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Dust Solo D8, 1 PP, Stress n/a Sooraya had learned over the past few years that a woman walking around in a niqab and abaya tended to attract a lot more attention after a disaster, but considering the nature of the Stamford tragedy, she was actually more concerned about showing she was a superhuman (much less a mutant) than a believer. So for today's business, she didn't wear the yellow sash that signified she was one of the X-men...not that she could have, since she'd left it in her room when she left the Mansion. She couldn't go back right now- even if she could stand to go to class after what had happened to her classmates who'd lost their powers, to Icarus- the O.N.E. Sentinel squad that the government had so kindly sent to protect them was blocking all traffic in and out. Getting out had been difficult enough, she wasn't looking forward to returning and having to explain why she'd left their protection. It was much, much too complicated, everything was right now. She needed to get in contact someone she could trust outside of the Institute- someone like Dr. McCoy. She skirted along the edge of the crowd, toward the entrance guarded by police and Stark security. The circumstances weren't exactly ideal for an unannounced meeting, but then again, the circumstances made seeing Beast even more urgent. Unfortunately though, choosing not to indicate she was with the X-men would make it hard to schedule an appointment. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you have official business in Stark Tower please get in line, take out your ID if you've got one, we'll try to get you inside just as soon as we can," a security guard droned against the chattering crowd. Not seeing much of an alternative, she shrugged wearily and squeezed past the security cordon to the back of the line of angry visitors and nervous professionals in officewear. A protester waved a printed sign in her direction as she got in line, startling her. The woman's eyes were hidden behind sunglasses but the slogan was easy to read: MUTIE DOCTOR LIVES, HUMAN CHILDREN DIE. BAD TRADE Her eyes were wide, but her niqab hid the astonished fury on the rest of her face: the response mutant children die, human supremacists cheer boiled up automatically in her mind. Her fists clenched involuntarily, and before she could remind herself not to indulge these people she quietly stated "You know nothing." quote:
Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Oct 4, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 02:49
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Dust Solo D8, 2 PP, Stress: d8 Emotional The woman lunging and the sudden angry attention from the rest of this crowd of strangers filled her with a churning mix of righteous anger and fear. "I am not wearing a mask," she retorted, fists trembling as she struggled to keep her voice composed. "And it is you who needs to learn the consequences of what you say." Solo D8+Devout Adherent D4, reaction roll 5 (5,1) with a d4 effect. I take the d8 stress and (at least!) gain a PP. But the words and the jeering crowd stayed with her. A little voice whispered this is why you shouldn't speak up, remember? Adrenalin urged her to keep it up now that she was in the lion's den, she couldn't exactly ignore them now. "Listen to yourselves! Are you not strong enough to love the ones who have suffered, so you hate the easy targets instead? Do you think this spectacle would honor the victims in Stamford?" Solo D8+Village Hero D8 to find her voice and take a principled stand, 8 with a d4 effect die which I will turn into a d6 Asset "Sympathetic Guards" Two or three members of the security team who'd pushed back the protester nodded along and paid closer attention to the scuffle, glad to hear someone saying to the crowd what they couldn't in uniform. Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 09:56 on May 4, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 09:17
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Dust Rather than rise to the provocation this time, and risk escalating the situation with a half-hearted defense of noted Sentinel designer Tony Stark, she convinced herself to take a step backwards and glance over at the guards with a relatively calm "i'm not the problem here" expression. One of them caught it and spoke up. "Alright, that's enough." Another followed up: "Leave her alone, this ain't Hardball." Solo D8+Voice in the Wind D8+Sympathetic Guards D6, 11 with d8 effect Feeling more in control of the situation with people speaking in her defense, she spoke to the crowd again more carefully. "Everyone is afraid right now. But right now you're only building on that fear, stoking it with what you've been told is the problem. I can't speak for the Avengers, but I know they didn't kill anyone, and I know this won't help." Team D10 since the guards spoke up for her, Voice in the Wind D8 to be a more restrained calming presence, Sympathetic Guards D6. 15 with a D8 effect As long as their attention was still on her, she followed up, the words not quite flowing out but at least coming honestly. "Please, just take a step back from all this. Your loved ones need you right now much more than Tony Stark does." Same roll on a second turn, 14 with a d6 effect. Does that finish them off?
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May 5, 2013 23:01
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Dust She was smiling gratefully at the security officer, even if only her eyes showed it. "Thank you. I wasn't trying to make a scene, I just uh, thought someone had to say something." As they headed inside to the lobby, she looked around. Massive as the edifice was, it felt safer. Like she was in good company. "Actually, I came to see Dr. McCoy. If I can. I know there's a lot going on, but it's...very important." Glancing around just to be sure, she lowered her voice. "I'm, er, one of his students. He knows me as Dust."
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May 6, 2013 01:05
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Dust 2 PP, D8 Emotional stress Her eyes went wide at the sudden interest. Much better than a mob, but talking to excited strangers still ranked a few pegs lower than say, sitting quietly in a dark room. "That would be fine. Thank you, Kelly. His lectures on the X-gene are somewhat niche, but i'm not sure we had any textbook he wasn't on a first-name basis with the authors of..." Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 11:13 on May 6, 2013 |
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May 6, 2013 09:38
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Dust Baseline humans not being assholes to her, she could get used to this. Sooraya nodded and entered the express(!) elevator, making sure to take a left once it arrived and look for a big blue guy. ((sorry, posting on phone w/low battery, less sucky miniposts soon i promise!))
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May 7, 2013 03:07
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Dust Solo D8, 2 PP, D8 emotional stress The slight feeling of welcome she'd felt on the way into the lobby faded as she stepped out of the elevator, alone in the inner workings of A small black gleam on the ceiling barely caught her eye. Of course- it was probably all electronic, cameras and lasers and stranger things besides, maybe designed by the man himself. Hadn't Kelli said something about an R&D facility on this floor? She hesitated, saw that no one had come out to greet her yet, and took a few steps down the right side of the corridor. Just above the background white noise, she began to hear the muffled whir and hum of machinery at work and experiments being run. What was being built further down that corridor? Prosthetic limbs, groundbreaking new construction materials? More features for Iron Man's suit of armor? Or something that would be used back home- Afghanistan, or the X-Mansion. Maybe this was the floor where Stark had designed the new Sentinel armor guarding her friends. She turned around abruptly at the sound of a door opening behind her. "Oh! I was just looking for the security office. There it is- you are. Thank you, sir. Dan. I will just wait inside." Her heartrate was just getting back down to normal when a familiar blue face loped into the office. She stood up to greet him, partly out of habit and partly because she couldn't quite contain her feeling of relief at seeing a trusted face. "Professor McCoy! No offense taken- I didn't mean to surprise you. I know I am supposed to be at the Institute, but...oh, i'm fine. Only somewhat flustered. I got into a small altercation with some of the crowd outside, the ones with the signs about heroes, and us. I tried to simply ignore them, but when I saw this woman had a sign that said..." She hesitated. "Forgive me, it said: 'Mutie doctor lives, human children die. Bad trade.' " Her fists, she didn't realize, were clenched and trembling again. Compose yourself Sooraya, keep it together, but before she could retreat, the floodgates opened. "I am not allowed to be here right now, according to the O*N*E, and the staff at the Institute is agreeing with them, because we'll only make things worse if we try to fight it while the Mansion is a refugee camp for the 198, and we can't afford to lose anyone else right now. They say that's why the Sentinels are there, to protect us, and maybe they're exactly right because when we had to send away our classmates who had- had lost their powers, they killed them, the Purifiers destroyed a bus full of them just like Nitro killed those poor people in Stamford- peace be upon all of them. I and the rest of the New X-Men went to stop Stryker and the rest of them*, and we...we did, but we lost people too. They- they deceived Icarus into helping them, our own teammate, into trying to kill me, and he was killed along with Stryker. I thought that he...that is to say, his mother told me that he thought I..." She shook her head, the words didn't come. "We were allowed to go on a trip afterwards by the O*N*E squad- to 'blow off steam' they said. This was just after news of the Stamford tragedy got out. They took us into Salem Center, but we were not welcome- and not just as mutants. I heard what the people there were saying to us, and thought of what had happened to us since the Purifiers attacked, and since 'M-day', and I just...ran. Well. I flew." Sooraya paused, and finally exhaled, fully comprehending what had happened over the last few weeks for the first time. Beast continued to hunch across from her, allowing her to speak freely with a passively concerned expression on his face. "I still do not know how exactly I got away. Maybe these Sentinel pilots were sympathetic from having to live with us. I do not know. I managed to get to New York City, trying not to think of what had happened or draw any attention. I was even thinking of going back home, when I heard on the news that you had been at the Raft and at Broxton and now you and these other great superheroes were reforming the Avengers...I thought you were someone who I could trust, who wasn't in any danger. I just needed to find somewhere safe. I assumed Avengers Tower was as safe as one could be, but lately, I am not so sure." All of a sudden her voice gained strength, even if her eyes showed it was slightly desperate. "Please do not tell me to go back to the Mansion, Professor, because I tell you I will not go. Not while it is a prison and a bull's eye all in one. I am a capable fighter and a New X-man, Emma Frost chose me herself, and I am not going to hide and wait to be attacked at this time of crisis. I have come here to ask you what is going on and how I may help solve it. What is going to happen to mutantkind now? Is it true that the Mutant Registration Act is going to be expanded? How are the New Avengers going to stop another tragedy from erupting?" When she ran out of things to say, she became acutely, painfully aware of the silence and of how much she had just said. Much more self-consciously she added a quiet "Please forgive me if I have offended you." *See New X-men #25 -Ed.
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May 7, 2013 11:34
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Dust She nodded as Beast responded, glad to be allowed to stay and to not be the one talking. "So you think we can still persuade people to stand by us? Even with all that's happened- when there are so few of us left?" "If there are people still willing to listen...I have to believe that there are. But I am not so sure any act of Congress will change people's hearts. I worry that whether we have a responsibility to educate people as Professor Xavier said or not, someone will have to prove that superhumans- us especially- are not their enemies. That even now, we are willing to extend a hand to them in friendship." Thoughts of the refugees on the grounds of the Institute bubbled up in her mind, the things people bitterly whispered when the Sentinels weren't watching or sometimes shouted just to provoke them. Not everyone forced to stay there now had been raised with Xavier's ideals. "I mean...we are willing, right?" I was hoping there'd be a chance! Rollin' to heal stress, Buddy D6, Village Hero D8, Mentorly Presence D10: 12 with a meager D4 effect and rolled an opportunity Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 02:03 on May 8, 2013 |
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May 8, 2013 01:57
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Dust "I was going to the shwarma restaurant across the street, but the crowd was in the way. After a week spent in youth hostels, I would welcome Avengers hospitality." Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 20:30 on May 8, 2013 |
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May 8, 2013 09:58
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Dust Solo D8, 2 PP, Stress: D4 Emotional Enjoying Stark Industries hospitality had consisted of eating exactly one halal energy bar (which was admittedly quite considerate) from the security office mini-fridge before Beast looked out the window at the spectacle 72 stories below. Sooraya hurried to the open window, steadying herself against the next window's edge as the wind ruffled her abaya and made her stomach turn over. "You mean the purple-colored dot?" She couldn't make out details at this height like her hairy mentor could, but there did seem to be someone standing apart from the rest of the crowd and looking more than slightly garish. Apparently the proto-angry mob hadn't dissipated, and not just because of the potent inciting power of posterboard. "Miss Frost has trained us hard in the Danger Room. It is not the height that worries me," she replied rather defensively, "or at least not as much as the crowd. If they panic, and my reflexes are not good enough, I could do much worse than frighten them." She stepped closer to the ledge and struggled to resist the urge to look down. "So, I will have very good reflexes." Crouching in a ready position, the wind tugging at her niqab, she thought very briefly of the Danger Room before announcing "Race you to the bottom" and leaping out into the void. A second later, she burst. Her awareness expanded naturally through the swirling cloud of sand, even pulling a few silicate particles away from the floor-to-ceiling windows to keep from scarring them. It took a moment of mild panic to verify that she was no longer in freefall, but hovering. Which meant she could safely dive. Forming herself into a spiral, she hurtled downward too quickly for anyone below to glance up and notice the rapidly descending sandstorm. She had time on the way down to get a clearer look at the man in the gloves, ski mask and loud purple suit- Sooraya made it a point to not judge how people dressed, but the arrogantly shouted commands were a proverbial red flag. Rather than lacerate the pavement (and the protesters) when she hit the ground, she pulled her form into a cyclonic barrier just the right thickness to separate the man in purple from the gathered crowd without touching either. "Do not be afraid," the cyclone echoed in as soothing a disembodied voice as she could muster. "You will be unharmed if you stay still." I think what I want to do here is inflict a Complication on the Purple Man to make the crowd harder to mind control. Solo D8 (for now), Voice in the Wind D4 (+1 PP) because the crowd is probably utterly spooked, Covert Expert D8 for the surprise drop-in, Sand Mastery 2D10 plus D6 from Versatile and All is Dust SFX: 16 with a D10 effect and one opportunity. Creating the D10 Complication Can't Reach His Puppets. Also I think I have 4 xp currently, 3 for opening up to a 'teammate' and now +1 for discussing lethal force. Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 16:11 on May 9, 2013 |
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May 9, 2013 12:28
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Dust Team D10, PP 3, Stress: d4 Emotional, d6 Mental Even as her swirling form surrounded the crowd, Sooraya began to think something was amiss- hadn't she come down here to protect the Purple Man? So why was she... Luckily, enough of the pheromones were buffeted away by the barrier that she retained her awareness, but spreading out her mind through the sandstorm suddenly felt more disorienting than natural. Team D10, Voice in the Wind D8 because what is he trying to affect even, Intangibility D10, Can't Reach His Puppets D10: 15 with a d10 effect so at least I step down the stress! I'll wait to see how Herc n' Strange do before I take my action.
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May 10, 2013 19:20
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Dust Team D10, PP 3, Stress: d4 Emotional, d6 Mental Seeing that the Avengers behind her (Dr. Strange she recognized, the shirtless man-mountain not so much) seemed to have kept their minds intact, Dust uncoiled herself from around the crowd to form a very angry sand-sculpture of her face. "The mind is the gift of Allah," she echoed in a voice like howling wind. "I will give your arrogance the proper reward." Her face dissolved as she lunged at the Mauve Mentalist, wrapping the storm around his limbs like chains and covering/sandblasting his head in particular. So Team D10, Devout Adherent D8, Sand Mastery 2D10+D6 from All Is Dust/Versatile SFX, Combat Expert D8. 16 with a D10 effect die, which i'll use to create a Blinded D10 complication. And i'll spend a PP to keep a second D10 effect die as physical stress. Tagging in Doctor Orpheus next.
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May 11, 2013 17:11
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Dust 2 PP Having wisely decided to dodge out of the way before Hercules bonked Killgrave into the loving stratosphere, the sandstorm condenses and coagulates into the shape of a young woman, sort of like a devout Sunni T-1000. With the Bad Guy taken care of, Dust faced the daunting prospect of small talk with two men she knew only from news headlines and Greek mythology, the latter of which was...looking less than modest. "So...great work, you two! Everyone did a really good job." She clapped, lacking any other ideas. "The Avengers win again, and the X-men fight with them! Represented by me, that is, in this case. Since I am Dust, of the X-men. New X-men. Once again, a very good victory." Stop talking, stop drawing attention, what are you doing, everyone is embarrassed for you. "I will just be going back inside now...to watch C-SPAN. Thank you for holding the door Professor."
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May 13, 2013 22:06
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Dust The endorsement of noted Greco-Roman culture hero Hercules was reassuring. And hey, she had just fought alongside some of the Avengers- and won! There was still a sense of being far out of her depth, but the express elevator ride was much more comfortable than the one she'd taken solo earlier that day. "It seems incredible that Tony Stark can speak to the government, run his company, and be an Avenger all at once- and all out of the same building," she chattered. "At the Mansion we take classes along with training and missions, but this tower is so much more organized, especially lately..." The ding sounded and the doors opened up to the penthouse floor. She was about to add '...and more luxurious' just from a glance at the furniture, but her eyes wandered to the pair on the balcony first. "Spider-man!" she blurted in surprise, and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes went wide.
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May 14, 2013 18:21
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Dust She was just getting over being starstruck by Spidey- asking for an autograph wouldn't be appropriate, but still, he was an NYC celebrity in his peculiar way. It was only once she'd settled in, reading the news ticker and starting to warm up to the atmosphere, that another celebrity entered the room. The ding of the express elevator caught her attention. Dust looked away from the 72" plasma screen and instantly recognized the mercenary-looking blue woman from a dozen file photos in Mutant History and combat recordings in the Danger Room. She stood up immediately, adrenalin flowing. "She is not supposed to be here," she managed to announce, ready to burst at a moment's notice.
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May 15, 2013 02:13
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Dust Okay, so this was a surprise. A very, very big surprise. Apparently respected adults Beast and Doctor Strange knew what they were doing and had everything under control, although thinking of Magneto, the last time a respected adult said they had everything under control Xorn had put her in a jar. Did the Avengers even have the authority to pardon her? Or were there some machinations and secret knowledge far above her head? (yes, always) She shot an uncertain look at Beast and Strange. "Well...I think Mr. Stark's security should say it was a political prank, in very poor taste, and the person responsible has been taken care of." As for Mystique- it felt strange to be speaking personally to someone she'd seen only as a sneering combat hologram- her eyes showed she wanted answers. "You are joining the Avengers? I...do not understand. They say you are one of the bad guys."
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May 15, 2013 23:06
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Dust It was like orientation day at the Mansion all over again, but instead of nervous teenage mutants crowded into the foyer they were all professional adults with extensive crime-fighting/causing experience. And the alcohol was actually out in the open. Sooraya instinctively backed away from the center of the room when the Congress Crew returned, and even further when the Avengers were brought up. Since Dr. Strange had been nice enough to mention that she was only here to see Beast (but what about after that, hmm?), she didn't feel the need to draw any further attention to herself by speaking up. Fighting experience with the New X-men and two of the Avengers themselves aside, she obviously wasn't on the level of Avengers material, and considering how dangerous it could be for the 198 she'd left back at the Institute to be so high-profile...although, Tony Stark did have connections, his involvement with the ONE Sentinels proved that...why was she even thinking about this? Had there even been any mutants in the Avengers, aside from Magneto's ill-fated children? And everyone kept mentioning Magneto- what was the expression, 'speak of the devil'? She finally spoke up when Hercules said his name: "er- And I am Sooraya Qadir, of the Xavier Institute. I would never presume to ask about the Avengers, but I cannot go back to the Mansion while O*N*E has it in lockdown." She made eye contact with Stark for a second before hastily looking away, at Mystique for some unconscious reason. "If you are looking for Magneto, or for the villain from Stamford, or something that will help- then I want to be part of it." She looked over at the blue woman who wasn't Mystique and quickly added "Excuse me, did you say the moon?"
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May 17, 2013 02:20
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Dust 2 PP, d4 Emotional/d6 Mental, 4 XP "Wh- not Mystique!" Dust protested, having successfully been flustered. She was being taunted, right? "I nominate Hercules- he is a brave warrior with many years of experience, even before the Avengers." Plus, he'd endorsed her, which counted for a lot combined with her mild discomfort with being led by a sorcerer, wisdom or no.
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May 18, 2013 08:28
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Dust d4 Mental stress Dust rose from the mat she'd been kneeling on in a side room for the past few minutes, pausing first to cover herself with her partly-new outfit before going out to join her new teammates. For image purposes she'd been given a red sash with a buckle depicting the A for Avengers, but it didn't feel nearly as natural as the yellow one with an X. It had been patiently explained to her that she couldn't really skip the press conference if she wanted to be an Avenger, especially in the current climate when the public wanted to know exactly who was claiming responsibility for defending them- the discussion over how Mystique would present herself had been acrimonious. It wasn't just her strong aversion to being the center of attention in front of the media, although there was the looming prospect of stage fright. For all the assurances that had been made about safety and discretion, she couldn't help thinking about the reaction back at the Mansion. She hadn't been able to tell any of her fellow students where she'd gone since running away, and some of the refugees might get restless at the sight of her showing up next to the Avengers. Hopefully she'd have a chance for a good message while onstage- or better yet, maybe no one would pay her any attention and it would all be over with quickly. She stepped out into the waiting room, curious to see whether Mystique had decided to wear blue.
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May 20, 2013 07:46
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Dust 2 PP, d4 Mental stress, 4 XP Apparently Allah was teaching Sooraya an important lesson in being careful what she wished for- all of a sudden the press conference seemed a lot more manageable. Like a deer bolting from the sound of a hunter, she burst into her sand form and spread flat among the debris on the floor as soon as the strange aliens started firing. But even without a direct hit, the rapidly heating air in the room made her dissolved particles painfully tingle, and scorch. Team D10, Intangibility D10, Covert Expert D8, Village Hero D4 since, like Cat, this is way out of her normal experience. 12 with a D10 effect, so D4 Physical and +1 PP. She briefly swirled like a dust devil around their new leader's feet. "Doctor Strange, if it is in your power to call a blizzard indoors, I would be most grateful." Otherwise, she might... The thought struck her hard. They're trying to kill us. The insects didn't look like the Kree or Shi'ar aliens she recognized from Danger Room simulations- there was no impression of reason or the capacity for remorse. Haltingly, her voice lifted from the sand: "They are not going to surrender, are they?" For some reason she didn't think they would be subduing these creatures and taking them to prison. But there was still time before that decision had to be made in the heat of battle, if she had anything to say about it. The thin carpet of sand hugged the ground, mingling with debris from the ceiling crash that could easily be made airborne. While the aliens focused on melting the more visible Avengers, Dust snaked between each of their arthropod feet before suddenly exploding upward in a blinding sirocco of collected rubble and razor-sharp silicate. BATTLE MODE THEME SONG. Team D10, Voice in the Wind D8, Covert Expert D8, Sand Mastery D10, All is Dust SFX D6, Sandstorm SFX 2D6 'cause we attackin' errybody, and spending a PP to activate an opportunity for Stunt D10. All three (!) of my effect dice will be stepped up. 17, hopefully applying the complication Blown into Disarray at D12 on the elite squad and a D10 each on both of the lesser squads. Also +1 XP for discussing lethal force. The minor squad Black Cat is pointblanking can go next!
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May 26, 2013 00:25
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Dust 2 PP, d4 Mental stress, 5 XP Despite the disorienting effect she was having on the alien footsoldiers, their leaders(?) could see right through her, apparently literally. Unhindered, the elites staying together managed to concentrate their superheated weapons on pushing her sandstorm back even as Mystique attacked them in melee, forcing her to retreat and focus on the easier targets to try to avoid being seared. Dust didn't usually feel vulnerable in her swirling sand form, but she didn't usually fight alien insect special forces either, so it was a learning experience all around. Defending against that attack roll from last sunday: Team D10, Voice in the Wind D4, Intangibility D10, Combat Expert D8: 9 with a D4 effect and TWO Opportunities for you, oops lol. At least I get +1 PP and +1 more from my shiny new Turned to Glass D8 complication! With her attention divided between avoiding the elites' laser blasts while also blinding and separating the footsoldiers, even her dissipated sand form couldn't protect her from the superheated air in the embattled hallway. She felt the burning, scorching, melting sensation even worse than before until a sudden jolt of pain forced her sandstorm to collapse into a humanoid woman with a singed abaya and a fused chunk of blackened glass in place of her right hand. Her eyes went wide with panic as she tried and failed to support her weight on the numb hand. She tumbled backward, willing the deformity to go away and melt back into sand, but only managed to make her arm ripple and undulate above the forearm. The phrase out of your league, out of your league repeated urgently in her mind as she tried to avoid a finishing blow by the elites...only to see Mystique savagely tearing the last of them apart with their own claws. The phrase suddenly became a harsher voice saying adapt or die. Without even thinking, she crouched and stated "(you or me)" before lashing her left arm out at the last footsoldiers like a growing whip, or maybe a raging blender set to "fine mince". Inflicting physical stress with intent to kill on the last footsoldier mob: Team D10, Voice in the Wind D8, Sand Blast D8, Combat Expert D8, Blown into Disarray D10 for 16 with a D10 effect and yet another Opportunity. +3 xp, too!
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Jun 2, 2013 07:16
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Dust 6 PP, d4 Mental stress, d8 Turned to Glass, 8 XP Dust followed along to the next floor in silence, holding her blackened glass right hand tenderly. The experience of shredding the Arthrosians tried to replay itself in her mind, but she was doing a great job of avoiding thinking about it- avoiding looking at Mystique was harder. She tried to go sandstorm to do overwatch in the larger space, but found she couldn't fully transform with her awkward and painful glass hand. Dissolving her lower body into a whirling dervish to stay mobile, she noticed the Prince of Power being pretty thoroughly surrounded below. A chance to rescue someone was exactly what she needed right now. "Hercules! I have your back!" she shouted, flowing down to the horde and circulating among their back ranks to shred and disrupt them and stave off reinforcements. At least there would be fewer lasers this way! D6 Buddy, Village Hero D8, D10+D6 Sand Mastery, D10 activated opportunity for 1 PP, Combat Expert D8. 14 becomes 18 for another PP, i'll create a D12 Encroaching Sandstorm complication on the Horde and spend one more to do D10 physical stress for dessert! Rolled an opportunity too. It's all you Mystique!
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Jun 9, 2013 02:24
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I helped!  Dust 3 PP, d4 Mental stress, d8 Turned to Glass, 8 XP The sandaconda squeezes tighter, and the bug-knights gnash their awful mandibles in despair. Herc's approval, and seeing Spider-Woman join the fray, helps the sandstorm's attitude. Team D10, Village Hero D8, Sand Blast D8+D6 from Sandstorm SFX now that i'm sure mobs count as one target per die, Combat Expert D8, Encroaching Sandstorm D12: 18 with D12 and D8 effect die. Spider-Woman, you're up!
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Jun 13, 2013 03:09
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Dust 3 PP, d4 Mental stress, d8 Turned to Glass, 8 XP The sandstorm condensed into Sooraya, but the blackened chunk of fused glass stayed the same. She stood with her foot planted on a pile of sandblasted exoskeletons. "Dust here. Things got very heated...I think I may have a serious problem." Self-conscious pause. "Er- with my hand, I mean." Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Jun 23, 2013 |
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Jun 22, 2013 20:48
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Dust Sooraya avoided eye contact as the Eternal floated by, trying to modestly dismiss it: "I was only trying to keep them busy. Our Danger Room training at work." Except these targets were real, of course. Ikzayal was right, though, it was so easy when she let loose. And she hadn't had much of a choice, who knows what could have happened if she'd kept holding back with those superheated weapons around? Now, if she could just find out what was wrong with her hand and move away from the subject entirely...
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Jun 23, 2013 06:15
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Dust Hesitantly, Sooraya slid her right sleeve back to reveal her glass hand. "I took a direct hit."
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Jun 24, 2013 02:43
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Defiance Industries posted:"Cap got hit with some gas that dissolved all the hair on his body. For a while he was kind of like a dolphin until we came up with a counter-agent." Dust "I admit that is strangely reassuring." She rotated her arm and realized with a chill that the numbness seemed to be spreading up her arm. Not being able to see the tender adjoining skin under her abaya felt like a mixed blessing. Her clothes themselves were much more scorched and ragged than was proper, for that matter, especially for a photograph. A press conference. After what just happened here, the Avengers(!) should be the ones asking questions. "The X-men never had press conferences," she realized she was saying out loud. "Mug shots, occasionally. And especially not after a battle like that- I would really just like to get to the medical wing before I solidify any more. Surely they took enough pictures of us before the explosion." Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Jun 26, 2013 |
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Jun 26, 2013 15:29
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Dust "Yes, i'm-" but they were already there. Sooraya was disoriented for a second, suddenly surrounded by intact technology, but couldn't help being amazed too. "Nightcrawler would be very envious, not that he would ever say so." They had a second before Beast loped over, enough for her to blurt out: "And- truthfully Doctor, thank you for the 'out'. I am not in a state to smile at the cameras right now. That became a life-or-death situation faster than I was ready for, I think, and I had to...oh, and there is Professor McCoy now." She instinctively turned away before she could plunge into the deep end of that particular pool. That sort of personal exchange probably wasn't called for, especially so soon with this team, and maybe she should just keep her head down for a while. Pulling back her abaya just enough to see, she showed Beast her scorched glass hand. Seeing it in the sterile, clean environment of the infirmary made her stomach lurch with fear. "Only me, Professor- they had some sort of superheated weapons, and I was hit in my sand form." She noticed small chunks of glass further up her reddened skin, like scales. "I can't feel any of it. It will go back, right?"
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Jun 27, 2013 03:16
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Dust 3 PP, d8 Turned to Glass, 9 XP Sooraya put her hand out with some hesitation, resisting the urge to immediately pull it away. The experience once the device was turned on was somewhere between a hard tap on the funny bone and the sound of ice cracking under warm water. Rather than watch the even-more-mutated limb shudder and dissolve back into particles, she closed her eyes and tried to shift her focus to a recitation. "<Allah forgive me, wash away the fear that has bloodied my hands...>" Team D10, Avengers Health Insurance Policy D10, Devout Adherent D8, and i'll spend a PP for Beast's help D10: 15 with a D10 effect. Her mind was clearer some minutes later when she opened her eyes, and saw a pile of familiar sand collecting around her arm rather than jagged volcanic glass. "It's gone!" She willed her hand to reform, and lo, there it was, mildly sunburned but working fine. "Thank you, Professor. I hope the press conference is as painless." She took the liberty of turning to the nearest TV to make sure. Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Jun 29, 2013 |
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Jun 29, 2013 00:42
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Dust "Were we supposed to be Richards' oversight?" Sooraya mused at the broadcast. "The Avengers were the last to know, though we did stop the invaders. But how could the Fantastic Four leave such a dangerous situation unattended without informing anyone?" She looked over at Beast as a worrying thought bubbled up. "Deliberate, risky experimentation like that is nothing like an inherent mutation, but...I do not think Sentinels should be patrolling the Baxter Building."
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Jul 3, 2013 17:40
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Dust The penthouse meeting area was starting to feel a little more like the comforts of the X-Mansion, enough that Dust realized she was speaking up first. "The Scalphunter? But i'd seen him at the Mansion before I left, laying low with the rest of the 198- what exactly have you heard about him?" Fearing the worst, she added "And for that matter- are there any updates on whether the learned scholars in Congress are considering mutation 'advanced technology'?"
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Jul 3, 2013 21:15
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Dust Looking warily between Mystique and Strange, she replied "That would...only make sense, I suppose" Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Jul 4, 2013 |
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Jul 4, 2013 16:37
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Dust Before they left to join the convoy, Dust took some time to review in the tower gym. Scalphunter and the rest of the Marauders were one of the foes Emma Frost had set them against in their exhaustive training in the Danger Cave, a scenario recreating the so-called Mutant Massacre. Watching the holographic Morlocks being cut down when they weren't good enough, over and over, had been surreal. No one was really dying, as she had to be reminded at least once, but at some point, the Morlocks really had. The Marauders weren't like the invaders from the Baxter Building, they had faces, they could talk even if they probably couldn't be reasoned with. Sandblasting flesh from holographic bone had been all too easy when the situation got desperate. She flowed around a combat robot, delivering a corrosive punch and evaporating before the counterattack. On the plus side, Scalphunter was a tough guy. He could take it. Spending 1 PP to create a d6 Combat resource from Danger Room memories of fighting Scalphunter, and i'll count that as +1 XP for discussing lethal force if no one objects. --- 2 PP, 10 XP The New Mexico desert sped by outside the window of an armored truck. It reminded her of home, almost. Allah had carved the rock into a great sculpture garden here, instead of the high mountains of the Hindu Kush. Apparently men had decided to fill both of their cave systems with weapons though, so that was about the same. She looked at the driver sitting next to her for any visible sign that they were actually Mystique- a patch of blue skin, inhuman eyes, maybe an ostentatious skull necklace. But of course there was none. She had learned that in the Danger Room, too.
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Jul 6, 2013 19:44
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Dust Buddy D6, 2 PP Suddenly and inexplicably struck by the powerful feeling that she was tumbling from Afghanistan into the churning abyss, which would explain Mystique's demonic crown of eyes, she desperately tried to disperse her awareness into sand form to make it less of a target. Buddy D6, Psychic Resistance D8, Village Hero D4 since she was distracted already thinking of home. 8 with a D4 effect, D8 Mental and 1 PP for me, and an opportunity for you But the damage had already been done, and all she accomplished was melting into a disorganized pile of Dust with a throbbing headache-equivalent on the cab floor. She managed to build herself back up into humanoid shape on the seat, like someone shakily standing up after a hard gut punch, but stayed sand in case another hit came. "I am paying attention now. Thank you for asking. Did the road just melt for you?"
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Jul 10, 2013 04:52
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Dust Buddy D6, 3 PP, D8 Mental Dust holds her hand to her forehead to clear her head, which doesn't actually do anything since she's made of sand. "Mystique- why are you an Avenger?" It's not an attack, or even suspicion really, but a legitimate question. How did she end up undercover in the Stark convoy instead of with the people presumably raiding them right now? Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 10, 2013 16:40
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Dust "Abaya and niqāb." she replies flatly. After almost leaving it at that, she feels compelled to continue: "Because I do not consider exposing my body for men to enjoy to be freedom. Under the Taliban I would not have had a choice. When I wear the abaya here, I am showing respect to Allah honestly, not out of fear."
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Jul 10, 2013 17:03
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Dust The sand rippled with tension, a swirl barely kicking up. "'Rules to control my body'. Is that what you see?" With some effort, her form calmed and became still. The sand barely moved when she continued, keeping her composure. "Guidance revealed by the Creator of All, through the angel Jibril, peace be upon him, to the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah honor him and grant him peace. Not that I expect or plan to convince you. I will only say that in a world of lies and greed and empty pleasures, with a body that diffuses into scattered particles of dust, with all the times I have failed and fallen short, I find strength in obedience to the One who is beyond error."
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Jul 10, 2013 17:53
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Dust The shapeshifting always caught her off guard- suddenly realizing that you were talking to a different person. The way Mystique's mood twisted so easily from smirking to righteous fury only made it more accurate. So her carefully composed sand form started shifting and roiling again when circa 1890 Raven Darkholme appeared in the driver's seat and started to speak. She couldn't meet her eyes at first, only her waist the size of a single leg. "It would kill you." The truck lurched to a too-sudden halt, and she spun around to see if they had been attacked, but it was only Mystique pointing an accusing finger and forcing her to confront it. There was a wise answer to her pain in the words of the Prophet, there always was, but she couldn't think of any right now so she focused her anger at the sinful Earth onto her teammate's last few words, shouting back in Arabic "<My faith does not make me weak!>" She didn't bother calming her form this time, buzzing like a swarm of bees with only her face still clear, embarrassed and angry that she couldn't come up with a better reply. "I was kidnapped from my family because of my mutation when I was a young girl. I would have been a slave today if it were not for the X-men. I love my mother more than any other person in this world, and the one time I have seen her again since I was taken, it was because a man called the Kingmaker took advantage of that to make me his pawn. When I got to her, she asked me why I still wore the niqab in America. It was a prison for her at home, the wise prescription of the Prophet made into a sign of shame. The Taliban claimed they were doing it because the mere sight of her face would corrupt men. I do not know whether a woman would be beaten for not being suffocated in a corset, but I think this is familiar to you. I am not a fool. I know how these coverings have been abused to break and crush us." The storm settled and condensed into a young woman wearing an abaya and niqab, her eyes hard and focused but not showing anger. Typical X-woman. "I told her what I told you: here, this is a choice I have the privilege to make for myself. I own this. You are far from the only woman who sees my freely chosen modesty as a set of chains- not the only one who sees protecting people who fear and hate us as a sign of weakness, either. That is what I choose to fight." That hung in the air for a few seconds. The truck remained still as another car in the convoy honked in fear. Finally Sooraya blinked. "Er- did I really just say all of that?" Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 10, 2013 19:57
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Dust Without any angry retorts or philosophical points at the ready, Sooraya very hesitantly reaches out her hand and places it on Mystique's shoulder. With the other, she moves to wipe away a few tears. She doesn't have anything to say to that, so she just waits and badly hopes she is being comforting while her stomach sinks into a pit. She looks outside for a moment to see if any eyes are watching, then pulls back her abaya enough to let her face and full black hair show. In explanation she offers a weak smile and shrug. "It is acceptable when it's just women."
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Jul 10, 2013 21:27
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Dust Buddy D6, 3 PP, D8 Mental, 10+3 XP for opening up to a teammate Not that there's ever a good time to be interrupted by Sabertooth tearing off the roof, but this was especially objectionable. The realization that a beast like Creed was seeing her without her niqab was just a cherry on the anger sundae. Dust exploded upward, her body dissolving into a tornado and hurtling at the savage mutant's face before he could slash at Mystique, shouting "You cover your eyes!" Buddy D6, Devout Adherent D8, Sand Mastery D10, All is Dust D6, Combat Expert D8: 14 to create a Blinded D10 complication on Logan's best bud.
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Jul 11, 2013 02:03
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