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OK we're not going to bother with stat blocks because a -2 and a 1 respectively mean that they're left so far behind that it doesn't matter at all. "OW! Goddamnit Carrie!" An older man's voice cries out in pain, apparently hit by the flashbang. Not that J.R. stuck around long enough to find out. "Holy poo poo he's fast!" the young woman's voice yells from half a block behind him. J.R. takes the fence like a parkour champion and lands right on top of a man who had apparently been hiding in the bushes, waiting for him to come in the gates. "Christ!" the man yells, managing to gain his feet a second before J.R. can. He pulls out a wand and yells "Anzu!" A gust of ice cold wind hits J.R. full in the face. Mystery Wizard attacks! 4 shifts of power, rolls disc: +//+ +4 = 6 pre:Name: Mystery Wizard Stats: Athletics 3, Convic/Disc 4 Physical:() () () Mental: (X) () () () Mild (-2): Moderate: (-4): Hugues' pixie report for the evening: “Oy! Grumpypants!” the pixie plinks against the windowpane until Hugues opens it. “Gotcher report! Warden sure busy today!” The little faerie confirms what Cole had said earlier about where he’d been before meeting the group at the church. Hugues stops her when she gets to that point and tells him to skip to after they split up. The faerie grumbles irritably and it takes a promise that she isn’t getting less pizza for a shorter report before she agrees to continue. “Went to brick hall, talked to old ladies. Some of them right angry, hah poor Warden got yelled at but then they were all sorry when they heard about whatchu been up to instead. You sure you don’t want to hear all about the nasty zombies and the vampire lady?” Yes, he’s sure. “Fine, grumpypants.” The faerie sniffs, annoyed. “Dun think Warden got much from ladies. Looked like he had a right headache when he walked out. Went home, had to follow by the windows so dunno everything but he made a whole lotta whatchu-callins on the talking machine.” Phone calls. It wasn’t that she wasn’t smart but the pixie had no reason to know what a phone was. “Talked about you, Grumpy! I heard your name.” The pixie landed on the sill and stood straight up. She held one tiny hand to her ear in a pantomime of someone talking on the phone and gave a passable Cole impression, if Cole were a chipmunk. “Hey Commander, you ever run across a Warden named Hugues? Died around 5 years ago?” The pixie’s tiny eyebrows went up. “Really? That’s… I see. No, no reason. Someone mentioned the name.” The pixie shakes itself like a wet dog and buzzes back into the air. “Then he went to bed! And here I am!” She droops a little. “You suuuuure you don’t want to hear about the zombies?” mistaya fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Mar 19, 2012 |
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Mar 17, 2012 05:12
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 Retro-edit: RPZip posted:Minor declaration; this is the next day. A day had passed, and still no word from Jenny. He thought for a moment about calling her, but with her current mood she probably wouldn't even bother to answer. Just showing up at her door probably wouldn't help much either, but it was his best shot. As he began to leave the apartment, his stomach began to growl. Food. He could probably bribe his way in with lunch. She probably wasn't taking care of herself properly and would appreciate some non-junk food. Not many people biked around the busy streets of New Orleans, but it's not like Hugues had any other option. He had gotten tons of stares over the years, yet no one actually stopped him and he was fast or polite enough to not get in the way of cars on the busier streets, and he knew the route to Jenny's by heart now. A quick detour to grab a couple sandwichs, and Hugues chained his bike up on Jenny's fence. A few people had tried to steal it, and got to run across the entropy-based wards he had on his bike. He knocked on Jenny's door. No immediate response, that was to be expected. "Jenny? I know your there, your car's outside." He said, as he knocked again. "I brought some food, figured you're probably hungry." Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Mar 19, 2012 |
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Mar 17, 2012 05:26
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J.R. - FP: 4->5 JR shifts to let his duster take the blow rather than his face, but he grunts as it hits. If it had been any more powerful it would have been trouble, but luckily the duster is up to the job and takes the brunt of the hit. Alright, time to stop playing the nice guy. JR had run enough for the moment. His right hand flashes to his Redhawk, and he draws and fires in a single motion. Athletics /-// +5 = 4 fails, which ends up a 6 stress hit. Use the duster to downgrade it to 4, and I fill in the fourth stress box. A compel on I Won't Back Down means I stay and fight instead of continuing to run. Supplemental to draw my gun. Guns /+// +4 = 5 with a weapon:3 pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +5, Armor:2 (use mental stress to re-use) Applicable Aspects: The Last Gunfighter Ballad, The Devil's Right Hand, I Won't Back Down Applicable Stunts: Shoot 'Em Where It Hurts: +2 Weapon vs. targets with armor Physical: () () () (X) Mental: () () () Social: () () () Any Mild (-2) Consequence: (), Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (), Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ()
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Mar 17, 2012 05:43
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Wizard defends! /+-+ +3 = 4. Takes 4 stress, 2nd box and a mild. The wizard recoils from the shot, pressing one hand to his ear. Blood seeps out through his fingers. "You're making a big mistake, buddy. Gimme the box and we can both walk away from this." But he's already swinging the wand in an upward arc before he even finishes talking. "Mishka!" he yells, and a blade of wind as sharp as a knife cuts through the air in front of him. Wizard attacks! 4shifts, disc: -/+/ +4 = 4 at weapon:4 pre:Name: Mystery Wizard Stats: Athletics 3, Convic/Disc 4 Physical:() (X) () Mental: (X) (X) () () Mild (-2): Torn Ear Moderate: (-4):
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Mar 17, 2012 05:54
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR rolls to the side, dodging the blast of air. "Can't do that, friend. Got a debt to repay, so you ain't getting this box and you ain't stopping me. Best leave before I get real mad." JR punctuates his statement with another shot at the wizard. Athletics -+-+ +5 = 5 succeeds, JR dodges the attack. Guns /-// +5 = 4 plus the tag for the consequence equals 6 to hit, with a weapon:3 pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +5, Armor:2 (use mental stress to re-use) Applicable Aspects: The Last Gunfighter Ballad, The Devil's Right Hand, I Won't Back Down Applicable Stunts: Shoot 'Em Where It Hurts: +2 Weapon vs. targets with armor Physical: () () () (X) Mental: () () () Social: () () () Any Mild (-2) Consequence: (), Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (), Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ()
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Mar 17, 2012 07:08
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Wizard defends! Athletics +-/- +3 = 2. 7 shifts. Ow. 3rd box and a moderate. Wizard concedes. The shot goes clear through the wizard's shoulder and he falls to one knee. He starts to get up again but thinks better of it and stays down. "Fine then. Go on. You're making a big mistake, pal." He winces in pain. "Can't say I... didn't try." He slumps against the fence. pre:Name: Mystery Wizard Stats: Athletics 3, Convic/Disc 4 Physical:() (X) (X) Mental: (X) (X) () () Mild (-2): Torn Ear Moderate: (-4): Shoulder Shot
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Mar 17, 2012 07:27
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J.R. - FP: 5 "Good choice you made." JR reholsters his pistol and heads towards the bridge on the path to the crypt, not looking back at the wizard. The coward was frightened enough not to attack JR in the back, so he wasn't too worried about the wizard. Now, the crypt, on the other hand...
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Mar 17, 2012 07:30
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Nothing else bothers J.R. on the way to the crypt, but the biggest drat gator he's ever seen peers up at him from underneath the bridge as he crosses it. The crypt is right where Bohpoli said it would be, next to a dead tree. It's a squat, square building with the name BEAUREGARD in large block letters over the top of the stone door. The copper key turns easily in the lock, and the door opens outwards with some effort.
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Mar 17, 2012 07:53
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR pauses for a moment before the entrance, then looks around. Finding a fist-sized rock nearby, he places it in the doorframe, so that they wind can't easily blow the door closed. He turns on his flashlight, takes a deep breath, and enters the crypt, looking for markers. Might ---/ +4 = 1 to find a rock, so it's a doorstop.
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Mar 17, 2012 08:58
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J.R.'s light reveals a tiny room, maybe 5x5. There are five graves here, a husband and wife set into the east wall, two boy children set into the west wall, and on the north side a lonely little stone coffin. This small one is the only thing not covered in dust, and J.R. can see an indentation in the top. Lucille, 1800-1806, it reads. Behind him, J.R. hears the sound of someone kicking his rock and turns just in time to see the door sliding closed on him. Unknown Person rolls Might (+5), -1 supplementary to remove the rock, //+- +4 = 4. This is a contest, J.R. needs to beat the +4 to not get shut in. A tie means a reroll.
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Mar 17, 2012 09:11
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR breathes rapidly as he looks around the room. It's alright, the door's open, the walls are NOT closing in, he's gonna be out in a just a minute. His flashlight lights over the coffin, and he quickly shuffles over to it. He fumbles with the box for a moment as his hands shake, then places it on the coffin. From behind he hears the noise, and turns to see the door closing. "No!" he shouts, panicking, as he sprints towards the door, slamming it outwards with his shoulder before he can be trapped in the dark crypt forever. Might +++- +4 = 6
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Mar 17, 2012 09:19
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A deep voice on the other side of the door grunts, as J.R. shoves hard on the door, strength bolstered by fear, and the door slides open enough for him to wiggle out into the orange glow of the setting sun. J.R. turns to face the man, but barely catches a glimpse of tanned leather before he's face to face with the huge gator from the river. It opens its jaws and hisses. Before either of them can move, someone behind J.R. begins to clap. A slow, mocking clap. The gator freezes, then with surprising speed dives into the river and is gone. J.R. turns around. There is a shadowed figure standing beneath the dead cherry tree. He's veiled, because J.R. can't look at him straight, he just looks fuzzy. "Finish and go." A whispered voice, neither male nor female. J.R. turns the copper key in the lock. It melts into ectoplasm as soon as it clicks. When he looks back, the veiled figure is gone. mistaya fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Mar 19, 2012 |
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Mar 17, 2012 09:28
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 5 Jenny opens the door slightly, chain still in place, and scans Hughes up and down. She's wearing beat-up sweatpants and a faded sweatshirt, and her hair is wet and a bit of a mess. Her nose wrinkles involuntarily at the smell of food, but her lips and eyes are devoid of any apparent emotion. "I don't want to talk, Hughes. Go away. Please." Minor declaration; this is the next day. Stupid writer's block. Trying to get moving again.
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Mar 18, 2012 21:49
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 "I... see. That was not really..." Mitsuo looks out each window of the car furtively, then glances back at Steve who's still miles away from reality. He clears his throat. "Those injuries are beyond serious. Even bringing him up the stairs should have been more than his body could handle. That is..." He waffles for a moment, then looks again at Ada. "Bluntly, did Steve cross the boundary before Jenny healed him?" Taking a very small liberty with Ada here, I hope you don't mind Trans, if you do I'll retract it. Her pupils flare at the question. She half-opens her mouth. Before she makes up her mind to speak one way or the other, Mitsuo jumps in again. "Ada, I am not one of the Council. I am not interested in punishing Jenny or anyone else for their actions. And, I am no saint myself." He grimaces as he speaks. "We all have our demons. Jenny's may be far kinder than mine. But... if we are to be working with Cole, and there are things he may not need to know, we must be very clear with each other. So I must ask for the truth."
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Mar 19, 2012 00:58
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Ada duSang - FP: 2 For a moment, Ada felt outraged. This wasn't Mitsuo's business, and he'd do well to stay out of it. She felt an urge to shoot him down, preferrably in an explicit and rather final fashion. As she opened her mouth to speak, however, he beat her to the punch. Ada sank down on her seat, thinking. Mitsuo appeared to be sincere. He wasn't the type to rat people out for no reason, but he was also not someone to be trifled with. If he thought he was being played for a fool, things would get ugly. That settled things. Taking a deep breath, Ada nodded. "He was gone...almost. Jenny brought him back." She looked at Mitsuo and spoke very slowly. "Nobody else must know about this. Especially not Cole. He's a good man, but he wouldn't understand. Can I count on you to keep quiet?"
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Mar 19, 2012 01:46
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 Yup. She wasn't taking care of herself. It was in the afternoon and it looked like she had just showered. Old clothes, comfy and worn, probably since last night. Hugues wouldn't be surprised if he went into her kitchen and found some empty ice cream containers. "Alright, fine then. Don't say a word if you don't want to. Just eat something healthy-ish, and if you'd like I'll clean up the place a little bit."
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Mar 19, 2012 04:19
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 A hard sort of grin tugs at the corners of Mitsuo's lips. "For the last sixty years I have kept my own secrets. What is one more? We must only hope that Cole has been too distracted to pay close attention." Contemplatively, he dips a hand into his jacket. It emerges clutching the sword-pin. He spares a moment of attention from the road to look at it. A thought strikes him. He waves the pin-bearing hand gently to catch Ada's attention. Then he closes his hand hard around it. He opens his fingers, then closes them around the charm again, indicating to her to do the same.
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Mar 19, 2012 04:51
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Ada duSang - FP: 2 "Something about this looks crazy." Ada said, as she removed the pin from the spot she had attached it to. She nodded. "Fine. It's not like I haven't done crazy before." With that, she clutched the pin and followed Mitsuo's motions.
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Mar 19, 2012 05:57
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 With the pin muffled as best he can, Mitsuo speaks to Ada in a low voice - not a whisper, but a very quiet sotto voce, slurring sibilant consonants in a sort of lisp. "It just occurred to me that we have only Cole's word on the workings of these pins. We should be careful in our conversations until we have a chance to confirm that they are only alarms. I may do some research into it after this, or perhaps Hugues can take-" Mitsuo cuts off mid-sentence and slams his closed palm against his forehead. A tiny drop of blood spills down his wrist, presumably from the pin piercing his palm. "糞!* We had to deal with Cole, and then in the excitement I completely forgot to talk to Hugues! We should track him down before the next poo poo-and-fan incident. But first..." He looks over his shoulder again. "We have to deal with our passenger somehow." * kuso, vaguely "oh poo poo"
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Mar 19, 2012 17:27
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Ada duSang - FP: 2 "We'll drop him at my place. They'll take care of him." Ada said, nodding. "But we better wrap business up quick. I don't want to leave him alone any longer than necessary. We don't know if he'll suffer any...aftereffects." She said, grimacing. "Who knows what that experience might have done to him." She trusted Jenny, but she had plucked Steve from uncharted territory. Ada didn't even want to begin guessing what that might have entailed. The way he'd struggled and whimpered back at the bookstore had been enough for her.
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Mar 19, 2012 20:27
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By "place" Ada meant "mansion". Mitsuo parks in the circle drive in front of the huge house. When they knock, an honest to god butler answers the door. It isn't long before Stevie is set up in Aunt Martha's (God rest her soul) old room. Aunt Martha had died of cancer the year before, and when she was alive the duSang family had set up a one-room-hospital so that she wouldn't have to go to the actual one. It was equipped for long term care. A quick call was made to the family doctor's office and after a bit of money exchanged hands (so no one would report the gunshot wound) Stevie had his own 24 hour care provider living in the room next door. Which he would need, thanks to the fact that he was in a coma. "Might be days, weeks, we don't know." Is all the doctor can say when asked how long he'll be out. He doesn't say never, because Ada doesn't want to hear it, but comas are never a sure thing. In the meantime, Stevie needs to rest and heal. Steve will remain in his coma until we're ready to pick up the main BCV plot thread, he's safe and healing.
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Mar 20, 2012 01:20
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 "へええ、宮殿だなあ..." * Mitsuo self-consciously pulls the Subaru up near the front door. After meeting the butler, seeing the mini-hospital, and watching Ada make a phone call and get a private physician with no questions asked, he's quietly awed. While she's busy dealing with the doc Mitsuo asks the butler, "Excuse me. May I use your telephone?" He's led to a sitting-room off the main living area. It's opulent, but in very good taste. There's an ivory-handled rotary phone with a brass cradle sitting on one of the end tables. "Thank you, Roy. I will just be a minute." Spinning in Hugues' number, he waits as the phone rings. <Hello?> "Hugues? Mitsuo. Are you alone?" <Am for now. Expecting a pixie in a bit, but she'll be silent with a bit of pizza. What's the matter?> "No problems. Could not ask with Cole around, but when JR and I met the Duch-" The door to the sitting-room cracks open. Alfred walks in with a silver tea-tray. By the time he turns away from carefully balancing the tray to look at his guest, he's six feet into the room, and Mitsuo is staring daggers at him. Every damned time! And always at the worst possible moment! Alfred pales a bit, attempting a short bow but in deference to the hot liquid he's carrying only managing a nod, and shuffles back out the door. "... our dark friend earlier, she was kind enough to give me a book. Only problem is, the writing is German." <Deutsch... schon eine weile her, wahrscheinlich rostig. Haven't used it in a while. Could probably managed something. How dark we talking with this book? Do I need to keep it chained down so it doesn't bite my hand off?> "It has not bit me yet, but the text... flows? Wiggles? Anyway, there is that and another thing I would like to ask you about, but that can wait. Can we meet up somewhere? I am with Ada, but the book is at my office." <Sure. If we meet up at my place, I've got my tools already to go.> "Okay. Give me your address, and call me when you are ready." <Will do. I've got to check up on Jenny, so it'll be tomorrow. That work?> "Fine. The address? ... Yes... okay, I have it. Good night." Setting the phone back in its cradle, Mitsuo heads back into the hospital-room to check on Ada and Steve. * "Hee, kyuuden da naa..." / "Whoa, it's a palace..." Chrome Gnome fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Mar 21, 2012 |
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Mar 20, 2012 02:08
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 5 There's no way Hughes was just going to leave, no matter what she did. Jenny sighed and closed the door, sliding the chain out and then opening it again. She deliberately didn't invite him in because it'd annoy him - he could be very old fashioned that way. Leaving the door open and giving Hughes a chance to look around, Jenny moves and collapses onto the couch. She hunches forward slightly, apparently unconsciously, and waits as he putters around with the food. Definitely not leaving. Maybe it was for the best. "What do you want?" RPZip fucked around with this message at 06:43 on Mar 20, 2012 |
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Mar 20, 2012 06:41
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 It wasn't a direct invitation, but it would have to do. Hugues took a moment to step inside, feeling her threshold almost instantly suppress his magic down. On one hand he didn't have much to begin with so it wasn't a big loss...on the other hand, this was all that he had. In her house he was just a defenseless little child. That's why he always insisted on being invited in. He stepped in and closed the door behind him, locking it as well. He took out the sandwich meant for her and placed it in her hands. "I want to make sure you're doing alright." Hugues sat next to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort. "Looks like you didn't sleep."
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Mar 20, 2012 15:25
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR breathes rapidly as he looks around the room. It's alright, the door's open, the walls are NOT closing in, he's gonna be out in a just a minute. His flashlight lights over the coffin, and he quickly shuffles over to it. He fumbles with the box for a moment as his hands shake, then places it on the coffin. From behind he hears the noise, and turns to see the door closing. "No!" he shouts, panicking, as he sprints towards the door, slamming into just as it closes. His powerful shove fails to reopen it, and he fumbles frantically for a handle or knob to reopen it, but none is available. JR slams himself into the door over and over, attempting to bash it open, and as he does so his flashlight slips out of his hand to smash on the ground, covering him in darkness... JR awakes with a start, covered with sweat. An hour later finds JR in the hotel lounge, eating a blueberry muffin. He tries to think about the next step for finding about the demon. The others had mentioned going to see a priest and getting attacked by a demon, but had they talked to him? He pulls out his cell phone and dials Ada's number. Piell fucked around with this message at 04:39 on Mar 21, 2012 |
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Mar 21, 2012 04:27
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Ada duSang - FP: 2 After making sure Steve was safe and sound, Ada retreated to her room and began pacing up and down. The motion was mechanical, forced, simply a way to distract the body while she allowed her mind to roam. The raid had gone poorly, even while being excessively kind to it. An innocent had been injured, she'd been hit by a curse, and Jenny was looking like a wreck last she'd seen her... ...And it had all been her fault. She'd rushed in without making any proper checks for defensive systems. She'd ask her veterinarian friend to blast the small room. She'd been the one who had begged her to save Steve. It all left a bitter, bitter taste in Ada's mouth. Not smart enough, not wise enough, not resourceful enough to do anything except screw things up. She bit her lower lip, and didn't even notice she'd pressed hard enough against it to make a little trickle of blood flow until she passed by the full-body mirror on the eastern wall and spared it a glance. She hadn't been pulling her weight. She had to step it up. She had to... Ada's musings were interrupted, as the duSang family's butler came in with a tea set. Looking at him, Ada nodded and gestured at her desk. "Put it down, Roy. I'll get to it later.". As she watched Roy excuse himself, as impeccably professional as always, Ada felt her frustration twist and fade. Recrimination was useless. Maybe she hadn't been up to snuff lately. Maybe she hadn't been pulling her weight. But the one thing she knew for sure was that beating herself up about it wasn't the way to do things right. As she stared at the tea set, Ada nodded. "Right. Stop thinking about how badly you hosed up, start thinking about how to avoid loving it up next time.". Sitting down on her chair, she was about to mull things over a cup of tea and some scones when the phone started ringing. Sighing, Ada picked up the tube. "So much for that...Hello? Who is it? ...JR? What's up now?"
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Mar 21, 2012 07:27
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J.R. - FP: 5 Ada sounded a little shaken, but with demon summoners around there wasn't a lot of time to waste for everyone to get back to top shape. "Yeah, Ada, I remembered you all talking about fighting a demon at the church. Did you ever get a chance to talk to that priest, see what had happened or what he knew. Because if not, I reckon today might be a good time to go do that," JR says.
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Mar 21, 2012 07:50
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 5 Jenny shies away from Hughes touch, hands gripping the sandwich tightly. Too tightly. "No. I didn't sleep. I couldn't sleep." It's dark and wet. Cold. Terrifying. Hideous figures rise from the brackish water, humans twisted and animated by a monster. "I... I was so angry." Moaning and shambling, driven to terrible purpose by their master, the zombie leaps forward and crashes into Mitsuo. He screams as the creature bites his neck, bright arterial blood spurting into the air. "They were just so... twisted. I needed to stop it." Another creature bursts from the water, crashing into Ada. Her head twists under the blow, bending as she opens her mouth in horror before finally snapping with a sickening crack. She falls into the water, gurgling in agony, as the creature reaches down and begins to gnaw. "I thought I could do it." Cole rushes forward, scrambling for Ada's still form, with his sword held high. A blurred form leaps from his side, crashing into him and tumbling to the ground together. Cole gasps in pain as the zombie wrenches his arm from the socket, ripping it free and using it like a club on the warden, but his last sight is of Ada's head being torn from her body. "I thought I could help." J.R. twists free from the zombie's grasp, firing wildly as others swarm from everywhere around him. He nearly dances around them, weaving back and forth in a dance of righteous fury and death, before a severed arm extends out of the murk and shatters his ankle. The cowboy crashes to the ground with a cry of pain, still firing, as the the horde leaps onto his prone body. "And it felt good. It felt... it felt right." An enormous, twisted figure rises from the ground in front of Hughes, dwarfing his small form. He stumbles back, startled at the compacted mass of corpses as dozens of arms reach for him, but can't escape their grasp. The hideous things jaw opens, gaping impossibly wide, and Hughes' child-like body falls into its gullet. He screams, high-pitched and wavering, and the last image of his body is of his small arm scrabbling for purchase on the thing's nose as the jaws clamp shut with a grinding crunch. "I thought it was monstrous. But it wasn't, not really. That's just how... how they are." The summoner steps from the darkened shade where she'd lurked, looking at her children's work. Jenny could feel herself screaming as she ran at the figure, tears streaming down her cheeks as she launches herself forward, tackling the creature and going down in a clump. "To be truly monstrous, you have to intend to cause that pain. You have to have choice. Lions aren't monstrous because they hunt." Jenny brings her hand back, punching the monster furiously with a closed fist. She batters the creature again and again, fist slamming into her body as she attacked in a blind rage and she hated her she had to die she had to suffer and and and the face looking at her from the ground was her own. "I chose. I am the monster." I am the monster. "I killed him, and it felt right. I brought him back, and it felt good. And... and... and I'm just like... them..." I am the monster. Jenny is shaking now, rocking back and forth with her kneels curled up into her body and her head buried between them. The sandwich lies forgotten on the floor, crushed in her hands before being dropped between nerveless fingers. I am the monster. I am the monster. I am the monster. RPZip fucked around with this message at 08:53 on Mar 21, 2012 |
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Mar 21, 2012 08:08
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 Hugues wasn't surprised when she wiggled away from his hand, but he watched and listened in silent terror at what Jenny had to say. It felt familiar. He had felt it before. Magic made everything very personal. It was fundamentally enacting your own selfish desires upon the world around you, demanding that this candle be lit, ordering the water to freeze and strike, and commanding another human being to die at your will, or commanding your very soul to not die. This is why the Laws were in place make people realize that these desires also corrupt and mutate yourself as well as the world around you. Monsters had no choice but to eternally obey those inner desires. But Humans have Free Will. "Jenny." Hugues said sternly, as he got off the couch and stood before her. Although his body was still so small, he felt like he was towering over Jenny from the way she had pulled her body in on itself. It felt so strange. "I don't believe for a second that you are a monster, or that you truly see yourself as one. You may have killed him, but I know it didn't feel good. I saw you run up to him, try to save his life. You did everything you could to stop him from dying. And even though that failed you brought him back to life and he still is alive now." Hugues paused for a moment, realizing that he was practically complimenting her for breaking a Law. He never would have done that five years ago. "Jenny Hirsch." Hugues said her name firmly. It wasn't her True Name, but it was still her name, and that still had strength. "We've seen each other's souls. You've looked into my soul and I have looked into yours. We are not monsters. Yes, we've made terrible terrible choices in our life, but we chose not to make them again; that's why I took you in as my apprentice. These choices do not make us monsters so long as we choose to not be monsters. "All you've done is make another terrible choice. A choice with consequences you and that boy are going to have to live with for the rest of your lives. But that still does not make you a monster. You can still choose. "So tell me, Jenny Hirsch. Do not tell me what you are. Tell me what you choose to be. Do you choose to be a Human, or a Monster?" (Minor declaration on Protector of the Small and Seen a Million Faces to say these two have already Soulgazed.)
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Mar 21, 2012 20:47
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J.R. and Ada meet outside Touro Infirmary, the hospital Father James was taken to. It's around 10AM and visiting hours have just started. The waiting room is mostly full and it takes some navigating for the two of them to get to reception. Not a lot of people are injured, it's mostly coughs and sniffles, and most of the patients are little kids. It isn't unusual for a poorer neighborhood like this. When a family can't afford to go to a doctor, they wait until it gets bad enough to need a hospital. "What can I help you with?" the receptionist asks in a dull, tired voice. She's about 60, with tightly curled short hair and large square glasses. "We don't take anyone without insurance, unless you're bleeding or having a stroke." You aren't family so it's going to take a bit of convincing to get the priest's room number. Any social attack you want, beat (not tie) a +3.
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Mar 22, 2012 04:32
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 Looking at the receptionist lady, Ada sighed. She appeared to be a tough nut to crack. Heaven probably had a less watchful guardian at the Pearly Gates. Leaning on the desk, she took on a tired expression...which was easy enough after the events of yesterday. "I...we're just here to make sure the Father's alright. The people of his congregation are worried." This wasn't, strictly speaking, a lie, though it did omit that little tidbit about her and JR not being a part of it. "We don't want to cause any trouble. We just need to make sure that Father James is fine and then we'll leave. It won't take five minutes, I promise." Rolling Rapport to convince the receptionist to let us through. Foxxbot's roll is //-+, so the result is +2. Weight of a Word takes that up to +4, enough to beat the set threshold.
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Mar 22, 2012 05:17
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The receptionist raises an eyebrow. "Oh, you're the first visitors to come looking for him. Other than the police, I mean." She looks down at her lists. "Normally I wouldn't but... well he's just been so depressed. Visitors might cheer him up a bit. Fine, room 202. Go on." One short elevator ride later they find themselves outside a standard hospital room. Inside, Father James is laying on the bed with his eyes closed. The bandaged stump of his arm rests on his lap.
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Mar 22, 2012 05:31
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 5 Jenny is quiet for a long, long moment. "...human. I want to be human. I just... I need a little time, Hughes. It's not that easy."
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Mar 23, 2012 07:54
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 Hugues smiled in approval. "Never said it was, and I never said you had to march back to the battlefield quite yet." He pulled out his deputy pin from Cole. "You've still got one of these. Come back when you say you're ready. A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Well, she means to." He got up and stretched for a moment, and reached for his sandwich, and set it besides Jenny. After that he picked up her destroyed sandwich and threw it in the trash, not frowning or making any sort of disapproval of the waste of food. "If you're having nightmares, I can brew up something quick to deal with that. Back in the War, we had a recipe for a potion that would give a dreamless sleep for a night. It's not healthy for a week straight, but for a few nights while you consciously sort things out, it's good. It calls for milk, but back in the 70's I found NyQuil works better. " He paused, then turned to Jenny and tried to adopt an aged and achy tone of voice, which really clashed with his youthful vocal cords. "Plus an old-fashioned man like me can't use magic unless I get a formal invitation into your humble abode." Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 08:14 on Mar 23, 2012 |
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Mar 23, 2012 08:11
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 Ada entered the room silently, trying not to disturb the Father in case he was asleep. As she made her way into the room, she looked at JR inquisitively, silently asking him about their next move. After a moment, she approached the bed and leaned forward slightly. "Father? We need to speak with you." She began, her voice very sofrt and quiet.
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Mar 23, 2012 08:38
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Father James exhales a breath and his eyes open halfway. "I remember you. From the church." He looks sideways at J.R. "Not him though." His words are slurred slightly, and there's a morphine bag dripping from the IV stand next to him. He raises the bandaged stump. "Wasn't an explosion. Didn't imagine it. I know I... didn't..." He trails off, his eyes are slightly glazed. "I like your hat." he smiles at J.R.
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Mar 23, 2012 08:51
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 Mitsuo glances around the corner into the hospital room. Ada looks... terrible. Stressed. Concerned. Guilty, mostly, and desperately searching for some way to absolve herself. Rather than intrude upon her reverie, Mitsuo heads for the door. He bows curtly to Roy on the way out. Gunning the Subaru, he cruises out of the nicer section of town, and out to the east where the Asian neighborhoods are. He spares a moment of regret at leaving behind the perfectly manicured gardens; he's always had a soft spot for flowers. They bring up so many memories, good and bad. His mother's Hawai'ian garden, full of purples and oranges. The orchids his father's family bred in the tiny box in the front yard. The chrysanthemum emblems on his uniform. Cherry blossoms strewn on the runways before the kami-kaze pilots took off, blinded by hachimaki and dreams of glory. Calla lilies and his mother's voice... I will always watch over you... With misty eyes he pulls into the driveway at Forward Thinking. Five minutes later he's kneeling on the bamboo mat, bare-chested, gently running an oiled cloth along the blade of his father's short sword. He sheathes both blades and reverently replaces them on their display hooks. Snagging a soda from the thaumafridge, he walks over to an ancient wooden-cased radio next to the barred window. He flips the main switch. It crackles to life, tuned to the local all-news channel. He sips at his soda and shuffles around the room, pulling out random objects and piling them on a low table. Long sheets of paper tied with red ribbon. A round, flat, greenish stone. Two thin waxy rods, one black and one red. A wooden case filled with horsehair brushes. A tiny copper pot. Glass lenses on silk pillows. And finally, the grimoire, carefully placed away from the other objects. He lets the friendly drone of the newscaster wash away his thoughts as he picks up the copper pot and allows a few drops of clear water to fall on the green stone. Taking the black rod in hand, he rubs it in a slow infinity-loop on the wet stone. His eyes defocus, gazing through the walls of the apartment, letting the events of the day dissipate as he prepares for a new working.
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Mar 24, 2012 03:08
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The radio caster drones merrily about traffic and the Dow Jones (which is up by 10 points today!) but when he gets to the weather something catches Mitsuo's ear. "As you know Bill, we've got another three weeks of Hurricane Season left this year, anything brewing on the horizon?" "Well Dave, nothing too big- knock on wood- but Tropical Storm Hermione has been acting rather peculiar out in the Atlantic. So far she's been mostly stationary and picking up windspeed. She's not a hurricane and it doesn't look like she'll be making landfall anywhere but the scientists are really scratching their heads over that one." "As long as it's out in the middle of the ocean, Bill, it can do whatever it wants in my book. And now for sports!" mistaya fucked around with this message at 04:08 on Mar 24, 2012 |
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Mar 24, 2012 03:25
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 5 A smile flickers across Jenny's face at Hughes impression, although it's quickly gone. She knew about the threshold... thing, but she'd wanted him to go away. Still, that was an easy enough thing to fix. Most things weren't going to be this simple. "You have my permission to enter my house, Hughes. Umm. Do you need my help with the potion?" Hooray vicodin.
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Mar 24, 2012 03:35
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 17:20 |
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 With Jenny's official invitation, Hugues let out a relieved sigh. The pressure that was in his head released at once, and he could feel that spark of power return. "No...I've got this." He walked to her stove, and quickly began boiling a small pot of water, and he set up a simple ward around to to keep the more intangible ingredients inside the pot. The secret to to this potion was to select "empty" items, or items associated with dreams. Clear water worked good as a base. A tiny bit of soap for smell, a bit of cotton like used in pillows for touch. Two eyelashes, from both the top and bottom, for sight (or rather, to symbolize closed sight), and a loud yawn for sound. For taste he used tea-bag, and a feather for spirit for same reason it was used for dreamcatchers. At last, the NyQuil for mind. It took Hugues a while to mix the ingredients together, especially for just capturing the yawn. Still, he managed with what little magic he had, even if it meant carefully planning out quick rituals when an evocation would have worked just as well. When he was done, he was left with a liquid that was milky white. He poured it into an empty plastic water-bottle and placed it in her fridge so that it would cool off after being boiled. "Drink just before bed and it should start settling in a few minutes." He took a moment and looked at his watch, and realized that Mitsuo was probably going to be stopping by with that Dark Book sometime soon. "I should probably head back, Mitsuo apparently found something he wants me to take a look at." Hugues stepped closer and gave Jenny a warm hug. "Take care of yourself, alright? I'm going to stop by tomorrow to check on you. And don't be afraid to call me." With that, Hugues left her house, and hopped back on his bicycle to head back to his place. Mitsuo could likely call any minute, and he needed to put up extra wards on his more fragile electronic devices like his TV and the console he picked up so he could figure out what the other kids were talking about with this strange Link person who kept going through time. And they treated it like it was a good thing. What nonsense.
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Mar 24, 2012 04:57
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