<Calica> Helena notices a cat with a strangely large mouth, jaged teeth, and no grace.
<Calica> Icon: lol there's your victory :p
<Icon> :3
<CentralAve> Helena's taking no chances. This could be the New World Order at work. Naturally, she does the calm, sensible thing by running at the cat as fast as she can.
<Calica> Naberius is caught off guard. Roll Stamina+3.
<Myrdradek> Better hope the internet doesn't find out about this, they hate people who are cruel to cats
<Calica> And yet, Naberius manages to slip away, and proceeds to sneak around near Helena without her noticing.
<CentralAve> "Ugh, I don't have time for this anyway."
<Calica> David has a vague sense that Helena found, then lost, Naberius.
<Calica> and that she's heading towards yet another dark alley for yet another back alley deal.
<Myrdradek> Oh, okay. I come over from a cafe a few blocks away, and we try to scare up some mice for a second infiltration attempt
<Calica> so you're calling Naberius back and ignoring Helena? Just making sure
<Myrdradek> Hm
<Myrdradek> Well I could maybe have more to gain from tailing her than from going inside the building
<Myrdradek> So I'm going to say that I won't, and I'll let Naberius tail her
<Calica> The two aren't mutually exclusive.
<Calica> You could try to get into the building.
<Myrdradek> And talk my way into figuring out if she works there?
<Calica> yeah
<Myrdradek> They'd have my face on a security camera then, though...
<Calica> so are you going to follow Naberius and tail Helena?
<Myrdradek> Sure
<Calica> Alright
<Calica> So, Helena is now in a back alley.
<Calica> Her contact is a red-haired woman with impeccably fancy dress. Her name, or at least the name she gave Peter and Helena as a contact, is Lisa.
<Calica> "Do you have the money?"
<CentralAve> Helena's hoping this will go better than the last time. "Of course I do, right here." She motions to the briefcase. "You got the package?"
<Calica> "Of course." She opens up hers, and hands Helena the book. "This is the notebook from an honest-to-god sorcerer in this very city!"
<CentralAve> Helena's hesitant. How does she know it's the real deal?
<Myrdradek> Ampere used Confusion! It's not very effective...
<Icon> (Dag.)
<Calica> She's got the briefcase full of money.
<Calica> She uses the momentum she's got...to spin around and head right towards Helena.
<CentralAve> "Ampere, defend me!"
<Myrdradek> I am presently looking for an opportunity to send Naberius in to steal the briefcase
<Calica> Myrdradek: The one with the remaining books?
<Myrdradek> Calica yeah
<Myrdradek> I would also accept the other one, because money was what I wanted in the first place
<Myrdradek> Naberius would have to go Big first, because he could carry it easier and also element of surprise
<Calica> ...okay, I notice a step we didn't do during character creation. CentralAve, Icon: What damage type do you want your respective demons to protect you against
<Calica> Also it can't be impact
<CentralAve> what, uh, are the choices
<Myrdradek> I mean that's the worst of the fonts, but it's not a type of damage
<Yarrun> knives and projectiles, right?
<CentralAve> I'll go projectiles, I suppose
<Icon> Right where do I look in the pee dee eff?
<Calica> at any rate, CentralAve, roll 2+3+2=7
<Calica> Icon: reference sheets at the basically bottom
<CentralAve> @dice roll 7d20 >! how Iconian
<Omnipresence> : Rolled 6 6 7 8 10 18 20 = 75.
<Calica> @dice roll 8d20 >! Lisa's stamina + bonuses
<Omnipresence> : Rolled 3 3 6 7 10 13 14 18 = 74.
<Calica> Her kick misses as Ampere's jolts of electricity power up Helena's muscles and send them jolting to the side. Her muscles aren't exactly built for that sort of thing, though.
<Calica> (that's one victory against yourself as nonlethal special damage)
<CentralAve> ouch
<Calica> brb
<Calica> back
<Calica> so I think you're knocked out for now, and -1 stamina the rest of the combat
<CentralAve> frowny face
<Icon> (Frowny face, lol.)
<Yarrun> (we're all going to regret making Stamina our dump stats, aren't we?)
<Calica> Naberius responds to David: "Very well. Will do." Naberius grows to tiger size and swipes at Lisa.
<Calica> Yarrun: that's what boost stamina is for, obviously :P
<Calica> to destroy yourself by pushing more than your muscles can take
<Myrdradek> Suddenly: demontiger
<Calica> CentralAve: and by knocked out I mean you have to roll will to get 2 stamina back
<Icon> (Probably, Yarr.)
<Calica> Lisa goes for a punch against Helena again, to keep her knocked out.
<Myrdradek> Central's saying her connection crapped out
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<Calica> Myrdradek: oh
<Calica> welp, we can wait for a sec 'til she gets her connection back
<Icon> i refuse to okay I'll wait
<Calica> or we could switch to Yarrun's attempt at demon summoning and link CentralAve logs when she returns?
<Myrdradek> Maybe a good idea
<Myrdradek> Let's wait a few more minuts to see if she can make it back tho
<Calica> alright
<Icon> Same.
» Calicapokes Yarrun again just for good measure though
<Yarrun> -is poked-
<Icon> (/chirps)
<Calica> alright, she's having trouble so I'm going to start with Yarrun now, and then probably to an Icon scene if we haven't gotten her back by then
<Yarrun> Alright then
<Yarrun> Let's summon us up a demon
<Icon> (Fine by this birb.)
<Myrdradek> Is this the stage of Mazes and Monsters where we learn real magic
<Myrdradek> Jack Chick warned me about this
<Calica> Zachary is back at the Black Mass Coven's abandoned church, with Gloria there to greet him
<Calica> "Wonderful to see you again, even if it'd normally be in better circumstances. What would you like tonight?"
<Yarrun> "A few questions answered and another favor."
<Calica> "For sure! What do you need answered and done?"
<Yarrun> "First off, I knew you had connections in town, but I didn't know you were the real deal. Or at least, used to be."
<Yarrun> "Took your damn time cutting me into this, didn't you?"
<Calica> "I don't really like telling people about my past."
<Yarrun> "You think I do? And yet you know all about Zed and shit and I got nothing on you."
<Yarrun> Zachary looks away and breathes in
<Yarrun> "Look, I know I'm not the most trustworthy person, and for good reasons. But at least give me tit for tat, woman."
<CentralAve> (So right now I can connect to the web but not reliably IRC, sorry about the disruption >_<)
<Calica> CentralAve: it's okay, it happens
<Calica> "My usual procedure, when I was younger, was simple: If I and my people get threatened, I pull up someone like the distributor's Ruo, thrash the offender 'til he bleeds, and send 'em back."
<Yarrun> "Damn. Didn't expect my cookies to come with memories of the gang days."
<Yarrun> "Did you get out because you could, or because you needed to?"
<Calica> "Zed wanted more. I told him that he could go north and we would never cross paths again. It ended...to be honest, it ended about as I suspected"
<Calica> "And I got out because if I keep going, I was going to burn out. Stop caring. Burn everything. And at the end, I'd probably end up getting dragged back out with the demons."
<Yarrun> Zachary looks at his cookie with an odd look in his eyes.
<Calica> "I'll let others take that path. But they have to know what you want. And I think you know what you want, Zachary."
<Yarrun> "Milk to go with these cookies?"
<Calica> "Hahaha, of course. But I'm guessing that's not what you want so much you're willing to sacrifice yourself to get there."
<Yarrun> "Pfft. I don't stick my neck out for nobody, not even me."
<Calica> "You said you had a favor. What's the favor?"
<Yarrun> "I'm going to smash up Zed's gang, and the police, and get enough money to retire, and then I'm through. Just cookies and milk from there on out."
<Calica> brb
<Icon> (I like how he's at least calling Christa the distributor. :p)
<Calica> back
<Calica> "So what do you need me for?"
<Calica> "Do you want me to help you summon something?"
<Yarrun> "...ah, right. Listen, since we're going up against that Mutanto asshole, I figured I could use some muscle. And I've never gone through the whole process before -- Zed had already summoned Felix when the whole debacle took place. I could use some guidance."
<Calica> "So, the first step is that you need to sort of pull yourself out of reality, into the sort of thoughts that your demon would have. What sort of demon do you want to summon?"
<Calica> (You told me powers and such but not a demon type)
<Yarrun> "Something protective. Don't want someone worse than Ruo to pull what Ruo pulled on me. And discreet. Something I can wear or something that can stay inside me...shit that sounds weird, but it's right."
<Yarrun> "And someone who'll get along with Felix"
<Calica> "Demons don't really get along with anyone, not really, least of all other demons, but aside from that, I think I can do that
<Yarrun> Zachary raises an eye at Felix
<Yarrun> *eyebrow
<Calica> Felix speaks up. "You, Master, are a wonderful source of laughter. I would never break with you!"
<Icon> (I imagine Christa would be up for teaming up with Zachary, if only for the book, heh.)
<Yarrun> Zachary looks at Gloria, gesturing to Felix expectantly
<Calica> "Anyways. Imagine being inside yourself. It sounds weird, but it's the first step. Oh, and Rob! Come in here."
<Calica> A young boy, maybe sixteen, enters into the room.
<Calica> "Yes?" "He's my youngest. Got a guy inside him that does a nice disappearing act. Used it to get...these." Gloria pulls out a rack full of a strange bright, almost glowing, blue liquid.
<Calica> "Unfortunately, Rip's the only one around who has the ingredients here to make this. So I had Rob here steal it."
<Yarrun> "Damn, you really have been holding out on me!"
<Calica> "Rob, imagine being inside Zachary here. Don't chuckle, not in that way, inside him. Making him more powerful."
<Calica> Rob, Gloria, and Zachary begin the Contacting ritual.
<Yarrun> Zachary grimaces at Rob's chuckle, but does his best to focus
<Calica> @dice roll 2d20>!Rob's Lore
<Omnipresence> : Rolled 1 15 = 16.
<Calica> @dice roll 4d20 >! demon's Power
<Omnipresence> : Rolled 3 3 4 10 = 20.
<Calica> 1 victory for Rob, carries over into next stage
<Calica> @dice roll 3d20 >! Gloria's Lore
<Omnipresence> : Rolled 3 11 16 = 30.
<Calica> @dice roll 4d20 >! demon's Power
<Omnipresence> : Rolled 1 3 8 19 = 31.
<Calica> no victories for Gloria, no victories carried over
<Calica> so you have 3 right now, and you can add to the dice you roll by taking hits
<Yarrun> hits of the drugs?
<Calica> yeah
<Icon> lol.
<Yarrun> One hit
<Calica> alright, then roll Lore+2
<Yarrun> Zachary grabs a vial and downs it carefully
<Yarrun> @dice roll 2d20
<Omnipresence> Yarrun: Rolled 7 18 = 25.
<Calica> lore plus victory plus #drugz
<Yarrun> @dice roll 4d20
<Omnipresence> Yarrun: Rolled 1 13 15 18 = 47.
<Calica> @dice roll 4d20
<Omnipresence> Calica: Rolled 5 13 15 18 = 51.
<Calica> i...lol
<Icon> lol.
<Calica> Roll Will.
<Yarrun> ...crap, forgot about Paranoid again
<Yarrun> @dice roll 5d20
<Omnipresence> Yarrun: Rolled 1 12 15 19 20 = 67.
<Calica> @dice roll 1d20
<Omnipresence> Calica: Rolled 14 = 14.
<Yarrun> I'm actually more angry about constantly forgetting than taking the penalty
<Calica> it happens, we're all new here
<Calica> Zachary enters a world inside itself, imagines himself inside himself, gaining power for power for an infinite regress
<Calica> and...nothing.
<Calica> No demon appears. Unless you count Rip. The door to the abandoned church was just busted down.
<Yarrun> "Hmm?"
<Calica> Rip appears, flanked by a couple of his goons.
<Yarrun> (Who's Rip again?_
<Yarrun> (Oh, right.)
<Yarrun> (Crap)
<Calica> "This is the last straw. I was going to give you more leniency, but Lisa says you have to be destroyed."
<Calica> "Pay up or die."
<Yarrun> Zach looks behind him at Gloria and Rob, and then back to Rip
<Yarrun> (How many goons does he have?)
<Calica> Gloria is scared but holding it together. Rob? Let's just say his pants have a stain.
<Calica> Yarrun: let's say two
<Yarrun> Zachary puts on his biggest smile and takes a few steps forward
<Calica> fwiw once this gets to actual combat I think I'm going to try the thing where we run two at once and use the scores to switch scenes, if CentralAve and Myrdradek are up for it
<Calica> more accurately, I guess, if CentralAve's connection is up for it
<Yarrun> "Are you sure this is the best time? I mean, after all, we just finished binding a hell of a demon, and we were hoping to have a short celebration party."
<Icon> And/Or awake
<Yarrun> "With cookies and milk and everything"
<Calica> "Demons? Binding? What the fuck are you talking about?"
<Calica> "Are...are you high?"
<Yarrun> "Oh, you don't know? What a shame."
<Yarrun> Zach points to Gloria and Rob
<Yarrun> "The broad's scared to death and the kid's pissing himself because I just forced their secret out of them."
<Yarrun> "There are powers in this world that you can't even imagine, you little shit"
<Yarrun> "and I just got my hands on one of the strongest there are."
<Calica> "Fuck, you're sounding like Zed or Lisa after too many drinks. I didn't really care what the fuck you stole from Zed and still don't believe a shit as weak as you could actually kill him, but I'm going to beat you in just so you shut the fuck up."
<Calica> brb
<Myrdradek> Calica sure
<IllFlower> "gonna beat you up, hold up a sec, brb"
<Buttercupistiny> (he's gonna go pop the manicotti in the oven because i am not tall enough to do so with it reliably in the center and also balanced and not crashing to the floor
<Buttercupistiny> plus i can't set the timer because LOL short
<IllFlower> <Calica> Rob? Let's just say his pants have a stain. // ewwwwwwwww
<IllFlower> (Yeah, that's right, it's me, the nuttiest nut in the peanut gallery!)
<Calica> CentralAve: Are you ready? If not, might as well three-cliffhanger-pileup and bring in Icon as well
<Icon> Lol sure.
<Yarrun> "(Roadrunner me, Felix)"
<Calica> alright, so now it's Icon's turn, let me set a third scene
<Calica> Christa begins yet another seemingly everyday day at the bookstore. Right now she's dealing with a graduate student who just requested another really obscure novel.
<Calica> "T-thank you for f-finding this for me. I like spending time with you. W-would you like to go on a d-d-date?" she manages to stutter out.
<Calica> All the while, Ruo is crying:
<Calica> "Do it! Get her alone with you! She's an easy mark!"
<Icon> Christa, largely used to keeping her relationships here professional, takes a bit to respond. "Ah, you're... welcome." She takes a moment to think. Even if she can't really reciprocate, it might be nice, perhaps? This isn't exactly a common thing for her.
<Icon> (Easy mark?)
<Calica> (blood. destruction. that sorta stuff)
<Icon> ("And is an easy mark really worth it? She's so friendly, shy... gullible, even. If a little cute. Nothing like that man a week ago.")
<Calica> ("Friendly, shy, gullible? Just means easy to destroy!")
<Icon> ("It'd.. take my mind off things, probably.")
<Icon> "I'm flattered. Why, yes, I think I just might be up for that. Where would you like to go?" Christa smiles back.
<Calica> "H-how about the movies? I can g-get tickets! I g-gotta go but h-h-here's my number!" She runs off into the distance.
<Icon> Christa moves it around aimlessly before tucking it into her pocket. "Well, there. I'll text her tonight once I'm off work and see when we go tonight."
<Calica> Soon, she gets grabbed by a bigger man who seems alright on the inside, but one look at the eyes betrays a deep paranoia.
<Calica> "You're...strong, right? I need help."
<Icon> (Do I react to this or)
<Calica> yeah
<Calica> grabbed means like your clothes
<Calica> just a bit
<Calica> to get your attention
<Icon> (Oh I msiread that as the other girl @_@)
<Icon> She turns around quickly, raising eyebrows at the man. "Excuse me... but, yes. But first, who are you?"
<Calica> "Can we get somewhere more private? I don't want...her watching."
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<Icon> "Sure." Christa doesn't see a reason to bother with politeness, whoever this random man is. "Hey, Jake, cover me for a bit, please."
<Calica> "Sure thing."
<Calica> FFWD>>
<Calica> We're now in Christa's office as the manager of the bookstore.
<Calica> "Thanks for this. So, have you heard about the gang that's been going around recently?"
<Calica> "The one that does all the weird stuff?"
<Icon> (The thieving, or Zed, or?)
<Calica> (yeah)
<Calica> (the remains of Zed's gang and such, yeah)
<Icon> "Of course, I haven't gone a day without hearing about them, no less with how some of them have taken to thievery. What about them?
<Calica> "I want out."
<Icon> Christa looks at him with some surprise and leans back in her chair. "... out? How?"
<Calica> "The leader, most of the time, is a guy named Rip. He's a hardass, makes you cut yourself for the slightest, uh, slight, and the only way he lets people out is in a body bag."
<Calica> "And when he's in charge, it's the good time."
<Icon> Considering some of the hidden wounds on Christa's body, she's not too afraid of them... even if she's still wary of their leader. "I see. Can't say I'm surprised with gangs being what they are. Anyhow, how would you even plan on escaping?"
<Buttercupistiny> (he just grabbed the ice cubes from the wine plastic cups so my guess is dinner is imminent)
<Calica> (about five minutes)
<Calica> "I heard you were strong. That you could help me shield against them. Please. I'll do anything you want."
<Icon> (And it's whatshisface whose name I forget that has the book, and who Yarr is also going after, right?)
<Calica> (yeah, though Christa doesn't know that yet)
<Icon> (I just mean she got told Mutawhatever is who she should go after, not so much Zachary's details)
<Icon> meant*
<Calica> (yeah)
<Icon> "You heard right, or at least, there are many worse people you could ask. I'll help you, especially because their leader... took something important from me, and I want it back." Christa extends her hand. "To start off, though, I need to know about you." she emphasizes.
<Calica> "They call me Big. I'm mostly just intimidation, honestly. But I do it well. It was my shift to guard their home base."
<Myrdradek> We're almost done right? I need to go to bed
<Calica> Myrdradek: yeah
<Calica> basically i'm going to try to pull Christa into a conflict probably
<Icon> "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
<Myrdradek> okay
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<Calica> "Both Rip and the witch are out, so we'd have plenty of time to prepare an ambush."
<Icon> "The witch, you say?"
<Calica> "The real leader, when she's around. She can change her face and disappear, and she's the one who will really bleed you dry. They say she drinks the blood or something."
<Icon> "Outrageous... truly. What does this ambush entail, no less for your escape?"
<Calica> "You just need to beat 'em up a little, tell them Big's under your protection."
<Calica> "Enough they don't find you worth it."
<Icon> (Having trouble finding a way to work in "also, nab me that damn book on your way out" or whatever, since otherwise she's fine.)
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<Calica> "Here's the directions. I know you want something back from them, so here's your best bet."
<Calica> "I'll stay here and work for you. This is a bookstore, right? I can put books on the shelf or whatever."
<Icon> "I'm sure you could could help around. I shall get back to you shortly for our plan, now."
<IllFlower> ("No. Your job is to burn all the books we find blasphemous. Here's your can of lighter fluid and a match.")
<Calica> Ruo speaks up. "We can destroy the thieves."
<Icon> Christa smiles. "Whatever works."
<Calica> so is Christa going to head over to the vacant HQ?
<Icon> Yeah.
<Calica> Christa takes Big's directions, only to find herself at the gang's home base. Far from being empty, though, two more of Rip's goons are stationed at the front.
<Calica> "What the fuck are you here for?"
<Icon> Another smile. "I have business here, you see." She stations herself delicately, inoffensively, while forcing Ruo out.
<Calica> "Business?"
<Calica> Are you about to fight 'em?
<Icon> Well, they're in the way, yeah?
<Calica> In that case, 3× cliffhanger combo!
<Icon> \o/
<Calica> Thanks for playing. We'll resolve three fights at once on Wednesday or Thursday.