Once and Future (WormxFate)

[Aldsan]

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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

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

QM, allow me to congratulate you on creating something original in a universe that seems to hae so many things repeating the same things in fanfic. Have an omake as tribute:

Charismata Vincit

Elaine wondered how she ended up in this position. While she knew that as a King, knights always wanted to fornicate with somebody else's wife (*cough*, *cough* *Lancelot*), she very rarely had to deal with this situation...if she was reading it correctly.

"So to summarize, you are asking me to ask my brother to stay away from Victoria because you do not think they are good for one another?" Elaine asked the mousy girl.

"I mean, I would not put it quite like that. But look at how often the break up. I do not know why they tend to have this rapid break-up/make-up schedule but it cannot be good. I realize we are all teenagers and figuring out life, but they have "broken up" 5 times in the last twenty-five days. That is not good for Vicky. That's not good for your brother. I am sick of dealing with it, and we have had to buy more ice cream in the past month than we did during the summer. I would say something to Dean directly, but for some reason Dean thinks I am interested in him. I have no idea how he came to that conclusion, but it leaves me with fewer options. I assume you don't want your brother going through such an emotional roller coaster either," Amy replied.

It was at times like this the former and present king wished she had wine, mead, or ale. Certain topics were not meant to be discussed sober. And if Elaine was reading Amy properly, she was homosexuall, since she had not noticed the men's swim team walking by. Still, this Amy had a point.

"I see your point, but if they have been on this pattern for so long, why would they stop now? I don't think they mean to break up, I think they just like to make-up," Elaine replied.

"Maybe, but you cannot tell me they have a healthy relationship. I'm just not asking you to do this for me. I'm asking you to do this for Vicky and Dean as well," Amy pleaded.

Elaine sighed. She knew if Sir Kay was in a similar situation, she would have to act.

"Alright, let me confirm something first. Once that has been done, I will abide by your request," Elaine commented and then headed to lunch. She knew it was unlikely, but it would explain a lot.

"Victoria, I mean Vicky, we need to talk," Elaine said, not bothering for social graces.

"I mean, I'm kind of busy?" Vicky replied.

"It is important and it regards my brother. Are you sure you don't have the time?" Elaine politely asked.

"I mean, that sounds serious. I can make the time. Is he in trouble or something?" Vicky asked.

"Not that I am aware of, but maybe. You would know before him at any rate," Elaine commented.

"I'm kind of curious, what's up. This seems a bit mroe serious than the usual high-school shenanigans we get up to," Vicky added.

"Are you pregant with my future nice or nephew?" Elaine asked.

Suddenly, everyone was paying attention to the two of them. Over a thousand pairs of eyeballs paying attention to two girls in a school cafeteria.

"WAIT WHAT? NO?! WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT?" Vicky shouted, utterly surprised. Elaine had enough of htis already though.

"Listen, you violent-barbie, you have broken up with my brother 5 times in the past month. I figured pregancy hormones were to blame. Since you are not pregant, stay away from him. It is not good for either of you. If you want to talk more about this, we can later but stay away from my brother. Your behavior towards him is unbecoming of a teenage girl, let alone a hero," Elaine said, and then promptly left.

There was an entire 3 minutes of silence. "Ok, so who had sisterly intervention in the betting pool?" Dennis asked, and then the crowd returned to its usual dull roar.

 

[Aldsan]

[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

Click to shrink...

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."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

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

Click to shrink...

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 –"

Dexterity: 12 | 14 = Success

Click to shrink...

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.

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

Click to shrink...

"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."

Gain a check to Prudent.
Bond with Amy increased to 3.

Click to shrink...

"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.

Gain a check to Drive.

Click to shrink...

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

"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.

Gain a check to Leadership.

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"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.

Spoiler: Combat

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.

Glory gained Delinquent = 15

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"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…"

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

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---

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)

 

[Aldsan]

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

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

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"...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."

Gain a check to Merciful.

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"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.

Bond with Erin increased to 2.

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•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

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.

Victoria Hunting: 12 | 15 = Success

Click to shrink...

"--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."

Awareness: 18 | 3 = Failure

Click to shrink...

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 –

Spoiler: Combat

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.

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

Click to shrink...

"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.

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

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Spoiler: Combat

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.

Spoiler: Combat

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.

Glory gained Oni Lee defeated = 75
Glory gained capturing ABB gunman = 15

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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?

Intrigue: 1 | 9 = Success

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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."

Adventure discovered: Raid the Azn Bad Boyz

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•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

"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.

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

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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."

Bond with Amy increased to 4.

Click to shrink...

---

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)

 

[Aldsan]

[X] [Attraction] Both
[X] [Activity] Sparring
[X] [Social] Victoria Dallon

Click to shrink...

Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 37/38

Click to shrink...

A few days later saw me across the city, stepping onto the campus of Immaculata. I could not help but compare it to Arcadia in my mind. Arcadia was a building of clean steel and shining glass, built to modern tastes and sensibilities. Two large buildings dominated the property, with a third forming a corridor between the two.

In contrast, Immaculata seemed as though they ripped something out of the Old World and planted it here in Brockton Bay. Its campus lacked the straight lines that dominated Arcadia, appearing more like a park, with trees and flowers lining a winding path. A number of smaller buildings dotted the campus, branching off from the path, but a single main structure dominated the area. Built of pale brick, the sloped roofs and occasional jutting tower were shaped to be reminiscent of a castle, the entire thing curving around to form a natural courtyard within its center. Overhead, a large clock tower loomed, casting the area into shadow as it ticked away the minutes.

Part of my duties as Student Council President meant that I needed to help coordinate with other schools whenever there was an inter-school event. Most of the work involved would be handled by actual faculty members, of course, but there were a few things that each of our respective Student Councils took care of, particularly with regards to decorations and concessions. In this case, with the Football season kicking off, the first inter-city game would be between the Arcadian Knights and the Immaculata Virtues.

Waiting for me at the gates was my counterpart at Immaculata. Katelyn Finch was a blonde girl of middling height with a bright smile and brighter eyes. If one were to judge entirely based on her looks, I could see why the students of Immaculata would have elected her to her position. She exuded friendliness. She waved cheerily as I approached.

"Hey there! Elaine, right? I'm Katie. We spoke over the phone briefly, but it's good to see you in person!"

"You as well," I answered, taken aback by her exuberance. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

"Hey, it's no problem at all. I was a little surprised when I heard you wanted to meet – we've always just sent emails back and forth for the most part in the past."

"I thought it would be good to meet in person at least the one time. We are going to be working together to some extent, after all."

"Of course!" Katelyn exclaimed. "And we're happy to have you. Since we'll be hosting the game, I'll go ahead and start going over our decorations. Does that sound alright to you?"

"By all means," I replied simply.

We continued onward, passing the occasional unformed student as Katelyn chatted about the plans for the game and how Arcadia could contribute – very little, as it turned out. It would mostly be handled in-house. Still, it was a pleasant enough conversation, and the trip was worth it simply for the opportunity to see how the school's culture differed from my own.

The uniforms were the most obvious aspect – Arcadia had certain guidelines to its dress code, but otherwise, students were free to wear what they liked. The same could not be said for Immaculata, where every student wore the same uniform. The boys in slacks, shirt, and tie; the girls in a skirt and blouse. According to Katelyn, that was their "summer" uniform and they would add on blazers come winter.

The other main difference I saw amongst the students were the cell phones. Almost every student had one at Arcadia, and seemed to obsessively use them whenever there was a break period, as if to make up for being blocked from texting by the school's faraday cage while classes were in session. Here, I saw students lounging about the grounds, yet only the occasional cell phone in sight.

When I asked, Katelyn explained that she had a phone, but many of her friends did not. It wasn't due to school policy it seemed, it was simply that strict parents who disapproved of the devices were more common here.

"I've got one last thing to show you before you leave today."

"Hmm? What is that?" I asked.

"The clocktower! It's a bit loud inside, but the view is really a must for someone visiting."

I allowed myself a faint smile and nodded my assent. I doubted the view could compare to flying with Victoria, but Katelyn had no way of knowing that. We made our way inside and began our ascent up a long staircase that curved at right angles every twenty steps. Above us, the noise of grinding gears echoed down, growing louder with each flight we climbed.

As we emerged onto the top floor, my nose wrinkled, the acrid stench of cigarette smoke lingering in air.

"What the –" Katelyn stepped around the corner and growled. "Tammi! Are you seriously smoking up here again? How many times do I have to tell you not to do that here? A teacher is going to catch you one of these days and you're seriously going to be in trouble."

A bored, disinterested drawl answered her. "Fuck off, Katie. It's not any of your business."

"It is my business. You think your Uncle will–"

"I don't give a shit what my Uncle wants. So fuck off already."

Stepping around the corner, I took a moment to take in the scene. As expected, Tammi sat near the open window, lit cigarette in hand. She had made a token effort towards wearing Immaculata's uniform, though she had obviously modified it. The shirt was half unbuttoned, a hint of her bra showing from beneath it, while the bottom was tied off to expose her stomach. Her skirt, as well, was hiked up, showing off more of her thigh than was appropriate. A few words flashed to mind, judgements that the original Elaine would have made. I pushed them down. They were unnecessary.

Tammi's eyes flicked to me, a crooked grin forming on her lips. "What's this? You finally decided to visit me, Short Stuff?"

I placed a hand on my hip and narrowed my eyes, shooting her an unimpressed glare. "I was in the area. Though again, I am not that short."

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

Katelyn glanced between the two of us. "You know each other?"

"We are acquainted," I replied shortly.

Tammi smirked and took a long draw of her cigarette before blowing the smoke out towards the two of us. "So what can I do for the both of you?"

"Stop smoking up here, for one," Katelyn muttered.

"Nah."

"Ugh," Katelyn frowned. "Why are you like this?"

"Why do you have such a stick up your ass?" Tammi glanced over at me and flicked a cigarette to stick out of its carton. "Want one?"

"Not particularly."

"More for me then," Tammi shrugged. "Anyways, the teachers never really come up here, so quit worrying."

"It's the principle of the thing! You're supposed to be setting an example!"

Tammi laughed outright. "Hah! That's a good one. Didn't know you could tell jokes, Katie."

Katelyn growled and opened her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted as a buzzing came from Tammi's backpack.

"One sec." Tammi reached down and fished out her phone, flipping it open to read the message she had received. She frowned and flipped it shut again. "Well, I guess you're getting your wish. Gotta go deal with this shit."

"Just… go."

"Later." Tammi walked past us, ruffling my hair as she went. I frowned at her retreating back, listening to her footsteps echo up the stairwell until they faded away.

"You two seemed… close," I finally said.

Katelyn's expression turned sour. "Not really. My family just knows her family, so they expect me to look after her."

"I can see how that would be challenging."

"You don't know the half of it," Katelyn grumbled. "She's such a pain in the ass. Sorry, we kind of got derailed there. I was supposed to be showing you the clocktower."

"Do not worry. I was not perturbed by your conversation." I gave Katelyn a smile to assure her and stepped up to the window where Tammi had been sitting. Below me, I could see the distant figures of Immaculata students going about their business. From there, the city of Brockton Bay stretched out, a few skyscrapers standing out in the distance. MedHall was written proudly across the tallest one in the city.

With a view like this, one might almost think that the city was at peace.

Gain a check to Etiquette.

Click to shrink...

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

The punch came out faster than I was expecting. I twisted, letting it pass by my ear, and spun, bringing my sword around to crash into my opponent's side. The edge failed to penetrate, bouncing off of her forcefield. A second fist followed and I hurriedly parried, letting the strength of solid steel protect me.

Victoria laughed. "Come on. You're going to have to be more inventive than that if you want to take down any Brutes!"

I grunted. "Most Brutes do not have a forcefield, Victoria."

"Sounds like the talk of someone who's going to lose."

I narrowed my eyes. Very well, if that is how she wanted to play it. I charged forward, my boots kicking up the mud that had been left in the Dallon's backyard by the previous day's rainfall. It made for poor fighting conditions, but we did not have many other options available at the moment. On a more positive note however, Victoria's forcefield meant that I could attack without inhibition.

Parrying another blow, I stepped back, keeping my distance. This time when Victoria lunged, I sidestepped and brought around to slam against the back of her knees. My blade could not harm her, but kinetic force still transferred to her momentum. A sufficiently strong hit could still knock her around. She buckled, stumbling forward, before catching herself – she had been fighting with her feet on the ground, but she still instinctively called on her flight when she was falling.

A wide grin split Victoria's face and she came at me with a series of jabs. She had clearly had training to not rely simply on brute strength alone. I would not allow that to save her however. I blocked, parried, ducked, and weaved – occasionally even trusting in my armor to weather the blows. She was relentless, but that was to my advantage. As she continued to keep the pressure on me, her blows began falling into a rhythm.

It was a mistake that most experienced warriors learned to correct, but for all that Glory Girl was an active cape, the fights between Parahumans were vastly different from the fights between two people relying on their skills at arms. I waited, timed her strikes, and when I knew her next strike was coming, I left my sword stuck point-first in the ground.

Her eyes widened, obviously realizing that I was up to something, but by then she had overcommitted. I grabbed hold of her wrist and used her own momentum against her, a mirror of the move I had taught Amy nearly a month ago. Victoria went flying past me. Her flight caught her before she could hit the ground, but I did not stand idle. Taking my sword up again, I slammed it into her back, and with a squawk, she fell face first into the mud.

I stood over her, a victorious smile on my face. Then, her hand darted out to grab my ankle, and a moment later I found myself joining her in the mud.

My weapon was forgotten as we grabbed at one another in a sudden mad scramble. I had started this brawl atop Victoria, with the advantages of leverage on my side, but her inexorable strength soon found our positions reversed, with her straddling me and my arms pinned behind my back. Twisting, I attempted to kick her off of me, but there was little I could do.

A cough interrupted the two of us.

Amy stood on the porch, her arms folded and looking distinctly unimpressed with the two of us. "Lunch is ready, if you two are done wrestling in the mud."

"Ahaha," Victoria laughed, a tinge of embarrassment in her voice. "I suppose things got a little out of hand there. We'll get cleaned up and come in soon, Amy."

Amy nodded slowly, her eyes strangely unblinking as she stared at the two of us. Was she expecting us to go back to fighting if she left? I waved at her. "Do not worry. We shall not allow your work in the kitchen to go to waste."

"...Sure," Amy answered. "You guys just… do what you need to do." She slowly backed away, not taking her eyes off us until the door closed behind her.

Victoria burst out laughing again. "Did you see her face? We must look awful." She pulled herself off of me, offering a hand to help me to my feet as well. "That was a good fight though. You're surprisingly good at this already, even if you did get cocky at the end."

"I admit, I did expect you to lose with dignity, not drag me into the mud with you."

"You can't bet on that in a fight, Ellie. People will do all sorts of crazy things when they're desperate."

She was right. The simple truth was that I had allowed myself to drop my guard. My memories told me that she was no threat to me, even if the current reality of my body said otherwise. I was not as strong as I once was. I had to be more skillful, not less. "I know. Thank you, Victoria. I'll try to keep it in mind… What are you doing with that hose?"

"Hm?" Victoria looked at me with complete innocence, garden hose in hand, her other hand upon the spigot. "We need to clean off before we head inside, right?"

My eyes widened. "Victoria! Do not–!" Her hand turned and a blast of cold water hit me in the face.

In the end, I fought her for control of the hose and we both ended up soaking wet. Still, I could not deny that the day was a pleasant one, reflecting back on it.

Gain a check to Brawling.
Bond with Victoria increased to 1.

Click to shrink...

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

The Student Council room was silent apart from the scratching of my pen and the slow ticking of the clock. Today was not a day we were scheduled to meet, but there were budgetary requests I wished to review, and so I had come on my own. Eventually, I set my pen down and rubbed at the bridge of my nose.

Finance: 11 | x = Failure

Click to shrink...

I did not have a head for finance. I had never particularly studied the art. In the past, I had entrusted my brother Kay with the purse strings of my kingdom. Grimacing at the paperwork spread across my desk, I realized I would likewise need to trust my Treasurer for these requests. I was not able to verify them myself.

Sighing, I put the papers away and gathered my bags. It was one more area in which I needed to train myself. Stepping outside the classroom, I stopped as I saw a boy with a mop of brown hair standing across from the door, nervously shifting as he waited.

"Hello?"

"Oh!" The boy jumped, startled as I exited the room. "H-Hey there, Elaine! Fancy seeing you here, right?"

Tilting my head, I slowly replied, "I don't think it is that odd. Did you need something?"

"Um, well, I know we don't know each other that well or anything, and it's nothing major. Not a big deal or anything. Just uh. Wouldyougotothedancewithme?"

I blinked, trying to parse that. "What?"

The boy took a deep breath and tried again. "Would you go to the dance with me?"

What?

---

It is September 2010.

Time for Homecoming.

Do you accept the Boy's invitation?
[ ] [Homecoming] Accept
>You're not sure you recognize him. He hangs out with your brother sometimes, maybe? Still, he was brave enough to ask.
[ ] [Homecoming] Go Solo
>You're going to be too busy handling running the actual event for a date
[ ] [Homecoming] (Write-In who you invite instead)
>You want a date, you just want it to be someone else.

While attending Homecoming, you discover someone spiked the drinks with alcohol.
[ ] [Alcohol] Leave it be
>Let the kids have their fun
[ ] [Alcohol] Report it
>It might spoil the mood a bit, but you should have any alcohol removed
[ ] [Alcohol] Have some yourself
>It wouldn't hurt to cut loose a little.

While attending Homecoming, someone flirts with you (whether your date, or someone else if you went solo).
[ ] [Flirting] Flirt Back
[ ] [Flirting] Be Reserved

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)

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Spoiler

But we need Dean giving Dennis the Shovel Talk! It's something that I only just realized that we need.

Click to shrink...

Have an omake

Dean did not know how to act. Elaine had been different since she woke up, but she was still his little sister. And Dennis had just broken a major bro-code. While he actually did not mind that much, his father asked him to "ensure the young man has an appropriate level of respect fur your sister, which I am unable to deal with since I am out of town". Dean also liked Elaine. And this was how Dean found himself butchering a deer. Not because he was a great hunter or particularly cared to, but he knew he would have blood all over himself.

"Ah, Dennis, I've been expecting you, please come in," Dean said.

Dennis walked in, sort-of resigned to the fact.

"Let me guess, treat my sister well or I will bury you?" Dennis asked.

Dean looked for him for a while.

"You do realize we are not living in a romantic comedy? Shovel talks very rarely happen outside of fiction," Dean commented.

"Alright, than why am I here talking to you when I would rather be talking to Elaine?" Dennis asked.

"I'm going to guess this is going to sound slightly insane, but we were actually worried about Elaine becoming a spinster. She has shown no interests in boys, girls, or anyting really. I was honestly surprised that she accepted your invitation. I honestly thought she was going to politely decline it," Dean commented.

"...?" The confusion was visible on Dennis's face.

"Ah, right. So Elaine just recovered from a coma not that long ago. Now, given that the two of you are both young, there are some things you need to be aware of," Dean started.

"Just spit it out. I'm not that much younger than you," Dennis asked, clearly confused as to where this conversation was heading.

"Alright. Look, we both know that men are the only reason reproduction goes anywhere. Despite what lifetime says, if we weren't hornier than a rhinoceros, the species would die out in two or three generations. While I am well aware of the fact that people are age have more sex than are parents would care to admit, there is a problem with Elaine doing that," Dean started.

"Um, ok?" Dennis asked, still uncertain as to where it was going. Dean closed his eyes, and sighed.

"Look, I know we both like sex. I've seen you look at the female swim team members. The problem is though that Elaine is still not physically well, and her having an extreme form of excitement like that might cause her to relapse. I'm politely asking you to hold off on too much hanky-panky until the doctor clears her fully," Dean explained.

"Shit, are you serious?" Dennis asked.

"Yes. Why else would I be taking time to talk to you now. Ordinarily this could wait, but given the fact that the two of you are at school all day. I seriously do not want her heart rate to elevate too much," Dean replied.

"I mean, I'll control it as much as I can, but if she uses her feminine wiles on me, I'll probably forget about whatever we talked about," Dennis replied.

"Very well, I'll trust you to do as much. That said, if my sister winds up back in the hospital because of you Brockton Bay is going to be short one or two wards, depending on how desperate Piggot is," Dean commented.

"I thought you said shovel speeches didn't happen outside of comedies?" Dennis asked.

"Most girls in comedies don't have a medical condition either, otherwise they would be less funny and more serious," Dean stated.

Inwardly, Dennis cursed. Though he had been planning to steal a few bases with Elaine, it sounded like Dean was serious about keeping her calm and unexcited. Dennis had no idea how to do what he wanted and keep Elaine's heart rate down. He honestly did not know how to do that and still be romantic, but he would figure it out.

 

[Aldsan]

[X] [Homecoming] Amy Dallon
[X] [Flirting] Flirt Back
[X] [Alcohol] Report It
[X] [Social] Dean Stansfield

Click to shrink...

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

Click to shrink...

"I am sorry," I replied softly and placed my hands over the boy's. "However, you were correct when you said we do not know each other that well. I do not feel comfortable with going on a date with someone who is essentially a stranger to me. Perhaps we can get to know each other as friends first."

"Oh…" The boy looked down at his hands. "Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry to have bothered you."

"It was no bother," I said. Studying him, a name finally clicked into place in my memory. "You were brave to ask, Chris. There is no shame in that."

"Thanks, I guess. I, um. I'm just going to go now."

"Take care," I said, watching him shuffle away despondently. Hopefully my refusal would not be too large a blow for him.

Making my way downstairs, I passed briefly by our gymnasium, peeking inside to look at the students putting up the decorations for the dance. Inside, Vedika was directing her aides to set up tables, banners, and strings of lights. I was curious to see what the result would be, but I could wait. I did not want to disturb their work, and Vedika seemed to have it well in hand.

Nearby, Austin and Kayla were setting up our 'hedge maze' on the football field. According to Kayla, it would be romantic. Of course, we could not set up actual hedges, so instead it was simple wooden partitions with green construction paper taped on. I am not sure I saw the attraction, but hopefully it would have the effect that Kayla intended.

Continuing on, I made my way out to the parking lot. Even here, decorations had been placed, welcoming students to the dance and directing them to where they would need to go. Making my way past rows of cars, I finally found my brother. Victoria was leaning into his side, smiling up at him, while Amy stood a few feet away, her arms crossed as she seemed to look anywhere but at the two of them. Of course, this meant she was the first to spot me.

"Finally. I was starting to wonder when we would get to leave."

"I am sorry if I kept you waiting."

"It's fine!" Victoria cut in. "You're still busy getting everything ready for this weekend, right?"

"Yes, though most of the work has been delegated to others at this point," I answered. "There remains little left for me to do. Other than to find a dress for myself, I suppose."

"Oh? So you already have a date as well?" Victoria asked. "I suppose with all the people that have been asking you out recently, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Wait," Dean said. "Who's been asking Ellie out?"

"No one of import," I said, my tone final. Narrowing my eyes, I frowned at Victoria. She had dropped that bit of information on purpose. I was not sure how she even knew about that, but the question was why she had wanted to inform Dean. "It does not matter. I declined their advances. I have no desire to attend with a stranger."

"Aw, that's no fun. It's your first school dance! You need someone to dance with."

Dean looked between Victoria and me. "If Ellie doesn't want to date, we shouldn't pressure her, Vicky."

"Indeed. I will likely be busy making sure everything is running smoothly in any case."

"Pfah. You two are no fun," Victoria mock-pouted, hiding a wicked gleam in her eye. What was she up to? "Oh! I know! I haven't been able to get Amy to agree to go because of how things went last time, so why don't you two just go together?"

"What?" Where did that idea come from?

"You don't want to be attached to a stranger, and Amy needs someone she can feel safe with. This way, you both get to enjoy the dance. It's perfect!"

I placed a hand to my chin, thinking it over. It… was not a terrible idea, though I could not help but feel there was some ulterior motive behind Victoria's words. I studied her for a moment before shifting my gaze to catch Amy's eye. I found her staring at me, though she hurriedly looked away once she realized I had noticed.

"It's not a big deal, Vicky," Amy groused. "It's not like I particularly want to go or anything. I don't look good in a dress and I don't know how to dance. The whole thing is just a pain in the ass. Besides, I doubt Ellie really wants to go with me."

"Come on. I saw how you were looking at the dresses I was trying on the other day. You can't tell me you don't want to dress up too."

"That's–"

"And of course Ellie wants to go with you–"

"Victoria," I said sharply. "Please let me speak for myself." She gave me an apologetic smile and made a motion as if she were pulling a zipper across her lips. I took a deep breath before meeting Amy's eyes. "Amy. Do you want to attend the dance?"

"You don't have to force yourself, Ellie."

"That is not what I asked. Do you want to go?"

"I – Yes. Kind of. I mean, it'd be nice to see what all the fuss is about."

Nodding, I knelt before her and took her hand in mine. "Then it would be my honor to act as your escort, if you would have me."

Amy's face slowly colored and she froze still, unmoving as a deer caught in the open. She finally seemed to return to herself, and realizing that our siblings were watching, yanked her hand away as though it had been scalded. She folded her arms and looked away. "Sure. That's fine. You don't have to make a big deal out of it."

I smiled and rose to my feet once more. "It is no less than you deserve, Amy."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Victoria raising both her hands in a thumbs up, a wide grin on her face. My brother, on the other hand, mostly just seemed bemused by the entire situation. Amy followed my gaze and rolled her eyes, sharing an exasperated look with me. "Let's just go home."

Gain a check to Flirting.

Click to shrink...

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

That weekend found me dancing in Amy's arms. Soft music played in the background as I led Amy through our steps, her dress swirling in time to the beat. Above us, faerie lights twinkled, an imitation of starlight cast down upon everyone here. It paled to the light in her eyes as she smiled at me, her joy in the moment plain to see.

I had come to the dance expecting to be an observer, largely uninvolved beyond ensuring its success. Instead, I found myself on the dance floor again and again, my own face long since flush from exertion. Hours later, we collapsed onto one of the many benches that had been set up along the room's perimeter.

Stealing a glance at Amy, I took her in once again. She had chosen a long, white dress for the evening, a split along one side giving the barest hint of her leg as we had danced. It was held in place with thin straps, though a gauzy shawl helped hide her shoulders. Her hair had been combed out and smoothed down to frame her face. Combined with the makeup that she did not normally wear, I had no doubt of Victoria's influence. It had been a stunning change from her usual self, enough that I was left speechless when I first saw her.

For myself, I had chosen a blue dress that tied around the neck, leaving my shoulders bare. The dress itself was somewhat scandalous; for while it hung down past my knee, it did so only on one side of the body, leaving the other leg almost entirely bare. I had mitigated this by wearing a set of tights beneath the skirt, but it still felt uncomfortably exposed at times.

Neither of us were particularly period appropriate for the Renaissance, but then neither were most of the students in attendance. It seemed that most had simply dressed for the occasion with little regard for theme. It did not matter, so long as they enjoyed themselves.

Amy leaned against me and I took her sweat-soaked hand in mine. Not that I was any better off. Smiling down at her, I asked, "Ready to take a break?"

"Yeah. I think I'm about ready to die from heat here. Let's head outside."

I nodded my assent. "You go ahead. I will requisition drinks for us and meet you there."

Amy mouthed, 'Requisition?' before shaking her head. "Sounds good. I'll see you out there."

Wandering over to the drink table, I took a pair of plastic cups and filled them from the punch bowl. Turning, I sipped from one, only to grimace as the taste of alcohol hit my tongue. I frowned down at the cup and let out an aggrieved sigh. I did not have any personal stake against the consumption of alcohol. However, disguising it within another drink, where some might drink it unknowingly, was more than a little gauche.

Calling over one of the teachers that had volunteered to chaperone the dance, I asked for the punch to be removed and took a pair of sealed water bottles instead. Hopefully Amy did not mind overly much.

Gain a check to Temperate.

Click to shrink...

I found her outside, the moonlight lending her an unearthly glow. She smiled as I approached and took a bottle from my hand. "I was starting to wonder what happened to you," she said, before twisting the bottle's cap and downing half of it in a single go.

"Someone spiked the punch," I replied simply, sipping from my own bottle.

"Ugh. There's always someone that has to ruin things, huh?"

"Without fail." Taking her hand, I tilted my head towards the entrance of our 'hedge maze.' "Care to walk for a bit?"

"Sure. That sounds… nice."

I led the way inside, enjoying the sensation of the cool night air upon my skin. Austin and Kayla had not skimped on the size or intricacy of the maze. Despite the rushed, ad hoc nature, it was designed as a place you could truly lose yourself inside. The occasional sound of a couple's whispers could be heard through the partitions as we wandered, not the only ones to have escaped out here.

After a few minutes, Amy spoke up again. "Thank you for inviting me. I didn't really expect to, but I had a lot of fun."

"It was my pleasure," I said, squeezing her hand gently. "I could not have asked for a better partner."

"Partner, huh?" Amy frowned, looking down at our joined hands. "What… am I to you, Ellie?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean… Am I just your friend? Did you bring me just for my company? Or your - your project? Poor Amy, she needs to be taken out of her room and taught to socialize? That's how all this started, right?"

I frowned and turned my head to look at her. "You know that is not true, Amy. What brought this on?"

Amy folded her arms and looked away, muttering something under her breath. I tried not to feel disappointed in my suddenly empty hand.

"What–?" I reached out to touch her shoulder.

"You haven't made a move! I thought I was here as your date, but you've barely touched me except to hold my hand all evening. You haven't even tried to kiss me. You've… You've been friendly, but you haven't flirted or told me I was pretty or anything!"

I swallowed, my ears burning at her tirade. "I thought you wanted someone to feel safe with," I said weakly.

"Of course I do. That doesn't mean I don't want you to show at least a little interest in me if you're going to be my date, Elaine."

Flirting: 7 | 0 = Failure

Click to shrink...

My mind blanked. What could I possibly say? I scrambled for anything at all. She wanted me to show desire? "I – As morning hues of sun swept fire caress your passioned face. Alone with thee in pure desire, to worship your untold grace. My –"

"Pfft – Hahaha! Stop!" Amy laughed. "Did you seriously just try to quote the Three Musketeers at me?"

Pursing my lips, I turned my face away. "I am sorry, Amy. I have never… courted before." Even with Guinevere, we had been friends, but our marriage had been arranged and there had been little attempt at romance afterwards. "Truthfully, I do not know what I should be doing."

"It's hard to remember sometimes. I mean, you were so smooth asking me out and you always seem unruffled by everything these days. Maybe just start with telling me what you actually think of me? I… If you just want to be friends, that's fine. Just be clear with me, okay?"

I closed my eyes. "I am fond of you, certainly. Is that love, however? I do not know. I do not know how to identify it."

King Arthur does not understand human feelings.

"I wonder sometimes, if there is something broken inside of me."

A pair of hands cup my cheeks, turning my face upwards. There is a moment of panic, the phantom sensation of cold fingers overlappings with hers. Amy's fingers are warm, however; still hot and somewhat unpleasantly sweaty from our dance tonight. She presses her lips to mine and I melt into them, my fear forgotten in the moment. My fingers tangle in her hair, holding her to me as she takes the lead in our newest dance.

Chaste: 19 | 10 || Lustful: 5 | 10
>Gain a check to Lustful.

Click to shrink...

I find my back pressed against a partition, her hands wandering down to trace the curve of my hip. There is a burning tension deep within me. I feel as though I am simple clay, shaped by Amy's hands.

And then I break the kiss, for the simple need to breathe. I stared vacantly up at her face, panting, desperately gulping down air. That had been… intense. So much more than I had been expecting. Amy's face had gone entirely scarlet, the implications of what she had just done catching up with her.

Bond with Amy increased to 6.

Click to shrink...

Was this… even okay for me to enjoy? My body was a tool to be used in service of my mission. I had always believed this. I had no space to engage in personal dalliances. It was my duty to act as King until the very end. However, my country was gone. Nothing I was doing now would return it. More to the point, this was not my body.

My vision blurred. Did that not make it worse? That I was using someone else's body for my own sake?

"Stupid," Amy whispered.

What? I tried to shakily wipe the tears from my eyes, but succeeded only in smearing my makeup.

Amy grabbed at her hair. "God, I'm so stupid." She suddenly turned and ran back down the path we had come. I took a few steps to try and chase after her, only to stumble, my legs shaky. I let myself sink to the ground.

I could not keep allowing myself to be torn like this. It would not be fair to Amy. I needed to decide. Was it alright for me to pursue that sort of happiness even though this was not my body nor my life?

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

Unfortunately, it was not as simple as going home once I had recovered. We had carpooled to get here, with Dean driving the four of us. I did not want to ruin my brother's date with Victoria, so I ended up just sitting out in the parking lot for over an hour, waiting until they sent a text message to my phone, asking where I had gone. I must have looked a mess, because they immediately came to a stop when they saw me.

"Ellie? What's wrong? Where's Amy?" Dean asked.

I frowned. "Is she not with you?"

"No," Victoria said slowly. "What happened exactly?"

"I… um. Amy kissed me earlier. I became somewhat emotional. Teary eyed. I believe she took it the wrong way and ran off before I could say anything. I had expected she would go to you, Victoria."

The two exchanged a long look.

"I'll go look for Amy," Victoria said. "She's probably just hiding in the bathroom or something. You go ahead and get Ellie home. And have that talk with her already."

"Are you sure? We can stick around, help look," Dean asked.

"It's fine." She leaned in to kiss Dean on the cheek before floating upwards. "I'm going to fly around a bit looking anyway. I'm sure it won't take me long to track her down. Go ahead and get going."

"Alright. Call and let us know once you find her, okay?"

"Will do." Victoria grinned with only a hint of false bravado and flew off back towards the school.

Dean's shoulders slumped once Victoria had flown out of sight. "Well, let's get going then."

I nodded mutely and climbed into the passenger seat. Dean glanced over at me and sighed. "It's not your fault. Sometimes these things just take communication. Just look at how many times Vicky and I have broken up."

"I dearly hope that my relationships do not end up as rocky as yours has been," I replied dryly.

"You mean you Deanly hope?" My brother winked at me.

"No."

He clutched his chest in mock hurt. "Ow. You could at least pretend to like my puns."

"No," I repeated. "...Thank you for attempting to cheer me up, however. What was this talk that Victoria mentioned?"

"I… Yeah, it's time I told you. I've been putting it off, telling myself you needed time to recover or that I didn't want you to get involved. Excuses like that."

I frowned. "Are you involved in something dangerous, Dean?"

"Yeah," he said, letting out a slow breath. "I'm a Parahuman. Gallant."

Recognize: 8 | 6 = Failure

Click to shrink...

"Ah, yes. Gallant. My favorite Ward." I said, not recognizing the name.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You can just admit it if you haven't heard of me. I know you never really cared much about capes."

"I have not heard of you. What is it that you… do?"

"Officially, I'm an Emotion-based Tinker. Unofficially… I'm an empath. I can see people's emotions and shoot concussive blasts that alter their emotional state. No tinkertech needed."

"Why the deception?" I asked.

"I don't really have enough precision to actually master anyone, but it's still a lot closer than most people feel comfortable with. It's easier if people believe it's just a fancy ray gun."

"I shall take your word for it. Thank you for trusting me with this, Dean. I know it must not have been easy."

"It should have been. You're my sister. I should have told you sooner."

"Dean, I –" I too, had not told him my identity. He had trusted me. Should I extend that same trust in return? "I am –"

"Shit!" The car jerked to a sudden stop, throwing me against my seatbelt as a large truck suddenly zoomed through the intersection ahead of us, ignoring the red light. The sound of police sirens soon followed as they poured through in pursuit. "Damn it. Idiots are going to get someone killed driving like that."

The moment passed and we returned home without having told him anything.

Bond with Dean increased to 3.

Click to shrink...

---

Is Elaine even good enough to have imposter syndrome? Find out next time. As an aside, if I were to stat Amy out, she would absolutely have a Lustful of 16.

It is October of 2010.

We have arrived at a rest period.

First is to tally checkmarks.

Lustful: 3 | 10 = No Increase
Merciful: 4 | 12 = No Increase
Prudent: 7 | 11 = No Increase
Temperate: 14 | 10 = Increased by 1
Leadership: 13 | 4 = Increased by 1
Etiquette: 12 | 7 = Increased by 1
Flirting: 1 | 0 = Increased by 1
Strategy: 16 | 2 = Increased by 1
Drive: 18 | 3 = Increased by 1
Brawling: 15 | 10 = Increased by 1

Click to shrink...

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

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.

Click to shrink...

Please structure this vote as:
[ ] [Training] Skills 1, Skills 2, Skills 3, etc.
>As a reminder, Elaine does have midterms this month.

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

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


You have the opportunity to generate a new passion, Amor (Amy). Amor passions are particularly powerful (Think Lancelot and Guinevere or Tristam and Isolde), as instead of the +5 a normal passion would give when invoked, they instead give a +10. Be warned however, that this will very obviously affect your relationship going forward if you choose to generate this.
[Amor] Yes
[Amor] No


You are currently following the Adventure of the Haunted Storage shed, but Erin has promised to take over and help. In the meantime, what do you do?
[ ] [Adventure] The Adventure of Aggressive Animals
>The animals in the forest are acting strangely aggressive. It might be worth investigating.
[ ] [Adventure] The Adventure of the Forbidden Woods
>There is a part of the woods where you fear to tread. Maybe you should find out why.
[ ] [Adventure] Raid the Azn Bad Boyz
>A local vigilante, Haze, has offered to lead you to an ABB stash to raid them. It would certainly deal damage to their operations, and there may be the opportunity for looting.
[ ] [Adventure] Focus on your duties
>Do not engage in adventure this month.


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 at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Victoria has invited you on a double-date (Only available if Amor is chosen, otherwise will default to next highest vote)
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Father DiMaggio at his church.
[ ] [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)

Tell Dean your Vigilante identiy:
[ ] [Identity] Yes
[ ] [Identity] No

 

[Aldsan]

[X] [Training] Academics to 12, Brawling to 14, Melee to 15
[X] [Amor] Yes
[X] [Identity] Yes
[X] [Activity] Modeling
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon
[X] [Adventure] The Adventure of the Forbidden Woods

Click to shrink...

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why was she so stupid?

"I wonder sometimes, if there is something broken inside of me," Elaine had said.

And Amy had responded to that by kissing her? What had she been thinking? Of course Elaine would be upset. God, Elaine probably would never want to even see Amy again after that. Why couldn't Amy have just been happy with what she had? Why had she reached for something that was beyond her? Why did she always want things that she couldn't have?

Groaning, Amy scrubbed the tears from her eyes and sat down on the pavement. After she had run away from Elaine, she'd meant to go find Vicky. Instead, she spent a good ten minutes just trying to find her way out of the maze before finally managing to escape. By then she'd calmed down a little. Not a lot, but enough that she decided to leave Vicky alone. No need to ruin her sister's date the way she'd ruined her own.

So Amy had begun walking home instead. Their house wasn't that far away. It would probably only be thirty minutes or so on foot. She'd get home before Vicky even. Well, that was what she had thought. She might have overestimated herself. She was only halfway there and her feet were screaming bloody murder at her.

In a sudden fit of pique, Amy yanked her heels off and threw them down the street. She regretted it almost instantly. She'd have to go find them now, she couldn't just leave them here. Fuck, she was such a screw up. Amy lowered her face into her hands, just blocking out the world.

She'd known for a long time that she wasn't a good person. A good person wouldn't have a crush on their own sister. A good person would be training to be a cop or an EMT or something, instead of hiding away in their room reading capefic all the time. A good person would have protected her sister when Chorus hurt her a year ago.

When Vicky had been hurt, Elaine had thrown herself at the attacker. It should have been Amy in her place. If Amy were a good person, she would have been the one in a coma, not Elaine. And now Elaine was awake again, but she was… broken. Everyone around her could see it. She talked differently. She acted differently. She sometimes got this vacant stare as if she were an outsider looking in on her own life.

And yet, at her core, she was that same girl who jumped in to save Vicky. The same girl who took the time to pull injured people from a bus while a gunfight was going on around her. The same girl who didn't seem to care about the fact that she was shot, the urge to save people had been more important.

Elaine was a good person. Amy was not.

Perhaps that was why Amy had begun falling for her. She was everything Amy wanted to be and yet wasn't. If anything, Elaine was a great deal like Vicky. She had that same brash need to help people. That same easy charm that made everyone around her love her. More than anything, she made Amy feel safe when she was around.

Wasn't that just a twisted mess in and of itself. Amy knew some part of her was treating Elaine like a replacement Victoria. A Victoria who it was safe for her to love. It was fucked up. She knew that and did it anyway.

Elaine even looked like she could be Victoria's little sister. More so than Amy ever had. She had the same blonde hair and blue eyes. Her eyes were slightly larger, her face slightly rounder; it just served to make her a smaller, cuter version. Victoria had started calling her 'Little Sis' as a joke when she started dating Dean, way back when. Amy had hated it at the time, had felt like she was being replaced. Now though… Now she was imaging Elaine was actually her sister and making out with her and fuck she was a fucking mess. What was wrong with her?

"Ugh." Amy scrubbed a hand across her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears, though it felt like she only succeeded in smearing her makeup. Why couldn't her brain just stop sometimes? She didn't need that image when she was already feeling guilty.

Despite her internal protestations, her mind shot into overdrive. The memory of Elaine's bare back, tightly corded with lean muscle. The taste of her lips. The sight of her big… aqua… eyes staring up at her?

Amy frowned. That couldn't be right. She remembered Elaine having the same color of eyes as Vicky, and Vicky's were a bright blue. She couldn't just be misremembering right? People's eyes didn't just change color like that.

No, she was probably just overthinking it. She could check some of the old photos on Vicky's phone when she got home later. Which… she had been sitting here throwing herself a pity party more than long enough. She got up, walking over to where she'd thrown her shoes.

The first had landed near the street and was retrieved easily enough. The second had landed near an alleyway. She made her way over, only to groan as the sudden sensation of stepping barefoot into a puddle hit her part way there. Goddamnit. Where had this even come from? It hadn't rained for nearly two weeks now.

The place smelled too. Amy wrinkled her nose. Not that she was thinking earlier, but she really should have chosen somewhere better to throw her things. She picked the shoe up, sighing as she noticed it too was dripping. Ugh, it felt sticky too. What had it even fallen in? Amy raised her the shoe up towards a streetlight and froze as she saw that her hand was smeared red.

"Well, well. I was wondering how long it would take you to notice."

Amy slowly turned her head to the alleyway. In it, a figure stood, shrouded by shadow. The only distinctive feature she could make out were the brilliant crimson eyes. She tried to move, to run away, to scream – and did nothing. She just stood there, caught by those eyes.

There was a flick, a spark, and a lighter drove away the darkness in the alleyway. At the figure's feet lay a corpse with its ribcage torn open, its heart torn out. Blood pooled beneath it, draining out towards the street. The figure smiled, revealing a pair of wickedly sharp fangs behind its blood-stained lips.

"I think I recognize you. Dallon right? The leftover."

Amy's throat bobbed, trying to force words to escape.

"Heh. Seems they didn't even care enough to keep an eye on you. Too bad. I guess that's just luck for you, or perhaps fate. Either way, you'll have to do for tonight's dessert."

The lighter flicked closed. The last thing Amy saw was a pair of red eyes.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

Amy woke to her phone ringing and a pounding headache.

"Ugh, what…?"

The phone stopped ringing as the call went to voicemail, only to start ringing again a second later. Blindly, she grabbed for the phone, missing it her first two tries before finally managing to hit answer.

"Hello…?"

"Amy?!" Victoria's voice came through, frantic. "Where are you?! I've been calling for the last half hour!"

Amy ran a hand over her face. She was in her bedroom. Safe. Completely safe. "I'm fine. I'm home. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."

"Okay. Okay. That's good. Sorry. I was really worried when I couldn't find you and you weren't answering."

"Sorry. I was just… drained."

And wasn't that the truth. Amy must have been really tired to have fallen asleep in the state she had. She was lying on top of her sheets, still in her dress. Her makeup had smeared on her pillow, so she hadn't washed that off either. She could barely even remember the walk home she'd been so out of it half way through.

"I'm just glad you're okay. I'm coming home now, are you okay to talk when I get there?"

"I… Not tonight. I just need to be by myself for now."

"Alright. I'm here for you if you need me."

"I know," Amy whispered. "Thanks Vicky. I love you."

"Love you too, Ames."

Amy closed the phone and let herself fall back into bed. Tired as she was, she couldn't seem to fall back to sleep. Despite her exhaustion, she was wired, like that time she'd drunk three energy drinks back to back. Amy slowly pushed herself out of bed and yanked her door open. It came easier than it had been lately – maybe it was finally loosening up.

Victoria's room was one door down from mine. Where mine was largely barren of decoration, she had posters hung up on her wall. Some of capes, but others were of women basketball players. Victoria had once dreamed of going Pro herself, or at least doing College basketball, but that dream had been crushed when she triggered. Capes weren't allowed to play sports.

Walking over to her desk, Amy picked up a framed photo. Victoria, Amy, Dean, and Elaine all together. Amy was barely in the photo, standing off the side. Elaine was smiling brightly, pinned between Victoria and Dean. It was an expression I hadn't seen her wear since the accident. Her eyes were a bright blue.

Amy set the photo down. She wasn't sure what it meant. For now, she was going to go down to the kitchen and grab a glass of water. For some reason, she just felt really thirsty.

 

[Aldsan]

A knight stood in the middle of the road. Broken spears and shields littered the area, evidence of battles past. He allowed none to pass by unless they defeated him in a joust, and so far, none had.

"A foul curse was set upon me," Pellinore told the girl. "I am trapped here until I am defeated."

"Then by my honor, I shall see you freed," the girl replied.

They rode against one another and their spears shattered. Again and again, they found themselves evenly matched, until the girl was unhorsed. She drew her sword and the knight rode against her, the full force of his charge against an opponent on foot. The girl's sword flashed with bright light, blinding as they clashed.

Pellinore was dismounted, knocked unconscious. The Sword of Selection was shattered.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

Amy's room was dark despite it being almost noon. The curtains were drawn tight, not a hint of light let into the place. She groaned softly as I opened the door, letting the light from the hallway spill in.

"Vicky, I already told you I'm not feeling well."

"I am not Victoria."

Amy shot up at the sound of my voice, her eyes panicked. She had trapped herself in a cocoon of blankets, appearing nothing so much as an Amy burrito, unable to shed her wrappings to escape. "Elaine? W-What are you doing here?"

I shut the door behind myself, casting the room into darkness once more. The only light to guide me was that of Amy's computer and the digital clock near her bed.

"I think we need to talk after last night."

"....A talk, huh?" Amy slumped back into her bed. "Alright. I think I can guess, but is this where you tell me that you want to be just friends?"

"No. It is not."

"Oh… So not even that." Amy turned her face away. "So what, is this just to tell me to get lost then?"

"Amy," I said chidingly and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. "Look at me."

She slowly, hesitatingly returned her gaze, fear written plain across her features. I smoothed a hand over her brow, brushing her hair back, before leaning in to press my lips gently to hers. She was deathly cold, whatever illness she had clearly taking its toll. For a moment, I found myself suppressing panic at the contact, even though I had been the one to initiate it.

"What–?" Amy asked, flabbergasted.

"I am not angry at you, Amy. I was taken by surprise last night, but not displeased."

"But you were crying and I–"

"It was an emotional moment for me," I said, cutting her off. "It was intense. More than I expected." I smiled slightly and caressed her cheek. "It caught me by surprise. However, if you're willing, I would like to give this a chance. Would you go out with me, Amy?"

Amy's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, like a fish pulled from the river. When she finally collected her thoughts, she looked down. "You don't have to. If this is because you feel bad for me or something, I'll be fine. You don't have to force yourself."

"I am not forcing myself. I like you, Amy. I want to try dating you."

"You'll probably regret it if you do. I'm a mess," Amy whispered.

"I will not regret it." Even if things ended poorly, I would not regret this choice. "Will you go out with me?"

"Yes," Amy whispered.

I smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, deeper this time, allowing it to linger as it had last night. Amy did not seem to mind. At some point, she managed to free her hands from the blanket burrito, tangling them in my hair, holding me there against her. When I finally came up simply for the need to breathe, it was with a swollen lip and the taste of blood in my mouth – she had bitten down at one point. Still, the small bit of pain was worth seeing the sheer ecstasy that painted her face, as though her greatest dreams had come true.

Amor (Amy) generated (2d6+6) = 14
Bond with Amy increased to 7.

Click to shrink...

"Now," I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I am going to go downstairs and make you some soup. Rest and feel better, Amy."

Amy barked out a laugh. "How am I going to rest after that?" She reached out and took my hand in hers. "I'm not really hungry though. Just stay here with me awhile?"

"As you wish."

I sidled onto the bed next to her, simply holding her for a time until she eventually fell asleep. Once she finally had, I slipped away. I barely made it two steps out her bedroom door before Victoria accosted me however.

"I see you and Amy patched things up," she said smugly.

I did not roll my eyes. It would be beneath my dignity as King to do so, no matter how tempted I may be. "I suppose you could say that, yes."

"I'm glad. The two of you are really cute together, and Amy deserves a bit of happiness."

"She does. I hope I can give it to her."

Victoria wrapped me in a hug. "Remember, I will leave you in a tree if you do anything to hurt her."

"I understand, Victoria. Do not worry."

"Good. Now, did Dean talk to you last night, like I told him to?"

"He did. I cannot believe he managed to keep that a secret from me for so long." It was honestly rather obvious in retrospect. Of course he would not be working an internship at some other company instead of the one our father owned – he was working as a Hero instead. A part of me had been tempted to hide my own career as a hero purely as a bit of petty vengeance. In the end, I had not. He had trusted me, so I had trusted him in turn.

Gain a check to Trusting.

Click to shrink...

"Yeah, he's not always the most subtle guy around."

"No. He is not." I allowed myself a sigh. My brother had immediately started telling me I should join the Wards, citing safety statistics even after I assured him I was patrolling with Victoria. He was such a worrier sometimes. It was more or less what I had expected from telling him however. At least he had not told our parents and forced me to join the Wards with him.

"Anyway, it's not really related, but I could use your company for something if you're up for it."

I narrowed my eyes. "I have a premonition that you are about to say something that I will be unhappy with, Victoria."

"It's not that bad… There's a charity shoot coming up next week. It's supposed to be a bunch of heroes and disabled kids, you know the sort of thing? I was just hoping you'd go with me. You've done that sort of modeling work before, right?"

My mouth twisted in distaste. Elaine had, before her injury. Her – My mother had a fondness for submitting me to modeling shoots and pageants and such. I suspect there was a bit of vicarious living in her focus on the activity, though she had not pushed the issue since I awoke.

"Heroes – So I'd be attending as Pendragon then?"

"That's an option, though I could also just bring you along as my friend. There's going to be some actual amateur models there, so it wouldn't be that strange. Plus, if you come as yourself, I can introduce you to the other Wards as Gallant's sister and we can work to embarrass him together," Victoria grinned.

"My poor brother," I murmured. "I will give it some thought. In the meantime, I would ask a favor of you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I require your services as a taxi."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

"Are you sure you want to be dropped off here?"

"Yes. I am unsure of the exact location I am looking for, so I will need to wander a bit. I would not keep you. I have my cell phone, so I will call you once I am ready for pick up. You can enjoy your day in the meantime."

"I don't really like leaving you out here, Elaine."

"I doubt there is anything out here that could seriously harm me, Victoria." I allowed my sword to appear in my hand as emphasis. "I will be fine."

"Alright," Victoria said, though she still looked dubious. "Be careful."

"I will."

With that, Victoria flew off, leaving me alone in the forest. I glanced around at the campsite that my father and I had briefly used a few months ago. It had been the height of summer then. Now, it was the beginning of autumn. The trees retained their verdancy, but a crisp chill had set in the air. The wind whistled through the trees in a low moan.

I began walking, retracing my steps from last time. There had been a few things that had worried me that day. There had been the wolves, the most obvious issue, of course. Starving despite the season. Unreasonably aggressive despite a lack of provocation. An obvious threat that needed investigating.

However, there had been something else I had encountered that day. An unnatural sense of primal fear. Something had warded off a part of those woods, claimed it as territory. I had my suspicions, but I needed to confirm them.

So, I wandered the woods until I found it again. A sense of pressure pushed against me, warding me off. I closed my eyes and felt the sensation, felt how it organized itself around me – and found I was correct. This was no mere instinct. This was a bounded field, intended to ward away intruders.

To a normal person walking in the woods, it would subtly steer them away. To me, attempting to run past it in fear of my life, it had increased in power to force me away. Now, that I was intentionally violating it, it was even stronger still.

Valorous: 10 | 15 = Success

Click to shrink...

I pushed through it. This body was not resistant to magic as my past one had been, but I was not so timid as to be turned away by a warning such as this. I stepped to the other side and the feeling stopped, its hold over me broken. Magical energy swirled around me, and another bounded field activated deeper within, an alarm going off in response to my intrusion.

Invoke Passion: Honor: 10 | 16 = Success
Hunting: 6 | 6 = Critical Success!
>Gain a check to Hunting.

Click to shrink...

I continued on. The forest wove itself against me. Roots tripped at my feet. Thorns pricked at my clothes. Thick branches cast the area into darkness. The land subtly sloped, the path of least resistance circling back the way I came and away from this territory. This too, I ignored.

I stepped into a glade. The wide sky opened above me, a sweet breeze lingered on the air. I did not allow myself to relax. Having broken through two defenses, I had no doubt there would be a third. True to my thoughts, a figure appeared at the far end of the grove.

It did not simply step out from behind a tree, nor suddenly appear as if by teleportation. Instead it stepped out of a tree, as though it were a part of the wood. Indeed, for while the figure was shaped like a woman, the similarities ended there. The creature's skin was bark, its hair made of leaves. Woven ivy made its muscles, its eyes were of liquid amber. It stared at me impassively, no mouth or nose carved upon its wooden face to give away emotion.

By all appearances, it was a dryad, a phantasmal creature from the time of faerie. However, I sensed none of the power of such a creature. A construct then. Something that imitated the shape, but lacked the fundamental nature. I stepped forward and the creature met me, its hands sharpening into wooden claws.

Spoiler: Combat

Elaine Melee: 1 | 15 || Dryad Claw: 5 | 15
>Dryad Damage (4d6) = 12 (13 AR) = 0 Damage
Elaine Melee: 10 | 15 || Dryad Claw: 4 | 15
>Elaine Damage (6d6) = 23 (10 AR) = 13 Damage (19/32)
>>Dryad Dexterity: 13 | 15 = Maintains Footing
Elaine Melee: 20 | 15 || Dryad Claw: 5 | 15
>Dryad Damage (4d6) = 16 (10 AR) = 6 Damage (32/38 HP)
>>Elaine Dexterity: 2 | 14 = Maintains Footing
>>Elaine drops her sword. Gains a check to Melee.
Elaine Dodge: 3 | 17 || Dryad Claw: 19 | 15
>Elaine picks up sword.
Elaine Melee: 7 | 15 || Dryad Claw: 3 | 15
>Elaine Damage (6d6) = 30 (10 AR) = 20 Damage (0/32)
>>Dryad slain.

My blade met its first strike, turning it aside. The thing was strong and tough, its wooden hide forming a natural armor that my blade struggled to cut through. However, at the end of the day, it was wood, not steel. My blade still found purchase. After that first blow, I danced a circle around it, testing for its reactions, how quickly it could respond.

The thing was slow, ponderous. It might overwhelm a completely normal person, a person with no training, but it failed to respond as my sword bit into its leg. It did not respond at all, in fact. Though my sword cut deep, there was no pain response, no flinch. The thing simply turned and punched at me. I quickly backed away, the dryad's claws scraping along my jacket, but the creature's motion pulled my sword away, the blade still stuck within the dryad's body.

Troublesome.

I slipped back in, weaving through its blows to grab hold of my hilt once again and yanking it free. The motion caused the thing to stumble a step. It was not much, but it was enough of an opening for me to leap forward. Taking my sword in both hands, I brought it down on the construct's neck. The first blow failed to sever completely. The second managed, and the creature collapsed to the ground.

Glory gained Dryad slain = 30

Click to shrink...

A mote of green light escaped the dryad's corpse and raced into the forest. I followed it, the forest no longer barring my path now that its warden lay slain. It was not far before I found a proper path – and not a simple dirt path either. A paved road, wide enough only for a single car. The bounded field had hidden it, but I had no doubt that if I followed it back, it would take me straight to the city.

The owner of this place needed a way to come and go, after all.

I followed the road deeper into the forest instead. It did not take me long to find its destination. A large mansion sprawled out in front of me. It was an ornate place, the sort that would have been built an age past – Steeply pitched roofs and turrets rising above the trees. Sculptures and facades carved into the stone. A French château brought here to America part and parcel.

A rolling garden stretched out in front of it, tended by more dryad constructs, though these ignored me as I passed by. Flowers lined the main path, but I could see stranger plants, plants that I failed to recognize, deeper within. Marching forward, I approached the main door and knocked upon it.

The door opened hardly a second after my knuckles left the wood. Another creature stood there, though this one was not made of mere wood. This one was shifting shadow, hardly visible but for the butler uniform that constrained its form. It spoke, its voice a whisper that sounded as though it were coming from a great distance.

"Welcome. The Lady of the house is expecting you."

If she were not expecting me by now, I would have been deeply surprised. I bade the Shadow to lead on and followed it inside, the door closing behind me without anyone having touched it. The interior of the manor was as richly appointed as the exterior. Mahogany floors were covered by vibrant rugs. Paintings, vases and sculptures lined the walls. This was not the house of someone who was merely rich, as my own parents were, but instead truly wealthy.

The Shadow ushered me into a sitting room. A pot of tea sat at a table, two cups set out. One for myself and another for my host. She looked up as I entered, a flash of uncertainty on her features quickly replaced by firm resolve.

"Hello," Erin said. "You can take the helmet off, Elaine. I won't bite."

"Is that so? Your familiar out in the forest would say otherwise."

Erin waved her hand dismissively. "If you had called ahead, I could have disarmed it for you. How did you find this place anyway? It is supposed to be rather well hidden."

I closed my eyes, simply taking the time to process, before removing my helmet and setting it down. A moment later, I sat down across from Erin and met her eyes. "I ran into your outermost boundary some months ago. I was unsure of what it was at the time, but it was not so difficult to discern on closer inspection."

"But that's–" Erin frowned and crossed her arms in front of her. "No, that doesn't make sense. Not unless…" Her head jerked up and she snapped at the Shadow, "Sebastian, go check on our ward schema. Something is off here."

The Shadow bowed and left, leaving just the two of us alone. "So," I asked. "Where does that leave us?"

Erin Bond: 7 | 2 = Failure

Click to shrink...

"What do you mean?"

"You are a magus. You approached me soon after I awoke from a coma. Why? What were you after?"

The emotions drained from Erin's face. She stared at me, cold, calculating. Every inch what a magus was supposed to be. "You already know the answer to that, Elaine."

"Tell me."

"Would Elaine Stansfield have known what a magus is? A bounded field? A familiar?" Erin scoffed, "You know exactly why I approached you. I'm the one who helped put those memories into you to begin with."

"Why?"

"The world is dying."

I reeled back. What?

"If the Endbringers continue to destroy things as they are, civilization as we know it will end within twenty years. Even if they are stopped, something is fraying at the fabric of our world. It is breaking apart. The world's lifeblood will burst forth, and the atmosphere will fill with ether. The world will lose its capacity to sustain life. The Atlas Institute puts projections for this event as occurring within the century."

"What – What does this have to do with me?"

"Under normal circumstances, when faced with an internal or external threat such as this, the World would deploy Heroic Spirits to eliminate the problem. However, we have seen no signs of such a deployment. More to the point, attempts to ritually summon and sustain Heroic Spirits ourselves have also ended in failure. No attempt to contact the Throne of Heroes succeeded. With one notable exception."

"The Fuyuki Grail War," I murmured.

Erin's eyebrows shot up. "Yes. How did you–? No, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that yes, using the limited container called a Servant, the Fuyuki Grail was able to summon a lesser version of Heroic Spirits. We are still not sure why it was able to reach the Throne while the attempts of others failed. However, the point became moot in the wake of the Fifth Grail War, in which the Fuyuki Grail was destroyed. Alternatives were needed."

A blackened hole in reality spilled forth mud unending. She raised her sword, a bright light that filled the horizon. "How does that lead to me then?"

"I'm getting to that. You see, there was another experiment in England – a particular family was obsessed with the legacy of King Arthur. They attempted to recreate the mind and body of King Arthur – it failed, for reasons that we don't need to get into, but it led to a bit of speculation. If we could not call the Heroic Spirits directly, then what if we attempted to use a living person as a medium. A Pseudo-Servant, if you would."

A sudden sense of clarity washed over me. I narrowed my eyes, staring at her. "So you took a brain dead girl and made her your experiment."

"Yes," Erin said simply. "I judged that it posed less risk of rejection. A greater chance that the Heroic Spirit's mind and memories would carry over in their entirety to fill the empty vessel. In the end, however, you were judged a failure. For though you showed signs of a behavioral change that could be attributed to a Heroic Spirit, you displayed none of its power. You were not King Arthur. Just a girl with his memories. Or so we thought."

My nails bit into my palms. My chest felt tight. Those memories sometimes felt more a part of me than Elaine's did. More real, more true to who I was. And they were… just implanted into me?

"I watched your fight with my Dryad, you know. She's not the greatest fighter, but she still managed to hit you once. Except, what would have left grievous injuries on any normal person left little more than a scratch on you." Erin straightened so quickly in her chair that she seemed to almost hop in place, a wide grin stretching across her face. "Your body has begun to transform, hasn't it? It's becoming a spiritual body capable of holding a Heroic Spirit's power."

"Yes," I whispered. She was right. It had not been noticeable at first, but I was changing. It wasn't just that I was relearning my skills with a sword far faster than what any normal person could – accomplishing in months what would have taken a normal knight years to master. My body itself had grown tougher, more resistant to damage. A bullet wound had hardly phased me and had healed within days.

"That's good." Erin smiled brightly. "I'll have to contact the others and let them know. It might help with their own projects."

I jerked my head up sharply. "What others? What other projects?"

Erin blinked. "Surely you didn't think I wasn't working alone? The fate of the world is at stake. We have an entire team of people collaborating – I specialize in the binding of familiars, as you can likely tell, but all of us have a role. Nor are you our only attempt – I had the idea of using someone in a coma, but the others had their own ideas to use our shared research on, and they're all attempting to reach the same goal in different ways."

"How many?"

"There are currently thirteen people like you across the world."

Gain 100 Glory for completing the Forbidden Woods.

Click to shrink...

---

Parahuman Power has been shortened to simply Power.

It is October of 2010.

You are currently following the Adventure of the Haunted Storage shed, but Erin has promised to take over and help. In the meantime, what do you do?
[ ] [Adventure] The Adventure of Aggressive Animals
>The animals in the forest are acting strangely aggressive. It might be worth investigating.
[ ] [Adventure] Raid the Azn Bad Boyz
>A local vigilante, Haze, has offered to lead you to an ABB stash to raid them. It would certainly deal damage to their operations, and there may be the opportunity for looting.
[ ] [Adventure] Focus on your duties
>Do not engage in adventure this month.

When modeling with Victoria, do you want to go as Pendragon or Elaine?
[ ] [Modeling] Pendragon
>Get extra glory, socialize as a hero.
[ ] [Modeling] Elaine
>Get extra money, socialize as a friend of Victoria.

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] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Go on a date with Amy.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Father DiMaggio at his church.
[ ] [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)

 

[Aldsan]

[X] [Adventure] Aggressive Animals
[X] [Patrol] Midtown
[X] [Modeling] Pendragon
[X] [Activity] Dating
[X] [Social] Erin

Click to shrink...

Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 37/38

Click to shrink...

The days after her encounter with Erin found me despondent. For a time, I did little beyond go to school. At home, I simply laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling. I think I worried my brother, for I had no explanation that I could rightly give him. I had struggled with my identity these past months, but I had believed that I was truly King Arthur reborn. Now, I knew that was a lie. I was merely a girl playing dress-up.

In the end, it was my promise with Victoria that roused me from my melancholy. No matter who I was, it did not change the duties I had.

I looked at myself in the mirror before I left. For months now, I had been gathering my hair up in imitation of how Artoria had once done so. I turned away, my hair still loose across my shoulders.

Elaine was dead. Artoria was a fantasy. All that was left was… me. I just had no idea who that was any more.

"Hey," Victoria said when I met up with her. "You've been a bit scarce lately."

"I am sorry," I murmured. "I have… had something on my mind." For a moment, the urge to call her Vicky, the way Elaine would have once upon a time, rises within me. I open my to do so, but my tongue stays still, frozen within my mouth. In the end, the moment passed, and I simply hung my head.

"You and Amy both. You two didn't fight again, right?"

"No. This is unrelated to Amy – What is wrong with her?"

Victoria frowned. "I don't know. She won't tell me. She's just been brooding a lot lately." Victoria tilted her head, a sly look entering her eyes. "Maybe it's because you haven't taken her out on a date yet. When are you going to do that?"

"A date?" I blinked. The thought had not occurred to me – Homecoming aside, I had become accustomed to going to the Dallons' house whenever I wanted to spend time with Amy. "Where would we even go?"

"That's for you to figure out," Victoria laughed, scooping me up to carry towards the sky. "I can't hold your hand for everything. You'll have to figure a few things out for yourself."

"You are correct, it is just…" I worried that my own judgment would make a mess of things, the same way it had our Homecoming date.

"You'll be fine, Ellie. I believe in you."

"...Thank you, Victoria." I let out a slow breath and recentered myself. "So, what should I expect at this photoshoot?"

"Well, the Wards are going to be there, and I'm sure they'll want to meet the new Independent Hero that's been making waves. Beyond that, there's some of the other models, teenagers, but the type who do this thing regularly. They can be a little stuck up. No offense."

"I did not take any." It was true Elaine had done this sort of thing in the past, but that had largely been her – my Mother's influence.

"Finally, there's the stars of today's show. There's going to be a few sick kids there. The type who might not otherwise get the chance to even go out much, much less meet heroes. They're why we're here, so you want to take the time to really make them feel special."

I nodded seriously. I could do that much.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

"So can you fly?"

"I cannot."

"Oh, are you super fast like Velocity then?"

"No, I–"

"You're super strong then, right?"

"N-No."

"Well, what can you do?"
I was glad for the motorcycle helmet I had purchased. It helped conceal my crestfallen expression. Why had I thought I could do this? Victoria was flying with one little girl clutched in her arms. Meanwhile, I was here with no notable powers to speak of. Even my costume was obviously homemade – little more than a jacket and helmet, with my scarf fluttering behind me – while both Victoria and the Wards had costumes that were professionally put together.

Etiquette: 7 | 8 = Success

Click to shrink...

Summoning my sword, I planted it in the ground in front of me. "I am a knight. With my sword, I strike down those who would harm the innocent. With my sword, I protect those who cannot protect themselves."

The eyes of the boy who had been asking questions widened. "Cooool. Can I hold it?!"

"You may. Be careful however, for the edge is sharp."

The boy nodded and took the sword, almost dropping it, his arms trembling with the weight. "It's heavy…"

"Yes. Remember that weight. For that is the weight that any who take up the sword must bear. It is the weight not just of steel, but the weight of lives. The weight of every person that your sword protects."

"But I'm not a Hero."

"You can be. There are hundreds of heroes around us every day. Not just people who put on costumes and fight crimes either – Doctors, Firefighters, even normal people who just go out of their way to help someone else who they see is in trouble. All of these people are heroes." I tapped a finger to the boy's chest. "It is not power that makes a person a hero. It is their heart."

Appeal: 2 | 14 = Success

Click to shrink...

A camera flashed nearby and the boy flinched back. I quickly reached out and supported the boy's grip on the hilt before he could drop the sword. Several people nearby began clapping. Again, I found myself glad for the concealment offered by my helmet. This time, it hid the visceral anger that cut through me. The moment of introspection I had given the boy was gone, lost amidst the adulation of the masses around me.

I closed my eyes. No matter. The smile on his face was happy. That was enough.

An older woman bustled up to me, though she wore her age well. Hints of make-up hid the wrinkles around her eyes, and there was no hint of gray in her hair, though I suspected dye may have been used. She smiled broadly at the two of us. "Hello, hello. Pendragon, was it?"

"Yes," I said, tilting my head curiously.

"Good to meet you. I'm Sylvia Gates, the manager for this agency. I'll admit, I didn't know what to think when Glory Girl showed up with you, but you certainly seem like a natural."

"Thank you," I replied neutrally. "I do all that I can to live up to the position I have been given."

"And I can see you're doing a good job so far. I'd like to have a little talk with you – Why don't we let little Jimmy here get back to the rest of the group. How would you like a turn up in the air with Aegis, Jimmy?"

"My name's Johnny."

"Yes, Johnny," Sylvia said dismissively, waving him off. "So, flying?"

The boy, Johnny, looked between us, obviously put off by the woman's attitude. After a moment however, the bribe of flight won through and he dashed off to join the others. That left me alone with Sylvia, the photographers and other support staff already moving on to greener pastures.

"So," she began. "You're a new up and coming hero, right? This is your first big PR event?"

"Yes, that is correct," I said, curious where this was even going.

"So how did you wind up coming here with Glory Girl? Anything saucy I should know?"

"We have been patrolling together – Glory Girl has been 'showing me the ropes,' so to speak."

"Well. You certainly have the PR neutral responses down. A shame. I was hoping for a bit of flair. Audiences love heroes with a bit of personality to show off, or failing that, a bit of mystery. Still, if you ever want to do another shoot, we'd be happy to work with you. We regularly do events with both the Protectorate and New Wave. We haven't had much work with any other Independents in town – not many to go around – but if you want to get your name out there, we're the ones to do it with."

I raised an eyebrow. "This is a recruiting pitch?"

"You can call it that. Think of it like a corporate sponsorship. You occasionally come in, get paid for your time, and in exchange we get to use your image for some of our photoshoots."

Somehow, I suspected the Protectorate did not use the services of any particular agency quite as much Sylvia would try and have me believe. They had their own Image and Public Relations department to help handle that. It was more likely just the occasional collaboration, such as this. Everyone knew that Capes were profitable however. It was why Sylvia was likely so intent on snagging me, as one of the few Independent Heroes in the city.

"I would need to see the terms of whatever deal we decide on. At the bare minimum, I would need control over how my image is used. I would prefer to avoid a line of Pendragon underwear," I said, referencing a product line I remembered one of the local heroes having put out nearly a decade ago.

Fashion: 9 | 3 = Failure

Click to shrink...

"Hah!" Sylvia laughed. "Well, we can work something out. We'll probably settle on a pay-per-session structure while we see just how popular you are with the market, so you'll have full control over whether to accept or decline any particular shoot. We'll need to see about upgrading your costume though, it's a little plain right now, isn't it?"

My face grew warm and I glanced away from the woman. "I intend to add proper armor at some point, it is simply… a bit of an expense."

"Well, we can help with that! So? What do you say?"

"Your terms seem acceptable."

"Great! I'll see about getting the paperwork together. Why don't you go mingle while I do that?"

With that, Sylvia breezed away, leaving me wondering what I had just agreed to. Letting out a slow breath, I turned and made my way to the refreshments table that had been set up. I began reaching for a sandwich, only to pull back as I realized I would not be able to eat it with my helmet.

Suddenly, being an open cape like Victoria seemed much more attractive. She probably got to eat as many sandwiches as she wanted while in costume. Maybe I could sneak one while nobody was looking this way…

"Oh! Pendragon! Is that you?"

Damnation. I turned towards the voice and saw a small, petite girl jog her way up to me. "Madison?"

"It is you! The helmet is new, but I like it. You're doing the photo shoot with all the other heroes then?"

"I am. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, a friend of mine is an amateur model. She does this sort of stuff all the time – I was just here hanging out with her, but we heard the Wards were doing a shoot next door, so I thought I'd check it out. I'm glad I did, I got to see you again, after all."

"I trust you have been well since I last saw you? No more wandering down dark alleyways?"

Madison colored but nodded. "No, I've been safe. Just, um. I'd really like to pay you back for saving me the other day, so I was wondering – I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I was thinking maybe we could go get di–"

"Pendragon!" Victoria flew down, landing next to the two of us. "Hey, the others were wrapping things up, but they wanted to say hi before they left. You want to head back over there?"

Madison's jaw snapped shut, her teeth clicking with the force. Well, Victoria was a fairly famous hero for the city, so I cannot blame her for being nervous. Taking pity on her, I introduced her. "Victoria, this is Madison. She's a civilian I saved from a… mugging. Madison, this is Victoria."

"G-Good to meet you," Madison stuttered.

"You too," Victoria said brightly. "I'll head on back, let you two talk, but come join us soon, alright?"

"I will," I promised and waved her off. She smiled and pulled me into a hug before flying away again.

"You and Glory Girl seem close," Madison said, a hint of a question in her voice.

"Mm," I hummed an agreement, then paused, remembering what Sylvia had said about people liking heroes with a bit of mystery. "Well, perhaps so, but it is not something I should discuss."

"O-Oh?" Madison's eyes darted between me and the departed Glory Girl. "Well, she seems like a very friendly sort."

"She is. In any case, what was it that you wished to ask of me?"

"Ah." Madison went silent for a long moment. She stared down at her feet, her mouth moving as if silently trying to come up with something to say. Finally, she raised her head again and said, "Well, I was thinking – As a Hero, you probably need whatever information you can get, right? And I spend a lot of time online. I can be your – your eye in the sky as it were. The girl on call to help find things for you."

Intrigue: 6 | 9 = Success

Click to shrink...

"Madison," I said gently. "While I appreciate the offer, I do not know how much help simply browsing PHO will be."

"No, it's true! People post all sorts of crazy stuff. Like, um. Circus has been hitting a lot of stores Downtown lately. Or the Damsel of Distress has been causing trouble in Durham lately. Lots of people talk about Hookwolf running dog fighting rings too!"

Recognize: 8 | 6 = Failure

Click to shrink...

I… did not know who any of those people were. Durham was the closest town to us, on the other side of the mountain range that covered Brockton Bay's western side. It wasn't somewhere I could visit casually in an afternoon. I could, on the other hand, investigate whoever this Circus person and Hookwolf were.

Adventure discovered: Takedown the Clown
Adventure discovered: The Dog Rings
Adventure discovered: The Damsel of Distress

Click to shrink...

"Very well." Madison's face immediately brightened. "It is true that I could use any information. I will not turn it down if you are able to offer – so long as you are not putting yourself in any sort of danger to obtain it."

"Of course! … I'll need some way to contact you though. Your phone number, maybe?"

That seemed reasonable. Fortunately, the studio had plenty of markers lying around for us to sign autographs with. I took one to instead write my burner phone's number on the back of Madison's hand. "There. I do need to get going, but try keeping out of trouble, okay?"

"If I do get in trouble, you'll come and rescue me though, right?"

She could not see it, but I shot Madison a very unimpressed look. That had been in fashion at one point during my – during Artoria's reign. Various ladies would conspire to be "kidnapped" so that knights could ride to their aid. It had been another product of the stagnancy of Artoria's later years. She had brought peace to the land, but not to the hearts of the people; and so they played at war with kidnappings and tourneys and anything else that would allow them to continue using their arms.

"I would prefer not to risk harm coming to you in the first place."

Madison giggled. "Don't worry. I'll stay safe. You go do what you need to do."

I felt not at all reassured, but ultimately decided not to dwell on it. Madison's choices would ultimately be her own. I left, walking back to rejoin the other heroes.

Today had been my first time meeting most of the Wards. Triumph, with his lion's head and roman armor. Aegis, dressed in a red bodysuit with a shield proudly emblazoned on his chest. Clockblocker, his helmet smooth and faceless, his only feature the spinning clocks that decorated his armor. Kid Win, in bright red and gold armor, a visor covering his eyes. Gallant, my brother, hidden within his tinkertech armor, blue lighting lending it a futuristic tone instead of simple plate. And finally, Vista, the youngest of the group. They had clustered together – it looked as though the kids had been taken aside for a group photo, so it left us free for the moment.

"--Can't believe the nerve of her," Victoria was saying as I approached.

"Hey," Dean soothed, his voice echoing a bit inside his armor. "Some people are just like that. It sucks, but punching her wouldn't solve anything."

"What happened?" I asked.

Victoria looked up, her expression stormy. "Some redhead bitch was making fun of one of the kids for being in a wheelchair."

My lips thinned. "Where is she?"

"Gone!" Dean quickly spoke up. "She's already left. Vicky scared her off."

Clockblocker laughed. "I thought she was going to pee herself at one point. It was pretty great to watch – even got it on video if you want to check it out."

Forgiving: 15 | 10 || Vengeful: 12 | 10
>No change.

Click to shrink...

"No, if Victoria already reprimanded her, then let that be the end of it."

"Anyways, forget her," Vista piped up from where she was sitting, perched up on a table instead of a chair. "Tell us about you! We'd heard about you a bit from Velocity, but this is our first time meeting and we barely got to interact the whole time."

"Well, what is it that you wish to know?"

"What powers do you have?" Aegis asked.

"I am a Brute," I said, though I disliked the classification. "I am tougher than normal and heal quickly." It was true for how I was currently, though I suspected that might change soon as my body changed more and more to better match that of a Heroic Spirit.

"A really basic package, huh?" Clockblocker said.

"Classic," Aegis riposted with an easy smile. "Us Brutes need to stick together. We're the ones holding down the frontline after all."

"Indeed. I am sure that you perform perfectly well in a support role, Clockblocker."

"Oof," Clockblocker clutched at his chest. "The new guy's vicious."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Victoria trying desperately to suppress a laugh. Dean, too, seemed to be looking deliberately away from me. I narrowed my eyes. Clearly another sparring session was in order.

"Why go Independent instead of joining the Wards?" Triumph asked.

"For similar reasons to most Independents, I imagine. I valued the ability to make decisions for myself rather than receive orders, and I did not wish my family to know about my powers. I am happy with the decision I made however. Victoria has been an excellent mentor."

"Aww," Victoria cooed. "You're a pretty great trainee yourself. You pick things up fast."

"She should bring you to patrol with us sometime," Dean chimed in. "We'd be happy to have you."

I scowled at him. Ever since I had revealed my identity as Pendragon to him, my brother had kept trying to argue for me to join the Wards or take safer patrols. It had grown annoying. "Perhaps, if we are in the area. Personally, I would prefer to focus on more dangerous areas of the city."

"Oh?" Vista leaned forward. "Glory Girl already told us that you made Oni Lee run the other day. So who's next to take down?"

Pausing, I met Victoria's eyes. Haze had extended the invitation to raid ABB operations with him. We could take his offer. Truthfully however, we had yet to sit down and make plans. We would need to if we had any intention of being effective. We could not just randomly patrol the city forever. Not if we had any intention to change it. I hesitated before finally answering Vista.

"Whoever stands in our way."

Gain (20 + Appeal x 2) = 48 Glory
Gain Money (Appeal x 10) = $140
Gain a check to Fashion.

Click to shrink...

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•​

The weekend finished and Monday arrived. With it came school. Apparently, a video of my conversation with Johnny had been circulating on Parahumans Online all weekend and it had set off a wave of gossip about Pendragon. Victoria had framed attending the photoshoot as doing her a favor, but I suspect she had actually tricked me into doing a favor for myself. She knew the power of Public Relations well.

Work in the Student Council had hit something of a lull. Midterms were this month, and everyone wanted to focus on that. However, there were plans to do a fundraiser next month, and so we had begun sketching out what we would need for that. Cookies and baked goods were typical, but a few other suggestions were offered.

Kayla suggested sticking me in a kissing booth, which I firmly denied. Not just for the impropriety, though I would have vetoed it for that alone, but because I had a girlfriend now. Something warm tickled my chest at the statement. Artoria had lived a cold life, with few personal attachments, but I did not have to be her. My mistakes were my own to make.

After we finished for the day, I wandered out to the football field and sat up in the bleachers. The field was deserted, leaving me to stare wistfully out at the setting sun. When Erin sat next to me, I did not bother looking at her. We both stayed there, not speaking, for a time, watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon. When darkness had finally claimed the school, I finally turned my head.

"What is it that you want, Erin?"

Erin frowned. "Is that any way to greet a friend?"

"No. It is not." I met her eyes. "But then, I was only ever an experiment, was I not?"

"Haah." Erin sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "This is why I didn't want you to find out to begin with. It's not as though I was carving you up for your secrets."

"Should I be thankful for that?"

"Yes! Maybe! You'd still be asleep on a hospital bed if not for me!"

Perhaps a part of me still was there, sleeping even now. I closed my eyes and asked again, my voice weary, "What is it that you want, Erin?"

"I promised you I'd help look into what was happening with the athletics equipment here. I have. You had a goblin infestation."

My eyebrows shot up. "That should not be possible. The Age of Faerie has long passed."

Erin shook her head. "I told you. The fabric separating the outer layer and the inner layer is fraying. Things are slipping through. Quite a few mages were happy with the development at first – forming a pact with an Other is an easy way to gain power – but the consequences are doomed to follow if it isn't stopped."

"What were they doing here?"

"Goblins like chaos and breaking down signs of civilization where they can. These ones were pretty minor. Civilization as a concept is fairly well-enforced in this school, so there wasn't much they could do beyond making things go missing. I suspect there's a larger nest of them somewhere in the city however. Somewhere filthy."

Adventure discovered: The Goblin Nest

Click to shrink...

I scowled and stood up. "I will try and discover where they are hiding then."

"Elaine, I–"

"What?" I snapped.

Erin took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For taking advantage of you. For using you. I did mean it though, when I said I wanted to be your friend."

Trusting: 9 | 12 (10+2) || Suspicious: 13 | 8 (10-2)

Click to shrink...

I turned to look at her. She returned my gaze steadily, but her fists were clenched in her lap, trembling with anxiety. I could not maintain my anger. She had used me, it was true, but I could not deny the reasoning she had done it with. Artoria had suffered as much and worse from the people around her. Perhaps my difficulty in accepting this small betrayal was the truest sign of our differences.

"I accept your apology." Erin's face immediately brightened. "However. You will be honest with me from now on. No more lies or half-truths. No concealing the truth for my own benefit. If I am to trust you again, I must have that trust returned completely."

"I understand. I won't let you down a second time. I promise."

"Then let us begin anew." I smiled and took her hands in mine, helping her to her feet. "You have set out to save the world. Allow me to help you in what little way I am able. We shall do this together."

Erin wrapped her arms around me, her hug tight enough to drive the breath from my lungs.

Bond with Erin increased to 3.
Gain 50 Glory for completing the Haunted Storage Shed.

Click to shrink...

---

I have made some updates to the available power progression, particularly to how Riding functions.

It is October of 2010.

We have hit a new Glory milestone.

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions.
[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:
[ ] [Power] Chivalry (C)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and increase Major Wound threshold by 3.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (E)
>Deal an additional 2d6 damage on Melee and Charge attacks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -3 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Knockdown Threshold increased by 3.
[ ] [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.


You need to plan your date with Amy. Where do you go? What do you do?
[ ] [Dating] (Write-In)


Someone has requested the purchase of a Shield for Elaine ($200).
[ ] [Purchase] Buy
[ ] [Purchase] Don't Buy