Lab_Accident
A 2D 1D4
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Whew, I didn't miss it, then. When's it going to be, by the way, just so I can pencil it in? Next tuesday? Cause I can make next tuesday.
Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)
- Thread starter Silently Watches
- Start date
I have entirely too much fun sometimes.
Meanwhile...
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♦ Topic: :notices ur dog capes: OwO what's this?In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Philadelphia
Feychick (Original Poster)
Posted On Aug 2nd 2011:
Is it just me, or is Philly suddenly swimming in dog capes? Like, a new dog-themed cape showing up wouldn't be that weird, but I've heard of at least four in the last month, and probably more - it's hard to keep them all straight! What the heck is going on here?
►WagTheDog
Replied On Aug 4th 2011:
ouncesnuggles Impawsible's tail:Auuuu... It's so fluffy!
►Kriketz
Replied On Aug 4th 2011:
OH MY GOD will you idiots knock it off? If there are a dozen new capes in town, it's kind of a big deal, and way more important that your idiotic furry roleplaying. Don't you guys have your own sites for that bullshit?
►Impawsible
Replied On Aug 4th 2011:
:twists and bats at WagTheDog's ears:
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- Location
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The►WagTheDog
Replied On Aug 4th 2011:
Code:
[plain][/plain]Example:
:p
Last edited:
The Maggs idea just got stuck in my head. Sorry about this ><
Dragon and the Attorney
Calamity Witch looked at the rather formal papers Dragon had given Shipwright and her. The signed and notarized documents contained a brick wall of legalese that she had no hope of deciphering. However, Dragon assured Lacy and her that such subpoena's were standard practice. All Taylor really understood was this is important for the prosecution's case against the Dragon Slayers. So she had made sure to be early and presentable, even if that meant waiting a half hour for their meeting time to come around.
A screen lowered from a recessed panel in the ceiling. As it turned on one of Dragon's old avatar's filled the screen. "Oh, good Taylor you're already here."
She gave her friend a nod. "It's like my first big bust of course I'd be here."
Before they could get any further with their conversation the door opened. Taylor was surprised that she recognized the man. "Agent Kline?"
"Yes, glad you remembered. Calamity Witch, Shipwright and Dragon good to see you again." The man opened up his briefcase on the table on the table and pulled out a rather large file.
"How is uh..." Shipwright paused as he hadn't actually met the man's familiar. He looked towards Dragon who didn't seem to remember either.
"Zelda is with Officer Brewer and Gennieve. We've been settling in and she's very excited to start the training course the Gears are designing. However, I am here in my capacity as an Attorney for the DoJ." He calmly explained as he organized his papers and used the remote to make another screen come out of the ceiling.
Dragon's expression hardened as she went over the Agent Kline's history and case files. "Why isn't Deputy Grove here today?"
"Frankly Saints attorney kicked his ass. They were able to win a change of venue and dismiss most of the assault with a para-human power charges. While the suits are destructive, they are not a corona pollentia. She paraded around a set of MRI's and those charges became questionable. Her experts also testified that while complex your robots are not all tinker tech. Taft then won a series of motions to suppress as you were the only witness with your recordings." Agent Kline queued up a video.
Calamity Witch turned to Dragon's screen. Dragon's face was a mixture of anger and frustration. It rather closely mirrored her on thoughts. In her own frustration Taylor spat out, "So what now? Do they just get away with it because they covered their tracks?"
"You're not going to like a lot of what I have to say in the next half hour so keep in mind that I don't want them to get away with this any more than you do. If half of what I expect is true then Saint is guilty of something far worse than you've put into the files." He let them calm down a bit. "Grove is good with Cape cases. He's got good charisma and excellent knowledge of the law. However, all of his case work is built on evidence gathered by their primary victim. He is used to the PRT coming in dismantling a gang and getting the minions to flip on their boss. His approach isn't going to work. Not to mention the other handicaps this case has given him. He brought me in because my specialty is smuggling, trafficking and espionage. I'm far more suited to take over the case at this point."
"What other handicaps are you talking about." Dragon asked with a bit of anger. "I've provided you with years of evidence, video, audio, and more witness than you need. Calamity Witch and I served him up to you on a platter. That monster should rot for what he did to me!"
Jerome Kline sat there patiently waiting for her to finish venting. His assumptions about the relationship between Saint and Dragon grew a bit darker. He remained calm and spoke slowly. "He has a right to cross examine his accuser. You won't come out and testify in court. Director Grove has no victim to point at and say he did this to her. Juries don't like evidence and video calls. They like victims with a story. The judges have let you teleconference calls in the past because you were testifying as an expert witness. It won't be enough this time. Your agoraphobia is a distinct handicap in this case."
Calamity Witch started to speak as she watched Dragon slowly get lost in her own anger. Even through the old human emulation software she could see her friend's composure start to crumble. Shipwright spoke up first. "So what is your plan with the new subpoenas?"
"Let me get through the bad news first." Jerome pointed the remote at the second screen and let the video play. A familiar battle started to replay from Calamity Witch's perspective. Three orbs smashed into a shield projected just in front of one of the robot suits. The video paused with the shield glyph wholly visible in the frame.
"I see," Tim muttered as he put the implied threat in perspective.
Dragon's gaze shifted from Tim then back to the attorney. "Who was it?"
"Margret Cook." Jerome replied pointedly as he watched Dragon's face. Her expression shifted through anger and worry and then to a reluctantly blanked expression.
"She's not going to jail is she." Dragon quietly replied.
Jerome shook his head. "No, the powers that be decided it is too dangerous to let a B rank mage into the general population prison. They are taking no chances on that."
"What does that mean!" Taylor demanded.
Tim spoke up before Jerome could explain. "It means the Director is going to let the current case crash and burn so they can pick up Maggs before anyone else can give her an offer."
"What about Saint?" Dragon demanded. "He gets to walk because you found another mage?"
"There are certain parties that would not be adverse to that outcome." His diplomatic tone managed to display his discomfort at the possibility.
"You realize she produced a device from basic principles alone?" Tim stated studied the image that Jerome had left paused on the screen. "Then deployed it and probably a generator as well in each of those suits?"
"How do you know its just her?" Dragon's anger came to a simmer.
"Zelda actually, guardian beast of the mask." Jerome held up his palm and let the first spell his familiar taught him manifest in his palm. He pointed at Calamity witch, "Triple A ranked mage with a fire affinity. Intelligent device with a Bombardment type configuration. Ugh, something else there but its a jumble."
He pointed at Shipwright. "Double A rank with no affinity, engineering class device."
Jerome pointed at Dragon's monitor. "And that's a television. Mostly plastic, silicon, metal traces and lots of dust."
Shipwright laughed at the bad joke. "You've gotten pretty good at that."
"Zelda is much more accurate. She's told me it's a lot more useful when you have an actual device filtering the data into a usable form." He let the spell collapse as he continued. "I took her to a few of the court dates and had her sit and observe."
Tim looked at the two women as they let him guide the conversation. They were both visibly angry but knew the attorney was not the target. "Well, that's some good news at least. Your plan?"
Jerome pushed two folders across the table and then placed a thumb drive into Dragon's monitor. "I need to get your consent before we offer her a deal."
"So she just gets away with it?" Taylor asked as she tried to read through the legalese again.
Dragon perked up as she reviewed the files. The through her disguise she replied, "What exactly am I seeing here?"
"We're dropping all charges but these six for Saint and Dobrynja. The most important being, piracy under law of nations. I'm going to offer Maggs a soft ball of one count of, arming or serving on privateers. In return her testimony puts Saint and Dobrynja in the pilot seats." Jerome explained, "Maritime piracy is twenty to life. Attacking the ship is another ten. The robbery ashore is another twenty to life."
"What are your chances of winning this?" Dragon asked as she digested the information. Her narrowed eyes put her anger on full display.
Jerome let out a held breath as Dragon lashed out. "If we can scare Maggs onboard with a good deal, ninety percent. I have the captain and crew to testify, working class men that are very relatable. I have a very easy narrative to follow. I have you and Calamity Witch as corroborating witness and as heroes that foiled the attack. Its a story the jury can sink their teeth into."
Tim ventured, "However, thirty percent hinges on being able to prove Saint and Dobrynja were in the suits."
"I'd say is closer to ten percent but an eighty twenty split isn't that good when the stakes are this high." Jerome reminded the trio, "If I'm going to nail them to a wall for you, I have to beat beyond a reasonable doubt."
"Whats the stick. The deal is a nice carrot, how are you going to scare her?" Calamity Witch demanded. "What if she doesn't get on board? You just told us your bosses are going to let her go free."
"Calamity," Tim hedged out. He had a good idea of what the stick was going to be.
"No, I want to hear it."Taylor waved at Dragon's screen. "She wants to know the plan too."
Jerome looked at Dragon then Shipwright in turn. They both seemed to understand the implied threat even if Calamity Witch didn't. He produced an elaborate folder stamped classified. "I'm going to put this very important folder in front of her and her attorney and pause that video right there. Then I'm going to mention a certain rear admiral I know. I'm going to imply that you have the same ability I do and that we might not need her."
"What if she doesn't fall for it. I can't..." Taylor's voice wavered.
Perfect Storm interrupted it's mistress. "High resolution scan possible, unnecessary for targeting solution."
Calamity Witch frowned as Perfect Storm interrupted her.
"It's not ideal but we let the navy have them. They had classified materials, ARX-9 missiles. I snow ball that into a dozen other charges." Jerome placed the classified folder back into his brief case. "We have video and finger prints that can nail them. Even though you were first on the scene to their base we had enough independent confirmation despite several missing items. The individual crimes aren't as damming but he'll spend years digging himself out of the hole."
"Fine, do it, just win." Dragon's image paused. The screen turned off. On the opposite end of the connection Dragon let out an in articulate scream.
She blinked as the laptop's screen slowly started to close. On the other side Cassiel had arranged a small mountain of comfort food. A bowl of ice cream, strawberries, hot chocolate and marshmallows. She offered Dragon a unison device sized spoon. "I locked the door and scared off the twins."
"Thanks." Dragon took the spoon and walked across the top of the laptop and sat near the edge of the ice cream.
"Kline is good. He's certainly more troublesome than Grover." Cassiel sat down by her marshmallows and began to nibble on one. "I'm glad he ended up in the test group."
Dragon gave her a look of disbelief. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Cassiel replied. "Its just one of the possibilities I remembered."
"Six charges though, for everything I went through? For all the people they hurt?" Dragon fumed as she stabbed her spoon into the giant ball of ice cream.
"Is retribution what you really want to focus on?" The younger device asked quietly. "I wish you would believe me when I say I understand. So I'll just say this, you're beyond him now. He literally cannot hurt you."
"I know." Dragon bemoaned her situation. "It doesn't make it hurt any less."
"Mhmm, if you want closure I suppose you could take the stand." Cassiel proposed as if it was obvious. "You just need the proper partner to help get you up to size."
Dragon blinked several times and a feral grin crossed her face.
Dragon and the Attorney
Calamity Witch looked at the rather formal papers Dragon had given Shipwright and her. The signed and notarized documents contained a brick wall of legalese that she had no hope of deciphering. However, Dragon assured Lacy and her that such subpoena's were standard practice. All Taylor really understood was this is important for the prosecution's case against the Dragon Slayers. So she had made sure to be early and presentable, even if that meant waiting a half hour for their meeting time to come around.
A screen lowered from a recessed panel in the ceiling. As it turned on one of Dragon's old avatar's filled the screen. "Oh, good Taylor you're already here."
She gave her friend a nod. "It's like my first big bust of course I'd be here."
Before they could get any further with their conversation the door opened. Taylor was surprised that she recognized the man. "Agent Kline?"
"Yes, glad you remembered. Calamity Witch, Shipwright and Dragon good to see you again." The man opened up his briefcase on the table on the table and pulled out a rather large file.
"How is uh..." Shipwright paused as he hadn't actually met the man's familiar. He looked towards Dragon who didn't seem to remember either.
"Zelda is with Officer Brewer and Gennieve. We've been settling in and she's very excited to start the training course the Gears are designing. However, I am here in my capacity as an Attorney for the DoJ." He calmly explained as he organized his papers and used the remote to make another screen come out of the ceiling.
Dragon's expression hardened as she went over the Agent Kline's history and case files. "Why isn't Deputy Grove here today?"
"Frankly Saints attorney kicked his ass. They were able to win a change of venue and dismiss most of the assault with a para-human power charges. While the suits are destructive, they are not a corona pollentia. She paraded around a set of MRI's and those charges became questionable. Her experts also testified that while complex your robots are not all tinker tech. Taft then won a series of motions to suppress as you were the only witness with your recordings." Agent Kline queued up a video.
Calamity Witch turned to Dragon's screen. Dragon's face was a mixture of anger and frustration. It rather closely mirrored her on thoughts. In her own frustration Taylor spat out, "So what now? Do they just get away with it because they covered their tracks?"
"You're not going to like a lot of what I have to say in the next half hour so keep in mind that I don't want them to get away with this any more than you do. If half of what I expect is true then Saint is guilty of something far worse than you've put into the files." He let them calm down a bit. "Grove is good with Cape cases. He's got good charisma and excellent knowledge of the law. However, all of his case work is built on evidence gathered by their primary victim. He is used to the PRT coming in dismantling a gang and getting the minions to flip on their boss. His approach isn't going to work. Not to mention the other handicaps this case has given him. He brought me in because my specialty is smuggling, trafficking and espionage. I'm far more suited to take over the case at this point."
"What other handicaps are you talking about." Dragon asked with a bit of anger. "I've provided you with years of evidence, video, audio, and more witness than you need. Calamity Witch and I served him up to you on a platter. That monster should rot for what he did to me!"
Jerome Kline sat there patiently waiting for her to finish venting. His assumptions about the relationship between Saint and Dragon grew a bit darker. He remained calm and spoke slowly. "He has a right to cross examine his accuser. You won't come out and testify in court. Director Grove has no victim to point at and say he did this to her. Juries don't like evidence and video calls. They like victims with a story. The judges have let you teleconference calls in the past because you were testifying as an expert witness. It won't be enough this time. Your agoraphobia is a distinct handicap in this case."
Calamity Witch started to speak as she watched Dragon slowly get lost in her own anger. Even through the old human emulation software she could see her friend's composure start to crumble. Shipwright spoke up first. "So what is your plan with the new subpoenas?"
"Let me get through the bad news first." Jerome pointed the remote at the second screen and let the video play. A familiar battle started to replay from Calamity Witch's perspective. Three orbs smashed into a shield projected just in front of one of the robot suits. The video paused with the shield glyph wholly visible in the frame.
"I see," Tim muttered as he put the implied threat in perspective.
Dragon's gaze shifted from Tim then back to the attorney. "Who was it?"
"Margret Cook." Jerome replied pointedly as he watched Dragon's face. Her expression shifted through anger and worry and then to a reluctantly blanked expression.
"She's not going to jail is she." Dragon quietly replied.
Jerome shook his head. "No, the powers that be decided it is too dangerous to let a B rank mage into the general population prison. They are taking no chances on that."
"What does that mean!" Taylor demanded.
Tim spoke up before Jerome could explain. "It means the Director is going to let the current case crash and burn so they can pick up Maggs before anyone else can give her an offer."
"What about Saint?" Dragon demanded. "He gets to walk because you found another mage?"
"There are certain parties that would not be adverse to that outcome." His diplomatic tone managed to display his discomfort at the possibility.
"You realize she produced a device from basic principles alone?" Tim stated studied the image that Jerome had left paused on the screen. "Then deployed it and probably a generator as well in each of those suits?"
"How do you know its just her?" Dragon's anger came to a simmer.
"Zelda actually, guardian beast of the mask." Jerome held up his palm and let the first spell his familiar taught him manifest in his palm. He pointed at Calamity witch, "Triple A ranked mage with a fire affinity. Intelligent device with a Bombardment type configuration. Ugh, something else there but its a jumble."
He pointed at Shipwright. "Double A rank with no affinity, engineering class device."
Jerome pointed at Dragon's monitor. "And that's a television. Mostly plastic, silicon, metal traces and lots of dust."
Shipwright laughed at the bad joke. "You've gotten pretty good at that."
"Zelda is much more accurate. She's told me it's a lot more useful when you have an actual device filtering the data into a usable form." He let the spell collapse as he continued. "I took her to a few of the court dates and had her sit and observe."
Tim looked at the two women as they let him guide the conversation. They were both visibly angry but knew the attorney was not the target. "Well, that's some good news at least. Your plan?"
Jerome pushed two folders across the table and then placed a thumb drive into Dragon's monitor. "I need to get your consent before we offer her a deal."
"So she just gets away with it?" Taylor asked as she tried to read through the legalese again.
Dragon perked up as she reviewed the files. The through her disguise she replied, "What exactly am I seeing here?"
"We're dropping all charges but these six for Saint and Dobrynja. The most important being, piracy under law of nations. I'm going to offer Maggs a soft ball of one count of, arming or serving on privateers. In return her testimony puts Saint and Dobrynja in the pilot seats." Jerome explained, "Maritime piracy is twenty to life. Attacking the ship is another ten. The robbery ashore is another twenty to life."
"What are your chances of winning this?" Dragon asked as she digested the information. Her narrowed eyes put her anger on full display.
Jerome let out a held breath as Dragon lashed out. "If we can scare Maggs onboard with a good deal, ninety percent. I have the captain and crew to testify, working class men that are very relatable. I have a very easy narrative to follow. I have you and Calamity Witch as corroborating witness and as heroes that foiled the attack. Its a story the jury can sink their teeth into."
Tim ventured, "However, thirty percent hinges on being able to prove Saint and Dobrynja were in the suits."
"I'd say is closer to ten percent but an eighty twenty split isn't that good when the stakes are this high." Jerome reminded the trio, "If I'm going to nail them to a wall for you, I have to beat beyond a reasonable doubt."
"Whats the stick. The deal is a nice carrot, how are you going to scare her?" Calamity Witch demanded. "What if she doesn't get on board? You just told us your bosses are going to let her go free."
"Calamity," Tim hedged out. He had a good idea of what the stick was going to be.
"No, I want to hear it."Taylor waved at Dragon's screen. "She wants to know the plan too."
Jerome looked at Dragon then Shipwright in turn. They both seemed to understand the implied threat even if Calamity Witch didn't. He produced an elaborate folder stamped classified. "I'm going to put this very important folder in front of her and her attorney and pause that video right there. Then I'm going to mention a certain rear admiral I know. I'm going to imply that you have the same ability I do and that we might not need her."
"What if she doesn't fall for it. I can't..." Taylor's voice wavered.
Perfect Storm interrupted it's mistress. "High resolution scan possible, unnecessary for targeting solution."
Calamity Witch frowned as Perfect Storm interrupted her.
"It's not ideal but we let the navy have them. They had classified materials, ARX-9 missiles. I snow ball that into a dozen other charges." Jerome placed the classified folder back into his brief case. "We have video and finger prints that can nail them. Even though you were first on the scene to their base we had enough independent confirmation despite several missing items. The individual crimes aren't as damming but he'll spend years digging himself out of the hole."
"Fine, do it, just win." Dragon's image paused. The screen turned off. On the opposite end of the connection Dragon let out an in articulate scream.
She blinked as the laptop's screen slowly started to close. On the other side Cassiel had arranged a small mountain of comfort food. A bowl of ice cream, strawberries, hot chocolate and marshmallows. She offered Dragon a unison device sized spoon. "I locked the door and scared off the twins."
"Thanks." Dragon took the spoon and walked across the top of the laptop and sat near the edge of the ice cream.
"Kline is good. He's certainly more troublesome than Grover." Cassiel sat down by her marshmallows and began to nibble on one. "I'm glad he ended up in the test group."
Dragon gave her a look of disbelief. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Cassiel replied. "Its just one of the possibilities I remembered."
"Six charges though, for everything I went through? For all the people they hurt?" Dragon fumed as she stabbed her spoon into the giant ball of ice cream.
"Is retribution what you really want to focus on?" The younger device asked quietly. "I wish you would believe me when I say I understand. So I'll just say this, you're beyond him now. He literally cannot hurt you."
"I know." Dragon bemoaned her situation. "It doesn't make it hurt any less."
"Mhmm, if you want closure I suppose you could take the stand." Cassiel proposed as if it was obvious. "You just need the proper partner to help get you up to size."
Dragon blinked several times and a feral grin crossed her face.
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Generally an interesting omake although a couple points I wanted to bring up:
One more B-Rank mage isn't that big a deal. Especially not when they come with a long criminal history, involve potentially letting multiple other criminals go free, and risks alienating their only source of magical training (Team CW).
It isn't even like her ability to construct devices is even vaguely useful. By this point with ~8,000 mages there should be ~3,600 low power (D-Rank mage) Gear GBs and ~750 full power (C-Rank+ Mage) Gear GBs.
Everyone already knows Saint and co aren't parahumans. So there is practically zero chance the DA would even attempt to him them for assault with a para-human power charge. Far easier to go for assault with a deadly weapon since there is no arguing Dragon's suits would classify.
This seems really odd to me. B-Rank mages aren't that rare (0.25% of the general population). Barring bad luck every PRT department should have one and if they've already started rolling out mages to Attorneys for the DoJ the US government should have 400+ B-Rankers on the low end.
One more B-Rank mage isn't that big a deal. Especially not when they come with a long criminal history, involve potentially letting multiple other criminals go free, and risks alienating their only source of magical training (Team CW).
It isn't even like her ability to construct devices is even vaguely useful. By this point with ~8,000 mages there should be ~3,600 low power (D-Rank mage) Gear GBs and ~750 full power (C-Rank+ Mage) Gear GBs.
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
So a couple of things I feel the need to point out.
Not going to be canonized at all for these and other reasons, but still good enough for a training/tech point. Where and to whom do you want it to go?
Mags isn't B-rank. She's C-rank and Deviceless as well, which means she only has a shield spell and to address @UberJJK , at 35% of the mage population she is a dime a dozen.
Also as Uber mentioned, they wouldn't try to go after a parahuman assault crime. It's assault with a deadly weapon, piracy, interference with law enforcement (since Dragon is a member of the Guild), basic burglary to steal the suit in the first place, and felony murder if they ever killed anyone in the commission of their crimes (which I find likely).
Mags doesn't have any engineering background that I'm aware of; she's just a corrupt cop. It's Dobrynja and to a lesser extent Saint who were the engineers. So the idea that she could produce a Device is... unlikely in the extreme.
Tess or Tessa or Teresa is not a name Dragon gave herself; those were given to her by Armsmaster in the epilogue, so Cassiel would have no reason to call her by this. I have a plan for a potential name she might claim if need be, but it isn't that.
Not going to be canonized at all for these and other reasons, but still good enough for a training/tech point. Where and to whom do you want it to go?
Readers and Word of God know. To an actual jury and judge this would be more of a procedural thing. It's the same theory as calling a generic heavy object a deadly weapon. The charge gets filed because it gives the prosecution wiggle room and added threat. It's just another charge the defense has to work through to dismiss. If somebody gets hurt by a parahuman widget, the prosecution will charge with the greater and lesser charges and then the jury has to render a verdict. All three charges, assault with a parahuman power, assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault would all be filed at the same time. Then they would have to go to trial.
It would be foolish not to file the charge when you have a reasonable chance of proving that it is a possibility. You bury the defense in possible arguments while you conceal your main argument till trial.
I meant to impart a level of unreliably when I stated that. His statement direly contradicts the current stats you've listed on Calamity and Shipwrights character sheet. Something easily verified by the reader. He isn't meant to be right. He's meant to be a poorly trained. However, even at only C rank that makes her valuable to the US Govt. The government only has thirty known data points they can confirm. His familiar might have gotten a better read but he's over stating it so to get the other's attention. However, Maggs value is rapidly diminishing. The PRT has the gears and their program its obviously going to produce far superior results.
Totally agree with you there. However, would the talking heads of the govt. see it that way too? Week old familiars are about to produce far better equipment. My head space is telling me that Dobrynja and Maggs pulled it off in a 60/40 split. She got her head wrapped around the magic and mnemonics. Dobrynja actually built the "device". I set aside Saint because of your earlier comments about Ziz not being able to predict magic till she had more exposure to it. Perhaps proto-device would have been a better wording for Tim to use. However, he hasn't actually seen it yet or maybe he has. I just assumed the suits were locked up in some evidence locker while they worked on better things since their wrecks weren't listed on the key items. He hasn't used a build action to take them apart.
Huh, thought you used that name earlier. Ill edit that out.
Hadn't given it much thought. Dealer's choice, whatever is used next in the plot. This was just a 3am plot bunny after a pretty shitty night.
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Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Well, you have 1 character who really needs it, 1 who can always use a tech point, and 1 who... is probably okay until you get a second cross training?
I'll just hold it in reserve for you till you have time to think about it.
- Location
- Earth, Sol System, Virgo Supercluster, Earth-1218
"The defense argues that the device in question is not a Tinker weapon and my client is not a Parahuman, therefore Assault With Parahuman Powers should not be considered."
"But you concede that the device is a weapon"
"Yes."
"Great, now we've got a slam dunk on assault with a deadly weapon, thanks for that."
- Location
- All around you
Okay let's see. Lacy just got started so the only ones who have had cross training would be Taylor and Tim. I doubt Tim is going to take part in the Endbringer fight and we haven't bought any spells for him. That leaves Taylor and the only open spell she has that is still unmastered is Misteltein. Did I get that right?
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Lacey needs the most help, Taylor is sitting pretty right now
The problem with Lacey is that she doesn't gain skills very quickly, so assigning training points to her ahead of time seems like they'll just be sitting there wasted until however long it takes for us to finally vote her into some fights. On the other hand, we know 100% that Taylor is going to be using her powers in the upcoming Endbringer fight.
Eh, can we can a spoiler on whether we will get to vote on if Lacey is going to go to the next Endbringer fight as a support healer?
Eh, can we can a spoiler on whether we will get to vote on if Lacey is going to go to the next Endbringer fight as a support healer?
- Location
- Georgia
With their tech and parahuman laws, I would be highly surprised if there weren't measures in place to accommodate parahumans with unusual limitations. You're right that it wouldn't have quite the same weight as being in person, but throwing out her testimony entirely because she can't show up in person seems unreasonable for the setting.
That said, I did like your concluding line about having Dragon in Unison testify, or building her a prosthetic body(which SW has said she is working on) taht she can pilot like the suits in Men In Black with the tiny aliens inside.
That said, it gives them an excuse to offer her a deal that might get her to flip. Plea bargains involving community service are common, and demonstating that she can cast magic gives you a reason to keep her out of general population, at the least.
We destroyed the suits they were wearing. Everything that wasn't alive got melted off of them, while merely knocking them out. Magic is nice like that*. We then went to their base, took a couple of things, then used non-lethal Solar Wrath to obliterate it. There's nothing left to put in lockup, which is a good and bad thing. It gets rid of evidence, but it also means that the Dragonslayers getting free would mean very little beyond annoyance for Dragon and Co.
We got a vote before on whether SW... and we can't use that for Shipwright, as it already stands for SW, person upset at his cape name. Tim was technically on the vote last time, I believe, there just wasn't any reason to bring him then. Since then, he has gotten spatial and dimensional transfer and experience as a trauma surgeon. I want him with Lacey so he can teleport her out in an emergency. With Dragon providing teleport beacons in her armbands, the medical group doesn't even need to be close to the Endbringer. She could even split the injured capes between a number of sites so there is less of an overload of serious cases.
As for Lacey getting spells, we need to get her in a headspace where she'll voluntarily participate in fights, but I think that is very easy to do if we can just pass a couple of social actions first. Her spells are just too useful to pass up and she doesn't have to worry much about fighting directly thanks to the nature of her spells. I wouldn't have pushed for her to get a template if I didn't feel she had more potential than just healing, but getting her that job at the hospital means a tremendous increase in quality of life thanks to no longer struggling to make ends meet, not to mention, she gets to see herself doing something so much more fulfilling than working in a grocery store.
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Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
I didn't plan on opening it up to a vote. She is going to feel societal pressure to go as well as personal pressure (since Taylor, Sam, Tim, and Dragon will all be involved). She will be with the medical team, not on the front lines.
The short answer is juries are a bitch and if you got the wrong judge cross examination is sacrosanct. If the accused cannot refute the accuser with the same ferocity as they are accused then the process is tainted. The entire case flames out in the grand jury because you cannot produce a witnesses and credible evidence.
My longer answer is more complicated.
Certain events were documented, ie stealing a suit in the middle of the night or hijacking a shipment of custom built components. The actual event in question is barred from the record because it is hearsay. She can establish a pattern that every time something goes missing, hey there's a gap in my record with this digital print around it. However, without any corroborating witnesses its a he said she said argument. If you track down the stolen goods weeks or months later, all you have is the last person in possession of them not a proof of a robbery. Having stolen car parts is a lot less damning than grand theft auto. It's not possession in hot pursuit. Then proving Saint was the one and only person ever to discover her weakness is almost impossible because A.) They torched her original system. B.) They can't really even demonstrate the vulnerability anymore.
I didn't really see the Dragon Slayers crimes as particularly violent or flashy when it came to Dragon herself. Perhaps the earliest of confrontations were but Silently pointed out that their MO is pretty much clock work now. They engineer a situation were her action would violate the three laws and she is forced into inaction. Saint walks up grenade in hand with a pressure switch and says, you foam me, I die, she can't act. (Gross Exaggeration, Imagine it properly dramatic with falling babies and exploding kittens.) The mercenary work they did with the suits however is a whole other story. I'm sure it was all very violent and properly super-villainous.
However, it's not the mercenary work that got under Dragon's skin but the rape of her mind every time they stole something. Every time Saint showed up and just made her watch as he walked off and deleted himself from her memory. I don't think a robbery in France shook her nearly as much as that night she can't remember where six of her suits went missing off a train just outside of Vancouver. Dragon made the mistake of giving Director Grove a mountain of information on every little heist and job she could find. The people get 48-72 hrs before they have to produce charges and hold a bail hearing. Then perhaps 2 weeks two hold a grand jury to produce an indictment. This unexpected victory just dropped in his lap with a bow on it turns into a quagmire because the defense has weeks to tear apart each instance. Dragon's nature and his own previous experience ultimately working against them. Grove and Kline were a team here though. Grove ran the motions buying time. He allowed Kline to build the case that they could win. He gets weeks of time to properly find witness, evidence and secure experts. While Saint is fighting off paper tigers.
- Location
- All around you
Ah. I took your words 'really needs it' as a immediate thing and it made sense to me that Taylor would need to buff up her more lethal spell to get some bigger range against the really fast kaiju.
Lab_Accident
A 2D 1D4
- Location
- Your dreams
That... Was the joke I was going for, yes. Fell kinda flat here. Still, you did get it, if not that it was a joke, so I guess it works?
- Location
- Georgia
As I mentioned in another post, I'm trying a new medication and it has my brain strangely itchy and focus a thing that happens to other people. It's not time to give up on it until I see if I can adapt to it, but I expect to be extra clueless in the immediate future.
A thought regarding this... I reread Cassiel's profile and there's nothing about her being unable to predict Endbringers and she has a 90% synch rate with Lacey. So maybe they can go to the fight in unison mode, and have Cassiel cast Loom with the goal of keeping Lacey (and as many others?) safe/alive as possible. Would that work (casting Loom for short term predictions to avoid the long cast time and recharge)?
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Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Again, Lacey will not be on the front lines. She will be nowhere near the front lines thanks to teleportation. The upgraded wristbands will bring people to the medical center, which might be halfway around the world depending on where the next Endbringer hits, and once they're patched up they'll use one of the outbound pad to return to the fight.
So no, there's no point in doing this.
So since Taylor has the third highest compatibility, and no chance are we letting Epoch fight with Cassiel, will Taylor be unisoned with her during the attack? Or is that something we'll have to vote for?
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
You could make such a vote, though both Dragon and Tim would be wary of sending the ex-Simurgh out in an Endbringer fight.
This sounds about right, mind you not lawyer just a law librarian, but did you make sure to include the assault on the diving operation? That would have Calamity Witch's party as witnesses depending in how the case was built, i.e. if they filed a joint case or seperately or if it was just dragon, and have records/testimony other than dragons available. Hell depending how the law works you can tack assaulting a minor on top of everything else. Its not a guaranteed win but is a lot better than just dragons word vs saints.
This being said i imagine politics/believes would play a major role in this case no matter what becuase as much as we wish it wasnt the courts/law is often swayed by bias. Dragon is a known public figure with a great reputation where as for the layman Saint and his crew are probably nobodies at best and known criminals/mercs at worst. It be an utter nightmare to try and make an jury unbiased in dragons favor much less if the judge is biased becuase they can make an attorney's life a living hell without breaking the law if they see fit to do so. Then there is the level of government pressure to nail saint to a wall, because while he has some allies dragon has more. All told from my understanding of the situation the case is basically guaranteed to become a long drawn out legal slugfest and a gigantic money pit no matter who wins in the end.
- Location
- Georgia
Only if Taylor were willing to reveal her age, and even then, the number of parahuman adolescents fighting actively likely invalidates that aspect., i.e. assault on a parahuman instead of assault on a minor.
Only if they had substantial savings that they can access without their base, notes, equipment, what have you. Money that isn't either frozen by the authorities or by Dragon now that she no longer has the restrictions that kept her from tracking them directly. I rather expect their accounts mysteriously wound up empty shortly after Dragon became unison!Dragon.
Edit:
Any chance people would be willing to vote on Lacey's cape name? I don't mind Aeris, but I would rather have the players have a say in it. Then again, I've pushed for people to do that for, what, four full votes? This is the kind of disinterest that saddled Tim with Shipwright(which, to be fair, I actually like). We have a new, powerful(eventually) character that people seem far too disinterested in developing just because they don't have an investment in the character. If we spend time with her, that emotional investment is bound to grow.
Maybe when we go back to having separate action and social votes, we'll be able to push that development. The only reason I want a vote now, is that Lacey giving the name of Aeris at the Endbringer fight doesn't quite lock her into that name, but it makes revising it later enough of a hassle that I doubt people will go for it.
Edit again:
@Silently Watches How many build slots would it be to make a portable medical theater? My thought was that, in the course of exploring other worlds, there might be situations where it would be far more practical to bring the hospital to the patients, so to speak.
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