Moiread

:: cries and cries and cries ::

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I'd like to echo remarks from others that it is rude to be doing this on the same weekend as the San Diego Comic Con. The con is thursday to sunday and leaves no time for the event. Maybe those who go to the con should find the ncsoft booth and let them know.

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Being rude to a marginal-at-best percentage of the playerbase is something I think they'll be able to live with. Sorry.

"What the hell are those!?" Talon exclaimed, a note of panic in his voice as he spun the wheel to avoid the group of creatures.

"Demons," Rylie replied softly. She blinked rapidly, increasing the magnification of her focal implants to get a better look. Her breath caught as their faces came into sharp detail.

"Think we can outrun them, Ryles?" In the rearview mirror, the demons were keeping pace with the four-by, maybe even gaining a little.

She shook her head and deactivated the focals. "I very much doubt that. But we might be able to distract them, depending on how inteligent they are." She paused, cursing herself again for her lack of knowledge. "They look like Oni. Maybe they really are. I don't know."

"Oni?"

"Harbingers of calamity. They're somewhat akin to the devils of your western religions."

"Not my religion...What do we do about them?"

Rylie's expression was grim. "I think we're going to have to kill them...Or at least maim them enough to give us time to get away. I don't know if they can be killed..."

Talon cursed impressively under his breath. "Same tactics as usual then? Gotcha." He slammed on the breaks. "I'll give you as much time as I can, babe. That toy of Ion's better work."

Rylie watched for a moment as Talon stalked towards the group, her heart in her throat. Then the adrenaline rush kicked in and she too left the vehicle.

Talon psyched himself up and taunted the demons. "Your mothers wear army boots!" He could hear Rylie chuckle somewhere behind him, and he hoped it was a good sign.

Rylie jumped out of the unmarked black helicopter even before it touched down, her raven hair whipping around in the air disturbed by the churning blades as they ground to a long slow stop. She didn't look towards the city, instead surveying the staging area and taking mental stock of the assembled equipment, but she could feel the chaos like hot breath on her neck. No, wait...That was hot breath on her neck.

Her companion had waited until the chopper landed and powered down, joining her now on the pad.

"Talon, there is no need for you to stand so God damned close to me."

He ignored her, taking in the full view of the city. "Holy mother of God," he murmered. Even at this distance, the complete and utter disarray of it defied description. "It looks even worse than the last time Godzilla went on a rampage."

Rylie glared at him. "Not funny, Talon."

"Right, sorry." Talon adjusted his mirrored glasses and ran a hand absently through his sandy blonde hair. "What are we doing here again?" he asked, looking down at the petite woman. "Demons are not exactly my specialty, and you know how I feel about magic."

She stared back at him without speaking, her shockingly blue eyes fixed on his. In truth, she didn't really know. Demons weren't her area of expertise. Hell, the half-Fey from Ireland had had more insight into the situation than Rylie, who had been born in Kyoto and lived there until her twelvth year, her mother's culture and heritage saturated with spirits and demons. "So much for the American education system," she muttered. Would I know more about this crap if I'd never gone to Rhode Island? Maybe...Yeah, Hayle...And maybe you'd be a [censored] like your mother too...

"Commander Hayle?"

Rylie turned, startled from her thoughts. "Yes?"

"Your gear has been loaded into the truck as you instructed, m'am. M'am, with all due respect, are you sure that driving in is the best way? I've talked to the rest of the squadron and we're willing to do an airdrop, to ensure you arrive at the checkpoint."

Talon shook his sandy head. "There's no reason to take that kind of risk." He gestured towards the black Chevy four-by. "This way it's only our necks on the line."

"But Commander..."

Rylie held up her hand. "This isn't a sanctioned PPC operation, Airman. The Council of Elders has graciously allowed me the use of PPC equipment and funds. I'm not about to dishonour their offering by taking the chance of losing good men for the sake of my fool's errand."

Talon laughed at the incredulous expression on the young soldier's face. "I learned a long time not to argue with a woman in general, and never with Rylie Hayle in particular. I can't see there being any problems getting in there. I doubt there's many people who want to be within a hundred miles of that thing." He shivered involuntarily, despite the heavy flack jacket he wore. "[censored] demons. Why does it always have to be magic?" he muttered, then cupped his hands around his mouth to shout orders. "PPC Flight Crew! You will fall back to the staging area at Yokohama and await furthur instruction. Move out!"

Rylie was already at the truck, doing a last minute inspection of the gear. A loose cargo strap had caught her eye and she was pulling it taut when Talon joined her.

"Rylie," he said softly.

"Don't you think you've asked me enough times? Yes, I'm sure I really want to do this. No, I don't know why. I feel compelled, okay? We've been over this."

"I was just going to ask if you had any idea how to get to Shinjuku."

Rylie shivered and tried to hide it. "Shinjuku? Why?"

"According to what garbled inteligence reports I could get my hands on, it seems that the stronger pockets of resistance are basing themselves there. There was also an Aki something or other, but I have no idea how to pronounce or spell it."

"Akihabara, most like," Rylie said softly, the name coming easily to her. "What difference does spelling make?"

"I want my mother to at least be able to find out where I died, Rylie." There was a decided lack of any humour in his voice, and Rylie glanced at him sharply.

"We're not going to die, Talon. I've got work to do." She patted one of the mag-sealed cargo cases in the back of the truck. "de'Montague and Scott are going to want to know how well these babies perform against demons, afterall."

A non-comittal sound of disdain escaped Talon's mouth before he could stop it. "Ryles, you know how I feel about magic. It goes doubly for mixing magic with technology. For all we know, that thing is going to explode in your hands."

"We'll see. Let's get going." Rylie checked the strap one last time before going 'round the truck and opening the passenger door.

"Why do I always have to drive?" Talon asked as he settled himself behind the wheel.

Rylie regarded him with a long-suffering look. "You know my feet won't reach the pedals. Now put your damn seatbelt on. Wouldn't you feel stupid dying in a freaking car accident before we even see a demon?"

Talon chuckled. "You know those things cost more lives than they save, right?" Still laughing softly he turned the key and the four-by rumbled to life. "Go in laughing, come out with a grin, my dad always said. We might get through this yet." Putting the pedal to the mat, he peeled out of the staging area, headed towards the devastated city.

"We haven't even gotten into it yet. Just shut up and drive."

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Positron mentioned that they lost a writer during the development of Issue 7. Maybe it was Manticore. Last post was February 15th.

Then again, the, er, "fan support" may creep him out enough to keep him from posting.

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But...What could possibly be creepy about it?

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HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

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Lucas you necroposting [censored]!!!!

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Wow, I missed a lot of posts...

...And not all that much content.

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But a lot of those posts were me!

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So to reiterate here...Not all that much content.

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Yeah, kinda like the CoH feature updates over the last year...

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Why do women always try to destroy me?

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Because you won't let us get close to you?

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Wow, I missed a lot of posts...

...And not all that much content.

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But a lot of those posts were me!

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So to reiterate here...Not all that much content.

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It's true...

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That made me sad!

I nominate LaTempestad. Can I nominate? Well I did. So there.

:: cries on Golden_Ace :: How quickly you forget me when I go away for a week.

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Don't expect this to work. I made a change that prevents this badge from being given to villains until a legitimate (i.e. not using Amy Temp Power) way to get it exists.

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Go to bed, Posi! Don't let anyone know you read the forums that bloody late at night.

D'oh. Too late.

Poor Posi. He makes ONE post to clarify something and people jump all over him expecting him to answer everything.

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so what's the word on villains getting CapBuster from the Pocket D mission? It seems Snaptooth counts for that, but not the other Redcaps? I don't want to kill Snaptooth 333 times.

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There is a bug that is making the CapBuster badge tracker show up for Villains. We are tracking this down.

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Now...Posi didn't say that Villains were not meant to get this badge. He just said that the progression bar was not supposed to show up.

So there might be hope yet.

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Recluse's Victory will have patrol missions all the way to 50 that grant the badge.

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Thank you for restoring my faith and putting my mind at ease, Positron.

I would like to see the badges reordered so that the 'epic' badges are with the others.

I would also very much like the opportunity to earn the Halloween badges and also the Frozen Fury badge for the Winter Lord.

I would like to see Epic ATs unlocked by having badges.

I would like to know if Bug Hunter will be awarded to those who participated in Beta.

I think that's all for now.

Name: Lady Moiread Eleanor de'Montague

Race: Human/Faerie

Origin: Magic

Hero or Villain: Hero

Archetype: Controller

Former Job: None.

Current Home: The Protectors of Paragon City Base

Brief Physical Description: Moiread is approximately 5' tall and 115lbs. Her hair is past shoulder length and a rich vibrant red color. Her eyes are cerulean blue.

Brief Personality Description: Moiread is formal and refined, having been raised in New England high society, although in private with her friends, she is warm and even flirtatious.

Goals and motivators: As a Fae, Moiread generally follows her whims.

Does your character care about Freedom Corps/Arachnos?: No.

A typical quote from your character: Fate is not an easy act to follow.

Do Heroes or Villains Recognize your character, if so how: Yes. Moiread is very visable in the hero community.

History: Moired's history is not readily available to the public, allow her association with the Angels of Wrath and later the Protectors of Paragon City is well known. Also known is that Moiread is the daughter of the late Assistant Commisioner of Police, Preston de'Montague. She has been seen at formal banquets and fundraisers with the upper echelons of Paragon society, most notably, the Countess Crey.

1) Away From The Sun-Three Doors Down
2) Dizzy-The Goo Goo Dolls
3) The Plumb Song-Snow
4) Six Underground-Sneaker Pimps
5) The Last Saskatchewan Pirate -The Arrogant Worms
6) Monochrome-Collide
7) Unstoppable-The Calling
8) Romeo And Juliet-Dire Straits
9) Breakfast, Lunch, and Beer-The Frank
10) Beautiful Way-Beck

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There is a badge for 200 presents.

There are NO badges for anything higher than that, so no need to try.

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Good to know you people aren't completely sadistic. 200 is a big enough waste of time.

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Nothing is a waste of time if it involves earning a badge.

Character Name: Fianarial "ARIAL"
Location: Gremlin's Penthouse
Storyteller: LadyMoiread, occasionally Mithril Zeta (And he does a good job too!)
Theme Song: Imaginary by Evanescence
Short Description: Petite, long red hair, cerulean blue eyes, golden facial markings
Known Associates: Zeta, Mad Gremlin, and Elizabeth

Character Name: Moiread de'Montague
Location: Currently Unknown
Storyteller: LadyMoiread
Theme Song: Send Me An Angel by Zeromancer
Short Description: Petite, red hair, bright blue eyes, golden facial tattoos
Crey Industries File: See Signature
Known Associates: The Protectors of Paragon City

Character Name: Danae
Location: Croatoa
Storyteller: LadyMoiread
Theme Song: Don't Wanna Kill You by Sweetbox
Short Description: Petite, dark hair. Woad face paint.
Known Associates: The Seelie and Unseelie Courts

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A good story. Nice to read a little quality characterization for a change. Hard to tell if I'd prefer it as a prelude of a larger story or as-is.

One question though, what did you mean by "sybillant accent?" Sibilant means a hissing sound or emphasized S's (and other similar sounds) in speech and she didn't use any in the sentence she just spoke before descibing it that way.

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D'oh. Poor word choice on my part. I was looking for a word to describe softly slurred speech. 'Sibilant' isn't the word I was looking for, I guess.

This is a short piece I originally wrote to be submitted for the CoH Comic Book. Well, I never sent it in, but I would like to share it anyway. Please read it and tell me what you think.

WARNING: There is a little strong language in here, which I'm not going to censor because it lessens the impact of the story I'm trying to tell.
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Fragmented
By Jennifer Allen

"The situation could quickly get out of hand as more and more citizens are flocking to the Council banners..."

I look up at the television screen. Typical hero garbage, an attractive young reporter standing inside a Council base with some anonymous Cape. Before I catch his name, though, something draws my attention. I glance over just in time to see a woman walk though the door. My jaw drops, actually drops, as she steps out of the pool of sunlight and into the smoky din of the bar.

She is gorgeous, perhaps a little more than five feet tall, but not by much. She walks across the floor to the counter where I sit, her steps graceful. I can tell by the way she walks that she has been trained in some form of martial arts, and my first foolish thought is to ask her which one. Her hair, dark as a raven's wing, falls just so on either side of a heartshaped China doll face. Concentric arcs of circular tattoos give her a decidely exotic look, starting high on her forehead and dissapearing down into the collar of her jacket. How far do those go? Stop staring, Talon! For all that they're set in an angry scowl, her lips are just the way I like them, full without having that 'pouty' look,. And her eyes...Almond shaped, slightly tilted and set just a little too far apart. Deep like the sea, the color of a summer sky...and as empty as a politician's promise.

I can't help but stare at her, despite the fact that the pretty newswoman is talking about something else now.

"And in other news, the elusive vigilante Aegis Mighty has dealt another blow to Crey Biotech. The Countess couldn't be reached for comment..."

"Turn that crap off, Marco," she says to the man behind the counter, gesturing to the TV as she takes a seat two stools down from mine. Her voice isn't what I expected; she speaks perfect English with only a hint of a sybillant accent.

It is here that I notice the battered helmet tucked beneath her arm, and the emptiness in her eyes begins to make a little more sense.

The bartender changes the channel, infomercials, soap operas and talk-shows passing across the screen until he finally settles on something. Joy of joys, the country music video station. He reaches into the cooler and takes out a Miller Genuine Draft, opening it and setting it in front of her without a word. Apparently she is a regular, though I haven't seen her in the past six days that I've spent in here sharing my sorrows with my old friend Jamison's...

She takes a sip, elegant even in the simple motion of lifting the beer bottle to her lips. I want to talk to her. I shouldn't, but I want to. She looks so lost, and it is this more than anything that makes up my mind for me. I grab my drink and move down.

"Hey," I say softly. "Can I get that for you?" A quick gesture to the Miller here. I don't want to give her the wrong idea.

She looks up at me, and I can't help but wonder what she sees. "Alright," she replies after a moment.

I can feel a foolish grin spread across my face and I want to slap myself. "Uh, I'm Talon Wesley," I say aloud.

"Are you going to sit down, Talon Wesley?" she asks.

"Uh, yeah." Idiot. She thinks you're an idiot, Talon. You know that little voice in your head that tells you you're making a fool of yourself? I hate that guy.

I sit down on the stool beside her. "So...Nice helmet. Don't see too many members of the Council in this part of town."

She fixes those oh-so-blue eyes on me and the look in them could freeze steam. "I'm not part of the Council," she says coolly.

God damn, Talon, now you've done it. "My mistake." I take my drink and make to stand up but she catches my arm.

"I was an officer in the Fifth Column," she says softly.

It hits me like lightning, no [censored], and suddenly it all makes sense. "After the schism you had nothing," I say, words coming out before I really think about them. "No meaning, no purpose to your life." Note to self...Engage brain then engage mouth...

She turns her head away and says nothing, the fury in her eyes sending a loud and clear message of its own.

Keep digging that hole, Talon, you'll be in Asia soon. Maybe she has a twin sister who's not pissed off at you? "It's okay," I add quickly. "I feel like that sometimes. Most of the time."

Just as quickly that dark haired head swings back, those haunting eyes fixed piercingly on my own. "What the [censored] do you know about it?" She laughs bitterly. "You think I haven't had this tried on me before? I'm not stupid. You act all sympathetic and empathize with me, so you get can me drunk and convince me to go home with you."

My hands go up in self-defense. "Not at all," I say quickly, hoping that it's not too late for damage control. "I do understand how you feel, honestly. The Fifth Column may not have had all the best ideas, but they were far preferable to the Council."

Something in her seems to break at my words. She shakes her head. "No," she says. "Nothing's changed, not really. The atrocities stay the same."

"Then why...?"

"It was my life." A simple statement, spoken without shame. "There used to be a reason. I just can't remember what it was. It didn't matter anyway; there didn't need to be a reason." She looks away, dark lashes breaking like a wave against her pale skin as she closes her eyes. "But now...You were right. I don't know what to do now, and I'm terrified."

How can someone seem so old and jaded in one moment and so innocent in the next? Almost of its own will, my hand goes to her shoulder to comfort her. "It's alright," I say, the words sounding hollow even in my own ears.

She shrugs it off, the window into her soul suddenly gone as swiftly as it opened. She stares defiantly at me, but the fire in those eyes gives me hope. "So, big shot? You said it gets better. Enlighten me."

I take a deep breath and down the rest of my whiskey. "Not too long ago I was employed as a juggernaut for Crey Industries. At first, I followed every order, even though a lot of the things I was told to do turned my stomach. There was this feeling inside that just kept getting bigger, this voice telling me that it was wrong, until I decided one day that I'd had enough."

I glance up at her then and there is something like hunger shining in her eyes. "What did you do?" she asks softly.

"I broke into an office. I'd planned to just make a mess, but I found some plans for upcoming projects. Plans for terrible things that I couldn't ignore. I found out everything that I could and put a stop to it." I know I shouldn't be telling her this, but I find the words are just rushing out. "I left a note for Countess Crey, saying that the people of Paragon City wouldn't stand for any further exploitation."

"You're him," She glances towards the television, which has somehow found its way back to the news. Her voice is barely a whisper and I hope that no one else heard her. I nod slowly. A hint of accusation enters her voice then. "You're just another Cape."

I bring my fist down hard on the counter. "No, damn it all! I didn't do it for money, or glory, or recognition! I did it because it was the right thing to do!" People are looking at us now, heads coming up all over the bar. More publicity than I want, but at the moment I don't really give a damn.

Her expression melts. She is open, defenseless. "Did it make you feel better? Doing the right thing?"

"Yes. You have no idea how much better."

She stares at me, the naked helplessness in her eyes almost too much for me to bear. "I don't know what the right thing is," she says. I can't pull my gaze away from her and I breathe a silent prayer of thanksgiving as she breaks first and looks down.

I grab her hand and hold it between both of my much larger ones. "Come with me." Her head comes up and she stares at me again-God, those eyes! "Give it a try. At least it can't be any worse." Lady, let me fill that emptiness in your eyes with something. Please.

She turns away and tries to pull her hand out of my grasp. I try again, one last ditch attempt. "You can make a difference."

Her head comes up and I can see tiny crystalline tears in the corners of those haunting eyes. "Alright," she says at last. "I can't promise to let go of the past, but maybe I can forget about it for a while." She stands up and holds out her hand. "I'm Rylie. Rylie Tanaka-Hayle."

I shake her hand. “I think you already know who I am.” And she laughs. She actually laughs!

As we leave the smoky run-down pub for the slightly brighter streets of Independence Port, I feel as if my burden has been lightened somehow. I walk a few steps behind her, a silent shield against the past that haunts her, an aegis against whatever darkness shadows her soul. I know that this fight is just beginning, but even now I can feel victory drawing nearer.

She left the helmet on her barstool.

Recluse: Do you want to run this organization!?

Scirocco: Yes!

Recluse: Well..You can't!

I can't quite follow, but trying to figure it out is fun!

UPDATE

Name: Angels of Wrath

Motto: Always Watching. Always Fighting.

Leaders: Lady Moiread, Adamant Alloy, & Mr. Ultimate

Player Type: Casual

RolePlay?: Casual roleplay.

Membership levels: 1-50

SuperGroup Colours: White and Gold formal Uniform, Black and Red fighting colors.

Normal time of Gameplay: As often as real life allows.

Other information: We hold many community events that keep us grounded and in touch with the Guardian community. Everyone in the supergroup has a say in the decisions regarding our in group events as well as out guardian community events. We do our best to keep the feeling of a family alive within our group.

Recruiting: We never activly recruit, but we give everyone who asks an interview to join us.

Website: www.aow-coh.com