WoD-The Outside: Act I [IC]

[FunnyMattress]

It was a cold October night in Hetford City, California, as P.T (Public transport) 1376 moved along the streets of the city. A few blocks away, a lawyer was being taken hostage, and taken for a ride in his own car. This event, however, was unknown to those 7 (8 counting the driver) inside the bus, as it sped towards each passenger's destination.

Very soon, however, that simple crime would send 6 of these people onto a path from which they could never deviate, a path filled with shocking truths about the world around them, the world they thought they knew.

They would learn of The Outside.

Please post a description of your character, what they're doing, anything like that.

[Premsyl]

Sean sits on the back of the bus, earbuds in. His Ipod is playing some alternative band he's a fan of, as he rests his head on the smudgy glass window. He's a young man in his mid-twenties, with dark hair buzzed short, a goatee, and a navy blue hoodie on. His eyes are a cloudy blue color.
He watches the street signs and parked cars pass by on the street as they drive by. His right hand rests on his backpack on the seat beside him. He looks up and glances around the bus, not taking much notice of anyone in particular. He pulls his hood up and over his head and slumps down deeper into the seat.

[Maerok]

Max is seated farther up, listening to some SRV. He had been ruffling through his duffel bag for quite a while now and pulled out some of his tape. The boxer began wrapping his wrists one at a time with great care; he alternates between red and white colored wrap. The trip was taking longer than usual and he'd have to ready to fight as soon as the bus would arrive at the arena. His headphones slipped off from his head and fell to the ground - his foot came down from above to pin them as he continued his work.

He is rather tall, with a rosy complexion and short black hair cast about his head. His face is covered with small cuts and scars, his nose looks like it has been broken once or twice before. Some of the passengers may notice him as a local celebrity in the boxing circuit, Max Wengera. He wears casual sweats and keeps the hood down for now.

[WillWolf]

Jeremy:

Jeremy was picking off tar from his skin, each black blob stretched off his skin only to pull back as a frog's tongue would. He had been asked to help with one of his friend's constructions in the suburbs and reluctantly agreed to help him do some very basic stuff. It was no biggy.

He's a medium-tall man with a bit of a pot belly and white scars on his otherwise tanned body. Aside from the scars and tar, he sports a plaid overshirt over a plain brown t-shirt and thick work boots. On his head is a worn and dusty brown baseball cap, the kind you get at dollar stores. He sat in the seat beside Max (but not beside beside him, just on the otherside of the aisle) and cautiously looks at him every once in a while wondering what he was going to do about the big fight coming up.

Whatever, Jeremy's fighting days were over. He was just going to work to pick up some of his stuff and then head home.

[Parasol]

"'The way to a man's heart," Valens quoted, drawing the rapier from its scabbard, "is proverbially through his stomach, but if you want to get into his brain, I recommend the eye socket."'

Oh, quite clever, thought Thomas. The author uses almost the exact same opening words of the first book in the opening words of the second. Not a bad idea if done well, and I think he pulls it off nicely. A bump in the road knocks him from his musings. He twists off his flashlight he uses to read and takes a look around.

On the bus, okay. Forgot where I was for a moment. I should probably see about getting off and getting home. He bookmarked the page, (page one, very good, I can't lose my place in my precious book he thought sarcastically and rolled his eyes) slid the book back into his messenger bag and stood up to stretch, thereby getting the chance to see who else was on the bus. 7x2, if one counted the front and left side as 1,he mused. About midway back. Or front. Hmm, I wonder if you could do some kind of numerology based off the seating arrangement you averagely sit. Heh, that would be worthl-

Another bump nearly knocked him back down except that he caught himself on the seat in front of him, smacking it with his hands not-so-quietly. He promptly sat back down, a little red seeping into his face as though he were a child that just got caught taking cookies from the cookie jar and was now willfully but unsuccessfully trying to lie about it. Not many left on 1376 anyways, I'm sure nobody noticed, or cared for that matter.

Thomas gathered all his gear together, as he liked to call it, which included the messenger bag brimming with books and notebooks and his black hooked-cane umbrella. A light touch to the neck was all it took to count the goggles. He zipped up his tight grey jacket, slung the bag strap over his head to rest on the left shoulder/neck and watched out the windows, waiting for the bus to stop somewhere interesting so that he could start his walk home.

[Eldmor]

Conor idly tapped his foot to the beat of music from clubs and loud cars the bus passed. Nothing better to do for a muscle-man.
He was concerned about how he left that cab driver. Couldn't understand a %$^#ing word he was saying and the cab reeked of Mary-Jane along with some of her friends. Guy was screaming his braids off, just a whirlwind of speech that would require a book Conor would never read. Or any book for that matter. God didn't give him guns to read. They were for looking good.
He pulled a pocket-size vial of oil and and palmed a bit to spread on his arms to touch up. He always mixed in a little burn cream so it wouldn't light up his Irish skin. Nothing wrong with self-beauty when you're ripped as some of those muscle-heads that lifted grand pianos for a living.

Conor saw the flickering lights above the stadium sign a couple blocks ahead. Next stop, more easy money.

[FunnyMattress]

Suddenly, the bus slams to a halt, sending one passenger to the floor.

"Jesus Christ!" the driver exclaims. "Someone in the road. Nutjob just ran off." ex explains, getting up. "Everyone okay?"

That's when a loud THUD is made, as if someone fell, or jumped, onto the roof of the bus.

[Eldmor]

WHAT THE F^$%!? Something weird was going on. Conor grips the stun gun in his back pocket, ready to jab at the psycho if he goes into the bus.
Or whatever the hell landed on the roof. Couldn't be scaffolding, that doesn't THUD it THUNKS.

[Premsyl]

Sean rips the earbuds out of his ear and stands up just as the 'THUD' comes down. He ducks down behind the back of the seat in front of him and covers his head, as if expecting gunfire. After a second he hesitantly peeks up and over the edge of the seat, looking around the bus, and then out the window at the street.

[Parasol]

Thomas peels himself off the seat in front of him and stands up, holding onto the seat with both hands.

Did we hit someone? The driver's explanation rolls off his brain as though he didn't hear it.

THUD

And the body flew up onto the roof of the bus? Surely not. The blood rushing through his veins pounds loudly in his ears as he's looking around. What's going on?

[WillWolf]

Jeremy:

Jeremy, who was continuing the picking process, lost his footing and smacked against the front seat with the smack. The pain julted and then stopped. As he straightened himself out he got lost himself into the commotion of noise and confusion, and weirdness. This was strange, but probably some sort of animal. It was possible that it got flipped on top of the bus.

Wounded animals tended to go a little nuts if cornered; the idea of having to bucker down with a bear didn't sound appetizing.

Fight or flight. He chose to fight, and started to gear up his knuckle dusters. Otherwise however, he tried to remain calm, reacting quickly never did anyone any good, unless the stuff really hit the fan.

[FunnyMattress]

"Okay, I'm gonna check out what that was. Probably a flowerpot or something." the bus driver says, going for the door. "Happens all the time."

No sooner does he step out, than the streetlights go out, covering the bus, and the entire stretch of road, in a blanket of darkness.

Everyone: Roll Wits+Composure to avoid surprise.

[Premsyl]

Sean grips the back of the seat in front of him. His heart pounding. He's got a really bad feeling about this. He moves out from behind the seat and starts feeling his way up the aisle.

Spoiler

Show

I dont have any experience using the MW roller. I hope Invisible Castle is ok. Wits + Composure 1 Success

[FunnyMattress]

OOC: Invisible Castle is fine. I'll wait for everyone else. I know Eldmor got 3 Successes.

[Eldmor]

Conor knows something dangerous is there. He grips his stun gun and gets ready to duke. [3 successes]

[Maerok]

Max finishes wrapping his wrists in the dark, the last bit is a bit uneven. He looks around or tries to, anyway, as he had been zoning out. "What's up with the lights? Did we hit that bad section of town yet?"

Result: No successes... Need proof?

[Parasol]

Thomas' heart stops as all the streetlights go out around the bus and down both stretches of the street. This cannot possibly be a good omen he thinks, wide-eyed, as his mind immediately brings up his pet theory of streetlights flickering on and off. What in the hell could this mean? His left hand closes around his umbrella handle with a death grip as he peers into the darkness that has enveloped the scene.

Spoiler

Show

1d10=7, 1d10=10, 1d10=8, 1d10=8, 1d10=7, 1d10=7

Re-roll for the 10: 1d10=4

3 Successes

Invisible Castle here too; I have no experience with any rollers, just took Premsyl's lead and figured it out there.

[WillWolf]

Richard:

Richard straightened out his jaw when he felt ... it.

His spine tingled, and he sharpened his eyes for the darkness and stood up. In his mind he could see their eyes awaiting him to brawl it out in the cage, and and slowed down his breathing, just like when he was in the cage. Something was going to happen; he could feel it, and he did not want to take it sitting down.

Spoiler

Show

1 success, which is enough, yay ^_^;; Proof.

[FunnyMattress]

OOC: Anyone see MB?

[Premsyl]

(His profile says he hasn't logged on in like a couple weeks. Maybe you can take temporary control of his character or some other way we can continue while not totally throwing him out of the game.)

[Maerok]

(We just hit him. )

[FunnyMattress]

OOC: Bump.

[FunnyMattress]

Bumping again.

[Premsyl]

I gotta say, man. Next time you run a game and players drop out mysteriously then just go with it. You kind of have to prepare yourself for the eventuality that you'll lose players in a pbp game. When I run a game I try to take more than the usual amount of characters because it's a rarity when someone doesn't flake on posting. Also bumping game threads is a waste since most people just bookmark their own game thread and don't visit the in-game thread listings, from what I know.

[Parasol]

I'm fairly new to the PbP roleplaying so would it be too far out to guess that since it's been a full month since we last had any gaming action that our game here is finished?

[Premsyl]

It's a pretty good bet.