Author Topic: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point  (Read 55964 times)

Offline sirpercival

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Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« on: February 28, 2012, 10:41:14 PM »
((This thread (at least to start with) is for IA, Jack, Lilly, Radon, and Roy.  Other threads will be created, split, and combined as necessary.))



Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point

Where does one story end, and the next begin?  Sometimes the threads tie together across stories, weaving a tapestry more rich and varied than the participants even comprehend.

And sometimes, the whole mess goes up in flames.



The girl who hurries into the Acquisitions, Inc. office looks completely unprepared -- for one thing, she's wearing a tank top, and the blue lips and chattering teeth aren't great signs either.  She stumbles as she comes in, then slinks over to the heating unit in the corner to thaw.  Radon notices that she's in sandals, for chrissake.  She must have come straight from the beach in Sylvatium and hadn't stopped to change.

Once some color has come back into her face, he can tell that she's actually kind of pretty.  At the very least, she obviously takes great care with her appearance, though with a longer look she doesn't have a ton to work with.  She looks around the room, noting the just-this-side-of-dingy decor, and a dubious expression crosses her face, but she straightens up bravely and steps up to the counter.

"Hi... um... you can get stuff?  I mean, I need, um... I need something to keep me warm, ya know?  I thought the dome meant it would be warm here, ya know?  As long as I stayed in the dome I'd be fine, ya know??  But it's cold!" She pouts, as if the weather were a personal affront.  "Anyways, I need something to keep me warm but it can't be a jacket or anything 'cause I just got this tan and I'm starting a new job and what's the point if I can't look good doing it, ya know? So can you, ya know, 'acquire' something like that for me?" She bats her eyelashes at Radon and smiles, showing slightly gapped, bright-white teeth.



Lilly sighs at yet another dead end.  Edward Rokoff was the last name on her list of paroled felons, and it turned out he was an 84-year-old man who went insane and killed his wife and daughter with a shovel 4 decades ago... and died of old age last week.  No luck.

The early-winter air in North is quite chill, but the sky ripples with a diaphanous multicolored aurora, making up for the promised six months of night.  The miracle of natural holomancy provides enough light to see by; as Lilly leaves the Office of Public Records and ducks into the alley nearby for a smoke, it's hard not to be somewhat comforted by the sight.  She takes a drag on the cigarette, feeling the micro-lubricants loosen the titanium vertebra that keeps creaking -- she'll have to get that checked out next time she meets up with the Jobs.

"Hey, kid.  Hey metalhead!  I've got somethin' for ya."  A battered Lifetorn dressed in dirty sweats and combat boots grins toothlessly at her, holding up a matte black vial about two inches long.  "First one's on the house, just for you."



IA steps out of the terminal, shivering involuntarily at the cold.  Well, the sky is quite beautiful, but 6 months of darkness isn't her thing.  How will she know when to wake up in the morning if there's no morning to wake up to?  She drags the bag along behind her, checking the paper with the address of the boarding house her mother researched.  Not that the address will help, with no map... maybe it's time to ask for directions.

She looks up, searching for someone helpful-looking, but the street is deserted.  Great.  Well, there should be a Visitor's Center or something nearby, right?  She continues down the street, aimlessly looking at building signs for anything useful.

Finally IA turns a corner and sees someone, a punk kid standing in the middle of the street, staring up at the aurora.  Not the brightest prospect, but at least it's someone.  She begins to approach, and suddenly the kid convulses and drops to the ground, seizing.



Jack has always liked winter -- the darkness is peaceful out on the glaciers, and everything gets real quiet.  There's nothing much going on but the crunch of his boots in the snow, and the silent ghosting of the wolves.  Sure, it's even colder, but when you're up North, who gives a damn if it's freezing or freezinger?

Jack's also always been a loner, and it's served him well on the ice.  Not many like to come out here, unless they're hunting Remorhaz or Purple Worms.  But none of those tonight, Jack can feel it in his bones.

Except... he can see a shadow up ahead, behind a curve of the ice.  Looks to be humanoid, and not moving.



"Hey rook!  Did they teach you how to bring me coffee at the big ol' Academy?" Several of the veterans bust out laughing at Miles's lame snark, just like they have the last 20 times today.  Roy sighs wearily -- being at the bottom of the food chain is just one of those things you have to put up with.

He stands and wanders into the break room, pouring a cup for Miles and tipping a good measure of salt into it.  He'll pay for that eventually, but it'll be worth it to see the expression on Miles's face when he tastes it.

On his way back, the department Tabletop chimes, and a chorus of "Rook! Get that!" arises from the rest of the cubicles.  Roy shakes his head and puts the coffee down, using his uplink to access the call from his desk.

There's no video to the call, just audio.  Before he can say a word of greeting, Roy hears the sound of rough coughing and swallowing.  Then it stops, and a high-pitched, nasal male voice says, "I have a riddle for you: what do you get if you look a dragon in the eye?"  The voice gives a piercing laugh, which cuts off abruptly, followed by a loud thud.  The call ends.
« Last Edit: February 29, 2012, 08:59:14 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline littha

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2012, 11:41:47 PM »
Lilly looked up from her cigarette, the lifetorn looked as ugly as he smelled and considering you could smell him over the smoke that is saying something. She takes the vial from him and holds it up to the light for a moment before storing it in a pocket.

"Thanks, now piss off. Meat" The cold metal of her armbolt was pressed into his gut, in emphasis. Taking one last drag she tosses the butt at him and prepares to leave.

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2012, 01:04:51 AM »
Radon made a sound akin to coughing and clearing his throat at the same time.  It was his way of suppressing laughter.  A barely-clothed girl barging into a shop in the North requesting a personal heater was rather amusing, but business was business and customers don't like being laughed at.  He took a couple seconds to look through a binder with some of his notes and upon finding the needed entry closed it.

"I can get something like that, but it won't be cheap.  What's it worth to you, and how are you gonna pay?"
« Last Edit: February 29, 2012, 01:17:55 AM by Jackinthegreen »

Offline AyeGill

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2012, 02:30:02 AM »
Humanoid shadow. Uncommon, out here. Unmoving. Would-be domeskipper, paralyzed by cold? Corpse? Shapeshifting beast, camouflaged? Either way, problematic.

Jack approached the shadow cautiously, silently drawing a shuriken from his backpack. He pressed it gently, and four small glass orbs seemed to emerge from the metal. He held it up as he approached the shape as quietly as he could.
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #4 on: February 29, 2012, 10:15:50 AM »
Lilly looked up from her cigarette, the lifetorn looked as ugly as he smelled and considering you could smell him over the smoke that is saying something. She takes the vial from him and holds it up to the light for a moment before storing it in a pocket.

"Thanks, now piss off. Meat" The cold metal of her armbolt was pressed into his gut, in emphasis. Taking one last drag she tosses the butt at him and prepares to leave.

As Lilly holds up the vial, the Lifetorn waves at her.  "Hey! Don't do that unless the cops are around, you'll ruin it."  The vial is glass dipped in some kind of ultra-black substance that seems to just soak up light.  The joint between the cap and the body is extremely tight, and looks to be sealed with a similarly black waxy substance.

He backs away from the armbolt with his hands in the air.  "No problem, no problem.  You know where to find me if you want more."



Radon made a sound akin to coughing and clearing his throat at the same time.  It was his way of suppressing laughter.  A barely-clothed girl barging into a shop in the North requesting a personal heater was rather amusing, but business was business and customers don't like being laughed at.  He took a couple seconds to look through a binder with some of his notes and upon finding the needed entry closed it.

"I can get something like that, but it won't be cheap.  What's it worth to you, and how are you gonna pay?"

((The item she's talking about normally costs around 180 creds, and is pretty standard gear for North residents who can afford it.  It's basically a throat-slot item of 1/day endure elements.))

The girl laughs dismissively and tosses a CAC on the counter; the card is inscribed holomantically with the words "Bank of Aerie".  "Payment won't be a problem, ya know?  I just wanna know how long this is gonna take, 'cause I can't go out there in the cold right now!  Ya know?"



Humanoid shadow. Uncommon, out here. Unmoving. Would-be domeskipper, paralyzed by cold? Corpse? Shapeshifting beast, camouflaged? Either way, problematic.

Jack approached the shadow cautiously, silently drawing a shuriken from his backpack. He pressed it gently, and four small glass orbs seemed to emerge from the metal. He held it up as he approached the shape as quietly as he could.
(click to show/hide)


As Jack approaches, it's clear the shadow is indeed a humanoid figure -- a changeling, to be exact.  And it's not breathing.

The changeling is dressed in well-made masculine clothing, rather nondescript... except for the stylized dragon head on his chest which seems to have been burned through the clothes into the skin below.
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Offline AyeGill

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #5 on: February 29, 2012, 02:11:02 PM »
Dead. Or close enough as to not matter much. No obvious signs of physical harm. Cold, like as not. Not dressed proper for it.
Jack sheathed his shuriken, and walked all the way up to the dead changeling. He crouched next to it, and started searching for the cause of death.
How did you die, pal?
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #6 on: February 29, 2012, 02:30:26 PM »
Dead. Or close enough as to not matter much. No obvious signs of physical harm. Cold, like as not. Not dressed proper for it.
Jack sheathed his shuriken, and walked all the way up to the dead changeling. He crouched next to it, and started searching for the cause of death.
How did you die, pal?
(click to show/hide)

((I'll also assume you took 10 on Natural Lore and Perception checks.))

To Jack's practiced eye, this whole setup stinks, and not in a good way.  There are no visible wounds (besides the burned symbol) or signs of disease... other than the fact that the open, staring eyes are entirely black, including the irises and sclera.  There is also no sign of a struggle -- the snow and ice are unbroken around the body.  In fact, there are no footprints anywhere, other than yours.  The body is also laid out flat, not curled in a fetal position like it would have been if the guy had been freezing to death.
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Offline littha

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #7 on: February 29, 2012, 03:07:03 PM »
Lilly shoves past the startled Lifetorn and begins to wander, that was her last lead in the area and she would have to move on soon enough. Might as well see the sights.

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #8 on: February 29, 2012, 05:38:52 PM »

((The item she's talking about normally costs around 180 creds, and is pretty standard gear for North residents who can afford it.  It's basically a throat-slot item of 1/day endure elements.))

The girl laughs dismissively and tosses a CAC on the counter; the card is inscribed holomantically with the words "Bank of Aerie".  "Payment won't be a problem, ya know?  I just wanna know how long this is gonna take, 'cause I can't go out there in the cold right now!  Ya know?"

Radon swiped the card through the CAC reader and proceeded to transfer funds through DivNet.  "It's 210 gold.  I'll have it to you in about half an hour."

He handed her back her card as well as giving her a map of the North with Acquisitions Inc circled.  "I'd suggest you study that while I'm out.  Don't make trouble.  I'll know if you do."

With that he closed the divider above the counter and locked it, then came out of the room and locked the door behind him.  He turned the sign in the window around to "closed" and went out the front door, closing it behind him but not locking it.  After that, he set a businesslike pace towards the Blue Ice Emporium figuring it'd take him ten, maybe fifteen minutes to get there.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #9 on: February 29, 2012, 08:42:26 PM »
Lilly shoves past the startled Lifetorn and begins to wander, that was her last lead in the area and she would have to move on soon enough. Might as well see the sights.

Lilly wanders for a while, feeling the cold bite against her prosthetics; it's a quiet night, few people on the street.  After 20 minutes or so, she turns a corner and sees someone, a teenaged boy in artfully-ripped denim and leather, standing in the middle of the street, staring up at the aurora. 

She recognizes the kid -- he was shaking down tourists at the terminal the day she came into North from Port Nexus Luna.  He'd given her the once over, and dismissed her as not being worth the effort as a target, something she appreciated (since she wasn't in the mood at the time to break his face).

Suddenly the boy convulses and drops to the ground, seizing.  Beyond him Lilly can see another figure.

((Cecilia and Lilly can give mutual descriptions.))



Radon swiped the card through the CAC reader and proceeded to transfer funds through DivNet.  "It's 210 gold.  I'll have it to you in about half an hour."

He handed her back her card as well as giving her a map of the North with Acquisitions Inc circled.  "I'd suggest you study that while I'm out.  Don't make trouble.  I'll know if you do."

With that he closed the divider above the counter and locked it, then came out of the room and locked the door behind him.  He turned the sign in the window around to "closed" and went out the front door, closing it behind him but not locking it.  After that, he set a businesslike pace towards the Blue Ice Emporium figuring it'd take him ten, maybe fifteen minutes to get there.

Acquiring the personal heater is trivial -- Zook tries to waste his time, shooting the breeze, but Radon needs to get back to the girl waiting in his shop.  He hurries back, and unlocks the door...

...and the girl is lying on the floor, eyes wide and staring, moaning slightly through foam-flecked lips.  The magazine stand next to her has been spilled all over, and Radon can see a bruise forming on her right forearm.  Her left hand is clenched into a fist.

As Radon freezes in surprise, the girl's eyes turn black from pupil to sclera and he breathing quickens.
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Offline Shiki

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #10 on: February 29, 2012, 09:17:02 PM »
IA steps out of the terminal, shivering involuntarily at the cold.  Well, the sky is quite beautiful, but 6 months of darkness isn't her thing.  How will she know when to wake up in the morning if there's no morning to wake up to?  She drags the bag along behind her, checking the paper with the address of the boarding house her mother researched.  Not that the address will help, with no map... maybe it's time to ask for directions.

She looks up, searching for someone helpful-looking, but the street is deserted.  Great.  Well, there should be a Visitor's Center or something nearby, right?  She continues down the street, aimlessly looking at building signs for anything useful.

Finally IA turns a corner and sees someone, a punk kid standing in the middle of the street, staring up at the aurora.  Not the brightest prospect, but at least it's someone.  She begins to approach, and suddenly the kid convulses and drops to the ground, seizing.

IA walks slowly towards the boy, still dragging her things with her. Close but at a safe distance, she says to him as if talking about the weather: "Might you be dying? Please do not, I need someone from this city to help me with directions." She leans her head a bit towards the kid to figure out what's going on with him.

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Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #11 on: February 29, 2012, 09:37:17 PM »
Acquiring the personal heater is trivial -- Zook tries to waste his time, shooting the breeze, but Radon needs to get back to the girl waiting in his shop.  He hurries back, and unlocks the door...

...and the girl is lying on the floor, eyes wide and staring, moaning slightly through foam-flecked lips.  The magazine stand next to her has been spilled all over, and Radon can see a bruise forming on her right forearm.  Her left hand is clenched into a fist.

As Radon freezes in surprise, the girl's eyes turn black from pupil to sclera and her breathing quickens.

Radon cussed as he looked at the girl.  He immediately cast Detect Magic, just in case whatever attacked her left some trace.  He then uses a full round action to Take 20 (total of 30) on a Perception check of the room.  After accessing DivNet to get a small skill boost (+1), he makes Arcana, Natural Lore, and Scholarship checks to identify what could have attacked her.

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Offline AyeGill

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #12 on: March 01, 2012, 02:15:10 AM »
Failing to identify the cause of death, Jack frowned.
That's weird. Suspicious. No apparent cause of death. What happened here?
He reached into the man's pockets, looking for something to identify him.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2012, 09:41:16 AM »
IA walks slowly towards the boy, still dragging her things with her. Close but at a safe distance, she says to him as if talking about the weather: "Might you be dying? Please do not, I need someone from this city to help me with directions." She leans her head a bit towards the kid to figure out what's going on with him.

(click to show/hide)

He's holding something clenched in one fist, though IA can't get a good look as he thrashes around, foaming at the mouth slightly.  She does, however, notice another figure who has just turned onto the street.


Radon cussed as he looked at the girl.  He immediately cast Detect Magic, just in case whatever attacked her left some trace.  He then uses a full round action to Take 20 (total of 30) on a Perception check of the room.  After accessing DivNet to get a small skill boost (+1), he makes Arcana, Natural Lore, and Scholarship checks to identify what could have attacked her.

(click to show/hide)

Radon doesn't find anything unusual in the room -- no signs of forced entry or any disturbances other than the magazine rack, which the girl seems to have knocked over when she fell.

There's a fading aura of faint magic all over her, strongest at the eyes, the mouth, and the clenched fist; the aura is a blend of necromancy, divination, and illusion.



Failing to identify the cause of death, Jack frowned.
That's weird. Suspicious. No apparent cause of death. What happened here?
He reached into the man's pockets, looking for something to identify him.

The pockets are completely empty, not even a CAC.  You do notice that the changeling is not dressed for the weather -- these are street clothes that would be at home in Volta or any other temperate climate.

((Anticipating a question that I expect to get soon, you're about a half mile from the main airlock of the dome.))

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Offline littha

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2012, 02:06:24 PM »
Lilly cautiously approaches the boy, she didn't have any medical training and could only hope the other figure did.

Cecilia
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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2012, 07:25:34 PM »
((Cecilia's in the other thread. :hide))

- Lilly
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Noticing the smoking young girl, IA ignores the poor kid next to them. She closes in a little bit to lean towards and gaze at the well-equipped little one, all quite slowly. As emotionless as the expression on her face, IA says: "I sure hope you can help me with finding the location written on this (she waves the sheets she's holding); this boy here doesn't seem to be in the condition of doing so."

Offline Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #16 on: March 01, 2012, 08:18:34 PM »
For a hesitant moment, Roy forgot to let go of the cup as he handed it half-mindedly to Miles. As the phone cuts out, Roy cut back into reality. "Huh, brilliant. A prank caller... oh, sorry." He finally let go, realizing Miles had grabbed it. Thinking of a way to try and trace back the call, he quickly left Miles' company in favor of an officer not about to kill him for the sodium content of their coffee.

He maneuvered his way through the busy office to one of the desk-workers he'd hit it off with fairly well. Desk jockies tended to be a little more tolerant of him than operations officers, if only because they shared some skill in hacking. "Hey Daniel, do you mind giving a rook a hand? We just got a prank call, or maybe a drunk, fed through to the tabletop. Any way you know of to go back through the system in a legal way, trace the call? I know it's the kind of crap I probably shouldn't read into, but I'm not much use here. Besides, something seemed off about it."
« Last Edit: March 01, 2012, 08:20:44 PM by Flay Crimsonwind »
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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #17 on: March 01, 2012, 08:24:21 PM »
Radon doesn't find anything unusual in the room -- no signs of forced entry or any disturbances other than the magazine rack, which the girl seems to have knocked over when she fell.

There's a fading aura of faint magic all over her, strongest at the eyes, the mouth, and the clenched fist; the aura is a blend of necromancy, divination, and illusion.
Radon frowned at not being able to expressly identify what attacked the girl.  Based on the surroundings and the fading aura, he guessed that whatever attacked her could either teleport or was incorporeal.  He made the mental note to have some spells like Dimensional Lock put in place in case of future attacks.

After looking a bit more at her, he figured he'd pry open her fist.  He doubted she had the ability to actually hit her attacker and thought the magic coming from it seemed odd.

Offline littha

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #18 on: March 02, 2012, 06:51:10 PM »
"Sure, in a moment. I'm not a local but Ill help how I can. For the moment we had probably better move the kid, I am entirely too busy to get called up on a negligence lawsuit"

With this Lilly grabs the boys arm and with surprising strength for her small stature attempts to lift him to his feet.

Offline AyeGill

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Re: Walk the Line, Chapter I: Tipping Point
« Reply #19 on: March 02, 2012, 06:56:32 PM »
Sighing, Jack picked up the dead changeling, slung him across his shoulder, and began carrying him towards the dome.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2012, 03:09:31 AM by AyeGill »