Tank O The Lake

Myriad Reality

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I'm afraid I'm too poor to afford one after it was stolen, sir.

@Etcetera

- They're handing them out at the ration dispensaries. Ashstorms gettin' bad this time of year.

*He cocks his head.*

- You new here, kid?

Myriad Reality

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Mm?
*Turns to the officer*
Ah, hello there.

@Etcetera

*The cop looks you up and down. For a second, he stands there, unreadable behind an opaque visor.*

COP: You don't have a gas mask on you.

Myriad Reality

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*Katherine exits to shop for local outfits while I roam the streets, taking in the sights of the city*

@Etcetera

*Union is a city of dark metal and glittering lights. This late, not many people are out, and those who are seem rather unwilling to talk, choosing to pull their coats tighter against themselves and pass by without a word. Perhaps the most personable encounter Victor gets is a meeting with a vaguely Zamboni-esque street cleaning robot, which chimes cheerily as it approaches him on the sidewalk.*

ROBOT: Please stand clear. Thank you!

*It continues on its merry way once Victor steps aside. Most of the stores seem to be still open, but not many people are inside; glittering advertisements and peppy announcers ring a little hollow when they aren't attracting anyone. Victor passes by a coffee shop that appears to have become the home of a few enforcers in the same insectile suits of armor seen in the video I showed, currently enjoying a late-night cup of joe. They look up to see him pass, and one rises from his seat, donning his riot helm and pushing open the door.*

COP: Hey. Hey, you. Long hair.

Myriad Reality

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*Looks to Katherine*

@Etcetera

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His technique was good.

@Legend

*The two are still on the roof of this office building. What looks to be some sort of VTOL aircraft hums overhead, its twin engines angling to keep it steady as it casts a powerful spotlight over the city, sweeping idly. It's probably best to get a move on before its pilot starts wondering why they're there.*

*The access door to the roof appears to be unlocked, and it's unlikely anyone's in the building at this time of night.*

Myriad Reality

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Of course. We'll act wisely. Until we meet again.

@Etcetera

Until we meet again.

*I turn and step at a right angle to reality, the curtains of realspace brushing aside as I slip away into the aether. The process is silent, and takes but a moment.*

Myriad Reality

Okay, since it's necessary to have rn, here's a preliminary charsheet for Naomi:

Naomi

Name: Naomi Lovelace
Affiliations: CIA (formerly), Mr. Lucy (soulbound thrall)
Age: 28
Sex: Female
Species: Human

Physical Description: Naomi doesn’t exactly fit the bill of the suave, self-confident operator seen in spy movies. She looks rather like a pencil-pusher, what with her short stature, messy hair, and bagged eyes, but her muscled body and various scars across her pale skin tell a different story. She wears her black hair pulled back in a messy bun, and has a liking for dark blue suits and ties.

Abilities:

Close Combat: Naomi’s not a spy, at least not primarily. She’s a black operator, with specializations in counter-intel. Part of that involves kicking in doors and neutralizing enemy defenders as quickly and efficiently as possible. She’s deadly with knives, SMGs, even just her fists; if it’s intended for close-range work, she’s good with it.

Tracking: The operatives in the CIA are among the best manhunters of the 21st century; there are few people with more experience in finding people who do not want to be found. Whether it’s looking through surveillance footage, tracing ELINT, or just plain looking for footprints in the forest, Naomi can find almost anyone if she knows who she’s looking for and the signs of their passing.

Sabotage: There’s no shortage of times in which the Agency requires something destroyed or disrupted, but subtly so. She’s good there, too; she can avoid detection, plant her explosives or whatever else needs destruction, and then get out.

Weaknesses:

Amoral: Naomi has no real moral compass. If it’s an order from above, she considers it right. If it’s the enemy, it’s wrong. This makes her capable of truly horrifying deeds in service of her master, but also pushes people away.

Manic: Naomi throws herself at a given task with insane enthusiasm. She doesn’t know when to quit, or when to stop. Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes it gets her killed. It also means that, if provoked, Naomi is capable of springing into fits of violence that cast a level of doubt on the idea that she’s an asset of a national intelligence agency, rather than merely a controlled spree killer.

Myriad Reality

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Of course, I completely understand. In that case, where shall we reconvene?

@Etcetera

My friends will pick you up when you get out of the facility. They'll drive you out of Hong Kong and into the Guangzhou Decontamination Area, where we'll meet again and I'll exfiltrate us from this reality. Now, Guangzhou isn't too radioactive after a century, but I'd recommend wearing whatever gas mask they give you. Nuked city dust isn't exactly good on the lungs.

Myriad Reality

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I look forward to it. Then will you be joining us for the next four hours, or is this when we depart?

@Etcetera

I shouldn't stay. My presence... has a deleterious effect on certain sensors that the Cooperative can detect. It makes it difficult for me to operate in the open here.

Myriad Reality

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Then I think we have an understanding. What exciting developments!

@Etcetera

What exciting developments indeed. Naomi's a wonderful woman; you'll love her. Great at her job, too.

Myriad Reality

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It's for the better cause. Besides, I'm certain our new friend won't mind if we take a look at the data first, right?

@Etcetera

I have nothing to hide.