I've heard multiple names for a group of Dragons.

A Flight
A Valour
A Weyr
A Thunder

And I am also stealing the Troll blooded Cattle one for a private RP/Story
 
Question.

Coil's power literally couldn't handle modeling Taylor.

What does that mean for Contessa and her Path to Victory? Has she tried to use her power on anything involving Taylor yet?
 
Question.

Coil's power literally couldn't handle modeling Taylor.

What does that mean for Contessa and her Path to Victory? Has she tried to use her power on anything involving Taylor yet?

I think what did Coil in wasn't his power being unable to handle modeling Taylor, but the fact that he over did things with it to the point of the "thinker headache" being an actual brain hemorrhage. Or in other words, he's now the poster boy for why Thinkers should stop using their abilities when they start developing a Thinker Headache.
 
Question.

Coil's power literally couldn't handle modeling Taylor.

What does that mean for Contessa and her Path to Victory? Has she tried to use her power on anything involving Taylor yet?
What that implies is that Contessa's power is continuing to run whatever analysis it had to work with before Taylor got turned into a dragon. In the short term she won't notice anything unless she ends up near Brockton Bay. As time goes on the dragon flapping her wings is going to derail everything. Eventually I imagine Contessa will walk through a portal to interact with someone and then experience her power completely locking up because whoever she's supposed to be interacting with isn't there.

Edit: Given how often Contessa uses her Path to Victory on a daily basis having it fail on her - complete with Thinker headache at a minimum - is going to cause her serious problems. Given what happened to Coil, it might very well give something akin to a seizure.. or worse.
 
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Edit: Given how often Contessa uses her Path to Victory on a daily basis having it fail on her - complete with Thinker headache at a minimum - is going to cause her serious problems. Given what happened to Coil, it might very well give something akin to a seizure.. or worse.

Couldn't've happened to a nicer person.
 
I have heard some descriptions that are based on the element of the dragons eg. an inferno of reds, a blizzard of whites, a thunder of blues etc.

a hoard of metallics (golds and silvers), may be replaced with a horde of metallics depending on hostility level.
 
*pants*

Don't... mind... me... Exhausted... from... game/workout

What in D&D a group of dragons is called doesn't really come up much, since dragons tend to be solitary creatures.
 
Re : Contessa - PtV has been returning shttp* 400, 401, 405, 406, 409, 410, 413, 415, 418, 422, 426 and 451 errors when trying to directly path Taylor.

Worse, with Tia roaming around Brockton Bay, some of those areas have 404 errors now, too. Pathing around Taylor works, somewhat. Sometimes that throws a 423 or 425 error.

And yes, Contessa has been getting headaches. Usually caused by looping paths.

*Shard hypertext transfer protocol :)
 
Re : Contessa - PtV has been returning shttp* 400, 401, 405, 406, 409, 410, 413, 415, 418, 422, 426 and 451 errors when trying to directly path Taylor.

Worse, with Tia roaming around Brockton Bay, some of those areas have 404 errors now, too. Pathing around Taylor works, somewhat. Sometimes that throws a 423 or 425 error.

And yes, Contessa has been getting headaches. Usually caused by looping paths.

*Shard hypertext transfer protocol :)
And Shards, even Cauldron Shards, require the user to use them.

*plays smallest violin*
 
What I want to know is how you actually get an HTTP 418 "I'm a teapot!" error, though. Must have something to do with Java... :)
( On the subject of http 418 )
That's probably the most nonsensical error on the list.
 
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4.7 Ludicrum et Conventus I
Kurya soon had to return to her home, which left Tia out walking around Brockton Bay late in the evening unattended. She took in the city, somewhat appalled at the squalor present. There was more than hard times going on here, there was corruption, a callous disregard for life and the well being for others that almost matched what she had done at the height of her power.

There was something deeper causing this, she was certain. She knew evil, wanton suffering and despair. They had been her bread and butter for millennia, after all. What she was seeing now was just sad. Both in the fact that it was such a pathetic attempt at evil, and the fact she could empathize with the people suffering as well.

I suppose that means something, she though to herself. That was one of Naichi's lessons, something about empathy.

She could hear the whispered mutterings of the dregs that had begun to tail her as she walked. They assumed that someone like her would be able to offer some 'fun', maybe even have some money on her so they could get their next 'fix', or maybe just some good old fashioned violence, since they were muttering various imprecations about about her observed ethnicity and race.

She had to suppress a chuckle at that. The truth, had they known it, was far worse than they could imagine.

As they grabbed her, it looked like it was going to be some combination of all three; nothing was said, but the attempt to knock her out was somewhat amusing, if uninspired. Unaffected by the blow, she just kept walking, a slight smile crossing her lips. They made a couple more attempts before they actually hit her hard enough to break the improvised weapon.

"Now that was just rude," Tia said, as she stopped. "clubbing people who're minding their own business."

As the thug looked at his broken baseball bat, his buddies were grumbling something about "capes".

"In fact, I'm very, very disappointed. I'd only give you a three for technique, but nothing for originality or execution," Tia continued. "Even worse, I'd have to take marks off for a lack of intelligence and awareness. You're giving minions everywhere a bad name."

She turned around to face the thugs, about six in all, who were looking uncertain about what they should be doing. Some were grumbling about being called minions, others about being called stupid.

Before they could do anything else, Tia said a word they almost heard before falling asleep.

"Really, a club?" Tiamat muttered to herself as she walked away. "At the very least the last mortal to attack me at least used a holy weapon blessed by at least three different gods..."

Long after his mistress had walked away, Hunts-the-Ice was sniffing around the sleeping members of the Empire 88. Not good enough for food, he thought to himself, they smell rotten. If they were beneath the notice of the queen of dragons, then they were beneath his notice.

He displayed his disdain by pissing on them.


- - - - - - - - - -

Officers Friday and Cannon had been on the BBPD for a long time. They were a rarity in a city where the turnover rate on police officers was nearly the same as that of fry cooks at any of the local fast food restaurants. Still, they were the veteran officers, still walking a beat in a city most considered a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the fictional space port of Mos Eisley.

They had received a call, saying there was a number of Empire mooks creating a disturbance just off the Boardwalk, This, in and of itself, was not unusual for Brockton Bay, where gang members were causing a disturbance several times in a given hour.

"Now this is different," officer Joe Friday said, as he pulled the squad car over.

"Are they frozen to the ground?" his partner, Bill Cannon asked, an eyebrow raised. He almost regretted getting out of the squad, because of the god awful smell. "We'd better call in, get the hazmat crew out here. Someone's dumped some pretty strong ammonia around here someplace."

"It's the mooks," his partner responded. He walked over to the gangers who were frozen to the sidewalk by their clothes. "So, boys, care to tell me what happened?" A quick glance at his partner showed he was interviewing a few people who had come forward.

"We were walking along, minding our own business, when some cape puts us to sleep with her powers and then froze us to the ground with piss," the mook answered.

For once, a mook hadn't tried to lie his way out. However, Joe was fairly observant, He'd already seen the broken baseball bat. "I'll tell you what I think happened, gentlemen," he stated clearly. "I think you attempted to mug someone, and it turned out that you attacked a brute rated cape. You were lucky that they didn't tear you apart, and instead knocked you out and immobilized you to be picked up."

"I ain't talkin'," the man muttered.

Officer Friday just shook his head. "Out of our hands now, anyway," he said. "Good Evening Assault, Ma'am."

"Joe, how many times do I have to tell you just call me Battery," Assault's normal partner in patrolling said.

"I've lost count, Ma'am," he said, with a slight grin. "I'm just an old fashioned cop."

"So what happened here?" Assault asked, looking at the E88 mooks.

Officer Friday's partner stepped up. "According to witness statements and video, these upstanding young men accosted an unknown cape, who took three hits from a leaded baseball bat before putting them to sleep. Then, something urinated on them, which froze their clothes to the sidewalk."

"This unknown cape," Battery asked. "Describe them."

"Suspect is a tall female, between 5'10 and 6'2", 160-180#. Middle Eastern ethnicity. black hair, red eyes. Currently wearing a red leather jacket, black matching blouse, slacks, and boots. She took three solid hits from a leaded baseball bat before even noticing. We also have video and still images from witnesses." He let the two members of the Protectorate see his tablet.

It wasn't often something surprised Assault. His face had gone pale when he viewed the video. "Those fucking morons," he muttered darkly. "They have no idea who they tried to mug."

This, of course, confused Battery. "I'll tell you in a bit, Hon," he said, delaying the inevitable discussion.

"We'll investigate the parahuman side of things, but this looks like a pretty cut & dry case of assault and battery, probably race or ethnic violence as well," Battery told the two officers. "If you want, we'll stay here until the wagon comes to get them."


- - - - - - - - - -

It hadn't taken long for the BBPD to send a wagon for the mooks, and the BBFD Hazmat and Rescue crews showed up as well. The rescue team managed to unfreeze the mooks from the pavement, and the Hazmat team had quickly determined that while the odor was unpleasant, it wasn't toxic, or a spill that needed cleaned up.

As they were walking back along their patrol route, Battery finally gave in to her curiosity. "Spill," she said, "or no Fugly Bob's."

"Puppy," her husband replied, "you drive a hard bargain." Still, he had that mad grin on his face. "On Sunday, Armsmaster and I had to investigate a series of what was thought to be a series of parahuman related killings – gang members frozen solid. As it turns out, they both are and aren't. On Tuesday – why does the weird stuff happen on Tuesday – the location of our killer, who is neither parahuman or human, was visited by two individuals. One was a local Russian immigrant, the other was a dead ringer for our mystery cape.

"Earlier tonight," he continued, having pulled a bag of snacks from somewhere, "Our very own dragon was visited by these self-same people, and our own Miss Militia. Our mysterious Middle Eastern cape was one of those, and was introduced to Miss Militia as Tiamat, 'Queen of the Dragons.'"

There was a pause as he munched on some of the snacks, followed by a drink of coffee. "You might laugh at some of my old hobbies, Puppy, but if that really was Tiamat, Queen and Goddess of the Chromatic Dragons, avatar of Greed and Avarice, guardian of the gates of Hell, those E88 mooks got off with a very light warning. Halbeard is half convinced that Naurelin's claims may actually be true."

"You are even more insane than usual tonight," Battery muttered.


- + [@] + -

Taylor once again found herself with visitors to her dreamscape; This time it was in a tent in the meadow outside her lair, in what appeared to be a classroom setting.

"OK, I've got to be going crazy, I'm dreaming about being in school," she said to herself,

"Yeah," came Naichi's voice, "I'd say we're both crazy." She had just landed outside, transformed into her human form, and took a seat next to Taylor. "Father should be along any minute."

As far as the teaching area went, it was comfortable. The tent provided some shade, yet the open sides allowed ample light in, along with a light breeze, There was a whiteboard present as well.

A brief gust of wind heralded Sonngrad's arrival. "We'll get started," he said, a notebook materializing out of the stuff dreams are made out of. "Tonight's lesson is about magic, dragons, and their powers."


- - - - - - - - - -

Again, Taylor noted the passage of time while Sonngrad lectured about how dragons differed from human magic users in general and in specifics. He had covered the different kinds of magic and the origins of each type, and what each type generally did.

"At the moment, Taylor," he said, taking a pause, "your powers are being granted to you by my Lord and his sister. Part of my job is to teach you how to develop your own arcane spells, instead of relying on their power all the time. You will probably find this both incredibly frustrating yet easy, because you have something to examine to see how it works, so you can fashion your own version.

"When it comes down to it, there are three essential points to keep in mind: First is intent – what do you intend to do with the magic? The second is concentration, focus your mind on what you intend, building up power in a controlled fashion. And finally, Execution, the release of your power to cause what you want to happen.

"It's obviously more involved that that," he finished up, "but that is the basics. Learning what the different kinds of magic feel like, and what each one does takes some practice… Taylor, what are you doing, and what are those?"

The best description of Taylor's expression was one of extreme constipation. There was a glowing pinpoint of light in front of her, and swarming around it were a half dozen little fractal things. The expression eased into one of relaxed concentration, and the little fractal things zipped around the tent, being chased by the little bit of light. She brought it to a stop in front of her. "I'm applying what I've been taught," she said quietly. "I looked at my power, my granted spell, that created light, and then duplicated what I normally sensed and felt while doing that. And this," she said, indicating the glowing bit, "is the result. I think those fractal bits are an expression of my para-whatever-I-am power, examining the effect. For some reason, I kept imagining them going 'Om nom nom nom nom...'"

"Most impressive," Sonngrad murmured.

"I do have a question, though," asked Taylor.

"And that is?"

"How do I make it stop?" was Taylor's somewhat embarrassed answer.

A little bit more instruction and the little ball of light flickered out.


- - - - - - - - - -

This time the dream did not last for days, it merely lasted for what seemed a couple of hours. Taylor looked at some of her smallest effects she could do, and did them on her own, duplicating the feel of her least powerful 'granted' powers.

"I do not need to tell you," Sonngrad admonished Taylor, "to be very careful in trying your more powerful effects in an enclosed space, like your house." At Taylor's nod, he continued. "It would be best if you spent some time at your lair doing that; There is a rocky gorge not far away from there, bare of life, and perfect for containing misfires.

"I do not need to tell you how badly your father would take it should his house suddenly explode, do I?"

"No," was Taylor's answer. "One of the things he's been worried about has been me changing forms in my sleep." She created an image of a very cartoonish gold dragon sleeping with the cartoonish ruins of her house over it like a blanket.

"Fortunately," explained Sonngrad, smiling, "that cannot happen. It takes a conscious act of will to change. As humorous as say, a mouse startling you and said mouse is suddenly facing a large dragon in the ruins of her clothes is, it is unlikely to happen." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Unlikely, but possible, and Naichi can attest."

There was a squawk of protest from Naichi.

"It was most amusing, watching a dragon run away from a mouse," he chuckled. "Shame it only happens once. The mouse, at that point, usually says 'I'm outta here!' at that point and leaves."

Naichi got a downright mischievous look on her face. "Perhaps I should regale Taylor with the story about the time Hlal hit you with a pie." At Taylor's confused look, she continued. "A dragon sized creme pie, air dropped. It was so funny, it was said, that Chronepsis almost showed emotion."

"And on this positive note," Sonngrad said with a grin, "My wayward daughter and I must take our leave. I would encourage you to experiment with your abilities, Taylor. We'll cover more of them in our next visit." With that, and a wave from Naichi, the dreamscape faded.


- + [@] + -

Thursday and Friday at school were typical end of the week days for high schoolers; homework over the weekend, arrangements made for social gatherings, some speculation about how fast Naurelin could eat a human sized Fugly Bob's Challenger, whether or not the new Ward was still around and the fact that there were no good movies playing in town.

There were no more dream visitations during the week, though Naichi did send Taylor a file containing the text of "How it happened that my father got a pie dropped on him by the trickster goddess of the Dragons..." She had started reading it during lunch on Friday. Even that small portion of the lurid tale had put a silly grin on Taylor's face for the rest of the day. When she continued reading it on the bus home, she had a hard time keeping her chuckling under control. By the time she finished reading it at home, she was shrieking in gales of laughter, especially at the categorical denial of events by Sonngrad, which had been attached to the end of the file, followed by a mysterious addendum of 'He deserved it.'

Even Danny had found it strange that Taylor was smiling and was in a mood so good it was unbreakable, and prone to giggling at random moments. "So, what has you in such a good mood?"

Taylor replied with a simple "This," and sent the file to his phone for him to read. Soon after dinner, Danny began reading, starting with a smile, than a couple of chuckles, and then finally laughing as the tale wound up.

"That was hilarious," Danny said around mirthful tears. "Whoever wrote that is a comedic genius."

"I'll be sure to tell Natalie," Taylor remarked. "I'll see you in the morning." With that, Taylor went up to her room to finish her homework and go to sleep for the night.
 
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Have an average length post, closer to deadline.

I recommend not drinking anything while reading, nor am I responsible for any damage done to your keyboard or monitor if you do.

Enjoy!
 
Have an average length post, closer to deadline.

I recommend not drinking anything while reading, nor am I responsible for any damage done to your keyboard or monitor if you do.

Enjoy!

This warning should have been before the chapter. Because this caused me to start choking due to eating a sandwich at the time of reading it.

It wasn't often something surprised Assault. His face had gone pale when he viewed the video. "Those fucking morons," he muttered darkly. "They have no idea who they tried to mug."

This, of course, confused Battery. "I'll tell you in a bit, Hon," he said, delaying the inevitable discussion.

"We'll investigate the parahuman side of things, but this looks like a pretty cut & dry case of assault and battery, probably race or ethnic violence as well," Battery told the two officers. "If you want, we'll stay here until the wagon comes to get them."
 
She had to suppress a chuckle at that, The truth, had they known it, was far worse than they could imagine.
Pretty sure that comma should be a period.
"You are even more insane than usual tonight," Battery muttered.
Hey, it ain't insane if it's true!
A brief gust of wind heralded Sonngrad's arrival. "We'll get started," he said, a notebook materializing out of the stuff dreams are made out of. "Tonight's lesson is about magic, dragons, and their powers."
Yes! Finally, Taylor gets to learn some magic!
I've not been this amused by nazis getting humiliated since I saw a fic that had Taylor bat Hookwolf across the city and through a line of porta potties.
Check out a story on SB called "How to Drill Your Way Through Your Problems". The SI who gains access to Spiral Power uses a Giga Drill Shoot to YEET Hookwolf all the way from a warehouse to outside Brockton Bay.

I'll give you a link to that one if you give me a link to the fic you're referencing.
 
I've not been this amused by nazis getting humiliated since I saw a fic that had Taylor bat Hookwolf across the city and through a line of porta potties.
Check out a story on SB called "How to Drill Your Way Through Your Problems". The SI who gains access to Spiral Power uses a Giga Drill Shoot to YEET Hookwolf all the way from a warehouse to outside Brockton Bay.

Might also want to read It Gets Worse.
 
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