Ari
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OOC thread for this thread. Vox and Sun Dragon(and Dio) help clean up some dirt underneath Claremont Academy. @Dariusprime
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November 9th, 2019, 5.22AM The tunnels below Claremont Academy A pair of mops and buckets filled with foaming water fell with a crash in front of Nicholas and Leroy. "Awright, cadets!" Basil Falks, scrawny and short as he was under a two-sizes-too-big set of overalls and a baseball cap that had once been blue, maybe back in 1970, still had an air of utter command as he leveled the two boys with his gimlet brown-eyed stare. "These are the evacuation and concealed movement tunnels! It's been my privilege to work in them for over a decade, but I'm getting too old to do it all by myself! That's why I picked you pups! Nick," he pointed a bony finger at the speechless spectrum-sensitive, "I know you can keep a secret, and you have a janitor's dedication and poise under all that shrinking violet business. Leroy," he pointed that same finger at the elegant otherworld prince, "you can carry things okay and I know Nick will keep you out of trouble. I don't have to repeat myself, but you will not speak of what you see down here on penalty of...on penalty of whatever it is I come up with later." "Now we're starting off with a very simple job: the exit passages out of grounds aren't much-used and need a little polishing up. I won't have some kid slipping on some patch of grease and getting eaten by zombies, no sir." He looked at one of the walls, tracing his fingers over the polished titanium, whispering "Never again..." He quirked his head like a bird at the two boys "Anyway, that's the long and short of it. Go right-left-left-left-back and you'll find the spot. Give a holler if anything's started living down there. Yes Nick, you can holler too, won't hurt my feelings to have repair work to do if it saves you kids a funeral. Now git!" With that, Basil turned on a dime and sped off down the hallways, the splendid lighting letting the duo watch him turn suddenly into a door that had definitely not been there when he started walking. Then they were alone. Picking up a bucket and mop, Leroy smiled at Nick. Even in the plainest clothes he had, a brown sideless tunic and heeled platform sandals, with his curly hair up in a bun, the clan-scarred and dragon-tattooed teenager cut an expensive figure. "So, good Nick, how wonderful to see you out of paracausal physics! Have you drunk deep of life? I will take the buckets, let us say, and you the mops?"
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<"Hullo, Ms. Black Turtle of the South!"> Leroy's cherubic little face peered up at Danica's own <"I do indeed need to relieve myself, how wise and courteous of you! When the Chimaera returns I will ask her to find a place for you in Stormbreach."> The little bundle of rock-entombed toddler offered absolutely no resistance to the sudden change of venue, dropping without another word into the void of Chelone's divine mark. Dio, seeing everyone else well in hand, began cautiously scuttling his way around the room for Danica. Tensing himself, the tiny dragon launched through the air, aiming to glide right into Danica's shell.
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"But where does it come from?" Leroy asked the universe at large, placing another whole, juicy tomato on the growing pile of them now cluttering the desk. Along with the heads of fresh lettuce, blocks of cheese and what looked like an entire pig's leg, the first two creations of his black crystal, two copies of the original sandwich, stood forlornly on a corner. "I think, it creates. It needs only a suggestion of matter, a sample of energy, and it brings forth infinite iterations! Is it a portal to where whatever I envision is real? Have I been stealing food from some other world? Is the Skyfall leaving another Earth barren?" Leroy leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and looking narrow-eyed at his silent little monolith. Under his breath, he murmured "If it needs only a little...just a hint..." His hand shot up as he swiveled to face the front of the room. "Ms. Vasquez? May I make a miniature and very temporary gravitational singularity? I shall to be very careful with it, Headmistress Summers."
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Thoroughly squeezed to the farthest reaches of the Sofa Continental Shelf by the other three girls, Leroy's encouraging smile had quickly faltered when Mia explained about the ongoing difficulty with her, her mother and newly-introduced sibling. He nodded grimly in understanding. "My own mother considers me an embarrassment to be hidden away, and even my little 10-year old sister Oloroo has rescued an Earth from the Shadow-World. I have second cousins closer to the Lioness than me." Leroy slide off the sofa, landing on the floor with a soft thump. Swiveling round and leaning back on his hands, his luminous gold eyes stared up at Mia. "You have told us your problem, how the world is not to your willing. Please, tell me, Mustafic-Markov, what would make it right? Could we help?"
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Bone thick as her own head shattered under Max's impact, shards big as dinner plates flying off into the packed billowing ranks of ghostly actors. From the gaping new hole in its head, the skull blazed out a searing white light. A light made of writhing shades twining around each other like ropes, wailing as they struggled to hold on, the giant skull that contaned them falling in a slack-jawed heap to the relative ground. All the tunnel ghosts gasped, and the cloth binding the two dragon-blooded boys slackened just enough. "Max! You returned!" Leroy yelled cheerfully over the growing susurrus of angry ghost voices "After I specifically requested that you not do that! I would expect no less! You and I know the true face of femininity, eh?" Silhouetted by the ghastly white glare, Max could make out his boyish, carefree smile. Dio poked his snout through a pile of feathers. "Hey, Leroy. You're naked." "What-?" Leroy glanced down, yelped at realizing the truth of his dragon's words, and somehow swung upward to tangle his legs and hips in the lines of his pleather bonds, leaving him upside down. Straining against them with terrific force, he called down "Er, please do not assist me! I, uh, will be down shortly!" "Oh no, my wandering prince, disrobing around other girls? Judy will be just heartbroken when I tell her about this..." Dio couldn't actually grin, but the wild, wavering light made it look for all the world like he was. Leroy's scarred face might have been made of stone. "Sweet Max, please kill Dio before I free myself and think of something appropriately dire." The emerald-scaled dragon laughed uproariously, twisting enough to rend vast swathes of cloth, sending up a billow of feathers and belching red fire. That was enough to break the spell. The tunnel contracted sharply as a wave of skeletal faces and bodies held in faded costumes surged towards the trio!
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First attempts, DC25 Toughness saves: Sun Dragon's gravebonds go 32, Dio's goses 17, Dio's reduces to Toughness 7. First wave of ghosts goes for it. Max can intercept them, or help elswise as she wishes.
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That hits and to spare. DC24 Toughness: 15. So Injured and Dazed. Sun Dragon and Leroy are Bound and Helpless and must make Strength checks to break the multi-layered Snare. Starting Toughness 15, successes reducing it to Toughness 0 break the effect and let everyone bust out. Spectre can attempt to lower this DC by fighting the gant horde of animated costumes who, at every roll, success or failure, attempt to raise the DC by 5. A successful Attack roll vs DC20 forestalls the costume ghosts.
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"W-wait! Wait a moment!" One of the students lurched suddenly to his feet, utter confoundment stamped all over his handsomely scarred face. "Ah. Hello. Leroy Ransome-Conte, I am a subordinate of your daughter, Mia." "Having an only imperfect understanding of your criminal justice system, your description is troublng. You are all put into the same box, and isolated from wider society, and this is intended to be so dire you would do anything to return and be accepted?" "That cannot be good for criminal recidivism. Good speaker, what happens to the prisoners who do not choose what you did? To them, surely social removal would simply be meaningless misery?"
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"They speak wisdom, mighty Mustafic-Markov." Leroy was giving the movie a slightly fairer shake, but also turned to Mia when Judy drew all attention to his clearly troubled squadmate. Relaxing against the sofa, he answered the sunlight saint's anxious look with a reassuring smile. "You must live free of lies, to yourself or others. For example, I was convinced I was ugly and unloveable until just last year. You are wondrous, it is for others to understand your glory." He then looked very serious. "Indeed, this is perhaps an ideal situation. I also am...uncertain about this movie. But you adore it and it is tied very strongly to who you are today. Just so, some things I cherish would seem strange and unpleasant to you. However, as the date of radiant Judy I am bound to support her in all things. Would you rather, battle-sister, talk about yourself?" He grinned suddenly, golden eyes sparkling, "I should love to know who has caught the majestic eye of Soliton!"
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"This is very realistic," Leroy commented upon the revelation of the giant muscle-bound creature in the basement, "on Halloween many of us encountered just such horrors. I transfigured into a child. Again." Snuggling closer to Judy, he commented to Mia "Mustafic-Markov, they make no mention of the many known heroes of this time. That is simply unaccountable. This is where the Raven would shine." Watching the havoc play out on screen(though Judy noticed he was looking almost anywhere but at the movie when sexual encounters were happening), Leroy had an almost anthropological air about him. The mixing and matching of clothing and appearance from the villain particularly had him frowning, as if deep in thought. He'd made the mistake of very loudly booing when the evil Dr. Frank showed up, cowing and shrinking into the sofa under the looks of the others, his scars turning pink. He also didn't eat or drink at all, and blinked in surprise when he happened to see Ashley or Mia sampling from the snacks.
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OOC thread for this thread. Feud in the shadow of the Calf! @RocketLord
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GM November 3rd, 6.45PM, Out the back behind Golden Calf casino, Southside, Freedom City Wherever the kids in the red bandana masks and 'C' letter jackets had gotten the energy gun, it knocked the armored truck clean over and blasted a body-sized hole through the back. The wrecked vehicle skidded across the parking lot on its side, bills blasted loose billowing out of the smoking hole, propelled into the air by a fire set to the bales of green cotton. The guards scrambled out of the cabin, shaken but unhurt as they drew their weapons, only to be driven off by an energy blast detonating the ground in front of them. Darting out of their hiding places, the C's swarmed across the parking lot and tore open the rear door, hauling out stacks of the cash intended for the Golden Calf towering and blazing with yellow lights above them. Money poured into duffel bags, the kids adroitly avoiding the burned or burning cash.Aside from the bulky, crude energy gun that looked like it had been made out of junkyard parts, for reasons any Freedonian could figure out they weren't armed. Besides the crowbars and fairly good upper-body strength. Archer could hear them laughing and joking below. They sounded younger than he did, for the most part. The only exception was the one carrying the energy gun, also the only one unmaked. He looked like he was in his mid-20's, stout and sober, keeping a careful eye on the gang's surroundings.
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The sight that greeted her was of a spiralling tunnel of mist-like ghosts in what at first blush were clothes of many eras. Another look, and Max saw they were costumes. Sequins and feathers, artistry outside any fashions from the real world, endless artifice and the illusion, the shadow of reality in this world of the dead. Suspended in the air by impromptu ropes of severed hands and twisted cloth, including the ragged remains of his own clothes, Leroy hung before a giant, gaping skull. On the floor, thrashing furiously, was Dio. Leroy was trying to shout over the giant skull, and failing. "Address me, giant skull! What crime-?" "YOU WILL PAY!" The skull clacked its teeth together, empty pits somehow staring at the gravitybender. "I WILL BE REBORN IN YOUR BLOOD! DANCE UPON THE LIVING STAGE!" Leroy sighed and leaned back in his bonds, yelling out half-heartedly "What wrong has-?" "YOU WILL PAY! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
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"I am quite surprised, if it should hearten you, Mia Mustafic-Markov." Lightly side-hugging Orange Squad's Soliton, Leroy looked like he was communing with the mortal realm from some Heaven of infinite bliss. "Thank you very much for kindly consenting to be our hostess, squad leader. I am sure this will be a lovely time." Hearing that Judy wanted to start the serious combat and powers training, the simply-dressed boy turned to look at her with much more believable surprise. "Judy! This is...that is so wonderful!" Picking her up into a hug and spinning the pair of them lightly around, he set her back in the air with a heartfelt laugh, clapping his hands with a power utterly at odds with his slim frame. "A new passion for your powers, new name, and a glorious one! So much more fitting than 'Pulse'! Oh, the fun you shall have, Dee! Astrid can show you how to disable three assailants with one strike. Micah and Pan and Abigail can guide you in channeling and controlling the awesome forces at your call. I can provide boundless love and cheer you on to new heights! Your rise shall be unparalleled!" He turned back to their hostess "So, Mia, what do you have planned? I had never heard of any of the things you mentioned the other day, and investigation merely gave me more questions I could not answer." He smiled hopefully, the scars on his cheeks widening in a way that would have been unsettling without being so familiar.
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"...Beautiful..." The word dropped off of Leroy's tongue without him seeming to realize or even hear it. His pupils had widened to take in the light, swallowing up the colour of them and reflecting Judy's shining face back at her. In the sudden glare he had seemed to grow even darker, even the glittering metal dulling thanks to its proximity to the void. Leroy's stunned silence lasted a long moment. But he at last shook himself, smiled tenderly and stepped closer to Judy. "I knew you shone inside," he told her, "but I never thought to see your light blaze forth so gloriously. Thank you for showing me this side of yourself, darling Daystar. I love it, as I do all that you are." "The golden fire, xanthosis, coincides on many worlds with the dawning of a new self and independent strength. Pagan nonsense. But seeing you afire like this, Judy, I could believe that anything was possible." Black fire seemed to leap from Leroy as he spoke, a mirror of the solar flare blazing from Judy, the shadows wheeling and prancing joyfully around them. "I have a surprise for you as well...at the end of our date." His earnest smile twitched just to that side of mischievous. He offered his arm, the gold eyes reasserting themselves over the black, "Shall we?"
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"Y-yeah, I'm not sure me and, uh, Justice? should be mentioned in the same breath." Paris laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair again. "I'm just the guy Mr. Mars has wear the Slipstream suit and do what Ms. Nisso says over the, uh, comms, I'm not...not really much of a hero. Pretty much just a, um, a really fast sandwich b-board." Even from the way he spoke, Raya could tell Paris Redwater and Maximilian Mars came from very different sides of the tracks. He pronounced 'Slipstream' closer to 'Suhllipostremuh' and bits of jargon from from the Eastern District kept trying to poke through. "He really wants us to, uh, team up," he added with a sheepish grimace to Robin, "y'know, as like an ad thing? Like when Racer and Waterbright fought that spiny kaiju back in the 2000's? I dunno half this stuff his media people are talking about, they keep telling Mr. Mars I need some kinda 'big brother' character, like this is pro wrestling." He rolled his eyes. "Can't wait for people to fight over who gets to legally adopt me. Never been more glad in my life that I've got my aunt Ellen. She would not hear a word 'bout me moving into the Emerald Tower..." Paris trailed off, blinking as he caught sight of the newest arrival. "Uh...hey." Suddenly moving with a grace and confidence entirely lacking before, he stepped over to Moira, offering his hand and a winning smile. "You must be Ms. Morley! The GEnet lit up when you got noticed downtown! You are...whoa...way taller, in person! You planning to stick around our little burg in the future? We've had some of the more techy, stuffy kinda heroes from Jersey, but nobody like you!"
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<"Teacher, teacher!"> Unable to wave his arms, Leroy had to make do with vigorously rocking side to side, his chubby little face scrunched up in a serious look that Ava had learned to dread. <"Why do all the stories have to end the same way each time? Would it not help us better to experience uncertainty?"> He bounced in place, big golden eyes frowning a little <"Also...does the square pumpkin live happily ever after?"> This is bad Dio's inner voice was a lot shakier than his outside voice tended to be if there's a bigger enemy at work, able to just wipe and rewrite people, we can't afford to get separated or draw special attention. We have to maximize the chance our minds stay our own. I'll try to get me and Leroy into Ch-Dancia's shell-space, can you handle sidling to her by yourself, or do we need a group incident? I think I might be able to jump all three of us, but...landing in the domain of another god, that's risky stuff.
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"Magh'kee," the crystal creature tapped her chest, "Magh-Mykte" she added, pointng at her inner fire and miming a bicep flex. After a second's thought she clarified by putting her practically square fists on her next-to-nonexistent hips in a rough approximation of Centurion's classic pose. "Ssrrkerhrro!" The question of speaking got a swift, decisive shake of her head. Suddenly her face literally lit up, the fire within brightening as she tried a few careful signs in ASL. <"Do either of you talk this?">
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"I heartily agree! Ghosts! I will answer for this, whatever it may be!" Leroy seemed none the less for wear, at least emotionally, though his struggles against the constricting cloth was only pulling him steadily deeper into the pile. Dio was already gone, where the dragon had once been was a massive divot in the mountain of costumes. "It's your fault!" spat the voices. They were everywhere now, bodies invisible except by how they filled the empty costumes, faces masked or hooded stretched hideously under the layers. Leroy's words seemed to have swayed them, and the mass of invisibly-occupied clothes that had surged for Maxine had paused, then turned to leap on the Dragon Prince. As he sank, Leroy blazed black with power, briely holding his head above the pile. "Max! Heed me!" He shouted above the cacophany of accusing voices, the air filling with their babble and the stink of the grave, "Run! Save yourself! I...I will be fine!" He managed a weak smile, right before a scarf slithered around his head and dragged him under. "His fault..." the voices were growing fainter, but remained, the mass of scurrying, slithering costumes noticeably smaller, but casting about uncertainly, "His fault?"
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Ah right. Whoops. Will edit that bit.
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"I have been preparing for this date my entire life, radiant Judy Smith." Leroy returned the kiss tenderly, tilting Judy's face up towards his. He smiled as he looked into her eyes. "The sun draws all towards herself, yet she is unreachable..." He stroked her cheek "...unless she should descend to Earth. I am glad to have met you, Judy. And to see that your sister has found her own special someone." He smiled beatifically over Judy's head at her sister, golden eyes sparkling. Leroy took Judy's arm in his and stepped delicately around a pile of his robes that had unaccountably been thrown to the floor, watching them like a hawk. "Lead on, darling. I am sure this will be but one of many nights to cherish." He was wearing a similar outfit to the one he'd worn the first time the two had danced, a white silk button-up with black slacks and gilded sandals. The steely-white ring on his right hand glimmered, as did the gold rings holding his long hair in a braid thick as his arm. "The plan is unchanged, I hope?"
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The two men had barely time to think about starting a mad lunge out of the runaway container's path before it was on them, screaming and scattering sparks. Then it lurched, let out a final groan, and stopped. The crewmen poked their heads around its corners, shocked speechless at the sight of several of Octoman's limbs retracting away from the container, jetting purple blood from where the muscles had nearly snapped. There was a moment's profound quiet as the Dakanans digested what had happened. Then one of them shouted "Hey, they're still trying to keep us from giving this stuff away! Get 'em!" And the moment peace was lost, the crew unleashing a hailstorm of guttural, almost animal roars from their sonic blasters! The shots made strange red tunnels in the air, and left a sharp metallic scent. Sun Dragon yelped as one blaster shot him square in the chest, sending him flying back into the bulk of Dio, who'd only grimaced and spat angrily at his own hit. And all the while the Viper Star was picking up speed, heading for open waters...
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OKAY, sorry people, moving right along. The crew does not appreciate their comrades being saved from certain steely doom as much as they might under other circumstances, and they press their attack. 9 ranged Stun effect attacks, 2 targeting Dio and Ms. Thursday, 1 targeting all the rest. If it hits, DC15 Fortitude save to not be Stunned. VS Octoman: 10. VS Red Lynx: 18. VS Ms. Thursday: 20, 5. VS White Lioness: 11. VS Artificer: 6. VS Dio: 16, 16. VS Sun Dragon: 7. Dio and Sun Dragon's Fortitude saves: 26, 19. No effect. GM post with Octoman's gallant save and the attack forthcoming.
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Ahhhh, that does make more sense. Thanks Grumble!
