Kelri Irris

I have a character who BELIEVES she's a god. She's the creation/partner to a mage who cast a spell for protection, and he got her. So for him, and to all appearances, she is a bodyguard, but for her, she is a goddess who is protecting her "believer". The rp is fun, because of how full of crap she is and how hard she believes that she is a god. 😛

The funny thing is that I almost didn't post that joke at all, but it made my life partner laugh loud and hysterically (on a really horrible-no-good day, mind you), and I had to share it. And yes, he's a much better romantic partner than the ex. I'm glad to be rid of him too. ❤️

I'm surprised how well you just described my ex. 😛

As someone who has been rp'ing online for decades (and I am avoiding doing the math, but have been rp'ing most of my life, so estimating), I can tell you that this is not a new problem. It's one I've run into time and again. One of the selling points for the guild I was in the longest (in another game) was that part of their ooc "mission" was to help teach new rp'ers the how's and how-not-to's of good rp, because they wanted the guild name associated with good rp. And their approach was always kind and gave you the sense that you were in control BECAUSE YOU ARE. What I have found is that when problems like this come up, talking can help if you've a mind though sometimes it doesn't. As someone who has spent a lot of time going through the "growing pains" of online rp, I can tell you that the best thing to do is what makes YOU comfortable. A lot of folks have some great advice in these situations, and if they're someone you trust, you can try their suggestions or not, based on what YOU feel comfortable with. Going on 50 years of life, however, I can tell you that is the only way you can find something that works - make sure it works for YOU. I can tell you how I deal with this problem when it comes up, but that may not fit who YOU are. And that's who has to be happy with the solution. YMMV

I realize this thread was meant to be closed, but I kept thinking as I read it something along the lines of: Why would anyone want to make a group accept them? Why would anyone who gets rejected from a group want to make them allow them to be a member? I personally wouldn't want to be in a group that was forced to accept folks that they didn't want. To me, RP is a group project. I really don't see the group working together if they have to accept folks who know they would have been rejected otherwise. This would be a colossal red flag for me, and I'd run away as fast as I can. It seems like wanting to make the group that rejected you take you is...well, why would one want to be in that group at all?

Well, I would do what I posted earlier. Leave them be and find my own thing to get into.

So, they're not telling you not to be there. You just don't like their rp?

Wait. Are they telling you not to be there? Because that /ignore thing works just fine. And as for vocal NPCs, I just don't put NPC dialogue in my rp tab.

No offense to anyone here, but how do you own places in game? I just...being one of those people who will just start a conversation anywhere in public, not include anyone in a private conversation taking place in public, and go find somewhere else to be if someone is where I want to be....in real life...it occurs to me that I can do all of that in real life without asking permission, so why would I need to ask permission in this situation. I mean...I've been told how to "properly" rp by other rp'ers and ignored them because my time is precious and I don't need to spend it doing everything the way I'm told. This just isn't something that makes sense to me. What you're describing is somewhat baffling. Example: Back on Live, I identified a specific building in Talos as containing my main's apartment and rp'd a party as supposedly taking place at said apartment. We didn't have folks chasing other rp'ers off the building. We just ignored anyone not in the party icly. There's this really great feature in the game where you can ignore a character near you that's trying to be part of the rp by trying to force interaction that you don't want. I used to use it all the time. Just saying, /ignore has saved my day so many times. I've been in online rp for decades. There's nothing more frustrating (and often intimidating) than someone trying to force you into rp that you never agreed to. But every time someone says the words "I have to..." or "That person made me rp this..." I just shake my head. In my experience, some folks want to "make" you rp stuff you don't want to, and - big surprise - I'm not going to make my character that person's character's "victim". So, as far as I'm concerned, if your group wants to claim a spot in game, I don't have an issue with it, because I don't have to rp with your group.

I keep "cheat sheets" for each of my characters, and one of the entries I tend to put alongside their backstory is their "theme song". I did write more - including forum stories for some - but when logging one into the game, the song would be the first song I'd play so I could get into their heads. Kelri, my main, is "Because I'm Awesome" by the Dollyrots. Just because...yeah, she's awesome. She was my main in my last game, and she was incredibly short (as short as the character creator allowed) and had blue hair. I didn't pick her as my main. My guild friends did. She just had a tendency to be seen as adorable and kind, and she ran a weekly event with a server-wide invitation to all RP'ers to go hang out. I just like the name and upbeat tempo for this song. It feels like it embodies her. Kelri's Life Partner is named Dani, and yes, I play her as well. Her song is "The Dark" by ZZ Ward. I like to think of this match as being similar to my own marriage. So, I made her beautiful (because Kel doesn't see herself that way), adored by Kelri to the point that she just can't see herself being with anyone else, and incredibly lucky the way I see myself with my LP in RL. Dani has walked through the dark in her life, and Kelri is like a bright rainbow in her life (much like my own LP is for me). The line "I'm not afraid of the dark" is something she can say now that she's met Kelri. My "once upon a time" main was Angel Timmons, a private investigator that has a 'version' in a lot of my games, starting with my first tabletop RPG. I chose "Heist" by X Ambassadors because she has a definitive mental image in my head that just....as soon as I heard this song, I knew it was about her. I decided not to make her in my last game, because of the setting, but made a tribute character of sorts in that game who grew her own personality and I made her Angel's twin when I came back to CoH. Her background involved some PTSD issues (yes, I write what I know), so she's a tough chick (basically everything I wanted to be but wasn't), and I gave her "Hit Me Like a Man" by The Pretty Reckless, because...um...yeah. I have more and put their theme songs on their in-game bios as well as on their "cheat sheets", because that song is usually the one I have in my head to tell me what personality I'm RP'ing or writing. Thank you for posting about this, because I haven't been able to write or RP in months, but I'm hoping writing this brings that side of me back around!

Finding another rp'er to interact with feels easier than finding one who wants to rp what we want to rp/how we want to rp/etc. I've found that talking things out ooc can help a lot. Also, I've found that rp communities can be a bit too big for me, so I tend to just wander and "listen" in any given rp hub (in CoH, seems like the Pocket D). I get participatory as the situation allows without regard for whether it'll be accepted or even noticed. I've learned that if I get really involved in how I write my rp and stop worrying about whether someone around me finds my rp "acceptable", even those days where I don't get a lot of interaction back, I've managed to entertain myself just fine. If none of the other rp'ers around me noticed, it mattered less. If no one wants to react to my reactions, that's fine too. It means they don't want to rp with me, so I'm cool with not rp'ing with them. I want to rp with the folks that see my attempts and want to make attempts back. If you've read anything else I've posted, it's possible you might notice that the first really great SG that I was involved with on CoH was one that I found through a forum post on the official website. I didn't read those often, just to be clear. It was one of those "Let's see what's over here" moments that led me to go to a SG gathering that was announced to/for the public. In SWTOR, I found a guild to be in by complete accident. I discovered that folks were rp'ing on fleet, was hanging out nearby to pay attention to the rp going on around me, and the guy leading the guild I ended up joining engaged -my- character. That guild made it a habit to hang out on fleet in character once a week. No plot to it. It was the night folks who worked at the IC company the guild represented could hang out and just be friendly with their co-workers. I watched that tactic draw in fantastic rp'ers. I watched it draw in some less than fantastic rp'ers too, but one of the predominant rules in that guild was to help other rp'ers be better rp'ers. All anyone had to do was ask. It was...that group became my family. I still hang out with a lot of them in a Discord server used for a private tabletop RP. I'm not saying it's always that easy to find rp to participate in, but I'm saying that being a willing participant can take us a lot farther if we're willing to put in the effort. And there's no guarantee the effort won't be massive. I haven't been able to rp in months due to RL issues, and it's killing me. I have lost track of the few folks I had been rp'ing with, and my anxiety gets in the way of rp'ing at events or even the Pocket D some days. I don't have the effort it takes to just make a small connection and I can't seem to write at all (even projects I have elsewhere). I also recognize that if there was an easy method that yielded the kind of results that putting that effort into finding someone, I'd probably try that, but I can be realistic enough to understand that not every attempt is going to yield success, especially in finding something of value that is worth my time. I can be patient.

I'm sorry I can't make it, but I hope it goes really well!

I'm almost 50 irl, and I can tell you that this is completely normal. There seem to be people who think they have a right to tell others what they can and can't do (and where!), and there also seem to be people who just go about their business and leave the beeswax of others out of their purview. This, in my opinion, is what the /ignore function is for. And, now that I think about it, what moving unwanted channels out of one's chat tab is also for. To be clear, I'm not calling out those who are annoyed by RP. I've been yelled at by RP'ers and non-RP'ers alike who have all seemed to take offense at me just being me. Bossy, judgey people are everywhere. Just...please do yourself a favor and remember that you are in control of one thing - YOU. Maybe, stop trying to control everyone else. It never works.

Late to the thread, I know. Apologies, but RL has kept me hopping of late. Honestly, I like a lot of what was suggested here. I started to think about times in other games, as well as CoH when it was live, where I met other RP'ers. I've never actually used the classifieds associated with roleplaying forums, but I think it's a great idea if it's done right. I have no idea if I'd participate, but it seems to work for a lot of folks. In my last game, I found my guild by literally walking by them on what was essentially their weekly night for hanging out in the bar. They welcomed walk-up RP, and...well, to be honest, a kindly word to beckon my character over was necessary, because as a player, I was a scaredy cat. 😛 What came to mind most strongly was how I met my first SG/Coalition in CoH. One of the leaders had advertised on the official forums that the combined supergroups (this was before coalitions were put in the game) that would eventually be that coalition were hosting a...not sure what it was...a picnic maybe? Something social but that could be held in Atlas. By the time that coalition was no more, I had plenty of friends to transplant myself to Virtue and find all manner of new rp'ers to run in horror from. Still, I think what I am taking away from this is the same thing I've always said: There's no right way to get involved in RP. My best advice has always been to participate where you can if you don't want to run something yourself. On a community level, there are plenty of things to do, and depending on the community, they often work out well when they're done in a way that is inclusive and inviting. Whether it's a plot or a picnic often depends just as much on who the event appeals to as the interest that can be generated for it. Which is...where I step aside. A regular event from my last game burnt me out pretty hard, and I'm determined to remain as misanthropic as possible both IC and OOC.

I'd like to preface this by noting that after growing up in the Land of Labels, I'm not a fan of labels at all. Ever since I was a kid, the moment I was told that a person was a [insert type of human of a specific "type" here], I was dumb enough to ask questions like "What makes them this horrible thing that should be shunned?" and worse, I asked the labelled person in particular. "Why do people say you're an X?" I have to say, it makes for some great answers! The one answer that I specifically find myself seeking while reading this thread is "How many definitions of 'Edgelord' are there, and what do I think one is?" Well, none of you seem to agree with my answer. Is it a character with a ten page background? Is it a character who throws their perceived IC power around? Is it a dark and broody character? A violent character? And it seems like people have as many different definitions for this word as...there are characters. Hmm... So, essentially, my mental image of certain SWTOR characters under a specific faction type that felt free to walk into public spaces and declare their superiority while tramping on the RP of everyone around them to demand attention jumped to mind, but when I thought about it more, I realized that the 'Ignore' function and my automatic use of it when running across someone who disrupted my enjoyment took a lot less time than....well, reading this thread. However, the definitions I see here are much broader and more inclusive of "people who don't RP like we think they should", which is disturbing for me. I have characters with dark/tragic backstories. I love the superhero tragic origin stories too much not to embrace them. I prefer characters with rich, complex backstories that explain to me the -why- of who they are. I don't just want to justify a personality quirk, but I want to figure out what parts of nature and nurture created this personality, what drives them, how they would see the world around them. Pretty sure at least one of them would pass the "Edgelord" test simply by fitting the stated "dark and broody" or "ten page character description". I am trying to figure myself (and those around me in real life) out, I recognize how little of myself I actually share with Joe Schmoe Public I just met when I was standing at the bus stop. Chances are, no one will learn these stories but me, and I'm okay with that. I just want to understand why this character is the way they are and what I like about them. So, that cocky rogue-like chick that I play when I feel tapped into the snarky person living in my head? I need a reason for -her- to be snarky, so I build the story to explain to -myself- why she's like that, and if it never comes out, it never comes out. It's who the character is that's important. A friend of mine in another RP group I was in once challenged me to make a character that I would get along with irl, and it changed the way I saw RP significantly. I took an existing character with an (undisclosed) background that would have brought bleeding hearts to tears! A genuine runaway kid who grew up on the streets. Practically no one heard that backstory, and my character presented it with all the bravado someone with a background like that would speak of it: with her own spin on it, she acknowledged it if it came up and immediately dismissed it without thought or described it in a much more idyllic way (what she wished it had been, if you will), because I decided that was where she had been, but she was GOING somewhere. I honestly had no idea where she was going, but I let that past inform her interests, her desires, her relationships - not with the telling, but with the question "How does that inform who she is now?" I made her someone -I- would like to know, which made her someone others wanted to know, and the secret was that -she- wanted to be someone who was liked and respected and had come from a background that didn't lend to any of that. She became very popular and loved, because she was genuine, had talents and flaws, expressed self doubt, was -not- everyone's ideal and was okay with that. The idea of her being an Edgelord would bring guffaws from my guildmates at the time. Yet, she -had- a tragic backstory, was prone to depression, and her history was tragic. So, uh...I guess I wanted to say I feel like this is a poorly defined term that represents "someone who doesn't rp in a way I like" for a lot of folks, and I would like to repeat what was said above: You do you. Write what you enjoy writing. Play what you want to play. More power to you!

Interoffice Memo System To: Aliyobi From: Aittera Timmons It has been brought to my attention that the term "midget" is politically incorrect. Pursuant to getting that reaction out of Kelri, may I suggest "munchkin" instead? I used it in the hall just now, and the look on her face was priceless. Enjoy. You owe me a bottle of whiskey.

The sound of a knock at the door drew Angel's attention from the paperwork she had been struggling to focus on. “Come.” The door opened, and her head of security stepped in. Alex's “tough-as-nails”, experienced friend had turned out to be a woman who worked as a bodyguard of considerable reputation named Sheridan Zila, and someone Angel had come to like. She had traveled to Earth from another world – a common enough occurrence in Paragon City with companies like Portal Corp poking around – and her story about her history with a mage and an inhuman lover had come across as a bit lacking, but it had a ring of truth to it that Angel had found entertaining. Some girls had all the luck. “I finished the security analysis we talked about, and there are a couple of members of your 'management team' that I'd like to discuss,” Zila was saying. “Let me guess,” Angel replied. “Ali.” “Number one on the list, admittedly,” Sheridan nodded, taking a seat opposite the redhead. “Not that I don't appreciate the use of a thief to catch a thief, but are you sure you want someone with this kind of temperament representing your company?” Angel shrugged as though the question was irrelevant. “Ali's fine, as long as you know the rules.” “You realize her image keeps mysteriously erasing itself from every database we have?” “I have a theory that she found a way to get a virus running loose that somehow sniffs out every mug shot and surveillance photo she's associated with and liberates it from PD records,” Angel said as if the thought itself amused her. In truth, she'd had Dani write such a useful bit of code, but Sheridan didn't need to know that. “Protecting her identity works for us, though. She likes using her little personas in confidence games.” “She's violent,” Sheridan asserted. “What are the rules? Don't be on the wrong side of her fist?” “Rule number one: No touching without permission unless you want a broken hand,” Angel answered flatly. “I suspect abuse in her background. Which brings me to number two: Don't let her think you might be doing a psych profile of her. I think she had a bad run-in with a shrink somewhere along the way.” “So, is Aliyobi the only psychopath we employ?” Sheridan was suddenly asking with a grim look. “Have you met my sister yet?” Angel asked, whether to change the subject or answer the question intentionally left unclear. “Aittera is the only reason you have paperwork clearing your company to function under a hero organization license. Please tell me you're not suggesting--” “No,” Angel laughed, raising a hand to stop Zila mid-sentence. “No, I'm just...sure she has her own opinions on who has a screw loose around here. Besides, I thought we were covered on multiple fronts for that angle. My license should still be valid, and then, there's Alex...” “You didn't want to use his license,” Sheridan supplied. “No, I didn't want to rely on it. There's a difference. Besides, he led me to believe that he could bypass any basic legalities with that whole floor of lawyers that I keep avoiding upstairs.” “Yeah, I'm not comfortable with that part of whatever this business is supposed to be,” the brunette admitted. “Pretty sure that means you're one in the not-psycopath lane,” replied Angel with a smirk. “You realize that your little ride-along would make you a security risk for a lot of people in your position. How would you like that addressed?” Sheridan's expression soured. “I was hoping that disclosing the existence of the essence of my former associate would be seen as an act of transparency. I signed the papers assuming responsibility for it and intend to keep it under control so that it does not become an issue.” “And my motley little crew of misfits are my problem,” Angel asserted. “Like your ex-boyfriend, they can be managed, and that's something I am confident that I can do. Ali is a thief, but she has a very specific way she sees the world.” “So, what happens when you want her to recover something she would like to own for herself?” “She would return it, because she wasn't the one who stole it in the first place,” Angel answered matter-of-factly. “So, she'll return it so she can steal it herself?” “Now, you're catching on. In Ali's world, the theft is the fun part, not the possession.” “I'm beginning to think you employ psychopaths because you understand them best,” Sheridan observed in a quiet, almost appreciative tone. “I wouldn't put it past me,” came the boss's response.

The four essentials of being a PI, according to Maxwell Timmons, were punching, kicking, drinking, and talking shit. Angel groaned as she looked over at the empty bourbon bottle that lay among the shattered glass that had once been a tasteful coffee table. “Well, that's one down.” She pushed herself to her feet with a groan, her head pounding harder with the effort, and found her way to the kitchen perhaps by willpower alone. It had been a while since she'd done something as stupid as attempting to drown herself in a bottle of cheap booze, and she could swear that just made the hangover altogether worse. It was like being out of practice. She reached for the refrigerator handle to retrieve a bottled water, and several impressions swarmed her senses at once. She was swinging a fist at her sister's jaw, determined to stop her mid-insult, and received a boot to the gut in return that sent her into the wall. There was an overlaying impression from what felt like a lifetime ago with tears streaming down Aittera's face as she tried to tell Angel how sorry she was. And to round it out, another of the smoking wreckage of a council base that the two of them had just managed to get clear of before the detonation of the bombs they'd planted. Each experience played itself out at the same time, and not just sight, but sound, touch, and smell. Angel wretched and ran for the bathroom. A few minutes later, she found herself sitting on the cool tile, looking down at the ripped glove on her left hand. It was pretty shitty to experience someone else's memories through her “gift”, but to get a blast that was full on the reason she'd gotten drunk in the first place was just... “A reason for another drink?” she asked the empty bathroom in a gravelly voice, wincing at the volume and harshness of the sound. Punching and kicking. Check. There had been lots of both. She did her best to erect some basic mental protection on her way to the bedroom to replace the torn glove, then spent the next hour getting herself cleaned up and re-hydrated. The unpretentious apartment had only been hers for a few weeks, but clearly, she'd made an impression by way of psychic imprint. She might think of that as impressive, but she imagined it was a product of putting together her “management team” and her determination to make the new company a success. Aittera was the natural choice for chasing down missing persons cases, especially in those situations where leads were not easy to come by due to things like lapsed time or the desire to stay missing. Her attention to detail and ability to produce a workable – and often accurate – profile on the fly was uncanny. As a hero, she had aided in capturing criminals thought long gone, and luckily for Angel, she had a soft spot for missing kids (which would likely be a large part of their caseload). It was that last angle that she had used to get her sister to the door. Then, the long overdue reunion had gone pretty much the way she had figured it might go. There was a reason it had been over a year since they'd spoken. Angel had lost her best and oldest friend. Aittera had lost her fiancée and the ideals that came with putting on the cape. Despite the history (and blame) between them, the previous night had resulted in Aittera agreeing to work at Hi-Caliber after a complex negotiating process that involved trading insults, fighting, and an alcohol-fueled pseudo therapy session she could barely remember. Talking shit. Check. Dad would be proud.

“Hello?” “Hey, Dani! It's Angel.” “Angel! How've you been?” “I'm alright. How about you? School should be almost done, right?” “A couple of weeks, yeah. Need help on a case?” “Well, no, not per say. I'm sort of expanding the business.” “Did Gary's Bail Bonds move?” **laughter** “Uh...no, it's still there. A friend of mine had an idea to turn Timmons Investigations into a kind of security firm slash private investigations slash...some kind of merc---I don't know what to call it, so I'm just going with it. We're calling it Hi-Caliber Solutions.” “Oh that's kinda...that's a dumb name. I mean I get the whole dual meaning behind 'caliber', but seriously, the only way it could be any worse would be if you misspelled part of it.” “Apparently, the g and h wouldn't fit on the sign.” **laughter** **silence** “Oh crap, you didn't.” “I didn't! This was not my idea!” **more laughter** “It's...grown on me actually.” **still laughing** “Yeah, sounds like something Tom would have suggested now that I think about it. How can I help?” “I don't know if you've got a job lined up already, but--” “YES! Wait, no...maybe.” “Those are pretty much the three options there. If it helps you pick one, you won't be a secretary like before. You'd be THE computer chick, full stop.” “No, I mean yes, I want to come work with you again, but I need one – no, TWO – favors.” “Name them.” “I want you to drive up for my wedding next week.” “Way to bury the lead! Where was my invitation before this?” “Oh, we're not having like...a wedding, wedding. More like we had a friend get ordained online, and we're getting together with a couple of friends to be witness-slash-maids of honor. It's a real low-key thing, and we'll have a real one for an anniversary or something when we can afford it.” “Plus your mom doesn't know?” “You know she'd tell me that I'm too young and all that stuff, but Angel, she's amazing, and I've never been this happy. She's super smart, and she's adorable, and she is the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are going to love her. Everyone loves her. I want you to meet her so you can give me the second favor as a wedding present.” “My blessing as your godmother in lieu of your mother or a job for your fiancée too?” “Okay, three favors.” **laughter** “Who am I to stand in the way of true love? I'll make it happen. Congratulations, kiddo.”

Date night for me, but hopefully, I can make it in the future to the monthly parties!

Thanks!

The Beginning “When I said you could help me out, I thought you were going to buy some more furniture.” Angel looked up at the stylized sign on the wall behind the reception desk, her expression dubious. “I know, but this is what you need, and it's not a loan or charity. It's a joint business venture. I provide the space and the office, and you provide--” “Alex, I'm not sleeping with you again. It was a one time thing. I told you, I'm not looking for a partner. Of any kind.” “Silent partner. Look, I'm going to keep doing the hero thing, which you think is going to get me and my friends killed--” “It is going to get you kill---” “--AND you're going to keep doing the PI thing alone, which you won't let me help with---” “---BECAUSE I don't need help---” “BUT you're living over that cheap storefront in King's Row, and you're never going to make any money at it the way you're going about it. I saw a business opportunity, and this way, we can both generate leads for each other. There's even an apartment on the top floor, so you can live like a person instead of a...a...squatter.” Angel glared at the younger man. When they'd first met, Alexander Knight had been an idiot rich boy playing hero who was interfering in an investigation into a simple missing persons case. The 'simple' had become complicated when she'd found her client's son had gotten involved with a major smuggling ring that trafficked in some fairly nasty illegal items ranging from high tech weapons to experimental drugs related to unethical 'augmentation' science. She would have been in far over her head had it not been for Alex. She'd since come to think of him as a friend, but a friend with perhaps too much money and nowhere near enough sense. He lacked the experience and seasoning that might come with a decade of experience, and while his heart was in the right place, if he lived long enough to get that experience, she'd be surprised. As far as she was concerned, the good ones always died too young. “Think about it. If you run across something that's out of your league, you can give me a call," he continued, "and if I run across something that doesn't need super-powered help, I can toss it your way so I know it will get handled by someone who won't let it fall through the cracks.” “I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense, but I don't see how that turns into a huge facility with more...” She gestured at their surroundings. “All I need is an office, not a—a---” “A turnkey, state-of-the-art, multitasking operation.” “Tell me you're not quoting that old tv show.” “The security division will generate tons of revenue. Think about it. You can take on all the cases that you won't charge for without having to do the cruddy cheating spouse pictures or wasting time on any of that other crap you use to pay the bills.” “Who's going to work the security division if I'm running around doing those cases?” “I know---” “Don't say you know a guy.” “I was going to say an amazing, tough-as-nails woman with tons of experience in everything from bodyguard work to hostage retrieval and threat elimination. She'd be a great asset, and I'd trust her with my life. She's perfect for something like this. You'll love her.” “Former military? No, nevermind. I'll circle back to the term 'threat elimination' in a moment. I already told you, I don't do partners.” “Not a partner. An employee. You'd be the boss.” “I'd be the boss. Of the whole thing?” “You call the shots, top to bottom. I'm just an investor. Your name is on the business license, and you're listed as the owner.” “Alex, you're a sweet guy, but I can't--” “I swear, it's not about sleeping with you. It's about believing in what you're doing, and it's like you said, heroes have bigger fish to fry. It's why Diego fell through the cracks, and there are plenty more people out there who need someone who isn't the police or bound by certain legal restraints.” Alex could see that he was getting through to the stubborn redhead and began to grin. She saw that grin, knew she was losing her resolve, and just began to shake her head slowly. “I hate that I'm thinking about saying yes, but I admit there are a couple of people I could bring in.”

Something of a combination character list and story thread: https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/27761-hi-caliber-solutions/

Sometimes, the heroes are busy with bigger things. Fate of the world things. Sometimes, the police have too much on their hands already. Sometimes, investigations go cold and the bad guys get away. That's when Hi-Caliber Solutions can help! We're a private firm with a highly skilled staff of investigators who care about tracking down your property, finding your missing loved one, or seeking out that key piece of evidence that can aid in securing justice. Our security division can arrange comprehensive home or business protection services or provide discreet protective details. Owner Angelica Timmons Investigations Our Management Team Sheridan Zila Security Division Aittera Timmons Missing Persons Danica Jordan-Irris IT Operations Aliyobi Asset Recovery Support Team Kelri Irris-Jordan We have offices in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

This sounds brilliant! I look forward to seeing it!