Pyrria

I'm getting the same error. I am set to run as administrator, both CoX and the NCSoft Launcher have permissions to exit the firewall on home and public networks. I haven't logged in since last week. The only change I made on my system was to install the new NVIDIA drivers today, which shouldn't have affected this.

All the servers show as up, so is it possible that there's a router down somewhere? I'm connecting via Charter Internet in Missouri.

EDIT: I've sent a screenshot and a dxdiag file to support@coh.com. Hope to hear back soon.

Place: Virtue Server, Gemini Park, Galaxy City and Thorn Isle, Nerva Archipelago
When: Saturday, July 31st 5 PM - 11 PM EST
Hosted By: The Cape Radio

A tad late in reply, but DJ Angel and I had a blast! Thank you for having us. The Rikti tried to crash the party, but we had more beads and doubloons than they did!

Can't wait for next year!

((Looks lovely! Thanks for coordinating everything, Rowr!))

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As the group separated into groups, Ian let his gaze waiver. “Heh, okay. I’ll step out on this one and keep score or something. Does anyone have any special rules they’d like to use for this match?” Ian moved to the end of the net off of the playing court and passed a smile to each group. “Since Sis has the ball, I guess she can serve first.”

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Sis shrugged, glancing towards Thermoplast. "You and me, I guess. I don't have any special rules...just hit hard and stay in bounds." She bounced the ball experimentally a few times. "Ready?" Tossing the ball in the air, she brought her racket up and down, powering the projectile across the net towards Ella and Mitch. It not intercepted, it looked like it would land just inside the line towards the backcourt.

Sis caught the ball lobbed in her direction and stepped out onto the court. "I'm in. Are we picking teams, or is it just which side of the court we ended up on?" She glanced between Mitch and Ella questioningly. "Can always swap later."

As Orchid and Kruth'T announced they would watch, she nodded. She was terrible at tennis, but felt she could use the exercise. "Have to earn that soak," she muttered to herself.


((Apologies for the short post and massive delay in posting. Work's conspired to eat my month and next two, so I'm just barely treading water. Thanks for your patience!))

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((Don't tell me I broke another thread already. ))

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((I doubt it. This is a usually slow-moving thread, and I'm willing to bet Real Life Concerns have captured most folks' attention. Give it time.))

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"Pretty much." the military-esque Mitch smirked in support of Orchid's explanation, "And no, she just..."

"Didn't listen again." the masked man who'd first appeared completed the sentence, having made his way over now as well, "Grave Knight went spastic after she punched out its master, and the sword got her at the arm. Now she smacks the ball too hard, and off it goes."

"Oh, how rude of me. I don't remember my name, but feel free to call me Thermoplast - or just T. Everyone else does. You've met Mitch, that's Saledreya, and the chunk of metal's Mica."

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Sis nodded to each in turn as they were introduced. Names were not her strong point, but she'd try to remember these. At least the faces...okay, distinguishing characterstics...were unique enough to jog memories.

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"You be careful who you call a 'chunk'." the steel golem grinned in a sinister manner, wagging her finger at the man, "I've got my eye on you."

"I'm sure you do." he replied laxly, "And then of course there's Mor...Mord? Where'd you go?"

"Probably hiding again." Sal concluded with a snicker below her cloth, explaining to the others, "He's really shy, you must know."

"Am...am not." <snip> "Um...hi." Mordes got out timidly as he stopped by the group, raising a hand in a semi-wave for a moment.

"Wow, you guys must be very charismatic." Thermoplast commented with a light chuckle, "You actually got more than two words out of him..."

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"Well, you know, that lethal combination of sparkling personality and raidant skin does 'em in every time," Sis deadpanned. She eyed the new group critically. While it was entirely possible that they too were just a rag-tag bunch of random acquaintances, she rather doubted it. And the lizard...thing...was not something one usually brought to a medical facility. Unless they were here for the Spa. Even then, she thought.

"Looks like we have more than enough people for doubles now." Sis picked up her racket again. "Should we try to organize teams, or just pick a court and sort it out as we go?"

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[Ian's] cheeks reddened slightly. <snip> “Eheh, well…it’s not all about money, right? Hehe.”

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Sis just smirked. "Teasin', kid. Relax."

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Ella tilted her head to the side, perplexed. “Swing what way?”. It was odd that with the wide breadth of knowledge that Ella had, some basic things she just didn’t understand.

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Sis blinked. "...well, I'm not going to explain it to you. You'll have to find an adult for that. Somethings I just avoid-"

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The tennis balls surely sounded nicely upon the court, but the racket that decided to end its ballistic arc not far from the feet of Sis certainly did not, clattering noisily upon the rubbery grain as it came to a halt.

Of course, the racket itself hadn't anything special about it - the severed human arm that still clenched its fingers about the thing's grip, however, was truly something one didn't see every day.

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"...like that."

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"'ey, guys!" came a shout from the general direction of the rogue appendage's flight path, a man's voice that sounded very much like the stereotypical surfer fresh off the beach calling out, "Mind tossin' that back over here?"

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Sis stared from the armed tennis racked to the speaker and back again. "I am NOT picking that up...since when did mummies play tennis?" Sis tilted her head to the side, trying to see if she heard any drums, a tell-tale sign of the Banished Pantheon, but there was nothing.

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It wasn't so much that Orchid was repelled by dismemberment, she had seen and caused plenty of it on her 'not so good' nights patrolling the streets of Paragon City. It was more the idea of a wayward arm still attached to a piece of sporting equipment that made her shudder. "Aren't they supposed to clean the equipment before someone else uses it?" was all she managed to mutter to no one in particular.

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"I'm guessing it's still in use, but yeah...I'll take some..." Sis leaned the racket she had selected up against the fence and accepted a healthy dose of disinfectant from Orchid. She usually didn't like the sticky stuff, but today she'd make an exception.

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Ella looked at the arm and the coppery owner, then back at the arm, then to the others. Who seemed stunned into silence. She walked over to the arm and racket, tucking her own racket under her arm, she easily tossed it back and smiled at the surfer man.

“Ere ya go”

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"Much obliged." the masked man retorted, lazily snatching the arm from the air. He then turned to his left, where several figures could be seen approaching from behind the bleachers.

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"Oi..." Sis looked at Ella for a moment before shrugging. "Must just be the environment," she muttered to herself quietly.

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"Sorry if Sal freaked you guys out any." he told Sis casually, but including the others in his explanation as well, "You've probably guessed by now, but she's kind of a lich. Parts come loose every now and then. Oh, and I'm Mitch..."

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"Hello Mitch, I'm Kruth'T."

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Sis nodded. "Pleasure and all that. Sis, Orchid, Ella, Ian," she added by way of introduction, pointing to the owner of each name as she did so. "Welcome to the world-famous Fabulous Nightclub 9:30....wait, wrong location." She grinned a little. "So was that a version of full-contact tennis we just saw, or something entirely different?"

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“Can I be the famous boyfriend on the second week of every month?” Ian joked through his wide grin, a spark of mischief in his eye. He laughed through his grin, as he elbowed Ella, hopefully to show he was mainly kidding.

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Sis pretended to consider his question seriously. "Well...I dunno Ian. I mean...show me the bling, you know?" She laughed.

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A small spark of jealousy flashed though Ella, until she got the poke in the ribs and understood that he was joking. “Oh! Only if I can be your girlfriend on the first week of every month” She smiled playfully.

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"Aw, that's sweet, but I don't swing that way kiddo. I know some folks who do, though, if you're interested." Sis smiled lightly.

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“Anyway, you sound kind of paranoid,” he said over his shoulder as they reached the gate of the tennis courts. “What medical experiments and magic are you talking about? This place is pretty tame considering the types of guests that stay here. I’ve been able to help out in a few extreme cases but they always have everything under control around here.”

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"Yeah? Didn't you talk to Edward? It's really not my place to talk about it, but the whole thing was pretty shady. Then again, there's no telling what patients agree to or don't, especially if memory loss is a symptom." Sis shrugged it off, studying the tennis courts. "Man, someone left that a mess..."

As Ian went to fetch rackets, Sis scooped up a few tennis balls and began bouncing them on the ground. They made a nice *pock* sound as they hit the court. The court was warm and sunny, and she suddenly wished for her sunglasses. Putting the tennis balls at her feet, she flipped her hair over and then back, quickly tying it back up in a ponytail.

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[Ella] looked around "Doubles or singles?"

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"I think I should sit out the first game." [Kruth'T] said with some regret. "At least observing you should clue me in on how to play this game."

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"Sounds like we could probably get away with Doubles to start, if you're gonna sit out. That leaves me, Ella, Ian, and...Orchid, right?" Sis picked up one of the remaining rackets. "I'm terrible, I'll warn you right now. The last time I played was elementary school."

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“It’s far away because guns are loud and some patients need their rest. Sure you can shoot guns….depending on your security rating. They cut down the powder ratio on the ammo, so the shots aren’t as loud or as powerful” Ella left out her actual calculations for her theory.

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"I thought it might have been intended for training, but Ella disagrees. Now I think it's more for the personnel in that underground facility to use. It has an entrance right next to it. Both are fairly good sized." Kruth'T said as he fallowed Ian. "The range is larger, now that I think about it, then would be strictly necessary for the security forces to use."

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Sis frowned slightly. "Underground facility? What am I missing? What IS this place? Isolated in some crazy corner of the city, hosting weird medical experiments and magic-gone-mad, with a paramilitary force to "protect" it all? This sounds like a bad horror movie!"

And when did I become so paranoid?

Sis laughed a little, mostly at herself. "I wonder if I can turn this into a movie script, make a ton of money, and retire..." She glanced up as the tennis courts came into to view. "Or, I can just be the next Anna K...almost good enough at tennis, with tons of endorsement deals, and a new famous boyfriend every week."

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“SIS!!” Ella ran over to her, but stopped short just when it looked like she was about to hug her. Her smile broadened when Sis remembered the shirt.

“Mail doesn’t arrive till late…after dinner usually”

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Sis chuckled quietly at Ella's enthusiasm. "No mail until after dinner? Man...well, looks like it'll be a midnight swim then, assuming the package shows. Guess you'll have to wait too then, kiddo."

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“Well, we were just headed to the tennis courts to play a few sets,” Ian said after the group had finished talking back and forth, “We can all go together. Maybe even play a few doubles sets.” With that, Ian started leading to the courts, hoping everyone would follow.

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Sis shrugged. "Works for me." Hands in pockets, she fell into step behind Ian, kicking at the leaves on the ground as she went. She'd left her hair out of the ponytail this time, to allow it to dry to the light surfer-blonde color it had acquired from so much time in the sun.

"So how come the firing range is so far out here?" she asked. "It's pretty far from the buildings...can you shoot stuff other than arrows?" Sis grinned, thinking that maybe she could get some additional stress relief from firing a large gun or something, like in the movies.

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“Hi Sis!” Ian burst out as Sis joined the group. “Wow, you look positively radiant this morning. Did you spend an extra hour powdering your nose or something.”

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Sis scowled. "Afternoon. Y'all miss lunch or something? And...er...thanks." Sis jammed her hands into her pockets. Radiant, huh? Go figure...

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[Ian] scratched his head about the mail call thing. “Not really sure. I thought people just picked it up from the front desk when it came or either have it delivered to their rooms.”

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Sis nodded. "Fair enough. I'll have to check, once I find my way back. I've just been wandering aimlessly, which translates into being thoroughly lost."

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“Oh, and you should have been here just a minute ago. From over there,” he pointed at a tree, “Kruth’T was able to hear my heartbeat and tap it on that tree. Then he did Ella’s, mine and some birds and squirrels too. All at the same time! Isn’t that cool?”

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Sis quirked an eyebrow at Kruth'T as she nodded slowly. "Kinda like hearing hoofbeats in those old Westerns?" she asked. "I can see how that would be useful."

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“Oh, right. Sorry, this is Orchid. I just met her this morning too. She’s really good at archery. Earlier, we were at the shooting range and she just planted shot after shot on those targets. I never thought the weapons this place provides were any good but she still managed perfect accuracy.”

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Orchid could feel a blush begin to blossom under the ebony skin of her cheeks. A shy grin began to warm into an ivory smile on her face, "Well... I do confess to having a few lifetimes to practice my archery skills. And I do apologize for being a little inept at my social graces if I seem excited, it's just been so long since I've been around people."

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Sis smiled a little. "Nice to meet you, Orchid. Been living the hermit life? I can't imagine where. Paragon's so packed, I keep expecting it to top NYC for 'most people per square mile' at some point." Sis shrugged. "'Course it's crazy transitory. You never see the same people more than twice, seems like."

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Kruth'T was about to respond when Sis walked up. When she nodded to Kruth'T, he nodded back. He then hung back as Ian introduced her. When he finished he steeped forward. "Nice to meet you again, only this time without someone throwing doors around." Kruth'T said jokingly.

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Sis laughed. "Yeah, that was a surprise. Worked out okay in the end I guess. Only pissed off a few guards. Looks like you ended out all right. Would you believe that guy's usually in a wheelchair? Saw him in the gym earlier. Takes all kinds." She glanced around at the small group. "Don't let me interrupt whatever y'all were doing. Like I said, I'm just wandering."

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"I'd like to get to know you better, it's been so long since I've had a female friend to do girly things with."

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"Well, you can certainly get your fill here," Sis grumbled as she stepped towards the group. She'd missed the tapping and the conversation about undeath, but she would be happy to wax poetic about the terrible tortures the Spa would provide. Sis was also thoroughly lost. She'd headed for the tennis courts originally, taken a left turn, jumped a log or two, kicked up some leaves and ended up here. On the plus side, it had been great exploring the forested area. On the minus side, she had no idea where she was. On the plus side again, she recognized some people.

"Heya Ian, Ella. Waiting on the shirt for you, kiddo. I'm hoping it and a more substantial bathing suit arrive today." Sis glanced at her watch. "When's mail call anyway?" She nodded to Kruth'T, who looked familiar but whose name escaped her, and Orchid, who looked like she needed a few years in the sun. "Heylo."

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"The seaweed wrap." GG led the way down the hall to another treatment room and knocked on the door.

"I'm gonna be sushi?" Sis made a face. "I don't know about this..."

Alyse poked her head out and grinned broadly. "GG! Mary! C'mon in, I've got everything ready. Just hang your robe on the back of the door and lie down on the table..."

"...it's Sis," she muttered half-heartedly, looking between the two women. GG made a shooing motion and Sis sighed. "Fine..."

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Alyse's cheerful face appeared over Sis. She was upside down. "How are you feeling?" she chirped.

"...like a baked potato. Are we done yet?" Sis tried to move, but was wrapped too tight in the towels and heat blanket. Overall, it had been a weird experience. Alyse had applied the seaweed and mud concoction with a large paintbrush, then layered towels on top. The last step had been to tuck a giant heat blanket, like the ones marathon runners used after a race, tightly around Sis.

She had, of course, immediately tried to see if she could wriggle her way out of the layers. The most she'd been able to do was loosen some of the lower towels, but that was it. Alyse was very good at what she did, which Sis was starting to imagine was torture. She could have sworn that Alyse had put a Barry Manilow CD on before she had left the room.

"Okay, Miss Grumpy, you're just about done. Now lie still while I unwrap you, and then you can go to the shower and clean the seaweed mud off." Alyse began removing the heat blanket and then the towels, one layer at a time.

"Now remember, this treatmeat is designed to give your skin an infusion of moisture and help smooth out any rough edges, like on your knees and elbows. Since you're outside almost every day, you'll want to do a wrap like this at least once a month, if not more often. It'll help your skin recover faster from all the sun, pollutants, and Vahzilok juices you end up exposed to. And you should always wear a sunscreen! Too many superheroes forget that." Alyse shook her head as she removed the second to last layer of towels. "I swear, in a few years, we're going to start seeing Heroes with skin cancer. They remember their helmets, but not their sunscreen."

"Okay, now, go ahead and get up and bring your robe. I'll show you to the shower."

"Um...what about the towels?" Sis managed to sit up. She was still covered in at least one layer.

"Oh, you'll take those off in the shower. It'll be fine. They're washable!" Alyse beamed, handing Sis her robe. "l'll be right outside."

"...this place is a madhouse," Sis muttered to herself as Alyse left the room. Struggling to stand and not lose all the towels, she shrugged into the robe and slipped on the flip flops. With a quick glance around the room, she opened the door.

"Okay, now, once you're done with your shower, you're free to go. Make sure you check out with the receptionist and turn in your locker room key for the day. Don't forget, at least one hour in the whirlpool this afternoon! It was nice meeting you!" Alyse beamed at Sis and pointed her towards an empty shower stall. "See you soon!"

"Hopefully not!" Sis replied under her breath as Alyse left the room. The locker room was deserted, so Sis stepped into the shower and put the water on full blast, as hot as it would go. So far, this was the best part of the whole Spa experience.

A while later, Sis pulled a brush through her hair and put it up in a ponytail. Leaving the towels and robe in a hamper, she made sure she had all her things together and headed for the front desk, key in hand.

"Here you go," she said, dropping the key into the receptionist's hand.

"Thanks! See you tomorrow, Miss Sis!"

"...tomorrow? Oh, right, the massage." Sis nodded unethusiastically.

"And a facial! It'll be very relaxing. Have a great afternoon!"

"...a facial." Sis sighed and quickly exited out into the afternoon sunshine. Now seemed like a great time to wander the grounds. Anything, to get as far as possible from the cheerful Spa ladies.

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"All set?" GG knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Ah, good. Very well, let us get started. Now, I know you have knee injuries, yes? And are often on the front lines? Yes, yes. We will focus on the upper back at first, then move down the muscles. This may hurt..."

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"OW!"

"Are you quite alright?"

"...yeah, just walked into the table. I'm all kinds of stiff too." Sis rolled her shoulders. "Are you sure this is a good thing? I mean, I've been doing fine 'til now..."

GG shook her head sternly. "You do not sleep much, yes? You have trouble relaxing. Always moving...ah...what is the word...twitchy, no? That is not fine."

Sis grimaced. "Nail, head. I just don't have that much time to even try to relax. Invasions, investigations, incursions, etc."

GG smiled and patted Sis's shoulder gently. "Meditation may help, yes? For now, I think you should try swimming. It helps to take much pressure off your-" She stopped speaking at the look of absolute horror that came over Sis's face. "There is something the matter?"

"Um...well, only if I haven't gotten a care package yet...The...um...only swimsuit I have with me is...floss. Yeah." Sis shoved her hands into the pockets of the robe.

"Ah...that is easily solved." GG beamed. "Do not wear it!"

Sis lost all the color in her face. "D-don't wear it? Are you KIDDING?!"

GG blinked. "You do not approve?"

"Look...I don't mind short shirts, hip huggers, shorts, and boots. Really. But I don't need to show the world the rest!" Sis' cheeks were starting to regain color...a bright red. "I mean...besides, it's not like it's a private pool..." she grasped at a possible explanation that would let her object without seeming like a prude.

"I...see. Yes. Perhaps shorts and t-shirt would work better." GG nodded firmly. "You should spend time today in the whirlpool. An hour, at the least." She tapped Sis in the middle of the back. "A jet here, please. And I will see you tomorrow." GG checked a clipboard. "Ah...the same time!"

Sis managed a smile. "Sounds great..."

"For now, I will show you to Alyse's room."

"Um...what?"

"The seaweed wrap." GG led the way down the hall to another treatment room and knocked on the door.

"I'm gonna be sushi?" Sis made a face. "I don't know about this..."

Alyse poked her head out and grinned broadly. "GG! Mary! C'mon in, I've got everything ready. Just hang your robe on the back of the door and lie down on the table..."

"...it's Sis," she muttered half-heartedly, looking between the two women. GG made a shooing motion and Sis sighed. "Fine..."


((Alyse is an open NPC. ))

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"You were going to try to use the machines on your own, weren't you."

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Ed returned her critical look, “You believe that would be dangerous, don’t you?” He didn’t really want an answer to that and just wheeled toward the leg press machine. With a little wheelchair dexterity, Edward abruptly stopped which pushed the chair forward a bit then shifted his weight in the same direction to eject himself from his seat. He leaned against the machine and moved himself in the right direction to get settled in then pulled his legs on with his hands.

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"It's dangerous when you're not injured too, you know." Sis watched his display of independence blandly. "More people get injured from using weights incorrectly then get injured by working or sports." She shrugged and scooped up her bag, turning away. "Suit yourself."

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“So, I hear you’re having trouble with your legs or knees?” he smirked before checking the weight and adding the right amount of resistance he was used to with a bit of telekinesis. “I bet the story behind that injury is pretty fascinating. I’d rather you tell it to me when you have the time, however,” he said, hinting he came upon that tidbit of information through means other than actually hearing it.

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Sis paused. "Miss Priss wasn't welcome up there, so you aren't either," she said through clenched teeth. "You want to know? Ask. Out loud." Keeping a tight grip on her bag, she strode across the room and out of the door. [censored] telepaths.

Still seething, Sis managed to swipe a sandwich and an apple from the cafeteria and wolf them down on her way to the Spa. She was shown to the locker room by a cheerful attendant.

"Okay, now, for your treatment, you'll need to take off your clothes and put on this robe-"

"I have to what?" Sis stared at the young woman.

"Well, you can leave your underwear on, but take everything else off. We've provided flip flops and a nice comfortable robe for you," she replied perkily. "Now, you're getting a deep tissue massage, so I'm sure you'll be completely relaxed when you're done. Enjoy!" The attendant flashed a smile and bounced out of the locker room.

"..."

With a sigh, Sis opened her assigned locker and began to change clothes. Saffyre is soooo dead...

"Excuse me? You are Mary, yes?"

"AHHH!" Sis jumped and whirled around, clutching the robe to her chest. "Don't DO that!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I did not mean to startle you." The eight-foot tall blue-skinned woman with two feet of antennae sprouting from her forehead bowed to Sis. "I am GG. I will be your massage therapist today."

"...h-hi." Sis quickly shrugged into the robe. "Um...nice to meet you, GG. You can call me Sis..."

"As you like. Right this way please!" GG turned to lead Sis towards a treatment room, a shimmer of translucent scales catching the light.

"You have wings," Sis said.

"You are quite observant," GG replied with a slight smile.

"Er...sorry." Sis managed a sheepish expression. "I'm still not totally comfortable with all this," she added, gesturing to the Spa at large.

"I understand. Well, perhaps it would help to know that super-powered humans, or metas, are paired with super-powered therapists, like myself. I am what humans call an empath." GG flashed a brilliant smile as she opened the door to the treatment room.

"So, shouldn't you be in a hospital or something? Like a nurse?" Sis eyed the massage table with trepidation.

"I am more as a combat medic than a nurse, yes? Please, lie down on the table, under the sheet. You may hang your robe on the back of the door. I will be back in a few minutes."

"But-" Sis stared at the closed door. "...I hate Saffyre. I really do." Continuing to grumble her displeasure, Sis followed GG's instructions, slipping under the sheet and trying very hard to relax.

"All set?" GG knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Ah, good. Very well, let us get started. Now, I know you have knee injuries, yes? And are often on the front lines? Yes, yes. We will focus on the upper back at first, then move down the muscles. This may hurt..."

-----

((GG is a character of mine I wanted to introduce. She'll be a massage therapist, working at the Spa and with injured folks from the Clinic. Let me know if your toon would like to make an appointment. ))

((Thanks for posting these, Star!

I knew I was going to commission Graver after his piece for Bradders (link). It had just the right feeling that I wanted for ShadowDruid. And I think it came out wonderfully!

Congrats on your piece as well, Turbo! What a great concept for the art! ))

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Ed stared coldly at a part of the wall across the room when Sis mentioned the wheelchair. He wasn’t a normal handicapped, or handicapable is what optimistic refer to them as, that had come to terms with his condition yet. It was downright annoying having it thrown in his face like Sis did but he just groaned inaudibly to the question. “I haven’t been able to walk normally for months now,” he answered tersely. “It was either a wheelchair or a walker and I’d rather not look incapable and old at the same time.”

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Sis winced a little. Edward wasn't the first person she'd run into who'd lost the use of his legs, and for some reason, they all seemed rather testy about it. With good reason, she reminded herself. Still, he'd been walking yesterday, right? That was a great trick...

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Thinking back to yesterday, it did look like he was able to walk normally, at least to Sis. He hadn’t told her much nor had he much of a chance. “I wasn’t really walking yesterday, more like floating in the air with my feet touching the ground. I used my telekinesis to move my legs like normal. I still have function in my legs but it’s very basic. I was actually going to do some leg work here.”

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"...oh. That explains it then." Sis eyed him critically. "And I guess you'd rather not have to use the telekinetics on yourself if you can avoid it, huh?" She nodded slowly, almost to herself. Sis was silent for a moment, and then asked quietly, in a musing tone, "Have you considered an exoskeleton?"

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Finally turning toward her, Ed cocked a brow, “Jackie who? Is that who you’re here to see?”

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Sis jerked her thumb over her shoulder in Jackie's direction. The trainer was working with another patient, one who appeared to have a shoulder injury. "Jackie, the trainer. I had my torture session earlier." Sis grimaced as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her knees were going to be very unhappy for a while yet. "She's tough, but she knows what she's doing." Pausing, she gave Edward yet another critical look. "You were going to try to use the machines on your own, weren't you."

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Ed tentatively turned his head in Sis’ direction, “Hi….” His spirit was hopeful and determined but quickly sank into a distraught state when confronted with Sis and therefore the events from the day before. Ed didn’t want Sis feeling responsible though so he quickly tried to perk up, but his expression fell short. “….You look good,” he managed to blurt out with a somber look on his face.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Er...thanks..." Sis looked decidedly confused. It was Edward, but what was he doing in a wheelchair? And what was with his reaction? It was like he'd been on cloud nine and then something had brought him crashing down. Three guesses who the something was..., she thought to herself. What a great way to start the afternoon.

She glanced around and then dropped her bag at her feet. "Um...look, about yesterday, I didn't mean....um, I hope I wasn't......what the heck are you doing in a wheelchair?!" Sis ran a hand through her hair and managed a wry grin. "As you can see, tact isn't my strong point..." She shrugged, poking the bag with her toe. "Anyway, if I got in the way yesterday, I'm sorry, but I couldn't not, really. Even if Ms. Priss was better at smoothing things over with the guards." Sis rolled her eyes, expressing exactly how she felt about that episode. "You here to see Jackie?"

[ QUOTE ]
There should be some ice packs in the freezer. Twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off, repeat. Don't forget to grab lunch while the cafeteria's still open."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis sat up with a groan and winced. The icebags were starting to loose their cooling power and the clock had ticked off almost an hour. "Good enough," she muttered, sliding off the training table stiffly. She tossed the icebags back into the freezer and walked slowly towards the showers. Jackie was already with another client; they barely exchanged nods.

The shower helped, warming Sis up and helping to relax her back a bit. Jackie had mentioned GG was a massage therapist of some sort. In her younger days...Sis winced internally, she wasn't that old....in her younger days, she'd never met a massuse she didn't like. Lately though....well, other things had gotten in the way. Like saving people and foiling plots and such.

Sis pulled a brush through her hair and declared it good enough. She stuffed her gym clothes into her bag and slung it over her shoulder, walking out towards the main entrance. Her mental map of the grounds still had some gaps, but she figured she knew how to get to the cafeteria from her. Her stomach confirmed that it would be an ideal destination.

"Yeesh...you'd think I hadn't eaten breakfast..."

As she headed past the workout area, she did a double-take. It looked like a man in a wheelchair was entering the gym and he seemed awfully familiar. Pausing, she blinked and then headed in his direction. It couldn't be....could it?

"...Edward?"

((Woefull, other than the OOC comments to other players - previously mentioned - why not use an alt to communicate her condition to your regular playing circle? Whether the alt is on the same "side" or not is irrelevant. Maybe they're a Hero who picked up some intel from Vanguard or Longbow. Maybe they're a Villain who went traipsing through the Aeon City University Medical Center records.

And following that vein of thought, why not use a newspaper mission to flesh this out? I believe there are several where you have the option to kidnap a reporter or a nurse. Either could have been doing research on the event that caused the damage. Perhaps your character's reactions to the things that are said would help clue in your RP partners.

I wish you luck! ))

The Next Day...

"....nngggggh!"

"One more, c'mon...."

"....gah!"

"Alright, let's rack 'em. Tomorrow you'll need to try twenty-five. Still have to watch that tendinitis, though."

Sis stood up from the leg press machine and winced. The trainer was already moving the weights back to the racks. It had been a grueling morning. Cardio, weights, more cardio, more weights, balance exercises, and another round of weights. She would be lucky to walk out of here.

"Okay, let's go review your results. Then we can tailor your morning therapy sessions correctly. You've got tendinitis in both knees and a strained left elbow." The trainer, Jackie, consulted her clipboard, then looked up at Sis for verification. When Sis nodded, she continued. "You've also got a very tight upper back and shoulders. There's not a lot of rotation there. So what we'll do is work on calf, hamstring, and quad exercises for the tendinitis. The point is to take as much pressure off the knees as possible. We'll do some stretching for the elbow, and the upper back. I want you to see GG this afternoon...it looks like you're already scheduled. Then we'll meet here tomorrow morning and go through the tailored program. Any questions?"

Jackie handed Sis a piece of paper with some exercises and repetitions written on it. Sis glanced over it and then nodded. "Looks standard. You'll walk me through these?"

"Yup. For now though, better get showered and some ice on those knees. The training room's through there. There should be some ice packs in the freezer. Twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off, repeat. Don't forget to grab lunch while the cafeteria's still open."

"Thanks." Sis shook Jackie's hand and dragged herself to the training room. Finding a pair of ice packs, she settled gingerly on an exam table and lay back, resting the packs on her knees. She hadn't felt this banged up since...well, since the incident that had sent her here.

"[censored] Council robots," she muttered, watching the clock move slowly.

((Yay, mostly caught up!))

[ QUOTE ]
<snip>

“Okay, now I’ll contact central security to tell them I’ve apprehended you. If you play along, I’ll gain a bit of trust from those working here. With that trust, I can perhaps get some things changed around here….okay?” Sandra passed a glance to both Sis and Edward, sincerely hoping they’d help her help them.

With a quick tune in using the dial on the antennae that were over her ears, she sent a message as well as a telepathic image saying and showing the situation has been resolved.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sis frowned, but shrugged. If the security team wasn't going to show up, she didn't really need to be here anymore. The rocks and lava slowly crumbled off of her. She removed her gloves once more and shoved them in her pocket.

[ QUOTE ]
<snip>

“Well, let’s go,” Sandra interrupted, “The sooner we get you back to your quarters, the less likely the guards will try and poke you in the butt again.” She started walking back toward the building without waiting for either to follow.

Still staring at his feet, Ed let out a sigh. “You can help if you want,” he said to Sis, “but I’d rather you not get mixed up in all of this. Thinking about the trouble I’ve gotten myself in is just depressing and I wish it would just go away but if you can help this go away faster, that’s just as good.” Keeping his eyes low, he followed after Sandra.

[/ QUOTE ]

"...."

Sis just stared at Edward's back for a moment before taking a few quick strides forward. "You've got your priorities all screwed up," she hissed. "If you're a fighter, then fight. Don't let someone walk all over you, just because they might happen to be a little more knowledgable. Otherwise, you're just a doormat." Sis took a step back as Ian came into view.

[ QUOTE ]
<snip>
Ian didn’t bother replying to that last comment, or thinking about responding to it. He just moved in the direction Sandra beckoned him. In a minute or so, Ian was meeting up with Sandra, Ed and Sis. He began bowing apologetically to Edward and Sandra saying “Sorry, sorry I let you guys down,” and didn’t bother saying much else to keep his thoughts as blank as possible.

Ian’s eye caught the woman that was behind Ed and recognized her instantly. “Sis? What are you- Oh, I did ask- I mean…..Hi, how’s it going?” Ian’s face turned beat red as he desperately tried to mask his thoughts but to no avail.

<snip>

“I- I’m sorry,” Ian apologized again.


[/ QUOTE ]

"Eh, s'all good," Sis replied. "It was...entertaining, I guess." She glanced between the three of them and then shook her head. "Yeah. See ya." She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked off, wandering her way through the grounds back to the Spa. Her thoughts were spinning in an angry loop, replaying the events of the afternoon. She was indignent for Ed and pissed off at his apparent capitulation. She didn't understand how an intelligent person like Sandra could not imagine a malicious use for their own invention. Most of all, she was furious with Catwalk for sticking her in this place.

Sis finally found her way back to the Spa and discovered that dinner had been left for her in her room. She nibbled on it briefly before flopping on the bed and trying to get some sleep. She had her first therapy session tomorrow, potentially with the self-same medical personnel who had been working with Ed. The thought kept her up most of the night.


((Thanks Leo! Next up, the 'next day'!))