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OOC Thread Influence Sheet "Brilliant! These Sinister Summer limited issues have been a rousing success!" Nick Dixon is thoroughly pleased with himself, shining an apple to a raw gleam on his suspenders and pinstripes as he leans back, looking at his utterly mortified staff, who don't have the heart to say whats on their mind, but he's quick to rouse it out of them. "Well then, don't just sit there looking like a room of stiffs! What's next for Infinity Comics?" "Well, sir, we've lost the initiative. Yami Jump is already about to release their second weekly in the genre, and there's a few more already in the work. This was just a limited release, and while MurderDome was very successful in the summer, we've got nothing coming out of the holiday season to make use of the new properties." Dixon chewed on this, and then stared. "Look, just slap together the eight best-selling of the limited runs and let's do a big team-up event." "Well, we've been working actually on a weekly of our own, two of them! Mr. Nebster wanted to go for something called Dirty Deeds Done Cheap..." "We can't afford that kind of licensing," Marketing was quick to chime in. "Atropha was thinking something more anti-villain, like the Defiants. Same kind of anti-authority charm but a bit more pointed..." Dixon cut right back in. "I don't care, put both of the ideas together." "Sir!?" "Just slap it all together. You've got a week to put out a weekly. I don't care how you get it done, just do it. I want to see Sinister Summer type numbers on my desk by the end of the quarter!" And well, that was that.   Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 01:57
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Expectations
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MC Moves
 The Placeholding Zapper, a Crook, first appearing in Sinister Summer #1, written by paradoxGentleman!          Villain: Disembodied Duo Villain: Old Scratch Villain: Bouncing Betty Villain: Madame Mode Villain: Counter Culture Supplemental: The Modern Marvels Villain: Lord Playfair Villain: The Childlike Emperor Villain: Her  MurderDome Graduate Rankings 1. ... 1399 ... The Defiant D4C ... 2. ... 1356 ... Masters of Disaster ... 3. ... 1144 ... Future Marauders of America ... 4. ... 0780 ... Lost Boys Corps ... 5. ... 0554 ... The Terror Tribe ... The Defiant D4C Rankings 1. ... 180 ... Blackguard ... 2. ... 178 ... Copycat ... 3. ... 177 ... 4. ... 175 ... Dark Eagle ... 5. ... 174 ... S.T.R.A.I.N. ... 6. ... 174 ... Möbius ... 7. ... 170 ... Zapper ... 8. ... 160 ... The Centipede ... Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 10:24 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 01:58
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Never feel obligated for a certain post length or quality. It's more important to keep momentum, and also, have fun.
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   Opening: City of La Reina, West Coast of North America. Astroplasm Cafe. Day after X-mas. (All)Here's a secret about being a villain: Everyone expects you to break the rules. The fact that they card at Astroplasm only means they want to see how well your IDs are forged. Your "golden ticket" is your real ID, in a place like this. It's a villains' club, and for a bunch of young Turks like yourselves, this is you "arriving." Now, the fact none of you have fake IDs means that it's primarily a hefty bribe from Melody's trust fund that provides the "cover charge" for your entrance, but that's neither here nor there. You've got a wide selection of fruity drinks (of course villains drink insanely complicated fruity cocktails, who do you think we are?) served by the staff, the place owned by the "Star Spectress" herself, though she just goes by Noemi nowadays. It's clear that it caters to a younger crowd, with arcade boxes and air hockey tables, and pumping the latest Top 100 singles too-loud through the speakers. It's almost pointedly kind of overwrought, as if to put into contrast all the villains in costume. Oh yeah, that's one of the rules that don't get broken, being as they are unwritten but somewhat enforced. One, you show up in costume. You are playing a role here, being part of the mask.  So what kind of costume exactly do you wear for this occasion?Two, no smoking. Seriously, nobody wants that crap (there is a lot of vaping though). And finally, no second bananas. Minions, henchmen, pets (though somehow Jailbird is so far evading too much notice, lucky bastard) are to be left behind, mainly just to keep people from rolling in with their full entourages and making a mess and expecting a "ten finger discount" that is more popular at less reputable establishments where showing up in force can get you what you want. Astroplasm ain't upscale, though. It's exactly what it appears to be. And right now, it's where you are planning your next caper. You don't have a secret lair, or some hidden place to do so. Not yet. Maybe you'll be changing that soon, but for right now? You've got a private booth that is insulated from the pounding music. That isn't to say you won't be interrupted by the local young adult villains looking to pick on the weak, but unlike most fresh meat you showed up together. That's why almost all Youth Union villains end up in an alliance like yours: Strength in numbers. Its not usually until they're ready to step out as a true threat to the world that they start trying to make it on their own, so you've got the same bullshit cliquishness and tribalism here as well. It just happens that you're all freaks, and that's a little liberating to think about. Is there anyone you sneak a glance at that you were hoping to see? Anyone you were hoping to miss?You've got a few things on your plate. First being what the do with the silver chalice: Fence it? Keep it as a trophy? You'll need somewhere to put it, which is the second problem. You don't have a base of operations. M.A.D.D. has a program for requisitioning a lair, but the paperwork is egregious and the line long, and Youth Union members automatically get lower priority. A true villain, besides, steals a lair. The third thing of course is the Black Iris. It's a hot item, just like the chalice, but it could be used to someone's advantage. Whether you choose to hold onto that hot potato or not, now is the time for a plan. There's also the less major, but still problematic fact that nobody's seen Dark Eagle since the debrief back at MurderDome. What do you do? Zapper: Despite the fact that your sponsor is literally the most infamous villain of all time, you haven't actually met her, and it doesn't seem to bring any special privileges. At least, that's what it seemed like until very recently, when you found a letter in your things. Written in that blue ink and flowery hand, it didn't have to be signed for you to know exactly who it was from. However, it didn't tell you very much: It gave you a time, and a street address, somewhere in the city you are currently in, La Reina, on the western seaboard. It's in a week's time. What do you think it could mean, and what part, if any, do you see it playing in the caper? Centipede: Ever since you got back from your second trip into villainy on this first caper, Rosie's been asking a lot of questions. She's starting to ask about who you've been meeting at camp. Distressingly, she's mentioned there's been some requisitioned equipment that's been noticed missing. What have you been feeding her as a cover story? More importantly, how do you think you can work into this caper a way to have her distracted from you and Zapper's side-venture? STRAIN: Your efforts to find evidence of your origin and how to use it to your advantage have been frustrated by a problem. The bioelectrical energy your nanites feed off of is starting to wear a bit on your body. Your intense metabolism has so far kept the, well, strain down, but you've become increasingly unwell. In fact, you are sick, in a way that you have never experienced! Mark the Afraid condition, as you frankly have difficulty processing this, but at the same time, it might also be fascinating. What possibilities do you see in this? Do you think using such vectors might be a means to upgrade your own efforts? And how the hell do you cure the common cold? Blackguard: Your spectacular performance against the Night Hunter didn't go unnoticed. Ol' Scratch meant what he said, and he said that if you impressed him, firing on all cylinders, he'll give you a lead on the Triad. He says that that there is a secret base underneath the city of La Reina here on the western seaboard, and you might have suggested to Melody that this is where you could meet for that reason. Thing is, the place could be a deathtrap, and actually cracking in might be a bit too much for right now, but maybe some other players in the area know something about it. What else did he tell you? What else have you found out on your own? And what are you going to do about it? Möbius: Something you neglected to mention to the others was that Zeitgeist works with the Mystic Force on a fair few occasions, as a sort of mentor and support figure to that arcane-oriented supergroup. You know quite a bit about them: Who their current leader is, their base on the western seaboard (which has some topomantic portals that might be of interest to you), even something a little more useful, namely the archvillain they currently have imprisoned under their base. You can answer any of these questions now, or later, but more importantly, do you share any of this with the rest? You should also read's Melody's prompt for... reasons. Copycat: The Black Iris is now yours, or maybe the group as a whole, but everyone knows it was you that took it (where have you been keeping it, anyway?) and thus you've got some privileged access. Thing is, do you even know what it does? It's not an Asset, that's for sure, but surely you had some idea before you took it... Didn't you? Maybe not. It's yours now, and unlike that silver chalice, it's not gonna be something particularly easy to fence or get rid of. But let me ask you this, why did you go out of your way to steal this in the first place? Melody: You have managed to not have that skin-crawling freak get you alone yet, but while you've been dodging your new legal guardian, your previous one you just got "emancipated" from has started to already butt into your life. Lord Stanley Howler is someone she knew personally, so going after someone like that means she has taken it upon herself to check in. And somehow, she chose one of the worst people to do it with: Dear Johnathan Grayscale, good ol' Knobstradamus over there. Your mother contacted him, and told him something about yourself that he can now hold over you, and you just know it wasn't inadvertent. What could your mother possibly have told Möbius that puts you out of all sorts? Möbius now has Influence over you. Dark Eagle: You're a little tied up at the moment. You decided to do the lone wolf thing, as you always had, just you and Sundown. Your sponsor, Betty, found you a target: A cache of personal explosives that you will gain as an Asset. However, you are on the run from some very bad mothers. Who are these people, what did you do to piss them off, and how were they able to keep you from meeting up with the team until now?This is the Planning Phase. Each of you may choose to propose a caper, second someone else's proposal, or abstain. After 72 hours, or after everyone has chosen one of those three, whichever comes first, there'll be a quick vote to see which of the caper suggestions is taken, at which point I'll draft the Planks and we'll get started proper. Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 10:46 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 01:59
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 Freak: +1 | Danger: +0 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menance: +3 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: | Location: Astroplasm Cafe It felt good being able to actually walk into the club. Slowly mind you, the exo-legs whilst allowing him some degree of movement again were still quite slow, which is why when he eventually arrived into the room everyone else was already seated. On the table in front of him was, a book, a cookie jar with the label 'Petty Cash' stuck on it, and an expensive silver chalice that formally belonged to a werewolf lord who was very upset that it was stolen from him. The Centipede, got himself comfortable and then cleared his throats "Evening gentlemen, and ladies let's not beat around the bush here, we have a problem." "There are exactly three things that any self-respecting super-villain team needs; infamy, money, and a base. 1/3 is not ideal so I think before anything else happens we deal with one of those two things we seem to be in short supply of." Christmas had certainly been eventful. In the Likely household it was always a small affair, with the Likely Brothers, a few family friends and Rosie over the Christmas season. And god's bless him, Trevor had no idea what strings he managed to pull or how much it would have costed him but right now he was wearing his new gift.  This technology was only just starting to gain ground, and as such was not likely to attract attention, Trevor hoped, but let them look he hated having to use the wheelchair and using his powers to move around was not a socially acceptable method either (Although it was very good at spooking people out when he did it in his supervillain outfit.) But of course Rosie had been looking into The Centipede case whilst he was busy being The Centipede elsewhere and, well, he had been a little lax in his subterfuge, and now she had latched onto a small hitch that had turned up on the CRISIS data-banks and asked him about it over Christmas, and he said he would look into it of course after he clamped down the urge to panic right there and then. She was getting too close for comfort to the truth, and whilst he could supply fake names and photos, after all she wouldn't go out of her way to look up someone who apparently lived in a another state on nothing more then the shadow of a hunch, but this area was a CRISIS hot spot and this was a CRISIS issue, and if she followed leads it would only be a matter of time before she found something more concrete, and Trevor couldn't risk getting exposed so early not when he had barely gotten started, but like with almost everything else he had plans for such an eventuality. And the best thing about this one was that is was a very simple plan. Rosie Parks was looking into something fairly minor because her job was quite slow in terms of workload right now, the solution? Give them something more pressing to investigate. Either something so quiet that they'll be spending all the time trying to find out how they did it, or something so loud they'll be spending weeks cleaning up after it. And whilst she was cleaning up, he would cover up, and everything would be gravy once more. "And as an additional aside, I would advise that since we don't have much in the way of personal transport right now - No Mobius we are not using teleportation spells again - we should probably keep our activities to the local area for the moment. With that in mind any suggestions anyone?" quote:The Centipede, The Hood. TheNabster fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 10:35
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 Fre: +1 | Dan: +0 | Tro: -1 | Sup: +3 | Men: +0 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe While our alliance being here in this dismally common (costumes aside) venue is likely to turn a few heads, I'm absolutely certain it's ME that everyone's checking out - and who can blame them? I'm nearly as famous as it's possible for someone to be, I've got my Royal Rose Regalia on and am looking simply stunning, and what's more my leadership of our little group must be obvious to all given my natural grace and poise. I'm sure word has already spread of our deeds and rankings - speaking of, mine's too low, even if I am third among us - and once people recover from being starstruck by my very presence, they'll be over to seek my attention soon enough. Sipping on a Betsie Temple (pineapple juice, four ounces of coconut rum, a little grenadine and some cherries on top) as I relax and wait for my compatriots, I'm just the picture of smug perfection. Being able to read everyone's thoughts sure helps. Despite my effortless appearance though, my mind's whirling with everything I'm dealing with. Yesterday was the first Christmas since I left home - I'm not Christian obviously, but we've always celebrated it since dad does - and it was a bit rough, emotionally. He sent Delilah and me a ton of presents of course, but it still wasn't the same. Mom didn't even call me, just texted, and half of it was about how disappointed she is with me! She had time to call MOBIUS though, that bitch, and tell him all about my paralyzing fear of large dogs for whatever reason. Does she really think that, what, he'll get a big dog to annoy me, or conspire to put me in situations where they're involved? That's ridiculous, he's obviously too busy trying to get me to notice him (it's my theory he has a crush on me, disgusting a concept as it is) to do anything of the sort. Then there's figuring out the Caper for everyone else, trying to get the team's frankly idiotic name replaced (clowning on Danzig should've been allowed, it would've been an excellent way to build villain cred in my opinion!) Plus there was having to bribe the guy to get in - five thousand dollars seems normal for something like that, but I've got the sneaking suspicion I've been ripped off. Clearing my throat, I'm just about to speak up when Centipede does out of nowhere, clearly not having recognized his proper place here. Annoyed, I summon my cellphone with a snap of my fingers, pointedly paying attention to my social media accounts instead of him until he's done talking. Not that I don't listen, of course - gotta know what he's saying to play off it - but I at least want to make my displeasure known. Going after a base is certainly a good idea, exactly what I had in mind... ugh. Going to have to agree while making it sound like I didn't to take credit for the idea. When he finally shuts up I give everyone a winning smile, then speak my piece, eloquently informing my lessers what our plan is in a melodious voice, barest trace of an Avalonian accent apparent. "Us obtaining a base is obvious - can't well show off either of our trophies without somewhere to put them, and none of you all are crashing at my place," except Blackguard obviously. "So it's equally obvious we have to steal one - might as well do this right after all! It's just a matter of which one's right for us, and I happen to know just the place..."  Flicking some of my brilliant red hair back into place with one hand, I wave my other in a mystic pattern as I do so, creating a glamour on the table between all of us of my intended target, the structure looming and imposing even in miniature. "Nexus Bastion - we'll give it a better name - belongs to the Mystic Force, and among other amenities great and small, it sits at a natural ley-line convergence, meaning we won't NEED personal transport, we'll be able to use the castle itself to teleport to and from it freely." Also? With the proper rituals, I could attune it to Avalon, and use the castle itself in my eventual showdown with my Mother when I claim the throne. Being able to teleport the castle and an army inside it onto the island itself would sure come in handy... not that I say anything about that little bonus aspect of the plan for me, of course. They'll find out later... Closing my plan out, gotta end strong - I snap my fingers and the illusion disappears, the magic sparkling and twinkling as it fades. "We'll be denying one of our enemies a base, going after the Mystic Force makes sense given they're likely after us and will build our brand up, the castle just screams 'villain' and will look even better after a makeover - and most importantly, it's big enough for us to share the space while still having room to ourselves." Seriously, I need a LOT of storage space for all of my stuff, rich people problems right? "What's everyone think? Just gotta figure out a way in, how to beat the defenders, and keep reinforcements from arriving. Brilliant, right?" quote:
Birthright Mechanics posted:You have been denied a Birthright, something that represents supremacy in some way. It might be the title of the Power Penultimate, or the royal crown of Ussoria. It might be held by a hero or a villain. All that matters is that you think it’s yours. The Birthright comes in some symbolic form, something that can be stolen or taken, though not necessarily physical. It could be magical, technological, or mundane in nature. Choose a symbol for your birthright: A crown Rauri fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 11:15
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 Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Jonathan nursed a tonic, hissing angrily in a glass in tune to the boy's own seething. Seems like he was weirdly pissed off about some undisclosed thing. Well, what did they know. He had been the best applicant the Zeitgeist had, and as senile as the old man was, at least his rankings weren't rigged. "Hmph", Jonathan scoffed, bringing attention to himself, as he begun his diatribe, "A castle? And something that brings you closer to your inane goal of seizing the unimportant throne of some unimportant place? Impressive. That is, that you would make a plan both so unimaginative and self-serving and expect to get away with it too. Can you imagine? The masters of Disaster getting up to who knows what, and us yammering about trying to get to your mother? Truly the apple has fallen far from the fae-tree", a mocking smirk danced on Jonathan's face as he leered at Melody, "I should know." "But no, that just won't do at all. How about we start this off with something actually worth our time", and with 'our' Jonathan meant 'his', but felt it unnecessary to spell out, "For as it happens, I have it on good authority, that is to say my own authority, that somebody of great infamy has been caught by the Mystic Force." With a wave of his hand, Jonathan conjured a graphic map of the country onto the table, retrieved his compass from his robes and gave it a little twirl, causing the device to jump around the map pointing out place of interest "For you see, I was spending some time at the Planar Orrery, and there was some furor about an anomaly. Now I won't bother you with the complexities of navigating fifth dimensional realspace, since you people are capable of understanding exactly none of it, but in 'dreg-speak' the happenings could be described as something very big making its way towards the western seaboard. Now, the Mystic Force took note of course since their base is there, and managed to interdict the anomaly. Turns out it was nobody but The Silver Myrmidon, in the flesh! Well, so to speak, anyway."  The Silver Myrmidon; General Cog; Leader of The Clockwork Legion "Oh yes", Jonathan elaborated with some smarm, "The Silver Myrmidon! The Archvillain himself and the bane of the local planar cluster, leading his clacking host in his usual way", that is to say, 'extremely predictable way'. The Clockwork Legion was very huge and very powerful but true to their nature as predictable as sundown and sunset. This tended to mean that even though the Legion always made a huge mess when it arrived (and it did arrive, always on time, circling the local planes in a seemingly unending cycle), it rarely made any permanent territorial gains it could hold for long. Nevertheless, its arrival was always a threat that caused chaos and uproar in local Hero communities. "Now, if you know anything about his MO, you'd know that his arrival is not such a huge deal, and tends to happen at fairly frequent intervals. But what makes this different, is that they actually managed to capture him this time, which is something that has never happened before, and are trying to negotiate an armistice with the Legion officer corps for his freedom. Which would be a huge blow to the Silver Myrmidon, since a big part of his shtick is being the head of an inexorable horde of magitech automatons. Armistices do not go hand in hand with that, in case you people need it spelled out. So naturally, getting that through is something the Mystic Force is really aiming for. I hear that they even have Gehannah herself leading the negotiations."  Gehannah, leader of the Mystic Force. Went to Hell once and managed to trick a Demon Duke out of all his power, that is to say she is both really clever and also now has some ridiculous amounts of demonic magic mojo going for her. One of the most powerful demonologists on the planet, and trickster hero to boot. "So. The positives here are obvious. We get to snub the Mystic Force in a major way. We gain equally major favors from a very powerful and well-established archvillain. And most importantly? Taken that these news have not particularly spread outside the Orrery, which is normally off-limits to the Youth Union, it is fair to say the higher ups think it too difficult a task for us to accomplish, meaning that they will be very impressed when we do." And of course, since the Zeitgeist was involved with the Mystic Force, this would allow Jonathan to basically spit at his face, which was another very important thing. But it wasn't as if the rest of the team needed to know any of that. Jonathan snorted in a self-satisfied way. "See, this is how you make an actual plan, with a purpose. Besides, unlike your", Jonathan glanced at Melody, "childish idea that could scarcely be called a plot, this is rather time sensitive. We can nab that castle of yours any time. And besides, wouldn't it be easier when the Mystic Force are all occupied trying to stop the Clockwork invasion that we helped come along, hm?" Jonathan cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms as a smug grin crept on his face. Why wouldn't it? It was fairly clear none of the people present could come up with anything better. quote:Villain Name: Möbius Theantero fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Dec 31, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 12:57
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Freak: +1 | Danger: +0 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menance: +3 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: | Location: Astroplasm Cafe Wilbur nodded as he listened to Royal Rose's plan to it's conclusion, well what ever amount of planning was actually made. He clapped, "Splendid! A very ambitious plan with much to recommend it, only... Did you have any idea on how to get the current occupants to vacate the premises?" "Aside from the problem of all that rigmarole that happened when we just fought one member of the Mystic Force who was disorientated and drug addled and you are asking us to fight every single member at once despite the fact they've been doing it for longer and have faced things a lot more dangerous than us on a frequent basis, they have these little pieces of paper that say that ultimately they own the property." "I'm very remiss on my Avalonian Law I apologize but here in our uncultured backwater if you don't have those pieces of paper you don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to claiming who owns what. Absolute best case scenario we'd keep it for a short while and then we'd have to leave quickly after they send a task-force after us." He turned to Jonathan. "Now on the other hand, a plan that most involves breaking out a valuable prisoner and then stealing everything that isn't nailed down on the way out to finance future operations? That is something within our purview. Although I err a little on the side of freeing a planar threat for profit, are you absolutely certain this..." Wilbur looked at the picture in front of him, it was hard to see where the machine ended and the man began, in the end he settled for the safe bet "Man will repay our efforts?" Centipede will second Mobius' plan for the moment, being that it's the best one on the table so far. TheNabster fucked around with this message at 16:08 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 13:46
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Jonathan's grin softened a bit as he listened to Centipede. That is to say, it was merely patronizing now, instead of condescending. He explained. "See, Centipede, The Silver Myrmidon acts and orders his army like he does not because he is some sort of idiot. Well, he might be, but it isn't the reason. It's because he's an Archvillain, and knows to stick to his theme. His 'theme' being that he's the leader of the Clockwork Legion, that marches in preset, orderly paths. This predictability is a big part of how he operates, and he sticks to it regardless of whether or not it's the most efficient way of leading an army." It wasn't, of course, and Jonathan suspected the guy didn't even particularly want to actually conquer anything, and just took joy in pushing around his soldier automatons and playing the resultant wargames against heroic forces. Jonathan waved his hand dismissively. "Suffice it to say, he has been known to reward collaborators. And knowing him, it would be very strange indeed if he didn't thus reward us." "Also, powerful contacts are good to have, even for villains." Theantero fucked around with this message at 14:18 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 14:00
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 Freak: +0 | Danger: +3 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menace: +1 Curses: 0/5 | Infamy: +0 | Location: Astroplasm Cafe So this is what I am doing with my life - correction, my unlife now, on the day after Christmas. Sitting in a private booth in some 'secret' bar whose style I'm pretty sure I don't care for that much. Nursing some drink with about a dozen too many ingredients - not that it really matters, though, what it really tastes like, the fact that it's not real alcohol. Sure, I would still be able to tell, but I wouldn't be able to... enjoy it. Not like I used to, before that day in the New York back alley. It wasn't just my body that was left more cold, more dull after that night, it wasn't just my life's blood I left behind. Heavy stuff, or maybe something fit for the margin scribbles of some rear end in a top hat thinking themselves edgy enough to die their hair black, but too chicken for piercings. Who knows. Anyway. Right now, my drink is just something I...consume. Background. Like the music. Okay, actually, taste in music is something that Death – and yeah, it being capitalized is intentional - for some reason saw fit to not take away from me. Because what the gently caress is this Top 100 garbage? We're supposed to be some sort of supervillains, so something a little bit more alternative would give everyone the chance to pretend they're something special, apart from 'the mainstream'. A label like the whole term: supervillain. Perhaps, if whoever picked this thought along the same lines, the music choice represents some sort of subtle honesty. Or maybe it's just Top 100 because that's safe. They could at least, I don't know, play classical music, class it up, because sophistication is evil. Give all the Hannibal Lecter and Hans Gruber wannabes a hand in the bargain. I lean back into my couch, close my eyes, breathe in. I'm distracting myself with pointless stuff. Taste in music, whining about not being able to enjoy food and drink. Pointless. I breathe out. Guess part of it is because like I said, I am here, the day after Christmas. Just a year ago, things were quite different. I was with my family. Hm. But I've made my choice. It's better this way. For the moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. Which, it turns out, may have been a good idea because I'm not sure I could have stopped myself from rolling my eyes. Because now that I'm actually listening to the others, it's clear that the inevitable is underway. Bickering over what our next caper is going to be. Battle of the egos. Which predictably means it's Möbius and Melody – err, Royal Rose butting heads. I mean, I'm pretty sure I know Melody better than anyone else at this table – and yes, in some aspects, that might include herself – and she's certainly not lacking for confidence. I sit back up again, still not saying anything, and my eyes wander over Melody's back – I'm sitting next to her, of course – as she's bent forward, still arguing. And it's funny. All those thoughts earlier, my Christmas blues, it's gone in this instance. Because she looks good. The waist framed in her tight leather top, with that additonal fancy embroidery, and then, further below, that little quarter-skirt – is that the right term? - over her pants and with that, her rear end, and even further below, even though I can't see them, her leather boots. Some sort of mixture between princess and swashbuckler, and, well, I like it. Okay, 'like' might be too mild. And really, it's her I'm into. The fact that her dress sense plays into... my thing is certainly a bonus, though. Wait, where was I? Wherever it was, it left me with my hand on Melody's hip. Hm. Well, too late to withdraw. Not that I was going to. Still, it pulled me out of my funk. There'll be enough time to spend too much time in my head later, in the long hours of the night. Right now we're working on our next caper, so it's time to pull it together, make sure we're actually getting stuff done besides deciding who is top dog. Of course, I'll back up Melody – for the most part, anyway. Still going to try to keep everyone's eyes somewhat on the prize. I narrow my eyes and stare across the table, unblinking. Because the strange thing is, Centipede has been doing an okay job with that so far. Even spoke up first, which I would not have put money on. Not sure whether he and Möbius are pulling some moderate cop / delusional arrogant cop routine, but right now, I can't bring myself to care. I lean forward, one hand still on Melody's hip and across her back. One benefit in coming in what I'd probably call 'black armor casual' – no actual armor, but lots of black leather and the suggestion of spikes like on my real armor via, I don't know, engraving – is that I actually feel that. Which is helping immensely in keeping me motivated. Anyway. Finally, I speak. "So. We have two plans. Both ambitious. Both against dangerous opposition.“ I roll my shoulders, slowly make my head turn towards Centipede. Wanting to see just the slightest hint of a shudder in his eyes. "Because yes. One the one hand we have the entire Mystic Force. Maybe. Far as I know, they're unlikely to hang out at their clubhouse the whole time. So. Not guaranteed we'd be up against all of them at Nexus Bastion. On the other hand...“ I turn towards Möbius – and I can't help myself, I just pinch Melody's side the slightest bit, pull her just a little bit towards me. Softly enough so she can resist. Which I might like even more. But. Möbius. "On the other hand. A secure location – yet to be named – where we would almost certainly run into the actual leader of the Mystic Force. Gehannah. Not in that position due to office politics.“ "So. Don't see one being safer than the other yet.“ I lean back again, already signalling I'm about to finish. "Only difference is, we do need a place to crash.“ And honestly, owning an actual castle? That would be goddamn badass. "If only to stash that... thing we picked up on the Silverfang job.“ Hah. Listen to me talk. 'The Silverfang Job.' Thinking in terms of caper movies may a bit too much. Or maybe just trying not to think about the fact that that thing belongs – belonged – to the supposed actual, in the dead flesh, Count Dracula. But then again, I got Christmas presents from the actual Ryan Edgars, so who knows which one of those two facts is making my life weirder. Wait, didn't he play in a movie about Dracula...? Whatever. I lean back, waiting for someone to respond – and yeah, hoping I did right by Melody. Which gets me thinking about whether I would have argued for Möbius' plan if Melody had brought it up. Maybe. Probably. Truth is, it's not important. I can't bring myself to truly care for one plan or the other. Washed out, dull. Like this drink I'm sipping on. quote:Name: Delilah White nil. fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Jan 4, 2017 |
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Dec 27, 2016 19:48
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Freak: +1 | Danger: +0 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menance: +3 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: | Location: Astroplasm Cafe Wilbur tried not to squirm under the gaze of Blackguard, and failed, miserably. It took an almost superhuman effort to straighten himself out and look her in the eyes because god drat his body was trying to bury itself into the chair to get away from that horrible, predatory stare that pierced his heart and examined his soul minutely. All this while, a pair of tiny arms were tip tapping away on a small notebook computer in front of Centipede as it took minutes without his conscious input. (He was after all the sort of person who the moment a club gets started, slides into the role of secretary without asking anyone just because it's what they like to do. He even had ledgers especially acquired for their finances, what little of it there was right now because he found a quiet joy in book keeping*) "I-it's not that I think one is more dangerous then the other M-Ma'am it's just that." He tried to shape the words whilst forcing all the tremor out of his voice. "Well, you have fought a member of the Mystic Force and kept pace, and I bet Strain and Mobius could also throw down with a member due to being the highest power levels in this group. But then where does that leave us semi-ordinary muggles with fairly mundane powers like Zapper and Dark Eagle and I? We're not exactly fighters whatever people might think." He decided at this point for the sake of his heart to break eye contact with Blackguard, as he looked at the ceiling, tapping his teeth. "I still feel the jail break would be the better option, but if I was going for the plan to take the castle, I wouldn't actually go to the castle. I'd go to the tax office where thanks to the efforts of our current absent friend Dark Eagle a couple of months of tax avoidance is poised to crash down over our unfortunate super-heroic friends and if someone were to say, change a few numbers around, nudge the system here and there, we can make them default on that castle, and then snatch it out from under-them before they even know what's happened. No fighting superheroes required, no wards to be circumnavigated, and the best part is, if it is pulled off right, everything that comes afterwards will be legal and we'll legally own a 'sweet castle'." "But that's just me musing to the air in the direction of interested parties. Your highness." "And besides, who says that our rescued friend wouldn't be forthcoming with a base if we asked nicely? I heard from a guy" - Or rather I read off of the CRISIS databanks of the last invasion that happened a while back - "That those clockwork boys have flying airships that could house an entire platoon, wouldn't that be a cool as a big castle if we got one? And it would also solve our transport problems too." *The finances of The Defiant D4C total as of this moment include, £37.20 in small change and notes, a $10 Coupon for free frogurt, One ceremonial silver chalice (Slightly soot-stained) and One ancient occult artifact of dread power TheNabster fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 20:34
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Jonathan's eyes shifted from Blackguard to Wilbur. The woman was being fairly noncommittal, which was probably the best he could hope for, taking into account the relationship she had with Rose. And really, her backwards logic could have used a lashing word or two, but Jonathan had no desire to get into a spat with her, not because he was afraid of her power (he was clearly the most powerful member of this posse by far after all), but because she was genuinely useful and had an intriguing set of powers he wanted to take a closer look at some point. Both of which were things that would be much harder if she was unduly antagonistic towards him. Quite an interpersonal dilemma, this one, that Jonathan decided to solve with a dismissive harumph. It wasn't as if she was on this team for her ability to make good informed decisions, after all. "Hmph." "Yes, quite, we could free a notorious archvillain from the clutches of some of the more potent, well, comparatively potent", you had to take the dismal state of the local casters into account after all, "magical heroes of the country so that he can let his clacking armada of doom free onto the coasts of California. Or we could engage in some white collar real estate fraud." Really, Jonathan would have probably resolved to delve into much sharper mockery if it wasn't his 'friend' making the suggestions. "And yes, naturally we could try and leverage the Silver Myrmidon's gratitude for a Brass Juggernaut as a base for our operations were we to succeed. As if that wasn't something I was going to do anyway. That's how you distinguish an actually good plan. It has answers for ALL our problems, and is actually interesting to boot."
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Dec 27, 2016 21:01
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Freak: +1 | Danger: +0 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menance: +3 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: | Location: Astroplasm Cafe Wilbur leaning back back in his seat pursed his lips a little at Jonathan's interjection. "Well when you put it like that yes it's a bit on the mundane and unimpressive as far as super villain heists go. But if we don't commit a little bit of white collar mundanity if we try stealing that castle, then we won't be able to keep it, period." "... Do you have anything to weigh in on this Paola? You're the team's expert on these matters." He said, being that she hadn't weighed in on this debate yet. TheNabster fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 21:19
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Zapper |Freak -1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior +1 Menace +1 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Astroplasm Cafe | Paola looked with satisfaction as the blue liquid she ordered slowly climbed its way through the twisty straw she was drinking with. She decided that when she had some free time, she would have to falsify some IDs, because this place was pretty bomb, in her not-so-humble opinion. It was exactly how an hangout for young villains should be: loud, messy, flamboyant and full of the kind of drinks she enjoys. Oh man, is that Try Everything by Shakira? She loved that song! But as the Defiant D4C start to discuss future caper prospects, her mind went back on track. She nodded along as both her colleagues explain their plans, committing to neither for now; she took another pensive sip at the blue beverage in front of her, as she pondered about the letter she received from Her, and its relationship with the Silver Myrmydon. She scrambled for every bit of information that she could get her hands on when she found the letter, of course. She was disappointed to find out that it was a simple dentist office in an unremarkable district in northern La Reina. The owner, a certain Dr. Edmon Norton, had no ties with the superhero or villain communities that she could dig up, and she dug up up to this guy's high school classmates. (Two of them went on to become henchmen and now worked for Dr. Parabola; another one had a minor job in CRISIS and is currently deployed on the Western Ghats. None of this was likely to be relevant.) It didn't dawn on her until she heard about the captured Silver Myrmydon: according to the traditional Clockwork Army's battle strategies, that were very well-documented and thus easy to find, the main army's body was supposed to march right in front of there, with General Cog right in there leading the troops. But the Silver Myrmydon had been captured. What did that mean? Was this supposed to happen? And why did She feel the need to point out this place, with all the others that could have been there? Her has access to the whole timeline; she already knows everything that is going to happen, every event destined to unfold. She must have had Her reasons to select this particular office in this particular neighborhood, despite all appearances. But what could that reason be? Is the Myrmydon supposed or not supposed to be there? One of her teammates just proposed a caper about this Archvillain who her mentor alluded to. Could that be a coincidence? Can she afford not to act as if it weren't? Is there such a thing as a coincidence when time travel is involved? Wilbur's prompting gives her the perfect occasion to get involved in the battle of the egoes going on. She finishes up her drink before answering. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sold on either. Your plan" She says pointing her glass at Red Rose. "Is probably the most grandiose of the two, and if we pull it off, we'll get something real nice for our trouble. Those are both important, especially if we plan to stay ahead of the Masters of Disaster, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we obviously do. But that's a big if. I don't know if we have the resources to take down the Mystic Force as things stands, and especially not to hold it after the initial push." "And you." Her drink moves towards Mobius. "Don't talk trash about real estate fraud, there's some decent villainy to be done with that. Imagine what it'd feel like to call the cops on the heroes, and have them legally have to drag them out. We'll make them look like complete fools, and they'll have to either collaborate or harm honest policemen. It's a decent strategy. As for your plan, as you said, it's more time sensitive, and a favor from an Archvillain is nothing to sneeze at. That being said, best case scenario we walk out of your caper with an airship. I like the idea of having a castle better." She puts her hands together, tapping her index fingers one against the other, and smiles. "But you know what I'd like even better? Having a castle AND an airship. What is stopping us from helping the Silver Myrmydon now, and conquering Nexus Bastion at a later date, maybe with his help? I can think of a few uses we could have for a bunch of his Clockwork Soldiers for keeping a castle like that under control." quote:Zapper, AKA Paola Castillo, the Crook paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Jan 6, 2017 |
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Dec 28, 2016 02:22
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Jonathan sipped his tonic. "What is keeping us from helping the Silver Myrmidon and then using the resultant gains and distractions from capturing a little pile of rocks with some leylines running through it? Absolutely nothing. Indeed, it seems a point so obvious that you'd think I'd already made it when presenting my own, in all ways superior plan." There is a clink as Jonathan placed his now empty glass on the table. "And in case you weren't listening, I did, indeed, make that exact point. Even if I fail to see the appeal of a castle that allows us to teleport via leylines when I can already do that via much more elegant methods, it would indeed be possible for us to pursue it afterwards."
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Dec 28, 2016 02:48
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 Freak: 2 | Danger: 0 | Trouble: -1 | Superior: 2 | Menace: 0 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: Afraid | Location: Astroplasm Cafe "Achoo!" The sound is muffled by my mask but it has to be noticeable regardless. Initially it had merely been an annoyance. An involuntary jerk of my whole body, expelling... fluids of some sort through my nasal cavities. Yet another failing of this meat body. But it kept distracting me from my work, taking it's toll on my concentration as I kept circling back around to what was going on. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time before I looked in the most obvious place. I have competition for dominion over this meaty shell. Microscopic invaders like me but biological. What a preposterous thing! My attempts to communicate have been ignored to the point that I had to admit there was no intelligence hiding in the swarm of pathogens. I am being bested by a non-sentient, biological thing. Disturbing not just in it's existential threat but it's sheer existence. However! They are much better equipped to deal with the meatyness of this all. They even found a way to distribute themselves to new hosts that is so idiotically simple it might be genius. It is called the sneeze and maybe my nanites can hitch a ride. But it would require me to tolerate sharing this body with what I can only generously describe as a very distant and very stupid cousin who constantly makes a mess of things. While I made this body better, The Sneeze made it distinctively worse and impedes my functions! And thus I am understandably distracted during our meeting, letting everybody prattle on about what they think is best. I ordered a Pina Colada because the sugar provides energy in the form of sugar and alcohol (although the later seems to have a tendency to compromise various biological functions and I'm beginning to question it's longterm viability as an energy source). It also comes with a little umbrella and a straw that fits through the opening in my mask, which makes for an excellent delivery system. And as far as everyone's suggestions go, I don't like either so far, so I refuse to spend much time contemplating them at facevalue. They are all much to exposed. What we need is someplace safe from where to strike, where we won't have some angry hero knocking on our door every couple hours. I do like the idea of a teleport hub, just not that of a castle, much less one everyone knows about. A dirigible at least moves around. Unless... my drink makes a noise as I suck up the last of it through the straw. "All of those ideas are terrible. Legal or not, we don't want a place where everyone knows where we are. That includes big dirigibles and famous castles. But!" I say and my mask hisses and cracks into three sections before folding itself backwards to reveal the meaty face behind it, blonde hair spilling out around it. "What if we steal the castle?" I pause for effect. "Möbius, I'm sure we all have to admit, is capable of some impressive spatial distortions. If we use a dimensional amplifier inside the Castle I bet we could displace the whole thing and put it wherever we want. Well... within reason." I add as I quickly run through some calculations on power consumption. "But we wouldn't have to take it far, right? Cause you want the magical whats-its, yeah?" I turn towards Melody. I don't know what exactly she's talking about, but I assume she's talking about some kind of energy conduits. "So how about we just teleport it down a little. Into the ground. All we'd have to do is make them think it's gone. Blown up. Hurled into space. Whatever. All while we hide our new underground castle in the last spot they'd think to look." quote:Name: Strain aka S.T.R.A.I.N. aka Supreme Technological Race of Advanced Independent Nanites
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Dec 28, 2016 04:07
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 Freak +0 | Danger -1 | Trouble +2 | Superior +0 | Menace +2 Curses: 0/5 | Conditions: None | Location: Astroplasm Cafe The retro prison uniform is typical for Copycat. It's just "Hey, I'm not where I ought to be, you going to do something about that?" Still, she's spent most of her time looking bored, at least until the plotting piped up. After all, this is just show villainy, safe and subcultured. It wasn't like spending winter break having one of those "everybody's a nice person for Christmas!" sort of adventures with Dayknight. That actually felt more risky than this did. Hell, even the drugs weren't exciting as long as they were this easy. Looking up, though, she finally speaks up. "There are other important questions about this Bastion. Like 'does it have central air and wireless, or are we just stealing a really huge antique?'", Copycat says as she's sprawled back on a couch, waving a hand. "Look, we could take it while they're busy with the armistice talks, but then Mystic Force would team up with somebody like Ghostface or Tween Twitch and just kick us out again... if you're going to steal something, you have to stash it. And if you're going to do that, Melody, you'll need to work with Möbius, because we'd be moving it elsewhere, like Strain says. Another time, another dimension. Somewhere just aside from where people see. As long as it's enough for them to throw their hands up and get a cottage in Canada." She looks over to Möbius, holding up her palms as if to bulwark his inevitable retort. "And that's where we have two birds with one stone." Jailbird looks up at that. "Not real birds.", she admits apologetically, and the cat goes back to looking bored. "You take the teleportation facilities we have at the Bastion, and then use that to get the Silver Centurion in and out. Before the Mystic Force knows it, they're coming home to a big plot of empty land... which they might even not own anymore, thanks to Centipede and Dark Eagle." She grins, lying back as she folds her hands on her stomach. "Don't look at it as two capers, or even three capers. They're all just tools for one big caper." "Speaking of which, on the 'how are a bunch of lightweights going to beat the Mystic Force?' Well, I have-" A pause. "- we have you-know-what. That thing eats magic, right? As long as we keep it in the hands of one of our science whizzes, we can probably down a heavy hitter or two if we can get its thorns into one of them and gets them tangled up in its magic-munching vines." She looks with a grin over to Centipede. "Could be worth though through the trouble of getting chewed out by you all along? Just maybe?" Swinging her legs up, she springs into a sit in a way that actually throws Jailbird off balance, but the cat just seems to roll over and go into one of those 'now I can lick myself here, just as planned' sorts of motions. "So, I'm pretty sure that makes everybody happy. Or less miserable." The tilts her head a little as she leans forward. "I mean, I'm aiming for happy, but I'll settle." pre:Copycat (and Jailbird) Playbook: The Rogue Look:
Alien Rope Burn fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 04:43
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Abilities: Power Mimicry and Luck Manipulation, respectively.
Freak +0 Danger -1 Trouble +2 Superior +0 Menace +2
Rogue Moves
A Dame to Kill For: When you manipulate the affections of someone, roll +Trouble. On a hit, they are smitten
(or otherwise admiring) of you. On a 10+, take Influence on them. On a 7-9, they choose one.
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Fre: +1 | Dan: +0 | Tro: -1 | Sup: +3 | Men: +0 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe I'm going to have to work on my teammates - they simply won't do as is. They're like unruly servants, but armed with superpowers, and also they don't know they're supposed to be servants. A dismal performance on their part so far, really, but it's OK... I have my phone, and can do some social media work while they're flapping their tongues, so at least something productive's being done. Plus just me putting in an appearance anywhere counts as work, really if you think about it this place should be paying me to be here, I'm remarkably increasing the social value of this bar right now. Because let's see, in order of severity? Gotta start with Mobius - of course. Not only does Knobstradamus have the gall to suggest a plan completely contrary to my interests (well most of them, spiting the Mystic Force seems to be one of the only things we agree about), but there is ENTIRELY too much sass in general from him, that one crack about being contacted by my mom having definitely crossed the line - it'll be dealt with in the future, but not yet, and certainly not here. Regardless, his plan's poo poo anyways, since there's just one or two details he seems entirely unaware of that complicate literally everything. For all he brags about his brain, you'd think he'd have thought to ask my opinion on Silver Myrmidon, given my mom's definitely told me a thing or two about her run-ins with him. Guess he never learned how frequently he's wrong, huh? <Rauri> Royal Rose - Inside Woman knowledge of Silver Myrmidon <Rauri> !r 2d6+3 <Krysmbot> Rauri, 4+3 = 7 Naming one thing about him, MC can mention what's changed about him since The central problem with Mobius' plan, other than that it's much too complicated (as always), is that it's counting on the Silver Myrmidon's long-term generosity as one of the rewards, without realizing there's a reason he only uses Clockworks. Because sure, he'd definitely reward us, he's openhanded because he's not a total idiot... but he's also pathologically NOT a fan of organics, aka all of us but STRAIN, and would find some reason to accuse us of betraying him after, and now we're on his massive list of enemies. He's a proper villain, and it's all but guaranteed on his next passthrough, when he hits Earth? We'd get some minor boons now, and risk earning an implacable, if predictable, enemy for the rest of our careers. If he helps us take Nexus Bastion, he'll consider it HIS, and not ours. I'd point this out, but Centipede's busy being gross and fawning over his plan while trying to cast aspersions on mine. I'm not sure he understands the business we're in... if I wanted to just BUY a place, I'd do that myself, the whole point of being a villain is that we don't pay for things, we take them! Speaking of, neither of them understands that we wouldn't just LEAVE the castle there, despite Mobius loving to brag about the few spatial tricks of magic he's specialized in that I haven't really bothered teaching myself yet. I realize Centipede's good at his job, but his position as Mobius' freaky lapdog is grating on me. He even implies I'm not the strongest in the group, giving it to his nerdy boyfriend instead, and that's unacceptable! Copycat, Strain, and Zapper at least raise some good points, even if it's troubling they haven't lept to agree with me yet - at least they're not clearly in Mobius' camp. I hope they find the prospect of him being in charge as troubling as I do, so it's possible I can win their votes... which ALSO troubles me. Voting is such an idiotic system, I should just be in charge and then everyone would be much happier, I could even use my telepathy to make it soothing and relaxing for them. Alas, it's not to be for now, so I'll have to win them over with more traditional methods, namely my winning smile and magnetic personality. At least I can count on Delilah. She's not exactly voicing her strong approval - probably trying to seem tough since we're with the rest of the team - but I'm confident she'll vote for me, which puts the current score at two to two. I just need to convince two more to lock things up, since it doesn't look like Dark Eagle's going to show. Odd, that. Making my phone vanish again with my magic, I'm done letting others talk - it's my turn for a while, and has been several times before I graciously allowed my peers to take advantage of instead. "The thing about Silver Myrmidon that you don't seem to know, Mobius..." Reaching forward to grab my drink off the table, I take a long sip, drawing this out. Only when I'm done clearly enjoying that bit of beverage do I continue, "is that he's good about sticking to his theme, and part of that includes despising Organics, which is more or less all of us. My mom's on his enemies list along with basically everyone that's ever tangled with him, and most of those that've helped him out - some trinkets now aren't worth making an enemy for life, especially not one like him. He's too unreliable to base that big an effort around." I give him a big smile, putting on a convincing demonstration for him so he knows there are no hard feelings on my part about him being such an arrogant blowhard. I mean, there definitely are hard feelings, but I'm too talented to let them show - part of being Faerie Royalty, and a child of a world-famous actor. I can't imagine how weird it'd be for someone to walk in and see our table - they'd SO wonder if everyone else in the booth won some sort of contest to get to hang out with me ,I bet. "We should definitely use the Mystic Force being distracted with Silver Myrmidon, someone we don't actually care about, to enact my plan, so I suppose it's good you brought him up." Looking at Zapper first, I grin. I've no idea how, but she's caught Her's attention - she'll clearly be great once I've helped her out, maybe given her a thousand fashion tips. "We won't have to take down the whole Mystic Force, just the parts that are there at the time, and that's with their numbers thinned by taking care of Silver Myrmidon aaannnddd I can make sure as many as possible are lined up for interviews that day. A lot of people in the media are my friends, or at least owe me favors. With those, plus the element of surprise and a magic nullifying artifact, we're in good shape to overpower whoever's there and steal the place before they even know what happened!" Turning towards the next prospective voter, I give Strain a winning smile and nod in agreement with her suggestion. "Ohhh, I'd been thinking something similar to that - between our various abilities both technological and magical, it should be easy to steal and hide the place. Finders keepers as they say, and we'll have stolen a castle from a bunch of heroes right under their noses and put it where they can't find it!" And put me a step closer to gaining control of Avalon... Facing the last of those I need to win over, I honestly want to pet Jailbird but won't for now - cats are such superior animals to dogs. Still give her cat a little wave though. "And yes, the Bastion's a nice place - big indoor heated pool too, plus underground treasure vaults." I shrug like those are equally important, even though they're not... I already have tons of money, but I don't currently have a place with a pool of its own. Bet I know which one she cares about more though, without using my telepathy at all. "Which I'd rather we didn't share with Silver Myrmidon." Oh yeah, there's that too everyone - why share our haul with some Tin-Man? I need to sum things up again in a simple message to make sure everyone understands. Creating a small image of the castle again, I also create tiny illusions of us attacking the place in an extremely cool looking way - magic means not having to pay for special effects. "Research the place, time things right for when they're spread thin and off their guard, then steal the place - literally - before the Mystic Force knows what hit them, loot the vaults and all their tech and trophies, and then relax in our new pool~. Sound good to everyone else?" Of course it does, it's my idea and I just spent a LOT of effort explaining it to these idiots!
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Dec 28, 2016 08:48
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Freak: +1 | Danger: +0 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menance: +3 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: | Location: Astroplasm Cafe The little hands tip-tapped away on the notebook, and the big hands remained crossed under his chin as he listened to the back and forth around the table. Voting by comitee, whilst everyone else probably thought things would be so much easier if they were in charge and everyone else was a henchman. Flashbacks of days on CRISIS management courses came to his mind, except of course this was a better class of establishment and these people were only slightly more egotistical than the people he had worked with. But as a born and bred committee manipulator, he felt it time to get the discussion back on track. He waited until everyone was finished, and then made a few more taps on the notebook. "Apologies the conversion had rather gotten away from me but I think I'm sort of on the right lines." Centipede flipped the book around for everyone to see, a small chart was on display, with little graphics of everyone's face. "Correct me if I'm wrong by all means but it feels right now the standings are as follows" Plan Rose: We must steal the Nexus Bastion! 2 Votes (Melody, Blackguard) Plan Mobius: We must break the Silver Myrmidon out of prison! 2 Votes (Mobius, Centipede) "And I'm not sure about this one but, well since you sort of suggested it first I'm going to assume it's yours" Plan Zapper: Why not do both? Votes: 3 (Paola, STRAIN, Copycat) "We really need Dark Eagle here, she has the deciding vote on this matter." TheNabster fucked around with this message at 09:55 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 09:46
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Zapper |Freak -1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior +1 Menace +1 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Astroplasm Cafe | Well, that's what I get for agreeing with him. fumed Paola at Möbius' answer. As she listens to the others, she nods along, satisfied with the variety of ideas. She never would have thought about teleporting the castle somewhere else, but that's what pworking with a team nets you: more possibilities, more daring capers. Paola raises an eyebrow as Rose talks. "I'm starting to think that we're working with incorrect info here. Is the Silver Myrmydon willing to reward those who help him, or does he just hate organics too much for that? If Rose is right and freeing him isn't going to help us, why should we bother?"
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Dec 28, 2016 10:39
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Fre: +1 | Dan: +0 | Tro: -1 | Sup: +3 | Men: +0 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Despite wanting to roll my eyes, I resist the urge - I'd explained that! - and clarify for everyone. "Oh, he'll definitely reward us. Mobius wasn't wrong about that." Everything else though? I shrug my shoulders adorably. "But soon after that? He'll find some failure or another to pin on us, and then it's welcome to at least some moderate inconvenience every single time he shows up again, which he will, over and over again. Not worth the risk, he's better as a distraction." With a disdainful look at Centipede, I add, "People can change their votes, they're not locked in stone... or on paper, in your case." After a moment's consideration, I add, "Do you want me to buy you a tablet for Christmas? I can afford it." Rauri fucked around with this message at 11:28 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 10:51
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 Freak +1 / Danger 0 / Trouble +2 / Superior 0 / Menace 0 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Warehouse District I'm still getting used to this 'team' thing. I know that right now we should be planning our next move and getting to know each other and, I don't know, spilling our darkest secrets over overpriced drinks with olives in them but the thought of it makes me uncomfortable in a way I can't put my finger on. It was fine back at the camp, once everyone had realized the only thing at stake was our dignity, but now I've got to play all these impossible games, pushing my agenda and working with the team at the same time, letting my guard down and keeping it up at the same time, being Leila and Dark Eagle at the same time... maybe that's why the Astroplasm Cafe fills me with dread. So I ran, like I always do. After the meeting, Betty gave me directions to a cache of explosives, the sort a decently-sized crow might be able to carry. (Though I'll have to train them to pull the pin.) 'A gift from one lover of pyrotechnics to another', she said. I knew letting the mansion burn was the right call. So I make my way to the Warehouse District, down by the docks, a sprawling wasteland of loading bays and shipping containers and barely a soul in sight. A good place for gang shootouts and superhero showdowns, meaning the streets of La Reina proper are that bit safer, in theory. Of course, nobody talks about the social cost of letting all these drug deals go down undisturbed (unless some super feels like testing out his gear) or the implications of letting a generation of heroes think collateral damage is accetable... but that's a rant for another time. The upshot of all this is that I'm not surprised to see the obvious plainclothes detectives standing around by the containers as I approach my destination. Two bored-looking white men, cheap suits (one brown, one blue), no ties. Probably waiting for someone in a cape, but it's still daylight - hopefully I'll be out of here before anything interesting happens. I'm not in costume, my hood's up, my backpack's suspicious but not threatening... I pass them by and round the corner, pushing uninterested all the while. Just another lowlife. Not worth the time. It takes a while to find the right container, and even longer to get the cargo ready for transport, and by the time I've finished with the ropes and carabiners the sun's set. I keep a few grenades in my backpack, then send my special delivery on its way, enjoying the sight. Sure, a crate suspended from the claws of a flock of seagulls isn't something you see every day, but you'll see weirder than that every week if you live in La Reina. With that done, I steel myself to head over to join the others. The shipping container gives me a convenient place to change into my costume, minus the cape and helmet. Which means I probably look like I stepped out of an interpretative dance group, but apparently that's the price of entry. I'm just looking up directions to Astroplasm when I hear Sundown's warning - danger approaching. I leap up to the top of the container and lie flat, watching as the two detectives I saw earlier make their way down the row, glancing at each set of doors as they pass. The bright spotlights seem to obscure rather than reveal their details, so I can't get a read on them. Brown Suit needs a shave. Blue Suit's playing with an unlit cigarette. They both look completely unremarkable, and I'm just wondering what put Sundown on edge when Brown Suit stops at a container and clicks his fingers. A second later, the doors explode into a shower of sparks. He peers into the container, and, apparently satisfied, snaps his fingers again - and the door reappears, pristine. Oh crap. I need to get out of here, but as it is I'll be completely exposed the minute I stand up, and I don't want to send Sundown in until I know what I'm dealing with. So I wait, paralyzed, as they approach my container. Right below me, I see Blue Suit crouch, sweeping his hand over the floor. He's looking at the scuff marks, I realize, from where I dragged the crate out. Brown Suit's turning the padlock over in his hand, looking at the oil on his fingers - the oil I had to apply to get the rusty lock to open. I see them look at each other, and I put it all together just as they do... they're looking for something in this lot. They don't know where it is. But someone's been here already, removed something heavy and made it vanish into thin air. The only person who's been through this way is that kid in the hood. And if they haven't come out again... I don't let them reach the end of that thought. I reach into my backpack for a stun grenade, push surprise all the way to 11 and drop it over the edge. Then I take off across the tops of the containers at a run, praying that my new teammates will be able to handle anything that manages to follow me back... Abscond: 2d6+2 12 I don't have any Conditions, and I don't think it'd make sense to add Plan, so I guess I'll abscond with something to be revealed later. Get me back to the meeting, Mr Wizard! quote:
Gato fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 13:32
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Zapper |Freak -1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior +1 Menace +1 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Astroplasm Cafe | Paola nods. "Yeah, yeah, I got that. Still, at the end of the day, getting a minor favor now and ending up on his list later is a net negative for the team. I'd much rather work on something that gives us something for our time apart from bragging rights." Maybe she should work on expressing herself more clearly. It was much easier when she just had to keep everything up to date in her brain, that's for sure.
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Dec 28, 2016 13:34
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Freak: +0 | Danger: +3 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menace: +1 Curses: 0/5 | Infamy: +0 | Location: Astroplasm Cafe The discussion continues as I sit back, one arm draped over the back of my couch, the other on Melody's hip. The rest of our dysfunctional gathering speak up, Strain, Copycat, Zapper - Centipede calls her by her actual name, is there something up between these two? Point is, right now, that's not what's on my mind. What's on my mind right now are two things, and wouldn't you know, they're what makes that... beast inside me wake up, rear it's head, push everything aside and just hunt what it wants, and drat everything else. drat that part of me that needs to be a person, not just a collection of urges, wants. An animal. I breathe in, close my eyes. Take stock. Always helps, or helps me pretend I'm still in charge. First. Centipede. The way he reacted when I looked at him. The timbre in his voice when he spoke. That crawling, skittish thing behind his eyes. Fear. I can't help it. I grin, broad. I know from looking in the mirror that I look... manic at best. But to see that in him, to know it is me that inspires this dread in him, makes me feel... good. Powerful. In control. I remember the sleepless nights, after I first died, when I truly loathed myself for what I had become. When I speculated, why I was left with this - if death had left me with something evil, monstrous. Or if death just... cut away everything else, but that hunger had always been there, in me. And what did that make me? Hm. But didn't I decide to do all this drat crap, becoming an actual super-villain, because I didn't want to have to goddamn struggle against the useless din of my conscience anymore? Decided to finally actually indulge again, because I deserved something that still made me feel alive? I did. But I also promised myself I would never let myself be consumed by those hungers, to stop being a person. I breathe out. Thing is, it's Centipede. He's serving me up his fear, his anxiety like on a platter, but it's not just that. Out of everyone in our team, he is the one I feel driven to the most to... push. Ever since those months in the M.A.D.D. training camp, I have smelt it on him, the fear of death. And not just that. Hypocrisy. That he can't decide one way or another, between being a villain like Möbius that needs no justification for what he does other than the delusions in his head or someone that owns up and says that, yes, they decided to do evil. Well, the kind of 'evil' we do, anyway. Or whether he wants to be a super-villain at all. No hiding behind the injustice of the world. Because take what he said right now. Take over the Bastion Nexus via frigging accounting or some crap? It's not that I don't realize that's a way this thing could be done, but if that's his first thought, what is he doing here? Does he think that because it is not as obviously wicked, villainous, it is kinder? That it makes him morally better? I lean forward, keeping one hand on Melody, the other running over the table's edge as I focus my eyes on Centipede, sitting across from me. "We will not defeat our enemies only with lawyers and legislation loopholes. Kind of people that do that don't want the public at large to ever know what they are doing. Truly doing. Not like us. Nobody is secretly cheering them on. Not like us." I stare. I'm not sure if I even still need to blink anymore, once I have something to focus on. "Kind of people that do that don't wear the kind of costumes we're wearing. So. The question is: You want to be like that and put on a tie?" nil_> Blackguard Cow / Rebuke Centipede <nil_> !r 2d6+1 <Krysmbot> nil_, 8+1 = 9 +1 from Pecking Order (Centipede is the Meat) for a result of 10. Adding a Plan (if that actually makes sense). I drop back again. Part of me already regrets laying into Centipede, part of me knows he actually has a point. Not that I'm going to admit that straight up, though. Think in a bit, I'll drop back into the discussion and lay out a way that his idea can actually be used for a proper plan, without us turning into the kind of jerks that, I don't know, the Leverage crew would take down. Because that is not what I signed up for. I shake my head at myself, in my head. I'm just on edge. Centipede's reaction to me earlier put me in what can charitably surprised as a funny mood, because of that frigging mixture between pleasure and guilt at it that I still haven't gotten rid of. And because both the pleasure at the fear and the guilt, they... well, they feed into the other thing on my mind. I don't want to go into the details right now, but I'm feeling a bit, what's the word? In need of affection. To put it in a classy way. So right now, Melody is looking even better than before, and I'm pretty sure her subtly sliding her butt over the couch for my benefit is all in my mind, but it doesn't change the fact that I'd really like to take a break on this meeting and spend some private time with my delectable princess. But I can't, so for now the hand on her hip has slid a little further up and is massaging her side, feeling the flesh under the leather, almost punching it between my thumb and index finger, imagining ripping it off her and throwing her on the table and... Hm. Lost myself a little bit there. And I'm still staring. I should really stop staring at her backside any second now. Any second. I throw myself back into the couch with a little bit more force than necessary and immediately take out my phone, before my mind has any time to drift off in any other direction. Like how Copycat is looking pretty good in that tight pseudo prison uniform. Uh. I mean, like how I'm bothered by the fact that so far, Melody has not reacted to my hand on her hips at all. Sure, I'm the first to admit we act differently in public and when we're alone together - well, I do - but still... I want to see a shiver, an involuntary gasp, a proof she can't just ignore me, like I can't ignore her. Only one thing to it. I take out my phone and type up a text to her. To Melody posted:You look great. Like always. Only problem is, it's making it hard for me to keep my eyes on the rest of the table. To Melody posted:Hope you're feeling better after yesterday. Christmas isn't just about the presents, after all. So I understand. To Melody posted:I see what you're doing. Let Mobius continue to make an rear end out of himself. Present yourself as the one that'll actually listen to others. You know I've got your back. nil. fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 18:42
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe As Blackguard leers at Centipede, she was interrupted by a loud sort of screeching bang, immediately followed by a perfect silence as Jonathan slammed Parallax against the floor, causing a spatial distortion wave to emanate. The wave was strong enough that small scale tears in the planar barrier formed around them, giving the team glimpses of the interplanar void that lay beyond for the few seconds that it took for the barrier to mend itself. "Enough", Jonathahn snarled, "you dreg. The pathetic attempts of you two to bribe or intimidate your way into victory are so see-through than even an idiot could spot them. So inane in fact that it would be scarcely worth my time to address them, if you weren't foolish enough to try and intimidate my underlings." The unsaid implication here, of course, seemed to be that Jonathan himself was the only one allowed to do that. The said implication, of course, being that Wilbur was rather expressly delegated to henchman duty in his mind. "Besides, your presumptuousness annoys me. Stop acting like you're scary, when your power is as confined as you are", Jonathan pointed to the last, rapidly shrinking tear still hanging in the air next to them, "Your power is trapped to the surface of a sphere [well not really a sphere but Jonathan wisely decided not to get into the specifics of planar topology here] in a sea of many. As long as I am around, you are no more intimidating than a particularly edgy reflection on the surface of a soap bubble that I could pop at any time. Do not forget this. Fool." Jonathan leered at Blackguard for a moment, before leaning back and scoffing. "As for this 'counterargument', I have to say I was expecting something a bit more substantial. A mechanical entity disliking biological ones? Hardly news, unless you happen to be a bit slow." Jonathan tapped the side of his head, "See, it is irrelevant if he likes us or not. What matters is that we can be near certain of a payout. Because, as has already been established, the Silver Myrmidon is easy to predict. If we get a Brass Juggernaut, it will be trivial to avoid him. And that is only if he for some reason decides to get back at us for freeing him from one of the worst humiliations of his career." "And as for the Bastion", Jonathan tapped his foot against the floor in exasperation, like one might when explaining simple concepts to children, "It is a fortified position. Taking it first and then going for the Mymidon gives us little advantage", he nodded towards Copycat, "since I can take care of any teleportation requirements myself perfectly well. In fact, it would be actively detrimental since we'd have less time to free the Silver Myrmidon. But, if we decide to go for him first, not will we only have our reward to help us, but the Mystic Force will have been mobilized to deal with the Clockwork Legion, thus leaving whatever garrison they have at the Bastion severely weakened." Jonathan clacked his tongue in annoyance. "Honestly I do not see why we are even having this discussion when the correct answer is so obvious." quote:Theantero: Möbius gives Blackguard a little reminder (Cow/Rebuke) Curse you unflappable nature, Blackguard!
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Dec 28, 2016 20:40
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Freak: +1 | Danger: +0 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menance: +3 Curses!: 2/5 | Conditions: | Location: Astroplasm Cafe The comment about the suit stung a little as well as the staring, which made him grip the arms of his seat tightly. She had a point, it wasn't one he really wanted to agree to but even so it was a point. "Well, yes but even so-" Centipede marks Curses! From agreeing with Blackguard and not liking it. But then Möbius arose to his defense, and with the kind of second sight one gets when he deals with monkey touch sensitive egos saw an immediate problem that would happen if they came to blows in this tight space. He reached his hands behind his back. Centipede will spend a team to boost Johnathan's roll Before the argument reached a fever pitch, a gentle but insistant pair of hands was placed on the shoulders of both parties and carefully pushed them back into their seats. Wilbur never left his seat. "Heckles down, Johnathan, she has as much right to speak at this table as anyone else." A quiet slithering sound behind everyone's back followed around the table until it reached Wilbur's seat. He put his hands back on the table. "No fistfights in this room, and no one is to be ejected magically or otherwise. This is a table of equals until it's decided who is in charge, those were the rules we agreed on, right? Right." "The purpose of this interjection was for you both to rethink your current course of action, and get back around the table to discuss this plan as gentlemen and women, neither of which we are." He looked at Royal Rose. "Actual royalty excepting." "Of course all things considered, we really need to wait for Eagle before anything concrete is decided, it's only fair." TheNabster fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 21:03
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paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 21:47
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 Astroplasm Cafe, La Reina, Today (all but Dark Eagle)First panel: There's a moment of silence as there's three sides laid out, after the rather disconcerting action by the Centipede to draw everything back into the fold. Most are somewhere in the middle, trying to find where the two plans are best sorted. Copycat lounging across a couch with Jailbird licking himself quite keenly, who has the Black Iris in question hidden within the panel on his collar, Zapper drinking through her bendy straw, and STRAIN sneezing into her helmet, hands cupped in front of the rebreather. Second panel: The magniloquent Melody is held fast to by her goon/girlfriend Blackguard, especially after the Addams Family move, who looms over the whole conversation, obviously the tendrils of fear moving through it. And of the two, it was Melody that made the most sincere effort to try and reason out those to come to her side, looking a mixture of satisfied and vaguely irritated. Third panel: Möbius looks absolutely livid, shaking with his power, as the Centipede tries to play the cool cucumber but also ends up looking like his skin is crawling, which I mean it more or less was doing there for just a second but that's neither here nor there. The lines in the sand were drawn, but nobody is coming to blows over them... unless someone wants to press it. Splash: A view of the whole table, everything simmering from that near confrontation. It was clear at this point a few lines had been drawn, and terrible dark shapes exuding from the Centipede flank everyone, just off-panel. This is not necessarily a democracy, but a consensus needs to be reached. There's a few middle of the road options given, but a few people are trying to show loyalty and there's two major egos at play here. Really at this point it's less a question of what but who. Four proposals are in, time for voting. Royal Rose proposes capturing the Nexus Bastion having co-opted STRAIN's suggestion of literally stealing it and changing its location. Möbius proposes liberating Silver Myrmidon and getting a Brass Juggernaut for the trouble. Perhaps unintentionally, Zapper: So it's become increasingly clear that you are representing the middle of the road there, and that puts a point on things: If they do decide to go with going for both, that means you're more or less in charge! A mastermind! Is that gratifying, or terrifying? Or both? Copycat has a bit of an out for you: She wants to use the Black Iris, and her plan might save you from the responsibility. There's still the unresolved matter of what Her letter will amount to, with everything you know here. You can still vote anyway you like, but you should make it clear where you're gonna fall now. STRAIN: You have a unique influence over some of the group if you allow yourself to use it. Most importantly, your nanites infect both Melody and Copycat's phones (and their blood, but they don't need to know that either), and thus you have access to their social networks and what they know. Most interestingly, you know that both know a few things that they haven't shared. For instance, Melody's mother Queen Nicole and Gehannah trade recipes on social networks, implying much more familiarity than she's letting on. Likewise, Copycat has been receiving texts from some kind of mole, with references to the ANA (which you are pretty sure means "All-New Allstars" and not "All Nippon Airways), feeding her info on the Mystic Force. What, if anything, do you intend to do with this information, gained by your Contagion? Möbius: She's not wrong, and that is perhaps more infuriating than anything else. Having a specific thing to ask of the Myrmidon will likely help get you a running start, and he generally doesn't target individuals or even teams so much as localities... But he will likely be more rival and competitor for the same spaces. There is one other thing as well: People have been suggesting that you transport the castle, teleport it completely. And I mean... That's possible, of course. Completely within your capabilities... But it will require a tremendous amount of magical energy. Where might you be able to find that? Blackguard: It's not really just the fact you can get under Wilbur's skin that makes him the meat. It's that he reminds you of your own terrifying powers. That stunt he just pulled is something out of a horror movie, like yourself. And of course, the stench of death all around him. So why doesn't he just freaking loosen up a bit? This whole Future Business Leader of America, Secretary-Treasurer shtick is wearing a bit thin. Maybe, there's a different approach that you could take other than using fear. But are you confident enough in yourself to mess with someone in any other way than that? Melody: Yes, the castle would make a fine forward fortress against Avalon, reclaiming your kingdom, yadda yadda. But you know why you know so much about Bastion? You lived there, once. I mean, Gehannah is practically a great-aunt to you. You've had her ginger snaps. and they are delicious. You know Christopher, Xenia, even Jerome. Hell, you learned a fair bit of what you know about magic from these people. Likewise, they know a fair bit about you. Paralyzing fear of large dogs included, but other things as well. They probably aren't expecting you to come in, but is there a reason in particular you haven't mentioned this? Just holding off for the right time? Or is there something compelling enough to not want to have the rest of the team know about this? Centipede: So, that went well. However, this fixation on the Mystic Force presents a small problem: You kind of hoped this would turn out to be a big distraction for Rosie's investigations, but your own desire to keep it a bit on the down-low is kind of playing against that. You need to have the Centipede make an appearance, and go loud for once, if you want her attention drawn away. It's gotta be something that goes beyond the Mystic Force. Releasing the Silver Myrmidon is going to make huge waves, but people are gonna be paying more attention to the archvillain than the crazy kids that let him loose. What is your plan so far to make sure that your hundred little pawprints are all over this mess you're about to make? Copycat: Nobody seemed to hear your suggestion of using the Iris. Whether just buried amid all the other talk, or the egos, it's hard to say, but the option is still there on the table. However, there is one thing you can offer they'll have to listen to: Your contract gave you access via your phone to the M.A.D.D. Field Guide to Metahumans, and the FGM confirms more or less what Melody said about the Myrmidon, but reveals something else: He's one of the Fingers of the Steel Hand, which means he's willing to work with others, but also... We're talking major league villainy here. You also can check up on and share details about the Mystic Force, but there's something that's not here in the FGM, that you can choose whether or not tos hare, that Dayknight told you about one of the members. What was that? How does it complicate everyone's plans here?       Respectively, Gehannah. Christopher Knight, Jerome Shango, Lord Stanley "Silverfang" Howler, Xenia Fathoms. The Mystic Force is the premier team for following up on supernatural threats. While Pagan from the Modern Marvels keeps the barriers between the Green World and ours protected, the Mystic Force is more concerned with whats here on the material plane, and what gets through. Their leader, a premier demonologist, is a trickster by nature, and has helped make grand strides towards taming the inhabitants of the Negaverse and bringing them closer to our own, more interested in creating harmony than destroying. Christopher Knight represents the more mailed fist of the group, but he's just as accomplished a magician, though few can compare to the elemental power of Jerome Shango, who had a short stint as a villain once. You've all met Lord Howler, and his falling to drink is a statement on all these adults, far out of their prime now. Yet Xenia Fathoms, trained by Queen Atlanta and using magitechnology as a savant, represents in a way their desire to train the future. She trained Kid Nova, and there are three other junior members as well: Ghostface and Tween Twitch, as mentioned, and also someone called the Imp...  Back at the Warehouse District (Dark Eagle)Full page splash: Running full tilt as you abscond from the scene, you kind of wish you had that cape right about now, to shield a bit from the spotlight that hits you dead on, framing your silhouette against the skin along with Sundown's wingspan, which protects you as the cape might be. It's really the perfect shot, letting them know who it was that passed through, while giving them no chance to deal with it as with a click, the stun grenade goes off and with a flash, you disappear, leaving only a picture in their minds. You yourself can only remember how ridiculous Brown Suit's hair looked, lit up by the flashbang. Next page: The panels show your circuitous path through the alleyways, only to eventually stop at a voice. "Psst. Hey, you."  Panel: Perched like a gargoyle on one of the lampposts, an impish, demonic looking teenage grins with pierced lips, eyes glowing yellow as a scent of sulfur fills the air. "Going somewhere?" It's quickly apparent that she is after whatever you took with you. And in the next panel, with a *PIMPF* she disappears in a cloud of smoke, and with a burst of brimstone appears clinging to the window above you, for a better angle for "conversation." Dark Eagle: If you were expecting however someone to reach out and take you, that hasn't come in. As far as you know, the rest of the team might even know where you are! You know that whatever you took, in addition to the cache of explosives, is something that this little imp wants. You could easily throw it aside, but you might also get some information out of her. What did you abscond with, and what do you do with it? The Google Doc can cover a one on one conversation, ending whenever you Make a Move, or we can do it over IRC. Also as a note, you basically have narrative control here when you want to rejoin the others. You just send a message to Möbius and he can bring you in, or honestly with your abscond roll you can get away from Imp here, despite her teleportation powers, rather easily. Mainly, just providing means for you to be doing your own thing since you might be busy over finals.
Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 21:47
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Freak +1 / Danger 0 / Trouble +2 / Superior 0 / Menace 0 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Warehouse District And breathe. Not a bad run all told. I don't even know if the detectives (if that's really what they were) even tried to chase me but I wasn't going to risk getting caught. I don't know much about magic, but I'm pretty sure re-creating something after you've destroyed it is a lot harder than just destroying it. And I really didn't want my first capital-V Villainous act to involve getting unmasked for the sake of a few grenades. I'm just wiping the sweat off my hands when - "Psst. Hey, you. Going somewhere?" "Uh, kinda." Dammit, guess I'm not out of the woods yet. I don't know how far her teleportation goes, but I'm not going to bet on outrunning her. She doesn't seem malicious, so maybe I can just... play it cool? That's never been a particular skill of mine, but it might be the safest option for now. And I might be able to work out a bit more about what this thing in my backpack is. "I guess I could stop and talk if you want. Could I just send a text though?" Before she can say anything, I grab my phone and send a quick text to Mobius. quote:Jonathan it's DE. In some trouble can you port me to wherever you guys are? Alright. What do you want? I see the girl leap into the air, and I'm already dodging backwards, fists up, ready to defend myself. But the blow never lands, and the girl disappears from sight as the walls of the alley fold inwards like origami. I raise my hand instinctively and watch half in fascination, half in horror as my fingers multiply - five, ten, fifteen... I hear the girl's voice becoming a choir of voices at different pitches and different directions, and I start to feel an unearable pressure behind my eyes and - The air is suddenly thicker, there's music pounding, and there's seven tense teenage villains sipping cocktails around a table. "Hey everyone. Sorry for being late, I had some business to take care of." Ok, that sounds really pedestrian. "Thanks for the ride, Jonathan. So, does anyone want to bring me up to speed?" Gato fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Dec 30, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 23:10
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 |Freak -1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior +1 Menace +1 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Astroplasm Cafe | Paola jumps a bit at Mobius' display of power, then furrows her brow. God, he's so chilidish. They are so childish. Of course the best powers end up on the lap of jerks like this guy. "Yeah, Wilbur's right. I know it's hard for you to think about other people, Mobius, but you're part of a team now. Learn to act like it, and stop assuming that you have all the answers. You certainly didn't seem to have it together back at the Silverfang job. The same goes for you, Blackguard. This is your team, not the kids you pantsed in middle school because you had no other outlet for your aggressivity. She puts an hand on her temple. "Honestly people, this isn't hard. We're a team. We work together. We benefit from hearing everyone's perspective. Shutting people up achieves the opposite of that. Do you think we can try to work out our differences peacefully without this schoolyard-level lord of the flies crap? Hm? Most children manage to do that by the age of thirteen, just so you know." Well, that came off harsher than she meant to, but really, they need to realize how childish they're being. Also, I've just found out that it feel giddy to be in charge. Or, like, implied charge. It's clear that they could really use someone pointing all their massive egoes into the right direction. 'Of course, I'm not going to just turn around and forget what I just preached about! That would be silly. Still, it's a nice sensation... I wonder what would Her think about this?' Her thoughts race back to the letter. The message is clear: something about that is important, and she expects me to witness it from that dentist studio. Or maybe the studio is the important part? Whatever, the point is, now she needs to juggle this caper and being at that place at the right time. Piece of cake. Surely the time window is wide enough to do both, right? She's barely started considering this when... some weird spacial distortion happens, and suddenly Dark Eagle is there. Alright, time to play it cool. She smiles warmly at her colleague. "Hey Eagle. We're in the process of picking what's going to be our next caper, let me fill you in." She proceeds to do just that, concise and business-like. 'That's it girl, mantain control of the conversation...' Once she's finished, she turns to the whole table. "So! In conclusion, I think the best of both worlds would be to free the Silver Myrmydon and take advantage of his gratitude to get what we need to take control of Nexus Bastion, taking advantage of the Black Iris if the need arises as Copycat suggested. What do you guys think?" She smiles, encouraginly, and not at all eager to show off how mature and above it all she is.
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Dec 28, 2016 23:34
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Jonathan's grip around Parallax visibly tightened as he was castigated by his inferiors, regardless of whether they were in the right. His face was about to snarl into yet another dismissive reply, but alas, he was interrupted by a faint vibration somewhere in the depths of his pockets. With some fluster, he dug around for his phone and grimaced at it. Really, he didn't like these things at all (they were only of any use in this particular plane after all, basically a giant waste of pocket space even when you could whip out extra pocket space at whim), but taken that so many members of his team insisted on using them, Jonathan had finally caved and gotten one for himself. "For someone so interested in teamwork, you certainly seem rather keen on starting irrelevant conversations to distract from the matter at hand", had to get the final word at Zapper, "Especially when the whole altercation was over already. Unfortunately I have no time to entertain your childish slapfight when matters of actual importance demand my attention. Such as reclaiming our missing team member, for instance." And with a practiced hand, a clear contrast to his slightly awkward fumbling with his phone, Jonathan performed a set of precise movements that culminated in a strange shimmer, a faint pop, and Dark Eagle. Jonathan nodded curtly at her when she appeared and introduced herself and Paola gave her recap. "Yes, so to summarize. We were discussing our next operation. Rose is trying to bribe and threaten the rest of us into stealing some old castle that she wants to get back at her mom. I suggested we free the esteemed Silver Myrmidon from the clutches of the Mystic Force, since such a deed would keep local heroes busy, result in much greater infamy for us, as well as give us an actually mobile base in the form of a Brass Juggernaut. Zapper here has suggested we do both, even in which case it would make far more sense to engage my part of the plan first, since we'd have more resources, no lack of time, and less heroic resistance to face. Copycat has suggested we use the Black Iris as well." Jonathan scoffed. "A big part of their plans is for me to relocate this castle of theirs, as well. Of course, the practicalities of such probably never crossed their minds. For example, where would we put it? Somewhere else on this planet? A pocket space of some sort? The former requires a free plot as well proper foundation for such a construct, naturally. The latter would require a Planelock Tesseract, similar to what the Iron Spire has to keep it stable in the interplanar void in relation to actual, proper planes" Jonathan gave a rueful chuckle here, apparently laughing at some private joke of his, "so we, or who am I kidding, I would have to construct one. Also, moving a castle through the planar barrier requires both time and a properly calibrated source of thaumic energy, even if the former can be in some degree be compensated by an overabundance of the latter", Jonathan droned on, his demeanor visibly relaxing as he got into the minutiae of interplanar translocation methods. "...that is to say, even though the task is in theory trivial, some form of power source will be required for the task. Doubly so if we wish to go for the pocket plane angle and require the Planelock Tesseract to keep it stable." Jonathan scratched his cheek. "I can think of a few things we could do. We could steal an existing Planelock Tesseract, which could also be drained for the energy needed for the transportation incantations. We could also procure a mundane warp drive, and leech its energies via Anderson's Thaumic Conversion Function to power the necessary distortion for my spellcraft." Jonathan coughed a bit, and sneered. "So that is to say, a huge hassle. Moving around an airship would be much more convenient." Even if, he had to admit, moving the castle would be an interesting project for its scale. And if they went for it, the team would basically have to go with his plans or the whole thing would have been for nothing, which would give him another chance to get at the Zeitgeist. So even if he somehow lost here, he would still eventually win. These were the moments where Jonathan really would have wanted to pat himself on the back for being so brilliant.
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Dec 29, 2016 00:04
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Freak: +0 | Danger: +3 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menace: +1 Curses: 1/5 | Infamy: +0 | Location: Astroplasm Cafe Before the loud bang reaches the part of my mind that is, well, conscious, meaning, before the part of my brain that's not instinct notices it, several things happen. All of which I, once again, only notice after it's already done. The fingers of my hand on the table, balled into a fist. My muscles, tensed. The hand around Melody firm around her side, ready to pull her with me. Instinct. But then I slowly relax, lose the tension in my muscles with a conscious effort, as I realize that, yeah, it's just Möbius. Actually slamming that magic staff of his into the ground. That little display combined with what follows, how this is pretty transparently about how he is the greatest and we should obviously recognize that, with just a little bit too much need, desperation hiding just under the surface - well, it makes me tempted to make some sort of small dick compensation joke. Actually, listening to Möbius rant initially makes me want to do various things, though they're all variations of getting up in his face or straight up planting a fist in his face. But as he goes on and on, stacking arrogance on arrogance, it slowly becomes farcical. Too much. Some sort of version of trying too hard. I lean back again. The urge to hit him is gone, dissipated. It wouldn't have been very professional anyway. And listen to me talk about trying too hard anyway, with me putting on giant black armor. At least I got no skulls on it. I watch Möbius calmly as he finishes his diatribe. I'm gonna let a few moments pass, let him see how much I care about what he thinks. Maybe he'll get the idea, notice that - I would guess - some of the others share the sentiment. Well. Better for me and Melody. Still. There is one thing he says that is true, that bothers me, if only a bit. He is not scared of me. I know someone normal should not actually want something like that, but what I want is... complicated since that day. So yeah. He's not afraid. But it's not a big deal, neither am I and - what the hell?! Where the hell did those hands come from?! It was like from someone behind me, but there's a wall behind me - and they were definitely not Melody's. Some sort of... creep with phasing powers thinking he can cop a feel or some crap? It was just my shoulders, but - wait. My head swivels over to where I now realize Centipede is talking. And there's some sort of... crawling noise coming from under the desk. Did he...? Uggghhh, this is, I mean, I know that's his thing, but... Okay, I'll be honest. Right now, for just this moment, Centipede is creeping me out more than any of Möbius' sneering half-threats. I glance over at Möbius and is he smirking at me? At that Addams Family stunt Centipede just pulled. I gather myself. Just surprised, is all. Still, I feel the need to push back, and I have enough self-awareness to know that really, I want to direct it at Centipede but I'm going to choose Möbius instead. Because picking Centipede would be admitting he got to me, if only for a moment. Sometimes I wish I could just... let my head be, walk through life without self-reflection, doubts. Might be happier. But then again, might have turned into a true monster a good while ago. Whatever. Möbius. I focus on what I am going to say. And then it becomes obvious: Just do what I told Melody earlier, let him ruin himself. I finally look at him, unmoving, letting a few moments pass before I speak up. The thing is to hit him not where he's strong - I'm pretty sure he out-arrogant me for days - but to strike where he left an opening. "So. You have underlings." I arch an eyebrow, making it a question. I do not turn to glance, point out with my eyes at who he was obviously talking about - who we are both talking about. Just keep looking at Möbius. Daring him to confirm that, yes, he considers Centipede his underling. Because that could get interesting. Blackguard marks Curses! from Cow/Rebuke. Not shortly after, both Centipede and, surprisingly, Zapper work overtime on keeping everything peaceful, if I'm feeling charitable. Or keeping everything like a meeting of rational, emotionally well-adjusted people that we're pretty obviously not are if I'm feeling less charitable. Whatever. I actually kind of respect Centipede for what he pulled here, even through his fear of me, he showed some sort of backbone. I may need to rethink things, and I don't just mean that in a 'give the guy a break' sense. Because he wanted to take down the Mystic Force with lawyer crap. And he's in charge or our finances. Which may not be an appropriate weapon of choice for our capers, but it's still a weapon. And I know enough that it's a powerful one. We'll see. Zapper though. She makes good points - I don't actually want this to devolve into eternal bickering. I know I can accomplish so much more with a team, an actual team at my back. On the other hand, she decided to both tell me and Möbius to play nice and insult us at the same time. I don't feel like taking her to task for that just yet. I just make a hand motion at her, more of an acknowledgement than a dismissal. Maybe it's because instead, I actually try to remember how I was in Middle School. It is hazy, but I wasn't... like this. My eyes loose focus and I am staring off into the middle distance. I don't really remember who I was, but I was... normal. More normal than this. But that's over. That person is gone. That person- What the-?! Where did Dark Eagle come from?! Oh. Teleportation. Of course. How could I ever be surprised by that? Sarcasm. What follows is Zapper briefing Dark Eagle on what's happened so far, and I'm not sure whether that's some kind of nerd faux pas what with Centipede and his actual frigging minutes over there. Zapper really seems to be determined to grab the reins of this discussion, but I'm not sure she can handle it. I can see it, she's not half as much on top of it as she pretends she is. And she knows it as well. I'm about to speak up, but I'm cut off by Möbius going on some sort of... I don't know. Dissertation on fifth-dimensional mechanics or some crap. It'd basically be the point in the movie where someone would say 'English, please'. Interesting thing is that he actually seems vaguely competent once he gets into dimensional whatevers, looking far less ridiculous than when he tried to be alpha. Hm. I look towards Dark Eagle. I'm confident she's smart enough to know that Möbius' account of the situation is biased. Hell, that guy is practically announcing the fact anytime he opens his mouth. "So. If we are to move the castle. We would have to look into other means." Because with the level of arrogance Möbius puts on display, 'a hassle' may just be ego-saving talk for 'can't do it'. "We have a lot of talented people. Might just be possible." I look towards Dazzer. I don't try to go for an encouraging look, the smiles never come out right anymore. "With a team." As for the final argument about what we're going to do? Waiting on Melody. After all the frigging walking hands and unannounced teleportations, I finally am able to relax again, get my mind focused on what's important again. Which, for one thing, means that I put my hand back on Melody's hip. Just to let her know I'm waiting on her, that I got her back. Sure, just because of that. nil. fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 29, 2016 00:29
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Freak: 2 | Danger: 0 | Trouble: -1 | Superior: 2 | Menace: 0 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: Afraid | Location: Astroplasm Cafe Keeping tabs on Copycat and Melody amidst all the talk is simple enough, even if it means having to sift through some of the confusing incoming messages. At least they confirm what everyone already knows anyway, which is the fact that Blackguard is pretty much in Melody's pocket. Everyone's being so obvious, they didn't even bother to ask me why I apparently don't want to get on the Silver Myrmidon's good side. I wouldn't mind that, nor getting my hands on some of it's tech, macroscopic as most of it is, but it'd be almost impossible for him to ignore the potential threat I pose to him and the control he has over his army. Not that I'm scared of him! Maybe I could even convince him of the fact that I don't like being stuck in an organic body, but I suspect he wouldn't particularly are and lump me in with the rest of them. And to make my lair inside something he designed just sounds too much like a trap. I need a safe place where I can dig my heels in and that sounds like the exact opposite. Kind of strange how me and Möbius end up arguing for the opposite of what you'd expect, but maybe he has similar concerns about the Nexus? Melody obviously wants it for personal reasons, but that's fine with me. And I shouldn't have tried to appeal to his ego, because now he obviously thinks we need him. "If it's such a hassle then we can always teleport it properly. I thought you would be up to the task, but if not then I'm sure I can build a displacement-engine with Paola's help. Besides, it's much more impressive to steal a Castle than to beg some overblown Grandfather-Clock for scraps!" <Atropha> Möbius is like the perfect target to provoke. Speaking of which. <Atropha> !roll 2d6+2 <Krysmbot> Atropha, 5+2 = 7 Trying to get Möbius to commit to working his spatial magics for Melody's plan. If he does it, add a Plan point to the pool. Atropha fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 29, 2016 00:55
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe There is a tense sort of silence as STRAIN addressed Möbius, the wizard's lips tightening, eye twitching ever so slightly. He seems to be ready for some sort of rebuke, but catches himself. Instead, he merely stares at the alien for a while. He stares, his lips twitching into a smirk, widening into a smile, until he lets out a mocking sort of cackle. "Ahhhahahahhaa..." He wipes a nonexistential tear to emphasize his mirth. "Oh you will, will you? A displacement engine? Well let me clap", Jonathan clapped, "at baby's first distortive cantrip. Haha." Jonathan's mirth disappears as quickly as it arrived, as he clacks Parallax against the floor again (no giant distortion wave this time however, just a sharp sort of clack you would expect from any old staff), and began an angry sort of lecture. "You know nothing. Any fool can build a simple distorter, given the resources, which might I add you lack in the first place. But what do you know of the Hedron blockades and schedules? The Zeitgeist wards? The braneways? The movements of the interdimensional void? Or actually piercing the planar barrier, which I add, most mundane technology is completely ill-equipped to do, preferring to merely stretch what is already there? Would you even know how to navigate without being subsumed by some long forgotten Void Horror?" Jonathan chuckled and shook his head. "And besides. I believe I told you that the task is technically trivial, and that it merely requires preparation? You should leave such things to a professional. Someone who actually knows what they're doing. Namely, me." "Word of advice? Next time you bluff, don't try to pull it off against a master of the field that you're trying to bluff about. Especially when you clearly know nothing about it yourself." OOC: So, Möbius goes with the Provoke (as in, STRAIN managed to make him tie this whole castle thing even tighter to his ego). Which, if I am assuming correctly, just means that he'll commit to trying to translocate the Bastion if we ever actually get it? I mean sure he was going to do that anyway 
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Dec 29, 2016 01:26
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Freak +1 / Danger 0 / Trouble +2 / Superior 0 / Menace 0 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Astroplasm Cafe I'm more than a little surprised to see Paola - sorry, Zapper - playing peacemaker. Surprised, and tentatively impressed. I'm sure you wouldn't need my abilities to work out the tone of the conversation before I showed up. I'm almost relieved when Jonathan starts droning on about dimensional magic - it gives me space in my head to sort through Paola's explanation. She lays it out briskly, effectively and, seemingly, neutrally, which makes me wonder what her angle is. Does she think her preferred approach is transparently the best? Or does she genuinely want me to make an informed decision? My reflections are cut short by Jonathan falling for Strain's obvious provocation. Idiot. At least the brief silence gives me the chance to speak. "So, tell me if I'm right." I say it to Paola, but loud enough for the others to hear. "Melody wants to steal a castle, because it's a nice pad with a swimming pool and definitely not to get back at Mom. She wants to steal this castle from the Mystic Force, who might all be there when we show up. She wants Jonathan to move the castle because we're assuming that'll get them off our backs. "Mobius wants to rescue some genocidal robot from an incredibly powerful sorceress so that he can get on with destroying all organic life. If we do this, he'll hopefully forget that we're organic life as well, and give us an airship. And Zapper and Copycat want to do both. Did I miss anything?" Saying it out loud makes me realize the obvious - I hate both these plans. It'd be easy enough to abstain. But depending on what Strain wants, I've potentially got a deciding vote. And I'm going to have to be part of the plan regardless, so I've got a responsibility to make sure we do the least worst thing. So with that in mind, I turn to the group and speak up... "You can probably tell I'm not a fan of either of these options. But only one of them involves releasing the leader of an interdimensional invasion force. If we do that, we're risking thousands of innocent lives. So, much as I hate saying it... if I have to vote, it's going to have to be for Melody." Because halfway through Paola's explanation I realized with a shock that I'd heard of the Silver Myrmidon before. One drunken evening, back in MurderDome, some rear end in a top hat was laughing about the rubes who buy houses in the path of the Clockwork Legion. They always come back the along the same route, so why would you live there? Because, like I said back then, those houses are cheap. They have to be, because discerning buyers won't touch them. But when your choices are between a roof over your head and no shelter at all... of course you'll buy the house on the floodplain or under the hill with the landslides every year. Long-term planning is a luxury when you're living paycheck to paycheck. The Myrmidon getting caught was a blessing for God knows how many people, and I'm not going to let some would-be villain ruin their lives for the sake of his ego. [If TDN agrees, I'll take 1 integrity for standing up on this issue.] Gato fucked around with this message at 02:10 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 29, 2016 01:53
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Fre: +1 | Dan: +0 | Tro: -1 | Sup: +3 | Men: +0 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Well well well, it seems like it's time to let Mobius make an rear end of himself for a little bit. He may be smart, there's no denying that, but his magic and personality are too rigid and nerdy for him to be truly effective. Power comes from imagination and will, not math and charts, fellow so-called 'Mage'. Trying to not look that pleased with myself, I happily send a couple texts back to Delilah, sparing her a smirk right after the last one's sent. She's done her part so far and what's more, I actually like her. She's fun, knows when to let me ramble, always down to hang out if a little possessive sometimes, and also seems happy to use her insane strength and toughness to keep me rather safe, which works out to both our benefit. Also, uhhh, have you checked her rear end out ever? I scoot a little closer, which she seems intent to aid as she starts being a little aggressive, somewhat on my behalf, not minding her hand on my hip at all. txt to Delilah posted:Indeed - definitely sure he won't be in charge now, just a question of if I get to be, like I should be~ Your help's appreciated. txt to Delilah posted:Also haha, that was amazing. My favorite part of the day, you're pretty much why it didn't totally suck. Definitely have more presents for you back at home - spoilers, one's me of course. Grinning, I didn't miss Centipede restraining her and Mobius rather effectively as I typed those out - prudent of him, because this seems the type of place to kick people out and I'd rather not pay the stupid bribe again for anyone - or his actually remembering my rank and station, properly noting it and everything. Dark Eagle's here now too, which is amazing, and earns her a sparkling smile from me, plus cash if she needs some to buy a drink or whatever, I know most of the other villains here are super-poor, and not just compared to me! In other good news, Mobius has manipulated into agreeing to assist my plan if it comes up, which it definitely will at this point - I just need to secure a few votes to guarantee my rightful place as leader of this bunch, and guarantee that my carefully calculated plan (well sorta) plan against the Mystic Force goes into action. Besides, if we're fighting the Mystic Force, I should be the one in charge - I mean, I know ALL of them super well since they're all friends of the family, and have a good idea of their weaknesses to boot. Not that I'm gonna say that or anything since our last Caper featured a traitor defecting due to family issues and the team already obviously knows about my struggle for power with my mother over stealing my birthright, I can't let them know that these guys are basically my aunts and uncles. There's a reason I let Blackguard fight Stanely Howler while I was far away from him after all - I want to beat these people and deprive my mom of their help and resources to teach her a lesson and make my eventual bid to claim the Crown of Avalon easier... but I'd rather not hurt them too badly in the process, unless they just totally force my hand. After all, most of them have been super nice to me over the years! And also, uhhh, they're also quite talented, I mean they were qualified to teach ME about bits of magic I otherwise wouldn't have learned as well from mother - so we don't want to tangle with them for real, which they might consider freeing a guy that kills a lot of people as compared to be, as opposed to just taking one of their several bases away. It seems I have the floor, and I'd best make good use of it. Ignoring Jonathan's attempts to slander my extremely good name, I speak simply, from the heart - it's pretty convincing even if it is all a big act, aided slightly by my magic and telepathy. Easy to look appealing when you've got a Glamour and can read your audience like an open book on top of being superhumanly gorgeous and impeccably fashionable! "End of the day, rescuing Silver Myrmidon doesn't guarantee us a base, which we NEED, and yesterday. It does guarantee us an enemy though, and we have enough of those already. And besides, a castle? They're a classic for a reason - trust me, I've been there a few times and lived in a much nicer one in Avalon most of my life, you have no idea how impressed people are when you can say you live in one, and they're an excellent focus for magick." Always worked for me, but then again literally everything about me is impressive, so it's hard to tell how much effect it had - should work for everyone else though! Erm, where was I going with that! Got a little distracted there... I miss my castle, I'm literally a Faerie Princess and I want one back - luckily, I've got an Ace up my sleeve for securing this thing! "What's more, once we have it? It'll make the rest of our future capers easier to pull off via its Leyline convergence making stepping sideways to or from it a breeze for even the most mundane among us... and I Swear, I won't suggest a caper next time we vote in any way, shape, or form, not even getting somebody else to do it for me, if we go for my plan now." I am so generous it's awe inspiring, I can't believe mother accuses me of being selfish so often! Confirming that Royal Rose is voting for her own plan + if it wins she won't suggest a Caper next time (or get anyone else to do so on her behalf).
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Dec 29, 2016 11:11
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Freak: 2 | Danger: 0 | Trouble: -1 | Superior: 2 | Menace: 0 Curses!: 1/5 | Conditions: Afraid | Location: Astroplasm Cafe The more 'Her Royal Highness' insists the more I feel like arguing against her. How odd. Is that why I felt the urge to shut down Möbius plan in the first place or did she manage to manipulate me somehow? Or worse, this meat body's feelings are affecting me. I mean I know they are, but I thought myself well in control of them. How am I supposed to think clearly like this? "Achoo!" And this drat competing infection keeps making me look like a fool and me feel weak. I shouldn't be scared of ruffling some feathers, organic or not. If anything I should be concerned about the Mythic Force and their magic, not a fellow inorganic being. But ultimately it's Melody's ties to her family that opens my eyes to another possibility. If push comes to shove somewhere down the line I could always seek to ally myself with the Silver Myrmidon. I don't have to seem like a threat to him if I can convince him of my true allegiance and dilemma. Besides, I really want to stick it to Möbius and Rose. Throwing my vote behind my assis--collaborator Paola would put us closer towards an outcome that neither would be happy with. I put on a smile although I'm still getting the hang of those, so it ends up looking more like a labored grin. "I think Zapper has the correct idea. The Silver Myrmidon could even be an ally if you leave it to me to talk to him."
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Dec 29, 2016 18:29
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|Freak -1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior +1 Menace +1 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: Location: Astroplasm Cafe | Paola nods at STRAIN, appreciating the support. Not that STRAIN decided to support her out of the goodness of her heart, in all likelihood; maybe she just genuinely believes that her plan is the best. And why not? Villainy is supposed to be about grand, ambitious gestures, isn't it? She does make a point of tsking at Rose a bit. "I don't think you sitting out of the next caper discussion is a good idea, actually. As I said before, this is a team, and it benefits from everyone's opinion, as long as we don't get... pushy about it. It's possible that you'll have the best idea for a job next time, I don't know!" She then speaks to the whole crew. "But in this case, I think the best plan is my plan, so I'm voting for that."
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Dec 29, 2016 19:01
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Freak: +0 | Danger: +3 | Trouble: +0 | Superior: -1 | Menace: +1 Curses: 1/5 | Infamy: +0 | Location: Astroplasm Cafe I'm waiting for Melody's response to my texts to come in - I can see her typing - and I half pay attention to the rest of the conversation around the table. S.T.R.A.I.N brings up some sort of technological solution to moving the castle. No frigging idea if that'd work, but I automatically glance over at Möbius, just to see how he reacts. Because of cause he will. That ego won't allow otherwise. I see it growing, in his eyes, like you can see whether someone wants to throw down before even the first blow - then he speaks up, and right away I look back at my phone, tune him out. Like clicking on a YouTube video and closing it right away after the first three seconds because you know two things: a) how the entire rest of this is going to go and b) that you got so much better stuff to do than wasting your time with it. I mean, I'm still paying what I think is enough attention to it, couldn't switch that off if I wanted to. I can tell by the tone of his voice that it's two parts being an arrogant blowhard and one part dull, but still arrogant lecture, no doubt on some dimensional crap or whatever. Ah! I sit up a little. Now here's something important, a reply from Melody. Aww, that's... I gather myself, physically, pull myself together. Like I'm idiotically thinking people can see I was about to think 'that's sweet', like that'd be a chink in my figurative 'badass' armor. But that's stupid, nobody is able to see that - so does that mean I'm the one who in some way thinks that'd make me... weak? Whatever. If that part in me exists, it can get the hell lost. Even though I may have to keep it hidden from almost everyone, it is... I want this. This is normal, something a... normal person would feel. And if it makes me weak, then so be it. If I wanted to be without any weaknesses, well, I think that's only available on the other side of the grave for me. Or anyone. I shake my head, internally, clear the cobwebs of my thoughts. The hand on melody's hip has wandered onto her back, where I am stroking up and down her spine. With affection. Well, what counts as affectionate and gentle for me because, even though all that mushy crap may be true, it's definitely the only thing Melody's texts make me feel. To Melody posted:Will the present have a bow on it? Wouldn't want it to get revealed before the one it...belongs to has the time necessary. To really unpack it. To Melody posted:And thanks. I'm glad we spent Christmas together. In a way, we both couldn't spend it with the people we used to. But. Turned that around together. Christmas miracle. Higher age rating than the ones usually on TV though. Hm. S.T.R.A.I.N. just voted for the combination of the two plans, which is somehow apparently considered Zapper's plan now. Speaking of her, Zapper pipes up and... no. First she puts out that faux-friendly putdown on Melody - pretending that Melody's plan not being the best is already a agreed thing and then making it look like it's some compliment - and in the same breath claiming that frigging exact plan, and Möbius' too, I guess, as her own. I would have let that remark about Middle School from earlier go, but right now Zapper needs to either step off or stop rolling over everyone while smiling like she's got not clue what she's doing. I lean forward, fix my stare on her. "Your plan? Your plan is simply Royal Rose's plan. And Möbius' plan. Stuck together." As always, my voice is... slow. But moving forward, like a rolling stone, without stopping. "If you think you can lead this caper better than the others. Then say so." <nil_> Blackguard Cow Zapper <nil_> !r 2d6+1 <Krysmbot> nil_, 7+1 = 8
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Dec 29, 2016 20:14
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|Freak -1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior +1 Menace +1 Curses! 0/5 Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe | Paola is actually a bit taken aback from this reaction from Blackguard; and, yes, she is a bit startled, and her head pulls back. There's no lying, the young undead is intimidating. But the inventor straightens up, looks her in the eye and replies. "Yes, my plan is just the two of our enchanters' plans stapled together; but the idea of using the Myrmydon's favor to help us get the Bastion was mine. You still don't want to call it my plan? That's fine. Call it the combo plan or the third plan if you prefer. That's not important so long as everyone knows what you're talking about. You know what's important?" She doesn't really believe that that's not important, but that is a conversation for another time. Right now, she feels her newborn authority already threatened, and she's not okay with that. Her finger points down at the table they're sitting at. "That you drop that attitude of yours. As I've said before: this isn't the schoolyard. You don't get to be right just because you're the biggest kid in class and we're scared you'll give us noogies. We're here to determine which plan do we think is best four our crew and plan its execution. We need you to contribute to that, not just sends texts and growl the occasional threat. Did you even listen to the discussion at all? You didn't really say much except that you're with Rose, to no one's surprise. Do you actually think that that is a good idea or do you just follow your girlfriend's skirt even as it walks into disaster?" That is an attempt to Provoke Blackguard into explaining why she really voted for Rose's plan. I rolled a 8, so if she does so, we get 1 Plan! paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 29, 2016 20:51
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 08:33 |
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Fre: +1 | Dan: -1 | Tro: 0 | Sup: +2 | Men: +1 Curses!: 0/5 | Conditions: None Location: Astroplasm Cafe Möbius, for his part, had withdrawn a bit as people started casting their final votes, a wroth grimace starting to creep on his face as opinions were voiced. First Dark Eagle, then STRAIN. Yes, you didn't have to be a math genius to see how this was going. "FINE", an angry clack of Parallax announced Jonathan's contribution to the conversation, as was becoming habit, as he pointed at Zapper "We'll do it your way, since apparently you have no qualms about splitting a vote for basically the same thing just so that you can play in the big leagues for once. You insipid fool." He grabbed the girl by the collar, a sort of seething resentment barely contained obvious on his face, "But just know, that if we lose this vote, it will have been your fault for splitting it. If the mission fails, it will have been your fault for making it a MESS. Just like last time. And if you so much as DARE to come to me and blame ME when this ramshackle construct of yours inevitably falls apart, just like last time, I will cast you so deep into the Void that the Zeitgeist himself could never find you. Understand this, dreg." Jonathan let go with a scoff. "But even this indignity I will bear just so that I won't have to waste my time serving the whim of some idiot elf and her enforcer." quote:Theantero: Möbius Provokes Rose into dropping her 'charismatic' veneer (+1 for Influence) OOC: Voting for Zapper's plan Also, IC Möbius just kinda accidentally stumbles into a slur that he didn't even know was a thing, OOC I want it to be enough of an unexpected shock for Rose that she'll drop her aloof, charismatic veneer that she's held for this convo (even if for just a moment, but for long enough that everyone sees she's at least as bad as Möbius just under the surface )+1 Plan if you go along with that, mark a Condition if she manages to bite her tongue.
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Dec 29, 2016 21:42
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