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Sorry, I can post here today; soooo many threads!
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Lynn looked down at the register, shrugged and sighed as she paraphrased the final line of Chinatown. "Forget it, Jake. it's retail." Then she nodded and wearily smiled. "You two have a nice night." - - - Looking back on it later, Lynn could be happy the store was empty of customers; that was the only good thing. It was late, and it had been a bizarre day; destruction of property, a young thief caught and a huge sale for Kiki, followed by several hours of inactivity, led to a trio of dulled minds. The three booksellers were lazily straightening shelves and wiping down tables when they heard the gunning of an engine and the squeal of tires. Kiki looked up near the bar, and Gretchen frowned quizzically as she took a step towards the front window. "What the hell...?" The hairs on the back of Lynn's neck stood up as all her instincts screamed. "Gretch, don't-" BRAAAAAAATTTTT! The big window shattered, sending shards of glass flying through the air as the bullets ripped through the store. Lynn heard Gretchen scream. BRAAAAAAATTTTT! BRAAAAAAATTTTT! Shredded books flew off the shelves as more glass tinkled and wood splinters showered down; suddenly Lynn could move again as she deftly leaped across the room to grab the young barista and pull her to the floor. "Get down, stay down!" There was a silence for a few seconds, and the changeling could actually feel every bullet that had ripped through the store, her store, the place where she felt safe. Never again. Then there was a soft thud as a small lump of metal plopped into the middle of the floor. "S###!" She curled reflexively around Gretchen just before a thunderclap BOOMED indoors, popping everyone's eardrums and driving hot spikes of metal through their arms and legs; the faerie's sharp ears made her particularly vulnerable to this sort of attack. The front door burst open and there was a tramp of feet, making a beeline for her office. The scroll. The cursed scroll! She sent her eyes to the back of the store, hulking figures behind the desk, fiddling with something- BLAM! And now it was Lynn's turned to scream; they'd blown the door clear off its hinges, and the pain was almost unbearable, but she refused to let herself pass out. No, no, do NOT black out! You have to protect your kids! They had what they needed; she lost a few seconds as she tried to lock down the pain, but it was too late. They were gone. Lifting her head up, she felt her arms were sticky with blood. "Oh no..." She pulled back, and saw Gretchen's blood was everywhere. A gut wound; holy s###, a gut wound. The fae tore her eyes away from the sight as she refocused. "Kiki?! Kiki, where are you?!" Lynn's senses raced throughout the store until she spotted her assistant manager, partially trapped but still moving. "S###, s###, s##!" She leaned down and whispered in Gretchen's ear. "Gretchen! Gretchen, can you hear me? C'mon, honey, wake up!" The young barista's eyes rolled blearily open. "Hey. Hey, they broke the windows; that ain't right!" Lynn conjured up a handful of thick soft gauze that she put into the injured girl's hands as she cradled her in her lap. "Gretch, can you take this and hold it to your belly? It's important that you do this, okay?" Gretchen nodded like her head was on a loose spring. "Sure, sure; I gotcher back, Jack! We got this." Her fingers carefully wrapped around the wad of gauze like it was something precious. "Good, great, you're the best, kid!" She furiously wiped the blood on her hands onto her jeans, then dug out her smartphone and dialed 911. "Hello, I'd like to report a shooting, at Silberman's Books in the West End, at the corner of Pratt and Frederick! Two people have been shot!" She pulled the phone away from her face and yelled, "Kiki, stay with me! I'll be right there, okay?"
- 48 replies
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- foreshadow ii
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Casey poked her head around the corner, a big grin on her face as she spoke in loud stage whisper. "Pssst! I'm here to help you escape Mad Science class!" She peered around nervously and adjusted the glasses on her nose. "Cmon, let's go; I've got two cartons of cigarettes to bride the guards, and I made a shiv in metal shop!" The blonde teen practically bounced into the lab, clearly in a good and silly mood, and happy to see her friends. "Hi guys; what are you working on?" Se peered down at the radio set-to-be and whistled. "Ooh, wires! Fun!" As usual, her hair was up and glasses on in her 'civilian' identity; she wore an old Earth Day t-shirt under a khaki photographer's vest, boyfriend cut jeans and Teva sandals, which revealed her cute pink toenails. She shifted her hemp shoulder bag and indicated the doorway with a jerk of her head "Seriously, I'm starving; shocking, I know."
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Lynn listened as Serge relayed what he'd find; mostly it would be considered 'circumstantial evidence' if you tried to pin it on Namazu, if even that, so they definitely didn't have a smoking gun. "I haven't talked to her yet, but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon; 'Lynn Epstein' was planning to stay for a whole week, so that's what my return ticket says." She looked over at Gretchen, who was helping to clean up after the seder, and her voice got low and a bit menacing. "I'm gonna stay as long as it takes to find out what happened, and they can't really find me if I don't want to be found." Then her tone brightened a bit. "I don't think Mr. Black and White is a local, though I could be wrong; the way he got all up in Kashima's face really seemed pretty New Jersey to me." She rubbed her face, feeling the fatigue of the day setting in. "I don't know how to reach him, do you? I mean, I could always put a giant billboard on top of a building, but then they'd kinda know we're still here. You're a smart guy, can you think of anything?"
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Initiative for Grim: 1d20+12=31
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Initiative for Miracle Girl: 1d20+9=29 Whee!
- 79 replies
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- insert team name here
- errant
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Casey did not like to be 'that girl', the bitchy complaining type who gave girls a bad name, but after the third time of pulling the van back onto the road, she rolled her eyes and got a bit snarky. "Look, should I just pick you all up and fly the van over?" Luckily it looked like they were finally ready to begin. She landed on the grass next to Endeavor and Samaritan, wiping her hands off on the legs of her pants. "As ready as we'll ever be; at least out here, we can limit any casualties to...well, us." The blonde powerhouse did a few stretches to limber up, unsure just how nasty this was going to get, but ready to do whatever it took.
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Lynn nodded as she headed back out into her office. "Gotcha, what you like? I've got this fantastic challah bread that makes-" She suddenly froze in her tracks; when things were unsettled in the store, she had a habit of occasionally sending her senses around for a scan, shifting her gaze from her eyes to an number of conjured objects placed around the building. One of her favorites was the sculpted Medusa head over the front door, and this time it once again produced results. The store owner ran back into the main sales floor. "Hey, I just found my missing doppelganger, and it looks like she's got a well-dressed psycho on her six!" She flicked her left hand, and wicked claws of jet-black shadow formed at the tips of her fingers as she ran to the front door, quickly unlocked it and flung it open, a huge and rather scary grin on her face. "Hi, welcome back, and get your ass inside!"
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Notice check for Grim 1d20+15=26
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Casey shrugged. "Me, I'm outdoor girl; if it's outside, I'm there. I like boats, too. But I also like playing board games, reading; I really want to work on the school paper, but i don't know if there actually is one. Heck, I'll start one if I have to!" She sat up straight and squared her shoulders. "'Casey Blankensip, editor-in-chief!'" She nodded in satisfaction. "Got a nice ring to it, don't it? Might have to get working on that." The blonde ate in silence for a bit, then nodded slowly. "I think we should build something, like a community project? I did lots of that stuff with the Scouts; repairing bridges and walkways at state parks, replacing old unsafe playground equipment..." Then an idea struck her, and her eyes got big. "We could build a spaceship! Not like a real one, but one like they used to have in old playgrounds, you know? With ladders and rope bridges and slides; we could design it together and build it! What do you think?"
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- miracle girl
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The house looked like something out of a Stephen King novel, which made sense; this whole place felt like it was drenched in Gothic overtones. As they got closer, a wave of violent nausea swept over Lynn, and she doubled over and threw up her coffee all over her boots. When she looked up, she saw...him! "What the f###...did you guys see that? That was-" But then she held up her hands and shook her head. "Wait a sec. There are things that look other things; heck, I'm a thing that looks like other things!" The changeling turned to look at Cerys. "There are names for them, right? Doppelgangers, fetches, that sort of thing?" She reached out and pointed towards the woods. "Because I know I didn't just see my late husband walk into those trees, right? Right? 'Cause that would be highly unlikely."
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Lynn held up her hands and shook her head. "No, by all means throw it in Mount Doom; I never want to see the thing again!" She scooped up her belongings and began to stuff them back in her pockets. "S'alright, I know when to take things personally and when not to; your boys were just doing their job. No harm, no foul." She sighed and shook her head. "I guess this is as close as I get to closure on this whole..." She frowned and waved a hand vaguely in the air. "Sad, sorry tale; I will choose to remember the good side of Dok, even if it was just an illusion. After all, I'm a faerie-" The changeling held out her hand, and an orate Bavarian cuckoo clock appeared there. "I know all about make-believe." She smiled sadly and closed her hand over the tiny marvel, which turned to vapor and slipped through her fingers. "No, I guess I'm good to go, unless you need anything else from me." The bookseller got to her feet and indicated her business card with a nod, sitting on the edge of the desk. "Keep it and give me a call if you need me; madman he might have been, but at least his legacy lives on, and that's something I can still respect and believe in."
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Casey scoffed playfully. "Are you kidding me? I'm always ready for a sleepover!" Once they were outside the office, she leaned in to whisper, "I'll just be a millisecond." - - - A few minutes later, the two Claremonters alighted on the roof by the sign, joining their classmates who were already there; Miracle Girl's hair flowed freely in the breeze, and a soft golden glow surrounded her, fading slightly as she landed. "Hi Nevermore, and...friend! So, do we have any idea where do find our insectile menace?" She frowned. "Actually, I don't think that's a real word; anyway, what do we have to work with right now? Do we have an address for the two boys?"
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- endeavour
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Okay, so I'm assuming any bookcases would have a Toughness of 3, as they're made of wood, possibly a bad idea :p Toughness save: 1d20+3=22 Not bad at all! Still might hurt a s###-ton, though. If I'm doing Feedback wrong, let me know; might have to blow an HP to overcome this, but hopefully I can earn some more later in the thread! Edit: Thinking it over, basically a shotgon's breaching round would reveal the doorknob, or maybe even a regular shot cartridge, so I think that's about what she'd be saving against IMHO.
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You savage, you shot them both; that's awesome! A few things: 1. At this point in history, Gretchen didn't know Lynn was inhuman but was starting to suspect, though Kiki already knew. We can play with this concept since both probably going into shock. 2. As seen earlier in the thread, the door to the 'Restricted Section' is blocked with glamour, though baddies might just think it's a false panel, or they think it's magic and don't bat an eye. Either way, they probably have to blow the door, which I am totally fine with! 3. Lynn has the Feedback flaw linked to her glamour, which means she is probably ALSO in pain, though it's mental and temporary; I will happily roll for it. 4. Awesome posts!
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Casey had to time to quickly send <"Yep, she's my roomie!"> before Vicki broke contact; the sensation of going from very intimate contact to the loud shared space of the cafeteria threw her for a few seconds, like having a phone call broken off in mid-sentence. And then all it took was seeing her friend Saku climb out of her clothes that messed with her head. "Uh, yeah, she does stuff like that from time to time; both the talking in odd new words and demonstrating cool inventions." She grinned and shook her head as she returned to her food, happy for a socially acceptable excuse to get back to eating; after a few more bites, she looked thoughtful. "Hey, what if we made a chain of people holding hands, all part of the same conversation; maybe with practice you could do something like that?" Then another thought struck her, and she leaned forward and lowered her voice. 'And actually, I'm fast enough to change outfits right in the middle of this room; of course, not knowing what other people's powers are means..." She peered over her shoulder at the nearest table of boys. "You never know who's watching!"
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resource Hero Factory -- Translated!
Heritage replied to Mad Scientist's topic in Character Building
Fantastic work, MS! -
Older generations were frequently dismissive of millennials; they called them self-involved, cynical and overly-dependant on their parents, among other things. Watching her young employee Gretchen, a conjured hardhat on her head, working her ass off for hours with no compensation, Lynn realized how wrong they were; this girl, normally so snarky and flippant, had a core of inner strength that not even the changeling had suspected was there, and it made her pixie heart swell with pride. Not one complaint, no eye-rolling, just quiet commitment and even the occasional fleeting shared smile. We are Freedom. In the evening, the pair returned to the shelter for the second seder; it was traditional for Jews not living in Israel to celebrate holidays two days in a row, and Ben insisted that this might be the most important seder his family would ever share. Substitutions would have to be made, for like the Jews of Egypt they had to flee from danger with short notice; paper plates for china, plastic cups for wine glasses and so on. Sarah had managed to grab a box of matzo and ten year old Cara saved a bottle of kosher wine. They set up their improvised seder table in a corner of the gym, and invited any of their neighbors to join them if they chose; none of the Japanese citizens had seen a seder, and they followed the rituals of the haggadah with respectful awe. When it came time to drop the ten drops of wine on their plates, one for the blood of the Egyptians spilled during each of the ten plagues, Ben added something new. "And this is for the blood of the people of Sapporo, tragically spilled on this holiest of days." He poured a great quantity of wine on his plate, and the others followed suit; as the deep red spread over the stark white, all who were present were visibly moved. After the seder meal was over and Sarah had passed out all the rest of the matzo to their curious neighbors, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the Prime Minister speak on the digital scoreboard, with Lynn providing translation for the other Epsteins and Gretchen. When it was over, her young assistant scowled. "I call shenanigans." "I call bull####; if this guy Kashima was in any way involved with the quake, that's like putting the Mafia in charge of a crime scene." "Pretty much, yeah." Lynn pulled out her phone and called Serge. "I don't care what the PM says, I'm not leaving; if need be, I'll make myself look like a local and keep at it." "Me, too; except for the part about turning Japanese, I can't do that." She smiled faintly. "So that's what that song is about..." Lynn smiled at Gretchen's little joke, then Serge picked up. "Hey dude, it's Lynn; are you seeing this bs on TV? I smell massive cover-up."
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You can set your preferences so that you automatically follow any thread you post in; I'd recommend doing that.
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- brigandine
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I assume the date of the PM's announcement is April 4th, not May 4th? ;)
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I'm going to go ahead and trim the end of my last post; it sounds like the PCs won't really have a chance to talk before the Prime Minister's speech, and with that kind of devastation, Grim should be a lot less chipper.
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Lynn nodded. "Oh yeah, they had dirigibles; mostly luxury craft, trans-Atlantic flights, that kinda thing. Lovely way to fly, very Orient Express." Then she smiled and stretched out her arms, like she just woke up from a nap. "Yeah, piloting's alright, but for me personally..?" Suddenly there was sharp inrush of air, and Lynn Epstein collapsed in on herself like an airbag in reverse; there in her place on the chair stood a tiny pixie, about a foot high. Her features were clearly similar to Big Lynn, though her face was more elfin and her short hair was reddish-brown and spikey. Her two pairs of long gossamer wings buzzed and she took to the air like a toy helicopter. "This is the only way to fly!" She flew a quick circuit around the room, including an impressive loop de loop before returning to full size in her chair with a loud 'foom!' "So, can I have my stuff back?"
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"Ohhhhhh, fudge!" Ana did a backflip off the ceiling, her propulsors kicking in to safely drop her on the floor. She chinned her external speakers all the way up and barked at the ageless creature. "Those things are here to kill all of us; it's not a betrayal! Why would I go to the trouble of repairing you if we wanted you dead? If we work together, we can wipe them all out!" I sincerely hope. She bounced ovet to Ruby. "How many are we talking here? And what does the Voidrunner have that we can throw at those things?" If they had to fight both the Communion and the Gorgon, they didn't have a chance in hell; they had to keep her on their side, or all was lost.
- 87 replies
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- incursion
- the traveler
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Okay, here's Shrike's sheet (tongue twister!) minus the fluff, which will include her Complications such as having to twist her ring to summon the Helm and Cloak. I think she's pretty damn cool, all things considered; I especially like that while she's only a PL8, she can do some stuff that not even Grim can do! Grim will also have Communication Link added to her Super-Senses to pay for her half of the link.
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Gretchen will also continue her volunteer duties, by the way.