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Cyclops PP: 1 | XP: 3 "Pfshshs..." Cyclops flushes. "B-But he's really hard. You'd be far more comfortable to land on." .... Oh dear god why did she say that?! She was getting flustered. That pretty face comment threw her off. She needed to cover. "I-I mean he's made of metal and you're all soft- I mean, not soft, you've got metal bones - but your skin looks soft. I mean not soft-soft, but soft, y-yah know?" Yes, perfectly covered.
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May 17, 2018 23:32
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 "You know the intercom is still open, right? Also the Blackbird is small, and Forge can totally hear all of this." He looked at the screen. "We are taking off in a minute and should be back home soon." He closed comms, and looked around. "Anyone that is not wearing a uniform should probably get off the plane." To say he was angry at Sarah would be underselling it.
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May 17, 2018 23:51
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"Fifteen minutes, please?" Mastermind asked. "Just... fifteen minutes to know if Xavier did mess with my head." She looked over at Jean and pressed her hands together. "Please. I don't want to know, but... I need to know. I'm trusting you."
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May 18, 2018 00:31
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 "Fine," said Colossus. He walked back down the ramp and stood at the bottom. He grabbed his phone and headphones before tuning into a radio station. He wanted to hear the reaction. A little bit of loathing went a long way.
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May 18, 2018 00:34
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Cyclops PP: 1 | XP: 3 | Stress: d8 Rolling her eyes at the hypocrisy Colossus just came out with, Cyclops turns her attention back to the flight controls. "You've got 15 minutes back there (hopefully) before we need to be gone. I really don't want to be hanging around when the authorities decide to start poking around. Sage, do you know if anythings inbound on the battle sight right now? With the power back on, the security services are no doubt scrambling to swarm and lock it all down." Arashiofordo3 fucked around with this message at 21:42 on May 23, 2018 |
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May 18, 2018 20:23
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Wolverine PP: 2 | XP: 10 | Stress: 1d10 Physical Jane looks around a moment, then looks at the intercom button, which was indeed lit up. When did that even get turned on? She shrugs, not particularly bothered, then bumps the button that closes off the cockpit from the rest of the plane. She says, "I guess they're going to need some privacy back there, too."
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May 18, 2018 20:44
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Marvel Girl PP: 3 | XP: 3 "Right. Just a moment, Peter.", Jean says simply, planting her palms on the armrests as she pushes herself up fully upright, focusing on Mastermind's thoughts. A little irony there, given the name, worrying about exactly who was the master there. She's not too concerned about memories, but instead trying to see the whole structure. Tampering leaves damage, though the longer it goes, the harder it can be detect... but at the surface, she's looking for a different brick in the wall, signs of fissuring recollections or ill-fitting memories. It's a complex operation, probably taking her to the edges of her expertise... ..as she's trying not to get too distracted by all the chemistry going on near her while she's at it. Rolling Team d10 + Crushing Self-Doubt d4 + Telepathy d10 + Mutant Alpha d10 + Psych Expert d8, spending 1 PP to keep an extra die for the result, and getting 1 back from the distinction. Total is 18 with a d10 effect, and 1 opportunity. Effect die goes into a doom pool if it's a failure.
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May 18, 2018 21:05
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"–has issued a statement that their forces overwhelmed the mutant threat, but reports from eye witnesses tell a different story," said the radio host in Pete's headphones, before a low quality phone call recording took over. "Yo it was insane, they trashed everything the MRD threw at them, but then – then these other mutants show up, and you can tell they're mutants because one of them's like ten feet tall and built like a truck, and they fight and I kept my head down for most of this but after a while this guy I think was in charge said mission failed, mission failed, let's get outta here. One of them doesn't want to and flips out, turns into this huge monster and yells about smashing everything, but the hero team takes him out too. It was incredible." Everyone had a different idea, consciously or otherwise, of what their mind should look like, which influenced what their mind did look like – at least to a telepath. Mastermind's was an art gallery, or maybe a museum, or maybe just a very extravagant penthouse. It was all of these things at once, classical architecture mixed with chic modern steel and glass. Every painting on the walls was a memory, every sculpture a facet of personality, every minuscule detail something important. Looking at the whole mindscape at once in this way was not an easy task. It was like reading a book in one go, every word and plot twist simultaneously. But Jean had learned from the best, and now she was looking for signs that he'd been here when he shouldn't have. It wasn't going to be easy. A telepath as skilled as Charles Xavier wouldn't leave obvious marks. One of the paintings stood out, and for a moment Jean was unable to ascertain why. However, it became clear quite quickly as she took in the rest of her surroundings. Mastermind's mental image was perfect, as stylish and flawless as she herself held herself to be. But this painting was hung crooked, only just but still quite noticeable compared to what was around it. "The Man Called X, and the Fate of Adonis Fourie" read the brass plate under it, with a date in the recent past. The painting seemed to be moving a little, more as Jean watched it, and then settling back to stillness whenever she looked away. If she looked long enough, she might find herself in the memory itself. Outside, in the waking world, barely seconds had passed. Sage was answering Cyclops over the radio, apparently the intercom status of on or off meaning nothing to her. "MRD's presence in the entire state is scattered in pieces across Manhattan, so unless they've got a lot of superglue, probably not an issue. Now that power's back up, we might be getting a visit from the national guard, but I have been keeping their satellites convinced there's definitely not a big ol' secret jet hanging out in Central Park. We've got time." Sage herself had hovered down the ramp, taking a seat next to Pete as he kept listening to the radio broadcast. It was a lot of confusion about what had happened, and what was still happening, but one thing was clear: not everyone was blaming all mutants for this.
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May 19, 2018 16:26
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Marvel Girl PP: 3 | XP: 3 If she's going to be sure, she's going to have to probe a bit. If she were being utterly frank to Mastermind, she should assure her that she legitimately doesn't care about her secrets and innermost thoughts. But that's not comforting, as it turns out. Strangely enough, people would find it insulting. Telepathy is a minefield of ironies. Nonetheless, it's the next step to take. She reaches out to the painting, touching the frame as she takes a closer look. Time to look behind the surface.
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May 20, 2018 06:34
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 Colossus looked over at Sage as she hovered down the ramp towards him. He was smiling, listening to the radio as it rambled on in his ear. He sighed a little and leant back on his heels starting to feel more tired than he honestly expected himself to. He grunted, lowering himself to sit on the grass next to Sage before shaking his head. "You have translation?" he asked. He'd more or less worked out that Sage had some degree of computerisation in her. Mechanical, somehow. She seemed 'weird', even by mutant standards. "It is good day. Some people do not seem to be angry at us," he said, quietly. He paused. "I want picture for twitter. Put it up, send it to a radio station..." he grumbled. "Say that we are here to help. We do good things, and Professor wants to hold that back. Wants us to play it slow. He is- расстраивает." Frustrating.
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May 20, 2018 21:36
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In the real world, Sage nodded along to what Colossus was saying. "No translation, but with sixty-eight languages in my head, one of them's bound to be Russian. Of course, there's Klingon and Esperanto in there too..." She looked up at him and hesitated, as if thinking something through, before continuing. "I've known the Prof a long time. Since I was a baby, in fact. He helped me deal with... stuff when my mutant powers manifested. Technology runs in our family, and..." She flipped up her sunglasses and looked him with lifeless, black eyes. No iris, no pupil. Just lenses like a camera. She dropped her sunglasses again and turned away. "Not that cute, right? Some mutants get to be like metal, or plants, or animals. Me, I'm a walking Best Buy. I've got a brain that picks up wifi and USB slots in my spine." It didn't sound like a joke. Sage held out her palm and it opened up, segmenting and lifting, revealing something embedded there. She plucked it out with her other hand, and moments later was back to normal. But the object was still in her hand. "The Prof spent years working with me, helping me to function, and honestly I was a terrible student. But he stuck with me no matter what. Sometimes, sure, it can seem like he's reluctant to do stuff. But I don't think he wants to. I just think he's afraid. He's felt the pain and panic of every mutant he's ever helped for years and years, I think that's just gotten to him." She nudged Pete in the ribs, and winced as she hurt her elbow again. "Haha, ow. But you guys... I think this is him showing courage. He trusts you to go out here and make a difference. When I left he said I would be putting myself in danger and should reconsider. But now here you are... in the Blackbird, in uniforms, trying to make the future better." The object in her hand lit up, revealing it was a phone. Fully charged, too. She thumbed to the camera setting and held it out with one hand, trying to get a good selfie shot of the pair of them. "Скажи изюм!" Things were going much faster within the mental realm. One moment Jean was in front of the painting, then she was inside it. Inside one of Mastermind's memories, more accurately. It was an evening lit by street lamps, and she was floating invisible besides Mastermind. Younger, but still recognisable, although she didn't exude the same raw confidence. There was Hijack too, and someone who was hard to place until he opened his mouth. "Trust me, this guy is cool," he said, unmistakably Iceberg. "And I know cool." "Rob, I'm real happy for you if one of your frat buddies got ice powers too, but I have classes to teach tomorrow," sighed Hijack. "Just trust me!" Iceberg gave a cocky smile and nodded towards a door. There was nothing special about it. It looked like some random, unnamed, unmarked building in the middle of a street. "Are you read to meet... X?" "As in... the Professor?" Mastermind asked drily. "We've met," added Hijack, sarcastically. Iceberg just grinned even wider, and the door opened by itself... and then burst into blue flames. "No, no you haven't," he said. "Not this guy." As they went through the open doorway, stepping over the fine ash that the door had turned into, things went dark. This wasn't quite a memory. It was a chain of memories, and the next one was some time later. The three of them were in a room that might have been a used bookstore or something by the light of day, but at night it seemed more like an illicit meeting of revolutionaries. Perhaps that was the feeling that Xorn wanted to cultivate, but the man they were with both was and wasn't Xorn. He was wearing a mask, but not the sombre skull-faced one. He didn't sound as cold and uncaring. "I'm not asking you to trust me blindly, I'm asking you to think for yourselves," he was saying. "Ask questions! Demand answers! How much do you really know about the man who calls himself Charles Xavier?" "We know what he looks like," said Mastermind. "If I take this off, I die," said Xorn, or X, or whatever he was calling himself. "Then so do you. Then so does everyone else, this entire planet. I lack the means to control the power within myself, and the fault for that lies in the lap of the man you call Charles Xavier." "You keep calling him that," said Hijack with a smile. "You know something we don't?" "You have your phone? Use your gifts," replied Xorn. "I won't judge you for using them. Find the documentation of a man, Adonis Fourie. That's F-O-U-R-I-E. Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on–" "Got it already. It's not a common name, you know." Hijack span his phone on his finger and waved the screen to everyone else. "What exactly am I looking for here? I've got birth certificate, death certificate, everything." "Tell me where and when he died." "Marrakesh, twenty..." Hijack trailed off, frowning. "Twenty years ago." "And for how long has your Professor been without the use of his legs? As he is such a close friend of your family, you should know. I'm certain your father knows." "Twenty years, after a trip to Marrakesh," said Hijack. "Isn't that interesting?" Xorn said, leaning back and steepling his fingers. It was the same pose that Xavier made when he was thinking. "Perhaps that deserves further investigation. You are more than capable of discovering the truth for yourself." Another time skip, this one days, maybe weeks later. No Xorn, just Hijack, Mastermind, and Iceberg in a quiet part of the Institute's grounds. "Look," Hijack was saying. "I'm just saying that unless our friend X has time travel powers, there's no way he could have set this up twenty years ago for us to find now." "So Xavier isn't Xavier, but Fourie? He stole his identity?" Mastermind rolled her eyes. "Why do that?" "Easy when you're a psychic," pointed out Iceberg. "Rip out the mind's contents, and alter other people's minds to cover any mistakes." "But why?" "Fourie was a career criminal, and Xavier is wealthy," said Hijack. "Was wealthy. Is. drat it all, I just think we need to ask him." "Sure, confront the psychic," said Iceberg. "That'll go down well. X is right, you can't trust them." "He can't mess with Tessa's head," said Mastermind. "Not when she closes it off. Nothing gets through." "I have tried to convince her, my sister thinks I'm being paranoid." "I'll try," said Mastermind. Another skip, this time straight to Sage shouting in Mastermind's face. "Are you crazy? It's bad enough that my brother is blowing off classes to dig into this, but you too?" The younger version of Sage had natural-coloured hair, cut short, but the same sunglasses and eclectic fashion sense. "I have let Charles Xavier into my head and he has done nothing but help me deal with the huge mess that I am." Time blurred again. Another midnight meeting with Xorn. "Don't treat Charles as a father figure when you already have your parents supporting you," Xorn said to Mastermind. "Are you not their fierce, intelligent, capable daughter? They would not turn their backs on you over such a trivial thing as this. Your mutant gifts do not make you an outcast like so many others. No deformities, no lack of control. You are better than human." Again into the middle of a shouting match. The memories were getting more intense, more emotional. The psychic feedback was hitting Jean hard. "This is who I am! This is who we are!" Mastermind was screaming, holding Quentin close to her. "We're still family! I'm still your daughter!" Back to Sage at the Institute. Mastermind in tears. "We don't have anywhere to go," she bawled, slumped over Sage's shoulder. "I've never seen them hate me, hate anyone, like this." "Hey, it'll be ok. People just don't understand," said Sage, patting her. "We're still here for you. The Prof will make sure–" Mastermind pulled away, anger in her eyes. "No, he did this! He– He changed their minds! He needs us to... to be dependent on him!" Xavier's study. The Professor was behind his desk. Mastermind, Hijack, Iceberg, and several others that Jean didn't recognise were grouped there. "Justine, I am terribly sorry about your family situation, but I can assure you I do not change people's minds that way. Certainly not to make them anti-mutant," the Professor said. Hijack slammed something down on the desk in response, a tablet computer of some kind. "Tell us the truth," he said. "For once in your life. Everything you've ever told us has been a lie, but now... we know." "David, I am–" "The truth!" Hijack shouted, red in the face. "I scanned you! Remotely! You didn't know I was doing it, so you couldn't alter my thoughts! You've been lying this whole time! There's nothing wrong with you at all! You've been making everyone think you can't walk! Sympathy for the poor crippled man!" The Professor looked stunned, rendered totally speechless. So did many of the others in the room. "Are you even Charles Xavier?" Hijack asked in a hoarse whisper. "I am," said Xavier. "So what happened to Adonis Fourie?" The memory... wavered. This was it. This was the moment that had been tampered with. Only a psychic like Jean, looking in from the outside, could tell. Xavier's words didn't quite match the movement of his mouth, but whoever had altered this memory had done so as it was being formed. "I murdered him," said Xavier bluntly, or at least the altered memory of him. "Did you murder my mother too?" Hijack asked. Again, Xavier's words did not match his mouth. "Yes." The memories ended, and Jean was back in Mastermind's mental gallery, looking up at the painting. Fuego Fish fucked around with this message at 16:20 on Jul 27, 2018 |
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May 21, 2018 14:08
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 Colossus listened to Sage, pausing to consider her words. It was still annoying for him to think about everything they could be doing and how little they seemed like they were actually achieving. Still, though, there was finally someone here that he could talk to in something other than his broken, stilted English. Everything he'd said so far was, of course, run through a filter of words that didn't line up with what he actually said. His stated goal of saying 'if anything goes wrong, run a finger along the X. It will send an alert to every one of us,' to Mastermind earlier had probably come out far more mangled than that. He watched Sage hold out her hand, tilting it up and then to the left and then- up again. Back and right and- fitting her and him into the frame at the same time was kind of a challenge. You can either get a picture of Sage and two paving-slab sized pectoral muscles, or a picture of the top of someone's head and Colossus's nose and below. He crouched down at last and smiled into the lens. He heard the phone click and stood back up to his full height. He then, finally, started to talk in a way that actually afforded him some freedom. Right now in Central Park, there was only one other person that could make out what he was saying. "It's driving me crazy," he said. "I can't talk to anyone else on the team because I have no idea how to say any of this in a way that doesn't make me sound like a total rear end in a top hat and it's driving me crazy. The Professor has me taking art classes and philosophy classes but everytime I sit in one of them, I think that- The reason that we're so hated by people is something that's built into them. You know he's got a word for it?" he said. "Genoism." He slumped down. "Mutants are nine times more likely to be homeless than someone that's not a mutant. Twelve times more likely to be victims of workplace, domestic and police violence. Fifteen times more likely to be unemployed. I- I feel like we're trying to use direct violence to solve structural violence-" holy poo poo Pete had been paying attention in his civics classes. "It doesn't matter to me if you drop a robot on a mutant, or if you starve them to death by inches. The Professor always seems to want to keep things equal, because his idea is that if the system works the way it's supposed to, we should all be equal. How's that going for him?" he asked, grunting. "His goal seems to be to stop things from getting worse but- if the best our leaders can hope for is that things don't get worse, then we need better leaders." He paused. "You think that Leech would get a fair trial in a human court? The law's the same for both humans and mutants but it won't be applied equally," he continued. "The Professor is basing his whole point of view on the system working fairly and equally for everyone and even before mutants came along that wasn't true." "He assumes that because they fear us, they hate us. I think it's because genoism keeps existing structures in one piece. Instead of chasing us down, why-" he paused and looked at Sage. "Why aren't you being paid by companies to create new medical technology? Why isn't Jean helping cure mental illnesses? Why isn't Frog in the Amazon, fixing the rainforest with an army of amphibians?" He grunted. "All this talk about Weapons. That's just to help someone out there maintain their position of power, but it's not actually going to help anyone. It's structured to keep us in a place where we're reacting, where they're attacking, and the Professor just wants to- react to the direct violence. You do that, though, and you've got to embrace the structure that keeps us in our place." He sighed deeply and fell onto his rear end, sitting in the grass. "And if you're embracing the structure that needs an oppressed group to stay functioning- then what good are you? Systemic genoism is going to be used to justify some incredible, terrible stuff and- I'm struggling to see how you can reform a system that's doing exactly what it's supposed to do." He let out a sigh and, for the first time in a week, felt something against flesh instead of metal. "You gonna tweet that picture out?"
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May 21, 2018 15:35
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Marvel Girl PP: 3 | XP: 3 There's a moment where she tries to forge the memory. Copy it. Isolate the experience in her own memory so she can review it later. She's not exactly a lip reader, but finding somebody that was... well, she knew a lot of exceptional people. Rolling a 13 with a d10 effect to preserve it. Jean comes to after a few minutes, relaxing her arms as she falls back into her seat. After a moment, she looks to Mastermind as if broaching a conversation casually. "You're right. Somebody did mess with your mind." A slight pause. "But I don't think it was Xavier. Somebody changed your memory of what he said. Which yeah, he could do, but... it's going to take me a bit to unpack the original memory." She smiles weakly. "I'll let you know what I find out." Problem is, the list of telepaths just as or more powerful than her was only one person wide, and that was Xavier. Sorry, Marius. "I can explain, but- do you want privacy first? Crap, maybe I should have started with that question?" She bites her lip. "Sorry."
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May 22, 2018 02:35
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Mastermind stared blankly at Jean for a moment, and then held her head in her hands. "All this... all this time... I thought that even at his worst, even at his cruellest, Xorn still had a point about psychics. He was always reminding me that my powers are just lies I put into people's heads... but if I'd... just..." She seemed to lose track of what she was saying, staring at her hand intently as she twisted it back and forth. Quentin came up next to her and held it, squeezing it reassuringly. "Now I'm sorry," she said to Jean as she squeezed back. "Things have been a bit... rough for us these past two months. I'm just... angry at myself, I guess? It feels like all the things I hated Xavier for, it was just what Xorn was doing to me this whole time and I was too stupid to tell the difference. Or maybe he is psychic and I just managed to fight past his control." Saying that made her pull a face, looking disgusted. "Oh my God... I really hope he isn't psychic as well. He's scary enough as it is." Outside, Sage gave Colossus a pat on the shoulder. "I've got sixteen thousand retweets on it already, as it happens. Then again, I might be cheating a little. Bad habits I picked up from David." With a twirl of her fingers she spun the phone around like a stage magician handling a deck of cards. The selfie had come out pretty good, and she'd written "Just some superheroes saving the world! You're welcome, NYC!" "See, I've always felt that something is holding the Prof back," she said. "I've read all his earlier work, back from twenty, thirty years ago. He had dreams, man, I am telling you. Stuff they refused to publish because they thought it'd cause riots. Some of it isn't even about mutants, it's just radical political theory. Nowadays, though, it's like he's... he's scared. Not just worried about the safety of all the kids at the Institute, that's a sensible thing to worry about. But it's like there's something stopping him from speaking out, from taking a step forward." She slapped one hand over her face hard enough to jostle her sunglasses. "Phrasing, wow. Oh my God. Even with a brain that runs a thousand times faster than everyone else's, I still put my foot in my mouth. But you get what I mean, right? The Prof has issues and I wish I could understand what they are, what changed him. Guess it might be trauma. After the accident, Pops had to fly out and get him. Left me and David with Mom and TJ for a whole month. I was way too young to remember any of it, my mutation hadn't kicked in, but TJ always said it was like a different man came back." Jean successfully makes a copy of Mastermind's specific memory of being in Xavier's office.
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May 23, 2018 20:47
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 10 | Stress: 1d10 Physical Jane snores softly in the reclined seat, the only sign that she's not entirely relaxed the snippets she mumbles, "...laundry..." She shifts, trying to bat something away from her head. "...no..." Dice Pool: d4 Mysterious Past, d10 Solo, d12 Godlike Stamina Recovery Action: 1#1d4 2 1#1d10 7 1#1d12 7 9 with a d12 effect to remove stress. +PP from a d4 distinction.
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May 23, 2018 21:02
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 Holy poo poo that sounded like a lot of people were interested. See, people were interested in them. Then again, he may not want to go into the comments section. "Something better be holding him back, because if this is the best he's got-" said Colossus. He'd have to look into the books from twenty years ago, see if he could find them and find out if the old Professor and the young mutant could line up. Maybe he'd just grown old and soft but- well, it always seemed like there was something in his way. He'd have to ask Forge about what happened, too. There was a lot of stuff to do back at the ranch. "You know what?" he said. He stood up, patted himself down. "I wanna have something that I can use to force the issue. Let's get a group photo of everyone. Tell the world we're the X-Men and we're here to help. What do you think?"
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May 24, 2018 14:34
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Marvel Girl PP: 3 | XP: 3 "When the Professor confessed to you, somebody put words in his mouth. I don't know if it was Xorn, but..." Jean reaches up to run her fingers through her hair. "... I also thought it might be possible that somebody turned your power against you, too. However was doing it was trying to be subtle, to change as little as they needed to, and let your mind fill in the blanks around it. I don't know if it was Xorn. Whoever did it wanted to corrupt your meeting with the Professor, though, to get you to turn against him. I don't know exactly when it was done, either." She folds her arms, sinking back into her seat. "I just need to figure out what the original words were, now. It's hard because they were edited out, but there's probably enough of the memory to try and figure out what you originally heard." A huff, and then, "But given some of the other Brotherhood members were there... I'm thinking you're not alone in these edits. Hijack was there, too, Iceberg... they'd have to make sure your stories matched. Ever have any arguments about what happened?" To Colossus, she adds, "I'd be up for it, but... Xavier... well. Keep in mind anybody who does that is going to have trouble going back to being normal. And just... it risks outing the school." A slight shake of her head as she glances to Sage. "I have a feeling someday we're going to have to work on the outside, sooner or later. There's just a lot of kids that can't be left to answer for what we might after to do."
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May 24, 2018 16:37
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"No, we never argued... we'd all heard him say it," Mastermind said, and then lifted her hand to the side of her head, wincing slightly. "Thinking about this is making my head hurt... and I really don't think that's a coincidence." She paced her breathing, rubbing her temple. "Still, getting everyone in the room at the same time, without any problems, that would have taken far too much skill and power. It's more likely that it's the truth, and Xavier..." Her words trailed off, and she blinked. "Why did I just start blaming him again? You told me that my memory got tampered with! But... I..." Mastermind looked over at Quentin with a worried look, and then at Jean. "I don't know what I'm doing, I... what's wrong with me? Is Xavier still in my head?" Jane — no, Wolverine now — was dreaming. She was dreaming she was standing in that same corridor, looking at that same imposing door. The door to the Laundry Room. All of a sudden she was spun around, coming face-to-face with someone she didn't know. A young man, shaved head and frightened eyes, in white clothes like a prisoner. He was shaking her, seemed to be saying something but she couldn't hear. It was like she was underwater, it was just muffled and distant nothings. But his intent was clear. They had to go. She wasn't in the corridor now, she was running and the world hadn't caught up yet. Bits and pieces were filling in as she dreamed. The floor under her feet with each footstep. The walls as she bounced off them from rounding a corner too fast. All the time the young man in front of her. Still no sound, just that distant muteness that was building up like oncoming thunder. Louder silence, pressure in her skull. Something hit into her, no pain in the dream, but she was knocked to the ground. A large hand on her head, a knee on her back. In her outstretched arm she could see two curved claws, like the teeth of a sabretooth cat, sink through the flesh and pin her in place. She struggled, and her head was pulled back, forcing her to look. Not at her arm. Past it. The young man. Shaved head. White clothes. Frightened eyes. Red clothes. Blood. Arm. Gone. The muted silence building into a crashing cascading roar that erupted into the noise of alarms, sirens blaring, screaming, gunfire, breathing, the scrape of metal on metal, screaming, the drip-drip of blood from a blade, the sickening splatter of blood from an open wound, screaming, screaming, screaming. It was her screaming. She was awake and she was screaming. Screaming out a number. The number was 25.
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May 24, 2018 22:37
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 10 Wild-eyed, Wolverine awoke to find her throat raw — no wonder, given the scream that was still working its way out into the cockpit — and her eyes curiously wet. Part of her was still there, in the memory of the Laundry, but part was still Jane in the cockpit. It was really quite odd, almost as if the selves she'd accrued were starting to war amongst themselves for who the real Wolverine was. Weapon 23? Jane Doe? Someone else entirely? She didn't have the faintest goddamn idea. What she did know was that the rest were liable to think that Ruby was axe-murdering her in the cockpit for some reason and Ruby was probably scared out of her wits by the whole thing. Jane takes a sharp, shuddering breath, trying to work back down from a full-on screaming nightmare into something vaguely appropriate for a conversation — and no doubt this would lead to one — and finally manages, "Remembered something. About before." She doesn't immediately offer more than that, still half-lost in her own thoughts. Who was 25 to her? Another enemy? ...No. It looked like... it looked like he'd been trying to help her. Escape from something, someone. Maybe the Weapon poo poo, maybe just the Laundry. Too many unknowns, even now, and there's only one guy who can give her the answers she wants: The Professor. Tricky fucked around with this message at 16:47 on May 27, 2018 |
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May 27, 2018 02:29
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Cyclops PP: 1 | XP: 3 | Stress: d8 Cyclops leapt out of her seat in shock! Wincing as her ribs protested terribly. But her focus was on the screaming, tearful, and pale Wolverine, claws and everything! She wasn't slashing about at least, but still. She'd seen what Wolverine could do with those claws, and she was not interested in experiencing that first hand. Okay, Okay, calm down, breath- Oh, wait, that's what she should be telling Wolverine. "Ahh! Jeez, you're okay, you're fine! You're fine!" She attempted to get a little closer, very very aware of those claws. She reached out a tentative hand, reaching for her teammate's shoulder. She was feeling horribly out of her depth. But she was the team leader. And she'd offered to be there for her dammit! She'd have to be a terrible leader to make a run for it now. Even so, a primal fear tugged at her legs to flee. But no, no, she stayed where she was. Her mind reaches back, back to her childhood. Those sobbing moments of waking up from nightmares, enclosed in her mother's arms. Should she do that? Would that lead to her getting stabbed? "Just breath, you're safe, you're fine!" she mumbled, moving a little closer. Reaching out a second hand and trying to touch Wolverine's other shoulder. "Just- just breath." She tried to lean her against her chest. Breathing in an overly exaggerated manner to try and get Jane to copy the rhythm. "You're safe... you're safe..."
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May 27, 2018 09:34
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Marvel Girl PP: 3 | XP: 3 Jean's eyes widen as she goes quiet for a moment, and then says, "No. It has to be some kind of mental programming or infection. It doesn't make any sense for Xavier to create something that makes you hate him, either. Remember that. You were strong enough to come here, even with the risk. You can beat this. Your name's Mastermind, right-" There's a pause as Jane freaks out, and she bolts up, holding her hand up, and follows after Cyclops for a moment. She sighs, looking at Jane. She says, "I hate to say it, but hang onto it, we can try and process it, but- glad to see you're-" She pauses. "- you're not okay. But Sarah's right. You're safe." She looks back over to Mastermind, saying, "It's probably best if you and your brother stay with Sage for a bit." Turning to Sage, she reaches up to pull her hair back. "I didn't see any other possible culprits than Xorn. Maybe somebody he used had the power, or something else, but-" She looks back over to Mastermind. "He worked to plant doubt. But he's insane. He can't be trusted, either. You know this well enough that you came to us, and we're here for you. I'm not going to tell you to trust Xavier. But trust us. Please." Heck with it, let's spend 1 PP for a stunt and roll Team d10 + Heart of the Team d8 + Psych Expert d8 + Real Talk Stunt d8 to try and give Mastermind the pep talk asset of You Are the Master of Your Mind asset. The result is 14 with a d10 result, no opportunities.
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May 28, 2018 06:43
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"All right. I can do that. I can focus. I am... exactly who I am." Mastermind took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and after a moment of anxiousness darting across her face, she was back to her usual self: slightly arrogant and a bit posh. "You're right, though, there's something very messed up going on here... and until you can sort it out, keeping my distance seems like the best idea." Sage had come back inside the jet after hearing the commotion, and patted Mastermind on the hand reassuringly. "As long as you need, I promise. But, ah, you guys might want to get moving. I can mess with digital eyes, but human ones? Not so much. I don't think Justine or li'l Q is in much of a position to help, either. Best to just take off and... take off." She glanced over at the cockpit, and then at Leech. "Plus I think you've got enough of your own drama to deal with right now." Mastermind nodded along, and the two of them went back down the ramp with Quentin in tow. But she paused in front of Colossus to wave a stern finger at him. "You... will be hearing from me. And I best be hearing back. Understand?" Quentin did some unconvincing dry heaves behind her as she spoke, and then edged behind Sage when he got a glare from his sister. Mastermind turned to look at her old roomie and put her hands on her hips. "If you don't have enough rocket shoes for everyone, Tessa, I'm calling— I'm making you call an Uber. I'm not walking one step further today. It has been exhausting to say the least." Fuego Fish fucked around with this message at 22:47 on May 28, 2018 |
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May 28, 2018 22:05
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 10 There's a moment where an involuntary hiss escapes Jane as Sarah touches her shoulder. You can actually see the full-body shiver work from head-to-nonexistant-tail as her hair stands on end. After that moment, though, she slumps down against Sarah and lets the tears — though she still doesn't know why they're coming — flow into her fellow mutant's shoulders. The claws reluctantly retract, the only mark of their passage quickly-healing splotches on her hands. Jane hesitantly rests against her for a moment, lost in so many conflicting emotions, then regains a bit of composure. She pulls back, meeting Sarah's eyes, and says, "...Thanks. But this stays between us-" As much as that's probably impossible, given the number of people around. "-alright? Wouldn't want people thinking I've gone all soft."
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May 28, 2018 22:40
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Cyclops PP: 1 | XP: 3 | Stress: d8 Sarah look uncertainly as Jane sobs against her. She pat Jane's head in her best impression of someone being comforting. No one ever comes to the girl who can fire laser-force beams from her eyes for comfort. But Sarah give her the chance to let it out. At least until she sheathes her claws. Sarah nods to Jean. Grateful for the support. "All right, between us." She confirms. A warm smile. She grabbed the com. "All right everyone! All aboard! Take off in 15!" She sat down. "14" Engines active, stealth field up. Rolling up the ramp. "Buckle up! 8!" She counted. Flicking switches quickly with subconscious ease. Noting with satisfaction everyone was aboard and secure. She gritted her teeth as her ribs protested. But she pulled the joystick back, the V-Tol rotors kicking up dust as they engaged. Lifting the sleek craft into the air. "1" Sarah opened the throttle, and grinned in satisfaction as they left the battlefield. Mission successful.
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May 28, 2018 22:54
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Heading back to the Institute did not take long, but it was long enough for Jean to relay what she'd uncovered in Mastermind's memories. How Xorn — then just "X" — wormed his way into their confidence, the mystery of Adonis Fourie, and most importantly the fact that someone had tampered with those memories. Not just to make it seem like the Professor had damned himself with his own words, but also some sort of subliminal programming to introduce doubt and distrust into their thoughts. Dr. Reyes and Forge were waiting for the team as the Blackbird touched down, along with a medical gurney that had some unorthodox-looking attachments. Power dampeners to prevent Leech from doing anything dangerous, presumably. "Saw that picture," Forge called out with a grin as Colossus came down the ramp. "Not bad work. Lot of people out there saying good things about mutants now." "Also a lot saying the reverse," said Dr. Reyes, making her way into the jet to take a look at Leech. "Ah, silver linings, Doc," said Forge, scratching his synthetic arm absent-mindedly. He looked over the X-Men and frowned, clearly disappointed by a lack of Sage. "Chuck— the, ah, the Professor wants to see you. Mission debriefing and, if I'm any judge, a great big thank you."
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May 31, 2018 11:56
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Marvel Girl PP: 2 | XP: 3 "We need to find Xorn, though. We can't just keep doing this, putting out fires that he sets.", Jean says, and looks to Dr. Reyes, and has a crooked, weak grin. "Let them say it. We'll keep proving them wrong." She looks to Leech, slipping into a frown. "He was the product of humans trying to misuse his powers. I don't know if they just pulled the trigger or if they built the gun, but it doesn't really matter. I'm betting Xorn thought it was poetic, setting him loose like that. Either way, though, he's aware of what he tried to do, so don't think he's just a victim." A slight shake of her head, and she looks over to Jane. "Seems like we have a lot to cover with the Professor, in any case."
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Jun 1, 2018 06:01
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 Pyotr looked over at Reyes and Forge. He was still looking far closer to human than he'd done for the last couple of weeks. His eyes were still doing that electrically charged thing though. He smiled at Forge and rolled his eyes at Dr. Reyes. "They would say bad things about us no matter what we did, but now that they have a set of smiling faces and a good message to look at, maybe more people will say the opposite," he said, heading towards the mansion. He walked beside Forge for a moment and shook his head. "She did not want to come with us. I wanted to at least get a picture of her for you. Show that she is doing well," he said with a shrug. He... well, he wanted to talk to the Professor too. Fingers crossed there'd be something good. "Before I head inside, is- is he going to be okay, Doctor?" he asked, looking at Leech and Reyes.
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Jun 1, 2018 16:31
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Cyclops PP: 1 | XP: 3 | Stress: d8 Cyclops slumped in the pilots chair as they touched down. Now her ribs were really aching. She'd have to make a note about what to do in that situation in the future. Maybe learn to rebound her eye beam to cut through whatever was holding her? She could already plan out the danger room sessions she'd need to go through. With a grunt, she pulls herself to her feet. Can't show weakness now. Exiting the Blackbird with the others. "Sage is umm..." She thought back to their introduction. The flirtatious teasing that had thrown her off her game. "In good spirits." Cyclops finished. "She was instrumental in giving us the shot at doing this." She nodded to Forge, hoping her words had a small measure of comfort to them. "Right come on team, lets go see the Professor. Anyone who's too wounded to move needs to go with the good doctor. So... leach basically. That said, once we're done, I want you all to get checked up. You especially Pyotr. Give how recently you recovered from your last dust up, I want to make sure you've not done yourself any more damage, okay? Frog, Wolverine? you too. That fall looked nasty. And I know you can heal from basically anything, but that's no excuse. Got it?" Cyclops winced. "I'll be heading over there myself later." God she wanted a bath. But there were more important matters to attend to.
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Jun 1, 2018 20:08
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 10 Jane walks out with the others, the only visible remnants that she was just in a major dust-up with Xorn's goons the rips, tears, and electrical burns scattered across her jumpsuit. She clicks her neck back and forth, stretching out freshly-recovered muscles, then scoffs at Sarah's good-natured ordering about, saying, "I'm not saying a day or two to work the static out wouldn't be helpful, but I'm feeling just fine. 'Sides, I'm pretty sure the problems I've got are out of the Doc's wheelhouse." She nods over at Reyes. "No offense, Doc. Crazy psyche stuff just seems more like the Professor's wheelhouse." She can't help but think about what Xorn did to Mastermind... and, potentially, others in the Brotherhood. Was it connected with the Weapon stuff? They both used some hardcore brainwashing after all, but... nah. It didn't smell right. No way a guy like Xorn would do black-ops poo poo to oppress mutants and moonlight as a mutant terrorist. That'd be the craziest thing yet and it isn't like her life is short on crazy poo poo.
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Jun 1, 2018 20:50
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Cyclops PP: 1 | XP: 3 | Stress: d8 "Says the girl who's hair is sticking up like she's holding a plasma ball." Sarah said, reaching out to pat Jane on her shoulder, and recoiling as the static shock jolted her. "Ow." She nods sadly, her hair now just as frizzy. "I probably deserve that."
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Jun 1, 2018 20:59
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 10 Jane tries to look dignified and dangerous, as befits her rep, but Sarah is eminently correct about at least one thing: the hair situation is out of control. She can't help a sly grin from working onto her face as she pats her dear leader on the back a few times, the snap of static electricity and an increasingly ridiculous hairdo marking each pat. Jane says, "Glad to see you're volunteering for the job, Ruby. I've only got, what, a couple thousand more in me?" Her face does get a little more serious as she turns and lightly bops Pete's shoulder. She says, "drat good work out there. Crazy, sure, but you've been a real credit to the team." She barks out a quick laugh. "It's almost enough to make me swear off the solo act."
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Jun 1, 2018 21:28
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Dr. Reyes had transferred Leech onto the gurney, strapped him down securely, and was checking his eyes with a pen light. "Well, he's stable enough. Unresponsive, but breathing. Whatever you did to him wasn't fatal by a long shot, but it's put him in a... I hesitate to say coma. Hibernation state, perhaps? It's not something I've seen before. I'll have to run some tests, but it's possible he'll just wake up from it given time." "She doesn't write home often enough," Forge said to Pete, smiling slightly. "Very busy in her quest to bring... everyone back. I think she blames herself a bit. God knows that runs in the family."
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Jun 1, 2018 21:54
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 "Yeah," said Pyotr, walking next to Forge. Even in his human form, he was still a solid six inches taller than the builder. He glanced down at him. "I do not know everything that went on and as one of the up and coming saviours of nine million people on Manhattan, I think I am entitled to say that I am rapidly running out of patience with people sleeping in the past, and holding up the future with their angst." He shrugged and slapped a hand on Forge's shoulder. "Get your poo poo together, because here comes tomorrow." He felt the bop on his shoulder before he turned to look at Wolverine. He gave her a nod. "Since we are now friends, and there is mutual respect-" he said. He'd always respected her but never really felt that it was especially reciprocated. "Could you not call me Red? It is not the eighties anymore..." Sion fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Jun 2, 2018 |
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Jun 1, 2018 22:51
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 10 -> 20 Jane snorts a bit at the thought, "I think you're lookin' too deep into it. Jean just has red hair, is all. Not trying to make any cheap shots." Admittedly, despite the Professor's best efforts, her grasp of world history did revolve mostly around classic movies she'd binged when not enforcing the streets for her gang buddies. Red Dawn, of course, was one of her favorites and, despite what some might think, most certainly the origin of her mutant moniker. "But, hell, if it's bugging you that bad, I'll see what I can do... Since we're friends and all." She looks a little sheepish, adding, "Thanks for backing me up today. I couldn't have done it without your help." Jane admits she needed Colossus's help, popping her 10xp for "Now It's My Turn." Choosing to resolve that milestone and replace it with a new one next episode.
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Jun 2, 2018 00:54
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 Pyotr winks down at her. "Your secret is safe with me, Jane," he said. He glanced her over. "You will be okay," he said. It- sounded somewhere between a question and an order.
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Jun 2, 2018 01:12
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Forge winced at Pyotr's heavy hand on his shoulder, but recovered enough to knock him in the ribs with his inorganic arm, grinning up at him. "All right kid, you can be cocky. You've more than earned it. And you know what? Tomorrow's looking better every day. If a stubborn-headed girl like Justine can find the courage to walk out on Xorn, there's hope for the rest of them."
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Jun 2, 2018 22:15
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Marvel Girl PP: 2 | XP: 3 "That's me! I'm a color.", Jean says dryly with a smirk and and eyeroll. "Be more glib than my retro codename, anyway. So, you guys cool and ready, or do we have more backpatting to wrap up first?", she says teasingly. She looks over to Leech a bit worriedly again for a moment as he's rolled out of view, and then back to the others.
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Jun 2, 2018 22:24
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The backpatting, at least among those who could be pat without wincing in pain, had indeed wrapped up. That meant there was nothing delaying the team from ending up face-to-face with Charles Xavier. The Professor seemed to be in good spirits, but slightly concerned, as he sat in his wheelchair behind his desk in his study. "Ah, come in and take a seat, all of you. I would have met you downstairs, but I was attempting to finish up my research on Ms. Doe's memories. But for now, well done. I'm proud of all of you."
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Jun 4, 2018 23:27
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Wolverine PP: 3 | XP: 20 Jane's managed to tie her hair into something less aggressive than the static fuzz she and Sarah were rocking by the time they find themselves in front of the Professor. She says, "Yeah, about that. Got a few things knocking loose that might help fill the gaps. Figure that's a bit of a to-do for later." She slides into one of the seats and immediately tips it back on edge as she waits for the rest to say their piece about mind-games or whatever was going on. "Gotta say, though, we really kicked some rear end out there today." A beat. "Kicked some butt, whatever."
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Jun 4, 2018 23:58
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Colossus PP: 3 | XP: 7 "I think that it is fair to say," says Pyotr, a slow, goofy smile spreading over his lips. "We are doing well as a team," he said before nodding over and down to Frog. "Especially this one. She is the real threat on the team," he said, the smile transforming into a big, dumb grin. He remembers Frog leaping in feet first and ruinin' someone's afternoon.
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Jun 5, 2018 00:03
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