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They made contact as usual. An email sent to your phone. No sender, no title. Just an address in the body of the text. > Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 53F It's Saturday morning. No doubt you had other plans but they would have to wait. You make you way to Roppongi. It bustles with clubbers coming out after partying all night and trying to get taxis home, people who still have to work making their way to their desks and shoppers. The streets hum with the sound cars stuck in traffic, people chattering, and shady types trying to pull you into a dodgy doorway. Outside of Mori tower people move in and out looking to shop or grab a bite to eat, oblivious to the clandestine business you have near the top. ---- When the elevator doors open you see the setup is identical to all the previous addresses the MDS has sent you. Some company had been using this office space until maybe a day or two ago but had to quickly abandon it. A faded mark near the reception area shows the place where the company’s sign used to lie. The open working space seems cavernous in the absence of desks and partitions while the massive windows dazzle you for a second before your eye adjust to the panoramic view of Tokyo. The place is a mess with bits and pieces of rubbish left by the last workers leaving it to the cleaners to worry about making the place look square. And at the center, on a cheap folding table with only a garden chair for furniture is an old IBM 5100 and a briefcase. Post Mortem takes her usual position on the chair getting ready to read the display for everyone. As she does the computer mysteriously hums to life even though it isn't connected to any power source. > > > The end if nigh > A horseman comes > It spreads > > > Leads: > Daikanyama Missing Persons > Contract Criminals > > You are not immune > Welcome to City of Mist. Let us know what important business you just had to ditch in order to be a professional and mark the corresponding mythos or logos fade or crack. If everyone turns up then the “Pro” label will get attention. If you choose not to turn up then you can instead mark one of your labels attention but you may be in hot soup with the rest of the group (especially Post Mortem!) Post your reactions and what you plan to do. If you'll team up. You are not restricted by the leads so you can come up with another line of action if you want.
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Aug 29, 2016 05:35
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Salamander Sansho was hardly the picture of professionalism as he arrived at Mori Tower. Soaked to the bone, his footsteps squished against a drenched pair of work boots, leaving a wet trail behind him. He'd been called away from work, the urgent message From MDS alerting him to yet another supernatural disaster in the works, all while in the midst of a major water main breakage downtown. Yes, his team could handle it on their own but they were more than a little miffed that he left them in the lurch yet again. Taking a look around, he saw that Rei, as usual, was the first to arrive. Steam began to rise off his shoulders, as he borrowed Salamander's power to flash-dry his clothes, leaving them looking nice and wrinkle free. Unfortunately, wrinkle-free was not a descriptor he could apply to most of these jobs. "This had better be important, Rei." Mark Crack on City Water Worker, Mark Attention on The Pros Juchero fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Aug 30, 2016 |
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Aug 30, 2016 14:25
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Post-Mortem "They would not have contacted us if it weren't. Also, call me Tanaka." Rei did not feel she was on a first-name basis with Mizuka just yet. Rei had been looking into contractors or employees of Helix Labs when the message had reached her. She was rather relieved that it had; these dead ends were starting to get at her. A certain feeling of ennui gripped her in between jobs lately, which was to be expected of somebody with no obligations, not even biological ones, and nowhere to begin on achieving her long-term goals. Rei turned back to the screen and stared at it for a few seconds. "A horseman comes? This is even more cryptic than usual." She briefly considered both leads offered by MDS and decided that finding these "contract criminals" would be easiest for her. "Mr. Mizuka, do you think look into these missing persons?" And, as her eyes darted over "You are not immune", she said to nobody in particular: "And could somebody look up if any diseases or poisons popped up lately? I'm thinking we're going to need gas masks or hazmat suits for this job." Deltasquid fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Aug 30, 2016 |
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Aug 30, 2016 15:17
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Kitsune Arakida Inari flowed silently into the room, looking curiously at the two who had already arrived. They hadn't seemed to have noticed her yet. She thought back to the young man she had been helping when the message came. Earnest prayers for good luck as he took his examinations. One of her duties. She had done what she could, but this situation took precedence. He would be fine, right? She pushed that thought away. This was all for the sake of Kaito. There could be nothing more important. The illusions she grasped around her faded as her form reverted to an unremarkable teen wearing an elaborate fox mask. She looked at the screen thoughtfully, "I will also seek the truth in Daikanyama. Ms. Tanaka, I fear mundane protections will not suffice if the three of us are considered at risk." Marking Fade on Messenger of Good Fortune and it looks like we get to mark Attention on Pro.
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Aug 30, 2016 16:09
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Salamander Sho grinned, as he took a lean on the table where the MDS terminal was placed. "Yeah, I can handle missing persons, I have some friends in vital records who can help get us on the right track." His eyes turned to Arakida as she appeared seemingly from nowhere, a bit startled but trying not to show it. Something about her creeped him out more than the once dead woman standing across from him, probably that mask of hers. "Late to the party, Arakida. As for Haz-mat suits, I might be able to scrounge something up if you want second-hand gear. Funding for public works just ain't what it used to be."
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Aug 30, 2016 16:17
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Post-Mortem Rei nodded at Sho. "Good. Ms. Arakida is right that they may not be of much use, but I'd rather have them at hand just in case." She spun on her office chair until she faced Sho and Inari, then reached for her cell phone. As she punched Makimura's number, she asked them: "I suppose neither of you knows where one can order a hitman in Tokyo?" Makimura was a bartender that Rei knew and had passing contacts with during her investigations, who worked at a place called Fusion in Roppongi; A small, seedy and out of the way bar, which lured foreigners by advertising itself as a place to "Get down and get high". It was a wonder that the authorities had never busted an establishment which so openly sold drugs over the counter. Rei figured it was a long shot, but Makimura's "managers", as they were called, might know a thing or two about hiring muscle for protection in Tokyo, and from thereon she could probably inquire about more proactive methods of protection. "Good morning, Mr. Makimura. Are you still open this morning? I was thinking about stopping by for some questions. No, about something different than last week. Yes. Thank you, I'll be there shortly." Rei put her cellphone away and stood up. "I think I have a place to start asking questions. If everything is clear, then I suggest you two get working on those missing persons. Look for anything suspicious." Then, feeling that this would probably lead to an information overdose, she continued: "Anything more suspicious than a regular disappearance. You know what I mean, yes?"
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Aug 31, 2016 08:22
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Salamander "Never needed a hitman before, so, uh, no?" Without more than a parting gesture, Sho headed out, clearly glad to be done with this meeting, trying to avoid Inari's gaze. He pulled out his cellphone as he headed to the elevator, punching in the number of the Vital Records office, along with the extension of his contact. A few rings later, and he had his secretary on the phone. Yeah, he had a secretary, something that rankled the hard working water works veteran to think about. His office was the dank and humid tunnels of the sewer systems, the scorching heat of a summer's day. Sure, the work with MDS was helping make his life outside the job better, but he still relied on that paycheck. "Yeah, it's Sho, get Ren on the line. No, right now. No, right now right now. Yeah I'll hold." He grumbled as he exited Mori Tower, a hand going up to hail himself a cab as he waited for his contact to pick up his drat phone already. Finally, an answer. "Hey, Ren, it's Sho. No, stop asking, I'll get it to you when I get it to you. Listen, I...fine, I'm on my way over, I'll have it for you then okay?!" A cab pulled up, getting in as he gave the address to the Clerk of Courts office in downtown Roppongi. "No I'm talking to the driver. Listen, I need some information on some missing persons. Yeah, again. This time it's a little out of my jurisdiction, so I'll owe you. I know I already owe you, I'll owe you more!" Tempted to toss his phone out the window, he used some breathing exercises he'd learned to calm himself down. "I'll be there soon, just don't go for lunch or whatever." Arriving at the courthouse, he flashed his city employee badge and expedited himself to the Clerk of Courts office, heading to find his contact Ren, who happened to be the one who ran it. Used to be a supervisor, but after breaking that case of the body in the sewer, he was fasttracked for promotion. He wore a nice suit and everything, along with a fake smile as he came out to greet Sho. "Well, you're looking a little less haggard than usual. Got a date or something?" "Ha ha. Promotion didn't come with a sense of humor I'm guessing. Listen, I've got few people in Daikanyama who are complaining some people are missing when I was out on the job, says the police ain't doing a thing about it. Wanna put some minds at ease, you got anything that I can use?" Juchero fucked around with this message at 00:55 on Sep 1, 2016 |
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Sep 1, 2016 00:05
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Kitsune "Yes, Ms. Tanaka. Good fortune to you," said Inari. Dissolving back into the shadows of illusion, she was gone. They could contact her with any updates -- they had her number. She cut through the city, leaping between buildings, as she made her way towards Daikanyama. It was a beautiful day. She should be spending it with Kaito. Inari sighed, perching on a stop light. She watched the traffic and crowds pass below her as she considered her next step. The easiest way to expose the force behind the disappearances was to bait a trap. Manipulate fortunes, pose as an enticing victim, and take down whoever came after her. That would be an excellent plan for later in the evening. Mr. Mizuka might be able to piece together something connecting the victims. For now, it would make sense to familiarize herself with the lay of Daikanyama. Walk the streets, mingle with the crowds, explore that which is hidden, and feel the ebb and flow of the arcane. I'm going to roll to Investigate. Tagging Nimble as a Fox and Parkour Artist to cover more ground. quote:RoboNitoriBOT - Today at 4:17 PM Tricky fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Sep 1, 2016 |
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Sep 1, 2016 01:04
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Mizuka Sansho, aka. Salamander You practically barge your way into the courthouse, a man on a mission and your credentials get you all the way up to Yashinka's door and also right into the face of his secretary, the lovely Koyama Mina.  "Mr. Mizuka! Mr Yashinka is very busy right now. You may be a city official but you can't just skirt around procedure like this! And of all days a Saturday morning. Mr Yashinka has worked hard all week and is even here on the weekend working for the good of this city!" You find yourself taken aback. It was highly unorthodox to just walk into a city official's office without working through the bureaucracy, but Ren was an old colleague and the thought that he had ascended so far in the world as to have red tape separating the two of you was still surprising. You sit down a tad deflated while Ms. Koyama phones through to her boss to let him know you've arrived. You wait a painful 30 minutes before the phone at Koyama's desk rings again. She answers, nods a couple of times then puts it down and comes over to you bowing deeply. "Mr Yashinka will see you now." She leads you to the door opens it and announces. "Mr Mizuka to see you sir!"  Yashinka sits at a large elaborate desk, no doubt decades old, a symbol of the authority of his office. Bay windows open out behind him onto the courthouse gardens. One wall is covered in bookshelves in cabinet while another has a large impressionist picture of a horse running through surf on a beach. He shuffles some paper in his hands and looks up at you and the secretary before putting his papers down and saying in a serious tone. "Yes, thank you Koyama. Be a dear and fetch us some coffee." Koyama bows again and leaves the two of you closing the door. Yashinka waits a beat for Koyama to leave then throws his feet onto the desk and indicates with a toe for you to sit down opposite him. "Oi Sho, welcome to my humble abode. You're looking a little less haggard than usual. Got a date or something?" "Ha ha. Promotion didn't come with a sense of humor I'm guessing. Listen, I've got few people in Daikanyama who are complaining some people are missing when I was out on the job, says the police ain't doing a thing about it. Wanna put some minds at ease, you got anything that I can use?" Yashinka holds up a hand. "We can talk business in a moment. Look at this!" Leaning over sideways he looks like he might topple off his chair for a moment before he returns triumphantly having grabbed a figure that is a foot tall off the floor. "Have you seen this! It's a superflat rendition of Mighty Maid Miho! Costs an absolute fortune. I had to get away from my family just so I could come back here and admire it. My wife hates these things but you can appreciate it right." He hands you the figure which you take. It feels heavy and has a very high level of detail. Obviously the main character to some new anime, wearing a maid outfit and carrying a wand that looks more like a rocket launcher. You feel awkward holding it. The intercom on his desk buzzes and he quickly reaches over and snatches it from your hands putting it back under the desk. Koyama san enters and serves the two of you coffee and some small snacks. "Koyama, I'll need hard copies of all the cases this week from my files. So you may need to work a bit late this evening." "Yes Mr Yashinka, I'll get right on it." Koyama bows deeply then exits the office on her new mission. Yashinka winks at you. "Just wanted to show you what life above ground is like. And it is gooood! Anywho, missing persons in Daikanyama? I don't think you understand how debts work Sho! You should have my money by now. But still, as you can see I'm living the high life so I can afford to be a little generous." He sits up straight and begins typing something on his PC. "Missing persons... Daikanyama... It's funny that you're looking around there. To be honest we don't have much trouble since it's so ritzy. Buuuuuuuut, ah! Here we go!" He swivels the monitor around so that you can see. "Looks like there was a missing person reported last week. Inaba Hikari. Only High School age. Looks like she has a single mother at this address. *He scribbles it down for you and is about to hand it to you but holds it out of your reach* But look. If anything goes wrong here then I don't want it coming back on me. But if you find this girl. I want all the credit. Deal?" Arakida Inari, aka. Kitsune  You move like a ghost between the rooftops. Your form flitting around, a hazy blur to the high class shoppers interesting themselves in Daikanyama's boutiques. You try and heighten your senses to see if there are any invading spiritual presences. You sense the friendly familiar presences around the local shrines, the ogre tree that lives in the park, the luck spirits that people in shops try to court. However nothing seems strange to you. However in reaching out to sense, you in turn are sensed. You drop into an alley in and begin to change to do some work in your street clothes when you notice that a crowd has gathered at the mouth of the alley blocking it. You wonder for a second if a pedestrian had seen you drop into the alleyway but you quickly dismiss that idea because the way the crowd moves is so unnatural. They walk in perfect step with each other and blink simultaneously.  "A tricksy fox who's hard to find. But do not think that I am blind. In my realm I am the king. So won't you come and bow the knee." As you meet their eyes you feel a tremendous pressure on your mind. Like something is crawling its way in. The mob is trying to [Infect -2] you. You can "Face Danger" to avoid this. You have the status [Between Changes -2]. It applies to situations where the fact that you're tangled up in your own clothing impairs your movement or you might compromise your secret identity etc. Apocron fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Sep 1, 2016 |
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Sep 1, 2016 03:06
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Post-Mortem Rei left Mori Tower after Sho had, and made her way for Fusion. A small alley to the side of an out-of-the-way street, which turned and twisted a few times, lead her to an inconspicuous door marked with the bar's name, written in chalk above it. She entered. Inside, most patrons had already left, with the exception of three Americans in a corner, apparently enjoying the aftereffects of the volatile blunt and alcohol mix of the night. The chairs were upturned on the tables, and Makimura was cleaning some glasses behind the counter. Rei walked over to him and sat down. "I simply had a question about running a business, that I thought your manager could help me with." Makimura did not respond, but his seemingly disinterested gaze was fixed on her as he rinced off a few glasses, which meant she had his attention. "Who does an entrepreneur go to if she would like to hire some muscle for protecting her establishment?" Makimura turned away and flatly stated: "The agents my managers deal with are too expensive for a starting business." It seemed he wanted to end the discussion here, but Rei put MDS' funds suitcase on the bartop and opened it while saying: "This particular venture has found a confident investor." Makimura glanced over his shoulder at the million yen inside it, then said: "One moment, I'll see if the manager is in." He went through a door at the back and left Rei alone with the bouncer and wasted foreigners. After some minutes of waiting, Makimura returned and beckoned her to the back. Rei was escorted by two men in suits, down a hallway, up some stairs and brought to a room where a middle aged man sat at a round table. He had a vaguely menacing air around him, as if Rei had already invoked a large favor to even speak with him. "I heard you were wondering about hiring some protection. I'm afraid our temporary employment agency will have to decide on that themselves." Rei decided to cut straight to business. "I'm looking for somebody who could answer some questions with straightforward answers. I was under the impression that you could, or that you knew somebody who could." She put the suitcase on the table and opened it again. Rolling to investigate quote:Deltasquid (Rei Tanaka) - Today at 10:00 AM quote:Apocron - MC - Today at 10:05 AM Marking 1/3 attention for Assassin. 1 power total = 1 question. "Can The Manager tell me who or what the coming horseman is, and if not, point me to somebody who can?"
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Sep 1, 2016 10:03
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Kitsune [Between Changes -2] [Infected -2] Kitsune drew her concentration to meet the invading force, but it twisted and wound around her defenses like they weren't even there. She stumbled backwards a step, as a chorus of whispers slowly started to echo through her mind. quote:No tags, straight roll to Face Danger. A psychic gestalt? Some sort of psychic infection? Time enough to figure that out with the group. Either way, she needed to be out of this alleyway and get lost in a crowd. Kitsune looked at the strange mob separating her from the mouth of the alley. Her street clothes were peeking out from under the hoodie and her backpack was only secured on one arm. Hardly the proper attire for a dramatic escape. She looked at the mob and sighed, "I would prefer not to harm these bodies. But, as it stands, you seem to have me in a corner." Kitsune drew her makeshift katana and shot towards the crowd with uncanny quickness. She danced between the bodies, striking those that would grab her with the blunt of the blade, and using others to launch further into and out of the crowd. Yet others stumbled into each other as she seemed to luckily dip or dodge at the right time. As she lept from the last of them towards freedom, she sheathed her katana back into her backpack and rolled out of the alley. quote:Going Toe to Toe and tagging Bless with Good Fortune, Parkour Artist, Nimble As A Fox, and Makeshift Katana for +4. -2 for Between Changes. +2 mod total. Hopping back up to her feet, Kitsune took off down the sidewalk. She started pulling her hoodie all the way off so she could stuff it in her bag. Next step? She needed to either create some distance or call for back-up. Preferably both. She could still hear it whispering to her. Hiding didn't seem like an option. Not from something like that.
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Sep 1, 2016 17:05
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Salamander As he sat through his colleague's presentation of yet another of his extraneous purchases, he did his best to not seem overtly annoyed. Of course he spent his money on garbage like this, what else did he expect from Ren? That didn't matter, though. What did matter is that he had a lead to work on. Inaba Hikari. Finding himself rebuffed as he reached for the address, he suppressed his desire to punch him in his smug face as he sighed. "Yeah, yeah, just like last time. I ain't lookin' for fame and recognition, just trying to do right by the people, y'know?" Relenting, Ren handed him the address, and before he could trap him in another discussion of the benefits of owning figmas, turned heel and headed out off his office and out of the courthouse, hoping this was the last time in a while he'd have to see him, yet knowing they'd cross paths before too long once again. Hailing another cab, he pulled up the address on his phone as he relayed it to the driver, speeding off into the city as it began to rain. The rain always fascinated him, and even more so now, watching every drop with an instinctive understanding of the flow and physics behind their fall. Sansho's life since his dreams was a strange one, but at the same time it wasn't too much different outside of the jobs he took from MDS on the occasion. Unlike some of his compatriots, the Myst mostly seemed to leave him be as long as he maintained the routine of daily life. He learned that lesson the hard way. His eyes cast out over the prefecture as he passed the time, looking out on the city and thinking of all those people, utterly ignorant to the true nature of the world around them. How would this infection affect them? Would they even notice? If they did their jobs right, he supposed, they wouldn't even know anything had ever been amiss. Arriving at the destination, he paid his fare and stepped out, looking at the address and comparing it to the number above the door of an apartment complex. This wasn't going to be easy, not with a single mother wondering where her child was, and him having no answers and plenty of questions. He buzzed her intercom, waiting for a response. "Uh...Mrs. Inaba? I'm here with the city, following up a missing person's report. Can I come in?"
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Sep 1, 2016 22:10
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Tanaka Rei, aka. Post-Mortem It's a dingy little hole. Surprising that anyone thinks it worthy of frequenting. No doubt those Americans in the corner had been pulled in by some muscle and didn't realize that they were running up a tab of thousands of dollars. Still them being fleeced is the farthest from your mind as you are escorted into the back by Makimura. Sitting in a clean little office is a man in a well tailored suit. He is tapping away at his keyboard, taking care of business in the modern way and looks up as you enter. You bow deeply and he waves for Makimura to leave the two of you be.  "How may I help you Miss... Tanaka?" He rolls out your family name slowly as if weighing it and finding it wanting. "I heard you were wondering about hiring some protection. I'm afraid our temporary employment agency will have to decide on that themselves." "I'm looking for somebody who could answer some questions with straightforward answers. I was under the impression that you could, or that you knew somebody who could." Post-Mortem puts the suitcase on the table and opens it again however he waves for you to shut it. "That was enough to get you in here to talk but I'm more curious about how you actually managed to find us in the first place." However Post-Mortem pushes forward. "Can you tell me who the coming horseman is, and if not, point me to somebody who can?" At the mention of the horseman the figure before you freezes. He turns rigid in the chair and begins convulsing, you worry that perhaps he is going into some kind of shock as foam bubbles form on his lips but at the same time his white eye begins to glow in a multicoloured hue. You are conscious of the temperature dropping and the air begins to feel cloying and claustrophobic. You look at the door thinking about calling for Makimura but you're not sure you could even force your voice out now. WELL NOW WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU FOUND US You turn back to the Yakuza boss.  It almost seems like reality itself has peeled away the Yakuza boss's head. Instead you feel a terrible eye piercing through you. Looking at/through/beside/around/past you BUT THAT IS BESIDES THE POINT FOR NOW. SOMEONE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE HORSEMAN BUT NOT WHAT IT IS? THEY ARE PLAYING A GAME AND YOU ARE THE PIECES. STILL WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN THIS. THE HORSEMAN IS PLAGUE, PESTILENCE, CONTAGION. EVEN NOW IT SPREADS THROUGH THE MOST POPULOUS CITY ON EARTH. BEAUTIFUL REALLY. BUT UNCONTROLLABLE. HELIX LET IT LOOSE WITH THEIR EXPERIMENTS AND NOW THEY SEEK TO APPEASE IT WITH SACRIFICE BY BRINGING CONTAINERS OF PEOPLE TO FILL ITS INSATIABLE MAW. It pauses then continues. BUT NOW I MUST ASK YOU. WHO SENT YOU ON THIS ERRAND? I CAN SEE YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR PAST. GIVE ME THIS INFORMATION AND I WILL SHOW YOU SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF. You can choose to come clean about MDS in which case you'll burn one of the advantages the Pro themes gives you (meaning it's unusable for everyone from now on) but make a new friend! Otherwise mark fade on "A Walking Dead" and you can get out of there. Or you can try and roll "sneak around" to try and bluff them about why you're here or who you're working for and not burn a tag or mark fade but potentially make a powerful enemy. Mizuka Sansho, aka. Salamander After you ring the intercom and ask to be let up there's a moment of awkward silence before a fragile, defeated voice replies. "Y-yes, of course."  There's a buzz signaling the front door has opened. You make your way inside. The apartment complex is nice. Just like the rest of Daikanyama it has that kind of yuppy authentic whimsy that is so popular amongst the young affluent. People have nice road bikes chained up outside, the space outside of people's front doors are decorated with potted plants which obviously take time and care. You arrive outside the Inaba's and ring the doorbell, holding up your badge again that signifies that you work for the city. Ms. Inaba comes and welcomes you. "Thank you for coming. Please make yourself at home." You slip off your shoes in the porch and she leads you into the airy living room. The window has a nice view over the neighborhood. You take a seat opn one of the spacious leather couches and she goes and finishes preparing tea. You notice as she places it before you that her hand is slightly quivering. She sits down, expectant of some news about her daughter. She is disappointed to find out that you are merely looking for more information. She reaches into a purse lying nearby and produces a photo of the two of them from a happier time.  "I'm not sure what I can tell you that I haven't already told the police. Hikari was a good girl. A serious student at the music school, she wanted to be first violin in the Boston Philharmonic. But then a week or two ago she started spending more and more time at school. At first I wasn't worried because I thought she was just studying hard for a test, but this is a strange time of year for a test. When I broached the topic of why she was spending so much time at school she became hostile and told me to mind my own business. I know that's not that unusual for teens but me and Hikari always had such a good relationship! Then a few days ago she disappeared. The police told me that she was probably just acting up and that she would be back soon but I know she wasn't acting like herself. I just can't have anything happen to her, she's all I've got!" Ms Inaba bursts into tears. From her voice you get the sense that she's telling you the truth but you also feel like something is wrong. The longer you spend in her company the creepier the feeling gets, like toothpicks on your skin. Roll "Face Danger" or be [Infected -1] Arakida Inari, aka. Kitsune It's risky swinging a katana around in such a cramped alley when you're facing a crowd of people all trying to grab you. However your supernatural grace far surpasses the clumsy swipes of the mob. You smack some, roll between others, even leap and run along their heads and shoulders. It only takes a brief few moments but managing to get to the otherside leaving no one with more than a bruise is spectacular. Too bad no one was filming. Now in your street clothes your stride ahead hoping to lose them. But you quickly realize that they aren't following you. You eventually stop outside American Apparel and really get a good look but it seems like you're home free. What do you do?
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Sep 2, 2016 03:03
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Salamander Sitting through her tearful rememberance of her daughter, he only wished he could be doing more. Maybe this would help more than he thought, as he took the picture from her. As she became more emotional, however, something began to stir inside him. The spirit of Salamander began to almost SCREAM, like a cornered animal desperately trying to escape. He stood up from his seat as he watched her become more and more unhinged. Something was wrong. He checked a text that had just come in: Kitsune posted:"A hostile entity has revealed itself in Daikanyama and is likely connected with the Horseman. A crowd of puppets, likely those who have gone missing in the area. The infection seems to be transmitted through a mental assault. As warned, we are not immune. I may be compromised. Meeting in person is not advised." poo poo. If these missing persons were the vector for infection, there was little doubt from her story that she may have become infected as well, the strange behavior of her daughter pre-existing before her disappearance. He had to act fast. He nearly leaped as he stepped back towards the door, as his powers swelled inside him and expressed themselves on the world around him. His nimbus formed a protective shield around him, hopefully guarding him against this attack. quote:Tagging Dodge and Plasma Barrier @Salamander (Mizuka Sansho) you rolled 5, 3+2 for a total of 10. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough to penetrate his defenses. "I need to run. I'll do whatever I can to find her, but you need to stay away from other people. Your daughter passed along some kind of disease, and you are extremely infectious. Stay off the phone and internet if you can as well." He shot back a text to the others via Group MMS, and headed out of the building as fast as his legs would take him. That was way too close. He took a look at the picture, seeing the happiness on their faces clear as day. Hailing another cab, he decided to take this information to her school, and see what he could find there. Another address googled and relayed to the driver, they took off downtown as the rain clouds above grew appropriately darker. A public school, at the very least, would allow his credentials to get him in the door and talking to someone of authority.
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Sep 2, 2016 17:08
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Post-Mortem Rei was taken aback by this nightmarish scene unfolding before her eyes. She considered, just a second, simply running for the door and not looking back. But in the circumstances, that would have been too dangerous. And, although The Manager's offer of dripping more information about her past was tempting, it felt too vague and little to justify throwing DMS under a bus so early. Rei stumbles out: "I'm... I'm sorry. I hope you of all people would understand that loyalty to one's superiors is an important virtue. Besides, I barely know them myself." Then, feeling these words were not enough to leave hanging and leave, she rallied her courage and offered: "I sincerely hope our goals do not conflict. I am prepared to cooperate in the future if Helix or the Horseman have been or will be a problem for you." She really, really wanted to leave. EDIT: Marking 1/3 Fade on Who Am I. quote:@Post-Mortem (Rei Tanaka) if you mark fade on who am I you're free to go. What next? Nobody stopped her afterwards. Rei made her way to the bar, ordered a shot of sake, knowing full well that her deceased organs would not digest it before secreting the drink later, then left with a nagging feeling that she was forgetting something. No matter. She knew the Horseman was accompanied with infections. She remembered to check her phone, and muttered a curse under her breath. She sent the following text to Salamander and Kitsune: quote:Sorry for late reply everyone, had rough encounter in Fusion. Horseman seems to be prelude to disease and infection. Western mythos? Biblical Horseman of Pestilence? Worth looking into. @Arakida You were infected? I don't know any psychics. Try priest at shrine? On my way. Rei hailed a cab and gave the address of Sarugaku shrine. Getting infected did not sound like a solid plan, but if the Horseman truly was the one of Christian mythos, and crowds of infected were already roaming Daikanyama, they might have a lot less time to prepare than she had hoped for. Deltasquid fucked around with this message at 09:01 on Sep 3, 2016 |
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Sep 2, 2016 22:47
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Kitsune [Infected -2] Kitsune took a few deep breaths as she gazed around the crowds. Nothing seemed out of place, though the whispers still bubbled at the back of her mind. Salamander had escaped from the danger. This presented her with something of a unique opportunity. She was infected, yes, but that could allow the careful study of the true nature of the infection. Were that to be discovered, the Horseman would doubtlessly soon follow. Mr. Mizuka could handle the investigation at the high school. It would be too risky to go there personally. If she infected Kaito-- No. Isolate. Contain. Research. Kitsune tapped her side thoughtfully. Of course. If it was a psychic infection, perhaps it was akin to spiritual possession. She had worked with a Miko in the area on a prior case. The Sarugaku Shrine was nearby. With the proper formations of charms and barriers, Nozara Sachiko would be able to create a spiritually isolated zone. It should provide a respite from the infection and provide an optimal environment for study. She flipped open her phone and shot off a quick text to Post-Mortem as she headed towards the shrine. quote:Ms. Tanaka. Please arrange for a psychic to join me at the Sarugaku shrine. I will attempt to ensure a spiritually sterile environment so that we can explore the nature of the infection. Marking Fade on Kaito, Attention on Messenger of Good Luck. Tricky fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Sep 3, 2016 |
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Sep 2, 2016 23:25
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Salamander Arriving at the school, Sansho felt immediately out of place as he headed to the front door, flashing a badge at Security to let him in and giving a simple excuse of 'checking the pipes', which was usually enough to get him inside. As he walked the halls, seeing the young students heading to classes and chatting with friends, Sho felt old. I mean, he was in his thirties, but he rarely ever felt his age, only to now feel the stark contrast. He kept his eye out as he tried to find his way to the administrator's offices, looking for anyone acting unusually sullen or aggressive, but these were teenagers, they were always like that, especially with exams right on the horizon. Between cram school and the pressure of measuring up to their peers, even the most level-headed teen could find themselves stressed to the limit. Soon enough, a pair of double doors greeted him as he stepped into the administration's office, making sure his badge and his labeled jacket were clearly visible as he let himself inside. Stepping up to the front desk, he turned on the charm as he introduced himself to a twenty-something receptionist. She looked up at him with a somewhat confused stare as he held up his badge. "Hey, hope this ain't a bad time or nothin', but I've got a job on campus that needs fixin'. Could you get direct me one of the homerooms? I know you folks are busy this time of year, but I've got five more jobs to take care of, and as good as I am, and I am good, I only got so much time to spare, you get me?" He grinned, leaning forward a little on the counter to put himself a little closer to the woman behind it. quote:Tagging Handsome, Charming, City Official. @Salamander (Mizuka Sansho) you rolled 6, 6+3 for a total of 15. A blush came to her cheeks as she nodded, rendered somewhat speechless by this man's sheer charm and suaveness. Handing him a map of the school, she circled the homeroom he indicated, and with a wink and a smirk, he headed off, leaving her with a flutter in her chest as he departed. It didn't take him long to find it, but the students had already returned to classes. A knock or two on the door got their attention as he waited for them to tell the students to work independently and came to see what he needed.
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Sep 3, 2016 02:42
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Kitsune and Post-Mortem The Sarugaku Shrine was one of the few places of peace in the consumer paradise of Daikanyama. The staircase leading up to it sat between an Italian restaurant and a boutique selling couture leather accessories. Ascending the staircase felt like leaving behind all the hustle and bustle of the big city and escaping to the country. Quite a feat considering it would take hours of travel to escape the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. Arakida felt her spirit calming a little as she entered the courtyard. It seemed deserted which was often the case apart from major holiday celebrations. Making her way to the main sanctuary the voices insider her quietened, almost to the point where she might be able to ignore the fact that she’d been infected by some kind of psychic plague. Inside the paper doorway she found her friend Sachiko kneeling in contemplation before a large mirror. Arakida had never seen the mirror before and worried that perhaps she was disturbing some special ceremony. She considered backing out but Sachiko turned her head and smiled. “Oh Inari! I wasn’t expecting you.” She notices your questioning look toward the mirror. “How fortunate! Today just happens to be the day that we take our one of our 100 year treasures! Tonight we will have a celebration before returning it to our storage for another 100 years. But how can I help you?” She frowns as you explain your problem with possession. “Well I can’t promise anything but I’m happy to try. Just give me a bit to try and set up the seals. Could you please sit in the center of the room.”  You sit in the center of the room while Sachiko goes to fetch her instruments. After a short while she returns with several strips of long paper and a calligraphy brush. She begins setting the paper around you in careful geometric patterns. Then she begins chanting and inscribing characters on them. While these preparations are happening Tanaka arrives. You all wait for the ritual to end. As she comes to write the last characters her chanting increases to a Crescendo. The atmosphere of the room snaps, like the skin of a drum fracturing. You could swear there’s a ripping sound in the air like someone tearing paper and the circle around Kitsune breaks. Sachiko is blown flying backwards into the mirror while Arakida collides with Tanaka. You pick yourselves up to find Sachiko is stands completely still with her back to you drenched with blood. You take a step towards her when you notice that one fractured piece of the mirror remains and in it you see her eyes glow red.  “You mean to contain us?” Sachiko’s body heaves with rasping laughter, blood dribbles from her lips. “We will possess this city. Wring it of life, and then, the world!” The thing picks up a shard of mirror and with a shaky hand begins raising it to its own throat. Kitsune's infection increases to [-3] Post-Mortem gains [Infection -1] Salamander As you make your way through the school to the homeroom of the missing student you can hear the sounds of students rehearsing piano, violin and trumpets. The school is fancy and you’re sure the kids must pay a pretty penny to pursue their dreams of becoming professional musicians. A girl student slides the door open and looks you up and down. “Wow! Handsome. Ms Fumika!”  The rest of the class turns their attention to the newcomer and the girls in the class begin giggling. You notice that a fair number of seats are conspicuously empty. The commotion at the door causes the teacher to turn from the blackboard with a frown on her face, that changes into an expression of confusion followed by a slight blush on her cheeks. “Uhhhh, yes?” You indicate your desire to ask some questions and so she tells the class to turn to the last page they were reviewing in their textbook and exits the class so that she can chat with you in the corridor. “May I help you…”
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Sep 5, 2016 07:11
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Salamander Taking a lean on the wall adjoining the classroom door, he flashed his badge once more as he appreciated that his side-job, unlike his profession, put him in contact with a lovely lady rather than a less than lovely drainage pipe. "I'd say you're the only person who can help me right now, actually. Are your students usually this poor at attendance?" He looked through the window of the classroom, surveying the number of seats that had been made empty since this infection had started. It was a bigger problem than he had thought. "Particularly one student, actually, Inaba Hikari? Her mother put in a missing person's report and I'm following up on it." The blushing Ms. Fumika seemed eager to answer. "Oh...no, she's a model student. She would have had perfect attendance until recently, as would have a number of other students. Ever since that club opened up, it feels like I'm losing more kids every day. Are...you with the police? You don't look like a detective..." Sansho just laughed it off. "Oh, no, I ain't a detective, just a city employee trying to help some fellow citizens. Tell me more about this club, did it just spring up out of nowhere? What classroom do they meet up in?" He didn't want to interrogate her too hard, but judging from the message he got last from Kitsune, they didn't have the luxury of time to solve this problem. "The uh...uhm, V Club? They meet after school like most clubs, but they've had to combine multiple club rooms to fit everyone who wants in. No one even knows what they do...do you think it has to do with the disappearances?" He nodded as he leaned off the wall and looked down the hallway. "Maybe. Maybe not, might just be some kinda fad. Either way, I'm gonna go take a look. Here..." He pulled out a card from his pocket, with MIZUKA SANSHO, CITY WATER WORKS SUPERVISOR on it in simple text, gave a curt wave, and headed off without another word. It didn't take long to find his way to this V-Club. He didn't understand kids these days, what happened to stuff like AV Club or Choir? Even 4H would be preferable to whatever was making these kids wander off. As he arrived, he began his investigation. quote:Tagging: Snooping Around, Weakness: "You Have No Authority Here!" Investigate: @Salamander (Mizuka Sansho) you rolled 5, 3 for a total of 8. He made some decent progress, before the school security guard, alerted to the fact that he wasn't doing anything related to the pipes, arrived and demanded to see his credentials again! Juchero fucked around with this message at 16:47 on Sep 5, 2016 |
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Sep 5, 2016 13:32
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Post-Mortem Rei got a splitting headache from whatever just happened, and saw Sachiko raise the shard of glass to her throat just in time to yell: "Inari, grab her arm!" Then, dashing forward herself, Rei reached for the wrist with her right palm and the elbow with her left, and gave a good, hard tug in an attempt to disarm the girl. quote:RoboNitoriBOT - Today at 11:34 PM I choose: "you manage to reach your goal" My goal was to disarm her.
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Sep 6, 2016 22:39
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Post-Mortem You grab Sachiko's arm and she squeals in laughter. You feel the tension in the arm, like the girl inside is trying to fight the monster that is currently puppeting her body, "Hiiiiiiiihihihi, you want to dance?" Suddenly her body begins pirouetting dragging you along as you try to keep the shard of mirror under control. Blood splatters across your face and shards of mirror dig into your feet. The mirror's edge darts around between you and her marking you both with knicks and cuts. Her eyes roll around uncontrollably in their sockets and you feel sick. Suddenly you feel like your own movements are beginning to match hers. Whatever force is guiding her seems to be exerting itself on you. A momentary glance in the mirror behind her confirms your fears as you see that your feet match hers as you both waltz together around the room. What do you do?
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Sep 7, 2016 00:48
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Salamander The club room is filthy. Just filthy. You don't know what you expected but it wasn't this. The room stinks of rotten takeaway trash and dried urine. There is a low buzzing sound that soon reveals itself as a cloud of flies whenever you disturb the garbage by entering the room. You're not sure where to begin, how does anyone even use this room? Being here makes you feel sick and you can't imagine anyone spending any significant length of time here without wanting to curl up into a ball and die. Fortunately for you, many years working in the cities sewage system has given you a strong stomach for filth and so you are able to wade in and start looking for clues. Judging by the freshest garbage nobody has been here in a day or two. You dig through piles of crumpled manga, discarded sweets packets, filthy tissues but have no luck. Eventually deep inside a drawer inexplicably filled with bottle caps you discover the club's charter. For people so messy you are surprised that they actually diligent enough to fill in one of these and keep it up to date. You can see that club membership started at one before swelling to five, then fifteen then fifty. How did fifty people fit in here with all this garbage?! Most importantly the first member and president was a Takeno Yuki. Perhaps they were patient zero. After this discovery the security guard gags at the door making his presence known. He signals for you to come out and your sure that he intends to escort you off the property. Perhaps you overstayed your welcome?
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Sep 7, 2016 01:30
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Kitsune Burning "Bless with Good Fortune" to Change The Game and spend my juice to remove [Infected -3]. The whispers in my mind had reached a feverish crescendo. I could almost start to make sense of it all as I just listened harder-- No. That path led nowhere I wanted to be. My mind was foggy, confused. I barely could process the events transpiring around me. Before I could begin to undo what had been wrought, I must first regain my center and expel this... infection. The flow of luck swirled around me, whirling up and through my very core of being. The stream slowly darkened as it encountered the corruption inside of me, the forces destroying each other as they met. They disappeared together and I fell forward, finally free from the whispers. I felt loss, too, for I knew that I had spent the fortune of many to throw off this curse. I stood back up, looking at Ms. Tanaka and Sachiko. I would not let this entity do as it pleased any longer.
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Sep 7, 2016 03:30
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Salamander Oh jeeze. Sansho's experience with the sewers did indeed help him stand the barrage of awful smells all competing to be the worst thing possible. Still, it turned his stomach a little to think that fifty people were once occupying this room. Taking out his phone, he took a few pictures of the room, and of the roster, making sure he had something to work off of later. Takeno Yuki's name stood out, and he made a mental note to begin his search there. That was, until, the security guard arrived to escort him out. Okay, no, he knew when his time was up. Stepping out towards the entrance, he took a lungful of air in to try and dispell the smells. "Alright, yeah, lead the way." He had to respect the man's job, even if it impeded his investigation. He forwarded the pictures off to the other members of his team, unaware of the extent of the danger they were in. Still, they had given him the go-ahead to go and continue his investigation, and he didn't intend to waste time. Another taxi, another trek across the city. He needed his help again, unfortunately, but he wasn't going to make another office visit if he could avoid it. Dialing Ren's number, he dreaded the upcoming conversation, but made the effort to be tolerant. "Hey, it's me again. Sho! Yes, that Sho!" He grumbled. "I need another name looked up. Same deal as last time, you get the credit, and trust me, this is going to have your picture on the front page if I'm right." quote:Attempting to Convince Yashinko Ren.Tagging Charming, City Official The answer wasn't exactly what he was expecting.
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Sep 7, 2016 03:44
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Post-Mortemquote:In that case, JUDO ROLL Rei was stunned at the honestly absurd situation she was in. Her legs were moving on their own, as if she had been struck by a literal form of boogie fever. Grimacing at this cartoonishly embarrassing state of affairs, she rallied every ounce of willpower she had to lock Sachiko over her shoulder, and threw her over her back and straight into the floor. Hit them with all you've got: Inflicting the tier 1 status: Dazed -1 You secure a superior position so they can't strike you back And then Sachiko was pinned on the floor with a followup grapple.
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Sep 11, 2016 21:36
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Kitsune Reveling in her new-found clarity, Kitsune bounded across the shrine and tried to lock eyes with Sachiko. If she could just get her into a trance, she would be able to purge the infection from the shrine maiden's mind just as she had with her own. Yet, as fast as her movements were, she wasn't able to find her opening. Each time she came close enough to start working, Post-Mortem or Sachiko would shift and fight and the position would be lost. With all else failing, Kitsune put her hand on the miko's head and began to channel healing energy into her. quote:Changing the Game (+Healing Touch, Nimble like a Fox, Hypnotic Trance; -Weakness (Messenger of Fortune) = +2)
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Sep 13, 2016 01:15
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Kitsune and Post-Mortem You manage to pin Sachiko to the ground and Kitsune begins channeling healing energy into her. At first she seems to calm a little, this encourages Kitsune to redouble her efforts and Post-Mortem feels her muscles relax when suddenly Sachiko flashes a wolfish grin. Bursting into laughter she begins thrashing wildly and you realize that the monster is far from undercontrol. You notice the hand with the broken shard dart up and start cutting her face. You quickly move to pin it only to realise that Sachiko had passed the piece to Post-Mortem and now she is the one the monster is controlling. Before you can react her face is covered in blood and she lets out a scream before settling into sobbing. You both sit there stunned, Sachiko is in tears but it seems like the presence has left her. But not before it used Post-Mortem to carve "L U L" in crude letters on her face. Salamander Ren sounds pissed off over the phone. "Sho you're pushing it. This is gonna cost you more than credit. I'm not your bitch so next time you want something from me you better actually offer me something other than favors on credit." Even though his tone is begrudging he wires you across an address for Takeno Yuki. Seems like they live Daikanyama, figures since they're going to school there but it must cost a fortune.
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Sep 13, 2016 08:41
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Post-Mortem Rei looked at Sachiko's bloodied face and back to the shard in her hand, then hurridly dropped the improvised weapon before any more accidents happened. "Oh, I... I'm sorry. What happened just now? This thing... it was unreal." Rei got up and reached for her phone. "We're going to need an ambulance," she said to nobody in particular. Then, to Kitsune: "We could go with her but she is in no state to answer us, I think. Any idea what L U L could stand for? Is this some new abbreviation kids are using now?"
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Sep 15, 2016 06:55
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Salamander The rebuke, despite being followed by his assent to sharing information, was something that struck at Sansho's sense of professionalism. It hurt, being spoken to like that by a man he's only elevated so far. Even so, he had something that he needed to share with him. "Ren, I got a list of kids that I think might all be infected with some kind of new disease. I'll guarantee that these names show up as missing before too long, if you can get on this now, you'll be a goddamned hero." He gave the address to the taxi driver, and proceeded to send Ren the picture of the logbook he found in the club's room. He reserved the more horrific ones for now, not wanting him to ask too many questions. It didn't take long to get to the address, where he stepped out and headed towards the door of a decent sized two story home. He dreaded what he might find up there, but he had to get to the bottom of this before it gets out of control. Ringing the doorbell, he waited patiently, as rain once again began to fall a little bit heavier than it had before.
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Sep 15, 2016 18:09
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Kitsune Kitsune cocked her head at Post-Mortem. "It would appear to be just that, Ms. Tanaka. Perhaps the infection was stopped before it could add a 'Z'?" She considered it for a moment, then shook her head. "It is tough to say. Perhaps we should secure medical attention for Ms. Nozara and help Mr. Mizuka follow up on his leads. What do you think?"
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Sep 16, 2016 02:30
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Post-Mortem "Yes, that does sound best. We should tell the medical intervention team that these wounds were self-inflicted." Rei didn't want to be held up for useless questioning. Besides, it might be for the best that Sachiko be kept under close watch until they figured out what was going on with this infection. Afterwards she texted Salamander: quote:Might be infected myself. Then, as soon as Sachiko got taken care of by the parameds, she hailed a cab and gave the driver the address Sho had given her. Deltasquid fucked around with this message at 07:59 on Sep 20, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 15:59
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