Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
“She is still asleep, John,” the AI replies. “I have restarted the movie from where you left from.”

OOC: Roll Stealth to get back in the room and on the couch without Emi waking up

Team
Halo smashes into one of the white feathered demons and cracks several of its exposed ribs with one of her punches. The demon lets out a high pitched screech, so loud that it leaves the angel’s ears ringing. Darkness pulses inside of its rib cage.

A second white demon attacks her from behind, tearing at her wings with its talons.

After dodging Crowe’s arrow, the third white demon flies straight at the shadowmancer. It slashes at him, but he manages to barely dodge out of the way.

The fourth white demon dives down to the ground, landing between the Monte and the Bull demon. The air vibrates around it as it lets out another horrible scream.

Initiative:
Halo wounds one of the white demons x1! It retaliates, Shaking her! Crowe misses demon 3!
10s… the white demons go! White demon 1 charges up an attack! 2 attacks the Shaken Halo and does 16 damage, Wounding her! 3 engages Crowe, but misses him. 4 flies down and Shakes Redline and Augur!
9s, 8 of diamonds… Redline and Augur have Initiative!

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
“She is still asleep, John,” the AI replies. “I have restarted the movie from where you left from.”

OOC: Roll Stealth to get back in the room and on the couch without Emi waking up[/I]

John cast a spell that subtly shifted a portion of him into the spirit realm, deadening the sounds he created and slightly dimming his appearance. It wasn’t enough to mimic Mr. Shaw’s or Ian’s power set, but he was not attempting that.

Spoiler: What’s the point of being a Super Sorcerer if you don’t stack the deck in your favor?

Show

Spellcasting: Super Skill: 1d12o12+2 5 1d6o6+2 4

John drops the Resistance to Ice on Clea.
Stealth d10

All he was looking to do was keep Emi undisturbed and to not miss the best part of the film.

Or, more accurately, to share the best part of the film with her.

Even if she was alseep.

Okay, he had to concede to the higher order functions of his brain that made no sense on a rational level but it felt true on an emotional level.

Spoiler: Sneaking!

Show

Stealth Roll for Super Skilled John: 1d10o10 6 1d6o6 9

John turned the handle and slipped into the room, hoping for the best.

Of course, he would be with Emi again. That would be, at minimum, good.

He hoped, in light of what he had seen on the roof.

Trust in the relationship, he reminded himself. Trust.

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
As John settles in next to her, Emi lets out a small content sigh. Her eyes open briefly, looking up at the magician before she puts her head back on his chest.

A moment passes. She looks at the screen, realizes that no time has passed in the film since John had left. “Everything okay?” she asks. Her tone is just slightly curious, but sleepy.

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
As John settles in next to her, Emi lets out a small content sigh. Her eyes open briefly, looking up at the magician before she puts her head back on his chest.

A moment passes. She looks at the screen, realizes that no time has passed in the film since John had left. “Everything okay?” she asks. Her tone is just slightly curious, but sleepy.

“Everything is fine,” John reassured her quietly, dropping his spell and delighting in the feeling of Emi snuggling up with him. “I persuaded Ian to moderate his chastisement of Grayson, lest their conversation disturb you. They are both okay now and have gone to their separate corners. Well, Ian to his room and Grayson to the kitchen.

“I asked Nora to rewind to where I left. I didn’t want to miss the best part,” he said hugging her. “Although I have to confess that, as enjoyable as the film is, getting to be here with you is what I think is the best part.”

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
Another moment passes before Emi lifts her head to look at her boyfriend. “What do you mean, ‘moderate’?” she asks. “What happened?”

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
Another moment passes before Emi lifts her head to look at her boyfriend. “What do you mean, ‘moderate’?” she asks. “What happened?”

It was not quite a sensation of pain when Emi raised her head from his chest to ask about Grayson. He did note a sense of regret at being as full in his report to her as to his movements as he was. After all, their move to the lounge to watch Anastasia was not supposed to continue Grayson’s pattern of getting between them.

That was uncharitable, John thought, checking himself. He had gone to check on Grayson. Grayson had not intruded into their space.

“I had heard a noise and raised voices. Well,” he corrected himself, “a single raised voice. When I got there, Ian was holding him off of the ground, reminding him that he was not at liberty to just wander off at will.

“At my request, Ian released him. Grayson assured me that he was okay and, after an exchange of some pleasantries, I came back.

“He and I avoided the topics you and he will be covering later.”

It was entirely true, as far as it went. John imagined that Emi knew—or suspected—that Ian’s Vader-like grip was primarily focused on Grayson’s neck and it would defeat the purpose of the private exchange to tell her about setting the ground rules of minimizing emotional harm to her. That part of the conversation he had every right to sidestep.

Nevertheless, he was dreading the next step of the decision tree before Emi. Would she press for more information or let it lie. Would she get up ‘just to check’ on Grayson in the kitchen, leaving him here to wait for her return or would she lie back down against him, content with the status quo he had managed to produce.

While he was not holding his breath for her reaction, part of him wanted to.

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
John notices a slight frown from her, but she settles back against him and tells Nora to start the movie again.

Through the end of the movie Emi doesn’t drift off or otherwise seem to doze again, nor does she hum along with the songs. However, she does relax into the magician again.

As the credits roll, she shifts slightly, but doesn’t really move from where she’s at. “So, what did you think of the movie?” she asks.

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
John notices a slight frown from her, but she settles back against him and tells Nora to start the movie again.

Through the end of the movie Emi doesn’t drift off or otherwise seem to doze again, nor does she hum along with the songs. However, she does relax into the magician again.

As the credits roll, she shifts slightly, but doesn’t really move from where she’s at. “So, what did you think of the movie?” she asks.

“I enjoyed it,” John responded honestly, caressing her hair. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“The music was improved by your accompaniment, of course, but the characters were interesting—even if the armchair historian in me, as well as the magician, might find fault with some of what was on the screen. But it was charming enough to keep me from thinking on them overmuch.”

He chuckled to himself. “I can’t imagine Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was happy with his portrayal. If and when he and I meet, I’ll have to ask him about that. Of course, if half the stories of the Mad Monk are true, he may just have laughed it off—or helped fund the film to let him more easily hide in plain sight.”

[PK-Leon]

Live Fire

As Redline makes the comm call, Augur activates his also. He holds on for dear life as the car fishtails toward the park, horn blaring. He jumps out as they slide to a stop, running away from the Monte while waving his arms and screaming at the demon to get its attention on him, "Hey you giant cow, you want a piece of THIS!"

"Alright, bull's in the arena. Now all we gotta do is-" The slam of the passenger side door cuts the thought short leaving Redline to watch Augur draw the towering demon away from the Monte Carlo. "And he's gone..." The hero sighs.

Reality fractures in the sky above and four white feathered, bird-like creatures emerge with high pitched screeches. Yellowed bone faces lock on to Nightgaunt and Augur.

...

The fourth white demon dives down to the ground, landing between the Monte and the Bull demon. The air vibrates around it as it lets out another horrible scream

Redline winces in pain as vibrating air causes his head to pound.

"Hey, you mind shutting up for sec?! I can't hear myself think!"

Redline vanishes from the driver's seat in a streak of light and reappears on the park grass with a better view of the battlefield.

Two spheres of light race across the park in quick succession. The first closes in on the hellish boom box as the second surges towards the back of Halo's second attacker.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Redline unshakes on a 7!

Redline teleports out of the Monte Carlo to create a large triangle surrounding the minotaur demon with Nightaunt and Augur.

Redline attacks two fallen angels!

Grounded Angel (To Hit):7

Flanking Angel (To Hit): 15
Damage: 31 Light, Heavy Weapon

Spoiler: End of Session

Show

Interestingly enough, Louis finds himself growing closer to the team in the aftermath of Keith's encounter with Marrow.

While the team's time at Ashford's served as a great introduction, the training session inspired by Keith helped remind Louis how much he values his team and what they mean to him.

Keith gains influence over Louis.
Louis marks a potential and takes a Masks advance!

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
2ouis
As Louis’ double works to help people out of wrecked cars, he spots a tall man in black leather coat with a gray hood pulled over his head going from car to car helping people as well.

The man comes to an SUV that is upside down that has several people in it. He glances around briefly before he disappears in a spark of blue lighting into the interior of the SUV. He kicks out one of the doors with little effort, clambers out, and then starts to usher the occupants from the wreckage.

John
Emi blushes a little when John mentions her accompaniment. “The music is my favorite part,” she says. Her smile is soft and a little sad as she looks up at John. “Especially ‘Once Upon a December’. It was one of my mother’s favorites to play. She was the first chair violinist, so she would play the lead violin in the song. Every time I hear it, I think of her practicing.”

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
Emi blushes a little when John mentions her accompaniment. “The music is my favorite part,” she says. Her smile is soft and a little sad as she looks up at John. “Especially ‘Once Upon a December’. It was one of my mother’s favorites to play. She was the first chair violinist, so she would play the lead violin in the song. Every time I hear it, I think of her practicing.”

“Now that you have told me that, you probably you probably aren’t going to believe me if I told you that was my favorite,” John said with a self-conscious smile, remembering how he had been tempted to ask her to waltz while it played. “No matter. She must have made quite the impression with her playing if they permitted her to carry off the music box prop to give to you. I wish I could have heard it.”

Of course, there were memories of those performances somewhere in the Akashic Records. He wondered if even he would be able to find them for her—or if such a memory would be too much for her and her family to bear.

Best to conduct those experiments without an audience, he decided.

“Do you play that piece yourself sometimes? I remember you talking about how you would sometimes do that to feel closer to her.”

[big teej]

Reaction Shot:

The impact flung him back from the monster, he landed badly on one shoulder and felt his collarbone snap as his arm popped out of place. Nightgaunt pushed himself up to one knee with his good arm, fury rising and drowning the pain beneath it. Blood streamed from his mashed nose and cuts along his brow and cheek.

He puffed out a breath, misting the blood on his lips before him. His gaze was drawn upwards as the hollow gods descended. A tearing, popping noise, muffled by the thick leathers of his suit as his bones and tissue knit themselves back together.

"Just a simple training exercise, no big deal, teach the newbies the ropes." He growls to himself as he rises to his feet. He drops his eyes back down to the bull towering over his new teammate. Streamers of red light trail from his body... He fights to keep his fangs hidden.

Round 2, pit fiend.

Spoiler: OOC/Mechanics/Whatnot

Show

Sheet updated!
Spend a Benny to Soak! total of 6, Nightgaunt retains 1 wound (which he ignores) and is shaken.
Regeneration kicks in! 2..... sorta.

Nightgaunt retains 1 wound, which he ignores, and fails to regenerate on his next turn.

If any teammate would take suffer a 2nd wound, Nightgaunt will move to defend them
declare intention to *defend* any teammate who would take 2 or more wounds from a hit
Defend Roll: 7 (banked/not expended if Defend doesn't go off?)
If/when this happens, I'll Clear a Condition.

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
“I don’t think you’d lie just to get on my good side,” Emi replies with a slight smile. “And to be fair, they had several music boxes. They would get dropped every once in while, so they had backups.”

“I do play it, sometimes,” Emi says as she sits up. “Though I’ll usually play the main vocals instead of the actual lead violin part. It’s not the most impressive song, technically, but I still enjoy the memories it brings back for me.”

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
“I don’t think you’d lie just to get on my good side,” Emi replies with a slight smile. “And to be fair, they had several music boxes. They would get dropped every once in while, so they had backups.”

“I do play it, sometimes,” Emi says as she sits up. “Though I’ll usually play the main vocals instead of the actual lead violin part. It’s not the most impressive song, technically, but I still enjoy the memories it brings back for me.”

“Stephen once told me it isn’t the difficulty of the piece that matters but the part of your soul or being that you put into it,” John observed. “He may have been being modest at the time. It was just after one of his virtuoso moments where he had performed a piece that was considered beyond his years and training. I think he was annoyed at one of the judges at the time, who had sneered a little at the piece he had chosen for adjudication.”

John smiled wryly as he remembered Dr. Pearson’s condescension when John began preparing to forge his Amulet. “He may be as bad as his older brother when it comes to that kind of thing.

“But just like his older brother,” John observed with a little fraternal pride, “he proved his detractor wrong.

“I’d imagine your playing that part is a performance worth listening to,” he continued more quietly. “Even more so than usual. I’m still very much looking forward to hearing you play sometime. Do you think it will be before you get to hear Stephen and his quintet play on Sunday?”

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
Emi’s smile widens a little as John speaks of his brother. “I’m excited to hear them play Sunday. Do you know what pieces they’re performing?”

The psychic shifts a little in her seat, looking sideways at John. “I… actually brought home my violin,” she says, slightly sheepishly. “If you want to hear something now. I haven’t managed to perfect the Vivaldi piece yet, but I could play something else for you.”

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
Emi’s smile widens a little as John speaks of his brother. “I’m excited to hear them play Sunday. Do you know what pieces they’re performing?”

“Stephen said he had a surprise in store for me but hasn’t said anything else. Even with the short lead time, he has a way of pulling off impressive performances so I’m excited to find out what he has in store for us. Knowing his quintet, however, I think we can probably expect ‘Take Five’ as the open and ‘The Last Dance’, which is the piece they always end with if it is for a gig that invites dancing. Samantha, their lead singer, has quite the range, in terms of her vocals and her ability to project a presence that lets her make a lot of the songs her own—even if they are old standards.

The psychic shifts a little in her seat, looking sideways at John. “I… actually brought home my violin,” she says, slightly sheepishly. “If you want to hear something now. I haven’t managed to perfect the Vivaldi piece yet, but I could play something else for you.”

“Are you kidding?” John asked eagerly. “I would love to hear something now! If you don’t mind, of course.

“I know Stephen can get a little edgy about pieces he doesn’t feel are ready for an audience, though, so don’t feel like you have to.

“But I would love to hear you play.”

[PK-Leon]

Search and Rescue

As Louis’ double works to help people out of wrecked cars, he spots a tall man in black leather coat with a gray hood pulled over his head going from car to car helping people as well.

The man comes to an SUV that is upside down that has several people in it. He glances around briefly before he disappears in a spark of blue lighting into the interior of the SUV. He kicks out one of the doors with little effort, clambers out, and then starts to usher the occupants from the wreckage.

Redline watches the namless hero from atop of a crushed sedan down the street. The hum of his sword abruptly ends as he powers down the device and the beam collapses into the handle. He holsters the prototype with a small flourish.

Redline waits until all of the civilians have vacated the SUV to make his his way over to the wreckage. He reappears seated on top of one of it's wheels as he takes a better look at the man in the black jacket.

"Appreciate the help. Didn't realize we had someone working this side of town?"

[Kvard51]

Shaking off the appearance of the screaming Mimi's, Augur looks for a weakness to exploit. But the bull demon is just too big and too strong for his batons to affect. He tries to catch its legs in an effort to trip the beast, but it kicks right through and continues its current advance. "Everything has vulnerable eyes, he thinks, driving the end of his sticks into the demon's face, but a horn almost casually flicks his strike away. Terrence yells at his teammates, "I'm accomplishing nothing here. I'm going after the flyer."

Spoiler: Actions and OOC stuff

Show

Unshake roll: 8; 2

Assess the Situation: A big, fat failure...

Power Trick Attack to Lower Defenses on the Bull using Super Fighting to Tangle his feet.1,-1

Called shot attack to the eye: 7,3

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
Emi’s lips quirk into a self conscious smile as she gets up from the couch. “I’ll be right back,” she says as she heads out of the room.

A minute later, she comes back with a violin under arm and a bow one hand. The violin has an unusually dark patina and looks like it’s been loving used over the years.

She stands at the center of the room, facing John. “I’ll play one of my favorites for you. This is is Nocturne in C# minor by Chopin, adapted from piano to a violin solo.”

Emi put the instrument up to her chin and takes a breath before she starts to play. The song is dark and hauntingly beautiful, and the psychic looks lost in the music as she plays. Her eyes are closed and she seems to feel each note as her fingers glide gracefully over the strings.

When the song is finished, she stands for a moment, letting the last note ring slightly through the room before she opens her eyes and looks to the magician, observing his reaction.

Redline
The man glances up at Louis. He looks to be in his late thirties or early forties, fairly tall with an athletic build. While most of his face is hidden by his hood and the high angle, Louis spots a dark goatee and bright blue eyes.

“Not workin’ kid,” he replies, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “I was just passin’ by and thought I’d help you out.”

Team
While the white demon in the ground manages to dodge Redline’s laser, the one flanking Halo is hit square. It screams as it’s burned through by the intense light, illuminating its open chest from within, before it crumbles into ashes.

Augur’s attempted strike to the minotaur’s eye is knocked away easily, as is his attempt to trip it up. The demon rumbles its displeasure and slashes at the hero. Its claws come down in an arc, smashing into the ground, missing the nimble hero.

Initiative:
Redline’s first attack misses the white demon on the ground, but his second attack kills the one behind Halo! Augur misses both the Power Trick and his called shot
8 of Clubs… the Bull goes! It attacks Augur, but it misses.
5s… Nightgaunt has Initiative!

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
Emi’s lips quirk into a self conscious smile as she gets up from the couch. “I’ll be right back,” she says as she heads out of the room.

A minute later, she comes back with a violin under arm and a bow one hand. The violin has an unusually dark patina and looks like it’s been loving used over the years.

She stands at the center of the room, facing John. “I’ll play one of my favorites for you. This is is Nocturne in C# minor by Chopin, adapted from piano to a violin solo.”

Emi put the instrument up to her chin and takes a breath before she starts to play. The song is dark and hauntingly beautiful, and the psychic looks lost in the music as she plays. Her eyes are closed and she seems to feel each note as her fingers glide gracefully over the strings.

When the song is finished, she stands for a moment, letting the last note ring slightly through the room before she opens her eyes and looks to the magician, observing his reaction.

John had long been used to closing his eyes from time to time when listening to Stephen when he played a new piece and requested feedback. He had learned a little bit of musical terminology from him—just enough to allow him to provide the kind of feedback Stephen needed from an observant but non-specialist listener.

Listening to Emi was different. It was much closer to a performance than the listening sessions he had participated in with Stephen. He wasn’t being asked for feedback now, so he did not have to listen with a critical ear.

It was more than that, though. In every other performance before now, it had been a single sensory experience. He was only listening to the music, however carefully or however critically he might be listening.

This time, he found himself in a multi-sensory experience. He listened to the music—sensing the technical skill of Emi’s playing along with the emotional tenor she put into the music. He sensed, at a deeper level, her surrendering a portion of herself to the music, blurring the line between the player and what was played.

What was new was watching the player—really watching her. When listening to Stephen play, he was vaguely aware that one of his instructors might have something to say about his posture or finger work. With Emi, however, he was transfixed. He had almost gotten used to the way a simple motion on her part could scatter his thoughts or transfix him—especially when she turned heir attention on him with some kind of an intention.

This was different. As she embraced the music, her beauty was expressed differently. Her movements mingled with her playing, allowing her to become something else—unveiling a different part of her, a part of her that he would not—and could not—have seen before.

She, herself, became a part of the art she was offering.

When she finished, giving a space for the music to depart from the room, John realized he was holding his breath.

She looked at him, perhaps questioningly—waiting for his response.

He took a deep breath, trying to to hold onto the moment for a moment longer.

“Thank you,” he said, barely above a whisper.

He stood and took a step forward.

He smiled.

“I didn’t think you could get more beautiful, but you have surprised me again with another overwhelming aspect of yourself.

“Thank you.”

[PK-Leon]

Search and Rescue

The man glances up at Louis. He looks to be in his late thirties or early forties, fairly tall with an athletic build. While most of his face is hidden by his hood and the high angle, Louis spots a dark goatee and bright blue eyes.

“Not workin’ kid,” he replies, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “I was just passin’ by and thought I’d help you out.”

"I see. So you're one of those 'everyday hero' types then?" Redline questions the good samaritan with a smile.

"Most people would've started running after watching that demon barrel down the road but here you are lending a helping hand. Not that I'm complaining." He shrugs.

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
Redline
“Ain’t nothin’ that scares me much these days,” the man replies with a mirrored shrug. “Happy to help.”

He looks up just a little more to observe Louis and the hero spots a streak of silver through the man’s black hair.

Spoiler: CCM TN 8

Show

It hits Louis suddenly. This man is Jesse Ortiz, also known as Blackout, the founder and leader of the Rooks

There’s a sound of a small explosion, and the the man looks around the side of the overturned SUV, bringing Louis’ attention to a wrecked car behind him that’s been smoldering since he started rescue operations. The car has started to catch, and fire billows out from underneath it.

A man and woman are clustered around the car, and it’s obvious the the vehicle belongs to them by their exclamations.

The man in front of Louis lets out a deep sigh at the sight and disappears in another flash of blue lightning, landing in front of the couple. He corrals the two of them and motions them back from the blaze.

[big teej]

Don't you turn your back on me:

Nightgaunt spares a glance at the rest of his team battling the hollow gods, sees Redline obliterate one of them.

He ignores the similarities between when Cassandra dusted him, and what was left behind from Redline's attacks.

They have that under control--

The vampires eyes are drawn back to the bull-headed demon as it swings down at Augur. He watches the newbie dodge out of the way, and the way the demon's claws tear up the earth where he'd stood moments ago.

"Hey!" Nightgaunt shouts at the bull-headed demon as he stalks towards it. "Don't you dare look away from me."

The thin streamers blossom into the hellish light that accompanied the vampire's outburst at the warehouse. The same smokey fractures in reality his claws inflict on the world. The same light that bathes the memory of Castle Rothmyer

The vampire breaks into a sprint, teeth clenched in a rictus of hate as he lashes out at the demon again, raking his claws through it's thick hide.

Spoiler: Anyone paying attention to Nightgaunt, Notice TN 8

Show

The blood splattered across his face makes it hard to tell, but uh..
were Raphael's canines always quite so long?
and quite so.... sharp?

Spoiler: OOC/Mechanics/Whatnot

Show

Nightgaunt carries a Defend roll of 7 for any ally who would take a 2nd Wound.

Fighting Roll: 11 + 2 Wild Attack + 2 Directly Engage = 15 (+/-1 from Conditions/Gang up)

Damage (with raise): 23

Reality Storm!
.......2

Spend my 2nd and final Burn on not destroying the park.

It would help if I remembered to become Unshaken. 5 - 1 for conditions + 3 for Undead/Command = 7, Nightgaunt acts.

"it's a Furfrou you idiot!" CCM: 4... drat

At the top of the next round, Nightgaunt attempts to play "Let's Settle This" - Play at the beginning of a combat round with no Jokers. No character can soak wounds until a Joker is drawn.

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
John
Emi gives John a soft smile as she tucks her violin under her arm. “You flatter me, John,” she says. Her dark eyes sparkle as her smile grows a little wider. “I’m guessing you liked it? I played it a few years ago for a competition I entered in New York.”

Team
Nightgaunt’s claws slice open the demon’s back, but it shakes the vampire off and throws him back. Its hide smokes as the skin knits back together. The demon lets out another bellow, now looking warily at the vampiric hero.

Initiative:
Nightgaunt Wounds the Bull x2! But it soaks both Wounds.
Initiative resets
Seize the Day and Let’s Settle This are played
Redline has Initiative!
Queens… Augur has Initiative!

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
Emi gives John a soft smile as she tucks her violin under her arm. “You flatter me, John,” she says. Her dark eyes sparkle as her smile grows a little wider. “I’m guessing you liked it? I played it a few years ago for a competition I entered in New York.”

“No flattery here,” John corrected with a smile as he took another step forward. “As an older brother of a musical prodigy, I can honestly say that I may not be able to produce music like that but I can recognize a powerful performance when I hear it. Those judges in New York must not have known what hit them.

“I loved it, Emi,” he said as he thought ‘I love you’ and took another step forward. “If Stephen were here, he could offer all the appropriate music theory and technical commentary. All I can offer is how much I was moved by it.”

Another step.

“And by you,” he said, leaning in to give her a kiss.

[PK-Leon]

Live Fire

Nightgaunt’s claws slice open the demon’s back, but it shakes the vampire off and throws him back. Its hide smokes as the skin knits back together. The demon lets out another bellow, now looking warily at the vampiric hero.

Redline raises an open hand in front of himself, watching NightgauntÂ’s display of power intently for any openings it might create. Once the bloodthirsty matador commands the demon's undivided attention Redline seizes the opportunity to fire twin shots of searing light into the creatures blindspot.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Ranged Attack (Minotaur): 4 + 2 (Joker), 7 + 2 (Joker) = 6, 9

Ranged Attack Damage (Minotaur): 31 + 2 (Joker) = 33 Light + Heavy Weapon, 22 + 2 (Joker) = 24 Light + Heavy Weapon

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
Team
Redline’s searing blasts of light burn through the demon’s back. It goes heavily down to its knees, shaking the ground, before it collapses and fades into ashes.

John
Emi leans into the kiss, careful to keep violin protected in her arm. “Thank you,” she says as she pulls back. “I’m greatly looking forward to meeting him this weekend, as well as your sister. And your parents, of course,” she adds. “I don’t know why, but I’m nervous about meeting them. I hope everything goes well.”

[mmdeforrest]

November 1st
John
Emi leans into the kiss, careful to keep violin protected in her arm. “Thank you,” she says as she pulls back. “I’m greatly looking forward to meeting him this weekend, as well as your sister. And your parents, of course,” she adds. “I don’t know why, but I’m nervous about meeting them. I hope everything goes well.”

John glances to the side for a moment. “I have no doubt that it will,” he replies with certainty. “That said, you should probably know that mom will have done her research—just like your father did with me but with more limited resources and access.

“She’s only got access to a more advanced large language model than is open to the general public rather than a true AI to help her. I’ve been afraid to ask Kate if he has put together a hot folder or not, which,” he quickly explained, “just refers to a folder in a loud color, either physical or on her computer desktop, to make it easy to spot from across the room. It’s one of the research tricks she drilled into our heads in middle school. We all got assigned our separate colors so we could tell them apart.”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter if we know if she has a hot folder or not, anyway. I’m sure she has looked into Dee, Siren, and Emilia Shaw and probably your family. She taught all three of us how to tell signal from noise and sets up her queries to account for tabloid journalism so she likely has a well developed profile by now.

“Dad,” he offered, “half jokes she missed her calling as an intelligence analyst. She usually reminds him that it’s the same skill set she uses in banking.”

John looked deeply into Emi’s eyes. “If it helps at all, I can’t imagine her not liking you. I may be a little biased, but I have known her all of my life and feel confident that I can predict that.”

“Dad’s a lot more easy going,” he continued, unable to tear his eyes away from her’s. “Still Type A, like everyone in the family, but he wears it a little looser than the rest of us. He says he learned early on in his line of work to relax about things and find joy when and where he can.

“But all five of them, Jefferey being included, of course, have kept telling me how excited they are to meet you and how pleased they are that you are coming to Sunday dinner.” He half-laughed as he felt his ability to focus fully as he slipped further into her eyes. “Almost as much as I am that you are coming.”

“That, um, that,” he looked down for a moment. “That reminds me. As I recall, when I introduced you to Jefferey and Kate, I introduced you as Emi rather than Emilia. Should I correct that with the two of them before you arrive?”

[Kvard51]

The minotaur-like demon in front of Augur takes a blast from Redline and turns to dust, so Augur turns and closes with the flyer on the ground, striking before it can dodge his charge. His second baton smashes into it's head as it recoils from the first.

He yells at Nightgaunt, "HELP HALO AND CROWE! I'VE GOT THIS ONE!"

Spoiler: OOCish stuff

Show

Attack 1 on the Screaming Mimi: 7;1 for 11 damage.

Attack 2 on the Screaming Mimi: 5; 7 for 23 damage

On Me to add Nightgaunt to my initiative

[big teej]

Turbulence:

Nightgaunt stares defiantly back up at the bull-headed demon, and opens his mouth to taunt it again. Redline's attack immolates the creature before he can deliver his customary payload of sarcasm and spite.

He stares down at the disintegrating beast and spits a pink glob of blood and spit on it. "Stay where you belong." He hisses.

He glances at his teammate and nods before casting his gaze skyward.

"Tsk." Nightgaunt's lip quirks up when Augur shouts orders at him.

"Been here a day, dontchu try an' boss me aroun'" He mutters, picking his target.

You're not supposed to be there Crowe.

Nightgaunt reaches skyward, towards the hollow god. He wills the cord of it's existence to drift into his waiting fingers. He closes his fist around it and pulls.

He'd forgotten how gross demons were.

Spoiler: OOC/mechanics/whatnot

Show

Regeneration: 5-1 = 4, Nightgaunt finishes putting himself back together
"Yoink" roll: 11 +2 from Elan, - 1 from Conditions = 12, hit with a raise.
Damage: 12 just below average, oh well.