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Ruby smiles at the honorific. "Thank you. I know that was hard, for you." She stands up, dusting off her jeans, and begins to walk in a circle around J.R., keeping her distance but looking at him carefully. "He has been hunting down people with the ability to alter time for many years. He uses them, for a month or two, and they die. All of them, except you. You he kept alive. I thought there must be a reason, but I cannot see it." She stops pacing and faces him. "Did anyone else in our family die mysteriously, right before you met him? Did they have the same power? He follows the bloodlines until he destroys them, root and branch." -- Warden Cole FP:2 Cole nods and sits down in his chair, opposite Mitsuo. He touches the ring as well, closing the circle with an effort of will. Mental magic is delicate and dangerous, which is why the spell is so specifically defined. Only what is agreed to can be shown. Of course, you could get someone to agree to a lot given the right circumstances. Cole concentrates on the orb. "Show us the breaking of the blade. Inkumbulo." A picture forms in the swirling colors, brighter and more vivid than any TV. There is no sound, adding other senses to the experience is possible but makes the spell much more complex and they aren't needed for this. It's a first person perspective, literally what Mitsuo was seeing at the time. The memory gaze flicks back and forth between the terrible inhuman Lady and Cole, frozen in a mental battle. Mitsuo looks down at the sword in his hand and there is a moment's hesitancy, then he shatters the barrier with a well placed thrust. Two steps towards Cole and an open portal, then a blur of color as Mitsuo tumbles, landing on his back and looking up at a huge catbeast that's nearly nose to nose with him. Five inch claws come down, but Mitsuo parries with the flat of the blade and pulls free. Diving through the portal, onto a black sand beach inside a dark cave. Handing the sword back. The blade snaps. The image freezes. "As agreed." Cole said, his words quiet. "Now, zoom and enhance." The image does exactly that, just like on CSI. There are spidery fracture lines leading to and through the break. It's not damage to the physical blade itself, that would have been obvious. The damage is to the spell working. "Rewind to the parry." The image blurs, showing the catbeast's paw bowing the blade near in half. But the spidery damage lines are already there. "Rewind to the counterspell." The lines are already there. "Rewind to beginning." They're already there. "drat it. When did this happen?" The brass circle heats up suddenly, and Mitsuo pulls his hand back in surprise. The orb begins displaying an entirely different memory. Cole's memory. He's looking at the ground, on his knees. The tip of his own sword lifts his chin up, to look at the monstrous face of a Red Court Vampire in its true form, holding it. There are others all around him, dozens of them. The blade plunges- "Enough." Cole orders, and the image vanishes. "I don't think this can be repaired, after all. At least we know it wasn't your fault, Mitsuo." He turns to Hugues. "We can reforge the blade, as a temporary measure. It will have to do for now. I think... I need a drink." Cole stands up and heads for the kitchen. "Anything for either of you?" Giving you two a breather before we shift gears to the demony stuff. Memory thaumaturgy: (Visual only) Complexity of 5, no failed rolls. Each sense would add +5 to complexity. (sound, smell, etc)
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Apr 27, 2012 01:37
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 "Hold on." Ada said, lifting a hand as she furrowed her brow, thinking. "What do you mean he 'uses them for a month or two'? You mean he seeks out Sixth Law lawbreakers and then...what? Why does he go out to find them, if it isn't to put them down? What's in it for him?" She asked.
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Apr 27, 2012 02:58
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Ruby shakes her head. "I've been told he was Winter Court once, exiled in an age long past. Perhaps he is currying favor, or seeking power for revenge. Or one of a hundred other things. I only know what he did to my family. They are all dead but me, and I only escaped him by forsaking mortality."
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Apr 27, 2012 03:17
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 "In other words, what he is..." Ada said, exchanging a glance with JR, "...Is trouble. And lots of it. What do you think? She trying to pull one over us here? Doesn't look like it from where I'm standing, but this is your business, so it's your call. This is getting pretty big, though - Fae on every corner, to say nothing of her, and everything else that's on our plate already. What's the plan now, JR? Find Merle and ask him a couple questions?"
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Apr 27, 2012 03:42
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J.R. - FP: 3->2 She certainly seemed Sidhe, so she couldn't lie, and she was being fairly direct for one of them as well. "Aunt Lucy died, 'bout a year before I got shot. Could be he did it. As far as why I didn't die, well, reckon it's a bit of he thought I was more useful alive and the rest of I don't die real easy. Only one way to be sure, though." JR takes out a bullet from his pocket, and a small knife. He quickly carves a symbol onto the bullet, then loads it into his revolver. After looking around for a moment, he spots a pine tree and walks toward it. Once he's close enough, he fires the bullet into the bark. "Shouldn't be too long, before he shows up, and we'll see what he has to say," JR says as he reloads his gun. Lore //+- +2 = 2 to recognize her as Sidhe. Invoking That's One You Owe Me to know of a way to get Boh to show up.
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Apr 27, 2012 05:11
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Hugues watched curiously as Cole used his spell to show what happened to the sword. Somehow he wasn't too terribly surprised with the catbeast. Although he had no idea what Cole and Mitsuo ended up dealing with, it was certainly something and nothing would have surprised him. What did surprise him was seeing the Red Court Vampire in all it's hideous glory again. From Cole's perspective, it was a time of certain doom, when one should start uttering their own Dea-- Wenn du mich erschlagen, ich werde wieder auferstehen! Hugues shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to block out his own memories now. "Yeah...sounds good...I'll have what you're having." Although he doubted Cole meant something alcoholic...he wouldn't reject something like that right now, childish body be damned. "Yeah...I don't know what that was, but it looks like it needs to be forced out of the blade before we can do anything more. And that means undoing whatever magic is currently living inside the broken blade, curse and blessing alike."
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Apr 27, 2012 06:59
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Mitsuo - FP: 1 -> 2 "A cola if you have one, otherwise ice water. Thank you," Mitsuo says, gingerly touching the ring. He holds his hand up for inspection. No damage. The heat wasn't real. Emotional pain, then, or possibly nerve induction. He raises his voice to be heard as Cole heads for the kitchen. "I still must apologize for the fate of your sword. To... ah, borrow such an important tool and return it in an unusable condition is shameful." He stares blankly at the ring, thinking about the visions of his memories. Trying not to think about Cole's. When Cole comes back from the kitchen, Mitsuo interposes himself between Cole and the chairs. He stands stiff as a board, hands at his sides with fingers pointed straight to the ground, eyes locked on Cole's. "Your sword was... is... more to you than a tool. Not only a symbol of office, but a focus of-" he narrowly avoids saying memories- "emotions which are to be treasured. I regret that it came to such misfortune while in my possession. 申し訳ありませんでした。*" He bends slowly at the waist until his upper body is parallel to the floor. With hands still stiffly extended, he remains there, waiting for Cole's reaction. Yes, I feel compelled to work Dune references into everything I do, why do you ask? * Moushiwake arimasen-deshita. A formal apology to authority or superiors. Taking a self-compel on "Foreign Correspondent." This sort of disgraceful behaviour must be discharged through service. Mitsuo will be "Saving Face" by accepting a compel from Cole at a later date.
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Apr 27, 2012 07:01
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Warden Cole FP:2 "Mitsuo." Cole is more than a little surprised at this, and not quite sure how to respond without offending him. "I accept your apology, but a sword is a tool. You used it in defense of both our lives, I would have done it myself if I was able to. If you feel honor-bound, I will respect that, but there are no debts between friends." He gives Mitsuo a smile and offers him a can of Sprite. "I don't keep anything with caffine in the house, hope this is okay." He sits back down and clears all the magical items off his desk, passing another Sprite to Hugues. Cole himself has a glass of cold tea. He stirs it for a second before sipping at it, thinking. "We have a more pressing issue than my sword, anyway. I talked to Father Lauden last night. He's agreed to be our bait, but we need to plan out the best way to protect him without making it impossible to reach him. If we just park him behind the church's threshold and fort up, they won't even try. He has to look vulnerable."
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Apr 27, 2012 16:29
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 Mitsuo straightens up with a wolfish grin. "I do not think that is a problem. With Wardens and military men, and a couple of veil experts, we could entrap Mara himself." He takes the proferred soda, cracks it for a long pull, then starts to pace around the room. "First problem is location. You are right that churches are out - too much faith involved. A ruined church, or a new one, could work but present their own problems. I am sure the demons would love to catch him in transit somewhere, an easy lure to throw, but the logistics of defense become much more complicated, to say nothing of public involvement. "So, a different location, isolated if possible, easily defensible, with magical resources. Easily accessible as well, so that we can do our groundwork." Mitsuo turns back to Cole and Hugues. "Two suggestions, then. He clears his throat and says for Cole's edification, "I run a security consulting business on the east edge of the city, nearly into the marshes. I live above it much like yourself. The building is poured concrete, very solidly built, heavily reinforced. I know the floorplan and angles of ingress by heart. In terms of mundane defenses you could hardly ask for a better staging area. It is likely small enough to ward heavily. Even a demon would have a hard time getting through the walls or doors. "The biggest problem that I see, though, is that any excuse we find for the Father to be there will be absolutely transparent. We will be starting a firefight. One that I believe we can win, given our considerable advantages, and one which the enemy will almost certainly walk into, given his nature. But still a costly one. "The other candidate," and here he looks pained for a moment, "is Ada's family home. It is, unfortunately, the best mixture of isolation and feasibility for a true trap. The floorplan is large but we can pare down our defended area to a manageable size, and erect multiple layers of wards and traps. Its greatest advantage will be a threshold second only to that of the Father's own church." Still looking vaguely uncomfortable, Mitsuo continues, "Beyond the obvious property destruction, we will have to contend with a much more mobile enemy. Our own placement options will probably leave us exposed to assault from multiple directions. There is the very real possibility that an attack in force would keep us pinned down long enough to steal the Father away. And, I fear, a second attack would not go nearly so easily as the first. Still, with proper placement and preparation, we would have overwhelming force at any one or two locations. 'In war, prize the quick victory, not the protracted engagement.'" He stands pensive for a moment. A thought occurs to him and he turns to Cole again. "Do you have any idea of what is coming for us? Will it be more demons, black sorcerors, or something else entirely? A decision like this is very risky when made in the dark. 'He who knows neither the enemy nor himself, will be at risk in every battle.' Perhaps while we are here we could attempt to gain more information."
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Apr 27, 2012 17:53
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 "Two good locations, ignoring the fact that people live there, especially Ada's family if we were to use her location. But they don't handle the main problem which is making Father appear vulnerable without being so. The more defensible the location, the harder it becomes to lure the demons out which puts Father Lauden in the tricky spot of keeping him safe but not..." Suddenly Hugues slams his hand on the table. "I got it! We don't need Lauden, we can just use a disguise. I use potions for this all the time, just use various symbolic links from Father Lauden to change the form to him. Assuming he's willing to cooperate, we can worry about the clothing by directly borrowing it from him. This way we can keep Lauden safe in some Fortress of Solitude somewhere. "Mitsuo, if you can somehow make your place appealing for demons to attack, then I say we try to get a fake-Lauden there."
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Apr 27, 2012 20:20
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Warden Cole FP:2 "Well, demon wise we know they travel in human form, and they've all posed as young men. We don't have a clear description of any of them. Whatever kind of veil they're using, it blurrs their face out as soon as you stop looking at them." He shrugs. "I can't remember the one I saw at the church either. It's a drat good disguise spell. Anyway, the one we fought in the church didn't seem to have any magic, he was just a bruiser. His friend had a weapon but didn't use magic or change form. For all we know that was one of the summoners, and not a demon himself. The attack on the VFW hall was a demon, Andy cut him up and he bled black, but he didn't drop his human guise. He was throwing hellfire. The one on the Vampire's boat didn't use any magic, if what Andy told me is correct, but it might just have been taken by surprise before it could do anything. I don't know what it was doing on that particular boat, but apparently it wasn't something the principles in the White Court knew about. I've put in a request to talk to Niell Raith about that, but he probably won't respond for at least another day." Cole shakes his head. Vampires. "The potion is a very good idea. If we can make it convincing enough." He taps one finger on his desk, thinking. "Mitsuo, your place seems like the most defensible position with the least risk of bystander casualties. It shouldn't be too hard to come up with a convincing reason for Lauden to want to visit a security company, after what happened to Father James. We'll keep Lauden in the church, have someone go in under a veil and come out as him." Cole smiles. "And I think I know just the cowboy for that job, when we're ready. First though, we need to get those links set up. Mitsuo, can you swing by the church and pick up the shopping list for the potion? We'll need some hair and a few other things, I'd rather do the potionmaking here. Me and Hugues can at least temp-fix my sword while you're out." mistaya fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Apr 27, 2012 |
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Apr 27, 2012 20:39
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 Mitsuo nods curtly. "Tell them to have things ready for me. Lauden does not know me, better that he has some warning than that I show up and demand his toupee. Good luck with your forging." He exits gracefullly and warms up the 1000 for the trip across town. Pulling into the church's parking lot, he cuts the engine. He reaches for the door handle and hesitates. Reluctantly, he draws out the obsidian knife and adds it to the cache in the back. He checks to be sure his own knife is accessible. No sense in going in completely unprepared. Crossing through the carved doors of the building is like throwing himself face-first into a frozen lake. Through the chill, Mitsuo feels his powers drift out of reach. He takes a few steps into the hall and stands awkwardly in the aisle, looking around for Lauden or one of the other clergy.
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Apr 27, 2012 21:21
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Hugues nodded. "It's a good start, and this way Father Lauden stays safe." He took a sip of his Sprite as Mitsuo left. "Watch yourself, the demons may be after us as well." He sat silently for a moment, looking at the spot on the table where Cole had his memory-viewing devices. "So...what happened after that? With the vampire?"
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Apr 27, 2012 22:33
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The only person in the church is sitting in the second pew on the left side. It's a young man. He doesn't seem to be praying, just sitting there, looking at the altar. He turns his head at the sound of footsteps and Mitsuo is surprised to see that it's the junior manager kid from Rattlesnake Jake's, Dennis. The young man turns back to the altar without speaking. He looks terrible, like he hasn't slept at all. And he still just feels wrong. -- "Uncle said you were direct." Ruby frowned at the bullet hole in the tree. "I hope you know what you're doing." It's not long before those big yellow eyes are visible in the branches of the tree. Bohpoli laughs quietly by way of greeting. "I see you've found the youngest jewel of the Summer Court. What tales has she told of me, then?" -- Warden Cole FP:2 "If you're going to ask me about my past, maybe you should be more honest about your own. My lab's in the basement. Bring your tools." He grabs the two pieces of his sword and tucks the blue orb into a pouch on his belt before opening the door under the main staircase and heading down. Cole's basement isn't terribly large or finished. He says a word as he walks down the wooden stairs and a fishbowl suspended from the ceiling on a chain lights up, the water inside giving off a dull white glow that reminds Hugues of flourecent lighting. No messy candles for this wizard. The floor of the basement is cement and the walls are bare grey cinderblock. There is a stainless steel lab table set up in the center, and there are shelves filled with the usual books and ingredients along the walls. It's actually pretty barren for a wizard's lab, Cole hasn't had a lot of time to set up yet. There's a small kiln and a miniature forge set up along one wall, and it looks like Cole is fond of brass, because most of the ornaments and objects hanging around are made of the bright yellow metal. mistaya fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Apr 27, 2012 |
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Apr 27, 2012 22:37
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Hugues stayed awkwardly quiet at Cole's comment about the past, as he grabbed his bag and followed the Warden down into his basement. Well, sorry Cole, I would be more honest if I had the feeling you wouldn't kill me when you found out the truth. As he walked around the unfinished lab, he couldn't help but laugh a bit. "It's a lot less crowded than mine. Then again you have a basement, mine's just a cramped apartment bedroom." And magical lighting, although the fishbowl thing was really clever. It just needed a plastic fish or two to complete the aesthetics. Maybe Hugues could give that as a joke Christmas gift or something. "Well, from what I can tell, there's a couple ways we can do this. The first option is to take the sword and magically glue or weld it back together. Whatever that spiderweb fracturing might still be intact after that though. The second option is to melt the blade down completely and reforge it anew. This will probably destroy the enchantments and or curses on the blade already and force us to place new ones."
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Apr 28, 2012 03:19
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J.R. - FP: 2 "Seems like I don't know what I'm doing, according to you. Still, soonest started is soonest finish," JR replies to Ruby as he waits. When Boh appears, JR opens the conversation with a question in a heavily controlled tone. "So, have you been killing my kin, and why?"
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Apr 28, 2012 03:25
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Warden Cole FP:2 "I like to keep the clutter down, makes things less likely to start on fire." Cole says. He feels kind of bad about taking that tone with Hugues, but some things are better buried. "I don't think we have the time to do anything complicated, let's just reforge the blade for now, strengthen it so it doesn't snap off when it's stuck between demon ribs." He holds up the hilt in one hand and looks hard at the broken edge. "I don't think it's cursed. The counterspell was... overloaded. It was forced against something that can't be dispelled. I haven't used the sword's magic since that happened. Mitsuo must have finished off what little power was still holding it together." The fishbowl's dull white light flickers, and Cole pauses, realizing how angry he is. "Sorry." He says, setting the pieces on the table and heading over to start up the little forge. -- "Now is that any way to say hello?" Boh chides. "Haven't I always done right by you, J.R.? This would be a sorry way to end our mutual partnership, over men long dead and buried."
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Apr 28, 2012 03:58
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J.R. - FP: 2 "You've always held up your end up the deal, Boh, but that ain't the issue. I ask again: have you been killing my kin?" JR growls.
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Apr 28, 2012 04:03
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"Any kin of yours have been dead 60 years and more. Let it lie." His eyes flick up at Ruby. "Maybe the reason he's lived so long is he never asked questions, little jewel."
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Apr 28, 2012 04:17
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J.R. - FP: 2 "That could be, I suppose. On the other hand, could be the reason I lived so long is that I spent most of it in a hole. Makes me wonder - could you have pulled me out any time, Boh? I reckon it don't matter now. So, then, let's have it: were you killing my kin?" JR asks forcefully.
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Apr 28, 2012 04:25
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Ada duSang - FP: 1 "That's three." Ada said, clutching the knife she'd taken out of her jeweled box while the fae and JR traded words. With how unhelpful he'd been, she had little doubts about where the conversation was going to go next, and it was certainly going to be nowhere pleasant. "JR, I really, really hope you know who you're messing with here..." She murmured, looking for any signs of upcoming strife.
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Apr 28, 2012 04:48
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 "Don't be. A sword is more than a weapon or a tool. It's an extension of our arm, and yet it is more than that. It becomes us. Losing your sword is like losing a limb." Something Hugues was all too familiar with, although he lost more than his sword. "Come on, let's get to work. You got any iron or coal sitting around?" (Complexity 5 to reforge Cole's sword. Lore satisfies that on it's own. Rolls: ++-+ = 2 +-// = 0 -+++ = 2 +++/ = 3 -/// = -1, no ---- so Success!) Transmutation was tricky, but followed very simple rules. All the matter used in procedure had to match the matter at the end, the real trick was shaping and forming it while the matter was state of flux. This took a great deal of heat to loosen the solid state of the sword, to bring it to a liquid state when everything could flow around properly. Impurities could be extracted and removed before the form began to be shaped. When the shapes was ready, water removed the heat and solidified the sword, bring it from the state of liquid flux to solid matter once more. "It's just a sword now...ready to test it?" Hugues said with a smile, as he tossed the sword at Cole, and drew his own.
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Apr 28, 2012 05:03
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Bohpoli shakes his head back and forth, as if sad. "Now you've gone and done it." Bound to give answer he might be, but Bohpoli would give it in his own time. "I could have pulled you out of that hole at any time, true. But then I'd have had to watch you bleed to death in front of me with a bullet in your lung. I'm no healer. The mortals' medicine had to catch up to magic before it was safe to wake you." He snorts. "The jewel and her 'Uncle' would have you in debt to the Summer Court, for saving your life. The Courts play for keeps, J.R. They don't let you pay your debts and trade favors like I do. You'd be their man, their tool, until the day you died. I saved you from that." He smiles, showing teeth. "Yes. I killed your kin. I would kill them again, if it meant keeping them from Summer. Pawns, one and all." -- Warden Cole FP:2 "I never really thought about it as an extention of myself. It's always just been a tool, something that keeps me alive." Cole admits, testing the balance and giving it a few swipes. The sword feels different in his hand. Lighter. The color is off too, from the iron laced into the original silver. "But you're right. Losing it proved that much." Satisfied with the work he faces the kid. "I'm not going easy, if you won't." he says. Hugues answers that with a lunge. Cole quickly parries to first position, protecting his knees, then answers with a high cut (relatively) to the shoulder, which Hugues backsteps easily by using the length of the room. Their styles are completely different. Hugues needs to stay low and close to hit anything, and he's fast enough to do it, but Cole's superior reach and stride are making it hard on him. The second pass no one hits anything, they're still taking each other's measures. The third pass Hugues ducks inside Cole's guard and goes high. The Warden grins and parries two handed, throwing Hugues' blade wide. The fourth pass Cole advances and forces a direct contest. Hugues knows he can't win by main strength. When the Warden presses, he sidesteps underneath, and cuts to the lower calf. Cole steps out of it, barely. The fifth pass is a mess as they both recover from that near hit and circle each other. Both tired now, the sixth pass is the last. Cole feints another high swipe then ducks under Hugues' overcorrected guard. Tip to chest. "Hah." Cole says, grinning. "I was worried for a minute there. I don't think the other Wardens would ever let me live it down if I lost a swordfight to a 10 year old." He sits down on the cool cement and leans back against the wall. mistaya fucked around with this message at 06:34 on Apr 28, 2012 |
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Apr 28, 2012 05:21
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 2quote:She just hadn't been prepared. It was time for that to come to an end. Jenny pulled the necklace chain out of the hooks that secured the amulet, feeling its weight in her hand. Her grandmother had only spoken about her childhood to Jenny once, and the memory of her grandmother's thousand yard stare made her shiver. It had not been a good time to be a young Jewish girl in Warsaw, and the precious amulet had been safely hidden. That was during the uprising from the ghetto, and the month of hope before the German army crushed the remaining resistance. Jenny's grandmother, great-grandmother, and almost the entirety of the rest of her family on that side had spent time at Treblinka; only her grandmother was still alive at the end of the war, barely into her teens. It had... heft. Weight. And wearing it had always made Jenny feel better. Taking an old knife of her grandmother's out of the drawer, she draws in her power and focused it into the two objects as she pressed them down, willing them to join together. With a faint clinking sound, the amulet seems to lock in to an indentation on the knife. Huh. Waving it around a few times and throwing it into the floor, it... seems to hold. Neat. Weird, still, but neat. ------------- It's the next day. Hughes said he'd be coming to Cole's place, so... *ding dong* Mechanically, I traded in my necklace focus item for an enchanted item. It uses Discipline to attack with Weapon:1 and applies an aspect STABBED WITH A HOLY BLADE.
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Apr 28, 2012 07:25
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J.R. - FP: 2 "Figured it might be something like that. Ruby here was a mite too quick to point me to gunning you down, and vague on the details. So," he says, turning so that both Ruby and Boh are in front of him, "what did the Summer Court want with us. I reckon it had something to do with the family talent, but I ain't see how it makes it needful to kill those who got it if you can't have 'em."
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Apr 28, 2012 10:23
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 Well. He did not see me at the club, or at least I must assume so. Maybe I will even learn something from him... Mitsuo slides into the pew beside Dennis. "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. Have you seen the Father recently? And, uh... are you all right? If you need to talk to someone, I will listen." Deceit to pretend to care! -//+ +2 = +2 result.
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Apr 28, 2012 16:41
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Dennis looks uncomfortable to be so close to another person. "I haven't seen anyone." he says. His voice is timid and he pauses a lot, as if unable to think of the words. "I think... there's something wrong with me. I don't remember... where I was last night. My manager is in the hospital. But I don't have a job, so I don't..." He shakes his head as if trying to clear it. "Do you know who I am?" he asks, and the question is as sincere as it is desperate.
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Apr 28, 2012 17:47
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Mitsuo - FP: 2 Mitsuo looks uncomfortable. "Um. I have seen you somewhere... oh, at Jake's, was it not? You were working the floor. ... Dennis, is it?" He tries to mask his discomfort with concern, hoping this isn't some kind of act, that Dennis won't snap and go all Charlie Manson here in the church. "Do you think you should see a doctor? Memory loss could be serious." Lore -/++ +3 = +4 Something clicks in Mitsuo's mind. Memories of long ago. Friends and soldiers who'd wandered into the middle of something magical and had their minds partly wiped by unscrupulous practitioners trying to cover their tracks. The "off" feeling, his blackouts, his loss of confidence, it all fits. What went on in that club?
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Apr 28, 2012 18:17
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"Dennis." he tries it out, saying the name slowly. "No. It's not." He turns back to the altar. "It's quiet here. Quiet is... easier. Don't want to leave." The sound of a door closing echoes through the church as Father Lauden enters from a side door. The priest is wearing his usual black outfit with the stiff collar. He looks the two men in the pew over before speaking. "Do you need anything, gentleman?" Dennis just shakes his head. Lauden looks at Mitsuo expectantly.
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Apr 28, 2012 18:34
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Mitsuo Mitsuo says gently to Dennis, "I think this is the best place for you right now. I will check in again before I leave." Rising, he walks toward Lauden. "Father Lauden, I am a friend of Mr. Cole's. He should have told you to expect me. My name is Mitsuo. Shall we talk in the back?" Lauden nods curtly and leads Mitsuo into the rectory. "So, Father, how much did Cole tell you?"
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Apr 28, 2012 18:43
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"Yes. He told me you were coming by and to give you whatever you asked for, but he didn't tell me the reason." Lauden frowns. "I am not a man who approves of witchcraft, sir. We share a common enemy, for now. Do not think that makes us friends. Mr. Cole's reputation with St. Giles is the only reason I'm even considering this."
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Apr 28, 2012 18:59
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Mitsuo Mitsuo is nonplussed. "As you will. I seem to make few friends these days. Regardless, we intend to draw out our common enemy, to keep him off balance long enough to beat them back. At the moment... what they want is you." He pauses for a moment to let that sink in. "You will be safer here in the church than anywhere else. We will give you what support we can... come to think of it, we will ask Mister Nazarene to stay with you. But, we will be drawing attention away from the church with a sort of facsimile of you. To that end, we need a handful of things as links to you." Mitsuo pulls out a hastily jotted note and a small glass bottle. "Ah... these are not set in stone, but were my first thoughts." He reads off from the grocery list. "A lock of hair, one of your spare white collars, a set of rosary beads you have used, a stole you have worn at mass, a letter or essay you have written. I will ask you to chant a psalm," and here he brandishes the bottle. "And last on the list... a communion wafer." Mitsuo holds up both hands in a placating gesture, to head off any outburst. "It need not be consecrated. Just the form and flavor is enough."
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Apr 28, 2012 19:18
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"That is acceptable." Lauden bows his head slightly. "Please, sit. It will not take long." He shuffles to a side room and there is the sound of a closet door opening. A cough draws Mitsuo's attention to another small room. Father James is sitting on a small neatly made bed, reading a book with his good hand. He looks awful. His face is gaunt and thin, like he hasn't eaten in days, and his skin is sickly pale. He doesn't look up. Father lauden returns a moment later with a box containing the items other than the wafer. One stiff white collar, a thin lock of grey hair, a small rosary with plain wooden beads, a neatly folded purple stole with gold embroidery, and a folded letter. There is a clear plastic sleeve containing the wafer as well. "Don't worry overmuch. Unleavened bread is not holy by itself." he says, handing Mitsuo the box. "I have chosen a psalm. Are you ready?" Lauden's deep voice is soft, but powerful. Psalm 27 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, These my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; Though war be waged against me, even then do I trust." When it's over, Lauden nods. "I'll call Andy. God be with you, sir."
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Apr 28, 2012 19:55
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Hugues laughs a childish laugh. "Now you get to tell them you beat up a little kid. That's not any better." He sheathed his own sword. "I think I might have some candy in my bag too. You want to take that while you're at it?" He gave a startled look upstairs when the door bell rang out. "Either Mitsuo's back early, or we may have an uninvited guest." Hugues followed Cole upstairs who casually opened the door, revealing Jenny. "Wait a second. Cole, don't invite her in. Jenny, do or say something only you would do. Pardon my rudeness, but with demons about, I want to make sure we don't accidentally invite in a trap." Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Apr 28, 2012 |
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Apr 28, 2012 20:10
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Mitsuo Mitsuo corks the bottle and pockets it. "Ah, one more thing before I go. The man outside, in the hall? His name is Dennis. I fear his mind has been affected by mystical forces - whether our current enemy, or another, I am not sure, though I lean towards the latter. He expressed a desire to stay here. It might be best if you could find a place for him. Though far away from yourself," he admonishes, "to prevent our trap from being circumvented. Thank you." He turns on his heel and leaves. On his way out he ducks into the pew next to Dennis. "I put in a good word for you with the priests. He will be leaving soon, but he may find somewhere for you to stay here. Best of luck." With that done, he sets out for Cole's office.
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Apr 28, 2012 20:20
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"Your words are poison." Ruby glares at Bohpoli, who just continues grinning. He knows when he's winning. "The truth always tastes bitter." he responds. "She can't tell you, even if she wished to. And you know better than to expect me to hand you that much for free. You haven't got anything I need that badly yet, J.R. If you want to know, you'll have to wait until you do." His smile widens. "I'll be seeing you, J.R." and with that, Bohpoli fades away like the Cheshire cat.
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Apr 28, 2012 20:36
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 2 Jenny's face flickers into a quick smile. Something only I would do? Jenny holds up one hand as the other reaches into her purse, digging around for a few seconds before pulling out a small package of apple flavored juice boxes. "Thirsty? I brought your favorite. There's enough for Cole too, of course."
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Apr 29, 2012 04:06
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Hugues' face mixed with relief that it was Jenny, embarrassed at getting teased about the juice box in front of Cole, and a bit of guilty joy because he was thirsty. He snatched the juice box before walking away with a pouty face. "She's clear." Poking open the juice box with it's attached straw, Hugues waited for Cole to invite Jenny in while he sat at the table. "Mitsuo's out grocery shopping, we've got a plan getting roughed out. The demons want Father Lauden's tongue, but that's going to be difficult for them to get with him hiding in the church. So one of us, probably JR, is going to magically disguise ourselves as Lauden as we transfer the fake Lauden to Mitsuo's place. The demons will either try to attack us en route, or when we're at Mitsuo's place, which might as well be a fortress for us, although one with a weaker Threshold than the church's. Meanwhile we just finished reforging Cole's sword, although it's not enchanted anymore. Fire is the great purifying force, but it purifies everything without exception." Taking the last sip from the juice box with it's annoying gurgling sounds, he looked up to Cole. "Did I miss anything?"
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Apr 29, 2012 04:48
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Warden Cole FP:2 "Come in, please." Cole laughs. "But I prefer tea. Would you like any? I think there's a Sprite left if you'd rather have soda." I believe we decided on Complexity of 12 for a perfect disguise that lasts the scene.
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Apr 29, 2012 05:04
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 00:12 |
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 2 After stepping into the apartment and past the threshold, Jenny smiles at Cole. "Sprite would be great, thank you." Taking a seat at the table, Jenny listens as Hughes explains the plan. "That sounds... very dangerous. I'm not opposed to it, mind you, but we'll have to be very careful to keep everyone safe... Father Landon included. Do we have a plan for what we're going to do when the demon falls for the trap, or have you two not thought that far ahead?"
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Apr 30, 2012 03:09
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