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Post by andyman on Dec 21, 2008 22:56:57 GMT -5
TWO-FISTED FEET! Mercy General Hospital, the island of Manhattan.Wednesday, Nine A.M. Official visiting hours have not yet begun, yet no one thinks to stop the hulking figure moving so purposefully through the halls of this great house of healing. He is Ben Grimm, better known as The Thing, and he is not a man to be diverted. It seems The Thing has been spending as much time here as he has back at the Baxter Building. He can't wait until they finally let Alicia out of this place. Hospitals give him the creeps. Thing's Health: 6/6
Thing's Energy: 18/18 |
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Post by Mister Sinister on Dec 27, 2008 20:50:49 GMT -5
Benjamin Grimm lurched into the shadowy room with all the weight of an oak tree in a strong wind. His feet felt rooted to the linoleum below them - something he noted as unhomely...
Unhomely?
Ben wanted the best for Alicia, in every facet of every little thing. He was on the edge, the brink of it, and tiptoed as much as a man of his girth could. Everything seemed to unnerve him, and he was so desperate to make things better for Alicia that even her hospital room's floor became an issue.
Her voice was sweet and complacent, he thought, despite everything she had gone through. In her soft words The Thing could sense a strength far greater than that which he possessed.
"Y...yes. It's me, Ben. I'm here...Alicia."
He approached slowly and held the roses just short of her nose, trembling, and hoped she would smile.
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Post by andyman on Dec 28, 2008 20:55:09 GMT -5
"More flowers? My word, Ben, at this rate, I'll soon have enough to open my own florist shop." Alicia reaches out to softly touch the Thing's coat. "How are you, darling? You sound... unhappy."
For many years a bond of love has thrived and grown between these two. He is the man-turned-monster, huge and loud and brash. She is the delicate blind sculptress, small and gentle. They must seem an incongruous couple to outside eyes. Yet their souls have reached out, each from separate loneliness, and found each other.
As the posies are placed in a vase on Alicia's bedside table, Ben Grimm realizes that he's got a lot on his mind. There's been a lot of bad stuff going down while Alicia has been couped up in this place. Like fighting Tyros and Doctor Doom... Seeing Doom get killed -- for real this time -- that's what really got him to thinking.
Things are changing for the Fantastic Four, and Benjamin isn't so sure he belongs with them anymore. Lately, he's been thinking there are more things to life than saving the world every five minutes. There are a lot of other folks now who can take care of that job. And the Thing's been thinking about more important stuff.
Ben loves Alicia. He loves her with all his heart. There is nothing he'd like better than to settle down in your standard issue ivy-covered cottage and just make nice-nice for the rest of their lives. But seeing Doom buy the farm has reminded him... reminded him that the only way out of this crazy business seems to be feet first. When was the last time anybody heard of a super guy hanging up the costume and just retiring?
Thing's Health: 6/6
Thing's Energy: 18/18
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Post by Mister Sinister on Dec 29, 2008 17:32:35 GMT -5
Ben scoffed a bit, embarrassed by Alicia's honesty, and crowded the flowers into a spot on her bedside table, amongst other bouquets in various stages of withering.
Ben felt himself blush, and was almost relieved that Alicia couldn't see him, in this instance...
The Thing wondered how much Alicia understood about who he was, and what it was that he did? She was tender with him, and rarely offered anything but support.
Perhaps it was time for him to return the favor?
"Alicia...."
Ben sighed, quietly, resigning himself to the question he was about to ask. He knelt before the bed and gently held her tiny hand, trying not to ruin the moment.
He was going head first.
"Alicia Masters, will you marry me?"
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Post by andyman on Dec 30, 2008 21:28:20 GMT -5
*thump thump thu... BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*
Alicia's heart monitor flat-lines, summoning a veritable army of doctors, nurses and orderlies.
"You!" an angry nurse shrills at Ben, "Get out of here! And don't come back until it's proper visiting hours!"
Thing's Health: 6/6
Thing's Energy: 18/18
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Post by Mister Sinister on Dec 31, 2008 19:39:24 GMT -5
Benjamin Grimm felt his jaw drop and his heart drop faster as the monitor screamed. He sprang to his feet in panic, his fingers in Alicia's hair.
"Alicia! ALICIA!"
Rushing into the room, hospital staff elbowed and shoved Ben out of the way. While the team tended to Alicia, a nurse spared a valuable second to scold the mighty Thing.
His limbs tensing, Ben's adrenaline saturated his body with both rage and unbearable sadness. He knew that if he stayed, it would only be worse for Alicia - he had blown everything.
The depression got the best of the sensitive brute and he choked on words that wouldn't come. He sauntered backwards, surrendering, and succumbed to the overwhelming force of his emotions.
With a mighty roar, he charged the dormitory window and crashed through it, scaling a drop that would have killed any other!
"Rraaaarrggghh!"
The cement was rough beneath his feet, the sidewalk splintering beneath his suddenly halted mass. Without a clear thought at hand, The Thing ran into the night, chasing answers to questions he wasn't sure how to ask.
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Post by andyman on Jan 1, 2009 17:42:42 GMT -5
What was he thinking proposing to Alicia like that? What kind of life can the Thing offer her? They can't ever get married. At least, not in the way real people do. The most Ben can offer is their names on a piece of paper. But Alicia deserves a whole lot more than being the girlfriend of a freak! Maybe they'd both do better without the other. The Thing tries getting his head together all morning until... Thing's Health: 6/6
Thing's Energy: 18/18 |
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Post by Mister Sinister on Jan 2, 2009 11:43:27 GMT -5
Ben scolded and damned himself for what he had done...but his heart had been in it. It was the honest expression of his true feelings, even if impractical they were!
Still, he should have thought of Alicia! What joy could he bring her as the monster he was? Suddenly, been thought it better that he had received no answer - he would have revoked the question if he could have. He didn't deserve her. His very presence had plummeted her into ill health!
How would their relationship every recover from that?
The night bled quickly into morning, and then nearly into noon as hours passed. Ben patrolled the sidewalk without really watching - his thoughts were buried in rhetoric and introspection alike. His mental cycles all ran around to the same conclusion -
If Benjamin were to marry Alicia...he could no longer be the Thing.
Without looking where he was going, Ben stumbled into a crowd of police officers, reporters, and onlookers alike, weapons drawn behind cars barricading escape from the New York City Bank of First National.
"Hello?! What the heck is this?!" Ben demanded, turning one of the officers around by the shoulder.
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Health: 6/6
Energy: 18/18
3 stones into Social Skills (Celebrity specialty, they should know who he is) to speak with the police, and figure out what the heck is goin' on!
Defense: Toughness (+6) No AP, No 2x Damage
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Post by andyman on Jan 3, 2009 20:52:43 GMT -5
"Oh, Mr. Grimm!" The officer responds. "Am I glad to see you, sir! We've got one of them wretched super-villains trapped in this bank."
"At least, that's what he claims to be. He hasn't shown us what he can do yet."
Thing's Health: 6/6
Thing's Energy: 18/18
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Post by Mister Sinister on Jan 14, 2009 21:34:02 GMT -5
"Well, let's go see what all the hooplah's about..."
The officer had stated their had been no action taken by whoever was in the bank - Ben hoped that he could end this peacefully. Maybe the assailant was only bluffing?
Even if not, The Thing was prepared. He'd done this plenty of times, and now, he only had less to lose.
Walking right towards the front door, Ben shouted into the building, playfully as always.
"Hey, is everything okay? Whatddya want?"
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6 stones into Close Combat (5 AN +1 Strength Bonus) shifted to Defense.
Defense: 12 (No AP, No 2x Damage)
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Post by andyman on Jan 16, 2009 22:26:06 GMT -5
Dark, unfamiliar thoughts cloud his mind as the Thing races forward. Thing's Health: 6/6
Thing's Energy: 18/18 |
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Post by Mister Sinister on Jan 18, 2009 14:37:19 GMT -5
"What th'...?"
Ben felt his eyes open wide beneath his rocky brow, startled as a large blonde man burst forward from the front door.
Seeing his bulging arms and large hands grasping what appeared to be bags of money, Ben acted on pure instinct.
With all the momentum of one running towards the other, Ben delivered a solid punch to the blonde man's jaw!
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10 stones into a levelled blow, hopefully to knock the man out cold and just end the encounter staunchly. It was a bit impulsive, but Ben's in a pretty edgy emotional state right now. I as a player cannot be held responsible for his touchy nerves or what happens as a result of them...
Defense: 6 (Toughness, No AP or 2x Dmg) (The bank robber's hands are full, so Ben isn't worried...)
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Post by andyman on Jan 18, 2009 21:51:41 GMT -5
"I bain called Goody Two-Shoes. And don't you forget it!"Apparently, grasping large bags of money in each hand isn't a deterrent for this guy... ...but the Thing's rocky hide and right hook is! [glow=black,2,300] WHAMM![/glow] The force of a howitzer shell slams into the astounded man with the two-fisted feet, knocking him right out of his atomic boots! Thing's Health: 5/6
Thing's Energy: 14/18[FYI: The Daily Bugle has a house-rule that regenerates full Durability each Panel, even when Health is not at maximum. This fends off the dreaded downward spiral that causes combatants to continue losing battles when they are unlucky enough to be the first one to get a boo-boo.]
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