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The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

"Welcome home, son! Who's this you've brought back?"

Doesn't sound embarrassing? It's the way he says it. He's put on this jovial voice and he's asking the right questions but he's NEVER done this before. He's never hosted ordinary humans who he didn't work for, at any rate. And I know he's gonna slip up and call her a female or try and crack a joke or something and I CANNOT STOP HIM.

"Hey, Dad," I say. (Oh goddamn it) I think. "This is Zoe, she's from the Haven family. We're friends."

"Oh, that's nice! Are you courting?"

Oh my god at least when Linda's hot stepmom did it I didn't feel embarrassed FOR her.

"NO, Dad, we're friends." I give Zoe an apologetic look, and step inside to wipe my feet. Quick, change the subject. Appear normal. Do not reveal the fact that the Ortiz are snakebird people. "Hey, is Grandad coming around tomorrow? He was a laugh last time."

The Deleter fucked around with this message at 09:23 on Jan 14, 2015

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thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!
Anne Andrews
Hot +1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Up to something, Vulnerable, Darkest Self, Broken Rib, Shut Out
Location: The Party

OK, looks like things are cool with Matt. Jeez, it would have sucked to have alienated him. No matter what dad thinks of his family Matt's a good guy. Just...very Matt. I was gone for like 5 minutes ok it was way longer than that fine how did Zoe get in to a fight and apparently stomp the hell out of some nerd? Have I been barking up the wrong tree trying to protect her? And like hell I'm letting Maria get her claws on Zoe. Tougher than she looks, maybe, but whatever protection racket bullshit the princess thinks she is running is bad news. In fact, I think I'll let her know that. No-one, living or dead, gets to corrupt or hurt my friends. First things first, I want the full story. Nerds love to gossip, and it's not going to be a problem to get them to spill the beans.

I walk over to the little group huddling near the tables, acting like I'm just grabbing some snacks, and then push in to their circle with a cheerful and slightly manic expression

"Sup, dorks? How's the party going? Hey, my friend Zoe just left, she said something about a fight? Wanna fill me in?"

Manipulate an NPC: 2d6+1 10
The nerds will talk to Anne because A Girl Is Paying Attention To Us. Their motive is gossip and seeming socially acceptable. Marking XP for rolling hot.

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: The Ortiz House

----

I've always liked cars and Matt's Oldsmobile had just the right amount of rumble to it. I leaned into the old cracked leather and smiled while he sang along to the radio, and even sang along to the chorus parts. This was really nice. I could get used to this. Especially since my chances of getting a car until I bought my own were zip and zilch.

Matt gets a string on Zoe.

Once we were in the driveway though, I wasn't so sure about getting out of the car... It wasn't like Remiel was sending warnings, (that'd be too easy.) It was just me, being nervous about actually going in the Ortiz house. I live in a single wide trailer. My house is smaller than Matt's garage. Also now that I thought about it, my costume was not exactly the first impression I wanted to give Mr. Ortiz. Too late to back out of it now though. I followed Matt up the walk to the porch.

The Deleter posted:

"Welcome home, son! Who's this you've brought back?"

"Hey, Dad. This is Zoe, she's from the Haven family. We're friends."

"Hi." I managed, waving.

quote:

"Oh, that's nice! Are you courting?"

"NO, Dad, we're friends." I give Zoe an apologetic look, and step inside to wipe my feet. "Hey, is Grandad coming around tomorrow? He was a laugh last time."

I am pretty sure I turned as red as my costume. At least Mr. Ortiz seemed happy to see us, MY Dad sure wouldn't have been. I looked around as we walked inside. The place smelled funny. Musty, almost, like old dry sticks.

"You have a really nice house." I said. It sounded stiff but I was trying to be polite. "Um, Matt said we could watch a movie, maybe, before he takes me home later."

It's just a house Zoe, stop freaking out.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

Thankfully, dad accepts that explaination. I lead Zoe through to the living room. Spacious, nice couches, bigass tv because hell yeah being rich owns. What to watch? The shelves are-

"TWELVE AND A HALF PER CENT!"

Oh, yeah. That's Buster, the parrot. He's in a cage in the corner of the room, and the latest in a long line of birds that tend to vanish mysteriously whenever family comes around. I blame Aunt Melissa, personally. I've been charged with looking after him, which is hard because he's loud, ungrateful and a loving piece of garbage. He is very, very eager to learn how to talk - or, rather, shout.

"PRAISE THE SUN! TWELVE AND A HALF PER CENT!"

"Quiet, you." I hurl a blanket over the cage, and Buster's cries are replaced with what I can only assume are parrot snores. Zoe's standing there, bemused.

"Sorry. Buster's enthusiastic." I point at one of the couches. "Make yourself comfortable."

That's gonna be tricky. I have no clue what Zoe's tastes in movies are, and half of one shelf is basically nerd poo poo. But... Hang on...

Casablanca. Perfect.

"Hey." I wave the DVD at Zoe. "Casablanca sound good? Or is there anything you wanted in particular?"

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

Maria Ricca.
Hot: 1x Cold: 1 Volatile: 0x Dark: -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Weak, Paranoid.
Location: Party

Andy. He couldn't be back, could he? She'd fixed his rear end and good. Kept him well out of the picture and now someone was spreading totally unprovable rumours about what had happened to him. Perhaps that explained the events of tonight. Had the whole thing been a set-up on his part, she'd never had the highest regard for his intellect but the pieces certainly seemed to fit, and well didn't he used to date Maggie at some point? Could he have been using his old flame to set her up. Put her in the way of Anne's fists and then have her humiliated in public. Yes, yes, that made sense. Still she could be wrong he didn't seem that subtle but maybe the lesson she'd given him the last time left him a little more cautious. She had to make plans serious plans, now where was the rest of the gang....


Wait is that Amy, She has a real determined look on her face... that's somewhat undermined by the fact she's drunk. Rip-roaring drunk, Aww crap. Amy's a nice girl but she really can't hold her booze. After the last time... Maria shudders in repressed memory. Still perhaps she can defuse it before things get too bad. "Maria! I've been looking everywhere for you" she practically yells as she comes to an unsteady halt, "where you beens"h "Really want to talk to you bout something important." she goes on drunkenly "Haven't had a dance yetsh" she giggles. Maria smiles through gritted teeth, ok just gotta keep her distracted and get her out of here she thinks to herself. Maria says "well I'm sure one of the boys'd be happy---" "Don't want to dansh with boy's shilly want ta dance with you." Maria goes on "Well ok.Just the one though then we need to get you home for bed." Amy nods eagerly and drags Maria out into the middle of the dance floor as a new song starts to play.

Amy dances surprisingly well for someone that drunk, and seems really into dancing with Maria, even if she does get a little too close to her for comfort.

"Come on then, you've had your dance. let's get you home and tuck you into bed." Amy drunkenly giggles at something only she seems to find funny. "tuckingsh close enuff I guessh." She staggers off the dance floor clinging to Maria for balance. Maria does her best to support her weight but Amy can barely stand. She waves Jimmy over "I think your sister's had too much to drink, let's get her to my car and get her home. Can you give me a hand to get her there. Dunno how much she's had but I'm surprised she's still upright."

Dancing with a Drunk (hot): 2d6+1 7

Gazetteer
Nov 22, 2011

"You're talking to cats."
"And you eat ghosts, so shut the fuck up."
Linda Mills
Hot -1; Cold 1; Volatile -1; Dark 2
Harm 0/4; Exp 1/5(1) Conditions: Snob, Drained, Nosy

Well, if I do the latter, that should help with the former -- if I get my people to leave, that should thin the numbers a bit, and make the job easier. I don't want to just blunder into River and Maggie again, so I'll just text her first and let her know something's up. poo poo, is Tammy drinking? That's never a good sign. It'd be a good idea to get her home even if she weren't likely to get eaten by zombies later if I don't. Heading in her direction, I pull out my phone and punch out a quick message to Maggie:

Conversation with Maggie posted:

Me: Sorry to bug you while you're busy with River but this party is going to get really bad soon
Me: I'll explain more later just do me a favor and leave okay its not safe here trust me
Me: Try to get River to go with you I'll make it up to you later

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Maria
Amy is flushed and breathless as you and Jimmy walk her towards the car, but when you lean her fully on Jimmy to get your keys out, she lurches free of his grasp, pushing him backwards a few feet, and wraps her arms around you again. You can smell the alcohol on her breath as she leans in close, her face inches from yours. "dun want bed. Want You." She closes in the gap and with the clumsiness of the drunk presses her lips against yours. What do you do?

Anne
The circle of nerds opens slightly to allow you in, but they don't look quite as eager to see you there and paying attention to them as you expected. Rather, most of them are looking even more shifty and worried than they did before. After a short, awkward silence as they all looked at each other, one of them speaks up. "Um. Mark was getting a drink and Zoe came up and uh, dumped her drink all over him." He obviously isn't happy about telling this story to a friend of Zoe's, and glances at the others around him again, clearly hoping someone will step in, but when no one does he continues, "Then she insulting him and when he tried to hit her, she tripped him and shoved him into the ground and broke his nose. Uh. Sorry."

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: The Ortiz House
----

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "Oh come ooooonnn, if I wanted to go to sleep I'd have gone home." I didn't want to be mean but clearly Matt had the wrong idea here. "How about something with some action. And color." I knelt down by the DVD shelf and started going through stuff. He had a lot of older "classic" stuff, an entire shelf of comic book movies, and a whole bunch of documentaries on South American history. There was a lot of that kind of thing around the house too so Mr. Ortiz must be big on cultural heritage. I filed that away in my head for future use.

"Oh I really wanted to see this!" I said, holding up Pacific Rim. "Can we?"

Shut Down on Casablanca, Zoe wants to have fun. 2d6+1 = 10! Matt loses his string on Zoe.

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!
Anne Andrews
Hot +1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Up to something, Vulnerable, Darkest Self, Broken Rib, Shut Out
Location: The Party

I blink in pretty genuine surprise at that.

"Wow. That is super unlike her. Did Mark say anything it? Has he gone home?"

If he hasn't I think I need to talk to him about why nice, polite Zoe would feel the need to kick his rear end. That aside, I need to find Maria and give her a piece of my mind about - Never mind, she's over there getting slow-danced with by Amy, who looks white girl wasted and is getting kinda handsy.

The spokesnerd shuffles about uncomfortably and says something about Marks mum picking him up, probably. Can't see him, so he must have left.

After a couple of awkward minutes dancing Maria and Jimmy practically carry Amy away. Looks like a good time to go and talk things over with them. I ninja out of the party and follow along nice and quiet, waiting in the shadows for a time to make myself heard. God, that is another nice car. What does Maria's dad even do? And then Amy kisses Maria right on the mouth and oh no I'm going to laugh I can feel it.

Hold Steady: 2d6-1 6

None of the conditions seemed appropriate to add 1


A snort of laughter escapes before I can clap my hand over my mouth. Whoops, cover blown.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

Owch, Zoe. That's a priceless cultural milestone you're dissing there. Bogart is revolving in his grave so fast you could power a city. You've got -

Wait a second, Pacific Rim?

"Oh, hell yes. Love that movie. One sec, you set it up." I dart to the kitchen, open the snack cupboard and grab two big bags of popcorn, and return the triumphant hunter-gatherer. The hero of the hour.

"Let's goooooo"

There is a muffled "CANCEL THE APOCALYPSE" from under the blanket. Buster knows what's up.

The Deleter fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Jan 16, 2015

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

Maria Ricca.
Hot: 1x Cold: 1 Volatile: 0x Dark: -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Weak, Paranoid.
Location: Party

Maria's still fumbling for her keys as Amy lurches free of Jimmy's grasp. Then before she can react Amy has her arms around her and is forcing her tongue down her throat.

Funny thing is despite the fact that she's dead drunk Amy's actually kind of a good kisser. Maria's certainly had a lot worse, a lot lot worse. Some of the boys had literally slobbered all over her. At least Amy seemed to know what she was doing...

For a moment she's kinda tempted Amy is really pretty and certainly has the boys flocking around, but no it'd be all kinds of wrong and Maria doesn't swing that way does she? Besides Amy's more like a sister to her than a friend. So like eww incest.

She's just trying to extricate herself from Amy's tight grasp when she here's a snort from the bushes behind her. Spinning round she sees Anne crouched in the bushes. Oh, crap has she come back for round two? Still perhaps she can get out of it without a fight...

"Get bent Andrews. Shoulda known you'd be the sort to perv on people from the bushes. Whatever you want can wait. I got more important things to attend to. Gotta get my friend here home before she passes out."

Insulting Anne (shutdown): 2d6+1 8 giving Anne the condition Peeping Tom Anne can give back whatever.

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!
Anne Andrews
Hot +1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Up to something, Vulnerable, Darkest Self, Broken Rib, Shut Out, Peeping Tom
Location: The Party

I straighten up, trying and failing to keep my obvious amusement from my face.

"Hey, never mind me. I was going to get mad at you for trying to get Zoe into your stupid gang, but I guess if you've got 'things to attend to' I'll let you take off."

I actually do the air-quotes thing, smirking until I manage to get my game face on for a second and act serious

"Don't bother coming back tonight though. There's going to be enough trouble without you stomping around like the wicked witch of the west or whatever you're supposed to be"

I turn and start walking away before I can start giggling again. Amy is probably going to hurl in that nice car.

Maria can have the condition On Notice

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
The Oritz House
Just as the lights are dimmed and the last DVD menu button is selected, the door to the room is opened a crack and Matthew's Dad slides in (not literally, thank god) and puts down a bottle and two glasses on the floor next to Matt, winks (oh god) and leaves. Its a bottle of wine, and good stuff too. Oh God. What do you do?

Prompts for everyone else later, sorry.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 3(+1)/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Daaaaaaaaad! Why? You're a monster! Well, more than usual! Goddaaaaaaaaamn it! This was gonna be a nice evening watching nerd movies and eating popcorn and now you've made it weird! gently caress! gently caress!

Okay, calm down. Calm down. Let's think this through. Dad got some good stuff out, and it would be a shame to waste it. Even if Pacific Rim is more of a vodka and cola movie. And Zoe's, er, well, um...

Er...

drat it. Okay, play it cool. Grab the wine and pour a glass for Zoe.

"Hey, uh, you drink wine?" Real smooth, jerkface. "Dad has, like, a billion bottles in the cellar. It's all he drinks when the family are around." I do my best Dracula impression. "Zey drink lotz und lotz of vine, yes. Zey gets shitfaced and sing songz, it's highly amusink."

I pass the glass over. Here's hoping.

Turn Zoe On with ze power of... vine.
(TheDeleter) !r 2d6+1
(Krysmbot) TheDeleter, 7+1 = 8

The Deleter fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Jan 17, 2015

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: The Ortiz House
----

I was starting to get worried that this was a date after all, and maybe more than a date, and wow this was moving really fast and I wasn't comfortable with it anymore. Where'd the wine bottle even come from? Matt hadn't moved, and I don't think he pulled it out from under the couch, I'd have noticed that.

I paused the movie while he poured the glasses, (it was during one of the boring humans talking parts anyway,) so we could talk for a second.

The Deleter posted:

"Hey, uh, you drink wine? Dad has, like, a billion bottles in the cellar. It's all he drinks when the family are around." I do my best Dracula impression. "Zey drink lotz und lotz of vine, yes. Zey gets shitfaced and sing songz, it's highly amusink."

I laughed at the impression. He was trying really hard and it was cute, and no one had ever broken out 'the good stuff' for me before. I wouldn't even know the difference between good wine and cheap stuff anyway, it isn't like Dad kept anything but skunky beers in the old fridge in the garage, when it came to alcohol.

I took the fake horns off and let my hair loose from all the bobby pins Natalie had stuck me with. "OK, just one. And seriously, this isn't a date!" I poked him in the side, just to drive the point home. "If I go home past curfew smelling like a wine bottle and dressed like the devil my Dad will kill both of us."

I took an experimental sip and tried to figure out the difference between this stuff and church wine. The difference was that this stuff was really strong and not like 90% water. Whoaaaa. Small sips, Zoe.

I pointed at Matt with the remote and put on my own terrible Transylvania accent. "No more Kaiju for you until you sink one of these songz for me, Matthieu Ortiz."

Normally Zoe would have shut this down, but she Promises to have just one for the Hot roll.
Her counter-Turn on is a bit of an abysmal failure however. 2d6 = 4.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

"Yeah, not a date. Sure! Nobody will fall at the hands of your Dad, promise."

But oh, man, snging? Oh, poo poo. Thing is, when the family are around, they don't sing, uh, normal songs. It's more... tribal. Secret. Er, something cult-ish. With a lot of hissing .I don't think Zoe would appreciate "Hna Hnza Hzum" or however that weird one goes. Also, I'm a terrible singer. poo poo, this isn't going to be good. But, hang on, there's something they do sing! I can get away with it!

"Your wish is my command." I do a little cough. "Amaaaaazziiing Grraaaa- no, wait, hang on, they're usually super drunk by now, so it's- AMAAASSSHHHING GRAAAASSSHHHEE, HOOWWW SHWWEEEEET THEEEE SHOOOOOUUUND -" Oh god I can't keep it up anymore, I'm laughing too hard. Man, the wine's good.

"That good enough? That's probably the best you'll get, I'm like, tone deaf."

The Deleter fucked around with this message at 00:03 on Jan 18, 2015

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Maria
As Anne heads off, you and Jimmy turn your focus back towards getting everyone into the car. She's having a bit of trouble standing upright, but with a little work the two of you get her into the passenger seat and buckle her in. Jimmy gets into the back, looking angry, and you head around to the other side. When you get in though, Amy has undone her buckle and leans across the center to try and kiss you again. If you have any attention to spare, Jimmy in the back is getting even more visibly upset. What do you do?

Jamie
River seems a little distant during the first dance after you get him back, but once you move onto the second song his focus seems to have shifted fully back to you, and by the time you finish two more dances, the pair of you are flushed and breathless. Deciding to take a break, the two of you make your way over to a seat and River goes off for a moment, coming back with two drinks. Setting the drinks down he places one hand gently down on yours, and leans in with a smile, "are you having a good time?" What do you do?

Linda
Nothing for a minute, then you get a reply back, then another, and another.

Conversation with Maggie posted:

Maggie: what?
Maggie: River?
Maggie: hang on

Moments later, your phone starts to ring, its from Maggie. "What are you talking about? And how come you never said if Rob was there or not anyway?" If you're paying attention, there isn't any background sound of the party coming along the line. What do you do?

Anne
As you head back towards the party, a sense of unease starts to grow along the back of your spine, and you glance down a side street as you pass by. A solitary figure is heading along it, towards the party. Is it one of the dead? As it approaches though, you can see it pull out a cellphone, the glow faintly illuminating their face, but not enough to identify them, and you can relax. You're pretty sure the dead don't use cellphones. But, the feeling of unease is still there. What do you do?

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: The Ortiz House
----

The Deleter posted:

"Your wish is my command." I do a little cough. "Amaaaaazziiing Grraaaa- no, wait, hang on, they're usually super drunk by now, so it's- AMAAASSSHHHING GRAAAASSSHHHEE, HOOWWW SHWWEEEEET THEEEE SHOOOOOUUUND -" Oh god I can't keep it up anymore, I'm laughing too hard. Man, the wine's good.

"That good enough? That's probably the best you'll get, I'm like, tone deaf."

(singing)
"I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see."

I sang the second stanza back to him, clear as on Sunday morning. My voice echoed through the house, carrying a note of... power. I'd loved singing even before the accident, but to Remiel, singing was a pure expression of the heart and hymns in particular brought out this kind of pride in my voice that had never been there before. I could see Mr. Ortiz's shadow in the doorway, and Matt seemed to like it, so I continued:

"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!"

I stopped and took another drink, thinking about the words. How precious, indeed.

---
Zoe Sings! Turn On: 2d6 = 8! Give yourself, a promise, or a string.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

Um. Woah. That was incredible.

"Holy shi-" I stop myself because Dad might be listening. He doesn't like that language. "Wow, Zoe, that was awesome. That... Wow!"

Dweeb. Say something better than that! You have this amazing friend who you've stuck with for like, forever, and you're stammering like someone who's never shed their skin!

All of that is in the back of my head as I put my wine glass down.

"Hey, Zoe?" Why is it so hard to look at her now? "I, um, I must have looked dumb when I ducked out of the party. That, that was silly. I, uh... That won't happen again. I don't want to be bouncing back and forth between my family and my friends all the time. So, if you have a problem, or you need help, I'll be there."

I look her dead in the eyes. "I promise."

Matt has promised to be there for Zoe when she needs him. Whether or not he can DO that, though...

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!
Anne Andrews
Hot +1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Up to something, Vulnerable, Darkest Self, Broken Rib, Shut Out, Peeping Tom
Location: The Party

I don't think the dead use cell phones...but then again I don't know jack poo poo. Could be one of them, could be someone they're targeting. Worth following, anyway. I'll try and get closer, act casual if I get spotted. If it's someone I know then I just follow them to the party and make sure they don't get jumped. If it's a stranger, then what the hell are they doing out here? Creeping on a high-school party? Gross.

Hold Steady: 2d6-1 8
Ninja moves! Anne keeps cool in the face of the nebulous danger represented by whoever this person is


Man what is it with me and sneaking around tonight? Should have dressed as a ninja instead.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Jamie Chang Maggie Chang
Hot 1 | Cold 2 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Exp 3/5

"Yeah." I take his hand again, and I sip on the drink he so graciously offers me. "Yeah, I really am."

I can barely count the times I've been this happy. To wear something like this without anyone judging, to dance with River, to... this moment. I can't stop smiling. I just love this. I don't regret coming here.

I grasp his hand a little tighter. "I wish this could last forever."

Feels so cheesy to say it. But it's true.

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

Maria Ricca.
Hot: 1x Cold: 1 Volatile: 0x Dark: -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Weak, Paranoid. On Notice.

Maria settles into the drivers seat, only to see that Amy has unlocked her belt again. "Wanna nother kiss gorgeous...." and leans over to kiss her again. Maria though has had enough and snaps "Amy this isn't funny any more, you're dunk as a skunk and making a complete rear end of yourself. Stop it. I am not interested in what you want not when you're this drunk. "

Amy just bursts into tears and starts sobbing. "Itsh not fair, everyone else got a turn but no me. I wanna has shome fun witsh you." she hiccups.

Jimmy looks like he's about to have a stroke in the back-seat judging by how red-faced he is while Mike is fighting a losing battle against laughter.

"Every time, every time she has a drink she's like this. Next time remind me to not let her out of my sight and to keep her away from the frigging booze." Maria grouses. Turning she straps Amy back in again and says. "Now sit there and don't make another move. Time to get you home."

Quickly, before she starts throwing up Maria thinks to herself I really don't want to explain to dad how his car ended up smelling of vomit. Starting the car she eases gently out of the parking space and pulls out onto the road and sets off towards the Johnson's residence.

Shutting down Amy's advances: 2d6+1 6

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Maria
Amy allows herself to be buckled back in, just sitting in the seat sobbing quietly to herself as you start to drive home. After only a couple blocks though, she stops and leans forward, her face twisted up, and hurls all over the floor in front of her. She starts to sit up again, then buckles up again and throws up again. Mike lets out a yell of warning, and you look forward again, Amy's vomit attack had only grabbed your attention for a moment, but in that time someone managed to stumbled onto the road right in front of you car. Before you have a chance to stop, you hear the sickening crunch of a collision, and the figure is knocked hard to the pavement. Jimmy and Mike start shouting in a panic, and Amy is still hurling next to you. What do you do?

Jamie
River smiles back at you and gives your hand a squeeze in return. "I'm glad. It felt like everyone was trying to stop us having a good time at the start." He chuckles slightly and shakes his head at your words. "I can't promise that, but lets make the most of the rest of the party." It doesn't look like either of you are quite ready to get back to dance yet, so he takes sip of his drink and squeezes your hand again. "Jeremy and I were going to take some shrooms after the party, would you like to come?"

The Oritz House
The shifting shadow from Matthew's Dad in the doorway freezes when Zoe begins to sing, then when the song comes to an end it quickly retreats from the door. With the movie paused, the faint creaking of the stairs can be heard as he ascends to the next floor. He isn't there to hear Matt's promise, which is probably a good thing.

Zoe, about what Matt just said... That's basically everything you wanted to hear, isn't it? What do you think, and what do you do?

Gazetteer
Nov 22, 2011

"You're talking to cats."
"And you eat ghosts, so shut the fuck up."
Linda Mills
Hot -1; Cold 1; Volatile -1; Dark 2
Harm 0/4; Exp 1/5(1) Conditions: Snob, Drained, Nosy

"I did," I say, into my phone stopping short in my tracks. "Like, when I just saw you. Like, 20 minutes ago. Then River was a dick and I left you two alone. Uh..." I turn to find Maggie in the crowd. There she is -- sitting over there, with River leaning over her. Without a cellphone out. "Okay, what the gently caress?" I say. "There's, uh... hang on a moment. I'm going to send you a picture" Before she can respond, I hit the END CALL button -- this is going to be a lot easier to show her than to explain. I flip back over to the messaging app, and snap a quick picture of the Maggie that's over there with River, sending it off as a picture message. Then I dial her number again.

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Anne
You hear a faint buzzing from the figure and they take the phone off their ear and look down at it, stopping dead right in front of an alley. The phone rings again a second later, and the figure almost instantly picks it up, still standing in one place. They're talking angrily as you approach, but break off as you get near enough to see. "Anne?" Oh poo poo, its Maggie, the real one too. "What are you do-" before she can finish the question, another figure barrels out of the darkness of the alley, slamming into her and knocking her to the ground. Her phone goes flying off to the side, and she lets out a scream as the other person starts to attack. What do you do?

Linda
Maggie answers the phone seconds after you call her back, and she sounds seriously freaked out. "What the hell is going on Linda?! That's not me, I waited to go to the party so you could check for Rob, like you said..." Theres a brief pause, and then she says in a different, but even angrier tone, "Anne? What are you do-" And then her voice cuts off in a scream. What the hell is going on here? What do you do?

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: The Ortiz House
----

"I promise."

Whoa. I didn't know if it was the wine or some kind of resonance from the hymn but hearing him say that just made me feel warm all over. I snuggled in next to him on the couch and rested my head against his shoulder. "Thanks, Matt." I said. "You know I'm there for you too, always."

I clicked the remote to start the movie back up. He didn't know where to put his hands, so I wrapped one arm around my waist and left my hand in his. Even though we'd been inside for a while he was still kind of cold to the touch, but he warmed up after a minute or two.

drat, this was definitely a date now.

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!
Anne Andrews
Hot +1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Up to something, Vulnerable, Darkest Self, Broken Rib, Shut Out, Peeping Tom
Location: The Party

Ah poo poo, Maggie. Or Jamie. I'm actually not sure. She sounds pissed, so probably not Jamie. I'm just thinking this is going to be real awkward when she gets attacked, and then it's all hands on deck. I've been keyed up all day for this, the fight I want to have instead of stupid brawls. Everything starts moving real slow, I can hear my heart pounding and and my breath feels like I'm sucking in liquid nitrogen. The first thing to come to hand is the pipe wrench I stored in the tool belt - 24 inches of drop-forged steel, canvas wrapped handle, the perfect incognito weapon for a blue collar vigilante. It's heavy as hell, but right now I might as well be holding a pencil. I say something I don't even remember in a language I'm not sure I understand and haul the attacker off Maggie. He slams into the alley wall, bounces and gets to his feet. His mouth is moving but I don't really care what a dead person has to say. The wrench swings round like the fist of an angry god (is it...glowing? it looks red hot!) and catches him in the side of the skull.

It's pretty gross, in an impressive way. Like shooting a watermelon with a shotgun.

Lash Out Physically (Smiting the Wicked): 2d6+3 13
2 harm for hitting someone with a wrench +1 for StW + do great harm = 4.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Chez Ortiz

Oh, Zoe's... Uh, I, I don't know where to put my anything. Wow.

This... This is nice.

We sit and watch the rest of the movie. We cheer and ooh and ah at the bits that need it, but I'm not watching the movie, not really.

Time flies. It's soon time to take Zoe back. Raleigh and Miko are having their touching reunion after blowing up the aliens. I... I don't know what to say. How do all these movie writers and authors describe what this is? They must be liars. Aerosmith wrote that song for nothing. Hiyooo.

I turn my head to look down at Zoe. "So, uh, do you want me to give you a lift home?" Man, what are these words, that I'm saying, with my mouth. Bleh.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Jamie Chang Maggie Chang
Hot 1 | Cold 2 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Exp 3/5

"Oh."

poo poo. That is really tempting. I mean, not the shrooms part, but I get to hang out after the party?

But um, I don't think I should overstay my welcome. For one thing, I still need to get Maggie over here before she suspects something and and so I can get away cleanly. And... what time is it, anyway? Oh no. Oh no...

"I should probably head out soon." I say, apologetically. "I mean, I enjoyed everything, but my dad has me on the clock, you know?"

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

Maria Ricca.
Hot: 1x Cold: 1 Volatile: 0x Dark: -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Weak, Paranoid. On Notice.

Maria had only been driving for a few minutes when Amy decided to puke up her guts down into the footwell. Then she decided to do it again to emphasise the point. Maria's eyes flicked sideways for just a moment and just before she could flick them back to the road Jimmy shouted a warning. She hit the breaks hard but not before she heard a sickening crunch. Amy threw up what was left of the contents of her stomach over the dashboard but Maria didn't give a poo poo right now. "Oh gently caress oh jesus gently caress, " she could here Mike muttering in the back seat. Maria freezes, "Oh poo poo, oh poo poo,oh poo poo, please tell me that was a dog I just hit.... gently caress I took my eyes off the road for just a split second and then bam loving out nowhere." Jimmy looks white as a sheet now. "Oh gently caress, hadn't we better get out and check him make sure he's still alive maybe we got lucky and he just broke a leg or something." He's babbling but it's not like Maria's in any better state.

She took a deep breath. "Ok Jimmy, get the medikit out of the trunk." "Mike get your phone out, we need to dial 911 once we find out what's wrong with the guy." "Amy stay right where you are." All that was running through her head was "ohshit oshit I don't want to go to jail for killing a guy." Stepping around the car, she notices there doesn't seem to be any blood which might be good I mean it has to be good right, right? As she steps up she hears the guy groan "Oh thank god he's still alive."she thought. "Hello? are you ok? I'm sorry I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, are you fine?" He groans again. Maria stepped closer the guy laid there beneath the wheel and moaned. His clothes looked and smelled like he'd slept in them for about a month. All he did was groan. She stepped closer, and the guy reached out to her and groaned, she stepped into the pools of light and noticed one very odd thing. His neck was broken. What the gently caress? He should be dead, but he was still moving....

Oh poo poo. One word comes to mind, zombie. But Zombies aren't real they can't be real. The dead man though swivels to look at her, His head hung floppily, like it was only just barely attached to his neck. The thing opened it's mouth wide revealing it's horrid yellow teeth and roared loudly. A smatter of answering roars came back, moving ever steadily closer. Surrounding them. Maria yells decisively "Everyone back in the car. NOW!" Diving into the drivers seat as the zombies gather she watches as Jimmy and Mike slam the back doors shut. She didn't even think, She just hit the accelerator and drove at high speed, She may have hit another couple of bodies, but she didn't care they just had to get away. Pushing the car to the limit she just drove....


Oh gently caress dead guys are still moving (Hold Steady): 2d6+1 12 Keeping Calm, and carrying one forward
Run away from the Zombies (run away): 2d6+1 7 You cause a big scene.

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: Matt's Car
----

I looked at the clock. "Yeah, it's almost 11. We'd better." I didn't move for another minute though. This was just really nice. I felt kind of dumb for never paying attention to Matt before, but at the same time I didn't think I was really ready to before now.

We headed out to the car. My place is out on the edge of town, so it'd take a little while to get there. I flicked on the radio and American Pie came on which was fine with me. Something poked me in the side, the stupid toy pitchfork. It was cheap plastic again, whatever Grace I'd used earlier to make it real was long gone. I wondered if I could learn to do that when I wanted to instead of just on instinct. Might be handy.

"Hey Matt?" I asked, suddenly curious. "What do you want to do, you know, after we get out of high school?"

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: The Frankencar

"Um, Grandad wants me to go to a good college." Look, signal, slow up... "He's, like, infinitely rich, so I'll probably get into someplace super fancy. I always wanted to do computer programming, but I think dad might want me to do law or something."

Yeah, he'd want me to be useful. Useful to the family.

"I don't mind getting out of Salvation - nothing happens here..." Turn, check speed... "But I don't want to forget about you, or Anne, or hell, Maria. I think I'd miss you if I got shipped off to Stiff Shirts University, or whatever. I would. Especially after..." Shut up! Man, words, hard.

"What about you? Where are you gonna go?"

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: Matt's Car
----

"Oh, you know, maybe community college or trade school. I've always wanted to be an electrician." I lied.

I don't think I'm going anywhere.

Dad always talks about 'getting out' of Salvation, like we're in jail or something, but we didn't have the money for college even before my accident. My surgeries on top of all of Mom's hospice care before she died... No, I wasn't 'getting out.' Where would I go, anyway? Dad needed me, he wasn't going to be OK on his own. Maybe if I was lucky I'd end up waitressing at one of the cafes instead of working at a burger hell my whole life.

God, why did I bring this up again?

I poked him in the side. "I'd be pissed if you forgot about us but don't let Salvation hold you back either."

I tried to tell myself I wasn't jealous as the lights of the single-wide trailer came into view. One more lie for the road.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Matt's Car

"I won't. Promise."

Man, I'm making a lot of promises tonight. I almost forgot Zoe lived in a trailer. She's... had it tough. A lot tougher than I ever had. I look at the trailer and think

(it's not fair my best friend no my well I don't know what she is yet but she's amazing and she lives in this lovely trailer and she just gets poo poo all the time why cant I DO SOMETHING)

Those thoughts are red hot, hateful, and I shove them away into the back of my mind as I pull up outside Zoe's place. Can't think those thoughts. Not right now.

"Well... I hope you had a good time." loving lame-rear end tongue-tied idiot. Think of something better! "If, if I don't see you before school..."

Against my better judgement common sense

(do it)

I lean across and kiss her. Briefly, and on the cheek, but...

Turn Zoe On one last time:
12:46 WorkDel !r 2d6+1
12:46 Krysmbot WorkDel, 6+1 = 7

mistaya
Oct 18, 2006

Cat of Wealth and Taste

Zoe Haven
Hot: -1, Cold: 1, Volatile: 1, Trespass/Forgiveness: 0/0
Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions:
Location: Matt's Car
----

Matt came in for the cheek kiss but I'd already done that at the party and I was in my own driveway soooooo...

I turned my head at the last second and kissed him for real.

Then I grabbed the door handle and jumped out of the car like it was on fire and ran up the porch steps, giggling like I was six.

TOTALLY a date.

---

Option: Give yourself.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: Matt's Car

Holy gently caress

I manage to hold it in until she's gone inside.

Let me describe snaking out to you. My skull stretches forwards like someone's loving around with the scale tool in Photoshop. My eyes itch as they turn from human to snake. The back of my head feels like a bunch of pipe-cleaners are pushing through the skin - that'll be the red feathers we have as crests. The rest are just downy, short emerald feathers. I look like a fuzzy toy Quetzel right now, but in a few years that'll be replaced by longer, more aerodynamic ones like the older members of my family have. I've been shedding a bit already. My teeth all beat a retreat, except my upper canines which do some hard steroids and become my fangs. And I seriously cannot describe what happens to my tongue, jeez. It sounds pretty horrible, but it's more like my body does an all-over blink. It's not painful.

I sit there for a moment. I stick my tongue out, and I can taste the air. My deodorant, the wine we've been drinking, the upholstery, her perfume. I can still feel the ghost of her kiss where my human lips would have been. I can "see" the glow of the car's engine, and the blotch of heat where she'd been sitting. The colors are duller but the heat is ultraviolet.

Then I punch the air.

Yesssssssss.

Snake pun.

Then I shift back and drive home, because somebody's gonna ask questions if they see a snake man sitting in a car outside Zoe's trailer.

The Deleter fucked around with this message at 00:46 on Mar 1, 2015

Gazetteer
Nov 22, 2011

"You're talking to cats."
"And you eat ghosts, so shut the fuck up."
Linda Mills
Hot -1; Cold 1; Volatile -1; Dark 2
Harm 0/4; Exp 2/5(1) Conditions: Snob, Drained, Nosy

"Maggie? Maggie?" I'm practically shouting into the phone, fighting to be heard over her screams and whatever else is going on on the other end of the line. Oh god, there are zombie monsters out here! She could be hurt or dying or gently caress gently caress gently caress...

Hold Steady: 2d6+1=8 Going to keep my cool and mark experience for rolling cold

Okay. Get your poo poo together, Mills. This is no time for you to panic. She said Anne's name -- Anne's probably there, and unless Anne has started attacking random students for no reason, that means Maggie's probably safe. I hope. I realise I've drawn a few stares, what with shouting frantically into a cellphone. I try to ignore them, returning my attention to the still-happening phonecall. "What the gently caress is happening?" I demand into the phone. "Are you alright?"

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Anne
Maggie is just scrambling to her feet when you finish off the attacking dead, and it clearly is one of them, the signs are there, but most apparent is the stench of rotted flesh. "I didn't ne..." She starts to respond in irritation, then sees what you've done, and her voice catches. "Y-you killed him?" The sight of the ruined head and splatters of blood, brains and skull on the wall and your clothes is clearly too much for her, and she falls to her knees retching. Off to the side you can see Maggie's phone glowing dimly, with faint sounds coming out of it, but you don't have time for this. You can hear the sounds of moving feet from down the alley, and the screech of tires even further down. What do you do?

Jamie
River looks disappointed, but he nods in understanding. "Alright..." He looks down at his drink for a moment as the latest song trails off, takes a long sip, then stands up, still holding your hand tightly and smiling brightly. "One more dance then?" If you're paying attention, you can see Linda talking on her phone with an expression you can't really read, but it isn't a good one. If Maggie called her to find out of Rob was here... It might be time to leave. Still, one more dance. What do you do?

Linda
You get no response coming back down the line, though you can barely make out from the muffled noises what sounds like the splattering of something wet. While you wait anxiously on the line, you can see River and Maggie, the other Maggie, getting up to take another dance. Can you let whatever the heck is going on keep going, and risk River? But at the same time can you really leave this phone call and not go to help Maggie? What do you do?

Maria
Tires screech and you hear the crunching sound of more bodies hitting your car, but eventually you make it free, leaving the mass of.... zombies? Behind. Where are you when you finally come to a stop? When you get a chance to look, the front of the car is slightly dented in a few places, but not noticeably unless you knew where to look, thank god for durable vehicles. Once you have a chance to calm down a bit, how sure are you that those were they really zombies? Maybe some kids from the party who took too much cocaine or something? Was his neck really broken? Some weird vision from something bad in the punch?

Zoe
You're feeling pretty great as you head up to the door of the trailer, but how do you feel when you step inside, a little late and dressed like a demoness? What is there to greet you inside, is it Dad, a note, or something else? And what about it makes you feel even worse?

Matt
Where do you go now that you're leaving Zoes? You could go right back home, but after having a date (totally a date) with Zoe, and that kiss, I bet your flying high. Do you really want to just go back and have to deal with Dad asking if you scored and other super awkward Dad questions? The city is quiet, but the stars and out and shining bright, and the party is still probably going if you wanted to check it out again. What do you do?

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!
Anne Andrews
Hot +1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1
Harm 1/4 | Experience 3/5 | Conditions: Up to something, Vulnerable, Darkest Self, Broken Rib, Shut Out, Peeping Tom
Location: The Party

No poo poo I killed him, Maggie. Thanks for the insightful commentary. I can worry about her freaking out and calling the cops later. Right now I have to keep the rest of them and it sounds like a lot from reaching the party. I pick her up by the back of her dress and give her a quick shake then whisper angrily at her.

"No time to explain! Go find Linda, tell her that trouble is coming, and then go with her. Hurry!"

Manipulate an NPC: 2d6+1 5

I let her stumble away down the alley and turn around to face the oncoming footsteps. It's too dark here, the flickering street lights don't illuminate poo poo. I pull the flare gun with my free hand and fire it in the direction of the footsteps. The sudden harsh light from the flare throws everything into stark relief, shadows clearly outlined against the walls, the blood spatters, the faces of the dead men coming towards me, twisted with hate.

Lash Out Physically (Smiting the Wicked): 2d6+3 11
Flare to the face, smiting, causing great harm


The flare strikes the one in the lead square in the mouth, knocking him down and burning with a malevolent hiss for a solid seven seconds while he writhes on the ground
. I can't help gagging a little at the smell. The others hesitate, I take the time to reload.

"Alright you rotting fucks, who's next?"

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The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Matthew Ortiz
Hot +1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | Experience 4/5 | Conditions: Colossal Dweeb
Location: The Party

Go back to dad?

Go back to dad???

gently caress that. I just had a date with Zoe Haven that ended with a kiss. I'm not going back home. Why should I? The night is young and so am I, so let's go. I head back to the party. This isn't the Frankenmobile anymore - it's the SWAGmobile. The snakiest, swaggest Oldsmobile this side of the planet. I'm the best around. Who's gonna mess with -

Huh. Anne's missing, still. And Maria's gone - although that's not such a bad thing. Linda's also there, and she's shouting down the phone at someone. She looks really worried. Well, she helped me get that tea, so I guess one good turn...

"Hey, uh, Linda?" I approach but don't get too close - even though I'm on top of the world right now, that could all change super-fast. "Is everything okay? Something's wrong, isn't it?"

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