<> <> <> <> <> <<(Go!)>> * Threnody is actually in his room, sitting cross-legged on the bed meditating. The phone ring causes him to open one eye in what would be cautious irritation if he didn't have the face of a 14 year old, and he reluctantly uncurls from his position and picks it up to answer. "Yes?" <> "Threnody, my friend. How are you today?" * Threnody knits his brow, briefly, then has a seat on the edge of the bed and looks at the ceiling. "Conflicted, and slightly headachey. Yourself?" "Perfectly charming. Next time, remember to drink more water with it." <> "Not a prediction, of course, just a guess." * Threnody frowns ever so slightly. "I actually had very little, but thank you for the gracious advice." <> <> "News from the employer, Threnody. You're to head to Red Vladivostok in a decoy attack on a cache of artifacts." * Threnody blinks a few times. "Vladivostok... Russia?" (Isis' voice: "And what's up with this 'employer' shit?" Thren: "Shut up, Mom.") (Seriously. As soon as the employer gets around to paying us, we'll get right on that.) "Red Russia, yes. No killing, no need to actually return with any artifacts. Just divert their attention to you." * Threnody idly plays with one of the forelocks of red hair dangling over each of his ears. "Can I ask a somewhat frank question?" "Of course." * Threnody drifts his eyes to the phone, as if he were reading a person's face from the receiver. "Is it safe to send a man wanted by criminal elements into a decoy mission?" "Of course, since the opponents you're meant to distract are also criminals." (...) * Threnody just eyes the phone for a moment, then clears his throat. "I see." He stands up and starts for his luggage. "Am I paying my own way, or have you arranged some sort of transportation?" (Tasty carrots are better than normal ones, even if it means guaranteeing that the tasty carrot's gonna get eaten? Gutsy!) (...what the fuck did you just say?) (He says, I am the best decoy because they're more motviated to come after me, but I am in considerably greater danger.) (Proving that Dorian is a moron.) "Your transportation will be arriving outside your room shortly." * Threnody throws a few warm jackets and his standard of long button-downs and jeans or slacks into a suitcase and zips it shut. "...excuse me?" (Er, no. Your wanted status doesn't matter because your opponents a) likely don't know about the bounty, b) won't call the police on you.) (Aha.) "Just as I said." <> "That should be her now." ... * Threnody looks at the phone again, briefly, then manages to overcome his urges, say a quick "Good afternoon, Dorian," before hanging up, and cautiously opens the door. <> <> (What's Chako doing here?) (The only one of those descriptors that works for Chako is 'big'.) <> "Hello, Threnody. I'm Luanne." (Also, a man.) * Threnody forces a smile onto his face. "Good afternoon, Luanne. You've caught me at what I am charitably calling an 'inopportune moment'." He gestures inside. "Please, have a seat while I collect my thoughts." <> "They didn't give you enough notice, did they?" "That's Anders and Dorian for you." * Threnody shuts the door and turns around, unable to conceal his agreement. "It's very gratifying to hear a sober person say that," he quips, hefting the suitcase and then tracking his bokken down in the closet and giving it a few experimental swings. <> "Well, I try to tell them people like a little more time, but as they don't have any real jobs, they can just jump up and do things." * Threnody takes one last swish through the air, then fits the thing into loops on the back of his belt. "It's not that I resent the short notice, so much as the..." He pauses for a moment. "I really don't know how to describe it. 'Blindness'? Can you tell me anything about Red Russia?" <> "Uh, cold, for the most part. Drab. Kind of plain, but not a bad place." (I am getting pings varying from 0 sec to nearly two minutes.) (Impressive.) * Threnody smiles a little and has a seat at the table which the room must presumably provide. "I lived in the Himalayas, for a while. The cold doesn't bother me so much. But... I should say, they didn't say anything about the artifact, or where it is..." He suddenly cracks a smile. "Is it possible you resent their languid haste because you are left filling in the gaps?" "That's also usually how it goes." <> "The artifacts are in a warehouse in the south of the city. I can take you almost right there." * Threnody tilts his head a little. "How terribly convenient. You must also be a 24, obviously... a teleporter, of some kind?" "Yes. Though if you don't mind, we booked you a flight yesterday and made sure that the people who care think you're already there." * Threnody raises an eyebrow. "I will only mind if it was done with my money, to be perfectly blunt." <> "Of course not." * Threnody smiles. "Then there's no problem." He stands and puts on a surprisingly long black coat and a matching dark blue, round Chinese winter hat. "I'm ready when you are, then." (Anastaaaasiaaaaaa! ;_;) "Anders has his parent's insurance money, Dorian's got his whole family fortune to spend, and we've got a couple other accounts set up. Actually, we're in great financial shape. Victor just checked the books the other day... oh, that's all you're taking?" * Threnody keeps on smiling, little dork that he is. "I travel light." <> "Right. I can use the corner of the door. Grab my hand." <> * Threnody blinks a few times, but doesn't think much about it and extends his free hand. "Is there anything I should know before we, er... 'leave'?" "I'll point stuff out when we get there." <> * Threnody is dragged! Slowly since he's burdened, but dragged he be. <> <> * Threnody blinks like a total mark. "...most impressive, Miss Luanne." He shivers a bit in the sudden temperature change but is luckily bundled up. "And very different from horror stories I've heard about teleportation." <> "Well, you know, it's kinda a personal thing. Let's get inside!" <> * Threnody follows, not exactly darting but moving at a decent clip for someone carrying a decent-sized suitcase. <> "There. Now. Thanks for your compliment on the transportation. It's not often I get to use it for people other than me and the crew, you know?" * Threnody sits the case down on the floor and settles himself into the opposite seat, letting the jacket drape itself over the back of the chair as he shrugs it off. "You're most welcome. My mother's stories involved Sugar Loaf Hill in Rio di Janeiro, so by comparison your method is positively restful." (....what? c_C;) (FISHY FRUIT.) (Sugar Loaf Hill is where the Jesus statue is in Rio.) (Which we saw in the Trippy Bodyslide of Oh God, My Eyes) (...oh, right, there was a Jesus statue somewhere in there, wasn't there?) (He was SPACE JESUS.) (And he, like, gave us a smiling thumbs up.) (And there was a Fishy Fruit in one of them too, I think.) (Shut up about the fishy fruit already. c.c;) <> "Okay." <> "That's it. It should be sufficient to wander around it drawing attention to yourself, knock a few of the guards out when they emerge, then run like hell for that." <> * Threnody turns! <> <> * Threnody blinks, and speaks without turning back around. "A... radio tower? How, uh..." He pauses. "Is the word I want 'antiquated'?" "It's actually from Russia. They brought it with on the colony ship. Refused to leave it." <> "Russians. Who knows?" * Threnody shrugs as he turns back around. "Some things people can't bear to leave, regardless of how strange they seem to others." He smiles. "If it doesn't hurt anything, what's the harm?" <> "Well, it could rust and fall over. But. I'll be waiting there for you, and you'll hopefully have pursuit, so we'll vanish back to RNYC and bam, mission done." * Threnody tilts his head. "You were worried about my underpacking for an hour of work?" he says, genuinely curious. "That mean I should leave my suitcase with you?" "I meant the sword. Seemed a little less than most of you fighters usually carry." "And probably, unless it's got weapons in it." * Threnody stands up and decides to leave his coat; he'll be warm enough as it is. "I don't even need the bokken, to be frank... but it would be a mistake to call me a 'fighter', I think." He takes a step toward the door. "I simply recognize the exegencies of the situation. I'll see you at the radio tower." <> * Threnody walks out into the street, wearing the hat with no coat, and heads slowly for anything resembling an alley near the warehouse. <> <> <> * Threnody walks down the alley, observing the presumably impenetrable consumer goods fortress of the warehouse district, and sighs, muttering to himself. "No windows, suitably modern locks... which of course leaves the tried and true method of forced entry." (Or I hulk out and break down a wall.) (Or Momo comes with a pitcher of Kool-Aid...) (Rahr! Sad kittens in snow make Thren angry!) (Must control... wit of death...) <> 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Threnody (2d6-2) and gets 9. (SEE.) (Wow. An 11. Screw you, Dicey.) (That is a failure, naturally.) ( Can I help you? ) <> "Who de hell are you?" ( Dicebotto Active. ) (Thanks.) (Thank god.) * Threnody blinks and turns around, tilting his head a bit and taking in the speaker before responding in-depth, contenting himself with "Um..." for the moment. <> "Dis is a restrikted area. Get movink, da?" * Threnody smiles and folds his arms in front of him, all politeness. "Well, to be honest, I've come to take a few things out of the warehouse, so I really can't. But thank you for opening the door. If you could move aside, we could avoid the general unpleasantness that will probably result." (I'm so cute and honest you HAVE to let me in! ^_^) <> "You've got to be shittink me." * Threnody shakes his head. "I really wish I were, believe me, but I'm really not. Sorry." <> d6+6 * Atom rolls for Threnody (d6+6) and gets 10. <> * Threnody sighs and runs forward to kick it out of his hand. "I just want you to know..." he says, winding up for it, "...that I really am sorry." 2d6-2 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6-2) and gets 5. (Disarm, and yes.) <> <> <> * Threnody mutters and dashes for the door, praying that there's not thirty Kombinat inside with guns trained on the door. (The gun the gun the gun the gun the gun the gun the gun the gun... o/~) (are you grabbing, or trying to just get inside?) (I'm thinking grabbing, since I got the impression the space wasn't much.) <> 2d6 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6) and gets 2. (Woo! WOO!) (HULK OUT.) (... Critical Hulk Out, even.) <> * Threnody stands there blinking for a moment, looking at his hands briefly, then at the guard. "...oops." (...there is a potential bad end to this situation.) (?) * Threnody struggles with something internally a moment, then can't help but walk over and check the guy's pulse, quickly. (Well, if he just killed the guy, there will be Problems.) <> * Threnody hops from one foot to another a second, then stands up again and jogs inside the door, turning around. "I'll have an ambulance called, I promise. And sorry about the door." (Hulk courteous!) <> * Threnody walks, *eyeing* the ceiling with genetic distaste, and frowns at the intersection. "Um..." He closes his eyes, and spins for a second, index finger extended. 1d2 * Atom rolls for Threnody (1d2) and gets 1. ...Left. * Threnody goes left! <> "You haff GOT to be shittink me!" * Threnody tilts his head. "Er, I'm probably not. What about?" <> * Threnody sighs and puts a hand back on the hilt of his bokken, shaking his head. "Why does it always come to this..." <> d6+6 * Atom rolls for Threnody (d6+6) and gets 11. <> <> <> * Threnody sets his right foot back and braces him foot to draw the bokken and block if necessary. "Really, this doesn't have to turn out violent. I'd sort of prefer it doesn't..." (Full defense) (If only I could disarm on counter. Ah well.) (You mean like Isis could?) (What COULDN'T Isis do? Except Precise Strike?) (Bah. Who needs precise strike?) <> * Threnody draws and parries, or something similarly Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. 2d6-5 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6-5) and gets 6. (*snerk* Still! A! Success!) <> * Threnody parries again, planting his foot to counter. (-2 per extra defense, yes?) (+2, yeah.) 2d6-3 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6-3) and gets 5. (Yep.) (So, how does this counter thing work? DCV + Skill?) (Um... which counter thing?) (*points at the Counterattack attribute in chargen.txt*) (S'what the 'Counterattack' Combat Technique thing simulates.) (Or so it was said.) (Oh. Right. No, it's as per usual. roll-(ACV+skill).) 2d6-3 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6-3) and gets 1. (Yep. ^_^) (Sorry.) <> <> (...) <> * Threnody grits his teeth and hopes his momentum is enough to keep him alive in a continuing struggle for existence. 2d6-1 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6-1) and gets 4. (...Hurray! Blocked. ._.) (I get to live for the next... round.) <> 2d6-2 * Atom rolls for Threnody (2d6-2) and gets 5. (Success or something.) (Should I wait for the results before running like a madman?) <> * Threnody is about to turn and flee when the guards can be heard coming down the only real exit, and in a moment of desperation he makes a grab for the cube with his free hand. (I've got a completely unidentified object. And I am highly afraid of using it!) <> * Threnody holds it forward like a talisman at the thug with the axe, slapping a manic little grin on his face but saying nothing. (You can still run if you like. It was close enough you've got the time.) * Threnody then runs like hell, as three oncoming surprised guards < eight armed guards with the high ground. <> (Did they say how MANY artifacts were in here? Or what they looked like?) * Threnody skids around a sharp right to the outside hallway, sliding the bokken into place as he does so and stowing the cube into a pocket with the other hand, praying that it is, in fact, what he came for. (If you remember you weren't supposed to actually get the artifacts.) (Oh, really?) <> (Decoy operation, remember?_ (Right, right.) (It was greedy little Mecha who insisted on collecting them.) * Threnody turns on the heat running, heading immediately for the radio tower once he's out on the street again. (*_*) (For all I know, I just have the Square.) <> <> * Threnody continues on, actually smiling to himself as he turns back around. "Oh, good. I'm sure one of them will notice their friend in the alley." Run run RUN. <> * Threnody starts taking nice big gulps of air as he chugs on. "How nice of you... to be on time... let's go NOW, please..." ( Luanne, I need an exit. ) <> * Threnody only *stops* running when he realizes there's no more scenery, and slumps over at the waist, grabbing his knees and taking heaving breaths. <> * Threnody doesn't move, continuing to take nice, deep, cleansing breaths of air without bullets in it. <> "Brrr. Really cold up there, isn't it?" * Threnody responds with a look that would be considerably harsher if it weren't directed at someone who as yet has been fairly sane, but could still, in fact, be called harsh. <> "You should probably sit down." * Threnody then fumbles for the key to his room. "I plan on it. Please do me the courtesy of not disappearing before I can ask a few questions." (Well, 'key' being 'keypad', I guess for thumb thing.) "Sure. I gotta warm up first." * Threnody manages to get the door open and heads inside, opting for the bed as the place to sit down, then wincing at the feeling of a large cube in his pocket, which he retrieves as he sits up straight. <> "What's that? An artifact?" I don't know what it is. It caught my eye when I was fleeing for my life and I decided to take it. (pause for a sec. Starving.) (Jesus christ. My contact with my parents needs to be limited to five minute periods.) (Ehe.) (anyways. Unpause.) "It looks kind of like one." * Threnody looks at the cube a moment, holding it up to the light. "It was resting under a table. Someone was leaning his feet on it." (Where are you holding it?) (In my hand? Hands if it's too big.) <> * Threnody blinks, almost dropping the thing in surprise. "It's... a vibrocube. I'm not quite sure that makes it an 'artifact', though." He pauses, setting the thing on the bed. "Truth be told, I haven't been given much of any information about them." <> "Well, it's actually kind of simple." * Threnody raises an eyebrow. "All the artifacts were made by this ancient race that used to live here. Then they went away, out of this dimension, or something like that, and left the stuff here. Now, some people want to bring them back, and they need certain artifacts to do it. But not all of them are important." * Threnody hmms a moment, then picks up the cube again, looking at it intently. "So this might be an 'artifact'... which has the unfortunate fate of being destined to vibrate, nothing more?" "It's hard to know what they really do unless you're Anders, and he doesn't care too much. Just if they're one of the ones the Concordat needs." (.... AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) (Oh, man... too good.) * Threnody frowns, and attempts to shut the thing off by squeezing it again in his palm. "That seems a little irresponsible. If you know about them, what if... one of the unimportant ones is something terribly dangerous?" (What? The fact that the main group would know what they did if they could read TechEese?) (no. One of Kitty's friends who moved to Minneapolis and just got married is trying to tell me to get a job there.) (Fuck no.) (A... ha.) "Well, we don't use them." * Threnody knits his brow. "That's not my point." "What do you mean, then?" * Threnody sets the thing on the bed again, regardless of whether or not it actually shuts off. "I mean... you say Anders is only interested in artifacts the Concordat want. But... what if one of the artifacts they don't want or need is something that is highly dangerous? If you know about the artifacts, then don't you have... a responsibility to protect people from misusing them, or being hurt by their misuse?" "Well, we don't just leave them lying about. We pack up the unused ones in a couple different U-Stor-Its, and since the only people who know about the artifacts are us and the Concordat, it's not much of an issue. " * Threnody mms faintly. "If they're as powerful as you've all made them out to be, it doesn't seem like *anyone* should have them." <> "As far as I know, they're only powerful in that they do things we can't. Not that they just blow stuff up." * Threnody looks away a bit. "Something doesn't have to 'blow things up' to be dangerous." The ability to read a person's thoughts is dangerous. The ability to teleport is dangerous. 'A sword is only as good as the wielder'. <> "Seems to me, if you worry about that too much, you end up wanting nobody to have anything at all." * Threnody shakes his head. "It's not that. A 24 is born with his or her power. He can't control having it any more than he could control the color of his eyes or the tone of his skin. But these 'artifacts' are a different matter, I feel." He stands up. "I suppose it's immaterial." * Threnody looks at the cube. "Are you wanting to take our vibrating paperweight to Anders?" "No. He'll get it later. The others have a bunch they need to drop off soon, too." * Threnody mms. "I see." He looks back. "Thank you for your timely assistance in leaving, though I don't feel very comfortable about the outcome. You did save my life, though, regardless." <> "That's kind of what I do. No problem." * Threnody smiles despite himself. "I suppose I don't have to feel very bad about increasing my 'popularity' with the criminal element." "Nope. I'll talk to you later, alright?" <> * Threnody nods. "Take care." "You too." <> * Threnody watches her go, then sits down on the bed to eye the cube, and think. <>