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[Stranger] Kevin Inafune wasn’t much of a talker. The other men and women in his unit didn’t see much point in talking to him either. He was a diversity hire among a crop of unexceptional diversity hires – half-Japanese to placate the local government concerned about all these Americans tromping about. For years, he’d quietly gone about his business maintaining radio and server equipment adequately, if not quite exceptionally. Just another in the faceless mass of support staff that kept Tempest’s operations running smoothly. one night a shadow waited in his apartment and Recently, he’d been a changed man – looking at you when you spoke to him, taking better care of his appearance, even cracking the odd joke. He still stayed out of the way, kept to himself, but if you talked to him he’d offer help or condolences as required. It even reflected in his work – the radios never sounded crisper. rerouts of keyword-heavy audio strings, disposable backdoor entry into servers one through When asked about his change of heart, he said that he had found ‘the Lord Jesus, our Savior’ and offered to expound upon his experiences – invariably, he was met with polite refusal and subsequent avoidance. Otherwise, he did his job and kept his mouth shut. --- Kevin sat in the passenger’s seat, wrist deep in the truck’s radio console. When the call went out from the ground team, the Base’s transport trucks were scrambled into action – but communication was tinny and unacceptably delayed. remote fuse failure planted in advance triggered by keyphrase Kevin had been nearby and reasonably competant, and so was press-ganged into service; he’d just have to work on the fly. Deep in concentration, ‘Kevin’ waited for a coded signal from his sub-dermal transmitter. He hoped the Chief Belcry knew what he was doing. (Rolling [d10] Infiltrator (and conceivably [d6] Friendly Stranger, if that applies here!) to have retroactively be already in cover as a low-level radio tech. Not looking for any huge secrets or anything, it’s more about positioning. If its not kosher, I'll write something else up!)
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Mar 1, 2016 20:31
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(Important question - which truck is Stranger in? As an addendum, are the others aware of his position?)
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Mar 2, 2016 22:40
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) The transmitter beneath his skin allowed for very limited communication, by necessity. Stranger did not anticipate it would be located without quite some effort on the part of any hypothetical captors, but should they do so the UGN couldn't allow their dealings to be compromised. So, a simple one-way transmitter, sending pulses directly to nerves. 'Kevin' didn't flinch or stop talking to the driver as he got a quick series of pulses - "Stop Vehicle" - but he surreptitiously scanned the area for his compatriots. Then, with a soft sigh, he turned towards the driver and flowed out of his clothing like honey, first covering the driver's mouth and eyes and pinning him to the seat, then taking the wheel with two pseudopods. The whole process took only a few moments. He kept the truck rolling for a few minutes longer (taking the opportunity to roughly copy the bound driver's appearance should anyone be looking), then with another deep breath he slammed on the brakes, bracing for impact from behind. A chorus of confused honks erupted around him, but he sat patiently. His part was done, for now. (Rolling [d10] Infiltrator with Excellence = 10) to shut this guy down silently and non-lethally and slam on the brakes.)
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Mar 3, 2016 16:51
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) With the trucks foundered and traffic parting around them like an angry river, Stranger moved onto the next phase of the plan. He quickly reached into the radio and fixed the purposely-broken relays, tuning the radio the emergency band shared with the darkened chopper. Keeping his face in the likeness of the captured driver, he changed his voice back to Kevin's and purred into the receiver. "Hello, Sergeant Blake, this is Kevin. I'm sure you're wondering what's going on, so I'll tell you. You've sinned, Sergeant Blake, and this is your just requital." He paused for effect, letting the disorientation take hold, listening to his sputtering confusion over the speakers. "You've missed out on so much, Sergeant Blake - your daughter's dance recital," (and here Stranger's voice took on a high, uncanny, soprano), "because you're too busy at work for me, daddy! You never spend time with us! That's why mom left you, you know -" (and here Stranger's voice dropped lower, feminine and predatory), "because you never have time for your family, and because of all of those secrets! Why won't you let them go? Why did you let me go!?" Stranger counted out a few seconds listening to the ragged breathing on the other end, then spoke again with the driver's voice. "Sergeant, why don't you just turn around and... go? Leave here and never return. They owe you nothing. I stood by them, and look what happened. They got me killed." Kevin's voice. "They got me killed, too." Random male voice (didn't matter at this point, naturally) - "They got me killed." Another, and another, and another. Finally, Sergeant Blake's own voice. "They got me killed. They got me killed. My daughter, without a father. Taken by the state - taken by THEM. They got me killed, they got me killed, they got me killed, they got me-" (Rolling [d10] Infiltrator with Excellence = 20) to freak out the helicopter dude. I figure Infiltrator applies here due to him leveraging knowledge he has of this dude and the organization rather than just being scary in general.) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Mar 4, 2016 |
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Mar 4, 2016 23:10
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Moments after the Gjaum trundles by, one of the 'helpless Tempest soldiers' springs to his feet and full sprints towards the beast. As he closes, he drops to all fours for a few bounds, building speed - then pounces. At the peak of his leap, he shifts once again to the more familiar shape of Stranger before falling onto the Gjaum's back, bony spurs leading the way. He didn't expect he could hurt it all that much, nor did he really need to. He could see Wraithblade flickering towards them, and knew he only needed to
(Rolling [d6] Denser Than He Looks with Excellence = 7) to help Wraithblade. He doesn't NEED help, of course, but I wanted to do this earlier today and didn't have computer access! edit:Removed certain counterfactuals to preserve narrative flow!) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 03:37 on Mar 7, 2016 |
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Mar 6, 2016 23:29
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger stands panting, hands on his knees, looking down at the shattered Gjaum. Its twisted limbs still twitch as some mockery of nervous signals run up and down their severed lengths, and Stranger watches them with great interest. Reflexively, he imitates their structure - unrefined and assymetrical, but there was a certain beauty in the pragmatism of their design. And there was always room for improvement, after all - the beast had been faster than him. Him! Good grief, he'd never hear the end of it. He took a final sighing breath and relaxed back into his 'normal' form, ridged plates of keratin and bone sinking beneath the soft flesh he wore. Still, the op had gone well enough. Wraithblade had claimed the kill, in the end, but then he did need to have his ego coddled every once in a while to keep him in proper fighting spirit, and more than anything Stranger liked to get results. He judged he probably had a few moments to kill before the evac order became time-critical, so he made his way over to the truck 'Kevin' had been sitting in. It was in rough shape, but the crumpled, melted hole in the roof allowed him easy ingress to scope it out. He hoped that Gjaum had been the last surprise he'd get today, but one never knows, does one? He peeked in, listening carefully through ears tuned to pick up minute sounds. (Rolling [d6] Strange Organs with Excellence = 7) to echolocate the innards of the forward truck, the one that had the 'bear sized' Gjaum corpse inside. Not looking for anything in particular, but figured the trucks needed to be looked at on-site.)
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Mar 8, 2016 07:41
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Relieved that the Gjaum was well and truly dead, Stranger almost relaxed - until the blast showed him how careless idle thoughts were. He thought quickly, watching the chopper fall from the sky in ragged, blazing pieces. Never mind that, now - they were dead or good as dead, and somehow this would be their fault - watch the smoke trail. He guessed it was some manner of rocket propelled grenade, but couldn't discount any of a number of different Syndromes that would show similar signatures. Already, he was running. He whistled at Blood Bath as he jogged by, gesturing to his radio headset; his ally tossed it to him, underhand, and he set it in place absent-mindedly (smelled like... ice cream?) Eyes on the sky. The smoke trail was already drifting in the wind. He'd need to go fast. He broke into a full sprint, each bounding step covering meters. His face and torso grew streamlined, elongated into aerodynamic foils to minutely redirect his motion. He doubted the citizenry would be able to process him at this speed, but he took rooftop routes as much as possible. All the while, he mentally calculated the angle taken by the trail - it wouldn't be precise, but he hoped it would be enough. (Rolling [d8] Unnatural Speed with Excellence and In Pursuit = 9 (did the calculation wrong in Orokos) to find the shooter.) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Mar 8, 2016 |
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Mar 8, 2016 21:07
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Launching himself from surface to surface along the perimeter of the Yokota Air Base, Stranger clicked his tongue in irritation as a few stray bullets came his way. This is why he preferred the clandestine approach - he didn't expect they'd actually hit him, of course, but he had wanted to avoid contact in the first place. Couldn't be helped now, but the smoke trail was a bigger problem - if it faded, he would have failed in his mission. And he couldn't have that, could he? Dropping to all fours, he reshaped his body even further. His skin dimpled with microfissures to guide airflow, and already-taut muscles became like biological springs, driving him forwards. The bullets fell behind him as though they were motionless, and as far as the shell-shocked soldiers were concerned, he vanished. The human eye simply didn't have the frames per second to deal with that sort of speed. Stranger's eyes did, however, and he kept them flicking between the faded smudge of smoke on the sky and the terrain ahead. Nothing would keep him from his prey. (You'll have to try harder than that, soldiers! Rolling [d8] Unnatural Speed with Excellence and In Pursuit = 24) to dodge and outrun attackers en-route to the smoke trail.
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Mar 9, 2016 14:22
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[Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Whipping around the corner Stranger spotted the rogue artillery - registering a moment of shock at his youth - before relaying the scene to Branch Chief Belcry over the radio in a stacatto burst of sound. He trusted his clipped, speed-talking message would be understood regardless, and it certainly didn't look like he had time to waste on formal reports. Without breaking his speed, he leapt straight at the attacker, arms outstretched to give the man a flying tackle. Ideally he'd just take him down and let the authorities deal with him, but worst case he doubted Tempest would be altogether broken up if he broke a few bones. Mid-flight - too late - his accelerated reflexes took in details he had glossed over before his pounce. The man's confident stance. The way he pulled that sidearm so readily. The way he hoisted the huge launcher without effort. This was no mere terrorist: Overed. As he closed the distance and the man's head turned to face him comparatively slowly, he wished (not for the first time) that he looked before he leaped. (Rolling [d8] Unnatural Speed with Excellence = 9) to leaping tackle the sucka off the car. In hindsight this kid is CLEARLY an Overed (Morpheus to generate weapons, maybe? Small SMG is suspicious. Strong enough to lift an quad-barreled rocket launcher easily, anyhow) so I'm going to get owned in a second, but I already rolled my action so I'm gonna go with it! Either way Stranger doesn't want to kill him at this juncture.
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Mar 10, 2016 07:39
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(Seizing Control rather than dealing damage - want to take him down rather than kill him) [Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Well, no sense holding back. Stranger took the gunman in the chest like a sack of concrete, sending his breath whooshing out of him. That settles that - if he were human an impact at this speed would have broken him in half. The heat rolling off his flesh was another clue. Still falling, Stranger wrapped his arms and legs around him, snaking out his limbs to form a tight, binding netting, leaving only the man's face exposed. They hit the ground and rolled, bound together as the gunman struggled. Stranger maneuvered himself so his face was directly over top of his captive, then sent bony stakes into the ground around them to anchor himself. Peeling back his lips into a fanged, rictus snarl, he drew his head back like a cobra then shouted "Stand down! Stand down!" over and over. He glanced at the cowering soldiers with one swivelling eye (keeping the other on his target); "Get over here and help me restrain this rear end in a top hat! I'm UGN and I just saved your lives, so no drat funny business from you either!" Then he turned his full attention back to the gunman, tightening his grip that little bit extra. (Rolling [d6]Unnerving with Excellence and Against Shaken Target = 14) to scare this dude into calming the gently caress down so we can take him in. If he tries anything cute I'll
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Mar 11, 2016 15:57
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(Still trying to take him down rather than kill!) [Stranger] - ER:40% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Yes, he bloody well could take the heat. (Rolling [d6]Strange Organs = 8) Tiny channels opened along the inner surface of Stranger's enclosing limbs, revealing conductive panelling. For now, the heat was harmlessly channeled to the outer surface, setting nearby brush ablaze - but Stranger wasn't keen on his chances of staying cool forever. He tightened his grip until he heard creaking and then let the virus run rampant through his system. (Dark Bargain = 3) to get 1 more EP) A rumble built up within his flesh as power flowed through him. "A freak like you, eh?" Stranger hoisted them both to their feet, dragging his captive towards the top of a hill. "Speak for yourself; unlike you, I'm a professional!" Then he threw himself down, sending them both tumbling away from the panicked soldiery. ( edit: Wow I totally screwed that up - you can't use Excellence and Might simultaneously. So, I'll use my original Unnerving roll, that first Might roll, and add another Might roll on top of that. That was my original plan, but I was phone posting and at the last second getting some additional accuracy from Excellence seemed like a good idea. Second Might roll here. So, it's 7 for the initial roll, and +11 from Might. Oops!) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 00:51 on Mar 13, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 22:04
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[Stranger] - ER:43% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger cursed inwardly as the kid pushed himself over the edge and roared. His movements, before just ineffectual straining, now felt like trying to contain a wolverine in a canvas bag. He whipped himself around the raging body like a ribbon, deftly avoiding blows by splitting apart and clamping back into place. Even so, Stranger felt segments tear under the strain, and he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Stricken's voice shouted unexpectedly into his ear, and he reflexively scanned the horizon - she wasn't hard to miss, blazing like the sun and crackling with reality-defying power. "Stricken, fire on my position! Disregard my safety, take him down!" Not being gentle anymore, he forced ceramic spurs into the gunman's joints, craning him up to face the sky. Even now, his hold was breaking, but he thought it would be just enough! (Rolling [d8]Unnatural Speed with Excellence and Total Defense = 20) to keep him from breaking out of my grip and to avoid his angry blows. 18 if Excellence doesn't apply, but that should still be enough. Either way, he's yours, Stricken!)
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Mar 13, 2016 19:44
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[Stranger] - ER:43% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Skin blackening and flaking off in ablative scales, Stranger jars with the impact against the tree, seemingly stunned. He doesn't resist as a blazing hand seizes him by the back of the head and grips painfully. His eyes focus on the young Overed's face as the other fist comes in - and he smiles. A wide, impossible smile. He doesn't flinch as the blow caves in his face, shattering through bone and ceramic plating, and he falls limp. Suddenly, the attacker reels back in alarm, trying to pull his hand away. Hooked muscles tighten around his trapped fist, pulling him in further, and Stranger's hands shoot up, clamping onto the straining arm. "Yo̷u ̢had ͠yǫur c̛h́anc̸ę." (Power Up! Rolling Corruption = 6) and using my Signature Power, Waiting Maw! I Seize Control to lock him in place again - and since my highest defense die is higher than their lowest offense die (well, they're equal, but ties go to PC) the attacker takes 1 Damage!) He laughs, a bubbling sound coming from deep in his chest, and pulls the attacker deeper towards him. He pulls one hand off the arm and slams it into the Overed's ribs, breaking it against his opponent's tough flesh. (Rolling Unnatural Speed = 3) to ineffectually flail at my attacker!) He just laughs harder, the raucous peals of amusement vibrating through both their bodies. He braces against the floor, then lets loose with a thousand bladed strikes against his captive, his arms setting off continuous sonic booms. And through it all, he laughs and laughs! (Rolling Dark Bargain = 2) for one more EP, then using Flawless to reroll my Unnatural Speed = 15 Actually, that brings my Corruption to 51% on the dot, so it's 16 from the Corruption bonus.) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Mar 14, 2016 |
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Mar 14, 2016 15:57
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[Stranger] - ER:51% (Condition: 3/5, Inhuman) The flames press against Stranger's lashing form like a wall of heated iron, and despite his best efforts, he cannot bear it anymore. His bindings snap under the heat and tension, and Stranger flies off his prey like a rubber band to lie, flaming, in the trees. He hoists himself up on four limbs, jettisoning burned and useless tissue. It didn't hurt, but he was keenly aware that he couldn't keep this up forever. No need to let him know that, though! He howled a bestial yell, and made himself as distracting as possible - his part was done, for now. (Rolling [d8]Unnatural Speed with double Excellence, my Corruption Bonus and Total Defense = ...11) Yeouch, more damage! Breaking off my attack for now - trusting in Stricken to save my bacon!)
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Mar 15, 2016 13:47
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[Stranger] - ER:51% (Condition: 3/5, Inhuman) Stranger spat in frustration as the stubborn fool kept himself in the game - then froze as he threatened the City beyond. The enemy Overed was clearly unbalanced and ready to do almost anything to get away from them, even court oblivion, and some part of Stranger wanted to keep the populace safe. And yet... would letting him go here cause something even worse down the road? He couldn't take this lightly. As Stricken stared the man down, daring him to move, Stranger swiftly relayed the situation through his headset. The Branch Chief deserved to know the situation, but if push came to shove and Stricken Escalated once again, he'd follow right behind her. Anything less risked all their lives, the consequences be damned. (Stalling until Stricken moves, relaying the situation to the others down below. If Wraithblade would come help that would be pretty neat too!)
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Mar 16, 2016 05:38
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[Stranger] - ER:51% (Condition: 3/5, Inhuman) The outer layer of Stranger's skin flashed off into neutrons and dust, his innards foaming angrily against Stricken's onslaught. But only for a moment before keratinous fibres burst from within, weaving themselves together and sealing his body in a layer of tough armor. His form remained humanoid, but any other semblance of humanity dropped away as his limbs elongated into whipping spears of bone and muscle. (Power Up... Again! Rolling Corruption = 26) He didn't say anything - in fact sound deadened around him eerily, leaving him in an island of silence surrounded by the fury of tearing air. He simply tensed against the boiling earth and sprung, his passage cutting through the air like a bolt of lightning. He hit his fleeing target, spearlike, in the gut, and immediately exploded into a flurry of grabbing, bladed tendrils. If this was to be his action, he wanted to try to make sure that the fallout (both political and literal) was limited. (Rolling [d8]Unnatural Speed with quintuple Excellence (4EP + Corruption Bonus from 77% Corruption), (In Pursuit), and my Corruption Bonus (though I forgot the last in calculations) = 20) If I hit, Seizing Control once again to either throw him away from town AND away from the base (ie: into a forest) OR, failing that, just to grab him and cover the surface of his skin to make it more difficult for him to move away.)
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Mar 16, 2016 15:48
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(Wraithblade made a preemptive Attack last page that should probably happen before anything else - he is a Neumann after all!) [Stranger] - ER:77% (Condition: 5/5, Monstrous) The Overed's attack washed over the area where Stranger was standing, leaving behind churning ashes - and the greasy, burning remnants of a man. Of course, it was a decoy, but it would suit his purposes well enough. (Rolling [d10]Infiltration with Corruption Bonus = 12) to fake death and hide) It was an excellent decoy - look, he used real fire to make it authentic! Stranger chuckled painfully to himself. He'd keep his head down for now - an opportunity would present itself soon enough, if he knew Stricken. He didn't, really, but he was reasonably certain he knew what she would do next. Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Mar 17, 2016 |
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Mar 17, 2016 13:15
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[Stranger] - ER:77% (Condition: 3/5, Monstrous) Yep, that was it! His eyes had scarcely perceived the destruction when he started moving. He pushed himself to his feet and ran. Three steps away. His skin thickened, then thickened again, fibres folding over and weaving together to create a layer of ceramic armor on his front surface. (Rolling Manifesting Ramming Armor = 2) Two steps away. His feet broke through the boiling glass of the soil, so they splayed out into wide pads, gaining him purchase enough to increase his speed. (Rolling Rolling [d8] Unnatural Speed = 5) to Team Up) One step away. His blood boiled as he closed the final distance, giving him the strength he needed to survive Stricken's storm of nothing. (Rolling Dark Bargain = 9) And then... He hit. (Rolling Quintuple Might = 17) (Split up, but long story short: Teaming Up with Stricken, +7 to Stricken's roll, and +17 if that hits) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Mar 17, 2016 |
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Mar 17, 2016 21:14
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[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Monstrous) Stranger's armor split down the middle, retracting into wary tendrils. Waves of nausea and discomfort roiled through his body at the newcomer's uncanny appearance. Simply ignoring Stricken's unleashed fury meant she was either extremely powerful, some manner of projection... or - if rumours and half-glimpsed secured files were a reliable account - a Renegade Being. The thought of the latter sent an involuntary shudder through him, but he was nothing if not a professional. Coiling together his disparate and alien parts, Stranger formed himself into a humanoid shape - a female, to match Stricken and this newcomer. With the power running through him (and the corruption burning at his innards like flaming absinthe), he (she) couldn't quite hold onto her form - a motion sparked a ripple of mismatched complexion across her face, and her clothing fluctuated with each breath. Steadying herself, she held up one hand towards Stricken, silently begging her to let her handle this. She spoke, with a clear and even tone - almost friendly, but underlaid with steel. She flipped her headset on so the others could hear, as well. Dimly, she hoped the others were alright. "This gentlemen caused a significant amount of damage and anguish to ourselves and to the surrounding populace. He shot down a transport helicopter, attacked several soldiers, and destroyed a coffee shop (and presumably the people therein). As duly appointed Agents of the UGN, we are well within our rights to capture or execute him at our leisure. And now you mean to take him? I'm afraid sorry simply isn't good enough. How do you intend to make reparations for your subordinate?" (Rolling [d6] Friendly Stranger with Corruption and Excellence = 25) to try to get some answers out of her - without escalating the situation!) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Mar 20, 2016 |
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Mar 18, 2016 15:29
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[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Monstrous) Stranger never took her eyes off her target, but she vanished just the same. Stricken seemed like she tensed somewhat at the instance of disappearance, but it was tough to guess what she was really thinking. Well, it couldn't be helped. And she emphatically agreed that they needed to get out away from the city... already, Stranger's body strained against her will, tendrils and patches of scaly armor rippling across her form. The sooner they could find the others and be extracted, the better. She needed some R&R, and the sooner the better. For now, she thought wryly, she would put her yet-contained power to good use. She followed Stricken's destructive path towards the base, moving as slowly and leisurely as she was capable in this state. "Branch Chief - both unidentified Overeds have absconded without further conflict. We're returning to Yokota Air Base from a forested area several klicks to the north. We're probably going to need some manner of fire suppression out here - both of us are running hot in more ways than one." After a moment, she opened comms again and added sheepishly: "Also, this is Stranger, not some strange woman who stole a radio." (I'm good just walking back! If they need me (and it really doesn't seem like they do) then I'll run, but as of yet Stranger has no idea where they are!)
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Mar 20, 2016 01:51
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[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Monstrous) Stranger nodded (pointlessly) at Belcry's response. They seemed like they had things well in hand, so she decided to take her time. A rendezvous in fifteen minutes was effectively a crawl at her speed, so she took her time. On her way, she let herself calm down from the high of battle, the Renegade virus sinking into dormancy. Bit by bit, she felt herself sink into quiet contemplation as she walked through the forest. You'd almost forget that moments ago she was caked with blood and ash. She whistled a tuneless ditty as she walked. (De-escalating down to Awakened - I'm quite fine staying low key, now!)
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Mar 21, 2016 01:44
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[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Awakened) Stranger followed their obvious trail down into the depths of the Hangar, still whistling. She took up position behind them, whistles trailing away to nothing as she took in the scene - the gore, the mangled door... Blood Bath weeping tears of blood all over the floor as a muscle-bound American tried awkwardly to comfort him. Every fibre of her being cried out to ask exactly what the hell had gone on down here. Instead, she stood silently at attention, waiting for further instruction. (Still around, busy with school and whatnot but still interested.)
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Mar 23, 2016 03:21
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[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Awakened) "Understood" Stranger threw herself into the torn-open corridor, flattening her body against the damaged walls. Moving as swiftly and silently as she was able, she attempted to close the distance between the UGN group and whoever these strange interlopers were. Keenly aware of her own corruption and wounds, she nonetheless threw herself into her task - much as she didn't want to die today, if doing so saved the others, the math worked out well enough. (Rolling [d10] Infiltrator with Corruption and Excellence = 11) to try to sneak in without getting murdered!)
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Mar 25, 2016 01:23
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(I said sneak in without getting murdered!  )[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Awakened) Stranger sucked air in through her teeth, taken completely by surprise. So fast! She sprang off the wall, desperate to get some better leverage - creeping along the wall was better suited to the 'slow and steady' approach than the 'flee in terror' one. But weakened by resisting the disease and distracted by the hostages, she found soon found herself hopelessly tangled. At once, she fell limp and unresisting, taking in the scene and noting every detail. She had been caught, but being caught had always been a potentiality. As she was, she could still do her job. However, with a Black Dog presumably on-site, she couldn't risk her communicator - too much chance of interception. Luckily, as a Hanuman, she had other options. She filled her lungs to bursting with air, then filled the air with an earsplitting roar. "TWO OVEREDS - ARMED - SIX COMBAT BOTS - TEMPEST HOSTAGES - SYNDROME MIX BALOR SOLARIS BLACK DOG CHIMERA EXPECTED - MOTION RESTRAINED" (Rolling [d8] Unnatural Speed with Corruption and Flawless twice = 7) to dodge! Ruh roh!)
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Mar 25, 2016 15:32
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[Stranger] - ER:86% (Condition: 3/5, Awakened) Wrapped in ever-tightening, thorny vines, Stranger made a big show of gasping for breath. Of course, as an Exile, she could breathe with other means. Keeping her face neutral, she smiled inwardly. You shouldn't have told me your name. She counted out the seconds, staring at the door - until she caught a flicker of motion, and Wraithblade was simply standing in the room beside her. Showtime, time to do some voice acting. "Yuri, they're coming from above! There's hundreds of them! A perfect impression, seemingly coming from the woman's mouth. Sounds of gunfire, from above. A few bestial screams of rage, for good measure. Anything to keep them all looking up, distracted - and directing crossfire away from the hostages. (Rolling [d10] Infiltrator with Corruption and Excellence twice = 14) to Team Up with Wraithblade by distracting our foes!)
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Mar 26, 2016 16:59
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[Stranger] (19 XP, eh? I'm thinking I'll drop 1 for 10% Corruption decrease, and the rest on Signature powers! Diversity! As for actual mechanics, I'm pretty foggy - I just want to add to my toolbox of powers across various power levels. I'll toss out some ideas, but leave the implementation up to you!
Write up and Lois rolls coming later on - I'll probably just edit them in here.)
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Mar 27, 2016 22:09
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oriongates posted:Let's see...
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Mar 28, 2016 03:59
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger's eyes flickered upon as he heard them start talking, but he didn't move just yet. Instead, he went through a rigorous sequence of nerve impulses, starting from his toes and continuing up through his body to the very tips of his individual hairs. To watch him, it looked like just started pulsating from head to toe, rippling like a man-shaped jello mold. And then he drew himself taut, and lay still. No need to move just yet, and he needed time to process what had just happened to him. As he listened, he thought. A cure for Renegade - an end to his powers. His knee-jerk reaction was disgust - but then, perhaps that was a response from the virus. A sort of primitive survival instinct propagated through the viral host, keeping itself from danger. On the other hand, was there really a distinction between him and the virus, at this point? He'd changed so many times, so wildly, that he couldn't imagine what he must have looked like originally. Had he even been a man, back then? He dimly recalled his parents, but time and his drifting morals had made them into sketchy blurs, caricatures of parental affection. Without the virus, what would be left? Would he 'revert' to his original form? Would there be anything left of Stranger in this new, saved person? He didn't move, barely breathed. He just thought and listened. (As mentioned, taking a 10% Corruption Reduction, as well as 3 Signature Moves.)
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Mar 29, 2016 19:09
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Still lying down, Stranger chuckled softly. No rest for the wicked, eh? He flowed unnaturally from his supine position to his feet, then sauntered over to Stricken. Extending one arm, he gently tapped her on the shoulder to wake her up. He disregarded the ablated flecks of tissue that fell from his limb like snow. (Yo wake up)
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Mar 30, 2016 02:46
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(Recap: One of Stranger's identities is Nick Lavine, nationally famous triathlete. His Lois is Scott Davis, his rival in the triathlon: he's sexist, crude - and probably Stranger's best friend) [Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Later on in his sparse quarters, Stranger paced in the darkness, oddly concerned about calling Scott. Scott had left a few messages on what Stranger thought of as "Nick's" number - nothing too pressing, but Scott seldom made the effort unless he wanted something. No messages would have been the expected, one message mere variance, maybe two because he had seen something funny or rude online. Three? For Scott, that could mean anything from him griping about (another) missed race to... he couldn't offhand think of any time the man had left him three messages in a row. Two texts and a missed call - no voicemail. He checked the first text. quote:hey Nick where u at shits startin - unless u duckin out on this one too pissant chikn fuckr quote:yo Nick something's up we heard a boom now everyones freaking out - terrist attack near yokota you ok dude? quote:Hey Davis, nice to hear you care man! The only explosion I heard was in my gut, dude - I gave myself one hell of a case quote:I'm fine, except for my pride - the nurse was hot af but I don't think the sounds coming out of me endeared me too much to her! quote:jeez thought you were dead and id have to win all our races by default instead of just mad fastness like i normally do --- Stranger didn't have much in his room. No bed - if he felt like he needed sleep, he'd just run and jump into one corner of the room and adhere in place, maybe dampening the sounds around him if he felt like it. No clothes - not much need for him, of course. No lavatory - for reasons best left unstated, it simply wasn't required. He did, in a fitted, brushed metal case, have his Royal Velvetone Portable Typewriter. He kept his manuscript in there too, but he couldn't bear to think about it right now. So instead he sat on his chair (steel, uncomfortable, good enough) and stared at his mirror. Large, spotless - and equipped to display data from UGN databanks, if he so desired. He did so desire, right now. He settled into place, letting his features shift between the faces he had seen during the fiasco. That hot-headed young fellow - Ruby Phoenix. The two who had bound him during the hangar fight - Yuri Volkov and Poison Orchid... That mysterious woman who had shaken Stricken so much. He ran through them in sequence, trying out their faces, their voices, reading any files he had access to. Next time around, he wouldn't be fighting blind. Next time around, he'd have them fighting themselves. (Rolling (d10) Infiltrator + Corruption Bonus = 19) to learn some more about these guys. Rolling mostly for fun rather than any particular desired mechanical benefit!) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Apr 3, 2016 |
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Apr 2, 2016 17:41
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger listened to the options passively, only speaking up after Lucas. "I'll head to the Palace with Back Alley. I can blend in pretty easily and provide backup, if need be. I can be rather charmant if I need to be, believe it or not!" He struck a coquettish pose - rather unnerving with his full beard and shaggy hair. "Listen, in my time off I found out about those jokers we met out there in the field earlier..." (Going to party with Back Alley for support and spy action, then relaying info I found earlier)
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Apr 7, 2016 03:32
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger shrugged and fell in behind Belcry, keeping his shape fluid, dropping the illusion of humanity in his floppy, elastic gait.
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Apr 9, 2016 02:25
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger was taken aback by Belcry's candor, but otherwise did not visibly react as he walked. UGN staff, long since used to Stranger's antics, barely spared a glance for him as he walked against traffic, reflexively copying the features of those he brushed past. "I... I wondered that myself, sir. Never mind what I'd do with my life, who would I even be then? When we were hit with Schism, I felt like I was losing coherence, melting like wax. Would I even survive it? And if I did, would it revert me to 'normal'? Whoever that person was or would be, they're a stranger." He kept walking for a moment longer, then turned a corner and lay back against the wall in thought. "If the unthinkable did happen and I had to live my life out in the mundanity of a single shape, I think there'd probably be an... adjustment period." He chuckled. "All the regular sorts of things people take for granted, all the things I have to learn to do to impersonate my targets and falsify to pass for human in my daily life, I'd have to learn to do for real. Even things like sleeping or eating or - heaven forbid - using the washroom are things I have to remember to do, and do them voluntarily. I'll probably have a panic attack trusting my body to beat its heart on its own." He kept turning to the moth as though it was a person - which, in a sense, it was, he supposed. Ra'id's own alien intelligence was extremely comforting to Stranger in a way that was difficult to express - with him, he didn't have to pretend that the myriad spectrum of human experience mattered or had meaning, didn't have to protect his feelings. He understood. "If I lost my powers, I'd probably fake being a person - like I normally do - until I became one. What else could I do?"
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Apr 10, 2016 13:52
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) "Well, no, to be perfectly honest. All of my aliases are contingent on my ability to be the person I'm pretending to be. If I can no longer do that, I lose connection to my personas - and everyone linked to my personas. If I'm not 'Nick Lavine' anymore, I certainly wouldn't be able to talk to Scott either." Stranger ran an unconscious hand over his hair to smooth out a suddenly-ruffled hairdo. "Even if I could explain my situation - which I wouldn't be able to, because Scott is an idiot - he certainly couldn't take the betrayal... I'd literally have to start out from nothing. Even things like hobbies are so tied to my disguises that I... don't know what I'd do for fun. I'd probably just have to make it up as I went along!"
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Apr 10, 2016 22:41
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger resolved to change the password to the door as soon as possible. He suspected that Belcry probably knew far better than he about password strength, but it added to the growing tally of instances of Neumanns valuing security and complexity over ease of use. Stranger would just set it to some arbitrary long string that he could remember easily and enter within seconds with Hanuman speed. But first... he took in the room, took in the offer the Branch Chief was making. This opened the world to him - interaction without needing to falsify a face and a personality, endless variation in conversation and experience. He didn't say anything, though - he just nodded. He needed some time to think about it - and besides, Back Alley needed him at the moment. His social life could wait.
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Apr 13, 2016 03:58
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oriongates posted:Just letting you know I'm still here. Figure Transient People might be having some more difficulties, I know I have been. At this point I think it's good to get things rolling towards our separate missions. I'll try and get a big post up tonight or tomorrow morning. I do these mostly at work and it's been crazier than usual recently. Feel free to resolve any hanging threads with Ex Machina retroactively or via IRC (which I will try to pop into sometime soon). No prob - I think for the most part we're all around too, busy also! I for one am still interested, and I'm not in a rush.
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Apr 16, 2016 06:04
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Oh wow I just understood the title of the thread re: Schism
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Apr 17, 2016 13:37
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger walked through the front door of the Kamashiro celebration, linked arm in arm with Back Alley's playboy illusion, smiling radiantly at the opulence through the eyes of "Kelly". Kelly was a blonde bombshell with a short bob and a tastefully-too-short emerald dress - matched her eyes. She expertly played the part of someone who had never been to such a ritzy party playing the part of someone who went to these sorts of parties all the time. Of course, Stranger had actually never been to such a place, so the acting wasn't all that tough! Before the celebration actually began in earnest, she took some time to explore the hall, looking for anything out of the ordinary. As cover, she meandered over towards a nearby ice sculpture, idly running her hand over an exquisitely carved swan's neck. It broke off under the slight pressure. poo poo, thought Stranger. "poo poo", said Kelly. She put the swan's head down on the table and sped back to Back Alley's side, hoping that any untoward attention she had attracted was of the mundane sort rather than anything more dangerous. (Rolling (d10) Infiltrator + Corruption Bonus + Excellence = 7) to make an entrance! In hindsight I should have rolled before I wrote!) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Apr 18, 2016 |
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Apr 18, 2016 23:15
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Back Alley squeezed her arm with some urgency, a pre-arranged signal that Stranger was well prepared for. A complicated sequence of prescribed motions and sounds began to play even as she dulled the words truly passing between them. It put a real strain on what she could maintain at this level, but to outside observers the illusion was complete - Mr. Brandtforth and his young date having an animated, even loving conversation about some triviality. While the illusion was active, her compatriot revealed all he had determined about the nature of the Fundraiser's plan. 'Kelly' allowed herself the barest hint of a smile regarding the swan incident - part of her plan all along, obviously! The humor was tempered somewhat by the revelations. This was clearly planned in advance, with connections extending beyond simply showing up and taking people's money. The swan statues had to be created and deployed, after all - how many people were in on things? Ultimately, the Fundraiser himself was still the target - without him here to activate(?) the chemicals, people here would just have an especially good time. She nodded and they broke off their conversation, wandering amiably apart. Time to go on the offensive. The Palace was one hell of a hotel, and security was top notch - but it was still just a hotel. The UGN had its fingers in many pies, including among many others construction and architectural industries. Stranger had exhaustively studied the floor plan prior to arrival, and even though the security room hadn't been explicitly marked on the plan, process of elimination had narrowed it down to a handful of locations. Having arrived and explored, the options were further narrowed - she thought she had it. She sashayed over to the stairs and ran over her plan of action in her head.
(Rolling (d10) Infiltrator + Corruption Bonus + Excellence = 20) to bust into the security room, alternately running, sneaking and shapeshifting as required (and/or as much as I'm allowed with a single action!)) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 03:35 on Apr 21, 2016 |
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Apr 21, 2016 03:31
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 16:19 |
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) A card-locked door wasn't unexpected, but it was certainly inconvenient! Stranger stood for a moment 'fumbling for his keys' in his pockets, then wandered off - keeping one eye on the door. If it opened, he could almost certainly just run in, but he doubted he'd be that lucky. No, he had something else in mind - the security room had an attached bathroom. Bathrooms meant fans, and fans meant vents. Stealthily, Stranger made his way into the closest vent and made his way over to the bathroom, hoping he hadn't missed any twists or turns and gotten lost. Once he arrived, it was a simple matter of waiting for someone to come in, whereupon he would leap on them and (Rolling (d10) Infiltrator + Corruption Bonus + Excellence = 9) to sneak into the ventilation and wait for a guy to go to the washroom)
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Apr 22, 2016 01:15
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