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In which Hugues gives a girl *his* phone number for a change. Note: Hugues is chatting with Alyssa Larson. "Mom's around...somewhere." Hugues said, looking up and around, slightly curious where Jenny and Ada had gotten of to. Oh, and maybe JR. "She was in the office when the alarm went off, so if I go there when we can go back inside she'll probably be there. What about you, school's almost over right? If your parents are around you could probably just go home." Alyssa Larson looked sad for a second before forcing a smile. "Oh, yeah they probably will just let us go. But I think I'll finish my book first. Not really in a hurry to go home, you know?" "You can't finish that, took me a month just to get through the Hobbit!" He looked up at all the girls around the school. "And why stay here? School's boring anyway.". "No it's not!" The girl said, annoyed with him. "School is... It's important. And I can so finish it. I've read it before anyway." She sighed and plopped backwards onto the grass. "Who's your favorite character? In the Hobbit, I mean." What, was this girl testing his Wizard credentials now? "Gandalf, of course! 'cause he can use magic and stuff. Of course, dragons are really cool too. Though it's stupid one arrow killed Smaug, he didn't even get a cool epic battle." She smiled, genuinely this time. "Good choice. I think it's cool though, how Bilbo found Smaug's weak point. If he could be killed by just you know, fighting him, how would he ever have taken over the mountain from the dwarves? They're pretty good fighters." Hugues smiled back, and gave out the best kind of draconic roar a ten year old can hope to reproduce. "My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail is a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath...DEATH!" Then he plopped down on the grass too, chuckling. "The dwarves didn't stand a chance." Alyssa's eyes widened in suprise. "Wow, nice. Have you read the rest of the series? I have the others in my locker, if you're waiting for your mom." "Just the movies, Hobbit's the only one I read so far." Well, that was a lie. He was a Wizard after all. "I'll work my way to the others. But sure, I'll go with you." It'd probably be better to ask about Dennis away from everyone. "Sure come on, they're done in there by now anyway." She grabbed his hand to take him inside and... both of them felt a spark. "Oh!" Alyssa says, pulling away. She stared at Hugues. "You're... special too, aren't you?" Crap. Hugues forgot magic did that. "...yeah." His voice dropped. This was probably the one then, but he was expecting her to be normal. Then again, he really didn't know much about Dennis. "We can talk inside, this isn't something the...muggle's should hear." He almost felt dirty using that word. She lead him inside and down a hallway before turning on him. "What do you want from me?" "I...what do you..." Hugues stumbled on his words for a bit, not expecting that reversal. "I think you're in danger." She shook her head at him. "No, I'm not. But I'd like to know why you think that." "I have reason to believe you are being stalked by someone bad. Man, really thin, kind of tall, shaggy blonde-ish hair. Ring any bells?" "I've seen him. He hangs around the softball field after school. Creepy guy." She frowned. "He's not watching me though." "Who is he watching then?" "The varsity players, I guess?" She shrugged. "Look, I think I should go home. I don't know you and I don't want to get involved if this is dangerous like you say it is. My mom is going to freak." Looks like this wasn't the one. drat. "Yeah, you're right...hold on." Hugues reached into his bag, tore off a scrap of paper and wrote his phone number on it. "I'm Hugues. If you ever get in trouble or think something's after you, call me. I can take care of things. And...it's really for the best that you don't tell anyone about me or anything we talked about. I don't want that creep to know I've got my eye on him." She tucked the note into her pocket and just vanished. "I think I'll be OK, Hugues. But thanks anyways." the girl's voice echoed through the empty hallway, and then she was gone. "Ooooh....she's good." Hugues muttered to himself, before walking off to look for Ada and Jenny.
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Sep 14, 2012 11:49
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In which Ada discovers a name. Note: Ada is chatting with Alyssa Barnes. Also, Jenny's original conversation with Dennis is on PG 20, and it might be a good idea to give it a reread. "Who's asking?" Alyssa Barnes looked at Ada with a cocky half smile that gave Ada bad high school flashbacks. "The name's Ada. Pleased to meet you." Ada said, making sure to look as adult and centered as possible. "I've got some business I need to discuss with you. Could we speak in private?" The girl's friends gave Ada suspicious looks but Alyssa just shrugged. "Sure. You some kind of scout?" "You could say that." Ada said, cautiously. It was going to be a tricky balancing act to get information out of Alyssa without revealing what they were here for. Letting her lead seemed like a good plan. She waited until they were out of earshot to speak again. "I've heard interesting things about you, but reports can be misleading. So, I figured it would pay to speak face to face, see what kind of a girl you are." "Well you've seen my stats, right? Team captain 2 years now, state finals all 3 years and we'll make it this year too." She went on about her softball credentials at some length. Raising a hand, Ada eventually stopped Alyssa from going further. "You definitely have some talent, I'll give you that. Let me ask you something though. What are you willing to leave behind for a shot at the big leagues? Would you be ready to leave your friends behind? Family, siblings too?" She asked, eyeing Alyssa intently, studying her expressions, gauging her reactions. Alyssa laughed. "What family?" Ada rested her chin on her hand in what was supposed to look like a thoughtful expression, but simply concealed the beginnings of a smile. "You don't have anyone? Strange. How come you made it to a place like this if you don't have a legal guardian? Someone's got to pay the bills after all." "Sorry, it's a messed up situation. My brother is technically my legal guardian but he skipped town a few months ago. I haven't reported it. Trust fund takes care of the bills. I turn 18 in January so it's not a big deal." "Bingo." Ada thought. "I see." She nodded. "I'll have to do some background checks before deciding anything - you don't just need talent after all, you need a good reputation. Am I going to find anything out of the ordinary? If so it would best if you just told me now. I'd rather hear it from you than anybody else." Alyssa tilted her head. "Hold on, what college did you say you were from?" "I didn't." Ada said, smiling slyly. "I just stay on the lookout for clever, talented girls like you, and push them in the right direction...though that's only if I know they won't make a wrong turn as soon as I turn my attention away." She tilted her head, in a motion similar to Alyssa's but more curious. "Will you?" Alyssa looked extremely uncomfortable. "Um, I don't know what you're talking about, lady. I think we're done here." She started to back away. "Alyssa, just because I chose to ask you doesn't mean I didn't do my homework before coming here." Ada said, her tone hardening just enough to chastise her gently. "We both know what I'm talking about, so spill it. I'm not going to judge you for it or tell anyone else. All I want is the truth from your mouth and nothing more than that." "The truth about what?" "Your brother skipped town for a reason, and it involves you. And I've got reason to believe he's back now and keeping an eye on you from a distance, so come out with it." "Wait, wait a minute. You know where Eric is?" Suddenly the cocky cheerleader attitude was gone and there was just a scared little sister. "Is he OK? He hasn't contacted me. I want to see him! Where is he?" "I'm not too sure yet." She said, shaking her head. "Like I said, I've heard he's been keeping an eye on you, but he's been harder to track as of late. My guess is he thinks someone is after him." Stepping forward, Ada put her hand on Alyssa's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. He's alright. Looks like you've got some problems on your plate - it's probably best if you sort them out first before making any decisions. Tell you what: if I hear anything about his whereabouts, I'll let you know. How's that sound? And in exchange, you tell me the truth of how he ended up on the run. All of it. Deal?" Alyssa looked guilty. "You wouldn't believe me. Or if you did you'd hate me." Ada looked around. She had an idea of how to convince the girl, but this wasn't the right place to do it. "Come with me. I want to show you something." She said, and set off for a nearby alleyway, beckoning Alyssa to follow. The girl looked back at her friends, who were all staring. Then she bit her lip and followed. Once inside the alley, Ada rummaged through her pockets and took out her jeweled case. "You know...I did some pretty nasty things when I was your age. Strange things. Bad things." Taking out the knife and placing it on her thumb, Ada turned around. "Things you wouldn't believe, either.” One quick cut and a flash of pain later, Ada held a bubbling scarlet orb in her fingers."I'm here to help you, Alyssa, and keep you safe. Don't worry about me hating you. I won't, no matter how bad it might be, in the same way Eric didn't." "I thought you were one of them." Alyssa said, disgusted. "I don't need your protection. I have a guardian. I just want to see my brother. If you can't help me with that, then leave me alone before I call her." "Miss leathery wings? The one who ripped Eric's hand, eye and tongue out and put others in their place? You won't see him again if you trust her, Alyssa. Ever. She's just playing with both of you as if you were toys." Hot tears fall. "I know that! There's nothing I can do about it!" "Except let me get back at her for all she's done to you two." Concentrating a little, Ada made the scarlet ball hover in mid-air. "Alyssa, you think no one can do anything to stop her, but that isn't right. I've gone up against her. She brought down the thunder on me, twice." With a command, the ball split into two halves. One fell down suddenly, smashing into the ground and creating a little blood splash. The second one soon followed. "Just like that. But here I am, telling the tale. Mel is not invincible, Alyssa, and she's not going to get away with this. If I'm going to stop her and save Eric, though, I need your help. I need to know why he's working with her." "It's my fault." Alyssa sobbed. "I was trying to bring them back." "Your parents?" Ada asked, quietly. She nodded. "I don't know where the stupid book came from. It was just there on the shelf one day. No one else could read it, but I could. I knew it was wrong, and…” her voice dropped to a whisper. “They came back wrong. And then she showed up. Said I used her power, so I had to pay for it." "That's quite like her." Ada said, her voice icy. "Never thought devils would just go straight to suckering people without being upfront, but I guess it was only a matter of time." She shook her head. "So she said you had to pay and now you belonged to her, didn't you?" "That was a price listed in the book. I didn't think it would really work, or maybe I didn't care if she took my soul if I could have my parents back again. But Eric found us and he wouldn't let her take me away. She said that... that she was trading up so he could have a favor. He made her promise to keep me safe, so she branded my arm. And I haven't seen him since that day. She's done horrible things just like you said, and she’s making Eric do them too." Alyssa took a breath and the crying stopped. She wiped her face with her sleeve, smearing the makeup even more. "If I help you, will you help my brother?" Ada was silent for a long time, thinking about what she was about to say. If it came down to it, she might be forced to strike Dennis (or rather, Eric) down. "Mel is planning to destroy all of New Orleans with his help, you know. That hurricane headed our way...she probably has plans for it. Even if I manage to stop her without hurting him, I can't promise you he'll be the same, Alyssa. Mel has done terrible things to him. He might be beyond helping..." Ada's expression hardened, becoming more resolute. "But I promise you, if there's any chance at all to save him, I'll bring him back to you. No matter what it takes." "OK. She talks to me sometimes, through the brand. If I hear anything that can help, I'll call you. But I need to go home, or she'll know something's wrong." Alyssa looked sick. "My... my mom is waiting." "..." Nodding, Ada's mind flashed back to the scene back in the parking lot right after Cole had been appointed. Was that what Alyssa would come back to? "Alright. If you hear anything, just let me know." Giving Alyssa both her own personal number and Cole's office's, Ada took a good look at Alyssa's face. The fear and horror were palpable in her eyes, but Ada thought she saw something else - a little glimmer of hope. "I'll bring Eric back to you, I promise. Just be brave and don't lose hope. Everything will be alright if you are brave enough to stand up to Mel, Alyssa." "I just want it to be over." Alyssa said, very quietly. And then she walked away. mistaya fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Sep 14, 2012 |
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Sep 14, 2012 12:19
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 With most of the girls gone already, finding Jenny and Ada wasn't too difficult. "I got two hits in the system, copied all the data, and stumbled on one of them on the way out. She's not the one Dennis is watching, but she pulled a good Veil on the way out so I have a feeling that won't be the last we see of her. You happen to find the other one by any chance?"
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Sep 14, 2012 22:51
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 "I found her. She wasn't too keen on speaking at first, but I convinced her to tell me the truth in the end. It's bad. Really bad." Ada proceeded to relay everything Alyssa had told her to the group. "She said she'd let us know if she heard anything. It doesn't get us any closer to Den- Eric, but it's a start. Now we just need to hope she uncovers something we can use against Mel. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky."
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Sep 15, 2012 02:39
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Cole called Hugues up on the Warden pin. "Hey, I think we just got a lucky break on locating Antoine Skavis. Or at least locating the place where Mel was originally summoned. We have an address, but I want to bring everyone just in case we run into trouble. You guys make any headway on finding Alyssa?"
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Sep 15, 2012 04:24
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Considering how often they were using the Pin trick, maybe they just needed to formally put a communication spell in there. "Yeah, found her. Well, there's two Alyssas. One somehow has magic, but she's not involved in this, so I told her to lay low and contact me if she gets in trouble. The other one is the one Dennis is stalking, but his name is really Eric apparently." There was a long sigh. "That Alyssa's parents died, and she somehow stumbled on Mel's book to bring them back but from what I know of Mel's necromancy, she probably just yanked two demons and shoved them in the corpses. Wouldn't be surprised if they were still around somewhere. Anyway, rather than have Alyssa pay the price, Eric/Dennis stepped in instead. That's what I made out from what Ada told me, she's the one that actually talked to the girl. "So...what's the plan now?"
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Sep 15, 2012 17:09
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Elbridge speaks loudly enough that both Cole and Hugues on the other end of the line can hear him. "Cole, Turner. Much as I hate to say it, it would be best if we rescued Alyssa after making all of our other preparations. Once we take custody of her, Mel will have lost her only leverage over Eric, and will have no choice but to confront us. We can use this to lure her into a trap, but at this time we are emphatically not ready to face her." He scratches his chin as he thinks. "I do, however, have an idea. No doubt you've all heard the saying: 'never call up what you cannot cast down'? Antoine Skavis would have to be suicidal to have summoned Mel without any means of banishing or destroying her. If we can find him, he may have what we need to defeat her."
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Sep 15, 2012 17:29
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 3->4 Jenny shudders, thinking back to her own younger years. She'd done a lot to try and bring people back - she had brought people back, but the way Alyssa had described it was horrifying. Jenny focused, pushing those thoughts to the side; there'd be time for that later. "I - we can't leave Alyssa in that house. With those things. Whatever they are, they're evil. Hell, even if Mel made a deal with her and Eric, those things sure as hell won't keep it if Mel is out of the picture." Jenny shakes her head. "I'm going after her. We don't have to kill the goddamn things now, but - no. She can't go back to that. We're taking her to Andy's, someplace safe. I'll meet back up with the rest of you later, but I'm going after her."
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Sep 16, 2012 19:27
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J.R. - FP: 3->4 "So you just left a girl with demons in her parent's bodies and being stalked by Dennis and Mel? What in Hell is wrong with you, Ada?" JR asks in disgust. Sometimes he wondered if something was wrong with the people today - they all seemed willing to just let evil things go. At least Jenny seemed to care. "I'm with you, Jenny."
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Sep 16, 2012 22:57
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Badge-talk is basically Star Trek communicators, (or a conference call) so we can all hear each other. Cole thought about that news for a second. "This could work in our favor. If something happens to Alyssa or her 'parents' it will draw Mel's attention for sure. Are you two willing to risk that? Because if we're going after Antoine Skavis, having Mel focused elsewhere might mean the difference between success and death. If you can, hold the attack until we're at the warehouse, that'll give us more time. Hugues, can you and Ada meet us at this address?" He passed on the information from the herbalist. "Be careful, if Mel shows up don't try to fight her with just the two of you." -- Some time later... Jenny and JR drive past Alyssa Barnes' address (which Hugues had gotten off the computer.) The place is a big old plantation-style manor, with more than a passing similarity to Ada's house. Alyssa wasn't lying about having money then. But the lawn is overgrown and weedy and the bushes are taking over the front porch. No staff then, just a girl and her zombie parents in a big empty house. -- And at the same time... Ada parks in an empty lot not far from the warehouse and she and Hugues hoof it to where Elbridge and Cole are already waiting. The building is squat and ancient, tucked behind and out of the way of the newer larger ones that face the street. The cinderblock walls are chipped and scuffed, and there are enough tags to make it hard to tell what color the original paint was. There is only one rusty bay door, and a somewhat rickety looking fire escape leading up to the roof. (The ladder is up but that's easy to fix.)
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Sep 17, 2012 03:48
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 --> 1 Fire escape, huh? Wouldn't expect someone to come in that way. "Hey Cole, give me a boost, I'm going to look from above." (Athletics to climb up, ---- +4 =  um...FP on 10 Year Old Body to be light enough for Cole to lift? Athletics +--- +4 = 2... Dammit Krysmbot!)
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Sep 17, 2012 23:06
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 -> 3 -> 2 "Wait," Elbridge calls out as Hugues clambers up the fire escape. "It won't do anyone any good if we go in blindly and get ourselves killed. Please, let me get some information first." Looking toward the building, he takes a deep breath, closes two eyes, and opens a third.
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Sep 18, 2012 02:18
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Warden Cole FP:1 "Spirits, you are heavier than you look." Cole says, straining to shove Hugues up onto the fire escape. It takes two tries. When he gets up there, Hugues releases the ladder so the others can follow. It's rusty, though, and the metal on metal screech is loud enough to make everyone flinch. "What kind of demons are we talking about?" Cole asks Elbridge, before he notices the red tears. "Oh. Sit down and take a minute, El. I have to call the others anyway." He hoped El hadn't seen anything too horrible. Sight was forever, and this place had an aura so ugly that even normal people would get chills walking by it. He touches the pin and thinks of Jenny. "We're in position." he says, softly. "Go ahead." -- There's nothing sinister on the roof of the warehouse, though the tar paper and gravel feels soft and sinks noticeably under Hugues' feet. Elbridge and Cole might be too heavy to walk on it safely. There's a gaping hole about five yards from the fire escape leading to cement stairs. The door has fallen off it's rusted hinges. Hugues can smell rot and sulfur. Heat is rising through the floor and pouring out of the doorway.
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Sep 18, 2012 03:01
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 "I made out at least two distinct species. There's a pair of Eighth-Circles, Caprapigros - satyr-looking demons of sloth, indolence, and recalcitrance. They're clever and vicious, but easily bribed. If we're circumspect, they won't be the problem." Elbridge mops his brow. "The hellhounds, on the other hand, most definitely will be a problem. They're savage and bloodthirsty even by the standards of the Seventh Circle, and once they have our scent they won't stop until either we or they are dead. Strong and fast, but once they get up to speed they aren't particularly manoeuvreable. Don't let them close with you." Lore -/+/ +5 = 5 to identify the demons The wizard stands. "Well, if we're going to do this, then let's do it right." He picks up a solid-looking rock and scratches some symbols into the rust on the door. As he funnels energy into them, a circular patch on the door fades into translucence, then into transparency. From the other side, it seems as if nothing has changed, but on the outside, the area beyond the door is now clearly visible. 5-shift thaumaturgy to get an effective Alertness roll of 5 for looking inside the building - simple enough that no rolls are required. Thesaurasaurus fucked around with this message at 06:32 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 03:40
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The door itself is warm to the touch, and when the door becomes translucent the only thing visible is a deep orange glow coming from a large hole in the center of the room. The glow highlights a few piles of junk and a huge iron chain hanging from the ceiling into the pit. It's shipping chain, the links are as thick as a man's arms and over a foot long.
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Sep 18, 2012 09:00
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 It took a moment for the truth to hit Ada as she saw the tears streak down Elbridge's face. "Crap." There was no mistaking what had just happened in any way. The bookish wizard had taken a look at her...and seen something about her. For an instant Ada felt worried that he'd quickly averted his gaze to avoid staring at something private, before realizing that he might have seen an awful thing. She felt tempted to ask, or maybe quietly reassure him, but she quickly realized that if he'd seen something dire he wouldn't hear a word of what she had to say, and even if he hadn't, approaching him would only keep what he'd just seen from fading into memory. The best thing she could do was pretend she hadn't noticed anything and focus on the job. As she considered Elbridge's warnings, Ada briefly wished she was handier with fire. What this place needed was cleansing, not more stains to wash away. While waiting for El's report of what lay beyond, Ada turned her attention to Cole. "Ever done something like this before? Seems like it's going to be a pretty intense ride."
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Sep 18, 2012 10:35
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Warden Cole FP:1 "A few times, during the war." Cole said. "Hugues and Elbridge have more experience than I do when it comes to something like this." He tried to sound relaxed, like a real veteran should, but it was hard. The last major assault he'd taken part in ended up with him captured and turned. Hugues had died on his last real mission. Elbridge probably hadn't seen field action since before he was born. "Let's just hope it stays on the rails."
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Sep 18, 2012 18:38
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 1 Hugues didn't risk going too far on the roof, this building was a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe it needed to happen with that stench. He wouldn't mind accidentally setting this building on fire. Quietly Hugues made his way back to the fire escape and dangled his legs over the edge since shouting felt like a bad idea. He looked over at Elbridge, who didn't seem to be doing alright. Must have been using the Sight...and probably saw something terrible. Not surprising, this place reeked of bad juju. "There's a doorway inside up here, door's missing so I could get in no problem. Roof's in terrible shape though. It might cave in if you're not careful. Or, if we want to cave in this place. I think the city might thank us for burning this building down. Well...they would if they knew what was really going on here."
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Sep 19, 2012 02:29
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J.R. - FP: 4->5 JR draws his guns as he approaches the house. "We'll have take out the demons quick-like, before they can do anything to Alyssa or cause more trouble. The best defense is a good offense, or so they say." He checks the front door, finding it solidly locked and bolted. "Might be a side door, easier to get in." His words prove prophetic as the servant's entrance proves to be a much flimsier affair - so much so that when JR kicks it in, it shatters into a half dozen pieces that fly across the room. The pieces are followed shortly by JR, guns at the ready. Got a compel to come in guns blazing. Might ++++ +4 = 8 for JR murdering a door to get inside.
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Sep 19, 2012 03:08
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Electing not to test his weight on the flimsy roof, Elbridge attempts to quietly ease through the bay door. It opens with a screech of rusted metal. Stealth /--+ +1 = 0 to get in quietly. Krysmbot, you are literally worse than cancer.
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Sep 19, 2012 03:13
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JR's Mighty Boot shatters the door and he steps forward into a small mud room with a heavy mat on the floor and an open closet stuffed full of coats and shoes. A wide door leads to the kitchen. The first thing JR notices is the smell of delicious chicken dinner cooking. There's a casserole in the oven and a pot of something bubbling on the stainless stovetop. The place looks like something out of a Martha Stewart catalogue. There's a jingle of metal and the click of nails on tile as an ancient Basset hound hears the noise and wanders into the kitchen. It wags its tail and pants.
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Sep 19, 2012 12:01
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Hugues sneaks in through the open doorway on the roof and finds that the stairs lead to a catwalk that was probably used for maintenance. The thing does not like his weight on it, and in fact most of it has already fallen down. But he has a good view of the room from up top. In the very center of the room there is a circle. A pentagram is drawn inside, and the center of the pentagram is a gaping hole with a circular staircase leading down. The heat in the room is oppressive, and the sulfur stench is enough to make him naseous. On the edges of the room there are piles of discarded refuse, mostly old shelving and crates and normal warehouse things. It's all ruined now, crushed and burned and slashed by claws. Just off the broken end of the catwalk is a huge chain, which is supporting a metal cage that is hanging about five feet off the ground. Hugues can't see inside it from above. Elbridge enters, followed by Cole and Ada. They can see Hugues from the door, the pentagram, and the cage. But it's the kind with solid walls and airholes, and no one can tell what (if anything) is inside. 
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Sep 19, 2012 16:29
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Noting the protective circle around the pentagram, Elbridge inspects it to discern the workings of the spell and, more importantly, its strength. A field of moderate potency is probably intended to keep intruders out; a more powerful one, on the other hand, is likely meant to keep something else in. Lore /+/+ +5 = 7 to examine the circle.
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Sep 20, 2012 01:40
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 1 Large cage...just a small drop to the floor. Well, not so small, but a controlled jump wouldn't be dangerous. Catwalk wasn't exactly stable footing either but he could still make it to the chain. Seeing Cole and the others below, Hugues gestures to himself then the hanging cage. He's going to make the jump. (Athletics -/-+ +4 = 3... Not terrible.) With a bit of luck, Hugues grabs the chain, and carefully climbs his way down to the top of the cage. Once on top, he carefully waits for sounds from within before peering over the side to see what's inside.
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Sep 20, 2012 01:41
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The circle is quite strong, but also subtle. It has two layers. The inner layer is obviously designed to keep physical creatures (like humans) inside. It will take effort to break it, but it’s not impossible. The outer layer is very difficult to see. It’s a wire thin trip line of power ringing the whole construct. It hums with a quiet energy that doesn’t seem to do anything at all. -- On top of the cage, Hugues tries to peek inside but the holes are too small to get a good look. He can hear something in there, though. Soft, wet sounds and something clicking. The something moves and the cage rocks slightly. Ward's strength is 10.
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Sep 20, 2012 02:19
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 4 Jenny raises a hand to stop JR from doing anything dumb before kneeling down, cautiously stretching out a hand and petting the dog. As his body moves towards her hand she gets more into it, scratching behind his ears. "That's a good," with a quick peek, "boy, yes you are. Yes you are a good boy. Such a nice, friendly dog." One hand gently grabs the collar, rotating it so Jenny can read the tag. "Good boy, Steven. Goooood boy." Ever since her powers had started manifesting, Jenny had been able to... well, not quite read an animal's mind, but get a real communication going. Basic ideas, usually, but animals could be much smarter than people gave them credit for. They needed to know what was going on here, and they needed to know it now. Jenny concentrated, sending a faint tendril of power to brush against the animal's mind as she looked into his eyes. ~Hello, Steven~ Survival /+++ = 3 for Animal Mind Meld.
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Sep 20, 2012 19:06
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 1 -->0 No idea but something's alive in there. Hugues reaches and touches the cage all over the top, feeling for magical traces. (Lore ++/- +6 +1(Sight) = 7!) "Elbridge, it seems like this cage is hooked up to that circle. You break the circle, this opens. And there's something alive in here." Considering everything so far, he doubted whatever in there was friendly. "I'm gonna throw down a quick ward since I'm up here already." (Discipline and Lore +++- +4 = 6 +--/ +5 = 4, two maneuvers. Total complexity is 9. +++/+4 = 7, //+/+4 = 5, ++-/+4 = 5, -+-++4 = 4, /+--+4 = 3, +//-+4 = 4, ----+4 =  Error on the 7th shift! Fate Pointing that to avoid fallout.//-++4 = 4, +---+4 = 2. The rest of the shifts go without problem.) Hugues calmed himself before he put the energy into his ward. Bit by bit as the magic flowed through he could feel it. Yet despite how slowly he took it, he felt himself lose control for a second. He had seriously underestimated how much damage getting out of Anyplace Else had caused him. Somehow he managed to place the ward safely on the cage, but now felt like he was running on nothing. "Hey...Ada? Cole? Any chance one of you could help me down?"
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Sep 20, 2012 19:18
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 While Turner applies another layer of warding to the cage, Elbridge and Cole busily deconstruct the one around the pit. Cole puts his experience with mystical protections to good use while El observes the patterns in the field. The energies twist and oscillate in regular cycles - good for keeping solid objects from crossing the barrier, but highly susceptible to disruption by a neutralising counter-field. Factor in the wizard's experience in combating the magics of hell, and breaching the ward becomes child's play. 5 Lore for base complexity. Elbridge rolls Lore for "Mystical Counter-Resonance": -+-/ +5 = 4 and Conviction for "Malleus Maleficarum": /+++ +4 = 7. Cole rolls Lore for "Warden Warding 101": +-/+ +5 = 6. 11 shifts out of a necessary 10: the ward falls.
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Sep 20, 2012 19:46
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~Hello!!~ the dog replies. ~I like you! I like you lots!~ His tail thumps on the tile and he tries to lick her face. Steven is thinking normal doggy thoughts. How much he loves the attention and pets. How much he wants that amazing smelling chicken. How much he doesn’t like the tall man who smells like gunpowder and dried blood. It takes a moment for Jenny to realize what’s off about all of it. The colors. Here and there the dog’s vision includes a faded representation of reddish hues. He can see the orange lines on the tile floor. The cherry brown of the cabinets. A bright red apron. Dogs can’t see red. Jenny’s hand goes still. ~Don’t stop!~ the hound shoves his long nose under her palm and looks up at her with big brown eyes, whining pitifully. ~I'm good! Alyssa says!~ Jenny gets a flash of a tall blonde girl feeding the dog, playing with it, giving it treats. He loves the girl, but the girl is sad and won't play. She cries all the time. He doesn't understand. When he licks her face she cries harder. It makes him feel bad so he came down the stairs to smell the chicken. The dog's whine transitions to a short woof. ~Chicken is good but pets are better!~ Dogs are very short-term memory animals, but Jenny should have a good idea of where Alyssa's room is from Steven's flashes. (upstairs, 3rd door on the right.) mistaya fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Sep 20, 2012 |
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Sep 20, 2012 20:30
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 "Come on down. I've got you covered." Ada said as she approached the cage and watched Hugues do his work. When it was over, she stood at the ready to catch him on the way down. At the same time, Ada kept thinking. Everything had gone very smoothly so far...as well as one could hope. Even Elbridge's little problem had been more an unintended side effect of the building's malice, rather than an active attempt to defend it. It was easy...too easy. "So far, so good." She said, noticing how quickly Cole and El had dismantled the ward. "I kind of expected this place to be more heavily guarded though, and not so obvious. Our target is White Court, after all. Isn't something like that big cage a bit too obvious for them? I thought they loved subtlety more than displays of power."
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Sep 20, 2012 21:14
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 "It's entirely possible," Elbridge acknowledges as the ward fizzles, "but I believe it more likely that they never expected us to find this place - if not for the mule coc- *ahem* slipping up and giving Madame Bellefont a shipping address, we would never have known to look here. That ward was perfectly suitable for keeping non-practitioners confined, and if it had failed, breaching the outer ring would have set the proverbial or perhaps literal hound on whomever escaped." El scratches his chin as he thinks. "Of course, they'd be insane to not link that barrier to a wardflame, and the dungeon beneath us almost certainly resonates with the power of Skavis strongly enough for them to portal in after us, so yes, I'd wager that we're on the clock." Keeping a weather eye out for danger, Elbridge slowly heads down the spiral staircase into the abyss below. Alertness -++/ +2 = 3 to add Aspect: "On Guard". Maneuver succeeds, but aspect is fragile. Lore /-+- +5 + 1 from The Sight = 5 to detect any supernatural nastiness they might have prepared for us.
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Sep 20, 2012 21:46
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The whatever it is inside the cage clicks and gloops, and a purplish mist starts to seep out of the air holes in the upper half of the cage. The iron itself corrodes wherever the mist touches it, a thin veneer of rust that nearly instantly flakes away but the cage and the chain are both thick enough that it doesn't do any appreciable damage. Still it's probably not a good idea to hang around here. The group heads down the spiral stairs, keeping a wary eye out for enemies. When they reach the cement floor, they stop. The stairs let out into an L-junction of two hallways. To the right a wide hall leads to three large barred kennel cages, one of which has a dark furred form hunched over in sleep. The other two kennels are empty. There are two doors leading off the wide hall. The other hall is much thinner and has only one door on the right and another left turn. Crying can be heard coming from that direction.  Each labeled thing is a zone.
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Sep 21, 2012 08:29
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 4 Jenny keeps petting the dog, keeping her voice low and steady. He probably wouldn't know what she was saying, not if she kept petting and scratching him, but she needed to tell JR. "This is Steven. He - I can see some of his memories, and they aren't right. Not dog memories, really. Someone transformed him into a dog. A very good dog, yes you are," Jenny says, leaning in to scratch under his jaw, "but not always one. I think... I think this might be Alyssa's Dad." Jenny stops talking for a long, long moment, continuing to absently pet the dog. "Mel really is a bitch. Not that we don't have enough reasons to kill her, but - this is different. Meaner. More personal and sadistic." Jenny stands, gently patting Steven a few more times as she does so. "I know where Alyssa's room is. Come on."
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Sep 21, 2012 09:34
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As Jenny moves out of the kitchen Steven gives a last little woof, his tail curling under his legs as he follows her into the dining room. It's long with a large table that would be more at home in a castle. There are three places set for dinner, at the head of the table and to either side. Jenny starts to feel a bit sleepy. She doesn't seem to notice, and JR is completely oblivious. The living room is next, and it's open and airy with a ceiling that goes all the way up to the second floor. There's someone in the living room. A blonde woman with her back turned is organizing books on an expensive looking crystal shelf. She hums to herself as she works, and doesn't turn around. "My daughter told me to expect guests. Funny, I thought there would be more of you." she says, her voice silky. Steven whines and nudges Jenny's leg as if in warning. Jenny fails the Endurance check, and gains the fragile "Drowsy" aspect.
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Sep 21, 2012 09:53
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR doesn't bother asking the demon any questions - even if it knew something, he couldn't trust anything it would say. The sentence is barely out of the thing's mouth before JR fires into its back. Guns +++/ +5 = 8, with a weapon 3, ignoring armor 2 or less. pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +5, Armor:1 (one use) Applicable Aspects: The Last Gunfighter Ballad, The Devil's Right Hand, The Man Comes Around Applicable Stunts: Shoot 'Em Where It Hurts: Ignore armor 2 or less Physical: () () () () Mental: () () () () Social: () () () () Any Mild (-2) Consequence: (), Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (), Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: () Piell fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Sep 21, 2012 |
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Sep 21, 2012 10:02
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JR's aim is flawless, as usual, and the figure explodes... Or at least, the tall mirror on the wall that he just blew nine ways to hell does. Shards of broken mirror glitter on the white carpet. The silky voice laughs, and now it seems to be coming from several directions at once. "Oh, that's seven years of bad luck. Did you think it would be so easy?" The heavy perfume of flowers wafts through the room and JR and Jenny realize there are mirrors all over the place. Some are attached to walls and some are free standing. And the haze of scent is making it hard to think clearly. The Mother releases sleep spores at JR, attempting to land "Drowsy" Weapons: /+-- +4 = 3. (Doing this as Breath Weapon reflavored, defend with Endurance. Only inflicts manuevers, not damage.) The Mother can use mirrors to travel between rooms in the house. You have to corner her before you can shoot her. I'll get a map up shortly. INIT: JR Mother Jenny <-we are here MAPS: (Try not to be too psychic, I'm giving the full maps to save time.) First Floor:  Second Floor: 
mistaya fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Sep 21, 2012 |
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Sep 21, 2012 10:35
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J.R. - FP: 5->4 JR shakes off the growing sense of grogginess. Endurance /+-/ +3 = 3, FP to resist it
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Sep 21, 2012 11:03
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Wary of the side rooms and the possibility of being ambushed from behind, Elbridge tiptoes to the nearest door and begins to listen for- BARKBARKBARKBARKBARK!!! In a flash, the beast in the kennel is on its feet, snapping and snarling as it hurls itself bodily against the cage bars while frothing at the mouth. loving hellhounds. Subtlety having swan-dived out the window, Elbridge opens the door, bracing himself for whatever lies beyond. Stealth +--/ +1 = 0 to get to the door quietly; doggie wakes up. Should battle join, tagging On Guard for +2 Initiative and using my Tacky Hawaiian Shirt should anything especially nasty take a swing at me. pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +1, Tacky Hawaiian Shirt (2 uses, 6-shift block for 2 exchanges), Discipline +5 Applicable Aspects: I Don't Care..., I Know You Know..., On Guard (tag, fragile) Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: ( ) (X) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: ( ) Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: ( ) Any Major (-6) Consequence: ( ) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ( ) Thesaurasaurus fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Sep 21, 2012 |
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Sep 21, 2012 12:50
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The room is completely empty except for a heavy steel chair that's been bolted into the cement where a young man is bound with leather straps at the wrists, knees, ankles and chest. His head droops forward listlessly. He's naked except for a pair of boxers. He does not appear to have been physically tortured, there's no blood or bruises on him. But he is very well restrained. The barks and howls of the awakened hellhound echo through the tiny space, and the single light source, a lamp just above the stairwell, flicks off. The second door opens with a click and there is a heavy clomp of hooves on cement. Two red orbs that are nearly at ceiling height glow in the darkness. Cole's crystal flashes into life, illuminating the hallway with stark white light. The Caprapigros demon stands seven tall and is more goat than man. It's covered in course filthy fur, and the two-fingered hand clutches a chunk of steel with a wedge shaped blade that could loosely be called an axe. It's longer than Hugues is tall. It does not look particularly surprised to see the party. The hellhound throws itself at the bars of the cage, frothing at the mouth. The bars give an audible creak and look kind of bent. You have engaged the enemy! Hellhound 1 attacks the cage door with might! +/-+ +3 = 4, 2nd box. (Cage has 3 boxes, assuming the Capra doesn't just release it on his turn.)  INIT: Hellhound #1 Hugues <--we are here! Elbridge Capra Cole Ada mistaya fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Sep 21, 2012 |
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Sep 21, 2012 13:35
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 0 A Caprapigros demon, hadn't seen one of those in a while. Hugues could have sworn that the White Council tried to publicize the summoning rituals, to stop practitioners from summoning the pesky things. Just demons of death and violence, loved trapping people in narrow spaces. Had a thing for dogs too, although Hugues couldn't seem to remember why. And yet, despite being from Hell, the drat things hated fire. But not just any fire, the kind of fire that burned from the soul, otherwise it could just run through pools of lava to chase you down. It had to had some kind of magical origin, whether it was from a wizard, enchanted item or just a few slivers of charcoal pine resin. Just harvest a bit from the proper areas of the Nevernever, and you could stick it in a metal ball for a simple and cheap firebomb. (Lore Declaration -+/+ +5 = 6! Capra Demon now has Aspect "Detests Pyromancy" and a Catch of "Magical Fire.") The same kind of resin Hugues used to help channel the fire from his gauntlet. (Fire Gauntlet time! +/-- +4 = 3... Tagging the new "Detests Pryomancy" for a total of +5! at Weapons:6.) pre:Defenses: Athletics +4, Discipline +4, Rapport +1. Applicable Aspects: Clone of a WWII Warden, Protector of the Small, You Only Live Twice Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: ( ) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: () Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (Overexerted My Soul) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: () Used: Fire Gauntlet Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Sep 22, 2012 |
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Sep 22, 2012 03:24
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