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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 4:47:11 GMT -5
((Newspaper article from early 2008))
Paragon's Pop Princess Is Not Just Another One Hit Wonder
By Evangelina Desislav for The Paragonian Gazette
Jenny Ashton never asked to be a hero. She wanted to be a rock star. But fate had other plans.
Most people in Paragon City are familiar with the Ashton family and the beautiful estate on the outskirts of Founder’s Falls. Sophia Ashton, the matriarch of the family, has run Ashton Aeronautics since her husband’s untimely death in 1960. Tragedy befell the family again in early 1974 when one of Sophia’s daughters, Perdita, went missing, and again later that same year on May 23 when her other daughter, Josephine, died in childbirth. The babies, twin girls Jennifer and Anastacia, survived, and were raised by their grandmother.
Jenny has always loved to sing. “I think my first words weren’t spoken, they were sung.” When she was sixteen, she was signed with Lollipop Records and barely four months later, her single, I Wonder, hit the top 20. The label held a big party in her honor, and Jenny remembers getting into a black limousine at the end of the night. “The next thing I knew, I was standing on my front porch holding a newspaper dated a week later. I thought it was some kind of joke. I went inside to ask about it and everyone was freaking out, asking me where I’d been. I still have no recollection of that week.”
At least one question of what happened that week was answered about a month later, when Jenny collapsed on the set of her video shoot. She was rushed to the hospital, where tests showed she was pregnant. Jenny was shocked. “I had never even been with a boy! I was only sixteen and had so many other plans for my life.”
A teenage pregnancy and not being able to name the father did not fit with the wholesome image Lollipop Records had carefully cultivated for Jenny, and they dropped her like a hot potato. The tabloids were merciless, calling her a One Hit Wonder and obviously not referring to her musical career. Jenny returned to Paragon City to await the birth of her baby. Or babies, as it turned out.
On June 10th, 1991, Jenny gave birth to twin girls, which she named Kaydance and Lyrick. They were quite healthy, but they had cat ears and dark red stripes on their faces! Subsequent tests revealed the girls had some tiger DNA entwined with their own human DNA. “Apparently their father is a mutation of a tiger or something.” Jenny shrugs. “I don’t really know.” Jenny looks upset for a moment but quickly shakes it off, motioning for this reporter to resume her questioning.
Unwilling to allow the girls to become fodder for the paparazzi, Jenny secluded herself and her babies on the Ashton estate. When they reached school age, Sophia had private tutors brought in. Jenny decided to go back to school herself, eventually earning a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She was hired by The Cape radio station in July of 2004, as a DJ. She can currently be heard on Monday nights from 11pm to 2am Eastern time.
But that is only half the story. There is a whole other side to Jenny Ashton. A heroic side.
“I don’t consider myself a hero,” Jenny states modestly. “I just help out however I can.”
Christa Morales would beg to differ. “She saved my life! I was getting mugged in Atlas Park by some Hellions and she came in and set their hair on fire! They left me alone real quick. It was funny watching them run away looking like human matches.”
Evan Baker agrees. “I was kidnapped by the Circle of Thorns and dragged into this weird cave. She came in like an avenging fire goddess, laying waste to the bad guys. It was so sexy!”
I asked Jenny to describe her powers. “Well basically, I can manipulate fire. It’s kind of like fire runs through my veins and I can shoot it out through my skin. In fact, I have a very high body temperature. This pendant I wear helps to regulate it some but anyone touching me usually thinks I have a fever. But nope, that’s just me!”
The pendant is a nickel-size ruby set in chased silver and suspended from a black leather choker. Jenny received it as a gift from her grandmother on her sixteenth birthday, when her powers manifested. “Actually, all the women in my family, as far back as we can trace, get powers on their sixteenth birthday. My grandmother has psychic and healing powers, as does my sister. My daughters have fire and sonic powers. And we’re all twins. We haven’t had a boy or just one girl born into our family in centuries.”
So what’s it like having fire powers? “Hot!” jokes Jenny. “Seriously, I never get cold, or sick. I’m impervious to fire, and ice doesn’t bother me much, as I can melt it pretty quickly. My grandmother and sister have taught me how to guard against psychic attacks, though I’m nowhere as good as they are. It’s those kicks to the head that get me!”
Jenny registered as a Hero soon after the Rikti invasion. “It was the right thing to do. This princess couldn’t hide in her tower after that.” She chose the name One Hit Wonder as a bit of a joke. “I was kind of thumbing my nose at the tabloids that had been so mean to me back in the early nineties. Plus, criminals usually rethink their crimes after just one little fireball,” Jenny laughs.
So what about her love life? “What love life? I haven’t even been on a date in like three years. I’ve only had a couple semi-serious relationships, but they didn’t work out. It’s hard for a guy to deal with all the publicity, the superpowers, and my now teenage daughters. He would have to be a really great, understanding guy to put up with my life.”
What about all those men she’s been linked with in the tabloids? “Lies, all lies! What’s funny is that a lot of the pictures aren’t even of me, they’re my twin sister, Stacey. She’s an actress and thinks it’s funny to play along when someone mistakes her for me. She’s a brat!”
So no special man in her life? “No, no one special.” Jenny blushes and looks away. “Not yet, anyway.” This reporter smells a story, but Jenny remains tight-lipped.
Our conversation turns to a more serious note. In 2005, Jenny was inside a building that exploded. It is surmised that a falling beam hit her in the head, or the concussive force of the blast slammed her into a wall. She was transported to Chiron Medical Center where she stayed in a coma for three days. Upon awakening, she could not even remember her own name. Family and friends rallied around her and over time she was able to remember or at least piece together most of her life. “There are still blank spots though. I still have no idea what I was doing in that building. It can’t be linked to any of the missions I was assigned at the time. I still have nightmares about that explosion. Also sometimes I’ll meet a person who seems to know me well but I draw a total blank on who they are. It’s so embarrassing. But sometimes some gesture they make or word they say will trigger something in my memory.”
So what’s up next for One Hit Wonder? “Oh, I have all kinds of things going on. My girls are sixteen now, so I’m helping them learn how to use their powers. They’ve already registered for Hero Licenses. I am continually striving to increase my own security clearance and help my friends with their missions. Of course I want to keep working for The Cape, I love DJing. We have a ton of talent at the station and are working on all kinds of projects. I also have a few personal projects in the works.”
Musical projects, perhaps? Is there another hit down the road for Jenny Ashton? “Possibly! But then I’d have to change my name, wouldn’t I?” Jenny laughs.
Of course not, Jenny. You will always be Paragon’s beloved One Hit Wonder, in more ways than one.
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 4:48:16 GMT -5
((Of course, I'm not currently on the air for The Cape Radio, but it's an old article.))
((Edit: New show time is Thursdays from 9pm-midnight Eastern time))
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 5:04:19 GMT -5
*BOOM!*
Jenny awoke with a start, her heart racing, a scream trapped in her throat. She was completely terrified for a moment before she realized she was safe in her own bed. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Not that old nightmare again.”
Sighing, Jenny go up and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The light was already on and she found one of her twin daughters sitting at the table, surrounded by books. “What are you doing up so late, sweetie?”
Kaydance looked up from the books. “Oh hi, Mom. Got a test tomorrow, need to study.” She stuck her nose back in the book.
Jenny sighed inwardly. Knowing it would do no good, she tried anyway. “Kay, baby, if I know you, you already have every one of those books completely memorized. You push yourself way too hard. You really should relax and go get some sleep.”
Kay looked up again. “I just want to be sure, Mom. Besides, Rickie isn’t even home yet.”
“What?” Jenny looked at the clock. “It’s nearly 2am! Where is she?”
“She went to Uncle Attercap’s show, remember? It probably just ran over.”
Jenny grumbled, “I am going to have to have a talk with that man.”
Suddenly the whirlwind that was Jenny’s other daughter, Lyrick, broke into the kitchen. “Kay! Is mom in bed? I don’t want her knowing how late I was so don’t say anything, okay?”
As requested, Kaydance said nothing, she just raised her hand and pointed at their mother, who was standing with her arms crossed, glaring at her youngest daughter.
“Oh.” Lyrick looked nonplussed for a moment, but quickly recovered. “Hi Mom! Wow, your friends are so cool! Uncle Posty and Uncle Attercap played some really cool music and I got to play with Uncle Posty’s monkey, and talk to Mikuruneko, she’s a cat girl just like us, Kay, except she has a tail. Why don’t we have tails?”
“Whoa, back up,” Jenny interrupted. “You played with Uncle Posty’s monkey?”
“Yeah! He’s got this pet Rikti monkey that’s so cute! Well, actually it’s really ugly, but so ugly it’s cute, you know? And it can dance! I had so much fun! Uncle Attercap tried to say we were second cousins twice removed or something like that, said we should be kissing cousins. Boy, you were right about him, Mom. But he was distracted by this big pink fairy guy that was hitting on him. Oh, and we had cocoa with Bailey’s-”
“Bailey’s!” Jenny interrupted again. “You were drinking?”
Lyrick gave her mom a disgusted look. “No Mom, of course not, though they were trying to get me to. I told them I was only 16 and had my cocoa plain.”
“Well that’s good, but looks like I’m going to have to have a little chat with my friends.”
“Oh Mom! Don’t worry about it! Your friends are cool, I was perfectly safe with them, can’t wait to do it again! Maybe next time I can go to Uncle Shecky’s or Aunt Pyrria’s!”
“I’m not sure which would be worse.” Jenny shook her head ruefully. “We’ll talk about it later. It’s late, why don’t you head on to bed?”
“Okay, Mom, love you!” Lyrick flew across the room and kissed her mother’s cheek, then rushed off to her bedroom. Jenny sighed and sat down at the table.
“I should go to bed too.” Kay stood up and gathered up her books.
“Okay honey, sweet dreams. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mom.” Kay kissed her mother’s other cheek and walked sedately to her bedroom, weighed down by the books.
Jenny sighed again and looked at the clock, wondering if it was too late to call her sister, but barely before the thought was finished, the phone rang. Jenny hopped up and grabbed it on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey Sis, what’s up?”
“Hey Stace. How do you do that?”
Stacey laughed. “Well, one, we are twins, so we share a special bond, and two, I’m psychic.”
“Yeah, but you can’t read minds.”
“No, but I can pick up signals.”
“It’s weird.”
“You’re weird.”
“You’re weirder.”
“You’re the weirdest.”
“Oh stop being so childish!”
“You started it.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not. My god, are we ever going to grow up?”
“Probably not!” Jenny could practically hear the grin in Stacey’s voice. “So what’s up, Big Sis? Why you wanting to chat at… let’s see what time is it there? Two in the morning?”
Jenny shrugged. “Oh I don’t know, just in a funky mood, I guess.”
“Had the nightmare again, huh?”
“Yeah. It just bothers me, having these gaps in my life. I mean besides knowing how I ended up in that exploding building, it’d be nice to know who the father of my children are.”
“Wish I could help ya, Sis, but that’s a bit beyond my powers. How are the munchkins doing, anyway?”
“Oh they’re fine. I wish I could get Kay to lighten up, she takes everything so seriously. I have no idea where she gets it from, no one else in the family is like that. And Lyrick wears me out! That girl has more energy than ten kids. She talked me into letting her go to a show tonight. Apparently they offered her alcohol, which she declined, thankfully, and Attercap offered to be her kissing cousin. I am so going to give them all a severe talking to.”
Stacey laughed. “I need to meet these friends of yours.”
“Well if you were ever not busy, I’d take you to a show. But you’re always off on some movie set, or in someone’s bed!”
“Hey! I’ll have you know I haven’t been in anyone’s bed since…” Stacey’s voice trailed off and the silence stretched. Finally, Jenny broke it.
“You really haven’t been with anybody since Jeremy?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Wow, Stace. I knew you were head over heels for the guy at the time but I didn’t realize you still were!”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But you’re telling me my slutty sister hasn’t had sex in over two years!”
“I am not slutty!”
“Stace, that’s the longest you’ve gone without sex since you lost your virginity!”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it! Hey, I know, let’s talk about your love life!”
“What love life? It’s been even longer for me. I can’t even remember the last time I had a date! The only thrills I get are when Shecky gooses me or Detra gives me big squishy boobie hugs. I mean seriously, who wants to go out with an old, washed-up rock star with two teenaged daughters?”
“You are not old! You can’t be old, because that would make me old, and I don’t want to be old. Besides, you’re still gorgeous. I know, I see your face in the mirror every morning, and I’m hot!”
“And vain too, apparently. No, I think I’m just going to give up on love.”
“Join the club.”
“Aw Stace. Maybe you and Jeremy-”
Stacey cut her off with a bitter laugh. “Not likely.”
“Why don’t you call him?”
“And say what? ‘Hey it’s that girl who ran off without a word. I know it’s been a couple years, but wanna go see a movie or something?’ Yeah, that would work. Besides, he’s on tour right now.”
“So you’re keeping track of where he is?”
“Look, I’m sure he hates me. And he should. I was a heartless bitch.”
“You were scared. Your relationship was moving pretty fast. We all make mistakes.”
“Well some mistakes can never be erased or fixed. Hey, didn’t you call to talk about your problems?”
“You called me, remember?”
“Because you wanted to talk to me.”
“And it’s been great talking about your total lack of a love life. I feel so much better now!”
“Bitch.” Stacey laughed. “But seriously, anything else you want to talk about?”
“No, not really. It’s nice to hear your voice though. How’s England?”
“Dreary.”
“Still raining, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s really making me miss Paragon.”
“When you coming home?”
“Actually we’re wrapping up here. Barring any major retakes, I should be home in a couple of weeks.”
“That’s great! I’ll have Glenda get your room ready, since apparently you’ll actually be using it for once.”
“You are too kind.” Stacey replied sarcastically. “Oh shoot, I gotta go. I’m wanted on the set. Take care of yourself and give the munchkins a kiss for me. Love you!”
“Love you too, Sis. Bye.”
Jenny hung up the phone and headed back to her bedroom. “Well guess I should try and go back to sleep. And maybe stop talking to myself. Yeah, that’d be good.” She got back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, drifting off into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 5:07:59 GMT -5
A long black limousine pulled up outside a tall building in Steel Canyon and double parked in front. Stacey stared out the window as she waited for the chauffeur to come around and open the door. Home. She was home again. She hadn’t intended to be gone so long, but a hundred little things had delayed the filming of “Creature Comforts 8” and she’d been stuck cooling her heels in England for months. And then a small part in another movie had come up and she jetted off to Italy. And then another, this time in Spain. All told she'd been gone over two years. But now she was back. And ready to face the consequences of her actions, whether she liked it or not.
“Thanks, Roger.” She stepped out of the car as the chauffeur held the door open for her. She opened the front door of the building with her pass key and took the elevator to her floor. She paused in front of her door and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t be there. She knew it, but there was that small grain of hope. One more deep breath, and she opened the door.
The place felt empty, lonely. No one had been here for awhile. She wandered around, opening drawers, cupboards, and closets. Not a trace of him. It was like Jeremy had never been here. Maybe it was all just a dream. Yeah. If it was a dream, then she hadn’t screwed up her life so badly. Nice thought.
She wandered back to the living room and over to her stereo. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the neat row of Tone Death CDs. Selecting one, she popped it in the stereo and the sound of Jeremy’s voice filled the room. Grabbing a pillow off the couch, she hugged it tightly and curled herself into a ball in her favorite chair. She let the music and the memories wash over her.
She had never been happier. She had a job she loved, great friends, and Jeremy. Ah, Jeremy. It made her smile just to think about him. She still couldn’t believe they were together. How many girls got to actually score with their idol? She giggled at the thought. She’d had a crush on him since she was 14 years old. She had all his albums. She’d had a poster of him of over her bed for years. Being with him was really too good to be true.
And then it happened. He’d said the words… well, almost. But close enough. And she didn’t believe in love. Love never lasted. And she’d freaked out. Sure, she agreed that she didn’t want to be with anyone but him, that she couldn’t imagine her life without him. But was that love? And how hard would it be when he did leave her, if she let herself believe he never would? They’d been able to smooth things over, and that night had made desperate love, pouring all the emotions they were too afraid to express into it. After he left the next morning, the doubts crept in again. And then she’d gotten the call. She hadn’t planned on doing another Creature Comforts movie, she was a superhero now, but it seemed like a sign. So she’d agreed, and left for England that afternoon. She’d thought about leaving a note, but had no idea what to say. She’d picked up the phone a hundred times since, but always put it down again before even dialing his number.
The words to “Black and White” invaded her consciousness. Without a net… no guarantees. But I'll gladly take the leap for more times like these. She started to sob. No guarantees. But it was worth it. She’d f*cked up. She’d be lucky if he ever spoke to her again, let alone try to rebuild what they had had. It was over, and it was all her fault.
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 5:44:47 GMT -5
"That jerk!" Stacey slammed a newspaper down on the table and stalked over to the liquor cabinet. Jenny leaned over to look at the paper, trying to figure out who her sister was talking about. She saw the picture of a man and two nearly naked blondes walking out of a club, his arms around them and all three with huge smiles. She recognized the man, but not the girls. Aha, now she knew why her sister was considering day drinking.
"Stace, it's a tabloid, you know how they are..." Jenny tried to reason with her sister. Stacey just poured herself a double of scotch and continued muttering profanities about the one man Jenny was pretty sure Stacey had ever truly loved. She took a swig from the glass, grimacing slightly as the alcohol burned down her throat. Then she took another swig. And another. Draining the glass, she set it aside and grabbed the bottle, crossing the room to collapse on the couch. Then she took a swig from the bottle.
Jenny looked at her with concern. She couldn't remember ever seeing Stacey this upset. She crossed over to the couch, sitting down beside her sister and gently taking the bottle from her hand. Stacey glowered at her, but didn't fight it.
"I hate him."
"No you don't, or you wouldn't be this upset."
"I hate you."
"No, you hate that I'm right."
"Stop being so damned reasonable!"
"Well, one of us has to be."
"I hate... feeling this way." Stacey burst into tears. Jenny gathered her sister into her arms and let her cry it out on her shoulder.
===
((After this, Stacey resolved to not risk her heart again and enjoyed her various liaisons for as long as they lasted. Jenny, on the other hand, decided she wasn't going to deny herself the future she dreamed of... this next bit is about her and Posthaste))
She couldn't do it. She had thought she had built up the courage, but now here she stood outside his door, and she couldn't do it. Telling him would change everything. She could lose him as a friend, and she just couldn't bear that. But keeping this locked up inside was killing her. She took a deep breath. She had to. She couldn't keep silent anymore. Squaring her shoulders, she quickly knocked on the door, before her courage failed her again. It opened almost immediately and her breath caught in her throat upon seeing his face. A smile lit it up when he saw who was standing on his doorstep, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Hi! I wasn't expecting you to stop by."
She smiled back at him, "I was in the neighborhood."
He laughed at that. "Ah, slumming again, huh?"
"Only because you won't move to a nicer place." She winked at him, easily slipping into their usual banter, despite her still pounding heart.
"Well come in then, before you get mugged."
"Ah, but if I did, you'd save me. You're my hero." She batted her eyelashes at him as she stepped past him into the condo.
"Anything for a damsel in distress." He flexed his muscles and waggled his eyebrows at her. Giggling, she walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Can I get you a drink?" he asked, heading into the kitchen.
"Sure, I'll have the usual," she called after him.
In no time he was back, handing her a glass and taking a seat next to her on the couch. "So how goes?"
She took a sip before answering. "Pretty good. Can't complain too much. You?"
"Same here." They settled into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed their drinks and each other's company. She glanced over at him, studying his profile. She wondered how he'd react when she told him. What would he do, say? She stared down into her glass, nervously tapping her fingers against the side. "Are you okay?" His question startled her, nearly causing her to drop the glass. She quickly set it down on the coffee table. "I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." She stood up and walked over to the CD rack. She ran a finger along the cases, randomly reading the occasional title. He set his own glass down and followed her over, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently turning her to face him. "You know you can tell me anything."
She looked up into his eyes. "Can I?"
"Of course, that's what friends are for."
"Friends, right." She turned away again.
"Hey," he grabbed both her shoulders this time, turning her around again. "Talk to me."
She stared at the floor. "I can't."
He gently lifted her chin with a finger, bringing her eyes up to meet his, filled with concern. "Yes you can." She stared at him, and tears filled her eyes. He pulled her into a hug. "You're scaring me, babe. What's wrong?"
"I can't tell you," she sobbed. "It would ruin everything." She broke free of his embrace and began pacing. "Our friendship, our working relationship... just everything."
"Nothing you could say would ever ruin our friendship. I will always be your friend. Always."
"Well maybe I don't want you to be my friend anymore."
"You don't want to be friends?"
"No! Yes, of course I want to be friends. It's just that..." she trailed off in frustration, turning away from him.
"I'm really confused here. Can you please enlighten the big dumb guy?"
She spun around to face him again. "I love you, okay?" She clapped a hand over her mouth. He looked stunned. She choked on a sob and ran past him, heading for the front door. He moved faster than he ever had before, blocking her path and pulling her to him. "It's about time," he murmured, as his lips took possession of hers. It took her mind a moment to register that he was actually kissing her, but once it clicked she returned the kiss with equal fervor. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom.
***
She snuggled in his arms, happier than she'd ever been. "So, I'm guessing by that performance that my little confession was a welcome one?" He chuckled. "Oh, most definitely. I've been waiting for some sign that you were ready to take our relationship to the next level."
"Yeah, this is a pretty good sign, I'd say." She giggled, propping herself up on her elbows so she could look down into his beloved face. "And relationship, huh?"
He kissed her nose. "Yep. Long-term relationship. Because now that I have you, I'm never letting you go."
"The tabloids are going to have a field day with this, you know."
"Yeah, and our friends are going to freak out."
"Maybe... maybe we should keep it secret. Not that I'm ashamed of you or anything like that. It's just that I'd like to savor this for awhile. Keep you to myself. Do you know what I mean?" She bit her bottom lip, worried that he'd take it the wrong way.
He smiled at her and pulled her down for another kiss. "I know exactly what you mean. It's enough that I know you're mine. The world can wait. But you know what can't wait? Me showing you again just how much I love you." He kissed her again.
***
It was much, much later when she finally left the condo, slipping through the early morning shadows unseen and quietly letting herself into her own home, unnoticed.
(( Wondie and Posty were married less than a year later, on June 14, 2008))
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 5:50:55 GMT -5
((Two years later...))
David was worried. It wasn’t like Stacey not to answer her cell phone, and worse, he couldn’t reach her telepathically. Something was wrong. He landed across the street from the building that housed her condo. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He watched the building for a few minutes, but no one seemed to be about. All the lights were off inside, only the outside security lights broke the midnight gloom. It was quiet, maybe too quiet. Better to be safe than sorry. He ducked down the alley, checking the sides and back of the building. Finally deciding it wasn’t a set-up, he took out his key and let himself in.
The condo was dark, but he’d been there enough to know his way around. He wandered slowly from room to room, alert for any danger or clue to Stacey’s whereabouts. Walking into her bedroom, he found her. She was asleep, her dark hair spread across the pillow, her skin gleaming in the moonlight coming in through the window. He watched her, trying to decide if he should just let her sleep, but she stirred and opened her eyes before he could come to a conclusion. He didn’t want to scare her, so he spoke to announce his presence. “Hey babe.”
“David?” Stacey sat up, the sheet falling away from her body. “What are you doing here?” She reached over and switched on the bedside lamp, bathing the room in a soft glow. Now she could see him, leaning against the doorjamb. He was dressed in his full battle gear. His tight, form-fitting, dashing battle gear. He looked delicious. Stacey grinned, “You lookin’ for a fight, sugar?”
David chuckled and came over to sit next to her on the bed. “Wasn’t sure what I’d find. You weren’t answering your phone and I couldn’t get into your head. I was… concerned. Are you okay?” He gently brushed a lock of hair off her face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Rough day. Got a call right after you left and had to fly out to LA. Got back earlier this evening. And I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m never watching Hitchcock with you again.”
David laughed. “You make horror movies for a living and Hitchcock gives you nightmares?”
Stacey shrugged. “It’s different. Anyway, what were you calling about?”
“Oh yeah, Jenny was asking about you, said she hadn’t talked to you in a few days. You need to call your sister.”
“Okay, I’ll call her in the morning. But now you’re here and I’m awake and I require you to entertain me.”
David smiled. “And just how to you propose I do that?”
“Oh, I have a few ideas,” she smiled seductively as she pulled him in for a kiss.
===
Jenny, I got your number. I need to make you mine. Jenny, don’t change your number. Eight, six, seven, five, three, oh, nine.
Jenny flipped open her cell phone. “Hello?”
“Hey sis! Sending the cavalry after me, huh?”
“Stacey! Sorry about that, just hadn’t heard from you in a few days and I know you and David are close… man, he tore out of the D like a man possessed when he couldn’t reach you. What happened?”
“I was sleeping, actually. Had to run out to LA and was just exhausted, so I turned off my phone and went to bed early. I think he thought I’d been kidnapped or something, he showed up at my place dressed for a fight.”
“Damn, sorry I worried him. He must care for you more than a little.” Jenny got a knowing tone to her voice.
“Don’t even go there, sis. We are just friends. With great benefits, but *just* friends.”
Jenny sighed. “I just want you to be happy, Stace.”
“I *am* happy! I like my life just the way it is, thank you very much.”
“But you should get married, have kids.”
“Uh uh. The marriage and mommy thing is your deal, not mine.”
“But you love kids!”
“Yeah, but I don’t take them home with me. I’d be a terrible mother. I can’t even keep a goldfish alive.”
“The goldfish incident was years ago! I’m sure you wouldn’t leave your kids in the hot tub…”
“They looked so cramped in their little bowl. Alas, poor Mamie and Marilyn. Let us have a moment of silence for them.”
Jenny dutifully bowed her head for a few seconds, before a giggle escaped. Which of course, set Stacey off until both women were laughing merrily. “Ah, Stace, I love you.”
“I love you to, Jen.”
“So what have you been up to? Still filming in the Isles?”
“Actually, that’s been put on hold. I fired the director. He wanted to make it an art film, can you believe that? That is so not in the spirit of Creature Comforts. I’m looking for someone new still.”
“So what have you been doing over there?” Jenny asked suspiciously.
“Oh, um… just a little project I’m working on. Still working out the details, there’s a lot of hoops to jump through. I’ll let you know more when I know more. Don’t really want to talk about it over the phone anyway.”
“Nothing illegal, I take it?”
Stacey laughed. “Depends on your definition of legal. It’s the right thing to do, let’s leave it at that.”
“Whatever you say, sis. Just be careful? I worry about you being over there, it’s a rough place.”
“That’s why I hired Astrid to watch my butt while I’m over there. And you know I can take care of myself too.”
“I still worry.”
“Well stop. Worry about those girls of yours. How are they doing, anyway?”
“Kay actually took a break from school this summer, and has been hanging out with a new friend she made at the library. Akane, I believe her name is. She’s invited her along on the trip to Hawaii this weekend. Lyrick’s been spending a lot of time with Vic, and it sounds like he’s actually convinced her to go to college! He’s such a nice boy.”
“Yeah, well he better stay nice.”
Jenny laughed. “Be nice to him, I have a feeling he’s going to be your nephew-in-law someday.”
“Geez Jenny, is there anyone you don’t plan to marry off?”
“Um, let me think…”
Stacey laughed, “I’ll just take that as a no, sis.”
Jenny giggled. “So how is David anyway?”
“Passionate. Inventive. And the guy’s got stamina, I tell you what.”
“Whoa Stacey, TMI!”
Stacey grinned. “You asked!”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it!”
“Oh come on Jen, don’t be a prude. You can’t tell me you were sneaking out to meet Max for months just so you two could play backgammon.”
“Well no… but… I… he… um…” Jenny stammered.
Stacey laughed. “I can hear you blushing!”
“Oh, shut up Stacey!”
“Okay, okay. Fine. So the Hawaii trip’s this weekend?”
“Yeah. Max will have to fly back early for his show, but the girls, Vic and I are staying until Monday. What have you got planned for the weekend?”
“I’m going down to David’s place in Chile.”
“You two are spending an awful lot of time together.”
“Jenny…”
“I’m sorry Stacey, I just think you two are perfect for each other.”
“Yeah, because he doesn’t want to get married any more than I do.”
“Fine, enjoy you wild sex-filled weekend.”
“Actually, it’s not like that. His daughter will be there.”
Jenny was speechless for a moment. “David’s got a daughter?”
“Yeah. Her name’s Laurel. She’s seven. He wants me to meet her.”
“He wants you to meet his daughter? Are you sure he’s not interested in marriage?”
“Jenny! Yes, I’m sure. Give it a rest already, will ya? Go find another victim for your matchmaking. I’m a lost cause.”
“Oh Stace, don’t say that. I know the whole thing with Jeremy hurt you but---“
Stacey cut her off. “We are so not going to talk about Jeremy, sis.”
“I’m sorry. Like I said, I just want you to be happy.”
“And like I said, I already am happy. Just because I don’t want the happily ever after you’ve got doesn’t mean I’m unhappy. My life is great just the way it is.”
“All right, if you insist. I love you, Stace.”
“I love you too, Jenny.” Stacey heard a faint crash and a muffled “Mom!”
“Uh oh, I better go see what Lyrick has done to Kay this time. Talk to you later, sis. Don’t be a stranger!”
“Ditto! Bye now.”
“Bye!” Jenny shut her cell phone and ran off down the hall towards the arguing teenagers.
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 6:11:37 GMT -5
((A lot of this is someone else's story, but I'm including it as there are several tidbits about Stacey that I feel are important.))
Stacey woke up feeling very warm. Very, very warm. She slowly extracted herself from the body wrapped around hers and got out of bed. She paused, looking down at the young man still sleeping peacefully. He had not been kidding about his ability to generate heat. He had certainly set her on fire last night. His reverent wonder as he explored her body was a refreshing change from the more experienced men she was used to. What he lacked in experience he more than made up for in enthusiasm, and he’d been a fast learner and willing pupil. Stacey frowned and ran a hand through her tangled hair. She’d broken one of her cardinal rules last night. Never sleep with a virgin. They didn’t understand the game, didn’t know the rules. They would expect strings. And Stacey was strictly a no-strings type of girl. “Oh Ian,” she whispered, “What am I going to do with you?” She sighed and padded barefoot over to the bathroom for a quick shower.
She pulled on a tank top and a pair of shorts and ran a comb through her wet hair. She went back into the bedroom to check that Ian was still sleeping. He was, thank goodness. She wasn’t quite ready to deal with the morning after yet. And it really wasn’t quite morning yet anyway. Stacey’s heightened healing powers allowed her to get by with very little sleep, 3 hours or so and she was fine. Ian would probably sleep for a few more hours yet. Plenty of time to make breakfast. She closed the bedroom door behind her as she left for the kitchen.
Whenever Stacey was upset, she baked. And she had plenty to be upset about. Tanja’s innocent comment the night before had cut her to the quick. Not that Tanja had any idea how much she had hurt Stacey, and she certainly hadn’t meant to. But that didn’t stop the pain. Stacey took out her frustration on some bread dough then set it aside to rise as she mixed up some muffin batter. She hoped Ian liked banana nut. He was a sweet guy. So not her usual type. She hoped they could have some fun without him getting too attached. He seemed like the type who believed in happily ever after, though. Stacey sighed as she measured the batter into the cups of the muffin pan and stuck it in the oven. Then she started working on the cinnamon rolls.
“You awake Stacey, or do I get to drag you out of bed?”
Stacey nearly dropped the bread when she heard Roxy’s voice call out to her from the front door. “Sorry Roxy, I’m in here,” she called back. She hoped they hadn’t woken up Ian. She wasn’t quite ready to introduce him to Roxy yet. And she knew Ian was definitely not ready to meet Roxy. That thought made her giggle as she set the bread on the stovetop. She glanced over at Roxy leaning against the doorjamb. “You hungry?”
“Mmm… depends what’s for breakfast.”
“Well, there's muffins over there on the table, the bread needs to cool a bit, or you can wait for the cinnamon rolls.”
“Good, you're dressed. Well I always love things with icing, but muffins will have to do, we're on a timetable.”
Stacey raised an eyebrow. “We are?”
Roxy grabbed a few muffins, reached over and turned off the oven, then grabbed Stacey by the hand and headed towards the door. “Yes, I’m busy, and we have to talk.”
Stacey followed willingly, knowing resistance would be futile anyway. “Where are we going?”
“Jakarta.”
Roxy hustled Stacey out the door, only pausing to allow her to slip on a pair of sandals and lock the front door behind them. She climbed into the driver’s seat of a red Porsche idling at the curb and waited impatiently as Stacey walked around to get in the passenger side. They took off towards the airport. “David said he talked to you already, but if you're going to get wrapped up in this, you should know everything.” Stacey nodded as Roxy sighed. “I really doubt this will do any good, but you can walk away from this. There is no happy ending, and it won't get better, only less bad.”
“You know I don't believe in happy endings, Rox. And I've walked away too much in my life.”
“You are *all* a bunch of masochists, I swear…” Stacey couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I...never wanted anyone involved. I didn't have much of a choice though, Py and Leon, David and Joy were there when Pandora made the first move. I don't know if you remember the little age regression incident...that's when it started, at least for everyone else.”
“Yeah, I remember that.”
“I...can do one particular very unique thing that I can't control that they very desperately want me for.”
“Yeah, David said something about altering reality?”
Roxy opened her mouth to say something, closed it, then shook her head.
“It’s not like that...not really. It’s called timeslipping. Hopping to the past, a possible future...but you can't change the past.”
Stacey looked confused. “If you can't change the past, why do they want you so bad?”
“Because out of all the genetic engineering they can do and have done since...well I'll get to that....they could make it work if they knew how I worked”
“So you're a science experiment to them? How rude.”
“Technically, I'm property.” Roxy stopped the car at the airport and got out. “Come on, plane's waiting.”
===
They settled into their seats. “Want a drink?” Roxy asked.
“Sure.”
Roxy fetched a bottle of wine out of a cooler and set it in a holder, nodding to the pilot to get underway. She pushed a button which started a white noise generator once the plane had taken off. “A long time ago Pandora took samples from the mutants in the group. It included eggs and sperm. In secret, they matched up the best combinations from the powers the donors displayed. My mother timeslipped mentally. My father is a very powerful psionic. They created me and others, and for 16 years they ran battery after battery of test to determine our abilities and what they wanted to do for the next iteration. They named me Juliet, and the only reason I'm not there still is that my mother timeslipped once to the scientists removing the samples and doing the insemination of her egg and told my father what Pandora had done. He...razed the whole facility, and made nearly everyone forget they even existed.”
Stacey’s eyes widened. “Wow.…”
“Some of them survived somehow, I don't know how or why, but they rebuilt, bigger, better. But the original samples and data were lost, from my parents and their colleagues, and from the other like me. They had to start over. Its been ten years and they are everywhere and powerful, and they want me back to figure out how what I do works so that they can do the next iteration. They have genetic samples from hundreds and hundreds of mutants according to Nine, the way they found me again was they were observing David to see the suitability of his genetics...
Stacey looked a little startled at that. “David?”
Roxy nodded. “Andressen, the doctor they sent originally said they screened their sources now, a year or two observation to make sure nothing happens like Jason, my father, again.”
“Jesus…”
“Yeah.” Roxy sighed and leaned back in the leather seat, staring at the ceiling.
“Who the hell are these people? What makes them think they can just play God with people's lives? Holy shit Roxy!”
“Who's going to tell them they can't? They have agents inside Crey, inside Freedom Corps, inside Arachnos, inside government, universities....and no one knows they exist.”
“So how do we find them? They've got to be stopped.”
“I made the choice a long time ago that I wasn't going back. If the drugs I take to suppress my abilities didn't kill me before they got to me, there was a man with a sniper rifle who would. But David and Pyrria got it in their heads that I needed to be saved and so here we are fighting a war.”
“Of course you're not going back. And if war's what they want, then that's what they'll get.”
“Nine is an ex-operative, she pulled Connor into doing recon. Jason found them both, and Connor admitted he only wanted to help and we weren't telling him anything. David's going to corner Nine, I don't know what to think about her. She protected me once, and passed me off info on things but I don't know. Jason had Leon watching me from before I even met the guy. I couldn't trust David before because he fit the perfect profile of someone sent to lure me into being captured. Now Dante pulled something up and has talked to Connor, and between David and I you had to know before something happened…” Roxy sighed again. “...its all out of control”
Stacey pulled Roxy into a hug. “It's going to be okay, Rox. We'll figure it out. Sounds like a lot of people are looking out for you now. And you know I'll do whatever I can to help.”
Roxy smiled wryly. “It'll never be okay Stacey. But I haven't got much choice in the matter, I can't stop anyone from doing this, and I will try my best to help, even though I'm not very good at it. These help,” she pointed to the subdermal tattoo-like designs on her forearms, “and David's been willing so far to force the connections in my head to make the psionic potential I have useable...I don't feel utterly useless anymore, just mostly.”
“Hey, I might just be a dumb, busty B-movie actress, but I got skills!” Stacey waggled her eyebrows and leered at Roxy, trying to lighten the mood. Roxy smirked at her. Stacey sobered. “I know I'm not nearly as powerful as David, but if I can help in any way…”
“I've given up fighting people on this, but seriously Stacey...you have a future and a family, if you want to walk away do it. There's no guarantee that getting involved in this won't get them involved as consequence.”
“I love my family, and as far as I'm concerned, my friends are my family too. I can't keep running whenever things get rough and I don't want to deal with them. That only makes things worse. I've screwed up my life enough not fighting when I should have. As for them getting involved, do you really think you could stop Jenny from jumping in if she finds out about this?”
“But this isn't your problem babe...I just....I don't know, I look at David and Py and me, Leon and Joy and think I can deal with it, we've all shut everything else out and the only thing we're ever going to have like family is each other, its harder when I know you have one.”
“And you are part of that family, Roxy. Whether you want to be or not.”
“I don't know babe...I really don't.” She smiled. “Family's always been something other people get to have, parents, siblings, children....I'm still wrapping my head around it all.”
“Well, I'd let you call me Sis but that would be kinda weird, don't you think?” Stacey grinned evilly.
“Well it would be rather awkward to explain when I've got you pinned to bed.” Roxy leered back.
Stacey laughed. “Exactly!“
Roxy picked up her wineglass. “Well a toast to your masochism then, hopefully you survive this, hmm?”
Stacey clinked her glass against Roxy's. “Hopefully we all will. Cheers.” She took a sip. “So, what's in Jakarta?”
“Atmosphere and one of the best bars I know. Call it music research. There is a party going on tonight that simply shouldn't be missed.”
“Sounds good to me. You know how I love a good party.”
“Well I certainly wasn't going to leave you with the knowledge of what's going on and not offer a way to forget about it for a little bit.”
“I love the way you think, Roxybabe. Hey, toss me a muffin, I'm famished.”
Roxy smirked and stood, grabbing the muffins and walking to the room in the back of the plane. “You want them babe, come and get them.”
Stacey laughed and followed Roxy into the room.
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Jun 1, 2019 6:19:15 GMT -5
The clerk looked up at the woman entering the office. She wore a non-descript, boxy grey skirt, her dark hair swept up in a severe bun, horn-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She smiled and handed him a stack of papers. “I’m here to pick up the children.” The clerk rifled through them, making sure they were all in order. The woman waited patiently, unconcerned, as she had done everything in her power to be sure that they were. She knew she had to have all her bases covered to make this work, and Ian’s hacking skills had been the last link she needed. The clerk nodded and set down the papers in the appropriate inbox and pushed a button, speaking into an intercom. “Ms. Smith is here for the transfer.” An affirmative answer was received and the clerk motioned for the woman to wait in the lobby. She smiled again and thanked him and left the office. She breathed a small sigh of relief. So far, so good. A few minutes later, a door opened and another woman ushered three children into the lobby, each hugging a plain brown paper bag. The oldest was ten, a boy with shaggy brown hair and an impish smile in his school pictures, which unfortunately was missing now. Not that that wasn’t understandable, as he had lost his parents only two weeks ago. His name was Brew Stockton, and he had an uncanny ability to make plants grow. Next to him was seven year old Iskra Balin, dressed in a worn blue plaid skirt and green t-shirt. Her strawberry blonde hair had been done in twin braids hanging down to the middle of her back. Iskra could control electricity. The youngest was only four, and small for his age, with dark skin and curly black hair. The woman crouched down so she was at his level. “You must be Ryan Hughes. My name’s Stacey. I have a friend I’d like to introduce you to. Her name is Erica. She can move stuff around like you can. Would you like to meet her?” Ryan looked at her with big eyes and nodded. Stacey smiled warmly at him. “Good, she’ll be waiting at the House when we get there.” Stacey stood up and turned to the woman. “Angela, good to see you again.” Angela was dressed similarly to Stacey, her blond hair in a neat French twist. “You too Ms. Smith. The children are all ready to go. Here are their files.” She handed Stacey four file folders. Four? Stacey looked at her quizzically as she took them. Angela looked directly into Stacey’s eyes and pictured a small girl in her mind. She looked to be about six, Middle Eastern, with dark brown eyes and black hair in a cute pixie cut. Then Angela pictured the barrage of tests in store for the young psychic. Stacey stifled a gasp. She nodded firmly. “Thank you, Angela. We need to be going.” The two women ushered the children into a van waiting outside. They got them buckled in, placing their meager possessions in their brown paper bags on the seats beside them. Stacey smiled encouragingly at them as she got in her own seat and put her seat belt on. She waved at Angela and told the driver they were ready to go. As they drove to the ferry, Stacey flipped through the fourth file. The girl’s name was Tamma Maninder, and she had just turned six. Her mother had perished just two days ago, when the bank she worked in was robbed. The villains had apparently decided it was easier to just kill everyone than take hostages. Her father had died when she was only six months old. Her psychic powers had become apparent when she was only two years old. And Arachnos wanted her. Stacey was not going to let that happen. They stopped at the ferry and Stacey produced her and the children’s visas. She breathed another sigh of relief as the van was waved on to the ferry and they got underway. Turning to the children, she started to tell them about Josephine’s House and the kids that stayed there. Her stories coaxed small smiles from them at times, and once a giggle from Iskra. She did her best to entertain them on the trip between the Isles and Paragon. Finally they pulled up in front of the House. Several of the children and staff were waiting outside for them. They made a big deal over the kids and lead them off to get them settled into their new rooms. Stacey smiled in satisfaction and headed home. She let herself into her condo and headed for her bedroom, taking off the unflattering suit and glaring at it in distaste as she shoved it to the back of her closet. She let down her hair and pulled on a short skirt and belly tee and grabbed the phone, punching in a number. She listened to it ring and then the mechanical voice telling her to leave a message. “Ian, it’s Stacey. I need your help. Call me as soon as you can.” She hung up the phone and headed to the kitchen to make some brownies. ((Note: this was in 2008 so the kids mentioned would be 15-21 now. So if anyone wants to make a character for Honor Society, here are a few ideas  )) |
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