Rush1

[ QUOTE ]
“You vill die from radiation poisoning hero!” Vald said this as his hands now grappled with the new hulking hero as the other Vince launched more frozen rubble towards this time at rush as he entered as the open vents in his containment suit made icicles he started to use as deadly projectiles causing shatter damage at the walls where he missed him just barely providing aid to Vald by throwing one at the muscle tank.

[/ QUOTE ]

"I'm a mutant," Big Al Bino pointed out as he wrestled with the radiation-spewing behemoth. "What difference is that gonna make?" Honestly, he didn't really know how much radiation his mostly-invulnerable body could withstand, but it wasn't as if he were planning on having kids any time soon anyway.

Rush bobbed, weaved and hopped to evade the shower of icy shards. Some sliced and ripped his costume in a few places, which really annoyed him. "Y'know, I'm gonna catch a cold being around you," he commented as he snatched a few
flying icicles from midair and dashed into melee range of Vince.

[ QUOTE ]
But the heat was on as being near Vald and his uncontrollable radiation leaking out of the vents in his suit as looking through the eye plates could see a muscled man with cracked skin that glowed from radiation along with his eyes.
“What makes you think you can take on a communist? I am proud to be the same device that can destroy your evil capitalist ways..
And my commander has given me this gift and I swear loyalty to him and my way of life!”
With this he gained a footing allowing him a chance to force the hero into a pillar.

[/ QUOTE ]

Al grunted with the impact of being slammed against a thick marble pillar. He heard it crack slightly ... or maybe that was his ribs. In response to Vald's 'communist vs. capitalist' rant, he commented, "aw, c'mon! Why y'gotta bring politics into this? Does this look like CNN to you?" He tried clapping the palm of his hands against the sides of Vald's head, hoping to stun the irritable communist.

[ QUOTE ]
While Vince coughed and spoke in a ghastly voice to the hero rush.
“ready to meet… * coughs * your icy doom….?” He said this the vents on his palms now opening allowing him to forge a maul from ice.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Well, I was planning on meeting my warm, fuzzy doom, actually," Rush replied. "Just not today." He attemped to jam the icicles he'd grabbed into the open vents in the containment suit, hoping to cause an overload.

[ QUOTE ]
((so you know and every one there was a force field placed on teh side with the broken windows.. just check back since you didn't see it.))

[/ QUOTE ]

((Yeah, I'm sure I didn't. No offense, but I have a hard time understanding half of what you put in your posts.))

CHARACTER NAME: Jeremy "Karve" Lester
APARTMENT NUMBER/LOCATION: 3rd Floor, #305
STORYTELLER: Revampinator
THEME SONG: "Lapdance" by N.E.R.D.
SHORT DESCRIPTION: Claws/Regeneration Stalker. Caucasian male, 6'1", 199 lbs, brown hair dyed white, green eyes often hidden behind dark-gray sunglasses - wears dark-gray leather jacket with spiked shoulders, dark-gray cargo pants with white flame designs, and black stee-toed combat boots. Smokes cigarettes, often lighting them with the tips of his hand-borne energy blades. Has an obsessive personality and a weakness for women.
PHOTO (URL): http://pics.livejournal.com/wyzeguy/pic/0001e7t5
HERO CORPS RAP SHEET (URL): http://www.herocorps.com/vdb/?i=220
KNOWN ASSOCIATES (VG): Mayhem, Inc.

(( I hope this is okay: I'm bringing in Big Al Bino, one of my alts. This marks the first time Al and Rush have been seen together, made possible through the magic of messageboard roleplaying. ))

The hospital healed him up quite nicely, and on his way back to the ballroom/warzone Rush encountered another hero who'd recieved his distress call.

This one was over seven feet tall with shoulders almost as wide. While his thickly-muscled body was impressive, by far the most noticeable thing about him was his pale white skin and matching hair, which gave him the appearance similar to an albino. In fact, his heroic moniker was a variation of that: Big Al Bino.

Rush explained the situation as they traveled toward the ballroom building; he had to hang back a bit since Al didn't have a super-jump ability.

"You have GOT to show me how you do that," Al told Rush as he made due with his Combat Jumping. His pale skin gave off a soft glow of invulnerability, useful in case he accidentally attracted fire from the irate gangs in the area.

"Special soles built into my boots," Rush explained. "This isn't a natural power of mine; I just saved up a lot to get these. I got tired of some places being unreachable."

"In that case, I gotta get me a pair o'those. How much?" Al's jaw dropped when Rush told him how much the soles were priced.

Rush perched on a rooftop overlooking the ballroom building. 'Well, here we are. The warzone is in there, and it's NOT pretty."

Al scratched his head. "I thought you said there were hot women in there."

"There are," Rush explained. "But unless you like dating homicidal women--"

"First time for everything."

Rush shook his head. "There are also a few more supervillains, at least one other lame hero, and now a bunch of soldiers." He used his enhanced hearing and vision to get a clearer idea of what was going on inside. "So like I said: ugly."

Al flexed his muscles, and jumped onto the rooftop ledge near Rush. "So what're we waitin' for? Let's do this!" With that, he leaped off the rooftop and aimed for one of the shattered windows, his bulk just barely fitting through the frame.

"Wait, what're you--?" Rush asked, watching his new teammate tackle a giant in a glowing radiation suit who was standing near the window. Shrugging, Rush leaped off the building as well, allowing a surge of adrenaline to blast through his system as he entered through a different window in the same room than Al Bino did. He landed just in time to watch Al toss the glowing brute at the ice-emitting one.

I haven't RPed this character in the Whitmoore thread for quite some time, but I'm posting his info just so he can continue to have a place to stay.

Apartment: 317
Name: Alphonse "Big AL Bino" Bannon
Current Location: Varies
Storyteller: Revampinator
Summary: Big AL Bino is a huge (over 7 feet tall) bruiser with pale white skin and matching hair. His size, strength, and coloration are the result of a genetic mutation that kicked in during adolescence. In high school, the Kings Row native had briefly enjoyed a football career until the murder of his brother, a member of the Skulls street gang, by a member of the Hellions. Al had been groomed by the Skulls to join their gang, but his violent refusal earned him the gang's eternal wrath. Discovering his mutant gifts were useful in beating up bad guys, Al entered a career as a superhero shortly after high school graduation. He moved into the Whitmoore Apartment building, though he rarely spends time in it other than to shower and sleep; the rest of the time he's adventuring or hanging out in coffee shops.

Rush was too busy fending off the homicidal henchwomen to register Rocketman's presence as anything more than anomalous hard rock in the background. One of the women tackled him, and from there he had to guard himself against their raining fists and feet. Under normal circumstances, the idea of being dogpiled by several barely-clad women had its merits, but these weren't normal circumstances.

Rush hovered at the edge of unconsciousness, hoping the women didn't damage his medicom teleporter in case he needed a trip to the hospital. Then he finally realized where the weird rock music was coming from: looking past one of the rabid henchwomen, he glimpsed a familiar hero whose love for such music was only slightly less infamous than his tendency to fly and land with all the grace of a defeated fighter jet.

"Rocketman...?" Rush muttered, surprised at the sight of his annoying colleague. He decided that under no circumstances was he going to let the women defeat him, as there was too much at stake and the odds were too stacked against the heroes to even risk a teleport.

But suddenly, one of the henchwenches struck him hard across the jaw, removing his options. Rush lost consciousness as he teleported to the nearest hospital.

[ QUOTE ]
“RUSH! Look around you, do you really think you can fight off all of my lovelies?!” shouted the goddess with a sadistic smile now creeping across her perfectly sculpted face. Her harpies were now so close to the party guests that they could smell the pure fear radiating from the herd.


[/ QUOTE ]

"One way to find out," Rush answers as his super-jump carries him toward the henchwomen. He figures he has countless hours of experience dealing with mobs of foes like Hellions, Skulls, Circle-of-Thorns mystics, Outcasts, and the like; fighting off these women should be just another day at the office.

As the woman closest to the partygoer reaches for one guest, Rush grabs her wrist, twists, and pulls, flipping her over onto her fellow henchwomen. Rush's fists and feet are flurries of movement, striking at their knees, arms, ankles, hips, and other body parts in order to prevent them from advancing any further. With any luck, he'll end up hobbling at least a few of them.

Just before he leaped into the fray, he secretly tapped a tiny device hidden on the visored eyepieces of his mask, sending out a distress call to any hero in the zone. He hoped other heroes would recieve the message through their own standard-issue devices and help turn the time. Though it would be just his luck if the mayhem in the ballroom was only capable of attracting people by accident, instead of on purpose.

The valkyrie's attrie under the dress really didn't do much for him, honestly. It just looked like she was trying too hard to be sexy and show skin. Besides, what good was skull-shaped body armor if it offered most of her body very little protection.

She tackled him, and Rush rolled with her before using the close proximity to deliver another Cobra Strike to a nerve cluster on her neck. He hoped it would stun her some more so he could break free of her.

Then another hero joined in. At least he assumed the guy was a hero, since he punched the valkyrie.

[ QUOTE ]
"Sorry to cut in like this tramp, but I will be your dance partner for the evening." He gave the valkyre a once over, and readied himself for the counterstrike. To the hero he said, "Yo, Mr. Hero I will take this bimbo, you deal with the bimbo and her puppet up on the chandlier."

[/ QUOTE ]

Rush took one look at the crater the guy just made in the valkyrie's armor. "Uh, my security level's still 18. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're a higher level than I am. I think I can take her, but I don't think I can say the same for the Gruesome Twosome over there. D'you think you can deal with them? I'm Rush, by the way."

Loud screams directed his attentions to a corner of the ballroom floor, where the rest of the godess' henchwenches had reached the unfortunate dinner guests. "Man, I hate multitasking."

(( Actually, Mean Lenny sent a psychic attack to Metamoros to get him to shoot at Rush. ))

[ QUOTE ]
"Rush dear," said the goddess, "dont worry about the room, i'll have it repared by next week at the latest" she let out a laugh that resonated through the ballroom as she jumped from chandelier wire to wire in a mockingly whimsical fasion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rush is too busy scrambling to evade gunfire from the guy with the guns to reply to that.

He ducks behind the valkyrie, figuring that a) he had to to pump more strength than usual into his Cobra Strike to stun her, and b) she was sturdy enough to cause a ground tremor and heft a heavy bannister without injuring her own body. So he figures she can take some bullets without dying, but hopefully they'll at least slow her down and/or draw attention away from him to the soldier guy.

Leaping onto the top of the staircase, Rush bounds off toward the chandelier where the goddess is jumping around. Hoping to take the fight to the main instigator, he attempts to knock her off the chandelier with a flying kick. He puts as much speed and strength into the attack as he can muster.

(( Midnight_Dawn, if your character is a hero instead of a villain, bless you! Rush has his hands full, and someone needs to keep the henchwomen away from the bystanders.

In fact, if any other superheroes are interested in joining in, I'd appreciate it ))

Okay, Rush has to admit the sight of the upside-down valkyrie is impressive from his vantage point. Still, the situation doesn't look very good.

[ QUOTE ]
You mus'nt let your enemy gain the upper hand Seductress. Now get down there and make your mistress proud."

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, so the brawny woman is the Seductress and the lead villainess is the MIstress. Rush makes a mental note to write this down, but for now he dashes out of the way of the earthbound blonde. The ground tremor she creates upon landing knocks him off his feet, andhe rolls into a crouch. "Geez! You might wanna lay off the snacks--"

[ QUOTE ]
"ready for round two darling?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Looking up at the valkyrie again, Rush mutters, "oh, sh--" and finds himself clobbered by the remainder of the bannister, unable to duck in time. He gets back up, a bit unsteady on his feet before a surge of adrenaline helps him recover. "Okay, so far you and your sorority sisters're doing more damage to your house than I am," he points out to the goddess supervillain lady.

(( Confusion hass been fixed. ))

The tall woman is effectively dazed by his nerve strike, which is good because Rush had many more opponents where she came from.

He jumps and kicks at her neck, springing off of her in the process to backflip up onto the bannister. Taking stock of the other henchwomen's positioning, he prepares to descend into their midst before they can reach the innocent partygoers.

[ QUOTE ]
“My My, You’re a playful little thing aren’t you? Saddly, you dont know the first thing about foreplay with me, I'm invincible.”

[/ QUOTE ]

He has to admit, she has the seductive starlet thing down pat. The only thing keeping him from being completely swept up in her appeal is the fact that he prefers the girl-next-door type. Rush is willing to bet at least half of the villainess' body weight is composed of plastic surgery and makeup (or at least he prefers to think that in order to stay focused). In response to her comment about foreplay, he asks, "who said anything about fore--"

[ QUOTE ]
“Now, please allow the Velvet Seductress to assist you to a horrible death.” The woman gave a swift kick to the banister and it toppled from the staircase as if it were made of mud.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rush flips off of the bannister and lands in a crouch, using his agility to render the impact negligible. "'Velvet Seductress'? Is that you or somebody else? I hate it when villains speak in third person; it makes intros so confusing!"

He follows up his commentary by pulling a chair away from a nearby table and kicking it toward one of the henchwomen, causing her to stumble and topple over it.

[ QUOTE ]
“Darling, try not to destroy the room, there no reason to destroy the house, now is there” Said the woman as she now stood, perfectly balanced on one of the wires supporting the grand chandelie looking down at the chaos below.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rush snickered. "You're trying to murder your guests, and you're lecturing me about making a mess?" Before the valkyrie can recover from his Cobra Strike, he grabs her arm and uses his speed and leverage to throw her upward toward the Velvet Seductress ... if that was even her name.

The hostess with the mostest confers with the newcomer after he hits the pause button on her wall of flame. She talks to him as an equal, and Rush gets the distinct impression the floating guy is another supervillain. Oh joy.

[ QUOTE ]
“I only ask one thing, KILL THAT FESTERING BOIL BESIDE YOU HE IS A HERO!”

[/ QUOTE ]

Rush winces at both her PMS moment and her insult. "Festering boil?" he repeats, pouting. "How RUDE!I'll have you know I'm a medically-treated boil! Honestly, of all the nerve...."

[ QUOTE ]
Now regaining her composure, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I still have socialites to kill, CHARMER, SEDUCTRESS, have your fun” *she smiles seductively as she awaits Lenny’s decision*

[/ QUOTE ]

Deciding to let the two villains continue with their negotiation over who lives and dies, Rush super-jumps from his perch on the table over to the crowd of cattle -- er, socialites. The tall, amazonian henchwoman is closer, so Rush intercepts her by launching a Cobra Strike at a nerve cluster on her neck. Hopefully it should stun her long enough for him to deal with the smaller girl with the press-on nails.

* * *

Meanwhile, a gang of Trolls congregate outside the building, trying to decide if they should be bothered with going in after the red-clad hero they recently tossed through the window.

(( editing this, 'cause I was typing as Tempress was posting, apparently... ))

As soon as Rush gets ready for the inevitable fight, another shattering of glass sounds nearby, heralding someone else's arrival. Rush wonders if this one arrived the same way he did: head-first. As it turns out, that's not the case, and the flying newcomer appears to be surrounded by glowing energy particles. Might be a fellow superhero ... or at least, he hopes so.

The newcomer cracks an evil grin and speaks in what's probably a British accent, making a quip about being invited. Honestly, Rush can't tell if this is an ally or not, since plenty of heroes go for the whole "shady evil" mystique.

But of course there's the matter with the eeeevil socialites.

[ QUOTE ]
"You two!" she shouts with a hint of bloodlust, "how dare you crash through my magnificent windows! Wait, i don't care who you are!" The woman drops her glass of cognac and and it floats in the air for a few seconds. Like a bullet, the glass of amber liquid shoots towards the two figures. The clawed pixie standing at the foot of the stairs throws a flaming dart at the glass, setting the liquid aflame as it races to the two figures.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rush dashes quickly to the side to avoid the cone of flame, hopping onto a nearby table.

(( I have a question though: are you posting Mean Lenny's actions as well as your own? Because that kind of character control is usually bad form. Just sayin'... ))

(( Hope you don't mind R u s h being the one to crash the party! ))

The window explodes in a shower of glass shards as a two-tone red blur rockets through it. The spectacle is impressive and heroic ... or at least it would be if the figure in the crimson bodysuit didn't immediately slam into a thick marble piller.

Sinking to the floor, Rush grogglily shakes the glass shards of his costume and holds his head, waiting for the room to stop spinning. He realizes he's in an expensive ballroom ... which meant the window through which he was just tossed probably cost as much as his college tuition. Glancing up at the partygoers, he apologizes, "sorry about the window! Local Cape on official business. Just got body-tossed by a Freaker, but don't worry, I'll be out of your way in a sec, and you can get back to your...."

He trails off, realizing the terrified guests aren't even paying much attention to him. Instead, they're fixated on a group of women who manage to look menacing and hot at the same time. "...Party?" he finishes, realizing a bloodbath is about to take place that would have little to do with him. A year or so in the hero business has at least given him enough instinct to tell that much. "Did I come at a bad time?"

A fresh surge of adrenaline blasts through his system, giving Rush a second wind and preparing his senses and physicality for this new conflict. "Or did I come at the right time?"

(( Leave it to Rush to stumble onto this while in the middle of another butt-kicking altogether. ))

"Scorpion! Do not disturb me while I am dumpster diving!"

and

"Girls have cooties."

and

"Not the mama!" *klunk* "Not the mama!" *klunk* "Not the mama..."

*cackles* Man, that'd look like "Benny Hill" meets "Braveheart". Too bad that would lead to two things:

1) The player-heroes getting zilch experience.

2) The players getting aggravated at Pos and Val the same way some of them get upset at the police drones. "Aw c'MON! I had 'im! No fair!"

Might be an awesome experience anyway. The screenshots alone would be priceless.

Anyone in the vicinity might also be rendered sterile. That'd be hilarious!

(Note: I've corrected a couple of spelling and grammar issues with Harris' part of it, and I've added a tiny bit of extra dialogue to Harris to make it seem like they're in the same room, and the interview is being shaped by Rush's responses. So, apologies in advance for that, if it's a problem. Anyway, on with the interview...)

Interview with Rush

Harris: First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to appear on the program.

Rush: Hey, it's not a problem. I'm honored.

Harris: Could you tell the viewers at home a little bit about how and why you became a hero.

Rush (chuckling): Can't give away too much, but my powers came about as a cure for an illness that almost killed me. It healed me and gave me adrenaline-triggered powers and enhanced senses. That's the how.

As for why: I've admired the heroes for all of my life, as well as all people who help others because it's the right thing to do. Sounds corny, I know, but it's how it was raised. Seems like most of my life has led up to this, and I wanna help out any way I can.

Harris: What would you say is the greatest reward for being a hero?

Rush (pondering this for a moment): Y'know, any answer I could give would sound shallow, stock, or whatever. I'm not interested in the reward. It's not about me; it's about the people I help out.

(Shrugging) I get a sense of satisfaction out of what I do, and I certainly have fun doing it, but those perks are beside the point. I'd still be doing this regardless of any reward.

Harris: Have you ever found there is any drawback to being a hero?

Rush: Yeah, but again, if I list them, it's not gonna come out on camera the way I want it to sound. Basically, there are, y'know, perks and drawbacks to any activity. Some parts of the hero biz absolutely suck, but some parts rock and I'd rather focus on that, man.

Harris: What is going through your mind when you are in a dangerous situation that could lead to civilian casualties? That must be a scary situation.

Rush: Yeah, seriously. It could happen any time I rescue someone on the street from a mugger, or during a hostage situation, or any time. One wrong move on my part and the person I'm trying to save goes home in a box. Add that to the fact that I'm trying to resolve a situation without anyone getting killed -- civillian, criminal, or villain -- and the pressure's on. The stakes are high, and it's really scary. The only real advantage I have in that situation is that the adrenaline level bolsters what I can do, so fear's a good thing. It keeps me alert.

Harris: How do you feel about people who use their powers for crime like the Outcasts or the super villains we are starting to see around the city?

Rush: I can't say I respect 'em, or even like 'em, but I do understand how easy it can be to get lost in one's power. I understand that part, but I'm gonna deal with 'em when and if I can.

Harris: What do you think is going through these criminals' minds when they commit these acts?

Rush (after a short pause): My own power is really easy to trigger, and it practically begs to be used once it's on ... and it takes quite a bit of discipline to stay in control. It can be like a tidal wave. And some people, I guess, never learned that discipline, or they haven't mastered it as easily. Or ... some circumstances in their lives have caused them to do things with their gifts that I and other heroes just ... wouldn't. I'm not gonna say "couldn't", because that potential lies in everyone, norm or superhuman.

Harris: How do you feel about the various anti-hero and anti-mutant groups that believe heroes course more problems then they solve? Given the amount of work heroes do for the city this must be quite upsetting.

Rush: They have a right to their opinions, but I just can't see it from that point of view. Or from either view, really.

Harris: Either view?

Rush: Anti-hero or anti-mutant. Those're really two separate viewpoints, and they're not mutually exclusive. You can dislike heroes without being against the idea of mutants. And vice-versa.

I think the anti-hero groups have to realize that costumed heroes can't solve every problem. It's ... it's not in us to do, no matter how godlike or powerful we might be. I don't know how you can really say we create more problems than we solve without doing a point-by-point breakdown of what we create and we solve. I mean, heroes helped put this city back together after the Rikti invasion, and while it's not a one-hundred-percent solution, the key word in that sentence is "helped". We ... and by "we" I mean heroes; I wasn't a hero at that time worked together to tackle a common goal ... and y'know what? I think that's when super-types are at they're best: when we're working alongside civilians to solve problems.

Harris: And anti-mutant groups?

Rush: Oh, right. Them I have even less patience for. Mutants are people who're born with superhuman gifts, and they didn't ask of them. I can't see how someone is gonna attack on general principle the idea of people having those gifts.

(Getting progressively passionate) It doesn't make any sense, because people are, y'know ... they're more than just powers. Personalities and upbringing play into a person's development, too. I mean, some people are born with talents that others have. Mechanical skills, artistic skills, or ... let's say computer aptitude. Some people happen to have a knack for computers. If some of 'em grow into computer hackers, does that mean it's a bad thing for people to born with that knack? 'Cause different people do different things with that talent. Some people help others. It's not what you're born with that should be in question -- it's what you do with 'em.

Harris: And finally, have you ever worked along side the Statesman? What is he like?

Rush: Nope. Never worked with 'im. I'd like to -- I've heard a lot about him, and he's an inspiration to me. I've just never been in the same room or gathering as him. Heck, I don't even know what I'd do if I met him.

(Chuckling, grinning widely) Knowing me, I'd probably make an idiot of myself, right? I'd either talk way too much or not enough. Hey Statesman? If you're catching this: I'm not mental, I promise! (Laughter)

Harris: I would like to thank you for coming on the show, and on behalf of the citizens of Paragon City, thank you for keeping the streets safe.

Rush: Again, it's no problem, man. Glad to be here, glad to help out.



(Edited to add: And now, having read more of the thread, I feel like an idiot. This looks horribly out of place.)

What I like about CoH is that both roleplaying and adventuring are possible activities. I can do both at once, I could do one or the other, or I could switch gears when it suits me. This game isn't like a first-person shooter or most adventuring games where the entire point is to make it to the next level or to kill/destroy everything in sight. When I'm in the mood to have my characters kick some butt and get some XP, I have them undergo their missions. When I'm in the mood to interact with other heroes ways that don't involve hitting things, I have the characters head to Gemini Park or some other place where fellow players are gathered, and I hang out.

Some venues offer nothing but adventuring, and some involve nothing but RPing and chatting. If a game (like CoH) offers both, and the freedom to switch gears, I'm going to take advantage of that fact.

I suppose if I did nothing but level my characters up, I'd have seen what levels 40 and 50 look like by now (so far, none of my characters have hit level 20 yet), but I've never seen that as the point anyway. It bores me. When I get tired of the XP debt or the treadmill in general, I hang out with other heroes to unwind and shoot the breeze -- or even dance. When that gets tiring, I go bust some heads. That approach has worked out for me so far, though I suppose it must annoy other players who insist I should be busting heads every moment I'm logged into the game. I'm sure the very idea of dancing must annoy both the adventure-minded people and the roleplay-minded people, but my characters happen to enjoy it -- and if they do, so do I.

It probably sounds unheroic to have heroes who aren't dishing out or receiving a beatdown for the entire time I'm playing them, but again, I don't see that as the point anyway. Even a brief look at actual superhero comics reveals that the characters therein don't spend the entirety of every issue "leveling up". Rather, there's often personal character stuff interspersed with the action -- and several issues can go by without any action being seen! So what are they doing the rest of the time? Some are in their civilian identities engaging in activities that lead to superhero action; others without secret identities are often unwinding or doing something else that might be just as (or more) interesting than adventuring. In both cases, the characters (unless they're brooding or sleeping on-panel) are interacting with others, and building the stories that way. This is why I've gone through the trouble to include backstories for most of my characters, and even a secret identity in one case. It gives the characters something to talk about or deal with, and that's what leads to storytelling possibilities.

That's what it's about for me: telling stories with the characters I create. If that somehow offends other players who have a different idea about how I should approach the game ... again, it's not up to you. :P

My advice for people who aren't sure that 1000 words is enough: try writing stories of 50 or 100 words maximum, just for fun. Once you've mastered being concise in stories with incredibly short word counts, a thousand words will seem like a lot and you can tell more story in fewer words.

Believe me, it is possible.

I think secret identities is one concept that's been left out of CoH and would be kind of hard to integrate. It's essential for a lot of heroes, but the way it's set up with missions and contacts and whatnot seems to point to the idea that the heroes are doing this job every waking moment. I like the idea of having secret identities in some way so that some of my characters' extended absences from the game servers can be explained. That, and Rush in particular has a secret identity for which I've created the Mark Joyner character in-game. I haven't used it much because there's not much to do in Paragon City if you're not a hero, but I have noticed that a few players have created normal-looking people with normal names and have inserted them into CoH in order to play a civilian character that heroes can interact with. In fact, as Rush I met one character named Courtney Young, a mutant who (it turned out through a bit of roleplaying) goes to the same high school Rush/Mark does, and was rescued from Skulls once by Rush. Basically, Courtney could have easily been one of the random NPC citizens, and she was an interesting character to roleplay with (what must it be like to be a citizen of this city who doesn't have the luxury of being a superhero?). I created the Mark Joyner identity in-game so that I could interact more with characters of this type (well, okay so I'd created both Rush and Mark Joyner years ago, but this way I can play the Mark side of the character when I want.

I'll have to look into the Tailoring system to see if I can create street clothes for Rush/Mark that way.

Okay, prose and poetry styles are okay, but would it be okay to sumbit comic scripts as well, provided they fit the word-count limit? I have written stories extensively in both prose and comic-script formats (as I am an aspiring comic book writer), so would that style be okay as another possible option for writers? If so, I promise my submitted material will make up no more than 11 story pages.

Just wondering, as the idea hit me recently.