Gizmo
-
Posts
11,085 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Freedom City Guidebook
Freedom City PBP: A How-To Guide
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by Gizmo
-
Midnight nodded politely to al-Mizrahi as she was introduced, giving her a subtle once over to determine if she seemed to require immediate medical assistance. She was able to walk and talk, however, and anything else was going to have to wait until they were safely back on the submarine. He likewise noted Nina's uncharacteristically obvious upset without judgement. He didn't want to know what those kept in the secret prison had been subject to but he had a few good guesses anyway. "Can free them," he volunteered, making an effort to soften the harsh, gravelly tone that came through his mask for al-Mizrahi's sake without total success. "Shouldn't confront brother alone." He didn't really expect the exiled princess to listen but it had to be said.
-
"I absolutely want to show off," Erik confirmed without hesitation. "It's one of my defining 'things'. And it's such a shapely, well proportioned ego to land on!". He hitched the reusable bag holding their meager acquisitions from the market over his shoulder as the they rounded the corner of the block and the school came into view. "Seriously, though. I know it's probably not super practical for your style, it's just..." He took a moment to weigh his words and decide how saccharine he was actually willing to get. "Alright, so, y'know how you're all pumped to teach the Sanderson girl lockpicking and it's definitely maybe useful but it's also definitely not why Summers sent her to the school. Probably. It's kind of hard to tell with her or her old man. The point is you're really good at it and you like her so it's something you want to share with her so you know you're giving her that edge, right?" He shrugged himself, looking skyward and avoiding Talya's gaze. "And many excellent qualities aside I've really got just the one thing that I'm world class at, maybe the best. Min's so strong that most of what I know barely works for her at all and it's not like you actually need the help either, just... yeah." He coughed having run out of steam and lost the thread of his argument at some point.
-
"This is true," Winifred conceded with a sigh. "It may simply be too tempting to make excuses for myself attributed to circumstance. I'm not usually one for such rationalizations. My father--" She stopped short abruptly from finishing that thought, quickly turning her head away from Robin while her shoulders rose and tightened toward her neck. She opened her mouth to make an attempt to change the subject but nothing but a quiet rasp emerged and she quickly shut her mouth again with an audible click of teeth. She pulled the sheets more tightly around her legs and her roommate could hear her taking slow, deliberately even breaths to compose herself.
-
"Good lord!" Winifred exclaimed as the holographic simulation sprung up around them, turning in a complete circle as she scanned up and down. She'd grasped the basic idea of the illusions at work but even with fair warning this was well beyond anything she'd seen or imagined. Reaching out hesitantly she touched the gate to the asylum, ascertaining just how solid it actually was. "...very well. This is a sort of thought experiment, then, a hypothetical scenario?" She visibly took a few slow, deep breaths to center herself before turning to her classmate. "What would be your suggestion, Hannah? Can you provide us with some light?"
-
"The case against settling for moderation had been made pretty convincingly to me recently, so I can't really judge," Erik allowed with roll of his eyes for Talya's not-so-subtle double meanings. He liked wordplay more than the average person, sure, but jokes about any connection between his implement of choice and his... implement of choice were low hanging fruit. Magnanimously he further agreed, "And if gorgeous, capable women who kick wholesale amounts of butt qualifies as a type then sure, sure." He matched her mischievous smile with one of his own. "I still say you should ditch the batons and let me show you how to use a real weapon, though. Those little sticks just won't treat you right."
-
Caught by surprise though they were the remaining robed aliens still outnumbered the heroes and their confused companion more than five-to-one and with their linked minds they quickly organized themselves for the counterattack. Half a dozen of the Grue not holding weapon in hand turned on the Metaceptor, raising their hands while their glossy black eyes widened slightly. For an brief moment nothing seemed to be happening, then the genetically engineered bioweapon shouted in agony, his weirdly amorphous face seeming to melt until his mouth disappeared in a flat plane wracked by whatever Grue experienced in lieu of muscle spasms. "Nnrgh! This... one... I... nein...! Gragh!" Clutching the sides of his head he staggered, collapsing down onto one knee. The remaining Grue were less subtle in their attack as the cavern was lit up with a barrage of neon green darts of plasma from their otherworldly firearms. Echo ducked under the first volley but a pair of shots caught the young woman all the same, sizzling like she'd been struck by a metal rod pulled right out of the fire. Jack of all Blades fared better, dancing between the blasts with the benefit of years of experience. Even when the Grue changed up their strategy and began coordinating their fire to box the swordsman they proved no match for his agility. As he twisted about he spotted Bench running from where he'd been when they entered over to the machinery filling the cavern. Jack had no idea what any of it was for but it was putting off enough energy that he felt safe in the assumption that it was nothing good. "Kid! Echo! Stop Bench, I'll take care of this bunch! Hurry!"
-
Sorry for the delays, Bluefish, getting caught back up! Grue Arcane 1 - 6: Combined Mental Blast vs Metaceptor; DC 27 Will Save 7 - 11: Combined Laser Pistol vs Echo: 5#1d20+7 20 9 24 23 18; DC 24 Toughness Save 12 - 15: Aid Attack vs Jack of all Blades: 4#1d20+7 19 27 15 26 16: Laser Pistol vs Jack of all Blades: 1d20+15 18 Bench is rushing to the alien equipment and doing... things! Metaceptor Will Save vs DC 27: 1d20+10 22 Dazed!
-
"Ooh, talk falsified records to me," Erik growled throatily before the affect was ruined by a poorly contained snort of laughter. "I'm hurt that you think I'm limited to blunt trauma, though. I'm a modern sort of guy, I'm in touch with my piercing and slashing sides, too. I'm the complete package." He didn't need to explain the real reason he appreciated Talya's instinct to protect him, Min and their children from exposure and danger without ever needing to be asked; that she understood the importance of a certain type of secrecy in their line of work was the entire point. He'd worked with people in the past who'd needed convincing, reluctant to adopt measures that might inconvenience them over what they considered paranoia or overcompensating. "And if I echo anything it's only because it was a very sweet slip of the tongue," he promised. "Or because it's funny. One of those."
-
With a short, clipped laugh, Erik raised a pair of fingers. "Alright, fair enough, but two things," he insisted, giving Talya a look that mixed a amble dollop of amusement into the seriousness he was striving to covey with a squeeze of their linked hands. "First off, you are our family now. That's how we roll: one wrong move and bam, adopted. All in, remember?" His lopsided grin suggested he knew exactly how annoying parroting the phrase back was and wasn't even a little bit sorry. "Second, is it weird that I find layers of secrecy for the purpose of keeping the people important to you safe super attractive? That seems like it's probably weird." His voice slipped done a few tones with a rolling growl behind it even as his grin widened.
-
"Well he's clearly an exceptionally clever fellow, yes he is," Winifred opined, giving the big black dog a scratch behind the ears as it ate the second piece of sausage. Remembering herself with a light cough the alchemist stood back up and offered her hand to Matt. "Ah, Winifred Wei. You must be boarding with our young Master Smith, then? We've managed to avoid crossing paths until now but your reputation proceeds you." She looked over as Huang spoke in Latin, likewise calling over in the same language, "<How unexpectedly scholarly of you.>" Any conversation was effectively interrupted by Phaedra's unexpected growth of additional feathery limbs. "...well," the dark haired girl broke the ensuring moment of surprised silence, "that is just tremendous! Where does the extra mass come from? Are they actually functional for flight? They'd need to be fantastically strong--!"
-
Erik didn't really do 'embarrassment' as such but he did look a little sheepish at the idea of Talya's brother disapproving of their unconventional relationship. A few weeks in, things felt comfortable; really, things had felt remarkably comfortable from the moment Min had suggested it but he hadn't quite gotten over his surprise at how comfortable it felt. He'd been left with the nagging feeling that there was something he should have reservations over without having a good answer as to what. Mostly he was just chagrined to find himself acting like the old fashioned one between the two immortals. "I'd like that, yeah," he agreed after a light cough. Talya had mentioned the existence of her safe house in passing, just to illustrate how perfunctory her more expensive apartment was. It had also illustrated the layers of secrecy and suspicion in her life and he appreciated how much trust talking about even its general location and contents must have taken. "I'd like to know as much about where you came from as you want to talk about. I mean, no rush or pressure or anything, I just mean-- You know what I mean, right?"
-
Jack of all Blades / Jill O'Cure (102) Freedom's Finest #3: Corrupt to No Good (4) Seven is the Number (5) Strangers You Know (20) Life Less Sedentary, Life Evolutionary (17) Second Chances (Or Third?) (14) So Great A Cause (1855) (5) So Great A Cause (2015) (5) Supermarket (32) Midnight II (11) That's Rough, Buddy (2) Where They Have to Take You In (2) Kiss Me and Smile For Me (7) Wail (2) The Killers (2) Ghost Girl (13) A Picture of Sophisticated Grace (9) How to Build a Better Scythe (3) Family Planning (1) Set / Sekhmet (29) No Fortress is So Strong (1) Unholy Trio (10) Carrier Messaging Rates May Apply (18) Reagent (26) Unstill Life (1) Hazard Pay (2) Restless Night and Hollow Days (12) Your Own Worst Enemy (4) What Long Time Had Gone Astray (3) Monster Mash (4) Worse Places Than This (1) GM / NPC (8*2 = 16) Leave a Mark (5) Supermarket (3) Should have enough rollover to push Reagent past the 100+ tier with enough left over to effectively give Rock 50+. The GM Point can also go to Reagent.
-
Erik's expression reminded Talya of the one that crossed his face while they were sparring, in the moments where he was legitimately pushing himself to the extent of his prowess and the teasing grins and looks of mock outrage fell away. For a moment she almost wondered if he was looking for some opening or advantage before realizing that his rapt attention was focused on committed the names she'd rattled off to memory. After another pause he commented, "Bigger family can be nice," because that seemed safe enough. With a hesitation that seemed out of place in his usually glib voice he added, "I would have liked to have met them."
-
Trevor made a soft grunt of consideration as he returned to working on the undercarriage of the Maserati. "Hnh. Could get a recommendation from someone?" he suggested in lieu of a better suggestion before joking, "Mark is probably certified to officiate weddings." The suggestion was a joke, anyway. That actually did seem like something their friend would have taken time to add to his repertoire for the sheer drama of it. "Nina is like a ship's captain." Although he maintained his perfect deadpan it was increasingly clear that something about trying to imagine the most unlikely candidate had struck a chord with his particular sense of humour.
-
Erik's back straightened to attention at the mention of Talya's siblings. He didn't need to be particularly good at math to know that the Englishwoman was almost certainly discussing them in the past tense. He was familiar enough with an immortal's tragedy of the world passing by around them but the idea of having to actually watch family grow old and die while remaining forever young struck a chord with him. He was uncharacteristically silent for a few steps before remarking, "Ellie would probably like to hear about your sister, then, if you felt up for it. I know she's been a little frosty but she was like that with Min for a while, too; just overprotective." He seemed oblivious to how much that was the pot calling the kettle black. "What were their names?"
-
Winifred had a polite nod and a slightly awkward wave for the guests she recognized as she followed Raina into the manor. She had a brief moment of consternation as she regarded everyone else's costumes; she still wasn't entirely comfortable with her own outfit but conversely she couldn't help but notice that it was apparently noticeably less outrageous than the short, tight skirts the other girls were wearing. Once again trying to follow the cues of her modern peers seemed to be in conflict with her own better judgement. The boy's costumes seemed much more reasonable but double-standards in dress were hardly anything new. She hung back a little uncertainly before her eyes lit on the great scruffy dog following the young man in the robe. Walking over she clapped her hands in delight. "Goodness, what a fascinating hound! I've never seen one so large yet well behaved." Carefully crouching in the unfamiliar skirt, she offered her hand cautiously for the dog to sniff. [color#7F9A65]"What breed is he? One native to the area or a mix of some kind?"
-
It was tough to see in the shadows under the car but Trevor's expression softened slightly into a subtle frown when Erin described her first hand experience of the hardiness of goats. It was impossible to ever actually forget the horror that she'd come through before they'd met but there was still always a little surge of irrational frustration that it could have been prevented. It was hard to shake the visceral image of her walking alone past abandoned farms littered with the bodies of animals less able to fend for themselves. Shaking it off without comment, he instead replied, "Live music. Absolutely. Much better than sheep offal."
-
Flexing his calve muscles obviously in response to Talya's exaggerated gaze, Erik twisted at the waist to waggle his eyebrows. "I like how you think my ego needs boosting, mi cielo. It totally does, though, so definitely don't stop talking about my many excellent and attractive qualities!" He maintained the grin even as the blonde touched on the danger fraught nature of her early exploits but the smile faded from his eyes, which turned searching. "...do you ever need to talk about that stuff? The war, I mean. I'd get it if it's not really something you can talk to me about; I had all those Ace Danger books as a kid but, y'know, pretty sure those were just straight up fiction, really."
-
"For certain narrow definitions of 'ready', certainly," Winifred replied dryly as she slid off of the hovering broomstick with considerably more trepidation then proceeded to adjust her outfit in a markedly different manner than the leggy pyromancer. The dark greet turtleneck sweater had seemed innocuous enough compared to the first array of options presented to her until she'd actually put it on. Had the sleeves not been the correct length she would have assumed it was entirely the wrong size. Her black and white checkered skirt stopped a hand's breadth below her knee and while she'd have been lying if she'd said she was entirely comfortable with it she was at least able to assume that no one was likely to be looking at her so long as she stayed nearby her fashion adviser. "After you, then."
-
Understandably reluctant to remove either of her arms from around Raina's waist while they were still airborne, Winifred stopped herself in the middle of a rough estimate of their distance from the street and yards below and instead aimed her gaze straight ahead, swallowing slowly. "I suppose if I were going to complain about magic and enchantment it would have had to have been before getting on the flying broomstick," she sighed, raising her voice enough to be heard over the rush of wind. Tightening one arm she reached into the pocket of her lab coat she produced her copy of the invitation, scrunching up her nose to prevent the costume spectacles the blonde witch had picked out for her from sliding downward. Those and the tight bun that kept her dark hair off of her neck had seemed reasonable enough suggestions when she'd gone to Raina for advice but she'd had considerably stronger reservations about the tightly fitted outfit beneath the labcoat, at least until she'd conferred with Robin to find out what her roommate was planning to wear to the masquerade party. If Robin was going to wear those trousers then the time-displaced Victorian decided she'd need to take her cue accordingly. It did raise a new set of questions about just what sort of party the Faretti boy was planning. "How is it supposed to work?" she asked Raina, trying to unfurl the scroll with one hand. "Should I hold it aloft or wave it about?" There seemed to be a distressing lack of logic to the 'magic' that she'd witnessed so far from her friend and other practitioners at the Academy but then that was why it was magic rather than science.
-
Erik laughed out loud as they left the confines of the park and the concerns about drawing attention to themselves diminished. "Ha, I totally know the look you're talking about. I think the version I get is a little more 'you're lucky you have a nice butt'." He affected a passable impression of the expression but without the bottomless pools that Min called eyes he couldn't really pull it off. Nor was he entirely up to following the numbers Talya rattled off, where she was pulling them from or how she was using to calculate other numbers. He tried to do a rough count of the stands based on what they could see from where they were standing and how large he knew the park to be and quickly felt his eyes glazing over. "Um. Sure, that sounds right. ...I mentioned I have a nice butt, right?"
-
Winifred looked skeptical of the anecdote's hilarious nature, pulling her knees toward herself under her bed sheets. "Best let us avoid spending the night, then, yes," she agreed dryly, frankly wondering how Robin's survival up to that point hadn't made the presence of superhuman resilience obvious long before. She resolved to keep a closer eye on her roommate's well being; someone obviously had to do so. She mulled over the discussion of the Academy's well-intentioned counselors a little longer. "It's a little difficult for me to parse what might be platitude," the Victorian admitted reluctantly. "The idioms and manners take enough getting used to but things that strike me as fanciful over-promising seem to often turn out to be matter-of-course, particularly given what I gather is an unusually broad array of resources and shall we say skill sets among the staff and benefactors. It's unpleasant to feel... inexperienced in that manner. Of what would you suggest I be wary?"
-
There was a dull thud followed by muted muttering as Trevor bounced his forehead off of the undercarriage. "Sheep. As in the wool-producing animal?" The cleaned out pond and a trellis for flowers had all sounded pretty reasonable and nice within a certain aesthetic but he wasn't at all sure about actual livestock. "Just... loose? Don't know. What do sheep even eat?" he pondered, setting the torque driver down on the garage floor so that he could massage his forehead. "Is pastoral good? Are we aiming for pastoral?" Neither of them came from rural backgrounds but he supposed a wedding was something like a themed party to begin with so perhaps Erin had her heart set on emulating that sort of setting. He couldn't really fathom why Alex might have suggested it otherwise. "Oh. Wait. 'Black sheep' joke?"
-
"So old!" Erik agreed enthusiastically, throwing his free hand up in the air for emphasis. "I see your point though, yeah. Brooding successfully avoided, promise." Giving their linked hands a brief squeeze he began heading toward the end of the park where they'd entered. "Not sure what we could really do as a fundraiser, though. I mean, like a bake sale or something? Because apparently I have the same level of creativity as a high school marking band director." He scratched idly behind one ear, shoulders shivering involuntarily again but starting to warm back up. "If we had a good spot for everybody to sell there stuff we wouldn't actually need to worry about raising money to get all the stands and carts and stuff replaced in the first place."
-
Kimber made a startled sound at the unexpected kiss but quickly leaned into the shadow witch to reciprocate. Breaking away a moment or two before the display became terminally awkward for the rest of the gathering she looked a little flushed but much less flustered than they might have expected the flighty phantom to be. "Well! I think I can call that a positive review." Clearing her throat with a little cough she shot Tarva a look that clearly communicated there was a conversation to be continued in a less public space before raising a hand to her pendant. In a flash the jewelry returned to its form as a scythe, easily whirling about once over her head as she brought it to bear. "Hot chocolate and cider, then, yeah!" Bringing her scythe down in a powerful two-handed swing seemed to tear through the air itself, opening a hole in the world itself and what was a comparatively warm blast of air next to Jotunheim's frigid cold. With a courtly gesture, she ushered the ground back to Midgard. "Let's go home, everybody."
