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Theme Song! It has been roughly a month and a half since Izzy's initial email reached the four of you. One way or another, you've all ended up in the New York metro area. Maybe other obligations have kept you away, or maybe you've met your fellow clones, at least once or twice. Still, tonight everyone agreed, meet at Izzy's apartment, cramped though she assured you all it was, go over what she and Chloe have managed to figure out combined with whatever pieces of information you've all put together, and decide where to go from there. And maybe order takeout or have a few drinks. It's rainy. That doesn't seem to slow down Brooklyn much, but it does cast the evening lights in a glow that might seem magical, or might seem eerie, depending on your mood. Given that Izzy's studio/office is in a complex that could charitably be described as being in the frugal part of town, it's no real surprise that the door to her building, the sort that normally automatically locks, is instead simply propped open with a cinder block, with a piece of paper taped over the buzzer that just says "broke" on it. There's no elevator, but you'd suspect that it'd be out of order too if it did exist. So it's a walk up three flights of stairs and down a hall to Izzy's door - number 333. The first of you here was about to knock because surprise surprise no doorbell, but, the door is slightly ajar, pushing it open the rest of the way and the place is a mess. More than usual, even. Bottles broken on the floor, her desk chair turned over, and her laptop suspiciously missing. There's no sign of Izzy either, but perhaps, most alarming of all is this: there's a vase on the middle of the desk in all this chaos, full of orchids, seemingly placed there with care. Izzy isn't answering her phone, and Chloe isn't either. What do you do? _________________________ Hello and welcome to the game thread, standard rules apply: please include your character sheet in your first post, roll your dice in discord, and ask me any questions you might have. And good luck! OOC Thread! Playtest rules! Bonds Sheet! LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 17:07 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 19, 2020 16:00
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 Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 Sigh, slumming it again with my fellow clones. Still Izzy, ugh how I hate that name insisted it was something important. So I'd dressed myself up called up my driver and got him to drop me a few blocks away from Isabelle's office told him I'd be spending the night with a few old friends. I'm sure he thinks I'm having an affair or something not that it's any of his business. I won't lie I was little out of breath by the time I'd climbed the stairs. I really need to get in shape and if some of my fellow clones are anything to go by it's certainly possible. I walked up to the door and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked again and still no answer, pushing at the door it swung open revealing a room that had been trashed. There was the usual mess but on top of that, someone had ransacked the place, scattering documents and papers everywhere, and there was no sign of Isabelle or Chloe. I know what this looks like I've seen it before, this place has been tossed, whoever did this was looking for something. Ignoring the out of place vase on the desk I scanned the room. Now if I was Isabelle where would I hide something I wanted to keep secret? quote:@Victoria Carmichael (Ferrosol), quote:
Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 18:54 on May 19, 2020 |
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May 19, 2020 17:58
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a clone post was here!
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May 19, 2020 18:01
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 Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 Alright, yeah, I was figuring this day'd come sooner or later. I flew in to touch base with Izzy a week or so ago. Technically speaking, as far as anyone knows, I'm just on the east coast doing some last-minute training before that fight in Atlantic City. It's killing me that I can't even trust DeMarco on this. He's my boy! We've been working together for ages, but when I think about this whole conspiracy thing... ugh. Wouldn't a personal trainer be like the best way to collect data and experiment and stuff? God, he even hooked me up with that nutritionist. What have they been sneaking into my food...? Can't think about it. Can't get too paranoid. I need to focus on the moment. We're going to meet, hash this out, and maybe it's not as bad as I think. Maybe Vicky isn't even half as much a snake as she comes off. My thoughts are echoing in my head as I book it up the stairs. The state of Izzy's apartment building is no surprise. I'd helped her back home when we met up for drinks. Girl's a riot, but goddamn she's a mess when she gets some drinks in. That's why I brought some beer with me tonight, maybe keep her cogent longer than if she's taking pulls out of a whiskey bottle. Of course, when I see the door swung open and loving Victoria in there with no sign of Izzy or Chloe or anyone else... well, I see red. It's like all of my suspicions have come together right here and now. I duck down to lower my center of gravity, charge forward, and tackle her to the ground. I shout, "Where are they, Victoria? Did you sell them out!?" I transition into an armbar, levering Victoria's arm into a painful hyperextension. I don't want to break it... yet, anyways, but I crank it a few times to let her know I'm serious. quote:
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May 19, 2020 18:14
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 Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 Here I am on my way to a meeting with, I guess, my clone sisters and all I can think about right now is how goddamn expensive New York is. But at least Izzy seems to have found something a bit more affordable, or at least I hope it’s affordable because that cinder block doesn’t exactly scream ‘dream apartment’. I mean, it’d fit Izzy’s style, insofar as she has one and it’s not just the way she lives, not that I’m judging. The palace where I live nowadays could be cleaner and nicer, too. I guess I’m a little nervous, because my mind’s racing round and round and I’m not thinking about the actual meeting with all the others, but, on the plus side, I’ve arrived. Those three flights of stairs went by as if they hadn’t been there. Wait, should I have brought something, like, takeout? Naw, I don’t know what everyone likes so I either would have had to bring something only for me or something for everyone, and then someone wouldn’t want something, I mean, vegan’s cool and all - point is, we can all order something later, together. Hm? Izzy’s door is open? I can understand the door downstairs, but that is super not safe. And in New York of all places! I step in and I’m about to close the door behind me but then I stop, because I’m actually taking in what I am seeing. The place is a mess, only more so than usual, I don’t think Izzy would leave actual broken bottles on the ground and… whoa, whoa, whoa, is that Alex and Victoria? Fighting? “Hey, hey, guys, what the gently caress?” I don’t even think about it, rush to their side and put a hand on Alex’s arm, feeling stupid after a second since I’m not actually doing anything - because I don’t know what I should be doing. “Stop it! Alex, let Victoria go! Just, just let her go and let’s talk about it, okay? Whatever is going on, just, just stop for a second, okay?” quote:
nil. fucked around with this message at 06:05 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 19, 2020 19:37
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 Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul +2 || Harm: 0/6 | Experience: 0/5 Golly, that's a lot of steps to take in 3-inch heels, but if it means getting to see the ringleader of this Herculean effort to unite so many of us clones, I can take it. Thankfully I have a friend-of-a-friend with an AirBnB not too far from here that I've been given a world-famous Doyle Deal on. The neighborhood I can do without, but the ambiance of being in the big city is just intoxicating. I'd arrived about a week before to do a little tourism and I'll tell you it's worth it for Times Square alone. Beautiful, truly breathtaking. Not as breathtaking as scaling three flights of stairs, though. I take a breath at the top while I'm sure all the other sisters are just waiting for me. I don't know why I brought a bottle of champagne and a melon arrangement--it's just my go-to for whatever party needs my company. That friend-of-a-friend doesn't have the same refined taste in edibles, but I found a little diamond in the rough--and I mean rough. Unfortunately, they're quickly set down as I hear a ruckus coming from her apartment. Sure enough, the three of them are quite literally at each other's throats, with our gracious hosts nowhere to be seen. What's worse is the place is a pigsty! "Oh no-no-no-no-no, we are not doing this right here right now--if you're going to wrestle at least take it outside so you don't--" I notice a prim vase trying desperately to tie the room together and take pause. I don't take Isabelle as the type for orchids, especially as a decorative statement. I'm sure in her care it would have drowned by now. I can't help it; I need to know. I walk toward the vase, watching my feet as I go, and carefully take hold of it. All this damage, yet this remains. It's symbolic of something, but I dunno what. quote:@Barbara-Ann Doyle (DMC), quote:
Double May Care fucked around with this message at 23:12 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 20, 2020 04:09
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Barbara-Ann The scrum in the room reminds you of your cousins growing up, but unlike Alex and Victoria, they all more or less grew out of it. You're still on that line of thought as you examine the vase. It's a tasteful arrangement, though all black orchids and holy ghosts makes you think it'd have more place at a funeral than a messy detective's apartment. But the fragment of something about the orchids clings to your memory as you hear Victoria, Alex, and Maxine bickering behind you. A half forgotten-memory. You're nine, or maybe ten. Your parents and your cousins' parents have to attend some sort of meeting so you're all left with a babysitter. She's a cousin, but older. 16, 17? Being ten year olds, the lot of you make things tough for her but she's tough, intimidating. She makes you settle down. She reads weird poetry and speaks with a lilting, sing-songy accent. Irish or Scottish or something like that, her hair a mess of curls. You hear a snippit of the poem she read to you, in her lilting voice. "They’re like a garden of orchids With soilless orphan roots Or their like thorny roses That gouges your heart" The next time you encounter the subject of your question, roll to Withstand Stress. Victoria Well, that's unexpected, isn't it? Whatever hold Alex has you in sure is unpleasant, but you get the sense that she could really hurt you from here if she wanted to. Between her and Maxine coming in and shouting at the both of you (though honestly, what did you even do?), you almost don't notice your phone, having skidded out of your purse across the floor as you were tackled, ringing and vibrating incessantly. You're sure the other clones will see it too, at any moment. Which makes you blanch because of the name lit up as the incoming caller. reGen. LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 14:29 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 20, 2020 14:26
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 Of course, Barb and Maxine don't get it. I don't know how I'm the only one that's put together that Victoria is like... in on it, but I did. Maybe because I'm not stuck up on believing anyone with the same face as me is trustworthy, I guess. Still, no use pissing everyone off. Yet. I'll do what I need to if this all shakes out like I think it did — and then a phone rings. It's not mine, doesn't sound like Izzy's ringtone... I scan the room for the phone and my eyes light up as I see it's Vicky's. I calculate the distance, especially given that I'm well in control of the grapple, and yeah. I can definitely snag it. Take a look who's calling, hell, maybe even have a short chat. It's not that hard to pretend to be some alternate me on the phone, right? I roll off of Vicky, a knee "accidentally" poking her in the kidney as I go to keep her down a bit longer, and I say, "Fine, fine. You got it, no fighting in the pigsty." A beat, as I swoop up the buzzing phone, "Gotta take this, seems important." It takes a moment before I hit accept on the call, as I focus on memorizing the name of the contact. ReGen? That sounds... possibly important. Or like whatever company she works for when she's not doing spy poo poo, either way. Still, I remember the cadence of Victoria's voice and some of the words she uses and hit accept. I only need to fool them long enough for something interesting to spill, after all, and how hard could that be? I put a finger to my lips as I look at Maxine and Barb, then put on my best attempt at Vicky's posh accent as I say, "This is Victoria." 'Faking It', 11 ⟵ [5, 3]2d6 + 1 + 1 + 1 A flawless impersonation.
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May 20, 2020 16:54
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 What has gotten into Alex? She's still not letting Victoria go or saying what this is about, and it's not even like she's angry or something, like her and Victoria got into a fight and she’s not thinking clearly. “Alex! Alex, come on!” She’s not listening! And now she’s… grabbing her phone? Is she calling the police or something? Wait, no, I’m losing it, she’s answering the phone so why would it be the police? Wait, no, no - that is not her phone! I put my hand on her shoulder and look her straight into the eyes, make her look back into mine. “Alex. Stop it. You were hurting her and what you’re doing right now is not cool.” I’m not sure I’m even getting anywhere, it’s not like Alex was listening to me earlier, though at least I think she’s not really… choking poor Victoria anymore? I try to soften the expression on my face, because I think that might be the way around Alex’s defenses right now. “I - I’m sure you have a reason for what you’re doing but it’s kinda hard to see right now, if you’re not telling me. We’re… all in this together so let’s just stop, calm down and talk, okay? I’m sure we can figure this out, whatever this is.” I squeeze her shoulder, and briefly look down at Victoria with worry. “Okay? For me?” quote:@Maxine Roth (nil), nil. fucked around with this message at 17:19 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 20, 2020 17:16
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 So there I was searching through Isabelle's already messy desk looking for who knows what when who should come charging in but everyone's favourite thug, Alex. Before I could even explain she was yelling about me kidnapping people and twisting my arm in a direction I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to go which was really really painful and then to complete the humiliation the rest of the clone squad comes piling in as well. I think I'm starting to miss being an only child already, And then to make matters worse I notice in the confusion that my phone has been ringing. poo poo, it's ReGen, they're the last people I want to talk to at the best of times and certainly not while a situation like this is going down. I reached for the phone before with what looked like malice afterthought Alex put an elbow in my stomach that left me doubled over in agony. By the time I'd recovered she'd already grabbed my phone. I thought about shouting a warning to whoever it was on the other end of the line. A request for help. But that would lead to some rather probing questions that I'd rather not answer about how long I'd known about this pod of clones and why I hadn't reported it formally before now. So I kept quiet for now as I climbed to my feet holding my stomach as I backed away from that maniac before she hit me again.
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May 20, 2020 18:23
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Alex Whoever it is on the other line is trained in better phone etiquette than Maxine, it seems, as they wait for your end of the line to quiet down before speaking. "Good evening Mrs. Carmichael, this is Cynthia from Dr. Castillo's office." The woman isn't reading off a script per se, but you can tell she's said basically the same thing dozens of times today given by the way she drones it out. You exchange basic pleasantries and then she gets to the heart of the matter. "I apologize for calling so late, but the reason for my call this evening is that your labwork came back from your recent visit and we've noticed some irregularities. Dr. Castillo was wondering if we could set a follow up appointment for you?"
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May 20, 2020 18:33
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 I hold my hand over the bottom of the phone and shush Maxine, though her weird mix of naivety and belief in this whole... sister thing, I guess, does resonate. Just a little though. I don't mind her or Barb or Izzy, but the rest has been a bit of a... y'know. Choosing to give Maxine +1 Bond from the Charm. As Cynthia gets down to brass tacks, I can't help but let a little concern come into my voice as I say, "Irregularities? What kind of irregularities? How urgent is this?" I mean, I don't get this whole clone thing, but if there's something wrong with Vicky, there's a chance that it's wrong with me too, right?
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May 20, 2020 18:38
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 I kind of give Alex the stink-eye because for a moment, it looks like she'll relent, but then she just keeps on using Victoria's phone. That's, like, a total invasion of privacy! "Not, cool, Alex!" I hiss that, but it sort of comes out lame, like I'm telling someone to stop being stupid and quit pulling some prank, but this is actually serious. Wait, irregularities? Is Victoria in financial trouble? That really sucks, I know that from experience, and Victoria especially would take that pretty hard. Or, like, medical irregularities? You totally shouldn't even listen in on that kind of private stuff, and you especially shouldn't pretend you are someone else and take their phone calls and hear something like that, that's terrible! I don't know what to do, I half want to snatch the phone out of Alex's hand, but instead I help Victoria up and give her a hug. Whatever is going on, Alex is being a total rear end right now and Victoria does not deserve this, so at least I can show her I'm there for her. @Maxine Roth (nil), 'Charm Victoria', 6 ⟵ [3, 1]2d6 + 2 +1 XP Oh, poo poo, did I grab Victoria where she's hurting? poo poo, poo poo? Where's Barbara anyway? Shouldn't she help calm things down? "Victoria, I'm sorry, are you okay?" I realize I spoke quiet enough so it wouldn't get picked up by the phone, and I don#t know exactly why, only that suddenly, I'm a bit ashamed. So I hold out my hand to Alex, hoping against hope she'll stop embarassing Victoria and listening to her extremely private stuff right in front of her, and give me the phone, so I can give it to Victoria.
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May 20, 2020 19:38
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul +2 || Harm: 0/6 | Experience: 0/5 Oh yes, I remember her. Makes me wonder what she was doing there anyway. But before I can think too hard about it, Alex is taking a call and making sure we're all quiet. She does remind me an awful lot of Jo, being the rough-and-tumble type. Yes, there are some clear parallels between my immediate family and this new cadre of cousins, and it might just help me maneuver this situation a bit easier. So, Maxine-Dolly, Alex-Jo, Victoria-Quinn? Which leaves two, of course. Two missing. Two I've barely met, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't know them if I saw them, right? I pick up the vase, take a step toward the huddled masses and whisper, "Maxine, you're doing fine, just take a breath. Same goes for you too, Victoria. Stress begets stress and panic makes more foes than friends--now why don't you have some cantaloupe out in the hall and relax until we're all ready to make proper introductions and start cooperating?" I keep looking at these orchids as I walk toward the door. Black orchids. For whatever reason, there's a memento mori in our missing sister's apartment. Our missing detective. Something--could be anything, really--is telling me her cover, or whatever the case may be, has been blown. Maybe we need to do a little detective work ourselves... or maybe it's simpler than that. Let's just do a little mental exercise. If I was Izzy, and the bad folks broke into my apartment, where would I be now? quote:@Barbara-Ann Doyle (DMC), Choosing to learn her general location.
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May 20, 2020 23:32
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Barbara-Ann The flowers are fresh, to your realtors' eye, and that tells you one thing: whoever was here before you was here recently. Given that Izzy was supposed to meet you here, had invited you all here, and didn't send any messages calling the meeting off or warning you all to stay away, it stands to reason that she probably isn't far away either. Besides, it doesn't feel like she'd ditch. Isabelle might be a trash fire of a person but if there's one thing that's admirable about her it's how stubborn she seems to be. Like a drunk mule. If she had to disappear she wouldn't get far, and if she's been taken somewhere it's doubtless close. She's in Brooklyn still, you can feel it in your bones. Given how fresh the orchids are, you'd estimate like...twenty minutes away, somewhere. And you'd imagine out of the ghetto and somewhere cleaner. Sterile. Maybe it's the phone call Alex intercepted but something says medical instruments to you. Alex Cynthia doesn't sigh audibly but you hear it in her voice as she answers you. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Carmichael, but I'm not a medical professional, I'm not authorized to discuss that information. We do have an appointment available tomorrow though, and I'm sure Dr. Castillo would be more than able to explain it to you." Her tone doesn't sound so much like a question, but almost a plea, as in "please just schedule so I can go home." Maxine It's sudden, but while Barbara-Ann is ushering you and Victoria out into the hall you cough violently for about twenty seconds. You can taste blood on your tongue, though thankfully not enough to end up in your hands. LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 15:00 on May 21, 2020 |
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May 21, 2020 14:43
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 I look down at Vicky, though my heart sinks a bit at that cough from Maxine. That's bad, right? Irregular, maybe? The sort of thing you'd get tested for? If this is a sister thing, am I going to get messed up too? I mean, maybe not right? I'm basically on the fitness regimen from hell. If I had some sort of respitory junk, DeMarco and the team would have... told me. Right? Or is this them at work? Ah, gently caress, are they testing treatments in those supplements I keep getting? loving conspiracy bullshit. The world used to make so much more sense. I say, still looking at Vicky, "Tomorrow. Yeah, that works. What time?" Tricky fucked around with this message at 16:30 on May 21, 2020 |
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May 21, 2020 16:26
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 I am not letting myself be sweet talked by Barbara into letting this just go, I mean, I know Barbara means well, but this is not something where we just need to calm down, smile, and just take things as they are. Well, Alex needs to calm down and stop that serious invasion of privacy poo poo she’s doing to Victoria, but I don’t need to calm down. Love you, Barbara, but if you don’t stand up to garbage like this and just smile and let it happen to you - well maybe you didn’t have any loving overly-hormonal assholes with boundary issues in your life, and I’m not letting myself be told what to do, that I’m just being difficult and… I’m, I’m getting a little short of breath, don’t get that angry, Maxine. I almost let loose on Alex, because right now there’s some really hurtful words in my head, things I couldn’t really take back. And that’s what keeps me from saying them, because I know I wouldn’t actually mean them, it’s just that I’m mad and frustrated right now. So I just need to calm down for a second, breathe through my nose and… Oh jeeze, that’s a really bad cough, that hasn’t really happened before. I can’t stop coughing, just can’t, and actually bend over, and my chest is hurting, and I have this horrifying picture in my head of puking up blood. “Oh, oh gently caress.” It stopped, how long was that, like, a minute? Did I just cough for a straight minute? I can see stars, oh jeeze. Am I sick? I can’t be sick, do you know how much a trip to the doctor costs? I don’t have that kind of money now that I’m unemployed! No, no, it’ll be fine, I’ll just catch my breath. I’m still bent over, hands on my knees. “I think I might have caught something, guys. Or, is there something in the air? Maybe I’m allergic to something? Did Izzy have a cat or something?” Just concentrate on breathing for now, there, that’s not so hard. I’ll just sit down in this dirty-looking comfy chair for now, for a moment.
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May 21, 2020 17:03
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 Irregularities? What kind of irregularities? I searched my consistence I was almost certainly guilty of something but if I was in trouble for hiding a pod of clones they would have dragged me in for a nice session with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. Maybe my boss was joking when he promised that if I screwed up that badly again. I think he was joking, probably. And now they wanted to see me tomorrow maybe the death squads were all on holiday and it'd be much more efficient if I walked into my execution and.. I was too busy worrying about my own fate that I barely resisted when Maxine had gently but firmly lead me out into the hall. And then doubled over in a coughing fit. That didn't sound healthy at all. I glanced around nervously, I'd picked up a bit of first aid training here and there but I was by no means a doctor. "Umm, can I get you a glass of water. Maybe some painkillers or something. Isabelle has to have some somewhere she couldn't live entirely off cheap whiskey could she?" I was mortified to realise I'd babbled that last part out loud in my panic. quote:@Victoria Carmichael (Ferrosol),
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May 21, 2020 23:48
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul +2 || Harm: 0/6 | Experience: 0/5 Well, that makes as much sense as anything else right now. If I had to hazard a guess, she's been kidnapped and taken somewhere with... medical instruments... Speaking of medical, turns out Maxine caught a real nasty coughing fit and Victoria's doing her very best to help her. Before Maxine assuredly snaps at her and blows Alex's cover, I place a hand on Victoria's shoulder and direct my other hand down the hall. "Why don't you go pick up that arrangement there before any of those New York pizza rats get to it, hmm? I'm sure Alex will be back with your phone in just a moment." I gently push to separate the two--Maxine strikes me as the kind who needs space to recover from heated emotions. Both hands now pressed on the back of Victoria's shoulders, I sing a little ditty to the tune of "And who, may I ask, called you just now? And what do you think they'd want with dear Isabelle?"
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May 22, 2020 00:15
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 There, the cough is gone, I’m fine now, right? I can stand up straight again and my chest isn’t hurting that much anymore. Maybe it’s because I actually ended up in the hall after all? Aw, Victoria, that’s actually really nice. “A... a glass of water would be nice. But, uh, what about your phone? Alex is still on it and - I thought you would be more upset. I’d be upset.” I furrow my brow. “Is something going on? I heard something about irregularities and… but I shouldn’t pry, especially now. But if you want to talk…” I don’t know if it was the coughing or Victoria trying to be nice, or no, actually being nice, but I’m suddenly not that mad anymore. Not that what Alex is doing is in any way okay now! Still, I look at Victoria and Barbara. They seem to be okay with Alex hijacking Victoria’s phone, so maybe they know something I don’t? “Uhm, do you two know what is going on? I just walked in and saw Alex and you fighting. Where are Izzy and Chloe? And, uh, Barbara-Ann, unless I missed something, I don’t think whoever is on Victoria’s phone called because they expected Izzy to pick up, but Victoria.”
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May 22, 2020 12:31
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Maxine Sure, Victoria's always been nice to you. But there's a difference between her normal stand-offish respect and her trying to mother hen you like Barbara-Ann does with everybody, right? And the phone call is suspicious. What if Victoria knew about these irregularities and what if it has something to do with you, too? Could it be Alex is right? Maybe it was good she ended up with the phone instead? Alex With a sort of weary gratitude in her voice, Cynthia offers you a number of available appointments. Once everything's confirmed and she and you have hung up, you realize everyone else has wandered out into the hallway. Maybe you ought to catch up? Then again, it's clear Victoria is still keeping secrets so maybe you ought to keep some of your own - there could still be a clue to helping Izzy here that the others didn't see, right?
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May 22, 2020 13:20
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 Almost on autopilot, I slip Vicky's phone into a pocket. My mind's still spinning about this whole irregularity thing and, well, that's going to be a real conversation with our dear snake. I don't like the vibe I'm getting off that call. I'd want to follow up on it myself, but I don't think it'd be as easy to pretend to be her at some sort of weird science doctor visit where they're taking measurements and whatnot. I don't think I could explain how 'I' went from looking like a limp noodle to having a six-pack and being in peak condition. Especially if they're expecting... irregularities. Still, there's more to it than that. Just that, anyways. Izzy and Chloe are still missing. I look around the room, starting to rifle through some of the mess to see if our dear unknown party left something behind. There's always a chance, right? You could lose a kid in some of these piles of stuff. Plus, if I find something, that'll probably distract Maxine a bit while I get the story about this whole irregularity business straight from Vicky. 'figuring it out with unexpected insight', 7 ⟵ [3, 2]2d6 + 2 What here can I use to find Izzy?
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May 22, 2020 14:48
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 Well, it's true that even though Victoria is usually pretty nice to me, she does it in her own way. With a kind of pride and self-assuredness I sort of envy her for sometimes? So, yeah, how she's behavig right now is different, but also, I haven't known her for that long and I haven't been having this kind of serious cough, like, ever. Anyway, I am not judging anyone before someone starts telling me what is going on here, or at least, their version of what's going on, though now that's starting to sound really paranoid to me. And sure I'm curious what that phone call to Victoria is all about, but it's because it sounds like she might be in trouble, maybe. Or maybe it's nothing. It sure as hell doesn't give Alex the right to practically steal the information from Victoria. No, not even steal, beat the information out of Victoria. Okay, yes,Victoria is also not saying anything about what is going on and Barbara-Ann is focused on those flowers for whatever reason... did she come here high or something?
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May 24, 2020 14:38
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 2/5 "At least someone's being reasonable." I muttered as I went and grabbed a glass of water before handing it to Maxine "If someone would have let me finish I could have explained sooner." I said bitterly. "I turned up and found the apartment like this and no sign of Isabelle and Chloe. Then some dumb idiot charged in and started beating me up and stealing my phone." Turning back to Barbara-Ann, "I think it might have been my boss." going on I added "I don't know what he'd want, but I doubt it's anything good. The people I work for are not nice people but kidnapping Isabelle for what she might know seems a bit extreme to me." I speculated. Besides if they wanted her they'd surely be coming for me next. Should I warn them to get away? While I'd be happy to see Alex get what's coming to her I don't think Maxine or Barbara-Ann deserved that. "If they know about Isabelle and they know about my contact with her then that means they might come for me next. We should get out of here while we can." "Assuming you're ok to move?" I asked looking speculatively at Maxine.
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May 27, 2020 23:39
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 “Oh, thanks, Victoria.” You know, some people talk all about these healthy drinks and I mean, I like a good smoothie as much as the next health-conscious girl, but sometimes a glass of water is just the thing you need. “Explained what, Victoria?” I kind of feel like Victoria or Barbara look at me when I say that, like I should get with the program or something, or maybe that is actually just me. Because something is off here, and pretending there isn’t is not a great look. So, work it out, Maxine. The apartment looks like a mess, more than what you’d expect from a person that is kind of a mess, and Chloe and Izzy are nowhere to be seen so… someone broke in? Or at least Alex might have thought someone broke in, and that this someone might have been Victoria? I mean, that doesn’t make much sense to me, but maybe it made sense to Alex in the moment. Wait, now Victoria is talking about someone kidnapping Izzy? About someone coming for her next?! My eyes might be bugging out at all this for just a moment, I’m not sure. I have no idea whether Victoria is having a mental breakdown with all this poo poo or not - she doesn’t look like it. But then, it’s Victoria. “Oh, Victoria.” And then I have put my arms around her and I’m giving her a hug because even if she’s wrong, I can tell that her anxiety is real, and I know all about that. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out, okay?” quote:@Maxine Roth (nil), nil. fucked around with this message at 18:12 on May 28, 2020 |
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May 28, 2020 17:12
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Alex The place definitely looks...well, not turned over so much as tossed. Probably Izzy put up a fight and sort of smashed the place up, but whoever it was who came after her, they weren't really looking for anything else. Except her computer which is also missing. But, you do find something interesting: in her desk there are a number of ticket stubs, all to the same place, called Syzygy, which you'd assume is some sort of roving event given that the address looks different every time. That wouldn't jump out at you normally, Izzy is nothing if not a predictable slummer. But the act she was seeing sure catches your eye: a solo artist, the same one every time, by the name of Selene. The last ticket was dated two nights ago, apparently as part of some week-long festival. So, if it was in the same place, that might be a lead to...well, something?
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May 28, 2020 18:15
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul +2 || Harm: 0/6 | Experience: 0/5 "Well!" I say, clasping my hands like I've won an award--and I have today by finally getting to meet my dear distant cousins. "I think we ought to give them a visit and see about getting Isabelle--and perhaps Chloe as well, I have a good feeling she's mixed up in this too--getting them back in here so they can clean up. This is no way to greet company. Maybe not tonight, of course, but soon!" I peek back toward the desk where Alex is groping around and say, "It's probably a good idea to hightail it before my little centerpiece gets too warm. No one likes dry watermelon!" Back to the other girls I continue, "We can find some other place to lay low--ooh, 'lay low,' it's a thriller already! Victoria, how's your place? Fit for four?"
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May 28, 2020 23:43
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 I grab the last ticket from the pile. I still need to figure out how much Vicky knows before we start planning a daring rescue or go catch a show... and it seems like Barb's on the same page. I say, "Yeah, can't imagine that'd make for good eats." As I clear out of the apartment and rejoin the scrum in the hallway, I reluctantly hand Vicky back her phone. I say, "So, found out a couple of things. Vicky, that doc from your place wanted to talk about your last bloodwork. Something about irregularities. Any idea what that's about? Is it an us thing, or a you thing? Lot of questions that need answering, but you've got an appointment tomorrow morning to figure it out." A sigh as I think back to Maxine's coughing fit. That sounded really bad. "And there's a music festival in town that Izzy's been following. Not sure what's there she's interested in, but a name keeps popping up: Selene. Might be one of us, might not... but I'm getting a feeling it's important."
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May 29, 2020 03:21
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 I furrow my brow at Barbara - is she high? Okay, so, that’s kind of how she usually is but normally it’s actually really endearing and a bit quirky, but right now it’s, like, what is she talking about? Usually her mannerisms are charming, but, in just this moment it’s as if grandma has suddenly gone senile at the family meeting and is talking nonsense. But, no, no, that’s a lovely way of thinking for me, it’s probably that I’m anxious and she’s anxious too, and she deals with that by being like that and I guess maybe I have difficulty figuring out what everyone means because of the anxiety. Ugh, I’m giving myself a headache. Or maybe that was the cough from earlier? “Uh, Barbara-Ann, if you’re talking about visiting Victoria’s company…” I glance at Victoria with an eyebrow raised, hoping I got that right, it’s kinda confusing what exactly is going on there. “...you think Izzy and Chloe are there? Why would they be there? Did I miss something? And also, well, Victoria, you said it wouldn’t be a good idea if they saw all of us in one place, or, like, at all? Right?” I cock my head at her. “I want to know why too, sure, but that can wait. But, tell everyone later, okay?” What kind of people is Victoria working for that she’s scared? Alex joins us and at least gives the phone back to Victoria, even though that still does not make it okay what she did, but it’s a start. “Alex, now, it’s good you handed back the phone and I know that you’re probably anxious with the talk of ‘irregularities’ - I mean, Chloe asked me about visits to the doctor when I was growing up, I don’t know if she asked you that too, but the point is, I get it. But, it’s still lovely that you, like, beat up Victoria, stole her phone and then impersonated her to steal her private information.” My hands gesticulate as if on their own, as if trying to encompass the whole thing Alex did. “That’s, like, some schoolyard bully poo poo mixed with Facebook privacy invasion. Come on, Alex.” I put a hand onto her shoulder, and give her a look meant to be encouraging. “You’re better than that.” “Also, not to be all obvious, but everyone is thinking that… something happened to Chloe and Izzy, right? That they didn’t just… forget about our meetup?” I look around at each of the faces in our little group, hoping what I am saying is not true. Poor Chloe and Izzy. “And, I know, ACAB and all, but, well, before we follow clues on a little slip of paper like we’re in a Humphrey Bogart movie, but shouldn’t we think about talking to the police? I mean… Izzy and Chloe are good-looking white women so they’ll actually do something …you know?” Am I making any sense? Am I the only one making sense or none at all? This is all so weird.
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May 29, 2020 16:05
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 2/5 I quickly snatched my phone back out of Alex's hand. It was my brand new I-Phone 6 and I wasn't letting her damage it that was the last thing I needed to make a terrible evening even worse. For a moment when Alex was talking I felt relief, It was only my doctor and not something worse. But irregularities that didn't sound good. That didn't sound good at all. "I don't know, no one ever mentioned anything, They did tell me that I'm sterile, some sort of side effect of the cloning process so that likely applies to all of you, but nothing about blood." Although I now found myself looking at Maxine. Could that bloody cough of hers be a sign of the same thing? "Well I might have overreacted about it being something to do with my bosses but it's probably best to be overly paranoid at this point." I said to Maxine and Barbara-Ann, "I really wouldn't report it to the police. They're the kind of people who own the police. Inconvenient investigations could just.. go away. " frowning I though on, "We could go to my place, but if they've been following me, then they'll know all about you, and my husband is due back from his business trip soon, if he walks in on 3 people that look suspiciously like me he might have some questions that I really don't want to answer."
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May 29, 2020 23:10
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 Wait, what? Nevermind all the paranoia going around, did Victoria just say sterile? As in, can’t get any kids?Not that I’m planning on having any kids right now, I mean, some days it feels like I can barely manage to take care of myself, but… Am I gonna go all crazy once I get closer to 40 when my biological clock goes loving nuts or something? “Uh, sterile?” Really eloquent, Maxine. “Thanks for... telling us, Victoria…?” I should get a hold of myself, seriously. For one thing, Victoria really seems to be in a paranoid headspace, it’s all ‘they might be watching us’ and ‘they own the police’ and if it was someone else, I’d half expect they recently got into too deep in the wrong part of the internet, but Victoria? No, she’s more self possessed, no way would she let others change the way she thinks just like that. Which means that this whole thing, this paranoia - it’s something she has lived with for a long time. What must that be like? I can’t really imagine, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m the idiot here. “No, seriously, Victoria.” I take her hand into mine and smile. “Thanks.” quote:@Maxine Roth (nil),
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May 31, 2020 16:52
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 2/5 "Umm, your welcome," I said awkwardly unsure what she was thanking me for but pleased with the thanks nonetheless.. "Still we better get moving soon. If someone has called the cops or something they could be on their way now." They're swayed by your charm, and you gain 1 Bond on them (they can't pick this option if you already have 3 Bonds on them).
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Jun 4, 2020 21:07
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +2 | Soul +1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 1/5 Well, Victoria is still all about not calling the cops, and I guess that she’s right insofar that someone else might have contacted them already and it’s not like the four of us could tell the cops much. I mean, we know some stuff, maybe, but it’s not stuff we can tell them, you know? Clone stuff? Maybe we can, like, leave an anonymous tip later on or something. Though now that I think about it that sounds like detective fiction noir stuff, must be because of what Alex said about running off after some vague clue on a piece of paper. Though to be honest, if Chloe and Izzy weren’t missing, that’d sound pretty cool actually… Okay, get your head in the game, Maxine. Right, so, Alex has found that slip of paper but there’s something going on with Alex, I mean, she just went off on Victoria and she still hasn’t really told us why, so… Point is, maybe I should look at Izzy’s apartment myself? Because, well, we all have our own perspective, and especially when you’re angry you only notice certain stuff. That’s what I think, anyway. “Uh, sure, Victoria, we’ll be going in just a moment, but gimme a sec, okay? Also, one of us should go with you, Alex, right? I could, but, again, just a sec.” I step towards the still-ajar door to Izzy’s living space, then stop in my tracks just before I touch the doorknob. “Uh. Quick question. Since we’re all, you know… do we all have the same fingerprints?” Better not risk it. So I open the door with the tip of my shoes instead of my hand and take a look around the place. Yeah, okay, this looks messy in a way where someone was going through this stuff, not messy in a way where you don’t clean up after yourself or even being angry and throwing stuff around. Is there something I’m missing here? Maybe Izzy has, like, a webcam or some flash drive or stuff like that? That’d be here type of thing, right? quote:@Maxine Roth (nil), nil. fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Jun 12, 2020 |
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Jun 11, 2020 18:10
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Flesh -1 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul +2 || Harm: 0/6 | Experience: 0/5 "Ohh, you have a husband!" I take a peek into Isabelle's apartment while Maxine turns it over one last time. "Look, I just got a feeling that the phone call and the disappearance have something in common. Call it a gut feeling; there's only so many places to keep one of us and a medical facility is among them. Lord knows they've got plenty of those." I turn to Victoria, take both her hands and give them a little shake. "If you're worried about your husband, we can hole up at my place instead; my friend ought not be checking in on me til late in the afternoon and we can find a more long-term solution by then. Point is, if this is how whoever's-behind-this is gonna treat us, I'd rather we were together--keep an eye out and take care of each other." Oh dip, I need to call my more-immediate family. I'd hate if they were in danger too. "Look, I'll be honest, there are at least three more of us where I came from and I wouldn't want nothing happening to them either, so if we're getting mixed into this, we're doing it together. So Alex, I'll tell you now to save us all the trouble. If you're going to this concert, one of us comes too, at the very least. And if not all of us, then just the one. The other two," I pull out my AirBnB key, with the gaudy Times Square souvenir keychain. "Can start pulling out the hide-a-bed at my temporary abode. Preferably me, but I'd trust any and all of you to keep each other safe." I curtsy just a bit to Victoria. "That's what sisters need to do."
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Jun 11, 2020 23:09
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 14:35 |
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Flesh +2 | Thought +1 | Breath +1 | Soul -1 || Harm 0/6 | Experience 0/5 I scratch the back of my neck as Barb and Maxine volun-tell me that I need a chaperone. Weird flex, but okay. They can come with as long as they can keep up. I say, "Okay, well, let's think of it this way: If Izzy was investigating another one of us, it's going to start getting real weird when a bunch of people with the same face start showing up. Once or twice is easy enough to overlook, but four of us and a possible fifth?" I meet their gazes, "There's some loving shenanigans afoot. Vicky has her end of things, obviously, but you don't get something this big and weird with just one corporation. We can't trust anyone outside this circle, and no secret I still have reservations about Vicky. So maybe Barb and Vicky get things sorted out at her place and I check out the concert with Maxine. Tomorrow we look into ReGen, see if Barb's hunch is on the money. Deal?"
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Jun 11, 2020 23:25
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