ODeere

Worked like a charm!

Thank you again.

I will try this... thank you so much!

I've been reading through all of these great guides... thank you for being so helpful!

... but I have a problem. It's probably really silly, but I can't find a mention of it anywhere. I can arrange a charming scene of half a dozen of my friends having a dance party with Miss Liberty in mid-air in Firebase Zulu, but I cannot get the names over the heads of player characters to stop appearing.

I've tried everything I can think of, including the obvious... I change my setting in CoH and when I turn player names off, in my demos they just turn from blue to orange, and get picked up in video recording.

Does anyone have an idea of how to make them go away?

I'll submit Terminal of Virtue, in the supergroup costume of the League of Titans.

Included is a surveillance portfolio of Terminal, aka Dr. Olivia Deere, on her daily rounds of putting the hurt on the deadlier forms of industrial espionage and bad science in Paragon City.

<sigh> I love Christmas present stories. This was lovely.
Thank you for sharing!

<reminds herself that no matter how exciting this is,
holding her breath is probably not a good idea>



Looking forward to it.

There are tons of RP supergroups of all persuasions on Virtue. You can find some of them here:
Virtue Supergroups

For other servers, such as the one on which you are already active, you may wish to run a board search under the server forum for RP supergroups.

Infinity Supergroups

Good luck!

The Curio Shop

The interior of the house had a lot of the charm of the exterior. The walls were painted in a wash of very pale green over old white plaster. A massive wooden and curving staircase dominated the left side of the room. It was stained warm colors and even had a narrow pale green runner carpet ascending its worn steps. Beneath it were built-in cases that had some of the dignity of a library, but the warmth of a home. They did a fantastic job housing all of the books, dishware, and smaller curios that might've otherwise left the room feeling cluttered. Now though, one could clearly see the architecture which, aside from the stairs, included several tall, carved wooden pillars with a similar stain color, heavy but not overly fancy moldings and a handsome wooden floor that seemed to go on into the kitchen. The kitchen itself, on the right, was presented nicely through an open arch door. To the front and tucked beneath the stairs where the built ins ended was the sales desk. There was a comfortable seating area with a sofa and a few chairs neatly formed in the niche of the bay window visible from the front of the house. Overall... a place of warm wood and pale green and cream with high-ish ceilings and the odd feeling of being a rather warm and modest library. Curios were displayed neatly on and around the furniture in the room which was also for sale.

The true oddities in the room didn't necessarily stand out. Beneath the sales desk, however, was an odd collection of sticks that could only be described as looking like a magician's wands. A few older books with information 'occult' were available mixed with the others, the odd candle collection was set out (though most had pleasant smells or were wrapped) and a crazy grouping of everyday objects that were locked away behind very strong-looking glass in one of the built ins.

Grace stepped aside and welcomed Liv in. "I've tried to keep things pared down in here. I know so many antiques stores can be rather overwhelming. There's plenty more in the basement and I'm sure I'll rotate it all from time to time. Please look around."

Liv surveyed the beautiful old room appreciatively. Although it was the main room of a shop, it also felt like a gladly-lived-in home. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the collections of old books, but she reminded herself that she had to fit big things into her flat first. Little indulgences like that could come later.

Reluctantly she concluded her leisurely survey and looked at Grace. "Thank you. Perhaps you can direct me a bit... I've two bedrooms to furnish, one monstrously large, and one more normal, and I think I'd like to have Victorian style furnishings, in softer colors. I've an office and a big living room that will be more modern, but the things I'll need to put in there are something of a strange mix."

"Strange?" Grace raised an eyebrow at the comment. "I think we can cover some of the Victorian. Maybe not properly, but we do have things that look the era. Modern might be a bit of a stretch." She took a few steps into the room and pointed to a large Tansu dresser next to the seating area. It was a beautiful piece that was obviously old and slightly worn. The dresser was stained a dark but warm wooden color that seemed almost black in the shadows and sported an intricately cut round motif with exotic birds at its midpoint and where the handles were for the main storage. A few smaller though no less detailed drawers were below it. "My Uncle brought quite a few Asian pieces into the collection. Maybe some of them would fit with your modern theme?"

Liv nodded admiringly. "It's lovely. I think that would do very well. I'm tending more and more toward light and dark neutrals for that room... I have a few plants and fish that will add color." She mused over how it would fit... with some angular modern seating and a/v equipment and her photographs.... it could just work. "How in heaven's name anyone moves it... " Liv smiled ruefully and glanced around.

Her eyes lit upon an array of old hanging lamps dangling from a series of hooks. One of them was in the distinct, ornate Victorian style, but without the fussy pastel flower paintings that usually adorned the glass domes. This had a dome of ornately molded glass, but glazed in a soft baby blue. "Those are exquisite. I wonder if I could have one wired in my flat. Or are they plumbed, for gas?"

Grace followed the woman's gaze to the blue-shaded hanging lamp. Its metalworks were worn with age to a darker color. She figured that one could work that back to a brighter shade if they wanted to though. Given a little elbow grease and the right metal cleaner. "No, I went to the Steel Canyon home and garden supply and bought the wiring when I found them. Not a whole lot of use to folks wired for gas, I think." She smiled and ducked around a vase to plug in the beautiful light. The area was illuminated with whitish light and shades of pale blue. "Oh, don't worry about the moving. I've got a husband for that. I think he could be convinced to load it and haul it for you." Convinced. She thought on it a while. Would he fall for food or would she have to get serious?

Liv chuckled. "He must be very convenient to have around, if he can move things like that. I wouldn't dare try."

"Mmh. I'm sure I'd have a backache for a week if I tried it. It's no lightweight." She unplugged the lamp and drew the chain free of the wrought-iron hook. "I'll find a box for this."

"I would appreciate it though... I don't know of any movers around here, although I'm sure I could find some...." She smiled at Grace. "Thanks. That I think I could manage to transport."

"I won't be more than a minute. Make yourself at home." Grace offered as she vanished into the kitchen in search of a good-sized box. Fortunately they'd just moved too... so no shortage of boxes there.

Liv wandered around the room, admiring the clever displays that left the room with a homey feel. The collection of ordinary objects under heavy lock and key, however, made her wonder.

It took a moment, but Grace finally returned with the box. The Victorian lamp was tucked and wrapped neatly inside and she set it on the glass-topped sales desk as she went to see what Ms. Deere was looking at. "Something catch your eye?"

"I was just wondering... you have quite an odd collection in here. Why so secure?"

She stepped to a side of Liv and looked into the box though she hardly needed to. "These are 'objects of power'." Grace took a moment before she continued. It wasn't easy to explain and she assumed that Liv might not have known much about magic. "They're magically charged items. Very dangerous at times."

"Very useful also." she added.

"Oh." Liv knew next to nothing about the arcane. "Mad scientist" was her unofficial title, and that was her realm of expertise. "I wondered why such little things needed security."

"I could explain, but most people think the explainer crazy or boring." Grace smiled and moved away from the display. It was a very rare thing to see a Magi with such a hot car. She would've been surprised if it'd turned out any other way.

"Do you collect many magical things, then?" In the City of Heroes, it was not uncommon, but not a domestic or civilian hobby.

"As a part of the business. My Uncle also left their care to me. We stock a few things that are common use for Supers as well." She pointed towards the display in the glassed-in sales desk. A series of pairs of ruby earrings were among the things available. "You never know when someone might need them." Grace perked at the sounds of her husband fighting with the propane tank and the barbecue outside. Maybe the hour was later than she thought. She turned back to Liv. "It's really getting late. Would you like to stay for the barbecue? We're a little outside of 'convenient restaurant dining' range here."

Liv wasn't really familiar with what sorts of things heroes routinely needed, but she nodded politely. She was surprised when Grace invited her to the barbecue... pleasantly so. She liked this warm, frank woman with the "kindred spirit" feel about her. "Are you sure? That's really very kind of you..."

"Of course! We've really just moved in within the last few weeks. And I have a feeling Brendt's bought way more food than we need. I've got a friend coming that works for the Hubert Historical Magic Museum. That's about it though." Liv wanted to stay and that was good. Grace got the feeling there was a world that neither of them knew about one another yet, but it would be very interesting to find out. "I'll go inform Brendt that he can't have seconds." She winked and then walked to the open front door. "Looks like we'll be having company, hon."

(By - Jet Blue and Liv)

A whistle from the side yard was the dark-haired woman's reply, though it wasn't aimed directly at her as much as it was at her car. And that might've come as a relief, since the whistler just happened to be a rather broad, fuzzy-haired and just vaguely thuggish older man lugging around a gas barbecue. He coughed a polite-enough sound at the woman waiting at the door and muttered to his blonde-haired accomplice in the wings, "All of a sudden I feel underdressed."

Grace hefted the propane tank, disturbing a few pill bugs from the spot it'd been sitting since they'd moved here. It was no small barbecue and a good-sized propane tank that she hauled and quite nearly dropped when she got a look at the car. "Whoa... -Oh, hey!" she corrected quickly with a nod to the driver. "You must be our wayward shopper. I'll be right with you."

Liv watched the proceedings with interest. Apparently she had arrived just in time to interrupt the beginning of a picnic on the lawn. She waited on the front walk as the couple moved their grill, which was decidedly not antique. "I hope I haven't come at a bad time."

Grace hurried to drop off the tank next to the grill, leaving the entire business for later. Giving her hands a quick wipe on her faded blue jeans, she offered one to the dark-haired woman. "Grace Hudson. We talked on the phone. And no trouble about the time. It's a good enough sign to get a customer."

As she shook Grace's hand, Liv smiled. "Liv Deere. I'm glad. My new home is positively barren, and your ad was interesting, so I shouldn't doubt that you'll be swamped in no time. I'm lucky to get here first." She glanced at the array of objects that had been set out, barbecue notwithstanding. "How is the basement coming along?"

Pos-i-tive-ly barren. He had to smile at that. There are few things worth hiding a smile at than a perfectly accentuated English accent. "Nice to meet ya, Liv." And he was less than accentuated, or English for that matter. He left the women to their devices as he went scouting for a non-flammable place to set down the barbecue.

Grace took a quick look over her shoulder and then back to the woman. "My husband Brendt." she clarified. It was good to know that someone who obviously had very fine taste in cars and perhaps other things was interested in their shop. The place really did have a lot of charm for its age. "Well, it's going to be a jungle for a while, but I've pulled a few things out." She motioned to the coffee table, nesting tables and chair. "There's plenty more in the house if you'd like to come in and have a look."

"Ah," Liv observed as Grace named the large and amiable gentleman with the incendiary device. She turned to look at the pieces Grace had pulled out. "I would love to. What are these?"

"Well," she said looking over the three bits of furniture, "There's the walnut table. It's probably low enough for a coffee table if you're needing one and have that type of room. It's not really old enough to be Victorian, but it's working on it." She grinned and then motioned to the chair. "Then there's the wing-back chair. Style's old, though again I'm not sure about the true age. The upholstery is good though. The basement it was stored in was nice and dry. And then the nesting tables..." Grace paused to take a closer look at the threesome of tables, still uncertain if the odd carvings in leather were magical (or safely saleable) or not. "Can't say as to the wood type or the nature of the carvings. They're on leather and if I had to guess I'd say they're something out of Mexico or Central America. Just a guess from the rural scenes and the animals." She hoped the answers would satisfy Ms. Deere, considering she really wasn't the type to scan all of those 'antiques and collectables' books.

Unless they were so exorbitantly priced that it would require a "certificate of authenticity" to resell them if she ever had the urge, Liv didn't particularly care about verifying ages and sources. If something looked just right then she was perfectly happy. She followed Grace blissfully around to inspect each piece, nodding as they were described to her. "That's lovely," she said as they looked at the table. "Very like one I saw at Slydale's, where I bought my sofa. Only this might be a better match..."

The chair looked like a good match as well. She'd have to call the upholsterer, have them make sure the colors didn't clash, maybe get it shampooed...

"Interesting," she bent to inspect the table carvings. They were very different. If the living room was going for "edgy" and "modern," they might figure in. Her eyes flickered up to Grace with a quizzical wonder. Either she had an appointment with destiny as a great decorator, or she was simply psychic in her selection of curios.

Mmh. Now that's my kind of shopping. Never a matching set, but things that should've been. she thought with a smile. Grace really admired a person that could shop for the look of a room and not be lured by price or a match set. It took some creativity... that was for sure. "Yeah, it's a really fun piece. I'm sorry I don't have more information on it, but a lot of these came with the house. If you'd like, we could go in and look around too." She went ahead to open the front door, propping it there with an old iron bootsweeper and plucking a few spent heads from flowers in a nearby pot on the way in. "Right this way."

"Yes, please," Liv agreed as she followed Grace. "Thank you, Mrs. Hudson... I'm encouraged already. When I looked around this morning I was sure I would never be able to decide on a single thing for any of my rooms," she added with a sheepish smile.

(By - Jet Blue, Bulletproof, and Liv)

Sandals, sunglasses, handbag, car keys, notes of interest… Liv went over her mental checklist before walking out the door of her empty apartment in RiverHaven. She took the lift down 31 floors to the underground parking garage and looked about for her car. As often as not she took the train, to work and to some other places, but there were a number of locations on her list, and she might want to bring some small things back with her.

She unlocked the doors to a black convertible Jaguar XKR and slid into the driver’s seat, dropping her handbag onto the grey leather passenger seat. The whole thing was obscenely comfortable, as well as ostentatious, but her father had bestowed it on her as a sort of belated graduation gift. While she would never have bought it for herself, she couldn’t deny that she loved it.

Liv hit several shops on her way to 514 Park Overlook Avenue, varying in degrees of funk and pretentiousness. Hit, or rather whirled through. She was a very purposeful shopper… If what she wanted did not appear to be present, she wasted no more time loitering but forged ahead. Reflecting on the huge tank of fluorescent fish now reposing in her living room, she had decided that her living room at least must be modern, but the rest of the flat was not obliged to match. In fact, she was leaning heavily toward Victorian for her own bedroom and the guest room she intended to make up. So much so that she had made precisely two purchases:<ul type="square"> [*]One, a set of large black and white prints of some beautiful Henri Cartier-Bresson photographs, which were awaiting her orders for framing.[*]Two, a delicate and ornately carved Victorian walnut sofa that was even now on its way to the upholsterer for refreshing.[/list]She pulled up and parked on the street in front of 514 Park Overlook Avenue one hour and sixteen minutes after talking to the proprietor on the phone. It was a large, old residence… or a smallish shop and residence… with a distinct charm of its own. It was hard to believe it was only a few minutes drive from the gleaming glass towers of Steel Canyon. On the lawn and front walk sat an array of small pieces of furniture that did not seem the sort to make a permanent home there. Ms. Hudson did say she was cleaning out her basement, Liv mused as she slid out of the car. She walked toward the front door, labeled with a sign stating “Curio Shop,” and called a “Hello.”

She had to turn off “Strange Fruit” in the car on the way over; it was a little too much while she was preparing for a long evening of making nice for the opening of Nocturne Crossing. Rose was one of the Shades of Grey, but tonight she would do her share of moonlighting along the lines of her other talents. She had lately been teaching jazz classes to primary school kids, and practicing step with the PCU chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, but now it was time to get back into swing.

For the first hour or so she just floated through the crowd to make sure everything was going smoothly and people were having fun. The dress she had picked out was a little formal for dance lessons, but she couldn’t resist… it was a delicious early 40's evening gown in chocolate velvet, and it reminded her of the one Ingrid Bergman had worn to the opening of Casablanca. Well, except she was dark where Bergman was fair, but that was ok. 1940’s hairstyles, with the fake curls and sculpted waves, were a total pain but a lot of fun, and, being Rose, she slipped in the fragrant and very Southern gardenia just because.

It looked just about right when she gave the band, except for the pianist, a brief break by joining them on stage. Years of hanging around clubs with her best friend Nick had made her comfortable with singing in front of people, but she still tired of it pretty fast. Smoldering through a couple of old standards would do it for this evening. She enjoyed watching the crowd enjoying themselves as she sang Porter’s “In the still of the night” and Gershwin’s “Nice work if you can get it.”

Afterward she prevailed upon Noirbot to give her a glass of water with lime and no ice before she changed into something more comfortable. As she reentered the club proper, she saw Vic making a beeline for Matt’s office, and Swingin' Stewart hanging out at the edge of the dance floor.

Figuring they could always find her if they needed her, she approached the dance champion of Paragon to express her delight that there was “at least one good lead in the house tonight.” She planned on getting at least one good lesson before she turned around and started giving them. They were quickly lost among the crowd on the floor.

In the centre of the living room of a gorgeous 4-bedroom flat sat a woman in designer jeans and a little black T-shirt with the Pink Ribbon cancer awareness logo emblazoned on the front. A notebook computer was nestled in her lap, along with a mobile phone, and the floor all around her was scattered with newspaper advertisements, catalogs, and writing utensils. The rest of the spacious room was devoid of anything but fresh air and sunshine.

Picking up one of the pages of newsprint with several large red circles drawn on it, she dialed the phone. Her "english" was clear but tinted with a distinct "English" accent as she greeted the proprietor of the Curio Shop listed in the advertisement. “Hello. I was calling to inquire about your listing in the paper… furniture for sale?”

"Candles, little music..." She heard him mutter in that conspiritory growl of his. "Whad'ya say?"

Grace smiled, ruffling the fuzz of stubble under his jaw. But she could hear something else. A soft, purring ring coming from the house. "Phone..." she replied shortly to his show of affection.

As his wife raced off to the house, Brendt was left to level a derisive snort in her wake. He'd remember to disconnect the thing in the future. For now, he was left with an open invitation to a dinner for two... and an ivy.

She made it to the phone at the third ring. It was a habit from her Oregonian farm-girl days. First ring was the warning, second was the initial part of the sprint from the garden to the house and the last was always -just- in time to get the call before the answering machine picked up. "Yes?" She answered.

The voice on the other end of the line had a definate charm. Annunciated to the Nth and, if she wasn't mistaken, vaguely British. "Oh sure," she replied. "This is Grace Hudson, proprietor. We're in the midst of a basement-clearing sale now. Were you looking for anything in particular?" Grace swung into the wooden office chair behind the front desk, watching the open front door as she listened.

"Actually," Liv said hopefully, "I am looking for everything. I've just found a new flat and it's barren. Ready made "blonde oak" is not my cup of tea, so I was hoping your basement needed clearing of something more interesting."

Blonde oak. She doubted Uncle Leo had left a piece of ready-made furniture in the place, save a few of the shelving systems in the basement. If she wanted original, this gal had called the right number. What really made Grace's thoughts swim was the idea of furnishing a whole apartment, ne flat (She had said 'flat', she assured herself.), out of a phone book. What an undertaking that would be. Of course... so was cleaning out the house she'd inherited. Only from a different perspective. "They're certainly antique. I can't promise a plethora of matching sets, but you could come and take a look if you like. We've got a wide range. Dining, bedroom..." She answered.

"Any time you like, really..." Grace replied in her usually reserved, down-home, 'the door's always open' tone. "We're a ways out of town though. The house is one Park Overlook Avenue... -That's West of Steel Canyon and North of Galaxy City. It follows the Adams River a good distance, but I wouldn't say it's any major route. Newly-paved though." She stopped herself. It was like giving directions to someone back home. Somehow, she'd carried that through the Rikti war and into Paragon City without a second thought. Maybe the woman with the English accent felt the same sometimes. "The house number is 514 and I'll be around here cleaning out that basement for at least another week." She smiled and reached for the notepad and pen on the front desk, writing out a few notes about the particulars.

"514 Park Overlook Avenue...." Liv repeated, printing it neatly on the margin of a newspaper cutout. She had a shortlist of places that sounded interesting to visit. "My goodness, that must be quite a basement. Is it all right if I drop by in an hour or so?" She glanced around at the empty room. I would be nice to have something to show for her day of shopping.

"Don't I know it..." She offered in a less than professional, but decidedly friendly manner. "Is it a small apartment? We've got some nice trunks and armoires that could work well in a smaller home." -In a few hours... She wrote that down, scrawling down a grocery list for Brendt on the next page. It looked like her trip to the Mighty Mart would have to wait.

"Four bedrooms... -?" She coughed out the question, feeling suddenly uneasy. Her own new home was in no condition to be host to a modern-day Hyacinth Bucket. Somehow she couldn't pin the label on the woman yet though. She sounded too much like someone looking for comfort. "I hope we can find something for you. I'll be here and we'll sort through it when you are too. Thanks so much for the inquiry." The blonde tapped her pen on the notepad, trying to focus both on the conversation and whether or not to buy generic-brand hot dogs or the more expensive sausage for the up-coming barbeque. That and to avert some of the prior tension at the notion of English upper class going through the modest old house with a fine-toothed comb.

I'm not the only one who finds this idea intimidating... Liv thought with a smile. At the moment she wanted to stay as far away from Harrods as possible, and this warm and casual woman sounded like a good start. "Thank you. I'll be on my way."

As she rung off she moved the computer out of her lap and began sorting through her scraps of paper.

"Alright," She said with a quick smile. "We'll be expecting you."

(By-ODeere and Jet Blue.)

Thanks, Sloth! This is a big help

I'm afraid I killed off the significant others of most of my heroines in order to get them off of dead center... Although I do have one in "like a lot" with a pc villain boss, which is fun.

My best friend and her boyfriend play a couple of pretty snazzy married heroes. When they are around.
How could you guys drag me over here and then leave me to fend for myself? Woe is me! Just go on your idyllic little summer vacation, then...!

The in-game email is very tedious to type, and the lack of any new mail indicator is a bother. Usually I end up using outside message boards, PMs, email, IM programs, etc. It's just so much faster and easier.

That doesn't mean you can't use it to your advantage, though, as some of these folks apparently do. Just be prepared to write short emails and clean them out frequently, and to do all of your information archiving by hand.

Thank you (although I feel bad using up your valuable thread space to say so). Every mad scientist in training should have a good head shot on file Now back to our regularly scheduled program? Pretty please?

Even during the day? I suppose you could hide in your cellar and write...
Which you should, as this is a lovely story, and I've been thoroughly enjoying it. Thanks for sharing!

Love,
Liv