Blaze1616

Correct, just because your hand gets caught inside the bubble does not mean you can move freely through it. It does mean Bubbles can use a knife to cut your hand off, though

Very good point. She's clever enough, though, that she'd be able to slowly increase her bubble size, by creating new bubbles surrounding old bubbles, that she'd potentially gain access to a house with supplies. That of course depends on where said ghoul army attacks her. It also only extends her life span, and doesn't solve the core problem of a ghoul army trying to kill her, waiting just outside her forcefield. With a large enough bubble though, she can take flight, reach an altitude where they can't reach her (not very high obviously), and then drop the bubble to fly away. Lots of potential solutions. There's also lots of ways to kill her. I made me some fragile Epics Yes, it has been lightly raining for a long enough time that the ground is no doubt wet. Also, I have a few questions for you: I do have some questions regarding Converter's powers. 1) She can absorb all types of energy? 2) She can only do so actively? As in she must intentionally trigger the effect. 3) Does she have inherent protection from highly energetic collisions? I understand that the energy absorption implies an immunity to energy itself (such as the heat dissipating from her body), but she punched someone in the face with enough energy to cave their face in, yet her hand suffered no damage. Thanks for the answers!

Thanks! Would such a plan require a lot of knowledge that those characters don't have? Such as the nature of Chase's powers (which I would think would be kept somewhat secret, unless the humans know Chase was controlling them specifically after she releases them), as well as where Chase is hiding out at the time, and who she's currently possessing? I'd also like to point out that, though I do like the idea of constant aliance switching, Iconoclast doesn't really need help. My three Queens are easy to dispose of even without knowing their weaknesses (Buttercup will die if her brain/heart are crushed/pierced/blown up, Blossom has no PI to speak of, and her powers are rather weak, and Bubbles will likely live until her weakness is utilized, but she lacks pretty much any offensive capabilities). That leaves Chase, Cornucopia, and Rainmaker. Though the three of them will be difficult to kill, Iconoclast has the capability of commanding armies, and so long as he leaves a piece of him in a safe place, will never die or age. Worst case scenario, the passage of time will be the downfall of Corvallis, but Iconoclast seems like the kind of guy who will do whatever it takes, because he has nothing to lose. Corvallis's downfall was set in stone the moment Iconoclast decided it would be so. I do, however, feel bad for the vanillas. They're likely doomed to either be canonfodder for Chase, or ghouls for Iconoclast. Which is worse?

I cannot speak to beating Rainmaker, but as far as the Queen structure goes, I can't imagine some of them not stepping in when Rainmaker begins to lose. Why let a newcomer in when they've been in power longer? For my characters, Buttercup would definitely not be supportive of a new Epic (she'd think one of the Queens should fill Rainmaker's spot), Blossom would likely view the loss of weather manipulation as a deal breaker, and Bubbles would follow her sisters unless the new Epic can provide better protection than the Queen structure has. Obviously the only truly important Queen out of those three is Bubbles, as Buttercup and Blossom provide non-essential benefits. In terms of what the Epics of Corvallis would know, I would think the concept of taking down Rainmaker would imply taking down the Queens as a whole, but then different Epics would likely view the situation differently. I do have some questions regarding Converter's powers. 1) She can absorb all types of energy? 2) She can only do so actively? As in she must intentionally trigger the effect. 3) Does she have inherent protection from highly energetic collisions? I understand that the energy absorption implies an immunity to energy itself (such as the heat dissipating from her body), but she punched someone in the face with enough energy to cave their face in, yet her hand suffered no damage. Thanks for the answers!

Buttercup stepped up onto the stage, glancing to Blossom who was standing near Rainmaker. Her sister nodded, the best thank you from Blossom Buttercup was ever likely to get for having handled those crazy humans. She was about to nod back, but a scream from behind her caused her to turn. The scream was coming from the vanilla thrown into the air by what seemed to be yet another Epic. Seriously?! How many are we going to have to deal with today. Euphoria's gone for two hours and all of Hell breaks loose! Buttercup moved to step off the stage, but Rainmaker interrupted her. "Buttercup, get the rest of the crowd clear," was all she needed to hear. If Rainmaker wanted to take on the newcomer, so be it. Buttercup slipped off the stage, walking towards the crowd that was now mostly out of the area. Her police force worked quickly. They knew better than to be sluggish around her. Glancing back at the new Epic, Buttercup noticed the vanillas Chase was messing with. If Chase is using them, I'll leave them be. Hopefully she won't need more of them. Reaching an officer, the Queen of Security began issuing orders. Blossom watched the new Epic very carefully. "Blossom and Cornucopia, stay with me. Hold back for now, and stay out of her line of fire. Try to help me figure out her power profile, if you can," is what Rainmaker had said, so it was time for Blossom to be of some use. The air around the new Epic was shimmering. Not like with glitter, but like on a hot day. That meant heat was concentrated around her. So heat manipulation powers? Blossom looked at the now obvious trail of bodies this new Epic had left in her wake. There were no gaping holes, no scorch marks. Blossom, in a burst of speed and pink light, flew over to one of the bodies a good distance away. Kneeling over it, she cringed at the sight. The man's skin had turned a puffy blue. Putting a hand to his cheek, it felt icy cold. Blossom looked back to the shimmering Epic. There were some vanillas speaking to it, which was likely Chase's doing. Anything to gain them more time would be beneficial. She seems to be leaking heat, otherwise the shimmer wouldn't occur. In addition, these people seem to have suffered severe hypothermia. The logical conclusion is she can manipulate heat in some fashion. Blossom stood, speaking into her mobile now. "Rainmaker, this new Epic seems to be able to manipulate heat. That shimmer around her body? That's a lot of heat leaking from her. It's clearly leaking because the shimmer is due to the heat migrating. To top that off, these bodies exhibit blue skin, and their skin is freezing cold. Blue skin is a symptom of rapid heat loss, also known as severe hypothermia. So heat manipulation is the simplest explanation. That does not, however, explain how she could throw that human so high." Blossom ran a few fingers through her hair. "Such a feat of strength could mean she has super strength like Buttercup." Nothing had happened yet to make her think otherwise. Blossom flew back toward the stage, being sure to keep her distance.

I hated DBQs, because if one of the documents contained something you neglected in your essay, you can kiss a good grade goodbye. Some of the ones I practiced in class would involve a single line that was rediculously important, but was easy to miss. A lot of people struggle with putting themselves in the shoes of other people, which can make DBQ really hard as well.

I actually disagree with you. There are some major differences between Newcago and Corvallis. The two biggest differences are that 1) ALL vanillas are slaves of some kind in Corvallis, providing a near infinite amount (for practical purposes), but in Newcago they aren't, Epics just have the right to kill any vanilla they see fit. 2) Corvallis weather is always amazing (except when the vanilla population upsets Rainmaker), while Newcago is constantly covered in darkness and the city is all steel. Corvallis is essentially a paradise for Epics. Epics who spend time there would naturally be less likely to revolt due to the nature of them even being in Corvallis (unless they enter with the express purpose of overthrowing the Queens like Iconoclast has). On that note, even vanillas are not predisposed to revolt. Well, vanillas from out of town, anyways. One of the original ideas of Corvallis was that even vanillas migrate to the city because they'd rather feel false happiness than live in the crappy world that is ReckonEarth. So the only vanillas that should be revolting are those who have lived in Corvallis all their life, and as such don't know of the horrors of outside the bubble. Otherwise why travel to a town where you know you'll be forced to work, either as a public servant or a private one? It just wouldn't make much sense for any vanillas from out of town to revolt, unless their reasoning is due to the loss of the happiness, but they are far more likely to believe Rainmaker's speech than to just jump to the conclusion that Euphoria is never coming back (particularly when they don't know she's missing). As for Faultline, I don't think one Epic making a dumb decision to turn against their boss is enough evidence to say all Epics are so power hungry as to ruin a good thing. Instead, I think it just shows how stupid Faultline is. Though I agree there is likely someone in Corvallis wanting to challenge Rainmaker's rule, but they'd likely be detered from the thought of having to take all the Queens, not just one. In addition, an Epic taking over Corvallis would have to know that after defeating Rainmaker they'd lose all the security that the bubble provides, all the beautiful weather that Rainmaker provides, and the happiness drug that provides the slave labor, not to mention the crops that the Queens provide. Though it's true an Epic might be able to convince some of the Queens to swap, it would need to be a pretty strong Epic that can promise a reign of control that Rainmaker has already provided. I just don't see much reason for any of the Queens to turn against Rainmaker, and I don't see any challengers succeeding without being crazy powerful (like Iconoclast or Converter) or getting rid of some of said Queens. That's not to say don't go through with whatever ideas you might have. I'm merely expressing a logical breakdown of the situation to take into consideration when creating characters.

Perhaps you could affect plants to grow at the accelerated rate of 1 month = 1 minute. As such crops would take 3-5 minutes to grow and provide the object she planted? I was also going to propose 1 year = 1 minute, but that seems very fast considering she's mostly growing crops.

From somebody who took APWH and got a 5, YOU CAN DO IT! My advice? Memorize those formats for the essays! My AP teacher showed us an essay (this was 5 years ago, remember), and all the factual info was wrong. Kid got a 3, because his format was correct. Those formats are very important. The essay on the actual AP test was CCOT for me. I want to say the culture we focused on was China? But I don't remember by now. Good luck! I can try digging out my APWH stuff if you'd like!

Blossom stood on the stage, arms crossed, staring at the giant hailstone. The past few moments had been...odd. She was pleased with Rainmaker's speech, though. She had emphasized all the right points, and the execution was perfectly done. The only thing Blossom would have changed was the brightness level of Rainmaker's body. When giving a speech such as that, let the crowd see you. Convey more meaning with facial features and body gestures, let the stupid vanillas know you mean business, don't just tell them. The past was the past, however, and the follow up attack had interrupted everything. Blossom spared a glance to look at Tonedeath. The Epic had his uses, though Blossom was a tad remiss that he was not female. He'd make a good Queen if he were. Not for being powerful like Buttercup or Cornicopia, but for being useful, like herself. The two made a good team as well, Blossom's speeches for Rainmaker being much more impactful with a sound manipulator booming them across the city. It truly was a shame he was not a she. Looking back to the hailstone, and seeing that it had not moved after all this time, Blossom stepped next to where Rainmaker floated, speaking softly into the Queen's ear. "We should go, and behind us you should begin the rain. This second breach of Epics is a serious issue, but we should not reveal such information to the public. Continue the plan as normal." Buttercup stood among the crowd as Rainmaker delivered her speech. It was moving, and Buttercup hoped the vanillas would take it to heart. Though she did enjoy bashing skulls in, an all out rebellion would make Buttercup's job much more difficult. The execution was a nice touch, and the crowd seemed completely subdued by that point. That meant the police wouldn't see more action, which was a good thing. No sense in losing any more- "He's an Epic!" The shout penetrated the silence that had been present just moments before. Buttercup turned to see an average looking human grow to grotesque proportions, and its roar was almost deafening. As it lept into the air, Buttercup prepared for a rumble. It had been a while since she clobbered an Epic, and she smiled at the thought of it happening now, in front of everyone. The Epic stopped short at the sound of a bullet amplified. Tonedeath, Buttercup thought, always meddling! Buttercup didn't mind the sound manipulator, but he wasn't a Queen. The whole point of this event, gathering the rioters together, was to show the united strength of the rulers of this city. Now her chance to show her strength was interrupted by one of their subordinates! It didn't matter though, as Rainmaker took advantage of Tonedeath's distraction. At least one of us gets to show off. Buttercup took a few steps back, then began issuing orders to groups of the police, organizing them to take the vanillas back to their homes. No sense in losing more workers because of this attack. As she was issuing orders, Chase's voice rang out, "He's not an Epic!" Buttercup wheeled at that, seeing the thing rise after having fallen Calamity knows how far. He seems to have powers. He can heal, and morph his body. If he's not an Epic... The realization hit her like a freight train. Then he's been gifted! She readied herself as the creature charged her. Once again, though, Rainmaker interrupted. Oh for crying out loud! Buttercup silently fumed as she began looking through the crowd of vanillas now being escorted out of the area. Any one of them could be the gifter. Hearing Rainmaker's order to return the vanillas home, Buttercup chuckled to herself. Already done. She then heard the order for the Queens to return to the stage. Letting out a sigh of mild frustration, she turned toward the stage to find a policeman staring at her. He seemed dazed. Then he spoke as he snapped out of it. It was Chase, controlling him via her powers. Buttercup shrugged off the apology. Chase wasn't made for combat, that didn't bother Buttercup. "Come on, Rainmaker wants you back on stage here."

The thing is, we do know how Epics discover their powers; their Rending. David didn't have a Rending. So either he doesn't have powers, or by having overcome his fear in the past, he no longer had to go through a Rending because those evil tendencies were due to the corruption, which overcoming the fear negates. Moreoever, we do know Prof gifted David powers because of the healing powers David showcased (which diminished until they were gone). There's also no other explanation for the power other than healing powers, because it keeps David feeling fine in the burning building, but then continues to heal him when he gets hurt physically in non-fire ways. So he isn't simply fire proof. There's also no real explanation as to why his healing powers would abruptly stop working either, because he wasn't feeling fear of anything that could be his weakness. To me it seems pretty obvious he was gifted to. Though I understand your argument, I still think we don't have enough data points about Heroes to say for certain. In fact, all we know is that they retain their powers, and can use them without feeling the corruption. Nothing else.

No, the misunderstanding is my fault. As an apology, have an adorable picture of a Shug (Shark-Pug))

How serious do you want his background to be? Glasses don't necessarily have to be the root cause of the fear, just merely an association. For example, being molested by an individual who wears a mask and glasses could cause a child to associate glasses with the pain, and as a result fear glasses.

No no no, that's not what I meant at all! I meant the situation is one of trusting the word of "biased or ignorant" characters. The characters are biased or ignorant, not you guys! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound that way! Let me explain it with an example. In Steelheart, if you asked Tia "are there Epics who can use their powers firsthand and not feel the corruption?" her answer would be "No." Now, her answer would be "Yes." (under the assumption she learns of Megan's lack of feeling the corruption) My point was using the argument of "The characters tell us Epics can't be gifted" as reasoning for David not being an Epic is not a very good argument, just as using "The characters tell us all Epics are evil" as an argument for "No Epics can be good" would be a bad argument from prior to Firefight. I'd also like to say the terms "biased" and "ignorant" are in no way denoted negatively. I would indeed say those cops were ignorant, as they were not privy to the truth. And again, I in no way meant to call you ignorant or biased. I apologize if that is how you read my post.

It only ever had one printing, if memory serves. That's why. I recall Brandon commenting that subterranean is going to get another printing at some point, but who knows when. I feel your pain though. I want a physical copy for my library, and am simply left without.

I like the idea, but find it weird that David would include his thoughts about how hot Megan is in said historical accounts.

I am in the "David is totes an Epic" camp as far as theories are concerned. Given we already know of one difference between Epics who have overcome their fears and those who have not, there is absolutely no reason to believe there aren't other differences. I have almost convinced myself they are two different things entirely; Epics and Heroes (not sold on the Heroes name, but it works for now). Not feeling the corrupting urges is enough, in my mind, to require a difference in classification. I don't see why you've all convinced yourselves there can't be other differences, other than the "Epics can't be gifted to" opinions of the characters. Characters who, up until the very end of Firefight, didn't know Epics could ever not feel the corruption. It is the situation of a biased or ignorant PoV. That being said, I want David to remain a vanilla. Otherwise the message of "The layman can make big changes too, not just the important people" that Steelheart sets is tarnished. Edit: I in no way meant to imply anyone who thinks David is not an Epic is "biased or ignorant." I meant the characters are. See my next post for an explanation, and I apologize to anyone who misread that statement.

I thought the same thing: Two weeks? Does he mean two hours? Oh well, it'll be fun nonetheless.

This is what I get for not reading the 15 pages of Question 10 before posting....I'll be right back. Edit: Post fixed. The stage wound up not really changing anything, though the fact that there were only 10 Ghouls did. For some reason I thought Iconoclast had made a good 20-some.

Bubbles was satisfied with her doodle. It had started very innocent, just a bunny eating a carrot. As the boring conversation about the riots continued, though, the carrot slowly turned into a gun as the bunny slowly turned suicidal. As Tonedeath entered Bubbles had been just about to erase the bunny's head to redraw it with a gaping hole. His comments caused her to pause however. It always annoyed her how misinformed people were about her powers. Given she made the shield that blanketed the city, people just assumed there was no limit. This was an exploitable ignorance that could be utilized, but also caused problems when allies believed such things. It also sucked to have defensive powers that were difficult to use offensively. She believed it made her seem fragile. Though in reality, her bubbles made a great combination with her flight powers, though it had taken a lot of practice to get her own timing right. Not being able to move the bubbles once erected had proved to be a somewhat difficult hurdle. Rainmaker's response was enough, so Bubbles returned to her doodle. If Rainmaker trusted Tonedeath enough to correct him, who was Bubbles to say otherwise? By the end of the meeting, the bunny had died, his brains dripping down the side of the page in a gray and white greusome display. By the time the Queens left for where Buttercup had gotten her police to gather the vanillas, night had descended upon Corvallis. Bubbles flew with her sisters to the site so the Queens could show a united front. Buttercup was completely against the idea of Bubbles attending, saying that the security of Corvallis should not be put into further jeopardy for a simple display of force, but Blossom had convinced Rainmaker that all the Queens were necessary. Missing one would show something was off, but missing two would solidify the rumors that were no doubt circulating. Bubbles didn't mind. She was used to being in constant danger by this point, so the slight increase in threat level didn't bother her. Rainmaker had even been nice enough to keep the skies the girls were flying through nice and clear, instead of letting them be rained on. Buttercup, though, would not be quelled, and was very unhappy with the situation. She had ordered GasMask and SparkPlug to accompany them, and insisted on swapping outfits. Bubbles hated times like this, when she had to give her hoody to Buttercup. Now she was wearing a stupid athletic jacket with too small of pockets, track pants that she couldn't put anything in from fear that they fall to her ankles, and running shoes that didn't hug her feet just the way she liked. Bubbles did find solace in the fact that Buttercup looked even more uncomfortable in jeans, though. "And remember, should anything happen, leave with GasMask and Sparkplug immediately. Go straight to the bunker and don't let anyone in until I get there," Buttercup always told Bubbles the emergency plan. It had initially annoyed Bubbles, but she had quickly realized it was Buttercup's way of dealing with anxiety, and it no longer bothered her. Blossom, on the other hand, was quiet, calculating, logical. She probably never even felt anxiety, or at least never showed it. "Sounds like a plan," Bubbles offered her sister a smile as they descended, having arrived. It was not long before the Queens were all there, except for Euphoria. GasMask and SparkPlug were somewhere behind her. She was not always sure where they were, but it was a part of their job to always know where she was and to stay close, so she never thought about it much. The crowd looked defeated. They had lost their happiness, lost their sunshine to this drizzle, and lost some of their own. The police had not initially been recieved well, but a few deaths had put the humans in their place. Bubbles was actually a little surprised that the humans among the police force had yet to turn on them. Buttercup had insisted allowing vanillas into the force would be okay, though, as their fear that the man standing next to them could be an Epic would keep them in line. She had been proven correct, and even Blossom had commended her for it. Humans were so predictable. Predictable enough, even, that when the crowd began to rustle to her right, Bubbles knew what was coming. She watched as people were being shoved aside by some unseen force, and was shocked as two humans lept from the crowd, tackling an officer each, and began clawing at their faces. She blinked once, heard Buttercup say "Go!" and turned to leave. Behind her the massive police gathering ungulated as the bodies sprang into action. She was quickly enveloped by the sea of officers that were there to serve as back up. At some point her arm was grabbed, and she looked to see GasMask guiding her through the mass of people. Her bubble hadn't materialized, so she knew the hand hadn't been a threat, but she still felt relief at recognizing the Epic. SparkPlug was next to him, and the three quickly threw a pink jacket over the one she was already wearing, and hid her hair under a cap. As they emerged from the scrambling bodies, Bubbles was put into an SUV with tinted windows, and the three of them drove off to the bunker. "Go!" Buttercup said to Bubbles as the humans began to fight the police. Turning back to the fighting, Buttercup allowed herself to be surrounded by the hundreds of officers that had been stationed behind the Queens. Once she could no longer see through the bodies, Buttercup ripped the hoodie and jeans off, leaving her in a black undershirt and some sweat pants. Bubbles would have to forgive her for destroying one of the many hoodies she owned. Rising into the air above the bodies, Buttercup looked to Rainmaker. The Queen might be a High Epic, but that didn't keep Buttercup from supplying guards. Not that they were much needed, nor did Rainmaker particularly like being guarded, but Buttercup still wanted them in the vicinity just in case. Seeing that Rainmaker was fine and had some back up, Buttercup glanced to Cornucopia to see her guards springing into action as well. Good, that meant she could put some vanillas in their place. She moved slowly though the air, landing near a police officer who was falling limp beneath the savage attack of a human. Buttercup was surprised to see the humans performing such barbaric actions, but like all animals who acted out, she knew to put them down. The human that had just killed the officer bit a chunk out of the dead man's face, then looked up at Buttercup. It growled as it stood up, barring its teeth as it hunched over, and screamed as it lept at her. Buttercup only smiled. "You want to act like dogs?" She pulled her arm back and unleashed a punch into the creature's face. The bones crunched beneath the force, and Buttercup left the dead human nearly headless, the face now an unrecognizable hunk of flesh. Looking around, she noticed that some humans were acting just as savage as the last one, and others weren't. She burst into a run at another human, unleashing a kick that left the crumpled head bobbing like a bobble head. "Then let me put you down like dogs!" she bellowed in rage as she released her furry upon the crowd, focusing on the more barbaric vanillas. The things fought with a ferocity that Buttercup had never seen in humans. There were a fair number of them, but they were almost all dead now. The normal acting vanillas were still fighting, but their fervor was evaporating quickly as the police beat them down. As Buttercup's boot crushed the last of the savage humans, the crowd was pretty much under control again. She looked around, trying to get a sense for the damage done. From the looks of things, only vanillas had died. She knew she had lost a few officers, but such was life. She began walking through the police, just waiting for someone to act out of line again. She'd allow Rainmaker to address the crowd, rather than bothering with such a task herself. Blossom always got annoyed when she stepped into the PR realm. The place erupted as the police and the humans began to fight. Blossom was not one for combat, so she flew up onto the roof of a nearby building, content to just watch the action, having no doubt that her sister would regain control of the situation. She made a mental note of how some of the humans seemed more feral than the others. It was very odd, and she hoped Buttercup would have the smarts to keep one alive for investigation. As Buttercup went into full Epic mode, Blossom knew such a thing were impossible. She didn't much blame Buttercup, though. She knew the thrills of using her powers with no reservations. The thoughts of how she could simply kill another group of people, because why not? As the fighting stopped, Blossom took flight again. She was head of Corvallis Public Relations, might as well provide her services to Rainmaker when they were useful.

Finally convinced a friend to watch Gungrave. He loved it, like I told him he would. Sometimes I truly wonder why people hesitate so much when recommended anime...

Hmmm, I am curious though, what if them stealing the copy results in them becoming a sanderfan? Would it all be a waste, or could some good come from this? We may never know.

The news of Euphoria's disappearance washed over Buttercup like a tidal wave. But I increased her security. I put more men than was reasonable on her guard force! How could this happen? Buttercup shot to her feet, then knelt on one knee. "I take full responsibility for Euphoria. Were the men I had guarding her found dead?" If not, they will be soon. "That doesn't matter right now," Blossom spoke before an answer could be given, "we need to worry about these riots. Your plan is a good one, Rainmaker. I only wonder if we should kill all the rioters as a warning to others who might be considering a similar course of action." Buttercup glared at her sister, who was blatantly ignoring her, looking to Rainmaker by the window. Bubbles, on the other hand, had curled up in a chair, and begun to doodle on a small pad she apparently kept on her. "Is it not wise to let them live? Rainmaker's plan requires us to only kill a few, leaving all those servants and farm hands to continue working," Buttercup countered. "There is no sense in ridding ourselves of a few hundred farm workers, when we can accomplish a similar goal by only killing ten or twenty." Whichever Rainmaker chose didn't change the situation much. New immigrants were constantly trying to gain access to Corvallis. Replacing a few hundred vanillas would be easy, though they'd need to find Euphoria first.