*You presume correctly. Once Toni realized I was, as he put it, 'smarter than your average cat', he started asking for advice. Did I know anything about the troll? Or about trolls in general? This was when I realized that Toni intended to fight the troll if he could, and I knew that I couldn't let him try without giving him all the help I could. My fact-finding mission turned into a straight-up monster slaying mission. My first step was to offer Toni an esquireship. He accepted, and after he described how he had come to be there, I guided him through conjuring up some armor and a sword. The sword singing old tunes by the band, The Police, surprised me, though.*

Toni grinned. "Well, Bilbo and Frodo had their Sting, I had mine. Got the idea from an irregular webcomic."

*Quite. But you're way too tall to be a Hobbit. Armored and armed, we went to the troll's cave. It was daylight by then, and the wizard and his daughter were both gagged and tied up to the tree to await the troll's emergence after sundown. Tony went in the front, I used the old 'all shadows are one' spell to get behind the troll. It was not surprised by Toni, and was already swinging its club at him. I dove in and out, cutting into his ankle, but it healed almost immediately. It gave Toni time to get the real plan into operation, though, and a barrel full of gasoline smashed onto the troll's head. I demonstrated a simple fire lighting spell, then dove back though the shadows to the outside. Toni conjured up a large shield - Connor and Rose I think saw it earlier today - and backed out of the cave. Toni took the gags off of the wizard and his daughter, and we left. The wizard was skilled enough to get loose when he could speak, I thought, and so the ambassador from the Seilidhe Court reported a few days later. The townsfolk had accepted the protection of the Seilidhe Court, the former leaders of the town had accepted their punishment decreed by King Oberon, which was for all of their property to be turned over to the surviving siblings of those sacrificed, to pay for apprenticeships and dowers and other such expenses, while those former leaders were offered a choice of exile or imprisonment. Only one chose exile, the other three imprisonment.

*He was sent to the mortal world, and was found in North Carolina, in a town called Havelock. Specifically, he was found without any identification at the edge of a large Marine Corps airfield. They released him to local authorities a few days later, they still have him under psychiatric evaluation. It is likely he'll be released, and then have to find a place in a world that is nothing like Underhill.*

Sings Loudly nodded. *I have found that humans have much better and better things to eat than mice to eat. But the mice know this, as well, and still breed like mice, so it's still appropriate to slay the nasty little things. Unless it's someone's pet.*

Toni whispered back, "Sorry, but anything I conjure would be disappearing before it could get digested. Also, they can totally hear us."
Toni continued in a normal voice. "Connor, if you can supply a portal back to the library, there's a place with some fairly good seafood not far away...."

Elia races forward as a black and grey blur as the door is opened, not wating a second longer at the promise of free seafood from her new companion and friends. Rose follows closely behind with a quick walk, giving a side hug to Connor as she passes.

"Thank You."

Setzer answered, *Indeed. He is quite taken with her, and so he treats her with even more respect than he shows most people. I have no fear that her mother will feel the need to follow through on her threat. Even if they do not mate, I am sure they will remain friends.*

"Of course they are. Shall we give them something to talk about?" Toni kissed her, then hummed a few bars from Bonnie Raitt's song.

*Not that it seems likely that they will not mate, eventually,* continued Setzer.

Setzer replied, *Yes. She is worthy of him, and will likely improve with him, always challenging him to be his best. Plus, she knows just where to scratch.*
Setzer didn't lower his head in embarrassment at Rose's comment, but instead answered, *Of course! She's intelligent, beautiful, and charming. I am handsome, intelligent, and brash. We are well suited to each other. Like Han and Leia. Rory and Amy. Or Toni and Rose.*

*Mortal creations, or perhaps mortals who live elsewhen,* Setzer shrugged. *Good stories, though.*

"We may have. If so, I hope they are happy together." Toni moved the high chairs at the table they'd been led to together, which unfortunately put him and Rose across the table from each other. No matter, it made it easier to look at her.

Setzer nodded. "His father has a large collection of recordings. The first reference was from a series of movies from when he was a child, the other is from a television series that was made more recently in England. Or maybe Wales."

Toni took his seat, and glanced under the table to judge how far in Connor's legs were likely to extend. Bumping into them might prove embarrassing.

"And beautiful eyes they are, too. I aaah, was just wondering about legroom." Toni blushed a little bit.

The response was mental, aimed only at Elia. *It would not be unheard of. On the other paw, the warriors of ancient Thebes were all paired lovers, on the theory that no one would show cowardice in front of their lover.* Sings Loudly thought for a moment. *Perhaps in tomorrow's training session, we can observe them covertly?*

*We can hunt the vermin that plague human cities. We can explore. We can attempt to establish our own relationship, if not quite in the Theban style...* Sings Loudly looked over Elia. She was very comely.

Elia offers a felinian blush at the proposal, before nodding. *I would love to engage in those pursuits with you, Setzer, if you believe you can handle me?*

Rose smiles as she comments to Toni, before turning to Connor. "I think it's fair to say we just fostered a relationship, Toni..score! And it shouldn't be...unless a few specters decide they want some crab legs?" Jokes

Hypatia would see the [url=http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/TheOsp/media/Honey%20Badger%20and%20Co/Casting/naomieharris-bard_zps6dc9d038.jpg.html?o=0]African American woman[/url] conversing with Finngeir and her aura. The predominance of turquoise -- a marker of a dynamic, energetic and capable person -- mingled with swirls and eddies of subtle green and blue. In the background of those complimenting colors was a barely visible glow of orange. It spoke of a woman who valued life and balance, who whether she was aware of it or not lived in a manner that might inspire others around her. Jewelry on the young woman's person were more than decoration, each seeming to serve some sort of purpose, carefully disguised as fashion accessories.

Dana grinned. "Isn't it kind of funny how the world has sort of come full circle with their beliefs? We started out worshiping and believing in things of nature, then thanks to one religion or another we stopped. And now people are starting to find that the beliefs and practices of old are still there, still valid and vital. I think it's a pretty awesome trade off for rising prices for materials."

She felt Hypatia's presence before she actually saw her. The closest approximation she could think of to describe the sensation would be when someone lifted the curtain back from a window to let the sunlight in, a sort of warmth that just seeped into your being.

[url=http://movieactors.com/photos-stars/rachel-mummy3.jpg]Hypatia[/url] smiled at Finngeirr and Dana. As she reached for some of the materials Finngeirr had pre-packaged, a pendant came out from under her shirt, apparently accidently. At least, if the observer wasn't [I]very[/I] sensitive to magic, it would [I]look[/I] like an accident...

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Triple-Goddess-Waxing-Full-Waning-Symbol.svg/200px-Triple-Goddess-Waxing-Full-Waning-Symbol.svg.png[/img]

After getting everything she wouldn't need Finn's help with, basically anything neither too dangerous nor too expensive, she waited patiently at the counter.

"That's it for today, thank you." She paid for her purchase, then stepped to the side so that Hypatia could conduct business. When she heard the amount of beeswax being asked for, she had to wonder just what in the world the woman was working on that would require that much of the material. Poppets? Unguents? Maybe something for sealing wax? Melted down, the beeswax could be used for a variety of purposes. It wasn't exactly polite to get nosy with someone you had just met.

Curiosity soon won out over etiquette. "That must be some project. I think my dad and I only went through that much when making batches of ointments to package up and sell..."

Hypatia grasped Dana's hand firmly for a moment before releasing it. "Ahh, welcome to Titan City. As an Old Titan Hand of... just over two years now, I can help you find lots of things. You've already found the best place for esoteric supplies; you said you have a new place already, what's next on your list?"

((no matter. RL trumps RP. Add that to RottenLuck's .sig as rule 3. Or maybe Rule Zero. ^_^ ))

Hypatia smiled. "Two will do for now; please let me know when the shipment comes in and I'll get three more, then. Thank you, Mister Håkonsson!"

"I know a good seafood place over by Phoenix Plaza, and [url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/famous-ray%E2%80%99s-original-pie-shop-open-business]Famous Ray's[/url] has the best pizza in the state, but it's across the bay in Clarkstown..."

"But for me this afternoon, I'm headed over to Koutsakis' on Fourth and Bishop." Hypatia pointed roughly in that direction, those familiar with the area would know it was only a few blocks from the Whitehold. "Very good food, and excellent gyros if you're in a hurry. Or if you're not. And their baklava..."

Marcus had changed his suit jacket with a kevlar type vest, over his dress shirt and tie, and his sleeves were raised up above his elbows, his pants or shoes didn't change, and he no longer wore his fedora hat, his cornrows tied to a pony tail that ran down shoulder length.

"That's right, we going to provide a cool little distraction." He chuckled a bit at his own joke.

" I would like to think that if things get a little to rough out there we just, well, let's not die or get caught, that would be some jive shit if either happene, so I would say raise hell, don't lose your life."

Well, [I]she[/I] was an observant one, wasn't she? The man with her didn't look all that friendly, though. Hank finished the song he was playing shortly after they went inside, and let his fingers find another one to start... What the filk? He went with it. Most of the people passing by wouldn't recognize [url=http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/neverset.htm]Frank Hayes' work[/url], but this one often went over well with the 'danes.

[I]Never set the cat on fire, you only will annoy it
The heat will make the beast perspire; he surely won't enjoy it
Likewise do not ignite the dog, the snake, the gerbil, or the frog
No, never set the cat on fire[/I]

"Alrighty." He reached into his pockets and pulled out several rolls of quarters, the bar tender looking at him with an amused gaze, as he looked him ove before talking to him. "What happened? All your bills shrivel in the wash?"

He laughed at Eymber, wiping off the counter accepting the change before putting it into the register. Eymber looked into the register, at the most there would be $500 in there, at the very least $350.

"Oh why not...." Ember waited till no one was looking and grabbed onto the collar of the bartender, punching him quickly into the face, not using his powers, making it seem like a scuffle between two normal people, allowing the bar man to leap over the bar and gain the upper hand, so that it would seem as if he was the innocent one, creating a decent distraction that wouldn't need the intervention of a hero.

A tall brunette was strolling down the street, window shopping.

One of Alexa's hobbies on her twice monthly day off was to check out what was new in the shops, taking pictures of what she liked, and then heading to the Maul to see if her favorite clothing store, Heroic Proportions, had it or could custom-tailor it. She didn't even try shopping in these regular stores because it was pretty much impossible to find something that would fit her 6'3", 230 lb. frame.

Another reason she dug Heroic Proportions was because they treated every garment they made with a special concoction that made it more difficult to destroy, while not affecting the texture or weight. She couldn't even count the number of outfits she had destroyed with an accidental flex or overly abundant movement.

As Alexa drew closer to the Starlight Hotel, she could hear someone singing Smoke on the Water. She opened up her gait, her long legs eating up ground, until she came upon the young man with the acoustic guitar. Listening and tapping her foot in appreciation, she took ten dollars out of her pocket and folded it tightly several times, then flipped it into the guitar case.

Moments before the fireworks across the street began, Alexa smiled flirtatiously and lowered her sunglasses to peer over them at Hank. "Hrmmm... I want to hear 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Higher Ground'."

Just as the first song was starting, Alexa became aware of the screams across the street. She spun to see people running from the hotel and thick, black smoke pouring from the windows of the bar. "Damnit, it's my day off..." she groused.

She plopped her bag down and gave it a light boot so it slid over next to the guitar case. "Do me a favor and keep an eye on that, huh?" she asked as she slipped her sneakers off and tapped the hidden toggle on a silver bracelet adorning her right arm. One of the benefits of working for a very rich person was having cool tech to play with. The bracelet grew warm as she stood on her tiptoes. With a muted flash, the red, white, and blue outfit of Liberty Girl materialized underneath her street clothes. She ditched her shades, top, and shorts, dropping them on the bag, then hopped lightly over a car to land in the middle of the street. With a flex of her powerful legs, she shot into the air in an arc towards the hotel.

She crashed through an upper-floor window and, as luck would have it, into a room that had a Vril thug in it. He was in the process of looting the room while a man and a woman cowered on the bed. "Well, hey there, handsome." she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Wanna bet?" Liberty Girl asked as the bullets bounced off her invulnerable abdomen and she charged at him. As he raised the rifle to defend himself, she clothes-lined him, knocking him off his feet. As he flipped into the air, she grabbed the front of his clothes and power-slammed him into the floor. "And stay down."

She hurried over to the couple and checked them out. The woman was fine, but the man had been shot in the arm by the Vril. The woman was holding his arm since he appeared to be going into shock. "It'll be alright. Just keep pressure on the wound." she said as she grabbed a pillow case and the man's belt. She wrapped the wound with the pillowcase, then wound the belt around it, pulling it tight and forcing the buckle prong through the leather.

"Now, get onto my shoulders." she ordered. By standing on the bed, the woman was able to help the man onto one shoulder, then get onto the other. She reached across Liberty Girl's shoulders and helped hold the man in place as they moved to the window. Liberty Girl smashed the rest of the glass out, then leapt towards where the emergency area was already forming. She landed with a crunch, her bent legs absorbing the shock. "EMT! We've got a GSW, left arm. He's showing early signs of shock. The woman is uninjured." she said as they laid the man out on a gurney.

Liberty Girl turned back towards the building and got ready to jump again, but a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at the person, seeing a man that was a few inches shorter than her current height of 6'7". He was wearing a fire helmet emblazoned with 207. "Liberty Girl, I'm Captain Mulcahey, senior officer in command. Before you head back in there, we've got reports of supervillains in the bar and lobby. Several flying heroes have responded and are getting the civilians off the upper floors. Can you handle the villains?"

She nodded. "Sure thing, Captain."

Liberty Girl headed towards the lobby, where flashes were visible in addition to smoke and fire. When she reached the doors, she grasped a handle and pulled suddenly, yanking the door off its hinges. "LUCY, YOU GOT SOME 'SPLAININ TO DO!" she hollered as she folded the door in half.

Hank lunged to the right, mostly getting out of the blast in time. His boots and trousers were smoldering as he brought the Ruger back to his point of aim. A single drop of water from above revealed the disabled sprinkler system. He fired, but his point of aim was off; instead of center mass, the packet of magical energy was headed for her right hip...

(edited for grammar)

Eymber, looking over her stance went into one of his own, a simple American boxing stance both his arms up in front of his his face, much like an Holyfeild , or Forman.

He was bobbing and weaving toward her, knowing to watch out for her leg kicks, closing the distance to fire off 2 left jabs, a right hook to the midsection, ending the combo with a left uppercut.

Hank almost didn't see the blast coming; and he as he ducked he raised his guitar, presenting the back to the flames. The lacquer should have ignited, but there was only a scorch mark left, and as Hank holstered his pistol and dropped the guitar back into a playing position, that mark was fading.

But some of the flames had passed over the body of the guitar as it came up, singeing his hair and leaving reddened skin over the right side of his face. Han blinked to clear his vision, and watering eyes gave him an idea...

[I]So you can hurt, hurt me bad
But still I'll raise the flag[/I]

[I]Oh
It was a wa wa wa wa wa-aterfall
A wa wa wa wa wa-aterfall[/I]

[I]Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall[/I]

The water poured, apparently from somewhere near the ceiling, all around Hank. As he straightened from his crouch, he advanced on Sunstroke, playing and repeating the chorus, the waterfall remaining centered on him, dowsing flames in the area...

[url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/every-teardrop-is-a-waterfall-lyrics-coldplay.html][i]Coldplay, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall[/I][/url]

"I ain't cheating, I'm playin' by my own rules." The waterfall started tapering off when Hank stopped playing. "I've heard of these guys..." He shifted to singing a new song as he drew the Ruger again. The first of their shots to hit him ricocheted off of the metal plate under the serape.

[I]When der fuehrer says we is de master race
We heil (Boom!) heil (Boom!) right in der fueher's face
Not to love der fuehrer is a great disgrace
So we heil (Boom!) heil (click) right in der fuehrer's face[/I]

Each of the three shots was sent straight towards one of the Vril's faces, where it would be quite likely to cause unconsciousness for anyone not extremely tough. Hank ducked behind a smoldering bench and reloaded with a speed loader.

[url=http://lyrics.wikia.com/Spike_Jones:Der_Fuehrer%27s_Face]Spike Jones, Der Fueher's Face[/url],

He was knocked smooth off of his feet and back onto the grounds, making him tumble back toward the wall, groaning as he held where her foot had connected to him. "Ugh...I see it's one of YOU types."

In what was almost instant his arms and legs was covered with the thick rock like substance they he was used to using as a weapons, now as an armor, charging toward liberty girl, as his power was knocked up high enough to push him to the 95 ton mark. Using that great power to swing upward at her like someone with a volleyball, much faster then his first strikes were.

After popping up and then back down again to dodge the pillars, Hank moved quickly to put Eymber between him and the Vril, continuing Herr Jones' song to (hopefully) keep them firing, then he started backing up.

[I]Are we not the supermen?
Aryan pure supermen?
Ja we is the supermen
Super duper supermen![/I]