Shining Lights in the Darkness

[Tokuhara]

Crow grumbles, wiping the barrels with a rag, looking at Darius

"Who died and made you emperor? I can handle myself in a fight as well as anyone here. Why am I stuck with the grunt work? Why not the priest? He seems most qualified to babysit the Promethians.

[Strainseir]

The priest looks to the restless spirits and reaches a hand out to them which would look like he is reaching out to open air,"Name to us the soul that must be torn from the mortal coil, but be warned. Should you make attempt at falsehood we shall see each of you to oblivion.

[Kojiro]

Leaning in through the driver's side door and dismantling his car's radio, Darius responds to Crow. "The priest can see ghosts. You cannot. There are ghosts here, by the way. That is probably rather important." Pulling himself out of the car, he now has an armful of wires, electronics, and plastic. "The werewolf likewise has some spiritual connection, I believe, although I am not familiar with the specifics; if he cannot help with the ghosts, then you can ask him to keep an eye on the Promethean instead. You could help the feline with planning for the mage's arrival and what to do when he arrives and such. In fact, the three of you should probably discuss that." He walks over to a park table and sets his materials down there, not bothering to organize them.

Leaning over the table and examining various parts, he continues, "Meanwhile, I am taking charge because we are on a deadline, and some organization will increase our chances of actually being ready when the time comes. If you wish to be leader, then you are welcome to try; I only care about getting this done properly." Standing straight up now, he looks around. After a moment, he begins walking for an alleyway across a nearby street, fiddling with a pair of calipers as he walks.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Tom nods, as his grin appears. "Yeah, I think I can do that. Though there is the slight problem of not knowing where he'll be coming from. Though I have an idea to help alleviate that."

[Tokuhara]

"I think Darius is making a scientific wild *** guess to where the mage is coming from, but Tom Cat, I'll stick with you and lend you my Glamour, if you need it."

Crow twirls the shotgun with one hand, his barrels catching ambient light.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

"I appreciate it. My contract didn't work, but I can see hear in the firelight just fine. So I guess our first step should be making sure he sees the fire. I'm banking on him being as haughty as Adonis said he would be, so he'll come here to gloat before destroying anyone. Then again, I don't know what mages are capable of, so these ghosts may have something to with him. Acting as heralds or spies, maybe. Anyway, I want you to build up the fire first. Get the flames really high and bright. Then help me keep a watch for the mage. When you see him, let me know, and I'll sneak over and convince him to follow me. Daniel, Andrew, I need you two to feel something. Something strong. Love, joy, anger, I don't care, as long as you can feel it. I'll need glamour."

[Tokuhara]

"Fear could work for both of our needs. It's a strong emotion, and I thrive off of fear. Mutual benefits.

Crow gathers some kindling, setting them in plain sight.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Tom's eyes glow for a brief moment, and then look even more like a cat's, the irises widening impossibly. He stalks to the edge of the firelight. "I've never much cared for the taste of fear, personally. Something about it always brings back flashes of Arcadia, though I can't pin down why." Tom scans the horizon, watching for the mage.

Spoiler

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So, after two attempts, my contract activates, leaving Tom with 2 Glamour for use with other contracts. Man I hope things don't go south. Anyway, 1 success on a perception roll to keep a watch for the mage, Siobhan, and Darius. A cat's nightvision applies, courtesy of the contract, so darkness should be of little help to the mage.

[Tokuhara]

Crow sits on the bench, cracking open a beer, relaxing.

"Fear is such a succulent taste. It's sweet, yet savory. It's a pleasure to behold a man who experiences true fear. The flavor is so rich that it coats the tongue with a stimulation unlike any other. I say revel in fear, since we are little more than dust in the wind. Remember: the best trap is a simple trap in a dark corner of the mind, and their nightmares catch up with them."

[ToySoldierCPlus]

"I'm more partial to desire and it's relations. That pure, aching need that people have, especially when you tease them with what they want... It's like a finely-aged wine, a symphony of flavor, scent, even texture. No two desires ever taste the same, either. The girl who simply wants to get over the boy who dated her for three years, got her to fall for him, took her innocence, and then smashed it when she came home to see him banging her best friend. Sure, you could just drink the sorrow, but where's the fun in that, when you can get her talking, and find out what she really wants, what she needs, and then hint that maybe, just maybe, you can help. Keep leading her for a while, and wait for the desire to build and grow, and just before it becomes desperation, you give in, and drink your fill. Or the guy who wants a new car. He's wanted it for years, has been trying to save for it, but he keeps getting hit with setbacks. You don't even have to do any prep-work on him, just show him an ad for the car, and feel the desire flow off of him, mixed with just a hint of anger at the world that seems determined to keep him from getting what's his. Delectable." Tom continues scanning the horizon, and also starts stacking the wood on the fire, the better to get it nice and high and visible.

[Tokuhara]

"Tom Cat, I'll drink to that."

Crow lifts his beer and takes a swig.

[Yuki Akuma]

Siobhan has taken her supplies to a park bench. They're made of assorted plant matter, some rocks, a few bits of random trash... There's quite a lot of stuff she's managed to scrounge up in the park.

She's pulping some of the plant material, twisting some wood and plastic into crude tube shapes...

Spoiler

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Kitbashing! Spending 1 Willpower and 1 Mania to make sure I don't fail.

And I get 4 successes, so...

It has a Fault, of course, but I don't get to know what it is because this is kitbashed! Also, still waiting on Darius' firing mechanism.

[Kojiro]

Not long after Yuki sits down, Darius returns from across the street. He's carrying an old microwave, turned opening-up and with the lid open, the inside filled with even more junk; old toys, bits and pieces of household appliances, a discarded cell phone... Setting the microwave down next to the remains of his car radio, Darius sits down and goes to work. Despite the apparent low quality of all his materials (which are, basically, trash), he carefully and fastidiously measures and examines each piece, handling them as if they were made of fine glass, systematically dismantling the items to get the parts he needs. He seems to be almost oblivious to all external stimuli, completely engrossed in the process of construction.

[Yuki Akuma]

Siobhan continues her work, mumbling in Japanese now and then, although it isn't really intelligible even if you speak Japanese. The construction looks... crude, but it also has an odd sort of otherness about it. Even though mostly it's starting to resemble a tube connected to a bag filled with gooey plant pulp.

Siobhan doesn't really seem to have to even communicate with Darius when it comes to the time to hook the things together...

[Croverus]

Time ticks by, the sky begins to lighten. The sun will be rising soon and the arrival of the mage is nearing. Atlas spends the whole time standing motionless. He doesn't really breath or blink, and if you all had not been fighting with him not too long ago, he could easilly be mistaken for a statue. Last minute preperations should be completed soon.

[Strainseir]

The priest pops u[p and gases off into the distance a look of anger and disgust on his ever burning face,"The mage is close... he is coming... he dies!"

[Strainseir]

The priest then Immediately Pops out of this plane and into the twilight planning to appear behind the mage and smite him upon the head.

Spoiler

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one plasm spent

[Kojiro]

Not too long after Siobhan finishes her device, Darius puts the final touches on his own. Unlike hers, his is made up of entirely inorganic parts, with metal, plastic, circuits, and wires. Despite its meticulous construction, it has a somewhat rough look to it, lacking the sleek metal covering of his wonders seen thus far; it is basically a framework and the electrical innards, no polished metal and glass to decorate it. It has a flat base, three small "legs" that can either dig into the ground or pin it to the trunk of a tree or a similar mounting place, a small lens (presumably from the phone or another dismantled piece of electronics) for locating the target, and a set of small arms for holding and aiming Siobhan's weapon. The entire device is not much larger than his tool case. After removing a cable running from it to something hidden inside his coat, Darius works with Siobhan to mount the glue weapon, then looks around for a place to hide the device.

Spoiler

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The wonder works in a rather simple manner: Darius has downloaded the scanned data from the entire party, plus the Prometheans, into it. When someone it does not recognize comes into range (it can't see the ghosts or anything so that's not a problem; likewise Darius extracted enough data to prevent it from firing on the shapeshifters), it will then fire Siobhan's weapon. The device itself doesn't need any mania to work, being a trigger for another construction than a full-fledged wonder of its own, but Darius put a point of mania into it so it can activate the weapon, which does need mania, so that's already taken care of.

[Tokuhara]

Crow finishes his beer, crushing it on his forehead, then grabs his scythe, reattaching it to his back. He grips his mask, ready to use the mask and put the mage in a stupor of fear. He grips his shotgun stock, ready for a probable bloody and grueling battle.

"Tom Cat. You ready with the archway?"

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Tom sniffs and straightens. "If Darius and Siobhan come through, we won't need one. But, just in case..." Tom grabs one of the sticks next to the fire and balances it between two trees. "As long as that doesn't get knocked loose, we've got our first back-up plan. Now every except Atlas hide." With that, Tom ducks down into some the underbrush, doing his best to hide.

Spoiler

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Which apparently is not very good. Oh well.

[Croverus]

Atlas looks at the rising sun, standing beside the fire in clear sight of anyone that approached the small grove. He glanced at the two geniuses, waiting for them to set up their devices and hide, and would mull over the embers of the fire, pretending he was not on full alert.