Cleveland 10.5

[2015-12-21 14:22:01] <Antioch|GM> It's late at night. You've spent the past few hours responding to the PHO thread, taking some time to respond to messages, gauge the public reaction to your appearance, and finally get your PHO handle affixed with the Verified Cape badge.
[2015-12-21 14:23:51] <Antioch|GM> Most of your men and capes are asleep, and the only thing keeping you company is the quiet clicking of your mouse and keyboard.
[2015-12-21 14:25:11] <Antioch|GM> You're mulling over the promise, or ultimatum you delivered, about participating in an Endbringer fight.
[2015-12-21 14:26:18] <Antioch|GM> Even though it's raised your stake in the eyes of the public, a voice in the back of your head keeps uncomfortably reminding you that it's not worth much if you're dead. ||
[2015-12-21 14:28:09] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink stares at his computer, mask off. He rubs his face, looking at the death ratio of 'support' capes like himself.
[2015-12-21 14:31:30] <soulpelt|Wink> He sighs and moves to another tab, on the group Coldhand fled from, Silver Bullet. They might be a concern, there was no telling. He would need to prepare for them. He was still keeping feelers out for any Tinkers who wanted a job and no need to sleep. Another tab, on PHO itself. DonkeySpheres was odd, the overall reactions were interesting and perhaps his
[2015-12-21 14:31:30] <soulpelt|Wink> reputation would grow stronger than he expected. One could never know with these things.||
[2015-12-21 14:33:40] <Antioch|GM> There's an authoritative rapping at your front door, interrupting your train of thought. ||
[2015-12-21 14:35:19] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink grabs his gun out of habit, safety off, but still laying down, barrel facing the door. "Come in." He says, watching the door.||
[2015-12-21 14:38:39] <Antioch|GM> The door opens, a man in a well-cut tweed suit flanked on either side by a cape, one in a white-and-red bodysuit, cape, and domino mask, the other in stylized metallic armor, with a spear in his right hand.
[2015-12-21 14:39:01] <Antioch|GM> "I'm sorry for the late visit, Mr. Wink," he says, "but I'm given to understand you keep all hours, eh?"
[2015-12-21 14:39:34] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-21 14:39:52] <Antioch|GM> He extends a hand in greeting. "Gavin Tillman, CEO of Headway Insurance." ||
[2015-12-21 14:42:26] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink raises an eyebrow and his gun. "Hello... friend." He looks at the outstretched hand. This man was at the gala, and apparently felt comfortable enough to enter his headquarters. One hand still on his weapon he shakes the hand. "Welcome Mr. Tillman, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" He looks to the gun. "Pardon my precaution." Luckily he had the
[2015-12-21 14:42:26] <soulpelt|Wink> mind to put his mask on.||
[2015-12-21 14:43:28] <Antioch|GM> "No need, no need. My associates here are precaution as well, you understand. Downsize and Vanguard, corporate capes in my employ."
[2015-12-21 14:44:25] <Antioch|GM> Vanguard gives a stiff nod, while Downsize waves at you slightly. "T'sup," he says.
[2015-12-21 14:45:41] <Antioch|GM> "Now, I've heard tell that you've been extending your business into protection, am I correct?" ||
[2015-12-21 14:45:48] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-21 14:48:17] <soulpelt|Wink> "That is correct." Wink says turning the safety on, but barrel on the man. "I like to keep my people protected and happy." He smiles under his mask. "So this is a business visit of sorts then?" He asks, tilting his head. "Please take a sheet." His freehand motioning to a paper covered paper. "Mind the mess as well, when you don't sleep you have a lot of time
[2015-12-21 14:48:17] <soulpelt|Wink> on your hands."||
[2015-12-21 14:48:29] <soulpelt|Wink> *take a seat
[2015-12-21 14:51:39] <Antioch|GM> Vanguard clears off some of the seats, and the three of them get seated.
[2015-12-21 14:53:38] <Antioch|GM> "I'm in the business of protection myself, you see. Parahuman insurance, to be exact."
[2015-12-21 14:54:46] <Antioch|GM> "With Cleveland the way it is, my friend, I believe you'd expect quite a good many people to be willing to spring for something like that, would you not?" ||
[2015-12-21 14:55:46] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-21 15:00:12] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink nods slowly. "Yes, I would expect that." Competition then.||
[2015-12-21 15:04:02] <Antioch|GM> "Now you, my friend, let me make no bones about it."
[2015-12-21 15:04:35] <Antioch|GM> "You could ruin me and my little business venture. Parahuman insurance on buildings razed by Doubledown?"
[2015-12-21 15:04:45] <Antioch|GM> "Hah! You'd bankrupt me within the month."
[2015-12-21 15:05:26] <Antioch|GM> "Which is why I'm offering you a deal - something I don't think anyone else could offer you." ||
[2015-12-21 15:05:59] <soulpelt|Wink> Another tilt of the head. "Do go on, friend."||
[2015-12-21 15:09:04] <Antioch|GM> "Legitimacy, Mr. Wink."
[2015-12-21 15:09:48] <Antioch|GM> "People pay a premium for parahuman insurance, you and I make a gentleman's agreement to leave them untouched, and you earn your share of the profit without lifting a finger."
[2015-12-21 15:09:53] <Antioch|GM> "Do you understand me?"
[2015-12-21 15:10:02] <Antioch|GM> "You and I, we could make each other very rich, my friend." ||
[2015-12-21 15:10:07] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-21 15:16:47] <soulpelt|Wink> A very slow nod. Very interesting indeed. "I think I do." He steeples his hands. He would need his accountant to look into this. "A most curious proposition." He smiles under his mask.||
[2015-12-21 15:21:08] <Antioch|GM> "Now, there are some logistics to this situation that we'll need to handle, of course."
[2015-12-21 15:21:34] <Antioch|GM> "For instance, we very much cannot be known to be in cahoots, do you understand?"
[2015-12-21 15:22:06] <Antioch|GM> "There are laws against this very thing, I'm sure you're aware." ||
[2015-12-21 15:26:07] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-21 15:31:27] <soulpelt|Wink> "That is a given." He says. "I would need to talk to my own... legal people about this. It isn't that I don't trust more of I don't trust anyone getting a potential leak on this." He looks to his window. "HPIA would be very... interested in finding out about any deal we make."||
[2015-12-21 15:33:48] <Antioch|GM> "Of course, of course. Take my card." He scribbles on the back of the card another phone number. "Use that number if you wish to reach me discreetly." ||
[2015-12-21 15:36:42] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-21 15:39:25] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink takes the card, then gives the man his burner phone number. "And here is my number. I like to take care of my friends. If you need my help please give me a call. Though given the nature of your company I am sure that won't be needed, however it never hurts to offer." He looks over the card. "Is there anything else you wished to discuss?"||
[2015-12-21 15:42:57] <Antioch|GM> "I think that should suffice for now," he says. "Do keep in touch. Have your men speak to my men, and I'm sure we can hammer out a deal." ||
[2015-12-21 15:46:46] <soulpelt|Wink> A nod. "Very well." He pockets the card. "Have a pleasant evening Mr. Tillman." He looks over the three. "I will call when I have deliberated on this offer." A final nod.||
[2015-12-21 15:54:09] <Antioch|GM> Tillman and his two lackeys depart, leaving you slightly bemused, mulling over his business offer. ||
[2015-12-23 13:57:13] <Antioch|GM> -------------------------
[2015-12-23 13:58:30] <Antioch|GM> Your new Tinker has taken residence in one of the abandoned storage units in your territory.
[2015-12-23 13:59:56] <Antioch|GM> Aside from the occasional visit to keep him alert and awake, along with the delivery of requisite materials (computer parts in bulk, thick panes of glass, two car batteries, and nearly half a ton of scrap metal, last time) you don't see much of him.
[2015-12-23 14:00:30] <Antioch|GM> What you do see, of his presence in your territory, is the occasional hunter-tracker drone flitting through the sky.
[2015-12-23 14:03:41] <Antioch|GM> Though the business offer from Tillman continues to weigh on your mind, the foremost and more pressing thought lies with your pledged participation in the upcoming Endbringer fight.
[2015-12-23 14:07:07] <Antioch|GM> You spend time researching - pieces of footage, choppy, damaged, unedited, found where you can, death statistics - but when you get to PHO's unofficial, "nearly-comprehensive" listing of Endbringer casualties, you have to stop before you're even a quarter of the way down the Behemoth list.
[2015-12-23 14:07:35] <Antioch|GM> The casualties are listed chronologically, and you haven't even gotten to the 21st century yet.
[2015-12-23 14:08:02] <Antioch|GM> A message on the boards provides a much-needed distraction from the morbidity of your research material.
[2015-12-23 14:08:20] <Antioch|GM> TGK: come to fairview if you want a vial in time for the next attack ||
[2015-12-23 14:08:37] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 14:19:18] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink looks at the message, taking that in. A regeneration vial would be a great use in the event of... compromise of the command center where he would be. He sends a response, "I will be there tomorrow at 9am." He sends the message, thoughts whirling. Time to look into Mr. Tillman, and time to look into the attack as well. The fact it was a threat against
[2015-12-23 14:19:18] <soulpelt|Wink> Killhand was odd, she had done very little in terms of damage to others. A distraction perhaps? Coldhand was the more likely target, maybe Silver Bullet had come to town? He would need to check the news there to see if any members hadn't been seen in some time. First things first, however, Mr. Tillman, then talk to Mr. Scrip and the other powered members of
[2015-12-23 14:19:18] <soulpelt|Wink> the team.||
[2015-12-23 14:20:56] <Antioch|GM> Gavin Tillman is the CEO of Headway Insurance, as he previously told you, once an auto insurance company that propelled itself to a much larger-scale operation covering parahuman insurance, likely utilizing the underhanded tactics he discussed with you.
[2015-12-23 14:22:05] <Antioch|GM> His company, based in Columbus, offers its services to those in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, and parts of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
[2015-12-23 14:24:02] <Antioch|GM> Headway maintains a small retinue of corporate capes, part of their business paradigm that involves deploying their 'problem-solvers' to cities they're attempting to gain a foothold, to increase the stability of the region.
[2015-12-23 14:25:08] <Antioch|GM> While the details on Vanguard, the spear-carrying cape in armor, are sparse, Downsize's capabilities are better documented. His wiki page on PHO is extensive, likely due to his career as an independent hero in Dayton prior to his employment by Headway.
[2015-12-23 14:27:26] <Antioch|GM> Downsize is a Blaster, capable of firing intangible rings of light that expand mid-flight. After intersecting a person, they constrict and become solid, binding them, often tying arms to the body or legs together. He's rather well known for the sheer amount of flashy, non-lethal takedowns he's performed, hauling in villains by the drove during his stint as a
[2015-12-23 14:27:26] <Antioch|GM> hero. ||
[2015-12-23 14:27:46] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 14:30:51] <soulpelt|Wink> Curious and very interesting. A hassle to fight if the rings were unbreakable or otherwise unmovable.
[2015-12-23 14:36:43] <soulpelt|Wink> He puts away that tab for now, opening up information on Silver Bullet, if any of their members were mysteriously missing. They would come for Coldhand sooner or later, and his gut said they were already here. Maybe paranoia but being prepared never hurt. After that he would look over possible recruits from outside the city, inside the city and possibly
[2015-12-23 14:36:43] <soulpelt|Wink> small towns nearby. So many things to do, so little time.||
[2015-12-23 14:41:25] <Antioch|GM> Silver Bullet pulled a job just yesterday, robbing a Broadway Casino in Columbus, actually. Details aren't very clear, save for the fact that they made off with some cash more or less scot-free. Still, it pays to be cautious, which is why Lock has his drones snooping around, and building more to cover more ground. ||
[2015-12-23 14:42:26] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 14:46:54] <soulpelt|Wink> Nothing new there, no missing members. He puts the tab away for now. Onto possible recruits. He brings up PHO again, along with Cleveland News the news of various small towns nearby. Maybe not much since his last look but it never hurt. Maybe Scrip had some old friends who wanted to work....||
[2015-12-23 14:50:30] <Antioch|GM> The Auswahlen attack damaged the trainyards to the point where the steel refinery was shut down, costing the city a lot of jobs.
[2015-12-23 14:50:30] <Antioch|GM> Before, the workers weren't very conducive to the idea of throwing their lot in with a criminal organization, but with your showing at the gala, the admittedly much better state that your turf is in, and the ongoing rumors about a blood-blasting psychopath and other dangerous capes arriving out of the woodwork - well, some of those guys are likely to be more
[2015-12-23 14:50:30] <Antioch|GM> open about the idea of joining you.
[2015-12-23 14:52:02] <Antioch|GM> Two of them have already approached the gang, hoping for a greater measure of safety, and some money to earn besides, and you're sure that you could find more willing to join, be it out of desperation, frustration, or lack of options. ||
[2015-12-23 14:52:47] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
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[2015-12-23 14:59:55] <soulpelt|Wink> Very good then. More men to fill the streets. Then an idea springs up, a message to the leader of Neighborhood watch. An offer to support him and his men. Drones could do well in that area, and he would mention as much to the message. Whatever thugs are in the area would feel less courageous with robotic drones in the air. A runner could be sent there with
[2015-12-23 14:59:55] <soulpelt|Wink> little trouble.||
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[2015-12-23 15:04:23] <Antioch|GM> You resolve to send one of your men - one of the more presentable ones - with overtures of cooperation towards the Neighborhood Watch, at a more reasonable hour. ||
[2015-12-23 15:11:17] <soulpelt|Wink> Okay the rest of the night would be best spent looking into researching potential places the next Endbringer might attack, as well looking over PHO for potential Parahuman recruits as well as the general feelings towards Blackjack. He had all night to do this and he needed more capes if he was to go away. Someone to rule in his place for a small time until
[2015-12-23 15:11:17] <soulpelt|Wink> he returned, or take over if by some chance he didn't/||
[2015-12-23 15:18:49] <Antioch|GM> It's soon, and most speculation points towards Behemoth. Where he might hit is all over the place - Mumbai, Berlin, Kiev, Bucharest, people tossing out dense inland population centers as likely targets, trending towards Europe and Asia, after the prior consecutive attacks on the Americas, Madison being the most recent.
[2015-12-23 15:20:28] <Antioch|GM> Blackjack is a name in Ohio, now, you think - the video of the Gala being one of the primary reasons. Firmly hailed as villains, the overall public seems to regard Blackjack as a whole as a group that 'plays by the rules', to cite one of the forumites responsible for putting together the (rather well-polished) PHOWiki page for Blackjack.
[2015-12-23 15:22:48] <Antioch|GM> It's remarkably comprehensive, actually, even listing the deceased Devil's Advocate, Rush, and Scoop. There are photos of you and Doubledown, and one of Gutshot in his earlier years, before you took the reins of Blackjack, though your new Tinker isn't yet listed.
[2015-12-23 15:24:18] <Antioch|GM> The forumite in question is one "Torturelini," a Cleveland cape geek native to the city for nearly a decade, according to his bio. The name rings a bell - he was also the one who documented the specifics of Auswahlen when he arrived to town. An impressive photo of Etchings being apprehended by Conquistador is credited to his account. ||
[2015-12-23 15:25:58] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 15:30:39] <soulpelt|Wink> Good lad, that user. It was also good to know Blackjack was seen as one of the ones who played by those unwritten rules. He liked a stable city that kept itself together. He would continue to browse the forums until morning, when he could go to TGK, send that message to Neighborhood watch then have the Tinker Car sent to his new Tinker, Lock would make some
[2015-12-23 15:30:39] <soulpelt|Wink> use out of that without a doubt.||
[2015-12-23 15:31:42] <Antioch|GM> Between the various tasks on your hefty itinerary, morning arrives quickly.
[2015-12-23 15:32:15] <Antioch|GM> You arrive at Fairview Hospital fifteen minutes early. The ice from Coldhand's stunt is still visible on the river.
[2015-12-23 15:32:57] <Antioch|GM> The Good King is important enough to have his own secretary these days, who takes one look and you, and says, "Wink, 9AM, right?'
[2015-12-23 15:33:48] <Antioch|GM> "Take a left down this hall and another left into the first room." She accompanies the directions with some pointing down one of the corridors of the hospital's topmost floor. ||
[2015-12-23 15:34:29] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 15:35:45] <soulpelt|Wink> "Yes miss." Wink says nodding, eyes under his mask looking around as he followed after her. "Been busy?" He asks the woman. If the Tinker needed a secretary..... poor woman was likely overwhelmed with business.||
[2015-12-23 15:38:33] <Antioch|GM> "More than you could imagine," she mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose between forefinger and thumb, the other hand reaching for a mug of lukewarm coffee. ||
[2015-12-23 15:38:55] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 15:42:01] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink tags a couple orderlies as they walk, giving the energy to the woman. "Here, this'll help more than that." He says smiling under his mask, before transferring one tag to him and the second to a female orderly nearby.||
[2015-12-23 15:46:28] <Antioch|GM> She perks up visible, looking slightly confused, but appreciative. "O-oh, uh, thank... you?" ||
[2015-12-23 15:46:53] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
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[2015-12-23 15:48:42] <soulpelt|Wink> "You're quite welcome. Working for a Tinker must be hell." He says nodding, keeping his hands behind his back. "How long have you been working for King?" He moves out of the way of a nurse pushing a bed, looking out for any other people who would be heading down the halls.||
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[2015-12-23 15:53:07] <Antioch|GM> She pauses, thinking for a moment. "Two, no, one and a half weeks?'
[2015-12-23 15:53:16] <Antioch|GM> "God, it feels so much longer than that." ||
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[2015-12-23 16:01:25] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink nods. "I know that feeling all too well." He says in sympathy, thinking of his work to stabilize the gang. "Impressive work so far I have to say. You're doing the work of two or three people." He chuckles a bit, looking for a nametag. He frowns slightly. "What's you name Miss? Have to put in a good word to King."||
[2015-12-23 16:02:56] <Antioch|GM> "Olivia," she says. "Really, it's no problem." ||
[2015-12-23 16:03:59] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 16:05:23] * moBel is now known as Bel|Dags
[2015-12-23 16:06:47] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink shrugs. "Alright then. Might want to look into getting a name tag for yourself, Ms. Olivia." He nods slightly. "Where is Kings lab at? Top floor or basement?" Somewhere with lots of room for his equipment. Lock needed a warehouse to himself for his constructs. He idly tags more people, giving more energy to Olivia. She would need all she could get after
[2015-12-23 16:06:47] <soulpelt|Wink> he left.||
[2015-12-23 16:12:29] <Antioch|GM> "He's on this floor, just down the hall. First door on your left, can't miss it." ||
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[2015-12-23 16:14:07] * Firlz is now known as Firlz|Khandhas
[2015-12-23 16:17:11] <soulpelt|Wink> "Thank you, Olivia. Good luck and Godspeed." He says as he heads to the door in question, topping the girl off before topping himself off. He knocks on the door. "King, I'm here."||
[2015-12-23 16:17:51] <Antioch|GM> "I've been expecting you," he says, looking up from an array of beakers and tinctures, machinery whirring in the background.
[2015-12-23 16:18:17] <Antioch|GM> His frame is more muscular now, and a small metal backpack pumps fluids into his arms and shoulders.
[2015-12-23 16:18:42] <Antioch|GM> "I just need some blood and tissue samples from you. I'll give you your completed vial en route to the Endbringer event."
[2015-12-23 16:19:28] <Antioch|GM> "Your arm, please," he says, picking up a syringe and tourniquet. ||
[2015-12-23 16:24:18] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink enters the lab, keeping an eye open. "Very well." He rolls up a sleeve of his suit. "I'm grateful for the creation of the vial." He looks around the room. "Impressive setup you have, oh and before I forget, a diligent secretary." He chuckles a bit again. "One would almost thing Ms. Olivia was a parahuman."||
[2015-12-23 16:29:15] <Antioch|GM> "No need for small talk, Wink. Just let me take what I need and you can get out of here." ||
[2015-12-23 16:29:46] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 16:31:28] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink raises an eyebrow under his mask but nods, holding the arm out. "By all means." If he didn't want to talk, no talk. Instead Wink looks around the lab, seeing how set up the Tinker is. Maybe take some mental notes for Lock. Biometrics could take some inspiration from King, right?||
[2015-12-23 16:33:29] <Antioch|GM> The lab is populated by a massive array of machinery - centrifuges, freezers, three computers, one of which is currently compiling something, code rushing up the screen faster than you can make out.
[2015-12-23 16:34:16] <Antioch|GM> Mounted on the wall is a system of tubes, piping in a cocktail of chemicals from plastic drums stored on the floor, ready to be mixed and dispensed at a moment's notice.
[2015-12-23 16:34:44] <Antioch|GM> At the back of the room, power armor, half-finished, thick tubes sheathed in metal coils wiring around its body.
[2015-12-23 16:36:24] <Antioch|GM> While you're paying attention to the lab's contents, you don't even notice the syringe inserted into the crook of your elbow, and drawing out a large quantity of blood. He tugs it out and wraps the area with gauze in a single, swift motion.
[2015-12-23 16:36:59] <Antioch|GM> "Other arm, please. Going to need a punch biopsy." ||
[2015-12-23 16:38:06] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 16:40:23] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink rolls up the other sleeve. He makes a mental note of how the power armor looks. Designs for Lock later. "What kind of vial are you creating for me?" He asks the Tinker.||
[2015-12-23 16:44:02] <Antioch|GM> "Regeneration, newest iteration with some additives besides. It'll regrow missing limbs with a near-perfect success rate, and organs close to that as well. Since I can't get a sample of your bone marrow or cardiac tissue, there may be some issues, but if your heart, brain, or spine gets demolished, nothing I got up my sleeve is gonna save you."
[2015-12-23 16:45:51] <Antioch|GM> "The additives are painkillers and modified adrenaline, for the most part. The latter's irrelevant for you, so long as you have a source, but it's standard formula. I'll have a second shot prepared, just simple concentrated biomass in liquid form, still a prototype - the idea is to give the regeneration serum more fuel to regenerate, say, an entire missing
[2015-12-23 16:45:51] <Antioch|GM> limb." ||
[2015-12-23 16:46:19] <Antioch|GM> -||
[2015-12-23 16:47:12] <Antioch|GM> As he talks, he takes a cylindrical tube, and brings it down on your arm, causing a sharp, painful sensation. The tube comes away with a small disc of skin, the size of an eraser nub, which he drops into a vial of clear liquid, which begins fizzing immediately.
[2015-12-23 16:48:23] <Antioch|GM> He brings over another syringe, this one looking more like a turkey baster, and deposits a small amount of greyish-pink sludge where the hole was punched. It settles into place, though it stings somewhat, and begins to change to fit your skin tone, though you can still clearly see where the real skin ends and the synthetic begins. ||
[2015-12-23 16:51:23] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink can't help but whistle. "Damn good stuff, King." He looks over the synthetic skin. "If my heart, brain or spine are destroyed I think I'm having a really bad day." He chuckles. "Anything else, King?"||
[2015-12-23 16:53:24] <Antioch|GM> He shakes his head. "That's it. You can go now."
[2015-12-23 16:54:20] <Antioch|GM> He pauses for a moment, then adds, "You know, I didn't think you'd go through with it. Still not sure that you will."
[2015-12-23 16:54:29] <Antioch|GM> "But whatever else I have to say about you, I'm glad you are." ||
[2015-12-23 16:55:04] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 16:56:30] <soulpelt|Wink> "I try to be a man of my word." He nods slightly. "I'm glad to hear it, though." He looks over the room one last time then leaves, heading to the entrance, giving one last boost to Olivia.||
[2015-12-23 16:59:11] <Antioch|GM> Before you're able to leave the room, one of the orderlies rushes in and you quickly sidestep, getting out of the way of the wheelchair he's pushing.
[2015-12-23 16:59:34] <Antioch|GM> "Sir! Sorry for the interruption, but you did say to tell you right away about any improvements."
[2015-12-23 17:01:15] <Antioch|GM> In the wheelchair is the prone form of Kusakabe, head lolling to the side, trache tube jammed in his throat, and several other tubes besides feeding into his arms from an array of cartridges mounted on the back of the chair.
[2015-12-23 17:01:41] <Antioch|GM> His eyes are open, flicking from the orderly, to King, to you. ||
[2015-12-23 17:02:06] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 17:02:29] ← Bel|Dags left (uid83463@charlton.irccloud.com)
[2015-12-23 17:04:52] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink looks over Kusa. "Kusa, glad to see you're awake." He says smiling under his mask. "You're looking." Stepping to the side further he glances to King.||
[2015-12-23 17:05:00] <soulpelt|Wink> *looking good.
[2015-12-23 17:12:16] <Antioch|GM> "Nnnngh," he says, the sound oddly muffled by the tube.
[2015-12-23 17:14:20] <Antioch|GM> "Fuckin' fantastic," King says, cracking his knuckles. "He can move his eyes. I can work with this."
[2015-12-23 17:14:59] <Antioch|GM> "Thanks, Connell, you can leave him here with me."
[2015-12-23 17:15:08] <Antioch|GM> "Wink, we're done here. I'll see you when I see you."
[2015-12-23 17:15:20] <Antioch|GM> "Nnnnngh," interjects Kusakabe, somewhat more insistently. ||
[2015-12-23 17:17:09] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 17:19:12] → Prothean joined (RichardButt@net-887.uo5.168.72.IP)
[2015-12-23 17:19:19] <soulpelt|Wink> "I... Think he wants me to stay?" Wink says tilting his head to the side. "Can he move his head?" He asks, not sure on the condition of Kusa. Though given the state of his physical form, things were.... slightly less dire than before.||
[2015-12-23 17:23:12] <Antioch|GM> "Doesn't look like it," King mutters. "You need this as... this guy here, Kusakabe?"
[2015-12-23 17:23:33] <Antioch|GM> "Mmgh." ||
[2015-12-23 17:24:09] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 17:25:19] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink frowns. Let's see if this could work... "Grunt once if yes, twice if not." It might work, given that he couldn't move much else than his eyes by the look of things.||
[2015-12-23 17:25:59] <Antioch|GM> "Mmgh." ||
[2015-12-23 17:31:33] <soulpelt|Wink> A look to King. "Maybe my power could help with your work? I can invigorate him." He puts a hand to his chin, rubbing his mask where it would be. He glances around, tagging a nurse who was standing around, putting the second tag on Kusa, transferring energy to the latter.||
[2015-12-23 17:32:11] <Antioch|GM> "Mmmn-mmgh."
[2015-12-23 17:32:24] <Antioch|GM> "I think that was a no," King says. ||
[2015-12-23 17:32:42] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 17:33:21] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink ends the connection. "Then by all means work your magic." He stand back, hands behind his back.||
[2015-12-23 17:34:15] <Antioch|GM> "Stick around for a while, I think I have a solution."
[2015-12-23 17:34:31] <Antioch|GM> He leans out the door, shouting down the hall, "OLIVIA! CLEAR MY APPOINTMENTS!"
[2015-12-23 17:34:45] <Antioch|GM> You can hear a long-suffering "okay..." drift back down the hall.
[2015-12-23 17:36:49] <Antioch|GM> He runs out of the hall, bringing back what looks like an optometrist's trial frame, massive, multi-lensed goggles.
[2015-12-23 17:37:30] <Antioch|GM> He starts tearing it to pieces, throwing unwanted lenses aside willy-nilly.
[2015-12-23 17:37:51] <Antioch|GM> You can hear him muttering shit like "... optical tracking software... mobile power source..." ||
[2015-12-23 17:40:58] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink closes the door behind him. Tinkers man. He glances to Kusa. "I can catch you up on shit later if you need be. I think our friend here is about to give you some text-to-voice glasses or something."||
[2015-12-23 17:43:55] <Antioch|GM> "Nnnnnrgh, nn-nnmmgh."
[2015-12-23 17:44:15] <Antioch|GM> He's looking you directly in the eyes, but whatever he's trying to communicate isn't quite going through. ||
[2015-12-23 17:44:44] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 17:48:00] <soulpelt|Wink> Hmm. "King, can the tubes be taken out of his throat? He might be able to talk properly." That was the only thing he could think of. It was rather difficult. He was searching his mind for possibilities, but this was no where near his area of expertise. Another thing to look into. Medical training. ||
[2015-12-23 17:48:33] <Antioch|GM> "That's the only thing keeping him from breathing. Don't think he can move his tongue or jaw, anyways."
[2015-12-23 17:48:44] <Antioch|GM> "Mmm-hmm." ||
[2015-12-23 17:53:19] <soulpelt|Wink> "Do you need us to get Haddon and Dags here?" He asks, looking over Kusa. "Or do you need something at all? Grunt once for the getting the others, twice for other shit."||
[2015-12-23 17:53:59] <Antioch|GM> "Mmm-nnn." ||
[2015-12-23 17:55:26] <soulpelt|Wink> "Haddon and Dags it is." He pulls out his burner phone, calling HPIA. "King if you have Haddons private number I suggest calling it."||
[2015-12-23 17:57:59] <Antioch|GM> ((That was two grunts.))
[2015-12-23 17:58:07] <soulpelt|Wink> ((oooh))
[2015-12-23 17:58:15] <soulpelt|Wink> ((REDACT THAT.))
[2015-12-23 17:58:45] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 17:59:35] <soulpelt|Wink> "Alright which shit you need? About the good guys or bad guys? Once for good, once for bad."||
[2015-12-23 18:01:50] <Antioch|GM> Three grunts. Oh boy.
[2015-12-23 18:01:57] <Antioch|GM> Something else entirely? ||
[2015-12-23 18:05:13] * Firlz|Khandhas is now known as Firlz
[2015-12-23 18:10:55] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 18:15:37] <soulpelt|Wink> Fuck, this wasn't going anywhere. "Alright three grunts...." He thinks quickly. "Is it about remembering?" He emphasizes the word. Hopefully King would have something up and running soon.||
[2015-12-23 18:15:57] <Antioch|GM> "Mmmgh!"
[2015-12-23 18:15:59] <Antioch|GM> Bingo. ||
[2015-12-23 18:16:41] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 18:18:36] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink gulps and glances around. "Alright. Anything new from you on it since you were in a coma?" He focuses on King for a second. "I've not had a chance to... test anything. Nonstop work."||
[2015-12-23 18:20:52] <Antioch|GM> Two grunts. In the background, King is assembling a crude helmet, hooked up to a tiny power source and what seem to be some computer chips. ||
[2015-12-23 18:22:05] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 18:24:07] <soulpelt|Wink> "Then we'll need a long talk once he's done." He rubs the back of his head. One question figured out. "I think he's about halfway done, so there's a plus." He pats Kusa on the shoulder.||
[2015-12-23 18:25:43] <Antioch|GM> "Hmmm."
[2015-12-23 18:26:33] <Antioch|GM> King pauses in his work for a moment. "Hey, Wink, go get one of the nurses or orderlies to bring me a motorized wheelchair, wouldja?"
[2015-12-23 18:26:49] <Antioch|GM> Formalities and contempt are put aside, this guy is wholly consumed by his work. ||
[2015-12-23 18:28:13] <soulpelt|Wink> "Sure thing." Wink says, nodding, opening the door. He stops the next nurse to walk by. "We need a motorized wheelchair ASAP." He glances back inside. "Kings rigged some sort of text-to-voice contraption up."||
[2015-12-23 18:29:25] <Antioch|GM> "Sure thing," a passing nurse says.
[2015-12-23 18:30:01] <Antioch|GM> At this point, the optometrist's lens has transformed into a helmet, with an odd combination between a visor and goggles.
[2015-12-23 18:31:05] <Antioch|GM> The glass of the helmet is illuminated by a pale green light within the helmet, and there are wires leading from the back, hooked into a crude metal shell that you saw TGK put some electronic components and power source into. ||
[2015-12-23 18:34:08] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink keeps the the door open, waiting for the nurse. "Nice work, King." He walks over, studying it. "Follows eye movement to create text then talks?" Maybe something he could actually understand, but the nitty gritty would out of his understanding without a doubt. "Nurse is gone to get a motorized wheelchair."||
[2015-12-23 18:35:22] <Antioch|GM> "You've got the right of it, for the most part. I'll need to explain it to Kusakabe, anyways."
[2015-12-23 18:36:22] <Antioch|GM> "Blink three times to pull up the keyboard, you can select letters by looking at them and blinking. It's not perfect - kind of a rush job, but it should be enough for now to get your point across."
[2015-12-23 18:37:37] <Antioch|GM> "I'll be hooking up the wheelchair to this, with an option to turn the keyboard off save for the arrows so you can get places of your own volition."
[2015-12-23 18:38:05] <Antioch|GM> "I can hook this up to your cell phone, get you sending texts pretty soonish, too."
[2015-12-23 18:38:46] <Antioch|GM> The nurse arrives with the wheelchair, and between her and King, they manage to reposition Kusakabe into the chair, taking the IV setup with him. ||
[2015-12-23 18:40:04] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 18:41:17] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink keeps back, out of the way. Once they were done he walks over. "Time to say 'Hello World', Kusa." He says laughing some.||
[2015-12-23 18:44:10] <Antioch|GM> Kusakabe with the helmet looks slightly odd, but he turns his head at The Good King.
[2015-12-23 18:44:54] <Antioch|GM> As a tinny voice in the helmet reads out, "T... H... X...", a projector displays the letters suspended in midair in front of him.
[2015-12-23 18:45:19] <Antioch|GM> He then turns to face you directly. ||
[2015-12-23 18:50:20] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 18:53:43] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink looks down at Kusa. "Couple more bits and bobs and you'd look like Star Trek character." He looks around for a seat. "Now that we can talk properly, let's chat."||
[2015-12-23 18:55:01] <Antioch|GM> It's kind of painful, waiting for him to spell out his message.
[2015-12-23 18:55:45] <Antioch|GM> "D... T... R... A... I... N... N... M... E..."
[2015-12-23 18:55:52] <Antioch|GM> King watches bemusedly from the sidelines. ||
[2015-12-23 18:56:21] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 18:57:15] <soulpelt|Wink> Drain him? Very well. Wink attaches the tag to Kusa, starting the effect. "You should be out in pretty soon, though I have no idea how it'll work on a Noctis cape like you."||
[2015-12-23 18:58:22] <Antioch|GM> Kusakabe is already slumped, so you can't tell if it's having much effect on him.
[2015-12-23 18:59:00] <Antioch|GM> However, you feel something odd - not your own eyelids drooping, but the sensation of tiredness overlaid onto your alertness - there within your perception, albeit detached. ||
[2015-12-23 18:59:34] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 19:00:46] <soulpelt|Wink> Huh. Very odd. He keeps the tag on Kusa, however. "You feel anything, Kusa?"||
[2015-12-23 19:01:38] <Antioch|GM> "Y."
[2015-12-23 19:02:16] <Antioch|GM> The sensation of exhaustion, though not your own, begins to overwhelm you nonetheless.
[2015-12-23 19:02:34] <Antioch|GM> You swear you can hear something in the back of your mind, as if recalling a distant memory. ||
[2015-12-23 19:03:00] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 19:03:05] ⇐ Thalia quit (secret@net-stg.hv9.246.50.IP): Quit: Leaving
[2015-12-23 19:03:41] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink closes his eyes, trying to focus on this sensation. Was he about to see what caused Kusa to trigger?||
[2015-12-23 19:05:19] <Antioch|GM> You close your eyes, illusory fatigue strong enough to the point where you seat yourself in the vacated wheelchair.
[2015-12-23 19:06:14] ⇐ Megafire quit (Megafire@net-2bl5ah.dynamic.ziggo.nl): Ping timeout: 181 seconds
[2015-12-23 19:06:18] <Antioch|GM> The exhaustion gives way to sleep, to the point where you can't tell if you yourself are asleep or not.
[2015-12-23 19:06:30] <Antioch|GM> Focus on the voices.
[2015-12-23 19:06:47] <Antioch|GM> What starts off as chatter in the background of your mind sharpens into clarity as your perception of the outside world fades.
[2015-12-23 19:07:08] <Antioch|GM> "You were so close, too..."
[2015-12-23 19:08:05] <Antioch|GM> Invictus's familiar face lies in front of you, tied to an office chair, arms behind his back, legs tied to the chair.
[2015-12-23 19:08:46] <Antioch|GM> "But past the excuses and bullshit, there's a grain of truth."
[2015-12-23 19:09:05] <Antioch|GM> You - Kusakabe - lean forward, waving a small bag of narcotics in Invictus's sniveling face.
[2015-12-23 19:09:16] <Antioch|GM> "This? That's right."
[2015-12-23 19:09:51] <Antioch|GM> Invictus cringes away from the baggie, but he can't tear his eyes away from it, panic and longing and a swirling mix of indiscernible emotion roiling behind his expression.
[2015-12-23 19:10:00] <Antioch|GM> "You're NOTHING. Nothing without it."
[2015-12-23 19:10:26] <Antioch|GM> He screams incoherently, straining at the ropes, roaring even as a trickle of blood leaks from the side of his mouth.
[2015-12-23 19:10:36] <Antioch|GM> "THEN WHY? WHY AM I HERE? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME? WITH..."
[2015-12-23 19:10:52] <Antioch|GM> He slumps back, defeated, head hung low, no longer struggling at his restraints.
[2015-12-23 19:10:59] <Antioch|GM> "... with nothing."
[2015-12-23 19:11:16] <Antioch|GM> Silence falls.
[2015-12-23 19:11:53] <Antioch|GM> Another inexplicable vision, overwriting the one you're already witnessing.
[2015-12-23 19:12:44] <Antioch|GM> An incomprehensible pair of beings, intertwined into countless realities, travelling fluidly through the universe.
[2015-12-23 19:12:53] <Antioch|GM> Destination.
[2015-12-23 19:12:57] <Antioch|GM> Agreement.
[2015-12-23 19:14:07] <Antioch|GM> Your view narrows in scope, focusing on your planet, Earth. No, a codex of Earths, strung together, hundreds upon millions, the same planet refracted through innumerable dimensions, each one a variation on the last, streaming off into infinity in a direction you lack the words or comprehension to convey.
[2015-12-23 19:14:10] <Antioch|GM> Trajectory.
[2015-12-23 19:14:12] <Antioch|GM> Agreement.
[2015-12-23 19:14:52] <Antioch|GM> The unnecessary ones are discarded, pared away - imprisoned - barren, lifeless, soulless. Stagnant.
[2015-12-23 19:17:15] <Antioch|GM> Shuffling through an array of Earths, scope narrowing at an unquantifiable pace.
[2015-12-23 19:21:15] <Antioch|GM> Their perception, their gaze, though the phrase is merely analogous, rests upon one particular earth.
[2015-12-23 19:21:23] <Antioch|GM> Yours.
[2015-12-23 19:21:51] <Antioch|GM> Kusakabe blinks, forgets, shaking the confusion from his head.
[2015-12-23 19:21:59] <Antioch|GM> Invictus is doubled over, heaving, panting.
[2015-12-23 19:22:18] <Antioch|GM> His voice, hoarse at first, transforms into a low growl, then a snarl.
[2015-12-23 19:22:23] <Antioch|GM> "Don't you... talk to me like that. Don't you talk to me. Not ever again," he spits.
[2015-12-23 19:24:07] <Antioch|GM> You - Kusakabe - open your mouth, words failing to come out, dashing out of the office in a panic.
[2015-12-23 19:25:29] <Antioch|GM> Fingers plugged in your ears, Invictus's next roared command is muffled, as you stuff firearm safety earplugs stashed next to a pistol in the front desk drawer in your ears.
[2015-12-23 19:26:27] <Antioch|GM> The next scene that plays out is that of a harried negotiation.
[2015-12-23 19:26:57] <Antioch|GM> Detached, you silently curse Kusakabe's failure to gag Invictus and carry out the conversation purely via pen and paper.
[2015-12-23 19:27:54] <Antioch|GM> Eventually, Invictus takes his chance, leaning in, and his shout is audible through the earplugs.
[2015-12-23 19:28:08] <Antioch|GM> "DON'T MOVE, DON'T BREATHE."
[2015-12-23 19:29:13] <Antioch|GM> You - Wink - mentally recoil, subconscious fear that the Master's command might still hold sway within this vision - as you watch, from his perspective, Kusakabe tumbling to the floor, stock-still and asphyxiating.
[2015-12-23 19:32:11] <Antioch|GM> From there, his sight of the carpet beneath him fades, growing dimmer and dimmer - as you feel the panic and fear welling up in his mind.
[2015-12-23 19:33:10] <Antioch|GM> An indeterminate amount of time passes. He's rolled over by a pair of hands - and you feel your perspective violently split.
[2015-12-23 19:33:49] <Antioch|GM> Seeing from Kusakabe's eyes, and those of the PRT officer hauling him over, puts your mind's eye into an incomprehensible stereo.
[2015-12-23 19:34:16] <Antioch|GM> "HE'S NOT BREATHING!" you hear from two distinct sets of ears, giving you an odd sense of mental vertigo.
[2015-12-23 19:34:21] <Antioch|GM> "TRACHE HIM!"
[2015-12-23 19:35:37] <Antioch|GM> And as you feel the improvised tracheostomy tube jammed violently through his his throat, below his larynx, and into his trachea, at the same time the squadmate plunges it in —
[2015-12-23 19:37:49] <Antioch|GM> The pair of beings twist seamlessly through space.
[2015-12-23 19:39:01] <Antioch|GM> Viewed from a different perspective, they are as countless as the earths you just bore witness to, folding and unfolding, growing, shrinking, shifting, never changing the space they took up.
[2015-12-23 19:39:38] <Antioch|GM> Spiraling together in... a helix formation, your battered brain supplies.
[2015-12-23 19:39:40] <Antioch|GM> Interloper.
[2015-12-23 19:39:42] <Antioch|GM> Concern.
[2015-12-23 19:40:27] <Antioch|GM> A smaller lifeform, of the same species, traveling through space by different means.
[2015-12-23 19:40:29] <Antioch|GM> Solitary?
[2015-12-23 19:40:33] <Antioch|GM> Confusion.
[2015-12-23 19:40:39] <Antioch|GM> Uncertain.
[2015-12-23 19:41:38] <Antioch|GM> It is lesser, undeveloped, on a path to... collide...? You're not sure if it's the right word. To collide with the two greater species, weaving through space.
[2015-12-23 19:42:46] <Antioch|GM> They intersect through multiple realities, scraping, abrading, passing through - an exchange. Knowledge gained from hundreds upon hundreds of... cycles?
[2015-12-23 19:42:52] <Antioch|GM> Lost and gained in one moment.
[2015-12-23 19:43:18] <Antioch|GM> The counterpart of the two, the observer, falters —
[2015-12-23 19:44:05] <Antioch|GM> You resurface from the vision, room spinning around you. Kusakabe remains slumped in his wheelchair, while The Good King observes you with an expression of more than significant interest.
[2015-12-23 19:44:52] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 19:45:20] <Antioch|GM> Your left hand is hooked up to a machine, linked to a monitor that seems to be measuring your heart rate, blood pressure, and several electrodes are hooked up to your upper neck, your tie removed and collar pushed aside.
[2015-12-23 19:45:54] <Antioch|GM> One of the monitors, labeled EEG, looks like a seismograph during a very nasty earthquake. ||
[2015-12-23 19:46:44] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 19:48:15] → Thalia joined (secret@net-ehma5b.or.comcast.net)
[2015-12-23 19:52:26] ⇐ Prothean quit (RichardButt@net-887.uo5.168.72.IP): Connection closed
[2015-12-23 19:52:40] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink blinks his eyes several time, shaking his head. He takes the beam off of Kusa. He takes several deep breathes then releases them. Well then. His head was hurting all the fuck, room still a bit blurry. "Well.... fuck..." He says, still shaking his head. "I.... I need a drink..."||
[2015-12-23 19:58:04] <Antioch|GM> "What was that all about?" King mutters. "Your heart rate was going batshit for a while, there." ||
[2015-12-23 19:58:52] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 20:04:44] <soulpelt|Wink> "... Yeah... that was fucking intense." He lowers his mask down enough to wipe his brow, raising it back up. "I saw some rather.... interesting things." He looks to King. "Two second trigger events, for one." He wouldn't mention the visions, down that path was death. "I... think we had better wait for Kusa to... recover..."||
[2015-12-23 20:05:34] <Antioch|GM> "... you mean... Kusakabe, too...?" King raises an eyebrow at you. ||
[2015-12-23 20:07:19] <soulpelt|Wink> "I believe so, yes." He nods. He looks to the man in question. "Invictus... then him."||
[2015-12-23 20:10:10] <Antioch|GM> He shakes his head in bewilderment. "It makes sense," he mutters, finally. "God knows I'd hate to be in his shoes." ||
[2015-12-23 20:10:49] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 20:12:22] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink nods, getting up on shaky legs, taking off the various diodes. "Yeah... it wasn't pretty."||
[2015-12-23 20:14:38] <Antioch|GM> "... any idea why that happened? I'm guessing it had something to do with a new way he can use is power now, but..." ||
[2015-12-23 20:21:11] <soulpelt|Wink> "Something about being helpless, unable to help himself? I THINK it happened just as they trache'd him." Wink leans against the wall. "Kusa, you awake?" He calls out to the man, not sure if he's actually awake or not.||
[2015-12-23 20:21:29] <Antioch|GM> No response.
[2015-12-23 20:21:51] <Antioch|GM> "Well... that was interesting, to say the least."
[2015-12-23 20:22:38] <Antioch|GM> "I dunno if he needs it, what with having never slept since he got here, but maybe he needs the rest.
[2015-12-23 20:22:44] <Antioch|GM> "Be seeing you, Wink." ||
[2015-12-23 20:23:22] <soulpelt|Wink> ...
[2015-12-23 20:26:26] <soulpelt|Wink> Wink shakes his head. "I think sleep is the last thing he needs, trust me on this." He heads to the door. "Wake him up soon. He'll just see... something he wouldn't want to see." Then he leaves, feeling tired himself, latching onto nurses as he goes. "Have a good afternoon Ms. Olivia." Then he exits the hospital.||