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 Ksenija Ceranic - Cell #2 Ksenija focuses on her breath. In, then out. Just the way Zlata taught her. It helps keep the pain out of her mind. There's a lot of it. At least she still had her favorite gray and blue coat. It was a little bit like a security blanket in this hell. She could still smell Hannah on it. It didn't matter where she was, or what weird poo poo was up. What mattered was escape. She hears a conversation in the distance, about a kid? Torturing a kid? Her fists ball up. She'd been a street kid, and hearing about a kid suffering was fresh pain on a frayed nerve. Ksenija starts fumbling around, feeling for something, anything she might be able to use to get out. She wasn't going to sit around while they tortured kids. Ksenija is using her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) to attempt to find anything in the cell she could use to help her escape. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jul 3, 2017 |
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Jul 1, 2017 03:44
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Ksenija Ceranic - Cell #2 quote:Ksenija searches everywhere in her cell, before finding an area of one wall which was slightly different than the rest of the room. As she pushed she realized, this area wasn't rock. But densely packed soil. As if when the place was constructed this area was filled in then forgotten about. It wasn't quite loose, but if she worked at it...she could hear sound behind it. It couldn't be more than a foot or three thick. Ksenija smiles, it's the first thing that's gone vaguely right in here. There's a horrible racket outside, something like dogs barking and this horrible scream? She ignores it, not like she can do anything about it. Instead, she makes sure her gloves are on nice and tight before she starts the slow, painful work of digging with her hands. It wasn't too different from digging through compacted trash looking for food, really. Ksenija will attempt to dig her way out, making use of Streetwise (+2) with Patak's +2 due to a lifetime of rummaging in dumpsters and trash. She will dig until she can clearly hear anything from the other side, then listen before deciding what to do next. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jul 3, 2017 |
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Jul 2, 2017 23:12
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Ksenija Ceranic - the Unknown Corridor quote:The earth slopes slightly downward before giving way beneath Ksenija's weight. Tumbling with a cry she falls into a wide corridor. The darkness of her cell gives way to the pitch black corridor. However this isn't the end. A faint glow from far to the left is extremely obvious. A cold wind blows from the right. Ksenija chuckles. It hurts. She savors it. It's the taste of freedom. Now she just has to get her laptop and escape the building. She dusts herself off and stands up again. A minute of fumbling. She finds the wall. It's damp against her synthhyde gloves. The smell is rotten and acrid, like stacked batteries left in the rain. Just like that Clicker den, back in the old days. The memory of it still makes her shudder, just a little bit. She pushes herself up against the wall. Her knees pop as she crouches down. Has it really been that long since she walked this much? Not important. She moves down the faintly lit corridor. Each step is slow and measured. Ksenija moves down the faintly lit hallway sneakily. Streetwise (+2)
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Jul 4, 2017 00:55
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Ksenija Ceranic - Killswitch Control Room "That's a HEXacore-H4579 you dongles! Do you know how many creds that cost?!" Ksenija mutters to herself as she watches the carnage. But only for a moment, she has work to do. Ksenija sinks down low again and starts making her way across the warehouse. There are piles of goo in a panoply of colors. Her favorites are the nutrient paste green ones, though they smelled somewhat better than the paste. In general she found it surprising how much better this place smelled than most of Perdition City. Ksenija sneaks towards the console Streetwise (+2) and tries to use her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) to make sense of this alien OS and safely deactivate the dead man's switch.
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Jul 5, 2017 01:29
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Ksenija Ceranic - Killswitch Control Room These loving people! They almost kill her and then they kick around her laptop! She can't take the scene anymore and looks down at the mainboard, still in her hands. It blinks with a large milky eye. She throws it at a wall. Wait. Why did the mainboard have an eye? Did she see hair on it? Ksenija shudders. No, she had a better question. Where was the other self-destruct? If this place operates anything like a corp than something important enough to destroy in an emergency is important enough to have a second system in case the first fails. gently caress. She shakes her head clear. No time for freakouts. She needs to get her laptop before one of those fuckos breaks it, and to have the slightest chance of interfacing with their equipment. Ksenija starts tearing up the room, looking for vents or anyway to get higher in the facility. She calls on a lifetime of experience getting through places she shouldn't be. Dozens of half-remembered floorplans for all kinds of buildings, conversations with Zlata on corp security, jobs they did just to eat. There has to be a way to get out of here. Has to be. Ksenija will attempt to find a way out of this room and higher up in the facility, using her Streetwise (+2) ways. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Jul 6, 2017 |
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Jul 6, 2017 05:56
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Ksenija Ceranic - Corridor outside Room of Lamentful Answers -> Room of Lamentful Answers -> ESCAPE Ksenija holds up her hands with visible palms and smiles and when she sees the kid, the blood on their clothes and the look on their face tells Ksenija all she needs to know. Streetkid. They were torturing a street kid. Ksenija is silently furious. "Hey there, I'm another prisoner here. My name's Kseni-" Gunshot. Darkness. Alarm System posted:"DESTRUCT DESTRUCT 4 MINUTES DESTRUCT. THE MASTER IS DEAD. RELEASE EXPERIMENT 456. EXPERIMENT RELEASED. UNLEASH BEETLE APOCALYOPSE 398. ERROR BEETLES NON-RESPONSIVE! ALERT!" Ksenija releases a stream of slurs before breaking into a full run towards the sound of the gunshot. She doesn't catch if the kid is behind her, but she speaks anyway. "I"m Ksenija. Ksenija Ceranic. I was like you. A street orphan. You can come with me if you want, watch each others backs. Your choice." One last corner and... THERE Ksenija ignores the splatter of what remains of the Master, a man quite possibly large enough to legally qualify as construction equipment, the three other people digging in the pile and dives for her laptop. Her fingers wrap around the plasteel handle and she feels her implant kick into high gear. Ksenija's Implant posted:update: alterations to several file checksums in directory Z:/sys/storage/math/ar - check for system damage? Y/n She cries tears of joy. Back together. It was like part of her had been missing. "n" is all she can send in the moment. And then some skull-confetti stained gangly motherfucker starts rambling about queues? "No thanks." She says to him and the meat fountain. The other two had the right idea, in her opinion. She bolts off down a hallway, fingers digging into her laptop's handle so hard she can barely feel them. She hopes the orphan is still with her. They probably aren't. Orphans don't get this far by trusting adults, but she had to try or her conscience would never let her live it down. Instead, she focuses on architecture again. A raid on a corp prison she and Zlata pulled in her very last days as a street merc. Biggest job they ever did. Made them feel like real mercs instead of hungry street orphans who'd honed their art to razor sharpness. She turns down a dark corner, hoping for the best. Ksenija calls on her Streetwise (+2) ways to try and find an exit, with Riley in tow if they so choose. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 08:04 on Jul 7, 2017 |
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Jul 7, 2017 04:06
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Ksenija Ceranic - Directly Outside Prison Fortress Pandemonia Druralax -> West Well, that happened. Ksenija thinks to herself. She stumbles away from the prison. Flames stain the black sky. There's a smell of...burning hair? on the wind. Ksenija tries very hard not to think about it, or the troop of short people putting out the fire with bladders that were uncomfortably veiny. She rubs her temples with her free hand. The adernaline is starting to wear off, aches and pains are whispering in her ear again. She threads her way past the crowd of onlookers and disappears into the flow of people. It drags her westward. She takes in the sights as she goes. It's absolutely not Perdition City, that's for sure. They seem to use flesh and bone the way her own city uses steel and concrete. Every building breathes, sweats, some blink or stare at people as they pass. It creeps her out. Ksenija's stomach growls, her eyelids feel heavy. The feeling is almost comforting in this confusing hellscape. It gives her something concrete to focus on, and that always helps with her anxiety. She starts checking alleys for dumpsters, discarded food, signs of what might make one a good place to sleep or not. She wants a less active thoroughfare, that's for sure. Ksenija will head west and use her Streetsmarts (+2) to try and find food and shelter. She needs to rest and recuperate after this awful mess.
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Jul 10, 2017 06:44
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Ksenija Ceranic - Heading W -> With Old Sally quote:Ksenija calms down. Her visions of the bioprison overlaying her reality pop with sudden clarity. Everything was made of stone. Mundane stone out here. She took a deep breath. She stunk. Her clothes were ruined. Ksenija rubs her eyes. Sleep deprevation was starting to get to her. That had to be it. She didn't want to think about the other possiblity. Her stomach turns over in her belly. The stew is tempting, but she knows better. Everyone wants something. Even so, she is painfully hungry. She takes a step towards the woman, gripping the handle of her laptop. Her implant hums against the side of her skull. Ksenija's Implant posted:> source /opt/math/ar/arm1 Ksenija wasn't going to start anything, but by the code she'd finish it if she had to. "Tell me, what did they take from you?" She says. Ksenija's tongue tastes like roadkill. It flops around her mouth. Her eyelids are getting rebellious. She does her best to keep her wits about her, trying to sense if she's on the losing side of an ambush or if the food might be poisoned. Ksenija will not eat the profered food yet, instead she will call on her Streetwise (+2) ways to try and gauge if this is some kind of trap. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Jul 12, 2017 |
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Jul 12, 2017 06:52
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Ksenija Ceranic - Old Sally's Hut quote:Sally sighed and put out two bowls for each of you. She spoke as she began to eat. "My innocence, my maidenhood, my beauty and youth, and when that was gone...my sight. Transferred in a healing ritual to a noble." She took another bite. "They used me hard girl. What did they do to you? Come. Sit. You can rest here. I will hide you from them. You sound hungry and tired." Ksenija rubs her temples. Maybe her hunger was making her paranoid, making her mean. She shakes her head and takes a seat across from Old Sally. Her laptop goes between her legs, close enough for her to feel comfortable, and for it to interface with her implant remotely. She takes a bowl of stew and starts eating. "They took my home, my girlfriend, my career, my life." She says. Safe, technically true things. No mentioning the laptop, the portal, how she got here. She thinks of Hannah's hands. Those wonderful hands. They got even better after she had the twitch wires installed, specially tuned by Ksenija and maybbbeeee she put sec-grade firmware on them. That red and silver hair spilling over her shoulder after she got home work. The way it looked tangled with her own black and blue hair. "I guess no matter where you go rich people are all the same. We're all meat for the machine to them." She works on her food slowly and thinks. Maybe she'll take the offer for a bed for the night, but only for a night. She needs to keep moving. "You know anyone whose got work for a mechanic who can get places she's not supposed to be?" Ksenija will eat the food and converse with Sally.
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Jul 13, 2017 20:27
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Ksenija Ceranic - Old Sally's Hut -> The Long Way Around The Slums quote:"I might know of someone. His name is Julto. A Smith to be sure, but a weird one. Come now it is time to sleep. I'll give you directions in the morn. Ksenija can't resist Sally's mothering anymore. She sets an alert if her laptop leaves the interface radius while she sleeps and lets herself drift off. Her dreams are of Hannah, her twitch-wire stutter, long walks down the Sinisas Way during dark hours, scrounging for food together during the bad times. When she wakes up, part of her almost expects to see Hannah next to her. No such luck, at least her laptop is still there. She prepares to leave, and can't resist Sally's insistence on a hug. "Thank you, for everything. It was nice to remember the world has good people." She says. After they come apart she picks up her laptop. "I promise, when I can. I'll repay you." She listens to the directions, and saves a text copy to her implant. "Thanks, be careful Sally." Ksenija sets out, she'll move around the slums. You never go into a slum as an outsider with valuables if you can avoid it, and food is definitely a valuable. She feels sharp, clear, her fingers twitch idly as she walks, and she lets her instincts guide her through the streets. Ksenija will take the long way and listen to her Streetsmarts (+2) in an effort to stay out of danger. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Jul 18, 2017 |
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Jul 17, 2017 22:55
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Ksenija Ceranic - Julto's Shop -> Tavern quote:It took longer than Ksenija thought to find the smithy. By the time she got there the shop was closed. Most of the craftsmen & merchants were closing up shop. A few taverns were just starting their nightly libations. Ksenija could wait here or try to spend the night in one of the taverns. In any case, the smith's sign said he would open 8 hours past stone's first light. Whatever that meant. Ksenija shrugs. Better to be late than dead because you got shanked over a little food. Then she hears something familiar; drunken laughter. The sounds of gambling. A grin grows on her face. She was a professional mathematician, more than halfway to a doctorate when her life was destroyed. Not to mention her implant, designed explicitly to handle math that would give most people a nosebleed. These people probably couldn't tell a differential equation from their rear end. There would be blood on the table, purely metaphorical blood. She steps into the tavern, then she remembers she has no money. It still doesn't unstick the smile from her face. Just means she needs to find some seed money first. The bar might look a little bit different, but they're all the same in the end. There's always money floating around. People desperate for an ear, someone loose with their credcard. All she had to do was wait for the right moment, or make it. She still had arm1 loaded from last night. All it would take was one thought. Ksenija bites her lip. The smell of her own filth makes her sick, and that's what pushes her over the edge. Ksenija's Implant posted:> /arm1 A popping noise in her ears, the smell of ozone in her nose, her implant and laptop vibrate softly in her skull, in her hand. The interference she's come to expect from running Anti-Real Math equations starts. She grits her teeth as it fills her mind. Ksenija's Implant posted:I WaS A LONELY CITY AND YE GAVE ME EYES. THERE WAS NEVER A SEA SO SUNLESS AS THAT ONE. After that, it becomes simple electronic screaming in her head. She learned to filter it out a while ago, but it's still annoying. She tries to keep her eyes peeled for a good oppurtunity to make a little money off the chaos. Ksenija will use Murphy's Law (+2) to attempt get her hands on some seed money to gamble with. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Jul 19, 2017 |
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Jul 19, 2017 02:49
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Ksenija Ceranic - The Pink Bear Tavern quote:A giant pink dancing bear in a cage at the far corner of the tavern raged against it's magical enchantment. The smell of smoke, cheap booze, and unidentified sweat greeted Ksenija. It looked like a scene out of the movie Space Wars with all the different races sitting around drinking and gambling. A patron got up to leave, dropping his coinpurse right at your feet. The man got too close to the cage and suddenly found himself being mauled. After the commotion, both the bear and man were dead. The bodies were taken out back and the tavern went back to business. Ksenija winces. She turns over the dead man's coinpurse in her hand. Hopefully he deserved what happened, maybe he was a cop or a wife-beater or something. It'll be fine. It's fine. she tells herself. The hum in her head subsides as her implant reboots, for some reason it happens at the end of every ARM equation. It makes her skull just a little too quiet, a little too cold. She's happy when the familiar hum and warmth come back. Ksenija looks over the tables. A dozen different games of chance play out before her. Not all gambling was equal for her purposes. She has to find something with a strong mathematical component, something that could be divided easily into distinct phases of play. Something she could easily program into her implant on the fly. After she makes her choice she waits for a seat to open up before plunking down her coin purse with a smile. Time to work. Ksenija will use her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) to select a good candidate game and try to make some money gambling.
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Jul 20, 2017 15:51
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I am Communist posted:
Ksenija Ceranic - The Pink Bear Tavern Ksenija grins. This is perfect. Too perfect. Ksenija's Implant posted:> scratchpad dicegame0 Anyone watching just sees Ksenija bite her lip for a moment, then cock her head to the side. The code pours into her implant. This program wouldn't be too complex. Ksenija will use her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) to quickly code a program that can run simulations of this game and give her a spread, and therefore a huge edge gambling. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Jul 21, 2017 |
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Jul 21, 2017 17:55
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Ksenija Ceranic - The Pink Bear Tavern quote:Ksenija begins at the small tables. The night moves along with her moving up the high roller chain. Soon she finds herself after winning thousands of golden coins in the back room of the tavern. Several large guards of unpure giant stock ring the room. The final other 5 players sitting around Ksenija. A dark elf sorcerer, a large red chaos orc, a bald dwarf, a shady looking fair skinned half elf, and an enchantingly beautiful human female sat st the table. The dealer had a member of management whisper to him and he nodded. "All bets are doubled. Once you're out, you're out. That alright with all of you?" One by one the other players nod agreement. The dealer looked at Ksenija. Oh. gently caress. Ksenija thinks to herself when the management whispers to the dealer. The fun was over. She'd ignored good sense and let herself go. Now she was liable to pay the price. Did they know about her implant? Who knows with this magic poo poo. Better to play it safe. "Of course." She says. Ksenija would need to play this careful, lose gracefully and without the help of her implant. She'd paid enough attention to the actual game to have some idea what she was up against. Her eyes scan the room slowly. Nominally because she was scoping out the other players, in reality because she was trying to make sure she didn't get jumped. It's hard work to not get an eyeful of the woman though. Ksenija will slowly and safely gamble away about 66% of her winnings using her Jury Rigging Genius (+4) and absolutely not using her implant. She will keep a watchful eye on the room with her Streetwise (+2) ways to make sure she isn't about to get jumped. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Jul 24, 2017 |
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Jul 24, 2017 04:34
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Ksenija Ceranic - The Pink Bear Tavern -> Inn Hunting quote:The games ground on until Ksenija lost the allotted amount. She decided to cash out. As she left a floor manager caught her hand. “It was wise of you to lose back those funds. The house knows you've been cheating. Don't ever come back. Keep what you've won off the patrons, and take this lesson with you. As well as your life.” His eyes were diamond hard and held yours an uncomfortable amount of time. He let you go. Out into the streets and dawnstone. It was what passed for morning down here. Ksenija lets out a long sigh. Still alive, still fighting. She stuffs the little bag deep in her coat. Platinum. Platinum coins. If this place was running with as little tech as Ksenija suspected it meant they were worth a fortune. She hopes the places around here can actually break them. In any case, she sets off walking and looks for a good place to have a hot bath, maybe lay down and listen to some music while she thinks about what to do next. She needs an inn that will take a platinum coin, but not too nice to laugh her out. Ksenija will use her Streetsmarts (+2) to pick out an inn that's nice, but not too nice to laugh her out. Then get a room and take a bath if she can.
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Jul 26, 2017 00:44
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Ksenija Ceranic - The UnderMountain Inn -> Gear Shopping Ksenija puts down a platinum coin with a little grin. "Make sure there's a hot bath for me." She says. When it's ready and she's sure she's alone Ksenija opens up her laptop, puts on one of her favorite playlists, and jumps in. She spends a good three hours scrubbing herself off. As she works on her toes her mind wanders to a question she's been avoiding: what next? Ksenija barely knows where she is, only that the cops were still cops and she should probably never step into another gambling establishment in this part of town. Where was this? Especially in relation to Perdition City. One of Hannah's favorite songs come up, and Ksenija remembers how she'd sing along in her adorable stuttering voice. Tears come down Ksenija's face. She cries until her face hurts and the bath is cold. When they finally stop she feels a little clearer, focused. She'll get home, she'll kiss Hannah again and tell her about all the things she's seen. Ksenija hoists herself out again and towels off. That's about when she notices her laptop, there's nothing wrong with it persee and that's the interesting thing. Apparently the battery is fine despite the fact it's been running without being recharged for weeks? She shrugs, it was about the least strange thing she'd seen in the past few weeks. In any case, she had more important things to worry about. The next task was to get a reliable cash flow, and with her skillset and this cities tech level that meant one thing - doing other people's dirty work. She'd need gear for that, a laundry list of items runs through her head but first and foremost? New clothes. Everything besides her synthhyde gloves was a total frag. She needs sneaking gear, good stuff too. There had to be black market outfitters, and she'd just have to find them. Ksenija throws on her dirty clothes again with the greatest reluctance and heads back out. She trusts her instincts to guide her just where she needs to go. Ksenija will use her Streetsmarts (+2) to attempt to track down sneaking gear from a black market supplier, safely and discreetly.
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Jul 28, 2017 23:08
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Ksenija Ceranic - Gear Shopping quote:Ksenija found a new set of clean but local clothing sitting on the chair where she had left them. Three tiny beings laughed as they stole her old clothing and drug it through what she had thought was a mousehole! Ksenija left the inn in better spirits than when she had arrived. She ended up finding a shop without a sign in a forgettable alley. Upon entering a survey human said, "Daaad! You gots a customer!" An elderly human appeared, smoking a pipe. Ksenija smiles and browses the shop casually for a moment before she replies. "Oh, just admiring the quality of your work." She says. The sleeves on this coat aren't bad. The stitching is pretty precise for what looks like handwork. "I'm looking to pick up some new clothing. Something... inconspicuous. Nothing flashy, I don't want to stand out in a crowd." She says idly.
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Jul 31, 2017 03:39
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Ksenija Ceranic - Gear Shopping -> East! quote:"Oh." The fence snapped his fingers to his "son". A CLOAKING UNIT?! Here?! This place hadn't mastered indoor sanitation and yet somehow they had Afexion's best minds beat. Last Ksenija heard they were the stuff of rumor back home. She runs her fingers against the fabric. So soft, yet tough. It was some kind of silk with a negative refractive index, at least her implant says it's silk. The guy's sales pitch alleges they're woven of pure darkness. And it's sitting here in front of her, for sale. It takes all the effort in the world to not squeal and scream like a little girl while she hands over her platinum, but somehow she keeps a straight face. She squirms while he fits the thing and tumbles out of his shop wearing a huge grin - not that anyone could see it. She heads back to the Inn and checks herself out, getting a pile of gold coins that go right in one of her many pockets. This thing has so many! She quickly picks up a decent knife and a length of rope, basic tools of the trade. Nothing else, lockpicks or more honest tools, is up to her standards. After she ponders her options, this place is a drag - it's like a better smelling Perdition City that somehow has meaner cops. To make matters worse, every gambling den around here probably knows her face at this point - she couldn't even go in looking for work. Steal from the nobles here? No. Too dangerous given they probably know about the suit and have ways to counter it. She eventually comes to the conclusion her best course of action is to skip town. Ksenija starts east, towards where the caravans gather. She lets her instincts guide her and her new clothes keep her out of view. Ksenija will buy the suit, get the last of her money from the Inn, pick up a knife and rope (not special, just noting in case there's a scene in case having a rope or knife will lower the DC), and head East towards where caravans gather so she can skip town. She'll use her Streetwise (+2) ways and Stealth Suit (+4) to do so. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Aug 1, 2017 |
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Aug 1, 2017 02:40
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Ksenija Ceranic - Caravans quote:Ksenija got her things from the inn and collected the tools needed for her journey. She arrived and there were a couple caravans available. A small hunter caravan that would be hunting mushroom-fungus men and another that was a north bound trade group. They would be heading north and stopping at towns along the way until they hit the border. Ksenija isn't much for killing, never any good at it, and no taste for violence either. That puts the mushroom hunters right out of it. Instead, she moves towards the north bound trade group in careful bursts, still wrapped in darkness. She starts listening in on their conversations, it's good to know who you're traveling with. Ksenija will use her Sneaking Suit (+4) and Streetwise (+2) ways to sneak up on the northbound trade group to listen to them talk among themselves, with a special ear towards figuring out who the group leaders are, and if she can find any advantages that might help negotiate a decent price. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Aug 2, 2017 |
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Aug 2, 2017 16:37
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Ksenija Ceranic - Caravans quote:"Not enough guards. Not enough pay." said the female elf leader of the guards assigned to this caravan. "Dumb government contracts" spat another. Well, well. Ksenija thinks. She's wearing an invisible grin as she thinks about how to play this. Cool and professional is today's decision. She walks up behind the head of the guards, still invisible. When she's about a foot behind her she stops and waits for people to look away. At the right moment she becomes visible again and clears her throat. "You looking to hire any scouts?" She says as boredly as she possibly can. Ksenija will use her Stealth Suit (+4) and Streetsmarts (+2) to make a good impression before she asks if they're looking to hire a scout.
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Aug 4, 2017 03:49
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp quote:The leader of the caravan guards smiles. "I like a woman who's direct. I'm Maven and this is Talks. We can't afford to pay alot, but we will take care of food and a spot in one of our tents. We're one of the few all female merc bands still around, the Salamanders. We'd love to have ya." As Ksenija was shown around she met a few of the others. Comraderie was good and while guarded they welcomed Ksenija well enough. Ksenija snarls. She and Zlata had been lucky, but she knew plenty of girls who hadn't been. Sexual violence hit a very special nerve as a result. Amy was a sweetheart and perhaps not quite cut out for this work. She'd just have to send Garth a message herself. Ksenija drops low and takes each step slowly, heel to the balls of her feet. No need to make any noise before her moment. When she's inches behind him she slides her knife out of the sheath, decloaks and brings it to Garth's carotid artery in one clean motion. It slides against his skin ever so slightly, just to show she means business. Her other hand pinches a cluster of nerves in the pit of his swordarm. "I believe Amy said "no", do you happen to have a hearing problem or are you just as craven as you are ugly?" She says matter-of-factly. Ksenija will use her Sneaking Suit (+4) and Streetsmarts (+2) to get her knife at Garth's throat and disarm him in one clean motion. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 06:33 on Aug 7, 2017 |
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Aug 7, 2017 02:48
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp quote:Garth got a punch off into Amy's face before he was disarmed and at Ksenija's mercy. He looked surprised and fearful but then realized he wasn't dead. His face contorted with a sneer. "You want some of this too you frelling freller?" He grabs his junk with his free arm slowly. "You don't have it in ya." He turned and walked into Ksenija's blade. "Do ya?" Ksenija sneers. "Never confuse mercy for weakness." She says. Her knife plunges into his stomach repeatedly. Just the way Zlata taught her. Ksenija will murder the gently caress out of this man with her Streetsmarts (+2) guiding her knife.
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Aug 9, 2017 01:31
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp Ksenija bends down to take his pulse. Just in case. Nothing, good. Garth deserved that. She goes over to Amy and gently slaps her cheek few times. Her blue-green eyes open up again. Blood drips down her face. Ksenija pulls a rag out of one of her pockets and hands it to her. Amy takes it and wipes off it off. "Good to see you again, Amy." Ksenija says. She helps her up with a smile. "Sorry I didn't get here faster." She adds. Amy's dark hair always makes it look like the shadows are swallowing her up. Ksenija shows Amy Garth's body. "He won't be bothering anyone again, and that's our problem. We've got to get rid of him and think of a good cover story." She says. Luckily, this isn't the first dead body Ksenija's had to dispose of. That was an older man who tried to steal their food stash back when Ksenija was nine. Zlata quite literally beat his face off. They spent the rest of those bright hours finding a trash compactor to throw him in, piece by piece. It was an object lesson in using your environment to solve problems, also what it sounds like when you throw a ribcage in a trash compactor. She hasn't been able to eat celery since. Ksenija will use her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) to find a way to cleanly dispose of Garth, any evidence, and deal with any blood on her clothing. Her Streetsmarts (+2) will help her put together a believable cover story. After that's done, she'll analyze Garth's sword without touching it. If it's safe she'll keep it. If not, she'll dispose of it just like him. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Aug 11, 2017 |
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Aug 11, 2017 04:10
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp - 2 FP It takes all the effort in the world for Ksenija to not grit her teeth. Her impulse is to run, put this problem behind her just like so many others. But if she does that she has to abandon Amy to her fate, and leave the Salamanders behind - the first group of people she's felt any sort of comfort or camaraderie with since the disaster that brought her here. She has to do this carefully, think of what her big sister would say in her place to a trembling young Ksenija. She looks Amy straight in her pretty blue-green eyes, bites her lip, and takes a deep breath before she speaks. "Look Amy, I know you're scared. I know you want to scream and cry. But we can't right now. I'm right here, and I know I can get us through this. Please, just trust me. You have to focus on the problem right in front of you. There's time to vent after we've dealt with it." She says. She gestures to a good rock pile. "We can put him under there, easy as cutting cheese. Just hold on for a little while longer." She scans the sword quickly with her implant, careful not to touch it, before setting to work. Ksenija will use Head Down (+4) and take 2 FP and her Streetsmarts (+2) to help her calm down Amy and get her to assist in burying Garth. She also analyzes the blade Garth was wielding without touching it. If it's safe, she'll take it. If not, she'll bury it with him. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Aug 16, 2017 |
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Aug 15, 2017 05:48
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp - 2 FP Ksenija picks up the sword before she leaves. It's about three feet, hilt to tip. Just barely a short sword. She gives it a test swing, nice and light. Good slashing blade, easy to drag across someone's throat. She picks up his sheathe and belt, they go under her cloak, back into camp, and into Ksenija's bedroll when no one is looking. Hopefully, the sword doesn't mind being alone. Promise I'll be back for you later, when people aren't looking for you. She thinks. ------------ There's fear in Amy's voice again, and those big blue-green eyes sparkle with something that...isn't quite platonic. Death does funny things to your hormones Ksenija thinks to herself as she swallows a spoonful of stew. In any case, she'd made Amy a promise, implicit as it was. She'd be there for her. You take care of your crew, your family, your people; they take care of you. It wasn't like this would be any harder to explain than most of the poo poo that happened so far, she and Hannah had an open relationship after all and "So the girl I saved was lonely and scared and one thing lead to another..." was not much of a leap compared to "After that I ripped out the meat computer's mainboard, which had an eyeball and hair, to disable the death beetle failsafe. The mainboard blinked at me." She smiles up at Amy, they share a kiss. "Of course." She says. ------------ Ksenija aches in the best way. It's been too long since she was with another woman. The tension is drained from her shoulders, her breath comes a little easier. She whispers to Amy, disguising her words as innocent pillow talk. "I know today was scary, but I promise I'll keep you safe. They'll ask us if we saw him during inspection. You'll think about tonight, shake your head, and say you didn't see a thing. I'll do the same." She says. After that, Ksenija closes her eyes and lets herself drift off. ------------ And so, when the morning, and the inspection, come Ksenija smiles slyly at Amy. She has complete faith in her. OOC: Ksenija will take the magic sword and hide it back in camp with her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) She'll stay with Amy for the night and give her a pep talk with her Streetsmarts (+2) The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Aug 17, 2017 |
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Aug 16, 2017 07:48
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp - 2 FP Ksenija grumbles and starts scraping the glue off the sword hilt and her synthhyde gloves. While she works she whispers to the sword. "Well hello there, your last owner was a real piece of work. I'm Ksenija Ceranic. May I call you Percy?" By the time she's done she's figured out the sword has all sorts of lovely settings. She gives her a woman's voice, she takes on something like her accent. It makes Ksenija smile, back home her accent was incredibly rare. Zlata was the only other person who had it...besides their parents, but they died when Ksenija was five and Zlata was eleven. She gets her to emit a nice soft blue light that goes with her hair's cosmetic genetic alterations perfectly. Percy keeps trying to call her mistress though. "Please, I'm Ksenija. No titles." She divides her spare time between idly chatting with Percy, running equations, doing basic research into Anti-Real Math, and the occasional encounter with Amy. Percy reminds her this world is full of forces and things she doesn't understand, and she needs to hone her own edge to stand a chance against them. Ksenija will use her Jury Rigging Genius (+4) to conduct research into the basic nature of Anti-Real Math in an attempt to better understand it. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Aug 18, 2017 |
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Aug 18, 2017 06:02
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp -> Onwards? - 2 FP Ksenija chuckles. "Oh Percy, it got me a long time ago." She says. Her fingertips massage her temples. This is heavy. Her head is pounding. There never really was any "Anti-Real Math" at all. She, her implant, and her laptop were Anti-Real Math. A willing path for chaos to pour into the universe. That's why the biologian dragged her here and tried figure out how to use her laptop. What about the other nine? Oh gently caress. There were ten walking, talking bombs here - each with some sort of terrible power. How many innocent people were going to die to feed those powers? She's already killed herself, and if someone like her could make that choice...Ksenija shudders. She has to do something, anything. The first, and most important thing is to increase her connection to chaos. If she drains all the chaos out of the world it just makes everyone easier victims for their rampages. They couldn't adapt, or fight back. No, this world needs chaos more than ever. She has to churn the pot, get people adapting again, break up large ossified social groups. But...she can't do it alone. She needs help for a job this big. Luckily, she already has a crew - the Salamanders. All she has to do is figure out a way to promote herself. Get into a position of power so she can get them where they need to be to help stir things up, keep the chaos flowing. To that end she starts skulking around the camp in her off hours as they travel, listening in to the conversations between the group leaders. Sometimes, she feels a little guilty. In those moments Ksenija remembers a few words she learned to live by a long time ago. I was a seeker, a mover, a malcontent, and at times a stupid hell-raiser. I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right. OOC: Ksenija will use her Sneaking Suit (+4) and Streetsmarts (+2) to collect intelligence on ways to move herself up in the Salamanders while she waits for the caravan to get whereever the hell it's going. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Aug 22, 2017 |
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Aug 21, 2017 22:28
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Ksenija Ceranic - Wilds Camp - 2 FP Ksenija sighs. This doesn't quite add up. She's not going to write her bosses off just yet, but she's about an inch away. There's just...something that keeps scratching at the back of her head. She starts focusing on Stillia, whatever is going on - she's at the heart of it. A small part of her enjoys this, the cloak and dagger, the promise of a good mystery, the possibility for a little justice. Ksenija will use her Sneaking Suit (+4) and Streetsmarts (+2) to focus her surveillance efforts on Stillia. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Aug 24, 2017 |
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Aug 24, 2017 02:41
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Ksenija Ceranic - The Sad Wench Inn -> On The Trail of Stillia - 2 FP Ksenija quirks her eyebrow. This poo poo just gets weirder. It's clear Stillia is actually the one running the Salamanders now. The two of them are simple patsies at the moment. No point in going after them without knowing what Stillia is doing. So she follows Stillia from shadow to shadow. Her implant hums and kicks into gear. Ksenija's Implant posted:> source /opt/math/ar/arm5.3 Just in case, a special mix she believes might be able to channel misfortune and chaos onto one person with brutal effect. She's getting deep into some dirty business and she knows it. Ksenija will tail Stillia with her Sneaking Suit (+4) to keep her invisible and rely on her Streetsmarts (+2) to keep her on her mark.
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Aug 25, 2017 01:51
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Ksenija Ceranic - On The Trail of Stillia - 2 FP Whatever it is, Ksenija can't let her finish. She reaches over her shoulder for Percy. Her implant begins to thrum, in time with the Stillia's chanting. No. There is another way. Ksenija's Implant posted:>scratchpad fuckyou Ksenija follows her instincts, slamming code down as fast as the implant's bus speed lets her. She can just barely keep pace with Stillia's chanting now. Her implant gets warm; it wiggles like a worm lodged against her skull. It's so beautiful when she's done.  Ksenija's Implant posted:>run fuckyou The code and Stillia's incantation finish in almost the same moment. Her implant shakes violently, raw chaos flows through it from...somewhere else. It whispers to her: Ksenija's Implant posted:this is the water She has no idea what's going to happen. Then again, isn't that the point of chaos? OOC: Ksenija will attempt to hijack Stillia's ritual with Murphy's Law (+2) and take 3 FP (+6) in the process by following her instincts and completing ignoring common sense and the consequences. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Aug 28, 2017 |
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Aug 28, 2017 04:41
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Ksenija Ceranic - On The Trail of Stillia -> NOPE - 5 FP Ksenija's Implant posted:kcor s'tel! Ksenija's implant sends to her as she sneaks away from the disaster she just caused. She slinks back into town, finds Amy, a large bottle of "cap whiskey" (whatever the gently caress that means) and spends the rest of their time in this town trying to forget what she just saw. Ksenija will pretend nothing happened and hope they move the gently caress on before that thing gets there.
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Aug 30, 2017 04:15
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Ksenija Ceranic - Blacktone - 5 FP Ksenija pulls herself up. She's hungover, her hips are killing her, and for the love of sudo would someone stop ringing that loving bell?! "Please slow down Amy dear. My ram sticks are like halfway to fried already." She says. Her fingers move in lazy circles across her temples. "Coffee, and some kind of painkiller." One pot of coffee, a kiss, some foul tasting mixture Amy said would help with the pain later and Ksenija is fighting her way back into her sneaking suit. "I've got a plan, and you can help me." She slips her synthhyde gloves on, slings Percy onto her back, and puts on her cloak before continuing. "I'm a mage myself, so I can deal with the scrying spell personally. I'll explain how later." Ksenija pushes a drip of ink-dark hair out of Amy's face and kisses her again. "Just trust me, I can get us through this with your help." She explains what Stillia was doing in detail - a witch corrupting their company and manipulating their commanders into stealing their pay. Ksenija shows her the sleight of hand they use. She even makes sure Amy can replicate it. "I want you to go to every rabble-rouser in the company and show them this, tell them what I told. I want you to get them mad as hell and talking to all their friends. Get a riot going. While you do that I'm going to deal with the mage personally. After I'm done I'll appear at the meeting. If I don't show up, something went wrong." She points out a rock outcropping not too far out of town, thankfully in the opposite direction of Stillia's ritual. "Meet me there. I have enough money to feed us and my sword can glow in the dark if worst comes to worst." One last kiss, a hug. "We'll be OK no matter what. I know it." She says. They both head out. Amy towards the company, and Ksenija towards the mage and caravan-master. She moves as fast as she can while still maintaining some sort of stealth. Her implant tingles. She writes up a new equation, hoping to build on the lessons learned from the incident with Stillia. One piece of code sticks out in her mind, there's...something. It hits her like a bullet. That piece of code has something like malice, moving between the figures. When she backs out again she can suddenly see in every line of code, like some red thread binding it all together. This isn't just chaos, it's spiteful chaos. How did she never see this before? It makes the code flow so much more easily. By the time she finds that drat mage her implant is faintly humming, almost pleased with itself. OOC: Ksenija will dispatch Amy to raise hell in the Salamanders with her knowledge of what they've been doing while she uses her Sneaking Suit (+4) and Streetsmarts (+2) to get into position to dump Murphy's Law (+2) on the mage when he attempts to scry. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Sep 2, 2017 |
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Sep 2, 2017 19:15
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Ksenija Ceranic - Blacktone - 5 FP "Okay Percy, what's your solution?" Ksenija whispers. The sword is silent. "Exactly, look I don't like this either but my chaos magic is the only thing I have aga-" No. That's wrong. That is so wrong. Ksenija fights back her impulses. There has to be another way. She's gotten out of tighter scrapes than this before she had her awful chaos powers. Ksenija pulls a coin out of her pocket and smirks, she throws at the wall opposite them as hard as she can, trying to make a racket and distract them long enough to find another solution. There had to be something, a way to drop the roof, an accident of some kind that might not be as lethal as another incident like the last one. "Thanks Percy, I owe you one." she whispers. OOC: Ksenija will attempt to find an alternate solution with her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) and 1 FP(+2) by ignoring her impulse to use her divine power. If none is forthcoming she will use Murphy's Law (+2) as planned. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Sep 4, 2017 |
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Sep 4, 2017 03:11
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Ksenija Ceranic - Blacktone - 6 FP Ksenija moves over quickly and sets to work, calling up a few files on structural engineering to see if they might help. She wants to get this done fast, Amy probably needs her help. OOC: Ksenija will use her Sneaking Suit (+4) to move into position and her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4) to do the actual demolition.
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Sep 6, 2017 18:04
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Ksenija Ceranic - Blacktone - 6 FP Ksenija slinks towards Amy, aware of the fact she's not quite the good person she thought she was. Why would whatever altered her laptop have chosen her otherwise? It must be having a real laugh right now. Ksenija will move off to see how Amy's doing with her Sneaking Suit (+4) and Streetsmarts (+2).
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Sep 7, 2017 16:31
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Ksenija Ceranic - Blacktone - 6 FP She quirks an eyebrow and starts picking through the room. There's always clues, you just need to know where to look. She checks the door, you always start with the point of entry. Was it kicked off the hinges? Left open? Locked? After that comes the story the furniture tells. Was the brawl quick and clean? Fast and dirty? Did it ever happen at all? What about the mattress? Something clearly happened there. Stillia could open portals, maybe these two could also? She feeds data into her implant as she works, maybe there's some files on criminology in there. "You have anything to add Percy?" Ksenija says. OOC: Ksenija will investigate the scene with her Jury-Rigging Genius (+4), Streetsmarts (+2), and see if Percy (+2) has anything to add.
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Sep 10, 2017 22:47
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