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Post by Aster Blau on Feb 7, 2022 18:45:16 GMT -8
Aster's eyes locked on the barrel, the voice of Sage now grating against her ears as he continued to huff and threaten, waving his gun around as if it would save him.
Eventually, the Viper had stopped listening, Sage's voice falling away into obscurity as Aster's animalistic brain stopped the threat short of reaching her ability to reason. Aster's features remained cold as a slight smirk began crept upon her lips.
"Heh."
A flex of her hands and twisting Glamour forced a metamorphosis of her claws into something terrible, growing longer with a serrated razor edge and blackened with murderous intent.
In that moment, Aster's concern for the investigation, Connor, and the consequences fell away. Sage had proven himself to dangerous. He had become a problem that needed to be solved.
He had to die.
The Viper's pupils widened like a predator moving in for the kill and, after sidestepping to avoid the barrel, Aster's claws dove for Sage's soft flesh.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 7, 2022 19:15:53 GMT -8
Sage had set to pressing in a direction Gavin hoped he'd miss, and the Beast was formulating just how close to the truth he was going to cut with his answer when the drug dealer decided his ego needed stroking at Aster's expense. The math of subterfuge had instantly changed to combat calculus as the slight shifts in the Venombite tensions signaled action.
When she struck at the foolhardy man Gavin moved nearly in perfect tandem to neutralize the threat. With a quick shuffle he shadowed her forward movement, unleashing a long range inside axe-kick to the weapon she had sidestepped to throw it off the line and possibly out of hand.
He leapt in so quickly along with her he hadn't realized she was going for a kill.
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Post by Krakenbox on Feb 7, 2022 21:05:04 GMT -8
The mundie's mind stuttered as he registered the sudden punch dagger racking across his chest, but what didn't make sense was the vest cutting like a hot blade. He screamed bloody murder, animalistic as defenses kicked in a blind flurry.
He stumbled out of the way of Gavin's axe kick, shotgun kicking back as the room rung with close quarters and took a chunk of the roof's foundation. Aster's supernaturally enhanced senses seized in protest as the blast cleared past her head and ricochet through her senses. Meanwhile, Croupier hears gunfire and screaming through the receiver.
Those Minding Their Own Business downstairs reacted to the uncanny sounds of murder afoot.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 7, 2022 21:53:03 GMT -8
The shotgun blast had stirred the others down below and it became necessary to wrap this up fast. The cat was out of the bag so he decided to join the nightmare.
With the Serpent so close to Sage it was difficult to weave into the flow. It cut the Razorhand's focus a little short when he let the glamour flow through his claws and only partially manifested what he'd expected. It could still be enough for what was to come.
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Post by Aster Blau on Feb 8, 2022 16:35:57 GMT -8
The chaos had begun, but Aster greeted it only with silence, her expression twisted into an expression of cold wrath as she held the wounded Sage in her gaze. His pain was almost exquisite, a cacophonic choir tantalizing her ears as it told her the blow had struck true.
Yet he still breathed and more were beginning to make their way up to the fray.
They would have to work quickly.
In the heat of the moment, however, the Viper madly swiped, only meeting air and growling as her bleeding target evaded her.
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Post by Krakenbox on Feb 8, 2022 18:26:43 GMT -8
The door creaked open with measured caution as a second pair of eyes beheld twisting bodies and chaos, shouting for Sage's attention.
Sage was burning through his adrenaline fast, mouth dry as bullets point blank somehow managed to miss and four pairs of blades clashed and two severed tips hissed and clattered to the floor where his head had been. He sniffed through the tear streaks and snot of unimaginable pain as the trigger finger moved on instinct, taking a second shot at the madwoman as he backpaddled through a door he didn't expect to be open for him.
The other hauled furniture from the other room with herculean determination; remembering how fucking scary the pair was and already down to let Sage take one for the team from a sealed door. He cheered and gawked as the gregarious host stumbled back, gun blazing and covered in his own gore, as the third gladly opened fire the rising bloodied assassin while shouting death threats and slurs—the door was slammed shut in rapid succession... followed by panicked arguing behind the thudding wood and plaster, asking if anyone had seen a gun on the pair over Sage's hoarse moans.
The door wouldn't provide much defense against supernatural claws, but the hardened Green Nation members were coordinated
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 8, 2022 21:13:30 GMT -8
Trapped in a room. His comrade looked rough with multiple holes welling a bright crimson red. Control of this situation was lost.
A fleeting scan of the room and his bestial instincts had run a couple of equations in his mind. One, block the door with the conveniently placed dresser to triple up the barricading--their side, the door, and the other side--all while yelling about using Paisley as a human shield, a dark threat.
The other, instincts took over as blood issued from the Serpent's wounds.
There wasn't time to consider.
In one determined motion he sidled up to Aster, guided her hand to the precious life saving Amaranthine he kept on his person hoping she would recognize the texture and take the cue, while hoisting her into a carry Aster would find undignified in almost any other circumstance. Struggling at this juncture would get her left behind as he had already been bouncing in his stride for what was to come next.
Glamour suffused his limbs as he completed the requirements of the magic, "This isn't my first fight on the run." Recounting the time he was boxed in by Elementals and that one murderous Spring from LA. He sprang forward curling his shoulder to power through the large panes of glass on the side of the house furthest from the main door. The leap sent them hurtling through the air impossibly far for the effort landing them seamlessly on the unkempt grass outside. Setting her down on her feet hoping she kept the fruit and would have the good sense to keep running along with him afterward.
He had done all he could through the pulse pounding adrenaline.
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Post by Aster Blau on Feb 9, 2022 15:39:05 GMT -8
Aster screamed, her voice gurgling forth in a tone of anguish and wrath as she turned to face her assailants, bloodied and unsteady, but still rippling with the desire to maim the coward called Sage.
Then a fruit was pressed into her palm by the Bird and the pain of her injuries began to push past the red in her vision. She couldn't hear Gavin, her ears still ringing painfully from the shotgun blast, but it seemed pretty clear what the fruit was for. He wanted her to eat it. She was wounded and, if she didn't handle things soon, she would be dying.
As she was held aloft by Gavin, the Viper consumed the fruit he had given even as the vision from Samhain replayed in her mind. The Serpent-That-Was coiling from the smoke and flame of a hunter's torch. Yet again, she was being forced to run and hide. The reality left her heart bitter, but if she remained, she would be killed.
Sage's Penance would have to wait... but it was coming.
When she was placed back to the ground, the Viper hopped for a moment, churning the Glamour within. "You aren't the first tail I've had to lose!" she declares, meeting the requirements of the contract as she runs, following Gavin as each attempts their exit.
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Post by Krakenbox on Feb 10, 2022 21:54:48 GMT -8
A woman's amused laugher echoes through the veil as time seems to slow, the surge of Gavin's Contract sputtering and stretching out as he feels the marionette strings of the Dollmaker narrowly miss hooking into his limbs.
She was watching.
Sweat collected as the world sped up and he landed without issue, and Gavin heard the pistol shot go wide as he continued his dash from the neighbourhood, adrenaline flushing thoughts of What Could Have Been. He wasn't interested in baiting more of a firefight or potential backup being called in as he lapsed to instinct and keeping his ally alive. Aster's consumption of the fruit trickles her back and stops the rush of bloodloss as she insisted on moving herself, despite being riddled with lead.
Once enough distance was made from the screaming and bedlam of supernatural performance, the Beasts determined their next move.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 10, 2022 23:28:35 GMT -8
"Hey ... if you're still there ... in Paradise ... running West in alleyways ... parallel to East Harmon Ave ... heading to the Catholic church near the Uni." His speech was broken up by the hurried sounds of fabric friction, footfalls, and rapid breathing. "Henley said to call you. Need a ride, first aid if you have it, and help finding one of ours before a mundie hunter does." It sounded as though Gavin was speaking loudly while holding the phone a fair distance from his face. The tone of his voice was tense but not laboured despite the activity.
When it looked like the pair had lost the immediate interest of their pursuers he stopped to check in with Aster, eying the severity of her injuries, while fumbling to plug in the wired mic and ear piece. "Hey, I'm back. This is Gavin. Could really use your help Mr. Miller."
The Beasts needed to regulate their pace moving forward now that the immediate problem had moved to a different burner. They needed to avoid creating additional witnesses to their nature; there was no sense compounding that problem with more. They still had a number more blocks to go to reach the Church he mentioned. He remembered seeing it driving by with Henley and Tony a few times when working on the curse. The 7-11 stood out more in his mind, but corners like that would be top priorities for being watched by street level eyes working for Sage. It was also the opposite direction of the emergency care facilities that were nearby. He figured they would either be chasing them with that direction in mind or they might be seeing to Sage's own injuries.
Once he was done with this call he needed to move on to others. Fast. Still needed to contain the breach and notify Aello or Golden of this unfortunate turn.
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Post by Croupier on Feb 11, 2022 21:45:19 GMT -8
By the time the caller finished, Dan was already in the driver seat of his 2001 Ford Mustang and plunging the key into the ignition. The engine under his bright crimson hood roared to life as he stepped on the clutch and put the car in reverse. A quick turn and directional change, and Dan's car screamed out of the parking garage and onto the road.
He had passed the church often enough to know which one Gavin had mentioned. From the casino, it was a ten, maybe fifteen minute drive on a good day, and so far it looked to be holding up. With his foot on the pedal, Dan kept a look out for cops and less attentive drivers alike; and all the while his veins were flooded with excitement. A chase! A chase with hunters, no less! How many there were, Gavin did not say, but still!
Dan felt like he should have been worried. Or terrified. Or both. Anyone else would have been. Gavin, for as steady as his voice was on the phone, was so thick with stress that Dan could almost smell it over the airwaves.
The church steeple was in view and Dan's heart was in his throat. He half-expected his windshield to spiderweb from an errant bullet or to see an angry mob chasing a pair of Lost with pitchforks. Instead, he saw no one. The others were probably hiding.
Spinning the car into a spot, Dan took a quick look around before hitting the last contact on his phone.
"Mr. Graves, your Uber has arrived."
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Post by Aster Blau on Feb 12, 2022 17:38:05 GMT -8
Aster would run with Gavin for some time, her own labored breathing and occasional painful wince signalling that she remained quite close. As they came to a stop and Gavin moved in to try and assess her condition, he would find his efforts quietly shrugged off. Most would be scared in this situation or at the very least showcasing their pain for all to see, but, Aster, decidedly, was not most people. This wasn't the first time the Viper had been shot and experience told her it was in her best interest to put on a brave faith. That alone may have been enough to prompt to move to hide her feelings, but it was pushed heavily in that direction by the serpentine Beast's own instincts. At the end of the day, Aster barely knew Gavin and she sure as shit wasn't going to be completely upfront about her pain with a near-stranger. Thus, in the wake of her anguish, Aster's faith relaxed, shifting to stoicism as Gavin's attempts at assessment are met with a fixed stare. Inwardly, however, the Beast is inundated with Wrath. She is angry at Sage for his attacks and escalation. She is angry at Dame Chunhua for forcing this position in the first place through her abuse of Tanner's capabilites. However, she is also angry with herself. In an attempt to indulge her wrath, Aster hastily attacked without thoughtful consideration and, while the attack largely served to only maim her personally, it had also put Gavin in considerable danger. It had also only resulted in greater complications in the mission. Aster may have survived, but the guilt would be profound if her thoughtless act now placed Tanner out of reach. Stray-Aster Blau — Today at 6:14 PM
The Cure: Purgatory - "I'm totally fine" Hide Emotions (Compsure+Subterfuge)
Dicecord-CoD roll 4
Dicecord-CoD
BOT
— Today at 6:14 PM
Stray-Aster Blau rolled 4 dice and got 2 successes. 6 8 3 9
Stray-Aster Blau — Today at 6:20 PM
The Cure: Purgatory - Also CLarity roll. Aster's hasty actions put Gavin, an ally, in danger
Clarity roll - Dicecord-CoD roll 1
Dicecord-CoD
BOT
— Today at 6:21 PM
Stray-Aster Blau rolled 1 dice and got 0 successes. 4
Stray-Aster Blau rolls like a dairy farmer.
Stray-Aster Blau — Today at 6:22 PM
No damage roll needed, the Clarity Attack fails
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 13, 2022 0:19:32 GMT -8
Aster didn't want any of his fussing, so Gavin stopped trying for the moment. All the stone face denial in the world couldn't hide the tide of drying blood staining her clothes and dripping though. She might no longer be leaking, but the drip from the blood already saturating her clothes could still be an issue. Once she could hear again he began directing their movements from a few paces behind. When an errant drip would fall he would drag his heel over it or scuff it with nearby sand. While not being much good at stealthy activity, he did know a thing or two about not leaving a trail.
He had guided the pair around the back of the church he indicated to Miller, out of easy line of sight from both nearby streets. Miller said he was going to be a bit. It had been roughly half the time he quoted when they settled into the shadow of the building. There was time to start networking the problem now with the vehicle on the way.
"Going to see if Lucky Jack can help put a lid on this development. If not, Victor." Flagging that if she wanted to go a different direction with it she should speak up now. She had as long as it took for him to type out his first message to stop him. He was going to keep the lid inside the affected Courts unless it appeared unreasonable.
A quick succession of messages would fire. He wouldn't hesitate to hit send with the short blips. He couldn't know if he would be interrupted before he could finish and people needed to know the right details as soon as possible.
He would send a curated version of the message to Aello as well to keep the earlier promise. This he knew could have an impact on who would know about the breach.
It had crossed his mind that they might incidentally point the pursuers at Tanner now with their own activities. They needed to watch for a tail as much as avoiding being seen.
His phone buzzed.
"Ride's here."
He took a quick survey of the area before breaking cover and heading to the car.
He decided on the rear right seat if Aster didn't select it. There would be good front and back vantage points if no one was in the front passenger seat. He could also tuck his ginger hair close to the pillar to minimize the exposure of that easy identifier. The Spring Mantle though disconcerting in its influence was nonetheless a comforting sign in this tense moment.
"Hello Mr. Miller. Gavin and Aster. Got a lot of catching up to cover. Let's get moving as soon as everyone is seated, but be cool. If we don't have attention we don't want it right now. We'll give you directions for avoiding watched corners and streets as best we can. Maybe the odd shortcut. Take a left. We have to avoid the 7-11 on the corner. Two blocks and another Left. They'll be watching the emergency cares."
"Thanks for coming. I'm sure you heard the gunfire, yeah. This is a hot one. We wanted you to track Tanner, the Twilight Page--what we called you for before the interruption and why Henley recommended you. Hunters are after Tanner and now us. They don't know much, but enough to shoot first. You still up for this--wearing a vest?"
"Everyone keep an eye out for tails. They might try to follow us to Tanner since we're all trying to find him."
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Post by Croupier on Feb 13, 2022 16:59:02 GMT -8
"My pleasure, Mr. Graves." Dan replied as a pair of Beasts slid into the backseat of his car. Both of them looked like shit, but the Venombite looked the worse for it; covered in more of her own blood than someone else's. Dan's sense of self-preservation told him to get her to a hospital now, but the part of himself wrapped up in all the excitement was too busy listening to Gavin feed him the details on the situation. He had to have a definite list of priorities, and enough of the situation at hand that Dan was not willing to throw a wrench in it just now.
Dan hissed through his teeth, "Yeah I got a vest, but the only thing it protects me from is spilled drinks on my uniform." As he talked, Dan scanned around the parking lot and put the car into Drive, doing his best to look like he just picked up some friends from church.
With a glance at the rearview mirror, Dan checked for any signs of an obvious tail. "What's Tanner look like? And how many hunters are we dealing with?"
Before returning his attention to the front, Dan stole a look at Aster. His hand punched the glove box and out came a small white plastic box with a red cross on the surface. Passing it over to Gavin, he offered, "It's just a premade kit from a pharmacy, but better than nothing until we can get you both patched up proper."
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Post by Aster Blau on Feb 14, 2022 11:51:32 GMT -8
Aster slipped in the car with Gavin, steel-faced and silent. As Gavin took charge of the situation, the Viper kept an eye out, her gaze drifting out the windows and behind them in a search for potential pursuers.
"Young, college aged, and a Beast," Aster said, answering Miller's question regarding their quarry, "Looks like a jackelope... you know, a bunny with antlers."
Turning around the Viper beholds the presented first aid box.
"Ain't bleeding no more," she offers, "but thanks. This ain't something a bandaid and gauze is gonna solve. Let's finish this and then we'll worry about me, yeah?"
It was a softer edge than usual, but, considering her guilt, the Beast felt a change in course was needed. Eventually, she even looked at Gavin.
"Gavin," she said, "I'm sorry. I'll try to keep it in check next time."
Quick and to the point. Apologies were hard enough for the Beast, but this one was needed. Disharmony in the group wouldn't help find Tanner.
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