SuperStarter

If the vote-rigging is not reflected in the story, it should be. Would be an excellent chess move on HAs part.

Furlough wrote: Speaking of Hannah's power spike, right now it's looking like in spite of Serena's massive numbers in the current poll, if they stay more or less at the same proportion that they have now they'd pretty much even out both girls' power levels when you consider the huge difference from the previous week and add in Hannah's current votes as well. I have no idea how many people are involved in the vote-rigging (of the fact that it's happening there is no doubt) but maybe that's what they're going for? I vote once for each girl/additional choice but for my preferences I'd say I'm team Serena, so a return to a more balanced approach between the two would be welcome as far as I'm concerned.

Wow! You're right!

Just when I'm thinking of a story designed around Hannah being über-powerful compared to everyone else after this round of voting, I'm wrong again! Going to have to think of some new ideas to adapt to an equally powerful Hannah and Serena now. Should be fun! When the voting is all over and the story is just the story, I wonder how it will feel to the reader with all these unexpected events in the voting! I would think it would be very unpredictable, given that I as the writer am being perpetually surprised! Hmmm... maybe I should write a mystery this way. Good luck trying to predict that ending!

That's the only problem with writing the stories--it's difficult to read them as a real reader would, seeing them for the first time. That's why I love the feedback/interactivity! It helps me understand how things come across to the reader.

It also makes me enjoy the stories of others so much more too.

Bolt527 wrote: If the vote-rigging is not reflected in the story, it should be. Would be an excellent chess move on HAs part.

Wow! They don't call this place SUPERWOMENmania for nothing! People really want über-super-ultragirls. Wowzers! Time to hit the thesaurus for some more superlative words to describe these two! Surprisingly enough, Serena is now dominating!

HANNAH
POWER	RND 1	RND 2	RND 3	RND 4	TOTAL
Strength	143	923	7776	39045	47887
Invulnerability	143	480	7776	39045	47444
Speed	36	101	4062	11817	16016
Flight	36	29	4062	11817	15944
Laser Eyes	25	11	3202	7841	11079
X-Ray Eyes	25	15	3202	7841	11083
Superbreath	25	20	3202	7841	11088
Telepathy	54	24	2820	8745	11643
Telekinesis	54	18	2820	8745	11637
Total	541	1621	38922	142737	183821

SERENA
POWER	RND 1	RND 2	RND 3	RND 4	TOTAL
Strength	268	1523	1183	70825	73799
Invulnerability	268	452	1183	70825	72728
Speed	74	937	1008	20970	22989
Flight	74	383	1008	20970	22435
Laser Eyes	51	83	111	11038	11283
X-Ray Eyes	51	82	111	11038	11282
Superbreath	51	89	111	11038	11289
Telepathy	162	481	80	21793	22516
Telekinesis	162	374	80	21793	22409
Total	1161	4404	4875	260290	270730

 

 
NAMES

HANNAH
Golden Goddess (WINNER!!!)	133
Ultragirl	31
Glory Girl	5
Goddessy	3
Apex	25
Infinity	32
Divinity	25
Pinnacle	11
Celestia	72

 

 

SERENA
Dark Justice (WINNER!!!)	77
Captain Wonder	10
Shade	59
Serpentine	67
Avengeance	5
Dark Avenger	9
Titania	25
Marvelette	8
Agent S	16

 

Lfan knows this group well. He told me, when he was helping me brainstorm names, that the first option would win for both. He was right! I'm kinda glad. It means I can use "Divinity" for another story I'm planning.

Anyway, part 5 is officially underway. I've got to figure out a way to deal with these insane power levels now...

Part 5 is finished and has been submitted. It's fairly long at almost 7,800 words. It's also, by far, the most action-packed story I've written. I hope you enjoy it! I can't wait for it to go live. The voting will be a bit different this time. I'm so curious to see what happens with it!

I was politely reminded that I didn't provide a teaser with the first few paragraphs this time. Here it is:

The earth rumbled with the power that blasted into Hannah and Serena with this round of voting. Something was wrong. The Xinth devices were never meant to become this powerful. 

Hannah looked down at her arms, which shook as the golden glow enveloped them once more. Her muscles felt like they were about to explode, unbelievable strength pouring into them. She held her breath, fighting to remain conscious with the onslaught of energy.

As her body drank in the last drops of golden potency, Hannah’s knees wobbled, threatening to buckle completely. She went down to one knee. My God! How were the voters giving her this much raw power?! She balled her slender fingers into a fist, watching as golden power crackled like lightning, dancing across her radiant skin. She opened her fist and spread her fingertips. Power capable of pulverizing mountains dwelled within these delicate, manicured fingers. The idea was absurd, but she knew instinctively that it was true.

She heard a scream from Serena’s platform. A shockwave rolled across the stadium, flattening all of the people in the stands with its incredible concussive blast. What the…?

Hannah’s eyes swung around to Serena, who was floating above her platform, back bowed in ecstasy, head rolled back, lips parted, crying out into the sky. She looked as if she were alerting the heavens to her nascent ascendance. Hannah gasped as she saw Serena’s transformation. Her ebony hair thickened and lengthened as silver energy poured into the girl. Its raven color shone, reflecting the sun like a mirror. The gorgeous mass of dark, silken tresses poured like a waterfall all the way to the small of her back.

Serena’s finished her cry, and her head swayed before lolling to her magnificent chest. Hannah’s jaw dropped. It was stunning! No, it had been stunning before. Now, it was the living embodiment of perfect human beauty. Her eyes, though dazed, were effortlessly sensual, huge and shimmering green. Her scarlet lips were achingly well-formed, their look alone whispering a captivating melody without words or sound. Her face was exquisite, regal, the visage of an empress of worlds. 

I genuinely had to chuckle that Hannah,  who we are reminded in this chapter was supposed to be the "good girl", spends most of it obsessing over Serena being more powerful than her (again)- while Serena is out cold for most of the issue and when she wakes up, doesn't fuss around and is immediately back on the job and after Siphon.

No tantrum, no need to show off, just pure awareness of the danger the situation poses with some very healthy self-confidence to back it up. Even shows understanding for Hannah later and aims to help instead of chastise her for her choices. 

Basically, I'm saying I know who'd I trust in a live-or-die-situation, and it's not the person I thought I'd be presented as such in the beginning. Serena just gets shit done without posturing unless she wants to. Was prepared to like Hannah a lot more than her, got turned around completely. She's easily my favourite new character I've read about here for months. 

No sarcasm, no irony- splendid job, HikerAngel. Seriously, kudos. 

Whatever wrote: I genuinely had to chuckle that Hannah,  who we are reminded in this chapter was supposed to be the "good girl", spends most of it obsessing over Serena being more powerful than her (again)- while Serena is out cold for most of the issue and when she wakes up, doesn't fuss around and is immediately back on the job and after Siphon.

No tantrum, no need to show off, just pure awareness of the danger the situation poses with some very healthy self-confidence to back it up. Even shows understanding for Hannah later and aims to help instead of chastise her for her choices. 

Basically, I'm saying I know who'd I trust in a live-or-die-situation, and it's not the person I thought I'd be presented as such in the beginning. Serena just gets shit done without posturing unless she wants to. Was prepared to like Hannah a lot more than her, got turned around completely. She's easily my favourite new character I've read about here for months. 

No sarcasm, no irony- splendid job, HikerAngel. Seriously, kudos. 

Given how the vote is turning out, let's hope she'll continue to have a meaningful role in the next chapters. 

Wow, the bots are going crazy now...

That exploit is ruining the fun in all of this. Can't the vote be restarted with the new poll software? It's already there after all and would prevent what feels like the final vote from being dictated by one or a few individuals that manipulate the votes.

njae wrote: Wow, the bots are going crazy now...

That exploit is ruining the fun in all of this. Can't the vote be restarted with the new poll software? It's already there after all and would prevent what feels like the final vote from being dictated by one or a few individuals that manipulate the votes.

Yeah, it's bloody ridicoulous. Actually,  why not set up a vote with the new software in this thread and see if it's working, then resetting if it's demanded? 

Yikes! It really is out of control now!

HikerAngel wrote: Yikes! It really is out of control now!

You know,  it would be pretty funny if that energy (pardon) siphoned off Siphon turned out to be a trap, a side-effect of Siphon's own powers being amped. You know, as a fun way to twist the vote one last time for the benefit of the story with nought but a feasible in-universe explanation. 

Not a bad idea. I’ll definitely have to come up with something. Somebody out there really likes Hannah!

A poll only makes sense if the result is actually representative. And this can no longer be said here.

Not gonna lie, even though I think showing off the potential of the new power levels on Hannah was well done, I was massively disappointed by how badly Serena was sidelined despite her own massive boost. Out cold for most of it then gets drained pretty much immediately. And then there's the manipulative voting again, which looks to be skewing things just as badly...

Though on that front, I assume this time it was a binary choice so it could be percentage-based rather than quantity-based? Will the sum of the two halves of the previous power levels just be distributed into two percentages with no net increase as per this vote, or will the massive bot numbers somehow inflate the redistributed power even further?

Furlough wrote: Not gonna lie, even though I think showing off the potential of the new power levels on Hannah was well done, I was massively disappointed by how badly Serena was sidelined despite her own massive boost. Out cold for most of it then gets drained pretty much immediately. And then there's the manipulative voting again, which looks to be skewing things just as badly...

Though on that front, I assume this time it was a binary choice so it could be percentage-based rather than quantity-based? Will the sum of the two halves of the previous power levels just be distributed into two percentages with no net increase as per this vote, or will the massive bot numbers somehow inflate the redistributed power even further?

This one was from Hannah's POV. Next one will be Serena. It keeps working out where the POV follows the less powerful of the two.

There will be no net power gain with this vote. It is just to determine the percentage of stolen power that goes to each of them.

Just to clarify, this is where things stand as of the end of episode 5:

HANNAH
POWER	RND 1	RND 2	RND 3	RND 4	TOTAL	Siphon	Remaining
Strength	143	923	7776	39045	47887	-23944	23943
Invulnerability	143	480	7776	39045	47444	-23722	23722
Speed	36	101	4062	11817	16016	-8008	8008
Flight	36	29	4062	11817	15944	-7972	7972
Laser Eyes	25	11	3202	7841	11079	-5540	5539
X-Ray Eyes	25	15	3202	7841	11083	-5542	5541
Superbreath	25	20	3202	7841	11088	-5544	5544
Telepathy	54	24	2820	8745	11643	0	11643
Telekinesis	54	18	2820	8745	11637	0	11637
Total	541	1621	38922	142737	183821	-80272	103549
SERENA
POWER	RND 1	RND 2	RND 3	RND 4	TOTAL	Siphon	Remaining
Strength	268	1523	1183	70825	73799	-36900	36899
Invulnerability	268	452	1183	70825	72728	-36364	36364
Speed	74	937	1008	20970	22989	-11495	11494
Flight	74	383	1008	20970	22435	-11218	11217
Laser Eyes	51	83	111	11038	11283	-5642	5641
X-Ray Eyes	51	82	111	11038	11282	-5641	5641
Superbreath	51	89	111	11038	11289	-5645	5644
Telepathy	162	481	80	21793	22516	0	22516
Telekinesis	162	374	80	21793	22409	0	22409
Total	1161	4404	4875	260290	270730	-112905	157825

 

And Siphon:

SIPHON
POWER	RND 5
Strength	60844
Invulnerability	60086
Speed	19503
Flight	19190
Laser Eyes	11182
X-Ray Eyes	11183
Superbreath	11189
Telepathy	0
Telekinesis	0
Total	193177

Should Siphon be shown as having no mental abilities? If so how does it explain her resistance to telepathy and her snuffing out Amplifier? 
I understand she cannot drain mental powers from others but she should have some gift in that area right? 

Revan wrote: Should Siphon be shown as having no mental abilities? If so how does it explain her resistance to telepathy and her snuffing out Amplifier? 
I understand she cannot drain mental powers from others but she should have some gift in that area right? 

Funny you should catch that! Maybe there is something more going on that has not yet been revealed... <<dun>>  <<dun>>  <<dun>>

Oh you tease! 

And now Serena is in the lead. Someone is just trolling us at this point lol. 

Hey, the tease is half my fun!

The other half is apparently watching blatant voting manipulation with glee!

Okay, with a lot of other irons in the fire and the voting pretty much out of control anyway, I'm going to go ahead and cut this one off where it stands, so that I can write a bit on this one tonight and tomorrow.

This is where I will lock it in:

Hannah 78%
Serena 22%

I can't wait to see how the vote in part 6 turns out. Hopefully, the new poll software is in place for that one...

Will the next vote be another power redistribution? Because this vote felt line the final one with the devices destroyed and the confrontation with Siphon ongoing.

HikerAngel wrote: Okay, with a lot of other irons in the fire and the voting pretty much out of control anyway, I'm going to go ahead and cut this one off where it stands, so that I can write a bit on this one tonight and tomorrow.

This is where I will lock it in:

Hannah 78%
Serena 22%

I can't wait to see how the vote in part 6 turns out. Hopefully, the new poll software is in place for that one...

No kidding, When I just checked, it was 48% for Hannah to 52% for Serena... 

Imagine having to turn these votes into a story live. It would seem like the xinth devices had explosive moodswings.