- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The best way to increase Arete is to be challenged in your footing, and indeed, Where is the Avatar? Not that its easy to figure out what an Avatar is doing on the best of days.
Ultravires (A Mage The Ascension Quest)
- Thread starter Dapperlad1
- Start date
- Mature Modern
- Location
- USA
I meant ratting of it. Give it is acting like 5, I am not sure.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Was something supposed to be there?
I had to do a double take to confirm it wasn't Mr Fredericks who collapse through the door. The sentence is somewhat jumbled.
They haven't opened fire yet, so where does the heat - enough to burn a hole - come from?
I can't quite connect this scene to the following chase. The man let us go, didn't he? Unless he meant he'd let us leave and then sent the pursuit, or we made another attempt at getting a job that night which went about the same as the first one.
[x] An amulet made of a human collarbone, getting that cost Aubrey his surgical residency, but it was well worth it as the amulet, once finished, provided a protective field of magic that could deflect and absorb impacts, it is however quite noticeable, if portable. (Forces 2 Shield)
...I mean, we could debate the limits of usefulness of each option, but ultimately I am making a choice off a cool factor here, not a rational one.
- Location
- USA
[X] A carefully made tattoo on the underside of Aubrey's left arm, seeming to be in the shape of a horned western dragon, its mouth ends at the palm, left open as if yearning to breathe flame. That is to the untrained eye, in reality, the entire dragon is made of carefully interlaced symbols of flame and destruction, creating a matrix for a powerful blast of Hellfire, capable of melting most everything. It does however require significant power to use. (Forces 3/Prime 2 Quintessence-Charged Fire Beam, requires 1 Quintessence a use.)
This is way to useful not to have. Might cost a bit of Quintessence, but with my theory of Avatar 5. We should be good.
This is way to useful not to have. Might cost a bit of Quintessence, but with my theory of Avatar 5. We should be good.
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That is a typo, thanks!
The heat to burn a hole comes from the waste heat of half a dozen people, and yeah, the point made by the man was he let Aubrey leave the building, rather than kill him then and there.
The first scene picks up in perhaps 10-20 minutes after that one.
Thanks for the help, and I hope it's clearer now!
What makes you think that? Avatar 5 I mean.
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- Location
- USA
How active the Shadow and forceful it is. And its well wiliness to act. Like I said its a theory, so I could be wrong.
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Whilst two voters is great, I'd appreciate a few more participants before we move on to a new post! I'll wait until midnight EST to see if it can be called then.
So, I've thought about it and I came to two conclusions.
Aubrey is too much of a wallflower and needs some EDGE for that confidence, so we can start by covering him in tattoos! ;D
The other reasoning is that, while a force shield is cool and all stopping sudden assassinations, the tatt is literally a get-out-of-jail free card even if it guzzles quint. Our main opponent is a vampire apparently, so it'd be real nice. It'd be real nice against most things since it was Prime as well I believe???
We'd just get more use out of it. We can Force shield at any time.
[X] A carefully made tattoo on the underside of Aubrey's left arm, seeming to be in the shape of a horned western dragon, its mouth ends at the palm, left open as if yearning to breathe flame. That is to the untrained eye, in reality, the entire dragon is made of carefully interlaced symbols of flame and destruction, creating a matrix for a powerful blast of Hellfire, capable of melting most everything. It does however require significant power to use. (Forces 3/Prime 2 Quintessence-Charged Fire Beam, requires 1 Quintessence a use.)
Aubrey is too much of a wallflower and needs some EDGE for that confidence, so we can start by covering him in tattoos! ;D
The other reasoning is that, while a force shield is cool and all stopping sudden assassinations, the tatt is literally a get-out-of-jail free card even if it guzzles quint. Our main opponent is a vampire apparently, so it'd be real nice. It'd be real nice against most things since it was Prime as well I believe???
We'd just get more use out of it. We can Force shield at any time.
[X] A carefully made tattoo on the underside of Aubrey's left arm, seeming to be in the shape of a horned western dragon, its mouth ends at the palm, left open as if yearning to breathe flame. That is to the untrained eye, in reality, the entire dragon is made of carefully interlaced symbols of flame and destruction, creating a matrix for a powerful blast of Hellfire, capable of melting most everything. It does however require significant power to use. (Forces 3/Prime 2 Quintessence-Charged Fire Beam, requires 1 Quintessence a use.)
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- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Whilst the votes are in and I did say I would call it at midnight, if no one minds, I'd prefer to extend this at least a few more hours. A more firm decision with a few more people.
[X] A carefully made tattoo on the underside of Aubrey's left arm, seeming to be in the shape of a horned western dragon, its mouth ends at the palm, left open as if yearning to breathe flame. That is to the untrained eye, in reality, the entire dragon is made of carefully interlaced symbols of flame and destruction, creating a matrix for a powerful blast of Hellfire, capable of melting most everything. It does however require significant power to use. (Forces 3/Prime 2 Quintessence-Charged Fire Beam, requires 1 Quintessence a use.)
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alright, I'll call it.
[X] A carefully made tattoo on the underside of Aubrey's left arm, seeming to be in the shape of a horned western dragon, its mouth ends at the palm, left open as if yearning to breathe flame. That is to the untrained eye, in reality, the entire dragon is made of carefully interlaced symbols of flame and destruction, creating a matrix for a powerful blast of Hellfire, capable of melting most everything. It does however require significant power to use. (Forces 3/Prime 2 Quintessence-Charged Fire Beam, requires 1 Quintessence a use.)
Beam arm is a go.
[X] A carefully made tattoo on the underside of Aubrey's left arm, seeming to be in the shape of a horned western dragon, its mouth ends at the palm, left open as if yearning to breathe flame. That is to the untrained eye, in reality, the entire dragon is made of carefully interlaced symbols of flame and destruction, creating a matrix for a powerful blast of Hellfire, capable of melting most everything. It does however require significant power to use. (Forces 3/Prime 2 Quintessence-Charged Fire Beam, requires 1 Quintessence a use.)
Beam arm is a go.
Chapter III
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Looking down at his left arm, Aubrey pushes up the sleeve of his soaked hoodie, revealing the carefully made and expensive tattoo overtop pale skin, the mouth seeming to lick forward with unrestrained desire to burn, the very air around it resonating with that destructive impulse.
Suddenly, Aubrey is dragged away from the observation as the wood of his front door cracks with another sharp impact, "Oh God, what do I do?" He whispers under his breath, taking care to not point the arm towards his body. "It's time to engage in pre-emptive self-defence, fire through the wall!" Shadow almost screeches the last bit, suddenly appearing beside Aubrey as the door itself begin to come off its hinges with repeated, violent smashes.
"I don't want to kill anyone!" Aubrey shouts to the vague fractal image of the Shadow before the door comes down and a man rushes into the room. He is a towering wall of muscle and rugged skin, seeming to be nearly a foot taller.
Rumbling with force, the stranger seems to smash across the room, trying to slam his fist into Aubrey who reacts with a bare, instinctual fear and falls back, causing the man to just skim past his face sending him reeling straight to the ground with a pulsing headache and pounding cheek.
In that second of blind panic, the young mage brings up his weaponized arm almost without thought, the symbols flaring with the motion, activating as power flows.
The mountain made flesh is quickly moving towards the prone boy, stomping over, he seems ready to pound Aubrey into dust, and then a bright, screaming ray of hellish light sends shimmering twinkles of burning heat and destructive force everywhere, strikes the man dead in the upper body, it's a detonation of gore which then vaporizes as the beam continues upwards, light and sound of the rushing flame dimmed by the person it tore through, piercing into the ceiling and stopping just shy of making a new entrance to the apartment above, content with simply stripping the dry-wall off the supports.
Aubrey lies on the ground breathing hard until the rigid legs, still standing divested of the upper body, seems to tumble forward threatening to fall upon him, causing an immediate rolling out of the way as the corpse slams into the ground, pouring what remained of its internals onto the ground with a horrid offal stench.
Scrambling away from it with wide eyes like a child, he dry-heaves once again but finds himself empty this time, unable to even feel that momentary release of the nauseous fear and anxiety seeming crushing him at every turn. "Shadow, help." A simple request, almost desperate in its quiet, demure nature. The shade stutters over, seemingly jaunting in and out of visible sight with shuddering motions, stopping next to the half-man, seeming to gaze into his innards. It then speaks. "You did what you had to. Now stand, it is no longer safe here." The warbling voice calms for a moment, providing a sense of stability to the situation. "Where do I go?" Aubrey asks, voice quiet and steady as shock overcomes emotion. "Follow my words. I know a place."
Rising from the ground and walking towards the door, thoughts racing, the boy falls into himself, descending into depths of empty nothing. The city blurs around him as awareness fades and it becomes a simple function of mechanics to put one foot in front of another, avoiding the crowd or the crowd avoiding him. Lights and smells and cold filling his senses, no details beyond the most basic necessities.
The sounds of soft, jazzy music fill Aubrey's ears as he nears a secreted away building in a lonely part of the city, sanity recovering as his feet take him into a bar of sorts. The soft melody continues, a feminine voice becoming clear as the darkened interior of this lounge reveals a singer in faux-Roaring Twenties dress, glimmering sequins flashing red in the cool lighting.
The rest of the lounge sits at ease, basking in the enjoyment provided, lured into a sense of ease. Aubrey gravitates towards a further away booth, slinking into it to peer out. The music seems to inflict itself on everyone, even he can feel it. Though rather than the anaesthetic peace it gives them, it merely cools Aubrey down, slashing away at anxiety and burning fear to be replaced with simple calm.
It's a moment before Aubrey realizes he is staring towards the singer, blinking and looking away, catching the barest traces of her responding glance, the anxiety returning a hundredfold. "What are we doing here?" He whispers to the empty air. "We are here to meet her." Shadow says, his attention immediately shifts to the woman again, who is still glancing over at him between lyrical beats.
"Oh, okay." he whispers after a moment.
It is another minute or two of sweet trills until a climax arrives, the chanteuse putting her all into a resounding finish, a smooth thirty-second note that slithers like honey and warms like a fire, ending it off with a small smile at the audience. Twisting on the spot, she slides down the steps of the stage, seeming to almost float if not for the slit of her dress revealing heels.
Hazel eyes stare at Aubrey, intimidating to him as feelings start to flare. A silky, trained voice slides out of her, "Not often I see a lost duckling in here," The lady sits down next to him, and continues. "Now, are you an ugly one, or a shiny one?" She leans into a palm to look over at him, red hair trailing down smooth arms enticingly.
He's silent for a few seconds before the realization he needs to talk spurs mouth to motion, "I, um... h-hey, I think-I, don't know if I am?" Running another hand through his hair, an obvious nervous gesture. She smiles at that, causing ever more burgeoning feelings as she replies, "Just a cute one then. Say, your face seems familiar." Lips touch downwards a hint as she says that, before a realization hits her, "Oh, you are the one that Vincent is up in arms about." The frown deepens as she says that.
"I-uh, that's a problem?" Aubrey asks, a mix of panicked and confused now. "It's a problem alright, a problem for me now. Shit honey, this is a bad way to flirt." She quips, leaning off her arm and pulling a cigarette out of somewhere. Aubrey instinctually lights it from vague memories of proper manhood, a spark of flame sliding up to the cigarette tip as she puts it into her mouth.
She smiles around it, "Good recovery." Taking a long breath of nicotine, she releases it all in a plume before going on, "Let's talk options, you came here cause you need help, thankfully, I can't refuse people who need help." Crimson mouth moving with and between puffs of cigarette haze, she continues "So, you can stay here as long as you need. But, before you are out of here, you need a game plan. And no, staying here forever is not an option." A wave of relaxation resounds through him at that.
"Okay, um, do I just stay out here?" Aubrey questions, gesturing towards the common room itself, she rolls her eyes, "'Course not, I've got rooms downstairs." Standing up, she brushes down her sequined dress. "Just warm up, get some grub downstairs and think of what you want to do. I'll be here."
She begins sashaying away, "You forgot to ask my name." turning her head back after a few steps, "It's Sabrina." she purrs before gliding back to the stage.
"Starstruck, are we?" The Shadow bursts Aubrey out of his fugue, voice shifted into a teasing morass, almost friendly, spurring a series of refusals that are barely coherent before he just stands up and starts heading to the back edge of the stage where a stairway down peaks behind. "Get rest, we have a hell of a time ahead of us." It calms down to its normal style, a coruscating morass of noise.
Moving down a mere few seconds pass before he finds a door, conveniently marked with his name. Not caring enough past the physical exhaustion Aubrey collapses onto the bed, letting the rest of the velvet-covered, luxurious bedroom pass him by, merely craving rest.
Lying there on the covers, sleep finally claims him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waking on his couch, Aubrey hears the door smash, stumbling off the couch, the same mountain of muscle slams through it, he is knocked down by the same strike.
He tries to bring his arm up, but it's ruthlessly grabbed by the man, unable to contest his strength, Aubrey can only watch as his own arm is pointed at him. A scream echoes forth as the blinding, killing flame pours towards him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slamming awake, Aubrey shudders for a moment, before looking around at the room, intaking the old wood, light whiskey smell and pleasing red nuances on all the furniture. Breathing out, he calms before looking around.
What to do now?
[X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.)
[X] Listen to Shadow, work a spell to solve this problem. (Pick One Spell, can be done with either other option. If chosen, paradox does not reduce with the first option.)
-[X] Something protective. An idea he had of making your hoodie tougher, something about increasing the metaphysical importance of it with incantation? (Matter 3 hardening of the hoodie)
-[X] Make another instrument of power, an idea to create a wand, inscribing runes of force and strength on it. (Forces 3 Kinetic Blast, no quintessence needed as a secondary option.)
-[X] Something else? (Design own effect, I can help in the chat with specific instrumentation.)
[X] Do something crazy, Shadow said that hitting the vampire's tower during the daylight could work, but it would be dangerous. (Hit the vampire in the daylight, burn it out now. Mutually exclusive with staying.)
[X] Something entirely different? (Write-in)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post done, hope you all enjoyed! Aubrey is now at a semi-safe place and has some time to work something, or calm down.
Same 3 hour hiatus, and same vote weighing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suddenly, Aubrey is dragged away from the observation as the wood of his front door cracks with another sharp impact, "Oh God, what do I do?" He whispers under his breath, taking care to not point the arm towards his body. "It's time to engage in pre-emptive self-defence, fire through the wall!" Shadow almost screeches the last bit, suddenly appearing beside Aubrey as the door itself begin to come off its hinges with repeated, violent smashes.
"I don't want to kill anyone!" Aubrey shouts to the vague fractal image of the Shadow before the door comes down and a man rushes into the room. He is a towering wall of muscle and rugged skin, seeming to be nearly a foot taller.
Rumbling with force, the stranger seems to smash across the room, trying to slam his fist into Aubrey who reacts with a bare, instinctual fear and falls back, causing the man to just skim past his face sending him reeling straight to the ground with a pulsing headache and pounding cheek.
In that second of blind panic, the young mage brings up his weaponized arm almost without thought, the symbols flaring with the motion, activating as power flows.
The mountain made flesh is quickly moving towards the prone boy, stomping over, he seems ready to pound Aubrey into dust, and then a bright, screaming ray of hellish light sends shimmering twinkles of burning heat and destructive force everywhere, strikes the man dead in the upper body, it's a detonation of gore which then vaporizes as the beam continues upwards, light and sound of the rushing flame dimmed by the person it tore through, piercing into the ceiling and stopping just shy of making a new entrance to the apartment above, content with simply stripping the dry-wall off the supports.
Aubrey lies on the ground breathing hard until the rigid legs, still standing divested of the upper body, seems to tumble forward threatening to fall upon him, causing an immediate rolling out of the way as the corpse slams into the ground, pouring what remained of its internals onto the ground with a horrid offal stench.
Scrambling away from it with wide eyes like a child, he dry-heaves once again but finds himself empty this time, unable to even feel that momentary release of the nauseous fear and anxiety seeming crushing him at every turn. "Shadow, help." A simple request, almost desperate in its quiet, demure nature. The shade stutters over, seemingly jaunting in and out of visible sight with shuddering motions, stopping next to the half-man, seeming to gaze into his innards. It then speaks. "You did what you had to. Now stand, it is no longer safe here." The warbling voice calms for a moment, providing a sense of stability to the situation. "Where do I go?" Aubrey asks, voice quiet and steady as shock overcomes emotion. "Follow my words. I know a place."
Rising from the ground and walking towards the door, thoughts racing, the boy falls into himself, descending into depths of empty nothing. The city blurs around him as awareness fades and it becomes a simple function of mechanics to put one foot in front of another, avoiding the crowd or the crowd avoiding him. Lights and smells and cold filling his senses, no details beyond the most basic necessities.
The sounds of soft, jazzy music fill Aubrey's ears as he nears a secreted away building in a lonely part of the city, sanity recovering as his feet take him into a bar of sorts. The soft melody continues, a feminine voice becoming clear as the darkened interior of this lounge reveals a singer in faux-Roaring Twenties dress, glimmering sequins flashing red in the cool lighting.
The rest of the lounge sits at ease, basking in the enjoyment provided, lured into a sense of ease. Aubrey gravitates towards a further away booth, slinking into it to peer out. The music seems to inflict itself on everyone, even he can feel it. Though rather than the anaesthetic peace it gives them, it merely cools Aubrey down, slashing away at anxiety and burning fear to be replaced with simple calm.
It's a moment before Aubrey realizes he is staring towards the singer, blinking and looking away, catching the barest traces of her responding glance, the anxiety returning a hundredfold. "What are we doing here?" He whispers to the empty air. "We are here to meet her." Shadow says, his attention immediately shifts to the woman again, who is still glancing over at him between lyrical beats.
"Oh, okay." he whispers after a moment.
It is another minute or two of sweet trills until a climax arrives, the chanteuse putting her all into a resounding finish, a smooth thirty-second note that slithers like honey and warms like a fire, ending it off with a small smile at the audience. Twisting on the spot, she slides down the steps of the stage, seeming to almost float if not for the slit of her dress revealing heels.
Hazel eyes stare at Aubrey, intimidating to him as feelings start to flare. A silky, trained voice slides out of her, "Not often I see a lost duckling in here," The lady sits down next to him, and continues. "Now, are you an ugly one, or a shiny one?" She leans into a palm to look over at him, red hair trailing down smooth arms enticingly.
He's silent for a few seconds before the realization he needs to talk spurs mouth to motion, "I, um... h-hey, I think-I, don't know if I am?" Running another hand through his hair, an obvious nervous gesture. She smiles at that, causing ever more burgeoning feelings as she replies, "Just a cute one then. Say, your face seems familiar." Lips touch downwards a hint as she says that, before a realization hits her, "Oh, you are the one that Vincent is up in arms about." The frown deepens as she says that.
"I-uh, that's a problem?" Aubrey asks, a mix of panicked and confused now. "It's a problem alright, a problem for me now. Shit honey, this is a bad way to flirt." She quips, leaning off her arm and pulling a cigarette out of somewhere. Aubrey instinctually lights it from vague memories of proper manhood, a spark of flame sliding up to the cigarette tip as she puts it into her mouth.
She smiles around it, "Good recovery." Taking a long breath of nicotine, she releases it all in a plume before going on, "Let's talk options, you came here cause you need help, thankfully, I can't refuse people who need help." Crimson mouth moving with and between puffs of cigarette haze, she continues "So, you can stay here as long as you need. But, before you are out of here, you need a game plan. And no, staying here forever is not an option." A wave of relaxation resounds through him at that.
"Okay, um, do I just stay out here?" Aubrey questions, gesturing towards the common room itself, she rolls her eyes, "'Course not, I've got rooms downstairs." Standing up, she brushes down her sequined dress. "Just warm up, get some grub downstairs and think of what you want to do. I'll be here."
She begins sashaying away, "You forgot to ask my name." turning her head back after a few steps, "It's Sabrina." she purrs before gliding back to the stage.
"Starstruck, are we?" The Shadow bursts Aubrey out of his fugue, voice shifted into a teasing morass, almost friendly, spurring a series of refusals that are barely coherent before he just stands up and starts heading to the back edge of the stage where a stairway down peaks behind. "Get rest, we have a hell of a time ahead of us." It calms down to its normal style, a coruscating morass of noise.
Moving down a mere few seconds pass before he finds a door, conveniently marked with his name. Not caring enough past the physical exhaustion Aubrey collapses onto the bed, letting the rest of the velvet-covered, luxurious bedroom pass him by, merely craving rest.
Lying there on the covers, sleep finally claims him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waking on his couch, Aubrey hears the door smash, stumbling off the couch, the same mountain of muscle slams through it, he is knocked down by the same strike.
He tries to bring his arm up, but it's ruthlessly grabbed by the man, unable to contest his strength, Aubrey can only watch as his own arm is pointed at him. A scream echoes forth as the blinding, killing flame pours towards him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slamming awake, Aubrey shudders for a moment, before looking around at the room, intaking the old wood, light whiskey smell and pleasing red nuances on all the furniture. Breathing out, he calms before looking around.
What to do now?
[X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.)
[X] Listen to Shadow, work a spell to solve this problem. (Pick One Spell, can be done with either other option. If chosen, paradox does not reduce with the first option.)
-[X] Something protective. An idea he had of making your hoodie tougher, something about increasing the metaphysical importance of it with incantation? (Matter 3 hardening of the hoodie)
-[X] Make another instrument of power, an idea to create a wand, inscribing runes of force and strength on it. (Forces 3 Kinetic Blast, no quintessence needed as a secondary option.)
-[X] Something else? (Design own effect, I can help in the chat with specific instrumentation.)
[X] Do something crazy, Shadow said that hitting the vampire's tower during the daylight could work, but it would be dangerous. (Hit the vampire in the daylight, burn it out now. Mutually exclusive with staying.)
[X] Something entirely different? (Write-in)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post done, hope you all enjoyed! Aubrey is now at a semi-safe place and has some time to work something, or calm down.
Same 3 hour hiatus, and same vote weighing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Willpower to kill in cold blood-5d10>8=(2, 3, 5, 6, 3) FAIL
Initiative-Aubrey-(4)+6=10
Initiative-Man-(5)+6=11
Man wins, first action is his.
Clock Aubrey in the jaw-6d10>6=(6, 4, 10, 3, 3, 4) 2 Successes
Damage Roll-5d10>6=(8, 10, 3, 10, 2) 3 Bashing Damage
Aubrey Soak-2d10>6=(2, 7) 1 Damage Soaked, Aubrey has taken two Bashing, he is Hurt.
Aubrey Panic Spell, using tattoo-6d10>7-1(Personalized Instrument)-1(Unique Instrument)=(9, 9, 4, 6, 5, 10) 5 Successes, Willpower Spent, 6 successes, 1 Quintessence, 12+1 Aggravated damage. Man annihilated, as is a chunk of your ceiling. Paradox taken.
Willpower to resist song: 5d10>6=(1, 7, 5, 7, 9) 3 Successes. Effect reduced.
Initiative-Aubrey-(4)+6=10
Initiative-Man-(5)+6=11
Man wins, first action is his.
Clock Aubrey in the jaw-6d10>6=(6, 4, 10, 3, 3, 4) 2 Successes
Damage Roll-5d10>6=(8, 10, 3, 10, 2) 3 Bashing Damage
Aubrey Soak-2d10>6=(2, 7) 1 Damage Soaked, Aubrey has taken two Bashing, he is Hurt.
Aubrey Panic Spell, using tattoo-6d10>7-1(Personalized Instrument)-1(Unique Instrument)=(9, 9, 4, 6, 5, 10) 5 Successes, Willpower Spent, 6 successes, 1 Quintessence, 12+1 Aggravated damage. Man annihilated, as is a chunk of your ceiling. Paradox taken.
Willpower to resist song: 5d10>6=(1, 7, 5, 7, 9) 3 Successes. Effect reduced.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
"it's"
"the upper body", since "its" doesn't seem to refer to anything in particular.
Erroneous capitalisation
"the vampire's tower"
[x] Listen to Shadow, work a spell to solve this problem. (Pick One Spell, can be done with either other option. If chosen, paradox does not reduce with the first option.)
-[x] Something else: Something that hides you from those who wish you harm.
When did listening to Shadow ever steer us wrong?
Edit: Changed the choice to the suggestion below.
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- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The corrections are always appreciated!
[x] Listen to Shadow, work a spell to solve this problem. (Pick One Spell, can be done with either other option. If chosen, paradox does not reduce with the first option.)
-[X] Something else: Something that hides you from those who wish you harm
(No idea how to design it in Mage, but in the theme of either Arcane or Obfuscate-ish effect).
I really like the writing so far, and the pacing feels on point every time.
-[X] Something else: Something that hides you from those who wish you harm
(No idea how to design it in Mage, but in the theme of either Arcane or Obfuscate-ish effect).
I really like the writing so far, and the pacing feels on point every time.
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- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thanks for the compliment.
A method to hide? Perfectly possible, the easiest method for Aubrey to work that is a simple Forces 3 Effect for invisibility, bending the light around him to hide in plain sight. This, due to Aubrey's understanding of physics, would render him blind as long as he is invisible unless he uses an Effect to see.
He could perhaps write down a series of words that he can say to shield and hide him from sight? Functionally scribing the spell into a piece of paper or cloth so he can easily and quickly cast it simply by reading.
Oh right, and Mind would have been needed to make the effect selective "those who wish me harm"? which we don't have. I would suggest putting it somewhere it doesn't look inconspicuous to read from, like the the fold of a smart phone leather case.
I once did a ward in game that in effect nuked intelligence of anyone trying to find me or look into me, essentially making them forget me. I think we need something like that in this case. We have... prime, matter, and forces.... hmmm... invisibility would be simple.... But we can do better, right?
Staying is going to give the opponent time to find all his contacts, family, friends where he stays, where he'll go etc. Plan for him.
If this were a normal character, I'd say it'd be bad to stay as they wouldn't be at their breaking point yet. Aubrey, however, would be ruined by a mental breakdown right now. He might make choices that'll fuck him over eternally. He needs to build up himself, particularly those social skills so he can actually get through shit. Severe lack of social is killing him, and it'll eventually get the best of him.
Remember, the Shadow brought him here. We can at least take the time to win over the lady, so she has investments in us some way and becomes a contact (letting us lean on her in the future instead of being barred for trouble).
Also, we can choose to stay or go, as well as make a spell.
[X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.)
Does anyone have any ideas for a write-in? What else could we do to deal with the vampire? Make friends? Find info about him??? I think we should do a ward instead, but maybe there's something. Maybe the lady can tell us things idk... Call peace meeting here with the vampire?
Oh, Prime can be used to make someone else look like they have Aubrey's magick, then pad it out with Forces and Matter t make it look like Aubrey is trying to pose as someone else. With a little attention can draw Auspex vampires away- but will be found out eventually prolly and is assuming he knows about Auspex, which he likely doesn't.
Staying is going to give the opponent time to find all his contacts, family, friends where he stays, where he'll go etc. Plan for him.
If this were a normal character, I'd say it'd be bad to stay as they wouldn't be at their breaking point yet. Aubrey, however, would be ruined by a mental breakdown right now. He might make choices that'll fuck him over eternally. He needs to build up himself, particularly those social skills so he can actually get through shit. Severe lack of social is killing him, and it'll eventually get the best of him.
Remember, the Shadow brought him here. We can at least take the time to win over the lady, so she has investments in us some way and becomes a contact (letting us lean on her in the future instead of being barred for trouble).
Also, we can choose to stay or go, as well as make a spell.
[X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.)
Does anyone have any ideas for a write-in? What else could we do to deal with the vampire? Make friends? Find info about him??? I think we should do a ward instead, but maybe there's something. Maybe the lady can tell us things idk... Call peace meeting here with the vampire?
Oh, Prime can be used to make someone else look like they have Aubrey's magick, then pad it out with Forces and Matter t make it look like Aubrey is trying to pose as someone else. With a little attention can draw Auspex vampires away- but will be found out eventually prolly and is assuming he knows about Auspex, which he likely doesn't.
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- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, remember, you can choose to develop a new spell and rest or go out. Not just one or the other. Otherwise, this is the vote-count thus far.
- Location
- Russia
[X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.)
We kinda got into this mess due to not having practice in conversing with others. Also, let's keep Paradox low while we can, because I get a feeling we won't get much of that later. Less stress also good.
We kinda got into this mess due to not having practice in conversing with others. Also, let's keep Paradox low while we can, because I get a feeling we won't get much of that later. Less stress also good.
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's a perfect deadlock folks, can't call it yet!
Edit: Alright, I rolled a die to decide. [X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.) Has won!
Edit: Alright, I rolled a die to decide. [X] Just calm down, rest, relax and let the world move on for a week, talk with Sabrina and whoever else shows up here. Otherwise, nothing much else. (Reduce Paradox by 1, start practising conversation, reduce stress. Mutually exclusive with leaving.) Has won!
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Chapter IV
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Turning and shifting in bed, sleep is a lost and forgotten commodity, replaced by nightmares and twisted memories. It's a bare few hours of shut-eye before Aubrey pushes himself awake, sweating into the bedsheets.
"Wha-where-Oh." The young magician says, looking around to the red velvet room before suddenly feeling the sweat and exertion of yesterday set in. "Ugh, I think something is pulled in my leg Shadow." He groans out holding his calf, the entity seems to fade out from the sides of space, literally sliding into existence. "No Aubrey, you haven't run in your life, ever. That's why it hurts." The droning voice fills the room for a few moments, but then its source disappears as the door opens and the woman, Sabrina, comes in.
Looking towards Aubrey, red hair still present but the rest of her in a far more modern outfit, t-shirt in white with some text scrawled over it and jeans, lounging wear. "So, what was your name again?" She says, taking a few quick steps over and sitting down at the edge of the bed. "Uh, Aubrey, Gray, Aubrey Gray." The boy rapidly says, seemingly nervous. Sabrina rolls her eyes, "Alright Aubrey, take a while here, we have food upstairs." Sabrina speaks in a rolling, smooth fashion, each word having a time and place to be.
"Okay-We?" Aubrey asks, confused for a moment, "We, me and my staff. What, you thought I did everything in this place?" She says with a quirked lip as she stands up to leave. "Like I said, whenever you feel ready." With that, the door is opened and she exists, leaving Aubrey the sole occupant of the room.
He looks around for a bit, seemingly lost, before swinging his legs over to the side of the bed and after a moment, standing. A groan escapes him once again as pressure is put on strained muscles. It's a slower walk than normal which sees Aubrey go through the door, revealing the hallway that was paid bare attention the other night, wooden flooring and wallpapered walls creating an atmosphere of homeliness even as soft music pulses through the ceiling.
Going up the stairs, the slightly punkish rock starts to fill his ears, the club revealing itself to have entirely changed in the time he was down there, carefully placed lounges and soft lighting replaced with almost club-like atmosphere, flashing lights and pulsing beat driving a crowd of goth, casual and punk to dance.
As his feet make contact with the last step, a man to Aubrey's left speaks, "Mister Gray, I've been assigned to keep you safe." Turning to see who this is, a tall, fit man reveals himself, with sunglasses hiding his eyes, and a slight greying of his hair and beard showing a measure of age but betraying no other weakness. Currently, he is wearing a charcoal black suit that fits him well. "What's your name?" Aubrey asks after a moment of staring, not quite knowing what to do. "Call me Meerkat." The man replies, short and curt.
"Miss Schultz wanted to have you eat something before you did anything. Follow me." Meerkat says authoritatively, turning on the spot and walking towards a corner of the large chamber. Not knowing what else to do, Aubrey follows him.
It is a bare few moments of pushing through crowds, Meerkat providing the primary incentive for them to move until Aubrey is sat at a table with fresh bacon, eggs and sausage plated and prepared. His stomach grumbles immediately, demanding the bounty set before him.
He digs in, eating as much as possible, hunger driving speed.
After filling up, the boy asks, "So, am I supposed to just sit around?" Meerkat quickly responds, "No, there are video gaming consoles downstairs, food will be regularly delivered and Miss Schultz wishes to speak with you in four days, she is busy before then." A curt and professional sentence, seemingly practised.
"Okay, I'll just...laze around then." Aubrey slowly says, considering the situation, before just accepting it. Laying back into the chair, he lets the atmosphere and noise of the club overcome him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The days begin to pass in a morass of noise as bruises heal up, Aubrey slowly becoming able to move freely, practising gaming skills but otherwise allowing himself to take a break. Stress fades and Meerkat becomes a fixture in daily life, one of the few he has.
The dreams don't stop, nightmares coursing through the night, making uninterrupted sleep a sought-after but never acquired hope.
But after four days, a calming session of a first-person shooter is interrupted by the entrance of someone, Meerkat is immediately taking a guarding position, showing his back to Aubrey and turning his body towards the door. It's a tense moment before a familiar face shows itself. Red hair and sharp features darkened by the black left eye. "You really have Vincent on a warpath, something about a Shadow?" She asks, moving into the room to sit on a nearby couch.
"I-uh, that's a friend of mine." Aubrey responds shakily, "Hell of a friend, you sure they are good company?" Sabrina says jokingly, reaching over to a drawer and pulling out a cigarette from it.
She lights it up with a match she pulls from the same drawer and strikes on the nightstand itself, as the cigarette smoke wafts up in large quantities, it obscures her and spreads across the room, nicotine fills everyone's nose and dulls the senses. It's a brief obscurity as eyesight fades and hearing turns dull.
When consciousness comes back in full, Sabrina no longer has a black eye and both men are seemingly far more comfortable. "Alright, now to business. We can't have you getting hunted, eventually, Vincent is going to be done with my shit and break the door down." She says, uncrossing her legs to better look at Aubrey. "Somehow, you gotta either make peace with him or figure out a way to defend yourself." Stopping after that, she just looks at Aubrey, waiting for a response.
He fumbles for a bit, before saying. "I, um, I dunno what to do?" Sabrina sighs in response to that, responding with "Yeah, I know, we are gonna get you into contact with someone who can help. So get a shower, get dressed and get out to the lounge." She finishes off by standing up and walking towards the door, turning for a moment just before she exits. "Meerkat, stay on him for a while longer, he'll need it." Finally leaving after that.
Aubrey sits for a moment, before realizing he does have to move. "Um, where do I get some clothes?"
Meerkat looks at him for a moment, still wearing sunglasses. "The dresser, where I put in clothes, 4 days ago." He deadpans, causing the other man to shrink a bit, "Yeah, um, thanks."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Having exited downstairs with a fresher face and different attire, a khaki hoodie over a blue tee and grey sweatpants, Aubrey exits out to see Sabrina waiting at a booth. Meerkat follows close behind, still suited and ready for anything.
"So, um, where are we going?" He asks, looking around nervously at the crowd of people around, moving in time with the music, a more electronic, club-like mix. Sabrina puts the cigarette she has in an ashtray, tapping away the burnt section into it.
"You and him," She says, pointing towards Aubrey and Meerkat, "Are going to meet someone by the name of Andreas Sheridan, not a friend of mine, but an enemy of Vincent, the thing trying to kill you." Finishing the sentence off with another puff of the cigarette, she turns her face towards Meerkat, "Get to the intersection of Mercer and Warren, after that, you'll figure it out."
Meerkat gives a curt nod, waiting for the boy to get moving. Sabrina stays seated, waiting a few moments before just quirking an eyebrow and saying, "You can go Aubrey."
Blinking, he looks at Meerkat who is already moving towards the exit before quickly following him out.
Outside the club, the chilly night air hits Aubrey once again causing shivers to spread all across him, Meerkat, on the other hand, seems unaffected by the temperature. Both walk quickly, one with direction whilst the other just following all the way to a car, a black SUV of some brand or another, giving off an air of foreboding importance.
The larger man gets in the driver's seat whilst Aubrey wheels around to ride in the front passengers. As the car starts, Meerkat states matter of factly, "Put your seatbelt on, and watch your head." Causing Aubrey to look confused for a moment, still doing as he is told. "Can I ask why?" He asks, more confidently now that he has spent some time around the other man. He doesn't respond, the car crossing over onto the road lane proper from its position near the sidewalk. It's a few minutes of driving before enough bravery is worked up to ask again. "H-hey, did you not hear me?"
Just a moment after that, when they get onto a four-way intersection, Meerkat's head twists almost like the name-sake, just before he suddenly twists the car into a hard left turn, causing a sudden charge of a muscle car to turn into a skidding impact rather than a smashing t-bone. Aubrey is knocked around but the seatbelt keeps him intact enough, Meerkat on the other hand seems barely even affected, reaching towards the middle console, sliding it open and retrieving a handgun.
It is a split second of action as Meerkat smoothly slides the gun out, points it at the driver of the offending vehicle through his own window and sends the shot out. With seemingly pinpoint accuracy, it lands in one of the eyes of the assaulting man, killing him instantly with a spray of gore onto his seat. Aubrey's eyes widen in surprise and fear as he freezes up for a moment.
Meerkat pulls the SUV back into forward gear and slams the pedal to the metal, accelerating the beast of metal with all the power twelve cylinders can provide. Aubrey is rocketed back into his seat again as the other man calmly looks in the rearview mirror, watching gangsters stumble out of the car, covered in the viscera of their former companion.
"That's why." He finally says, sliding the gun back in the central console and then shutting it. Aubrey just looks at him askance, before asking. "You knew?" Shock clear in his voice.
Meerkat, for once shows a bit of emotion, a smirk of pride, "Good instincts." Before returning to a dull, focused face, eyes still hidden under sunglasses.
Aubrey just sits back in his seat, glancing about at the city but otherwise remaining quiet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After nearly a half-hour of driving, the car finally stops in between two commercial areas. Meerkat looks around before spotting something, he begins to get out, pulling the seatbelt off himself and pushing his door open prompting Aubrey to follow suit.
Getting out onto the sidewalk, the boy asks, "So, uh, what's the guy we're meeting." To which Meerkat replies, "Possible ally, a vampire with a bone to pick." Curt as always.
It's a short walk before someone comes into view, sitting at an outdoor cafe is an attractive, if rough-looking man with long black hair and a scarred face, he appears clean-shaven and turns to both of you with orange, glowing eyes that seem ringed with red. A southern, country accent comes out of him. "Welcome to this humble establishment, how may I help you two young soon to be friends!" A half-smile and open body language following this statement, Meerkat stands to the left of the one other seat, leaving it open for Aubrey to sit.
It's a second before he does, sitting there as the man stares at him, "Um, Sa-A friend of ours said you might be able to help me?" The boy says, a hopeful tone of voice present.
"Well-Oh damn it all!" He suddenly says, "I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Andreas, Andreas Sheridan." A slight incline of the head, almost a facsimile of a bow. "And indeed! I find myself to be of excellent and incredible service to you! Great trouble has come to your doorstep, on account of a misspoken word I hear." Throughout all of this, Andreas maintains a grand and emotive posture, moving his hands.
"I guess, can you? Help, I mean." Aubrey asks, somewhat confused by the energy of the man ahead.
"Indeed, but to do that, we have to know one thing." He says conspiratorially, looking towards Aubrey with piercing orange eyes. "How far are you willing to go?" The sentence comes out a sibilant whisper. "Wh-what do you, uh, mean?" The boy asks, nervous at the turn of the conversation.
It's a languid rumble that comes out of the vampire, "Well, he is trying to kill you, I feel we, together, should return the favour." Practically drilling holes into Aubrey with his stare.
Aubrey sits still, looking at Andreas, his glowing orange eyes gleaming in the dark, promising a way out.
What to do?
[X] Accept, go along with whatever plan he has. (Aubrey agrees to pre-meditated murder, keep that in mind going forward.)
[X] Refuse, don't pre-meditate a murder, even if your life is at risk. (Aubrey puts himself at risk, but doesn't pre-meditate a murder.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, this one took a little longer than I wanted it to, but I finally got it out. Thanks for waiting!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wha-where-Oh." The young magician says, looking around to the red velvet room before suddenly feeling the sweat and exertion of yesterday set in. "Ugh, I think something is pulled in my leg Shadow." He groans out holding his calf, the entity seems to fade out from the sides of space, literally sliding into existence. "No Aubrey, you haven't run in your life, ever. That's why it hurts." The droning voice fills the room for a few moments, but then its source disappears as the door opens and the woman, Sabrina, comes in.
Looking towards Aubrey, red hair still present but the rest of her in a far more modern outfit, t-shirt in white with some text scrawled over it and jeans, lounging wear. "So, what was your name again?" She says, taking a few quick steps over and sitting down at the edge of the bed. "Uh, Aubrey, Gray, Aubrey Gray." The boy rapidly says, seemingly nervous. Sabrina rolls her eyes, "Alright Aubrey, take a while here, we have food upstairs." Sabrina speaks in a rolling, smooth fashion, each word having a time and place to be.
"Okay-We?" Aubrey asks, confused for a moment, "We, me and my staff. What, you thought I did everything in this place?" She says with a quirked lip as she stands up to leave. "Like I said, whenever you feel ready." With that, the door is opened and she exists, leaving Aubrey the sole occupant of the room.
He looks around for a bit, seemingly lost, before swinging his legs over to the side of the bed and after a moment, standing. A groan escapes him once again as pressure is put on strained muscles. It's a slower walk than normal which sees Aubrey go through the door, revealing the hallway that was paid bare attention the other night, wooden flooring and wallpapered walls creating an atmosphere of homeliness even as soft music pulses through the ceiling.
Going up the stairs, the slightly punkish rock starts to fill his ears, the club revealing itself to have entirely changed in the time he was down there, carefully placed lounges and soft lighting replaced with almost club-like atmosphere, flashing lights and pulsing beat driving a crowd of goth, casual and punk to dance.
As his feet make contact with the last step, a man to Aubrey's left speaks, "Mister Gray, I've been assigned to keep you safe." Turning to see who this is, a tall, fit man reveals himself, with sunglasses hiding his eyes, and a slight greying of his hair and beard showing a measure of age but betraying no other weakness. Currently, he is wearing a charcoal black suit that fits him well. "What's your name?" Aubrey asks after a moment of staring, not quite knowing what to do. "Call me Meerkat." The man replies, short and curt.
"Miss Schultz wanted to have you eat something before you did anything. Follow me." Meerkat says authoritatively, turning on the spot and walking towards a corner of the large chamber. Not knowing what else to do, Aubrey follows him.
It is a bare few moments of pushing through crowds, Meerkat providing the primary incentive for them to move until Aubrey is sat at a table with fresh bacon, eggs and sausage plated and prepared. His stomach grumbles immediately, demanding the bounty set before him.
He digs in, eating as much as possible, hunger driving speed.
After filling up, the boy asks, "So, am I supposed to just sit around?" Meerkat quickly responds, "No, there are video gaming consoles downstairs, food will be regularly delivered and Miss Schultz wishes to speak with you in four days, she is busy before then." A curt and professional sentence, seemingly practised.
"Okay, I'll just...laze around then." Aubrey slowly says, considering the situation, before just accepting it. Laying back into the chair, he lets the atmosphere and noise of the club overcome him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The days begin to pass in a morass of noise as bruises heal up, Aubrey slowly becoming able to move freely, practising gaming skills but otherwise allowing himself to take a break. Stress fades and Meerkat becomes a fixture in daily life, one of the few he has.
The dreams don't stop, nightmares coursing through the night, making uninterrupted sleep a sought-after but never acquired hope.
But after four days, a calming session of a first-person shooter is interrupted by the entrance of someone, Meerkat is immediately taking a guarding position, showing his back to Aubrey and turning his body towards the door. It's a tense moment before a familiar face shows itself. Red hair and sharp features darkened by the black left eye. "You really have Vincent on a warpath, something about a Shadow?" She asks, moving into the room to sit on a nearby couch.
"I-uh, that's a friend of mine." Aubrey responds shakily, "Hell of a friend, you sure they are good company?" Sabrina says jokingly, reaching over to a drawer and pulling out a cigarette from it.
She lights it up with a match she pulls from the same drawer and strikes on the nightstand itself, as the cigarette smoke wafts up in large quantities, it obscures her and spreads across the room, nicotine fills everyone's nose and dulls the senses. It's a brief obscurity as eyesight fades and hearing turns dull.
When consciousness comes back in full, Sabrina no longer has a black eye and both men are seemingly far more comfortable. "Alright, now to business. We can't have you getting hunted, eventually, Vincent is going to be done with my shit and break the door down." She says, uncrossing her legs to better look at Aubrey. "Somehow, you gotta either make peace with him or figure out a way to defend yourself." Stopping after that, she just looks at Aubrey, waiting for a response.
He fumbles for a bit, before saying. "I, um, I dunno what to do?" Sabrina sighs in response to that, responding with "Yeah, I know, we are gonna get you into contact with someone who can help. So get a shower, get dressed and get out to the lounge." She finishes off by standing up and walking towards the door, turning for a moment just before she exits. "Meerkat, stay on him for a while longer, he'll need it." Finally leaving after that.
Aubrey sits for a moment, before realizing he does have to move. "Um, where do I get some clothes?"
Meerkat looks at him for a moment, still wearing sunglasses. "The dresser, where I put in clothes, 4 days ago." He deadpans, causing the other man to shrink a bit, "Yeah, um, thanks."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Having exited downstairs with a fresher face and different attire, a khaki hoodie over a blue tee and grey sweatpants, Aubrey exits out to see Sabrina waiting at a booth. Meerkat follows close behind, still suited and ready for anything.
"So, um, where are we going?" He asks, looking around nervously at the crowd of people around, moving in time with the music, a more electronic, club-like mix. Sabrina puts the cigarette she has in an ashtray, tapping away the burnt section into it.
"You and him," She says, pointing towards Aubrey and Meerkat, "Are going to meet someone by the name of Andreas Sheridan, not a friend of mine, but an enemy of Vincent, the thing trying to kill you." Finishing the sentence off with another puff of the cigarette, she turns her face towards Meerkat, "Get to the intersection of Mercer and Warren, after that, you'll figure it out."
Meerkat gives a curt nod, waiting for the boy to get moving. Sabrina stays seated, waiting a few moments before just quirking an eyebrow and saying, "You can go Aubrey."
Blinking, he looks at Meerkat who is already moving towards the exit before quickly following him out.
Outside the club, the chilly night air hits Aubrey once again causing shivers to spread all across him, Meerkat, on the other hand, seems unaffected by the temperature. Both walk quickly, one with direction whilst the other just following all the way to a car, a black SUV of some brand or another, giving off an air of foreboding importance.
The larger man gets in the driver's seat whilst Aubrey wheels around to ride in the front passengers. As the car starts, Meerkat states matter of factly, "Put your seatbelt on, and watch your head." Causing Aubrey to look confused for a moment, still doing as he is told. "Can I ask why?" He asks, more confidently now that he has spent some time around the other man. He doesn't respond, the car crossing over onto the road lane proper from its position near the sidewalk. It's a few minutes of driving before enough bravery is worked up to ask again. "H-hey, did you not hear me?"
Just a moment after that, when they get onto a four-way intersection, Meerkat's head twists almost like the name-sake, just before he suddenly twists the car into a hard left turn, causing a sudden charge of a muscle car to turn into a skidding impact rather than a smashing t-bone. Aubrey is knocked around but the seatbelt keeps him intact enough, Meerkat on the other hand seems barely even affected, reaching towards the middle console, sliding it open and retrieving a handgun.
It is a split second of action as Meerkat smoothly slides the gun out, points it at the driver of the offending vehicle through his own window and sends the shot out. With seemingly pinpoint accuracy, it lands in one of the eyes of the assaulting man, killing him instantly with a spray of gore onto his seat. Aubrey's eyes widen in surprise and fear as he freezes up for a moment.
Meerkat pulls the SUV back into forward gear and slams the pedal to the metal, accelerating the beast of metal with all the power twelve cylinders can provide. Aubrey is rocketed back into his seat again as the other man calmly looks in the rearview mirror, watching gangsters stumble out of the car, covered in the viscera of their former companion.
"That's why." He finally says, sliding the gun back in the central console and then shutting it. Aubrey just looks at him askance, before asking. "You knew?" Shock clear in his voice.
Meerkat, for once shows a bit of emotion, a smirk of pride, "Good instincts." Before returning to a dull, focused face, eyes still hidden under sunglasses.
Aubrey just sits back in his seat, glancing about at the city but otherwise remaining quiet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After nearly a half-hour of driving, the car finally stops in between two commercial areas. Meerkat looks around before spotting something, he begins to get out, pulling the seatbelt off himself and pushing his door open prompting Aubrey to follow suit.
Getting out onto the sidewalk, the boy asks, "So, uh, what's the guy we're meeting." To which Meerkat replies, "Possible ally, a vampire with a bone to pick." Curt as always.
It's a short walk before someone comes into view, sitting at an outdoor cafe is an attractive, if rough-looking man with long black hair and a scarred face, he appears clean-shaven and turns to both of you with orange, glowing eyes that seem ringed with red. A southern, country accent comes out of him. "Welcome to this humble establishment, how may I help you two young soon to be friends!" A half-smile and open body language following this statement, Meerkat stands to the left of the one other seat, leaving it open for Aubrey to sit.
It's a second before he does, sitting there as the man stares at him, "Um, Sa-A friend of ours said you might be able to help me?" The boy says, a hopeful tone of voice present.
"Well-Oh damn it all!" He suddenly says, "I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Andreas, Andreas Sheridan." A slight incline of the head, almost a facsimile of a bow. "And indeed! I find myself to be of excellent and incredible service to you! Great trouble has come to your doorstep, on account of a misspoken word I hear." Throughout all of this, Andreas maintains a grand and emotive posture, moving his hands.
"I guess, can you? Help, I mean." Aubrey asks, somewhat confused by the energy of the man ahead.
"Indeed, but to do that, we have to know one thing." He says conspiratorially, looking towards Aubrey with piercing orange eyes. "How far are you willing to go?" The sentence comes out a sibilant whisper. "Wh-what do you, uh, mean?" The boy asks, nervous at the turn of the conversation.
It's a languid rumble that comes out of the vampire, "Well, he is trying to kill you, I feel we, together, should return the favour." Practically drilling holes into Aubrey with his stare.
Aubrey sits still, looking at Andreas, his glowing orange eyes gleaming in the dark, promising a way out.
What to do?
[X] Accept, go along with whatever plan he has. (Aubrey agrees to pre-meditated murder, keep that in mind going forward.)
[X] Refuse, don't pre-meditate a murder, even if your life is at risk. (Aubrey puts himself at risk, but doesn't pre-meditate a murder.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, this one took a little longer than I wanted it to, but I finally got it out. Thanks for waiting!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rolls
Aubrey's bearings-5d10>6=[10, 9, 7, 5, 5] 3 Successes. Isn't stunned
Meerkat bearings-Automatic Success.
Meerkat Initiative-(5)+10=15
Unknown Initiative-(5)+8=13
Aubrey Initiative-(2)+6=8
Meerkat Firing Back, Aimed shot Head-10d10>4 Rerolling 10's = [10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 2] 11 Successes
Meerkat Damage- 4+11d10>6=[10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1] 7 Lethal Damage to the head, instant death, vehicle disabled.
Aubrey's bearings-5d10>6=[10, 9, 7, 5, 5] 3 Successes. Isn't stunned
Meerkat bearings-Automatic Success.
Meerkat Initiative-(5)+10=15
Unknown Initiative-(5)+8=13
Aubrey Initiative-(2)+6=8
Meerkat Firing Back, Aimed shot Head-10d10>4 Rerolling 10's = [10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 2] 11 Successes
Meerkat Damage- 4+11d10>6=[10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1] 7 Lethal Damage to the head, instant death, vehicle disabled.
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