Raveled
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GM Marie Anderson was having a very bad day. Her day had started smoothly enough, and just after breakfast she'd had a visit from a police officer, someone she recognized from her parole hearings. After that things went dark, and when she woke up she was in a bank vault, hefting a gold bar in each hand. A little investigation revealed that yes, the bank patrons and employees (who were already unfortunate enough to have to work on a Saturday) were secluded in an office. And that was when the first cruiser pulled up outside. Now she was arguing with the police negotiator over the bank phone. "No, I'm saying this wasn't my fault. Someone forced me to do this." "Who was it?" The negotiator was well-trained and trying to be sympathetic, but Marie's head was pounding and she merely found the tone cloying and saccharine. "I don't know," she snapped. "I blacked out, and next thing I came to in here, and... Listen, whatever happened in here isn't my fault. I want something from the DA -- immunity, or a guarantee of a reduced sentence, before I come out!" She peered out the window at the police barricade outside. That was a lot of cops. Hopefully she'd be able to get a deal before they sent for the League, or STAR...
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Tona took the magazine back and flipped through a few more pages, shaking her head at the swimwear. "I'm not too worried about getting grabbed," Tona said. "That's why I'm looking at a coat, I can get out of it pretty fast. It's not like the coat is the only thing I'm going to be wearing," she added, bumping her knee against Sam's and grinning. The pair rocked from inertia as the car slid to a halt at their stop. The two girls exited and quickly located the signs pointing the way to Millennium Mall. From the high vantage point, however, they could make out the red and blue flashes of police sirens. Pushing her way to a railing, Tona joined a gaggle of citizens watching a gaggle of police cruisers gathered outside a bank. The front door was ripped clean off, but from this vantage point she couldn't see much else inside. The archer glanced back at Sam, her expression set and determined. It seemed the shopping trip would be sidelined.
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Tona made a flat noise of disapproval in her throat and reached out for the Alien deck. She dextrously shuffled it into her Pirate deck and looked over the rest of the table. Three spots dominated the center of things: an insect-like Hive with mantis-looking creatures covering its sides, a Supercomputer with a malicious grin carved from LEDs, and a ninja Dojo wreathed in mist and fog. Tona pointed at the dojo with one hand, still shuffling with the other. "If we blow up the dojo," she asked, "does the ninja deck still work?"
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Tona leapt from the truck, quite happy to be traversing on her own two feet again. She zipped the jacket up to her chin, but she was only wearing jeans and hiking boots; if she didn't find Golding in a couple of days, she'd have to make camp and send in for warmer clothes. She pushed the mask into a pocket and slung her rucksack over her shoulders. It was simplicity itself to find Golding's foot path, and the light brush and snow made it child's play to follow. She moved swiftly over the terrain, happy to be in a place that reminded her so much of home (albeit without the red sky and burning Nilhor) even if the cold did burn her exposed skin. Some miles down the trail, Tona stopped. When Cord caught up, she pointed at the ground, at a sudden profusion of footsteps. "More tracks," she said, squatting down next to them. "Four people. Men, I'd say. Heavyset, wearing boots. They're moving at a good clip, following Goldman's trail." She twisted her neck to look back at Cord. "Are you sure UNISON is the only one looking for him?" Further down the trail was a 4x4, presumably the one their quarry had rented. It wasn't hard to guess why he had abandoned; the trail aside, it had been driven into a tree, and even Tona could tell that it wasn't in any condition to be driven any further. "Looks like he had an accident," she said dryly, approaching the vehicle and peering inside. She looked closely for signs of blood or a torn seat, something to indicate Goldman had been more than bruised in the crash. If he had broken a leg, he could be dead by now...
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Fort saves vs. Environmental cold. DC 10 & 11 (1d20+13=16, 1d20+13=16) Jay's Search check. (1d20+10=25)
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Just humans? No dogs, no trucks? Anything I can tell by the tread, i.e. deep impact meaning a lot of weight, small prints suggesting a smaller individual? Does it look like they milled about any particular place, or are they making pretty good time?
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Not particularly trying to be stealthy. Blue Jay's Survival check. (1d20+17=22) Skill bonus wins once again. Skill Mastery makes Notice 25.
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Tona shook Oxbane's hand briefly, but barely touched fingers with Torston. She tried not to let her suspicions show on her face, but she wasn't very experienced at hiding her emotions or reactions. In just a few minutes, the gear from the plane was transferred over to the 4x4, and Tona had donned a well-worn parka, care of the older hunter. "We should follow Golding's trail," she said. "Find whatever road he took out of town, and follow that." As they drove through the town, Tona took an item from her rucksack. It was more than a simple domino mask; it has an extended, sharp nasal part that invoked a beak. She began fiddling with the controls as Cord drove. "That police officer," she said. "There is something... wrong with him."
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For dice and OOC talk re: >this thread.
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August 24th, 2013 10:03 AM Freedom City Tona Baudin was caught in the horns of a dilemma. "I want something that flows," she said, staring down at the magazine in her hands. "I want something that would billow and can present a larger target, you know?" She showed the magazine to Sam Vance, the girl sitting next to her on the rail car. "Like these ladies are wearing." The periodical wasn't what Tona usually read. Flight of Fashion chronicled fashion designs based off superhero costumes; most of the pieces had one or two dominant colors, and fit close to the body. The pages Tona was looking at were showing off tall, slim models wearing longcoats. Each was in the act of turning, the tails of their coats fanning out dramatically. "Something like that," she said, pointing at the coats. "That's what I want to find at the mall."
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Blue Jay's Sense Motive check. (1d20+15=25) I compensated for an unreal skill bonus by rolling like crap. Tona has her mask, so no need for NVGs. She has martial arts, so no need for a knife. She has Improvised Tools, so no need for a multitool. She had Survival, so no need for a compass. She'll ask for winter clothes. Blue Jay's Diplomacy check. (1d20=20) It's official, Jay is the nicest archer on the site.
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Tona was at the edge of her seat for most of the flight, but as the plane started to descend she sat as deeply in the cushioned chair as she could, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to ignore her inner ear as it told her they were screaming towards the ground. By the time they touched down she was grey-faced, and her grip on the armrests would surely have ripped them off if she had more than human strength. As it was, it took her several seconds of deep breathing once the plane was completely still for her to open her eyes and stand up. She collected her things and made her wobbly way down the stairs, still feeling queasy from the quick plane ride. She breathed a sigh of relief as she finally touched solid ground, coloring returning slowly to her. "I brought everything I need," she said, doing her best to ignore the looks of the two older man. "And if I couldn't find what I needed out there, I wouldn't be much of a hunter, would I?" She did a double take at the man in a uniform with a bushy beard. Something seemed... off about him. His tone was cold and flat, like he was reading lines off a page rather than speaking and engaging with the people in front of him.
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The convoy slowed as they approached a sharp turn, and Jessica twisted in her seat to watch the drones, surrounded by soldiers. She frowned out the window. "Is the military presence really necessary?" Aita hemmed and hawed. "Alef is close enough to the Syrian border to be worrisome. Especially considering the, ah, visibility of you two! A pair of world-class scientists and business magnates, attacked while on a trip to Israel? Not very good for their world image." "Not that we're expecting any such attack," Farber said quickly. "But we wouldn't want anything to happen to our guests." Jessica sat back in her seat, lips pressed in a thin line as she considered the arguments. It was a few hours later that they pulled into Degania Alef. If either of the Westerners had been expecting a dusty or backwater town, they were surprised. They passed rows of modern-looking two-story houses, with well-kept lawns and rows of palm trees down the sidewalks. It was almost like a scene from a California suburb; the only thing missing were running and laughing children. Apparently in a kibbutz, everyone worked. The convoy followed a road that sloped down to the lakeside. Several pavilions had been set up by the river, and they were swarming with people only a little older than Jessica. "My graduate students," Farber said. "They're going to be the ones, uh, driving the robots."
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August 30th, 2013 Just after dinner Claremont Academy, Games Room Tona Baudin sat on the couch, huddled into herself, stealing looks at the women across the table from her. The young archer was wielding unfamiliar tools, weapons which she had never considered until today. She felt the stares of the other three young females, and glared daggers at the only thing left for her to choose. "I don't see why we can't both be ninjas," she said, for the third time. She looked at Sam Vance, who was already shuffling her two decks of cards. "We both like sneaking. Why can't we both be... sneaky people?" She looked at the cards already in her hand, the Pirate deck. She had chosen it mainly because the pictures looked a bit more real than on the other cards; and now she was staring at the Alien deck. She knew she had to have two decks, but the combination reminded her uneasily of her trip to Sanctuary. Tona's eyes shifted to Kristen and Jennifer, looking for support. She didn't really know the two other Claremont students very well, but apparently they were also dating, and Jennifer had a yen for board games. The idea of the four girls bonding over pieces of cardboard was evidently normal for this dimension, because Sam hadn't reacted oddly to the suggestion. Which was why Tona was here, feeling -- oddly enough -- quite at sea.
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Tona slumped back in her shallow grave, running a hand through her hair and smearing dirt in it. "I went to sleep, and I woke up..." She shuddered. "I woke up in the Terminus. There were some drones there and..." And one had my father's face. She couldn't say it, the words just stuck in her throat and curdled there. She swallowed and tried again. "And they were -- haha, they were trash-talking me." She glanced at Cerys. "Drones don't trash-talk. They just kill you. So I knew something was wrong." She started pulling her legs out of the ground, brushing the dirt off. "When I beat up the one who was talking, this black fog sort of came out of it. Then I blacked out and woke up... under the ground." She frowned and looked around. "Why are we in Wales?"
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Tona's expression grew more intense when Summers mentioned Subito, and she gave her roommate a tiny glance. She didn't say anything, just took a step forward and slipped her hand into Cerys's, squeezing tightly. There wasn't the time to extend offer any sort of encouraging words, though, not with a problem right in front of them. Kong Zi Khan she didn't recognize, but she knew what, in broad terms the Triads were, and while there weren't formal classes on heroing, Archer drilled everyone enough on the major supervillains that she recognized Dr. Sin's name. Still, it was hard to imagine a man that had been old when the first Raven was active still being such a huge threat. She didn't say that, though. "If the Triads are involved," she said, "we should try to find some low-ranking members on the street. If Dr. Sin is involved, the Raven will find the evidence." Tona had no illusions that she was anywhere near the investigator and detective that the Raven was, but the cowled heroine couldn't be in two places at once. The young heroes could at least comb the streets.
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Tona frowned at the idea of Headmaster Summers needing to see her so early in the morning. She hadn't done anything bad lately... had she? "Parafer. I'll go see him." She waited for Archer to turn and leave, and then relaxed slightly. It seems he hadn't noticed the arrow; she probably would get in trouble for threatening to stab a teacher. A few minutes later Tona, sans arrow, walked up to Summers office. She noticed the door was open slightly and stopped just outside, listening in. Surprisingly, she heard her roommate's voice from inside, talking about her boyfriend! Tona pushed the door open and walked inside, glancing at Cerys before facing Headmaster Summers. "You wanted to see me? Sir?"
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Tona burst from the ground, gasping at the fresh air as she emerged into the wan Welsh daylight. She blinked dirt from her eyes and looked around, taking in the looming castle, the Celtic crosses, and the pale girl kneeling next to her and holding her hand. "Cerys!" She lurched forward and grabbed her friend's shoulders. "Is this the Terminus? Did anyone try to kill you today?"
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GM Kit prowled the rafters, looking for her way in, and it didn't take her long. An air duct was prised away from the wooden crossbeam it was set in and she wriggled through the hole on her belly, and found herself in a smaller room. Dominating the space was what seemed like a hole in the world, an oval opening against one wall that was slightly wider than two of Sam's fingers together at the middle. She couldn't see much of the space beyond it, but the side rippled and shimmered like a heat mirage. Kit might not have been as knowledgeable about demons and hell as she should have been, but even she could recognize the hole as a gate to one of the Infernal Realms. Near the gate, in fact tied to a support column with rope, was a blonde woman in a short skirt and belly shirt. Her head lolled loosely on her shoulders and she looked around the room glassy-eyed, like she was either drunk or high. The black robed man walked up to her, cupping her face and she merely giggled, swatting his hand away. "Mmmmm, Benny. You said we were going to a party. Where's the party, Benny?" "Just a little while longer, Sophia," the man in the dark robe said. "Just a little while longer, and you can help me bring all my friends through for a great, big party."
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GM The soldiers chased the Atlanteans back to the treeline and cheered, emboldened by seeing the fleeing backs of their enemies. One of them, a sergeant by the stripes on his coat, walked up to El Heraldo and clapped him on the shoulder. "I don't know where you come from, stranger," he said, "but you saved all our lives! The invaders are not being merciful, at least on Cuba." "This is not your home," the Lady hissed into El Heraldo's ear. "Right now Peurto Rico is being invaded from the sea, and its defender is on a different island entirely! If you do not act soon, I shall be forced to find a new protector, before there is no Peurto Rico to care about!" "You must return with us to Havana," the soldier continued, oblivious to the paragon's critical benefactor. "The Atlanteans are setting up some kind of tower there. It must be connected to their invasion. We can't let it be completed!"
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Tona flipped through the folder, focusing on the words and images inside to distract herself from the distinct feeling of being way, way too high in the air moving way, way too fast. "So this guy... blows up." She frowned at the picture of the devastated street. She shook her head. "If he's heading away from people, he isn't dangerous to anyone else. So why do you want me to find him?" She sat back and glared at Cord. "It sounds like you want me to get really close to a guy who can blow himself up and not get hurt. I'm not the same way."
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Most people would be asleep at half past five in the AM. Most people did not have to worry about competing with superhuman individuals, who could bend the laws of time and space at a whimsey. Tona Baudin was just getting up and slipping into her track gear at this time, planning to get her usual pre-dawn work-out in before classes started. She was surprised when a knock came at the door; Cerys wasn't in bed, but if she wanted to come in there was no reason to knock. It was suspicious, and so Tona went on the defensive. She moved to the bookcase and grabbed the computronium arrow that sat there in a place of honor. Any intruder would be too close for her bow, but the arrow should give her an edge in a melee fight, at least. So armed she opened the door, peering out and seeing the face of one of her instructors. "Mr. Archer? What are you doing awake so early?"
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I'm here.
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GM The professor looked confused, but Agent Aita just laughed. "A kibbutz isn't a ceremony, sir Baron," he said. "It's a place. A farming collective! Degania Alef, where we're going, was the first of it's kind. Established back when all this was still the Ottoman Empire, in fact!" Doctor Farber nodded excitedly. "And now it's the closest settlement to this temple. A piece of our history, being used to uncover another piece of our history. It's very exciting!"
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Tona grinned and let herself be pulled forward, sticking close to Sam. "You'd like Ferris Bueller," she said. "Like you, but with less teleporting and shadows, and more talking and parades." She looked around the city, trying to fix landmarks in her head, but it was almost impossible; there was no horizon in cities, everything was so closed and small, how did anyone find their way around? Still, she wasn't worried. Sam was here, and Sam was always going on about Chicago. She pulled the other girl close, bumping hips again (that was a fun activity). "So where are you taking us first?" She left it open whether us meant the whole group or us just meant Tona and Sam.