Pictures: The Shadow Shard, and "other"

Mo and Dunk. I thinks she likes Dunk because he's about her height.

Void!


Ellianne Sylvanie, my archery/energy blaster. I wanted an archer when the powerset came out. I couldn't come up with a character that it fit, though, and tried a few different things before I made Elli. So, yeah, she's an elf. Sort of. I didn't put much thought or effort into her background, so it's pretty fuzzy. But, I like the powerset and the way she looks too much to delete her. At the moment. It still does entertain me when she puts the bow away for a second and punches something, and the "something" goes flying across the room.

Book-ends!

Mo in a Tesla cage. More amusing, Will in the Chameleon Suit.

I'll bet Frostfire uses these guys. He probably just runs a tab.

The Newbies: Hex Raven, my dark/dark scrapper; and Derick Darklight, Vagz's resurrected Warshade. She has serious accuracy problems, and she's developing an endurance problem. Fun, huh? They're only level 8, so her survival isn't guaranteed.

How about that for detail? It's real money! Except, the numbers are backwards.

I've developed a love/hate relationship with the Shadow Shard. I heard it was a good place to hunt for arcane salvage. I've had just a little bit of free time, so I thought I'd give it a shot. After about 2 hours of somewhat intermittent play, I'd made about 3.3 million influence and Fyre had hit the debt cap (550k at level 50, in case you don't have a blaster or haven't done Rikti ship raids). I did it again a day later with almost identical results. Whether it's worthwhile or not might be debatable, but the trip to the Shadow Shard might be worth it just for the scenery. Above is the Chantry.

Wisps, up close and personal. I don't recommend getting this close.

Fyre, outside the Storm Palace. The purple-y poofy things are Storm Elementals. Again, I don't recommend getting close.

The Storm Palace

The sky outside the Storm Palace. My new desktop wall paper.

Visiting

(This occurs during the current in-game timeline, but is delayed by one day, because I was distracted yesterday.)

Going to the hospital is a game I hate to play


Of course, it's not a game. It makes it easier to think of it that way sometimes, though. A game with rules and goals. It gives me something else to focus on.


Stay out of the way, that's the first rule. It starts in the parking lot. People are distracted and parking is at a premium. You can't assume the cars and the drivers are doing anything logical, so it's best to just stay out of the way. Walking into the hospital is next. Stay out of the way. Doctors and nurses have important things to do. Gurneys and hospital beds and wheelchairs go up and down the halls. Don't make them dodge you.



Don't meet anyone's eyes. You can see the ones who know the rules, they do the same. No one wants to see the joy a new family member in the world brings when they're fearing for life of a loved one, or the other way around. Guilt or envy don't add anything positive.



No one likes hospitals, but most people don't have the reaction I do. I hope. I can feel the panic start in before I ever get inside the building. Inside, the walls press in with the first whiff of the recycled filtered air. Sometimes I have to stop and force my breathing, my heart rate to slow. Sometimes I have to stop and sit down a couple of minutes while I adjust. A few times I've had to go back outside and start again. Twice, I've gone outside and not come back in. In the beginning, I had so many other concerns, so many other fears, there was no room for this one. Now, it seems instead of getting better as I get used to being here, it's only getting worse.



As I walk down the hall now, I feel my chest getting tight, breathing becoming more difficult as if the air were being pulled away. I slow my steps and convince myself that I am calm and safe. Vagz has said that he can't watch what goes on in the hospital. I hope he hasn't seen my weaknesses. The thought of being watched adds strength. I continue with more confident steps.



The elevator is the first big milestone. The lower floor will be quieter, with few visitors and familiar doctors and attendants. Still, it's harder to leave from here, and almost feels darker, more closed in. The path is familiar, and I reach my destination with nothing much other than the echo of the sound of my boots on the floor. Today, none of the doctors stop to talk to me.


I pause outside the door. In the beginning, I was told that coma patients may possibly be aware of their surroundings. Talk to him, the doctors said. Maybe he can hear you. I didn't really believe it. Now, though, I've had cause to rethink that, and I do believe it. I've heard it from sources that I think would know. And after that night in Pocket D... Well, I try not to think about that, or talk about it. The only other person who might understand at all would be Mason. And I can't talk to Mason. I can't even look at Mason without thinking about what he was willing to do to a little girl, to me, to E.

I stop again and clear my thoughts. I don't want to bring the panic the hospital causes, or anger, into the room. After yet another deep breath, imagining I'm breathing in fresh air instead of filtered hospital air, I open the door and step into the room.

Nothing has changed. Not that I expected it would have. The machines beep quietly, lights blink dully. My chair is still beside the bed. Even now, there's a part of me that flinches when I look at Jason: pale, scarred, still. I cross the room in few steps and take my seat, automatically reaching through the bed rail for his hand that may not have moved since I moved it last.

He's room temperature. I expect his hand to be cold, as still as he is, but it's not. Nor is it warm. The past few months have taught me more about my powers and controlling them than all the lessons that MAGI and Hero Corps agents tried to instill in me. I can control my own temperature better than I have been able to for years, but I'm still shocked when I touch someone and they don't feel like ice to me. The shock is more here.

I smile at him though I don't expect him to see. "Hi," I say. "I just got back in late last night. Very late. I haven't even unpacked yet. I went straight to bed, and then got up this morning and came to see you." I give a self-depreciating smile, knowing that he knows me well enough that he recognizes that I wouldn't have bothered to unpack, anyway.

"It was good, really," I talk a bit too quickly, and I know I ramble. It's difficult to continue speaking without getting a response, though I can usually imagine what the response would be. Some things, too, are easier to talk about than others. Sometimes I read parts of the newspaper to him, and I can talk about that all day. Other things are not so easy.

"Jen's doing great. I swear, she's taller just since I saw her last. She went shopping for school clothes with Betty a couple of weeks ago and they bought so much partly because Jen outgrew everything. Jen wanted me to take her but... I just couldn't get away. Maybe I'll be able to make it up her soon." I pause, knowing how unlikely that is.

"I was a little worried at first, she really seemed to dislike Wi--" I stop again. "I didn't tell you Will was going, did I? It was sort of... sudden. The whole trip was, really," I add quickly. "It's probably better not to plan things out right now, I guess. But, he went, too."

I stop. Briefly, I wonder if this would be easier if Jason was awake, and quickly decide it wouldn't be. "It was a little iffy at first, but he won her over. He got the kids organized in some kind of game... I'm not sure what it was. They started off quiet, and then they were all chasing each other around and yelling and laughing like hyenas. Including Will. He was good with all of them, but he really went out of his way for Jen. I think she really liked him. You'd like him, too, I think." I pause. "Well, maybe not. But if... circumstances were different, maybe." I stop again and feel myself smile. "He let Jen 'teach' him how to ride a horse. I think that's really what sealed it. She's crazy about that horse, you know. Did I tell you what she named it? Lightening. Your kid is not creative, Jason. But she's getting good at riding. She makes me a little nervous, because she is still so small, but... maybe I'm just being over-protective? I think that Will thinks I am, but he won't come right out and say it. Though, he did remind me that I can't seal her in lucite." I catch myself laughing. "Don't worry, the thought hadn't actually crossed my mind."

I hear myself sigh. "She is doing good, honestly. After everything, she's adjusted so well, it amazes me. I guess kids are like that, though. But she misses you. She hasn't actually been with you for so long, but don't think that she's forgotten, or that she doesn't need you." I smile a bit. "She wants you to go live at the ranch with her. She's got it all planned out, you know. Honestly? It would probably work just fine. Except, as Jen has pointed out, you'll need to learn to ride a horse. You'll have to, you know, get out of bed to do that, okay?" I squeeze his hand a little and try to sound hopeful.

"You know, really, anytime you feel like getting up would be good. Not... not like that night in Pocket D..." I trail off, not wanting to remind either of us of that. "The doctors are trying, I'm..." I stop again. "I don't know what I'm doing," I admit. "I thought I was helping, but now I don't know." I laugh, but the sound isn't happy and it hurts my throat. "You can't trust a demon, right? It promised me, though, and I was sure... You would be dead without it. I do know that for sure. Your doctors have confirmed that much. Maybe... it can't actually heal you. Or maybe I'm not doing enough for it. I'm trying, though, I swear. I just... I can't be what it really wants me to be. I tried, but I can't. I hated it, I hate all of it so much. I think maybe... if it wasn't for Will, I would have already been the evil thing the demon wants. Maybe that would have been better. Maybe you'd be well, then. Maybe I wouldn't care anymore."

I have to stop. The pictures in my head hurt. Maybe because I can see them so easily, almost smell the burning. I hurriedly open my eyes and check for real fire, but the only thing remarkable is few teardrops I hadn't felt fall. I wipe my eyes with my free hand and take a breath.

"I don't know how much longer I can do it," I say in a whisper. My throat feels raw, as if I'd been screaming instead of simply talking. I clear my throat and try to smile. "So, if you could, you know, wake up, that'd be really good."

The tone of the beeping on one of the machines changes. I jump and drop Jason's hand as if I'd been shocked. The door opens and one of the nurses comes in, greeting me with an apologetic and wary smile. She swaps out the near empty saline bag hooked to Jason's IV with a full one. She presses a button and the beeping returns to normal. I settle back into my chair as she leaves and take Jason's hand again.

"Sorry," I say with a smile he can't see. "Guess I'm a little edgy."

I sit for awhile longer, telling him about the horseback rides we went on with Jen, and how she talked about school and her classmates. Seemingly out of nowhere, I notice how close the walls feel, how sparse the air seems. I know if I stay much longer, the panic will press in until I can't ignore it.

I force myself to stay longer than I should, until I lose track of what I'm saying and the trapped feeling is overwhelming. I say goodbye more quickly than I'd like, my shallow breathing making it difficult to speak. I give him a quick, light kiss and promise to come back soon, and try not to run from the room. I see one of the doctors in the hall, heading my way, obviously meaning to speak to me, but I just nod and continue walking quickly past him. If he says anything, I don't hear. The elevator is almost unbearable. It seems like an eternity before the doors open again and let me out. Before I know it, I'm in the parking lot again, but the fresh air and the open space isn't enough, and the fight-or-flight panic response doesn't ease. I feel as though people are staring at me, and I check to make sure nothing is burning. I know I need to get somewhere where I can't hurt anyone, or anything, and hopefully not myself.

I can think of only one place, and head for Peregrine Island and my next destination.

Pictures

Penitency in Faultline, being ever so helpful by posing.

Team...um... Ice. Crystal Hail, Sleety Bob, and Sleetsquall, and hiding behind him is Beepo, or Beppy, or something. Rosie was off gathering CoT to drag back to us.

I don't know what the bright swirly thing is. It "appears" occasionally by the door of Oranbega maps. There's a loud wind noise that accompanies it. But not everyone can see it. It came up for me, but not for Will's player. So, Fyre saw it, but Will didn't. That started an argument. Will didn't believe Fyre that it was there. Until he zoned back from the hospital, and it was.


Hero Will and Pen battling a Hydra tentacle. The tentacle did, by the way, jump over the railing and hang in mid-air for a minute, making it all that much more creepy.




What Mo really looks like. Her punk rock look is a glamour, which Serge broke. Probably because he thought she was more aesthetically pleasing like this. She is not happy. She *is* a fairy. And now she looks like Tinkerbell.

A CoT Behemoth roaring. That's it.

The death picture! Also, upside down behemoth.

Fyre and Vagz had a very long conversation/argument the night before this. Vagz probably should have given her more time to cool off before suggesting they work together.

Another death picture! It was a pretty boring Family mission, red-side, and THEN Nemesis showed up. That'll wake you up.

Will and Fyre talking in Pocket D. And, also, Sam in the background, who never shuts up.

Numbers

I have a bunch of numbers in front of me. This is bad. I don't like numbers. I'm dyslexic. I couldn't make a 9 in the right direction until I was 13 years old. (Numbers were much worse than letters. I don't know why. They just were.) My feelings about numbers never changed though I did learn to work with them. I don't like them, they don't like me.

I haven't done any in depth working with set bonuses, like working out if a set or a straight IO would bring a better percentage, say, of accuracy. On Fyre Hex, the level 50 blaster, I have, however, gone in for some of the bigger set bonuses. So, though I won't go into the entire math process (No, I don't even want to see it, thanks), I have gotten to the point that I need to keep track of those bonuses. You can only have the same bonus 5 times, and then it won't count anymore. The set pieces I've chosen are NOT cheap, so I don't want that to happen.

This is what Fyre has:

Positron's Blast
+2.5% recovery
+1.58% fire and cold resistance
+9% Accuracy (in all powers)
-6.25% recharge time (in all powers)
+3.13% toxic resistance

Devastation (1)
+12% regeneration
+2.25% maximum health

Devastation (2)
+12% regeneration
+2.25% maximum health
+3% damage (in all powers)
-3.3% duration of hold time

Sting of the Manticore
+12% regeneration
+.95% energy and negative defense
+3% damage (in all powers)
+7.5 recharge (of all powers)
+3.13% toxic resistance

Scirrocco's Dervish
+10% regeneration
+3.15% negative energy resistance
+9% accuracy (to all powers)

Ghost Widow's Embrace
+5% run speed
+1.88% maximum health
+2.25% maximum endurance
+2.5% hold duration
+3.13% psi resistance

Ugh... so, that's:
18% to accuracy
46% to regeneration
6.38% to maximum health
13.75% recharge time
6% to damage
6.25% toxic resistance

...that's a lot of regen.

And, yes, I know that that programs like Mid's Hero Planner will let me plan out the set bonuses. I don't want to. The accuracy bonus is good. The regen bonus is good. The health boost is good. I also have the "chance to hold" in the more complete Devastation set. That's good. I wouldn't mind trying to boost the damage more and maybe adding some more +res. BUT. If I wanted math, I would have shown up to my college Algebra class more than three times in a semester, or I'd go play Sudoku or something.

This is good enough for me.

The List

I put this off long enough.
(edit: I skipped an entire server)

Virtue
Blaze Noir-- level 50-- dark/dark defender
Cassandra Noir-- level 47-- ma/inv scrapper
Skylar Blaze-- Level 27-- Peacebringer
Angel Noir-- level 41-- fire/thermal corruptor
Scarlette Blade-- level 36-- katana/regen scrapper
Lorelei Laughlin-- level 32-- ill/rad controller
Fyre Hex-- level 50-- fire/fire blaster
Ellianne Sylvanie-- level 23-- archery/energy blaster
Obsydian Fyre-- level 43-- Warshade (to be transfered or deleted)
Kat Astrophe-- level 20-- claws/SR scrapper
Fyre-Hex-- level 35-- fire/fire dom
Maurelle Ferrishyn-- level 17-- emp/sonic defender

Pinnacle
Aurora Blaze-- level 6-- archery/fire blaster
Tess Frost-- level 2-- ice/ice blaster
Bianca Sylvanie-- level 4-- trick arrow/archer defender
Kat Noir-- level 8-- something/something scrapper
Eve Frost-- level 2-- ice/something dom
Kat Astrophe-- level 5-- claws/regen scrapper
SYN-13-- level 5-- something/something defender
Samantha Noir-- level 7-- bots/FF mastermind

Liberty
Arianna Blaze-- level 2-- emp/something defender

Triumph
Jessica Arcana-- level 7-- dark/dark scrapper
Ward Arcana-- level 8-- BS/dark scrapper
Evan Caine-- level 9-- AR/dev blaster
Crystal Hail-- level 8-- ice/storm controller

Justice
Desdemona Noir-- level 2-- something/something controller

Infinity
Aurora Noir-- level 1-- something/something controller
Lady Darkfrost-- level 1-- ice/dark corruptor
Samantha Noir-- level 6-- bots/FF mastermind
Kat Astrophe-- level 6-- claws/dark scrapper

Freedom
Skylar Blue-- level 5-- storm/electric defender (the first character I ever made)
Aurora Noir-- level 10-- dark/dark scrapper
Scarlette Blade-- level 6-- BS/regen scrapper
Roxi Toxic-- level 12-- rad/rad defender
Drucilla Drake-- level 17-- kin/energy defender
Ember Shadow-- level 2-- something/something controller (playing with the costume creator)
Kat Noir-- level 4-- claws/dark scrapper
Crystal Noir-- level 4-- earth/kin controller
Angelique Blaze-- level 2-- Peacebringer (playing with wings)
Kat Astrophe-- level 2-- claws/something scrapper
Eva Leandros-- level 6-- emp/dark defender
Eva Blaze-- level 5-- fire/SS tank

Guardian
Lady Darkfrost-- level 10-- ice/dark corruptor
Syn Noir-- level 10-- AR/traps corruptor
Sirena Noir-- level 6-- sonic/sonic corruptor
Lily Noir-- level 19-- plant/thorn dominator
Blaze Noire-- level 9-- fire/fire brute
Aurora Skye-- level 12-- Peacebringer
Kat Noir-- level 12-- katana/dark stalker
Ember Shadow-- level 7-- dark/fire brute
Sybil Noir-- level 14-- thugs/FF mastermind
Bast Noir-- level 8-- something/something brute (playing with animal pieces in the costume creator)
Lunatrix-- level 27-- mind/psi dom
Dominque De LaCroix-- level 8-- necro/dark mastermind

Victory
Blaze Scarlette-- level 5-- fire/fire blaster
Cassandra Noir-- level 5-- something/something scrapper
Tess Frost-- level 9-- ice/ice blaster
Ananda Noir-- level 2-- mind/psi dom
Kitty Boom-- level 5-- inc/SS tank
Drucilla Drake-- level 1-- kin/something def
Eve Noir-- level 7-- energy/energy blaster
Fyre Hex-- level 4-- fire/fire dom

This is, of course, all subject to change. Like, maybe in the next five minutes.

The 80s, Fairies, and Emps

I have no pictures from the weekend. How did that happen? I played a lot, too. I meant to get pictures from the Icey 80's team, but somehow I didn't, and I guess there wasn't much else picture-worthy.

Sunday was fun.... But. I'll admit to being pretty out of it most of the time. Fyre and Will kept me up until 5am Saturday night. No, that's not an exaggeration. Saturday night turned into a marathon RP session. Fyre and Will each reveled more of their deep, dark pasts. Of course, Fyre didn't do so easily, though she did end up saying more than she has before.

So by the time Sunday rolled around, I'd had less than 5 hours of sleep, and I was a bit sick and distracted. Luckily, I'd already chosen a name and powersets, though I did have to redo her costume.... and then I had to redo the character again because I typoed "Crystal" like I just did now, too, as "Cyrstal." "Crystal" and "Hail" both came up as synonyms for "ice." She was almost "Crystal Gale," but I just couldn't do that to myself or her. I chose "mutant" as her origin, though I did get a bit stuck there. I haven't written her bio yet, but I picture her as very different before the groups "accident." She said she was an education major who was going to be an English teacher. I imagine her as very quiet and introverted before the accident. Her roommate made her go along on the trip, and she probably didn't know the others well. The accident caused her mutant abilities to come out, and changed her physical appearance (hence, blue hair, because everyone knows that weird colored hair means you're a mutant). The new abilities gave her new confidence, but she'll lapse back into the quiet, timid girl she was occasionally (which gives a good excuse to my distraction this past Sunday).

I'm happy with her "80's" outfit. Fingerless gloves, and I'm pretty sure I saw the rest of the outfit in at least two videos and a Madonna movie. Hi-Pressure (forgive me if I'm confusing the name) had leg-warmers They call them "baggy socks," or something silly in the costume creator, but they're obviously leg-warmers. They were perfect. Sleetsquall's costume was absolutely 80s. I mean, wow. Really.

Maurelle Ferrishyn, my punk rock empath fairy... er, fae is 17. I can keep Fortitude up on 2 people 90% of the time, as long as I remember who I hit last. Yes, I have more than occasionally set Healing Aura on auto. That way, I can concentrate on Clear Mind, Heal Other, and Fortitude, and maybe even throw an attack in once in awhile. Due to endurance issues, that last is unlikely. As long as I am still doing something, though, and not just "auto-heal-aura-follow," I feel okay with it. Emping is hard work, though. Mo will be quiet during missions, because I can't type between attacks. If there are 3 or more other people (approximately, and depending on the complexity of the mission) I don't look at the mission. I have no idea where I am. I hardly know what we're fighting. All I'm doing is staring at health bars and buff bars in the team window. I'm a multi-tasker. Running any other character, I'm monitoring the Help channel, talking on the phone, sending tells, reading a book, talking to someone else in the house, petting the dog, something. With the emp, I'm emp'ing. That's it. And, yeah, I feel guilty if someone dies. I may be putting too much pressure on myself, or that may be what it takes to be a good emp.

Lorelei got her Phantasm. But just barely. And I played her on a big, chaotic team both times I ran her after she got it, so I haven't had time to see how well, or how badly, it's doing. Sometime this week I'll run her solo to see how well it works.

Off-Topic: September 11

This has nothing to do with any aspect of the game. It started as an addendum to the last post, but it's so far off topic, it needs it's own entry.

Today is the sixth anniversary of September 11.

I remember as a kid, my mom and her sisters and friends talking about JFK's assassination and "where were you when?" They all remembered where they were when they heard, what they were doing. They'd tell you about it. I heard the stories time and again, but I never understood how they could remember, or why they felt the need to talk about it, still.

I slept through the early morning attacks. I hadn't mastered the art of paying bills on time at the new apartment, and my phone got shut off that morning, though I wasn't aware of it. I woke up to the sound of someone pounding on my door. It was about an hour after the first plane went into the World Trade Center, and my mother was in a panic because she couldn't get in touch with me. By this time, a third plane had gone missing, and there were rumors of a fourth. That third plane crashed about 60 miles from my hometown, in a field in a town no one had ever heard of called Shanksville. Instead of explaining to me what was happening, my mother turned on my television. For about ten minutes, while I tried to wake up and assimilate what had and was happening, I was certain it was the end of the world. I remember the incredible silence of that day. People weren't out. The ones that were spoke in whispers. People cried in public. The next few days were the same. The only planes or helicopters you heard were military. That's one of the things that will always stand out to me. The quiet.

2,974 deaths are attributed to September 11, currently. That includes the firefighters who were first dispatched to the World Trade Towers, and one woman who worked blocks away from the towers, but died from cancer caused by inhaling dust and debris that day. That doesn't count the hijackers. They're not added to most death tolls. 40 people died in the crash of Flight 93. It's been said that plane was headed to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. or one of several other targets in D.C. It flew directly over my parents' house, my apartment. Countless other homes, schools, populated areas. It crashed in a field in a town with one stop-light, at the edge of a line of trees. There's an auto junkyard nearby, a few scattered houses a little further off. If you go there now, one of the first things you notice about the place, is the quiet.

(Edit: Note: These are my own photos from the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, PA, from about a year ago. The memorial has changed since, and in fact, the mementos left by visitors change often. When the fence on which they hang gets full, each item is catalogued and preserved for a more permanant memorial.)

Pictures, and Updates

I like this picture. But illustrates something that irritates me, a bit. The temporary power auras. I suppose the endurance boost, here, is worth it, but... it says it lasts three days of game play. I swear, it's been there a month.

My goth fairy come out a little more punk than goth, but close enough. Maurelle Ferrishyn. Maurelle means "dark and elfin." Ferrishyn is a clan of fairies from the Isle of Man, who have no queen or king. Anarchist fairies? Perfect. Call her "Mo," and not "fairy." She's been around humans enough to know what to expect, more or less, but not enough to, say, know immediately what a television program is. She's fascinated by Penetincy, and especially Dunk. She likes Will, now, because his ancestors were Welsh, and he has a healthy respect of the fae, thanks to what his grandmother told him about them.

The death picture! Poor Mo.

Scarlette was able to get this mission from her contact, and she and Jack Royale tackled it. I love this mission. Here, Scarlette weed-whacking. Below, one of the more scenic parts of the mission

Part of on of the RWZ missions that Fyre and Will did. I still love the maps.

Villain Fyre and Will hit 35 last week. They decided to let Fyre play tour-guide in the RWZ, from the hero side. Fyre makes much better back-up as a hero. Actually, Will and the guys could sit in the corner and play cards while Fyre took care of the Rikti. Will's not very comfortable in the zone, though, so that seems to comfort him.

Fyre can be very understanding and generous when she has cause. She's very loyal to her friends, and protective of them, as well. In some cases, like with Mason, that can get her in trouble. She doesn't expect to be stabbed in the back for it, as almost literally in Mason's case, but neither does she expect those motivations or actions to be returned, as in Will's case. She's being kind and trying to help Will because she thinks he deserves it, not because she expects him to help her in a similar situation or because she wants anything else from him. She would, however, never expect the same treatment from anyone else. Experience has shown her to expect the very opposite.

Will and Fyre had started talking Fyre's mother and her ex-fiance in Pocket D last night before Mason and Keen Stronghold showed up. Fyre probably didn't want to have to tell the story, anyway, so she may have been almost grateful for the interruption. Fyre and Will have been hanging out after "work" on occasion, either at the Giza or at Pocket D. In a strictly platonic "co-workers" fashion. If Fyre knew Mason still assumed that she was "cheating" on E with Will, she'd laugh. Will's boys have made comments here and there about what Will feels about Fyre, but it's been vague and far between enough that, coupled with Will's mentions of his dead wife, that Fyre hasn't given it a second thought. Or at least not a third.

Speaking of the dead wife, Will asked Fyre to go with him to Baumton, better knowns as Boomtown. He hadn't been back since it was destroyed when the Rikti first attacked five years ago. (Yes, the initial Rikti attacks actually occurred in 2002, according to the offical timeline. The Rikti Invasion at the end of the CoH beta was a game-mechanic event, not a "canon" event.) I've been through Boomtown dozens of times, with a gamer-view. Looking at it with an RP-view, with Will's story as a guide, it "looks" a lot different. For once, I turned the music off, while Fyre and I followed Will through the destruction of his home, where his family, friends, and practically everyone he knew died. It was a different perspective, to say the least.

Fyre's List

I've been meaning to do this for a couple of weeks. And then we were talking about music yesterday in the game. I woke up this morning thinking about it, so I'm finally going to post it.
This is Fyre's current playlist. Well, current-ish, because I started it weeks ago, and added just a little over time. Some of the "reasoning" behind the picks doesn't exist anymore, but the songs stayed. I won't post the entire list; it's gotten rather long. But you can safely assume there is no soft rock, oldies, new age, jazz, or folk music.

Live and Let Die-- Guns and Roses
Yep, it's a cover. From somewhere around 1989. But it's pretty much the song the whole play list was based around. "But this ever changing world in which we live, makes you give in and cry, 'live and let die.'" I think it works pretty well for a hero gone bad. (Or has she?!)

Fine Again-- Seether
A little slower than the pace of a lot of the other songs, but it still fits.

Somebody Save Me-- Cinderella
It doesn't really fit. And it's 1980's hair metal. The pacing's good, though.

This Fire-- Franz Ferdinand
Hello, "fire?" Do I need to explain it?

Why Don't You Come Over-- Garbage
Okay, Garbage is possibly my favorite band, ever. Top 5, at least. I have a lot on all my playlists, game and regular. Still, it applies: "You were baking biscuits, while I was bending the law; sacrificing something, as you counted all my flaws."

Body Snatcher-- Billy Idol
This is off his 2005 album (Yes, there was a new Billy Idol album then. Really). Loud, and a little creepy. "The dark side gets its way."

Never Will I Break-- 3 Doors Down
Lots of electric guitars and drums. I could listen to this stuff all day. "At least a million times I've fallen, but never will I break."

Metal Heart-- Garbage
See? Another Garbage song. Good beat, good lyrics. "I wish was as big as you, you'd have to tell the truth. I'd be nothing you could hurt, nothing you could use."

I'm Not Okay-- My Chemical Romance
Almost too "emo" but it works. It's loud, obnoxious emo, as opposed to whiny emo. "For the last time, take a good hard look. I'm not okay," and then later, he screams "I'm telling you the truth, I mean this, I'm okay. Trust me." I like the contrariness.

I Didn't Like You Anyway-- The Donnas
It doesn't really apply. I like the song, though, and the beat.

Thoughtless-- Evanescence
It's a cover of a song by Korn that I've never heard. And I have a terrible copy, a bootleg recording of a live show. It's fuzzy, and half the time I skip it because the fuzz makes my head hurt. "You can try to tell me no, beat me to the ground. I will see you screaming."

Heaven's a Lie-- Lacuna Coil
A little quieter. "Set me free, your heaven's a lie."

Firestarter-- Prodigy
Chosen not for lyrics, though other characters may think they apply now that I think of it, but just for the title and the beat.

Breathe-- Prodigy
The best Prodigy song made, though it got less attention than, say, "Smack My Bitch Up." Here, mostly for pacing. Really nice for tearing through Longbow.

Let's Go (Crazy Train Remix)-- Trick Daddy, Little Jon, etc.
One of the very few rap songs I even own. It samples Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train, though. I don't recommend it unless you like rap or have a fondness for songs that contain the f-word. I'm just amused at the rapping with Ozzy doing the sound effects in the background.

The Wreckoning-- Boomkat
The lyrics and the beat. Maybe a little too "pop-y." But she swears, and you can't swear in pop songs, right? "I came, I saw, I kicked some ass. The pain I caused, it makes me laugh."

Getting Away with Murder-- Papa Roach
This should have been villain-Mason's theme song. Really. I'd have to post the complete lyrics if I even started. But, you know, it IS a rock song, so it's not like there are many lyrics.

Celebrity Skin-- Hole
"I'm all I wanna be, a walking study in Demonology." Okay, it's the only thing that even vaguely applies. I just like the song.

You Know I'm No Good-- Amy Winehouse
Doesn't apply, except maybe for some vague metaphor with the title. And the pacing doesn't mesh well, either. I just threw it in there for a break, mostly.

Next Contestant-- Nickelback
I love the pacing of the song. Lyrically, it doesn't apply. It's a song about a guy who wants to beat up everyone who comes onto his girlfriend. Nickeback, though, is my FoTM. The song Animals is on the list, too.

Guilty in Here-- Miranda Lambert
Yeah, it's country. I really like Miranda Lambert, though. If you crossed Joan Jett, Brittany Spears, and Lynyrd Skynard, you'd get Miranda Lambert. I love the lyrics to this song, but none of them apply. "Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?" I also have Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Gunpowder & Lead by her on the list, too.


Crashed-- Daughtry
Good song, good lyrics. A little slower than some of the other songs, but it fits. "Where we're headin', there's just no knowin'"


All That I'm Living For-- Evanescence
There are other Evanescence songs on the list, but this one applies the best, lyrically. This could be Fyre's theme song.

All that I'm living for

All that I'm dying for

All that I can't ignore alone at night

All that I'm wanted for

Although I wanted more

Lock the last open door

My ghosts are gaining on me

Never Again-- Kelly Clarkson

The song's about the singer's ex who did her wrong, but I think it sums up Fyre's general attitude about a few people pretty well. "I would never wish bad things, but I don't wish you well."

Highway to Hell-- Marilyn Manson

Bodies-- Drowning Pool

The Hand The Feeds-- Nine Inch Nails

My Way or the Highway-- Limp Bizkit

Guerilla Radio-- Rage Against the Machine

Just good ripping through enemies, fighting music

Tourniquet-- Rasputina

Quiet, a little evil, kind of creepy. Most of the lyrics don't apply, but I like it anyway.

Take your hatred out on me

Make me your victim, your next

You never ever believed in me

Secret Agent Man-- Devo

Will's song, sort of? Nah, not really. Just a break from some of the other stuff.

Girl On Fire (Renholder's Apocalypse Mix)-- Rob Zombie

On every playlist that Fyre's associated with.

Nothin' Better to Do-- LeeAnn Rimes

Yeah, it's country. But it's upbeat and tells a fun little story. Another song that's mostly a break from the louder stuff.

I Just Wanna Live-- Good Charlotte

Doesn't apply AT ALL. It's another break song. And the lyrics crack me up.

I rock a

Lawsuit

when I’m going to court

A white suit

when I’m gettin’ divorced

A black suit

at the funeral home

And my birthday suit

when I’m home alone

Save Yourself-- Stabbing Westward

A good song for an "ex-hero," even just for the title alone. The pacing makes it suitable for fighting, and the lyrics fit.

I know that you've been damaged

You soul has suffered such abuse

But I am not your savior

I am just as fucked as you

I cannot save you

I can't even save myself

So just save yourself

I won't be posting the songs I substituted for the regular boombox songs. Mostly, because I don't remember what I used. I have quite a bit of music, so it was pretty random. Yes, I did throw Gettin' Jiggy wit' It, by Will Smith on there. It looks absolutely perfect when a character boomboxes to that song. I highly recommend grabbing the CoH Splasher program, even if just for this purpose. Especially if you PuG. When some obnoxious little guy in Atlas busts out his boombox while the team is gathering for a mission, you won't mind in the least.

Cass and Fyre. And Lorelei.

So what have I been doing with all this free gaming time? Besides PuG Statesman TFs. And PuG Terra Volta trials. That one did go a little better than the STF. I took Scarlette on it, for one thing, and it's pretty tough for her to die. She's /regen, and as sickeningly over-powered as any other regen scrapper in the game. Maybe slightly less because I refused to make her uber by not taking the fitness pools.

Cass, on the other hand, is MA/Inv. Invulnerable kinda sucks. Maybe I get that opinion because the performance I have to compare it to is her duo partner, Vagabond Blade, who is BS/Regen. Invulnerable has a power called Invincible that has a taunt aura. With it on, Cass can jump into a group of grays, something ten levels lower, and they'll immediately start attacking her. Running into a group in a mission, the mobs will attack Cass, and all but ignore Vagz, who's hacking away at them. Cass's health will drop to yellow, Vagz's barely moves. Is it the powersets, or the fact that Cass is getting hit more? Probably both. Although, clicking Unstoppable, and Cass can scrap and tank almost anything. For two and a half minutes, then there's a hard crash that drops health and endurance to as red as it can get. I'm cautious with the timing, so I haven't run into many problems with it. Although, being cautious, I don't use it very often. Usually, if it looks like she's going to die, or if we grab more than I think we can handle. I'd like to get more familiar with it, so I can use it a little more often. She got 47 the other day, and I took Hasten, so Unstoppable will be available more often. That wasn't the reason, but it is a result. We'll see if I take advantage of it.

Character-wise, she can be hard to play. She's not a nice person. She's not especially mean, either. She doesn't believe in social pleasantries, or small talk. She doesn't understand them. She tells it how it is, and she doesn't care if you like it or not. As far as missions go, she doesn't care for the reason behind it. She has a job to do, and she'll do it. These days, it's for Hero Corps, and she might feel better about that than when it was for Crey or the Circle of Thorns, as she alluded to with Vagz and Penitency the other day, or she may not. She talked to Pen a bit about the situation the other day, and I'm certain that's most words she's ever strung together. For Cass, she must feel strongly about it.

Fyre, on the other hand, probably talks too much for her own good. Because of her distrustful nature, a lot of that is small talk, or at least no personal revelations. She and Will do a lot of talking like that, or even "talking about nothing." They both have things they don't want to talk about, maybe even don't want to think about. Fyre is even more close-mouthed than he is, and that seems to puzzle him. She tends to let some things out in tiny, unrelated pieces. Occasionally, though, the dam bursts and it all comes out at once. Due to a version of one of those bursts, Will now knows why she's in the Isles. Sort of. He doesn't know exactly who sent her there, but I wouldn't be too surprised if he figured that part out on his own, or at least suspects it.

She can also be tactless. She likes to try to understand things and people, probably so they don't hold any nasty surprises for her, so she'll ask questions until she figures things out. Will's reaction to Isabel the Knife confused Fyre. Isabel is a madam (or a brothel owner, or however exactly they describe it in the game), who made Will very, very nervous. Will was a cop, and he's been a mercenary for several years. Surely he's run into hookers before? And people much more intimidating than a madam. Fyre let it go at first because she didn't want to embarrass Will in front of Ges. When the subject came up again, Fyre pestered Will until he revealed that even thinking about "that" made him think about his dead wife. Oh. So, now Fyre's pretty much afraid to talk to Will. Lately, after their most recent talks, she'd figured they were at least becoming friends, but now she's concerned that she'll say something stupid again, so she's practically afraid to be in his presence at all.

Lorelei is about half a level from 32 and her Phantasm. I made Lorelei a long time ago. She was meant to be a partner to E's warshade, Derick Darklight, who recently was deleted. (RIP Derick). That duo got shoved to the side in favor of the original Fyre and E, and I thought the ill/rad powerset was meh, and I couldn't stand playing damage-less controllers. Then I watched ill/rad E2 rip through groups while Fyre and Mason watched, and later pwn PB Mason in the arena. Let's say it resparked my interest. Even the past couple of levels, I've seen the change. She solos on rugged. It's slow, but nothing ever touches her. Of course, once she has her Phantasm, I'll probably get bored with it again, because there's not too much else to strive for. Maybe Fallout and Teleport. We'll see, I guess.