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(GM Post) Late November, Early December, 2024 Atlantis Casino The sights and sounds of Atlantis were going. It had always struggled on the Boardwalk; it attempting to portray itself as a blistering summer paradise when it was in New Jersey was constantly a source of trouble. They had to spend a lot of money, especially in Winter, to keep the temperature in the building at the climate of a tropical vacation. They had to import sand, exotic plants, have fire dancers and hula parties, all things that were simply extremely expensive when it was freezing cold and snowy out in New Jersey, and it meant people staying often had to bring two sets of clothes, one for outside and one for the casino, or be miserable in one environment or the other. It would, ideally, be used to corral people into staying specifically in the Casino, but given that it was Freedom City, the City of Tomorrow, that wasn't something that was reasonable most of the time. But they were running a special promotion now. A treasure hunt for 1 million dollars; claiming for it to be the treasure of the cursed Captain Carver, the deadliest pirate Freedom City ever saw- existence unverified-. That it had been hidden somewhere in the Casino, and all one had to do was follow the clues and solve the puzzles, and they could inherit the treasure of Captain Carver. It was a type of promotion that casino's often ran, usually resulting in more visitors. And more visitors were coming to visit Atlantis, hoping to find Captain Carver's treasure and finding the fun in the paradoxical tropical paradise casino in the middle of freezing New Jersey. It was one fine day in Atlantis, the air filled with tropical music; waiters in hula skirts and coconut bikinis delivered drinks in tiki containers. There was sand scattered across the 3rd floor's slot area, with visitors forgoing their shoes to wander on the sandy 'beach', filled with slot machines. Then the rumble started. Quiet at first, low and slow. People didn't notice. Especially as someone had just gotten a massive jackpot, and the dancers and lights and sounds were going wild. But then it got too large to ignore, strong enough that people were shaken entirely off their feet, falling to the ground. The elevator opened, and a flood of water poured out of it, soaking into the sand, frying the jackpots. Riding the waters was a ghostly pirate; pale, wrapped in seaweed, swinging a cutlass. "YO HO! I BE CAPTAIN CARVER, AND I NOT BE LETTING ANYONE ELSE BE HAVING MY TREASURE!!!!" ----------------------------- One Week Later Lulu Beaumont and Niki Dee have both been hired, requested, and paid well to come and visit Atlantis; to try and come to understand why there was a haunting going on at Atlantis. They had been invited to a meeting in a beautifully decorated office; filled with tiki masks and other culture artifacts, and fish swimming in a tropical tank. The chairs were comfortable, but for the moment, the desk was empty, waiting for the person they were supposed to meet.

A few blocks from the Freedom School for the Arts, Riverside, Freedom City 2022 May 1st (Sunday), ~9:45am. Clear skies, calm, about 60o F. Davyd Palahniuk hummed random tunes as he made his way down the Riverside street. He was in a good mood, which readily showed on his face -- and it was his own face which he was wearing. He'd let his hair grow out a bit over the winter months, and it now reached just to his shoulders, rising and falling as he bopped along. His outfit, as usual, was fairly simple, a yellow long-sleeved cotton shirt, with plains cuffs and collar, blue jeans, and well-worn brown sneakers. He'd had many reasons to feel in such a good mood. The successes he'd had in his new job with DNN, and the challenges he'd recently overcome, was certainly a factor. And the day's pleasant weather didn't hurt. But one thing was foremost in his mind at the moment, the reason he was walking down this particular street: a call from one of his former classmate, Louise ("Lulu" to her friends) Beaumont. She'd called him a few days ago, asking to meet, to catch up over a meal. There was a new Ukrainian restaurant which had recently opened in the area, and he'd wanted to check it out -- maybe to treat his family for a Mother's day brunch next Sunday -- and this seemed like a perfect way to combine his interests. He'd not seen much of her since their Euro-Trip, and that was almost a year ago! I wonder if she'll have changed much? He didn't see her when he got to the entrance, and waited a few moments...

GM Approximately 90 km southeast of Cairo, Egypt Tuesday March 23, 2021 (11:36 AM local time) The sun was approaching its zenith over the flat, rocky landscape of the Western Egyptian Desert. The mid-day sun had warmed the air until it was now in the low 90s. Suddenly, the quite calm of the rocky desert was broken as a blue and white Mini Cooper sped across the terrain, kicking up a trail of dust and sand behind it as it went. The Danger International logo (consisting of a globe with the letters DI across it) was prominently displayed on the hood and doors of the Mini. Lulu Beaumont was seated in the passenger seat of the Mini, dressed in a blue and white jumpsuit with a DI logo on the upper left side. A matching helmet with built-in headset competed the redheaded teenager’s outfit as part of the Danger International rally team that had been organized by her friend Veronica, who was seated in the driver’s seat, similarly dressed. A small IPad was in a holder affixed to the dashboard in front of Lulu, a satellite map with various GPS points up to track the Minis’ course as it began the first leg of the 2021 Dakar Rally. Lulu and Veronica had arrived in Cairo three days ago aboard a Danger International private jet, along with their friends Micah Roebuck, Davyd Palahniuk and Elizabeth Grey, to prepare for the start of the rally. Although there had been a lot of work that needed to be done, the group had managed to find time for a bit of sightseeing, in particular the Giza Necropolis with its massive pyramids, Great Sphinx and other ancient wonders. "Everything is seems to be working perfectly so far Micah." Veronica said into her headset. "I am up to 192 kmph without any issue but will probably easy back a bit until the way stop." Approximately 128 km to the southwest/south Micah was riding in the Kamaz support truck that was similarly painted blue and white with the DI logo on its sides. Elizabeth was currently behind the wheel of the massive truck, with Davyd in the cab as well. The trio had set out about an hour ago along with other heavy trucks that made up the T3 and T4 class vehicles in the rally. In addition to running this first leg of the rally in for those vehicle classes, the support trucks left earlier in order to reach the midway mandatory stop point of the first leg before the rally cars to be set up for a pit stop. Normally this would include refueling of the vehicles, but in the case of the modified DI vehicles, it would involve Micah helping to swap out the power cells for freshly charged ones. Elizabeth had gotten the truck up to a cruising speed of just under 80 mph and been holding steady at that speed as they crossed the mostly flat, rocky terrain. The desert around them was empty save for another support truck a few miles ahead of them, mainly visible by the dust trail left behind in its wake. The route had turned due south over half an hour ago, and the trio still had just under an hour until they reached the waypoint.

GM Millenium Mall, Midtown, Freedom City Early June, 2021 10:34 PM The sky was clear and dark above Freedom City on this particular night. The half moon shone among the stars, illuminating the night. Micah had been the one to first catch the news of a new movie coming out for the summer season, and he had suggested to Pan they should see it. Pan had brought Eira, and Eira had brought Lulu. The movie's title was "The Forever Boy". It was yet another retelling of the story of Peter Pan, and of course, they had to see it. It had all been very exciting, dark and gritty. A boy abandoned in Victorian London, found by Fae and whisked away to Neverland, flying and fighting pirates in great flying pirate ships, joined by Wendy and her family. Spectacular, visually impressive, but it didn't offer much new to the story. The climatic final scene had Peter Pan and Wendy teaming up to fight Captain Hook as his flying ship sailed across the sky above London, almost colliding with Big Ben, Tower Bridge and other sights along the way. As they left the mall, Pan was talking excitedly about it, holding hands apart while he mentioned how something was much smaller in real life. And above, in front of the glow of the half moon, a pirate ship sailed through the sky, towards the Millenium Mall.

OOC for this. @Heritage, @KnightDisciple, @Avenger Assembled let's see some Initiative rolls and a round of posts before combat starts. You will all be able to spot the ship, so no need to roll for that.

OOC for this. Let's see... @Heritage , @Brown Dynamite, @Spacefurry the thread is here.

Bayview Mall Freedom City, NJ Monday, the 17th of August 2020 12:38 PM Though school was nearly back in session, the last heady days of summer vacation were still slowly slinking towards their end. Thus, the malls of Freedom City were still seeing a great deal of use by the teenaged population of the city. In Bayview, that often meant that there were at least some students and students-to-be from the isolated and prestigious Claremont Academy. Thus, as sunlight lanced through skylights and windows, crowds of shoppers sought the newest fad Thing and students soon to return to class fled from the reality of their impending imprisonment. A gentle breeze wafted through the air, carrying with it the myriad scents of a mall - perfumes, scented candles, cleaning products, and even the smells of foods of varying qualities. It was a lovely day, with just the barest hints of clouds marring the beautiful blue beyond the skylights. Some people, however, brought with them an abnormal tension, and those snippets of their conversations audible over the noises of the mall were... disturbing. "- don't think that they'll tolerate it for long, do you?" "No, no, of course not. It's just, it's been three months!" "It'll be fine. They'll deal with it. Just you wait." "But what if-"

The OOC thread for this one. Welcome!

Tortola, British Virgin Islands Monday, June 24, 2019 (10:34 AM local time) A white van made its way along curving roads that twisted and turned along the lush green hills along the southern coast of Tortola along the way to Road Town. In the back of the van sat Veronica Danger and four of her classmates from Claremont Academy, Adam Lanchester, Pan Barrie, Louise Beaumont, and Davyd Palahniuk. When Veronica had learned that she needed to come down to the Caribbean almost immediately after the school year ended to help a Danger International team that was investigating a recently discovered shipwreck, she had invited some of her classmates to come along. The group had departed Freedom City early this morning aboard a Danger International private jet, landing a short while ago at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, where the van had picked them up. Now they were on their way to where they would be picked up by the Danger International research vessel. The teenage Danger had been eagerly anticipating the trip. While she enjoyed being at Claremont, she also found the time there somewhat….constrictive, as she was not accustomed to being in one place for so long. If it had not been for trips to Africa over winter and spring breaks, Veronica would likely have gone stir crazy. But now it was summer vacation, and this was but the first of a number of locations she would be visiting before the fall. The teenager was pulled from her thoughts by a voice from the front passenger seat of the van. "A launch from the Horizon is already waiting at the docks for us. Several of the team went into Road Town to pick up supplies." Stated Prudence, the almost omnipresent twenty-something employee of Danger International that had been given the daunting task of trying to oversee the schedules for both Veronica and Janus Danger while the cousins were at Claremont. As was typically the case, Prudence had her tablet in hand, studying the screen, seemingly indifferent to the breathtaking view outside the van. From the winding roadway, the van’s passengers had a mostly unobstructed view of the clear blue waters of the Sir Francis Drake channel to their left, along with several of the southern British Virgin Islands in the distance. Out on the water were a number of sailboats, catamarans and yachts of various sizes, either moving through the channel or moored in one of the many bays along Tortola or the other islands. "Thank you Prudence." Veronica replied with a small grin, shaking her head slightly before looking back out the window at the water beyond. Then the van turned a corner to the right, and the teens in the van caught sight of Road Town and its harbor below. The clear blue waters of the bay were filled with boats, from small single person sailing ships to a large cruise ship pulled up to the main pier.

Theater District, Freedom City, New Jersey Tuesday, November 11, 2019 10:16 PM A cold mist hung in the air of the Theater District in downtown Freedom City as moon rose up into the night sky. Despite the cold, there were still a number of people out on the streets, making their way to some local or another. But the scene quickly changed, as people began to exit the grand Beaudrie Opera House. A few at first, then small groups, and finally a large crowd, as an evening show of Hamilton had come to an end. Megan Howell-Harrow and Lulu Beaumont were part of the crowd of people exiting the show, stepping out onto the sidewalk and into the cold air. It did not take too long for the crowd to disperse, as people began to scatter in all directions. As they walked in the direction of where they had parked, Megan looked over at the teenager with a small smile. "So, did you enjoy the show?"

Claremont Academy 10:30 am, August 28th, 2019 Weather: Sunny, 77 F, Wind E 15-20 mph The visitor's parking lot was packed. A sea of people bustled amidst vehicles and toward open, shining gates. Belongings, often with grunts of effort, were loaded onto carts. Laughter echoed from caravans trickling through the main entrance and the Quad. Hand-drawn signs pointed the way, each adorned with student messages. In time, the shadows of the twin dormitories provided respite to travelers. Staff and peer counselors dotted the trail, assisting overwhelmed students on their journey. Vice-Principal Dugan was the first new face to arrivals. Her table near the gates kicked off the journey. Mr. Marquez wheeled the circuit and kept visitors on course. Mr Kuzkin and Ms. Harcourt paced about the Kord and Carter dorms, respectively. Their task, to organize the move-in, appeared to have some success. At the very least, weary travelers could partake of cold refreshments and treats outside the main doors. While outside was organized chaos, the dorm halls were like herding cats. A din permeated the air. Dozens of students, parents, and guardians wandered in search of rooms. Boxes and bags transformed the hallways into obstacle courses. The excitement of new memories and old friends contrasted with worried hugs and goodbyes. If nothing else, the dorms were places of beginnings and endings. What are you doing this beautiful day? Moving into the dorm? Helping new students?

April 13th, 11:30 AM It was a crisp New Jersey morning, and Adam was dressed for the part. He didn't enjoy the cold much. He could handle it, but he wasn't fond of it at all. He imagined Lulu would be less so. However, he wanted to get out and stretch his legs a bit, especially since they were close to Spring break. He hadn't been able to get out much, recently. He wore a jacket, jeans and long-sleeved shirt, along with his wig and false eyebrows. Like usual, he covered his entire body. He hated his scars and didn't want to be gawked at. At his height, that was already hard to avoid. "Shall we explore the mall a bit, first? Our show isn't until 12:30." He asked, smiling

Claremont Academy. Third Floor, Rita Kord Dorm. September 4, 2018 10:05 am Lulu didn't have too much stuff to bring in; most of her clothes were still back at the Harrows' place across in North Bay, still in the boxes and bags from the mall. She was used to travelling light, carrying her most important belongings in ziplock bags tucked into a backpack and a gym bag. Growing up in rural Alabama, there were always floods or hurricanes or tropical storms that forced you to relocate for days at a time, pulling up stakes in a hurry as you grabbed some bottled water for the road. Most of the houses in Columbia were either trailers or simple uninsulated structures that were cheap to repair or rebuild. There was no real sense of permanence; God could wipe out everything you owned with a simple wave of His hand. But Freedom was very different; everything here was built to last, or even survive assault by supervillains. The walls and floors of Claremont were thick and well-worn, scuffed and polished by the passing of hundreds of youthful hands and feet. Everything was spotless and freshly-cleaned, yet you could still feel the history of the place. Lulu found room 309 with little difficulty, and stood in the doorway for several seconds as she took in the space that would be her academic home for the next three years. Two beds, two dressers and two desks in a pleasant, airy room that somehow managed not to smell like a hotel. She picked the left-hand bed at random, dropping her two bags next to it as she laid down on her back, staring up at the ceiling, idly flexing her sneakered feet this way and that. "Well...here we are."