Dan drew a card from the deck and looked at it. GUN FU +10. It was something that he needed in order to take the beast down.
He looked down at the pattern of cards on the table: his Max was tapped out, he had used Cigarette Clue and Mystic Java earlier in the fight against the big boss. He knew that if he didn't get the card he needed it would be over. He had never had to depend more on the luck of the draw and he got it.
"Looks like it's going to be curtains for Max," Chance replied. His Darius card had Bible Verse of Doom, Skateboard of Protect +2, and Angelic Wings attached to the kid.
"The game isn't over yet," Dan replied.
Showing posts with label darius. Show all posts
Showing posts with label darius. Show all posts
20160213
20151229
C2IP: The Agenda War I
Previously in v.Western...
*
It was a dark time for Omega Canyon.
A year had passed since The Incident at Judgement Grotto. The rumours about what had happened far outnumbered the facts and the townsfolk were content to let the tales be, as if telling them was like to summon trouble.
While the certainties about what had transpired in the graveyard that night - and about how it had led to the ranch of a mysterious horsebreeder being burned down - were few, there were some details about what followed that were plainly agreed upon.
Logollos and his corrupt ways were gone. Driven out or shot down, folks wouldn't offer a guess either way. He wasn't missed.
The lawman Dexter Washington had given up his badge and taken up residence in the Canyon, opening a small schoolhouse.
The marshal Wednesday Wraith had also unpinned her star and become a part-owner of the local printing press. She had began publishing a newspaper.
Callan Lokk had won The Hanged Man Saloon in a card game, kept the original owner in his employ, and given up gambling.
A new graveyard had been fenced-off and consecrated - the final act of the priest Darius Angelus before he disappeared.
The last of the strangers who had ridden into town the day before The Incident had also disappeared, the bounty hunter Mags Magenta.
Those were the handful of facts but out of the many, many rumours one was generally considered to be true: that when the grave of the strange drifter Sugarcube had been opened that mysterious night it was not his body they found inside.
However odd, The Incident and what came of it had actually changed the fortune of the Canyon for the better. The reversal of that fortune, and the cause of the current troubles, began shortly after when the Office of Frontier Affairs arrived and announced the discovery of oil in the land surrounding Omega...
*
It was a dark time for Omega Canyon.
A year had passed since The Incident at Judgement Grotto. The rumours about what had happened far outnumbered the facts and the townsfolk were content to let the tales be, as if telling them was like to summon trouble.
While the certainties about what had transpired in the graveyard that night - and about how it had led to the ranch of a mysterious horsebreeder being burned down - were few, there were some details about what followed that were plainly agreed upon.
Logollos and his corrupt ways were gone. Driven out or shot down, folks wouldn't offer a guess either way. He wasn't missed.
The lawman Dexter Washington had given up his badge and taken up residence in the Canyon, opening a small schoolhouse.
The marshal Wednesday Wraith had also unpinned her star and become a part-owner of the local printing press. She had began publishing a newspaper.
Callan Lokk had won The Hanged Man Saloon in a card game, kept the original owner in his employ, and given up gambling.
A new graveyard had been fenced-off and consecrated - the final act of the priest Darius Angelus before he disappeared.
The last of the strangers who had ridden into town the day before The Incident had also disappeared, the bounty hunter Mags Magenta.
Those were the handful of facts but out of the many, many rumours one was generally considered to be true: that when the grave of the strange drifter Sugarcube had been opened that mysterious night it was not his body they found inside.
However odd, The Incident and what came of it had actually changed the fortune of the Canyon for the better. The reversal of that fortune, and the cause of the current troubles, began shortly after when the Office of Frontier Affairs arrived and announced the discovery of oil in the land surrounding Omega...
to be continued
20151226
Synchroplex: Real Problems Gather for the Regular Playing Group
Tim said, "I'm really sorry to hear that."
Dexter said, "Please don't take it personally, my friend. I've loved every minute I've sat at this table."
"You've been a great addition to the group, Dex. Congratulations though! Getting accepted to university is a big deal."
"I'm excited. And nervous. I've always wanted to get out of this town, but I'll miss it at the same time."
"I get it. It's complicated."
Dex smiled. "Very. Very 'metaplex' as Max would say. Not being able to game is another downer."
"There will always be a seat for you here and the coffee will always be on."
*
"So, what are you going to do with Frank then?" Wednesday asked.
Tim winked. "Now that would be telling. Actually, since Frank is Dexter's character I'm going to let him decide, and I will adjust the campaign around that."
"This is maybe a bad time to bring it up, but... Well, it looks like my promotion might be going through."
"That's great news!"
"Except it means I will be travelling every other weekend..."
"Ah."
"So we may have to figure out a reason for Angst to be missing every other session... If you think that would even work?"
"We'll make it work somehow."
*
Callan sighed. "I suppose I wonder if it all still works. The overall story, I mean. If Frank gets written out, and Angst only appears occasionally... Maybe it's time we start a new campaign?"
"But what happens to Goner and Suki then? Are you tired of playing Goner?" Tim asked.
"Not at all. The new cyborg angle has been really interesting. But how many changes can you make to a story before it doesn't make sense anymore?"
"Games aren't stories, though."
Callan smiled. "And we're back to the central question, aren't we? When we get together every Saturday night what exactly are we doing? Playing a game or telling a story?"
"Or is it a magical ritual, as Max would say?"
*
Tim sipped at his coffee. "So it comes down to you, Darius. Dexter's leaving, Wednesday's only going to be able to play half as often, and Cal is having some doubts about the story continuing. What do you think? Keep going with the adventures of Goner and Suki and sometimes Angst? Start a new game?"
Darius sipped at his coffee. "Actually Tim, I have some news..."
Dexter said, "Please don't take it personally, my friend. I've loved every minute I've sat at this table."
"You've been a great addition to the group, Dex. Congratulations though! Getting accepted to university is a big deal."
"I'm excited. And nervous. I've always wanted to get out of this town, but I'll miss it at the same time."
"I get it. It's complicated."
Dex smiled. "Very. Very 'metaplex' as Max would say. Not being able to game is another downer."
"There will always be a seat for you here and the coffee will always be on."
*
"So, what are you going to do with Frank then?" Wednesday asked.
Tim winked. "Now that would be telling. Actually, since Frank is Dexter's character I'm going to let him decide, and I will adjust the campaign around that."
"This is maybe a bad time to bring it up, but... Well, it looks like my promotion might be going through."
"That's great news!"
"Except it means I will be travelling every other weekend..."
"Ah."
"So we may have to figure out a reason for Angst to be missing every other session... If you think that would even work?"
"We'll make it work somehow."
*
Callan sighed. "I suppose I wonder if it all still works. The overall story, I mean. If Frank gets written out, and Angst only appears occasionally... Maybe it's time we start a new campaign?"
"But what happens to Goner and Suki then? Are you tired of playing Goner?" Tim asked.
"Not at all. The new cyborg angle has been really interesting. But how many changes can you make to a story before it doesn't make sense anymore?"
"Games aren't stories, though."
Callan smiled. "And we're back to the central question, aren't we? When we get together every Saturday night what exactly are we doing? Playing a game or telling a story?"
"Or is it a magical ritual, as Max would say?"
*
Tim sipped at his coffee. "So it comes down to you, Darius. Dexter's leaving, Wednesday's only going to be able to play half as often, and Cal is having some doubts about the story continuing. What do you think? Keep going with the adventures of Goner and Suki and sometimes Angst? Start a new game?"
Darius sipped at his coffee. "Actually Tim, I have some news..."
20151121
C2IP Update.3
Marshal stepped into Mick's apartment. He had used a Neo-Linguistic Programming technique from a library book to convince the superintendent to give him access. Mick had only disappeared a few days ago but somehow there was already a thick layer of dust coating every surface, almost like ash.
The kitchenette was a mess of take-out packaging. The living room was a ruin of videogame cases and controllers (many smashed in rage), cigarette butts, CD cases, sketches and hand-written poetry.
In the small bedroom (just a sleeping bag on the floor) Marshal found the map Mick had been working on, pages pasted to the wall with lines and circles connecting them, a shot straight out of a conspiracy movie. It was the outline for Mick's next novel.
Marshal had read Illiciterati and Evanjaculist and had been eagerly awaiting Mick's newest book. Except he had been having all these strange dreams and when he performed his ritual meditations to Odin and Merlin the gods had been telling him that something more was happening, that Mick was involved in something deeper. Then Marshal had started having these really potent daydreams at work, imagining uncovering a covert war between something called The System and a group calling themselves Counter, and it was all connected to Mick's writing. The dreams and visions and daydreams became more and more intense until he was compelled to come here...
One page was titled 'Chronoplex'. The name 'Suki', 'version GrownUp?', 'version Grandma?'. 'Project Realtime?'. 'Can we access the Missing Season?'. 'Can we learn what happened during the Millennium Incident?'.
Another page labelled 'Paraplex'. 'So what happened to the Initiated Dragons?'.
The next: 'Ultraplex'. 'Are these reports that the Counter-System was broadcasting? Or are they made up? Propaganda or just fiction?'.
'Hyperplex'. 'The Plureality Dragons Upgraded'. 'The Diner Dragons?', crossed out. 'Darius?', circled and crossed out.
'Omniplex'. 'Art, journals, music, RPGs?'. 'Project Horizon?'.
'Synchroplex'. A list of dates.
'Manaplex'. Mostly illegible. 'New job?' circled. 'Project Ellipses?'.
And in marker, scrawled over many of the pages: 'BETRAYAL'.
Marshal had no idea what any of it meant but could feel that it somehow explained everything.
He also noticed a copy of a magazine on the floor. Profile Celebrations. The cover story was about a man named Vlad Akimoto. Marshal scanned the article:
International fitness business empire mogul. Founder of "The Timeless Warrior" training regime, based on ancient lost arts of body purification through testing one's physical limits, combined with the introduction into your healthy diet of designer herbal infused beverages. Proposed by some in the fashion industry that Akimoto was the father of the "hipster" movement. Rumoured a) to be majority owner in the up and coming "Citadel" independent music label, b) to have founded the online "Barbarian" clothing line which specializes in custom design t-shirts, c) to own a number of fashionable craft beer eateries in Tokyo, St Petersburg and Munich.
The kitchenette was a mess of take-out packaging. The living room was a ruin of videogame cases and controllers (many smashed in rage), cigarette butts, CD cases, sketches and hand-written poetry.
In the small bedroom (just a sleeping bag on the floor) Marshal found the map Mick had been working on, pages pasted to the wall with lines and circles connecting them, a shot straight out of a conspiracy movie. It was the outline for Mick's next novel.
Marshal had read Illiciterati and Evanjaculist and had been eagerly awaiting Mick's newest book. Except he had been having all these strange dreams and when he performed his ritual meditations to Odin and Merlin the gods had been telling him that something more was happening, that Mick was involved in something deeper. Then Marshal had started having these really potent daydreams at work, imagining uncovering a covert war between something called The System and a group calling themselves Counter, and it was all connected to Mick's writing. The dreams and visions and daydreams became more and more intense until he was compelled to come here...
One page was titled 'Chronoplex'. The name 'Suki', 'version GrownUp?', 'version Grandma?'. 'Project Realtime?'. 'Can we access the Missing Season?'. 'Can we learn what happened during the Millennium Incident?'.
Another page labelled 'Paraplex'. 'So what happened to the Initiated Dragons?'.
The next: 'Ultraplex'. 'Are these reports that the Counter-System was broadcasting? Or are they made up? Propaganda or just fiction?'.
'Hyperplex'. 'The Plureality Dragons Upgraded'. 'The Diner Dragons?', crossed out. 'Darius?', circled and crossed out.
'Omniplex'. 'Art, journals, music, RPGs?'. 'Project Horizon?'.
'Synchroplex'. A list of dates.
'Manaplex'. Mostly illegible. 'New job?' circled. 'Project Ellipses?'.
And in marker, scrawled over many of the pages: 'BETRAYAL'.
Marshal had no idea what any of it meant but could feel that it somehow explained everything.
He also noticed a copy of a magazine on the floor. Profile Celebrations. The cover story was about a man named Vlad Akimoto. Marshal scanned the article:
International fitness business empire mogul. Founder of "The Timeless Warrior" training regime, based on ancient lost arts of body purification through testing one's physical limits, combined with the introduction into your healthy diet of designer herbal infused beverages. Proposed by some in the fashion industry that Akimoto was the father of the "hipster" movement. Rumoured a) to be majority owner in the up and coming "Citadel" independent music label, b) to have founded the online "Barbarian" clothing line which specializes in custom design t-shirts, c) to own a number of fashionable craft beer eateries in Tokyo, St Petersburg and Munich.
Why was Mick researching this guy?
20151002
C2IP Update.2
The ground shook again, dislodging more rubble from the bombed-out buildings. Shadows swept across the ground from the light of the flares in the night sky, voices hollow and fuzzy with static calling out over malfunctioning sound-systems, repeating emergency protocol directions that were very 'too-little-too-late'. Mick strolled down the centre of the cracked and scorched street as if all the lights and noise were a massive party; this wasn't his first apocalypse. In a lot of ways he felt at home in disaster zones; they were somehow more honest.
His contacts were less brazen, with good reason Mick figured, given that of the ever-increasing number of factions in what appeared to be a cold-war-turned-hot-turning-nova most likely had capture or kill orders out on them. They signalled to him with a pre-arranged series of flashlight blinks from the shadows of a ruined hotel lobby.
"Okay," Mick said, hunkered down behind the front desk. "First off, no I haven't gotten any leads on who the double-agent is. I don't doubt your intel, especially given the source, but there are so many variables in play right now...
"Second, Goner's rejoined Max, Frank and Angst, so they're active again as a cell. Plus they've gotten a lead on Mags - sounds like she's changed too.
"As for Suki, it looks like she's actually shifted along the Chronoplex - that's what we're calling it now, right? She seems to be in a much older version of herself. I know, it's not the first-time Suki's age has altered. No idea if or how she's going to intersect with the others.
"The Diner crew... Things are still different with them too... Like they're on a different frequency from the other Dragons? I dunno, I feel like something's brewing there.
"Max has got his spirit guides in play, the bird and the talking cat. Still nothing from Aqua. Oh, but get this - I found this weird urban legend about this strange warrior-monk type-guy who wanders the globe, actually walking, no planes or buses. He's this dirty bearded vagabond, stops briefly to debate about things like Confucianism or Norse Mythology. Sometimes does a bit of intervening on a street-level if there's some injustice happening, and ain't there always? There's versions of the tale where he seeks out a vision at holy places, the hidden Temple of the Sky on Everest, the sacred glass monolith at the centre of the Sahara Desert, the keystone of the Great Wall of China that contains the last essence of the demon Hrarchuta who sacrificed his immortality to save his love, the angelic Yuriti... It's great stuff; I wish I'd written it. But it's got to be our boy Akimoto, right?
"And lastly, just so I'm keeping track, so far there's the Chronoplex, the Paraplex, and the Ultraplex? Now, how about you share with me: do we know yet what exactly has kicked off this whole mess between the System and Counter-System?"
The contacts exchanged glances.
Suddenly a swarm of sirens began wailing outside and the thunder of helicopters erupted overhead. Mick sighed. "I get it, 'to be continued'."
His contacts were less brazen, with good reason Mick figured, given that of the ever-increasing number of factions in what appeared to be a cold-war-turned-hot-turning-nova most likely had capture or kill orders out on them. They signalled to him with a pre-arranged series of flashlight blinks from the shadows of a ruined hotel lobby.
"Okay," Mick said, hunkered down behind the front desk. "First off, no I haven't gotten any leads on who the double-agent is. I don't doubt your intel, especially given the source, but there are so many variables in play right now...
"Second, Goner's rejoined Max, Frank and Angst, so they're active again as a cell. Plus they've gotten a lead on Mags - sounds like she's changed too.
"As for Suki, it looks like she's actually shifted along the Chronoplex - that's what we're calling it now, right? She seems to be in a much older version of herself. I know, it's not the first-time Suki's age has altered. No idea if or how she's going to intersect with the others.
"The Diner crew... Things are still different with them too... Like they're on a different frequency from the other Dragons? I dunno, I feel like something's brewing there.
"Max has got his spirit guides in play, the bird and the talking cat. Still nothing from Aqua. Oh, but get this - I found this weird urban legend about this strange warrior-monk type-guy who wanders the globe, actually walking, no planes or buses. He's this dirty bearded vagabond, stops briefly to debate about things like Confucianism or Norse Mythology. Sometimes does a bit of intervening on a street-level if there's some injustice happening, and ain't there always? There's versions of the tale where he seeks out a vision at holy places, the hidden Temple of the Sky on Everest, the sacred glass monolith at the centre of the Sahara Desert, the keystone of the Great Wall of China that contains the last essence of the demon Hrarchuta who sacrificed his immortality to save his love, the angelic Yuriti... It's great stuff; I wish I'd written it. But it's got to be our boy Akimoto, right?
"And lastly, just so I'm keeping track, so far there's the Chronoplex, the Paraplex, and the Ultraplex? Now, how about you share with me: do we know yet what exactly has kicked off this whole mess between the System and Counter-System?"
The contacts exchanged glances.
Suddenly a swarm of sirens began wailing outside and the thunder of helicopters erupted overhead. Mick sighed. "I get it, 'to be continued'."
20150824
The Writing On The Wall
It was 30 degrees in the shade. He had been skateboarding around town waiting for a signal and decided it was time for a rest.
Darius sat on the edge of the road, skateboard at his side. He took took off his headphones and wrapped them around his Digital Audio Player.
He was sipping a cola when he happened to glance up at the wall across from him and saw the graffiti.
MAX KNOWS TOO MUCH
Underneath that someone else had added in red spray paint:
THEREFORE HE MUST DIE!
Darius sat on the edge of the road, skateboard at his side. He took took off his headphones and wrapped them around his Digital Audio Player.
He was sipping a cola when he happened to glance up at the wall across from him and saw the graffiti.
MAX KNOWS TOO MUCH
Underneath that someone else had added in red spray paint:
THEREFORE HE MUST DIE!
20150817
C2IP Update.1
Mick opened the locker and removed the satchel, headed to the nearest washroom. The intercom rattled off train arrival and departure notifications in a bland, synthetic voice. A security drone hummed over the swarm of commuters. Mick had taken two capsules of Glamour before arriving at the station and run some invisibility mantras - he'd be cloaked from any surveillance for about an hour. Unless the Sidhe showed up, which meant things were fucked anyway.
Hunkered in a stall, Mick unzipped the satchel. There was a hardcover book, one of the sourcebooks for the Aeon Triumph Gun Messiahs RPG. A pencil and a piece of paper. Mick used the book as a firm surface to write on, scrawling notes quickly with the pencil on the paper.
Four System operations identified.
Two Counter-System activities being monitored, plus one potential.
Pretty George might be dead.
Max has made contact with Dexter, Wraith and Callan - still not sure if they've joined the System or have been recruited by Counter. No contact with Darius (he's been running on a parallel stream ever since the Millennium Incident I think, which Max doesn't know much about, either because he wasn't there or can't remember).
Max is still working closely with Angst and Frank.
Goner's gone dark. Suki seems to be missing.
Aqua disappeared with the remains of the Subway car.
I've got some rumours on Akimoto to follow-up on.
The name Summer keeps coming up...?
No confirmed contact with Maggie.
No clues yet to which one is the double-agent.
Any idea what the fuck exactly is going on?
Mick folded the paper once and tucked it inside the book. He noticed the page he had randomly opened to: the description and stats for one of the Vatars that players could summon once they reached level 13 as a Gun Messiah. 'The Void'.
He shivered. Then sneered. Mick was not the superstitious type.
Hunkered in a stall, Mick unzipped the satchel. There was a hardcover book, one of the sourcebooks for the Aeon Triumph Gun Messiahs RPG. A pencil and a piece of paper. Mick used the book as a firm surface to write on, scrawling notes quickly with the pencil on the paper.
Four System operations identified.
Two Counter-System activities being monitored, plus one potential.
Pretty George might be dead.
Max has made contact with Dexter, Wraith and Callan - still not sure if they've joined the System or have been recruited by Counter. No contact with Darius (he's been running on a parallel stream ever since the Millennium Incident I think, which Max doesn't know much about, either because he wasn't there or can't remember).
Max is still working closely with Angst and Frank.
Goner's gone dark. Suki seems to be missing.
Aqua disappeared with the remains of the Subway car.
I've got some rumours on Akimoto to follow-up on.
The name Summer keeps coming up...?
No confirmed contact with Maggie.
No clues yet to which one is the double-agent.
Any idea what the fuck exactly is going on?
Mick folded the paper once and tucked it inside the book. He noticed the page he had randomly opened to: the description and stats for one of the Vatars that players could summon once they reached level 13 as a Gun Messiah. 'The Void'.
He shivered. Then sneered. Mick was not the superstitious type.
20150731
> Chance in Plureality 7
He came to in a field. The sounds of tires on asphalt floated by with the Doppler effect. He rubbed his eyes and crawled out of the tall grass. He felt like being drunk, from the glass of water's point of view. He was actually starting to get used to it now. Balance was always hard to maintain though and he fell into the orange doors of the storage lockers.
Find an identity... Pretend. The usual course. Weather the shift.
Reaching up he grabbed at the lock on the shutter door. Someone didn't fully close it... Either that or reality was throwing him a bone. Dropping the lock to the ground he reeled the door upwards.
Stumbling over some worn faux-leather recliners, he squeezed himself between a propped up mattress and reached for the brown boxes in the back. Boxes held parts of people's lives, he knew. Stored away the trinkets that held memories, these time capsules of sorts.
He dug through quickly. Not wanting to handle too much at once. He'd come to realize across shifts that during these "calibration" moments he could take on the memories stored in objects. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of fallout, or if this is what the Angel and Demon wanted him to be doing.
It was a blessing and a curse at the same time. He could hide from the sweeper teams, those seeking the reality deviants, this way. You blend in properly they look right past you. They scan your mind, and if you happen to be carrying enough hijacked memory from someone they might just overlook you.
It's hard taking on someone else's life though. You don't always have the understanding you need to fully adapt. You've got fractions of the whole... And if you're not careful... You impale yourself on the sharp end of the stick of their pain.
Rummaging through the boxes Keane picked up his new identity... A writer... Struggling apparently. Lost... Self-destructive... A small red box he lifted sent a jolt of loss. A woman with red hair. Brilliant smile... Miles away. He dropped it with a pained cry.
Sudden spurt of rage and the box shoots out into the night air, its contents scattering along the gravel. Opening the new box, digging frantically. A jacket, worn beaten leather. Shrugging the mantel on the memories dug in. Sore feet. Vacant highways. Wanderlust.
Then he saw the phone... These little computers held so much of a person these days. Calibration was nearing its end... He grabbed the phone. A different woman's face now. A hollow feeling now. But a goal... Hear her voice... Even though he's never heard it himself. The memories he'd stolen were there... But memory wouldn't do this time... It wasn't as simple as hiding from the sweepers this time... He had to find this woman... It was going to be dangerous, it wasn't going to make sense... These weren't his memories. This wasn't his life... But this one held a key, he knew it.
Keane crawled back out of the locker, over the pile of scattered contents, and headed for the highway, down a road he had never walked, but one his stolen memories knew.
Find an identity... Pretend. The usual course. Weather the shift.
Reaching up he grabbed at the lock on the shutter door. Someone didn't fully close it... Either that or reality was throwing him a bone. Dropping the lock to the ground he reeled the door upwards.
Stumbling over some worn faux-leather recliners, he squeezed himself between a propped up mattress and reached for the brown boxes in the back. Boxes held parts of people's lives, he knew. Stored away the trinkets that held memories, these time capsules of sorts.
He dug through quickly. Not wanting to handle too much at once. He'd come to realize across shifts that during these "calibration" moments he could take on the memories stored in objects. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of fallout, or if this is what the Angel and Demon wanted him to be doing.
It was a blessing and a curse at the same time. He could hide from the sweeper teams, those seeking the reality deviants, this way. You blend in properly they look right past you. They scan your mind, and if you happen to be carrying enough hijacked memory from someone they might just overlook you.
It's hard taking on someone else's life though. You don't always have the understanding you need to fully adapt. You've got fractions of the whole... And if you're not careful... You impale yourself on the sharp end of the stick of their pain.
Rummaging through the boxes Keane picked up his new identity... A writer... Struggling apparently. Lost... Self-destructive... A small red box he lifted sent a jolt of loss. A woman with red hair. Brilliant smile... Miles away. He dropped it with a pained cry.
Sudden spurt of rage and the box shoots out into the night air, its contents scattering along the gravel. Opening the new box, digging frantically. A jacket, worn beaten leather. Shrugging the mantel on the memories dug in. Sore feet. Vacant highways. Wanderlust.
Then he saw the phone... These little computers held so much of a person these days. Calibration was nearing its end... He grabbed the phone. A different woman's face now. A hollow feeling now. But a goal... Hear her voice... Even though he's never heard it himself. The memories he'd stolen were there... But memory wouldn't do this time... It wasn't as simple as hiding from the sweepers this time... He had to find this woman... It was going to be dangerous, it wasn't going to make sense... These weren't his memories. This wasn't his life... But this one held a key, he knew it.
Keane crawled back out of the locker, over the pile of scattered contents, and headed for the highway, down a road he had never walked, but one his stolen memories knew.
20150607
20150603
> Chance in Plureality 6
January 12th, ????
The two suited figures on the bench talked, the scruffy and worn man in his dirty suit and pristine crucifix; His head slowly leaning to one side. The old man in blue beside him, shaking his hands at him in an almost chiding manner, leaning on a cane, as if to reiterate a point already discussed. Still, no one but I seemed to notice them.
I'm leaving this floating in the stream. I still don't understand it, but I've come to feel its pull from time to time. The Angel and the Demon tried their best to explain it, but it's never fully taken hold.
I've kept moving like they suggested, never stayed in one place too long, never made waves; just observed them.
I can't count the number of places I've been in, nor the number of 'instances' I've participated in... I usually know when a jump is coming though. It's like a tremor, you could be doing anything, then you notice it. Things just seem off, or far too clear. Police describe the adrenaline rush they get as heightening sounds or sensations, things are louder, clearer... More focused. It's a shame I've never been able to adapt to it and use it like I feel I should be able to. I just get lost in it, fall into the life I've taken on during that instance... Try to cling to it, like it'll make a difference this time around...
I've made my way by assuming lives. Easiest way to start, gather up some money... Starting from the bottom in some instances, beg, borrow, steal... Get some bankroll. After that, hit up a storage auction. You'd be surprised what kind of a start you can get from that... Little bits of a person or a family, all conveniently stowed awaiting retrieval. You can use that, set yourself up, assume a life.
I know I'm supposed to observe, and wait... For what I still don't know, but I see them sometimes, during those tense moments. The kid and the girl with feathers in her hair. Often the man with the amusing or ironic t-shirts is there. Sometimes others... Recurring characters in a story I'm not allowed to know, but I play a part in apparently nonetheless.
I'm writing this now because I don't want to do this anymore.... I'm tired... I wish I'd never taken the time to listen to those two. Maybe I'd still be bouncing from cube to cube, making my ends meet, instead of digging through other peoples forgotten life fragments, trying to make some facsimile of a life.
I want the meaning I was promised by those two that day over breakfast... I'll even take part of that meaning... Something will be better than nothing... And yet... I still gets that feeling... Like the other night in that noodle shop.
There was a car accident outside, I'd swear that happened in slow motion... A white car narrowly avoided the wreck... It sped off into the night, leaving one of its passengers behind. I'd never met him, but he had that feeling about him, as I watched from the sidelines as I usually do. I knew this man somehow. He walked in the same stream as we do, and if you're reading this you know what stream I mean.
While onlookers swarmed the car crash, the suited man from the car stood staring down the street, all but unnoticed by the onlookers. He had a worn out look to him... He looked like I feel. Tired... Worn out... Just done.
Another man came out of the crowd then, also seemingly unnoticed by any of the onlookers. He walked with him and led him to a bench, where they sat down. It was then the scene enveloped me as they usually do... I could hear the sizzling of the kitchen behind me... The rustling of the man across from me as he turned to look at the chaos taking place in the streets, the overhead fans thrummed in tune to the footsteps of the people crowding the accident outside.
The two suited figures on the bench talked, the scruffy and worn man in his dirty suit and pristine crucifix; His head slowly leaning to one side. The old man in blue beside him, shaking his hands at him in an almost chiding manner, leaning on a cane, as if to reiterate a point already discussed. Still, no one but I seemed to notice them.
This carried on for some time, until the police showed up outside. A recurring character, the large detective among them this time for some reason. It was then the man in the blue suit took notice, of the detective I assume... When he placed his hand on his listeners shoulder and patted it. It felt like goodbye from where I was seeing it.
A man rose from the noodle counter inside with me and headed out to street. I'd seen him before... I'd recognize him every time, the angel mentioned him a lot, made a point of it even, he wore a black t-shirt this time with a large yellow infinity symbol on it. He rushed out to the nearby bench to the suited man's side, whom now alone raised his head to look at him with a smile. Then he closed his eyes and let his head sink into his chest.
The normal merge feeling I get turned to nausea then, and I felt like I couldn't breath... I knocked over my noodles when I ran to the bathroom, and once I hit the door I shifted... I'm leaving this letter on the typewriter I found amongst the clutter in the old shop I ended up in...
If you're riding the same stream... Please... I'm done... I want to go back to how it was... Before the man on the bench... Before that morning in the diner... Hell. I'll take getting fired, I'll even take getting creamed by that white Buick that morning instead of missing it. Just let this all make some sense...
If you're riding the same stream... Please... I'm done... I want to go back to how it was... Before the man on the bench... Before that morning in the diner... Hell. I'll take getting fired, I'll even take getting creamed by that white Buick that morning instead of missing it. Just let this all make some sense...
Signed... KEANE.
20150526
Neo Static: The Permutation Particles Polka - End
Aqua was in the middle of the tunnels; she was cut up and badly bruised but she kept swinging. It wasn't long before Suki was with her and she let her know that the job was done.
Darius, Twofeathers and Suki ran through the complex as Ul'ran zombies clambered after them. Wanting them to join the party.
Frank looked at the countdown on his chronometer. Only 18 more seconds to go before they were all aligned.
Angst, Ruffo and Angelissa sat at a table sipping tea as others walked past.
Max hovered off the floor, his fingers moving about seeing the data-streams of timelines before him and shaking his head 'no', dropping a few strings and gathering more and shaking his head 'no'.
Dan picked up the dice once again as everyone around the table waited for what was going to happen. It all resulted in this dice roll. It was all or nothing on this one.
"It's about time you joined the fight," Aqua shot at Suki.
"Sure thing, girlfriend," Suki said. "You think what I was doing was a picnic?"
"Yeah," Aqua replied. She took out a huge beastie with a punch, sending it sprawling back into its buddies. "Now, let's see if we can hold them off!"
"Madness," Twofeathers replied. No matter what corner they turned or what room they entered it seemed that the Ul'ran were already there. "This is madness."
"You don't know the half of it, sister," Suki said. She was rubbing her elbow; her arm was sore after dispensing a lot of charges with the Godhammer. She hoped Max was correct with whatever he was doing since it seemed like it was going to be the end.
Darius took out his cross necklace and gave it a kiss for luck. Twofeathers did a double-take at him and then she let out a chuckle.
Darius, Twofeathers and Suki ran through the complex as Ul'ran zombies clambered after them. Wanting them to join the party.
Frank looked at the countdown on his chronometer. Only 18 more seconds to go before they were all aligned.
Angst, Ruffo and Angelissa sat at a table sipping tea as others walked past.
Max hovered off the floor, his fingers moving about seeing the data-streams of timelines before him and shaking his head 'no', dropping a few strings and gathering more and shaking his head 'no'.
Dan picked up the dice once again as everyone around the table waited for what was going to happen. It all resulted in this dice roll. It was all or nothing on this one.
"It's about time you joined the fight," Aqua shot at Suki.
"Sure thing, girlfriend," Suki said. "You think what I was doing was a picnic?"
"Yeah," Aqua replied. She took out a huge beastie with a punch, sending it sprawling back into its buddies. "Now, let's see if we can hold them off!"
"Madness," Twofeathers replied. No matter what corner they turned or what room they entered it seemed that the Ul'ran were already there. "This is madness."
"You don't know the half of it, sister," Suki said. She was rubbing her elbow; her arm was sore after dispensing a lot of charges with the Godhammer. She hoped Max was correct with whatever he was doing since it seemed like it was going to be the end.
Darius took out his cross necklace and gave it a kiss for luck. Twofeathers did a double-take at him and then she let out a chuckle.
Frank checked the shotgun and was about to join Suki and Aqua in the tunnels.
"There's nothing you can do there," Max said to him.
"What?" Frank looked at him. "You're kidding right?"
"Frank, when have I ever misled you?" Max asked.
"The question is when haven't you misled me," Frank said. His impulse was to go and help the kids out in a overwhelming battle. But he trusted Max to the very end of his life.
"Can I get you ladies anything else?" the waiter asked.
Angst nodded and flashed him a smile and the waiter turned a little shade of red.
"There's nothing you can do there," Max said to him.
"What?" Frank looked at him. "You're kidding right?"
"Frank, when have I ever misled you?" Max asked.
"The question is when haven't you misled me," Frank said. His impulse was to go and help the kids out in a overwhelming battle. But he trusted Max to the very end of his life.
"Can I get you ladies anything else?" the waiter asked.
Angst nodded and flashed him a smile and the waiter turned a little shade of red.
"Mom," Angelissa said.
"I'm not your mother," Angst said to her, "Well, I... I could be your mother... Wait... I am your mother?"
"What are we doing waiting here?" Ruffo asked. She had a sound of agitation in her voice. She didn't know where they were and what they were doing but it was nice just to sit and catch their breath for a little while. "What are we suppose to be waiting for?"
"You will know when you see it," Angst said. She leaned over and gave Angelissa a kiss on the cheek, letting her know full well that she would be the mother she would never know.
Max's fingers were moving across like he was playing a huge harp. That's when he noticed blood on the tips of his fingers.
"Now you know how Bryan Adams felt," Maggie whispered.
Max noticed that his fingertips had thin slices like papercuts but it wasn't stinging at all.
"... and that's when you notice the cuts on Max's fingertips, each finger that he's been weaving with has left tiny droplets of his blood in it..." Tim said.
Dan's mouth dropped and everyone around the table looked up and he added, "You mean?"
"Yep," Tim stated with a sly smile. "Exactly. Now make your roll and let's just see how well the code was written."
Dan shook the dice in his hands and let them drop onto the table. They did their dance: the negative dice landed on a 1 (which was good to see) and the positive dice landed on a 6 and this meant he rolled it again and added it to the total.
Dan picked up the die to roll, Tim turned his attention to Peyton.
Aqua had taken a critical wound to the neck. Blood was pumping out due to her adrenaline being pushed to the limits, but she cracked a smile since she was going out on her own terms. She grabbed the huge beast in front of her and with all her might snapped its neck like a twig, letting out a primeval scream of victory before she staggered back.
A wall of beasties swarmed toward her.
"Nooo!" Suki screamed and that's when her face changed from a tween to a woman of rage. Mustering every ounce of strength she had she took the Godhammer in her hands and snapped it in two. "She you losers in hell!"
The explosion ripped through the tunnel.
"What is it?" Darius asked of Suki. She stood still for a second and let out a gasp.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "It just .... I don't want this to sound corny... but I felt like something bad happened."
There was the sound of an implosion echoing off in the distance. A ripple and a wave of energy began washing through the area.
"Sweet," Twofeathers said. "Now what!"
Frank let the shotgun drop to the floor and he hung his head in shame. "Was this all for naught?"
The waiter placed another round of ice tea in front of the ladies, and they all smiled and raised their glasses in a toast.
"Ha! I win," Morganfokker whispered. "You lose, like the failure that you are!"
"Would it kill you to know that this was the game plan all along?" Maggie said with a knowing smile. "A sleight of hand so simple that you'd not be paying attention to what the other hand was doing."
"What?" Morganfokker said. "No, it can't be."
Max let the strings go from his bloody fingertips and let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm not your mother," Angst said to her, "Well, I... I could be your mother... Wait... I am your mother?"
"What are we doing waiting here?" Ruffo asked. She had a sound of agitation in her voice. She didn't know where they were and what they were doing but it was nice just to sit and catch their breath for a little while. "What are we suppose to be waiting for?"
"You will know when you see it," Angst said. She leaned over and gave Angelissa a kiss on the cheek, letting her know full well that she would be the mother she would never know.
Max's fingers were moving across like he was playing a huge harp. That's when he noticed blood on the tips of his fingers.
"Now you know how Bryan Adams felt," Maggie whispered.
Max noticed that his fingertips had thin slices like papercuts but it wasn't stinging at all.
"... and that's when you notice the cuts on Max's fingertips, each finger that he's been weaving with has left tiny droplets of his blood in it..." Tim said.
Dan's mouth dropped and everyone around the table looked up and he added, "You mean?"
"Yep," Tim stated with a sly smile. "Exactly. Now make your roll and let's just see how well the code was written."
Dan shook the dice in his hands and let them drop onto the table. They did their dance: the negative dice landed on a 1 (which was good to see) and the positive dice landed on a 6 and this meant he rolled it again and added it to the total.
Dan picked up the die to roll, Tim turned his attention to Peyton.
Aqua had taken a critical wound to the neck. Blood was pumping out due to her adrenaline being pushed to the limits, but she cracked a smile since she was going out on her own terms. She grabbed the huge beast in front of her and with all her might snapped its neck like a twig, letting out a primeval scream of victory before she staggered back.
A wall of beasties swarmed toward her.
"Nooo!" Suki screamed and that's when her face changed from a tween to a woman of rage. Mustering every ounce of strength she had she took the Godhammer in her hands and snapped it in two. "She you losers in hell!"
The explosion ripped through the tunnel.
"What is it?" Darius asked of Suki. She stood still for a second and let out a gasp.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "It just .... I don't want this to sound corny... but I felt like something bad happened."
There was the sound of an implosion echoing off in the distance. A ripple and a wave of energy began washing through the area.
"Sweet," Twofeathers said. "Now what!"
Frank let the shotgun drop to the floor and he hung his head in shame. "Was this all for naught?"
The waiter placed another round of ice tea in front of the ladies, and they all smiled and raised their glasses in a toast.
"Ha! I win," Morganfokker whispered. "You lose, like the failure that you are!"
"Would it kill you to know that this was the game plan all along?" Maggie said with a knowing smile. "A sleight of hand so simple that you'd not be paying attention to what the other hand was doing."
"What?" Morganfokker said. "No, it can't be."
Max let the strings go from his bloody fingertips and let out a sigh of relief.
"Game. Set. And Match, Morganfokker!"
It was a sound like someone receiving a call on their cellphone, a little ding that seem to echo about the realms. Max hovered off the ground, light shining around him like beams from multiple lighthouses as cracks began to appear across his body. The ultimate sacrifice, he turned to the apparition of Morganfokker and lifted up a hand and simply waved at him, like he was waving to a friend who was moving away... and that's when Max seemed to implode on himself... creating a black hole sucking in the streams, data, and other realities with him.
Before everything went dark...
It was a sound like someone receiving a call on their cellphone, a little ding that seem to echo about the realms. Max hovered off the ground, light shining around him like beams from multiple lighthouses as cracks began to appear across his body. The ultimate sacrifice, he turned to the apparition of Morganfokker and lifted up a hand and simply waved at him, like he was waving to a friend who was moving away... and that's when Max seemed to implode on himself... creating a black hole sucking in the streams, data, and other realities with him.
Before everything went dark...
20150524
Neo Static: The Permutation Particles Polka IX
Long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Suki slipped the flash drive into the slot. Her fingers danced over the keypad like a spider crawling across hot pavement. Aqua activated her gloves as she heard the sound of ripping and space and time began to fold down the passageway.
"Max was right," Aqua muttered. "It wasn't too long before they'd be onto us!"
"You do what you are paid to do, Aqua," Suki said. "I just need to finish coding and I will join ya."
"I got this," Aqua said as she made her way up the passageway.
Shooting stars never stop even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop even when they reach the top
Beads of sweat ran down from Frank's forehead as he closed the laptop.
"Done," he said to Max.
Max let a few strings go while grabbing a few more and moving them about his fingers like someone weaving a tapestry would do. Max could see the results unfolding in the infinite as his fingers were working, creating a better possibility.
There goes a supernova what a pushover-yeah
There goes a supernova what a pushover
Angst, Angelissa and Ruffo were rushing through the complex. Ruffo had thought it was her base of operations but it wasn't actually her base. It looked like everyone there was going about their business and paying no heed to her as she ran through the corridors with two cheerleaders.
It looked like they were late going to the prom. Ruffo was trying to fathom what was going on and how what they were doing was related to her own homeworld being invaded by an alien race, and how that seemed to be of no significance at all.
"Is this always like this?" Ruffo asked.
"And then some," replied Angst.
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Suki, Twofeathers and Darius where in the middle of a huge battle with 13 foot tall mechanical robots. There was a dozen of them still left while a huge pile of scrap metal was scattered about. Suki's Godhammer made it very easy but it was still a nuisance, like mosquitoes at a summer camp as you try to enjoy the campfire.
"GOT IT!" Darius shouted. He threw the item into a rucksack and then lifted his weapon.
"It's about freakin' time!" Twofeathers said. She was tired of being swatted around.
"SUKI, WE ARE LEAVIN'," Darius shouted.
"Awww." Suki seemed saddened by the fact that she had to break from battle. "Just one more?"
20150517
Neo Static: The Permutation Particles Polka V
Darius skateboarded down the ramp with Twofeathers flying a little ahead as a scout. Suki kept up with them as she jogged, making sure the Godhammer was on and ready to sing a song of death or two. Darius held a three dimension projection of the area in his hands, casually pointing to the direction they needed to go.
"Why is this Ul'ran invasion important?" Twofeathers asked as she flew back. She was bored and just wanted to talk. "We've seen a few timelines crumble in our journeys - what makes this one special?"
"Everything and nothing," Darius replied. "It's all part of the plan. What we are doing has to be of great significance or.... it could be a set point in time as well as..."
"I've learned a long time ago to just go with the flow," Suki chimed in.
Twofeathers drifted over to Suki and looked her over, as if checking for defaults. After all, hadn't they been talking with another version?
"I never thought there were any other versions of me out there," Twofeathers said. "Maybe I'm a mighty dragon in one of them."
"Or a bug on a windshield in another," Darius quipped.
"Why is this Ul'ran invasion important?" Twofeathers asked as she flew back. She was bored and just wanted to talk. "We've seen a few timelines crumble in our journeys - what makes this one special?"
"Everything and nothing," Darius replied. "It's all part of the plan. What we are doing has to be of great significance or.... it could be a set point in time as well as..."
"I've learned a long time ago to just go with the flow," Suki chimed in.
Twofeathers drifted over to Suki and looked her over, as if checking for defaults. After all, hadn't they been talking with another version?
"I never thought there were any other versions of me out there," Twofeathers said. "Maybe I'm a mighty dragon in one of them."
"Or a bug on a windshield in another," Darius quipped.
20150425
Neo Static: The Permutation Particles Polka I
"... now you understand what must be done," Max said to them all. He had turned to the three-dimensional projection of Suki and Aqua hovering before them. "Time is of the essence, though the essence of time is not up for question. Comprehend?"
Aqua nodded as if she understood. She banged the battle gauntlets she was wearing together to activate them.
Suki just shrugged, lifting her hands in a 'comme ci, comme ca' motion. Her 13 year old brain was still trying to wrap around the fact of seeing herself, or another version of her, in the room with Max while he was giving them their task to do. And she was still trying to figure out if this Max was the Max.
"You got it, dude," she finally said. Then the holographic projection disappeared.
Max turned to the others he had gathered; a cup of coffee materialized before him and he took a sip of the elixir.
Suki glanced up at Max and smiled; same old Max. Then she looked at the others in the room where they had gathered:
Darius and his sidekick, Twofeathers, resting on his shoulders.
A much older version of Frank, his hair grey and his face clean shaven standing with what she had first thought was a version of Angst but turned out to be her daughter, Angelissa. Suki presumed the various strings in the plex intertwined and changed and off-shoot to various other alternatives which were endless and constantly changing like waves on a beach.
Aqua nodded as if she understood. She banged the battle gauntlets she was wearing together to activate them.
Suki just shrugged, lifting her hands in a 'comme ci, comme ca' motion. Her 13 year old brain was still trying to wrap around the fact of seeing herself, or another version of her, in the room with Max while he was giving them their task to do. And she was still trying to figure out if this Max was the Max.
"You got it, dude," she finally said. Then the holographic projection disappeared.
Max turned to the others he had gathered; a cup of coffee materialized before him and he took a sip of the elixir.
Suki glanced up at Max and smiled; same old Max. Then she looked at the others in the room where they had gathered:
Darius and his sidekick, Twofeathers, resting on his shoulders.
A much older version of Frank, his hair grey and his face clean shaven standing with what she had first thought was a version of Angst but turned out to be her daughter, Angelissa. Suki presumed the various strings in the plex intertwined and changed and off-shoot to various other alternatives which were endless and constantly changing like waves on a beach.
And standing beside them was the Angst that she knew and loved but it wasn't her Angst, or maybe it was but it was not too easy to tell these days.
And then there was the Suki and Aqua which Max had contacted, wanting them to...
"You sure you are up to this, Suki?" Max asked her.
"You got it, dude," she told him.
And then there was the Suki and Aqua which Max had contacted, wanting them to...
"You sure you are up to this, Suki?" Max asked her.
"You got it, dude," she told him.
20150411
Neo Static: What May Be, What Might Be, What It Is VI
Darius and Twofeathers were resting against a tree; well more like Darius was resting while Twofeathers seemed to fly from branch to branch looking for a particular roost that seemed comfortable. It was spring in New York City and Central Park was lovely this time of the year. Darius had only been here once before but that was New Year's and he really didn't have time to enjoy it due to the circumstances that were happening at the time.
"Damn it to hell," Twofeathers replied.
"Damn it to hell," Twofeathers replied.
"Just get some shut eye will ya," Darius told her. '"We've got a big job to do tomorrow."
"How bout a big job right now," Max said, sending Darius out of his slumber.
"What the hell?"
Max was hovering one metre off the ground before them. "I got a job for you guys."
"Sweet!" Twofeathers stated. "But, who the frak are you?"
"This is Max," Darius told her.
"Max?" she repeated. "You mean the Max?"
"The one and only," Max answered. "And I need your help... Well, not me but some people that are going to need some help."
"You don't need to explain anything to me," Darius stated. "I'm in."
"How bout a big job right now," Max said, sending Darius out of his slumber.
"What the hell?"
Max was hovering one metre off the ground before them. "I got a job for you guys."
"Sweet!" Twofeathers stated. "But, who the frak are you?"
"This is Max," Darius told her.
"Max?" she repeated. "You mean the Max?"
"The one and only," Max answered. "And I need your help... Well, not me but some people that are going to need some help."
"You don't need to explain anything to me," Darius stated. "I'm in."
20141101
Overheard on the Southbound Train
"What do you mean I'm not in costume?" said a scrappy looking kid with a skateboard. "Lady, you spend your lunch hour saving the Metaplex from sources of the mundane to the supernatural and tell me that doing it as a full time job ain't scary! Oh and Happy Hallo'een!" He tossed a pack of licorice and hopped out the closing doors.
20140930
> Chance in Plureality 5
Keane sat in the booth on the quiet side of the diner. With this layout it was almost as if the other side didn't even exist, which suited him fine. He didn't really want to talk with anyone at the moment anyway. The day had gotten off to a rotten start. Slept in, burnt his breakfast (which is why he was finally getting around to it now at 2 in the afternoon), topping that off with nearly getting sideswiped going by the off-ramp on Clergy Street earlier.
Of course that wasn't anywhere near the end of the day either. By 11am he had been called into the boss' office and had been fired. Big show of things, too - his boss must have also had a rough morning, the way he went at him. On the other hand he just might have been the kind of boss who enjoyed firing people. Didn't help that Parsons, the douche-bag from near the water cooler, had to feign concern while Keane was cleaning out his desk. That kind of rising bile feeling, makes you wish you had super powers enough to knock a person through a wall.
It would all be alright though, he thought. Once breakfast finally came. Breakfast, especially a diner breakfast, always made him feel better. Besides, he always felt that he was meant for something more than cube work. The waitress arrived with his meal. The whole shebang! Pancakes, hash browns, toast, eggs, and a massive pile of meat. Toss in a nice cuppa java and a tall glass of OJ. This is what his day was missing from the get-go. This would make it all better, and THIS would allow the whole day to settle and make sense.
About 3 or 4 sips into his coffee, and a bite or two into the hash browns, a lithe woman with what appeared to be feathers in her hair slid into the booth across from him.
"Uh... Excuse me?" Keane looked up. "Can I help you?" She just smiled and pulled some of the brown curls back and tucked them behind her ear, the feathers brushing across the table.
"There's not much you could do to help us at the moment actually..." said a young man in a long coat (who wears one of those in this weather?) as he slid in beside the woman with feathers in her hair. A silver cross jangled on a chain around his neck. "'I always liked diner breakfasts too. Guess we have that in common... But you want a really good brekky? You gotta hit those little mom and pops... Just saying," the scruffy cross-bearer said.
"Do you guys mind? I'm trying to eat here, and I think you've got me confused with someone else," Keane pleaded. He only wanted his breakfast, even if it was 2pm.
"Oh I wouldn't dream of stopping you from eating - in fact you're gonna need it," the man in the long coat informed.
"It's going to be a looong day," the smiling feathered woman said.
"Look... What do you mea-" Keane started.
"Have you ever felt like you were meant for something more?" the young man smirked.
Keane felt something odd about that look, like these two knew more then they were saying. "Go on..." he said, slowly picking up another mouthful of hash browns with his fork.
20140829
The Selection
"What are we going to call this operation?" Darius wanted to know. "We should give it a cool name... you know, for the files."
Max leaned back in the chair and reached out for a book behind him; he closed his eyes and flipped the book open and stopped at a page. He then put a finger down on the page and then opened his eyes to see what word he had picked.
"Backbone," Max stated.
"Backbone?" Darius questioned. "What kind of a stupid-ass name is that for an assignment?"
Max leaned back in the chair and reached out for a book behind him; he closed his eyes and flipped the book open and stopped at a page. He then put a finger down on the page and then opened his eyes to see what word he had picked.
"Backbone," Max stated.
"Backbone?" Darius questioned. "What kind of a stupid-ass name is that for an assignment?"
20140814
v.Western
The last time that the drifter they called 'Sugarcube' - some stories said it was his sweet disposition, others involved a penchant for using treats to lure horses away from their rightful owners - had been through Omega Canyon it'd been a quiet, restful place. A good town to find a bit o' work or to lay low if need be, for whatever such reasons as a wanderin' soul with a knack for trouble-makin', or at least trouble-findin', might have. The folk of Omega were welcoming and not likely to inquire, so long as the trouble stayed out o' the Canyon.
But, as is the way of things, the town had changed. A mysterious landowner had moved in and he had brought a lot of two things with him: money and bad intentions. Wasn't long before the man they called Logollos had bent the will and the ways of the Canyon to a murkier, downright poisonous, disposition. So when Sugarcube returned and voiced his distaste with the new cruelties he found in the former haven, well, it led, as it often does, to a showdown in the main street.
Whether Logollos won the draw fair-and-square or whether there was some species o' chicanery involved was a truth kept hidden by the townsfolk. And whether that was outta spite or fear was another mystery in itself. But truth always has its seekers, and mysteries beg to be solved...
And so it was that some weeks after Sugarcube was gunned down in the street that a misfit gang of gunfighters rode into Omega Canyon lookin' to avenge the death of their friend. A bounty hunter, a sheriff, a gambler, a marshal, and a preacher. And, to borrow a phrase, Hell followed with them.
20140809
All In The Dice 3
Dan stopped before the next door. He was trembling. "I can't do this. This is ridiculous."
Mark stepped up beside him. "Hey, we've got your back."
Tim said, glancing down at his notes behind the screen, "Alright, so Dex's assist will give you a +2 on your Will save."
"Right on. Thanks Dex," Max said, smiling across the table at his friend as he picked up the 20-sided die.
Angie placed her ear against the old, wooden door. Ran her fingers along the edges to check for any draft.
Wraith said, "I rolled a 7."
Tim said, his voice neutral, "You don't hear anything..."
Darius said, "Tim, I give him the copy of the book - I guess I'm hoping some of the buffs will transfer over to him?"
Chance handed Dan his copy of the Metaplex Role-Playing Game Rule Book. It was Chance's favourite game; he spent hours reading and re-reading it. He always told the rest of the group that, even though it was all made up by the writers from Plureality Studios, that it had a lot of guidance about living in its pages.
"Alright Max, that will be another +3 bonus, with Dex's assist for 2, plus Dan's Meditation skill bonus of 2, for a total of +7. And your target number is... 23."
"I got this," Max said as he rolled the die.
Dan reached forward and opened the door...
Mark stepped up beside him. "Hey, we've got your back."
Tim said, glancing down at his notes behind the screen, "Alright, so Dex's assist will give you a +2 on your Will save."
"Right on. Thanks Dex," Max said, smiling across the table at his friend as he picked up the 20-sided die.
Angie placed her ear against the old, wooden door. Ran her fingers along the edges to check for any draft.
Wraith said, "I rolled a 7."
Tim said, his voice neutral, "You don't hear anything..."
Darius said, "Tim, I give him the copy of the book - I guess I'm hoping some of the buffs will transfer over to him?"
Chance handed Dan his copy of the Metaplex Role-Playing Game Rule Book. It was Chance's favourite game; he spent hours reading and re-reading it. He always told the rest of the group that, even though it was all made up by the writers from Plureality Studios, that it had a lot of guidance about living in its pages.
"Alright Max, that will be another +3 bonus, with Dex's assist for 2, plus Dan's Meditation skill bonus of 2, for a total of +7. And your target number is... 23."
"I got this," Max said as he rolled the die.
Dan reached forward and opened the door...
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