024

Hope she finds her own version of Shirou.

NooneImportant · Mar 13, 2024

~~[ ] [Plan] Let's go practice medicine...~~

[ ] [Training] 6 points to First Aid

[ ] [Glory] (Constitution +1)

~~[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (E)~~
~~>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.~~

~~[ ] [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.~~

~~[ ] [Activity] Driving~~
~~>You have your learner's permit. You should get more time on the road.~~

~~[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon~~

Due to goading/encouragement but Shikatsu, updated plan below

Buaidh · Mar 13, 2024

If you add a first aid choice and turn it into a plan I'd vote for this.

NooneImportant said:
[X] [Training] 6 points to First Aid

[X] [Glory] (Constitution +1)

[X] [Power] Mana Burst (E)
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.

[X] [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.

[X] [Activity] Driving
>You have your learner's permit. You should get more time on the road.

[X] [Social] Amy Dallon

NooneImportant · Mar 14, 2024

Shikatsu said:
If you add a first aid choice and turn it into a plan I'd vote for this.

No idea what to do for the adventure, though.

[X] [Plan] Let's go practice medicine...

[X] [Training] 6 points to First Aid

[X] [Glory] (Constitution +1)

[X] [Power] Mana Burst (E)
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.

[X] [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.

[X] [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.

[X] [Activity] Driving
>You have your learner's permit. You should get more time on the road.

[X] [Social] Amy Dallon

~~We totally aren't just letting Amy peer review our work.~~

Buaidh · Mar 14, 2024

[X] [Plan] Let's go practice medicine...

[X] [Training] 6 points to First Aid

[X] [Glory] (Constitution +1)

[X] [Power] Mana Burst (E)
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.

[X] [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.

[X] [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.

[X] [Activity] Driving
>You have your learner's permit. You should get more time on the road.

[X] [Social] Amy Dallon

Popoley224 · Mar 14, 2024

[X] [Plan] Let's go practice medicine…

Sounds good to me!

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

DannyPhantom619 · Mar 20, 2024

[X] [Team] Glory Girl

Buaidh · Mar 20, 2024

[x] [Passion] Yes
[x] [Purchase] Buy
[x] [Team] Glory Girl

Martenzo · Mar 23, 2024

[x] [Passion] Yes
[x] [Purchase] Buy
[x] [Team] Glory Girl

Buaidh · Mar 23, 2024

It's sad that nsfw gets all the attention in quests, the quality of the writing so far stands up to any of them. And I really like the system you're using.

Aldsan · Mar 24, 2024

Shikatsu said:
It's sad that nsfw gets all the attention in quests, the quality of the writing so far stands up to any of them. And I really like the system you're using.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

Aldsan · Mar 28, 2024

Voting said:
[X] [Training] Melee 3, Brawling 3
[X] [Glory] Constitution
[X] [Power] Chivalry (D)
[X] [Boys] Warn them off.
[X] [First Aid] Amy
[X] [Team] Glory Girl
[X] [Activity] Driving
[X] [Social] Erin Archelot
[X] [Purchase] Buy
[X] [Passion] No

The ground trembled beneath the girl. She pressed her back tighter to the rock she was hiding behind, tilting her head to look out at the giant as it walked past.

"He's a big blighter, isn't he?" Kay muttered. "Must be at least sixteen feet."

"I have heard tales of giants amongst Saxon warbands as tall as twenty-five," Bedivere whispered in return.

"You are as knowledgeable as ever, Sir Bedivere," the girl said. "Let us focus on the matter at hand however."

"Right," Kay nodded. "I think if we're quick we can ambush it as it walks past that ridge. We can jump off and land upon its back, use our weight to bear it to the ground."

Bedivere nodded sagely. "Then as the heaviest among us, you should jump first, Kay."

"An entire arm heavier," Kay replied sarcastically. "That girl back in town won't be too impressed with you if she hears that I did all the work, you know."

Bedivere's cheeks heated. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Well, if you don't mind me taking her…"

"Shove off."

"Haha! Well, neither of us will seduce the fair maiden if we don't actually kill this thing. Arthur, are you ready to – Eh? Where did he go?"

"Ah… He already ran up to the ridge."

A lone figure jumped off the cliffside, boots landing square in the giant's face. The giant let out a roar, more beast than man, as it swiped at the assailant, but the girl simply flipped upwards, planting a hand atop the giant's head before bringing her sword down upon its neck with a flash of light.

"Damn it," Kay cursed. "All the women at the village are going to be hanging off of Arthur… again."

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 19/38

Ting.

Ting. Ting.

The window jerked open and Amy's head popped out. "What are you – Ow!" A pebble hit Amy on the forehead and she jerked back, only to slam her head against the windowsill.

"Ah." I coughed and let the rest of the pebbles I had been throwing at Amy's window drop to the ground. "Good evening, Amy. Do you mind if I climb up there?"

Amy glared down at me and hissed, "What the hell, Elaine? Why are you enacting some shitty 80's romcom trope?"

"I need your help. Let me in and I shall explain, I promise."

"Ugh. Fine, give me a moment and I'll open the front door."

"No need for that, I can just climb up."

"You can what –"

Gamemaster said:
Dexterity: 12 | 14 = Success

I leaped, my fingers finding purchase on a small crevice in the house's brickwork, using it to heft myself up as I flipped my body, my legs hooking into Amy's window. A moment later, I had pulled myself through. "My apologies for the late hour, Amy."

"Fuck! How did you – What the actual fuck, Elaine?!"

"Quiet, please. I chose not to go through your front door for a reason, Amy."

Amy opened her mouth, closed it, then finally placed a hand over her face. "God," she muttered, "Why do I have to deal with this shit at two in the morning?"

Swallowing, I bowed my head. "I do apologize for the inconvenience. I know it is asking a great deal of you. Still, I could not think of anyone else I could turn to."

Amy let out a long, drawn out sigh before looking at me again. "Fine. What's so important at two in the morning anyways.

Clearing my throat, I peeled off my jacket. I began unbuttoning my shirt a moment later, to Amy's strangled protestations, her face turning scarlet. "What are you – Hey, don't just start stripping down! What the hell are you thinking? I'm not – I'm not ready –"

I silenced her with a look before drawing the collar of my shirt down to reveal the hastily bandaged shoulder, already soaked red. "If you would, I would like to borrow your first aid kit. I may need some help removing the bullet."

Amy lost all words. When she finally spoke again, her words escaped in little more than a wheeze. "You were shot?" She backed up unconsciously until she hit the wall. "Why the fuck aren't you at the hospital? Who shot you? "

"Amy. Please. I will answer what questions you have, but the first aid kit first."

"Y-Yeah. I got it. I'll get it." She turned and rushed to the door, pulling on it – only for it to fail to budge. "Goddamnit of all the times –"

"What is the matter?"

"You didn't set the door right when you fixed it, it gets stuck now." Amy growled and planted a foot on the wall, pushing against it to drag the door out of its frame. A moment later, it popped out and she stumbled back a few steps from the force before darting through. Her footsteps faded down the staircase, a hurried staccato as she rushed to the downstairs bathroom.

I let out a slow breath and sat down on the bed and finished unbuttoning my shirt. Slipping it off, I folded it gently and set it to the side, along with my jacket. For a moment, I stared down at the fabric, brushing my fingers over where the bullet hole would have been had my abilities not allowed for the near-instantaneous change of outfits. Instead, it was another shirt that carried that hole tonight, one I would need to dispose of after this.

My hands were trembling. Why was I… I had faced far more dangerous foes than this. Far worse wounds than this. This injury was inconvenient, but hardly worth commenting on beyond that.

So why could I not stop shivering?

"Okay. I've got it." Amy's voice disrupted my thoughts as she slid back inside the room before turning to put her weight against the door, slowly pushing it back into its frame. "How can I help? What do you need – Oh god, you're naked."

I rolled my eyes. I still had my brassiere on, even if my chest was mostly bare. "I am hardly naked," I said. "However, it will be difficult to tend the wound with my shirt in the way."

"Naked enough," Amy muttered in return.

For a moment, I felt her eyes on my bare back, my skin crawling under the weight of her gaze. I squashed the sensation down, just as I had my earlier trembling. Now was no time to be embarrassed or squeamish. It is not as though it mattered anyways. Even if I were naked, it was not as though there was much to see. My body remained as unwomanly as it had in my past life.

"Just lie down already," Amy grumbled. "Honestly, what were you thinking jumping up here like that with an injured shoulder anyways?"

"Worry not, I did not use that hand while jumping," I said as I laid back onto Amy's bed.

Amy sat down next me, setting a towel down before wiping a set of pliers down with a cotton swab. Even from where I lay, I could smell the faint scent of rubbing alcohol. "Worry not, she says… Are you going to explain what happened now?"

"I dare say you have likely already guessed by now. I decided to engage in vigilantism."

"You have powers? What am I saying – You just flipped yourself to the second floor. Of course you have powers."

I turned my face away, my cheeks coloring. Better, perhaps, to let her think that my jump was power assisted under the circumstances. The original Elaine could have managed as much with her training as a gymnast, though she would have lacked the audacity to attempt it. It was not an easy feat, by any means, but it was not impossible either.

"Yes, well. I was a bit overly reckless tonight and suffered the consequences."

"You don't say," Amy said dryly before flicking on a flashlight and pointing it at my wound. A gauze swab followed, mopping up the blood. "So? What are your powers exactly? Clearly it's not invincibility."

"I am still in the process of attempting to evaluate that."

"Here I thought I was supposed to be the reckless one," Amy growled and pressed a bit harder with her cleaning than she necessarily needed to. She immediately relented when the pressure elicited a hiss of pain from me. "So goddamn stupid."

"It is not as though I was entirely unprepared," I protested.

Amy glared at me. "Obviously you weren't prepared enough or I wouldn't be pulling a bullet out of you at two in the morning. Did you even have any sort of back up?"

"Shadow Stalker assisted me."

Amy narrowed her gaze. "Did you actually know she was there beforehand?"

"...No," I admitted.

Amy did not say anything. She did not need to. Her look said it all. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. "I know. It was reckless. I thought I could handle it. I had been successful in my previous outings and…" And I was still thinking as if I had all the power I had in my past life when I did not.

Gamemaster said:
Amy First Aid: 12 | 15 = Wound of 3 fully treated.
Amy First Aid: 17 | 15 = Wound of 2 failed treatment.
Amy First Aid: 2 | 15 = Wound of 14 healed by 5.
Elaine HP: 27/38

"Clench your teeth." A pair of pliers dug into me and I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain. It was nothing I could not bear. It was just pain. I had dealt with as much many times before. "You're lucky. The bullet didn't penetrate very far. I didn't have to go digging around at all."

The pain intensified a moment later as she began using rubbing alcohol to clean the wound. "That is well," I finally replied faintly, my eyes watering.

"Next time you might not be so lucky. So what you're going to do, as soon as I finish stitching you up, you're going to go wake my sister up, and you're going to tell her everything that you told me – and from now on, you will call her whenever you intend to go out at night. Got it?"

"Amy, I cannot." I bit down on my lip. I could not promise that. I could not impose on Victoria like that. The last time she had defended me… The last time, I had ended in a coma, but it very nearly could have been her instead. I needed to be better on my own merits.

"No. I don't care. You're going to agree. I can't see you in that hospital bed again, okay? I can't deal with you not waking up and knowing that it was my fault again. If you're going to insist on doing this, you're going to do it with help."

"I –" She was correct. I was letting my pride get in the way. I needed to be better, but Victoria was a warrior in her own right. I could not deny her assistance with good conscience. "Very well. I will speak with her."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Prudent.
Bond with Amy increased to 3.

"Good. You had better." Amy's voice was tight, her fingers trembling as she reached for needle and thread.

I closed my eyes, to spare her the dignity, no longer staring at the tracks her tears had left along her cheeks. There was a long, silent pause before the needle pierced me, her hands steady once again. All that was left to me was the steady sound of Amy's breath and the sting of the needle. I felt myself slipping away, falling into comforting oblivion.

When I opened my eyes again, daylight streamed through the window.

Slowly, I cast my eyes about the room. All signs of the bloody treatment from the prior night had been cleaned away. At some point, Amy had changed my clothes – my shoes and rough jeans replaced with pajama bottoms, an overly large t-shirt pulled over my head. Amy's clothes, I assumed. The girl herself had fallen asleep next to me in the bed, though she had pushed herself up against the wall, her back towards me. The sheets had been pulled over her head, as if she were trying to hide herself away.

Pulling myself out of bed, I winced at the ache in my shoulder. The wound was still there, still healing, though perhaps not quite as bad as I had expected the night prior. It was fine. I could deal with this small an injury. Padding towards the door, I attempted to open it, only to find myself stymied.

Ah, Amy had mentioned something about this last night. Another thing to apologize for, my poor workmanship. Taking a deep breath, I yanked on the door until it pried free and made my way down to the hallway bathroom. A shower would not be an option this morning, not with the bandages on my shoulder, but I could at least wash my face and rinse the taste of sleep out of my mouth.

I was halfway through my abbreviated morning routine when someone knocked on the door.

"Come on Amy, hurry up! I really need to pee here!"

Pausing, I shut off the water and dried my face before opening the door to the sight of Victoria. She seemed ready to rush inside until she realized just who was occupying the room, her eyes turning into saucers.

"Ellie? What are you doing… here…?" Her head tilted to the side and she squinted at me. "Are those Amy's clothes?"

"Good morning, Victoria. I need to speak with you when you have a moment. I will be waiting in your room once you've finished with the bathroom."

Victoria looked back and forth between me and the bathroom, apparently torn between following me for immediate questioning and surrendering to the needs of her bladder. In the end, she dashed into the bathroom, though it seemed a near thing. She flew into her bedroom hardly a minute later.

"Okay, I need the deets. How did the two of you happen?"

"I have powers."

"I – what?"

"I have been going out at night as a vigilante. I was… injured last night, and asked Amy to stitch me up. She insisted I speak with you about teaming up going forward."

Victoria's smile faded. Her feet touched the ground. "Oh fuck. Are you okay, Ellie?"

"I am fine. Amy's skills were more than sufficient to the task. She did have a point however, that I was perhaps being… overly reckless in attempting to do this entirely by myself, especially when I ought to be asking you for help. Will you help me?"

"Of course, Ellie. No question, I'll be there for you." She settled onto the bed next to me and pulled me into a hug. "I mean it though. Are you okay? Really? Not just your injury but…"

"I am fine, Victoria. Truly." I gave her a slight smile and leaned into her embrace. "Ah, but if I could ask one favor? Would you mind not mentioning it to Dean? I truly do not know how I would explain something like this to my family."

Victoria's face screwed up as though she had bitten into a lemon. "He doesn't already know? And… Oh God, he hasn't told you either, has he?"

"Told me what?"

"Nothing! Nothing, just thinking how weird it is dealing with secret identity stuff. I'm so used to being in a family of open capes, I guess," Victoria laughed, though the sound seemed forced. "So what's your hero name and everything?"

"Hm." I peered up at her for a moment before answering, "Pendragon. I have had a few arrests now, but no altercations with any parahumans of note."

"Pendragon, huh? So you're playing some sort of knight theme?"

"I suppose that is accurate."

"Of course you are." Victoria sighed and squeezed me tighter. "Well, okay then. Don't worry, Big Sis Vicky is here to show you the ropes. We'll meet up tonight for our first patrol together as a team."

"Thank you, Victoria. Ah, but I do have one last favor to ask, if you do not mind."

"Sure, whatever you need, Ellie."

"Well… would you mind helping me get to school today?"

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Theoretically, Victoria could have both Amy and I and flown to school. One of us would have been in her arms, the other riding her back. The three of us collectively decided not to pursue that particular path, outside of the most dire of emergencies. It was not particularly dignified, and none of us wanted to risk slipping.

Instead, Victoria borrowed her father's car. I managed to take the keys from her, with the quick excuse of needing to practice for my permit. In truth, I simply did not enjoy the few times I had ridden as a passenger with her behind the wheel in the past. She spent too much time up in the air, where traffic was not a concern, so she tended to become an incredibly slow and defensive driver when she was bound to the ground – Overcompensating for her lack of control.

If I was honest, there was a part of me that simply enjoyed being behind the wheel as well.

I smoothly pulled the three of us out of the driveway. Victoria had taken the passenger seat, occasionally flipping through stations on the radio. Amy laid draped across the backseat, still half asleep. A few minutes into the drive, Victoria leaned over and whispered, "So… Is there anything going on with you two?"

"I am not sure what you mean, Victoria."

"Right, right, gotcha." She winked conspiratorially and retreated.

Hopefully the rest of the day did not prove quite this strange.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Drive.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Thank you all for coming here today. We are new to each other, so let us begin with introductions."

A girl who had been absorbed in her phone suddenly snapped it shut and glared at me. "We all know each other. You're the only one new here."

I slowly turned my gaze across the rest of the Student Council. They seemed shocked by her reaction, but not completely dismissive. It was likely they held some resentment of their own as well. It was understandable. I was an outsider who had sweeped in and taken a position of leadership over them. I would simply have to prove myself.

Meeting my Vice President's gaze, I said, "Then I have a great deal to catch up on."

"You–" A tall boy put his hand on her arm and leaned in to whisper to her. Whatever he said seemed to calm her down and she took a deep breath before answering. "Fine. I'm Vedika. Your Vice President."

"Austin, I'll be your Treasurer."

"Kayla. I'm the Secretary."

Nodding, I took them all in. Vedika was a pretty girl, with dark hair pulled over her shoulder in a braid and even darker eyes. A beauty; though it was held back by the overly large glasses she wore. Austin, meanwhile, was a tall and gangly boy. His curly, dirty-blonde hair and easy smile leant him a general sense of amiability. Finally, Kayla wore her brown hair tied back in a low ponytail. Her eyes darted between me and Vedika, as if worried that one of us might explode.

"Thank you. I am Elaine. I will be your President for this school year. I do wish we could spend longer getting to know one another, but we do have a few orders of business to get to. To start with, the Homecoming Dance is coming soon and we will need to assist with organizing it. We will not have long on this, so please consider any particular theme you would like to use for the dance's decorations, as well as what refreshments you would like."

I continued like that for nearly half an hour. Quite a long time, considering it was only me discussing the problems we would need to address, and not even talking about possible solutions yet. On top of the dance, football season would be starting soon, and we would need to coordinate with the other local schools. We would need to make sure concessions were set up for the games. We would need to run general fundraisers throughout the year for the school.

Those were just the basic responsibilities. It did not even include my true aim, which was to make us a resource that any student in the school could go to for help. That would take more time and effort.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Leadership.

"We will stop here for today." I said, calling an end to the meeting. Austin and Kayla both looked a bit more enthusiastic than they had at the start of the meeting, but Vedika looked as though she were simply lost in her thoughts. "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?"

The others left without ceremony, leaving just Vedika and I. She looked up and met my eyes. "What do you want?"

I apologized to her. For my thoughtlessness. For my selfishness. The two of us walked together down to the school gate and I laid bare my inadequacies. In the end, I could but ask for forgiveness. I had no right to do so, and yet I did so anyway – because she was a resource that I needed. I needed her aid if my goals as President were to be successful.

In the end, she agreed.

We parted ways, and though there were still tears in her eyes, she smiled at me. She waved and walked ahead, through the gate.

Then she fell to the pavement, red painting the concrete. A boy with a knife stood over her, dressed in a green shirt and red track pants, a garish assembly. A memory came to mind. An encounter at the mall. Gang colors. The same colors that the men last night had worn. The same colors the boy who had assaulted Chelsea had worn.

My jaw clenched and I launched myself forward. They dared to harm children at a school? At my school? My first instinct was to call my sword – but that would be foolish. The place was too public. Too easily seen. Instead, I let my baton slip into my hand.

Elaine invokes passion: Station: 11 | 12 = Success
Delinquent invokes passion: Hate (Elaine): 2 | 10 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Brawling)
Delinquent: Inspired (+5 to Brawling)

Elaine Brawling: 17 | 18 (13+5) = Success
Delinquent Brawling: 10 | 13 (8+5) = Success
>Elaine Damage (2d6+4) = 11 (0 Armor Reduction) = (13/24 HP)

Elaine Brawling: 6 | 18 (13+5) = Success
Delinquent Brawling: 8 | 13 (8+5) = Success
>Delinquent Damage (2d6+4) = 9 (6 Armor Reduction) = (24/38 HP)

Elaine Brawling: 6 | 18 (13+5) = Success
Delinquent Brawling: 5 | 13 (8+5) = Success
>Elaine Damage (2d6+4) = 12 (0 Armor Reduction) = (1/24 HP)

The Delinquent is knocked Unconscious.

He seemed to be expecting me, but the sheer ferocity of my approach took him by surprise. I brought my baton down upon him, hoping to disarm him in a single blow, but he raised an arm to ward me off. The strike sent him stumbling backwards. Rather than retreat however, he instead lunged forward, a rictus of rage upon his face.

I frowned, twisting aside. The blade of his knife scraped my arm. A shallow cut. Something was wrong. There was something unnatural about this. Something had driven this boy rabid.

No matter. Battle was not the time to ponder the reasons. That could come after. I let his thrust carry him past me. Grabbing hold of his wrist to continue the motion, I spun him around myself, flinging him down to the ground. My fist followed a bare second later, taking him into unconsciousness.

Gamemaster said:
Glory gained Delinquent = 15

"Vedika," I said, kneeling by the older girl to check on her. "Are you alright?"

"Elaine?" Vedika's eyes fluttered open, looking around her in confusion. "You… Rescued me?" She paused and then looked at the boy I had knocked unconscious, her eyes widening. "You took down someone that had a knife? By yourself?"

"That is not important right now. Are you okay?"

"I… I think so. It hurts, but I think I'm okay."

I nodded and squeezed her hands. "Hang in there. I will call the police and see to it that this man is taken away. Alright?"

"A-Alright."

Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I dialed the number for emergency services. "Hello? There has been an assault at Arcadia High School. We need police to take the perpetrator…"

Gamemaster said:
Ambulance First Aid: 19 | 20 = Wound of 3 fully treated.

Time with Erin and follow up on the shed next time. The first aid bit wound up a lot longer than I was expecting. Please note, I've added an Allies tab to the character sheet and will be keeping track of bond level going forward. If anyone has any nice pictures that they think would work for a given character, I would appreciate them as I get the page constructed.

It is September of 2010.

Time for some presidential duties. So to start with, what theme will you use for the Homecoming Dance?

[ ] [Homecoming] (Write-In)

Next, you will need to reach out to some of the other schools in the city to coordinate with their student councils regarding inter-school events. Where do you start?

[ ] [School] Winslow
[ ] [School] Clarendon
[ ] [School] Immaculata

We'll also need to decide where you're patrolling with Glory Girl:

[ ] [Patrol] North End
[ ] [Patrol] The Docks
[ ] [Patrol] Midtown
[ ] [Patrol] Downtown
[ ] [Patrol] Stratham

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] Charity
>You could do volunteer work.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [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] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Buaidh · Mar 28, 2024

[X] [Patrol] Downtown
[X] [School] Immaculata
[X] [Activity] Charity
[X] [Social] Victoria Dallon

I have no idea for a theme. I'll edit one into this if I see a suggestion I like. I'm pretty much fine with any theme.

Martenzo · Mar 29, 2024

[X] [Homecoming] Medieval High Society
[X] [Patrol] Downtown
[X] [School] Immaculata
[X] [Activity] Modeling
[X] [Social] Victoria Dallon

After a bit of thought, best I could come up for a theme is for Elaine to go with something that ought to feel familiar from the memories of her past life: medieval knights and ladies, in something like a feast or other celebration. Not expecting suits of armor and chainmail, of course: knights did have party clothes as well. I'm... also kinda angling to get Elaine to go as one of the Ladies, because she doesn't really have any good excuse to pretend she's a man like her past life did.

As for the rest: We do kinda need money of our own, and the modeling thing seems like a good, safe way of getting some Fashion practice for when we eventually need to figure out a serious costume for vigilante activities.

iamweirdo · Mar 29, 2024

[X] [Patrol] Downtown
[X] [School] Immaculata
[X] [Activity] Charity
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon

Aldsan · Mar 29, 2024

Giving notice for the vote, I will be closing it tomorrow at Midnight. So get your votes in now, if you plan to.

Counting votes from other sites we're currently sitting at:

Activity - Student Council in the lead at 7 votes. Charity and Modeling tied for second at 5.
School - Immaculata in the lead at 9 votes. Clarendon in second at 5.
Social - Amy in the lead at 7 votes. Vedika in second at 5.
Patrol - Docks in the lead at 9 votes. Downtown in second at 4.

Aldsan · Apr 5, 2024

Voting said:
[X] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
[X] [School] Immaculata
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon
[X] [Patrol] The Docks
[X] [Homecoming] Renaissance Fair

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 32/38

"...In the end, my brother and I only found two boys who were using the space for their private rendezvous. We still are not sure who had been stealing equipment from the athletics clubs."

"Huh," Erin said, leaning back in her chair. "How strange. It's not like we're using super high end stuff or anything, don't know why anyone would bother stealing from a school of all things."

The two of us had been wandering the Boardwalk for most of the morning, simply browsing shops as we used the time to talk. I had discovered that Erin particularly had a fondness for music and bookstores, though she seemed to enjoy the act of shopping in general. She didn't seem to hesitate in spending her money either, picking up whatever caught her fancy. When we finally grew overburdened with various bags, we settled down in a small coffee shop, the window looking out towards the Bay. In the distance, Protectorate Headquarters sat in the waters, a shimmering rainbow shield surrounding it, glimmering in the afternoon light.

"It is certainly odd – and I will admit, I am no investigator. I am unsure where I can begin to look for clues."

Erin frowned and sipped at her coffee. "I might have a few ideas, but I'd have to look into it. Whatever happened with those two boys anyways?"

I shook my head. "I warned them to find a new place for their meetings. I do not begrudge them their wish for privacy, but their choice of location would have eventually led to trouble."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Merciful.

"It must be tough for them. Being gay isn't the easiest thing to begin with, and Brockton Bay is worse than most places to be out of the closet," Erin said softly, her gaze drifting over the water. "I've never dated – never had someone I fell in love with – so I can't really say I know what it's like exactly. They must be tremendously brave."

"Hm," I grunted softly. My previous self had been married once upon a time. It had been a political arrangement, meant to solidify my kingship and to quell any rumors about my gender. Guinevere had accepted the burden that came with our marriage and we had been happy for a time. In the end however, perhaps I had been too cold. Too distant. I had never been able to give Guinevere the happiness of a woman.

"What about you, Elaine? Could you ever see yourself being with someone of the same gender like that?"

Would things have been different if I had been more open with my love? If I had the courage to be husband and wife in truth, and not merely friends who shared a bed?

I allowed myself to try to imagine it. Instead, I felt the caress of cold fingers across my skin. The scent of blue tansies and purple pansies filled my nostrils as I was pressed back into the bed. A low, throaty laugh came from above me, a woman whispering her joy at my powerlessness.

"Elaine?"

I snapped my attention to the present, the taste of blood in my mouth. I winced as I realized I had bitten my tongue. "I… am unsure," I said finally. "I have never given it much thought."

"I'm surprised. I would have thought you would have all sorts of people asking you out."

"Not as such," I replied. Though, come to think of it, a boy had suddenly approached me the other day, asking if I was interested in going to dinner with him. It had been so sudden, and I had already had plans to roam the streets in search of criminals that night, so I had declined without a thought. There was also a girl who asked me to go to the movies with her. Likewise, another girl who left me a box of chocolates and flowers in congratulations for my presidency.

I pursed my lips for a moment. No, I was likely overthinking it. The students at Arcadia were simply an outgoing and friendly sort.

"I am not sure I have the time for any sort of romance even if I were interested however."

Erin nodded. "I get that. It's pretty rare that I get time for myself, so I can only imagine how busy you are with everything you do."

"What of you?" I asked. "Has anyone caught your eye?"

"Wellll–" Erin drew her words out with a laugh. "There is a boy in my math class who's a bit cute. Like I said though, I don't really have time. And my family isn't the sort where I could just date whoever I wanted anyways."

"No? Are your parents especially strict?"

"Something like that, I suppose," Erin replied, a troubled frown crossing her face. "Well, it's just how things are, it can't be helped."

Glancing out towards the Bay, I listened to the sound of waves crashing against the pier. Many would say the same of this city. The Protectorate was doing all it could. It was simply the way of things that crime ran rampant and gangs ruled the streets. It could not be helped.

I refused that perspective. I would not capitulate to circumstances nor surrender to fate. There was no such thing as a situation that could not be helped.

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Erin increased to 2.

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Flying was a novel experience. There was magic to seeing the city laid out below me, twinkling lights set against the darkness of night. A tapestry unlike any I had seen before. There was freedom to soaring through the open air, the wind whipping across my body. There was majesty in knowing that we were alone up here and held dominion over these skies.

Admittedly, the indignity of riding piggy-back upon Victoria did detract somewhat from the thrill.

"The hardest part of the job is that a lot of time you just won't find anything," Victoria said, swooping down to land us on a rooftop. "There's not always active crime going on and criminals generally try not to be noticed."

"So how do you go about finding it?" I asked, slowly climbing down off of her back. I had adjusted my costume slightly since my last outing, having picked up an electric blue motorcycle helmet, the visor tinted a reflective silver. After the hit to the face I had taken last time, I had decided the lack of protection posed too much risk to my identity – it would be too easy to take a distinctive wound that could be recognized without something there.

"A lot of the time, you don't. A lot of the job is just being visible to deter people from doing anything in the first place. That said, New Wave does have a police scanner so that we can hear about anything being called in to 911, and we're registered with the Protectorate, so they call us if there's ever a large-scale emergency."

"How would I go about acquiring a police scanner then?"

Victoria shrugged and pulled what looked like a small, handheld radio out of a pouch at her belt. "You can buy them fairly easily if you're interested, but we've got extra back home. I'll get you one for yourself later."

"It is appreciated," I said simply.

Victoria waved off my thanks. "Don't worry about it. More important is that we talk about acceptable force. You're going to have to be careful if you want to operate as a hero, especially since you're using a weapon."

I nodded. "I've been sure not to inflict any life-threatening injuries."

"That's great, but… It's not really enough either. Let's take… broken bones for example. That's pretty common injury for a Brute to inflict. Outside of extreme circumstances, that's still generally going to be seen as excessive force. If it's against normal people with no powers, that could lead to an Assault with a Parahuman Power charge."

"Even if they were actively in the process of committing a crime?" I asked.

"Yeah." Victoria pointed at me. "See, here's the problem a lot of Independents run into. If you just catch a couple of guys on the street, well, a lot of the time there's no real evidence of their crimes. It's your word against theirs. What there is evidence of is that you went after them and roughed them up way more than the police are allowed to. It means that even if the cops arrest them, a lot of the time their lawyers get them off scott-free in court."

The legal system of this land was certainly troubling to work around. I frowned and met Victoria's eyes. "So how do we ensure that these brigands do not simply go free?"

"Well, body cams help. You can provide video evidence, both of whatever crimes you saw, as well as prove that you followed proper procedure. More important though, is that if you're operating as an Independent, you really have to be above reproach. Reputation matters. I… Well, when I was still fairly new to my powers, a guy I was arresting said something and pissed me off. I hurt him pretty badly. Mom made sure I was in anger management classes for months after that, and it was a close call on me being arrested myself."

"What did he say?" I asked.

Victoria glanced away, not meeting my eyes. "Just some Nazi garbage. It's not important. What is important is that you be careful, okay?"

"I understand, Victoria. Do not worry." Given that warning, it might be better to use the baton against unpowered criminals and save the sword, even the blunt side of the sword, for Parahumans alone. I would have to give it some thought.

"Alright. Well, let's get to work then." Victoria grinned at me and flipped the police scanner on. The radio immediately crackled to life, a dry voice tinged with exhaustion and static coming through.

Gamemaster said:
Victoria Hunting: 12 | 15 = Success

"--in progress on 510 Adlington Road. 10-32 present, Code 3."

"10-4, Dispatch. Unit B18 is en route."

"There's a good start – Someone with a gun is on the scene, so we can help out by showing up."

I frowned. "You understood all of that?"

Victoria laughed and bent over so that I could climb back on her. "Sure, it's just radio code. You can learn it quickly enough if you put the work in. Hopefully this will be nice and easy."

We lifted off into the air, only for the radio to squawk to life. "Unit B18, be advised, reports are coming in of a P-24 situation. PRT is being contacted."

"P-24?" I asked.

Victoria frowned, the two of us shooting forward into the night. "Parahuman incident. Likely more than one on the scene. I suppose you're getting the full package tonight."

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 18 | 3 = Failure

I tightened my grip on her, straining my eyes and ears. Ahead, the flash of fire lit the street, the sharp retort of guns. Victoria brought us in overhead, taking a moment to examine the battle before we dove in. Below us, men dressed in red and green fired weapons at an alleyway. I couldn't see whoever had taken shelter there, but –

Oni Lee Brawling: 4 | 15 = Success
>Damage (2d6+4) = 13 (10 Armor Reduction = (29/38 HP)

A sudden weight impacted my back as someone appeared on top of us. A knife followed, burying itself into me. It didn't get far, my jacket blunting the worst of it. Snarling, I twisted on Victoria's back, my baton appearing in my hand as I swiped through the man, only for him to burst in a cloud of ash.

"Victoria! We need to get to ground level!"

"Got it!"

We dove down into the alley opposite where the gangsters were shooting, nearly hitting the ground in our speed, only for Victoria to hurriedly veer upwards at the last second. I jumped off her back, exchanging my baton for my sword.

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 16 | 11 (6+5) = Failure

"Who was that? He burst into ash when I attacked him."

Victoria grimaced. "Oni Lee. He's a teleporter; leaves behind clones of himself whenever he changes positions."

That would be difficult to fight, especially if there were no limitations. I let out a slow breath. "Right. Whoever the gunmen have pinned down in that alley is a potential ally. We should focus on freeing them first."

"Agreed. We'll need to rush them."

"On three?" Victoria asked.

A fierce grin spread across my lips. "On three." She gave the countdown and the two of us burst out from the small alley.

Gamemaster said:
Strategy: 20 | 3 = Fumble!
>Gain a check to Strategy.

Oni Lee Grenade (8d6) = 27
>Elaine Dexterity: 3 | 14 = Success (Take Half) = 13 (10 Armor Reduction) = (26/38 HP)
>>Elaine Dexterity: 7 | 14 = Stays on feet

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 14 | 16 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (-5 Multiple Opponents)

Elaine Melee1: 5 | 13 || OniLee1 Brawling: 13 | 15
>Oni Lee Damage (2d6+4) = 11 (13 AR) = 0 Damage
Elaine Melee2: 6 | 13 || OniLee2 Brawling: 18 | 15
>Elaine Damage (6d6) = 28 (7AR) (66% chance to hit clone) = Hits Oni Lee! 21 Damage
>>Oni Lee takes a Major Wound.

It is said that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Ours did not even last that long. We had covered half the distance to the gunmen when Oni Lee suddenly appeared, dropping a grenade between the two of us. I did not take the time to think. Trusting my instincts, I dove, rolling away from the grenade.

The explosion caught me before I hit the ground. There was surprisingly little force behind the actual explosion. A part of me had been prepared for more, based off of Hollywood movies and television, even if I knew intellectually that the shrapnel was the true danger of a grenade.

Oni Lee was on me before I was fully back on my feet. One appeared in front of me, another by Victoria, knife stabbing down at her while she was still disoriented by the blast. A knife likewise came for my gut. I batted it aside before twisting, my sword slashing out blindly behind me and coming away bloody. Allowing my blow to carry me through, I turned to face the true Oni Lee. My sword had cut deep into his arm and the limb hung loose at his side. I stared at him, unflinching, until he too began to crumble into ash, retreating from the battlefield.

My combat instincts were dull, nowhere near what they had been in my past life – but I remembered how he had attacked the two of us in the air. An assassin such as him favored attacking opponents from the back rather than having the courage to face them in battle.

Letting out a slow breath, I turned my attention back to the gunmen. Without their cape to support them, they had already begun to break and flee. Victoria had already tackled one to the ground. Another fell screaming as a distortion in the air struck him, his face scalding. Our mysterious friend in the alley, it seemed. That left another six.

Elaine Brawling: 8 | 10 || ABB1 Evade: 17 | 16
>Elaine Damage (2d6+4) = 15
>>ABB1 takes a Major Wound.

Elaine Melee: 15 | 13 || ABB2 Evade: 6 | 16
>ABB2 Escapes

I grimaced. Most of them would no doubt get away, but there was no need to make it easy for them. I sprinted for the nearest one, exchanging my sword for my baton once again. It was a power I had not had in my past life, yet the swap between weapons had already become natural for me in such a short time.

Not that the man I was attacking appreciated the ease with which my weapons answered my call. I barreled into him, a swift hit to the leg sending him tumbling to the ground. Turning quickly, I swiped at another, but he managed to jump away, tearing around the corner before I could properly give chase.

Gamemaster said:
Glory gained Oni Lee defeated = 75
Glory gained capturing ABB gunman = 15

Cowards.

A figure stepped out from behind a large dumpster in the alley, having apparently taken shelter there while the ABB were shooting. As far as costumes went, his was rather lackluster. A black hoodie, with a red scarf wrapped around the bottom of his mouth. A faint shimmer surrounded him, warping the air ever so slightly. "Did they all run then?"

Victoria grinned and waved. "Looks like it! You're that vigilante – Haze, right?"

The boy – Haze? – grimaced, his brows furrowing. "Ugh. Is that seriously what they're calling me? I know I didn't really have a name picked out for myself, but they could have come up with something better than that."

Victoria shrugged. "That's just how things go. You have to pick a name for yourself, or they'll pick something out of a hat for you."

I nodded seriously. I had decided on mine somewhat on the spur of the moment, but I still had an answer to give. I could only imagine what they would have called me had I not. Something generic like Valiant, maybe.

"This seemed targeted. Did you do something to draw the Asian Bad Boys' ire in particular?" I asked, only to frown at Victoria a moment later. Why was she laughing behind her hand at what I said?

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 1 | 9 = Success

Haze, too, looked amused by something. "Maybe you should just stick with calling them the ABB like everyone else," he snickered. "Anyway, I've been hitting some of their operations recently. Drug stashes, whore houses, that sort of thing. Guess I finally did enough damage to really piss them off."

"Do you know the location of more of these operations?"

"Yeah? They aren't terribly subtle."

I shared a look with Victoria, my lips turning upwards in anticipation. "I think we may be able to assist you, Haze."

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: Raid the Azn Bad Boyz

❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Again? I hope you're not planning to make this a regular thing, Elaine."

I bowed my head in response to Amy's complaints. "I truly am sorry for the trouble."

Amy shifted her glare to Victoria. "And you! Elaine is still new, you're not supposed to be taking her to fight Oni Lee of all people on your first patrol together!"

Despite Amy only being slightly taller than I was, and significantly shorter than Victoria, she still somehow managed to dominate the room. Victoria quailed under her fury. "I mean… we didn't know he would be there. But Elaine did great! You should have seen it, Amy!"

I shifted uncomfortably. "There were not any major injuries this time. Only a few nicks. If it is too much of an imposition, you do not need to bother yourself."

"Of course I'm going to bother myself!" Amy snapped. "Get on the bed already!"

"Yes!" I instinctively snapped straight and followed her orders. I would never have thought Amy could be scary when she was angry. She had always been so meek before. Victoria, meanwhile, had snuck back to the window and darted back outside while Amy was distracted. Traitor.

Amy sat down on the bed next to me, already removing items from the first aid kit. "Well? What are you waiting for? Strip down already."

I fear we awoke something truly terrible.

Gamemaster said:
Amy First Aid: 9 | 15 = Wound of 3 fully treated.
Amy First Aid: 11 | 15 = Wound of 3 fully treated.
>Elaine HP (32/38)

A half-hour later saw the two us sequestered downstairs on the Dallons' couch, a movie playing on the television. It was Amy's price for her treatment, and given that it was still early enough for me to plausibly be visiting, I did not have an issue with it. The movie itself did not particularly interest me – some trite action film following a superspy heroine who was investigating a villainous Thinker. The plot itself seemed rather basic, though there were some… interesting choices in the costuming.

Amy had splayed herself across the couch, her torso lying across my lap while her feet occupied the far end of the couch. She occasionally reached for the bowl of popcorn that we balanced precariously upon my knees, her eyes glued to the screen.

It was not the kind of movie I would have expected her to enjoy, but I suppose it made sense now that I reflected on it. She was a person without powers in a family filled with capes. Jealousy, envy, fear. A desire to join her family in the field, to protect them just as they protected her. A terror of what that would entail. I could only imagine how complex the feelings must be for someone trapped in that position. A movie about a normal, unpowered person who could go toe-to-toe with a cape must surely appeal to someone like that.

On the screen, the heroine crawled into a vent and the camera followed close behind her, showing little more than the woman's rear as she squeezed through the opening.

I suppressed a sigh. While the movie might appeal to whatever emotions Amy might have on the subject, it was still terrible schlock. I leaned back and closed my eyes, idly running my fingers through Amy's hair to undo the many knots and tangles she had.

It felt… nostalgic. There had been a few times when I had done similar for Guinevere – though my once wife's hair had always been better taken care of than Amy's was. The two had few similarities. Amy was sarcastic and biting where Guinevere had often been quiet and demure. Amy stayed awake long into the night where Guinevere had always woken up early.

The anger from earlier had been familiar however.

My lips curved into a smile. Yes, Guinevere had also had the occasional temper. Once, I remembered, Lancelot had run to her rescue. However circumstances had conspired against him, and he had been forced to do so not atop his steed, as was appropriate for a knight, but instead atop a mere ox cart.

She had been furious about the indignity of having to ride an ox cart back to Camelot. She had refused to speak to Lancelot for weeks afterwards; told Lancelot he would need to perform his jousts in that self-same ox cart before she forgave him. It had been such a change from her usual quiet self.

My smile fell. She had been a different, more lively person when Lancelot was present. He had been good for her in a way that I had been incapable of.

Amy shifted, turning her head to look up at me. "What's wrong?"

"Hm?" I tilted my head, confused.

"You stiffened up and stopped moving for a bit there."

"Ah… I suppose I was just thinking about something. Remembering."

"Well, there's your problem. You're supposed to turn your brain off for this sort of movie, not start thinking about other things."

A laugh escaped me. "Yes, I suppose that's true. Though… Where are your parents, Amy? I had expected them to check on the noise by now."

Amy shrugged. "Mom's working late, she's not home. And Dad… went to sleep early, he's upstairs."

"So it's just us and your sister then?"

"Not even that," Amy replied, the tips of her ears turning pink. "Victoria texted me while I was patching you up. Said she was going out to see Dean and for the two of us to have fun."

I frowned. "Wait, she was supposed to be my ride home after all this."

"Take it up with her," Amy waved dismissively.

"Honestly…" I shook my head, though I could not find it in me to be angry. "Well, no matter. I am sure she needs her time alone with my brother."

"That eager to escape me?"

"Not you, just the movie you chose," I replied dryly.

"It's a popular series!" Amy protested.

"With which demographic?"

Amy colored and mumbled under her breath. "Fine. Next time you choose the movie if you think your taste is so great."

"Deal," I said simply. Of course, that meant I would need to scout out a good movie… My tastes had changed from the former Elaine's, and this was the first movie I had watched since I had awakened.

"Deal," Amy repeated and flopped back down into my lap, watching her movie again in sullen silence. I went back to working the knots out of her hair, letting the sounds of the movie wash over me. After a few minutes, I paused my ministrations to pose Amy another question.

"Were you planning on asking anyone to Homecoming?"

"Me? Are you kidding? Who would I even ask?" Amy replied sourly. She turned her head to look at me again. "...What about you? Are you going?"

I shook my head. "I will likely be too busy arranging the event and making sure that it runs smoothly to actually engage in any sort of dancing. There is not much point in finding a partner for myself."

"Did you guys even decide on a theme yet?"

"Renaissance," I replied, distinctly unenthused with the idea. Still, it was what the rest of the Council had decided on, and I would not stymie them. "Though, I have the feeling that the result will not be particularly accurate to the time period."

"Eh. It's Homecoming. Just have some music and some food for people to snack on and you're probably going to be fine."

"Have you been before?"

"Vicky decided I needed the experience of going to a dance and arranged a date for me last year," Amy said, rolling her eyes. "It was a disaster. Douchebag kept grabbing my ass every chance he got."

"That is… unfortunate," I said, a frown forming on my lips. "What was this individual's name?"

"Don't worry about it. Vicky already took care of him. Still, even without that, dances still suck. It's not worth all the hassle."

"Mm. Perhaps." I could not speak with much authority on the matter. In my time, dances had been a thing of the common folk. As the king, I had not had the opportunity to participate. "Still, I am sure others are looking forward to it, so I must do my utmost to ensure the event goes smoothly."

"Yeah. That sounds like you. It really is weird sometimes, comparing how you are now to what you used to be like."

My head fell. I suppose it would be obvious even to other people just how much I had changed. I could not expect otherwise.

"Hey, it's not a bad thing. You just… grew up, right? The experience matured you."

"Right," I lied softly. "That's exactly what happened."

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Amy increased to 4.

I swear, I thought I was being mean with the 2/3 chance for any attack to whiff on Oni Lee and then Elaine goes and hits him on her first try. Need to start throwing harder enemies at you guys at this rate.

It is September of 2010.

What is Elaine attracted to?
[ ] [Attraction] Boys
>Elaine is straight
[ ] [Attraction] Girls
>Elaine is gay
[ ] [Attraction] Both
>Elaine is bi
[ ] [Attraction] None
>Elaine is ace

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [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] Charity
>You could do volunteer work.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Victoria has invited you on a blind double-date
[ ] [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] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

testing124 · Apr 5, 2024

[X] [Attraction] Both
[X] [Activity] Sparring
[X] [Social] Theo Anders

Once and Future (WormxFate)

(Mysterious Heroine)

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Know what you're doing yet? Because I don't!

Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?

I trust you know where the happy button is?

I wrote a thing

(Mysterious Heroine)

I trust you know where the happy button is?

The Boundary

(Mysterious Heroine)

Elves are for lewding.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Know what you're doing yet? Because I don't!

Dream me a story.

Know what you're doing yet? Because I don't!

Dream me a story.

Versed in the lewd.

(Mysterious Heroine)

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Dream me a story.

Making the rounds.

Dream me a story.

(Mysterious Heroine)

(Mysterious Heroine)

Dream me a story.

Making the rounds.

Know what you're doing yet?

(Mysterious Heroine)

(Mysterious Heroine)

Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?

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