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 Natali Haas It's not every day you narrowly escape imprisonment from your occupiers. Then again, it's also not every day that nobody even knew where you were to begin with. Of course, the real question here is who 'knew' where anybody was that night at all. These things are supposed to be underground, secret. In other words, the only people who could've ratted out the performers and the rest of the small group of attendees would have to be somebody who knew it was going to happen in advance. Someone who knew...? But who there that night would've had a reason to...? Natali's train of thought is interrupted. "Natali, you've really got to work on your 'dramatic, brooding revolutionary' pose." A quiet, whispery voice from behind her. "Ah, scheisse Vivian, 'tis not a pose at all! Just how I always am." She turns to her younger friend, removing herself from one of the many pillars by the school gate, stretching her palms together and upward, towards the clear, blue sky. "I wonder about that..." Vivan replies, moving a delicate hand up to her chin. "It was a joke, Dumpfbacke. You know how we 'revolutionaries' are." She counters, with a flick out of her tongue."On your way home?" "Yes, finally. Frau Oberhausen just went on and on..." The hand that was on her chin goes to her forehead; Natali considered how much older she looked when she rubbed it the way she did. "Well, Godspeed then!" Vivian moves past her as they exchange a wave. "Try not to get into too much trouble, please?" She says, worried. "No promises, Fräulein!" Vivan sighs, defeated, and walks away. -- So, we've got a mole on our hands, Natali thinks after seeing Vivan off. Somebody who knew about the concert, but was an enemy of revolution, so to speak. In other words, a Soviet sympathizer. The problem was that it could be any one person or multiple persons who was at that concert, and there were a lot of people there, considering it took place in a warehouse somewhere relatively remote. Not to mention that, without records of who was there that night and now who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, Natali can't rule out anyone in particular, other than herself. Natali heads toward her own home, an idea in mind. Who knows if it'll work, but there's only one way to find out. -- In a now abandoned warehouse, a fairly common sight nowadays, Natali unpacks her mom's guitar. The place looks a lot bigger, and a lot emptier, without the sound of drums, guitar, and singing bouncing off the walls, without throngs (if you could call them that) of people, mostly teenagers, pressed up against each other. Luckily, empty as the place now was, the 'stage' was still there. Nothing more than a raised platform with some room for amps and speakers, but for Natali's purposes, it's perfect. She strides up onto it, guitar cradled in her arms, held with her hands, just like she did the night before. She spends a few minutes tuning, mostly out of habit, tugging at her hat in between chords. There's no way this would work, right? It's so stupid. Whatever. By now, she's ready to rock and roll. She concentrates on her body as she starts strumming, humming a few bars of nothing in particular. She remembers the night before. Her adrenaline was rushing, her mind seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once. She looks out to the 'crowd.' Now, hocus pocus or whatever...and...they appear. Figures, somehow. Almost like the music called them back to listen to it again. They're ethereal in appearance, standing, sitting, laying down, wherever they were that night during the concert. They pulse and throb in time to the beat she sets. So now Natali needs to focus on these figures, infuse them with the emotions they felt hearing the music, figure out their state of mind. Most importantly, she needs faces, names. So she keeps playing, singing, and concentrates, not noticing her transformation as she did so. Who didn't feel so patriotic, so inspired? Who got up and left early? Who's that, over there, leaning on the farthest wall from the stage, by the entrance? Focus, Natali, focus. The mole is here somewhere; you just have to find them... Iniital roll was a 15, with one explosion/overcharge... which adds 2 to the roll, for a total of 17. Also took a Support overcharge for that Basically, Natali's playing Magical Whack'a'Mole/Spot the Mole PurplieNurplie fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Dec 8, 2015 |
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Dec 8, 2015 22:54
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 20:18 |
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Natali (1 Overcharge, Magic/Support) So...she thinks, standing breathless on the 'stage.' It worked. I guess. What a ridiculous, wonderful thing this all is. A month ago, if someone had told Natali she'd be trying to solve a mystery, track somebody down using magic powers she got from a little...Jackalope? Wolpertinger? Whatever that thing was, she'd have not only called you crazy, but probably asked you what you were on. Letting her euphoria, and her transformation (when did that happen?) die off for a bit, she sits down, legs swinging off the platform. So, our 'mole,' or at least, our best suspect, is a giant, a big guy. Frankly, a scary kind of person to face head-on, at least if you didn't have magic by your side. Without a name or any other information to go on, Natali finds herself at a bit of a loss. It was so dark that night, there's no way she'd be able to picture him. She'd need to track down one of the following: -Someone who was there at the concert who knew, or at least saw the suspect -The suspect himself; probably not an option, as it's not like she'd run into him on the street -Someone with either knowledge or documentation of every single person there; probably impossible, as secrecy was the name of the game here. -Someone unrelated to the concert who still knew about the suspect and their habits, where they went and why; a fellow soldier? A police officer? A few people come to mind as she thinks of who to go to for help: -Petra: helped plan the concert, as usual; information and details would probably be her area of expertise, at least when it came to the person she's looking for. Why was the mole admitted? Were they aware of his ties to the occupation? Why did that person end up reporting this particular concert? Questions she would be able to ask her, and at least get a second opinion about the situation, if not answers. -Zagadka: the weird guy, a Russian, who might know more about mysterious, large men who show up at concerts with potential Russian ties. It would be a bit of a stretch to find him, seeing as he seems to come and go with the wind, and it would be even more of a stretch to assume he'd know anything about the concert or its attendees, seeing as she didn't see his figure among the many produced by her magic. -Illya and her father, Yuri:Similar to Zagadka, they have ties to the Soviet faction. However, like Zagadka, they wouldn't really know anything about the concert, or about someone who might rat them out. Pulling off her hat and tousling her hair about, Natali thinks about how this is going to be tricky. But, not like she had anything better to do today, anyway; why not play detective for a while, see what happens? -- Natali's home, the former home of her and her brother, is small, even with only one occupant. Barely more than four walls, a small kitchen, and a mattress. A little bit of room for relaxing and watching TV or playing music. No matter how quaint, she'd never abandon it. Too many memories. Picking up the cordless phone, she wonders, before dialing any numbers, what this will all lead to. So she tracks down this mole...then what? They have some epic confrontation somewhere? It's not like she wanted to kill the guy or anything. The best plan, for now, was just to try to find him and see what happens. She punches in a number, and waits for a few rings until someone answers. "Hi, this is Natali Haas. I'm looking for Petra, is she there? I'm a friend of hers from school." Hopefully she didn't end up arrested. Hopefully she would know more about the events of that night. Hopefully, she would be home. Too many hopefullys, and not enough definitelys... PurplieNurplie fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Dec 10, 2015 |
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Dec 9, 2015 20:46
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Natali (1 Overcharge, Magic/Support) "Oh good, you're there." Natali kind of wanted to ask a lot of questions, she realized, as she slid down the nearest wall, her head leaning back, lightly thuding against it, scrunching her toes into brown carpet, relishing the feeling of the enveloping, scratchy softness between them, of getting to sit down. Maybe not something that would happen a lot today. Distractions. Now, she needed to focus on questions. She needed information about the mystery perpetrator, and she needed to get it without letting Petra know that she got the lead with...unusual methods. "I wanted to ask you about..." a pause, just for a beat, and then, "Extracurricular activities that occurred last night. There was someone there who I have reason to believe is responsible for..." a gulp, slight but still noticeable, "the leak." She tried to keep her tone civil, but the word 'leak' made her think about her friends, the people who enjoy what she and others like her did, thrown to the ground, cuffed, for trying to fight against unjust occupation, and so her voice came out a little faster, a little angrier than she intended. "Last night, there was someone there, someone you wouldn't miss. A big guy, tall, muscular, probably there by himself, who seemed more interested in brown-nosing than listening to voices of revolution. Does that ring any bells?" Her left hand grips the phone just a bit tighter, her right grabbing a fistful of carpet. As she finished asking, she realized something: she had to catch this guy. Playing detective? No, this isn't about acting out some dime novel. This was personal. PurplieNurplie fucked around with this message at 01:25 on Dec 11, 2015 |
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Dec 11, 2015 00:11
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Natali Alexander Greger. Alexander Greger. Alexander Greger. She lets the name into her mind, lets it bounce off every wall, contour, and seep into every fissure. It's a name she'd probably never forget. Unfortunately, his name was about all the useful information Petra had, other than the fact that he, at some point, was at their school. A chilling thought. What was an occupation sympathizer doing in an East school? Natali had thought that she would at least be safe within those walls, relatively speaking. Did he know who she was? Did he have plans beyond shutting down one concert? She takes a second to breathe, inhale and exhale; let the emotion out, and then, "That's alright. Just knowing his name will help me out a lot. Petra? Before I hang up, I've gotta say this. This Greger guy...he's dangerous. He might come after you or I if he knows that we were there, or at least played a part and didn't end up like the others. If you need any help, or whatever, I'm here." After hearing Petra's reply, the two hang up. What has she gotten herself into? She stands up, walks around for a bit. Not that there was a lot of room to walk around, but it helped a little. It's hard to calm down again. Even deep breathing doesn't seem to work, at least not for a while. She fiddles with the guitar, and that seems to help a bit more. Something calming about it. Sort like a mother's gentle embrace. So, she has a name to match the general description, and Petra suggested asking teachers. Natali digs out a phone book and trawls though, looking for any last names she recognizes from teachers at their school. Somewhere around the late M's, she hits a name. Müller. What would she even ask her, assuming she was home? 'Hi Fräulein Müller, I'm looking for this guy I have a personal vendetta against, can you help me find him?' She shakes her head, grinning at the thought. Some sort of activity, was Petra's explanation. Fostering cooperation, perhaps? Some kind of short-term exchange? Most importantly, where did the students/teachers, Greger included, go once it was done? Where are they now? Picking up the phone and dialing, glancing back at the open phonebook a few times, she thinks: that would have to be her route to the information she needed. "Guten tag, Fräulein Müller, this is Natali Haas. I wanted to ask you about last week's activity. Something about placing new students or teachers in classrooms? Can you tell me any more about that? I asked Petra about it, but I need more information, if you have time to answer some questions." Her tone was even, businesslike, professional. Probably not something a teacher hears from a young student very often. Hopefully she wasn't too brusque. She didn't really have time for pleasantries. Who knows what this Greger could do if she let him run amok for too long...
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Dec 11, 2015 21:31
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Natali (1 Overcharge, Magic/Support) The good news is that she has Müller on the phone. The bad news is she needs to figure out how to get her talking about Greger without revealing her true intentions. "Well, I guess I should start by asking this: did you get to meet any of the participants, or whatever they were called? There's one in particular I need to find, a young man named Alexander Greger. Did you meet anyone with that name, or hear about him?" She'll leave it at that for now. If she asks why she's after him...she'll make something up. Hopefully, she doesn't. To be honest, this is probably a bit weird. A student calling up a teacher, asking her about some random activity the school did last week? Furthermore, why would she ask about one student, or whoever it was, that was involved? Definitely suspicious, if maybe only because it's so weird. Hopefully she'll be honest and forthcoming in spite of the strange circumstances.
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Dec 13, 2015 04:50
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Natali Thankfully, while she was pacing listening to Müller, she realized how lucky she was that Mr. Greger had been there for job reasons. She had her out. "Oh, that's okay, Frau Müller, but you're right. I was really interested in Gate Security after hearing about what they do. Could you tell me any more about them? Like say, for example, where they're located...?" So, Natali lies and plays dumb for a bit while she tries to summarize everything that's happened so far: 0. At some point before last night's concert, Alexander Greger was at her school on behalf of this Gate Security. 1. Last night, she was at a particularly crowded concert, along with, unbeknownst to her, Greger as well. 2. At some point between the end of the concert and today, Greger ratted out the other attendees, probably to either Soviet police or his own company. 3. Today, Greger is potentially still on the East side of the wall, but could also be on the West side, and she needs to find him. Once she learns where this Gate Security is, or any other information she can gain about it, she'll have her link to Greger. Hopefully. Hopefully this conversation isn't being tapped. Natali bites her lip at the thought. Has she asked too much already? Is she implicating Müller, along with Petra, in this potential wild goose chase?
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Dec 15, 2015 20:26
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Natali 'But why is it so important?' What a question. How about 'because Greger ratted out my friends, people who are trying to fight a corrupt and unjust system?' How about 'because he's an rear end in a top hat?' How about 'because I'm going to do something drastic when I see him?' Instead of any of those, Natali says, "Well, I just want to see what it's like. Maybe, if I go, I could even meet Mr. Greger himself! Wouldn't that be exciting! Anyway, Frau Müller, you've been very helpful. Auf Wiedersehen!" Had she been, though? Now she knows more about Greger. He works for Gate Security, a company on this side of the wall. Does he live on this side? Could he potentially have gone to any concert? How did he know that a concert was happening? Too many questions, Natali thinks. Not enough answers. Now she knows where to go. Only one thing to do, she supposed. Picking up her guitar case, she heads out. Pausing at the door, she has an idea. She scrounges up some bread, meat, and cheese, makes a lunch, puts it into a brown bag. Now she's ready. -- Sometime later, she finds herself close to the gate separating the two sides of the wall. To an average person, they might as well be two different planets. To a magical girl...to one who is afraid to meet others on the other side, it's about the same. She shouldn't be so afraid to cross over. But she dismisses the fear. She won't have to go over there to find Greger. She turns her attention to Gate Security's building. Frau Müller was right. You really can't miss this place. So, she's here...now what? She had a plan. Not a great one, but it was at least something to try. Heading inside, Natali quickly finds and approaches what she assumes is a receptionist's desk. Probably there for directions or other related questions. Natali puts her plan into action. "Excuse me, I'm Alexander Greger's sister, Heidi Greger. He forgot his lunch at home! How embarrassing. Is he available? Wouldn't want him to go hungry!" She says, flapping the brown bag through the air back and forth. Convincing? Probably not. But if it gets her face to face with Greger, she has to try.
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Dec 18, 2015 00:10
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 20:18 |
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Natali The bag stops mid-flap as Natali hears the news. "Okay, I'll be sure to get this to him then. Thanks!" She says, running out the door. Hopefully she gave the impression she genuinely cared and was in a hurry, as opposed to just looking like a crazy person. On the way there, Natali ponders all this. A bouncer? She knew he was big, but bouncers also have to be intimidating. Not every big guy can stand in front of a club, say 'no way, man,' and have it stick. In other words, this Greger guy is about as scary as she thought he was, maybe even more so. The question for her now is this: what will she do when she faces him? He'll be right there, out in the open. But it'd be too risky to use her powers in public, even concealed. Did she want to hurt him? Kill him? Not necessarily. Murder's grisly, and wouldn't be easy to swallow, in terms of her conscience. There's got to be something else she can do. As she enters an alley near the building and peeks around a corner, she gets her priorities straight. Answers to some questions. That's all she needs. What was he doing there that night? Did he know about other events of their nature? Did he actually rat out the attendees? Who is he working for? Questions, questions. There's more important questions for her to ask right now. What does the building look like? Where exactly is Greger? What does he look like? Is there a line to get in? Scope out the situation, and then make a plan. For now, it was Natali's best answer. Her only answer. What had she gotten herself involved in...? PurplieNurplie fucked around with this message at 06:32 on Dec 31, 2015 |
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Dec 31, 2015 05:59
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