Waiting For Rain IC: Spring Slowly Comes

[Deadly]

"Is that the date on the paper?" Charlene asked as she sat up and leaned over the back of the front seat to have a look at the paper herself

[Thanqol]

"Huh .. okay. I ... guess I was gone longer than I thought." Isabelle replied, slumping back in her seat. It had been fourteen years since she was taken? She didn't feel thirty two years old.

"Twenty Twenty Five." she said. Wonder, maybe horror tinging her voice. She began to flick through the other sections of the paper, looking for hints to what might have happened in her lost years.

The paper was fortunately quite free and easy with the date, which was 3/3/2020.

Greece:

Riots have continued in the streets of Greece, protesting against the EU Occupation. Two EU security officers were killed and thirty protesters were incarcerated.

President Charlemagne made a public statement denouncing the violence of the Greek people, stating that "Continued violence will only worsen the crisis, weaken recovery, and harm the interests of the Greek people. Protest will keep you in poverty while hard work will set you free".

The leader of Free Greece continues to refuse all calls to negotiate with the European Union.

Asia:

The trade deal between India and China is going ahead as planned. It's being praised by all sides as a great step forwards for regional stability even if the actual economic benefits are relatively minor.

Solutions:

The first notable thing is that Solutions has it's own section in the paper, after the business section. It's of a notably higher quality than the rest of the paper. One article states "Solutions AI defeats top Starcraft 3 players", another discusses the advantages of the new Solutions smartphone. Another section discusses Argentina, "The world's first Solutions-run nation", and how Solutions technocrats are bringing stability and wealth to a country wracked by the drug war. There's a jobs section, indicating that Solutions is looking for 'engineers, materials scientists, and archaic weapons experts' in the Oregon area. It reads like a mixture of an advertisement and a propaganda piece.

[Deadly]

"It must be a really old paper. My memory may be unclear but I have been gone for more than one year, that much I am sure of." Charlene muttered as she squinted to read the news. "We should get an up to date one if we ever get the chance."

[BlasTech]

"Sure ... out of date" Isabelle said, skimming over the news of international wars and an entire section that had been devoted to a company she rememered as a relatively small start up. She really didn't look forward to the revelation that she'd lost a decade to the bloody Fae.

"Anything you want to read from here?"

[the_druid_droid]

You’re fast, but not fast enough!

Jon could feel his body responding to the command to run; in his mind, the world was filled again with neon-bright flowers and creeping vines, while the smell of sweat mixed with damp earth was in his nose. As he closed the distance between them, Jon felt like he was gliding more than running, caught up for one crystal clear moment in a runner’s high that was more intense than any narcotic. With a flying tackle that would have made Coach Wallis proud, he intercepted his double a few yards from the shed, pinning him to the ground and fixing him with a glare.

“Talk. Now. Who are you, and why are you living in my house?! Did someone send you? How long have you been here? If you’ve hurt anyone in my family, so help me...” The words poured out without thinking; a running monologue of the questions that had been fighting for attention in his head since the door had first opened.

[Thanqol]

Michael Greene started screaming and thrashing, trying to break the hold and struggle free. He could barely hear what the monster was shouting at him, he just knew he had to escape.

[Strength+Brawl to maintain the grip, -4 penalty]

[Deadly]

"I don't know, I feel like I should have to read the whole thing and still wouldn't be any wiser."

[BlasTech]

"Fair enough" Isabelle sighed, folding the paper and tossing it onto the passenger's seat. For a minute, she slumped forward, resting her chin on the steering wheel and lost in thought.

[the_druid_droid]

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Dice Pool: Strength + Brawl + Willpower - 4 = 2 +1 +3 - 4 = 2 dice
Roll: 2, 5
No successes

The false-Michael was surprisingly strong, and Jon struggled to keep his grip as he tried to get an answer from his look-alike. Even so, it felt like a battle he was losing...

[Thanqol]

He didn't look back, he didn't want to look back, he wanted to do everything possible to not have to look that thing in the eye. It had come for him, and he had to get away from it.

[No roll to tackle again, but you are losing time]

[the_druid_droid]

Things were not going well... The stranger had broken away from him and was starting to run off again, almost as if possessed. Frustration was beginning to edge out the anger Jon had felt at first; he just wanted answers, but the one person who might have some was acting like Jon was trying to eat him.

Sighing, he started running again, and managed to wrestle his lookalike back to the ground. With a sense of desperation, he tried shaking the man to get his attention. “Listen to me! I’m not going to hurt you - I just want to talk.” Jon struggled to make eye contact, or any connection he could manage, in an effort to get his point across.

[Thanqol]

If Michael Greene knew one thing, one thing above all, it's that he could not look into that thing's eyes. He had to avoid that at any cost. Not even a second of eye contact. There was no worse fate.

"Help me! Somebody help me!" he screamed, growing even deeper into a panic.

In the distance, a siren began to sound.

[There's some kind of roll involved in getting coherent conversation of any kind. Intimidate is the most easy one, but penalties ultimately depend on how you phrase your post.

This is also the point where the two in the car can start hearing this.]

[Deadly]

Charlene perked up, listening carefully as she looked out the car at the street and the house. "Do you hear that too?" she asked nervously.

[BlasTech]

"Huh?"

Lost in her moment of reverie, it took Isabelle a few seconds to register the new sound, but when she did ...

"Oh, come on. Please tell me that's not coming because of us."

[the_druid_droid]

In his frustration, Jon’s hand lashed out, catching the other man squarely across the face. Still trying to get his attention, Jon dashed him sharply against the ground, before continuing with his questions.

“Listen. To. Me. I’m not going to kill you or eat you, or whatever you think is happening! I just want answers! What are you doing in my house?”

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

I suppose I’m going for intimidate via physically roughing him up some. Let me know what the penalties might be for that.

[Thanqol]

There was a moment of stunned silence as Michael tasted his own blood. For a moment, the fight/flight instinct was reset, and he had a split second to decide on what his reaction should be -

[-2 penalty; that was almost the best possible response]

[BlasTech]

Isabelle waited to a count of five, but the siren didn't fade. Even if that siren isn't for us, I don't want to be anywhere near police until we can clear out that glove compartment.

"We should probably go check on Jon." Isabelle said, reaching down and starting the truck engine. "I'm going to repark the truck in the next street over, just in case they are coming here ... do you think you can have a quick look to just see if everything is going alright? I'll join you once I'm done."

[Deadly]

Charlene simply gave a single nod as she hurried out of the car, shutting the door behind her. She didn't want to be anywhere near police in that truck, either. She looked swiftly up and down the street before running across to the house to see if she could find Jon.

[the_druid_droid]

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidate - 2 + Willpower = 3 - 1 (untrained) - 2 + 3 = 3
Roll: 3, 2, 8

As their eyes met, Jon let out a heavy sigh; he collected his thoughts as best he could on the fly and tried one last time when he saw uncertainty flicker in the other man’s eyes. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you or kill you, or whatever. I just want the truth. My name is Michael Greene, and I’d wager it’s yours too. What I want to know is who you really are and why you’re living in my house.”

Jon struggled to keep his voice calm and even - he couldn’t afford to frighten his duplicate into fleeing again, but he was getting desperate, and the sound of sirens on the wind wasn’t reassuring him.

[Thanqol]

- Fight.

"You're the half-deer monster from my nightmares," Michael snarled, still avoiding looking directly into Jon's eyes, glaring at a spot several inches to the left, "who shows up outside my house wearing my face. You answer first."

[BlasTech]

The truck shuddered to stillness as Isabelle turned off the engine and dropped down out of the driver's cab. Part of her was telling her that she was just being paranoid, there were plenty of reasons why that siren might have sounded ...

That part was silenced by a small voice that, terrified, kept whispering in her ear. "They're coming for you"

It took some effort to squelch it, but she needed to focus now. She kept her eyes, and more importantly her ears peeled as she walked back towards Jon's house.

[Deadly]

Charlene ran up to the front door and, seeing it closed, gave it a few good knocks while looking around for Jon, or anyone else.

[Thanqol]

No one answered the door but the sounds of a struggle were audible from the back yard.

[the_druid_droid]

For a moment, Jon faltered; hadn’t Isabelle pointed out that the cop didn’t seem to be aware of his horns and half-human features? Was the ability to see these things something that varied between people?

The questions bothered him, but Jon tried to push them to the back of his mind; he finally had the other Michael’s attention and he wanted to sort things out while he could. “Right, you want to talk about first? I’m wearing your face because it was mine first! I’m Michael Greene, the original one, anyway; the Michael that was born here and grew up in that house you just ran out of, with my family that you have been living with for who knows how long.” The words began to pour out now that he had started, and Jon could feel his earlier anger and confusion rising again.

“And I’m the Michael Greene who was kidnapped by some...thing... and taken away for more years than he can count; who just came home, expecting to find his family wondering where he had been. Instead, I find you, wearing my face and pretending to be me! So spill it: who are you really, why are you here, and why shouldn’t I send you packing?” Something dangerous flashed in Jon’s eyes; something even he wasn’t quite conscious of - a protective streak he hadn’t know he had.

[Thanqol]

The same anger raised inside Michael. "You're Michael Greene? You're some monster out of a nightmare! I'm the Michael Greene who stayed at home with his family! I'm the Michael Greene who made it through college, who works for the mayor, who worked hard to build a life!"

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, monster, but you are not stealing my life and my family from me." Michael said, fingers finding a rock to curl around.

[Deadly]

Hearing the struggle, Charlene turned and ran around the house. When she came around the corner she stopped and stared at the two Jons. She had seen many faces, had worn many faces, but this was definitely new. Her mind raced to find an explanation. Was there another like her, who had taken the face of Jon? Maybe there were many like her, many of her... she reeled back.

"Jon?"

[BlasTech]

The siren was getting closer by the second, which made Isabelle quicken her pace. So far, the street still seemed relatively quiet, a byproduct of the time of day?

"Charlene? Jon?" She called out, as she reached the entrance to Jon's front yard.

[Deadly]

"Back here," Charlene called back as she heard Isabelle. It was mostly a reflex, she was barely aware of her own words at the moment.

[BlasTech]

Isabelle froze as she rounded the corner and took in the sight of the two Jon's fighting each other in the grass.

"Wha-" She breathed, before her eyes caught sight of a hand, clawing its way towards a rock on the ground.

"Look out!" She cried, as reaction overrode concious thought or confusion. Dashing forward, she made a lunge for that hand, attempting to stop the fighting before someone was hurt.

[the_druid_droid]

The man’s reply was a lie, Jon knew that, and he searched his memories for the evidence that would prove it true, but just as he was about to speak he heard a voice calling to him. Turning halfway around for a moment, Jon caught sight of Charlene coming toward him. “Charlene, now isn’t the best time...”

The sound of sirens was growing louder, and Jon was fairly certain they were coming for him; that, combined with Charlene’s unexpected arrival was beginning to worry and confuse him, and his train of thought began to evaporate. He had just started to turn back around when Isabelle appeared, and her warning sent a jolt of adrenaline through his veins. Jon quickly turned back to his captive, searching for the source of Isabelle’s alarm.