The Stormcrow, A Superhero's Tale Options

[Renee]

Whoa, I never heard of China Beach. I know Ricki was in a John Waters movie... ehm... Hairspray.

I see, I was thinking Gilda's a local. And Julian being Jan's brother is big news. Dangit, I'm just getting everything wrong this week, aren't I?

Julian sounds like a real piece of work. What a bastard. That's really neat how Raven is able to discern all that hidden info. It's like she hypnotized Rebecca in a way, but without needing to ask permission, and then attempt to put the student under. Sometimes hypnotism doesn't work.

Oh wait, so Julian didn't touch her. He was trying to create an alibi, eh? Yes. Damn.

This post has been edited by Renee: Apr 25 2022, 01:29 PM

[WellTemperedClavier]

Just finished Book 3.

Blood Raven's fascinating. She's otherworldly enough to be rather unsettling, even though her record's undeniably heroic. And the sheer level of her power is enough to give anyone a bit of trepidation. While the intent ended up being good, I don't blame January for feeling troubled with BR first integrates herself into the family line.

With some heroes, there's a tricky balance between the admiration you feel for someone who's good, and fear you feel toward someone who's just that powerful. And Blood Raven walks that line in the best tradition (weirdly, the only similar example I can think of off the top of my head right now is Dr. Manhattan, who's obviously quite different from Blood Raven, but gives me a bit of the same vibe in that respect).

The book's focus on fighting the fire provided a somewhat different challenge. It was tense seeing January pushed to her absolute limits, not because of a meta, but due to an entirely earthly arson caused by a prick with a grudge. And what I really liked was how, in the end, there's no big confrontation or tense fight with John. He just... takes himself out. It works to ground this story. Real life doesn't follow a plot arc, and I think the way this resolved helps make the world feel more believable.

As always, I love the geographic detail.

[SubRosa]

Acadian: Blood Raven has been around for 250 years, so she has had plenty of time to acquire the magical tools she needs on a day to day basis. Like her Hypnotic Voice for investigating. That will get a greater discussion in Book 10, when she teaches it to January. Or at least tries to do so. She also does have a magical ideal that she has fit herself to, that of the Morrigan. January does the same as an Elemental Valkyrie. Both their magics are really good at fitting those roles. Not the best at other things.

This episode was meant to show that 1 - Blood Raven is indeed following up on the investigation, and 2- In spite of all the fighting, she is also a compassionate person.

And as you noted. Anyone being hunted by Blood Raven should be very, very scared. Not being so is not a sane reaction.


Renee: China Beach was an old 90s show set in an army hospital Vietnam, starring Dana Delany. The first two seasons were really good. It sort of fell apart after that though.

Julian is a real piece of work. He's both an ass, and a clever one at that.

Blood Raven did hypnotize her. That is how she found out what really happened.



WellTemperedClavier: Wow, you are ripping through things!

Blood Raven has been a lot of fun to write. Also very challenging. Because she is very much a person out of time. I always have to be on my toes when I am writing her dialogue to get it just right. I am glad you get that sense of trepidation about her. Dr. Manhattan or Professor X are good comparisons. She could easily kill people with just a thought, in more than one way. The only thing stopping her is her sense of ethics. Thankfully just as she in an implacable foe, she is also a compassionate soul.

In Book 4 and 5 we will really see her in action, then later again in a huge way in Books 8 and 10, where she pulls out all the stops. I did not originally intend it, but as I wrote her, I realized that she is one of the most powerful metas in the world, in no small part thanks to her 250 years as a magician.

This is very much a progression fantasy, in that in each Book January is leveling up and learning new things. So I made an effort to use these "low levels" to do more than just the traditional punching things. Book 1 was basically the intro to who and what January is. Book 2 was a slightly bigger challenge that required more detective work and cleverness. But most importantly one that could be solved without punching, and the fact that January preferred that route again showed who she was. Book 3 also shows another "low level" antagonist - a normal person and a disaster, plus a team up and a new NPC who will become critical - Blood Raven. Book 4 will see January in the "Mid levels" as she begins to deliberately stretch her magical powers, with a much bigger antagonist, and finally a glimpse at the master villain of Season One.

I had a lot of fun writing January's flight from Cobo Hall to the Flying Dutchman. It gave me a chance to really showcase the centerpiece of Detroit: its riverfront and business districts.






Mr. Jack's song Crazy For This Crow is inspired by Crazy For This Girl by Evan and Jaron. The general sound and tempo are right. Much of the lyrics could also be exactly the same, just change "girl" to "crow"





Book 9.4 - Ashes

July 6th, evening

"Happy 6th of July!" Blackjack furiously shook his can of Cherry FaeCo. He cracked it open and thrust it skyward like a roman candle. The reddish-brown pop burst out in a frothy shower, and bathed him and the other Knights of Nerddom nearby in a wash of sugary goodness. Naturally Kell responded with a counter attack, turning loose a hastily shaken can of Koch-A-Cola. In no time at all they were all caught up in a frenzied battle of soft drinks.

January could not help but crack a smile at her friend's antics. Even her mother's perpetually drawn features brightened for a moment as she flipped over the hot dogs that broiled away on the grill. Like most of them, Barbara wore cutoffs and a tee. But as she was the unofficial grill mistress, she was also clad in an apron that proclaimed "Oh Crêpe!"

Even Branwen was in attendance. Unlike the others, she wore a snow white sundress whose long skirt flowed with every whiff of breeze that ghosted through the back yard of the Witch House. On one hand it was perfectly ordinary summer wear. On the other, she could easily be the heroine of a gothic horror novel. Which January imagined was the point. None of them could escape who they were.

Case in point, January herself wore a top that declared that: "She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live."

Now Avery had wrangled up the water hose, and was spraying down the Knights with water. January was not sure if it was so much a matter of one-upping their pop can war, or a means of washing off the sticky soft drinks. In any case, Avery himself had no problems upending the rubber hose over his own head and liberally dousing himself with the crystal clear water.

"Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, and Dr. Howard," Branwen wryly noted at the young men's antics.

"Looks like Disorder in the Court," Barbara murmured.

"Cookoo Cavaliers," January continued with the Three Stooges references. She wondered if Branwen had seen them live when they were on the Vaudeville circuit.

"Alright, alright you nutty knights!" Barbara lifted her voice in order to be heard over the ruckus. "Come and get it!"

That stopped the pack of young men in their tracks. By now they had all doffed their soggy shirts, and Blackjack was pantomiming a striptease in the middle of the yard. With a series of whoops and expectant cries, they raced across the grass to the back porch of the Witch House. There they obediently queued up with paper plates and reached for the packages of buns.

"You always have the best parties Ms. Ward," Blackjack said in a suddenly serious tone.

"Actually, it is Ms. Ryan now," Barbara smiled and dropped a seared dog onto the bearded young man's plate.

"The papers went through then?" Branwen arched an eyebrow.

"As of today I am officially divorced," Barbara smiled.

"So you went back to your old name then Ms. Wa-, Ryan?" Kell stepped up next for a hot dog.

"I'm changing my name to Ryan too," January beamed. "Though it is going to take a while longer, my court date isn't until next month."

"You should have gotten divorced, changing your name is much easier that way," Barbara muttered.

"So what's that going to do with your writing?" Rus was next in line. Even a soaked mess, his hair was a golden halo about his features. "And our comic book?"

"Well change it in the next issue," January said. "I might lose some name recognition now. But maybe someday all the original editions by January Ward might be collector's items!"

"And I'll get filthy rich selling them on Ebuy, and retire to live in a castle!" Kell stroked his short, neatly, trimmed beard like a master villain. "My plan is coming together nicely..."

Soon everyone had a hot dog and a handful of potato chips on their plates. They all tromped back onto the grass to sit around the picnic table that Kell had procured. A summer time feast under the blazing July sun followed. It reminded January of her life in the old days. Or were they The Old Days - all in caps now? Back when her life really was just books and writing, and capes were something her characters wore, rather than what hung in her own closet. Either way, it was nice.

She took a moment to spare a glance at Branwen. Avery was trying to explain the difference between anime and cartoons to her, and was failing miserably. She hoped that this momentary oasis of peace and normality was as good for the two and a half century old vampire as it was for herself.

Blackjack's phone rang, blaring out the theme of the Addam's Family. He paused to glance down at it, and his eyes widened in shock at whatever he saw on the screen. He dropped his half-eaten hot dog and scooped up the Hamsung in mustard-stained fingers. He tried to reply, but it just came out a jumble of incoherent rumbling with his mouth still filled with food. He nodded along several times, and finally spoke in a clear voice.

"Yes, yes, oh frak yes!" he nodded furiously along. "I'll be there!"

He set the phone down slowly upon the table. Everyone had fallen silent, and stared back at him. For a moment his face was a mask of stone. Then his features erupted in transcendent joy.

"That was a producer for the Helen Show. They want me on Monday!" he proclaimed. "I'm gonna be on TV! LA here I come!"

Cheers and high fives filled the air as January and the others gushed to congratulate him. In no time at all Avery had his own phone out and went to MeTube. He brought up Blackjack's new song: Crazy for this Crow. January's eyes nearly bulged when she saw the number of likes. It was a lot, millions of a lot in fact.

Then the video started, and January sat enraptured as she watched Blackjack hurtle from one unlikely scenario to another. All of them revolved around Stormcrow. There was actual video from her various encounters with the djieien, neo-Nazis, and of course her recent battle with the oniare at Gull Island. There was even a shaky vid of her splatting against the window of the elevator at the Lakeside Mall, the first day she had met Hannah.

January stared at a clip of herself from the Flying Dutchman fire. She knelt there coughing blood onto the sidewalk from her seared lungs. She was covered in soot, and tiny flames still sputtered about her frame. Rain poured from the sky, making the scene appear even more somber. January was surprised that Blackjack had chosen to include that clip. It was neither humorous nor awe-inspiring. Instead it showed her vulnerability, and more importantly what she was willing to endure for the sake of others.

The video picked back up in moments however. It was indeed a hilarious serious of vignettes. All of them showed original material of Blackjack trying to get Stormcrow's attention, interspersed between the real life footage of her. The lyrics explained that he was indeed crazy about her. But every time he tried to catch her eye, some new disaster cropped up, and she literally walked, leaped, or flew past him to save the day.

Blackjack portrayed every original role in the video of course, just as he sang and played every instrument in the song itself. Not that he was a musical genius. As January had noted before, his playing was just ok. But his acting was a comedic tour de force. She also had to admit, it had real heart underneath it all.

"So has Stormcrow said anything about it?" Kell asked. "Good, bad, or ugly?"

"Not that I've seen," Blackjack mused. "Wouldn't that be great though? Just to meet her. She's really something..."

January remembered what Ryo had said about Blackjack.

"He has been thirsty for you since you transitioned...", only to be followed with: "This really will not help, but he has a new crush, Stormcrow."

Ope! That was still not awkward at all. Not one bit.

"You met Stormcrow though right January?" Rus said. "That day your bro-"

The young blond man's words trailed off, perhaps finally remembering that the day she had 'met' Stormcrow had been the day of her brother's death. At least that was what her mother, and the rest of the world, believed.

"We could not get her for the video," Ryo spoke up. "But I think Blackjack did a great job portraying her in the new original footage we shot. We even got the same shade of lipstick she wears."

"I'm way sexier than her though," Blackjack laughed as he slapped his ample belly. "Especially in that skin tight suit. I hope I don't make her jealous!"

"I don't think she's the jealous type," January cracked a smile. Her eyes moved to Ryo, who stared back at her. She wanted to congratulate him for making the save after Rus' blundering words. "I think she will love it. She's probably too busy to see it right now."

"So am I to understand that your band broke up Mr. Jack?" Branwen surprised January even more by keeping the conversation going.

"Mr. Jack?" Blackjack raised an eyebrow in delight. "Now that is one I will have to remember. Yeah, they did before I could even record the song. Our drummer decided he needed to get his head on straight, so he went on a pilgrimage to Tibet. The bass player quit to start a Burger Baron franchise. And my lead guitarist, well the less said about that fart-nozzle the better..."

Blackjack scowled at the mention of the last, but Ryo continued on.

"He refused to do a song about a trans person," the young man intoned quite informatively. "He said the band was going too SJ-, oh, I should not have said that."

Ryo looked down at his plate when a host of stares met him from around the table. January felt for him. Sometimes it seemed the only body language he could interpret were the negative cases.

"So other than that Mrs. Lincoln, my night at the theater was delightful," Blackjack recovered as deftly as ever. "How was yours?"

"Life is always filled with tribulations," Branwen replied. "It is how we meet them that reveals our character."

"So are you going to start a new band?" Barbara really surprised January by speaking up. "You are on top of the world right now. It's too bad you can't go on tour to really take advantage of it."

"That's ok," Blackjack said. "I still do get a little money for every view online. Plus, I think this might open up some doors for me. I can do some of my standup on the show. If I can get Helen laughing, who knows what might be next?"

"Maybe Hollywood?" January said quite sincerely. "You really should be in movies. You are way funnier than most actors."

"You never can tell..." Blackjack - Mr. Jack - grinned.

Later when the party began to peter out, Branwen was naturally the first to take her leave. January offered to give her a ride on her Victory. Once they had ridden out of the driveway and down the street, she pulled over into the parking lot of the nearby Nature Center. January swiveled back in her seat to face the woman behind her.

"I know you are chasing leads on the Hierophant," she said. "I want in."

"I am not certain you possess the right talents," Branwen replied. "Cray and Avery pursue the digital trails. But in the end I must speak face to face with all those who have been in contact with Julian."

"I can do that," January insisted.

"Yet can you discern when you are being lied to?" Branwen tilted her head slightly to one side, as if to place emphasis on her words. "As you know, I may exert a certain influence upon the weak-minded. I can even coax them to accurately recall memories they had forgotten. Can you do the same?"

"Then teach me how to do that whammy you put on people," January felt her face flush. "I can do this. I can't just sit around doing nothing anymore."

"Very well then, I shall meet you in the sanctum tomorrow morning." Branwen smiled. "There is a task you might attend to."

* * *

[Acadian]

A delightful summer barbeque! I love the wonderfully rich, random details you spiced this event with like the battle of the soda pops, what everyone was wearing and a cel phone with an 'Addam’s Family' ringtone.

And Captain Mr Jack is off to the big time it seems. Sounds like a fun crow-vid he put together. I hope his crush on the Crow does not cause problems.

So the Stormcrow is going to attempt to learn Blood Raven’s hypnotic voice whammy. I hope she doesn't confuse the hypnotic voice with the telephone perky voice.

[Renee]

Yes, that is right about vampires, they can hypnotize in ways which the typical shrink cannot. They don't have to do that old trick when they break out the pocket watch and start dangling it. "You are getting sleeeeepy..." I can recall scenes in 'Salem's Lot, Dark Shadows, and of course Anne Rice in which the vampire merely gazes into the eyes of their subject.

Thanks for continuing to use dates. I like knowing how much time has passed, what day/season it is, and so on. Dates set the setting, in a way, especially knowing it's summer in Michigan. It gets muggy up there, too.

Grille Mistress. Oh cool. Glad to hear she is divorced. That's the best news.

Uh oh. A phone call... Phew. Good news. I feared it would be... never mind. Is Helen inspired from Ellen?

What a delightful party. There's a lot of interplay going on between these folks. Thoughts unsaid (or said) and so on, at certain moments. They know each other well.

This post has been edited by Renee: May 3 2022, 02:58 PM

[SubRosa]

Acadian: The 6th of July Party was a nice little slice of normality in the midst of the craziness of superhero life. Things have grown especially intense since the Battle of Gull Island and Julian's death. So I wanted a counterpoint, that showed January and her Mom still living their lives in spite of it all. Just like Gandalf would hang out with the hobbits of the Shire to remain grounded, the Knights of Nerddom are January's link to normalcy, and ultimately what she is fighting for.

Mr. Jack is off to the big times. I kind of expect that financially, he will be the most successful of them all. I envision him becoming a medium tier comedy movie star similar to Jack Black is, or Seth Rogan, or Kevin Smith.

January will have her issues with the hypnotic voice. But those will not come up until the next Book.


Renee: Blood Raven's hypnotic voice is not quite the standard vampire hypnosis. Hers does a lot more, such as allow people to remember things exactly as they occurred.

A lot happens in this story in a very short time span. Some of these books take place over just one or two days. For example, Book 10 is just a single day. But it is shaping up to be a big one.

Helen is definitely inspired by Ellen. I wanted a day time talk show host, and she seemed like the most recognizable one.

The party is a nice slice of normality, and all the good things in life. I wanted to show a piece of that in between all the super battles and planning, and investigating.







As always The Aura can be found on the Stormcrow Google Map


Pic of Harper (RL Janelle Monáe)

Pic of Kaelin(RL Kaelin Farnish)



Book 9.5 - Ashes

July 7th

Tomorrow morning could not come soon enough for January. She was up at dawn, fed the birds, and scarfed down a quick breakfast of vanilla almond cereal. She was in and out of the shower in no time at all. Then she found herself pacing back and forth through the sanctum. Thankfully she could not wear a rut through this particular floor.

She did not know why she was suddenly so anxious. No, anxious was not the right word. She was eager. She had been out of things for over a week now, ever since her brother died. It was not like she wept for him. But it did feel like her own life had been put on hold because of it, just like her mother's had been. She needed to get back to the business of living. She needed to get back into the hunt for whoever was summoning the Abyssals, before it was too late.

As she usually did when she found herself waiting, she stopped, took a deep breath, and sat down. She took her time just breathing, and began doing stretches. Soon enough she had her legs splayed out in the sideways splits, and called up her mana. It surrounded her in a golden circle of runes as she sang her elemental mantra, first in Old Norse, then in English.

Earth give me strength, keep me grounded, protect me from harm.

Air give me quickness in body and wit. Let the weights of the world fall from me.

Water make me flexible in thought and form. Let me flow, let me crash.

Fire give me passion and energy. Transform me in the night sky.

Spirit weave all together in balance. Bring me peace.

She lost track of time that way, along with the world around her. There was just her magic, and herself, locked in a slow dance of peace and strength.

She felt something stir in the astral, a slight whiff of energy that sprang up within the sanctum. The witch bottles that defended the house and grounds immediately flared a warning in her mind. Someone was coming. A moment later, that someone appeared before January's astral eyes.

It was Blood Raven of course. January recognized her particular scent before the elder heroine had even finished gating into the sanctum. As ever, she shone in the astral like a fiery sun. January dimmed her astral sight and opened her meat eyes, and saw that like herself, the other woman was clad in her armor.

"Meditating I see," Blood Raven nodded. "Excellent, I have never had a student as focused as you."

January rolled backward, and used the motion to bring her legs in. Once they were she sprang to her feet, and stepped to the other woman.

"You mean one who doesn't have a life," January murmured.

"You possess a life my dear," Blood Raven noted. "Just not like that of others."

"So where do we start?" January allowed the eagerness she felt to escape with her words. "Are you going to teach me your hypnotic voice thing?"

"Not today," Blood Raven shook her head. "It is time for you to meet someone, several someones in fact. They shall speed you on your journey."

"My journey?" January raised an eyebrow that Mr. Spock would be proud of. "You are being even more cryptic than usual.

"What manner of mentor should I be were I not?" Blood Raven extended a hand to January. "Come."

January stepped closer, and she felt mana once more flow through the sanctum. Blood Raven had activated the gateway she had inscribed into its floor. A magic circle of glowing Celtic runes sprang to life around them, rimming the pentagram that formed directly beneath their feet. As before, her blood called to it, the blood of both of them in fact. That was the key which unlocked the gateway after all.

A moment later they were standing within the Raven's Nest. The great black marble wall stretched up behind them. While before their eyes rose the tall French doors that looked out over Downtown. They did not remain however. An instant later Blood Raven activated the gateway a second time, and they found themselves at the bottom of a stairwell. January recognized it after a few moments. It was in the public parking structure next door.

She followed the other woman up the stairs and to the ground floor. The two of them walked past a car that was driving into the structure. For a moment January was afraid the driver might crash it into a concrete support pillar. But thankfully he reined in his surprise in time to avoid such a kinetic disaster.

They were out in the street a moment later. Being a Sunday morning there were few pedestrians around, those that were stopped and gawked at the pair of superheroines. As ever, January took a moment to wave. She was surprised to see that Blood Raven even cracked a smile.

"Walking around in public, smiling at people?" January stared at her mentor with amusement. "Ok, who are you, and what have done with the real Blood Raven?"

"I have been advised that I might perhaps be kinder to people." Blood Raven replied with studied nonchalance. "You were correct. They need to see us. They need to know we are here."

January felt the other woman gather up reality around her with magical fingers, and reshape it to suit her will. She was in the air and flying an instant later. January spread her wings and followed with a great leap. A chorus of cheers rose up underneath her, and she spared a glance back to see a dozen people all waving and taking pictures with their phones.

Blood Raven led them over the Compuware Building and Campus Martius. Then they threaded their way through a pair of old Art Deco skyscrapers, and soared past the Baroque masterpiece of the old Wayne County Building. She took a moment to appreciate the bronze sculptures that flanked its central tower and portico. Long since turned green with age, they depicted chariots drawn by angelic women, while even more such figures lined the tower's upper reaches, brandishing spears and other tools.

They dropped to earth immediately beyond. There were no grand old edifices here however, just a cluster of plain brick buildings. January recognized St. Andrews Hall. Blackjack's old band had played there before after all. Blood Raven led her past the ornate granite entrance of the hall, to a second building set directly beside its eastern wall, with no alley between the two. This one jutted farther out into the sidewalk, leaving no room for even a small crowd to gather there. A simple sign proclaiming it as a bar hung over the black awning. Otherwise there was nothing to distinguish the place.

Blood Raven stepped past the rental scooters parked on the sidewalk, and opened the thick, carved mahogany door. January followed. Her astral senses tingled the moment she crossed the threshold. She felt magic there, a barrier of sorts. Her eyes traced its contours, and followed them to the statue of a gargoyle that squatted just inside the doorway. Its great bulging eyes seemed to stare into January's soul. No, it stared into her aura. It was scanning her, testing her, like a magical security system.

"You sense the ward, good," Blood Raven murmured. "Your powers grow."

"It keeps out the riff raff." A voice came out from across the room. It was attached to one of the most stunning people January had ever seen. Their skin was soft sandalwood, and their straightened blond hair was pulled back and tied off with a silk bow. Their lips glistened, and their eyes were rimmed with a light dusting of black makeup. Several rings glinted from their fingers, and they were clad in white trousers that were held up by black suspenders. Over this they wore a long coat lined with buttons down either side. It was something straight from the Revolutionary War.

Beyond them stretched out the interior of the club. A long wooden bar ran the length of the left wall, and a row of bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling overhead. A row of small tables graced the opposite wall, with a narrow channel between for patrons to mingle. The back wall was filled with black and white photographs of old Detroit, and a small stage with a piano was set up in one corner. A pair of flatscreen televisions loomed in different corners of the long, rectangular room. These were turned off, and no celebrants occupied the space. It was Sunday morning after all. In fact, it was only the three of them within.

"Welcome to the Aura," the strangely-attired, and definitely gender-fluid, person greeted them. Their eyes locked with January's, and she felt herself almost blush as they reached out to take her hand. But rather than shake it; they turned her hand over, and bowed forward to gently kiss the back of it.

"I am Harper Esquire, co-proprietor." they declared. "My pronouns are she/her, they/them, he/him. I flow."

"So I see," January beamed. Harper possessed a magnetism that would have been difficult to ignore, even if one had wanted to. "It is my distinct pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Stormcrow, my pronouns are she/her, or they/them really. Though I am still not sure what I am doing here."

January spared a glance to Blood Raven beside her.

"She didn't tell you?" Harper raised an eyebrow, and looked from January to her scarlet-maned companion. "Still leaning into the mysterious and aloof mentor role I see Blood Raven."

"It must come naturally Harper," Blood Raven nodded to the decidedly non-binary proprietor in reply. "When did you add the Esquire to your name?"

"The other week," they shrugged in response. "I just liked the sound of it."

Their host sauntered over to a nearby table, and gracefully perched upon one of the tall wooden chairs. They crossed their legs, showing off the tall, polished black boots that they wore. Again, these were nothing from a modern store. They looked like they might have come from an 18th Century cavalry officer's feet. January even noted the silver spurs that gleamed from the low heels.

"It suits you," January agreed. She followed Blood Raven to the table, and joined her in taking a seat.

Before January could ask a second time what this had to do with their investigation, a loud clatter came from the back of the room. All eyes turned to the stainless steel swinging door in the far wall. January imagined it might lead to a kitchen beyond. It sounded like pots and pans were being knocked together, underscored by the clacking of hard soles on a tile floor.

"Ahh, that would be my partner Kaelin." Harper's eyes lit up. January wondered if that meant partner in the business sense, or the personal one? Or both? "She has been just pining to meet you Stormcrow, enough to wake up before noon."

"They're here!" a voice rang out from across the room. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Another non-binary or trans - or both - person came stomping through the metal door. They held a tray full of drinks in their hand. Their light skin was dotted by a small mole under one corner of their thin lips. A handful of freckles likewise flecked their long features. Their eyes were liquid green, nearly blue, and a silver piercing ran though one of their long, narrow eyebrows, a match for the one that hung from their nose. Their hair was dyed a brilliant green, and stood up in a great shock, even as the sides of her head were shaved down to the scalp.

They were dressed in a blue sport coat, over a button down shirt that looked like it had been tye-dyed blue and white. A blue tie hung loosely from their neck. Their long legs were covered in dark tights, beneath a blue and white plaid skirt. A pair of chunky combat boots girded by shiny chains clonked on the floor with every step they took.

Like Harper, they were a blend of masculine and feminine, but in a vastly different way. Where the former's presentation was as an Old World chevalier, Kaelin was as punk as one could be without a Sex Pistols album cover tattooed on your forehead. January had to admit, she really admired both of their styles, and the courage it took to be so distinct and unique in presentation. Junior High School had taught her the dangers of standing out from the crowd like that.

"Well of course they are here sweetheart," Harper sighed. "The watch dog told you, just like it did me."

"But I was still trying to get ready!" Kaelin almost pouted. "I couldn't decide between the stilettos or the chain boots."

"The chains really work," January found herself saying without thinking. "It really goes with your look."

"You think so?" Kaelin stopped and ran a hand through their hair. "You don't think it's too much?"

"It's just right dear, as you always are," Harper smiled.

With that Kaelin clomped through the room to them. She set down the tray that she carried on the table between them, revealing four stoneware cups with an indistinct brown liquid floating within each. She plopped down on the final open chair, and spread out in a most unladylike fashion. The bejeweled fingers of one of Harper's hands instantly found their way to one bared knee, and gently caressed it.

"Oh hi!" the newcomer suddenly sprang up, as if remembering what they were doing. "I'm Kaelin. My pronouns are she/her, or they/them."

January shook her hand, a normal greeting this time, rather than an elaborate courtly ritual.

"I am so glad to finally meet you," Kaelin practically gushed. "Ever since you came on the scene, I was hoping you would come in to hang. And here you finally are!"

[Renee]

That's neat, how she works in the Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Spirit into her stretching. Elemental yoga.

Cool, let's see who she's about to meet.

Wow, so the gargoyle they pass by isn't just a statue. Holy [censored].

Gender fluid ... that's a new term for me. "Their hair was blonde, they got up from the chair.." It seems this is the best word in our English language, right? It is a little tough though, just because the word 'they' always sounds plural, like several people instead of one. But 'they' / 'their' sounds like it's the only word which fits.

Kaelin's awesome! I hope Miss Crow has somebody new to spend time with, since that meanie Hannah turned out a disappointment.

This post has been edited by Renee: May 7 2022, 08:05 PM

[Acadian]

"What manner of mentor should I be were I not?"
- - As Blood Raven addresses the ‘cryptic’ accusation from January, the pure truth of this demanded quoting. She joins the ranks of Yoda, Mr Miagi and other mentors in this regard.

Like January is thinking, the encounter with this unusual pair raises more questions than answers. Looking forward to finding out how they fit in.

I do confess to being a bit lost in pronoun land and agree with Renee that my first thought upon each use of ‘they’ is plurality, not gender.

[SubRosa]

I guess I should chime in to note that "they/them" is the most common gender-neutral pronoun in English. Yes, it has been sort of shoe-horned in there, because unlike many other societies that recognize 3rd, 4th, or more genders, English only does so with two. So it is often used in the Queer community as a blanket pronoun for everyone, or specifically for non-binary people like Harper and Kaelin. Of course what a person states is their preferred pronoun is most important over all. For some, that is indeed "Them". Because a lot of people are Non-Binary (or Enby, or Genderfluid, or Genderqueer, etc...), and don't feel like they fit into any of the convenient boxes provided for identifying oneself. That is why I introduced Harper and Kaelin. I wanted to spotlight another part of the Queer community at large. The world is a big tent, and I want people to be seen in my writing.

There are other recently created terms like "zhe". But almost no one outside of the Queer community has ever heard of them. So I have decided not to use them.

[Renee]

Sure, that's fine. I'd be open to zhe or any other pertinent terms which are not well known outside LGBT, but whatever you feel is best.

[Acadian]

I imagine struggling with the pronouns is simply a part of being what you call gender-fluid or non-binary and you are reflecting that in your story. A new word like zhe might be the answer, but as you correctly surmise, I've never heard of it so your story may well be best off reflecting 'facts on the ground'. It does seem better than the other alternative (it) which is probably more associated with inanimate things.

I recently did a quest in ESO involving an adorable but unhappy juvenile beholder that Buffy (with some help) freed from Hermie Mora. The young beholder had the ability to shapeshift and was adopted into a troupe of stage performers. We get the impression that gender is irrelevant to beholders because this one was eventually named Dreamer, but was referred to only in gender neutral terms - primarily they. And I struggled a bit each time it was used remembering it was referring to this singular beholder.

Fun discussion regardless.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Finished Book 4 last night!

So you weren't kidding when you called this place the Witch House. At least this version of Keziah seems to have been more benevolent than the one in HPL's story (also, is there a Brown Jenkins equivalent?). It makes for an interesting home, regardless.

I quite liked how the early chapters showed January going about her daily life. For me, what really sells a story with speculative/fantastical elements is whether or not I can imagine living in them as a normal person. Granted, the calculus is slightly different for a superhero story that takes place in our world, but the look at things like teaching about comics or going to a Pride parade still help reinforce that these are relatable people with lives outside of being a superhero. Which, from my understanding, is one of the reasons early Marvel resonated so strongly with readers (though I think DC also has heroes navigating their daily lives now?).

The djieien and Nátthrafn certainly took the story into a darker and more occult place. It ties in with Stormcrow's powers. I quite enjoyed how you wove Nátthrafn's story into actual history. Those kinds of things always engage me.

Lastly, I liked that nameless Freddy Mercury-looking guy who shot at the spider. It's always good to see random bystanders who actually step up to the plate, even if in his case it ended up not really accomplishing much.

[SubRosa]

Renee: The magical elements are a core part of January's magic. Her elemental mantra has always been a part of her practice. It is how she visualizes and applies her magic. She calls on air for lightning. She becomes water to dodge. She becomes earth to take a hit, etc...

January is going to meet a lot of new people, and make a lot of new friends, this book.


Acadian: Blood Raven is very Self Aware when it comes to being a magical mentor. There are traditions to be upheld after all! Plus some things people have to experience and learn themselves, with only a little prodding in the right direction from a teacher.


WellTemperedClavier: As you noted, the Witch House and Keziah are borrowed from HP Lovecraft. In a way, so is the big bad and meta plot for Season One. January's last name is Ward, because she was going to be a descendant of Charles Dexter Ward, and big bad would be Joseph Curwen. I eventually decided to ditch almost all of the Lovecraft elements however, and it worked out much better. I only really held on to the idea of a wizard constantly cheating death through his descendants.

Blood Raven's old teacher Keziah is definitely a much more benevolent figure. She does not have a Brown Jenkin (at least not yet). But she make play a role in the distant future. I envision a Season based on January traveling through times and alternate universes, trying to get back home to her own time and earth, and I think Keziah might play a role in that.

I spend a lot of time trying to make sure there is ordinary life going on in the middle of all the super madness, because I don't want to lose track of that tie to the 'real' world. That's the main role her friends like the Knights of Nerddom play, and January's mother, who I see playing a larger role in Season Two. As you noted, I want this to feel more like Spider-Man or the new Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) than Batman or Superman. In fact, being part of the world and the community is something January herself is constantly striving for.

Writing the history about Nátthrafn was difficult, as I did not want to do a big, boring infodump. So I tried to pepper it with a lot of side talk that I hoped would make the conversation feel natural, rather than a history lesson. If this was television or film I would do a montage of these events with Blood Raven narrating a voice over, like the prologue in Fellowship of the Ring. I briefly thought of actually writing it all out from Nátthrafn's pov. But felt it would just get too big and unwieldy. I think that could turn into a novel all of its own.

Weaving in real history, people, and things is one of the things I learned from Lovecraft. He used to love to pepper his own homemade magic books like the Necromonicon in with real books and writers, like Elphias Levi and Borellus. It makes the original material feel more real, because it is surrounded by so many real things. So I went out of my way to use as much real history as I could, with things like Gottskalk Nikulausson the Cruel, the Rauðskinna, Heinrich Kramer, Kelpius, the Public Universal Friend, John Hancock, Jack Parsons, etc... It was also a lot of fun weaving all of them into the story. I learned a lot just doing research.

And I did want someone like Freddy Mercury to be there to throw down, even though he's an ordinary person. This story needs to be about ordinary people as well as super ones. The actions of each effect the other.







Papa Legba



Book 9.6 - Ashes

"I seem to really not understand anything at all this morning," January found herself saying, as she glanced to Blood Raven.

"No one told you?" Harper looked between them and sighed. Finally she settled her eyes upon Blood Raven. "Really, it took you this long? Are you afraid we will corrupt your precious protégé?"

"Pray that you never meet what I fear..." Blood Raven intoned gravely.

"Oh don't mind them," Kaelin waved a hand. "It's the unspoken sexual tension between them."

Harper laughed out loud at that, and took a sip of their drink. Blood Raven allowed a tiny smile to crease her lips. Somehow January did not think the tension between them came from that. At least Blood Raven had never given her reason to think that she was ever so... adventurous. In fact, when it came to sex, the other heroine seemed nearly Puritanical. That was not surprising, given that she was born in the 1700s after all.

On the other hand, her mentor had a tendency to rub people the wrong way. For the past fifty years, she had been Detroit's lone hero, with the emphasis on lone. Sure, she had occasionally teamed up with other capes such as Blackhawk. But those were always temporary affairs. January had come to suspect that she deliberately created walls of friction to keep people at a distance. Such as the first time she had met Lighthammer, and refused to shake his hand, or even engage with him.

Was that a byproduct of being two and a half centuries old? How many friends had she made, only to watch them die? Was immortality a blessing, or a curse? Or was she simply a misanthrope at heart?

"The Aura is Detroit's magic club," Harper's voice pulled January from her musings. "Usually every city has at least one. It's where we magicians come to meet, and play, and argue, and relax. Cameras won't work here, unless we want them to. So you can let your magic flag fly here."

"So it's only magicians then?" January glanced back to the gargoyle at the door. Now she understood its purpose. It was not only a ward, such as those that guarded the Witch House. She imagined that it also weeded out the mages from the mundanes.

"And guests who are in the know," Kaelin offered. "Otherwise we'd never come close to filling the place."

She picked up a goblet, and took a drink herself. Then she stared back at January and Blood Raven.

"It's not poison, honest!"

Blood Raven stared down at the cup, then took a polite sip. January looked at hers as well. She remembered the one sip of beer she had had at Emilia Mercado's house. That had sent her head spinning. At the time she had thought she simply lacked a resistance to alcohol. But her encounter with the oniare had revealed that she could not resist any toxins.

"I don't really drink," January said diplomatically. "It doesn't agree with me."

"What, you think we're getting liquored up at 10am on a Sunday morning?" Kaelin laughed. "It's my hangover cure, just the thing after a long Saturday night."

January thought for a moment, then took the plunge and lifted the stone vessel to her lips. She took a tentative sip, and found that the brew was thick, creamy, sweet, and slid down her throat as gently as silk. It sort of reminded her of a root beer float, except without the pop. She took another, deeper drink, and finally set the goblet down before her with an appreciative look.

"That's good," she declared. "I mean, that's really good. What's in it?"

"Oh a little eye of newt, tongue of bat, that sort of thing," Kaelin said breezily. But January could see that in spite of her nonchalant air, her eyes glittered with pride. "A girl has to keep her secrets after all."

"Kaelin here is our resident alchemist," Harper practically bragged. "She's the best in the state. She runs our microbrewery, and makes our patented Witches Brew."

"She created the Powder of Mahd al-Aadiyya that I distributed to the team." Blood Raven nodded to the transpunk woman. Now she finally did take a polite sip of her drink. "I should never have found the time to do so myself."

"I never did that in a grenade before," Kaelin blushed. "Thanks again for showing me how to do that."

"Think nothing of it," Blood Raven looked from her to her partner. "Harper is quite right. Of all my students, your talents in the alchemical arts are unparalleled. You surpassed what I could teach in that arena long ago. You have much to be proud of. Your work prevented the Summoner from escaping Gull Island. It may yet prove the undoing of the Hierophant as well."

"Yeah, don't mention that," Kaelin suddenly looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I mean that, don't. It's not something I'm proud of."

"We understand that," January said before Blood Raven could respond. She also had to fight down the urge to cock an eyebrow in surprise. Kaelin was a former student of Blood Raven's? That made her wonder just how many young magicians she had shepherded throughout the centuries. Now that she considered it, she imagined it might be quite a few. Her mentor was always filled with surprises.

"We aren't proud of the Summoner's death either," January went on. "None of us like it. But the fact is both he and his master insured their own deaths when they began their crusade. Even without us, it will kill them in the end. This horror from beyond time will kill us all if we don't stop it."

"Is it really that bad?" Harper looked between the women.

"It is worse," Blood Raven said. "If my father, yes, my father, returns to this world, I do not know if I can stop him. I did once before. But that was seventy years ago. His spirit grows in power in the Abyss. If he is to return, he shall be ready for me. There may be no defeating him a second time."

"So the Creatures of the Abyss, they are real then?" Kaelin asked. "I mean really real."

"As real as that djieien at Ferndale Pride, and the oniare at Jobbie Nooner," January replied.

"What was it like, facing one," now it was Harper's turn to ask. "We only know what we read, and you never know what to believe in old books."

"It's not just a monster," January said. "That part is easy. Being around it, just being around that book that summons them, it turns your stomach, puts your skin on edge. It's like the sound of fingernails on a blackboard. It is just the... wrongness of it all. It doesn't belong in our universe, and you can feel that. It is like the thing just being here is changing our world, warping it, corrupting it somehow with its malign will."

"So how can anyone summon one?" Kaelin blanched. "It sounds awful."

"Not all have that reaction to them," Blood Raven said quietly. "To some, they beckon. They whisper secrets of power and transcendence. For those mired in a world of grim, lightless mundanity - one whose ability to see beauty and joy is lost - they are a beacon. They are a glimpse of more than just a life of gray waking, gray working, gray eating, and gray sleeping. For an instant they transcend the banality of inane reality, and glimpse something fantastic beyond. A limitless multiverse of possibilities calls to them. Then the Abyssal is gone, and they are dashed down to the bleakness of ordinary reality once more. They will do anything to chase that ineffable feeling of joy and horror they once felt in the presence of the Abyss."

"They sound like heroin addicts," Kaelin mused.

"They are much the same," Blood Raven said. "It is what makes them most dangerous. They cannot see the evil before them. Their eyes are blinded by the glamour. Only too late do they learn the truth, that they are nothing but fresh meat."

"That was my great-grandfather Jack then," January thought aloud. "I never could understand why he summoned them. He sounded like a really wild - but basically decent - guy."

"Jack was much like Harper, a free spirit, who refused to be bound by earthly constraints." Blood Raven nodded. "He dreamed great dreams. Dreams our world could not contain. Unlike you Harper, he was never satisfied with what he found on Earth. No love could sate him, no mystery could elude him, no simple joy could bring him warmth. I saw all of this too late to stop him, or save him from himself."

Harper said nothing in reply. Instead they looked at Kaelin. They leaned over and planted a deep, passionate kiss upon their partner's lips. It was one which Kaelin clearly reciprocated, given how her hands slid about the back of Harper's uniform jacket.

January looked away, and cleared her throat loudly. Public displays of affection were indeed uncomfortable, when you were not the one being affected. She remembered Hannah, and how she had kissed her. She could almost still taste her lipstick, and smell her lavender and hyssop body wash...

Harper leaned back again, clearly quite pleased with themself. Or perhaps quite relieved? Kaelin however, appeared to be as flustered as her partner was nonchalant. She spent several moments wiping at non-existent lipstick stains around her mouth.

"As I mentioned before, Kaelin has been looking forward to meeting you for some time Stormcrow." Harper spoke as if nothing notable had occurred. "She even has a Stormcrow T-shirt."

"As if you do not have one too!" Kaelin stuck her tongue out at her lover, before turning to January. "I do have a nice top with a picture of you on it. I can't say how much it means to me, you being out. You being Out, and out there, in front of everyone. I wish there had been someone like you when I was in school. It would have helped so much, just knowing I wasn't the only one who was different, and that it was ok to be that way. If it hadn't been for my magic, and Blood Raven, I don't know what I would have done."

"I wish there had been someone like you when I was in school," January replied evenly. "Like either of you. I have never been so brave, to stand out like you do and be noticed."

"Well, you certainly stand out now," Harper noted.

"That's different," January shook her head. "I'm older now, wiser. More fed up with being afraid of what other people think. Now I realize that I have to be the person whom I needed when I was younger. That's the hardest part of all this. Not the fighting. Not the Abyssals. Just being the person people need, even if it's not the one they want. Especially when it's not the one they want."

"But I don't think that is why you brought me here, is it Blood Raven?" January turned to face her red-haired partner.

"It was time you met others in the community," Blood Raven insisted. She nodded to Harper. "It just so happens that this particular member can send you to Mr. Blackwood. He has something for you."

"Mr. Blackwood? You mean my new suit's done?" January could not restrain a grin. "Already? That's great! But wasn't he going to send it?"

"As I said, it is time you met others in the community," Blood Raven repeated. "Besides, I thought you might like to take a few hours to get away from it all, and enjoy the tropics."

"The tropics?" January lifted an eyebrow. "Where does he live?"

"The Virgin Islands," Harper replied. "I can get you to St.Thomas. We go down there for Carnival every year. You will have to make your way from there."

"Wow, like the Caribbean?" January could not contain her smile. "Blue seas, white sands, pirates, all that?"

"Hopefully no robots or ninjas to go with those pirates," Kaelin murmured.

"That was our last trip..." Harper mused.

"Ok, so how do we do this?" January stood up, and looked around. "Do you teleport?"

"I can do the next best thing." Harper rose to their feet, and strode out into the empty space between the tables and the bar. January felt mana rise hot and bright within them. They began to sing in something that sounded French. But January could not be sure. Then they started to dance a moment later, their body swaying to the beat they created with their voice.

Golden light streaked out from behind their arms and legs. They whirled around the floor, and wove these patterns of light into an intricate symbol. January quickly recognized it, at least in general. It was a Veve, from Vodun. The Summoner and Hierophant had used similar symbology in the Ferndale summoning. This however, felt much more wholesome than the work of their enemies. In fact, it was downright beautiful. In time January recognized stars and leaves, and solar crosses amongst the graceful curves of the design. It was the sigil of Papa Legba, the Opener of the Ways.

Then the glowing sigil dissolved, and with it the world around it. The floor of the bar vanished. In its place lay a different set of floorboards, these faded and weathered, as if from the sun. A hot breeze blew in from the empty space, and January could swear she could hear cloth flapping, like a flag waving in the breeze.

She expected to see an outline of energy marking off the edges of the portal. But in this case, that was not the case. There was nothing bright or showy at all. Here simply ended and there began, with no clear demarcation between the two. She could see mountains in the distance, covered with green trees, and dotted with white homes. She took a few steps around to see the portal from a different angle, and the background changed, revealing a wide bay filled with ships.

"That is dope!" January breathed.

"I have just sent you the GPS coordinates to Blackwood's estate." Blood Raven looked up from her wrist computer. As if conjured by her words, Sága dinged to acknowledge that she had received the message. "He shall be expecting you."

"Ok, and thank you. Thank you for all of this."

January stepped onto the new floor, and found herself in another world.

[Acadian]

"Pray that you never meet what I fear..." Blood Raven intoned gravely.’
- - Another wonderfully evocative Blood Raven quote!

Plenty of questions – and some more answers about Blood Raven’s past. Prior proteges and members for her extended coven.

And how handy that Harper knows floorportal magick!

So, it’s off to the Caribbean! And, it seems like the Stromcrow’s costume 2.0 may be ready.


Nit: ‘January though {thought} for a moment, then took the plunge and lifted the stone vessel to her lips.’

[Renee]

So you weren't kidding when you called this place the Witch House.

It's a fantastic place, right? Raven's hidden condo is awesome, too. So much imagination there.

I think with Raven she does remain aloof on purpose. Maybe it's the life & times she was born & raised, although I think it's probably more than that. That could be a clue, the "how many friends had she made..." So yeah, social courtesies are not really top of the list for her.

The concept of the Aura sounds neat. Let your magic fly. Yeah, let's see them try to disturb us with your camera-phones now!

Raven's sermons during this chapter are captivating.

Uh oh... Dang. Oh well. Seems Jan's still on her own. But at least she's taking a trip away from all that. The end is really unexpected. Virgin Islands, wow.

"That is dope!" January breathed.

Lol

[WellTemperedClavier]

Caught up and finished Book 5.

I guess PR's always been a pretty important aspect of being a superhero. Social media may have intensified it--but Superman and Spiderman and others both had to make sure the cameras were on them (and given their RL careers, both had some advantages with it).

January handles her image in a really canny way. I love how so much of this is a balancing act. She wants to maintain a good relationship with the police, but she also knows there are enough bad cops in the DPD to make that risky. Blood Raven's an obvious ally, but she's also isolated and standoffish enough that her presence somewhat limits Stormcrow's public persona.

On some level, Stormcrow might find Blood Raven's style safer. But she also knows that's not her. It seems like a big part of Stormcrow's quest is to get the world to accept her on her own terms. You can't do that in isolation, however.

Fortunately, Blood Raven seems willing to go along with Stormcrow to some extent. She seems more inclined to introversion, but being an introvert doesn't mean you don't need people--it just means you recharge better on your own. So I think this is a happy case of the two characters helping each other.

I don't have as much to say Lighthammer, since I'm still trying to figure him out (along with January). Again, it seems like she's trying to make a connection with as many different types as possible. Lighthammer's got some baggage, sure, but so far he seems to be on the side of the angels.

I guess the risk is always that January ends up spreading herself too thin. As it is, the different factions she's dealt with seem to like her, but her loyalty to any of them hasn't really been tested. Now, the advantage of not being too embedded with a group means that you can cut ties if that group turns out problematic. The drawback is that doing this too often might get one labeled as inconstant or unreliable.

The drug-induced superpowers thing is an angle I've seen, but that's not a bad thing. You handled it well. The parallel with fascism (in that it ultimately corrodes and destroys itself) is pretty clear.

[SubRosa]

Acadian: I just finished the first draft of Book 10. We get to meet what Blood Raven fears in it.

It turns out that Blood Raven has quite a few former students like January. We are going to get to meet all these Daughters of the Raven in this and the next book. They make for a pretty awesome team.

January goes international! This is definitely the farthest she has ever been from home. And probably will be for some time.

Thanks for finding that nit for me.


Renee: Blood Raven has known a lot of people in her 250 years, and has watched every single one of them die. That, and just the reality of being a super makes her prone to avoid adding more friends to the list of those she will someday watch die as well.

Hopefully I will be able to use the Aura in the future. You never can tell what seeds you plant as a writer will sprout and which will never go anywhere. I liked the idea of a mage hangout, especially given how many there are now in the story.

It is very dope.


WellTemperedClavier: I have to think back to Book 5 and what was going on in that one. It is one of my favorites, because in it January finally gets her wings, figuratively and literally. She really comes into her own in that book, and the alliances she has made so far have begun to bear fruit, as she teams up with both Blood Raven and Lighthammer, with some informational assistance from Trooper Mercado.

I liked your references to Supes and Spidey, and how they used their super personas in the media to help them in their personal lives. In Jan's case it there is more too it. One simply because of her era. Everyone has a video camera in their pocket these days with a constant link to the internet, so she is constantly being recorded and streamed. Plus social media and virtual spaces are a very real part of the world she lives in. She is young enough to never know a time without them. So being present in that world is as important to her as it is in the physical one. Because what happens there directly affects the world we all live in.

I definitely meant that self-destructive comparison between the killer drug and the neo-nazis. It started with me thinking on who would want to take something like that. I thought of the nazis who harassed Motor City Pride (which happened IRL just a few months before I wrote the book), and I had it.






As always Charlotte Amalie East and Blackwood's Villa can be found on the Stormcrow Google Map


Blackbeard's Tower

Explore Charlotte Amalie


Caribbean Crow Call


Blackwood's Estate 1 (RL Villa Katsura)

Blackwood's Estate 2

Blackwood's Estate 3

Blackwood's Estate 4


Jean-Paul (RL Hugo Philip)



Book 9.7 - Ashes

January found herself standing atop a round stone tower that looked like it might have jumped out of any sword and sandal movie, or fantasy role-playing game. The brown stones of the walls were a jumble of sizes and shapes rather than of uniform brick. But the masonry all melded into a smooth, curved surface that wrapped up in a tall cylinder. The floor upon which she stood was of smooth wood. A flagpole rose up from the center of the space, hosting a green banner that bore a woman in a white dress and golden sandals. She held a golden lamp in one hand, and was flanked by a pair of golden eagles.

That reminded January that she was no longer in the United States. She was literally in another country. The Virgin Islands had gained their independence from both the UK and US decades before of course, and had reunified into a single, sovereign nation. She hoped that no one would ask to see her passport, given that she did not have one.

Around her stretched out a resort of white-washed buildings with bright red-tiled rooftops. A long swimming pool stretched out in one direction. To another was a broad lane flanked by palm trees, with a giant statue of a pirate in its center. People milled around the street below and frolicked in the pool. January heard the click of a camera, and turned to see a group of what could only be tourists standing atop the roof with her, pointing their phones her way.

January smiled and gave them a wave. Then she leaped into the firmament. Around her a city stretched out along the side of a long, forested ridge. The higher up one went, the thinner and thinner the red-roofed abodes became. She circled lazily around the town, and drifted down toward the sea. Along the way she found herself passing over a glorious statue of three women brandishing torches and lanterns as if to light the way for others.

The buildings became more dense here, and were tightly packed together by the time she reached the harbor. The natural bay spread out like the arms of an embracing giant, leaving only a wide channel to enter or leave between the two "hands" of the outstretched arms of land. She also noted a narrow channel at the base of one of the "shoulders". That made it an island blocking off half the bay, rather than a true promontory of land. But the result was the same: a lagoon of calm water that lay at the feet of the city.

The bay was filled with vessels. There were tiny rowboats and little sailboats, and great pleasure yachts that must cost more money than most people could ever earn in a lifetime. Three massive cruise ships that were practically floating cities in their own rights were tied up to a long dock on the left side of the harbor. The water itself was a soft and ever so inviting shade of turquoise that practically glowed under the summer sun. Farther out the open sea stretched away in deepening hues of blue.

It was paradise.

January pulled herself skyward once more, and soared up to the crest of what was either a tall hill or a low mountain that flanked the eastern side of the harbor. She could tell the direction by the position of the sun overhead, which was still hours from climbing to its zenith. She passed over several resorts and what she imagined might be rentals for the rich and shameless, given the sprawling houses and crystal clear swimming pools.

She set herself down upon a bare stretch of the grassy rise, and consulted Sága's screen. Her digital assistant brought up a map for her to peruse, and she learned that she was in the city of Charlotte Amalie, which was of course the capital of the Virgin Islands. She punched in the address to Mr. Blackwood's place, and found that it was several islands away to the northeast.

She oriented herself in that direction, and took to the skies once more. Hills and valleys rolled out beneath her as she soared over the island of St. Thomas. Within were nestled both towns and forests alike. The latter did not appear to be the dense jungle that she expected from the Caribbean. Rather it looked more like the woods she was used to back home in Michigan, with a mix of evergreens and deciduous trees. Granted, what she did not know about the Caribbean could fill entire wikis. Just spelling it was challenge enough!

Soon enough she had run out of land, and nothing but water passed by under her wings. That gave January a slight twinge of fear. This was not like flying over one of the Great Lakes. That was the real ocean underneath her. Deeper than the sun's rays could ever reach, and filled with all manner of strange and voracious creatures.

Well, at least she did not have to worry about drowning. She could breathe water now. So it was only the giant prehistoric sharks, killer whales, giant squid, jellyfish, Father Dagon and Mother Hydra that lurked in the deep that she might have to worry about. That made things so much better.

She tried to push the thoughts of shark movies and Lovecraftian horrors from her mind. The first were a lot less dangerous than bees or even her own bathtub. The latter were fictional after all. At least she hoped.

Besides, it was not like she was really over the open ocean. Islands dotted the seascape all around. Besides St. Thomas behind her, just a few miles ahead rose the green mountainsides of St. John. A line of smaller isles dotted the sea to the north, as did a few others to the south. She was never anywhere near to being out of sight of land after all.

She sailed over St. John's towns and forested mountains and soon enough was back out over the water again. This time it was just a narrow channel before the next big island, Tortola. The sun beat down as she soared through the skies. But January did not mind the heat. The crystal clear blue waters, green mountainsides, white-washed homes, and red-tiled roofs created a fantasy-like atmosphere that was just too good to allow the unpleasantness of reality to intrude into, at least not yet. She could always crack open a book about Caribbean history for that...

She glanced down at Sága once more, and saw that she was nearing her destination. Soon enough, she left the long curling shores of Tortola behind and was out of the open water again. Open being a very relative term once more, as there was a line of smaller islands in sight beyond her right shoulder. Dead ahead lay a wide channel to the island of Virgin Gorda, which her map said was nearly five miles away.

She ate that distance up in no time at all. She banked to the left and followed the shoreline across the docks of a large city. She continued on over the green slopes of a low mountain that jutted out into the sea. She curled around the bulge it created in the rocky shoreline, and found that a handful of estates dotted the promontory's northern face.

It had to be one of those. January consulted Sága once more to find the exact GPS coordinates. While her fingers tapped the display the familiar dark shape of a crow rose up from the trees below. It excitedly circled around her once, jabbering in a most un-crowlike fashion. It sounded less like the deep, throaty croaks that she was accustomed to hearing from American Crows. Instead this fellow's speech was a long, almost squealing trill. It reminded her of some of those old cassette tapes that Avery had, and the squeaking sound they made when he rewinded them.

Then the crow did something even January did not expect. It landed on her back, right between her wings. It perched there, just below her neck, and seemed to be enjoying the ride. January tried not to laugh, or crane her head back to look at it. She could feel its talons easily enough as they pricked at her skin. More than that, she could sense its presence there, a warm comfort beside her in astral space.

She turned back to the task at hand. She was tempted to get out and ask for directions. Instead she circled down to what she thought might be the place. But her passenger began to squeal and trill in a most disagreeable manner. So she pulled back up again and moved on to the next set of buildings.

This was a collection of structures that looked Japanese with their hip and gable styled roofs. The numerous pavilions were constructed from lustrous woods. Their tall ceilings and numerous floors imparted an open, airy feel to the place. A wide infinity pool sat at the base of the main house, and beneath its edge a wooden wall plummeted down the steep forested slope below.

January recognized that pool from her video conference with Mr. Blackwood. It was bisected by a delicate wooden bridge, and even had a little island within it from which sprouted an ornamental tree. It was a zen garden made of water, decorative stones, and strategically placed greenery.

Her passenger leaped off her back and darted downward, trilling noisily all the way. It soared across a wooden patio that ran along one side of the pool, and swept through an open wall into the main building. January trusted her companion, and feathered her wings back to slow her descent. She picked a spot between two halves of the main building, where the patio was not covered by awnings. That gave her plenty of open space to land. She gently set down there a moment later, and curled up her wings on her back.

"Shoo, shoo you avian pirate!" a man cried out in a distinctly French accent. January turned to face the sound, and walked to the large open wall that the crow had flown through. Now that she was down on the ground, she saw that the wall beneath the awning was wide open to the air and pool beyond. Within was a spacious veranda floored in stone. A long wooden food preparation area took up the center of the space, with a row of bar stools running one of its sides. A stone grill with a shiny aluminum lid sat in one corner, next to a low bar. Finally a small, granite-surfaced table sat nearby, surrounded by stylized copper and wooden chairs.

The Caribbean crow swept out of the space a moment later with a ring of fruit clenched in its heavy beak. Close upon its heels was a man wearing bright yellow dock shorts and sandals, and nothing else. His lean muscles rippled under the sun, and least a six pack of abs graced his tummy. It was too bad Avery had not been able to come along. He was definitely the meta-inventor's type.

January recognized him from the video conference the week before of course.

"Jean-Paul," she smiled. "It is so nice to meet you in person."

"Ah, it is the Crow of the Storm!" the extremely fit man said in a decidedly French accent. Like a cat who had fallen off the couch, he instantly regained his composure and acted like he had not just been in hot pursuit of a larcenous corvid a moment earlier. "Mr. Blackwood is expecting you. He is just finishing up with another client, so if you would be so good as wait, he will be with your shortly."

He walked January back out onto the deck, and waved one hand out at the truly stunning view that lay before them. There was the zen garden, the infinity pool, and of course the truly breathtaking blue sea and forested islands beyond. January sat upon a deck chair, and he bent down to hold out the tray he balanced in one hand.

"Perhaps a snack while you wait? I would be delighted to make for you a refreshing beverage. My very own Virgin Rum Punch is the talk of the islands. But I am quite adept at mixing many fine drinks. A Blue Lagoon perhaps, or a Cuba Libre?"

January declined the drink, but did take him up on the fruit. She snacked on a few mango slices, and made herself comfortable, if not at home. It was all just a little too grandiose and over-awing for her to be truly comfortable. She tried to imagine what an estate like this must cost, and soon gave up. That kind of wealth was a more alien concept than creatures from another world.

She tried to just enjoy the view. But she could not shake the feeling that she was out of place. She kept fearing that she might turn around and accidentally break a priceless Ming vase or something of that nature. This was all just too rich for her middle-class blood.

So she did what she always did these days. She meditated. She started by scooting out of the reclining chair, and sitting upon the hard wooden planks of the deck. Soon enough she spread her legs out into the splits, and finally turned that into a handstand, with her legs still spread to either side.

As always, she felt her power flow through her. She nurtured it, called it up, massaged it, and stoked it. It became her world. She became it. She was magic. She was power. They were one and the same.

[Renee]

Blood Raven has known a lot of people in her 250 years, and has watched every single one of them die. That, and just the reality of being a super makes her prone to avoid adding more friends to the list of those she will someday watch die as well.

This also is why she's got a lot of Wisdom. You know, we get wiser as we get older. So for somebody who's lived that long, she's going to be really wise. Know a lot o things. She's a natural teacher for all these younger folks, and some of the older ones, even.

Off-topic, but this is why I have problems believing elves in Elder Scrolls games have lived such long lives. They don't seem any wiser than any other race. They do and say a lot of the silly / stupid things other NPCs do from other racial lineages.

Whoa... look at Blackwood's home. Is this Jan's first time outside the States (except for Canada, perhaps)? Well it must be, if she hasn't got a passport. I'd be jealous, except I hate hot weather.

Ha, they're already taking pictures of her. What the hey? OTOH, she doesn't seem to mind.

There are crows down there too.

She tried to just enjoy the view. But she could not shake the feeling that she was out of place

Yeah, completely opposite of where she's from. By now Jan has experienced plenty of actual seasons for instance, including really cold ones.

Don't break any of Blackwood's Ming vases!

This post has been edited by Renee: May 21 2022, 04:48 PM

[Acadian]

Yay, an aerial tour of the Virgin Isles! And a local crow for a guide – who speaks with a Caribbean accent of course. I chuckled at Jan’s uneasiness/internal dialogue being over such an expanse of open water.

’It was paradise.’
- - Based on the description that precedes Jan’s conclusion it sure sounds like it!

Overall, a fascinating arrival to Mr. Blackwood’s estate. I love how Jan deals with her wealth discomfort by meditating. Looking forward to seeing our host again and checking out Jan’s new Storm ensemble.


Nit? "Perhaps a snack while you eat?” - - Did Jean-Paul mean ‘wait’ instead of ‘eat’?

[WellTemperedClavier]

Finished Book 6!

So the big moment here is January coming out. What really brings this home is the sheer detail on what she notices in others: their minute facial reactions which nonetheless tell so much about how they feel. And all that ties in with the sorts of skills she's had no choice but to develop in order to survive. It's one of those elements that says a great deal in just a brief description.

Likewise, she's now second-guessing a lot of the people around her. Being a lesbian is difficult enough. Being trans adds a whole new layer of difficulty. You demonstrate this with how she watches the expressions of the police.

Regardless, it's a big moment. Hiding simply comes at too high a cost. Stormcrow isn't a Blood Raven, standing on the sidelines and only intervening when needed. She's an active hero, and that means she has to be open.

One note: I know you based Octavia Butler on Octavia Spencer, but did you know there was also a science-fiction writer by that name? I actually first thought the RL Butler was the one interviewing January, but then I checked and learned that Butler had died in 2006.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_E._Butler

The turn to the supernatural was effective, and Gola certainly made for an interesting antagonist. There's never going to be an entirely satisfactory cut-off line on when you judge someone. Certainly as someone who has to constantly push back against those who want to condemn her as evil or unnatural, it makes sense that January is reluctant to so easily jump into a similar mindset.

At the same time, Gola's killed a lot of people. I did like how January talked her down and showed her a better way of doing things. I'm maybe more comfortable with retributive justice than I should be. I'm still concerned with Gola's victims, the ones who don't get a second chance the way she did. However, even though it's not the decision I'd have made, I can understand why January made her choice. And that's what makes for a compelling protagonist. Likewise, you keep a certain ambiguity. January knows she's taking a risk here, since she can't be 100% certain that Gola won't revert back to her old ways. Being the hero that she is, she takes responsibility for it.