Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 9 Chapter 13 Subject: Re: AAE 9: Swords and Cards On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 23:05:13 -0800 (PST) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011592 >On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 18:39:15 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011585 >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011578 >>>On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 16:15:22 -0800 >>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011569 >>>>On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 04:46:47 -0800 (PST) >>>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011567 > > OOC: I'll presume the Mother Box didn't have any difficulty interfacing to Zia, then. :) >> OOC: Thank you! >GM-San, first name being appalling appropriate... giggle!> > > OOC: Oh, you 'sound' _so_ distrusting. Uh-huh. "Puh-LEEZE don't >throw me into that briar patch!" ;^) OOC: Gee, you borrowing Eric's shades now, or what?!? (giggle) > >OOC-M: Actually, I was playing with that last night. How's this: >http://silver-gateway.com/herald/zia.gif >Though I used more traditional heraldic colors than "electric blue" >and "jade green" ;-). OOC: It is - absolutely PERFECT. :) Thank you very much! Aw, colors are just more vibrant in Amber, you know. 8^) >> An embroidered badge over the heart in silk depicts her shield of >>arms. > > Eric realizes where the badge is and almost has heart failure. >^Zia. Beloved. I am _begging_ you to tell me that you have some sort >of protection under that target on your chest.^ ^Eric. My love. I don't, but I moved my heart elsewhere, so don't worry.^ >M: Per pale azure and vert, on a bend sinister argent two roses vert >barbed and seeded sable. In English for the heraldically challenged >;-), a shield divided in half vertically in blue (on the left) and >green (on the right), a white stripe running from the upper right to >the lower left, and on the white stripe, two green roses with black >"details." Surmounted by a silver circlet with black diamond, and a scroll with four words in Thari, supported by a pelican and a unicorn. > "Swords, naturally," Kanto replies, "and you may choose any you >desire. No ranged weapons built in, however. Secondary weapons are >acceptable to me, though I will use a single blade regardless." He >considers. > "I suppose 'to the yield' will result in a rather long duel," he >quips with a smile. "First blood from the torso, perhaps? I >encountered a delightful foe a few Hyperthreads off who challenged >me thus. His name was Graves, I believe." "That is quite acceptable." She replies. >>"Ask a question, then choose the card that appeals to you most." She >>instructs. > > "Mmm." Kanto considers this seriously. "I have little need or want >that is not met by my skill and my place among the Elite..." He looks >the cards over. "Well, I suppose the obvious question would be >whether or not I will find a mate." With that, he draws a card, and >rather mindfully, at that. > >(Insert Zia's prophecying here -- have fun! 8^) OOC: Hey, Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat! Ziactrice turns the Trump, revealing Mt. Fuji. "Completion of a spiritual quest. That seems a favorable indicator. This may indicate you will find your mate in a high place, either physically or spiritually, or that you will meet this person while engaged in a pilgrimage or some other journey unconnected to an active search." The petite Amberite turns the next card in sequence, revealing her uncle Bleys, reversed. "You will face a serious rival in your pursuit romantic who will, unsurprisingly, not be well-dispositioned towards you." It's a vain hope that Kanto doesn't recognize some resemblance between himself and her uncle - but he has black hair, and lacks Bleys' trim beard and mustache, too. "And the timing," Zia continues smoothly, as she turns over the next card - her own Trump in an upright facing, "shall be, it appears, relatively soon. As you've just been set on the path. Outside the zone of influence you brought with you, at least. I'm not sure if Causal Coincidence can hold if you go back... but that is not my problem, is it?" Ziactrice scoops the Trumps up and puts them away, seemingly a little unnerved herself. > Virman stops preening and looks like he ate something unpleasant, >whereas Kanto throws him the most _satisfied_ grin. Then he turns >back and winks at Zia. "For a man who prides himself on having no >imagination, though," he adds, "Vundabar comes up with the most >amazing traps." > "So." This time, he merely rests his hand on the blade's hilt, >almost as if he's expecting Zia to come up with something _else_ out >of her hat. So to speak. "I am at your convenience." Ziactrice nods. She reaches into katana-space (e.g. under her arm, just like the Highlander who made this gesture famous), and she pulls out an elegant, long saber, of a size to match her reach. Her other hand fills with a main gauche dagger that doesn't match the longer blade. Ziactrice calmly salutes Kanto with the shorter blade, comes to a middle guard, and waits for him to draw and close with her. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Storming The Storm On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:51:39 -0800 Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011593 >On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 14:56:26 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011581 > >>>>Veren *growls* and hangs onto the twitching bow long enough to >>>>fire a volley of four arrows at the undamaged "pet." >>>>Unfortunately, the one shot is all he gets before the bow slips >>>>free. >>> >>> Mary smiles and uses her TK to toss the bow aside casually. >> >>I expected that, but what happens to the volley of electric arrows >>he got off? > > OOC: Okay, when you said "one shot," I thought that this was the >one arrow fired at the previous robodog. Here goes. OOC: Veren has the feat "Multi-Shot," which allows him to fire four arrows with one shot, thus the confusion. It's not as accurate as a single shot, but (theoretically, at least) it allows him to pop out from behind a wall, hit somebody with four arrows at once, then pop back behind the wall. Beats standing in one place while firing single shots in rapid succession. Unless your enemy isn't firing back, of course... > The monster, apparently just intelligent enough to realize what >happened to its 'partner,' roars metallically and leaps. This, of >course, is not enough to throw Veren's aim off (even with Mary >yanking at his bow), but it _is_ enough to keep the damage from >incapacitating the beast, as the arrows either scrape along the >thing's belly (discharging their electricity) or stick in it. Either >way, it's a less vulnerable part of the body. So it lands near Veren, >though it looks 'drunk' and unsteady as it eyes the archer. OOC: Well, unless it decides to do more than just "eye" Veren, he'll leave it alone while he tries to deal with Mary. >>Now that the pet is leaving, Erin seems to be aiming for Artemis' >>bow. > > Artemis sighs. [Well, I suppose I asked for that.] She moves with >phenomenal grace, dodging some attacks and deflecting others with her >own arrows. Occasionally, she counterattacks with an arrow that >explodes when it strikes an object (either one of Erin's arrows, the >ground around her, or theoretically Erin herself). After seeing the first two explosions, Erindrea shrugs slightly, but keeps firing. The third one strikes her directly. The smoke clears to reveal Erin still on her feet but looking slightly singed, although her ballgown is still in immaculate condition. >The two archers seem to be stalemated. > Then Gilotina walks over, pouting. "Having fun with the dagger-man >and Bernadeth says--" > "Shut up and do your _job,_ Gilotina," Artemis barks. "I'm facing >a _woman_ -- a _real_ threat!" > Gilotina sighs and starts trying to disintegrate Erindrea's bow, >then her arrows, then (in the unlikely event she can get all of that) >her armor. Erin does go to the trouble of evading Gilotina's efforts. Her return fire grows sporadic, and she whispers "um...momma? A little help, here?" Harlock, who had been quietly scanning the battlefield, evidently looking for something (or someone) in particular, jerks up his head. Looking at the odds, he grimaces, then pulls a short metal bar out of one of his pouches. With a word and a gesture, the CAoL members in the Furious fray feel themselves speed up. A slightly longer chant attempts to slow the Furies down. The Bard then goes back to scanning the battlefield. OOC: Haste and Slow spells, respectively. I figure _some_ of the Furies will resist their dose, but it saps the will, not the body. Stompa should be easy meat, as should Gilotina (judging by their dialogue, at least) Bernadeth should resist easily, but I'm not entirely sure about the rest. DM's call... The spells will persist for about 3 minutes, BTW. > OOC note: An interesting function of the invading reality is that >it is virtually impossible to completely undress someone in the open. >Certain areas of the body remain covered under the most unlikely of >circumstances. Not that I expect Erin to _need_ this unique >protection... OOC: Not given what her "ballgown" really is, no... >>>One arrow pierces [Mary's] leg, while the other three fall to her >>>weapons and her power. "You...you accursed _male!_ I am going to >>>fashion gloves from your _hide_!" she cries, >> >>"Bad ahdea," comments Erindrea. "That greenish skin of his against >>that pale skin of yoahs? Honey, you'd look lahk you were comin' down >>with somethin' nasty." >> >>Veren favors Erin with a Look of Severely Limited Amusement. > > Mary frowns. "Good point. I'll make _lining_ out of it, then!" OOC: LOL! Erin grins tightly while dodging power blasts. "Anothah bad ahdea. Lahnings're s'posed to be _soft,_ and ah guarantee mah parter ain't soft." Veren rolls his eyes, but looks slightly mollified. >>Meanwhile, Veren has shifted into a skirmishing style, grabbing >>whatever cover he can and moving around while taking occasional >>pot-shots at the blasters that Mary's wielding. The pot-shots in >>question, it should be noted, are more volleys of four at a time. If >>he can take out three of the blasters, he'll favor Mary with another >>volley of knock-out arrows...with a rather more potent variant of >>the drug. > > Mary is doing much the same thing, floating out her weapons to >fire at Veren from several different angles at once while taking >cover. Fortunately for both combatants, while there may not be much >vegetation, there's _plenty_ of cover in the form of both structures >and debris. > Veren quickly becomes aware that Bloody Mary _has_ taken note of >his four-shot volleys, and seems to be timing her most aggressive >bursts of blaster fire to coincide with the pauses between them. >Particularly after she loses a blaster. Then another... Veren grimaces as he ducks through a doorway. [Got to give her something else to think about...] A low chant rumbles out of the doorway for several seconds, then Veren steps back out and gestures in Mary's direction. Two wolves appear, flanking her. Big wolves. Nine feet long, five feet at the shoulder, 800 pound wolves. And then Veren starts shooting again. >Evil GM-San >Talk about the deadlier of the species... ;^) Yeah, well, just wait until you see how hard Veren can hit a ringwraith. Then we'll talk about deadly members of the species... ;P ================================= Subject: Re: Storming The Storm On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 03:13:51 -0800 Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00011594 > TBC After a Brief Stop in the Elemental Courts, To recruite a few Minor Elementals... Say a Score from Each Court... Of Course Brief is a Relative Term, And The Court of Earth is Slow... Fuzzy and the Earth Mini-Con, Ambush one of Dr. Bedlam's Animates Near the outskirts of the Battle Zone... While Fire and Water Ambush another... Air is Busy Containing and Neutralizing Paranoia Pills After Binding both Animates Physically and Spiritually, They are brought together near an Availible Cellar, Where they are bothe Opened, Lord Fuzzy Uses a NanoTech Smart Bandage, To attach Two of the Hexagonal Crystal Plates, To one of the Main Structural member inside one of them, The Other Animate only Gets One Crystal Plate, All three are of Distinct Colors, (ie Three Seperate Elements Represented) {Earth}{Air} / {Fire} Then they are Tucked Gently into the Cellar Next to each other, And Lord Fuzzy Inscribes a Complex TechnoRunic Spell, Across Both of them... The Smart Bandages Spread, Grow and Link, Forming a Dual Chamber Chrysalis Pod. What will hatch in about 15 Minutes, Is a Human Size (In Plate Armor) TechnoVar, And a Matched Squire Mini-Con, The pair can only PowerLink to Each Other Dr. Bedlam can still possess them for the next few days, Due to their Youth, But it will take all of his strength, To hold Two Pair, Or One Pair in PowerLink Mode, And AutoPilot Mode will Not Work at all. This will probably be the only Essentially un-opposed Grab... I figure out here they are probably Running on AutoPilot... While Dr. Bedlam Concentrates on other Matters... Well not any more.. /Sorry I'm Late./ /Skylord needed to recruit some more Elemental Powers./ TBC ================================= Subject: Re: Storming The Storm On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 03:36:42 -0800 Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00011595 Drek Missed a Point... >On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 03:13:51 -0800 >Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00011594 > >Fuzzy and the Earth Mini-Con, > Ambush one of Dr. Bedlam's Animates > Near the outskirts of the Battle Zone... Fuzzy now has a larg Number of Lightly Glowing, Hexagonal plates about 3 inches flat to flat, Atteched to the Under-Armor he had been Wearing. >While Fire and Water Ambush another... > >Air is Busy Containing and Neutralizing Paranoia Pills ================================= Subject: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 10:53:07 -0800 (PST) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011596 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011581 > >>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 00:14:32 -0800 (PST) >>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011574 >> >> Speed Queen meets the Icon of Stone style, producing a stalemate; >>Rob can't move fast enough to hit her, but even at top speed, she >>can't do damage. This isn't comforting. [Lashina's probably counting >>on SQ to distract me, and...YOW!] A lash flicks toward his shoulder, >>but he brushes it away. [...attacking me while I'm distracted.] > > Lashina observes this for a few seconds, then grins and makes a >spinning gesture with her index finger. > Speed Queen grins back, and suddenly Rob's head is wrapped in >thick cloth of some sort. Lashina immediately dives in, her enhanced >lashes striking with speed worthy of her partner's, trying to turn >the martial artist into a gravel pit. [You can't tell it,] Rob deliberately misquotes, [because my head is wrapped in cloth. But I am smiling now. Why? Because you have all the stealth of a 747.] The lashes form a maze of steel ribbon, the backdrop for a dance where a misstep means death. And the performance is worthy of Fred Astaire, although not quite up to Ginger Rogers - something about Rob's refusal to wear high heels. Then Rob's head vanishes. Lashina loses her rhythm for a moment; the stroke he just dodged should have taken his -leg- off. The rest of him vanishes a second later. The permanent twilight of Apokolips is a wonderful place for somebody who can't hide his shadow; it's practically all shadows to begin with. >> Kell trips on something, rolls, and comes to his feet. The flash >>from where he was is impressive; the yipe from Gilotina is just >>amusing. > > OOC: Unless Kell actually performed a stunt that redirected the >spikes, this does not happen; these aren't goons from the 60s Batman >series, they're the _Female_Furies._ They don't _make_ mistakes as >obvious as flanking someone exactly opposite from one another. OOC: Pardon me while I retcon, then. Gilotina's eyes clear quickly, though she makes a mental note not to shoot Mad Harriet's spikes without shading her eyes first. >>he steps up to Mad Harriet and begins pummeling her mercilessly. > > Harriet looks amazed, then begins pummelling him back with her >spiked fists. "Ooo, he wants to play! Play with Mad Harriet, little >man!" > Bernadeth's jaw drops. [He's suicidal.] "Gilotina, ignore him! >Deal with the woman archer!" Kell, oddly, is having similar thoughts. Similar to Harriet's. [I haven't had this much fun in years.] Dropping the attempt to stun his foe, he starts using the point and edge again. Harriet is a veteran of countless battles, but it's been a long time since she's had somebody who could battle her toe-to-toe and match her strike-for-strike. To be fair, if they both hit, Kell would be worse off than the Fury would, which probably explains why he's parrying more than he attacks, and why she's forcing him back. "So," Kell begins, remembering one -very- drunk customer, "do you live around here often?" In the background, a length of heavy cloth wraps itself around a hapless parademon. > Artemis sighs. [Well, I suppose I asked for that.] She moves with >phenomenal grace, dodging some attacks and deflecting others with her >own arrows. Occasionally, she counterattacks with an arrow that >explodes when it strikes an object (either one of Erin's arrows, the >ground around her, or theoretically Erin herself). The two archers >seem to be stalemated. > Then Gilotina walks over, pouting. "Having fun with the dagger-man >and Bernadeth says--" > "Shut up and do your _job,_ Gilotina," Artemis barks. "I'm facing >a _woman_ -- a _real_ threat!" > Gilotina sighs and starts trying to disintegrate Erindrea's bow, >then her arrows, then (in the unlikely event she can get all of that) >her armor. Artemis blinks. It seems like a shadow flicked past the edge of her vision. And her arrows are disappearing. In flight. She pushes the pace, firing faster, but it doesn't help - they just disappear as quickly as she can shoot. The exploding arrows don't disappear as often, but that's not much help. [The power to cloud men's minds,] Rob thinks with a touch of satisfaction. [Still, I'm running out of places to stash these...] He tabs his commpin, to make sure everybody hears. "Ground team: when Erindrea names the target, shoot it." Even as he does this, he catches two more arrows, and stuffs them in a pocket. [That one's full...] [I wonder what happened to the Big Trouble? Both Solaris and Mageddon are a bit hard to miss...] ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Storming The Storm On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 16:25:29 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011600 >On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 00:48:25 -0600 >Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00011591 > >He addresses the Kirby-tech box, currently slightly larger than a >TL-7 PDA, /#Mother, why is it that this incarnation of Darksied seems >to be so much more powerful than the stories and information that >I've obtained in the past?#/ ^There are several reasons,^ Mother Box replies, pinging softly and waiting for the more specific questions that she knows are coming. >/#This cognate seems even more powerful than the stories that I >remember hearing from both Lightray and {Takion/the Current >Highfather}, Why? Has this new seemingly improved connection that >he's established with the Anti-Life Equation accomplished all of >this? Or is there more to it than this?#/ ^This version of Darkseid is not the one you are familiar with,^ Mother Box replies. ^He is from the current variant of what was once known as 'Earth-1,' the reality of origin for the New Gods prior to the time-altering 'Crisis.' As you may be aware, this reality continues to exist through several temporal threads; this one is connected to your Callahanian Army of Light through the conflict on Epsilon III. ^This Darkseid possesses a level of strength and resilience roughly equivalent to the Superman of his reality -- a fairly constant equation,^ Mother Box explains. ^As the Superman of the origin universe is vastly more powerful than the one where Takion has become Highfather, so is this Darkseid. We believe there is a Source-based connection between Superman-cognates and Darkseid-cognates who exist simultaneously in the same cosm. ^You may find some value in the fact that in this Darkseid's reality of origin, Izaya the Inheritor still lives, and remains Highfather. While Takion is a good and noble being, Izaya-Highfather has more experience and more knowledge, both on technical and informational levels, regarding the New Gods, X-Element technology, and the Source.^ Mother Box pauses. ^The Anti-Life Equation,^ she adds slowly, ^does also increase his range of ability further. Perhaps most disconcerting about the breadth of his options is that he has an increased variety of X-Element powers and devices -- all variations of drawing on the _Source_ as well as the Equation. Or 'transform,' as it has been perhaps more accurately described.^ >/# More appropriately, besides what Morgan and Sil are going to >getting be up to, are there any weaknesses of this cognate of >Darkseid that I might be able to take advantage of? #/ ^Parhaps 'weakness' is not the accurate term for this. However, there does appear to be some tension between Darkseid and his 'Darkness Device,' the Anti-Life Entity. We cannot discern the origin or extent of this difficulty, thus making it both difficult and dangerous to exploit. However, when its nature becomes more fully apparent, this information may become useful.^ >Right about now, Roland suddenly notices, as his eye is caught by two >or three security screens that had somehow escaped his notice before, >that "Dhyrclhanc's" "New Navy" Personnel, along with the members of >the "Megaversal Legion" and Dhyrclhanc's "Cadre of Light" were now >all camped out on the "back lawn" section of Champion's Island. Not >only that, but the Droid Starfighters -- including the two or three >Super Droid Starfighters -- had taken up roost on the outside of the >dome where the assembled legion of the present iteration of the CAoL >was currently located. /Good thing we have a big island,/ Defender muses wryly. ================================= Subject: AAE9: In over my head On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 00:54:27 -0800 Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011601 After setting up Zia's emergency retrieval link, and helping to teleport others to this place and that, Avery took a quick look around and tried to get a handle on the situation. Even for someone fairly accustomed to paying attention to six things at once, this was a bit much. Are there still any of the amulets left? If so, then he packs one with black, red, deep blue, turquoise, and two yellow. [Ooh. Maybe I could get into the whole superhero thing, after all.] Concentrating for several seconds, he 'edited' a spare notepad to become a colorless gem, which he carefully seated into the remaining spot. At first glance, it seemed that this gem served no other purpose than decoration... Nabbing a comlink and a global as well, he then put up a series of screens, and surveyed the new conflicts as they began to arise. First on the list was pretty obvious: a pair of background processes (#three remaining#), interfering with the dog soldiers' movements, and tied to a mundane but fairly sophisticated pseudo-randomizer. [Poor substitute for Entropy, but it'll have to do for now. At least it should take them a few hours to crack the pattern - and that's a few more hours that they have to get to Suli...] After a careful period of thought, he tapped another screen, then activated his comlink and spoke to Harlock. {Looks like you guys are outnumbered about eight to five; twelve if you count the furries. Think you could use another pair of hands, so to speak?} ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: In over my head On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 04:48:47 -0800 Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011602 >On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 00:54:27 -0800 >Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011601 > >After a careful period of thought, he tapped another screen, then >activated his comlink and spoke to Harlock. {Looks like you guys are >outnumbered about eight to five; twelve if you count the furries. >Think you could use another pair of hands, so to speak?} {Furries? Oh, the wolves. Well, I don't think the metallic ones are much of a problem for the nonce, and the other two look to be turning Bloody Mary into kibble unless she does something quick. If you really want to help out, could you monitor for Amazing Grace's power signature and let me know when and where she pops up? That would let me take more of an active hand in this fight.} ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Champions and Storm Knights On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 10:01:32 -0500 "David McMillan" Said As CAoL Message # 00011611 Roland X wrote on 11/22/2003, 3:42 AM: >^I'm sure Roger will show up at the most dramatically appropriate >moment,^ the Druidess said with a fond mock-exasperation. Somewhere in the white void of Paradigm-Space, Roger halted as, with a "ping!" sound, a clock suddenly began ticking towards zero. His companions drifted to a halt around him, looking about warily. "Something wrong?" Tenchi inquired. "No..." Roger replied slowly. "I simply have this feeling that someone just took my name in vain." In his mind's eye, a handful of dice fell away from a conceptual hand, tumbling towards the fuzzy green quantum felt of a cosmic craps table. "But I think we're getting awfully close. I can feel the right Moment converging." "Does *anybody* have any idea what he's talking about?" Vash asked melodramatically. "And could somebody *please* explain to me just *where* we are, again? In small words?" "It's very simple," Washuu replied. "P-space is a metaconceptual superimpositional paraprojection of--" "Someone OTHER than her?" Vash begged plaintively. Roger sighed and made a calming gesture in the diminutive supergenius redhead's direction. "Fine, Vash, I'll try it again. But let's walk as we talk, eh? We've got an appointment to keep." He gestured at the empty whiteness as their rather large party began "walking" again. "Think of this as a blank slate, but one that "echoes" reality. Real things, in real space, appear here, but as *concepts,* -- what they are *thought* to be, or *perceived* to be, rather than what they *are,* objectively." Vash was wearing his best Idiot Expression. "I don't get it." Roger sighed and glared at the spikey-haired blond gunman. He knew darn well that Vash was extremely bright, but his decades-long habit of playing the amiable dimwit seemed to be hard to shake, probably from a desire to be underestimated. Something the Greywolf-Phoenix could relate to. He turned around and began walking backwards, facing his audience. "Perception *is* reality, here. To an unbiased observer, a cowardly lion would look like a mouse, and a brave moue might look like a lion. With a *biased* observer, things get more complicated -- things in this reality are shaped by the totality of the opinions of those involved, subject and observers both, which is why this place is so fluid. I'm deliberately keeping us in a "becalmed" region while en route. We won't see anything until we get to our destination." "You mean, like that?" Vash offered helpfully, pointing over Roger's shoulder. Roger looked in the direction Vash was pointing, than spun around entirely and stumbled to a stop. In the oddly muted silence of their surroundings, the creaking of cartilage as his fists clenched was disurbingly loud. The wall stretched from horizon to horizon, and was somehow infinitely tall without rising out of sight. It exuded an air of massive thickness, of invulnerability. And it was blazoned with a very large caricature of Roger's face. Underimposed beneath a red circle-and-slash "NO!" symbol. Vash uneasily eyed the set of the Freelance Immortal's shoulders, and assayed a joke. "Gee, I guess somebody's afraid of you. Heh heh heh... heh... um." None of the others could see Roger's face, but his voice was like nothing any of them had ever heard from him before -- flat, cold, and lethal. "Afraid? They come into my home, try to kill my family, and set about dragging my entire world down into the darkness?" Roger didn't move a muscle, but those nearest him suddenly took a step back in unison for no reason they could readily define. "They had damn well *better* be afraid of me -- this time there's going to be blood on the walls. No more jokes, no more gags, no more Hostess Pie Guy." This last nonsequiter startled the beginnings of a snicker out of someone in the crowd, which was hastily choked off. The silence stretched long, then thin, but no one wanted to break it, watching Roger's back as if expecting an explosion. At last, it ended, not with a bang, but a sigh. Roger took a deep breath, shook out his shoulders, and turned to face his hastily-gathered grab-bag of allies. His eyes were hard, but clear. "All right. It's going to take a bit for me to get us through this. When I do, things are going to happen *very* fast, so listen up." "Kei, Yuri, Preston, you're with me. Everyone else, I'm going to find a safe dropzone for you just outside the edge of the main conflict area. This will all happen in under a second, since I won't have a decent tactical picture until after entry. The name of the game is defense and containment -- until we know what the home team is planning, I don't want any uncoordinated counterstrikes or major actions that might have us tripping over our allies (or vice versa). Defend civilians in the area, assist refugees, prevent enemy advances, and be ready to act as on my signal. Keep your UNTIL/CAoL badges in sight at all times, and keep the transponders *active* -- we don't need anyone mistaking you for new invaders. We are up against multiple cosmic-level threats, here: DO NOT GET COCKY. If what I'm picking up through the interference is correct, we're up against threat forces that are not only insanely powerful, but extremely intelligent, supernally skilled at finding and exploiting weaknesses. Stick together, maintain mutual support, and *be careful.* I'll update you ASAP after drop." He ran his gaze over the crowd, making fleeting eye contact with every individual. "Major Kusanagi, I'm sorry, but you're near the bottom of the combat-strength scale here. I want you to set up shop and serve as HQ group and tactical coordination. Washuu-chan, get a handle on what's going on and start putting together options -- but DO NOT," he emphasized, glaring at the tiny redhead, "do ANYTHING without checking with me first. We CAN NOT afford any loose-cannon stuff. Understood?" The Greatest Genius Scientist in the Universe looked up at him soberly, then sighed and closed her eyes, suddenly growing several feet vertically, and several inches horizontally (causing quite a few eye-popping reactions in the crowd). The suddenly-adult Washuu opened her eyes again and looked into Roger's. "I understand. I *do* know when to be serious, you know." A smile ghosted across Roger's face. "Thank you. Tenchi, you're anchor man -- the core of the defense. You can keep Ryoko and Ayeka with you, since they won't go anywhere else--" "Damn Straight!" yelled the space pirate. The Juraian princess kicked her in the ankle, and bowed polite acknowledgement in Roger's direction. "--and their powers synch with yours, anyway. Damage Control, you guys do, um, what you do. Ed, Al--" he turned towards a short blond teenager and a hulking suit of armor. "You guys are on logistics. Sorry, but that's the best role for your Alchemy right now. H.A.R.D. Corps, Armorines, Slammers, Dorasi, Dendarii, you're with Major Kusanagi. And Vash..." Roger grinned wickedly. "You're in charge." Things took a while to calm down from the ensuing chaos.... OOC: continued under different SUB line, once the Dramatically Appropriate Moment presents itself.... (bwahahahahahahahaaaaaa) ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Enter The Good Doctor.. On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 20:15:03 -0500 Saint Dharma / Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00011612 >On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 23:06:25 -0500 >Saint Dharma / Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00011587 > >Suddenly his passive sensors pick up a group of blips becoming >airborne. [Damn!] he thinks to himself, [I knew I should have >activated the stealth mode as soon as I took flight. So much for the >element of surprise.] He notices the blips are heading in the >direction of where he took off and there are 5 of them. This means >that they plan to catch him in the air. Knowing that they are simple >creations, he reasons that they will be looking in the air, but may >not be looking for him on the ground. Also he reasons that they are >thinking that he's just a flying Nova of some sort, so may not >realize that he's tracking their movements already. He notes that the >course their altitude has matched his, and they are heading on a >scanning route, which also means that they are as far apart as they >can be and still cover the area. He drops to 5,000 feet and activates >his light bending shield. This renders him invisible to the eye. He >also activates a subroutine which masks all energy signatures he >emits. He flies into a cloudbank and watches the passive sensors as >the blips approach his position. He pulls up a 3-d representation of >himself and the blips and tracks their movements. [As easy as it >would be to take out these soldiers, I have to play it safe until >they pass by. One of two things could happen here. They could assume >that I landed and will notify a ground unit to look out for me. The >other is that they will not find me, but they will assume that I am >here and will remain in patrol for the duration. Neither of which >helps me or the combatants of the second battle. My only choice is to >remain hidden until they pass over me, then attack from below.] > >Doc Energy hovers in the cloudbank and waits... while he waits, he >plans his next course of action. Earlier: Bonecracker, the lead parademon, received the orders from the radar station commander. His voice was a thundering boom as he shouted at the lesser-ranked demons in his wing. "All right, you scum. There has been a target spotted at this location." he says as he point to a spot on a holographic display. "Our orders are to scan the skies around the area and look for any possible anomalies nearby. Apparently, this being is invisible to radar. We must discover if this being is invisible to eyes as well as radar. We will be flying in a delta formation, 4 plus myself. Scan the skies and look for any unusual energy signatures. Let's GO!" After he gives the orders and the other parademons scramble, he turns to a lead dog soldier. "Sergeant!?" "Sir, yes sir!" says the NCO dog soldier. "You and 5 from your unit are to march below us. There is a likely hood that this individual may have tried to land to avoid us, so we must prepare to greet them properly. Capture if you can, Lord Desaad will probably want this being alive for questioning." "Sir, yes sir!" the dog soldier says, saluting and then turning around and running over to his men, barking orders at them. ------ Meanwhile, in the skies above the PA/MD border: The patrol had not found anything yet. They had searched the skies relentlessly, hoping to find some kind of sign that something was here. If they found nothing, there would be hell for it, especially if it turned out that there was something. Their diligence was matched only by their linear thinking. It didn't occur to them until they reached the point that the blip disappeared that whoever it was might have disappeared into the cloud banks nearby. They started with the closest one that was on their altitude. Doc Energy watched as the patrol passed him by. [For beings that have such advanced technology, they certainly have no idea of tactics nor how to use the tools they have.] he thought to himself. As he watched, he saw them enter the nearest cloudbank and begin to search it. His "vision" allowed him to see on all spectrums, including a type of Xray that can penetrate clouds. He had a flash of brilliance, like a bolt of lightning from the skies. He powered up the weapons systems briefly, and flew over to the area where they had stopped before they entered the cloudbank. Suddenly, St Elmos Fire emerged from his hands, and struck the cloud bank full force. The cloud started to grey, then gather energy. From within, the sounds of lightning striking metal objects could be heard. Then he watched as one by one the parademons fell to earth. After the last one fell, he reactivated his stealth mode (OOC: Couldn't have both the weapons and stealth activated at the same time.) and prayed that there was enough interferance from the electrical storm to mask his signature. ------- Bonecracker was beginning to exit the cloudbank when he saw the clouds around him and his wing flash suddenly, turn grey, then start erupting lighting from all directions. He dodged most of the strikes that went after him, keeping one eye on his wingmates. He watched with dread as one by one they succumbed to the force of nature amped up. [There was no storm cloud here when we entered. The being must have hid in another cloud bank and then struck when we were occupied. I must warn command.] As he dodged the deadly bolts, he dropped into a straight dive and flew down to the ground. As he turned to dive, a bolt hit his wing. {Alert! Alert! Possible hostile forces encountered. Request immediate scan of the area. Being is possibly able to control weather and mask signature on radar. Request immediate backup of larger force to contain threat.} The comm goes out as another bolt strikes him, and his crash dive becomes a real crash, 10,000 feet later. The dog soldiers patrolling catch sight of the parademons falling one by one to earth. They march quickly to the crash site. The only survivor was Bonecracker, but he wasn't getting up anytime soon. {Base, this is Ground Patrol Theta. Request immediate rescue for one parademon. Also request immediate scan of the air above our position. Over.} {Patrol One, this is Base, we read you. Sending out rescue unit to your position. Performing scan per your request.} The dog soldiers remain at the site until help can arrive. ------ The parademon that sent the patrols out was nearby the comm when the signal from both the fallen air patrol leader and the dog soldier came in. "Reinitate radar scan of the area. Also give me energy readouts from the blip if you can." spat the parademon. [Curse these enhanced beings! Were I not otherwise occupied, I would be rounding them up myself for re-education.] he thought acidly. "Yes sir." came the reply from the Dog Soldier manning the sensor unit. "Sir! Radar reports a signal coming from the same location as before. Sensors indicate a massive power surge eminating from the anomaly. Orders?" "Fire the SAMs. Let's see how good this being really is." "Yes, Sir!" The dog soldier says quickly as he presses a button on the control panel. ------- "Crap!" says Doc Energy as he gets a warning sound in his "ear." Apparently he was visible enough for them to get a lock on his position and fire SAMs at him. "Guess I they missle while they work. Time to head them off." He suddenly turns toward the direction that the missiles came from. He sees 3 of them heading toward him. He almost recognizes the design, but there are a few changes.. He goes into stealth mode, but apparently the missles aren't fooled. [Oh no. They have quantum recognition sensors that can lock onto an energy pattern and seek it out regardless. Time to rely on brute force.] As the missles get closer, his forearms and gauntlets morph into a large device that looks like an arm cannon of some sort. Stealth is right out the window now, since he has to use full power. The cannons charge up, with a multi-colored display of light from the barrel and coming down the arms from the back of the armor. Doc Energy locks onto all 3 missles and fires. There is a flash from the cannon and 3 large explosions as super heated plasma strikes all the missles, vaporizing them. The Good Doctor then reactivate stealth mode, and for good measure turns the light-bender unit on and flies toward the SAM site. He locates it in a what used to be a small town near the state lines. He lands on the ground, and disengaging the cloak he raises both his hands and bolts of lightning crash into the radar tower and the control unit, rendering both useless. "And now, where was I? Oh yes. Time for a rescue." he says as he activates the cloak and stealth modes and takes to the air, flying low and fast toward the Prison Camp. He arrives there, just as a camo wearing individual enters the base. He waits there and watches to see what unfolds. ================================= Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: AAE9: Mother Love On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 20:20:04 -0800 (PST) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011613 >On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 17:20:34 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011583 >>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 09:01:09 -0800 (PST) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011578 >> >>"Not to disapproving, if you found out about his Deliberate Target." >>Ziactice says. "He gave you the lead on your computer geek that was >>so instrumentally helpful, didn't he?" > > "Well, on the former, I saw him take an APEX round to the chest >and keep going," Eric replies, "and it didn't hurt that after...an >initial misunderstanding, he viewed me as a sort of cop." He grins >lopsidedly. "I don't kill things just for having claws and fangs, >after all. As for that techie, yeah, I don't know _how_ he knew about >that..." Eric trails off. "Hey, how did _you_ know about that?" He >sighs and rolls his eyes, but still smiling. "Just hit my stupid >question quota for the day." "That one wasn't stupid." Ziactrice grins. "I think I know who the aforementioned techie is from fiction, and if I'm right you never actually met. Just communicated through phones, all voices electronically scrambled, yes?" > (OOC: Is that latter bit an obscure reference, or just a way to >let Zia show off? 8^) (OOC: BOTH. One, Eric referred (in like his first scene while speaking to Rob, I think, in Mike's Place, to a computer geek who cracked databases being more important to his victories over powerful bad guys than tough allies. Two, Zia is showing off her (my?) knowledge of Batman's history. Namely, whatever happened to Bat-girl. Grin. Just call me Fangrrl. 8^) (AND A pun. Hahahha...) Take that, Evil GM-San!) > "Oh, as far as I know, the only 'real' pulp hero here -- who got >his own series, anyway -- was Doc Eon. The Shadow, Doc Savage, the >Spider, G-8, Operator 5, the Phantom, the Avenger, they were all >fiction, as far as I know." He shrugs. "I think I'm just getting used >to meeting fictional characters, between the Champions and the CAoL." "What about Fu Manchu?" Zia asks, but somehow he knows she recognized Doc Eon's name. He isn't quite sure how he knows, but he does. (OOC: I figure sharing that much ch'i probably means some sharing of abilities for a while after - so Eric'll probably be picking up on some of the Circumstance-Reading that Zia always spooks people with.) > "It's not you," Eric replies evenly. "Damn. So much for that vain hope." She quips. > Eric looks unhappy, despite Zia's confidence. "It can't be that >simple. Don't these things have brains like several planets in >parallel or something?" "Yeah," Zia says, not perturbed. "But if you had to pick one entity who knew Nemo's weaknesses best, who would _you_ pick, Hunter? Besides..." >> "No one _uses_ me against my loves." Ziactrice states with all >>the will and determination of a born and bred, Pattern-proved, royal >>of Amber. > > Now _that_ brightens his spirits, though an outside observer >wouldn't be able to tell; except for his frown vanishing, he looks >like the old Hunter. His stance is casual death ready to be >unleashed, his eyes are cold and his flat expression colder, and >blades play along his fingers seemingly of their own accord. "So I >noticed," he replies dryly. "Did you? Well, if I can get the point acrost to you, that old coot, and even the Boy Scout, perhaps there is some chance I can even put it across to Mr. I've-Got-Big-Brains." > ^Goodness.^ The Mother Box seems disturbed by this concept. ^That >would mean that the Anti-Life Entity would be the very incarnation of >inelegance -- a being of brutality itself,^ it projects unhappily. "Wouldn't that follow?" Ziactrice asks, as if surprised that this is a new idea to the MB. >^Do you conceive this as being a significant possibility?^ There is a >projection of calculations that would probably have Zia rapturous >with delight under less stressful conditions; perhaps the >_Mother_Box(es)_ is/are the opposite of the Anti-Life Entity, as even >in trying to describe the inelegant, her use of logic and formula is >supremely and wondrously graceful. This results in slight flaws in >its ability to conceptualize the Entity, but its conclusions seem >generally accurate. If anything, the flaws cloud its ability to truly >understand how _monstrous_ the Entity is. Actually, stressful situation or not, Ziactrice is not any more immune to this form of rapture than she was Eric's particular form of the same earlier. It's a good thing he is there on guard; for several long seconds she wouldn't have noticed Godzilla attacking as her mind contemplates the possibility simulation the Mother Box is projecting. "Ah." Ziactrice blinks, and he can feel the extreme mental effort as she pulls herself free of the marvelous world of her thirdmost obsession. "I - that has some possibility, but I'll have to explore it in more detail later. I need a ... I need a computer as large as NEMO, and a better GUI. But he's busy, and ... I need to concentrate on not getting pincushioned." > More agreement. ^The more we analyze the conundrum, the more it >appears that Darkseid and Suli -- the true, inner Suli, at least >want us to solve it. The logic of this conflict, however, then eludes >me. Why would they not simply ask for assistance?^ @^For the same reason they're no longer attempting to solve it alone. There is always a price for knowledge. When knowledge is also power of this magnitude, well... I've seen what is happening with the so-called High Lords and the Devices.@^ For a moment, even Ziactrice seems somehow daunted by the direction her ruminations are moving. @^I have enough trouble admitting I know an angel. This is not a comfortable... speculation.@^ Her thought grinds to a halt again, in as many seconds. Eric's never felt her so... cautious. @^Well. Not all the converses are true, so it might not actually be a problem. I hope not. Slick trap, if so, though. Just what I'd would have expected from Suli and Darkseid. @^ > (OOC note: Mother Box can convey concepts. I'm stuck using words. >*sheepish grin* Again, I can clarify in the Tech Room if this >explanation leaves anything unclear.) "Actually, that does explain the discrepancy, thank you, ma'am." Zia nods, filling in more possible eigenvectors regarding the Mother Boxes as part of a test set for a simplification in linear transform of the first guesstimate of the Equation itself she is positing. > There is a ripple of sympathetic amusement at the last comment. >^We/I can merge with your armor, if you wish. When not in his >Astro-Glider, one of my sister-selves resides in Orion's helm. With >other armors, we usually take residence on the shoulder, either in >obvious fashion or as a portion of the pauldron. Alternately, we can >reshape ourselves into a suitable article of clothing. Perhaps a >dueling glove/gauntlet for the hand that will not wield your primary >weapon?^ she asks, not assuming handedness of any sort, apparently. "That'll work better. I probably won't be wearing the armor as armor... Er. Yes. A Gauntlet seems... well, marvelously appropos, MB." > Kanto section continued in Bleys and Eric, Together Again > (Okay, okay, that's not going to be the subject line -- it's >"Swords and Cards." But only because Morgan talked me out of it. ;^) (OOC: Omigod, give ME heart failure, will ya?!? Thanks Morgan. That's another one I owe ya.) -- Zia Solving the universe, one Equation at a time. ================================= Subject: AAE9: TechnoVars In The Storm Re: Storming The Storm On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 23:33:29 -0800 Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00011614 Large Quoted Segments to get them to a.c. Slight Edits also done... >On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 03:13:51 -0800 >Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00011594 > >Fuzzy and the Earth Mini-Con, > Ambush one of Dr. Bedlam's Animates > Near the outskirts of the Battle Zone... > >Fuzzy now has a large Number of Lightly Glowing, > Hexagonal plates about 3 inches flat to flat, > Attached to the Under-Armor he has been Wearing. > Six indentifiable Colors each in many Tones and Shades > No two Exactly the Same... > >While Fire and Water Ambush another... > >Air is Busy Containing and Neutralizing Paranoia Pills > >After Binding both Animates Physically and Spiritually, Somewhere Dr. Bedlam Notices, Two of his Redundent Animates, Dropping Off-Line, And Is Unable to Regain Contact, Though he Can Tell that they Still Exist. > They are brought together near an Availible Cellar, > Where they are both Opened, > Lord Fuzzy Uses a NanoTech Smart Bandage, > To attach Two of the Hexagonal Crystal Plates, > To one of the Main Structural member inside one of them, > The Other Animate only Gets One Crystal Plate, > All three are of Distinct Colors, > (ie Three Seperate Elements Represented) > {Earth}{Air} / {Fire} > Then they are Tucked Gently into the Cellar Next to each > other, > And Lord Fuzzy Inscribes a Complex TechnoRunic Spell, > Across Both of them... > >The Smart Bandages Spread, Grow and Link, > Forming a Dual Chamber Chrysalis Pod. > >What will hatch in about 15 Minutes, > Is a Human Size (+ Plate Armor) TechnoVar, > And a Matched Squire Mini-Con, > The pair can only PowerLink to Each Other > Dr. Bedlam can still possess them for the next few days, > Due to their Youth, > But it will take all of his strength, > To hold Two Pair, > Or One Pair in PowerLink Mode, And His AutoPilot Mode will Not Work at all. The Additional Mass for the Knight, Is gained be reducing the Pages Size, To about Half Human Adult. >This will probably be the only Essentially un-opposed Grab... > I figure out here they are probably Running on AutoPilot... > While Dr. Bedlam Concentrates on other Matters... > Well not any more.. > > > >/Sorry I'm Late./ > >/Skylord needed to recruit some more Elemental Powers./ Changing Team-ups Lord Fuzzy is still Paired with Earth, While Skylord Joins Fire and Water, For the Next part of The Hunt... ... [The Animates are looking a bit more Alert this time around... But I don't think he will move up the Enhanced Models, Until he has a Better Idea of What he is Facing...] Two Adjacent Animates See, A Smallish robot step out of cover, One Firing an Earth Based Entangle, The other Firing a Water based Entangle... As the Animates Break Free and Begin to Respond, They are Hit from Behind, One by Fire and Spirit Bindings, The Other by A Magical Force/Spirit Binding... As Fuzzy and the TechnoVars Secure their new Captives, Animate Reinforcements Arrive... TBC ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Mother Love On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:34:54 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011615 >On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 20:20:04 -0800 (PST) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011613 > >>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 17:20:34 -0800 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011583 >> >>>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 09:01:09 -0800 (PST) >>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011578 >"That one wasn't stupid." Ziactrice grins. "I think I know who the >aforementioned techie is from fiction, and if I'm right you never >actually met. Just communicated through phones, all voices >electronically scrambled, yes?" Eric nods. "Yup. Well, he -- actually she, I think, but that's just my gut -- did use a hologram once. Glowing green face. Very VA -- Virtual Adept -- like our 'Reality Hacker,' but there was no magick involved, techno- or otherwise." >> (OOC: Is that latter bit an obscure reference, or just a way to >>let Zia show off? 8^) > > (OOC: BOTH. One, Eric referred (in like his first scene while >speaking to Rob, I think, in Mike's Place, to a computer geek who >cracked databases being more important to his victories over powerful >bad guys than tough allies. Two, Zia is showing off her (my?) >knowledge of Batman's history. Namely, whatever happened to Bat-girl. >Grin. Just call me Fangrrl. 8^) (AND A pun. Hahahha...) Take that, >Evil GM-San!) Arrgh. And I _know_ that one. Ya _got_ me, pardner! *Evil GM-San clutches side, scrunches eyes, then staggers exaggeratedly -- then peeks out of one eye to see if anyone's buying it* >> "Oh, as far as I know, the only 'real' pulp hero here -- who got >>his own series, anyway -- was Doc Eon. The Shadow, Doc Savage, the >>Spider, G-8, Operator 5, the Phantom, the Avenger, they were all >>fiction, as far as I know." He shrugs. "I think I'm just getting >>used to meeting fictional characters, between the Champions and the >>CAoL." > > "What about Fu Manchu?" Zia asks, but somehow he knows she >recognized Doc Eon's name. He isn't quite sure how he knows, but he >does. Eric finds nothing unusual about her recognition of Doc Eon -- as far as he knows, Eon's as famous a pulp hero as the rest (though probably fictional in most other universes). At her mention of Fu Manchu, however, he makes some sort of gesture that is reminiscent of crossing oneself in some indefinable way. "No, benevolent gods be thanked. Doc Eon crossed ray-guns with some guy called the 'Ubiquitous Dragon,' but even with his weird powers, he was no Fu Manchu. On the other hand, I'll take any of the guys the Champions face over _him_ -- even the burn victim with the spear," he quips, as if he hadn't just mentioned Dr. Destroyer himself several minutes ago. > (OOC: I figure sharing that much ch'i probably means some sharing >of abilities for a while after - so Eric'll probably be picking up on >some of the Circumstance-Reading that Zia always spooks people with.) (OOC: Actually, this is what I was leading into with Eric earlier, before Sifu executed a flawless insertion of foot into mouth -- not bad for a disembodied voice ;^), >>> "No one _uses_ me against my loves." Ziactrice states with all >>>the will and determination of a born and bred, Pattern-proved, >>>royal of Amber. >> >>"So I noticed," he replies dryly. > > "Did you? Well, if I can get the point acrost to you, that old >coot, and even the Boy Scout, perhaps there is some chance I can even >put it across to Mr. I've-Got-Big-Brains." Eric tries to relax. He succeeds in limbering up -- useful, but not hardly the same thing. Somewhere Else, an Omen cackles gleefully. OMEN is far too expansive (not to mention intelligent) to laugh like some 30s horror villain, but hey, the splits've gotta have _some_ fun, right? (Not that Zia would know _anything_ about Nemo-like beings enjoying themselves in physical reality... ;^) >> ^Goodness.^ The Mother Box seems disturbed by this concept. ^That >>would mean that the Anti-Life Entity would be the very incarnation >>of inelegance -- a being of brutality itself,^ it projects >>unhappily. > > "Wouldn't that follow?" Ziactrice asks, as if surprised that this >is a new idea to the MB. It makes perfect sense to be surprised at this seeming incongruity -- Mother Box is both brilliant _and_ perceptive. However, she is almost completely inherently good as well, apparently to the point of being discernibly similar to Sera and Seth. On the other hand, between this and her deliberately graceful and refined view of the universe, it does giver her something of a blind spot when trying to fathom evil and its purposes. Mother Box pauses noticeably. ^Yes, I suppose it would,^ she agrees reluctantly. ^I was hoping that an alternative analysis existed.^ > Actually, stressful situation or not, Ziactrice is not any more >immune to this form of rapture than she was Eric's particular form of >the same earlier. It's a good thing he is there on guard; for several >long seconds she wouldn't have noticed Godzilla attacking as her mind >contemplates the possibility simulation the Mother Box is projecting. Eric does not physically grow extra eyes. However, he more than takes up Zia's slack, channelling Essence to heighten his senses to the point of noting the passage of dust motes while she is thus distracted. Oddly, he finds that his Essence pool is not depleted as much as he'd expected. And it refills as he contemplates this. He does not so much think "not now" as embody it; his single-mindedness is in full swing right now, and it's focused on "watch Zia's back." A small corner of his mind does file this for further investigation, however. >> More agreement. ^The more we analyze the conundrum, the more it >>appears that Darkseid and Suli -- the true, inner Suli, at least >>want us to solve it. The logic of this conflict, however, then >>eludes me. Why would they not simply ask for assistance?^ > > @^For the same reason they're no longer attempting to solve it >alone. There is always a price for knowledge. When knowledge is also >power of this magnitude, well... I've seen what is happening with the >so-called High Lords and the Devices.@^ For a moment, even Ziactrice >seems somehow daunted by the direction her ruminations are moving. ^Controlling Oblivion is a dangerous prospect,^ Mother Box agrees, ^and only slightly more plausible than imprisoning the Trickster archetype.^ > @^I have enough trouble admitting I know an angel. This is not a >comfortable... speculation.@^ Her thought grinds to a halt again, in >as many seconds. Eric's never felt her so... cautious. Mother Box projects agreement. The Hunter pours still more ch'i into being ready. And that corner of his mind finds itself astonished to discover that his resources are refilled before Zia's train of thought picks up again. > @^Well. Not all the converses are true, so it might not actually >be a problem. I hope not. Slick trap, if so, though. Just what I'd >would have expected from Suli and Darkseid. @^ ^Let us hope, then, that this is actually some ploy in the true Suli's favor, then, and against the Anti-Life Entity. If we must defeat them all...^ Mother Box is far from hopeless, but she is definitely concerned. ^Then we will,^ Eric finishes grimly. >by the line wrap, where x is equal to the number of mistaken >assumptions and y is equal to the number of glints off Eric's jade >glasses...> OOC: ROFL! Evil GM-San salutes you. >>^ ... Alternately, we can reshape ourselves into a suitable article >>of clothing. Perhaps a dueling glove/gauntlet for the hand that will >>not wield your primary weapon?^ she asks, not assuming handedness of >>any sort, apparently. > >"That'll work better. I probably won't be wearing the armor as >armor... Er. Yes. A Gauntlet seems... well, marvelously appropos, >MB." Mother Box projects the concept of a smile; Zia's empathy also picks up that MB is pleased to have found so elegant a solution for the petite Amberite's needs. >> Kanto section continued in Bleys and Eric, Together Again >> (Okay, okay, that's not going to be the subject line -- it's >>"Swords and Cards." But only because Morgan talked me out of it. ;^) > > (OOC: Omigod, give ME heart failure, will ya?!? Hey, I gotta earn my title _somehow._ Grin. >Thanks Morgan. That's another one I owe ya.) Heh. Perhaps Captain Kestrel will have some nice ballads being spread about her through the Thean realm by the time we get to that part of 9. Assuming I haven't given Zia's player heart failure by then. >Zia >Solving the universe, one Equation at a time. *applause* Just leave a few variables for the rest of us to tweak, though, please. ;^) ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Swords and Cards On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:00:59 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011616 >On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 23:05:13 -0800 (PST) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011592 > >>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 18:39:15 -0800 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011585 >>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011578 >> >> Eric realizes where the badge is and almost has heart failure. >>^Zia. Beloved. I am _begging_ you to tell me that you have some sort >>of protection under that target on your chest.^ > > ^Eric. My love. I don't, but I moved my heart elsewhere, so >don't worry.^ A sigh of relief and a rueful chuckle emanate from the black-clad warrior. ^You know, considering you mentioned that you're not human, I'm surprised that I assumed the location of your heart in the first place. Though I certainly enjoy whatever it is you _are._^ > Surmounted by a silver circlet with black diamond, and a scroll >with four words in Thari, supported by a pelican and a unicorn. Eric examines the scroll, hoping to divine its meaning, but not having the first clue about Thari, gives up quickly. The unicorn's importance he can guess at, given her use of its name as an invective. >OOC: Hey, Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat! OOC-Rocky: "That trick never works!" ;^) > Ziactrice turns the Trump, revealing Mt. Fuji. "Completion of a >spiritual quest. That seems a favorable indicator. This may indicate >you will find your mate in a high place, either physically or >spiritually, or that you will meet this person while engaged in a >pilgrimage or some other journey unconnected to an active search." Kanto looks at the card with curiosity. "Spiritual? Hm." He seems surprised, but neither annoyed nor confused. > The petite Amberite turns the next card in sequence, revealing her >uncle Bleys, reversed. > "You will face a serious rival in your pursuit romantic who will, >unsurprisingly, not be well-dispositioned towards you." It's a vain >hope that Kanto doesn't recognize some resemblance between himself >and her uncle - but he has black hair, and lacks Bleys' trim beard >and mustache, too. OOC-Evil GM-San: Actually, Kanto does in fact have a trim beard and mustache. Compare [http://www.sean-walsh.com/newgods/kanto2.jpg] to Bleys' Trump in the Amber RPG. (A pretty good colored-in scan is at http://www.indiana.edu/~fantasy/bleys.jpg -- though I think that the grin suffers from the slight distortion.) Aside from the hair color, they could almost be twins. Geez, compare the _cocky_grins,_ fercryinoutloud. Even Evil GM-San's getting the willies. Kanto grins as he leans over to look at the card more closely. "Never imagined myself with red hair. Odd look, but it does seem to work for me, doesn't it?" He laughs with surprising warmth, doffing his cap with a flourish and running his free hand through his hair. "What do you think, should I give it a try?" Eric growls. Kanto _winks_ at the Hunter, replacing the cap. He seems thoroughly unfazed by the presence of a red-haired him in Zia's deck of cards. "Perhaps I'll have to fight off this crimson me for her, eh?" > "And the timing," Zia continues smoothly, as she turns over the >next card - her own Trump in an upright facing, "shall be, it >appears, relatively soon. As you've just been set on the path. >Outside the zone of influence you brought with you, at least. I'm not >sure if Causal Coincidence can hold if you go back... but that is not >my problem, is it?" > Ziactrice scoops the Trumps up and puts them away, seemingly a >little unnerved herself. OOC: Whoa, don't know her own strength. Kanto _is_ brought up short by this last part. (Probably nice to know he _can_ be thrown. 8^) He tries to say something, once, then swallows it. Finally, he grins. "Well, I doubt your deck's being literal, but I always thought that if I found the right woman, she'd almost _have_ to be one Pit of a swordswoman. Shallow, I suppose, but I'm not a deep man m'self." Kanto gives a little nod-bow as he says the last bit. Funny thing is, he _believes_ that last statement. Eric's hands clench hard enough to make his knuckles pop. >> "So." This time, he merely rests his hand on the blade's hilt, >>almost as if he's expecting Zia to come up with something _else_ out >>of her hat. So to speak. "I am at your convenience." > > Ziactrice nods. She reaches into katana-space (e.g. under her arm, >just like the Highlander who made this gesture famous), and she pulls >out an elegant, long saber, of a size to match her reach. Her other >hand fills with a main gauche dagger that doesn't match the longer >blade. > Ziactrice calmly salutes Kanto with the shorter blade, comes to a >middle guard, and waits for him to draw and close with her. Kanto draws his own blade and turns his side to her, tucking his arm behind him but otherwise in a fairly standard sixte guard. He closes only to the point where their blades can touch without having to stretch. A lunge at this range would be folly. He says nothing at this point, but there's an insouciance in his demeanor that almost says "two blade style has its uses, but it exposes so much more of the target area, don't you think?" as well as words. 8^) Eric and Vundabar throw each other the obligatory glares, then turn their attention to the duel. (Though Eric is still on high alert, wary of treachery from every angle.) Vundabar's attitude is one of interest in the duel, but no particular attachment to victory on Kanto's behalf. Unless she evades (which Zia has plenty of time to do; he begins rather slowly), Kanto slowly, almost gently, moves the tip of his blade to touch hers. Kanto runs it along her blade carefully as his smile fades, replaced by a look of an almost meditative concentration. Then, if she doesn't attack or retreat, with a slow turn of his wrist he swivels the saber under her blade, soon touching the _other_ side of her weapon. This lasts for a moment. The smile returns. Not an "I have you now" smile, just anticipatory, a "this is going to be fun" smile. Then (when this is done, or after her first attack) he does a short thrust, an attack that would barely even scratch her arm if it struck. There's a touch of flourish even in this opening, but one that could easily hide a feint _or_ a lunge with a bit more of a twitch. This duel is definitely going to be interesting. ================================= Subject: AAE9: Brick-and-mortar issues On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:17:05 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011617 >On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 10:01:32 -0500 >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00011611 OOC: Trying to catch up here, but it's late, so I'll get to the main action tomorrow (I hope). In the meantime... > Roger looked in the direction Vash was pointing, than spun >around entirely and stumbled to a stop. In the oddly muted silence of >their surroundings, the creaking of cartilage as his fists clenched >was disurbingly loud. > The wall stretched from horizon to horizon, and was somehow >infinitely tall without rising out of sight. It exuded an air of >massive thickness, of invulnerability. And it was blazoned with a >very large caricature of Roger's face. > Underimposed beneath a red circle-and-slash "NO!" symbol. > Vash uneasily eyed the set of the Freelance Immortal's >shoulders, and assayed a joke. "Gee, I guess somebody's afraid of >you. Heh heh heh...heh... um." On the other side of the wall, an Omen whistled "Whistle While You Work" as he mortared bricks made from the souls of the "Eternally" Corrupted with cement made from Sin and Guilt. The stuff of the Gaunt Man's Maelstrom Bridge, put to a new use. Stucco was one hell of a sin all by itself, but that should hide its otherwise horrific nature from the other side, Omen hoped. Besides, the Roger cartoon was silly enough to belie the presence of one such as he. Unless Roger knew of Omen^2's perverse sense of humor. One of the bricks moaned in misery, begging wordlessly for release. "Oh shut up," Omen replied amiably, sticking a handful of mortar in the brick's mouth (an impression of a face was all that stuck out from the large block). "You sacrificed your family to us for immortality, then balked after getting killed one measly time. If being a werewolf for a few years didn't bring you 'round, maybe some time on block duty will help." Another Omen popped up. "You think he'll figure out it's us, Omen?" Omen looked at Omen in annoyance. "Of course he will, Omen. This is just a delaying tactic - slash - setting a foreboding atmosphere. There are proprieties to be met, after all." Omen nodded, still looking dubious. "What about the caricature?" Omen smiled nastily. "It was funny." Omen smiled back. "He didn't think so." "What do you expect?" Omen shrugged. "Heroes. Go figure." Omen shrugged and vanished. Omen cackled to himself and went back to work, whistling once more. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Brick-and-mortar issues On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 19:02:28 -0500 "David McMillan" Said As CAoL Message # 00011619 >Roland X wrote on 12/4/2003, 3:21 AM: > > Another Omen popped up. "You think he'll figure out it's us, >Omen?" > Omen looked at Omen in annoyance. "Of course he will, Omen. This >is just a delaying tactic - slash - setting a foreboding atmosphere. >There are proprieties to be met, after all." > Omen nodded, still looking dubious. "What about the caricature?" > Omen smiled nastily. "It was funny." > Omen smiled back. "He didn't think so." > "What do you expect?" Omen shrugged. "Heroes. Go figure." > Omen shrugged and vanished. > Omen cackled to himself and went back to work, whistling once >more. OOC: To mangle a quote from "Blade II": "Do not KNOW who you are MESSIN' WITH!" Roger, leaving his mob of odds&sods allies to sort things out amongst themselves, approaches the wall with the air of a man who expects mountain rangers to pull themselves out of his way -- or else. He comes to a halt within arm's reach of the construction, glaring at it with an intensity that *should* reduce it to ash on the spot, and reaches out to put one hand flat against the stucco, building up a power surge to rip the notional wall into notional subatomic particles.... And stops. After a long moment, he pulls his hand away, rage largely replaced by bemusement. He looks up and down the length of the wall, looking for... something. The wall remains stubbornly a normal wall, with no secrets or hidden potentials. And yet.... ....and yet.... Roger isn't really aware of it, but he's humming an old Pink Floyd tune under his breath. Having a mother who's part wolf teaches a boy to listen to his instincts, even when they're not *saying* anything. Roger steps back, gears turning noisily in his head (literally -- this being P-Space, everyone can hear them). Then steps back again. And again, bringing the entirety of the wall into focus by an act of perception. "I think," he murmurs slowly, "that I need to think about this." "7h1nk, 5hm1nk, d00d!" cried a loud male voice from behind him. "Ju57 r0xx0r 17's b0xx0rs! L37 m3 d0 17! 1 0wnzer 7h1s w@ll w17h my 3v1l l337 5k1llz--" "Piro, would you shut up Largo, please?" Roger asks without turning around. Bap! "0w! f33l my--" WHAM! "b4k4" "Thank you." Roger returns his attention to the wall, rubbing his chin. He's humming again. He can feel the clock ticking in the back of his mind, like an itch. But an even stronger itch is the certainty that he's being set up -- that his gut reflex is playing into someone else's game. But he has to get through that wall... "Heh. 'Mr President, tear down this wall!'" For a moment, a mob of ghostly Berliners, led by an anthropomorhpic bagel that looks strangely like JFK, attacks the wall with hammers, chisels, and tire irons before fading away, leaving a tracery of gouges and chips in the wall's surface. "Huh!" Roger feels the beginning of an idea, the kind that works best when he doesn't think about it too hard, coalecsing in the back of his brain. Coincidence is leaning in his favor, the dice are rolling hot-- Symbolism. Iconography. Don't THINK about it, just RUN with it! Roger's eyes go vacant as he raises his hands, as if preparing to cast an incantation. "Fluidity vs Rigidity," he mutters absently, in a voice gone faintly resonant. "Communication vs silence. Inclusion vs exlusion. The Wall fell to progress -- democracy, free markets, technology, to this... THIS EROSION!" With a lightning CRACK, P-Space bends about Roger in something strongly reminiscent of a certain scene from TRON. Bars and blocks of light assemble like Legos, streaming with conceptual idealizations of binary code, pulled from the very essence of Ideas, stack and assemble above Roger's upthrust hands, towering into a gargantuan construct whose perception seems, to the audience, to dwarf the wall. To those with quick enough eyes, snippets of intelligible text flicker deep inside the blocks of the huge weapon, gleaming momentarily among the spiderweb traceries of light spreading and branching through the entire structure: freenet.org amazon.com pgp.com loc.gov bitconjurer.org kazaalite.com linux.net eff.net 2600.com bbc.co.uk actforchange.com truth.org stratfor.com livejournal.com blogger.com Thousands more, flashing, changing, evolving, always changing. The energy contruct brightens, flares towrds some critical threshold-- Eyes blazing with pure conceptual power, Roger thrusts his hands forward, roaring: "21ST CENTURY... JERICHO... STRIKE!!!!" --and blasts towards the Wall in a blinding coruscation of bound chaotic energy, striking it head on-- --and flowing *around* it, as the implacable wave of the New Age bypasses the symbol of opression and seperation into obsolete irrelevancy, and plunges past it towards a brighter future. Carrying Roger&Co with it. The immortal .commer has just enough time to say "Okay, how did I do that?" before being dragged willy-nilly along for the ride. OOC: The next bit I present for Evil-GM San's retconning pleasure. But I just needed to write *something* for it, for closure. Left behind, in P-space, the Wall blinks metaphorically in stucco'd bemusement. Bereft of any reason to exist, it shudders for a moment, before completely forgetting how to retain cohesion in the face of being grandly ignored, and collapses into a massive pile of scattered blocks. Omen has just enough time to realize what's happened before the next wave hits: a hailstorm of small pasteboard cards that, upon striking a "brick," discorporates it into ethereal smoke which vanishes to... well, wherever souls given a second chance go to. Several bricks are freed in this manner before Omen manages to put a stop to it. Snagging one card from the air as it falls, Omen realizes (if he doesn't already know) that every Monopoly game on E-9 has just lost its "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. Omen looks rather less perturbed than one might expect. Spocking an eyebrow, he surveys the wreckage with a nonchalant air. "And the really amusing thing is, he doesn't even realize he did it." The anti-Nemo smiles, very slightly. "Maybe I should show him." There's a ripple, and suddenly this region of P-space is as empty as it normally is. OOC: Who is more evil -- Evil-GM San, or the apprentices he has challenged to defeat him? Next Episode: "Rogi's Angels." He's got a redhead and a brunette, now he just needs a blonde. Oh, Riiiiooooooooo..... Rio: "Oh, good grief. First cartoons, now my life is going to become a cheesy ripoff of a cheesy '70s show." ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Swords and Cards On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 16:31:44 -0800 (PST) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011620 >On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:00:59 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011616 >>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 23:05:13 -0800 (PST) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011592 >> >> ^Eric. My love. I don't, but I moved my heart elsewhere, so don't >>worry.^ > > A sigh of relief and a rueful chuckle emanate from the black-clad >warrior. ^You know, considering you mentioned that you're not human, >I'm surprised that I assumed the location of your heart in the first >place. Though I certainly enjoy whatever it is you _are._^ ^You didn't; you felt it there earlier. (This followed by a repeat of a certain kiss for purposes of illustration). I'm similiar to human, but a shape-shifter. If it slips, the physical changes can slide back to normal. You also assumed one heart. I enjoy whatever it is that you are, too.^ Zia teases. >> Surmounted by a silver circlet with black diamond, and a scroll >>with four words in Thari, supported by a pelican and a unicorn. > > Eric examines the scroll, hoping to divine its meaning, but not >having the first clue about Thari, gives up quickly. The unicorn's >importance he can guess at, given her use of its name as an >invective. Feeling his curiosity, the petite Amberite glances down, then at him, and she whispers. "No world is enough." She gives him a wry smile, wondering if he'll recognize the proper version of the motto the James Bond movies and books somewhat mangled. >>[...] the next card in sequence, revealing her uncle Bleys, >>reversed. > > OOC-Evil GM-San: Actually, Kanto does in fact have a trim beard >and mustache. Compare [http://www.sean-walsh.com/newgods/kanto2.jpg] >to Bleys' Trump in the Amber RPG. (A pretty good colored-in scan is >at http://www.indiana.edu/~fantasy/bleys.jpg -- though I think that >the grin suffers from the slight distortion.) Aside from the hair >color, they could almost be twins. Geez, compare the _cocky_grins,_ >fercryinoutloud. Even Evil GM-San's getting the willies. OOC-Zia (Roger-style): To Her Author: "I _told_ you so." "But how could you know that when I didn't?" "I'm that good." "... I'll give you that _smug_. You just like showing off, Zia." "That, too. Shall I continue?" "Oh, fine. But I think he's got you with the Equation." "Of course he does. Also, there is that wizard in Egypt, Omen's general creepiness-factor, whatever he has up his sleeve with Eric, not to mention the what-is-Darkseid & Suli's-plan thing." "You don't sound worried. You _never_ sound worried." "Aw, c'mon; it'll be fun! Mostly." > Kanto grins as he leans over to look at the card more closely. >"Never imagined myself with red hair. Odd look, but it does seem to >work for me, doesn't it?" He laughs with surprising warmth, doffing >his cap with a flourish and running his free hand through his hair. >"What do you think, should I give it a try?" > Eric growls. > Kanto _winks_ at the Hunter, replacing the cap. He seems >thoroughly unfazed by the presence of a red-haired him in Zia's deck >of cards. "Perhaps I'll have to fight off this crimson me for her, >eh?" Ziactrice barks a laugh, then she shakes her head. "I don't believe that's quite what'll happen, sir." She says, in a tone of voice that communicates her total disbelief that Kanto could beat Bleys. She doesn't even know if _Benedict_ could beat Bleys... with a sword. > Kanto _is_ brought up short by this last part. (Probably nice to >know he _can_ be thrown. 8^) He tries to say something, once, then >swallows it. Finally, he grins. "Well, I doubt your deck's being >literal, but I always thought that if I found the right woman, she'd >almost _have_ to be one Pit of a swordswoman. Shallow, I suppose, but >I'm not a deep man m'self." Kanto gives a little nod-bow as he says >the last bit. > Funny thing is, he _believes_ that last statement. > Eric's hands clench hard enough to make his knuckles pop. "My Deck," Zia says mysteriously, "is about as literal as I am. However, it cannot be me; unless you consider this duel a spiritual quest in a high place?" She smiles and shakes her head at him. "Besides, I know you're not. I always know. As does the man in question. Ask him." She nods Eric's way. "I knew at the Castle, when you challenged me to 'spar'." She tells Eric. "When did you realize?" She asks the black-clad man in sunglasses, with real curiosity. After Eric answers, she continues to Kanto. "Or you can ask Steppenwolf." The Gay Blade Amberite continues with a distinct smirk - then a little shiver of anticipation - and a slight, breathy laugh that Eric can feel in his spine, and er, other places a bit lower. Maybe she learned more from the Shadow than she lets on. Almost certainly. "If you're feeling that lucky. When it happens, it always gets 'em all aggravated. Well. At first. I can even recognize it these days; it is strangely consistent." "I don't predict the future, Kanto, I Order it. I gave you a Chance, but I can't give Certainty. You're the only one who can make it happen. I wouldn't take away Choice." Ziactrice pauses a moment in deep thought. "The lady is of the sea, and yes, quite the swordswoman. She will be _quite_ a match for you in both shallow depths and deeper currents." Ziactrice states with that smug certainty that is so characteristically her own. At least Eric now knows isn't just something she does at him. > > Kanto draws his own blade and turns his side to her, tucking his >arm behind him but otherwise in a fairly standard sixte guard. He >closes only to the point where their blades can touch without having >to stretch. A lunge at this range would be folly. He says nothing at >this point, but there's an insouciance in his demeanor that almost >says "two blade style has its uses, but it exposes so much more of >the target area, don't you think?" as well as words. 8^) Ziactrice gives him a _wink_. For her own part, she radiates a merry what-the-hellness. Strongly. This same attitude has given Nemo, Roger, even Eric, serious (and to be quite honest, usually later _quite_ justified) pause on many an occasion. However, Kanto doesn't know her well enough to be leery. Yet. > Unless she evades (which Zia has plenty of time to do; he begins >rather slowly), Kanto slowly, almost gently, moves the tip of his >blade to touch hers. Kanto runs it along her blade carefully as his >smile fades, replaced by a look of an almost meditative >concentration. ***flashback*** A thin, almost scare-crow of a man, in russet and brown plain jerkin and pants sits in a Japanese garden, speaking in a stolid, powerful voice at odds with his physical frame. "Once in ancient Japan, during a period when there were few wars, a young samurai without a lord became drunk. A famous Master of the Tea Ceremony had the misfortune to be in this drunken warrior's path, and so was challenged to a duel three days hence." "The Master, was, of course, distraught. He sought the aid of another samurai. But the sword is not a weapon that can be learned in three days. Finally, in despair, the Master made arrangements for his family upon his death, and granted the samurai who had tried to aid him a Tea Ceremony in thanks." "As the Master centered himself to begin the ritual, focusing on nothing but the moment at hand, the samurai spoke. 'If you go, three days hence, and stand at the intersection of the road, and do what you just did, you shall win the duel.' The Master wept and thanked his friend, the samurai, whom he trusted so much that he believed immediately that his life would be saved." "The Tea Master did exactly as he was told. The young samurai came and faced him. However, seeing the older man standing just so, facing him with perfect serenity, the younger samurai lost all heart for the fight, apologized, and went on his way without ever drawing his blade." "You may not have a center, but you do have centers. The task is merely more difficult, not impossible. Until you learn this, I cannot teach you anything further. Go now, and think on it." ***end of flashback*** > Then (when this is done, or after her first attack) he does a >short thrust, an attack that would barely even scratch her arm if it >struck. There's a touch of flourish even in this opening, but one >that could easily hide a feint _or_ a lunge with a bit more of a >twitch. > This duel is definitely going to be interesting. Zia has watched Kanto move with strangely serene, almost absent, eyes. As he finally thrusts, however, she with great speed. Her sword slides up at an angle, her targeted arm going high and awkward-looking as she slide-steps forward. The petite Amberite attempts to run his blade through her own upper arm, between the bones, to prison it for a split-second. Even as she attempts this extreme binding manuever, her off hand brings up the dagger, in a slashing strike that starts along lower ribs and up to the center of his chest. Kanto, however, is faster than Steppenwolf. He slides back, refusing her attempt to lock his blade, so the dagger's point finds only cloth. There is a long slash through his garment, however, she did not score on flesh. For her part, she dances forward a step to remain in range to attack. Then, most oddly, she licks the dagger's blade. A practiced toss plants it straight into the center of his starburst painted in the grass. "Sanctus previru!" She casts, her hand pointing to the corners of the design Kanto so thoughtfully provided for her to use. There is a faint rippling of blue, green, and... gold? light limning the design and the knife. Zia raises her eyebrow at the gold and the sudden taste of earth, but this is hardly the time to be asking Eric what gives. The world - at least within the design - snaps sharply into focus, somehow, in her Amberite senses. The same as a Shadow of her own power - but only within a limited area, for a limited time. She does not care to control a Shadow that has people she knows in it. Ick. It's bad enough to do so where she isn't taking control of friends and lovers, however subtly. "After all," Ziactrice tosses her blade to her other hand, as she skips backward to make sure he cannot take advantage and lunge as she does so, "you never said I had to use the blades as direct weapons." She smiles smugly, and mirrors his stance. She waves at Eric with the hand behind her back, as she smirks at Kanto. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Mother Love On 4 Dec 2003 19:56:44 -0800, In alt.callahans Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011621 >On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:34:54 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Post # 00009255 >>On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 20:20:04 -0800 (PST) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011613 > Eric nods. "Yup. Well, he -- actually she, I think, but that's >just my gut -- did use a hologram once. Glowing green face. Very VA >-- Virtual Adept -- like our 'Reality Hacker,' but there was no >magick involved, techno- or otherwise." "Then I might know. Or it might be different. Shadow is like that." >> (OOC: I figure sharing that much ch'i probably means some sharing >>of abilities for a while after - so Eric'll probably be picking up >>on some of the Circumstance-Reading that Zia always spooks people >>with.) > > (OOC: Actually, this is what I was leading into with Eric earlier, >before Sifu executed a flawless insertion of foot into mouth -- not >bad for a disembodied voice ;^), (OOC: OOops. Didn't mean to left turn on you. I was kinda heading that direction, too. Fun!) > Eric does not physically grow extra eyes. However, he more than >takes up Zia's slack, channelling Essence to heighten his senses to >the point of noting the passage of dust motes while she is thus >distracted. > Oddly, he finds that his Essence pool is not depleted as much as >he'd expected. And it refills as he contemplates this. He does not so >much think "not now" as embody it; his single-mindedness is in full >swing right now, and it's focused on "watch Zia's back." A small >corner of his mind does file this for further investigation, however. > ^Controlling Oblivion is a dangerous prospect,^ Mother Box agrees, >^and only slightly more plausible than imprisoning the Trickster >archetype.^ ^@Not quite my concern, but what is a Trickster archetype?@^ >> @^I have enough trouble admitting I know an angel. This is not a >>comfortable... speculation.@^ Her thought grinds to a halt again, in >>as many seconds. Eric's never felt her so... cautious. > > Mother Box projects agreement. > The Hunter pours still more ch'i into being ready. And that corner >of his mind finds itself astonished to discover that his resources >are refilled before Zia's train of thought picks up again. >> @^Well. Not all the converses are true, so it might not actually >>be a problem. I hope not. Slick trap, if so, though. Just what I'd >>would have expected from Suli and Darkseid. @^ > > ^Let us hope, then, that this is actually some ploy in the true >Suli's favor, then, and against the Anti-Life Entity. If we must >defeat them all...^ Mother Box is far from hopeless, but she is >definitely concerned. > ^Then we will,^ Eric finishes grimly. ^@We'll find a way.@^ Zia agrees. There is nothing in her thought or emotion to give her away, but Eric suddenly just _knows_ there is something she is afraid of that she has seen, some possibility that truly worries her. But she isn't mentioning it. >>Zia >>Solving the universe, one Equation at a time. > > *applause* Just leave a few variables for the rest of us to tweak, >though, please. ;^) Of course! After all, if the 'Equation' is acutally a matrix transform it expands into multiple equations, maybe even a matrixed set in more than three dimensions, which means infinite series of variable-based expressions. That's what a transform is used to solve. Er... well, I mean to say, of course I will, you know I have more fun fighting from Underdog Position than Deus Ex Machina. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Enter The Good Doctor.. On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 00:00:39 -0600, In alt.callahans Frank McCoy Said As CAoL Message # 00011622 >In alt.callahans George wrote: >"And now, where was I? Oh yes. Time for a rescue." he says as he >activates the cloak and stealth modes and takes to the air, flying >low and fast toward the Prison Camp. He arrives there, just as a camo >wearing individual enters the base. He waits there and watches to see >what unfolds. Down in the camp, Frank is at first completely unaware of any watchers overhead except a stray parademon or two doing rounds, and (of course) the cruisers even higher up. He's busy with his own ... thing ... and his ComLink is shut down except for vibration alert. The last thing he needs at the moment is a call for help while trying to pull of the biggest scam since Von Ryan's Express. Luckily (as far as he can tell) all three "volunteers" he's pulled seem to be suitably impressed by his carriage and voice. Of course, crushing the stock of the Dog Soldier's weapon might have had a *slight* influence on their not wanting to question him. The moment the parademon leads the way into the tiny 8'x8' cell with thick walls and heavy door, he starts: "You!" he points to the Dog Soldier, "Keep an eye on this man while we question him." "You," he tells the parademon, "Tell me if you think he's lying." "And YOU!," he barks at the "trainee", "Tell me what's going on here!" OOC: Sometimes you roll the dice ... and sometimes they come up snake-eyes. To his astonishment, the "prisoner breaks down completely!" "Please, Sir," he begs. "You shouldn't have picked ME this time. They're already suspicious. Now they're going to KNOW it was me. Oh crap. What am I going to do." It seems, unlikely as it might be, that Frank has unwittingly picked out the one quisling in the whole batch. Shit. So much for THAT plan. Well ... OK, plan D then. "It isn't up to you, SOLDIER, to decide what you're going to do," Frank growls. "Now is it?" Before the trembling man can reply, he goes on. Now tell us what's up, and who is up to it." For the next five minutes Frank listens to a spiel of what "Big Jake" and his cronies in the camp are up to ... or suspected of anyway. It seems the fish he caught is already suspect; and not let into the deeper plans, whatever they are. Not that they will succeed. The people in camp are very good at what they do: Turning reluctant "volunteers" into good Dog Soldiers, no matter what their original aims were. With a wave, he cuts the man off, perfunctorily asks, "Have you got that?" to the parademon, before grabbing a handful of dirt and rubbing it into the unfortunate quisling's face. "What the ...?" the guy protests, but not too loudly. Frank then pulls a piece of his camo out of a pocket, and starts putting big black circled under the unfortunate guy's eyes with greasepaint. "You've got to look suitably roughed up," he explains. "... Unless of course you WANT to look like a stoolie?" At this point, the quisling shuts up and lets Frank do an artistic job. "Now next I want you to get this "Big Jake" character and bring him in. Over the next hour or so I'll be bringing in most of your troop ... and a lot of them probably won't be coming out again," he addss nastily, with a sneer that bodes quite ill for somebody. The other two watchers do their best to hid grins. At least it isn't THEM this guy is coming down hard on. ;-} About the time the quisling exits, Frank becomes aware of a buzzing in his pocket. It probably has been going on for a while ... while he's been too busy acting to notice. Now is *NOT* the time to be holding conversations with allies! Ten minutes from now, OK. Still, he doesn't dare wait. So, turning on "transmit" but no receive, he acts like a guy talking into a dead microphone; seeming to listen to replies that aren't there. "What!" he barks. "I told you I wasn't to be disturbed during inspection!" A pause, then, "I guess. Only the whole idea of a 'surprise inspection' is the surprise. Why don't you guys check out how attentive the guards are on this place while I continue down here? Try NOT to let them know you're inspecting while you do so. I already blew the first part when the fence got zapped. Let's not make it worse by letting everybody get all spiffed up, just because the inspector is coming through. I'll probably only be able to handle the inspection for two of the towers myself ... See if you can do better than that." With that, Frank clicks off the ComLink and *hopes* whoever was trying to contact him can read between the lines. At least the vibrator goes quiet. Ignoring the two watching, he grumbles again about insubordinate juniors who cannot be trusted to pour piss out of a boot with the instructions printed on the heel. The language gets rather colorful. When the quisling comes back with the first "prisoner", Frank merely grunts at him, "Get the others in line, one at a time, and make it snappy! Or do you want even MORE of what you just got?" It seems the stoolie is almost as good an actor as Frank. He flinches away ... the black marks on his eyes, dirt he's picked up, and some other touches he seems to have added by himself, make him look the very picture of a beaten soldier. "Yessir," he mumbles; seeming to be *trying* to be sarcastic, but no quite succeeding. "Anything you say, Sir." The last *IS* sarcastic; but fully in keeping with his role. The moment the new prisoner is inside the "cell" Frank turns to the watching Dog Soldier. "I don't think I really *need* your help with this one," he cracks; making suggestive crushing movements with his hands. "Since you said you're so good with that weapon, why don't you field-strip it while your superior and I ... uh ... 'question' this good soldier here?" This with an evil grin he shares with the parademon. The Dog Soldier snickers. It isn't too often he gets to witness a reaming by an expert ... and this guy looks quite capable of extracting blood from a turnip, let alone information from a prisoner. Besides, he's been *quite* worried about the damage done to his weapon by the "super hero's" action earlier. What supplies will have to say when he asks for repair or replacement ... Well, it ain't going to be fun explaining. Ignoring the clanks and noises of disassembly from behind him, Frank and the parademon turn attentions to the defiant "Big Jake" in front of them. Unlike the moniker though, Jake isn't very big at all ... but he definitely has an attitude. "So tell me what's going on?" inquires Frank, with a nasty grin. "Why the should I tell a like you?" responds the guy; leaning back in the steel chair like he owned it. "I ain't telling youse guys nuttin!" "Oh, I think you might," replies Frank, with an evil grin. "IF I asks you the right questions anyway." The parademon's grin is even broader, for some reason. "Like say ... What would you do if you had a gun like that Dog Soldier over there is dismantling, and a few of your buddies similarly armed, while the guards around the camp were knocked out?" The guy on the chair has a surprising vocabulary. It almost matches Franks. For two minutes he describes with ferocious intensity and incredible detail what he'd do with several of the occupants of the camp and what sort of trash they'd leave behind when they were finished. As the diatribe pulls to a close, Frank, who has been fiddling with his Isher weapon, seemingly as a nervous twitch or something, calmly shoots the parademon with it full stun-strength, at point-blank range. If that doesn't stun the person, nothing will. Ignoring the outraged (but now unarmed) Dog Soldier behind him, Frank checks the parademon to be sure he's out, not faking (otherwise he'll have to KILL the person; and that isn't in the plan ... yet). Then he turns around, grabs the Dog Soldier before he can scramble the door open, and chokes him with one hand until he can lower the stun setting to a more reasonable level and put out the lights of him too. "Well?" he snarls at the stunned "Big Jake" who seems to be wondering if he's next. "You *implied* you know how to *use* that weapon ... Let's see you assemble it!" He starts to turn to the door (his original plan a bit wrecked) and then remembers: "Here," he snaps. "A personal shield. Put it on, turn it on here. Got it?" Frank doesn't wait for a response; but turns his back on the guy while sticking his head out the door. "Send in the next candidate," he orders; and then waits to see who comes in next. Frank is finally able to pull out a handkerchief and wipe his brow, without worrying about who will notice. While waiting for the next recruit, he searches the sleeping parademon for weapons and anything else of interest; then lays him down fairly gently in the corner with papers pulled over his eyes to sleep it off. =================================