"Thanks, you're doing great. Now who were these lobos? And what did that mother and child have to do with them?" Pine continues to put on her best diplomatic face.
I think this should be gather info now. So going to use that but if you want to keep it diplomacy just subtract 5.
Gather Info roll: 1d20+20=30
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AriviaI Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered Userregular
edited February 2011
"The other gang. You been living in the Citadel or something, whatever you are? And they were there and she was hot and aw man how's Jesus gonna explain this to his maman..."
Jessica is getting bored waiting for Shadow-man. She hops down and trots over, shrinking as she does to climb up and sit on Pine's shoulder. You know, in case she needs some help 'questioning' the witness. Jessica was always good at that back home; when she stole cookies, her brothers always ended up with the blame, because they knew she'd be an absolute brat if they didn't, and that was worse than an evening with a sandwich instead of real dinner. She whispers into Pine's ear "When you're done here, Shadow-guy wants to see us on the rooftop we were on before. He also said something about the other guy, but I don't really care about him."
"We better head up there, I don't think this guy knows of anything of interest. Might as well leave him in the vines. They will shrink back eventually. Give him some time to think on his life choices. Probably should go meet your new friend. He isn't one you got pushed into another vat of goo right?" Pine says flippantly as she heads and starts to climb up on the roof taking her time.
"For the love of . . . I said I was sorry like fifty times!" Jessica protests, holding onto Pine's shoulder as she moves. This guy isn't going to be any more fun than his boss was, might as well just go with little miss meanie-pants. "Besides, admit it, you had fun with those goons."
"Oh yeah, fun. Be made to remember I am now a freak. That my entire life as I knew it is over. And that I am green and can talk to plants. I will admit, it was relaxing to take target practice at more than just boring stationary targets like they have at the lab. That at least was relaxing. But seriously, you say lets go have fun. Lets explore. Then we come to the slums. Not to a mall or to a bar or something you know, would do on a Friday night." As she reaches the top of the roof she goes toward the middle where she was and starts to count how many arrows she has left.
"And how long have you been a freak, hmm?" Jessica shot back. "Eight months, right? I've been poked and prodded and gawked at since the second I got here. Half the program staff still treats me like a specimen, and they've all worked on experiments with me by now." She sighs bitterly, and changes the subject. "Besides, you know as well as I do that we can't go out in public public. If we're seen, Trinity will lock us down for sure, and it was hard enough getting out the first time." Jessica crawls down Pine's shirt and pants headfirst and resumes her normal size. "Hey, you've been here longer than I have, did you recognize that guy with the shadows and stuff?"
"The one hit by the pipe? Nope. But I recognized the gunfire. Standard issue to Trinity personal. Which means me have a friend. A friend I bet we know. Also will you stop crawling down my pants. Its really...uncomfortable." Her faces turns a slightly darker shade of green.
Jessica snorts. "At least I was on the outside. I pity your boyfriend if you're this squeamish about anyone touching your legs." She thinks for a second, and grows serious. "Trinity equipment, huh? It seems they may be keeping an eye on us. I had a hunch they would, but I didn't want you to worry."
"Too easy? Who here nearly pulled half the muscles in her tail getting the card to open the door?" Jessica shoots back. She sighs. "Ugh, this isn't getting us anywhere. I hope that Shadow guy gets here soon. Although considering what an asshole he was to me, I'm not sure I want to talk to him."
"Like I said, too easy. This is probably another experiment before they put us back into our little cages and start trying to poke us with needles again to see what exposure to the outside world or something did. All in the name of science and bettering humanity. Either that or figured letting you out would calm you down for the next few days." States plainly. "Where is your 'shadow guy', you said he would be meeting us here."
"Beats the hell out of me. He teleported away, so I'm sure we won't see him coming. He'll probably just appear and start insulting me again." Jessica grinds her teeth, remembering his words and tone a few minutes before.
"Hmm, maybe he's here already, and we just don't see him. After all, he does deal with shadows," Jessica muses. "Eh, I'm tired of waiting. Hey, Shadow guy, we're here, show yourself!"
"I think its all in your head, he never said he would combat. You were just hoping. Jessica and shadow guy, hiding in a tree. K I S S I N G." Pine goes on humming this while working on her bow.
"Oh, gross, like I would ever kiss a human!" Jessica snorts, punching Pine lightly on the shoulder. "Besides, he said he was going to meet us here, and he seems like the type to do what he says. I mean, you saw the way he kicked their asses," Jessica points out.
"As if!" Jessica exclaims. "I don't date humans, and I especially don't date bigoted humans." She shivers. "Such hatred in his voice, like I wasn't even a person, just a thing."
"Why does everyone keep assuming that they're the only strangers?" Jessica asks rhetorically. "He's not a friend, and all we planned was getting out of that damned stuffy lab."
"You really should get a different firearm if you plan on following us and being sneaky about it. Trinity ones have a really easy to figure out sound. I think the people even here in the slums can figure it out." Starts checking the fletching her arrows some again.
James glances at his equipment pack and then waves a hand dismissively. "Ah, there's no need to be sneaky in following you now that we're all done running away. But if our teleporting gentleman is ... new ... then that would be ... of interest. Maybe the evening constitutional won't be cut as short as expected."
He taps his earpiece. "Central. Haddock. Nothing to report; pursuing a trail of thought-images from locals who saw them in a residential; will update when I have something. No. No. Won't be necessary. Yes, understood."
"Yes, and my superiors are very concerned with your safety, you see. Now, admittedly you held your own quite well just now. But you've got to understand that Trinity expects you to be found quickly. How's about a compromise: We talk to our new friend and then start heading back before we get into any more scrapes."
James holds his hands out in front of him, presenting the "compromise" in the manner of a used car salesman unveiling some clunker on the lot.
"How about this: we stay for a while, and I get a real night out for the first fucking time in years," Jessica hisses. "This is the longest I've been away from the lab after dark since before grad school." She bares her teeth and extends her claws, clearly angry at the possibility of having the evening cut short.
James momentarily looks like he's about to say something incredibly dumb and condescending, and then seems to think better of it.
He shrugs and takes off his protective head gear with a grin. "Fine fine, we'll see."
He adjusts his SMG more securely on his back and clips the protective head gear to his belt before loosening his goggle straps and leaving them around his neck.
"Can't entirely blame you for wanting to stretch your legs, so it's only fair to warn you they figured out your D-vent trick once you were out. That was clever, though. Wouldn't have thought of it, myself."
"This guy ever going to show up? Be nice to go at least browse even the windows of the shops out here. Just something to feel a little normal again. Also, the more you fidget with your gun the more noise it makes on this roof. You kind of shuffle a little bit." Pine says now putting all her arrows back in her quiver and then correcting her old and discolored undercover vest. The hard wooden surface of her skin now back to a pale green.
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ThomamelasOnly one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered Userregular
edited February 2011
Stepping out of the shadow, Frank slowly begins to appear as he walks to the trio, his cape swirling in the warm evening air. "James Haddock. I see they have you on the babysitting detail tonight. I assume then that the gunfire was more to protect Trinity property then the citizens of the area." He doesn't bother waiting for a reply before he turns to Jessica. "And you. This is not a rousing game of tag. These aren't chew toys down there either. The El Caimáns and Los Lobos are in a turf war, and the people of this area have been caught in the middle. The mother and child that were being threatened have been moved somewhere safe." Turning to Priscilla "They shouldn't interfere with any planned shopping trips."
There is a slight tremble in his body language, a hint of rage in his stance that is at odds with the frozen tones of his voice as he looks over the three of them. "The three of you have the potential to do good things. Gifts that in the hands of others could be used to make the world a better place. Instead it appears Trinity has corrupted you in the same way it corrupts everything it touches."
"It's funny how you think you know me," Jessica spits, with as much contempt as he showed her before. "Let me go through your complaints. First of all, I wouldn't have played with them if anyone had actually been in danger; you prevented that by taking the defenseless humans away, so thank you for that. Second of all, I have been using my gifts to 'make the world a better place'. Tonight, I needed a break from that. I needed to have some goddamn fun. But it seems you're determined to spoil my stress relief. It sounds like you want me to be a crusader for justice, cleaning up this damned floating junkpile - sorry, no deal. I'm here for labwork and leisure, nothing else." She folds her arms across her tanktop, daring him to respond.
"Some one fell out of the wrong side of the shadow this morning. But hey, if that is all you had to say I am going to head towards the market then. Really I get out so little I bet the stuff even down here would be new and at least more interesting than some caped crusader. I mean, its not like their lives ever turn out great." Pine stands up and starts heading toward the slums market area. "Coming Jes?"
"Yeah, you're right, he's just going to yell at me some more, like he thinks he's my father." Jessica follows Pine, and whispers "Uh, if you can look a little less green, we'll be more inconspicuous. Obviously I'm a lost cause, but I'm good at staying hidden. Oh, and I smell burritos, a few hundred feet ahead, on the left."
ThomamelasOnly one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered Userregular
edited February 2011
"Ah yes. Doing research for Trinity. Because people who keep you as slaves and encourage slums like these are definitely humanitarians. I'm sure your research has made millions for Trinity. But I very much doubt it's made the world a better place. And look around you. Do you see any police? Any Trinity Security with orders to keep the peace?"
"Well, I can be green or I can be barky. The green I can at least say is like body paint or something. Also your man back there is still ranting at you. I think he might start following us." Pine says gesturing back at the shadow.
Jessica snaps over her shoulder, "I'm not working for Trinity, dumbass, I'm working with them on an exchange program. And last I checked, prosthetics did make the world a better place, yes, even if they're expensive." She tosses her head and jumps down with Pine, dismissing him. "And if we're in public," she whispers, "he's not likely to make a scene."
"I am not sure there will be a burrito vendor out, Jes. I think you are just smelling the smoke." Says realizing she smells it to and remembering her dad talk about how fire can travel around the slums. "I don't think we are going to get much window shopping if these fires spread."
"Then I guess we'll have to quench them first," Jessica says flippantly, and calls out "Hey, Shadow, feel like assisting a deed of derring-do? Oh, and Haddock, you're invited too!"
"Ugh, great she is rhyming. Haddock this is your fault. She can do this for hours and hours and hours." Pine says as she just shrugs in acceptance of doing something useful.
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Gather Info roll: 1d20+20=30
"So, ah, interesting evening for a little stroll. Did you plan this meet up with your dour friend?"
He taps his earpiece. "Central. Haddock. Nothing to report; pursuing a trail of thought-images from locals who saw them in a residential; will update when I have something. No. No. Won't be necessary. Yes, understood."
James holds his hands out in front of him, presenting the "compromise" in the manner of a used car salesman unveiling some clunker on the lot.
He shrugs and takes off his protective head gear with a grin. "Fine fine, we'll see."
He adjusts his SMG more securely on his back and clips the protective head gear to his belt before loosening his goggle straps and leaving them around his neck.
"Can't entirely blame you for wanting to stretch your legs, so it's only fair to warn you they figured out your D-vent trick once you were out. That was clever, though. Wouldn't have thought of it, myself."
There is a slight tremble in his body language, a hint of rage in his stance that is at odds with the frozen tones of his voice as he looks over the three of them. "The three of you have the potential to do good things. Gifts that in the hands of others could be used to make the world a better place. Instead it appears Trinity has corrupted you in the same way it corrupts everything it touches."