Atrophy

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

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_{@Ruler Inc@Fernstone}
Near the Library

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Rita was busy destroying what remained of her fingernails to calm her nerves. She at the table to give herself some space from the others, although it unfortunately left her closer to the stench of the rotting dinner. Kimberly asked about Justin. Rita hadn’t seen him since he turned the snowstorm into a firestorm to drive the Wendigos away. Hell, she felt like she hadn’t seen anything until she was inside of this house, at this table, studying a spoiled plate of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Before this, she’d just felt things: the cold, fear, weakness, and the literal pain in her ass from after being thrown by the Wendigo.

Rita looked over at Tuyen. She had seen Tuyen’s shadow fight before, but that was when she was under the impression that Tuyen had been controlling it. Back at the hospital she said it was sentient, but Rita had always figured that meant it was some kind of quirky sidekick by the way Tuyen had brushed it off. From what bits she had caught in the library it appeared much more intense than before. Gleefully destructive. Dangerous, even. There was a shadow of unease over Tuyen’s face, and Rita wasn’t sure it was only from her concern about Justin. Even if it just is, thought Rita as she stepped away from the table while the others began to pour over the map.

“Hey. Um,” said Rita as she joined Tuyen on the sofa. She didn’t know how to continue. It’d feel lame to tell her that Justin was alive or that everything would be okay considering Rita didn’t believe either of those two things. She mulled over things for another second or two, and then just pulled in Tuyen for a hug. Rita was one for touching other people ever, and her hug showed that. It was poorly executed, definitely awkward, and thankfully short. She pulled away. “I’m glad you made it.”

There was a loud thunk from above before Tuyen had a chance to answer, and Rita tensed as the voices of Wendigos carried throughout the house. It sounded like Justin was alive, which was great, but they had given up hunting him and were now looking for them. As the Wendigos jumped off the roof, the others began to come up with a plan of action. Rita agreed that getting back to Grand Ridge before trying to fight them was their best chance of survival, but just running like crazy had only worked when they had Justin covering them.

“Wait,” said Rita. She looked down to avoid triggering her abstraction. “Grand Ridge isn’t too far, but we, uh, we won’t make it if they spot us right away. Sorry, this might be a dumb idea. Rien, could you draw something that can be used as a distraction to draw their attention inside after we start running for it? Like an...like an alarm clock or a firecracker or something. Just anything to buy us an extra minute.”

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

<Snipped quote by Ruler Inc>

in retrospect

i shouldn't have posted this

@Ruler Inc

Oh damn.

Yeah that totally made me think it would be a definite bad idea to take it. I took that as a heavy-handed hint that there was something severe about the abstractions side effects. Like the "you can't do anything about the future, because if you do the future changes and you get shot in the face" kind of side effect.

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

Probably gonna have to wait to the weekend to get out a Rita part but for now take a Penny.

@Atrophy

Ended up working an extra day then I got drunk in a pool. So, uh, feel free to post before I do.

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

Probably gonna have to wait to the weekend to get out a Rita part but for now take a Penny.

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

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_{@Ruler Inc@Fernstone}
Town Hall

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“I need a second,” said Penny with a huff.

Jesus Christ, I don’t know what to do, thought Penny. This must’ve been the kind of pressure Britney had been feeling for who knows how long. She gave Britney a somber look. They’d been friends, then enemies, and now...well, rivals wasn’t the right word for it. Survivors, maybe, willing to put apart their bullshit differences to make it through this whole messed up situation. It frustrated Penny that Amethyst didn’t have that same mindset. She was so adamant on her ideas that it was easy to default to hating the woman. Plus, her smirking face didn’t help.

Penny looked down at the Mayor’s wrist, the blue of his sigil reflecting in her eyes. She couldn’t deny the fact that the idea of taking it was intriguing. He was dead. He had no use for it anymore. It could be useful—both the power to see the future, and to have his memories. So little was clear to Penny. It’d be nice to have some clarity. It could help them. It could save them. And maybe, deep, deep down, she wanted more power. They were weak. They needed it.

Yet, the Mayor’s words haunted her. He kept saying how he could do nothing about the future that he saw. Penny assumed he had just given up hope and what he really meant was that he wouldn’t do anything, but what if he literally could not doing anything? Like how her own gave her migraines, what if his abstraction had some weird rule, some weird drawback that prevented him from acting? It’d take her out of the game, and they couldn’t win with any less players. The others needed her as much as she needed them. It was risky. It could be a trap. She could turn into another Reese.

Fuck this. I hate this. I hate this. I should’ve gone to the library.

Penny truly thought an alliance was necessary. Every step of the way they had lost people, and the fights weren’t getting any less desperate. She didn’t trust Amethyst, but she couldn’t just keep pushing others away. If they found a way to work together, then maybe they could find a way to come to a compromise to save Britney—Penny wasn’t going to let her get executed like the Mayor. If everything that Britney had said about Amethyst was true, well, then they could deal with them after the Glutton. On second thought, if everything was true then the Watcher wouldn’t wait until their Glutton problem was over. Penny stared at the blood pooling on the Mayor’s lap. She looked at Amethyst, and then at Britney. Any decision she made felt like she was cutting her own throat.

So why drag it out any longer? Well, to try and get a message through, obviously.

Caelea, Penny sent out, Lynette has glyphs near the door. If they try to hurt anyone, I need you to help me force them to it.

“I made up my mind. Guess it’s time to stop pushing people away,” said Penny with a sigh. She turned to Britney and smiled sadly as she reached her hand towards the Mayor’s sigil. Then, with her hand a few inches over the sigil, she stopped and pulled away. She let out a little ashamed chuckle and squinted at Amethyst, “You know, I don’t think I deserve this one. We didn’t finish the job, so why should any of us take it? Plus, I’m pretty terrible at concentrating. Why don’t you show me how to do it, Amethyst? I’ll get the next one.”

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

<Snipped quote by Atrophy>

She can see the futurreeeeeeeeeeee

just not do anything about it and thus it's useless

@Ruler Inc

You know I was wondering about how literal not being able to do anything about the future was...

Vivid Recollections Season 2: Into The False Light [COMPLETE]

Penny weighing her options

~ Winds Of Fate - A Thief's Adventure ~ (1.0)

yes. I am still here. I just read you're post. I haven't heard from a lot of people so I was trying to decide on how to proceed. I could write in a few deaths, but it looks like you're about to off someone as well? I was hoping to hear from a few players but it's been really quiet.

@Arkitekt

Haha, well I doubt @Fetzen is ready to part with Vodilic so quickly, so it's unlikely that there will be a scene of Prudence stabbing his character to death anytime soon. After all, we're at a feast, not a wedding. Maybe after their first score. :P

It actually seems like we're only down two of our crew. They've both been pretty silent on this website in whole for the last month, so I figure that's unlikely to change. Still, since it's so early on in the story we don't really need to kill off their characters. I'd suggest shoving them to the side and maybe tossing out a fresh Interest Check to fill their spots if you think we need more folks, although 5 isn't a bad group size. Their characters could just refuse whatever the King's offer is off-screen, or we could keep them as minor NPCs and try and reach out to our missing friends in hopes of bringing them back.

Either way, looks like most of us are totally still down, so unless someone wants to put in another post before the King kicks off the plot I think we can just proceed with that.

𝕮𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖘 - Chaos and Order

@OppositionHey welcome back, my boy! How's that secret for Esra going?

~ Winds Of Fate - A Thief's Adventure ~ (1.0)

Prudence Stolz

Great Hall/Throne Room — Late Morning

"Get your feet off... Now!"

Prudence flicked her eyes over to the giant of a man that had taken the chair near her. She could’ve anticipated the king’s right hand or one of his guards make a demand regarding her lack of proper dining etiquette, but never would she have believed that a brute who looked like he broke bones for a living would criticize her. What next? Was he going to complain about how she didn’t use the proper fork to enjoy her meal, or how she didn’t dab at her face after every bite like that foppish man at the other table? No, no, it wasn’t that. It was a challenge. A power grab. Classic intimidation. He thought he was the biggest, baddest bastard at that table. The frail boy who skittishly sipped at his drink while his eyes darted around the room would’ve backed down, but not Prudence. She had to prove to him now that he was messing with the one lady in the room with stones that were bigger than him.

She turned to glare at Vodilic, toying with a piece of cutlery in her hands. What if she just jumped him? He was big, but was he fast? She could jam that little table knife into his thick neck and slice it like it was a piece of steak in the blink of an eye. Prudence flexed the end of the knife between her thumb and forefinger as she continued to stare the behemoth down. The guards would surely get her afterwards, but what did it matter? She had already been in the dungeon, and she began to feel like she preferred the cold, dark pit over this lavish and expensive decor. Of course, if she wasn’t going to the gallows now, she would definitely be sent to the gallows then. Hard to plead your innocence after stabbing someone right in front of the High King himself. She let out a little sigh, smiled at the giant, and lifted a foot as if to move it.

Then, in one swift motion, she lifted her boot higher before slamming it down on the table. Plates jumped and a bit of wine splashed out of a flagon, but the true disaster struck next as Prudence quickly swung her legs off of the table. The large man got his wish, but not before she had sent a scattershot of silverware, food, and booze barreling towards his lap. The other meals at the table that were caught in Prudence’s pissing match likely suffered collateral damage as she jumped up to her feet. In the commotion, Prudence had swapped her steak knife for her dagger and now held the bare blade behind her back while her other hand covered her mouth. Perhaps it would look like she was hiding her embarrassment for causing such a mess, but the big guy would see the corner of shit-eating grin peeping out from behind her fingers.

“My deepest apologies,” said Prudence, failing to suppress her laughter. “I fear I’m not used to being out of shackles, yet. I must’ve been,” she gave Vodilic a full look over from head to toe, “Overcompensating. I’m sure you understand.”

She tightened the grip on the dagger behind her back. Outright stabbing the guy? Utterly idiotic. But self-defense? She could argue self-defense.