Editing The Sanguine Squad: The Nova

'''Kelly McCall''' aka '''Stitch''' the '''Nova'''

==Intro==
Stitch is a heroine seeking to do good and get recognized for it, while still struggling to master full control of her powers. She likes being the center of attention, even though her powers aren't flashy unless she's heavily exerting herself (and possibly endangering people), which she tries to make up for with the shiny red of her costume. She's friendly, even leaning towards a bit needy - she wants to fit in with the team and be appreciated, very badly. Her hobbies include soccer (though she has trouble playing now due to the temptation to cheat), playing the flute, and volunteering at LGBT charities.

Kelly would tell you that she led a normal, boring life before discovering her powers - the privileged, suburban sort of normal at least, in which she and her two brothers have always had their own bedrooms, got their own new cars on their 16th birthdays, and never faced any question about the cost of getting into college. She was never particularly outcast or part of the popular clique in school, despite wanting to be the latter. She's also gay, but had surprisingly (especially to her) little trouble coming out to her fairly conservative parents. Sometimes she feels guilty that she doesn't have a tragic origin story nor faced great adversity before emerging a hero. She just... got super powers, mighty and dangerous ones, so she may be nursing a bit of impostor syndrome and seeking validation because of that.

Her powers manifested, to her knowledge, during a middle school soccer game, when one of her teammates was injured. Kelly's not aware of any particular exposure or history that explains the source of her powers, though she suspects Dr. Weaver might know something she's not telling. 

When did you first use your powers?
In middle school, one of her soccer teammates fell and broke her ankle after a bad collision. Kelly suddenly started feeling like her own ankle was hurting, and had no idea why, then managed to reach out and feel Laurie's broken ankle. So she tried to put it back together.
Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers?
Laurie, in that first incident. First aid for traumatic injuries hurts when it's being done by a professional. Even worse when done by someone who doesn't actually know what they're doing. She put everything back in the right spot, but... painfully.
She first outright hurt someone through her powers going out of control at her first Homecoming Dance in high school. She lost control when some of the senior girls played a prank on her and her friends, and sent snacks and decorations flying. Fortunately, she'd read Carrie (several times) and had resolved never to go down that road. There weren't many injuries and nothing major, but the incident did bring her to the attention of...
Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers?
Dr. Weaver, a parapsychologist who's helped Kelly unlock and control her powers. Her own agenda isn't completely clear, though, as she's not on board with Kelly's superhero activities. She might secretly be connected to MK labs or another shady group.
Why do you continue to use your powers?
Kelly's motivation is pretty straightforward. She wants to help people, to heal people, to stop bad people. That's why she took up a costume and went hero-ing. And she wants to be famous. Maybe groupies.
Why do you care about the team?
Sanguine Squad is getting buzz as up and comers and she knows they'll be in harm's way - so she can help!

==Basic Information==
'''Hero Name''' = Stitch

'''Real Name''' = Kelly McCall

'''Looks''' = Girl, White, Normal Skin, Fashionable Clothing, Colorful Costume

==Abilities==

ABILITIES: Telekinesis and Telepathy

Telekinesis accurate down to microscopic scale (with familiarity and concentration) and able to manipulate many objects at once, but limited raw strength (able to lift herself + 1 other person with focused effort)

Telepathy limited to short-range emotional reception without 'touch', which can be established through telekinesis but requires noticeable pressure
Limited clairvoyance via telekinetic projection through walls and such.


BURN:

Boost: Spend 1 burn to supercharge a teammate’s efforts with your powers, giving them a +1 bonus to their roll as if you had spent Team from the pool.

Elemental Awareness: Spend 1 burn and mark a condition to open your mind up to the world around you with your powers. You can ask any one question about the world around you, and the GM will answer honestly.

Shielding: You call up a fast protective field to stop a danger. Spend 1 burn to Defend Someone Else from an immediate threat, rolling +Freak instead of +Savior.

Snatch: Spend 1 burn to use your powers to seize any one object up to the size of a person from someone within view.


==Labels==
'''Danger''' +1 

'''Freak''' +2 ... 

'''Savior''' +0 ... 

'''Superior''' +0 ... 

'''Mundane''' -1 ... 

==Moves==
===Character Moves===
'''Assess the Situation''' = When you assess the situation before entering into a fight, you may ask one additional question, even on a miss.

'''Fireside Chat''' = When you seek advice from your mentor, roll + the Label they embody. On a hit they will tell you what to do. On a 10+, mark potential if you follow their advice, and take +1 ongoing to follow through. On a 7-9, you get +1 forward to see it through if you do it their way. On a miss, they don’t have time for you because something big has gone down; mark a condition, GM’s choice.

'''Heroic Tradition''' = When you give someone the advice that you think your mentor would give, you can roll + the Label your mentor embodies to comfort or support someone, instead of rolling + Mundane.

'''Game Face''' ''(from Janus)'' = When you commit yourself to save someone or defeat a terrible enemy, mark a condition and take +1 ongoing to all rolls in direct pursuit of that goal. At the end of any scene in which you don’t make progress towards that goal, mark a condition. When you fulfill your goal, mark potential.

===Team Moves===
When you '''share a triumphant celebration with someone''', ask them if you’ve been a good leader or effective teammate. If they say yes, your mentor loses Influence over you and you mark potential. If they say no, your mentor gains Influence over you, and you take +1 forward on using the Label your mentor embodies.

When you '''share a vulnerability or weakness with someone''', tell them a secret about your mentor (including your feelings towards them). Give them Influence over you and add 1 Team to the pool.

===Moment of Truth===
The moment that you show who you really are: your mentor, or something different. You can do whatever your mentor could do and more. You can do the incredible, even the things they always failed to accomplish. Of course, they’re not going to see you the same way, no matter which path you choose…

==Backstory==
===Standard===
'''How did you first meet your mentor?''' In a dream.

'''When and why did you choose to train with them?''' While in the dream. Because I was 9 and wanted to be the best girl, which is what she promised that I could be.

'''Why did they agree to train you?''' Because she believed that, with pressure and heat, I could be turned into a Diamond.

'''Who else, outside of the team, knows about your training?''' No one, really. Disembodied voices in your head are not really something one discusses in polite company. Even with the team, I tell them that she just disappeared from public view.

'''Why do you care about the team?''' Because they deserve it and they need it. Especially those that think that they don't.

===Further Questions===
'''1: What's the view of the common person toward Diamond? What kind of reputation did she have?'''

Diamond was mainly involved in natural disaster relief and team-ups to fight big supervillain plots. From the public's perspective, she was not really a star superhero, as her powers were focused around the comparably non-flashy FISS type (Flight, Invulnerability, Super-Speed, Super-Strength) and she never sought out popularity like many others.  She was respected for her work and had a reputation as pleasant to be around, but not particularly beloved except by those she directly helped.  

This means that the superhero community did love her, though, which has caused some friction for Gem with older supers as her costume is similarly themed to Diamond's.

'''2: How do you get along with your parents? Do they know about your super-ing?'''

Jen's relationship with her parents is complex.  During a spectacular crisis about 6 months ago, they discovered that she was an active superhero. Their main cause for upset, though, was that she had been dishonest with them. After she showed them the extent of her abilities, they were okay with her going out to help people and aid in post-"incident" repairs, but they want her to avoid risk ("Call an adult superhero hotline.").

She has not really told them that she is being heavily mentored, but she has mentioned that an adult is helping her learn the ropes.

'''3: What do you admire the most about Diamond? the least?'''

Jen is most impressed by the fact that, around 8 years after Diamond's disappearance, there are supers giving her pushback for wearing a similar costume to Diamond. When she hears Diamond's voice whisper of them, there is fondness and love, while there is actual hurt at her absence in some of the heroes' eyes. Diamond was not flashy, but she was [i]important[/i] in a way that Jen now desperately wants to be.

This also leads to the most annoying thing about Diamond: she is always constantly whispering about planning things out to ensure that damage is kept to a minimum, especially damage to people (even villains!) because "the best victory is when you turn the villain away from their path." Sometimes, 17-year old Jen just wants to wreck stuff.

The scariest thing for Jen is that she doesn't know how this ends, really. She is scared that she might lose herself to Diamond.  She can tell that her personality is changing towards being more thoughtful and kind. Even though she is becoming a "better" person, she is worried that she is not the source of the changes. This is one of the driving factors for her to find others like her, to see what they have gone through and where they end up.

'''4: Which super is commonly viewed to know Diamond the best, or to be in a position to speak for her? How does that person react to you?'''

For the public, the Elemental Angels (Led by Airsmith) were who she was most often seen with. They are elemental kinetics, so she provided a nice bit of tankiness to their crew.

Of the main members, Sinder (Fire) and Greenknight (Life), came on after and don't care, while Airsmith, Quake-king, and Aquafier are fairly ambivalent toward her so far... as long as she behaves. "Everybody needs a gimmick."

From Diamond's scrapbooks in the base, a hero called Retroman (inventor/low level superhuman physical attributes, dressed up like a pulp sci-fi hero) is pictured most frequently, but he went missing shortly before Diamond. Apparently, the handsome young man was a bit of a playboy, and ancient (8 year old) photographs exist on the net of him with many supermodels and actresses.

The strongest (and most awkward) emotional reaction from Diamond came when she was confronted by the superhero Tankbuster. He had been Diamond's lover at the time of her death, and she had even told him, "You should never worry about me, because I always come back."

Thankfully, he had not really understood what she meant.

He had been upset with her costume when they met and swore that he would be keeping an eye on her. Since then, things have mellowed between them, and he pops up occasionally to take her out for late-night coffee to talk. When they last saw each other, he had even said that Diamond would probably not be angry that Gem was wearing a similar uniform.

==Inspirations==
Mostly '''Retrogirl''' (both Janis and Callista) and '''Diamond''' from Brian Michael Bendis' '''Powers''' comic book and '''84''' from the '''P. S. 238''' webcomic, with a splash of '''America Chavez''' (from Marvel Comics) and '''Jessica Jones''' (also from Marvel Comics). And '''Superman''' from DC Comics, in terms of moral stance (can't believe that I forgot that one).


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