Sonja Simpson felt underdressed.
Which was objectively ridiculous. Even before the Awakening she had always prided herself on a professional appearance. After taking on the salaried position with Barclay-Hoffmeyer, she had been able to step up from off-the-rack clothing to expensive tailors. The tan suit she wore now was one of her best, tailored especially for her in London. But the way these people were dressed made her look absolutely plain. The Kevlar, spandex, and leather ensembles (most of which in their entirety cost less than the sunglasses she wore) were in all sorts of gaudy collars and outrageous fashions. She cringed as one serious-looking man walked past with an enormous two-foot long collar extending past his head, making him look a little like a dog with a veterinary cone. She had to fight hard to suppress a giggle at that, but she had to admit that it had a certain grandeur and drama to it. Showmanship, that's what she was missing.
Maybe she didn't belong here, she thought to herself. As if on cue, a woman in neon pink and yellow tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, do you have any gluten-free options?" The stranger spoke imperiously, loudly, clearly. Sonja sighed to herself. Of course.
"I'm sorry, I'm not one of the caterers," she said patiently. Thank God she had already dropped off the case of wine she had brought as a gift for her hosts- excellent Nortons, Missouri's greatest contribution to viticulture. Otherwise there'd be no getting out of this one.
The stranger's brow wrinkled. "But you're dressed so plainly," she whined, confused. Sonja refrained from explaining exactly how much a genuine Nutters of Savile Row suit had cost, and instead turned and walked away in search of better company.
It wasn't the clothes, Sonja decided as she milled through the crowd. Hell, that giant made of metal didn't even wear any. Sonja thought she recognized him, half-remembered from some news broadcast. From the Bay Area, maybe. There was a man who let his deeds speak for him, not his clothing.
That was it. Her record as the Spirit of St. Louis spoke for itself. She had taken down Dragan Musić and his whole Bosnian Mafia. She had liberated Forest Park when the 21st Century Schizoid Man had taken it hostage. She had magically dueled the alliance of the Somnambulist and Dr. Salieri in the haunted caves beneath the Lemp Mansion. And of course there had been the invasion of the catfish people. Yeah, she had earned her right to be here.
With a little more spring in her step, Sonja stopped at one of the empty tables. A young woman was there alone, enjoying a few slices of pizza. She was dressed plainly but practically, just black street clothes. For some reason that appealed to Sonja, and she sat down across from the younger woman. "Pizza any good?" she asked with a smile. "The Chicago style is pretty unpopular back home, but maybe I could give it a shot."
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The League - Superhero Sci Fi and Urban Fantasy RP (Nearly Unlimited Recruitment)
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12 yrs ago
Forum: Character Sheets
I can't say she was, I'm really not familiar with the character. If there's similarities, they're coincidental.
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12 yrs ago
Forum: Character Sheets
Name: Sonja Simpson
Codename: The Spirit of St. Louis (often abbreviated SSTL, pronounced "still")
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Saint Louis, Missouri
Affiliations: Sonja is an honorary officer of both the Saint Louis City and Saint Louis County police forces, working closely with both. In addition, she enjoys a corporate sponsorship from the multi-industry conglomerate Barclay-Hoffmeyer.
Occupation: Superhero, corporate spokesperson
Appearance: Sonja is a very slender African-American woman, possessing something of a boyish figure. Her hands are especially delicate, with long, thin fingers. When "working" she tends to wear business attire- always with a good pair of sneakers, because in this line of work there's a lot of running.
Powers: Sonja is the living conduit of all the latent magical potential in the city of Saint Louis. She generally channels this magic in the way most familiar to her, stage magic, making her capable of such feats as creating fireballs in her palm, unlocking handcuffs, pulling candy from midair, or reading minds. However, given time to research and prepare, she can also channel it into other kinds of ritual magic, such as performing a rain dance. Her magical ability is dependent on the people of the city- they are making a more or less voluntary contribution to her, dependent on how much faith they have in her. More on this below.
Skills: Sonja's career as a stage magician has given her a solid grasp of the fundamentals of the art. She specializes in sleight of hand and escapology. The related skills of public speaking, misdirection, and social engineering also come into play- knowing how to work a crowd is always helpful. In addition, she has some limited training in hand-to-hand combat.
Equipment: As a primary weapon, Sonja carries the autographed baseball bat of legendary Cardinal Stan Musial. The bat is, like her, imbued with the admiration and faith of the good people of St Louis. In her hands, this simple Louisville Slugger is nigh unbreakable and hits many times above its weight. Aside from the bat, Sonja carries a deck of cards and some simple police gear- a walkie-talkie, handcuffs, a pen and notebook, a police-issue bulletproof vest, and a can of Mace.
Weaknesses: As noted above, Sonja's magical ability stems from her mystical link to her hometown. As such, the faith and confidence of St. Louisans greatly influences her power. When she enjoys high popularity, her abilities are at a peak. When St. Louisans lose faith in her, for instance due to a scandal or successful mudslinging, her power level plummets. She employs several PR consultants to keep her popular and visible, but of course there is only so much they can do with the hearts and minds of the fickle public. If Saint Louis were to be destroyed, her magical power would be permanently gone. In addition, her power is active, not passive- for instance, she would need to be aware of someone shooting at her before she could catch or deflect the bullet.
Psychological Profile: Sonja is an entertainer at heart, and is a bit of a showoff. She will forgo a simple solution in favor of a flashier one, and "giving the people their money's worth" is often a higher consideration than her safety or everyone's general welfare. Sonja is also concerned with her own financial success and is often looking for money-making opportunities. That's not to say she doesn't take her job seriously- she will gladly give up her time to help others and makes frequent donations to charity. In sum, she genuinely means well, but wants everyone to know it.
Biography: Born to two brewery workers and raised in the Tower Grove neighborhood of St. Louis, Sonja was very much a citizen of St. Louis. Square-cut pizza, the Cardinals, horrific mispronunciations of French and German words - she was a vocal proponent of all of these things. After her father took her to a Penn and Teller show at the age of eight, Sonja also became fascinated in stage magic. She immediately began to teach herself simple illusions, gradually moving on to more complex tricks and amassing a library of how-to books. She was a natural, her thin fingers and natural dexterity aiding her in picking locks, marking cards, and the like. She would often impress friends and was frequently invited to high school parties for the purpose of showing off her act. Upon graduation from Roosevelt High School, she was able to find a few bookings in local clubs, bars, and parties, initially under the name "Sonja the Stupendous" and later just "Sonja".
On the day of the Awakening, when her magic powers first manifested, Sonja was different in that she somehow knew, deep in her spinal cord, just how it worked. Saint Louis has always been a city on the edges of reality- Native Americans living in Cahokia built gigantic mounds to honor the occult significance of the place, ghosts and demons are often reported there. Sonja knew without knowing that everything that was just off about the place was being funneled into her. And suddenly her illusions were not illusions, but fact and reality.
Call it civic responsibility, call it Christian guilt, call it whatever you like, but Sonja knew that she represented the city, and drew strength from it. It stood to reason she should defend it. Her first major piece of public exposure came when she exposed systematic abuse in an Oakville nursing home, winning her a great deal of sympathetic press (and a significant power boost as a result). She began to tackle more serious crimes, such as racketeering, police corruption, and even armed robbery. As her fame grew within Saint Louis, she found her powers growing, as well as her ego. The governments of both the city and the outlying areas recognized that she was there to help, naming her an honorary police officer. The publicity greatly increased her demand as a magician, she used the proceeds to buy an autographed Stan Musial bat, reasoning (correctly) that owning a relic from one of the town's great heroes would concentrate her power further.
However, problems came when gunmen attacked a public performance at a local casino. While the attack was foiled with minimal injuries, it raised questions about her ability to protect the general public, giving her power something of a hit and her bank account a larger one.
Enter Barclay-Hoffmeyer.
The international company, with fingers in many pies, was looking for one of the new metahumans as a spokesperson for their products, as well as an ad hoc private contractor for thorny problems facing the company. While the more cynical said she had sold out, BH's expert team of publicists have managed to rebuild and cultivate her image, and Sonja is once more a darling of the local media. The formation of the League is being viewed with great interest, and BH has made much of the invitation Sonja received. Membership in a national league of superheroes might be just the thing she needs.
Let me know if any changes or edits are needed. Thank you for your consideration!
Codename: The Spirit of St. Louis (often abbreviated SSTL, pronounced "still")
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Saint Louis, Missouri
Affiliations: Sonja is an honorary officer of both the Saint Louis City and Saint Louis County police forces, working closely with both. In addition, she enjoys a corporate sponsorship from the multi-industry conglomerate Barclay-Hoffmeyer.
Occupation: Superhero, corporate spokesperson
Appearance: Sonja is a very slender African-American woman, possessing something of a boyish figure. Her hands are especially delicate, with long, thin fingers. When "working" she tends to wear business attire- always with a good pair of sneakers, because in this line of work there's a lot of running.
Powers: Sonja is the living conduit of all the latent magical potential in the city of Saint Louis. She generally channels this magic in the way most familiar to her, stage magic, making her capable of such feats as creating fireballs in her palm, unlocking handcuffs, pulling candy from midair, or reading minds. However, given time to research and prepare, she can also channel it into other kinds of ritual magic, such as performing a rain dance. Her magical ability is dependent on the people of the city- they are making a more or less voluntary contribution to her, dependent on how much faith they have in her. More on this below.
Skills: Sonja's career as a stage magician has given her a solid grasp of the fundamentals of the art. She specializes in sleight of hand and escapology. The related skills of public speaking, misdirection, and social engineering also come into play- knowing how to work a crowd is always helpful. In addition, she has some limited training in hand-to-hand combat.
Equipment: As a primary weapon, Sonja carries the autographed baseball bat of legendary Cardinal Stan Musial. The bat is, like her, imbued with the admiration and faith of the good people of St Louis. In her hands, this simple Louisville Slugger is nigh unbreakable and hits many times above its weight. Aside from the bat, Sonja carries a deck of cards and some simple police gear- a walkie-talkie, handcuffs, a pen and notebook, a police-issue bulletproof vest, and a can of Mace.
Weaknesses: As noted above, Sonja's magical ability stems from her mystical link to her hometown. As such, the faith and confidence of St. Louisans greatly influences her power. When she enjoys high popularity, her abilities are at a peak. When St. Louisans lose faith in her, for instance due to a scandal or successful mudslinging, her power level plummets. She employs several PR consultants to keep her popular and visible, but of course there is only so much they can do with the hearts and minds of the fickle public. If Saint Louis were to be destroyed, her magical power would be permanently gone. In addition, her power is active, not passive- for instance, she would need to be aware of someone shooting at her before she could catch or deflect the bullet.
Psychological Profile: Sonja is an entertainer at heart, and is a bit of a showoff. She will forgo a simple solution in favor of a flashier one, and "giving the people their money's worth" is often a higher consideration than her safety or everyone's general welfare. Sonja is also concerned with her own financial success and is often looking for money-making opportunities. That's not to say she doesn't take her job seriously- she will gladly give up her time to help others and makes frequent donations to charity. In sum, she genuinely means well, but wants everyone to know it.
Biography: Born to two brewery workers and raised in the Tower Grove neighborhood of St. Louis, Sonja was very much a citizen of St. Louis. Square-cut pizza, the Cardinals, horrific mispronunciations of French and German words - she was a vocal proponent of all of these things. After her father took her to a Penn and Teller show at the age of eight, Sonja also became fascinated in stage magic. She immediately began to teach herself simple illusions, gradually moving on to more complex tricks and amassing a library of how-to books. She was a natural, her thin fingers and natural dexterity aiding her in picking locks, marking cards, and the like. She would often impress friends and was frequently invited to high school parties for the purpose of showing off her act. Upon graduation from Roosevelt High School, she was able to find a few bookings in local clubs, bars, and parties, initially under the name "Sonja the Stupendous" and later just "Sonja".
On the day of the Awakening, when her magic powers first manifested, Sonja was different in that she somehow knew, deep in her spinal cord, just how it worked. Saint Louis has always been a city on the edges of reality- Native Americans living in Cahokia built gigantic mounds to honor the occult significance of the place, ghosts and demons are often reported there. Sonja knew without knowing that everything that was just off about the place was being funneled into her. And suddenly her illusions were not illusions, but fact and reality.
Call it civic responsibility, call it Christian guilt, call it whatever you like, but Sonja knew that she represented the city, and drew strength from it. It stood to reason she should defend it. Her first major piece of public exposure came when she exposed systematic abuse in an Oakville nursing home, winning her a great deal of sympathetic press (and a significant power boost as a result). She began to tackle more serious crimes, such as racketeering, police corruption, and even armed robbery. As her fame grew within Saint Louis, she found her powers growing, as well as her ego. The governments of both the city and the outlying areas recognized that she was there to help, naming her an honorary police officer. The publicity greatly increased her demand as a magician, she used the proceeds to buy an autographed Stan Musial bat, reasoning (correctly) that owning a relic from one of the town's great heroes would concentrate her power further.
However, problems came when gunmen attacked a public performance at a local casino. While the attack was foiled with minimal injuries, it raised questions about her ability to protect the general public, giving her power something of a hit and her bank account a larger one.
Enter Barclay-Hoffmeyer.
The international company, with fingers in many pies, was looking for one of the new metahumans as a spokesperson for their products, as well as an ad hoc private contractor for thorny problems facing the company. While the more cynical said she had sold out, BH's expert team of publicists have managed to rebuild and cultivate her image, and Sonja is once more a darling of the local media. The formation of the League is being viewed with great interest, and BH has made much of the invitation Sonja received. Membership in a national league of superheroes might be just the thing she needs.
Let me know if any changes or edits are needed. Thank you for your consideration!
I could do this, I need some laughs in my life.
"Cara," Nate said calmly. "No one here is your enemy. No one. We didn't come here to mock you or to bully you. We came here to have a good time, and we thought you wanted to have some fun. Now, if I did something to hurt you, then I am sorry. I am, truly. I promise you, whatever it was, I didn't do it on purpose. How about we all go upstairs and talk this over?"
In
The League - Mature Superhero Sci-Fi and Urban Fantasy RP
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12 yrs ago
Forum: Casual Interest Checks
Yeah, the extent of magic is always pretty nebulously defined in these types of universes, and often used as an excuse to come up with any deus ex machina. I'd like to avoid falling into that trap, of course, but if you think it'd be too much you're well within your rights to say no.
In
The League - Mature Superhero Sci-Fi and Urban Fantasy RP
→
12 yrs ago
Forum: Casual Interest Checks
This looks like just the sort of thing I'm after. I'm thinking maybe a sort of Doctor Fate/ Doctor Strange type sorcerer if that'd be okay?
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