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> The Stormcrow, A Superhero's Tale
SubRosa
post Apr 19 2019, 11:34 PM
Post #1


Ancient
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Joined: 14-March 10
From: Between The Worlds



About a month ago I got inspired to write a superhero character. Actually two. My original idea was what if Aela and Loria were superheroes. I worked on the idea, and with a little help from folks here, January and Avery have become fully-fleshed people in their own right. Ones whom I am really loving to write.

I learned a long time ago that when it comes writing, I need to strike when the iron is hot. So I am putting Seven Reimagined on hold for the moment, and concentrating on Stormcrow and Gadget. I will finish Seven, have no worries on that. There is only one third of the story left to go.

Like with the Seven thread, I am going to use this post for general info and a collection of resources. I'll start posting the actual stories with the next post.

Since these stories are set in the contemporary world, I am taking advantage of reality for once, by setting the stories here in Metro Detroit. Almost all the locations in the upcoming stories are real. You can actually use Google Earth to follow along. A few places are fictional, in that they are from other cities, and transplanted here to The D.

Timeline
March 24 = The Conjurer summons an Abyssal during the Nain Rouge Parade. it is not anchored, and easily banished
May 4 and 5 (Saturday and Sunday) = Stormcrow Rising
May 5 = The Conjurer summons an Abyssal during Cinco De Mayo, using elemental symbols to anchor it, making it immune from banishment
May 14 and 15 (Tuesday and Wednesday) = Stormcrow Recycled
May 25 = The Conjurer summons an Abyssal during Technofest, anchoring it with an animal sacrifice
May 25 and 26 (Saturday and Sunday) = Stormcrow Burning
May 27th = Memorial Day.
May 27 - June 1 (Monday -Saturday) = Stormcrow Pride [Ferndale Pride on Saturday]
June 1 = The Conjurer summons an Abyssal during Ferndale Pride, anchoring it with a human sacrifice
June 1 - 9 = Crystal Death [Motor City Pride]
June 1 = Chad overdoes on Crystal Death at Leland City Club.
June 3 = first Crow Tales, featuring Frankenstein
June 8 = second Crow Tales, featuring This Spell For Hire. January stops the Death Dealer. Blood Raven humiliates Nazis at Motor City Pride
June 9 = Nazis on Crystal Death attack Motor City Pride
June 11 = January records interview with WNN.
June 13 = January quits working at the dojo, starts working on Artemis Argent with Rus
June 14 = January's interview is aired in its entirety, as well as in print and on WNN's website. It generates massive waves of both support and backlash against her. The same night she faces off against Gola at Eloise.



People
January Ward / Stormcrow (RL Georgie Stone)

January again

Avery Green / Gadget (RL Shameik Moore)

Avery again

General inspiration for Lighthammer (except most of his head is covered by a helmet)

Lighthammer (out of armor)

Blood Raven cosplay

The writer signing books

Cyborg cosplay

Carl Sagan

Metro Boomin

Gabriella Wilson

Cecilia Brækhus

Blood Raven on the rooftop

Barbara Ward (January's mom) (RL Amy Davidson)

Romulus Ward (January's dad) (RL Anthony Heald)

Julian Ward (January's brother) (RL Gabriel Mann)

BlackJack (Jacob Scwartz)

Ibroham Alawar is based on RL Ibrahim Alawad

The Man Living In The Packard Plant

Sam Bernstein

Archimedes

Ken Hite

Fire Captain Henderson

Fire Lieutenant Randy

Chase


Society
Hipsters (big in Detroit)

New Year's Eve In Detroit (been there, its true)

Indians Take Over Diamond Trade

Whitewater Security is based on RL Blackwater Security aka Academi

Worldwide Network News is fictional, based on HPLHS's Worldwide Wireless News

Bat'leth

Stormcrow BattleMech

Stormcrow BattleMech Pic

A TERF is an anti-trangender feminist

The Tigers and the Old English D

The Laughing Man is an homage to Ghost In The Shell

Four Twenty

Berenstain Bears

Michigan has a 10 cent bottle return law

Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

Instagram Influencer

"I Am A Golden God!"

King Arthur 2004 Rus!

The Real Portal Games have not reached #5 yet

The Kell Hounds

Trail of Cthulhu

Daredevil's Sensory Powers

Shoggoth

Xenomorph

Tunguska Event



Literature and Art
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

The Theme of Alienation in Frankenstein

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken

Festival is a reference to The Festival, by HP Lovecraft

Anglo-Saxon Kennings

Macbeth Act5, Scene 5 (A Tale Told By An Idiot quote)

Trajan's Column

The Bayeux Tapestry

John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball



Music
Vnv Nation - Illusion - One of January's theme songs

Two Steps From Hell - Never Back Down (Extended) - January's Fight Music

Gary Clark Jr. - If Trouble Was Money (Avery's ringtone)

The Score - Unstoppable - Avery's Theme

Two Steps From Hell - Blackheart (Extended) - Blood Raven's Theme

Blood Raven's Fight Music

Marilyn Manson - Resident Evil Soundtrack Main Theme - The Summoner's Theme

Gustav Holst - Mars - Nátthrafn's Theme

Counting Crows - Four Days

Clips of Amelie Lens' performance at the 2019 Movement Festival

Orbital

Counting Crows - Mr Jones

Counting Crows - A Long December





Places
A Google Map of all the Stormcrow locations

Macomb Community College - South Campus

Macomb Community College classroom quad, library, and parking

The Best Western Premiere of Southfield

Hotel Pic 01

Hotel Pic 02

Campus Martius

Michigan Soldier's and Sailor's Monument

U of M Law School

January's Parents House

January's Parents House Aerial View

Flint Bishop Airport

Flint Airport aerial view

Flint Airport - A closer view of the terminal and parking lot

Flint Airport - The reverse view, from a model in the airport

Flint Airport - The terminal

Flint Airport - The baggage pickup inside the terminal. The escalator and Ticketing are visible in the middle distance

Flint Airport - The escalator that January leaps up to the second floor

Flint Airport - Gift Shop and Bookstore on the right

Flint Airport - The Food Court on the left

Flint Airport - Do Not Enter sign far down the hall

Packard Plant - The Poletown Bus Stop (well close enough to it)

Packard Plant - The Bus Stop from the air (the Hamtramck Cadillac Plant is on the right. Smaller steel mills on the left)

Packard Plant - The bridge overI-94 and the Packard Plant (beyond in the left)

Parkard Plant - The Packard Plant

Packard Plant - The Packard Plant aerial view

Packard Plant - Another aerial view

Packard Plant - A closer look from above

Packard Plant - Down on the ground

Packard Plant - Summer

Packard Plant - Winter

Packard Plant - Another building

Packard Plant - Inside

Bloomfield Hills

Fitzgerald High School

Aerial View of Source One Metals (it is the big white building at the very bottom center)

Source One Metals (from the turnaround in Mound Road)

Source One Metals (from the parking lot)

Source One Metals (from the back)

MSU is Michigan State University

U of M is University of Michigan

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan

Macomb Community College (the Max Thompson Learning Media Center is the library)

The high school January lands on

The giant factory beyond 696 she lands on

Global Titanium from the air

A closer view of the battleground

Global Titanium from the ground

Global Titanium from the ground again

January's Route To The Junkman's Lair 01

January's Route To The Junkman's Lair 02

January's Route To The Junkman's Lair 03

January's Route To The Junkman's Lair 04 (Her Bus Stop before the Packard Plant)

January's Route To The Junkman's Lair 05

January's Route To The Junkman's Lair 06

Beatrice Grand Trunk Warehouse & Cold Storage Building

The Junkman's Lair, adjacent scrapyard, and City Incinerator (top)

The Junkman's Lair, adjacent scrapyard, and City Incinerator (left)

The Junkman's Lair 01

The Junkman's Lair 02

The Junkman's Lair 03

Saint Andrews Hall

Hart Plaza

Hart Plaza (seen from Jefferson at the bottom, looking toward the Detroit River at the top)

Hart Plaza - Fountain

Hart Plaza (seen from the river looking toward Jefferson Ave and downtown)

Hart Plaza (looking north from Cobo Hall at the bottom)

Hart Plaza (looking south)

The Fist of Joe Louis

The Spirit of Detroit

The Joe Louis Arena

January's Route to the Fire 1 - Cobo Hall Rooftop Parking, looking north

January's Route to the Fire 2 - Fort Washington Plaza

January's Route to the Fire 3 - Theodore Levin Courthouse

January's Route to the Fire 4 - Westin Book Cadillac Hotel

January's Route to the Fire 5 - Book Tower

January's Route to the Fire 6 - Three Stadiums

January's Route to the Fire 7 - Foxtown

January's Route to the Fire 8 - Little Caesar's Arena

January's Route to the Fire 9 - Midtown and the Flying Dutchman at the corner of Peterboro and Cass

The Flying Dutchman (RL Ghost Ship Fire)

The Flying Dutchman Interior

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Detroit Receiving Hospital picture

The Witch House

The Witch House Overhead View



Real Events
ConFusion is a real Metro-Detroit sci fi convention.

Hart Plaza - Movement Event Map

Movement Electronic Music Festival

The Movement Electronic Music Festival picture

Another Movement pic




Clothes
Lululemon Fitted Jacket

Ohm's Law Shirt

Cthulhu For President

Made In Detroit Tee

Karategi

Ms Marvel Tee





Real Tech
Fire 7 Tablet

Samsung Galaxy J1

Geo Storm

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Motorcycles

Cosmos

Picking a combination lock

Make an electric lockpick

Victory Empulse TT Review

Victory Empulse TT Pic

Victory Empulse Side View

Victory Empulse TT With Panniers

Victory Empulse TT Instrument Panel

Bell Helmet (it really is from the 1950s)

January's new Sedici Strada Carino helmet

2004 Mazda MX 5

Raven Banner Pendant

2004 Chevy Avalanche



Real Science
Ohm's Law

Hagfish

Hagfish Slime Armor

Solid Light

Voynich Manuscript

Vigenère Cipher

Principles of Flight

Laser Inertial Fusion Energy

Ultra Dense Deuterium

Plasma

Tesseract

Wilhelm Wundt



Meta Tech
Stormcrow Armor ideas (but black and gray, and more of the face covered)

Another Stormcrow Armor general idea (but the real armor would not have all that hair exposed)

Winged Helmet (but January's would be black, and the face would be covered down to the nose)

Think of the upper right goggles area built into the winged helmet above

Stormcrow Armor Symbol

The onboard computer in the Gadgetmobile is named after the Pharos Lighthouse

The Face Bot

The Face Bot again

The Face Bot rear view



Myth and Religion
Oshun

Erzulie



Martial Arts & Gymnastics
Muay Thai - Downward Jumping Elbow

Yoga Crow Pose

Yoga Scorpion Pose


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SubRosa
post Jun 8 2019, 04:52 PM
Post #2


Ancient
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Joined: 14-March 10
From: Between The Worlds



Acadian: One fun thing about writing January and Avery is that I get to use all sorts of gaming terminology.

I was also thinking the bathroom scene could be something ugly. But I also thought of how many selfies and even videos are taken in the bathroom mirror. In the end modern internet culture won out with my decision for the Klingon to be a fan.

I spent a lot of time in this first chapter going through the nuts and bolts of January and Avery's detective work because it is the first time for them. In the future when it becomes a more common activity, I will gloss over a lot of the details and just summarize it. Unless of course, it gives me an opportunity to show January learning something new.

I did have a missing 'he' up there. Thanks for catching that.



Book 1.8 - Stormcrow Rising

January's home, well technically her parent's home, was a modest two story affair in Warren. It was an older suburb, so the streets were narrower, and the lots much smaller, than those in newer cities such as Sterling Heights or Clinton Township. This particular house did not even have a garage, though it did possess a two lane driveway. But even that only ran the length of a single car to the front of the house, then turned into nothing but a dirt path to the back yard.

The house itself was paneled with gray aluminum siding, which matched the gray shingles on the roof. A pair of dormers jutted from the roof on either side of the second floor, with wide windows facing out of each. A third dormer lurked farther back between them, with an even larger window set within it. The porch below was made of light green concrete. Three bright teal support beams ran from it to the long eave that overhang the front of the house and shaded the porch. A low fence of wood blocked off the front and right side of the porch. Only the left side, which adjoined the driveway, was open.

It was late when she got home, and her mother's Mini Cooper and father's Chevy Equinox were both in the driveway. January could see from the lights inside that they were still up. Just her luck, Saturday night was their euchre night. The blue Aztek in the street out front told her that the Xiang's were over. Really, who drove an Aztek?

She was about to walk in the front door when she realized that she had her armor piled up in her arms. She could not very well waltz in with that, not when Stormcrow was all over the news.

She glanced up. She could see the dormer window to her room right there beside the driveway. If only there was some way to get there without going past her parents and their friends. Of course there was. The eave was only about eight feet up. How hard could that be to jump?

It turned out to be no trouble at all for her to leap up to. Without wearing the suit, but holding it in her arms instead. That meant the jump was all her. No meta-tech involved.

She moved slowly across the roof, hoping to avoid making any creaks that might be heard from within the house. Thankfully the dormer to her room was only a few feet away. Naturally the window was closed. She could pry the screen off and open it from the outside. But she did not see the point in bending it all up. Her parents still had to see her walk in the front door, like a normal person. Instead she just set her armor down in front of the window. Then she hopped back down to the sidewalk. She barely even had to flex her knees to absorb the impact of the landing.

That made January wonder if she had possessed these meta abilities all along, or if they had only just awakened recently. Gymnastics had never been what she would call easy. It had always taken hard work and concentration. Even so, none of her classmates had ever come close to being her equal in it. In the past she had always put that down to her being more focused. She didn't waste time going to parties, or binge-watching TV, or surfing MeTube, or spending hours talking and texting friends, or shopping for clothes, and all the other things that seemed to preoccupy teenagers so much.

Now she wondered if she really had these abilities all along, just not at the degree she currently possessed. Perhaps recent events had not awakened them, so much as honed them to their current level? If so, did that mean the more she practiced, the more she focused, the more she used these powers, the greater they would become? She hoped so.

She fished out her keys and let herself in the iron barred security door, and then the actual front door behind it. She stepped inside, and the sound of voices came to her ears from the dining room. By the time she had locked the door behind her and turned back around her mother was standing before her.

"Oh I was so worried when I heard the news!" she wrapped her arms around January in a big hug. Then she stepped back, and looked her over. "You really are all right then? You weren't shot, or stabbed, or beaten?"

January's mother was short, shorter than she was, with red hair that spilled across her shoulders like a wildfire. A barely visible sprinkle of freckles dusted across her cheeks, just beneath her sea-green eyes. She wore a pair of old jeans, and a yellow tee that said "Librarians Are Sexy". January had to admit, she did not look her nearly fifty years of age. Or was it fifty thousand? It was so hard to tell the difference with parents.

"Oh he's fine Barb," her father's voice came from the hallway behind her mother. January tried not to show it, but a knife twisted in her stomach at the sound of him misnaming her gender. It had been nearly eight years since January had transitioned, but still her father called her "he" all the time. As if acknowledging her gender would bring the stars into alignment and loose some Lovecraftian horror upon the world.

A blond man of roughly the same age as her mother, January's father Romulus was tall, and wore a pair of thin, steel-rimmed glasses. If one had to guess, one would think he was the librarian in the family. Not that a history teacher was far from that mark. Add in her brother Julian, the lawyer-to-be, and everyone in the family was some sort of academic. Except for her. She had always been the oddball. The one who never fit in anywhere.

The Xiangs popped their heads around the corner a few moments later. Mr. Xiang said that the super battle at the hotel was definitely trending. Apparently everyone was using #stormcrow to post their pictures and videos. Naturally everyone pressed her for what she saw. But all she could do was stick to the story she had told her mother earlier on the phone. She had not seen or heard a thing. Thankfully no one recognized her in the Stormcrow armor. Otherwise her parents would have definitely exploded.

She was taking selfies with fans and had a hashtag. Her fifteen minutes of fame had definitely started. Still, she had no doubt that a singing goat or grumpy dog would displace her in popularity by tomorrow morning. The attention span of the internet was shorter than that of a five-year old off his Ritalin.

January made excuses of being tired, and headed upstairs to her room. The walls were painted a soft ivory, and the floor was carpeted in a slightly darker shade of cream. A pair of ruby curtains braced the window, bringing a bright splash of color to the room. So too did the soft watermelon quilt that covered her small bed. The end table beside it bore a battered alarm clock, phone charger, and a lamp that was now draped with a multicolored scarf.

A print of John William Waterhouse's The Crystal Ball hung from one wall. A collage of female MMA fighters graced another. The third wall held a still picture of the Veil floating over Lake Shore Drive, her lean frame sheathed in elemental darkness. Next to it was an image of Blood Raven striding through Campus Martius, with the grandiose Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument towering behind her.

A simple white desk was squeezed into one corner, with a flat screen monitor and keyboard on top of it, and her refurbished Dell computer tucked away underneath. The nearby dresser, vanity, and half-size bookcase were of the same manufacture. Aside from the posters and colorful drapes, the room was plain and simple.

January shut the door behind her, and glanced briefly at the plain piece of paper she had tacked there. On it were what she thought of as her Viking Virtues. Excerpts from the Havamal and various Sagas, they all had something in them to live by. She headed each quote with a short title, summarizing their meanings in her own words. Among them were:

Do Not Live In Fear
"The error is the result of letting fear rule your actions" - The Saga of Harald Hardrade, c.46.

Friendship
"A true friend whom you trust well and wish for his good will: go to him often exchange gifts and keep him company" - Havamal, s.44.

Kindness
"A kind word need not cost much, The price of praise can be cheap: With half a loaf and an empty cup I found myself a friend" - Havamal, s.52.

The Law Is Not Always Right
"When truth and fairness are different from what is law, better it is to follow truth and fairness" - Bandamanna Saga, c.6

Be A Part Of The World
"He is truly wise who has traveled far and knows the ways of the world. He who has travelled can tell what spirit governs the men he meets" - Havamal, s.18.

Never Hide My Truth
"Sorrow eats him who can no longer open his heart to another" - Havamal, s.121.

Prepare for the Worst
"A wayfarer should not walk unarmed, but have his weapons to hand" - Havamal, s.38.

Sacrifice
"Nine whole days and nights, stabbed with a spear, offered to Odin, myself to mine own self given." -Havamal, s.138.

Never Give Up, No Matter What
"Often times it is not numbers that wins the victory, but those who fare forward with the most vigor" - The Saga of Thrond of Gate, c.19

It was a reminder that she looked at every time she left her bedroom, and ventured out into the world. Especially the final entry.

Never ever give up, no matter what.

January smiled faintly. She had not given up. She had been a Viking today.

Then she leaped to the window, flung it open, and gathered up her armor. As if a larcenous squirrel might have made off with it. She immediately shoved the black and gray panoply under her bed, and carefully arranged some old shoes in front of it to shield it from easy notice.

She turned on her computer and started her Counting Crows playlist for some background music. Then she began scanning her hashtag. Her jaw dropped at all the pics and short videos. Most were shaky and out of focus. But a few were startling. There she was, framed against the broken skylight in a still picture. Her cape flowed out after her as she leaped into the sky, and a bolt of lightning arced across the firmament behind her. That seemed to be the most popular picture. There was even a meme with it already. "Stormcrow does not simply walk into Mordor. She leaps!"

Others showed her going hand-to-hand with Lighthammer. There were many comments on the fighting styles she was employing. Some said it was clearly Wing-Chun, others Jeet-Kune-Do, which made her shake her head. She had never studied either. But other posts - made by more knowledgeable people - spelled out her Karate, Krav Maga, and Muay Thai moves. Like the downward jumping elbow she had used to break open Lighthammer's helmet.

She stared at Lighthammer. He was bigger than she was. Not just taller, but more muscular. But did that mean much in this super-powered age? He had never really tried punching or kicking her. Instead he had only blocked, especially with those force fields projected from his forearms. He had attacked solely with his light blasts.

She was going to have to face him again. She had no doubt about it. How was she going to defeat him? Perhaps going for the legs might circumvent his force fields? She could try low kicks to the knees to disable him. But could he still fly in spite of that? Or might she take it to the ground? Grappling was not her strongest suit. She only knew a few holds and throws, and those were from a standing position.

She would have to put Greco-Roman wrestling on her to-do list, along with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It would have been nice to have taken the former in school. But gymnastics had been a nightmare as it was, with people claiming that she was really just a boy trying find an easy way to excel by competing against girls. She could never do anything even remotely masculine, given the backlash that always followed. Simply practicing on the rings had always brought her sneers. Trying a traditionally male sport like wrestling had been simply out of the question.

January shook her head. This was no time to go down unhappy memory lane. She had to plan her moves. Obviously she would need to lead with her strengths against Lighthammer. That meant striking. She would have to try to keep his hands off-line, so he couldn't shoot her. But how could she do that at close range? She would have to pinion his hands somehow.

She crawled into bed with her tablet, still looking at pictures and videos of the fight, and trying to work on strategy. She woke the next morning with the Fire 7 still in her lap. Her hair was plastered against the side of her face, along with a line of drool. She had to wait to use the shower, and passed the time by experimenting with various ponytail and ponytail braids she found on MeTube. She would need to know some for when she got her motorcycle. She no longer considered that a possibility. It would be a fact. She would have it, and that was that.

She dove into the shower once her brother was finished, and by the time she had dried off and dressed, she found that she was last to the breakfast table, as usual. It was Sunday morning, so the entire family was there for a change. She dug into her Eggos without a word, allowing everyone else to ignore her while they talked about the super battle that had taken place the other night.

"I for one think it is a good thing that we have another hero in Metro Detroit," her mother declared. "All we have had for years is Blood Raven, and she cannot be everywhere."

"And she is not exactly a hero," her father said. "How many people has she killed in just the last decade? A dozen?"

"Like that maniac who walked into the Ren Cen and just started shooting people?" her mother countered. "Or the ones who were kidnapping young girls and selling them overseas? The world's a better place without them in it."

"But what happens when she's got the wrong guy?" her brother Julian interjected. He took after their father with his tall frame, blond hair, and rectangular features. January imagined that he was handsome, given how girls seemed to flock to him. "It's only a matter of time before she kills an innocent person, just because they looked guilty. That's why we need the law, and cops, policing us. Not caped vigilantes."

"Like when those bullies were beating me up," January could not help but interject, "and the school did nothing. Oh, except expel me for fighting back. Or the school shooting where the gunman went inside, so the cop there went outside? And just how many hundreds of people in prison have been exonerated by DNA evidence? The police don't care who they arrest, so long as they don't risk their necks in the process."

"You are such a crybaby," Julian sneered. "Bullies beat me up! It's so unfair! Join the rest of the world already."

"Yeah, and like the rest of the world I had to beat the crap out of them all on my own," January said. "Ordinary people have to step up, because the people in positions of authority are too lazy, too bigoted, or too cowardly to do their jobs."

"Step up perhaps," January's father mused. "But we should stop to think about how our actions might negatively impact others first. Just because we might think what we are doing is for the better, it might still be for the worse."

"So is Stormcrow making things better or worse?" January's mother queried. "I think she is making it better, at least so far."

"So far I agree," her father said. "But it's only been one night. We don't know what she is really made of. She might just be some thrill-seeker out on a lark, or a mercenary, and end up getting a lot of innocent people killed. We'll just have to watch and see what kind of person she turns out to be really be. Assuming we see more of her."

"What do you mean?" January asked.

"She might change her mind, and decide that once was enough," her father explained. "She might not even be from here. She could have been any one of those people staying in that hotel. For all we know she might be in San Francisco right now, or New York."

"Or maybe she will get full, legal empowerment, and work with the government?" January's mother added. "Like the Sentinels in Chicago, or the Knight Defenders in the UK."

January was thinking about that, when her brother had to interject his usual brand of poison into the conversation.

"I think Stormcrow is a stupid name," Julian scoffed. "It's a total rip off of Lord of the Rings."

"What because Grima calls Gandalf that once? And Theodon twice?" January countered. She had looked it up last night. "It's just a nickname. A common one."

"Also a mighty fine medium BattleMech," her father murmured. "Or so I hear from my students of course."

"Of course, it's not like you would waste any of your time playing computer games," January's mother smiled conspiratorially at her father. Then her gaze moved to January's brother. "I hope you aren't spending your time at U of M playing online games Julian."

"Yes, you'll have your law degree in just a few years son," January's father said. "Have you thought about your future practice yet?"

"I have." January instantly recognized that Julian was squirming. The slight way he tensed his jaw muscles always gave him away. "I decided to go into criminal law instead of corporate."

"Really?" both of her parents said at once, then her father continued on his own. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"I've been talking it over with some of my friends at Michigan," Julian said. "We decided we are going to start our own law firm. There's a lot of money to be made in criminal cases, so we are sure we can turn a profit in no time."

"Criminal cases," January's mother mulled over. "You would be spending your time with thieves, murderers, the worst kinds of people."

"Like other lawyers…" January breathed. "I think Julian should work for the ACLU, and defend people whose civil rights are under threat."

"I may as well work at Burger Baron, for all the money I would make doing that. I am sure that's where you will end up, but not me." Julian looked down his nose at January. Then he turned back to their parents, and his voice softened. "My friends and I, we think this can work, and we'll be our own bosses."

"I hope you know what you're doing son," January's father cautioned. "It is your future after all."

* * *

January's Parents House

January's Parents House Aerial View

John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball

Cecilia Brækhus

Campus Martius

Michigan Soldier's and Sailor's Monument

Stormcrow BattleMech

Stormcrow BattleMech Pic

U of M Law School

Blood Raven

Barbara Ward (January's mom) (RL Amy Davidson)

Romulus Ward (January's dad) (RL Anthony Heald)

Julian Ward (January's brother) (RL Gabriel Mann)


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Posts in this topic
SubRosa   The Stormcrow   Apr 19 2019, 11:34 PM
SubRosa   [b]Chapter 1 - Stormcrow Rising [center]Early May...   Apr 20 2019, 12:04 AM
Renee   Hee hee, this is awesome! She's doing medi...   Apr 20 2019, 02:21 PM
SubRosa   Hee hee, this is awesome! She's doing med...   Apr 20 2019, 03:27 PM
Acadian   Oh this was a hoot! January, her crow fan cl...   Apr 20 2019, 06:32 PM
Grits   I’m very excited to see Stormcrow so soon! (...   Apr 22 2019, 06:17 PM
SubRosa   Renee: I went to MCC for a while, so it was my go-...   Apr 26 2019, 04:32 PM
Acadian   ’Naturally she did what they said to never do....   Apr 26 2019, 06:33 PM
Grits   Awesome, a fight and flying sequence! I though...   Apr 28 2019, 11:29 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: Courage + questionable judgement sounds l...   May 3 2019, 09:35 PM
Acadian   I’ll take your wonderful Two Steps from Hell mus...   May 8 2019, 07:31 PM
Renee   Whoa, she's wearing her superhero outfit in pu...   May 9 2019, 03:55 PM
SubRosa   All: I created a Google Map of all the Stormcrow l...   May 10 2019, 10:05 PM
Acadian   Neat Gadget Cave! Replete with ingenious tech...   May 11 2019, 09:10 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: The Gadget Cave is a fun setting. I have ...   May 17 2019, 04:41 PM
Acadian   What a fun episode, as the plot thickens with more...   May 17 2019, 09:54 PM
Renee   There's a Beverly Hills in Michigan! I u...   May 24 2019, 07:07 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: Now we know that things were not quite as...   May 24 2019, 10:18 PM
Acadian   This was a wonderful episode that sleuthed the sto...   May 25 2019, 06:41 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: Working in the pop culture references is ...   Jun 1 2019, 05:09 PM
Acadian   "I think I forgot to pick that at character ...   Jun 1 2019, 07:17 PM
Acadian   Clever how she got her Crowsuit into the house. ...   Jun 8 2019, 10:38 PM
Uleni Athram   A superheroine who actually knows her Marty Arties...   Jun 11 2019, 03:27 PM
Renee   Ah, typical Renee has fallen behind. :blink: Life...   Jun 11 2019, 04:30 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: I used the old window trick to sneak thin...   Jun 15 2019, 04:58 PM
Acadian   January shows us plenty of raw emotion in this pow...   Jun 15 2019, 07:13 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: That was a very intense episode, that giv...   Jun 22 2019, 04:28 PM
Acadian   Nice job here, setting the scene and stakes for wh...   Jun 22 2019, 07:18 PM
treydog   The way you weave “existing” tech in with poss...   Jun 24 2019, 05:46 PM
Renee   Nice. Also, the whole time her family's ha...   Jun 24 2019, 06:52 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: This will be the crescendo of the chapter...   Jun 29 2019, 04:15 PM
Acadian   Despite the superhero tech, you rendered everythin...   Jun 29 2019, 06:21 PM
treydog   Most excellent fight scene! And again, very h...   Jun 30 2019, 12:34 AM
SubRosa   Ooops, I forgot to add some links. I went back and...   Jun 30 2019, 06:48 PM
Acadian   Thanks for the additional links and update. I ...   Jun 30 2019, 07:36 PM
treydog   I tend to agree. While on the one hand, it is fun...   Jun 30 2019, 08:33 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: That Carotid Slap was something I filed a...   Jul 6 2019, 03:49 PM
Acadian   Another intense fight! It was very neat how ...   Jul 6 2019, 06:38 PM
treydog   A most enthralling fight! Then there is the d...   Jul 8 2019, 04:36 PM
Grits   Catching up with January and Avery has been quite ...   Jul 12 2019, 12:28 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: This two part fight forced me to think cr...   Jul 13 2019, 05:08 PM
Renee   Lighthammer has force fields! That's cheat...   Jul 13 2019, 06:34 PM
Acadian   It just struck when you referred to January as Jan...   Jul 13 2019, 07:46 PM
SubRosa   As an editorial note, given that I have decided to...   Jul 13 2019, 11:56 PM
treydog   A nice bit of calm after the Stormcrow (sorry). B...   Jul 15 2019, 12:19 AM
SubRosa   Side note- still looking at early Boston. Did fi...   Jul 15 2019, 02:50 AM
SubRosa   I bought Boston in the American Revolution: A Town...   Jul 17 2019, 02:03 AM
Grits   Excellent shirt! I’m a fan, even if Freya do...   Jul 17 2019, 03:28 AM
Renee   “fine-toothed search bot” :lol: Ha ha I li...   Jul 17 2019, 03:40 PM
SubRosa   Renee: Lighthammer's not a cheater! :lol:...   Jul 20 2019, 05:06 PM
treydog   The thing (okay ONE thing) I like about this story...   Jul 20 2019, 07:15 PM
Acadian   The bus ride and encounter did a couple of things ...   Jul 20 2019, 09:35 PM
Renee   I think I want an African Goddess next to me, if I...   Jul 21 2019, 02:12 AM
Grits   Not Cthululemon? :P Good idea to stash the backpac...   Jul 23 2019, 01:10 AM
SubRosa   treydog: Inserting the human element into these st...   Jul 27 2019, 04:35 PM
Renee   :lol: Yes, how apt a description, the handing ...   Jul 27 2019, 04:51 PM
Acadian   A superbike for a superhero - hopefully. Unfortun...   Jul 27 2019, 11:00 PM
treydog   Quotes first and then observations. Have known...   Jul 28 2019, 03:06 PM
SubRosa   Renee: I had no idea the 'Gucci Biker' lin...   Aug 3 2019, 04:35 PM
Acadian   A nuclear powered Stormcycle emerges from the Gadg...   Aug 3 2019, 07:47 PM
Renee   He put a nuclear reactor in her motorcycle? :O ...   Aug 4 2019, 12:30 AM
treydog   :lol: Loved all the dialogue- this is the way...   Aug 4 2019, 01:05 AM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 1 - Stormcrow Rising What a great way to...   Aug 6 2019, 02:30 AM
SubRosa   Acadian: I did a lot of work on developing power s...   Aug 10 2019, 04:13 PM
Renee   Yes, I was thinking of buses. :) Fusion-powered ...   Aug 10 2019, 05:43 PM
Acadian   This episode drew me in immediately and was a joy ...   Aug 10 2019, 07:53 PM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 1.2: I get what you mean. The crows did i...   Aug 10 2019, 09:41 PM
treydog   :blink: Jan is certainly in a position to und...   Aug 10 2019, 10:43 PM
SubRosa   Renee: This chapter is set about a week after the ...   Aug 17 2019, 05:07 PM
Acadian   The beginning of another Crowventure assigned to h...   Aug 17 2019, 09:03 PM
Renee   Yeah, totally. He's like that voice over the...   Aug 18 2019, 03:05 PM
treydog   " The interactions between Gadget and Cro...   Aug 18 2019, 03:47 PM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 1.3: I like how you mentioned how deep-ro...   Aug 19 2019, 02:17 AM
SubRosa   Acadian: I had not really thought of doing more be...   Aug 24 2019, 04:32 PM
Acadian   Thanks for your peek/insight into the future of th...   Aug 24 2019, 06:44 PM
treydog   More excellent Crow-Girl action! The fight wa...   Aug 25 2019, 10:11 PM
Renee   Nice. She plays Fallout (or at least knows of this...   Aug 27 2019, 08:16 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: I enjoyed writing the fight between Janua...   Aug 31 2019, 04:23 PM
Renee   Yes there is some reason why our armed forces ofte...   Aug 31 2019, 07:01 PM
Acadian   Another wonderful episode! I liked how her ...   Sep 1 2019, 07:29 PM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 1.4: There was plenty in this chapter that...   Sep 2 2019, 03:06 AM
SubRosa   Renee: Gasoline is much quicker to burn and explod...   Sep 7 2019, 04:15 PM
Acadian   Gosh, I'm learning a lot about Michigan and De...   Sep 7 2019, 07:17 PM
Renee   We recycle. At least I do. Where I live it seems l...   Sep 9 2019, 12:16 AM
treydog   A lesson my A and A team are learning (slowly). ...   Sep 9 2019, 01:13 AM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 1.7: Heh. Good question honestly. What is ...   Sep 14 2019, 01:55 AM
SubRosa   Acadian: I know you were joking, but the reason I ...   Sep 14 2019, 05:30 PM
Acadian   With a name like Wilhelm Wundt, it is indeed hard ...   Sep 14 2019, 08:31 PM
treydog   Way back when we were reading Gawain and the Green...   Sep 15 2019, 09:15 PM
SubRosa   Acadian: I still remember my Into to Psychology cl...   Sep 21 2019, 03:33 PM
Renee   Yeah, I don't think she'd be able to conce...   Sep 21 2019, 04:34 PM
Acadian   Another fun episode as you ever so smoothly show u...   Sep 22 2019, 12:09 AM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 1.10: Great thing you provided us with th...   Sep 24 2019, 02:51 AM
SubRosa   Renee: You are right, even if she tried to ignore ...   Sep 28 2019, 04:58 PM
Acadian   Looks like the stealth approach was a good call as...   Sep 28 2019, 07:45 PM
Renee   See, where is Lighthammer during all of this? It m...   Sep 29 2019, 03:27 AM
treydog   Caught up again- yay! And also phooey, becaus...   Sep 30 2019, 11:30 AM
SubRosa   A minor note. Thanks to tredyog correctly identify...   Oct 2 2019, 10:02 PM
Darkness Eternal   Chapter 2.1:Ah, Jan has been meeting some ladies a...   Oct 4 2019, 03:33 AM
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