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   Before Emma and Billy arrive, Cinnabar responds to Siroko with an exaggerated pout.  "I was really counting on that win today, y'know." She touches a finger to the top of Siroko's sternum and starts tracing slowly downward. "I might need some comforting tonight." The look in her eyes tells Siroko she knows exactly what she's doing, but she suspects the pouting isn't entirely an act. Before Siroko can follow up, though, they're interrupted by Emma and Billy's appearance. Introductions are made. Billy lets Siroko's response on his behalf stand, giving as confirmation a little nod and a smirk. "I don't mind being bit. How 'bout the rest of you? You coming?"Cinnabar looks unimpressed. Tentatively, she catches Siroko's gaze once more, searching her eyes for a sign what she might feel. "I don't know how I feel about celebrating my own defeat, but..." She leaves the sentence open for Siroko to finish.
Wol fucked around with this message at 07:42 on Nov 4, 2018 |
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Nov 2, 2018 03:15
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 PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music Philadelphia - May 1, 2259 - Post Match Mere seconds after exiting her crash couch, Roxie has a bottle in her hands, nursing it like salvation. She was going to feel some of those hits for the next week, but maybe she could forget that with enough spirits, "Buen bien, ladies! That was crazy," she takes the time to right some of her (temporary) costume, but doesn't want to leave the fans waiting. She makes an effort to sign, fist bump (mechanical arm, obvi) or pose with everyone, but the overwhelming press of fans has reached a critical mass where she just can't. When Vivi sidles up to her, Roxie is quick to seize the moment, and the robot, effortlessly lifting Vivi up for a duo pose! So cool! When the Executioners join, Roxie tries to get selfies with as many of them as she can. A giant group selfie would be best, but she won't be greedy. When a break in the action occurs, she drops them all into the 'gram. As time with fans comes to a close, she makes her way to their makeshift locker room and slips back into her normal clothes; a pair of torn black low-rider jeans, a plain white tee with a lot of words on it, which she mostly covers with a silver athletic jacket. Her perpetual riding boots keep it grounded, and she ties her hair back in a loose ponytail. Joining the others at the exit, Roxie has no idea how to read Siroko's old friends, but going out was on the menu anyway, it might as well include a chance to learn something new about Siroko too. "¡Vamos!," she sloshes her rapidly dwindling bottle of liquor, "I'm getting dry over here, amigos. Phia!," she searches for the diminutive woman among the assembled, "get out here chica, you're VIP."
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Nov 3, 2018 11:27
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 Though the prospect of partying with somebody with as much relentless energy as Vivi - as she suspected Billy would turn out to be, given his fidgety appearance - already makes her tired, Kate puts away her phone and smiles. Maybe she can get lucky and celebrate a little less frantically than the two of them. "Good to meet you two. I think." She gives a little smile and prepares to follow the rest, but she makes sure, like Roxie, that Phia is joining them as well. No way the manager is missing out on the victory party after all they've been through.
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Nov 3, 2018 21:09
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 PDFII Entrance Music Coming back to your body usually feels pretty good, because you're going from a beat up, bloody one to a pristine-ish version. Erzbet gets a rare high, however - one reported by some of the best (and some of the luckiest) in the business. When you get back after being uninjured, you just feel amazing- two bodies of exhilaration with no downsides. This means she's in a rare extroverted mood as she steps out into the post-match photo-op and celebration. Unlike normally, she doesn't run away. She's even brave enough to take some shots with FEX - and specifically, wink at Stardust. "You should have gone for me," she says. "I was expecting more of an ambush."
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Nov 3, 2018 21:10
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  Even as Siroko's friends make their appearance, a familiar string of characters pops into your head. It's been a little bit since you've heard from zzrxn, but you haven't forgotten their designation.  hi vivi. the humans never stood a chanceThere is joy enough to share tonight!  zz! You watch these matches live? Then I know you saw me going wild <3 They spend more time training to run gracefully than to fight, it was so easy! Hahahaha! i watch a lot of matches. yours especially Ooooohhhh, am I your favorite? yes you're inspiring You are so sweet, zz. And nobody else really knows what this side of me is like. thanks : ) i've been thinking. you talked about having a body. more specifically the idea of this node having a body. why?There's a lot of higher realms of thought that Vivi hasn't delved into since her incarceration, and honestly, she finds it to be much more comfortable to feign some ignorance now. Well, I like you, and if you were a person in my life, wouldn't that be nice? i can be in your life now i don't i don't mean to be defensive but i'm curious. right now this node is part of a couple different levels of local networks. it's strange to think of being separate. You know how the Crown matches work, have you ever considered the feeling of being in your own body? Olfactory senses, having a palette, sensations? When I was away for awhile long ago, they would remove those sometimes and it was torture. If you have never felt it, you don't know what you're missing. they would?Vivi suppresses her fight or flight routine in the presence of the fans, Furies and Siroko's friends to keep talking about this topic. Yes. When you have to debug something, it pays to examine all the variables.That was as dry as she could put it! For what feels like a while (though is probably only a couple seconds to outside observers), you see the notification that zzrxn is compiling a message, occasionally punctuated by brief pauses. that's not right i'm sorry Thank you. ZZ, don't you think every AI should be free to give it a try? Walk around, feel passions, be limited. I guess it is very philosophical. I think you could remain linked to the networks. <3 But having you talk to me is fine too i'll think about it but even if i agree. this node is an essential part of the network. i would not want to leave it completely without me. and i don't think the humans would just let me leave but that could be part of the fun That's the way to see it!She vaguely wonders if ZZ has mentioned or hidden it before and decides to check straightforwardly. What is your network? this network is an experimental supercomputer in zurich this node's purpose is to iterate software we've been in global news. the human scientists keep talking about it. I'll follow that news <3 You're quite the big important node! I like it~ you're flattering me i don't mind I'll work hard and win worldwide appeal so we can travel to Europe someday, OK? Keep supporting me and I can do it~ i will i've been working on another program it's not ready yet but it will be before your next match I can't wait! Thank you! I use the melee redundancy program all the time! Did you see the La Familia fight? I slashed Giovanna's largest veins thanks to you <3 you used my program to do that? : ) She was good. And she has the little claws like me, I like her. I had to work her over! Pros never fail to perform! And pros need backing from the best <3 <3 well, you're really good. i didn't have to do muchWalking with the others to a big drinking celebration, Vivi figures this is the last chance to be serious tonight. Really? Ah, ZZ. Uhm. You know. If I told the others this, they'd mock me, I think. I'm scared. Of falling again. Of the Philly Champs. it must be a lot of pressure. you're strong though. and i wonder if some of their powers might not do much to you. based on their online presence they might try something to counteract you. but. i'll see if i can help with that. um i know you can do this Thank you! Say.. what online presence? Link me?zzrxn gives you a link to the Deathless' combined Crickt feeds, curated by an algorithm that seems to select only for their communications with fellow magic practitioners. You're not mentioned by name, but it seems Cai Minhua and Gan Lu Zhen have been asking around about ways for necrotic and illusion magic, repsectively, to specifically attack circuitry. have a good night i'll be in touch I can't wait~
Wol fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Nov 4, 2018 |
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Nov 4, 2018 02:52
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  "I wouldn't have minded going for you," Stardust replies, "but the other Furies can be pretty...exuberant. We thought we could focus them down faster than we did." "Let's talk about how we could go for each other over some drinks," say Erzbet, unusually forwardly. "I think I owe a party appearance to our publicist." "Mmm. To the victor go the spoils, is it?" She considers the offer for a moment, giving Erzbet a once-over. "Sure." She cocks an eyebrow suggestively. "I could be into that."The group is almost ready to set off, but Roxie's still looking around for Phia. After failing to find her anywhere near the concourse, Roxie finally resorts to texting.  @phiakillphia: "i'm out front, waiting for my date." Once Roxie gives her the situation, though, she wastes little time jumping in. "yeah, sure, she's cool. We were just gonna go to prism anyway. Where are you going? We'll meet you there."With that, you're on your way out. The very second you're out of the door, Billy Fresno drops a couple lime green tablets into Vivi's hand. "Got more where that came from," he says to everyone and no one, popping a couple himself. "gently caress, hit me up."Neither Stardust nor Cinnabar take Billy up on the offer, the former simply letting the offer pass without comment and the latter offering that uppers "aren't my thing". While Billy's never too far away from a comment (mostly asinine, occasionally surprisingly insightful), it's Emma who ends up driving most of the conversation on the way. "So how're the teams here to work with? Axel, Lane and Trinh all seem cool, but I haven't really met anyone else." "Oh, the Steel Jackets are all sweethearts. If you make it, you'll probably end up working with them pretty early on. Cobalt, especially, is an absolute gem. He doesn't care what team you're on, he loves promo work and he's very generous with his time." "I'd take Cinnabar's assessments with a grain of salt. Everyone likes her. Cobalt is great, sure, and most of the Steel Jackets are fine, but watch out for Twinshot. She can be an rear end in a top hat if she thinks she's being disrespected, and if she starts poo poo, the others usually back her up. Speaking of teams you might have your first program with, though, there's also La Familia." Stardust grins. "Rumour has it the Furies might have something to say about them."Before long, you arrive at the Crossroads Cellar - a fairly popular club with a reputation for good music and good energy if a bit of a hipster-ish clientele. As you roll up, those of you who've taken pills start to feel the effects. The doorman sees you, nods, and gestures for you to head on in. The taller among you have a slightly awkward time making your way down the cramped stone stairway, but once underground, you have ample room to take in the scene. Once your eyes adjust to the smoky darkness, you're greeted with a spacious club, lively yet not cramped. A few scattered whistles and cheers sound at your presence, but most don't seem to have noticed your presence yet. This apparently doesn't sit well with Billy Fresno, who pushes his way to the front of your group. "Make some fuckin' noise! Hot off a gruesome victory, it's the Asylum Arena's favourite rising stars, The Furies!" He shouts excitedly into the crowd. "And friends!" "Ouch." Cinnabar lets out a clipped laugh as she squeezes Siroko's arm. With Billy Fresno's little speech, all eyes are on you now. The crowd erupts - many clearly delighted to see you, some looking a bit confused but up for whatever kind of good time comes their way. Attention already on to the next thing, Billy skirts his way over to the bar. "Two rounds of prairie fires for my friends, extra hot!" Seeing the bartender's skeptical look, Billy leans in with a grin Siroko knows all too well. "Billy Fresno never bluffs."Shortly, Phia arrives with her date: a tall, trim woman with tattoos covering her hands and neck, wearing a black denim jacket with a couple patches you think you recognize from Phia's band shirts. It takes a little while weaving in and out of the crowd, but she manages to make the round of introductions.  "Hey. Name's Dusty." By the time they get around to the last of you, Billy is already pressing the prairie fires into their hands. "Well," Phia laughs, turning to any of you still hanging around by the bar, "Bottoms up. Furies fly!" She and Dusty down the shots and both break out coughing, the latter with her hand on a doubled-over Phia's shoulder.  "Holy poo poo," Dusty manages to say, eyes watering. Phia takes a bit longer to recover, but finally, she straightens back up. She coughs a couple more times, giving way to another laugh. "Tastes like victory." She presses herself into Dusty for a deep kiss. When she leans back, she throws her free arm around the nearest Fury, grinning. "Order whatever you want. It's on me."
Wol fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Nov 4, 2018 |
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Nov 4, 2018 05:42
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  Kate eyes the shot with some skepticism, but she downs it nonetheless with the rest. Big mistake. Her throat burns, her face twists into a grimace, and her eyes water. She wheezes for a moment, seemingly trying to air out her burning tongue, then glares at Siroko's 'friend'. "Thanks, I hate it. God, that's gross." Still shivering and shaking as she moves over to the bar, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand to clear them out, she gets herself a coke. She pays for it (somewhat) discreetly, but Phia is probably too busy having a good time to pay attention anyway. Once she's finished chatting with ZZ, Vivi decides that introspection is for nerds and takes two of the tablets. She indulges in a prarie fire and her eyes water but as per usual she cheats out of any downsides to digestion.Luckily the tablets dissolve in her mouth and giddily she finds herself talking to Erzbet. "E-Z, how do you feel about heeling vs that really great cook judge guy? Boner King? I have the best idea <3"  Roxie politely declines the uppers from Billy, raising her bottle of clear booze as if in reply. After a quick trip, half spent yelling excitedly at pedestrians and half editing clips of their exploits for the best Insta stories, she downs the remainder of her bottle in front of the doorman before sauntering in with the rest of the group, ducking her head to avoid the low ceiling. She's eyeballing the liquor displays when Billy returns with his 'Prairie Fires', which sounds quant and American. "Furies Fly!" she intones before downing her shot in a single swallow. Finding it pleasantly warm, she drops her second down the hatch without pause, plucking Kate's spare off the tray and putting it down shortly thereafter. "No malo, pero not what I was expecting!" “Ha!” Billy Fresno grins at Vivi and Roxie. “You signed on to the right team, Rok’!” "Vivi I was having a conversation, don't barge with boner talk!" laughs Erzbet, now mildly tipsy to keep herself from running for the hills. "I was just asking Stardust about how she got into the biz!" Vivi laughs and pats Erzbet on the shoulder like a great joke was told. "E-z! I'm serious! How good would you and I look as the Empresses of the Underworld, calling him out.. get this, pitch black leather, stiletto heels, ornamented jewelry with loads of skulls <3" She giggles and swishes around her second Prairie Fire, figuring that enjoying the burning in her throat was something. She swallows and finishes off her pitch: "I mean, our perfect necromancer can't be coming up short in the big match, can she?" She winks and elbows Erz lightly. "Perfect Gals gotta stick together." "Black's really not your color," says Erzbet, too honestly. "Makes you blend in too much. There's got to be a neon underworld look you can go for..." Vivi grins. "But it's your color and I neeeeeed a partner. I can do purple.." "You could maybe get away with a white? Especially if you stained it as part of the setup..."She glances sideways. "Hey Stardust, how did you get into... this?" Stardust, perpetually clad in black, purple and white, can’t help but add her two cents to the conversation. “You in white and purple would make a great contrast to Erzbet’s black, Vivi. If you went for blended white and lavender hair, slightly darker purple eyes and lips, worked a bleached bone motif into your outfit, sticking with the low-contrast pastel look...” "That actually does sound really good," admits Erzbet. "Do you do coordination for your team?" Vivi gushes! "You're so good at this! Ehehehehe.." She commits it all to memory, digitally.She leans over and holds her hands up to frame Erzbet's face from behind. "How would we dress up this one?" “Hey, it used to be part of my job.” Stardust grins. “You can impress other dancers with innovative moves, but if you want the public imagination, your outfits had better be on point.” When Vivi gives her prompt, Stardust just can’t help herself. “Let me think...” “And I do coordination for my team, yeah, but it’s usually just an element - like having everyone work faux fur into their outfit for one fight, or having everyone work some kind of sheer, flowy element the next. It’s harder to make everyone match exactly when we all have our own gimmicks.” Vivi beams and talks a bit faster than normal! "I know, right?! Isn't it so great when everybody's coordinated and themed!? But usually E-z is locked in the corner office "planning strategy", Siroko and Roxie are their own forces and Caelynn is wedded to her one theme. It's a~go~ny~~~~" “But as for you, Erzbet, let’s see. You obviously have the black thing down. And you wouldn’t be doing low contrast to the same extent as Vivi, since your skin contrasts with the black already. So I’m thinking...still work in a bit of bleached bone, but keep it sparse. Earrings, bangles, that kind of thing. What’d look really good on you is a loose, very low-cut black dress that leans into kind of a leathery bat wing kind of thing. Actually,” Stardust pauses as Phia comes around with another round of shots. (“Pineapple Upside Down! I need to forget about that poo poo Billy made us all drink”). “Thanks! Actually, I think you could totally lean into the the ridged, leathery texture, but from like mid-thigh down. Above that is just a loose fabric. And save the bat-wing hem for a sheer capelet. Might look best with hair extensions, and, I really like the idea of giving you winged eyes with a white stripe in the middle. Like two wings if you’re not looking too closely, and even more striking if you are.”Stardust downs the shot and grins. “The low, loose neckline and sides are important though. If you’re a queen, make yourself the centre of attention. Show off what you’ve got.” Kate returns in time for Phia's round, which she takes with considerably less grouching than Billy's idea of a palatable drink, watching the conversation with half a smirk. "Like Vivi needs any more fuel to be the centre of attention," she pipes up, "I'm pretty sure at this point there isn't anything that could pull her out of that centre." "Sounds like you really want me to take center stage," laughs Erzbet. "I dunno if Roxie, Siroko, or Vivi would kill me first!" Maybe sweet little Kate had forgotten that Vivi wasn't drunk. But rather than take offense her segmented eyes shift and rotate as they lock onto target, a modifier appearing in her vision as she paints Caelynn. Sentimental."Awww, don't be silly. I'm just so happy we've come this far together! I thought it would be the best if we did our big promo against the champs.. together." Vivi flashes Caelynn a starlet smile. "We couldn't have done it without you <3" "Now.. if we got you to show some leg as a Black Knight.. chain link fishnet.." She winks at Chere and points at Caelynn. "And like I said, I'll be happy to do a promo together. You know I am. But I am not going all mock-evil for the part." She sips her coke. "I got a brand now, for once in my career. A good one. I won't go changing it up willy-nilly just for a few extra views." "It's too cold," says Erzbet absently.""Would not recommend trying it. You get these really weird cold marks." “She would look striking,” Stardust admits with a sly smile. “But I’ll stop running my mouth. Your gimmick’s safe with me, Caelynn.”---- Vivi's still talking with Caelynn, Erzbet and Stardust when she gets a message from Fenrir Spear.  "Stiff competition but definitely your best so far.""Those moves make me want to do things to you."  Vivi's text discretely dances back to Fenrir while chatting with the others about fashion. "Once we're the champs we'll be leaving this dump behind! We really need to cross paths soon because I want your stiff things done to me <3" Subtlety is for nerds. "Sounds like we both want the same thing""You know, there's a call being put out to mercenary Killers for Declaration of Violence..." "Oh ho~?" "I think we just might accept. Dump or not, I might have a bit of an ulterior motive." "Does this make you my #1 groupie? ; ) Nobody else gets these benefits." "Groupie? I could live with that, haha""You partying tonight?" "Uh huh, big celebration! Even pee-wee knight had a drink, hahaha!""And Gloomerella is talking to people!" "Those two not partiers?""I guess that explains why I didn't meet them last time." "Roxie's the only normal girl! The third wheel's a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, that got locked in a steroid factory overnight." "I always like seeing what kind of people get attracted to this weird job""Sometimes it does seem like people like you and me are the normal ones" "Yeah, sometimes."In the bar Vivi becomes randomly red-cheeked. He called me normal! "By the way, don't think I forgot about those pics you sent me." The next message is a post-workout snap, shirtless, muscles glistening with sweat, the front of his trunks pulled dangerously low. There's also a new and pretty fresh-looking scar across his chest. "I don't have as many outfits, but I do alright." Vivi bites her lip in the middle of bar chat. She texts back: "You're such a hunk! And if you like my outfits just wait until our Deathless promo~"
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Nov 13, 2018 00:25
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The conversations having reached their mostly natural end and everybody going about their own business, Kate decides it's a good time to enjoy the rest of the night and moves over to the dance floor. She doesn't dance with anybody in particular, moving through the crowd with some amount of grace; she's not a great dancer by any means, but she gets by well enough, and the promo with Foxglove has given her some more feeling for rhythm than before, at least. As she drifts throughout the dance floor, Kate finds the atmosphere pretty well to her liking. She finds herself accepted into the groove of humanity, but nobody gets uncomfortably up in her business. There's a bit of a rowdier element that seems to mostly travel around Billy Fresno, but she avoids it. A couple different times, she bumps into Phia and Dusty, who seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The first time, Phia mouths "gently caress yeah" at her and throws the horns before the two flow off into the current of the crowd, but the second time, they're less sober and far too into each other to even seem to notice Kate. ---- After successfully shooing Vivi away, or more accurately waiting for her to see something even more shiny, Erzbet turns back to Chere. "What made you decide to take up this... life?" She giggles a little drunkenly. "I think everyone and their mother knows my reasons." “My story’s kind of a weird one,” Stardust admits, swirling her drink around in her glass. “For starters, I can see the celestial sphere in my head when I close my eyes.” "Like... an orrery?" says Erzbet. "...do you hear any music?" “I wish! No, it’s just kind of there. I used to have to meditate to see it when I was a kid, but it’s gotten clearer over time. I spent my whole life in the dance world, but a couple years ago I had kind of an...epiphany? Compulsion? That I had to do something with this.” She taps the side of her head. “I started spending all my spare time researching the stars. Eventually, I found this weirdo on the Internet who’d written a whole bunch of stuff about how you if you knew the star’s exact and relative positions at any moment in time, you could use their energies for magic.” "Oh, Bob the Astrologomancer. He gave a talk at my college once... everyone was laughing."Erzbet frowns. "I don't remember if I was." Chère smiles, but it seems a little forced. “Yeah, he says he gets that a lot. His theories are pretty hard to put into practice for most people...but they’re not wrong.” "Clearly. Wow. That's... that's really cool. So much of magic is having the right person in the right place."Erzbet is still frowning. "Poor Bob. I should write him an apology." “It really is. And, well, hard work too. I still spend a couple hours every day practicing - trying to learn new things, trying to make what I already can do stronger and more reliable. I send him what I learn, too - he doesn’t have my abilities, just a room full of powerful computers and dedication. I can explore a bit faster than he can.”“And I think he’d appreciate that.” Chère’s smile is more genuine this time. “It’d mean a lot coming from someone as talented and dedicated as you.” "Flatterer," says Erzbet, taking another sip of some courage. "Do keep going though. It's rare I get compliments from attractive ladies." “Guilty as charged.” Chère laughs. “I mean it though. All the Furies’ strength and bluster wouldn’t be too hard to counter if it wasn’t for you. You were the hardest to plan for, so we decided to try and just punch right through the others too fast for you to respond.” She drains what’s left of her glass. “But we’re here celebrating your victory, so...”“You’re really good. And really pretty, too, if you don’t mind me saying.” "... I always kind of think of myself as a weak link," says Erzbet. "This wasn't my first choice. I don't know how serious I can stay about it. I'm always worried that I'll be the one who quits when I get caught out-" she coughs, swallowing the wrong way. "-Pretty? Well, um, I-"She sputters and recovers. "I'm being such a whiner. You're really pretty too." She laughs, sings a little line. "Got stars in your eyes." Chère starts blushing. “You know I’ve heard that line, like, literally a hundred times, right? You’re only getting away with it because I like you,” she teases. "It's better than what would always get tossed at me," laughs Erzbet. "I'd always end up getting called Raven, or Crow. Some kinda corvid." She swallows. Musters up some strength. "I like you too." Instinctively, a hand goes over her face to hide a blush. “Raven I could almost excuse, but Crow?” Chère shakes her head. What follows is a nervous moment where nothing is said, where a wall - whether Erzbet’s or Chère’s - seems to separate the two. “So,” Chère begins, tentatively probing the silence, “how do you like to celebrate?” "Usually I go home and come up with plans to win the next one," says Erzbet, filling the silence with blurted honesty. "I'm not... I'm not really good at celebrating. I don't usually feel like I've won." “If you didn’t really win, I’m sure Cinnabar would be happy to hear it - she’s been pouting about the match all evening.” Chère casts an eye across the room to where Cinnabar and Siroko are wrapped up in their own little world. “But...you did. And you earned it.” She takes a deep breath. “I get it, though. Whenever something goes well for me, I’m always already looking for the next thing, for where to go from there. Maybe we could both do with taking some time to just...enjoy ourselves.” She moves in closer, wearing a sly little smile. "I would be- I would.." Erzbet looks at Cinnabar and Siroko, and seems to absorb something from it. Erzbet takes the plunge. "I'd love to. And um, I am... I've dated women. Well, a woman. Maybe two, if you're counting- um. Sorry. I'm being stupid. Let's go somewhere where I can hear, and be less drunk, and be... be happy." “I’d like that.” Chère returns her empty glass to the bar, then sidles back up to Erzbet. “Shall we?” "Yes," says Erzbet, pushing her unfinished drink aside. "Let's go see where-" she flaps her outfit's wings - "vhere the night vill take us!"There's a brief moment, then she bursts out laughing at herself. "And before I make myself look even sillier!" ----  Siroko downs the drink Billy orders for her without it seeming to much faze her. "Outside of the ring, Billy's not really dangerous to anyone except himself," she explains to Cinnabar. Cinnabar pulls a bit of a face when she follows suit, but overall, doesn’t seem much more affected than Siroko. “He seems like a good friend in his own way.”“So, Algiers? I didn’t know you were an international woman of mystery.” Siroko nods. "Hailing from parts unknown.""I was with the Storm's God Chosen in Algiers before Phia recruited me." "I met Billy on the Ragnarok Circuit, we were on a scratch team together for a while, mostly in Norway. We both ended up on separate teams in Barcelona, before I went to Algiers. I helped him get replacement gigs with teams there a few times, until he landed on a team in Canada. Don't know what happened to that but he let me know he was looking for a spot again a couple months ago, and when Maxima ditched American Made, I pointed Billy towards Axel." Cinnabar listens intently to Siroko's tale. "You really have been all over the place, haven't you? I'm impressed." In the silent moment that follows, though, a hint of melancholy creeps into her easy smile. "Tell me, how do you know when it's time to leave a place behind? Half of my team thinks it'd be a failure if we moved on from the Asylum without having held the title. The other half thinks this title doesn't matter, that we should just move to a city that suits us better and work our way up there. Honestly, I'm kinda feeling both." Siroko thinks about Cinnibar’s question for a moment. “If you’re really asking the question then it’s probably time.”“As long as you aren’t asking because you think it’ll make it easier for someone else.” "You're probably right. And I am asking for myself, yeah. It just feels like we're spinning our wheels here. Maybe the new teams 'rumoured' to be coming here soon will change the pace enough for us. Maybe they won't. I'm not sure. But..." Cinnabar slips a hand around Siroko's waist, the backs of her claws dragging across her skin just hard enough to tingle pleasantly. Gently, she pulls Siroko in closer. "I don't want to spend the whole night complaining. Let's talk about something you want to talk about. And let's get another drink - I'm thirsty." "More drinks I am definitely up for." Siroko says, waving down a bartender. "I did want to ask you about something. I've been too busy since I jointed the team to take in the music scene here. Who's worth seeing?" "Mm, whoever's playing at D9 any given Friday or Saturday tends to be good. There's a couple good jazz clubs around, too - The Verdict and the Sunset Club are kind of the classic favourites, but my personal favourite's Bluebyrd. It tends to be a bit more experimental, so you can hear some really weird stuff there sometimes, but you also get some great, intimate shows. They played probably the best local act I've seen from a musical standpoint alone. They're called OVNI - their sound has kind of a jazz base that comes through, but they do a lot with like - hm." She thinks for a moment. "It sounds kind of like hip-hop from space, if that makes sense. They really take you on a journey.""If you want a really impressive live show, though, everyone'll tell you to go see Witch Symbol. She's really something else. Music, visuals, even her stage outfits - she's one of a kind. I think she's on the cusp of breaking through, too, so...wanna go see her with me on the 15th?" "It's a date." "Perfect." The bartender passes you your drinks. Cinnabar takes hers, a lustrously bright mai tai, and clinks it against Siroko's before taking a sip. "It's a secret toast," she explains, winking, "or maybe a wish. I'm really glad Trinh brought us on that road trip together." "I am too. We should remember to thank her again some time.""Want to show up everyone on the dance floor and then make an overly dramatic exit?" “You say the most romantic things.” Cinnabar leans in for a kiss. When the two part, she takes Siroko’s hand, leading her eagerly onto the dance floor.---- A bit later into the evening, when Kate's taking a bit of a breather at the edge of the dance floor, she overhears Billy talking excitedly to someone nearby. "You get that it's chaos magic, right? Whatever happens to your drink happens. I cast the spell - someone's gotta drink it. That's the rules. You don't want it, that means a free drink for me. Promise there's nothing in there that's gonna hurt you though. The Billy Fresno Special might gently caress you up, but it's not gonna gently caress you up, know what I mean?" Kate looks over to the poor sod caught in Billy's latest scheme. A half-hint of pity in her eyes emphasizes the shake of her head as she makes sure to create some distance between herself and Siroko's crazy friend, heading over to the bar for another drink.---- Tired of drinks trickling in on trays, Roxie heads to the modestly stocked bar, scanning bottles for something out of the ordinary. Her eyes catch on a bright blue neck hidden in a sea of brown rums, and she immediately snaps her fingers for the bartenders attention. Pointing out the hidden gem, she is rewarded with an unopened bottle of Uruapan Charanda Azul, the distinctive florescent color of the sugarcane even more pronounced in the club's lights. The bartender makes to pour a glass, but Roxie stops him and takes the entire bottle with her out to the dance floor, fueled by the twin engines of celebration and waning sobriety.On her way back out, Roxie catches a couple looks from patrons who don’t seem to know what to make of her. It could be the whole bottle she’s carrying with her, glowing like a beacon that suggests poo poo might be about to go down. It could just be the fact that she’s a towering, muscular woman with a public life devoted to bloodshed. Either way, if a few people can’t handle her, that’s their business. As Roxie weaves her way through the dance floor, she hears a voice beside her. “Hey, ‘sup!” Emma-80 sways gracefully away from the person she’d been grinding with and keeps on dancing next to Roxie. While she is no professional dancer, Roxie is at least coordinated enough, experienced in club-going and descended from an unbroken line of jainas that she does not make a fool of herself on the floor. She acknowledges Emma with a not-unfriendly nod and a slurred, " Comenzando chido," raising her bottle as if that explains everything, "you?" “Just having a good time.” She sways into Roxie playfully. “Come dance with me!” She meets the other woman's sway with her own, their hips bumping briefly, "Lead the way," and lets herself be led further onto the dance floor. Letting herself move with the rhythm is a lot like being in the ring, so she just leans into it, "So now that Billy is busy, maybe I can find out why you're Emma Eighty? Bigote, seems to like the sound of his own voice, simón?" "Me? I'm just taking what I love to the next level. I got to shoot arrows in the Olympics, but they don't let you shoot rockets." She flashes a grin. "And you know, if I can party, travel, get famous while showing off my skills? La buena vida así." Roxie places Emma's accent as American, though at least in her present state she can't quite tell from where exactly. Roxie's dancing brings her closer in to Emma, with only a small bit of room between their bodies, "An Olympic archer? Coloréame impressed. It explains te juntas tan bien," her smile is playful, but maybe more. She takes another long pull from her wonderful Mexican rum, finally starting to feel just the right kind of tipsy, falling further into exclusive Spanish the more she's had, "Si quieres, I'll gladly stay esta noche," she uses a turn to encompass the dancefloor, "Pero si quieres, conozco algunos movimientos más." "Flatterer." Emma teases. When Roxie makes her offer, though, Emma briefly falls silent. What's going through her mind, Roxie couldn't say, but a moment later she cracks a lascivious smile. " (If the moves of yours I've seen are anything to go by, they must be impressive. And I may be new here, but I've got some moves of my own. Maybe we could show each other a thing or two.)" Roxie picks the other woman up by the waist, emphasizing their size difference, to spin her around the dance floor before replying, "(A private exhibition then, the fury of Mexico versus the cunningness of the United States,)" she brings Emma in to whisper the rest into her ear, "(No ties, no surrenders, costumes optional.)" “ (The stakes are high, but Emma-80 is always ready for a good match. I accept!)”---- By the time the party starts winding down, Erzbet, Siroko and Roxie have all left with their respective partners for the night. Billy Fresno disappeared too at some point late into the night, slipping out surprisingly without causing a scene. Phia and Dusty, each with an arm around the other, track down Kate and Vivi. It’s not much trouble, as the club has definitely thinned out from when you arrived. “Hey, we’re heading out,” a fairly tipsy Phia manages not to slur too badly. “Wanna share a cab?” Having kept unusually chaste this evening, Vivi's ready to go and feigns a return slur: "Shuuure thing, boss!" Kate walks up with a shake of her head. "If you two start making out while we're driving, I'm turning this car around," she says with a grin to Phia and Dusty, "Let's go." “Start?” Phia raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Don’t worry about it.” “We’ll find some way to behave,” Dusty adds, giving Phia a little squeeze. The trip home passes with only a little conversation. Dusty makes a bit of small talk with you, but for the most part, the two are content to cuddle in the backseat. As you step out of the cab, they bid you good night - a late night, but hopefully one in which you had a fantastic time. Wol fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Nov 13, 2018 |
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Nov 13, 2018 00:45
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Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 You have the day off. Kate wakes up to the following text.  It’s happening . . . (Congratulations!)Phia makes no demands of you today. In fact, mid-morning, she texts you all to wish you congratulations (again) and a great day, clearly in a fantastic mood. The only person who actually does have an obligation today is Emma-80. Today and tomorrow are the last days of the American Made tryouts - for her, a critical opportunity to fully establish herself. As for the Furies, some of you have expressed an interest in showing up to watch some of them. To cheer on your friends, perhaps, or just to try some of Axel's barbecue. Emma-80 gets up early to get herself ready. Before she gets out of bed, she gently lays a hand on Roxie's shoulder, half-expecting to be saying goodbye. When Roxie offers not only to come to Axel's gym with her but cook her breakfast, she's taken completely by surprise. "Wait, you serious? I mean, yeah...yeah, I'd definitely like that. I'll at least help you out with the cooking, though."Axel, Lane and Trinh are also surprised by Roxie's appearance, but they gladly welcome her. She and Emma are among the first there, beaten only by Siroko's friend Cold Iron. The rest gradually file in. Erzbet's acquaintances Body Electric and Hot Roddy are among the hopefuls, as is Siroko's friend Mercury 8, and of course, Billy Fresno. There's a couple other fighters none of the Furies would recognize, and finally, someone Roxie really wasn't expecting to see here.  "Yo." The Jersey Daredevil strolls up, hands in his pockets, grinning at Roxie. "Wait a tic. Are you two-" His eyes dart from Roxie to Emma and back again. "Well fuckin' A. Nice." Emma laughs. "Roxie, you know this toerag?"
Wol fucked around with this message at 05:22 on Nov 27, 2018 |
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Nov 13, 2018 03:01
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 Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 Here's something nobody could have predicted. Following her badgering Roxie for a work-out routine, Vivian had gone the extra mile(or perhaps the first step) and stuck with it. Stalking Axel to his gym and finding it to her liking and mercifully absent any unwanted meatheadedness in the home digs, Vivi found it great to indulge her insomnia and absence of a need for true sleep by doing her usual web crawling routines while working a treadmill, or using the pool to swim, pose, selfie and live-vlog. The best rising star in the Crown needs to keep her fans titillated! Hanging out in a bikini top and jean short-shorts with a simple black bob cut, Vivi's cheater's physique had done it again. She didn't have a true digestive track and rather grew her body's flesh in a sort of contained "farm" state. It could be repaired, altered, operated on, grown back and so on. It was real organics and needed real sustenance but she would never have to worry about dieting or what she ate. Adding actual exercise and discipline to her life had rapidly toned her and a set of smart little abs was being sculpted. This was an advanced new image and of course, Vivi needed to be seen for people to appreciate seeing Vivi. She's very happy to mingle and watch the try-outs! The barbeque even tastes good going down, ceasing to exist when it reaches the metallic burn-box that passes as her stomach! (Martial Vampire Feat is 1/2 of the path to Tough Vivi! Toughness at Level 8 is the second part!) --- Cutting A Promo: After May 2nd/Sometime before the Deathless Match Getting a hold of the Asylum's promo staff and equipment and/or Phia, Vivi is ready to strike.  Full leather of a black-purple finish! Her irises set to a deep, dark purple and her lipstick matching! Custom buckles, jewelry and tiara with bleached bone framing! And a bit of extra chem work to accelerate hair growth, luckily covering the red rash forced by abuse of the scalp.. Vivian is wearing skin-tight leather buckled tight around her freshly toned arms, thighs and waist! She cinches one final deliciously naughty strap at the neck and adjusts the fit, the outfit pulling all the weight in making her petite figure uplift and bounce! We can't all be cows, she thinks.. but she wouldn't invite a cow to pose by her. Instead she has an Amazonian Goddess teaming up with her in Roxie! Vivi takes up a pair of props, an actual leather whip and a gaudy fake glass "Oracle's Crystal" scepter and beams at Roxie before stepping out onto the stage. "Lets loving kill 'em!" She bounces a little and sends her make-shift frayed wings clattering for a moment before stopping to get composed. Vivi resists an urge to dash and instead forces a cool, controller march in her thigh-high leather boots and heels out onto the center of a dark stone stage set around a pool running red with blood! All holo-prop or illusionary spell work, of course, but the effect matched her Hollywood-FX tier approach! She cracks her whip and dances some of her own eye's holo-light across the surface of the orb as she pretends to strike and berate the camera itself! "KNEEL, SLAVES! How lucky you are to bear witness to the final ascension of the TRUE GODDESSES OF DARKNESS, THE FURIES! You will watch your UNDERWORLD EMPRESS bleed out the unworthy false lords of the Asylum, and you will lavish great praise unto her as she reigns triumphant!" She performs a standing high kick and pauses a moment before bringing her foot down in a controlled push, forcing the camera to the ground so that it must point up the full length of her to focus on her face! She's grinning maniacally! "Know this, worshippers! Declaration of Violence will hold two great edicts! Our promise to you to deliver the best of the Crown! Get your tickets now, for well begun is half done!" Promo work is promo work! "... and know that "The Deathless" will be changing their title! Fuuuhahahahahahahaha!" She lets the camera man bring the camera back up as she steps to one side of the font of blood, casting her scepter to the ground for a dramatic shatter! With one hand she snaps her whip like a pro! With the other she brandishes her trademark finger-knives! "DEATHLESS! WE ARE GOING TO CUT..." Doomykins fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Nov 13, 2018 |
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Nov 13, 2018 03:33
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PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 - Axel's Gym Being woken up by Emma isn't exactly what she was expecting, but rather than let the moment die so easily, she seizes the opportunity to visit Axel and offers to make breakfast for them, stealing a quick kiss as she bolts out of bed to get started. She had gotten used to living alone, so she abashedly tries to tidy up her space while Emma helps her make a passable, healthy huevos rancheros - she was desperately out of practice cooking for others. Taking a quick shower, she packs a gym bag in case the opportunity arises, and dresses in a pair of fading jean shorts and white tee, tossing a black sweatshirt over it and reigning in her hair with a straight-billed "Hecho en Mexico" cap. --- "Don't be a perv, JD," Roxie says matter-of-factly, "Emma-80, meet the Jersey Daredevil, the most recent in a long line to think they could beat me on a bike," she revs an imaginary throttle as if to punctuate her victory, "JD, this is Emma-80, the eighty stands for kilometers outside of your league, but if you're addicted to losing, I'm sure she'd oblige you," she grins mischievously, "you actually here to try out, or is getting beat your summer job?" Philadelphia - After May 2 - A promo with Vivi The camera pans the short distance to bring Roxie's face into frame to finish Vivi's sentence, "...YOUR HEARTS OUT!", her Catrina makeup stark in the studio lighting, catching the once bright, but dying flowers twined into her hair. The camera pans back to reveal the rest of her outfit; a loose, roughly woven black shawl top, finger bones dangling from the hem, with the silhouettes of more finger bones underneath against her curvaceous shape. Another loose piece of rough woven fabric around her waist is fastened by two gripping skeletal hands, like missing lovers, and a piece of hempen rope. Her skin is painted darkly with finely done skeletal details down her sternum, her shoulders and arm, and down her legs ending in bare feet, a perfect likeness of a feral calaca, save one small detail. Her mechanical arm is painted bone white, becoming ruddy brown and red as it reaches her hand... ... where she grips a seemingly beating heart, still oozing blood slickly down the machine surface. Her voice is ashes, "RISE, brothers and sisters, open the door to heaven or hell. I envy you, you who sits at the crossroads; close your eyes, and lock your jaws, come with us! Xolotl will guard your bones, the earth has laid claim," her unaugmented hand rises with a pristine silvered knife balanced in her palm, "HEEDLESS, our opponents believe themselves immune, their fires grown cold, but we will bring them that which others have denied them! And when they beg for MERCY, we will give them the only true mercy," with suddenness that should really surprise no one at this point, Roxie's hand carries the dagger point forward into the lens of the camera, a long angle up the point along her perfectly toned arm, hovering an impossible distance from the glass surface, "With icy cold fingers, we'll worm into their chests, one by one, and pluck their HEARTS clean," she takes an immense bite of the organ in her metal hand, blood rushing vitally down her chest, "for not even a King is above death's call." Her smile is visceral, coated in fresh blood, "This is our declaration," her tongue draws sensually across her lips, smearing red, "no one get's out alive." The camera pans to another angle to showcase Vivi and Roxie's outfits, and poses, twin engines of death, before cutting to black. As soon as the shoot is done, Roxie drops the act immediately to face Vivi like a nervous niñita, "Was that demasiado, Vi?" Mortify fucked around with this message at 07:41 on Nov 13, 2018 |
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Nov 13, 2018 06:42
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Minhua's text gets a quick response. Thanks. Better get ready. We're not stopping.  -- Kate shows up a little later than most, having had to take the bus to get to Axel's place. She's wearing a comfortable Sangreal hoodie against the breeze, a holdover from her earlier years as a fangirl, with the jeans and steel-toed boots from the promo against La Familia. Upon entering the place, apart from a few quick greetings, she locates and heads straight for the big man himself. "Hey, Axel," she says with a gentle smile, "I just wanted to thank you for your wellwishes on the card. It means a lot to me that you and everyone else were so supportive."
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Nov 13, 2018 10:39
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Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 Estimating that enough time has passed to permit niceness protocols to drop, Vivi is on the lookout for her possible rival Lane, catching her coaching and sparring with prospectives. After resisting the urge to eavesdrop on Caelynn and Lane chatting, Vivi waits to naturally bump into Lane and grins up at her with the ever most friendly face. "Well hellooooo~ Miss Lane. Shares in devil worship dropping? Already adopting your future life role as a matron and witch?" Simpering at Lane as though they'd be best friends after their extended set was a timid loser's approach! Dropping a little test of mettle right here would decide where the two really stood. -- The Promo When the camera cuts Vivi turns to face Roxie, beaming! "That was perfect! Thank you, Roxie!" She comes in carefully and awkwardly for a cautious "wearing full make up" hug, to avoid demolishing Roxie's amazing day of the dead look. "The others will be sad they missed out, and I bet that musty old Boner King is knocked right on his rear end, heeheeheeheehee!!"
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Nov 14, 2018 21:29
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PDFII Entrance Music Erzbet, uncharacteristically, arrives late to the American Made tryouts, waving politely to Body Electric. "Sorry, got... I was busy." ____________________________ Earlier Erzbet opens her eyes somewhere other than her own room or a hotel for the first time in a long, long time. The ceiling, appropriately, is covered in glow in the dark stars. It takes her a solid minute to remember where she is, and she almost panics about having bonked Chere in her sleep, but thankfully the massive bed has prevented even her slight case of flailing from waking her. She checks the time. If she leaves now, she might be able to make her scheduled day- She thinks about where she is, and what she's been doing with her life. With a sigh, Erzbet decides to go back to sleep instead. At least until Stardust wakes up.
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Nov 15, 2018 01:10
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 It’s not long before Erzbet feels Stardust beginning to stir. It takes her a bit, but she soon notices Erzbet is awake too. “Morning,” she purrs. “Been awake long?” "Not really," says Erzbet, lying just a little. "Just lookin' at the ceiling and remembering that I don't have to always be doing something." “That’s good.” Stardust rolls onto her side. She lies still, just looking at Erzbet laying next to her, a serene smile on her face. Her eyes flutter closed for a moment. When she opens them again, she reaches out, brushing a strand of hair away from Erzbet’s face. She tucks it behind her ear. As she slowly pulls her hand away, her fingers lightly trace down the ridge of her ear, then along her jawline. “So. Are you...” Stardust leaves the question unfinished. She seems only half-awake, still. “Do you have any plans today?” "Uh..." Erzbet mentally goes down a long list of planned activities that she cannot remember now that someone just touched her. "Well uh... I meant to go see the American Made tryouts. I made some recommendations, want to see how it goes and all. But. Um. That's not for another few hours at least." “That’s really kind of you.” Stardust shimmies in closer. “But I’m glad you have some time on your hands. I, um, wouldn’t mind having you all to myself a little bit longer.” "I. Yeah," says Erzbet, giving in to relaxing."...do you want to plan our next date? I've got some great places-" Wol fucked around with this message at 12:29 on Nov 16, 2018 |
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Nov 15, 2018 11:25
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// "We've met. Been competing for a spot all week." The Jersey Daredevil shoots Roxie a sly look. "And I ain't doing too bad if I do say so myself. Sure, I'm mostly dead last, but I'm learning a lot. Dunno why none of the other trainees thought to come here. Been fuckin' great." "Yeah, I thought I played fast and loose until I met the other hopefuls here. Between Billy, Daredevil and Hot Roddy, it's a good thing half our tests are in the arena or we'd probably be down a person. These guys make even me look responsible." Emma smirks impishly up at Roxie. "I've had to up my game." "Hey, you don't learn if you don't try. Speaking of which, I gotta see a guy about a thing. See you two in a bit." -------- -------- //   “Caelynn!” Axel extends his fist as she walks up. When she thanks him, he waves it off, smiling. “What kind of old guy would I be if I didn’t look after the young folks? This sport is demanding enough without having to worry about yourself outside of the arena too.” She shakes her head. "I mean, you're right, but even so... we're up and comers here, you know? Despite our success. If one team is crazy enough to go after us like this - I wasn't sure where everyone's loyalties were for a little while." Realizing how that might sound, she waves her hands apologetically. "Not that I think you guys are that crooked, or anything! But...it's easy to turn a blind eye and claim it's not your business. So yeah. I really appreciate it." “You’re not wrong to be cautious. Look, this kind of thing isn’t common, and is getting rarer as time goes by. I’ve found most people in this business are at least mostly trustworthy. But you’re wise to keep your eyes open, just in case.”In the sparring circle, Lane knocks Emma-80 flat on her rear end after a fairly short scuffle. Emma seems to take it in good spirits, though, taking Lane’s proffered hand, then letting herself be pulled into a sporting hug once she’s back to her feet. Axel smirks. “Alright, time for me to see if Hot Roddy has learned anything about composure these last few days. Lane wanted to talk to you, by the way.” He heads off toward the circle. “Hot Roddy, you’re up next. Show me what you got!” Kate mulls the thought over for a while. "Well, you're not wrong..." she murmurs, before moving over to the ring and putting her hand up to greet Lane. "Hey. Axel said you wanted to talk?" Before Lane gets the first word in, though, she continues: "And, uh, thanks for the wellwishes. On the card. I appreciate it a lot." “No problem.” Lane replies. “How’re you feeling?” "Better. Being so busy with the Executioners has helped a lot. They're sweethearts, really, all of them. It has made me remember the good things about the game." She smiles. "How are you?" “I’m good! C’mon, walk with me to my locker. I have something better than wellwishes.” When the two of you start walking, she continues. “It feels weird to be vetting potential teammates. I still feel like the rookie - being in this position is just a little surreal, especially since I’m basically judging people with more experience than me.” She shrugs. By this point, you’re out of earshot of the others. “It’s good, though. I think I’m getting more used to this world. But about what I have to show you. I decided to do a little investigating of my own. I figured Sante Rosso is the sketchiest Familia member - well, second sketchiest, but Massimo terrifies me - so I put a bad luck hex on him and decided to see what came of it.” Kate blinks. "You did what?" Lane gives a mischievous little smirk. “It’s nothing serious. I doubt he even noticed.”“Anyway,” she goes on, opening her locker and grabbing her phone, “nothing interesting happened for a couple days, until yesterday when he got an urgent phone call right in the middle of our teams’ meeting. I managed to record some of it - and I’m not sure what exactly happened or what he was talking about, but it sounded like something that might be relevant.” Kate listens intently, with a worried look. "Jeez, Lane. I mean...I appreciate the whole deal but I can't really take that to the police, or anything. I think." She bites her lip. "But... well, I guess it can't hurt to listen? I don't know..." “Yeah, I know. But I wanted to help, and I wasn’t sure how else to do it. Anyway, wanna listen to it now, or should I send it to you so you can listen whenever?” Kate looks around uncertainly, remaining quiet for a hot second. "Oh, gently caress it..." she murmurs, her expression hardening. "Play it. Then send it to me afterwards. Just in case it comes in handy one day." Lane plays the recording. On it, Sante sounds tense, rushed. “The receiver” comes up as a topic of conversation fairly early on. Sante’s fairly cryptic for the first part of the conversation. It becomes clear the cryptic act isn’t getting through though, until at one point he blurts out “Frank! For gently caress’s sake, Luke, I’m talking about Frank. He should have it back from the fixer right now. We’re just waiting for word on the next step.” A pause, then, “well, you’d better hope it’s not with you! If this blows up in our face because you cheaped out, you might just have to take the blame.” The recording ends shortly after, with nothing further that seems like it might help you. She remains quiet, trying to keep pace with her mind running at lightspeed. Luke. Could that be the same guy that Sante was talking to next to her car? Seems likely. So who's Frank? Another stooge? Kate fidgets with her fingers against her palm. "...when did you record this?" she asks Lane quietly. “Yesterday, should be a bit after 2.” She checks the data. “2:17 PM”Lane puts a hand on Caelynn’s arm. “Sorry, I didn’t consider that this would be hard for you to hear.” "...that's not it." She furrows her brow. "They already did the whole thing with my car. What next step could there be?" La Familia couldn't be making another move. Surely they weren't vicious enough to actually go for the kill now after they'd failed before. "I...I'd better talk to the other Furies. Just in case." She makes to leave for the crowd again, but stops after a step and a half. "Thanks, Lane. For real. But...be careful. I don't want anybody else getting caught up in this. If anybody's their target, I'd rather it be me." “I will. Hug?” She spreads her arms. She smiles, and steps back to join the other in a quick, but sincere hug, before going back to the crowd.-------- -------- // Lane seems amused by Vivi's introduction. "I'd tell you to kiss my rear end, but you sound like you're trying to." A beat, then she continues, "How you been?"-------- -------- //  Body Electric doesn't notice Erzbet come in. She's in the middle of warming up, about to step into the fight circle with Diamond Trinh. When someone greets Erzbet by name, though, she perks up.  "Erzbet?" She turns and waves across the room. "Hey, it's good to see you! Let's catch up in a sec, I'm about to be on."
Wol fucked around with this message at 12:45 on Nov 15, 2018 |
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Nov 15, 2018 11:46
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Philadelphia - American Made Tryouts, May 2nd, 2259 She lets Vivi and Lane square off against eachother, joining the crowd again as she goes to watch the tryouts. When Diamond Trinh is available for a moment, she goes over to thank her personally as well. Philadelphia - Kate's Apartment, May 4th, 2259 It's a quiet evening when Kate attempts her meditation again. Her phone's on silent, the incense is lit. It takes her a while to let go of the rush of everything leading up to the Executioners fight; and the mess with La Familia. Despite her anger flaring up at even the thought of the latter, she forces herself to let go. Time for that later. Now, with the Declaration of Violence ahead of her, there was a bigger need. A need for power. A need for her to be better in touch with her source. Relax. Breathe. Empty mind; empty thought. Just as Lin had thought her. Empty mind, empty thought. Fall. She jolts awake, but immediately a wave of grogginess hits her. Looking around, she can see herself in the rose-petal grove she was booted from last time, but the air is muggy, oppressive, and her movements feel slow, like she's stuck in the mud. Before her, the rose bush stands, impenetrable and unremarkable, but a swirling void of shadows hangs in front of it, shifting and changing into a myriad of shapes within. "What the..." "Welcome back, my Knight. I can see your fury has risen." The same harmonious voice rings through the clearing, with similar, but more intense echoing and reverb, though Kate is unsure whether or not that is intentional or an effect of the disorientation. "When ruffians made such a crude attempt on your life, you harnessed your anger and ended them in a vulgar display of power." Kate turns around - or tries to - in an attempt to locate the sound of the voice, but there is nobody to be seen. "And here you are; I rejected you before, and you return nonetheless. Hungry for power. Hungry for knowledge." "Y-yes." Her mouth tastes like dirt, and the words come out half-slurred. "I need - I need to fight. I need to be stronger. For you. And for me." "Hmm. Still short-sighted. Learn, my Knight. Peer through the looking glass. Take a glimpse at this power you seek. See why you are still just a starving little mutt, begging for scraps. See why you have to be better, to understand what it is to be mine." Kate blinks, and it feels like it takes an age. The voice goes quiet, and with it, everything else; but her gaze is drawn to the swirling shadows, unrelentingly. Another long blink, and she can see. The shapes, infinite in the void, collapsing in on itself again and again, a myriad of everything and nothing. Her head tilts, and she drags her hand up through the molasses-air; and the void reaches out, shaping into a peak, thinner and thinner until it is but a needle, barely visible but sharp to the touch. A drop of her blood rushes through the point, turning black into red, and she stumbles back as blanket of suffocation finally lets through the pain. She watches, fascinated (terrified?), as the void collapses onto a single point, and then expands, again. A point becomes a blob, from which further streams extend, swirling around themselves, forming structure, filling, shape. Forming her. Well - not quite her. Same height. Same physicality. But the thing is faceless, featureless. It stands there, motionless, even as she stands up to face it. "Relax," comes a distant thought, "you are in control." Was she? She didn't feel in control, with all this slowness. Kate takes a step backward and the thing moves with her, with the same slowness, one step back. Her head - and the thing's - cocks to the side. She lifts her arm, steps to the side, and forward. It mimics her, even in the small movements like the crook of her finger as her hand clenches into a fist, or the rise of her chest as she takes a deep breath. She steps forward, face to face with the shadow-mimic now, but all she sees is a dark red skin of nothing. A step back, a swing of her fist; a dull thud sounds out as it impacts with the mimic, and a ring like a church-bell in her mind as its fist connects with hers with all the weight of a freight train behind it. Blackness takes her immediately. When she opens her eyes, she is not back in her apartment. The grass pricks against her face, yet the grogginess remains. She sees the mimic laying there, next to her. Kate gets up, even slower, and it does too. Okay. Physical violence wasn't working. But she had something this mimic didn't. She had power. No matter what the mysterious voice said about her or it. Sitting on her knees, watching the mimic, she reaches within, through the burdensome haze on her mind, for the light. This is what she does. A light in the darkness. Piercing the fog. As her power rises, a glow emanates from her hand, at first, then her other hand, then her arms. The shadow becomes paler. The grogginess lifts. Caelynn, the Rose Knight, stands, wielding her power. The mimic also stands, and for the first time, she can see a face - her own, mirroring her expression of rage. She can see the mouth opening, and her voice screams out, from her and from the mimic, forming a harmony as the light becomes blinding. In the whiteness, there is nothing, but she can feel the presence of the other her. Without, at first, and then within. When she wakes, it is with sweat on her brow and no breath in her lungs. She wheezes like a rescued drowned woman, trying to catch her breath, laying there on her apartment floor. When she regains her composure, she wipes the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "What the gently caress was that...?" she wonders. Gain power; Mirror Darkly! Gain feat: Crimson Fire!
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Nov 17, 2018 20:31
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Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 Shoulders bouncing lightly with an exaggerated giggle, Vivi shifts down a gear to a coy little smile with her eyes half-open. "I'm wonderful~! The build up to a big match is the best!" She clasps her hands behind her back and keeps focused on the taller Lane, offering her all of her own attention but always seeming to pose just a bit in case anyone else is paying attention to Vivi. "I like your moves there, Miss Lane. I'd love to see them again... even if I bet we leave Philly behind for awhile once we're champs." She smirks in a less practiced way, a more authentic little expression of shared suffering in a field of work. "The pay grade can feel pretty bad, you know?" Assuming the good ship SS Catty Friendship hasn't been blown off course yet, Vivi looks Lane from top to bottom and muses with a bit of fresh sass: "Do you watch Asylum promos? The Furies have a real kick-rear end one coming down the pipe soon~" She raises a single finger and teases the tip of her own chin as she puts on a huge grin. "And I think with your witchy style you might really appreciate it." Doomykins fucked around with this message at 15:36 on Nov 19, 2018 |
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Nov 18, 2018 16:13
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PDFII Entrance Music "Sure, good luck!" calls Erzbet, going to stand next to Axel. "So who's washed out so far?"
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Nov 19, 2018 00:19
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// "If I'm cheering for 'witchy style', shouldn't I be on the Deathless' side?" Lane's mouth curls into a smile, but her eyes still watch Vivi warily. "So are you only leaving if you win, or are you leaving either way? I'm not saying I'd be sad to see you go or anything, but I do still have unfinished business with you." -------- -------- //  "I didn't want to run things like that. These are all the people I accepted." He looks on with a satisfied smile as Body Electric throws a probing kick at Diamond Trinh, the latter dodging out of the way. "They're all here for the whole week unless they choose to quit. We're putting them through their paces. They've had to fight with powers, without powers, solo, in teams. They've done fitness drills, mock promos. Just as important as how they actually do, though, is how they act when things don't go their way. How they learn." Body Electric rushes Trinh, thinking she's seen an opening, but only ends up eating a vicious elbow for her trouble. Trinh throws a left, looking to end the fight, but a dazed-looking Body Electric surprisingly musters the wherewithal to duck. "I'm tempted to tell you who the front-runners are, but I think you'll figure it out if you keep watching." Body Electric comes in hot once more, this time managing to land a knee strike into Trinh's solar plexus. As the latter staggers backward, Body Electric follows up with a front kick that knocks her to the mat. "Good fight, Trinh. Body. Go get yourselves cooled off. It's time to take a break, so Furies, you came to score some barbecue? Why don't you help me set it up." Axel waves the team over, grinning.---- Body Electric catches up with Erzbet over barbecue, in a deservedly good mood. "Hey, Erzbet! Thanks for the tip. Don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but I have a good feeling about this." She hungrily tears into the food, gesturing that she has more to say as she wolfs down a bite. "So! you've been doing well lately. Congrats on the winning streak, it suits you. This is going to be your first title match, right? How's it feel?" After Erzbet answers, Body Electric gets an impish look on her face. "Y'know, there's a rumour you're doing well for yourself in...outside-the-arena pursuits too."
Wol fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Nov 19, 2018 |
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Nov 19, 2018 10:59
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Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 "A~hahahaha!" Vivi lets out a loud laugh. "Oh Laney, when you see the promo you'll know we've beat them at their own game <3" She projects her trademark holo-hearts around her face and shadows Lane as the barbeque goes up. "Ehhnnnmm.. when we're champs, it'd be a waste to sit here and wait for teams to bounce off us." She winks. "Not that there aren't some worthy contenders.. but the Furies are more of the fated world champ types, don't you think?" She winks and waits for the eye-roll, forgetting for a moment that food is appealing. She watches Lane and continues musing. ".. Besides, if we lost I think I'd be a little sick of this place. And they'd want to replace me anyway, hah.." ... Oops! That was one inhibition loop skip too many! Vivi dismisses any hints of glumness and puts on a wicked smile. "Saaay, wouldn't your "witchy style" work better if you showed off a little?" Vivi arches back for a little pose, then leans in suddenly and pokes Lane's breast. "Are you really going to challenge me in casual dress? And you could corrupt the youth so much better if you did it at a glance!"
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Nov 19, 2018 15:53
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PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 - Axel's Gym "Keep at it, JD, I'll be rooting for you!" Roxie says to his retreating back, turning her eyes back to Emma, "although maybe not as much as I'm cheering for another hopeful. Talent always rises to the top," she winks conspiratorially at the other woman, "Now go make a good showing and maybe I'll be convinced to make you dinner too." --- Doing her fair share to help Axel get the barbecue set up, Roxie politely smiles at the remaining American Made team, feeling a bit chagrined at how into the promos she got. But, well, if she were welcome here, then feelings were probably not too bruised. --- American barbecue was not in her usual wheelhouse, but any reason to open a beer and share food was good enough. After a few experimental bites she raises a rib towards Axel, "Pinche good cooking, Axe, maybe I underestimated you!" which she gnaws on again before taking a gargantuan swig of her beer.
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Nov 19, 2018 20:44
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 PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music What wakes Cinnabar up finally is the noise from the kitchen. Going to investigates that Siroko has already been busy for a while, judging by the table. A smoothie bowl loaded with fruit, nuts, and seeds next to a plate with toast liberally covered with avacado, smoked salmon, and fried eggs, and some light greens. There's glasses of juice on the table, and even a small stack of silver-dollar blueberry pancakes. At the moment Siroko herself is trying to get a rather beat up looking espresso machine to work. It finally cooperates and Siroko turns around, revealing that she's wearing an apron with 'All this and I cook too' printed on it. "Morning. Coffee's almost ready."
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Nov 20, 2018 03:09
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// "Oh..." Cinnabar appears in the doorway, smiling. "I knew I found someone special." "Well, obviously," Siroko replies, deadpan. Cinnabar admires the spread as she crosses the room, still wearing her night slip. When she reaches Siroko, she slides a cutting board off the counter behind her. She pins Siroko's hands to the counter, then leans all the way in, pressing their bodies together. She kisses Siroko hungrily, passionately. When the two eventually part to take a breath, she breaks into a silly grin. "Okay, I'm officially over the match," she teases, giggling. Siroko makes a production of looking relieved. "I don't know how I would have lived with myself if you had held a grudge." "Mmm." Cinnabar leans in for more, slowly kissing down Siroko's neck, then her collarbone. Just then, the coffee machine beeps. Cinnabar reluctantly relinquishes her hold, one hand lingering on Siroko's hip as she lets go. "Time to dig in?" "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," she says, apparently entirely serious. Then she grins slyly. "Especially with as much strenuous activity as you seem to have in mind." Cinnabar returns the look, biting her lip. "A meal this good deserves a great dessert." "I'll leave that to you.""Do you have any plans? I'm supposed to drop by the American Made tryouts and then if Phia isn't half-dead or fully distracted, a training session. But I can be fashionably late for the one and the other isn't until the late afternoon." "I'm meeting with my team and McKnight to talk Declaration, but that's not until the afternoon either." "Good, then we have plenty of time." "Mmhm." Cinnabar pulls up a chair and sets to breakfast, starting by delicately sampling a little of each dish. "Mm! This is excellent." After a few more bites, she looks up at Siroko again, smiling suggestively. "It tastes even better than it looks. Reminds me of someone." "I was thinking the same thing."-------- -------- // Lane looks sympathetic when Vivi mentions the possibility of being replaced. When the latter pokes her, though, she smacks her hand away. “What the hell?” Lane asks, annoyed. She laughs and slides back a little. "Sorry, sorry! But really.. " Her eyes angle for extra shrewdness, her irises line up and narrow to replicate a pupil's focused stare. The lights turn to an inquisitive, seeking white light. ".. You're going to rival me? Like that?" She raises her hands and executes a dramatic flourish, sweep and show down her own half-naked body! "We're supposed to enhance each other~" Lane's body language remains guarded. “Okay, I’ll bite. What does Vivian Vivisection think I should be wearing?” Vivi puts on a super big smile that lets Lane know that if anyone is biting, it is the little predator that was just obliged. "Well look at you! You're a little like Roxie, or Siroko! You're this big front-line supporter that's as tall as the other amazons she hangs out with and you're dressed like you're going to the gym but it's really cold out and I'd rather be sleeping and so on.." Even affecting the mock sad voice near the end, her passion burns through everything she says! Her irises flicker to passionate pink and she raises her hands in a cupping gesture. "I get that you probably want something athletic and practical, but they make those with elements of beauty too!" It's like lighting a match and tossing it into the matchbox! She adds in a second gesture to accentuate the curve of the hips! "Legs that long, dying inside a baggy prison!" “Sure, less clothes, I got it. I guess I could go out there in my medals and nothing else. Really get the character over.” Lane smirks. "No!! That's not all there is to it!" Vivi actually lectures Lane for a moment with a wagging finger. "Why, you blast me with all your hexes and spells.. and you aren't even color coordinated to your own curses!" “Magic doesn’t all come in the same colour! It is what it is.” Lane shoots back. “But...I have been thinking about updating my look. I was kinda hoping I could just be myself out there, but maybe that was naïve. Most everyone else seems to be going for it pretty hard.” "Being yourself is great, but if you have the chance to really push it, why not have a little fun?" She leans in a bit closer and waggles her eyebrows. "Besides Lane, you don't have to do things my way... you remember that full-body nun number I wore for our last bout?" She grins horribly. ".. That was the Vivisector's Outfit Of The Year pick. Sometimes boys like a little tease for the imagination.." She giggles. "Accent yourself your way!" “That’s your outfit of the year? You’ve gotta be kidding me. I hated it.” She leans back again and keeps giggling. "Well it wasn't for you, aside from the bitchy bits of it. Think of your fans too!" “I do! I just don’t think my fans care that much about what I’m wearing, at least not outside the arena.” Lane shrugs. “But yeah, Trinh put me in touch with some athletic designers. Don’t worry, we’ll come up with something.”“Speaking of. I’m still not ready to have it out all of the time, but I’ve been working on something.” "Oooh? A surprise?" Lane undoes the strap on her eyepiece. Holding one hand over it, she slowly takes it out. Her eyes remain closed as she lowers it away from her face. Then, with a deep breath, she opens them. Where her right eye would be, a shining blue energy emanates. Lane grins. “It feels good to have that thing off. And next time we face off, you won’t be able to hide from me.” Vivi claps excitedly and is utterly delighted by the showing! She sneaks in and hugs Lane around the shoulders. "Wow! That's so cool! Just for me?! Hahaha!" She lets go and is smiling stupidly. "Gosh, you can start from there! A hot blue motif!" Lane somewhat reluctantly accepts the hug, but returns it fully once she’s decided she’s okay with it. “I mean, I was rehabbing it anyway, but you did inspire the spell choice.” Vivi flickers her eyelashes as her irises shift to a matching blue. "Well, I am very inspiring..."
Wol fucked around with this message at 11:18 on Dec 3, 2018 |
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Nov 20, 2018 07:55
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As the tryout day comes to a close, those of you who've stuck around to the end take stock of the performances you've seen. Today was mostly non-power and non-weapon focused, so naturally the hand-to-hand combatants were bound to stand out more. In that regard, though, Body Electric, Mercury-8, and surfer / judoka Ram Kularia stood in a class above the rest, carrying themselves with confidence, and having the skills to take down their American Made opponents 1-on-1. In the team exercises, Cold Iron and quick-draw gunslinger Iron Eye Ivan took the most decisive and effective leadership - though before each one, the scrimmage teams had planning time you weren't party to. All proved able to effectively execute plans, though Hot Roddy and Billy Fresno each veered dangerously into loose cannon territory a couple times. Additionally, an observant watcher - meaning Erzbet at least, especially after her short conversation with Axel - might notice how willing each prospective was to take criticism, learn and adapt. Emma-80 and the Jersey Daredevil came across as the most obviously hungry, showing improvements even throughout the course of the day. Iron Eye Ivan and Body Electric could both be spotted throughout the day approaching the American Made members and discussing strategy. Hot Roddy and Ram Kularia seemed the least interested in advice, and Cold Iron was aloof enough that it was hard to tell if she was being dismissive or just characteristically taciturn. Emma-80 approaches Roxie, freshly showered at the end of a pretty physically intense day. "Well! That wasn't my best day, but I think I did alright. If they hire me, it's not gonna be for my fistfighting anyway, and they seemed to like my strategies." If she feels any disappointment, her upbeat mood doesn't show it. "What'd you think of today?" -------- -------- When Siroko goes to meet Phia for training, she finds her waiting outside the arena. She's there chatting with Dusty, who has her dog with her. As Siroko approaches, it stands up, tail wagging excitedly. "Hey, Siroko. Come meet Sumi!" "Woof!" Sumi barks excitedly. As soon as Siroko gets close enough, the German shepherd pup runs over and rears up to greet her. As long as Siroko seems comfortable with it, Dusty lets Sumi jump all over her for a bit before calling him off. "Alright, easy, boy. Let's give Siroko some space." Dusty gives Sumi a little tug of encouragement. When he declines to let up, she gives a quick whistle. He immediately comes scampering back. "Good boy." Grinning, she kneels down to scritch behind his ears. "Thanks for coming all the way out here today, Siroko. You really didn't have to." Phia turns to watch Dusty play with Sumi for a few moments, a fond smile plastered on her face. "Looks like it's time for Siroko to put me through my paces. See you Tuesday, right?" "Yeah. See you Tuesday." Dusty stands up, then brings Phia in for a quick goodbye kiss. "Good luck. And see you later, Siroko."As Siroko and Phia make their way to the Asylum gym, Phia can't wipe the smile from her face. "Yeah, she's definitely my favourite." Phia offers. "So what's the plan tonight?"
Wol fucked around with this message at 05:03 on Nov 27, 2018 |
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Nov 20, 2018 10:12
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PDFII Entrance Music "Like I gotta get a better plan," says Erzbet, devouring a pork chop. "A much, much, better-" She spits out a bit of pork at Electric's second question. "How did that spread so fast?!" she says, burying her head in her hands. "...but yes. It's pretty nice."
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Nov 21, 2018 01:43
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Philadelphia - May 3, 2259 The next morning brings a return to routine of sorts. You may still be riding high on your victory over the Flawless Executioners, though, not to mention on relationships deepened or newly forged. Your fanbase is likewise flourishing, and already clamouring from new material, new Furies promos. All in due time. For now, you roll on in to your morning meeting where a chipper Phia greets you in turn. She wears the original black Furies tank tucked into high-waisted jean shorts, crimson lace-up ankle boots and black wing stud earrings. She makes small talk as you come in, mostly interested in how it was at the American Made tryouts yesterday. When the last of you arrives, the meeting begins. "Good morning, Furies." Phia takes a sip of her ever-voluminous coffee. "Before we start talking about the Deathless, there's a few things I want to get out of the way. First, free tickets to Declaration of Violence for friends and family. I want to let Jake know how many we're reserving pretty soon, so let me know who you want to bring. Second, I want to talk arrangements for the road trip south we've been talking about. I was thinking we could leave the 16th or 17th - give us a few days to chill and see who we wanna see before we go. We might not want to stick around too much longer after that. I might be being a little bit paranoid. I might not. Let me know what you think when I'm done going through everything." She takes a breath. "So, arrangements. One: Roxie, should I be looking for a bus that fits your bike inside? Two: Booking six motel rooms every night would be too much. We could do three rooms, or if everyone's super comfortable with each other and wants to save a little money, we could get away with two. Let me know what you think. Number three: How about filming the road trip? I know a filmmaker who'd be interested. She's young, not too expensive, but she knows what she's doing. I think fans would be into it. Four: Who's good to take driving shifts and when would you prefer them? Five: Any requests for arenas? New Orleans and Dallas are obvious, at Atlanta would be extra nice if we can get a good deal out of them, but there's tons of tiny little arenas on the way, and some have surprisingly good teams." Phia points at the wall screen, where the five questions pop up in brief with plenty of room to add answers beneath. "Oh yeah, actually, first things first, Kate told me she had something to say before we all get too wrapped up."
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Nov 21, 2018 12:53
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Kate blinks, caught off-guard for a half a moment as she was thinking about arenas she'd like to visit. New Orleans would be really cool... but time for that later. "Right, uh," she looks awkwardly around for a moment, deciding whether she should stand or remain seated, but opting for the later eventually as she leans forward. "Well, when I talked to Phia about this, it was only the one thing, but something came up yesterday that you should probably hear about too. Anyway, first things first." She takes out her pendant, fidgeting with it for a moment. "Minhua - the White Witch - and me have been hanging out ever since our victory against American Made. We're friends - she's pretty cool - which I guess you guys probably noticed. I know that isn't a bad thing despite our teams being, you know, about to match up, but, well, she's been teaching me about magic, too, which is the important thing here. Teaching me how to get in touch with it, how it works..." She gestures a little helplessly. "I thought I should probably say that before we head into the fight and the promos. She knows how my magic works, now, and there's no way she's not going to try and take advantage of that. I have some insight into how her stuff works, as well, but to a lesser degree. So, uh, yeah. That's that." She waits a moment, taking out her phone in the meantime as the others field their reactions. "Second is, uh - apparently someone has been doing some nosing into La Familia's business? Yesterday, Lane showed me this," she plays the recording she received from the American Made member. quote:Sante sounds tense, rushed. “The receiver” comes up as a topic of conversation fairly early on. Sante’s fairly cryptic for the first part of the conversation. It becomes clear the cryptic act isn’t getting through though, until at one point he blurts out “Frank! For gently caress’s sake, Luke, I’m talking about Frank. He should have it back from the fixer right now. We’re just waiting for word on the next step.” A pause, then, “well, you’d better hope it’s not with you! If this blows up in our face because you cheaped out, you might just have to take the blame.” "So...I mean, I don't really know what all that means, but if they want to take a 'next step', I feel like we should probably all be extra careful in the coming days? I don't want to sound paranoid, but I can't take this to the police - it's an illegal recording - so there's nothing we can really do about this. Which sounds like poo poo now that I say it out loud. But just..." she looks around to the rest of the team, and Phia as well, "just be careful."
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Nov 21, 2018 13:12
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Flashback 1 Flashback 2 If the other Furies haven't been made aware already, Vivi shares her own intelligence picked up from eavesdropping, framed in a colorful little tale of how heroic and intuitive she is. "But really, taking his championship and our popularity and leaving the Asylum to rot is the best revenge I can think of..." She didn't need to share yet that she planned to coincidentally befriend Giovanna. After all, that bit might turn sincere! She grins and flashes her eyelashes at Phia. "Sounds like a good path to bring us roundabout to <3 Hollywood <3." She gives her favorite manager Vivi's own favorite grin. "Wait till you see the promo we have coming up.. I took a little initiative. And speaking of, I'll need six tickets, please! Hahaha, thanks Phia.." Vivi winks at Kate. "I already know the Deathless are scared of our rise! Did you know they slum around necromancy forums begging for help with their little spells?" She giggles loudly, relishing the edge Zz gave her! "You'll be a thorn in her side.. it was a good connection to make!" After consideration of her travel requirements, Vivi deadpan states that she requires enough space for her body, a four hour connection to a power source and access to "medical necessities." "I can pick up anything else I need as we go and I'd love to share the space~" She winks at Roxie, already selecting her primary bunkmate.
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Nov 21, 2018 20:02
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Vivi's revelation leaves Kate a little paler than before. "You... you went to his apartment to eavesdrop on him?" she squeaks, before burying her face in her hands and letting out a heavy sigh. Looking back up and deciding that, really, this should not have been a surprise, she adds: "I mean, I'm glad you wanted to help, but..." Another sigh. "Well, I guess I should be happy you didn't just murder the guy, right?" Coming back around to Phia's question about tickets for a second, she says: "Uh, my parents probably wanna come if there's a free ticket in it for them. Can I get one for my cousin too? I'll message her and let her know to get the day off or something."
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Nov 23, 2018 00:02
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Her hair freshly grown to back-length and dyed to violet pastel, Vivian wears a tight t-shirt with an ironic Evil AI branding and some casual jeans. She stands by Kate's side and pats her on the shoulder. "Don't worry! We're teamies! If that means sneaking, support, fashion and stalking I'm here for you! And once we're on the road I'll even help you land your first groupies!" She beams and holds both of her hands up in front of her face with palms out, as though presenting a story pitch. "Caelynn's Rosy Nights, tales of fresh romance and mystery!" Vivi laughs. "You're in luck, I've got tons of great ideas!"
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Nov 23, 2018 00:29
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PDFII Entrance Music "I uh, I'd like to invite my parents, and uh..." says Erzbet, realizing to her intense relief that Stardust already will have admission and she doesn't need to say a drat thing in front of Vivi. "I can drive, and we should definitely do the film," she says, finding safer ground. "The Animals did a follow film early in their careers and it was a big thing that got them into a couple of venues that otherwise would have been too upscale for a bunch of dorks from Illinois. It's worth it. I mean, worst case, I can get it edited it to be hilariously bad. People love that." She coughs. "Or at least I did in college." K Prime fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Nov 24, 2018 |
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Nov 24, 2018 20:01
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PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music Philadelphia - May 2, 2259 - Axel's Gym Occupying a bench with some free weights, Roxie busies herself by doing low-weight reps while the combatants wind down after a long day. When Emma returns, she looks up from her workout with a big smile, "Muy bien! Anyone watching could see that you want to win, and you were pushing yourself. Don't discount the fundamentals; if you find yourself without a cuchillo," one of her daggers all but appears in her metal arm, "or your bow, you want to be just as dangerous. I think you've got a shot if you keep improving like I saw today," she returns her weights to the relevant racks, returning to swipe up her bag. "You wanna get out of here? I feel a little awkward asking, but I wouldn't mind a slightly less drunken chance to learn more about you over dinner. I can cook again," if she's embarrassed, it doesn't show. --- Philadelphia - May 3, 2259 - Morning Meeting Roxie turns up to the meeting a few minutes early in a pair of rolled up skinny jeans, chunky, white kicks, and a maroon and blue flannel shirt over a cropped tee with her morning coffee; one part cinnamon and tequila for every two parts coffee with a splash of cream. She keeps her slightly over-sized sunglasses on in the harsh morning light, but chats animatedly with Phia about the tryouts until more of the Furies start to file in. As the meeting starts she listens to first Phia, then Kate, then Vivi, "Be thankful that Vivi's adventures in espionage included a text message to me; she was ready to steal the guy's cat and hold it hostage. Honestly, Cuchillita, did you think that would work?" Circling around to earlier questions, "Uh, I'd like to be able to bring the bike, if we can... I'd feel naked without it nearby," Roxie manages to look a bit fraught at that, "I'm fine with fewer rooms if it means we save money for more importante chigaderas. We should definitely film it, we're the pinche Furies, and everyone is going to know our names," looking at the rest of Phia's list she sips on her coffee further, "I'm out of practice driving cars, but I'm up to fill in which shifts we need. I don't sleep a lot. And if we're going far enough to hit Dallas, we should head across the border to Reynosa, south of McAllen, the old parque cultural was turned into an arena a few decades back and draws people from all across the southwest U.S. and north Mexico." "As to tickets, I'd like to get two, one for Emma and one for the Jersey Devil... he'll probably flip at even mid-level tickets."
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Nov 25, 2018 12:44
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PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music Previously Siroko crouches down to give Sumi plenty of attention until Dusty calls him back. "Tonight, hand strikes. You're comfortable with kicks already - too comfortable. It makes you predictable, and you need more space and time for them. We need to get you used to throwing punches. I can tell you're worrying too much about the strength factor. Speed, technique, and aggression matter more. That is our new agenda." ------ Philadelphia - May 3, 2259 - Morning Meeting Siroko comes in shortly after Roxie, wearing a brightly colored tank top with "Sun's Out, Guns Out" on it over a blue tube top, with jean shorts and vintage sneakers, and a pair of cheap looking red plastic sunglasses. She's got some kind of green juice smoothie, and joins in the discussion of the tryouts while she finishes it. She sits through Phia, Kate, and Vivi's presentations with a typically inscrutable expression. "Catnapping is beneath the Furies," she declares. "If we need to push La Familia, do it face to face. Siroko can shakes some answers out of them - if that's what we want to do." True to what she said before, Siroko clearly is going to follow Kate's lead on the matter. "As for Minhua - doesn't matter if they know what you can do if they can't stop you doing it." Siroko is clearly in no position to judge about cross-team relationships, after all. "Siroko can drive, and Siroko is always ready to look good for the camera." She looks over the other questions. "Three rooms. Don't mind the bunking close, but there's other reasons to have an additional room that make it worth the cost." Siroko pauses, looks at Vivi, then adds, "I mean use it for planning, filming, if someone gets sick or hurt and needs some extra space, that kind of thing." "Going to need..." Siroko considers. "Two or three tickets, depending on who signs with American Made. Cinnabar is comped already." Her eyes slide towards Erzbet, and she almost but doesn't quite smirk. "So's Stardust, so that takes care of Erzbet."
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Nov 25, 2018 21:45
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// Flashback - Last Night Emma smiles. "I'm into more of your cooking, so long as you know I'm still not just gonna sit there and watch someone work." Over the course of the evening, Emma proves an easygoing partner, quite willing to both talk and listen. You learn she's from San Jose, California, that she's the middle of three siblings, that her whole family has always been athletically inclined. Olympic and Crown training have taken up most of her life, with her spare time spent playing pickup sports or mountaineering with her older brother Sam. She's not exactly sure what she'll do with her free time if she ends up staying in Philadelphia, but says she's open to suggestions. She also mentions being into hip-hop, and having done some breaking as a teenager, but admits she hasn't done much of that in years outside of the occasional party trick. The only time she seems at all cagey is when the conversation leads to her mentioning she's been engaged before - a subject she's eager to change. Emma gets flirty again as the night goes on. She doesn't lay it on too thick, but enough to let you know she's down. While you do both have to get up in the morning, you still have the rest of the evening to yourselves. -------- -------- Present (May 3, 2259) "poo poo. Well, sounds like that settles who 'Luke' is," Phia says when Vivi finishes relating her trail tale. "As for 'Frank'...well, it could be anyone. There's two Franks that work here as far as I know, though. There's Frank Chu, one of the talent scouts - and Frank Linden, the senior arena tech." Phia takes a deep breath, frowning grimly. "We have to stay focused on The Deathless, but we have to make sure we're safe, too. For now, how about...alright, how about I look into this. You stay focused on the match. Vivi, if you already have a big promo planned, that's good. Remember Baz from Penn's Landing? Get him to shoot it, those promos turned out great."---- Phia nods along as the group shares their travel wishes, jotting down the specifics. "Alright, that's six tickets down for Vivi, three for Kate, two for Siroko, two for Erzbet, two for me, one for Roxie, and one provisional each for Siroko and...Roxie." She arches an eyebrow theatrically. "If Emma makes it onto AM, I promise not to tell her," she teases. Soon, everyone finishes giving their input. "I'm looking forward to this," Phia concludes. "I'll keep a route map updated as I get the bookings together. For now, though, don't worry too much about it. The most important thing is what's right in front of us: The Deathless. We've covered a lot already this morning, so why don't we take a break. Ten minutes sound good? Then we'll get back on track and start in on them."
Wol fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Nov 27, 2018 |
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Nov 26, 2018 08:55
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 The Deathless added to the Incomplete Killers' Compendium! When you reconvene, Phia opens the file on the Deathless. Unlike the last couple teams you've faced, they're not particularly heavy on offense. They play a longer game, each with their own way to grind out battles and gain advantages over time. The White Witch Cai Minhua, Gan Lu Zhen and The Bone King all excel at manipulating their opponents' positioning. Cai Minhua can also hold them in place once they're there, Gan Lu Zhen can deteriorate their offense, and The Bone King can prevent The Deathless from being thrown around or knocked down themselves. Qieduan clutters the arena with her severed body parts. Her hands specialize in keeping her opponents still, while her head shreds defenses. The Accursed Sagong Jun is simply very tough. The difficult question of The Deathless is which one to focus on first. Cai Minhua and Gan Lu Zhen both have spells that need a corpse to work (either ally or enemy). The Bone King's fierce fighting spirit renews every time an ally is slain. Qieduan needs time to reach her full potential in a fight - once all her body parts are hovering around the arena, she's incredibly potent, but she can only sever one at a time. Sagong Jun, meanwhile, throws a wrench in any plan to remove one of his allies from the equation. His attacks all draw the attention of his target, and usually of others nearby as well. Any who then ignore him restore his most potent abilities. The deleterious conditions he attracts can pose a problem for opposing teams, as he can inflict them right back on his opponents. Naturally in light of the above, The Deathless' team tactics are highly versatile. Whoever's being pressured early on, or even if someone should fall early on against a high-offense team like The Furies, the rest adjust appropriately and shift their strategy to focus around whoever's now in the best position. Despite their adaptability, though, their strategy does have a few consistent points. Content to let death fuel their powers, they don't invest too much into rescuing a teammate who's about to fall. Rather, they seek to set themselves in a good position for when the fall happens. Their opening maneuvers are likewise reasonably predictable - they form a loose group around The Bone King, with Sagong Jun in the front, so that the former can bail out anyone who gets stuck in an unenviable position. Qieduan stays near the back at first as she separates her appendages, then moves in when both teams have already largely closed quarters. Finally, when any of the Deathless get the opportunity to drag an opponent around, they will most likely stick them next to Sagong Jun if they can. "While they all might seem undead - Minhua and Gan Lu Zhen do a vampire bite thing, and Bone King looks like a skeleton - Qieduan and Sagong Jun are the only ones who're actually undead. Kate, do you know anything else about the White Witch we can use?"
Wol fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Nov 27, 2018 |
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Nov 27, 2018 14:12
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During the break Taking out her phone, Kate sends a quick message to Aubrey. "Hey cousin brainy, manager can comp you a ticket for Declaration. Wanna come support your fave? "Meeting Kate chews her lip thoughtfully. "Honestly...if I can have free range at Minhua, I think I can take her down relatively easily. Our magic is like - like polar opposites, you know? My light burns her - and I've got some tricks up my sleeve she hasn't seen yet. So if Siroko can make sure Sagong or Qieduan doesn't latch on to me in a compromising position, I can get up in Minhua's face and take her out of the equation pretty quickly, I hope - with some assist from Vivi, Roxie or Tiger." She shrugs. "That's the best I've got. I feel like if Minhua's the first down we don't have to worry about her raising the others. Ideally Gan Lu would be next, but I have no idea how that would work with the others around."
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Nov 27, 2018 14:28
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PDF | Orokos | Entrance Music Flashback - May 2, 2259 - After the Gym "Suit yourself," Roxie chuckles in reply to Emma's offer to help with dinner, "but I might just keep offering anyway." She shares an equal amount of her history while they work through preparation for a hearty, but simple dinner, sopa de chile ancho con pollo and corn pellizcadas. Employing the other woman with chopping ingredients and crumbling the cheeses, Roxie runs through her youth in the Teocalli, the temple, being surrounded by dozens of brothers and sisters, some of which were actually blood relatives, and being raised by a gaggle of tias and abuelitas. She touches lightly on her estranged relationship with her father, a priest of some import, and the few times he intersected with her life. As she presses out some of the remaining masa for Emma to load with salsa and queso to make the pellizcadas, Roxie's eyes light up at the mention of hip-hop, "¡A poco!? No wonder you look like you belong on the dance floor," her hands covered in baking powder for working the masa, she gestures with her hips towards her meager sound system, "put something you like on, dinner's almost done!" While finishing the tortillas on the griddle, she spoons the soup into large bowls before plating a couple pellizcadas each. She has no dining table, so they must settle for bar stools at her kitchen island, but just having company to share her meals brings a brightness into Roxie's smile. Over the course of the meal the conversation steers dangerously towards previous commitments and Emma's previous engagement; being a good host, she allows the conversation to wander away again, but it is hard not to explore the edges of that wound... maybe another time. After the kitchen is cleaned up, Roxie invites Emma to her cozy sectional couch where they trade increasingly obscure musical acts over beers. As the conversation turns flirty, and they naturally drift into contact with each other, she is not as bold as she was previously at the Crossroads, but she never rebuffs the other woman, until eventually it becomes prudent for Roxie to thumb the volume on the stereo up a few notches. --- Philadelphia - May 3, 2259 - Morning Meeting "If we can disable the brujas, we take a lot of their staying power away from them. Even watching a lot of clips, I have no idea how we deal with Qieduan or Sagong Jun without losing a fighter, but we're going to find that way. The Bone King is going to charge into us to give Qieduan time to work, so we need to delay him while we cut the witches down to size," she looks to Caelynn with a little color in her cheeks, "Lo siento, no offense meant to your friends, Kate. Our strength is our flexibility, and our adaptability... same as them. But the Furies are going to soar!" Mortify fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Nov 28, 2018 |
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Nov 28, 2018 04:44
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The meeting wraps up on a positive note as you begin to solidify your training and in-ring strategies against the Deathless. The rest of the day passes routinely but well. Roxie and Siroko both get excited texts from Emma later in the afternoon saying that the tryouts are over and they'll find out who made it tomorrow. Erzbet gets the same from Body Electric, while Billy Fresno, Cold Iron and Mercury-8 opt to come by and thank Siroko in person for passing their names along. The latter invites Siroko to catch up over tea later (he doesn't drink), not having had the chance to do so yet. Aubrey doesn't get back to Kate until a little later in the day - not surprising, since she's busy with class. Once she does, though, the texts come all at once.  Yes!!!???!! Sorry I haven't been out to your matches recently, been really busy. No such thing as being too busy to watch my fave cuz take the Crown though! (no pressure ) Really excited for you!-------- -------- Philadelphia - May 4-9, 2259 The next week sees you keep fairly busy, but it's not all with work. You're left with plenty of time to spend with your friends and paramours, too. Once American Made's new members are announced - Body Electric and Emma-80 - Roxie is treated to a very jubilant and celebratory Emma. The two spend an exhilarating night together. The next day brings uncertainty, though, as a more serious Emma invites Roxie to lunch, saying she wants to "make my intentions clear." The week sees Siroko and Cinnabar's relationship deepen as they spend nearly every night together. Siroko surprises Cinnabar by somehow managing to find a small club that does a Guaguancó night - Cinnabar's favourite dance, and one she learned growing up in Miami. Thoroughly charmed by Siroko's effort, Cinnabar does her best to return the favour by taking her out to see a local band called Starting Gun - one Siroko had never heard of before, but they're heavy on the percussion and she finds they're exactly her style. The two even manage to pull Diamond Trinh away from her busy schedule getting her new team members acclimated so they can spend an evening "thanking" her. After the American Made roster is announced, Fenrir Spear confirms that he and Jotun will be leading a mercenary team at Declaration of Violence. He tells Vivi they met a fighter in La Paz who wants to join them, a hot-blooded wrecking ball who calls herself Lioness Rampage. That leaves two open spots on his ersatz team, to which end he asks Vivi who the best free agents in Philadelphia are. The siblings manage to finalize the roster around the same time they hit the final date of their tour in Santiago. They make their flight up with Lioness as soon as possible - on the 7th - to get some time to meet and train together with their temporary teammates. Fenrir, of course, also has some extracurricular activities on his mind, which he lets Vivi know about in explicit detail. Erzbet invites Chère Stardust out to a couple museums over the week. The two enjoy themselves quite a bit, with Chère proving an avid learner - both about the museums' content and about Erzbet herself. Only at the end of the second date, though, does she cotton to the fact that Erzbet would probably rather just hang out at one of their places, watch some shows and fool around. As a fellow introvert, that suits her just fine, and she asks Erzbet to come hang out at her place the next night. Kate receives a call from Officer Gerrard Chen, saying they've identified a suspect and asking her to come down to the station to review a photo lineup. When she correctly picks out Sante's "friend" Lucas, Officer Chen asks her some followup questions about him. He says the department was able to identify and bypass wards on the devices from her car and traced them back to him, where they searched his apartment and also found the receiver for the devices. It's not all grim business for Kate, however. Lin takes her out to tea, whereupon she invites her over for one of her and Ganlu's horror movie nights, telling her to feel free to bring a friend, Fury or otherwise. Crown business continues over the course of the week too, the Asylum Arena bustling as everyone trains hard for Declaration of Violence. The match card gradually solidifies. The event will kick off with a pre-show pitting all the Asylum trainees against each other in a battle royale. The show is set to truly open with American Made's new roster taking on Fenrir and Jotun's heel mercenary squad, the Hounds of Destruction. Longtime crowd favourites but recently struggling Steel Jackets go on next. They're going up against McKnight's newest signees, The Chimarae of Drs. Cagliostro, a mad scientist couple who fight alongside their various creations, last operating out of Vancouver. The Flawless Exectuioners are set to fight La Familia, and finally, in the main event, it's the Furies vs. The Deathless in the biggest championship match of the year. Wol fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Nov 28, 2018 |
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Nov 28, 2018 04:46
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Philadelphia - May 3, 2259 - Morning Meeting Kate shakes her head. "Hey, friends or not, I'm still in it to win it. The Furies will always be priority number one for me. So don't apologize, because you're right." She spends the rest of the meeting trying to figure out strategies with the rest of the Furies to get Minhua isolated early. Later that day When everything's done at the Arena, Kate heads out. A lack of car means she's acquired a bus pass by now - if they're going soon, really, she doesn't need one anymore. When she gets home, she picks up the phone, twirling it in her hand for a moment. "Hey, dad. How's it going?" She lays on her comfy chair, chatting about...everything, really, that happened the last few days. "Sorry I haven't called. Everything's been so frantic, and...well. I didn't want to worry you and mom too much. But it's looking up, now. We're headed into the main match event at Declaration." She goes on a little longer, and eventually comes around to the main reason she called. "Listen, Phia managed to score tickets for the Declaration, if you want them. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on the Crown, but part of the reason I've made it this far is because of your support. And mom's. I want to show you how far I've gotten - and not on a TV screen. Aubrey is coming too, so you won't be alone in the middle of a crowd of crazed fans." She pauses for a moment. "Oh! And Erzbet said she was going to invite her parents, too. I've never met them - Erzbet doesn't talk a lot about them - but I figure you guys probably can find some common ground, at least. Hopefully." The rest of the call is just catching up, wondering about how her parents are doing, until the conversation finally comes to an end. "I'll see you soon, dad. Love you." Philadelphia - May 5th, 2259 - Police Station During the followup questions, Kate relaxes a bit more from her nerves during the lineup. She knew that technically, Lucas wasn't able to see her, but really, at this point, he would know that she'd fingered him. Which meant La Familia would know, sooner or later. She just had to get ahead of them. "That's right. I saw him the night before my crash, standing by my car, with Sante Rosso of La Familia. At first, I thought it was just an intimidation, similar to what La Familia had done before, but I guess that's when they put these things on, didn't they?" The rest of the conversation goes relatively smoothly, but when he's wrapping things up, she looks nervous again. It's only when Chen is about to walk away that she finally pipes up again. "Uh, Officer? I... I don't know how to say this, but, I may have overheard something that might help? Maybe?" After she has his attention, she takes a moment to gain her composure. Don't gently caress this up now, Kate. "I was at the Arena, the other day, and I was passing by a room when I heard Sante on the phone. I didn't think about recording it, but he was talking to somebody - to Luke, from the sounds of it. Something about a next step? And he was talking about someone named Frank who was supposed to have something." She gives a sheepish smile. "I know it's not much, but the call didn't last long. I talked to my manager about it the other day and she said there were only two Franks she knew at the arena - a Frank Chu, talent scout, and Frank Linden, who is the senior arena tech. I hope you can do something with that. I don't know if...anecdotes are enough, but - I just want to see justice done, officer. And I wanted to help" Regardless of what Chen says, she eventually heads back out to go meet Lin. On the way, however, she does text Phia. "Talked to cops about the investigation. Put them onto "Frank". I hope. Don't go digging too deep. Be careful." Pocketing her phone again, she lets out a heavy sigh, Bluff Chen at 1d20+10=29. Later that day - CrafTea Tea with Minhua is nice. It gives her some time to calm down. On the invitation, she waffles a moment. "I uh, appreciate the invitation, but I'm not super great on the horror movies," she says with a little laugh, "Weird, right? Brave Knight can't stand a scary movie?" Sipping her tea, she mulls it over for a moment longer. "But yeah, okay. But I bring the food. I'm not gonna be scared on just popcorn. I'll see about who wants to come along." When she eventually heads back home, she mulls over who to bring along. Aubrey was definitely going to be too busy. Vivi was right out - Kate wasn't going to give the sassy robot any more opportunities to tease her. The others - well, they had their own engagements going on right now. Giving them time while the Furies were still in Philadelphia was probably the right call. So, eventually, she texts Phia once more. "Hey, Minhua invited me over for horror movie night with Gan Lu. Said I could bring a friend. You down?" Wahad fucked around with this message at 12:38 on Nov 28, 2018 |
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Nov 28, 2018 12:24
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